The Zapata Times 1/17/2018

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OPERATION ONE-ARM BANDIT

ZAPATA COUNTY ISD

ZAPATA LIONS CLUB Records detail MAKES A DONATION investigation into illegal gambling Search warrants show how operation unfolded ZAPATA TIME S

ZCISD / Courtesy photo

Zapata Lions Club delivered on the pledge of “Where there is a need, there is a Lion” by providing much-needed warm jackets to children of Zapata County Independent School District.

WEATHER

Hard freeze warning for county remains in effect ZA PATA T I ME S

There will be no classes for Zapata County Independent School District students today.

Due to inclement weather, students were released early from school on Tuesday.

Zapata County is under a hard freeze warning until 9 a.m. today. A wind chill advisory is also in effect until noon.

The cold temperatures will continue through Thursday.

Parents are reminded to

dress their children warmly and appropriately for the cold weather. Students and staff are urged to dress warmly and in multiple layers, making use of caps, gloves, coats and closed footwear.

On Tuesday, the City of Laredo Health Department issued the following precautions: 1 Older adults, those in fragile health and smaller children can be more readily affected by the cold than the average adult.

Take all medications as pre-

scribed by your doctor but ask if there are any special precautions for cold weather.

1 Check on loved ones and neighbors, especially those in fragile health, preferably by telephone, and make sure their heating system is working.

1 Pets can be greatly affected by the cold and should not be exposed longer than they have to be. Provide added protection against wind and cold air. Having them inside is better during Weather continues on A6

In 2011, a Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts investigator conducted an inspection of several 8-liner establishments owned by Hilda Villarreal in Zapata.

Her busiVillarreal nesses had accrued between $30,000 to $50,000 in fines assessed by the Comptroller’s Office. It’s unclear what the violations were Lopez for, but during Villarreal the inspection, the investigator said he saw Villarreal retrieve

a bundle of cash from a hidden wall in the kitchen area in order to pay for the fines.

The investigator told Villarreal, 69, that cash payments could only be received at the Comptroller’s Office. He also noted that upon inspecting her maquinitas, he saw large amounts of cash and several safe lockboxes in the office areas.

This incident was detailed in an affidavit filed to obtain a warrant to search the maquinitas Villarreal owned.

Last week, after conducting a six-month investigation into the maquinitas, law enforcement would discover that Villarreal’s home was also flush with cash.

They found almost $1.5 million there and over $140,000 at Warrant continues on A6

Maquinita Investigation Timeline June 14, 2017: Texas DPS begins documenting illegal cash payouts at maquinitas owned by Hilda Villarreal

2300 E. Saunders St.

Oct. 4: Laredo police begin conducting surveillance of maquinitas managed by Villarreal’s daughter, Rebecca Lopez Villarreal

Dec. 19: LPD pulls over Lucio Saldivar after seeing him leave Lopez’s home.

They find two gallon-size Ziplock bags containing “a large amount of U.S. currency” in an H-E-B bag.

Oct. 17: LPD starts documenting illegal cash payouts at Magic Spin/Wild Spin, 220 W. Calton Road Oct. 20: LPD establishes surveillance at Lopez’s home in the 3000 block of Robert Frost Drive Oct. 24: LPD starts documenting illegal cash payouts at Village of Fortune, 200 W. Village Blvd., and Good Fortune,

Nov. 9: LPD installs tracking device on Lopez’s Land Rover

Jan. 5: Law enforcement raids three maquinitas in Laredo, two in Zapata and one in Falcon Heights. Three people are arrested: Rebecca Lopez Villarreal, Lucio Saldivar and Miriam Sanchez Jan. 9: Hilda Villarreal is arrested in Zapata on a money laundering charge

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Fight over visas for families could sink Dreamers

By Bill Lambrecht H EA R ST NEWSPAPE RS

WASHINGTON — An aggressive push to overhaul the decades-old system for sponsoring family members for citizenship is complicating

the drive to protect “Dreamers” from deportation at a critical point in negotiations.

When two dozen influential members of Congress left a White House meeting last week, it looked as though they

would take up immigration in two phases: first, by increasing border security and tinkering with the entry system while fixing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Later, they would take up long-

debated and vexing issues on immigration reform.

But things changed quickly, with hard-liners insisting that a DACA fix be tied to significant changes in “chain migration” — and President

Donald Trump seemingly undermining trust among negotiators with vulgar remarks he is said to have made about Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations.

“We walked out of that meeting with people

saying, ‘Hey, we can work this out,’” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo.

“Then I started talking to Republicans, and they’re telling me, ‘We want this and this and this.’”

What Cuellar heard DACA continues on A5

Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE NATION

TODAY IN HISTORY

THURSDAY, JAN. 18

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library off Calton Road.

For more information, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 24 Laredo Gateway Rotary presents Paul Harris Foundation Dinner.

6:30 p.m. Laredo Energy Arena. The Paul Harris Fellow honoree is Juan Francisco Ochoa, restauranteur extraordinaire. For table information, contact Rotarian Bill Green at 956728-2501 or 956-237-9704 or email bbgreen@lmtonline.com

THURSDAY, JAN. 25 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting. 3 to 5 p.m.

Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speakers: Ricardo Palacios, Mary Treviño, Lily Perez. "The Story of the Tomb of Tomás Sánchez, The Founder of Laredo.” For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 956 763-1810.

SATURDAY, JAN. 27 Holy Redeemer Church annual dance. Laredo Civic Center Ballroom.

Music by Calle 8. Person tickets are $25 per person. For more information call Amparo at 286-0862.

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.

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.

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.

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Habitat for Humanity Laredo major fundraiser Golfing For Roofs golf tournament. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Hole sponsorships are title $10,000, platinum $5,000, diamond $2,500, gold $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze. For information, call 724-3227.

SATURDAY, MAY 5 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.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat / AP

Cars drive past a highway sign that says "MISSILE ALERT ERROR THERE IS NO THREAT" in Honolulu. A faulty alert was sent to cellphones around warning of an incoming missile attack.

MISSILE-ALERT ERROR REVEALS RISKS HONOLULU — When Jonathan Scheuer got an alert on his phone of a ballistic missile headed for Hawaii, he and his family didn’t know what to do. They went to their guest bedroom, then decided it would be safer on the ground floor of their Honolulu home.

“What do we do?” he wondered.

“Where do we go?”

People should immediately seek shelter in a building “or other substantial structure,” once an attack-warning siren sounds, according to guidance the state distributed previously. The state recom-

Ex-CIA officer arrested, charged with keeping documents ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former CIA officer has been arrested and charged with illegally retaining classified records, including names and phone numbers of covert CIA assets.

Jerry Chun Shing Lee, 53, was arrested Monday night after arriving at JFK Interna-

SATURDAY, JUNE 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.

SATURDAY, JULY 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.

SATURDAY, AUG. 4 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

Submit calendar items by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location, purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.

mends having 14-day survival kit of food and water.

Residents and tourists alike remained rattled after the mistaken alert was blasted out to cellphones across the islands with a warning to seek immediate shelter and the ominous statement: “This is not a drill.”

The blunder that caused more than a million people in Hawaii to fear that they were about to be struck by a nuclear missile fed skepticism about the government’s ability to keep them informed in a real emergency. — Compiled from AP reports

tional Airport. He made an initial appearance Tuesday in federal court in New York, but will face charges in northern Virginia, where the CIA is located. According to court documents, Lee, a Hong Kong resident, served in the CIA from 1994 to 2007 as a case officer. He worked in a variety of overseas offices and was trained in surveillance detection, recruiting and handlings assets and handling classified material, among other things.

A court affidavit states that in 2012, after Lee had left the

CIA, he traveled from Hong Kong with his family to northern Virginia, where he lived from 2012 to 2013. When he flew to Virginia, for reasons that are not explained, the FBI obtained a warrant to search Lee’s luggage and hotel room. Agents found two small books with handwritten notes containing names and numbers of covert CIA employees and locations of covert facilities, according to the affidavit. Court records indicate Lee is a naturalized U.S. citizen and an Army veteran. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE WORLD Pope acknowledges pain of abuse among victims SANTIAGO, Chile — Pope Francis dove head first into the sex abuse scandal that has devastated the Catholic Church’s credibility in Chile, apologizing Tuesday for the “irreparable damage” to victims, but also acknowledging the “pain” of priests who have been held collectively responsible for the crimes of a few.

Francis’ words were delivered amid unprecedented opposition to his visit: Three more churches were torched overnight, including one burned to the ground in the southern Araucania region where Francis celebrates Mass

on Wednesday. Police used tear gas and water cannons to break up an anti-pope protest outside Francis’ big open-air Mass in the capital, Santiago.

Despite the incidents, huge numbers of Chileans turned out to see the pope on his first full day in Chile, including an estimated 400,000 for his Mass, and he brought some inmates to tears with an emotional visit to a women’s prison.

But his comments in his first speech of the day were what many Chileans were waiting to hear: Speaking from the presidential La Moneda palace, Francis told Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, lawmakers, judges and other authorities that he felt “bound to express my pain and shame” that some of Chile’s clergy had sexually

abused children in their care.

“I am one with my brother bishops, for it is right to ask forgiveness and make every effort to support the victims, even as we commit ourselves to ensuring that such things do not happen again,” the pope said. Francis did not refer by name to Chile’s most notorious pedophile priest, the Rev. Fernando Karadima, who in 2011 was barred from all pastoral duties and sanctioned by the Vatican to a lifetime of “penance and prayer” for sexually molesting minors. Nor did he refer to the fact that the emeritus archbishop of Santiago, a top papal adviser, has acknowledged he knew of complaints against Karadima but didn’t remove him from ministry. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND TEXAS Homeless shelters in Houston, Austin helping in cold snap HOUSTON — Hundreds of thousands of students in Texas had a day off from classes Tuesday after frigid temperatures and icy roads made travel hazardous and sent scores of homeless people to shelters.

The Houston Independent School District canceled classes due to wintry weather. HISD is the state’s largest with about 215,000 students.

Public schools in Galveston, Austin, San Antonio, Waco and Tyler also shut down Tuesday, along with the University of Texas in Austin, Texas State

Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle

Jeremy Roberts sits on a cot at a warming shelter as freezing weather moves through the region Tuesday in Houston.

University in San Marcos and Texas A&M University in College Station.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the Austin, San

Antonio and Houston areas, plus sections of East Texas, until Tuesday night. Forecasters say the cold weather should ease late Wednesday with temperatures in the 40s in Houston and Central Texas.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner encouraged people to stay off the streets. “If you don’t have to be on the road, please don’t be on the roads,” he said.

“For the next 24 hours it’s going to be somewhat treacherous out there.”

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said at least four structural fires were caused by people “using more innovative ways to keep warm and heat their homes.” — Compiled from AP reports

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 17, the 17th day of 2018. There are 348 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History: On Jan. 17, 1893, Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown as a group of businessmen and sugar planters forced Queen Lili'uokalani to abdicate.

On this date: In 1781, during the Revolutionary War, American forces defeated the British in the Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina.

In 1806, Thomas Jefferson's daughter, Martha, gave birth to James Madison Randolph, the first child born in the White House.

In 1917, Denmark ceded the Virgin Islands to the United States for $25 million.

In 1929, the cartoon character Popeye the Sailor made his debut in the "Thimble Theatre" comic strip.

In 1945, Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw during World War II. In 1953, a prototype of the Chevrolet Corvette was unveiled during the General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

In 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his farewell address in which he warned against "the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex."

In 1966, the Simon & Garfunkel album "Sounds of Silence" was released by Columbia Records.

In 1977, convicted murderer Gary Gilmore, 36, was shot by a firing squad at Utah State Prison in the first U.S. execution in a decade.

In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., ruled 5-4 that the use of home video cassette recorders to tape television programs for private viewing did not violate federal copyright laws.

In 1998, the Drudge Report said Newsweek magazine had killed a story about an affair between President Bill Clinton and an unidentified White House intern, the same day Clinton gave a deposition in Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit against him in which he denied having had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

Ten years ago: Bobby Fischer, the chess grandmaster who became a Cold War icon when he dethroned the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky as world champion in 1972, died in Reykjavik, Iceland, at age 64. Former football player-turned-preacher Ernie Holmes, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was killed in a one-car accident near Lumberton, Texas, at age 59. Character actor Allan Melvin died in Los Angeles at age 84.

Five years ago: Algerian helicopters and special forces stormed a natural gas plant in the Sahara to rescue hostages from at least 10 countries held by al-Qaida-linked militants; nearly all the militants and at least 37 of the hostages were killed. Oprah Winfrey's OWN network broadcast the first of a two-part interview with Lance Armstrong, in which the disgraced cyclist told Winfrey he had started doping in the mid-1990s.

One year ago: President Barack Obama granted clemency to Chelsea Manning, allowing the transgender Army intelligence officer convicted of leaking more than 700,000 U.S. documents to go free nearly three decades early. Donald Trump's choice to head the Interior Department, Rep. Ryan Zinke, rejected the presidentelect's claim that climate change was a hoax, telling his Senate confirmation hearing it was indisputable that environmental changes were affecting the world's temperature and that human activity was a major reason.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Betty White is 96. Former FCC chairman Newton N. Minow is 92. Actor James Earl Jones is 87. Talk show host Maury Povich is 79. Pop singer Chris Montez is 76. Rhythm-and-blues singer William Hart (The Delfonics) is 73. Actress Joanna David is 71. Actress Jane Elliot is 71. Rock musician Mick Taylor is 70. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sheila Hutchinson (The Emotions) is 65.

Singer Steve Earle is 63. Singer Paul Young is 62. Actor-comedian Steve Harvey is 61. Singer Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) is 59. Movie directorscreenwriter Brian Helgeland is 57.

Actor-comedian Jim Carrey is 56.

Actor Denis O'Hare is 56. Former first lady Michelle Obama is 54. Actor Joshua Malina is 52. Singer Shabba Ranks is 52. Rock musician Jon Wysocki is 50. Actor Naveen Andrews is 49. Electronic music DJ Tiesto is 49.

Rapper Kid Rock is 47. Actor Freddy Rodriguez is 43.

Thought for Today : "He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money." — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790).

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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 |

A3

CRIME

Couple’s ordinary home held torture chamber

By Amy Taxin And John Rogers A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

PERRIS, Calif. — From the outside, the brownand-beige four-bedroom home looked fairly orderly. The couple who owned it had purchased the house new in 2014 and soon arrived in this Los Angeles suburb with their 12 children.

They lived there quietly for at least three years and had another baby. Then on Sunday, one of the children jumped out of a window, called 911 and led authorities to what they described as a torture chamber.

Sheriff’s deputies said they found 13 children ranging from 2 to 29 years old, some of them chained to furniture, all of them thin and malnourished.

The 17-year-old girl who escaped was so tiny that deputies initially mistook her for a 10-year-old.

When authorities confronted the girl’s mother, Louise Anna Turpin, sheriff’s Capt. Greg Fellows said she appeared “perplexed” about why officers had come to the home.

Turpin, 49, and her husband, David Allen Turpin, 57, were jailed on $9 million bail. They were scheduled for an initial court appearance on Thursday, and authorities say the pair could face charges of torture and child endangerment.

“If you can imagine being 17 years old and appearing to be a 10-yearold, being chained to a bed, being malnourished and injuries associated with that, I would call that torture,” Fallows said, explaining the possible charge.

He said there was no indication any of the chil-

Alex Gallardo / AP

Rudemberth Salgado is looking for his cousin Elizabeth Salgado, and thought that she may be one of the people held by parents that were arrested in his neighborhood Sunday after several children were found chained in the house on the 100 block of Muir Woods Rd. in Perris, California.

dren were sexually abused, although that was still being investigated.

Neither sheriff’s deputies nor child-welfare officials received a single call over the years about the Turpin home, he said.

The investigation, still in its early stages, has already begun to unravel a bizarre tale of a couple married 32 years who dressed their children alike, kept them away from outsiders and cut most of the boys’ hair in a Prince Valiant-style resembling that of their graying father.

Videos posted on YouTube show the couple renewed their vows at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas at least three times in recent years, most recently on Halloween 2015. An Elvis impersonator performed the ceremony between songs. Most of

the children, dressed in matching outfits, took part.

Numerous photos on the couple’s Facebook page show the children dancing at the ceremony, visiting an amusement park that appears to be Disneyland and going on other outings, looking thin but often smiling.

Although their home appeared nondescript from the outside, it was a stinking mess inside, Fellows said.

Deputies reported that the home was very dirty and reeked — a condition that Fallows called “horrific.”

State Department of Education records show the home’s address is the same as the Sandcastle Day School, where David Turpin is listed as principal. In the 2016-17 school year it had an enrollment

of six with one student each in the fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, 10th and 12th grades.

Fellows told reporters there is no indication any student other than the couple’s children were enrolled there. He said six of those children are under 18.

No state agency regulates or oversees private schools in California, and they are not licensed by the state Education Department. Private school operators are required to file an affidavit with the state annually, listing the number of students, staff members and information about the school’s administrators.

Private schools are also subject to an annual inspection by state fire officials.

Representatives for the state Department of For-

estry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department would not immediately say whether the Turpins’ home was ever inspected.

Mark Uffer, CEO at Corona Regional Medical Center, said seven of the children were there Tuesday.

“I can tell you that they’re very friendly.

They’re very cooperative, and I believe that they’re hopeful that life will get better for them after this event,” he said.

Before moving to Perris, a rapidly growing suburb of 76,000 people, the family lived for a time in nearby Murrieta, Fellows said. Property records show they moved to Southern California in 2011 from Johnson County, Texas, near Dallas.

The Turpins filed for bankruptcy that same

year, stating in court documents that they owed between $100,000 and $500,000. At that time, Turpin worked as an engineer at the Northrop Grumman aerospace company and earned $140,000 annually and his wife was a homemaker, records showed.

Neighbor Kimberly Milligan said the developer who built the tract where they lived told her the family had a dozen kids when they moved in, although she never saw that many.

She described the family as “standoffish” hoarders who had their garage filled with books and who often let the grass in their front yard grow out of control, unlike other families on the block.

“I got an impression, that, you know, ‘You stay in your lane, I’ll stay in my lane,” she said. “It was never, ‘Hi.’ Never a wave.

Nothing.”

Her 26-year-old son, Robert Perkins, said he only recalled seeing four children outside the home, recalling they all appeared pale and skinny as if they never ventured outside.

“I feel sorry for the kids,” said Perkins, a warehouse worker. “Who knows how this is going to affect them.”

Dr. Sophia Grant, medical director of the child abuse and neglect unit for the Riverside University Health System, said it will take lengthy physical and emotional therapy for the children to recover.

“You have to imagine that these kids are going to need a lot of support.

It’s not going to be anything that you go to, you know, a few sessions of therapy and you’re all better,” she said. “This is going to be long term.”

Zopinion

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A4 | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Senator Cornyn continues to tolerate Trump

By Ken Herman COX N EWSPAPE RS

These should be good times for Texas Senator John Cornyn. He’s the senior U.S. senator from the greatest state ever created. He’s the GOP’s No. 2 man in that chamber. And after eight years toiling under the yoke of a Democratic president, Cornyn is one year into total D.C. domination by his party.

And though there’s not unanimity on this, there are accomplishments to tout after the first year of the GOP control for which Cornyn long longed.

So how come he spends so much time explaining and bemoaning the state of the union?

Be careful, we’ve been warned a time or two, for what you wish. Cornyn wished for a Republican president. Just not this particular, peculiar one.

So, in the latest chapter of his dream turned nearnightmare, there was Cornyn on Monday at one of my Northwest Austin neighborhood’s pre-eminent eateries (Wally’s Burger Express) for an event staged to tout the tax reform plan pitched by President Donald Trump and enacted by the GOPled Congress.

The plan won praise from local businessmen invited to chat about it with Cornyn in front of TV cameras. Bobby Jenkins of ABC Home and Commercial Service, Josh Agrelius of ReBath of Austin and Robert Mayfield of Wally’s Burger Express each talked about how the new tax plan will benefit their businesses.

After the chat, Cornyn took a turn at the shake machine (”Man, that’s good stuff,” he said of the root beer shake he made for himself) and headed outside for questions from reporters who’d been asked by a Cornyn aide -eager to push the message du jour but aware of other stuff that might be on reporters’ minds -- to begin with tax reform queries.

I got the tax question out of the way and moved on to asking the GOP Senate’s second-most leader about a No. 2 reference that our president might or might not have made last week in discussing the relative merits of nations around the world.

“You know, I have no way of knowing,” Cornyn said when asked if he believed Trump had made the s-hole comment. “I’ve heard the accusation, and I’ve heard the denial, and I just don’t know because I wasn’t there.”

Fair enough, I guess.

But let’s pause to note a moment in which a GOP senator had reason and history to not immediately align with a GOP presi-

dent’s version of things.

Back to Cornyn: “But certainly if the statement was made it’s not something how I would characterize it.”

He went on to bemoan how Trump’s comments have “frozen the debate” on a variety of pressing topics, including immigration reform, children’s health insurance and hurricane relief, and said the president “often steps on his own message.”

“I think many of us have advised the president his tweeting isn’t always helpful,” Cornyn said.

“But he’s determined to do it because he feels like it’s his way of communicating directly with the American people. And I guess he’s going to win that argument. But I think sometimes it doesn’t serve him well.”

I asked Cornyn if he thinks a moment ever could come when he’d say enough is enough and publicly join the majority of Americans who pollsters say are ready to move on from Trump.

“No,” he said. “He’s the elected president of the United States. We all have our responsibilities to perform. I have my job to do on behalf of 28 million Texans. We have to accept the verdict, the judgment of the voters and work with the president.”

Barack Obama also was the verdict of the people. I don’t recall Cornyn always working hard to work with him.

Back to Cornyn: “We’re actually making great progress and that’s one reason I think it would be better to stay focused on those tasks and the accomplishments we’ve made rather than run down these rabbit trails caused by some of the tweeting and other things.”

So what do you think?

Should we should feel for Cornyn as he deals with a president who gives us cause to question his stability? Or should Cornyn be criticized for not offering plain talk about the plain-to-see mess this president causes on a near-daily basis?

Put me down as leaning to the latter.

After casting his ballot here in November 2016, Cornyn told reporters, “I voted for, uh, Mr. Trump ...”

That “uh” spoken by an eloquent man said more than any of the other words.

Earlier this month, as he headed to an Austin press conference, I asked Cornyn a question I perceive is on many Americans’ minds: “What the hell is going on?”

“This too will pass,” he said.

Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.

COLUMN

Federal judge supports Dreamers and rule of law

By Cass R Sunstein BL OOMBERG VIEW

The White House was quick to condemn a federal judge’s decision last week striking down the Trump administration’s efforts to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It called the ruling "outrageous," and President Donald Trump tweeted that it shows "how broken and unfair our court system is."

But the judge’s decision to invalidate the program’s termination, and thus to protect young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, was not outrageous. Strictly as a matter of law, it was eminently reasonable — whatever Congress does or does not do in the coming days and weeks.

To begin to understand why, imagine that in 2021, a Democratic president — say, Bernie Sanders — starts repealing dozens of regulations issued during the Trump administration, on the ground that the new attorney general believes those regulations are "illegal."

Though Democrats might celebrate, that’s a horrible idea. The executive branch can’t simply assert that the decisions of its predecessor were "illegal." It has to justify that conclusion. If it isn’t able to do that, it must come up with better grounds for changing course.

In a nutshell, that’s what Judge William Alsup told the Trump administration last week in his DACA decision.

As the judge explained, "DACA grew out of a long agency history of discretionary relief programs," going back to the Dwight Eisenhower administration and including major initiatives under Presidents Ronald

As the judge explained, "DACA grew out of a long agency history of discretionary relief programs," going back to the Dwight Eisenhower administration and including major initiatives under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Such "programs had become a well-accepted feature of the executive’s enforcement of our immigration laws, recognized as such by Congress and the Supreme Court," Alsup wrote.

When it adopted the current DACA program in 2012, the Barack Obama administration said that the young people seeking to qualify for its protections had to meet certain criteria. (Disclosure: When the program was adopted, I was serving as administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.) They had to have come to the U.S. before the age of 16, and they had to have resided continuously in the country for at least five years.

They also had to have been enrolled in school, and graduated from high school or obtained a GED, or been honorably discharged from the U.S. military or Coast Guard.

And they could not pose a threat to national security or public safety.

More than 650,000 young people residing in the U.S. meet these standards.

Those who qualify under the DACA program are not to be detained or removed for two years from the time that they successfully apply for its protections (unless they do something wrong). They can also obtain Social Security numbers and receive

authorization to work.

In September 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote a short letter to the acting secretary of Homeland Security, stating that the program was an "unconstitutional exercise of authority by the Executive Branch." Because it offered no serious analysis of why that was the case, the letter was a shoddy document from a legal point of view. But the next day, Acting Secretary Elaine Duke, referring to the letter, rescinded DACA. In invalidating this rescission, Judge Alsup applied a well-established principle, widely ignored even by expert commentators: An agency’s action must be upheld or invalidated only on the basis of the specific reasons the agency itself has given. So the only question was whether the attorney general was right to conclude that DACA was illegal.

The judge thought not.

He said that "each feature of the DACA program is anchored in authority granted or recognized by Congress or the Supreme Court." In his view, the executive branch is perfectly entitled to conclude that DACA enrollees are lowpriority cases for removal and to direct its enforcement priorities elsewhere.

The Trump administration’s strongest response pointed to a 2014

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

appeals court ruling, striking down a related Obama administration program that protected the parents of lawful permanent residents from deportation. If that program is invalid, it could be argued that DACA is invalid, too.

That’s not a crazy argument. But as Judge Alsup emphasized, the DACA program is quite different. Focusing specifically on children, it is more limited than the program covering immigrant parents, and it builds more incrementally on longstanding practices; it stands on firmer legal ground.

Importantly, the judge did not rule out the possibility that in the future the Trump administration might be able to defend a decision to rescind the program. Agencies are perfectly entitled to change course, so long as they offer a reasoned explanation for doing so.

Perhaps the government could explain that the program does not fit with the Trump administration’s overall immigration strategy, because the protection it affords is too broad and categorical. The problem is that it never made that argument.

A broader principle is at stake. A central distinction between authoritarian and non-authoritarian systems is that in the latter, executive officials have an obligation to obey the law. An equally central distinction is that officials must give reasons for their decisions.

They cannot simply assert their power or their will. In insisting on reason-giving, Judge Alsup’s ruling keeps faith with the best traditions of our legal system — and the rule of law.

Cass R. Sunstein is a Bloomberg View columnist.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 |

A5

FROM THE COVER El Cuarenta’s niece arrested in connection with slaying

By Jason Buch SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS

The niece of the Zetas cartel leader who is wanted in the U.S. for allegedly ordering a string of assassinations in South Texas has been arrested in connection with the slaying of a Mexican prosecutor.

Mexican marines arrested Sofía del Carmen Monsiváis Treviño on Jan. 6 in Nuevo Laredo, according to officials in the state of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas from Laredo to the Gulf of Mexico. She was initially arrested on federal orga-

DACA From page A1 repeatedly was the demand to end “chain migration” — an unflattering term embraced by critics, including Trump, for family migration.

Family-based immigrant visas have been a pillar of the U.S. system since 1965, the instruments by which citizens and legal permanent residents bring family members to the United States. The visas are regulated by a quota system both for countries of origin and categories of relatives, ranging from children and spouses of citizens to their parents and siblings.

They are widely used, and as of Nov. 1, 3.9 million people were waiting in line.

Air Force veteran John Del Toro of San Antonio relied on the visas to gain legal status in the U.S. for his wife and four stepchildren. His 18-year-old stepdaughter became a lawful permanent resident last week.

Del Toro, 59, met his wife, a British citizen, in the United Arab Emirates, where he was stationed and later worked as a defense contractor.

nized crime charges, but now faces state charges related to the January 2017 killing of the chief state prosecutor in Nuevo Laredo and four other officials.

In a news release that identified Monsiváis Treviño only by her first name, the state said she’s the leader of the Cartel de Noreste, the Nuevo Laredo-based splinter of the once-powerful Zetas drug cartel. She’s accused of being behind the killing of Ricardo Martínez Chávez a year ago. Tamaulipas officials said more than 200 rounds were fired when he and four other

employees of the state prosecutor’s office were gunned down on a Nuevo Laredo street.

In a 2016 hearing in Waco, a federal agent testified that the Cartel de Noreste is run by the family members of Miguel Treviño Morales, the Zetas’ former leader who is accused of being behind mass killings in Mexico and homicides in Texas.

Known as “Z-40” and “Cuarenta,” Treviño Morales is wanted in Texas on charges that he ordered five killings in Laredo during 2005 and 2006.

During a 2016 trial in San

Antonio of the Zetas’ leader in the border city of Piedras Negras, witnesses described a 2011 massacre that they said Treviño Morales ordered and took part in.

One former trafficker said he watched as Treviño Morales presided over the execution of dozens of people, many of whom had no connection to organized crime.

Gilberto Limon Jr., who at the time was a deputy special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Laredo, testified in the Waco proceedings that the Zetas,

which had started as a group of former Mexican special forces soldiers working for the Gulf Cartel, had split into a faction controlled by some of the gang’s original members and a rival group loyal to Treviño Morales, who was arrested in 2013.

He was succeeded by his brother, Omar, who was arrested in 2015. Both are in Mexico facing extradition to the U.S. “And once the cartel split … the Northern Cartel, Cartel de Noreste, was originally from Nuevo Laredo,” he said. “Since Mr. Treviño, Miguel Angel

Treviño Morales … his home base you would say is Nuevo Laredo … he put in charge people for the Zetas cartel that are from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.”

Limon’s testimony came during a detention hearing for Juan Francisco Treviño Chávez, a nephew of Treviño Morales who was arrested in 2016 near Houston on drug conspiracy charges. Treviño Chávez at the time was the leader of the Cartel de Noreste, Limon testified.

Treviño Chávez, a U.S. citizen, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The process was difficult, he said, but he succeeded thanks to good legal counsel, assistance from Homeland Security officials in San Antonio and a family migration system that he believes should not be significantly altered.

“I’m sure our system can be better, but it’s definitely better than I’ve seen outside of the United States,” he said.

Nonetheless, organizations pressing to restrict immigration have long targeted family migration. A report last fall by the Center for Immigration Studies asserted that over the past 35 years, 20 million of 33 million immigrants admitted to the U.S., or 61 percent, entered on family-based immigrant visas.

The report said citizens of Mexican heritage use the visas most liberally, each sponsoring more than six additional legal immigrants.

“The ability to reside and work permanently in the United States is probably the most valuable commodity, or status, in the world and is one that the United States should be very selective in granting,” said Andrew Arthur, a Center for Immigration Studies lawyer.

Arthur’s organization and others believe that a change in the family system must be coupled with a new system in which applicants are judged by their capacity to contribute to the U.S., financially or with special skills.

The demand to overhaul the system picked up steam last month when a Bangladeshi immigrant in New York, who had entered on a family visa, strapped on a homemade pipe bomb, reportedly hoping to kill morning commuters at a Times Square subway station. He injured himself and three others.

Trump seized on the incident to demand immigration reform, and he has stepped up his rhetoric since last week, tweeting Monday: “Honestly, I don’t think Democrats want to make a deal.”

Immigrant advocates contend that the words “chain migration” offend and distort.

“It is misused to make it sound as though one person, like rabbits, can reproduce hundreds of family members and lead to exponential growth of immigration. In fact, the system has lengthy backlogs and quotas that prevent this,” said Greg

Chen, government relations director at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he brought up family visas at the meeting in which Trump is said to have made his crude remarks.

“When it came to the issue of, quote, ‘chain migration,’ I said to the president, ‘Do you realize how painful that term is to so many people? African-Americans believe they migrated to America in chains, and when you talk about chain migration, it hurts them personally.’ He said, ‘Oh, that’s a good line.’”

On Monday, Trump referred in a tweet to “Senator Dicky Durbin,” adding that “Durbin blew DACA.” A State Department report this month illustrated the challenges in gaining entry via family visas. It said that for most countries, family visas are just being issued for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens who applied in 2004.

According to the State Department, for unmarried Mexican sons and daughters of U.S. citizens, green cards are being made available for those who applied with spon-

sorship in 1996 — 22 years ago.

Despite the restrictions, the family system is under attack on Capitol Hill and in the White House. Legislation introduced in the House this week by leading GOP conservatives would end categories for family visas except for spouses and minor children.

At the White House meeting Thursday — when Trump is said to have made his vulgar remarks — a bipartisan proposal from a halfdozen senators to restore DACA protections was rejected in part because it didn’t go far enough to rein in family migration, said Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a Republican in the Oval Office meeting.

The “agreement in principle” offered to prohibit family visas for parents of DACA recipients.

But despite the president’s assurance two days earlier that he would sign any DACA-related legislation Congress sent to him, the White House signaled Thursday that any bill would need to restrict categories of family-based visas for all future immigrants, not just Dreamers.

That demand makes it increasingly likely that Democrats won’t support proposals being aired and may withhold votes this week on legislation to keep the government funded.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-San Antonio, said bipartisan efforts are needed to resolve thorny issues beyond a DACA fix, among them reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

“Despite Trump’s racist outburst, efforts are still underway to secure a more certain future for our Dreamers,” he said.

Cuellar, a moderate in his party, said he believes that Democrats will need to make concessions on family migration to achieve a DACA fix. But, he noted, “emotions and passions” on both sides of the issue are making it difficult to get a deal.

“Some of us in the middle believe we need to have border security and a few immigration changes in order to have DACA,” he said. “I support having families united.

But does somebody bring in just their immediate family? Their father and mother? The question is, how do we address this issue?”

A6 | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

FROM THE COVER

Candidate challenges state law with criminal past A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

AUSTIN — A criminal justice activist is challenging a state law that blocks felons from public office by running for a seat on Austin’s City Council.

Lewis Conway Jr., 47, officially launched his campaign Tuesday to join the race against Councilwoman Ora Houston. His campaign focuses on what he calls “radical compassion,” criminal justice reform and funding for community health care, schools and job training, the Austin AmericanStatesman reported .

Conway has a 1992 manslaughter conviction

WARRANT From page A1 her daughter’s house in north Laredo. Combined, law enforcement said it seized almost $1.9 million from the two homes and six maquinitas in Zapata, Laredo and Falcon Heights.

The money, law enforcement said, came from illegal gambling activities. Under state law, maquinitas can exist only for amusement purposes, meaning no actual gambling should be involved. Patrons can receive a payout of up to $5, or a prize of equal value.

But payouts at maquinitas are typically much larger than this. Winnings can be in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

As DPS documented illegal payouts at Villarreal’s maquinitas in Zapata, Laredo police did the same for 8-liner establishments owned by her daughter, Rebecca Lopez Villarreal, 49.

The Laredo Police Department said it investigated Lopez after receiving information that a maquinita called Wild Spin/Magic Spin, 220 W. Calton Road, was making illegal cash payouts to customers.

The investigation began in early October, just days after local authorities raided two maquinitas: Palace Amusement Center and Win Win. An investigation into the 8-liner establishments resulted in at least 12 arrests and the seizure of almost $500,000.

Police documented illegal cash payouts by sending undercover officers into Wild Spin/ Magic Spin, Village of Fortune, 200 W. Village Blvd., and Good Fortune, 2300 E. Saunders St. At each location, police recorded payouts ranging from $15 to $240.

Lopez was the owner of two of the three maquinitas: Magic Spin/

for fatally stabbing an acquaintance during a fight over stolen money.

His voting rights were restored in 2013 after serving eight years in prison and 12 on parole.

State law says a felon can’t hold public office unless the person has been “released from the resulting disabilities.” But state officials don’t know what such a release looks like because no one has challenged it.

“We are not aware of a case in which an individual convicted of a felony has presented a declaration from a court saying they have been ‘otherwise released from the result-

ing disabilities.’ ... So there’s no concrete example we can provide,” said Sam Taylor, a spokesman for the Texas secretary of state’s office.

“There’s no clear-cut case law that defines what such a document is and isn’t.”

Candidates will file applications in the summer for a place on the ballot, which include affidavits showing they are eligible to run. Conway will soon head to court with a motion to release him from his “resulting disabilities,” said Ricco Garcia, Conway’s lawyer. Garcia said Conway will appeal if denied

and file his candidacy with the understanding that his eligibility isn’t settled.

“Until I file, we don’t know. And until an opinion is given, we’re in a holding pattern,” Conway said. “There shouldn’t be a question about what ‘disabilities’ means.”

Houston, the opposing candidate, said Conway has served his time and deserves a chance to run.

“It’s, ‘When does this sentence end?”’ Conway said. “It’s the same issue as why I can’t get housing.

It’s the same idea of why I can’t get employment. At what point are we allowed to impact the policy?”

Wild Spin and Village of Fortune. A man related to her was listed as the owner of Good Fortune.

After documenting the illegal cash payouts, police conducted surveillance in late October of Lopez’s home in the 3000 block of Robert Frost in the D&J Alexander Estates Subdivision. Her husband, Joel Lopez, also owns the home. He was the head coach of the Alexander High School football team up until Thursday when he was reassigned.

Over the course of an hour and a half one morning, police saw three people arrive at the home, including maquinita employee Lucio Saldivar, 76. Each would enter the residence and leave shortly thereafter. Saldivar left after five minutes, carrying an H-E-B bag.

“Through my experience as a narcotics/vice officer and prior criminal investigations into gambling and money laundering … I am aware that illicit proceeds from establishments such as amusement centers are often transported by employees from location to location using various methods to include the transportation of proceeds in similar bags,” an LPD officer wrote in an affidavit.

During a news conference Wednesday, Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said law enforcement believes the Villarreal criminal organization used PVC pipes to transport cash from Laredo to Zapata.

Police said they also documented employees leaving Magic Spin/Wild Spin with bags shortly after arriving there. This included Miriam Sanchez, 55, who was among those arrested Jan. 5 on illegal gambling-related charges.

Saldivar was documented traveling between Lopez’s home on Robert Frost, Magic Spin/Wild Spin and Good Fortune.

As employees would come and go from the maquinitas, an LPD officer would follow them and pull them over if they committed a traffic violation. This allowed LPD to identify them.

On Dec. 19, after LPD saw Saldivar leave Lopez’s home, they pulled him over and found two “gallon-size Ziplock bags containing a large amount of U.S. currency” in an H-E-B bag.

He also had two locked money bags. Saldivar was released after telling the officer he was heading to Magic Spin/Wild Spin.

Also, in November, police installed a tracking device on Lopez’s 2017 Land Rover Evoque and Saldivar’s vehicle. The places he most frequented were the maquinitas and Lopez’s home.

After executing search warrants Jan. 5, Sanchez and Saldivar were charged with gambling promotion and engaging in organized criminal activity. Lopez faces the same charges as well as keeping a gambling place.

Her mother, Hilda Villarreal, was arrested and charged Tuesday with money laundering.

Villarreal told law enforcement she takes the earnings from the maquinitas, two discount sales stores and a snack shop and deposits the cash at her account at Zapata National Bank to pay for the businesses’ expenses, according to her arrest affidavit. “(She) added that after all the business expenses are paid, (she) then provides (her) children with 50 percent of the cash earning and secures all other cash earnings in several security safes that were located in (her) bedroom closet,” the document states.

Law enforcement said the Villarreal family owns several non-gaming businesses, including Villarreal Auto Salvage, Villarreal Collision Re-

pair, Cool Breeze Snack Shop and High Gear Towing and Recovery.

“Other than the volume of cash, checks and other financial instruments generated by the ‘non-gaming’ Villarreal businesses, there appeared to be nothing remarkable about the ostensibly legitimate business bank account activity,” a search warrant affidavit states.

The family used Wells Fargo for these businesses and Zapata National Bank for their gaming establishments.

Authorities said they never subpoenaed Zapata National Bank, believing that it would likely jeopardize the investigation by directly or indirectly informing and notifying the Villarreal family of the existence and objective of the criminal investigation.

Alaniz said Wednesday that more arrests are pending in this case.

WEATHER From page A1 extreme weather.

1 Listen to weather advisories and follow any precautions provided 1 Beware of all traffic signs and warnings especially on roads, bridges and overpasses which may become slick if it freezes.

1 Follow all police and traffic rules and precautions (Laredo Police Department- and TxDOTissued road safety alerts) 1 Medical and health facilities should check and test their back-up support systems in case of power failures.

1 Monitor your food intake and physical output and maintain a regular diet to help your body better handle the severe weather conditions.

1 Hydrate: Drinks with caffeine, sugar and alcohol take longer for your body to absorb and do not hydrate as well. Water is the best choice.

1 If you go outside, wear appropriate clothing that will adequately insulate you from the cold and provide protection from the wind. Make sure to wear a hat, gloves and appropriate footwear when you go outside.

1 Dress in layers (do not overdress) to better facilitate regulating your body temperature. Children in particular should be kept warm but don’t overdress.

1 Check heating units.

Improperly operating/ damaged heating units can release carbon monoxide gas.

1 Check to make sure a space heater is being used properly: plug into outlet, not extension cord. Keep at least 3 feet away from anything that could burn, including the wall.

1 Never use generators, grills, camp stoves, gasoline or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage or near

a window. Make sure you have installed a carbon monoxide detector (and test it) in your home to alert you and your family to this “silent killer.”

1 Drive slowly anytime there are hazardous conditions (rain, ice, road construction) and follow all traffic precautions and wear appropriate car safety belts/restraints AEP Texas said early Tuesday afternoon that is was responding to initial outages and monitoring weather conditions as the winter storm began to unfold throughout Laredo and surrounding areas.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, no outages were reported

by AEP. AEP continues to request conservation measures and asks customers who lose power to switch off their large appliances such as the heating and A/C systems, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Taking this action will reduce the possibility that breakers will trip again as power is restored to groups of customers more efficiently during the cold weather.

In the meantime, AEP Texas is requesting conservation measures over the next few days especially during the 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. time slots.

The request is based on possible challenges in restoration of service following distribution outages due to the cold weather.

Customers are asked to take the following measures: 1 Set thermostats at 68 degrees or cooler; so, heating/air conditioning systems are not using as much electricity.

1 Close blinds and curtains to keep heat inside.

1 Delay use of large appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and dryers.

1 Turn off lights in rooms not being used.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 |

A7

BUSINESS

Watchdog group aims to repeal payday lending rule

By Ken Sweet A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has decided to reconsider a key set of rules enacted last year that would have protected consumers against harmful payday lenders.

The bureau, which came under control of the Trump administration late last year, said in a statement Tuesday that it plans to take a second look at the payday lending rules. While the bureau did not submit a proposal to repeal the rules outright, the statement opens the door for the bureau to start the process of revising or even repealing the regulations. The bureau also said it would grant waivers to companies as the first sets of regulations going into effect later this year.

The cornerstone of the rules enacted last year would have been that lenders must determine, before giving a loan, whether a borrower can afford to repay it in full with interest within 30 days. The rules would have also capped the number of loans a person could take out in a certain period of time.

If allowed to go into effect, the rule would have had a substantial negative impact on the payday lending industry, where annual interest rates on loans can exceed 300 percent.

The industry derives most of its profits from repeat borrowers: those who take out a loan, but struggle to repay it back in

Jonathan Weiss / TNS

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, now under Trump administration control, says it plans to take a second look at rules put in place last year under an Obama appointee.

full and repeatedly renew the loan. When they finalized the rules last year, the bureau estimated that loan volume in the payday lending industry could fall by roughly twothirds. The industry, which operates more than 16,000 stores in 35 states, would likely see thousands of payday lending store closures nationwide.

But most of these rules would not have gone into effect until August 2019.

“We have been worried that the CFPB could revisit these rules. We just didn’t expect it

so soon,” said Lauren Saunders with the National Consumer Law Center.

Since Obama-appointee Richard Cordray stepped down as director in November, the Trump administration has been moving quickly to clamp down on the bureau’s activities. The bureau is now under the control of Mick Mulvaney, also the White House’s budget director, who has called the bureau a “sick joke” in comments before he took this job.

The payday lending rules were finalized in the last weeks

of Cordray’s tenure. There is a bill in front of Congress that would repeal the payday lending rules entirely as well.

A total repeal of the rules, if the CFPB decides on one, could take years to wind itself through the appropriate regulatory channels. The CFPB would have to conduct research to show the current rules are not working, put out notices for repealing the rules, and consider public and industry comments, among other steps. The bureau started building a case for its current

payday lending regulations back in 2012.

A CFPB spokesman referred questions about what specifically the bureau plans to do with the payday lending rule to Mulvaney’s office in the White House, which declined to comment beyond the original statement.

Dennis Shaul, CEO of the Community Financial Services Association of America, which represents the payday lending industry, said he was “pleased” that the CFPB was revisiting the regulations.

Stocks recede as early gains fade GM sees

By Alex Veiga A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

Losses by industrial and technology companies helped pull U.S. stocks lower Tuesday, pulling the market back from its latest record highs.

The slide erased some of the gains from a broad rally earlier in the day that had sent the Dow Jones industrial average past the 26,000-point threshold for the first time.

Energy stocks also fell as crude oil prices declined. Health care stocks were among the gainers as investors sized up the latest company earnings and deal news following a long holiday weekend.

“We’ve come perhaps a little bit too far, too fast,” said Terry Sandven, chief equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. “If you look at year-to-date performance, you have the broad popular indices up

roughly 3 to almost 5 percent in two weeks’ trading. That’s a fairly torrid pace and a pace that we think is perhaps a little aggressive, so a little bit of a pause here would perhaps be constructive.”

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 9.82 points, or 0.4 percent, to 2,776.42. The Dow lost 10.33 points, or 0.04 percent, to 25,792.86. It had been up as much as 282 points earlier. The Nasdaq shed 37.38 points, or 0.5 percent, to 7,223.69. The Russell 2000 index of smallercompany stocks gave up 19 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,572.97.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.54 percent from 2.55 percent late Friday.

The Dow’s latest milestone-setting move happened shortly after the market opened Tuesday as investors weighed encouraging earnings from Citigroup and Uni-

tedHealth Group.

It took the Dow seven trading days since it first closed above 25,000 on Jan. 4 to cross the 26,000-point threshold.

That’s faster than the 23 days it took the Dow to go from 24,000 to 25,000 points, which was a record thousand-point swing.

The milestone moment didn’t last. The rally lost steam by early afternoon, ultimately pulling the Dow and the other major indexes into the red.

Even with Tuesday’s reversal the stock market is off to a stellar start in 2018. The S&P 500 index has closed lower only one other day this year.

It capped last week with its seventh weekly gain in the past eight.

Investors have been encouraged by strong global growth and rising company earnings. For the next few weeks, traders will have their eye on companies reporting results for the final quarter of 2017 for details on

how the tax overhaul that took effect earlier this year will affect corporations.

Many companies are taking one-off charges for bringing home money held abroad, but traders expect them to benefit in the long run from the decision to cut the standard tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent and are bidding up their share prices.

On Tuesday, Citigroup reported an $18.3 billion loss for the fourth quarter due to the new tax law. But excluding the one-time charges, Citigroup earned a profit.

The stock added 27 cents to $77.11.

UnitedHealth Group gained 1.9 percent after its said earnings more than doubled in the final quarter of 2017. The nation’s largest insurer also raised its forecast well beyond expectations, largely due to help from the federal tax overhaul.

The stock picked up $4.26 to $232.90.

sustained profits through 2018 ASSOCIATED PRE SS

NEW YORK — General Motors will take a $7 billion write-down in 2017 tied to the U.S. tax overhaul, but expects strong sales in North America and China to sustain its profit through 2018.

The Detroit automaker on Tuesday reaffirmed its 2017 expectations for profit between $6 and $6.50 per share and said it expects similar results in 2018. The company also cited cost cutting and growth in other units, including GM Financial, as factors in maintaining profit.

Like others that have announced a hit from the new tax law, GM expects the changes will be favorable to the company and the industry as a whole.

Two of the nation’s biggest banks, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo,

announced a combined $5.75 billion tax hit, but shares of both surged higher because of more favorable tax benefits going forward for corporations.

Shares of General Motors Co. jumped 3 percent at the opening bell Tuesday.

GM enters into 2018 with lowered costs and ongoing strength in U.S. pickup truck sales. In 2017, GM sold its Opel/ Vauxhall and GM Financial European units and cut business in parts of Africa and India.

Overall, U.S. auto sales fell 2 percent industrywide in 2017, according to Autodata Corp., ending an unprecedented sevenyear expansion. Still, 2017 marked the fourth-best sales year in U.S. history, after 2000, 2015 and 2016, according to Kelley Blue Book.

A8 | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

ENTERTAINMENT

Growing number of actors renouncing Woody Allen

By Jake Coyle A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — A growing number of actors are distancing themselves from Woody Allen and his next film, heightening questions about the future of the prolific 82-year-old filmmaker in a Hollywood newly sensitive to allegations of sexual misconduct.

Timothee Chalamet on Tuesday said he will donate his salary for an upcoming Woody Allen film to three charities fighting sexual harassment and abuse: Time’s Up, the LGBT Center in New York and RAINN. The breakout star of “Call Me By Your Name” announced on Instagram that he didn’t want to profit from his work on Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York,” which wrapped shooting in the fall.

“I want to be worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the brave artists who are fighting for all people to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve,” said Chalamet.

Chalamet is just the latest cast member of an Allen production to express regret or guilt about being professionally associated with the director. In recent weeks, Rebecca Hall ("A Rainy Day in New York,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”), Mira Sorvino ("Mighty Aphrodite”), Ellen Page ("To Rome With Love”), David Krumholtz ("Wonder Wheel”) and Griffith Newman ("A Rainy Day in New York”) have all in some way distanced themselves from Allen or vowed that they wouldn’t work with him again.

Evan Agostini/Invision / AP

This combination photo shows director Woody Allen and Timothee Chalamet. A growing number of actors are distancing themselves from Allen, heightening questions about the future of the prolific 82-year-old filmmaker in a Hollywood newly sensitive to allegations of sexual misconduct.

The rising chorus suggests the road ahead for Allen may be particularly challenging, even for a director whose personal controversies have for decades made him an alternatively beloved and reviled figure in movies.

Financial support for Allen has not previously waned in part because of the eagerness many stars have for working with a cinematic legend. But fielding a starry cast may prove increasingly difficult for Allen in a movie industry in the midst of a “Me Too” reckoning.

“If I had known then what I know now, I would not have acted in the film,” Greta Gerwig, who costarred in Allen’s 2012 comedy “To Rome With Love,” told The New York Times last week . “I have not worked for him again, and I will not work for him again. Dylan Farrow’s two different pieces made me realize that I increased another woman’s pain, and I was heartbroken by that realization.”

Dylan Farrow, Allen’s adopted daughter, has said Allen molested her in an attic in 1992 when she was seven. Allen, who has long

denied the allegations, was investigated for the incident but not charged.

Farrow has previously questioned why the “Me Too” movement hasn’t ensnarled Allen. In an op-ed published last month in The Los Angeles Times, she wrote: “Why is it that Harvey Weinstein and other accused celebrities have been cast out by Hollywood, while Allen recently secured a multimillion-dollar distribution deal with Amazon, greenlit by former Amazon Studios executive Roy Price before he was suspended over sexual misconduct allegations?”

Price, the former head of Amazon Studios, resigned in October following an allegation that he had sexually harassed television producer Isa Hackett while she was working on the Amazon series “The Man in the High Castle.”

“A Rainy Day in New York” is the fourth project for Allen with Amazon, which bet heavily on the filmmaker to help establish its film production arm as a home to auteur filmmakers. It reportedly spent $80 million to lure

Allen into television to make the 2016 series “Crisis in Six Scenes.”

Amazon, which didn’t respond to queries Tuesday, also distributed Allen’s “Cafe Society” in 2016 and “Wonder Wheel,” which opened December 1.

It has grossed a mere $1.4 million domestically on an estimated budget of $25 million but had more success overseas, grossing $7.8 million.

“A Rainy Day in New York,” a romantic comedy due out sometime this year, also stars Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Liev Schreiber and Elle Fanning. In his statement, Chalamet tellingly noted that due to “contractual obligations” he couldn’t comment on the longstanding allegations against Allen.

The announcement by Chalamet, a favorite Oscar contender for best actor this year, followed a similar one Friday by his costar Hall. She said she was donating her salary from the film to Time’s Up, the recently formed initiative to combat gender inequality in the entertainment industry. “It’s a small gesture and not one intended as close to compensation,” Hall wrote on Instagram.

Some have continued to publicly support Allen, though, including Alec Baldwin.

“Woody Allen was investigated forensically by two states (NY and CT) and no charges were filed,” Baldwin said Tuesday on Twitter. “The renunciation of him and his work, no doubt, has some purpose. But it’s unfair and sad to me. I worked with Woody Allen three times and it was one of the privileges of my career.”

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye welcome baby girl ASSOCIATED PRE SS

NEW YORK — It’s a girl for Kim Kardashian West and her husband, Kanye West, via surrogate.

Kardashian West announced Tuesday on her app under the headline “We’re so in Love” that their third baby was born early Monday and weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

The couple is “incredibly grateful to our surrogate who made our dreams come true,” Kardashian West says. She also thanked their surrogate’s doctors and nurses, adding that their kids North and Saint are “especially thrilled to welcome their baby sister.”

Kardashian West did not reveal the new arriv-

Evan Agostini / AP

Kim Kardashian West, left, and Kanye West announced Tuesday the birth of their daughter via surrogate. The baby, their third, was born early Monday and weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

al’s name. It was unclear where the baby was born.

The reality star and makeup mogul suffered from placenta accreta, a potentially life-threatening complication, during her two pregnancies.

Matt Damon apologizes for sexual misconduct comments

By John Carucci ASSOCIATED PRE SS

NEW YORK — Matt Damon says the backlash for his comments on sexual misconduct was actually very helpful.

A few weeks ago, Damon told The Associated Press and other outlets that there were varying degrees of misconduct and the punishment should reflect that. But he was criticized by some, including ex-girlfriend Minnie Driver.

In an interview with

the AP on Tuesday, Damon says he wishes he had listened more before offering his thoughts, and that he “doesn’t want to further anybody’s pain.”

He says he’s sorry and adds that the feedback on his comments have been “very helpful.”

He adds that he supports the Time’s Up organization Hollywood women founded to combat sexual harassment nationwide.

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Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 |

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE

CLIMA SEVERO

TAMAULIPAS

Muere apuñalado periodista en NLD

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

Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE LAREDO

Paseo contra crimen 1 Crime Stoppers de Laredo organiza un paseo en motocicleta contra el crimen dentro del evento Menudo Bowl, el 20 de enero. Evento tiene costo. Preregistro el 12 de enero. Mayores informes al 956-7241876.

Junta 1 La reunión de la Sociedad Genealógica del Nuevo Santander se ha reprogramado para el sábado 27 de enero, con un recorrido histórico en San Ygnacio, a las 2 p.m.

Exámenes de salud

Danny Zaragoza / Laredo Morning Times

El frente frío ocasionó que los estudiantes de la Escuela Primaria Santa María salieron temprano de clases el martes 16 de enero de 2018.

Frío paraliza sur de Texas Suspenden clases en Zapata, continúan bajas temperaturas en región Por Julia Wallace TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la realización de exámenes de salud cardiovascular Life Line Screening con tecnología avanzada de ultrasonido que proporciona una visión en el interior de las arterias, el 31 de enero en el Centro Comunitario de la Ciudad de Roma, de 8 a.m. a 3 p.m. Patrocinado por Peripheral Vascular Associates.

Se requiere inscripción previo llamando al 1-888-653-6450.

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

Aviario 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Mayores informes al 956849-1411

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

Pago de impuestos

El tercer evento meteorológico significativo de la temporada, con temperaturas por debajo del punto de congelación, además de aguanieve y lluvia helada, causó el cierre de la mayoría de las oficinas del ayuntamiento, el condado, el colegio comunitario, la universidad y los distritos escolares en Laredo y Zapata.

Greg Wilk, meteorólogo de la Oficina del Servicio Nacional de Meteorología en Corpus Christi, dijo que es muy inusual para el área que Laredo tenga tres eventos invernales en un periodo de dos meses.

Aunque algunas personas pensaron que vieron nevar el martes, la atmósfera no se encuentra en un estado en el que la nieve se pueda desarrollar, dijo Wilk.

Laredo acumuló 1,2 pulgadas de nieve en las primeras horas del 8 de diciembre— la primera nevada de la ciudad desde el 2004— y temperaturas heladas en Año Nuevo causaron miles de apagones eléctricos por toda la ciudad.

El Jefe del Departamento de Bomberos Steve Landin, quien ha fungido como el coordinador de emergencia de la ciudad desde hace 10 años, dijo que no podía recordar ninguna ocasión en la que Laredo haya tenido múltiples eventos durante la temporada.

La presencia de nieve, aguanieve y lluvia ya había cesado el martes por la mañana, pero Landin dijo que hasta este punto el pronóstico había sido fallido y atinado en ocasiones, ya que toda la precipitación que había caído al suelo pudo haber causado condiciones que

congelaran el pavimento.

La mayoría de las oficinas de la Ciudad de Laredo y el Condado de Webb cerraron sus puertas al mediodía el martes debido a las condiciones del clima.

El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Zapata terminó labores el martes antes de lo esperado.

Todas las clases desde nivel primario hasta preparatoria fueron suspendidas entre 1 p.m. y 1:30 p.m. Las clases permanecerán suspendidas hoy.

El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Laredo anunció que retrasaría el horario de entrada el miércoles. Las clases en las escuelas primarias comenzarán a las 9 a.m., en las secundarias a las 9:20 a.m. y en las preparatorias a las 9:40 a.m.

Los estudiantes de secundaria y preparatoria se reportarán al segundo bloque. Todo el personal de LISD se reportará a trabajar a las 8 a.m. Las rutas de autobús comienzan a las 8:40 a.m. para estudiantes de primaria, a las 9 a.m. para estudiantes de secundaria y las 9:20 a.m. para preparatoria.

Se les recuerda a los padres que vistan a sus hijos de manera apropiada para el clima frío. Se les pide a los estudiantes y al personal que se vistan abrigados y con múltiples capas, haciendo uso de gorras, guantes, abrigos y calzado cerrado.

Algunos departamentos de la ciudad que permanecieron abiertos el martes incluyen los departamentos de Policía y Bomberos, 3-1-1, Obras Públicas y el Departamento de Tráfico.

El Condado de Webb dijo que se les recomienda a las personas que deseen visitar algún departamento del Condado de

Webb a llamar primero para asegurarse de que las instalaciones estén abiertas.

"Ambos distritos escolares locales emitieron avisos oficiales que dan salida a los estudiantes y al personal hoy o alrededor del mediodía, anticipándose a la posible aguanieve o hielo en nuestras carreteras y a los apagones recurrentes en el área", dijo el Condado de Webb en un comunicado.

"Muchos miembros de la familia del Condado de Webb son padres y deben atender a sus familias e hijos durante su tiempo libre en la escuela".

Los distritos escolares locales dieron salida a los estudiantes alrededor del mediodía del martes.

Texas A&M International University y Laredo Community College también estuvieron abiertas esta mañana, pero cerrarán temprano en la tarde.

TAMIU también retrasará la apertura de oficinas hasta las 10 a.m. del miércoles, y las clases comenzarán a partir de las 10:30 a.m. A la luz de este evento meteorológico y los cambios resultantes en la programación, la inscripción tardía para el semestre de primavera se extendió hasta el 24 de enero.

El Banco de Alimentos del Sur de Texas dijo que la distribución mensual del Programa de Alimentos Suplementarios Básicos programada para el miércoles en el Centro de Artes Escénicas de LISD ha sido pospuesta hasta el 26 de enero. Para obtener más información, comuníquese con el banco de alimentos al 956-7263120. El banco de alimentos cerró la tarde del martes y reanudará operaciones el miércoles en su horario habitual.

AEP pide que se tomen medidas de conservación.

AEP Texas dijo el lunes que se encuentra realizando preparaciones para otra tormenta de invierno en el área de Laredo esta semana.

“Personal de servicio estará al pendiente para responder en caso de que

ocurran apagones”, dijo el Gerente de Asuntos Externos de AEP Texas Tony Arce. “Además, la subestación móvil utilizada para incrementar la capacidad de nuestra subestación Del Mar continua operando… para incrementar su capacidad eléctrica y ayudar a reducir la posibilidad de sobrecarga”.

Los clientes que se queden sin electricidad deberán apagar sus electrodomésticos grandes como el sistema de aire acondicionado o calefacción, lavaplatos, lavadoras y secadoras. Tomando estas acciones reducirán la posibilidad de que los interruptores se boten de nuevo cuando se restaure la electricidad a grupos de consumidores más eficientemente durante el clima frio.

Mientras tanto, AEP Texas pide se tomen medidas de conservación durante los siguientes días especialmente durante el periodo de 6 a.m. hasta las 9 a.m. y de 5 a 7 p.m. La petición es realizada en base a posibles retos en restauración de servicio después de apagones de distribución debido al clima.

Se pide a los clientes que tomen las siguientes medidas: 1 Programe sus termostatos en 68 grados Fahrenheit o más bajo; para que los sistemas de calefacción o aire acondicionado no utilicen tanta energía.

1 Cierre las persianas y cortinas para mantener el calor adentro.

1 Retrase el uso de electrodomésticos grandes como lavaplatos, lavadoras y secadoras.

1 Apague la luz de los cuartos en donde no se esté usando.

La petición por conservación de AEP Texas es provocada por problemas de carga de frio asociado con servicios de restauración seguido de una serie de apagones de distribución causados por las actuales condiciones climatológicas y no por una directiva del Consejo de Confiabilidad en Energía de Texas.

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.

X3

Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times

Compradores se protegen de las condiciones climáticas mientras cruzan la avenida Convent, el martes 16 de enero de 2018.

Danny Zaragoza / Laredo Morning Times

Estudiantes de TAMIU se protegen de las bajas temperaturas mientras se trasladan a sus salones de clase.

El periodista mexicano que fue asesinado durante el fin de semana en Nuevo Laredo fue apuñalado en 21 ocasiones, dijo el Fiscal General de Tamaulipas durante un programa de noticias nacionales el lunes.

Carlos Domínguez Rodriguez, de 77 años de edad, escribía una columna política como periodista independiente y había trabajado previamente para El Diario de Nuevo Laredo, según reportes noticiosos mexicanos.

Domínguez viajaba en un Ford Focus ocupado por otros cuatro familiares, incluyendo dos menores, cuando al menos dos sospechosos los interceptaron en la Colonia Domínguez Juárez.

Domínguez fue asesinado y los otros familiares no sufrieron daños, de acuerdo con Irving Barrios Mojica, Fiscal General de Tamaulipas. Él dijo que el motivo continúa bajo investigación pero que podría estar conectado al trabajo de Domínguez.

Es su última columna publicada el viernes, Domínguez mencionaba dos temas: “La violencia azota el territorio mexicano en la temporada pre electoral”, y “Ridículo, el uso de discursos para esconder las deficiencias del gobierno federal en cuestión de seguridad pública”.

Políticos reaccionaron a la muerte de Domínguez en redes sociales.

El gobernador de Tamaulipas, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, dio las condolencias a la familia a través de su cuenta de Twitter.

“Mis condolencias a la familia del periodista Carlos Domínguez Rodríguez, fallecido hoy en Nuevo Laredo. Mi compromiso con ellos y la comunidad periodística de Tamaulipas de que este homicidio no quedará impune”, se lee en la publicación.

El presidente de Nuevo Laredo, Enrique Rivas Cuéllar, también expresó sus condolencias, a través de su página de Facebook.

“Mi solidaridad con la familia de mi amigo, el periodista Carlos Domínguez Rodríguez. El Gobierno de Nuevo Laredo lamenta y rechaza siempre todo tipo de violencia y agresión a la ciudadanía. Todo mi apoyo a la familia periodística. Ni uno más”, de acuerdo a la publicación.

Reporters Without Borders, una organización sin fines de lucro que aboga por los periodistas, indicó que Domínguez era el primer periodista asesinado en México este año.

Una alerta de viaje del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos para México indica que Tamaulipas es uno de los cinco estados que las personas deben evitar.

“No viajen debido al crimen. Crimen violento, como homicidio, asalto armado, robo de autos, secuestro, extorsión y agresión sexual es común”, dice la alerta de viaje.

Sports&Outdoors X4 | Wednesday, January 17, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

NCAA FOOTBALL: ARIZONA WILDCATS

SUMLIN INTRODUCED AT ‘THE RIGHT PLACE’

Smiley N. Pool / Dallas Morning News file

Tony Romo and Jim Nantz will call the AFC Championship game Sunday when the Patriots host the Jaguars.

Tony Romo calling AFC title game Former QB embraces broadcasting career

By Drew Davison FORT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM

Tony Romo could’ve prolonged his football career last offseason, but it would have been with a team other than the Dallas Cowboys.

Instead of making that move, Romo opted to walk away from the game and into the broadcast booth as the No. 1 analyst on CBS Sports alongside play-by-play veteran Jim Nantz.

Romo, 37, has been widely praised for his relatively seamless transition into the broadcast booth in his rookie season, and is on the heels of calling his biggest game to date - Sunday’s AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Romo never reached this point of playoffs in his playing days, falling in the divisional round three times (2007, 2009 and 2014) and the wild-card round once (2006) in his four postseason trips.

So it begs the question whether Romo has gotten the itch to play again.

"You always miss it a little bit," Romo said on a conference call with reporters Tuesday. "I think it’s just human nature when you do something for whatever, 20 years of your life, you’re going to miss parts of it.

"I know I didn’t miss up waking up on Mondays, taking your time getting out of bed. That was a little easier when the kids run and jump on your bed, get yourself up and going."

Romo, of course, battled injuries late in his career. He had multiple back surgeries and fractured his collarbone three times in his career.

When healthy, though, Romo was one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He left as the Cowboys’ franchise leader in passing yards (34,183), passing touchdowns (248), passer rating (97.1), completion percentage (65.3) and most 3,000yard passing seasons (seven).

Now he’s determined to become one of the top analysts of the game and he’ll have his biggest audience yet Sunday.

"It’s a big game," Romo said. "I’m very excited about what can happen to these individuals and

organizations and how much this means to families. On the outside, you don’t realize how it really changes lives the further, the more success you have (in the playoffs). I know how important it is."

Romo will see a couple familiar faces on the Jaguars’ sideline in former teammates such as safety Barry Church and right tackle Jermey Parnell.

On the other side, Romo understands the history of the game and what the Patriots are chasing.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have a chance to become the first quarterback/coach combo to win six Super Bowl championships.

For Romo, it’ll be about letting the game call itself and providing insight where necessary Nantz has no concerns about Romo calling his first AFC Championship game.

"Will it be any different? Will he feel any different about this game on Sunday? Not one iota," Nantz said. "He’ll be ready. It’s just a continuum of what we’ve been doing all year long.

"He’s been a dream to work with and I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it. I hate to see the season coming to an end."

Romo echoed those thoughts and intends to work on multiple things in the offseason to become a better all-around analyst. He doesn’t want to become too repetitive or boring throughout a broadcast, and doesn’t want to only be known for predicting a handful of plays throughout a game.

Nantz has no doubt that Romo will only get better with more experience. Nantz went as far as saying Romo could have gone live on air after just one practice game because he has that much natural instincts.

"I’m just so happy he’s enjoying it," Nantz said. "(Romo) made this decision, walking away from football when he could’ve been playing for a few more years. This was a big leap of faith for Tony.

"The fact that he’s had a good time, more than good time, I know he’s had a great time. I know he’s enjoyed every part of the process. I take a lot of satisfaction out of that. I really do."

Mike Christy / Associated Press

New Arizona head coach Kevin Sumlin was officially introduced Tuesday in a press conference at the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility. Sumlin takes over the Wildcats after going 51-26 in six season at Texas A&M.

By Bob Baum ASSOCIATED PRE SS

TUCSON, Ariz. — Kevin Sumlin calls the head coaching job at Arizona “the right place and the right challenge.”

He made the comment at a news conference introducing him as coach on Tuesday.

Sumlin said that when he spoke with Wildcats athletic director Dave Heeke about the job, talk inevitably turned to the Rose Bowl. Arizona is the only one of the original Pac-10 never to play in the game.

“I said, ‘It is going to happen,”’ Sumlin said. “‘What time is that going to happen? Why not now and why not us?”’

The 53-year-old coach, fired after compiling a 51-26 record the past six seasons at Texas A&M, confirmed that he will retain Marcel Yates as defensive coordinator. He made no other announcements about assistants but there are consistent reports that he will bring in Noel Mazzone as offensive coordinator.

Sumlin has an 86-43 record in 10 seasons as a head coach with nine bowl appearances. But he found long-term survival in the SEC difficult, losing his job after the Aggies

went 7-6 last season, including losing to Wake Forest in the Belk Bowl.

Sumlin also coached four seasons at Houston, going 12-1 in his final year there in 2011. He takes over in Tucson just 13 days after Arizona fired Rich Rodriguez after a notice of claim was filed with the state attorney general’s office alleging he ran a hostile workplace.

The claim filed by Rodriguez’s former assistant alleged the coach fondled himself in front of her and forced her to cover up an extramarital affair he was having with a different woman. Rodriguez acknowledged the affair, but denied the allegations.

Heeke expects a transparent program under Sumlin.

“I think you saw that Kevin’s just an open, honest, straightforward person,” Heeke said. “We’re all in this together. It’s a partnership, it’s about the people. We look forward to a really long partnership with Kevin and a really open and inclusive environment.”

The first question asked of Sumlin was about being the first African-American football coach at Arizona.

“It is significant but this is my third time being a head coach and I’ve been asked that question every

time,” he said. “It is significant and shouldn’t be overlooked but you hope that in time, in the next 5-10 years, that that is not the first question you get.”

With the hiring of Herm Edwards at Arizona State, the football coaches at both of the state’s largest schools are AfricanAmerican.

Sumlin, who already has recruited successfully in Arizona and has strong ties in California and, of course, Texas, promised a program that will be heavily involved in the community.

“We will not be an isolated football program with our players,” he said.

“It’s our job to do our part on the field to create excitement and I’m looking forward to that.”

Sumlin met with Arizona’s players early Tuesday to offer them reassurance: one, that Yates would be back to run the defense and, two, that the offense would not vary greatly from the one run by Rodriguez. Arizona returns several talented young players, most notably dynamic quarterback Khalil Tate.

“Offensively, we’re quite similar in philosophy,” Sumlin said, “a little bit different in what we wanted to do maybe throwing the ball a little bit more

and getting explosive plays and scoring points.”

But not too different from the read option Rodriguez operated.

“I wanted them to leave the building this morning not thinking we’re going to run the triple option or we’re going to become this crazy team,” Sumlin said.

“So they left the day feeling good. There will be some subtle changes but hopefully for the better.”

The triple option remark came after earlier reports that Arizona’s top pick for the job was Army’s Ken Niumatolo, who runs the triple option there. Tate responded to those reports with a tweet that read “I didn’t come to Arizona to run the triple option.”

Heeke said Sumlin was the only person offered the job.

The university will add more money to pay assistants, Heeke said, one of the subjects of a long conversation he and Sumlin had Saturday night.

“We want to get coaches that Kevin thinks will help lead our program forward and we’re ready to invest in that,” Heeke said.

Pending approval by the Arizona Board of Regents, Sumlin will get a five-year contract worth $14.5 million.

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: HOUSTON ROCKETS

NBA opens investigation into Rockets-Clippers events ASSOCIATED PRE SS

LOS ANGELES — The NBA is planning to speak with players from both the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers to determine the specifics of late-game and postgame events involving the teams.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Tuesday that the league would look into the matter. Tempers boiled over Monday night late in the Clippers’ 113-102 victory , to the point where several security guards were needed outside the Houston locker room postgame.

Citing anonymous NBA

sources, ESPN reported several Rockets players headed toward the Clippers’ locker room afterward, seeking a confrontation, but were escorted away by security before anything got physical.

There were late-game incidents as well in Chris Paul’s first game in Los Angeles since he was traded to the Rockets this past summer. Clippers star Blake Griffin appeared to bump Houston coach Mike D’Antoni, and they exchanged words.

Griffin and Houston’s Trevor Ariza were later ejected after another incident.

Postgame, neither team

offered specifics on what happened, if anything, in the Clippers’ locker room.

“We were where we were supposed to be,” Griffin said. “We were in our locker room.”

Paul was asked postgame about what happened, and dodged the question.

“I don’t know,” Paul said. “We took our loss.

Tough loss.”

It seems almost inevitable that the NBA will have to take some disciplinary action against players.

Paul is also the president of the National Basketball Players Association, which did not immediately respond to a request

for comment Tuesday morning.

Both teams are off Tuesday, which means the NBA will have some time to sort out all the various messes. The Clippers next play Wednesday against Denver, and Houston is off until it plays host to Minnesota on Thursday.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers also said his team was in its own locker room.

“Their entire team was not in their locker room,” he said, referring to the Rockets. Walking into his postgame interview, Rivers joked, “We’re honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we’re non-violent.”