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Evaluation sought for ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Lawyer requests formal check-up By Andrew Keshner
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US BORDER PATROL
10-year-old immigrant with cerebral palsy released Girl has been allowed to return home to family
N EW YORK DAI LY NEWS
By Nomaan Merchant NEW YORK — El Chapo needs his head examined. The Mexican drug kingpin and escape expert hears things, is depressed, repeats himself and forgets what he’s talking about, according to a new defense filing. A. Eduardo Balarezo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman’s lawyer, is asking for a court order to get a neuropsychologist in the same room with his client to thoroughly evaluate his 60-year-old client. Since Guzman’s January extradition from Mexico to a solitary cell in a lower Manhattan lock up, defense lawyers have complained about the harsh conditions and their effects on Guzman. But in the last month, there’s been a "marked deterioration" in his mental state, Balarezo said.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON — U.S. authorities have released a 10-yearold immigrant girl with cerebral palsy who had been
detained by border agents after surgery because she is in the U.S. without legal permission. The ACLU and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said in statements Friday that Rosa Maria
Hernandez was allowed to return to her family. Rosa Maria was brought to the U.S. by her parents when she was a toddler in 2007. The ACLU sued the government on Rosa Maria's behalf on Oct. 31, days after she and an adult cousin were followed by Border Patrol to a children's hospital. She was taken from the hospital after surgery to a San Antonio facility, where she
was in the custody of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To get to the hospital, the cousin took her through the Texas border city of Laredo to Corpus Christi, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) away, because the cousin is an American citizen and could accompany her through an interior checkpoint in South Release continues on A10
2017 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
HOUSTON STRONG
Chapo continues on A6
IMMIGRATION
Trump targets visa lottery program President calls for its removal
Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, center, joins Houston Astros players Carlos Correa, left, and George Springer to lead the Houston Astros World Series Parade and cheer the crowd at the intersection of Milan and Polk Streets on Friday.
By Peter Baker TH E N EW YORK T IME S
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump touched off a partisan debate over some of the most divisive issues in American life on Wednesday as he cited this week’s terrorist attack in New York to advance his agenda on immigration and national security while assailing Democrats for endangering the country. A day after an immigrant from Uzbekistan was arrested on suspicion of plowing a pickup truck along a crowded bicycle path in Manhattan, killing eight people, Trump denounced Visas continues on A6
City comes together to celebrate Astros win By Juan A. Lozano ASSOCIATED PRE SS
H
OUSTON — World Series MVP George Springer planted the Houston Astros’ championship trophy at the front of a fire truck to a cheering crowd as the team began their victory parade Friday, with orange and blue confetti raining down as they
passed tens of thousands of fans in downtown Houston. Four military jets soared above a sea of orange and blue T-shirts, jerseys, pennants and banners along the 20-block parade route, which was quickly extended to accommodate the larger-than-expected crowd. Fans stood more than 10 rows deep, with chants of “Let’s go Astros” echoing off skyscrapers, while some Astros continues on A10
Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa smiles during the World Series Championship parade on Friday.
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, November 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, NOV. 4
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Holy Redeemer Church garage sale. 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1602 Garcia Street. From toys to clothes, the church says the public will be able to find a plethora of items on sale at very good prices. For more information, contact Amparo Ugarte at 956-286-0862. Laredo Northside Farmers Market. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. North Central Park.
TUESDAY, NOV. 7 Alzheimer’s Support Group. 7 p.m. Laredo Medical Center Building B, Meeting Room 2. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer's. For more information, please call 956-693-9991.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. The Nature Talk on "Introduction to Beekeeping." 6:30 p.m. Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center at Laredo Community College. Nature Talks are sponsored by the Brush Country Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists. The presenter will be Jesus Jimenez. All Nature Talks are free and open to the public.
THURSDAY, NOV. 9 First United Methodist Church Annual Rummage Sale. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 1220 McClelland Church’s Fellowship Hall
Lluis Gene / AFP/Getty Images
The Spanish judge leading the investigation into Catalan separatists will issued a European arrest warrant for ex-leader Carles Puigdemont, who has fled to Belgium.
ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR PUIGDEMONT By Raphael Minder And Milan Schreuer THE NEW YORK TIME S
MADRID — A Spanish judge on Friday issued an international arrest warrant for the former leader of Catalonia, after he refused to return to Spain from Belgium to appear before the national court. Judge Carmen Lamela, who sits on Spain’s national court, is seeking the detention of the former leader, Carles Puigdemont, and four former members of his Cabinet who left Catalonia for Brussels on Monday. The warrant was sent to Belgium’s pub-
lic prosecutor. The Spanish attorney general wants to prosecute Puigdemont and 19 other politicians on rebellion and other charges for declaring Catalonia’s independence from Spain last month. On Thursday, Lamela ordered eight of those former members of the regional government jailed without bail, pending a full trial, after they appeared before her. Belgium’s judiciary will have to decide whether to arrest Puigdemont and the four members of his Cabinet and then send them back to Spain to stand trial.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2017 First United Methodist Church Annual Rummage Sale. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 1220 McClelland Church’s Fellowship Hall
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2017 First United Methodist Church Annual Rummage Sale. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., 1220 McClelland Church’s Fellowship Hall
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.
US citizen arrested in Zimbabwe, accused of insulting president HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe police have arrested a United States citizen for allegedly insulting President Robert Mugabe on Twitter as a “sick man,” lawyers said Friday. This is the first arrest made since Mugabe last month appointed a minister for cybersecurity, the Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights said. That move has been criticized by activists as aimed at clamping down on social media users. Zimbabwe was shaken last year by the biggest anti-government protests in a decade. Police picked up Martha O’Donovan on Friday morning, U.S. Embassy spokesman David McGuire told The Associated Press. Police accuse O’Donovan of tweeting “We are being led by a selfish and sick man,” from the Twitter handle (at)matigary,
said her lawyer, Obey Shava with Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. The tweet had a photo illustration of the 93-year-old Mugabe with a catheter, the charge sheet says. O’Donovan has been charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the president, Shava said. “I deny the allegations leveled against me as baseless and malicious,” O’Donovan said in a signed statement shown to the AP. — Compiled from AP reports
FRIDAY, NOV. 17 12th Annual Radiothon. Hosted by Make A Wish Foundation and Big Buck Country 98.1. 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Mall del Norte, Centre Court. Call 712-9474 to pledge or renew support. For more information, call 235-0673
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.
AROUND TEXAS Police: Woman planned to kill her two daughters DALLAS — A north Texas woman told investigators she had planned for at least two weeks to kill her young daughters and husband before she fatally shot the girls early Thursday morning. Sarah Nicole Henderson, 29, was arrested after her husband, Jacob Henderson, called 911 to report the shootings at their home near Mabank. The girls were ages 5 and 7. The woman was charged with one count of capital murder, but Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said another capital murder charge is pending and other charges are possible. Her bond was set Friday at $2 million, and she was being held at the Henderson County Jail on suicide watch, Hillhouse said. Hillhouse said Henderson
Henderson County Sheriff's Office / AP
This booking photo shows Sarah Nicole Henderson, who is facing capital murder charges for the deaths of her daughters.
confessed when talking to investigators and said she had been planning to kill the girls
and her husband for several weeks. — Compiled from AP reports
Today is Saturday, Nov. 4, the 308th day of 2017. There are 57 days left in the year. A reminder: Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov. 5 at 2:00 a.m. local time. Clocks go back one hour. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 4, 1942, during World War II, Axis forces retreated from El Alamein in North Africa in a major victory for British forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery. On this date: In 1884, Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected to his first term as president, defeating Republican James G. Blaine. In 1922, the entrance to King Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered in Egypt. In 1939, the United States modified its neutrality stance in World War II, allowing "cash and carry" purchases of arms by belligerents, a policy favoring Britain and France. In 1952, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president, defeating Democrat Adlai Stevenson. The highly secretive National Security Agency came into existence. In 1956, Soviet troops moved in to crush the Hungarian Revolution. In 1964, comedian Lenny Bruce was convicted by a three-judge panel in New York of obscenity charges stemming from his performances at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village. (Bruce received a posthumous pardon in 2003 from New York Gov. George Pataki.) In 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some of them, it was the start of 444 days of captivity. In 1980, Republican Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin. In 1987, 6-year-old Elizabeth (Lisa) Steinberg was pronounced dead at a New York City hospital in a child-abuse case that sparked national outrage; her illegal adoptive father, Joel Steinberg, served nearly 17 years behind bars for manslaughter. In 1991, Ronald Reagan opened his presidential library in Simi Valley, California; attending were President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon — the first-ever gathering of five past and present U.S. chief executives. In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a festive peace rally. In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain. Ten years ago: King Tutankhamun's face was unveiled for the first time to the public more than 3,000 years after the pharaoh was buried in his Egyptian tomb. Citigroup Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Charles Prince, beset by the company's billions of dollars in losses from investing in bad debt, resigned. Paula Radcliffe outlasted Gete Wami to win her second New York City Marathon in 2:23:09. Martin Lel of Kenya won his second men's title, in 2:09:04. Five years ago: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said cold temperatures would leave "tens of thousands" of people whose homes were damaged by Superstorm Sandy in need of alternate housing. A 2-year-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of African wild dogs when he fell into their pen from a viewing area at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Zac Vawter, a 31-year-old amputee from Yelm, Washington, who had lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident, climbed the 103 floors of Chicago's Willis Tower, becoming the first person ever to complete the task wearing a mind-controlled prosthetic limb. One year ago: A federal jury found that Rolling Stone magazine, its publisher and a reporter had defamed a University of Virginia administrator in a debunked 2014 story about a gang rape at a fraternity house. Today's Birthdays: Actress Loretta Swit is 80. Rhythm-and-blues singer Harry Elston is 79. Blues singer Delbert McClinton is 77. Former first lady Laura Bush is 71. Actress Ivonne Coll is 70. Rock singer-musician Chris Difford is 63. Country singer Kim Forester is 57. Actress-comedian Kathy Griffin is 57. Actor Ralph Macchio is 56. Actor Matthew McConaughey is 48. Rapperproducer Sean "Puffy" Combs is 48. Actor Anthony Ruivivar is 47. Rhythmand-blues singer Shawn Rivera is 46. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone is 42. Actress Heather Tom is 42. Rhythm-andblues/gospel singer George Huff is 37. Actor Chris Greene is 35. Thought for Today: "There is no such thing as a little freedom. Either you are all free, or you are not free." — Walter Cronkite, American news anchorman (born this date in 1916, died 2009).
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.
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.
AROUND THE NATION Miami officials outraged over noose found at fire station MIAMI — Miami officials apologized Friday to a fire rescue lieutenant who found a noose draped over a family photo ruined by lewd drawings in an incident that led to the firing of six firefighters. Authorities don't know who created the noose and have only accused the six firefighters of helping or drawing penises
on family photos of a black lieutenant at his fire station office. One was a captain and another one a lieutenant. Lt. Robert Webster told Miami station WPLG he felt betrayed by his colleagues when he found the noose and photos on Sept. 10, as he and others worked before and after Hurricane Irma. The accused firefighters deny any knowledge of the noose, according to a seven-page memo drafted by Assistant Fire
CONTACT US Chief Robert Jorge summarizing interviews conducted after the incident. Some of them told investigators that Lt. Alejandro Sese, a supervisor, did not like Webster leaving his personal photos out on display at the station and encouraged the group to draw lewd pictures on them. The firefighters hadn't appealed the Wednesday terminations. They have up to 10 days to dispute them. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, November 4, 2017 |
A3
STATE
Some South Texas pecan crops State defends new damaged by Hurricane Harvey anti-abortion measures in court By Paul J. Weber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN — Texas defended new anti-abortion measures again Thursday in court following a string of defeats over efforts to change the disposal of fetal remains, deny Medicaid dollars to Planned Parenthood and outlaw a commonly used abortion method. The latest trial centers only on a new law Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June that bans a second-trimester abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation. Federal courts in at least four other states have blocked similar measures. Abortion providers say the procedure is common and rarely results in complications. For Texas Republicans, the ban was the centerpiece of their response to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down a sweeping antiabortion law passed in 2013 that led to the closure of more than half the state’s abortion clinics. “I am most concerned with the health of women in Texas. They will have limited access to abortion care,” said Dr. Mark Nichols, an Oregon obstetrician and a Planned Parenthood board member. He was the first witness to testify in what is expected to be a trial lasting several days in Austin. Among those on hand in the courtroom was Republican state Rep. Stephanie Klick, who this spring authored the House amendment banning the procedure. Texas Right to Life, an antiabortion group, called it the “biggest pro-life victory” of the legislative ses-
The latest trial centers only on a new law Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June that bans a second-trimester abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation.
sion in Texas. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel, who is overseeing the trial, temporarily blocked the measure before it could take effect Sept. 1. The new Texas law uses the non-medical term “dismemberment abortion” to describe a procedure in which forceps and other instruments are used to remove the fetus from the womb. In court papers filed this week, Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote that “prohibiting this inhumane procedure does not impose any significant health risks or burdens on women” while citing alternative procedures that abortion providers say are less safe and reliable. Federal courts this year have previously stopped Texas from mandating the burial or cremation of fetal remains and cutting off Medicaid dollars to Planned Parenthood. Other states have also tried denying Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood over videos secretly recorded by an anti-abortion group, but a three-judge federal panel in August ruled that Arkansas could do so. Texas currently has around 20 abortion clinics, down from 41 in 2012.
By Kathryn Cargo ASSOCIATED PRE SS
THOMASTON, Texas — When John and L'Nell Starkey returned after Hurricane Harvey, the substantial damage to their pecan orchard left a sting in their hearts. "To see anything that is damaged that bad, and something that we put our lives in, too — we were very sad," said John Starkey, 87. "We spend a great deal of time taking care of the trees, trying to make them healthy. It's like growing our kids or grandkids ... It's a serious injury, and it's going to be very emotional, very sad for us to see these trees that deformed." The Victoria Advocate reports across the area, pecan orchards sustained heavy damage after Harvey, which made landfall Aug. 25 in South Texas, downed tree limbs, blew trees over and washed away leaves and pecans, said local Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agents. The Starkeys have nurtured their orchard for about 30 years. Since Starkey retired from his medical career about five years ago, it's been the couple's main focus during their spare time. After Harvey, the Starkeys found four down trees out of their estimated 275. About 60 percent of the trees sustained major limb damage, and all of them sustained some damage, Starkey said. The couple's fences leaned under piled-up debris as well. The Starkeys might be able to collect some pecans one at a time this harvest season but won't be able to use their usual harvest machine because of all the mess. Starkey estimates they lost about 80 percent of their crop. He said some of his
Nicolas Galindo / AP
In this Oct. 23, 2017 photo, Stacy Lopez, left, of Dewitt M & J, carries small branches to a large brush pile for Jason West to use a front end loader to pick up on John and L'Nell Starkey's pecan orchard.
trees that lost leaves or had broken limbs started new growth with the warm weather after Harvey. Some of the trees even bloomed like they would in the spring. "(The crop) was thinking it was spring again: 'We have to restore ourselves. We have to rebuild,'" he said. "They wanted to put on new growth, and we saw some blooms on this new growth like, 'We're going to make some more pecans,' and here it's September, October." The new buds of leaves will throw the trees off track if they use a lot of energy they would use next spring to start making next year's crop, said Monte Nesbitt, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist. "The fact those buds have been activated matters because those (trees) normally stay in a resting state until next spring when they would bud out and make next year's crop," he said. Larry Stein, Texas A&M University professor and Extension Service horticulturist, agreed with Nesbitt. He said it could take two to three years for substantially damaged trees to grow back and have a significant crop, but only time will tell.
"The challenge you have is you have to regrow those trees," he said. "The crop next year is virtually none because of all of the limb structure that was lost. The challenge you have when trees put buds out on this time of the year (is) it expends energy they would use next year." Charles Nelson Jr., 63, owns Nelson Pecan Farm in Inez. Like the Starkeys, Nelson estimates he lost about 80 percent of his crop this year. After Harvey, Nelson had seven trees down out of about 470. About 30 percent of the remaining crop sustained major limb damage. "For the pecan orchard itself, it's going to affect it," he said. "I would expect for next year to be a little slim and the next year to be smaller. You never know how these trees are going to react. Who knows, you know?" The Nelsons are in the process of getting help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency. They signed up for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, NAP, long before Harvey. Nelson said the process is long, and he's not sure how much financial help he'll get. "It will all work out,"
he said. "It takes a little time." Darrin Watkins, the Victoria Farm Service Agency's executive director, said pecan orchard owners should apply for the disaster assistance program annually. The deadline to apply for 2018 is in March. To receive help, orchard owners must have filed for disaster assistance within 15 days of noticing the damage. An adjuster will go out to an orchard and try to determine the amount of crop lost this season, Watkins said. If it's not a total loss, the adjuster will ask the orchard owner to harvest what they can and compare that production to previous seasons to determine the amount lost. Once the adjuster determines that figure, the Farm Service Agency can process the disaster assistance application. "We really haven't had that many (orchard owners or managers) apply for assistance," he said. "It's either because of the timing of the storm or they just don't know about our agency." Nelson said a pound of pecans is selling for $5 to $7 after Harvey. He said it might be because of the decrease in pecans harvested in the area this season. Usually, a pound sells for $3.50 to $4. "It's affected the prices," he said. "(It) doesn't help you when you don't have any pecans to sell." Starkey said his orchard will never completely return to how it was before Harvey. "We feel even though we've been damaged here and had a loss, things will come back, although they will never be normal again," he said. "We'll never completely recover because the trees are older and we've had so many big limbs off."
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A4 | Saturday, November 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
What if a tyrant can’t be booted from office? By Cass R Sunstein B L OOM BE RG NEWS
With the indictments of two campaign associates of then candidate Donald Trump, and the guilty plea of one of his foreign policy advisers, some people are starting to talk again about the possibility of impeachment. Let’s put contemporary issues to one side and instead ask an enduring question: Did the framers get impeachment right? In other words, does the Constitution get impeachment right? To answer, we need to separate two decisions made during the founding era. The first involves the standard the Constitution set for impeachment: treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors. The second involves the procedure the Constitution devised for it: an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives (requiring a majority) and then a trial in the Senate (requiring a twothirds majority for conviction). Begin with the standard. The nation’s founding document does not allow anything like votes of “no confidence,” common in parliamentary systems. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and their colleagues believed strongly in the separation of powers. They did not want Congress to be able to tell the president, “You’re fired.” The idea of “high crimes and misdemeanors” sets a high bar. True, that standard does not require a crime. If a president abuses the public trust say, by locking up political opponents, he can be impeached, whether or not he has violated the criminal law. But under the constitutional plan, a president is not impeachable unless he has engaged in some egregious misuse or abuse of his authority. Foolish decisions, and a total collapse in public confidence, are not enough. On that count, the framers made the right call. For more than two centuries, the United States has been wellserved, both domestically and abroad, by having a stable presidency with a leader who cannot be toppled because citizens think, at any particular time, that he is doing a terrible job. Because Congress makes the laws and controls the purse, it has significant control over a misbehaving president. Maybe not enough. But if it could remove the president from office simply because it strongly disagreed with him, or just didn’t like him, national problem-solving would become even harder than it now is. The Constitution’s procedure for impeachment is harder to defend. Even more than the standard,
the requirement of a majority in the House, and a two-thirds margin in the Senate, makes impeachment exceptionally difficult. History speaks volumes here. In the nation’s entire history, only two presidents have been impeached Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton -- and both of them were able to avoid conviction. Richard Nixon resigned from office, and he would almost certainly have been impeached, but he too might have been able to avoid conviction. One reason is something that the Constitution’s founders did not fully anticipate: the rise of the party system. Whenever the House’s majority comes from the same political party as the president, it is unlikely to initiate an impeachment proceeding, even in the presence of high crimes and misdemeanors. And so long as the president’s political party has a majority in the Senate, or even a strong minority, conviction might well turn out to be impossible. Most of the time, that’s OK. Usually it’s best to ensure that the president gets his full four years unless there is something like a national consensus that he has done something egregiously wrong. If members of his own party can’t be convinced of that, maybe he should get to continue in office. He was elected, after all. But constitutions should be designed to protect us in extraordinary times. Under imaginable circumstances, the Constitution’s procedure could get us into big and even catastrophic trouble. Above all, the requirement of a two-thirds majority in the Senate could well make it impossible to remove a president who really needs to go. Suppose that a president does something genuinely terrible: jailing political enemies, trampling on freedom of speech, making war, or abridging liberty in some patently indefensible way. As the 18th-century debates suggest, those are defining circumstances for use of the impeachment mechanism. But would we use it? That’s not clear. If a president put individual liberty seriously at risk, he is likely to have, or to be able to get, the backing of a lot of Americans at the very least. Would the Senate remove him? Maybe not. Once we combine party loyalties with procedure, it becomes reasonable to fear that a tyrant won’t be booted out of office. For all their prescience, the Constitution’s founders did not quite foresee the problem. That’s worth worrying about. Cass R. Sunstein is a Bloomberg View columnist.
COLUMN
Would you blame the phone for Russian interference? Tyler Cowen BL OOMBERG NEWS
Facebook takes its place as the new political whipping boy in congressional hearings this week, revealing that at least 126 million Americans were exposed to Russia-backed content on the site during the 2016 election campaign. Yet most of the circulating critiques of Facebook are grossly overstated, and are often little more than variants on the age-old charge that free speech allows many bad and even harmful ideas to circulate. To be clear, I am not a fan of Facebook as a way of using our time or shaping our culture, but the best protest is voluntary abstention. I am worried that the exaggerated rancor against Facebook will become an excuse to renege on principles of free speech. Facebook is a relatively new product, so you can’t compare it exactly to the media of the past, but let’s consider a few analogies. Take the phone company of your choice, either in earlier times or today. All sorts of phone conversations are carried out using its wires and bandwidth, including talk of money laundering, plots of murder, and fascist and racist sentiment, not to mention political and electoral conspiracies. The phone company is of course “neutral” across these conversations and doesn’t try to monitor, intercept or restrict them, though in extreme instances the government may step in with wiretaps. Most of us seem OK with this arrangement,
Critics may argue that Facebook isn’t so much like a phone company because it uses complex algorithms to decide what to place before our eyes. although when Facebook tries to serve as a neutral medium they are seen as more at fault for the bad content. Critics may argue that Facebook isn’t so much like a phone company because it uses complex algorithms to decide what to place before our eyes. That’s true, but would the critics be much happier if ads and posts on Facebook simply appeared in linear, chronological order? And on the question of algorithms, consider an analogy with a traditional publisher: Plenty of mainstream companies have published and promoted the works of Marx, Stalin, Hitler and Mao. The “algorithm” behind these decisions was whether these works would find an audience and bring in profit. The ideologies behind those works, of course, led to revolutions and the massacres of many millions, plus the infiltration of Western governments by communist sympathizers and delusional beliefs for several generations of Western intellectuals. Few of us are happy about those outcomes, yet for the most part we don’t blame printing presses, publishers’ quest for profit or their “algorithms.” We instead focus on the bad ideas themselves, and how we might persuade individuals otherwise.
You could think of Facebook as akin to a delivery truck, noting that such trucks often carry guns, abused medications, junk food and bad books, among other evils. If Russian conspirators order you flowers for Valentine’s Day, perhaps in appreciation of your pro-Putin tweets, the delivery truck will bring those too. Some critics object to the lack of transparency in online postings. Personally, I strongly dislike a lot of the content, but anonymity and pseudonymity are a time-honored tradition in Western thought, including for the Federalist Papers and Thomas Paine and many other classics. I don’t want to abolish anonymity, nor do I think it is practical to do so. In any case, to the extent I find the practice objectionable, I don’t hold Facebook uniquely at fault. A common myth is that Facebook sells our data to Russians or other outside parties. But your data are not passed on; Facebook keeps its information secret, while helping third parties target ads in an exact way known only to Facebook. Nor is Russian interference in American politics new, or for that matter vice versa. The Comintern funded “The Daily Worker” in the
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.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
1920s, and various Soviet and communist sources have funded agitation around the world for many decades. Those nefarious activities used a variety of cooperating Western suppliers, including delivery trucks, publishers, paper makers and much more, but again we don’t regard those businesses as sinister. Another claim might be that Facebook is special because it is a monopoly of sorts, unlike publishing or delivery companies. But for the issue in question -- formation of political opinions -- Facebook hardly has special status. There is cable TV, discussions with friends, books, phone calls, email, Twitter, talk radio and many other venues. If there is any source that has a quasi-monopoly on your political views it is probably your family and upbringing, not social networks. Keep in mind that a lot of what you read about Facebook is coming from mainstream media, an institution whose biggest competitor often is Facebook. Yet that reality typically isn’t disclosed in the body of those stories. Facebook deserves to be protected by law and the First Amendment, the same as other media. At the end, we’re left with a sadly neglected truth: We have to fight the bad ideas and the messengers, not the medium. The failings of Facebook are most of all the failings of America more generally. Tyler Cowen is a Bloomberg View columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, November 4, 2017 |
A5
BUSINESS
US hiring jumps after hurricanes as employers add 261K jobs By Christopher Rugaber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a solid 261,000 jobs in October in a bounce-back from the hurricanes that slammed the Southeast in September. The unemployment rate declined to 4.1 percent, the lowest in nearly 17 years, from 4.2 percent in September, the Labor Department said Friday. But the drop in the rate occurred mostly because many people stopped looking for work and so were no longer
counted as unemployed. October’s burst of hiring largely reflects a rebound from the hurricanes that temporarily depressed job gains in September. But it also shows that for all their fury, the storms didn’t knock the economy or the job market off course. Over the past three months, job growth has averaged 162,000, similar to the pace of hiring before the hurricanes. “Hiring got a boost from the post-hurricane rebound, but the underlying trend remained steady,” said Jed Kolko, chief economist at Indeed, a jobsearch website.
In part because of the durability of the job market, the Federal Reserve is likely on track to raise its short-term interest rate in December. That could lead to slightly higher mortgage rates and other borrowing costs over time. At the same time, Republicans in Congress proposed tax cuts Thursday that they say would fuel faster economic growth and job gains. That might be hard to achieve with unemployment already so low. Many employers already complain that they can’t find the workers they need. Because the tax proposals
would also swell the budget deficit by $1.5 trillion over a decade, the tax cuts might also be temporary. Tax experts generally say that permanent tax cuts are more likely to bolster the economy than are tax cuts that expire. When the Penn Wharton Budget Model examined a similar plan, it found that tax cuts would increase economic growth by 0.13 percent annually for a decade. That is a far cry from President Donald Trump’s claims that he could lift annual growth by a full percentage point on a sustained basis.
The proportion of adults who are either working or looking for work fell last month to 62.7 percent, slightly lower than a year ago. That drop suggests that there aren’t many people on the sidelines who want jobs. Despite a shortfall of workers, average hourly pay rose just 2.4 percent from a year ago, nearly one-half percentage point lower than September’s annual gain. That figure might have been distorted by the storms: Many lower-paid workers at restaurants and bars returned to work last month, and their influx could have depressed overall pay.
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A6 | Saturday, November 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL Female lawmakers allege harassment by colleagues in House By Erica Werner and Juliet Linderman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — For GOP Rep. Mary Bono, the suggestive comments wouldn’t stop from one male colleague. He even approached her on the House floor to tell her he’d been thinking about her in the shower, she says. Bono, who served 15 years before being defeated in 2012, is not alone. As reports flow out almost daily of harassment or worse by men in entertainment, business and the media, one current and three former female lawmakers tell The Associated Press they, too, have been harassed or subjected to hostile sexual comments — by fellow members of Congress. The revelations Friday prompted renewed calls for Congress to tighten its training and reporting procedures. House Speaker Paul Ryan sent a memo to fellow lawmakers encouraging them to com-
VISAS From page A1 the U.S. criminal justice system as “a joke” and “a laughingstock,” adding that he was open to sending “this animal” instead to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Shortly before midnight, the president took it a step further, posting a message on Twitter declaring that the suspect, Sayfullo Saipov, should be executed. “NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room,” he wrote, referring to the driver’s reported interest in the Islamic State extremist group. “He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!” Presidents are typically advised never to weigh in on pending criminal cases because such comments can be used by defense attorneys to argue that their clients cannot get a fair trial — especially when the head of the executive branch that will prosecute the charges advocates the ultimate punishment before a judge has heard a shred of evidence at trial. But Trump has disregarded such advice in other instances as well. The president’s vocal response to the attack framed the emerging politics of the case. While the White House deemed it unseemly to have a policy debate on gun control immediately after the massacre in Las Vegas last month, Trump was eager Wednesday to have a policy debate on immigration. He pressed Congress to cancel a visa lottery program that allowed the driver into the country, attributing it to Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate Democratic leader, and called Democrats “obstructionists” who “don’t want to do what’s right for our country.” “We have to get much tougher,” the president told reporters. “We have to get much smarter. And we have to get much less politically correct. We’re so politically correct that we’re afraid to do anything.” A moment like this was almost inevitable since Trump took office and sought to ban visitors from select countries with Muslim majorities. The terrorist attack in New York on Tuesday was the first by a foreign-born assailant on U.S. soil since Trump’s inauguration, and few were surprised that he saw it as vindication for his tough-onimmigration approach. It also provided fodder for him to shift the public
the weather, how’s your career, how’s your bill,’ it was ‘I thought about you while I was in the shower,”’ Bono said. “So it was a matter of saying to him ‘That’s not cool, that’s just not cool.”’ Bono declined to identify the lawmaker, saying the behavior stopped after she confronted him. He still serves in Congress, she said. Former Rep. Hilda Solis, now a Los Angeles County supervisor, recalls repeated unwanted harassing overtures from one lawmaker, though she declined to name him or go into detail. “I don’t think I’m the only one. What I tried to do was ignore it, turn away, walk away. Obviously it’s offensive. Are you supposed to be flattered? No, we’re adults,” said Solis, who left Congress in 2009 to join the Obama administration as labor secretary. The experiences occurred against the backdrop of broader gender inequities in Congress,
where women remain a distinct minority, making up only about 20 percent of members in the House and Senate. Nonetheless, a few female lawmakers contacted by AP expressed surprise and even disbelief at the notion that lawmakers themselves could be victims of harassment. Democratic former Rep. Ellen Tauscher of California argued that although male lawmakers “can be jackasses ... I don’t believe members of Congress can sexually harass each other, which is a legal term of art, because we are equals in our work.” But the law specifies that harassment can occur between equals, said Jennifer Drobac, a professor at the Indiana University law school, noting that factors like age, gender and ethnicity can create an imbalanced power dynamic. Bono disputed any suggestion that she or any other female lawmaker could not be harassed by their peers.
plete sexual harassment training and mandate it for their staffs, telling them, “Harassment has no place in this institution.” The incidents described by the four lawmakers occurred years or even decades ago, usually when the women were young newcomers to Congress. They range from isolated comments at one hearing, to repeated unwanted come-ons, to lewd remarks and even groping on the House floor. Coming amid an intensifying national focus on sexual harassment and gender hostility in the workplace, the revelations underscore that no woman is immune, even at the highest reaches of government. “This is about power,” said former California Sen. Barbara Boxer, after describing an incident at a hearing in the 1980s where a male colleague made a sexually suggestive comment about her from the dais, which was met with general laughter and an approving second from the committee chairman.
“It’s hostile and embarrasses, and therefore could take away a person’s power.” Boxer and the other female lawmakers spoke on the record to tell their stories following revelations about Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s serial attacks on women, as well as disclosures from current and former Capitol Hill staffers about harassment by lawmakers and aides. Largely untold before now is that some female lawmakers themselves say they have been harassed by male colleagues. While rare, the accounts raise troubling questions about the boys’ club environment on Capitol Hill where male lawmakers can feel empowered to target not only staffers but even their own peers. The lawmakers declined to identify the perpetrators by name, but at least two of the men continue to serve in the House. None of the female lawmakers interviewed reported the incidents —
some noted it was not clear where to lodge such a complaint. “When I was a very new member of Congress in my early 30s, there was a more senior member who outright propositioned me, who was married, and despite trying to laugh it off and brush it aside, it would repeat. And I would avoid that member,” said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif. She added that she would warn other new female members about the lawmaker in question, but she declined to identify him, while saying he remains in Congress. Sanchez also said that a different male colleague repeatedly ogled her, and at one point touched her inappropriately on the House floor. She declined to identify the lawmaker but said he was no longer in Congress. Bono said she ultimately confronted her colleague on the House floor after he’d made repeated harassing comments. “Instead of being ‘how’s
focus away from the special counsel investigation that unveiled criminal charges against three former campaign aides this week. But in an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday, Trump denied being concerned about the indictments. “I’m not under investigation, as you know,” he said in a brief telephone call. Pointing to the indictment of his former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, the president said, “And even if you look at that, there’s not even a mention of Trump in there.” Noting that Manafort was charged with financial crimes stemming from his lobbying business, the president added: “It has nothing to do with us.” Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, wasted little time Wednesday morning assigning fault for the attack along the bicycle path. “The terrorist came into our country through what is called the “Diversity Visa Lottery Program,” a Chuck Schumer beauty,” he wrote on Twitter. Schumer responded from the floor of the Senate, noting that after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush brought Schumer and Hillary Clinton, then the other Democratic senator from New York, to the White House to demonstrate national unity. “President Trump, where is your leadership?” Schumer asked. “President Trump, instead of politicizing and dividing America, which he always seems to do at times of national tragedy, should be bringing us together and focusing on the real solution — antiterrorism funding — which he proposed to cut in his most recent budget.” At his own public appearance later in the day, Trump took aim again at the diversity lottery visa program. “Diversity lottery — sounds nice,” he added. “It’s not nice. It’s not good. It hasn’t been good. We’ve been against it.” Responding to questions by reporters, he said he was open to transferring Saipov from civilian courts into the military system set up for foreign terrorists. “I would certainly consider that,” he said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting. “Send him to Gitmo, I would certainly consider that, yes.” Likewise, he vowed to toughen prosecution and punishment of terrorists without specifying how. “We need quick justice and we need strong justice, much quicker and much stronger than we
have right now,” Trump said. “Because what we have right now is a joke and it’s a laughingstock.” His later call for the death penalty stemmed from news that Saipov expressed loyalty to the Islamic State even as he recovered from a gunshot wound by a police officer who stopped his rampage. In a criminal complaint filed Wednesday, the FBI said Saipov “requested to display ISIS’s flag in his hospital room and stated that he felt good about what he had done” during an interview with law enforcement officers. No one arrested on U.S. soil has ever been sent to Guantánamo Bay, and no one captured on foreign soil has been sent there since 2008. Transferring the suspect from New York would raise a host of thorny constitutional and legal issues, and Trump seemed to be speaking off the top of his head since federal prosecutors later moved to process the suspect in civilian courts. Asked later about his comment on Guantanamo, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, dismissed it as notional, saying that “he wasn’t necessarily advocating for it, but he certainly would support it if he felt like that was the best move.” The diversity visa program cited by Trump was created in 1990 by a bill supported by Schumer, passed by bipartisan votes and signed into law by a Republican president, George H.W. Bush. Schumer supported getting rid of the program as part of a comprehensive immigration plan crafted by eight lawmakers and passed by the Senate in 2013. But the plan was blocked in the House by Republicans who objected to other elements they considered amnesty for immigrants in the country illegally. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has broken with Trump, came to Schumer’s defense Wednesday. “Actually, the Gang of 8, including @SenSchumer, did away with the Diversity Visa Program as part of broader reforms,” Flake wrote on Twitter. “I know, I was there.” The program creates a class of immigrants called “diversity immigrants” from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. About 50,000 diversity visas are distributed annually, or roughly 5 percent of the total green cards issued by the United States. Nearly 14.7 million people applied last year, meaning less than 1 percent of those who seek such visas receive them.
Activist on trial wants more time for ‘necessity’ defense By Blake Nicholson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
MANDAN, N.D. — Trial likely will be delayed for an American Indian activist accused of inciting a riot during protests in North Dakota against the Dakota Access oil pipeline, as his attorneys gather more evidence to present a “necessity” defense. Chase Iron Eyes is seeking a judge’s permission to use the defense in which a suspect argues a crime was justified because it prevented a greater harm. Pipeline protesters who have recently tried the necessity defense in other
CHAPO From page A1 "Counsel and Mr. Guzman engage in what to an outsider may appear to be normal conversation; however, it is plain to the defense team that something is not right with Mr. Guzman," Balarezo told Judge Brian Cogan. Guzman’s suffering constant headaches, ringing ears and throat pain, Balarezo said in his Thursday letter. He said Guzman can’t sleep well in his constantly lit, frigid cell, lacks clean bedding and is all but shut
cases in North Dakota and other states have argued that the greater Iron Eyes harm they’re trying to prevent is climate change due to fossil fuels. Iron Eyes hopes to show that civil disobedience was his only option to resist a pipeline’s incursion on his ancestral lands and prevent a threat to the tribe’s water supply. He also wants to argue that he was trying to prevent a “civil rights conspiracy” to portray pipeline opponents as terrorists and result in
them being treated as such. Iron Eyes and 73 others were arrested on Feb. 1 after erecting teepees on land that authorities said is owned by pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners. Protesters maintained they were peacefully assembling on land they believe rightfully belongs to American Indians under old treaties. Iron Eyes hasn’t disputed his involvement, but has pleaded not guilty to felony inciting a riot and misdemeanor criminal trespassing. He could face up to five years in prison if convicted of the more serious charge.
off from the world except for his defense team. Guzman can’t even buy bottled water or batteries for his radio at the canteen. Balarezo made it clear he’s not saying Guzman is not mentally fit for his April 2018 trial. "Rather, counsel suggests that Mr. Guzman’s condition may eventually result in a finding of incompetence if it is not addressed soon," he wrote. The lawyer said one certified clinical neuropsychologist told him she can do the evaluation in a "non-contact visit." But the conditions, in-
cluding a plexiglass divider between her and Guzman, could make for an "incorrect diagnosis or evaluation." Cogan previously rejected attempts by the defense counsel to have contact visits with Guzman. Prosecutors and Metropolitan Correctional Center staff said they couldn’t safely accommodate the request. And when Guzman’s first lawyers, a set of public defenders, tried to have the human rights group Amnesty International check out Guzman’s conditions, Cogan rebuffed the effort.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, November 4, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE COLECTA DE LIBROS 1 El distrito escolar Zapata Independent School District invita a la colecta de libros nuevos o ligeramente usados para niños, adolescentes o adultos jóvenes para la creación de la biblioteca “Little Lending Libraries”. Los libros se recibirán hasta el 17 de noviembre en todas las bibliotecas del distrito escolar, en el edificio adminsitrativo de ZCISD así como en el Boys & Girls Club de Zapata. Mayores informes al 956-765-5855.
PATRULLA FRONTERIZA
COMUNIDAD
Arrestan a 6 inmigrantes
Anuncian campaña donación de libros
Sospechosos habían sido previamente condenados por tráfico humano y de drogas TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Un operativo de la Patrulla Fronteriza resultó en el arresto de seis inmigrantes indocumentados que estaban involucrados en actividades ilícitas
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 desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Mayores informes al 956-8491411 CARNE ASADA 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a su tradicional evento de carne asada Gobble Til you Wobble Cookoff el 18 de noviembre en el Parque Municipal de Roma. Registre a su equipo en Roma City Hall, 77 Convento Street. Mayores informes al 956-8491411 con Lily Sandoval.
dentro del Condado de Zapata. Esta acción de las fuerzas del orden comenzó el 23 de octubre y se extendió una semana. Los seis inmigrantes indocumentados habían sido arrestados y con-
denados previamente por tráfico humano y narcotráfico. Todos los arrestados eran originarios de México. "El arresto de estos inmigrantes indocumentados delincuentes y prevenir que cometan otros crímenes en el área de Zapata es uno de los muchos ejemplos que ilustran cómo la Patrulla Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos
mantiene a salvo a nuestras comunidades", dijo Gabriel Acosta, agente subjefe de la Patrulla Fronteriza. Para informar sobre actividades sospechosas, como el tráfico de humanos y/o drogas, comuníquese al el número de teléfono gratuito de la Patrulla Fronteriza del Sector Laredo al 1-800343-1994.
ZCISD
CELEBRAN DÍA DE BRUJAS EN SAN YGNACIO
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. PAGO EN LÍNEA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día. 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 956-2467177. LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411. 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 956-765-8983. GRUPOS DE APOYO 1 El grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reunirá en su junta mensual, a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, el 7 de noviembre.
A7
Foto de cortesía / ZCISD
Los estudiantes de la Escuela Primaria Arturo L. Benavides celebraron Día de Brujas con un desfile escolar, un concurso de disfraces y distintas actividades dentro de las aulas.
Por Mayra Garza TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El Departamento Curricular y los Bibliotecarios del Distrito Escolar Independiente del Condado de Zapata (ZCISD por sus siglas en inglés) anunciaron la creación de un sistema comunitario de intercambio de libros llamado “Little Lending Library” y solicitan ayuda de la comunidad para formar esta colección literaria. Mediante este sistema, cualquier estudiante que desee leer un libro puede simplemente tomarlo, de igual forma quien desee donar un libro para que alguien más lo lea puede entregarlo para que forme parte del “Little Lending Library”. ZCISD estará aceptando donaciones hasta el 17 de noviembre de libros nuevos o usados del género infantil o juvenil en las bibliotecas de los siguientes campus: 1 Escuela Preparatoria de Zapata, 2007 State Highway 16 1 Escuela Secundaria Zapata, E. 17th Ave. 1 Escuela Primaria Benavides, 307 Lincoln Ave., San Ygnacio 1 Escuela Primaria Zapata North, 502 E. 17th Ave. 1 Escuela Primaria Zapata South, 500 Delmar St. 1 Escuela Primaria Villarreal, 805 Mira Flores Ave. Además, las donaciones también podrán ser entregadas en el Edificio Administrativo de ZCISD, ubicado en 1302 Glenn St., así como en el Club Boys and Girls de Zapata, 302 W. 6th Ave. Todas las donaciones serán destinadas a estudiantes del Condado de Zapata. Más información en (956) 765-5855 o al correo electrónico curriculum@zcisd.org
COLUMNA
José Guadalupe Posada y la Catrina Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Las tradicionales calaveras que inmortalizó José Guadalupe Posada se vuelven perenes íconos de la identidad mexicana. Y resurgen con fuerza cada día de Muertos, contrapuestas al extranjerizante Halloween. La capital de Aguascalientes ve nacer a José Guadalupe Posada Aguilar el 2 de febrero de 1852. Ahí y en León, Guanajuato, abraza las artes gráficas. Ronda los 36 años de edad cuando llega a la Ciudad de México, donde trabaja para Ireneo Paz, abuelo de Octavio Paz y editor de La Patria Ilustrada, con tendencias porfirianas. Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, empresario del ramo, lo contrata hacia 1890. Conoce entonces al grabador de este último, Manuel Alfonso Manilla, aprendiéndole mucho. Fallecido Manilla poco más adelante, lo releva Posada con plausible destreza, plasmada en imágenes para relatos históricos, cuentos, manuales de cartas amorosas, periódicos, corridos y diversas realizaciones de amplia demanda.
Nos describe el poeta Rubén M. Campos rasgos del “hombrazo rechoncho … de tal habilidad manual en su oficio que, mientras platicaba con el dibujante Nicolás Urqueta, que me había llevado a conocer al grabador, éste me miraba de” soslayo y “hundía un taruguito de madera con una afilada navaja”; “de pronto, levantándose … sacó prueba a una caricatura de mi encanijada figura imberbe, tan … parecida, que nos hizo carcajear a los tres”. Aparecida el 4 de noviembre de 1889, su Calavera de mujer elegante resulta la más antigua de casi 50 títulos que sobre el particular conocemos. Las calaveras son huesudas ridiculizaciones interclasistas. Vendedoras ambulantes, peluqueros, tortilleras y otros personajes análogos comparten el panteón humorístico con ricachonas, señoritos, políticos y diversos chipocludos. Impresas por lo regular mediante placas de zinc al buril, antaño circulan en papeles coloridos. Vendidas a bajos precios, la Calavera de un lagartijo, lo mismo que la Calaverita con chistera y puro, devienen bastante representativas del género. De
todas, sin duda alcanza mayúscula fama la Garbancera –llamada hoy Calavera catrina–, que en su obra’ Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central’ el muralista Diego Rivera coloca del brazo de Posada. Con los arranques del siglo XX posrevolucionario la cultura nacional busca caminos propios, capaces de afianzarla. Ello propicia la valoración de este magnífico ilustrador, rescatándolo del olvido. “Creó el grabado genuinamente mexicano, y lo creó con rasgos tan fuertes, tan raciales que puede parangonarse con el sentimiento estético de lo gótico o bizantino”, postula en 1925 Jean Charlot, quien despierta el interés por don José Guadalupe. El “hombrazo rechoncho”, de modestos recursos económicos, moriría en la metrópoli capitalina el 20 de enero de 1913, próximo a cumplir 61 años. Trabajaba en su taller, absorto, largo tiempo. Por la ventana, cierto adolescente solía observarlo con vivo interés. Aquel chamaco después se convierte en destacado protagonista del muralismo mexicano. Era José Clemente Orozco.
Foto de cortesía
José Guadalupe Posada en el exterior de su taller
A8 | Saturday, November 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
NYPD building rape case against Weinstein By Colleen Long A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — New York City police said Friday that an actress’ rape allegations against Harvey Weinstein are credible, and if the movie mogul were in the state and the accusation more recent, they would move to arrest him immediately. Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said investigators have interviewed actress Paz de la Huerta. She has publicly accused Weinstein of raping her twice in her apartment in 2010 and called police about it on Oct. 26. Boyce said detectives found the “Boardwalk Empire” actress’ story believable and that two people corroborated por-
tions of her account. They have subpoenaed people in the case. “If this person was still in New York, and it was recent, we’d go right away and make the arrest. No doubt,” Boyce said of Weinstein. “But we’re talking about a 7-year-old case. And we have to move forward gathering evidence first.” The factors that made her story credible included: “The ability to articulate each and every minute of the crime, where she was, where they met, where this happened and what he did,” he said. An email message sent to Weinstein representative Sallie Hofmeister was not immediately returned. Weinstein, 65, has previously denied all allega-
David Walter Banks / The New York Times
The police in New York said Friday that they are investigating the claims of actress Paz de la Huerta who said Harvey Weinstein sexually attacked her seven years ago.
tions of non-consensual sex. The investigation comes a month after The New York Times published an expose of sexual harass-
Miguel angered by immigrant treatment at detention centers By Jonathan Landrum Jr. A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
ATLANTA — After hearing numerous stories of immigrants being deprived of meals and relegated to harsh living conditions inside some detention centers across the country, Grammywinning singer Miguel said he felt angered. That’s why he decided to headline a free (hash) SchoolsNotPrisons concert in California to bring more awareness to the issue last month. More than 1,000 attendees were at the show, held across the street from the Adelanto Detention Center, the largest in the state. “You think a detention center is a place where people are being fed and
taken care of, but these people are only getting one meal a day, Miguel which is often like a sandwich,” Miguel, who was raised in Los Angeles, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “They sleep on the floor. The children that are being held there are sleeping under one blanket. ...The food they are serving isn’t edible because it’s been spoiled or there are maggots in the food. The treatment is crazy,” he added. Detention centers are institutions that usually hold people, particularly immigrants, for short periods of time while
they await trial or a sentence. But the R&B singer said he’s heard firsthand stories from people who have been held for nearly a decade. Miguel believes those types of institutions should be shutdown. He said though some of the inmates are criminals, the majority of them are looking to better their lives and seek opportunities in the U.S. The singer said he empathized with them, especially since his grandmother came to the U.S. from Mexico to find work in the 1960s. She eventually moved her family to America. “It’s another example of how innocent people are being taken advantage of. It’s unjust on a human level.” Miguel said.
ment allegations against Weinstein, leading to his firing from the company he co-founded and his expulsion from the organization that bestows the
Academy Awards. Since then, dozens of women have come forward to tell similar tales of harassment or assault. Investigators in London and California were also looking into allegations made by women, but no other department has suggested allegations could result in criminal charges. New York doesn’t have a statute of limitations on rape. De la Huerta told CBS News that the first rape occurred in October 2010 after Weinstein gave her a ride home from a party, insisted on having a drink in her apartment and forced himself on her. She said the second rape occurred in December 2010 after Weinstein showed up at her apartment. She had been drinking and
was not in a condition to give consent, CBS reported the actress said. Police said she didn’t come forward earlier because she was afraid of damaging her career and wasn’t sure anyone would believe the allegations against such a powerful Hollywood player. Weinstein has an apartment and had an office for his production company in New York City, but his exact whereabouts Friday were unknown. Boyce said Weinstein knows police wish to speak with him. Weinstein’s representatives have not responded to media inquiries about where he is, but TMZ on Friday posted a photo of a man it said was Weinstein in disguise eating at a Phoenix restaurant.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, November 4, 2017 |
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NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
Watson, Luck both out at QB Texans, Colts face off without their young franchise quarterbacks Gary Anderson for second on the NFL’s career scoring list (2,434 points). Receiver T.Y. Hilton needs nine catches to pass Bill Brooks (411) for No. 6 in franchise history, and Frank Gore has moved within 193 yards of Jerome Bettis for No. 6 on the NFL’s career rushing chart. But the most important number might be four. The Colts have lost three straight for the first time since 2015 and only the third time in Chuck Pagano’s 51⁄2 seasons with the Colts. They have never lost four in a row under Pagano.
By Kristie Rieken A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts will both start backup quarterbacks when they meet on Sunday after Deshaun Watson sustained a knee injury in practice on Thursday and is heading to injured reserve with Andrew Luck. Watson suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees and is out for the season, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the injury. His injury comes on the same day that the Colts placed Luck on injured reserve. The move wasn’t that surprising considering Luck hasn’t played since undergoing shoulder surgery in January. The Colts (2-6) have struggled in his absence, and have lost three straight. On Sunday when the Texans look for their fourth straight win over the Colts, they’ll do it with Tom Savage at quarterback. Jacoby Brissett, who has appeared in each game for the Colts this season and has started the past seven after being traded from the Patriots on Sept. 2, will start for Indianapolis. Watson’s injury is a huge blow for a team which looked to have finally solved years of
Weston Kenney / Associated Press file
The Texans look to regroup with Tom Savage back at quarterback Sunday against the Colts after Deshaun Watson sustained a season-ending knee injury in practice.
problems at quarterback with the emergence of the talented 22-year-old. Watson’s 19 touchdown passes are tied for the league lead and are the most in NFL history through a player’s first seven games. He leads all quarterbacks this season with 21 touchdowns overall and has thrown four or more touchdown passes in three games this season to join Fran Tarkenton as the only rookies in NFL history to do so. Now they’ll have to rely on Savage, who started the season opener but was benched at halftime after managing just 62 yards passing and losing two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown, in a 29-7 loss to the Jaguars.
Watson’s injury is the latest setback for a team that lost three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus to season-ending injuries on Oct. 8. Houston is in third place in the AFC South with a 3-4 record, behind the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars who are tied for the lead at 4-3. Savage will have to perform much better than he did in the opener if the Texans hope to reach the playoffs for the third straight season. Some things to know about the Colts and Texans: NUMBER WATCHING Kicker Adam Vinatieri needs one point to break a tie with
HI AND BYE The Texans welcomed veteran left tackle Duane Brown back last week after he missed the first six games holding out only to trade him to the Seahawks on Monday. Chris Clark, who missed last week with a calf injury, should return this week to start in place of Brown. RED DAWN One of Indy’s most consistent problems has been finishing drives. While their scoring percentage inside the 20 is 87 percent, about the middle of the league, Indy’s TD percent (43.5 percent) is No. 29. Only nine teams scored fewer red zone touchdowns than the Colts (10), and six of those nine have played one fewer game than Indy. Clearly, the Colts know that needs to change. “You’ve got to execute,” Pagano said. “Guys got to win
matchups. You’ve got to protect, you’ve got to throw, you’ve got to catch. Mix in some runs and things like that. “Again, having some early down success down there, having some opportunities and getting some looks that you normally might not get on shorter distances down there would help.” TEXAS TWO-STEP Colts linebacker John Simon spent his first four seasons with the Texans, and right guard Le’Raven Clark grew up in Texas and played at Texas Tech. It’s unclear if either will play Sunday. Simon, one of the Colts’ best offseason acquisitions, sat out last week with a stinger he suffered in the previous game. He didn’t practice Wednesday. Pagano was non-committal about his availability against Houston. Clark returned home after his father died last Sunday, missed practice Wednesday and was expected to work out with his teammates Thursday and Friday. He was scheduled to go back home Friday night — before Saturday’s team flight. “It’s unfortunate and our thoughts and prayers are with him in a trying time like this,” Pagano said. “As far as the lineup, we’ll practice accordingly and we’ll get him back and then we’ll make decisions from there.”
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
HUNT GETS RB SHOWDOWN WITH ELLIOTT AFTER ALL By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ARLINGTON — Kareem Hunt will get to compare himself to Ezekiel Elliott after all when Kansas City visits Dallas. The dynamic rookie running back for the Chiefs is doing many of the things the Cowboys star did in his debut last season, headlined by leading the NFL in rushing. Thanks to another temporary legal reprieve for Elliott, Hunt will get an up-close comparison Sunday against Dallas (4-3). Elliott will be able to play after a federal appeals court granted an emergency stay Friday. There have been two previous halts to Elliott’s six-game suspension over alleged domestic violence. Hunt didn’t mind saying he was disappointed that he wouldn’t face Elliott when the suspension was in place earlier in the week. The Chiefs (6-2) will try to set a franchise record with a 10th straight road win. “I watched Zeke a ton,” Hunt said of his senior year at Toledo, when Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott, his fellow rookie, were powering the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC. “Dak played pretty well and so did he. I was able to watch and see all the great runs he had. I kind of wanted to come in and have a year like he did his rookie season.” Consider it done so far. Hunt is the first NFL player with at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of first seven games and leads the NFL with 763 yards rushing and 1,070 yards from scrimmage. “He’s the engine behind that offense,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s been one of those guys who’s been steady for them, but also has made a lot of
Michael Ainsworth / Associated Press file
A federal appeals court says Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott can play in Sunday's home game against Kansas City, temporarily blocking a lower-court ruling that required him to serve a six-game suspension.
plays for them.” While he’s not quite on the rushing pace of Elliott when the Dallas back led the league with 1,631 yards a year ago, Hunt is another option when quarterback Alex Smith already has plenty, including All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. Smith is four touchdowns from tying Peyton Manning’s record of 20 TD tosses without an interception to start a season while guiding the NFL’s thirdranked offense. Things to consider in Kansas City’s first visit to the $1.2 billion home of the Cowboys that opened in 2009: ELLIOTT SAGA The 22-year-old is on the third legal ruling keeping him on the field, although this one has the chance to be the shortest if the
2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York rules on his request for an injunction next week. Elliott has now been away from the team four days because of the suspension — one day two weeks ago after a New Orleans appeals court lifted an injunction granted in Texas and three days this week after a New York judge rejected his request for another injunction. “It’s really at this point hard for me to get down or up about this whole situation because tomorrow it could be something different,” Elliott said Friday after he was allowed to rejoin the team. “So I mean it’s really not, like I said, worth my time to even worry about.” THE BUTTKICKER If the game comes down to field goals, give the edge to the
Chiefs. Harrison Butker has connected on 18 straight attempts since missing the first of his career. The pickup off the Carolina practice squad was 5 for 5 in Monday night’s victory over Denver, including one from 51 yards. The Cowboys are without Dan Bailey, the most accurate in history among kickers with at least 100 attempts, because of a groin injury. Mike Nugent missed his first kick as the replacement last week against Washington, a 49-yarder, but made the next four in a 33-19 win. UP TO THE BOOTH Tony Romo, the Dallas franchise leader in passing yards and touchdowns, will call his first Cowboys game as the lead analyst for CBS. A year ago, he was still recovering from a back
injury that made Prescott the starter, a job Prescott never gave up thanks to a franchise-record 11-game winning streak. Romo was the backup when he was healthy again, then chose replacing Phil Simms alongside Jim Nantz over trying to chase an elusive Super Bowl somewhere else. “I am looking forward to the production meeting,” Prescott said. “Obviously the first time with Romo will be cool.” BULLDOG BUDDIES Prescott could see a lot of an old friend in the backfield. He was teammates with Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones at Mississippi State. Jones was actually chosen ahead of Prescott in 2016, going in the second round to Kansas City. Prescott was a fourth-rounder.
A10 | Saturday, November 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER RELEASE From page A1
ASTROS From page A1
Texas without being detained. Border Patrol agents said they had no choice but to detain Rosa Maria, arguing that she was considered an unaccompanied minor under federal law, the same as a child who crosses into the United States alone without legal permission. The ACLU argued that the U.S. government violated federal law on unaccompanied minors and were endangering Rosa Maria's health by not sending her home. Leticia Gonzalez, an attorney for Rosa Maria's family, said the 10-year-old had the mental capacity of a child closer to 4 or 5 years old due to her cerebral palsy. Priscila Martinez, an activist at the Workers Defense Action Fund, said the child was showing signs of socially withdrawing while in detention and refusing to eat her favorite kind of bread. Federal immigration authorities have faced strong criticism from advocates and some Texas Democratic congressmen over their handling of the case. But U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement after she was detained that "there is no discretion with regard to the law whether or not the agents should enforce the law." Gabriel Acosta, assistant chief patrol agent for the Border Patrol's Laredo sector, said that his agents had "acted professionally and compassionately to get this child the medical attention she needed."
claimed bird’s-eye views from the upper floors of parking structures, draping banners down the walls. “This is amazing. This is awesome,” General Manager Jeff Luhnow said from atop a float that carried a giant baseball. “Everybody is smiling. We’ve been excited all day.” Several Astros players and manager A.J. Hinch waved at fans from the top of a double-decker bus as the parade started. Some fans threw caps and jerseys in their direction. Players autographed the items and tossed them back. Scored of fans had gathered downtown hours ahead of the parade’s start, including Manuel Mejia and his 15-year-old son, Jonah. They snatched a key spot along the route by 9 a.m. and set up four folding chairs at a street corner to be able to see the start and end of the parade. “I’m just trying to get a good spot. It’s going to get packed,” the 43-year-old father said before the parade began, noting he’d been an Astros fan since his father took him to his first Astros game when he was 8 years old. But he and other fans said the World Series win is great for all of Houston, as the city continues to recover from Harvey and the devastating rains and flooding that followed the late August storm. “We needed this win real bad for the city of Houston,” said 47-yearold LaShawn Harris, who lives in the suburb of Baytown. “Harvey is gone. Harvey is smashed. Harvey is no more. It is all about today.” Harris, dressed in an orange Astros T-shirt and
Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros fans watch as players roll by during the World Series Championship parade on Friday.
cap, and a fanny pack with gold-colored sequins, said she got up at 5 a.m. so she, her two nieces and her granddaughter could get to the site of the parade and rally in front of City Hall and get “a good spot.” The Astros took home their first championship in franchise history with a Game 7 win Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Playing for a city still recovering from Hurricane Harvey, and wearing an “H Strong” logo on their jerseys, the Astros won the title that had eluded them since they started out in 1962 as the Colt .45s. The parade is the first championship for professional sports team in the city since the Houston
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Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros fans watch as players roll by during the World Series Championship parade on Friday,
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Rockets Rockets won back-to-back NBA titles in the mid-1990s. The 1995 Rockets parade attracted an estimated 500,000 people. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner hoped Friday’s event would top that number. The Houston school district cancelled classes on Friday so students, staff and their families could attend the parade. And the city’s public transit agency waived all fees and people were encouraged to use public transportation because parking downtown was limited. Many underground garages remain closed because of damage caused by the flooding that devastated parts of the city after Harvey.
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