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WHITE HOUSE
Traffic fatalities on the rise Deaths rose 5.6 percent last year By Joan Lowy A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Traffic fatalities rose 5.6 percent last year, with the biggest spikes in pedestrian and motorcyclist deaths, the government said Friday. There were 37,461 people killed on U.S. roads in 2016 as Americans continue to drive more, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. That’s the highest number of deaths since 2007. The fatality rate was 1.18 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, a 2.6 percent increase from the previous year. Traffic deaths have been increasing since late 2014, as gas prices have fallen and people started driving more. In 2016, the total number of miles driven in the U.S. rose 2.2 percent. Last year’s increase in deaths follows an 8.4 percent surge in deaths in 2015. The last time the U.S. had similar back-to-back increases of that magnitude was more than five decades ago. Pedestrian deaths last year hit their highest level since 1990, with 5,987 people killed. That figure represents a 9 percent increase from the previous year. Motorcyclist deaths were up 5.1 percent, reaching their highest level — 5,286 killed — since 2008. Together, they accounted for more than a third of the increase in fatalities compared with 2015. Pedestrians “are unprotected and, in most cases, outnumbered,” said Deborah Hersman, CEO of the National Safety Council. “We must not forget that the risks we are all facing extend to the sidewalks, too,” she said. “Everyone deserves safe passage, and these numbers are yet another indication that we must do more to keep each other safe.” Bicycle deaths increased only slightly, 1.3 percent, but were at their highest number — 840 killed — since 1991. Deaths related to distracted and drowsy driving declined. Those declines were more than offset by other dangerous beTraffic continues on A10
Trump celebrates Hispanics Addressed his love, support for Puerto Rico ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday played with the pronunciation of Puerto Rico as he saluted Hispanic Heritage Month at the White House. Trump drew out the name in an accented fashion three times — “Pueeeeerto Rico” — telling the crowd, “We love Pueeeeerto Rico.” Then he said it without any accent: “And we also love Puerto Rico.” That got a laugh from the crowd of Hispanic leaders gathered in the East Room of the
White House, and Trump’ s other statements of support for the recovering U.S. territories drew cheers. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were walloped last month by Hurricane Maria and are struggling to recover. Trump visited Puerto Rico this week, and Vice President Mike Pence toured St. Croix on Friday and was headed for Puerto Rico as well. Trump has rankled Hispanics with his tough immigration policies, including building a border wall between the United Hispanics continues on A10
Mark Wilson / Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump is flanked by Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, left, and first lady Melania Trump, right, as he speaks to guests gathered in the East Room to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, on Friday in Washington, D.C.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
OBAMA-ERA PLAN TO SLOW GLOBAL WARMING RESCINDED
Branden Camp / AP
In this June 3 photo, the coal-fired Plant Scherer, one of the nation's top carbon dioxide emitters, stands in the distance in Juliette, Georgia. The Trump administration intends to roll back the centerpiece of former President Barack Obama’s efforts to slow global warming, seeking to ease restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.
EPA’s new proposal to be made public within days By Matthew Daly ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is moving to roll back the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s efforts to slow global warming, seeking to ease restrictions on
greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. In a plan expected to be made public in coming days, the Environmental Protection Agency declared the Obamaera rule exceeded federal law by setting emissions standards that power plants could not
reasonably meet. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the 43-page document, which underscored President Donald Trump’s bid to revive the struggling coal industry. The EPA’s new proposal would make good on Trump’s
campaign pledge to unravel Obama’s efforts to curb global warming and follows Trump’s promise to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris climate agreement. Nearly 200 countries have committed to combat global warming EPA continues on A10
HEALTH CARE
Employers may opt out of providing birth control By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and David Crary A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is allowing more employers to opt out of providing no-cost birth control to women by claiming religious or moral objections, issuing new rules Friday that take another step in rolling back the Obama
health care law. Employers with religious or moral qualms will also be able to cover some birth control methods, and not others. Experts said that could interfere with efforts to promote modern longacting implantable contraceptives, such as IUDs, which are more expensive. The new policy was a long-anticipated revision
to Affordable Care Act requirements that most companies cover birth control as preventive care for women, at no additional cost. That Obamaera requirement applies to all FDA-approved methods, including the morning-after pill, which some religious conservatives call an abortion drug, though scientists say it has no effect on women who are already
pregnant. As a result of the ACA, most women no longer pay for contraceptives. Several advocacy groups immediately announced plans to try to block the Trump administration rule. “We are preparing to see the government in court,” said Brigitte Amiri, a senior attorney for the ACLU. Catholic bishops called the administration’s move
a “return to common sense.” Trump’s religious and moral exemption is expected to galvanize both his opponents and religious conservatives who back him, but it seems unlikely to have a major impact on America’s largely secular workplaces. “I can’t imagine that many employers are going to be willing to certify
that they have a moral objection to standard birth control methods,” said Dan Mendelson, president of the consulting firm Avalere Health. That said, Mendelson said he worries the new rule will set a precedent for weakening ACA requirements that basic benefits be covered. “If you look at it as a public health issue, it is a step in Health continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, October 7, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, OCT. 7
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
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.
Today is Saturday, Oct. 7, the 280th day of 2017. There are 85 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On Oct. 7, 1977, the Queen double-A single "We Are the Champions" (by lead singer Freddie Mercury) and "We Will Rock You" (by lead guitarist Brian May) was released in the United Kingdom by EMI Records.
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 Christian Palma / AP
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.
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.
A member of the media displays an image of slain Mexican journalist Edgar Daniel Esqueda Castro, in protest, before the start of a press conference in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on Friday.
BODY OF JOURNALIST FOUND IN MEXICO MEXICO CITY — The body of a journalist was found Friday in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosi one day after armed men wearing uniforms abducted him from his home, authorities said. Edgar Daniel Esqueda Castro, a freelance photographer, had reported threats and intimidation by detectives from the state prosecutor’s office in July. It was that same body that the state human rights commission had asked to protect him.
Mexico’s ex-first lady leaves party, hints at election run MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s former first lady Margarita Zavala announced Friday she is resigning from the conservative National Action Party, known as the PAN. Zavala is the wife of ex-President Felipe Calderon, who governed from 2006 to 2012. She had announced her intention to run for the party’s presidential nomination, but
State prosecutor’s office spokesman Ivan Ojeda said Esqueda’s body was found near a San Luis Potosi airport. On Thursday, the prosecutor’s office denied that its detectives had taken Esqueda from his home, though it said the armed men had claimed to be from its force. “We have various lines of investigation in the case,” Ojeda said Friday. “We’re not ruling out anything.” — Compiled from AP reports
found herself in open conflict with party leader Ricardo Anaya, who also wants the nomination. In a video Friday, Zavala accused the party’s current leadership of cancelling internal elections and said they had “handed the party’s most important decision to others.” That was an apparent reference to last month’s announcement of an alliance between the PAN and center-left Democratic Revolution Party for the July 2018 presidential elections. Zavala did not mention
Anaya by name, but the two have had public, heated exchanges recently. In the video, she said PAN leaders “have imposed anti-democratic conditions that we criticized for so long in the PRI,” referring to the long-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party. Zavala hinted she might run for the presidency outside her party but was not clear, saying only “I resign from the PAN, but not from my duty to participate in politics.” — Compiled from AP reports
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.
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.
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.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8 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.
AROUND THE NATION ICE official: Agency will begin arresting in California workplaces SAN FRANCISCO — In another sign of escalating tensions between President Donald Trump’s administration and California, the nation’s top immigration official said Friday his agency will have “no choice” but to arrest immigrants who are in the country illegally in California’s neighborhoods and worksites. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will also likely have to place immigrants arrested in California in out-of-state detention centers, ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan said in a statement. Homan’s comments came a day after Gov. Jerry Brown signed bill SB54, or sanctuary state legislation. Starting Jan. 1, police will be barred from asking people about their immigration status or participating in federal immigration enforcement activ-
Jeff Chiu / AP
In this Jan. 25 photo protesters hold signs as they listen to speakers at a rally outside of City Hall in San Francisco.
ities. Jail officials only will be allowed to transfer inmates to federal immigration authorities if they have been convicted of certain crimes. “Ultimately, SB54 helps shield removable aliens from immigration enforcement and creates another magnet for more illegal immigration, all at the expense of the safety and security of the very people it purports to protect,” Homan warned.
Federal immigration officials already carry out sweeps targeting immigrants in sanctuary cities and transfer many of their detainees to out-of-state facilities. In his signing statement, Brown noted the bill does not stop ICE from operating in California. His office declined to comment further on the ICE statement Friday. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Body found hidden in rig suspected in immigrant smuggling FALFURRIAS, Texas — U.S. Border Patrol agents found a body concealed in a tractortrailer rig three days after the truck was seized in an immi-
grant smuggling case. A Border Patrol statement says the body was found Friday inside the cab of the 18-wheeler stopped Tuesday at the Border Patrol’s Falfurrias Checkpoint on U.S. 281, about 70 miles north of McAllen, Texas. The initial seizure included the arrest of a smuggling suspect and rescue of a male Mexican national who was locked in
the closet of the cab sleeping compartment. The Brooks County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death. The Border Patrol statement did not indicate the gender of the deceased nor how the body went undetected for three days. A follow-up request of the patrol for further details drew no response. — Compiled from AP reports
On this date: In 1765, the Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to draw up colonial grievances against England. In 1849, author Edgar Allan Poe died in Baltimore at age 40. In 1858, the fifth debate between Illinois senatorial candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas took place in Galesburg. In 1916, in the most lopsided victory in college football history, Georgia Tech defeated Cumberland University 222-0 in Atlanta. In 1929, former Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall, one of the main figures of the Teapot Dome scandal, went on trial, charged with accepting a bribe from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny. (Fall was found guilty and served nine months in prison; Doheny was acquitted at his own trial of offering the bribe Fall was convicted of taking.) In 1954, Marian Anderson became the first black singer hired by the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York. In 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy and Republican opponent Richard Nixon held their second televised debate, this one in Washington, D.C. In 1982, the Andrew Lloyd WebberTim Rice musical "Cats" opened on Broadway. (The show ended its original run on Sept. 10, 2000, after a then-record 7,485 performances.) In 1985, Palestinian gunmen hijacked the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in the Mediterranean. (The hijackers killed Leon Klinghoffer, a Jewish-American tourist, before surrendering on Oct. 9.) In 1991, University of Oklahoma law professor Anita Hill publicly accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of making sexually inappropriate comments when she worked for him; Thomas denied Hill's allegations. In 1992, trade representatives of the United States, Canada and Mexico initialed the North American Free Trade Agreement during a ceremony in San Antonio, Texas, in the presence of President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Ten years ago: In a race run in scorching heat that left one man dead because of a heart condition, Kenya's Patrick Ivuti won the Chicago Marathon by a fraction of a second; another 250 runners were taken to hospitals because of heat-related ailments. Five years ago: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won re-election for the third time. (Chavez died in March 2013 at age 58 after a two-year battle with cancer; he was succeeded by Vice President Nicolas Maduro.) One year ago: The U.S. accused Russia of hacking American political sites and email accounts in an effort to interfere with the upcoming presidential election and also directly accused Russia of war crimes in Syria; Moscow dismissed the allegations. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, receiving a big boost in his efforts to save an agreement seeking to end his country's half-century conflict. Today's Birthdays: Retired South African Archbishop and Nobel Peace laureate Desmond Tutu is 86. Author Thomas Keneally is 82. Comedian Joy Behar is 75. Actress Jill Larson is 70. Country singer Kieran Kane is 68. Singer John Mellencamp is 66. Rock musician Ricky Phillips is 66. Russian President Vladimir Putin is 65. Rock musician Tico Torres (Bon Jovi) is 64. Actress Christopher Norris is 62. Recording executive and TV personality Simon Cowell is 58. Rock musician Charlie Marinkovich (Iron Butterfly) is 58. Country singer Dale Watson is 55. Pop singer Ann Curless (Expose) is 54. Rhythm-and-blues singer Toni Braxton is 50. Rock singermusician Thom Yorke (Radiohead) is 49. Rock musician-dancer Leeroy Thornhill is 48. Actress Nicole Ari Parker is 47. Actress Allison Munn is 43. Actor Omar Benson Miller is 39. Neo-soul singer Nathaniel Rateliff (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats) is 39. Actor Shawn Ashmore is 38. Actor Jake McLaughlin is 35. Thought for Today: "An egotist is a person of low taste — more interested in himself than in me." — Ambrose Bierce, American author-journalist (1842-1914?).
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 7, 2017 |
A3
STATE
Thousands line up for food benefits after Harvey By Juan A. Lozano ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Jay Janner / AP
In this July 11 photo, Austin police Ford utility vehicles are parked on East Eighth Street outside police headquarters in Austin, Texas.
Repaired Austin police SUV flunks carbon monoxide test A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — A Ford Explorer SUV that the auto company repaired for a return to service with the Austin police department has again been pulled off the street because exhaust containing carbon monoxide was seeping into it, the city’s police chief said Friday. Ford Motor Company responded by defending its repairs and saying it has yet to receive all the details about the new problem. Interim Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said that during a test of three repaired SUVs, one tested positive for carbon monoxide. The officer driving it was treated by medical personnel, but didn’t require hospitalization. The story was first reported by The Austin American-Statesman. A police department spokeswoman subsequently confirmed the chief’s comments for The Associated Press. Ford spokeswoman Elizabeth Weigandt said Friday in an emailed
statement that, “Ford was not provided with information on the levels of CO detected but we are ready to inspect any vehicle.” She also said the automaker has “been happy to collaborate with” Austin police on repairs and added: “The methods and parts we’ve utilized to repair Austin’s vehicles have worked well to address the concern.” Austin police pulled nearly 400 Explorers off patrol in July because of carbon monoxide concerns. Police departments across the country use Explorers and several also took them out of service. Ford has previously blamed the issue on nonfactory outfitters that drill holes into police SUVs to install extra equipment like lights and radios. But Ford was also investigating why many non-police consumers have also complained to the automaker and the government about exhaust fumes — which contain odorless, colorless carbon monoxide as well as sulfur and other chemicals — in their vehicles.
HOUSTON — Thousands of Houston-area residents still recovering from financial hardships caused by flooding from Harvey nearly six weeks ago lined up outside the city’s convention center on Friday to meet the application deadline for state disaster food relief benefits. Residents like Fayne Manuel who waited for hours in a line that snaked around the convention center and under a highway said the assistance will help them feed their families as they continue making up for lost wages and unexpected expenses due to Harvey. “I don’t have the resources to go and just do full on grocery shopping because once Harvey went over, I still had to pay so many things to try to catch up and replace and to get back to anywhere near normal,” said Manuel, 43, a medical supply delivery driver who didn’t work for two weeks and whose home was flooded after Harvey inundated the Houston-area with days of rainfall in late August. “This right here will help suffice what I lost.” Like Manuel, many who stood in line brought foldable chairs, umbrellas and water bottles as they waited to apply for benefits from the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP, at
the George R. Brown Convention Center, which during Harvey was used as a shelter that housed up to 10,000 people. D-SNAP is part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the federal nutrition program formerly known as food stamps, that lets individuals buy food at grocery stores and other locations. D-SNAP provides shortterm benefits for eligible families recovering from a natural disaster. Eligibility is based on household size and meeting income guidelines. Applicants must also be from a county that has been declared a federal disaster area. More than 260,000 individuals in Harris County, where Houston is located, have applied for the benefits. Wayne Salter, associate commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services, said D-SNAP will help people who might not have applied for such benefits before, but after Harvey now need some help because they “had to divert the amount they would have spent for food to repair the roof or meet insurance deductibles.” The average amount a household of four will get under the program is $1,298. The amount a household gets is a one-time award. Individuals who receive SNAP benefits and who are in a county declared a di-
saster area got an increase in their benefits due to Harvey. Normally, the state spends about five days taking such applications after a natural disaster but because of Houston’s size, officials have spent 15 days accepting applications in Harris County, Salter said. Houston is the nation’s fourth-largest city. Friday was the last day to apply for D-SNAP in Harris County. Most of the 39 counties declared federal disaster areas after Harvey have closed their application periods. The application deadline was extended by a day in Harris County due to longer than expected lines at many of the locations, including some community centers, which had been accepting applications through Thursday. Salter said officials had sufficient staff at these locations but some of the long lines were due to the logistics of the centers. “We prepared for the masses. But always, you don’t know what you are going to have until you show up and you open the doors,” Salter said. Elizabeth Johnson, 37, who works at Home Depot, said the benefits will be “a huge help” and that they are an important part of helping families like hers who were flooded recover from Harvey. “Don’t be afraid to ask ... accept the help,” she said.
Austin replaces Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin officials have voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. The Austin AmericanStatesman reports that Austin City Council voted Thursday to change Mon-
day’s holiday to one that celebrates Native Americans. The resolution says honoring Christopher Columbus’s role in history promotes values of intolerance and violence. The resolution says the city must oppose racism toward Native Amer-
icans, which can lead to inequality. The resolution says many cities have changed the holiday’s name in an effort toward healing and reconciliation. Seattle, Denver, Albuquerque and Los Angeles have also recently renamed the holiday, which is ob-
served on the second Monday in October. Interim City Manager Elaine Hart says Columbus Day will no longer be featured on city calendars. The resolution also encourages Austin Public Schools to teach Native American history.
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Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, October 7, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Uncertainty about Pelosi may cause problems for party By Jonathan Bernstein BL O O M BE RG
Tim Ryan’s challenge to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi last year had no chance of seriously threatening her position because the bulk of the Democratic caucus is more liberal than him. But a new one from California’s Linda Sanchez taking aim at Pelosi, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and Assistant Minority Leader James Clayburn could prove quite serious indeed. Sanchez is a mainstream liberal, and she’s already on the leadership ladder as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. That Sanchez is willing to publicly call for change suggests at least that she believes there is widespread sentiment among House Democrats that new blood is needed, and that saying so out loud will help her chances of moving up. As Congress scholar Josh Huder says: "The fact a California Democrat is taking this public stand is noteworthy. This push against Pelosi may be strong enough to push her out." The blunt truth is that Nancy Pelosi, despite her considerable overall strength as a party leader in the House, has failed in one important way: She hasn’t made any plans for her succession. And Hoyer and Clyburn haven’t been helpful, either. This was becoming clear after the 2016 elections, but unless there’s more going on than has been reported, Pelosi has wasted the last year without doing anything about it. And now it could start to become a problem for Pelosi and for the Democrats in general. Uncertainty about her future can make it more difficult to hold the party together. Meanwhile, semi-open jockeying among various candidates for the top positions could wind up becoming a distraction, with hopefuls trying to one-up each other to score points within and outside the caucus. Some of that can be perfectly healthy. For example, if leadership candidates work harder at raising money for 2018 House campaigns, it’s could mean more overall fundraising for Democrats. But it could also get awkward, or worse, with leadership candidates potentially trying to differentiate from each other on ideological grounds, or even just if personal relationships are strained between the current leadership and
The blunt truth is that Nancy Pelosi, despite her considerable overall strength as a party leader in the House, has failed in one important way: She hasn’t made any plans for her succession.
various members who aspire to replace them. The truth is Democrats don’t have much experience with this. For almost 90 years, when the top Democrat in the House needed to be replaced, the secondranked Democrat took over. There have been contested spots within the leadership, but nothing like the possibility of a fully open upcoming slate. The good news for Pelosi is that her current job is the easiest of the four congressional party leaders: The House minority just can’t do too much most of the time, and it’s not too difficult to keep them united. And it’s still not too late. Pelosi certainly appears to be well-respected within the House Democratic caucus, and she’s also well-liked and wellrespected by Democratic party actors outside of the House. If she puts some sort of succession process into effect, she certainly might be able to keep Democrats united as they enter into an election year, and prevent too much chaos after it. She might even be able to prolong how long she keeps her own position if she can assure the caucus that it’s not an indefinite hold on the office, although it’s certainly possible it’s too late for that. As it is, Democrats have a real possibility of winning a House majority next November only to sabotage it with a set of bitter leadership fights immediately after the election, followed by a Congress in which an unusually inexperienced leadership team has to guide what would likely be a very small majority. Pelosi should have acted long ago, or at least last November - but having failed then, it’s time for her to do something about her caucus’s future as soon as possible, before the future runs right over her. Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist.
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. 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.
COMMENTARY
Five myths about gun violence By Daniel Webster, Jon Vernick, Cassandra Crifasi and Beth McGinty WASHINGTON P O ST
With the killing of 58 and the wounding of hundreds in Las Vegas last weekend, Americans are once again debating gun violence. Adding to the passion and the entrenched political and economic interests that make that conversation so intense are a number of myths - about how much violence there is, what causes it and how to prevent it. Here are some of the most stubborn. Myth No. 1 Gun violence in the United States is at an all-time high. Then-candidate Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 with a speech that described a country besieged by violence. He said that President Barack Obama “has made America a more dangerous environment than frankly I have ever seen.” Earlier this year, Trump declared the U.S. murder rate to be “the highest it’s been in, I guess, 45 to 47 years.” Half of Americans in a Pew Research Center poll said gun violence is “a very big problem” today, with 59 percent of nongun-owners saying the same. Indeed, data from the FBI indicates an alarming 32 percent increase in the number of homicides committed with firearms from 2014 to 2016. The number of robberies and aggravated assaults committed with firearms increased by 17 percent over that time. The number of people shot in mass shootings has also risen sharply in the past 12 years. Yet the current rate of firearm violence is still far lower than in 1993, when the rate was 6.21 such deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 3.4 in 2016. The high rate in the early 1990s was linked to a variety of conditions, most notably the emergence of a large and violent market for crack cocaine. It’s too early to determine the causes of recent increases in gun violence or whether the upward trend will continue. Myth No. 2 Background checks save lives, research shows.
The number of people shot in mass shootings has also risen sharply in the past 12 years. Yet the current rate of firearm violence is still far lower than in 1993, when the rate was 6.21 such deaths per 100,000 people, compared with 3.4 in 2016.
The concept of universal background checks enjoys rare broad support in the debate over gun violence: consistently at or near 90 percent. Large majorities of Republicans and Democrats favor the expansion of background checks to private sales and gun show sales, according to Pew. And there is solid research indicating that laws that keep guns out of the hands of high-risk individuals, such as domestic abusers and people convicted of violent crimes, reduce violence. But there is no research indicating that background check laws as they currently exist save lives. Research suggests that the federal Brady Law, which mandates background checks for firearm sales but exempts sales by private parties, has not been strong enough to reduce homicide rates. There is no compelling, peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness of extending background check requirements to private sales - unless those requirements are paired with a permitting or licensing system for purchasers. Research does indicate that state laws requiring background checks via a permitting system reduce the diversion of guns for criminal use, homicides and suicides, and may lower the risk of police officers being shot in the line of duty. Only 10 states and the District of Columbia require permits for handgun purchasers; eight states require background checks for private sales but do not require permits. Myth No. 3 Mental illness is behind most gun violence against others. National opinion polls show that the majority of Americans believe that mental illness, and the failure of the mentalhealth system to identify those at risk of dangerous behavior, is an important
cause of gun violence. Many politicians agree, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said Tuesday that “one of the things we’ve learned from these shootings is often underneath this is a diagnosis of mental illness.” Research says otherwise. Only an estimated 4 percent of violence against others is caused by the symptoms of serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Impulsivity, anger, traumatic life events such as job loss or divorce, and problematic alcohol use are all stronger risk factors for gun violence. Research also shows that mental-healthcare providers are poor predictors of which patients will go on to harm others. Further, most people with mental illness will never become violent, and most gun violence is not caused by mental illness. But mental illness is a strong risk factor for firearm suicide, which accounts for the majority of gun deaths in the United States. While improving America’s mental-health system would benefit millions of people with mental illness, it would not substantially reduce gun violence against others. Myth No. 4 Right-to-carry laws decrease crime. Supporters of right-tocarry laws, which require the issuance of concealedcarry handgun permits to applicants who meet the criteria, often argue that carrying guns makes the public safer: The person with a gun will be able to prevent an attack or take down an active shooter. The economist John Lott argued in his book “More Guns, Less Crime” that right-to-carry laws are correlated with decreases in violent crime. Yet the most comprehensive study on the effects of these laws found that violent crime rates
increased with each additional year such a statute was in place, presumably as more people were carrying guns. By 10 years after the adoption of a right-to-carry law, violent crime rates were 13 to 15 percent higher than predicted had such laws not been in place. Additionally, armed civilians are rarely able to deter or interrupt various crimes or even mass shootings. In fact, in only four of the 111 mass shooting incidents analyzed by researcher Louis Klarevas did an armed civilian stop a mass shooting in progress. A separate FBI analysis revealed that unarmed civilians are more than 20 times as likely to end an active shooting than are armed civilians (excluding armed security guards). Myth No. 5 Mass shootings are random. High-profile tragedies like those in Las Vegas, where a motive has yet to emerge, and in Aurora, Colo., tend to support the popular notion that mass shootings are random that there’s no connection between the killers and the targets. “Another day, another massacre, and once again it’s a gunman targeting strangers in a public place for no obvious reason,” read one Washington Post article on a mass shooting at a Louisiana movie theater in 2015. But in fact, most mass shootings are directed at a specific person, group or institution against which the perpetrator has a grievance. A Huffington Post analysis of mass shootings between 2009 and July 2015 found that 57 percent of the incidents involved a perpetrator’s current or former intimate partner or a family member, and 70 percent occurred in private dwellings. While mass shootings in public spaces that kill and wound dozens or even hundreds of people receive plenty of media attention, smaller-scale gun violence occurs with far too much regularity in the United States, claiming nearly 100 lives every day. Most killers, including those who perpetrate mass shootings, aren’t trying to murder strangers but are targeting people they know well.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 7, 2017 |
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CRIME Man cleared of killing 2-year-old daughter A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
FORT WORTH, Texas — Prosecutors dropped a capital murder charge against a Texas man accused in the death of his 2-year-old daughter after investigators learned her then-5-year-old brother said he caused her death, authorities said Thursday. Anthony Michael Sanders, 33, was accused of smothering his daughter, Ellie Mae, at their home in the Fort Worth suburb of Watauga in 2015. Investigators be-
lieved Sanders held his hand over her mouth, possibly out of anger for interrupting his computer games. Jailed since April 2016, Sanders denied responsibility. He said he found his daughter not breathing after his son reported she wouldn’t wake up. Prosecutors learned in August that the boy, now 7, told his mother he was responsible, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported . She didn’t believe her son but decided to tell authorities
about the claim. Investigators say the boy cried as he told them that he accidentally rolled a heavy pillow onto his sister’s face while they played and that he was unable to move it. He said the pillow had something zipped inside that made it heavy. At one point the child told investigators that he hadn’t told anyone else about the circumstances of the death because he was “afraid that he would get in trouble.” Court records indicate
the boy made a reference during a counseling session a year or two ago that he “killed his sister,” but the counselor didn’t address the statement and the boy wasn’t asked why he said it. Tim Moore, Sanders’ defense attorney, said his client was “elated” that the charge was dismissed. An arrest warrant affidavit had stated the girl had bruises on her body and other injuries, but Moore said Sanders isn’t responsible and will not face any new charges.
Woman gets prison for death of newborn A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ABILENE, Texas — A Texas woman will serve a life sentence after she was convicted by a jury of capital murder in the death of her newborn daughter.
The jury in Abilene deliberated for about five hours before convicting 20-year-old Amber Craker on Thursday. She also was found guilty of tampering with evidence following the January 2016 death of Ashley Cate.
Craker at one point last year was found incompetent to stand trial and ordered to a state hospital. Prosecutors say the child was stabbed with a knife shortly after birth. They say Craker later arrived at an Abilene
hospital severely bleeding. Police went to her home and found the infant’s body hidden inside. Craker’s fiancé, Damian Cate, is charged with murder in the case. His trial is scheduled for January.
Miguel Roberts / AP
A relative weeps outside Valley Baptist Medical Center where 32-year-old Brownsville resident German Ornelas was pronounced dead Thursday.
Knife-wielding man shot dead by Brownsville police ASSOCIATED PRE SS
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A knife-wielding man has been killed by police who said they were attacked by the man at a house near downtown Brownsville. The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting that happened about 11 a.m. Thursday. A Brownsville Police Department spokesman says department officers went to the house to
serve a burglary warrant and found 32-year-old German Ornelas in a back room, brandishing a knife. A police statement says Ornelas defied orders that he drop the knife and attacked the officers, who shot him. No officers were reported as injured. Police spokesman J.J. Trevino says several officers have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
Sports&Outdoors A6 | Saturday, October 7, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Packers, Rodgers visit Cowboys as Prescott seeks 2016 magic Dallas looking to avoid matching last season’s three losses in Week 5 how to get back to that. We are going to do it.” Things to consider in the sixth meeting over five seasons for these frequent playoff opponents, including a pair in the postseason won by the Packers:
By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ARLINGTON, Texas — Aaron Rodgers has experience with what Dak Prescott is going through in his second year as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. It was last year, in fact, for Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers — before they beat the Cowboys on the road in a divisional playoff on their playmaking quarterback’s improbable completion that set up the winning field goal. Green Bay rebounded from a 4-6 start to reach the NFC championship game, losing to Atlanta. This year, Prescott and the Cowboys (2-2) are just a loss shy of their total from the remarkable debuts of the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and league rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott. To avoid matching the three losses from last year just five games into 2017, the Cowboys will have to beat Rodgers and the Packers (3-1) on Sunday on the same field where Rodgers’ long completion to Jared Cook on third-and-20 set up Mason Crosby’s 51-yard field goal as time expired in Green Bay’s 34-31 win in January. “That’s kind of the key for us is to stay focused on our job and not kind of ride the roller coaster of emotions when things are going great or when things are struggling a little bit,” Rodgers said. “Just trusting the process and that’s what
THE HAUNTING Cowboys linebacker Justin Durant pursued Rodgers as he rolled toward the sideline on the decisive throw to Cook, unable to get to the scrambling quarterback because of offensive lineman Lane Taylor on a play Durant said “should never happen.” “I didn’t even watch the tape afterward,” Durant said. “I was at an event or something with some people and they’re running the game back on NFL Network. I’m like, ‘Man, c’mon.’ Guess you’ve got to just learn from it.”
Louis DeLuca / The Dallas Morning News file
Dak Prescott passed for 548 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions in two matchups with Green Bay last season.
we did last year at 4-6, just knowing we had the guys, we just needed to execute a little better.” Rodgers had his 16th game with at least four touchdowns and no interceptions since 2008 in a 35-14 win over Chicago in Week 4. Prescott had three TD passes in a 35-30 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but the focus was on three straight punts to start the
second half, followed by his third interception of the season after he threw four as a rookie. Plus, the Cowboys couldn’t hold an 11-point lead in a game they were expected to win. “We are not taking y’all’s input or fans input into perspective, what they are seeing we are not doing,” Prescott said. “We know what we are doing when we are doing it the right way to click. So we know
TOGETHER AGAIN? The Packers could be closer to getting their starting offensive line back on the field at the same time. Left tackle David Bakhtiari (hamstring) and right tackle Bryan Bulaga (ankle) have each missed time to injuries, leaving Green Bay having to rely on a patchwork front in the win over Chicago. They played well, but the Packers are at their best with Bakhtiari and Bulaga. SPEAKING OF PATCHWORK The Cowboys have had a shuffle of defensive players,
most recently with All-Pro linebacker Sean Lee (hamstring) missing the LA game. Lee is likely to be a game-time decision, but LB Anthony Hitchens should make his season debut after a preseason knee injury. His return could mean a rotation with Jaylon Smith, who played more than expected the first four games of his career because of the Hitchens injury. IN THIS CORNER Green Bay cornerback Kevin King appears to have secured a starting job five games into his rookie season. At 6-foot-3, King has the size the Packers want for press coverage against receivers such as Dez Bryant. Veteran Davon House could also be nearing a return after missing time with a quad injury. How coach Mike McCarthy uses Damarious Randall bears watching after he was benched in the second half against the Bears over an “internal matter.” SO THAT EXPLAINS IT The Packers are 3-0 at the $1.2 billion home of the Cowboys: two wins over Dallas and the 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh in the 2011 Super Bowl. The first thing that comes to mind for coach Mike McCarthy is the locker rooms. “They’re big,” he said. “It’s the biggest head coaching locker room I’ve ever seen in my life. Everybody here could fit in there. So you have things like that.”
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
Coming off big win, Texans face test in undefeated Chiefs game of his career. O’Brien was impressed with how he performed in his first game back. “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 every position. Very smart player. Very calm guy. Never gets rattled. Just really good to have him back in there.”
By Kristie Rieken A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans are feeling good after scoring a franchise-record 57 points in a win over the Tennessee Titans last week. Now they’ll see if they can keep things up offensively when they face the NFL’s only undefeated team in the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. The Texans (2-2) understand they can’t rest on what they did last week. “There were a ton of good things in the game,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “I think our players deserve all the credit. They played very well in the game, but there’s a lot to clean up before we get to ... Sunday night.” Much of Kansas City’s early success can be attributed to the stellar play of veteran quarterback Alex Smith . He’s tied for third in the NFL with eight touchdown passes and is one of three regular starters yet to throw a pick, along with the Patriots’ Tom Brady and the Saints’ Drew Brees. Good company. He is also completing more than 76 percent of his throws, resulting in a league-best 124.2 passer rating. “He’s everything you want as a coach,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “This is what we have confidence in, players, coaches, we all have confidence that he does this.” Smith is prepared for a
Tim Warner / Getty Images
Deshaun Watson passed for 283 yards with four touchdowns and an interception last week and ran for another 24 yards and a score leading the Texans to a franchise record for points in a 57-14 win over the Titans.
challenge this week in facing a Texans defensive front featuring J.J. Watt and 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. The quarterback is still plenty worried about Watt despite the fact he doesn’t have a sack four games into the season after missing the last 13 games last year after back surgery. “I know the numbers might not be there statwise as far as sacks and things like that, but the plays still show up on film,” Smith said. “He’s tough to block, almost impossible at times ... just extremely disruptive
up there. He’s a guy that can wreck a game if given the opportunity.” While the Chiefs (4-0) have an experienced quarterback playing some of his best football in years, the Texans will counter with rookie Deshaun Watson, who has excelled since taking over midway through the opener and is coming off his best game. It’s no surprise to Reid that Watson has played so well early after watching his work last season when he won a national championship at Clemson. “What he did at Clem-
son was what we thought he would do here,” Reid said. “But he’s a tremendous football player. He’s got some good players there around him and he’s utilizing them.” Some things to know about the Chiefs-Texans game: SUCCESSFUL STREAK The Chiefs have won 12 straight AFC West games and 26 of their last 30 overall, the best mark in the NFL in that span. They’ve also been successful against the Texans in recent meetings, going 3-1 since 2013. The
biggest win in that span came when they embarrassed the Texans at home with a 30-0 win in the AFC wild-card game in 2015. FULLER FLOURISHES Houston’s offense got a boost last week from the return of receiver Will Fuller. Fuller made his debut against the Titans following missing the first three games after breaking his collarbone early in camp. The firstround pick in 2016 had touchdown receptions of 16 and 10 yards for the first multi-touchdown
HAPPY HUNTING Running back Kareem Hunt has become a fantasy football darling, not to mention one of the Chiefs’ biggest stars, and suddenly the rookie out of Toledo is catching attention everywhere he goes. That tends to happen when you lead the NFL in rushing, yards from scrimmage and a slew of other statistical categories. “I mean, a lot of people trying to reach out to you,” Hunt said, “and a lot of people end up recognizing you wherever you go if you go to the store or out to eat, anything like that. It’s just a lot more people.” KELCE’S STREAK Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has caught at least one pass in 52 straight games. He has 10 career 100-yard receiving games, including two this season capped by 111 yards receiving in a win over the Redskins on Monday night. The Texans know how big a weapon he can be after he piled up eight receptions for 128 yards in that playoff win in 2015.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 7, 2017 |
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.
Recaudación de fondos 1 El Club de Leones de Zapata estará vendiendo platillos de carne asada para recaudar fondos el sábado 7 de octubre en el Zapata County Community Center, 605 N. US HWY 83, de 11 a.m. a 2 p.m. Costo 8 dólares por platillo.
TAMAULIPAS
Capturan a Eugenio Hernández Enfrenta cargos de peculado y lavado de dinero AS S O C I AT E D P R E S S
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — Las autoridades arrestaron el viernes a un ex gobernador de un estado del norte de México acusado de corrupción. El ex gobernador de Tamaulipas Eugenio Hernández Flores fue arrestado en la capital estatal, Ciudad Victoria, informó el fiscal anticorrupción estatal Javier Castro Or-
maechea. Hernández, quien fungió como gobernador hasta 2010, Hernández contaba con una orden de aprehensión liberada el pasado 4 de octubre de 2017 por el Juzgado Segundo de Primera Instancia Penal de Ciudad Victoria, por
cargos de peculado y de operaciones con recursos de procedencia ilícita, en relación con la adquisición de un inmueble de 1.600 hectáreas (4.000 acres) en el puerto de Altamira. La Fiscalía Especializada en Combate a la Corrupción ejercitó acción penal el 28 de septiembre y solicitó la orden de aprehensión en contra de Eugenio Hernández
Flores. Desde enero de 2012, las autoridades mexicanas dijeron que investigaban a funcionarios públicos de Tamaulipas. Hernández y otros dos ex gobernadores que surgieron del mismo partido político reconocieron entonces que eran objeto de la pesquisa, pero negaron haber cometido delito alguno. Hernández Flores, fue ingresado al Centro de
PUERTO RICO Y MÉXICO
RECOLECTAN VÍVERES PARA DAMNIFICADOS
T I E M P O D E ZA PATA
Agradecimiento a Personal de Primeros Auxilios
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 1 La caminata Walk All Over Cancer! se llevará a cabo el sábado 21 de octubre. Caminata iniciará en Citizens State Bank y terminará en el Centro Comunitario de Roma.
Pago de impuestos 1 Realice pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, 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 956246-7177.
Subsidio beneficia a jóvenes de Zapata E S P E C I A L PA R A
Roma Fest 2017
Festival Nuevo Santander
Ejecución de Sanciones de Ciudad Victoria la mañana del viernes luego de ser detenido en la capital del estado de Tamaulipas. Castro se negó a proporcionar más detalles sobre la investigación en curso. El predecesor de Hernández, Tomas Yarrington, fue arrestado en Italia este año y está en proceso de extradición.
SCAN
1 Festival Roma Fest 2017 “Decades”, el domingo 8 de octubre desde las 5 p.m. Desfile inicia en el Citizens State Bank.
1 Girls Scouts invita a todas las fuerzas del orden de Zapata, personal del Departamento de Bomberos y Gestión de Emergencias al segundo Día de Agradecimiento anual a Personal de Primeros Auxilios el sábado 14 de octubre de 2017 en IBC Annex de 9 a.m. a 11 a.m.
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César G. Rodriguez / Laredo Morning Times
El Fiscal de Distrito Isidro R. "Chilo" Alaniz junto con la Asociación de Transportistas de Laredo, empresas locales de logística y transporte han organizado una colecta de víveres llamada ‘Sin Fronteras’ en beneficio de las víctimas del terremoto en México y las víctimas de huracanes en Puerto Rico. Los artículos podrán ser entregados en tres puntos de recolección localizados en las tiendas Walmart ubicadas en 5610 San Bernardo Ave., 2615 N.E. Bob Bullock Loop y 4401 S. U.S. 83. La colecta continuará hasta las 7 pm del sábado 7 de octubre.
COLUMNA
Duque con turbias filias Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TI E M P O D E ZA PATA
Justo a mitad del siglo XX visita México el duque de Windsor. Hasta el noreste extremo llega en viaje de placer. Generosos recibimientos le tributan las elites locales. Acaso encandiladas, por alto pasan ciertos antecedentes del personaje, que ponen los pelos de punta. Lujos Eduardo nace príncipe. La reina Victoria de Inglaterra es bisabuela suya. A mayor detalle, con él abre descendencia el rey Jorge V. Salvo por los pellizcos que a escondidas le da abusiva niñera, crece lejos de incomodidades ordinarias. Primogénito real, la corona del imperio lo aguarda. Termina ciñéndosela en 1936. Fallecido el padre, sube al trono como Eduardo VIII. Pero dura apenas meses. Y todo por matrimoniarse con la estadounidense Wallis Simpson, recién divorciada para colmo. En medio del escándalo, al cabo de las nupcias abdica hacia fines de 1936. Sucediéndolo, el hermano Jorge VI lo vuelve duque de Windsor, sujeto a determinadas limitantes. Bien financiado y en compañía de Wallis, pasea cuanto quiere: Portugal, España, Francia… Parece disgustarle que le encomienden gobernar las
Bahamas, considerándolas de plano “colonia británica de tercera clase”. Tras separarse de la gubernatura, entre lujos alterna estancias placenteras en París y Nueva York, dispensándoles espléndidos tratos a sus perros carlinos. Tren El presidente Miguel Alemán Valdés transforma mientras a México en gran destino turístico. Ello atrae miradas del ex monarca y de la plebeya consorte. Si les faltaren motivos para hacer las correspondientes maletas, pronto encuentran uno a pedir de boca, pues deciden ambos convertirse en padrinos de Manuela Ávila Camacho López. Junior político, este último recibe fino reloj, que celosamente atesora. Transcurre 1950. De manera previsible dicho apadrinamiento propicia gratos recorridos por el país. Dejándose agasajar, el matrimonio acepta cortesías al respecto. En Monterrey aborda el Fer-
rocarril del Golfo. Declinante el invierno, de pasada ven Ciudad Victoria, capital tamaulipeca. Breve escala realizan los Windsor en Tampico el lunes 13 de febrero de 1950. Ante micrófonos radiofónicos agradecen “las múltiples atenciones recibidas”, informa El Porvenir. Caída la noche –según el diario regiomontano–, concurren “a la recepción de rigurosa etiqueta que les ofrece el doctor Juan Gómez Sariol, administrador de la Aduana” Marítima del puerto. Aunque “un coronel […] y algunos oficiales y soldados” discriminan a los reporteros, trasciende “que fue exquisita la cena servida y la asistencia reducidísima, dadas las restricciones impuestas”. Amanecido el martes, Eduardo y Wallis prosiguen a la Ciudad de México, deteniéndose lo indispensable en Valles, SLP, el tren privado que los traslada. Remordimientos Nada importa por lo
visto el pasado turbulento de aquellos huéspedes. Admiradores del nacionalsocialismo, durante 1937 se hacen presentes en Alemania, donde el duque pasa revista a los temidos escuadrones de la SS. Tanto aprecio gana allá, que a directivos germanos compunge la abdicación de Eduardo. “Con él hubiéramos podido llegar a una alianza”, declara Joseph Goebbels, ministro de propaganda nazi. Al rendirse Berlín, el marido de Wallis critica en público las “posturas teatrales” de Adolfo Hitler. Guarda silencio en cambio sobre Oswald Mosley, fallido émulo británico del führer. Reinante, “Eduardo VIII pensó […] nombrarlo primer ministro” en 1936, dice Manuel Florentín. Y explica: “Amigo desde joven del [otrora] príncipe heredero, […] de conocidas simpatías pronazis”, Oswald y él “mantendrían […] amistad toda la vida: era muy común que los Mosley fueran a cenar a la casa de los Windsor en París”. Qué irónico. En la entonces reciente Segunda Guerra Mundial, pese a la neutralidad de su bandera resultan torpedeados varios buques mexicanos y numerosos tripulantes civiles mueren. Los cobardes ataques provienen del III Reich, al que la mentada pareja adulaba sin remordimientos.
El congresista Henry Cuéllar anunció junto a la presidenta y CEO de la organización SCAN Isela Dabdoub y el vicepresidente de SCAN Christopher Craddock la obtención de dos subsidios federales por un total de 1.973.630 de dólares. Estos subsidios harán posible ampliar los esfuerzos actuales de SCAN para proporcionar servicios contra el abuso de sustancias y prevención del VIH a jóvenes de entre 13 y 17 años y adultos jóvenes entre 18 y 24 años en los condados Webb, Zapata y Star. "Estos fondos y programas federales son una gran inversión para mantener comunidades saludables a lo largo de la frontera", dijo el congresista Cuéllar. "Es una de mis prioridades como congresista de los Estados Unidos aportar recursos federales para mantener a nuestra gente segura, sana y próspera. Creo que debemos continuar proporcionando servicios de extensión y prevención”. Además del asesoramiento tradicional, servicios de tratamiento de abuso de sustancias y manejo de casos, SCAN utilizará estos fondos para crear un grupo de trabajo de prevención mediante la contratación de trabajadores de salud de la comunidad, adultos jóvenes, mentores y otras figuras clave que serán capacitadas para reconocer el vínculo entre abuso de sustancias y VIH y hepatitis viral, y así desarrollar estrategias de prevención eficaces. Durante el transcurso de cinco años, SCAN utilizará estos fondos para proveer manejo de casos, consejería, educación de habilidades para la vida y referencias a proveedores de servicios comunitarios, tales como médicos y centros de fuerza de trabajo. El programa también proporcionará refugio a 125 jóvenes y jóvenes adultos y a otros 125 individuos con servicios integrales no residenciales.
A8 | Saturday, October 7, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT ‘Blade Runner 2049’: A reboot that works By Anousha Sakoui BL O O M BE RG
Hollywood’s practice of mining classic films for remakes and sequels has led to several disasters, from “Ben-Hur” to “Ghostbusters.” But a new “Blade Runner” film has a shot at paying off for the team of studios and financiers who helped will it into existence. “Blade Runner 2049,” opening this weekend, continues the dystopian sci-fi story of Harrison Ford’s Los Angeles cop, Rick Deckard, following up on the 1982 film directed by Ridley Scott. The sequel takes a big risk by revisiting a cult classic that’s revered as a mas-
terpiece. It’s distributed by Warner Bros. and Sony, which co-financed the project along with the film companies of Fedex founder Fred Smith and mining magnate Frank Giustra. There are signs that the gamble will pay off. Shawn Robbins, the chief analyst at Box Office Pro, has ratcheted up his domestic ticket sales forecast by about 20 percent on positive buzz and Oscar talk after private screenings and marketing efforts. His concerns have subsided that the R-rated movie might be too esoteric for casual film fans. Robbins now estimates an opening weekend of $54 million, in line with mainstream releases this
James Woods says he’s retiring from film ASSOCIATED PRE SS Stephen Vaughan / AP
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Ryan Gosling in a scene from “Blade Runner 2049.”
year such as “War for the Planet of the Apes” and “Cars 3.” “It doesn’t feel like the kind of sequels they make these days,” Erik Davis, managing editor at ticketbooking site Fandango, said of “Blade Runner 2049.” By delving into the world of artificial intelligence and the role of technology in human life, the film “is more relevant now than when it first came out,” he said. That is music to the ears of Time Warner
Inc.’s Warner Bros., which has the North American rights. The Burbank, Californiabased studio is enjoying a stronger run at the box office this year, with the hit “Wonder Woman” and the critical darling “Dunkirk” making up for disappointments such as “The Lego Ninjago Movie” and “King Arthur.” If “Blade Runner” does well this weekend, it could open the door for further films set in the same world.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Oscar-nominated actor James Woods says he’s retiring from the entertainment industry. The news was included in a press release issued by Woods’ real estate agent offering Woods’ Rhode Island lake house for sale. Allen Gammons said Friday that Woods is 70 and wants to relax. He says the actor’s brother and mother recently died, and he hopes to spend more time on passions including photography, antiquing and poker.
Woods is known for his conservative political views and has said Woods that’s made it tough to find work in Hollywood. Gammons said Woods’ decision was not political. Actress Amber Tamblyn last month said Woods tried to pick her up when she was 16. Woods called it a lie on Twitter. Gammons said Woods declined to comment Friday when asked about Tamblyn’s accusation.
Artists use talents for Puerto Rican hurricane relief By Mark Kennedy A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda released a new original song Friday to raise money for Puerto Rican hurricane relief and he’s enlisted some of the biggest Latin stars in music to help. “Almost Like Praying” features Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Camila Cabello, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis Fonsi, John Leguizamo and Rita Moreno, among many others. All proceeds from the download and stream go to The Hispanic Federation’s disaster relief fund . “I was like every Puerto Rican with ties to the island, with family on the
island. We all had a terrible few days of silence. For some, those days were Miranda weeks,” Miranda told The Associated Press. “For me, that helplessness turned into, ‘OK, well what can I write that will help? Can I write a tune that we can monetize?”’ Miranda said he made an a cappella demo in a bathroom in Austria — where he was on vacation — and sent it to Atlantic Records, enlisting help. The subsequent recording process took a breathtaking 72 hours and took him to studios in New York City, Los Angeles and Miami to link up with the music stars. “Everyone
said yes and then it became the logistics of getting everyone recorded,” he said. The song borrows from “Maria,” the classic song from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s “West Side Story” and Miranda said the song popped into his head after the hurricane by the same name devastated Puerto Rico on Sept. 20. The song’s lyrics list all of the 78 towns of Puerto Rico. Miranda said he didn’t want inland and mountainous communities to be ignored as bigger cities get power and food. “This song is designed so that those towns never feel forgotten again,” he said. “I cannot wait for Puerto Ricans to hear Luis Fonsi sing the name of their town or J.Lo to
sing the name of their town.” One verse turned out to be exceedingly hard to get. Miranda reached out to the rapper PJ Sin Suela but never heard back. Sin Suela finally answered on Saturday, saying he was on the island and had just gotten power. He offered to help and Miranda asked if there was a studio nearby where he could record a verse. Sin Suela found one in San Juan and recorded the verse but couldn’t get enough bandwidth to email it to Miranda. Estefan, who was flying to Puerto Rico the next day on a relief mission, volunteered to pick it up. On Monday night, while Miranda was working on the song in Miami, Estefan sent him a photo of
her holding a memory stick — containing the missing verse. “Everyone cried, we were in tears. We screamed, ‘We got this verse out of Puerto Rico!”’ said Miranda. “That gives you an example of the effort and the cooperation involved.” Also featured on the song are Ruben Blades, Pedro Capo, Dessa, Juan Luis Guerra, Alex Lacamoire, Ednita Nazario, Joell Ortiz, Anthony Ramos, Gina Rodriguez, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Tommy Torres and Ana Villafane. (Ricky Martin and Daddy Yankee were too busy with relief efforts to join in). “Everyone is doing their part. I’ve never seen such mobilization in my life,” Miranda said. The Tony, Emmy and
Grammy-winning Miranda has long used his megaphone for social causes, including asking Congress to help dig Puerto Rico out of its debt crisis, performing at a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton on Broadway, lobbying to stop gun violence in America and teaming up with Jennifer Lopez on the benefit single “Love Make the World Go Round.” Miranda has been critical of President Donald Trump’s response to Hurricane Maria but had nothing but praise for the ordinary Americans who have sent diapers, baby formula, batteries and money and other aid to the island. Many communities there are still waiting for power and clean water.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, October 7, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Hurricanes cause rare monthly job loss
Goodbye: AOL Instant Messenger to be discontinued By Patrick Mairs ASSOCIATED PRE SS
By Christopher Rugaber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — A pullback in U.S. hiring last month resulting from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma will likely prove short-lived, with a resilient job market pointing to gains in the coming months. The unemployment rate fell to a fresh 16-year low of 4.2 percent, from 4.4 percent, the Labor Department said Friday in its September jobs report. The proportion of Americans with jobs rose to a nearly nine-year high. And even longdormant wage growth showed signs of picking up. The economy lost 33,000 jobs last month — the first monthly loss in nearly seven years — as the hurricanes closed thousands of businesses in Texas, Florida and other parts of the Southeast. Yet hiring is widely expected to rebound in coming months as companies reopen and bring back workers and construction firms ramp up repair and renovation work. Previous natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005, also inflicted short-term job losses that were followed by intensified hiring. “The labor market remains in good shape,” said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial. “The job losses were due to disruptions from hurricanes, not underlying weakness in the economy.” Outside of hurricanehit areas, many Americans found work. The number of people describing themselves as unemployed fell to 6.8 million, the fewest since
LM Otero / AP
In this March 10 photo, job seekers look at their respective computer screens during a resume writing class at the Texas Workforce Solutions office in Dallas.
March 2007, before the Great Recession began. That sign of health makes it appear all but certain that the Federal Reserve will raise its benchmark short-term interest rate in December. According to data from the CME Group, investors now foresee an 88 percent chance of a Fed rate hike then. Fed Chair Janet Yellen has said she expects pay raises to accelerate as unemployment declines. That, in turn, might lift inflation closer to the Fed’s annual 2 percent target level if companies raised prices to pay for higher salaries. Last month’s drop was driven by huge losses in restaurants and bars, which accounted for 105,000 fewer jobs, a sign of the damage to Florida’s tourism industry. Overall, roughly 1.5 million people were unable to work last month because of the weather, the government said, the most in 20 years. Hourly workers who
couldn’t work because of the storms last month and missed a paycheck would have been counted as not working in the government’s survey of businesses, thereby lowering September’s job total. That’s true even if those employees returned to work after the storm passed or will return. The unemployment rate fell because it is calculated with a separate survey of households. That survey counted people as employed even if they were temporarily out of work because of the storms. In fact, the proportion of adults who have jobs rose to 60.4 percent, the highest since January 2009. That’s a sign that the low unemployment rate is pulling more Americans off the sidelines and back into the job market. During the recession and the sluggish recovery that followed, many people gave up searching for work.
U.S. oil rig count declines by 4 this week A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. declined by four this week to 936. That’s up from the 524 rigs that were active a year ago. Houston oilfield services company Baker
Hughes said Friday that 748 rigs sought oil and 187 explored for natural gas this week. One was listed as miscellaneous. Among major oil- and gas-producing states, Oklahoma gained three rigs and Colorado added one. Texas lost three rigs, Pennsylvania and Wyo-
ming lost two each, and Louisiana shed one rig. Alaska, Arkansas, California, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah and West Virginia were unchanged. The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in May of 2016 at 404.
AOL announced Friday that it is discontinuing its pioneering Instant Messenger chat platform after 20 years of service. An article on AOL’s website posted Friday says AOL Instant Messenger will be discontinued on Dec. 15. In a blog post , a spokesman for AOL’s parent company explained the platform’s demise as the casualty of the evolving way people communicate. “AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed,” wrote Michael Albers, vice president of communications at Oath. The program will still function until Dec. 15 After that date, users won’t be able to sign in and all data will be deleted. AOL says people with an aim.com email address will still be able to use it. Launched in 1997, AOL Instant Messenger was at the forefront of what was called at the time the biggest trend in online communication since email. The platform, which provided instant access to friends and contacts on a user’s “buddy list,” was wildly popular for the first few years after its launch. It claimed more than 100 million registered users in 2001. AOL was fiercely protective of its dominance in the instant messaging market. It fended off rivals, including Microsoft, by blocking their messaging platforms from communicating with AOL users. Its
Axel Heimken / AP
In this 2010 photo, an AOL logo is seen in the company's office in Hamburg, Germany. AOL announced Friday that it will discontinue its once-popular instant messenger platform on Dec. 15.
actions prompted a coalition of rivals to complain to the federal government ahead of AOL’s ill-fated merger with Time Warner that was completed in 2001. Its popularity as a communication tool waned amid the rise of text messaging, Google Chat and social networking sites. Despite the decline in usage, the announcement Friday made the platform a trending topic online and revealed an outpouring of nostalgia. Some users posted images of the AIM’s famous “running man” logo outfitted with wings and a halo. Others reminisced. In his post, Albers noted the strong affinity many feel for the messaging platform and its place in the evolution of communication. “In the late 1990s, the world had never seen anything like it,” he wrote.
Oil market posts biggest weekly drop since May By Jessica Summers BL OOMBERG
Oil took a downward turn as concerns eased about Tropical Storm Nate’s threat to offshore crude platforms and coastal refineries while prices broke through a key technical barrier. Futures slipped 3 percent in New York, bringing this week’s decline to the steepest since May. While BP Plc, Chevron Corp. and other explorers cleared workers from the Gulf of Mexico and refiners in Louisiana braced for Nate to make landfall, forecasters don’t expect the storm’s strength or track to menace most energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, the U.S. benchmark closed below its 200-day moving average, a key technical level. Nate is expected to veer “away from generally the bulk of production, so you have the corresponding pull-back here” in prices, said Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York. Meanwhile, traders who focus
on chart movements and other technical analysis interpreted crude’s drop through its 200-day moving average as a “sell signal.” Oil’s brief rally into bull-market territory last month is fading from memory amid an OPECled effort to whittle away a global glut stretching back to late 2016. Output from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries increased last month and Libya restarted its biggest oil field. Meanwhile, U.S. crude output reached a two-year high in the most recent government data. The U.S. still has a supply overhang that needs to be worked off and on top of that, the world’s biggest economy is entering a season of the year when fuel demand typically weakens, Tariq Zahir, a New York-based commodity fund manager at Tyche Capital Advisors LLC, said in a telephone interview. “I wouldn’t call it a glut but I would definitely call it still oversupplied.” West Texas Intermedi-
ate for November delivery tumbled $1.50 to settle at $49.29 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest level in three weeks. The U.S. benchmark posted a 4.6 percent weekly decline. Total volume traded was about 3 percent above the 100-day average. Brent for December settlement declined $1.38 to end the session at $55.62 on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude traded at a premium of $5.97 to December WTI. Nate is on track to strike near New Orleans overnight Saturday. The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port stopped offloading operations. Shell shut its Mars, Ursa, Olympus and Ram Powell platforms and ConocoPhillips said it would evacuate staff from its Magnolia installation. Phillips 66’s Alliance refinery was preparing to shut ahead of the storm while Shell was said to have reduced operating rates at its Norco location. Both plants are in Louisiana.
A10 | Saturday, October 7, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER EPA From page A1 by reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. The EPA won’t prescribe an immediate replacement to the plan, but will seek public comment on whether to curb climate-warming emissions from coal and natural gas power plants. A spokeswoman for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt declined to comment Friday on the authenticity of the leaked document but said the Obama administration “pushed the bounds of their authority so far” that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay to prevent the Clean Power Plan from taking effect. “Any replacement rule that the Trump administration proposes will be done carefully and properly within the confines of the law,” EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said. The Obama administration’s cost-benefits analysis of the Clean Power Plan was “highly uncertain” in multiple areas, Bowman said, vowing that the Trump administration will present a range of scenarios to the public “in a robust, open and transparent way.” Obama’s plan was designed to cut U.S. carbon dioxide emissions to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The rule dictated specific emission targets for states based on powerplant emissions and gave officials broad latitude to
HISPANICS From page A1
States and Mexico, and he drew sharp criticism for his initial response to the toll Maria took on Puerto Rico. Critics have said the president was slow to recognize the magnitude
decide how to achieve reductions. The Supreme Court put the plan on hold last year following a legal challenge by industry and coal-friendly states. Even so, the plan has been a factor in a wave of retirements of coal-fired plants, which also are being squeezed by lower costs for natural gas and renewable power and state mandates promoting energy conservation. Repealing the Clean Power Plan without a timeline or a commitment to propose a rule to reduce carbon pollution “isn’t a step forward, it’s a wholesale retreat from EPA’s legal, scientific and moral obligation to address the threats of climate change,”’ said former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. While the Supreme Court has concluded that EPA is obligated to regulate greenhouse gases, “this administration has no intention of following the law,” said McCarthy, who led the EPA when the Clean Power Plan was completed. “They are denying it just as they are denying the science. They’re using stall tactics to defer action, ignoring the courts and the demands of the American people.” Industry groups cheered the planned repeal, saying it would reverse regulatory overreach by Obama and McCarthy. “The Clean Power Plan represented an unlawful attempt to transform the nation’s power grid ... and raise costs on American consumers,” said
Hal Quinn, president and CEO of the National Mining Association. The Obama-era plan would have sharply reduced the number of coal-fired plants, making the grid more vulnerable to reliability concerns and increasing costs with “trivial environmental benefits,” Quinn said. The new plan will save an estimated 240 million tons of annual coal production and safeguard more than 27,000 mining jobs and almost 100,000 additional jobs throughout the supply chain, he said. In the leaked document, the Trump administration argues that repealing the Clean Power Plan could spare an estimated $33 billion in compliance costs in 2030, arguing that the Obama administration overstated the rule’s potential health benefits. Previously, the EPA had estimated that by 2030 the Clean Power Plan would prevent 90,000 asthma attacks and up to 3,600 premature deaths a year. The leaked document casts doubts on those numbers and says the EPA plans to perform updated modeling and analysis of health benefits and other impacts of the rule. Liz Perera, climate policy director for the Sierra Club, said repealing the Clean Power Plan “is about one thing and one thing only: helping corporate polluters profit.” The plan was first reported by Bloomberg News.
of the hurricane’s impact early on and has overstated the effectiveness of federal recovery efforts. Last month, Trump signed a proclamation marking Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. In the proclamation, Trump mentioned that Hispanic-
owned small businesses are the fastest growing businesses in America. He moved from behind the microphone Friday to hug a Medal of Honor recipient in the crowd, and said that 60 Latinos in the Armed Forces have been awarded the Medal of Honor.
Hawaii files motion to challenge third travel ban ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HONOLULU — Lawyers representing Hawaii in the state’s long-running fight against Trump administration travel bans filed a motion Friday seeking to challenge the latest version of the policy. The state asked a federal judge to lift his order halting the state’s previous lawsuit, so it can file an amended lawsuit targeting Trump’s third travel ban. The latest travel ban removes Sudan from the list of affected countries and adds Chad and North Korea, along with several officials from the government of Venezuela. It’s scheduled to take effect Oct. 18. “Hawaii fought the first and second travel bans because they were illegal and unconstitutional efforts to implement the president’s Muslim ban,”
TRAFFIC From page A1 haviors, including speeding, alcohol impairment and not wearing seat belts, the safety adminis-
HEALTH From page A1 the wrong direction, and it weakens the protections of the ACA,” he said. Tens of thousands of women could be affected by Trump’s policy, but the vast majority of companies have no qualms about offering birth control benefits through their health plans. Human resource managers recognize that employers get an economic benefit from helping women space out their pregnancies, since female workers are central to most enterprises. The administration
Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the third travel ban is more of the same.” The motion said the new version of travel ban “flouts the immigration laws’ express prohibition on nationality discrimination, grossly exceeds the authority Congress delegated to the president, lacks any rational connection to the problems it purports to address and seems to effectuate the president’s promise to ban Muslims from the United States.” Chin has been battling President Donald Trump on travel bans since February, after the president sought to bar new visas for people from seven mostly Muslim countries. The state later amended that lawsuit to add a plaintiff: the imam of a Honolulu mosque. Hawaii has roughly 5,000 Mus-
lims. When Trump revised the ban, Chin amended the lawsuit to challenge that version. In March, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu agreed with Hawaii that the ban amounted to discrimination based on nationality and religion. A subsequent U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed the administration to partially reinstate a 90-day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and a 120-day ban on refugees from anywhere in the world. The court’s ruling exempted a large number of refugees and travelers with a “bona fide relationship” with a person or entity in the U.S. Hawaii successfully challenged the federal government’s definition of which family members would be allowed into the country.
tration said. Data on fatalities attributed to distracted or drowsy driving have limitations. The information is drawn from police reports, but it’s not always obvious to police if a
driver was distracted or fell asleep. Also, if it’s clear that a driver was at fault in a crash, police may not investigate further to determine if the driver was distracted or drowsy.
estimated that some 200 employers who have already voiced objections to the Obama-era policy would qualify for the expanded opt-out, and that 120,000 women would be affected. However, it’s unclear how major religion-affiliated employers such as Catholic hospitals and universities will respond. Many Catholic hospitals now rely on an Obamaera workaround under which the government pays for the cost of birth control coverage. That workaround can continue under the new rules. Since contraception became a covered preven-
tive benefit, the share of women employees paying with their own money for birth control pills has plunged to 3 percent, from 21 percent, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation figures. “It was really important for women to have a choice of the full range of contraceptive methods that were FDA-approved,” said Alina Salganicoff, director of women’s health policy for the Kaiser foundation. “This will now make it up to the employer whether or not to cover contraception, and whether to cover all methods.”