COULD COWBOYS TURN TO ROMO?
WEDNESDAYDECEMBER 14, 2016
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DALLAS OWNER JERRY JONES TALKS MAKING SWITCH FROM PRESCOTT TO ROMO, A7
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TRUMP PRESIDENCY
TEXAS
From ‘oops’ to DOE chief
Gov. Greg Abbott on proposed legislation
Trump picks Rick Perry to head Department of Energy By Matthew Daly and Will Weissert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — He ran for president twice, but Rick Perry may be best known for two made-for-TV moments: uttering “oops” when he
forgot the Energy Department was one of the agencies he pledged to eliminate and being a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.” The former Texas governor is Presidentelect Donald Trump’s choice to become energy
secretary, two people with knowledge of the decision say. If confirmed by the Senate, Perry is likely to shift the department away from renewable energy and toward oil and other fossil fuels that Perry continues on A11
Bathroom issue discussed Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg
Rick Perry, former governor of Texas, has been picked to head the Energy Department.
OIL AND GAS
EPA FRACKING REPORT OFFERS FEW ANSWERS ON DRINKING WATER Poses risk in some instances By Matthew Daly A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
W
ASHINGTON — Is hydraulic fracturing — better known as fracking — safe, as the oil and gas industry claims? Or does the controversial drilling technique that has spurred a domestic energy boom contaminate drinking water, as environmental groups and other critics charge? After six years and more than $29 million, the Environmental Protection Agency says it doesn’t know. A new report issued Tuesday said fracking poses a risk to drinking water in some circumstances, but a lack of information precludes a definitive statement on how severe the risk is. “Because of the significant data gaps and uncertainties in Fracking continues on A11
David McNew / Getty
Pump jacks are seen at dawn in an oil field over the Monterey Shale formation on March 24, 2014 near Lost Hills, California.
By Patrick Svitek THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
Gov. Greg Abbott is adopting a wait-and-see approach about anticipated legislation that would prohibit transgender people in Texas from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. “I have not seen any proposed legislation yet,” a characteristically cautious Abbott told reporters Tuesday at the Capitol. “I think we are in a situation where there are more Abbott unknowns than there are knowns.” Among those variables, Abbott said, is the legal challenge to President Barack Obama’s guidelines directing public schools to accommodate transgender students. The incoming administration of GOP President-elect Donald Trump could bring an end to that dispute, which was an impetus for the push for a so-called “bathroom bill” in Texas. While it was unclear whether Abbott viewed the issue as a priority, he nonetheless said it deserves attention. The concern that the bill would address, Abbott said, has “been expressed by many Texans,” and he added that the issue is “something that needs to be looked at.” While such legislation has not been released yet in Texas, Abbott continues on A11
GUERRERO, MEXICO
Tired of abductions, Mexican townsfolk kidnap drug boss’ mom By Mark Stevenson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — In one of the stranger chapters of Mexico’s drug war, angry people in a southern town kidnapped the mother of a gang leader to de-
mand the release of their loved ones. The government of Guerrero state said Tuesday that it was sending about 220 soldiers and police to try to defuse the situation in Totolapan. The town has been controlled
for years by a drug gang boss whose proper name is Raybel Jacobo de Almonte, but who is better known as “El Tequilero.” De Alamonte has lived up to his nickname, which translates roughly as “The Tequila Drinker.” In his only known public
appearance, he was captured on video drinking with the town’s mayor-elect. De Alamonte mumbles inaudibly and has to be held up in a sitting position by one of his henchmen. In recent months, his gang — also known as the Tequileros
—has been fighting turf battles with other gangs in the area. Last week, the Tequileros allegedly kidnapped several inhabitants of Totolapan who they wanted to extort or whom they suspected of supporting a rival. Kidnap continues on A11