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FEDERAL COURT
Immigrant teenager allowed abortion Minor to undergo procedure at 15 weeks of pregnancy By Jessica Gresko A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Tuesday cleared the way for a 17-yearold immigrant held in custody in Texas to obtain an abortion. The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 6-3 that new dates should be set for the teen to obtain the procedure. The decision overruled a ruling by a three-judge panel of the court that at least temporarily blocked her from getting an abortion. Tuesday’s decision could still be appealed to the Supreme Court. The teen, whose name and country of origin have been withheld because she’s a minor, is about 15 weeks pregnant. She entered the U.S. in September and learned she was pregnant while in federal custody in Texas. She obtained a state court order Sept. 25 permitting her to have an abortion. But federal officials have refused to transport her or temporarily release her so that others may take her to have an abortion. Lawyers for the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for sheltering children who illegally enter the country unaccompanied by a parent, have said the department has a policy of “refusing to facilitate” abortions and that releasing the teenager would require arranging a transfer of custody and follow-up care. The teenager’s lawyers have said all the government needed to do was “get out of the way.” An attorney appointed to represent the teen’s interests has said she could transport her to and from appointments necessary for the procedure, and the federal government would not have to pay for it. A federal judge sided with the teen and set dates for the procedure last week, but the government appealed. The three-judge panel of the appeals court ruled 2-1 on Friday that the government should have until Oct. 31 to release the teen, so she could obtain the abortion outside government custody.
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
WASHINGTON D.C.
Trump readies opioid plan Prepares to formally declare crisis as national emergency By Carla K. Johnson and Jill Colvin ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s long-awaited declaration that the opioid epidemic is a national emergency finally arrives this week, but some advocates are worried that it won’t be backed with the money and commitment to make much difference.
Trump is expected to make the formal declaration and deliver a major speech on the topic Thursday, more than two months after he first announced that would be his plan. There is concern the White House actions will be empty talk without a long-term commitment to paying for more addiction treatment: An emergency declaration would lack punch Opioid continues on A12
Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News
In this Sept. 25 photo, a syringe is seen on the ground behind a restaurant in San Antonio.
DALLAS, TEXAS
BODY FOUND IS MISSING TODDLER
Tony Gutierrez / AP
Residents from Garland and Richardson, Texas get a close-up view of a drain ditch opening that has become a makeshift memorial site on Monday in Richardson.
Father changes story, claims she choked to death By Claudia Lauer ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — The father of a missing toddler whose body was found in a culvert under a road in suburban Dallas has changed his story to say the girl didn’t wander off two weeks ago, but that she choked to death while drinking milk in the family’s garage. Richardson police said Tuesday that the Dallas County medical examiner’s office used dental records to identify 3year-old Sherin Mathew, whose body was found Sunday by
searchers with cadaver dogs. The girl was reported missing by her father, Wesley Mathews, on Oct. 7. Wesley Police said the Mathews cause of death is unknown. Mathews, who adopted Sherin from India in June 2016 with his wife, Sini Mathews, was arrested Monday after he voluntarily revised his police statement on what happened to the girl. A phone call to his attorney, Rafael De La Garza,
was not immediately returned Tuesday. Mathews initially told police that he had sent the girl to stand outside at 3 a.m. because she refused to drink her milk. In his revised statement Monday, he said the girl choked on the milk and that he removed her body from the home after he believed she had died. Richardson police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Perlich said Tuesday that the investigation is continuing, despite the revised statement. “This by no means completes our investigation. It is possible
there would be additional arrests or modifications of the charges as the investigation proceeds,” he said. Mathews was initially charged with abandoning or endangering a child when he first reported the girl missing. Police charged him Monday with first-degree felony injury to a child, which is punishable with up to life in prison. He was being held on $1 million bond. Perlich said police believe Sini Mathews was unaware of her husband’s actions and that Toddler continues on A12
UNITED STATES SENATE
Officials approve $36.5B disaster aid bill By Andrew Taylor A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $36.5 billion emergency aid measure Tuesday to refill disaster accounts, provide a much-needed cash infusion to Puerto Rico, and bail out the federal flood insurance program. The 82-17 vote sends the measure to the White House, where President Donald Trump is sure to sign it. The measure provides $18.7
billion to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s rapidly dwindling accounts, and $16 billion so the flood insurance program can keep paying claims. It brings the total approved by Congress during this fall’s hurricane season to more than $50 billion — and that’s before requests expected soon to cover damage to water and navigation projects, crops, public buildings and infrastructure, and to help homeowners without flood insurance rebuild.
“We’re still waiting for all the data to come in from Texas to determine what the need is,” said Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, whose Gulf Coast district was slammed by Hurricane Harvey. “We’ve already done the supplementals to keep the agencies going, but the long-term stuff — public assistance, FEMA and housing — are the big questions. We still haven’t gotten all the numbers in from the state.” The White House said in a statement that the aid would “provide critical relief ” from
the recent natural disasters and Trump “remains steadfast in his commitment to providing the resources necessary to recover from the hurricanes and wildfires.” The measure fails to address demands from the Florida and Texas delegations for more funding now, but lawmakers representing those states have won assurances from GOP leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., White House budget director Mick Mulvaney and Trump himself that more help is in the works.
“I want to stress that much, much more will be needed in my state,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “It’s not over and done with, and it’s not time to just move on.” The current measure would permit FEMA to allocate up to $5 billion to assist Puerto Rico’s central government and various municipalities through a cash crisis. Maria has largely shut down the island’s economy and choked off tax revenues. The island’s electric grid has been mostly destroyed and Bill continues on A12