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Woman shot
Partnership will expand surgical care
Victim attacked when leaving dentist’s office By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A San Antonio woman who was shot in the head in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, was flown out to the San Antonio Military Medical Center soon after the incident, according to reports. Additionally, a Laredo Police Department incident report identified the woman as Virginia Valenzuela de Medina, 36. She remains in serious condition at the SAMMC as of Tuesday afternoon, according to hospital spokesman. Reports further state the case was assigned to the local Federal Bureau of Investigation office with FBI task force inves-
tigators to follow up on the case. Assistant Driver Victor Lopez, Laredo Fire Department spokesman, said paramedics responded to the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge at about 5:15 p.m. Saturday. Paramedics rendered aid to Valenzuela, who was alert and oriented when EMS crews took over, Lopez said. She was rushed to Laredo Medical Center, where she was listed in critical condition. Later, Valenzuela was airlifted to San Antonio for specialized care that same day, according to Mindy Casso, an LMC spokeswoman. The American Consulate in Nuevo Laredo re-
leased a brief statement on the incident. “The U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo is aware of the case but is prevented from sharing specifics due to privacy considerations of those involved,” reads the statement.
Shooting The shooting occurred at about 3 p.m. in Nuevo Laredo. Valenzuela had crossed into Mexico on Saturday morning to visit her sister and run some errands. Reports state Valenzuela then went to a dentist’s office with her niece. Her niece was getting dental work, according to police. When Valenzuela and
her niece came out of the office, they walked toward their Chevy TrailBlazer. Valenzuela attempted to turn on the ignition when an unknown man walked up to the driver side window, pointed a revolver and shot Valenzuela at point blank range in the left temple, states an incident report. Reports state Valenzuela’s items and money were not stolen. The assailant allegedly walked away after he shot the woman. Police said the niece sought help from a taxi cab because she did not know how to drive. The cab took them to Hospital General, which
OIL & GAS
See SHOT PAGE 10A
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
LAREDO — Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, announced Tuesday the expansion of health care services for veterans at the Laredo Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Outpatient Clinic. A new partnership between the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System, TriWest and Doctors Hospital of Laredo will allow qualifying Laredo-area veterans, including those in Zapata, to receive inpatient surgical and emergency care services. This partnership brings the convenience of a community hospital within
reach to over 5,000 Webb County veterans who will no longer have to travel to San Antonio for their healthcare needs. As per this agreement, Doctors Hospital will notify the VA when a local veteran arrives to the emergency room, or when a veteran arrives as a transfer from the Laredo VA Outpatient clinic. The hospital will then provide in-patient services, emergency room care and advanced radiological services including MRI and CT scans. These new services are in conjunction with existing on-site clinic services, which have recently been
See CLINIC PAGE 10A
LINCOLN-JUAREZ INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE
$62M RENOVATIONS
Photo by Toby Talbot | AP file
In this June 15, 2005 photo, methane gas burns off a stack near the Washington Electric Cooperative power plant in Coventry, Vt. The Obama administration is proposing to cut methane emissions from oil and gas production by nearly half over the next decade.
US proposes to cut methane by nearly half
Courtesy photo
Rep. Henry Cuellar on Thursday announced a $62 million renovation project for bridge II in Laredo. Pictured from left is Cuellar, GSA Regional Administrator Sylvia Hernandez, CBP Director of Field Operations David Higgerson, Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz and Nuevo Laredo Mayor Carlos Canturosas.
Construction project to begin next month By KENDRA ABLAZA
By MATTHEW DALY AND JOSH LEDERMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is proposing to cut methane emissions from U.S. oil and gas production by nearly half over the next decade in an unprecedented step to curb climate change. The administration’s target is to cut methane from oil and gas drilling by 40 to 45 percent by 2025, compared to 2012 levels. The move was not unexpected — officials set the same goal in a preliminary blueprint in January. Still, by moving forward with the official proposal, President Barack
Obama is adding to a list of energy regulations that have drawn applause from environmentalists and ire from energy advocates. To meet the goal, the administration was expected to issue the first U.S. regulations cutting emissions from new natural gas wells, along with updated standards for drilling to reduce leakage from wells on public lands. It’s unclear how much those regulations will cost the energy industry to comply. The Environmental Protection Agency scheduled a noon announcement to unveil the proposal. “Today, through our cost-
See METHANE PAGE 10A
THE ZAPATA TIMES
LAREDO — The port of entry at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge, also known as bridge II, will undergo more than two years worth of renovations starting September that will eventually build a new bus inspection and passenger processing area; an improved waiting area; restrooms and a canopy for loading and unloading buses. The $62 million revamp is meant to improve traffic flow and reduce waiting times at the port of entry, said U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.
Cuellar and other federal and city officials announced the project’s kick-off Tuesday by the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge. Project manager Raul Moreno Jr., who works with the U.S. General Services Administration, said the port of entry was originally designed for inspecting six buses a day when it opened in 1980. Now, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers go through about 100 inspections a day. Processing a bus takes at least 45 minutes, Moreno said The project manager said he hopes the complet-
See BRIDGE PAGE 10A
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Congressman Henry Cuellar, holding cellphone, takes a selfie with GSA representatives Sylvia Hernandez and Raul J. Moreno, and with CBP Director of Laredo Field Operations David Higgerson and Nuevo Laredo Mayor Carlos Canturosas Villarreal Tuesday morning following a press conference at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge.
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Azteca Economic Development presents a series of small business workshops. Classes are free and in English at the Goodwill on I-35 and Mann Road from 6–8 p.m. Call 7264462 to register or for more information. The Elysian Social Club will meet at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Herlinda Nieto-Dubuisson at 956285-3126.
Today is Wednesday, August 19, the 231st day of 2015. There are 134 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On August 19, 1955, torrential rains caused by Hurricane Diane resulted in severe flooding in the northeastern U.S., claiming some 200 lives. On this date: In A.D. 14, Caesar Augustus, Rome’s first emperor, died at age 76 after a reign lasting four decades; he was succeeded by his stepson Tiberius. In 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia during the War of 1812, earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.” In 1934, a plebiscite in Germany approved the vesting of sole executive power in Adolf Hitler. In 1936, the first of a series of show trials orchestrated by Soviet leader Josef Stalin began in Moscow as 16 defendants faced charges of conspiring against the government (all were convicted and executed). In 1942, during World War II, about 6,000 Canadian and British soldiers launched a disastrous raid against the Germans at Dieppe, France, suffering more than 50-percent casualties. In 1964, The Beatles opened their first full-fledged U.S. tour as they performed at San Francisco’s Cow Palace. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford won the Republican presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Kansas City. In 1980, 301 people aboard a Saudi Arabian L-1011 died as the jetliner made a fiery emergency return to the Riyadh airport. In 1991, Soviet hard-liners made the stunning announcement that President Mikhail S. Gorbachev had been removed from power. (The coup attempt collapsed two days later.) Ten years ago: A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck and Co. liable for the death of a man who’d taken the once-popular painkiller Vioxx, awarding his widow $253.4 million in damages. (Texas caps on punitive damages reduced that figure to about $26 million; a Texas court overturned the verdict in May 2008, but the widow has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear her case.) Five years ago: The last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion began. One year ago: A video released by Islamic State militants purported to show the beheading of American journalist James Foley as retribution for U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. Today’s Birthdays: Actor L.Q. Jones is 88. Actor and former U.S. senator Fred Thompson is 73. Former President Bill Clinton is 69. Vice President Al Gore, is 67. Actor Peter Gallagher is 60. Actor John Stamos is 52. Actress Kyra Sedgwick is 50. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 49. Actor Matthew Perry is 46. Country singer Clay Walker is 46. Rapper Fat Joe is 45. Olympic gold medal tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez is 44. Actress Erika Christensen is 33. Olympic silver medal snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis is 30. Rapper Romeo is 26. Thought for Today: “Cheer up! The worst is yet to come!” — Philander Chase Johnson, American author (1866-1939).
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 $10, $15, $25 available at LEA box office and Ticketmaster.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22 Photo by Pat Sullivan | AP file
District Attorney Isidro “Chilo” Alaniz and J’s Party Town are holding a back-to-school supply drive from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at J’s Party Town, 6516 McPherson Rd. Show receipt of school supplies and redeem it towards riding go-karts and paintball.
MONDAY, AUGUST 24 First day of school for students in the Laredo and United Independent School districts.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25 Azteca Economic Development presents a series of small business workshops. Classes are free and in English at the Goodwill on I-35 and Mann Road from 6–8 p.m. Call 7264462 to register or for more information.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 Spanish Book Club from 6 to 8 p.m. at Laredo Public Library-Calton Road. Contact Sylvia Reash at 7631810. Azteca Economic Development presents a series of small business workshops. Classes are free and in English at the Goodwill on I-35 and Mann Road from 6–8 p.m. Call 7264462 to register or for more information. The Webb County Heritage Foundation will host an opening reception for “New Spain: The Frontiers of Faith,” an exhibit featuring photographic reproductions of rare documents, engravings, paintings and artifacts concerning the conquest and colonization of Mexico and its northern territories from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. For more information, contact the Webb County Heritage Foundation at 956727-0977 or visit www.webbheritage.org.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 “Imitate Jesus!” is the theme for this year’s convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Corpus Christi. The first of two three-day events at the American Bank Center, 1901 N Shoreline Blvd., will begin at 9:20 a.m. with the English Convention. The keynote address is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. and is entitled “Concealed in Him Are All the Treasures of Wisdom.” The convention is open to the public; no admission fee.
Attorney Cannon Lambert, left, along with Sandra Bland’s mother, Geneva Reed-Veal, center, and sister Sierra Cole hold a news conference Aug. 4 in Houston. Bland was found dead in a Texas county jail three days after a confrontation with a white state trooper. The death of Bland launched a new review of jail safety in Texas.
Jail suicides scrutinized By PAUL J. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — The death of Sandra Bland in a rural county lockup launched a new review of jail safety in Texas, but state lawmakers were noncommittal Tuesday about whether Bland’s family would be part of the process. Republican Lt. Dan Patrick did not say Bland’s name while announcing that legislative hearings on jail suicides would begin in September. He said a new Senate committee is not focused on any one death, and when the question of whether Bland’s relatives would be involved was raised, noted that the family had recently filed a lawsuit. But Democratic Sen. John Whitmire, who will chair the committee, made it clear that Bland’s death July 13 in a Waller County jail was the impetus. Authorities say Bland
hanged herself with a garbage bag, a finding her family has questioned. “There’s no question that Ms. Bland’s tragedy has led us to this point,” said Whitmire, who added that he has yet to determine who will be invited to the hearings. A message left with attorneys for the Bland family was not immediately returned Tuesday. Texas has seen an average of 25 suicides in county jails each year since 2012. There have been 29 this fiscal year, including Bland, who was found dead three days after she was arrested. She had been pulled over for signaling a lane change, but the routine traffic stop quickly became confrontational after the trooper asked her to put out a cigarette in her car. Authorities have said that Waller County failed to keep a close watch on Bland.
Perry asks top criminal court to nix 2nd charge
Woman, boyfriend slain in car, so far no arrests
State Fair announces 8 finalists for new foods
AUSTIN — Former Gov. Rick Perry’s legal team has asked Texas’ highest criminal court to toss the second and final felony charge against him. Last month, a lower state court threw out a coercion of a public servant charge against Perry, but allowed an abuse of power charge to stand. Perry’s attorneys responded Tuesday by asking the Court of Criminal Appeals to quash the second charge.
HOUSTON — Houston police are trying to determine who fatally shot a woman and her boyfriend while they were in a parked car outside her family’s home. Police on Tuesday identified the victims as 26-year-old Yvette Rodriguez and 24-year-old David Chavez. Neighbors reported hearing several gunshots late Monday night. The victims were found dead in the vehicle.
DALLAS — Lobster, alligator and buffalo fried delicacies are among the eight finalists for this year’s State Fair of Texas best tasting and most creative foods. Fair officials in Dallas announced the finalists Tuesday. Winners will be chosen Aug. 30 by a panel of celebrity judges. The other finalist foods include fried cowboy corn crunch, with sweet corn, jalapeno, cream cheese and a hint of smoky bacon.
2 high schools to start classes 2 weeks late ODESSA — Construction delays have forced a West Texas school district to push back the start of classes at two high schools by more than two weeks. Superintendent Tom Crowe blamed weather and delivery days for upgrades and additional structures at the two high schools not being finished.
Body of missing boy, 3, Man gets nearly 5 years in found in pond near home prison over pipe bombs LUFKIN — Searchers have found the body of a missing 3year-old East Texas boy in a pond near his family’s home. Authorities say the body of Mason Cuttler was located before dawn Tuesday east of his residence near Lufkin. A deputy searching for the boy spotted the body near the surface of the pond.
SAN ANTONIO — A 21-yearold South Texas man has been sentenced to nearly five years in federal prison for making pipe bombs. Michael Anthony Keich of D’Hanis was sentenced Monday in San Antonio. Keich in May pleaded guilty to making a destructive device. — Compiled from AP reports
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 The Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society will meet from 3 to 5 p.m. at St. John Neumann to discuss the state conference. For more information call Sanjuanita-Martinez Hunter at 722-3497 or visit vsalgs.org for conference info.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 Martin High School Class of ’75 40th year reunion from 7 p.m. to midnight at 105 Regal Drive. Contact Yolanda Gonzalez-Robbins at 286-4627 or yolandarobbins@hotmail.com.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 Martin High School Class of ’75 40th year reunion from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at The Mirage, 5411 McPherson Rd. Contact Yolanda Gonzalez-Robbins at 286-4627 or yolandarobbins@hotmail.com. RSVP required. 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. 8th Annual Football Tailgating Cook-Off at L.I.F.E. Downs from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
AROUND THE NATION FDA approves female sex pill, but with restrictions WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first prescription drug designed to boost sexual desire in women, a milestone long sought by a pharmaceutical industry eager to replicate the blockbuster success of impotence drugs for men. But stringent safety measures on the daily pill called Addyi mean it will probably never achieve the sales of Viagra, which has generated billions of dollars. The drug’s label will bear a boxed warning alerting doctors and patients that combining the pill with alcohol can cause dangerously low blood pressure and fainting.
Subway’s Jared to admit to child-porn charges INDIANAPOLIS — Longtime Subway pitchman Jared Fogle is
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In this June 22 photo, a tablet of flibanserin sits on a brochure for Sprout Pharmaceuticals in the company’s Raleigh, N.C., headquarters. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the drug. expected to plead guilty to childpornography charges, an Indiana television station reported Tuesday. The report on Fox 59 comes six weeks after authorities seized electronics and other items from Fogle’s home in Zionsville, an af-
fluent Indianapolis suburb. Citing sources it did not identify, the station said Fogle would enter a plea Wednesday. It also said the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indianapolis planned to hold a news conference Wednesday. — 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 19, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Actions of police force gain broad scrutiny By DAVID WARREN ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — An officer’s videotaped beating of a suspected car thief during an arrest last month is just the latest troubling incident involving the Lubbock police department, including the unexplained demotion and subsequent resignation of the police chief earlier this summer and a federal notice critical of the department’s hiring practices. The latest episode was the July 29 arrest of Jose Escarcega-Ysaias, who is being held on two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant. Police say Cpl. Ryan Durrett stopped to help Escarcega push a stalled vehicle into a parking lot, only to discover that the car had been reported stolen. After a short foot chase, Escarcega was able to speed off in Durrett’s patrol vehicle while Durrett fought
with the Mexican national from the vehicle’s doorway, authorities say. The SUV soon careened into a utility pole and dash-cam video shows the two on the ground adjacent to the SUV when officers arrive, Escarcega with one arm up and the other obscured by Durrett’s motionless body. One officer appears to charge forward and kick Escarcega and then straddles him while delivering at least five blows. Police say Durrett was hospitalized with serious injuries. He is now recovering at home, according to Jeremy Jones, president of the Lubbock Professional Police Association. Police don’t plan to disclose the name of the officer who struck Escarcega or say whether he has been placed on leave pending the outcome of an internal review of the incident, said Lt. Ray Mendoza.
Online jail records did not indicate an attorney for Escarcega and a guard at the Lubbock County jail did not have the information. The violent arrest is just the latest troubling episode for the department. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice notified the city that its practice of hiring probationary police officers discriminates against women and Hispanics. “We have concluded that the city’s use of the written examination since 2009 has caused an adverse impact on Hispanic applicants for probationary police positions,” Vanita Gupta, an assistant attorney general, said in a letter to the city. Gupta also said the police department’s physical fitness test resulted in disparities in passing rates between male and female applicants.
Jones said the DOJ allegations lack merit. “If you speak with Hispanic officers and female officers at the department they would say they’re offended by the claims in that letter,” Jones said. But Mendoza said Tuesday the department has forwarded to federal officials proposed changes to its testing procedures. Lubbock officials hope to have the DOJ approve the changes in time for the next round of testing for applicants in October. The police force, which has more than 400 sworn officers patrolling a city of 245,000 people, has had about 300 applicants appear for an exam, Mendoza said. Approximately 70 officers are needed to fill the ranks, he said. One of the positions that must be filled is police chief, following the demotion in June of Roger Ellis, who held the job for four years and who has
Fishing tournament set SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Back-toSchool Kid’s Fishing Tournament and Family Fun Fest this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tournament is open for children ages 3–12 and will take place at Bravo Park, 201 West 9th Ave. There will be food and refreshments, games, backpacks, school supplies, surprise gifts, prizes and more. Sponsors of this event are Powell Watson Toyota of Laredo; Medina Electric Cooperative, Inc.; McDonald’s; Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office; Zapata County; Pediatric Practice Association; INOVA Data Solutions; Ahh… Smile Family Dentistry; The Pediatric Care Center; Champion Care, Inc.; Stewart Title; BMG Xtreme Sports; Zapata Marine; Pronto; Premier Engineering Surveying; Rodeo Dental & Orthodontics; Zapata County Fair; Boys & Girls Clubs of Zapata County; Zapata County News; Brush County Home Health; Morning Glory Provider Services; Dr. Ike’s; A. Villarreal State Farm Insurance; Falcon Lake Tackle; Shady Haven, LLC; and Ace Home Center.
Agent charged for child porn ASSOCIATED PRESS
McALLEN — A Drug Enforcement Administration agent in South Texas has been accused of downloading child pornography. James Patrick Burke of McAllen remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing Thursday. FBI agents on Friday searched Burke’s home and confiscated his laptop computer. He was arrested on a charge of knowingly accessed with intent to view child pornography. A criminal complaint says the case involves the viewing and downloading of videos of children as young as age 10 having sex with adults. Burke had been with the DEA’s office in McAllen for two years. A spokesman says Burke, who made an initial court appearance Monday, was put on administrative leave following his arrest. No lawyer attorney could immediately be located Tuesday to speak for Burke, who requested a court-appointed attorney.
Courtesy photo
Kids are shown with their fishing poles at last year’s Back-to-School Fishing Tournament. The event will be held this Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bravo Park, 201 West 9th Ave.
Courtesy photo
Volunteers organize food and refreshments at last year’s Back-to-School Fishing Tournament. This year there will be food and refreshments, games, backpacks, school supplies, surprise gifts and more.
Two killed in plane crash near airport ASSOCIATED PRESS
MCALLEN — A student pilot and a flight instructor were killed when the small aircraft they were flying crashed shortly after takeoff from a South Texas airport. A Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration statement says the single-engine Zenair CH2000 crashed shortly after takeoff just before 7 p.m. Monday just south of the main runway at McAllen Miller International Airport. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez says
both occupants were killed in the fiery crash. No identities have been released. Rodriguez says the aircraft was practicing takeoffs and landings at the airport when it crashed. No other injuries or damage were reported.
since resigned. City Manager James Loomis on Tuesday declined to explain the demotion, saying the city doesn’t comment on personnel matters. A message left for Mayor Glen Robertson was not returned. It remains unclear if the demotion is related to the DOJ findings or some other matter, such as the wellpublicized killing of a 15year-old boy that Mendoza said will be addressed by interim Chief Jerry Brewer at some point this week. Mark Anthony Ysasaga’s remains were found in June with the help of a tipster after the teen had gone missing in 2012. Critics have questioned whether the tipster, a young man who was arrested on unrelated charges, may have been involved in the killing. Mendoza said the results of an internal review of the Ysasaga case will be
announced by Brewer, including an answer to claims that police arranged for the tipster to leave town after disclosing where Ysasaga’s body was dumped. The recent controversy hasn’t been confined to the police department. Mayor Robertson was investigated this summer after allegedly pulling a gun during a confrontation with another man, the city attorney resigned last year following charges of sexual assault, and the chief executive for a cityowned utility resigned last year amid claims he rigged a lucrative bid in favor of one company. But Mendoza said the lens is now focused on city police. “Officers are still going to come to work and do their jobs, but that’s in the back of their mind that there will be people always criticizing their actions and what they do,” he said.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
Walker tries to understand Trump’s appeal By GREG SARGENT THE WASHINGTON POST
The rise of Donald Trump has many of his GOP rivals asking: How can we steal away the source of his apparent appeal to GOP primary voters? This week, we’re getting one answer to that question from Scott Walker, who seems to have decided that Trump’s surge is rooted partly in those voters’ frustration with the failure of GOP leaders to stop Obama. To appeal to those voters, Walker will take a page from Ted Cruz’s manual of demagoguery and distortions, arguing in a speech Tuesday that Washington Republicans let the country down by failing to live up to their promise to repeal Obamacare — and that he would be willing to take on GOP leaders over their betrayal. Politico reports: In a speech set to deliver in Minnesota on Tuesday, Walker will take on the GOP’s leaders in Congress. “Republican leaders in Washington told us during the campaign last year that we needed a Republican Senate to repeal Obamacare,” the Wisconsin governor will say, according to excerpts of his remarks released by the campaign. “Well, Republicans have been in charge of both houses of Congress since January and there still isn’t a bill on the president’s desk to repeal Obamacare.” Walker will say that he’s had to take on the establishment in his party before and that he told GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin, “It was put up or shut up time. If we didn’t do what we said we’d do, the voters would have every right to throw us out.” Congressional Republicans, of course, have voted dozens of times to repeal Obamacare. The fact that Republicans now control both houses of Congress doesn’t change the underlying reality that there aren’t enough GOP Senators to overcome a Dem filibuster of repeal, let alone enough Congressional Republicans to override an Obama veto. Perhaps Walker will now tell us what, specifically, he thinks they should have done differently. But Walker may have decided that blaming the GOP establishment for going all squishy in the quest to roll back the Obama agenda is the way to capture some of the energy Trump has unleashed. In a radio interview earlier this week, Walker suggested that the failure to vote this year to repeal Oba-
Meanwhile, in the speech, Walker is also set to roll out his own plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The plan would scrap the Medicaid expansion … macare and the failure to roll back Obama’s executive actions on deportation (which House Republicans also voted to roll back, but never mind) help explain Trump’s (and Ben Carson’s) rise. “This is where the frustration is,” Walker said. “This is why non-elected candidates are surging in the polls.” Meanwhile, in the speech, Walker is also set to roll out his own plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The plan would scrap the Medicaid expansion and cap federal payments to states for some parts of Medicaid. It would repeal the Obamacare subsidies that help lower-income people get coverage, but that would be replaced with a new subsidy scheme that is based on age, rather than income. It would roll back the protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but that would be replaced with funding to the states for those people. While the plan is probably significantly less generous in terms of its coverage expansion than Obamacare is, Philip Klein explains in the Washington Examiner that it is actually somewhat less of a conservative free-market alternative than the approach favored by some of his rivals, because it continues to spend some government money to cover people. This, Klein argues, “reveals his judgment is that to be politically viable, a replacement has to offer a lifeline to Obamacare’s beneficiaries and cannot simply wipe away the law and proceed as if it never existed.” And so, while Walker is blustering about how squishy GOP leaders are to blame for failing to repeal Obamacare, he also seems to be quietly acknowledging that the law is increasingly entrenched and just might be helping a lot of people.
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
Never a fan of hominy or grits It is my habit to read a lot every day. That’s part of being a writer. I’m usually reading a book. I read two or three magazines on a regular basis, even though one or two might be online and you don’t get to grip paper pages. I read two daily newspapers each day and several community weeklies regularly. Writers read a lot for several reasons, the most obvious being news and information. There’s also a matter of style, of reading great writing and of learning to craft sentences, phrases, paragraphs and stories worthy of a reader’s attention. And, I ‘fess, I occasionally find a typo that I might poke fun at in one of my columns. One must be careful about such, however, since it could backfire. What does that have to do with Southern hominy or grits? Patience. We’ll get there. I promise. Also on my busy retirement agenda is watching a little TV. Okay, that’s always had some place on my list of daily activities. Used to be though, that the 14-hour days of weekly newspaper editing and publishing allowed for only a bit of boob
tube viewing, so that was strictly limited to news, documentaries and very well done comedy or a drama or two, and all of them except news were infrequent. That’s expanded some, but I won’t elaborate. Don’t want to spoil my “literate image.” Mmm-huh. But, let’s get back on the trail to hominy and grits. Long- and well-established in this space, my tastes for movie or TV viewing begin with Westerns. Yeah, I know, resort to the “guy type.” While reading The Houston Chronicle online a couple of years ago, I noticed a New York Times-credited story about the death of Dale Robertson at age 89. Now, we’re hot on the trail of that hominy and grits statement. Robertson was a pretty fair actor. He starred in two TV series: “Tales of Wells Fargo” and “Death Valley Days.” He did a lot of narration on “Death Valley.” Naturally, I watched those. Robertson also was a reg-
ular on “Dynasty” and had a frequently recurring role in the original “Dallas.” I didn’t watch those so much but my Life Mate did. One of the things I learned about Robertson in his obituary was that he always had disdain for Eastern actors. He thought they just played at being cowboys. Now, that’ll make a fan of someone who thinks of those actors as sissies. Robertson got some advice from Will Rogers Jr., son of the noted Oklahoma humorist, also someone I admired and whose autographed book, “The Illiterate Digest,” I proudly possess. Here we are at the origin of “hominy and grits.” Rogers told Robertson: “Don’t ever take a dramatic lesson. They will try to put your voice in a dinner jacket, and people like their hominy and grits in everyday clothes.” That pretty well establishes hominy and grits as regular fare for Southern folks. But, truth be known, I was never a fan of either until I was grown. I’m still not a fan of hominy. It reminds me of inflated corn kernels without any taste. Give me sweet
corn or corn on the cob. In my final two years of college, as I’ve mentioned before, I lived with an aunt and uncle in Houston. They were a working class family of six, eking by on a painter’s wages and $50 a month room and board from this college student. Growing up in Teague in a farming-ranching family, we ate potatoes. No rice. No grits. And certainly no hominy. Upon moving in with my aunt and uncle to attend the University of Houston, I got a steady diet of rice. I often watched my uncle fill his plate with a heaping mound of steaming rice, slather it with several healthy chunks of butter, then add some sizable spoonfuls of sugar to it. Occasionally, he did that with grits. Ta da: dessert! Frankly, I’ll take my grits with three eggs fried sunny side up. Cut up those eggs and allow running yellow to saturate the grits, then add lots of black pepper. That’s grits in “everyday clothes,” Southern all the way. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher. He can be reached by email at wwebb1937@att.net.
EDITORIAL
Right, left poison Common Core THE WASHINGTON POST
The ideologues have so disfigured Common Core that supporters of the educational reform now dare not speak its name. “The term ‘Common Core’ is so darned poisonous, I don’t even know what it means,” Jeb Bush said in response to a question at the Iowa State Fair on Friday. The former Florida governor then described what he does
favor: “I’m for higher standards, state-created, locally implemented, where the federal government has no role in the creation of standards, content or curriculum.” In other words, he’s for Common Core. Perhaps unaware that what they were hearing was practically identical to the policy that’s now reviled on the tea-party right, the audience members clapped and cheered.
We don’t blame Mr. Bush for shying away from the term. Most of the governors and ex-governors he’s competing against in the Republican presidential race have turned fully, not just rhetorically, against it. Some who once stoutly supported the standards, including New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have buckled under pressure from the right. The pressure is built on
bogus premises. Common Core is not a federal takeover of education. States developed the standards, accepted them voluntarily and implement them with local flexibility. The federal government merely encouraged states to adopt them, as it should have. The standards also aren’t some conspiracy to force children to learn about climate change and evolution; they cover basics in language arts and math.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Nation
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
2 women pass Ranger School ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Ted S. Warren | AP
Timber burns in the First Creek fire near lakeside structures on the western shore of Lake Chelan late Monday, near Chelan, Wash.
Massive blazes drain resources By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS AND TED S. WARREN ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHELAN, Wash. — Wildfires are putting such a strain on the nation’s firefighting resources that authorities have activated the military and sought international help to beat back scores of blazes burning uncontrolled throughout the dry West. The situation is so urgent that the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise this week called in 200 active-duty military troops to help contain roughly 95 wildfires. It’s the first time since 2006 that the agency has mobilized soldiers for fire-suppression. “Nationally, the system is pretty tapped,” said Rob Allen, the deputy incident commander for the fires around the Cascade Mountain resort town of Chelan. “Everything is being used right now, so competition for resources is fierce.” The troops are all coming from the 17th Field Artillery Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma and will be sent to a fire north of Republic, a town in central Washington, about 30 miles south of the Canadian border. Fire managers at the center are able to enlist military help when there are not enough civilian firefighting teams, thanks to a 1975 agreement between the Defense, Interior and Agriculture departments. The help can be crucial in particularly active years like this one, when the center’s firefighting teams and equipment are fighting hundreds of fires across many states. In the last two weeks alone, more than 1,500 square miles have burned in the Lower 48 states, center spokesman Ken Frederick said. “It’s like the fire season gas pedal has been pushed to the floor in a really short period of time, and that’s stressed our resources,” Frederick said. “And that’s got us relying on help from resources we don’t normally use.” The fires in the Pacific Northwest get top priority when it comes to allocating pinched resources. More than 1,000 people are battling the massive fires near Chelan that have burned more than 170 square miles and destroyed an estimated 75 buildings. They are just some of the huge blazes raging in the West. A lightning-sparked fire in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest has grown to 63 square miles and destroyed at least 26 houses. An additional 500 structures are threatened by the flames near the community of John Day, also in Oregon. In the Northern Rockies, so many wildfires have ignited this month that officials are letting some that might be suppressed under normal circumstances burn because manpower and equipment are committed elsewhere. The area experienced a normal fire season until last week, when a combination of drought, high temperatures and lightning-packed storms created new blazes across western Montana and Idaho. As of Tuesday, at least 95 fires were burning in the two states, about 30 of them considered large, according to the Northern Rockies Coordination Center in Missoula. That included a group of fires in northern Idaho that
have scorched 90 square miles and destroyed 42 homes in the last several days, as well as a wildfire in the western part of the state that led about 120 residents to evacuate and others to prepare to flee near McCall. California is doing well in terms of resources, despite a pair of massive blazes in the north. Officials prepared for a droughtfueled fire season by bringing in several hundred more firefighters than in previous years. In Chelan, about 180 miles east of Seattle, flames burned through grass, brush and timber. Air tankers established containment lines to keep the flames from reaching downtown, and utility workers replaced burned power poles and inspected wires. No buildings have been lost in the Chelan fires in the past two days, officials said. But nearly 1,000 people remained under mandatory evacuations. On Tuesday, smoke was thick in the air of downtown Chelan. Particles of ash fell from the sky. Some residents wore surgical masks as they walked through town. The firefighters sleep in the woods, get up every morning and work a full day, said Allen, the deputy incident commander. “It’s hot. It’s dirty,” said Allen, who usually works for the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska. He said authorities were looking for all the resources they could muster. “The military has been activated. We have National Guard here to help us out,” Allen said, adding that Canada loaned resources, too, and authorities were also talking to New Zealand and Australia.
WASHINGTON — Two women have passed the Army’s Ranger School, becoming the first females to complete the grueling combat training program and earn the right to wear Ranger tabs on their uniforms. The Army’s Ranger headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia, says the women and 94 men passed the tough 62-day course that tests their ability to overcome fatigue, hunger and stress during combat operations. While completing the leadership course lets the two women wear the coveted Ranger black-and-gold tab, it does not let them become members of the Ranger regiment. Neither woman has been identified by the military. Allowing women to participate in the Ranger course is part of the U.S. military’s push to open more combat jobs to women. But the toughest jobs remain closed to female soldiers — including infantry,
Photo by Robin Trimarchi/Ledger-Enquirer | AP
This April 26 photo shows one of the 20 female soldiers among the 400 students who qualified to start Ranger School. armor and special operations positions. That includes the 75th Ranger Regiment, which requires additional schooling that is physically and mentally challenging before soldiers can join. Still, former Army officers such as Sue Fulton, who in 1980 was among the first women to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, celebrated the news as another milestone toward ending gender barriers in the military. “This answers whatever
questions may still remain about whether women have the strength, the will and the physical courage to become combat leaders,” said Fulton, a former Army captain who now chairs the West Point Board of Visitors, an advisory panel of presidential appointees and members of Congress. A graduation ceremony will be held Friday at Fort Benning, the Army post near the Georgia-Alabama line. “Each Ranger School graduate has shown the physical and mental toughness to successfully lead or-
ganizations at any level,” Army Secretary John McHugh said in a statement. “This course has proven that every soldier, regardless of gender, can achieve his or her full potential.” “We owe soldiers the opportunity to serve successfully in any position where they are qualified and capable,” he added. The 62-day Ranger school includes three phases, each in a different part of the country: wooded areas of Fort Benning, the Appalachian mountains of north Georgia, and swamps in Florida. The first 20 days of Ranger school focus on military skills and endurance. Then, the mountain phase near Dahlonega, Georgia, includes more small-unit operations and survival techniques. The final so-called swamp phase takes place in Florida and includes airborne assault, amphibious operations and extreme mental and physical stress. Female soldiers were held to the same physical standards as men.
Probe could find more than emails By JACK GILLUM AND STEPHEN BRAUN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — A forensic examination of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s private computer server could unearth more details than what she put in her emails. It could answer lingering questions about the security of her system, who had access to it and whether outsiders tried to crack its contents. Clinton last week handed over to the FBI her private server, which she used to send, receive and store emails during her four years as secretary of state. The bureau is holding the machine in protective custody after the intelligence community’s inspector general raised concerns recently that classified information had traversed the system. Clinton leads the race for the Democratic presidential nomination by a wide margin even though questions about her use of the server have shadowed her campaign. Republicans have seized on the issue to raise questions about Clinton’s trustworthiness.
Photo by Ian Thomas Jansen-Lonnquist/New York Times | AP file
Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigns at a town hall-style meeting in Exeter, N.H., Aug. 10. Speaking to reporters Tuesday in North Las Vegas, Nevada, Clinton said she was “very comfortable that this will eventually get resolved and the American people will have plenty of time to figure it out.” She added: “In retrospect, this didn’t turn out to be convenient at all and I regret that this has become such a cause celebre. But that does not change the facts.” She reiterated that what she did was “legally permitted” and said she did not send any emails marked “classified.” Clinton had initially justified her use of
a private server — for both official and personal emails — by saying she felt it would be more convenient to use one system. As she departed the availability with reporters, she said, “Nobody talks to me about it other than you guys.” Clinton’s emails show some messages she wrote were censored by the State Department for national security reasons before they were publicly released. The government blacked out those messages under a provision of the Freedom of Information Act intended to pro-
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tect material that had been deemed and properly classified for purposes of national defense or foreign policy. What hasn’t been released: data that could show how secure her system was, whether someone tried to break in, and who else had accounts on her system. A lawyer for Platte River Networks, a Colorado-based technology services company that began managing the Clinton server in 2013, said the server was provided to the FBI last week. Indeed, many physical details of the server remain unknown, such as whether its data was backed up. In March, The Associated Press discovered her server traced back to an Internet connection at the Clintons’ home in Chappaqua, New York. A computer server isn’t a marvel of modern technology. Just like a home desktop, the computer’s data is stored on a hard drive. It’s unclear whether the drive that Clinton used was thoroughly erased before the device was turned over to federal agents.
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015
Migrants hit new record in July ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRUSSELS — U.N. and European border agency officials urged the European Union on Tuesday to step up measures to help thousands of people who have fled violence in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq and are pouring into Greece and other EU countries in record numbers. Fabrice Leggeri, head of the EU border agency Frontex, described it as an “emergency situation for Europe that requires all EU member states to step in.” Speaking in Brussels, he urged member nations to provide more help for Greece and Hungary, which are two of the most affected countries. Frontex said 107,500 migrants were detected at EU borders in July — the third consecutive monthly record and the first time the monthly number topped 100,000. Nearly 340,000 migrants were spotted at EU borders in the first half of the year, compared to 280,000 for all of 2014. William Spindler, a spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees, told reporters in Geneva that the wealthy European bloc needed to “wake up” to the dire conditions faced by many refugees. He said 160,000 migrants have reached Greece since January, compared to 43,500 in all of 2014. More than fourfifths of them are from Syria, and 14 percent from Afghanistan. Spindler noted that Greece faces an economic crisis, but called on its government to help international organizations like UNHCR take a more active role in places like the overburdened island of Kos.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
Man is focus of bombing probe By NATTASUDA ANUSONADISAI AND PAPITCHAYA BOONNGOK ASSOCIATED PRESS
BANGKOK — In the grainy security video, a man in a yellow shirt sits on a bench at the crowded Erawan Shrine, removes a backpack he is wearing, and leaves it behind when he walks away. For police hunting who was responsible for Monday’s deadly bombing in central Bangkok, there was no doubt about the man with youthful shaggy dark hair and glasses. “The yellow shirt guy is not just the suspect. He is the bomber,” police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha called the shrine bombing near a busy intersection that killed 20 and wounded more than 100 “the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand,” and he promised to track down those responsible. “There have been minor bombs or just noise, but this time they aimed for innocent lives,” Prayuth said. “They want to destroy our economy, our tourism.” Bangkok was rattled again Tuesday when another pipe bomb blew up at the Sathorn Pier, which is used by tourists, although no one was hurt. Prawut released several photos of the man, with and without the backpack, on social media. The images were apparently taken from closed-circuit video at the shrine before the bomb exploded. Video posted separately on Thai media appeared to show the same man sitting on a bench at the shrine, taking off the backpack and leaving it behind as he walked away. Without elaborating, the prime minister said, “Today we have seen the closed-circuit footage, we saw some suspects, but it wasn’t clear. We have to
Photo by Karly Domb Sadof | AP
Erawan Shrine, the site of Monday’s deadly bombing is surrounded by barricades early Wednesday, in Bangkok. Thailand’s prime minister described the bombing as the country’s worst attack ever. find them first.” Prayuth said the government will expedite “all investigative efforts to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.” The bomb, which police say was made from a pipe and weighed 3 kilograms (more than 6 pounds), went off about 7 p.m. in an upscale area filled with tourists, office workers and shoppers. No one has claimed responsibility. Prawut said Tuesday’s blast at the Sathorn Pier frequented by tourist boats also was caused by a pipe bomb and could be related to the shrine attack. Police said the bomb was thrown from the Taksin Bridge and fell into the Chao Phraya River, where it exploded. Security video showed a sudden blast of water over a walkway at the pier as bystanders ran for safety. The Erawan Shrine is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, but is extremely popular among Thailand’s Buddhists as well as Chinese tourists. Although Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, it has enormous Hindu influence on its religious practices and language. Thai authorities identified five victims as Thai and four as Chinese — two of them from Hong Kong — along with two Malay-
sians and one Singaporean, and said the nationalities of the other eight victims remained unknown. The British Foreign Office said one victim was a British citizen named Vivian Chan who lived in Hong Kong. It was not immediately clear whether she was one of the two Hong Kong victims identified by Thai officials. Officials at London’s BPP University said she had studied there. “Everyone at BPP University is devastated to hear of the loss of one of our students, Vivian Chan Wing Yan, in Bangkok yesterday. Our thoughts are with Vivian’s family and we will work to support them in any way we can,” the school said in a statement. Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said authorities had no idea an attack had been planned. “We didn’t know about this ahead of time. We had no intelligence on this attack,” he said. Prayuth vowed to “hurry and find the bombers,” though he noted there may be just one perpetrator. Speaking to reporters, he continued what has been a notoriously prickly relationship with the media since the former general took control in a May 2014
coup that ousted a civilian government. Asked if there were leads on the suspects, Prayuth bristled: “We are still investigating. The bomb has just exploded — why are you asking now? Do you understand the word investigation? It’s not like they claim responsibility.” In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. is offering to support Thailand in its investigation but has not received a request. He said there was no indication that any Americans were among the casualties. Thailand has seen many violent attacks in recent years, particularly in a more-than-decade-long insurgency by Muslim separatists that has killed over 5,000 in the country’s south. Those attacks have never reached the capital, however. Bangkok has seen politically charged violence in the past decade; the deadliest, in 2010, killed more than 90 over two months and was centered on the same intersection where Monday’s bomb went off. But none of those attacks included a bomb that seemed intended to produce mass casualties. Matthew Wheeler, Southeast Asia security analyst for the Internation-
al Crisis Group, said the bombing was a “new type of attack for Bangkok” that doesn’t bear the marks of typical violence in the past decade from political instability or separatists. “It is certainly not like politically motivated attacks we’ve seen in the past which have generally been designed to grab attention but not cause casualties,” Wheeler said, adding that he expected it would have “major ramifications for security in Thailand.” The suspect seen in the video wearing a yellow shirt raised initial questions about whether the violence was politically motivated, since one group of previous protesters was known to wear that color of clothing. But officials have not linked the attack to Thai politics. In the morning, investigators surveyed the damage as police and soldiers guarded the area, still littered with shattered glass and other debris. The normally busy intersection was closed to traffic and eerily empty, aside from onlookers standing behind police tape to take pictures. Barricades were set up outside nearby five-star hotels, and security personnel stopped cars to inspect trunks before letting them pass. The intersection was reopened by midday. At least 20 people were confirmed dead and 126 injured, according to the Erawan Emergency Center. Bangkok has been relatively peaceful since the military coup after several months of sometimes violent protests against the previous government. At the same time, the military government has tightly controlled dissent, arresting hundreds of its opponents and banning protests. Tensions have risen in recent months, with the junta making clear it may not hold elections until 2017.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2015
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS
Johnson making his mark Moves to WR in last chance at Texas By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN, Texas — For three years, Daje Johnson has been the great hope and the great disappointment for Texas. The playmaker with the blazing speed and shifty moves has spent most of his career teasing fans with a few touchdowns in between long stints on the bench or under suspension. He is down to his last chance at Texas. And he knows it. “I’m trying to be remembered around here, with names all over the walls,” Johnson said as he sat in the players’ lounge surrounded by photos of Texas greats like Vince Young, Ricky Williams and Colt McCoy. “I’m worth the investment,” Johnson said. “I’m letting people know now, I’m not going to disappoint anybody.” Johnson has been suspended three times over his career, including a long stretch last year when he got sideways with first-year coach Charlie Strong. He appeared ready to leave all that behind, then raised new questions in July when he released a rap
song titled “Dealer” with references to selling drugs. Johnson hoped for some notoriety about a budding music career but all it did was raise new questions from his coach. “I called Daje and said, ’You’re no longer on the team, huh?”’ Strong said. “(Daje) said, ’What do you mean?’ I said, ’You got your rap song out, you must not be on the team anymore. You’re a rapper.”’ Johnson quickly apologized for the song and pulled it off his website. “I was like, ’Aww, I made a bad decision again,”’ Johnson said. “I know that now.” Those sort of antics that have frustrated Texas fans who saw fleeting moments of his dazzling talent on the field, like his 84-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage against Baylor in 2012 and his 85yard punt return for a score against Oklahoma in 2013. When training camp opened, Strong sent a clear message that it was time for Johnson to live up to his promise. “Daje is someone we (have) talked enough about in the program,” Strong said. “You want to see him
all of a sudden become a guy that we can count on and count on each and every down.” The coach and player need each other. Johnson needs Strong to keep giving him chances to get on the field. And Strong needs Johnson to deliver touchdowns all season if the Longhorns are going to improve on last season’s dismal 6-7 record. After fielding one of the Big 12’s worst offenses last season, Strong is scrapping some of the power run game to spread things out. Texas lacks a proven playmaker, a role Johnson could fill as he moves from his traditional running back spot into the corps of receivers. He also expects to return punts this season. “I’m capable of doing everything on the field— catching kickoff returns, receiving, running back — I feel like I’m very versatile on the field,” Johnson said. “I’ve had trouble not really getting on the field with my own conflicts and everything. I’m going away from that and just having a positive lifestyle, so now I’m on the field, healthy, no issues off the field. I’m just ready to ball.”
Photo by Rodolfo Gonzalez | AP
After already being suspended three times in his career at Texas, Daje Johnson is attempting to stay out of trouble as he moves from running back to receiver.
MIÉRCOLES 19 DE AGOSTO DE 2015
Ribereña en Breve HORARIOS El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Zapata informa los horarios de entrada y salida para el ciclo escolar 2015-2016. El horario de entrada para las escuelas primarias (Benavides, Zapata South, Zapata North, Villarreal) será a las 7:45 a.m. y la salida a las 3:15 p.m. En Zapata Middle School el horario de entrada será a las 7:45 a.m. y la salida a las 3:24 p.m. En Zapata High School la hora de entrada será a las 7:45 a.m. y la salida a las 3:36 p.m. El primer día de clases es el lunes 24 de agosto.
PERMISOS PARA ESTACIONAMIENTO Se informa a estudiantes con permiso para conducir en Zapata High School que el Departamento de Policía de ZCISD estará distribuyendo los Permisos para Estacionamiento a partir de hoy, miércoles 19 de agosto, hasta el viernes 21 de agosto, de 10:30 a.m. a 12 p.m. y de 1:30 p.m. a 3 p.m. en el Zapata High School Hawks Nest. El costo del permiso es de 5 dólares. Estudiantes interesados deben presentar Prueba de Seguro Vehicular, Licencia de Conducir, y el vehículo para cual se busca el permiso.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 9A
VETERANOS
Deportaciones POR GABRIELA A. TREVIÑO TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Imagine estar en la línea frontal de combate, regresar a casa en los Estados Unidos, ser llamado un “asesino de bebés”, y más tarde ser deportado. Para muchos veteranos de Vietnam, esta línea de tiempo retrata cómo han sido sus vidas. José María Martínez, de 54 años, ahora vive en Nuevo Progreso, al sur de Reynosa al norte del estado de Tamaulipas, México. Martínez fue un ex empresario en Brownsville y visitaría Nuevo Laredo dos veces a la semana para abastecer su tienda. Como marino de los Estados Unidos, él sirvió en Vietnam de 1967 a 1968. Además de haber sido dado de
baja con honores, él recibió la Medalla por Acto de Combate, Medalla por Buena Conducta, Medalla de Servicio en Vietnam, Medalla de Expedición Vietnamita, Cruz de Gallantry Vietrnamita y la Medalla de Servicio Nacional. “Cuando fui dado de baja mi DD214 (Certificado de Liberación o Baja del Deber Activo) decía, ‘Nacido en México, dado de baja como ciudadano de los Estados Unidos’”, dijo Martínez en un mensaje a Laredo Morning Times. “Inmigración dijo, ‘¡No! ¡No es suficiente!’ Así que aquí estoy en Nuevo Progreso. Soy propietario de un pequeño negocio. Vendo teléfonos Movistar. (Yo) ahora estoy tratando de expandir mi negocio con AT&T”. Martínez estaba en los Estados Unidos legalmente cuando se unió al Cuerpo de Marinos. Tenía una
tarjeta verde (residente). Ahora, los veteranos de Iraq y Afganistán también enfrentan una situación similar. A pesar de haber sido dados de baja con honores de la milicia, los veteranos no ciudadanos que después son sentenciados por algún crimen, son deportados a sus países de origen. Los residentes permanentes legales o poseedores de la tarjeta verde también han sido expulsados de forma permanente del país por cometer crímenes. La Casa de Apoyo a los Veteranos Deportados es una red de apoyo en Tijuana, Baja California, México. Héctor Barajas, el fundador de la red, se enfoca en ayudar a los veteranos deportados a recuperarse al proporcionarles comida, alojamiento y ayuda legal, entre otros servi-
cios. Barajas dijo que ahora la ciudadanía de veteranos se expide mientras están en servicio. Él sirvió en el Ejército de Estados Unidos de 1995 a 2001. Fue condenado por un crimen, pagó su sentencia, fue deportado y fue atrapado tratando de cruzar la frontera ilegalmente. Él ahora tiene una sentencia de deportación de por vida. Barajas ahora asesora a los veteranos que, como él, han sido deportados y están viviendo en países que no consideran “hogar”. Hay una opción para registrarse en el “programa médico foráneo”. Para mayor información, visite la página de Facebook “DeportedVeteransSupportHousepage”. Una colecta económica se programó y se pueden hacer donaciones en: http:// www.gofundme.com/6zumc0
SEGURIDAD
NUEVO LAREDO, MX
REUNIÓN REGIONAL
Recibe disparo en cabeza
DÍA DE ORIENTACIÓN
POR CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ
Zapata High School informa que el día de Orientación para Freshmen será el jueves 20 de agosto a las 5:30 p.m. en ZHS Hawk’s Nest; también se les hará entrega de sus horarios. Alumnos para Sophomores, Junior and Seniors podrán recoger sus horarios jueves 20 y viernes 21 de agosto de 9 a.m. a 4:30 p.m. en el ZHS Hawk’s Nest.
TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
CONOZCA AL MAESTRO Zapata County ISD celebrará su Noche de Conocer al Maestro en Zapata North, Zapata South y Villarreal Elementary School será de 5 p.m. a 6:30 p.m. Podrán llevar sus útiles escolares. Escuelas entregarán horarios.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
El Gobernador Egidio Torre Cantú, primero desde izquierda, participó en la reunión Regional Noreste de Seguridad Nacional, en Escobedo, Nuevo Len, México, encabezada por el Secretario de Gobernación, Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, donde se revisaron los avances de las estrategias que han implementado en México. Durante el encuentro, realizado en la Séptima Zona Militar, estuvieron presentes el Secretario de la Defensa Nacional, General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda; El Secretario de Marina, Almirante Vidal Francisco Soberón Sáenz; el Comisionado Nacional de Seguridad, Monte Alejandro Rubido García; y la titular de la PGR, Procuradora Arely Gómez González, así como gobernadores de otros estados.
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 están aceptando patrocinadores desde 300 dólares hasta 2.000 dólares.
BANCO DE UNIFORMES MIGUEL ALEMÁN, México— La Cámara Nacional de Comercio invita a la comunidad de Miguel Alemán a participar en el banco de uniformes para apoyar a los estudiantes de bajos recursos. Se solicita donación de uniformes en buen estado de cualquier grado, desde guardería, jardín de niños, primaria, secundaria y hasta preparatoria. El acopio se lleva a cabo en las instalaciones de la CANACO Miguel Alemán.
ARRESTOS La policía estatal de Tamaulipas detuvo a cinco presuntos integrantes de un grupo delictivo, en la ciudad de Reynosa, México. Los sospechosos fueron identificados como David Cisneros González, Ramón Sánchez Vallejo, Francisco Javier Guzmán Vázquez, Jorge Estéfano Gómez Fernández y Juan Manuel Mendoza Aguirre. Durante el arresto se decomisaron 46 cigarros de marihuana, 15 bolsitas con marihuana, 10 bolsas pequeñas con cocaína en piedra, 37 bolsitas de cocaína en polvo, tres celulares, dos mochilas y 16 poncha llantas.
NACIONAL
IRS: Alcance de robo es mayor POR STEPHEN OHLEMACHER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — Una irrupción al sistema del Servicio Interno de Impuestos del Departamento del Tesoro, en el que unos ladrones robaron información fiscal de miles de contribuyentes, es mucho peor a lo que la agencia había revelado originalmente. Otras 220.000 víctimas potenciales sufrieron el robo de su información desde un sitio de internet del IRS (siglas en inglés del servicio de impuestos) como parte de un sofisticado ardid para usar identidades robadas con el fin de cobrar fraudulentamente devoluciones de impuestos, indicó el lunes el IRS. Con esta nueva revelación la cifra de posibles víctimas aumenta más del doble a 334.000. La agencia reveló por primera vez el robo de información en mayo. Los ladrones accedieron a un sis-
tema llamado "Get Transcript", donde los contribuyentes pueden obtener devoluciones de impuestos y otros documentos de años anteriores. Para acceder a esa información los ladrones superaron una página de seguridad que requiere conocimiento sobre el contribuyente, incluido su número de seguridad social, su fecha de nacimiento, información sobre sus declaraciones de impuestos y su domicilio, dijo el IRS. La información personal fue aparentemente robada de otras fuentes. El IRS cree que los ladrones accedieron a su cibersitio para obtener aún más información sobre los contribuyentes, lo que les podría ayudar a reclamar fraudulentamente devoluciones de impuestos en el futuro. "Como lo hizo en mayo, el IRS avanza enérgicamente para proteger a los contribuyentes a cuya información se pudo haber tenido acceso", dijo la agencia en un comunicado. "El IRS comenzará a enviar cartas en los próximos días a cerca de
220.000 contribuyentes donde hubo instancias de posible acceso a la información de la cuenta del contribuyente en ’Get Transcript’’’. En total los ladrones usaron información personal de cerca de 610.000 contribuyentes en un esfuerzo por acceder a antiguas devoluciones de impuestos. Lograron obtener información de cerca de 334.000 contribuyentes. El IRS dijo que ha notificado a todas las posibles víctimas y les ofrece servicios gratuitos de monitoreo. La agencia también ofreció incluir a las posibles víctimas en un programa que les da un número de identificación especial que deben usar para presentar sus declaraciones. El IRS no identificó el lunes a la posible fuente del crimen. Pero en mayo, las autoridades dijeron que los investigadores de la agencia de impuestos creen que la identidad de los ladrones forma parte de una sofisticada operación criminal coordinada desde Rusia.
RELIGIÓN
Evento busca mejorar comunidad TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
La comunidad de Testigos de Jehová invitan a la comunidad a participar de la asamblea “Imitemos a Cristo 2015”. La serie de eventos, que tendrán lugar por tres días, comenzarán el viernes, a las 9:20 a.m. en American Bank Center, en la ciudad de Corpus Christi.
Durante la asamblea se busca promover el bienestar social a través de herramientas para padres e hijos que apoyarán la unión y edificación familiar, señala un comunicado de prensa. El programa también incluye un análisis del Sermón de la Montaña de Jesús. “En su Sermón de la Montaña, Jesús ofreció consejos intemporales
que ayudan a los padres a usar mejor su tiempo y sus recursos para crear un ambiente familiar donde reinen la seguridad y el amor”, señaló Gabriel Maldonado, portavoz de la asamblea, en el comunicado. El evento es gratuito y abierto a personas de todas las edades. Para más información contacte a Maldonado llamando al (361) 2446264.
Una mujer de San Antonio recibió un disparo en la cabeza en Nuevo Laredo, México, mientras salía del consultorio de un dentista, de acuerdo con la policía de Laredo. La policía dijo que la mujer, de 36 años de edad, presentaba una herida potencialmente mortal. “Fue afortunada de estar viva”, dijo el Investigador Joe E. Baeza, portavoz del Departamento de Policía de Laredo (LPD, por sus siglas en inglés). La policía dijo que la mujer estaba conciente cuando llegó al Laredo Medical Center. Ella señaló que salía, junto a su sobrina, de la cita con el dentista cuando un hombre caminó hacia ella y le disparó, de acuerdo con reportes. El hombre se fue después de dispararle, de acuerdo con la policía. El incidente ocurrió alrededor de las 6 p.m. del sábado. Reportes no especificaron la ubicación del tiroteo. El sábado, oficiales accedieron a LMC por un reporte de persona lesionada. Al llegar, la policía descubrió que la mujer recibió el disparo en Nuevo Laredo, señalan reportes. Reportes indican que el hombre le disparó a quemarropa mientras se sentaba en el asiento del conductor de un vehículo Chevrolet TrailBlazer, color gris, dijo la policía. La bala supuestamente salió por la parte inferior de su barbilla. No se dañaron otros órganos vitales, de acuerdo con la policía. La sobrina llamó a un taxi para que la llevara a un hospital de Nuevo Laredo. Después, una ambulancia transportó a la mujer a un Puente Internacional, donde los paramédicos del Departamento de Bomberos de Laredo se hicieron cargo. Los informes indican que no hubo intento de robo o de provocación que llevaran al tiroteo, dijo la policía. En mayo, se actualizó una alerta de viaje a México emitida por el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos y continúa activa. Oficiales del Departamento de Estado dijo que los estadounidenses deben “aplazar todos los viajes no esenciales al estado de Tamaulipas. (Localice a César G. Rodriguez en 728-2568
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SHOT Continued from Page 1A is located in downtown Nuevo Laredo. Later, Valenzuela requested to be transferred to the United States for treatment. Nuevo Laredo Civil Protection paramedics took her to international bridge 2, where LFD crews took over. Laredo police responded to LMC for an injured person report at 6:08 p.m. Authorities learned from relatives that Valenzuela is a legal resident. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
CLINIC Continued from Page 1A expanded to include primary care, dentistry, mental health, women’s health, telemedicine, podiatry, on-board EMS, radiology and laboratory work. With this new agreement, the Laredo VA Outpatient Clinic now has partnerships with two Laredo hospitals to make sure veterans get the care they need. “Veterans’ needs have been a priority of mine since being elected into Congress more than 10 years ago. Our veterans have paid a great price to defend our country. They
deserve nothing but the best and that means receiving the best healthcare here at home, with their families. “This new partnership with the VA and Doctors Hospital of Laredo is another step to our shared commitment to provide excellent healthcare to our area veterans. I thank the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Director Robert Walton and Doctors Hospital of Laredo CEO Rene Lopez for their hard work and dedication to our local veterans,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar.
Courtesy photo
Rep. Henry Cuellar today announced a new partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs Texas Valley Coastal Bend and Doctors Hospital of Laredo.
METHANE Continued from Page 1A effective proposed standards, we are underscoring our commitment to reducing the pollution fueling climate change and protecting public health while supporting responsible energy development, transparency and accountability,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a prepared statement. The administration is expected to finalize the rules next year shortly before Obama leaves office. Methane, the key component of natural gas, tends to leak during oil and gas production. Although it makes up just a sliver of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, it is far more powerful than the more
prevalent gas carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. That makes methane a top target for environmentalists concerned about global warming. With his presidency drawing to a close, Obama has been in a rush to propose and then finalize sweeping regulations targeting greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The methane rule follows a landmark regulation Obama finalized earlier this month to cut carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants by 32 percent. The plan, a key element of Obama’s climate change strategy, drew immediate legal challenges from power companies and Republican-
led states. Obama also has proposed regulations targeting carbon pollution from airplanes and set new standards to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide pollution from trucks and vans. In total, Obama has set a goal to cut overall U.S. emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent over the next decade, as he seeks to leave a legacy of using the full range of his executive power to fight climate change and encourage other countries to do the same. Katie Brown, a spokeswoman for Energy In Depth, an oil industry group, said methane emissions from hydraulic fracturing — also known as fracking — are al-
ready declining because of improved drilling techniques. “Cheap natural gas has delivered substantial climate benefits that came largely from voluntary reductions by industry and technological innovation,” she said. “Federal regulations, especially if crafted poorly, could inflict more pain on the men and women who work in the oil and gas industry.” Earlier this year, the administration said it only intends at first to regulate emissions from new or modified natural gas wells, meaning thousands of existing wells won’t have to comply. Environmentalists say
that the ambitious goals announced under the proposed rule would be difficult to meet without targeting existing wells. David Doniger, climate policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, called the new rule “a good start.” But Doniger said, “EPA needs to follow up by setting methane leakage standards for existing oil and gas operations nationwide.” The methane rule comes one day after Obama approved a final permit allowing Shell to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean off the Alaska coast. Environmental groups have criticized the move, saying the permit
clashes with the message Obama will deliver when he visits Alaska this month to emphasize the dangers of climate change. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that U.S. Arctic waters hold 26 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Shell is eager to explore in a basin that company officials say could be a “game changer” for domestic production. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday opposed Obama’s decision to allow drilling in the Arctic Ocean, writing in a Twitter post that “The Arctic is a unique treasure. Given what we know, it’s not worth the risk” of a major spill to allow drilling.
will occur at the east canopy. The project’s funding amount also includes some renovations to the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, also known as bridge I. Bridge I renovations still await other sources of funding, but they will include updating its historic
administration building to improve pedestrian flow and new technology, Cuellar said. Neither bridge will close completely, but there will be closed lanes while they are under construction, he said. (Kendra Ablaza can be reached at 728-2538 or kablaza@lmtonline.com)
BRIDGE Continued from Page 1A ed project will help get inspection wait times down to about 30 minutes. “(U.S. Customs and Border Protection) wants people moving through faster,” Moreno said. “… Travelers recognize that they don’t want to stop here. They want to continue.” Moreno said once con-
struction is complete, travelers waiting for their buses can relax in shaded waiting areas with air conditioning. “It’ll be more comfortable for everybody, including the officers,” Moreno said. Cuellar previously said it has been about 10 years since bridge II has seen
improvements. He said Tuesday the new passenger processing and waiting area will mimic an airport in that “individuals could come in for soda, drinks and snacks.” During the project’s first phase, bus inspections will be temporarily moved to the port of entry’s old import dock, Moreno said.
In its second phase, all traffic at the port of entry’s west canopy will move to its east canopy. The building will be knocked down and replaced with an entirely new structure, he said. Once construction is complete on the west canopy, it will open up to traffic and the same process
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ROSA R. GONZALEZ April 14, 1920 – Aug. 16, 2015 Rosa Maria Gonzalez, 95, passed away on Aug. 16, 2015 at Starr County Memorial Hospital in Rio Grande City, Texas. Mrs. Gonzalez is preceded in death by her husband, Luis L. Gonzalez; brothers, Romulo Rangel and Candelario (Santos) Rangel; sister, Hortencia (Catarino) Gracia; and brother-in-law, Martin Salvador Volpe. Mrs. Gonzalez is survived by her sons, Hector Luis (Noelia) Gonzalez, Jose Gilberto (Yolanda) Gonzalez and Roberto Steve (Linda) Gonzalez; daughter, Rosa Maria (Jose Rogelio) Salinas; six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren; sister, Juanita Volpe; sister-in-law, Julia Rangel; and by numerous cousins, nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession will depart on Wednesday,
Homebuilding grows in July By JOSH BOAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aug. 19, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. for a 9 a.m. funeral Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Committal services will follow at the Zapata County Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83 Zapata, Texas.
WASHINGTON — U.S. builders started work on single-family houses last month at the fastest pace since the Great Recession began in late 2007. Housing starts in July rose 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.21 million homes, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Construction of single-family houses accounted for all of the gains, shooting up 12.8 percent last month to the highest rate since December 2007. The increase pointed to a housing market that has strengthened for much of the year, reflecting an increased sense of financial security for many Americans amid steady job growth, modest layoffs and relatively low mortgage rates. Continued gains in housing would help extend the current economic expansion. “More housing starts
means more construction jobs as well as confidence from real estate developers that people will be buying,” said Tara Sinclair, a George Washington University professor and chief economist for job site Indeed. “We’ll know the economy is really hitting stride when we see these starts in the range of 1.5 million.” Total housing starts have risen 11.3 percent year-todate. The market is attracting more buyers and renters, as starts for apartment buildings have climbed 12.2 percent so far this year despite last month’s drop. The improved housing market has already benefited sales at supply stores such as Home Depot. The world’s largest home improvement retailer reported Tuesday that sales at U.S. stores open at least one year had climbed 5.7 percent during the second quarter, pushing its stock to an all-time high of $123 in morning trading. But Tuesday’s report al-
so showed the potential limits of further gains from new construction as the number of building permits fell, a possible sign that demand will need to continue improving to further the pace of homebuilding. “It is in all likelihood going to take another leg up in new single-family home sales to sustain the pace of single family starts that was recorded in July,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at the consultancy MFR. Approved building permits decreased 16.3 percent in July to an annual rate of 1.12 million, after achieving an eight-year high in June. The decrease likely reflects some pullback after months of gains and was caused primarily by a sharp plunge in permits to construct apartment complexes after a tax break expired in New York. Homebuyers and renters have crowded into the housing market this year, pushing up prices to levels
that have worsened affordability and placed a potential cap on sales growth. Builders have relieved some of this financial pressure by ramping up construction, yet the increases in housing starts and building permits still lags the surging demand. The National Association of Home Builders/ Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday reached 61 this month, up from 60 in July. Any reading above 50 signals expansion. Still, only 5.4 months’ supply of new homes is available, compared to six months in a healthy market. In the rental sector, prices are increasing at double the rate of hourly wage growth largely because of fewer vacant apartments available. Home rental prices are up 4.3 percent in the past year, according to the real estate firm Zillow. Average hourly earnings have improved a mere 2.1 percent.
High-tech cars connect Detroit, Palo Alto By DEE-ANN DURBIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
PALO ALTO, California — The office has all the trappings of a high-tech startup. There’s a giant beanbag in the foyer and erasable, white board walls for brainstorming. Someone’s pet dog lounges happily on the sunny balcony. Welcome to the Palo Alto home of the Ford Motor Co., six miles from the headquarters of Google. Meanwhile, in a squat, industrial building in suburban Detroit, a short drive from Ford’s headquarters, workers are busy building a small fleet of driverless cars. The company behind them? Google. The convergence of cars and computers is blurring the traditional geographical boundaries of both industries. Silicon Valley is dotted with research labs opened by automakers and suppliers, who are racing to develop high-tech infotainment systems and autonomous cars. Tech companies — looking to grow and sensing an industry that’s ripe for disruption — are heading to Detroit to better understand the auto industry and get their software embedded into cars. The result is both heated competition and unprecedented cooperation between two industries that rarely spoke to each other five years ago. “It’s a cross-pollination. We’re educating both sides,” says Niall Berkerey,
who runs the Detroit office of Telenav, a Sunnyvale, California-based firm that makes navigation software. There’s also plenty of employee poaching. Apple recently hired Fiat Chrysler’s former quality chief. Ridesharing service Uber snagged 40 researchers and scientists from Carnegie Mellon’s Pittsburgh robotics lab. Tesla’s head of vehicle development used to work at Apple. For years the fast-paced tech industry showed little respect for the plodding car industry. Google and Palo Alto-based Tesla, with its high-tech electric sedans, helped change that. “People think it’s shiny Silicon Valley versus grungy Detroit, but that’s garbage,” says Chris Urmson, who leads Google’s self-driving car program. “If you look at the complexity of a vehicle, it’s an engineering marvel.” Dragos Maciuca, a former Apple engineer who’s now the technical director of Ford’s Palo Alto research lab, says he’s seeing a new excitement about the auto industry in Silicon Valley. For one thing, cars provide a palpable sense of accomplishment for software engineers. “If you work at Google or Yahoo, it’s hard to point out, ‘Well, I wrote that piece of code.’ It’s really hard to be excited about it or show your kids,” Maciuca he says. “In the auto industry, you can go, ‘See that button? The stuff that’s behind it, I worked on that.”’
Photo by Eric Risberg | AP
In this photo taken Aug. 13, technical director Dragos Maciuca poses while sitting in a driving simulator in the immersion lab of the Ford Motor Company Research and Innovation Center in Palo Alto, Calif. But cocky tech companies have had to adapt to the tough standards of the auto industry, which requires technology to work perfectly, for years, in all kinds of conditions. Maciuca spends much of his time educating software and app developers about the industry’s needs. “Silicon Valley goes toward this model of a minimum viable product. It’s easy to throw things out there and try them and see if they work,” Maciuca says. “We can’t do that.” Santa Clara, Californiabased Nvidia was best known for making chips for computer games before it got into the car business. Now, it makes the computer processors that power Tes-
la’s 17-inch touchscreen dashboard and Audi’s experimental self-driving cars, among other products. It had to develop new manufacturing techniques and higher levels of certification for the auto business, such as tests to make sure its computer chips would still work in subzero temperatures, says Danny Shapiro, Nvidia’s senior director of automotive. For their part, the automakers are learning that rolling out cars that remain static for years until the next model comes out is no longer practical. At the insistence of tech companies such as Telenav and Nvidia, they’re learning to make cars with navigation, infotainment and other features
that can be constantly updated. Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Toyota, BMW, and others can now update vehicle software wirelessly to fix problems or add more capability Shapiro says the cost-conscious auto industry has had to learn to spend a little more — maybe $10 to $20 per car — on computer hardware. Automakers would often go with the cheapest option but then spend even more fixing bugs, or be forced to replace processors that didn’t have enough power to add updates. Nvidia now has eight permanent engineers at various automakers in Michigan. “We’ve helped them adopt more of a computer
industry mindset, which is not to reinvent what they’re doing every five to seven years,” Shapiro says. Even with that new spirit of collaboration, automakers and tech companies also use their local labs to do a little spying. Frankie James, a former NASA researcher who now runs General Motors’ Palo Alto office, says spotting trends and potential threats is one of the most important parts of her job. Her team alerted GM to the carsharing trend, for example, and the automaker invested $3 million in Relay Rides in 2011. Now, she’s watching companies that could potentially disrupt the auto business, such as Google and Apple. Google has promised a self-driving car within five years, and Apple has hired people from Tesla, Ford and other car companies for its own top-secret project. “We need to say, ‘OK, if we think Apple is going to build something like this because they’ve got this vision of the future,’ if we take that same vision of the future, what can we do? How can we continue to play?” James says. The tech industry is also watching its back. Telenav is making a new navigation system for the 2016 Tacoma pickup and other Toyota vehicles, but Apple and Google are also vying for the car’s dashboard with their CarPlay and Android Auto systems, which give drivers access to certain smartphone apps.
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