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TEXAS POLITICS
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Clinton in McAllen Presidential candidate will arrive Friday By CARLOS SANCHEZ THE MONITOR Photo by Eric Gay | AP
In this July 29 photo, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a hearing in Austin, Texas.
AG accused of lying, indicted By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
McKINNEY, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had an investment opportunity: a tech startup making data servers. He told people he had put his own money into Servergy Inc., according to prosecutors, and helped persuade a state lawmaker and another wealthy businessman to buy more than $100,000 in shares.
All the while, Paxton was actually being compensated by Servergy, according to an indictment unsealed Monday, the same day the state’s top law enforcement officer turned himself into jail on securities fraud charges. The alleged deception took place before Paxton took office in January. If convicted, the rising Republican star could face
See INDICTED PAGE 9A
Photo by Gaston De Cardenas | AP
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton is shown July 31 during a campaign stop at Florida International University in Miami. Clinton is scheduled to come to McAllen on Friday.
McALLEN — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is scheduled to come to McAllen on Friday to hold a meeting with state lawmakers and attend a private fundraiser, several sources familiar with the details of the trip said Monday. Clinton has visited the Rio Grande Valley several times in the past few years, but Friday’s visit marks her first to the Valley since announcing her candidacy for president in April. Her campaign did not immediately respond to an email from The Monitor seeking additional details about her scheduled visit. Sources familiar with Clinton’s schedule said she is expected to arrive in McAllen sometime Friday and meet with Democratic legislators from across the
state for a meeting whose purpose could not be immediately determined. It also was not immediately known if she is arriving via a private plane or commercial airline. No public events had been scheduled as of Monday evening. After meeting with lawmakers, Clinton is expected to attend a fundraiser Friday evening at the home of McAllen businessman Alonzo Cantu, several sources said Monday. Clinton has stayed at Cantu’s home overnight before, but it was not immediately known if she intended to spend the night on her upcoming visit. Clinton is considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for president, but is contending with unexpected strength from Sen. Bernie
See CLINTON PAGE 9A
TEXAS
OBAMA UNVEILS CLIMATE RULES By JIM MALEWITZ AND KIAH COLLIER TEXAS TRIBUNE
Calling climate change “one of the key challenges of our lifetimes and future generations,” President Obama on Monday unveiled the final version of his state-by-state effort to combat the warming phenomenon by reshaping the nation’s energy sector — a plan that has roiled Republican leaders in Texas. “No challenge poses a greater threat to our future and future generations, than a
changing climate,” Obama said in a White House address, calling his new rule “the single most important step America has ever taken in the fight” against climate change. The so-called Clean Power Plan aims to require the nation’s existing power plants to slash their carbon emissions — 32 percent from 2005 levels by
2030. That is 2 percent higher than the reduction proposed in a draft plan last year. Now final, the unprecedented regulations could significantly affect
Texas. As an industrial juggernaut, the Lone Star State generates more electricity and emits far more carbon than any other state. Texas also leads the nation in producing natural gas — a fuel that policymakers could lean on while trying to shift from dirtier coal-fired energy. The state also is already feeling the effects of climate
change, including sea level rise, extreme heat and drought, and more frequent flooding, experts say. Critics in Texas, including Attorney General Ken Paxton — who on Monday renewed his pledge to sue over the new regulations — have said the plan would imperil the state’s power grid and drastically inflate the cost of electricity for consumers. On a
national level, the Clean Power Plan’s target is somewhat stricter than what the administration proposed a year ago, but the rule now gives states two extra years to comply. Texas must cut an annual average of 51 million tons of carbon to reach its target, a reduction of about 21 percent from 2012 emissions, according to an EPA factsheet. The agency said the state’s goal “looks less stringent” compared with what it originally pro-
See CLIMATE PAGE 9A
Photo by Thomas Bougher | Texas Tribune
Texas must cut an annual average of 51 million tons of carbon to reach Clean Power Plan’s target, a reduction of about 21 percent from 2012 emissions.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Houston clinic recorded By EDGAR WALTERS TEXAS TRIBUNE
An anti-abortion group released an undercover video Tuesday showing a Planned Parenthood executive at a Houston clinic discussing how the group recoups costs for providing organs from aborted fetuses for medical research. The video, filmed by a group called the Center for Medical Progress, portrays Melissa Farrell, director of research for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast,
discussing administrative costs of harvesting fetal organs at various stages of gestation. The video, which contains a warning for sensitive viewers, also shows footage of researchers handling preserved fetal tissue. It is the fifth in a series of undercover videos released by the anti-abortion group in recent weeks. “Sometimes the procedures are longer, so then anything that we piggyback onto that for collection purposes, obviously, would have to reflect that addi-
tional time, cost, administrative burden,” Farrell says in the film. She later says that her department “contributes so much to the bottom line of our organization here.” Melaney Linton, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, said in a statement Tuesday that “extremists” were targeting her organization with “outrageous and completely false claims.” “The footage released today
See CLINIC PAGE 9A
Photo by Steven Senne | AP file
In this Dec. 17, 2013 photo, an unidentified medical clinician interviews a patient at a Planned Parenthood location in Boston.
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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. The Elysian Social Club will be hosting its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Contact Herlinda Nieto-Dubuisson at (956) 285-3126.
Today is Wednesday, August 5, the 217th day of 2015. There are 148 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On August 5, 1965, during the Vietnam War, “The CBS Evening News” sparked controversy as it aired a report by correspondent Morley Safer showing a group of U.S. Marines torching huts in the village of Cam Ne, considered a Viet Cong stronghold, using flamethrowers and Zippo cigarette lighters. On this date: In 1914, what’s believed to be the first electric traffic light system was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, at the intersection of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue. Montenegro declared war on Austria-Hungary at the start of World War I. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Labor Board, which was later replaced with the National Labor Relations Board. In 1953, Operation Big Switch began as remaining prisoners taken during the Korean War were exchanged at Panmunjom. In 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe, 36, was found dead in her Los Angeles home; her death was ruled a probable suicide from “acute barbiturate poisoning.” South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment. In 1969, the U.S. space probe Mariner 7 flew by Mars, sending back photographs and scientific data. In 1974, the White House released transcripts of subpoenaed tape recordings showing that President Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, had discussed a plan in June 1972 to use the CIA to thwart the FBI’s Watergate investigation; revelation of the tape sparked Nixon’s resignation. Ten years ago: The NCAA announced it would shut American Indian nicknames and images out of postseason tournaments. Five years ago: The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan, 63-37, as the Supreme Court’s 112th justice and the fourth woman in its history. BP finished pumping cement into the blown Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. Thirty-three workers were trapped in a copper mine in northern Chile after a tunnel caved in (all were rescued after 69 days). One year ago: U.S. Maj. Gen. Harold Greene was shot to death near Kabul in one of the bloodiest insider attacks in the long Afghanistan war; the gunman, dressed as an Afghan soldier, turned on allied troops, wounding about 15, including a German general and two Afghan generals. The San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA star Becky Hammon as an assistant coach, making her the first woman to join an NBA coaching staff. Today’s Birthdays: Actor John Saxon is 79. Country songwriter Bobby Braddock is 75. Singer Samantha Sang is 62. Actress-singer Maureen McCormick is 59. Author David Baldacci is 55. Country singer Terri Clark is 47. Retired MLB All-Star John Olerud is 47. Actor Jesse Williams (TV: “Grey’s Anatomy”) is 35. Thought for Today: “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” — Gen. George S. Patton (18851945).
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. Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabilitation Center continues with the UT KidsPediatric Orthopedics Clinics at the center, 1220 N. Malinche Ave. Dr. John Faust and Dr. Sekinat McCormick will hold clinics every second Tuesday of every month. Prior registration and $5 processing fee. Orthopedic clinics benefit children with cerebral palsy, club foot, scoliosis, spina bifida and more. Contact Norma Rangel at (956) 722-2431.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12 The Webb County Heritage Foundation will host a 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. Contact the WCHF at 956727-0977 or visit www.webbheritage.org or its 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.
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. 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 to 7:30 p.m. at Laredo Public Library Conference Room, 1120 E. Calton Rd. To register or for questions contact 210-7579425 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. The event honors the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Foundation.
Photo by Pat Sullivan | AP
Attorney Cannon Lambert, left, along with Sandra Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, center, and sister Sierra Cole hold a news conference, Tuesday in Houston. Bland was found dead in a Texas county jail three days after a confrontation with a white state trooper. The family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the officer and other officials.
Bland’s family sues By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The family of a black woman found dead in a Texas jail three days after a confrontation with a white state trooper filed a wrongful-death lawsuit Tuesday against the officer and other officials, saying it was a last resort after being unable to get enough information about the case. Sandra Bland, a Chicago-area woman, died by what authorities say was suicide in her Waller County jail cell on July 13. Her family and others previously questioned that, and criticized the trooper who stopped her for failing to signal a lane change. “The bottom line is she never should have been inside the jail cell. Period,” Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, said at a news conference. Reed-Veal, her Bible within
reach, said she was confident Bland “knew enough about Jesus” that she wouldn’t hang herself, and her feelings as a mother say her daughter didn’t. But “anything is possible,” she said. “Now I’m the first one to tell you, if the facts ... show without a doubt that that was the case, I’ll have to be prepared to deal with that,” she said. 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. The lawsuit, with Reed-Veal as plaintiff, seeks unspecified punitive damages “for egregious acts and omissions” by Trooper Brian Encinia, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Waller County, the sheriff ’s office and two jail employees.
Uber driver accused of assault used false permit
Judge let indicted Texas AG forgo towel in photo
American Airlines will no longer transport big game
DALLAS — A spokeswoman for the city of Dallas says an Uber driver accused of raping a woman in her home last month after dropping her off was using a fake city permit. Sana Syed said Talal Ali Chammout, a felon, wouldn’t have passed the city’s background check if he applied. City officials don’t know how Chammout got a permit with a number that had belonged to someone else.
AUSTIN — A judge says he allowed indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to forgo a jail policy requiring suspects to wear a towel in booking photos because the case is so high profile. A copy of the order released Tuesday instructed Collin County jailers to not photograph Paxton wearing a white towel around his shoulders. The mugshot instead shows the Republican in a suit and tie.
FORT WORTH — American Airlines has said that it will no longer transport big game trophies, the latest carrier to announce such a policy since a popular lion named Cecil was killed by a recreational hunter in Zimbabwe. The world’s largest airline announced on Twitter Monday that it would no longer carry buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion or rhino carcasses.
South Texas pipeline explosion injures 2
Former teacher gets probation for sex assault
Pastors sue mayor over equal rights measure
FALFURRIAS — Authorities say the explosion of a natural gas pipeline near the small South Texas town of Falfurrias injured two people and prompted the evacuation about 150 homes. An official said the explosion occurred Monday night. The families were allowed to return home about five hours after the explosion.
DALLAS — A former Dallas Independent School District teacher and coach has received probation for sexually assaulting a student and having an improper relationship with another. According to prosecutors, Philon Deberry, 45, lured a 17-yearold girl to a locker room and forced her to perform a sex act in 2012.
HOUSTON — A group of pastors is suing Houston Mayor Annise Parker for allegedly infringing on residents’ rights by denying efforts to let people vote on an equal rights ordinance that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The lawsuit was filed Monday. — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 District Attorney Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz and J’s Party Town invite you to a back-to-school supply drive from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at J’s Party Town, 6516 McPherson Rd. Show your receipt of school supplies and redeem it towards riding go-karts and paintball.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Spanish Book Club from 6 to 8 p.m. at Laredo Public Library-Calton Road. Contact Sylvia Reash at 7631810.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 “Imitate Jesus!” is the theme for this year’s annual convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses that will be hold at Corpus Christi. The first of two three-day events to be held at the American Bank Center, 1901 N Shoreline Blvd., in Corpus Christi, will begin Friday at 9:20 a.m. with the English Convention. The keynote address that day is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. and is entitled “Concealed in Him Are All the Treasures of Wisdom.” The convention is open to all public, and there is no admission fee.
AROUND THE NATION Week-old wildfire wreaks havoc on vacation spot MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — A predictable but painful summertime ritual played out in half a dozen resort communities near California’s largest freshwater lake on Tuesday as an erratic, week-old wildfire that has wiped out dozens of buildings continued to threaten nearly 7,000 more. As firefighters and equipment from outside the state poured in to battle the blaze burning 10 miles from Clear Lake, more than 13,000 people were required or urged to leave their homes, vacation cabins and campsites in the latest fire-prone region to find itself under siege.
Meth lab remnants found in Taco Bell, 2 arrested CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Authorities say two men have been arrested after the remnants of a
CONTACT US Publisher, William B. Green........................728-2501 Account Executive, Dora Martinez ...... (956) 765-5113 General Manager, Adriana Devally ...............728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................. 728-2531 Circulation Director ................................. 728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo.................... 728-2505 Copy Editor, Nick Georgiou ....................... 728-2565 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ..........................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo............ 728-2569 Photo by Josh Edelson | AP
A firefighter lights a backfire as the Rocky Fire burns near Clearlake, Calif., on Monday. The fire has charred more than 60,000 acres and destroyed at least 24 residences. methamphetamine lab were found inside a Taco Bell in eastern Iowa. The Cedar Rapids Police Department says officers found two men outside the restaurant early Tuesday. One identified himself as a Taco Bell employee.
Officers entered the closed restaurant and found meth lab remnants in a utility area. The men were identified as 31year-old Christopher Adam Matous and 56-year-old Kent Jerome Duby. — 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
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Fast and Furious sting unrelated ZCISD By RICHARD A. SERRANO TRIBUNE WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON — A gun purchased in 2010 by Nadir Soofi, one of the armed attackers killed in May while storming a Garland, Texas, cartoon convention, was not connected to the botched Fast and Furious sting operation, federal officials said Tuesday. Ginger Colbrun, chief spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, confirmed that Soofi legally purchased the 9 mm handgun from the Lone Wolf Trading Co. store in Glendale, Ariz., as reported by the Los Angeles Times over the weekend. But while the gun shop was the top outlet for the Justice Department’s secret Fast and Furious firearms operation at the time of Soofi’s purchase, the sale was not part of the sting and Soofi was not a known criminal suspect, she said. Previously, federal officials had refused to comment on the 2010 purchase. “There was no firearm
Photo by Brandon Wade | AP file
In this May 4 file photo, investigators box up an assault weapon while collecting evidence outside the Curtis Culwell Center, in Garland, Texas. associated with the Garland attack and Fast and Furious,” Colbrun said. “His purchase of a handgun in 2010 was never reported to ATF as suspicious. He completed the background check as required, and he was never a suspect or person of interest in any ATF investigation.” The purchase in February 2010 of the 9 mm pistol had raised deep concerns with the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, who two months ago wrote to the Department of Justice ask-
ing for information on all of the firearms traced to Soofi and Elton Simpson, and any connection they might have had to Fast and Furious. Under the secret ATF sting operation, Lone Wolf cooperated with the ATF by selling illegal firearms so that agents could track the weapons back to Mexican drug cartels. Instead, U.S. agents lost track of almost all of the guns. Many turned up later at crime scenes south of the U.S.-Mexico border, and one was recovered after U.S. Border Pa-
trol Agent Brian Terry was shot to death in southern Arizona. Justice Department and ATF officials have yet to answer the letter from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Colbrun declined to comment on why the department has not responded. But she stressed that Lone Wolf is a popular gun dealer in the Phoenix area and although Soofi purchased the 9 mm, it did not mean the sale was connected to Fast and Furious, even though it was made at the height of the sting.
Lone Wolf, she said, “is a high-volume firearms dealer, and they engage in many lawful sales.” She also declined to disclose whether the 2010 handgun was one of the six firearms Soofi and Simpson brought with them to Garland, or if it was left behind at their apartment in the Phoenix area. “We don’t comment on pending investigations,” she said. After driving from Arizona to Garland, Soofi and Simpson on May 3 tried to shoot their way into a convention offering a prize to the cartoonist with the best depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, something many Muslims find offensive. They were dressed in body armor and carrying three handguns and three rifles, along with 1,500 rounds of ammunition. Both men were killed by local police after first wounding a security officer. A third man, Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, has been arrested and is awaiting federal prosecution in Phoenix for helping to plan the Garland attack.
hosts parent event SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
ZCISD is hosting its 2nd Annual Sharing the Vision Back-to-School Parent Academy. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to advertise and promote by reserving a space. Set-up time begins at 1:30 p.m. at Zapata Middle School. The event will take place Aug. 5 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Zapata Middle 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.
Perry doesn’t make cut for first debate By PATRICK SVITEK TEXAS TRIBUNE
Former Gov. Rick Perry has failed to qualify for the first Republican presidential debate, a setback for a candidate who has promised improvement over his ill-fated 2012 run. Perry was not among those selected Tuesday by Fox News to share the stage Thursday night in Cleveland. The cable network, which is hosting the 8 p.m. debate, based eligibility for it on the top 10 candidates in an average of five recent national polls. Perry will now participate in a smaller debate
Thursday evening with the six other contenders who also were not eligible for the prime-time event. In a tweet, Perry wrote he was looking forward to “a serious exchange of ideas & positive solutions to get America back on track.” Perry and his allies had expressed confidence that he would qualify for the debate but seemed to temper expectations in recent days. Perry’s national polling has ticked downward amid the rise of Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a late entrant to the race. Perry also has had to grapple with real-estate mogul Donald Trump, who has remained at the top of
national polls for weeks despite attention-grabbing fights with the former governor. The other Texan running for president, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, made the cut for the 8 p.m. debate. He placed sixth in Fox News’ top 10. The earlier debate will be held at 5 p.m. Perry will be joined in it by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, former New York Gov. George Pataki and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.
Photo by Jim Cole | AP
Republican presidential candidate, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during a forum Monday in Manchester, N.H.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
EDITORIAL
OTHER VIEWS
Questions raised about abortion FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
It’s difficult to look away from a train wreck. But as a society, we seem to do it all too often. Whether our longstanding struggles with race and poverty, the death penalty or more recent moral wrangling over torture and drone strikes, we have a collective history of turning away from issues when their realities become too difficult or too inconvenient to address. We appear to be doing it again now after the release of undercover videos about abortion. The secretly recorded videos are the culmination of a 30-month investigative project by an anti-abortion group called the Center for Medical Progress. The footage released to date depicts Planned Parenthood officials and doctors who appear to be haggling over the price of aborted fetal remains, sorting through tiny limbs and organs in petri dishes and casually discussing how doctors can alter abortion procedures to extract intact organs of freshly aborted fetuses. These alleged activities are disturbing and unethical at best and illegal at worst. Yes, the footage was collected by a team of individuals with clear motives. David Daleiden, CMP’s executive director, makes no bones about his desire to help put an end to the practice made legal throughout the U.S. by a 1973 Supreme Court decision. So it’s reasonable to be skeptical of CMP given the surreptitious methods used to collect the video content and its motivations for doing so. A memo sent to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Editorial Board by Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas accuses CMP of producing “heavily and deceptively edited” videos that depend “on comments edited out of context to support their claims.” The memo argues that the full footage proves Planned Parenthood is and has been in full compliance with federal law. But the raw, unedited versions of the videos, which CMP has made available on its YouTube channel, raise many questions that need to be answered. At the very least, Planned Parenthood’s culture, practices and motivations deserve further scrutiny from legitimate investigative agencies. For example, in a video released last week, Savita Ginde, vice president and medical director of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, tells an actor posing as a represen-
tative of a fetal organ procurement company that the clinic has little control over whether specimens come out in whole usable pieces. But she adds, “Sometimes, if we get, if someone delivers before we get to see them for a procedure, then we are intact.” If “delivery” occurs before a procedure, in what state is the fetus during delivery? Similarly, director of medical services Dr. Deborah Nucatola, in a video that went viral on the Internet on July 14 seems to suggest that the federal law banning partial-birth abortions — a method by which the fetus is intentionally delivered breech and then the skull is punctured — is “up to interpretation” by the doctor performing the procedure. Delivering the body cavity first would presumably produce more “whole” specimens that would be more valuable to researchers. We learn in one video that feticides frequently used to kill the fetus before extraction make the stem cells unusable. So it’s reasonable to ask if clinics are employing methods they might not ordinarily use to deliver fetuses for procurement firms that request higher tissue quality and if full and knowing consent of the woman was obtained for those modified methods. Federal law bans the sale of fetal organs. Planned Parenthood has stated repeatedly that it does not sell organs but receives reimbursement for costs incurred procuring them. However, the videos indicate that in some cases outside biotechnicians harvest the fetal organs while in the clinics; Planned Parenthood simply makes the aborted fetuses available. If that is the case, what are the significant costs to Planned Parenthood that would require compensation? While Planned Parenthood is the largest abortion provider in the U.S., conducting abortions is only part of its work. The organization provides contraceptive counseling and cancer screenings for women who might otherwise have limited access to such services. Wholesale condemnation of the organization based on the videos released to date would be premature. But the footage does raise legitimate questions about Planned Parenthood’s internal controls and transparency. Perhaps more important, the videos force us to participate in an important exercise over a legal but controversial practice.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer’s first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure
our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COLUMN
Dogs are part of the family “If there are no dogs in heaven, then, when I die, I want to go where they are.” — Will Rogers As I have written before, I grew up always having dogs around. Both my parents had been raised with the dogs as an integral part of the household, so it was natural to follow that pattern. When they married on Christmas Day 1935, Dad immediately acquired their first dog, Rex, a white Collie with sizable black and caramel spots. When I arrived on Mother’s Day 1937, there was that great dog that looked after me as a big brother might. When I began to walk, there was Rex. He hung around until I was 11 and a crotchety, animalhating neighbor put out poison around his yard and that was the end of Rex. At one point though, Rex had a “brother” canine, a black and white Australian Shepherd that Dad labeled Ted (I never knew why). Rex was around for the birth of the next two sons. Ted joined the family about the time third brother arrived. Often Mother would have to work in the garden, which was about 100 feet from the house and a fenced yard. It was my as-
signment to watch after the younger ones, more particularly the latter since he was a toddler. Our house was a pier and beam and the dogs often slept under the porch (whoever heard of a doghouse at a farm home in those days). One day when Mother was tending her garden, I was standing on the porch watching the toddler play in the yard 6-8 feet away. All of a sudden, a snake raised up (appearing to be almost the height of the toddler) and I froze in terror. Unknown to me, Ted was under the porch, just beneath where I stood. He came racing out, bounded and caught the snake precisely behind his head and began to fiercely shake the serpent. Snake parts flew all over the yard as Ted sent him to snake hell (where else?) in a hurry. Before we “moved to town,” Ted disappeared and Rex, my brothers and I adjusted to city life — that is until the ornery neighbor did his evil deed.
Naturally, we soon found another dog, an English bulldog puppy that was so nervous and jittery that I named him Jiggles. Unfortunately he couldn’t out-jiggle distemper and died before he had a chance to mature. There was a bit more of a delay before we adopted another dog. This time it was a Chow-Australian Shepherd mix, rust colored with some black markings. He was just a ball of fur when Dad brought him home, so I dubbed him Fuzzy. It is said that Chows are one-person dogs and while Fuzzy wasn’t antagonistic toward anyone in the family, he didn’t tolerate anyone else “invading our turf” without specific direction from me. He hung around most of my high school years but ultimately lost a battle with fast traffic. Meanwhile, our next door neighbors had a little fox terrier named Trixie they’d acquired as a pup several years earlier. They’d spayed her and she consequently became plump enough that she sort of waddled around. Apparently, we paid enough attention to Trixie that she hung out at our house. When her owners moved several
blocks away, Trixie found her way “home.” Dad saw to it that the little dog got to come into the house in the evening when he arrived from a long day at a cattle auction. Even though my mother had a rule of “no dogs in the house,” he’d coax Trixie into the house with baby talk and springload Mother in the tickedoff position. I had little exposure to dogs in my home for many years after that. However, after retirement, we adopted this little ragamuffin Tibetan Terrier, Sawyer, about whom I’ve written before. This fastidious little dog — he licks and cleans his body much as a cat would — is an in-house dog, sharing our furniture, our laps and our bed and sort of rules the roost. I’m sure Mother is turning over in her grave, although before she passed on, we took the newly acquired puppy to meet her and she fed him her famous “teacakes” while he laid on her sofa with his head in her lap. Yeah, we’re a dog-lovin’ household. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.
EDITORIAL
The US should leave Afghanistan PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
The surprise announcement of the death of longtime Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, reportedly in April 2013, brings the role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to the forefront again, nearly 14 years after the 9/11 attacks on America. It’s hard to know what impact the news will have, if any, on the Islamic fundamentalist political move-
ment. The one-eyed religious, military and political leader had the reputation of being a unifying force within the Taliban. He, like Osama bin Laden, had sheltered in Pakistan, with Pakistani knowledge. If U.S. intelligence knew where he was, or even if he were still alive, the administration of President Barack Obama never said so publicly. Eliminating him would not have been as big a coup as killing bin Laden,
but it would have been at least a propaganda victory. Not knowing that he was dead could be seen as another U.S. intelligence failure. Based on this news, diplomatic and military analysts will be closely watching for any change in the Taliban’s war-fighting ability and its willingness to negotiate with other Afghan elements, including the government of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
The Taliban are doing well in their seasonal military campaign, having recently taken three northern provinces from government forces trained, but no longer bolstered, by U.S. personnel. The United States now has under 10,000 troops in Afghanistan. It will be interesting to see if the organization’s new leadership will redouble its military effort, seeking to show prowess with victories on the battlefield.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors PGA TOUR: BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL
Spieth back on the links By DOUG FERGUSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jordan Spieth was on the 14th green and battling in conditions so severe the wind approached 40 mph. “They pulled us off the course,” he said. Spieth wasn’t talking about St. Andrews. This was Sunday at Whistling Straits, where he took a two-day scouting trip of the course that will host the final major of the year. Spieth was one shot away from making the PGA Championship the most significant golf event since Tiger Woods completed his sweep of the majors in 2001 at the Masters. The 22-yearold Texan was trying to become the first player to win them all in one season, and he came closer than any of the other three greats — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Woods — to getting the third leg of the Grand Slam at the British Open. His three-putt on the 14th green at St. Andrews, when the second round resumed in wind so strong Spieth was heard to say, “We never should have started,” is not what cost him a chance at the claret jug. He had four other three-putts that round. He took four putts on the eighth green in the final round. He also made a bunch of birdies all week,
File photo by Peter Morrison | AP File photo by David J. Phillip | AP
After a disappointing finish to the British Open coming up one stroke short of winning his third consecutive major, Texan Jordan Spieth returns to the links this weekend.
Spieth will compete at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational beginning Aug. 6 in Akron, Ohio.
and at the end of 72 holes, he needed one more. Simple as that. If there was a hangover, it didn’t last long. Spieth was playing golf in Dallas with friends when his roommate mentioned the “weirdest feeling” about watching the Open. He told him that it seemed as though Spieth had an off week at St. Andrews, perhaps because he already had won the Masters and U.S. Open. Maybe it was ingrained in everyone, Spieth included, that anything but a victory at the British Open was not going to be acceptable. “We played good golf given everything,” Spieth said. “It’s still good to play a major and lose by one shot. But that was one shot from be-
“Like I said, the historical part never factored into my preparation or knowledge of the course or whatever. All in all, I have the exact same feeling. I may feel better. I knew what was at stake, and there was an added element to that off the course. Those were the questions everyone was asking. That’s what the crowd was saying as you go hole to hole in the practice round. ’The Grand Slam is alive.’ “I wish they were still saying that,” he said. “But since they aren’t, that might ease the burden as far as practice.” He laughed when asked about the American Slam — winning the three U.S. majors in the same season. No one ever talked about an American Slam until it
ing the greatest week of my life, instead of being on the back burner. That’s what put it in perspective for me.” It was a memorable run, and now it’s time to move on. Spieth already has shown at such a young age he is equipped to do just that. His goal at St. Andrews was to ignore what was at stake and treat it like another major. Put the ball in play. Make putts. Get in contention. He said when it was over the historical significance never crossed his mind even when he was tied for the lead with two holes to play. His approach to Whistling Straits isn’t much different. “I really don’t think it changes at all,” Spieth said.
was served up as a consolation prize to Woods when his shot at the Grand Slam ended in the wind and rain at Muirfield in 2002. Woods made a strong run at the PGA Championship that year by making birdie on his last four holes, only to finish one shot behind Rich Beem. Now the opportunity falls to Spieth. It’s still a chance to achieve something no one has ever done, though it feels hollow compared with what he was chasing a month ago at the home of golf. The Grand Slam is over. His season is not. Spieth knows what it’s like to adjust goals during the course of the season, just as he did as a rookie in 2013 when he started the
year without a PGA Tour and finished it as the youngest American (20) to play in the Presidents Cup. “My goals for this year were to make the Presidents Cup team, contend in at least one major and make the cut in all the majors,” he said. “In 2013, they were tangible, specific goals I could shoot for. Right now, what’s bigger than what we’ve done? We had a chance to do something no one has done — win all four majors in a year.” Part of the challenge is to finish strong. That’s what Spieth failed to do last season, when he finished out of the top 20 in six of his final seven events on the PGA Tour. In his eyes, a new season starts this week at Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio, followed by the PGA Championship and then four FedEx Cup playoff events. “I would like to win one of these last six events,” he said. “I’d like to be in contention and close one of them out, stay focused on trying to win one of these six and forget about how this year has gone. This is so new for us. It’s hard as a team for us to sit back and not want to soak in what’s happened.” A lot has happened. And even in the final two months, there’s a lot left.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Ribereña en Breve VALES PARA UNIFORMES El día de hoy, los padres de familia interesados en recibir vales de cupones para uniformes por parte del Zapata County Independent School District, deberán acudir a los salones 101 y 102 de Zapata Middle School. El evento tendrá lugar de 8 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. y de 1 p.m. a 7 p.m. Los vales son para todos los estudiantes del distrito escolar. Los padres o tutores asistentes deberán presentar una identificación y un comprobante de ingresos. Para más información puede llamar al (956) 765-6546.
MIÉRCOLES 5 DE AGOSTO DE 2015
TEXAS
Paxton ante ley POR PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
McKINNEY— El secretario de Justicia de Texas, Ken Paxton se entregó el lunes para responder a cargos de que engañó a inversionistas y de que no reveló sus ganancias por derivar a clientes financieros como parte de su negocio privado antes de asumir el cargo. Paxton, de 52 años, fue fotografiado y se le tomaron las impresiones digitales en la cárcel del condado de Collin mientras una multitud de periodistas aguarda-
zada por dos fiscales especiales es una campaña política para calumniarlo. Una de las denuncias sostiene que Paxton alentó las inversiones en Servergy Inc., una empresa tecnológica nueva que está siendo investigada por la Comisión de Valores y Cambio. The Associated Press informó el mes pasado las relaciones entre la empresa y Paxton, que se registró como accionista y cuyo nombre es uno de los términos de búsqueda utilizados por los abogados de Servergy para responder a una orden de comparecencia federal.
TAMAULIPAS
RÍO BRAVO, MÉXICO
RECUENTO
Ataque arroja una muerte
ACADEMIA PARA PADRES Todos los padres de familia del Zapata County Independent School District, están invitados al evento “Compartir la Visión”, que realizará el distrito, el día de hoy de 3 p.m. a 7 p.m. en Zapata High School. El evento es para los padres de todos los estudiantes, desde preescolar, hasta 12vo grado. Los asistentes recibirán paquetes con artículos escolares.
ba afuera. un baluarte republicano Ni Paxton ni su abogado cerca de Dallas, revelan hicieron declaraciones que deberá responder a dos cuando la noticia de la acucargos de fraude agravado sación trascendió durante con instrumentos financieel fin de semana. Otros reros y un cargo menor de no publicanos influyentes en informar a los reguladores PAXTON Texas, como el gobernador estatales. Cada cargo de Greg Abbott y el senador fraude conlleva una pena Ted Cruz, precandidato presiden- entre cinco y 99 años de prisión. cial republicano, tampoco lo hiLos problemas con las transaccieron. ciones financieras persiguen a Paxton podrá seguir ejerciendo este político ultraderechista en sus funciones mientras se desa- los siete meses que lleva en el rrolla el juicio penal. cargo. Sus colabodores niegan Los documentos difundidos el que haya cometido delito y soslunes por la cárcel en McKinney, tienen que la investigación reali-
BLOQUEOS El lunes, un operativo especial originó que integrantes de un grupo criminal realizaron bloqueos en algunas avenidas y calles principales en Reynosa, México, elementos policíacos, señala un comunicado de prensa del Estado. El operativo tuvo lugar a las 2:30 p.m., dando lugar a los ataques, que se desarrollaron en Praxedis Balboa, Libramiento a Monterrey, Bulevar Luis Donaldo Colosio y Bulevar Morelos. Alrededor de las 4:30 p.m. concluyó la situación de riesgo, señala el comunicado. No se registraron heridos o muertes, añade el comunicado. Autoridades decomisaron una camioneta Chevrolet Suburban, dentro del vehículo había armas largas, incluyendo un fusil Barret calibre 50 milímetros, añade el reporte.
FESTEJOS DE MUSEO El Museo Reyes Meza de Nuevo Laredo, México, inició una serie de festejos con motivo de su 7° aniversario. En el marco de la celebración se inaugurará una nueva exposición para rendir homenaje al hombre que inspiró a la creación de este recinto cultural: El maestro José Reyes Meza, el viernes 7 de agosto, a las 7 p.m. dentro del Centro Cultural Nuevo Laredo (CCNL). La exhibición lleva por nombre “El estudio de Reyes Meza”. El objetivo es mostrar a los visitantes las diferentes facetas por las que atravesó. La escenografía teatral, su obra de caballete, dibujos de toros, algunos objetos personales, y por primera vez en Nuevo Laredo, se mostrarán sus proyectos de mural.
TORNEO El Torneo Anual de Pesca Infantil ‘Back to School’ organizado por la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata, en su quinta edición, se realizará el sábado 22 de agosto. El evento se realizará de 7 a.m. a 3 p.m. en Bravo Park Pond. Se aceptan patrocinadores desde 300 dólares hasta 2.000 dólares. Para más información contacte a la Cámara de Comercio de Zapata, ubicada en 601 N. US Hwy 83 o llamando al (956) 7654871.
TIEMPO DE LAREDO
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Durante una reunión del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas, elementos de seguridad anunciaron 40 arrestos importantes y la localización de cinco presuntos campamentos de entrenamiento para narcotraficantes.
Anuncian 40 arrestos; localizan cinco campos TIEMPO DE LAREDO
Autoridades de Tamaulipas anunciaron el arresto de 40 supuestos integrantes de grupos criminales y los allanamientos a cinco narcocampamentos, durante la reunión del Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas que tuvo lugar el lunes. Tres de los campamentos fueron descubiertos y deshabilitados, el 22 de julio en Nuevo Laredo, México. Los otros dos campamentos fueron descubiertos el 27 de julio en Aldama, México. Las fuerzas de seguridad han localizado nueve campamentos, en lo que va del año, señala el reporte.
Arrestos Los arrestos tuvieron lugar en Ciudad Victoria, México; Reynosa, México; en Altamira, México; y Soto la Marina, México. Ciudad Victoria: Ahí se realizó el arresto de Omar Alejandro Zúñiga Ríos, Abner Alexis Mora Rincón, Luis Gerardo Moreno Pérez y Sara Alicia Pérez Reyes, supuestos integrantes de una banda de secuestradores y extorsionadores que operaban en los municipios de San Carlos, Padilla y Victoria, el 23 de julio;
ra Ríos, Luis Pablo Reyes Gómez, Daniel Wing Carmano, Brayan Juan Raymundo Ignacio, Eduardo Gómez Martínez, Martín Gómez González y Janeth Araceli Ruiz Reyes. La colonia Lomas Real de la Jarachina Norte, fue donde Personal de Fuerza Tamaulipas arrestó a cuatro personas que presuntamente colocaban cámaras de vigilancia para un grupo criminal. Tres de ellos fueron identificados como Hugo Felipe Chávez Herrera, Alan Alvarado Alegría y Oscar Adrián Díaz Santana. Altamira: En la colonia Serapio Venegas fueron detenidos Edgardo García Méndez y Joel del Angel Ahumada, y acusados de asalto con arma larga, el 20 de julio. Igualmente, el 24 de julio, policías estatales de Fuerza Tamaulipas detuvieron a Margarito Contreras Zúñiga, Julio César Bautista Amado, Luis Eduardo Zárate Martínez, Jorge Andrade Reséndiz y Artemio Ambriz Gallardo, robo de vehículos, señala el reporte. Soto la Marina: El 21 de julio, también se realizó el arresto de cinco presuntos secuestradores identificados como Federico Vázquez Hinojosa, Rodrigo Castillo García, Abel Lugo Castro, Benjamín Antonio Hernández y Oscar Hernández.
COLUMNA
Elementos patrios identifican a Tamaulipas Nota del Editor: El autor habla de incongruencias que se presentaron al crear elementos patrios de Tamaulipas.
POR RAÚL SINENCIO ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE LAREDO
Tamaulipas busca una identidad propia dentro de la nación multiétnica y pluricultural de que forma parte. Ésta la sustenta en pilares de estrechos vínculos entre sí y factura más o menos reciente.
Definición
REGRESO A CLASES Los estudiantes asistentes al Zapata County Independent School District, regresarán a la escuela, el lunes 24 de agosto.
igualmente el 27 de julio, policías estatales de Fuerza Tamaulipas detuvieron a José Gabino Zapata Mata y Enrique Vega Cisneros, quienes presuntamente aceptaron pertenecer a un grupo delincuencial. Fue el 29 de julio que Personal de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional detuvo a Luis Alfredo Ramírez Castillo y Esteban Rodrigo Camacho Uvalle, como supuestos integrantes de un grupo de delincuentes. Reynosa: En tanto, la carretera Playa General Lauro Villar-Tijuana de Reynosa, que la Policía Federal detuvo a Gloria Leticia López Morales y a los ex militares salvadoreños Luis Antonio Funes y José Miguel Angel Gálvez, quienes presuntamente aceptaron ser integrantes de un grupo criminal que opera en éste municipio. De acuerdo con el reporte, López declaró que reclutaba delincuentes extranjeros, y que Funes y Gálvez presuntamente eran homicidas a sueldo, por un pago mensual de 15.000 pesos cada uno. El 26 de julio, la policía estatal detuvo 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 Calde-
El municipio de Río Bravo, México, fue el escenario de un ataque a policías estatales que resultó en la muerte de un sospechoso armado y cuatro arrestos, anunciaron autoridades del Estado, el sábado. Los supuestos agresores fueron identificados como Salomón Gómez López, originario de Chiapas; Luis Alonso Martínez Huerta, originario de Reynosa; Marco Hernández Hernández, originario de Veracruz y Daniel Ruiz Morales, originario de Reynosa. El hoy occiso no ha sido identificado. De acuerdo con reportes, los sospechosos trabajaban para un grupo delictivo que operaba en la región. El incidente se registró el viernes 31 de julio en la calle 20 de Noviembre del sector centro de Río Bravo, cuando los policías estatales realizaban patrullaje de vigilancia, señala el reporte. Al llegar a la altura de la Casa de la Cultura, se toparon con cinco civiles armados que se desplazaban en una camioneta Toyota, color blanca. Fue entonces cuando los delincuentes supuestamente, abrieron fuego contra los elementos de Fuerza Tamaulipas, quienes repelieron el ataque. Del citado vehículo se aseguraron armas largas, cargadores, cartuchos y otros objetos más.
En primer lugar tenemos el resbaladizo terreno de las interpretaciones relativas a la toponimia de Tamaulipas. Abierto el siglo XX la materia cobra auge. La unanimidad resulta imposible pese al sesudo tratamiento del te-
ma. Porque surgen diversas posturas que sólo coinciden en lo de la raíz prehispánica del vocablo analizado. Destaquemos las dos principales. Sostiene la de mayor antigüedad que Tamaulipas significa “Lugar de montes altos”. Rivaliza con ella la presentada en 1942, asegurándonos que Tamaulipas quiere decir “Sitio donde se reza mucho”. . Como las restantes, concuerdan asimismo en que la etimología proviene del lenguaje huasteco. Ningún cronista virreinal aventura que la voz Tamaulipas pertenezca al huasteco. A finales del siglo XVIII, fray Vicente de Santa María anota: “Tamaulipas […] en el idioma de aquellos naturales quiere decir Montes altos”. Nunca se refiere al huasteco.
Himno Ahora sigamos con el himno de
la entidad. Con aires de marcha triunfal, integran esta pieza los versos escritos por Rafael Antonio Pérez, musicalizándolos Alfredo Tamayo Marín. A iniciativa del entonces gobernador Emilio Portes Gil, en 1926 obtiene el rango que a la fecha posee. “Viva Tamaulipas, altiva y heroica,/ la región que dormita/ en la margen del río”, principia la composición. Entonada cada lunes en las escuelas, contraría los conocimientos geográficos ahí impartidos. Apreciamos fácil que por suelo tamaulipeco corren numerosos ríos. En consecuencia, resulta terrible despropósito pretender que Tamaulipas dormite a orillas de una sola corriente fluvial, cuando reúne varias de reconocida importancia. Los autores quedan a salvo de cualquier responsabilidad. El canto originalmente lo dedican a Matamoros, en la ribera del río Bravo.
Escudo Ahora pasemos al escudo de Tamaulipas. Instituido en 1939 por el mandatario portesgilista Marte R. Gómez, es también uno de los más tempranos símbolos estatales de nuestro país. Desde siempre en la parte baja del emblema destaca el cerro del Bernal, que los diseñadores consideran representativo del entorno tamaulipeco. Lo anterior soslaya antecedentes históricos. “El nombre de Tamaulipas se ha tomado de dos sierras que se llaman Tamaulipa Nueva y Tamaulipa Vieja, entre las cuales está” la entidad, puntualiza en 1824 Manuel Crescencio Rejón, al determinar el constituyente general los estados de la nueva república federada. (Publicado con permiso del autor conforme aparece en La Razón, Tampico, México)
Mexico
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Mayor vows full probe of journalist slaying By KATHERINE CORCORAN AND ALBERTO ARCE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Mexico City’s mayor said Monday that no expense will be spared and no line of investigation ignored in the hunt for the killers of four women and a photojournalist, who had fled the state where he worked fearing for his safety. The United Nations High Commission on Human Rights condemned the killings, saying that the bodies had signs of torture and sexual violence and that the climate of impunity “is one of the obstacles to practicing freedom of expression in Mexico.” “We are all outraged by this crime,” Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said at a news conference. “There will be no impunity in this matter. No line of investigation will be discarded.” Journalist protection
groups have expressed fears that authorities won’t consider the killing of Ruben Espinosa, 31, as being related to his work, even though colleagues say he had fled his work in Veracruz state out of fear. The office of the capital’s chief prosecutor said late Monday in a statement that investigators had found a red Ford Mustang linked to one of the victims abandoned in a neighborhood to the south. They believe it belonged to a 29-year-old woman who they think is Colombian but have not identified yet. The statement also said the building’s security camera was damaged and did not contain video of the scene. Prosecutor Rodolfo Rios Garza said Sunday that authorities were following protocols for crimes against journalists and crimes against women as well as looking at robbery as a pos-
Photo by Marco Ugarte | AP
A family member of murdered photojournalist Ruben Espinosa says his last goodbye during his funeral service in Mexico City, Monday.
sible motive in the case. But when dealing with slayings of journalists, authorities in Mexico historically have been quick to discard their work as a motive, though the country is the most dangerous in Latin America for reporters. Some 90 percent of journalist murders in Mexico since 1992 have gone unpunished, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. “What’s particularly pernicious is that violence against the press is violence against society,” said Dario Ramirez, director of the Article 19 free press advocacy group. “There are many places in the country where silence paves the road so that organized crime, corruption, everything that destroys a society can continue in a manner without ... setbacks or obstacles.” Espinosa was buried Monday after a private memorial service.
The city prosecutor’s office said it was waiting on tests to confirm reports that the victims were tortured and that some of the women may have been sexually assaulted. An official from the prosecutor’s office said three of the female victims had been identified, but a fourth, presumed to be Colombian, had not. Rios gave their women’s ages as 18, 29, 32 and 40. All were shot in the head with a 9 mm weapon. Espinosa sustained severe injuries to his face before he was killed, Ramirez said. Rios also said the apartment was ransacked and robbed. Three of the women lived there and a fourth was the housekeeper. One woman was a friend of Espinosa’s from Veracruz, where he had worked for eight years. The bodies were found late Friday in a middleclass neighborhood.
Nation
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
Toxic algae blooms in warm water across US By PHUONG LE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE — A vast bloom of toxic algae off the West Coast is denser, more widespread and deeper than scientists feared even weeks ago, according to surveyors aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel. This coastal ribbon of microscopic algae, up to 40 miles wide and 650 feet deep in places, is flourishing amid unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures. It now stretches from at least California to Alaska and has shut down lucrative fisheries. Shellfish managers on Tuesday doubled the area off Washington’s coast that is closed to Dungeness crab fishing, after finding elevated levels of marine toxins in tested crab meat. So-called “red tides” are cyclical and have happened many times before, but ocean researchers say this one is much larger and persisting much longer, with higher levels of neurotoxins bringing severe consequences for the Pacific seafood industry, coastal tourism and marine ecosystems. Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the area now closed to crab fishing includes more than half the state’s 157-mile-long coast, and likely will bring a premature end to this year’s crab season. “We think it’s just sitting and lingering out there,” said Anthony Odell, a University of Washington research analyst who is part of a NOAA-led team surveying the harmful algae bloom, which was first detected in May. “It’s farther offshore, but it’s still there.” The survey data should provide a clearer picture of what is causing the bloom which is brownish in color, unlike the blue and green algae found in polluted freshwater lakes. Marine detectives already have a suspect: a large patch of water running as much as 3 degrees centigrade warmer than normal in the northeast Pacific Ocean, nicknamed “the blob.” “The question on everyone’s mind is whether this
Legal Notice An original Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Wine and Beer Retailer’s Off-Premise Permit by Dolgencorp of Texas Inc. d/b/a Dollar General Store #15661 located at 2864 S. US Hwy 83, Zapata, Z a p a t a County, Texas 78046. Officers of said Corporation are Stephen R. Deckard, CEO, John W. Feray, Senior Vice President and CEO Maurice A. Laiberte, Vice President of Lease Administration and Robert R. Stephenson, Secretary L-39
Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries | AP
In this microscopy photo, the algae pseudo-nitzschia, which produces the toxic domoic acid, is seen from an algae bloom sample. is related to global climate change. The simple answer is that it could be, but at this point it’s hard to separate the variations in these cycles,” said Donald Boesch, professor of marine science at the University of Maryland who is not involved in the survey. “Maybe the cycles are more extreme in the changing climate.” “There’s no question that we’re seeing more algal blooms more often, in more places, when they do occur, they’re lasting longer and often over greater geographical areas. We’re seeing more events than documented decades ago,” said Pat Glibert, professor at Horn Point Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Odell recently completed the first leg of the survey, mostly in California waters. On Wednesday, researchers plan to continue monitoring the sea between Newport, Oregon, and Seattle. The vessel will then go to Vancouver Island, wrapping up in early September. Another research ship is taking samples off Alaska. The brownish bloom was particularly thick off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and Odell said it was unusually dominated by one type of algae called Pseudonitzschia, which can produce the neurotoxin domoic acid. “It’s an indication of an imbalance,” said Vera
Trainer, a research oceanographer with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. “Too much of any one thing is not healthy for anybody to eat.” Trainer said this bloom is the worst she’s seen in 20 years of studying them. Harmful algal blooms have usually been limited to one area of the ocean or another, and have disappeared after a few weeks. This one has grown for months, waxing and waning but never going away. “It’s been incredibly thick, almost all the same organism. Looks like a layer of hay,” said Raphael Kudela, a professor of ocean sciences at University of California, Santa Cruz. The current bloom also involves some of the highest concentrations of domoic acid yet observed in Monterey Bay and other areas of the West Coast. “It’s really working its way into the food web and we’re definitely seeing the impacts of that,” Kudela said, noting that sea lions are getting sick and pelicans are being exposed. And now that the Pacific is experiencing its periodic ocean warming known as El Nino, it may come back even stronger next year, he said. Domoic acid is harmful to people, fish and marine life. It accumulates in anchovies, sardines and other small fish as well as shellfish that eat the algae.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2015
Fox lineup released By DAVID BAUDER ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Iowa and New Hampshire are still on the horizon — but first there’s the Fox primary, and the buildup to this week’s first Republican presidential debate shows that the influence of Fox News Channel on the GOP selection process is stronger than ever. The musical chairs-like rules for participation in Thursday’s televised debate required candidates to reach a certain threshold in opinion polls, making national exposure to an interested audience vital at a stage in the campaign when candidates are usually shaking hands in early primary states. And where better to find that audience than on Fox News Channel? The 17 candidates —only 10 of whom are invited to the prime-time debate — made a total of 273 separate appearances on Fox News in May, June and July, according to a count by liberal-leaning group Media Matters for America. Six hopefuls — Donald Trump, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina and Rick Perry — have appeared 20 times or more each on Fox or Fox Business Channel, the network said. Besides interviews, candidates have joined the panel of talk shows like “Outnumbered” or “The Five.” “It is the most important forum for a Republican running for president,” said Matthew Dowd, chief strategist for President George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign and now an ABC News analyst. Fox announced Tuesday afternoon that Trump, Paul, Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker and Chris Christie were included in the prime-time
Photo by John Locher | AP
In this July 23 photo, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee speaks at a campaign event in Las Vegas. debate. The remaining candidates will be in a secondary forum that starts four hours earlier. Trump, who is leading in the polls, leads in time spent on Fox (just under five hours, Media Matters said). Sean Hannity’s prime-time show, which hosted Trump, Cruz and Christie one night last week, has offered the candidates twice as much airtime as any other individual show, Media Matters said. Part of the draw for candidates is the size of Fox’s audience: second only to shark-obsessed Discovery among cable networks in July and typically larger than that of CNN and MSNBC combined in prime time. And there’s the guarantee of finding like-minded voters; 47 percent of voters who described themselves as “consistently conservative” said Fox was their main source of news about government and politics, according to a 2014 survey by the Pew Research Center. Of the people who watch Hannity’s show, 78 percent described themselves as conservative, according a 2012 Pew study. Sixty-five percent identified as Republican and 6 percent as Democrats. “With the number of
candidates we have, the gatekeeper becomes more powerful,” Dowd said. “If there were only three or four candidates running, the power would be less.” That’s evident in the amount of attention paid to the rules for Thursday’s debate. With the largest field of contenders in modern memory, Fox said that setting a cap on the size of the prime-time debate was necessary for a coherent event, yet some experts believe a failure to be included in the first tier could itself deal a death blow to a candidacy. Republican pollster Frank Luntz told the AP last month that “if you’re not on that stage, you’re irrelevant, you don’t matter.” CNN’s Sept. 16 debate will also have two separate tiers, although the two forums will run back-toback. The network hasn’t yet specified how many candidates will be in each. Fox said that it determined participation by averaging the results of the five most recent national opinion polls done by nationally recognized organizations, not affiliated with a party or a candidate. Since the network didn’t specify in advance the polls that it would be using, that led to grumbling that was encapsulated by Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show.”
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AURELIO V. MEJIA
CLINTON Continued from Page 1A
Oct. 1, 1929 – July 30, 2015 Aurelio V. Mejia, 85, passed away on Thursday, July 30, 2015 at Falcon Lake Nursing Home in Zapata, Texas. Mr. Mejia is preceded in death by his son and parents, Tranquilino and Severa Mejia. Mr. Mejia is survived by his sons, daughters, brothers and sisters and by numerous other family members and friends. A Graveside service was held on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at 10 a.m. at Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, Funeral Director, 2102 N.
Sanders, D-Vt., who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, along with recent chatter surrounding Vice President Joe Biden, who may enter the race. Clinton is expected to launch several ads for her campaign today in Iowa and New Hampshire. The ads aim to provide more complete biography
U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
CLINIC Continued from Page 1A doesn’t show Planned Parenthood staff engaged in any wrongdoing or agreeing to violate any legal or medical standards,” Linton said. The women’s health organization has said the videos are maliciously edited and misrepresent the organization’s work. With a patient’s permission, Planned Parenthood clinics may sometimes donate fetal tissue for use in stem-cell research, and researchers may reimburse Planned Parenthood for costs associated with those donations, the organization has said. Anti-abortion groups, including Texas’ Republican leadership, have pointed to the videos as evidence that Planned Parenthood illegally “sells” fetal tissue. Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton announced separate investigations into Planned Parenthood following the release of the first videos. “The shameful disregard
for human life and the callous nature of the individuals in this recording, as in the others that have been released, is simply appalling,” Paxton said in a statement on Tuesday. In a separate statement, Abbott called the new video “repulsive and unconscionable.” At a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services last week, Paxton said his office had previously “gained possession” of the Houston video, but Tuesday’s release by the Center for Medical Progress marked the first time it was made available for public viewing. In written testimony to the committee, Linton said fetal tissue donation was crucial to “important, lifesaving research,” and that Planned Parenthood takes seriously “its obligation to comply with all rules and regulations regarding such provision.”
of a woman who many, including in her 2008 presidential campaign, assumed was widely known and, therefore, were not introduced in her first run from president. But this time, several media outlets reported, the ads are intended to reflect components of Clinton’s life that might not be as well-known, in-
cluding the abandonment of Clinton’s mother, Dorothy, at age 8 by Dorothy’s parents. And although Texas is not considered in play for Clinton next year, she has always been a Valley favorite. Clinton last visited the McAllen metropolitan area in March 2014 on behalf of the Clinton Foun-
dation. During a packed, invitation-only event soliciting charitable donations, Clinton delivered short remarks, then sat down for a question-and-answer session with Israel Rocha, chief executive at Edinburg-based Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, where Cantu sits on the board of managers.
CLIMATE Continued from Page 1A posed, but some observers said an apples-to-apples comparison is difficult in large part because the EPA in the final rule changed its nationwide projections for renewable energy production in the coming decades. “Part of the challenge is to get to a place where you can compare what was in the proposed rules and what’s in the final rules and it’s pretty clear some of the assumptions are very different so we’re in a place where we’ve got to spend the next couple of days trying figure it out like everybody else,” said John Hall, Texas director for the Environmental Defense Fund’s clean energy program. “We’ve got homework to do and we’re not alone.” EPA called Texas’ target “moderate” compared with required cuts in other states. Nevertheless, Texas Republicans blasted the regulations on Monday, with Gov. Greg Abbott claiming the plan would cost thousands of jobs. “Texas will lead the fight against an overreaching federal government that seems hell-bent on threatening the free-market principles this country was founded on,” he said. The most basic structure
of the agency’s final rule remains the same as the proposal: States may shape their own plans to meet federally mandated targets for cutting carbon. But the EPA has changed its guidelines for meeting the state goals. States may choose between two types of plans. That includes an “emission standards” option that sets performance rates for specific power plants. Or, states may adopt a program that includes a mixture of measures, such those that incentivize renewable energy or improve energy efficiency. The rule encourages — but does not require — states to adopt a cap and trade program – a scheme in which companies bid on the right to pollute. Examples include a two-year old program in California, and a nine-state effort in the northeast that’s more than a decade old. The EPA will incentivize early action and reward state investments in wind, solar and other renewable technologies, Janet McCabe, who heads the agency’s Office of Air and Radiation, said in a conference call with reporters. States now have until September 2018 to submit a final plan, meaning Texas
could use the 2017 legislative session to hash one out. But it’s not clear that Texas leaders will play ball, with many Republicans nationwide calling on state to just say no to the regulations. Bills that would have directed Texas to adopt a climate plan — or even just a backup, should the state lose its legal challenge — went nowhere in the 2015 legislative session amid opposition from certain industry groups. Paxton, who has called the regulations part of Obama’s “war on coal and fossil fuels,” announced the state’s intention to sue over the plan in May. And Republicans statewide — including Abbott– have loudly panned the original proposal, saying it will raise utility bills and threaten the reliability of the electric grid. (Obama stressed Monday that his plan actually would ensure grid reliability and save consumers money on their electric bills — $85 per year for the average American by 2030.) “If this rule takes effect, the harm to Texas families will be immeasurable, through skyrocketing electric bills and lost opportunities for jobs — all with
little to no benefit to the environment,” Paxton said Monday in a statement. “The State of Texas will not back down in fighting this aggressive overreach in court.” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, RTexas, called the regulations a “lawless and radical attempt to destabilize the Nation’s energy system.” “I urge leaders of both parties, including Democrats who represent communities that will be devastated by this reckless policy, to stand up against this Administration’s dangerous agenda of economic decline,” Cruz, a GOP presidential contender, said Monday in a statement. If Texas ignores the rules, the EPA will construct its own plan for Texas. The agency on Monday released a model of what that strategy might look like, but an EPA official said it “would not put a federal plan in place until a state has not turned in a plan or has turned in a plan that is not approvable.” Once finalized, that model will serve as a “backstop” to ensure cuts in all states. Democrats and others call the just-say-no approach risky and suggest it would beckon more stringent requirements.
chance to buy more than $100,000 of stock in the company, according to the indictment. Unbeknownst to Cook, Paxton had been given more than 100,000 shares of Servergy stock, according to the indictment. Cook’s lawyer, Terry Jacobson, declined to comment Monday. The Associated Press reported last month that Paxton listed himself as a shareholder in Servergy and that his name was among search terms that Servergy attorneys used to satisfy a federal subpoena. The company is under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations of deceiving investors. While top Republican leaders were cautious in their remarks about Pax-
ton, the Texas GOP struck a defiant tone, calling the grand jury process “sloppy” and praising Paxton’s performance in office. Paxton joins other current or recent state attorneys general facing criminal charges. In Pennsylvania, a grand jury in January recommended that state Attorney General Kathleen Kane face charges over allegations of engaging in a cover-up and lying about her role in a grand jury leak to a newspaper. Kane, a Democrat who took office in 2013, has not been charged and has denied breaking any laws. Utah’s previous two attorneys generals were also arrested last summer on charges of running pay-to-play schemes during their combined 13 years in office.
INDICTED Continued from Page 1A five to 99 years in prison. It was a low moment for a tea-party favorite who is barely seven months on the job, and whom GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz candidate called a “tireless conservative warrior” when Paxton ran for office last year. Attorneys for Paxton, 52, said he will plead not guilty to two counts of firstdegree securities fraud and a lesser charge of failing to register with state securities regulators. “He is looking forward to the opportunity to tell his side of the story in the courtroom,” said Dallas attorney Joe Kendall, adding that a judge instructed Paxton’s lawyers not to comment further. A frenzy of media outside the Collin County jail in Paxton’s hometown was
reminiscent of a year ago, when then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry was booked after being indicted on charges of abusing his power with a 2013 veto. But whereas Perry defiantly welcomed the cameras at jail, Paxton ducked reporters after his booking, driving away in a black SUV. Nor did top Texas Republicans rush to Paxton’s side with the same outrage as they did with Perry, whose case has not yet gone to trial. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who last held the attorney general job, issued only a brief statement that urged the justice system to play out. “I recognize this is the first step in a lengthy process and will respect that process as it moves forward,” Abbott said. The Collin County nor-
mally jail makes suspects wear a towel around their neck before taking their mug shot. Paxton was allowed to be photographed without one, allowing his suit and red tie to be part of his booking photo. Just as Perry was allowed to finish his term after his indictment, Paxton can stay on the job while his criminal case proceeds. However, some are already calling for him to resign, including several Democratic Party officials. In the middle of a heated Republican primary last year, Paxton admitted to violating state securities law by not telling regulators that he got commissions for referring law clients to a financial planner. He paid a $1,000 fine and chalked it up as an administrative oversight.
Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa issued a statement Monday calling Paxton “an admitted lawbreaker” who “needs to spare Texas the embarrassment of a drawn out legal fight in the public eye, take responsibility, and accept the consequences.” Questions about Paxton’s financial dealings shadowed him during his first seven months on the job. His aides have denied any wrongdoing by Paxton and described the criminal investigation led by two special prosecutors as a political smear campaign. According to prosecutors, Republican state Rep. Byron Cook was among those duped. While serving in the Legislature In 2011, Paxton told Cook that he personally invested in Servergy and offered Cook a
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