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LAND GRAB ON THE US-MEXICO BORDER Jae S. Lee / Dallas Morning News file
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, has recently seen his securities fraud trials put on hold as the lawyers pursuing the criminal charges against him fight for years of back pay.
Fraud trials of Texas AG on hold Lawyers fight for back pay By Lauren McGaughy Martin do Nascimento / The Texas Tribune
Ponies graze next to the border fence in Cameron County, Texas. The federal government seized residents property across the Rio Grande Valley to build the fence a decade ago.
With a border wall, will the government repeat its past mistakes? BY P RO PUBLI CA AND T HE TEXAS TR IBUNE
The land agents started working the border between Texas and Mexico in the spring of 2007. Sometimes they were from the Army Corps of Engineers. Other times the U.S. Border Patrol. They visited tumbledown mobile homes and suburban houses with golf course views. They delivered blunt news to ranchers and farmers, sheet
metal workers and university professors, auto mechanics and wealthy developers: The federal government was going to build a fence to keep out drug smugglers and immigrants crossing into the United States illegally, they told property owners. The structure was going to cut across their land. The government would make a fair offer to buy property, the agents explained. That was the law. But if the owners didn’t Land continues on A8
Martin do Nascimento / The Texas Tribune
Juan Cavazos, 74, at his home on Oklahoma Avenue in Brownsville. The retired teacher accepted $21,500 for the two acres the government seized, but later discovered that neighbors who hired lawyers got paid much more for their land. “We got screwed,” he said.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
AUSTIN — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s fraud trials have been put on hold as the lawyers pursuing the criminal charges against him fight for years of back pay. Judge Robert Johnson has taken Paxton’s three criminal cases off his docket for now, the court confirmed to The Dallas Morning News on Friday. While court staff did not have a reason for the removal, the three attorneys prosecuting Paxton have repeatedly asked for the cases to be halted while they fight to have their pay resumed. The delay will almost certainly push Paxton’s trials into general election season, when he will be seeking another term as the state’s top lawyer. In July, Paxton’s indictments will turn 3 Trial continues on A8
ACLU
Federal judge: Houston can clear out homeless tent cities By Michael Graczyk ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle file
Houston tent cities for the homeless may be a thing of the past as a federal judge has cleared the way for an ordinance that prohibits their existence. Officials argue the tent cities are hazardous to public health and safety.
HOUSTON — A federal judge has cleared the way for Houston city officials to enforce an ordinance that prohibits homeless people from setting up tents and temporary living quarters in public places.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt, who had blocked enforcement of the law while a civil lawsuit is pending in his court, lifted his temporary restraining order Thursday and denied a request for a preliminary injunction. “While this court is indeed sympathetic to the
impact that enforcement of the encampment ordinance on unsheltered homeless individuals poses, the court recognizes the city’s police powers to enact and enforce reasonable legislation that promotes the health, safety and general welfare of all Houston residents,” Hoyt wrote.
Happy New Year! R
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, on behalf of four homeless people, is suing the city, contending the ordinance violates the constitutional protections of homeless people and makes homelessness a crime. Hoyt disagreed with Homeless continues on A8
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Zin brief A2 | Saturday, December 30, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
New Year’s Eve celebration. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Downtown Laredo at the Outlet Shoppes at Laredo parking lot. There will be live music featuring Los Garcia Brothers, Arranque Norteño, and Sonora D Kolombia. Food vendors and beer and wine concessions will also be available. Fireworks will light up the sky at midnight, and the concert will continue until 1 a.m. The bridges over Santa Maria Street at the Outlet Shoppes at Laredo will make a great spot for viewing the fireworks extravaganza. “We are honored to host such a wonderful community event. The historic downtown is the perfect place to celebrate the New Year” remarked Dan Davila, General Manager for the Outlet Shoppes. “Come ring in the New Year on the border of two great nations.” Epoca de Oro Social Club’s annual New Year’s Scholarship Dance. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Magnolia’s Receptions at La Hacienda Hotel, 4914 San Bernardo Ave. Live music by The Three Amigos. BYOB and snack trays permitted. $30 presale and $35 at the door. For more information, call 337-7178, 740-3572, 290-7341 or 763-4458.
MONDAY, JAN. 1 In observance of the New Year’s Day holiday, all Webb County administrative offices will be closed today. The holiday closure includes the Webb County Tax Assessor Collector’s Office and the County Clerk’s Office. The Webb County Sheriff’s Department Administrative Offices will also be closed. All emergency services will be available. Webb County Offices will re-open at 8 a.m. Jan. 2. Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in English. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Westcare Foundation, 1616 Callaghan St. 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
TUESDAY, JAN. 2 The Alzheimer's support group meeting. 7 p.m. Meeting room 2, building B of the Laredo Medical Center. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer's. For information, please call 956-693-9991.
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.
Samer Abdallah / Getty Images
An Egyptian security member inspect the entrance gate of a church south of the capital Cairo following a gun attack on Friday. A gunman opened fire on a church killing at least nine people before policemen shot him dead, state media and officials said.
10 KILLED IN CAIRO CHURCH ATTACK CAIRO — At least 10 people, including eight Coptic Christians, were killed when an unidentified gunman opened fire outside a church in a south Cairo suburb, Egypt’s Health Ministry said Friday. It was the latest attack targeting the majority Muslim country’s embattled Christian minority. Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said the attack outside the Coptic Church of Mar Mina left at least one policeman dead and five others wounded, including two critically. He also said the assailant was killed in the shootout. The attack comes amid tightened security around Christian worship places and churches ahead of Coptic Orthodox Christian celebrations of Christmas on Jan. 7. Police forces have been stationed outside churches and in nearby streets churches across Cairo. A video circulating on social media after the attack apparently shows the gunman lying on the ground. Authorities have closed off the area around the church. The shootout took place when a gunman on a motorcycle tried to cross the security cordon outside the church, the Interior Ministry said. He was arrested
carrying an explosive device. The ministry said the assailant had also opened fire at a nearby store. The shootout outside the church and at the store killed eight people and a policeman. It added that the assailant was wounded in the gunfire exchange before his arrest but didn’t clarify whether the he died later. Samir Gerges, a witness, said people inside the church closed the gates when the shooting began but bullets penetrated the building. Gerges said he was walking along a nearby street when the shooting broke out. He saw people running and some taking cover from the gunfire in a nearby restaurant. Raouth Atta, 40, was attending prayers inside the church when the shooting happened. “Once the gunfire was heard, the gates were closed immediately,” she told The Associated Press over the phone, “People were terrified and wanted to check on their families in other buildings of the church. We stayed inside for 30 minutes before we were able to get out.” A statement from Egypt’s prosecutor general’s office said an investigation into the attack would be launched.
MONDAY, JAN. 8 Webb County Commissioners Court meeting. 9 a.m. 1000 Houston St. For more information, visit http:// webbcounty.com/AgendaandMinutes/
AROUND TEXAS
MONDAY, JAN. 15
Report: Plane crash killing 3 due to plane stalling out
Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in Spanish. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classroom #1. 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, 956307-2014
MOORE, Oklahoma — A plane crash in Texas last year that killed three people from Oklahoma was the result of the pilot flying too slowly, which caused the plane to stall out, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB report on the crash determined that the pilot, Dana Gray, was trying to land
at Hobby Airport in Houston when the plane went down. But the agency noted that air traffic controllers trying to help Gray land may have confused her with an “unnecessarily complex clearance during a critical phase of flight.” Also on board were her husband, Tony, and his brother, Jerry. All three were from Moore, Oklahoma. Security camera footage shows air traffic controllers tried to assist the pilot in her landing, KWTV-TV reported.
They had ordered Gray to circle around the airport to land, but she was coming in too high. Controllers distracted her when she was attempting to land a third time, according to an NTSB report. “The complex instructions from the second local controller during the pilot’s go-around following her third landing attempt, were unnecessary at that time and likely distracted the pilot from monitoring critical flight parameters,” according to the report.
AROUND THE NATION Mattis nixes holiday tradition of seeing troops in war zones WASHINGTON — For only the second time since 9/11, America’s defense secretary didn’t visit U.S. troops in a war zone during December, breaking a long-standing tradition of personally and publicly thanking service members in combat who are separated from their families during the holiday season. Pentagon boss Jim Mattis, who spent more than four decades in the Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, made a five-day trip through the Middle East in early December. He stopped in Kuwait and Pakistan — countries adjacent to Iraq and Afghanistan — but didn’t cross the borders to see troops at war in either country. Last week, he visited troops in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at military bases in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina, wishing
Robert Burns / Associated Press file
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis talks to U.S. Marine Corps troops at a rifle range at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba last week.
them holiday cheer. It has been 15 years since a U.S. defense chief didn’t travel to a war zone during the festive season. And the only time a holiday visit was skipped since Americans began fighting in Afghanistan was in December 2002. That year, then-Secretary Donald Rumsfeld went to a command post in Qatar that would be used a few months
later to coordinate the launch of the Iraq war. Asked recently why he wasn’t going to Iraq or Afghanistan, Mattis said he didn’t want to discuss his travel. “I carry out my duties to the best of my ability,” said Mattis, who visited Iraq and Afghanistan earlier this year. Dana White, his chief spokeswoman, said the secre-
tary “wanted the troops to enjoy their holiday uninterrupted. He is keenly aware of the logistical challenges of a senior leader visit, especially in a war zone.” Defense secretary trips historically have been aimed at boosting troop morale, letting service members know that senior leaders and the U.S. public recognize their sacrifice. It is less of a tradition for U.S. presidents to make December visits to conflict zones. President George W. Bush visited Afghanistan twice and Iraq four times, including a secret Thanksgiving voyage to Baghdad in 2003 and a trip to both nations’ capitals in December 2008. President Barack Obama flew to Iraq once as commander in chief and four times to Afghanistan. Only a December 2010 trip came during the holidays. President Donald Trump hasn’t yet gone to the war front, but Vice President Mike Pence flew to Afghanistan last week.
Today is Saturday, Dec. 30, the 364th day of 2017. There is one day left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 30, 1922, Vladimir Lenin proclaimed the establishment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which lasted nearly seven decades before dissolving in December 1991. On this date: In 1853, the United States and Mexico signed a treaty under which the U.S. agreed to buy some 45,000 square miles of land from Mexico for $10 million in a deal known as the Gadsden Purchase. In 1936, the United Auto Workers union staged its first "sit-down" strike at the General Motors Fisher Body Plant No. 1 in Flint, Michigan. (The strike lasted until Feb. 11, 1937.) In 1942, a near-riot of bobbysoxers greeted the opening of Frank Sinatra's singing engagement at the Paramount Theater in New York's Times Square. In 1954, Olympic gold medal runner Malvin G. Whitfield became the first black recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award for amateur athletes. In 1989, a Northwest Airlines DC-10, which had been the target of a telephoned threat, flew safely from Paris to Detroit with 22 passengers amid extra-tight security. In 1999, former Beatle George Harrison fought off a knife-wielding intruder who'd broken into his mansion west of London and stabbed him in the chest. (The attacker was later acquitted of attempted murder by reason of insanity.) Ten years ago: Three days after Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, her 19-year-old son, Bilawal Zardari, was named symbolic leader of her Pakistan Peoples Party, while her husband took effective control. Five years ago: Recalling the shooting rampage that killed 20 first graders in Connecticut as the worst day of his presidency, President Barack Obama pledged on NBC's "Meet the Press" to put his "full weight" behind legislation aimed at preventing gun violence. One year ago: Ronda Rousey was stopped 48 seconds into her comeback fight, losing to bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in Las Vegas. Today's Birthdays: Singer Patti Smith is 71. Rock singermusician Jeff Lynne is 70. TV personality Meredith Vieira is 64. Country singer Suzy Bogguss is 61. Former "Today" show co-host Matt Lauer is 60. Actress-comedian Tracey Ullman is 58. Rock musician Rob Hotchkiss is 57. Radio-TV commentator Sean Hannity is 56. Sprinter Ben Johnson is 56. CIA Director Mike Pompeo is 54. Actress Meredith Monroe is 48. Golfer Tiger Woods is 42. TV personality-boxer Laila Ali is 40. Actress Lucy Punch is 40. Singer-actor Tyrese Gibson is 39. NBA player LeBron James is 33. Pop-rock singer Ellie Goulding is 31. Thought for Today: "Work is a dull thing; you cannot get away from that. The only agreeable existence is one of idleness, and that is not, unfortunately, always compatible with continuing to exist at all." — Rose Macaulay, English poet and essayist (1881-1958).
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, December 30, 2017 |
A3
CRIME
Texas woman Police: Prank led to police shooting unarmed Kansas man accused in fatal shooting of 7-year-old child
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WICHITA, Kan. — Police and the FBI are investigating whether an argument over an online game prompted a hoax call that led to a house where an officer shot and killed a Kansas man who apparently wasn’t involved in the dispute. Wichita Deputy Police Chief Troy Livingston on Friday blamed a “prankster” who called 911 and made up a story about a shooting and kidnapping. He did not mention reports that an argument over online gaming was at the heart of the prank, although he said investigators had made good progress tracking online leads. Police have not disclosed the name of the man who was killed Thursday evening, but relatives identified him as Andrew Finch, 28. Livingston, speaking at a news conference, said the hoax call was a case of “swatting,” in which a person makes up a false report to get a SWAT team to descend on an address. “Due to the actions of a prankster we have an innocent victim,” Livingston said. He said no one has been arrested in connection with the hoax. Police played audio of the call to 911. A man said his father had been shot in the head. He said he was holding his mother and a sibling at gunpoint. The caller, speaking with relative calm, said he poured gasoline inside the home “and I might just set it on fire.” Several officers arrived and surrounded the home, braced for a hostage situation. When Finch went to the door
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Fernando Salazar / Associated Press
Wichita police investigate a call of a possible hostage situation near the corner of McCormick and Seneca in Wichita, Kansas Thursday. A man was fatally shot by a police officer in what is believed to be a gaming prank called "swatting."
police told him to put his hands up and move slowly. But Livingston said the man moved a hand toward the area of his waistband — a common place where guns are concealed. An officer, fearing the man was reaching for a gun, fired a single shot. Finch died a few minutes later at a hospital. Livingston said Finch was unarmed. The officer, a sevenyear veteran of the department, is on paid leave pending the investigation. The Finch family on Friday allowed reporters inside their home. Lisa Finch told them her son was not a gamer. “What gives the cops the right to open fire?” she asked. “That cop murdered my son over a false report in the first place.” Lisa Finch said the family was forced outside barefoot in freezing cold and handcuffed after the shooting. She said her granddaughter was
forced to step over her dying uncle and that no guns were found in the home. Dexerto, an online news service focused on gaming, reported that the series of events began with an online argument over a $1 or $2 wager in a “Call of Duty” game on UMG Gaming, which operates online tournaments including one involving “Call of Duty.” “We woke this morning to horrible news about an innocent man losing his life,” Shannon Gerritzen, a UMG vice president, said in an email to The Associated Press. “Our hearts go out to his loved ones. We are doing everything we can to assist the authorities in this matter.” She declined to disclose other details. In addition to the 911 call, police also released a brief video of body camera footage from another officer at the scene. It was difficult to see clearly what happened. The FBI estimates that
roughly 400 cases of swatting occur annually, with some using caller ID spoofing to disguise their number. An FBI supervisor in Kansas City, Missouri, which covers all of Kansas, said the agency joined in the investigation at the request of local police. In other cases of apparent swatting, three families in Florida in January had to evacuate their homes after a detective received an anonymous email claiming bombs had been placed at the address. A 20-year-old Maryland man was shot in the face with rubber bullets by police in 2015 after a fake hostage situation was reported at his home. Rep. Katherine Clark, a Massachusetts Democrat, introduced an anti-swatting bill in 2015 — then was herself the victim of swatting. Armed officers in 2016 responded to an anonymous call claiming an active shooter was at Clark’s home.
MCKINNEY, Texas — A Texas woman is facing a capital murder charge in the fatal shooting of a 7-year-old child. McKinney police say Brooke Craig, 26, was arrested early Friday on a dead-end street in Frisco, a Dallas suburb, after leading police on a car Craig chase. Police say her passenger was arrested for a parole violation. The passenger is the child’s father but Craig is not the child’s mother, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales. She said that CPS has received a report about the death and will investigate. She also said that two siblings — a 4-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl — are in CPS custody. On Thursday afternoon, police in Greenville, located about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Frisco, were summoned to a home on a call about a disturbance. At the same time, they were told a 7-year-old gunshot victim had been taken to Greenville’s Hunt Regional Medical Center. The child died soon after. Craig has been named in a capital murder warrant related to that shooting. Gonzales said that the family of the slain boy has had previous contact with
Police say she and her passenger were arrested without incident after their vehicle struck a police cruiser while attempting to back up. CPS, but that the details are confidential. Police have not released the name of the child killed, nor the relationship between Craig and the child. McKinney police said they had been contacted by Greenville police early Friday morning about the capital murder warrant for Craig. McKinney police then located her vehicle leaving a store and she fled into nearby Frisco through several residential areas before turning down the dead-end street. Police say she and her passenger were arrested without incident after their vehicle struck a police cruiser while attempting to back up. Jail records show that by Friday afternoon, Craig had been transferred from Collin County back to Hunt County, where Greenville is located. Jail records did not list an attorney in relation to the capital murder charge. According to jail records, she faces a charge in Collin County of evading arrest. The attorney listed in relation to that charge did not immediately return a call Friday.
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A4 | Saturday, December 30, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Monopolies look worse for workers than for consumers By Noah Smith B L OOM BE RG V IEW
Monopoly power is a hot topic of economic debate. Economists are starting to ask whether increasing industrial concentration is choking off productivity growth, reducing capital investment, throttling or deterring would-be entrepreneur, raising consumer prices and reducing the share of national income flowing to workers. This is a good and important effort. But it’s also possible that with all the attention being paid to concentration at the industry level, there hasn’t been enough focus on the other end of the monopoly problem local labor markets. Monopoly means there’s only one company to sell you products, like broadband services or airline tickets. If there’s only one company, or only a few, they can jack up the prices. But even if this is happening, the effect isn’t that severe. Looking at overall trends, we see that prices for consumer goods such as clothes, furniture, electronics and toys have generally fallen, while the prices of essentials like food, housing and transportation have risen only modestly - it’s health care and education that are driving inflation. But the real problem is the sluggish growth of real wages in recent years: Economists and policy makers worried about industrial concentration may be focusing too much on the prices companies charge consumers, and not enough on the wages they pay their workers. Higher prices for airline tickets and broadband are annoying, but reductions in real wages are devastating, especially for the working class. So in addition to monopolies, we need to think about local monopsonies - cases where there’s only one employer, or a few employers, in town. A company doesn’t need to be nationally big in order to be locally dominant - it could be a Wal-Mart branch, but it could just as easily be an independent lumber mill, coal mine or dairy farm. If a locally dominant employer lowers wages, why don’t the workers just move away? They may be sentimentally attached to their home. They may not have the money to move, or may lack the networks that would allow them to find a job and settle in in a new location. Or they may be two-income families that can’t move without finding two new jobs. Whatever the reason, it’s undeniably true that Americans are moving
around the country less than they used to. That potentially makes them more vulnerable to wage suppression by employers that dominate the local market. Recent empirical evidence suggests that these kinds of employers are, in fact, suppressing wages. A new paper by economists José Azar, Ioana Marinescu, and Marshall Steinbaum analyzes data from the website CareerBuilder.com, breaking down job postings by commuting zone and occupation. They find that for occupations that have fewer employers posting on the website within a commuting zone, wages are lower than for occupations where lots of companies are looking for workers. That’s consistent with the story that dominant employers are using their market power to hold down wages in areas where workers don’t have many choices. There could be other explanations - for example, towns with few employers tend to have lower wages in general. But Azar et al. control for the level of wages in the surrounding area. They also find that occupations that have only a few employers at the national level tend to have lower wages than other jobs in an area. That rules out most of the obvious alternative explanations for the correlation. Azar et al.’s evidence is important, but it’s just the first step. Data sources other than one website should be analyzed to see if the pattern holds up. And researchers should investigate whether a merger results in a decrease in wages in areas where that combination reduces the number of employers hiring within a certain field. If mergers do reduce wages by reducing workers’ employment options, that would be the smoking gun, and a firm basis for government action. But what Azar et al.’s paper shows is that antitrust is a local issue as well as a national one, and that raising wages needs to be a key goal for antitrust policy. Fortunately, some politicians are already acting. Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison has introduced a bill that would implement annual reviews of big mergers. Ellison’s bill would analyze not just whether the mergers led to higher or lower prices, but also their effect on wages and the local economy. Nor is Ellison alone in his quest - there is an entire antitrust caucus forming in the House of Representatives. The country is finally waking up to the dangers of market power.
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COLUMN
A look back at an eventful year By Jacquielynn Floyd THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
We’re fixing to close out an eventful and contentious year: So much so, in fact, that it’s been hard to keep up. Well, that’s life in these times. Between whiplash news cycles and socialmedia explosions from the internet’s volcanic abyss, even the biggest events in our shared consciousness don’t keep center stage for long. We don’t have to wait for the next bomb to drop. It probably already dropped, while you were on vacation, or sleeping late, or hunting for your car keys. What your grandpa called a "nine days’ wonder" now gets maybe nine hours. Maybe less. Technology enabled this rapid-fire dissemination of information, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. At moments of crisis and emergency, news reaches us far more quickly than it did, even a few years ago. Social media allow all Americans to experience, and even to participate in the most significant events of our time. But there’s just not enough bandwidth in our brains to take it all in. Keeping pace with current events is like standing under a waterfall and trying not to miss a drop, let alone keeping an eye on all the water already flowing downstream and out to a bottomless ocean of yesterday’s news. The term "information overload" has been around since the 1960s, but anybody with a cellphone can now live it in real time. In some cases, we have already forgotten
So I went through the annals of ancient history — back to last January, that is — and dug out a few forgotten nuggets, events that burned as hot as the sun in 2017 before quickly fading to cold and lifeless oblivion.
news events with impact on our lives that still isn’t clear. So I went through the annals of ancient history - back to last January, that is - and dug out a few forgotten nuggets, events that burned as hot as the sun in 2017 before quickly fading to cold and lifeless oblivion. It’s by no means a comprehensive list, but let’s visit some old times together: 1 The women’s marches Millions of marchers, energy and enthusiasm, those memorable hats. What did it change? I’m not quite sure. The marchers embodied a widespread phenomenon: We have a lot of anger, and we’re trying to find something to do with it. 1 Airport protests Americans rushed to local airports to protest the new administration’s Muslim-restricting travel ban, which is still being litigated. Among the protesters were more than 100 local lawyers who offered their services to detained travelers for free. 1 That thing that went wrong at the Oscars "Moonlight"? "La-La Land"? Does anybody remember which was which? Next year, maybe they’d better just give everybody a trophy.
1 Doctor dragged off United Airlines flight The forcible deplaning of a ticket-holding traveler by beefy airport security officers in Chicago sparked a brief revolt over passenger rights by downtrodden air warriors everywhere. 1 Bill O’Reilly fired It took the "me too" movement a while to spread, but then, it involved an awful lot of people. O’Reilly’s dismissal from Fox News was among 2017s earliest inklings that even powerful people who generate a ton o’ cash for their employers and investors might not be able to get away with serial sexual harassment anymore. 1 Steve Scalise shot A sitting member of Congress was gravely injured by a madman with a gun during a congressional baseball practice. It was a sobering shock, until fresher news intervened. The Louisiana Republican is still recovering. 1 Sean Spicer quit He was only one among many White House personnel who came and went with dizzying speed, but we were sort of used to him, thanks to Melissa McCarthy. 1 Solar eclipse It was a big deal. Still
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
got those sun-gazing glasses you forked over $50 for? 1 Night of the living tweet The president’s most outrageous statements tended to emerge via Twitter during the wee hours. Too numerous for recall, but the greatest hits included "Obama Had My Wires Tapped"; "Puerto Ricans Want Everything Done for Them" (after being left without shelter, power, medicine and transportation due to a hurricane); reporters are "Enemies of the American People"; "Bleeding Badly from a Face-Lift"; and the haunting, mysterious "Covfefe." 1 Mass murder Even the shortest and faultiest memory cannot have forgotten the horrifying mass shootings of innocent Americans in Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs, Texas, this year. But, be honest: Can you specifically recall another mass shooting incident during 2017? Under the general definition of any shooting in which four or more people were killed or injured, not including the shooter, it happened a great deal this year - more than 300 times. — There was more, of course — much more: natural disasters, legislative battles, the terrible events in Charlottesville, Va., celebrity dramas, deaths of prominent Americans. If you can’t cite them all, don’t feel bad about it. Nobody can. While you’re making 2018 resolutions, though, here’s one you might add: Take care of your brain. It’s going to have to process more than ever next year.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, December 30, 2017 |
A5
BUSINESS
US stock indexes edge lower on final trading day of 2017 By Alex Veiga A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
U.S. stock indexes edged lower Friday afternoon on the final day of trading for 2017. Losses by technology and financial companies outweighed gains by consumer products makers and industrials stocks. Oil prices were headed higher. Trading volume was light ahead of the New Year’s holiday. Despite the market slide, stocks were on track to close the year with strong gains. KEEPING SCORE: The Standard & Poor’s 500 index slipped 3 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,684 as of 1:34 p.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 28 points, or 0.1 percent, to 24,808. The Nasdaq fell 13 points, or 0.2 percent, to 6,936. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gave up 1 point, or 0.1 percent, to 1,547. THE QUOTE: The modest market dip on light trading likely reflects some investors opting to pocket some gains ahead of the New Year’s Day holiday, said J.J. Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade. “I’m thinking there’s a little bit of profit-taking as we get into the year-end and people start thinking about where to establish new positions,” he said. TECHNOLOGY STUMBLES: KLA-Tencor was among the technology sector’s big decliners. The stock dropped $1.85, or 1.7 percent, to $106. TAXING LAW: Goldman Sachs Group shares declined after the investment bank said the newlypassed U.S. tax law will reduce its 2017 earnings by about $5 billion. The stock slipped 50 cents to $256. Other big banks were down as part of a broader slide in financial stocks. NO DEAL: Bonanza Creek Energy slumped 7.2 percent after SandRidge Energy called off its bid to buy the oil and gas company. Bonanza slid $2.14 to $27.51. SandRidge jumped $1.41, or 7.4 percent, to $20.56. DISAPPOINTING OUTLOOK: Adtran slid 13.9 percent after the networking equipment maker cut its forecasts for the fourth quarter and said revenue in the first quarter will be lower than analysts expected. The stock shed $3.10 to $19.15. BIG GAINERS: Tobacco companies were moving higher along with
other consumer-products companies. Philip Morris International rose $1.42, or 1.4 percent, to $106.23. Altria Group added 62 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $71.89. BUYOUT BUZZ: TiVo surged 13.4 percent after TheStreet.com reported that private equity firms are interested in buying the digital video recording company for at least $20 a share. The stock added $1.88 to $15.88. OIL & GAS: Benchmark U.S. crude rose 45 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $60.29 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, gained 52 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $66.68 per barrel in London. The price of natural gas continued to rise in response to the harsh winter weather gripping a large swath of the U.S. It gained 5 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $2.96 per 1,000 cubic feet. Despite the big gain in oil and gas prices, energy stocks were mixed. National Oilwell Varco rose 55 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $36.04, while Range Resources slid 38 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $17.23. “Just like stocks right now, the futures have a pretty light volume,” Kinahan said. "We need some real volumes for people to say, ‘OK, this is real.” BOND YIELDS: Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 2.41 percent from 2.43 percent late Thursday. CURRENCIES: The dollar fell to 112.61 yen from 112.87 yen on Thursday. The euro strengthened to $1.2022 from $1.1952. BITCOIN: The price of bitcoin was up 0.8 percent to $14,547 as of 1:30 p.m. ET, according to the tracking site CoinDesk. Bitcoin futures on the Cboe Futures Exchange picked up 7.1 percent to $14,730. The virtual currency has been highly volatile in recent weeks, hitting a record high before sliding sharply last week. MARKETS OVERSEAS: Major stock indexes in Europe finished mixed. Britain’s FTSE 100 climbed 0.9 percent, hitting a record on the close of a shortened trading day. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 each declined 0.5 percent. In Asia, most markets finished with modest gains. Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.1 percent lower, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 0.2 percent.
Christmas may be over, but holiday shopping is not By Tiffany Hsu NEW YORK TIME S NEWS SERVICE
Christmas is over, but holiday shopping is still in full swing. The final days of December, traditionally a slow period used by retailers to purge outdated inventory, is generating so much traffic and sales that some chains are calling it the 13th Month or the Second Season. It is a recognition of the swarms of consumers who are flooding back into shops and websites on a rising tide of returns, exchanges and gift cards. The day after Christmas was most likely the fourth-busiest shopping day of the season this year, behind Black Friday and the two Saturdays before the holiday, according to Shoppertrak. The Saturday after Christmas is expected to be the ninth-busiest day. Five years ago, only 5 percent of consumers planned to shop after Christmas, according to a Deloitte survey. This year, nearly 40 percent will. Retailers, as they do every year, are discounting leftover stacks of reindeer-emblazoned sweaters. But some are also displaying new merchandise at full price to attract impulse buyers emboldened by store credit and confidence in the economy. Seasonal workers are being assigned longer shifts. Stores are extending their hours. For years, traditional retailers have been steadily losing sales to Amazon and its e-commerce kin while being battered by a string of
David Dee Delgado / NYT
A sale sign at the Galleria Mall in White Plains, N.Y. on Thursday. The final days of December, traditionally a slow period used by retailers to purge outdated inventory, is increasingly generating so much traffic and sales that some chains call it the 13th Month or the Second Season.
bankruptcies and declining revenue. But the vibrant holiday season has kindled hopes among some that the “retail apocalypse” has perhaps hit bottom. Recently, the last week of the year has started to feel “a little like a stretched-out Black Friday,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a consulting firm. “This week has, over the years, been gradually assuming more and more importance in the overall mix,” he said. “Retailers want to get a second bite at the apple.”
Overall retail sales from the start of November until Christmas Eve increased nearly 5 percent from the same period a year earlier, the largest upswing since 2011. But online sales surged 18 percent. More e-commerce means more returns, but even returns can have a silver lining when the economy is strong and consumers are in a spending mood. Companies are dangling incentives for consumers to return holiday gifts in person, knowing that those who do often end up browsing the store and buying other items.
Apple apologizes for secretly slowing older iPhones By Ryan Nakashima ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple apologized for secretly slowing down older iPhones, a move it said was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue. Many customers had interpreted the move as a way to for Apple to juice demand for newer iPhone models, their suspicions fueled by the fact that the company didn’t initially disclose the slowdowns or its reasons for them. Apple also said it will cut the price of a battery replacement by $50 to $29 through next year. New batteries had previously cost $79 for those who didn’t purchase the Apple Care maintenance plan. “We apologize,” the company said on its website . “We have never — and would never — do
Eric Risberg / Associated Press file
In 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus during an Apple event in San Francisco. Apple is apologizing for secretly slowing down older iPhones, which it says was necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns related to battery fatigue.
anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.” The replacement plan begins in late January for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later that requires a new battery. Apple said it will also issue an update to its
operating system early next year to give users a better understanding of the health of their battery, so they can see if its condition is affecting performance. Hostile customer reaction was swift after a report this month uncovered the intentional slowdown in speed tests. Only then did Apple
acknowledge that the slowdown was due to a fix it rolled out last year. Shares dropped 2.5 percent Tuesday — also dinged by analysts predicting lower-than-expected demand for the iPhone X — and only partially recovered by Thursday. At least five groups seeking class action status, involving consumers in Texas, Illinois, California and New York, have also sued the company in the wake of the slowdown revelation. Ben Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, said Apple found itself in a tough spot by having to explain what it did to cope with the reality that all lithium ion batteries degrade over time. “The error — if anything — was not being more transparent,” he said. “They were legitimately trying to make people’s iPhones last longer.”
Zfrontera A6 | Saturday, December 30, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE 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. 1 El distrito escolar Roma Independent School District informa de su horario por vacaciones navideñas: el distrito estará cerrado hasta el 7 de enero de 2018; la oficina de impuestos del distrito estará abierta el 3 y 4 de enero de 2018, de 8 a.m. a 1 p.m.; todo el personal regresa en horario normal el lunes 8 de enero de 2018; todos los estudiantes regresan en horario normal el martes 9 de enero de 2018.
ACCIÓN DIFERIDA PARA LOS LLEGADOS EN LA INFANCIA
Trump exige muro Afirma no habrá protección para dreamers sin valla ASSOCIATED PRE SS
PALM BEACH, Florida — El presidente Donald Trump dijo el viernes que no habrá protección para los jóvenes que llegaron de niños a Estados Unidos traídos ilegalmente por sus padres a menos que le autoricen fondos para un muro fronterizo y otros rubros. Trump tuiteó el viernes: “Se ha dicho a los demócratas, y ellos comprenden, que no puede haber DACA sin el MURO que se necesita con desesperación en la Frontera Sur y sin el FIN de horrible Migración Familiar y ridícula Lotería de Inmigración, etc”. Añadió que “¡Debemos proteger nuestro País a toda costa!” La batalla por la inmigración fue aplazada hasta el año en-
trante. Los demócratas quieren protecciones para los llamados “dreamers”, beneficiarios del programa Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA por sus siglas en inglés). Pero si bien existe simpatía generalizada por esos jóvenes, los reclamos republicanos de fondos para el muro en la frontera con México y para contratar más agentes de inmigración resultan más difíciles de resolver. Trump también quiere un sistema de inmigración basado en los méritos más que en los lazos familiares y que se elimine la lotería de inmigración, que beneficia anualmente a unos 50.000 solicitantes de residencia provenientes de diversos países no beneficiados por otros programas.
Anita Snow / Associated Press
Esta foto del 5 de diciembre, muestra al Alguacil del Condado de Santa Cruz Tony Estrada en Nogales, Arizona, en el lado americano de los límites con Nogales, México. Estrada es un crítico de Trump sobre las políticas y planes para un “grande y hermoso” muro fronterizo.
Foro empresarial 1 La Ciudad de Roma en conjunto con la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores invitan al Foro Empresarial para Emprendedores que se llevará a cabo el jueves 18 de enero de 5 p.m. a 7 p.m., en Roma Community Center, 502 6th Street. Evento gratuito, para inscripciones llame al 956-6657535.
Genealogía 1 ¿Desea saber más sobre su historia familiar? ¿Necesita ayuda para iniciar su genealogía? Venga y reciba ayuda personalizada para investigar a sus ancestros utilizando recursos en línea. Voluntarios entrenados le ayudarán, todos los martes de 6:30 p.m a 8 p.m., en Roma Birding Center. Evento gratuito patrocinado por la Iglesia de Jesús de los Santos de los Últimos Días.
DE LA MANO CON ELLOS
HONRAN A PERSONAS Policías CON CAPACIDADES entre los DIFERENTES mejor pagados Sueldo 35 % arriba de media nacional E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Aviario 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Mayores informes al 956849-1411
La alcaldesa de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México, Beatriz Posada convivió con niños y adultos beneficiarios del programa “De la mano con ellos”, que tiene la finalidad de incluir a todas las personas con capacidades diferentes y otorgarles prestaciones como son: apoyo económico en efectivo mensual, terapias físicas, talleres de manualidades y ocupacionales, entre otras, en el Salón Revilla del Museo Trazos Regionales, el 19 de diciembre.
Botes de basura
COLUMNA
1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a la comunidad que sólo estará recolectando basura contenida en botes propiedad de la ciudad. Informes al 849-1411
Pago de impuestos 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St.
Pago en línea 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día.
Llenado de aplicaciones 1 La Ciudad de Roma ofrece el servicio de llenado de aplicaciones para CHIP, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Chip, Prenatal y otros. Contacte a Gaby Rodríguez al 956-246-7177.
TAMAULIPAS
Foto de cortesía / Gobierno Nueva Ciudad Guerrero
B. Traven, enigmático narrador Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE LAREDO
México inspira la narrativa de B. Traven. Supera los doce títulos. Al interés despertado por éstos se auna el misterio que envuelve la vida del escritor. Así puede verse desde el principio, cuando en Tamaulipas prepara exitoso libro. Siempre reacio a publicitarse, en forma sucesiva emplea distintos alias. Prevalece el de B. Traven. Algunos desatinan suponiéndolo Bruno Traven, pues él nunca aclara qué abrevia la B. Se le presume bávaro, nacido hacia 1882, de padres alemanes con ascendencia escandinava. A nuestra patria habría ingresado por la bocana tamaulipeca del río Pánuco, en la última parte de 1924. Los biógrafos aseguran que tras desembarcar lo contrata una empresa petrolera de capital foráneo. Visita luego Chiapas, aludida en “La rebelión de los colgados”. Mientras, asuntos distintos lo ocupan. Cerca de Tampico arrienda modesta
Foto de cortesía
B. Traven
casa de madera. Busca pasar inadvertido. Acude en ratos libres a sitios característicos. Observándolos en detalle, toma apuntes. De muelles, jardines públicos e inmuebles captura imágenes, que por fortuna hoy conserva la Fototeca Nacional. A la vista de todos, sin que nadie pueda sospecharlo, escribe ni más ni menos que verdadero clásico literario. Parodia acaso de mezquindades consustanciales al saqueo imperialista
del crudo, en curso entonces, la trama plantea con inteligente trazo las ambiciones humanas por el oro. Los roles protagónicos incluso corren a cargo de extranjeros. Nos referimos a “El tesoro de la Sierra Madre”. Sin mencionarse permanece la metrópoli donde comienza el relato. Tampoco se revela la época. Asoman en cambio lugares y circunstancias peculiares. Bastan y sobran estas pistas. Se trata de Tampico, Tamaulipas. “El tesoro de la Sierra Madre” –cuya primera edición, germana, aparece en 1927–, alcanza después la pantalla grande mediante película homónima, considerada joya del séptimo arte. Varias obras del propio autor también merecen adaptaciones cinematográficas: “La rebelión de los colgados”, “Macario”, “La rosa blanca”, etcétera. Tan enigmático personaje fallece en 1969 y trasciende más adelante que se llamaba Ret Marut, nacionalizado mexicano hacía 18 años. Reflejo de su universalidad, lo han traducido a 44 idiomas.
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México— El Diagnóstico Nacional sobre las Policías Preventivas de las Entidades Federativas elaborado por la Secretaría de Gobernación y publicado esta semana, ubica al estado de Tamaulipas en el segundo lugar de la lista de policías mejor pagados en el país. La administración del Gobernador Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, ha generado mejores condiciones económicas y laborales para la Policía Estatal, como parte del compromiso de contar con una corporación con elementos mejor pagados y capacitados que estén al servicio de los tamaulipecos. Actualmente, un elemento estatal recibe mensualmente 13.436 pesos mensuales, que incluyendo sus prestaciones, llega a los 14.546 pesos, a lo que se suma el pago por hospedaje y alimentación para quienes están comisionados fuera del municipio donde radican. El pago que perciben los elementos de la Policía Estatal de Tamaulipas es poco más de un 35 por ciento más del promedio nacional de referencia que ofrece la Secretaría de Gobernación. Después de Tamaulipas las entidades mejor posicionadas en esta lista son Guanajuato con 13.289, Durango con 13.014 y Baja California Sur con 13.000 pesos mensuales. El Gobierno de Tamaulipas busca otras alternativas para compensar con más prestaciones a los policías por su entrega y disciplina para con su esfuerzo diario, brindar seguridad a las familias tamaulipecas. Aunado al aspecto económico, la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública en coordinación con la Universidad de Seguridad y Justicia de Tamaulipas, ofrece al personal de la Policía Estatal diversos cursos en temas jurídicoadministrativos, de habilidades directivas, psicosociales, de desarrollo integral, como parte del impulso a la carrera policial. En el tema de reclutamiento, en el 2017 se ha estado trabajando a nivel nacional para mejorar los resultados y poder estar incorporando anualmente a por lo menos mil elementos más a la corporación estatal, para cumplir con las necesidades de la entidad. En el presente año, se hizo por primera ocasión la promoción de grados por oposición, donde se entregaron constancias de ascenso a 55 Policías Estatales, quienes acreditaron los requisitos de antigüedad, servicio y conducta, para participar en la convocatoria para Policía Primero A, Policía Segundo A y Policía Tercero A. También al interior de la Policía Estatal, dio inicio los cambios en las 11 Delegaciones Regionales y en las Coordinaciones Municipales, donde se les está dando paso a ocupar esos mandos a Policías de carrera, reconociendo su capacidad y su trayectoria.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, December 30, 2017 |
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
A7
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
EAGLES FACE DALLAS TRYING FOR RECORD WIN
Godofredo A. Vasquez / Houston Chronicle file
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will miss his first career game Sunday as the Texans finish at Indianapolis in a battle of teams that have struggled in 2017 each with the fewest victories in the AFC outside of the winless Browns.
Texans, Colts try to build momentum heading into 2018 Slumping AFC South franchises battle in final game of the season By Michael Marot A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
INDIANAPOLIS — Houston and Indianapolis head into Sunday’s season finale facing the same plight. With the playoffs out of reach and speculation swirling about the job status of both coaches, they know changes are coming. They’re just not sure how deep they will cut. So the Texans and Colts will spend the last day of this season trying to snap long losing streaks and take a little momentum into a potentially tumultuous offseason. And that, of course, means winning still matters. “The main thing is you try to go finish strong and try to put great film out there, especially for the younger guys who want to continue playing, and especially for myself,” said 34-year-old running back Frank Gore , who can become a free agent in March. “I just want to win, I don’t care who it is.” On paper, the stakes seem minuscule. Indy (3-12) has lost six straight, the longest skid of coach Chuck Pagano’s six seasons, and is locked into a top-three draft choice. Seventeen players will finish this season on injured reserve, including Andrew Luck, who never played this season. The season has been so challenging that many now believe a third consecutive postseason absence will end Pagano’s tenure in Indy. But he has somehow managed to get Indy’s undermanned roster to play hard week after week, and there’s no reason to doubt they will against the Texans (4-11). “It’s our last ride together,” Pagano said, perhaps previewing his own expectations about changes. “We’re going to enjoy and embrace every single second of it and get obsessed with completion. That’s what suc-
cessful people do — they get obsessed with completion. We need to complete this season. No better way than to go out with a win.” Houston hasn’t had it any easier. The Texans have lost five in a row, eight of nine, and don’t even have a first-round draft pick in April. Houston sent its selection to Cleveland to take Deshaun Watson at No. 12 overall last spring. Watson is now recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, and his injury coincided with Houston’s subsequent collapse. Some are calling for the ouster of coach Bill O’Brien even though players, including Watson, believe O’Brien should get another chance. “The last couple of weeks we haven’t done a good job of helping him (O’Brien) out,” quarterback T.J. Yates said. Will those lobbying efforts be enough to save Pagano or O’Brien with fan bases clamoring for meaningful wins? Those decisions are likely to come Sunday night or Monday morning. But until then, the goal remains unchanged: win. “They’re paying us to go out there and play hard and to coach well, and you’re getting handed a paycheck to go coach and play, so it’s your job,” O’Brien said. “It’s your duty to the National Football League, it’s your duty to your teammates, it’s your duty to the Houston Texans to go out there and play very hard. Our guys will do that.” Here are some other things to watch Sunday: THE POSTGAME SPEECHES The first inkling Pagano, O’Brien and the players know what’s coming could come during postgame news conferences. In previous years, coaches have dropped hints or gotten emotional in the aftermath of what they
thought could be their final game. Expect more of that this weekend, and not just in Indy. While the rest of the league remembers Jim Mora’s “playoffs” rant, Colts fans also remember Mora punching the backdrop screen and tearing up just before he was fired following the 2001 season THE NUMBERS As the season winds down, statistical goals take on greater significance and there will be plenty of intrigue in this game. Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins needs four catches for his second 100-reception season. Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton, last year’s NFL champion in yards receiving, is 48 yards away from his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Houston running back Lamar Miller, who ran 149 yards against the Colts early in 2016, is exactly that from his third 1,000-yard season. And Gore can become the third player in league history with two 1,000yard seasons after turning 33 — if he finishes with at least 139 yards. THE SIDELINE Luck hasn’t been seen on the Colts’ sideline since early October. Everything could change this weekend. Luck returned from his European rehab trip this week and could be back on the field, in street clothes, Sunday. THE AUDITIONS While everyone inside the organizations talk about winning, the reality is this weekend also serves as an audition for players young, old and recently signed. Both organizations have recently added players who they may want to see in action this weekend. “We all have to enjoy these last couple days and try to put good film out there for the other 31 teams,” Gore said.
Michael Ainsworth / Associated Press file
Quarterback Dak Prescott and the Cowboys finish the regular season Sunday at Philadelphia trying to keep the Eagles from recording a new franchise record with 14 wins this year.
Cowboys finish up the season outside the NFC playoff race By Rob Maaddi ASSOCIATED PRE SS
PHILADELPHIA — Even with home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs already secured, the Philadelphia Eagles have one goal remaining. A victory over the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) on Sunday would give the Eagles (13-2) a franchiserecord 14 wins. It’s motivation for guys who would rather play than rest . “We have a chance to do something here that hasn’t been done,” running back LeGarrette Blount said. “It’s a chance we don’t want to let slip away.” The Eagles have already lost several important players to injury, including MVP candidate Carson Wentz. They can’t afford to lose backup quarterback Nick Foles. But the offense struggled in the last game and Foles could use the reps with his receivers. Coach Doug Pederson is weighing the importance of protecting players from injury and keeping them sharp. “These guys have only worked with Nick now for a couple of weeks,” he said. “We’ll have another week this week, and a chance possibly through the bye to continue to work. We just got to work on keeping it fixed.” The scenario was reversed last season when Dallas visited Philadelphia in Week 17. The Cowboys were heading to the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and chose to rest some players. Dak Prescott played two series and Ezekiel Elliott watched from the sideline. Dallas lost the game, and then lost to Green Bay in the playoffs. “It would be a lot bet-
ter going into that down time knowing we’re executing our best against a good football team, so there’s a lot to play for,” Eagles defensive end Chris Long said. The Cowboys, who were eliminated from the playoff chase last week in a home loss to Seattle, are playing for a second straight winning season. They haven’t done that since five in a row from 2005-09. “We’re trying to do exactly what they did last year,” Prescott said. “Go take that game away from us and somehow use that as motivation going into next season.” Here’s some things to look for when the Cowboys visit the Eagles: BANGED-UP COWBOYS Five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith (knee) and cornerback Orlando Scandrick (back) were placed on injured reserve Friday. Defensive lineman David Irving is likely to miss his fourth straight game with a concussion. Receiver Dez Bryant missed a day of practice after revealing he’s been battling knee tendinitis for several weeks. Linebacker Anthony Hitchens (knee), right tackle La’el Collins (back) and receiver Cole Beasley (illness) also didn’t practice to start the week, although Hitchens and Collins returned Thursday. ZEKE’S QUEST Elliott needs 120 yards rushing to reach 1,000 in only 10 games. The Eagles have the NFL’s topranked run defense and haven’t allowed a 100yard rusher since Matt Jones ran for 135 yards in Week 6 last year. “If it happens, it happens,” Elliott said. “It’s not like you can go out there and force that, but it definitely would be nice.”
NATE’S DEBUT Eagles backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld should throw his first pass against the Cowboys. Sudfeld, a sixthround pick by Washington in 2016, was inactive for 16 games his rookie season. The Eagles signed him to the practice squad in September and promoted him to the active roster on Nov. 1 after the Colts wanted to sign him. PLAYING FOR 2018 Prescott and Elliott now know both sides of life in the NFL, Elliott even more so because of the six-game suspension that ended before last week’s game. And that ban also has a hand in last year’s NFL rushing leader seeing this game as a chance for the dynamic rookie duo from a year ago to have a springboard into 2018. “That’s what this game is, just to solidify we had a winning season this year and just to build some momentum for the offseason going into next year,” Elliott said. AJAYI’S HANDS Eagles running back Jay Ajayi caught his first career touchdown pass last week and offensive coordinator Frank Reich envisions him becoming more involved in the passing game. “The first part of that is you’ve got to have a knack for protections, so we feel confident in there, and all of our backs do a great job,” Reich said. “But then when it comes to the route running and knowing the spacing and the spot you’ve got to get to and being able to use that wiggle you have as a runner, I think all the backs are developing there. I think certainly Jay is, and I think we’re gaining more and more confidence with him in the pass game.”
A8 | Saturday, December 30, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER Enduring cold snap creates headaches at home, on highways By John Seewer A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
TOLEDO, Ohio — Already winter-weary parts of the Midwest and East Coast are dealing with a mounting number of weather-related headaches, from highway pileups to frozen pipes and a rash of car thefts. And there’s more to come. Bitter temperatures and snow squalls have been blamed for a handful of deaths and canceled a long list of New Year’s celebrations. Icy roads in central Michigan caused more 30 crashes on highways near Flint on Friday morning. Coastal South Carolina saw a rare bout of freezing rain and drizzle on Friday that forced bridges from Charleston to Myrtle Beach to shut down for de-icing. Police in the Cincinnati area say a half-dozen cars have been stolen in recent
HOMELESS From page A1
the argument about enforcement making homelessness a crime, saying the ordinance “prohibits obstructions that hinder the city from preserving public property for its intended purpose.” City officials argue the tent cities and encampments, primarily under freeway overpasses, are hazardous to public health and safety. Mayor Sylvester Turner said he was grateful the judge “has, for now, essentially endorsed the city’s effort to strike a balance between preserving personal freedoms of every Houstonian and eliminating threats to public health that have developed at and near encampments on public property in the center of the city.” Trisha Trigilio, the ACLU’s lead attorney in the case, said Friday that lawyers were considering whether to appeal Hoyt’s decision. To describe the ruling as disappointing “seems like an understatement,” she said. “Our clients are living in the encampments because they have no place else to go,” she said. “Our clients are now at risk of being arrested just for being homeless.” If ticketed, people who can’t afford a place to live face fines up to $500,
LAND From page A1 want to sell, U.S. attorneys would file a lawsuit to seize it. One way or the other, the government would get the land. That, too, was the law. The visits launched the most aggressive seizure of private land by the federal government in decades. In less than a year, the Department of Homeland Security filed more than 360 eminent domain lawsuits against property owners, involving thousands of acres of land in the border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Years before President Donald Trump promised to build his wall, Homeland Security erected an 18-foot-high fence here — at a cost of $18.2 million, to cover almost half of the Valley’s 120 miles — in a botched land grab that serves as a warning for the future. An investigation by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune shows that Homeland Security cut unfair real estate deals, secretly waived legal safeguards for property own-
days after being left running unattended by owners trying to warm them up. Cincinnati police warned in a tweet that leaving your car running means “the only person who will be warm is the thief who stole your car.” More snow is on the way in Erie, Pennsylvania, where 65 inches have fallen since Christmas Eve. Now parts of the surrounding county could get up to 16 inches of more snow by Sunday. A call center set up to help people dig out has been overwhelmed. “The phones have been ringing off the hook,” said Josh Jaeger, a coordinator for the center told the Erie Times-News. Cleanup continued inside Michigan State University’s basketball arena after a frozen water pipe burst and flooded a hallway, but the mess wasn’t expected to interrupt a game Friday. Diann Wears, of Tole-
do, said she was already fed up with winter as she stood along a slush-covered sidewalk while waiting for a bus. “And it’s just the beginning,” she said Friday. “I’m sure it will get worse.” Frigid conditions in Boston took their toll on the nation’s fifth-largest transit system. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has spent heavily to winterize what’s known as the “T” since it was crippled by record-breaking snowfall in 2015. But the agency reported “severe delays” on one of its lines Friday, citing a broken piece of track and a disabled train, among other problems. Crews worked through the night to repair cracked rails and broken switches ahead of the Friday morning commute. Several deaths have been linked to the wintry weather during the past
Trigilio said. “It’s not a constructive public policy solution,” she said. Turner has said the restraining order caused conditions at the sites to worsen. One of them includes more than 100 tents under a freeway near downtown. It and another site have been the scene of several homicides and other crimes. Residents of nearby neighborhoods also have complained about the conditions that public health officials have agreed are becoming a hazard because of large amounts of feces and urine on the ground. The city has cleared out the camps for repeated cleanings but Hoyt’s order, issued in August, didn’t prevent people from returning and again setting up their tents, stoves and furniture. The ordinance banning the encampments is part of a six-point plan the city unveiled earlier this year to tackle homelessness in Houston, including providing more permanent housing and an anti-panhandling campaign. Officials say Houston has about 3,400 homeless individuals. The city is proposing to move some of the homeless to a plot of land at a bus depot where they can find security and shelter. No trial date has been set for the lawsuit.
Officials: Deadly NYC fire lit by child playing with stove
ers, and ultimately abused the government’s extraordinary power to take land from private citizens. The major findings: 1 Homeland Security circumvented laws designed to help land owners receive fair compensation. The agency did not conduct formal appraisals of targeted parcels. Instead, it issued low-ball offers based on substandard estimates of property values. 1 Larger, wealthier property owners who could afford lawyers negotiated deals that, on average, tripled the opening bids from Homeland Security. Smaller and poorer landholders took whatever the government offered — or wrung out small increases in settlements. The government conceded publicly that landowners without lawyers might wind up shortchanged, but did little to protect their interests. 1 The Justice Department bungled hundreds of condemnation cases. The agency took property without knowing the identity of the actual owners. It condemned land without researching facts as basic as property lines.
Tony Dejak / Associated Press
Raid H digs his car out in his driveway on Friday in Erie, Pa. The cold weather pattern was expected to continue through the holiday weekend and likely longer, according to the National Weather Service, prolonging a stretch of brutal weather blamed for several deaths, crashes and fires.
week. In South Dakota, an 83-year-old woman died from exposure to the cold after she crashed her car and then got out to look for help. Search crews found her body in a ditch on Sunday. Three people were found dead in a canal along Lake Erie earlier this week after their car slid off an icy road. The National Weather Service predicts another blast of arctic air will chill much of the eastern twothirds of the U.S. through the weekend and into 2018. Temperatures could fall into the single digits as far south as Oklahoma
and sink to zero or below Friday night in Nebraska and Iowa and remain there for at least three days. “It’s pretty unusual to get that long of a streak where it’s completely below zero,” said Iowa’s State Climatologist Harry Hillaker. “Historically, that doesn’t happen very often in Des Moines.” The Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies braced for storms forecasters warned could bring several feet of mountain snow and freezing rain. With the bitter cold expected to stick around, many New Year’s Eve plans are being scuttled.
Shore towns in New Jersey canceled plans for polar bear plunges in the Atlantic Ocean and organizers pulled the plug on the annual light bulb drop in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Animal advocates urged people to protect their pets from the cold. Wild animals weren’t immune from the dangers of winter, either. In Ohio, wildlife officers mulled how to rescue a deer whose legs were stuck in an ice-covered river. They managed to lasso the deer with a rope and pull it to shore Friday, but they later had to euthanize the injured animal.
old building near the Bronx Zoo. The 31⁄2-year-old-boy, his mother and another child were able to flee their first-floor apartment. But they left the door open behind them, and it acted like a chimney that drew smoke and flames into a stairwell. From there, the fire spread throughout the five-story building, authorities said. At least 20 people scrambled out via fire escapes on a bitterly cold night, but others could not. The dead included
girls ages 1, 2 and 7, and a boy whose age was not given, authorities said. Fernando Batiz said his 56-year-old sister, Maria Batiz, and her 8-month-old granddaughter also died, though the baby’s mother survived. Excluding 9/11, it was the deadliest blaze in the city since 87 people were killed at a social club in the same Bronx neighborhood in 1990. A fire in a home in another part of the Bronx killed 10 people, including nine children, in 2007. The building had
roughly 20 apartments, which were home to people from the U.S. and immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Guinea. About 170 firefighters worked in 15-degree weather to rescue dozens of people. Residents described opening their front doors to see smoke too thick to walk through and descending icy fire escapes with children in hand. Some escaped barefoot or in their nightclothes. Building owner Annal Management Co. declined to comment Friday.
years old. The Collin County Commissioners Court has not paid the three special prosecutors pursuing charges against Paxton since January 2016. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will soon decide whether the prosecutors’ hourly rate is fair and legal and whether they’re entitled to two years of back pay from the county. Paxton’s trials will likely be on hold until
then. It’s unclear how long the court will take to rule in the fees case, but a former judge said he’d expect them to make a decision sooner rather than later. "The (Paxton) case is kind of waiting to go to trial based on their decision," said Larry Meyers, a Democrat who lost his seat on the criminal court last year. "About six weeks would probably be a fairly responsible time for them to get an opinion out." The Court of Criminal Appeals won’t take up the
prosecutors’ case until Jan. 10, so a decision could be issued just before voters go to the polls in the March 6 primary elections. If the court sides with the prosecutors, jury selection in Houston will likely proceed without much further delay. If it doesn’t, the prosecutors have threatened to step down, a move which will temporarily derail the case against Paxton as the county looks for replacement lawyers. Paxton, a Republican, is accused of violating state securities laws. He
faces two first-degree felony fraud charges for allegedly duping investors in a McKinney tech firm and one third-degree felony for failing to register with the state as an investment adviser representative. He denies all the allegations, which he calls politically motivated, and was twice cleared of related civil charges brought against him by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Paxton faces no opposition in the March GOP primary.
Landholders spent tens of thousands of dollars to defend themselves from the government’s mistakes. 1 On occasion, Homeland Security paid people for property they did not actually own. The agency did not attempt to recover the misdirected taxpayer funds, instead paying for land a second time once it determined the correct owners. 1 Nearly a decade later, scores of landowners remain tangled in lawsuits. The government has already taken their land and built the border fence. But it has not resolved claims for its value. Determining who owned certain property also slowed the process. Records were missing, or families had multiple members claiming ownership. In one case, Homeland Security offered to pay the city of Brownsville $123,100 for nearly 16 acres abutting the Rio Grande. It turned out the land was owned by the city — but 257 other people also had claim to the property. The errors and disparities played out up and down the length of the
border fence. The Loop family spent more than $100,000 to defend their farmland from repeated government mistakes about the size, shape and value of their property. The government built a fence across Robert De Los Santos’ family land, but almost a decade later has yet to reach a settlement for it. Ranch hand Roberto Pedraza was accidentally paid $20,500 for land he did not even own. Homeland Security and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers referred questions to the Justice Department. A Justice Department official, who insisted on anonymity, said all agencies involved in the land seizures followed proper procedures. The agency did not respond to specific written questions sent by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune. “[F]or any large public works project impacting hundreds of properties, the values are likely to cover a large range because so many different kinds of property are being acquired,” the official said. “It is these very differences in uses that
cannot be captured in a cursory statistical analysis of the properties acquired and the prices paid for these lands.” Michael Chertoff, the former secretary for Homeland Security under President George W. Bush who personally approved the condemnations in Texas, declined to comment. Greg Giddens led the fence building project at Homeland Security. Now retired, Giddens said his team faced pressure from both U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which wanted the fence built quickly to benefit law enforcement, and from Congress, which set a deadline to complete the structure. “Everybody wanted to do this right. But it was clear that the mission was to get this done,” Giddens said. Hyla Head, the former Army Corps official who oversaw the condemnation process for the agency, said the government did everything according to regulation. “There is a process that we have to follow and we followed that,” said Head, now retired. “I think we
did a damn good job with the constraints that we were under.” On Oct. 26, 2006, President Bush signed the Secure Fence Act. President Obama oversaw the fence’s construction. All told, Homeland Security built 654 miles of fence — just short of the 700 mile goal set by Congress — at a cost of $2.4 billion. Now Trump has promised to finish the job with a much larger wall — nearly twice the height of the current fence, made of concrete, and occupying much of the remaining 1,300 miles of southern border unguarded by a physical barrier. His administration has declared its intent to take more land to build the wall in the central Rio Grande Valley, where much of the property remains in private hands. For Trump to succeed, the federal government will have to file more eminent domain lawsuits using the same law that resulted in uneven payments the last time. Many of the players who oversaw construction of the fence are now working on making Trump’s wall a reality.
By Jennifer Peltz And David Jeans ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — A preschooler toying with the burners on his mother’s stove accidentally sparked New York City’s deadliest fire in decades, an inferno that quickly overtook an apartment building and blocked the main escape route, the fire commissioner said Friday. A dozen people died, and four others were fighting for their lives a day after the flames broke out in the century-
TRIAL From page A1