HE’S BACK
WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER 1, 2017
FREE
TIGER WOODS SET TO RETURN TO COMPETITIVE GOLF IN NOVEMBER, A7
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
HIDALGO COUNTY
Mexican national set for execution Border tensions rise following Texas’ decision By Keri Blakinger H OUSTON CHRONICLE
Texas this month is poised to execute a Mexican national accused of rape and murder in a case that could further inflame border tensions over apparent violations of the Vienna Convention and international law.
UNITED NATIONS
The Mexican government is now funding legal efforts by Ruben Cardenas Ramirez to halt his execution after authorities neglected to notify Mexico about the arrest and failed to hold a review as required by the United Nation’s international court in The Hague. “It is as if the United States
were thumbing its nose at the government of Mexico and the United Nations,” said Sandra Babcock, a Cornell Law School professor specializing in international issues surrounding capital punishment. “And when I say the U.S., I should be clear that we’re talking about Texas.” To make matters worse, the condemned man’s lawyer is alleging that he didn’t actually commit the crime that earned him a death sentence in the first place. But according to Hidalgo County prosecutor Ted Hake,
the U.N. ruling is “not enforceable” and there’s no mechanism to hold the required review under Texas law. “There’s no point,” he said. “This guy is guilty as sin.” But it is not claims of innocence that are the crux of Mexico’s gripe over the case. “It’s a significant treaty violation,” said Gregory Kuykendall, an Arizona attorney authorized to speak on behalf of Mexico. “What separates us from anarchy is our commitment to due process and that’s the pro-
cesses of the laws that are in effect in both the United States as well as internationally,” said Kuykendall, who directs the Mexican Capital Legal Assistance Program, a program created by Mexican officials to fight death penalty cases for Mexican nationals in the U.S.. “Our treaty commitments reign supreme.” The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has weighed in with a resolution recommending that the U.S. vacate the death sentence, and Execution continues on A10
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
SUIT SEEKS RELEASE OF IMMIGRANT GIRL
Adalberto Roque / AFP/Getty Images
Vehicles pass by the US Embassy in Havana on Oct. 26.
Trump admin to defend Cuba embargo Darren Abate / San Antonio Express-News
Reversing Obama-era relations
Phyllis Logan, center, leads protestors in chants calling for the release of Rosa Maria Hernandez on Monday in downtown San Antonio. The protestors assembled outside of the office of Sen. John Cornyn to call for the release of Rosa Maria Hernandez, a 10-year-old undocumented Mexican girl with cerebral palsy who is being detained by ICE.
Laredoan remains detained, faces deportation
By Matthew Lee and Josh Lederman
By Jason Buch
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will defend America’s decades-old economic embargo on Cuba in a United Nations vote this week, the State Department said Tuesday, in a reversal from the Obama administration that reflects deteriorating U.S.-Cuban relations. Every year the U.N. votes to condemn the embargo, and for years the U.S. predictably voted “no.” But last year, under President Barack Obama, the U.S. abstained for the first time, as Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro moved forward with the historic warming of relations. A “no” vote Wednesday from U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley will return the
he American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a lawsuit demanding the federal government return to her family a 10-year-old girl who is in government custody after being put into deportation proceedings last week by Border Patrol agents who followed her to a hospital. In its lawsuit, the ACLU alleged that Rosa Maria Hernandez, who has cerebral palsy and is at a San Antonio child care facility, is being unlawfully detained and should be allowed to return to her family in Laredo and continue treatment after undergoing gall bladder surgery last week. “It is unconscionable to
Cuba continues on A10
Suit continues on A10
T
Courtney Sacco / AP
In this Oct. 25 photo, a U.S. CBP agent walks away after helping to place an undocumented 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy in the back of an ambulance in Corpus Christi.
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Today is Wednesday, Nov. 1, the 305th day of 2017. There are 60 days left in the year. This is All Saints Day.
Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 1, 1512, Michelangelo's just-completed paintings on the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel were publicly unveiled by the artist's patron, Pope Julius II.
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 (all-inclusive). Register at www.rgisc.org.
Alex Brandon / AP
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8
President Donald Trump speaks about tax reform at the Farm Bureau Building at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Sept. 27 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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.
TRUMP PREDICTS PASSAGE OF TAX PLAN BY CHRISTMAS
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 15 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, NOV. 22 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, NOV. 29 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, DEC. 2 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.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 6 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.
WASHINGTON — One day before the big reveal, President Donald Trump intensified his lobbying Tuesday for a tax overhaul plan whose shape was still under negotiation by congressional Republicans. The president predicted a grand signing ceremony before Christmas at “the biggest tax event in the history of our country.” “The process is complicated but the end result will not be that complicated. It’s going to be: People are going to pay less tax by a lot, companies are going to pay less tax by a lot — that’s a big difference — and companies are going to start re-
US: Poor California planning caused bus crash that killed 13 LOS ANGELES — A bus that crashed into a big-rig whose driver fell asleep during a freeway closure last year, killing 13 people, had no advance warning because state workers didn’t properly plan for the closure, federal officials said Tuesday. California Highway Patrol
building and they’re going to stay here,” Trump said in the Roosevelt Room, where he was joined by the heads of more than a dozen business and trade allies. Trump said he’s directing Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn and other administration officials to stay behind when he heads for Asia on Friday so they can help sell the tax proposal. The White House said Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and adviser, had canceled plans to accompany the president to China and South Korea to help push the package.
officers briefly stopped traffic on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs on Oct. 23, 2016 because of utility work. The truck was in a lane and didn’t move again immediately. A bus carrying people back from a desert casino rearended the big-rig at 76 mph, driving the trailer more than a dozen feet into the bus. The bus driver and a dozen passengers died and 30 passengers were injured. Bruce Guilford, 51, of Georgia, was charged earlier this month 13 counts of vehicular
manslaughter with gross negligence; 12 counts of felony reckless driving causing injury and 17 misdemeanor counts of reckless driving causing injury. A CHP investigation concluded that the trucker didn’t move for two minutes after traffic resumed flowing because he had fallen asleep after working illegally long hours. The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released a summary of its upcoming report on the crash. — Compiled from AP reports
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13 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. 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. 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, JAN. 6 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 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.
AROUND THE WORLD Germany marks 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s challenge BERLIN — German leaders on Tuesday marked the 500th anniversary since the day Martin Luther is said to have nailed his theses challenging the Catholic Church to a church door, a starting point of the Reformation. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President FrankWalter Steinmeier took part in a service in the famous Castle Church in Wittenberg, where Luther supposedly posted his 95 Theses on Oct. 31, 1517. In remembrance of the 500th anniversary, Reformation day was a public holiday in Germany this year. Thousands of people were participating in different church services throughout the day in the eastern German town of Wittenberg. The city also celebrated the anniversary with a medieval-style street festival including arts and
Hannibal Hanschke / AP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Germany on Tuesday.
cultural events. As Protestantism spread following Luther’s revolt against the Catholic Church, religious wars erupted, dividing western Christianity in a schism that resulted in hundreds of years of violence, persecution and discrimination. Merkel, in a speech in Wit-
tenberg, stressed the importance of tolerance toward the wide variety of beliefs. “Those who embrace plurality must exercise tolerance — that is the historical experience of our continent,” she said. “Tolerance is the basis for peaceful togetherness in Europe.” — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, APRIL 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Ten years ago: Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets, who piloted the B-29 bomber Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, died in Columbus, Ohio, at age 92. Less than a week after workers ratified a new contract, Chrysler announced 12,000 job cuts, or about 15 percent of its work force. Five years ago: Israel, lifting a nearly 25-year veil of secrecy, acknowledged it had killed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's deputy in a 1988 raid in Tunisia. (Khalil al-Wazir, who was better known by his nom de guerre Abu Jihad, founded Fatah, the dominant faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization.) One year ago: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon fired the commander of the peacekeeping force in South Sudan after an independent investigation sharply criticized the military response to deadly attacks in July on a U.N. compound housing 27,000 displaced people. Most of an African-American church in Greenville, Mississippi, was destroyed by an arson fire; the building was spraypainted with the words "Vote Trump." The Chicago Cubs forced a deciding Game 7 in the World Series as they defeated the Cleveland Indians 9-3. Today's Birthdays: World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player is 82. Country singer Bill Anderson is 80. Actress Barbara Bosson is 78. Actor Robert Foxworth is 76. Magazine publisher Larry Flynt is 75. Country singerhumorist Kinky Friedman is 73. Actress Jeannie Berlin is 68. Music producer David Foster is 68. Actress Belita Moreno is 68. Rhythm-andblues musician Ronald Khalis Bell (Kool and the Gang) is 66. Country singer-songwriter-producer Keith Stegall is 63. Country singer Lyle Lovett is 60. Actress Rachel Ticotin is 59. Rock musician Eddie MacDonald (The Alarm) is 58. Apple CEO Tim Cook is 57. Actress Helene Udy is 56. Rock singer Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 55. Pop singermusician Mags Furuholmen (a-ha) is 55. Rock musician Rick Allen (Def Leppard) is 54. Country singer "Big Kenny" Alphin (Big and Rich) is 54. Singer Sophie B. Hawkins is 53. Rapper Willie D (Geto Boys) is 51. Country musician Dale Wallace (Emerson Drive) is 48. Actress Toni Collette is 45. Actress-talk show host Jenny McCarthy is 45. Rock musician Andrew Gonzales is 45. Actor David Berman is 44. Rock singer Bo Bice is 42. Actor Matt Jones is 36. Actress Natalia Tena is 33. Actor Penn Badgley is 31. Actor Max Burkholder is 20. Actor-musician Alex Wolff is 20. Thought for Today: "God give me strength to face a fact though it slay me." — Thomas Huxley, English biologist (1825-1895).
CONTACT US
SATURDAY, MARCH 3 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.
On this date: In 1478, the Spanish Inquisition was established. In 1604, William Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" was presented at Whitehall Palace in London. In 1765, the Stamp Act, passed by the British Parliament, went into effect, prompting stiff resistance from American colonists. In 1861, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln named Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan General-inChief of the Union armies, succeeding Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott. In 1936, in a speech in Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini described the alliance between his country and Nazi Germany as an "axis" running between Rome and Berlin. In 1949, an Eastern Airlines DC-4 collided in midair with a Lockheed P-38 fighter plane near Washington National Airport, killing all 55 people aboard the DC-4 and seriously injuring the pilot of the P-38. In 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to force their way into Blair House in Washington, D.C., in a failed attempt to assassinate President Harry S. Truman. (One of the pair was killed, along with a White House police officer.) In 1967, the prison drama "Cool Hand Luke," starring Paul Newman, was released by Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. In 1979, former first lady Mamie Eisenhower died in Washington, D.C., at age 82. In 1989, East Germany reopened its border with Czechoslovakia, prompting tens of thousands of refugees to flee to the West.
AROUND TEXAS Former nurse faces fifth murder charge in a child’s death SAN ANTONIO — A former nurse who prosecutors believe could be responsible for the deaths of up to 60 Texas children has been indicted on a murder charge for the fifth time this year.
Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood says a grand jury indicted Genene Jones on a murder charge Tuesday in the 1981 death of a 3month-old. The 67-year-old Jones already is in state prison for the 1982 killing of a toddler and the sickening of a 4-week-old boy who survived. She was scheduled for re-
lease in March. LaHood says authorities want to hold Jones “accountable for as many children’s deaths as the evidence will support.” Authorities have linked Jones to the deaths of children during or shortly after her shifts at a San Antonio hospital and a medical clinic in the region. — Compiled from AP reports
Publisher, William B. Green .....................................728-2501 General Manager, Adriana Devally ..........................728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................................728-2531 Circulation Director ..................................................728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo..................................728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ..............................728-2582 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ........................................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo.......................728-2569
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.
The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 |
A3
STATE
El Paso program Abbott: ‘Inaccurate’ displays unfit for Capitol gives community service in marijuana cases By Paul J. Weber ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
EL PASO, Texas — A new program in western Texas could waive some marijuana charges for community service. The El Paso Times reports that El Paso County commissioners on Monday unanimously approved the First Chance program. The program will be open to first-time offenders who are found with 2 ounces or less of marijuana. Anyone caught with marijuana in addition to facing another charge won’t be eligible. El Paso Sheriff Richard Wiles says the program gives first-time offenders the chance to prevent a future of illegal drug use. He also says it frees up police resources. District Attorney Jaime Esparza says there were more than 2,600 cases of possession of small amounts of marijuana in 2016. The program is set to begin in November. El Paso County’s move follows similar policies in Dallas County, Harris County and Dallas.
Governor to pitch recovery bill By Andrew Taylor A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is in Washington making the case to the White House and top Capitol Hill leaders for a $60 billion Texas Gulf Coast rebuilding package. Abbott told reporters that topping huge Hurricane Harvey recovery proposal are tens of billions of dollars for Army Corps of Engineers flood control and navigation projects and community development block grants Abbott said “what we’re asking for is not unusual when you consider the size and scope and population impacted by this storm.”
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said Monday that “substantially inaccurate historical statements” don’t belong on display at the state Capitol as they seek a review of a Confederate marker that rejects slavery as an underlying cause of the Civil War. It was a clearer denunciation than Abbott’s office originally gave last week following a private meeting with a black Texas lawmaker, who later blasted the Republican’s characterization of their conversation about a 1959 plaque titled “Children of the Confederacy Creed.” Democratic state Rep. Eric Johnson said he left Friday’s meeting under the impression that the governor supported removing the plaque from the hall-
ways of the Texas Capitol. Abbott has denied that account, causing Johnson to rip the governor for releasing a brief statement that made no mention of how they discussed the importance of historical accuracy. The plaque, which was made by the Children of the Confederacy, vows to preserve “pure ideals” and “teach the truths of history.” Then it adds: “One of the most important of which is that the war between the states was not a rebellion, nor was its underlying cause to sustain slavery.” Pressed again about the meeting Monday, Abbott spokeswoman Ciara Matthews said in an email, “The Governor said something that most Texans can agree with: substantially inaccurate historical statements are not appropriate for permanent display in
the Capitol building. That’s why he asked the State Preservation Board to look into this particular plaque and the history surrounding it.” Johnson did not immediately return a request for comment Monday. On Friday, he had accused Abbott of “cherry-picking” details from their conversation and said Abbott agreed with him the plaque was inaccurate. The plaque is one of
about a dozen Confederate markers around the Texas Capitol. Matthews said “no questions were raised” about other monuments around the Texas Capitol during the meeting and that the governor has not changed his previous stance on the issue. In August, Abbott resisted calls to take down Confederate markers following a deadly clash at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
How Democrats have become irrelevant By Andrew Malcolm S P ECIA L T O MCCLAT CHY WA S H INGT ON BURE AU
Perhaps you’ve heard a little something about President Donald Trump fighting publicly with members of his own party. The media loves these he-said-then-he-said stories of political conflict. They’re so easy to cover and self-destructive to the GOP cause. So they’re churned out day after day, enabling this president to manipulate coverage through mere tweets and dominate consecutive news cycles. What you haven’t heard much about is the acidic disarray among Democrats. That’s understandable. Democrats in Washington have become basically irrelevant. They lost control of the House. They lost control of the Senate. They lost control of the White House. This is important far beyond any political rooting interest. Our democracy needs at least two parties, two vibrant, imperfect, competing political organizations as a check on the other. Perhaps Barack Obama’s worst political legacy is the devastation he wrought on his own party, not by mean tweets but by making everything about him. He wanted Obamacare so badly Democrats obediently rammed it through Congress without a single GOP vote. Obama loved the sole spotlight of fundraisers so much he did on average of one a week for eight straight years. And Democrats still lost everything, including nearly 1,000 powerful seats in state legislatures across the land. To be sure, life in any congressional minority stinks. All it can do is obstruct and whine. If Democrats had any new ideas, which they don’t, no one cares — not even their sympathetic media. That’s because minority ideas are politically DOA. But much of the party’s enduring predicament is self-inflicted. Who leads Democrats today? Right. No one. Ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi from California is 77. Her team includes Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Jim Clyburn of South Carolina. Hoyer is 78. Clyburn is 77. Notice anything about this aged crowd, besides birthdates all before Pearl Harbor? They all come from coastal states, not that massive red area in between so full of economic hardship, simmering discontent and frustrations. Trump didn’t create that volatile voter cocktail, but he sure tapped into it. And still does daily. In the Senate, New York’s Chuck Schumer
rules Democrats. The spring chicken at 66, he took over from Harry Reid, who turns 78 next month. Then, there’s Hillary Clinton, another coastal New Yorker. She’s 70 and declined to campaign last year in such unimportant places as Michigan and Wisconsin that cost her the election. Out of touch much? Now comes Dianne Feinstein of — wait for it — California, the most populous and arguably most reliably liberal state that wouldn’t know a heartland Main Street unless a limo driver pointed out the sign. A former San Francisco mayor, Feinstein wants a fifth Senate term next year. She’ll be 85 years old then. Supporters argue her seniority brings great clout. But it also comes with long-term costs. Born during the Great Depression, Feinstein does not embody the values of today’s angry, younger progressives. Her tenure blocks their political advancement, prompting primary challengers. Pelosi faced a caucus leadership challenge last fall after a fourth straight election failure. And the GOP is experiencing similar intraparty duels over loyalty to a noisy president. One could argue such struggles and periodic purges are part of a natural political rejuvenation within a healthy democracy. Unfortunately, this time they’re widening the gap between the expanding extremes of both parties, reducing any likelihood of another characteristic of a healthy democracy, compromise. Witness all the major legislative achievements of this year’s Congress, which are, uh, nothing. Americans’ approval of Congress’ job performance is nearing single digits, which is basically members, their families and friends. In modern times Americans prefer divided government, one party occupying the White House and the other controlling one or both houses of Congress. Previously, when each party was less polarized to extremes, legislative compromises were more viable. With moderates on both sides losing or retiring in frustration, gridlock sets in. Fifty-three weeks from now, in the 2018 midterms, history and premature polls indicate Democrats may well win back majorities in Congress. But that won’t be because of anything Democrats did. It will be because of who they aren’t. They aren’t Republicans, who blew their shot at ruling the entire swamp, let alone draining it.
COLUMN
Both campaigns sought dirt. Hillary Clinton’s way was legal. By Eli Lake BL OOMBERG
There is a temptation for President Donald Trump’s supporters to approach Monday’s disclosures from Robert Mueller, the special counsel looking into Russian involvement in the 2016 election, with the shrug of whataboutery. Sure, Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort has been charged with moneylaundering and other dirty dealings. But most of the details have been known for a while. And his indictment mentions no actual crimes committed on behalf of the Trump campaign. What about the Hillary Clinton campaign? On Monday, Tony Podesta, the brother of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, stepped down from his powerful Washington lobbying shop because he, like Manafort, worked for a shady nonprofit group to lobby the U.S. on behalf of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. What’s more, the Washington Post reported last week that a Clinton campaign lawyer, Marc Elias, paid the opposition research firm Fusion GPS to dig up dirt on Trump. Some of that information came from Russian officials speaking to a former British spy, Christopher Steele. So, Trump supporters would seem justified in asking, why is it permissible for Russians to help Democrats and not permissible for Russians to help Republicans? There are two answers here. The first is obvious. The Russians tried to sow chaos in the election by trolling both the left and the right on social media with fake news. But when Russian hackers distrib-
The Russians tried to sow chaos in the election by trolling both the left and the right on social media with fake news. But when Russian hackers distributed stolen emails on the internet, they came from only one party: the Democrats. uted stolen emails on the internet, they came from only one party: the Democrats. If Mueller finds evidence that this was coordinated with Trump or his associates, it would be like finding out G. Gordon Liddy subcontracted the Watergate burglary to the KGB. The other answer is more subtle. Adav Noti, who served as a Federal Election Commission lawyer between 2007 and 2017, told me that all of this goes back to the ban on contributions and donations from foreign governments or foreign nationals in federal elections. The law has been on the books since the 1970s, and he said it applies to promises of deleted emails and other kinds of opposition research. “There is a real meaningful distinction,” said Noti, who is now senior director of the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan group that monitors election law. “The Clinton campaign, based on what has been reported, paid for opposition research, which included paying people to dig up dirt in foreign countries.” Unsavory? Perhaps. But not illegal. Compare that to what we know about George Papadopoulos, a low-level Trump campaign foreignpolicy adviser, who has pled guilty to lying to the FBI. The plea agreement, released Monday by Mueller, says Papadopoulos emailed a Russian professor and another Russian contact who
promised to turn over Clinton’s emails free of charge. Or consider the meeting in the summer of 2016 between Donald Trump Jr. and Russian nationals who reportedly offered to hand over dirt on Clinton. Noti said that if the Trump officials solicited the information, “the act itself was unlawful.” Noti cannot be dismissed as a partisan. Last week, his law center filed a formal complaint with the FEC against the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee for filing misleading federal reports that hid the contract with Fusion GPS. “They routed the money through their legal counsel so that no payment showed up on their federal disclosures,” Noti said. “The activity was legal, but they misreported it.” It’s important to note that so far, in both the case of Trump Jr. and Papadopoulos, it appears the information promised was never delivered. Eventually, after initial denials, the younger Trump acknowledged he had a meeting with a Kremlin-connected Russian attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya, but said all she wanted to discuss were human-rights sanctions against Russian senior officials implicated in the death of an anticorruption attorney. The Justice Department document signed by Papadopoulos says on page 9 that a separate, off-therecord meeting with the Russians regarding in-
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.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
formation on Clinton never took place. At the same time, we know that Steele, the former British spy, did get lots of juicy allegations about Trump from several high-level Russian government officials when he was working on a contract paid for by the Clinton campaign. That dossier did not sway the election, but it did poison the political environment for Trump during the presidential transition and during his first months in office. It dominated news coverage and prompted, in part, the launch of congressional inquiries into his election. It’s quite possible that Mueller has more information that shows Russians illegally provided the Trump campaign with dirt or coordinated with it the release of the stolen Democratic emails. But so far, nothing like that has surfaced. What has surfaced is that the Democrats in this instance played it smarter than Trump’s associates. The Clinton campaign had the good sense to pay a contractor for Russian info besmirching the opponent (even if they do eventually get in trouble for failing to disclose it). Trump Jr. and Papadopoulos, on the other hand, may have violated the law by agreeing to receive Russian dirt that was never delivered. The sad irony is that various Russians were willing to share opposition research directly and indirectly with both campaigns. In this case, Team Clinton was just smoother than Team Trump. Nonetheless Trump still won. As the late Tom Petty sang: Even the losers get lucky sometimes. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg View columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 |
CRIME
Warrant: Couple forced child to brush teeth with cat feces A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio-area couple punished their young children by forcing one to eat and brush her teeth with cat feces, shocking the same child with a dog’s training collar and beating them all with a thorny switch, according to arrest J. Chalkley warrants provided by the Bexar County sheriff’s office. James Howard C. Chalkley Chalkley, 32, was charged Monday with one count of injury to a child and his 22-year-old wife, Cheyanne, was charged with two counts of injury to a child. James Chalkley is the father of a 3-year-old boy and two
girls who are 5 and 10. Cheyanne Chalkley is their stepmother. The arrest warrants show a teacher noticed bruising on the 5-yearold in September. Child protective workers subsequently interviewed each of the girls, revealing the extent of the abuse, after which all of the children were removed from their home in Converse and placed in foster care. The children told their foster mother about a time their father became angry because he believed the children had deliberately failed to clean up cat feces that he found in a closet. He smeared the animal waste on at least two of them, forced the 5-yearold to eat it and brushed her teeth with feces on a brush with such force that she bled, according to the warrants released Monday. The 5-year-old also told authorities that her father used a dog’s shock collar on her that left
green marks on her skin. Authorities say the children told them their father and stepmother struck them with a belt and switches from a lemon tree, some with thorns. Investigators say James Chalkley at one point asked his wife if the punishments were too harsh, and she responded that she would hit them more if they were her children. Online jail records don’t indicate if the Chalkleys have attorneys who could speak on their behalf. Texas Child Protective Services had contact with the family on at least three occasions, according to the warrants. In one instance in 2016, the children had been left unsupervised. In January this year, the children had been stripped of their clothing, ordered outside and sprayed with cold water as a punishment for misbehavior. The case was closed and labelled as high-risk.
5 immigrants caught crossing storm drain A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
EL PASO, Texas — Federal agents in West Texas have rescued two immigrants from an El Paso storm drain after catching three others who emerged from the underground passage. A Border Patrol statement says an injured woman and her husband were located around 5
a.m. Tuesday when searchers heard voices coming from the drain. Border Patrol officials believe all five people illegally crossed into the U.S., then entered the storm drain Monday afternoon. Agents began checking the drain and exit points. Three immigrants captured near downtown El Paso said two others
needed help. Border Patrol officials found two people in the drain and transported both to an El Paso hospital. The woman’s believed to have a broken ankle. Details weren’t released on the man’s condition. The agency didn’t immediately provide additional details Tuesday.
A5
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CARNE ASADA 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a a su tradicional evento de carne asada ‘Gobble Til you Wobble Cookoff’ el sábado 18 de noviembre en el Parque Municipal de Roma. Registre a su equipo en Roma City Hall, 77 Convento Street. Mayores informes al 956-849-1411 con Lily Sandoval.
ACLU
NACIONAL
Presentan demanda en caso de niña detenida
Atropello deja 8 muertos en NY Por Colleen Long y Jake Pearson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DESFILE NAVIDEÑO 1 La Cámara de Comercio de Zapata invita al Desfile Navideño que se llevará a cabo el jueves 7 de diciembre a partir de las 6 p.m. El desfile comenzará en la intersección de la calle Glenn y 17th Ave, detrás de la Iglesia Our Lady of Lourdes, y avanzará por la 17th Ave. y se dirigirá hacia la carretera US-83 con dirección sur hasta llegar a la 6th Ave. PAGO DE IMPUESTOS 1 Los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. LLENADO DE APLICACIONES 1 La Ciudad de Roma ofrece el servicio de llenado de aplicaciones para CHIP, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Chip, Prenatal y otros. Contacte a Gaby Rodríguez para una cita en el centro comunitario o en su domicilio al 956-246-7177. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956765-8983.
Darren Abate / San Antonio Express-News
Shannon Pérez Green sostiene un cartel que pide por la liberación de Rosa María Hernández, el lunes 30 de octubre de 2017, en el centro de San Antonio. Los manifestantes se reunieron afuera de la oficina del Senador John Cornyn para pedir la liberación de Rosa María Hernández, una niña mexicana indocumentada de 10 años con parálisis cerebral, que está siendo detenida por ICE.
Menor de 10 años permanece bajo custodia Por Jason Buch SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
La Unión Americana por las Libertades Civiles (ACLU por sus siglas en inglés) el martes emitió una demanda pidiendo al gobierno federal que regrese al cuidado de su familia a una niña de 10 años de edad que se encuentra bajo custodia gubernamental tras haberla hecho pasar por procesos para la deportación la semana pasada por agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza que la siguieron al hospital. En su demanda, ACLU alega que Rosa María Hernández, quien tiene parálisis cerebral y se encuentra en una instalación infantil en San Antonio, se encuentra detenida ilegalmente y debería ser regresada a su familia en Laredo y continua su tratamiento después de haberse sometido a una cirugía de la vesícula biliar la semana pasada. “Es inconcebible enfocarse en una niña pequeña en un hospital infantil”, dijo en una declaración Michael Tan, abogado del Proyecto Derechos de Inmigrantes de ACLU. “Los hospitales son considerados zonas vulnerables bajo la pro-
Darren Abate / San Antonio Express-News
Phyllis Logan, al centro, dirige los cánticos de los protestantes para la liberación de Rosa María Hernández, el lunes 30 de octubre en el centro de San Antonio. Los protestantes se reunieron afuera de la oficina del Senador John Cornyn para pedir la libertad de una niña indocumentada de 10 años de edad con parálisis cerebral que se encuentra detenida por ICE.
pia política de Seguridad Nacional, y la Patrulla Fronteriza no debería estar arrestando personas ahí—especialmente niños. Las acciones del gobierno están fuera de la ley, son crueles y amenazan a padres con hijos enfermos para dejar de buscar cuidados. También es inconstitucional privar a una niña del amor y cariño que sus padres le han brindado toda su vida”. Rosa María, nació en México pero ha vivido en
los Estados Unidos sin permiso, ella fue detenida la semana pasada en un punto de revisión de la Patrulla Fronteriza mientras era llevada a un hospital en Corpus Christi para someterse a una cirugía. Los agentes la siguieron al hospital y le entregaron una notificación para aparecer en la corte de inmigración. El gobierno federal tiene prohibido por ley detener menores en centros de detención migratorios, así
que la menor fue transferida a la custodia del Departamento de Servicios Humanos y de Salud (HHS por sus siglas en inglés). HHS ha dicho que los menores reciben cuidado médico en sus instalaciones y la Patrulla Fronteriza ha declarado que sus agentes no tenían otra opción más que seguir a Rosa Maria al hospital y ponerla bajo procedimientos de deportación.
GRUPOS DE APOYO EN LAREDO 1 Grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reúne el primer martes de cada mes en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario a las 7 p.m. 1 Grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. 1 Grupo de Apoyo para Ansiedad y Depresión Rayo de Luz se reúne de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430, cada primer lunes de mes
Foto de cortesía
Estudiantes de primaria celebran Día de Brujas Los estudiantes de segundo grado de la Escuela Primaria Zapata North visitaron las Oficinas Administrativas de ZCISD durante el Día de Brujas.
NUEVA YORK— Un hombre que conducía una camioneta rentada arremetió el martes contra las personas que circulaban por una ciclovía ubicada cerca del monumento del World Trade Center, matando a por lo menos ocho personas y dejando varios heridos en lo que las autoridades señalan como un posible ataque terrorista. El conductor, de 29 años, fue baleado por la policía después de salir del vehículo empuñando lo que resultaron ser pistolas falsas en cada mano, de acuerdo a las autoridades. El sospechoso fue detenido y no se reveló de inmediato su estado de salud. Testigos describieron una escena de pánico y sangre: había personas gritando aterrorizadas, se veían varios cuerpos y bicicletas destruidas tendidas sobre el sendero. Además de los fallecidos, había 11 personas heridas de gravedad, dijo la policía. El gobernador de Nueva York Andrew Cuomo dijo que se trató de un ataque de un “lobo solitario” y que no había evidencia que indicara que era parte de un complot. Ciudades de todo el mundo han estado en alerta por ataques extremistas en los que se utilizan vehículos para arremeter contra peatones. La policía señaló que el vehículo, una camioneta alquilada de Home Depot, ingresó a la ciclovía en West Street, a unas cuadras del nuevo World Trade Center, y atropelló a varias personas. El vehículo chocó con un pequeño autobús escolar, causando lesiones a dos adultos y dos niños. Había una pistola de bolas de pintura y otra de balines en el lugar, dijo la policía. “Este fue un acto terrorista, y un acto terrorista particularmente cobarde dirigido contra personas inocentes”, dijo el alcalde Bill de Blasio. Se podían ver al menos dos cuerpos tendidos y cubiertos con lonas sobre la ciclovía, y la parte frontal de la camioneta estaba chocada. Tom Gay, fotógrafo escolar, estaba en Warren Street y escuchó a varias personas diciendo que había un accidente. Caminó hacia West Street y una mujer dio vuelta en la esquina gritando: “¡Tiene un arma! ¡Tiene un arma!”. Gay dijo que asomó la cabeza en la esquina y vio a un hombre delgado con atuendo deportivo azul corriendo hacia el sur sobre West Street y sosteniendo una pistola. Relató que había un hombre robusto persiguiéndolo. Dijo que escuchó cinco o seis disparos y que el hombre de atuendo deportivo cayó al suelo, con el arma aún levantada, posteriormente un hombre se acercó y pateó la pistola. El ataque provocó el cierre de calles en el extremo occidental de Manhattan, a lo largo del Río Hudson, y varios agentes uniformados se apresuraron al lugar mientras las personas se alistaban para las festividades de Halloween, incluyendo el desfile anual por Greenwich Village.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 |
A7
PGA TOUR
Woods to return in the Bahamas Tiger hasn’t played since Dubai Classic By Doug Ferguson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
Play it again, Tiger Woods. For the second straight year, Woods will return from back surgery at his holiday tournament in the Bahamas the week after Thanksgiving. Woods has not played since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 with back spasms. Two months later, he had his fourth back surgery in just over two years. Woods will be part of the 18-man field at the Hero World Challenge, which starts Nov. 30 at Albany Golf Club. While sponsor exemptions are limited to the top 50 in the world, Woods is exempt as the tournament host.
His latest procedure was a fusion surgery — the previous three were microdiscectomy surgeries — and Woods reported instant relief. He also said just one month ago at the Presidents Cup that he had no idea what his future held. Doctors gave him clearance to practice without limitations about a week later, and Woods had been posting video on Twitter of a full swing with an iron, a driver and then his signature stinger shot with the driver. “I am excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge,” Woods said in a story on his website. “Albany is the perfect setting and it will be great to join this outstanding field.” The tournament has no cut.
A year ago, Woods returned after 15 months recovering from two back surgeries. He made 24 birdies, but finished 15th out of 18 players. The tournament is not official on any tour, although it does award world ranking points. He made his first PGA Tour start at Torrey Pines and missed the cut, and then went to Dubai and didn’t make it past the first round before his back began acting up. Woods made the announcement just three days after he pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a deal that allows him to avoid jail time if he doesn’t violate terms of his probation. The deal stems from a Memorial Day arrest on a DUI charge when Woods was found asleep at the
wheel of his car, which was still running and parked at an awkward angle about 15 minutes from his home in Florida. Woods attributed it to a bad combination of prescription medicine. According to a toxicology report, Woods had the active ingredient for marijuana, two painkillers, the sleep drug Ambien and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system. He completed a drug treatment program in July. Woods has 79 PGA Tour victories and 14 majors, both second all-time, though he has not won since the Bridgestone Invitational in August 2013 for his record 18th World Golf Championships title.
Gregory Bull / Associated Press file
Tiger Woods is returning to competition at his holiday tournament in the Bahamas the week after Thanksgiving.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
ZEKE RULING AGAINST DALLAS IS FINAL PUNISHMENT FOR HARDY
Rodger Mallison / TNS
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott had his six-game suspension reinstated on Monday night.
Jerry Jones calls Elliott a ‘victim of overcorrection’ By Mac Engel FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
Ezekiel Elliott was always going to lose his case against the NFL. It was merely a question of when, because his league is now in the business of believing women. How novel. A handful of developments have occurred in this, the NFL’s latest butchering of a domestic violence case, and the Cowboys are going to pay for it. Call it karma taking Jerry Jones to the woodshed over his signing the worst of the bunch, defensive end Greg Hardy. No matter, in response to a judge’s latest rejection of another Zeke appeal, Jerry told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning that his star running back is a
"victim of overcorrection" by the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell. Please note that Jerry is now a graduate of the Bob McNair School for the Tone Deaf. Jerry’s point about Goodell’s decision-making when it comes to domestic violence is correct, but it’s stupid to say that Zeke is a victim. Jerry and Zeke deserved this outcome, even if it’s not fair. As I’ve stated before, the NFLPA blew it by agreeing to language in the collective bargaining agreement that would allow this scenario. Jerry and his fellow warden/ owners blew it by agreeing to make a commissioner a dictator with absolute power to do whatever he wants. There is no reason to
dismiss Goodell from his position when all he is doing is abiding by the wishes of the 31 rich old guys (the Packers are publicly owned) who wanted him to be Police Commissioner Goodell and get tough on crime. "The ruling has more to do with the scope of the commissioner’s authority and not really a bearing on whether Zeke is guilty of domestic violence," Jerry said on The Fan. "That’s where this stuff gets so convoluted. I’m very troubled by the swings we’ve had. "(Goodell’s) swing of judgment has been unbelievable from the Ray Rice thing from two-game (suspension) swing to six games (for Zeke)." In 2014, Goodell suspended Baltimore running back Rice for two games after a video leaked showing him knocking out his thenfiancee in a hotel elevator. Rice never played in the
NFL again. In 2015, Goodell suspended Hardy for 10 games after he beat up his ex-girlfriend. An arbitrator reduced the suspension to four games. The incidents the NFL alleges Elliott is guilty of occurred in 2016. In 2017 it gave him the six-game suspension. Given the evidence in the Elliott case that has been made available to the public, there is a reason Zeke was never charged with a crime. From a legal standpoint, this case is an L. Goodell looked at the evidence and found what he wanted to see, which is an example. "Institutions, in these matters really pertaining to domestic violence and abuse, have always been in the process of correcting," Jerry said on The Fan. "They start late, are behind the curve, and then they really react and turn around and overre-
act. And then they come to the middle." Jerry is right; there are examples of this everywhere in society. Zeke is on the extreme end. Even if he appeals this latest ruling, he’s going to sit six games. It’s a question of when. Given how far the Cowboys are into this season, and how much they need him, he might as well file another appeal with the prayer of finding a judge who will rule against the NFL and grant him an injunction to play throughout 2017. Zeke is going to lose because the system, the NFL and the NFLPA years ago agreed to never let him win. And the commissioner was tired of being called soft on domestic violence. Details were irrelevant. If there is anything good to come from this latest example of alleged domestic violence is that a woman who claims she
was beaten might actually be heard now rather than mocked, minimized, ridiculed and shamed into silence. Unlike the instances involving Rice and Hardy, however, this Zeke case has no definitive proof. Don’t drink the Cow-Aide on this. Something happened between Zeke and his ex-girlfriend that would even allow the NFL to bring this type of suspension. Something not good. In the offseason, the NFL and the NFLPA need to create a different "legal system." The court proceedings the two sides employ is something out of Vlad Putin’s KGB communist Russia. Jerry butchered the wording because Zeke is no victim, but the NFL has to find a middle for these scenarios. It’s too late for the Cowboys and Zeke now, of course, so call it karma for signing Greg Hardy.
A8 | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
‘House of Cards’ suspended amid Spacey allegation Lynn Elber and Mark Kennedy A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — The suspension of filming on "House of Cards" Tuesday in response to allegations that star Kevin Spacey made sexual advances on a teen boy is a rare move in an industry that puts commerce first. Shows are infrequently derailed by concerns other than their ratings performance, said TV historian and former network executive Tim Brooks. "It usually depends on how popular the show is, not to put too fine a point on it," Brooks said Tuesday. In recent days, Hollywood has reacted swiftly to allegations of sexual harassment and assault: Harvey Weinstein was fired from the company he founded within days after initial reports of sexual harassment were published in the New York Times earlier this month. And hours after news broke about the allegations against Spacey, Netflix said it was pulling the plug on "House of Cards," though the streaming network said the decision was made before the BuzzFeed News report on Spacey over the weekend. The network has not commented on plans for a Gore Vidal biopic starring Spacey that is currently in production. The widespread tumult has prompted unusual actions, such as Weinstein being booted from industry organizations, and created a climate of uncertainty. But a look back shows that
Hollywood has dealt with disruption before, with even beloved Spacey shows and actors fighting to keep their balance amid controversy. During Hollywood's 1950s "red scare," Brooks said, "I Love Lucy" star Lucille Ball was accused of being a communist sympathizer. The sitcom co-starred her husband, Desi Arnaz, who took action. "Desi came out before a studio taping and said, 'The only thing red about Lucy is her hair, and that's not real,'" using humor to effectively defuse the situation, Brooks said. The show's No. 1 status also helped. "Grey's Anatomy" was swamped by controversy in late 2006 when an on-set scuffle broke out between stars Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington over Washington's use of a gay slur regarding another cast member. After Washington repeated the slur at the 2007 Golden Globes while denying he had used it, ABC rebuked him publicly, as did costar Katherine Heigl. He was subsequently fired, and the medical drama from TV hitmaker Shonda Rhimes sailed on even as Washington blamed racism for his treatment. An actor's popularity with his cast mates can determine his fate, Brooks said. "If they like him, if they get along with him, it's easy enough to say, 'If I don't get my career
ruined in this, I'll stick with him,'" he said. How Spacey's cast mates are reacting to him and the allegations remains to be seen. Robin Wright, who stars opposite Spacey as his wife, hasn't commented publicly, but her Twitter feed includes a number of posts backing social issues including female rights and education. Netflix and "House of Cards" producer Media Rights Capital had already decided to end the series at the end of next season, its sixth, but on Tuesday they chose to pause the production, which is filmed in Baltimore, "to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew." Spacey was not scheduled to work that day. The move comes after actor Anthony Rapp came forward with claims Spacey made inappropriate sexual advances toward him in 1986, when he was 14. Spacey responded by saying he doesn't remember the alleged encounter but if he acted the way Rapp alleges, "I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior." He also spoke publicly for the first time about being gay, which draw backlash from some observers as an attempt at deflection. A release date for the final "House of Cards" episodes has yet to be announced. Netflix is developing a possible spinoff of the awardwinning drama that helped put the streaming service on the TV series map.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Stocks cap monthly increase as the dollar strengthens By Jeremy Herron BL O O MBE RG
U.S. stocks capped the best month since February and the dollar strengthened as investors assessed the prospects for tax cuts and the next Federal Reserve chairman. The euro slipped as data showed inflation unexpectedly slowed in the region. The S&P 500 index finished October with a gain of more than 2 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added nearly 1,000 points in the period, spurred by strong economic data, rising expectations for tax cuts and robust corporate earnings. Small caps led advances Tues-
day to erase a loss for October. Facebook Inc. was little changed as its executives testified before Congress. The 10-year Treasury yield held near 2.37 percent, four basis points higher than when it ended September. The greenback gained versus major peers to cap a second straight monthly advance. Oil headed for its first back-to-back monthly gains of the year. Gold fell for a second month. Tuesday’s trading undid most of Monday’s moves as investors stare down a torrent of decisions with the potential to move markets. President Donald Trump signaled he’ll name a new Fed chair Thursday,
while Wednesday brings the central bank’s rate decision and some specifics on tax plans. Markets remain on edge after the first indictments from Robert Mueller, which may may pose a danger to tax cuts. The news flow has overshadowed a robust corporate earnings season and fresh data showing the U.S. economy on firm footing. In Europe, Spanish equities outperformed Tuesday as the government in Madrid won the power struggle against Catalan separatists. Bonds in the region edged lower after data showed the economy appeared to be strengthening. A drop in China’s factory gauge sparked some caution in
Asia, with equity benchmarks mixed. Japanese stocks ended the day slightly lower after the Bank of Japan maintained its key policy rate. The European data came amid mixed signals about the global economy. China’s official factory gauge fell this month, though the country’s economy continues to defy predictions of a sharper slowdown. The euro-area’s unemployment rate inched lower in September as the economy expanded for an 18th consecutive quarter, but consumer inflation unexpectedly slowed in October, complicating the European Central Bank’s task as it considers tightening policy.
Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP
In this Sept. 12 photo, the new iPhone X is displayed in the showroom after the new product announcement at the Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple campus in Cupertino, California.
Best Buy stops iPhone sales Exxon settles pollution case after pricing backlash By David Koenig A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
By Mark Gurman DALLAS — Exxon Mobil settled air pollution violations with the Trump administration by paying a $2.5 million civil penalty and promising to spend $300 million on pollutioncontrol technology at several plants along the Gulf Coast. Federal officials said Tuesday that the settlement will prevent thousands of tons of future pollution, including cancer-causing benzene, from eight petrochemical plants in Texas and Louisiana. Some environmentalists attacked the settlement as insufficient punishment for years of violations by the giant oil company, while others said it addressed excess burning or flaring of gas, a key pollution problem at Exxon plants. The deal settles allegations that Exxon violated the federal Clean Air Act by releasing excess harmful pollution after modifying flaring systems at five plants in Texas and three in Louisiana. The allegations date back more than a decade. Exxon said it will install and increase efficiency of the flaring systems and monitor for benzene outside four of the plants. The Justice Department and the state of Colorado announced a smaller settlement over pollution charges against Denverbased PDC Energy Inc. The company will spend
BL OOMBERG
Reed Saxon / AP
This file photo shows a sign at an Exxon Mobil refinery in California. Exxon Mobil is settling air pollution cases with the Trump administration by paying a $2.5 million civil penalty and promising to spend $300 million on pollution-control technology at several plants along the Gulf Coast.
about $20 million to upgrade equipment and pay a $2.5 million civil penalty to the federal government and Colorado. Up to $1 million of the state’s share can be forgiven if the company performs certain environmental projects. Patrick Traylor, a former energy industry lawyer hired by new EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, said the settlements show that the Trump administration will enforce environmental laws “with prudence and with excellence.” Traylor said the deals bring “two very wellrespected companies” back into compliance with environmental laws. “Now they can continue their work of driving economic growth,” he said. Environmentalists said the civil penalty against Exxon was far too small size given the duration and seriousness of the violations of the federal Clean Air Act. “The fossil-fueled
Trump administration letting Exxon Mobil off the hook with a slap of the wrist,” said Lindsay Meiman of 350.org, an environmental group that emphasizes lower emissions of greenhouse gases. She said the deal would embolden Exxon and other companies to continue to pollute. However, the director of a group that successfully sued Exxon praised the deal — even while calling the $2.5 million penalty “weak” — because it forced Exxon to spend $300 million on reducing pollution. “This enforcement case was in the works for many, many years” before the Trump administration, said Luke Metzger of Environment Texas. “It’s a very good settlement” that addresses issues his group raised in a lawsuit over Exxon’s refinery complex in Baytown, Texas, including excessive flaring of natural gas and inadequate monitoring of emissions. In April, a federal judge
ordered Exxon to pay the government nearly $20 million after Environment Texas and the Sierra Club sued over the release of tons of pollutants at Baytown. Exxon is appealing the ruling. Exxon spokesman Aaron Stryk said in a statement that the company “worked closely” with EPA “to address concerns about flaring and opportunities to improve flaring efficiency at our U.S. chemical sites.” He said the $300 million investment would increase flare efficiency at the petrochemical plants, among the biggest in the world. The plants are in Baytown, Beaumont and Mont Belvieu, Texas, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As part of the settlement, Exxon will spend $1 million to plant trees in Baytown. Exxon Mobil Corp., based in Irving, Texas, reported last week that it has earned $11.3 billion so far in 2017, an 84 percent increase over the same period last year.
Best Buy said it stopped some sales of Apple’s iPhone X and iPhone 8 after consumers complained about the retailer charging a $100 premium on the already expensive smartphones. The company, one of Apple’s key retail partners, still sells all iPhone models via carrier installment plans that let customers pay for the devices over several months. The price of these payment programs are the same as the monthly plans offered directly by carriers like Verizon Communications and AT&T and similar offerings on Apple’s website. Last week, when users went to Best Buy’s website to purchase an iPhone X at the full, upfront price, Best Buy charged $1,099 and $1,249 for the two configurations. Apple’s pricing is $999 and $1,149. “Although there was clearly demand for the un-activated iPhone X, selling it that way cost more money, causing some confusion with our customers and noise in the media,” Best Buy spokeswoman Danielle Schumann said. “That’s why we decided a few days ago to only sell the phone the traditional way, through installment billing plans.” An Apple spokesman didn’t com-
ment on Best Buy’s move when asked about it on Tuesday. Last week, consumers took to Twitter to complain about the extra charge. “Never buying from you again,” one Twitter user wrote. “Charging $100 premium due to demand is treating your customer like dirt.” Best Buy previously said the $100 premium was intentional because offering different purchasing options for iPhones “has a cost.” The retailer gets payments from carriers when it sells phones that are already set up to work on the carriers’ networks. It doesn’t get that money when devices are sold without carrier activation. Still, Apple, carriers and some other retailers stick to the official pricing. Best Buy still sells older iPhone models, including the iPhone 7, at a $50 premium, according to a check of its website on Tuesday. Walter Piecyk, an analyst at BTIG LLC, said it was “odd” that Best Buy wouldn’t want to offer as many iPhone X options as possible to drive store traffic, even if that didn’t generate a profit. Preorders for the iPhone X started on Oct. 27 and the device goes on sale in stores on Nov. 3. Apple has said that preorders have been “off the charts.”
A10 | Wednesday, November 1, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER CUBA From page A1 United States to a place of extreme isolation within the global community over its policy toward Cuba, potentially undermining the Trump administration’s broader goals for engagement with Latin America. The U.S. embargo on Cuba is almost universally opposed throughout the world. The vote comes as an ongoing crisis over U.S. government workers in Havana harmed by invisible “health attacks” has created a new rift between the U.S. and Cuba, putting the restoration of ties in jeopardy. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert did not mention the attacks in announcing the “no” vote, instead emphasizing the need to promote rights and democracy in Cuba.
SUIT From page A1 target a little girl in a children’s hospital,” Michael Tan, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said in a statement. “Hospitals are considered sensitive locations under Homeland Security’s own policy, and Border Patrol should not be arresting people there — especially children. The
EXECUTION From page A1
the Mexican government has pleaded for an opportunity to be heard, according to court filings by defense counsel Maurie Levin. Kuykendall stressed that Mexico is not seeking
government’s actions are unlawful, cruel, and threaten to keep parents with sick children from seeking care. It is also unconstitutional to deprive a child of the love and care her parents
have provided her entire life.” Rosa Maria, who’s from Mexico but has been living in the U.S. without permission, was stopped last week at a Border Patrol immigra-
tion checkpoint as she was taken to a Corpus Christi hospital for surgery. Agents followed her to the hospital and issued her a notice to appear in immigration court. The federal gov-
ernment is prevented by law from holding children in immigration detention centers, so the girl was transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS has said that children receive medical care in its facilities and the Border Patrol has said its agents had no choice but to follow Rosa Maria to the hospital and put her in deportation proceedings.
to change U.S. law, although there is no capital punishment in Mexico. “Mexico considers the death penalty a cruel and inhuman sanction, and it’s opposed to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances,” Kuykendall said. “It has reiterated its opposition both nationally and interna-
tionally in its effort to obtain the eventual abolition of the death penalty worldwide.” The former security guard was arrested for the 1997 slaying of his 15-year-old cousin, Mayra Laguna, whose body was found in a canal after she was abducted by a man who slipped in through
the bedroom window. The case has been plagued by claims of unreliable forensic evidence, conflicting statements and witnesses, concerns about ineffective lawyers, and allegations of a coerced confession. Yet it was the concerns about treaty violations and international reper-
cussions that pushed the U.S. State Department to meet in February with Hidalgo County prosecutors. For now, the Nov. 8 execution date still stands. “It makes us a clear human rights abuser,” said Robert Dunham of the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center.
In its lawsuit, the ACLU alleged that Rosa Maria Hernandez, who has cerebral palsy and is at a San Antonio child care facility, is being unlawfully detained and should be allowed to return to her family in Laredo and continue treatment after undergoing gall bladder surgery last week.