The Zapata Times 2/14/2018

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FEDERAL COURT

Trump’s move to end DACA blocked U.S. District judge’s order says president relied on flawed legal positions

By Larry Neumeister A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s administration didn’t offer “legally adequate reasons” for ending a program that spared many young immigrants from deportation if they were brought to the U.S. as children, a judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis in Brooklyn said in a written order that the Republican president “indisputably” has the power to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program but relied on flawed legal positions in doing so.

He said he wanted to make clear that he was not ruling that

rescinding DACA is unlawful or that the administration may not end the program. And he said his order does not require the government to grant any particular DACA applications or renewal requests.

The ruling came in lawsuits brought by immigration groups and 15 states and the District of Columbia.

Justice Department spokesman Devin O’Malley said the order doesn’t change the government’s position on the facts, including that DACA was an “unlawful circumvention of Congress.”

“DACA was implemented unilaterally after Congress declined to extend these benefits to this same group of illegal

aliens,” he said.

O’Malley added that the Department of Homeland Security “acted within its lawful authority in deciding to wind down DACA in an orderly manner” and looked forward to vindicating its position in future litigation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said then-President Barack Obama’s decision to implement DACA was an unconstitutional exercise of authority.

Garaufis said the Trump administration relied on an “erroneous” belief the program was unconstitutional. His ruling mirrors one issued in San Francisco in January.

DACA continues on A8

Miguel Juarez Lugo/Zuma Press/TNS

Immigration activists demonstrate outside the Capitol in Washington D.C. as the Senate agreed to a deal to avoid a shutdown that does not include provisions for so-called Dreamers.

ZAPATA COUNTY

FALCON LAKE BASS FISHING COMPETITION

MEXICO TRAVEL WARNING

Victims of blackouts at resorts need help 140 cases reported of tourists getting injured or dying after drinking alcoholic beverages

By Raquel Rutledge MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

"We were worried. The bass we were targeting had been feeding in the morning."

When they finally reached their destination, the bass were no longer at the tree.

"We had to switch gears. We were banking on those bass."

Using their Helix 10 Mega Imaging Side Scanner, they located the group of bass on a nearby flat.

"We changed the way we were planning on fishing. We had to slow down our presentation using Texas and Carolina rigged brush hogs."

Three hours it took to put a limit together, which included a “dink” weighing about two pounds.

"We moved to another area for a while, but didn't catch anything, so we went back to our first spot."

Time was ticking, but they finally caught their sixth and final fish.

"It was a six pounder, so we were able to make a four pound cull!"

In the final rankings, that last fish

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are continuing to pressure the U.S. Department of State to reform the way it handles deaths and injuries to U.S. citizens vacationing in Mexico.

In a letter Monday to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said it’s clear from the more than 140 recently reported cases of tourists blacking out and getting injured and in some cases dying - after drinking small or moderate amounts of alcohol, that the department needs to take a more "proactive, victim-centric" approach.

"While I understand that the State Department does not have legal jurisdiction to investigate specific cases, I am confident that a clear-eyed, comprehensive analysis of the information provided by victims will reveal systemic issues related to illicit alcohol, weak and corrupt law enforcement and judicial institutions, an absence of the rule of law, and an overall dangerous environment for U.S. citizens in Mexico," Baldwin wrote.

At the urging of U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., the Office of Inspector General opened an inquiry in December into how the department has been handling reports from U.S. citizens who were injured or whose loved ones died while on vacation in Mexico. No details on the inquiry have been released.

The pressure from elected officials follows a months-long investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which first uncovered the array of problems in July.

The news organization began investigating after 20-year-old Abbey Conner, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student, drowned under suspicious circumstances on a family vacation in January 2017, within hours of arriving at a resort.

Her older brother, Austin, then 22, was found unconscious nearby but survived. He has no memory of what happened.

Since that story published, the Journal Sentinel heard from more than 140 people who had terrifying, sometimes tragic, experiences while visiting Mexico, most often while staying at upscale, all-

Bass continues on A8

Warning continues on A10

Courtesy photo

Kyle Keller, center, and Josh Spencer, right, take home over $20,000 with 31.98 pounds of total catch to win the Bass Champs' South Regions competition.

Tournament winners bring in nearly 32 pounds to dominate the field S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S

About 165 teams hit it hard on Lake Falcon for Bass Champs' South Regions second event of the 2018 season.

Hitting it hard after a weather delay, many teams found hungry big bass, resulting in phenomenal catches paired up with astounding paydays. Not only did the top five teams exceed the 20 pound mark for their total catch, winners Joshua Spencer and Kyle Keller brought in nearly 32 pounds to dominate the field.

The fog had rolled in like a heavy blanket the morning of the tournament. For safety reasons, the contenders were held at the starting line for three hours, waiting for the visibility to improve. Once released,

these anglers raced to their targeted areas to grab the bites they needed for this 104 percent payback opportunity. There was only a short window of overcast skies once the fog lifted. The remainder of the day gave way to beautiful sunny conditions, making the afternoon hunt for biting bass that much more challenging.

Kyle Keller had done the homework for he and his partner Joshua Spencer prior to the tournament.

"Kyle discovered a tree, out by itself, in 16' of water," Joshua explained. "During practice, he had caught a 12# and an 8-1/2# bass off of it. This tree was definitely holding the kind of bass we were looking for!"

The morning of the tournament was delayed.

In Brief A2 | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE NATION

TODAY IN HISTORY

THURSDAY, FEB. 22

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society meeting. 3 to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speaker topic: San Ygnacio and the River Pierce Foundation, Melita Rodriguez. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.

Spanish Book Club. 6 to 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, conference room. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7 Mel Evans / AP

First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

Ahmad Khan Rahimi, center, is led into court in Elizabeth, N.J. Rahimi was sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison Tuesday by a federal judge in Manhattan.

BOMBER GETS LIFE IN PRISON FOR ATTACKS

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

NEW YORK — A New Jersey man who set off small bombs in two states, including a pressure cooker device that blasted shrapnel across a New York City block, was sentenced Tuesday to multiple terms of life in prison by a judge who repeatedly called it a miracle nobody was killed.

Ahmad Khan Rahimi, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Afghanistan, was criticized by a prosecutor for failing to show remorse and was scolded by a victim for not apologizing to the 30 people he injured.

U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan said it was hard to reconcile

the “reasonable enough” man he saw in court with the terrorist who tried to kill as many people as he could when he left his home early the morning of Sept. 17, 2016, with two pressure-cooker explosives and a bag full of smaller bombs.

The judge said, Rahimi deserved multiple life prison terms. One life term was mandatory but the judge exercised his discretion by imposing life sentences for counts that Rahimi’s defense lawyer said deserved only a 15-year sentence. He also ordered $562,803 in restitution. — Compiled from AP reports

SATURDAY, MARCH 3 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

SATURDAY, APRIL 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Habitat for Humanity Laredo major fundraiser Golfing For Roofs golf tournament. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Hole sponsorships are title $10,000, platinum $5,000, diamond $2,500, gold $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze. For information, call 724-3227.

Climber falls, four stranded on Mount Hood in Oregon GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. — Rescuers scrambled up Oregon’s tallest peak Tuesday after a climber fell several hundred feet and four others were stranded, authorities said.

Russell Gubele of Mountain Wave Search and Rescue said he was unable to release information about the climber’s condition. He said it’s unclear how far the climber fell, with

reports varying from several hundred feet to 1,000 feet.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, which is coordinating the rescue operation, said other climbers were providing aid as crews tried to reach the scene.

KOIN-TV reports that video taken from a helicopter showed people performing CPR on the injured climber, who is believed to be a man.

Separately, a party of four climbers is stranded and one of them is hurt, said Sgt. Brian Jensen, a sheriff’s office spokes-

man. The stranded climbers were on the Hogsback area near the summit of the 11,240foot (3,429-meter) mountain about 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Portland.

“I don’t know that any advice has been given (to them) yet,” Gubele said. “We have to get some folks on the scene to do some assessing.” Mount Hood is a popular climbing site that has seen dozens of accidents and fatalities over the years.

Thousands climb it each year, mostly in the spring. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE WORLD US breaks ground on new embassy in Mexican capital MEXICO CITY — Work has begun on the long-awaited new United States Embassy in Mexico City that will be one of the most expensive in the world at nearly $1 billion.

The $943 million embassy is expected to be completed in 2022, when the U.S. will leave its current building on the Mexican capital’s grand Paseo de la Reforma boulevard, which has been a regular site of marches and protests over the years. U.S. Ambassador Roberta Jacobson and Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera participated in the ceremonial ground-breaking at the 8.5-acre (3.4-hectare) site in western Mexico City on Tuesday.

“Mexico is one of the United States’ closest and most valued partners. We are neighbors with a deep history and a shared future,” Jacobson said.

Rebecca Blackwell / AP

U.S. Ambassador Roberta Jacobson talks with Mexican officials during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new U.S. embassy.

“Today we celebrate the start of a building that will stand as a testament to both, celebrating our friendship and empowering our diplomacy in the years ahead.” Mexican Interior Secretary Alfonso Navarrete Prida echoed that sentiment, saying that the new embassy represented a “bridge of friendship.”

The new embassy with an

environment-friendly design will be on a former industrial site that required extensive toxic cleanup. The area known as New Polanco includes modern museums and other upscale projects developed by Carlos Slim, one of the world’s wealthiest men, who also attended the event. — Compiled from AP reports

AROUND THE STATE Lawsuit claims coach aided student accused of assault PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas — A federal lawsuit alleges a Prairie View A&M University coach helped a male student accused of sexual assault flee Texas to avoid arrest.

An unidentified female athlete filed the lawsuit Friday in Houston. It accuses the university of creating a hostile educational environment and vio-

lating the federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in educational institutions, the Houston Chronicle reported .

According to the lawsuit, the woman reported to university police the day after the Feb. 18, 2015, assault in her campus apartment. She alleged she confided to her coach, who isn’t named, and identified her attacker.

The coach responded by telling her not to alert her parents, and then bought the accused student a plane ticket to

Today is Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, the 45th day of 2018. There are 320 days left in the year. This is Valentine's Day. Today's Highlights in History: On Feb. 14, 1918, Russia converted from the Old Style Julian calendar to the New Style Gregorian calendar, "losing" 13 days in the process .

On this date: In 1663, New France (Canada) became a royal province under King Louis XIV. In 1778, the American ship Ranger carried the recently adopted Stars and Stripes to a foreign port for the first time as it arrived in France.

In 1849, President James K. Polk became the first U.S. chief executive to be photographed while in office as he posed for Matthew Brady in New York City.

In 1859, Oregon was admitted to the Union as the 33rd state.

In 1903, the Department of Commerce and Labor was established.

In 1912, Arizona became the 48th state of the Union as President William Howard Taft signed a proclamation.

In 1929, the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone's gang were gunned down.

In 1949, Israel's Knesset convened for the first time.

In 1962, first lady Jacqueline Kennedy conducted a televised tour of the White House in a videotaped special that was broadcast on CBS and NBC. In 1979, Adolph Dubs, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, was kidnapped in Kabul by Muslim extremists and killed in a shootout between his abductors and police.

In 1988, Broadway composer Frederick Loewe, who wrote the scores for "Brigadoon," ''My Fair Lady" and "Camelot," died in Palm Springs, California, at age 86.

In 1990, 92 people were killed when an Indian Airlines passenger jet crashed while landing at a southern Indian airport.

Ten years ago: A former student dressed in black walked onto the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire on a packed science class; the 27-year-old gunman killed five students before committing suicide. Republican campaign dropout Mitt Romney endorsed John McCain for the party's presidential nomination.

Five years ago: Double-amputee and Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in Pretoria, South Africa; he was later convicted of murder and is serving a 13-year prison term. Billionaire Warren Buffett agreed to buy H.J. Heinz Co. for $23.3 billion. American Airlines and US Airways announced an $11 billion merger that turned American into the world's biggest airline.

One year ago: Authorities lifted an evacuation order for nearly 200,000 Northern California residents living below the Oroville Dam after declaring that the risk of catastrophic collapse of a damaged spillway had been significantly reduced. A former store clerk was convicted in New York of murder in one of the nation's most haunting missing-child cases, nearly 38 years after 6-year-old Etan Patz disappeared while on the way to a school bus stop. The Senate confirmed former wrestling entertainment executive Linda McMahon to lead the Small Business Administration. Rumor the German shepherd won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Today's Birthdays: TV personality Hugh Downs is 97. Actor Andrew Prine is 82. Country singer Razzy Bailey is 79. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is 76. Jazz musician Maceo Parker is 75. Movie director Alan Parker is 74. Journalist Carl Bernstein is 74. Former Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., is 71. TV personality Pat O'Brien is 70. Magician Teller is 70.

Cajun singer-musician Michael Doucet is 67. Actor Ken Wahl is 61. Opera singer Renee Fleming is 59. Actress Meg Tilly is 58. Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly is 58. Singer-producer Dwayne Wiggins is 57. Actress Sakina Jaffey is 56. Actor Enrico Colantoni is 55. Actor Zach Galligan is 54. Actor Valente Rodriguez is 54. Rock musician Ricky Wolking is 52. Tennis player Manuela Maleeva is 51. Actor Simon Pegg is 48. Rock musician Kevin Baldes is 46. Rock singer Rob Thomas is 46. Former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe is 46. Actor Matt Barr is 34. Actress Stephanie Leonidas is 34. Actor Jake Lacy is 32. Actress Tiffany Thornton is 32. Actor Brett Dier is 28. Actor Freddie Highmore is 26.

Thought for Today : "Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese." — Jack Benny (18941974).

CONTACT US leave town, according to the lawsuit.

The coach left his position several months later and told the woman’s teammates she was the reason for his departure, the lawsuit stated. The suit didn’t mention which sport the woman played.

The unidentified accused student was found in Florida and charged with sexual assault in May 2015, according to the lawsuit, which didn’t provide details on the case’s outcome. The woman alleged she

learned the coach paid for the student’s plane ticket while she attended a bail hearing on the case.

The university doesn’t comment on pending litigation but officials take allegations of sexual assault seriously, said Yolanda Bevill, spokeswoman for the university.

The accusation is the latest federal lawsuit accusing a college campus of not properly handling allegations of sexual misconduct. — Compiled from AP reports

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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 |

A3

STATE

Surgeons separate twins joined at chest, abdomen ASSOCIATED PRE SS Courtesy / AP

Levi Austin Goss

Soldier charged in rape, abduction A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

HOUSTON — A Fort Bragg paratrooper from Texas has been charged in a 2013 sexual assault near Houston in which the naked victim walked to a movie theater for help.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday announced DNA evidence led to the North Carolina arrest of Pvt. 1st Class Levi Austin Goss of Port Neches (NAY’-chis).

He’s charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and aggravated kidnapping.

A 16-year-old girl was walking in Cypress when she was grabbed by a masked man, dragged to a field, raped and left for dead.

Investigators say the February 2013 attack happened three years before Goss, now 24, joined the Army. Fort Bragg is cooperating in the investigation.

Goss on Monday waived extradition from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Online records didn’t list an attorney representing him.

HOUSTON — Doctors in Houston have successfully separated twin toddlers who were born in 2016 conjoined at the chest and abdomen.

A spokeswoman at Texas Children’s Hospital says 13month-old Anna and Hope Richards were in good condition Tuesday. Lindsey Fox says separation surgery was done

Jan. 13 and announced Monday.

Fox says the twin sisters join two brothers and their parents, Jill and Michael Richards of North Texas. Fox declined to provide more specifics about the family as the parents focus on their daughters’ recovery.

Officials say a routine ultrasound revealed the girls were conjoined. The twins were born premature, at just over 35 weeks, on Dec. 29, 2016, at Texas

Paul Vincent Kuntz / AP

Conjoined identical twin girls Anna Grace and Hope Elizabeth Richards were successfully separated at Texas Childrens Hospital.

Children’s Pavilion for Women.

Their combined weight was 9 pounds, 12 ounces.

Further details weren’t provided on their prognosis.

Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com

A4 | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

COLUMN

OTHER VIEWS

Trump budget abandons fiscal conservatism

By Andrew Malcolm S P ECIA L T O MCCLAT CHY

Remember Republicans’ enduring commitment over most of our lifetimes to eliminate the federal budget deficit and trim the national debt?

Well, forget it.

In fact, with the GOP controlling the White House and both houses of Congress, the government this year will likely inflict nearly an additional trillion dollars on the existing $20 trillion national debt. And just like your credit card balance, the total federal obligations will also increase right along with now rising interest rates.

Amazingly after all the promises and pleas for more than two generations, it seems everyone, except maybe a showboat senator making a futile late-night legislative gesture, seems good with such overspending.

This week President Trump unveiled the White House $4.4 trillion budget, which isn’t worth its own printing costs. It includes numerous program cuts and increased military spending.

But White House budgets are always doomed, since Congress thinks it does the annual budgeting, or better said, in recent times fails to do the annual budgeting. But even Trump’s 2019 document anticipates a $984 billion deficit, 48 percent larger than the last complete fiscal year.

Additionally, the administration released a much-anticipated, or at least much-talked about, $1.5 trillion nationwide infrastructure repair proposal. "We’re trying to build roads and bridges," said Trump, "and fix bridges that are falling down. And we have a hard time getting the money. It’s crazy."

Everyone pretty well agrees that much of the nation’s infrastructure is badly corroded, even crumbling, from delayed maintenance.

"This," a White House briefing official said, "in no way, shape or form should be considered a take-it or leave-it proposal. This is the start of a negotiation, bicameral, bipartisan negotiation, to find the best solution for infrastructure in the U.S." Sounds reasonable.

Also hopeful, very hopeful. The usually cranky minority Democrats could be expected to embrace such grand-scale Washington spending, much of which could be touted to their union supporters beginning in an election year.

Trump will need that Democratic support.

That’s because after the tax cuts that will add over $1 trillion to the deficit in

the next 10 years even with an improving economy, a fair number of Republican hypocrites are now likely to rediscover their yellowing notes on fiscal responsibility.

Those tired words recall how terrible were Obama’s four straight trillion-dollar budget deficits. And how vital it is for the nation’s future that current budgets be balanced. And how imperative that an incomprehensible national debt with 15 zeros be slashed over time, likely by some future generation of pols.

The need for bipartisan support also sounds atypically realistic for Capitol Hill, which is good for a change.

Picture this: Trump’s proposed infrastructure plan will fall under the umbrellas of at least six committees in the House and another five committees in the Senate, all chaired by Republicans ?" for now. Even Amazon’s vast cloud computers can’t calculate all the permutations, obstacles and political cross-currents such a legislative journey would witness.

Perhaps more importantly, all this spending and proposed spending underlines the death of the GOP’s traditional fiscal conservatism under the leadership of a political insurgent and real estate billionaire whose companies declared bankruptcy a half-dozen times.

The longtime Democrat donor promised to nominate conservative judges and cut regulations. He has delivered there. As a campaigner, he complained about the costs of many things. But he never promised fiscal conservatism.

To be fair, Republicans never invited Trump to take them over. In fact, they ran 15 men and one woman to stop him. They each failed because the even wealthier son of a wealthy man heard the heartland anger and frustration all the others missed.

Now, facing the dark prospects of a foreboding midterm election, his Republican Party is going along with the predictably unpredictable man they chronically grumble about. Gone is the gospel of the House Budget Committee’s detailed 10-year tax-and-spending plans that would eliminate budget deficits for good.

Oh, look! That committee’s former chairman is now Speaker Paul Ryan.

We’ll surely hear more fiscal hyperbole and see some political blocking plays this year from the alleged conservatives of the Freedom Caucus.

Andrew Malcolm is a McClatchy Washington Bureau columnist.

COLUMN

Who pays for guests at State of the Union?

By Ken Herman COX NEWSPAPERS

The deal with President Donald Trump is that by any given Friday, you can’t remember what the previous Tuesday’s dust-up-dujour was.

Who remembers much about his Jan. 30 State of the Union speech? And that’s despite Trump keeping it in the news by alleging Democrats who didn’t applaud his every word committed punishable-bydeath treason by Americahating.

Me? I’m circling back to the speech at the request of Austin AmericanStatesman reader Mary Ann Robalino, who, in a recent letter to the editor, had some questions about it.

“My question for Ken Herman is this,” she wrote. “All of Trump’s guests in the gallery during the State of the Union Address had to be flown in, driven around, put up in hotels, and had meals provided for them. Do these expenses fall on the taxpayers, or did Trump pay these expenses himself? I believe that he shamelessly used these folks as props to add credence to his so-called policies.”

Presidents often use SOTU balcony guests to make and score political points. Not always, but enough that it’s not something Trump invented. As with everything, he did seem at times to take it to new levels. It’s just what he does.

The guests seated with first lady Melania Trump (good to see her out and about again) included folks there so Trump could trumpet his greatness. It’s just what he does. The guests included folks benefiting from the tax reform package and parents of two girls murdered by MS-13 members.

The latter were on hand to make a border-security point.

Other guests simply were heroes — hurricane

relief, firefighting, military — deeply worthy of presidential recognition.

So, reader Robalino wants to know, who pays for these ordinary folks to travel to D.C. for this extraordinary occasion? I don’t know.

I asked the White House but am awaiting a reply without holding my breath. Frankly, I’m OK with this going on the taxpayers’ tab as long as there’s a non-political reason to recognize and honor the guests.

But here’s an interesting tidbit, gleaned from a 2013 Washington Post story about the funeral of businessman and philanthropist Joe Allbritton. In a eulogy, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, according to the Post, “divulged how the selfmade millionaire (Allbritton) quietly picked up the transportation and lodging costs of Americans who otherwise couldn’t afford to accept invitations to sit in the balcony during presidential State of the Union addresses.”

So there’s an indication that, at least at one time, government money didn’t cover SOTU guests’ expenses.

The balcony guest tradition started in 1982 when President Ronald Reagan invited Lenny Skutnick, a government worker who had jumped into the frigid Potomac River to save a woman after an Air Florida plane crash.

Barack Obama didn’t acknowledge any guests in his final SOTU in January 2016. A year earlier, he had acknowledged several guests, including a Minneapolis couple who had worked through hard times and, Obama said, represented “the millions who have worked hard and scrimped, and sacrificed and retooled. You are the reason that I ran for this office.”

He also recognized astronaut Scott Kelly, who was two months from a year-long space mission.

The president’s point was

about a re-energized space program. “So good luck, captain,” he said to Kelly.

“Make sure to Instagram it. We’re proud of you.”

And Obama recognized Alan Gross, a federal government contractor who’d been imprisoned in Cuba for bringing phones and computers into that country and had been released in December 2014 as part of the thawing of U.S.-Cuba relations.

To be sure, Obama used each of those guests to prove, or at least buttress, a point about his leadership. But, as with all things, he was more graceful about it than Trump was.

Reader Robalino had a second question about SOTU speeches: “With which presidency did the State of the Union Address become theater?

There was a time when the president addressed the American people from the Oval Office. No clapping or distractions or theatrics. Will we see the dignified speech making ever again?”

Yes, presidents sometimes speak to us from the quiet dignity of the Oval Office. It’s a great tradition, appropriate at times.

But no, a president never has given a State of the Union address from the Oval Office.

The State of the Union derives from a constitutional provision that says the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

That, by definition, makes it a political speech.

Nothing wrong with that.

And a political speech means differing reactions from politicians with differing views. Nothing wrong with that — though shouting, “You lie!” in reaction does seem a bit over the top.

George Washington and John Adams reported on the union’s state in live

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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

addresses to Congress.

But Thomas Jefferson did it in writing, as did his successors until Woodrow Wilson spoke to a joint congressional session in 1913. Wilson, due to health, didn’t address Congress in 1919 and 1920. Calvin Coolidge did one in person (1923) but the rest in writing. All four of Herbert Hoover’s were in writing.

The last president to do a State of the Union in writing was Jimmy Carter, who, in 1981 did so in lieu of a speech prior to leaving office after being defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Oval Office addresses are a different beast, most often for a specific topic as opposed to a long-winded legislative shopping list.

Trump’s done two Oval Office speeches, one in June 2017 after the shootings at the congressional baseball practice and one in December 2017 about moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Obama did 11 Oval Office speeches on topics including immigration reform, relations with Cuba, war developments and his farewell address.

(If it makes you feel better, this is where you can insert your joke about looking forward to Trump’s farewell address.)

One more thing about money and the State of the Union address. This recent one was the first in which you could pay to get your name onscreen during the speech. Trump supporters who gave $35 or more had their names displayed during his campaign website’s livestream of the event.

“This is a movement,” said the Trump campaign pitch for donations. “It’s not about just one of us.

It’s about ALL of us.”

Yes, it is about ALL of us. And it is a movement — towards what remains to be seen.

Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 |

A5

NATIONAL

Gates focuses on schools while examining poverty issues

By Sally Ho A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Bill and Melinda Gates, as the world’s top philanthropists, are rethinking their work in America as they confront what they consider their unsatisfactory track record on schools, the country’s growing inequity and a president they disagree with more than any other.

In an interview with The Associated Press, the couple said they’re concerned about President Donald Trump’s “America first” worldview. They’ve made known their differences with the president and his party on issues including foreign aid, taxes and protections for immigrant youth in the country illegally.

And they said they’re now digging into the layers of U.S. poverty that they haven’t been deeply involved with at the national level, including employment, race, housing, mental health, incarceration and substance abuse.

“We are not seeing the mobility out of poverty in the same way in the United States as it used to exist,” Melinda Gates said.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is studying these topics with no plans yet for any particular initiatives, though it has done related work at home in Washington state on a much smaller scale.

Last year, it funded a grant for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to look into state and federal policies that can reduce poverty.

Once the world’s richest man, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has marked a decade since transitioning away from the tech giant to focus on philanthropy.

He said he’s had two meetings with Trump, where they discussed innovation in education, energy and health — including vaccines, which Trump has voiced skepticism about.

“I got, both times, to talk about the miracle of vaccines and how those are good things,” Bill Gates said.

Melinda Gates, who left her job at Microsoft to raise their three children before turning to the foundation full-time, has lately embraced her role as a public figure more boldly.

She called out Trump’s behavior, saying the president has a responsibility to be a good role model when he speaks and tweets, and that his verbal attacks don’t belong in the public discourse.

“You just have to go look in Twitter to see the disparaging comments over and over and over again about women and minorities,” Melinda Gates said. “That’s just not what I believe. It’s not the world that I see.”

Trump has said he’s a counterpuncher who goes after people when they go after him, only 10 times harder.

Taking a more reflective review of their work than in years past, the couple in their annual letter published Tuesday also answered 10 questions critics often ask them. They acknowledge it’s unfair that they have so much wealth and influence but reject the notion that they’re imposing their values on other cultures.

“Behind the scenes, these are the tough, tough questions that people are asking us, and yeah, we have to wrestle with them ourselves,” Melinda Gates said in the Feb. 1 interview.

Since 2000, the Seattlebased private foundation has amassed an endowment worth over $40 billion, which includes a large portion of billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s fortune. The Gates Foundation has given money to various programs in more than 100 countries, as well as in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Their approach to giving has shifted the philanthropy world as a whole.

They’ve been criticized for prescribing how the money is spent and then expecting tangible proof their investments work.

About 75 percent of the foundation’s resources are dedicated to global health and development. Bill Gates said they’re proudest of their efforts to help eradicate polio and curb the number of child deaths, calling those global health improvements a miracle.

But he concedes the same level of progress didn’t happen in the U.S. with their strategy of

John Lamparski / Getty Images

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Melinda Gates and Bill Gates speak during the Lin-Manuel Miranda In conversation with Bill & Melinda Gates panel at Hunter College on Tuesday in New York City.

chasing equity through education reform. U.S. education initiatives are a distant second funding priority for the foundation, but the $450 million the Gateses spend annually on the issue makes them the top funders of schools reform in America.

They’ve been major supporters of charter schools and also pushed Common Core education standards, teacher evaluation systems that factored in student test scores and a smaller schools model — highly polarizing education policy reforms that didn’t dramatically change student outcomes but made the Gateses deeply unpopular in some communities.

“It’s in taking all of those lessons and saying, ‘OK, but did they reach the majority of the school districts? Did they scale and change the system for low-income and minority kids writ large, at scale?’

And the answer when we looked at it, it was no,” Melinda Gates said.

Christopher Lubienski, an education policy expert who studies philanthropy, said he found the couple’s

honesty refreshing but noted their foundation’s overall approach means it will continue to systematically influence education reform.

Lubienski, who said he has not sought nor received money from Gates, also noted that by turning their attention to poverty, the Gateses are tackling the “really big elephant in the room” when it comes to student achievement.

“It’s also a much bigger, more expensive and politically stickier area to attack than simply changing the structure of schools,” Lubienski said.

The Gateses say they’re going in a less prescriptive direction on U.S. education by funding efforts through regional networks of schools, which will lean more heavily on educators at the local level. They also intend to support new curriculum development and charters

catering to students with special needs.

The foundation will spend $1.7 billion on education over the next five years, as K-12 will remain their primary focus in the U.S. But as they take stock of the country — from the West Coast’s growing income gap to the generations of racial inequities in the American South — the Gateses say they’re looking at myriad problems that hinder children in the classroom.

“Poverty is like education, where there’s not enough philanthropic resources to take on responsibility, but if you can show how to have a lot more impact, then the policies will benefit from that,” Bill Gates said.

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Frontera A6 | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Feather Festival en San Ygnacio 1 La primera edición de este festival se llevará a cabo el sábado 17 de febrero en la plaza principal de San Ygnacio a partir del mediodía.

Habrá venta de comida, música, concursos, danza, bingo, entre otras actividades para toda la familia. Más informes al 956489-1064.

Día de Aprecio a Adulto Mayor 1 Acompañe a celebrar y mostrar su aprecio por los Adultos Mayores y Winter Texan’s, que serán honrados por sus logros y por lo que siguen haciendo a favor de su comunidad, el jueves 22 de febrero.

Genealogía 1 ¿Desea saber más sobre su historia familiar? ¿Necesita ayuda para iniciar su genealogía? Venga y reciba ayuda personalizada para investigar a sus ancestros utilizando recursos en línea.

Voluntarios entrenados le ayudarán, todos los martes de 6:30 p.m a 8 p.m., en Roma Birding Center. Evento gratuito patrocinado por la Iglesia de Jesús de los Santos de los Últimos Días.

PROGRAMA ‘KNOW YOUR MEDICAL RIGHTS’

Activan línea de ayuda Facilita ciudado médico a inmigrantes indocumentados Por Andrea Castañeda TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Una línea telefónica directa se encuentra activa para ayudar a inmigrantes indocumentados en necesidad urgente de cuidados médicos.

La alianza Laredo Immigrant Alliance, un grupo liderado por beneficiados DACA y aliados, colaboró con el fondo Workers Defense Action Fund para lanzar su nuevo programa el lunes.

Know Your Medical Rights (Conoce tus derechos médicos) tiene el objetivo de facilitar el acceso al tratamiento

para condiciones médicas que ponen en riesgo la vida a inmigrantes indocumentados viviendo en McAllen, Brownsville y Laredo, que no pueden acceder a cuidado adecuado por el punto de revisión de la Patrulla Fronteriza.

“Ahora mismo, para que los individuos indocumentados obtengan cuidado médico de urgencia, tienen que ir a Corpus Christi o San Antonio”, dijo Jovie Daniel, organizadora en línea y coordinadora de Laredo Immigrant Alliance, en un comunicado de prensa. “Hacerlo significa arriesgarse a la deporta-

ción, y eso es algo que debemos cambiar”.

La organización local se sintió llamada a tomar acción siguiendo el caso de Rosa María, una niña de 10 años de edad que fue detenida por agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza mientras era llevada de emergencia desde Laredo al hospital Driscoll Children Hospital en Corpus Christi para una cirugía de emergencia.

Eso es algo inhumano por lo que deben pasar, dijo Ena Vega, integrante de la alianza, especialmente cuando estás buscando atención médica.

Vega alienta a la comunidad a hablar sobre el

ZCISD

Botes de basura 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a la comunidad que sólo estará recolectando basura contenida en botes propiedad de la ciudad. Informes al 849-1411

Pago de impuestos 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa que los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. Pago en línea 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día.

Llenado de aplicaciones 1 La Ciudad de Roma ofrece servicio llenado de aplicaciones para CHIP, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Chip, Prenatal.

Informes en 956246-7177.

El grupo estará operando la línea telefónica las 24 horas. Daniel dijo que reunirán información sobre cada caso individual y de ahí asesorarán. Por ahora, ella dijo, queremos evaluar la situación y ver qué tan grande es el problema en nuestra área.

“Después trabajaremos con otras organizaciones para poder dar a las familias o individuos los cuidados adecuados.

Ahora nos enfocamos en obtener tantos casos como sea posible, porque este es un problema más grande”, dijo Daniel.

La línea de ayuda es 956-410-0713.

LAREDO, TEXAS

RECONOCEN A Arrestan a dos PEQUEÑOS LECTORES supuestos secuestradores Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Aviario 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero.

Mayores informes al 956-849-1411

tema e incitar un cambio.

Daniel dijo que el grupo ya había escuchado de casos similares y crearon la línea directa para eliminar el obstáculo del miedo.

“Queremos que la comunidad se acerque a nosotros para poder empezar a ayudarlos”, ella dijo. “Queremos que la gente deje de tener miedo y queremos que pueda acercarse sin tener miedo. Es una zona completamente segura. No compartiremos ningún tipo de información con otras organizaciones.

Estarán a salvo con nosotros. Queremos que se sientan seguros”.

Foto de cortesía

El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Zapata anunció a los ganadores del segundo día del club ‘1.000+ Sight Word’. Ellos son Hailey Pina, Manuel Arriaga, Leila Montes y Kaylee Garza. Los estudiantes reciben un “boleto” cada vez que leen 1.000 palabras, lo cual les da la oportunidad de participar para ganar un libro en la feria de libros ‘Scholastic Book Fair’.

CULTURA

Presentan libro “Un ángel desde arriba” en Zapata E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

La galardonada autora local, Dr. Ma. Alma González Pérez y la artista local Patricia González han anunciado el lanzamiento del libro “Un ángel desde arriba”, un libro bilingüe para niños inspirado por una historia de la vida real.

Un evento para firma de libros está por realizarse el domingo 18 de febrero, en el salón de la parroquia de la Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, 1609 Glenn St., en Zapata a las 3 p.m.

La historia cuenta el milagro de la vida después de la tragedia y la pérdida de una vida joven a través de los ángeles como metáforas. Aunque presenta el tema de la muerte, también implica que todo tiene un final, y que siempre hay un nuevo comienzo— posiblemente a través de la presencia de los ángeles en nuestras vidas.

“Escribí este libro porque es una historia que vale la pena contar, y los niños en particular, necesitan estar expuestos a libros basados en historias verídicas, especialmente en nuestra área. No puedo hacer suficiente énfasis sobre la impor-

Foto de cortesía

Las ganancias de la venta de “Un ángel desde arriba” serán destinadas al fondo universitario de Jamie Ann Paredes, ex alumna de Zapata High School.

tancia que tiene que los niños deben leer sobre el aquí y ahora y sobre gente como tú y yo”, dijo González Pérez. “Al hacerlo, se verán a ellos mismos, sus familias, su cultura reflejada en la lectura y, por lo tanto ganarán un mejor entendimiento sobre ellos mismos y el mundo que los rodea”.

El libro es un proyecto especial del cual las ganancias de las ventas de irán exclusivamente al fondo de colegio de Jamie Ann Paredes, una estudiante que se graduó de Zapata High School, y que actualmente estudia Enfermería en Laredo Community College.

González donó el arte que realizó para “Un ángel desde arriba”. Ella siente que ha caído en sus manos como un llamado desde el más allá, pues piensa que todos nacimos con un ángel de la guardia que nos guía durante nuestras vidas.

El equipo editorial en Del Alma Publications pide al público que abra sus corazones y acepte la labor de amor obteniendo una copia del libro, y al mismo tiempo, contribuyan a la causa. “ Un ángel desde arriba” se encuentra disponible en www.delalmapublications.com o por teléfono al 956-278-0760.

Dos hombres han sido arrestados en Laredo por su supuesta participación en un plan para secuestrar por rescate, de acuerdo con documentos de la corte.

Una querella criminal emitida el lunes en una corte federal de Laredo identifica a los sospechosos como Juan Manuel Ancira, de 21 años de edad, y John Daniel Pavón, de 21 años. Ellos se encuentran acusados de secuestrar inmigrantes indocumentados y demandar el pago de un rescate a sus familiares.

“Los secuestradores supuestamente hacían llamadas a los familiares de las víctimas pidiendo rescate para asegurar la liberación de las víctimas. Los investigadores piensan que las víctimas supuestamente estuvieron detenidas en cautiverio durante varios días, amenazadas con armas y se les proporcionaba comida limitadamente”, dijo el FBI en una declaración durante el fin de semana.

Agentes especiales del FBI dijeron que el caso se desarrolló el jueves cuando un hombre de Wichita, Kansas indicó haber recibido una llamada de un hombre en Laredo pidiendo 2.000 dólares por la liberación de su hijo. El supuesto secuestrador dijo al hombre que “él trabajaba para el Cártel del Golfo”, dice la querella.

El viernes, agentes obtuvieron video de vigilancia del Walmart localizado en Clark Boulevard. El video mostraba a una mujer recibiendo dinero de rescate del MoneyGram localizado dentro de la tienda. La mujer entrega el dinero a un hombre no identificado y se va.

Los agentes después recibieron información de que el celular utilizado para llamar al hombre en Wichita había transmitido señales desde una casa en la cuadra 2600 de la calle Rosario.

De acuerdo con la querella, los agentes encontraron a Pavón en la casa ubicada en Rosario.

Los agentes también

Ancira

Pavón

descubrieron que el celular había enviado señales desde la cuadra 4000 en la calle Guadalajara. Ahí, una propietaria permitió a los agentes catear la casa, pero la víctima de secuestro no fue encontrada. Los agentes después se enteraron que Ancira residía ahí, de acuerdo con documentos de la corte.

Ancira identificó a la propietaria como su madre. Los agentes les dijeron que estaban buscando por una persona extraviada y pidieron consentimiento para buscar en la casa. La propietaria sin embargo, quería ver una orden de cateo primero. Entonces, una vecina dijo a los agentes que ella había visto a dos personas correr en el patio y saltarse la barda, dice la querella.

Los agentes obtuvieron consentimiento de entrar a la casa a buscar a la persona desaparecida mientras que otros agentes persiguieron y detuvieron a dos personas que estaban cerca.

La persona desaparecida era uno de los individuos que había huido corriendo de la casa, indican registros. El otro individuo también alegó ser víctima de secuestro. Él dijo que sus captores trataron de extorsionar a su familia en Baton Rouge, Luisiana por 4.000 dólares.

Ambos identificaron a Ancira y Pavón como los secuestradores, dice la querella.

“Cuando fue entrevistado por agentes, Ancira admitió su participación en el crimen e implicó a Pavón”, de acuerdo con la querella.

Una búsqueda en la casa reveló “múltiples piezas de evidencia” apoyando las acusaciones, indica el documento.

Ancira y Pavón están programados para comparecer en una audiencia en la corte federal de Laredo el viernes.

Sports&Outdoors

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 |

A7

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS

Pagano addition a boon to Texans' defensive staff Houston adds brother of former Colts head coach to staff to guide linebackers

By John McClain H OUSTON CHRONI CLE

The most significant addition to Bill O'Brien's coaching staff may turn out to be John Pagano.

Pagano, younger brother of former Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano, will coach outside linebackers for the Texans and also has the title of senior defensive assistant.

Pagano, 51, is one of seven

new assistant coaches. He'll work under Romeo Crennel, who retained his assistant head coach title but has returned to defensive coordinator in place of Mike Vrabel, Tennessee's new head coach.

Crennel, who enters his 36th NFL season and his fifth season working for O'Brien, is recognized as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history. He'll turn 71 in June.

If Pagano is still on the staff

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Manziel says he is bipolar, seeks return to NFL

when Crennel decides to retire, the Texans could have a smooth transition if O'Brien wants to promote him – like they have this year with Crennel replacing Vrabel.

Pagano is in his 23rd season as an NFL assistant, including 15 years (2002-2016) at San Diego. As linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, Pagano was so valued by San Diego that he worked for three different Chargers' head coaches.

Getty Images file

John Pagano, younger brother of former Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano, will coach outside linebackers for the Texans and also has the title of senior defensive assistant.

Pagano earned his reputation as a terrific linebackers coach in a 3-4 defense, the same scheme the Texans have employed since Crennel arrived with O'Brien in 2012.

Pagano was the Chargers' defensive coordinator from 2012-16 and wasn't retained by new coach Anthony Lynn last

NCAA BASEBALL: TCU HORNED FROGS

TCU GOING FOR 5TH STRAIGHT CWS

Nati Harnik / Associated Press file

Sam Craft / Associated Press file

Johnny Manziel revealed Monday in an interview with “Good Morning America” that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder last year.

Former A&M star trying to return to football

By Peter Dawson FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM

Johnny Football wants a second chance at an NFL career.

And he believes he’s discovered one of the major obstacles previously standing in his way.

On Monday, in a taped interview with "Good Morning America," the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback said that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Manziel revealed that he was diagnosed about a year ago and he is taking medication for the condition.

He also said that he used alcohol as a form of self-medication to combat depression, and that he has since quit drinking.

"You are left staring at the ceiling by yourself and in that depression and back in that dark hole of sitting in a room by yourself, super depressed, thinking about all the mistakes you made in your life," he said. "What did that get me? Where did that get me except out of the NFL? Where did that get me? Disgraced."

Manziel won the 2012 Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M, becoming the first freshman to take home the award. He was eventually drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.

But after numerous off-the-field incidents, including a domestic violence charge by his ex-girlfriend, he managed to stay in the league for just two seasons.

Now, Manziel is hoping for a chance at redemption.

"I don’t know what kind of comeback it will be," he said, "but I know I want to get back on a football field to what brought me so much joy in my life and it makes me happy doing as my job."

year. He went to Oakland to work with Jack Del Rio as assistant head coach/defense.

He took over the defense in late November when Del Rio fired Ken Norton Jr. After Jon Gruden was hired as the Raiders' coach, Pagano had options around the league but accepted O'Brien's offer.

The Horned Frogs head into the 2018 baseball season looking to become the first program to make five straight College World Series appearances since the NCAA went to its current tournament format in 1999.

Horned Frogs begin 2018 season as a top-10 team nationally

By Eric Olson ASSOCIATED PRE SS

OMAHA, Neb. — TCU is looking for some history. A deep pitching staff could lead the way for the Horned Frogs.

TCU heads into the 2018 baseball season looking to join Stanford as the only programs to make five straight College World Series appearances since the NCAA went to its current tournament format in 1999.

The Horned Frogs have the makings for one of the top pitching staffs in the nation, led by starters Jared Janczak, Nick Lodolo and Sean Wymer and closer Durbin Feltman.

The biggest question mark is their everyday lineup. Five newcomers probably will start, joining first baseman Luken Baker, right fielder Connor Wanhanen and left fielder Josh Watson.

“We talk a lot, especially this year, about resetting to zero because last year’s group was awesome and the year before that was awesome and the year before that as well,” Wanhanen said. “This is a completely different team.”

TCU is a consensus top-10 team nationally and picked to finish behind two-time defending champion Texas Tech in the Big 12. D1Baseball.com selected shortstop Adam Oviedo for its preseason freshman of the year and Baker as its player of the year in the Big 12.

Baker missed the last 21 games of last season after injuring his left (nonthrowing) arm in a collision at first base. He was the 2016 freshman of the year and is batting .355 with 103 RBIs in 114 career games.

“Everything is all healed up 100 percent,” Baker said.

Seven programs have reached the CWS at least five years in row. Miami has done it twice, and Oklahoma State made a record seven consecutive appearances from 1981-87.

TCU is going for its sixth trip to Omaha since 2010. The Frogs have yet to win a national title. Their last two CWS appearances ended with bracket-final losses to eventual champions Coastal Carolina (2016) and Florida (2017) .

Ten other teams to watch: —FLORIDA: The defending national champion Gators are No. 1 in every major preseason poll. Five everyday starters are back, and the pitching rotation is headed by projected firstround picks Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar. The lineup gets a boost from the return of senior catcher JJ Schwarz (12 HR, 56 RBIs), who returned to school after falling to the 38th round of last year’s draft.

—OREGON STATE: The Beavers were beaten just four times before the CWS and then lost back-to-back games to LSU to fall short of a spot in the finals. Pac-12 player of the year Nick Madrigal leads a veteran lineup for the conference favorite. Luke Heimlich heads the pitching staff. He missed the super regional and CWS after the Oregonian newspaper reported he had pleaded guilty to a single count of molesting a 6-year-old girl when he was a teenager .

—FLORIDA STATE: It’s another season that begs the question whether this will be the year Mike Martin, who has led the Seminoles to the CWS 16 times, wins his first national title.

Drew Mendoza leads what could be one of the nation’s most powerful

lineups, and All-America lefty Tyler Holton is back after striking out 144 in 119 1/3 innings last season.

—TEXAS TECH: The Red Raiders made it to the CWS in 2016 but were upset by Sam Houston State in regionals last year. They lost some big bats, but they have enough back to win the Big 12. They have one of the nation’s best lefties in 10-game winner Steven Gingery and a solid No. 2 starter in Davis Martin.

—NORTH CAROLINA: Like Texas Tech, the Tar Heels got knocked out of regionals by an upstart (Davidson).

Three of the top four hitters are gone, so there are question marks about the offense.

—ARKANSAS: The Razorbacks are picked to win the SEC West. Grant Koch hit a career-high 13 home runs last season, most by an SEC catcher, and No. 1 starter Blaine Knight is back after striking out 96 in 90 innings.

—UCLA: The Bruins usually aren’t an offensive juggernaut, but a young everyday lineup matured last season and their production should increase.

Jon Olsen is back after going 7-1 as the staff ace.

—CAL STATE FULLERTON: The Titans, picked to win the Big West, bring back a .300 hitter in shortstop Sahid Valenzuela as well as No. 1 starter Colton Eastman, who missed 2 1/2 months in the middle of last season because of an elbow injury, and closer Brett Conine (15 saves).

—INDIANA: Coach Chris Lemonis has taken the Hoosiers to regionals in two of his first three seasons, and they are the pick to win the Big Ten. —SOUTH ALABAMA: Travis Swaggerty (.356, 60 RBIs) is among eight returning starters from one of the top offenses in the country.

A8 | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

FROM THE COVER BASS From page A1 made all the difference for them. They won 1st place with a total of 31.98 pounds, cashing in on the guaranteed $20,000 winning purse. Sure Life added another $200 to their winnings for using the product in their live well.

"We run a Skeeter boat, so we are in good shape. Boerne Marine made us a great deal on our 2014 21-I powered by a Yamaha 250 SHO. It just missed qualifying for the Skeeter bonus, but we love our boat!"

This was the team’s first time to fish a tournament together.

Second place winners Rick Scheen and Mike Harman also reported having a good day.

DACA From page A1 The judge ordered the government to let people already in the DACA program continue enjoying protections but declined to guarantee the program to new applicants.

Garaufis said the authority for his ruling stems from the Administrative Procedure Act, which lets parties harmed by federal agencies get judicial review of agency decisions when they are arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or do not follow the law.

“The APA thus sometimes places courts in the formalistic, even perverse, position of setting aside action that was clearly within the responsible agency’s authority, simply because the agency gave the wrong rea-

"The fog delay hurt, but when we got to our spot the bite was full on!"

Hitting the mouth of a creek in 12'-15' of water with Texas rigs and crank baits, they caught most of their fish in the first 45 minutes of fishing.

"Mike caught our biggest, about 8-1/2 pounds.

We managed to cull twice, but still had a three pounder we needed to cull."

Around 2:30, they moved to another spot and started flipping.

"When the sun came out, it hurt the bite. We kept at it, but never could cull that last smallest fish. Other than that, everything went smooth and basically as planned.

It was a lot of fun!"

Bass Champs presented them a $3,500 check

for second place. Then they won another $250 for qualifying for the Lowrance bonus.

"We would both like to thank our wives first and foremost for allowing us to do this. We also appreciate Samaniego Custom Rods and Lews Reels for their support."

Third place was achieved by the father and son team of Ben and John Bossom.

"We caught fish all day, in a place we found in practice," John said.

"The area was less than ten feet deep with lots of brush and mixed hardwoods."

Using a Texas rig, their first bite yielded them a six pounder.

"The bite was really slow. After a while, there was a short flurry where they bit well, and after the first three hours we

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said then-President Barack Obama’s decision to implement DACA was an unconstitutional exercise of authority.

Garaufis said the Trump administration relied on an “erroneous” belief the program was unconstitutional.

sons for, or failed to adequately explain, its decision,” the judge wrote.

He said new administrations may alter or abandon the policies of their predecessors even if policy shifts impose staggering personal, social and economic costs.

“The question before the court is thus not whether defendants could end the DACA program, but whether they offered legally adequate reasons for doing so. Based on its review of

the record before it, the court concludes that defendants have not done so,” Garaufis said.

Garaufis said the decision to end the program appeared to rest exclusively on a legal conclusion that the program was unconstitutional and violated the APA and the Immigration and Nationality Act. “Because that conclusion was erroneous, the decision to end the DACA program cannot stand,” he said.

had a limit in the boat.

We caught fish and culled all day, and we broke off several fish too."

As the day wore on, they got down to mere minutes left to fish.

"We were watching the time pretty close.

With three minutes left, we made our last cull, exchanging a four pounder for a two. Dad broke off on one right after that."

Their best five fish totaled 20.54 lbs for a third place finish and a $2,000 check.

"This is our third year fishing Bass Champs together, and this is our best finish yet!"

Rounding out the top five includes (4th) 20.36 pounds, Logan and Jerry McDonald taking home $1,700 and (5th) 20.07 pounds, Mitch Goodall

and Foy Osborn winning $1,600.

Jacob Beck caught the biggest bass of the day, fishing with Brian Hall.

"It was a tough day.

We flipped trees all day looking for bass."

The morning bite eluded them, and they didn't have a single fish in their live well until noon.

"There was an area with a drain, and an old road bed running through it. We went up and down it flipping the trees in 6' to 12', over and over."

That's where he got his big bite on a lizard.

"She just hit it, and I set the hook. She got hung up in a tree while I was trying to reel her in, but thankfully the limb broke off and we netted her with part of the limb!”

That was their fifth keeper, and by then it was 3 p.m. Their big bass weighed in at 9.10 pounds, winning a $500 check. All total they netted 17.44 pounds for an 11th place finish and another $1,010. Abu Garcia awarded them two new reels for catching the biggest bass of the tournament on an Abu Garcia reel.

Skeeter boats awarded the 12th place winners William Fesler and William McGuffey $1,000, doubling their winnings, for being the highest finishing team in a qualified Skeeter boat. They also won the Sportsmans Auto bonus for an additional $5,000 value.

It took 13.81 pounds to win a check, and the 22nd place team winning the final $600 was Mike Cones and Ron Wade.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 |

A9

BUSINESS

Stocks edge higher as 3-day win streak restores calm

By Marley Jay ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

Valentine's Day scratch-and-sniff cards, which give off a fried chicken aroma, sit on a table at a KFC in Santa Clara, Calif. KFC is handing out the cards to diners who buy its $10 Chicken Share meals or a bucket full of Popcorn Nuggets.

Fast food chains aim for sweethearts on Valentine’s Day

By Joseph Pisani A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — Is that love in the air or french fries? White Castle, KFC and other fast-food restaurants are trying to lure sweethearts for Valentine’s Day. It’s an attempt to capture a bit of the $3.7 billion that the National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend on a night out for the holiday. Restaurant analyst John Gordon at Pacific Management Consulting Group says it appeals to people who don’t want to splurge on a pricier restaurant.

And some customers enjoy it ironically.

White Castle, which has been offering Valentine’s Day reservations for nearly 30 years, expects to

surpass the 28,000 people it served last year. Diners at the chain known for its sliders get tableside service and can sip on its limited chocolate and strawberry smoothie. KFC is handing out scratchand-sniff Valentine’s Day cards that give off a fried chicken aroma to diners who buy its $10 Chicken Share meals or a bucket full of Popcorn Nuggets.

Panera Bread wants couples to get engaged at its cafes; those who do can win food for their weddings from the soup and bread chain. And Wingstop sold out of its $25 Valentine’s Day kit, which came with a gift card and a heart-shaped box to fill with chicken wings. The company says 1,000 of the kits were gone in 72 hours.

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks rose for the third day in a row Tuesday, led by banks, retailers and technology companies. The rebound over the last few days follows a harrowing drop of more than 10 percent over the previous two weeks.

After a wobbly start, stocks started climbing in the early afternoon and wound up with their most placid day in the last few weeks.

Amazon climbed once again, and athletic apparel companies rose following solid fourth-quarter results from Under Armour.

Apple continued to recoup some of its recent losses. Energy companies slipped again, and companies that distribute prescription drugs and medical supplies slumped.

Stocks have been making big swerves higher and lower recently.

Last week the Dow Jones industrial average twice fell 1,000 points in a day, sometimes gaining or losing hundreds of points in a few minutes. But on Tuesday, the gap between the Dow’s highest mark and its lowest was a more modest 284 points.

Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide Investment Management, said investors who have steered clear of the stock market started to pile in over the last few months, but that round of buying ended abruptly.

“The pattern that we saw over the last month and a half is not by any stretch of the imagination unusual,” he said, “But it is compressed. It normally doesn’t happen over a six-week period.”

Hackett said he feels stocks have fallen to more reasonable prices, partly because of the market slump and partly because corporate earnings grew at a strong clip in the

fourth quarter.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 6.94 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,662.94. The Dow added 39.18 points, or 0.2 percent, to 24,640.45.

The Nasdaq composite gained 31.55 points, or 0.5 percent, to 7,013.51.

The Russell 2000 index of smallercompany stocks finished up 3.97 points, or 0.3 percent, at 1,494.95.

On Wednesday the Labor Department will issue its monthly report on consumer prices. Investors will be watching carefully because the recent bout of market volatility was touched off by worries that inflation might be increasing.

Under Armour climbed after it reported better-than-expected sales as shoe and accessory revenue picked up. The stock had plunged 50 percent in 2017 on top of a 30 percent decline in 2016. It rose $2.47, or 17.2 percent, to $16.70. Athletic apparel retailer Foot Locker also gained ground.

Amazon climbed $28.28, or 2 percent, to $1,414.51, and dollar stores, department stores and clothing companies made gains as well.

Prescription drug distributor AmerisourceBergen jumped $8.32, or 9.3 percent, to $97.77 after The Wall Street Journal reported that Walgreens Boots Alliance wants to buy the rest of the company. It already owns 26 percent of AmerisourceBergen, one of the largest prescription drug distributors in the U.S. It also distributes products to hospitals and other health systems. The Wall Street Journal said Walgreens made an approach several weeks ago that no offer has been made. Walgreens lost 17 cents to $68.29.

Separately, the Journal reported that Amazon is looking to win over hospitals and clinics to distribute a variety of medical products. Two other distributors of prescription

drugs also fell. Cardinal Health lost $2.34, or 3.4 percent, to $65.69 and McKesson fell $2.84, or 1.9 percent, to $146.18.

In January Amazon announced a partnership with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway aimed at reducing health care costs. It’s widely believed to have designs on a larger role in the health care system.

The Federal Trade Commission said it is suing three large dental product suppliers for conspiring to deny discounts to groups that buy products for small practices. Henry Schein, Patterson, and privatelyheld Benco control 85 percent of the $10 billion market for products like gloves, sterilization products, lights and dentists’ chairs.

The companies rejected the allegations and said they will defend themselves in court. Henry Schein fell $4.79, or 6.6 percent, to $67.39 and Patterson sank $1.71, or 5.2 percent, to $31.21.

Nutrition supplement company GNC Holdings soared 18 percent after it formed a joint venture with Harbin Pharmaceutical Group of China. Harbin is investing $300 million in GNC, which will make it the company’s largest shareholder.

The stock rose 76 cents to $4.96.

Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.83 percent from 2.86 percent.

Energy companies declined, and benchmark U.S. crude fell 10 cents to $59.19 a barrel in New York.

Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 13 cents to $62.72 a barrel in London.

Wholesale gasoline add 1 cent to $1.69 a gallon. Heating oil stayed at $1.84 a gallon. Natural gas rose 4 cents to $2.59 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Gold rose $4 to $1,330.40 an ounce. Silver slipped 4 cents to $16.53 an ounce. Copper climbed 8 cents to $3.16 a pound.

Is inflation rising as investors fear?

By Christopher Rugaber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WASHINGTON — After nearly a decade of being all but invisible, inflation — or the fear of it — is back.

Tentative signs have emerged that prices could accelerate in coming months. Pay raises may be picking up a bit. Commodities such as oil and aluminum have grown more expensive.

Cellphone plans are likely to appear costlier.

The specter of high inflation has spooked many investors, who worry it would force up interest rates, making it costlier for consumers and businesses to borrow and weighing down corporate profits and ultimately the economy. Historically, fear of high inflation has led the Federal Reserve to step up its short-term interest rate increases.

It’s a big reason investors have dumped stocks and bonds in the past two weeks.

Yet for all the market turmoil, inflation for now remains quite low: Prices, excluding the volatile food and energy categories, have risen just 1.7 percent in the past year. That’s below the Fed’s target of 2 percent annual inflation.

Most economists expect inflation to edge up and end the year a few tenths of a percentage point above the Fed’s target.

But most foresee only minimal effect on the economy.

“I don’t think that’s a huge tragedy,” said Mark Vitner, an economist at Wells Fargo Securities.

Inflation, though, is hard to forecast. One widely followed gauge is the government’s monthly report on consumer price inflation. The January CPI report will come out Wednes-

day.

Roughly a year ago, major wireless carriers like Verizon and AT&T began offering unlimited wireless data plans.

This enabled their customers to watch more video, stream more music and trade more photos. It also lowered inflation.

That’s because government statisticians don’t simply review price changes when they calculate inflation. They also try to measure what consumers actually receive for what they pay.

Because unlimited data plans are a better deal, they in effect lowered the overall cost of wireless phone services. Many economists cited this as a reason inflation slowed last year even as the unemployment rate fell.

Still, the cellphone plans were a one-time change. In March, their impact will pass from the government’s yearover-year inflation calculations.

Most analysts expect this change to boost that month’s inflation estimate.

There are tantalizing early signs that many employers, grappling with low unemployment and a shortage of workers, are finally raising pay to attract and keep more workers. Average hourly pay rose 2.9 percent in January from a year earlier, the sharpest year-over-year increase in eight years. A separate quarterly measure from the Labor Department showed that wages and salaries in the final three months of last year grew at the fastest pace in almost three years.

In theory, higher pay can lead to inflation: Companies raise prices to offset their higher wage bill.

But it doesn’t always work that way. Pay climbed at a 4 percent annual clip in the late 1990s, for example, and yet core

inflation barely rose. It edged up to about 2.6 percent from 2.3 percent.

Companies can choose to eat the extra cost and report lower profits. They could also use the proceeds from last year’s tax cut to pay higher wages even while keeping prices in check.

Another factor that may keep wages low and limit inflation is that plenty of workers are still available overseas. Companies could shift work abroad if pay gets too high.

And there may be more people in the United States available to fill jobs than the low 4.1 percent unemployment rate would suggest. The proportion of Americans who have jobs still hasn’t returned to its prerecession peak.

Whether consumers expect inflation to accelerate or stay the same can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A10 | Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | LAREDO MORNING TIMES

FROM THE COVER WARNING From page A1 inclusive resorts.

"I request that the State Department use the information contained in these stories to appropriately reform its consular affairs operations in Mexico and its relationships with Mexican partner organizations that do not share our interests," Baldwin wrote in the letter to Tillerson.

The Department of State keeps sparse data on deaths of U.S. citizens in Mexico and only in the last several months - in the wake of the Journal Sentinel investigation began tracking injuries. It has since received 17 reports of alcohol-related injuries, according to figures the department provided Friday.

Travelers expressed frustration and feelings of being re-victimized when resort staff, police, even doctors and local hospital workers appeared indifferent and sometimes hostile when they sought help.

The vacationers were further shocked when the U.S. State Department did little to nothing to help them, the Journal Sentinel’s investigation found.

Workers at U.S. consulate offices in Mexico say they have little ability to help U.S. citizens who have been victims of crimes. The workers cannot advocate on behalf of the citizens. They cannot translate the language.

They cannot offer legal advice or help investigate a situation.

The State Department should help victims gather evidence, Baldwin wrote, and "navigate an ineffective foreign legal system, not merely provide limited guidance and essentially let them fend for themselves."

"Unfortunately, the issue of illicit alcohol in Mexico is not going away, and U.S. citizens continue to be victimized," she added. "Making matters worse, this is just one thread in the larger web of Mexico’s degrading security, governance and human rights climate.

"Given Mexico’s demonstrated inability to provide a safe environment for our citizens, it is clear that the usual playbook for managing the U.S.-Mexico relationship, including for U.S. consular affairs operations, is not working."

Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in an email Sunday to the Journal Sentinel that he is eager to see the Inspector General’s report.

"My committee continues to seek answers from the State Department regarding Abbey Conner’s death, and others who suffered tragic incidents while traveling to Mexico," Johnson wrote. "The State Department should do everything it can to warn Americans of the dangers . and to provide assistance to travelers when abroad."

In August, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., sent a letter to Tillerson saying he worried the State Department was underplaying the risks U.S. travelers face in Mexico. Markey noted he was concerned "for the safety of U.S. citizens vacationing in Mexico who consume potentially tainted alcohol" and who might have a false sense of security at resorts. State Department officials say they already have improved communication with travelers since conducting an internal assessment of their policies during the last year.

They found travelers did not understand the

difference between travel warnings and travel alerts and what to do in response. They launched a new information program last month that streamlines the warning system.

It did not offer any new or additional information about the problems tourists are experiencing at Mexican resorts, but said it met again in December with Mexico’s minister of tourism and elected officials and "raised concerns about unregulated alcohol and the security situation in tourist areas and encouraged the Governors to improve communication with U.S. citizen tourists."

"The U.S. Mission in Mexico continues to press the Government of Mexico and Mexican state authorities to make the safety and protection of U.S. tourists a priority," a spokesman for the department wrote in an email to the Journal Sentinel.

As it stands, the department has designated the whole country of Mexico a Travel Advisory Level 2, meaning tourists should "Exercise increased caution." Level 3 means tourists should reconsider their travel plans; Level 4 is a suggestion by the State Department that U.S. citizens do not travel there.

Last month, the department designated certain areas of Mexico as Level 3 and 4, but did not include the popular tourist destinations of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Los Cabos or Puerto Vallarta, instead classifying those locations as Level 2. The State Department encourages those who’ve experienced trouble while on vacation in Mexico to contact both the Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk at contactociudadanocofepris.gob.mx as well as the American Citizen Services unit.