SATURDAY
BAYLOR TEXTS RELEASED
FEBRUARY 4, 2017
FREE
FORMER COACH BRILES’ ALLEGED TEXTS SHOW TEAM COVERING UP EVIDENCE, B1
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
45TH ANNIVERSARY
2017 ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR
Officials raise concerns By Kevin Diaz HEA R ST NEWSPAPE RS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump started talks with congressional leaders Thursday to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, consulting with Texas Republican Kevin Brady, chairman of a House panel that will be charged with shaping the Brady contours of a new hemispheric deal with major implications for Texas. “We had a very constructive, very thoughtful discussion about the path forward, his desire to update and modernize NAFTA to make it not just free, but fair trade,” Brady said after emerging from the White House meeting. Brady, a Republican from The Woodlands, is a former Chamber of Commerce official and longtime free trade advocate. He said he is ready to work with Trump to fulfill one of the central promises of his presidential campaign, though he suggested a scope of reforms that may fall somewhat short of Trump’s wholesale attacks on NAFTA. “It would seem to me he NAFTA continues on A9
NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO
El Mañana newspaper halts publication LA R ED O MORNI NG T I ME S
El Mañana, the newspaper with the biggest circulation in the Sister City, halted its publication for about two days due to threats from organized crime, Mexican media outlets reported. Mexican media cited anonymous sources in their reports. They reported that armed men beat up three employees from the newspaper’s circulation department. They also allegedly damaged a vehicle and threatened the employees to stop the circulation of the newspaper, sources told Mexican media. On Tuesday, El Mañana published a message on its front page apologizing for the inconvenience to its readers. “Dear reader: For reasons of force majeure, your newspaper, El Mañana, could not circulate on Sunday, and the Monday edition was distributed until the afternoon,” the message reads. “We are very sorry for the inconvenience that this interruption outside our control caused. “We assure you that we are putting all our efforts to continue serving you and our two Mañana continues on A10
Courtesy photos
The Zapata County Fair queen contestants are, from left, Triana Isabel Gonzalez, Odette Liliana Cisneros, Clarissa Xochitl Castillo and Clarissa Yvette Garcia.
The fair will also feature a carnival and musical entertainment SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
T
he Zapata County Fair celebrates its 45th anniversary and the entertainment assembled for this event is just spectacular! The fair will be held March 9, 10 and 11. What started out as a small venue for farming and ranching students to showcase their prized livestock has now evolved into a 3-day solid celebration for the senses. Along with staple events like livestock and food contests, the Zapata County Fair also features crowd pleasers like the carnival and the best in musical entertainment. This year in celebration of its 45th anniversary, the fair will hold many amazing events: a three-day music galore headlined by recording artists Intocable, Kevin Fowl-
er, Elida Reyna y Avante, La Tropa F, Siggno, Los Traileros del Norte and more. And don’t forget the annual Zapata County Fair Trail Ride! All of these events celebrate Zapata’s rich cowboy heritage, bringing to life the sights and sounds of the open range. Of course, there is also the majestic beauty that is the Zapata County Fair Queen Contest. This year, four fabulous young ladies will compete for the honor of presiding over this year’s fair, Clarissa Yvette Garcia, Triana Isabel Gonzalez, Odette Liliana Cisneros and Clarissa Xochitl Castillo. Zapata County Fair, in its 45th Anniversary, can easily claim the title of the "Biggest Little Town Fair in Texas" which draws visitors in the many thousands, swelling the town of Zapata up to three Fair continues on A10
Victor Strife / Laredo Morning Times file
A pair of lambs rest in their stall as they wait to be exhibited Saturday afternoon during the 2016 Zapata County Fair Livestock Auction at the Zapata Fair Grounds.
AUSTIN, TEXAS
‘Sanctuary cities’ bill advances in Texas, despite outcry By Will Weissert ASSOCIAT ED PRE SS
Carolyn Van Houten / San Antonio Express-News
Protesters display a sign before being removed from the Senate Gallery during the Senate Committee on State Affairs meeting about Senate Bill 4 at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas on February 2, 2017.
AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas Senate panel shrugged off 16 hours of sometimes tearful pleas and defiant opposition to approve a “sanctuary cities” proposal that would withhold grant funding from local jurisdictions that don’t hand over immigrants already in custody for possible deportation. A 7-2 vote around 12:45 a.m. Friday from the chamber’s powerful State Affairs Com-
mittee sends the bill to the full Senate, where a vote could come as early as next week. Hundreds of Texans traveled from all over the state to testify on the bill and proceedings were repeatedly disrupted by protesters. Supporters say the measure will impose the rule of law, but civic groups, immigration lawyers, church leaders and Hispanic activists oppose it, fearing it will lead to racial profiling and promote mistrust of law enforcement among minority communities. Bill continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
Book sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. Laredo Northside Farmers Market. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. North Central Park. Greens of Guadalupe Rummage Sale. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church hall, 1700 San Francisco Ave. Call Birdie at 2867866 for more details.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
Linda Erbele / AP
Debris litters the area after an explosion destroyed a home killing one person inside in Cleveland, Ga., Friday.
EXPLOSION DESTROYS HOME, KILLS 1
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 Les Amies Birthday Club’s 35th anniversary celebration. 11:30 a.m. Ramada Plaza. Hostesses are Grizelda Peña, Rebecca Martinez and Veronica Salinas. Honorees are Yolanda Gonzalez, Velia Herrera, Mary Lou Solis and Ma. Eugenia Garcia. Alzheimer’s Support Group meeting. 7 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, building B, meeting room 2. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer’s. For information, please call 956-693-9991.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association meeting. 11 a.m. Blessed Sacrament Catholic Churhc Parish Hall, 2219 Galveston St.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. International Bank of Commerce Keynote Speaker Series. 7:30 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, 5201 University Blvd. The presentation is called Economic Crisis: The Hit Men Strike Home ... What Wrecked our Economy and How to Fix It, by John Perkins, New York Times bestselling author. Free and open to the public.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society. 3-5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Meeting and speaker: Ricardo Palacios “The Green Street Kid.” Members free; guests: $5. For more information call Sylvia Reash 763-1810. Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library. For more information call Sylvia Reash 763-1810.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
CLEVELAND, Ga. — A powerful explosion destroyed a home in Georgia on Friday, killing one person inside and shattering windows of neighboring houses as the blast’s shockwave was felt by people living miles away. Investigators were unable to quickly determine what triggered the blast about 10:30 a.m. Friday. Television news stations broadcast footage showing bits of wood, concrete blocks and other debris strewn over a large area. “The house was just blown all to pieces,” White County Sheriff Neal Walden told The Associated Press by telephone. “There was nothing but the foundation there.” The sheriff confirmed the explosion
Guilty plea entered in Colorado pot-candy killing case DENVER — A Denver man who claimed that eating marijuana-infused candy led him to kill his wife pleaded guilty in her death on Friday. Richard Kirk, 50, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the April 2014 shooting death of Kristine Kirk under a plea deal with prosecutors,
killed one person inside the home, but said there were no other injuries. The blast left three or four homes nearby with broken windows and other damage, the sheriff said, and residents of neighboring counties several miles away reported feeling the shockwave. The explosion happened in the mountainous northeast corner of Georgia, about 90 miles from Atlanta and roughly 30 miles from the Tennessee state line. Woods surrounding the home were set ablaze, but firefighters were quickly able to contain the flames, Walden said. “The woods were on fire and what was left of the house was on fire,” Walden said. “It looked like a war zone.”
who dropped a first-degree murder charge against him. Kirk faces between 25 to 30 years in prison and five years of parole when he’s sentenced April 7. He had faced the possibility of life in prison under the first-degree murder charge. Kirk initially pleaded not guilty, but in 2015 he changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. The defense said he was intoxicated with THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient, which led to delirium. Before she was shot, Kris-
tine Kirk told a 911 dispatcher her husband was hallucinating and was getting a gun after eating pot candy. Authorities said low levels of THC were found in his blood, and a partially eaten piece of marijuana candy was found in the house. According to investigators, the couple had escalating marital and financial problems, and Kristine Kirk had told a friend she was afraid of her husband because they had been fighting so much. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Tests confirm Brazil’s ex-first lady’s death SAO PAULO — A battery of tests Friday confirmed the brain death of Brazil’s former first lady, 66-year-old Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva. She was submitted to the tests one day after ex-Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and doctors said she no longer had brain function and were preparing to donate her organs. She’s been hospitalized in Sao Paulo since Jan. 24 after suffering a stroke. The former president confirmed his wife’s death on Facebook and said that her wake will be held on Saturday at the Metalworkers’ Union of Sao Paulo’s industrial suburb of Sao Bernardo do Campo where the two first met, and that her body will be cremated. Both Silva and his wife became entangled in corruption investigations that have roiled
Victor R. Caivano / AP
In this Jan.1, 2007 file photo, Brazilian first lady Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva, right, waves alongside her husband Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on their way to Congress for his swearing-in ceremony for his second term in Brasilia, Brazil.
Brazil the last few years. In September, she was charged with corruption in one case along with her husband. The couple and several others were accused of benefiting from renovations at a beachfront apartment in the coastal
city of Guaruja in Sao Paulo state. The couple denied doing anything wrong. The couple married in 1974 after both had become widowed from their first spouses. They have four children together. — Compiled from AP reports
CONTACT US
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee, but freewill donations accepted.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 Book Room open. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
Today is Saturday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2017. There are 330 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Feb. 4, 1789, electors chose George Washington to be the first president of the United States. On this date: In 1783, Britain’s King George III proclaimed a formal cessation of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War. In 1861, delegates from six southern states that had recently seceded from the Union met in Montgomery, Alabama, to form the Confederate States of America. In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid. In 1941, the United Service Organizations (USO) came into existence. In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a wartime conference at Yalta. In 1962, a rare conjunction of the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn occurred. In 1974, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, 19, was kidnapped in Berkeley, California, by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army. In 1977, eleven people were killed when two Chicago Transit Authority trains collided on an elevated track. In 1983, pop singer-musician Karen Carpenter died in Downey, California, at age 32. In 1987, pianist Liberace died at his Palm Springs, California, home at age 67. In 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, found O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. In 2004, the Massachusetts high court declared that gay couples were entitled to nothing less than marriage, and that Vermont-style civil unions would not suffice. The social networking website Facebook had its beginnings as Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched “Thefacebook.” Ten years ago: The Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI (41), beating the Chicago Bears 29-17. Singeractress Barbara McNair died in Los Angeles at age 72. Five years ago: Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at ending Syria’s bloodshed. Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney cruised to a decisive victory in the Nevada caucuses. Running back Curtis Martin, the fourth-leading rusher in NFL history, and linemen Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf and Dermontti Dawson were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with senior committee choice Jack Butler. One year ago: In their first one-onone debate, Hillary Clinton accused Bernie Sanders of subjecting her to an “artful smear” by trying to cast her as beholden to Wall Street interests while Sanders suggested the former secretary of state was a captive of America’s political establishment during the Democratic faceoff in Durham, New Hampshire. Infuriating members of Congress, a smirking Martin Shkreli took the Fifth at a Capitol Hill hearing on his practice of jacking up drug prices as CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals. Six family members were found dead in their Chicago home. (Two suspects, one of them related to the victims by marriage, have been charged with firstdegree murder.) Today’s Birthdays: Actor William Phipps is 95. Former Argentinian President Isabel Peron is 86. Actor Gary Conway is 81. Movie director George A. Romero is 77. Actor John Schuck is 77. Rock musician John Steel (The Animals) is 76. Singer Florence LaRue (The Fifth Dimension) is 75. Former Vice President Dan Quayle is 70. Rock singer Alice Cooper is 69. Actor Michael Beck is 68. Actress Lisa Eichhorn is 65. Football Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor is 58. Actress Pamelyn Ferdin is 58. Rock singer Tim Booth is 57. Rock musician Henry Bogdan is 56. Country singer Clint Black is 55. Actor Michael Goorjian is 46. TV personality Nicolle Wallace is 45. Olympic gold medal boxer Oscar De La Hoya is 44. Rock musician Rick Burch (Jimmy Eat World) is 42. Singer Natalie Imbruglia is 42. Rapper Cam’ron is 41. Rock singer Gavin DeGraw is 40. Actor Charlie Barnett is 29. Olympic gold medal gymnastturned-singer Carly Patterson is 29. Thought for Today: “Life is doubt, and faith without doubt is nothing but death.” — Miguel de Unamuno (oo-nah-MOO’-noh), Spanish philosopher (1864-1936).
AROUND TEXAS Attorney: Nearly $52M in hurricane damage claims are pending GALVESTON, Texas — A lawyer representing a group of Gulf coast cities and school districts damaged during Hurricane Ike in 2008 says they’re still owed nearly $52 million
by a pool of insurance companies that serve as the insurer of last resort for many property owners. Attorney Shaun Hodge tells The Galveston County Daily News the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association has “delayed every step of the way.” The city of La Marque and the Texas City school district are among the entities await-
ing payment. In some cases, state and local officials are still trying to agree on what will be paid on a claim. The association says the process also has been slowed by lawsuits it’s facing. The association is a secondary insurer that’s not a direct competitor in the voluntary insurance market. — Compiled from AP reports
Publisher, William B. Green .....................................728-2501 General Manager, Adriana Devally ..........................728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................................728-2531 Circulation Director ..................................................728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo..................................728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ..............................728-2582 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ........................................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo.......................728-2569
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
A3
NATIONAL
Union official blames staffing shortage for guard death By Randall Chase A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SMYRNA, Del. — The killing of a guard during an inmate uprising at Delaware’s largest prison this week was entirely preventable, according to a correctional officers’ union leader who blamed state officials for ignoring chronic staffing shortages that put prison workers at greater risk. Sgt. Steven Floyd, 47, was found dead early Thursday after a nearly 20-hour hostage standoff at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna. On Friday, he was posthumously awarded a promotion to lieutenant and the Medal of Valor, the department’s highest honor. Floyd was one of four staff members, including a female counselor, taken hostage Wednesday after inmates in a unit holding about 120 inmates ambushed him and forced him into a closet. Inmates released two hostages before a tactical team used a backhoe to breach the building and
rescue the woman. “If there had been a correct amount of staffing for a maximumsecurity building, the inmates would not have been able to overpower the officers, take control of the building and murder Sergeant Floyd,” said Geoff Klopp, president of the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware. “Bottom line is, you cannot run daily operations of that building with three corrections officers safely,” he said. The problem is not unique to Delaware, observers say. For years, many states have struggled to attract and retain correctional officers, largely because they are woefully underpaid, said David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project. “The correction officers are really the backbone of every prison ... if you don’t have enough officers, really every aspect of prison operations breaks down,” he said. In some states, prisons
are competing for workers with Wal-Mart and McDonald’s, Fathi said. In Nebraska, the state prison has trouble keeping correctional officers because its county jails will pay them much more, he said. Klopp who has worked for the Delaware Department of Correction for 29 years, says he makes about $49,000 annually. A rookie cop in the central Delaware town of Milford starts at $48,000, he said. Authorities have said there are about 90 correctional officer vacancies within Delaware’s prison system on any given day. That’s almost double the 55 correctional officer vacancies reported in fiscal 2010, but less than half of the 260 vacancies in fiscal 2006, according to a Department of Correction annual report. A department spokeswoman said Commissioner Perry Phelps would not comment on staffing until the investigation into this week’s uprising is finished. But the depart-
ment acknowledged in its most recent annual report that “workforce availability and eminent risk are intimately linked,” and that current staffing levels reflect budgetary restrictions, not adherence to National Institute of Corrections recommended standards. When correctional officer jobs remain vacant, prisons are short staffed for extended periods, the report notes. It adds, “Covering security posts with officers who are unfamiliar with the tasks or post location elevates security risk.” Klopp said one of the two guards taken hostage along with Floyd this week was a rookie, and the other was working overtime and not normally assigned to the building where the uprising occurred. Officers frequently are forced to work overtime to make up for staff shortages. Klopp said overtime pay amounted to about $22 million over the past year. Correctional officers often don’t find out until the end of
Brian Witte / AP
Geoffrey Klopp, center, president of the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware, speaks about a prison uprising Thursday in Dover, Del.
their shifts that they are being “frozen” to work an additional shift. “They are still forcing people to work overtime to make the facilities run at minimum staffing. They tell you you can’t go home,” Klopp said. “Not having enough staff, not having enough senior staff, and the amount of overtime that we work leads to fatigue and complacency, because we have to work so much to make the facility run,” he added. According to a 2015 annual report, the DOC had 1,710 filled correctional officer positions in fiscal 2015, up from 1,664 the prior year but well short of the 1,796 approved positions. More than a decade ago, a state task force
said staff and management were complacent about security at the Smyrna prison. The panel was established in 2004 after a female counselor was held hostage and raped. The inmate who held her was shot to death. Klopp said that, to his knowledge, none of the recommendations made by the task force in 2005 has been implemented. Klopp and state Sen. Bruce Ennis of Smyrna, chairman of the Senate Corrections and Public Safety Committee, said turnover among prison guards averages about a dozen a month. “They can’t train them fast enough,” Ennis said. “When you lose 13 guards a month, it’s kind of hard to keep up.”
4-year-old Somali girl reunited with mom in Minnesota By Amy Forliti A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MINNEAPOLIS — A 4-year-old Somali girl whose long-awaited reunion with her mother was put on hold this week due to President Donald Trump’s travel ban is now with her family in Minnesota. Mushkaad Abdi gripped a doll and the hand of her mother, Samira Dahir, who wiped away tears Friday as she spoke to reporters about the
reunion. “I’m very happy today that my daughter, Mushkaad, is now home after painful years,” said Dahir, 32. “I would like to thank you everyone who helped me ... I’m so happy. That’s why I’m crying.” Dahir came to the U.S. in 2013 with her two older daughters. Prior to her arrival but after she was approved to enter the U.S. as a refugee, she gave birth to Mushkaad, her youngest daughter. Dahir was told she would have to choose to start the
refugee application process all over again with her whole family, or leave the youngest girl behind and bring her to the U.S. later, said Maureen Warren, chief family services officer for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. Dahir left Mushkaad with a friend in Uganda and has worked for years to bring her to Minnesota. The situation became more urgent months ago when the friend was no longer able to care for the girl. Dahir told her naturalization teacher about
the problem, and the teacher contacted U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s office. Franken and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobochar spent months working with Dahir to expedite her daughter’s arrival. Mushkaad was scheduled to arrive on Jan. 31, but her trip was canceled by Trump’s executive order banning refugees from certain countries. Franken and Klobuchar intervened and pressed Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to clear the girl’s
travel. “It’s been heartwrenching for Samira and her two older daughters, who have waited to be reunited with Mushkaad since she was an infant. I’m very pleased that — after far too long of a separation — this Minnesota family is now together,” Franken said in a statement. “This case proves that President Trump’s Executive Order was poorly thought out, poorly executed, and above all wrong for Minnesota and the nation.”
Klobuchar added that the executive order caused chaos and its impact was felt by Minnesota families and businesses. “I am so glad that Mushkaad is now safe at home in the United States with her mother, Samira, and her two sisters,” she said. “However, we know that Mushkaad is not the only child who was waiting to be reunited with their family and caught up in the aftermath of this order. I will continue to advocate to help families in the state.”
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Obama should thank Trump for putting Iran on notice Eli Lake BL O O M BE RG
Don’t say Donald Trump never did anything for Barack Obama. On Wednesday, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn put Iran “on notice” for its ballistic missile test and its arming, training and equipping of Houthi rebels in Yemen. The early reaction from the network of groups that pushed for the Iran nuclear deal has been shock and horror. The Arms Control Association warned President Trump against “provoking confrontation.” The National Iranian American Council said Flynn’s warning was “reckless.” Ben Rhodes, Obama’s top national-security adviser, let loose about it on his Twitter feed. And I understand the alarm. After all, Trump has ridiculed the Iran deal since the parties agreed to it. News outlets Thursday night reported the administration planned on sanctioning 25 Iranian entities for the missile test and support for the Houthis. Trump administration officials tell me there will be other changes to Iran policy to follow, including new rules of engagement for U.S. Naval vessels in the Persian Gulf. All of this creates an atmosphere of uncertainty for Iran’s leaders who don’t yet know what it means when Trump puts them “on notice.” Most times, predictability and steadiness are important for statecraft. But there are exceptions. Iran’s recent aggression in the Middle East is one of them. Since completing the nuclear deal in 2015, Iran has tested ballistic missiles at least 12 times, according to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. This is not only contrary to U.N. Security Council 2231, which calls on Iran not to test missiles. It also means Iran is perfecting the delivery mechanism for an eventual nuclear weapon, if it chooses to build one down the road. Remember, the limits on Iran’s enrichment activities expire between 2025 and 2030. Perhaps the deal’s supporters believe Iran’s Sunni neighbors and Israel would just allow Iran to keep testing with no real consequences. But that’s a risky bet. And it’s made even riskier in light of Iran’s aggressive shadow war throughout the region. The Yemeni Houthi militias it has armed, trained and equipped just attacked a Saudi ship in the Red Sea.
These skirmishes can quickly escalate. How likely is it that the nuclear deal would survive such an escalation? One way to reduce the risk of a regional war Iran and its proxies are currently stoking is through deterrence. Because Trump’s advisers have yet to present a new war plan to take out the Islamic State, it also makes sense that the U.S. position on Iran should be vague. Let the regime’s imagination run wild. Who knows what else Trump will do? Now it should be said that Iranian officials have long publicly warned that their proud nation does not respond well to threats. As the IranianSwedish activist Trita Parsi wrote Thursday in the Huffington Post, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is fond of saying Iranians are “allergic to threats.” But this just isn’t true. Threats and pressure have worked well with Iran. Look no further than the nuclear deal itself. Iran only agreed to even negotiate with the U.S. and five other great powers after the world imposed crippling sanctions on its oil exports and central bank. It took the threat of economic collapse to get Iran to start negotiations. The reverse is also true. Iran has been testing more ballistic missiles, increasing its interventions in Yemen and Syria and detaining additional U.S.-Iranian dual nationals since it completed the nuclear agreement. When Obama was trying his best to reset the relationship with Iran, the Iranians became more aggressive. The best news for Obama is that the White House on Wednesday was clear that, for now, it does not intend to withdraw from the nuclear deal. A senior administration official on Wednesday told reporters that he did not consider these missile tests to be a violation of the pact itself. When Obama sold that agreement to Congress in 2015, he promised that the U.S. was only lifting sanctions on Iran related to its nuclear program. And while Obama imposed a few mild sanctions designations on Iran for missile tests, the economic pain these measures caused was miniscule compared to the benefits of Iran’s sanctions relief. Trump is now preparing new sanctions and signaling that there will be greater consequences under his administration for missile tests and other forms of Iranian regional aggression.
COLUMN
The wall: A continuation of a failed approach By Clara Long TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
In his first weeks as president, Donald Trump has rushed to adopt policies that will deeply harm migrants, particularly asylum seekers, and won’t make the United States any safer. The same executive order that directed the head of the Department of Homeland Security to "plan, design and construct a physical wall on the border" also told the agency to place a high priority on prosecuting unauthorized border crossers, hire more border agents, lock up migrants for longer in new detention facilities, and deputize more local police for immigration enforcement. The effect will be to destroy due process and end humane treatment on the border. We know this because each of these measures would expand already disastrous border policies. Prosecutions of unauthorized border crossers now make up more than
half of all federal criminal prosecutions, consuming a large chunk of finite resources. Federal authorities prosecute more people for crossing the border than they do for drug trafficking, murder, rape, and embezzlement combined. Under the Obama administration, these prosecutions swept up tens of thousands of people, including parents and loved ones of U.S. citizens who have lived in this country for a long time, putting down deep roots. These aren’t violent or dangerous criminals. Immigration reform could give them a legal way to return to their families and communities, allowing border enforcement to focus on people who might actually pose a threat. Trump’s order also directs Homeland Security to hire 5,000 new border patrol agents and expand a detention system for people awaiting deportation hearings. Already, U.S. detention centers hold a record number of people in subpar conditions that have in recent
years contributed to at least seven deaths. A better alternative would be to devote these resources to fixing the enormous immigration court backlog and providing due process to people going through these courts. Studies show that cheaper, more humane community support models that don’t include detention are very effective at ensuring people show up for hearings. Trump also directed Homeland Security to pursue agreements with local and state authorities that deputize local officers to enforce immigration law. This is also not a new policy: There were once many such agreements, but since 2008 the number has dwindled to around 30. To a significant extent, this owes to opposition from local law enforcement, which knows from experience that these agreements make communities less safe because immigrant victims and witnesses of crime, including violent crime such as rape, are afraid to go to the police. Many local law
EDITORIAL
‘Guns for everyone’ includes the mentally ill BL OOMBERG
Of all the measures to improve gun safety, background checks are among the most reasonable and popular. House Republicans lost no time this week in voting to weaken them. A bill approved on a mostly party-line vote in the House would rescind a rule on gun background checks that was initiated
by the Barack Obama administration in 2012 and finalized in December. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill after its likely passage by the Senate. The rule requires the Social Security Administration to submit records to the gun background check system for an estimated 75,000 beneficiaries annually who, due to mental illness, cannot
work at all and require a representative to manage their Social Security benefits. The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits gun possession by the “mentally defective.” Advocates for the mentally ill caution that mental illness should not be equated with a penchant for violence. They’re right. But America’s tragic experience with mentally ill gunmen — from
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
enforcement agencies have supported disentangling their work from immigration enforcement, believing it is the best way to protect everyone’s safety. This border wall, if built (at U.S. taxpayer expense), will probably have a lot in common with the 600 miles of barriers along the southern border already built under the 2006 Secure Fence Act. The project razed delicate environments, trampled on long-standing property rights and cut communities in two. It was also expensive and ineffective, not to mention ugly. Every weekend, families separated by the barrier try to share intimacies through the bars while a Border Patrol car or two stands by. Ultimately, Trump’s call for a new wall hides the ugly truth that his policies offer no new solutions. They just double down on the failed approaches of the past, which have broken families, corrupted agencies and made the U.S. less safe while ignoring steps that could be wins for all involved.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Virginia Tech in 2007 to Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 — shows the folly of simply dismissing the danger. In recent years Republicans have prioritized instant gratification for anyone who desires to purchase a gun. Last year the National Rifle Association spent $50 million on the campaigns of Donald Trump and six Republican senators.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
NATIONAL
Nick Ut / AP
Children stand outside John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica, Calif., that remains closed as crews scrub surfaces in an effort to eradicate any traces of a gastrointestinal virus that has sickened some students Friday.
Southern California school closes due to contagious illness A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — A Southern California school closed Friday to try to halt further spread of suspected norovirus contagion that appeared among a large group of students who attended a science camp at Yosemite National Park last week. The Santa MonicaMalibu Unified School District said 190 seventhgrade students from John Adams Middle School, along with some parents and teachers, were potentially exposed to the gastrointestinal illness during the five-day Yosemite trip. The district said it is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to contain the illness, which appeared to have spread to some John Adams students who didn’t go
on the trip and through siblings to other Santa Monica schools. The health agency “currently believes that this originated in Yosemite, potentially exposing students from dozens of school districts,” the district’s statement said. The students on the trip returned to Santa Monica on Jan. 27 and did not return to the campus until last Monday. The highly contagious norovirus can be transmitted from an infected person, contaminated food and water or by touching a contaminated surface, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. Infections cause inflammations of the stomach and intestines. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever. All ages are suscep-
tible to the virus, and the symptoms can become serious for very young patients and older people, the CDC said. People can get the illness repeatedly because there are many types of noroviruses. The most common period for norovirus outbreaks in the United States is from November to April. The Santa Monica district urged parents to keep any child with symptoms at home and to alert their school. Students should also be kept at home for three days after the end of any symptoms because they remain contagious, the district said. The John Adams Middle School campus will remain closed through Sunday for cleaning. Any other sites where a case occurs will also be cleaned, the district said.
A5
Zfrontera A6 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Pago de impuestos 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St.
Trámites consulares 1 El Consulado de México estará en la Ciudad de Roma, el sábado 4 de marzo, donde los residentes podrán realizar los trámites de expedición de matrícula consular y pasaporte, en el Centro Mundial de las Aves, Plaza Histórica frente a la Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora del Refugio, esquina de Portscheller y avenida Convento. Mayores informes en el Consulado de México en McAllen al teléfono 956-686-0243.
Feria del Condado 1 Feria del Condado de Zapata celebra su 45avo. Aniversario del 9 al 11 de Marzo. El jueves 9 se presentarás Los Desperadoz y La Tropa F, además de Elida Reyna y Avante; el viernes 10 estará Kevin Fowler; el domingo, desfile de la Feria del Condado de Zapata desde las 9:30 a.m., iniciando en 3a. Avenida, por la tarde presentación de los Traileros, La Leyenda; presentación de la Reina y su Corte, y, cerrará con la presentación de Intocable.
TAMAULIPAS
NUEVO LAREDO, MX
Presentan plan de austeridad Buscan ahorro millonario en gasto público E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, México, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, anunció este jueves un programa de apoyo a la economía de las familias tamaulipecas y un plan de 10 acciones que permitirán un ahorro de hasta 680 millones de pesos en gasto corriente en la administración estatal. En conferencia de prensa en el Salón Independencia de Palacio de Gobierno, el Gobernador dijo que su administración decidió aplicar una serie de medidas
urgentes, privilegiando a los grupos de la población que más lo García necesitan. Entre las acciones que presentó en beneficio de la economía de las familias tamaulipecas están: no aumento a tarifas del transporte público; apoyo a la población para la canasta básica través del Programa de Abasto a Bajo Costo; Programa de Comedores Comunitarios; accesos a servicios de salud y medicamentos; nuevas afiliaciones al Seguro Pop-
ular; y apoyo a productores agropecuarios en zonas menos desarrolladas. También se reducirá el precio de las licencias de conducir y mantener subsidios a la tenencia vehicular, además de un Acuerdo de Austeridad en el Sector Público Estatal. Por otra parte, anunció medidas de recorte de gasto corriente y austeridad en el gobierno de Tamaulipas, que permitirán ahorrar hasta más de 680 millones de pesos. ·“En los próximos días, enviaré al Congreso del Estado un decreto, mediante el cual se establecen las medidas de disciplina presupuestaria para el uso eficiente, transparente y eficaz de los recursos públicos bajo los
principios de austeridad y racionalidad”, dijo el Gobernador. Agregó que “en Tamaulipas vamos a demostrar que en tiempos difíciles sabremos salir adelante, sociedad y gobierno, estamos empezando una nueva época para nuestro estado”. Enfatizó además que “no aceptaremos desviaciones de recursos ni seremos cómplices en la corrupción como en el pasado, este gobierno seguirá auditando y deslindado responsabilidades para castigar a quienes nos han robado”. El documento de las acciones a emprender se encuentra disponible para la población en general en www.tamaulipas.gob.mx/medidasdeapoyo.
Periódico deja de circular dos días TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El Mañana, el periódico de mayor circulación en Nuevo Laredo, México, detuvo sus publicaciones durante dos días debido a amenazas del crimen organizado, reportaron medios de comunicación en este lado de la frontera. Los medios mexicanos citaron fuentes anónimas en sus reportes. Reportaron que un hombre armado golpeó a tres hombres del área de circulación. Además, los sospechosos “dañaron” un vehículo y amenazaron a los empleados de detener la circulación del periódico, fuentes dijeron a la prensa mexicana. El martes, El Mañana publicó un mensaje en primera plana pidiendo una disculpa por el inconveniente a sus lectores.
ZAPATA SOUTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
100 DÍAS DE SABER
Caminata amistosa 1 El Servicio de Extensión Texas A&M Agrilife invita a la segunda caminata Walk Across Texas que iniciará desde el 1 de febrero y hasta el 24 de marzo. Una competencia amistosa para ver quién acumula más millas haciendo cualquier actividad física como correr, caminar andar en bicicleta, , baile, etc. Mayores informes en Texas A&M Agrilife Service Extension al (956) 487-2306.
Laboratorio Computacional 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.
Foto de cortesía | ZCISD
Estudiantes y personal de la escuela primaria Zapata South Elementary celebraron 100 días de escuela con un desfile y actividades especiales en cada salón. Oficialmente ahora son 100 días más inteligentes.
COLUMNA
Museo en Zapata 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
Grupos de apoyo 1 El grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reunirá en su junta mensual, a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario. Las reuniones se realizan el primer martes de cada mes en el mismo lugar y a la misma hora.
Constitución inicia etapa postrevolucionaria Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
La asamblea constituyente reunida en Querétaro diseña con acento vanguardista el marco constitucional surgido de la Revolución Mexicana. Cobra forma en intensas jornadas parlamentarias. A ellas concurre Tamaulipas y asume posturas que despiertan interés. México aún olía a pólvora, confrontados entre sí los vencedores del usurpador Victoriano Huerta. No obstante, gana terreno la idea de remontar desavenencias bélicas y establecer nuevas regulaciones jurídicas para reconstruir el país. A cargo del Poder Ejecutivo federal, don Venustiano Carranza expide la convocatoria respectiva. Fechada el 14 de sep-
tiembre de 1916, especifica plazos y criterios aplicables. Se impide que tomen parte quienes “hubieren ayudado con las armas o sirviendo empleos públicos a los gobiernos o facciones hostiles” al carrancismo, determinan las bases. Tamaulipas, dividido en distritos, compone amplia delegación. Por Matamoros, elige al coronel nuevoleonés Pedro A. Chapa; por Ciudad Victoria, al licenciado Ceferino Fajardo Luna; por Tula, al general sinaloense Emiliano Próspero Nafarrete, y por Tampico, al licenciado Fortunato de Leija Pérez. Las deliberaciones legislativas abren el 1 de diciembre de 1916 y abarcan dos meses completos. El foro suma 210 escaños. Al efecto, sirve de sede el Teatro Iturbide de la
Foto de cortesía | Picasa
Detalle del mural La Constitución de 1917, del artista Jorge González Camarena exhibido en el Museo Nacional de Historia-Castillo de Chapultepec de la Ciudad de México.
capital queretana. En aquellas labores predominan dos grandes corrientes. Una la integran los senadores romanos, identificados con la moderada iniciativa suscrita por Carranza, base de los debates. Agrupa la otra a los jacobinos, promotores de innovaciones avan-
zadas, recogidas en la versión definitiva. Existían liderazgos tamaulipecos de banderas radicales. Destaca el de Alberto Carrera Torres, otrora correligionario de los hermanos Ricardo y Enrique Flores Magón. Proclive a las elites domésticas, el general Luis Caballero Vargas marca contrastes. Notorias confianzas le dispensa Carranza. Tantas, que entre noviembre de 1913 y julio de 1916 ocupa la gubernatura del noreste extremo. La nómina de congresistas tamaulipecos en Querétaro sugiere afinidades con Luis Caballero. Pero denotan también falta de experiencias previas en luchas populares. Dichas circunstancias acaso expliquen al menos en parte sus desempeños,
faltos de énfasis propositivo. Respaldan el modesto proyecto elaborado por don Venustiano y parecen regatearle simpatías a los planteamientos que implican cambios de fondo. Promulgada la Carta Magna el 5 de febrero de 1917, emblemáticas cláusulas encuentran caminos difíciles en Tamaulipas. Pugnas internas y reticencias de tufillo conservador postergan en la práctica hasta 1924 los repartos agrarios de que habla el artículo 27. Con equivalente tardanza, vistas las obligaciones desprendidas entonces del artículo 123, el primer ordenamiento laboral en la entidad se dicta en 1925, desdeñándose mientras sostenidas efervescencias obreras. De este modo comienza ahí la etapa postrevolucionaria.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
NATIONAL Device tossed in restaurant was ‘glorified firecracker’ A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PASADENA, Calif. — A homemade incendiary device thrown into a crowded California restaurant at dinnertime was a “glorified firecracker” that didn’t appear to be made to injure anyone, a police spokesman said Friday. When the device ignited at the Cheesecake Factory in Pasadena Thursday night, panicked patrons abandoned their meals and knocked over chairs as they rushed for the exits, though no one was hurt. Pasadena Police Lt. Vasken Gourdikian told The Associated Press on Friday that it appears
Thursday night’s incident was a “stupid prank.” Police said the man opened the restaurant’s front door, lit a homemade incendiary device and tossed it inside. The device landed under a table, and witnesses said the restaurant filled with smoke. “It wasn’t meant to be destructive in the sense that it didn’t have any fragments or shrapnel,” Gourdikian said. “It was made to make a loud bang, which it did.” Gourdikian said the restaurant received no threats either before or after the explosion. Detectives are still working to track down a motive for
Nanny donates portion of liver to save 16-month-old’s life ASSOCIATED PRE SS Damian Dovarganes / AP
The Cheesecake Factory restaurant is seen in Old Pasadena Friday. A man dressed in black threw a homemade incendiary device into the crowded California restaurant Thursday at dinnertime, and when it ignited, panicked patrons abandoned their meals and knocked over chairs as they rushed for the exits.
the incident, but Gourdikian said that “on its face, it looks like a stupid prank.” Detectives returned to the scene Friday and were canvassing for surveillance video that may help them identify the man who threw the device. They described him as having a heavy beard and wearing all black clothing and a black beanie.
Ohio school recovers Holocaust survivors’ recorded melodies A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AKRON, Ohio — Wire recordings of Holocaust survivors singing melodies at a refugee camp in France in 1946 are being heard for the first time in decades, thanks to university employees in Ohio who pieced together a device to listen to them. University of Akron officials say the six songs were sung by survivors in Henonville, France, for psychologist David Boder, who was among the first to record Holocaust survivors telling their stories during the 1940s. He recorded on steel wire, capturing the melodies with lyrics in Yiddish and German. “Dr. Boder was deter-
mined to give the survivors a voice,” said David Baker, a UA professor of psychology and executive director of the Center for the History of Psychology. “Dr. Boder is credited with being the first person to record testimony of Holocaust survivors.” Boder conducted numerous interviews on wire recorders, which were considered state-ofthe-art equipment at the time. He also recorded religious services, folk songs and counseling sessions in addition to his work with Holocaust survivors. The Akron Beacon Journal reports that one woman sang melodies that had been sung in a
A7
Polish ghetto and a forced-labor camp. Some of Boder’s spools were donated to the university in the 1960s and archived, but the content wasn’t discovered until a recent project to digitize the recordings. “It’s the most significant discovery from our collections in our 52-year history,” Baker said. “That we could give the world the melody to a song sung by those sentenced to their death through forced labor during one of the most unspeakable horrors and trauma of the 20th century is remarkable.” Boder’s recordings are also held in the Library of Congress and at UCLA in California.
Garrett Gunkle, who was sitting with his wife at the bar, told television station KNBC in Los Angeles that some people tripped and fell as they rushed for the doors, leaving behind their coats, cellphones and baby strollers. “People were jumping over one another, fighting to get over bar stools,” he said. “It was very chaotic.”
JACKSON, N.J. — A 16-month-old New Jersey girl’s life has been saved by her nanny, a University of Pennsylvania student who donated a portion of her liver to aid the child. Kiersten Miles had only known the Rosko family, of Jackson, for three weeks when she learned that baby Talia had a serious disease that could turn fatal if she didn’t receive a liver transplant. Wanting to help and knowing that her O blood type was compatible, 22-year-old Miles started researching living organ donation. The family’s medical
team informed Miles of the ramifications the procedure could have not only on Talia but also herself. “I can never donate again,” she said, even if she is a perfect match. Undeterred, Miles donated part of her liver at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in early January after she was determined to be a match with Talia. “It’s such a small sacrifice when you compare it to saving a life,” Miles said. “Some of her doctors said she possibly wouldn’t have made it past 2 years old. All I had to do was be in the hospital for a week and a 5-inch scar.”
A8 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
‘El Chapo’ lawyers say jail conditions are too strict in NYC By Tom Hays A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — He’s locked up 23 hours a day. His wife can’t visit him. He can’t call anyone, except his lawyers. He even was denied water, his lawyers say. The strict jail conditions for notorious Mexican drug lord and escape artist Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman were outlined on Friday by defense attorneys in a failed bid to get a judge
to loosen them. Guzman smiled at his common-law wife, Emma Coronel, as he was led into the Brooklyn courtroom under heavy guard by deputy U.S. marshals at his second court appearance since being brought to the United States on Jan. 19. “This was so far the only way she has been able to see him,” defense attorney Michelle Gelernt said afterward with a silent Coronel at her side. Guzman, 59, has
pleaded not guilty to charges of running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings. He’s being held at a high-security federal jail in Manhattan, with U.S. officials mindful of how he twice escaped from prison in Mexico, the second time via a mile-long tunnel dug to the shower in his cell. Defense lawyers complained to U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan on
Elizabeth Williams / AP
Emma Coronel Aispuro, wife of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, talks with reporters as she leaves Brooklyn federal court following her husband's court appearance Friday in New York. Guzman is charged with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.
Friday that the restrictions make it difficult for him to make decisions with them about how to fight the charges. They claimed his jailers are so zealous, they denied him water during a recent meeting with the defense team. “I don’t think there’s any thought that if I have
the guards give him a glass of water during a three-hour meeting that somehow that’s going to effectuate his escape,” Gelernt told reporters outside court. But Cogan, after alluding to having secret correspondence with the government about the risks of guarding Guz-
man, told the defense he wouldn’t weigh in on the jail conditions. “Based on what I know about this case, there are grounds for extra security measures,” the judge said, with Guzman listening through a Spanish interpreter. Guzman is due back in court on May 5.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
A9
ENTERTAINMENT
Happy to be an Estefan, Gloria’s daughter charts own path By Adriana Gomez Licon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MIAMI — Emily Estefan was so self-conscious about being the daughter of Cuban-born superstar Gloria Estefan that she avoided singing in front of anyone until she was 18. Then, one winter night at the family’s Florida beach house, she finally sang for her mother. First she asked her to look away. “I was like shaking, shaking, shaking, shaking. Everything in my body was shaking. But I did it,” said Emily Estefan, now 22. Then Gloria looked at her, and she cried— the two things her daughter had asked her not to do. Four years later, the younger Estefan is releasing her debut album, “Take Whatever You Want,” which came out Friday like a declaration of independence. “I am honored to come from this family. I would love to yell it from the mountains and also be recognized as a person,” she said. Emily already had been following in the
Trump tweets that actor ‘tried hard’ to make show work A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger “tried hard” to make “Celebrity Apprentice” a success, but has failed. In an early morning Twitter post Friday, the president kept alive a Schwarztheme he enegger brought up a day earlier during his first appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast. Trump, who once hosted the NBC reality TV show, took a pot shot there at Schwarzenegger, the current host and former California governor, over a ratings nosedive for the show. On Friday, Trump said in his tweet, “Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger did a really bad job as Governor of California and even worse on the Apprentice ... but at least he tried hard!” Schwarzenegger responded quickly to Thursday’s remarks in a video on his verified Twitter account, suggesting that he and Trump switch jobs. His response to Friday’s dig from Trump came later in the day in the form of a tweeted link to a 2006 article from the Los Angeles Daily News reporting that he, then governor, had released his tax records. Trump, as a candidate and now as president, has refused to release his own tax records.
musical footsteps of her parents. Her father, Emilio Estefan, is one of the biggest names in Latin music production and founder of the band that turned Gloria Estefan into a star. The younger Estefan had learned guitar, keyboards and drums and enrolled in Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music. But after that night when she let herself go, inspiration to become a singer and songwriter kicked in. When she returned to Berklee after her winter break, she began to spend her early morning hours writing feisty songs about freedom, penning the lyrics and the music of every instrument for her soul and jazz-influenced album. In an interview at her late grandparents’ mansion in an exclusive island between Miami and Miami beach, Estefan talked about “huge shoes to fill,” born the heiress of the performer of such hits such as “Conga” and “1-2-3.” Of her parents she said: “I will never be them.” But she went on to say: “The moment when you say none of that mat-
Lynne Sladky / AP
In this Tuesday photo, Emily Estefan talks during an interview after band practice in the garage of her late grandparent's mansion in Miami Beach, Fla. Estefan, the daughter of Gloria and Emilio Estefan released her debut album," "Take Whatever You Want," on Feb. 3.
ters is when you realize that you love it, and you love it enough to dedicate yourself to it. It doesn’t matter what comes out, as long as it is honest.” At the mansion’s garage, her mother watched her rehearse with her band for her first solo concert, and then stepped out for a chat. “There’s soulfulness, there’s R&B influences, there’s depth. She sounds like, honestly, a 40-yearold singer who went through hell. It comes out, all this emotion in her music,” Gloria Estefan said. Gloria Estefan thought maybe she was just a proud mom, blinded by love. So, Gloria played a
track to her husband without telling him who performed it. “He said ‘Oh my God. She is amazing. Who is that?’ ‘She is your daughter,’ I said, and he flipped.” Emily Estefan is, at least right now, more shy than her famous mom onstage, preferring to be shielded by drums or with a guitar around her neck. She dresses all in black with bulky military boots, and her dark black hair is pulled to one side, the rest shaved. At a concert on Thursday at the University of Miami, Estefan performed a medley of songs by Alanis Morissette, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and then drew cheers
when she included parts of her mother’s “The Rhythm is Gonna Get You.” One ticket-buyer, Mark Solloway, said he came because he loves Gloria Estefan but he left impressed by her daughter: “I am blown away. She has such stage presence. She plays all the instruments. She is incredible, 22 years old. She just grabs the audience and brings them in.” Listeners may find a common vibrato in Emily’s first single, “Ask Me To,” to her mother’s early boleros such as “If We Were Lovers.” Emily sings in a different way, but both voices are rich, and crisp, especially in
falsettos. “When people say ‘Oh, you have terrible similarities to your mom.’ I say ‘Yes. I lived in her womb for nine months,”’ she said. “That’s cool. If that comforts you, that’s OK. But listen to me also.” Gloria Estefan said that when she was pregnant and recording the music to the video of “Turn the Beat Around,” her baby kicked so hard she knocked the microphone down. Maybe, she thinks, Emily’s obsession with percussion started before she was born. “I told myself ‘This is definitely a girl who loves rhythm,”’ Gloria said.
The promising new Vanessa Hudgens show ‘Powerless’ is missing one key ingredient Michael Cavna WASHINGTON P O ST
It’s easy to watch the NBC comedy “Powerless,” which premiered Thursday, and be reminded in one respect of Mary Tyler Moore. I genuinely hope that going forward, the writers behind “Powerless” - in order to improve their promising series - will remember her, too. That’s because in the days after Moore died last month, one clip from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” that often got replayed was that wellknown scene from the series premiere, in which bulldog of a newsman Lou Grant says to job
NAFTA From page A1 wants to build upon what works for America in NAFTA, improve what doesn’t, and bring forward really the 21st-century issues that just haven’t been addressed in that area,” Brady said. “All to the goal of creating more U.S. jobs.” Trump, in remarks to reporters before the meeting began, suggested more blanket changes to protect American workers, a signal marker of his campaign. “It’s been a catastrophe for our jobs and our country,” Trump said. “I want to change it and maybe we do it, and maybe we do a new NAFTA and we add an extra ‘f’ in NAFTA … for free and fair trade … because it’s very unfair.” The meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders represented the first baby steps in what could be a long process of reopening the landmark 1994 trade deal between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. It also was the first trip to the Trump White House for Brady, who’ll be instrumental in drafting major reforms on both trade and taxes. The Capitol Hill delega-
candidate Mary Richards: “You’ve got spunk.” Lou then waits a beat enough time for an awshucks smile to cross Mary’s face - before deflating her optimism by barking: “I hate spunk.” “Powerless,” like “MTM,” opens with a smart, beaming young woman (played by Vanessa Hudgens) embarking on a new city and job, her sunny optimism undimmed by the veteran skeptics all around. The introduction is clear: No matter what it takes, she’s going to make it after all. But what “Powerless” lacks more than anything - and what it so desperately needs - is a
character who hates spunk. In other words: Within the precise chemistry of comedy, “Powerless” has curiously refused to add much acid to the mix. And until it does, I’m not sure the halfhour show, over the long haul, can pass the acid test. Which would be a shame, because “Powerless” positively brims with small charms. The title refers neatly to the civilians who live in Charm City, across from Gotham; they are imperiled by the highflying shenanigans of superheroes in pitched battle with villains, yet they try to carry on with
their quotidian existence. Hudgens winningly plays Emily Locke, the new hire at Wayne Security, a firm led by Van (excellent Alan Tudyk), the do-nothing cousin of Bruce Wayne, that creates tech gear to try to minimize the collateral damage endured by civilians. Her jaded, quickquipping co-workers include Jackie (Christina Kirk), Ron (Ron Funches) and Teddy (Danny Pudi). The premise here feels fresh enough, even if spotlighting the effects of superhero fighting upon civilians is as old as Lois Lane. Placing this conflict within a humdrum office recalls several
inspired scenes from Pixar’s “The Incredibles” - “Powerless” creator Ben Queen has a Pixar pedigree himself, writing the screenplay for “Cars 2.” And despite being DC fare, the show is a direct nod to Marvel’s “Damage Control” sit-comics, created three decades ago by artist Ernie Colon and the late, great Dwayne McDuffie. In that latter work, the Damage Control construction company, which repairs the fallout from supervillain fighting, is even coowned by a superhero’s daily tycoon identity, Tony Stark - much like how Bruce Wayne owns Wayne Security.
tion included Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican from Utah, and Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, which Brady chairs. Neal suggested Democrats and their labor allies would welcome some changes, though he said Trump offered no specifics. “The takeaway was clearly that we could all agree on better enforcement mechanisms on previously negotiated trade agreements,” Neal said. “At the same time, we’re all mindful of being careful not to create a situation where retaliation slows the American economy. So, all considered, I think it’s fair to say that after almost 25 years of NAFTA, a review is about to get underway.” Hatch was much less critical than Trump about the toll NAFTA may have taken on American jobs. “It hasn’t helped,” Hatch said, “but it’s better than nothing, but he is talking about making it far better.” The business community in Texas welcomed the development, particularly Brady’s role in the talks. “We are very happy that he’s at the table,” said Chris Wallace, president of the Texas Association
of Business, the state’s chamber of commerce. Wallace noted that Texas is the nation’s top exporting state, with 40 percent of its exports destined for Mexico. “Any discussion of renegotiating trade deals with Mexico is very important to our state,” he said. Among the association’s top concerns: “We want to make sure that those businesses that do business with Mexico can continue to do business with Mexico,” Wallace said. Labor groups in Texas and across the nation long have sought to renegotiate NAFTA and similar multinational trade deals, making Trump’s attacks on NAFTA and the recently scrapped TransPacific Partnership an inflection point for bluecollar workers who traditionally voted Democrat. “As historians study what happened in the election, certainly in the early going, it looks like Trump might have won on that issue in the Midwestern states,” said Ed Sills of the Texas AFLCIO. “Certainly, the criticism of NAFTA coming from Trump has been well received by many people in the labor movement.”
Some, however, also sounded a note of caution. “While we see renegotiation, hopefully, being a good thing, we’re concerned that many of the people in the Trump administration and Cabinet have for the past 25 years been supportive of NAFTA-style free trade agreements,” said Bob Cash of the Texas Fair Trade Coalition, which represents a mix of labor, environmental, religious, farm, immigration and human rights groups. Cash also expressed reservations about a Trump spokesman’s recent statement suggesting trade and tax reform could be a mechanism for funding a border wall. “We’re really concerned about wrapping the trade issue and NAFTA into his anti-immigration statements and support for the wall,” Cash said. Brady said the statement by White House spokesman Sean Spicer did not reflect the intention of House Republicans, who have been discussing a so-called border adjustment tax to favor exports over imports from all U.S. trading partners, not only Mexico. Trump long has made clear that he plans to reopen the landmark trade deal, particularly as
it pertains to Mexico, a low-wage nation with which the U.S. had a $58 billion trade deficit in 2015. The nation’s trade deficit with Canada was about $15 billion. “We will make great trade deals,” he said to reporters as the meeting began. “I don’t care if it’s a renovation of NAFTA or a brand new NAFTA, but we do have to make it fair.” Trump also gave a nod to Wall Street investor Wilbur Ross, who also was in the Roosevelt Room where the trade talks took place. He said the billionaire businessman will be “representing us in negotiations.” The Mexican government already has signaled its intention to prepare for negotiations, starting a formal process in recent days to consult with the private sector. Canadian officials also have said they’re prepared to discuss NAFTA changes. “Canada looks forward to working closely with the new U.S. administration, and with the United States Congress on issues of mutual interest, including trade and investment in various sectors,” said Christine Constantin, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Embassy in Washington.
A10 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER BILL From page A1 The committee voted along party lines and the hotly contested bill should clear the Senate too, since Republicans control 20 of its 31 seats. Similar measures have been backed by top Texas Republicans in previous years but never became law. A bill reaching the Senate floor so early in the state’s legislative session — which began Jan. 10 and runs through the end of May — bodes well for its chances this time. The Texas Democratic Party accused Republicans of using the late hour to rush legislation that much of the state doesn’t want. The committee had scheduled a second meeting to discuss the bill after 8:30 a.m. on Friday, but canceled that after succeeding in voting overnight. “In the dead of the night, while the very families that will be targeted by this discriminatory legislation were asleep, Republicans voted to launch Trump’s deportation force agenda,” Manny Garcia, the party’s deputy executive director, said in a statement Friday. Republican state Sen. Charles Perry said local authorities must enforce the law. “This is not a deportation bill, this is a rule-oflaw bill,” Perry said. “We have almost a culture of contempt for federal immigration law.” The term “sanctuary cities” has no legal definition, but Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has promoted the legislation as a move to crackdown on criminal suspects who are in the country illegally. The issue has become contentious in many legislatures around the
Republican state Sen. Charles Perry said local authorities must enforce the law. country, especially with President Donald Trump promising to wall off the U.S.-Mexico border and impose strict federal immigration policies. As proposed, Texas’ bill applies to local police forces and law enforcement at college campuses, and seeks to strip authorities of state-controlled grant funding if they don’t comply — though some of its key provisions may change as it clears the Senate and makes its way through Texas’ Republican-controlled state House. Individual sheriffs and police chiefs — particularly in heavily Democratic areas — have long opposed enforcing federal immigration law, though some statewide law enforcement groups have endorsed the bill. Abbott has already blocked $1.5 million to be withheld from the Travis County sheriff, who has said the jails in the state capital, Austin, will no longer honor most federal immigration detainers. That funding supported projects such as family violence education and a special court for veterans. The governor has warned that more money could be cut. On Friday, an Austin Democratic lawmaker launched a website to fundraise money to replace the grant dollars. “If Governor Abbott is willing to sacrifice our veterans, women and children to score political points, then we will
show him the power of love,” state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez said. Opponents of the measure say immigrant communities won’t cooperate with law enforcement for fear of deportation if anti-sanctuary cities legislation is approved in Texas.
FAIR From page A1 times its size in three days. Friends and relatives from all over make the annual pilgrimage home to Zapata so they can take in all of the fun. Family reunions turn into
high school reunions as old friends who haven’t seen each other in years, bump into each other on the midway. It’s a homecoming of sorts at the fair. So, grab your boots, saddle up and mosey on down to the Zapata County Fair! You’ll be glad you came!
MAÑANA From page A1 communities with professionalism and dedication. “We thank you immensely for your understanding, patience and support.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
A11
BUSINESS
Nordstrom to drop Ivanka Trump's clothing, accessories line A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Nordstrom will stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories, creating some questions about the future of the brand elsewhere. The Seattle-based department store chain said the decision was based on the sales performance of the first daughter's brand. Neiman Marcus may be the next one to pull back on the label, as the branded jewelry is nowhere to be seen on the upscale retailer's website as of Friday. "We've said all along we make buying decisions based on performance," said Nordstrom in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "We've got thousands of brands— more than 2,000 offered on the site alone. Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business." Nordstrom said that each year the chain cuts about 10 percent and refreshes its assortment with about the same
amount. "In this case, based on the brand's performance we've decided not to buy it for this season," Nordstrom added. Neiman Marcus couldn't be immediately reached for comment. Macy's and Dillard's are also among the retailers that carry the Ivanka brand but didn't immediately reply to AP's query. The move by Nordstrom Inc. comes amid a social media campaign called "Grab Your Wallet," urging a boycott of stores that stock Ivanka Trump or Donald Trump products. Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic Retail, says that retailers walk a tight rope when it comes to celebrity brands but given the politics surrounding the Ivanka Trump brand, that only adds extra controversy, particularly given such a politically divisive climate. Liebmann noted a decision of whether to pull a brand is politically loaded even if it's based on poor sales performance.
Super Bowl advertisers tread carefully in divisive climate By Mae Anderson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — Super Bowl advertisers are treading carefully this year to avoid alienating customers as a divisive political climate takes some of the buzz away from what is usually the biggest spectacle on TV. Ad critic Barbara Lippert says that while “people need an escape,” like the Super Bowl, this year’s matchup on the field feels “so much less important than what’s going on politically.” To get the attention back, some advertisers are turning to nostalgia, celebrities and marketing stunts. P&G is sexing up Mr. Clean, Honda is featuring nine celebrities and Snickers is running a live ad. Others are touching on social issues, without being too blunt about it. Budweiser won the pregame buzz with a sweeping cinematic ad showcasing founder Adolphus Busch’s 1857 immigration from Germany to St. Louis. Although it has been in the works since May , the ad felt topical, as it was released online just days after President Donald Trump’s travel ban against people from seven Muslim-majority
countries. The ad got more than 8 million views on YouTube in just four days. Although many brands released ads online ahead of time, there will still be surprises during Fox’s Super Bowl broadcast Sunday. At $5 million for a 30-second spot, and an expected U.S. audience of more than 110 million, the pressure is on. TIPTOEING AROUND POLITICS Audi’s spot addresses gender equality as a man muses about his daughter receiving equal pay as men one day. Building supplies retailer 84 Lumber had to revise its original ad because a scene featuring a border wall was deemed too controversial by Fox. The new ad shows a Mexican woman and her daughter making a trip by foot across Mexico. The ad’s ending will be revealed at halftime. And Kia attempts a humorous approach. In an ad for the Niro car, Melissa McCarthy takes on political causes like saving whales, ice caps and trees, each time to disastrous effect. The message: “It’s hard to be an eco-warrior, but it’s easy to drive like one” with a fuel-efficient Niro. Though advertisers are being extra careful, tak-
ing on any sort of political topic might backfire, says Mark DiMassimo, CEO of ad agency DiMassimo Goldstein. Against the backdrop of an “emboldened, enraged or traumatized audience,” he says, themes that might have been innocuous in the past “seem more strident and jarring this year.” STUFFED WITH CELEBRITIES In turbulent times, brands can count on celebrities to ensure goodwill among consumers. And why use one celebrity when you can have many? In Honda’s ad , the high-school yearbook photos of Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Viola Davis, Missy Elliott, Tina Fey, Magic Johnson, Jimmy Kimmel, Stan Lee and Robert Redford come to life with special effects. The animations encourage people to follow their dreams in a nod to Honda’s longtime slogan, “The Power of Dreams.” Website hosting company Squarespace shows an intense John Malkovich berating the owner of johnmalkovich.com domain name. Justin Bieber shows off dance moves to tout TMobile cellphone offerings. For the baby boomer crowd, MercedesBenz shows a biker gang being amazed by Peter
Fonda’s AMG GT roadster to the tune of Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.” “The proliferation of athletes and more personalities is a reflection of not taking too much risk,” says Kelly O’Keefe from Virginia Commonwealth University’s advertising graduate program. “When in doubt get a personality.” BLAST FROM THE PAST Anheuser-Busch joins Mercedes-Benz in trying to reach consumers with nostalgia. The brewer’s ad shows a mountain man opening a can of Busch beer to the sound of “Buschhhhh.” It’s a nod to the brand’s ad campaign, introduced in 1978, which lasted for decades. Meanwhile, Bud Light is bringing back the ghost of its 1980s spokesdog Spuds Mackenzie — literally. In its ad, the dog appears as a ghost dangling in the air, urging a Bud Light drinker to go out and join his friends, like the ghosts in the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol.” And P&G sexes up its Mr. Clean mascot, introduced as an animated character in 1958. In the new ad , he distracts a woman as he cleans her kitchen.
Macy’s shares up after being halted amid takeover rumor By Anne D’Innocenzio A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — A reported overture by Saks Fifth Avenue’s parent to take over Macy’s Inc. underscores how further consolidation may be needed to revive the department store sector amid drastic changes in the retail landscape and consumer behavior. Macy’s shares soared in trading Friday, after being temporarily halted on the New York Stock Exchange on a news report that Saks’ owner has approached the department store chain about a takeover. The article, posted on The Wall Street Journal’s website, reported that Canadian chain Hudson’s Bay Co., which operates stores under Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor as well its namesake, is in preliminary stages of discussion with Macy’s
that also include a possible deal for the department store’s real estate. The report cites people familiar with the matter. The potential deal would come as Hudson’s Bay has been on an acquisition binge for the past several years. But Macy’s has been shuttering stores as it tries to become more nimble and compete better with online rivals like online leader Amazon.com. It announced earlier in January that it would close 68 stores after shuttering around 100 last year. It’s also been under pressure to sell some of its valuable real estate. The reported talks come as Macy’s faces pressure to turn its business around after struggling with a string of quarters of sluggish sales amid stiffer competition and shoppers’ shift away from buying clothing and investing more into experiences like spas and spiffing up their homes. And
John Roark / AP
This photo taken Jan. 5, 2017, shows the Macy's located at Georgia Square Mall in Athens, Ga. Macys shares soared in trading Friday, after being temporarily halted on the New York Stock Exchange on a news report that Saks owner has approached the department store chain about a takeover.
it seems that Macy’s efforts to offer more exclusive merchandise, boost online investment and test new concepts like an off-price chain haven’t been enough to turn around its business. Both Macy’s and Hudson’s Bay declined to comment. “Macy’s has been a troubled company that is trying to shrink,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultancy. “But the world is moving
faster than they are.” Mortimer Singer, CEO of Traub, a retail consulting firm, said that a consolidation would help give both operators more staying power and leverage with their own brands, which are increasingly gaining more control as they open their own stores and sell their products online. This year, he believes there will be lots of “musical chairs” in the industry. Outgoing Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren, who
steps down this month and will be succeeded by Jeff Gennette, has been credited for nearly doubling sales during his 13-year tenure at the top. Lundgren led the acquisition of May Department Stores Co. in 2005. The deal involved the thenFederated Department stores buying May for $11 billion and converting a slew of May’s brands including Hecht’s and Marshall Fields into Macy’s banners. Lundgren defied naysayers who thought the acquisition would be a disaster, and soon began leading a move to tailor store merchandise to local markets. That helped create customer loyalty. And under his tenure, Macy’s became one of the top six online retailers in the U.S. Macy’s had been a stellar performer after the recession but has seen sales growth slow in the past two years as it and other traditional depart-
ment store chains face competition from online and off-price rivals. Both J.C. Penney and Kohl’s are also trying to reinvent themselves. The Cincinnati company has been looking for opportunities to boost sales, from buying upscale beauty brand Bluemercury to launching its own off-price stores called Macy’s Backstage. Macy’s launched an Apple shop late last year at its flagship New York store in Herald Square. Beyond the Apple shop, it’s highlighting consumer tech at 180 stores, rolling out a display of smart watches. It’s also been testing an artificial intelligence tool that would free up sales assistants to provide higher levels of customer service. Shares rose more than 6 percent, or $1.89, to $32.61 on Friday. Shares have been down 21 percent over the past 52 weeks.
A12 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
BIG GAME of SAVINGS NO DOWN PAYMENT
& ZERO INTEREST for 24 MONTHS
Greenville Dual Reclining Sofa & Dual Reclining Loveseat
Sofia 4 Pc. Entertainment Center
In a brown microfibre cover.
Includes 2 Piers, Bridge & 60” TV Console. In a chocolate finish. Dimensions: 108” x 16” x 72”
retail $999.95 - 15% Off
84995
$
retail $899.95 - 15% Off
$
0738-850G1
55” XBR 4K Ultra HDTV $ 95 FINAL PRICE
899
FEATURES:
76495
SAVE $150
**
• Android TV • Motion-Flow • 4K X-Realty Pro
SAVE $135
3504-554/XBR55X700D
2208-500K60
55” Smart LED 1080p HDTV Features • Wi-Fi Direct • 2 HDMI’s • 2 USB Inputs • Energy Star® Certified
Linus 5 Pc. Home Theater Seating with Power
retail $699.95
$100 95 SAVE FINAL PRICE**
599
$
3526-551/UN55J6201AF
Features: • Upholstered Faux Leather • Storage consoles and cup holders
54” Fireplace Console
retail $1799.95 - 15% Off
with Fireplace Insert
152995
$
In a merlot finish Dimensions: 54” x 18” x 32.5”
retail $769.95
39995
$
SAVE $370 FINAL PRICE**
2212-300K
HOT BUY!
15 Plus 20% off
Plus, take an extra
Courtney Black Power Recliner retail $399.95 - 15% Off
339
$
95
% off
retail $284.95
199
SUPER VALUE FINAL PRICE**
Marcy Contemporary Klik Klak In a charcoal linen fabric.
retail $149.95
89
$
SUPER VALUE FINAL PRICE**
1629-700
0919-000 - 002
Ice Blast 400-Watt 50 Liter Party Cooler
Features: • Energy Star® Qualified • WebOS 3.0 • Built-In Wi-Fi
Includes Rechargeable Battery, FM Radio, Bluetooth, USB & SD Inputs
retail $1299.95 FINAL PRICE**
89995 SAVE $400
retail $299.95
3510-651/65UH6030
$
Payton 65” Contemporary TV Console
249
FINAL PRICE** 3503-000
Gemini 2000-Watt 15” Active Loud Speaker with Stand & Microphone
In a rich brown cherry finish Dimensions: 65” x 20” x 24”
Features Bluetooth, MP3 Player, USB & SD Inputs
retail $399
retail $349.95
18995
2212-200
& Mattresses
** Accessories
Available in a milk chocolate, graphite or red suede.
65” Smart LED 4K Ultra HDTV
$
** Furniture
Flatt S Fl Suede d R Rocker k R Recliner li
$
0912-901
$
SAVE $270
0791-100GH5
SAVE $210 FINAL PRICE**
19995
$
HOT BUY!
FINAL PRICE** SAVE $150
3502-100
Lacks Furniture Galleria 305 Lost Oaks • Laredo (956) 753-5225 I-35, Exit Mann Rd. Store Hours: Mon, Wed - Sat 10 am - 9 pm Sunday 12 pm - 7 pm • Tuesday 12 pm - 9 pm
Apply for credit online at
www.lacks.com Follow us on
Lacks Furniture Stores
*$999 Minimum purchase. Financing & no down payment offer available to qualified applicants, subject to credit approval. Offer does not apply to previous purchases. Finance charges will be shown on contract but will be refunded on any length contract if monthly payments are paid on time as agreed and the balance is paid in full on or before 24 months from the date of purchase. Not all applicants will qualify for these terms. Other terms and rates may be available. Interest charges will be assessed from date of purchase at a maximum APR 24%, but the APR may vary. Offer valid February 1st thru 6th, 2017. **Discounts exclude Final Price Items, Appliances, Electronics & Merchandise at the Clearance Center.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
B1
NCAA FOOTBALL: BAYLOR BEARS
Briles’ texts at Baylor revealed Head coach allegedly tried to bury evidence By Sarah Mervosh THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Cooper Neill / Getty Images file
Texts released Thursday detailed evidence against former Baylor head coach Art Briles to keep misconduct by football players under wraps, a new court filing alleged.
Ex-Baylor football coach Art Briles and other former athletic officials tried to keep misconduct by football players under the radar, a new court filing alleged Thursday, a day after the disgraced coach abruptly dropped his libel suit against school officials. The filing, which came in response to a lawsuit by a former assistant
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
athletic director, includes damning texts between Briles and other athletics officials as they dealt with multiple allegations against football players between 2011 and 2015. When a female student-athlete reported that a football player had brandished a gun at her, the court paperwork said, Briles texted an assistant coach: "what a fool - she reporting to authorities." In another case, where
a masseuse asked the team to discipline a player who reportedly exposed himself and asked for favors during a massage, the document said Briles’ first response was, "What kind of discipline . She a stripper?" The filing also laid out the athletic department’s response to allegations of gang rape by football players, including when a student-athlete told her coach that five football players had raped her at
an off-campus party. Then-Athletics Director Ian McCaw took a list of names to Briles, who said, "Those are some bad dudes. Why was she around those guys?" He also suggested the woman tell the police, according to the filing. Defense lawyers accuse Briles of creating an atmosphere that allowed wrongdoing by players from underage drinking to sexual assault - to go Baylor continues on B2
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: HOUSTON ROCKETS
ROCKETS RETIRING YAO MING’S JERSEY Chris Carlson / Associated Press file
Former Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson is a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
LT, Taylor, Dawkins, Jones and Tagliabue among hall candidates By Barry Wilner A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — It seems that one word is commonly used by candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. LaDainian Tomlinson says it. So does Jason Taylor, and Tony Boselli. Throw in the rest of the 18
finalists, too. Humble. On Saturday night, at the “NFL Honors” TV show when The Associated Press will announce its NFL individual award winners, the nation will learn who comprises the hall’s class of 2017. One guarantee: whether they are in or out, HOF continues on B3
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Richard Vogel / Associated Press file
Los Angeles Rams fans watch their team play the Falcons in a game on Dec. 11. TV ratings declined eight percent this year as many of the league's highest-profile contests were boring blowouts, including eight of the 10 playoff games leading to Sunday's Super Bowl between the Patriots and Falcons.
Was this the year fans started tuning out the NFL?
Paul Connors / Associated Press file
Former Rockets center Yao Ming had his No. 11 uniform retired by Houston on Friday night. The 7-foot-6 center from Shanghai was the No. 1 pick in the 2002 NBA draft and was an eight-time NBA All-Star.
Rockets honor Yao Ming by retiring former top pick’s uniform By Jordan Godwin ASSOCIATED PRE SS
By Eddie Pells A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — It may have been a blip, explained as much by the must-watch presidential debates as by some wholesale turn away from football. Or, decades from now, 2016 could be remembered as the season fans started falling out of love
with the NFL. TV ratings declined eight percent , with the presidential election partly, but not solely, to blame. Many of the league’s highest-profile contests were boring blowouts, including eight of the 10 playoff games leading to Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Patriots and NFL continues on B2
H
OUSTON — The first time Yao Ming ever watched an NBA game as a young boy in China, he wondered why there were jerseys hanging in
the rafters. “The cameras randomly gave a shot of the retired jerseys,” Yao said. “I slowly realized over time that’s the highest honor a player can achieve for themselves and for
the team. I will always ask myself, ‘What is the story behind it?’ I hope people see the jersey there and remember the story. Not just myself, but my teammates, my opponents, we put a story together.” The Rockets are set to retire Yao’s No. 11 jersey in a halftime ceremony Friday night when they host the Chicago Bulls. A 7-foot-6 center from Shanghai, Yao was the top overall draft pick in 2002 and was an eight-time All-Star, playing nine seasons in Houston before retiring in 2011 Yao continues on B2
B2 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Baseball owners look at rule changes to speed up game By Steven Wine A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PALM BEACH, Fla. — For those rooting for baseball to speed up the game, Commissioner Rob Manfred says: have patience. Owners and players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement in December, but they’re still negotiating innovations designed to improve the pace of play. Owners discussed the issue during two days of meetings that concluded Friday. “We did review some rule changes largely related to pace of game that are being discussed with the players’ association,” Manfred said. “More to follow when those negotiations are complete.” Manfred has pushed for faster games since he became commissioner two years ago. But the average time of a nineinning game last season was 3 hours, a 4-minute increase over 2015. One playoff game took more
BAYLOR From page B1 unnoticed. "The football program was a black hole into which reports of misconduct such as drug use, physical assault, domestic violence, brandishing of guns, indecent exposure and academic fraud disappeared," the court filing said. The paperwork was filed on behalf of several Baylor officials, including school regents and the interim university president, who were sued for libel by former assistant athletic director for football operations Colin Shillinglaw this week. The narrative offered the most detailed account yet of how Baylor officials responded to the sexual assault scandal that has rocked the school. Baylor officials were reluctant to catalog their response to the scandal for fear of violating the law or the privacy of survivors, their attorney said. But he said an onslaught of lawsuits and public pressure from major university donors compelled them to release more information. "They were shocked
NFL From page B1 Falcons. Two NFL teams abandoned fan bases in St. Louis and San Diego in favor of their original home, Los Angeles, where neither team had played for decades. And the Raiders are considering leaving Oakland for Las Vegas , which, for all its renown as America’s gambling capital, has never supported its own big-league team. A key segment of fantasy football, as big a driver of NFL growth as anything in recent years, saw its massive numbers plateau. According to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, entry fees for daily fantasy games increased by 4 percent in 2016, compared to 222 percent the year before, as several states explored the legality of what some perceive as gambling. All this was piled on top of ongoing narratives about concussions and their effect on players, a domestic-violence problem that hasn’t abated, Colin Kaepernick’s na-
than 41⁄2 hours. The new CBA, which extends labor peace to 26 years through 2021, addresses issues such as smokeless tobacco and World Series home-field advantage but not onfield rules. “Given the really serious big economic issues on the table, I think it’s unrealistic to think that you’re going to get an agreement (regarding pace of play) when you’re doing the overall agreement,” Manfred said. “As is the usual course in the offseason, we’re turning to the playing rule issues now.” Management would like to tighten restrictions on trips to the mound and introduce a pitch clock, which has been used in Triple-A and Double-A the past two seasons. Players generally have resisted such changes, and many say there’s no problem with the length of games. Manfred disagrees. “Pace of play is an
issue that ‘we’ need to be focused on,” he said. “The ‘we’ there is players, owners, umpires, everyone who is invested in this game. “I don’t think there’s a magic bullet that is going to come one year to be the solution to pace of play. It’s going to be an ongoing effort to make sure our game moves along in a way that is most attractive to our fans.” Miami Marlins president David Samson said Major League Baseball is aware that despite much talk about the need to speed up games in recent
years, the problem has gotten worse. “Pace of game is critical,” Samson said. “We know that from our fans and TV partners. We have to recognize the reality of life today, which is that attention spans are going down and choices are going up. Whatever business you’re in, you have to adjust.” Among other issues Manfred discussed following the meetings: — Major League Baseball is “monitoring the developments” regarding recent changes in U.S. immigration policy by
President Donald Trump, Manfred said. “Obviously our foremost concern is that players that are under contract with our organizations be able to come and go,” Manfred said. “As of right now the countries that have been mostly affected are not places where we have players.” — The new CBA eliminates the provision that gave World Series homefield advantage to the All-Star winner, but Manfred said players will still be motivated to win the All-Star Game. “I am a believer that when our
players go out on the field they want to win, whether it’s in the All-Star Game or any other game,” he said. — The quality of players taking part in the World Baseball Classic will be high, Manfred said, even though the event takes place during spring training. “I am pleased with the level of cooperation we’ve had from the teams,” he said. —Houston’s Jim Crane and San Diego’s Ron Fowler replaced Minnesota’s Jim Pohlad and St. Louis’ Bill DeWitt Jr. on the executive council.
and hurt and stunned as regents of the university," attorney Rusty Hardin of Houston said of the regents’ response to the scandal. "But they were also fathers whose daughters may be Baylor students . They have been driven by point one, by the first moment, to make sure they did what was right." Briles’ attorney did not immediately return a request for comment. Shillinglaw’s lawyer called the filing "very unorthodox" in an email late Thursday. "We look forward to the complete truth being revealed, instead of a bunch of disconnected accusations," Gaines West said. Briles’ dropped lawsuit and the new information from regents came just days after a Baylor sexual assault survivor sued the school, alleging that 31 football players committed at least 52 acts of rape between 2011 and 2014, an estimate that far exceeded what regents told The Wall Street Journal in October. Regents said then that 19 football players had been accused of sexual or physical assault, including four alleged gang rapes, since 2011.
Hardin said regents came up with that number based on Pepper Hamilton’s findings, newspaper stories and lawsuits. But Pepper Hamilton’s probe was not meant to be exhaustive and did not tally every sexual assault reported. Instead, the court filing said, the law firm did a "stress test" of Baylor’s response to sexual assault complaints, which included analyzing particular cases and interviewing some victims. Pepper Hamilton first presented their findings to regents, who govern the school, during an all-day meeting on May 2. What they had found "stunned" and "deeply saddened" the regents, to the point that several "openly wept as they tried to absorb what they were hearing," the court document said. The law firm described a widespread mishandling of sexual assault cases, which included a university-wide failure to implement Title IX, the federal law that requires universities to proactively prevent sexual violence on campus, and a culture that blamed victims. In essence: "Institutional failures at
every level." Pepper Hamilton had planned to take six months to create a lengthy written report, but after that meeting, regents decided they needed to respond much more quickly. The law firm’s investigative team then went to Waco to deliver a 10-hour oral presentation to the full board of regents on May 11 and 12, according to the filing. By late May, the university had taken sweeping action. Briles was fired. McCaw, the athletic director, was asked to resign. Other athletic staffers, including Shillinglaw, were pushed out. The sanctions flowed all the way to the top: Thenuniversity president Ken Starr was demoted and eventually ousted altogether. Still, critics complained about a lack of transparency from the board of regents and suggested that higher ups with culpability still remained at the university. Hardin defended his clients Thursday: "The regents did the only thing they could have done."
YAO From page B1 because of mounting issues with injuries. He averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks a game and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. “It was really sad for me that his career was cut so short because I think if he had been able to stay on, we would have been able to win a couple of championships,” Rockets owner Les Alexander said. “He’s a great human being and a great basketball player.” Yao will become the sixth Rocket to have his number retired, joining Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 34), Clyde Drexler (No. 22), Moses Malone (No. 24), Calvin Murphy (No. 23) and Rudy Tomjanovich (No. 45). Yao recalled his first home game in Houston in November 2002 when the Rockets retired Olajuwon’s jersey. “We were sitting in the locker room and watching his speech and hearing people cheer for him, we were very motivated to hear that,” Yao said. Reminiscing on his own times as a player, Yao said his favorite mo-
ment was when he first walked into the Compaq Center, the former home of the Rockets. He said he was taken aback when he saw his jersey with his name and number for the first time and realized it was the start of a special journey. Along with other former Rockets standouts Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo and Shane Battier, Yao attended Thursday night’s game against Atlanta and received a standing ovation when he was introduced. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner declared Feb. 2 “Yao Ming Day” and welcomed Yao as the city’s goodwill ambassador, an appointment he received from former Mayor Annise Parker in 2013. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and other league officials were to attend the ceremony at the Toyota Center, which will be broadcast on NBA TV and in China on Tencent and CCTV. “Thinking back on the years I spent here, I just think of the entire team, organization and the city as a big family,” Yao said. “I feel so welcome here, and tonight is very special to me.”
tional-anthem protests and the leadership of a commissioner, Roger Goodell, who is often portrayed as heavy-handed and clueless on some of the league’s most pressing problems. Exhibit A: “Deflategate,” which led to the fourgame suspension of arguably the league’s bestknown player, Tom Brady. Brady will close the season going for his fifth Super Bowl ring in a game that will draw high ratings thanks to the decades-long hold the NFL has held over American sports fans. That the infatuation will last indefinitely, however, may no longer be a given. Baseball, boxing and horse racing once consumed the American public, but they don’t anymore. “You’ve got bad games, (concussions) and drugs, and a declining interest in the game in general,” said Orin Starn, a Duke professor who studies sports in society. “When you throw in this welfare for billionaires with these stadium shake-
downs, you wonder at what point the good will of ‘Joe NFL Fan’ is going to dissipate and people are going to lose interest in the NFL.” One big question: Does the average fan even matter anymore in the NFL’s math? The Rams and Chargers each moved out of cities where they’d played for decades — unable to strike deals in their existing homes, and with the lure of a $2.6 billion stadium being funded by Rams owner Stan Kroenke too enticing to ignore. Luxury boxes and ancillary revenue from attractions adjacent to the stadium will help pay some of the bills. A bundle of TV contracts worth nearly $40 billion through 2022 will bankroll the rest. Actual fans? The Chargers clearly don’t need them too badly. While Kroenke’s palace is under construction, they’re willing to play in a 30,000-seat soccer venue near downtown LA that is smaller than twothirds of the stadiums in college football’s Moun-
tain West Conference. “You look at that, and on some level, there is some assumption that they take fans for granted,” said Eric Simons, author of “The Secret Lives of Sports Fans.” “There’s this idea that fans will follow or that fans don’t matter. That they’ll sell out their boxes to big corporations no matter where they go.” During his state-ofthe-league news conference Wednesday, Goodell spelled out no fewer than four tweaks the NFL is considering to decrease the amount of dead time during games. Changing the instant replay protocol, shortening breaks between scores and the ensuing kickoffs and repackaging commercial breaks are among the possibilities. What he can’t control is making the games themselves competitive. Average score of this year’s playoff games: 32-17. “What we’re trying to do is make our ... games as exciting and as actionpacked as possible,” Goodell said. In building new stadi-
ums and retrofitting old ones, the league has acknowledged, on some level, that the game itself is no longer enough to keep fans in the stands engaged. TVs on seatbacks and improved internet connections are all part of the reality of 21st-century fandom. But in the NFL’s case, that also speaks to the reality that fantasy football drives a huge segment of its current growth: In many cases, fans are every bit as interested in the performance of the players they drafted as of the players wearing the jersey of the team they grew up rooting for. It didn’t help the fantasy industry when a DraftKings employee won $350,000 in a FanDuel contest in 2015 — leading to trust issues for the two largest daily fantasy companies, which had gone largely unregulated. Peter Schoenke, president of rotowire.com, which churns out millions of bits of information for fantasy players, said he’s optimistic that
fantasy will rebound. “I think this year, a lot of people got thrown off their rhythm. They were watching the debates, (ticked) off about Kaepernick,” Schoenke said. “It threw a big chunk of people off. I think next year, it could settle back down.” At stake is a $9 billiona-year business that, in trying to increase its global footprint, has brought three games to London and one to Mexico, all of which were international hits. It also brought football back to Los Angeles, times 2, and could be moving the Raider Nation to the desert. “When you lose people in cities, lose people for entertainment reasons, lose people who identify with certain teams and because there’s this weird mercenary element to it all, it can be a problem,” Simons said. “You’ve also got a replacement, in the NBA, that’s at its mostentertaining moment in decades. All that can be a real threat, and you have to be careful, or you can go the way of boxing.”
Lynne Sladky / Associated Press
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred addressed concerns over pace of play this week to speed up games.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
B3
SPORTS
US wrestlers in limbo after Iran bans them from tournament By Luke Meredith and Nasser Karimi A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
American wrestler Jordan Burroughs saw this month’s tournament in Iran as a chance to redeem himself after a rough performance at the Rio Olympics. It looks like that won’t be happening. Iran on Friday banned U.S. wrestlers from the freestyle World Cup in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order forbidding visas for Iranians, the official IRNA news agency reported. A senior Iranian cleric vowed, meanwhile, that his country would continue its missile program despite threats from the Trump administration that it was preparing to levy new sanctions. “Training comes to a halt. We’re like ‘OK, what do we do now? Where do we go? Where do we compete?”’ said Burroughs, a four-time world champion. “I’m just bummed. I love Iran. I love their people, and I don’t get into politics. I wasn’t going to make a political stance. I was going to compete.”
IRNA quoted Iran foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying a special committee reviewed the case of the U.S. team for the tournament, and “eventually the visit ... was opposed.” The competition, one of the sport’s most prestigious events, is set for Feb. 16-17 in the western Iranian city of Kermanshah. The decision marks the first action taken by Iran in response to Trump’s executive order banning visas for seven Muslim countries. Ghasemi said the policy of the new U.S. administration left Iran no other choice but to ban the wrestlers. USA Wrestling, the sport’s domestic governing body, said in a statement it hasn’t officially been told it won’t be allowed to compete. The group added that if that is the case, USA Wrestling is “extremely disappointed” in what it calls an “unacceptable situation.” “We don’t think politics (should) have any role in this. But, unfortunately, sometimes you can’t control that,” USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender said.
Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic champion and long viewed as the face of wrestling, has yet to compete internationally since leaving Rio without a medal. “These decisions, these executive decisions, are always so far beyond your reach,” he told The Associated Press. “Like, you always feel like ‘Well, the presidency or these strict laws or these Muslim bans or whatever you like to call them, they’ll never affect me.’ This is one of the few times where something so personal has occurred. Almost like it (was) handed down from the president to us. It’s a bummer.” U.S. freestyle wrestlers have competed in Iran since the 1998 Takhti Cup in Tehran, which followed an absence of nearly 20 years. Since then, Americans have attended Iranhosted wrestling competitions 15 times. The Iranians have made 16 visits to the U.S. as guests of USA Wrestling since the 1990s. “Crazy! I’ve never been more welcomed by any country in the world and now we can’t even enter the country!” U.S. wres-
Meeting may move NHL closer to decision on 2018 Olympics
Markus Schreiber / Associated Press file
In 2016, the United States' Jordan Ernest Burroughs, left, competes against Uzbekistan's Bekzod Abdurakhmonov during the men's 74-kg freestyle wrestling competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Iran on Friday banned U.S. wrestlers from this months Freestyle World Cup in response to President Donald Trump's executive order forbidding visas for Iranians.
tler Reece Humphrey tweeted Friday. The 2018 freestyle World Cup is in Iowa City, Iowa, and the Iranian team is expected to qualify. “Though we had hoped for a different outcome from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, we appreciate the complex nature of this decision,” said Nenad Lalovic, president of United World Wrestling, the sport’s international ruling body, said in an email to the AP. “We are currently working to find a solution for the freestyle World Cup as soon as possible.” Wrestling is extremely popular in Iran and is rooted in an ancient practice of combining the sport with physical educa-
tion and meditation. Tehran Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami said Iran would continue its missile program despite opposition from the U.S. government. The Trump administration said Thursday it is preparing to levy new sanctions on Iran in the first punitive action since the White House put Iran “on notice” after it testfired a ballistic missile on Sunday. “We have missile drills. Our missile drills are a show of our might,” he said. “We are living in a world of wolves. Wolves such as the arrogant government of America. In this world of wolves should we remain unarmed and they do whatever damn things they
want? No way! This will never happen!” Khatami said the U.S. is reiterating an “old message” from previous administrations, regardless of political party. “Your message is aimed at confronting religion and Islam,” he said. “You have been against Islam” since 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday tweeted a message in which he insisted on improving the country’s military program as a means of defense. “Iran unmoved by threats as we derive security for our people,” he said. “We’ll never initiate war, but we can only rely on our own means of defense.”
Tiger withdraws from the Dubai Desert Classic
By Larry Lage A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A key meeting on the topic of whether NHL players will participate in the Winter Olympics in South Korea a year from now ended Friday without a decision. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach joined International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA Director Don Fehr in New York for the first time to discuss the Pyeongchang Games. “This was a courtesy visit and there was a very good open and friendly atmosphere,” Bach said. “Hopefully this has prepared the ground for successful negotiations between the NHL and international federation. Of course, we all want see the best players at the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018, and we know the players feel the same. Therefore, we hope even more that the international federation and the NHL will reach a solution to make the Olympic dreams of the players come true.” Fasel said Bach was in New York for other meetings, setting up the visit without “hard negotiations,” or “major updates,” among the parties. “I think it was very important to get us and the IOC and NHL/ NHLPA together,” Fasel
shots and I wasn’t doing a very good job.” Last week in San Diego, Woods returned to the PGA Tour and lasted only two days. Woods never got anything going after starting with a birdie in the Farmers Insurance Open and didn’t come close to making the cut. He missed a 12-foot birdie putt on his final hole on the North Course for an even-par 72 and missed the cut at Torrey Pines for the first time in his career. Woods was coming off
the longest layoff of his career as he recovered from two back surgeries. He had last played on the PGA Tour in August 2015 at the Wyndham Championship, where he tied for 10th. He played in the Bahamas the first week of December in an unofficial event with an 18-man field and no cut. After Dubai, Woods has a week off before playing back-to-back weeks on both ends of the country, Los Angeles (Genesis Open) and Florida (Honda Classic).
leader and played for 25 seasons. Warner won a Super Bowl and two league MVP awards. Davis rushed for more than 2,000 yards in a season and owns a regular-season and Super Bowl MVP honor. Boselli, Faneca and Mawae were the premier players at their positions on the O-line for years. “It feels like there are people that feel pretty strongly that I deserve to be in there. That is humbling that there are people that feel that strongly,” Boselli says. “You look at that list of guys, 15 guys, and those other 14, I can make an
argument for every one of them to be in the Hall of Fame. You don’t get this far, get to the next stage, and it should be hard. There’s barely over 300 guys in the Hall of Fame. There’s a very small group of individuals to be enshrined, and the process should be tough.” It is. A candidate must receive 80 percent positive votes from the selectors on hand, with a minimum of four inductees and a maximum of eight. The class of 2017 will be inducted into the Canton, Ohio, shrine on Aug. 5.
HOF From page B1 they will be humbled by their inclusion in the process. “I’ve never really put myself in their league,” says defensive end Jason Taylor, who starred with the Dolphins and made the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s. “It’s really, really cool to be mentioned with those guys. It humbles you.” Taylor, who now hosts a program on SiriusXM’s NFL Radio, spent portions of his 15 pro seasons being humbled by Tomlinson. So were most
said. “This was a courtesy visit and I hope we can build on this and continue to work to a solution that will benefit the sport of ice hockey.” The league is reluctant to shut down for two-plus weeks, though many of its players want to participate in what would be a sixth consecutive Olympics. The next Winter Games is in China in 2022. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last weekend that team owners were leaning against allowing their players to participate in the Olympics. The NHL does not enjoy its distinction of being the only professional sports league that pauses its season to allow its athletes to participate in the Olympics. The IOC has indicated it does not want to cover the costs for travel and insurance expenses to get hockey’s best to the Olympics as it has done every four years since 1998. The governing body spent about $14 million to cover
travel and insurance for NHL players for the 2014 Olympics in Russia. More than 400 miles away, John Tavares was paying attention in the Motor City to the meeting . “Getting them all in the same room is important,” the New York Islanders center said before playing against the Detroit Red Wings. “And, hopefully there’s some positive discussions.” Tavares, a union representative, said the topic seems to be a bargaining chip for the league and NHL Players’ Association in labor talks. “It can be used as a sensitive issue,” he said. “You can make the argument on the negative impact it can make during the regular season, but then globally, the positive impact it can make. There’s a lot of talk about China and preseason games and the growth there when the Olympics go there. We’ll see what happens. There’s a lot of moving parts.”
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tiger Woods withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday with back spasms after shooting an openinground 77 a day earlier, marking another frustrating start to his return to golf from a lengthy injury layoff. Woods’ manager, Mark Steinberg, said Woods had back spasms on Thursday night after dinner. “Tiger Woods went into a spasm in his lower back fairly late last night ... got treatment done early this morning for 3 1-2 hours, but can’t get it out,” Steinberg said. “He says it’s not the nerve, but back spasm, and he can’t get the spasms to calm down. He can move around, but he can’t make a full rotation in his swing.” Woods made a comeback after multiple back surgeries after a 16-month layoff, and was expected to play four times in five weeks, starting from last week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, where he missed the cut. The European Tour, without giving a reason, announced his withdrawal on Friday before Woods began his second round in Dubai. After his opening round, Woods said: “I wasn’t in pain at all ... I was just trying to hit
defenders in the league as the Chargers and Jets standout won an MVP award, two rushing titles, and set a record with 31 touchdowns and 186 points in 2006 on his way to the same all-decade squad. “I’m lost for words when I think about the Hall of Fame,” Tomlinson said. “I’m a smalltown kid and no one that I ever knew went to the Hall of Fame. No one that I grew up watching, being around, had ever made it to the Hall of Fame or even was considered to be a Hall of Famer. “And so just thinking
about that, thinking about a little kid from a small country town possibly, you know, going to the Hall of Fame, it chokes me up.” Taylor, Tomlinson and former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins — yes, also a member of that all-decade team — are first-year eligibles. Also on the ballot that a panel of 46 media members and two former players already in the hall, James Lofton and Dan Fouts, will consider are: quarterback Kurt Warner; running back Terrell Davis; receivers Isaac Bruce and Terrell Owens; tackles Joe Jaco-
by and Tony Boselli; center Kevin Mawae; guard Alan Faneca; kicker Morten Andersen; cornerback Ty Law; and safety John Lynch. Also on the ballot are former Cardinals and Chargers coach Don Coryell, an offensive mastermind; senior candidate Kenny Easley, one of the hardest-hitting and versatile safeties the NFL has seen; and contributors Paul Tagliabue, the former league commissioner, and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Among their credentials, Andersen is the league’s career scoring
Mark Humphrey / Associated Press file
NHL players are hoping to be able to compete in their sixth straight Olympics in 2018.
David Cannon / Getty Images
Tiger Woods withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic during the second day on Friday with back spasms.
B4 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
Dear Heloise: Just wondering: How sensitive are my DOG'S EARS? I've heard their hearing is exemplary! -- Regina M. in Chicago Regina, in a word, a dog's hearing is impeccable. Dogs hear higher frequencies than humans, and they hear noises that are farther away than what we can hear. Dogs can control the muscles in their ears more easily than people can move their ears. Surely you've seen your dog tilt his head when he hears something. He is manipulating the sounds so they are easier to hear! Some hints to care for your dog's hearing: >> Avoid loud, sharp and jarring noises: fireworks, jackhammering, loud music, etc. >> Sensory overload is terrible. Yelling and loud TV and music combine to make an unhealthy environment, so no big football games or parties for
the dog. >> Make sure kids don't stick objects (coins, crayons, etc.) in a dog's ears. >> Have the veterinarian check the dog's ears during annual exams. -- Heloise STUFF IT! Dear Heloise: I have stuffed animals that have sentimental value to me. Unfortunately, they collect dust, which gets my allergies in an uproar. Display cases are expensive, but I had an idea hit me when I was washing blankets. The plastic bags that comforters come in are like display cases, and they stand up! Since I always save them, I grabbed one, and voila! Instant display cases for my stuffies. -- Missi P., via email
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
X1
X2 | Saturday, February 4, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES