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ZAPATA CRIME STOPPERS
Stolen saddle Authorities are asking the public for information on the taken horse seat By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES
County authorities are asking for the community’s assistance to identify the person who stole a saddle, according to reports. The Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office and Zapata Crime Stoppers said Friday they need the
community’s help to obtain information on the case. Authorities said the saddle was stolen from the owner’s barn. The saddle had the following lettering on the side: “BZ PRODUCTIONS,” “HIGH POINT CHAMPION” and “2013.” People with information on
the case are asked to call the Sheriff ’s Office at 765-9960 or Crime Stoppers at 765-TIPS (8477). Information leading to an arrest may be rewarded. Callers may remain anonymous. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 728-2568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
MEXICO CITY
Courtesy photo
Pictured is the stolen saddle from a barn. People with information on the case are asked to contact authorities.
ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR
2016 TRAIL RIDE
Photo by Nick Ut | AP file
Actress Kate Del Castillo breaks months of silence about her and Sean Penn’s meeting with Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman.
Del Castillo refutes ‘El Chapo’ story
Courtesy photo by Graphitiks Advertising Design
The Zapata County Queen and her royal court wave to the camera at this year’s trial ride. Head to page 3A for more photos of the event.
Actress breaks silence about Sean Penn’s controversial meeting By PETER ORSI ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEXICO CITY — Kate del Castillo broke several months of silence about her and Sean Penn’s controversial meeting with then-fugitive drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, saying Penn’s account of an encounter with a Mexican military checkpoint never happened. The Mexican-born American actress spoke in three days of interviews for an article in the upcoming issue of The New Yorker that was available online Friday, after largely keeping out of the spotlight ever since Guzman’s recapture and the publication of Penn’s article about the meeting. In his January Rolling Stone piece, Penn wrote that while traveling to meet Guzman they came across a checkpoint and were allowed to continue when soldiers recognized one of the cartel capo’s sons, who was traveling with the actors. According to del Castillo, “they didn’t go through any military checkpoint, much less one where government soldiers waved
BORDERING ON INSECURITY
them on,” The New Yorker reported. It added that two Argentine film producers who were riding in another car also “have no recollection of encountering a military checkpoint.” Penn stands by his account, it said. Del Castillo told the magazine the scene was not in an early draft that had been sent to and approved by Guzman, and it appeared only after a Rolling Stone editor asked Penn to add a more detailed description of their overland journey. Penn’s lengthy Rolling Stone piece was published a day after Guzman was recaptured by Mexican authorities and several months after the meeting in fall 2015. Del Castillo had been contacted by Guzman’s lawyer the previous year and entered into an agreement for her to make a movie about the convicted drug lord’s life, and she had hoped to bring Penn on board with the project. She maintains she had no idea a magazine article was in the works.
MATAMOROS — Marcos Valencia is a stranger in the country of his birth. The stocky 19-year-old struggles with Spanish, doesn’t know a thing about Mexican history and can’t find a job. He spends his days dreaming of going home to Indiana, where he grew up from age three. But in the eyes of the law, his home is the cartel-infested state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, where he was born. Two and a half years ago, Valencia was living the life of a typical American teenager — a junior at Goshen High School in Elkhart County, Indiana, where he ran track and dreamed of joining the U.S. Marines or the local police force. Then one day in May 2013 his sister called the police after finding their stepfather, a Mexican national with a previous conviction for document fraud, physically abusing their mother, Valencia said.
See EL CHAPO PAGE 10A
See TRAPPED PAGE 10A
Immigration saga leaves teen trapped in Mexico By JAY ROOT AND JULIAN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE
Photo by Martin do Nascimento | Texas Tribune
Marcus Francisco Valencia Rodriguez, 19, in the courtyard at the Casa del Migrante migrant shelter in Matamoros, Mexico, on Nov. 2, 2015.
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
Saturday, March 12
ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Jesus Christ Superstar.” 8 p.m. Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 Thomas Ave.
Sunday, March 13 “Jesus Christ Superstar.” 3 p.m. Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 Thomas Ave.
Monday, March 14 Chess Club. Every Monday from 4-6 p.m. LBV – Inner City Branch Library. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. For more information call John at 956-795-2400 x2520.
Tuesday, March 15 Knitting Circle. 1-3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and knitting needles. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 7952400 x2403. Crochet for Kids. 4-5 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and a crochet needle. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Rock wall climbing. 4-5 p.m. LBVInner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Free. Take the challenge and climb the rock wall! Fun exercise for all ages. Must sign release form. For more information, contact John Hong at 7952400 x2521.
Wednesday, March 16 Thieves, Greasers, and Mongrels: The Great Emancipator Encounters the Immigrant. 7 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, 502 University Blvd. Free and open to the public. Please join us for our International Bank of Commerce Keynote Speaker Series presentation featuring Dr. Jason H. Silverman, the Ellison Capers Palmer, Jr. Professor of History at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC.
Thursday, March 17 South Texas Food Bank St. Patrick’s Day Bowling Tournament. 5:30 p.m. Jett Bowl. A family fun event. Sponsorship is $175 per lane. For information call the South Texas Food Bank, 956-726-3120 or Salo Otero, 956-3242432. Preschool Read & Play. 11 a.m.–12 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Story time and crafts for preschoolers. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Family Story Time & Crafts. 4-5 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403.
Friday, March 18 A Fresh Start to a Healthier You. 4:30-5:30 p.m. The kitchen at McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Learn practical cooking and shopping tips and recipes for success. For more information, contact Angie Sifuentes, Webb County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 956-523-5290, angelica.sifuentes@ag.tamu.edu.
Photo by Chase Stevens | AP file
This Dec. 23, 2015 file photo shows Lakeisha Nicole Holloway enters district court with one of her public defenders, Scott Coffee, for her arraignment in Las Vegas. A judge on Friday ordered Holloway be sent to a state mental hospital for evaluation.
Mental hospital ordered By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — A judge decided Friday there won’t be a trial anytime soon for a 25year-old woman accused of killing one pedestrian and injuring at least 34 others from several states by intentionally driving a car onto a crowded Las Vegas Strip sidewalk. Lakeisha Nicole Holloway argued with Clark County District Court Judge David Barker, said she didn’t trust the public defenders handling her case, and muttered to herself while Barker ordered her sent to a state mental hospital for observation and treatment. The judge noted that one doctor found Holloway was unable to assist in her defense, and she refused a second evaluation. “Excuse me sir. I don’t need mental health assessment,” Holloway said as she stood in
shackles with a uniformed court officer at her side. “That’s absolutely a mess. They’re trying to cover something. That’s not cool.” Holloway accused one of her appointed lawyers, Scott Coffee, of writing the state death penalty. The judge noted that Coffee has spent decades fighting the death penalty. Coffee stated that he serves on a committee reviewing procedural aspects of capital punishment. Outside court, Coffee and co-counsel Joseph Abood said it was clear Holloway was mentally ill. Holloway is accused of 71 felonies including murder, attempted murder and battery with a deadly weapon in the Dec. 20 crash. A child endangerment charge stems from allegations that Holloway had her 3-year-old daughter in the car at the time of the crash. The girl wasn’t injured.
Teen pleads to guilty to killing mother, stepfather
Oregon governor signs anti-coal bill into law
Ole Miss adds Confederate statue sign for context
RHINELANDER, Wis. — A northern Wisconsin woman changed her plea to guilty Friday in the slaying of her mother and stepfather in a deal that has prosecutors recommending a 40year prison sentence. Ashlee Martinson, who was 17 at the time of the March 2015 killings, faces two counts of second-degree homicide, USA Today Network-Wisconsin reported. She had earlier pleaded innocent by reason of insanity in the killings at the family’s home near Three Lakes. According to court records filed Friday, Martinson told police she shot her stepfather, 37-yearold Thomas Ayers, in the neck and then his head. She then went to her mother, 40-year-old Jennifer Ayers, for solace, but her mother first tried to aid her husband, then armed herself with a knife to confront Martinson.
PORTLAND, Ore. — With the stroke of Gov. Kate Brown’s signature Friday, Oregon became the first state to eradicate coal from its power supply through legislation and now boasts some of the most stringent demands for renewable energy among its state peers. The new law will wipe out coal-generated energy in phases through 2030 and requires utilities to provide half of customers’ power with renewable sources by 2040, doubling the state’s previous standard. “Oregon is known to be a leader in clean-energy programs, investing in energy efficiency and recognizing the risk of climate change,” said Brown, who signed the measure surrounded by students at a Portland elementary school that’s powered by solar panels. Environmental experts and advocates say the law’s coal phase-out component is precedent-setting for lawmakers.
JACKSON, Miss. — A Confederate soldier statue that has stood for generations in a prominent spot on the University of Mississippi’s Oxford campus will soon be accompanied by a plaque giving it historical context. A university news release says Friday that work has started on the plaque and should be finished by the end of the month. The addition is part of an effort announced in 2014 to promote racial diversity and provide context for Old South symbols. The plaque says the Confederate statue was dedicated by local citizens in 1906 and was a rallying point where a mob gathered in 1962 to oppose the admission of the first black student at Ole Miss. Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter says the plaque confirms the university creed of “respect for the dignity of each person.” — Compiled from AP reports
Saturday, March 19 Easter Egg Hunt. 3 p.m. Bruni Plaza Branch Library, 1120 San Bernardo Ave. Free. Easter egg coloring, crafts, face painting, Easter bunny pictures, Easter egg hunt, food. El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jarvis Plaza, 1353 Matamoros St. Free and open to the public. Fresh, local, seasonal produce available for purchase. Live music by Nixon Boys & DJ The Pop Rocks. Baile folklorico with Gabriela GarciaMendoza.
Monday, March 21 Chess Club. Every Monday from 4-6 p.m. LBV – Inner City Branch Library. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. For more information call John at 956-795-2400 x2520.
Tuesday, March 22 Knitting Circle. 1-3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and knitting needles. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 7952400 x2403.
AROUND TEXAS ‘Spring Break for nerds’ kicks off Friday in Austin NEW YORK — The smell of BBQ is in the air and talk about virtual reality, online privacy and the latest hot apps is on everyone’s minds. It’s time again for South by Southwest Interactive, an annual tech festival dubbed “Spring Break for nerds.” The five-day festival, which kicks off Friday in Austin, Texas, is more freewheeling than other tech conferences like CES in Las Vegas and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. It’s where St. Bernards delivering Mophie smartphone chargers to festival goers — as the charger maker arranged last year — can garner as much buzz as the apps brought to fame there, including Foursquare in 2009 and Twitter in 2007. “It’s an interesting place to see what types of things are bubbling up in technology,” said
Today is Saturday, March 12, the 72nd day of 2016. There are 294 days left in the year. Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday at 2 a.m. locally. Clocks go forward one hour. Today’s Highlight in History: On March 12, 1912, the Girl Scouts of the USA had its origins as Juliette Gordon Low of Savannah, Georgia, founded the first American troop of the Girl Guides. On this date: In 1925, Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen died. In 1938, the Anschluss merging Austria with Nazi Germany took place as German forces crossed the border between the two countries. In 1940, Finland and the Soviet Union concluded an armistice during World War II. (Fighting between the two countries flared again the following year.) In 1951, “Dennis the Menace,” created by cartoonist Hank Ketcham, made its syndicated debut in 16 newspapers. In 1967, Gen. Suharto became Acting President of Indonesia, replacing President Sukarno. In 1971, Hafez Assad was confirmed as president of Syria in a referendum. In 1980, a Chicago jury found John Wayne Gacy Jr. guilty of the murders of 33 men and boys. (The next day, Gacy was sentenced to death; he was executed in May 1994.) Ten years ago: Four U.S. Army soldiers attacked an Iraqi family south of Baghdad; three of them took turns raping a 14-year-old girl, Abeer Qassim Al-Janabi, whose parents and 6-year-old sister had been slain by one of the soldiers, Steven Dale Green, who then killed Abeer. Five years ago: Fifteen passengers were killed when a tour bus returning from a Connecticut casino scraped along a guard rail on the outskirts of New York City, tipped on its side and slammed into a pole that sheared it nearly end to end. One year ago: NASA launched its Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft on a billion-dollar mission to study the explosive give-and-take of the Earth and sun’s magnetic fields. Today’s Birthdays: Singer Al Jarreau is 76. Actress-singer Liza Minnelli is 70. Former Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is 68. Rock singer-musician Bill Payne (Little Feat) is 67. Actor Jon Provost (TV: “Lassie”) is 66. Author Carl Hiaasen is 63. Rock musician Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) is 60. Actor Jerry Levine is 59. Singer Marlon Jackson (The Jackson Five) is 59. Actor Jason Beghe is 56. Actor Courtney B. Vance is 56. Actor Titus Welliver is 55. Former MLB All-Star Darryl Strawberry is 54. Actress Julia Campbell is 53. Actor Jake Weber is 53. Actor Aaron Eckhart is 48. CNN reporter Jake Tapper is 47. Rock musician Graham Coxon is 47. Country musician Tommy Bales (Flynnville Train) is 43. Actor Rhys Coiro is 37. Country singer Holly Williams is 35. Actor Samm (cq) Levine is 34. Actor Jaimie Alexander (TV: “Blindspot”) is 32. Actor Tyler Patrick Jones is 22. Actress Kendall Applegate is 17. Thought for Today: “A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience.” — Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish novelist, dramatist and poet (1547-1616).
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Aaron Sego, left, reacts to President Barack Obama’s order during an announced stop with Austin, Texas Mayor Steve Adler, to Torchy’s Tacos, Friday. Obama placed an order for ’The Democrat’ and ’The Republican’ tacos to go. Ryan Hoover, founder of Product Hunt, a service for people to rate new tech products. “It has this mixture or collision of technology and entertainment. When different types of minds and people are connecting together, new ideas come out.”
The festival has grown larger and more corporate over the years, with sponsors including McDonald’s and Samsung, but it still draws an eclectic crowd of movers and shakers in the tech industry each year. — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, 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. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
Zapata County Fair 2016 Trail Ride
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Photos by Graphitiks Advertising Design
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SEND YOUR SIGNED LETTER TO EDITORIAL@LMTONLINE.COM
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Everybody is to blame for Trump By DICK MEYER SCRIPPS WASHINGTON BUREAU
I have bad news and I have bad news. First, the bad news: The Republican Party has not been able to stop Donald Trump because the Republican Party is morally responsible for Donald Trump. Now, more bad news: The Democratic Party will not be able to stop Donald Trump because the Democratic Party is politically responsible for Donald Trump. I am not saying that Trump is going to be the next president of the United States. I am out of the prediction business. I am in the warning business. What I am saying is that if Trump completes his seizure of the Republican Party, the Democrats will be no more able to stop Trump in the general election than the Republicans were in the primaries. If Trump is then vanquished in the general election, it will be in spite of the Democrats, not because of the Democrats. Trump will have to be defeated by political forces separate and greater than the corrupt and failed two-party duopoly. Trump voters believe one thing fervently: Both parties are dirty. The vast majority of voters agree completely. They differ on whom they dislike and mistrust more. The duopoly has earned the contempt it is held in. For 30 years, both parties have promiscuously feasted on polarization and unlimited special interest money; they’ve replaced governing with campaigning. Their toxic partisanship has dragged down American’s trust in all government — Congress, the Supreme Court, the presidency. The crooked duopoly cannot be trusted to stop Trump because it delivered this plague upon us. Republicans bear much more blame for Trumpism — moral blame. Here’s why: Since Richard Nixon and his henchmen launched the GOP "Southern strategy" in the 1960s, the party has used racist rhetoric and policies to attract lowerand working-class white voters. Trump has merely turned up the volume and polished the delivery. Republican policies and economic reality have left these same voters worse off than they were 30 years ago while the top of the money chain has flourished. Economic inequality is greater now than in the Roaring ’20s. The Republican leadership has empowered and bamboozled two farright factions — religious archconservatives and small government zealots. The party has not been able to deliver what it promised to either of these loud constituencies, for obvious reasons: the vast majority of Americans, increasingly secular or unaffiliated with traditional religion, disagree with the religious conservatives; a substantially smaller government is not realistic for a diverse nation of 322 million people in a globalized economy and a dangerous world.
Republicans in Congress adapted an unprecedented policy of legislative obstruction during the Obama administration, despite the severity of the Great Recession and the national security challenges facing the country. Republican legislation and jurisprudence have completely deregulated the finances of elections so that individuals with great wealth or fundraising capacity can bypass traditional political gatekeepers. The unpopular and unsuccessful war in Iraq was the work of a Republican president, legitimized and marketed by the party’s neoconservative intellectual elite and embraced by Republican legislators. Finally and simply, Republican powers and leaders did not even seriously try to stop Trump until after Super Tuesday. So far those efforts have been uncoordinated and half-baked. Worse, they have lacked any moral or patriotic class. With respect to Trump, the sins of the Democrats are more political than moral, though not exclusively so: Democrats have had no more success than Republicans in addressing the stagnant plight of lower and middle income Americans; they have been just as attentive to the 1 percent as the Republicans. Obamacare was a huge and important exception. With cowardice, Democrats were too quick to ditch President Obama when poll numbers went south early in his administration. The party failed to develop a next generation of national leaders and is about to nominate a badly beaten up candidate, someone it is easy to imagine losing to Donald Trump. All together, this adds up to an obvious truth: Only a nut would trust the discredited two-party duopoly to dump Trump. So what is to be done? Republicans can’t give up on the nomination, though time is about to run out. The party needs to come to grips with the fact that a brokered convention is now the only way to stop Trump; no one else can get a majority of delegates. The party must figure out how to give John Kasich a win in Ohio and deny Trump a win in Florida. Then they need to deprive Trump of enough states to keep him under 50 percent. In some states, they will have to convince either Kasich or Cruz to bow out; in late states like New Jersey and California, they should immediately recruit favorite son or daughter candidates. If Trump gets the Republican nomination, one can only hope that there is a hidden reservoir of establishment power that can convince their super PACs and Koch brother networks to sit out the 2016 general instead of carpet-bombing Hillary Clinton. And one can only hope that there is a cadre of Republicans who will lead their own #NeverTrump campaign. The Democrats will need that help and more. We all will.
OP-ED
Carson’s Trump endorsement By GARY STEIN SUN SENTINEL
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson slept through most of the debates and a good part of the Republican nomination fight. Oh, he was there in body. But he was sleeping. Everybody could tell. And maybe he was sleep-
ing when Donald Trump compared him to a child molester. And questioned his Seventh Day Adventist faith. Yeah, Carson must have been sleeping. That’s the only answer. Why else would Carson stand at a podium Friday with Trump and say he is endorsing the Republican
front-runner? Hypocrisy? You can decide. But it was the same way at one of last week’s debates, when the moderator asked the candidates if they would support the Republican nominee, even if it was Trump. Trump had insulted them all at one time or another. But they all said, if need
be, they would support Trump. Hypocrisy? Hoping for a job in a Trump administration? You decide. It would have been nice to see one of the candidates, any of them, disavow Trump. But none had the guts to do that. Hypocrisy? You decide.
COLUMN
Get ready to say bye to Rubio By KEN HERMAN AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
We can now project another loser in the 2016 presidential race. We’re not talking loser as in Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, Martin O’Malley and the others we’ve lost along the campaign trail. We’re talking loser as in full-frontal embarrassment to himself and his family and disappointment to his nation. My fellow Americans, let’s get ready to bid farewell to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who despite his improved behavior and impressive performance in the Thursday GOP debate in Miami, could go down as the most annoying candidate of the year. And that’s in a year when a peculiar fellow named Donald Trump also is running. I was favorably impressed by Rubio when I saw him at a Dallas campaign event in January. Despite the opportunity to jab U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rubio stayed positive and
offered an optimistic, upbeat presence. The tone changed noticeably the next time I saw Rubio in Texas, which was at the Feb. 25 debate in Houston when he aggressively attacked Trump. And the tone bottomed out the next day in Dallas when Rubio, speaking to supporters, went full Don Rickles, taunting Trump for misspelled tweets and suggesting Trump had wet his pants at the debate. Over the next few days, Rubio mocked Trump’s "horrible spray tan" and small hands. Don’t get me wrong. I love Rickles. It’s just that I don’t think insult comedy is necessarily the best shtick for a presidential candidate. And now neither does Rubio, who a day prior to Thursday’s debate told MSNBC he regrets that phase of his campaign. "In terms of things that have to do with the personal stuff, yeah, at the end of the day it’s not something I’m entirely proud of. My kids were embarrassed by it, and if I had to do it again I
wouldn’t," he said. "I’m not telling you (Trump) didn’t deserve it, but that’s not who I am," Rubio said, adding, "I don’t want to be that. If that’s what it takes to become president of the United States, then I don’t want to be president." So what are we to think of a senator who, for a few days, thought that’s what it takes to become president? It’s sad because Rubio was strong on a variety of policy issues at Thursday’s debate. He limited his non-policy-related attacks on Trump to this tightly stated bit of reality about the loose-lipped frontrunner: "I know that a lot of people find appeal in the things Donald says ’cause he says what people wish they could say. The problem is, presidents can’t just say anything they want. It has consequences, here and around the world." Ditto for presidential candidates, such as Rubio’s previous callow, shallow and cynical plunge into consultant-driven misbehavior. Trump (As Seen On TV!)
is Trump. And Cruz is Cruz. Both have been fairly consistent in their campaign personas, though periodically and appropriately changing their focus when conditions demanded. But in his desperate attempts at survival, Rubio showed himself willing to be whatever he thought would work at the moment (and then regretted it when it didn’t work). It wasn’t Trump who made Rubio "Little Marco." By his embarrassing behavior and middle-school jabs, Rubio made himself small, too small for the big shoes needed in the White House. And, compared to what we saw from Rubio in Miami on Thursday, that is disappointing. Let’s end with something borrowed, something making the rounds. I just want to make sure you hear it. Hillary Clinton would be our first female president. Bernie Sanders would be our first Jewish president. Rubio or Cruz would be our first Hispanic president. Trump would be our last president.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Zapata 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. The Zapata Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-call-
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
ing or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Via e-mail, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Agenda en Breve DESFILE La Feria del Condado de Zapata recuerda a la comunidad que el Desfile de la Feria de Zapata. tendrá lugar a partir de las 9 a.m. de hoy, sábado 12 de marzo. La alineación del desfile será de 7 a.m. a 8:30 a.m., en U.S. Hwy 83 y 3rd Ave. Habrá trofeos para diferentes categorías. Los ganadores serán anunciados a la 1:30 p.m. en Zapata County Fairgrounds.
FERIA DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA El sábado 12 de marzo las actividades darán inicio con el desfile a partir de las 9 a.m. con salida en U.S. Hwy 83 y 3rd Ave. Habrá trofeos para diferentes categorías. Los ganadores serán anunciados a la 1:30 p.m. en Zapata County Fairgrounds. Los Marshals del desfile son Mr. y Mrs. Zaragoza Rodriguez IV. En el ámbito musical se presentarán Sólido a las 7:30 p.m.; La Mafia a las 9:30 p.m. y Pesado a las 11:30 p.m. También estarán las subastas, el concurso de El Grito y el concurso de Jalapeño. Otras actividades durante el día incluirán las ceremonias de premiación y participación de grupos de danza Para más información sobre el evento puede visitar www.zapatacountyfair.com.
DÍA NACIONAL DE LA AGRICULTURA El martes 15 de marzo se celebrará el Día Nacional de la Agricultura, con el tema general de “La agricultura americana, conservando un planeta saludable”. “Para los que trabajamos en el Farm Service Agency del Departamento de Agricultura de Estados Unidos, este tema nos recuerda los importantes logros ambientales de los productores que participan en nuestro programa para la conservación de reserva”, indica un comunicado de prensa del USDA. Conocido como el Conservation Reserve Program, se refiere a un programa donde productores han trabajado por más de 30 años para mantener y mejorar la calidad del suelo y de los recursos naturales, de acuerdo con el USDA. El objetivo es garantizar un mejor futuro a las generaciones por venir, concluye.
SÁBADO 12 DE MARZO, DE 2016
INMIGRACIÓN
Vivencias tras cruce POR JAY ROOT Y JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE
MATAMOROS — Marcos Valencia es un extraño en su propio país. El joven de 19 años tiene problemas con el español, no sabe sobre la historia de México y no puede encontrar trabajo. Pasa los días soñando con ir a casa en Indiana, donde creció desde los 3 años. Pero, de acuerdo con la ley, su hogar es Tamaulipas, México, donde nació. Hace dos años y medio, Valencia vivía la vida de un típico adolescente — estudiante de tercer año en Goshen High School en el Condado de Elkhart, Indiana, donde deseaba unirse a la Marina de EU o al departamento de policía. Pero un día de mayo del 2013, su hermana llamó a la policía cuando encontró a su padrastro – un hombre de nacionalidad mexicana con condenas previas por falsificación de documentos – abusando físicamente de su madre, dijo Valencia. Registros de la corte indican que el padrastro fue arrestado bajo cargos por violencia doméstica, que incluyen una ofensa previa y abuso cometido en presencia de un niño menor de 16 años. Registros indican que fue deportado poco después. Su madre gastó todo su dinero en un intento fallido por rescatar a su esposo de la deportación, dijo
Foto por Martin do Nascimento | Texas Tribune
Marcos Francisco Valencia Rodríguez, de 19 años, en el patio de Casa del Migrante en Matamoros, México, el 2 de noviembre de 2015. Valencia, y cuando eso falló, se llevó a sus cinco hijos a México. Ahora, en México, Valencia lamenta haber aceptado seguirla. Si se hubiera quedado en Indiana y terminado la preparatoria, actualmente sería elegible para un programa de acción diferida que el Presidente Obama creó por orden ejecutiva en 2012, que permite a algunos jóvenes que fueron llevados al país ilegalmente permanecer aquí y recibir autorización para trabajar. En lugar de ello, tiene problemas para aprender las costumbres del país que solo conocía en fotografías. “No se mi idioma. No se la historia. Descubrí mi nombre completo cuando llegué aquí. Mi nombre completo es Marcos Francisco
Valencia Ruiz. Allá solo usaba Marco Valencia”, dijo Valencia en una entrevista en noviembre. “Estando aquí, descubrí que mi cumpleaños es el día de la independencia de México, lo que fue una sorpresa porque nunca lo supe. He intentado obtener un trabajo y he intentado ser, vivir como un adulto. Es difícil”. Valencia fue traído a Estado Unidos por su madre cuando era un infante. Ella estaba casada con Daniel Hamby, un conductor de trailer ciudadano de EU. Hamby fue quien lo crió como un padre. Dos medias hermanas, hijas de Hamby, son ciudadanas estadounidenses que viven en Indiana. Valencia dijo que Hamby y su madre se separaron cuando tenía alrededor de seis o siete años, y su ma-
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Mantienen alerta ante virus Zika TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
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Estudiantes de diversos grados de Zapata South Elementary participan en actividades y competencias en el gimnasio de la escuela. Entre las actividades que se realizaron están “Piggy Back Relay”, competencias de tres piernas y el aro de fuego, entre otras.
ARROYO ROMA El viernes se celebró una reunión especial para discutir el tema del Proyecto del Arroyo Roma con personal del Departamento de Transportación de Texas. La idea es ampliar el canal existente de un afluente intermitente hacia el Río Grande, Arroyo Roma, desde US 83 hasta el Río Grande en el Condado Starr. TxDOT aclara que la idea es prevenir los alcances río arriba del Arroyo Roma, el cual pasa por el centro de Roma, y que inunde US 83.
REHABILITACIÓN DE CALLE Se dio el banderazo de arranque de obra para la rehabilitación de la calle 5 de Mayo en la zona centro de Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, México. A la vez se supervisó el avance de recarpeteo de distintas calles del municipio. En el caso de calle 5 de Mayo, se retirará el pavimento para poder pavimentar al 100%.
BÉISBOL EN MIGUEL ALEMÁN, MX El domingo 13 de marzo se celebrará un encuentro de exhibición entre el club de béisbol Sultanes de Monterrey y una selección de Miguel Alemán, México en el “Parque México”, a partir de las 3 p.m. El Parque México fue remodelado con inversión de 5 millones de pesos, en su primera etapa.
dre se volvió a casar. Valencia no conoce a su padre biológico o, en este momento, el paradero de su madre o su padrastro deportado. Él permanece en contacto con Hamby. Su padrastro viajó a Matamoros a principios de noviembre, para dar algo de dinero y ropa a Valencia, pero con pocas esperanzas de arreglar su estatus migratorio. “Hemos hablado con algunos abogados en el norte”, dijo Hamby en una entrevista. “Estamos intentando obtener la documentación”. El primer paso es tramitar un pasaporte mexicano a Valencia, pero está tomando más tiempo y dinero del planeado. Los abogados dijeron a Hamby que podría tomar años que Valencia entrara al país de nuevo. Incluso están estudiando la posibilidad de inmigrar a Valencia a Canadá, donde no estaría tan lejos de casa. “Desde el primer día, lidiar con inmigración ha sido la pesadilla más grande que he visto en mi vida”, dijo Hamby. “No están organizados, y hay muchos obstáculos que se tienen que saltar”. Actualmente trabaja de 9 a.m. a 9 p.m., seis días de la semana, reparando computadoras y teléfonos para su tío. La única constante en su vida es la confusión sobre su identidad.“No sé cómo llamarme”, dijo. “Me siento como un hombre sin país”.
COLUMNA
Estado adopta democracia Nota del Editor: El autor narra la manera en que México, específicamente Tamaulipas, adopta la democracia representativa.
POR RAÚL SINENCIO CHÁVEZ ESPECIAL PARA TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
Caída la dictadura porfiriana, los mexicanos ansían sacudirse el vetusto orden y comenzar con la democracia representativa. Tamaulipas procede de manera estremecedora. Para sorpresa de propios y extraños, irregularidades sacuden el primer gobierno del periodo. Porfirio Díaz abandona en mayo de 1911 el poder y parte al exilio. Mediante el sufragio ciudadano, que le concede ventaja sobre los demás aspirantes, Francisco I. Madero alcanza la presidencia de la República. Asume el cargo a principios de noviembre. Lo anterior ocurre de acuerdo con los tratados suscritos en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Estos ponen fin a las hostilidades de la revolución maderista. Lo convenido también contempla que en las entidades federativas renuncien los gobernadores, piezas claves del viejo régimen, propiciándose elecciones libres. Al frente de la comunidad tamaulipeca estaba Juan B. Castelló. Había sido poco antes integrante de la cámara baja. Los vínculos que lo encumbran,
ofreciéndole halagüeñas perspectivas, terminan lastrándolo sin remedio. Efectivamente, parentesco lo une a Carmen Romero Rubio y Castelló, esposa del fallecido dictador. El aludido pariente solicita el 31 de mayo de 1911 permiso temporal para dejar el poder ejecutivo del estado. Por escrito pretexta el “arreglo de asuntos de interés público” le reclama ir a la metrópoli capitalina. En sesión extraordinaria y brevísimo trámite, la asamblea legislativa el mismo día le concede licencia, sin fijarle o insinuarle siquiera término. Juan B. Castelló nunca reasumió funciones. La vacante es cubierta, en calidad de interino, por Espiridión Lara. Cumple en el puesto 6 meses por problemas de salud. Llega a suplirlo Matías Guerra. Con antecedentes en análogos menesteres, por cuenta de reconocida filia porfirista, Matías Guerra entonces compone el Supremo Tribunal de Justicia, del que mientras tanto le permiten separarse. Corre en paralelo el proceso orientado al nombramiento popular del nuevo mandatario tamaulipeco. Los comicios fueron verificados el 5 de febrero de 1912, aniversario de la carta magna. Aunque varios compiten, sólo dos puntean en las preferencias respectivas. El Partido Constitucional Progresista lan-
za a José Gracia Medrano, curtido en las aguerridas filas del antirreleccionismo de 1910. Por el Partido Liberal descuella Fermín Legorreta, cuya precedente carrera en apariencia desarrolla sin el favor de las elites otrora dominantes, al grado de pretender la anuencia del presidente Francisco I. Madero. Graves desaseos enseguida permean el clímax del episodio. Fermín Legorreta enferma y fallece el 31 de enero previo a las votaciones. Median circunstancias que generan suspicacias, contraídas a una deliberada negligencia médica. Según Ciro R. de la Garza Treviño, “muchos hechos […] parecen demostrarlo, y su familia […] está bajo esta impresión […] Todo hace suponer que […] fue sacrificado por intereses políticos”. Desentendiéndonos incluso de las apreciaciones transcritas, el cuadro va de mal en peor. A escasas horas de instalarse las casillas, decretan el 4 de febrero los diputados: “Se admite al […] Lic. Matías Guerra la renuncia” como “gobernador interino”. No obstante impedírselo acuerdos emanados del movimiento revolucionario, el referido personaje reemplaza a Fermín Legorreta y con indebidas ventajas participa en la contienda. (Con permiso del autor, según fuera publicado en La Razón, Tampico, Tamps., el 12 febrero)
Ante los últimos días del Spring Break (descanso de primavera), autoridades de salud están pidiendo a los vacacionistas tomar las precauciones necesarias contra el virus de el Zika. Con presencia actualmente en Suramérica, Centroamérica, México y el Caribe, es importante advertir que éste virus se transmite principalmente a través del piquete de un mosquito Aedes infectado. Sin embargo, se ha visto que el virus también se propaga por contacto sexual. “Mientras que el riesgo más grande se presenta cuando una mujer está embarazada o quienes pudieran embarazarse, debido a la posible asociación con la microcefalia— una enfermedad de nacimiento que podría traducirse en desarrollo cerebral incompleto en bebés— cualquier persona puede contraer Zika”, dijo Scott Lillibridge, profesor de epidemiología en Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Public Health. Los Centros de Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) han emitido guías de viaje para mujeres embarazadas, advirtiéndoles evitar viajar a lugares donde el virus del Zika se ha esparcido. Para el resto de las personas, no hay advertencias de viaje, pero el CDC recomienda extremar precauciones para minimizar el riesgo de infección y evitar traer el virus a EU inadvertidamente, después de sus vacaciones de primavera. Sin haber sido vacunado, la mejor manera de prevenir el Zika es evitar los piquetes de mosquito, pero se sugieren las siguientes medidas: Utilice un repelente de insectos que tenga 25 por ciento DEET o 20 por ciento picaridin (se sugiere colocar bloqueador antes del repelente). Vista ropa con colores claros (los mosquitos se sienten más atraídos por colores oscuros ya que retienen más calor) Coloque permetrina en la ropa, un químico utilizado como insecticida. Permanezca en lugares con aire acondicionado o utilice tela mosquitera en ventanas y puertas. Duerma bajo tela mosquitera si su habitación se encuentra en exteriores. Además, debido a la posible transmisión del virus por contacto sexual, el CDC recomienda que los hombres que regresen de áreas con Zika utilicen anticonceptivos de barrera. Los síntomas del Zika regularmente son sutiles— causando fiebre, erupción cutánea, enrojecimiento de ojos y dolor en las articulaciones— y solo son reportados en una de cinco personas que desarrollan el virus. La mayoría de los casos son a sintomáticos. Sin embargo, los casos del síndrome Guillain-Barré, una condición en la que el sistema inmunológico ataca las propias células nerviosas del cuerpo y causa parálisis, se ha reportado.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
Zentertainment
PAGE 7A
Kesha fans send petition to Sony ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram | MCT
Cesar Milan, who is known as the Dog Whisperer, poses with his dog, Coco, in Fort Worth, Texas, in July 2006.
NEW YORK — Fans of the pop star Kesha on Friday called on Sony to cut ties with the producer she has accused of raping her. About 35 Kesha fans gathered outside Sony’s Manhattan headquarters to deliver petitions with more than 411,000 signatures demanding that the label release Kesha from her Sony recording contract and drop the producer, Dr. Luke. Armed with signs that
said “Free Kesha Now,” the group chanted “Do the right thing!” and “People over profits!” Protesters also danced to Kesha’s songs. Kate DeVivo, 18, said she covered her mouth with glittery tape reading “Dr. Luke” to represent Kesha’s situation. “What’s happening to her is wrong,” said DeVivo, who skipped high school in Bergen County, New Jersey, to attend the group’s third rally. The hit-making pro-
ducer, born Lukas Gottwald, is not charged with any crime. He says Kesha fabricated her story about being drugged and raped a decade ago to get out of her recording contract. His lawyers point to a 2011 legal deposition in which Kesha said under oath that Dr. Luke “never made sexual advances” toward her. When asked whether he’d given her the date-rape drug known as a “roofie,” she said, “No.” Kesha’s lawyers said the
singer, born Kesha Rose Sebert, had been too afraid of the producer to speak up at the time. Friday’s hourlong rally comes a month after a Manhattan judge denied the “Tik Tok” singer’s initial request to be released from her contract. The hearing led to an outpouring of support from celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. Sony did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
‘Dog Whisperer’ suspected of animal cruelty Jenner’s politics spark debate By DAVID CRARY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — An online complaint of animal cruelty led authorities to “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan’s Los Angeles-area pet rehabilitation center Thursday, but Millan wasn’t there and they took no further action. Footage on Millan’s television show “Cesar 911” of a French bulldog-terrier mix chasing a pot-bellied pig and nipping its ear until it bled prompted the complaint. Millan was trying to train the dog to be less aggressive. Millan was cooperating fully with Los Angeles County animal control officers who were looking into the claims made in an online petition, said Chad Sandhas, a spokesman for National Geographic Channels, which air the show. Millan, 46, is a self-taught dog trainer who became internationally known for his work on a prior show, the “Dog Whisperer,” which won him an Emmy nomination. Calls and emails were not immediately returned by Los
Angeles County Animal Control. The Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department, whose deputies accompanied animal control to Millan’s center in Santa Clarita, did confirm there were no arrests or animal seizures. Millan was working with an aggressive dog named Simon, who was attacking his owner’s pet pot-bellied pigs. A teaser clip showed Simon chasing a pig and biting its ear. Jill Breitner initiated a petition on Change.org, calling for Nat Geo WILD to take the show “Cesar 911” off air. Friday morning, the number of signatures was closing in on 10,000. Sandhas said a second clip showed the full context of the encounter. In it, the pig is calm and is tied to Simon with a long leash, as if taking him on a walk. The show aired Feb. 26. “The pig that was nipped by Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress,” Sandhas said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Since coming out a year ago, Caitlyn Jenner has not always been a unifying force in the transgender community. Her latest political remarks — underscoring her conservative outlook and praising Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz — ignited a storm of criticism from supporters of transgender rights, who view most conservative Republicans as adversaries. “Breathtakingly clueless” was the rebuke from blogger Monica Roberts. Tennis great Martina Navratilova and country singer Chely Wright were also among the many people denouncing Jenner. Yet a more nuanced conversation followed, questioning whether transgender Americans must be monolithic in broadly espousing progressive politics, or whether they can make room for differing views in their ranks.
Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision | AP
In this photo, Caitlyn Jenner speaks during the Voices on Point Gala in Los Angeles. Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said she is grateful there are transgender Republicans and would like to see the issue of transgender rights addressed on a nonpartisan basis. She also said it is inevitable that the ranks of transgender Americans would grow more diverse. “Trans people need to buckle up,” she said. “With all the folks who will be coming out in the next few
years, you’re not going to agree with all of them.” While Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have voiced strong support for LGBT rights, Cruz and the other Republican contenders have expressed misgivings about same-sex marriage and supported protections for people who oppose it on religious grounds. Among those wrestling with the fallout of Jenner’s remarks is Jennifer Fin-
ney Boylan, a writer and professor at Barnard College. She is a consultant and cast member on Jenner’s reality show, “I am Cait.” In one episode, Boylan — who has described Cruz as a bigot — became so aggravated with Jenner’s political views that she swatted her with a rolled-up newspaper. “In terms of equality and dignity, the difference between Republicans and Democrats is night and day,” Boylan said in an interview. “I don’t really get why you’d vote against your own civil rights.” Yet Boylan remains engaged in the TV series and considers Jenner a friend. “How is it possible to communicate with people whom we want to smack with a newspaper?” Boylan asked in recent blog post. “The question, for me, is not, will Cait become a liberal? There is no operation for that, alas. But she CAN become someone who listens, who opens her heart.”
National
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
West coast gets drenched By JANIE HAR AND JOHN ANTCZAK ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO — Schools shuttered, motorists rerouted and residents snapped up sandbags Friday in response to heavy rains drenching Northern California as part of a much-needed storm system that’s moving south. Roads were closed due to floods and mudslides, including a portion of California Highway 1 in Mendocino County where overnight slides nearly toppled a California Department of Transportation dump truck with an employee inside. The truck hit a guardrail — stopping its fall — and landed at a 45degree angle. The employee was uninjured. The latest in a series of storms moved in Thursday night, adding more moisture to an already wet March that has resulted in mudslides and swollen creeks. A mudslide was likely to blame for a commuter train that derailed east of San Francisco on Monday, injuring nine. Bobby Rehfeldt of Goodman Building Supply off U.S. 101 in Mill Valley, said Friday that most of the customers in the busy store were thrilled with the rain, although some are understandably un-
New York region braces for rail strike By DAVID PORTER AND BEN FINLEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Eric Risberg | AP
A man rides his bike during a break between rain storms Friday, in Monte Rio. Flood warnings blanketed Northern California. happy about leaks. “Lots of people are buying tarps and roof patch and heat guns to dry stuff up, anything for getting water off the ground, and sandbags are flying out of here,” he said. “It’s just rain, and we need it.” California is entering its fifth year of drought, and water watchers say anything helps, although it will take years of normal or above-normal rainfall to right the deficit. Rain moved down the Central Coast and into Southern California during the morning, but only a few sprinkles fell during the funeral for former first lady Nancy Reagan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, northwest of Los Angeles. A waterproof tent behind the library shield-
ed those attending the service. Minutes after the service ended, the skies unleashed a blustery downpour and mourners pulled out umbrellas as they filed past her coffin. The National Weather Service said the cold front would move through the region very quickly and peak rain rates would likely only last an hour or two, with a couple of hours of lighter precipitation in its aftermath. Snow levels were expected to initially be between 6,000 and 6,500 feet, then lower, possibly to 4,500 feet by night. In Northern California, snow is forecast in the Sierra Nevada throughout the weekend. The Sierra snowpack normally stores about 30 percent of California’s water supply.
3 dead after apartment building blaze By BRUCE SCHREINER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WINCHESTER, Ky. — Keith Edwards woke up in the middle of the night and heard what sounded like gunshots. Looking out the window, he saw flames, 25feet tall, starting to consume his apartment building. The massive overnight fire at his central Kentucky apartment complex killed three, injured at least five and forced some residents to leap from second-story windows to escape the flames. “There was a lot of screaming, a lot of crying. People were burned, they were injured and trapped up on the second floor,” said Edwards, who escaped by climbing from the window of his first-floor apartment. “Smoke so thick you couldn’t even see. It was a nightmare.” He believes the noise he thought was gunfire was all of the windows exploding. The neighbor in the apartment just above him was among the dead, he said. If it wasn’t for his dog, a terrier-Chihuahua mix named Brat, he believes he would be too. Around 1 a.m., Brat started barking and running laps around the apartment, alerting him to the fire and allowing him time to escape before it consumed the entire building. He was treated on scene for smoke inhalation. Firefighters arrived to
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
Photo by Timothy D. Easley | AP
An investigator with the Winchester Fire Department photographs the damage to one of the units at the B&P Apartments, Friday. find heavy smoke and flames coming from the windows and out the roof of the two-story structure, which had 10 apartments, said Winchester Fire Chief Cathy Rigney. Some people jumped from second-story windows to get away. Edwards, a 46-year-old former professional bull rider, said he heard a thud near him as he escaped, but the smoke was so thick he couldn’t see what it was. He learned later it was a man who jumped from the second floor landing to the ground. That man broke an arm in the fall, he said. Rigney says two people were found dead at the scene and a third died in a hospital. Five more were taken to the hospital by medics, and other injured people drove themselves for treatment. Investigators remained at the scene after daybreak trying to determine the cause. Rose Neal woke up
around 1 a.m. after hearing a loud boom. She went outside and saw flames shooting from another building in her complex, where her relatives lived with three small children. She found them safe though shaken. One of them, a toddler, suffered burns to the back of her neck as the family made its desperate escape from the blaze, Neal said. “It’s devastating, it’s not what you want to wake up to,” she said as she sat surveying the ruins of the charred building Friday morning. “They lost everything. Everything is gone.” All those who died were adults, Rigney said. Neal said she knew an elderly woman who perished in the fire. Edwards said he did not have a smoke detector installed in his apartment. But James Tackett, the property owner, said he cleans each apartment when a tenant moves.
NEWARK, N.J. — Commuters and businesses on both sides of the Hudson River braced for the worst as negotiators for rail unions and New Jersey Transit worked to reach a contract deal Friday to head off a weekend shutdown from a strike. After about six hours of negotiations, no deal had been announced by late afternoon, and neither side had offered an update on the status of the talks. . If negotiators can’t iron out an agreement over wages and benefits, unions have authorized a strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. It remained to be seen whether Republican Gov. Chris Christie would become directly involved in the talks. Earlier in the week, Christie said he would monitor negotiations but wouldn’t take part unless his “involvement will be helpful in bringing together a resolution.” More than 100,000 commuters use NJ Transit to get into New York, and the transit agency says its contingency plan using extra buses will only be able to accommodate about 40,000 “It would be an enormous inconvenience,” said Martin Dorph, chief financial officer for New York University in lower Manhattan, who takes the train from Hamilton, New Jersey, to New York. Eric Delgado, a sales rep for a software company, said he could work from home in Robbinsville, New Jersey, about 60 miles from Manhattan, except he’s scheduled to meet new clients for the first time next week near his office. On Friday, he weighed
Photo by Julio Cortez | AP
An NJ Transit train, left, rushes by as it leaves Newark Penn Station, Friday. that prospect against commuting on a bus to Jersey City and then taking a train into the city. “I think it’s doable, but it’s just going to be a nightmare,” he said. “The bus is going to be packed full of people, and it’s going to be uncomfortable.” NJ Transit has estimated that a one-hour commute by train — roughly the length of Dorph’s ride from Hamilton to Penn Station on an express train — will more than double by bus or a combination of bus and ferry or Port Authority Trans-Hudson train. Worse, motorists have been told to expect backups of 20 miles or more at the Lincoln and Holland tunnels into New York. A spokesman for New York Waterway, a ferry company operating along the Hudson River waterfront in Weehawken and Hoboken and farther south in Monmouth County, said ferries likely would increase their frequency starting Monday to handle the anticipated crowds. In New York, a business group has estimated that each hour the rails are shut will cost busi-
nesses about $6 million. At New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s six campuses, employees had the option of using an app for carpooling and ride-sharing, and there were plans to create additional parking for an anticipated increase in vehicles. The last time the app was activated was during Superstorm Sandy, according to Jeffrey Bokser, vice president for safety, security and emergency services. Marina Norville, a vice president of public affairs for American Express, said a note went out to all employees Wednesday alerting them to the possible strike and telling them “to speak with your leader about the option to work from home.” Commuters wouldn’t be the only ones affected by a strike. While the heavily used Northeast Corridor line runs on tracks owned by Amtrak, the east-west Morris and Essex line is owned by NJ Transit and would be shut down, affecting some freight shipments by smaller railroads. The last NJ Transit strike was in March 1983, and it lasted 34 days.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
THE MARKET IN REVIEW STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS
u
u
NYSE 10,104.19 +186.12
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
DAILY DOW JONES
NASDAQ 4,748.47
+86.31
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
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Last Chg%Chg Name
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Archrock NoahHldgs RyersonH PerfSports Willbros Oceaneerg NewpkRes Frontlne rs Gener8M n SeadrillLtd
6.64 28.43 5.00 4.25 2.22 32.41 4.56 9.55 6.25 4.00
2.38 10.87 18.57 17.15 2.41 17.16 2.71 52.75 2.18 2.80
+1.03 +4.35 +.71 +.54 +.28 +3.80 +.51 +1.05 +.69 +.44
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-30.1 -23.8 -13.7 -11.8 -10.7 -10.4 -10.3 -10.3 -9.9 -9.5
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Vol (00) 1149900 599253 404237 401026 399095 347508 322479 316344 313724 308510
Last Chg Name 13.79 30.50 9.55 8.45 4.70 1.92 5.53 30.34 3.83 11.16
+.52 +.91 -.05 +.42 +.09 +.12 +.18 +.40 -.05 +.57
2.15 -.58 -21.1 5.00 -1.25 -20.0 2.29 -.38 -14.2 8.37 -1.34 -13.8 19.00 -2.88 -13.1 5.25 -.75 -12.5 3.00 -.40 -11.8 5.03 -.63 -11.1 6.36 -.80 -11.1 2.24 -.28 -10.9
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SiriusXM Microsoft Apple Inc Intel Cisco AMD Facebook LinnEngy MicronT Vericel
Volume
2,593 526 63 3,182 96 7 3,984,379,027
Last Chg
532684 3.91 +.03 316858 53.07 +1.02 265546 102.26 +1.09 219197 31.76 +.51 214871 27.86 +.48 211679 2.52 +.26 202998 109.41 +2.09 197041 1.10 -.22 171333 11.39 +.51 154448 4.33 +.38
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
17,240
Close: 17,213.31 Change: 218.18 (1.3%)
16,860 16,480
18,000
18,351.36 9,176.20 648.57 11,254.87 5,231.94 947.85 2,134.72 1,551.28 22,537.15 1,296.00
10 DAYS
17,500 17,000 16,500
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
2,216 592 137 2,945 43 23 1,750,104,027
15,370.33 6,403.31 539.96 8,937.99 4,209.76 809.57 1,810.10 1,215.14 18,462.43 943.09
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Dow Industrials Dow Transportation Dow Utilities NYSE Composite Nasdaq Composite S&P 100 S&P 500 S&P MidCap Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000
17,213.31 7,693.09 647.14 10,104.19 4,748.47 896.55 2,022.19 1,407.13 20,802.97 1,087.56
MONEY RATES
16,000 15,500
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YTD Chg %Chg
STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST Last
YTD Chg %Chg
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AT&T Inc AEP BkofAm B iPVixST Caterpillar CCFemsa CmtyHlt ConocoPhil CSVLgNG rs CSVLgCrd rs Dillards EmpIca ExxonMbl FordM GenElec HP Inc HomeDp iShEMkts Intel IntlBcsh IBM
1.92 2.24 .20 ... 3.08 1.98 ... 1.00 ... ... .28 ... 2.92 .60 .92 .50 2.76 .84 1.04 .58 5.20
5.0 3.5 1.5 ... 4.2 2.6 ... 2.5 ... ... .3 ... 3.6 4.5 3.0 4.2 2.1 2.5 3.3 2.3 3.7
17 38.36 +.05 20 64.23 +.10 10 13.79 +.52 ... 20.90 -1.12 14 72.80 +1.44 ... 77.30 +.15 9 16.48 +.76 ... 40.52 +1.49 ... .91 +.02 ... 2.53 +.11 13 86.99 ... ... .97 -.01 21 82.19 +.01 8 13.29 +.14 ... 30.34 +.40 11 11.70 +.28 24 128.46 +2.57 ... 33.14 +.68 14 31.76 +.51 12 24.93 +.60 10 142.36 +2.17
+11.5 +10.2 -18.1 +4.0 +7.1 +9.2 -37.9 -13.2 -62.5 -35.9 +32.4 +25.6 +5.4 -5.7 -2.6 -1.2 -2.9 +3.0 -7.8 -3.0 +3.4
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Lowes Lubys MktVGold MetLife MexicoFd Microsoft Modine Penney Pfizer S&P500ETF SanchezEn Schlmbrg SearsHldgs SiriusXM SonyCp SPDR Fncl UnionPac USSteel UnivHlthS WalMart WellsFargo
1.12 ... .12 1.50 1.81 1.44 ... ... 1.20 4.13 ... 2.00 ... ... ... .46 2.20 .20 .40 2.00 1.50
1.6 ... .6 3.4 ... 2.7 ... ... 3.9 2.0 ... 2.7 ... ... ... 2.0 2.7 1.4 .3 3.0 3.0
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22 72.12 +1.42 -5.2 ... 4.93 ... +10.3 ... 19.98 -.40 +45.6 11 44.25 +2.00 -8.2 ... 17.17 +.28 +3.3 34 53.07 +1.02 -4.3 ... 10.00 +.49 +10.5 ... 11.22 -.33 +68.5 18 30.50 +.91 -5.5 ... 202.76 +3.22 -.5 ... 5.35 +.24 +24.1 22 75.00 +1.82 +7.5 ... 16.76 -.06 -18.5 39 3.91 +.03 -3.9 ... 24.61 +.95 0.0 ... 22.49 +.57 -5.6 15 81.26 +1.88 +3.9 ... 14.53 +.16 +82.1 17 115.69 +2.74 -3.2 15 67.17 -.24 +9.6 12 50.07 +1.56 -7.9
Stock Footnotes: g=Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars .h= Doe not meet continued- listings tandards lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
Prime Rate Discount Rate Federal Funds Rate Treasuries 3-month 6-month 5-year 10-year 30-year
3.50 3.50 1.00 1.00 .25-.50 .25-.50 0.31 0.49 1.49 1.98 2.75
YTD 12-mo Chgg %Chg %Chg %Chg +218.18 +175.00 +1.18 +186.12 +86.31 +13.08 +32.62 +25.93 +350.57 +23.58
+1.28 +2.33 +.18 +1.88 +1.85 +1.48 +1.64 +1.88 +1.71 +2.22
-1.22 -3.02 +2.46 -14.00 +12.00 +12.95 -.39 -6.02 -5.17 -2.53 -1.63 -.55 -1.06 -1.52 +.61 -5.63 -1.72 -4.34 -4.25 -11.73
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DryShip rs ParaShp 21 CancerGen AccVIXup rs Zumiez Cyclacel pf BioDlvry lf Manitex Sunrun n HTG Mol n
MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) BkofAm Pfizer FrptMcM WhitingPet ChesEng SunEdison Petrobras GenElec Vale SA MarathnO
Dow Jones industrials
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE) Name
+1.24+108.8 +2.64 +32.1 +3.54 +23.6 +2.97 +20.9 +.41 +20.5 +2.86 +20.0 +.45 +19.9 +8.67 +19.7 +.35 +19.1 +.44 +18.6
STOCK MARKET INDEXES 52-Week High Low
0.26 0.44 1.38 1.88 2.70
Australia Britain Canada Euro Japan Mexico Switzerlnd
Last
Pvs Day
1.3213 1.4387 1.3223 .8963 113.70 17.6808 .9816
1.3419 1.4285 1.3347 .8931 113.11 17.8541 .9827
British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.
MUTUAL FUNDS Name AB GlbThmtGrA m Columbia ComInfoA m Eaton Vance WldwHealA m Fidelity Select Biotech d Fidelity Select BrokInv d Fidelity Select CommEq d Fidelity Select Computer d Fidelity Select ConsFin d Fidelity Select Electron d Fidelity Select FinSvc d Fidelity Select SwreITSvcs d Fidelity Select Tech d T Rowe Price SciTech Vanguard HlthCare Waddell & Reed Adv SciTechA m
Total Assets Obj ($Mlns) NAV WS 450 82.13 ST 2,594 54.36 SH 878 10.86 SH 9,728 168.10 SF 310 58.85 ST 169 27.75 ST 388 66.79 SF 86 11.46 ST 1,338 74.78 SF 1,044 79.19 ST 2,972 115.42 ST 2,778 113.02 ST 2,854 32.69 SH 10,653 203.61 ST 2,814 12.13
Total Return/Rank 4-wk 12-mo 5-year +13.0 -5.9/D +1.3/E +16.7 +3.8/A +10.9/B +8.6 -8.7/B +16.2/D +9.8 -30.5/E +23.0/A +17.1 -15.6/E +5.1/D +17.5 -10.8/E +1.9/E +15.6 -12.8/E +5.9/E +14.1 -10.0/D +10.1/A +21.8 -2.7/C +12.4/A +13.1 -8.6/C +6.4/C +11.9 +5.1/A +15.1/A +14.5 -0.2/B +9.0/C +17.6 +1.1/B +10.2/B +8.3 -2.3/A +18.6/B +12.7 -15.6/E +9.7/B
Pct Min Init Load Invt 4.25 2,500 5.75 2,000 5.75 1,000 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 3,000 5.75 750
CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV - Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, ST - Technology, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
Amazon’s second bookstore By ALEXANDRA ALTER AND NICK WINGFIELD NEW YORK TIMES
This week, Amazon revealed the location of its second brickand-mortar bookstore, which will open in a few months in Southern California, at a mall near the University of California, San Diego. The online retailer seems to have big ambitions for its physical stores. On Wednesday, Nick Wingfield, who covers Amazon for The New York Times, visited the only Amazon bookstore in existence, in the University Village mall in Seattle. From inside the store, he had an online chat with Alexandra Alter, who writes about publishing for The Times. They discussed Amazon’s strategy and how the retailer’s stores differ from other bookstores. Here’s what they had to say: Alexandra Alter: Hi Nick! You’re reporting live from the mother ship! What’s it like? Nick Wingfield: The best part is, I just tested the free Wi-Fi and it’s 114 Mbps, easily the fastest I’ve ever gotten. Thank you, Jeff Bezos! Alexandra: Great, so you can just buy stuff from the Amazon website while you’re sitting in the store. Unlike Barnes & Noble, I bet Amazon doesn’t mind if people browse in its store then go buy it online. Nick: Exactly. Here’s the deal: At first glance, it looks like an ordinary but nice Barnes & Noble store. It’s clean and well-lit and corporate. It doesn’t have the charm of a funky used-bookstore. Once you start poking around the shelves, you notice the differences. Alexandra: How is the selection different? How are the sections organized? Nick: They have 5,000 to 6,000 book titles, fewer than what you would find at a big Barnes & Noble. All of the books are arranged cover out, rather than spine out, in the belief that it makes browsing more friendly. I am so buying that “Boho Crochet” book. Alexandra: Ha, I see Amazon is going big on adult coloring books
Photo by Hasan Jamali | AP
In this file photo, oil pumps work in the desert oil fields of Sakhir, Bahrain. Signs of a market that has ‘bottomed out’ are emerging.
Oil prices may have ‘bottomed out’ Photo by Michael Hanson | The New York Times
Pictured is Amazon Books at the University Village mall in Seattle. The location has far fewer titles than a typical store. — smart move since those have taken over the best-seller list on the website. Can you check something out for me? I heard that the store has a shelf of books recommended by Jeff Bezos. Is his wife MacKenzie’s novel there? Nick: I’ll go look now. OK, I’m back. You were right! He does recommend his wife’s book. He discloses his conflict of interest. But still ... Alexandra: Lucky guess. What else is he recommending? Nick: Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day” and “Seveneves” by the science-fiction writer Neal Stephenson, who incidentally used to work for Bezos’ space exploration company, Blue Origin. Alexandra: A man of diverse literary tastes. Here’s another thing I’m curious about. A lot of people in the publishing industry were worried when they heard Amazon planned to open bookstores, in part because they assumed Amazon would heavily promote books published through its own imprints. Amazon has had trouble getting those books into brick-andmortar bookstores, which don’t want to sell books by its No. 1 competitor. But I’ve heard that the Amazon bookstore doesn’t carry
many Amazon Publishing titles. Is that how it looks to you? Nick: I just asked a store employee and was told there’s no dedicated section for Amazon-published titles, though some of them are sprinkled around the store. There is, however, a small table near the front window called “Books That Inspired Amazon Originals” — that is, Amazon-produced TV series and movies. Philip K. Dick’s “The Man in the High Castle” is there. That’s corporate synergy at work. Alexandra: It’s like advertising for their shows, but they can sell the advertising. Here’s my biggest question about the bookstore. Amazon already has a huge market share of physical book sales through its website, 60 percent, by some estimates. So why does it need physical stores at all? Nick: Amazon, officially, won’t tell you much about the motivations for doing bricks-and-mortar. But what I gather from my reporting is they have a lot of ideas about how physical retailing can be improved, ideas that come from their data-centric approach to online retailing. There is also a serendipity to book shopping offline that’s hard to replicate online.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS — The organization that represents major oil-consuming nations said Friday that signs of a market that has “bottomed out” are emerging. U.S. crude prices jumped to a high for the year. Brent crude, used as a global benchmark, hit a high for the year Tuesday and rose 1 percent Friday. Energy companies have been shutting down rigs and laying off thousands of workers as oil prices plunged to around $30 per barrel, from well over $100 per barrel just two years ago. A broad retreat by the energy sector played out again Friday on both fronts. The number of oil and natural gas rigs active in the U.S. fell for the 12th consecutive week, according to Baker Hughes on Friday, to 480. That’s the lowest level in decades, and perhaps the fewest since the earliest days of the oil drilling industry. And Texas driller Anadarko Petroleum Corp. said that it would cut 1,000 workers, 17 percent of its work force. The pain at Anadarko and other energy companies may finally be translating into a reduction of a massive and global oversupply of oil, the International Energy Agency said Friday.
OPEC production tumbled by 90,000 barrels a day last month, the IEA said. U.S. production that had surged due to new drilling technology, is expected to fall by almost 530,000 barrels a day this year, according to the IEA. The Paris organization, however, said that the recovery in crude prices in recent days from multi-year lows does not mean that there will be a significant and sustained rebound in the short-term. There have been sharp declines in demand, particularly in the United States and China, it said. China, the world’s secondlargest oil consumer, is attempting to quell anxiety over a slowing economy and labor unrest. Earlier this month, it cut its growth expectations for the year. Goldman Sachs said on Friday that production is unlikely to increase in the U.S. until 2017, and that prices could volatile in the next few months. Analysts with Goldman said that if U.S. drillers ramp up production with any rise in oil prices, “we believe a self-defeating rally in oil prices/equities could result.” The report buoyed stocks of energy companies Friday, making the sector the second-best performer on the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.
Stocks sharply higher, European markets rally By BERNARD CONDON ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Stocks are moving sharply higher in afternoon trading Friday following a rally in Europe and an upturn in crude oil prices. Eight of 10 industry sectors of the Standard and Poor’s 500 index rose, led by energy company shares. Anadarko Petroleum rose 10 percent and Devon Energy gained 12 percent. KEEPING SCORE: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 190 points, or 1.1 percent, to 17,185 as of 2:55 p.m. Eastern time. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index gained 27 points, or 1.4 percent, to 2,017. The Nasdaq composite climbed 70 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,732. European markets
rose sharply as investors hoped that the European Central Bank’s latest blast of stimulus policies would help revive the region’s economy. BOTTOM FOR OIL? U.S. crude added 68 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $38.52 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after the International Energy Agency said “there are signs that prices might have bottomed out.” U.S. crude has risen about 50 percent from a 13year low of $26.21 exactly one month ago. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, lost 80 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $40.31 a barrel. MAKE IT FOUR: After a scary stock drop earlier this year amid talk of a possible U.S. recession, inves-
Photo by Richard Drew | AP
Trader Frank O’Connell, center, works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday. tors have gotten more confident. If Friday’s rally holds to the close, the S&P 500 will notch its fourth weekly gain in a row. Since it hit a low on Feb. 11, the index has gained 9 percent. THE QUOTE: It’s been a “terrific four-week run,”
said Chief Equity Strategist Phil Orlando of Federated Investors, but that makes him a “little nervous.” Among his worries are a steeper China slowdown, a U.S. dollar strengthening even more and hurting U.S. exports, no relief from the
corporate profits drop over the last year and more surprises in the presidential election. “Don’t discount the fiscal policy uncertainty of the election,” he warned. EUROPE JUMPS: European markets rose sharply as investors hoped that the European Central Bank’s latest blast of stimulus policies would help revive the region’s economy. Germany’s DAX gained 3.5 percent, France’s CAC 40 advanced 3.3 percent and Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 1.7 percent. Shares in banks, which will be supported by the ECB loans, were among the biggest gainers. SECOND THOUGHTS: Stocks had fallen on comments by ECB chief Mario Draghi on Thursday that
underscored the weakness of the 19-country eurozone economy and the desperation of monetary authorities to act. The ECB moves included three interest rate cuts, loans to banks, and an expansion to a bond-buying stimulus program. ASIA’S DAY: Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.5 percent. South Korea’s Kospi edged up 0.1 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 1.1 percent. CURRENCIES: The dollar strengthened to 113.72 yen from 113.11 yen while the euro fell to $1.1157 from $1.1196. BONDS: U.S. government bonds fell, pushing their yields higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.98 percent from 1.93 percent late Thursday.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
Kerry arrives in Saudi Arabia ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Abbas Momani | Getty Images
A Palestinian protester throws back a tear gas canister during clashes with Israeli security forces, following a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli forces raid Islamic Jihad station By IAN DEITCH ASSOCIATED PRESS
JERUSALEM — Palestinian attackers opened fire at Israeli troops in the West Bank and wounded two soldiers before fleeing Friday night, the Israeli military said. Soon afterward, Palestinian gunmen in Gaza fired several rockets at southern Israel, causing no injuries. The attacks followed a morning raid by Israeli forces of a TV station run by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in the West Bank as part of a crackdown to curb months of violence that Israel says has been fueled by incitement in the Palestinian media. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the head of the Falestine alYoum — or “Palestine Today” — was detained in the raid in Ramallah early Friday morning. She said Farouq Elayan, 34, had been incarcerated in the past for activities in the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad group. The outlet, which also publishes material on social
media sites, encouraged Palestinians to attack Israelis, she said. In a statement, Falestine alYoum said two other two staff members had also been arrested and that their equipment was confiscated. Islamic Jihad has carried out suicide bombings and shootings in the past. Israel faces near-daily Palestinian assaults on civilians and security forces that have killed 28 Israelis and two Americans since September. At least 179 Palestinians have died by Israeli fire in that time, the majority of them said by Israel to have been attackers while the rest died in clashes with Israeli forces. Israel has long pointed to the glorification of attackers in Palestinian media and social networking sites as a major factor in the recent bloodshed. Palestinians say it stems from anger at nearly five decades of Israeli rule in the West Bank and east Jerusalem and frustrations at not achieving statehood.
HAFR AL-BATIN, Saudi Arabia — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed Friday at a sprawling military facility in northeastern Saudi Arabia where the kingdom just finished a three-week-long counter-terrorism drill that included 20 nations and which observers say was a show of force against its foes. Kerry touched down at the King Khalid Military City near the town of Hafr al-Batin in the desert, south of the Iraqi and Kuwaiti border. He was later in the evening received by King Salman and other top Saudi officals, which was to be followed by a working dinner with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. His visit came as the kings of Bahrain and Jordan joined Pakistan’s prime minister, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Qatar’s emir and the Saudi king for a parade and airshow marking the end of the military exercise, dubbed “Northern Thunder.” The drill focused on how to coordinate combat operations and guerrilla warfare tactics among the Muslim-majority countries that are members of a larger counter-terrorism alliance announced by the kingdom in December. It also comes amid heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and its regional Shiite rival Iran as they back opposite sides of the wars in Syria and Yemen. On Thursday, state media reported that Saudi Arabia was building a new air base to protect the kingdom’s airspace in Hafr al-Batin. The drills included troops
EL CHAPO Continued from Page 1A She told The New Yorker she was unaware that Penn was bearing a letter of assignment from Rolling Stone when they met with “El Chapo,” and she felt blindsided when he announced to Guzman that he intended to write an article. Penn has insisted he told her beforehand, but she dismissed that as “total and complete (bull).” “This was not how I was expecting the night to be,” she was quoted as saying. “But at the moment I thought, Maybe we can base the movie on this article.” The New Yorker reported that the Argentine producers said the article had been discussed on the trip, before the meeting with Guzman. Mexican authorities are probing possible money-laundering involving Guzman and del Castillo’s tequila business and have sought to question the actress, while saying she is considered a witness and has not been charged with any crime. A kind of summons for her to be questioned has been issued, but del Castillo, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has remained in Los Angeles where she lives. Her attorney in the United States says she has nothing to hide and is willing to talk to Mexican authorities Del Castillo considers the probe “a witch hunt,” she told The New Yorker. She also alleged sexist treatment by the Mexican media, much of which has focused on a series of seemingly flirtatious text messages between her and Guzman that were leaked earlier this year. Del Castillo said she was dismayed when Mexican authorities announced they had been able to locate and capture Guzman due to communication he had had with “actresses and producers.” “I wanted to die,” she was quoted as saying.
Photo by Saudi Press Agency | Getty Images
This picture shows Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz meeting with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in Hafar al-Batin. from Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Jordan, Sudan and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. Other countries that contributed include Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. Kerry’s talks focused on the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, where a Saudi-led campaign has been targeting the country’s Iran-backed Shiite rebels. A senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, said Kerry emphasized that now is the time to keep moving forward on ending the conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Kerry also noted the recent cessation of hostilities in Syria and reduction of violence there and looks forward to building on that progress as U.N.-led peace talks resume within days in Geneva, the official said. From the kingdom, Kerry will head to Paris for talks on
Sunday with Europe’s top diplomats about Libya, Syria, Yemen and Ukraine. The meeting is also an opportunity for him to meet with France’s new foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault. They’ll be joined by the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, Italy and the EU foreign policy chief. Kerry is also expected to discuss the migrant crisis facing Europe. There have also been increasing European concern about the expansion of the Islamic State group — which holds about a third of Iraq and Syria — in Libya amid the North African country’s political chaos. EU diplomats are discussing possible sanctions against Libyans seen as obstructing the peace process. Additionally, European officials are upset about President Barack Obama’s criticism of European policy in Libya after the 2011 NATO-led campaign that ousted Moammar Gadhafi.
TRAPPED Continued from Page 1A Court records show the stepfather was arrested on domestic violence charges, which included a prior offense and felony abuse committed in the presence of a child under the age of 16. Records indicate he was deported shortly afterwards. His mother spent all their money in a failed attempt to rescue her husband from deportation, Valencia said, and when that failed, she took her five children to Mexico. Now, stuck in Mexico, Valencia regrets ever agreeing to follow her. Had he stayed in Indiana and finished high school, today he would be eligible for a deferred action program President Obama created by executive order in 2012 that allows some youths brought to the country illegally to remain here and receive work authorization. Instead, he’s struggling to learn the customs of a country he only knew in pictures before getting trapped here. “I don’t know my language. I don’t know my history. I found out my whole name when I came here. My whole name is Marcos Francisco Valencia Ruiz. Over there I only use Marcos Valencia,” Valencia said in a November interview. “Here I found out my birthday is the independence day of Mexico,
which was surprising that I didn’t even know that. I’ve tried so hard to get jobs and I’ve tried to be, to live like an adult. It’s hard, man.” Valencia was brought to the United States by his mother, who married American truck driver Daniel Hamby when Valencia was a toddler. Hamby acted as his father during his formative years. Two half sisters, Hamby’s daughters, are American citizens living in Indiana. Valencia said Hamby and his mother split up when he was about six or seven, and his mom later re-married. Valencia doesn’t know his biological father or, at this point, the whereabouts of his mother or deported Mexican stepfather. But he stays in touch with Hamby, who mostly raised him and who made the trek down to Matamoros to visit Valencia in early November, bringing him some money and clothes but little hope for a quick fix to his immigration woes. “We are talking to some lawyers up north,” Hamby said in an interview conducted about 100 yards from the banks of the Rio Grande. “We are just trying to get, trying to get the paperwork rolling.” The first step is to get Valencia a Mexican passport,
but it’s taking more time and money than planned. Lawyers have told Hamby it could take years to get Valencia back to the country where he was raised. They’re even exploring the possibility of immigration to Canada for Valencia, where he wouldn’t be so far from home. “Since day one, dealing with immigration has been biggest nightmare I have ever seen in my life,” Hamby said. “It is so unorganized, and so many hoops that they make you jump through.” Hamby said he has no doubt that his former stepson, regardless of what papers he holds, belongs in the United States. “That boy is American,” Hamby said. “He ain’t no Mexican. He looks Mexican, but he is American, trust me. He was raised up there since he was three. He is an American child, that is all there is to it.” When he returned to Mexico, Valencia initially lived in the town of Cuauhtemoc near the city of his birth, Altamira, about 300 miles south of Brownsville, Texas. He said the drug traffickers didn’t mess with him because he worked for his uncle, a cell phone repairman. “There’s no police officers, no civil protection. There’s
military, just military passing by. They sometimes pass in the town, but in the town there’s a cartel coming by every day just like normal,” Valencia said. “They don’t mess with me because I’m my uncle’s nephew. They won’t bother my uncle because he fixes their phones.” In October he went to Matamoros, across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, with the hope of finding “a way out.” But being within a stone’s throw of the United States geographically didn’t get him any closer legally. With nowhere to stay, Valencia ended up asking for help near the bridge and wound up in a migrant shelter. The director of the shelter said people who stay there aren’t immune from the looming presence of drug cartels, either: Sometimes, cartel members show up at the shelter looking for particular migrants. In November, Valencia left the border to look for work in Mexico City, but he has since returned to Cuauhtemoc, where he works 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, repairing phones and computers for his uncle. The one constant in his life is confusion about his own identity. “I don’t know what to call me,” he said. “I feel like I’m a man without a country.”
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: CLEVELAND BROWNS
NASCAR
Manziel released Browns cut ties with former Texas A&M QB ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — Johnny Manziel’s tightest spiral with the Browns was a downward one. Less than two years after arriving armed with a Heisman Trophy, full of swagger and touted as a savior for this football-frenzied city’s sagging franchise, Manziel was shown the door — a rude exit for the overhyped quarterback. Manziel, who did as much partying as playing during two drama-filled seasons with the Browns, was waived Friday. Welcomed as a hero, he leaves as one of the biggest busts in team — and perhaps — NFL history. Johnny Be Gone. The Browns had hoped to recoup something for the former Texas A&M star, but after failing to find a team interested in trading for him the past
File photo by Gene J. Puskar | AP
The Browns have released troublesome quarterback Johnny Manziel, releasing the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner on Friday. two days, the team finally cut ties. Cleveland announced its move with a simple sentence: “The Cleveland Browns have waived Johnny Manziel.” The Browns included his pedestrian statistics but not any com-
ment. Actions, not words. That was the same mantra they asked of Manziel, who always promised to change his behavior but never did. The Browns drafted Man-
ziel in the first round in 2014, hoping he could solve their long-term issue at quarterback and turn around a team that has only been to the playoffs once since 1999 and never to the Super Bowl. Instead, Johnny Football was a two-year headache that wouldn’t go away. “I’d like to thank the Browns for the opportunity they gave me — nearly two years ago, we all hoped that we were building what could be a championship team for Cleveland,” Manziel said in a statement released by his publicist. “I will always remember the support I received from the organization, my teammates and especially the fans.” Manziel entered the league amid fanfare and with a party-boy reputation, which only grew thanks to nearly constant exposure on social
See MANZIEL PAGE 2B
File photo by Andrew Harnik | AP
NASCAR CEO Brian France, right, has dealt with a wealth of issues since supporting Donald Trump.
CEO faces Trump fallout By JENNA FRYER ASSOCIATED PRESS
NCAA BASKETBALL: NO. 17 TEXAS A&M 72, FLORIDA 66
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy hoped his team can improve from a Southeastern Conference Tournament win over Florida that looked good — to him — only on the scoreboard. Jalen Jones made a goahead layup with 2:08 remaining and Alex Caruso followed with a steal and layup 13 seconds later to key a 7-0 run that pushed No. 17 Texas A&M past Florida 72-66 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. Playing for the first time as the tournament’s top seed, the Aggies (25-7) needed everything and everybody to break free of a Florida team that stayed with them throughout a tight game featuring 11 ties and seven lead changes. Something also had to give in a contest in which
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Brian France endorsed Donald Trump for president, the chairman and chief executive of NASCAR thought of it as nothing more than a “routine endorsement.” He’s been dealing with the fallout ever since. France’s decision to personally back the front-runner for the Republican nomination has roiled a sport his family built from the ground up. It’s threatened a decade of work to broaden NASCAR’s appeal among minorities, upset one of the most powerful teams in the sport and risked a break with the corporate sponsors that are its financial lifeblood. “I was frankly, very surprised, that my diversity efforts for my whole career would have been called into question, over this, in my view, a routine endorsement,” France said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press. France acknowledged he’s had to have conversations with sponsors since making the endorsement, which came as NASCAR is seeking a new main sponsor for its top series. “I made a few phone calls and clarified some things,” he said. “That kind of goes with the territory.” France’s appearance at a Trump rally the day before last week’s Super Tuesday elections fits with the sport’s history of occasionally blending politics with the action at the track. France’s grandfather, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., endorsed George Wallace for president. Its all-time winningest driver, Richard Petty, celebrated his 200th victory with President Ronald Reagan and ran for statewide office in North Carolina in the 1990s. France told the AP on Wednesday he backed Barack Obama in 2008 and actively participated in the campaign, shifting his support to Mitt Romney four years later. “I supported Obama. I went to his rallies. I parted with my hard-earned money. There was a movement going on, and I was really thrilled with the idea of the first African-American president,” he said. “I did the same for Mitt
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TEXAS A&M PULLS AWAY Aggies face LSU next By GARY B. GRAVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by John Bazemore | AP
Danuel House and No. 17 Texas A&M past Florida 72-66 on Friday in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. The Aggies will face LSU in the semifinals.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DENVER BRONCOS
Broncos acquire Sanchez By ARNIE STAPLETON ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER — Mark Sanchez is getting a change of scenery and a new job description: replacing Peyton Manning. Instead of being buried deep on Philadelphia’s depth chart, the veteran quarterback has a chance to lead Denver’s defense of its Super Bowl title. He proved early in his career that he can take a team with a great defense on a deep playoff run and he’ll be asked to do the same in Denver if he emerges as the starter. The Broncos acquired
the seven-year veteran from the Eagles on Friday, a move Denver general manager John Elway calls the first step toward replacing Manning. The Super Bowl champions were left without an experienced quarterback this week when five-time MVP Manning retired and Brock Osweiler signed with Houston as a free agent. So they have turned to Sanchez, who was acquired for a conditional 2017 draft pick. “He brings veteran leadership & will compete,” Elway tweeted. “This is the 1st step in our process.” Sanchez, 29, is due $4.5
million next season in the final year of his contract. He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Jets, helping them to the AFC championship game in his first two years by winning four road playoff games. But the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft lost his job in New York and spent the last two seasons with the Eagles, starting 10 games and going 4-6 filling in for Nick Foles and later Sam Bradford. The former star at Southern California has a 37-35 record as a starter in his seven NFL seasons. He joins Trevor Siemian, who took one snap last year as
a rookie, as the only quarterbacks on Denver’s roster. The Broncos had hoped to hand things over to Osweiler, Manning’s longtime apprentice. But they were outbid by the Texans, who signed Osweiler to a fouryear, $72 million contract Thursday. That deal includes $37 million in guarantees for a quarterback who suffered four injuries in seven career starts, all in 2015. Sanchez became expendable in Philadelphia when new coach Doug Pederson lured longtime
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Photo by Rick Osentoski | AP
The Broncos acquired Mark Sanchez from Philadelphia Friday to help replace the retired Peyton Manning.
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Zscores
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
Dennis Wideman’s suspension cut in half By STEPHEN WHYNO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Drawing the wrath of the NHL, an independent arbitrator cut Dennis Wideman’s suspension in half to 10 games on Friday after concluding the Calgary Flames defenseman did not intend to injure a linesman when he knocked him to the ice during a game last month. In an 18-page ruling, arbitrator James Oldham wrote that he agreed with the NHL’s decision to suspend Wideman for abusing an official. But he disagreed with Commissioner Gary Bettman’s conclusion that there was sufficient evidence to show Wideman deliberately wanted to injure Don Henderson when he hit him during a game against Nashville on Jan. 27. “My fundamental disagreement with commis-
sioner Bettman’s decision, is that, based on the totality of the evidence presented to me, I do not think that Wideman’s behavior was animated by an intent to injure Henderson,” Oldham wrote, citing testimony from NHL director of officiating Stephen Walkom among others in reaching his decision. According to the ruling, Walkom said Wideman “was upset, he’s skating to the bench, and he made a mistake, and he crosschecked the linesman, and he knocked him to the ice with enough force to hurt him, even though he probably didn’t intentionally mean to hurt him.” Because Wideman suffered a concussion seconds earlier on a legal hit from Nashville’s Miikka Salomaki, “it is possible, given the speed of events and Wideman’s condition, that Hen-
File photo by Jae C. Hong | AP
Calgary Flames’ Dennis Wideman’s 20-game suspension for physically abusing an official was reduced to 10 games on Friday. derson may have been but a blurred distraction,” Oldham wrote. Henderson got a concussion of his own from the blindside hit, which Oldham wrote could not be
SANCHEZ Continued from Page 1B Chiefs backup Chase Daniel with him to the Eagles from Kansas City for $21 million over three years. Pederson said Sam Bradford, who signed a twoyear, $36 million deal this month, would remain his starter. Of course, Sanchez will have to win the starting job in Denver and Elway isn’t done addressing his QB needs. He’ll likely obtain another experienced passer and almost certainly will grab a QB in next month’s draft. The Broncos won it all despite having the league’s second-lowest cumulative passer rating behind only the Rams. In Danny Trevathan and Malik Jackson, they’ve lost two starters to free agency from their dazzling defense that led the way to a 24-10 win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50. But behind
game MVP Von Miller, who received the Broncos’ franchise tag, Denver should be in position to remain among the league’s elite defenses in 2016. Elway isn’t just scrambling to replace his iconic quarterback. He’s facing the possibility of replacing 10 players who started in the Super Bowl, including lead running back C.J. Anderson, who signed a fouryear, $18 million offer sheet from the Miami Dolphins on Thursday. The Broncos have five days to match Miami’s offer or they’ll lose him without compensation because they only placed the low-round tender worth $1.671 million on him. The higher tender would have paid Anderson $2.355 million in 2016 or required another suitor to give them a second-round draft pick to pry him away.
called a cross-check. Despite a text message Wideman sent to another player saying he was only having a hearing because of “stupid refs and stupid media,” Oldham wrote that
it didn’t represent intent to injure. Oldham revealed that the message was sent to Gregory Campbell, son of NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell, who originally set the 20-game suspension. Wideman has already served 19 games as the appeals process went to Bettman and then Oldham. He will get back $282,258 of the $564,516 he was going to forfeit as a result of the suspension and he was eligible to play as early as Friday night at home against Arizona. The NHL said it “strenuously” disagreed with the decision and was “reviewing the opinion in detail to determine what next steps may be appropriate.” The appeal to an independent arbitrator is the finals step of the appeals process, according to the collective bar-
gaining agreement. The NHL Players Association said it was pleased with the decision. “Given that it was undisputed that Dennis suffered a concussion mere seconds prior to his collision with linesman Don Henderson, we felt strongly that there should have been no discipline,” the union said. Oldham wrote that Wideman’s “exemplary” record without discipline throughout his career played into his decision. “(Wideman’s) disciplinary history is completely clean except for the incident under evaluation. I take this factor to be a positive weight in Wideman’s favor,” Oldham wrote. “Taking into account Wideman’s 11 years of discipline-free performance as a professional hockey player, there is no occasion to go beyond the 10game minimum.”
AGGIES Continued from Page 1B both teams shot just 39 percent. Texas A&M ultimately prevailed by making shots when needed, along with a key takeaway. “We didn’t play well offensively, but we gutted it out,” Kennedy said. Danuel House followed those two quick baskets with a 3-pointer with 1:02 left to provide some more room, and freshman Admon Gilder’s two free throws with 22.8 seconds to go sealed the Aggies’ seventh straight win. Caruso added two more foul shots six seconds later and the Aggies advanced for the first time since their inaugural appearance in 2013. As bad as Texas A&M shot, it scored 44 points in the paint, recorded 11 assists and committed just seven turnovers. And most importantly, it’s still in
contention for the SEC championship. “The first game in any tournament is the hardest game to win,” Kennedy said. “All the places I’ve been coaching, you’ve got to get past an ugly first round game. ... Hopefully, we got the ugliness out of us.” House and Tyler Davis each scored 15 points for Texas A&M, which will face LSU in the semifinals Saturday. Jones finished with 13 points. Kasey Hill’s 18 points led five players in double figures for eighth-seeded Florida (19-14). Dorian Finney-Smith and John Egbunu each added 11 points for Florida, but Egbunu fouled out with just under three minutes left. Texas A&M then made several plays in the closing minutes to seal the back-and-forth game.
“Both teams played hard,” House said. “We played scrappy, and I’m just grateful we got the victory.” A day after dispatching Arkansas, Florida sought another win to help solidify its NCAA Tournament resume. The Gators gave it a run for a while, trading baskets and leads with the Aggies up to the 2:24 mark as Hill made two free throws to tie the game at 61. Then came the final swing for Texas A&M, which closed the game on an 11-5 spurt. First came Jones’ glide to the hoop, one of several athletic plays by the Aggies. Caruso followed by picking off a pass and racing down the court for another easy basket. “We had a couple of key turnovers that led to points that really hurts
us,” Florida coach Mike White said. “They did a good job of taking care of the basketball and playing with the lead.” House’s long-range jumper provided the exclamation point, though it came down to free throws by Gilder and Caruso to make it final. TIP-INS Texas A&M: The Aggies entered the game having won their last six by an average margin of 10.1 points. WAITING GAME Florida’s loss leaves the Gators awaiting Selection Sunday to see whether they are part of the field. “Wherever we’re sent, we’ll be excited to play,” White said, “or we’ll find the right guys that are excited to play. We’ll continue to represent Florida and play hard and look to improve.”
MANZIEL Continued from Page 1B media. While he was with the Browns hardly a week passed without there being a photo or video of Manziel, usually with a drink in his hand and once floating on an inflatable swan, out having a good time. But he paid for all those late nights in bars and clubs as Manziel hasn’t developed the work ethic needed to succeed and he wound up spending more than 10 weeks following his rookie season in a Pennsylvania rehab facility specializing in alcohol and drug abuse. The Browns supported him as long as they could, but his decision to skip the
team’s season finale against Pittsburgh — he had a concussion at the time — for a trip to Las Vegas and a second domestic incident in three months was more than the team could tolerate and they dumped Manziel, who went 2-6 as a starter and finished with 1,675 yards seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. And now that he’s no longer with the Browns, Manziel has other issues to handle. On Feb. 25, Dallas police referred their domestic violence case against him to a grand jury, which will exam evidence against Manziel.
His ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, accused Manziel of striking her in the head during a night out on Jan. 30. Manziel is also being investigated by the NFL, which could suspend him for his off-field behavior. He was cleared by the league in October following a similar incident with Crowley. It all began with such promise. As he sat backstage inside New York’s Radio City Music Hall on draft day, Manziel famously sent a text to a Browns assistant coach urging the team to take him so they could “wreck this
league” together. Although other teams passed on him, the Browns, with the approval of owner Jimmy Haslam, traded two picks to move up and take him with the No. 22 pick, a selection they would later regret. That night, the young man nicknamed Johnny Football strutted on stage rubbing his fingers together, the “money” gesture he would later ditch after opponents taunted him with it. He hugged Commissioner Roger Goodell and all seemed right for the Browns. Back in Cleveland, fans quickly scooped up tickets
and his No. 2 jersey. Following a rough rookie season, Manziel vowed to come back better. In January, he entered a treatment center for an unspecified addiction. He left after 73 days, and there was hope Manziel had exorcised demons. The Browns stood by Manziel. Pettine, who would eventually be fired, named him starter in Week 9, and Manziel showed promise against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Manziel, though, was demoted to third string after a video surfaced of him partying during the team’s bye week. He returned to the start-
ing lineup and led the Browns to a win over San Francisco and made two more starts before sustaining a concussion. Manziel wasn’t required to be at Cleveland’s finale, but he skipped a required medical checkup and the team didn’t know where he was amid reports he was hitting the clubs and casinos in Vegas while wearing a disguise. The alarming events involving Crowley in Texas, including police using a helicopter to locate a despondent Manziel, were the final straw for the Browns. His party’s over.
Series, wrote an open letter to NASCAR last year saying his company would boycott the season-ending banquets if they returned to a Trump-owned property. After France’s endorsement of Trump, the Lebanese-born Lemonis wrote on Twitter: “There is no place for politics/any political endorsements in any business. Your customers and employees should have their own mind. (hash)period.” France’s efforts to quell criticism over what he insists was a “personal and private” decision have also been complicated by Trump’s continued mentioning of how he’s received “NASCAR’s endorsement.” On Monday, at a North Carolina campaign rally not far from Charlotte Motor Speedway and the headquarters of many top NASCAR teams, Trump was ebullient in describing his backing from the sport. “You know, I just had a visitor backstage. NASCAR endorsed Trump, can you believe that?” he asked the crowd. Except it wasn’t NASCAR that made the endorsement.
It was France. “We talked to the campaign about the endorsement that I made, versus the sport, and it’s hard to get that perfectly right all the time,” France said. Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump’s campaign, said in a statement that he spoke broadly because the “endorsement is from the great Brian France, in addition to several NASCAR drivers.” In a company-wide email sent last week to all his employees, France reiterated that NASCAR has never had a policy prohibiting employees or competitors from participating in politics, but said that could change in the future. He told the AP on Wednesday he understands that his endorsement can be viewed as one that comes from NASCAR itself. “I understand that the family is closely linked with NASCAR. ... We’ve just always, you’ve seen politicians come to tracks, and it varies, some Democrats, some are Republicans, all have policies we do and don’t agree with,” he said.
NASCAR Continued from Page 1B Romney. In both of those cases, I have never agreed with all of their policies.” But Trump is a candidate unlike any other in recent memory, drawing intense criticism for the racial undertones of his rhetoric and policies. The billionaire has called immigrants from Mexico rapists and drug dealers, has vowed to forcibly deport the 11 million people living in the country illegally and seeks to temporarily bar Muslims from entering the U.S. Trump has also earned the explicit or implicit backing of a slew of white nationalist leaders, including former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has compared his language to that of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. It’s into that cauldron that France inserted himself and his sport — admittedly without knowing all of what Trump has proposed. “I don’t even know all their policies, truthfully,” France said. He said he likes Trump’s “business approach” and his status as a Washington outsider. He al-
so cited the electricity around the Trump campaign and a friendship with one of Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr., that dates back nearly two decades. “I’m not supporting him for all of his views, or his immigration views,” France said. “I happen to be very enamored by the excitement he’s brought and the voter turnout that it is creating.” That excitement is what got Chase Elliott into a jam just two weeks into his new job at Hendrick Motorsports, where he’s taking the place of retired superstar Jeff Gordon. The son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, the rookie has been cast as the sport’s next superstar. To the surprise of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports, France was joined by Elliott at the Trump rally in Georgia where he offered his endorsement. At 20, Elliott has yet to vote in his first presidential election. Trump called Elliott to the microphone, and the young driver stumbled through a few remarks before sheepishly joining his father and the rest of the
NASCAR contingent off to the side. A person familiar with the situation told the AP that Elliott, intrigued by the election process, agreed to an invitation from NASCAR to fly on a NASCAR plane to the Trump event in Elliott’s home state of Georgia. It never occurred to the rising star to give his team or sponsors a heads-up, the person said, and Elliott realized he was in over his head when he began receiving heavy criticism on social media. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, because the person was not authorized to discuss the details of Elliott’s involvement. While France does not regret his own participation in the Trump rally, he does feel badly for Elliott. “You never want to see anybody get their true positions distorted in the way that has happened,” France said. France is also trying to protect his record on diversity. He said NASCAR has spent “tens of millions of dollars” on a program aimed at boosting the participation of minorities in
the sport. That program includes Japanese-American driver Kyle Larson, who competes in the top-level Sprint Cup, and Darrell Wallace Jr., a driver in the second-tier Xfinity Series who is black and who came up through NASCAR’s diversity program. NASCAR has also invested heavily in developing Mexican driver Daniel Suarez, who has risen to the Xfinity Series and currently leads its standings. Some of Suarez’s current corporate backing comes from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Domit, whose family’s TV production company cut ties with Trump last year after the real estate mogul announced his signature plan to build a wall along the U.S. southern border. Asked about France’s endorsement last week, Suarez told reporters: “I think Brian can do everything he wants on his own, but NASCAR is different. I’m in NASCAR, I’m not in Brian France, whatever.” Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Camping World, the longtime title sponsor of NASCAR’s third-tier Truck
SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016
The Gifts of Traveling Dear Heloise: I have some hints I’ve used while TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN. Keeping my toddlers quiet is a chore, but here is what I do to keep them occupied on airplane rides: In my carry-on, I take small items (a box of raisins, a small book, any number of party-favor-type toys, such as rhinestone rings, puzzles, etc.), each wrapped. They get to open a "gift" if they start to get antsy and bored. This works well and keeps them busy. But sometimes they seem to "get antsy" just to get a prize. Then we play a game, use the coloring book or count pennies. On some flights, more gifts are necessary than on other flights, but the kids are excited to open each little package. -- Mom of Three, via email Dear Mom: Good planning, and lots of different things to keep little hands and minds occupied. Thanks from fellow travelers, too. -- Heloise
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P.S.: It would be nice if someone had little gifts like that for adults on some long flights! Letter of Laughter Dear Heloise: A friend of mine put a sofa out at the curb with a sign that said "Free to a good home." It sat there for several days, then he put a sign on it saying "For Sale -- $20," and somebody stole it. -- Gary in Costa Mesa, Calif. Love it, and thanks for the much-needed laugh! – Heloise Super Syrup Dear Heloise: I mix any flavored fruit jelly with pancake syrup until wellblended. (It should be fairly thin.) The mix tastes great and is a new twist for topping pancakes, biscuits, toast, muffins, etc. How thick you want it depends on how much syrup you mix with the jelly. I’ve never been disappointed with the mixes I’ve made using different flavors of jellies every so often. It’s worth a try! -- Delores B., Albany, Texas
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SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 2016