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ZAPATA COUNTY
Child takes pocket knife to school Student under the age of 10 disciplined as per ZISD’s Student Code of Conduct By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
A child recently took a pocket knife to a school in Zapata County, officials confirmed.
Zapata County Independent School District said in a statement that a student under the age of 10 was found last week in possession of a small pocket knife under 1-1/2 inches in
length. Rogelio N. Gonzalez, ZCISD director of student services and public relations, said administration immediately confiscated the item and disciplined the
student as per the district’s Student Code of Conduct. “This matter was an isolated occurrence where no students were hurt. (We) will ensure that all students of the district continue their education in a safe and comfortable learning environment,” the statement reads. Campus administration notified the parents of the student found in possession of the pock-
SEVERE WEATHER
et knife as well as the parents of the students who saw the student holding the knife, according to Gonzalez. “We are deeply saddened by the recent tragedy in Florida. Our thoughts are with the families of Parkland. Tragedies such as this one remind us all about the importance of training, preparation and continuous Knife continues on A12
NAFTA
STORMS BRING FLOODING, FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Energy plants are shown along the United States/Mexico border on Friday in El Paso, Texas.
Energy trade boosts economies and security By Jack N. Gerard TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
said. The three men and one woman killed were from Colorado, authorities said. Roads were icy and snowy after the storm system passed through overnight. The Kansas Highway Patrol said a 38-year-old woman died and two other people were injured in a collision on an icy highway late Monday. In Minnesota, state police say winter weather has contributed to 400 crashes and 250 spinouts, including two fatal accidents. As much as a half-foot of snow is expected in some areas.
WASHINGTON — The job-creating, economyboosting resurgence in U.S. natural gas and oil production shows no signs of slowing down. The latest projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show domestic oil production is expected to reach a new high of 10.6 million barrels per day this year, on its way to nearly 12 million barrels per day by 2040. The United States is projected to become a net exporter of oil and natural gas combined by 2023. The positive impact of American energy abundance is wide-ranging. As The New York Times reports: "The results go far beyond the economic, offering Washington strategic weapons once unthinkable. The United States and its allies now have a supply cushion at a time when political turmoil in Venezuela, Libya and Nigeria is threatening to interrupt flows to markets." Overseas disruptions once sent gasoline prices soaring, but that supply cushion provides what we call energy security. And our energy trade with Canada and Mexico further strengthens that security. Trade partnerships supported by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provide for a stable source of energy to supplement our own strong production. As the world’s leading natural gas and oil producer, we’re importing less and less. And the more of that "less and less" we can source from reliable neighbors in our own continental backyard, the greater our energy security. In fact, projections show North America could be selfsufficient in terms of liquid fuels as soon as 2020. Just as important are the economic benefits
Weather continues on A12
NAFTA continues on A10
Mike De Sisti / AP
Vehicles travel through standing water on a street Tuesday. A storm system stretched from Texas to the Great Lakes states and forced some schools to close. The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories for parts of the Midwest. Flood warnings were in effect in in Texas and Arkansas.
System blamed for fatal crashes in three states A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
A storm system that’s brought rain, ice and snow to the Midwest and Great Plains was being blamed for fatal crashes in three states, including an accident that left four dead in Nebraska.
The storm system stretched from Texas to the Great Lakes states and forced some schools to close. The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories for parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Flood warnings were in effect in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan with flood watches in Texas and Arkansas. Speed and slippery pavement caused a Tuesday morning crash between a pickup truck and a semitrailer that killed four people on Interstate 80 in eastern Nebraska, police
IMMIGRATION REFORM
Plans stuck in Congress as deadline looms Clock ticks toward expiration of DACA program and recipients face deportation By Sahil Kapur and Laura Litvan B L OOMBE RG NEWS
The anticlimactic failure of U.S. immigration legislation last week sent
senators scrambling for fallback options to avoid the deportation of young people who arrived in the country as children. But between upcoming fiscal deadlines, congres-
sional election campaigns and a stubborn stalemate over legal immigration restrictions, none of the plans put forward so far are enticDACA continues on A10
Elizabeth Conley / Houston Chronicle
Austin High School students hold signs on the pedistrian bridge near the school protesting the ICE detention of Dennis Rivera, a student from their school on Wednesday, Feb. 14 in Houston.
In Brief A2 | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
THURSDAY, FEB. 22 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society meeting. 3 to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speaker topic: San Ygnacio and the River Pierce Foundation, Melita Rodriguez. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Spanish Book Club. 6 to 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, conference room. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, MARCH 3 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Alex Van der Zwaan exits Federal Court in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. Van der Zwaan was charged on February 16 with making false statements to federal authorities.
ATTORNEY ADMITS HE LIED TO AGENTS WASHINGTON — An attorney linked to a former Trump campaign official admitted Tuesday he lied to federal investigators working for special counsel Robert Mueller. Alex van der Zwaan, who worked at the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom until he was fired last year, appeared at the federal courthouse in Washington where he formally pleaded guilty to a single charge of making false statements. The charge does not involve election meddling or relate to the Trump cam-
Teen shot five times protecting classmates from gunfire PARKLAND, Fla. — A 15year-old student who was shot five times during last week’s massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is credited with saving the lives of at least 20 other students. A fundraising site says Anthony Borges was shot in both legs and his back while at-
paign’s operations. It stems from a part of the special counsel’s investigation into Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chair, and Rick Gates, a former campaign aide and longtime business associate of Manafort. Manafort and Gates are accused of directing a covert Washington lobbying campaign on behalf of pro-Russian Ukrainian interests. The lobbying effort was part of political consulting work that Manafort and Gates carried out before they joined the Trump campaign. — Compiled from AP reports
tempting to close and lock a classroom door last Wednesday. Seventeen people were killed. Borges’ friend Carlos Rodriguez told ABC that the two rushed to hide in a nearby classroom when they first heard gunshots. He says no one knew what to do, but that Borges “took the initiative to just save his other classmates.” Borges’ father Royer Borges says his son called him while lying on the ground after being shot. The father asked him to stay on the line, but at one point, he couldn’t hear the
teenager’s voice anymore. “He told me later ‘I had to drop the phone because I thought he was coming in and I wanted to pretend I was asleep so he wouldn’t continue shooting,” Borges told CNN’s Spanish language service. Anthony Borges and his family are originally from Venezuela. His father says the boy is well-known among local sports clubs for his soccer skills, playing forward and training with Barcelona’s youth academy near Fort Lauderdale. — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, APRIL 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Habitat for Humanity Laredo major fundraiser Golfing For Roofs golf tournament. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Hole sponsorships are title $10,000, platinum $5,000, diamond $2,500, gold $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze. For information, call 724-3227.
SATURDAY, MAY 5 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, JULY 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, AUG. 4 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Submit calendar items by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location, purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
AROUND THE WORLD Bombing of Damascus suburbs kill more than 100 BEIRUT — Government forces bombed the northeastern suburbs of the Syrian capital for a second straight day on Tuesday, killing more than 100 people and raising the specter of a full-scale offensive that could spell catastrophe for the nearly 400,000 residents trapped under siege. Rescuers raced to reach survivors in the devastated Damascus suburbs known as eastern Ghouta as warplanes and helicopter gunships circled overhead, bombing hospitals, apartment blocks, markets and other civilian targets. The suburbs are the last major stronghold for rebels in the capital region. At least 250 civilians were killed during the 48 hours of unrelenting onslaught that began Monday, including 58 children, according to the Syri-
Hamza Al-Ajweh / AFP/Getty Images
A wounded Syrian receives first aid treatment following air strikes by regime forces on the besieged Eastern Ghouta region.
an Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. Another 1,000 people were wounded, it said. “We no longer have the words to describe children’s suffering and our outrage,” the U.N. children’s agency said in a terse statement about the carnage. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appeared to
endorse the unrestrained assault, which he said was backed by the Russian air force. “In keeping with the existing agreements, the fight against terrorism cannot be restricted by anything,” he said. Russia has been an unwavering ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE STATE Abbott won’t say if he voted for GOP incumbents AUSTIN — Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has refused to say if he voted for other statewide officeholders from his own party in the Texas primary. Abbott spoke to reporters Tuesday, after casting his ballot as early voting opened ahead Election Day on March 6. He wouldn’t admit supporting incumbents facing primary
challengers, including Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Abbott was also mum on state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has been indicted on felony securities fraud charges but doesn’t have a primary challenger. Abbott said the “ballot is secret. It will remain secret.”
Aging docks pose threat to Galveston waterfront
Today is Wednesday, Feb. 21, the 52nd day of 2018. There are 313 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 21, 1965, black Muslim leader and civil rights activist Malcolm X, 39, was shot to death inside Harlem's Audubon Ballroom in New York by assassins identified as members of the Nation of Islam. On this date: In 1885, the Washington Monument was dedicated. In 1916, the World War I Battle of Verdun began in France as German forces attacked; the French were able to prevail after 10 months of fighting. In 1945, during the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima, the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea was sunk by kamikazes with the loss of 318 men. In 1947, inventor Edwin H. Land publicly demonstrated his Polaroid Land camera, which used self-developing film to produce a black & white photograph in 60 seconds. In 1958, the USS Gudgeon (SS-567) became the first American submarine to complete a round-the-world cruise, eight months after departing from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon began his historic visit to China as he and his wife, Pat, arrived in Beijing. In 1975, former Attorney General John N. Mitchell and former White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman were sentenced to 2 1/2 to 8 years in prison for their roles in the Watergate cover-up (each ended up serving a year and a-half). In 1986, Larry Wu-tai Chin, the first American found guilty of spying for China, killed himself in his Virginia jail cell. In 1992, Kristi Yamaguchi of the United States won the gold medal in ladies' figure skating at the Albertville Olympics; Midori Ito of Japan won the silver, Nancy Kerrigan of the U.S., the bronze. Ten years ago: Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade and set fire to an office during protests against Western support for an independent Kosovo. President George W. Bush concluded his six-day African tour in Liberia, where he offered help to lift the country from years of ruinous fighting. A Venezuelan plane crashed in the Andes, killing all 46 on board. Author Robin Moore, who wrote "The French Connection" and "The Green Berets," died in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, at age 82. Former Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham, who was removed in a 1988 impeachment trial, died in Phoenix at age 83. Five years ago: Drew Peterson, the Chicago-area police officer who gained notoriety after his muchyounger fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, vanished in 2007, was sentenced to 38 years in prison for murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio. One year ago: President Donald Trump condemned recent threats against Jewish community centers in the U.S. as "painful reminders" of lingering prejudice and evil; the president also denounced "bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all of its very ugly forms" during his first visit to the new Smithsonian black history museum. Conservative writer Milo Yiannopoulos resigned as an editor for Breitbart News, apologizing for comments he'd made in video clips in which he appeared to defend sexual relationships between men and boys as young as 13. Today's Birthdays: Former Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is 94. Fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy is 91. Movie director Bob Rafelson is 85. Actor Gary Lockwood is 81. Actordirector Richard Beymer is 79. Actor Peter McEnery is 78. U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., is 78. Film/music company executive David Geffen is 75. Actress Tyne Daly is 72. Actor Anthony Daniels is 72. Tricia Nixon Cox is 72. Former Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, RMaine, is 71. Rock musician Jerry Harrison (The Heads) is 69. Actress Christine Ebersole is 65. Actor William Petersen is 65. Actor Kelsey Grammer is 63. Country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter is 60. Actor Kim Coates is 60. Actor Jack Coleman is 60. Actor Christopher Atkins is 57. Rock singer Ranking Roger is 57. Actor William Baldwin is 55. Rock musician Michael Ward is 51. Actress Aunjanue Ellis is 49. Blues musician Corey Harris is 49. Country singer Eric Heatherly is 48. Rock musician Eric Wilson is 48. Rock musician Tad Kinchla (Blues Traveler) is 45. Singer Rhiannon Giddens (Carolina Chocolate Drops) is 41. Actor Tituss Burgess is 39. Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is 39. Comedian-actor Jordan Peele is 39. Actor Brendan Sexton III is 38. Singer Charlotte Church is 32. Thought for Today : "In scandal, as in robbery, the receiver is always as bad as the thief." — Lord Chesterfield, English author and statesman (16941773).
CONTACT US GALVESTON — Port officials say that dilapidated facilities are the most pressing threat to Galveston’s public docks and could require as much as $250 million to fix. The Galveston County Daily News reports that some tenants want to increase operations, but the cash-strapped docks have to address ongoing infrastructure problems before any expansion. The port director says they are looking at about $250 million to fix the docks. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 |
A3
STATE
The Lone Star long shot By Michael Tackett and Tamir Kalifa N EW YORK T I ME S
BEAUMONT — Operating on two hours’ sleep, Beto O’Rourke was 20 hours into his day and looked it. His white shirt and gray slacks were an accordion of wrinkles. His hair, flecked with gray, drooped on his forehead and small dark rings had formed under his eyes. But he hadn’t lost his voice. The Democratic congressman from El Paso was speaking to a crowd of several hundred at Suga’s restaurant, 830 miles from home, trying to make an improbable case: that he can defeat Texas’s incumbent Republican senator, Ted Cruz. Democrats need to pick up two seats in the midterm elections to win control of the Senate, but they also must defend incumbents in 10 states that President Donald Trump won. Cruz is seen as safer than, say, Dean Heller, Nevada’s Republican senator, or the seats in Arizona and Tennessee that are being vacated by incumbents. And with Democratic money playing defense for incumbents in Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia and elsewhere, O’Rourke expects no cavalry from Washington to come help him. But Democrats will need wins wherever they can get them — so the long-shot is going it alone. O’Rourke told the crowd at Suga’s that the young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children should be protected. No wall should be built on the border with a friendly country. College must be more affordable. Women deserve access to reproductive health services. All Muslims should not be banned, and the press is
not the enemy of the people. He appealed to their sense of virtue. “This smallness, this bigotry, this paranoia, this anxiety,” he said, cadence accelerating, “we’ve got to be for the big, aspirational, ambitious things.” He appealed to their sense of humor. “There’s a reason that Congress has an approval rating of around 9 percent. Nine percent! Communism 10 percent. Gonorrhea 8 percent. We’re right in the middle.” And he appealed to their anger at Washington. The “system is rigged,” he said, adding, “I can tell you that access is purchased, that votes are bought and paid for, that outcomes are determined before you have a chance to call your member of Congress or senator.” The crowd cheered, they hooted, they left saying things like “he was great” and “I’m in.” Before Beaumont, O’Rourke spoke to town halls this month in Lufkin and Woodville, deeply conservative places where Democrats are rarely seen. “It takes guts to come to this area,” one woman in Woodville said. The man who introduced him in Lufkin had just one request, that he refrain from swearing, an admonition that O’Rourke heeded in Lufkin, but not in Beaumont. O’Rourke is favored to win his party primary next month and challenge Cruz. But his odds in November are beyond long. No Democrat has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, the year before Amazon sold its first book. By the calculations of Mike Baselice, a Republican pollster in Austin, demographic changes might make Texas competitive in 2032, certainly
not in 2018. O’Rourke’s quest, he said, is “same book, different chapter” of other Democratic hopefuls. “This is not a level playing field here.” It has been so bleak for Democrats in Texas that they define victory in terms of the size of their losses. A running joke in O’Rourke’s speeches is that he has almost convinced his mother, Melissa, a Republican, to vote for him. If the hill weren’t steep enough, O’Rourke also has refused to hire outside consultants or pollsters, and he will accept contributions only from individuals. He has no interest in using big data. When he tells this to Democratic colleagues in the House, some have simply turned and walked away from him, unable to take him seriously. But there is power in the giant-killer narrative and signs that his anticampaign playbook campaign is working. He raised $2.4 million in the last quarter, and gets applause when he notes that was $500,000 more than Cruz took in. He has a restless energy that has put him in 217 of Texas’s 254 counties, driving tens of thousands of miles, fueled by bad coffee and Hostess cupcakes that supporters bring him. In Lufkin, he was greeted with chants of “Beto, Beto, Beto.” His campaign took in $1,258 in checks and cash dropped into a large jar. “I think he can win. I think he can inspire Texans,” said Susan McCulley, adding, “we’re not just mad, we’re scared.” Another supporter, Ferryn Martin, said, “In 2010, the Tea Party was mad. This year, we are mad.” O’Rourke tries to tap into that emotion. He livestreams almost every
aspect of his campaign — the coffees, the town halls, “bowling with Beto,” stops at Whataburger, the drives between stops, which often include calls to voters and activists and from his wife, Amy. Driving with his left forearm and right elbow on the steering wheel, he asked her about the science fair projects of their three children. His theory of the case is that he can make the sale in rural Texas in part simply by showing up. If he can cut down Cruz’s margins there and generate energy in urban precincts and suburbs, he can become the first Democrat since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988 to win a Texas Senate seat. Democrats in Texas have long been saying that the demographic changes sweeping the state, fueled by a surge in the Latino population, would eventu-
William Luther / San Antonio Express-News
Congressman Beto O'Rourke conducts a town hall meeting at the Ella Austin Community Center on San Antonio's east side. O'Rourke is seeking the Democratic primary nomination to run against current U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.
ally make the state twoparty competitive, but even some of the more optimistic forecasts don’t have that happening until 2024. Still, there are other factors at work that add to their hopes. The number of college-educated residents in the state increased by 20 percent from 2006 to 2016, according to Lloyd Potter, the Texas state demographer. Rural areas are losing population while urban and suburban areas are gaining. “If one was able to figure out how to turn out the Latino vote and the African-American vote,
that could change things pretty dramatically,” Potter said. “The issue is how far-off in the horizon it is.” But Trump, who carried by stated by 9 percentage points, is complicating conventional analysis. “All things being equal, if there wasn’t a Trump, it would be in the mid-2020s until the state would get competitive,” said Russ Tidwell, a Democratic consultant who has worked in the state for decades. “But Trump makes other things possible.” And O’Rourke’s campaign is all about a sense of the possible.
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A4 | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
The name Nancy Pelosi has trouble saying By Ken Herman COX N EWSPAPE RS
U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi dropped by the Austin American-Statesman Monday and generously gave us more than an hour of her time to talk about the issues of the day, both legislative and political. She opened by noting it was Presidents Day, which indeed it was. About 40 minutes later, it struck me that Pelosi, in town as part of a Texas swing to rally the Democratic troops for this year’s elections, seemed to have trouble saying the name of our current president. This revelation occurred to me as Pelosi, D-Liberalville, was answering a question from my colleague Jonathan Tilove. “So here’s the thing,” she said. “I wish the election were today because we would win today.” Then she talked a little more and then she pinpointed her cause for optimism. “When number 45 became president of the United States ...,” she said just before I interrupted her. “You really don’t like to say Trump. I’m getting a pattern here,” I said. (I’m pretty good about being quick to detect patterns. For example, I’m starting to think our current president is a tad different.) Pelosi assured me she had no trouble with saying Trump. No, she said, she has no trouble with that. “It’s to say President and Trump in the same” breath that’s the problem, she said. The ex-speaker speaks for much of a concerned nation. Sensing an outcry for help, I staged a onecolumnist intervention to help Pelosi say the words she has trouble saying: “Come on, try it. It’ll be OK.” And she did and it was, though she quickly fell back into the previous pattern. Some habits are difficult to break. Some you don’t want to break. “When President Trump became president ...,” she said in prefacing her next line of thought. “As I said, I’m a respectful person. More respectful of this office than he is. And, by the way, you know who tells us every day that he should not be president? You know who tells us every single day, who knows better than anyone that Trump should not be president?” Pelosi then answered her own question: “Fortyfive,” she said, referring to the number our 45th president has monogrammed on the cuffs of some of his shirts. “Every day. Right? More than once a day sometimes. Tweet city.” Earlier in the visit to the paper, Pelosi, with disdain, told of the first thing
Trump said to her and other congressional leaders during their first meeting after he became president. “We’re sitting at the table, and where will he begin? Will he quote our founders? Will he quote the Bible? (Tell us) what inspiration he has had?” Pelosi recalled. Nope, she said. He went with what you’d expect him to: “You know I won the popular vote.” (Fact check: Hillary Clinton won 65,853,516 votes -- 48.2 percent -compared with Trump’s 62,984,825 votes -- 46.1 percent, according to the official results compiled by the Federal Election Commission and released Jan. 30, 2017. Fiction check: Trump claims millions of people voted illegally. There’s no evidence of that.) Also during the Monday session, Pelosi told me I’m dead wrong about my theory that lots of congressional Republicans, while publicly backing Trump, privately think he’s something of an oddball, possibly a dangerously odd ball. “They love him,” she said. “He’s their guy.” She said my question was one she gets on daily basis. She resorted to a dramatic whisper to make her point: “When are Republicans going to” acknowledge the weirdness of Trump? “Never,” Pelosi said in a barely audible whisper. She said she thought about Trump the other night when a certain song came on in a Houston restaurant. Again speaking for a nation, she noted how Trump that day had claimed personal exoneration in the federal indictments alleging Russian meddling in his improbable 2016 election victory. “It’s not about you,” Pelosi recalled thinking. “You’re the president of the United States. You’re the commander in chief. An assault has been made on our country. It’s not about you. It’s about the United States of America.” That was in her mind when that certain song came on in that Houston restaurant, reminding us that God sometimes speaks to us via background music and Carly Simon. “They had this song on just as he was saying that,” Pelosi said, leading into the lyrics. “’You’re so vain. I guess you think this song is about you.’” “It’s not about you,” Pelosi repeated. “It’s about you a little bit. Well, we’ll see if it’s about you.” And for Democrats this year, it is all about him, she said. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.
COLUMN
Dems need to start a real fight on guns By Francis Wilkinson BL OOMBERG VIEW
Perhaps last week’s gun massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, will turn the red tide. The kids seem to be taking matters in their own trembling hands, planning a gun-violence march and calling out the politicians, including Florida Governor Rick Scott and the president whose election benefited from $30 million in National Rifle Association spending (that we know of), neither of whom has exhibited, in his official capacities, much discomfort about the ease with which unstable men acquire arsenals. During his tenure, Scott signed a few of the gunnut bills that form the stations of the NRA cross, including an unconstitutional abomination preventing physicians from discussing firearms with patients, effectively killing the First Amendment in order to sanctify the Second. With high schoolers on the march, he’s suddenly expressing concern about the nexus of guns and mental health. That’s largely a dodge, a way to deflect attention from the material and regulation-responsive world of guns to the ephemeral and difficultto-regulate realm of the mind. But if the kids keep up the pressure, perhaps we’ll see some genuine adaptation from the political species. While the kids, eloquent and impassioned, have put the pols on the defensive, they can’t command the spotlight forever. They have trauma to overcome and lives to reclaim. Taking their pain and outrage, and channeling it into a productive public policy outcome, is a job for a movement, and a decent political party to realize the movement’s goals. The movement exists. Three of today’s leading
gun regulation groups, Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense (both supported by Bloomberg LP founder Michael Bloomberg) and the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence were started in the 21st century. The advocacy infrastructure was ready to seize the moment created by the Parkland high schoolers. As for a political party, only one major party declines to play Igor to the NRA’s Frankenstein, only one objects to enabling any random fool with an itch to carry militarygrade firearms. Yet not all Democrats seem to grasp the moment as clearly as the gun regulation advocates do. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, a state that in recent years has made great strides in regulating guns, previously proposed a ban on assault weapons. Now she has also proposed raising the age at which an American can purchase a semi-automatic rifle to 21. (The Parkland shooter, 19 and a known threat, was free to buy an AR-15 in Florida.) The time for such incrementalism, itself a product of residual fear of the gun lobby and election defeats past, is gone. Democrats need to aim much higher. Guns are a wholly partisan issue now. The NRA has deployed its resources to defeat even gun-compliant Democrats, such as former Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas. The organization is not merely a gun lobby. It’s a reactionary organization steeped in racial identity politics and violent rhetoric. (Its next step may be more paramilitary than political.) There is no decent way to accommodate that threat. Democrats must confront it. While guns-everywhere-for-anybody has largely been the trend in red states, blue states from Hawaii to Connecticut
have been moving in the opposite direction. As a result, Democrats have ready, off-the-shelf solutions at hand. They should start promoting them at the national level without apology or delay. Take Hawaii. It requires firearms purchasers to obtain a license and requires almost all guns to be registered. Instead of treating guns like toys, the state treats them like cars - and presumes that operating them requires a modest degree of responsibility. The NRA calls these policies tyranny, but it’s doubtful many Americans will concur with the view that Hawaii is a gulag. In California, every gun sale requires a background check processed through a licensed dealer. In addition, family members or authorities can obtain a court order to restrict a dangerous person’s legal access to guns. In 2016, voters in the state approved reforms including point-of-sale background check on ammunition purchases - the first in the nation. Connecticut has many similar laws - including a two-week waiting period on long-gun sales from dealers and the required reporting of prohibited individuals to the background-check database. These laws are constitutional. And while they are sometimes undermined by the guns-everywhere laws of other states - California is next to lackadaisical Arizona; Connecticut is up the interstate from Rick Scott’s slapdash Florida - they are making it harder for criminals and the unstable to obtain lethal firepower. Yet even as such policies advance in many states, discussion of them is largely absent at the federal level. Democrats in Congress must become much more outspoken and ambitious. That may seem ridiculous given that Congress failed even to
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
adopt a universal background check law (one with its own private sale loophole) after the Sandy Hook massacre. But incrementalism has been both ineffective as policy and as politics. Does anyone really believe that raising the age at which a disturbed youth can purchase an AR-15 from 18 to 21 will have a serious effect on gun violence? Or on motivating someone to vote? Such quarter measures merely inspire cynicism and hopelessness about vanquishing the threat and turning back the fanatics. Cynicism, as Alec MacGillis points out, has its own high cost. Apathy is a bigger political threat to Democrats right now than being labeled "gun grabbers" by the NRA. Republicans will no doubt continue to enjoy the good graces of the NRA by elevating the rights to possess lethal firepower by random men of no particular qualifications above the rights of others to life. But in many of the suburban House districts that will be pivotal in November’s midterm election, Republicans’ continued capitulation to gun nuttery could prove costly. Support for stricter gun laws has been rising steadily. Support for less strict laws is almost nonexistent. To make Republicans pay for their devotion to the NRA, Democrats will have to make guns a bigger issue. To make it an effective issue, they will have to offer a vision of something better than continued acquiescence to the homicidal fantasies of every unhinged man in America. Federal gun laws are the product of fanaticism and cowardice. To combat the former, Democrats will have to free themselves of the latter. Francis Wilkinson is a columnist for Bloomberg View.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 |
A5
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AUSTIN — The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, in a rare decision, unanimously recommended Tuesday that the death sentence of convicted killer Thomas “Bart” Whitaker be commuted. Whitaker is scheduled for lethal injection Thursday for masterminding the fatal shootings of his mother and brother at their suburban Houston home in 2003. Whitaker’s father, Kent, also was shot in the attack but survived. He said he wants his 38-year-old son to live. The recommendation from the seven-member panel goes to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who can accept it or reject it. The governor appoints the parole board. It’s only the fourth time since the state resumed executions in 1982 that the parole board has recommended clemency within days of an inmate’s scheduled execution. In two of those cases, then-Gov. Rick Perry rejected the board’s recommendation and those prisoners are among the 548 executed in Texas, more than any other state. David Gutierrez, the parole board’s presiding officer, said the panel recommended the governor commute Whitaker’s sentence “to a lesser penalty.” Jurors who convicted him and sentenced him to death in 2007 had only one other option, life imprisonment. In the clemency petition, Whitaker’s attorneys said his execution would “permanently compound” his father’s suffering and grief, and compared the case to the
unique situation.” Evidence showed the murder plot included two of Whitaker’s friends and was at least Whitaker’s third attempt to kill his family. The shooting was made to look like an interrupted burglary at the family’s home in Sugar Land, southwest of Houston, and Bart Whitaker was shot in the arm to draw attention away from him. About six months after the shootings, he disappeared. A year later, he was apprehended in Mexico. The gunman, Chris Brashear, pleaded guilty in 2007 to a murder charge and was sentenced to life in prison. Another man, Steve Champagne, who drove Brashear from the Whitaker house the night of the shootings, took a 15-year prison term in exchange for testifying at Whitaker’s trial. In 2007, death row inmate Kenneth Foster was spared and his sentence commuted to life. The board had voted 6-1 in favor of a commutation. Perry said Foster and a co-defendant in a fatal robbery in San Antonio should not have been tried together for capital murder. Foster was the getaway driver in the slaying and both he and a partner received death sentences. His co-defendant was executed. In 2004, Perry overruled the parole board’s 5-1 vote favoring clemency and convicted killer Kelsey Patterson was executed. He took the same action in 2009 in the case of death row inmate Robert Lee Thompson, who was executed despite a favorable a 5-2 ruling from the board.
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biblical story of Cain and Abel, where God sent Cain to “restlessly wander” after killing his brother. Kent Whitaker has said he’s seen “too much killing already,” has forgiven his son and believes his son is a changed person. Whitaker, his son’s attorney and supporters awaited the decision in a conference room in the Texas Capitol. As lawyer Keith Hampton read the outcome, Whitaker covered his face with his hand and wept softly. After about 15 seconds, he looked at Hampton and murmured, “Thank you.” “I never, ever believed that we were going to get a unanimous decision in favor,” he said as he and Hampton headed immediately across the building to Abbott’s ceremonial office — even though the governor wasn’t there — to plead with the governor that he honor the board’s recommendation. “The best we were hoping was a 4-3,” he said. “This is beyond amazing. I can’t tell you.” At his trial, Bart Whitaker said he took “100 percent” responsibility for planning and carrying out the killings. Prosecutors said he hated his parents and hoped to collect an inheritance. “I think it’s the wrong decision and clearly the wrong decision,” said Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey, whose office prosecuted Whitaker and convinced a jury to convict him and send him to death row. He said Tuesday that he didn’t know if he could speak with Abbott before the governor made a decision. “I don’t know if that’s part of the allowed protocol,” Healey said. “It’s a
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Frontera A6 | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Día de Aprecio a Adulto Mayor 1 Acompañe a celebrar y mostrar su aprecio por los Adultos Mayores y Winter Texans que serán honrados por sus logros y por lo que siguen haciendo a favor de su comunidad el jueves 22 de febrero de 12 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Zapata Community Center, ubicado 605 N. US 83. Habrá comida, premios, baile y entretenimiento en vivo con la presencia de Terry Porter Roewe y Jeanette Silva.
Talento musical 1 Show de talento musical en su 14 ava edición, el jueves 22 de febrero, de 6 p.m. a 9 p.m. en 2031 North U.S. Highway 83, en Roma.
Concierto 1 El Mariachi del distrito escolar Roma Independent School District invita a su concierto el domingo 25 de febrero en Roma ISD Performing Arts Center, ubicado en 2031 North U.S. Highway 83. Admisión general 7 dólares por persona. Cupo limitado.
ZCISD
MÉXICO
Navaja en escuela
Arrestan a sobrino de Osiel Cárdenas
Encuentran a estudiante en posesión de arma Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Un niño recientemente llevó una navaja de bolsillo a una escuela del Condado de Zapata, confirmaron oficiales. El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Zapata dijo en una declaración que un estudiante de menos de 10 años de edad fue encontrado la semana pasada en posesión de una navaja de bolsillo de menos de una pulgada y media de largo. Rogelio N. González, Director de Servicios Estudiantiles y Relaciones Públicas de ZCISD, dijo que la administración inmediatamente confiscó el artículo y disciplinó al estudiante como lo marca el Código de Conducta Estudiantil del distrito. “Este tema fue un
hecho aislado en el que ningún estudiante fue herido. Nosotros nos aseguraremos que todos los estudiantes del distrito continúen su educación en un ambiente de aprendizaje seguro y cómodo”, dice la declaración. Personal administrativo de la escuela notificó a los padres del estudiante encontrado en posesión de la navaja de bolsillo así como a los padres de los estudiantes que vieron al estudiante sostener la navaja, de acuerdo con González. “Estamos profundamente entristecidos por la reciente tragedia en Florida. Nuestros pensamientos están con las familias de Parkland. Tragedias como esta nos recuerdan a todos sobre la importancia del entrenamiento, preparación y continuos ajustes a nues-
tros procedimientos. Continuaremos haciendo todo lo posible para proteger a nuestros estudiantes y personal”, él dijo en una declaración. González agregó que el distrito se encuentra planeando dar entrenamiento adicional al personal administrativo, consejeros, maestros y personal de apoyo sobre seguridad y manejo de crisis y prevención. La seguridad de los estudiantes es la prioridad del distrito, él agregó. Entre los sistemas de seguridad que ya se encuentran implementados se incluyen: 1 El Departamento de Policía de ZCISD, bajo la dirección el Jefe Raymond Moya, con siete oficiales de policía, 12 guardias de seguridad y una unidad canina. 1 Sistema de control de acceso en cada escuela
controlado por la recepcionista de la escuela. 1 Más de 340 cámaras IP en todo el distrito, incluyendo cuatro en cada autobús escolar. 1 Puertas de cierre magnético están instaladas en cada salón en todo el distrito. 1 Sistema de reporte de alertas anónimas en: www.zcisd.org/alerts 1 Entrenamiento anual de personal para procedimientos de confinamiento, bloqueo y evacuación con simulacros todo el año. 1 Sistema de revisión escolar de agresores sexuales en todas las escuelas. 1 Sistema de notificación masivo 1 Reuniones de PTO (Organización Padres y Maestros) para abordar temas que afectan a las escuelas y los estudiantes.
NACIONAL
EXIGEN CONTROL DE ARMAS
Aniversario Puente 1 El Ayuntamiento de la Ciudad de Roma y la Comisión Histórica de Roma tienen el honor de invitar al público al evento sobre la celebración de 90 años de historia del Puente Internacional Colgante Roma-Miguel Alemán, el próximo 3 de marzo.
Aviario 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. Mayores informes al 956-849-1411.
Botes de basura 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa que sólo recolectará basura contenida en botes de la ciudad. Informes al 849-1411.
Grupos de apoyo en Laredo 1 Grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reúne cada primer martes de mes a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario. 1 Grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. 1 Grupo de Apoyo para Ansiedad y Depresión Rayo de Luz se reúne cada primer lunes de mes de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en el Centro de Educación del Área de Salud, ubicado en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430.
Gerald Herbert / Associated Press
Chris Grady, estudiante de la escuela secundaria Marjory Stoneman Douglas, posa en un memorial en el exterior del centro donde el 14 de febrero de 2018 un pistolero provocó una balacera que causó 17 muertos, en Parkland, Florida, el 19 de febrero de 2018.
Sobrevivientes de masacre en Florida marchan para presionar a legisladores Por Terry Spencer, Curt Anderson y Brendan Farrington ASSOCIATED PRE SS
PARKLAND, Florida— Sobrevivientes de la reciente masacre en una escuela en Florida marcharon el martes hacia la capital del estado para exigir a los legisladores estatales que tomen las medidas necesarias para evitar que se repita semejante tragedia. Tres autobuses con unos 100 estudiantes partieron de Coral Springs hacia Tallahassee tras ser entrevistados por reporteros y camarógrafos. Los alumnos, muchos de los cuales vestían camisetas con el color vinotinto de su escuela, llevaban sacos de dormir, almohadas y mochilas al despedirse de sus padres. Los alumnos expresaron esperanzas de que sus manifestaciones generen presión para modificar las leyes que hacen sumamente fácil comprar armas de guerra en Estados Unidos. "Estados Unidos es una sociedad amante de las armas y eso es lo que hacía que (el sospechoso de la masacre) Nikolas Cruz pareciera normal, pero no es normal que alguien que tiene historial de enfermedad mental tenga un arsenal de armas en su casa”, dijo uno de los estudiantes, Alfonso Calderón, de 16 años. Los estudiantes planean una marcha el miércoles para presionar
a los legisladores del estado a considerar una serie de leyes de control de armas. La Legislatura, controlada por republicanos, prometió debatir el asunto. “De verdad creo que nos escucharán”, dijo otro alumno, Chris Grady, de 19 años. El ataque ocurrido el 14 de febrero en la escuela secundaria Marjory Stoneman Douglas, en que murieron 17 personas, pareció hacer que recapacitaran algunos líderes del estado, que se ha resistido a imponer restricciones a la tenencia de armas desde que los republicanos lograron el poder en la gobernación y en la Legislatura en 1999. Sin embargo, perdura la resistencia entre sectores, por lo que está en duda si prosperarán los intentos de aprobar nuevas leyes. Los estudiantes también prometieron ejercer acciones para presionar al Congreso nacional en Washington. El senador Bill Galvano, republicano y próximo presidente del Senado estatal, dijo que esa instancia está considerando una serie de medidas: elevar a 21 años la edad mínima para comprar un arma, imponer un período de espera para la compra de armas, prohibir la venta de dispositivos que agilizan los tiros en las armas semiautomáticas y crear órdenes de restricción contra individuos por motivo de violencia armada. Los estudiantes planean reunirse
el miércoles con líderes de la Legislatura estatal, entre ellos el titular del Senado Joe Negron y el titular de la Cámara de Representantes Richard Corcoran. Pero los intentos de poner límites a la tenencia de armas serán cuesta arriba. Florida tiene un historial de ampliar en vez de reducir los derechos a portar armas. En el 2011, Negron patrocinó una ley, firmada por el gobernador republicano Rick Scott, que le prohíbe a las municipalidades y a los condados restringir las ventas de armas y de municiones. Las autoridades sospechan que Cruz, de 19 años, había tenido una serie de problemas en la escuela que llevaron a su expulsión. Además, durante su infancia, fueron varias las veces en que agentes del orden tuvieron que acudir a su casa. Los abogados de Cruz insisten en que hubo numerosas señales de que estaba mentalmente inestable y podría estallar en violencia. A pesar de ello puso comprar un fusil semiautomáticamente de manera perfectamente legal. “Nunca debió ocurrir que un joven de 18 años pueda comprar un fusil de asalto. Ningún ciudadano de Florida debería ser capaz de comprar un arma de asalto”, dijo el legislador estatal demócrata Gary Farmer. ___ Anderson reportó desde Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Farrington reportó desde Tallahassee, Florida. Contribuyeron a este reportaje los corresponsales de la AP Gary Fineout en Tallahassee y Sadie Gurman en Washington.
Por Alfredo Peña ASSOCIATED PRE SS
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — El supuesto líder de un grupo narcotraficante fue detenido el lunes por efectivos de la Marina Armada de México en el estado de TamauCárdenas lipas, que se ha visto azotado durante años por la violencia relacionada al crimen organizado. La Secretaría de Marina afirmó en un comunicado que el detenido, al que solo identificó como José Alfredo, sin apellido, fue arrestado en la ciudad de Matamoros, limítrofe con Brownsville, Texas. “Presuntamente era líder de una organización delictiva en esa región”, indicó el comunicado. Un funcionario del gobierno estatal con información sobre el caso confirmó que la persona arrestada es José Alfredo Cárdenas, alias “El Contador” o “El señor cortés”. Es sobrino de los ex jefes del cártel del Golfo, Osiel y Antonio Cárdenas. El primero se encuentra en una prisión en Estados Unidos y el segundo fue abatido por fuerzas de seguridad de México en 2010. El funcionario solicitó el anonimato porque no estaba autorizado a hacer declaraciones sobre el caso. Señaló que durante el operativo realizado por la madrugada no se realizaron disparos. Las autoridades incautaron dos armas de uso militar, municiones, un vehículo y algunas dosis de cocaína y marihuana. Tamaulipas, un importante corredor para el contrabando de drogas y migrantes hacia Estados Unidos, se encuentra plagada desde hace tiempo por la violencia relacionada al narcotráfico. El estado es una de las cinco entidades mexicanas para las que el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos emitió su máximo nivel de alerta — “No viaje” — de acuerdo a los lineamientos publicados el mes pasado. En medio de los constantes cambios en las alianzas entre grupos delictivos del estado, desde 2014, los cárteles del Golfo y Los Zetas se han enfrentado a una facción disidente de Los Zetas que se autodenomina cártel del Noreste. La facción está dirigida principalmente por los familiares de Miguel Ángel Treviño Morales, alias “Z 40”, un capo de Los Zetas que fue detenido en 2013. La disputa ha remecido a Tamaulipas y los estados vecinos de Nuevo León, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí y otros ubicados en el oriente del país, donde Los Zetas tienen presencia y se disputan el territorio con el cártel del Noroeste. Los enfrentamientos han cobrado la vida de criminales, policías y civiles. El año pasado se registraron 805 homicidios en Tamaulipas, un marcado incremento respecto a los 595 asesinatos de 2016, de acuerdo con estadísticas del gobierno federal.
Sports&Outdoors
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 |
A7
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
Texans cut all-time leading tackler Cushing Houston moves on from its former star inside linebacker By Aaron Wilson HOUSTON CHRONI CLE
The Texans officially cut veteran linebacker Brian Cushing on Tuesday, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly. Cushing was informed of his pending release days ago and wasn’t caught off guard by the Texans moving on from
him after nine seasons. A former first-round draft pick from USC, Cushing was a Pro Bowl selection and an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year who served a 10game suspension for violating the NFL performance-enhancing drug policy last season. During that punishment from the league, rookie inside linebacker
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: HOUSTON ASTROS
Zach Cunningham proved that he was a capable replacement for Cushing. Cushing, 31, is the Texans’ all-time leader with 664 tackles. By parting ways with Cushing, the Texans have created $7.64 million in salary-cap space. They are now roughly $64 million under the NFL salary cap. “It’s all good,” Cushing told The Chronicle on Sunday. “It’s part of the business.” Cushing started at outside linebacker when he returned from his suspension and was named a team captain
again by coach Bill O’Brien. Cushing had been due a nonguaranteed $7.25 million base salary for the 2018 season. Now, that salary is off the Texans’ books and they’re moving forward with Cunningham and standout Benardrick McKinney at inside linebacker. The Texans’ linebacker corps is one of the best in the NFL, including Pro Bowl outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus as he returns form a torn pectoral muscle that sidelined him last season.
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle file
Houston linebacker Brian Cushing was released on Tuesday. The former first-round pick out of USC is the Texans’ all-time leading tackler.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
RANGERS HUNGRY ENTERING SEASON
Karen Warren / Associated Press
Manager A.J. Hinch+ speaks to members of the Astros during spring training on Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Astros pitchers, manager continue complaints about MLB rule changes By Hunter Atkins HOUSTON CHRONI CLE
Less than 24 hours after Major League Baseball announced it will limit mound visits and monitor in-game phone calls to dugouts in an effort to increase the historically slow pace of play, Astros pitchers and manager A.J. Hinch have added their complaints to the discontent around baseball. Pitchers primarily are concerned that keeping their teams to six mound visits, with one per extra inning, misses the importance of thwarting signstealing, which is becoming easier for offenses because of video cameras. They say that monitoring phone calls to the dugout is not significant because teams study signs on video before games. Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. excoriated the rule changes with a series of messages on Twitter. Frustrated that the move disadvantages pitchers more than hitters or runners trying to steal signs, McCullers suggested that hampering communication between pitchers and catchers could lead to throwing at batters as a warning to opponents. “You think I want to break rhythm and temp during a game to talk about signs behind my glove?” McCullers wrote. “No,It’s (sic) a necessary reaction to an issue we, as pitchers and catcher, are facing. I guess enforcing the integrity by hitting
batters is better than extra 4 minutes to discuss signs.” Hinch attributed the outrage to a common response the baseball community has whenever change is introduced, such as the recently changed rule for how catchers cannot block home plate. Hinch said he is unsure of how the restrictions will impact the regular season, but he is concerned for when in-game adjustments become more frequent in the postseason. He said he does not know off-hand how often he, his coaches or players visit the mound, all of which will count toward the new allotment. “We’re not going to know what the consequences are, or the advantages or disadvantages are until we get into games,” Hinch said. “There’s probably some research that needs to be done by us.” Tension has increased between MLB and players since the free agent market stagnated during the offseason, inspiring players to think that teams are colluding to gain leverage in contract negotiations. The Players’ Association did not agree to the rule changes. After “an unprecedented run of peace for a long time,” starter Collin McHugh, the Astros’ player representative to the union, said the ongoing labor conflict in baseball makes this “is one of the most tense times.
Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press file
Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre is going into his 21st MLB season and still looking for a World Series title.
Texas looking to get back on top of AL West ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Texas Rangers are famished for success after a down 2017. After winning back-toback AL West championships, the Rangers went from winning 97 games in 2016 to a 78-84 record last season and finishing 23 games behind the Houston Astros. “Hungry dogs run faster,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said Tuesday, the first day of the club’s fullsquad workout. “That may be a T-shirt.” Pitchers, by design, did not throw batting practice for the initial day with position players on the field. Shortstop Elvis Andrus was unable to make it through the first day, leaving early with back spasms. Left-hander Matt Moore, who had been slowed by a tender right knee, was cleared to par-
ticipate in pitcher’s fielding practice. Left-hander Martin Perez, who suffered a broken right arm in a December incident with a bull on his Venezuelan ranch, is improving. “He’s throwing only,” assistant general manager Jayce Tingler said. “He’s progressing, just more precautionary. He’s right on pace.” The preseason forecasts are the Rangers will not be able to keep pace with the Astros and the Los Angeles Angels, who won the winter sweepstakes in signing Japanese two-way star Shohel Ohtani. “Outside expectations are not anything we judge ourselves on really,” Banister said. “It’s what our internal expectations are. We play well in that underdog position. We’ve shown that. “When you go through some adverse times you can look at last year and think of different mo-
ments and how we responded to them. I think the excitement is there’s a group of guys in there that can’t want to respond to what they encountered last year,” he said. The new-look Rangers will have Joey Gallo starting at first base with Mike Napoli gone and Delino DeShields replacing Carlos Gomez in center. “Joey Gallo, there’s a lot of excitement there, just the power potential, but the ability to improve on the command of the strike zone and the athleticism he has on the field,” Banister said. Gallo hit 41 home runs last season, while playing mostly at third base with Adrian Beltre restricted to 94 games because of injuries. Gallo also struck out 196 times, which ranked second in the American League. DeShields played mostly left in 2017, but is shifting to center this year.
“We’re going to get a really good look at who he is in center field,” Banister said. “We know what he does for us offensively. Just look at the stats, the runs scored per game when he’s in the game and the winning percentage.” Banister said Ryan Rua, Drew Robinson and Willie Calhoun, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Yu Darvish trade, are the left field candidates. The Rangers need a bounce back year from Rougned Odor, who hit a pitiful .204 last season. It was all or nothing for Odor, who had 30 home runs, but struck out 162 times. Odor also committed a major-league high 19 errors by a second baseman. “Rougned Odor is primed and ready to get back to status of play he’s accustomed to and improve on that,” Banister said.
A8 | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Florida survivors, lawmakers on collision course over guns By Brendan Farrington, Josh Replogle and Tamara Lush A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PARKLAND, Fla. — Students who survived the Florida school shooting began a journey Tuesday to the state Capitol to urge lawmakers to prevent another massacre, but within hours the gunfriendly Legislature had effectively halted any possibility of banning assault rifles like the one used in the attack. The legislative action further energized the teens as they prepared to confront legislators who have quashed gun-control efforts for decades in a state where 1.3 million people have concealed carry permits. “They’re voting to have shootings continually happen. These people who voted down the bill haven’t experienced what we did. I want to say to them, ‘It could be you,”’ 16-year-old Noah Kaufman said as he made the 400mile trip to Tallahassee. Three buses carried 100 students who, in the aftermath of the attack that killed 17 people, want to revive the gun-control movement. The teens carried sleeping bags and pillows and hugged their parents as they departed, many wearing burgundy T-shirts in their school colors. They spent the sevenhour ride checking their phones, watching videos and reading comments on social media about the shooting, some of which accused them of being liberal pawns. Meanwhile at the Statehouse, a Democratic representative asked for a
procedural move that would have allowed the Republican-controlled House to consider a ban on large-capacity magazines and assault rifles such as the AR-15 that was wielded by the suspect, Nickolas Cruz. The bill had been assigned to three committees but was not scheduled for a hearing. The House quickly nixed the Democratic motion. The vote broke down along party lines, and Republicans criticized Democrats for forcing the vote. Because the committees will not meet again before the legislative session ends March 9, the move essentially extinguishes hope that lawmakers would vote on any sweeping measures to restrict assault rifles, although other proposals could still be considered. “No one in the world with the slightest little hint of a soul isn’t moved by this tragedy,” Republican strategist Rick Wilson said. “The discussion has to be a longer, bigger and broader discussion.” Lizzie Eaton, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, spent the day lobbying senators of both parties and concluded that lawmakers were “just not listening to us.” The vote was “heartbreaking,” she said. “But we’re not going to stop.” The students planned to hold a rally Wednesday to put more pressure on the Legislature. “I really think they are going to hear us out,” said Chris Grady, a high school senior who was on the bus. The Feb. 14 attack initially appeared to overcome the resistance of
some in the state’s political leadership, which has rebuffed gun restrictions since Republicans took control of both the governor’s office and the Legislature in 1999. However, many members of the party still have strong resistance to any guncontrol measures. Republican leaders in the House and Senate say they will consider raising age restrictions for gun purchases and temporarily revoking someone’s guns if that person is deemed a threat to others. Gov. Rick Scott, also a Republican, convened groups assigned to propose measures for protecting schools from gun violence. Lawmakers will probably say that getting a new bill passed is nearly impossible with only two and a half weeks left in the legislative session. Some lawmakers who are thinking of running on a statewide ticket are mindful of their sensitive positions, since gun owners make up huge voting blocs in some parts of the state, especially the Panhandle. Wilson said he knows the students “want something to happen,” and they need “a moment to come and make their case.” But, he said, “the thought that you get to wave a wand and change the law is something that is probably going to collide with reality.” The Parkland students also plan to meet Wednesday with top legislative leaders, including Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron. Florida has a reputation for expanding gun rights.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 |
A9
BUSINESS
Plan proposes less health insurance for lower premiums By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration Tuesday spelled out a plan to lower the cost of health insurance: give consumers the option of buying less coverage in exchange for reduced premiums. The proposed regulations would expand an alternative to the comprehensive medical plans required under former President Barack Obama’s health law. Individuals could buy so-called “short-term” policies for up to 12 months. But the coverage would omit key consumer protections and offer fewer benefits, making it unattractive for older people or
those with health problems. The plans would come with a disclaimer that they don’t meet the Affordable Care Act’s safeguards, such as guaranteed coverage, ten broad classes of benefits, and limits on how much older adults have to pay. Insurers could also charge more if a consumer’s medical history discloses health problems. Nonetheless, administration officials said they believe the short-term option will be welcomed by people who need an individual health insurance policy but don’t qualify for the ACA’s income-based subsidies. Those in this largely middleclass crowd make too much for subsidies and have absorbed
years of price hikes. Some say they now face monthly, mortgage-size payments of well over $1,000 for health insurance. Then they usually have to pay a deductible of several thousand dollars. Research indicates the uninsured rate among these customers is growing. “If you are not subsidized, the options can be really unaffordable for folks,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters. The administration estimates monthly premiums for a shortterm plan could be about than one-third of what a comprehensive policy costs. Democrats swiftly branded it a return to “junk insurance,” and the main insurance in-
dustry lobbying group said it was concerned the Trump plan could divide the healthy from the sick in the market and make it more expensive to cover those with health problems. Democrats say the solution is to increase government subsidies, so that more middleclass people will be eligible for taxpayer assistance to buy comprehensive coverage. The Obama administration had limited short-term plans to periods of no longer than three months, making them impractical for many consumers. “We shouldn’t be in the business of providing people with worse care,” said Sam Berger, a former Obama aide now with the liberal Center for American
Progress. “What we should be focusing on is finding ways of reducing the cost of high-quality care.” Trump administration officials reject the notion that they’re trying to undermine the ACA. Instead, they say they are trying to make things more workable for people who are not being helped by the health law. The administration estimates that only about 100,000 to 200,000 people will drop coverage they now have under the ACA and switch to cheaper short-term policies. They also say they expect short-term plans could attract many people among the estimated 28 million who remain uninsured.
Walmart’s plunge sinks retailers, breaks win streak By Alex Veiga ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Mike Stewart / AP
This photo shows signage at the corporate headquarters of Equifax Inc. in Atlanta. Equifax has disclosed to lawmakers that its data breach exposed more of consumers' personal information than the company first made public last year.
Lawmakers urge Equifax to extend protections By Kevin Freking A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers on a House investigative panel are asking the creditmonitoring company Equifax Inc. to provide free credit monitoring and identity theft protection for at least three years. Equifax has offered up to one year of complementary protections after a massive data breach last year compromised personal information for about 145 million Americans. The Democratic members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee argue that identity thieves often wait much longer to act on stolen information. The lawmakers said the company’s chief information security officer told committee staff in a briefing last October that data
thieves would likely wait a year or more before attempting to sell the data on the black market. The lawmakers made their request in a letter to Equifax’s interim chief executive. They said consumers “should receive the most robust form of credit protection and identity theft services available.” The company replied in a statement to The Associated Press that it has launched a service that allows consumers to lock or unlock their credit file with the company. The service is free and there is no time limit. The lock can be done online and prevents access to the credit file by certain third parties. Meanwhile, “we are engaged with both federal and state regulators and are having ongoing discussions about appropriate remediation for consumers,” the company said.
The biggest drop in Walmart’s stock in 30 years and losses in other sectors pulled U.S. indexes lower Tuesday, snapping a six-day winning streak. The losses deepened in the last hour of trading into a broad sell-off that erased early gains led by technology companies. Walmart plunged 10 percent after reporting weak online sales and disappointing earnings. Grocery store operators, retailers, health care companies and industrial stocks accounted for much of the market’s slide. “Investors have been lulled into a false sense that stock markets are not volatile,” said Doug Cote, chief market strategist for Voya Investment Management. “Last week was one of the best weeks in years, and as we go back to normal volatility, you’re going to see what you would expect: normal ups and downs.” The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 15.96 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,716.26. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 254.63 points, or 1 percent, to 24,964.75. The Nasdaq lost 5.16 points, or 0.1 percent, to 7,234.31. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gave up 13.56 points, or 0.9 percent, to 1,529.99. The S&P 500, a benchmark for many index funds, capped its strongest week in five years on Friday, recovering more than half of the losses it suffered in a plunge at the beginning of this month. Stocks began giving back some of those gains early Tuesday as trading reopened after a long holiday weekend and investors began sizing up company earnings while
keeping an eye on the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which is used as a benchmark for mortgages and other loans, has been rising in recent months from a low of 2.04 percent in September. Higher bond yields indicate investors expect more risk of inflation, and they also can threaten stock prices by making bonds more appealing versus stocks. “Some of the broader concerns on investors’ minds right now are looking across to the bond market and seeing the 10-year Treasury starting to approach that 3 percent level,” said Bill Northey, vice president at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. Bond prices, which had been declining early Tuesday, ended up little changed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 2.88. Walmart posted the biggest loss in the Dow and S&P 500. The tumble represents the stock’s worst single-day drop since January 1988. Investors were disappointed with the retail giant’s fourth-quarter results, which missed Wall Street’s expectations as the company wrestled with slower e-commerce sales during the busiest time of the year. The stock shed $10.67, or 10.2 percent, to $94.11. Several big retailers also fell, including Target, which slid $2.22, or 3 percent, to $72.86. Ross Stores dropped $2.19, or 2.7 percent, to $77.98. Gap declined 5 percent after the clothing chain said the head of the Gap brand will leave the company. Jeff Kirwan, who has been with the company since 2004, had led the namesake brand since the end of 2014. The Gap said Kirwan had failed to achieve “the operational excellence
and accelerated profit growth” that the company expected for the Gap brand. The stock lost $1.66 to $31.61. Genuine Parts gave up 5.2 percent after the auto and industrial parts company gave a disappointing profit forecast for 2018. The stock fell $5.16 to $94.67. Company deals offset some of the market slide. NXP Semiconductor jumped 6 percent after Qualcomm raised its offer for the company to $127.50 a share, or $43.22 billion, from $110 a share. The move comes as Broadcom is trying to buy Qualcomm. Shares in NXP added $7.06 to $125.56. Qualcomm lost 86 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $63.99. Traders also welcomed news that grocery store operator Albertsons agreed to buy more than 2,500 Rite Aid stores. Albertsons owns brands including Safeway. The deal will double the amount of drugstores it owns. Last year, Rite Aid had agreed to sell almost 2,000 locations to Walgreens after a larger deal fell apart. Rite Aid’s stock, which has shed more than half its value over the past year, rose 7 cents, or 3.3 percent, to $2.20. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 22 cents to settle at $61.90 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 42 cents to close at $65.25 a barrel. In other energy futures trading, heating oil added 2 cents to $1.93 a gallon. Wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.75 a gallon. Natural gas rose 6 cents to $2.62 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gold fell $25, or 1.8 percent, to $1,331.20 an ounce. Silver dropped 27 cents to $16.44 an ounce. Copper slid 6 cents to $3.19 a pound.
A10 | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER NAFTA From page A1
DACA From page A1
generated by our energy exports to Canada and Mexico — among our top energy customers. Canada is both our No. 1 source of crude oil imports and the No. 1 market for our crude exports. Mexico is our largest outlet for natural gas exports and the No. 1 export market for U.S. finished motor gasoline, accounting for 52 percent of all U.S. gasoline exports. The United States sold more than 660 million barrels of crude oil and refined products to Canada and Mexico in 2016. Across a host of energy product categories — from jet fuel to natural gas — Mexico and Canada consistently rank as our top two export markets. Under NAFTA’s important zero tariff and market access policies, U.S. energy resources flow to our neighbors, and profits flow back — generating jobs and growth not just in the energy production sector but in related industries like infrastructure construction and businesses throughout the supply chain. As negotiators from all three nations work together to modernize NAFTA, maintaining provisions that ensure strong energy trade should be a priority. One of those provisions is investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), which provides important protections against unfair practices, not just for energy trade but for a variety of U.S. industries. Trade with Canada and Mexico supports 14 million U.S. jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and investments made directly within Canada and Mexico make it easier for U.S. businesses to access resources and secure market access for U.S. products — whether energy products or manufactured goods. ISDS ensures that those investments are protected — providing U.S. businesses operating across the border a level playing field with local competitors and guaranteeing the same property and due process protections found in the U.S. Constitution. If ISDS is watered down or falls through the cracks, it opens the door for other nations to withdraw similar agreements safeguarding U.S. investments around the globe. Modernizing NAFTA is a complex challenge. But the facts are pretty straightforward when it comes to energy. As negotiators work toward agreement, maintaining policies that help keep energy affordable and secure for U.S. consumers will ensure a revamped NAFTA is on the right track.
ing either side as the clock ticks toward expiration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that President Donald Trump has ordered to an end. “What I expect is that DACA is going to expire and people will start losing their work permits,” said Mark Krikorian, who runs the Center For Immigration Studies, a group that seeks to cut immigration levels to the U.S. “There’ll be a nonzero number of DACAs taken into custody and removed. So we’ll have to see how that plays out politically.” The courts have put Trump’s March 5 cutoff deadline on hold and a verdict may be pushed to June if the Supreme Court accepts the case on an expedited basis. That’s prompted another flurry of proposals in the Senate, none of which have any clear path to move forward. Read a QuickTake on who the ‘dreamers’ are and what is at stake Republican Senators John Thune, Rob Portman and Jerry Moran proposed to give dreamers legal status without citizenship alongside $25 billion for border security, while Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona suggested extending their work permits for three years. Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 GOP leader, said a potential vehicle for a DACA solution looms in the form of a massive 2018 fiscal year spending bill that must clear Congress by March 23 to avert a third government shutdown this year. “I’d rather have a per-
manent bill, but if we can’t do that maybe we’ll do something shorter,” he said. “I don’t see it getting dedicated floor time, if there can be some negotiation leading up to the omnibus perhaps there can be some temporary provision, which to me is not great but that’s kinda where we are.” In the House, meanwhile, Speaker Paul Ryan has refused to consider any legislation that doesn’t have Trump’s full backing and has made no commitment to bring any plan up for a vote. Hopes wane A creeping fatalism is setting in among some Democrats. “People need to be very clear in their minds that this issue is not going to get fixed as long as Republicans control Congress,” said Adam Jentleson, who worked for former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “This is just the way it is.” The ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, Representative John Yarmuth, said trying to tie an immigration measure to a March 23 funding bill to force the issue would backfire. “Clearly the American people, at least by the polling, thought it was more important to keep the government open than to deal with the dreamers,” he said in an interview. “You don’t want sympathy for the dreamers to be damaged, which I think there’s a potential for that.” The Trump administration gave no sign it was ready to reopen negotiations. After the Senate failed to move ahead on any immigration legislation, White
House press secretary Sarah Sanders blamed Democrats, saying in a statement they were “held hostage by the radical left in their party, which opposes any immigration control at all.” Legal immigration The crux of the Senate stalemate is about legal immigration. Democrats acquiesced to Trump’s demand for $25 billion for border security, but they’ve stood firm against his calls to eliminate the ability of U.S. citizens to sponsor siblings, parents and adult children for green cards — at least in the context of a DACA fix. Trump has refused to support bipartisan measures without cuts to what he calls “chain migration,” and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stood by him. What happens next? “I have no clue. I really don’t,” said Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who co-sponsored a bipartisan compromise that failed 54-45 after Trump and his aides made an all-out effort to kill it. ‘Ask the president’ When asked whether he thinks DACA recipients -- many of whom aren’t familiar with the countries their parents brought them from -will be deported if Congress takes no action, independent Senator Angus King of Maine, a lead author of the compromise, said “Ask the president.” Congress is off this week, and McConnell is planning to move on to confirming judicial and executive branch nominees when it returns. Any future effort to ad-
dress immigration, including a pared-back version, is likely to face the same combustible political mix that brought down last week’s Senate proposals. Republicans have a bigger political incentive to dig in on immigration than do Democrats. A full 62 percent of Republican voters said the issue should be a top priority for Trump and Congress, compared with just 39 percent of Democrats surveyed in a Jan. 10-15 poll by the Pew Research Center. Base appeal Hard-line immigration stances catapulted Trump to the Republican nomination and the presidency, putting intense pressure on his party to produce on the issue in a way that appeals to his base. Shortly before his election, the Pew Center found that 79 percent of registered voters backing him saw illegal immigration as a “very big problem.” Smaller percentages in the Oct. 25-Nov. 8, 2016 poll named other issues such as terrorism or jobs for working-class Americans. GOP voter signals to Republicans are reflected in the way the immigration debate took shape in the Senate, with much higher demands from the Republican side than in 2013 when a Democraticled chamber was able to easily clear a comprehensive bipartisan immigration bill. The 2013 measure included a pathway to legal status for 11 million undocumented immigrants, paired with a $46 billion border security plan. The measure also had a host of other immigration law changes, including an end to a
diversity visa lottery and limits on family-based immigration that barred citizens from sponsoring siblings and some married sons and daughters for permanent residence. Diversity visas This time, the tradeoff of restricting legal immigration was in return for helping a much smaller group of immigrants, about 1.8 million dreamers. The push by Trump and many Republicans for an end to the diversity visas and new limits on sponsorship to only spouses and minor children were unpalatable to many Democrats on a narrower measure. GOP leaders are struggling as it is to come up with enough support for Trump’s plan. Only 39 senators on Thursday supported Trump’s favored package, including just three Democrats — Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Manchin, all of whom are facing reelection contests this November in states won handily by Trump. Some GOP conservatives — including John Barrasso of Wyoming, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma — objected to Trump’s favored legislation because it would give a path to citizenship to dreamers. Krikorian said House Speaker Paul Ryan “dodged a bullet” with the failure of a DACA fix in the Senate. He argued that the failure frees Ryan to not act. “The Democrats want this a lot more than Republicans do,” Krikorian said. With assistance from Ari Natter and Anna Edgerton
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 |
A11
ENTERTAINMENT
Stars, educators want kids to see ‘Black Panther’ By Russell Contreras and Corey Williams ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Jordan Strauss / AP
Amal Clooney and George Clooney are donating $500,000 to students organizing nationwide marches against gun violence, and they say they’ll also attend next months planned protests.
Clooneys donate $500k to march against guns A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, are donating $500,000 to students organizing nationwide marches against gun violence, and they say they’ll also attend next month’s planned protests. In a statement released Tuesday, the couple says they’re inspired by the “courage and eloquence” of the survivors-turnedactivists from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Sev-
enteen people were killed at the school and others wounded when a former student went on a rampage with an assault rifle. Students are mobilizing a March 24 march in Washington and elsewhere to urge lawmakers to enact tougher gun control. The Clooneys say they’re donating the money in the names of their eight-month-old twins Ella and Alexander. The couple also says the family plans to “stand side by side” with students next month.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For years, Zavier Thompson has followed Marvel superhero movies. But the 16-year-old student in Albuquerque has always wanted to see a popular film with a black superhero and black themes. Thanks to an Albuquerque educator, the aspiring hip-hop and spoken word artist finally got his wish Thursday when he was given tickets to a private screening of “Black Panther.” “It was amazing. The music, the action...everything,” said Thompson, who is black. “It made me proud to see out culture depicted like that.” “Black Panther” is about the mythical and highly advanced African nation of Wakanda, where T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, inherits the throne but is challenged by a Wakandan exile named Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan. It’s the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and based on 50-year-old material created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The movie set a record with its $235 million debut at the top of the U.S. box office over the holiday weekend, becoming a blockbuster but also a cultural phenomenon. It’s why some educators, philanthropists, celebri-
Film Frame / Marvel Studios-Walt Disney/AP
Letitia Wright plays the king's brainy little sister in the blockbuster "Black Panther." The movie set a record with its $235 million debut, becoming a blockbuster but also a cultural phenomenon. It’s why some educators, philanthropists, celebrities, and business owners are pulling together their resources to bring children of color to see it.
ties, and business owners are pulling together their resources to bring children of color to see it. Elementary school students in Detroit, middle school students in Atlanta and students living Los Angeles public housing all have been surprised in recent days with free tickets and transportation to experience a movie that is captivating black communities nationwide. While black leads in TV and film have grown over the years, there is still a lack of positive minority images coming from Hollywood, which is
why many are stressing the importance of having young black kids see the movie. “Something very special is happening here,” said Joycelyn Jackson, director of the Black Student Union for Albuquerque Public Schools, the educator who helped Thompson get into the Albuquerque screening. “Congrats to the entire (hash)blackpanther team! Because of you, young people will finally see superheroes that look like them on the big screen,” said former first lady Michelle Obama in a tweet Monday. “I loved
this movie and I know it will inspire people of all backgrounds to dig deep and find the courage to be heroes of their own stories.” The movement began in January after former ESPN “SportsCenter” host Jemele Hill called out prominent Detroiters to help young children in the city get seats to see “Black Panther.” “I wish I had time to do it myself but if there is anyone in Detroit trying to take kids in underserved communities to see ‘Black Panther,’ holla at me,” the Detroit native wrote on Twitter.
Actress swore at Geoffrey Rush to leave toilet ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Yui Mok / AFP/Getty Images
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by journalist and editor, Anna Wintour, views British designer Richard Quinn's runway show before presenting him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design during her visit to London Fashion Week event.
Queen Elizabeth II makes first Fashion Week visit By Gregory Katz A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II has always dressed with style and flair — but Tuesday marked her first visit to the showy catwalks of London Fashion Week. The monarch squeezed in the front row, chatting with American Vogue editor Anna Wintour — who wore her trademark sunglasses — and presented an award recognizing British design excellence. It was an unusual outing for the 91-year-old monarch, who seemed totally at ease at the type of event usually frequented by stars like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. She was elegant in a Angela Kelly duck egg blue tweed dress and jacket detailed with tiny aquamarine Swarovski crystals set off by formal black gloves. Elizabeth carried a matching handbag — of course — and wore her mostly white hair swept back. The queen didn’t bother with the statement stiletto heels favored by many of the younger fashionistas, opting for sensible dark low-heeled court shoes for the awards presentation.
“As a tribute to the industry, and as my legacy to all those who have contributed to British fashion, I would like to present this award for new, young talent,” she said. The royal family has often hosted Fashion Week receptions for top designers and journalists, but the new award — and the queen’s personal visit — have added a new dimension to its support for the industry. The lucky recipient was Richard Quinn, a recent fashion graduate of Central Saint Martins who started his own label in 2016 and has quickly earned recognition as part of the next wave of talented young British designers. The London-based Quinn received the first Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. The British Fashion Council chose him for the prize. His provocative show included a model wearing what looked to be a decorated green motorcycle helmet with a dark visor along with black and white polka dot leggings and a gauzy top with different size dots. The queen, who has maintained an active schedule even as her 96-year-old husband Prince Philip
has stepped back from public life, took to the catwalk to address the crowd and praise Britain’s fashion heritage. “From the tweed of the Hebrides to Nottingham lace, and of course Carnaby Street, our fashion industry has been renowned for outstanding craftsmanship for many years, and continues to produce world-class textiles and cutting edge, practical designs,” she said. She also toured showrooms before presenting the award on the final day of fashion week, which brought hundreds of designers, buyers and journalists to London for a series of catwalk displays highlighted by Christopher Bailey’s farewell show at Burberry. The queen’s visit followed a Buckingham Palace fashion reception hosted Monday night by Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge — who is expecting her third child in April — and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex. The gala was attended by Wintour, model Naomi Campbell, designer Stella McCartney and other luminaries of the fashion scene.
SYDNEY — An actress who accused Oscarwinning actor Geoffrey Rush of inappropriately touching her on a Sydney stage later swore at him when he followed her into a toilet at a party after a performance, Australian court documents allege. Rush is suing Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Federal Court for defamation over articles last year that he argued portray him as a pervert and sexual predator. The articles allege inappropriate behavior and touching during the Sydney Theatre Company production of “King Lear” in 2015. Accusations in defense documents previously suppressed by the court were made public on Tuesday. Eryn Jean Norvill played Cordelia alongside the 66-year-old Australian actor, who played the title role and her father. The documents allege Rush touched Norvill in a way that made her feel uncomfortable on five separate occasions during the final week of the production, in a scene where he carried her as she simulated a lifeless body. Rush’s lawyer, Richard McHugh, told the court on Monday the accusations were vague. But the newspaper will attempt to prove that Rush engaged in scandalously inappropriate behavior, and that his conduct was so serious that the theatre company would not work with him again. The defense documents allege Norvill was visibly upset and told Rush to stop after the
Michael Sohn / AP
A lawyer has accused actor Geoffrey Rush of repeatedly touching an actress inappropriately on a Sydney stage three years ago while the Oscar-winning actor was starring in a production of King Lear. Rush is suing Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Federal Court for defamation over articles published last year.
first instance of on-stage touching, which was not scripted, directed or necessary for the performance. Rush is also accused of following the actress into the women’s toilet at a restaurant during the cast’s celebration after the final performance. Rush is accused of standing outside her toilet stall until she swore at him and told him to leave. The newspaper denies Rush’s claims that its articles made him out to be a pervert and a sexual predator, and its lawyers previously told the court they made no allegations of a sexual nature. Justice Michael Wigney on Monday delayed to a later date Rush’s request to have the newspaper’s truth defense struck out. Rush has performed in the Sydney Theatre Company for 35 years. He won the 1997 best actor Academy Award for “Shine” and has three other Oscar nominations. He is perhaps best known as Captain Barbossa in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.
A12 | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
Toy makers turn to the toilet for poop-inspired items By Joseph Pisani A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Toy makers have gone to the toilet for their latest creations. Mattel, a company best known for its cleancut Barbie dolls, is set to release a game called Flushin’ Frenzy that sends a brown plastic poop flying into the air. Rival Hasbro, whose water-squirting game Toilet Trouble was a hit
KNIFE From page A1 adjustments to our procedures. We will continue to do everything possible to protect our students and staff,” he said in the statement. Gonzalez added the district is planning on additional training for administration, counselors, teachers and support staff on safety and crisis management and prevention. Student safety is the
WEATHER From page A1 Arkansas weather service forecasters say some areas could see 8 inches (20 centimeters) or more of rain this week. In Kansas, freezing rain and ice led Gov. Jeff Colyer to cancel plans to sign a proclamation about the importance of being prepared for severe weather. The weather also caused minor power disruptions, business closings and the cancellation of school and
last year, stuck with the potty humor this year and released Don’t Step In It, a game where players are blindfolded and have to avoid stepping in poop that’s molded out of a clay-like substance. Toy analysts and experts say the potty-related toys are hitting stores now because of the popularity of the poop emoji, which has also made it more acceptable for parents to buy poop toys for their
kids. At the New York Toy Fair this weekend, toy makers showed off pooshaped action figures, squishy toys and other creatures from the toilet. “Yeah, poop is a theme,” says Juli Lennett, the toy analyst at market research company The NPD Group. “Kids think it’s funny.” Sticky the Poo, a squishy likeness with eyes, clings to walls and ceilings when thrown.
district’s priority, he stated. Safety systems in place include: 1 ZCISD Police Department, under the direction of Chief Raymond Moya, with seven police officers, 12 security guards and one K-9 officer. 1 Access control system at each campus entrance controlled by the campus receptionist. 1 Over 340 IP cameras across the district, including four in each school bus. 1 Lockdown door magnets or latches are in-
stalled in each classroom across the district. 1 Anonymous alerts reporting system: www.zcisd.org/alerts 1 Annual staff training on lockdown, lockout, and evacuation procedures with drills throughout the year. 1 School check-in system with sex offender check at all campuses. 1 Mass notification system. 1 PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) meetings addressing issues affecting schools and students.
other events. The Mackinac Bridge, which links Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, was closed to traffic Tuesday afternoon because of falling ice from the cables and towers. Workers were stationed at both ends of the 5-mile (8-kilometer) bridge between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron to provide instructions to travelers. As much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell overnight Monday into Tuesday in the Chicago area, and more rain was
falling Tuesday afternoon. The heavy rain combined with melting snow and frozen ground will lead to rising waters on area streams and rivers, forecasters said, creating the potential for flash flooding. Weather service officials urged motorists not to drive onto flooded roadways and find alternate routes. Schools in Missouri and Wisconsin canceled classes or delayed start times Tuesday. High water closed roads in Michigan.
Lleve con usted estos documentos al sitio de VITA: • Prueba de identidad • Tarjeta original de Seguro Social, de usted, su cónyuge y dependientes y/o una carta de verificación del número de seguro social emitida por la Administración del Seguro Social • Fecha de nacimiento suya, de su cónyuge y de los dependientes que aparecen en la declaración de impuestos. • Carta del Departamento de IRS si usted, su cónyuge, y/o dependientes recibieron un número de ITIN. • Comprobante de salario e ingresos en Formularios W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, de todos sus empleadores. • Estados bancarios de intereses y dividendos (Formulario 1099-Int, 1099-Div) • Número de ruta bancaria y número de cuenta para depósito directo • Monto total pagado a proveedores de cuidado en guardería y el número de identificación tributaria del proveedor (el número de seguro social del proveedor o el número de identificación del empleador del negocio) • Para presentar electrónicamente una declaración de impuestos conjunta, ambos deben estar presentes para firmar
Azteca
20 Iturbide St. Lun, Mier, Vier 4:00-7:00pm
Boys and Girls Club
Laredo Public Library
1120 E. Calton Rd. Vier, 9:00am-12:00pm; Sab, 9:00am-1:00pm
3900 Los Presidentes Ave. Lun, Mier, Vier 5:30-7:30pm
Martin High School
Bruni Library
Consulado General Mexicano
1120 San Bernardo Ave. Juev, 4:00-7:00pm; Sab, 3:00-7:00pm
Catholic Social Services 1919 Cedar Ave. Lun,Mar,Mier,Juev 8:30-11:30am
Cigarroa High School
2600 Zacatecas Mar, Juev, 4:00- 7pm
Goodwill Job Help Center 5901 San Dario Ave. Lun,Mar,Mier,Juev 5:30-8:00pm; Sab, 10:00am-2:00pm
José A Valdez High School
1619 Victoria Sab, 9:00am-1:00pm
LCC (South AAC 235)
5500 South Zapata Hwy. Sab, 9:00am-1:00pm
LCC (Main EG 130)
West End Washington Mart, Juev, 5:30-8:00pm
2002 San Bernardo Ave. Mar, Juev 4:15-6:15pm
1612 Farragut Vier, 10:00am-2:00pm (Sitio de Entrega)
NeighborWorks Laredo
216 Bob Bullock Loop Juev, 5:30-8:30pm; Sab, 9:00am-1:00pm
Nixon High School 2000 E. Plum Mart, Juev, 4:30- 8pm
TAMIU (WHTC 105) 5201 University Blvd. Lun,Mar,Mier,Juev 11:00am-1:00pm
Workforce Solutions 2389 E. Saunders Mart, Juev, 5:30-8:00pm
Zapata Community Center 607 N. Hwy 83, Zapata Sab, Feb. 3 & Mar. 3, 10:00am-2:00pm
Zapata Education Center
Hwy 83 & 7th St. Zapata Sab, Feb. 24 & Mar. 24
Para más informacion
(956)307-8138 | vitalaredo@gmail.com http://vitalaredo.org