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ZAPATA COUNTY IMPROVEMENTS
Judge optimistic for future Rathmell says county is stable and strong By Julia Wallace TH E ZAPATA T IME S
After a rough eight years for Zapata County, County Judge Joe Rathmell is optimistic that they’ve turned a corner. “I can see there’s increased activity in the county and in the oil field. People in the business have told me they’re looking forward to the coming year,” Rathmell said. In a border county with no ports of international trade, the possible dismantling of NAFTA and the devaluation of
the peso are indirect concerns. Rathmell said they are most dependent on the oil and gas industry, and Rathmell he is optimistic that President Donald Trump could fortify the business climate. “Maybe his policies will be good. Maybe we’ll see an uptick in that industry,” he said. The county judge said he is also looking forward to the City continues on A10
Danny Zaragoza / Laredo Morning Times
An external view of the Zapata County Courthouse.
THE 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
DRUG TRAFFICKING AND OTHER FEDERAL CHARGES
DONALD TRUMP TAKES CHARGE U.S. law enforcement / AP
U.S. law enforcement authorities escort Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman from a plane to a waiting caravan of SUVs at Long Island MacArthur Airport on Thursday in Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
‘El Chapo’ pleads not guilty By Tom Hays and Jennifer Peltz ASSOCIAT ED PRE SS
Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images
US President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
Becomes first who has never held political office or high military rank By Julie Pace ASSOCIAT E D PRE SS
W
ASHINGTON — Pledging emphatically to empower America’s “forgotten men and women,” Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, taking command of a riven nation facing an unpredictable era under his assertive but untested leadership. Under cloudy, threatening skies at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, Trump painted a bleak picture of the America he now leads, declaring as he had throughout the election campaign that it is beset by crime, poverty and a lack of bold action. The billionaire businessman and reality television star — the first president who had never held political office or high military rank — promised to stir a “new national pride” and protect America from the “ravages” of countries he says have stolen
U.S. jobs. “This American carnage stops right here,” Trump declared. In a warning to the world, he said, “From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, it’s going to be America first.” Eager to demonstrate his readiness to take actions, Trump went directly to the Oval Office Friday night, before the inaugural balls, and signed his first executive order as president — on “Obamacare.” Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said it was an order to federal departments “minimizing the economic burden” of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. He would provide no details. Trump also signed commissions for two former generals confirmed to Cabinet posts earlier by the Senate: James Mattis as secretary of defense and John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security. Vice President Mike Pence swore them in soon after. Trump continues on A9
NEW YORK — In a scene U.S. authorities had dreamed of for decades, Mexican drug lord and escape artist Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was hauled into an American courtroom Friday and then taken away to an ultra-secure jail that has held some of the world’s most
dangerous terrorists and mobsters. Holding his unshackled hands behind his back, a dazed-looking Guzman quietly entered a not-guilty plea to drug trafficking and other charges at a Brooklyn courthouse ringed by squad cars, officers with assault rifles, and bomb-sniffing dogs. “He’s a man known for a life Chapo continues on A10
REGION ONE ELECTION
Place 2 and 5 applications open SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
The Region One Education Service Center will hold an election for two expired places on the Region One ESC Board of Directors. Those expired terms are Place 2 representing Jim Hogg, Starr and Zapata counties, currently filled by Ricardo Gutierrez, of Rio Grande City and Place 5 representing Cameron County, currently filled by Ruben Cortez, Jr., of Brownsville. Gutierrez has served on the board since 2010 when he was
selected to fill the unexpired term of Noe R. Sanchez, who passed away. Gutierrez was re-elected to the board in the following election held in June 2011. Cortez was first elected to the board of directors in June 2011. ESC Board members are elected to a three-year term by school board members of the 37 school districts within Region One. Applications for ballot places may be obtained at the Region One ESC Executive Director’s Office, 1900 West Schunior, Edinburg, Texas, between the Election continues on A9
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, January 21, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
Harry Potter Book Club. 3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free and family friendly. Children and adults are welcome. United ISD 6th Annual 5K Run, Walk and Health Fair. Registration will be from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the SAC, 5208 Santa Claudia Lane. Special ceremony dedicated to Adriana Rodriguez and Karina Villarreal will be held at 8:30 a.m. with the race at 9 a.m. Fee is $25 and includes a goody bag, T-shirt, and certificate of completion. Medals will be awarded to the top male and female winners in each age division. All proceeds to benefit United ISD students with scholarships to college. For more information call, 956-473-6201 or visit www.uisd.net
MONDAY, JANUARY 23 Associated Press
Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society. 3-5 p.m. St. John Neumann Parish Hall. Meet and greet membership drive. The speaker’s subject is “How I Traced My Family Roots.” Open to the public. For more information, contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time. Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library - Calton. For more information, contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
This frame from video shows Italian firefighters extracting a woman alive from under snow and debris of an hotel that was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday, in Rigopiano, central Italy Friday.
AVALANCHE SURVIVORS SAVED FARINDOLA, Italy — After two days huddled in freezing cold, tons of snow surrounding them in the wreckage of the avalanche-demolished hotel, survivors greeted their rescuers Friday as "angels." Among the 10 people pulled out alive was a plucky 6-year-old who just wanted her favorite cookies. But for the loved ones of at least 16 others still trapped in the doomed mountain resort in central Italy, the agonizing wait to learn their relatives' fate dragged on. "Whoever had good news is happy," said Francesco Provolo, the prefect of the
nearby town of Pescara, where the survivors were taken to a hospital. "Who didn't have good news...," Provolo's voice trailed off as he was joined by people at the hospital who looked upset. Cheers of "Bravo! Bravo!" rang out early Friday as the first survivors were pulled from the debris, boosting spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried some 30 people. Four children were among those found alive, though the fate of the parents of one of them remained unknown as rescuers dug on. — Compiled from AP reports
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 United ISD Zumba Master Class event. Registration at 8 a.m. at the United 9th Grade Campus (gym), 8800 McPherson Road. Zumba class to be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and will be taught by elite Zumba instructors from the city. Fee is $20 and includes a goody bag and T-shirt. All proceeds to benefit United ISD students with scholarships to college. For more information call, 956-473-6201 or visit www.uisd.net. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
MONDAY, JANUARY 30 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 2867866 for more details.
Prosecutor: Burglars fenced stolen goods on Jewelers Row NORRISTOWN, Pa. — A business owner on Philadelphia’s historic Jewelers Row was charged on Friday with fencing jewelry and other items stolen from luxury homes in the suburbs. A burglary ring pilfered more than $1.5 million worth of expensive watches, jewelry,
money and high-end purses in 15 thefts between August 2015 and July 2016, the Montgomery County district attorney’s office said. Wasim Shazad, of East Norriton, then used his storefronts on Jewelers Row, the nation’s oldest diamond district, to buy and sell the stolen goods, prosecutors said. Shazad was arraigned Friday on charges that include belonging to a corrupt organization and receiving stolen property. He was jailed on $250,000 bail. He couldn’t be reached for
comment while in custody, and online court records don’t list an attorney who can comment on his behalf. Four burglary suspects were first charged in July. Police said they operated in Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties outside Philadelphia. In one robbery, the crooks forced their way into a home, tied up the resident, threw a safe from a second-floor balcony and made off with $500,000 worth of jewelry and expensive handbags, court documents say. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Long-married Bushes hospitalized together Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 72 years — longer than any U.S. presidential couple. This week, they are being treated in the same Houston hospital, and receiving wellwishes from President Barack Obama, President-elect Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton as well as their son, former President George W. Bush. Family spokesman Jim McGrath said Thursday that the 92-year-old former president remains in stable condition in Houston Methodist Hospital’s intensive care unit with pneumonia. The 91-yearold former first lady is feeling much better after undergoing treatment for bronchitis. They were married Jan. 6, 1945. At the time of their wed-
David J. Phillip / AP
In this Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016 file photo, former President George H. W. Bush, right, and his wife, Barbara, are greeted before a debate.
ding, he was a young naval aviator. She had been a student at Smith College. After World War II, they moved to the Texas oil patch to seek their fortune and raise a family. It was there that George Bush began his political career, representing Houston for two
terms in Congress in the late 1960s and early 1970s. George Herbert Walker Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, also served as CIA director and Ronald Reagan’s vice president. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Texas unemployment holds steady in December at 4.6 percent AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas unemployment rate held steady in December at 4.6 percent, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday. The statewide jobless figure was also 4.6 percent in November, according to the commission. The nationwide unemployment rate for December
Today is Saturday, Jan. 21, the 21st day of 2017. There are 344 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 21, 1942, pinball machines were banned in New York City by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia after a court ruled they were gambling devices that relied on chance rather than skill (the ban was lifted in 1976). On this date: In 1793, during the French Revolution, King Louis XVI, condemned for treason, was executed on the guillotine. In 1861, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi and four other Southerners whose states had seceded from the Union resigned from the U.S. Senate. In 1908, New York City’s Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance prohibiting women from smoking in public establishments. In 1915, the first Kiwanis Club, dedicated to community service, was founded in Detroit. In 1924, Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin died at age 53. In 1937, Count Basie and his band recorded “One O’Clock Jump” for Decca Records. In 1954, the first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched at Groton, Connecticut. In 1968, the Battle of Khe Sanh began during the Vietnam War. An American B-52 bomber carrying four hydrogen bombs crashed in Greenland, killing one crew member and scattering radioactive material. In 1977, on his first full day in office, President Jimmy Carter pardoned almost all Vietnam War draft evaders. In 1982, convict-turned-author Jack Henry Abbott was found guilty in New York of first-degree manslaughter in the stabbing death of waiter Richard Adan in 1981. In 1997, Speaker Newt Gingrich was reprimanded and fined as the House voted for the first time in history to discipline its leader for ethical misconduct. In 2010, a bitterly divided U.S. Supreme Court, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, vastly increased the power of big business and labor unions to influence government decisions by freeing them to spend their millions directly to sway elections for president and Congress. Ten years ago: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told U.S. officials to “Go to hell, gringos!” and called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice “missy” on his weekly radio and TV show, lashing out at Washington for what he called unacceptable meddling in his country’s affairs. Lovie Smith became the first black head coach to make it to the Super Bowl when his Chicago Bears won the NFC championship, beating the New Orleans Saints 39-14; Tony Dungy became the second when his Indianapolis Colts took the AFC title over the New England Patriots, 38-34. Five years ago: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich scored an upset win in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, dealing a sharp setback to Mitt Romney. One year ago: The Obama administration tightened restrictions on European and other travelers who had visited Iran, Iraq, Syria or Sudan in the previous five years. Today’s Birthdays: Actress Ann Wedgeworth is 83. World Golf Hall of Famer Jack Nicklaus is 77. Opera singer-conductor Placido Domingo is 76. Singer Mac Davis is 75. Actress Jill Eikenberry is 70. Country musician Jim Ibbotson is 70. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 67. Former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke is 67. Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is 66. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is 64. Actor-director Robby Benson is 61. Actress Geena Davis is 61. Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon is 54. Actress Charlotte Ross is 49. Actor John Ducey is 48. Actress Karina Lombard is 48. Rapper Levirt (B-Rock and the Bizz) is 47. Rock musician Mark Trojanowski (Sister Hazel) is 47. Rock singersongwriter Cat Power is 45. Rock DJ Chris Kilmore (Incubus) is 44. Actor Vincent Laresca is 43. Singer Emma Bunton (Spice Girls) is 41. Actor Jerry Trainor is 40. Country singer Phil Stacey is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nokio (Dru Hill) is 38. Actress Izabella Miko (MEE’-koh) is 36. Thought for Today: “It is the nature of all greatness not to be exact.” — Edmund Burke, British statesman (1729-1797).
CONTACT US was 4.7 percent. Texas has added an estimated 210,200 seasonally adjusted jobs since December 2015, with the addition of 800 nonfarm jobs last month, the agency said in a statement. “Private-sector employment has been strong over the year with overall job growth of 172,600 jobs added,” said Commissioner Ruth R. Hughs. “These numbers are a testament to the perseverance and resilience of our Texas employers and the diversity of our
Texas economy.” The state’s education and health services industry recorded the largest privateindustry employment gain in December with 7,300 jobs added. Leisure and hospitality employment grew by 3,900 jobs in December. Manufacturing employment expanded by 1,400 jobs, labor officials said. Texas has added jobs in 20 of the past 21 months, according to the TWC. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 21, 2017 |
A3
STATE
Texas court hearing case to limit gay marriage legalization By Will Weissert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court agreed Friday to hear a Houston case that top conservatives hope will provide an opening to challenge the landmark 2015 ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide. Reversing its previous ruling, the state’s highest civil court set arguments for March in a lawsuit seeking to halt same-sex spousal benefits that America’s fourth-largest city offers its municipal employees. The nine Republican justices had ruled in September not to hear the case in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling from the previous summer that
gay marriage was constitutional nationwide. But Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a subsequent brief saying that the case could serve as a platform to help Texas restrict the scope of the high court decision. “Major constitutional rulings by the United States Supreme Court routinely give rise to waves of litigation exploring the contours and limits of the court’s pronouncement,” the three Republicans wrote in an October brief. “This case is one of many cases that will require state courts to examine the scope of the right to same-sex marriage announced by the Supreme Court.” It noted that the Texas
Constitution had banned gay marriage after a 2005 amendment approved by the Legislature and voters statewide, further arguing, “Principles of comity, federalism, and the rule of law should make state courts particularly wary of using the federal constitution to expand upon newly created substantive due process rights that have the effect of undoing the work of state lawmakers.” The reversal Friday followed a slew of separate briefs signed by dozens of other state elected officials, conservative activists and religious leaders who asked the state Supreme Court to defend religious liberty and take a stand on social issues. They argued that
Judge blocks Texas from cutting off Planned Parenthood funds By Paul J. Weber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas was temporarily blocked Thursday from ousting Planned Parenthood from the state’s Medicaid program over secretly recorded videos taken by anti-abortion activists in 2015. The decision by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks adds Texas to the list of Republican-controlled states that have been thwarted in efforts to cut off Medicaid dollars to the nation’s largest abortion provider. But Texas could still prevail — the court order is not a ruling but effectively a delay that buys Planned Parenthood at least a few more weeks. Planned Parenthood would have lost the fund-
ing Saturday had Sparks not intervened. Faced with that tight deadline, Sparks postponed the ouster until Feb. 21, giving him more time to decide whether Texas can exclude about two dozen clinics that serve about 11,000 low-income women. “It’s unconscionable, in my opinion,” said Ken Lambrecht, president of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, while testifying earlier this week at the start of a three-day hearing in Austin. Other federal courts have stopped states that tried similarly tried dropping Planned Parenthood, including Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Kansas. All cited heavily edited videos that claimed to show Planned Parenthood officials profiting
from sales of fetal tissue for medical research. Planned Parenthood has denied wrongdoing, and investigations in 13 states didn’t result in criminal charges. Planned Parenthood receives about $4 million in reimbursements to provide non-abortion services such as cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted diseases. State health officials say Planned Parenthood provides services to only a fraction of the more than 4 million Medicaid patients in Texas. No public money is used in Texas is used for abortion, but Republican lawmakers in statehouses and Congress have accelerated efforts to try to weaken Planned Parenthood in the wake of the videos.
Texas should challenge not only the U.S. Supreme Court’s legalization of gay marriage but also its striking down this past July of many of the state’s tough abortion restrictions. “This court has the opportunity to diminish federal tyranny and reestablish Texas sovereignty,” the conservatives argued. Attorneys for Houston say the case had nothing to do with religious liberty or abortion and is a matter of settled federal statute. “The governor and attorney general cannot now take the position that a Texas court may enforce those same unconstitutional laws to deprive same-sex married couples of rights afforded
Eric Gay / AP
In this June 29, 2015, file photo, supporters of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling on same-sex marriage gather on the step of the Texas Capitol for a news conference celebrating marriage equality.
other married couples,” city lawyers wrote. Texas isn’t the first conservative state to attempt to defy the U.S. Supreme Court on gay marriage, but past attempts haven’t succeeded. In March, Alabama’s Supreme Court dismissed a challenge seeking to bar gay marriage there. While Indiana governor, Vice President Mike Pence signed a law potentially allowing businesses to reject gay customers because of religious objections — though Pence said in 2015 that his state would respect the high
court’s gay marriage ruling. In July, a federal judge cited the 2015 decision in declaring unconstitutional Mississippi’s “religious objections” law, which had defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. And North Dakota’s Legislature recently rejected changing state law to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court ruling — even though a federal judge had already declared that state’s previous gay marriage ban unconstitutional, pointing to previous high court precedent.
Texas court grants appeal after 35 years without conviction By Claudia Lauer ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — A Texas inmate who was imprisoned for 35 years while waiting for a new trial after a court overturned his murder conviction should be set free, an appellate court ruled. Jerry Hartfield was finally convicted again in 2015 in the 1976 killing of 55-year-old Eunice Lowe, but a court ruled Thursday that his constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated. The Court of Appeals for the 13th District of Texas reversed the conviction and ordered that the case against Hartfield, now 60, be dismissed. “The State’s negligence in this case created a criminal justice nightmare for
Hartfield and the system at-large, as he sat in the custody of the TexHartfield as Department of Criminal Justice for thirtytwo years without a conviction,” the panel wrote, adding later that release was the only remedy. “We are deeply mindful that our conclusion today means that a defendant who may be guilty of murder may go free.” It was not clear Friday when or if Hartfield could be released or if the state would appeal the decision to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas’ highest criminal court. A phone message left with a spokesman for the Texas attorney general’s office
was not immediately returned. Hartfield originally was sentenced to death in the slaying of Lowe, a bus ticket saleswoman in Bay City, about 100 miles southwest of Houston. A jury heard testimony that Lowe had been beaten to death with a pickaxe, some of her valuables had been stolen and that her body had been sexually abused. But that conviction was thrown out on appeal because of a problem with jury selection and a retrial was ordered. In 1983, Gov. Mark White commuted Hartfield’s death sentence to life in prison in an effort to avoid the retrial, but courts recently found the sentence had already been overturned and vacated by the time he issued the commutation.
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A4 | Saturday, January 21, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
EDITORIAL
OTHER VIEWS
The right and wrong way to respond to President Trump BL O O M BE RG
Now that Donald Trump has been sworn into office as the 45th president of the United States, his toughest critics and strongest supporters alike need to take a deep breath and consider where they want to go from here. The critics are correct that Trump possesses troubling characteristics for a president. But the shortsighted response some have chosen -- boycotting the inauguration and declaring him an “illegitimate” president -only weaken the foundation of democracy: the peaceful transition of power. That could have disastrous consequences down the road. Regardless of Russian hacking, Trump won more electoral votes than Hillary Clinton in an election that was not corrupted by voter fraud. His victory was legitimate, and those who deny it -including American heroes like Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia -- are the mirror image of the birthers who tried to delegitimize President Barack Obama. Similarly, many Democrats who criticized Republicans for blocking President Obama at every turn are now vowing to adopt the same approach with Trump. While turnabout is fair play, Democrats will only hurt the country, and their own cause, by refusing to cooperate with Trump on issues where common ground is possible, including infrastructure, the earned income tax credit, child care and veterans’ health care. Protest and obstruction can be a useful part of a political strategy, but it should not be the primary one. Trump’s supporters
would do well to pause, too. For instance, many Republicans in Congress are rushing headlong into a half-baked agenda, starting with a quickie repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Some, like Sens. Bob Corker and Rand Paul, have opposed repealing the law without having a replacement at the ready. More should join them. Republicans have also expressed too little concern over Trump’s conflicts of interest, which have the potential to be a major distraction for the new president -- or worse. The debate over whether Trump is violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution will almost certainly lead to a legal challenge. Calls for impeachment won’t be far behind. To avoid this, leaders in both parties should join together in pressing Trump to separate himself from his private interests. Trump was elected to drain the swamp. Voters should insist that he lead by example. There’s a wider lesson, one applicable to all: Trump will probably continue to manufacture more political drama than is healthy for any republic. Rather than getting swept up in it, Americans -- and the world -- should view it with a discerning eye. The first step is to separate social media musings from actual policy, and to judge the administration more by its actions than its words. The days ahead will doubtless test the patience of many Americans. But national unity must not be sacrificed by shortsighted political considerations. If inauguration day holds one truth, it’s this: The U.S. is more durable than any one president.
EDITORIAL
Trump’s speech isn’t a call for unity TH E M ERCURY NEWS
Invoking an intensely dark view of 2017 America, President Donald Trump elevated his populist stump speech to crisp rhetoric but changed not a thing in principle. He promises power to the people, but the empowered will be his base. There is no unified view of where America needs to go. We had hoped for an olive branch. There was none. There were pro forma statements of inclusiveness - we all bleed the same red blood of patriotism; there is no place for prejudice. But the un-
derlying assumption was of an existing equal status, that everyone enjoys "the same freedoms." That is not the perception of many people in America. It is not the reality. Nor do all see a crumbling America. Many see a country with challenges, yes, but also with 4.7 percent unemployment, with crime at lower levels than decades ago and an economy vastly improved from eight years ago. Trump delivered a clear view of his vision, delivered it well - without inflammatory ad-libbed asides - and behaved in a presidential manner. The speech was not a call for unity. It was a call to arms.
EDITORIAL
Americans have seen the last four presidents as illegitimate. Here’s why. By Andrés Martinez WASHINGTON P O ST
It’s tempting to see the entirety of Donald Trump’s story as unprecedented, but when he is sworn in today as the nation’s 45th president, he will be our fourth consecutive leader to assume the office with a segment of the electorate questioning his legitimacy. On that score, Trump doesn’t represent a new crisis for American democracy but rather an escalation of one that’s been building - one that we’ve all played a role in creating and that he has deftly exploited to his advantage. We used to argue over whether new presidents had a “mandate,” which was a more polite way of raising the legitimacy question. After the 1992 election, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole said President-elect Bill Clinton did not have a mandate to press ahead with any sweeping changes because he’d obtained only 43 percent of the popular vote in a threeway race. Republicans convinced themselves that third-party candidate Ross Perot had cost them the election, taking more votes away from George H.W. Bush than from Clinton. They were quick to accuse Clinton in his first year of liberal overreach for pressing to allow gays in the military, raise energy taxes, and take on an ambitious overhaul of the healthcare system. Anger among conservatives that Clinton would illegitimately (in their view) push such an agenda led to the socalled Gingrich Revolution in 1994 and fed any number of conspiracy theories and led Republicans to gleefully pursue Clinton’s impeachment during his second term. Then in 2000 came one of the more contentious
presidential elections in U.S. history - not because of the substance of the campaign between Al Gore and George W. Bush, two amiable and seemingly moderate candidates, but because the result was too close to call for weeks. It took a Supreme Court intervention to put an end to the indecision. Compounding the muddled nature of the outcome, Bush obtained half a million fewer votes in the popular count nationwide. Some members of the Congressional Black Caucus (including Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, who forcefully questioned Trump’s legitimacy this past week) refused to attend the inauguration. I can remember all the debates then among fellow journalists and friends about either the necessity, or the peril, of “normalizing” such an abnormal, unsatisfying result with a “normal” inauguration and all the other trappings afforded an incoming president. We tend to forget the extent to which #notmypresident could have been a trending hashtag in those early Bush days if hashtags had been around - because everything would soon change, on Sept. 11, 2001. After the terrorist attacks, Americans rallied around their president, as we always tend to do in wartime, and the grousing about his legitimacy or mandate stopped. But a few years later, with mounting disillusionment over openended military campaigns abroad and a sense that the administration had launched the Iraq invasion on false pretenses, millions of Americans once again began to question not only Bush’s judgment but also his legitimacy. None other than New York real estate tycoon Donald Trump called for Bush’s impeachment.
The impulse to disqualify, rather than merely debate, leaders we don’t agree with intensified in the late 2000s. There was no disputing the mandate conferred upon Barack Obama by his resounding 2008 win, so the questioning of our first African American president’s legitimacy swirled around the underhanded, racially motivated and absurd allegations - peddled by our current presidentelect, among others - that Obama wasn’t a naturalborn citizen. Newt Gingrich spoke for many in 2010 when he accused the president of being beyond the American mainstream, pursuing instead a “Kenyan, anti-colonial” worldview. Given our propensity to question the legitimacy of leaders we don’t agree with, it’s hardly surprising Lewis and others are questioning Trump’s legitimacy before he takes the oath. The tenor of his public rhetoric and behavior; his considerable 3 million-vote deficit in the popular vote; the FBI director’s erratic intervention, now under investigation, in the final days of the campaign; and the Russian government’s attempts to influence the outcome in Trump’s favor provide of fodder for those inclined to dismiss a president they oppose. Trump has taken to calling “fake news” any news he doesn’t like, but for millions of Americans he is about to become their “fake president.” What is it about the past three presidencies that helped bring us to this moment? That question will no doubt inspire many dissertations in the coming decades, but one obvious similarity is that the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, unlike those that came before them, had to navigate in a political environment shaped by the close
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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
of the Cold War, the rise of instantaneous, doomsday-style political fundraising, the emergence of a highly balkanized and ubiquitous 24/7 media, and the disruption of traditional politics by the Internet and social media. These are somewhat familiar, overlapping themes, though we often make a glaring omission in how we talk about them. With the end of the Cold War and its threat of nuclear annihilation, the stakes seemed lower, as did our need to defer to presidents on foreign policy or anything else (the two years after 9/11 were a reversion to Cold War days in terms of how opponents dealt with Bush). The flood of money into politics - money that could be raised easily by groups other than the traditional political parties, at the click of a button - encouraged a rhetorical arms race of dystopian depictions of what had become of Washington. It is much easier to get people to send you $20 if you accuse the president of being a threat to the American way of life instead of an honorable man with whom you happen to disagree on a certain topic. And we’re all familiar with how changes in media in this age of 24/7 cable news (Fox News launched in 1996 to challenge the cautious objectivity of CNN) and of infinite online opinions have helped poison, and add a frenzied quality to, political coverage and discourse. The omission in how we talk about the hyperbole in our politics and civic life is that we conveniently take ourselves out of the picture. We talk about all this with detached regret, as victims of distant politicians’ antics, when we are in fact protagonists in this tale, helping to determine the tenor of our politics.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 21, 2017 |
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NATIONAL
Montana asbestos victims to get $25 million from state ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Al Drago / NYT
Vice President Joe Biden during a mock swearing-in ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 3, 2017. The Bidens Delaware roots run deep, and for the past eight years, they have spent most weekends at their home in a suburb of Wilmington.
Delaware welcomes Joe Biden home after decades in Washington By Randall Chase A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WILMINGTON, Del. — On his last day as vice president, Joe Biden briefly revived a tradition he had followed faithfully as a U.S. senator for Delaware: He rode the commuter train home from Washington. Biden and his wife, Jill, hopped aboard an Amtrak train bound for Wilmington after attending the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington. Marching band members and alumni from Biden’s alma mater, the University of Delaware, joined scores of uniformed Delaware National Guard troops, schoolchildren and hundreds of
other well-wishers to greet the Bidens at a celebration on Wilmington’s riverfront, a stone’s throw from the Amtrak station that bears his name. “We never thought we left home,” a subdued Biden said as he began his speech, quickly becoming emotional. “When I die, Delaware will be written on my heart,” he added, wiping away tears. Delawareans, in turn, have embraced the man they know simply as “Joe,” who stayed long after Friday’s ceremony to press the flesh, sign autographs and take dozens of selfies with enthusiastic supporters. “It’s amazing how the state has embraced my family,” he told the Asso-
ciated Press in an interview afterward. “I was proud to be elected vice president, but nothing as proud as seven times, the people of Delaware voted for me for the Senate. ... They know me, warts and all.” Johanna Peet, 32, said people are obsessed with Biden and his family. “I think it’s because he’s vulnerable as a man, and as a leader and as a politician,” she said, adding that the Bidens “make the effort to connect and make the effort to get to know you as an individual.” After 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president, the 74year-old Biden finds himself stepping away from the spotlight after almost half a century of
public service, starting with his election to county council in 1970. “I’m not going to go back to being a private citizen,” he told the AP. “I’m going to keep going full bore on all the things I cared about, ... both in foreign policy, domestic policy as well as the cancer moonshot.” Biden’s eldest son, Beau, died of cancer in 2015. Biden thanked the crowd for their support over the years, not just in politics, but in times of tragedy, including the death of his wife and infant daughter in a car crash just weeks after his election to the Senate. “You’ve been with me in victory. You’ve been with me in defeat. You’ve all stayed with me,” he said.
KALISPELL, Mont. — The state of Montana has reached settlements totaling $25 million with more than 1,000 victims of asbestos-related disease over claims that health officials failed to bring attention to the hazards of a contaminated mine. The Flathead Beacon reported (http:// bit.ly/2jeVgoN ) that the settlements stem from nearly 100 lawsuits brought against the state for failing to protect residents in the northwestern Montana town of Libby. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands sickened by asbestos exposure from Libby’s now-shuttered W.R. Grace and Co. vermiculite mine, which operated for decades just outside of town. A different set of more than 1,000 plaintiffs reached a $43 million settlement with the state in 2011. Asbestos-related disease can have a decadeslong latency period before lung problems and other symptoms appear. The plaintiffs in the latest settlements had not been diagnosed when the earlier deal was reached, Tom Lewis, a Great Falls lawyer for the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press. They’ll receive payments ranging from $10,500 up to $60,000 for more severe cases, said Dale Cockrell, a Kalispell attorney who represented the state in settlement negotiations. Since an initial deal was reached in June, 30 to 40 additional people have
filed similar claims about health problems from asbestos exposure. Those claims still are being reviewed and there’s been no decision yet on how the state will handle them, Cockrell said. Separate lawsuits from victims are pending against BNSF Railway, which transported asbestos-containing vermiculite from the mine to processing sites across the country, and International Paper, the current owner of a lumber mill in Libby where vermiculite was stored. Wednesday’s settlement marks the end of lengthy negotiations between victims and the state. It resolves hundreds of claims against the state on behalf of miners, their family members and members of the community. Attorneys with a Kalispell law firm representing 826 claimants and Lewis’ firm representing more than 200 reached separate agreements with the state, resolving the individual lawsuits. The Libby mine closed in 1999 and nearly $600 million has been spent on a cleanup program for the Montana community. The Environmental Protection Agency has investigated or cleaned more than 7,100 properties in and near Libby and plans to finish another 700 properties before completion. Health officials have estimated that as many as 400 people have died and almost 3,000 have been sickened from exposure in Libby and the surrounding area.
A6 | Saturday, January 21, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
BUSINESS
Will Trump end globalization? The doubt haunts Davos' elite By Pan Pylas and Jamey Keaten A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DAVOS, Switzerland — It's been impossible to escape the shadow of Donald Trump at this year's gathering of the business elites at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Uncertainty over whether Trump's presidency will mark the end of globalization dominated discussions all week at an event synonymous with international business. Sure, lofty ambitions were discussed, from fighting epidemics to dealing with inequalities across the world. But inevitably all talk turned to Trump, who has promised to rewrite free trade deals and even slap tariffs on China, the world's second-largest economy. "Do I really think we're gonna go back to protectionism? I don't really know yet and I can promise you I'm paying a lot of attention to it because
trade matters to us," said David Cote, chairman and CEO of industrial conglomerate Honeywell. "It's a little too early to press the panic button; we ought to see what ends up happening here." Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the World Trade Organization, the body that oversees trading rules, reminded delegates of the 1930s, when governments raised tariffs and wiped out two-thirds of global trade in three years. "You don't want to see that now. That would be a catastrophe of untold proportions," he said. "I think we should try not to talk ourselves into a trade war and I think we're seeing a lot of that." THE CASE AGAINST GLOBALIZATION Whether or not world trade goes into reverse, it's evident that globalization — the commitment to trade internationally and to lower barriers to doing business around the world —is under threat like no other time in decades.
The main allegations are that it has increased inequalities in wealth, eroded job security for middle and lower-income families in developed countries, and kept a lid on wages as businesses seek low-cost workers in poorer countries. The breakneck pace of technological innovation has made many jobs redundant, particularly in industries like manufacturing. Anti-poverty charity Oxfam illustrated the issue of inequality starkly in a report this week in which it said that eight billionaires own as much wealth as half the world's population, or 3.6 billion people. There's a perception among many middle- and lower-income households in developed economies like the U.S. and Europe that globalization hasn't worked for them. And it's that unease that many say was behind Trump's victory and Britain's vote to leave the European Union.
New Mexico targets Takata, auto makers over faulty air bags By Susan Montoya Bryan A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is suing Japanese manufacturer Takata and a long list of automakers in connection with the sale of cars with dangerous air bag inflators. The attorney general’s office argues in a lawsuit filed Friday that the manufacturers had a duty to ensure their products were safe and that concealment of air bag defects amounted to unfair, deceptive and unconscionable trade practices under New Mexico law. Takata already has agreed to pay $1 billion in fines and restitution as part of plea agreement with the U.S. Justice Department over the yearslong scheme to conceal the deadly defect in its inflators. It also faces class-action lawsuits as well as litigation filed last year by the state of Hawaii. Takata spokesman Jared Levy declined com-
Shizuo Kambayashi / AP
In this May 4, 2016, file photo, visitors walk by a Takata Corp. desk at an automaker's showroom in Tokyo.
ment Friday. Aside from targeting the air bag manufacturer, New Mexico’s case also spreads the blame to numerous automakers that used the faulty bags in their vehicles. The complaint lists dozens of models that include some of the most popular vehicles in the U.S. The state is seeking civil penalties for each defective air bag that entered the New Mexico market and penalties for each day the manufacturers misrepresented the safety of their products. State prosecutors also are demanding a jury trial. Takata inflators can
explode with too much force, spewing shrapnel into drivers and passengers. At least 11 people have been killed in the U.S. and 16 worldwide because of the defect. More than 180 have been injured. The problem touched off the largest automotive recall in U.S. history covering 42 million vehicles and 69 million inflators. Unlike most other air bag makers, Takata’s inflators use explosive ammonium nitrate to fill the bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister.
Michael Nagle / Bloomberg
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, U.S., on Friday.
Stocks edge higher, snapping a 5-day losing streak for Dow By Alex Veiga ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Materials companies led U.S. stocks modestly higher Friday, recouping much of the market’s loss from a day earlier and snapping a 5-day losing streak for the Dow Jones industrial average. Another crop of encouraging company earnings news helped lift the market, but investors were mostly focused on events in Washington as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. The major stock indexes pulled back slightly as Trump delivered remarks after taking the oath of office. Among topics of particular interest to Wall Street, the speech touched on trade and the Trump administration’s intention of protecting the U.S. from “the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs.” “The market is still embracing the Trump agenda, based on the market’s reaction to the speech,” said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. “Now the question the market has is, specifically, what does all of that mean in terms of trade?” The Dow rose 94.85 points, or 0.5 percent, to 19,827.25. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 7.62 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,271.31. The Nasdaq composite index added 15.25 points, or 0.3 percent, to 5,555.33. Despite Friday’s gains, the three major stock indexes ended the week lower. Stocks have slowed in 2017 after surging for several weeks following Election Day on investor optimism that a Trump administration and Re-
publican Congress would usher in business-friendly policies. But the possibility of increased tariffs or trade restrictions has also loomed as a potential drag in profits for big U.S. companies. “Historically, the market has performed best in the November-April time frame,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. “The Trump victory added a tailwind to this traditional seasonal factor.” Typically, stocks don’t do well on inauguration day. Going back to 1928, the S&P has averaged a drop of 1.05 percent on inauguration days, according Bespoke Investment Group. Beyond the presidential transition in Washington, investors pored over the latest batch of corporate earnings Friday, bidding up shares in companies that reported results that beat Wall Street’s expectations. Skyworks Solutions jumped 13 percent, the biggest gainer in the S&P 500. The stock climbed $10.21 to $88.67. Citizens Financial Group gained $1.09, or 3.1 percent, to $35.82. Traders also drove up shares in Procter & Gamble after the consumer goods maker released a strong growth forecast. The stock added $2.75, or 3.2 percent, to $87.45. Strong subscriber numbers helped lift AT&T, giving a boost to phone company stocks overall. AT&T added 45 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $41.45. Some companies’ earnings failed to impress the market. General Electric slid 2.2 percent after the conglomerate reported fourth-quarter revenue that fell short of analysts’ forecasts. The stock gave up 68 cents to $30.53. Investors sold off Bris-
tol-Myers Squibb after the drugmaker said it won’t pursue accelerated regulatory approval for a two-drug lung cancer treatment. The stock was the biggest decliner in the S&P 500 index, shedding $6.26, or 11.3 percent, to $49.23. Major stock indexes overseas were mixed Friday. Germany’s DAX rose 0.3 percent, while Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.1 percent. France’s CAC 40 added 0.2 percent. In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.7 percent after the Chinese government said the economy grew at a 6.8 percent annual rate in the last quarter, even as full-year growth increased 6.7 percent, the weakest in three decades. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.3 percent. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.05, or 2 percent, to close at $52.42 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added $1.33, or 2.5 percent, to close at $55.49 a barrel in London. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline gained 3 cents to $1.57 a gallon and heating oil rose 3 cents to $1.65 a gallon. Natural gas slid 16 cents, or 4.9 percent, to $3.20 per 1,000 cubic feet. Bond prices were little changed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 2.47 percent. Yields have been rising as investors expect inflation to increase. In currency trading, the dollar fell to 114.31 yen from Thursday’s 114.80 yen. The euro rose to $1.0707 from $1.0659. The British pound edged up to $1.2378 from $1.2337. Gold dropped $3.40 to settle at $1,204.90 an ounce, while silver fell 3 cents to $17.03 an ounce. Copper slipped a penny to $2.63 a pound.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 21, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Pago de impuestos 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St.
TRANSICIÓN DE PODER
MÉXICO
Nuevo presidente Extraditan
a ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán Por Peter Orsi y Bradley Klapper
Programa de salud 1 El Centro Comunitario de Roma invita a la población al evento Life Line Screening Preventive Health que se llevará a cabo el 24 de enero, de 8:30 a.m. a 5:30 p.m., en donde se realizarán pruebas para detectar las seis enfermedades crónicas que ponen en riesgo la salud incluye enfermedades coronarias, infartos, embolias, diabetes, enfermedades pulmonares crónicas y cáncer en pulmón. El costo por el total de las pruebas es de 79 dólares. Además se ofrecen otras pruebas como panel de lípidos, desórdenes de tiroides y cáncer de próstata. Llame al 1-888-653-6441 para registrarse.
Audiencia Pública 1 El Ayuntamiento, la Cámara de Comercio de Roma Texas y la Corporación del Desarrollo Económico de la Ciudad de Roma, invitan a los propietarios de negocios a la audiencia pública donde se tratarán temas relacionados con la economía local, en el Centro Comunitario de la Ciudad de Roma, ubicado en el número 502 de la Calle Sexta, el jueves a las 6 p.m.
Boys & Girls Club 1 La organización Boys & Girls Club invita a su evento Clays for Kids Skeet Shoot & Cook-Off en su décima edición, que se celebrará el sábado 28 de enero. Para registrarse o para mayores informes visite www.bgcazapata.com o llame a Mark Alvarenga al (956) 337-5751.
Caminata amistosa 1 El Servicio de Extensión Texas A&M Agrilife invita a la segunda caminata Walk Across Texas que iniciará desde el 1 de febrero y hasta el 24 de marzo. Una competencia amistosa para ver quién acumula más millas haciendo cualquier actividad física como correr, caminar andar en bicicleta, baile, etc. Mayores informes en Texas A&M Agrilife Service Extension al (956) 487-2306.
Laboratorio Computacional 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.
Museo en Zapata 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
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ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Foto por Timothy A. Clary | AFP/Getty Images
Donald Trump presta juramento como el presidente número 45 de los Estados Unidos ante el Jefe de la Suprema Corte de Justicia John Roberts, frente al Capitolio en Washington el viernes.
Henry Cuéllar asiste a ceremonia de investidura Por Julia Wallace TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
L
os funcionarios laredenses que asistieron a la toma de protesta del Presidente Donald Trump el viernes dijeron sentirse emocionados por haber sido testigos y por lo tanto haber participado en la transferencia pacífica de poder. “Fue conmovedor, impactante”, dijo el alcalde Pete Sáenz. “Es otro aspecto de nuestra democracia, la transferencia de poder de una manera pacifíca”. El congresista Henry Cuéllar dijo que le dará el beneficio de la duda a Trump. “Tendré la mente abierta y veremos si podemos encontrar terreno común para trabajar”, dijo Cuéllar. “...(Trump) resaltó un par de cosas acerca de los puentes y el crecimiento”. Trump también mencionó que desde este día en adelante, será “Estados Unidos primero, Estados Unidos primero”. “Cada decisión que tomemos respecto a comercio, impuestos, inmigración, relaciones exteriores será para beneficiar a los trabajadores
y familias estadounidenses. Debemos proteger nuestras fronteras de la devastación de otros países fabricando nuestros productos, robándose nuestras empresas y destruyendo nuestros empleos”, dijo Trump. Cuéllar dijo que en pocas palabras, Trump estaba esencialmente hablando de Laredo. “Cuando escuché eso, sabía exactamente a que se refería”, dijo Cuéllar. “Hablaba acerca de las maquiladoras, acerca del comercio en las comunidades fronterizas. Hubo ataques hacia áreas como Laredo, las áreas fronterizas y ataques a nuestros amigos de México. Está todo ahí dicho de una manera muy general, pero ahí esta”. Sin embargo, este momento en el discurso de Cuéllar no desalentó a Cuéllar, quien dijo, “Elegimos a un presidente, no a un rey”. El alcalde Sáenz dijo que tendremos que esperar para saber a qué se refería Trump exactamente cuando dijo esas palabras. “Le repito a la gente: el área fronteriza es parte de los Estados Unidos”, dijo Sáenz. “Necesitamos
empleos tanto como cualquier otra parte del país”. El presidente del partido republicano en el Condado de Webb, Randy Blair, no pensó en este caso que Trump estuviera haciendo una referencia específica a México o la frontera. “Creo que estaba pensando en todo el país”, dijo Blair. “Sí, Laredo depende en gran medida del Tratado del Libre Comercio — es una gran parte de Laredo. Lo que él esta diciendo es que debemos cuidarnos mutuamente y a nuestros vecinos antes de cuidar a alguien más que está lejos”. “Estamos en la frontera, tenemos una economía dual. Cuando México sufre, nosotros sufrimos. Cuando los Estados Unidos sufren, nosotros sufrimos. (Trump) está diciendo, veamos por los Estados Unidos primero. Tenemos que ayudarnos a nosotros mismos primero”, dijo Blair. Blair agregó que había amado el discurso de Trump y su promesa de devolver el gobierno al pueblo. “Creo que fue extremadamente patriótico”, dijo Blair.
COLUMNA
El adolescente huasteco, obra maestra del periodo postclásico Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
A los antiguos huastecos debemos una de las principales esculturas prehispánicas. Descubierta luego del porfiriato, cobra fama como El Adolescente Huasteco. Aunque permanecen incógnitos los propósitos conceptuales, sus características estéticas pueden gozarse en el Museo Nacional de Antropología. De aportes emblemáticos, los huastecos abarcaron parte de Tamaulipas, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Querétaro y Puebla. Habitantes “de la lluvia y de la niebla”, los considera un antiguo poema en náhuatl. Esta cultura desarrollaría urbes de admirable traza y edificaciones cónicas, revistiéndolas de estuco pulido. Entre los poderosos fue práctica común la deformación craneana. A fin de colocarse orejeras y narigueras, perforaban orejas y nariz, aguzándose los dientes o tiñéndolos de negro. Iban tatuados y desnudos o sólo con bra-
gueros. Las mujeres vestían faldillas y una especie de blusa, el petob, bordándole interesantes diseños. Peinaban ellas su cabello en trenzas, recogidas y adornadas con listones y plumas de varios colores. Añadían todos collares, brazaletes y pectorales al cotidiano arreglo. Joyeros de exquisitas realizaciones en caracol, jade y concha marina, además de excelentes ceramistas. Astrónomos perspicaces, destacaron asimismo en la escultura, “con cinceles y hachas de rocas duras y compactas”, puntualizan Felipe Solís y Anatole Pohorilenko. Ejemplo de esta maestría ofrece El Adolescente Huasteco. Procede de Tamuín, SLP, en la ruta que comunica a Tampico y Ciudad Valles. Deriva Tamuín de Tamohí, lugar de efervescencia, según el idioma de los pobladores originarios. El mérito del hallazgo corresponde al general Manuel C. Lárraga., acontece en 1917 en el interior del rancho El Consuelo, hoy zona arqueológica. Lárraga cede la pieza a
su cuñado Blas E. Rodríguez. Autor del folleto Tampico, datos para la historia de la Huasteca, impreso en 1932, del magnífico vestigio Rodríguez incluye ahí deficientes imágenes que impiden apreciarlo. Don Blas lo conserva algún tiempo, hasta que a instancias de Joaquín Meade lo adquiere el Museo Nacional de Antropología. El acervo bibliográfico de Meade se ocupa del tema. Tallado en piedra basáltica, El Adolescente Huasteco alcanza 1.45 metros de altura. Proviene del Posclásico, que va del año 800 a 1521. Reúne detalles que en conjunto reflejan oficio fino y gran sentido artístico. Observamos “a un joven con la cabeza deformada fronto-occipitalmente, con orejeras circulares, desnudo y con una mano sobre el pecho. La boca entreabierta deja ver los dientes tallados en punta y tiene la nariz perforada para atravesar una nariguera; el cuerpo está bellamente labrado con relieves […] y otros símbolos”, explica Román Piña Chan.
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, el mayor narcotraficante mexicano que logró escaparse en dos ocasiones de penales de alta seguridad, fue extraditado el jueves a Estados Unidos. Guzmán, considerado el “líder” del cártel de Sinaloa, fue entregado a las autoridades estadounidenses el último día del gobierno del presidente Barack Obama y en vísperas de que sea sustituido por Donald Trump. Andrés Granados, abogado de Guzmán, dijo a The Associated Press: “Fue ilegal. Ni siquiera nos notificaron. Lo manejaron políticamente para opacar la situación de las gasolinas”. Por su parte, el Departamento de Justicia estadounidense agradeció al gobierno mexicano su “cooperación y asistencia” para garantizar la extradición de Guzmán. La cancillería mexicana informó en un comunicado que un tribunal rechazó un amparo contra la extradición por lo que las autoridades decidieron enviarlo al país vecino, donde es buscado para ser procesado por narcotráfico. Guzmán compareció el viernes ante un tribunal en la ciudad de Nueva York, donde un defensor público presentó una declaración de inocencia en su favor. Se trató de una escena que las autoridades soñaron durante décadas: que uno de los capos de la droga más conocidos del mundo enfrentara a la justicia estadounidense. Hubo un momento de silencio en la sala de juzgados en el distrito de Brooklyn momentos antes de que Guzmán entrara, un día después de ser extraditado desde México. La seguridad en la corte se elevó al nivel usado para sospechosos de terrorismo: había agentes armados con fusiles de asalto y perros detectores de explosivos. Con las manos colocadas atrás, sin esposas, Guzmán parecía calmado y sereno mientras respondía sí o no a las preguntas de un juez a través de un intérprete. Un defensor público interpuso una declaración de inocencia en su favor ante los cargos que le presentaron de narcotráfico. Permanecerá detenido sin derecho a fianza en una prisión donde también han estado sospechosos de terrorismo y mafiosos. Su escape en julio de 2015 fue sumamente embarazoso para el gobierno
del presidente mexicano Enrique Peña Nieto, y oficiales del país parecían ansiosos de entregarlo a Estados Unidos después de ello. Los abogados de Guzmán habían peleado para evitar su extradición desde entonces. Fue recapturado en enero de 2016, casi seis meses después de su segundo escape a través de un túnel. El líder del cartel de Sinaloa, quien permaneció detenido en una prisión cercana a la localidad fronteriza de Ciudad Juárez, enfrenta múltiples cargos en seis distintas jurisdicciones en Estados Unidos, incluidas Nueva York, San Diego, Chicago y Miami. Los fiscales describieron a “El Chapo” como el arquitecto homicida de una red de tráfico, brutalidad y corrupción que le generaron a su cártel de Sinaloa una fortuna mientras alimentaba una epidemia de abuso de drogas y violencia relacionada en Estados Unidos en las décadas de 1980 y 1990. Estados Unidos buscó llevar al capo mexicano a los tribunales desde que por primera vez le presentaron cargos en el sur de California a comienzos de la década de 1990. Las autoridades finalmente vieron cumplido su deseo en la víspera de la juramentación de Donald Trump como presidente, quien cuando era candidato criticó a México por enviar a Estados Unidos a “criminales y violadores” y prometió construir un muro en la frontera. Aunque “El Chapo” enfrenta acusaciones en varias jurisdicciones en todo el país, entre ellas Nueva York, San Diego, Chicago y Miami, además de México, será procesado en Brooklyn. La ciudad de Nueva York se precia de tener una de las prisiones más seguras en Estados Unidos, el Centro Correccional Metropolitano en el bajo Manhattan. En el área de máxima seguridad de la cárcel, aproximadamente una decena de reos pasan 23 horas del día en celdas de 3 x 6 metros (12 x 20 pies) y se les prohíbe comunicarse entre sí. Las comidas se sirven en las celdas y ellos se ejercitan en un área específica para estos prisioneros. Solo un número limitado de guardias cuidadosamente seleccionados tendrá acceso a Guzmán, quien es conocido por su riqueza y poder para corromper a la gente, dijo Catherine Linaweaver, ex guardia en esta correccional. Ahora “El Chapo”,enfrenta la posibilidad de pasar la vida en una prisión estadounidense.
Foto por Elizabeth Williams | Associated Press
En este boceto, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, al centro, aparece en una corte en Nueva York, el viernes, después de ser extraditado de México. Guzmán se declaró no culpable de los cargos.
A8 | Saturday, January 21, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL California flood sweeps cabins, cars down coastal canyon By John Antczak A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — More than 20 people escaped injury Friday when a flood swept cabins and vehicles down a coastal canyon as the second in a trio of storms drenched California with heavy rain and brought more snow to the mountains. A swollen creek lifted five cabins off their foundations at midmorning and swept 22 vehicles down El Capitan Canyon in Santa Barbara County, fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said. Firefighters rescued one person from a vehicle and another person got out of another vehicle on their own, he said. Neither was harmed.
About 20 people stuck in the canyon were rescued from the private campground above a state beach about 115 miles northwest of Los Angeles, Zaniboni said. Five of the vehicles and part of a cabin were found on the beach, he said. By early afternoon the latest storm system had dumped more than 5 inches of rain in Refugio Pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains just to the northwest of El Capitan Canyon. A sheriff’s helicopter returning to an airport after the canyon incident spotted a car swamped by water and a woman screaming for help from higher ground nearby was hoisted to safety, Zaniboni said. Throughout the day, forecasters issued a flurry
Mike Eliason / AP
Cabins and vehicles are swept away by storm runoff at El Capitan Canyon Resort & Campground in Gaviota, Calif., on Friday.
of flash flood warnings and lower level advisories as the storm moved from north to south down the length of California with high rates of rainfall. “Storm (hash)2 packing some punch,” the Los Angeles-area National Weather Service office wrote. In Northern California, a section of state highway flooded in Sonoma County and water rose to the wheel hubs of cars along low-lying streets in and around Santa Cruz. Runoff and rockslides in the Santa Monica
Mountains west of Los Angeles forced the California Highway Patrol to close all canyon roads in the Malibu area. Forecasters warned of potential debris flows from wildfire burn scars in Southern California. Storm warnings were also posted up and down the Sierra Nevada after the second storm dropped nearly 2 feet of snow at higher elevations. The mountains of
Southern California have also been accumulating snow on peaks that were barren in years of drought. Along the coast, big surf was rolling ashore, and forecasters said waves could build to 30 feet on the Central Coast. The third storm was forecast to be the strongest of the trio. The National Weather Service says winds could gust up to 140 mph over
the Sierra ridgetops Saturday night and Sunday. Storms since the fall have caused drought to retreat from nearly half the state. As of Thursday night, downtown Los Angeles had received 9.82 inches of rain since the start of the water year on Oct. 1, nearly 4 inches above normal to date and well above the 3.76 inches that had fallen in the same period a year earlier.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 21, 2017 |
A9
FROM THE COVER
Mars investigating Skittles said to be intended for cattle By Candice Choi A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — A mysterious Skittles spill on a rural highway in Wisconsin is taking another twist, with Mars Inc. saying it doesn’t know why the discarded candy might have been headed to become cattle feed. The case began when a Wisconsin sheriff posted on Facebook this week that “hundreds of thousands of Skittles” had
been found spilled on a highway. Later, he updated the post to say the candy had fallen off a truck on its way to be cattle feed. Only red Skittles had spilled out, and Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt joked in the post that it would be difficult to “Taste the Rainbow” in its entirety. The incident gained attention after CNN wrote about it, citing a report from a local affiliate. A variety of food bypro-
ducts are commonly used for animal feed, and Mars says it has procedures for discarding foods for that purpose. However, the company says the Skittles in question came from a factory that doesn’t sell unused products for feed. “We don’t know how it ended up as it did and we are investigating,” Mars said. Schmidt said one of his deputies came across the spill and sent him photos, which he posted on Facebook. He said the Skittles
spilled from a box that started to disintegrate in the rain, and about half of them got out. The Skittles on the ground did not have the standard letter “S” on them, he said. Mars spokeswoman Denise Young said the Skittles were supposed to be destroyed because a power outage prevented the signature “S” from being placed on the candies. She said Mars planned to contact the sheriff’s office and the farmer to find out more.
Inauguration coverage shows deep divisions remain By David Bauder A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — The media brought a reverence for history and ceremony to its coverage of President Donald Trump’s inaugural on Friday, yet deep divisions exposed in the campaign that brought him there weren’t far from the surface. With the armchair psychologists reading the expressions on Hillary Clinton’s face, several sour reviews of Trump’s inaugural address and images of rock-throwing protesters, the air of celebration was muted. Nonnews networks ESPN, BET and MTV aired the moment when Barack Obama was sworn in eight years ago. Not this time. An anti-Trump demonstration in Washington, D.C., was essentially ignored by television networks until the stands set up for dignitaries witnessing the oath of office cleared. Then pic-
ELECTION From page A1 hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1. Notice of filing must be at the headquar-
TRUMP From page A1 At the inauguration, the crowd that spread out before Trump on the National Mall was notably smaller than at past inaugurals, reflecting both the divisiveness of last year’s campaign and the unpopularity of the incoming president compared to modern predecessors. After the swearing-in, demonstrations unfolded in the streets of Washington. Police in riot gear deployed pepper spray after protesters smashed the windows of downtown businesses, denouncing capitalism and the new president. Police reported more than 200 arrests by evening and said six officers had been hurt. At least one vehicle was set afire. Short and pointed, Trump’s 16-minute address in the heart of Washington was a blistering rebuke of many who listened from privileged seats only feet away. Surrounded by men and women who have long filled the government’s corridors of power, the new president said that for too long, “a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.” His predecessor, Obama, sat stoically as Trump pledged to push the country in a dramatically different direction.
tures of demonstrators clashing with police emerged. No doubt an incoming administration and supporters who frequently view the media as the enemy were taking notes. “It’s just disappointing that it’s starting out with a little bit of a cloud,” New York Republican Rep. Chris Collins said on ABC, in a discussion about colleagues who stayed away from Trump’s inaugural in protest. “But that’s the decision that they’re making.” The living ex-presidents attended Trump’s oath of office, with the exception of the hospitalized George H.W. Bush. Both Nicolle Wallace on NBC and Bob Schieffer on CBS noted that there was no evidence any of them voted for Trump. Clinton reacted with silence when she arrived at the Capitol with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and reporters shouted questions about what it felt like to attend her rival’s
inauguration. Some on TV, like ABC’s Anita McBride, didn’t even need a reply: “That’s not the smile of a woman who is happy to be here right now,” she said. “It’s gotta sting,” NBC’s Lester Holt said. Although some shouts of “lock her up” within the audience echoed the campaign, there was a moment of televised grace at the luncheon that followed when Trump saluted Clinton and dignitaries in attendance stood and applauded. Following Trump’s 16-minute inaugural address, Brian Williams on MSNBC drew a contrast to the new president’s image of an “American carnage” to the call to action in President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 speech. Several commentators noted that the speech was aimed more at Trump’s supporters than constituents who are suspicious of him. “I have to say it was surprisingly divisive for an inaugural address,” said NBC’s “Meet the
Press” host Chuck Todd. “It’s tough to be both a unifier and that populist carrier. He went with populism and I think it’s going to play well with his folks but that wasn’t the type of inaugural address that was intended to bring this country together.” ABC’s Tom Llamas called it the first speech of Trump’s re-election campaign. “For anyone who hoped or thought that the magnitude of the moment would change Donald Trump, they were completely wrong,” he said. The speech was a repudiation to many of the politicians who surrounded Trump, analysts said. “It was definitely a bipartisan hand grenade,” said CBS’ Gayle King. On Fox News Channel, overwhelmingly the news source of choice for Trump supporters, analyst Dana Perino called the speech “very muscular.” Tucker Carlson said it was populist, not conservative.
ters office in person or by certified mail no later than 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Any citizen of the United States who is at least 18 years of age, a resident in the county area repre-
sented by the seat, who is not engaged professionally in education or who is not a member of a school district board of trustees, a county board of trustees, or a board of an institution of higher educa-
tion, may be elected to the board of directors membership. If additional information is desired, contact Cornelio Gonzalez, executive director, at 956-9846001.
Trump’s victory gives Republicans control of both the White House and Congress — and all but ensures conservatives can quickly pick up a seat on the closely divided Supreme Court. Despite entering a time of Republican dominance, Trump made little mention of the party’s bedrock principles: small government, social conservativism and robust American leadership around the world. He left no doubt he considers himself the product of a movement — not a party. Trump declared his moment a fulfillment of his campaign pledge to take a sledgehammer to Washington’s traditional ways, and he spoke directly to the alienated and disaffected. “What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people,” he said. “To all Americans in every city near and far, small and large from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again.” But the speech offered scant outreach to the millions who did not line up behind his candidacy. Trump’s call for restrictive immigration measures, religious screening of immigrants and his caustic campaign rhetoric about women and minorities angered millions. He did not di-
Getty
U.S. President Donald Trump waves to supporters as he walks the parade route with first lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump after being sworn in at the 58th Presidential Inauguration January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
rectly address that opposition, instead offering a call to “speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.” While Trump did not detail policy proposals Friday, he did set a high bar for his presidency. The speech was full of the onetime showman’s lofty promises to bring back jobs, “completely” eradicate Islamic terrorism, and build new roads, bridges and airports. Despite Trump’s ominous portrait of America, he is taking the helm of a growing economy. Jobs have increased for a record 75 straight months, and the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in December, close to a 9year low.
Yet Trump’s victory underscored that for many Americans, the recovery from the Great Recession has come slowly or not at all. His campaign tapped into seething anger in working class communities, particularly in the Midwest, that have watched factories shuttered and the certainty of a middle class life wiped away. Randy Showalter, a 36-year-old diesel mechanic and father of five from Mount Solon, Virginia, said he felt inspired as he stood and listened to Trump’s speech. “I feel like there’s an American pride that I’ve never felt, honestly, in my life,” said Showalter, who donned Trump’s signature “Make America
Prosecutor: ‘Dance Mom’ should be imprisoned for fraud PITTSBURGH — A prosecutor on Friday urged a federal judge to sentence “Dance Moms” star Abby Lee Miller to prison instead of probation for bankruptcy fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Melucci called witnesses to buttress his contention that the reality TV show star tried to avoid repaying hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt by hiding about $775,000 in income from a bankruptcy court. Miller’s attorneys will call witnesses when the hearing continues Feb. 24, after which she’ll be sentenced. Miller and her attorneys said they won’t comment until then. Melucci faces an uphill battle to convince U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti that Miller deserves two to 2 1/2 years in prison. That’s because the judge filed tentative findings on the eve of Friday’s hearing essentially agreeing with the defense argument that Miller deserves probation because no creditors lost money once the bankruptcy fraud was discovered. But Melucci said the law allows Conti to sentence Miller based on the amount of money she intended to avoid repaying. He said the only reason for Miller to hide income was to avoid repaying everything she owed. “No one would rob a bank if he knew it had no money in it,” Melucci argued. Miller filed for bankruptcy largely because she had defaulted on a $245,000 mortgage on a Florida condominium and a $96,000 mortgage on her dance studio in Penn Hills, a Pittsburgh suburb. She listed nearly $60,000 in other debts, including unpaid property taxes. Miller wanted the Chapter 11 bankruptcy court to let her repay only $150,000 of the condomin-
ium mortgage at a lower interest rate — and at one point offered to Miller forfeit the property to avoid repaying anything. She sought to repay her other debts in full, but without interest or at lower rates. The outraged bankruptcy judge eventually ordered Miller to repay every penny. Miller pleaded guilty in June to purposely hiding her income in financial disclosure statements filed with the bankruptcy court starting in 2012. People who file Chapter 11 must honestly disclose their assets so the creditors can fairly assess whether to approve any court-approved repayment plan. “The entire Chapter 11 system is based on full disclosure, and if there’s not full disclosure, the whole system falls apart,” U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee Larry Wahlquist testified. But Miller repeatedly hid her true income — as well as contracts for future income from her TV shows — until her channel-surfing bankruptcy judge saw her on TV and concluded Miller must be making far more than the $8,899 in monthly income she initially declared. Wahlquist testified Miller earned $8,000 to $25,000 per episode as her popularity exploded, and deposited money in nonapproved bank accounts to hide assets. Miller eventually coughed up $288,000 in TV income she’d received. Federal investigators later determined she had hidden nearly $550,000 more from personal appearances, dance sessions and merchandise sales. Miller made a major concession on an unrelated charge that she also pleaded guilty to in June, sneaking $120,000 in foreign currency into the country from Australia in 2014.
Great Again” red hat. Trump’s journey to the inauguration was as unlikely as any in recent U.S. history. He defied his party’s establishment and befuddled the news media. He used social media to dominate the national conversation and challenge conventions about political discourse. After years of Democratic control of the White House and deadlock in Washington, his was a blast of fresh air for millions. At 70, Trump is the oldest person to be sworn in as president, marking a generational step backward after two terms for Obama, one of the youngest presidents to serve as commander in chief. The 44th president, who will continue to live in Washington, left the city after the swearing-in ceremony for a family vacation in California. At a farewell celebration with staff members at Joint Base Andrews, he thanked them for having “proved the power of hope.” While Trump bucked convention as a candidate, he embraced the pomp and pageantry of the inaugural celebrations. He was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, reciting the 35-word oath with his hand placed upon two Bibles, one used by his family and another during President Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration. During an afternoon parade, he stepped outside the armored presi-
dential limousine with Mrs. Trump and his 10year-old son, Barron, to walk two brief stretches of Pennsylvania Avenue. In a show of solidarity, all of the living American presidents attended the inaugural, except for 92-year-old George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized this week with pneumonia. His wife, Barbara, was also in the hospital after falling ill. But more than 60 House Democrats refused to attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony in the shadow of the Capitol dome. One Democrat who did sit among the dignitaries was Hillary Clinton, Trump’s vanquished campaign rival who was widely expected by both parties to be the one taking the oath of office. At a post-ceremony luncheon at the Capitol, Trump declared it was an honor to have her attend, and the Republicans and Democrats present rose and applauded. While most of Trump’s first substantive acts as president will wait until Monday, he signed a series of papers formally launching his administration, including official nominations for his Cabinet. Sitting in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor, the president who had just disparaged the Washington establishment joked with lawmakers, including House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, and handed out presidential pens.
By Joe Mandak ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A10 | Saturday, January 21, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER CHAPO From page A1 of crime, violence, death and destruction, and now he’ll have to answer for that,” Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said at a news conference. The court appearance came hours after Guzman’s Thursday night extradition from Mexico, where he had become something of a folk hero for two brazen prison escapes. Guzman, who is in his 50s, was ordered held without bail in a special Manhattan jail unit where other high-risk inmates — including Mafia boss John Gotti and several close associates of Osama bin Laden — spent their time awaiting trial. “It is difficult to imagine another person with a greater risk of fleeing prosecution,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. Prosecutors described Guzman as the murderous overseer of a threedecade campaign of smuggling, brutality and corruption that made his Sinaloa cartel a fortune while fueling an epidemic of cocaine abuse and related violence in the U.S. in the 1980s and ‘90s. Guzman faces the possibility of life in prison. To get Mexico to hand him over, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. They are also demanding he forfeit $14 billion in assets. Outside court, Guzman defense attorney Michael Schneider said: “I haven’t seen any evidence that indicates to me that Mr. Guzman’s done anything wrong.” He also said he would look into whether his client was extradited properly to New York. The U.S. has been
trying to get custody of Guzman since he was first indicted in California in the early 1990s. American authorities finally got their wish on the eve of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, though it was not clear if the timing of the extradition was intended as a sign of respect to the Republican or some kind of slap, perhaps an effort to let outgoing President Barack Obama take the credit. When Guzman got off a plane in New York, “as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could see the fear, as the realization kicked in that he’s about to face American justice,” said Angel Melendez, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. While Guzman faces federal charges in several U.S. states, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn won the jockeying to get the case. The U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn has substantial experience prosecuting international drug cartel cases and was once led by outgoing U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. New York City also boasts one of the most secure lockups in the United States, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan. The drab-looking building is protected by steel barricades that can stop up to 7 1/2 tons of speeding truck, and the area is watched by cameras capable of reading a newspaper a block away. The jail’s inmates have included Ramzi Yousef, who was the architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and Ponzi king Bernard Madoff. In the special high-
security wing for the riskiest inmates, around a dozen prisoners spend 23 hours a day in roughly 20-by-12-foot cells, prohibited from communicating with one another. Meals are eaten in cells, and exercise is in a recreation area specifically for these inmates. Only a limited number of carefully vetted jailers would be allowed access to an inmate with Guzman’s wealth and potential to corrupt people, said Catherine Linaweaver, a former Metropolitan Correction Center warden who retired in 2014. The special unit’s strict confinement drew criticism from the human rights group Amnesty International in 2011. The jail saw an audacious escape attempt in 1982, when two armed people in a hijacked sightseeing helicopter tried to pluck an inmate off a roof. Four years earlier, three prisoners broke out by cutting through window bars. Guzman, whose nickname means “Shorty,” presided over a syndicate that funneled tons of cocaine from South America into the U.S. via tunnels, tanker trucks, planes, container ships, speedboats and even submarines, prosecutors said. Initially arrested in 1993, he broke out of a maximum-security Mexican prison in 2001, apparently in a laundry cart, and became a folk legend among some Mexicans, immortalized in song. He was caught in 2014 but escaped again, this time through a hole in his prison cell shower. A specially rigged motorcycle on rails whisked him to freedom through a mile-long tunnel. He was recaptured in a January 2016 shootout that killed five associates.
CITY From page A1 Raven Petroleum refinery that is set to open in Duval County, near Hebbronville, in the coming years. This plant is predicted to generate 300400 permanent jobs, and Rathmell believes Zapatans will take advantage of this opportunity. “The refinery is close enough that Zapata residents will benefit from the project as well. You almost have to be optimistic,” Rathmell said. The county is also in the midst of several infrastructure projects that should be completed in 2017. For instance, Zapata County is completely revamping its sewer plant. Rathmell called it a substantial project, made possible through a USDA grant/loan. It’s
The county judge said he is also looking forward to the Raven Petroleum refinery that is set to open in Duval County, near Hebbronville, in the coming years. projected to cost around $6-8 million. “Our existing sewer plant is close to 60 years old, and as our community continues to grow, we’re going to outgrow it,” Rathmell said. Zapata’s county roads are also seeing improvements thanks to state funding for roads damaged by oil trucks. Zapata received $600,000 for repairs, which was split evenly among their commissioners’ precincts. The repairs should all be finished in the next few months. Also, the Texas Department of Transportation is working on build-
ing a totally new bridge across Falcon Lake to replace the current one. Rathmell said the county itself is stable and strong in spite of cutbacks. “We’ve reduced our workforce significantly to accommodate lower revenues, but we’re still providing all the same services,” he said. And, as ever, Falcon Lake remains a source of confidence. “I’m always optimistic about Falcon Lake and drawing fishermen,” Rathmell said. “That has always been our steady hand.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, January 21, 2017 |
Dear Heloise: Another birthday has gone by, and I'm looking at my GIFTS. They're pretty, they're nice, but I couldn't possibly keep them all for the past 84 years. The flowers die, and the hand lotion and perfume will last forever. What I need is an hour of your time. Shovel snow, fix a leaky faucet, close windows for the winter, help with shopping, pay a beautician to come and cut my hair, mop the kitchen floor, adjust the TV -- the ideas are endless! It's my fault. When I'm asked what I want for my birthday or a holiday, I clam up. I just can't ask for help. So I say nothing. I want to share my feelings and those of many people my age. Thanks for listening. -Helene B., Martinsburg, W.Va. Helene, thanks for your powerful letter.
Readers, putting some thought into your gifts can help seniors get services they can really use, instead of well-intentioned but unnecessary trinkets. - Heloise PILLOW TALK Dear Heloise: Can I do anything with old bed pillows? I can't donate them to a clothing charity (hygienic reasons), but could I give them to an animal shelter for animals to sleep on? I hate to just throw them away. I read your column in The (Fredericksburg, Va.) Free Lance-Star. -- Barbara H., via email As long as the pillows are washable, you can donate them to animal shelters -- they would appreciate your kind gesture! - Heloise
A11
Sports&Outdoors A12 | Saturday, January 21, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS LONGHORNS
UT tumbles down recruiting rankings Texas’ recruiting class outside nation’s top 30 By Brian Gosset FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Eric Gay / Associated Press file
With incoming head coach Tom Herman taking over the program at Texas this offseason, the Longhorns have fallen down the recruiting rankings during his transition period.
FORT WORTH — The University of Texas has fallen on hard times when it comes to recruiting. The Longhorns’ class is not ranked in the top 30 by Rivals, ESPN or Scout, where the Longhorns are No. 38. Since having Scout’s top class in 2012, Texas averaged No. 12 the past four years, including No. 3 in 2016, when the Longhorns had five recruits in the top 100, and one fivestar recruit. This year, the Longhorns’ highest ranked player is Austin Westlake quarterback Sam Ehilinger, at 119th. The class may not appear as strong
because three former Baylor commits dipped into the 2017 numbers when they transferred to Texas following the sexual assault scandal at Baylor. They were ESPN 300 offensive lineman J.P. Urquidez, three-star athlete Donovan Duvernay and Patrick Hudson, the top-ranked offensive guard and No. 56 player in the country. Area high school football coaches believe that coaching changes and the lack of success have also affected this year’s class. "Biggest thing is success rate," Saginaw Boswell’s John Abendschan said. "They won it in 2005 and since then, lost the next one, and just haven’t
had much success. Schools that are winning get the recruits and Texas hasn’t won." Texas went 5-7 in 2016, their third straight losing season. The 16-21 stretch led to the firing of Charlie Strong, who was replaced with Tom Herman on Nov. 27. "Word of mouth on Tom Herman is that he’s an energetic guy and brings a lot to it," Abendschan said. Herman was 22-4 in two seasons at Houston. He served as a graduate assistant at Texas in 1999, and had stints at Sam Houston State, Texas State and Rice before moving to Ohio State, where he coordinated the Buckeyes’ offense in their
championship season in 2014. "Tom has Texas college roots so he understands recruiting in the state," Colleyville Heritage’s Joe Willis said. "But if you’re a Texas team and you’re winning, you’re also winning the recruiting battle." Some coaches also believe their recruiting is slightly down due to Texas A&M’s move to the SEC and the boom of games seen on television or online. "Kids want to be apart of a winner, but Texas and the Big 12 have declined since losing Texas A&M to the SEC," South Hills coach J.J. Resendez added. "Big 12 has relevance when Texas is good."
MLB: TEXAS RANGERS
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
‘PUDGE’ EXCITED BY HALL NOMINATION Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press file
The Rangers completed a free-agent deal with starting pitcher Tyson Ross who signed for a $6 million, one-year contract.
Rangers complete free agent deal with Tyson Ross By Stephen Hawkins ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Schuyler Dixon / Associated Press
Former Rangers catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Wednesday becoming the second catcher elected on the first ballot along with Johnny Bench.
Rodriguez makes history on first-ballot By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ARLINGTON — Ivan Rodriguez said he barely slept for three days waiting to find out whether he would get enough votes for election to baseball’s Hall of Fame. Once Pudge was secure as just the second catcher behind Johnny Bench to get in on the first ballot, the 14-time AL All-Star said he wasn’t bothered by the slim margin. And Rodriguez shrugged off one of the reasons it was so close — allegations from former Texas teammate Jose Canseco in a 2005 book that he injected Rodriguez and other Rangers with steroids. “It doesn’t matter,” Rodriguez said Wednesday night in a news conference at the ballpark he called home for 13 of his 21 seasons. “I’m going to be in Cooperstown in July. That’s all that matters. I’m very happy with that.” Based on numbers, it could have been a landslide. Rodriguez led catchers in games (2,543), hits (2,844) and extra-base hits (934). He is the only major leaguer to win 13 Gold Gloves and have a career average of at least .295. A teenager when he debuted with the Rangers in 1991, the 45-year-old supplanted
Pedro Martinez as the youngest Hall of Famer. “I’m very happy and honored to say that I’m going to be right next to my favorite catcher growing up, my hero, Johnny Bench,” Rodriguez told an audience that included several members of his family. “And would love in July if I could sit right next to him before I step in front of the microphone.” Rodriguez won his only World Series with Florida in 2003 and played for six teams, including five seasons with Detroit. The 1999 AL MVP left no doubt which cap will be on his plaque — the decision is up to the Hall, but in his case there is little debate. It will be the second with a Texas “T” after Nolan Ryan’s in 1999. “I’m starting right from the beginning, since 16 years old, when I didn’t know how to speak the language, I don’t know how to say ‘yes’, or any of that,” said Rodriguez, the fourth native of Puerto Rico in the Hall after Roberto Clemente (1973), Orlando Cepeda (1999) and Roberto Alomar (2011). “Having trouble ordering food and communicating and all that to be a big leaguer in ’91 and play with players, that helped me grow up fast.” Rodriguez, now a special assistant to Rangers general manager
Jon Daniels, got the call at home and shared some emotional moments with his family. His nearly 30-minute news conference was filled mostly with the megawatt smile that helped make him a fan favorite. While his offensive numbers were strong — including a .332 average and career-high 35 homers in his MVP season — Rodriguez’s arm stood out when he came up. Rodriguez led the AL in caught stealing percentage nine times and at 42 percent had the best rate for any catcher with at least 480 games since the stat was first tracked in 1974. The Rangers made their first three trips to the playoffs with Rodriguez behind the plate in 1996, ’98 and ’99. But they lost nine straight games to the Yankees after winning the first. His title with the Marlins came in his first year after leaving the Rangers, but he returned for part of the 2009 season. “I feel most proud to be in the Hall of Fame as a first-timer,” said Rodriguez, the 52nd player elected on his initial appearance. “It’s not the second time or the fourth time. To be there in one of one is an honor.” No matter how close the vote was.
ARLINGTON — Unable to acquire Tyson Ross through a trade in the past, the Texas Rangers made the right-hander a priority when he became a free agent this offseason. Ross and the Rangers on Thursday finalized a one-year deal that is worth up to $9 million for the pitcher whose only start last year came in the season opener for the San Diego Padres. “A process a couple of years in the making,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “In the recruiting process, and getting to know him, we feel even stronger about the addition.” The deal, with a base salary of $6 million and another possible $3 million in performance bonuses based on starts, got done after Ross completed a physical. He spent most of last season on the disabled list for shoulder inflammation, then had surgery in October for thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. While Ross isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season, once he is fully healthy he would be set to join a rotation led by Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Martin Perez. “I don’t know what the date’s going to be, but I’m totally comfortable that not only will I be ready, but I’ll be back 100 percent in helping this club win some games down the stretch,” Ross said. The Rangers had
signed Texas native Andrew Cashner, another former Padres starter and one of Ross’ good friends, to a $10 million, one-year deal early this offseason. Right-hander A.J. Griffin, who made 23 starts last season for Texas after missing two full seasons following Tommy John surgery, was re-signed. The 29-year-old Ross is 32-53 with a 3.64 ERA in 153 big league appearances with 102 starts for Oakland (2010-12) and San Diego (2013-16). Before his lone start last season, Ross’ 407 strikeouts in 2014-15 ranked third in the National League for that period. In those two seasons before getting hurt, he was 23-26 with a 3.04 ERA and averaged 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He was selected to the 2014 NL All-Star team. One of the first things Ross did when waking up after surgery just more than three months ago was ask for a baseball. He wanted to make sure he’d still be able to throw a slider. Daniels said Ross and the Rangers are intentionally being conservative in the pitcher’s rehab to make sure he gets 100 percent healthy. Ross would earn $100,000 for each start from eight to 11, $150,000 for 12-15 and $200,000 for 16-25. He would get a $500,000 assignment bonus if traded. Right-hander Brady Dragmire was designated for assignment to make room on the Rangers’ 40-man roster.