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Nat Guard weighed for roundups White House officials deny claims By Garance Burke ASSOCIATED PRE SS
tion. Administration officials said the proposal, which called for mobilizing up to 100,000 troops in 11 states, was rejected, and would not be part of plans to carry out President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policy. If implemented, the National Guard idea, contained in an 11-page memo obtained by The Associated Press, could have led to enforcement action against millions of immigrants
In this Feb. 24, 2015, file photo, members of the National Guard patrol along the Rio Grande at the Texas-Mexico border in Rio Grande City, Texas.
The White House distanced itself Friday from a Department of Homeland Security draft proposal to use the National Guard to round up unauthorized immigrants, but lawmakers said the document offers insight into the Trump administration’s internal efforts to enact its promised crackdown on illegal immigra-
US CONGRESS
ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR ASSOCIATION
Eric Gay / AP
Cuellar scores high on Trump tracker
living nowhere near the Mexican border. Four states that border on Mexico were included in the proposal — California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas — but it also encompassed seven states contiguous to those four — Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Despite the AP’s public release of the document, White House spokesman Sean Immigration continues on A10
45TH ANNUAL PARADE
Voted in agreement 75 percent of the time By Liabette A. Rodriguez ZA PATA T I ME S
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar has voted in agreement with President Donald Trump 75 percent of the time since Jan. 5, according to FiveThirtyEight. FiveThirtyEight, a website that focuses on politics, economics and sports, created a Trump Cuellar tracker that checks how often members of Congress vote in line with his stated positions. Using this tracker, Cuellar had been preTrump dicted to score 10.5 percent, but he received a Trump Score of 75 percent. He is currently the House Democrat with the highest Trump agreement score, according to FiveThirtyEight. “I have never based my position on a vote on how it will be scored,” Cuellar told Laredo Morning Times when asked about his Trump Score. “I do what every member of Congress should do: I listen to my constituents and vote my district. I look at ideas in terms of is the idea good for my district, not who came up the idea. There are times when I will agree with the President and times when I will disagree.” Cuellar has voted in agreement with Trump on items such as allowing James Mattis to become secretary of defense, the repeal of a rule requiring energy companies to disclose payments to foreign governments, and the permanent ban on the use of federal funds for abortion, according to FiveThirtyEight. Cuellar continues on A10
Ulysses S. Romero /Laredo Morning Times file
This Feb. 26, 2013 file photo shows the La Grande International Trail Ride Queen waving at people during the annual Zapata County Fair Parade.
Trophies for different categories will be awarded ZAPATA TIME S
T
Danny Zaragoza / Laredo Morning Times file
This Feb. 26, 2013 file photo shows the The Zapata County Fair court holding up their umbrellas as they wave to the crowd drawn to the parade.
he Zapata County Fair Association would like to extend an invitation to individuals and organizations to participate in its 45th Annual Zapata County Fair Parade in Zapata, Texas. Parade lineup starts at 7 a.m. March 11 on U.S. Hwy 83 & 3rd Ave next to (Pepe's Car Wash) All entries must be in line no later than 8:30 a.m. Parade will start promptly at 9 a.m. and proceed on 3rd Ave and head north on U.S. Hwy 83 taking a right on 23rd St. to the Zapata County Fairgrounds. Trophies for different categories will be issued and awarded at the Zapata County Fairgrounds at 1:30 p.m. 1 Best in Show 1 Top Equestrian Entry 1 Top Law Enforcement Entry 1 Top School Entry Parade continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, February 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
Harry Potter Book Club. 3-4:30 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free and family-friendly. Children and adults are welcome. We will discuss “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 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.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. International Bank of Commerce Keynote Speaker Series. 7:30 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, 5201 University Blvd. The presentation is called Economic Crisis: The Hit Men Strike Home ... What Wrecked our Economy and How to Fix It, by John Perkins, New York Times bestselling author. Free and open to the public.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society. 3-5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Meeting and speaker: Ricardo Palacios “The Green Street Kid.” Members free; guests: $5. For more information call Sylvia Reash 763-1810. Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library. For more information call Sylvia Reash 763-1810.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 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.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee, but freewill donations accepted.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
SATURDAY, MARCH 4 Book sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
MONDAY, MARCH 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. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
MONDAY, MARCH 13 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.
MONDAY, MARCH 20 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.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25 Rally at the Border Laredo. 4-7 p.m. Convent Avenue.
MONDAY, MARCH 27 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.
MONDAY, APRIL 3 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.
Ting Shen / AP
In this Feb. 10 file photo, Lanisha Taylor, sister of Chad Robertson speaks to the media during a press conference conference at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital in Chicago.
OFFICER CHARGED WITH MURDER CHICAGO — An Amtrak police officer charged in the shooting death of an unarmed Minneapolis man outside Chicago’s Union Station was ordered held on $250,000 bail Friday. LaRoyce Tankson, 31, is charged with first-degree murder in the Feb. 8 shooting of 25-year-old Chad Robertson, who died Wednesday, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said. Robertson was taking a bus from Memphis, Tennessee, to Minneapolis and was on a stopover in Chicago when the shooting occurred. Robertson and two friends
Ex-student sues boarding school after grand jury sex probe PHILADELPHIA — An alumna sued a Pennsylvania boarding school Friday, weeks after a grand jury report detailed a half-century of sexual abuse there, accusing the school of ignoring warnings the athletic director was sexually involved with her. The “Jane Doe” accuser said
went to Union Station to stay warm while they waited for their onward bus. But two officers confronted them, so the three friends got up to leave, according to Robertson’s sister, Nina Robertson,. The officers confronted them again outside the station and accused one of them of smoking marijuana. An officer searched the men and when he put his hands in Robertson’s pockets, he ran, the sister said. That’s when one of the officers opened fire. Chicago police say they found cash and narcotics on Robertson, but no weapon.
the Solebury School’s permissive atmosphere enabled staff to prey on vulnerable teens. The woman, now 29, said that athletic director Lyle Hazel started grooming her in 10th grade and started a sexual relationship in 12th grade that continued for years and left her unable to finish college. “It’s like so many of these Solebury relationships, where the teacher gets the student while they’re there, and they extend it for years after. It’s because of the environment,” the woman’s lawyer, Marci
Hamilton said. Hazel, 49, of Roebling, New Jersey, was later fired from the school in New Hope for embezzling $4,000 from his department, the lawsuit said. A phone listing for him could not be found Friday. Hazel invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself during his grand jury testimony, the report said. He and his wife lived at the school with their child. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Bosnia to appeal UN court ruling clearing Serbia of genocide SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Bosnia will ask the United Nation’s top court to reconsider its 2007 ruling that cleared Serbia of genocide during Bosnia’s 1992-95 war. Bakir Izetbegovic, Muslim Bosniak member of the county’s tripartite presidency, announced Friday the request will be submitted before Feb. 26, when the deadline for appealing expires. The decision is expected to plunge Bosnia into a political crisis, as Bosnian Serb legislators plan to boycott parliament to show their opposition. However, Izetbegovic insists no new approval is required, as Bosnia’s legal representative in the case will simply submit an appeal. Bosnia sued neighboring
Amel Emric / AP
A Monday, July 11, 2016 file photo of Bosnian people saying their prayers in front of coffins during a funeral ceremony.
Serbia before the International Court of Justice in 1993 over its political and military backing for Bosnian Serbs’ war effort. The U.N. court ruled in 2007 that a 1995 massacre in the Bosnian city of Srebrenica of 8,000 Muslims by Bosnian Serbs was genocide, but it cleared Serbia of responsibility for the killings. It did say, how-
ever, that Serbia was responsible for failing to prevent the slaughter. The Srebrenica massacre was the worst mass killing in Europe since World War II and the bloodiest episode in the Bosnian war, which claimed 100,000 lives. — Compi led from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS New mosquito trap smart enough to keep just the bad bugs A smart trap for mosquitoes? A new high-tech version is promising to catch the bloodsuckers while letting friendlier insects escape — and even record the exact weather conditions when different species emerge to bite. Whether it really could im-
Today is Saturday, Feb. 18, the 49th day of 2017. There are 316 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 18, 1977, the space shuttle prototype Enterprise, sitting atop a Boeing 747, went on its debut “flight” above Edwards Air Force Base in California. On this date: In 1546, Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, died in Eisleben. In 1861, Jefferson Davis was sworn in as provisional president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1913, Mexican President Francisco I. Madero and Vice President Jose Maria Pino Suarez were arrested during a military coup (both were shot to death on Feb. 22). In 1930, photographic evidence of Pluto (now designated a “dwarf planet”) was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 1943, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, wife of the Chinese leader, addressed members of the Senate and then the House, becoming the first Chinese national to address both houses of the U.S. Congress. In 1953, “Bwana Devil,” the movie that heralded the 3D fad of the 1950s, had its New York opening. In 1960, the 8th Winter Olympic Games were formally opened in Squaw Valley, California, by Vice President Richard M. Nixon. In 1967, American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer died in Princeton, New Jersey, at age 62. In 1970, the “Chicago Seven” defendants were found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic national convention; five were convicted of violating the AntiRiot Act of 1968 (those convictions were later reversed). In 1984, Italy and the Vatican signed an accord under which Roman Catholicism ceased to be the state religion of Italy. In 1997, astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery completed their tuneup of the Hubble Space Telescope after 33 hours of spacewalking; the Hubble was then released using the shuttle’s crane. In 2001, auto racing star Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a crash at the Daytona 500; he was 49. Ten years ago: A military helicopter crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, killing eight U.S. service members; 14 survived with injuries. Five years ago: A star-studded funeral service was held for pop singer Whitney Houston at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, a week after her death at age 48. One year ago: In what was seen as a criticism of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Pope Francis said that a person who advocated building walls was “not Christian”; Trump quickly retorted it was “disgraceful” to question a person’s faith. Today’s Birthdays: Former Sen. John Warner, R-Va., is 90. Author Toni Morrison is 86. Movie director Milos (MEE’-lohsh) Forman is 85. Singer Yoko Ono is 84. Singer-songwriter Bobby Hart is 78. Singer Irma Thomas is 76. Singer Herman Santiago (Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers) is 76. Actress Jess Walton is 71. Singer Dennis DeYoung is 70. Actress Sinead Cusack is 69. Actress Cybill Shepherd is 67. Singer Juice Newton is 65. Singer Randy Crawford is 65. Rock musician Robbie Bachman is 64. Rock musician Larry Rust (Iron Butterfly) is 64. Actor John Travolta is 63. Actor John Pankow is 62. Game show host Vanna White is 60. Actress Jayne Atkinson is 58. Actress Greta Scacchi is 57. Actor Matt Dillon is 53. Rock musician Tommy Scott (Space) is 53. Rapper Dr. Dre is 52. Actress Molly Ringwald is 49. Actress Sarah Brown is 42. Country musician Trevor Rosen (Old Dominion) is 42. Actor Ike Barinholtz is 40. Actor Kristoffer Polaha is 40. Singer-musician Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) is 40. Actor Tyrone Burton is 38. Rocksinger musician Regina Spektor is 37. Opera singer Isabel Leonard is 35. Roots rock musician Zac Cockrell (Alabama Shakes) is 29. Actor Shane Lyons is 29. Actress Sara Sutherland (TV: “Veep”) is 29. Actress Maiara Walsh is 29. Thought for Today: “Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.” — Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher (1770-1831).
CONTACT US prove public health is still to be determined. But when the robotic traps were pilot-tested around Houston last summer, they accurately captured particular mosquito species — those capable of spreading the Zika virus and certain other diseases — that health officials wanted to track, researchers reported Thursday. The traps act like “a field biologist in real time that’s making choices about the insects it wants to capture,” said Microsoft lead researcher Eth-
an Jackson, who displayed a prototype trap at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston. “It catches people’s imagination,” said University of Florida medical entomology professor Jonathan Day, who isn’t involved with the project. “But whether it is actually a trap that will functionally improve surveillance, I think that remains to be seen.” — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 18, 2017 |
A3
LOCAL & STATE
Suspect wanted in burglary ZCISD receives By César G. Rodriguez LA R ED O MORNI NG T I ME S
Authorities said recently they need the community’s assistance to track down the suspect or suspects who broke into a home in the
Falcon Lake Estates East neighborhood. Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office deputies responded to a burglary and criminal mischief report Jan. 2 in the 300 block of Papaya Drive. The complainant stat-
ed that someone pried open the rear door of the residence. The Sheriff ’s Office said the owners of the residence were out of town when the burglary happened. People with information on the case are
asked to call the Sheriff ’s Office at 956-765-9960 or Zapata Crime Stopper at 765-TIPS (8477). Tips through Crime Stoppers leading to an arrest may eligible for a cash reward.
Texas’ indicted attorney general may face 2 trials A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
MCKINNEY, Texas — The judge overseeing the felony securities fraud charges against Texas’ Republican attorney general says he’ll attempt to seat a jury without
changing where the case will be tried. Special prosecutors have asked that the proceedings be moved out of Paxton’s home county. But the Dallas Morning News reports that during a pretrial hearing Thurs-
day, Judge George Gallagher said he planned to “at least try to choose a jury here.” Gallagher didn’t issue a formal ruling on the change of venue request, though. Until he does, Paxton is set to stand
trial in May in the Dallas suburb of Collin County. Prosecutors also said that they’d like to hold two, back-to-back trials, one on registration charges and a longer fraud case against Paxton after that.
accredited status By Judith Rayo LAREDO MORNING TIME S
ZCISD received an accredited status according to accreditation statuses TEA released Friday. An accredited status recognizes districts and charters as a public school that meets specific academic and financial standards. The statuses are determined on state accountability ratings, the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas, or FIRST, data reporting, special program effectiveness and compliance
with statutory and regulatory requirements. Of the 1,199 school and charter districts in the state, only 1,180, or 98 percent, received an accredited status for the 2016-17 school year. Zapata County Independent School district received a “met standard” for its 2016 accountability rating and “superior” for the 2016 FIRST rating. The FIRST rating ensures schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and their continued improvement.
Texas officials say ICE detained immigrant inside courthouse A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
EL PASO, Texas — Local Texas officials said a review of courthouse security footage shows federal immigration agents detained a transgender woman seeking a protective order for alleged domestic violence while she was inside a courthouse. El Paso County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal said she reviewed the courthouse security footage that shows federal agents entering the courthouse on February 9, approaching Irvin Gonzalez as she was leaving the protective-
order courtroom and escorting her out of the building by the elbow. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman issued a statement Thursday confirming Gonzalez had been detained and noting she had several criminal convictions since 2010 including larceny and assault and had been deported six times. “There really are two separate issues: What happened to this individual client, which we think was wrong, and the larger picture is the chilling effect of having immigration officials in a courthouse and in a pro-
tective-order courtroom,” Bernal said. “If immigration officials are going to be roaming freely in a place where people seek justice, then people are not going to seek justice.” ICE agents wrote in an affidavit used to detain Gonzalez that they approached and took her into custody outside the courthouse. The agency’s statement does not address the discrepancy in the two accounts. Bernal said the footage is clear from the security cameras. “An agent is holding her elbow as he leaves the courthouse with our client. I would say that is
being detained,” she said. Bernal said she and other county officials planned to meet Friday with state, local and federal officials to ask that ICE refrain from similar enforcement actions in the future. She said the detainment was an isolated incident. ICE policy restricts agents from enforcement actions at places deemed sensitive including churches, schools and hospitals and requires consultation with supervisors before taking action at places that assist children, pregnant women or victims of crime or abuse.
Victim advocates said detaining people seeking protective orders could deter others from seeking help. Cesar Campa, community relations director for the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence in El Paso, said the center has received multiple calls since Gonzalez was detained from victims of domestic violence asking if they would be detained if they sought a protective order. The American Civil Liberties Union also issued a statement Thursday calling for Gonzalez to be released, and for the agency to
denounce enforcement actions against people seeking help as victims of crimes. “This wrongheaded enforcement action sends the message that if a victim is undocumented, future domestic abuse may go unpunished. Home invasions may go unpunished. Rape may go unpunished. Human trafficking may go unpunished. If ICE stands by this arrest, it will make every city in America with an undocumented population — which is every city in America — less safe,” ACLU of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke wrote.
Zopinion
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A4 | Saturday, February 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Helping ‘Dreamers’ would also help Trump By Francis Wilkinson BL O O M BE RG
President Donald Trump hinted at his news conference on Thursday that he may yet unveil a surprise on the fate of “Dreamers” — the undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. If it favors Dreamers, it could be a shrewd move. Trump’s deportation machine revved up this week, and quickly backfired. Immigration agents arrested a woman at a court hearing in El Paso, Texas, where she was seeking a protective order against an abusive boyfriend. It was a textbook illustration of why local law-enforcement officers are wary of cooperating with federal immigration agents. There isn’t an undocumented immigrant in Texas or quite possibly the nation who isn’t newly reluctant to report a crime or claim to have witnessed one. Public safety is compromised. Trump’s policy is based not on safety but on indiscrimination. President Barack Obama sought to deport criminals. Trump does, too. But his recent executive order essentially redefines every undocumented immigrant as a criminal. It’s open season on any and all undocumented immigrants — even those seeking protective orders. (At least one Dreamer has already been ensnared.) Illegal immigration is, curiously, a bit like abortion in American politics. Americans are OK with some but not necessarily a lot. During the presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton promised a lot, implying very persuasively, and perhaps counterproductively, that she wasn’t interested in deportations. “I would not deport children,” Clinton told Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos. “I do not want to deport family members, either, Jorge.” Trump went far in the opposite direction, of course, demeaning Mexicans, hyping violent crime by immigrants and promising, albeit inconsistently, to administer mass deportations. While Trump’s antiimmigrant base loves deportations, most Americans don’t. That’s why a humane policy on Dreamers would be very smart politics for Trump. “The DACA situation is a very difficult thing for me as I love these kids. I love kids,” Trump said at his news conference. “I have kids and grandkids, and I find it very hard
“Protecting Dreamers would have political benefits. It might sap a bit of energy from pro-immigration protests.” doing what the law says exactly to do and, you know, the law is rough.” Dreamers offer Trump the opportunity to play against type. His comments about them at the news conference were arguably the only unselfish, kind moment of the entire spectacle. Even Trump seems to recognize that there is no legal, moral or political justification for removing people whose sole offense was crossing a border when they were children. The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that Trump aides are seeking ways to deport Dreamers without Trump having to rescind the Obama executive action that enables them to stay and obtain work permits. “Their hunt suggests that the White House is hesitant to publicly target a wellorganized group of immigrants who have prominent public backing, including from President Obama, and to whom Trump has shown sympathy,” the paper reported. Any notion that the public would fail to connect the dots between deportation and the politician most emphatically identified with supporting deportation is fantasy. Trump will own every hardship of every Dreamer. Yet Trump could protect the fewer than 800,000 Dreamers who’ve registered for work permits without much political cost among his base. His supporters would still get plenty of deportations — perhaps millions of them. There will be more pictures of weeping mothers and children to prove that he is inflicting the pain that he consistently promised. Protecting Dreamers would have political benefits. It might sap a bit of energy from pro-immigration protests. And it would modulate the ugly gusher of self-pity and anger that flows daily from the White House. It would signal to the average, inattentive voter without a red cap that Trump possesses potentially useful traits — a human heart and the capacity to think of someone other than himself.
OP-ED
Time for closing our eyes to incompetence, venality over By Christine Flowers PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
I don’t believe in a binary world. It’s rarely "either/or," black or white, good or evil. People who live without ambiguity are probably happy, but I’m betting that they’re also undesirable dinner guests or life partners. I wanted to pull my hair out every time someone would tell me in the run-up to the election "you have to vote for Trump" or "you have to vote for Hillary" because not voting for him meant a win for her (or vice versa). They said it was a binary choice. Lazy thinkers. And I’m still pulling my hair out. My conservative friends agree with me that feminists are hypocritical in the way they trash women they don’t like. They nod in recognition when I write that mean-spirited jealousy is at the root of the snarky comments about Ivanka Trump. They understand that attacks on Melania Trump, as in suggestions by a New York Times reporter that she was a prostitute, are misogynistic slander. They see the institutional attempts to destroy Kellyanne Conway, a woman who really did break the glass ceiling, as fear and resentment. But when I start saying Trump shouldn’t have tweeted about his daughter’s business, Melania needs to get her shapely butt to D.C., and Kellyanne needs to study up on her massacres, at most I get silence. Usually, though, I get excuses: "Trump was defending his daughter." "Melania is doing it for Barron." "Kellyanne misspoke; cut
her a break." Liberals are equally hypocritical. They rail against Trump for making fun of people with disabilities, yet viciously attack the president’s son with accusations of autism. They accuse Trump of being abusive to women but snort Chablis through their noses when they watch "Saturday Night Live" portray Conway as a homicidal, mentally deranged slut. They excuse Hillary Clinton’s massive ethical lapse in using a private server but turn Trump into Dr. Strangelove for inappropriate tweeting. I suppose it’s part of our tribal beginnings. People like to belong to something: a family, a team, a political party. And to be a part of one thing, we have to be against something else. It’s as old as the Hebrews and Pharaoh, just without the locusts and the lamb’s blood. The problem with this institutional cheerleading is that it isn’t good for personal integrity. That’s because no group is always righteous, always on the side of the angels. So if we refuse to criticize our own people when they are so wrong it makes your teeth hurt, we look dishonest. What’s worse, we look like fools. For example, there’s a suggestion from some snooty, self-absorbed progressives that Trump is not a smart man. The haters have to tear him down, attack his intelligence, question his savvy. Pathetic. I said the same thing when conservatives attacked Obama’s cred as a constitutional scholar. Both are smart men, but the partisan acolytes will insist on tearing them down. The
tribal beast must be fed. And that beast is growling for red meat this week, and the conservatives are the ones feeding him. Not all conservatives, as we will see. Perhaps not even a majority. But too many for my comfort. Mike Flynn resigned as national security adviser this week. Or rather, he was fired. It was a more elegant firing than the type Trump is used to serving up, and it was done that way to save face for a loyal foot soldier, but Flynn clearly didn’t go willingly. The former NSA chief had improper, and possibly illegal, discussions about sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Trump was inaugurated. He lied about those discussions. He made Vice President Pence look like an uninformed idiot, which makes me particularly angry, because the only person in that entire administration I really admire (except for "Mad Dog" Mattis) is Mike Pence. And then, it comes out that Trump knew about Flynn’s lie two weeks ago, knew that he was open to blackmail from Russia, knew that he’d made a fool of the VP. He knew all this and did nothing until the press got a hold of the information through a leak (more on that in a minute.) My conservative friends started circling the wagons right from the start. I saw it happening and thought, "No, no, they’re not going to do this after months of skewering Hillary for her carelessness." Not that I blamed them. I skewered her, too. But this Flynn business was similar, despite their
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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
denials, and I was sad to see the immediate circling of the wagons to excuse both Flynn and Trump. I’m sure many of the president’s defenders are doing this as a strategic stand against the Democrats. It’s a mixture of loyalty, defiance and selfpreservation. I get the need to provide a united front against philistines such as Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren. Heck, frustrating them is a joyful art. But let’s be serious. No objective observer can defend the conduct of Flynn or the president. It’s hardly Watergate, but it’s a troubling prelude to future scandals if this type of fly-by-the-pants attitude becomes the normal M.O. And while I’m as troubled as anyone about the leaks from the ship of state, I’m not impressed with conservative attempts to deflect attention from Flynn’s loose lips and Trump’s tightly sealed ones. Just because someone is on your team doesn’t mean he or she gets a pass for unsportsmanlike conduct. I was happy to see some Senate Republicans have guts and integrity enough to say an investigation is in order. The House could take some lessons from them. It pains me to call out my homies, who probably will want to expel me from the tribe. But the time for closing our eyes to incompetence and venality, the same things we criticized in the "other," is over. We need to find our inner integrity, find out what the hell happened here, make accountable those who fell short of their sacred duties and stop living in a binary universe.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 18, 2017 |
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A6 | Saturday, February 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
BUSINESS
Kraft still hungry for Unilever after rejected offer By Candice Choi and Michelle Chapman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Kraft Heinz is attempting to buy Unilever in a $143 billion deal that would join the U.S. maker of cheeses and lunch meats with the European producer of mayo, teas and seasonings in a global powerhouse. Unilever rejected the approach and called the price too low, while Kraft Heinz says it’s still interested in a deal. The shares of both companies surged to new highs as investors saw prospects for cost cutting. A combination of Kraft Heintz, which sells Oscar Mayer meats, Jell-O pudding and Velveeta cheese, and Unilever, which owns brands including Hellmann’s, Lipton and Knorr, would rival Nestle as the world’s biggest packaged food maker by sales. That might not lead to big changes that customers would notice on the supermarket shelves. But it’s people’s changing tastes, shifting away from boxed and canned groceries in favor of items that seem fresher or healthier, that are driving dealmaking in the food industry. Companies like Kraft Heinz, itself formed from two century-old businesses in 2015, are trying to find new avenues for growth amid heightened competition. Part of the challenge is the proliferation of smaller food makers marketing more wholesome products, which makes it hard-
Alexander Soule / Hearst Connecticut Media
Unilever's research and development campus in Trumbull, Conn., on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017.
er for the established companies to drive up sales simply by selling more of their well-known products or by raising prices, as they have in the past. “That obviously has its limits,” said David Garfield, head of the consumer products unit at consulting firm AlixPartners. Instead, companies are being forced to dig deeper to find cost efficiencies or tap into new markets, Garfield said. That can include mergers that result in consolidated manufacturing systems, or that give companies access to
distribution networks in regions of the world where they don’t have a big presence. Those were some of the factors that drove Oreo and Chips Ahoy maker Mondelez International — which was split from Kraft in 2012 —to make an unsuccessful takeover bid for Hershey last year before retreating. And they were among the reasons cited by executives in the Kraft Heinz tie up, which was engineered by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital, the Brazilian investment firm with a
history of taking over companies and aggressively cutting costs. Bernardo Hees, a 3G partner, has slashed jobs and pursued other savings, some of them granular, as CEO of Kraft Heinz. In a 2015 memo to employees, Hees reminded them to print on both sides of the paper, reuse office supplies like binders and turn off computers before leaving the office to cut down on energy costs. The company also stopped stocking the corporate office with free Kraft snacks. Unilever follows Nestle,
PepsiCo and Mondelez as the world’s biggest packaged food maker by retail sales, coming in ahead of Kraft Heinz, according to Euromonitor International. In addition to its food products, it sells health and beauty products such as Axe body spray and Dove soap. In the meantime, food and drinks companies like Coca-Cola Co., General Mills Inc. and Kellogg Co. are also under pressure from Wall Street to slash costs and find products that suit the shifting customer preferences. While mega-deals are
tough to pull off, they’ve made an array of acquisitions of smaller, fastergrowing brands. Campbell Soup is trying to shed its canned-food image, and has bought juice and bagged carrots maker Bolthouse. General Mills now owns Annie’s, Hormel owns Applegate meats and Justin’s nut butters, and Dr Pepper recently bought Bai Brands, a maker of drinks sold as rich in antioxidants. Shares of Kraft Heinz closed up nearly 11 percent Friday. Unilever PLC jumped 14 percent.
Trump talks a lot about the ‘forgotten man,’ but so far he’s just helping Wall Street By Matt O’Brien WA S H INGT ON P O ST
Donald Trump has a plan to make Apple’s dividends great again. I’m talking, of course, about the administration’s plans for corporate tax reform. Now, in theory, allowing companies to bring their foreign profits home at a much, much lower tax rate than they could today - as a prelude to a system where overseas earnings wouldn’t be taxed at all - would bring in a flood of cash that could boost investment and jobs. In practice,
though, it would probably just bring in a flood of cash that would boost investor payouts and stock prices. That, at least, is what Apple’s Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri admitted recently. Repatriating that money, he said, would give them “additional flexibility around our capital return activities.” Translation: American shareholders would be better off, but American workers wouldn’t. Not that this should be a surprise. It’s precisely what happened the last time there was a repatriation-tax holiday in 2004.
Indeed, according to a 2011 Senate report, the 15 companies that brought the most money back actually cut their R&D spending and more than 20,000 jobs in the three years after the policy. So what did they do with the $150 billion they brought into the country? Easy: They paid it out to shareholders either directly in a dividend or indirectly by buying back stock. It’s not an exaggeration to say that’s pretty much all they did. “A one dollar increase in repatriations was associated with an increase of almost one dollar in payouts to
shareholders,” concluded economists Dhammika Dharmapala, C. Fritz Foley, and Kristin J. Forbes in their 2009 study. And keep in mind this happened despite the fact that the George W. Bush administration put rules in place to try to prevent it. The problem, you see, is that money is fungible: Even if I don’t pay out the money I brought back, bringing it back allows me to pay out other money. The broader point, though, is that our big companies are not capital constrained. If they see good investment opportu-
nities, they can make them - borrowing costs, after all, are still very low by historical standards whether or not they’re able to bring their overseas earnings here at a low tax rate. In other words, they have enough money to create any jobs they want to. That doesn’t mean corporate tax reform isn’t a good idea. It still could be. A system that raised the revenue we need and didn’t create an incentive for companies to “move” their intellectual property to, say, low- (or no-) tax Ireland would be better than one that did. But it
does mean that it probably wouldn’t be “something that is so phenomenal, far beyond what people even think,” as Trump claimed during the campaign. Which is to say that it wouldn’t exactly, to quote the president again, “turn America into a magnet for new jobs.” Instead, it would do a lot for Wall Street and the well-connected, and do nothing for Main Street and what Trump called the “forgotten men and women” of the country. Populism is just another alternative fact of the Trump administration.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 18, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE 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. TORNEO DE PESCA 1 Hoy se celebrará la final del Torneo de Campeonato Nacional de Pesca B.A.S.S. en la Presa Falcón organizado por la Cámara de Comercio, desde las 7 a.m. A las 3 p.m. se empezará la fase de peso y rifas para continuar con la premiación. REUNIÓN PÚBLICA 1 El Departamento de Transporte de Texas invita a la reunión pública a celebrarse en Río Grande, desde las 5 p.m., en South Texas Community College Auditorium, General Academic Building (Building E, 1st. Floor), 142 FM 3167. DÍA DE ADULTO MAYOR 1 Habrá presentaciones del Centro de Huesos y Articulaciones de Laredo Medical Center y Centro de Diálisis Davita, así como entretenimiento por parte de Terry Porter Roewe y Jeanette Silva. Será llevado a cabo el jueves 23 de febrero de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Centro Comunitario de Zapata ubicado en 605 N. US Hwy 83. TRÁMITES CONSULARES 1 El Consulado de México estará en la Ciudad de Roma, el sábado 4 de marzo, donde los residentes podrán realizar los trámites de expedición de matrícula consular y pasaporte, en el Centro Mundial de las Aves, Plaza Histórica frente a la Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora del Refugio, esquina de Portscheller y avenida Convento. Mayores informes en el Consulado de México en McAllen al teléfono 956-686-0243.
ENCUENTRO DE ALCALDES Y SECTORES PRODUCTIVOS
Fortalecen relaciones E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Miguel Alemán, México— Con la intención de establecer coordinación en el comercio y relación laboral, este viernes 17 de febrero inició el Segundo Encuentro de Alcaldes y Sectores Productivos de la Región Noreste de Nuevo León, Región Ribereña de Tamaulipas y sur de Texas “Ruta 54”. En el evento realizado en el Parque El Sabinal, al que acudió el gobernador de Tamaulipas Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca, fue inaugurado por el gobernador de Nuevo León, Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, y el alcalde de Cerralvo Baltazar Martínez Ríos, en presencia de los alcaldes e invitados tamaulipecos. “Tenemos que trabajar aún y cuando tengamos diferencias en el tema de lo que está pasando en este momento, creo que vamos a superarlas, y nos vamos a poner de acuerdo y salir adelante todos”, aseguró el Gobernador de Nuevo León. Rodríguez Calderón comentó que le pidió a los alcaldes del norte del estado que no hagan ocurrencias y que ayuden a buscar el fortalecimiento de la relación con el
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Miguel Alemán
Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, Rosa Icela Corro, y Jaime Rodríguez Calderón durante Segundo Encuentro de Alcaldes y Sectores Productivos, el viernes.
vecino país para potenciar la zona. Al respecto, el gobernador de Tamaulipas, García Cabeza de Vaca, declaró que es necesario construir puentes en lugar de muros, en relación a la postura del presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump.
“Hay que poner nuestro granito de arena para fortalecer nuestra relación, les repito que somos familia, vamos a fortalecernos unos a otros”, dijoGarcía Cabeza de Vaca. Durante el encuentro se establecieron mesas con discusión sobre dife-
rentes temas como desarrollo económico, seguridad y comercio. Funcionarios de la presente administración 2016-2018 coincidieron que este evento es de trascendental importancia para la región ribereña. La alcaldesa de Miguel
ZAPATA HIGH SCHOOL/LAREDO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CUIDANDO LA SALUD
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.
Alemán, Rosa Icela Corro, aseguró por su parte que la Carretera 54 está destinada a ser corredor turístico y comercial entre los estados de Nuevo León, Tamaulipas y Texas, con el impulso adecuado que se le está dando por parte de todos los sectores productivos.
ZCISD
TEA acredita a distrito escolar Por Judith Rayo TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
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. 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.
A7
Foto de cortesía | ZCISD
Estudiantes del Programa de Asistentes de Enfermería Certificadas de ZHS/LCC ofrecieron pruebas gratuitas de presión arterial el 10 de febrero en las instalaciones de Wal Mart como parte de sus horas clínicas.
COLUMNA
Destacan escritores a Tamaulipas Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
En diferentes momentos Tamaulipas inspira a literatos de altos vuelos, nacionales o extranjeros. Esto puede ser visto en novelas, crónicas, poemas y cuentos, incluso fuera de nuestro país. Trasladémonos al viejo municipio de Tula, Tamaulipas. Entre 1888 y 1890 radica ahí Manuel José Othón. Abogado potosino con título, dirige el juzgado de primera instancia.
Escasos meses permanece, sin embargo, bastan para descubrir en parajes aledaños las musas que al fin lo encumbran. Porque entonces compone “El himno de los bosques”: “En este sosegado apartamiento, / lejos de cortesanas ambiciones, / libre curso dejando al pensamiento, / quiero escuchar suspiros y canciones…”. Amado Nervo, contemporáneo suyo, la considera “una de las más robustas poesías americanas”. Mediante enorme salto alcancemos las riberas meridionales del río Bra-
vo. Transcurre la primavera de 1938. El presidente Lázaro Cárdenas acaba de nacionalizar la industria petrolera. Tanto se encoleriza Gran Bretaña que rompe nexos diplomáticos. “Pasamos […] hasta la entrada del puente” –indica Graham Greene—“y luego salimos del otro lado […] Esto era México, aquello Estados Unidos. La única diferencia era la suciedad y la oscuridad […] El pueblo se llamaba Nuevo Laredo, para distinguirlo de Laredo, Texas, pero […] el hijo parecía más viejo que el padre, más al tanto del
lado mísero de la vida. Las anteriores líneas pertenecen a Caminos sin ley. Según vemos, Greene nada simpatiza con los mexicanos. Estas crónicas le sirven para la famosa novela El poder y la gloria, que fructifica en dos largometrajes. Al marcharse de Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, anota: “Por la tarde tomé el tren a Monterrey […] La melancólica llanura parecía de plomo bajo las nubes lluviosas”. José Emilio Pacheco califica a Caminos sin ley de “violento ataque al México de Cárdenas”.
El distrito escolar Zapata County Independent School District (ZCISD por sus siglas en inglés), recibió un estado de acreditación de acuerdo a información dada a conocer por la Agencia de Educación de Texas (TEA por sus siglas en inglés), el viernes. Un estado de acreditación reconoce a los distritos y a las escuelas subvencionadas como escuela pública que reúne estándares específicos académicos y financieros. Los estados son determinados en calificaciones de responsabilidad estatales, el Sistema de Integridad Financiera de Texas, o FIRST (por sus siglas en inglés), reporte de información, efectividad de programas especiales y cumplimiento de requisitos obligatorios y regulatorios. De las 1.199 distritos escolares y de escuelas subvencionadas en el estado, solamente 1.180 o el 98 por ciento, recibieron un estado de acreditación para el año escolar 2016-2017. El distrito escolar Zapata County Independent School recibión la calificación “cumple con los estándares”, para su calificación de rendición de cuentas del 2016 y “supewrior” para la calificación FIRST del 2016. La calificación FIRST asegura a las escuelas que son responsables de la calidad de sus prácticas de administración financieras y su mejora continua.
A8 | Saturday, February 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Jason Hoekema / AP
A section of the border fence is shown, Thursday along the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas.
US has no way to measure border wall effectiveness By Elliot Spagat A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SAN DIEGO — The United States does not have a way to measure how well fencing works to deter illegal crossings from Mexico, according to a report released Thursday by Congress’ main watchdog as President Donald Trump renewed his pledge to build “a great wall” on the border. The Government Accountability Office said the government spent $2.3 billion from 2007 to 2015 to extend fences to 654 miles of the nearly 2,000mile border and more to repair them. Despite those investments, the Customs and Border Protection agency “cannot measure the contribution of fencing to border security operations along the southwest border because it has not developed metrics for this assessment,” the agency said in a 75-page review. Efforts to better measure success were aborted in 2013 because of a budget showdown between President Barack Obama and Congress, according to the report, which recommends developing new measures to justify more spending.
Trump, speaking at a news conference Thursday, reiterated plans for a wall with Mexico — one of his signature campaign pledges — and promised to negotiate a lower price. Border Patrol leaders have struggled to say with any degree of precision how well fences work, in part because it’s unknown how many people get away. Another unknown is the extent to which fences or other factors such as the number of agents explain why people are caught. The GAO estimated capture rates in areas with and without fencing but cautioned that no cause-and-effect relationship has been established. Construction cost estimates have varied widely. The GAO report stuck with its 2009 estimate of an average of $6.5 million a mile for a fence to keep out people on foot and $1.8 million a mile for vehicle blockades. There are currently 354 miles of pedestrian fencing and 300 miles of vehicle barriers. Republican leaders in Congress have said Trump’s wall would cost between $12 billion and $15 billion. Trump has suggested $12 billion. An internal Homeland
Security Department report prepared for Secretary John Kelly estimates the cost of extending the wall along the entire U.S.Mexico border at about $21 billion, according to a U.S. government official who is involved in border issues. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the report has not been made public. The Homeland Security report proposes an initial phase that would extend fences 26 miles and a second wave that would add 151 miles, plus 272 “replacement” miles where fences are already installed, according to the official. Those two phases would cost $5 billion. Few people dispute that fences contributed to a sharp drop in crossings in cities like San Diego and El Paso, Texas, where people can easily blend in once they enter the country. Before fences were built in San Diego, crossers played soccer on U.S. soil as vendors hawked tamales, waiting until night fell to overwhelm agents. San Diego was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings until the late 1990s, when an enforcement surge pushed traffic to Arizona and other more remote areas where
many crossers died from heat. As fencing critics note, border crossers continue to perish in isolated areas under extreme weather conditions. Border Patrol agents the told authors of the GAO report that fencing has made it more difficult for people to ambush or assault them. Attacks on agents dropped 81 percent two years after fencing was erected in the Nogales, Arizona, area. On the flip side, holes are often cut. The GAO reported 9,287 breaches in pedestrian fencing from 2010 to 2015. Agents said crossers have built ramps to drive over fences in Arizona and have burrowed beneath them. Kelly told lawmakers last week that he would like to see wall construction well underway within two years, but he held open the possibility that it would not extend to areas where natural physical barriers already exist. After a tour of the border in Arizona and California, he said he got “an earful” of suggestions from employees on where to build first. “I’ll take that on board. We’ll bring it back to Washington, put in the blender and come up with a solution,” he said.
Planes clip wings in ground collision at Phoenix airport By Paul Davenport A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PHOENIX — Two passenger jets clipped their wingtips in a minor ground collision close to a Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport terminal. Nobody was injured in the Thursday evening incident. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it is investigating the collision, but National Transportation Safety Agency spokesman Terry Williams said that agency isn’t investigating because damage was “very, very limited.” A departing Frontier Airlines flight bound for Denver was pushing back from its Terminal 3 gate when it collided with a taxiing Southwest Airlines flight arriving from Okla-
homa City, the Phoenix Fire Department said. Photos showed teartype damage to the tip of a wing of the Southwest jet. The Southwest plane had a very minor leak in a wing fuel tank, Fire Department spokesman Rob McDade said. Southwest spokeswoman Emily Samuels said the airline’s plane didn’t have a fuel leak, and Frontier spokesman Jim Faulkner said the Frontier plane didn’t have a fuel leak. Frontier said its plane had 163 passengers and six crew members. Sanders said the Southwest plane had 164 passengers and six crew. Frontier’s Faulkner said he could not discuss how the collision occurred. A statement issued earlier by Frontier said its plane, an Airbus 320, “was cleared to push back from
the gate...” FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said Friday no information was available on how the collision occurred. Southwest passenger Megan Wohr said it was taxiing to Terminal 4 when she felt something from a speed pump before the Southwest plane quickly stopped. The Frontier plane was still attached to a tug, she said. The Southwest plane was “cruising along pretty fast still” but that she couldn’t tell whether its wing extended over a double yellow line between the planes, Wohr said. A stair truck was used to evacuate both planes, McDade said. But Wohr said the Southwest plane, after a wait of 90 minutes, taxied to Terminal 4 where the passengers got
off at a regular gate. Samuels said she couldn’t immediately say how and where the Southwest passengers got off the plane. Both airlines said their planes were out of service for repairs. Frontier’s Faulkner said the airline flew in another plane from its Denver base and that passengers from the plane involved in the collision arrived in the Colorado City about six hours later than originally scheduled. Southwest’s statement said Denver-bound passengers on its plane “were accommodated on another aircraft, and arrived approximately an hour late.” Airport spokesman Gregory Roybal said Friday he could not discuss the incident because it was being investigated by the FAA.
Jeff Scheid / AP
In this March 11, 2016, file photo, Lakeisha Nicole Holloway, accused of intentionally plowing a car into pedestrians on a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk, appears during her competency hearing at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas.
Woman pleads not guilty in fatal Vegas Strip sidewalk crash ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LAS VEGAS — A woman pleaded not guilty in Nevada state court on Friday to charges that she intentionally drove onto a Las Vegas Strip sidewalk, killing one pedestrian and injuring at least 34 others less than a week before Christmas 2015. Lakeisha Nicole Holloway, 26, entered her plea after a Las Vegas judge recently ruled her competent to stand trial, following months of treatment at a state psychiatric center. Holloway, a former resident of Portland, Oregon, faces charges of murder, attempted murder and battery with a deadly weapon. Holloway is accused of slamming her 1996 Oldsmobile sedan carrying her 3-year-old daughter into a crowd of pedestrians on the Strip on Dec. 20, 2015. Holloway told police that she and her daughter had been in Las Vegas for about a week before the crash, living in the car that she parked at casinos where security guards kept making her move. The crash happened in front of the Paris and
Planet Hollywood casino-hotels and across from dancing water fountains of the Bellagio hotel-casino. Hordes of visitors to the busy stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard walk from one casino to another. Tests showed Holloway had more than the Nevada legal limit of pot and its metabolic byproducts in her blood when she was arrested shortly after the crash. Holloway faces 71 felonies. A child endangerment count stems from allegations that she had her 3-year-old daughter in the back seat at the time of the crash. The girl wasn’t injured. A judge in March ordered Holloway to receive treatment at Nevada’s Lakes Crossing state psychiatric center in Sparks. Jessica Valenzuela, 32, of Buckeye, Arizona, died in the crash. The injured were tourists from California, Colorado, Florida, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington state, Mexico and Canada. Records in Oregon show Holloway changed her name to Paris Paradise Morton in October 2015.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 18, 2017 |
A9
ENTERTAINMENT
Fashion insiders declare ‘I Am an Immigrant’ in new video By Leanne Italie A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — While some fashion designers have always been overtly political, the recently wrapped New York Fashion Week just a month after President Donald Trump’s inauguration included a broader range of brands addressing these tumultuous times. On Friday, the day after shows concluded, W magazine took on one element, Trump’s position on immigration, in a video featuring designers, models, photographers and industry activists and insiders who are, themselves, immigrants. The video, shot in a studio over six hours during the frenzy of fashion week, has them looking directly into the camera and saying “I Am an Immigrant,” with each uttering part of that declaration in a show of unity. The video is accompanied on Wmagazine-
.com by an editorial written by Katherine Cusumano and the effort is part of a series of web content covering the intersection of fashion and politics. The magazine’s editor, Stefano Tonchi, said in an interview Thursday ahead of the video’s release that the “I Am an Immigrant” video, running about a minute, is intended as a “united and defiant” statement against Trump’s travel ban and other immigration policies from inside the fashion industry. Participants include designer Diane von Furstenberg, models Doutzen Kroes and Winnie Harlow, photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Mario Sorrenti, and fashion activist Bethann Hardison. “Fashion designers and models have every responsibility, now more than ever, because young people through social media are really influenced by their opinions,”
Evan Agostini / AP
In this Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016 file photo, Diane von Furstenberg attends the premiere of "Nocturnal Animals" at the Paris Theatre in New York. On Friday, Feb. 17, 2017, the day after Fashion Week shows concluded in New York, W magazine released a video featuring designers, models, photographers and industry activists and insiders who are, themselves, immigrants, including von Furstenberg.
said Tonchi, who arrived in the United States from Florence, Italy, 25 years ago and became an American citizen five years ago. “Fashion has not been taking enough responsibility, and they can do much more,” said Tonchi, who also appears in the video. “Fashion is always a mirror of society.” This fashion week was heavier than usual on politics and social issues, on and off runways. Jonathan Simkhai handed out “Feminist
AF” T-shirts to his frontrow guests. Prabal Gurung walked models for his finale in T-shirts emblazoned with “Yes, We Should All Be Feminists” and “The Future is Female.” Christian Siriano included a shirt on one model with the words: “People are People.” There were white bandannas worn by designers and models walking shows signifying unity, and pink buttons passed out declaring that “Fashion Stands with Planned
Parenthood.” Public School designers Maxwell Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne riffed on Trump’s red campaign caps reading “Make America Great Again” with their own version: “Make America New York.” “Then you get to Raf Simons and he’s just celebrating being a foreigner in America. That was the most important show of the season, and he just celebrated America,” said W’s creative
and fashion director, Edward Enninful, of Simons’ debut at Calvin Klein. Enninful was born in Ghana and raised in the United Kingdom. He, too, appears in the video. “Designers are expressing empathy, joy, everybody is treating the current political climate in their own way,” Enninful said. “There’s not one way to respond to today. There’s not one way you can celebrate or you can protest.”
Does the Spanish ‘Star Wars’ title shed light on who will be ‘The Last Jedi’? David Betancourt WA S H INGT ON P O ST
When the title for episode eight of “Star Wars” was revealed to be “The Last Jedi,” including a logo reveal with blood red letters instead of the standard “Star Wars” yellow, some fans could have assumed this was a warning sign.
Rey and her blue lightsaber could be that last Jedi standing. She recently reconnected with Luke Skywalker at the end of “The Force Awakens,” but the title implies Luke might not be around long. No “Star Wars” legend is safe as long as Kylo Ren remains on the path of the Dark Side -- as proven when
Ren, the grandson of Darth Vader, fatally struck down Han Solo, his own father, in “The Force Awakens.” Then again, sometimes the Force speaks to you in another language. The official Spain Star Wars Twitter account recently tweeted the Spanish version of the title for “Star Wars”
episode eight. Whereas in English, “The Last Jedi” alludes to the possibility of only one Jedi left standing, the Spanish title, “Los Últimos Jedi,” refers to the Jedi in the plural sense. If they were referring to only one Jedi, the title would read “El Último Jedi.” Perhaps that means Luke Skywalker will be
by Rey’s side on a journey that almost certainly includes a lightsaber rematch between Rey and Kylo Ren. In their first battle in “The Force Awakens,” Kylo Ren was injured and Rey was not even trained in the ways of the Jedi. The two were separated as the planet they fought on began to collapse due to ruptured
fuel cells. The next time Kylo Ren and Rey meet, Kylo will surely have had more practice with the Dark Side, and Rey more than likely will have received some expert Jedi training. The only question is will Luke Skywalker be there when Kylo Ren and Rey meet again.
Mariah Carey confirms new Colbert show to beau; talks new single, tour air live after By Marcela Isaza A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Mariah Carey may have had her heart broken after her engagement to billionaire James Packer ended, but she shook that off and now has a vision of love for her backup dancer Bryan Tanaka. Carey, who posted an Instagram picture with her and Tanaka drinking champagne in a tub on Valentine’s Day, confirmed the romance in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, though she declined to say much more than that. “I’m just going to be like ‘I really don’t talk about my personal life.’ Because that’s what I used to do and it really worked for a minute, back, a while ago,” she said, smiling. “I just don’t feel comfortable talking about my personal life. ... Me and my boyfriend don’t want to do that.” Carey’s reluctance to talk in the media about her romance is understandable given the drama that erupted when she and Packer broke up last year. The split wasn’t amicable and led to plenty of tabloid headlines. But it seems to have also inspired Carey musically. Her latest single, “I Don’t,” featuring rapper YG, is about a breakup: “We got together and did the song in like a day
Mark J. Terrill / AP
Singer Mariah Carey, left, talks with Bryan Tanaka during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday.
and the video the next day.” In the video, Carey dresses in sexy white lingerie with a white bridal garter on her thigh. In one line, YG raps, “Hold up, give me my ring back. Never mind you could keep that.” Meanwhile, Carey flips off the camera with the ring on her middle finger — a ring that looks just like the one Packer gave her. The video also shows her throwing a wedding gown in a fire pit, a gown that looks very much like the Valentino dress she had custom-made for her wedding. “It was fun and it wasn’t that very expensive one that they think it is,” she clarified. “You shouldn’t be wasteful, so I’m going to do something with charity and wedding dresses, I think.” Carey is due to hit the
road this spring with Lionel Richie for “All the Hits Tour,” which runs from March 15 through May 27. She met Richie for the first time when she was invited to sing “Hero” with Luciano Pavarotti in 1999. For the tour — hitting such cities Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Detroit, New York, St. Louis, Denver, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Seattle, among many others — she’ll be bringing her 5 year-old twins, Moroccan Scott Cannon and Monroe Cannon, along for the journey. “Roc and Roe do get to come,” she said. “They love to go onstage and actually they are very musical already. They have their school, and they have their teacher. There are doing really well but they don’t love the school, let’s just put it that way. But they are
happy when they get to go with me on tour and there’s other kids there, too, so it’s good.” Carey has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. But she says staying hot in the game isn’t easy. “It’s very difficult, especially the way the business is now,” she said. “I truly love music and always have. It’s not like ... ‘Oh, here’s a way to get famous.’ It wasn’t any of those things. It was my release, it was my everything and it still is. So I think that I’m just grateful that people still tune in.” She also once again addressed the debacle on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve” where she stopped singing during her live performance after having technical issues, which led to fingers pointing between Dick Clark Productions and Carey. “I didn’t obsess over the New Year’s Eve thing,” she added. “I mean, I was upset about the fact that people didn’t understand, but it’s like, I can only explain it like this to you.” She added: “It’s like I’m the only one that has to make five million comebacks. ... For me there are different rules, I don’t know why. I don’t know why it’s not OK that I was just like victimized and vilified by the situation.”
Trump’s address to Congress ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Stephen Colbert is going to have his say after President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. CBS said that “The Late Show” will air live at 11:35 p.m. EST Tuesday, the night of Trump’s scheduled speech. Josh Earnest, former press secretary for the Obama White House, and Lisa Kudrow will be Col-
bert’s guests on his 15th live show, CBS said Friday. “Late Show” has been scoring ratings victories. It ranked as the mostwatched late-night show in the past two weeks and is closing in on a third week at the top, CBS noted in its announcement. Colbert, who honed his political comedy chops as a Comedy Central host, began edging up on leader Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight Show” after the election.
Eric Thayer / NYT
Stephen Colbert behind the scenes at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 17, 2016.
A10 | Saturday, February 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER IMMIGRATION From page A1 Spicer said there was “no effort at all to utilize the National Guard to round up unauthorized immigrants.” A DHS official described the document as a very early draft that was not seriously considered and never brought to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly for approval. However, DHS staffers said Thursday that they had been told by colleagues in two DHS departments that the proposal was still being considered as recently as Feb. 10. DHS spokeswoman Gillian Christensen declined to say who wrote the memo, how long it had been under consideration or when it had been rejected. The pushback from administration officials did little to quell outrage over the draft plan. Two Republican governors spoke out against the proposal and numerous Democratic lawmakers denounced it as an overly aggressive approach to immigration enforcement. “Regardless of the White House’s response, this document is an absolutely accurate description of the disturbing mindset that pervades the Trump administration when it comes to our nation’s immigrants,” said U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he would have
PARADE From page A1 1 Top Musical Entry 1 Top Military / Veteran Entry 1 Top Dance Team / Studio Entry 1 Top Cheer Entry 1 Top Business Entry 1 Top Club / Organization Entry 1 Top Community Spirit Award Deadline for parade entry form is Tuesday, March 7. ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, March 9 1 10am Rabbit Judging @ Ramirez Exhibit Hall
“concerns about the utilization of National Guard resources for immigration enforcement,” believing such a program “would be too much of a strain on our National Guard personnel.” Utah GOP Gov. Gary Herbert would have serious concerns about the constitutional implications and financial impact of activating the National Guard to round up unauthorized immigrants, the governor’s office said in a statement. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (DConn.), said, “This administration’s complete disregard for the impact its internal chaos and inability to manage its own message and policy is having on real people’s lives is offensive.” The AP had sought comment from the White House beginning Thursday and DHS earlier Friday and had not received a response from either. After the AP released the story, Spicer said the memo was “not a White House document” and said there was “no effort to do what is potentially suggested.” Governors in the 11 states would have had a choice whether to have their guard troops participate, according to the memo, which bears the name of Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general. At a maximum, approximately 100,000 Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel are available for stateside missions in the 11 states, according to statistics
1 10am-12pm Submission of Arts & Crafts, and Photography entries inside of County Pavilion 1 11am Metal works projects move into Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 2pm Poultry Judging @ Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 4pm Judging of Arts & Crafts, and Photography inside of County Pavilion 1 6pm Hog Judging @ Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 6:30pm-8pm Los Desperadoz 1 8:30pm-10pm La Tropa F 1 10:30pm-12am Elida Reyna y Avante Friday, March 10 1 9am-12pm Submission of baking entries for all categories inside of County Pavilion (all age groups) 1 10am Lamb Judging @ Rami-
and information provided by the National Guard Bureau. While National Guard personnel have been used to assist with immigration-related missions on the U.S.-Mexico border before, they have never been used as broadly or as far north. The memo was addressed to the then-acting heads of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It would have served as guidance to implement the wide-ranging executive order on immigration and border security that President Donald Trump signed Jan. 25. Such memos are routinely issued to supplement executive orders. Also dated Jan. 25, the draft memo says participating troops would be authorized “to perform the functions of an immigration officer in relation to the investigation, apprehension and detention of aliens in the United States.” It describes how the troops would be activated under a revived state-federal partnership program, and states that personnel would be authorized to conduct searches and identify and arrest any unauthorized immigrants. If implemented, the impact could have been significant. Nearly onehalf of the 11.1 million people residing in the U.S. without authorization live in the 11 states, according to Pew Research Center estimates based on 2014 Census data.
rez Exhibit Hall 1 1pm Judging for all Baking, Arts & Crafts, and Photography 1 2pm Meat Goat Judging @ Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 6pm Heifer Judging @ Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 5-6pm Local School Groups Perform 1 7pm Steer Judging @ Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 6:30pm-8pm Street Dance by Jaime y Los Chamacos 1 8:30-10pm Street Dance by Grupo Siggno 1 10-10:15pm Presentation of Queen & Court 1 10:15-10:30pm Tight Jean Contest Sponsored by Casa Raul 1 10:30pm-12am Street Dance by Kevin Fowler (Headliner) 1 11pm Ramirez Exhibit Hall Closes to the Public
CUELLAR From page A1 Clare Malone published an interview with Cuellar on February 10 about his Trump Score on FiveThirtyEight. In the interview, Cuellar said, “Trump does not share my values, and I certainly have a lot of serious concerns with some of his statements and actions.” Cuellar mentioned in the interview that once Trump has more Cabinet members, he will tone down his positions in many ways. “Once he has more voices in the room — experienced voices — it should help him understand the importance of getting input and buy-in from congressional leaders,” Cuellar told LMT. “In some instances, he has a good thought, but he doesn't have the expertise to craft a plan that is well-rounded.” Malone asked the congressman about Mexico’s concerns now that Trump is president. Cuellar responded that in his meetings with Mexican business people and senators, they feel the wall is insulting and Trump doesn’t understand how much intelligence they share with the FBI and DEA. Another one of their concerns, according to Cuellar, is trade since there is about $1.5 billion in trade every day between Mexico and the U.S. Cuellar commented to Malone that the message of the Democratic Party was wrong since it was losing veterans, women, senior citizens and laborers to Trump. He said, “The message our caucus was communicating was too narrow and was often negative towards energy and trade — two industries critical to my district. We needed a broader, more moderate message that aimed at more people, not fewer.”
1 12:15am Fairgrounds Close Saturday, March 11 1 7am Zapata County Fair Association Parade Line-up on 3rd Ave. 1 9:30am ZCFA Parade Sponsored by Sames Motor Company will begin starting from 3rd Ave. 1 12-2pm Selling of Baking, Arts & Crafts, and Photography (Non- Placing entries) 1 1pm Local Talent Performs @ Fairgrounds 1 1:30pm Award Ceremony for Parade Participants @ Fairgrounds 1 2pm Local Dance Team Performance @ Fairgrounds 1 2:30pm Buyer’s Social Sponsored by IBC-Zapata and MedLoz Lease Services @ Ramirez
Exhibit Hall 1 3-4pm Art, craft, photography, painting, and baking entry pickup (non-placing or unsold entries) 1 4pm Livestock Auction Begins @ Ramirez Exhibit Hall 1 7:30-9pm Street Dance by Los Traileros 1 9-9:30pm Grito Contest 1 10pm Exhibit Hall Closes to the Public 1 9:30-11pm Street Dance by La Leyenda 1 11-11:15pm Presentation of Queen & Court 1 11:15-11:30pm Jalapeño Eating Contest Sponsored by IBCZapata 1 11:30pm-1am Street Dance by Intocable (Headliner) 1 1:15am Fairgrounds Close
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 18, 2017 |
NBA: SPURS
B1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Report: Romo to be released Cowboys QB expects to a free agent By Nick Moyle SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
Andy Lyons / Getty Images file
In a recent poll by CBS Sports, Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard was named the 50th greatest player in NBA history. At 25, he was the youngest player on the list.
Kawhi named 50th greatest player in NBA history
It feels like Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have been barreling towards a breakup for some time, but we have not had many updates on precisely how it would go down. Until now. According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, Romo expects to be released this offseason by the only NFL team he has ever played for. Releasing Romo is the most pragmatic route for Dallas at this point, considering how difficult it find another organization willing to take on the 36-year-old quarterback’s massive contract. The most likely solution, then, is to release Romo after June 1, allowing him to find a new home while the Cowboys split the $19.6 million he would be owed over the next two seasons. Cutting ties with the fourtime Pro Bowler would save
Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle file
Cowboys continues on B2
A report says that Tony Romo expects the Cowboys to release him in the offseason. Romo was replaced by rookie Dak Prescott as the team’s starting quarterback after being hurt in the preseason.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
DEMPS NEARS FREE AGENCY Texans safety coming off career year
By Tim Griffin SA N ANT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
In conjunction with the All-Star break, CBS Sports commissioned its staff to select the 50 greatest players in NBA history. It's coming on the 20th anniversary of the NBA's own list that was released at the 1997 All-Star Game. The usual suspects are included, but one of the most intriguing is the youngest player on the list. Kawhi Leonard was chosen as No. 50 on the list, placing him ahead of current players like Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook. And the story also hints that more growth could eventually skyrocket him much higher on the list of the NBA greats. Here's what the website has to say about the Spurs' reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year:
By Aaron Wilson HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle file
50. Kawhi Leonard "At 25, he is the youngest player on this list, and he has already drawn Michael Jordan comparisons. This is absolutely nuts for a player who was drafted No. 15 overall and had the statistical profile of someone who is "destined to play a complementary role in the NBA, at least in his first few seasons," per DraftExpress. Leonard won Finals MVP in his third season, has two Defensive Player of the Year awards already and has grown into not only the premier wing defender in basketball, but one of the best all-around offensive players, too. There are some other current names that were just short of Leonard on our list -Tony Parker, Vince Carter, Russell Westbrook, but Kawhi got the nod for his all-around impact and hyper-efficient production. When his career is said and done, it's not hard to imagine him going down as a top-20 player in history." Michael Jordan is listed as No. 1 on the list, followed by Spurs continues on B2
Houston strong safety Quintin Demps is a free agent after racking up a career-high six interceptions in 2016.
It was a breakthrough season for Texans veteran strong safety Quintin Demps punctuated by a career-high six interceptions. Demps adeptly and alertly disrupted passing lanes, finishing first among all NFL safeties in interceptions and ranking second overall in the league. After the 31-year-old played last season under a one-year, $1.5 million contract, the San Antonio native is hoping for long-term security. He's played on one-year deals each of the past five seasons, including his stints with the Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants. A married father with two sons and two daughters, Demps has positioned himself for a new contract whether Texans continues on B2
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: HOUSTON ASTROS
New veterans give Astros ‘sky high’ expectations By Kristie Rieken ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Carlos Beltran met with Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve this offseason to pick their brains about the ins and outs of the Houston Astros. They talked about players, coaches and some logistics concerning the team. But soon the conversation veered into a much more important topic, and the crux of why Beltran wanted to rejoin the Astros
after spending a storied four months with the team more than a decade ago. “At the end of the day the conversation was about how we can be better,” Beltran said. “How we can be better as a ball club and they have some ideas and I have some ideas. So our time at spring training is going to be us trying to get together and put a plan together so hopefully we can execute it.” The 39-year-old Beltran is Astros continues on B2
Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle
The addition of veterans like designated hitter Carlos Beltran in the offseason have the Astros thinking big as the upcoming season approaches.
B2 | Saturday, February 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Rangers, Napoli finally reunited for third stint A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Mike Napoli’s return to Texas certainly didn’t come out of left field. The slugger’s longanticipated reunion with the Rangers , and a third stint with his first World Series team, finally became a reality Thursday when he was re-introduced after finalizing an $8.5 million, one-year contract. “This is obviously a place I wanted to be,” Napoli said. “I knew it was a great opportunity to be able to come back here.” Napoli, who has played in three World Series for three different teams over the past six seasons, will be the primary first baseman and provide a needed big bat in the middle of the Texas lineup. In his first time with the Rangers in 2011 and 2012, Napoli was an AllStar catcher with some
games at first base and designated hitter. There was that experiment with 11 games in left field, a way to keep him in the lineup, when he rejoined them for the last two months of the 2015 season. “I’ve been fortunate enough in my career to be on a lot of winning ballclubs,” Napoli said. “Coming back here is definitely something that I saw was a chance to do that.” Napoli will get a $6 million salary this season from the team that has won the AL West title the past two seasons. The agreement includes an $11 million club option for 2018 with a $2.5 million buyout. “No intro needed,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “Obviously a guy that has been part of some big moments for the Rangers over the years here, and looking forward to some big mo-
Charlie Riedel / Associated Press
Mike Napoli, right, sits next to Texas manager Jeff Banister after being signed as a free-agent to a one-year deal. It’s his third time playing with the Rangers in his career.
ments with him again, and glad to have him back.” In his first season with Texas in 2011, Napoli hit .320 with 30 homers in 113 regular-season games and had 10 RBIs in the World Series against St. Louis. He was the starting catcher for the AL All-Star team in 2012 before going to Boston as a free agent and then that brief return to Texas in 2015. Napoli was part of Boston’s World Series championship in in 2013 and helped the Indians reach Game 7 in his only season with Cleveland last year, when he had career highs with 34
home runs and 101 RBIs. When the Indians signed free-agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion to a $60 million, three-year deal in January, another reunion with Texas became much more viable. The two sides had been talking throughout the offseason about the possibility. “An eternity,” Daniels joked when Napoli was asked how long they had been talking. “Born to be a Ranger.” The 35-year-old Napoli, going into his 12th major league season, is a .252 career hitter with the Los Angeles Angels (2006-10), Texas (2011-12, 2015), Bos-
Chris O'Meara / Associated Press file
Rangers’ Beltre hurt, will miss World Baseball Classic
ton (2013-15) and Cleveland. Manager Jeff Banister plans for Napoli to be his everyday first baseman, with some games as the designated hitter. Mitch Moreland won a Gold Glove as the Rangers’ first baseman last season. He became a free agent and agreed to a $5.5 million, one-year deal with Boston. Despite only having Napoli for the end of the 2015 season, Banister saw the slugger’s relentless pursuit of wanting to win a World Series. “It was an absolute joy to be around him,” Banister said. “Another part
of the glue that puts together, in my mind, when we start thinking about a championship run.” Rangers right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, whose time together with Napoli was also that short stint in 2015, said Thursday that Napoli is “probably the top teammate I’ve had had in my career. “He always plays hard. I enjoy watching him play,” Choo said. “I think especially, young players he’ll help them a lot. ... He’s got so much experience, playing big games, he play in World Series. He can teach young players how to play at this level.”
TEXANS From page B1
regular season, Demps was a pivotal figure for the AFC South champions' top-ranked defense and second-ranked pass defense. "I think we can definitely get better," Demps said. "I think we had a good season. There's definitely some things we can work on and get better at." One of Demps' teammates is set to cash in as a pending unrestricted free agent: cornerback A.J. Bouye. Bouye emerged as a hot commodity in NFL circles as one of the most improved players in the league. He could command anywhere between $12 million to $14 million on the open market. "I think he's in a good position, a great place," Demps said. "I don't think he's dealing with anything negative, I'm sure it's all positive. I'm sure he's excited. I think he worked his butt off for it, so pay the man."
that's with the Texans or another NFL team as he approaches free agency with a positive attitude. No talks have launched with the Texans at this time, but it's early. Free agency doesn't officially start until March 9. "You never know with this league," Demps said during a visit to the Texas Southern University museum along with students from Pro-Vision Academy to take in the traveling Hall of Fame exhibit. "I'm just grateful to be in a good position right now and just kind of hit it up in the offseason and take it one day at a time." Honored by the NFL as the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in December after intercepting four passes and recording 22 tackles, six passes defended and one tackle for a loss over the final four games of the
Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre reported to spring training Friday with a strained left calf muscle that will sideline him about three weeks and keep him out of the opening round of the World Baseball Classic.
SPURS From page B1 LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-
COWBOYS From page B1 Dallas about $5.1 million in cap space, which it could use to plug some holes in its vulnerable defense. Romo, who turns 37 in
ASTROS From page B1 among a handful of veterans the Astros added this offseason to supplement their young and talented core as they try to make a deep postseason run after narrowly missing the playoffs last year. “I want to have the opportunity to play in October, that’s what it’s all about,” said Beltran, who wowed during the postseason in 2004 in his first stint in Houston. “You want to create an environment where you
27. David Robinson 43. George Gervin 48. Dominique Wilkins Among the next 10 who would have been selected include Parker, Manu Ginobili and Dennis Rod-
man. It's an interesting list and one that will likely prompt a lot of debate. Which was probably the reason the story was written in the first place.
April, believes he has two or three more seasons remaining in his battered body, per Werder’s source. He has appeared in just five games since the end of the 2014 season. Romo’s back and twice-fractured collar-
bone are certainly concerns at this stage in his career, though he is undoubtedly the most accomplished free-agent quarterback available. He has thrown for over 34,000 yards and 248 touchdowns since becoming the Cowboys’
starter six games into the 2006 season. Romo will be a prime target for quarterbackstarved franchises like Chicago, Houston and Denver, though other teams will likely emerge in the coming months.
can get to October and once you get to October anything can happen. So I felt like this team was going to give me that opportunity.” Houston acquired Beltran, catcher Brian McCann and outfielders Josh Reddick and Nori Aoki to boost the experience of a team where the majority of the position players are 27 or younger. Regulars include 22-yearolds Correa and third baseman Alex Bregman, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft. “With the core guys that we had with the guys that we added it’s
stacking up to be something pretty fun I would think,” outfielder George Springer said. They players love how the vibe of the team has changed from the painful rebuilding years when the Astros had three straight 100-loss seasons capped in 2013 when they bottomed out with a franchise-worst 111 losses. “I remember when I was first drafted it was like — five years from now and all about the prospects,” right-hander Lance McCullers said. “And now it’s World Series or bust. But that’s where you want to be.”
As the Astros full squad reported for camp on Friday, players still were lamenting a terrible start to last season when they went 7-17. This year, they’re clear that the only acceptable outcome is making the playoffs for the second time in three years. They hope for much more. “The expectations are sky high,” left-hander Dallas Keuchel said. “I think we’re putting that on ourselves and I think the motto is: ‘If you don’t really talk about it, you’re not going to really be about it.’ We’ve got the guys now where we’re in
Jabbar among the top five players in NBA history. Other former Spurs on the list include: 7. Tim Duncan 14. Moses Malone
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle file
Houston strong safety Quintin Demps is heading towards free agency after his best career season. Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye said the Texans need to “pay the man.”
a position to really make some noise.” Manager A.J. Hinch is looking forward to meeting with his entire team for the first time this spring training on Saturday and making sure the guys know what he believes they’re capable of this season. “I’m anxious just to get in front of them and talk about the opportunity that we have and talk about how special that we can make it,” Hinch said. So what other gems of wisdom does the manager plan to bestow on the Astros
“Let’s talk about it tomorrow. ... I’ll probably think about it tonight a little bit,” Hinch said with a grin. NOTES: Correa had his wisdom teeth removed on Thursday and was could be limited in the first couple of days of camp. “I think he had a few toothaches over the last week or so which is why it wasn’t taken care of before,” Hinch said. “He didn’t really have any symptoms until this week. So he may be delayed a little bit in some of the overall activity, but it’s not a long-term issue.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 18, 2017 |
Dear Heloise: Our older dog takes several MEDICATIONS. Giving him the pills in cheese or covered with a little peanut butter worked for a while, but added extra calories he did not really need. My veterinarians said to go ahead and mix the pills into his regular wet food. It saves time, and we have cut down on snacks and treats, which is healthier for him, and my dog doesn't suspect a thing! -- H.M. in California Glad it worked in your home! Our Chammy, the silky wheaten, and Henry VIII, the mini schnauzer (both adoptees), got wise to this trick. I'd watch them work around the pill, or spit it out! -Heloise Heloise CAT'S PLAY Dear Readers: If your
cat insists on unfurling the bathroom tissue (which is funny to watch but annoying to clean up!), here is a hint: Put the roll on so the tissue comes from the bottom, instead of over the top. This SHOULD stop the cat from unrolling the paper ... maybe! -- Heloise DOG CUSHIONS Dear Heloise: We are getting a new patio set, but the chair pads in the old set are in pretty decent shape -- they just faded. I thought that the dogs could use these cushions as beds when out on the patio. The outdoor fabric stands up to the weather, and the cushions are still fluffy. All I had to do was snip off the ties so nobody would get tangled in them. -- Amber P., Fort Wayne, Ind
B3
B4 | Saturday, February 18, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Durant, Westbrook All-Star reunion off to awkward start By Brett Martel ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Mark Wallheiser / Associated Press
Brooke McCarty and Texas have won 19 straight games, moving up to eighth in the national rankings.
Texas on 19-game tear and stampeding toward Big 12 title By Jim Vertuno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN — No. 8 Texas has shaken off earlyseason struggles to look like the team everyone thought they would be. With a 19-game winning streak — the second-longest in the country behind Connecticut’s 100 — and sitting in first place in the Big 12, Texas heads into a critical weekend: The team is on the road Saturday at No. 19 Oklahoma and at home Monday night against No. 4 Baylor. Sweep those games and the Longhorns would clinch at least a share of the program’s first Big 12 championship since winning consecutive titles in 2003 and 2004. Texas coach Karen Aston says she’s trying to keep her players focused on the moment, not the future, even just a few days’ worth. Texas (21-4, 14-0 Big 12) hasn’t won at Oklahoma (20-6, 11-3) since 2010. “Oklahoma doesn’t care what we’ve just done,” Aston said. “That’s the only game that matters.” Now in her fifth season, Aston is lacking Big 12 titles but has pushed the program back among the nation’s elite. Her teams have won at least 20 games four consecutive seasons and steadily advanced further in the NCAA Tournament each year. In 2015, Texas lost to Connecticut in the Sweet 16. The Longhorns made the regional final last season, only to get bounced by UConn again. After winning 31 games
last season, Texas opened this season ranked in the top 10 but an inexperienced lineup took some lumps early as the Longhorns were slow out of the gate. In a front-loaded schedule, Texas lost four of its first six games to No. 1 UConn, No. 3 Mississippi State, No. 6 South Carolina and No. 10 Stanford. Three of those came on the road. “I don’t really like losing, but the schedule ended up making us tougher, it exposed our weaknesses pretty quick,” Aston said. “It was a matter of getting experience, learning how to practice, learning how to play. We just weren’t prepared. I knew that the minute we started practice in October.” Aston didn’t push the panic button and neither did her players, who eventually settled in and starting winning. And the Longhorns are only getting sharper as the postseason nears. Texas earned a huge road win at No. 4 Baylor. The Longhorns dominated for three quarters then held off a furious late rally. A week later, they beat No. 7 Florida State in overtime in Tallahassee. Junior point guard Brooke McCarty scored 29 points and played all 50 minutes against the Seminoles. A win in Norman would set up a huge home-court clash with Baylor on Monday night. Lose either, or both, and the conference race is thrown wide open. “It’s been fun,” senior guard Brianna Taylor said. “We haven’t been in this position in quite a few years.”
NEW ORLEANS — Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant had plenty to say at their first AllStar appearance. Just not about one another. Reunited on the Western Conference All-Star team, the former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates — until Durant left for Golden State last summer — will have to practice together on Saturday and play together on Sunday. If either of them expects it to be awkward — particularly after the way they jawed at one another in a recent regular season game — they weren’t discussing it on Friday. Westbrook smirked and responded to questions about any potential awkward interaction with Durant and or the other Warriors with thoughts on New York City’s Fashion Week. “Man, you know what? Fashion week has been great. You seen fashion week? You been paying attention to fashion week?” Westbrook responded to a question about Durant. “Man. There’s a lot of greatlooking things at fashion week, man. I’m looking forward to new collections. It’s been good, man.” Two questions later came this gem from Westbrook: “Man, you see the new Public School clothing?
Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press file
Back on the same team for one night at Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant avoided discussions of their reunion Friday.
Crazy, dog. They got like the new Jordan hoodie. ... It’s crazy man. A lot of new, great things at fashion week I’ve seen, man. “What other designers? Gucci? The new Gucci stuff is dope. Good stuff, man.” Later came another, more general question about playing with four members of Golden State on the West team, and Westbrook shot back: “What’s your favorite fashion brand? What you like?” For his part, Durant was curt, or vague or sometimes critical of the media for obsessing over things that aren’t important, not to him anyway. Durant used a total of five words to respond to his first question about the opportunity to play
with Westbrook again: “I’m excited to be here.” Later, Durant said more directly, “I don’t want to talk about it.” At other times, Durant became philosophical, minimizing the significance of contract talks, trades or when stars change teams. “It’s not real-life problems,” Durant said, so he prefers to “just block it out.” He added: “Stuff you guys may think is important, I don’t really think is important at all, so when I look at it that way, it’s pretty easy to me.” Ultimately, which five players are on the court at any given time will be up to West coach Steve Kerr .
So far, Kerr has been coy about how he’ll handle his rotations. Of course, the coach used to work in TV, so he knows as well as anyone how to maintain intrigue. “The only thing I want is for our players to enjoy the weekend,” Kerr said. “It’s a hectic weekend for all of them. It’s a great honor to be here. I want everybody to be comfortable and happy. This should be an enjoyable time. So I don’t want anybody to feel uncomfortable. “I’m just going to try to create a very comfortable environment for the players and hope that everyone just relaxes and enjoys themselves — and I’m pretty confident that they will.”
NBA warns Texas over ‘bathroom bill’ Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA have warned that Texas could be overlooked for future events because of a proposed “bathroom bill” targeting transgender people. Sunday’s NBA All-Star already moved from Charlotte to New Orleans over a similar bill. Chris Carlson / Associated Press file
USADA clears "Cyborg" Justino of potential doping violation By Greg Beacham A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency cleared featherweight Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino of a potential policy violation Friday, ending her provisional suspension and allowing her to resume her UFC career. USADA, which administers the UFC’s doping policy, granted a retroactive therapeutic use exemption to Justino for a diuretic commonly used as a masking agent for steroids. Justino failed a doping test in December, but claimed the result was caused by a prescribed medication for an endocrine disorder. After interviewing the fighter and her medical team, USADA accepted her explanation and granted retroactive permission to use the substance, which means she won’t be punished further. Her representatives had claimed Justino took the substance to recover from a difficult weight cut. “The application for a TUE was granted because the athlete had an unequivocally diagnosed chronic medical condition for which the use of Spironolactone is the appropriate standard of care,” USADA announced in a statement. Justino (17-1) is considered the
Eraldo Peres / Associated Press file
Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino has been cleared by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency of a potential policy violation, ending her suspension.
world’s top 145-pounder and likely the best pound-for-pound female fighter. After Justino flirted with the possibility of a 135-pound fight with former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey for several years, the UFC created a 145-pound featherweight division last year largely to showcase her. Justino fought twice in her UFC debut last year, stopping two opponents at a 140-pound catch weight. She was expected to compete in the first 145-
pound title fight this winter, but she declined the fight, citing the strain of her previous weight cut to face Lina Landsberg in September. Instead, Germaine De Randamie beat Holly Holm by decision last weekend to become the UFC’s first 145-pound women’s champion. “I am extremely happy that USADA took the time to carefully review the detailed TUE application that I submitted, and agreed that my use of the
prescription has always been medically justified,” Justino said in a statement posted on her Facebook page. “I look forward to returning to the octagon as soon as possible, and proving that I am the Pound for Pound champion of (women’s MMA). I would also like to thank my fans for their continued support, who made a very difficult time easier for me.” Justino’s troubles last year resulted in the second doping
suspension of her career. She also tested positive for a steroid while fighting in the Strikeforce promotion in late 2011. Justino would seem to be the next logical challenger for De Randamie’s belt in the thin featherweight division, but De Randamie suggested earlier this week that she will need surgery on her injured hand before she returns to the cage. The Dutch kickboxer also said she would first prefer to give a rematch to Holm. The former bantamweight champion has appealed the result of her loss to the New York State Athletic Commission, claiming referee Todd Anderson should have taken points from De Randamie for punches thrown after the bell in two rounds. “I believe if Holly feels that the (lack of) point deductions are the reasons she lost the fight, and she’s looking for a no-contest or a draw, she should simply accept the offer that I put out to her to have a rematch,” De Randamie said. “I believe I was the fair winner. I believe I had the better shots. I believe I was the better fighter, and I dominated the standup. I believe Holly is sad that she lost the fight. ... Holly is entitled to feel and do whatever she wants to do, and I respect that. I feel justice will serve.”