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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WHITE HOUSE
Officials seek $29B disaster aid package
Late-term abortion regulation approved
Funds to help victims of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is finalizing a $29 billion disaster aid package that combines $16 billion to shore up the government-backed flood insurance program with almost $13 billion in new relief for hurricane
victims, according to a senior administration official and top congressional aides. The huge request is expected to be officially sent to Congress on Wednesday, but its outlines were characterized by officials who demanded anonymity because the $29 billion measure is not yet public.
The request would address two pressing needs. The first is to pump money into the flood insurance program, which is rapidly running out of cash to pay an influx of claims from victims of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. At the same time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency continues
to spend money for disaster relief operations at a high rate and requires more money. The government-guaranteed flood insurance program is maxing out on a $30 billion line of credit from Treasury; the upcoming proposal would wipe $16 billion of that debt off the Disaster continues on A12
DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS
TRUMP DENIES DEAL TO PROTECT DREAMERS President: ‘Taxes first and then we could solve DACA’ By Erica Werner A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — GOP lawmakers who dined with Donald Trump at the White House said Tuesday the president denied making a deal with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to protect immigrants brought here illegally as kids. And House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said that the president agreed that any deal on so-called “Dreamers” would happen only after Congress dispenses with tax overhaul legislation. “Taxes first and then we could solve DACA,” recounted McCarthy, who was among the small group of GOP lawmakers at Monday night’s dinner. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Dreamers continues on A12
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., center, speaks to immigrant rights supporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 26. The groups and allies are advocating that Congress pass a ‘Clean Dream Act’ that will prevent the deportation of Dreamers working and studying in the U.S.
Bill bans most procedures after 20 weeks of pregnancy By Mike DeBonis and Jenna Johnson WASHINGTON P O ST
The House on Tuesday approved a bill banning most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, advancing a key GOP priority for the third time in the past four years — this time, with a supportive Republican in the White House. The bill, known as the PainCapable Unborn Child Protection Act, is not expected to emerge from the Senate, where most Democrats and a handful of moderate Republicans can block its consideration. But antiabortion activists are calling President Trump’s endorsement of the bill a significant advance for their movement. The White House said in a statement released Monday that the administration “strongly supports” the legislation “and applauds the House of Representatives for continuing its efforts to secure critical pro-life protections.” The bill provides for abortions after 20 weeks gestation only when they are necessary to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. Under the bill, abortions performed during that period could be carried out “only in the manner which, in reasonable medical judgment, provides the best opportunity for the unborn child to survive” and would require a second physician trained in neonatal resuscitation to be present. “It’s past time for Congress to pass a nationwide law protecting unborn children from the unspeakable cruelty of late-term abortion,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan Abortion continues on A12
CONGRESS
GOP unwilling to consider new gun laws By Lisa Mascaro TR IB UNE WASHINGT ON BUR EAU
WASHINGTON — Republican leaders in Congress showed no interest Tuesday in pursuing gun control legislation, leaving Democrats to urge President Donald Trump to
intervene in the aftermath of the shooting in Las Vegas. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said only Trump could change the stalemate in Congress, which has been unable to approve new gun safety bills, despite majority public support after the nation’s repeated mass
shootings. "A small powerful lobby that represents a vast minority - a very small minority - of Americans seems to have a stranglehold on the Republican Party," Schumer said, referring to gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association. "Let’s see if he has the cour-
age, the willpower to say, ’I’m going to break with that small group’ and do something that makes common sense and Americans - in overwhelming numbers, Democrats, Republicans and independents want." It is unclear whether Democrats will find a willing negotia-
tor in Trump. The White House has not raised concerns over gun laws since the Las Vegas shooting, which authorities say is the nation’s deadliest, despite Trump’s interest in stricter gun measures before becoming president. More certain Tuesday was Congress continues on A12
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Today is Wednesday, Oct. 4, the 277th day of 2017. There are 88 days left in the year.
Today's Highlights in History: On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit.
SATURDAY, OCT. 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Dia del Rio River Painting & Art4Environment Workshop. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join the Rio Grande International Study Center at Falcon International Bank, 7718 McPherson Road, 3rd floor. $40. Includes all painting supplies, refreshments and mimosas. Led by artist Paty Orduña. Register at www.rgisc.org. Laredo Northside Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. North Central Park. The market is located at the playground behind the trailhead facility at the park. Visitors are reminded that tickets will be given out for the market’s anniversary drawing in November. The market will award one $150 gift card and other prizes at the November market. Tickets will be given out in October and November for the drawing.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration. 7:30 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, 5201 University Blvd. International Bank of Commerce Keynote Speaker Series presentation featuring Ali Noorani, author and Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public. Translation services (English to Spanish) will be available. The author will be available for book signing following the lecture.
Alik Keplicz / AP
Women march through the downtown in a protest against efforts by the nation's conservative leaders to tighten Poland's already restrictive abortion law in Warsaw, Poland on Tuesday.
POLISH WOMEN PROTEST AGAINST ABORTION LAW WARSAW, Poland — Thousands of Poles, mostly women, have marched through Warsaw and other Polish cities to demand greater reproductive rights and protest what they see as discrimination by the conservative government. The demonstrations Tuesday came on the first-year anniversary of a massive so-called “Black Protest” by women dressed in black that stopped a plan for a total ban on abortion. Participants said that despite last year’s victory their battle isn’t over, noting that
abortion remains illegal in almost all cases in Poland. They accused the government of Prime Minister Beata Szydlo of taking other steps that they say are bad for women. “Beata, women will overthrow your government,” they shouted, using a slogan that rhymes in Polish. Organizers also collected signatures for a petition calling for liberalization of the abortion law. — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, OCT. 14 Dia del Rio Laredo Paddling Trail Excursion. 8:30 a.m. registration at Outlet Shoppes parking lot 2 (corner of Santa Maria/Pedregal). Join the Rio Grande International Study Center for a 3-mile paddle from Laredo Water Museum to Bridge I. $20 with boats on first-come, first-serve basis. Private pachanga immediately after, at the Outlet Shoppes. Register at www.rgisc.org.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. The 32nd Distinguished Business Awards banquet. 6 p.m. Laredo Country Club. The Laredo Chamber of Commerce announced the selection of Ermilo Richer Jr. and Ermilo Richer III as Laredo 2017 Businesspersons of the Year. For ticket and sponsorship information, call 956-722-9895 or email miriam@laredochamber.com.
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 Dia del Rio Paso del Indio Nature Trail Workday. 7:30 a.m. registration @ Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center (LCC main campus by the windmills). Help the Rio Grande International Study Center mulch, clean and beautify Laredo’s oldest nature trail. Complimentary lunch and T-shirts. Free event.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, OCT. 28 Dia Del Rio Loving Laredo Hike at Dusk. 5:30 p.m. Benavides Sports Complex, 600 S. Bartlett. Join the Rio Grande International Study Center for a Halloween-inspired hike at the Chacon Hike & Bike Trail with bat watching at dusk at the Meadow Street Bridge. Free event.
Egypt expands crackdown on gay, transgender people CAIRO — At least 34 people have been arrested in Egypt as part of an expanding crackdown on the gay and transgender community following a rock concert last month when audience members waved a rainbow flag. The crackdown has been fueled by social media, where images of the flag-waving were
SATURDAY, NOV. 4 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. 8th annual Birdies on the Rio golf tourney. 7 a.m. registration at the Max Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Join the Rio Grande International Study Center for the biggest, baddest golf tournament in town. $150 per golfer (allinclusive). Register at www.rgisc.org.
Ahmed Moussa, an influential talk show host, suggested last week that Alaa and the others had been funded by unidentified enemies who wanted to “disgrace” Egypt by making it appear to accept homosexuality. “I am warning you against calling this a matter of personal freedom!” he told viewers. “This is about religions! This is about morals!” — Compiled from the New York Times News Service
AROUND THE NATION New discussion in challenge to LGBT religious objections law in Mississippi JACKSON, Miss. — Opponents might get another chance to block a Mississippi law that lets government workers or private businesspeople cite religious beliefs to deny services to gay or lesbian couples. On Monday, a federal judge reopened conversations with lawyers about a lawsuit that could become a vehicle for that challenge. Mississippi’s statue is considered the broadest religiousobjections state law enacted since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. An Arizona-based Christian group, Alliance Defending Freedom, helped write the Mississippi law that Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed in 2016. The law protects three
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
widely shared, and by dating apps and other websites, which the Egyptian police have used to entrap suspected gay and transgender people, activists and officials say. Photographs and video of Ahmed Alaa, a 22-year-old law student, and others waving the flag at the concert by Mashrou’ Leila, a Lebanese band with an openly gay singer, stoked public outrage and vituperative news coverage that described the flag-waving as an assault on Egypt and its morals.
Rogelio V. Solis / AP
A customer walks into a restaurant, that displays this nondiscrimination sticker in the doorway on Monday.
beliefs: that marriage is only between a man and a woman, sex should only take place in such a marriage, and a person’s gender is determined at birth and cannot be altered. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves blocked the law before it could take effect, saying it unconstitutionally favors some religious beliefs over others.
A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the law to take effect Friday, saying that people who filed a challenge in 2016 lacked legal standing to do so because they had not been harmed by the law. Attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to keep the law on hold. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Woman who faked being nurse gets 14 months VICTORIA — Prosecutors say a woman with no medical training who faked being a registered nurse to get jobs in South Texas must serve 14 months in federal prison. Leticia Gallarzo was sentenced Tuesday in Victoria. The 43-year-old former Goliad resident pleaded guilty in July to five counts of making false
On this date: In 1777, Gen. George Washington's troops launched an assault on the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania, resulting in heavy American casualties. In 1940, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini conferred at Brenner Pass in the Alps. In 1959, the Soviet Union launched Luna 3, a space probe which transmitted images of the far side of the moon. In 1960, an Eastern Air Lines Lockheed L-188A Electra crashed on takeoff from Boston's Logan International Airport, killing all but 10 of the 72 people on board. In 1970, rock singer Janis Joplin, 27, was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room. In 1976, Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz resigned in the wake of a controversy over an obscene joke he'd made that was derogatory to blacks. In 1982, casino executive Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal survived the bombing of his Cadillac outside a Las Vegas restaurant; the case was never solved. In 1990, for the first time in nearly six decades, German lawmakers met in the Reichstag for the first meeting of reunified Germany's parliament. In 1991, 26 nations, including the United States, signed the Madrid Protocol, which imposed a 50-year ban on oil exploration and mining in Antarctica. In 2002, "American Taliban" John Walker Lindh received a 20-year sentence after a sobbing plea for forgiveness before a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia. In a federal court in Boston, a laughing Richard Reid pleaded guilty to trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight with explosives in his shoes (the British citizen was later sentenced to life in prison). Ten years ago: South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il pledged to pursue a peace treaty and end their countries' decades-long standoff. Five years ago: A day after his first debate with Mitt Romney, which had been widely seen as a victory for Romney, President Barack Obama suggested that his Republican rival hadn't been candid about his policy positions during the faceoff. One year ago: Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine repeatedly challenged Mike Pence during their vice presidential debate, attempting to tie the Indiana governor to some of Donald Trump's most controversial statements about women, immigrants and foreign policy while Trump's running mate maintained a folksy, soft-spoken demeanor as he defended the New York billionaire. Today's Birthdays: Country singer Leroy Van Dyke is 88. Actress Felicia Farr is 85. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Sam Huff is 83. Author Roy Blount Jr. is 76. Author Anne Rice is 76. Actress Lori Saunders (TV: "Petticoat Junction") is 76. Baseball Hall of Famer Tony La Russa is 73. Actor Clifton Davis is 72. Actress Susan Sarandon is 71. Blues musician Duke Robillard is 69. Playwright Lee Blessing is 68. Actor Armand Assante is 68. Actor Alan Rosenberg is 67. Actor Christoph Waltz is 61. Actor Bill Fagerbakke is 60. Music producer Russell Simmons is 60. Actress Kyra Schon (Film: "Night of the Living Dead") is 60. Actress-singer Wendy Makkena is 59. Musician Chris Lowe (The Pet Shop Boys) is 58. Country musician Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard (Sawyer Brown) is 57. Actor David W. Harper is 56. Singer Jon Secada is 56. TV personality John Melendez is 52. Actor-comedian Jerry Minor is 50. Actor Liev Schreiber is 50. Actor Abraham Benrubi is 48. Country singer-musician Heidi Newfield is 47. Singer-guitarist M. Ward (She & Him) is 44. Actress Alicia Silverstone is 41. Actress Dana Davis is 39. Actor Phillip Glasser is 39. Rock singer-musician Marc Roberge (O.A.R.) is 39. Actor Brandon Barash is 38. Actress Rachael Leigh Cook is 38. Actor Tim Peper is 37. Actor Jimmy Workman is 37. Bassist Cubbie Fink is 35. Rhythmand-blues singer Jessica Benson (3lw) is 30. Actor Michael Charles Roman is 30. Actress Melissa Benoist is 29. NBA All-Star Derrick Rose is 29. Actress Dakota Johnson is 28. Actress LeighAnne Pinnock (Little Mix) is 26. Actor Ryan Scott Lee is 21. Thought for Today: "Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested." — Guinean saying.
CONTACT US statements related to health care. Prosecutors say during 2015 Gallarzo worked at two hospitals and three nursing homes in five Texas cities. Gallarzo must also pay more than $34,000 in restitution. — Compiled from AP reports
Leaders start providing Harvey relief money HOUSTON — The Harvey relief fund established by
Houston-area leaders has provided its first grants, giving out $7.5 million to 28 organizations. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and other leaders of the fund announced the grants Tuesday. The money amounts to less than 10 percent of the $77 million raised so far by the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. More grants are expected to go out next month. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 |
LOCAL
Death row inmate who won at high court gets life term By Michael Graczyk ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Courtney Sacco / AP
Corpus Christi Police Academy cadets train in the Greenwood Pool during their two days of water training on Sept. 28 in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Police cadets learn water safety, rescues By Alexandria Rodriguez COR P US CHRI ST I CALLER-TI ME S
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Patsy Silva tried to remain afloat in 11 feet of water with a group of 19 people surrounding her. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports Silva, a Moody High School graduate, was not the most confident swimmer on the first day of the 76th Corpus Christi Police Academy cadet’s two-day water safety survival training, but by day two she felt much more confident. With a life jacket keeping her afloat at the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Park and Swimming Pool, Silva felt the support and encouragement of her fellow cadets while they were treading water for 32 minutes. Cadets like Andrew Rouse, who has grown up around the Corpus Christi waters, spent the 32 minutes providing words of encouragement to peers who started to feel tired or began doubting themselves. The King High School graduate applied for the academy to help the community he grew up in, and to help his fellow cadets during the training in late September. “We’ve all grown as a family. We want to support each other and succeed,” Rouse said. “We let them lean on us ... literally in the pool.” Senior Officer Eric Garza, the course instructor, constantly reminded the now 20 cadets to stay calm during the 16-hour water safety survival course. During the first day of the course, cadets took to the pool to tread water and practice freestyle, breaststroke and sidestroke swimming to get them comfortable with the water, academy coordinator Brad Pici said. The second day consisted of intensive water exercises that involved weighted belts, bulletproof vests and simulations of drownings and chasing suspects in the water. “At some time they will encounter someone in the water,” he said. Cadets first performed each exercise in 4 feet of water before trying them in deeper waters, Pici said. After diving in the water with weighted belts
A3
and pants, cadets were instructed on how to quickly take off the belt and pants, which weigh them down. They then would tie the pants at the ankles create air pockets in them before putting the pants around their necks to use as a flotation device, he said. “You have to stay calm. It will get tough on the streets,” Garza said to cadets trying to stay afloat in 11 feet of water. “It will get stressful. You need to stay calm.” In just two days, Garza saw a big improvement in the cadets who may have had reservations about the water when they started the course. Two cadets who started the training wearing life jackets were able to use less air in the vests by the second day, Garza said. “They won’t let you give up,” 24-year-old Silva said. “It’s a lot of teamwork. It feels like a little family. You have their back and they have yours.” During the course of the academy, cadets have undergone a series of classroom tests, have been through defensive tactics training and have directed traffic at one of the busiest intersections in the city. Cadets also will undergo training in driving and firearms as the academy progresses.
HOUSTON — A black Texas prison inmate who earlier this year won a U.S. Supreme Court order for a new punishment hearing because his death sentence may have been tainted by references to race has accepted a life prison term plus two 60-year sentences. “After reviewing the evidence and the law, I have concluded that, 22 years after his conviction, a Harris County jury would likely not return another death penalty conviction in a case that has forever been tainted by the indelible specter of race,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Tuesday. In return for 54-yearold Duane Buck pleading guilty to two additional counts of attempted mur-
der, Ogg said her office won’t pursue the death penalty against him. Buck Buck’s attorneys had tried for years to get federal courts to look into claims that his rights were violated when jurors were told by a defense expert witness that Buck was more likely to be dangerous in the future because he is black. In Texas death penalty trials, one of the “special issues” jurors must consider when deciding punishment is whether the defendant they’ve convicted would be a future danger. The high court, in a 6-2 ruling in February, said the race reference in testimony was improper. “Our law punishes
people for what they do, not who they are. Dispensing punishment on the basis of an immutable characteristic flatly contravenes this guiding principle,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in his majority opinion. Roberts wrote that the testimony of Dr. Walter Quijano “was potent evidence. Dr. Quijano’s testimony appealed to a powerful racial stereotype — that of black men as ‘violence prone.” Buck was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and another man in 1995. His case was among six in 2000 that then-Texas Attorney General John Cornyn, now the state’s senior U.S. senator, said in a news release needed to be reopened because Quijano’s statements were racially charged. In the other five cases, new punishment hearings
were held and each convict again was sentenced to death. Buck’s lawyers contended the attorney general, by then Cornyn’s successor and now Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, broke a promise by contesting his case. But the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it could find nothing in the case record to indicate the state made an error or promised not to oppose any move to reopen the case. One difference in Buck’s case is that Buck’s own lawyer, not the prosecutor, elicited Quijano’s testimony. State attorneys said the difference was reason enough to rule against Buck. Roberts, however, said when race is a factor in jury deliberations, it doesn’t matter “which party first broached the subject.”
Austin official resigns after racial remark ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The sole African-American member of the board overseeing Austin’s public transportation authority has resigned after earlier saying a black executive should not be
hired to lead the transit agency. Beverly Silas resigned Tuesday from the Capital Metro board while apologizing for remarks she made during a board meeting in August. Silas was discussing potential black candi-
dates for CEO and president of Capital Metro when she said, “Austin is not the place for them.” She later clarified to the Austin AmericanStatesman that she doesn’t oppose hiring an African-American. But she says that, “be-
cause of the environment here, they might be subject to failure.” Silas says Austin has drawn strong black managers who excelled in prior roles but ran into opposition when they took posts in the capital.
Zopinion
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A4 | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
What Trump and Congress must do to help Puerto Rico By John Podesta WA S H INGT ON P O ST
As President Donald Trump visits Puerto Rico, he has a lot to answer for, given his tonedeaf tweets from his Bedminster, N.J., golf outing, the incredible claim that Puerto Rico is a “good-news story” by his acting homeland security secretary, Elaine Duke, and his administration’s slow response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, widely recognized for his skill in stepping up the George W. Bush administration’s Katrina relief efforts, was unequivocal about the inadequate federal response in his recent NPR interview: “Puerto Rico is a bigger and tougher mission than Katrina. And we had 20,000 federal troops, 20 ships, and 40,000 National Guard.” So far, there are only about 2,200 federal troops in Puerto Rico. Drinking water has been scarce on the islands of Vieques and Culebra. Of hospitals,51 of 69 are running but are on rolling blackouts. Some 55 percent of Puerto Ricans still lack drinking water, and lines where people can receive gas stretch have stretched as far as a quarter-mile or longer. The president seemed wholly unaware of the reality that 3.4 million of our fellow U.S. citizens, more than the number of residents in 21 states and the District of Columbia, are engulfed in a humanitarian crisis given his equivocating response about the potential cost of relief efforts: “The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!”Or his tweet implying that Puerto Rico’s debt could affect relief efforts: “Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble.” Given the humanitarian crisis, the president’s public comments are a sadly typical Trumpian distraction from the urgent task ahead. The legislative and policy priorities couldn’t be clearer. First, this should be an all-hands-on-deck moment for every federal agency. Senate Democrats have done the president’s homework for him and laid out eight specific steps the administration should take to direct the relief capacities at federal agencies toward Puerto Rico. Second, Congress
should pass an aid package that helps communities in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida and other affected communities. In designing that aid package, Congress should learn the lessons of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and build back better; i.e., build smarter, stronger infrastructure that is going to be able to stand up to extreme weather. It’s worth asking: How many more times does a community have to be ravaged for some legislators to learn their lesson and help vulnerable locations defend against destructive weather? And maybe this is the moment to dissolve the Congressional Climate Deniers Caucus and send packing their allies in the Trump administration. The Houston area saw the biggest rain event ever recorded in the United States (and saw catastrophic flooding for the third year in a row); Hurricane Irma caused one of the biggest power outages in American history; and Hurricane Maria completely devastated Puerto Rico. Hotter oceans help hurricanes intensify, pick up more moisture and cause more damage if they make landfall. Not addressing climate change now would be a moral and political failure. American taxpayers are already paying a steep price, one that is likely to soar in the years to come. Finally, Trump might try to marshal the experience he gained in his six business bankruptcies to help Puerto Rico’s fiscal situation. With 80 percent of electric distribution and 100 percent of electric transmission infrastructure damaged or destroyed on the island, it’s time for the power authority’s hedgefund-vulture bondholders to take a long-overdue haircut. You could even say Trump owes it to Puerto Rico. Rolling Stone pointed out that Trump “went belly up in Puerto Rico in 2015, when a Trump-branded condo/golf development declared bankruptcy, costing island taxpayers nearly $33 million. The financing had come from Puerto Rico’s publicfunded tourism bureau.” As the president visits the ravaged island, after a weekend of self-pitying tweets about his media coverage, he would do well to abandon his Trump First agenda and finally put the people of Puerto Rico who need his help first. John Podesta served as counselor to President Barack Obama and chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.
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letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COLUMN
Depriving the well-off will not help the working class By Noah Smith BL OOMBERG
Many Americans are worried that the U.S. is becoming a class society. The country’s founding mythology holds that it began as an egalitarian alternative to the hidebound class cultures of Europe — a place where even the lowliest of birth rise through hard work and ingenuity. Of course, that rosy image was never quite accurate, but in the mid-20th century the U.S. did manage to build a middle-class society with a decent amount of social mobility. Now that mobility is fading, and that middle class has bifurcated, and it’s causing much consternation. Many writers have bemoaned the plight of the working class, which has been losing ground. To this growing list we must now add Richard Reeves, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, whose new book “Dream Hoarders” claims that the uppermiddle class is hogging most of the country’s economic opportunities. Though Reeves’ book correctly identifies a major problem in American society, it ultimately falls short of offering a comprehensive solution. Reeves’s critics like Mike Konczal, at the Roosevelt Institute, a think tank, argue that instead of the upper-middle class we should be focusing on only the very wealthy — the top 1 percent, or even the top 0.01 percent of the income distribution. But as Reeves points out, this exalted group isn’t always the same set of people. Many wealthy people have highly variable incomes — hedge-fund managers who make money when their funds do well, or entrepreneurs who reap a bonanza when they sell their companies. Also, incomes tend to rise as people age, especially for the wealthy — most chief executive officers started out in much
less lucrative positions. Sociologists Thomas Hirschl and Mark Rank estimate that 11.1 percent of Americans will spend at least one year in the top 1 percent by age 60, and more than a third of Americans will manage to reach the top 5 percent. So although there are certainly some top earners who reliably rake in millions, Reeves is right when he says that many of the rich are just upper-middle class people “having a good year.” Reeves is also right that money doesn’t capture the full importance of class divergence. Educated Americans live longer, get married more and stay married more, and indulge in fewer self-destructive behaviors like smoking. Research has also found that when a person’s income rises past about $75,000 a year — right about the 80th percentile as of 2016 — the link between money and happiness becomes weaker. And Reeves is right to focus on college education as a determinant of class status. The college wage premium has risen substantially in the U.S. since 1980. This earnings premium has happened despite a steady rise in the percent of Americans with higher education. In 1980, 24 percent of Americans held bachelor’s degrees — by 2015, it was 33 percent. A simple economic model would suggest that as the supply of collegeeducated American workers increased, the wage premium should have been competed away. And if college were merely a way to signal high natural ability, the return on college should have vanished as lower-ability people entered the ranks of degree-holders. That the college premium has held steady or even climbed as more people have gotten degrees implies that not enough Americans are going to college. Reeves’ focus on college is further
supported by the research of Stanford University economist Raj Chetty, who has found that higher education is associated with increased mobility. So while the concentration of wealth in the hands of the super-rich is certainly cause for worry, the divergence of the middle class into upper and lower ranks, partly divided by education, is also an important issue. Reeves is right that addressing the former shouldn’t mean ignoring the latter. But when it comes to offering solutions to the middle-class divergence, Reeves falters. He focuses mainly on ways that upper-middle-class Americans give their children a leg up. Three methods of “hoarding” get singled out in particular — legacy admissions to elite colleges, exclusionary zoning laws and unpaid internships. Legacy admissions are an odious practice that ought to be eliminated. As Reeves notes, letting underqualified legacy kids cut to the front of the line probably doesn’t increase alumni donations, so it isn’t helping to subsidize poor kids. But legacies are overwhelmingly an issue at small, elite universities like Harvard University. Chetty’s research shows that midtier public universities are a much more important source of middle-class mobility than the Harvards of the world. Also, eliminating legacies would simply replace plutocracy with educational meritocracy — the very force that Reeves spends much of his book decrying. Exclusionary zoning is certainly a big problem and increasing urban density would boost incomes for poor and working-class Americans by allowing more of them to move to places where wages are higher. But educated knowledge workers — Reeves’ uppermiddle class — would gain even more. One of the
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
main benefits of density is that it allows knowledge workers to cluster together and exchange ideas, boosting their productivity. Permitting greater density would make it possible for more of these workers to live in these areas. As for unpaid internships, they certainly seem unfair, since only rich kids can afford to work for free — but the phenomenon is a recent one, while the middle class has been diverging for decades. Reeves’ error lies in focusing on the zero-sum elements of the economy: Things such as legacy admissions and internships for rich kids are morally offensive, but ultimately a sideshow to the real issues holding back so many Americans. Trying to uplift the working class by soaking the upper middle isn’t just likely to be politically unpalatable; it’s also likely to be ineffectual. The real problem isn’t that people are hoarding their spots in the uppermiddle class; it’s that there aren’t enough spots to begin with. Instead of focusing on who gets into Harvard, the U.S. should make it cheaper and easier for poor and workingclass kids to go to the big public universities that are the real drivers of upward mobility. Instead of moving heaven and earth to ensure that the competition for plum jobs is fairer, the U.S. should focus on increasing the number of plum jobs. The American Dream may be out of reach for many, but not because it’s being hoarded. The dream doesn’t come in a fixed lump to be parceled out among winners and losers. The goal should be to rebuild the middle class by moving more people into the ranks of the welloff, not to knock down the few who have managed to get there early. Noah Smith is a Bloomberg View columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 |
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RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Expo Fiesta 1 La Ciudad de Miguel Alemán, invita a su Expo Fiesta 2017 que presenta artesanía, gastronomía, juegos mecánicos, presentaciones artísticas y muchas atracciones más. Del 6 al 15 de octubre en el Teatro del Pueblo.
Brillo en la noche 1 La Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata y la organización Crime Stoppers invitan al evento Glow in the Dark que consiste en la carrera Glow Fun Run y la fiesta Glow Block Party, en la Plaza del Condado de Zapata, desde las 7 p.m. el sábado 7 de octubre.
Roma Fest 2017 1 Festival Roma Fest 2017 “Decades”, el domingo 8 de octubre desde las 5 p.m. Desfile inicia en el Citizens State Bank.
Festival Nuevo Santander 1 La Sociedad Genealógica Nueva Santander del Condado de Zapata invita al Festival Nuevo Santander el 13 y 14 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata.
Caminata contra cáncer
MAQUINITAS
LAS VEGAS
Continúan arrestos
Intentan determinar motivo
Por César G. Rodriguez TIEMP O DE LAREDO
Una novena persona fue arrestada en conexión con las redadas a recintos de maquinitas reportadas la semana pasada, de acuerdo con la policía. Roberto Alonso Treviño, de 49 años, recibió una orden de Alba arresto el martes por los cargos de promoción de apuestas y actividad criminal organizada. Chapa La policía de Laredo había arrestado a cuatro personas adicionales en conexión M. Pérez con las redadas a los recintos de maquinitas llevadas a cabo el viernes por la mañana. Carmen Alba, de 33 años de edad y Adriana Chapa, de 32 años de edad, recibieron órdenes de arresto el domingo y Miguel Ángel Pérez, de 22 años de edad y Juan Echevarría, de 39 años de edad fueron llevados bajo custodia el lunes, de acuerdo con registros policiacos. Todos fueron acusados
de promoción de apuestas e involucrarse en actividad criminal organizada. Documentos de la corte identificaron a los sospechosos como empleados de Palace Amusement Center ubicado en 6703 de McPherson Road. En total, la policía ha arrestado a nueve personas en el caso. Echeverría El viernes, autoridades hicieron una redada en el Palace y Win Win ubicado en 401 de ShiDávila loh Drive, una bodega y dos casas al norte de Laredo como resultado de haber estado investigando duTreviño rante meses sobre promoción de apuestas y lavado de dinero. La policía primero arrestó a los dueños del Palace Andrés Gerardo Chávez Lozano, de 34 años de edad y Alma Guadalupe Dávila, de 57 años de edad y los acusó de mantener un lugar de apuestas, promoción de apuestas, participar en actividad criminal organizada y lavado de dinero.
Ariel Perez Espíndola, de 64 años de edad, un empleado del Palace, fue acusado de promoción de apuestas y participar en actividad criminal organizada. De Win Win, las autoridades arrestaron al dueño Gustavo Leal Salazar, de 51 años de edad y lo A. Pérez acusaron de mantener un lugar de apuestas, promoción de apuestas y participar en activiLeal dad criminal organizada. La policía ha dicho que tienen órdenes de arresto Chavez para por lo Lozano menos una docena de personas. Una querella criminal indica que Chávez Lozano supuestamente operaba o participaba en las ganancias del Palace empleando a Alba, Chapa, Echevarría y Pérez. Chávez Lozano supuestamente les ordenaba que pagaran a los clientes por las ganancias acumuladas en una máquina, indica la querella.
1 Walk All Over Cancer! en su cuarta caminata anual. Inscripciones en el Ayuntamiento llamando al 956-8491411 x 9241 o en el 956-844-1428. Caminata iniciará en Citizens State Bank o en el Centro Comuniario de Roma el sábado 21 de octubre.
Pago de impuestos 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St.
Llenado de aplicaciones 1 La Ciudad de Roma ofrece el servicio de llenado de aplicaciones para CHIP, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Chip, Prenatal y otros. Contacte a Gaby Rodríguez para una cita en el centro comunitario o en su domicilio al 956-246-7177.
Grupos de apoyo 1 El grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital.
Fin de semana en Laredo 1 Laredo Theater Guild International presenta del 5 al 8 de octubre la obra The House on Mango Street de Sandra Cisneros. Teatro Guadalupe & Lilia Martínez de Laredo Community College a las 8 p.m. 1 Movies on the Patio proyectará la película Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) el viernes 6 de octubre de 7:30 p.m. a 10:30 p.m. en Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St. Entrada gratis.
Foto de cortesía
Coronan a reina en Miguel Alemán Claudia Zepeda, al centro, es coronada “Reina del Pueblo 2017” el domingo por la noche se durante el certamen para dar a conocer a la nueva corte de honor que representará a la Expo Feria del 67 Aniversario de Emancipación Politica de Miguel Alemán, mismo que dará inicio este próximo viernes 6 al 15 de octubre.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
Resurge interés por Guerrero Viejo Nota del editor: Esta serie de artículos sobre la historia de Ciudad Guerrero, México, fueron escritos por la guerrerense Lilia Treviño Martínez (1927-2016), quien fuera profesora de la escuela Leoncio Leal. Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Durante cerca de 40 años, Guerrero Viejo permaneció olvidado, ignorado por el mundo, como un coloso dormido, o como un pequeño abandonado, sin recibir mención de resonancia importante, descuidado y cubierto por un velo de
tristeza y abandono. Y de pronto, al iniciarse la última década del siglo pasado, Guerrero Viejo emergió. Desafiando las leyes de la naturaleza, retando los designios del hombre, surgió, insistente en el recuerdo, porfiada en la sobrevivencia, la construcción sólida y firme del Templo de los antepasados guerrerenses. Asombró a todos el hecho de que no hubiera caído, causó admiración la resistencia que opuso el tiempo y al embate de las aguas que llegaron, a veces, hasta más allá de la mitad del hueco de las enormes puertas, ahora
siempre abiertas. Y la insistencia de ese Templo por permanecer en pie, destacando su silueta inconfundible de lugar religioso, evocó en muchos ancianos el recuerdo de la antigua leyenda, por un tiempo relegada en un rincón de la memoria, pero que surgió ante el irrevocable destino del poblado que fue próspero y feliz. El deterioro interior del Templo, el derrumbe de sus altares y arquerías, la caída de gran parte de sus techos, no afectaron la imagen de su imponente fachada, que seguía intacta… ¿Reclamando? ¿O tal vez acusando?...
Cortesía Eric Paddock vía AP
Stephen Paddock, en una foto con fecha desconocida, cortesía de su hermano Eric Paddock. El domingo, Stephen Paddock disparó contra una multitud en un concierto al aire libre en Las Vegas desde el piso 32 del hotel Mandalay Bay.
Por Ken Ritter y Gene Johnson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Stephen Paddock tenía predilección por las armas, por el video-póquer de apuestas elevadas y por los negocios inmobiliarios. Su padre fue un notorio ladrón de bancos que estuvo fugado por mucho tiempo. Tenía una novia con la que se vivía desde hace poco, dos ex esposas y lo que parecía una vida confortable en una comunidad para jubilados en Nevada. Su vida está siendo objeto de un intenso escrutinio para determinar qué lo llevó a presentarse en el Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino de Las Vegas con al menos 10 maletas llenas de armas y disparar desde su suite de la planta 32 contra los asistentes a un festival de música country, matando a al menos 59 personas e hiriendo a casi 530 más. Autoridades y familiares no pudieron explicar qué llevó al contable, sin antecedentes delictivos conocidos, a perpetrar la masacre. El agresor, de 64 años, tenía 23 armas en el hotel, incluyendo rifles semiautomáticos, y 19 en su casa, además de miles de cartuchos de munición, dijo la policía de Las Vegas. Se suicidó antes de que llegaran las autoridades. Paddock no parecía el típico asesino en masa, dijo Clint Van Zandt, un ex negociador del FBI y supervisor de la unidad de estudio del comportamiento de esa agencia federal. El tirador es mucho más mayor de lo habitual y no padecía enfermedades mentales conocidas. “Mi reto es que, por el momento, no veo ninguno de los indicios clásicos que podrían sugerir ‘Ok, está en el camino de cometer suicidio, homicidio o ambos’”, señaló Van Zandt. Sin embargo, sus acciones sugieren que había planeado el ataque durante al menos unos días. Algunos de los rifles tenían mira, explicó el jefe de la policía. Y las autoridades hallaron dos piezas que le habrían permitido convertir las armas en automáticas, según dos funcionarios que recibieron información de las fuerzas de seguridad y que hablaron bajo condición de anonimato porque la investigación sigue en marcha. “Sabía lo que quería hacer. Sabía lo que iba a hacer y no parece que tuviese ningún plan de huida”, agregó Van Zandt. Cuanto le preguntaron por el posible motivo del asesino, el sheriff Joseph
Lombardo dijo que no podía meterse “en la mente de un psicópata”. “Ni siquiera puedo inventar algo. No hay nada”, dijo su hermano, Eric Paddock, a reporteros el lunes. Los registros públicos no ofrecieron pistas sobre posibles problemas financieros o antecedentes penales, aunque muchas personas que lo conocían dijeron que le gustaba apostar grandes cantidades de dinero. “Ni afiliación, ni religión, ni política. Nunca se preocupó por nada de eso”, dijo Eric Paddock, que hablaba intercalando sollozos y gritos. “Era un tipo que tenía dinero. Iba a cruceros y apostaba”. Eric Paddock dijo también a la agencia de noticias The Associated Press que no había hablado con su hermano en seis meses y que la última vez que tuvo contacto con él fue cuando le escribió un breve mensaje de texto tras el huracán Irma. Su madre habló con él hace alrededor de dos semanas, y cuando se enteró de que necesitaba un andador, le envió uno, agregó Eric Paddock. Eric describió a Stephen, el mayor de cuatro hermanos, como un multimillonario y señaló que tenían negocios y propiedades juntos. No estaba al tanto de que su hermano tuviese deudas por el juego. Agentes de policía fuertemente armados allanaron el lunes la vivienda de Paddock en la localidad de Mesquite, a unos 130 kilómetros (80 millas) al noreste de Las Vegas, cerca de la frontera con Arizona, en busca de posibles pistas. El tirador vivía allí con su novia de 62 años, que según las autoridades estaba fuera del país en el momento de la balacera. Eric Paddock la describió como una mujer buena y agregó que a veces le enviaba galletas a su madre. La policía registró también una casa de dos habitaciones propiedad de Paddock en una comunidad de jubilados en Reno, a más de 800 kilómetros (500 millas) de Mesquite. Aunque Stephen Paddock parecía no tener un historial delictivo a sus espaldas, su padre era un destacado ladrón de bancos, dijo Eric Paddock. Benjamin Hoskins Paddock intentó atropellar a un agente del FBI con su coche en Las Vegas en 1960 y entró en la lista de más personas más buscadas por la agencia tras fugarse de una prisión federal en Texas en 1968, cuando Stephen era un adolescente.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 |
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MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: HOUSTON ASTROS
Verlander tabbed to start for Astros Houston calling for an Orange Out of the entire city as the Red Sox head to town for Game 1 By Jake Kaplan H OUSTON CHRONI CLE
Five starts and 34 innings were all Justin Verlander needed to prove to the Astros he was their best option for the first game of their first playoff series. Verlander will start for the Astros in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Red Sox on Thursday, five weeks to the day he accepted the late-night blockbuster trade from the Tigers. Astros manager A.J. Hinch made it official Tuesday morning in an interview on MLB Network Radio, when he also announced Dallas Keuchel will start Friday's Game 2. Verlander, who will speak to reporters Wednesday in a daybefore-start press conference, had a 1.06 ERA in his five starts for the Astros and a 1.95 ERA in the 15 starts he made after the All-Star break. The 34-year-old righthander will oppose Red
Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press
Justin Verlander will start Game 1 of the American League Division Series Thursday when the Astros host the Red Sox at 3 p.m.
Sox ace lefthander Chris Sale, a foe he matched up against often when Verlander pitched for the Tigers and Sale for the White Sox. Thursday will be Verlander's 17th career playoff game, his sixth in Game 1 of a series. He has a 3.39 ERA in 98 1/3 postseason innings. In his lone previous playoff game against Boston, in Game 3 of the 2013 ALCS,
he allowed only one run and struck out 10 in a 1-0 Tigers loss. Keuchel was the Astros' presumed Game 1 starter before Verlander arrived with seconds to spare before the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline. Keuchel pitched three times (two starts) in the Astros' 2015 postseason run, a sample of 14 innings in which he recorded a 2.57 ERA. He started Game 3 of the 2015
ALDS against the Royals because he had pitched the wild card game. Verlander faced Boston twice this season but both outings were early on the schedule. On April 10 in Detroit, in his second start of the season, he yielded only an unearned run in seven innings. On June 10 in Boston, he gave up three runs in just five innings. Keuchel didn't face the Red Sox during the regular season. Astros call for Orange Out of entire city As the Astros prepare to face the Red Sox in the American League Division Series, the Astros have encouraged fans to "Orange Out Houston" on Thursday and Friday, the days of Games 1 and 2 at Minute Maid Park. The Astros are asking local businesses, schools, community leaders, organizations and Astros fans to wear orange cloth-
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
ASTROS’ ALTUVE, YANKEES’ JUDGE FAVORED IN AL MVP RACE By Mike Fitzpatrick
ing and accessories, decking out their buildings in orange and creatively displaying their Astros pride. In a press release sent Tuesday, the Astros sent a thank you to Discovery Green, the George R. Brown Convention Center, Hilton Americas-Houston, Houston City Hall, the Houston Police Department, NASA Johnson Space Center and Space City Houston for joining in the Orange Out Houston effort. Astros owner Jim Crane, relief pitcher Joe Musgrove, Orbit and the Shooting Stars will join Mayor Sylvester Turner at noon Wednesday in front of City Hall to kick off the playoff celebration. The Astros also are asking fans to post photos of what they are doing to Orange Out Houston on social media with the hashtag #EarnHistory. Participating fans could win prizes from the Astros, including tickets, memorabilia and apparel.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
Texans' Fuller, Watson building timing quickly
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — The jury is out on AL MVP. And when a verdict comes in later this fall, giant slugger Aaron Judge has a great chance to join a very small club. Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001) are the only major leaguers to win Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. To match that rare achievement, the 6-foot-7 Judge must fend off a little competition. In a baseball version of David and Goliath, the biggest challenger to the New York Yankees’ 282-pound slugger for American League MVP honors is tiny Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve . That means the main man standing in Judge’s way is generously listed at 5-6 and 165 pounds. “It’s the beauty of baseball. There’s not a whole lot of limitations,” Tampa Bay pitcher Chris Archer said. “You can be 5-5 or you can be 6-8 and a monster and be really talented at this game, so I love it.” Despite his diminutive stature, Altuve packs plenty of punch and has the numbers to prove it after hitting .346 for his third career batting crown. He also led the league in hits (204) and finished with 24 home runs, 81 RBIs and 32 steals for the AL West champions. Judge, of course, clocked an AL-best 52 homers to break a rookie record that lasted 30 years. He ranked first in runs (128) and walks (127) while helping the Yankees reach the playoffs as the league’s No. 1 wild card. The knocks against Judge are his 208 strikeouts — only five times has a player whiffed more in one season — and extended slump after winning the All-Star Home Run Derby. But he rebounded with a huge September when New York really needed it, leading the AL in homers (15), RBIs (32), runs (29), on-base percentage (.463) and slugging percentage (.889). Judge finished the season with a 1.049 OPS to .957 for Altuve, and the big guy is no one-dimensional player. He ran the bases well and played solid defense in right field while appearing in 155 games. “One of my goals was I wanted to be a consistent part of this lineup,” Judge said. “I wanted
By Aaron Wilson HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle
There is more than a foot of difference between the top two candidates for the AL MVP with 5-foot-6 Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and 6-foot-7 Yankees rookie Aaron Judge leading the way.
Molitor, Counsell eyed for Manager of the Year honors to be in there every day playing for my team through the good times and the bad times.” FanGraphs ranks Judge first in Wins Above Replacement, while Baseball Reference favors Altuve. Cleveland infielder Jose Ramirez also warrants consideration. So does perennial Angels contender Mike Trout, who figures to finish outside the top two for the first time after missing six weeks with an injury. But the court’s decision is Judge over Altuve. “It’s tough not to say that Aaron Judge is the MVP. What he’s doing, rookie or not, the numbers he’s putting up in the division that he’s in and in a playoff race is impressive, man,” Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said last week. “He’s having a special year.” Lynn and Suzuki, get ready for some company. All rise! Here comes the Judge. “I’m sure it’s something he hasn’t imagined in his wildest dreams,” said Longoria, the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year. “To be able to do both would be out of this world.” Voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America is held before the postseason begins, and results will be announced in November. Here are our selections for the other big awards:
NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP There are several worthy candidates from playoff teams: Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado and outfielder Charlie Blackmon , plus Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, twice a runner-up. Extra points for them. But the incredible season Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton had (MLB-best 59 homers and 132 RBIs) shouldn’t be discounted just because his team went 77-85. Same goes for Joey Votto of the last-place Cincinnati Reds, for that matter. So the pick here is Stanton, thanks to those astounding power numbers. “They make your jaw drop,” Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman said after wrestling with his choice. “Just kind of have to give it to him.” AL CY YOUNG Earlier in the season, it seemed nobody could catch Boston newcomer Chris Sale. Cleveland ace Corey Kluber did. Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA) faded in the final two months but still racked up 308 strikeouts. Kluber (18-4, 2.25, 265 Ks) bounced back from an early injury and dominated the rest of the way. He wins his second Cy Young Award in four years, leaving Sale without one. NY CY YOUNG Hard to separate Washington ace Max Scherzer (16-6, 2.51 ERA) and Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw (18-4, 2.31), other
than the fact that Kershaw missed time with an injury. So he finished with 202 strikeouts in 175 innings to Scherzer’s 268 Ks in 200 2/3 innings. “I’d have to go Scherzer because he’s been healthy all year,” Freeman said. In this case, agreed. Scherzer gets the nod in a repeat from last year and joins Kershaw as three-time Cy Young winners. The righthander won the AL prize in 2013 with Detroit. AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR An easy ruling for Judge. NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Also a runaway, by Los Angeles Dodgers bopper Cody Bellinger. AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR Hall of Famer Paul Molitor took the wild-card Twins (8577) to the playoffs after they had the worst record in the majors last season at 59-103. That made Minnesota the first team in history to lose 100-plus games and qualify for the postseason the following year. Pretty impressive. NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR Milwaukee wizard Craig Counsell edges Colorado newcomer Bud Black and rookie skipper Torey Lovullo, who guided the Diamondbacks (93-69) to the top NL wild card after they went 69-93 a year ago.
The timing between Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Will Fuller looked crisp and practiced Sunday despite it being the first game of the year for Fuller as he had been sidelined with a broken collarbone. There's a reason why Watson and Fuller were able to connect for a pair of touchdown passes. Besides the work they got in before Fuller got hurt during training camp, they've spent a lot of time behind the scenes throwing together as the speedy former Notre Dame standout recovered from the injury. "I give our training staff credit," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "He's been able to do some drills behind the scenes. He wasn't cleared to run routes, but Deshaun would be right there with him in the stadium after hours throwing routes. "It wasn't like it was the first time they were throwing. Deshaun threw it with him quite a bit before he got injured. It wasn't the first time he caught passes from him or Deshaun threw passes to him." Fuller finished with four catches for 35 yards on six targets, scoring from 16 yards and 10 yards. "He had a good game," O'Brien said. "He's a really good route runner. He's a tough guy. Obviously, great speed. You can line him up anywhere. He knows what to do at any position. "He's a very smart player, very calm guy, never gets rattled. Just really good to have him back in there." Fuller created bigger passing lanes for Watson to throw to other players as he connected with DeAndre Hopkins for 10 catches, 107 yards and one touchdown. "I don't know what they're going to do," Fuller said. "They've got Hop on one side and me and Bruce. We're going to pick our poison and see what we can do. I still got some conditioning to catch up, but I felt good out there. Just trying to have some fun out there and play fast and put the pressure on the defense."
A8 | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Making a Murderer’ defendant Steven Avery denied new trial By Scott Bauer A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin man convicted in the killing of a woman that was the focus of the hit Netflix series “Making a Murderer” was denied a request for a new trial Tuesday. Steven Avery’s attorney said she planned to present new evidence to the court to try and revive his request after it was rejected by a state circuit judge. Avery had argued that his conviction in the 2005 death of photographer Teresa Halbach was based on planted evidence and false testimony. “We have additional test results and witness affidavits,” Avery’s attorney Kathleen Zellner said in a statement. “The scientific testing is not completed, we remain optimistic that Mr. Avery’s conviction will be vacated.” Sheboygan County Circuit Judge Angela Sutkiewicz said in her ruling that based on the evidence presented so far, Avery failed to establish grounds to warrant a new trial. Avery argued that new scientific tests cast doubt on evidence submitted at his trial, presented alternate theories about the killing and questioned motives of police. Given the totality of evidence submitted at the trial, no reasonable probability exists that a different result would be reached at a new trial, the judge said.
Netflix / AP
This image shows Steven Avery, right, in the Netflix original documentary series “Making A Murderer.”
Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel praised the decision, saying it “brings us one step closer to providing justice to Teresa Halbach’s family.” He said the Department of Justice would continue to vigorously defend Avery’s conviction. Avery, 55, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree intentional homicide in the 2005 death of Halbach, a 25year-old photographer. Avery’s nephew, Brendan Dassey, confessed to detectives he helped his uncle rape and kill Halbach at the Avery family’s salvage yard. A judge overturned Dassey’s conviction last year, ruling that investigators took advantage of the then-16year-old Dassey’s cognitive disabilities and
tricked him into confessing. The state is fighting that ruling and a federal appeals court heard arguments in the case last week. Dassey remains in custody while the appeal is pending. Both Avery and Dassey maintain their innocence. The case gained national attention in 2015 after Netflix aired “Making a Murderer,” a multi-part documentary examining Halbach’s death. The series spawned conjecture about the pair’s innocence, but those who worked on the cases accused the filmmakers of leaving out key pieces of evidence and presenting a biased view of what happened. The filmmakers defended their work and supported calls to set both Avery and Dassey free.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Holiday sales expected to rise 3.6 to 4 percent By Anne D’Innocenzio A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — A retail trade group says it expects holiday sales to at least match the 3.6 percent growth of a year ago, as job creation and improving wages should put shoppers in a mood to spend. The National Retail Federation said Tuesday it expects sales in November and December to rise 3.6 percent to 4 percent, to a range of $678.75 billion to $682 billion. It’s the first time the trade group forecast in a range rather than by a fixed percentage, because the impact of several big hurricanes is still uncertain. So far this year dozens of retail chains have filed for bankruptcy, and hundreds of stores have closed — particularly among those dependent on clothing sales. Toys R Us is reorganizing in bankruptcy as well at a critical time of year. Holiday sales account for nearly 20 percent of the annual industry sales total. But online spending is still growing strongly,
Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP
The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, at left, stands across the street from a festival grounds on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Ted S. Warren / AP
In this Sept. 13 photo, people stand near an entrance for Nordstrom Inc.'s flagship store in downtown Seattle.
which accounts for some of the optimism, and some analysts say retailers like dollar chains are still adding locations. Holiday forecasts from Deloitte, the International Council of Shopping Centers and AlixPartners have come in around the same level, ranging from growth of 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent. PwC predicts that holiday spending will rise 6 percent, but that estimate includes travel and entertainment. Other holiday forecasts exclude
restaurants and travel. The NRF forecast — which considers economic indicators such as consumer credit, disposable personal income and monthly retail sales — excludes sales from autos, gas and restaurants but includes online spending and other non-store sales like those from catalogs. It estimates that online spending and other nonstore sales will rise 11 percent to 15 percent. More and more sales are moving online, and
internet leader Amazon is increasingly exerting its influence over a huge part of the retailing world. Credit Suisse believes that there could be 8,640 store closings this year, which would surpass the 2008 peak of 6,200. But retail research group IHL says retailers are opening about 1,300 more stores in 2017 than they are closing. That’s according to its report that reviewed 1,800 retail chains with more than 50 U.S. stores in 10 areas.
Oil extends loss as industry data shows gasoline build By Jessica Summers BL O O MBE RG
Oil held on to losses after an industry report was said to show a rise in gasoline supplies. Prices extended declines in after-market trading following the release of data from the American Petroleum Institute Tuesday, which was said to show U.S. gasoline inventories rose by 4.91 million barrels last week. That would be the largest build since January if Energy Information Administration data released on Wednesday confirms it. U.S. crude inventories fell by 4.08 million barrels last week, the data showed. A build in gasoline wouldn’t be surprising as we aren’t using as much product this time of year, James Williams, president of London, Arkansasbased energy researcher WTRG Economics, said by telephone. If EIA data
confirms the build in gasoline though, it’s likely we will see a drop in product prices, he said. End-of-year demand for oil typically weakens as refiners shut units for repairs and maintenance, shunting more supplies into storage tanks. However, in the advent of Hurricane Harvey, some refiners have decided to delay maintenance projects to take advantage of strong demand for fuel and fatter profits. West Texas Intermediate for November delivery traded at $50.20 a barrel at 4:43 p.m. after settling at $50.42 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest close in more than a week. Total volume traded was about 43 percent below the 100-day average. Brent for December settlement dropped 12 cents to end the session at $56 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures
Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude traded at a premium of $5.26 to December WTI. The API report also showed distillate supplies dropped by 584,000 barrels, according to people familiar with the data, who asked not to be named because the information isn’t public. Inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub climbed by 2.08 million, the API data showed, which would be the biggest build since March if EIA data confirms it. The Bloomberg survey showed a 500,000-barrel drop in crude stockpiles, while gasoline supplies probably rose by 1 million barrels and distillate inventories slid by 1.5 million barrels. Oil stored at the key Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub probably swelled by 1.8 million barrels, according to a forecast compiled by Bloomberg.
Oil’s foray into bullmarket territory last week was thwarted this week by a report that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped more crude in September as Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and others boosted output. Officials from oil producing nations will discuss the global market and mechanisms for overseeing oil exports under OPEC’s deal to reduce production at an energy forum this week in Moscow, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said. “We’ve rallied too fast too quickly, so the market’s basically given up a little bit of this,” Michael Loewen, a strategist at Scotiabank in Toronto, said by telephone. Many market participants are taking the attitude that “I’m going to buy at $45 and I’m going to sell at $55 and I’m just going to rinse and repeat.”
Las Vegas shooting may prompt tighter hotel security By Kelvin Chan and David Koenig ASSOCIATED PRE SS
In many parts of the world, the constant fear of extremist attacks has led to tighter security measures at hotels and resorts, but that is less so in the United States, where hotels are reluctant to intrude on the privacy of guests. Security experts say the shooting attack that left at least 59 people dead in Las Vegas could lead to more cameras and more training for hotel staff. More aggressive measures such as metal detectors or X-ray screening of guests and luggage — standard for airline travel — are less likely to gain footing in the U.S. because of cost and privacy concerns. Although they are private property, hotels are notably public spaces in most of the world. In many places, luxury hotels have entrances from shopping malls, and their lobbies serve as a refuge from noisy, chaotic streets. Hotel operators in other countries are increasingly deploying armed guards, vehicle barricades, X-ray machines and other measures to reduce the risk of attack. The King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where President Donald Trump and other foreign leaders have stayed, reportedly uses infrared cameras carried by balloons and robots in sewers to search for bombs. Windows on higher floors can withstand gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, and the air
conditioning system is designed to block attacks using poison gas. The Resorts World Manila casino in the Philippines said it hired a security contractor, Blackpanda, and established new security protocols after a man with a gambling addiction carried out an arson attack in June that left 37 dead, the latest major incident in Asia. Even before the attack, visitors to Resorts World — like many other hotels, office buildings and shopping malls in Manila — were required to pass through metal detectors and have their bags Xrayed. Somehow the attacker got past hotel security with an ammunition vest and assault rifle. That was a trifling arsenal compared with the 23 guns and prodigious ammunition stockpile that 64-year-old Stephen Paddock hoarded in his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel casino overlooking the Las Vegas Strip and a packed country music festival. Attention is certain to focus on how Paddock was able to carefully prepare and stage his deadly attack on Sunday night. “My guess is we will see more security cameras at many hotels and more monitoring of people who bring many large packages to a hotel room,” said Bjorn Hanson, a professor of hospitality and tourism at New York University. “But I don’t think one event will lead to more intrusive measures” in the U.S. such as metal detectors or X-raying guests’ bags.
A10 | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL
French authorities suspect 4 of helping killer in Marseille
Vatican urges protections for kids amid porn scandal By Nicole Winfield ASSOCIATED PRE SS
By Philippe Sotto A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PARIS — French authorities on Tuesday detained four people suspected of helping a man who later stabbed to death two women in the southern port city of Marseille. In a separate case, five people remained in custody after being detained by French authorities over an apparent failed bombing attempt in an apartment building in a chic Paris neighborhood. The two developments occurred on the same day that the lower house of the French Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority a controversial security law intended to strengthen police and intelligence capacity in fighting the extremist threat. France has seen numerous attacks in recent years, including 130 killed in Paris in November 2015. The National Assembly passed the bill Tuesday by 415-127. It still has to go to the upper house and then return to the assembly for a final vote. The law would make permanent some of the measures imposed as part of a state of emergency that began just after the Paris attacks. Critics say the bill infringes on individual liberties and puts the country in a permanent state of emergency. In the Marseille probe, a judicial official said four people were detained Tuesday in the probe into Sunday’s killing of two young women at the city’s main train station. The attacker was killed by soldiers just after the stabbings, which were
Claude Paris / AP
Investigative police officers work at a body outside Marseille 's main train station Sunday in Marseille, southern France. A man with a knife attacked people at the main train station in the southeastern French city of Marseille on Sunday, killing two women.
claimed by the Islamic State group. The four are being held in custody on suspicion of criminal association in relation with a terrorist undertaking. Several locations were searched in the investigation. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under internal rules, wouldn’t give more details. Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said on France Inter radio that the assailant in Marseille had Italian residency and a valid Tunisian passport. One of the seven IDs the attacker used in previous encounters with French police was a Tunisian passport identifying him as Ahmed H. A judicial official said that authorities have determined that is the Marseille attacker’s true identity. Collomb said he has ordered an internal investigation into why the attacker had seven encounters with French police and had no residency papers, but wasn’t expelled from the coun-
try. His latest arrest was just two days before the stabbing, when he was picked up for shoplifting and released. Rome prosecutors opened their own terrorism investigation into the suspect, identified in the Italian media as Ahmed Hanachi. He had lived in Aprilia, south of Rome, from about 2006 to 2014, Italian news agency ANSA said. The area south of Rome was also where the Berlin Christmas market attacker, Anis Amri, spent about a week in July 2015 after getting out of an Italian prison. There’s no indication the two ever crossed paths, the daily La Repubblica said, without citing sources. Meanwhile in Paris, police said Tuesday that a neighbor alerted authorities to suspicious activity early Saturday in the building in the posh 16th arrondissement, or district. A judicial official said an explosive device was found and deactivated and that counterter-
rorism prosecutors have opened an investigation. He was not authorized to be publicly named discussing an ongoing case. One of the suspects was under government surveillance for radicalism. Asked to explain how someone under surveillance could carry out an attempted attack undetected, Collomb said radicals usually have “friends, networks that can carry out the act,” people who don’t show outward signs of radicalization “but are ready to help.” He said the incident shows that the threat against France remains “extremely big.” “Blowing up a building in a chic neighborhood of Paris — is this not a sign that no one is safe? This doesn’t happen just in suburbs in working class neighborhoods,” he said. Collomb also stressed the importance of the new counterterrorism law. “We are still in a state of war, even if the Islamic State group has seen military defeats,” he said.
ROME — The Vatican secretary of state urged law enforcement agencies, governments and social media sites on Tuesday to take responsibility to protect children from online sexual abuse and exploitation — a statement that came even as one of his diplomats is caught up in an international child porn investigation. Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the case of Monsignor Carlo Capella was “very painful” for all involved. Parolin said the Vatican was treating the Capella case with “utmost concern, utmost commitment” but also confidentiality to protect the integrity of the investigation. He spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a Catholic Church-sponsored conference on protecting children from online threats. Canadian police have issued an arrest warrant for Capella, accusing him of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography during a visit to an Ontario church over Christmas. He is now in the Vatican after being recalled from the Vatican’s embassy in the U.S. Vatican prosecutors have also opened an investigation into Capella’s actions. Parolin — Capella’s boss — headlined the opening of the four-day conference on protecting children online that has drawn leading researchers in public health, Interpol, the U.N., government representatives as well as executives from Facebook and Microsoft. The conference ends Friday with proposals
being presented to Pope Francis. Parolin urged participants to Parolin “regain control of the development of the digital world” to make sure children are protected, saying companies that promote and drive the digital world have a particular responsibility. “This congress must take responsibility for those minors at the world’s ‘peripheries’ of which Pope Francis continually speaks,” Parolin said. “(They) are the preferred target of networks of exploitation and of organized online violence.” Participants offered sobering statistics about the problem. Last year, Interpol identified five child victims of online abuse every day. Also last year, the Internet Watch Foundation identified more than 57,000 websites containing child sexual abuse images. Sixty percent of all that material online is hosted in Europe, said Ernesto Caffo, who founded the Italian group Telefono Azzurro, which tracks online child abuse. The conference is addressing both the harm done to children who are abused in child porn and the effects on children’s development from being exposed to online pornography. “How can we stop these terrorist attacks on the hearts of children?” asked the Rev. Hans Zollner, the conference organizer and head of the Center for Child Protection at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 |
A11
NATIONAL
NY bill would Drinking game may have ban anonymous preceded fraternity pledge’s death political ads By Michael Kunzelman ASSOCIATED PRE SS A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York would require political ads on Facebook or other social media platforms to contain the names of the people or groups paying for them under legislation proposed Tuesday amid growing scrutiny of the influence such ads had on the 2016 presidential election. Democratic state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, of Long Island, said his proposal would discourage false or misleading ads while informing citizens about those trying to influence their votes. He announced the legislation a day after Facebook turned 3,000 ads over to three congressional committees looking into Russian influence in the election, in which Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton. “Not another political ad should run on social media without voters knowing exactly who paid for it,” Kaminsky said. “It’s one thing to lie to a voter; it’s quite another to be able to do it anonymously, without any accountability. Political ads on television, in mail and new media platforms like Facebook should be transparent.” The proposed disclosure rules also would apply to mailed campaign advertisements.
Trump, a Republican, has denied getting any help from Russia in beating Clinton, a Democrat, in the election and has called reports of Russian meddling in the election a hoax.
Kaminsky’s idea has yet to provoke an organized opposition, but efforts to impose state-specific regulations on particular industries often face opposition from industry groups worried about complying with a patchwork of conflicting laws. Facebook says it’s already working to provide users with more information about political ads on its site. “We are open to reviewing any reasonable proposals,” company spokesman Andy Stone said when asked about Kaminsky’s proposal. The proposal could be taken up when lawmakers begin their 2018 session in January. Trump, a Republican, has denied getting any help from Russia in beating Clinton, a Democrat, in the election and has called reports of Russian meddling in the election a hoax. Russia has denied hacking into the U.S. election.
BATON ROUGE, La. — A Louisiana State University fraternity pledge may have been forced to drink to excess during a game or initiation ritual called “Bible Study” on the night before his death last month, according to newly released police reports. “Bible Study” meant that pledges at the Phi Delta Theta house had to drink if they incorrectly answered questions about the fraternity during a gathering the night before 18-year-old Maxwell Gruver died, LSU police said in affidavits filed in court Monday. A witness told police that Gruver was “highly intoxicated” when fraternity members laid him on a couch and left the house sometime early on Sept. 14. Around 11 a.m., members found Gruver still on the couch with a weak pulse and couldn’t tell if he was breathing, police said. Two people drove him to a hospital, where the freshman from Roswell, Georgia, died that day. Police are investigating Gruver’s death as a possible result of fraternity hazing. The fraternity’s national office said it closed the chapter after Gruver’s death. A coroner said hospital tests found a “highly elevated” blood-alcohol level in Gruver’s body. Witness statements “indicated that the pledges were forced to drink in excess. Several of the pledges stated that they
Hilary Scheinuk / AP
Louisiana State University Police are investigating a possible hazing incident at an on campus fraternity house, Phi Delta Theta, after a student was brought to the hospital overnight and later died on Sept. 14 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
received a group text message stating there would be ‘Bible Study’ at the house” at 10 p.m. on Sept. 13, a police affidavit said. Police executed search warrants at the fraternity house and at Gruver’s dorm room. Among the items seized from the fraternity house were a duffel bag filled with beer cans, bottles of liquor, a glass smoking pipe, a “pledge test,” cleaning supplies and two strands of white knotted rope, according to a search warrant return. Police also found devices that may have captured video footage inside the fraternity house “dur-
ing the times of the events,” a police affidavit says. Investigators seized a cellphone belonging to the fraternity member who sent the group text message about the “Bible Study” session. “Investigators also learned that there were several text messages sent about (Gruver’s) condition,” the affidavit said. Police also obtained a warrant to examine Gruver’s phone so they could see who he called or texted before his death. In a letter dated Sept. 21, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards asked lead-
ers of the state’s highereducation system to review their campus policies on hazing, alcohol and drugs following Gruver’s death. “One loss of life to hazing or drug and alcohol abuse is too many, and I know that you share my very serious concerns,” Edwards wrote, asking them to report their findings and recommendations to his office by Oct. 29. East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore has said police interviewed many fraternity members, but some had refused to give a statement and were hiring lawyers.
Missouri school allegedly allowed Traffic stop in Tennessee turns bullying of girl A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — The mother of a Missouri girl says in a lawsuit she filed that the St. Joseph public school district did not help her daughter when classmates bullied her and left her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Frances Keitz contends the bullying involved physical and verbal abuse, The Kansas City Star reported. She alleges that students threatened to kill her daughter or urged her to kill herself. She says it happened during the 2015-2016 school year while the girl was a student at Skaith Elementary School. The girl, who is now 13, was diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety in January 2016 and had to be hospitalized, according to the lawsuit. Keitz says in the lawsuit she frequently asked district administrators to help her daughter, but that they did nothing and school personnel “engaged in a pattern of blaming and ignoring victims of bullying.” “Defendants did not employ effective remedial measures against the harassing behavior and the bullying continued for several months,” the lawsuit states. Superintendent Robert Newhart said in a state-
ment that the concerns raised in the lawsuit were addressed and the district can’t discuss specific disciplinary action against any student. He also said the district can’t respond to specifics in pending litigation but “if we could provide additional information, you would know that this lawsuit does not provide a full or accurate account of what has transpired between Frances Keitz and the district.” Before filing the lawsuit last month in Buchanan County Circuit Court, Keitz was banned from the school grounds after she began attending school with her daughter. She alleges in her lawsuit that the district has made it difficult to remove her daughter so she can be taught at home. The district says an administrative hearing officer retained as part of a separate federal lawsuit the district filed over education plans for Keitz’s daughter reviewed Keitz’s complaint on that issue and found in the district’s favor. “The district has already prevailed once on claims brought by Mrs. Keitz, which is a reminder that there are two sides to every story, and that the allegations of a lawsuit are not proof that anything improper actually occurred,” Newhart said.
up assault rifles, 900 rounds ASSOCIATED PRE SS
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Federal agents are trying to determine why a man pulled over for speeding in Tennessee was carrying a cache of weapons including two subEdmisten machine guns and 900 rounds of ammunition. Deputies found Scott Edmisten, 43, of Johnson City, carrying a .357caliber Magnum, a loaded .45-caliber semi-automatic, a .223-caliber fully automatic assault rifle, a .308-caliber fully automatic assault rifle, more than 900 rounds of ammunition, and survival equipment, Washington County Sheriff Ed Graybeal said. Graybeal asked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to help investigate, since the automatic weapons aren’t registered and lack serial numbers. He told The Johnson City Press that Edmisten had apparently modified the AR rifles to make them automatics. “Anytime you have several firearms and
Washington County Sheriff’s office / AP
In this undated photo, a cache of weapons is displayed in Johnson City, Tennessee. Federal agents are trying to determine why Scott Edmisten, a man pulled over for speeding in Tennessee, was carrying a cache of weapons including two submachine guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
several hundred rounds of ammunition in a vehicle, that always causes a concern,” said Michael Knight, an ATF spokesman. Authorities still haven’t determined why Edmisten was carrying all that firepower, but they “don’t see a connection” to recent mass shootings, Knight said. The arrest came a day after Stephen Paddock killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 in Las Vegas, firing down on a music festival crowd
from a high-rise hotel suite. Some of the 23 guns in the suite were equipped with devices that enable a rifle to fire continuously, like an automatic. “It’s not connected to any of the other national incidents, but timing obviously was a concern,” Knight said. Knight said investigators are tracing where Edmisten’s weapons came from. “Our priority is reducing violent crime on the front end, so that’s the
other thing we’re looking at, along with motive: Were these items going to be used for a criminal act or were they just being transported from one area to another area?” Graybeal said Edmisten threatened his arresting officer and lunged toward investigators trying to question him. He’s jailed without bond on charges of possessing prohibited weapons, speeding, and felony evading arrest. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.
Man accused of killing ex-girlfriend then fleeing testifies A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
BANGOR, Maine — A man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend before leading police on the longest manhunt in state history demonstrated the sequence of events as they unfolded the night of the killing using a replica gun and a mattress taken into the courtroom on Tuesday. Robert Burton tearfully told
jurors he never intended for anyone to get shot when he wrested a handgun from the victim, and he narrated as he acted out his version for them. Defense lawyers say Burton shot Stephanie Ginn Gebo, 37, in self-defense with her gun after she shot him in the shoulder. Prosecutors maintain Burton, 40, acted out of jealousy. A medical examiner says
Gebo was shot in the back. Burton spent two months in the woods near his home before turning himself in. Closing arguments and jury deliberations were set for Wednesday. During his testimony, Burton said he and Gebo reconciled after breaking up and talked about the future in June 2015. He told jurors he’d thought about binding the victim with
duct tape and forcing her to tell him about relationships with other men. But he said he thought better of it. He said he climbed into Gebo’s home in Parkman through a bedroom window with her permission. Using the gun and mattress, he described how Gebo pulled a gun from underneath her pillow, shot him through a pillow and told him she was going to
kill him “and get away with it.” He said he acted in self-defense and didn’t realize that he’d been shot until he fled the scene and ran into the woods. He turned himself in after 68 days. Law enforcement officials say Gebo feared her former boyfriend and bought the gun for protection. They said Gebo shot Burton when he climbed into a window but he wrested the gun from her.
A12 | Wednesday, October 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
ABORTION From page A1
DREAMERS From page A1
Arrivals, an Obama-era program that has provided temporary work permits and deportation relief to some 800,000 immigrants brought here illegally as kids. Pelosi and Schumer had trumpeted an agreement with the president after emerging from their own White House dinner last month, saying that he had agreed to codify existing DACA protections and to back a broader legislative solution called the DREAM Act that could cover around twice as many immigrants. But Republicans at Monday night’s dinner said the president denied any such deal, and made clear he was focused narrowly on a solution for DACA recipients. “The president was very clear we’re dealing with DACA,” said McCarthy, R-Calif. “He was very clear the difference between Dreamers and DACA.” Trump announced last month he was ending the DACA program and giving Congress six months to come up with a fix. The president has suggested he could revisit the issue if Congress doesn’t come up with a solution in time, but administration officials testifying before the Sen-
DISASTER From page A1 books to permit the program to pay claims from hurricane victims. Almost $13 billion is being requested for FEMA, and federal firefighting accounts would receive $577 million as well to replenish them after a disastrous season of Western wildfires. “This is going to be
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
Immigrant rights supporters gather at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 26. The groups and allies are demanding that Congress pass a 'Clean Dream Act' that will prevent the deportation of Dreamers working and studying in the U.S., and reform legalization of those with Temporary Protection Status who came to the U.S. fleeing natural disasters or civil wars.
ate Judiciary Committee Tuesday said that immigrants’ temporary work permits would begin to expire absent congressional action, and they would become subject to deportation. Pelosi and Schumer’s claims of an agreement last month were contested at the time by Republican leaders who insisted the White House had told them there was no deal. And McCarthy and Sen.
Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who was also at the White House dinner, said the president and Chief of Staff John Kelly repeated the assurance to them in person. “There’s no deal. President Trump said there’s no deal. John Kelly, who attended that dinner, said there’s no deal,” Cotton said. “So there has to be a negotiation that occurs, in the House, in the Senate.”
extraordinarily expensive and I think we need to get some money out there,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he had met with lawmakers from Texas and Florida on Tuesday to brief them on the White House request. “Remember, this is emergency money. You’ve
got to deal with the problem,” McCarthy told reporters. “So I think we’ll be able to get this done.” The request could prove controversial, especially the huge infusion into the flood insurance program. Conservatives are likely to liken it to a taxpayer bailout, but the program is enormously important to homeowners in hurricane-ravaged Texas and Florida, as well as other coastal states.
B. Anthony List. Trump first supported a 20-week abortion ban in September 2016, during the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he was working to consolidate conservative support. Antiabortion activists argue the bill is justified by emerging scientific research indicating that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks, though the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has not endorsed those findings. The vast majority of abortions are performed earlier in pregnancy, according to federal statistics, but activists have long focused attention on what they call “late term” abortions. In a letter circulated to antiabortion activists by the Susan B. Anthony List, Trump pledged to sign a 20-week abortion bill into law if he became president, which he said “would end painful lateterm abortions nation-
CONGRESS From page A1
that Republicans, who control Congress as the majority in the House and Senate, remain opposed to new legislation to clamp down on the purchase or ownership of firearms or related devices like those believed to be used by the Las Vegas shooter. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky warned Tuesday that it was "inappropriate to politicize" the issue while Americans were mourning lives lost and the investigation was continuing. "It’s premature to be discussing legislative solutions, if there are any," McConnell said. House Speaker Paul D.
wide.” In that letter, Trump also promised to defund Planned Parenthood, nominate justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who are opposed to abortion, make the Hyde Amendment permanent law and “advance the rights of unborn children and their mothers when elected president.” Trump rarely discussed abortion on the campaign trail and did little to promote his stance on the 20-week abortion bill, with his campaign declining to even authenticate the September 2016 letter. The House passed the bill 237 to 189. Similar bills passed a Republican-controlled House in 2013 and 2015 but did not emerge from the Senate. Democratic leaders did not bring the bill up for a vote in 2013, and when GOP leaders brought it up in 2015, it did not clear a key procedural vote. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee,
called the bill a “waste of precious time” Tuesday. “Let me be clear: This bill is as dead on arrival in the Senate,” she said, “just like it was the last time Republicans tried to pander to their extreme base by playing this particular political game with women’s health.” Abortion rights groups and Democratic lawmakers panned the legislation ahead of its passage, arguing it is based on faulty science and contains no exception if a pregnancy would threaten a mother’s health. They also said the rape and incest exceptions are too narrow and that the bill is likely unconstitutional under existing Supreme Court rulings. Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, characterized the bill as an attempt “to mollify an agitated base and avoid Donald Trump’s ire at the lack of legislative action under Republican leadership.” “Women making these difficult decisions need medical professionals, not tone deaf legislation,” she said in a statement.
Ryan, R-Wis., said the shooting was a reminder of the importance of mental health services. He defended legislation passed by Congress earlier this year to roll back an Obama-era requirement for gun background checks for those who have a mental health conditions for which they receive Social Security disability benefits. "Protecting people’s rights was very important," Ryan said. "And that - that’s what that issue was all about." Congress this year has been considering legislation that would loosen gun ownership restrictions, particularly a measure that would eliminate a $200 transfer fee on silencers. Supporters say silencers help protect the hearing of hunters and
others using firearms, but opponents warn that easier access could worsen the impact of a mass shooting. The silencer legislation is part of a broader bill, the Sportsman’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, or SHARE, backed by the NRA, that also would allow gun owners to carry registered firearms across state lines and in national parks. The bill has not been scheduled for a vote, and Ryan did not indicate Tuesday it would be shelved, as Democrats have urged Republicans to do after the Las Vegas shooting. "That bill’s not scheduled now. I don’t know when it’s going to be scheduled," Ryan told reporters.