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Training camps Authorities seize 20 guns from rural area By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Mexican authorities said they discovered three training camps used by suspected gunmen in a rural area across the border from Zapata County. The Mexican army said Tuesday they located the camps on kilometer marker 176 of the Nuevo Laredo-Reynosa Highway, which is also known as Carretera Ribereña. Mexico’s attorney general’s office announced it has opened an investigation into the discovery of the camps and the seizure
of 20 firearms from the location. While on patrol, soldiers came across a rural road that led them to the three camps, which were believed to be used for physical training. Soldiers said they also discovered a cooler, where they found the 20 firearms. Troops said they seized 15 assault rifles, one 5.45-caliber rifle and four .223-caliber rifles. An investigation is underway. Investigator Joe E. Baeza, LPD spokesman, said
See CAMPS PAGE 11A
Photo by Eric Gay | AP file
In this Dec. 17, 2014, file photo, oil pump jacks work behind a natural gas flare near Watford City, North Dakota.
Courtesy photo
This photo shows some of the weapons seized by authorities from the training camps found across the border from Zapata County.
Oil slump taking a toll on industry With prices down 50 percent, major companies cutting back By JONATHAN FAHEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
SOUTHEAST TEXAS
ANIMAL SANCTUARY Woman turns cattle ranch into vegan farm By IAN GOODRUM THE FACTS OF BRAZORIA COUNTY
ANGLETON — For generations, Sonnen Ranch has been a place for raising livestock — where animals, though treated humanely, were destined to be used for meat or dairy products. Now, after several rounds of fundraising, the ranch has been transformed into Rowdy Girl Sanctuary, a safe haven for farm animals, allowing the creatures to live out their lives without distress. The sanctuary’s development was the brainchild of Renee King-Sonnen, who moved to the ranch when she and Thomas Sonnen remarried. “I’m a Texas girl through and through, grew up eating barbecue, wearing boots, going to
the rodeo,” King-Sonnen told The Facts of Brazoria County. “Until I moved out here to the ranch, there was no connection to the animals that ended up on my plate. I’d experimented with vegetarianism, raw food diets, but never really called it ‘vegan.’ It all happened as a result of me living here.” Being in the presence of farm animals — and seeing their reaction after calves were sold — was enough to change her mind about her diet and lifestyle, King-Sonnen said. “The cows were so depressed,” she said. “I wasn’t prepared for the way it happened. And every year, it got harder for him to sell the calves, because he didn’t want me to see, wanted to hide it
See SANCTUARY
PAGE 10A
NEW YORK — As drivers, shippers and airlines continue to enjoy lower fuel prices, the oil industry is responding to much lower profits with sharp cuts in spending and employment that are hurting economic growth. Low oil and gas prices are good for the overall economy because they reduce costs for consumers and business. U.S. economic growth was higher in the second quarter, and economists say that was partly fueled by consumers spending some of their savings on gasoline at stores and restaurants. But with oil prices down around 50 percent from last year, major oil companies are cutting back, offsetting some of this good news. For instance, Exxon Mobil said Friday it cut spending by $1.54 billion in the second quarter, while Chevron announced it is laying off 1,500 workers. Until about six months ago, booming U.S. oil and gas production was helping the country’s economy grow during a time of economic sluggishness. David Kelly, chief global strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said this week that a $29 billion decline in oil exploration and mining ac-
tivity in the U.S. cut economic growth by 0.7 percent in the second quarter, a sizable chunk for an economy that grew 2.3 percent. Investors also feel the pain. Lower oil profits have an outsized effect on stock markets because the companies are so enormous. Analysts at RBC Capital Markets wrote that when oil prices drop by 10 percent, earnings for the overall S&P 500 fall by 1 percent. Industry layoffs seem to be accelerating. Royal Dutch Shell, while announcing Thursday that profits fell 25 percent in the second quarter, said it would cut its global workforce by 6,500. Chevron’s quarterly profit fell 90 percent and CEO John Watson said the company is reducing its workforce “to reflect lower activity levels going forward.” Layoffs at three of the big oil and gas service companies are near 60,000 after two of them, Halliburton and Baker Hughes, revealed further layoffs in quarterly filings last week. BP CFO Brian Gilvary told investors Thursday that the company has been cutting workers “and I think you’ll see more of that before we get to the end of the
See OIL PAGE 10A
2016 GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Trump calls for mass deportation of immigrants By JILL COLVIN AND ALICIA A. CALDWELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Tamir Kalifa | New York Times
Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television personality, waves from his motorcade after leaving a news conference in Laredo on July 23. Trump’s trip to this border town to push his anti-immigration cause drew the type of media circus the Republican presidential hopeful craves.
NEW YORK — In one of his first forays into policy as a presidential candidate, Republican Donald Trump calls for the deportation of all 11 million people estimated to be living in the country illegally while allowing the “really good people” to return. It’s a plan Trump offers with few specifics — and one complicated by the messy realities of the nation’s immigration system. Such an effort may be more difficult than Trump realizes because deporting so many people
means finding them first. The government does not know the identities of many of the millions of people who have come into the country illegally or remained after their legally issued visas expired. Locating immigrants who don’t have a legal immigration status has stymied officials for decades. Deporting them all “is impractical and is opposed by a large majority of Americans,” said Clint Bolick, an Arizona lawyer who coauthored a book on immigration policy with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, himself a GOP presidential candidate. During an interview Wednes-
day on CNN, Trump said the “good ones” could return via an “expedited” process and then remain in the country legally. The billionaire businessman and former reality television star has shot to the top of polls in the crowded race for the Republican presidential nomination in large part because of his hardline stance on immigration. “I want to move ‘em out, and we’re going to move ‘em back in and let them be legal,” he told CNN. As for his plans for the “bad
See TRUMP PAGE 10A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Planetarium shows at TAMIU Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium from 2 to 5 p.m. 2 p.m.: Accidental Astronauts; 3 p.m.: Wonders of the Universe; 4 p.m.: New Horizons; 5 p.m.: Led Zeppelin. General admission is $3. Call 956-326-DOME (3663). Used book sale at First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Hardcovers $1, paperbacks $.50, magazines and children’s books $.25. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome. The Laredo Northside Market Association will hold its monthly market from 9 a.m. to 1 pm. on the parking lot of North Central Park. The association will present school supplies to Sacred Heart Children’s Home. The association will also raffle 12 packages of pre-K to K school supplies.
Today is Saturday, August 1, the 213th day of 2015. There are 152 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On August 1, 1975, a 35-nation summit in Finland concluded with the signing of a declaration known as the Helsinki Accords dealing with European security, human rights and East-West contacts. On this date: In 1714, Britain’s Queen Anne died at age 49; she was succeeded by George I. In 1876, Colorado was admitted as the 38th state. In 1907, the U.S. Army Signal Corps established an aeronautical division, the forerunner of the U.S. Air Force. In 1913, the Joyce Kilmer poem “Trees” was first published in “Poetry: A Magazine of Verse.” In 1936, the Olympics opened in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler. In 1944, an uprising broke out in Warsaw, Poland, against Nazi occupation; the revolt lasted two months before collapsing. In 1957, the United States and Canada agreed to create the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). In 1966, Charles Joseph Whitman, 25, went on a shooting rampage at the University of Texas in Austin, killing 14 people. Whitman, who had also slain his wife and mother hours earlier, was gunned down by police. In 1971, the Concert for Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, took place at New York’s Madison Square Garden. In 1981, the rock music video channel MTV made its debut. In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley confirmed they’d been secretly married 11 weeks earlier. (Presley filed for divorce from Jackson in January 1996, citing irreconcilable differences.) In 2007, the eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, killing 13 people. Ten years ago: Saudi Arabia’s ruler, King Fahd, died; Crown Prince Abdullah, the king’s half-brother, became the country’s new monarch. Five years ago: The United States announced that it would provide Pakistan with $10 million in humanitarian assistance in the wake of deadly flooding. One year ago: President Barack Obama, in a televised news conference, said that the United States had “tortured” al-Qaida detainees captured after 9/11, adding, “We did some things that were contrary to our values.” A medical examiner ruled that a New York City police officer’s chokehold caused the death of Eric Garner, whose videotaped arrest and final pleas of “I can’t breathe!” had sparked outrage. Today’s Birthdays: Singer Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is 84. Singer Michael Penn is 57. Rapper Coolio is 52. Actor John Carroll Lynch is 52. Movie director Sam Mendes is 50. Country singer George Ducas is 49. Actor Charles Malik Whitfield is 43. Singer Ashley Parker Angel is 34. Actor Elijah Kelley is 29. Thought for Today: “As scarce as truth is, the supply is always greater than the demand.” — “Josh Billings” (Henry Wheeler Shaw), American author (1818-1885).
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4 Grief Support Group “The Comfort Café” meets the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Danny’s Restaurant, 2406 Jacaman Road. For those 18 and older who are experiencing the loss of a loved one. Contact Yesenia Dickey at 740-9374 or email her at yeseniadickey@gmail.com to reserve a seat or for more information. The Alzheimer’s support group will meet Tuesday Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. in meeting room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For information, call 956-693-9991. Les Amies Birthday Club meeting, 11:30 a.m. at the Ramada Plaza. Hostesses are Christina Garza, Herminia Molina and Thelma Sanchez. Honorees are Ma. Olivia Salinas and Carmen Santos.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 Renacer Couple’s Club meeting at Northtown Professional Plaza, 6999 McPherson Rd. Suite 221, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. Contact Rosario Navarro at rossnavarro83@gmail.com.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11 Texas A&M International University is hosting no-cost, one-day workshops for K-5 educators interested in teaching computer science. Curriculum guide and supplies will be provided. Contact Pat Abrego at TAMIU at 326-2302.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12 The Webb County Heritage Foundation will host a public presentation and book-signing on “Border Contraband: A History of Smuggling Across the Rio Grande” by George T. Diaz from 6–8 p.m. at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. Books will be available for purchase at the event. For more information, contact the WCHF at 956727-0977 or visit www.webbheritage.org or their Facebook page.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13 Inspire Social Business Club meeting at Northtown Professional Plaza, 6999 McPherson Rd. Suite 211, at 6:30 p.m. The public can discuss ideas, hear keynote speakers and support one another in business ventures. Contact Victor Navarro at vnavarro@texaslakeinc.com.
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
Texas Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Steve McCraw, left, talks with Victoria County Sheriff T. Michael O’Connor, center, and Jackson County Sheriff A.J. "Andy" Louderback, right, before the Texas County Affairs Committee hearing to discuss jail standards in the wake of Bland’s case Thursday in Austin.
Boss defends trooper By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The top boss over the Texas trooper who arrested Sandra Bland said there was reason to pull her over for failing to signal a lane change and told lawmakers Thursday that the trooper remains on the state payroll because the investigation is still playing out. Bland was found dead in the Waller County jail on July 13, three days after her arrest. Authorities say she hanged herself with a garbage bag, a find her family has questioned. Her family and others also have criticized the traffic stop that led to Bland’s arrest. “There was a reason, if you look at it from a traffic violation standpoint,” Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said, responding to sometimes
Woman who ran adoption agency accused of fraud
Sheriff’s deputy faces jail in drug-smuggling case
200 neglected horses to remain in SPCA care
HOUSTON — A Houston woman who operated a foster care and child placement agency has been accused of adoption fraud. Simone Swenson was arrested Friday. Swenson owned Sans Pareil Center for Children and Family Services LLC. Prosecutors say Sans Pareil defrauded couples seeking to adopt by promising the same baby to multiple families.
SAN ANTONIO — A South Texas jailer has been accused of smuggling drugs to inmates. Officials say 22-year-old Deputy Termaine Elliott was arrested Friday at work in San Antonio. Undercover investigators believe Elliott was transporting drugs and other contraband to inmates. Authorities declined to identify what drugs were involved.
CONROE — About 200 neglected horses seized from a Houston-area ranch will remain with an animal protection group and the owners must pay $485,000 in care costs. The SPCA provided the estimated cost of caring for the horses, which were seized on June 24. Experts say many of the horses were starving or had neglect-related health issues.
Charges filed against exsurgeon for two deaths
Nebraska pilot critically burned in plane crash
8-year-old fatally shot after playing with gun
DALLAS — A former neurosurgeon whose medical license was revoked after two patients died now faces potential prison time. Officials say the 44-year-old Dr. Christopher Duntsch in 2012 botched two surgeries that resulted in significant blood loss and ultimately the deaths of the patients. They say four others he operated on suffered disabling injuries.
SULPHUR SPRINGS — Authorities say a 46-year-old pilot from Nebraska has been critically burned in the crash of his small plane at an East Texas airport. David German of Ogallala, Nebraska, was at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas on Friday. Sulphur Springs police say the crash happened Thursday night at Sulphur Springs Municipal Airport.
HOUSTON — An 8-year-old boy has died in an apparent accidental shooting at a home in Houston. The victim and an 11year-old boy found two unsecured firearms Thursday in one of the home’s upstairs bedrooms. Police said the two boys were tossing a pistol back and forth when it suddenly fired, striking the younger boy in the head. — Compiled from AP reports
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 Veterans, their wives and their children are invited to “Salute to Veterans” Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Unitrade Stadium, 6320 Sinatra Parkway. For more information please call 235-0673.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 “Moving Forward in the Grief Journey.” This workshop provides insight into what can keep one from moving forward. From 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Laredo Public Library Conference Room, 1120 E. Calton Rd. To register or if you have any questions please contact 210-757-9425 ext. 1703 or michelle.ramirez@gencure.org.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 South Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls IX fundraiser, 6 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. concert, Laredo Energy Arena. Concert by Kansas. Table (of 10) sponsorships start at $1,500, on sale from South Texas Food Bank staff 324-2432. Concert tickets only $10, $15, $25 available at LEA box office and Ticketmaster.
pointed questions from lawmakers during a hearing at the state Capitol. “But again, I don’t want to prejudge. I don’t know what the trooper is going to say in terms of when he’s interviewed. When the investigation is over with, I’ll be able to assess.” He later told reporters that while he had not yet spoken to Trooper Brian Encinia, the Texas Rangers and FBI have interviewed the trooper. The confrontation between Bland and Encinia swiftly escalated after she objected to being told to put out her cigarette. Bland, who was black, eventually was arrested for allegedly assaulting the white trooper. Bland’s death came after nearly a year of heightened national scrutiny of police and their dealings with black suspects, especially those who have been killed by officers or die in police custody.
AROUND THE NATION U. of Cincinnati shooting puts spotlight on police PROVIDENCE, R.I. — When an Ohio prosecutor charged a campus police officer with murder in the death of a driver during a traffic stop, he offered a harsh judgment on University of Cincinnati police, saying the school should not be in the business of law enforcement at all. That statement and the circumstances of the shooting near campus have raised questions about college police departments, which often possess powers that extend beyond their schools’ boundaries.
Facebook’s Zuckerberg and wife are expecting SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his pediatrician wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby. The co-founder of the world’s largest social network used a
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Former University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing appears at Hamilton County Courthouse for his arraignment in the shooting death of motorist Samuel DuBose, Thursday in Cincinnati. Tensing pleaded not guilty to charges of murder. Facebook post Friday to announce that Chan is pregnant with a healthy baby daughter. He didn’t say when the baby is due. Zuckerberg, 31, also said the couple had suffered three miscarriages over the last two years. He acknowledged in his post that
many people are reluctant to speak publicly about miscarriages. But he said he and Chan, 30, decided to share the information after hearing from friends who had similar experiences and ultimately were able to have kids. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
Local & State
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
ZCISD hosts parent academy SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
ZCISD is hosting its 2nd Annual Sharing the Vision Back-to-School Parent Academy. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to reserve a space and set up a table. The event will take
Photo by Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald | AP
Jeanette Gooch Green, 90, right, returns a service ring to Robert Storey Jr., 95, left, during a reunion after 70 years at a local restaurant, Thursday, in Bellmead. The two met on a blind date in 1944 and drifted apart for the better part of seven decades.
AmeriCorps seeks members SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Woman, vet reunite after 70 years By OLIVIA MESSER WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD
WACO — A man and woman who dated more than 70 years ago were reunited Thursday afternoon at a Waco Luby’s Cafeteria after Jeanette Gooch Green, 90, found a U.S. Navy ring he gave to her while on leave during World War II. Robert Storey Jr., 95, met Green in Waco on a blind date in 1944, and, after the two drifted apart for the better part of seven decades, it took a jewelry box, an old photo of Storey in uniform in Cameron Park and a little investigating to bring them back together. Both went on to marry other people and raise families. Green is now a widow and Storey a widower. The Waco Tribune-Herald (http://bit.ly/1fP81np ) reports the two were all smiles Thursday as they sat among each other’s children and grandchildren at the restaurant on Green’s 90th birthday. “Well, I’m glad you kept it all this time,” Storey said, looking at the ring while Green placed it on his finger. “It’s been a long
time.” Green read a story in 2014 about her former flame in the Tribune-Herald, and her two daughters found Storey, who lives in Mart, on Google and contacted him so that the two could reconnect. The two first met on a blind date with friends, and they went to a nightclub called Casa Blanca near Lake Waco, Green said. “It was a place you could go dance and drink and have a good time,” she said. On Thursday, over iced tea, fried okra, liver and onions, the two sat side by side for more than two hours reminiscing about the times they shared and catching up on seven decades spent apart. Storey returned overseas not long after his first date with Green, but the two say they never forgot each other. In the meantime, Green dated other military men. “She would go dancing at the bases on Saturday night,” Green’s daughter Diane Birdwell, 54, said. Green said some of the men she dated took her to
play miniature golf, see a movie or stroll down Austin Avenue. “She’s 90 on the outside, but she’s still about 16 on the inside,” said her daughter Janet Rizovi, 59. “You’re still young compared to me,” Storey said of Green. “She was a good-looking girl,” he added, looking at a photo of Green when she was a teen. “That’s a pretty girl right there.” By the time Storey returned to the Waco area after his wartime service, Green had moved. “I was living in Dallas and he was living in Waco, and never the twain shall meet,” she said. Storey did visit Green once after the war, they said, but they never started dating again. In the six years he served in the U.S. Navy, Storey spent most of it on the USS Salt Lake City, known as the “One-Ship Fleet” and “The Swayback Maru,” the Tribune-Herald reported in 2014. His ship took part in the Doolittle Raid and the Battle of the Komandorski Islands, which took place off the eastern coast of Rus-
sia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Storey’s first encounter with enemy forces occurred the day after the infamous Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. Storey and his shipmates were approximately 200 miles out from the harbor. “It was a sick sight, I’ll tell you,” he said in 2014. “Everything we had was gone … guys floating in the water, dead.” Green said she was very glad she was able to return Storey’s ring after all this time. “I, of course, gave it to her to keep,” Storey said, but Green insisted he be able to pass the heirloom on to his grandchildren. Both sat Thursday looking at an old photo of Storey and chatting, while Luby’s employees took their picture and other patrons came over to thank him for his service. “You don’t ever get to see people like that after 70 years,” said Storey, who presented Green with a birthday card that sang, “Thank you for being a friend.” “We’re good friends,” Green said, smiling.
place Aug. 5 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Zapata High School. All students from Pre-K to 12th grade are welcome and all participants will receive a Kid’s Kit full of art supplies. For more information, contact Cynthia L. Villarreal at 285-3825 or cvillarreal2@zcisd.org.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Zapata County is seeking passionate, responsible, and dedicated individuals interested in fighting summer learning loss and making a difference in young people’s lives through the AmeriCorps national service program. As an AmeriCorps member, you will be placed at a local Boys & Girls Club to act as an AmeriCorps academic success coach. Utilizing the proven Project Learn theory of “making learning fun” members will complete 675 hours of service focusing on providing homework help, one-on-one tutoring and high yield learning opportunities within the Boys & Girls Clubs after-school program. Members will serve on average 20 hours each week. Service start and end dates are Sept. 8 to June 3, 2016, and are nonnegotiable. Members must be available to serve the entire term. For more information or to apply please contact Ramiro Hernandez at 956765-3892. Service commitment is as follows: Sept. 8, 2015 to June
3, 2016 675 hours of service (approximately 20 hours each week) Monday-Friday after school; 4 hours per day. Qualifications: At least 17 years old with high school diploma or ability to get a high school diploma by the end of the service term U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident Proficient in reading, writing and speaking English. Ability to interact with and relate to at-risk, minority youth Interest in and ability to support youth academic success Available for entire service term. Commitment to service and "Getting Things Done" Benefits: $4,894 Total Living Allowance paid in equal installments of $275.98 on the 15th and 31st of each month. $2,182.78 scholarship awarded at the end of service upon successful completion of service term. Scholarship can be used towards current and future education costs including tuition and books. Can be used to pay back student loans.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
The coming Alzheimer’s crisis in US Current quibbling over what Jeb Bush meant when he said it’s time to phase out and replace Medicare — as opposed to “attacking the seniors,” as one woman at a recent event bellowed out — will soon seem quaint against the realities of our future. Never mind projections that the program will be able to finance only 86 percent of its obligations by 2030. Or that by 2050, the number declines to 80 percent, according to a recently released Social Security and Medicare Boards of Trustees report. These are relatively comforting numbers compared with new projections from the Alzheimer’s Association. By 2050, the group says, 13.8 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease, at a cost of $1.1 trillion per year, mostly to Medicare and Medicaid. Today, by comparison, 5.3 million have the disease. “Basically, it will bankrupt Medicare,” said Robert Egge, the Alzheimer’s Association’s chief public policy officer. I met with Egge and chief science officer Maria Carrillo during the association’s recent international conference in Washington. The 2015 cost of care for Alzheimer’s and all other dementias is estimated at $226 billion, with 68 percent being paid by Medicare and Medicaid, Egge said. This total includes only direct costs for the care of Alzheimer’s sufferers — there currently is no treatment — and doesn’t take into consideration unpaid care by families. Within the next 10 years, 19 states will see at least a 40 percent increase in the number of people affected. Lest you feel overwhelmed by numbers — and demoralized by the reduction of human suffering to numerical values — suffice it to say that we are in a state of emergency. Yet, even with this obvious urgency, relatively few resources have been dedicated to research for prevention and treatment compared with other chronic diseases. This, despite the fact that Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Current federal research funding is less than $600 million annually, while top scientists say they’ll need $2 billion a year to meet the association’s 2025 goal of prevention and effective treatment. There’s cause for some hope. Last month, bipartisan House and Senate subcommittees approved increasing funding to the National Institutes of Health for Alzheimer’s re-
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KATHLEEN PARKER
search by 50 percent and 60 percent, respectively. If this funding becomes law — and the association’s goals are met — costs could be reduced by $220 billion over the first five years and $367 billion in 2050 alone, according to an association report. Sixty percent of those savings would accrue to Medicare and Medicaid. Among other scientific developments reported this week, researchers have isolated a “common ancestor” among all forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lewy body. “All are caused by misfolding proteins,” Carrillo explained to me. Two different “misfolded” proteins — amyloid beta and tau — are toxic to brain cells. I am sad to report these proteins cannot be corrected with daily doses of a sturdy zinfandel. There is, however, a new drug that delivers a molecule scientists have created to “chaperone” these proteins so that they fold correctly. Carrillo doesn’t want to overstate the value of this one-target-one-molecule approach, though it is promising. She suggests that eventually we’ll treat Alzheimer’s with a “cocktail” that will be created based on an individual’s genetic makeup and other factors. Other hope-inspiring developments include six diagnostic tools that, in combination, can be useful in predicting Alzheimer’s. They include memory and thinking tests, as well as MRI scans that can measure the thickness of the brain’s right entorhinal cortex and the volume of the hippocampus, both of which are important to memory. It is reassuring that both policymakers and scientists are committed to tackling these diseases. But women especially should be interested in the progress of dementia research. For reasons unknown, women suffer Alzheimer’s at a higher rate — two-thirds of today’s sufferers are women. And women’s function declines twice as fast as men’s. This fall, the association will issue an international call for research on why this is so. In the meantime, Congress should waste no time in correcting the travesty of too-little funding for a devastating disease that demands our urgent attention. Otherwise, what to do about Medicare will be rendered irrelevant.
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.
COMMENTARY
The travesty of Cecil the lion By JO-ANN ARMAO THE WASHINGTON POST
The wrath of the Internet has descended upon Walter Palmer, the Minneapolis-area dentist who has acknowledged killing Cecil, a star lion of Zimbabwe’s national park system. So fierce were the attacks that Palmer’s dental office abruptly shut its doors and its Facebook page was made unavailable. Palmer’s whereabouts were unknown and it has been reported he has hired a public relations firm. (Good luck with that.) Given the account of Zimbabwe conservation officials — that Cecil was illegally lured from his sanctuary, shot with an arrow and then tracked for 40 hours before being shot, skinned and decapi-
One can hope, though, that this travesty will cause trophy hunters to do some soul-searching. And the rest of us need to ask ourselves whether we would have cared about this lion if he didn’t have a name. tated — the outrage is understandable. That’s not to suggest in any way that any harm should come to Palmer; only that it’s fitting that this big-time hunter might now know a little of what it is like to be on the other end of things. In a statement released to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Palmer expressed regret, insisting
he believed his actions to be legal. “I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt,” the statement read. “I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice re-
sponsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion.” It will be up to the authorities to sort out the truth, but one has to wonder what Palmer did when the study collar on the lion was detected. Apparently it didn’t interfere with the trophy being taken. Nor did it prompt anyone to notify the authorities. Those of us who are not hunters will never be able to understand the attraction of killing something as beautiful as this animal — and paying $50,000 to do so. One can hope, though, that this travesty will cause trophy hunters to do some soul-searching about their sport. And the rest of us need to ask ourselves the hard question of whether we would have cared about this lion if he didn’t have a name.
WORST WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Money at root of Democratic representative’s problems By CHRIS CILLIZZA THE WASHINGTON POST
WASHINGTON — Rep. Chaka Fattah joined an ignominious — but surprisingly large — club this past week: members of Congress indicted while in office. Fattah, a Democrat who has represented West Philadelphia in the House since 1995, was charged by the Justice Department with 29 counts of racketeering related to his unsuccessful campaign for Philadelphia mayor in 2007. (He came in a distant fourth.) At the center of the indictment is a $1 million
loan that Fattah allegedly sought and received secretly from a businessman during that campaign. The feds say the congressman used federal grant money to pay back that loan. That, you may not be surprised to learn, would be illegal. Fattah, as he has done over the years that this investigation has been underway, denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he was happy with news of the indictment. “It’s been an eight-year matter, and we’ve moved from an investigation to an actual allegation,” a smiling Fattah told reporters Wednesday on
Capitol Hill. “I think I’ll stand by my original position, which was: As an elected official I’ve never been involved in any illegal activity or misappropriation of funds.” He also noted, “It’s not even disputed that programs that I’ve initiated have helped at least 25 million people.” Undisputed! Twenty-five million people! Fattah stepped down as the ranking Democrat on an Appropriations subcommittee in the wake of the indictment but insisted that he planned to run for reelection in Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District in 2016.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Given how strongly Democratic his district is — President Barack Obama won it with 90 percent of the vote in 2012 — Fattah might win no matter what happens in court. But that wouldn’t change the fact that he is now one of the more than two dozen members of Congress to be indicted while in office since 1980. Chaka Fattah, for ensuring your place in the history books, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something. (Cillizza covers the White House for The Washington Post and writes The Fix, its politics blog.)
Nation
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
Cities eye tree woes By CHRISTINE ARMARIO
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Teen hunt is halted By MATT SEDENSKY AND MARISOL MEDINA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — As Californians and the communities they live in cut back water use and let lawns turn brown, arborists and state officials are worrying about a potentially dangerous ripple effect: City trees going neglected and becoming diseased or even collapsing. With cities ordered to reduce water use by 25 percent during the state’s fouryear drought, many residents are turning off sprinklers — not realizing that trees can be permanently damaged by a sudden reduction in the amount of water they receive. “You don’t want to be cutting back the water to the trees,” said Ruben Green, an arborist with Evergreen Arborist Consultants in Los Angeles. “The tree can’t adjust.” Across the state, 12 million trees died over the past year due to lack of water, according to the U.S. Forest Service. While the bulk of those deaths occurred outside urban areas, conservationists and officials are now focusing on cities, where mandated water reductions are becoming visible in drying limbs and scorched leaves. Fears that parched trees could pose a danger were heightened this week when a 75-year-old, 75-foot-tall pine tree fell on a group of kids from a camp at a Southern California children’s museum, leaving a boy and girl hospitalized with serious injuries. An independent arborist and another from the city of Pasadena are conducting an investigation into the cause, which has not been determined to be droughtrelated. Green visited the site of Tuesday’s tree collapse and said it appeared unlikely the drought was to blame because the area around the tree looked well irrigat-
Photo by Nick Ut | AP
Volunteers water a tree at Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, on Friday. Arborists are worrying about dying trees becoming diseased. ed and its root system appeared compromised — a sign of rot, decay or injury, not necessarily the drought. Still, the collapse highlighted concerns about the health of urban trees. Los Angeles alone has more than 25 square miles of parks and some 327,000 trees. Green and other arborists said they have seen an increase in the number of diseased trees in the city. As they get less water, they become more prone to illness caused by pests. In addition to bark beetles, Green has seen a newer pest drilling tunnels in the trunks of “dozens and dozens of trees.” Arborists say the number of falling trees and limbs does not appear to have risen in Los Angeles, but there are concerns that could be next. They also are worried that if a strong El Nino brings a wet California winter, already distressed trees will collapse when a storm hits. “We’re really right on the brink of starting to face more serious issues,” said Cindy Blain, executive director of California ReLeaf, a nonprofit network of urban and community foresting groups around the state. “This is a critical time.” A new six-person crew removes potentially haz-
ardous trees from Los Angeles parks. So far this year, it has moved out 550 trees — surpassing the 300 removed in an average year. “They are starting to fail due to the drought, and we want to make sure these trees don’t potentially pose a hazard to the public,” said Laura Baurenfeind, principal forester with the city parks department. Turf areas in city parks are being watered three times a week, down from at least five when drought regulations were not in place. To help nearby trees compensate, the city and nonprofits are installing makeshift basins to filter water to trees. Meanwhile, a public education campaign is underway. California ReLeaf has partnered with Save Our Water, a coalition of the California Department of Water Resources and Association of California Water Agencies, to better inform residents about proper tree care during the drought. Blain said many of the people she’s spoken with say they have forgotten about their trees or gotten worried and began watering at the tree’s base. Trees should be watered from the edge of their canopy. If a tree goes too long without enough water, it will become unable to soak up liquid at all.
OPA-LOCKA, Fla. — After hundreds of rescue workers fanned out across a massive swath of the Atlantic for a full week, the Coast Guard’s search for two teenage fishermen was to end Friday, a heart-rending decision for families so convinced the boys could be alive they’re pressing on with their own hunt. Even as officials announced at noon that the formal search-and-rescue effort would end at sundown, private planes and boats were preparing to keep scouring the water hoping for clues on what happened to the 14-year-old neighbors, Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos. Capt. Mark Fedor called the decision to suspend the search “excruciating and gut-wrenching.” He suggested what long had been feared by observers — that the boys had surpassed any reasonable period of survivability — with his offering of “heartfelt condolences.” “I know no statistics will ease the pain,” he said in recounting the seven-day, nearly 50,000-square-nautical-mile search. “We were desperate to find Austin and Perry.” With volunteers ready to keep searching all along the coastline and about $300,000 in search-fund donations by Friday afternoon, the families promised to keep looking for their sons. Nick Korniloff, the stepfather of Perry, addressed a horde of media outside his home on a quiet street in Tequesta, Florida, saying air searches led by private pilots would go on alongside new efforts led by former members of the military and others with special training. “We know there’s a window here and we think there’s an opportunity,” he said, “and we will do everything we can to bring these
Photo by Lynne Sladky | AP
A lantern is released during a vigil for Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen on Tuesday, in Stuart, Florida. boys home.” Those who have met with the families believe the private search could go on at least for weeks. “How could you go back to normal?” said Tequesta Police Chief Christopher Elg, who has stayed in regular contact with the families. “They may very well devote a large portion of the next few weeks, months, maybe even years just toward hope and doing what they can to bring themselves a sense of peace.” The Coast Guard had dispatched crews night and day to scan the Atlantic for signs of the boys. They chased repeated reports of objects sighted in the water, and at times had the help of the Navy and other local agencies. But after the boys’ boat was found overturned Sunday, no useful clues turned up. The families had held out hope that items believed to have been on the boat, including a large cooler, might be spotted, or that the teens might even have clung to something buoyant in their struggle to stay alive. Even as hope dimmed, experts on survival said finding the teens alive was possible. The Coast Guard said it would keep on searching until officials no longer thought the boys could be rescued. The saga began July 24, when the boys took Austin’s 19-foot boat on what their
families said was expected to be a fishing trip within the nearby Loxahatchee River and Intracoastal Waterway, where they were allowed to cruise without supervision. The boys fueled up at a local marina around 1:30 p.m. and set off, and later calls to Austin’s cellphone went unanswered. When a line of summer storms moved through and the boys still couldn’t be reached, police were called and the Coast Guard search began. The boys grew up on the water, constantly boated and fished, worked at a tackle shop together and immersed themselves in life on the ocean. Their families said they could swim before they could walk. They clung to faith in their boys’ knowledge of the sea, even speculating they might have fashioned a raft and spear to keep them afloat and fed while adrift. “It is a mother’s prayer that you will be safe and sound in our arms today,” Austin’s mother, Pamela Cohen, tweeted Friday. “Missing you both more than you could ever imagine.” Many unknowns about the boys’ status persisted throughout the ordeal, including whether they were wearing life jackets and whether they had food or water. The Coast Guard said it tried to err toward optimism in deciding how long to press on.
Nation
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Jason Peters | AP
Members of an international team of skydivers join hands, flying head-down to build their world record skydiving formation Friday over Ottawa, Illinois.
164 skydivers smash head-down record By ANDREA THOMAS ASSOCIATED PRESS
OTTAWA, Ill. — Traveling at speeds of up to 240 mph, 164 skydivers flying head-down built the largest ever vertical skydiving formation Friday over central Illinois, smashing the previous record. It took the international team 13 attempts to beat the 2012 mark set by 138 skydivers. The formation, resembling a giant flower, floated above the rural drop zone in Ottawa for a few seconds before the flyers broke away, deployed their parachutes, and whooped and hollered their way to the ground to the jubilation of spectators. “It’s awesome, man,” said Rook Nelson, one of the organizers. “It just goes to show that if you can get the right group of people together and the right support team and good conditions, anything is possible ... even on attempt number 13.” The team was selected after training camps in Spain, Australia and across the U.S. Seven aircraft were flown in precise formation
to ensure that the jumpers de-planed at the right place, time and altitude. The record-breaking jumpers exited at 19,700 feet. Skydiving videographers taped the jump, flying above, below and alongside the formation. The footage enabled judges on the ground to verify the record was achieved above Skydive Chicago, the drop zone and airport about 80 miles southwest of Chicago where the event took place. Three judges certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale — the World Air Sports Federation — studied the video and photos to make sure each flyer was in a pre-determined slot in the formation and has his or her hand in the correct position. The record was not without risks. The skydivers flew at a minimum speed of 160 mph, and some reached speeds as fast as 240 mph. Collision at such speeds can be fatal. Jumping from such a high altitude brings a risk of hypoxia — a condition arising from a lack of ox-
ygen that can cause unconsciousness and other symptoms — or even death. To reduce the risk of falling sick, jumpers and pilots sucked down pure oxygen once their planes reached 14,000 feet. And with nearly 170 canopies simultaneously flying in the sky, there’s a risk of two parachutists flying into each other. Still, of approximately 3.2 million sport skydives in the U.S. in 2014, there were 24 fatalities, according to the United States Parachute Association. Despite the risks, flyers came from as far away as France, Britain, Dubai and Australia — one even spent three days traveling to Chicago from Reunion, off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean — to participate. “When (record) jumps work well, it’s like there’s a certain peace to it all, a certain harmony to it all,” said Norman Kent, a longtime skydiving videographer who filmed the jump. “And it’s contagious, it’s like it’s in the air and you can feel it even from a distance as a cameraman.”
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
Politics
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
Dozens of Clinton emails censored By KEN DILANIAN AND LISA LERER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Dozens of emails that traversed Hillary Clinton’s private, unsecure home server contain national security information now deemed too sensitive to make public, according to the latest batch of records released Friday. In 2,206 pages of emails, the government censored passages to protect national security at least 64 times in 37 messages, including instances when the same information was blacked-out multiple times. Clinton has said she never sent classified information from her private email server, which The Associated Press was first to identify as operating in her home in New York. The Friday release brings the volume of emails publicly released by the State Department to roughly 12 percent of the 55,000 pages Clinton had turned over to department lawyers earlier this year. That falls short of the 15 percent goal set by a court ruling in May, a lag the State Department attributed to interest by the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community in the possible compromise of classified information. There were no obviously stunning revelations in the emails released Friday, which reflected the workaday business of government. Some of the documents could reflect favorably on Clinton, such as a message in August 2009 about a 10-year-old old Yemeni girl who had been married and divorced, and
had been portrayed as unhappy in a CNN story. “Is there any way we can help her? CLINTON Could we get her to the US for counseling and education?” Clinton asked an aide, who began making calls. Others could be controversial, such as 2009 messages from former national security adviser Sandy Berger about how to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over negotiations with Palestinians. Some emails show the extent to which her closest aides managed the details of her image. Top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, for example, sent her an early-morning message in August 2009 advising her to “wear a dark color today. Maybe the new dark green suit. Or blue.” Clinton later held a joint news conference with the Jordanian foreign minister. She wore the green suit. Clinton’s decision not to use a State Department email account has become a political problem for her, as Republicans seize on the disclosures to paint her as untrustworthy and willing to break rules for personal gain. There is also the matter of the classified information that found its way onto her insecure email system. Memos sent by the inspector general of the intelligence community alerted the FBI to a potential security violation.
Kasich seeks pre-debate boost By KATHLEEN RONAYNE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KEENE, N.H. — Days before Fox News announces who will participate in the first GOP primary debate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich is projecting a laid-back attitude toward his chances of being on stage and saying he’s pleased with the support he’s received since joining the race July 21. “I’m pretty cool and calm right now,” Kasich told reporters Friday after a town hall meeting. I’m having fun.” Only 10 of the 17 declared GOP candidates will participate in Thursday’s debate, the lineup determined by an average of five recent national polls. Most polls show Kasich, a two-term governor and former congressman, right on the cusp. Kasich’s campaign — and the super PAC backing him — have been making an aggressive play to boost his name recognition and base of support in the weeks leading up to the debate. Kasich has spent four out of the 11 days he’s been a candidate in New Hampshire, hosting six public town halls and meeting business owners and elected officials. He’s also made campaign stops in South Carolina, Iowa, Michigan and Boston since joining the race. The super PAC supporting him, meanwhile, is dropping significant cash on television and digital advertising in New Hampshire. New Day for America has aired two 60-second ads on New Hampshire and Boston airwaves and plans to release a third next week, bringing the PAC’s total TV spending to $4 million, officials said. The group is also targeting likely primary voters and potential donors through digital ads. “Our ads, combined with a very successful campaign launch and announcement tour, are resonating with voters and building momentum and support for Gov. Kasich,” said Connie Wehrkamp, New Day for America’s press secretary. “We will continue to execute an aggressive ad strategy in New Hampshire.”
KASICH
The PAC has not aired television ads in any other states, and Kasich’s campaign has not launched any of its own
ads. Kasich’s campaign has four paid staff members in New Hampshire who are working on grassroots organizing. Simon Thomson, the newly named campaign manager here, said the campaign will release a list of endorsements soon. “He’s got to press the flesh to do that, and he’s ready to,” Thomson said. Kasich will be back in New Hampshire on Monday night for a GOP candidate forum hosted by the New Hampshire Union Leader. Candidates will be questioned one at a time by a local radio personality and the forum will air nationally on C-SPAN as well as a New Hampshire news station. For candidates on the cusp of qualifying for Fox’s debate, it will offer a final opportunity to boost name ID before Fox chooses which polls to average.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Congress puts off mess By ERICA WERNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Congress is heading out for a five-week summer recess in anything but a cheerful vacation mood, leaving behind a pile of unfinished business that all but guarantees a painful fall. Not long after they return in September, lawmakers must vote on President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, a brutally divisive issue that many lawmakers expect will dominate voter town halls during their annual August break. And, as more videos emerge showing disturbing fetal tissue collection practices, Republicans are increasingly focused on cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood, raising the prospect that Congress will spend September tied in knots over how to avoid shutting down the government over that issue. Later in the fall or winter, Congress will have to raise the federal debt limit, another issue ripe for brinkmanship, especially given the presence in the Senate of several presidential candidates adamantly opposed to an increase. The House wrapped up its summer session by approving only a three-month extension of highway and transit spending and authority, kicking negotiations on that into the fall, as well. Add in deadlines to renew authorities for the Federal Aviation Administration, child nutrition standards and pipeline safety, and it’s shaping up as a monster of a fall. “If you take a look at all of the things on the list, it’ll be a lot of traffic going through one toll booth,” Sen. John Barrasso, RWyo., said Thursday. Republican Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, who leads a group of 18 conservatives vowing to oppose any spending bill that funds Planned Parenthood,
Photo by Susan Walsh | AP
In this July 29 photo, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Congress is heading out for a five-week summer recess in anything but a cheerful vacation mood. says, “This is one of those line-in-the-sand-type of issues.” “We have to figure out a way to fund the government without giving any more money to this institution.” The effort could prevent leaders from extending current spending levels come the new budget year Oct. 1, since Planned Parenthood now receives more than $500 million in government assistance. Yet if Republicans try to use must-pass spending legislation to kill off the organization’s funding, they would have trouble getting past Senate Democrats and the White House. And that could leave Republicans who took control of Congress this year promising to avoid shutdowns and “fiscal cliffs” backed into a very uncomfortable corner. “Democrats will unite against them,” says Chuck Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Senate Democrat. “This is a Republican path to shutdown.” While the House left town Wednesday, the Senate plans one more week before leaving, with a cybersecurity bill and a largely symbolic vote on defunding Planned Parenthood. Along with Iran, the government spending issue
tops a long list of thorny disputes that threaten to have Republicans and Democrats at loggerheads for months. The 12 annual spending bills that fund the government are hung up on a variety of disagreements, including a dust-up in the House over the Confederate flag and Democrats’ demands to increase domestic spending. That leaves Congress facing the likelihood of temporarily extending current spending levels, which gets lawmakers back to the prospect of a shutdown showdown over Planned Parenthood. On Iran, Republicans are largely united against the nuclear deal, while those Democrats who’ve not yet declared their position are under enormous pressure from both sides. The White House is imploring them to back the president, while groups allied with the Israeli government are warning against the deal in apocalyptic terms. Congress is widely expected to vote down the deal, at which point attention would turn to whether opponents could muster the twothirds vote in each chamber to override Obama’s certain veto. Republicans are entering their recess after a nasty spate of intraparty
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brawls laid bare the ongoing conflict between tea party-backed conservatives and more pragmatic party leaders on Capitol Hill. That fault line promises to aggravate attempts at compromise throughout the fall. Lawmakers of both parties point to a need for high-level budget negotiations to come up with a deal that could resolve some of the major issues — and perhaps even include a tax code rewrite and an answer to Democratic demands for domestic spending increases to match those on the military side pushed by Republicans. Yet for now, nothing like that is under way. “We’re going to discuss how to fund the government after the August recess,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Thursday. Republicans are painfully aware that each previous shutdown showdown they’ve gotten into with Obama and the Democrats has ended in defeat, along with vows never to try it again. Obama’s health care law and executive actions on immigration survived their attempts to use budget bills to end them. Come September, it remains to be seen whether they go down the same road with Planned Parenthood, or find an off-ramp.
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Saturday, July 25 (South Campus) Wednesday, July 29 (Ft. McIntosh Campus) Saturday, Aug. 8 (Ft. McIntosh Campus) Register online at www.laredo.edu/orientation
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International
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
Ebola vaccine could stop virus By MARIA CHENG ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — An experimental Ebola vaccine tested on thousands of people in Guinea seems to work and might help shut down the waning epidemic in West Africa, according to interim results from a study published Friday. There is currently no licensed treatment or vaccine for Ebola, which has so far killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa since the world’s biggest outbreak began in the forest region of Guinea last year. Cases have dropped dramatically in recent months in the other two hard-hit countries, Sierra Leone and Liberia. “If proven effective, this is going to be a gamechanger,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, which sponsored the study. “It will change the management of the current outbreak and future outbreaks.” Scientists have struggled for years to develop Ebola treatments and vaccines but have faced numerous hurdles, including the sporadic nature of outbreaks and funding shortages. Many past attempts have failed, including a recently abandoned drug being tested in West Africa by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals. The study involved several thousand people who had been near a new Ebola patient or a close contact of one. They were random-
Photo by Youssouf Bah | AP file
In this March 7 file photo, a health worker, right, cleans a man’s arm before injecting him with a Ebola vaccine in Conakry, Guinea. ly assigned to get the vaccine right away or in three weeks. Researchers started tracking results 10 days after they set up the groups to give time to weed out any people who might have been silently harboring the virus when the study began. After that point, none of the people in the group that had been assigned to get the vaccine right away developed Ebola, versus 16 people in the group eligible to get the vaccine after 21 days. The vaccine, developed by the Canadian government, has since been licensed to Merck & Co. but has not yet been approved by regulators. The study results were published online Friday in the journal
Lancet. At the moment, officials think the vaccine would only be used once an outbreak starts, to protect those at high-risk; there are no plans to introduce mass vaccination campaigns like those for measles or polio or to create huge stockpiles of the shots. Merck, based in Kenilworth, New Jersey, noted its vaccine is in what is normally the final round of human testing in Sierra Leone, and in mid-stage testing in Liberia. Merck will manufacture the vaccine if it’s approved for use outside patient studies. In late-morning trading in the U.S., Merck shares were up 62 cents, or 1.1 percent, at $59.13. Last December, Gavi, the
vaccine alliance, said it would spend up to $300 million buying approved Ebola vaccines. The private-public partnership, which often buys immunizations for poor countries, said Friday that it “stands ready to support the implementation of a WHO-recommended Ebola vaccine.” An expert group monitoring the study’s data and safety recommended the trial be stopped on July 26 so that everyone exposed to Ebola in Guinea could be immunized. The vaccine uses an Ebola protein to prompt the body’s immune system to attack the virus. “It looks to be about as safe as a flu vaccine,” said Ben Neuman, a virologist at the University of Reading who was not part of
the trial. Researchers are still assessing possible side effects; the most serious seemed to be fever and the stress experienced by patients who believe such symptoms were due to Ebola. “This (vaccine) could be the key that we’ve been missing to end the outbreak,” Neuman said. “I don’t see any reason on humanitarian grounds why it should not be used immediately.” He said further tests would be necessary to see if the vaccine might also protect pregnant women, children and adolescents; those trials are already under way. It’s also uncertain how long protection might last. WHO vaccines expert Marie-Paule Kieny said having an effective vaccine might avert future disasters but added it would still take months to get the shot approved by regulators. “Using a tool like this vaccine, we would be able to stop the epidemic from going really wild and spreading further,” she told reporters, noting that stamping out future outbreaks still depends on early detection. WHO first identified Ebola in Guinea last March but did not declare the epidemic to be a global emergency until August, when the virus had killed nearly 1,000 people. Other Ebola vaccines are being studied elsewhere but the declining caseload is complicating efforts to finish the trials.
Mystery continues By ANDREW MELDRUM AND LORI HINNANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Paula French/Zuma Press | TNS file
Cecil the lion roams on the plains in Hwange National Park on Nov. 18, 2012, in Zimbabwe.
Lion killer’s extradition sought By FARAI MUTSAKA ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe will seek the extradition of an American dentist who killed a lion that was lured out of a national park and caused international outrage, a Cabinet minister said Friday. In the Zimbabwean government’s first official comment on the killing of Cecil the lion, the environment, water and climate minister lashed out at Walter James Palmer, accusing him even of trying to hurt Zimbabwe’s image. “Unfortunately it was too late to apprehend the foreign poacher as he had already absconded to his country of origin,” Oppah Muchinguri told a news conference. “We are appealing to the responsible authorities for his extradition to Zimbabwe so that he be made accountable.” On Tuesday, Palmer issued a statement saying he relied on his guides to ensure the hunt was legal. Two Zimbabweans — a professional hunter and a farm owner — have been arrested in the killing of the lion, an act which has garnered worldwide condemnation. Palmer has kept a low profile, but on Friday U.S. federal wildlife authorities said they have been contacted by a representative of the Minnesota dentist. The killing of Cecil gained global attention as the U.N. General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday aimed at combatting illegal wildlife trafficking and poaching, the culmination of a two-year campaign led by Gabon and Germany. “We very much wel-
come the decision by the General Assembly which will help in the protection of wildlife, of fauna and flora,” Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon said. Palmer is believed to have shot the lion with a bow on July 1 outside Hwange National Park, after it was lured onto private land with a carcass of an animal laid out on a car, Zimbabwean conservationists have said. Some 40 hours later, the wounded cat was tracked down and Palmer allegedly killed it with a gun, they said. “There has been an outcry,” Muchinguri said. “Almost 500,000 people are calling for his extradition and we need this support. We want him tried in Zimbabwe because he violated our laws.” She did not explain the 500,000 but there are online petitions demanding Palmer’s extradition. “I have already consulted with the authorities within the police force who are responsible for arresting the criminal. We have certain processes we have to follow,” Muchinguri said at the offices of the national parks and wildlife authority. “Police should take the first step to approach the prosecutor general who will approach the Americans. The processes have already started.” She said both Palmer and professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst violated the Parks and Wildlife Act, which controls the use of bow and arrow hunting. She said Palmer, who reportedly paid $50,000 to hunt the lion, also violated the act through financing an illegal hunt.
SAINT-ANDRE, Reunion — Under a microscope and expert eyes, the wing fragment that washed up on the beach of this volcanic island could yield clues not just to its path through the Indian Ocean, but also to what happened to the airplane it belonged to. Analysts at the French aviation laboratory where the scrap was headed Friday can glean details from metal stress to see what caused the flap to break off, spot explosive or other chemical traces, and study the sea life that made its home on the wing to pinpoint where it came from. French authorities have imposed extraordinary secrecy over the 2-meter (6foot) long piece of wing, putting it under police protection in the hours before it left the island of Reunion. If the fragment is indeed part of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, it means the wreckage may have drifted thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean to this French island off the east coast of Africa. Wrapped and loaded as cargo, it was headed to a military aviation laboratory near the city of Toulouse, Europe’s aviation hub. “With a microscope, that can learn details from the torn metal,” said Xavier Tytelman, a French aviation safety expert. “You can tell whether a crash was more horizontal or vertical ... You can extrapolate a lot.” John Cox, president and CEO of Safety Operating Systems and a former accident investigator, said minute characteristics of the metal could indicate attitude and vertical speed of the aircraft when it impacted. “It won’t tell you how the plane crashed, but it will be a step in that direction,” Cox said. Barnacles encrusting the wing’s edges would be studied for clues to plot the wing’s journey through the Indian Ocean, but Tytelman said there could be other microscopic life clinging to the metal or bottled up inside that could further indicate where the wing traveled. “It’s been 16 months from the crash and every-
Photo by Ben Curtis | AP
Members of the French gendarmerie carry a wooden box containing the wing part that was washed up on a beach, Friday. thing fits together,” said oceanographer Arnold Gordon of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. “So I think the probability that it’s from 370 is pretty high.” The currents from the Indian Ocean flow in a counter-clockwise way that would take a crash from west of Australia to Reunion Island, Gordon said. The amount of barnacles on the debris is consistent with other debris that he’s seen in the ocean for more than a year. And it’s the right type of plane. Pictures of the “flaperon” show that it is missing its drive arm, which directed up-down movement — but there appears to be relatively mild damage at the location where the drive arm tore away, said William Waldock, a former U.S. Coast Guard officer and a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, who teaches aircraft search and rescue. “One of the things I guess is a little surprising is how intact the flaperon is,” he said. “It argues that it wasn’t a very violent impact, which goes along with some of theories that it just ran out of gas and glided down.” The French aviation experts, including a legal expert from the field, will start their inquiry on Wednesday, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. On Monday, an investigating judge will meet with Malaysian authorities and representatives of the French aviation investigative agency, known as the BEA, according to the statement late Friday. The statement said a shred of suitcase found near the wing fragment would also undergo forensic testing at a Paris-area government lab, and
searchers continued Friday to scour the Reunion coastline for other possible debris, including the man from the beach maintenance crew who found the wing fragment. Officials hope to have at least some answers soon, keenly aware that families of those on board Flight 370 are desperately awaiting word on the fate of their loved ones. “The most important part of this whole exercise at the moment is to give some kind of closure to the families,” said Australian Transport Minister Warren Truss, whose country is leading the search for the plane in a desolate stretch of ocean off Australia’s west coast. Even if the piece is confirmed to be the first confirmed wreckage from Flight 370, there’s no guarantee that investigators can find the plane’s vital black box recorders or other debris. A multinational search effort has come up empty. Air safety investigators, including one from Boeing, have identified the component as a flaperon from the trailing edge of a Boeing 777 wing, a U.S. official said. The official wasn’t authorized to be publicly named. Flight 370, which disappeared March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, is the only missing 777. Scanning the beach’s distinctive black volcanic sand and stones on Friday, searcher Philippe Sidam picked up a plastic bottle for laundry detergent. “This is from Jakarta, Indonesia,” he said, pointing to the writing on the bottle. “This shows how the ocean’s currents bring material all the way from Indonesia and beyond. That explains how the debris from the Malaysian plane could have reached here.”
Greek stock market to reopen By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS AND DEREK GATOPOULOS ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s government announced that the Athens Stock Exchange will reopen Monday, a big step toward normalcy as talks with international creditors shifted into high gear. The exchange has been closed since June 29, when the government imposed capital controls to prevent a banking collapse. Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos signed the order Friday that also includes restrictions for Greece-based traders for an unspecified time period. A 60 euro limit on cash machines withdrawal will remain in place. Tsakalotos met with lead negotiators from the European Union and International Monetary Fund to start negotiations for a third bailout worth 85 billion euros ($93 billion), following several days of preparatory meetings between lower-level officials on reforming the tax system and labor market regulations. The third bailout will include a new punishing round of austerity measures heaped on a country reeling from a six-year recession and more than 25 percent unemployment. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has pledged to back the new cutbacks, while openly admitting that he disagrees with them. “We will implement them, yes, because we are forced to,” he said in parliament Friday. “But at the same time we will struggle to change them, to improve them and to counter their negative consequences.” The bailout talks with the IMF, European Commission, European Central Bank and European Stability Mechanism must be concluded before Aug. 20. That’s when a debt repayment to the ECB worth more than 3 billion euros is due — money which Greece does not have. Tsakalotos said the talks are focused on how to recapitalize Greece’s battered banking system, whose deposit base was badly hit in recent months as Greeks fearing a euro exit emptied their accounts. The talks also addressed Greece’s privatization commitments and budget surplus targets. “As you can understand, there was convergence on some points, and less convergence on others,” he said. Friday’s meetings came hours after Tsipras defeated a bid by dissenters in his left-wing Syriza party to push for an end to bailout negotiations and seek a return to the old national currency, the drachma. The party’s governing central committee backed a proposal by Tsipras to hold an emergency party conference in September, after the talks have been concluded. Dissenters had sought a conference earlier, pressing the government to abandon the negotiations. In Parliament, Tsipras defended his flamboyant former finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, who came under heavy fire over revelations that he had drafted contingency plans for a parallel payment system that could have eased a euro exit. “Of course I issued personal instructions to the finance minister to create a team that would work on a plan of defense in the event of a national emergency,” Tsipras told parliament, answering a question from the opposition. “It would have been politically naive and irresponsible not to do so. Does that mean ... that I was seeking an emergency?” he said, angrily rejecting accusations that he had intended to take the country out of the 19-country eurozone. Tsipras did not directly address Varoufakis’ more controversial claim that he had been planning to hack into his own ministry’s tax records.
SÁBADO 1 DE AGOSTO DE 2015
Ribereña en Breve SENTENCIA WASHINGTON — Una jueza federal sentenció el viernes a 18 años de cárcel por traficar toneladas de drogas a Estados Unidos al mexicano Ediel López Falcón, considerado un integrante del Cartel del Golfo. La jueza federal del Distrito de Columbia Barbara Rothstein lo multó además por 15.000 millones de dólares, equivalente a los ingresos percibidos por el cartel del Golfo a través de sus centros de distribución ubicados a lo largo de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México. El Documento de Justicia dijo en un comunicado que López se había declarado culpable el 3 de febrero del 2015.
Zfrontera CARRIZO SPRINGS
Localizan cuerpos LA VOZ DE HOUSTON
Agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza de Estados Unidos hallaron los cuerpos de dos inmigrantes indocumentados muertos por deshidratación en una zona desértica del sur de Texas, cerca de la frontera con México, según informó hoy BP. Los dos fallecidos formaban parte, junto a otras 21 personas que fueron detenidas, de un grupo de indocumentados que había cruzado a pie la frontera.
SECUESTRO El martes se logró la detención de Jesús Hernández Vázquez, de 27 años de edad, en Montemorelos, Nuevo León, México, dio a conocer el Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas. Al sospechoso se le identifica como el sucesor de David Piña Padrón, quien se desempeñaba como jefe de plaza de un grupo delincuencial que opera en municipios como Nuevo Padilla, San Carlos y Victoria, así como en localidades como Soledad, Barretal y Santa Engracia, entre otras. De acuerdo a las investigaciones de la Policía Federal, Hernández Vázquez es responsable de secuestros, extorsiones, abigeato y otras actividades ilícitas ocurridas en esos municipios y localidades. También está vinculado con el secuestro de Ernestina Rodríguez Borrego, ex diputada del PRI, ocurrido el 29 de junio de 2014 en el ejido “La Chepina”. Hernández Vázquez, quien cuenta con orden de aprehensión del fuero federal por delincuencia organizada, fue puesto a disposición del Ministerio Público Federal adscrito a la Subprocuraduría Especializada en Investigación de la Delincuencia Organizada (SEIDO), de la Procuraduría General de la República.
Una llamada al teléfono de emergencias puso en alerta el pasado viernes a los agentes fronterizos, que se desplazaron a la zona de Carrizo Springs, a unas 30 millas (48 kilómetros) de México, en busca de los indocumentados. Según el comunicado policial, los patrulleros desplazados al lugar hallaron en un primer momento y con la asistencia de unidades aéreas el cuerpo sin vida de un hombre. Durante el operativo, “los agentes advirtieron rastros de huellas
pertenecientes a un gran grupo y encontraron a 21 inmigrantes indocumentados y a otro hombre fallecido entre la maleza”, agregó la Patrulla Fronteriza. Una mujer que formaba parte del grupo tuvo que ser evacuada en helicóptero a un hospital tras perder el conocimiento por deshidratación. El sábado, los agentes rescataron en una zona cercana a otra mujer que había cruzado la frontera junto a su hijo de 11 años y que estaba inconsciente a causa
del calor. Cada año, docenas de inmigrantes indocumentados mueren deshidratados o a causa de golpes de calor en su intento de ingresar a pie a Estados Unidos a través de la zona desértica que une a este país con México. En otro comunicado, la Patrulla Fronteriza informó hoy que durante el fin de semana detuvo a 26 indocumentados en diversos operativos en la región sureña del Valle del Río Grande. Información de EFE.
ECONOMÍA
ASOCIACIÓN JUVENIL DE RODEO DE TEXAS
Reunión busca apoyar comercio
CAMPEÓN
ARRESTOS Trece presuntos integrantes de un grupo delictivo en el Fraccionamiento San Valentín, de Reynosa, México, fueron detenidos esta semana, anunciaron autoridades tamaulipecas el jueves. Elementos de Fuerza Tamaulipas detuvieron a Arturo Macías Solís, José Carlos Quintero Rentería, Ulises Esaut Betancourt Azúa, David Alejandro López Montoya, José Máximo Salgado Ruiz, José Francisco Gómez Treviño, José Manuel Caldera Ríos, Luis Pablo Reyes Gómez, Daniel Wing Carmano, Brayan Juan Raymundo Ignacio, Eduardo Gómez Martínez, Martín Gómez González y Janeth Araceli Ruiz Reyes. El reporte indica que Caldera Ríos ya había estado recluido en un penal. Autoridades aseguran que los sospechosos dijeron que realizaban actividades de halconeo. Durante el arresto se decomisaron seis armas largas, cinco kilos y 995 gramos de marihuana, tres aparatos de radiocomunicación, 1.233 cartuchos de diferentes calibres, 45 poncha llantas metálicos y 56 cargadores. Un vehículo Ford Expedition, color negro, con placas de Texas; un vehículo Grand Caravan, color verde, con placas de Texas; y, una Toyota Runner SR5, color negro.
PÁGINA 9A
ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía
Garrett Talamantes, originario de Carrizo Springs, recientemente fue nombrado Campeón All Around de la Subdivisión Junior de la Asociación Juvenil de Rodeo de Texas, durante la Final de Rodeo Estatal 2015 en Gonzáles. Talamantes logró sumar 3.740 puntos en la temporada antes de competir en rodeos alrededor del Estado. También fue acreedor de los títulos End of Year Pole Bending Championship y Finals Rodeo Pole Bending. En total, Talamantes fue galardonado con tres sillas de montar de campeonato, y dos hebillas.
CARRETERA RIBEREÑA
Descubren campos, hay decomiso POR CÉSAR G. RODRÍGUEZ TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Autoridades mexicanas dijeron haber descubierto tres campamentos de entrenamiento utilizados por sospechosos tiradores en un área rural al otro lado de la frontera con el Condado de Zapata. El martes, el Ejército Mexicano dijo que localizaron los campos en el marcador del kilómetro 176 de la carretera Nuevo Laredo, MéxicoReynosa, también conocida como Carretera Ribereña. La Oficina del Fiscal General de México, anunció que abrió una investigación en relación al descubrimiento de los campos y al decomiso de 20 armas de fuego en el lugar. Mientras se encontraban patrullando, los soldados atravesaron un camino rural que los llevó a los tres campos, que se cree fueron usados para entrenamiento físico. Los soldados también dijeron que descubrieron una hielera
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En la imagen se observan algunas de las armas decomisadas. donde encontraron 20 armas de fuego. Los oficiales señalaron el decomiso de 15 rifles de asalto, un rifle calibre 5.45 y cuatro rifles calibre .223. Una investigación está en curso. El investigador Joe E. Baeza, portavoz de LPD, dijo que las autoridades de éste lado de la frontera continúan monitoreando la situa-
ción en México. La policía de Laredo se encuentra en comunicación con sus contrapartes en México, dijo Baeza. “Continuamos vigilantes y continuamos compartiendo información con contrapartes locales, estatales y federales para mantener la seguridad que Laredo ha disfrutado los últimos años”, dijo.
Fomentar los lazos comerciales y económicos entre Texas y la República Checa, fue el propósito principal de una reunión entre el Gobernador Grez Abbott y el Embajador de la República Checa para Estados Unidos, Petr Gandaloviè, el jueves. Abbott y Gandaloviè hablaron sobre promoción del comercio e inversión entre la República Checa y el sur de Texas, señala un comunicado de prensa. “Desde la primera ola de inmigrantes europeos a mediados del siglo XIX, los checos han sido una parte importante de la riqueza cultural con que cuenta la histórica de Texas”, dijo Abbott a través de un comunicado de prensa. “Estoy honrado de reunirme con el Embajador Gandaloviè y continuar contribuyendo a la construcción de una relación fuerte entre Texas y la República Checa, mientras buscamos la expansión de nuestros lazos económicos, culturales y diplomáticos”. Durante la reunión también se trataron puntos clave, estadísticas y cifras que existen entre Texas y la República Checa. Algunos datos comerciales importantes, que fueron señalados en el comunicado de prensa son: En 2014, Texas exportó 312.3 millones de dólares en bienes a la República Checa, incluyendo maquinaria industrial, maquinaria eléctrica, herramientas con base de metal y productos químicos. En 2014, Texas importó 304.3 millones en bienes de la República Checa, incluyendo maquinaria eléctrica, artículos de hierro y acero, maquinaria industrial y pirotecnia.
SUBSIDIO
Empresa mundial cambia oficinas a Texas TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Un subsidio estatal dio paso a que una empresa de clase mundial cambiará su base de California a Texas, dio a conocer el gobierno el jueves. LiveOps, el líder mundial en centros de contacto y soluciones de servicio al cliente, que actualmente tiene sus oficinas centrales en Redwood City, California, tendrá su nueva ubicación en Cedar Park, Texas, dijo el Gobernador Greg Abbott, a través de un comunicado de prensa. “Gracias a nuestros impuestos bajos, bajas regulación de desarrollo que permite a todos los nego-
cios prosperar, el Estado de Texas se ha convertido en el líder nacional de la creación de empleados tecnológicos, y continuaremos adjuntando compañías de todo el país y de alrededor del mundo”, dijo Abbott. “A nombre del Estado de Texas, estoy complacido de dar la bienvenida a LiveOps”. El cambio resultará en la creación de 155 nuevos empleos y en una inversión de capital de 5 millones de dólares, añade el comunicado. Un subsidio de Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) donde se ofrecía 1.2 millones fue presentado a LiveOps. “LiveOps está entrando a la nueva fase de crecimiento”, dijo
Vasili Triant, CEO de LiveOps, en un comunicado. “Texas se ha convertido en un centro tecnológico con respeto internacional y mantiene una comunidad vibrante con talento en tecnología… Creemos que esta nueva ubicación no solamente apoyará los planes de nuestra organización, sino que también ofrecerá a nuestro valioso personal un ambiente familiar con una gran reducción en el costo de vida”. Las nuevas oficinas centrales de LiveOps serán de 25.000 pies. Todos los empleados de la compañía con base en California se les han ofrecido un puesto en las nuevas instalaciones de Texas y otras
oficinas de LiveOps en EU, indica el comunicado. LiveOps es el líder global en soluciones de centros de contacto de nubes y de servicio al cliente. La empresa cuenta con más de 400 empresas de todo el mundo, incluyendo ProFlowers, Ideal Living, Murad, Aegon, Salesforce.com, Symantec, Royal Mail Group y Amway Nueva Zelanda. La Legislatura de Texas creó el fondo TEF en 2003 y volvió a autorizar el financiamiento en 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 y 2013 para ayudar a atraer nuevas empresas a Texas y expandir los negocios existentes para crear más puestos de trabajo en todo el Estado.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
SANCTUARY from me.” “I’d been trying to sneak them out whenever she wasn’t around,” Thomas Sonnen said. “But she’d know anyway.” Eventually, King-Sonnen laid down the law: If the “red trailer” came again to take calves to the sell barn, she’d follow it herself. “So he told me he was going to sell the whole herd, was getting out of the business,” she said. “That meant all the cows that had lived their lives here were going to be slaughtered. They wouldn’t have a chance.” Because Sonnen couldn’t just give away the cattle, his wife asked him a simple question. “She asked to buy them from me. I asked why, and she said she would keep them in sanctuary,” he said. “I thought that was
crazy. This was Texas, it wasn’t going to work. But I said ‘OK, go for it.”’ King-Sonnen turned to the Internet for help, blogging at her “Vegan Journal of a Rancher’s Wife” page and starting an Indiegogo campaign to purchase the animals. In under four months, the necessary funds had been raised, and the sanctuary was founded. “All these people across the country, across the world, were rallying and supporting us, cheering us on,” she said. “In less than four months we’d raised more than $36,000.” “I didn’t know if she could do it, but she raised the money and bought the cows,” Sonnen said. “The sanctuary’s working. It’s pretty incredible, all the help she’s gotten.” Eventually, Sonnen came around to the vegan
lifestyle, as well — though for different reasons from his wife. “My dad died of a heart attack when he was 62, and I had high cholesterol,” he said. “I’m doing it for health reasons. Started cooking for myself, learning a little bit and went full-fledged vegan when I found ice cream and cheeses that would work. And I had my blood work the other day. My cholesterol’s way down.” To keep the sanctuary sustainable and generate some income, plans are in the works to open a veganic farm on the property, where fresh produce can be made available to the public. Shelley Katz, who met King-Sonnen after looking for ways to approach ranchers, is hard at work growing crops for the farm’s opening. “I remembered reading
OIL Continued from Page 1A year.” BP’s oil and gas profit dropped 64 percent from April through June. Exxon Mobil’s profit fell by half, to its lowest level since the recession of 2009, the company said Friday. Its operations in the U.S. — the center of the global oil and gas boom — posted its second straight quarterly loss. “The surprise really was here in the U.S.,” said Brian Youngberg, an analyst at Edward Jones. Shares of Exxon and Chevron, both components of the 20-member Dow Jones Industrial Average, fell 4 percent on Friday after they announced results. The companies are in some ways victims of their own success. A surge in oil and gas production brought on by technological advances and high prices in recent years has flooded the market, sending global prices sharply lower.
But geopolitical forces have also increased the pressure on prices. Iranian oil is poised to return the world market after years of sanctions, the Greek debt crisis is reducing economic growth in Europe and a shake-up in Chinese financial markets is reducing demand growth in the world’s second largest oil consumer. After nearly four years near $100 a barrel, the price of oil began slumping a year ago, falling to $43 by March. It surged briefly all the way to $61 in June, but then fell again. Oil traded just above $47 a barrel on Friday. That has translated to sharply lower fuel prices. The U.S. average retail price of gasoline through the first half of the year was 30 percent lower than during the same period last year. On Friday the national average was $2.67 a gallon, 85 cents lower than last year at this time, according to AAA.
Retail prices for diesel and heating oil have averaged 27 percent lower than last year, and airlines have posted some of their highest profits in years thanks to lower jet fuel prices. These low prices, along with the pain for the oil industry and pleasure for consumers, are likely to continue for a while, analysts say. There is plenty of oil in storage tanks and the global oil industry has the capacity to produce more if demand picks up. In a report Friday, IHS Energy analysts predict further declines in oil prices. IHS says oil will have to fall into the low $40 range and stay there for “several months” before U.S. production growth slows and the supply glut eases. “It’s not good news for producers,” said IHS Chief Economist Nariman Behravesh. “It’s very good news for U.S. households and consumers.”
Continued from Page 1A
about Renee on the Internet, so I asked her how I could approach ranchers about turning ranches into produce farms,” Katz said. “We just kept talking for months, and I’ve been here for over two weeks, just doing what I can.” After another successful crowdfunding, this time on the website Barnraiser, the sanctuary will be able to purchase the necessary tools to grow a larger and more diverse crop. For the moment, Katz is keeping herself busy. “Probably 200 plants started already, herbs, melons, cucumbers, all kinds of stuff,” she said. “Within two months, lettuce and herbs should be available first, because they’re the fastest-growing. The goal now is to get it off its feet, a regular yield coming in, a loyal
customer base, then pull up the numbers and see the difference between the farm and the cattle ranch.” King-Sonnen hopes her project will serve as a model to others absent any judgment, she said. “There’s other sanctuaries in Texas, but as far as we know we’re the only beef cattle ranch that’s gone vegan,” she said. “We’re not out here telling everybody they’re wrong, it’s just something we couldn’t ethically do anymore.” Beth Arnold, an early contributor to the campaign and a member of the sanctuary’s board, remains impressed by the speed at which the project has grown. “I can’t believe how much she’s done in seven months,” she said. “Her original goal was to save
the cows, and now it’s turning into a whole movement. A lot of people believe in what she’s doing, changing the way they view farm animals.” Already, the sanctuary has received a steer from a Future Farmers of America family that could no longer care for it, and Rowdy Girl rescued a pig that had been abandoned for six months after the death of its owner. “Herman, the Miracle Pig” prompted the first of what could be more expansions for the sanctuary, and King-Sonnen is happy to do her part to help animals in danger. “Any animal that’s going to be slaughtered, or is in harm’s way,” she said. “They’re treated like family members, and we take care of them every day, to let them have the lives they deserve.”
TRUMP Continued from Page 1A ones,” Trump said: “We have a lot of bad dudes, as I said. We have a lot of really bad people here. I want to get the bad ones out. ... And, by the way, and they’re never coming back.” But Trump dodged questioned in the interview about how he would locate those he wants to deport. Campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks declined to answer questions Thursday about that process or how much it might cost. In recent years, the Obama administration has relied on fingerprints collected by local jails and sent to the FBI to identify immigrants living in the country illegally who were also arrested on criminal charges. But that program has been challenged in court. Meanwhile, hundreds of local jurisdictions are no longer complying with requests to detain immigrants until federal authorities can take custody of them. The nation’s immigration courts already face a yearslong backlog of more than 451,000 deportation cases. For immigrants who choose
to fight the government’s efforts to remove them from the country, the process can take several years. Bolick described Trump’s ideas as “nativist rhetoric” that only manages “something resembling a coherent immigration strategy.” He said Trump’s suggestions sends mixed messages, sounding at once open to a path to legal status while also proposing to deport all offenders. Beyond the logistics of a comprehensive round-up are the political implications of such an effort. During a campaign stop in central Florida on Monday, Bush told a group of about 150 pastors and other religious leaders that America’s immigration system is “broken” but that deporting 11 million people is not a solution. “The idea of self-deportation, of rounding people up, is not an American value,” Bush said. “Americans reject that idea.” Until Wednesday, Trump largely side-stepped questions about how he would tackle an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system.
The issue is one that twothirds of Republicans said was very or extremely important to them in a July Associated Press-GfK poll and also one Trump takes on regularly. In his campaign announcement speech, Trump said the Mexican government was shipping its criminals and rapists to the U.S. While those comments drew widespread criticism, he said Thursday during an appearance at a golf resort he owns in Scotland that he deserves credit for bringing attention to the issue. “The people are very thankful I was able to bring that argument out,” he said. “I think you know that.” Trump told CNN that his business credentials and experience in the private sector made him capable of solving problems others cannot. “Politicians aren’t going to find them because they have no clue. We will find them, we will get them out,” Trump said. “It’s feasible if you know how to manage. Politicians don’t know how to manage.”
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 11A
Paychecks grow at record-slow pace in Q2 By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — U.S. wages and benefits grew in the spring at the slowest pace in 33 years, stark evidence that stronger hiring isn’t lifting paychecks much for most Americans. The slowdown also likely reflects a sharp drop-off in bonus and incentive pay for some workers. The employment cost index rose just 0.2 percent in the April-June quarter after a 0.7 increase in the first quarter, the Labor Department said Friday. The index tracks wages, salaries and benefits. Wages and salaries alone also rose 0.2 percent. Both measures recorded the smallest quarterly gains since the second quarter of 1982. Salaries and benefits for private sector workers were unchanged, the weakest showing since the government began tracking the data in 1980. The disappointing figures come after the index had been pointing to a pickup in wage growth after nearly two years of steady hiring. The index rose just 2 percent in the second quarter compared with a year earlier. That is down from a 2.6 percent increase in the first quarter, which was the biggest in six and a half years. The slowdown suggests that companies are still able to find the workers they need without boosting pay, a sign the job market is not yet back to full health. That could cause some Federal Reserve officials to push for a delay in any increase in the short-term interest rate they control. “Despite a tighter labor market, and all of the stories about pay increases at various large firms, wage growth is not picking up meaningfully,” said Jennifer Lee, an economist at
BMO Capital Markets. “This may not sit well with (Fed) policymakers.” Employers have added nearly 3 million jobs in the past year, lowering the unemployment rate to 5.3 percent in June, down from 6.1 percent 12 months earlier. Most economists have expected those gains to force businesses to raise pay to attract and keep employees. The Federal Reserve watches the employment cost index closely for signs that healthy hiring is pushing up wages. Strong increases could lead companies to raise prices for their goods to cover higher labor costs, boosting inflation. That would make the Fed more likely to raise the shortterm interest rate it controls. Consumer prices have been tame in the past year, though in recent months they have moved higher. In some occupations where bonuses are common, compensation fell sharply after spiking in the first quarter. Those include sales, professional services such as law and accounting, and management. The employment cost index figures now match the sluggish pace of growth reported in the average hourly pay data that’s part of the monthly jobs report. Average hourly wages were up just 2 percent in June from a year earlier, the Labor Department said earlier this month. Yet another measure of pay, compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, shows wages are accelerating. Hourly pay for a typical employee rose 3.2 percent in June from 12 months earlier, according to the Atlanta Fed. While that is double the annual pace of 1.6 percent in February 2010, it is still below the pre-recession levels of about 4 percent.
CAMPS Continued from Page 1A authorities on this side of the border continue to monitor the situation in Mexico. Laredo police are constantly communicating with their counterparts in Mexico, Baeza said. “We remain vigilant and
continue to share information with local, state and federal counterparts to maintain the safety Laredo has enjoyed over the last few years,” he said. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
Consumer sentiment drops By PAUL WISEMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer sentiment slipped this month but remains at healthy levels, the University of Michigan said Friday. Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment fell to 93.1 in July from 96.1 the previous month. Richard Curtin, chief economist for the survey, blamed the drop on the “disappointing pace of economic growth.” On Thursday, the U.S. government reported that the economy rose at a steady but unspectacular annual rate of 2.3 percent from April to June. Still, Curtin said the sentiment index has averaged 94.5 since December, the highest eight-month average since 2004. He attributed the healthy level
Photo by Alan Diaz | AP
In this June 9 photo, shopper Miguel Ramirez, left, pays Angel Hernandez for his merchandise at a fruit store in Miami. of consumer optimism to “modestly positive news on jobs and wages.” The index was at 81.8 a year ago. Employers added a solid 223,000 jobs last month, and unemployment has dropped to a seven-year low 5.3 percent. “Gains in home prices
and jobs have helped stabilize household wealth,” economists Maninder Sibia and Steven Wood of the Economic Advisory Service wrote in a research note. “But recent headlines about financial volatility in Greece and China may have left consumers with a less positive out-
look after moderate increase last month.” On Tuesday, the Conference Board, a business research group, said its consumer confidence index dropped to the lowest level since September, attributing the plunge to worries about the outlook for jobs, the ongoing debt crisis in Greece and a stockmarket freefall in China. The U.S. economy got off to a bad start this year, growing at an annual rate of just 0.6 percent from January through March, before gaining some momentum in the second quarter. Economists say the outlook is likely strong enough for the Federal Reserve to raise shortterm interest rates later this year. The Fed has kept short-term rates near zero since December 2008.
US stocks end lower By KEN SWEET ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Stocks closed modestly lower Friday as oil titans Exxon Mobil and Chevron led a slump in energy stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 56.12 points, or 0.3 percent, to 17,689.86. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 4.71 points, or 0.2 percent, to 2,103.92. The Nasdaq composite closed little changed, down half a point to 5,128.28. It’s was a see-saw week for the market, but all three major indexes closed higher by roughly 1 percent. Shares of Exxon Mobil and Chevron, the two largest publicly traded energy companies, fell roughly 5 percent each on Friday. Both companies posted major declines in their year-over-year profits largely due to the big drop in the price of oil. In the case of Exxon, earnings fell 52 percent from a year earlier, causing the company to report its lowest quarterly profit since June 2009. Exxon shares fell $3.80, or 4.6 percent, to $79.21. Chevron, hurt by low oil prices and a write-off of some of its assets, reported its lowest profit in 13 years. The company reported a profit of 30 cents a share, well below the $1.13 analysts expected. Chevron fell $4.55, or 4.9 percent, to $88.48. Exxon and Chevron dragged down other energy stocks. The S&P 500 energy sector slumped 2.6 percent, its biggest drop since January.
Photo by Mark Lennihan | AP file
In this Oct. 8, 2014, file photo, a man walks to work on Wall Street, near the New York Stock Exchange, in New York. Global stocks were mixed Friday, with China’s stock market extending losses. Energy companies have been a major drag on corporate earnings in the second quarter. S&P 500 companies are on track for a 1.3 percent year-over-year decline in earnings, according to FactSet. If energy were excluded, corporate profits would be up 5.4 percent. Even with oil prices down more than 50 percent from a year ago, crude has continued to fall. Oil prices declined sharply again Friday on continuing concerns over high global supplies and weak demand, helping push oil down 21 percent for the month. Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.40 to close at $47.12 a barrel in New York. Crude fell $12.35 a barrel during the month, from $59.47 at the end of June. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils
used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.10 to close at $52.21 in London. A disappointing economic report also weighed on stocks. U.S. wages and benefits grew at their slowest pace in 33 years in the spring, the Labor Department said, stark evidence that the improving job market is having little impact on paychecks for most Americans. The slowdown likely reflects a sharp dropoff in bonus and incentive pay for some workers. The lackluster wage growth suggests that companies are still able to find the workers they need without boosting pay, a sign the job market is not yet back to full health. That could cause the Federal Reserve hold of any increase in interest rates. Bond prices rose after the report, pushing the
10-year U.S. Treasury note down to 2.19 percent from 2.26 percent on Thursday. “I can’t imagine the Fed is looking at (this data) this morning as a reason to increase rates in September,” said Tom di Galoma, head of rates trading at ED&F Man Capital. In other energy markets, wholesale gasoline rose 1.3 cents to close at $1.841 a gallon. Heating oil fell 1.4 cents to close at $1.584 a gallon. Natural gas fell 5.2 cents to close at $2.716 per 1,000 cubic feet. In currencies, the dollar fell 0.3 percent to 123.90 yen and the euro rose 0.4 percent to $1.0985. In metals trading, gold rose $6.50 to $1,095.90 an ounce and silver rose 5 cents to $14.75 an ounce. Copper fell 1 cent to $2.43 per pound.
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Hollywood’s female superhero problem By DERRIK J. LANG ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Batman. Spider-Man. Iron Man. Ant-Man. The list of male superheroes starring in their own big-screen escapades is bigger than Tony Stark’s ego, and the billions of dollars these films have generated rival the fortunes of the well-off tinkerer. However, in spite of Hollywood’s continued fascination with supermen, a new surge of female power could finally electrify the genre and more closely resemble the audiences of comic book adaptations. That’s the apparent takeaway from Marvel Studios’
latest release, “Ant-Man.” The film concludes with — spoiler alert — Evangeline Lilly’s character, Hope Van Dyne, being bestowed with her late mother’s prototype superhero suit and alterego. When she spots the ensemble, she satisfyingly informs her inventor father, “It’s about damn time.” It likely is, considering 42 percent of “Ant-Man” ticket buyers on opening weekend were women. “It was always intentional to end the movie that way with Hope saying she’s going to be suited up in future adventures,” said Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios. “Over the year since we shot that, it’s taken on a greater meaning
Photo by Zade Rosenthal/Disney/Marvel | AP
This photo provided by Disney shows Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne in Marvel’s “Ant-Man.” out there in the fan community. It’s more relevant now than it’s ever been.” Over the past seven years of interconnected Marvel superhero movies,
female characters who are not codenamed Black Widow have mostly been relegated to the sidelines as love interests, sidekicks, damsels in distress or all of
the above, making Hope’s parting words resonate beyond the screen for viewers who’ve long been dissatisfied with the lack of female superheroes in movies, despite their decades-long histories in comics. Scarlett Johansson’s shadowy agent Black Widow is no longer the sole Marvel movie heroine following the introduction of Zoe Saldana’s alien assassin Gamora in last year’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Elizabeth Olsen’s mindbending Scarlet Witch earlier this year in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and Lilly’s winged Wasp at the end of “Ant-Man.” “Their intentions are in the right place,” Lilly said.
“They just have to get there. They’re breaking new ground. I’m really honored and excited to be part of that, to be one of the pioneering women within the superhero realm, to represent strong women and put more of a female presence into these movies.” Andrea Letamendi, a psychologist and comic book expert who recently participated in a talk at San Diego Comic-Con titled, “Building the Modern (Super)Heroine,” was disappointed that the filmmakers stopped short of having Lilly’s character actually don the Wasp’s getup and help save the day alongside Ant-Man.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
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Sports&Outdoors MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
MLB: HOUSTON ASTROS
Texas’ newest ace Photo by Colin E. Braley | AP
Houston pitcher Dallas Keuchel has been a major part of the Astros’ turnaround in 2015.
Keuchel dominant Houston starter helps Astros climb above Angels in AL West By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Chris Szagola | AP
Former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels was traded to Texas as the Rangers build for the future pairing him with Yu Darvish atop the rotation.
Cole Hamels joins Rangers’ pitching staff By STEPHEN HAWKINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON — With Cole Hamels, the Texas Rangers have gotten another ace in hopes of getting back to the playoffs — in 2015 and beyond. Texas obtained the Phillies left-hander in an eightplayer deal completed be-
fore Friday’s non-waiver trade deadline. It took a couple of days to finalize all the details of the agreement reached earlier in the week. The Rangers sent lefthander Matt Harrison and five prospects to Philadelphia. Texas also got lefthanded reliever Jake Diekman and will receive $9.5 million — $7 million in
2016 and $2.5 million in 2018 — to offset part of the contract for Hamels, who is due $22.5 million per season through 2018 with a club option for 2019. “I’m excited to start the next chapter of my baseball life,” Hamels said. “They have a lot of great players and there’s always a chance in that league. I don’t think
they are too far away, even this year.” Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, is the first pitcher in major league history traded during a season immediately after throwing a no-hitter — he no-hit the Chicago Cubs last Saturday at Wrigley Field.
See RANGERS PAGE 2B
HOUSTON — Dallas Keuchel had scarcely more than a five o’clock shadow when he made his major league debut in 2012. Houston’s ace has since turned his beard into one of the more recognizable in sports, rivaling that of Houston Rockets star James Harden in an unusual one-two punch for this city. Like his beard, Keuchel’s popularity has grown, too, as he has helped the long-suffering Astros take the lead in the American League West. There’s Keuchel’s Korner, a section of the ballpark dedicated to the lefthander, where at each of
his home starts, $35 buys a game ticket, a fake beard, a shirt with a the words “Go Beard or Go Home” and a cartoon depiction of his whiskers. But there is something you should know about his famous face adornment: Unlike Harden, Keuchel isn’t committed to keeping the beard. “I would definitely cut it off,” he told The Associated Press in an interview where he often absentmindedly stroked the beard. Shearing it would have to mean something. He’s thought about how he could do it and who could be helped with the move.
See ASTROS PAGE 2B
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Seahawks extend Wilson By TIM BOOTH ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Charles Krupa | AP
Photo by Stephen Brashear | AP
In the wake of ‘Deflategate’ and quarterback Tom Brady’s impending punishment, the Patriots are trying to remain focused on the upcoming season.
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson signed a four-year contract extension with the Seahawks on Friday.
Patriots try to focus on football By PAT EATON-ROBB ASSOCIATED PRESS
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots say they have more to worry about during training camp than the status of their star quarterback’s lawsuit against the NFL and the team’s image around the league. The defending Super
Bowl champions are trying to replace Vince Wilfork on the defensive line and Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in the secondary. Linebackers Jerod Mayo and Dont’a Hightower are trying to come back from injuries. New additions such as safety Robert
See PATRIOTS PAGE 2B
RENTON, Wash. — Russell Wilson is sticking around with the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson signed a fouryear contract extension with the Seahawks on Friday, keeping him with the franchise that took him in the third round of the 2012 draft and watched him become one of the most successful young quarterbacks in NFL history. “Blessed to be w/ this organization for 4 more
See SEAHAWKS PAGE 2B
Bryant reflects on contract By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
OXNARD, Calif. — Dez Bryant took a couple of long pauses, first to search for a way to describe how he has matured and then to find the right word to describe skeptics who think he hasn’t changed at all. The Dallas Cowboys All-Pro receiver could relax on the first day of training camp Thursday, thanks to the five-year, $70 million contract that was the only reason he was there in the first place. And as much as he wants to show he’s not
See COWBOYS PAGE 2B
Photo by Gus Ruelas | AP
Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant, right, received a new five-year, $70 million contract extension in the offseason.
PAGE 2B
Zscores
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
ASTROS Continued from Page 1B His top choice would be to devise a plan where getting rid of it could raise money for charity, possibly in the fight against Alzheimer’s. He’s keenly interested in Alzheimer’s research. His 81-year-old grandfather, Joseph Keuchel, died in September after a battle with the disease. The elder Keuchel was instrumental in the 27-year-old’s early baseball career, always bragging about his grandson and helping to fund trips to games and tournaments in his youth. “He was somebody that was very influential in my life,” Keuchel said. “And somebody that I will never forget.” His bright eyes take on a momentary tinge of sadness
as he recounts watching his grandfather, a doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, succumb to the illness. Keuchel felt helpless. “It was difficult, but at the same time it’s one of those things where there was nothing I could possibly do to reverse it,” he said. So if someone stepped up with a “large amount of money” to go to an Alzheimer’s charity, he’d have no qualms about a transition to clean-shaven Keuchel. “It’s something that I would like to see a lot more awareness of and that’s why I would be willing to cut my beard,” he said. “Hopefully one of these days ... we can find a cure for it.” His attention to detail in thinking this through illus-
trates one of the reasons why Keuchel is such a dominant pitcher. The Oklahoma native is a perfectionist — from how agonizes over every pitch to his perfectly organized closet featuring a prized Jordan collection. That quality has helped him to 12 wins, which is tied for the AL lead, and a 2.32 ERA, ranking third in the AL. Manager A.J. Hinch jokingly called it the “stubbornness of being great” before getting serious. “He can go three up and three down and not be satisfied,” Hinch said. “That happens routinely for him.” Keuchel chuckles when asked about his perfectionism. “It’s kind of borderline ri-
diculous,” he said. “I’m always striving to be the best. When I see guys performing like Greg Maddux or Tom Glavine or John Smoltz, it seemed to me that those guys were just perfect pitchers and I’ve always wanted to be like them. And so with that I do everything I possibly can in between my start days to be as perfect as possible.” Keuchel went 3-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 16 starts in 2012, the highlight of which was a complete game in his second major league outing. He never lacked confidence and at the time believed he was ready to be in the big leagues. The luxury of time has shown him that that may have not been the case. “That whole year I was kind of up and down ... it
was a roller coaster,” he said. “When I’m looking back at my short career now, I feel like I was a minor league pitcher being lucky enough to be in the big leagues, I honestly didn’t belong. There was a lot of stuff that I needed to clean up.” He made his first opening day roster last season by earning the fifth spot in Houston’s rotation. That, he says, was the shot in the arm needed to propel him to the next level. Last season he went 12-9 with a 2.93 ERA and five complete games and picked up his first Gold Glove. Once he realized he was capable of retiring the game’s most elite hitters there was no stopping him.
“Just to get over that mental hump was probably the biggest thing,” he said. “And once you do that I felt like I was almost on a jet just taking off.” Keuchel takes pride in his ascension to top-tier starter and appreciates the progress he’s made. But he’d consider this season all but a failure if his work doesn’t help Houston to the postseason for the first time since they were swept by the White Sox in the 2005 World Series. “Because I would honestly feel like I didn’t do enough,” he said. “I don’t play this game for individual achievements. They’re nice, but at the end of the day I want a World Series ring or I want multiples.”
Only two other players have been traded in the same season after throwing a no-hitter, Cliff Chambers in 1951 and Edwin Jackson in 2010, according to STATS. But both made another appearance after the no-hitter before being dealt. Diekman is 2-1 with a 5.15 in 41 appearances this season. He pitched in 191 games for the Phillies since 2012. The 29-year-old Harrison, a 2012 All-Star, has made three starts this season after having spinal fusion surgery last summer. Harrison won 18 games in 2012 and then received a $55 million, five-year contract. But he made only two starts in 2013 before two operations on a herniated disk in his back. After four
starts in 2014, he was diagnosed with significant nerve irritation and a forward displacement of his vertebrae, known risks after the earlier procedures. Alfaro, 22, signed as a 16year-old free agent from Columbia in January 2010, hit .253 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 49 games at Double-A Frisco this season before a left ankle injury. Williams and Thompson, both 21, were second-round draft picks in 2012. Williams hit .299 with 13 homers and 45 RBIs in 97 games this season at Frisco, where Thompson was 6-6 with a 4.72 ERA in 17 starts. Philadelphia will pay Texas in 12 semimonthly installments from April through September in 2016 and 2018.
RANGERS Continued from Page 1B The Texas debut for the three-time NL All-Star is set for Saturday night at home against the San Francisco Giants. Hamels is 6-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 20 starts this season. Along with Harrison, the Phillies got Double-A catcher Jorge Alfaro, outfielder Nick Williams and righthander Jake Thompson — three of the Rangers’ top prospects — and Triple-A right-handers Jerad Eickhoff and Alec Asher. “We were looking for depth and talent and we got both,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. Hamels had a limited notrade clause and he vetoed a deal to the Houston Astros. “You don’t want to say no
to anybody and you don’t want to let a city down or an organization down but you want to do what’s best not just for my baseball career, but for my family,” Hamels said. “You just want to make the best decision.” Texas (49-52) went into Friday night’s series opener against the Giants in third place in the AL West, eight games behind division-leading Houston. The Rangers were four games behind the second AL wildcard spot, and had five other teams between them and the top two spots. Hamels next season will be part of a rotation that expects back Japanese ace Yu Darvish, who had Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery last March. Left-hander Derek
Holland, who pitched only one inning the April 10 home opener, on Thursday began his minor league injury rehab from a strained shoulder. The 31-year-old Hamels had spent his entire career with the Phillies, who drafted him with the 17th overall pick in 2002. He was 11490 with a 3.30 ERA over 10 seasons, plus was 7-4 an integral part of the greatest run in franchise history when they won five straight NL East titles, two pennants and one World Series from 2007-11. But the rebuilding Phillies are a big league-worst 39-64. They also traded AllStar closer Jonathan Papelbon to Washington. Hamels was 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA in 10 seasons in
PATRIOTS Continued from Page 1B McClain are learning the system. Some players — second-year running back James White and defensive lineman Sealver Siliga, for example — are looking for bigger roles, and others are fighting just for a roster spot. The official Patriots line is that because of those priorities, the team spends little time contemplating the justice of the NFL’s punishment for the use of underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game. “I know that’s real important to everbody else, but it’s not really very important to me and I don’t think it’s very important to our football team,” coach Bill Belichick said Friday. Defensive end Chandler Jones said he believes he speaks for everyone in camp when he says the team doesn’t feel it needs to validate what it did last year. “The only person we have to prove anything to is each other, ourselves and coach Belichick,” he said. Brady has not met
with reporters since camp opened Wednesday, a day after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the fourgame suspension for his involvement in the alleged football deflations. The lawsuit filed by Brady and the players’ union this week is being handled in New York and both sides have asked a judge to rule before Sept. 4, six days before the Patriots open the season against Pittsburgh. Brady and secondyear quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo both looked sharp Friday. Neither threw an interception during 11-on-11 drills. But Belichick would not talk about Garoppolo’s progress or address the prospect of the second-year player being ready to start for the Patriots in September. “I’m not going to evaluate the players minute to minute, day to day,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of training camp practices ahead of us.” Receiver Julian Edelman said Brady has been handling camp
just as any other player would — trying to get better despite distractions, such as the raucous crowds that showed up this week, chanting his name, with some wearing “Free Brady” T-shirts. On Thursday, an airplane buzzed the practice field towing a banner that said: “Cheaters Look Up!” and listing the Twitter handle of a New York Jets fan website. On Friday, there was another, this one reading in part, “Go Pats.” “It’s pretty funny actually to see those kind of things,” Edelman said. “It’s awesome to hear the fans, how they support everything. But, ultimately our mind’s on just trying to get in here and get to work and try to mold our team.” And Belichick made it clear the team’s focus is on the field, not the sky or anywhere else. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said when asked about Thursday’s flyover. “What plane? I’m just trying to coach football.”
Philadelphia. He went 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 13 postseason starts and also earned MVP honors in the ’08 NLCS. “It was worth everything,” Hamels said about playing in Philadelphia. “It gives you a way to fight even harder . to hear the cheers, and you understand the boos.” Hamels has three years remaining in a $144 million, six-year contract, a deal that includes a $20 million club option for 2019 or a $6 million buyout. That option becomes guaranteed at $24 million if he throws 400 innings or more in 201718, including at least 200 in 2018, and isn’t on the disabled list at end of 2018 with left shoulder or elbow injury.
SEAHAWKS Continued from Page 1B years! Can’t wait to get on field w/ the fellas!” Wilson tweeted early Friday morning. The team formally announced the agreement shortly before Seattle’s first training camp practice, an unofficial negotiation deadline between the sides. MMQB.com reported the extension is for four years and $87.6 million. Wilson’s representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. About to begin his fourth season, Wilson has led Seattle to the playoffs all three seasons, beating Denver in the Super Bowl in his second season before losing to New England in the title game last February. He’s also been a bargain for Seattle financially. The 2015 season was the first time Wilson was scheduled to make more than $1 million. That’s about to change. Wilson’s contract status was the biggest story in Seattle, and the more time passed without an agreement the more conjecture grew about his long-term status with the team. There was growing concern that Wilson would play out the final season of his rookie contract and then test free agen-
cy. The Seahawks likely would have used the franchise tag to keep Wilson for the 2016 season but at a cost that would significantly hamper their salary cap situation. Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, said a number of times during the offseason that the quarterback had financially planned to be playing for $1.5 million. Wilson took out an insurance policy to protect against injury just in case no extension was reached. Last season, Wilson threw for 3,475 yards and 20 touchdowns against just seven interceptions in the regular season. He added another 849 yards rushing and six scores, and saved some of his most memorable moments for the playoffs. Wilson overcame four interceptions in the NFC championship game against Green Bay to throw the winning touchdown to Jermaine Kearse in overtime to send Seattle to its second straight Super Bowl. He also had the Seahawks on the cusp of a second straight title. Wilson got Seattle to the New England 1-yard line in the final seconds of the Super Bowl, only to be intercepted by Malcolm Butler, clinching the
Patriots’ 28-24 victory. For his career, Wilson is a 63 percent passer that’s been equally dynamic with his arms and his feet. He holds the NFL records for most wins in his first three seasons and was the thirdyoungest quarterback in league history to win a Super Bowl title. While Seattle spent the 2014 offseason locking up the majority of its key pieces to long-term deals — Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Doug Baldwin — the Seahawks are facing some of the perils that come with team success. While Wilson’s deal was the focus, the rookie contract of All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is also up after the 2015 season. Michael Bennett made clear he would like a new contract a year after signing a $28 million, four-year deal to remain in Seattle after the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl title. And strong safety Kam Chancellor did not report to camp on Thursday, unhappy with the contract extension he signed before the 2013 season. The Seahawks have Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Jimmy Graham, Cliff Avril, K.J. Wright, Sherman, Thomas, Baldwin and Chancellor all under contract through 2016.
COWBOYS Continued from Page 1B the same guy known early in his career for legal troubles and sideline antics, Bryant emphasized that money won’t change him after he threatened to skip camp and maybe even regular-season games without the long-term financial security he felt he waited too long to get. “I’m glad that it got done,” said Bryant, last season’s NFL leader with 16 touchdown catches. “I’m excited I’m back with my teammates, and I think the beautiful thing about it all is it doesn’t feel brand new. That’s great. I’m glad that it’s the same.” Even if he says he isn’t. Bryant credited Jay Z’s Roc Nation talent agency with helping him refine his communication skills, although it was still hard for him to illustrate how they
did it. Bryant’s representatives also had to work to get a deal with the Cowboys until the final hours before a July 15 deadline that would have forced him to play under a one-year deal, or not at all. “They gave me a boost of confidence. And I thank them,” the 26-year-old said. “I’m cautious in a good way about the moves that I make.” Bryant occasionally showed frustration on Twitter about how long it was taking for a long-term deal. But the posts were measured compared to the volatile player who’s been caught on camera screaming at players and coaches during games, or leaving the sideline before the clock ran out in a particularly painful loss. Does he still have work to
do? Sure. He dropped an expletive at the end of an answer about how he can’t pay attention when issues arise and people “overreact” — that’s the word he was trying to find during one of the pauses. He covered his sheepish smile with his hand, then pulled it away. “I’m back,” he said, still smiling. Fellow receiver Cole Beasley sees the same teammate. Bryant wanted to toss a football almost as soon as he took the field for the first time. And while Beasley no longer had to worry about whether his “vocal leader” would be in camp, he did have to make sure he didn’t throw out his arm. “He’s like an old kid, man,” Beasley said. “He comes out here and the first thing he wants to do is
throw the ball around. It’s like he’s already loose when he gets out here. He can just throw the ball 50 yards without even warming up. My arm’s out here hurting, trying to throw it back to him.” Quarterback Tony Romo already faced the prospect of moving on without NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray, who signed with Philadelphia in free agency. Trying to follow the most efficient season of his career without Bryant as well would have been daunting. “I told him, ’It’s about time,”’ Romo said of his first conversation with Bryant after the receiver signed. “But it was out of his control a little bit. I think I was just happy to see him.” The lengthy negotiations — going back to last No-
vember — fueled speculation that the Cowboys were still worried about off-thefield issues, which also played a role in Dallas even having a chance to get him late in the first round after his draft stock fell in 2010. The Cowboys have said there is no language in the contract specific to Bryant’s behavior, and that any clauses related to off-field issues are similar to the standard fare in other NFL deals. “I actually think if that was I’ll say my second year in the league, I think it would have been crazy, it would have been horrible,” Bryant said. “I would have been tweeting some crazy stuff. I feel like I handled it the right way.” Romo agrees. “You’ve seen Dez as an older, more mature Dez,”
Romo said. “He’s come a long way since he first stepped on the field here, and I think it’s exciting to see his growth as a player, as a person. He’s like a little brother to me.” Bryant has more catches (381), yards (5,424) and touchdowns (56) than any receiver in franchise history through five seasons, topping a list that includes Hall of Famers Bob Hayes and Michael Irvin. And his presence erases a major distraction for a team trying to defend an NFC East title and make a Super Bowl run. “I wasn’t really too worried,” said Beasley, who also signed a long-term deal this offseason. “I knew Dez wanted to be here. I knew they wanted him here.” There were plenty of smiles to prove it in California.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015
Dear Readers: Fun in the sun! Summertime is usually spent outside, with family, friends or others, enjoying fresh air, sunshine and nature. However, TOO MUCH SUN is NOT fun! Sunburn, long-term skin aging and damage. Skin cancer! You should protect your skin with sunscreen. Sunscreen does exactly that, screens the sun, it does NOT block all sun rays. A sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 is the minimum you should use. A higher number is not really "stronger" in the sense that it screens out more sun; it simply lasts longer. It’s better to reapply every few hours rather than just once. Remember, you may be in shade, but sitting by a pool or other water, out on a boat or on your patio, you can be exposed to "reflective" sun rays. Here in San Antonio, just walking to the mailbox can make me turn pink! I wear sunscreen EVERY day, rain or shine. When I drive, I put sunscreen on my neck and backs of hands to protect those delicate areas.
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Have fun in the sun, and be sun safe. – Heloise DISHWASHER DILEMMA Dear Readers: Ahh, the dishwasher! Who loads the dishwasher? How do they load it? Which is the "right and correct" position of plates and glasses? Do you scrape and rinse dishes before they go into the dishwasher? Do you stuff it full in an attempt to save water and energy costs, or just don’t care? And that silverware basket! All forks, spoons and knives together? Tines up or down? Here is your chance! Let me know your "dishwasher do’s" and I’ll print as many as I can. – Heloise MILK? Dear Readers: Whole milk is better for you than skim milk? Some say yes, some say no. Watching your weight? Fat-free or skim milk will cut calories and fat grams almost in half. I add a teaspoon of powdered milk, and an ice cube or two, then whip up in the blender. – Heloise
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 2015