The Zapata Times 1/10/2018 by The Zapata Times

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ZAPATA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

ZAPATA COUNTY

Hit-and-run incident Authorities need community’s assistance to solve crash case By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S

The Zapata County Sheriff’s Office needs the community’s assistance in a hit-and-run case that occurred Jan. 1. in the area of East 20th Avenue and Alamo and Miraflores streets. Authorities said that a dark blue metallic Chevy Traverse, possibly a model between 2010 and 2015, crashed in the rear right end of a parked black

Authorities said the collision happened between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Zapata County Sheriff’s Office / Courtesy

Ford pickup. Authorities said the collision happened between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. The Traverse may Crash continues on A11

Zapata County Sheriff’s Office / Courtesy

The Zapata County Sheriff’s Office said a Chevy Traverse, similar to the one shown in this photo, was involved in a hit-and-run crash on Jan. 1.

U.S. IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL

A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP

The Zapata County Sheriff’s Office seized the contraband seen in this photo after raiding a home Jan. 5 in the Medina Addition. Authorities also arrested Jesica Lynett Lara on a possession of a controlled substance charge.

Woman arrested in raid Narcotics seized at residence By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S

A woman was recently arrested after authorities raided a house in the Medina Addition, according to the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. On Friday, the Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit executed a search warrant at a residence in the 1300 block of Sixth Street. Authorities encountered a woman identified as Jesica Lynett Lara, 34. Raid continues on A11

WEBB COUNTY

Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Donald Trump speaks with lawmakers during a bipartisan meeting on immigration in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on Tuesday. Trump appeared to endorse a deal that would eventually grant millions of undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship.

2-phase deal proposed for ‘Dreamers’ as shutdown deadline nears By Ken Thomas and Alan Fram A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WASHINGTON — Searching for a bipartisan deal to avoid a government shutdown, President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that an immigration agreement could be reached in two phases — first by addressing young immigrants and border security with what he called a “bill of love,” then by making comprehensive changes that have long eluded Congress. Trump presided over a lengthy meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of young people who were brought to the U.S. as children and living here illegally. Trump last year ended the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shielded more than 700,000 people from deportation and gave them the right to work legally. He gave Congress until March to find a

fix. The president, congressional Republicans and Democrats expressed optimism for a deal just 10 days before a government shutdown deadline. Trump said he was willing to be flexible in finding an agreement as Democrats warned that the lives of hundreds of thousands of immigrants hung in the balance. “I think my positions are going to be what the people in this room come up with,” Trump said during a Cabinet Room meeting with a bipartisan group of nearly two dozen lawmakers, adding, “I am very much reliant upon the people in this room.” A group of journalists observed the meandering meeting for an extraordinary length of time — about 55 minutes — that involved Trump seeking input from Democrats and Republicans alike in a freewheeling exchange on the contentious issue. “My head is spinning from all the things that were said by

the president and others in that room in the course of an hour and a half,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. “But the sense of urgency, the commitment to DACA, the fact that the president said to me privately as well as publicly, ‘I want to get this done,’ I’m going to take him as his word.” The White House said after the meeting that lawmakers had agreed to narrow the scope of the negotiations to four areas: border security, family-based “chain migration,” the visa lottery and the DACA policy. Democrats and Republicans are set to resume negotiations Wednesday. But the exchange raised questions about how far Trump would push for his high-profile border wall. In describing the need for a wall, the president said it didn’t need to be a “2,000-mile wall. We don’t need a wall where you have rivers and mountains and everything else protecting it. But we do need a wall for a

Illegal gambling raids 3 arrested are out on bond

fairly good portion.” Trump has long made that case, saying even during his campaign that his border wall didn’t need to be continuous, thanks to natural barriers in the landscape. And he has said he would be open to using fencing for some portions as well. The unusually public meeting laid bare a back-and-forth between the parties more typically confined to closed-door negotiations. At one point, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, asked Trump if he would support a “clean” DACA bill now with a commitment to pursue a comprehensive immigration overhaul later. Trump responded, “I would like it. ... I think a lot of people would like to see that but I think we have to do DACA first.” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., interjected, saying, “Mr. President, you need to be clear though,” that legislation involving the so-called Dreamers would need

Three people arrested Friday after simultaneous raids on maquinitas are out on bond, according to custody records. Rebecca Lopez Villarreal, 49, and Miriam Sanchez, 55, were released Saldivar from the Webb County Jail on Friday while Lucio Saldivar, 76, posted bond Saturday. All are facing charges of gambling promotion Sanchez and engaging in organized criminal activity. Lopez is also charged with keeping a gambling place. A six-month investigation

Pathway continues on A11

Arrested continues on A11

By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S

Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE WORLD

TODAY IN HISTORY

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13

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First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale.

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 10, the 10th day of 2018. There are 355 days left in the year.

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's Highlight in History: On Jan. 10, 1776, Thomas Paine anonymously published his influential pamphlet, "Common Sense," which argued for American independence from British rule.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20

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. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27

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. SATURDAY, FEB. 3

Korea Pool / AP

South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, right, shakes hands with the head of North Korean delegation Ri Son Gwon during their meeting in Paju, South Korea on Tuesday.

N. KOREA JOINS WINTER OLYMPICS By Hyung-Jin Kim ASSOCIATED PRE SS

SEOUL, South Korea — The rival Koreas moved toward easing their bitter animosity Tuesday during rare talks, with North Korea agreeing to take part in next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea. The countries also agreed to hold more discussions on reducing tension along their border and to reopen a military hotline. The first meeting of its kind between the nations in about two years was arranged after North Korean leader Kim

Jong Un made an abrupt push for improved ties with South Korea following a year of escalating tensions with the outside world over his expanding nuclear and missile programs. Critics say Kim may be trying to divide Seoul and Washington in a bid to weaken international pressure and sanctions on the North. In comments that appeared to back up those critical views, chief North Korean delegate Ri Son Gwon said his country’s nuclear weapons are aimed at the United States, not South Korea.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3

Wales prepares to ban physical punishment of children LONDON — The government of Wales has a question for parents: Is it ever right to physically punish your children? It began a 12-week consultation on the issue Tuesday, with officials saying they hoped to join more than 50 countries that have adopted an outright

ban on the practice. “We all want to give our children the best start in life,” said Huw Irranca-Davies, the Welsh minister for children and social care, and a father of three boys. “Children do not come with an instruction manual and sometimes parents need guidance and support to help them raise healthy and happy children.” Some opposition to a ban has already gathered. A group called Be Reasonable, named after an exemption in current

assault laws for “reasonable punishment” of children by parents, says it has more than 1,500 names on a petition against the proposal, in a nation of a more than 3 million people. “A little gentle slap here and there is just a part of teaching discipline,” a Be Reasonable campaigner, Angie Robins, a mother of three from Newport, in southeast Wales, said. “It never did anyone any harm.” — Compiled from the New York Times News Service

AROUND THE NATION Cars swept away, body pinned against home after California storm LOS ANGELES — In the dark of night, Thomas Tighe saw two vehicles slowly being swept away by a river of mud and debris flowing down the road in front of his house in Montecito, California. Daybreak brought a more jarring scene: a body pinned against his neighbor’s home by a wall of muck. Tighe is CEO of Direct Relief, a Santa Barbara, California-based charitable organization that helps disaster victims. This time, the disaster was “literally in my backyard, and front yard,” he said by phone from Montecito, about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The scene left Tighe shaken. His voice quivered and he paused several times as he

Mike Eliason / AP

This photo shows a Santa Barbara County Fire search dog looking for victims in homes in California on Tuesday.

described seeing the body, repeating several times it’s “just so devastating.” At least eight people were killed Tuesday as homes were swept away in the debris flow that formed as rain rushed off hills in Montecito left bare last month by the state’s largestever wildfire.

Tighe said he was outside around 3:30 a.m. checking his home’s downspouts when the rain intensified. Two of his cars that had been in the driveway already were swept away, and he saw two other vehicles drifting down the road. — Compiled from AP reports

SATURDAY, AUG. 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. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Submit calendar items by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location, purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.

On this date: In 1861, Florida became the third state to secede from the Union. In 1863, the London Underground had its beginnings as the Metropolitan, the world's first underground passenger railway, opened to the public with service between Paddington and Farringdon Street. In 1870, John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil. In 1920, the League of Nations was established as the Treaty of Versailles went into effect. In 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations convened in London. The first manmade contact with the moon was made as radar signals transmitted by the U.S. Army Signal Corps were bounced off the lunar surface. In 1948, future country music star Loretta Lynn (nee Webb) married Oliver "Mooney" Lynn; she was 15 at the time, he was 21 (the marriage lasted until Oliver Lynn's death in 1996). In 1957, Harold Macmillan became prime minister of Britain, following the resignation of Anthony Eden. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson, in his State of the Union address, asked Congress to impose a surcharge on both corporate and individual income taxes to help pay for his "Great Society" programs as well as the war in Vietnam. That same day, Massachusetts Republican Edward W. Brooke, the first black person elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, took his seat. In 1978, the Soviet Union launched two cosmonauts aboard the Soyuz 27 capsule for a rendezvous with the Salyut 6 space laboratory. In 1984, the United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century. In 1994, President Bill Clinton, attending a NATO summit meeting in Brussels, Belgium, announced completion of an agreement to remove all long-range nuclear missiles from the former Soviet republic of Ukraine. In 2000, America Online announced it was buying Time Warner for $162 billion (the merger, which proved disastrous, ended in December 2009). Ten years ago: The United States lodged a formal diplomatic protest with Iran over an incident in which Iranian speedboats harassed U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf. President George W. Bush, visiting Israel and the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, said a Mideast peace pact would require "painful political concessions by both sides." John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, endorsed Barack Obama's White House bid. Maila Nurmi, whose "Vampira" TV persona pioneered the spooky-yet-sexy Goth aesthetic, died in Los Angeles at age 85. Five years ago: President Barack Obama nominated White House chief of staff Jack Lew to be treasury secretary. Vice President Joe Biden met with representatives from the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun groups as he worked on recommendations to curb gun violence. Major League Baseball announced it would test for human growth hormone throughout the regular season and increase efforts to detect abnormal levels of testosterone. Today's Birthdays: Opera singer Sherrill Milnes is 83. Blues artist Eddy Clearwater is 83. Rock singer-musician Ronnie Hawkins is 83. Baseball Hall of Famer Willie McCovey is 80. Movie director Walter Hill is 78. Singer Rod Stewart is 73. Boxing Hall of Famer and entrepreneur George Foreman is 69. Roots rock singer Alejandro Escovedo is 67. Rock musician Scott Thurston (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) is 66. Singer Pat Benatar is 65. Hall of Fame race car driver and team owner Bobby Rahal is 65. Rock musician Michael Schenker is 63. Singer Shawn Colvin is 62. Rock singer-musician Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets) is 59. Actor Evan Handler is 57. Rock singer Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) is 54. Actress Trini Alvarado is 51. Rock singer Brent Smith (Shinedown) is 40. Rapper Chris Smith (Kris Kross) is 39. Thought for Today: "History must speak for itself. A historian is content if he has been able to shed more light." — William L. Shirer, American author and journalist (1904-1993).

CONTACT US AROUND TEXAS Ex-police officer gets 10-year sentence for teen’s shooting death DALLAS — A jury has sentenced a former suburban Dallas police officer to 10 years in prison for the shooting death of a 16-year-old who had burglar-

ized his SUV. Former Farmers Branch officer Ken Johnson received the sentence Tuesday from the same Dallas County jury that found him guilty of murder and aggravated assault last month. Evidence presented at trial showed Johnson was off duty in March 2016 when he chased Jose Cruz and another teenager in the Dallas suburb of Addi-

son. Surveillance video shows Johnson chased the teens with his sport utility vehicle, rammed their car and then repeatedly fired into their stopped vehicle, killing Cruz and severely injuring the other teen. Johnson’s attorneys had argued he feared for his life as he approached the teens’ car. — Compiled from AP reports

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SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.

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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 |

STATE

Mother, aunt Health officials give funding charged over for psychiatric care dead baby at gas station ASSOCIATED PRE SS

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

GREENVILLE, Texas — Police have arrested the mother and aunt of a weeks-old baby after the infant’s body was found at a North Texas gas station. Hunt County jail records show 27-year-old Stephanie Leanne Flynn of Greenville was being held Tuesday on an evidence tampering charge in her daughter’s death. Bond was $50,000. Greenville police Sgt. Adam Phillips says autopsy results are pending

on the baby born in November and discovered dead on Monday. Investigators say the baby may have died at the mother’s home and the corpse was moved to the gas station. The woman’s 20-yearold sister, Shawn Elise Flynn of Greenville, also faces a tampering charge and was released Tuesday on $50,000 bond. Phillips didn’t immediately provide the baby’s birth date. Police had no information on attorneys representing the siblings.

AUSTIN — Texas health officials have released the first allotment of funds from a $300 million effort to overhaul the state’s crumbling psychiatric hospitals. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced Monday that it was releasing the first $48 million in funding that lawmakers approved last year to improve the 10 hospitals in the state system. “A strong state psychiatric system is critically

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

HOUSTON — A federal appeals court has rejected an appeal from a 54-yearold man condemned for killing two teenagers near Austin during a 2007 crime binge that left six people dead. Paul Devoe argued unsuccessfully to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that lawyers at his 2009 trial were deficient and that a state prison expert gave false and misleading testimony. The decision Tuesday

moves Devoe a step closer to execution. Devoe was convicted of killing 15-year-old Haylie Faulkner and 17-year-old Danielle Hensley in Jonestown, northwest of Austin. Faulkner’s mother and Devoe’s ex-girlfriend also was killed, along with her boyfriend. Prosecutors also tied Devoe to the slayings of a Central Texas bartender and an 81-year-old Pennsylvania woman whose car Devoe stole. Devoe was captured in his native Long Island, New York.

straining patients. State and mental health leaders are envisioning the new hospital that would be a brain health center and would work with private and public organizations to deliver individualized mental health and substance abuse services. The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston will receive about $6 million of the first disbursement to build a new 300-bed public psychiatric hospital next to the universityrun Harris County Psychiatric Center.

“This is a huge deal for Houston,” said Republican Rep. Sarah Davis of Houston. “It addresses an obvious need and has the potential to save taxpayer dollars by keeping patients out of jails, where they’re more expensive to house, don’t get adequate long-term psychiatric care and typically end up back on the streets.” Most of the construction projects for the hospitals are expected to begin in the next twoyear budget cycle, which begins in September 2019.

Missing plane surfaces from Gulf ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Man condemned in slayings loses court appeal

important to all Texans. This investment will benefit the state for generations,” said Charles Smith, the executive commissioner. “With this support from state leadership, we can update our facilities and be sure we are providing Texans with the very best mental health care possible.” More than $15 million of the initial outlay will go toward creating a master plan to replace the 160-year-old Austin State Hospital, which has struggled with severe nursing shortages and policy violations on re-

DALLAS — A small plane piloted by an Oklahoma doctor who disappeared while flying to collect a disabled dog in Texas is believed to have settled thousands of feet below the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said a day after announcing it had ended its search. Authorities lost sight of Dr. Bill Kinsinger Jan. 3 as his plane moved toward the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Coast Guard air and seacraft and two Mexican naval ships searched for the 55-year-old pilot for five days, covering about 23,000 square miles, the Coast Guard said in a statement late Monday. “Ending a search is a difficult decision that we put the upmost thought and consideration into,”

Guard Capt. David Cooper said. It’s believed the plane went down in an area of the Gulf where the depth is about 3,900 feet, Guard Petty Officer Brandon Giles said Tuesday. Kinsinger, of Edmond, Oklahoma, had been flying his Cirrus SR22T to Georgetown, Texas, to collect the disabled Husky that was destined for a foster home in Oklahoma. But he never landed at the suburban Austin airport and overshot his destination by hundreds of miles. Authorities believe he may have lost consciousness due to hypoxia, a lack of adequate oxygen. Jacob Kinsinger said Tuesday that his father “went out a hero.” “My dad was the greatest guy I’ve ever met and he died doing exactly what he loved, saving

dogs and flying his airplane,” said Kinsinger, 22. North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, dispatched fighter jets to try to steer Bill Kinsinger back on course, but to no avail. Two F-16 fighters flew in front of the fiveseater plane, dropped flares and performed other military maneuvers, but Kinsinger, who was the only person on board, appeared to be unresponsive, NORAD spokesman Michael Kucharek said at the time. When the F-16s became low on fuel, they were replaced by two F-15 fighters that stayed with Kinsinger for a while but eventually had to return to base because of darkness and their proximity to Mexican air space. Kucharek said NO-

RAD coordinated with the Coast Guard to take over monitoring the plane. The Guard, which was relying on the FlightAware website, lost track of the plane when it stopped transmitting a signal, a Guard spokesman said earlier. Guard officials generally use a variety of resources when participating in search-and-rescue operations, such as air-traffic controllers and the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Giles explained Tuesday. Kinsinger, an anesthesiologist, had been flying a rescue mission for the nonprofit Pilots N Paws. Organizers said he generally flew two volunteer missions a week, and that he had been considering buying a larger plane so he could fly longer routes and transport more dogs.

Zopinion

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A4 | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Democratic candidates meet for forum By Ken Herman COX N EWSPAPE RS

The truth was spoken in the pre-event mic check: “Hello everybody. Welcome to the first Democratic debate-ish.” Upstairs, the candidates mingled prior to the event that was the first face-to-face meeting between Andrew White, Houston businessman and son of late Gov. Mark White, and former Dallas County sheriff Lupe Valdez. They’re the top Dem contenders in a field of 10, all of whom showed up Monday night. Debate-ish was right. To be fair, this was a forum, not a debate. “I just want to remind you we are all on the same team here,” moderator Travis Taylor, vice chair of the Tom Green County Democratic Party, said in getting the festivities going. And that was the theme for the 90-minute event, with White and Valdez doing little to differentiate themselves from each other, their prime task by the time early voting for the March 6 primary begins on Feb. 20. The truth is many Texas Democrats know little about either of them. And many never have heard either of their voices. Hence, evenings like Monday in San Angelo, where about 100 people showed up, are important. The background is pretty simple: Valdez, 70, is the anointed candidate of much of the Texas Democratic Party leadership. White, 45, is the surprise interloper who has never run for anything. His goal is to establish himself as an extreme moderate who would have a better chance of beating GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, who’s expected to coast to renomination against two little-to-unknown challengers. “I’m Andrew White and I’m running for governor to bring sanity and reason back and to give Texans hope for the future,” White said, adding, “Our state needs an outsider with a fresh perspective to fix this mess.” He drew applause by saying he’d be a governor “who will stand up and fight Donald Trump.” “We live in Trump’s prison now,” White said. “And I’m trying to break Texas out. It’s time for a change. We have to fight Donald Trump and the lies he stands for every day. We have got to fight Greg Abbott and (Lt. Gov.) Dan Patrick and we must never ever, even for a second, think that today’s political world is normal. Because, by God, it’s not. This is not normal. We are not living in a normal time.” Valdez, the last of the candidates to give opening remarks, began by noting the challenge of coming up with something that hadn’t already been said. She recounted her bio, including her military and law enforcement careers and her childhood in a family of migrant workers. She didn’t mention Trump, the president Texas Democrats are counting on to bring folks of their ilk to the polls this year.

Valdez highlighted her service as the elected head of the 2,800-employee Dallas County Sheriff ’s Department. “So I’ve dealt with issues day and night,” she said. “We talk about how we deal with solutions. Let me tell you. I had nine chiefs. Sometimes we couldn’t agree on where we’re going for lunch. But we had to sit down and start learning how to work as a team and work together.” “You have to learn how to serve and you have to serve in a way that does not harm the people. ... So we have to stop the foolishness and the hate and the bickering,” she said. “We’ve got to start learning how to work together.” In the Q-and-A, White was asked about addressing climate change without disrupting the Texas energy sector. White kept his focus on Abbott, rapping him as someone who “does not believe in climate change.” “Fracking is important to our state and it can be done safely,” White said, calling for “regulators who care about the environment.” Valdez was asked about wealth inequality. “Some people ... their bonus was bigger than my whole salary the whole year,” she said, praising companies that minimize the gap between their highest and lowest paychecks. “We know there are levels (of income),” Valdez said, but “There should be levels that we can all feel comfortable with. I know that a doctor’s going to make more than me. But a doctor should not make more than me in two days.” The solution, she said, is to “sit down together” and work it out. To date, Valdez has talked mostly about the problems, not proposed solutions. To his credit, White has offered some proposals, including a $5,000 teacher pay raise he says can be funded by closing what he calls a “$5 billion commercial property tax loophole.” So far, Valdez has been short on specifics. The other eight candidates have little chance of winning the nomination, but they could help send White and Valdez into a runoff. About the last thing Texas Dems need is a runoff that would force them to spend more money on intramurals. The other eight are Grady Yarbrough, Demetria Smith, Adrian Ocegueda, Cedric Davis Sr., James Jolly Clark, Jeffrey Payne, Joe Mumbach and Tom Wakely. Look ‘em up. As noted above, there’s not much time until voting begins. We need to hear more on the issues, especially from Valdez. We might find out there’s not much difference. And if that’s the case — and it often is in primaries — it could become an identity politics campaign in which Dems pick a candidate based on demographic factors and a best guess as to which candidate can do a better job of getting Dem voters to the polls in November. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.

COLUMN

Why Trump is likely to hang on By Carl P. Leubsdorf DALLAS MORNING NEWS

For the past week, Washington and the political world have been fixated on Michael Wolff’s gossipy account of the chaos and dysfunction within Donald Trump’s White House. But the significance of Wolff’s disclosures has been somewhat clouded by the media focus on such corollary issues as their long-term effect on Steve Bannon’s influence, factual errors on some details, and whether the author violated disclosure rules in reporting top aides’ devastating comments about the president’s alleged shortcomings. Unfortunately for Trump and the country, the true bottom line in Wolff’s "Fire and Fury" isn’t any of these but the way that, contrary to the president’s protestations he is a "very stable genius," it reinforces prior doubts about Trump’s competence, knowledge and stability. That leads to a more basic question: Can the political system cope with his shortcomings as it did a generation ago with Richard Nixon’s misdeeds, before he mishandles a major crisis such as a potential nuclear showdown with North Korea? The U.S. has had incompetent or unsuitable presidents before, though not in the nuclear age. James Buchanan mismanaged the years leading up to the Civil War. Warren Harding was arguably the 20th century’s worst president, but the country survived his scandalridden administration until he died two-thirds through his term. Barring that unlikely circumstance, the three ways Trump’s tenure can end short of four years are impeachment, in-

With both houses under GOP control, impeachment is not currently a foreseeable option. Indeed, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, which would initiate impeachment, remain more fixated on spurring legal action against Hillary Clinton than exploring allegations against Trump. capacity or resignation. None currently seems viable, though that could change during the next year. Here is why: Impeachment. The Constitution says the House can impeach a president for treason, bribery or "other high crimes and misdemeanors," but removal requires a two-third vote by the Senate. I still remember how Nixon’s Senate liaison, Tom Korologos, walked the Capitol’s corridors, sporting a 34 button that represented the number of senators needed to prevent Nixon’s ouster. With both houses under GOP control, impeachment is not currently a foreseeable option. Indeed, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, which would initiate impeachment, remain more fixated on spurring legal action against Hillary Clinton than exploring allegations against Trump. Two circumstances could change this: Democratic re-capture of the House in November’s election - a real possibility - and a recommendation from Independent Counsel Robert Mueller alleging Trump committed obstruction of justice or other potentially impeachable offenses. Even then, removal of this president would seem unlikely. Even if the Democrats win the Senate, less than a 50-50

prospect at present, the 67 votes needed for conviction would require 15 to 16 Republicans to back any impeachment resolution from a Democratic House. Korologos’ 34 votes melted away only after evidence in White House tapes convinced enough senators Nixon was guilty, as well as a political liability. Without hard evidence, such a conclusion is less likely in today’s more polarized partisan times. Inability. The 25th Amendment provides for temporarily removing a president if the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet certify he "is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office." But if the president sends a written declaration "no inability exists," he can resume office unless two-thirds of both houses vote he is unable to do so. Politico reported last week that about 25 congressional Democrats and one Republican met with a Yale psychiatrist who contends Trump is dangerously unstable and "going to unravel." Such sessions seem both politically foolish and substantively unproductive, as would be a national 2018 Democratic campaign promising Trump’s impeachment. Absent an especially egregious act, presidential inability proceedings seem unlikely unless top Republicans like House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority

CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Mike Pence agree action is necessary. So far, most congressional Republicans have put party and ideology first, refusing to place concerns about Trump on the record and content to maintain a status quo in which they can ratify conservative federal judges, back administrative actions reversing prior environmental and voting rights moves, and satisfy their hard core by trashing special counsel Robert Mueller and the Clintons. Resignation. Many in the political community have speculated privately that, if the legal and political walls closed in, Trump might resign to protect his business empire, rather than risk becoming the first president voted out of office (Nixon, facing certain conviction, resigned). But running from a fight hardly seems Donald Trump’s way. The bottom line is that all potential actions against Trump are complicated and currently unlikely to succeed. How and when that might change is simply unforeseeable now. During the 2016 campaign, I became convinced the winner would likely be a one-term president because the country’s partisan divisions and Washington’s political gridlock would ensure a controversial, unpopular administration. Nothing since last Jan. 20 has changed my view. Given Trump’s often outrageous and unpresidential behavior, many Americans would prefer not to wait three more years, but that still seems the likeliest outcome. Carl P. Leubsdorf is a Dallas Morning News columnist.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 |

Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Foro empresarial 1 La Ciudad de Roma en conjunto con la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores invitan al Foro Empresarial para Emprendedores que se llevará a cabo el jueves 18 de enero de 5 p.m. a 7 p.m., en Roma Community Center, 502 6th Street. Evento gratuito, para inscripciones llame al 956-6657535.

Exámenes de salud 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la realización de exámenes de salud cardiovascular Life Line Screening con tecnología avanzada de ultrasonido que proporciona una visión en el interior de las arterias, en el Centro Comunitario de la Ciudad de Roma, de 8 a.m. a 3 p.m., patrocinado por Peripheral Vascular Associates. Se requiere registro previo llamando al 1-888653-6450.

OPERACIÓN ONE-ARM BANDIT

Salen libres bajo fianza Personas arrestadas tras cateos a maquinitas son liberadas Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE LAREDO

Tres personas arrestadas el viernes después de cateos simultáneos a establecimientos de maquinitas han salido libres bajo fianza, de acuerdo con registros de custodia. Rebecca López Villarreal, de 49 años, y Miriam Sánchez, de 55 años, fueron liberadas de la cárcel del condado de Webb el viernes, mientras que Lucio Saldívar,

de 76 años, salió bajo fianza el sábado. Todos enfrentan cargos de López promoción Villarreal de juegos de azar y de participar en actividades del crimen organizado. López Villarreal también está acusada de mantener un establecimiento de juegos de azar. Una investigación de seis meses resultó en

redadas de múltiples establecimientos de maquinitas en Laredo, Saldívar Zapata y Falcon Heights por denuncias de apuestas ilegales y lavado de dinero. Hasta el lunes, no se reportaron otros arrestos, pero la investigación continúa. La policía de Laredo y el Departamento de Se-

OFICINA DEL ALGUACIL

guridad Pública de Texas con la asistencia de la Oficina del Fiscal de Sánchez Distrito del Condado de Webb y de Zapata allanaron los establecimientos Magic Spin y Wild Spin, en 220 W. Calton Road; Good Fortune, en 2300 E. Saunders St.; y Village of Fortune, 200 W. Village Blvd.

Sánchez fue arrestado en Village of Fortune y Saldivar en el establecimiento ubicado en la calle Calton. Además, la policía también cateó una casa localizada en la cuadra 3000 de la calle Robert Frost en la subdivisión D&J Alexander Estates al norte de Laredo, donde las autoridades arrestaron a López Villarreal. No se reportaron arrestos en Zapata y Falcon Heights.

INMIGRACIÓN

PROTESTAN POR DACA

Genealogía 1 ¿Desea saber más sobre su historia familiar? ¿Necesita ayuda para iniciar su genealogía? Venga y reciba ayuda personalizada para investigar a sus ancestros utilizando recursos en línea. Voluntarios entrenados le ayudarán, todos los martes de 6:30 p.m a 8 p.m., en Roma Birding Center. Evento gratuito patrocinado por la Iglesia de Jesús de los Santos de los Últimos Días.

Aviario 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto de jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. Mayores informes al 956-849-141.

Botes de basura 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a la comunidad que sólo estará recolectando basura contenida en botes propiedad de la ciudad. Informes al 849-1411

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.

Grupos de apoyo en Laredo 1 Grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reúne el primer martes de cada mes a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario. 1 Grupo Cancer Friend se reúne el primer lunes del mes a las 6 p.m. en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. Padecer cáncer es una de las experiencias más estresantes en la vida de una persona. Sin embargo, los grupos de apoyo pueden ayudar a muchos a lidiar con los aspectos emocionales de la enfermedad. 1 Grupo de apoyo para Ansiedad y Depresión Rayo de Luz se reúne cada primer lunes de mes de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430.

Foto de cortesía / Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata

Se confiscó 89,5 gramos de cocaína-crack, 681 dólares, una balanza digital y cuatro escáneres de radio.

Catean casa en Zapata Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Una mujer fue arrestada recientemente después que autoridades allanaron una casa en la colonia Medina Addition, de acuerdo con la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata. La unidad de narcóticos de la Oficina del Alguacil ejecutó el viernes una orden de allanamiento en una residencia ubicada en la cuadra 1300 de la calle Sixth. Las autoridades encontra-

ron a una mujer identificada como Jesica Lynett Lara, de 34 años. Tras la inspección en el hogar se encontraron 89,5 gramos de cocaína-crack, 681 dólares, una balanza digital y cuatro escáneres de radio. Los narcóticos tenían un valor estimado de reventa de 8.950 dólares, dijeron las autoridades. Lara fue arrestada y acusada de posesión de una sustancia controlada. Ella salió bajo fianza de la cárcel del Condado de Zapata el sábado.

Melissa Santillana / Laredo Morning Times

Un grupo de personas defensoras de derechos de inmigrantes protestaron el martes 9 de enero por la tarde a lo largo de la calle Calton en Laredo solicitando una resolución favorable para los recipientes del programa DACA.

CONDADO DE ZAPATA

Oficina del Alguacil solicita ayuda para localizar a sospechoso Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

La Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata solicita la ayuda de la comunidad para resolver un caso de colisión y huida que ocurrió el 1 de enero en el área de la avenida East 20th y las calles Álamo y Miraflores. Autoridades dijeron que un vehículo Chevy Traverse color azul oscuro metálico, el modelo entre 2010 y 2015 posiblemente, colisionó con la parte trasera derecha de una camioneta Ford color negro que se encontraba

estacionada. Autoridades dijeron que la colisión sucedió entre las 4:30 a.m. y las 5:30 a.m. Es probable que el vehículo Traverse presente daños en la parte delantera y una luz delantera rota. Autoridades publicaron fotos de un vehículo similar al que supuestamente estuvo involucrado en el incidente. Para brindar información sobre el caso, llame a la Oficina del Alguacil al 956-765-9960 o a Zapata Crime Stoppers al 956-765TIPS (8477).

Foto de cortesía / Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Webb

La Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata dijo que un vehículo Chevy Traverse similar al que aparece en la foto estuvo involucrado en la colisión del 1 de enero.

Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 |

NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS

Texas’ Omenihu will return for senior season By Nick Moyle SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS

AUSTIN – Texas defensive lineman Charles Omenihu will return for his senior season. "Although playing in the NFL is a dream of mine, when I looked at the whole picture, I know how much more I can develop both as a player and as a leader, and that's what I'm looking forward to doing

under coach (Tom) Herman, coach (Todd) Orlando, coach (Oscar) Giles and coach (Yancy) McKnight," Omenihu said. "I'm also on track to earn my degree (in sport management), which is something that means so much to me, and I know how valuable a degree from UT will be to my future." Omenihu had weighed whether to turn pro alongside fellow juniors

Malik Jefferson, Connor Williams, DeShon Elliott, and Holton Hill, but ultimately decided he could use one more season of grooming. The 6-foot-7, 280pound defensive end appeared every game this season and started in 12 of 13. Omenihu tied for the team lead with four sacks and ranked fourth with seven tackles for loss. He also added 28 total tackles and two

forced fumbles. Omenihu's return means four of UT's top five defensive lineman will be back for the 2018 season, with only senior Poona Ford departing. That unit, which also featured Breckyn Hager, Chris Nelson and Malcolm Roach, should be one of the Longhorns' most experienced and effective. "The win we just had in the Texas Bowl has

Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News

Charles Omenihu will remain with the Longhorns for his senior season and will not enter the 2018 NFL draft.

already started the momentum," Omenihu said, "and I can't wait to get

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: HOUSTON ROCKETS

ROCKETS' GREEN CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

into the offseason program and help build the future of this program."

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS

By Jonathan Feigen H OUSTON CHRONI CLE

For all Gerald Green has done since signing with the Rockets on Dec. 28, on Monday he did something he had not in any of those nights putting up stunning offensive numbers. He drove to a dunk. And then he did it again. On the second dunk he reached back for a particularly showy spike. But both dunks, he said, were a sign that his legs are catching up to his shot after sitting out for more than two months since he was released by the Bucks before the start of the season. “It felt real good,” Green said. “It’s not all the way where it needs to be yet, but it’s coming back. “Every day I’m feeling better. I felt really good as far as my wind. I wasn’t as tired as I would normally be. My conditioning is picking up pretty quick. I’m not where I need to be, but it’s getting there. I give myself another week or two, I think I should be right there.” Green has averaged 20.2 points in his six games since his cameo in Boston on the day he signed, the NBA’s leading scorer off the bench in that stretch. He has made 53.2 percent of his shots, 51.8 percent of his 3-pointers in those six games. “He’s knocking down shots, knocking down tough shots,” Rockets guard Eric Gordon said. “He’s always been that guy, if he gets hot, he’s hot. But he’s consistently bringing it every day. He’s been playing very well for us and it’s good to have

Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle file

Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will not compete in the Pro Bowl due to a calf injury. He was named as to the first-team All-Pro list in 2017.

Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press

Houston guard Gerald Green has averaged more than 20 points per game in his six outings since signing with the Rockets.

him. Right time, right place. The system fits him. As long as he stays aggressive like that and doesn’t change, it’ll work out well here.” Despite the dunks on Monday, Green said he is not quite ready to blow out the candle on a cupcake perched on the rim, as he did in the 2008 dunk contest in New Orleans. But that time is coming, even if his dunk contest days are behind him. “I can still do that, but not right now,” Green said. “Maybe a few more weeks.” Rockets make up for loss of James Harden with 3-pointers With James Harden out, the Rockets have become even more dependent on their 3-point shooting as

they try to make up for the drives to the rim and the free throws they normally get from the NBA’s leading scorer. In the four games without Harden, the Rockets have attempted 46.3 3pointers per game, up from 43.3 per game before he was hurt. The Rockets had been averaging 26.5 free throws per game with Harden, the second-most in the NBA. They have taken 19.5, ranking 21st in free throws per game, without him. Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, however, said he has no issue with the number of 3-pointers the Rockets are taking, considering them to be good looks. “We are trying to take the right shot and the right play,” he said after the

Rockets went 20 of 54 on 3-pointers against the Bulls. “We will go on a fast break and jack-up the 3 We will do that. If guys feel comfortable and confident, why not? I kind of like us doing that. “The team is really built for that and so that’s what we do. With James Harden in there, we can even get more up because he’s so good kicking out and getting to the rim. What we try to do philosophy-wise, is layups, 3s and foul shots. We’re missing James who gets out of foul-shots and we are missing that burst to the basket. We’ve got a little bit in Chris (Paul) and Eric (Gordon). James will do that and puts up a lot of 3s. We’ll take whatever they give us, and if it’s 20 3s, then so be it.”

Texans WR Hopkins pulls out of Pro Bowl By Aaron Wilson HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Texans star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has pulled out of the Pro Bowl due to a calf injury suffered during the regular season. He was replaced on the Pro Bowl roster by Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Hopkins got hurt during a Christmas loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was sidelined for the Texans' regularseason finale, missing the first game of his NFL career. Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney is also not expected to participate in the Pro

Bowl due to a knee issue. Hopkins was named to the Pro Bowl as a starter. He was also voted first-team All-Pro. Hopkins led the NFL with 13 touchdown catches. He caught 96 passes for 1,378 yards despite playing with three different quarterbacks: Deshaun Watson, Tom Savage and T.J. Yates. Hopkins finished sixth in the NFL in receptions, fourth in receiving yards, fourth in first-down receptions, first with 17 catches of at least 25 yards and third with five 100-yard games. Hopkins led the NFL with nine games with seven or more receptions.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Parker suffers injury in Spurs’ win over Kings By Tom Orsborn SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Another night, another injury. Point guard Tony Parker limped out of the locker room Monday night following the injury-plagued Spurs' 107-100 win over the Kings after he said he sprained his right ankle in the fourth quarter.

Parker said he sustained the injury when he got tangled up with Sacramento's Kosta Koufos. He left the game with 6:53 left after scoring seven points on 3-of-9 shooting. "Just bad luck," Parker said. Asked if he will be out when the Spurs return to the court Thursday night to face the Lakers in Los Angeles, Parker said, "We'll see."

The injury came on the same night Parker said he was hopeful he could start playing in back-to-back games in February. The Spurs have given him nights off in those situations after he missed the first 19 games of the season while recovering from quadriceps surgery in May.

Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press

Spurs point guard Tony Parker suffered an ankle injury Monday night in a 107-100 victory on the road against the Kings.

A8 | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL

Proven security measures could be curtailed to pay for border wall By Ron Nixon N EW YORK T I ME S

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration would cut or delay funding for border surveillance, radar technology, patrol boats and customs agents in its upcoming spending plan to curb illegal immigration — all proven security measures that officials and experts have said are more effective than building a wall along the Mexican border. President Donald Trump has made the border wall a focus of his campaign against illegal immigration to stop drugs, terrorists and gangs like MS-13 from coming into the United States. Under spending plans submitted this past week to Congress, the wall would cost $18 billion over the next 10 years and be erected along nearly 900 miles of the southern border. The wall also has become a bargaining chip in negotiations with Congress as lawmakers seek to prevent nearly 800,000 young immigrants living in the country illegally who were brought here as children from being deported. But security experts said the president’s focus on a border wall ignores the constantly evolving nature of terrorism, immigration and drug trafficking. “People that are dealing with this issue know that a third-century solution to a 21st-century problem is not going to fix this long-term,” said Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, a former CIA officer.

Hurd, whose district includes more than 800 miles of border territory with Mexico, has pushed for more funding for sensors and other border security technologies. Homeland Security officials have long and frequently described border security as a holistic system, made up not just of walls and fencing but also patrol routes, lighting, cameras, sensors and personnel. David Bier, a policy analyst with the Cato Institute, said a border wall would do little to stop the drug trade. Most of the cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines smuggled into the United States come through legal ports of entry rather than areas that would be stopped by a wall, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Nor would a wall stop illegal immigration, other experts said. Data from the Department of Homeland Security and research groups like the New York-based Center for Migration Studies show that most immigrants living in the country illegally now simply overstay legally obtained short-term visas — and did not sneak across the border. “So unless the wall is 35,000 feet high, it’s not going to do much to stop those overstaying these visas,” said Robert Warren, a fellow at the Center for Migration Studies who has worked on immigration issues for Republican and Democratic presidents. Additionally, Warren said, many people who

have been stopped by the Border Patrol in recent years are seeking asylum — including some who simply walk up to agents and surrender. Trump’s budget request for a wall represents more than half of the $33 billion spending blueprint for border security during the next decade. It either eliminates critical funding for border security programs or shifts money from them, threatening to leave gaping holes. A Government Accountability Office study released in February found that Customs and Border Protection has not shown how much fencing and walls bolster border security. An internal budget guidance document for the 2019 fiscal year shows that the White House Office of Management and Budget asked officials at the Homeland Security Department to reduce or delay funding requests for additional border security technology and equipment. Instead, the document instructed, Homeland Security should dramatically increase funding for a wall on the Mexico border. Homeland Security officials said the plans are subject to change. Still, the document underscores the priority that a border wall remains for Trump, who promised its construction during his presidential campaign. It also instructed the department to seek $1.6 billion in the upcoming fiscal year to build 74 miles of a Security continues on A11

WHY DO I HEAR... BUT NOT UNDERSTAND? Study by Cambridge University in England Reveals Key Answer

ntil recently, there was no practical way to identify dead regions of hearing cells in the ear. However, a new British-developed procedure using standard test equipment now allows for identification of dead hearing cell regions. The study suggests that the presence or absence of dead regions may have serious implications in thefitting of hearing aids. This research reveals that amplifying dead cells is a mistake which will result in poorer speech understanding in noise. A new type of digitally programmable microcircuit is now being released from Audibel – one of the world leaders in nanoScience technology – that can be programmed to bypass the dead cells. As a result, the patient’s usable hearing cells receive amplification, thereby improving speech understanding in noise. “We are employing a like method in our diagnostic sound booths using a sound field speech in noise procedure”, said Randy Schoenborn of NewSound Hearing Centers. “ This test simulates hearing in a noisy crowd. We are able to determine maximum speech understanding by frequency shaping

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this new hearing aid.” The results have been phenomenal. For the first time, a patient is able to actually realize the exact percentage of speech understanding improvement in noisy listening environments. These new products come in all shell sizes, including the smallest digital models, with low introductory prices available. During its release, NewSound Hearing Centers is offering this new frequency-shaping hearing instrument on a 30-day satisfaction trial. “Your satisfaction is absolutely guaranteed,” Schoenborn said. Find out what you are hearing and what you’re not. Call us at NewSound Hearing Centers for a FREE no-obligation appointment: 956790-0936.

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William Widmer/The New York Times

A CBP canine unit inspects a vehicle at the border inspection station in Hidalgo. The Trump administration has proposed cutting nearly 200 canine units, which CBP says play a crucial role the agency’s anti-terrorism and drug smuggling programs.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 |

BUSINESS

Elizabeth Conley / Houston Chronicle

Alan Diaz / AP

Job seeker Alejandra Bastidas fills out an application at a job fair in Sweetwater, Florida. Employers posted fewer open jobs in November, the second straight month of decline after openings reached a record high in September.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden talks with children before taking them on a shopping trip at Target on Dec. 23, 2017 in Houston. Target is raising its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings outlooks, following strong sales in its stores and online during the critical holiday season.

Job openings decline in Target leveraged November to a six-month low stores to raise By Katia Dmitrieva B L OOMBE RG NEWS

U.S. job openings unexpectedly fell in November to a six-month low, though the level is still consistent with an improving labor market, Labor Department data showed Tuesday. Even with the decline in November, the number of openings remains elevated, showing a high level of untapped demand for labor, as employers struggle to find skilled and experienced workers. There were a

record 6.18 million openings in September. Last week’s December jobs report pointed to an economy at full employment, with the jobless rate holding at the lowest level since 2000. Industries including manufacturing, business services and transportation and warehousing had fewer openings than in October, while available positions increased in construction and retail, the JOLTS report showed. A big question for 2018 is whether employers

will get more aggressive with pay increases to lure talent and fill positions. According to the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, anecdotal reports suggest that in lieu of bigger pay packages, some companies are offering non-wage benefits and office perks. Other Details * There were 1.1 unemployed people vying for every opening in November, compared with 1.9 people when the recession began at the end of 2007

* In the 12 months through November, the economy created a net 2.1 million jobs, representing 64.6 million hires and 62.4 million separations * Number of hires fell to 5.49 million in November from 5.59 million * Although it lags the Labor Department’s other jobs data by a month, the JOLTS report adds context to monthly payrolls figures by measuring dynamics such as resignations, help-wanted ads and the pace of hiring

Stocks keep climbing as the calm continues to reign By Stan Choe A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — Stocks pushed further into record territory Tuesday, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index’s immaculate start to the year extended to a sixth day. Health care stocks and banks led the way, as calm continues to reign over markets around the world. The strong gains overshadowed weakness for dividend-paying stocks and other areas of the market hurt by rising interest rates after 10-year Treasury yields hit their highest level since March. The S&P 500 rose 3.58 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,751.29 to equal its longest winning streak leading off a year since 2010. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 102.80 points, or 0.4 percent, to

25,385.80, the Nasdaq composite gained 6.19 points, or 0.1 percent, to 7,163.58 and the Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks slipped 1.71, or 0.1 percent, to 1,560.10. They’re the latest steps higher for stocks, which have been rising at a remarkably steady pace for more than a year as investors bask in a global economy that’s strengthening in sync. Corporate profits are also on the upswing, and Washington’s recently approved tax cut should goose earnings even higher. The powerful combination has kept markets marching higher, even though stock prices have grown to become more expensive than usual, relative to corporate profits. “I would like to say that there’s something

onerous coming, just because it would be different from what everyone is talking about,” said Nate Thooft, senior portfolio manager at Manulife Asset Management. But he expects the market to continue gliding higher as the economy and corporate profits strengthen. Health care stocks rose 1.1 percent for the biggest gain among the 11 sectors that make up the S&P 500. Boston Scientific was at the front of the pack after it gave preliminary results for its revenue last quarter that were stronger than Wall Street was expecting. The medical device company’s shares rose $2.15, or 8.3 percent, to $27.96. Illumina likewise reported preliminary results for fourth-quarter revenue that topped ana-

lysts’ expectations. Shares of the company, which makes tools for genetic analysis, jumped $15.74, or 6.9 percent, to $242.80. Companies are set to begin reporting their results for the last three months of 2017, and the pace will pick up later this week. They’ll need to deliver strong profit growth to justify the big moves they’ve made already. Investors, though, are also interested in what CEOs say about how Washington’s overhaul of the tax system last month will affect their bottom lines. Strategists at Goldman Sachs say the tax changes will account for more than a third of the 14 percent growth they’re forecasting for S&P 500 earnings per share in 2018.

its online game By Anne D’innocenzio and Michelle Chapman ASSOCIATED PRE SS

NEW YORK — Target leveraged its stores as delivery centers, helping to boost sales during the critical holiday period. The Minneapolisbased retailer said Tuesday that sales at stores open at least a year jumped 3.4 percent in November and December, with heavy traffic on the company’s website and in stores. Target stores played a part in 70 percent of online volume during the last two months of the year, accounting for about 80 percent of the company’s same-store sales growth. The stores were used to either ship online orders or as a pickup point for customers who ordered online. Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell said Target’s stores are at the center of the company’s strategy to make shopping more effortless for customers, and Target was pleased with its holiday season performance. The company, also citing recently enacted federal tax changes, raised its quarterly and 2017 profit expectations, sending shares up nearly 3 percent to $69.03 on Tuesday. Kohl’s, Macy’s and J.C. Penney have all reported strong holiday sales as consumers have spent more freely than in past years following the recession. The Federal Reserve said this week that consumer borrowing jumped

8.8 percent in November, the largest spike in more than two years, with confidence in the U.S. economy growing steadily. The category of debt coming mostly from credit cards jumped $11.2 billion, the most in a year, to $1.02 trillion. That is the highest level on record, without adjusting for inflation. Like other retailers, Target has attempted to reform itself as shoppers increasingly go online, and want other stores to match the convenience and delivery of Amazon. Target expects online sales to increase more than 25 percent in 2017. The company pledged last year to invest more than $7 billion to modernize its business. It’s now shipping online orders from 1,400 of its 1,800 stores for faster delivery. The company recently acquired startup Shipt, which will bring same-day delivery services to customers from about half of its stores in the early part of the year. Target Corp. now expects fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.30 to $1.40 per share, up from $1.05 to $1.25 per share. For 2017, Target projected earnings of $4.64 to $4.74 per share, topping previous estimates of between $4.40 and $4.60 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $1.22 per share for the quarter and $4.56 per share for the full year. The company expects 2018 adjusted earnings of between $5.15 and $5.45 per share.

A10 | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

INTERNATIONAL

Judge frees actor suspected Mexico NAFTA chief signals in model’s murder room for deal with US By Eric Martin B L OOM BE RG NEWS

Mexico’s Economy Minister signaled there is common ground over a key U.S. objective ahead of the next round of NAFTA talks, saying that strengthening the regional content rules for cars would be a victory for all three member nations. The Montreal talks are “crucial because it’s the first time we have to send clear signals of where we find possible accommodations,” Ildefonso Guajardo told a gathering of Mexican diplomats Tuesday. For the car industry, “the solution is without a doubt for a strengthened rule of origin in regional automotive content.” The U.S. demand for more North American, and specifically U.S. content in vehicles is among the most contentious issues on the NAFTA negotiating table, along with issues such as government procurement. Negotiators largely avoided these issues in the latest talks in Mexico City in November and Washington in December, setting up the next set of meetings in Canada in two weeks as potentially decisive. Mexico and Canada began negotiating with the U.S. in August at the initiative of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said the NAFTA accord led U.S. companies to fire workers and move factories to Mexico. Trump promises to negotiate a better deal for America or withrdraw. The peso pared its loss following Guajardo’s comments, weakening 0.1

Aris Oikonomou / AFP/Getty Images

Mexico's Minister of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo signaled there is common ground over a key U.S. objective ahead of the next round of NAFTA talks, saying that strengthening the regional content rules for cars would be a victory for all three member nations.

percent to 19.2488 per dollar in afternoon trading in New York after earlier falling as much as 0.6 percent. Traders are seeing Guajardo’s comments “as a good thing, because it shines a light on what we might have as a next deal,” said Horacio Waldthausen, a trader at Casa de Bolsa Santander. NAFTA requires a vehicle to have a minimum of North American content in order to benefit from tariff exemptions when made in Mexico and sold in the U.S. The U.S. has proposed raising the so-called auto rules of origin to 85 percent North American content from the current 62.5 percent and requiring a new 50 percent U.S. content minimum. Guajardo didn’t explicitly talk about a higher regional content rule. The Mexican Automobile

Industry Association, known as AMIA, has repeatedly said that the minimum should be kept at the current level. Without raising the minimum, rules of origin could be strengthened by adopting stricter or updated rules in measuring, or tracing, the origin of the content and inputs for a car. “The list of traceability for some automotive components needs to be rethought for new technologies to send adequate signals about the strengthening of the value chains in North America,” Guajardo said. Guajardo said negotiators are close to completing work on 10 of the 30 NAFTA chapters, including energy and telecommunications. The process for agreeing to dispute resolution mechanisms will be more difficult, Guajardo said.

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

MEXICO CITY — A Mexican judge has freed an actor arrested last week in connection with the slaying of an Argentine model who authorities said the suspect had met at a local acting school. Axel Arenas was released after his defense team presented evidence at a hearing Monday showing he was not in Mexico at the time of the killing. Mexico City chief prosecutor Edmundo Garrido Osorio defended his office at a news conference Tuesday, saying investigators had enough evidence to initially request the arrest warrant. Garrido said last week that three employees at a Mexico City hotel where Karen Ailen Grodzinski was found dead provided evidence that led investigators to Arenas. Grodzinski was shot in the head on Dec. 27. But Emiliano Robles Gomez Mont, Arenas’ lawyer, said Tuesday that he had presented evidence from his client’s passport that showed he was in Colombia from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1. He said he expected authorities to confirm the evidence they presented

Courtesy photos

Mexican actor Axel Arenas, right, was arrested last week on suspicion of killing model Karen Ailen Grodzinski. A Mexican judge freed the actor after his defense team presented evidence at a hearing Monday showing Arenas was not in Mexico at the time of the killing.

about Arenas’ whereabouts and then end that line of investigation. Robles also rejected another key piece of prosecutors’ evidence that his client and the victim had met at a local acting school. “It’s a lie,” the lawyer said. “There isn’t a single piece of evidence that they knew each other or had studied together.”

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 |

FROM THE COVER

Jonathan Gonzalez to play for Mexico instead of US team

RAID From page A1 A search of the home rendered 89.5 grams of crack-cocaine, $681, a digital scale and four radio scanners. The

A11

narcotics had an estimated street value of $8,950, authorities said. Lara was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance. She was released on bond Saturday from the Zapata County Jail.

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

Monterrey midfielder Jonathan Gonzalez is leaving the U.S. national team program to play for Mexico. The highly regarded 18-year-old was born in Santa Rosa, California, to Mexican parents. He played for the U.S. Under-17 and Under-20 teams but said Tuesday he will switch to Mexico. He says in a statement “it is not easy to leave behind the country in which one was born” but added that Mexico is “where my roots originate.” Mexico qualified for this year’s World Cup while the U.S. will miss soccer’s top event after seven straight appearances. Gonzalez signed with Monterrey in 2014 and made his professional debut last July. Gonzalez says “the decision I’ve made has been profoundly difficult.”

CRASH From page A1 have damages on its right front end and a broken headlight. Authorities released photos of a vehicle similar to the one allegedly involved in the hit-and-

ARRESTED From page A1

Eduardo Verdugo / AP

This 2017 photo shows Monterrey's Jonathan Gonzalez, left, fighting for the ball with Cruz Azul's Francisco Silva during a Mexico soccer league match in Mexico City. Monterrey midfielder Jonathan Gonzalez is leaving the U.S. national team program to play for Mexico. The highly regarded 18-year-old was born in Santa Rosa, California, to Mexican parents. He played for the U.S. Under-17 and Under-20 teams but said Tuesday he will switch to Mexico.

Mexico records 6.77 inflation in 2017, a 17-year high A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

MEXICO CITY — Mexico recorded 6.77 percent annual inflation in 2017, the country said Tuesday, more than double its 3 percent target and a 17-year high. The government’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography published the widely expected figure, also saying that consumer prices rose 0.59 percent in December. “The inflation rebound is the direct consequence of unleashed lagged prices and the expansionary effects of prolonged fiscal and monetary policies in the previous few years,” said Alfredo Coutino, Latin America director at Moody’s Analytics. He added in a report that inflation is “not out of control” in Mexico but

nevertheless “imposes a serious challenge to monetary policymaking for the year.” Coutino predicted that consumer price increases will “adjust down” in 2018, a presidential election year, largely because of the high base of comparison established in 2017. “In a political-electoral year, if monetary liquidity is not restricted to levels consistent with the economy’s limited performance or if the peso depreciates more significantly, then inflation will stay well-above target for a more prolonged time,” he wrote. Mexico’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate five times last year in an attempt to rein in inflation, most recently on Dec. 14 by a quarter point to bring the rate to 7.25 percent.

PATHWAY From page A1

Alexandre Meneghini / AP

A woman shows the new bill of 20 Mexican pesos in Mexico City. Mexico's central bank said that it will seek to bolster the peso amid concerns that the U.S. tax overhaul could reduce investment flows to Mexico.

SECURITY From page A8 border wall — about $700 million more than Homeland Security officials felt they needed to build that. Parts of the document were viewed by The New York Times; the rest of it was based on reports by the Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security Committee The cuts include money for a remote video surveillance system in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas, an area known for high numbers of border crossings and drug smuggling. The system is composed of infrared cameras mounted on poles, towers and buildings, allowing Border Patrol agents to track attempted smuggling and border crossings. In the internal document, the White House budget office called the surveillance system important but said its funding requests were lowered “to offset the costs of presidential priorities not funded in the DHS request.” Customs and Border Protection faces several cuts. Its $7.9 million request for technology upgrades to its P-3 surveillance aircraft — which operates thousands of miles beyond U.S. borders to track narcotics being shipped from Colombia, Peru and other drug

William Widmer/The New York Times

A Tethered Aerostat Radar System, used by the CBP, is docked near the Rio Grande River in McAllen. The 2019 budget document denied the Department of Homeland Securitys request for an additional $2.2 million for Tethered Aerostat Radar Systems that are used to monitor activity along the Mexico border with the United States from the air.

producing countries — was denied. In 2016, the latest data available, the P-3 aircrews contributed to 145 drug seizures, helping U.S. and foreign officials capture a combined 34,108 pounds of marijuana and 193,197 pounds of cocaine. The internal document also suggested delaying a request to buy 15 new Coastal Interceptor boats to catch drug smugglers. The agency had sought nearly $15 million to replace its aging fleet to keep up with drug smugglers’ smaller, faster boats. It also would cut nearly 200 of the 500 canine units that customs officials say play a key role in programs to prevent terrorism and drug smuggling. The dogs’ handlers would then be

resulted in raids of multiple maquinita establishments in Laredo, Zapata and Falcon Heights on allegations of illegal gambling and money laundering. As of Monday, no other arrests were reported, but the investigation continues. Laredo police and the Texas Department of Public Safety with the assistance of the Webb and Zapata District’s Attorney Office raided the Magic Spin and Wild Spin, 220 W. Calton Road; Good Fortune,

reassigned to ports on the southwest border to help with staffing shortages. “The lack of funding and the elimination of the canine teams is shortsighted and poses a serious threat to border security,” said Tony Reardon, the president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents customs officers. “If you are going to focus on border security, you can’t do that without talking about the men and women who man these ports of entry.” Perhaps most significantly, the proposed budget would not fund the hiring of new customs officers — the agents who denied 200,000 people from entering the United States at ports of entry in

fiscal 2017 and who stopped 600,000 pounds of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, meth and fentanyl. Customs officers also intercepted nearly $70 million in illicit currency, much of it headed back across the border to fill the coffers of Mexican drug cartels. Experts said the absence of hiring funds could potentially have the most impact on border security; the agents form a crucial line of defense against smugglers and terrorist threats. An internal Customs and Border Protection review showed that the agency’s ranks were about 3,700 officers below required levels, according to the National Treasury Employees Union. By comparison, Trump has called for hiring 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents and 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “A wall is the single most expensive thing you can do in terms of trying to secure the border, and not necessarily the most effective on its own,” said Doris Meissner, who was the top immigration official during the Clinton administration. “If you want to be strategic about it, you want to invest in technologies and programs that can stop threats well before they can actually get to the border.”

to include border security. The president said he would insist on construction of a border security wall as part of an agreement involving young immigrants, but he said Congress could then pursue a comprehensive immigration overhaul in a second phase of talks. House Republicans said they planned to soon introduce legislation to address border security and the young immigrants. Trump said, “it should be a bill of love.” Trump’s embrace of a “bill of love” brought to mind his past criticism of former GOP presidential rival Jeb Bush, who said many people come to the U.S. illegally as an “act of love.” Trump’s campaign posted a video at the time with a tagline that read, “Forget love, it’s time to get tough!” Conservatives quickly sounded alarms about a process that would lead to a comprehensive agreement on immigration, a path that has long been anathema to many rank-and-file Republicans. “Nothing Michael Wolff could say about (at)realDonaldTrump has hurt him as much as the DACA lovefest right now,” tweeted conservative commentator Ann Coulter, referencing Trump’s recent portrayal in the book, “Fire and Fury.” Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., leader of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said in a text message after the White House meeting he was “generally” opposed to a two-step process “because history would indicate the second step never happens.” But he later said that if the first steps included the four areas outlined by the White House, “then I could support a two-step process realizing that step one is the only thing that is guaranteed.” The president appeared to acknowledge the potential political pitfalls of pursuing a more permanent deal, telling the lawmakers, “I’ll take all the heat you want. But you are not that far away from comprehensive immigration reform.” After the meeting, lawmakers from both parties appeared divided over the basic definition of Trump’s bottom-line demand for a border

run collision. To provide information on the case, call the Sheriff’s Office at 956-765-9960 or the Zapata Crime Stoppers at 765-TIPS (8477). Zapata Crime Stoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest.

2300 E. Saunders St.; and Village of Fortune, 200 W. Village Villarreal Blvd. Sanchez was arrested at Village of Fortune and Saldivar at the maquinita on Calton. In addition, police also raided a home in the 3000 block of Robert Frost in the D&J Alexander Estates Subdivision in north Laredo, where authorities arrested Lopez Villarreal. No arrests were reported in Zapata and Falcon Heights.

wall. Democratic House Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland said his party was opposed to GOP calls for $18 billion in funding to build the wall. “It was clear in the meeting that wall did not mean some structure,” he said of Trump’s remarks, noting the president also mentioned fencing, cameras, and other security measures for the border. Republicans were adamant that Trump’s call “means the wall,” but noted Trump acknowledged it doesn’t need to cover the entire length of the border because of geographic barriers. The immigration talks pit a president who made the construction of a border wall a central piece of his 2016 campaign against congressional Democrats who have sought to preserve the Obama-era protections for the young immigrants. The discussions are taking place in the aftermath of Trump’s public blow-up with former campaign and White House adviser Steve Bannon, one of the architects of Trump’s calls for the border wall. Bannon’s break with Trump has raised concerns among some conservative Republicans that the president might reach an agreement with Democrats on the Dreamers without getting enough in return. Trump as recently as last weekend said he wouldn’t sign legislation addressing DACA unless Congress agreed to an overhaul of the legal immigration system, saying any deal must include an overhaul of the familybased immigration system as well as an end to the diversity visa lottery, which draws immigrants from under-represented parts of a world. That would be in addition to Trump winning funding for his promised southern border wall and added border security. But in the meeting he indicated a willingness to compromise with Democrats, whose votes are needed in the narrowly divided Senate. “The president exhibited, I thought, quite a bit of flexibility when the cameras weren’t there in terms of what we do in this phase and the next phase — and an acknowledgment that a lot of things we want to do are going to be part of a comprehensive bill but not now,” said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., one of the attendees.

A12 | Wednesday, January 10, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

ENTERTAINMENT

Lexey Swall/The New York Times

John Dickerson, the host of Face The Nation and a veteran political journalist, will replace Charlie Rose as the third co-host of CBS This Morning, a spot left empty since Rose was fired after allegations of sexual harassment.

John Dickerson will host ‘CBS This Morning’ By Nicole Bitette N EW YORK DAI LY NEWS

There’s a new face on "This Morning." John Dickerson, the anchor of the CBS Sunday news program "Face The Nation," will take over hosting duties on "CBS This Morning" from Charlie Rose after Rose was ousted in November over allegations of sexual misconduct from several woman, CBS announced on Tuesday. "On the campaign trail I’ve collected compliments about ’CBS This Morning’s’ commitment to the news for years now," Dickerson said in a statement. "Every time I’ve been on the show I haven’t wanted the conversation with Norah and Gayle to end when my segment does. Now it doesn’t have to." Dickerson, 49, joined CBS in 2009 as an analyst and contributor and by 2011 was named the network’s political director. In addition to his gig as host of "Face the Nation" which he took over in 2015

- he also serves as the chief Washington correspondent for CBS News. Charlie Rose out at CBS News, PBS and Bloomberg amid allegations The D.C. native also serves as a political columnist for Slate magazine. He joins fellow hosts Norah O’Donnell and Gayle King on the daytime talk show. CBS cut ties with longtime host Rose, 76, back in November after The Washington Post published a bombshell report in which eight women accused the journalist of inappropriate sexual conduct, which spanned over the course of several years. The women claimed Rose would expose himself and make lewd phone calls to them while working on the "Charlie Rose" show or after job interviews for the program on PBS between the early 1990s and 2011. PBS and Bloomberg also ended relationships with Rose amid the allegations.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Darren Criss, Penelope Cruz, Edgar Ramirez and Ricky Martin, from left, cast members in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story," pose together at a special screening of the television series in Los Angeles.

Versace’s family slams FX series as ‘work of fiction’ By Peter Sblendorio NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

The upcoming FX anthology series about the death of Gianni Versace should be viewed as a "work of fiction," according to Versace’s family. The famed luxury designer’s estate made it clear it did not approve or contribute to the highly anticipated new season of "American Crime Story," which attempts to delve into Versace’s murder in 1997. "The Versace family has neither authorized nor

had any involvement whatsoever in the forthcoming TV series about the death of Mr. Gianni Versace," Versace’s family said in a statement. "Since Versace did not authorize the book on which it is partly based nor has it taken part in the writing of the screenplay, this TV series should only be considered as a work of fiction." The new season of the popular FX series — which is officially titled "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" — is based

off of a book about the murder titled "Vulgar Favors," which was authored by Maureen Orth and released in 1999. The nine-episode show stars Edgar Martinez as Versace, Penelope Cruz as his sister Donatella Versace and Darren Criss as his killer, Andrew Cunanan. FX bills the new series as being "inspired by actual events" on its website. The network’s "American Crime Series" franchise covers a different headline-making crime each season.

The first season — "The People v. O.J. Simpson" — premiered in 2016 and earned nine Emmy awards, including one for outstanding limited series. "The People v. O.J. Simpsons" garnered differing reactions from the people portrayed in the series. Marcia Clark praised Sarah Paulson’s portrayal of her, while her legal partner Chris Darden — who was played by Sterling K. Brown — said on the "Today" show that he never considered watching it and said it was not accurate.