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FIRST WEEK OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Trump scraps pacific trade deal Possible renegotiation But on energy and environment regulations, president may let Texas be Texas of NAFTA up next By Brendan Gibbons and Jennifer Hiller SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
During his Senate hearing, Donald Trump’s pick to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency foreshadowed a more cozy relationship between states like Texas and the federal government. Often in partnership with Texas, Republican Oklahoma Attorney Gen-
eral Scott Pruitt has sued the agency he hopes to run 14 times over new environmental rules put forth by the Obama administration, according to Senate testimony. The suits have temporarily blocked plans to extend clean water protections to small streams and wetlands and cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants to limit climate change. Energy continues on A11
TEXAS
GOP stars push school choice
By Julia Wallace THE ZAPATA TIME S
Carolyn Van Houten / San Antonio Express-News
Drillers since late May have been moving rigs and equipment back into U.S. fields. The price of crude is again over $50 a barrel.
Hours after President Trump swiftly withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on Monday, members of Congress representing the border gathered in Washington to meet with business leaders regarding NAFTA. The panel, hosted by Rep. Filemon Vela, DBrownsville, was made
up of a bi-partisan group of 12 members of Congress from California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, including Zapata’s Henry Cuellar. Cuellar invited Laredo Chamber of Commerce President Miguel Conchas and Sam Vale, CEO of the Starr-Camargo Bridge Company, to participate in the panel discussion. “The purpose of this NAFTA continues on A11
FALCON LAKE
BACK UP IN THE RANKINGS
By Will Weissert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The governor of Texas and the Bush family’s rising star added political muscle Tuesday to a rally supporting school vouchers, which have stalled repeatedly in the country’s largest Republican state despite steadfast support from top conservatives. Marching bands with thundering drumlines and hundreds of students and teachers — many in yellow-and-black “National School Choice Week” scarfs — converged outside the Texas Capitol. Gov. Greg Abbott made a relatively rare appearance with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a tea party favorite who has long been Texas’ leading advocate for vouchers where families get state money to remove children from public schools and send them to private and religious alternatives. “This is not a Republican issue, it’s not a Democrat issue,” Abbott said. “This is a civil rights issue.” Thirteen states and the District of Columbia offer some form of vouchers, according to the National Conference of State Legislators, and academic studies show mixed classroom School continues on A11
Danny Zaragoza / The Zapata Times file
A man fishes on Falcon Lake in Zapata County in summer 2016.
Again named one of the best bass lakes in the US THE ZAPATA TIME S
F
alcon Lake is Zapata has shot back up in the ranks as one of the best bass lakes in the country. Bassmaster Magazine ranked Falcon Lake as the best bass lake in the United States in 2012. But it fell to No. 42 three years later in 2015. The magazine referred to it as “a shadow of its former self.” It has since climbed back up the ranks and snagged the No. 9 spot in 2016. “Watch out bass world: This beast is grumbling,” Bassmaster Magazine said in its annual rankings for 2016. “Named No. 1 lake in the nation in 2012, drought and overfishing maimed this world-class largemouth destination. It has slowly filled with water, and fishing pressure has decreased.
“The green fish have responded quickly. An April Bass Champs event here took 31.97 pounds to win. Two other limits topped the 29-pound mark. And you were not in the top 32 if you didn’t have at least 20 pounds. “The lake is still not as consistent as it was in 2012, but it is quickly heading in that direction.” In February, Falcon Lake will be home to the 2017 Texas Bass Nation state championship. The event will be hosted by the Zapata County Chamber of Commerce. “As far as what we’ve been hearing from fishermen, the fishing is good,” the Chamber of Commerce said last year. “They’re pulling out good-sized fish. “In any other lake, a four-pound bass would be considered a trophy bass. Here, you would have to catch a seven- or Falcon continues on A11
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
Today is Wednesday, Jan. 25, the 25th day of 2017. There are 340 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 25, 1947, gangster Al Capone died in Miami Beach, Florida, at age 48.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society. 3-5 p.m. St. John Neumann Parish Hall. Meet and greet membership drive. The speaker’s subject is “How I Traced My Family Roots.” Open to the public. For more information, contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time. Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library - Calton. For more information, contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 United ISD Zumba Master Class event. Registration at 8 a.m. at the United 9th Grade Campus (gym), 8800 McPherson Road. Zumba class to be held from 9 to 11 a.m. and will be taught by elite Zumba instructors from the city. Fee is $20 and includes a goody bag and T-shirt. All proceeds to benefit United ISD students with scholarships to college. For more information call, 956-473-6201 or visit www.uisd.net. Spiritual Wisdom on Karma and Reincarnation. 1-2:30 p.m. Fairfield Inn & Suites meeting room, 700 W. Hillside Road. Better recognize life experiences and how they’re related to lessons from the past. See people in your life from a whole new viewpoint. Se habla español. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
MONDAY, JANUARY 30 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
Alex Brandon / AP
President Donald Trump speaks at The Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball in Washington, Friday.
TRUMP DOGGED BY INSECURITY By Julie Pace and Jonathan Lemire ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump holds the most powerful office in the world. But he’s dogged by insecurity over his loss of the popular vote in the election and a persistent frustration that the legitimacy of his presidency is being challenged by Democrats and the media, aides and associates say. Trump’s fixation has been a drag on the momentum of his opening days in office, with his exaggerations about inauguration crowds and false assertions about illegal
No charges for 2 LAPD officers in killing of black man LOS ANGELES — Two Los Angeles police officers acted in self-defense when they fatally shot a 25-year-old mentally ill, black man during a struggle over an officer’s gun and will not face criminal charges for the 2014 shooting that led to protests, prosecutors said Tuesday. Los Angeles Police Department officers Sharlton Wam-
pler and Antonio Villegas were in fear for their lives and acted lawfully when they shot Ezell Ford on Aug. 11, 2014 as Ford struggled over Wampler’s holstered gun, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office said. The finding comes more than a year after a police oversight board found the officers wrongfully stopped Ford, violating department policy, which led to the fatal close-range shooting. “The question is did they honestly believe that Mr. Ford was about to take out the gun
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31
AROUND THE WORLD
Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
UK government loses Brexit case, must consult Parliament
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale donations drive. 4-7 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 to arrange for a different delivery time.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 for more details.
LONDON — Britain’s government warned lawmakers not to try to “thwart the will of the people” after the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Prime Minister Theresa May must seek the approval of Parliament before starting the formal process of leaving the European Union. The 8-3 decision forces the government to put a bill before Parliament, giving members of the House of Commons and the unelected House of Lords the chance to debate and potentially offer amendments that could soften the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU, known as Brexit. While the government insisted its timetable of starting the talks by the end of March remained on track, some analysts warned that a defeat in
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Book sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 286-7866 for more details.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month.
balloting intruding on advisers’ plans to launch his presidency with a flurry of actions on the economy. His spokesman Sean Spicer has twice stepped into the fray himself, including on Tuesday, when he doubled down on Trump’s false claim that he lost the popular vote because 3 million to 5 million people living in the U.S. illegally cast ballots. “He believes what he believes based on the information he was provided,” said Spicer, who provided no evidence to back up the president’s statements.
and shoot them and there is a lot of facts that indicate that they did,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in an interview Tuesday. Authorities said the officers had approached Ford, whose family has said he struggled with an array of mental illnesses, after seeing him in a known gang area, telling him they wanted to speak with him. Ford, they said, began walking away, but the officers believed he was trying to discard an illegal substance. — Compiled from AP reports
Jack Taylor / Getty Images
attempts to thwart the will of the people, or frustrate or delay the process of our exit from the European Union.” While the ruling won’t scuttle Britain’s departure, it once again highlights the uncertainties in negotiating the country’s future relationship with the bloc of 500 million people. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Supreme Court rejects Texas appeal over voter ID law WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Texas in its effort to restore its strict voter identification law. The justices said they will not review a lower court ruling that held the law was discriminatory. That court ordered changes in the law before the November election.
Ten years ago: Ford Motor Co. said it had lost a staggering $12.7 billion in 2006, at that time the worst loss in the company’s 103-year history. (Ford later reported a loss of $14.6 billion for 2008.) Five years ago: U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime helicopter raid, freeing an American and a Danish hostage and killing nine pirates. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona returned to Congress to officially tender her resignation a year after she was shot and severely wounded in her home district. First lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, along with celebrity chef Rachael Ray, announced new guidelines for more healthful school meals during a visit with elementary students in Alexandria, Virginia. One year ago: President Barack Obama said he would ban the use of solitary confinement for juvenile and low-level offenders in federal prisons, citing the potential for “devastating, lasting psychological consequences” from the use of the isolation as punishment. A Houston grand jury investigating undercover footage of Planned Parenthood found no wrongdoing by the abortion provider, and instead indicted anti-abortion activists for using fake driver’s licenses when making the videos that targeted the handling of fetal tissue in clinics. (The charges were later dropped.) The Russian Olympic Committee banned four track and field athletes for doping.
British Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street on Tuesday in London.
the House of Lords, where May does not have a majority, could delay the process by a year or more. “Parliament will rightly scrutinize and debate this legislation,” David Davis, the government’s Brexit secretary, told the House of Commons after the ruling. “But I trust no one will seek to make it a vehicle for
On this date: In 1533, England’s King Henry VIII secretly married his second wife, Anne Boleyn, who later gave birth to Elizabeth I. In 1890, reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) of the New York World completed a round-the-world journey in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. The United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio. In 1915, America’s first official transcontinental telephone call took place as Alexander Graham Bell, who was in New York, spoke to his former assistant, Thomas Watson, who was in San Francisco, over a line set up by American Telephone & Telegraph. In 1924, the first Winter Olympic Games opened in Chamonix, France. In 1936, former Gov. Al Smith, DN.Y., delivered a radio address titled “Betrayal of the Democratic Party” in which he fiercely criticized the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1945, the World War II Battle of the Bulge ended as German forces were pushed back to their original positions. Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first community to add fluoride to its public water supply. In 1955, the Soviet Union formally ended its state of war with Germany. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy held the first presidential news conference to be carried live on radio and television. In 1971, Charles Manson and three women followers were convicted in Los Angeles of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 slayings of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate. Idi Amin seized power in Uganda by ousting President Milton Obote in a military coup. In 1981, the 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived in the United States. In 1990, an Avianca Boeing 707 ran out of fuel and crashed in Cove Neck, Long Island, New York; 73 of the 158 people aboard were killed. Actress Ava Gardner died in London at age 67. In 1997, astrologer Jeane Dixon died in Washington, D.C.
Today’s Birthdays: Country singer Claude Gray is 85. Movie director Tobe Hooper is 74. Actress Leigh TaylorYoung is 72. Actress Jenifer Lewis is 60. Actress Dinah Manoff is 59. Country musician Mike Burch (River Road) is 51. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kina is 48. Actress China Kantner is 46. Actress Ana Ortiz is 46. Drummer Joe Sirois (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) is 45. Musician Matt Odmark (Jars of Clay) is 43. Actress Mia Kirshner is 42. Actress Christine Lakin is 38. Rhythmand-blues singer Alicia Keys is 36. Actor Michael Trevino is 32. Pop musician Calum Hood (5 Seconds to Summer) is 21. Actress Olivia Edward (TV: “Better Things”) is 10. Thought for Today: “There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing.” — Robert Burns, Scottish poet (1759-1796).
CONTACT US Chief Justice John Roberts said in a brief statement that the court could take up the case at a later date because the case is continuing in federal district court in Texas. A hearing that had been set for Tuesday was rescheduled for next month. Texas softened what election experts said was among the toughest voter ID measures in the nation. But Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton had wanted the Supreme Court to restore the law to its original state.
As written, the law required showing one of seven forms of photo identification, allowing concealed handgun licenses but not college student IDs. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year by a 9-6 vote that Texas had violated the federal Voting Rights Act based on testimony that Hispanics were twice as likely and blacks three times more likely than whites to lack an acceptable ID under the law. — Compiled from AP reports
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The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 |
A3
STATE
Death of pregnant doctor draws scrutiny to heart issue By Susan Carroll HOUSTON CHRONI CLE
HOUSTON — Alexander Hicks sprang from the couch and sprinted up the stairs as soon as he heard the thump. It sounded like a stack of heavy books falling off a shelf. Maybe Alyssa, their 5-year-old, had jumped out of bed? She’d been cuddled up in the master bed with her baby sister and his wife, who was nine months pregnant. The Houston Chronicle reports Hicks reached the bedroom and saw the girls sleeping peacefully. In the light of the master bathroom, he found his wife, Marlene Dominguez-Hicks, unconscious on the floor. She was 33 and nearly finished with her radiology fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He pulled her into his arms. Her eyes were vacant. She was making a hissing noise. You’re the doctor, Hicks thought. What am I supposed to do? “Alyssa! Alyssa! Go tell Grandma to call 911!” The dispatcher said to tilt her up and put her on her left side. Hicks did, but her teeth clenched, and her jaw locked up. Blood started pouring from her nose. “Stay with me, Mar! Stay with me!” Peripartum cardiomyopathy, or PPCM, is an uncommon form of heart failure during the last month of pregnancy or up to five months after giving birth, according to the American Heart Associa-
tion. It weakens and enlarges the heart chambers until, in the most serious cases, the left ventricle can no longer pump enough blood to vital organs. Doctors are trying to figure out what causes it. “It happens in women who are young and healthy during what is supposed to be a happy time in their lives,” said Dr. Lili Ayala Barouch, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Texas leads the nation with its maternal mortality rate, which spiked from 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to 35.8 deaths per 100,000 in 2014, according to a recent study in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. The state convened a task force in 2013 to investigate why the rates are so high and what can be done to address it. The task force reported in July that heart diseases were the top killer of pregnant women and new moms in 2011 through 2012, though its latest report did not break down what percentage of those were caused by PPCM. PPCM is relatively rare in the United States, with an estimated rate of 1 per 3,000 to 4,000 live births. Most mothers with the disease fully recover, but it kills about 6 to 10 percent. One of its biggest dangers, physicians said, is that its symptoms are deceptively similar to ordinary third-trimester problems: fatigue, swollen ankles and shortness of
breath. If Dominguez-Hicks felt any symptoms, she never mentioned them. A few days before she collapsed, she stole a cookie from her husband and ran up the town home stairs with it. “Girl, you just ran up the stairs!” Hicks said, impressed. “Yeah,” she said. “I feel great.” Dominguez-Hicks had health insurance through her employer. She loved her OB-GYN, who was one of her former teachers. She went to all of her prenatal appointments. She didn’t meet many of the American Heart Association’s risk factors for PPCM. She was not obese. She did not have a history of heart problems or preeclampsia. She didn’t take medication or smoke or drink. She was not malnourished. She was not African-American. She did meet one of the risk factors. She’d had two prior births, both healthy baby girls. Alyssa was born while Dominguez-Hicks was in her fourth year of medical school. It was a rough pregnancy, with bouts of firsttrimester nausea and a long labor with a late epidural. She had little nausea and an early epidural the second time around. Moments after Alana was born, Dominguez-Hicks looked at her husband and said: “Let’s do this again!” “Are you crazy?” said Hicks, a mechanical engineer. “We got another girl. I’m done. I’m good.”
Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle
In a Jan. 19 photo, Alex Hicks, right, takes a moment while his daughters, Alana, 1, center and Alyssa, 5, read children’s books at their home in Houston.
But she was determined to have a boy. After they moved to Houston for her fellowship, they found out she was pregnant again. She was 38 weeks and four days into her pregnancy on Sept. 6. That night, she’d helped Alyssa with her homework. They’d put both girls into pajamas and watched cartoons on the laptop until they realized it was already 9 p.m. We trust you to know when it’s your bedtime, Hicks said to Alyssa. Alyssa’s reply caught him off-guard. She said she knew about trust. “My teacher says, ‘Alyssa, when I leave the room and come back, I’m going to ask you who was talking because I trust you.’ “ For Hicks, it was one of those moments. They were doing something right as parents, he said, instilling good values. “I’m just so thankful for you,” he told his wife. “I love you so much.” She grinned up at him. Barouch, with Johns Hopkins, said there is no single test to screen for PPCM, which requires an echocardiogram for diagnosis. The main symptoms to watch out for, she said, are rapidly worsening swelling in the feet or an
unusual amount of shortness of breath, particularly when lying down. “It’s beyond just uncomfortable,” she added. “You can’t perform normal functions.” When it is diagnosed early, the recovery rate is pretty good. At least 50 percent of patients have a complete recovery, she said. Another 20 percent to 30 percent will have a partial recovery. The remainder need heart transplants or don’t make it. Hicks said his wife was always diagnosing herself. “Ask anybody in medicine — doctors are the worst patients,” Hicks said. “She probably felt something and just brushed it off.”
After he found his wife on the bathroom floor, the paramedics did everything they could for her, he said. They did CPR upstairs, then downstairs, in the ambulance and at the hospital. He broke down and had to be taken into a separate room. The baby was delivered by emergency C-section. Alexander Hicks Jr. weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. But he’d been without oxygen too long. There was no brainstem activity. They were buried together, mother and son, in one coffin. Hicks misses his wife’s positivity, her relentless energy. He misses how she looked at the girls.
Zopinion
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A4 | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
After the women’s march By David Brooks N EW YORK T I ME S
The women’s marches were a phenomenal success and an important cultural moment. Most everybody came back uplifted and empowered. Many said they felt hopeful for the first time since Election Day. But these marches can never be an effective opposition to Donald Trump. In the first place, this movement focuses on the wrong issues. Of course, many marchers came with broad anti-Trump agendas, but they were marching under the conventional structure in which the central issues were clear. As The Washington Post reported, they were “reproductive rights, equal pay, affordable health care, action on climate change.” These are all important matters, and they tend to be voting issues for many upper-middle-class voters in university towns and coastal cities. But this is 2017. Ethnic populism is rising around the world. The crucial problems today concern the way technology and globalization are decimating jobs and tearing the social fabric; the way migration is redefining nation-states; the way the post-World War II order is increasingly being rejected as a means to keep the peace. All the big things that were once taken for granted are now under assault: globalization, capitalism, adherence to the Constitution, the U.S.-led global order. If you’re not engaging these issues first, you’re not going to be in the main arena of national life. Second, there was too big a gap between Saturday’s marches and the Democratic and Republican parties. Sometimes social change happens through grass-roots movements — the civil rights movement. But most of the time change happens through political parties: The New Deal, the Great Society, the Reagan Revolution. Change happens when people run for office, amass coalitions of interest groups, engage in the messy practice of politics. Without the discipline of party politics, social movements devolve into mere feeling, especially in our age of expressive individualism. People march and feel good and think they have accomplished something. They have a social experience with a lot of people and fool themselves into thinking they are members of a coherent and demanding community. Such movements descend to the language of mass therapy. It’s significant that as marching and movements have risen, the actual power of the parties has collapsed. Marching is a
seductive substitute for action in an anti-political era, and leaves the field open for a rogue like Trump. Finally, identity politics is too small for this moment. On Friday, Trump offered a version of unabashed populist nationalism. On Saturday, the anti-Trump forces could have offered a red, white and blue alternative patriotism, a modern, forwardlooking patriotism based on pluralism, dynamism, growth, racial and gender equality and global engagement. Instead, the marches offered the pink hats, an anti-Trump movement built, oddly, around Planned Parenthood, and lots of signs with the word “pussy” in them. The definition of America is up for grabs. Our fundamental institutions have been exposed as shockingly hollow. But the marches couldn’t escape the language and tropes of identity politics. Soon after the Trump victory, professor Mark Lilla of Columbia wrote a piece on how identity politics was dooming progressive chances. But now progressives seem intent on doubling down on exactly what has doomed them so often. Lilla pointed out that identity politics isolates progressives from the wider country: “The fixation on diversity in our schools and in the press has produced a generation of liberals and progressives narcissistically unaware of conditions outside their self-defined groups, and indifferent to the task of reaching out to Americans in every walk of life.” Sure enough, if you live in blue America, the marches carpeted your Facebook feed. But The Times’ Julie Bosman was in Niles, Michigan, where many women had never heard of the marches, and if they had, I suspect, they would not have felt at home at one. Identity-based political movements always seem to descend into internal rivalries about who is most oppressed and who should get pride of place. Sure enough, the controversy before and after the march was over the various roles of white feminists, women of color, anti-abortion feminists and various other outgroups. The biggest problem with identity politics is that its categories don’t explain what is going on now. Trump carried a majority of white women. He won the votes of a shocking number of Hispanics. The central challenge today is not how to celebrate difference. The central threat is not the patriarchy. The central challenge is to rebind a functioning polity and to modernize a binding American idea.
COLUMN
Texas tries to revoke some gay-marriage rights Noah Feldman BL OOMBERG
The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to reconsider a case about whether married gay city employees must be given spousal benefits. That’s a terrible sign. The briefs openly urge the court to resist the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark gay marriage decision by reading it narrowly to say that gay people have a fundamental right to marry but no right to equal benefits. It’s a legally deceptive argument, which the current justices in Washington would summarily reject. But it’s dangerous all the same, because it shows that Donald Trump’s election is spurring outright resistance to federal law and precedent. And the Texas justices, who are elected, have no excuse for agreeing to reconsider the case. The case, Pidgeon v. Turner, arose from a lawsuit trying to block the benefits that the city of Houston affords to the same-sex spouses of city employees. The case had no legal chance of success once the U.S. Supreme Court decided Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. That decision held both that marriage is a fundamental right and that the equal protection guarantee of the U.S. Constitution requires that it be extended equally to gay and straight couples. The Texas lower courts rejected the attack on the Houston benefits and, in September, the Texas Supreme Court refused to hear the case by a vote of 8-1. Only one justice, John Devine, dissented. The essence of his position was: Marriage is a fundamental right. Spousal benefits are not. Thus, the two issues are distinct. Devine was legally
The best explanation for the flip is that the Texas court of elected justices is sensing the mood of the state — and maybe the country. It’s anticipating that a Supreme Court with at least two Trump nominees could reverse Obergefell. And it wants to signal in some way that it’s on the “right” side of constitutional history. It still hasn’t issued an opinion, of course, but the grant of rehearing is not a good sign. Trump himself has said that same-sex marriage “is the law of the land.” wrong, for at least two reasons. The first is that the right to marry recognized in the Obergefell case isn’t symbolic, but substantive: It’s the right to be legally married in the full sense of the term, with the same legal consequences for gay as for straight couples. Thus, the equal right to marry includes within it the right to receive whatever legal benefits come with marriage. The other legal reason Devine was wrong is that another Supreme Court precedent from before the Obergefell case already said that discrimination against gay people just because they are gay is a violation of equal protection. In 1996, Romer v. Evans held that it was simply irrational to discriminate against gay people when it came to access to basic legal protections. The Romer precedent makes it obviously unconstitutional to grant spousal benefits to straight married couples but not gay married couples. Devine’s dissent could be dismissed as legally incompetent pandering by a conservative were it not for what happened next. The plaintiffs in the
case filed for rehearing. Their brief openly argued that the Obergefell case should be read “narrowly” because “the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell imposes a ‘right’ that cannot be found anywhere in the Constitution.” You’re not supposed to ask a state court to reject U.S. Supreme Court precedent — or to narrow it because you think it’s wrong. The U.S. Constitution is supreme over state law and must be enforced by state courts — and the U.S. Supreme Court has the last word on its meaning. They plaintiffs were buttressed by friend of the court briefs from Texas Governor Greg Abbott and by a group of state legislators. The legislators’ brief included this gem of political-legal argumentation: “This Court has the opportunity to diminish federal tyranny and reestablish Texas Sovereignty. The people have already spoken on the issue through the Texas legislature.” The states’-rights sentiment isn’t far from outright denial of the supremacy of the U.S. Constitution. In the next sentence,
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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.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
the legislators added that “it would be a detriment to their constituents if this elected Court were to remain silent.” This was closer to an outright threat that the Texas justices would be kicked out of office unless they resisted the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s hard to think of a better advertisement against electing judges. Yet after Trump’s election, the same court that had refused to hear the case reversed course and agreed to reconsider it. The best explanation for the flip is that the Texas court of elected justices is sensing the mood of the state — and maybe the country. It’s anticipating that a Supreme Court with at least two Trump nominees could reverse Obergefell. And it wants to signal in some way that it’s on the “right” — i.e. wrong — side of constitutional history. It still hasn’t issued an opinion, of course, but the grant of rehearing is not a good sign. Trump himself has said that same-sex marriage “is the law of the land,” reserving his ire for Roe v. Wade. But conservative justices of the kind he has promised to appoint would almost certainly reverse the recent Obergefell decision, which hasn’t yet acquired the patina of long-term precedent, before reversing Roe. Gay marriage is therefore in danger if Trump gets to replace a liberal justice, just like abortion rights and maybe more so. In the meantime, Trump’s very election is feeding resistance to the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court. That’s a highly worrisome development — and one that bears careful watching in the months and years ahead.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 |
A5
NATIONAL Snake catchers hunt Florida pythons A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MIAMI — Florida has gone halfway around the world to get help with its python problem. Wildlife officials recruited tribesmen from India to hunt the Burmese pythons believed to be decimating native mammals in the Everglades. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hopes the Irula tribesmen — wellknown for their snakecatching skills — reveal a reliable way to track and spot the tan, splotchy snakes that all but disappear in the wetlands unless they’re basking in the sun alongside a road or canal. “Since the Irula have been so successful in their homeland at removing pythons, we are hoping they can teach people in Florida some of these skills,” Kristen Sommers, head of the wildlife commission’s exotic species coordination section, said in a statement Monday. The tribesmen removed 13 pythons in just over a week, including four from the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Key Largo. One of the snakes was a female measuring 16 feet long. Two tribesmen from the province of Tamil Nadu in southern India are joined in their hunt this month by dogs trained by University of Florida and Auburn University researchers to sniff out pythons.
Water lead-level falls below federal limit in Flint By David Eggert ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LANSING, Mich. — Flint’s water system no longer has levels of lead exceeding the federal limit, a key finding that Michigan state environmental officials said Tuesday is good news for a city whose 100,000 residents have been grappling with the man-made water crisis. The 90th percentile of lead concentrations in Flint was 12 parts per billion from July through December — below the “action level” of 15 ppb, according to a letter from the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality to Flint’s mayor. It was 20 ppb in the prior six-month period. Based on the sample of 368 residential sites, Flint’s lead levels are again comparable to other similarly sized U.S. cities with older infrastructure, state officials told The Associated Press ahead of an official announcement. “This is good news and the result of many partners on the local, county, state and federal levels working together to restore the water quality in the City of Flint,” the department’s director, Heidi Grether, said in a statement. “The Flint
water system is one of the most monitored systems in the country for lead and copper, and that commitment will remain to ensure residents continue to have access to clean water.” Residents, whose mistrust in government remains high nearly three years after a fateful switch of the city’s water source in April 2014, are being told to continue using faucet filters or bottled water because an ongoing mass replacement of pipes could spike lead levels in individual houses. The replacement of the lines is expected to take years. Tuesday’s announce-
Carlos Osorio / AP file
In this March 21, 2016 file photo, the Flint Water Plant water tower is seen in Flint, Michigan.
ment drew immediate skepticism from some Flint residents. Melissa Mays said it “means nothing. There’s still lead in the system.” “Especially with disruptions, main breaks — pieces of lead scale will be breaking off until these pipes are replaced,” Mays said. “You cannot tell me the water is safe because you have not tested every home.” Flint’s public health emergency began when officials failed to properly treat lead lines for corro-
sion while the city was under state management. State officials acknowledged the lead problem in October 2015. Lead from old pipes leached into the water supply because corrosion-reducing phosphates were not added due to an incorrect reading of federal regulations. Elevated levels of lead, a neurotoxin, were detected in children, and 12 people died in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that experts suspect was linked to the improperly treated water.
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
TLCAN
MÉXICO
Se reúnen líderes fronterizos
Podrían salir de TLCAN
Por Julia Wallace TIEM P O DE ZAPATA
Horas después de que el Presidente Donald J. Trump rápidamente se retirara del tratado Transpacífico el lunes, integrantes del Congreso representando la frontera se reunieron en Washington con líderes empresarios para discutir NAFTA (TLCAN). El panel, organizado por el Representante Filemón Vela, D-Brownsville, estaba compuesto por un grupo bipartidista con 12 miembros del Congreso de California, Arizona, Nuevo México y Texas, incluyendo a Henry Cuéllar de Laredo. Cuéllar invitó al Presidente de la Cámara de Comercio de Laredo Miguel Conchas y Sam Vale, CEO de Starr-Camargo Bridge Company, para participar en el panel de discusión. “El propósito de reunirse era traer expertos como Miguel y Sam que conocen mejor la frontera”, dijo Cuéllar. “…Estamos mandando el mensaje de que el comercio es importante”. Trump ha estado amenazando
con salirse del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN) desde el principio de su campaña presidencial, aunque Cuéllar notó que ha alterado el lenguaje, y ahora está hablando de renegociarlo. Múltiples fuentes de noticias reportaron el lunes que el presidente se estará reuniendo con líderes de Canadá y México esta semana para discutir el acuerdo. “Lo que estamos tratando de lograr hoy es comenzar el proceso de educar a nuestros propios constituyentes, la nación, y a la nueva administración sobre cómo acercarnos a las negociaciones del TLCAN”, dijo Vale. “Creo que la calidad de vida es el tema principal”. En su campaña contra el TLCAN, Trump ha intentado llamar la atención de los residentes del Cinturón de Óxido (Rust Belt), quienes vieron muchos trabajos de manufactura dejar el país después de que el tratado fuera firmado. Pero un punto puesto a discusión por uno de los panelistas el lunes es el valor menospreciado de los bienes que se exportan de los
VUELVE AL TOP 10
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.
CAMINATA AMISTOSA 1 El Servicio de Extensión Texas A&M Agrilife invita a la segunda caminata Walk Across Texas que iniciará desde el 1 de febrero y hasta el 24 de marzo. Una competencia amistosa para ver quién acumula más millas haciendo cualquier actividad física como correr, caminar andar en bicicleta, baile, etc. Mayores informes en Texas A&M Agrilife Service Extension al (956) 487-2306. LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
el cruce fronterizo y exportaciones de productos digitales. Cuéllar dijo que el TPP hubiera sido como TLCAN 2.0, y que hubiera sido bueno para la economía de Laredo. “Me apena que el Presidente haya decidido recortar el crecimiento económico y poner en peligro nuestra posición como uno de los centros más competitivos en comercio internacional”, dijo Cuéllar en una declaración. “… TPP recortaría más de 18.000 en impuestos, en forma de tarifas, en productos hechos en EU. El acuerdo mejoraría la exportación de EU por casi 124 billones de dólares para el 2025 a través de la agilización de procedimientos de aduanas, ayudando a nuestros manufactureros, granjeros y pequeños negocios a competir y ganar en los mercados globales de hoy”. Sin embargo, Cuéllar dijo que el objetivo inmediato del congreso debe ser el TLCAN. Él también dijo que los Republicanos ya están hablando de recaudar dinero para una valla fronteriza. “Las cosas se están moviendo bastante rápido”, él dijo.
PRESA FALCÓN
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB 1 La organización Boys & Girls Club invita a su evento Clays for Kids Skeet Shoot & Cook-Off en su décima edición, que se celebrará el sábado 28 de enero. Para registrarse o para mayores informes visite www.bgcazapata.com o llame a Mark Alvarenga al (956) 337-5751.
EU a México. Otro argumento común fue que si EU se retirara del TLCAN, esto crearía un vacío que lo llenarían otros países para desventaja del país. “Si dejamos ese vacío, los mexicanos van a hacer comercio con otros países”, dijo Cuéllar. “Imagínense que los chinos o cualquier otro país empiece a perforar allá. Los chinos están en todo el mundo en cuanto a recursos naturales. Me preocupa el vacío”. Conchas indicó que 284 billones de dólares en comercio cruzaron la frontera de México con EU el año pasado, y que EU debería cultivar su relación con México. La mayoría de los panelistas, sin embargo, indicaron que renegociar el TLCAN no tiene que ser un agravio. Por ejemplo, un panelista notó que cuando este tratado fue redactado, no había teléfonos inteligentes en nuestros bolsillos o el uso del internet con regularidad. Él citó un artículo de Forbes que recomendaba actualizar el TLCAN para incluir el flujo de datos en
Foto por Danny Zaragoza | Tiempo de Zapata
Después de caer al puesto 42 en 2015, la Presa Falcón ha vuelto a ser considerada uno de los mejores lugares para la pesca de róbalo, según la revista Bassmaster.
Consigue 9° puesto en pesca de róbalo E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
La Presa Falcón en Zapata ha vuelto a ser considerada como uno de los mejores lugares para la pesca de róbalo en el país. La revista Bassmaster clasificó a la Presa Falcón como el mejor lago de róbalo en Estados Unidos en 2012. Pero tres años después en 2015, cayó al número 42. La revista se refirió a la presa como “una sombra de lo que fue”. Desde entonces ha subido filas de nuevo y consiguió el noveno puesto en 2016. “Cuidado mundo del
róbalo: esta bestia está murmurando”, dijo la revista Bassmaster en su clasificación anual para el año 2016. “Fue nombrado el lago número uno en la nación en 2012, la sequía y la sobrepesca mutilaron este destino de clase mundial. Se ha llenado lentamente con agua, y la presión de la pesca ha disminuido”. “Los peces han respondido rápidamente. En abril, durante un evento de Bass Champs, tomó 31,97 libras para ganar. Otros dos límites superaron la marca de 29 libras. Y usted no estaba en el top 32 si no tenía al menos
20 libras”. “El lago todavía no es tan consistente como lo fue en 2012, pero rápidamente se dirige en esa dirección”. En febrero, Falcon Lake será la sede del campeonato estatal Texas Bass Nation 2017. El evento será organizado por la Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata. “En cuanto a lo que hemos oído de los pescadores, la pesca es buena”, dijo la Cámara de Comercio el año pasado. “Están pescado ejemplares de buen tamaño”. “En cualquier otro lago, un róbalo de cuatro libras
sería considerado un trofeo. Aquí, usted tendría que atrapar uno de siete u ocho libras para ser considerado en la competencia. Tenemos la reputación de ser uno de los mejores lugares para pescar róbalo en los Estados Unidos, y aquí en la cámara lo promocionamos todo lo que podemos. Es un gran lugar para venir a pasar una tarde con la familia o un fin de semana para ir a pescar”. Además de los torneos de pesca organizados por la cámara, una serie de torneos privados suelen tener lugar en el lago durante todo el año.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
Gobernando la nueva ciudad Nota del editor: Esta serie de artículos sobre la historia de Ciudad Guerrero, México, fueron escritos por la guerrerense Lilia Treviño Martínez (1927-2016), quien fuera profesora de la escuela Leoncio Leal. Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
En 1953, año del traslado a esta ciudad, el Municipio estaba gobernado por un Cabildo que se integraba de la siguiente manera: Un presidente,
un síndico, que en casos necesarios actuaba como agente del Ministerio Público, y tres regidores, con sus respectivos suplentes. En la actualidad, el Cabildo se integra con un Presidente, un síndico y seis regidores; todos con sus suplentes. Don Serafín Vela García, fue el último Presidente de la Antigua Ciudad, y por ende, el primero en ésta, pues fungió por ministerio de ley hasta el 31 de diciembre de 1954. La vida política en
general, ha sido ordenada y tranquila; las autoridades municipales han llevado buenas relaciones con los órganos de gobierno estatal y federal y generalmente laboran sin mayores problemas; cada tres años se hace sentir la efervescencia política, puesta de manifiesto en las campañas para renovar los cuadros municipales, y como sucede en gran número de municipios, la clase que pudiera llamarse “dominante” rara vez está unido y ejerce influencia sobre los dife-
rentes núcleos de la población para llevar al poder a quienes le convienen para la protección de sus intereses. A veces surgen enconadas luchas, pero afortunadamente sólo traen como consecuencia la participación de toda la ciudadanía en el proceso electoral. Hasta el presente, las primeras autoridades del municipio han emanado del Partido Revolucionario Institucional, aunque ocasionalmente en el cabildo figuran regidores de otros partidos.
Por María Verza ASSOCIATED PRE SS
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO — México podría abandonar el Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte si las condiciones para su renegociación no le benefician. Ése es el mensaje que los dos secretarios que viajarán el miércoles a Washington al primer encuentro oficial con la administración de Donald Trump — el de Economía, Ildefonso Guajardo, y el de Exteriores, Luis Videgaray— han reiterado durante todo martes en distintos foros de manera contundente. "No vamos a aceptar cualquier renegociación", dijo Videgaray tras una reunión con la Junta de Coordinación Política del Senado. "Siempre existe la posibilidad de abandonar el Tratado y regir el comercio entre México y Estados Unidos a partir de las reglas de la Organización Mundial de Comercio". El canciller matizó que ese no es el deseo del gobierno "ni tampoco será nuestra propuesta inicial (...) pero es naturalmente una opción". Guajardo subrayó la misma idea en una entrevista con la cadena Televisa. "Es imposible venderlo aquí en casa si no hay claros beneficios para México". Si vamos a ir por menos de lo que tenemos, añadió, "no tiene sentido quedarnos". Trump ha prometido renegociar el TLCAN (NAFTA, por sus siglas en inglés) entre Canadá, Estados Unidos y México y aplicar tarifas a las importaciones. México tiene un superávit comercial con Estados Unidos pero muchos sectores del país quieren más restricciones para las importaciones estadounidenses, sobre todo de productos agrícolas, porque dicen que la actual situación ha ayudado a empobrecer a los campesinos mexicanos que tienen cultivos de subsistencia. El gobierno, durante toda la semana, ha enfatizado su ferviente defensa a los tratados de libre comercio en general, y al de América del Norte en particular, así como la necesidad de diversificar sus relaciones comerciales más allá de Estados Unidos para reforzar los vínculos económicos con otros países. En vísperas del primer encuentro oficial con miembros de la nueva administración de Trump, los secretarios mexicanos mostraron más contundencia que el presidente Enrique Peña Nieto el lunes, que no habló en ningún momento de salirse del TLCAN aunque sí de la necesidad de que toda negociación se haga con respeto a la dignidad y soberanía de México. "Ni confrontación, ni sumisión. La solución es el diálogo y la negociación", dijo el lunes Peña, un mandatario que pasa por su peor nivel de popularidad —una encuesta reciente dice que solo aprueba 12% de los mexicanos— y contra el que se han multiplicado las críticas por problemas internos, como el aumento en los precios de la gasolina, y por la falta de contundencia ante las amenazas del vecino del norte.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 |
A7
NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS
Jones regarding Romo’s future: ‘Cool it’ Romo’s future still unknown By Drew Davison FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
MOBILE, Ala. — Owner Jerry Jones isn’t ready to speculate on Tony Romo’s future with the Dallas Cowboys. At least not yet. Jones tried to minimize any Romo talk before he watched Senior Bowl practices on Tuesday, refusing to even say whether he and Romo have had conversations since the Cowboys’ season ended. "I’m not going to get into that at all — whether we’ve talked or not," Jones said. "We’re at a juncture now that, we need to just cool it in our
public conversations about what we’re going to be doing or not doing there with Tony." Romo’s future is sure to be a storyline all offseason and picked up public steam earlier this week when Romo and Denver Broncos general manager John Elway were photographed together in Washington D.C. Signs point to no realistic option other than the Cowboys and Romo parting ways. The Cowboys found their quarterback of the future in Dak Prescott, who led the team on an 11-game winning streak and to the NFC’s top seed this season. Romo, meanwhile, is a
NBA: DALLAS MAVERICKS
significant salary cap hit and likely wants an opportunity to go somewhere and start. Romo is set to make a $14 million base salary in 2017 and count $24.7 million against the salary cap, the highest among any quarterback for next season. Asked if he had a good idea of what Romo wants, Jones said: "Well, I’ve always had a good feeling that I communicated well and that we as an organization communicated well with Tony. Always — I’ve always had that." Romo, who turns 37 in April, is the franchise leader in passing yards (34,154), passing touchdowns (247), passer rating
Rich Schultz / Getty Images file
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones downplayed talk regarding former quarterback Tony Romo’s future this offseason.
(97.1), completion percentage (65.3) and most 3,000yard passing seasons (seven). But he’s missed 21 games with injuries the past two seasons. The Cowboys are pleased to have found Romo’s replacement even though Prescott’s rise might have happened quicker than expected. That puts less of an emphasis on the quarterback position this offseason, although backups
Kellen Moore and Mark Sanchez are set to become free agents. Jones said the Cowboys could turn to Moore or Sanchez — or both — as the backup next season, but said it’s "not a given" at this point. Either way, the organization won’t do as much homework on quarterbacks as they did a year ago when they tried to trade up for Paxton Lynch (Denver)
and Connor Cook (Oakland) before landing Prescott. "It won’t quite have the emphasis it had last year," Jones said. "We really felt like it was time to look at the future quarterback and that dictated some of our strategy by the time we got down to the draft. "So much for strategy, we never knew it would turn out the way it’s turned out, thank goodness."
NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Steve Nurenberg / Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Dallas forward Harrison Barnes agreed with his former coach Steve Kerr saying the All-Star voting by players this year was “ridiculous.”
Barnes says players voting for All-Star Game not ‘a good idea’ By Brad Townsend TH E DALLAS MORNI NG NEWS
A day after his former coach, Steve Kerr, chastised NBA players for making a mockery of the All-Star-starter voting process, Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes chimed: "I don’t think it was a good idea" for players to vote. This year, for the first time, votes by NBA players accounted for 25 percent of the balloting. Among the regularities: Nearly 100 players got one vote apiece from themselves or a peer; 128 players did not vote for LeBron James; 154 players did not vote for Kevin Durant. "I saw some of those results," Barnes said Tuesday. "Whether it was teammates voting for each other, whether it was guys not giving credit to another guy, I don’t know how fair it is. "Then again, leaving it all in the media’s hands or leaving it all in the fans’ hands, there has to be a balance somewhere. But the player vote is interesting, for sure."
Kerr on Monday said he was disappointed in players, adding: "They’ve asked for a vote and a lot of them just made a mockery of it. I don’t know what the point is." A vote of NBA coaches determines the All-Star non-starters. Those players will be announced on Thursday. For the record, Barnes said he did, in fact, vote for James and Durant, who, fortunately, received starting nods. "Those guys are on two of the best teams in the league. I don’t see how they missed the ballot (of some players)." So should players get a vote in the future? Does what occurred this year hurt the credibility of the voting process? "I mean, that’s ridiculous," Barnes said. "We have to do a better job, if we’re going to be taken seriously. Some people might take it as a joke but you get guys on the best teams in the league, leading their teams, I don’t see how you’d have an All-Star game without them on there."
Morry Gash / Associated Press file
The selection committee for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament will begin to give a look at its top 16 seeds one month before the 68-team field locks in on March 12.
NCAA hoops committee to give tournament peek By Ralph D. Russo ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — The selection committee for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is getting into the bracketology business and borrowing an idea from the College Football Playoff, hoping it will get more fans thinking about March Madness in February. The NCAA and CBS Sports announced Tuesday that for the first time the committee will give a look at its top 16 seeds one month before the 68-team field locks in on March 12. The top four teams in each region will be revealed on Feb. 11 during a March Madness preview show on CBS. It’s the first time the men’s basketball selection committee has revealed its thinking during the season, giving teams an idea beyond outside rankings of where they stand heading into the tournament. Bracketology, the art and science of projecting the final tournament field,
has become a staple of college basketball coverage for media outlets. During the final month of the season, prognosticators are updating their brackets daily. “We value the interest bracketologists bring to the process and the tournament,” said Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s vice president of men’s basketball championships. “All the bracketologists are good but only one group has the final say.” Now the committee will reveal their thinking, too — though only at the top of the field. The 68-team field consists of 36 at-large teams and 32 conference champions who automatically qualify. Gavitt said the complexity of building the full field made it difficult to consider going beyond the top 16. “The committee felt the only reasonable place to end up was with the top 16,” he said. Committee head Mark Hollis, the athletic director at Michigan State, is
scheduled to take part in the reveal show. The picks will come with plenty of games still to play, including conference tournaments. “I think it will also hopefully spur even more interest in how the last several weeks of the season will unfold,” Gavitt said. The move mirrors a similar early reveal for the women’s NCAA Tournament. The women’s committee revealed its top 16 seeds on Monday night, and plans to do so again twice more before the bracket is unveiled March 13. The new look behind the curtain also comes after three years of the College Football Playoff selection committee handing down a weekly top 25 before it picks the four semifinalists at the end of the regular season. The NCAA has no involvement in the CFP, which is run by the leaders of the FBS conferences. The College Football Playoff’s 13-member selection committee was, how-
ever, inspired by the NCAA’s use of committees to set championship tournament fields — including the 10-member panel that fills out the most famous bracket in sports. The CFP rankings begin nine weeks into the season and the committee chairman appears weekly on ESPN to get grilled about the rankings. The weekly rankings reveal was met with some skepticism from fans and members of the media, but ESPN and the CFP officials have been more than pleased with the results. “We asked ourselves why not give the teams and the fans a glimpse into what the committee is thinking and we concluded that’s something we should do,” said College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock. “If we didn’t produce weekly rankings then other rankings will be perceived to be reflective of the way the committee was thinking by teams and by fans. We wanted to get out in front of it.”
A8 | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Oscar nominations: 14 for ‘La La Land,’ and 6 for black actors By Brooks Barnes N EW YORK T I ME S
LOS ANGELES — Oscar voters showered the neo-musical “La La Land” with 14 nominations on Tuesday, a tie with “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for the most in Academy Award history. But the academy also moved past two #OscarsSoWhite years by honoring six black actors — a record — and including diverse films like “Moonlight,” “Fences” and “Hidden Figures” in the best picture race. Nine movies will compete for Hollywood’s top prize, including several box-office hits. Joining “La La Land” and “Moonlight” (eight nominations total), “Fences” (four), and “Hidden Figures” (three) in the best picture race were “Arrival,” a science-fiction thriller; the cops-and-robbers drama “Hell or High Water”; the subtitled tear-jerker “Lion”; “Manchester by the Sea,” about a mournful New England handyman; and “Hacksaw Ridge,” Mel Gibson’s true story of World War II heroism. In a surprise, Gibson also drew a nomination as best director, officially ending his 10-year status as a Hollywood pariah for his offscreen behavior. Filling out the directing field were Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”), Denis Villeneuve (“Arrival”), Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) and Kenneth Lonergan (“Manchester by the Sea”). There were other surprises. “Arrival” emerged as one of the most-hon-
Dale Robinette / Lionsgate
Ryan Gosling as Sebastian and Emma Stone as Mia perform in a scene from the movie “La La Land,” which was nominated for a record-tying 14 Oscars.
ored films, with support in eight categories, but its star, Amy Adams, failed to receive a nod for best actress. Instead, her slot likely went to newcomer Ruth Negga for her understated performance in “Loving.” Joining her were Isabelle Huppert from the French film “Elle,” Emma Stone from “La La Land,” Natalie Portman from “Jackie” and Meryl Streep from “Florence Foster Jenkins.” In an embarrassing glitch, a website managed by the academy and ABC, which broadcasts the Oscars, initially listed Adams as a nominee
instead of Negga. An overeager ABC staffer made the mistake, according to an academy official. It was quickly corrected. In a sharp contrast to the previous two years, when the academy put forward all-white rosters of acting nominees, voters chose the largest number of black candidates ever. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris each received a nod for their supporting work in “Moonlight.” Viola Davis (“Fences”) and Octavia Spencer (“Hidden Figures”) were also nominated for supporting actress. Joining Negga in the lead categories was Denzel Washing-
ton of “Fences.” Another minority actor, Dev Patel, was nominated for his supporting role in “Lion.” Jeff Bridges from “Hell or High Water,” Lucas Hedges from “Manchester by the Sea” and Michael Shannon from “Nocturnal Animals” rounded out the supporting actor nominees. Joining Washington as best actor nominees were Ryan Gosling for “La La Land,” Viggo Mortensen for “Captain Fantastic,” Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea” and Andrew Garfield for “Hacksaw Ridge.” Pundits will inevitably
declare that the academy listened to the #OscarsSoWhite protests that found the Rev. Al Sharpton berating Hollywood in a preceremony rally last year. Public pressure may well have been a factor, but the outcome, in truth, may have more to do with the vagaries of moviemaking: a full slate of high-quality movies with diverse casts that coalesced in the past year. For the first time in memory, the academy did not unveil its nominations at a news conference attended by entertainment journalists. Instead, reporters were bypassed — no chance for academy
officials to be peppered with uncomfortable questions that way — and the nominations read without an audience in a presentation broadcast on Oscars.com, “Good Morning America” and other platforms. The favorite by far going in was “La La Land,” the show-business musical directed and written by Chazelle and starring Stone and Gosling. “La La Land” collected a record seven prizes at the Golden Globes, and the film has the benefit of being about Hollywood’s favorite topic — itself. (Recent best picture winners with entertainmentindustry backdrops have included “The Artist” and “Birdman.”) The rules allow the best picture category to have as many as 10 or as few as five nominees, depending on how voters spread their support. (There were eight last year.) The academy entrusted its previous ceremony to producers Reginald Hudlin and David Hill, who brought in Chris Rock to scold Hollywood on diversity and created a cable-news-style scrawl in an ill-advised attempt to make acceptance speeches more interesting. Ratings dropped, and ABC, which broadcasts the ceremony and charges $2 million for a 30-second commercial, moved to take a firmer hand in this year’s telecast. Jimmy Kimmel, who anchors ABC’s late-night programming block, was selected as host. The Oscars will be broadcast on Feb. 26.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Trump acts to advance Keystone XL, Dakota Access pipelines By Matthew Daly and Ken Thomas A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump moved swiftly Tuesday to advance the controversial Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, signing executive actions to aggressively overhaul America’s energy policy and deal a sharp blow to Barack Obama’s legacy on climate change. Obama had personally halted the Keystone XL project, which was to bring oil from Canada to the U.S., and major protest demonstrations have frozen work on the Dakota pipeline. Trump, in his continuing effort to undo the past eight years of a Democratic president, invited the Keystone builder, TransCanada, to resubmit its application to the State Department for a presidential permit to construct and operate the pipeline. The company said it would reapply. Obama halted the proposed pipeline in late 2015, declaring it would undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate
change deal that was a centerpiece of his environmental agenda. Trump also ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to quickly review and approve construction and easement requests for the Dakota Access pipeline, a project that has led to major protests by American Indian groups and their supporters. “From now on we are going to start making pipelines in the United States,” Trump said from the Oval Office, where he also vowed to require the actual pipe for Keystone to be manufactured in America. Trump’s actions four days after he took office came on the heels of his decision to withdraw from a major trade agreement as he upends Obama’s policies, winning praise from congressional Republicans. Democrats in energy-producing state also hailed Trump’s actions on the pipelines as long-awaited steps to boost jobs and move the country toward energy independence. But environmental groups and Native Amer-
Shawn Thew / Getty
President Donald Trump displays one of five executive orders he signed relating to the oil pipeline industry in the oval office of the White House, Tuesday, in Washington, D.C.
ican tribes who have fought both projects for years pledged to defy Trump. “President Trump will live to regret his actions today,” said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. “Unwittingly he is beginning to build a wall — a wall of resistance. This fight is far from over.” The 1,179-mile Keystone XL pipeline would run from Canada to Nebraska, where it would join other lines already leading to refineries along the
Gulf Coast. Trump directed the State Department and other agencies to make a decision within 60 days of a final application and declared that a 2014 State Department environmental study satisfies required reviews under environmental and endangered species laws. Environmental groups promised a legal challenge, arguing a new application requires a new review. State Department approval is needed because
the pipeline would cross the northern U.S border. As a practical matter, the Dakota Access project is likely to be completed first. The company building it says it is complete except for a section that would pass under the Missouri River near a camp in North Dakota where pipeline opponents are demonstrating. The 1,200-mile pipeline would carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to an existing pipeline in Illinois. The proposed route skirts the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s reservation and crosses under Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota that serves as the tribe’s drinking water source. The tribe’s chairman accused Trump of breaking the law, citing treaty rights with the United States, and promised to fight the action in court. “Americans know this pipeline was unfairly rerouted toward our nation and without our consent,” Dave Archambault said. The Army decided last year to explore alternate routes for the Dakota
pipeline after the tribe and its supporters said it threatened drinking water and Native American cultural sites. The company developing the pipeline, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, says it will be safe. “Today’s news is a breath of fresh air, and proof that President Trump won’t let radical special-interest groups stand in the way of doing what’s best for American workers,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate. In July, the Army Corps of Engineers granted the company needed permits, but in September the agency said further analysis was needed. On Dec. 4, the assistant Army secretary for civil works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, said alternate routes needed to be considered. Nearly 600 pipeline opponents have been arrested in North Dakota since last year. An encampment on Corps land along the pipeline route was home to thousands of protesters who call themselves “water protectors.”
Materials, financials help lift S&P 500, Nasdaq to new highs By Alex Veiga A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
U.S. stocks posted solid gains Tuesday, propelling the Standard & Poor’s 500 index and Nasdaq composite to all-time highs. Mining and other materials sector companies rose more than the rest of the market. The sector could benefit from initiatives by the White House to streamline the permitting process for manufacturing and clear the way for pipeline construction. Financial stocks also rose sharply. Energy companies climbed as crude oil prices closed higher. The rally also swept up stocks in U.S. homebuilders. Health care, phone companies and other high-dividend stocks were among the biggest laggards as bond yields rose. While several big companies reported quarterly
earnings, investors focused on the latest batch of executive actions from President Donald Trump. “The importance of this earnings season has been dimmed only because we all realize there’s going to be some changes in policy,” said J.J. Kinahan, TD Ameritrade’s chief strategist. “Now you’re trading on the edicts, or whatever they may be, that are coming out of the White House.” The Dow Jones industrial average climbed 112.86 points, or 0.6 percent, to 19,912.71. The S&P 500 index gained 14.87 points, or 0.7 percent, to 2,280.07. That’s the highest close for the index since Jan. 6. The Nasdaq added 48.01 points, or 0.9 percent, to 5,600.96. That’s the highest close for the techheavy index since Jan. 13. Small-company stocks outpaced the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 jumped 21.37 points, or 1.6
percent, to 1,369.21. Trading got off to a sluggish start, with the major stock indexes hovering just above their prior-day levels. Investors bid up shares in several companies that reported better-than-expected earnings, including Kimberly-Clark, which makes Kleenex and other paper products. The company rose $4.81, or 4.1 percent, to $121.79. Homebuilder D.R. Horton also rose after reporting strong financial results, climbing $1.90, or 6.6 percent to $30.64. DuPont jumped $3.27, or 4.5 percent, to $76.05 after reporting earnings that easily beat analysts’ estimates. But the action in Washington also held the market’s interest. Trump hosted a breakfast meeting with the heads of General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Prior to the meeting, Trump tweeted that he wants “new plants to be built here for cars sold here.” He has warned of a “substantial border tax” on companies that move manufacturing out of the country and promised tax advantages to those that produce domestically. “They used to call some of this jawboning,” said David Winters, CEO of Wintergreen Advisers. “So, far President Trump has been encouraging companies to do what’s in his vision of a successful America. There’s a lot of enthusiasm, but it’s really going to be what happens in the next couple of months in terms of legislation so there’s clarity.” Automakers expressed optimism after the meeting. And shares in their companies rose. GM gained 35 cents, or 1 percent, to $37, while Ford added 30 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $12.61. Fiat
Chrysler rose 60 cents, or 5.8 percent, to $10.88. Trump also signed executive actions to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. President Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, which would run from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast, saying it would hurt American efforts to reach a global climate change deal. The Army decided last year to explore alternate routes for the Dakota pipeline after the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters said the pipeline threatened drinking water and Native American cultural sites. Mining company Freeport-McMoRan vaulted $1.30, or 8.3 percent, to $17.02, the biggest gainer in the S&P 500 index. Some companies’ financial results put traders
in a selling mood. Verizon slumped 4.4 percent after the phone and communications company served up earnings for the last three months of 2016 that fell short of what analysts were expecting. The company, whose deal to buy Yahoo’s internet operations may be in jeopardy, also said that its roster of retail postpaid subscribers fell sharply. The stock fell the most among companies in the S&P 500, sliding $2.29 to $50.12. Major market indexes in Europe were mixed. Germany’s DAX rose 0.4 percent, while France’s CAC 40 added 0.2 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 was flat after the Supreme Court said parliament would have a right to vote on whether Britain formally exits the European Union. The ruling doesn’t mean Britain will remain in the EU, but it could delay the process.
A10 | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Senate Democrats propose $1 trillion infrastructure plan
Dying from cancer: Could your location determine your fate?
By Joan Lowy By Lindsey Tanner
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Tuesday offered a plan to spend $1 trillion on transportation and other infrastructure projects over 10 years, challenging President Donald Trump to join them on an issue where they hope to find common ground. Democrats estimate their plan would create 15 million jobs. The plan includes $210 billion to repair aging roads and bridges and another $200 billion for a “vital infrastructure fund” to pay for a variety of transportation projects of national significance. An example of the types of projects that could be eligible for financing from the fund is the Gateway Program to repair and replace rail lines and tunnels between New York and New Jersey, some of which are over 100 years old and were damaged in Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The project, which would double the number of trains per hour using the tunnels and help enable high-speed Amtrak service, is estimated to cost about $20 billion. Republican leaders are unlikely to embrace the Democratic plan. It’s not clear where Democrats would get the money for their proposal. Infrastructure was raised at a meeting Monday between Trump and lawmakers from both parties. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats pitched their plan to Trump and asked for his support. Schumer said he
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, center, flanked by Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, confer on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday.
also warned Trump that doing so would mean he’d have to “go against” elements of the Republican Party. Trump acknowledged that and seemed open to working with Democrats, he said. A White House spokesman didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters he doesn’t want another infrastructure plan that is effectively an economic stimulus program like the one Congress passed in 2009 at former President Barack Obama’s behest. He said Republicans are waiting to see what the Trump administration proposes and he hopes it is paid for in “a credible way.” Democrats “thought that was an area maybe to find common ground, and then Sen. McConnell made the important point it needs to be paid for because we’ve got $20 trillion in debt,” Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican leader, who was at the meeting. Trump bemoaned the
state of America’s roads, bridges, airports and railways during the presidential campaign and promised to generate $1 trillion in infrastructure investment, putting people to work in the process. But Trump has offered few specifics. Administration officials have indicated they expect Trump to offer details this spring. “Senate Democrats are walking the walk on repairing and rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure,” Schumer said. “We ask President Trump to support this common sense, comprehensive approach.” Besides transportation, the plan includes money for expanding broadband access in rural areas, water treatment and sewer construction, veterans’ hospitals and schools. A proposal by two of Trump’s financial advisers circulated just after the election calls for using $137 billion in tax credits to generate $1 trillion in private investment in infrastructure projects over 10 years. But investors are typically interest-
ed only in projects that have a revenue stream like tolls to produce a profit. Elaine Chao, Trump’s nominee for transportation secretary, told senators last week that she wants to “unleash the potential” of private investors to boost transportation. Charging tolls for roads and bridges is often unpopular. A recent Washington Post poll found that 66 percent of the public opposes granting tax credits to investors who put their money into transportation projects in exchange for the right to charge tolls. Transportation industry lobbying groups want a hike in direct federal spending instead of tax credits. What is needed most, they say, is money to address the growing backlog of maintenance and repair projects, most of which are unsuitable for tolling. An infrastructure bill that relies on tax credits risks providing a windfall to investors and wouldn’t be acceptable to Democrats, Schumer said.
CHICAGO — Americans in certain struggling parts of the country are dying from cancer at rising rates, even as the cancer death rate nationwide continues to fall, an exhaustive new analysis has found. In parts of the country that are relatively poor, and have higher rates of obesity and smoking, cancer death rates rose nearly 50 percent, while wealthier pockets of the country saw death rates fall by nearly half. Better screening and treatment have contributed to the improvement in the nation as a whole — but the study underscores that not all Americans have benefited from these advances. “We are going in the wrong direction,” said Ali Mokdad, the study’s lead author and a professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. “We should be going forward, not backward.” Stark differences in regional cancer death rates have been found in previous research, but this one stands out for providing detailed estimates for deaths from nearly 30 types of cancer in all 3,100 U.S. counties over 35 years. From 1980 to 2014, the U.S. death rate per 100,000 people for all cancers combined dropped from about 240 to 192 — a 20 percent decline. More than 19 million Americans died from cancer during that time,
the study found. The picture was rosiest the Colorado ski country, where cancer deaths per 100,000 residents dropped by almost half, from 130 in 1980 to just 70 in 2014; and bleakest in some eastern Kentucky counties, where they soared by up to 45 percent. “We all know this is unacceptable ... in a country that spends more than anybody else on health,” Mokdad said. The Affordable Care Act took effect in the study’s final years and emphasized prevention services including no-cost screenings for breast, colorectal and cervical cancers. Any resulting benefits wouldn’t be evident in the latest results, since cancer takes years to develop. It’s unknown whether similar coverage will be part of the replacement system the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans are seeking. An editorial published with the study by Stephanie Wheeler, a University of North Carolina health policy specialist and Dr. Ethan Basch, a University of North Carolina cancer specialist, notes that many areas with the highest cancer death rates also strongly supported Donald Trump, “raising hopes that future policies developed by the incoming administration will provide resources” for these communities. Researchers estimated county death rates using U.S. government death records and U.S. Census Bureau data. Results were published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 |
A11
FROM THE COVER FALCON From page A1 eight-pounder in order to even be considered in the competition. “We do have the reputation of being one of the best bass fishing locations in the United States, and we here at the chamber promote that as much as we can. “It’s a great place to come and spend an afternoon with the family or a weekend to go fishing.” In addition to fishing tournaments hosted by the chamber, a host of private tournaments typically take place on the lake throughout the year.
SCHOOL From page A1 results that can be similar to those of traditional public schools. The rally came as Texas Senate budget writers discussed how much funding will be needed to educate the state’s 5.3 million public school students. Texas currently spends about $2,700 perpupil under the national average, ranking 38th in funding nationwide, according to the Texas State Teachers Association. Kathy Miller, president of the education watchdog group Texas Freedom Network said Tuesday that vouchers “are a scheme that strips critical funds from public schools and gives a discount to individuals who can already afford private school.” In 2013, Texas expanded its number of public charter schools, though advocates say waitlists of children wanting to attend them still exceeds 100,000 — and suggest that vouchers could fill that void. Many students at the Capitol rally attended charter schools or were on waitlists for them, just like at similar “School Choice Week” events nationwide. “This is not a war on public education,” Patrick said. He said vouchers don’t “take money from the education system” because public schools will cut costs by no longer having to educate stu-
ENERGY From page A1 As Trump takes office alongside a Republicanled Congress, Texas will likely be more free to regulate the environment as it likes, with less oversight from the federal government. “When you think about the relationship between the EPA and the states, the states are not mere vessels for federal will,” Pruitt said Wednesday at his confirmation hearing. “When it’s not respected, that’s what spawned most of this litigation.” Climate change and the environment are the most ideologically polarized issues in Congress, said Thomas Jensen, a Washington attorney who has advised federal lawmakers on environmental issues for 30 years. “Washington will be nothing more than a tug-of-war between empiricism and ideology” in the coming years, he said last month at a water summit in New Braunfels. Here’s a look forward at some of the key issues affecting Texas and how they could unfold under Trump: Small streams and wetlands What’s at stake? The EPA said its 2015 Clean Water Act rule, often called the “Waters of the U.S. rule” clarified that the agency has authority over pollution in small, intermittent streams and
Trump narrows down Supreme Court nominee list to 3 By Mark Sherman and Vivian Salama ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has narrowed his choice to fill the Supreme Court vacancy to three judges and said he expects to make his decision in the coming days. A person familiar with the selection process said the three judges, all white men who sit on federal appeals courts, were on the list of 21 potential high court picks Trump announced during the presidential campaign.
The leading contenders — who all have met with Trump — are William Pryor, Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman, the person said, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to speak publicly about internal decisions. Pryor, 54, is an Alabama-based judge on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Gorsuch, 49, is on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Hardiman, 51, is based in Pittsburgh for the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. All three were nominated by Presi-
dents who transfer to private alternatives. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush also is a longtime school choice supporter. The grandson of one former president, nephew of another and son of failed 2016 White House hopeful Jeb Bush, George P. once served on the board of one of Texas’ largest charter school operators. He applauded other speakers but didn’t address the crowd himself Tuesday — unlike during past rallies. Last session, a sweeping voucher plan passed the Texas Senate, but died in the House, where Democrats have long teamed with rural Republicans wary of hurting schools that are the lifeblood of their small communities to keep public money in public schools. The Senate this year is promoting “educational savings accounts” letting families use public money for private schooling, as well as tax breaks for businesses that sponsor private school scholarships. So far, though, there is little indication such plans will be any better received in Texas’ lower chamber than in the past. “Traditionally, the members of the House have not supported spending taxpayer dollars at private schools,” Jason Embry, a spokesman for Republican Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, said Tuesday “and there are many questions to be answered on this issue in the months ahead.”
NAFTA From page A1
wetlands. Farmers, agribusiness groups and other industries saw it as federal overreach. The rule isn’t in effect after 32 states, including Texas, and dozens of industry associations filed 21 lawsuits challenging it in multiple courts, federal court documents show. These all were consolidated in an Ohio federal appeals court, where judge issued a stay on the rule in 2015. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would take up the case, but only the issue of which court should oversee it. “You could have somebody coming out and saying you’re violating the rule just by plowing your field or applying herbicide,” said Regan Beck, director of government affairs for the Texas Farm Bureau, which intervened in one of the suits. “Normal farming practices could put you in violation of this rule,” he said. The EPA has said that’s not true. The rule would not regulate most man-made ditches, create any new permitting requirements for agriculture or interfere with private property rights, according to the EPA. Trump’s position: Trump’s transition website promised the new administration would “eliminate the highly invasive” rule but did not spell out how. Pruitt also seems to be no fan of it — Oklahoma is one of the states fighting it in court. What Trump could do: Trump could let the
case wind its way through court, settle the suit or repeal the rule. If the administration pursues repeal, “we won’t just roll over — the rule received broad public support, and we will ensure that concerned citizens’ voices continue to be heard,” said Jon Devine, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which intervened in the case in support of the rule. He said in an email that the rule relies on an extensive scientific record and is consistent with protection of the nation’s waterways that Congress passed with the Clean Water Act.
get-together was to bring in experts like Miguel and Sam that know the border better,” Cuellar said. “... We’re sending out the message that trade is important.” Trump has been threatening to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement since the start of his presidential campaign, although Cuellar noted that he has altered his language, and is now talking about renegotiating instead. Multiple news sources reported Monday that the president will be meeting with leaders of Canada and Mexico this week to discuss the agreement. “What we were trying to accomplish today is to start the process of educating our own constituents, the nation, plus the new administration as we approach the renegotiation of NAFTA,” Vale said. “I think that quality of life is the overarching issue.” In his campaign against NAFTA, Trump has attempted to appeal to residents of the Rust Belt, many of whom saw manufacturing jobs leave the country after the agreement was signed. But a point brought up by several panelists on Monday is the underappreciated value of exporting goods from the U.S. to Mexico. Leila Aridi Afas, in-
Endangered species What’s at stake? The fight over endangered species is one of the most active environmental arenas in Texas. The state has a relatively high proportion of rare species and a large economy with sectors like oil and gas, farming and ranching and construction that take a heavy toll on species habitat. Recent struggles have centered on the Hill Country’s golden-cheeked warbler and the dunes sagebrush lizard of West Texas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides when to take new species on or off the list and enforces legal protections in the Endangered Species Act. Trump’s position: While Trump has not explained his views on the Endangered Species Act, he has discussed his
dent George W. Bush for their current posts. Trump has promised to seek someone in the mold of conservative icon Antonin Scalia, who died nearly a year ago after serving on the Supreme Court for more than 29 years. Senate Republicans prevented President Barack Obama from filling the seat, a political gamble that paid off when Trump was elected. Trump met Tuesday with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen.
Dianne Feinstein to discuss the court vacancy. Grassley said in a statement that the meeting was productive and “a step in the right direction.” Trump said he plans to announce his choice next week. McConnell led the Senate in refusing to even to consider Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to take Scalia’s seat, announcing on the night that Scalia died that the vacancy should be filled not by Obama, but by the next president. Schumer, D-N.Y., said last week on CNN that
the Democrats would inevitably push back against anyone Trump nominates for the Supreme Court. “It’s hard for me to imagine a nominee that Donald Trump would choose that would get Republican support, that we could support,” he said. Daniel Goldberg, legal director of the liberal Alliance for Justice, said his group almost certainly would oppose anyone from Trump’s list. “President Trump has made clear what kind of justice he intends to nominate.
stance, one panelist noted that when this agreement was drafted, we didn’t have smartphones in our pockets or use the internet with any regularity. He cited a Forbes article that recommended updating NAFTA to include cross-border data flows and exports of digital products.
Courtesy / Office of Rep. Henry Cuellar
Miguel Conchas and Sam Vale participate in a panel discussion Monday in Washington, D.C. regarding trade with Mexico.
ternational policy director of Toyota, said prior to NAFTA, 5 percent of Mexico’s imports were U.S. content — now 40 percent comes from the U.S. And since Mexico trades with more countries than the U.S., border trade facilitates a highly competitive global region, she said. Another common argument was that if the U.S. were to withdraw from NAFTA, this would create a void filled by other countries to the nation’s detriment. “If we leave that vacuum, the mexicanos are going to trade with other countries,” Cuellar said. “Imagine if the Chinese or any other country starts drilling down
there. The Chinese are all over the world as far as natural resources. I’m concerned about the vacuum.” Conchas pointed out that $284 billion in trade crossed the U.S.-Mexico border last year, and the U.S. should nurture its relationship with Mexico. “NAFTA has not only been good for Laredo, but also for the state of Texas and the country as a whole,” he said. “One thing the country doesn’t understand is that in every dollar of U.S. exports, 40 percent is Mexico made.” Most panelists, however, said that renegotiating NAFTA doesn’t have to be harmful. For in-
sons’ passion for hunting in several interviews. U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, is Trump’s choice to lead the Department of the Interior, which oversees the USFWS. Though Zinke has touted the importance of public lands and access to the outdoors, conservationists say Zinke has a poor voting record on the environment, criticizing him for voting against endangered species protections for wolves, lynx and sage grouse and voting to exempt certain industries from Endangered Species Act rules. What Trump could do: Zinke signaled his support for giving states more say in the endangered species process during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday. Senators asked Zinke about the greater sage grouse, an endangered bird that has been the subject of intense debate among state and federal authorities and business interests in Western states. Zinke said the recovering species needs a “target goal” and state and local officials should be rewarded for “getting together and being collaborators.”
Bankruptcies, mine closures and layoffs have dominated the industry. Natural gas surpassed coal in electricity generation last year. Trump’s position: Trump has promised to save coal mines and mining jobs. At a campaign rally in West Virginia, he said: “These ridiculous rules and regulations that make it impossible for you to compete — so we’re going to take all that off the table, folks.” Voters in coal-producing states voted overwhelmingly for Trump. What Trump could do: Trump could end the ban on new federal coal leases and lift some environmental regulations. Energy experts are at a loss for what Trump could do to reverse the economics, though. Coal is losing market share to a cousin in the energy business — shale drilling — that has unleashed a vast supply of cheap natural gas in the U.S. “That’s the death knell for coal really,” said Ed Hirs, an energy economist with the University of Houston.
Coal What’s at stake? The U.S. coal industry is in decline. Domestic production peaked in 2008 and had been dropping since. Production last year of 743 million short tons was the lowest since 1978, according to the U.S. Energy Administration.
Methane in the oil field What’s at stake? New federal rules to limit methane emissions in the oil field include measures such as finding and repairing leaky equipment and capturing gas during hydraulic fracturing. Methane is the key component in natural gas, and is 25 times more effective than carbon dioxide in trapping heat. Industry groups have
Trans-Pacific Partnership Cuellar said the TPP would have been like NAFTA 2.0, and that it would have been good for Laredo’s economy. “I regret that the president has chosen to cut economic growth and jeopardize our position as one of the most competitive centers of international trade,” Cuellar said in a statement. “... TPP would cut more than 18,000 taxes, in the form of tariffs, on American-made products. The agreement would boost U.S. exports by almost $124 billion by 2025 through streamlining customs procedures and by cutting red tape for international trade, helping our manufacturers, farmers and small businesses compete and win in today’s global markets.” However, Cuellar said Congress’ immediate focus should be on NAFTA. He also said Republicans are already talking about gathering money for the border fence. “Things are moving pretty quickly,” he said.
said the rules are too costly and likely to hurt shale drilling, which turned around U.S. oil and gas production after decades of decline. Trump’s position: Trump hasn’t waded into the specifics, but his 100-day action plan promises, “I will lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars’ worth of jobproducing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal.” What Trump could do: The methane rules were finalized last May, which means they aren’t subject to the Congressional Review Act, a law that lets Congress repeal agency rules with a majority vote within 60 days. “It’s a long process to unwind,” said Colin Leyden, senior manager with the Environmental Defense Fund. “The agency would have to post notice and go through a reverse action of what happened.” Kenneth Medlock III, energy economist with Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, said there are technical solutions to the methane problem, including drone monitoring to find leaky valves, which the industry is moving toward anyway. “They have a clear motivation not to have fugitive methane. They don’t want it escaping,” Medlock said. “I think industry will start moving in that direction in a larger scale. The market solution will provide the incentive.”
A12 | Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
MEXICO
Official: Mexico could leave NAFTA if not satisfied A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s Economy Secretary said Tuesday his country could leave the North American Free Trade Agreement if talks on re-negotiating it are unsatisfactory. Ildefonso Guajardo told the Televisa network that his country will be in a weak position at talks with U.S. President Donald Trump unless Mexico makes it clear it won’t accept just anything in order to preserve the three-nation trade pact. Guajardo said “it would be impossible to sell something here at home unless it has clear benefits for Mexico.” “If we are going to go for something that is less
Ginnette Riquelme / McClatchy-Tribune
Workers assemble vehicles at the Nissan factory in Aguascalientes. It’s the third autimotive plant built in Mexico that is part of explosive growth, turning the country into the world’s fourth largest exporter of cars.
than what we have, it makes no sense to stay,” Guajardo said. Trump has pledged to renegotiate the pact between the U.S., Mexico and Canada and slap tariffs on imports. While Mexico runs a trade surplus with the
United States, many sectors in the country also want greater restrictions on U.S. imports, particularly farm products that many say have helped impoverish subsistence-level Mexican farmers. Guajardo also repeated
Mexican insistence that it will not pay for a border wall that Trump has promised to build and said it would not accept any tax or restrictions on the money sent home by Mexican migrants. He also said that “in the case that there are
deportations (of Mexican migrants), as there have been, they have to be orderly and clearly defined.” Trump suggested during his campaign that he would step up deportations of migrants living illegally in the United
States. Remittances amount to about $25 billion annually and have become a major source of foreign revenue for the country. Trump has suggested that the U.S. might retain some of that money to help pay for a wall between the countries. Trump announced Monday that he’s set up meetings with Trudeau and Pena Nieto, saying “We’re going to start some negotiations having to do with NAFTA.” Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he is ready to negotiate at a planned Jan. 31 meeting with Trump, and sought to chart a middle course. “Neither confrontation nor submission. Dialogue is the solution,” Pena Nieto said Monday.