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IMMIGRATION
Action on bill criticized By LISA HAGEN HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON — Republican House members and senators slammed Senate Democrats Tuesday for refusing to vote on a bill passed by the House to toughen immigration laws. At a Capitol Hill press conference, Sen. Ted Cruz,
R-Texas, and other Texas lawmakers also criticized President Barack Obama for delaying his executive action on immigration until after the November midterm elections. “House representatives are standing up and providing strong, principled leadership to address the (immigration) crisis facing the
nation while (Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid and Senate Democrats do nothing,” Cruz said. “We cannot solve the crisis at the border until we end President Obama’s antics.” The House bill, sponsored by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., would limit the Obama administration’s Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals program, which temporarily holds up deportation of those who came to the United States illegally before age 16. Cruz said “amnesty” for unauthorized immigrants is not the solution to protecting unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.Mexico border against vic-
timization and sexual assault. “Amnesty is not compassionate,” Cruz said. “It’s lawless, inhumane, and wrong.” Reid should “allow the Senate to do its job and show up and schedule a vote,” Cruz said. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, argued that granting amnesty to unauthor-
ized immigrants is not favored by a majority of Americans and that is the reason Obama is forgoing any action until after Nov. 4. “Delaying administrative amnesty is dodging what the voters feel on Election Day,” said Smith, who rep-
See IMMIGRATION PAGE 10A
CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE/BAYLOR SCOTT AND WHITE HEALTH
SEPT. 11
A MAN’S BEST FRIEND
NYPD: Terror threat the most complex By COLLEEN LONG ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by David Woo/The Dallas Morning News | AP
Brian Boone, a 39-year-old soldier, left, who lost his lower left leg while serving in Afghanistan in 2011, holds the leash to Brindle, his twoyear-old Labrador-golden retriever mix at Home Depot in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Pet project soothes those with disabilities By SEEMA YASMIN THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
IRVING, Texas — Brian Boone is practicing his silly voice. The 39-year-old soldier, who lost his lower left leg while serving in Afghan-
istan, looks down at Brindle, a 2-year-old Labrador-golden retriever mix — and highly trained service dog. “Good boy,” says Boone. Sarah Koch, Brindle’s trainer, looks on. “I want you to get a little silly with your
praise,” she says. Boone tries again. “Goooooood booooooooy,” he coos. Brindle looks up with doe eyes at his new master and looks all too pleased with himself. Brindle and Boone are one of four teams united
through a partnership between Canine Companions for Independence and Baylor Scott and White Health in the Dallas suburb of Irving. They believe it’s the
See BEST FRIEND PAGE 10A
NEW YORK — Air strikes in Iraq, ongoing unrest in Syria and the beheadings of two American journalists are casting a long shadow over the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. While there is no specific threat against New York ahead of the Thursday commemoration, the rising power of disparate militant groups around the world presents the most complex terrorism danger since the twin towers were destroyed, New York intelligence officials said this week. “It is layer upon layer upon layer — not all coming from the same place or ideology,” said John Miller, the New York Police Department’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism. That differs from five years ago, when the risk was chiefly from al-Qaida, Miller said. Now, he said, the threat is also coming
from the well-funded, highly sophisticated “mass marketing of terrorism” — affiliate groups, foreign fighters, uprising militants and the idea of “al-Qaida-ism.” “When you look at the level of sophistication, the amount of slickness applied to their video production, the amount of thought that goes into creating a narrative,” he said, “They’re doing the same kind of thing as we’ve seen in commercial publishing or in the ad industry.” New York remains the top target, and that makes preparing for big events, including the U.S. Open tennis tournament, the United Nations General Assembly and the Sept. 11 commemoration, that much more critical, officials said. Plus, President Barack Obama plans this week to outline an expanded U.S. campaign against militants in Iraq and Syria following the beheadings of American
See THREAT PAGE 10A
DALLAS, TEXAS
Mom found not guilty in strangling of 2 kids ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — A North Texas woman found guilty by reason of insanity of strangling her two children must remain at a state mental hospital for treatment unless a judge
approves her discharge. Saiqa Akhter, 34, killed her two special-needs children because she wanted “normal kids,” the Dallas Morning News reported. The Irving woman’s 5year-old son, Zain, had severe speech problems and
her 2-year-old daughter, Faryaal, was developmentally delayed, according to relatives. Medical experts testified Monday that Akhter was diagnosed as schizophrenic and insane when her children were at-
tacked and died in July 2010. She believed she was saving them, psychologist Kristi Compton said. Akhter “a woman battling a mental illness that she grew up not understanding,” Compton said. Akhter told a 911 oper-
ator that she strangled the children because they were a burden, saying, “I want normal kids.” She had planned to kill her children weeks before she strangled them, special prosecutor Nancy Mulder said. Akhter had
previously searched online how to kill children and what amount of bathroom cleaner is fatal. “They don’t drink it, so there’s a wire there so I just grabbed their neck
See MOM PAGE 10A
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Wednesday, Sept. 10
ASSOCIATED PRESS
21st annual Logistics & Manufacturing Symposium. Texas A&M International University. Contact the Laredo Development Foundation at 800-8200564, 722-0563 or ldfinfo@ldfonline.org.
Today is Wednesday, September 10, the 253rd day of 2014. There are 112 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On September 10, 1939, Canada declared war on Germany. On this date: In 1608, John Smith was elected president of the Jamestown colony council in Virginia. In 1813, an American naval force commanded by Oliver H. Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. (Afterward, Perry sent out the message, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”) In 1914, movie director Robert Wise (“West Side Story”; “The Sound of Music”) was born in Winchester, Indiana. In 1919, New York City welcomed home Gen. John J. Pershing and 25,000 soldiers who’d served in the U.S. First Division during World War I. In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long died in Baton Rouge two days after being shot in the Louisiana state Capitol, allegedly by Dr. Carl Weiss. In 1945, Vidkun Quisling was sentenced to death in Norway for collaborating with the Nazis (he was executed by firing squad in October 1945). In 1955, the long-running TV Western series “Gunsmoke,” starring James Arness as Marshal Matt Dillon, premiered on CBS television. In 1979, four Puerto Rican nationalists imprisoned for a 1954 attack on the U.S. House of Representatives and a 1950 attempt on the life of President Harry S. Truman were freed from prison after being granted clemency by President Jimmy Carter. In 1994, the prison drama “The Shawshank Redemption,” starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ten years ago: CBS News vigorously defended its report about President George W. Bush’s Air National Guard service, with anchor Dan Rather saying broadcast memos questioned by forensic experts came from “what we consider to be solid sources.” Five years ago: President Barack Obama said he’d accepted Republican Rep. Joe Wilson’s apology for shouting “You lie!” during the president’s health-care speech to Congress. One year ago: An Indian court convicted four men in the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a moving New Delhi bus. (The four were later sentenced to death.) Today’s Birthdays: World Golf Hall of Famer Arnold Palmer is 85. Actor Philip Baker Hall is 83. Actor Greg Mullavey is 81. Country singer Tommy Overstreet is 77. Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 74. Singer Danny Hutton (Three Dog Night) is 72. Singer Jose Feliciano is 69. Actor Tom Ligon is 69. Actress Judy Geeson is 66. Former Canadian first lady Margaret Trudeau is 66. Political commentator Bill O’Reilly is 65. Rock musician Joe Perry (Aerosmith) is 64. Actress Amy Irving is 61. Country singer Rosie Flores is 58. Actress Kate Burton is 57. Movie director Chris Columbus is 56. Actor Colin Firth is 54. Rock singer-musician David Lowery (Cracker) is 54. Thought for Today: “There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” — Zora Neale Hurston, American author (1891-1960).
Thursday, Sept. 11 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club meeting. 1:15 to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589. The Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association meeting. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall. Main Focus will be the dedication for the yearbook Vidal M. Treviño School of Communications and Fine Arts will observe the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at St. Peter’s Plaza. Guest speaker is Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas. 9:30 a.m to 10:45 a.m. St. Peter’s Plaza. Contact 273-7800. 21st annual Logistics & Manufacturing Symposium. Texas A&M International University. Contact the Laredo Development Foundation at 800-8200564, 722-0563 or ldfinfo@ldfonline.org.
Saturday, Sept. 13 South Texas Collectors Expo. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. Celebrities, comic book artists, cosplayers, vendors and more. Tickets on sale at LEA box office and Ticketmaster.com. Visit southtexascollectorsexpo.com or email info@stcelaredo.com.
Tuesday, Sept. 16 Bereavement Program grief support group. “Grief Journey: Using Creative Arts to Heal and Remember.” 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Laredo Public Library, contact Michelle Ramirez 210567-0528.
Thursday, Sept. 18 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club meeting. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589. Spanish Club Meeting. 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Laredo Public Library-Calton. Sylvia Reash 763-1810
Saturday, Sept. 20 Mercy Day with the Sisters of Mercy. 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mass at Christ the King Church. Contact Rosanne Palacios at rosanne.palacios@mercy.net.
Photo by Cody Duty/Houston Chronicle
Norvis Boodram prepares his classroom during the first day of school at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School on Monday, Aug. 26 in Houston. Some Texas children are finding their teachers are moving at a faster pace after a shift in math test standards has forced educators to cover more ground.
New math standards ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Some Texas children are finding their teachers are moving at a faster pace after a shift in math test standards has forced educators to cover more ground. The Dallas Morning News reported Saturday that the changes moved some content that previously was covered in higher grades to lower grades. And students in upper grades will have to get up to speed with content that they should’ve covered in previous years under the new standards. For instance, using a protractor to measure an angle was a skill learned at a sixthgrade level. Now students in fourth grade will learn to do it. Therefore, children currently in fifth and sixth grade are assumed to know how to use it, even if they did not cover it in previous years.
Last year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests results showed that 9 percent of fifth-graders and 11 percent of eighth-graders did not pass the tests they needed to get automatic promotion. A chart produced by the Richardson Independent School District shows that 46 percent of fifth grade students’ curriculum remained the same, 28 percent was moved down from the sixth and seventh grade and 26 percent is new content. Children will also be required to cover more content on financial literacy since kindergarten. Math standards for higher grades won’t change until next fall. The changes have been coming since 2011, when the Texas Education Agency recommended major shifts to meet college and career readiness.
Man dies in Austin-area shootout with police, FBI
Postal carrier not indicted over dog death
Forest Service returns fire suppression funds
WELLS BRANCH — Texas authorities say police fatally shot a bank robbery suspect who opened fire on officers and FBI agents. Acevedo says two Austin officers and one Round Rock officer shot the man, later identified as 24-year-old Tyler Caraway. He was taken to an area hospital where he later died.
FORT WORTH — A grand jury has declined to indict a North Texas mail carrier charged with animal cruelty after a pet dog on his route was injured and had to be euthanized. Ricky Eugene Jackson, 48, was charged after a May 17 incident involving a Yorkshire terrier. Police said the dog was not on a leash. The owner had said his pet apparently wandered across the street, began howling and he believes the mail carrier hit the dog with a rock.
COLLEGE STATION — The Texas A&M Forest Service is returning more than $43 million in fire suppression funds to the state after getting reimbursements. The service said the surplus was generated after the agency worked with the other agenciesto get reimbursements related to disaster declarations.
Fort Bliss increases security procedures
AUSTIN — The state’s agriculture commissioner says he’s not pleased with a school district that’s started a pilot program aimed at encouraging kids to go without eating meat during lunch once a week. John Crowley heads childhood nutrition services for the district. He says the program is to encourage healthy and environmentally conscientious eating. — Compiled from AP reports
Thursday, Sept. 25
Police: Janitor steals from Houston cheerleaders
Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. Villa de San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society meeting. 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. St. John Newmann Church, Parish Hall. Presentation of “Peru and the Legacy of the Incas,” by Sylvia Reasch. Contact Sanjuanita MartinezHunter at 722-3497.
HOUSTON — A Texas janitor has been arrested after police say he stole credit cards and cellphones from cheerleaders at the University of Houston’s new stadium. University police Lt. Bret Collier says 27-year-old Jacob Lee Bryant has been charged with theft and credit card abuse. He says the theft happened on Aug. 28, the day before the university’s first football game.
FORT BLISS — The Army is ramping up security at Fort Bliss, its sprawling West Texas post near the US-Mexico border. The move comes a week after key lawmakers warned that the United States is being eyed as a target by militants of the group that calls itself the Islamic State.
Meat-free Monday lunches draws ire from official
Friday, Sept. 26 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club will meet at the Laredo Country Club from 1:15 to 5 p.m. Contact Beverly Cantu at 727-0589.
Monday, Sept. 29 Monthly meeting of Laredo Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, First Floor Community Center. Patients, caregivers and family members invited. Free info pamphlets available in Spanish and English. Call Richard Renner (English) at 645-8649 or Juan Gonzalez (Spanish) at 2370666.
Thursday, Oct. 2 Grief support group. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Free and open to public. Contact Patricia Cisneros at 722-1674 or pcisneros@mhm.org. (Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.)
AROUND THE NATION FBI scrutinizes body programs in 3 states SALEM, Ore. — The FBI is investigating programs in at least three states that collect human bodies donated for scientific research, medical training and other purposes. An FBI official in Detroit confirmed that the bureau is looking at an Oregon research center. Investigators also have raided facilities in Michigan and Arizona. Authorities won’t go into detail about what they’re examining.
Panel of global leaders urges drug policy overhaul NEW YORK — A 21-member international panel is calling for a global overhaul of drug policies, saying the traditional tactics of the “war on drugs” have failed. In a report released Tuesday, the Global Commission on Drug
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A couple sits on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River as the full moon rises in the distance Monday in Kansas City, Mo. Monday night’s full moon, also known as a Harvest Moon, will be the third and final "supermoon" of 2014. Policy called for legalizing some drugs such as marijuana, ending incarceration for drug use and possession, and putting greater emphasis on protecting public health. The report pointed to rising drug production and use, despite
efforts to eradicate illicit crops, jail offenders and seize large quantities of illegal narcotics. The commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the former presidents of Brazil and Colombia. — 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
State
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
Suit makes drug argument By MICHAEL GRACZYK ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Attorneys for a Texas death row inmate scheduled for execution today for a double slaying in Houston alleged in a federal lawsuit the sedative intended for his lethal injection is expired and its use could cause him unconstitutionally “torturous” pain. Willie Trottie, 45, faced execution for the 1993 shooting deaths of his estranged common-law wife, Barbara Canada, 24, and her brother, Titus, 28, at their home. He would be eighth Texas prisoner executed this year. State lawyers argued the pentobarbital planned for Trottie was effective through the end of this
month. The lawsuit, rejected by a federal judge in Houston and before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, was merely another attempt to force Texas prison officials to reveal its drug provider, they said. Texas, like several other states with capital punishment, has addressed the refusal by mainstream drug companies to sell drugs for executions by turning to compounding pharmacies, which operate under less stringent supervision. Also like some other death penalty states, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has refused to identify its supplier, a practice the courts so far have upheld. Maurie Levin, the lead attorney for the drug lawsuit, said the pentobarbital
for Trottie would come from a supply Texas obtained earlier this year and that scientific literature on compounded drugs suggests they lose effectiveness after a week or a month depending on factors like storage and sterility. “All they’re saying is: Take our word for it — Sept. 30,” Levin said, calling Texas prison officials “untrustworthy.” The lawsuit sought a court order identifying the drug source, the compounding date, how it was transported and how it’s been stored, and a reprieve for Trottie so the legality and constitutionality of the process can be adjudicated. The arguments were “nothing more than rank speculation,” assistant Texas Attorney General Fre-
dericka Sargent said in a court filing. The death penalty has come under scrutiny since executions recently went awry in Oklahoma and Arizona, states that use drug combinations for capital punishment. Texas uses only pentobarbital. “Whatever happened in those states has nothing to do with what happens in Texas,” Sargent said. At least one other appeal to halt Trottie’s punishment was headed to the U.S. Supreme Court after the 5th Circuit rejected arguments from another legal team that argued defense lawyers at Trottie’s trial were deficient for not adequately addressing his assertion that Titus Canada’s death was in self-defense.
Davis: Book not to aid bid By EMILY SCHMALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH — Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis said revealing in a memoir that she terminated a pregnancy in which the fetus had developed a severe brain abnormality was not meant to boost her campaign in its final stretch, but rather to help families facing a similar choice. The 1996 abortion was “a deeply profound part of my personal story,” and reading about other families’ experiences at the time “helped tremendously,” Davis told The Associated Press on Monday during the first stop of her book tour. Davis’ revelations in the memoir, “Forgetting to be Afraid,” could help or hinder a candidate who made her name nationally, as a state senator from Fort Worth, for a 13-hour filibus-
Photo by Eric Gay/file | AP
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis presents her new education policy during a stop at Palo Alto College in San Antonio on Tuesday, Aug. 26. ter over a tough new state abortion law. During the filibuster, she had described ending an earlier ectopic pregnancy, in which an embryo implants outside the uterus. The bill required doctors who perform abortions to
obtain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and mandated that clinics upgrade facilities to hospitallevel operating standards. A federal judge in Austin last month blocked a portion of the law that would have left Texas with only
seven abortion facilities statewide. Davis’ Republican opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, asked the Texas Ethics Commission Monday to decide on the legality of Davis’ book-promotion activities during the campaign. His request asks for “clarification regarding whether the book publisher’s promotional advertising activities constitute in-kind contributions,” according to a news release. Davis supporters at a campaign rally in Dallas over the weekend applauded her for revealing the abortion. “Having that kind of personal story around what is a divisive issue will help,” said 35-year-old campaign volunteer Abigail Self. Davis’ ex-husband, Jeff Davis, said Monday the aborted fetus had been “gravely ill,” but declined to comment further.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Lawyers: Ban hurts children By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Lawyers for two same-sex couples challenging Texas’ gay marriage ban are refuting state claims the prohibition promotes raising children in “stable, lasting relationships,” arguing in an appeals brief Tuesday that it serves no legitimate state interest. The 88-page filing with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says the ban denies gay couples’ children the “protection and stability” afforded if their parents were allowed to marry. It answers a July brief by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office, which claimed the ban was constitutionally protecting since it promoted child rearing by couples whose relationships were strong and stable, and thus more likely to endure. Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a 2005 state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. In February, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia declared it unconstitutional but allowed the ban to remain in effect pending appeal. Abbott, the front-runner to be elected Texas governor in November, argued in his earlier brief that Texas voters have the right under the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause, the same amendment often cited by ban opponents, to define marriage in a way that best supports children. Mark Pharriss, a longtime friend of Abbott’s, is among those suing to overturn the ban, along with
his partner. Their brief argued that it hurts children of gay parents. “Far from encouraging a stable environment for child rearing,” the ban “denies children of samesex parents the protections and stability they would enjoy if their parents could marry,” it said. The brief also called Texas’ past assertions that the ban encouraged responsible procreation “illogical” as part of a larger argument that there’s “no logical relationship” between the ban and a “legitimate state interest.” “Even accepting procreation as a legitimate state interest, it defies logic and the undisputed evidence to claim that preventing lesbians and gay men from marrying will encourage heterosexual marriage or, conversely, that allowing lesbians and gay men to marry will discourage heterosexual marriage,” the brief states. Attorneys for those challenging the ban say they are hoping both sides will be allowed to present oral arguments before the New Orleans-based appeals court — but that a date for those has yet to be set. Gay marriage proponents have won more than 20 legal decisions around the country since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act last year, though most are under appeal. Lawsuits challenging such bans have been filed in all 31 states that prohibited same-sex marriage, while 19 states and the District of Columbia allow such marriages.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
Discussion about racial friendship By MARY C. CURTIS THE WASHINGTON POST
I still remember it perfectly, more than 10 years later. It’s terrifying to be stopped in your car and approached by first one and then two more white police officers with their hands resting on their holstered guns. I kept my hands in plain sight on the wheel while they inspected my license and registration. On second thought, I recall thinking during the 15-minute stop, perhaps the scruffy sweats and baseball cap that were perfect for my spin class weren’t the best choices when you’re African American and you’ve just bought a red car. (Why didn’t I pick the gray Camry?) I was given a written warning about running a stop sign that I’d actually stopped at, but I knew better than to argue. “Forty-five percent of blacks say they have experienced racial discrimination by the police at some point in their lives; virtually no whites say they have,” according to a recent New York Times/CBS News nationwide poll. (I’m shocked the 45 percent figure isn’t higher, considering the stories African Americans tell each other all the time.) So when I share the trauma of that particular incident and so many like it — fraught interactions that may have involved a son (stopped driving a nice car in our nice neighborhood), nephew or friend — I expect, first of all, that I will be believed. Yet whites are, frequently, disappointingly, incredulous. Very often a “friend’s” reaction that goes something like this: “I don’t think a police officer would stop anyone for no reason at all.” Or: “You must have done something suspicious.” Or my favorite: “If you haven’t done anything wrong, you don’t have anything to worry about.” I am not some child coming home with some tall tale, and I am certainly not a delusional liar. I don’t expect much. Just nodding and acknowledging my words would be enough. Instead, jumping in to explain what must have really happened before I can finish a sentence means that — whether you realize it or not — you’ve shattered an important bond and traveled the distance from friend to acquaintance. I smile, make a mental note, and change the subject, realizing that with this person, topics from now on will be limited to rating entrées at the latest neighborhood bistro or judging whether the new Scorsese film shows the master back in top form. In the national conversation about race, especially after a well-publicized confrontation like the one in Ferguson this summer, different sides don’t need to agree. But they do have to accept that the other side is speaking sincerely and from the heart. And whites need to believe blacks when we say what we’ve been through. The discussions I’m talking about are those that have the potential to be most effective — ones that happen naturally,
among people of different races who already interact with an easy rapport: the women who sweat together at the gym and compare aches and pains, the moms and dads at the PTA with questions about the new coach, neighbors exchanging tips on backyard gardens. It’s people who already share the ordinary, sometime mundane details of life. From there, it should be easy for one side to give the other the benefit of the doubt. (Yes, America is deeply segregated, but most people do have co-workers of different races; there are opportunities for interaction.) That’s why it’s especially disappointing when some of the folks whose kids have enjoyed homemade blueberry pie at my kitchen table are the ones who greet my stories with blank stares or worse, excuses. When they deny my life experience, I know the friendship has its boundaries. These are educated people, but I wonder, were they asleep during history class or did they never read a book about the complicated history of America that makes Ferguson about much more than one 18-year-old, one policeman, and one suburban community? I don’t get upset when a white friend recounts a bad interaction he or she has had with a black person to explain his or her view of me as an exception — much. Though I might recommend that friend get out more. A Public Religion Research Institute survey shows that the social networks of whites are more than 90 percent white, the most homogeneous of any group. I might also ask if judging groups rather than individuals is any way to live life or an efficient way to enforce the law, since 90 percent of those stopped in New York City’s stop-and-frisk routine resulted in nothing but aggrieved citizens. Americans will never have a forthright conversation on race unless people listen with open minds. They have to believe, and be willing to learn. And most of all, they need an empathetic imagination. “When asked whether police forces should reflect the racial makeup of the communities they serve, nearly six in 10 blacks say yes; whites are about evenly divided,” wrote the Times. Would whites feel comfortable living in a predominantly white community policed by an overwhelmingly black force? I’ve been there when guests at a neighborhood holiday party congratulate themselves on living in an integrated community — and I’m the only black guest. Reverse the numbers and reflect; that’s all I ask. Is this conversation — one that depends on racial trust — even possible? Given the episodes I’ve just described, you may wonder that I have any white friends at all. I do. Amid the more common chats about food and movies, we have those racial conversations, change each other minds, and agree to disagree. I married one of them. Our styles are completely different, but we respect each other’s experiences and opinions.
EDITORIAL
Don’t expect much action THE MIAMI HERALD
Congress begins an abbreviated session this week following the August recess, so let’s begin with the good news, since there’s so little of it from Capitol Hill these days: The threat of yet another government shutdown, mercifully, appears to be off the table for now. Some Republicans had talked of a possible shutdown at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Most of that had to do with the president potentially going overboard on immigration and using his executive authority to halt deportations. Republicans would be so furious, some said, that they would retaliate by refusing to fund the government. Speaker John Boehner shot down that idea, however, saying the House will take up a stop-gap funding bill in this month that
keeps the federal government open until early December. No, members won’t approve an actual budget for the entire fiscal year, as responsible lawmakers used to do — that would be asking too much from this Congress — but at this point a public weary of congressional theatrics will probably settle for this piecemeal approach. And, for good measure, the threat made earlier this summer by some fringe members to impeach the president is also not happening. “We have no plans to impeach the president,” Mr. Boehner conceded last month. It almost makes the speaker and the members of his caucus sound like the voice of reason. Actually, the stop-gap funding measure for fiscal year 2015 is the only "must pass" piece of legislation facing Congress in the rela-
tively few days they’ll be meeting before the pre-election recess (to be followed by the year-end holiday recess after a probable lameduck session). But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing useful they can do if they overcome their customary gridlock. The most important, for regions that thrive on international trade, is reauthorization of the agency that funds imports and exports. The loans and loan guarantees made by the Export-Import Bank to foreign customers of American exporters are vital to the national economy — especially to global gateways like Miami and South Florida. Critics call it corporate welfare, but bank figures show that 90 percent of its transactions benefit small businesses. The agency backed $7 billion of export sales in Florida in fiscal
2013, including $1.5 billion in South Florida. And the bank earns money for taxpayers: Last year, it reduced the deficit by $1 billion from the fees and interest it received. This should be a nobrainer. If Congress wants to tinker with the agency’s rules and guidelines, they can debate changes, but eliminating the bank altogether would amount to legislative malpractice. Keeping the bank alive is one of the priorities, the most urgent, we believe, on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s agenda. Among the others is an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, has said his caucus will push for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, among other projects.
EDITORIAL
What domestic violence looks like THE WASHINGTON POST
What is most disturbing about the emergence Monday of a video showing former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice punching out his future wife in an Atlantic City elevator in February is what it says about society’s willingness to kid itself about — and look away from — domestic violence. What had taken place inside the elevator had already been evident from an earlier video, which showed
Rice dragging the limp body of the woman, Janay Palmer, from the elevator. But that seemed of little concern to Baltimore’s NFL team, which stood by Rice and even suggested that Palmer might share responsibility for what happened. Fans rewarded him with cheers and standing ovations. The National Football League gave Rice a slap on the wrist (although, to its credit, it later admitted its leniency had been a mistake and put in place tough-
er rules). All of this making allowances for Rice suddenly ended Monday with the release of the stomach-churning video of the actual punch. Within hours of the video being posted on TMZ.com, the Ravens terminated Rice’s contract and cut him loose, and the NFL suspended him indefinitely. The time for excuses and looking the other way was over; never mind the hypocrisy of their earlier acceptance of Rice.
Domestic violence is a fact of life for too many people. And too often their suffering is compounded by a tendency by outsiders to disbelieve them, belittle the harm or try to explain it away. There are lessons to be learned from what happened in that elevator. Namely: This is what domestic violence looks like, and you shouldn’t need a video to believe it, be disgusted by it and refuse to tolerate it.
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Nation
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
Lawyer: Pranksters ID’d By MARK GILLISPIE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Charlie Riedel/file | AP
Police wait to advance after tear gas was used to disperse a crowd during a protest for Michael Brown, who was killed by a police officer Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Mo., on Sunday, Aug. 17.
Planning reforms By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER ASSOCIATED PRESS
FERGUSON, Mo. — City leaders in Ferguson, where the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old by a white police officer sparked days of sometimes violent protests, say they will establish a review board to help guide the police department and make other changes to fix the city’s relationship with its residents. The Ferguson City Council was set to meet Tuesday for the first time since the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown by officer Darren Wilson. The shooting exposed an undercurrent of racial unrest in Ferguson and other nearby suburbs in mostly black communities of north St. Louis County. Changes the City Council plans to make include reducing the revenue from court fines used for general city operations and reforming court procedures, according to a statement from a public relations firm hired by Ferguson. Critics say reliance on court revenue and traffic fines to fund city services more heavily penalizes low-income defendants who can’t afford private attorneys and who
are often jailed for not promptly paying those fines. “The overall goal of these changes is to improve trust within the community and increase transparency, particularly within Ferguson’s courts and police department,” Councilman Mark Byrne said in the statement. “We want to demonstrate to residents that we take their concerns extremely seriously.” The U.S. Justice Department announced last week that it was launching a broad investigation into the Ferguson Police Department, looking for patterns of discrimination. That inquiry is separate from the one into Brown’s death, which a local grand jury is also investigating. Ferguson, a city of 21,000, is about 70 percent black. Its 53-member police department has just three black officers. The mayor and five of the six City Council members are white. A 2013 report by the Missouri attorney general’s office found that Ferguson police stopped and arrested black drivers nearly twice as often as white motorists, but were less likely to find contraband among the black drivers.
In the last fiscal year, court fines and fees accounted for $2.6 million, or nearly one-fifth of the city budget. That’s nearly twice as much as the city collected two years earlier. ArchCity Defenders, a St. Louis legal group that represents indigent defendants, recently singled out courts in Bel-Ridge, Ferguson and Florissant as “chronic offenders” among a group of 30 municipal courts where problems were documented. In Ferguson, defendants described a system so overwhelmed by crowds that bailiffs would lock the door five minutes after the scheduled start time —then issue failure to appear warrants for those who arrived late. Police have said the shooting of Brown came followed a scuffle after Wilson told Brown and a friend to move out of the street and onto a sidewalk. Some witnesses have reported seeing Brown’s arms in the air before the shooting. Autopsies concluded he was shot at least six times. On Tuesday morning, Brown’s parents joined about 20 supporters and activists at a press conference outside police headquarters to reiterate their calls for Wilson’s immediate arrest.
CLEVELAND — An attorney for the family of an autistic teenager who had feces and bodily fluids dumped on him when he thought he was participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge said Monday that police know who the perpetrators are even as celebrities continue to offer reward money to find those involved. Attorney Dean Valore, who represents the boy and his family, said that he has spoken with Bay Village police. “I know police have a very good handle on the investigation,” Valore said. “Everyone’s pretty much been identified.” Bay Village police Chief Mark Spaetzel did not return telephone calls Monday. But Bay
Village schools Superintendent Clint Keener said that police have known from “the get-go” who the perpetrators are. “The investigation is to sort out everyone’s involvement and how it came to be,” Keener said. Police have said the pranksters could face delinquency charges. But the school district likely won’t be able to do anything beyond supporting the teenager, Kenner said, because the prank occurred before the start of the school year and off school property. The prank caught the attention of the world after the mother of the teen, who had been told he was participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge, found a video of it on his cellphone and allowed media outlets to make it available for public viewing.
The celebrity reward offers began Saturday with comedian, game show host and Cleveland native Drew Carey posting to his Twitter account that he’d donate $10,000 if others would join him. Other celebrities have followed with their own offers on Twitter. Valore said he hopes the celebrities will convert those offers into cash for the teen and his family. He said his office has received an outpouring of calls in support of the teen, including offers of money and gifts from across the U.S., England and Australia. He said the teen remains “pretty emotional” about what happened to him. “He’s pretty scarred and pretty damaged,” Valore said. “He thought they were his friends.”
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera INMIGRACIÓN
Agenda en Breve
Toman medida
LAREDO 09/10— El 21 Simposio Anual de Logística y Fabricación, patrocinado por la Fundación para el Desarrollo de Laredo, se llevará a cabo de 7:30 a.m. a 3:30 p.m. en el Centro Estudiantil de TAMIU, con el tema de “Logísticas, Fabricación, Hidrocarburos: Emergiendo Oportunidades de Mercado en la Frontera y Más Allá”. Informes en el 722-0563. 09/10— Clases de AutoManejo de Diabetes “Viviendo Mejor”, a partir de las 8 a.m. en el Departamento de Salud de la Ciudad de Laredo, 2600 avenida Cedar. Informes al 721-4994. 09/10— Estudio de La Biblia a las 7 p.m. en Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, 8731 Belize Dr. Informes con Ricardo Rangel Jr al (956) 333-9294. 09/10— Cuarta Vigilia Anual para Prevención del Suicidio “Prevención del Suicidio: Un Mundo Conectado” de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en North Central Park, International Blvd. Se conmina a llevar una Foto del Recuerdo. 09/11— Estudiantes de la Escuela de Comunicaciones y Bellas Artes Vidal M. Treviño de LISD realizarán una ceremonia por el 13er Aniversario del 9/11 en St. Peter’s Plaza, de 9:30 a.m. a 10:45 a.m. El orador invitado será el Alcalde Raúl Salinas. 09/11— Concierto de Alejandra Guzmán, en Laredo Energy Arena, a las 8 p.m. Costo del boleto varía de 79, 59, y 43 dólares. 09/12— SOCCER: El equipo varonil Dutsdevil de TAMIU recibe a Eastern New Mexico a las 5 p.m. en Dustdevil Field. Entrada gratuita para estudiantes con identificación válida de TAMIU. 09/13— South Texas Collector Expo se realizará en Laredo Energy Arena. Es el Comic Con de Laredo donde habrá artistas de historietas, cosplayers, vendedores, entre otras cosas. Más información en southtexascollectorsexpo.com 09/13— El Consulado General de México en Laredo ofrecerá una recepción con motivo del CCIV Aniversario de la Independencia de México, a partir e las 7 p.m. en el Hotel La Posada, West Patio, 1000 Zaragoza. Se requiere invitación. 09/14— SOCCER: El equipo varonil Dustdevil de TAMIU recibe a Fort Lewis College a la 1:30 p.m. en Dustdevil Field. 09/14— SOCCER: El equipo femenil Dustdevil de TAMIU recibe a St. Edward’s University a las 7 p.m. en Dustdevil Field.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO — México, Estados Unidos y tres países de Centroamérica acordaron que sus fiscalías conformen un grupo de alto nivel para enfrentar el tráfico de personas, en particular de menores inmigrantes hacia territorio estadounidense que en los últimos meses mostró un in-
cremento inusitado. La creación del grupo fue acordada el martes durante una reunión de los fiscales de El Salvador, Estados Unidos, Guatemala, Honduras y México, informó en un comunicado la Procuraduría General mexicana. La dependencia mexicana señaló que el grupo de alto nivel se reunirá en las próximas semanas para
presentar propuestas específicas para enfrentar a las organizaciones de tráfico de inmigrantes, con especial atención a los menores. En la primera mitad del 2014 las autoridades estadounidenses informaron sobre un incremento del número de menores migrantes que cruzaron sin autorización la frontera de México con Estados Unidos,
aunque a partir de julio el número ha ido a la baja. Datos de la Secretaría de Seguridad Interior estadounidense señaló hace unos días que en agosto fueron detenidos 3.129 menores, en su mayoría de Honduras, El Salvador y Guatemala. En julio, la cifra fue de poco más de 5.400, mientras que en junio superaron los 10.600.
DEPORTES
NACIONAL
FINALIZA EVENTO
Buscan alivio migratorio POR LUIS ALONSO LUGO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
La ‘Vuelta Ciclista por Tamaulipas 2014’ llegó a su final durante el fin de semana. El Gobierno tamaulipeco espera convertir el evento nacional en internacional en 2015.
Consolidan Vuelta Ciclista 2014 TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
L
a “Vuelta Ciclista Tamaulipas 2014”, llegó a su final durante el fin de semana y se consolidó como uno de los mejores eventos ciclistas en México, dijeron autoridades tamaulipecas. “Esta competencia fue un éxito y ojala el año entrante podamos llevar esta vuelta al título de internacional, para lo cual la Federación Mexicana de Ciclismo hará la invitación a cinco o seis países para darla de alta en la Unión de Ciclismo Internacional
y ya esté en el calendario”, dijo Edgardo Hernández Chagoya, Presidente de la Federación Mexicana de Ciclismo. El evento ciclista concluyó en el municipio de Madero el domingo 7 de septiembre, teniendo como ganador absoluto al jalisciense Florencio Ramos, y como ganadores de las categorías Mejor Tamaulipeco y en Montaña, a los tamaulipecos Edgar Leija y David Salomón, respectivamente. En el evento se reunieron más de 130 ciclistas de 17 equipos de diversas entidades del País y del extranjero arribaron a la plaza
TAMAULIPAS
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 09/10— Feria Expomex 2014 presenta un Homenaje a Nuevo Laredo en el Teatro del Pueblo. Evento tiene costo. 09/10— Cineclub celebra el mes de septiembre con cortometrajes mexicanos, a las 6 p.m. en la Casa de la Cultura. Entrada gratuita. 09/11— Feria Expomex 2014 presenta a Teo González en el Teatro del Pueblo. Evento tiene costo. 09/11— En honor al “Mes de Happening y Arte Performático” se proyectarán videos de performance sobre la obra de Orlan en Maquila Creativa, a partir de las 4 p.m. Evento para adultos. 09/11— Concierto para Todos presenta “Velada Romántica”, a las 7 p.m. en la Sala Sergio Peña. 09/12— Feria Expomex 2014 presenta a La Sonora Dinamita en el Teatro del Pueblo. Evento tiene costo. 09/12— Cine en tu Barrio presenta “Pueblerina”, en la Casa del Adulto Mayor, a las 6 p.m.
MIERCOLES 10 DE SPETIEMBRE DE 2014
principal de la localidad de El Mante, el sábado 6 de septiembre, realizando un recorrido de más de 136 kilómetros. La tercera “Vuelta Ciclista a Tamaulipas” constó de un recorrido total de 1.015 kilómetros que arrancó en la Ciudad de Nuevo Laredo el pasado 31 de agosto y que culminó en el municipio de Madero, pasando por los municipios de Miguel Alemán, Reynosa, Matamoros, San Fernando, Ciudad Victoria y El Mante. La competencia se realizó en coordinación con la Federación Mexicana de Ciclismo.
WASHINGTON — Una veintena de niños cuyos padres fueron deportados o están en proceso de serlo acudieron el lunes a la Casa Blanca a pedirle al presidente Barack Obama que detenga las deportaciones. Fue la primera protesta realizada frente a la Casa Blanca desde que el presidente Obama anunció el fin de semana que postergará hasta después de las elecciones de noviembre sus decretos para ajustar su política migratoria, pero había sido convocada antes del anuncio presidencial. Activistas adultos cargaban a varios bebés, y otros niños eran tan pequeños que apenas podían tenerse en pie. Nora Sandigo, directora de la organización American Fraternity, dijo que los 20 menores de edad que la acompañaron representan a los casi 800 niños estadounidenses de los que ella asumió la tutela legal desde que sus padres fueran deportados. “Pedimos al presidente Barack Obama que pare las deportaciones y al Congreso que no vea a estos jóvenes solo cuando cumplan 18 años y puedan votar”, dijo Sandigo. “Ellos también son estadounidenses, no son ciudadanos de tercera clase”. La protesta también fue convocada por la National Domestic Workers Alliance. Su directora, Andrea Mercado, acusó a Obama de “jugar a la política mientras los niños sufren, pasan hambre y viven con miedo a que más parientes sean deportados”. Se estima que dos millones de personas han sido deportadas desde que Obama llegó a la presidencia en 2009, a un promedio de 1.100 diarias. Obama decidió demorar hasta después de las elecciones legislativas de noviembre cualquier acción del poder ejecutivo en política migratoria, rompiendo así su promesa de que actuaría tras el receso legislativo de agosto. Varios senadores demócratas que buscarán la reelección en noviembre habían expresado temores sobre las consecuencias negativas que podrían tener los decretos presidenciales en materia migratoria.
INICIA CAMPAÑA
Declaran ciudades zona de desastre TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Cinco municipios fueron declarados en desastre natural tras el paso de la tormenta tropical “Dolly”, que arribó a costas mexicanas la semana pasada. Tras los hechos autoridades de Tamaulipas han instalado un Comité de Evaluación de Daños, indica un comunicado de prensa. El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Egidio Torre Cantú firmó el acta declaratoria de desastre natural para los municipios de Aldama, González, Soto la Marina, Xicoténcatl y Victoria, México, el sábado. Se espera ingresar a los recursos del Fondo Nacional de Desastres (FONDEN). El Comité se encargará de trabajar en detallar las afecciones de diferentes municipios para precisar si hay que decretarlo zona de desastre. El Mante es uno de los municipios estudiados. “Les agradezco mucho a to-
dos y cada uno de ustedes el trabajo coordinado que realizan en beneficio de los tamaulipecos”, dijo Torre Cantú a los integrantes del comité. El director general para la Gestión de Recursos de la Federación, José María Tapia Franco, a través de una tele-conferencia mencionó que se incorporó a la evaluación de daños al sector naval de la Armada de México en Tamaulipas, por las afectaciones a sus instalaciones. El Comité de Evaluación cuenta con 10 Subcomités Técnicos, que buscan cubrir los aspectos afectados, que son: las áreas carreteras; hidráulicas; de vivienda; el aspecto urbano; la afección ambiental; el daño cultural; educativo; deportivo; el sector salud; y los daños eléctricos. A partir del sábado 6 se tienen 10 días hábiles para entregar un diagnóstico final de los daños, señala un comunicado.
Foto de cortesía
La tienda de conveniencia Stripes, en colaboración con MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital dio inicio a la campaña “Stripes Celebrates Tomorrows” al pintar una línea roja a través de la palabra cáncer afuera de la tienda sobre Jacaman Road/Loop 20 en Laredo, Texas. En la imagen Elsa Grupta, pintora honoraria en el inicio de la campaña.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY: ZAPATA HAWKS
Hawks compete at home Cross country runs ninth annual South Texas Stampede meet By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Hawks cross country team is vying to return to the Class 4A state meet after a year removed from missing out. Zapata’s lone representative was Luis Garza, who moved on to the collegiate level. Zapata started out the season
on the right note with a great finish at the ninth annual South Texas Stampede meet held at home on Aug. 31. The team placed fifth out of 12 opponents, all of which are regarded as some of the best in South Texas. The Hawks had to battle the likes of Eagle Pass, Laredo Martin and Progreso, all of which took the district titles in their
respective categories last year. Eagle Pass was perfect, scoring 15 points as the Eagles individually took home the No. 1-5 spots. The Hawks were paced by Danny Hinojosa, who recorded a 27th-place finish and was clocked 18:42 on the three mile course. Isauro Sanchez was the second Hawk across the finish
line in 35th at 19:41. Hinojosa and Sanchez were followed by Alvaro Rodriguez in 40th (20:20), Luis Rodriguez in 45th (20:56) and Job Alvarado in 58th (26:35). "The Hawks will continue to work hard and look to improve to make a run at another district title and regional qualification," Zapata coach Roel Ibañez said. The junior varsity team took
third place out of the 12 JV teams that competed at the meet. "Great job (from the) boys," Ibañez said. "They have been working hard in the summer and it is showing at the first meet of the season." Any high school boys interested in joining the Hawks cross country team can contact coach Ibanez at the school.
Texans’ top pick Clowney to miss 4-6 weeks By KRISTIE RIEKEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans, will be out 4-6 weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday. Coach Bill O’Brien said he didn’t know exactly what was repaired in Clowney’s knee when asked if it was a torn meniscus. “I’m not a doctor so I don’t know,” O’Brien said. “It’s just something they went in there and tried to
fix it. It seems like it went well.” Clowney, who had one tackle for a loss, was injured late in the second quarter in Sunday’s win over the Washington Redskins. He was hurt when he jumped up to try and bat down a pass. He put his hand to his right knee and began limping after he landed. Some have speculated that his foot slipped between one of the 8-by-8-foot palettes of real grass that make up Houston’s field. If that was the case, O’Brien
File photo by Patric Schneider | AP
Houston linebacker Jadeveon Clowney will miss 4-6 weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
said he didn’t know about it. “He didn’t say anything to me about that,” O’Brien said. “From looking at all the angles on film, he just came down awkwardly. Most of those types of injuries are non-contact.” Some of the Texans talked to Clowney on Sunday night and said they felt for the rookie. “That’s just something you don’t want to happen as a rookie, as anybody really,” safety D.J. Swearinger said. “But as a rookie coming in
having a lot of the hype that he has, that’s something he doesn’t want to happen. I feel his frustration.” This isn’t the first problem for Clowney, who has struggled to stay on the field since joining the Texans. He left a dual practice Aug. 20 after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Denver Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme. He missed the Texans’ final two preseason games. He had to sit out the beginning of camp, too, after offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia.
International
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
Judge to give verdict By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
JOHANNESBURG — The judge in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial was taciturn through months of court proceedings that caught the attention of the world. On Thursday, however, she’ll deliver a judgment that brings her to the forefront. Judge Thokozile Masipa, 66, has sat on a dais in red robes throughout the televised trial, rarely interrupting the drama unfolding below as the prosecutor sought to prove that the Olympic athlete murdered girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp and defense lawyers argued that the shooting was a terrible mistake. Her cryptic demeanor, likely meant to project neutrality during contentious proceedings, masks the rich personal story of a former social worker and journalist who became one of the first black female judges in a country that jettisoned white rule in 1994. Some experts have pointed to Masipa’s record of tough action against criminals who victimized women as indicators that she would not be easily swayed by Pistorius’ assertion that he shot Steenkamp through a closed toilet door on Feb. 14, 2013 by mistake, thinking there was an intruder in his house. Yet they also describe her as a good listener and a dispassionate analyst of facts. For some South Africans, Masipa is a symbol of accomplishment in a country where poverty and unemployment block progress even though allrace politics replaced white minority
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIRUT — The leader of an ultraconservative Islamic rebel group in Syria was killed Tuesday in a suicide bombing along with other of its top officials, its allies said, weakening the ranks of the country’s already shaky armed opposition. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that killed Hassan Aboud and other leading members of Ahrar alSham, part of the strongest front that challenged the Islamic State group, which holds wide swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. But given that forces loyal to President Bashar Assad’s government do not typically use suicide bombers, it appeared likely that forces in the murky mix of opposition fighters in Syria’s 3year-old civil war were involved. The attack struck a highlevel meeting of Ahrar al-
Ebola case toll 4,200-plus By SARAH DILORENZO AND MARIA CHENG ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Themba Hadebe/file | AP
Murder accused Oscar Pistorius cries in court while listening to forensic evidence being led in Pretoria, South Africa, on Monday, April 7. rule in a euphoric but troubled transition. “From our historical background in this country, it is very important that young black people see role models that are positive,” said Kabelo Seabi, a Pretoria lawyer who teaches criminal law. “I’m sure that a young female person that’s sitting anywhere in South Africa ... would be looking up to her and would wish that, if they were to study law, that they would be able to reach that benchmark that she has set.” Masipa studied social work and later worked as a reporter for The World, The Sowetan and other South African publications. Under apartheid, she was arrested during a pro-
test against the detention of media colleagues, according to South African reports. In 1998, Masipa became a provincial judge on a bench that was still heavily populated by white males. South Africa does not have a jury system, so Masipa will read her verdict Thursday in a lengthy process that some analysts say might require more court time on Friday. Pistorius could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder. He could also be convicted of a lesser murder charge or negligent killing, both of which call for years in jail. The judge could acquit him if she believes the 27-year-old made a tragic error.
Bombing kills leaders By DIAA HADID AND ALBERT AJI
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
Sham, or The Islamic Movement of Free Men of the Levant in English, held in the northwestern town of Ram Hamdan in the Syrian province of Idlib, one of its strongholds. A statement from the group said the blast killed Aboud, also known by the nom de guerre Abu Abdullah alHamwi, along with 11 other top leaders. “They were martyred ... in an explosion inside their meeting headquarters,” said a statement on the Twitter feed of the Islamic Front, the rebel coalition to which it belonged. An activist collective called the Edlib News Network, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state media also reported Aboud’s death. The activist reports said the men died in a suicide bombing. The Edlib News Network said over 40 people were killed in the blast. The Observatory, which relies on a
network of activists in Syria for its reports, said “tens” of people were killed. Ahrar al-Sham was part of the Islamic Front, an alliance of seven powerful conservative and ultraconservative rebel groups that merged in late November. The Islamic Front wants to bring rule by Shariah law in Syria and rejects the Western-backed Syrian National Coalition, but cooperates with some of their fighters on the ground. While Ahrar al-Sham was an ultra-conservative group, its leadership, including Aboud, sought to balance “the group’s fundamentalist platform with a relatively pragmatic political strategy,” said Noah Bonsey, a Syria analyst for the International Crisis Group.
DAKAR, Senegal — A surge in Ebola infections in Liberia is driving a spiraling outbreak in West Africa that is increasingly putting health workers at risk as they struggle to treat an overwhelming number of patients. A higher proportion of health workers has been infected in this outbreak than in any previous one. The latest infection was of a doctor with the World Health Organization treating patients in Sierra Leone. The organization gave no details, but an American who became infected while working in West Africa landed in the U.S. Tuesday to get treatment at Emory University Hospital. This is the second WHO staffer to be infected in Sierra Leone, and the U.N. health agency said Tuesday that after an investigation of the first case, staffers battling Ebola there now have better working conditions — in-
cluding larger, more private quarters. The outbreak sweeping West Africa is thought to have killed more than 2,200 people, and public health experts agree that it is out of control. More than 4,200 people have believed to have been sickened in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. The disease is spreading particularly quickly in Liberia, where WHO figures published Tuesday showed that more than 500 new cases were recorded in a week. The organization warned Monday that it expects thousands of new cases in the country in the coming weeks. Sierra Leone said it is also expecting to uncover potentially hundreds of new cases during a threeday nationwide lockdown later this month. While people are confined to their homes, thousands of volunteers will go house to house to search for those infected, Sidie Yahya Tunis, a Health Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
RUBEN E. GUERRA JUNE 18, 1928 — SEPT. 6, 2014 FALCON, Texas — Ruben E. Guerra, 86, passed away Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen, Texas. Mr. Guerra is preceded in death by his parents, Remigio and Francisca Guerra; brothers, Raul (Lilia) Guerra, Abel (San Juanita) Guerra, Carlos Guerra; sisters, Amelia G. (Tomas) Ramirez, Enriqueta G. (Remigio) Gonzalez, Estela G. (Flavio) Ramirez, Emma G. (Leonel) Ramirez, Dora G. (Antonio) Ramos and Elsa Dila G. (Felix) Ramos. Mr. Guerra is survived by his wife, Monica Guerra; sons, Ruben E. Jr. (Elda) Guerra, Oscar I. Hernandez, Jorge Luis Guerra, Carlos A. Guerra; daughters, Maria Elena Guerra, Rosa Linda Guerra (Alfredo) Gonzalez; grandchildren, Ruben M. (Amber) Guerra, Teresa Lynda Guerra, Ruben Marcos Guerra, Alfredo Gonzalez, III, Cristian Mario Gonzalez; great-grandchildren, Audry Guerra, Aubrey Guerra, Ruben M. Guerra, Jr.; and by numerous nephews, nieces, other family members and friends. Visitation hours were held Monday, Sept. 8, 2014,
US job openings at high level By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER ASSOCIATED PRESS
from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. at Rose Garden Funeral Home. The funeral procession departed Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. for a 10 a.m. funeral Mass at Santa Ana Mission in Falcon, Texas. Committal services followed at Falcon Cemetery, including full Military Honors by the American Legion Post 486 Color Guard. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home, Daniel A. Gonzalez, funeral director, 2102 N. U.S. Hwy 83, Zapata, Texas.
WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. job openings remained near the highest level in 13 years in July, and companies also stepped up hiring that month to the fastest pace in nearly seven years, two signs the job market is slowly healing. The tally of available jobs ticked down 2,000 to 4.67 million in July, the Labor Department said Tuesday. The drop was led by a decline in government job postings. Businesses actually advertised slightly more jobs. Total hiring, meanwhile, jumped 81,000 to 4.87 million, the highest level since December 2007, when the Great Recession began. That indicates companies are more likely to fill their open jobs. Still, that is below the pre-recession average of just over 5 million hires a month. The figures suggest the job market is still making progress, despite last week’s mildly disappointing employment report. That report showed that employers added a net total of just 142,000 jobs in August, the fewest since December. The unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent, but only because some of those out of work gave up looking. The government doesn’t count people as unemployed unless they are actively searching. Research by economists at JPMorgan Chase has
Photo by Matt Rourke | AP
Employment seekers and recruiters meet during a job fair in Philadelphia on Monday, June 23. The number of U.S. job openings remained near the highest level in 13 years in July. shown that a rise in openings is typically followed 1-2 months later by greater net job gains. “With the number of jobs available still near a 13-year high, the slowdown in net hiring exhibited in the August payrolls report is likely to be short-lived,” John Silvia, an economist at Wells Fargo, said in a research note. Job openings fell in manufacturing and construction, while they rose in retail and hotels and restaurants. Tuesday’s figures come from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS, which provides a more detailed look at the job market than the employment report. It reports figures for overall hiring, as well as the num-
ber of quits and layoffs. The monthly jobs figures are a net total of job gains or losses. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is closely following the JOLTS data as she considers when the Fed should begin raising interest rates. Job openings have soared 22 percent in the past 12 months, evidence that employers are confident enough in the economy to boost staffing. Net job gains have also increased strongly: Employers added more than 200,000 jobs a month for six straight months through July, the best such stretch in eight years. But overall hiring, as measured by the JOLTS report, hasn’t increased as
fast as openings. Hiring is up just 8 percent in the past 12 months. The gap suggests that some employers are having trouble finding workers with the skills they need. Or they may not be offering sufficient pay to attract the necessary applicants. The number of Americans who quit their jobs last month was little changed, at 2.5 million, the JOLTS report showed. More people quit their jobs in a healthy economy because they are more likely to find new, typically higher-paying, jobs. Quits fell sharply in the recession but have since recovered. Yet they are still below the 2.8 million that is typical in a healthy economy.
Apple reveals larger iPhones, smartwatch By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AND ANICK JESDANUN ASSOCIATED PRESS
CUPERTINO, Calif. — For the first time in years, Apple’s iPhones weren’t the star of the show. Apple unveiled a smartwatch on Tuesday, a wearable device that marks the company’s first major entry in a new product category since the iPad’s debut in 2010. The move is significant because of recent questions about whether Apple still has a knack for innovating following the 2011 death of co-founder Steve Jobs. The device’s introduction upstaged the company’s two new, larger iPhones, which won’t just have bigger screens; they’ll have a new, horizontal viewing mode to take advantage of the larger display. The iPhone 6 will have a screen measuring 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. In both cases, app developers will be able to design apps that can be viewed differently when the phone is held horizontally. Apple also introduced a system for using the phone to make credit card payments at retail stores. Apple is turning to the past as it lays out its future. The company is holding the event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts, the same venue where Jobs unveiled the industry-shifting Mac computer 25 years ago. The Cupertino, California, venue is near Apple’s headquarters. As for the iPhones, which still represent the main source of Apple’s profits, larger models should help the company compete with Android devices. Here’s what unfolded at Tuesday’s event:
Larger iPhones The iPhone 6 will have a 4.7-inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. The screen resolution on the Plus version will be sharper than previous iPhones, at 401 pixels per inch rather than 326. With the larger screen comes a new horizontal view of the home screen. Usually, icons are stacked vertically, even when the phone is turned horizontally. App developers will also have new tools to rearrange their content to take advan-
Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez | AP
Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, discusses the costs of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus on Tuesday in Cupertino, Calif. tage of that larger screen. The new phones aren’t as big as Samsung’s latest flagship phones — 5.1 inches for the Galaxy S5 and 5.7 inches for the Note 4 — but they will be large enough to neutralize a key advantage Samsung and other Android manufacturers have had. Notably, Samsung’s Note phone isn’t getting bigger this year. Last year’s Note 3 was 5.7 inches. Instead, Samsung is emphasizing other hardware features, such as a sharper screen. It’s also releasing a model with a curved edge to display weather, time and other information on the side of the phone. Apple says the new phones will be faster and have better battery life than previous versions. The phones will also have a new sensor, the barometer, to estimate how much you’ve climbed stairs, not just how far you’ve walked or run. Of course, some people still use their phones to actually make calls. When there’s poor cellular reception, people will be able to make regular calls over WiFi. The handoff between the two networks will be seamless. In the U.S., this feature will initially be available
through T-Mobile. The resolution on the camera is staying at 8 megapixels, while rival Android and Windows phones have been boosting that. The S5, for instance, is at 16 megapixels. However, the megapixel count is only one factor in what makes a good photo. Apple says it is putting in new sensors for better shots. Apple is also improving a slow-motion video feature by allowing even slower shots. The camera will be able to take 240 frames per second, double what’s in last year’s iPhone 5s. Normally, video is at 60 frames per second. The new phones will start shipping in the U.S. on Sept. 19, with advance orders to begin this Friday. Starting prices will be comparable to those in the past — $199 with a two-year contract for the iPhone 6 with 16 gigabytes of storage. However, the step-up models will have double the memory than before — $299 for 64 gigabytes and $399 for 128 gigabytes. The iPhone 6 Plus phones will cost $100 more at each configuration.
Mobile payments
Apple is calling its new payment system Apple Pay. You’ll be able to use your phone’s camera to capture a photo of your card. Apple will verify it behind the scenes and add it to your phone’s Passbook account so you can make payments at a retailer. Apple announced several merchants that will accept this system, including Macy’s, Whole Foods, Walgreens and Disney stores — and of course, Apple stores. Many companies have tried to push mobile payment services, but none has caught on widely. Cook says that’s because the business models have been centered around companies’ self-interest instead of the user experience. The latter, Cook says, is “exactly what Apple does best.” For security, the card number is stored only on the device. Each time you pay, a one-time card number is created to make the transaction. A smartwatch The audience erupted with cheers as Cook proclaimed that he had, “one more thing.” It was how Jobs used to close his keynote addresses. That one more thing was
Apple’s upcoming smartwatch. It’s called the Apple Watch, rather than the iWatch that many people had been speculating. Consumer electronics companies have yet to demonstrate a compelling need for smartwatches, while bracelets have largely been niche products aimed at tracking fitness activities. Apple’s device looks to change that. Consider the company’s track record: Music players, smartphones and tablet computers existed long before Apple made its own versions. But they weren’t mainstream or popular until the iPod, iPhone and iPad came along. Under Jobs, Apple made those products easy and fun to use. Cook says Apple had to invent a new interface for the watch because simply shrinking a phone wouldn’t work. Much of the interaction would be through the dial on the watch, which Apple calls the digital crown. You use that to zoom in and out of a map, for instance, so you’re not blocking the screen, which would have occurred if you were pinching in and out to zoom. Apple also worked with
app developers to create new functionality. You’ll be able to unlock room doors at Starwood hotels or remind yourself where you parked your car with a BMW app. The new watch will come in a variety of styles and straps, with a choice of two sizes. Watches from competing vendors have been criticized for being too big for smaller arms. The watch will require one of the new iPhones or an iPhone 5, 5s or 5c. It will be available early next year at a starting price of $349.
New software Though much of the attention has been on new gadgets, the software powering those gadgets is getting its annual refresh. Apple considers iOS 8 to be its biggest update since the introduction of the app store in 2008. Existing iPhone and iPad users will be eligible for the free upgrade, too. Apple takes pride in pushing existing customers to the latest software, allowing app developers to incorporate new features without worrying about abandoning existing users.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
IMMIGRATION Continued from Page 1A resents Texas’ 21st district. Rep. Roger Williams, RWeatherford, said he’s spoken with business people and Border Patrol agents at the border who tell him they want to see increased enforcement and changes to the 2008 immigration
law that slows deportation proceedings for unaccompanied minors. “It is a tragic situation down there,” said Williams, who serves Texas’ 25th district. “Sen. Reid and President Obama should go to Texas and see what we’ve
seen.” Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, agreed with his Texas colleagues, calling the situation a humanitarian crisis and suggesting Obama visit to understand the fear of those living by the border.
“That is the reality on the border,” Olson said, angrily. “Mr. President, see that border, pass the bill now, end this crisis immediately.” Cruz said he would support including this measure in a continuing resolu-
tion, a bill that would continue to fund government agencies and departments after Sept. 30 and avoid another government shutdown. He remained mum on whether he would oppose the continuing resolution if
THREAT Continued from Page 1A journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said the department is prepared. “We will, as always, ramp up intelligence gathering and visibility,” Bratton said. That means thousands of officers in specialized teams, bomb-sniffing dogs who can detect not only the scent of a bomb but the vapors of a moving target, undercover officers and teams of police using radioactive detection
devices and other high-tech tools. Intelligence officers around the globe will be reporting in regularly and monitoring events around the world. If something happens in Gaza, it’s instantly felt in New York because of the large Jewish and Palestinian populations. “Things ricochet real quick here,” said intelligence chief Thomas Galati. The private anniversary ceremony will be held on
an immigration component was not included. “I think it would be appropriate to include in the CR, but I think we should use every tool at our disposal,” Cruz said. “Let’s wait and see what’s in the CR.”
MOM Continued from Page 1A
the National September 11 Memorial & Museum plaza on Thursday morning. The tribute has centered on reading the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in the 2001 attacks, as well as recognizing the six people killed in the 1993 trade center bombing. But for the first time, the memorial plaza will be open to the public this year from 6 p.m. to midnight.
Sandy Kowalchik, 49, of San Jose, California, said she was aware of the security concerns but it didn’t change her plan to visit New York this week. “It seems like authorities in the U.S. and the city are much more aware of anything going on,” she said, standing near the reflecting pools at the 9/11 memorial. “Heightened awareness makes people nervous, but it makes you more cognizant of what’s around you.”
and then I tried and then they’re no more,” she told the 911 operator. Attorneys for Akhter, who was originally charged with capital murder, said she belonged in a mental hospital and not prison. “What happened to those children is tragic. We can’t change it. We can’t take it back,” defense attorney Robbie McClung said.
“This is a situation where this person needs to be in a hospital.” McClung said Akhter and her family will be safer if she remains hospitalized. Akhter will likely need to receive treatment and medication for several years before it’s determined she’s no longer dangerous, according to witness testimony.
BEST FRIEND Continued from Page 1A first partnership between a service dog organization and a health care system in the U.S., says Corey Hudson, CEO of Canine Companions. It costs $50,000 to train each service dog. Canine Companions, based in Santa Rosa, Calif., typically provides the service free of charge. In the new partnership, Baylor Scott and White Health finds patients who could benefit from having a service dog, covers the cost of training the dogs and their owners, and supports them once they are home. There’s a need for service dogs among their patients, says Joel Allison, CEO of
Baylor Scott and White Health. “It ties in to our mission,” he told The Dallas Morning News. “We think of it as part of our commitment to serve and meet the needs of all the patients that we serve.” More than 25,000 Americans use service dogs, according to Assistance Dogs International, a coalition of assistance dog organizations. The animals are trained to help children and adults living with physical and mental disabilities. Some service dogs are able to sense oncoming seizures and protect their owners from falls. Others help the visually impaired. Dogs raised by Canine Compan-
ions are trained to pull wheelchairs, pick keys off the floor and tug off clothes. The Baylor-Canine Companions partnership began recently by training four clients. The group plans to expand to 60 clients next summer when a specially built facility with six rooms and 24 kennels will open in Irving. Boone is thrilled at his prescription for a dog. Lower back pain makes it difficult for him to pick things up, and he hopes Brindle will save him “lots of wear and tear” on his back. This week, Boone was one of four Texans being matched with a service dog. He was joined by Stacey
Odom, 45, a special education teacher; Melanie Knecht, 24, a music therapy intern; and Mackenzie Dunckelman, 13. They were selected from hundreds of applicants because their physical needs matched the help that Canine Companion service dogs can offer. The Texas location saves Boone and his classmates a trip to Canine Companions’ Southwest region campus in Oceanside, Calif., for the weeklong training. “When they told me that pretty much everything was here right now that just was even more amazing,” Boone says. He says he heard about Canine Companions
through a friend at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, a program for soldiers who have suffered burns or amputations. “That friend has the same injury as me,” he says. “He’s a below-the-knee amputee, and I saw how well-behaved and helpful his dog was.” Boone was an explosives ordnance disposal officer when he was injured in 2011. “It’s like the Army bomb squad,” he says. “We took care of improvised explosive devices.” It was an IED that severed his left leg and damaged nerves in both of his shoulders.
Boone was unable to use his right arm for a year. Months of rehabilitation and physical therapy helped him regain some strength, but he hopes that working with Brindle will make him even stronger. Canine Companions receives more than 100 applications a month, says Simi Balter, program manager at the organization’s Southwest regional office. “We get to witness small miracles,” says Balter. Boone isn’t asking for a miracle. But he says it’s not just physical tasks that Brindle will help him with — it’s the mental task of healing. “Dogs are very soothing,” he says.