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IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
NAFTA
SEVEN STRAIGHT MONTHS OF INCREASES
Talks on track for unhappy ending By Andrew Mayeda, Josh Wingrove and Eric Martin BL OOMBERG NEWS
Eric Gay / AP
A Border Patrol agent escorts an immigrant suspected of crossing into the United States illegally along the Rio Grande near Granjeno, Texas. The election of Trump contributed to a dramatic downturn in migration, causing the number of arrests at the border to hit an all-time low in April. But since then, the number of immigrants caught at the southern border has been increasing monthly.
Border arrests surge, erasing early gains touted by Trump By Elliot Spagat A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
The U.S. government on Friday announced a seventh straight monthly increase in people being arrested or denied entry along the Mexican border, erasing much of the early gains of President Donald Trump’s push to tighten the border. Denials of entry for people at official crossings and border arrests reached 39,006 in November, up 12 percent from 34,855 in October and more than double the 15,766 who were stopped or arrested in April. But November’s figure was still down 38 percent from 63,361 for November of 2016,
shortly before Trump took office. Border arrests don’t capture how many people got away from agents but are widely used to understand trends in how many attempt to enter the country illegally. Trump touted the dramatic decline in arrests during the early months of his presidency as evidence that his administration was making the border more secure. Reasons for the drop and recent rise are unclear but Trump’s pledge to build a wall with Mexico may have initially discouraged people from trying and now be having less impact. Administration officials said Border continues on A6
Eric Gay / AP
An immigrant suspected of crossing into the United States illegally along the Rio Grande is held by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents.
The U.S., Mexico and Canada are heading into 2018 with no clear plan for saving the North American Free Trade Agreement. Negotiators are poised to wrap up their latest round of talks Friday in Washington without closing any new chapters of a revamped accord. While officials made headway on issues such as telecommunications and e-commerce this week, according to people familiar with the talks, the parties haven’t finalized agreements on even minor issues since October. The lack of progress makes the goal of reaching a deal by March seem increasingly unrealistic. “People have to be planning for what they do in a worstcase scenario,” said Robert Holleyman, a partner at Crowell & Moring who served as deputy U.S. Trade Representative under Barack Obama. “At the same time, I’ve never seen industry more involved across all sectors in making the case that the U.S. needs to come out with a NAFTA that allows all three countries to declare victory.” Only two chapters are completed out of a new deal that’s expected to include nearly 30. The three nations had already punted discussion of tough issues such as regional-content requirements for cars to qualify for NAFTA’s benefits and investor-state dispute systems, where U.S. proposals have been described as unworkable by Canada and Mexico. Narrowing Gaps This week’s round focused on narrowing gaps in chapters where previous progress had been made, said Amelia Breinig, spokesperson for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. Negotiators “substantively” completed an annex on energyefficiency standards, she said NAFTA continues on A6
MEXICO
Military to remain in policing role Human rights groups voice objections By Mark Stevenson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s Congress approved a law Friday that would give the military a legal framework to act as police, despite unanimous objections from human rights groups. President Enrique Peña Nieto is expected to sign the bill into law, after the Senate made changes to try to calm fears that army troops could be used to crack down on protests
and local authorities would be free of pressure to improve their police. Peña Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party had used its majority in the lower house to quickly approve the Senate’s changes. The law lets the president to issue a decree allowing military deployments for one year to certain states where there are “threats to national security” and police aren’t able to cope with violence. But the president could
also grant unlimited extensions, allowing the military to become a permanent presence, as they have become in the particularly violent border state of Tamaulipas for more than a decade. Rights groups in Mexico and abroad were quick to criticize the legislation, saying deployments could be endlessly renewed and local governments would have no need to train and recruit competent, honest law enforcement. Military continues on A6
Yuri Cortez / AFP/Getty Images
A demonstrator shouts in front of the Senate building during a protest against the approval of an Internal Security Law which allows the army to act as police in Mexico.
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, December 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, DEC. 16
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
8th annual Birdies on the Rio golf tourney. 7 a.m. registration at the Max Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Join the Rio Grande International Study Center for the biggest, baddest golf tournament in town. $150 per golfer (all-inclusive). Register at www.rgisc.org.
SUNDAY, DEC. 17 Ring Noel 9th Annual Handbell Concert. 4-5 p.m. First United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 1220 McClelland. Free and open to the public. Musical selections will include both sacred and secular arrangements of favorite Christmas/Advent carols as well as a Ring-Sing-A-Long with the bells and organ.
MONDAY DEC. 18 Special Screening of Documentary Film "Crazywise.” 5:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) - Main Entrance (next to Laredo Driver License Office), 1901 Bob Bullock Loop. “Crazywise” adds a voice to the growing conversation that believes a psychological crisis can be an opportunity for growth and potentially transformational, not a disease with no cure. The screening is 82 minutes long, followed by a 20-minute discussion. Event is free. Please RSVP at 956-307-2014. Contact information: Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar, gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com, 956-307-2014 City Council District III Holiday Extravaganza. 6-9 p.m. Slaughter Park, 202 Hendricks, with Mayor Pro Tempore Alex Perez Jr.
TUESDAY, DEC. 19 Bilingual Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting. 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classroom No. 7, the entrance to the parking lot is on Davis Street. The support group welcomes adults suffering from anxiety and/or depression to participate in free and confidential support group meetings. Contact information: Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar, gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com, 956-307-2014
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SUNDAY, DEC. 31 New Year’s Eve celebration. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Downtown Laredo at the Outlet Shoppes at Laredo parking lot.
SATURDAY, JAN. 6 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, FEB. 3 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, MARCH 3 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, APRIL 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, MAY 5 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, is pursued by reporters in the Capitol after signing the conference committee report to advance the GOP tax bill Friday.
HUGE GOP TAX BILL HEADS FOR PASSAGE WASHINGTON — After weeks of quarrels, qualms and then eleventh-hour horsetrading, Republicans revealed their huge national tax rewrite late Friday — along with announcements of support that all but guarantee approval next week in time to give President Donald Trump the Christmas legislative triumph he’s been aching for. The legislation would slash tax rates for big business and lower levies on the richest Americans in a massive $1.5 trillion bill that the GOP plans to muscle through Congress before its year-end break. Benefits for most other taxpayers would be smaller. “This is happening. Tax reform under Republican control of Washington is happening,” House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin told rank-and-file members. According to the 1,097-page bill released late Friday, today’s 35 percent rate on corporations would fall to 21 percent, the crown jewel of the measure for many Republicans. Trump and GOP leaders had set 20 percent as their goal, but added a point to free money for other tax cuts that won over wavering lawmakers in final talks. The legislation represents the first major legislative achievement for the GOP after nearly a full year in control of Congress and the White House. It’s the widest-ranging reshaping of the tax code in three de-
cades and is expected to add to the nation’s $20 trillion debt. The debt is expected to soar by at least $1 trillion more than it would without the tax measure, according to projections. Support is now expected from all Senate Republicans, ensuring narrow approval. Democrats are expected to oppose the legislation unanimously. “Under this bill, the working class, middle class and upper middle class get skewered while the rich and wealthy corporations make out like bandits,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “It is just the opposite of what America needs, and Republicans will rue the day they pass this.” The bill would drop today’s 39.6 percent top rate on individuals to 37 percent. The standard deduction — used by around twothirds of households — would be nearly doubled. Those who itemize their taxes face mixed results. The $1,000 per child tax deduction would grow to $2,000, with up to $1,400 available in IRS refunds for families who owe little or no taxes. But the deduction that millions use in connection with state and local income, property and sales taxes would be capped at $10,000. Deductions for medical expenses that lawmakers once considered eliminating would stay.
AROUND TEXAS Academy Sports & Outdoors sued for selling gun to Texas church shooter SAN ANTONIO — The family of three people killed in a Texas church shooting has filed a lawsuit seeking $25 million in damages against a sporting goods chain that sold two firearms to the shooter. The lawsuit claims Katy, Texas-based Academy Sports & Outdoors was negligent in selling to Devin Patrick Kelley an AR-556 rifle used in the deadly Nov. 5 shooting. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in San Antonio by the family of Joann Ward, who along with her two daughters were among the 26 people killed. In a statement, the sporting goods retailer offered condolences to the victims but said it complied with all laws. The sporting goods chain has previously confirmed that Kel-
Edward A. Ornelas/San Antonio Express-News
First responders work the scene of a shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas on Sunday, Nov. 5.
ley had bought two firearms from two different San Antonio stores in 2016 and 2017. The Pentagon's watchdog agency said it found a "troubling" number of failures this year by military law enforcement agencies to alert the FBI to criminal history information. The Pentagon's inspector general was reviewing compli-
ance requirements when former Air Force member Devin P. Kelley opened fire in a Sutherland Springs, Texas, church on Nov. 5, killing 25 people, including a pregnant woman. About 20 people were wounded in the attack. Kelley had been convicted of assaulting family members in a 2012. — Compiled from AP reports
Today is Saturday, Dec. 16, the 350th day of 2017. There are 15 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes. On this date: In 1653, Oliver Cromwell became lord protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. In 1809, the French Senate granted a divorce decree to Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine. In 1811, the first of the powerful New Madrid earthquakes struck the central Mississippi Valley with an estimated magnitude of 7.7. In 1917, science-fiction writer Sir Arthur C. Clarke was born in Minehead, Somerset, England. In 1930, golfer Bobby Jones became the first recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award honoring outstanding amateur athletes. In 1944, the World War II Battle of the Bulge began as German forces launched a surprise attack against Allied forces through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg. In 1950, President Harry S. Truman proclaimed a national state of emergency in order to fight "world conquest by Communist imperialism." In 1960, 134 people were killed when a United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided over New York City. In 1976, the government halted its swine flu vaccination program following reports of paralysis apparently linked to the vaccine. In 1985, at services in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, offered condolences to families of 248 soldiers killed in the crash of a chartered plane in Newfoundland. In 1991, the U.N. General Assembly rescinded its 1975 resolution equating Zionism with racism by a vote of 111-25. In 1997, singer Nicolette Larson, a recording artist who lifted Neil Young's pop hit "Lotta Love" to the top of the charts in the 1970s, died in Los Angeles at age 45. Ten years ago: British forces formally handed over to Iraq responsibility for Basra, the last Iraqi region under their control. Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg died in Deer Isle, Maine, at age 56. Five years ago: President Barack Obama visited Newtown, Connecticut, the scene of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre; after meeting privately with victims' families, the president told an evening vigil he would use "whatever power" he had to prevent future shootings. Two Topeka, Kansas, police officers, Cpl. David Gogian and Officer Jeff Atherly, were shot to death in a grocery parking lot; the suspected gunman was later killed after an armed standoff. A 23-year-old woman was brutally raped and beaten on a bus in New Delhi, a crime that triggered widespread protests in India. One year ago: President Barack Obama put Russia's Vladimir Putin on notice that the U.S. could use offensive cyber muscle to retaliate for interference in the U.S. presidential election, his strongest suggestion to date that Putin had been well aware of campaign email hacking. John Glenn's home state and the nation began saying goodbye to the beloved astronaut starting with a public viewing of his flag-draped casket inside Ohio's Statehouse rotunda in Columbus. Today's Birthdays: Civil rights attorney Morris Dees is 81. Actress Joyce Bulifant is 80. Actress Liv Ullmann is 79. CBS news correspondent Lesley Stahl is 76. TV producer Steven Bochco is 74. Former Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons is 73. Pop musician Tony Hicks is 72. Pop singer Benny Andersson is 71. Actor Ben Cross is 70. Rock singer-musician Billy Gibbons is 68. Rock musician Bill Bateman is 66. Actor Xander Berkeley is 62. Actress Alison LaPlaca is 58. Actor Sam Robards is 56. Actor Jon Tenney is 56. Actor Benjamin Bratt is 54. Country singer-songwriter Jeff Carson is 54. Actor-comedian JB Smoove is 52. Actress Miranda Otto is 50. Actor Daniel Cosgrove is 47. Rhythm-andblues singer Michael McCary is 46. Actor Jonathan Scarfe is 42. Actress Krysten Ritter is 36. Actress Zoe Jarman is 35. Country musician Chris Scruggs is 35. Actor Theo James is 33. Actress Amanda Setton is 32. Rock musician Dave Rublin is 31. Actress Hallee Hirsh is 30. Actress Anna Popplewell is 29. Actor Stephan James is 24. Thought for Today: "History never really says goodbye. History says, 'See you later.'" — Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan writer (1940-2015).
SATURDAY, JUNE 2 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, JULY 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave.
SATURDAY, AUG. 4 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25.
AROUND THE WORLD Report: Rich will get richer unless policies change TOKYO — Global income inequality has worsened over the past four decades, a report finds, with the wealthiest 1 percent of the world’s population capturing twice as much income growth as the bottom half. The world’s middle class, made up mostly of people in North America and Europe, has by some measures
fared the worst. Globalization has boosted incomes for hundreds of millions of people in developing countries, particularly China and India. And it has lowered pay for manufacturing workers and other middle-income employees in the developed world. The World Inequality Report 2018 is based on an interactive collection of data compiled by an international team of researchers that includes renowned economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez.
CONTACT US Their previous research drew attention to widening inequality in the United States by highlighting the disproportionate income gains enjoyed by the richest 1 percent since 1980. The new report argues that countries can reduce inequality through more progressive taxation and by subsidizing education. It points out that the U.S. and Western Europe had similar levels of inequality in 1980, with the top 1 percent holding about 10 percent of income. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, December 16, 2017 |
A3
CRIME
Texas among last states to OK medical marijuana By Paul J. Weber And Claudia Lauer A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MANCHACA, Texas — When California rings in the new year with the sale of recreational pot for the first time, Texas will be tiptoeing into its own marijuana milestone: a medical cannabis program so restrictive that doubts swirl over who will even use it. Texas is the last big state to allow some form of medical marijuana, albeit an oil extract so low in the psychoactive component, THC, that it couldn’t get a person high. Though it might seem that Texas policymakers have softened their attitude toward the drug, bringing them more in line with the U.S. population as a whole, they have not. A joint could still land you in jail in Texas, and the state’s embrace of medical marijuana comes with a heavy dose of caution. Among the concerns are the license fees to grow marijuana in Texas — which are the highest in the U.S., at nearly $500,000 — and that the program is rolling out with just eight participating doctors in a state of 27 million people. And, like other states, access is limited to a small pool of patients who have been diagnosed with intrac-
table epilepsy and tried at least two other treatments first. “It’s heartbreaking. Being able to say, ‘Yes, you can get it,’ but reading over the whole law there is still some things we have to jump over,” said Cristina Ollervidez, 31, who lives near the Texas-Mexico border and is three hours from the closest participating doctor. Her 7-year-old daughter, Lailah, has a type of epilepsy called LennoxGastaut syndrome and is in a wheelchair. Her daughter isn’t listed as having intractable epilepsy but still has days when she gets several seizures. “Seeing Texas put limitations, I do get that part,” Ollervidez said. “But I don’t think they did their exact research.” The frustration over access is similar in other states that have also passed restrictive medical marijuana laws. One Georgia legislator goes so far as to have low-dose cannabis oil shipped to his office from Colorado as a workaround to his own bill, which allows people to possess marijuana but doesn’t give them a legal way to obtain it. Texas is similar to more than a dozen states that restrict access to a lowTHC cannabis oil. However, Texas — which is 800 miles (1,300 kilometers)
Eric Gay / AP
Dalton Edwards works with marijuana plants in a flowering room at Compassionate Cultivation, a licensed medical cannabis cultivator and dispensary Thursday in Manchaca, Texas. The license fees to grow in Texas are the highest in the U.S. at nearly $500,000 and the program is rolling out with just seven participating doctors in a state of 27 million people.
wide — licensed just three dispensaries, none of which are in the western half of the state or in fast-growing cities along the border with Mexico. And the Republican who won over skeptical conservatives to pass her law in 2015 is noncommittal about expanding the program. That leaves Morris Denton, who runs the Compassionate Cultivation dispensary near Austin, looking far down the road. “If you’re willing to take a long-term view and you’re willing to suffer a few scars along the way, that success will come,” Denton said. “The lessons themselves represent a barrier to entry for others who may come in. But I think it’s hard to pinpoint how, where and when to start a legal medical cannabis industry.” Texas has also placed tighter control on mari-
juana growers. The licensing fee is 80 times more than originally recommended. The Texas Department of Public Safety once proposed a fee as high as $1.3 million to help offset the costs of state troopers patrolling the dispensaries, although that recommendation was later dropped. Growers are required to have surveillance video of every square foot of their facility and to preserve recordings for two years, which is longer than some police dashcam footage must be retained in Texas. They also aren’t allowed to bring in a third-party to test the quality of their product. The driver behind the Texas law is Republican Stephanie Klick, a Christian conservative who strongly opposes the recreational use of drugs and who didn’t support expanding her law this spring. She said it took
her 18 months to round up enough votes in the Legislature and convince skeptics that patients weren’t going to abuse the cannabis oil. “There was one sheriff that thought these kids were going to be juvenile delinquents and end up in his jail. And these are really sick kids,” Klick said, noting that lawmakers will consider expansion only after they’ve seen the results of the current framework. Only four states — Kansas, South Dakota, Nebraska and Idaho — have no form of medical marijuana on the books. Seventeen others, including Texas, allow only low-THC medical cannabis, according to research from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Kristen Hanson, a program director for NCSL, said Texas is unusual for requiring that a doctor “prescribe” the cannabis
oil instead of using the word “referral” like most states. The distinction is blamed for dissuading more Texas doctors from signing up, because under federal law, marijuana is classified as a Schedule 1 drug with no medical use and therefore can’t be prescribed. Dr. Paul Van Ness, a neurologist at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, is one of the few doctors who have registered with state to participate in the program. He said he supports the restrictive nature of the Texas program, though he concedes the downside is limited access. He said he already has patients smoking marijuana, some of whom have been arrested because of it. “They didn’t belong in jail, but that’s what happens in Texas,” Van Ness said. “So if they can do it legally, that’s a lot safer.”
Alleged serial killer indicted in fourth death Officials cut toll he led police last year to in Texas and Oklahoma. indicted William Lewis projects from the graves where Cain Reece late Thursday on a Cox, 19-year-old Tiffany and Cox’s remains were Johnston, 17-year-old charge of capital murder ANGELTON, Texas — transportation plan buried. in the 1997 disappearance Jessica Cain and 12-yearAn alleged serial killer A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
has been indicted in the slaying of a North Texas college student nearly two decades after she went missing. A Texas grand jury
and death of 20-year-old University of North Texas student Kelli Cox. Reece was charged this summer in three other cold-case killings
old Laura Smither all disappeared over a fourmonth period in 1997. Reece was serving a 60-year sentence in Texas for kidnapping when
Reece has pleaded not guilty in Oklahoma, where prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty.
Two immigrant teens in custody can’t get abortions By Jessica Gresko A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
The American Civil Liberties Union says President Donald Trump’s administration is blocking two pregnant immigrant teens being held in federal custody from obtaining abortions, a repeat of the situation that led to a high-profile court fight earlier this year. Both girls arrived in the country as unaccompanied minors and are being held in federal shelters, the ACLU said, though it didn’t say where. The
ACLU earlier this year represented a pregnant teen in the same circumstances in Texas, helping her obtain an abortion following a lawsuit. On Friday evening, the ACLU filed court papers updating the lawsuit filed in that earlier case to include the two additional teens, saying the facts of their cases are similar. The ACLU is asking a federal judge to order the government not to interfere with or obstruct the girls’ access to abortions. “Both minors have asked their respective
doctors and their shelters for an abortion, but to date,” the government has “not allowed them to access abortion,” the ACLU wrote. The judge overseeing the case has set a hearing for Monday. The same judge previously ruled in favor of the ACLU’s first plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe. Lawyers for the Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for sheltering children who illegally enter the country unaccompanied by a parent,
have previously said the department has a policy of “refusing to facilitate” abortions. The department didn’t immediately comment on the updated lawsuit Friday. In court paperwork, the ACLU refers to the two new teens as Jane Roe and Jane Poe. It says 17-yearold Jane Roe learned in late November that she was pregnant during a medical examination while she was in federal custody. She decided to have an abortion but has not been allowed to, the ACLU wrote.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN — Texas transportation officials are removing all new tollway projects from a significant 10-year construction plan, including what would have been additional toll lanes on Interstate 35 through Central Texas. The Texas Transportation Commission unanimously voted Thursday to scrap all tolled projects from its $70 billion Unified Transportation Program. The decision came despite pleas of nearly a dozen political, civic and business leaders in Central Texas to keep the I-35 express lanes in the plan. “A vote today to exclude I-35 from the (plan) is a mistake that will take Texas into a future of worsening gridlock,” said Sen. Kirk Watson, who represents the Austin area. The commission this fall had been moving toward adding up to 15 toll projects to that long-term plan. The commission
argued that some large urban projects would not be possible without charging tolls and selling bonds, despite at least $4 billion in tax money going to the state Department of Transportation each year under constitutional amendments approved in 2014 and 2015. But the commission had received pressure from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who were responding to conservative, anti-toll activists. They argued that Texas voters assumed there would be no new toll projects following the passage of the two amendments, which state that the influx of money couldn’t go toward toll projects. “No one likes paying tolls. At the same time, no one likes being stuck in traffic,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said. “It is real clear that in Central Texas and in Austin, our priority in that choice would be to go and fix I-35.”
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A4 | Saturday, December 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
The deserving rich and poor By Timothy Egan N EW YORK T I ME S
This time of year, you look twice at the sketchy drug addict blocking the sidewalk in front of Starbucks. You give a second thought to the overly bundled elderly woman waiting in line at the food bank. You wonder what life would be like if that palsied kid in the trailer had medical attention. Americans are a generous people — so it is always said. But our generosity comes with moral judgments: There’s a thin line, in the minds of many, between the poor who deserve help and those who should get off their butts. Similarly with the wealthy. Do entitled rich kids who would otherwise be parking cars without Daddy’s help — think Donald Trump Jr. and his brother Eric — deserve to inherit a vast estate without paying taxes on their unearned largesse? These are old arguments, dating to Dickens’ heartless Ebenezer Scrooge and the noble Cratchit family. But once again, these narratives are at the heart of enormous changes about to take place in how we treat the rich and the poor. The assumptions are fraught with fiction. Let’s start with the most deserving and least to blame — children. About 9 million American kids, in families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid and not enough to afford their own coverage, can now see a doctor under the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program. Two million of those children have chronic health conditions — epilepsy, asthma and diabetes among the ailments. The program has always had bipartisan support. So why are the working poor now getting notices telling them their kids may soon be cut off? Funding for the program technically expired Sept. 30 and it has yet to be renewed. The politicians running the asylum in Washington say they plan to pay for it, but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. They’re busy with other things — an enormous corporate tax cut and breaks for the lobbying class. Priorities. It was during a recent discussion of children’s health care that we got a taste of the moral fantasies of the insular political elites. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah — who, to his credit, helped create the children’s health program with Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., in 1997 — went on a rant against the poor. He was not specifically talking about children, or the program that he has pledged to renew. He was going after a straw man that has been around
since Ronald Reagan’s Cadillac-driving welfare cheat. “I have a rough time wanting to spend billions and trillions of dollars to help people who won’t help themselves — won’t lift a finger — and expect the federal government to do everything,” he said. Hatch didn’t define this indolent recipient of unmerited trillions, but surely he was not attacking agribusiness owners who get paid not to grow things. President Donald Trump claims personal knowledge of the undeserving poor. “I know people that work three jobs and they live next to somebody who doesn’t work at all,” he said in Missouri last month. The sponger “is making more money and doing better than the person that’s working his ass off.” Wow. Sounds awful. And almost certainly not true. Trump did not cite the source of his tale of two households. And it’s doubtful, in the friendless circle of clueless rich people with whom he shares Diet Cokes, that he actually “knows people” living next to welfare bums. Of the nearly 44 million people getting some help to buy groceries with food stamps — the largest of the nonentitlement federal welfare programs — most of them work, after you deduct for the disabled and those too old or young to hold a job. The benefit amounts to about $1.40 per person per meal. Tough to eat one of Trump’s steaks on that amount of change. As we know, truth is as disposable to Trump as one of his junk food wrappers. Better to look at the motive behind the lie. The president used his story of the mooch next door to kick off a campaign to punish the poor. The tax cuts, heralding a $1.5 trillion increase in the deficit, are hugely unpopular and have to be paid for somehow. Shifting attention to those parasitic bums takes pressure off the rich. Speaking of which, we now know the real reason, thanks to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, why Republicans want to repeal the estate tax. All the scare stories about family farms and third-generation businesses going under have been proved to be as mythic as the subsidized slacker. Andrew Carnegie, in his famous “Gospel of Wealth” essay, said of the estate tax, “Of all forms of taxation, this seems the wisest.” But in Grassley’s view, the tax hits the virtuous “as opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it’s on booze or women or movies.” Well said, Mr. Potter. Timothy Egan is a columnist with the New York Times.
COLUMN
Can black voters turn the south blue? By Michelle Goldberg NEW YORK TIME S
The contest for Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination is between two women named Stacey, both progressive lawyers who grew up in poverty, and it looks like a political science experiment about the future of the Democratic Party. It’s not just that Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia House minority leader, is black, and Stacey Evans, a former state representative from suburban Atlanta, is white. More significant are their divergent strategies for victory, which show, in microcosm, the debate Democrats are having about how to rebuild the party in the age of Trump. Do they try to win back white voters who’ve abandoned them? Or do they assume that most of those voters are gone for good, and invest in turning out minorities and white liberals? Evans, who has been endorsed by Roy Barnes, Georgia’s last Democratic governor, is running an education-focused campaign meant to lure white swing voters. As The Atlanta JournalConstitution reported, it’s an approach that “failed her party the past four elections, but it helped a generation of Georgia Democrats win office before them.” Abrams, by contrast, thinks she can prevail with a coalition of mobilized minority voters and white progressives. It’s a new, largely untried strategy for a Southern politician running statewide, but after Jones’ miraculous victory in Alabama, it suddenly looks possible.
We’ve all heard a lot about how the calamity of Donald Trump’s election has led women of all races to pour into politics. But it’s not just women; there’s a new political intensity among people of color more broadly. African-Americans in particular are once again shouldering the burden of redeeming America from its worst impulses. High black voter turnout last month in Virginia — where the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Ed Gillespie, ran a campaign full of Confederate nostalgia — was crucial to the Democratic wave in that state. And in Alabama on Tuesday, black voters defied all predictions, as well as attempts at voter suppression, to turn out at historic levels. Though African-Americans are only 26 percent of the population, exit polls showed that they might have made up as much as 30 percent of voters. These voters went for Jones overwhelmingly; he won 98 percent of black women. “Let me be clear: We won in Alabama and Virginia because #BlackWomen led us to victory,” tweeted the Democratic National Committee chairman, Tom Perez. Adrianne Shropshire is the executive director of BlackPAC, a national organization founded last year that helped lead the far-reaching effort to mobilize African-American voters in Alabama and Virginia. “Black people in general, and black women specifically, are desperately trying to drive us out of a ditch,” she told me after Jones’ victory. “And the reason why is because we know there is nothing good for us in that ditch. We are
clear about where we cannot go as a country.” And it’s not just voters; there’s anecdotal evidence that people of color are seeking local office in large numbers. Arisha Hatch, director of the Color of Change PAC, told me there’s a “wave of black women candidates, specifically at the mayoral level, some at the district attorney level.” Amanda Litman, cofounder of Run for Something, which helps progressive millennials seeking political office, says half her group’s endorsed candidates are people of color. In addition to Georgia, there are progressive black gubernatorial candidates in Florida and Maryland. It’s hard to say how viable most of these candidates are. America has a shockingly bad record of electing black people to statewide office, and black turnout alone isn’t enough to change that. (There have only been four black state governors, including one who served in Louisiana for 35 days during Reconstruction.) Depending on how you look at it, Jones’ victory can bolster either Evans’ or Abrams’ case. As Greg Bluestein wrote in The Journal-Constitution, for Evans, “who is hoping to reclaim white moderates who once regularly voted for Democrats, the defection of suburban voters to Jones’ camp was an encouraging sign.” Yet the truth is that while white turnout was mostly weak, Roy Moore did pretty well with the white people who showed up to vote. Despite credible allegations that he sexually assaulted teenagers, Moore won 68 percent of white vot-
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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
ers overall and 77 percent of whites without a college degree. It was black turnout — the key to Abrams’ strategy — that saved the day. As Abrams points out, you need to get a lot more white voters to win statewide office in Alabama than you do in Georgia. The non-Hispanic white population in Alabama is around 66 percent; in Georgia, it’s less than 54 percent. The challenge for Democrats is getting voters of color to turn out at the same rate as white people, particularly in nonpresidential years. Alabama shows that, with enough resources and organizing, it can be done. And if it can be done, it means that Democrats don’t need to woo culturally conservative white people in order to resurrect the party in the South. “What I am arguing is that we actually embrace the new reality of what the South looks like,” Abrams told me. Jones proved that it’s possible to win in the South — in Alabama! — without moving right on social issues by leaning hard into the Obama coalition of people of color, educated white liberals and young people. “The next proof point is to show that this is something that can be exported and doesn’t require a pedophile as your foil,” says Abrams. Whoever wins the nomination probably won’t have the luxury of running against someone like Moore. The only foil she can count on is the racist groper in the White House. Michelle Goldberg is a columnist with the New York Times.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, December 16, 2017 |
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A6 | Saturday, December 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
Mexican front-runner picks Cabinet ahead of 2018 presidential election A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — Frontrunning presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador presented the Cabinet if would form if he wins Mexico’s July 1 elections, and his choice for the top security post quickly
MILITARY From page A1 They said the bill was rammed through Congress without discussion and does not provide sufficient guarantees that soldiers would respect human rights of suspect, detainees or the general public. “I don’t want my children to grow up in a militarized country,” said actor Diego Luna during a protest outside the Senate earlier this week. While generally respected in Mexico, the army has been accused of executing and torturing suspects, and even the Mexican military has acknowledged that it is not trained or designed to do police work. The bill approved Friday would allow soldiers to legally do what they have been doing ad hoc for at least a
NAFTA From page A1 in an email. “The United States continues to look for serious engagement and meaningful progress in these talks for a modernized and rebalanced NAFTA,” Breinig said. With a general election in Mexico and a U.S. congressional vote next year, time is running out to salvage the 23-year-old accord, which governs more than $1 trillion in trade. President Donald
BORDER From page A1
sought to downplay his proposal to analyze giving amnesties to criminals. The amnesty proposal has drawn criticism from analysts who say it wouldn’t work and would weaken law enforcement. Proposed Interior Secretary Olga Sanchez said the
amnesties are among many proposals that Lopez Obrador is weighing, but hasn’t adopted. Sanchez, a former supreme court justice, said the proposal could simply boil down to offering sentence reductions, plea bargains or protected witness
status for some criminals, to better pursue drug cartels. Sanchez said all three policies are common tactics in the United States. But Mexico has no formal version of plea bargaining, and no phrase to really describe it.
decade: conduct raids, man highway checkpoints, and pursue and detain suspects. Even with the new law, the army cannot investigate crimes, and can only detain people they catch in middle of illegal actions. That encourages troops to make up pretexts for searches or arrests, and doesn’t help Mexico’s woeful record on investigation and prosecution of crimes. But the fact that Mexican cartels use grenades and grenade launchers, machine guns and bullet-proof vehicles, means they outgun most state and municipal police forces. And some police have been found to be actually working for drug cartels. A group of U.N. human rights experts wrote in an open letter Thursday that the new law also broadly categorizes information about the military operations as na-
tional security issues, meaning they would be kept as state secrets. The group said the law and does not provide adequate protection for human rights. A rights group known as Security Without War said in a statement that the law could still be appealed to the Supreme Court on constitutional grounds. It expressed hope that opposition legislators will file such an appeal. The law “does not contain controls and checks and balances to oversee the enormous military deployment it would encourage,” according to the group. “It elevates to the status of a law, a public safety strategy that has been shown to have failed over the last decade.” Opposition members of the lower house later said they would file a Supreme Court appeal, claiming the
law was unconstitutional and noting it had been rushed through Congress without enough time to debate it. The Senate changes were aimed at easing concerns the army could be used to crack down on dissent. A previous version of the bill had only banned the military from intervening in “peaceful” protests, but the Senate version prevents them from interfering with political protests in general. Senators also tacked on a requirement that states receiving military help must draw up a plan to improve corrupt or inefficient police forces within six months. The army has maintained a policing role since 2006, when local forces were deemed too small, corrupt or out-gunned to fight cartels and soldiers were dispatched by former President Felipe Calderon.
Trump has threatened to pull out of the deal if a new pact doesn’t favor the U.S. The next round of talks in Montreal from Jan. 23-28 is looming as a key moment. Expectations for major breakthroughs at the past two rounds of talks were dampened by the lack of political involvement. The ministers responsible for NAFTA are expected to directly participate in the discussions again at the meetings next month in Canada. The slow pace of talks
that began in August, and Trump’s brinkmanship, have fueled speculation about what would happen if the U.S. issues a six-month withdrawal notice under the agreement. Trade lawyers and economists in Washington are debating whether Congress has the authority to block the president from raising tariffs on Mexico and Canada. “Trump can tweet that he’s withdrawn, but the tariff preferences could remain in place,” said Caroline Freund, a senior fellow at the Peterson
Institute for International Economics. “It would be withdrawal on paper but not in substance.” Withdrawal Warning Republican lawmakers, including Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, have warned Trump not to withdraw. Still, some experts doubt whether Congress could stand in Trump’s way. “History suggests it would be very challenging for Congress to muster the will and the energy to forcefully counter that,” said Holleyman.
last week that they were concerned about an increase in families and unaccompanied children showing up at the U.S. border with Mexico. Customs and Border Protection asked for changes to a 2008 law that gave new protections to children entering the country who are not from Canada or Mexico and prevents them from quickly being sent home. Tyler Houlton, a Homeland Security Department spokesman, said illegal immigration has declined over the last year. The uptick since April “underscores that Congress must act immediately to close immigration loopholes, fund the border wall, terminate outdated visa programs and provide the necessary tools for DHS officials to carry out their mission,” he said. November’s count was far below the number of people who were stopped trying to enter the U.S. during the Obama administration’s final months and the summer of 2014, when large numbers of families and children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras crossed through southern Texas. Still, it was higher than five months in 2014 and in 2015 and four months in 2013. Border Patrol arrests of people traveling as families totaled 7,018 in November, up 45 percent from 4,839 in October. Arrests of unaccompanied children reached 4,000, up 26 percent from 3,168 a month earlier. Trump made his pledge for a “big, beautiful wall” with Mexico a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. Last week, the government announced that Border Patrol arrests plunged to a 45-year low in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Congressional Democrats have balked at Trump’s request for $1.6 billion to build or replace 74 miles (118 kilometers) of wall in San Diego and Texas’ Rio Grande Valley by October.
Meanwhile, left-wing lawmakers such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders are pushing Trump to stick to his promise to deliver a better deal for workers. A breakthrough next month may require a shift in the dynamic between the three nations. Mexico and Canada are reticent to put forward counter-proposals on what they see as provocative U.S. proposals. Meanwhile, U.S. negotiators are frustrated with the lack of back-andforth exchanges on their
core demands. At the last round, in Mexico City, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer made it clear the U.S. wants changes that will “rebalance” trade on the continent, and he urged Mexico and Canada to engage in a “serious way.” “The negotiating round in January will be the moment of truth,” said Lori Wallach, director of the Global Trade Watch program at Public Citizen, a nonprofit group that says NAFTA has hurt workers.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, December 16, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Bingo 1 La escuela primaria Fidel & Andrea R. Villarreal Elementary School invitan al primer bingo Turkey and Roster Holiday Bingo en Zapata County Pavillion, el 18 de diciembre desde las 7 p.m.
Fiesta Navideña 1 El distrito escolar Roma Independent School District invita a la Fiesta Navideña que se llevará a cabo el 18 de diciembre en Roma ISD Performing Arts Center, 2031 N. US 83, desde las 6:30 p.m. con la presentación de Roma ISD Folkloric Program Chrismas Show.
Concierto 1 El Centro de Bellas Artes del distrito escolar Roma Independent School District invita a su Serie de Conciertos Navideños 2017: lunes 18, concierto del programa Folklórico de Roma ISD. El concierto inicia a las 6:30 p.m., en Roma ISD PAC, 2031 North US Highway 83. Evento gratuito pero se aceptan donativos. Mayores informes al 956-847-1690.
Clínica sobre aves de corral 1 El Departamento de Ciencias de las Aves de la universidad Texas A&M University invita a su taller sobre Aves de Corral el 19 de diciembre, de 6 p.m. a 8 p.m. en Oswaldo & Juanita Ramírez Exhibit Hall, ubicado en 23rd. y Glenn Street, en Zapata. El taller proporciona una excelente oportunidad para aprender sobre el manejo y exhibición de las aves de corral. Evento gratuito y abierto al público pero se requiere registro previo. Mayores informes con Joevanna Sanches al 956-437-4822; Fernando Rodríguez al 956-763-1344, o bien, escriba a Lesley Gleason en Lesley.gleason@tamu.edu
Fiesta de regalos 1 La preparatoria Zapata High School invita a la Fiesta de Regalos que se llevará a cabo el 21 de diciembre a las 4:30 p.m., en Zapata County Courthouse Plaza para niños de 10 años y menores.
Posada en Roma 1 La ciudad de Roma invita a la Posada 2017 Toys for Kids, el 21 de diciembre desde las4 p.m., en la Plaza Histórica de Roma. Todos los niños platicarán con Santa Claus y recibirán un regalo.
Vacaciones de Navidad 1 El distrito escolar Zapata County Independent School District informa que las oficinas administrativas y las escuelas pertenecientes al distrito tendrán sus vacaciones de Navidad del 25 de diciembre 2017 al 5 de enero de 2018.
Aviario 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Informes al 956-8491411.
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RUBÉN GUILLERMO ULLOA
Pornografía infantil E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Un ex maestro del distrito escolar United Independent School District (UISD por sus siglas en inglés), fue acusado el viernes de producción de pornografía infantil. Rubén Guillermo Ulloa, de 37 años, fue puesto bajo custodia e hizo su aparición inicial ante el Juez Magistrado Guillermo García. Se le ordenó permanecer bajo custodia pendiente de una probable causa y audencia de detención programada para el 20 de diciembre. A principios de este mes, la policía de Laredo
arrestó y acusó a Ulloa de agresión sexual a un menor. El 1 de noviembre, una niña de 16 años le dijo a su madre acerca de la agresión sexual que supuestamente involucraba a Ulloa, dijo el Departamento de Policía de Laredo (LPD por sus siglas en inglés). “La víctima declaró que Ulloa la llevó a un parque local el día que ocurrió el incidente”, dijo LPD en un comunicado. No se proporcionaron más detalles del caso. Ulloa enseñó por un año en la secundaria Salvador Garcia Middle School del distrito escolar United Independent
TAMAULIPAS
School District. Él renunció al empleo en junio. UISD dijo que su partida no estaba relacionada a ninguna clase de relaciones inapropiadas con los estudiantes. El caso de pornografía infantil se originó cuando una menor que recibía clases de piano por parte de Ulloa hizo un reporte a las autoridades, dijo la Oficina del Fiscal. “Ulloa supuestamente había estado teniendo una relación sexual con la adolescente, quien había sido su alumna en una escuela del área de Laredo”, de acuerdo a la oficina. Las autoridades dijeron
que una querella criminal, que no estuvo disponible el viernes, establece que las autoridades ejecutaron una orden de arresto en la casa de Ulloa y recuperaron varias computadores y dispositivos electrónicos. Una revisión forense de estos aparatos mostraron imágenes pornográficas de la menor, las cuales supuestamente había tomado Ulloa. Ulloa está acusado de producción de pornografía infantil y enfrenta un mínimo de 15 y hasta 30 años en prisión federal así como una posible multa máxima de 250.000
dólares. Investigaciones de Control de Aduanas de Seguridad Nacional, condujeron la investigación con ayuda de la policía de Texas A&M International University y el Departamento de Policía de Laredo. El fiscal asistente Alfredo de la Rosa está procesando el caso, el cual resultó parte de Project Safe Childhood (Proyecto Niñez Segura), una iniciativa nacional lanzada en mayo de 2006 por el Departamento de Justicia para combatir la creciente epidemia de explotación y abuso sexual.
VETERANS MEMORIAL ELEMENTARY
SANTA CLAUS LLEGA A ROMA /
La ciudad de Reynosa, México, recibió un camión equipado para elementos de la Coordinación de Protección Civil en el estado como parte de un intercambio de unidades y equipos excedentes entre McAllen y Reynosa.
McAllen dona camión de bomberos E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
REYNOSA, México— La ciudad de McAllen, realizó la donación de un camión de bomberos y equipamiento para elementos de la Coordinación Regional de Protección Civil del Gobierno del Estado de Tamaulipas en la ciudad de Reynosa, como parte de un acuerdo entre ambas localidades para el intercambio de unidades y equipos excedentes para el combate de incendios, entre otras emergencias. La unidad fue entregada por el mayor Jim Darling en el Puente Internacional Reynosa- Hidalgo al representante del Gobierno del Estado de Tamaulipas en Texas, Francisco Galván y al director general de Patrimonio Estatal, Alejandro Mayne, quienes celebraron la muestra de lazos estrechos entre entidades y ciudades hermanas. “Los desastres natu-
rales no conocen fronteras. La presentación del camión de bomberos y el equipo tipo búnker a nuestros vecinos, el Estado de Tamaulipas y la ciudad de Reynosa es lo que los vecinos, la familia y los amigos hacen cuando se tiene una necesidad”, expresó el alcalde tejano. El camión de bomberos donado es una unidad Pierce Lance modelo 1994, con capacidad para seis bomberos y el transporte de casi 1.900 litros de agua. Es capaz de bombear más de 5.500 litros por minuto a su máxima capacidad y está valuado en aproximadamente en 285.000 pesos. Adicionalmente, fueron entregados 40 equipos de protección personal, como parte del acuerdo de cooperación entre las ciudades de McAllen y Reynosa. Estas prendas protectoras son utilizadas por el personal de bomberos y les permite soportar el calor extremo durante el combate a incendios.
Foto de cortesía / Roma ISD
Los alumnos de la escuela primaria Veterans Memorial Elementary de Roma, recibieron la visita de Santa Claus quien escuchó las peticiones de los menores para esta Navidad.
COLUMNA
Tapadismo, cultura política Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE LAREDO
México desarrolla al paso del siglo XX peculiar cultura política. La condensa en buena medida el tapadismo. Explorarlo, así sea de paso, nos recompensa con picarescas sazones. Hacia finales de cada sexenio presidencial, como personaje estelar aparece el tapado. Atrae miradas de moneros, escritores, periodistas y académicos. Incluso la Real Academia Española define: “En política mex-
icana especialmente”, tapado denomina al “candidato de un partido a la presidencia, cuyo nombre se mantiene en secreto hasta el momento preciso”. A decir verdad, el aludido puede sólo provenir de altos cargos públicos, monopolizados por el oficialismo. “Los secretarios de Estado tenían un papel protagónico”. Considerándose “a sí mismos” aspirantes en potencia, mantienen sorda pugna, resuelta tras “el Quinto Informe” del que jefatura el poder ejecutivo, cuando “se
hacía la selección” o “el destape”, señala Gloria M. Delgado. Ante la imposibilidad de reelegirse, en alarde de preponderancia transexenal –abunda Jorge Carpizo McGregor–, “el presidente de la República escoge … a su sucesor”, aunque durante algún tiempo “lo tapa” y evita “que a este último lo vayan a vulnerar”. La aprobación ciudadana es simple formulismo. Rius, Abel Quezada y diversos caricaturistas dan vida icónica al tapado. Coinciden en dibujarlo sin el rostro descubier-
to, vestido de traje y corbata, indumentaria que lo sugiere ricachón, al frente de estratégica oficina. Cubre la cabeza enorme pañuelo, con apenas dos orificios a la altura de los ojos y ninguna para la boca, en señal de sigilo. Lorenzo Meyer considera que se remontan a 1958, “con el sorpresivo destape de Adolfo López Mateos” por su antecesor y tocayo Adolfo Ruiz Cortines. “Marca la consolidación del tapadismo”, sostiene Elisa Servín. “La medida más eficaz de Ruiz Cortines,
… su obra maestra –tercia David Torres Mejía–, fue instaurar la práctica del tapadismo”. Tal “obra maestra” parece servirse de lides que resultan típicas. Porque la jerga oficialista aprovecha términos que remiten a las peleas de gallos. Alrededor de 1957, próxima la candidatura de López Mateos, concluye: “Es una buena forma de juego, pero bastante expuesto, por las sorpresas que proporciona”. Qué impactantes similitudes del espectáculo gallero con la política de antaño.
Sports&Outdoors A8 | Saturday, December 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
Texans ready for battle with Jaguars Jacksonville tries to clinch playoff spot By Mark Long A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis understands the position the Jacksonville Jaguars are in, maybe even better than anyone. Lewis is the lone holdover from Jacksonville’s last playoff team a decade ago. Lewis and the Jaguars lost 102 of 144 games over the nine seasons between 2007 and 2017. So the 12th-year pro has a genuine appreciation for being oh-so-close to returning to the postseason. The Jaguars (9-4) have a clear path to the playoffs: They can clinch a spot by beating Houston (4-9) at home Sunday. No help needed. No scoreboard watching necessary. No confusing scenarios. Win and they’re in. “You’ve got to take advantage of these situations,” Lewis said. “It doesn’t just happen. When you have the opportunity to do something like this, you want to be paying close attention to details and just trying to make sure that you’re doing everything that you have to do to get it done because you won’t be able to get it back.” Jacksonville has won six of its last seven games, including an eyeopening, 30-24 victory against perennial playoff
contender Seattle last week. The Jaguars controlled the game throughout, and aside from a few big plays by quarterback Russell Wilson late, were nearly flawless. Now, they’re atop the AFC South and closing in on a playoff berth. “It feels good to be playing for something in December and to still be getting better,” Lewis said. “We still haven’t played our perfect game yet, and that’s scary. I think we’re getting better at the right time.” Jacksonville’s surprising season started with a 29-7 victory at Houston. The Jags used a 10-sack performance to dominate the Texans in the opener and set the tone for the season. Injury-ravaged Houston will look far from the same in the rematch. Third-string quarterback T.J. Yates will make his first start since Dec. 20, 2015, at Indianapolis. Yates is replacing Tom Savage (concussion), who regained the starting role after dynamic rookie Deshaun Watson (knee) was lost for the season. “Yeah, there’s no doubt that our game plan this week, in many ways, will be different than maybe what you’ve seen the past few weeks,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien said. “There’s going to be a lot of differences to it. ... There’s all kinds of things
that we have to deal with, but we’ll definitely try to put together as good a game plan as we can to deal with all that.” The top priority is finding a way to block the Jaguars, who lead the league with 47 sacks. Houston has allowed 41, fourth most in the NFL. “It’s definitely going to be a point of emphasis for us,” Yates said. “We know what type of defense we’re going up against and how talented they are up front and in the back end, so we have to be sharp. Definitely the ball has to come out quick.” Here are some other things to know about the Texans and Jaguars: CLOWNEY’S WORK Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has put together the best season of his career. It comes with stars J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus out for the season. The top overall pick in the 2014 draft has shaken off the injury-filled start to his career and is second in the NFL with a careerhigh 20 tackles for losses. He also leads the Texans with a career-best nine sacks. “He’s a great player, one of the best players in the league at his position, and he can literally, by himself, take over a game,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “He
can change the course of a game.” KEY MATCHUP Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey are the matchup to watch. Ramsey shadowed Hopkins in the opener, holding him to seven catches for 55 yards and a touchdown, and is expected to do the same Sunday. “Highest-paid receiver, so that should mean you’re one of the top receivers in the league,” Ramsey said. “I would agree and say he is. He’s been balling, doing his thing.” TOUCHDOWN HAUL Hopkins leads the NFL and has tied a career high and franchise record with 11 touchdown receptions despite playing with three quarterbacks. The QB carousel is nothing new for Hopkins, who has played with nine different guys at the position since he was drafted in 2013. “It’s a challenge for me to be able to go out and play with a quarterback who hasn’t played with us often just to show the world that it doesn’t mean that you have to have a Pro Bowl quarterback or a 100 percentrated quarterback to get the job done at the wide receiver position,” he said. “So to me it’s a challenge, and I love it.”
Michael Wyke / Associated Press
Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney has nine sacks this season and is second in the NFL with a career-high 20 tackles for losses.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
COWBOYS TO TAKE ON RAIDERS Teams look to salvage rough seasons By Josh Dubow A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
OAKLAND, Calif. — A season that began with such high expectations in Dallas and Oakland is headed to the finish with the Cowboys and Raiders struggling to stay alive in the playoff race. Whether it’s Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension that helped derail Dallas (7-6) or the poor defense and offensive regression that doomed Oakland (6-7), these expected contenders have looked nothing like it heading into Sunday night’s meeting. “I think the two of us probably expected to have a few more wins at this point in the year,” Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. “I just think that’s just part of the hype around the game. It’s understood. Been talked about a lot. It doesn’t really matter. It’s what you earn on the field.” After the Cowboys won 13 games and the NFC East last year and the Raiders had 12 wins for their first playoff berth since 2002, many experts believed both would be among the top contenders this season. But Dallas got off to a sluggish start by losing three of four games early and then dropped the first three games during Elliott’s suspension that ends after this week. But that might be too late for
the Cowboys, who are in a three-way tie for eighth place in the NFC and need help to reach the playoffs . “I know how important it is for us to win and that’s the only thing we can control,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “The rest is kind of crossing fingers and I guess hoping, so for us it’s just about winning out, and that’s all we’re focused on.” The Raiders dropped four straight to fall into an early hole but managed to get back into a tie for first place in the mediocre AFC West heading into last week. But Oakland lost 26-15 to the Chiefs and is one game behind Kansas City and the Chargers in the division and a game back in the wild-card race and also needs lots of help. “If we don’t beat Dallas, there’s no playoff scenario,” left tackle Donald Penn said. “All I can focus on is our next game because this has been a frustrating season.” Here are some other things to watch: GOING DEEP Oakland’s Derek Carr ranks 32nd out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks this season when it comes to throwing deep. Carr has completed just 13 of 50 passes that traveled more than 20 yards downfield with three TDs, six INTs
David Kent / Fort Worth Star-Telegram file
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is one game away from his return as quarterback Dak Prescott and Dallas take on Oakland Sunday.
and a 48.5 rating. That’s a big drop-off from a year ago when Carr had a 117.8 rating, completing 25 of 52 deep throws with seven TDs and two INTs. “I think I completed more deep balls last year, throwing it times I shouldn’t have thrown it,” Carr said. “Throwing it up, and we all high-five and clap about those things. Again, when you lose, people just have a different way of spinning things.” ESSENTIAL LEE Dallas linebacker Sean Lee returned from a three-game absence because of a hamstring injury with his fifth career 20-tackle game against the Giants. The 2016 All-Pro
finished with 20, including 15 solos, and recorded his first interception since 2015, his longest drought when healthy. Despite missing five games overall with hamstring issues, Lee is tied for the team lead with eight tackles for loss after getting one against New York. The Cowboys are 1-5 in games Lee missed or didn’t finish because of injury. PRESSURE POINT The Raiders have done a much better job generating pressure the past three weeks since firing defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. Oakland has 12 sacks in three games under new play-caller John Pagano, nearly equaling the total of 14 in
the first 10 games. Bruce Irvin leads the way with five in that span, with Khalil Mack and Denico Autry adding three each. DEZ DROUGHT Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has never played all 16 games without recording 100 yards receiving at least once. He’s three games away from doing that. The 2014 AllPro does have six touchdowns, including a 50yard catch-and-run against the Giants. In his second year in 2011, Bryant didn’t have a 100-yard outing but missed a game early with an injury. He had nine TDs that season. STEPPING UP The Raiders have gotten few contributions
from this year’s draft class with top two picks Gareon Conley and Obi Melifonwu spending most of the season on the sideline with injuries. The biggest contributor among the rookies has been an unlikely one in undrafted linebacker Nicholas Morrow, out of Division III Greenville College. Morrow has worked his way into the starting lineup and has been a key contributor on defense in a pleasant surprise for Oakland. “I was late for OTAs and there were some days I only got two reps,” he said. “I started off training camp in group four. My expectations have been way more than exceeded. I’m definitely blessed.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, December 16, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Tech companies lead stocks higher By Alex Veiga A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
Wall Street capped the week with broad gains, propelling the major stock indexes to a new set of milestones Friday. Investors welcomed signs that Congressional Republicans were solidifying support for a major overhaul of the nation’s tax laws ahead of an expected vote next week. Technology stocks led the gains, which more than wiped out the mar-
ket’s losses from the day before. Health care companies and banks also posted solid gains. Energy stocks were the only laggard. Small-company stocks, which stand to benefit most from lower corporate tax rates, rose more than the rest of the market. “The tax bill seems to be the driver right now,” said Erik Davidson, chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Private Bank. “The market just thinks it
will get done.” The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 23.80 points, or 0.9 percent, to 2,675.81. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 143.08 points, or 0.6 percent, to 24,651.74. The Nasdaq added 80.06 points, or 1.2 percent, to 6,936.58. The Russell 2000 index of smallercompany stocks picked up 23.47 points, or 1.6 percent, to 1,530.42. The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at record highs and finished the
week with gains. The indexes were headed higher early on as investors watched developments in Washington with the Republican-led tax overhaul bill. GOP leaders moved to placate Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who had said Thursday that he would vote against the bill unless the child tax credit was beefed up. By Friday afternoon, Congressional Republicans had finalized the bill, expanding the child
tax credit, and winning Rubio’s support. The move provided a major boost for the GOP lawmakers in the Senate who are trying to hold together a razor-thin majority to pass the bill in a vote next week. Technology stocks, which are leading the market this year, notched solid gains. Intel rose $1.30, or 3 percent, to $44.56. “We had seen some rotation out of it the last few weeks,” said Jim
Davis, regional investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. “We’re starting to see more of a change back to some of the sectors that have done well this year.” Banks and other financial companies were among the biggest gainers. Navient added 58 cents, or 4.6 percent, to $13.20. A batch of strong company earnings and outlooks also helped lift the markets Friday.
Pressure rises for retailers to deliver By Anne D’innocenzio ASSOCIATED PRE SS Spencer Platt / Getty Images
An oil pump is shown in Big Springs, Texas. U.S. industrial production rose 0.2 percent in November due to a rebound in extracting oil and natural gas after a stoppage due to Hurricane Nate.
Industrial production up due to oil and gas drilling By Josh Boak A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — U.S. industrial production rose 0.2 percent in November due to a rebound in extracting oil and natural gas after a stoppage due to Hurricane Nate. The Federal Reserve said Friday that mining activity climbed 2 percent last month, while manufacturing activity rose 0.2 percent. Production of machinery and primary metals contributed to gains in the factory sector, while the overall growth for industrial output largely came from restarting oil and natural gas drilling. Production at utilities fell 1.9 percent. During the past 12 months, total industrial production has increased 3.4 percent. The growth reflects in part energy prices that have climbed to levels that are encouraging more production. Manufacturers are also showing signs of strength after having overcome a slowdown from two years ago when falling energy
prices hurt orders and a strengthening dollar made U.S. exports less competitive. Factories are using now more of their capacity and hiring more workers. The Fed’s measure of capacity utilization at factories has risen to 76.4 percent from 75.1 percent a year ago. Manufacturers have also added 189,000 jobs over the past year, according the employment report released last week. Still, the speed of the manufacturing expansion may be slowing somewhat. The Institute for Supply Management said its index of factory activity declined to 58.2 last month from 58.7 in October. This suggests that manufacturing activity will continue to increase, just not as briskly as before. Any reading above 50 is evidence of growth. Separately, The Commerce Department noted that orders for durable goods tumbled 1.2 percent in October after gains in the prior two months.
NEW YORK — A calendar quirk this year and Amazon’s sevendays-a-week delivery capability are building pressure on retailers to deliver. With Christmas on a Monday, most retailers have one less day to get packages delivered on time. Some are pushing up their deadlines for standard delivery or free shipping. And after promoting the convenience of buying online with store pickup, retailers are also trying to satisfy lots of customers coming in to collect their orders. It’s especially important for retailers to hit the mark after some missteps earlier in the season, and because online leader Amazon has the advantage of delivering on Sundays. Research firm StellaService says Dec. 19 is the most popular cutoff date for retailers, two days earlier than last year. Amazon Prime members, meanwhile, get same-day delivery up until Dec. 24 in 8,000 cities. Retailers have been trying to speed up delivery as they try to replicate the service offered by Amazon. But UPS said this month that some package deliveries were being delayed because of a surge of orders from online shoppers after Thanksgiving. And Walmart said around the same time that more online buying created delays in some orders. Holiday spending is turning out to be stronger than expected, putting more pressure on
Don Campbell / AP
Dominique Ellis collects Christmas gifts Thursday during the sixth annual Wonderland Toy Store event. Government data shows U.S. consumers went on a shopping binge last month as the holiday season began.
stores to get it right. “I am not very impressed,” said Sheryl Matson of Mount Gilead, Ohio, who has run into problems twice already. She ordered a PS4 game console on the Kohl’s website two days before Thanksgiving, and the next morning received an email that her order was cancelled. She got on the phone to resolve the issue and got Kohl’s Cash, similar to a gift card, for her troubles. A few days later, she ordered four items on the Kohl’s website for in-store pickup at two places. At one location, one of the three items was missing; at the other store, the product — a digital coin collector— was the wrong color. She says she spent two hours on the phone and $20 in
gas money to try to get it fixed. She had to keep the incorrect color, but did receive another $20 in Kohl’s cash. Now, she’s buying the rest of her gifts at stores: “You see that the merchandise is actually there, instead of relying on their system.” Kohl’s has actually carved out space for Amazon shops in some of its department stores, where shoppers can find Amazon devices and return items they bought from the online retailer. Overall, retailers are wrapping their arms around e-commerce fulfillment but “are still struggling,” said Alex Vlasto, vice president of marketing at StellaService. The company found a marked decrease in how
quickly retailers responded to queries from customers via chat message or phone during the first big shopping weekend of the season. For the 30 retailers it monitored from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, the average response time from a live customer service representative was more than three minutes, compared with less than two minutes a year ago. Responses via chat took nearly two minutes, compared with just over a minute a year ago. Shoppers seem ready to spend. Government data shows U.S. consumers went on a shopping binge last month as the holiday season began, with big increases among online retailers, electronics stores and furniture stores.
A10 | Saturday, December 16, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES