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LAWSUIT
Man pleads guilty
Firm to appeal verdict
Suspected marijuana smuggler faces 10 years to life By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
One of three men accused of conspiring and transporting $6.4 million worth of marijuana within Zapata County pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Laredo, according to court records. In re-arraignment held Tuesday, Andrew James Escamilla, 34, pled guilty to count one of the indictment, which charges him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijua-
na. Escamilla could face from 10 years to life in prison, the indictment states. He had originally pleaded not guilty Nov. 6. Escamilla is in federal custody on a $175,000 bond. Two other people allegedly involved in the smuggling recently pleaded not guilty to marijuana conspiracy and possession charges. They were identified as Elmer Oswaldo Campos, 36, and Juan Manuel Perez Jr., 38. Federal authorities arrested the trio early Oct. 2. Laredo
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and task officers set surveillance along U.S. Highway 83, between Zapata and San Ygnacio, after authorities were tipped off to a pneumatic tractor-trailer allegedly hauling pot from the Rio Grande Valley. A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper assisted in pulling over the 18-wheeler, driven by Escamilla. Campos was identified as the passenger. A criminal complaint filed Oct. 3 states that Escamilla admitted to marijuana being concealed inside the trailer. Esca-
milla had been hired to drive the contraband from Roma. Court records identified Campos as the man who would guide Escamilla through the federal checkpoints. Perez, who was also identified as a scout, was arrested at a gas station in Zapata. Federal officials seized 644 bundles of marijuana, weighing about 8,000 pounds. The contraband had an estimated street value of $6.4 million. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
CHRISTMAS
GIFTS FROM ‘ANGELS’ Program marks 9th year By PHILIP BALLI THE ZAPATA TIMES
Photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Bruni Elementary School student Wendy Bernal smiles as she looks at the presents that she received as part of the Angel of Hope program Tuesday at the Laredo Energy Arena.
Hundreds of elementary students from Laredo Independent School District filled the Laredo Energy Arena Tuesday to receive gifts during the ninth annual Angel of Hope, previously known as Navidad En El Barrio. Hope Sierra and Ruby Murio, both 8, attend Dovalina Elementary School and were among the crowd, which totaled nearly 1,000 students. “I know what gift I really want: Flashlight Friends!” Sierra said. The toy is a flashlight aimed at children; each soft animal “friend” has a built-in tap flashlight. Murio, meanwhile, was hoping to receive a doll, jacket or a tablet. Rudy Rodriguez Jr., Webb County constable for Pct. 1, organized the event. Another estimated 1,000 LISD students were expected to attend the giveaway later in the day. “I’ve always said a good officer is the one that does extra work,” Rodriguez said. “When you donate your time to volunteer work for something like this, it makes it special.” This year the Pct. 1 office raised $100,000 to purchase more than 10,000 gifts. All of the gifts were bought from a local Wal-Mart and included laptop computers and bicycles. Rodriguez plans on also giving gifts to students in Mirando City, Rio Bravo and El Cenizo. “We have already met with the mayor of El Cenizo and Rio Bravo,” Rodriguez said. “We’re so blessed to be giving back in return what God has given us all year.” An estimated 3,200 students will each receive three gifts from the office this year. (Philip Balli may be reached at 7282528 or pballi@lmtonline.com)
By ALDO AMATO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Nuverra Environmental Solutions has responded to a verdict in Dimmit County in which jurors awarded $281 million in damages to plaintiffs in a wrongful death lawsuit. “We are disappointed by the actions of this Texas state court jury but remain confident in the judicial system at both the trial court and appellate court levels,” said Mark Johnsrud, AGUILAR chief executive officer of Nuverra Environmental Solutions, in a press release. “While we are highly sympathetic to the deceased and his family for his unfortunate passing, we believe based on input from our legal advisors and consultants, both trial and appellate, that this recent award exceeds well-established judicial norms and precedent by a staggering margin.” Johnsrud said the company plans to appeal the jury’s verdict in hopes of either overturning or reducing the award amount. “After conferring with our legal advisors, we believe we have meritorious grounds to seek reconsideration of the verdict and to appeal. We intend to file motions to reduce or overturn the award and otherwise to file for x reconsideration of the case,” Johnsrud said. Heckmann Water Resources, the defendant in the case, is an operating subsidiary of Nuverra Environmental Solutions. Relatives of Carlos Aguilar, 31, filed a lawsuit against Heckmann Water Resources after he was killed in May 2012. Aguilar, a U.S. army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, was a passenger in a work truck traveling on FM 133 in Dimmit County when a driveshaft assembly broke free from an 18-wheeler. The 20 pound driveshaft bounced off the road and crashed through the windshield of the truck, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The driveshaft struck Aguilar in the face and neck, killing him. According to the lawsuit, Heckmann Water Resources, which owned the 18wheeler, failed to lubricate the driveshaft, causing it to break off. After a three-week trial, jurors found the company negligent Thursday night and awarded $281 million in damages to Aguilar’s mother and father, wife and seven children. Ron Rodriguez, who represented five of the children, said the award amount was the largest ever in Dimmit County and one of the largest in Texas. “Based on the pre-award analysis of the case, Heckmann Water Resources’s exposure in this matter was not expected to exceed its available insurance limits of $16 million,” the press release from Nuverra Environmental Services states. “Although it continues to review the matter, the company does not anticipate establishing an accounting reserve for the matter at this time.” ( Aldo Amato may be reached at 7282538 or aamato@lmtonline.com)
COMMISSIONERS COURT
Officials eye cemetery expansion, school road By ALDO AMATO THE ZAPATA TIMES
Expansion and renovation were the main focus at Monday’s Commissioners Court meeting. Commissioners said they are looking to buy new land for the Zapata County Cemetery after listening to an appraisal report. The appraisal, which cost the county $400, highlighted what
the county would have to do and how much it would have to pay to expand the 60-year-old cemetery. Commissioner Jose Emilio Vela said the proposed expansion would cost around $80,000, but that the county has not made official plans for expansion at this point. “Basically what we are doing is looking toward the future,”
Vela said. “We haven’t made an official decision to buy land and we still have to talk to the landowners. What we did Monday was just getting ahead of the game.”
Road improvements Construction is expected to begin in April near Villarreal
Elementary School as commissioners aim to improve roads in one of the county’s poorest areas. Commissioners approved engineering and consulting firms for road improvements, which are expected to include new drainage systems and add streetlights to the school area. The money for the improvements comes from a $300,000 block grant awarded by the Texas Office of
Rural Affairs. “We’re going to try to get proper drainage to a road that leads all the way to the elementary school,” Vela said. “This has been a project we’ve looked at for a while and hopefully will revitalize the infrastructure in Precinct 2.” (Aldo Amato may be reached at 728-2538 or aamato@lmtonline.com)
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Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Wednesday, Dec. 11
ASSOCIATED PRESS
I Can Cope Class, sponsored by American Cancer Society and Doctors Hospital of Laredo. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Doctors Hospital Cancer Treatment Center lobby. Class offered second Wednesday of each month. For people with cancer and their family and friends. Guest speakers include professionals in the field of cancer management. No charge to attend. Contact Diana Juarez at 319-3100 or diana.juarez@cancer.org.
Today is Wednesday, Dec. 11, the 345th day of 2013. There are 20 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Dec. 11, 1972, Apollo 17’s lunar module landed on the moon with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt aboard; during three extravehicular activities (EVAs), they became the last two men to date to step onto the lunar surface. On this date: In 1792, France’s King Louis XVI went before the Convention to face charges of treason. (Louis was convicted, and executed the following month.) In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state. In 1912, movie producer Carlo Ponti was born in Magenta, Italy. In 1928, police in Buenos Aires announced they had thwarted an attempt on the life of President-elect Herbert Hoover. In 1936, Britain’s King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson; his brother, Prince Albert, became King George VI. In 1937, Italy announced it was withdrawing from the League of Nations. In 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States; the U.S. responded in kind. In 1946, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established. In 1961, a U.S. aircraft carrier carrying Army helicopters arrived in Saigon — the first direct American military support for South Vietnam’s battle against Communist guerrillas. In 1981, the El Mozote massacre in El Salvador claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians at the hands of army troops. The U.N. Security Council chose Javier Perez de Cuellar (hah-vee-EHR’ PEHR’ehs day KWAY’-yahr) of Peru to be the fifth secretary-general. Muhammad Ali, 39, fought his final fight, losing by unanimous decision to Trevor Berbick in Nassau, Bahamas. In 1997, more than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth’s greenhouse gases. Ten years ago: U.S. health officials reported an early flu outbreak had hit all 50 states and was widespread in 24. Five years ago: Former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Madoff was arrested, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that destroyed thousands of people’s life savings and wrecked charities. (Madoff is serving a 150-year federal prison sentence.) One year ago: In an act the White House called “highly provocative,” North Korea used a long-range rocket to launch a satellite into orbit. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Jean-Louis Trintignant is 83. Actress Rita Moreno is 82. Former California state lawmaker Tom Hayden is 74. Pop singer David Gates (Bread) is 73. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., is 72. Actress Donna Mills is 71. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is 70. Singer Brenda Lee is 69. Actress Lynda Day George is 69. Music producer Tony Brown is 67. Actress Teri Garr is 66. Thought for Today: “A technical objection is the first refuge of a scoundrel.” — Heywood Broun, American journalist (1888-1939).
Thursday, Dec. 12 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589. Writing Workshop with Amjoa “MoMan” Sumler. 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. TAMIU Student Center, Room 231. Slam poet MoMan to provide instruction and activities in performance poetry. Bring pens and notebooks. Free and open to public. Laredo Border Slam Poetry spoken word competition. 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Second and fourth Thursdays of each month. Gallery 201, 513 San Bernardo Ave. Three minutes to perform, two rounds, five random judges from the audience. Cash and quirky prizes. BYOB. $2 suggested donation at the door. Email juliaorduna@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/ laredoborderslam. The Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association’s regular meeting at 12:30 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, 2219 Galveston St. Guest speaker will be Tim Lee, T.R.T.A. executive director.
Friday, Dec. 13 TAMIU Planetarium shows: “Destination Saturn” at 6 p.m. and “Mystery of the Christmas Star” at 7 p.m. General admissions $4 children and $5 adults. Premium shows $1 more. Call 326-3663.
Saturday, Dec. 14 Philippines Disaster Relief Drops of Love Charity Concert. 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Vaqueros, 1406 Jacaman Road. Concert will feature Jolly Ranchers, Little Sister, Arnold Villamero & The White Satin. For $15 tickets, call Charlie San Miguel at 324-5678; Sergio Mora at 857-4582; or at Arnold Villamero 324-7669. Donations also accepted.
Sunday, Dec. 15 Fifth annual Handbell Christmas Concert, “Tapestry in Bronze,” presented by Memorial Bells of First United Methodist Church. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1220 McClelland Ave. Sacred and secular selections and conclude with a Ring-Sing-Along of favorite Christmas carols featuring Alejandra Rodriguez on organ. Free and open to public. Donations accepted. Contact church office at 722-1674 or fumc_office@sbcglobal.net.
Thursday, Dec. 19 Los Amigos Duplicate Bridge Club. 1:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. Laredo Country Club. Call Beverly Cantu at 727-0589. “The Nutcracker” ballet, presented by Dance Expressions. 7:30 p.m. Laredo Civic Center Auditorium. For ticket information, call 724-5330. An Evening with SoundTown Ballroom Gala-Dance. 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San Agustin Ave. Ensemble to feature vocalists and instrumentalists playing holiday classics in winter wonderland setting. Tickets $10. Available at VMT office, 820 Main St.; 273-7800; or 725-1715. Also sold at door. Contact Robert M. Lopez at 2737811 or rmlopez004@laredoisd.org.
Friday, Dec. 20 TAMIU Planetarium shows: “Season of Light” at 6 p.m. and “Holiday Music Magic” at 7 p.m. General admission $4 children and $5 adults. Call 326-3663.
Monday, Dec. 23 Zapata County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. Zapata County Courthouse. Call Roxy Elizondo at 765-9920.
Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location and purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
Photo by Eric Gay | AP
Reagan Bohac, right, son of State Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, talks with Bill French, left, dressed as Santa Claus, following a news conference at the state capitol Monday, in Austin. Rep. Bohac was trying to raise awareness for the Texas’ new Merry Christmas law that allows teachers, students, parents and school administrators to celebrate traditional winter holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah in public schools without fear of censorship, persecution, or litigation.
State touts Christmas law By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Merry Christmas, bah humbug? Not in Texas. Just in time for the holidays, Texas is making sure everyone remembers that wishing someone “Merry Christmas” is now protected by law in its public schools — and conservatives are hoping similar measures will gain momentum across America. Garnering national attention when it was approved by the state Legislature this summer, the bipartisan law removes legal risks from exchanging holiday greetings in classrooms. It also protects symbols such as Christmas trees, menorahs or nativity scenes, as long as more than one religion is represented and a secular symbol such as a snowman is displayed. “I’m proud to stand in defense of Christ-
mas and I urge other states to stop a needless, stilted overreaction to Christmas and Hanukkah,” the law’s sponsor, Houston Republican Dwayne Bohac, said at a news conference Monday. Bohac said the law was meant to codify the religious freedoms of the First Amendment and keep “censorship of Christmas out of public schools.” He said it will stop “ridiculous” past lawsuits against some Texas schools in the name of excessive political correctness. Texas is the only state to so far approve such a law, which some civil libertarians have criticized as unnecessary given the First Amendment. The law also states that schools are constitutionally barred from favoring one religious celebration over another, although it’s known as the “Merry Christmas Law.”
Virus outbreak that killed 7 big cats appears over
Ex-South Texas officer accused in theft case
Air Force: Bird strike caused wreck of $8M jet
WYLIE — A spokeswoman for a North Texas animal sanctuary where seven big cats have died of a virus says the worst of the outbreak appears to be over. Lisa Williams said Monday that 22 animals — lions, tigers and leopards — tested positive for canine distemper at In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Education Center. Experts believe raccoons transferred the virus.
EDINBURG — A former South Texas police officer is being accused of taking money from people seeking to have DWI cases removed from their records. The Monitor of McAllen reports that ex-Mission Police corporal Carlos Celadon has been charged with two counts of theft. The Hidalgo County Sheriff ’s Office says its public integrity unit determined court personnel were not involved in the scheme.
WICHITA FALLS — U.S. Air Force investigators have confirmed that a bird strike caused an $8 million jet to crash during a training flight in July. Two pilots suffered minor injuries when they ejected from the T-38 Talon. Sheppard officials said Tuesday the bird struck the jet’s canopy, shattering it and sending fragments into the engine.
Austin’s new MetroRapid buses being tested
New zebra mussel rules in N. Texas takes effect
AUSTIN — Some new hightech public buses have begun making the rounds in Austin but the vehicles are not yet hauling paying passengers. Capital Metro on Tuesday began a day of field testing for 18 buses in its MetroRapid fleet. The new red-and-silver buses will operate on diesel fuel and also offer free Wi-Fi.
AUSTIN — New rules began this week to protect Texas waterways against invasive zebra mussels. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission voted to make permanent emergency requirements for boaters before and after entering lakes and streams. The rules took effect Tuesday in 17 North Texas counties.
Man allegedly pulls sword, demands free tacos SAN ANTONIO — A man faces an aggravated robbery charge after being accused of ordering several tacos, pulling a sword and refusing to pay. An affidavit says 28-year-old Adam Kramer began sliding the sword out of a sheath and threatened a waitress at a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio. Nobody was hurt in the Dec. 2 incident. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Mail sorting raises concerns in community JUNEAU, Alaska — For one Alaska city, it’s not rain, sleet or snow that’s slowing mail delivery. It’s a broken postal sorting machine that has forced officials to fly letters and packages more than 200 miles away to be separated and flown back for delivery. That has left Ketchikan residents to complain about mail getting delivered up to five days late. The U.S. Postal Service spokesman Ernie Swanson says Ketchikan’s sorting equipment gave out and it’s not practical to replace it right now. U.S. Sen. Mark Begich is calling on the agency to review its decision.
Skier uses air bag, survives avalanche SALT LAKE CITY — An avalanche that was caught on video
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A light snow falls as Stephen Topping walks his dog, Bud, in a park overlooking the Baltimore skyline Tuesday. Residents along the East Coast and in the Appalachians woke up to snow Tuesday. dragged a backcountry skier into a Utah ravine and buried her in snow, but the woman survived because she deployed a special air bag and other skiers were able to quickly dig her out. Video of Monday’s slide shows the skier turning into a steep ra-
vine and triggering the avalanche in Grizzly Gulch, just outside the Alta ski area. The woman pulled a ripcord on an air bag-equipped backpack — a European-style safety device. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
Zlocal
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Market this weekend Workshop scheduled SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Laredo Main Street’s El Centro de Laredo Farmers’ Market will be held Saturday at Jarvis Plaza in downtown Laredo. The market will be back in action with more than 25 vendors, Texas’ freshest fruits and vegetables, natural and organic prepared foods and baked goods, juices, natural wellness products, homemade salsas, jams, herbal teas, essential cleaning supplies, decorative/land-
scaping plants, herbs and homemade pet food. Special guests and performances include Blue Santa, St. Peter’s Memorial School’s kindergarten choir, Gabriela Garcia-Mendoza’s “Baile Folklorico,” “A Very Elvis Christmas,” live holiday music and activities to entertain children. This month the market will be held the second Saturday of the month due to the influx of paisano traffic and will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the historic downtown
Jarvis Plaza. Free parking is available in the El Metro Tranisit Center, 1301 Farragut, with a purchase from the market. Laredo Main Street Association is a non-profit that works to build community support, interest and economic growth for Laredo’s historic downtown commercial area and surrounding neighborhoods. For more information on Laredo Main Street events and programs, visit laredomainstreet.org.
Obamacare information, help with enrollment offered SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
A Health Insurance Marketplace Community Workshop will be offered for residents of Zapata County on Thursday. The event, which is being hosted by the office of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, is open and free to the public. The workshop will provide presentations on the new health insurance marketplaces, and participants can enroll online in the
Country star to play at LEA
marketplace with assistance provided by organizations such as Enroll America, Doctors Hospital of Laredo, South Texas Development Council, Zapata County ISD and Cognosante. “The new health insurance marketplace provides an opportunity for Texans to take personal responsibility for the costs of their health care and gain universal access to quality and affordable health insur-
ance,” Cuellar said in a written statement. Sessions in English and Spanish will be offered Thursday evening at the Zapata County Technical Advanced Education Center, 605 N. Highway 83. English sessions are at 6:30 p.m. and 7:50 p.m.; Spanish sessions start at 7:10 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. In Zapata County, 35.3 percent of residents do not have health insurance, according to Cuellar.
SWEET 15
Alan Jackson is one of SoundScan’s 10 best-selling artists ever SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Country music superstar Alan Jackson will take his tour to the Laredo Energy Arena on Feb. 9, the LEA announced Monday. “We are very glad to host country music icon Alan Jackson in Laredo,” said Xavier Villalon, general manager of the Laredo Energy Arena. “We want to show him that he is right at home with his South Texas family.” Tickets are $45, $65, $85 and $125 — facility fee included — and may be purchased starting Friday at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations, including the LEA box office, Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 1-800745-3000 and select H-E-B Ticketmaster outlets. Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He is in the elite company of Paul
Photo by Nick de la Torre | Houston Chronicle
Alan Jackson performs for Rodeo Houston on Feb. 27 in Reliant Stadium in Houston. McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and tak-
en to the top of the charts. Jackson is one of the 10 best-selling artists since the inception of
SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica. His current album, “The Bluegrass Album,” was released Sept. 24 and debuted No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums Sales Chart and has remained in the No. 1 position ever since. Jackson has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide, topped the country singles charts 35 times and scored more than 50 Top-10 hits. He has written or co-written 24 of his 35 No. 1 hit singles. Jackson is an 18-time ACM Award winner, a 16time CMA Award recipient and a two-time Grammy-winning artist whose songwriting has earned him the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award and an induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as a 2011 Songwriter/Artist inductee.
Courtesy photo
Laura Andrea Garza, daughter of Lauro A. and Lydia B. Garza, celebrated her Sweet 15 on Nov. 30 with a Thanksgiving Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church following a reception at the community center and ending with entertainment provided by Zamorales. Being 15 symbolizes that she is now ready to step into womanhood.
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Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Pitfalls of a wage increase By HARRY J. HOLZER SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON POST
At least 20 states and some major localities have already increased their minimum wages above the federal level of $7.25. A handful of states have chosen to index their statutory minimum wages to measures of inflation over time. States and localities are motivated, at least in part, by federal gridlock: President Obama proposed increasing the minimum wage this year, but Washington’s paralysis has eliminated the prospect of a reasonable federal increase anytime soon. Minimum-wage increases seem to combat the disturbingly high earnings inequality that has arisen in recent decades. They seem to help low-wage workers in particular. But these efforts, while often popular, can backfire. As a labor economist, I generally support modest and periodic increases in the federal minimum wage, along with some state increases above that level. The biggest concern among economists is that imposing pay increases on employers will reduce the hiring of low-wage workers and raise unemployment. But in four decades of research by economists, this appears to be a small or nonexistent effect.
Real concerns Some of the recent actions to raise wages, however, give cause for concern. Many proposed increases are very large and very local. For instance, the increases in the Washington region will raise the minimum wage more than 50 percent in the two
Maryland counties and nearly 40 percent in the District of Columbia, even after adjusting for inflation. This comes on top of the sizable federal increases — about 35 percent after inflation — that occurred between 2007 and 2009. Increases this large could generate larger employment losses than in the past, as employers seek to minimize payroll costs. And the smaller the geographic area in which such increases occur, the greater the risk that employment growth will shift across a municipal or state border as employers relocate to areas with lower minimum wages. Most employees working at or near the minimum wage are not the heads of poor households. They are typically either young or are second-earners, in which case their households do not rely exclusively on them for income. Although Americans might be happy to see all of these workers get a raise, we should perhaps be concerned that any loss of employment might be most concentrated among the small fraction of these workers who are poor adults and who most need the jobs. The biggest reason to be cautious in raising minimum wages is the weak job market. Employment opportunities nationwide continue to be limited. In a strong or rapidly improving job market there is little reason to worry about such increases reducing employment levels. But the job market’s recovery from the recession has been agonizingly slow, and two of the groups whose wages stand to be increased — the young and least-educated — already have the hardest time finding work.
COLUMN
Sites aid with Obamacare By TONY HAUSNER HEARST NEWSPAPERS
We all know about the considerable problems of Healthcare.gov, the federal health insurance exchange serving the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare. Because 36 states have refused to create their own exchanges, Healthcare.gov is the main portal for millions of uninsured (or underinsured) seeking to shop online for affordable health coverage. After the botched rollout in October, the White House brought in scores of tech experts to make it work as intended. To a large extent, they succeeded although many users still find they must wait until the system is less inundated in order to enroll. If you’re shopping for a plan, it’s best to review the available choices. In the past few months, a number of websites have been developed by those outside government that permit consumers to do side-by-side comparisons before logging on to the federal or state exchanges. The most well-known sites include Kaiser Family Foundation, Valuepenguin, and Sherpa. Another such site has been set up by Steve Morse, a San Francisco computer professional with a doctorate in electrical engineering.
Morse has no interest in providing information on healthcare per se. But when he kept hearing about all the problems with viewing plans on Healthcare.gov, he realized that this was no different than the genealogy websites for which he had been developing better interfaces. On Morse’s site, stevemorse.org/obamacare/obamacare.html, you can search for health plans offered in your state. All the sites provide information on premiums and government subsidies. And several of them present the results in table form so that consumers can compare the different plans side by side. By contrast, the federal and most state exchanges give you one plan at a time to look at. Morse’s site does what the other non-governmental sites do and additionally gives you quality ratings from Consumer Reports and information on doctor participation. For many consumers, it is important to know which doctors participate in a plan especially if they want to keep the doctors they have been using. So, notwithstanding the website problems past and present, the good news for consumers is there are options that help you make informed decisions for you and your family before you sign on.
COLUMN
Texas Dems eye 2014 races
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KEN HERMAN
AUSTIN — Back in 2002, Texas Democrats trotted out a “dream team” ticket with some ethnic diversity: Hispanic businessman Tony Sanchez for governor and Dallas’s former African-American mayor Ron Kirk for U.S. Senate. But each got only about 40 percent of the vote in their losses to two white Republicans, Rick Perry and John Cornyn. In 2006 and 2010, the Dems went with two more white guys. One-term U.S. Rep. Chris Bell got just under 30 percent in a fourway gubernatorial race won by Perry. Bill White, a respected former Houston mayor, got 42 percent in losing to Perry. In 2014, with Perry out of the picture and Attorney General Greg Abbott the probable GOP gubernatorial nominee, it looks like the Democrats are going to go in a different direction: an all-female ticket for gov and lite gov, Sens. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth and Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio. “Wendy and the wise Latina” might be a good label. It’s a long shot. So far, Davis has unimpressed some who’ve seen her up close. She’s not Ann Richards, but who is? And it’s early. Van de Putte is a firebrand, as evidenced by how she riled up the crowd at her recent announcement event in San Antonio. Van de Putte is in that category of longtime lawmakers well known in legislative and political circles, but perhaps not all that well known among regular people. In Austin
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There’s little chance Van de Putte can win if Davis doesn’t. And there’s little chance Davis can win if Van de Putte doesn’t. Their success depends on getting more women and Hispanics to the polls.
on the day she announced, Van de Putte acknowledged there are “people who may know a little about me ... and people who may not know me at all.” The latter group included an Austin TV anchorman who pronounced her name as “van de put.” It’s “van de pewt.” For others who know little about her, some basics: She’s been in the Texas Senate since 1999. Prior to that, she served 10 years in the Texas House. She’s currently on a four-year term so she’ll return to the Senate in 2015 if she loses the lite guv race. She’s a Longhorn. She and husband Pete Van de Putte have six kids. She’s a pharmacist. She’s always gregarious, but combative when necessary. In her announcement speech, she spoke about her large family and said she’s running because “mama’s not happy” about the direction Texas is headed and “when mama’s not happy, ain’t nobody happy.” It’s a good line, one sure to get applause from friendly crowds as she campaigns. The challenge for the Democrats is to convince a majority of voters that they, too, are not happy. I don’t think that effort was helped when, on the day Van de Putte declared herself an unhappy mama, Davis told reporters that “the
Texas miracle is one that we need to keep going.” The party out of power — and Texas Democrats have been out of power for a long time — usually doesn’t proclaim that the party in power has produced a miracle. Davis’ point is well-taken. Even if you believe we’re living in a “Texas miracle,” you’ve got to agree that change is needed to perpetuate it. The biggest challenge, I’d think, is getting more Hispanics educated and to the polls. There’s little chance Van de Putte can win if Davis doesn’t. And there’s little chance Davis can win if Van de Putte doesn’t. Their success depends on getting more women and Hispanics to the polls. Both things are doable. To some extent, maybe not a big one, Van de Putte (born Leticia San Miguel) can be hurt by being a Belgian-surnamed Hispanic, a fact that means her ethnicity might be lost on some Hispanic voters who know little about her. There are some potentially fascinating legislative scenarios should either or both of the Democratic women win next year. Lieutenant governor is a very powerful position, picking the Senate chairs and wielding clout over legislative flow. But much of the lite guv’s power is derived from the Sen-
ate. Republicans are sure to maintain control of the chamber when it next convenes in 2015. It would be interesting to see how those Republicans try to limit the power of a Democratic presiding officer. There’s a ditto situation should Davis become governor in a GOP-controlled Capitol. Would she spend four years vetoing lots of Republican-backed measures, or would she take a more pragmatic route and be willing to compromise, possibly away from campaign-trail promises? And if she did, how would that play with Democrats who elected her? There’s not much that’s uglier than a liberal scorned. We’ve had divided leadership in Texas before, but not often. Democrat Bill Hobby was lieutenant governor when Republican Bill Clements was governor from 1979-82 and 198790. And Democrat Bob Bullock was lieutenant governor during Republican Gov. George W. Bush’s first term in the latter 1990s. Clements and Hobby had their differences, as did Bush and Bullock. But each of those pairs were politically closer than Davis would be if she had to work with any of the four men in the four-candidate scramble for the GOP lite guv nomination. It would be quite a show.
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Crime
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
THE BLOTTER ACCIDENT
ASSAULT
An accident was reported at 9:17 a.m. Saturday in the intersection of First Street and Singer Lane. An accident was reported at 11:15 p.m. Saturday in the intersection of 10th Avenue and Carla Street.
An assault, family violence incident was reported at 3:05 a.m. Friday in the 1400 block of Laredo Avenue.
LITTERING A littering report
was filed at 5:57 p.m. Friday along Airport Road, off Texas 16.
THEFT An identity theft case was reported at noon Tuesday in the 900 block of Carla Street.
Girlfriend wants to drop assault charges No witnesses in latest Zimmerman court case By MIKE SCHNEIDER & CURT ANDERSON ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. — Prosecutors are considering whether to move forward with domestic violence charges against George Zimmerman even though his girlfriend is asking them not to do so. Without a witness willing to testify, prosecutors can still use law enforcement reports, 911 calls and other witnesses to build a case. But such cases are more difficult to prove, State Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Lynne Bumpus Hooper said. Zimmerman filed an affidavit from his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, saying she doesn’t want him charged with aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief. The affidavit was filed with a motion Monday asking a judge to change the terms of his bond so he can have contact with Scheibe. Zimmerman was acquitted of any crime last summer in the 2012 shooting death of 17year-old Trayvon Mar-
tin, a case that sparked a nationwide debate about race and ZIMMERMAN self-defense laws. Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, was accused of racially profiling the black teen, but said he shot Martin to protect himself. Zimmerman was arrested last month after Scheibe accused him in a 911 call of pointing a gun at her, smashing a coffee table and pushing her outside. Zimmerman also called dispatchers, denied pointing a gun at her and blamed her for the broken table. In the signed affidavit, Scheibe — referring to Zimmerman as “my boyfriend” — said that detectives misinterpreted what she said and that she hadn’t been coerced into signing the document. “I am not afraid of George in any manner and I want to be with him,” Scheibe wrote. It’s not uncommon in domestic violence
cases for the alleged victims to change their minds about pursuing charges, said Blaine McChesney, a former prosecutor in Orlando who now is a defense attorney. “The feelings of love and compassion overcome any feelings the victim had,” McChesney said Tuesday. Although prosecutors can move ahead without the cooperation of the victim, it makes it difficult to convict if there is no physical evidence of injuries, he said. “Juries really want to see the alleged victim on the stand talking about the case,” McChesney said. “It’s very hard to convict in a case when the victim isn’t there.” However, in Zimmerman’s case, Scheibe provided a real-time account of what was happening on a 911 call. “You point your gun at my fricking face,” Samantha Scheibe is heard telling Zimmerman on the 911 call. “Get out of my house. Do not push me out of my house. Please get out of my house.”
File photo by Curt Youngblood/The Texarkana Gazette | AP
Shannon Richardson is excorted to a Titus County Sheriff’s car after a court appearance in Texarkana, on Friday, June 7. Richardson pleaded guilty Tuesday to sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Woman admits to sending ricin By NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — A Texas woman and former actress pleaded guilty Tuesday to sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, under a deal that her attorney has said would cap prison time at 18 years. Shannon Guess Richardson entered her plea in federal court in Texarkana, Texas, to a federal charge of possessing and producing a biological toxin. Richardson was arrested in June after authorities said she tried to implicate her estranged husband, Nathan Richardson, after he had filed for divorce. Prosecutors say Shannon Richardson mailed three letters from New Boston, outside Texarkana, then went to police and claimed that her husband had done it. Richardson, 35, has had minor roles in the television series “The Walking Dead” and the movie “The Blind Side.” She also is the mother of six children — including one child born prematurely while she was in custody this year. Prosecutors say investigators noted inconsistencies in Richardson’s statements and later learned that she had purchased materials online to produce ricin, a toxin that can
cause respiratory failure if inhaled. She acknowledged in a signed plea agreement document filed Tuesday that she ordered castor beans online and learned how to process them into a substance used to make ricin. She obtained an email address, a PayPal shopping account and a post office box in her husband’s name without his knowledge, according to the document. On the morning of May 20, she said, she waited for Nathan Richardson to go to work. “After he left the house, I printed the mailing labels for President Barack Obama, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze with The Raben Group,” Richardson said in the document. Glaze is director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Bloomberg’s group advocating for tougher gun control. The letter to Obama, according to the document, read: “What’s in this letter is nothing compared to what ive got in store for you mr president.” “You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns,” the letter read. “Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face.” After mailing the letters, she admitted to trying to blame her husband and lying to authorities.
Her attorney, Tonda Curry, said last month that she and prosecutors agreed to a deal capping Richardson’s sentence at 18 years. Prosecutors say Richardson faces life in prison for the charge to which she pleaded guilty. Curry has said that Richardson wanted to “tell the government who else was involved in those offenses,” but declined to name anyone. In the document filed Tuesday, known as a factual resume, Richardson does not name anyone else but says that the supplies she ordered “were used to make ricin” — not that she made the ricin herself. Nathan Richardson has not been charged in the case, even though Shannon Richardson has repeatedly tried to blame him, said John Delk, Nathan Richardson’s attorney. “He was interviewed the very first day, and he’s been cooperative since Day One,” Delk said. Nathan Richardson has temporary custody of the couple’s newborn son, who is healthy and steadily growing, Delk said. The couple’s divorce likely will not be finalized until next year. A federal judge ultimately will sentence Shannon Richardson at a later sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
6A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
6 missing adults, children found alive in Nev. By MICHELLE RINDELS & SCOTT SONNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
RENO, Nev. — Two adults and four children who were stranded in sub-zero temperatures in a Nevada mountain range for nearly 48 hours were found alive and well on Tuesday by search crews, authorities said. The discovery came after a cellphone forensics team picked up a signal from the missing woman’s phone and diverted rescuers to the area. A searcher with binoculars spotted the group’s Jeep about the same it was seen by a Civil Air Patrol crews, Civil Air Patrol Col. Tim Hahn said. A ground team then retrieved the couple and four young members of their families. Authorities said the Jeep had rolled over but it could not be immediately determined if the engine still worked. However, the group was able to build a fire. Their decision to stay with the Jeep probably saved their lives, said Paul Burke, search and rescue coordinator who directed the effort Tuesday for the Nevada Department of Public Safety. “They stayed together and that was the key that allowed them to live through this experience. You don’t see that that often in search and rescue,” said Burke, who has worked search and rescue in
Photo by Cathleen Allison | AP
Officials wheel in two of the children after a group of six people arrive at Pershing General Hospital after being lost for two days in the frigid mountains near Lovelock, Nev., on Tuesday. Alaska. “They did some pretty unusual things, heating up rocks and things. Staying together, that was a big deal.” The six people were taken to Pershing General Hospital, where about 100 well-wishers lined the street and broke into cheers and applause when two of the smallest children were taken from an
ambulance. Others in the group walked into the hospital on their own. “The mood where I’m at’s ecstatic,” said Hahn, who commands the Nevada Wing of the patrol, which deployed six planes to search for the group. “We are thrilled beyond words.” About 200 people had scoured
the wilderness from the air and on the ground in search of James Glanton, 34, his girlfriend Christina McIntee, 25, their two children Evan and Chloe Glanton, and Shelby Fitzpatrick and Tate McIntee, a niece and nephew of Christina McIntee. The children ranged in age from 3 to 10. Officials said the group had
gone to the Seven Troughs area on Sunday to play in the snow. Rescuers were dispatched when they didn’t return and at one point saw overnight temperatures in the nearby town of Lovelock dip to 16 degrees below zero. News of their rescue drew jubilant reactions on social media, including a tweet from Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. “Very glad to hear the missing family in Lovelock has been found and they are safe!” he said. “Thank you to all who worked so tirelessly to find them!” The Seven Troughs area is named after a series of seven parallel canyons below Seven Trough Peak — elevation 7,474 feet — in the Kamma Mountains stretching north across the Pershing-Humboldt county line. It’s about 20 miles southeast of Black Rock Desert, where the annual Burning Man counterculture festival is held. Most of the roads are dirt and more easily traveled by ATVs or other off-road vehicles. Seven Troughs is a popular area for hunting chukars, a pheasant-sized winter game bird. “So it’s not the kind of area where there would be nobody around,” Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy said. “But most chukar hunters are smart enough not to go out in the weather we have now.”
Obama hails Mandela as ‘last great liberator’ By ALAN CLENDENNING, CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA & JON GAMBRELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
JOHANNESBURG — Amid cheers and song for the prisoner who became peacemaker, President Barack Obama energized tens of thousands of spectators and nearly 100 visiting heads of state Tuesday with a plea for the world to emulate Nelson Mandela, “the last great liberator of the 20th century.” Obama’s eulogy was the rhetorical highlight of a memorial service in which South Africans celebrated Mandela’s life with singing and dancing, often during dignitaries’ speeches. They also booed their own president and were chided by a top government official who said: “Let’s not embarrass ourselves.” Lashing rain lent a freewheeling aspect to the memorial, with people taking shelter in the stadium’s wide hallways, where they sang anti-apartheid anthems from the 1970s and 1980s. Foul weather kept many away, and the 95,000capacity stadium was only two-thirds full. Obama implored people to embrace Mandela’s universal message of peace and justice, comparing the South African leader to Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln. Mandela spent 27 years in prison under a racist regime, and promoted forgiveness and reconciliation when he was finally freed. “We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again,” Obama said. “But let me say to the young people of Africa, and young people around the world — you can make his life’s work your own.” He hailed Mandela, who died Thursday at 95, as the unlikely leader of a movement that gave “potent voice to the claims of the oppressed and the moral necessity of racial justice.” “Born during World War I, far from the corridors of power, a boy raised herding cattle and tutored by the elders of his Thembu tribe, Madiba would emerge as the last great liberator of the 20th century,” Obama said, referring to Mandela by his clan name. Obama, who like Mandela became the first black president of his country, said he was inspired by Mandela as a student. The speech was greeted with thunderous applause, and many heads of state and other foreign dignitaries gave a standing ovation. Obama pointed out that “around the world today,
Photo by Evan Vucci | AP
President Barack Obama waves as he arrives to speak at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in the Johannesburg, South Africa township of Soweto on Tuesday. men and women are still imprisoned for their political beliefs, and are still persecuted for what they look like, or how they worship, or who they love.” Among the heads of state and government were some from countries like Cuba that don’t hold fully democratic elections. On the way to the podium, Obama shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro, underscoring a recent warming of relations between their countries. Other attending leaders criticized for their human rights records were Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema and Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh. In contrast to the wild applause given to Obama, South African President Jacob Zuma was booed. Many South Africans are unhappy with Zuma because of state corruption scandals, though his ruling African National Congress, once led by Mandela, remains the front-runner ahead of elections next year.
Mandela’s record after he was elected in the first all-race elections in 1994 has faced some criticism, most of it indirect because he is such a revered figure. He did not push for major restructuring of the economy, fearing it could alienate whites who still control most of South African industry. Today, the country struggles with economic inequality, though Mandela’s moral stature sets him far apart from his successors. “Mandela was a very humble man, and he gave himself to the world. He sacrificed time with his family for us and for me. It is a privilege to be here, it is a humbling experience,” said 35-year-old Dipolelo Moshe, who works for a marketing company. She had a South African flag draped over her shoulders and carried a big photo of Mandela as she stood in line at the stadium. Rohan Laird, the 54year-old CEO of a health insurance company, said he grew up during white
rule in a “privileged position” as a white South African and that Mandela helped whites work through a burden of guilt. “His reconciliation allowed whites to be released themselves,” Laird said. “I honestly don’t think the world will see another leader like Nelson Mandela.” A dazzling mix of royalty, statesmen and celebrities was in attendance. Thabo Mbeki, who suc-
ceeded Mandela as president, got a rousing cheer as he entered the stands. French President Francois Hollande and his predecessor and rival, Nicolas Sarkozy, arrived together. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon waved and bowed to spectators as he called Mandela “one of our greatest teachers.” “He taught by example. He sacrificed so much ...
for freedom and equality, for democracy and justice,” Ban said. Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, and his former wife, Winnie MadikizelaMandela, gave each other a long hug before the ceremonies began. Actress Charlize Theron, model Naomi Campbell and singer Bono were among the celebrities paying final tribute. Symbolically, Tuesday was the 20th anniversary of the day when Mandela and South Africa’s last apartheid-era president, F.W. de Klerk, received the Nobel Peace Prize. De Klerk, a political rival who became friends with Mandela, was also in the stadium. In his Nobel acceptance speech at the time, Mandela said: “We live with the hope that as she battles to remake herself, South Africa will be like a microcosm of the new world that is striving to be born.” The rain was seen as a blessing among many of South Africa’s majority black population. “Only great, great people are memorialized with it,” said Harry Tshabalala, a driver for the justice ministry. “Rain is life. This is perfect weather for us on this occasion.” People blew on vuvuzelas, the plastic horn that was widely used during the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa, and sang songs from the era of the anti-apartheid struggle decades earlier. “It is a moment of sadness celebrated by song and dance, which is what we South Africans do,” said Xolisa Madywabe, CEO of a South African investment firm. After Tuesday’s memorial, Mandela’s body will lie in state for three days at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, once the seat of white power, before burial Sunday in his rural childhood village of Qunu in Eastern Cape Province.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
THE ZAPATA TIMES 7A
First woman leads car co. By DEE-ANN DURBIN & TOM KRISHER ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — Mary Barra has spent the past three years as General Motors’ product chief, making cars that drive better, last longer and look good in showrooms. Now she will take on an even bigger job. On Tuesday, the board named the 33-year company veteran CEO, making her the first woman to lead a U.S. car company. Barra replaces Dan Akerson, who moved up retirement plans by several months to help his wife, Karin, battle advanced cancer. When Barra starts her new job Jan. 15, she will lead a company that’s made nearly $20 billion since emerging from bankruptcy in 2010, much of it from the cars and trucks she helped develop. But she still faces challenges of paring down GM’s costs and winning over buyers in international markets such as India and South America. Akerson, 65, said he had planned to stay at least until spring, but his wife’s diagnosis changed that. He said the board unanimously picked Barra from several internal candidates because of the breadth of her experience, her management record, her people skills and her understanding of GM’s operations. “This is an executive who has a vision of where she wants to take the organization,” he said. Since February 2011, Barra has held what many say is the most important job at GM — senior vice president for global product development. She joined the company in 1980 as an engineering student and became a plant manager, executive director of engineering and head of human resources. Along the way, she earned a reputation as a manager who made tough decisions, yet was able to get people to follow her lead and work as a team, according to current and former GM executives. The 51-year-old executive has been in charge of design, engineering and quality for all GM vehicles and has shepherded most of the company’s re-
BARRA
cent new vehicle introductions. Under her command, GM rolled out brawny new full-size pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, and the Chevrolet Impala fullsize car, which earned the highest score for a sedan in testing by Consumer Reports magazine. During her tenure, GM’s quality scores rose in surveys done by J.D. Power and Associates. She also streamlined the organization, eliminating positions and putting one engineer in charge of each vehicle. Barra has a rare combination of GM and auto industry knowledge and an ability to make changes, said Ed Whitacre, a former CEO and chairman who promoted Barra to head human resources. “I don’t see any reason why she won’t be a huge success,” he said. Akerson hinted at Barra’s promotion earlier this year when he told a women’s business group in Detroit that a “car gal” would someday run one of the Detroit Three automakers. But he made it clear Tuesday that she wasn’t picked because she’s a woman. “Mary’s one of the most gifted executives I’ve met in my career,” he said. Among Barra’s biggest tasks is executing plans designed to cut costs and put out better products, Akerson said. One big step in getting there: making more vehicles off the same underpinnings, or platforms, that can be sold in multiple markets, like the Chevrolet Cruze compact car. Akerson praised Barra for progress in that area. In 2009, GM had 30 different
vehicle platforms, adding to manufacturing complexity and cost. Under Barra’s leadership, it’s moving to build nearly 90 percent of its cars and trucks off five or fewer platforms by the end of this decade, Akerson said. In an October interview with The Associated Press, she said GM is also moving to build vehicles with more common parts to trim costs where customers won’t notice. As product development chief, Akerson challenged Barra to bring vehicles to market faster. She responded with swift introductions of the Cadillac ATS, a BMW 3-Series competitor, and the Impala. When the midsize Chevy Malibu didn’t sell well, Barra’s team gave it new looks, more interior space and a new engine with better gas mileage — all in less than a year. But she said in the interview that she would never sacrifice quality for speed. “She is polished, soft-spoken, invariably polite, but firm and goal-focused. She will have a learning curve, but will be an excellent CEO,” said Bob Lutz, a retired GM vice chairman who once led product development. Barra grew up near Pontiac, Mich., in a car-oriented family. Her father was a die maker who retired from GM after 39 years. GM’s previous two CEOs, Akerson and Whitacre, came from outside the auto industry and lacked the experience that Barra has, said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “There’s nobody with more years of honest ‘car-guy’ credentials than she has,” Gordon said. “She’s the one to do the breakthrough.” Akerson took over GM in September 2010, as the company prepared to return to the public stock markets. During his tenure, GM has made billions of dollars in profits and is sitting on $26.8 billion in cash. Its profit margins in North America are healthy. He told reporters on a conference call Tuesday that family has to come first. “I need to spend all my time and energy in fighting this disease with my wife,” he said.
File photo by Mary Altaffer | AP
In this March 19 file photo, a woman walks past the Lululemon Athletica store at Union Square in New York.
Founder out After controversies, Lululemon CEO steps down By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO & MICHELLE CHAPMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Lululemon Athletica Inc. is hoping new faces at the top will help it bounce back from a series of embarrassing issues that have hurt its image. The upscale yoga clothing maker, based in Vancouver, announced that founder Chip Wilson is stepping down as chairman after raising ire with his comments about the body types of potential buyers of the retailer’s yoga pants. The company also named a new CEO. Wilson, who founded the company in 1998 and still exerted a strong influence, will retain his board seat. Christine Day, who had been CEO since 2008 but announced her intentions to leave in June, will be succeeded by Laurent Potdevin. Potdevin, a 20 year-industry veteran, was most recently CEO of Toms Shoes. Toms has made a name for itself as a socially conscious company that matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of shoes given to a child in need. Potdevin will take over the top role in January and will become a board member at that time. Day is expected to stay with Lululemon through the end of its fiscal year to help with the transition. He will report directly to the board. The Canadian company named lead director Michael Casey as chairman. Casey had been on Lululemon’s board since 2007. Wilson will resign as chairman before the company’s annual meeting in June. “(Laurent) is a seasoned leader with a remarkable track record of
execution and will be a strong cultural fit within our team of passionate and highly skilled individuals,” Casey said in a conference call with analysts Tuesday morning. The management changes come as the maker of yoga clothing is trying to recover from a series of quality issues and other embarrassments that have threatened to alienate its loyal followers Those devotees, willing to shell out $100 for a pair of yoga pants, helped Lululemon ring up $1.4 billion in sales last year. Lululemon has endured complaints about the sheerness of some of its pants, which made them seethrough at times. Customers also complained of pilling after a few months of wear — or even just a few uses — and about holes and seams coming apart. The retailer pulled one style of its popular yoga pants from store shelves in the spring, blaming sheerness on a style change and production issues. Fixing the problem cost the company millions and made investors question quality control. New pants have since hit stores, but the sheerness complaints have continued, in addition to the new gripes about wear and tear. Wilson also raised ire by saying in a recent television interview that some women’s bodies “just don’t actually work” for Lululemon pants. He also said thighs rubbing over time will cause the pants to wear out too quickly. Wilson did seem to apologize to Lululemon’s workers for the criticism his comments received, but didn’t retract his original statements.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: ZAPATA HAWKS
Hawks struggle Zapata goes 1-3, PG injured By CLARA SANDOVAL THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Hawks are coming off a tough tournament in Edinburg as the team went 1-3 after going up against some tough Rio Grande Valley teams. To make matter worse, starting point guard Alonzo Gutierrez hyperextended his knee and will be out for a few days. He did not play when Zapata took on St. Augustine on Tuesday. Gutierrez was looking to return to action on Thursday when Zapata travels to La Feria for the C.E. Vail Classic, which features 32 teams. Despite only picking up only one win, Zapata has grown as a team. "We are learning from all these games," Hawks head coach Juan Villarreal said. "The kids saw a lot of aggressiveness from the Valley kids and how they let us play without calling everything." Zapata opened up the Edinburg tournament with a 72-36 loss to Edinburg Economedes. Gutierrez led all scorers with 18 points, two assists and three steals while Juan Gil recorded eight points, three assists, five steals and two blocks. In the second game of the day, the Hawks took on Donna IDEA Academy and picked up a 54-43 victory. Ruben Gutierrez dominated the game with 31 points, 18 rebounds and one steal while A. Gutierrez had 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. In the second day of action, Zapata played La Joya Palmview and stayed with the Lobos for two and a half quarters. At the end of the first, the Lobos held a two-point lead but extended it to 35-18 by halftime. That’s when things turned sour for the Hawks as Gutierrez was lost with a knee injury. Gil ended the game with 17 points — 14 in the second half — along four assists and five steals while Chris De Leon (6 points, 3 rebounds) and Ruben Gutierrez (6
Photo by Christopher Jackson | AP
Texas athletic director Steve Patterson said on Monday a decision has not been made regarding coach Mack Brown’s future. A report earlier in the day said Brown would be stepping down.
Texas AD: No decision yet By JIM VERTUNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
File photo by Clara Sandoval | The Zapata Times
Zapata starting point guard Alonzo Gutierrez hyperextended his knee last week as the Hawks lost three of four games. points, 5 rebounds) rounded out the scoring. In the final game of the Edinburg tournament, Zapata took on host school Edinburg in the guarantee game. Without the service of Gutierrez, many players stepped up to play their role to their full potential. Edinburg beat Zapata 73-55 but the Hawks gave a valiant effort. The Hawks led the opening quarter 17-13 before Edinburg came back to take a 39-32 halftime ad-
vantage. Javier Lopez had 17 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block to lead team. Ruben Gutierrez had 12 points, seven rebounds while Gil had nine pints, three rebounds, five assists and four steals. "The guys really stepped it up from the bench," Villarreal said. "We were lacking two starters and we came up pretty big." (Clara Sandoval can be reached at Sandoval.Clara@Gmail.com)
AUSTIN — Texas Athletic Director Steve Patterson says no decision has been made about the future of Longhorns coach Mack Brown. Texas released a statement by Patterson several hours after Orangebloods.com reported, citing two unidentified sources, that Brown will announce he is stepping down by week’s end. “We continue to discuss the future of Texas Football,” Patterson said. “Mack Brown has not resigned. And, no decisions have been made.” Joe Jamail, Brown’s longtime friend and attorney, told The Associated Press on Tuesday: “Mack Brown has not resigned.” He says Brown’s future with Texas is still up to the coach. Horns247.com, a Texas recruiting website, reported that Brown denied the report in a text from Florida, where he was recruiting. Brown wrote to Horns247: “I have not decided to step down.” Texas just completed another regular season that didn’t meet expectations. The Longhorns went 8-4,
recovering from a 1-2 start and beating Oklahoma, but still finishing with lopsided late-season losses to Oklahoma State and Baylor. There has been speculation about Brown’s future in Austin since even before the season started, and it became rampant after blowout losses to BYU and Mississippi in September. Brown fired defensive coordinator Manny Diaz after the BYU loss and replaced him with Greg Robinson. The move seemed to help. The Longhorns played better, and the season peaked with a 36-20 victory against rival Oklahoma in October. Texas is set to play Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30. Longtime Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds announced that he would be stepping down earlier this season, and former Arizona State AD Steve Patterson has already been hired to replace him. The future of another powerful ally of Brown’s could also be decided later this week in Texas. The University of Texas system Board of Regents is meeting Thursday and they are scheduled to discuss and possibly vote on whether Bill Powers will remain the university president at Texas.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Jones reacts to poor defensive showing vs. Bears By SCHUYLER DIXON ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING — Jerry Jones fired Rob Ryan last season because his former defensive coordinator’s scheme was too gimmicky. Now the Dallas owner says gimmicks are what the Cowboys need with a defense that may go down as the worst in franchise history. Monte Kiffin’s new 4-3 alignment and the players trying to run it simply couldn’t stop backup quarterback Josh McCown in Chicago’s 45-28 win over Dallas on Monday night. McCown had four touchdown passes and a rushing TD and the Bears scored on their first eight possessions before McCown took a knee to end the game. “We’ve got to look for ways to come up with whatever gimmick, whatever plan that we can to get us the ball and get some turnovers and get some possessions,” Jones said. “Did we ever stop them one time tonight? They scored every time. That says it all.” Dallas became the fifth team since 1991 to allow an opponent to score on the first eight possessions, according to STATS. The previous three teams won five
Photo by Charles Rex Arbogast | AP
Chicago running back Michael Bush and the Bears did not punt in their 45-28 win over Dallas on Monday. It was just the third time this season a team has not punted, twice against the Cowboys defense. games combined. Somehow, the Cowboys (7-6) still control their playoff fate with Green Bay visiting Sunday, although they’re a full game behind Philadelphia (8-5) in the NFC East
for the first time this season. With five games of at least 490 yards allowed, the Cowboys have tied the 1965 Houston Oilers and 1950 Baltimore Colts for the most since 1950. They’ve set NFL re-
cords by allowing four quarterbacks to pass for more than 400 yards and surrendering 40 first downs to New Orleans in another humiliating loss, 49-17 a month ago.
The Cowboys beat Washington after giving up 517 yards in a 5148 loss to Peyton Manning and Denver, rallied past Minnesota after Detroit put up 623 yards. They produced a clutch winning drive at the New York Giants after having their bye week to ponder Drew Brees and the Saints going for 625 yards. Now Dallas has a short week to get ready for the Packers, who could have Aaron Rodgers back. He has missed six games with a left collarbone injury. Chicago scored touchdowns on its first two drives with Sean Lee back at middle linebacker after missing two games with a hamstring issue. He went out later with a neck injury and his status is uncertain for the Packers game. Dallas won both games without Lee and shut down one of the league’s best running games in a victory over Oakland. Philadelphia’s only game without a touchdown was a 17-3 loss to the Cowboys when Dallas was missing defensive end DeMarcus Ware. So the Dallas defense is hard to figure, but there is one brutal bottom line. With three games left, the Cowboys are just 138 yards shy of the team record of 5,549 yards allowed last season.
MIERCOLES 11 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2013
Agenda en Breve LAREDO 12/11— Estudiantes estarán donando árboles de navidad a los Centros Comunitarios de El Cenizo y Rio Bravo. En el Centro de El Cenizo (3519 Cecilia Lane) a las 9:30 a.m. En el Centro Comunitario de Rio Bravo (1600 Orquida Lane) a las 10:30 a.m. Los estudiantes decorarán los árboles. 12/11— Se estará celebrando una conferencia de prensa para anunciar el Programa Anual Paisano Rest Stop, en su edición 16, a las 10 a.m. en City Hall Council Chambers, ubicado en 1110 calle Houston. 12/11— Se realizará una conferencia de prensa para anunciar el evento “Let’s Move for Scholars”, a beneficio de los estudiantes de UISD, a las 10:30 a.m. en el salón de conferencias, en 201 de Lindenwood Drive. 12/11— Se llevará a cabo el Evento de Distribución de Juguetes Anual en Johnson Student Activity Complex, ubicado en Santa Claudia Lane a partir de las 3:30 p.m. 12/12— Distrito escolar United ISD, realizará evento para la Distribución Anual de Juguetes. En Johnson Student Activity Complex, 5208 Santa Claudia Lane, de 3:30 a 7:00 p.m. Santa y la Sra. Claus estarán saludando a cada estudiante y sus familias. También se tomarán fotos con los estudiantes. 12/12— La escuela Newman estará presentando el Concierto “Newman Elementary Holiday Celebration” a las 6 p.m. en el auditorio de UISD Bill Johnson Student Activity Center, ubicado en 5208 de Sta. Claudia Lane 12/13— Se llevará a cabo una presentación de talentos en la Biblioteca de Nye Elementary, en 101 de East Del Mar Blvd., a partir de las 8:30 a.m. 12/13— La clase de último año de The United South High School, estará celebrando una ceremonia de decoración del árbol de navidad y desayuno, a partir de la 1:30 p.m., dentro de la escuela, en 4001 avenida Los Presidentes. Durante el evento se llevará a cabo un concuerdo de decoraciones, se premiará a las ‘más creativas, ‘más extravagantes’ y ‘más divertida’. Más información llamando al 473-5423.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO 12/11— Se realizará un taller de grabadistas en Estación Palabra a las 3 p.m. Evento gratuito. 12/11— Se impartirá un taller de Patinetas Skate dentro de Maquila Creativa a partir de las 3 p.m. Evento gratuito. 12/11— Se realizará la Clausura de los Talleres de Artes Plásticas, Manualidades, Creatividad y Fotografía en la Sala de Exposiciones de la Antigua Aduana, a partir de las 4 p.m. Evento gratuito. 12/11— Se estarán presentando cuentos navideños en el paralibros de Paseo Reforma a las 5 p.m. Evento gratuito. 12/11— Cine Club “Carmen González” presenta la película “Que bello es vivir” a las 6 p.m. en el auditorio de Estación Palabra. Evento gratuito. 12/12— Se reunirá el Club de Lectura para Mujeres en Estación Palabra a las 11 a.m. Evento gratuito. 12/12— Dará inicio el Club de Lectura para señoritas “Vías de carmín” a las 4 p.m. en Estación Palabra. Evento gratuito. 12/12— Se impartirá el Taller de Guión “De la producción a la historia” impartido por Juan M. Fernández en Maquila Creativa, a las 4 p.m. Curso durará 4 días.
Zfrontera
PÁGINA 9A
SEGURIDAD
Se dijo culpable POR NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Una ex actriz de Texas se declaró culpable el martes de enviar cartas con ricina al presidente Barack Obama y al alcalde neoyorquino Michael Bloomberg, bajo un acuerdo legal que según su abogada limitará su tiempo en prisión a 18 años. Shannon Guess Richardson presentó su declaración de culpabilidad en una corte federal en Texarkana, Texas, por un cargo federal de poseer y producir una toxina biológica. Richardson fue arrestada en junio después de que las autoridades dijeran que trató de implicar a su ex esposo, Nathan Richardson, cuando él pidió el divorcio. Los fiscales sostenían que Shannon Ri-
Una ex actriz de Texas se declaró culpable de enviar cartas con ricina al presidente Barack Obama y al alcalde neoyorquino Michael Bloomberg. Implicada fue arrestada en junio. chardson envió tres cartas desde New Boston, fuera de Texarkana, y que después fue con la policía para decir que su marido lo había hecho. La carta para Obama, según una acusación federal, decía: “Lo hay en esta carta no se compara con lo que tengo guardado para usted señor presidente”. Los fiscales dijeron que los investigadores notaron inconsistencias en las declaraciones de Ri-
chardson y que después supieron que ella había comprado en internet materiales para producir ricina, una toxina que puede causar insuficiencia respiratoria cuando es inhalada. Richardson, de 35 años, había tenido papeles menores en la serie de televisión “The Walking Dead” y la película “The Blind Side”. También es madre de seis hijos, incluyendo uno que nació prematuramente mientras estaba detenida
este año. Su abogada, Tonda Curry, dijo el mes pasado que ella y los fiscales accedieron a llegar a un acuerdo para poner un límite a la sentencia en 18 años. Los fiscales han dicho que Richardson enfrenta cadena perpetua por el cargo por el cual se declaró culpable. Un juez federal sentenciará a la ex actriz en una audiencia posterior, que aún no ha sido programada. “Shannon está ansiosa por admitir su papel en ordenar esos componentes para hacer la ricina, su papel en las cartas que tenían la ricina y por decirle al gobierno quién más está involucrado en esos delitos”, dijo Curry. Curry no dio detalles sobre los posibles motivos de Richardson o a quién podría acusar.
SALUD
ECONOMÍA
TEMPORADA INVERNAL
González: Finanzas están estables TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
Una enfermera de la Secretaría de Salud aplica la vacuna contra la influenza a una menor de edad durante una campaña en una ciudad de Tamaulipas.
Secretaría de Salud aplicó 127.163 vacunas TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
La Secretaría de Salud ha aplicado 122.439 vacunas contra la influenza estacional y 4.724 de neumococo. Desde inicios de octubre se intensificaron las acciones para contar con una cobertura total al finalizar la campaña “Temporada invernal” a finales de marzo de 2014, informó el Gobierno del Estado. “Durante este período de cambios bruscos de temperatura, es importante vacunarse para evitar así el desarrollo de enfermedades que pueden afectar seriamente el organismo”, dijo Norberto Treviño García Manzo, titular de la Secretaría de Salud. Insistió en la importancia de consumir frutas y otros alimentos
que contienen vitamina “C” como naranja, mandarina, toronja, tomate, brócoli, espinacas principalmente y alimentos que contienen vitamina “A” como verduras, ya que ayuda a generar mecanismo de protección para las vías respiratorias. A la fecha se han distribuido 348.510 vacunas de influenza estacional, en las 12 Jurisdicciones Sanitarias del estado y en lo que respecta a las dosis de neumococo, se repartieron 9.000 en todo Tamaulipas. “Es primordial que las personas que tengan algún síntoma que evidencie que están enfermas de algún problema respiratorio; como tos, escurrimiento nasal, fiebre o ataque al estado general, no se automediquen y acudan inmediata-
mente con su médico”, agregó Treviño. La vacuna antiinfluenza está dirigida a niñas y niños de 6 meses a 5 años, adultos de 60 años en adelante, mujeres embarazadas, personas de cualquier edad con enfermedades crónicas como diabetes, obesidad, asma, enfermedades renales, cardiacas, cáncer y VIH. Mientras que la vacuna de neumococo, conocida como neumo 23, se caracteriza porque su aplicación se lleva a cabo en adultos y niños de 2 años en adelante que estén en riesgo de padecer enfermedades respiratorias de manera constante. Treviño exhortó a la población acudir a las unidades de salud para solicitar que se le apliquen estas vacunas, que son gratuitas y solo se requiere llevar cartilla de salud.
La calidad crediticia de Tamaulipas fue ratificada con la calificación ‘AA-(mex)’ por parte de Fitch Ratings. Alfredo González Fernández, Secretario de Finanzas, dijo que además se ubicó al Estado en una perspectiva estable. Acciones como los principios de eficiencia y racionalidad en la utilización de recursos, disciplina en el gasto y flexibilidad presupuestal orientada a los resultados han sido básicos, indica un comunicado de prensa. “(Esto) fortalece las capacidades del Gobierno de Tamaulipas respecto al cumplimiento de sus obligaciones financieras, además de que le permite acceder a tasas de interés más competitivas en los mercados financieros de crédito”, aclaró González. “La ratificación de la calidad crediticia del Estado y su perspectiva ‘Estable’, reafirma la voluntad del Gobierno en el fortalecimiento de las finanzas públicas de la entidad”. La calificadora Fitch señaló que los factores que apoyan la calificación crediticia del Estado de Tamaulipas son su sólida recaudación de ingresos locales, favorable razón de gasto operacional respecto a sus ingresos disponibles, importante economía local, principalmente el sector manufacturero con elevada participación en las importaciones y exportaciones nacionales e indicadores socioeconómicos muy superiores al promedio nacional.
INFRAESTRUCTURA
Anuncian obra para Puente del Comercio Mundial TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El acceso al Puente Internacional del Comercio Mundial en Nuevo Laredo, México, será objeto de ampliación a cuatro carriles. La obra será un factor determinante para incentivar la economía regional, estatal y nacional, ya que agilizará el flujo de mercancías, principalmente hacia Estados Unidos y Canadá, aseguró Mónica González García, Secretaria de Desarrollo Económico y Turismo. Nuevo Laredo es el municipio de Tamaulipas donde se concentra el mayor movimiento de aforo vehicular, indica un comunicado de prensa del Gobierno de Tamaulipas. De acuerdo con la información técnica, la ampliación abarca 2.5 kilómetros aproximadamente para concluir con un tramo de 5.5 kilómetros desde el
distribuidor vial ubicado en la carretera Nuevo Laredo a Piedras Negras en el kilómetro 12.5, hasta las instalaciones del puente. Estas obras previstas con el presupuesto del 2014, apoyarán el flujo comercial de exportación en la región norte del Estado, pero además tienen un alto impacto en el movimiento internacional, debido a que Nuevo Laredo está conectado con los ejes carreteros nacionales hacia el corredor Mazatlán–Matamoros que cruza por Monterrey, además de ser un acceso por la vía México a Nuevo Laredo y Veracruz–Monterrey, agregó González. Tamaulipas es actualmente el estado con más cruces internacionales, al contar con 17 puentes internacionales a lo largo de los 370 kilómetros de frontera con Estados Unidos.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
La imagen aérea muestra las instalaciones del Puente Internacional del Comercio Mundial desde Nuevo Laredo, México.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2013
Probe heads to comet By FRANK JORDANS
Obama exchanges pleasantries with Cuba’s Castro
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN — It’s been likened to a parachutist trying to land on a mountaintop. Or a person attempting to leap from one speeding car to another. The European Space Agency is planning to land an unmanned spacecraft on a comet next year in an unprecedented and exquisitely tricky mission that has been underway for almost a decade and is about to enter a critical new phase. The agency announced Tuesday that its Rosetta probe, which has been journeying through space since its launch in 2004, will be awakened from hibernation next month and will aim to drop a lander onto the icy surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Nov. 11, 2014. The plan is different from NASA’s Deep Impact mission, which used a probe to fire a projectile into a comet in 2005 and create a plume of matter for scientists to study. That was just a drive-by compared with the rendezvous the Europeans are planning. Scientists hope that by flying Rosetta alongside the comet and sending down a barrel-size lander to collect and analyze samples, they will get an even better idea of what comets are made of and what role they played in the formation of our solar system. “Nobody has ever done this before,” said Paolo Ferri, head of mission operations at the European Space Agency. Ferri noted that while NASA managed to land a probe on an asteroid in 2001, comets are much more volatile places because they constantly release dust and gas that can harm a spacecraft. A comet is essentially a dirty snowball; an asteroid is a rock. To catch 67P as it orbits the sun at up to 100,000 kph (62,000 mph), Rosetta has made several fly-bys of
Handshake exchange By PETER ORSI ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by C. Carreau/ESA | AP
This image shows an artist’s impression of the Rosetta orbiter deploying the Philae lander to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Earth, Mars and the sun, using their gravity to accelerate. Once the spacecraft picked up sufficient speed and was on course to rendezvous with the comet, ESA put Rosetta into hibernation for more than two years to conserve energy. This also gave engineers the time to find workarounds for two glitches that threatened the mission: a problem with two of the four reaction wheels used to turn the spacecraft, and a small helium leak that could affect the thrusters vital for its final maneuvers. For now, scientists have a tense wait to see whether the probe wakes up as planned when its alarm clock goes off at 1000 GMT (5 a.m. EST) on Jan. 20. The spacecraft will be about 800 million kilometers (500 million miles) from Earth at the time, and signals will take 45 minutes to travel each way. If all goes according to plan, Rosetta will begin searching for 67P — a lump of rock and ice about four kilometers (2.5 miles) in diameter that is invisible to the naked eye. By November, Rosetta
will have drawn up alongside the comet and found a suitable place for the lander, called Philae. The cylindrical lander — which is roughly the size of a chemical drum, at about 80 centimeters high by 100 centimeters wide (3.3 feet by 2.6 feet) — will gently glide down to the surface and latch onto the comet with a harpoon, to prevent it from drifting off into space because of the icy lump’s weak gravity. Using drills, Philae will dig up samples and analyze them with its on-board instruments. Researchers hope to gain fascinating insights, because comets have remained largely unchanged since our solar system formed. “This time capsule’s been locked away for 4.6 billion years,” said ESA director of science Mark McCaughrean. One key question scientists hope to answer is whether comets are responsible for the water on Earth. Rosetta and Philae will keep sending back data until their batteries die or the debris streaming off the comet damages their instruments.
HAVANA — It was the briefest of moments, just seconds, two presidents shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries amid a gaggle of world leaders together to honor the late Nelson Mandela. It would hardly have been noteworthy, except the men locking hands in Johannesburg were Barack Obama and Raul Castro, whose nations have been mired in Cold War antagonism for more than five decades. A single, cordial gesture is unlikely to wash away bad blood dating back to the Eisenhower administration. But in a year that has seen both sides take small
steps at improving the relationship, the handshake stoked talk of further rapprochement. “On the one hand you shouldn’t make too much of this. Relations between Cuba and the United States are not changing tomorrow because they shook hands,” said Geoff Thale, a Cuba analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America, a U.S.based think tank. He contrasted the moment to a 2002 development summit where thenMexican President Vicente Fox asked Fidel Castro to leave to avoid having him in the same room as U.S. President George W. Bush. “What’s really striking here is the contrast,” Thale said. “It’s a modest-
ly hopeful sign, and it builds on the small steps that they’re taking.” Not everyone was so happy about it. “Sometimes a handshake is just a handshake, but when the leader of the free world shakes the bloody hand of a ruthless dictator like Raul Castro, it becomes a propaganda coup for the tyrant,” said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban-American congresswoman from Florida who until January 2013 was chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Obama and Castro’s encounter was the first of its kind between sitting U.S. and Cuban presidents since Bill Clinton and Fidel shook hands at the U.N. in 2000.