OLD RANGERS
WEDNESDAYMARCH 14, 2018
FREE
BELTRE, COLON ONLY IN MLB WITH 20-PLUS SEASONS, A11
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY A HEARST PUBLICATION
TO 4,000 HOMES ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
SECRETARY OF STATE
Trump dumps Tillerson in shakeup CIA Director Mike Pompeo to take top diplomat’s place By Josh Lederman and Matthew Lee A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump unceremoniously dumped Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday — by tweet — and picked CIA Director Mike Pompeo to take his place, abruptly ending Tillerson’s turbulent tenure as America’s top diplomat and escalating the administration’s chaotic secondyear shake-up. Tillerson was ousted barely four hours after he returned from an Africa mission and with no faceto-face conversation with
the president, the latest casualty of an unruly White House that Pompeo has seen multiple top officials depart in recent weeks. Citing the Iran nuclear deal and other issues, Trump said he and Tillerson were “not really thinking the same.” “We disagreed on things,” Trump told reporters at the White House — a diplomatic take on a fractious relationship that included reports that Tillerson had
privately called the president a “moron.” Appearing in the State Department briefing room for likely the last time, Tillerson’s voice quavered as he described successes of his roughly one-year tenure: an economic pressure campaign on North Korea and a new Afghanistan plan. “I will now return to private life, private citizen, a proud American, proud of the opportunity I’ve had to serve my country.” He did not mention Trump — other than to say that he’d spoken by phone to the president Tuesday while Trump Shakeup continues on A6
Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post
President Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday and nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him, in a major staff reshuffle.
AUSTIN, TEXAS
DEADLY PACKAGE BOMBS
CHANNELVIEW ISD
High school band’s tour bus plunges into ravine Disney World trip turns grim By Jay Reeves and Dan Anderson ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman/AP
Authorities hold a press conference after multiple explosions in Austin on Monday injured several people. All the victims were minorities, and investigators are looking into whether race was a factor.
Though all victims were minorities, police back off suggestion that hate crimes could be core cause By Will Weissert and Paul J. Weber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN — Three package bombs left on doorsteps in suburban neighborhoods have exploded in less than two weeks in Texas’ capital city, killing two people, wounding two others and leaving investigators searching for any possible explanation or motive. Police said the bomb-
ings in eastern Austin — two Monday and one on March 2 — are likely linked. All the victims were minorities, and investigators are looking into whether race was a factor. However, they backed off initial suggestions that hate crimes could be a core cause. The attacks unfolded as tens of thousands of visitors arrived for the busiest days of the Bombs continues on A6
Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman / AP
Authorities investigate an explosion at a home in Austin on Monday. Investigators believe the fatal explosion is linked to another deadly bombing elsewhere in the city this month.
LOXLEY, Ala. — A bus carrying high school band members home to Texas from Disney World ran off a highway and plunged into a deep ravine Tuesday in Alabama, killing the driver and injuring dozens, authorities said. First responders used ropes to rappel down the 50-foot ravine in the middle of Interstate 10 and then had to cut some of the victims from the wreckage, said Baldwin County Sheriff Huey Hoss Mack. About 45 people were on the bus, the sheriff said. The driver was killed, said Capt. John Malone, who commands state troopers in the Mobile district. At least 37 people, most of them teenagers, were treated at hospitals or other facilities in Pensacola and southwest Alabama for injuries that ranged from minor to very serious, medical officials said. The sheriff said it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the bus to enter the grassy median, which abruptly ends at a steep embankment where the interstate passes over Cowpen Creek. The crash happened at about 5:30 a.m., crunching the bus and leaving the passengers exposed to chilly temperatures. Rescuers used every piece of equipment on every truck to reach them, Mack said: “This is what we call an all-out.” Josh Torres said his 17-yearold sister, Bianca Torres, was sitting at the rear of the bus when the impact of the wreck tossed her forward several rows. She had pain in her legs and bruising but was otherwise unscathed, and taken to a hospital for evaluation, he said. Bus continues on A6
In Brief A2 | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
MONDAY, MARCH 19 Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in Spanish. 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classroom #1. The support group welcomes adults suffering from anxiety and/or depression to participate in free and confidential support group meetings. Contact information: Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar, gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com, 956-307-2014
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
THURSDAY, MARCH 22 Spanish Book Club meeting. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library off Calton Road. Meeting will feature PowerPoint presentation on Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
THURSDAY, MARCH 29 Villa San Agustin De Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Joe A Guerra Public Library- Calton, speaker are Lola O Norris- General Alonso De Leon's Expeditions Into Mexico and Booksigning For more information, call Sylvia Reash at (956) 763-1810.
Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
President Trump poses for photographs with Houston Astros outfielder Josh Reddick while celebrating the team's World Series victory in the East Room of the White House on Monday.
TRUMP HONORS HOUSTON ASTROS WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump recognized the Houston Astros on Monday for their first World Series win, an “incredible victory” that Trump said was even more special following the devastation Hurricane Harvey wrought on the Texas city. Houston defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 last year to clinch the title. Trump, who played baseball in high school, declared it “was one of the greatest baseball games anybody has ever seen.” The Astros jumped to a 5-0 lead by the second inning, ultimately winning the game 5-1.
“It’s really a reminder why baseball is our national pastime,” he said at the White House. Trump thanked the players for spending time with people who were displaced by Harvey’s floodwaters, and for donating money. Trump singled out some players by name, including American League MVP Jose Altuve. “Who could forget the amazing Jose Altuve? Where’s Jose? He’s much taller than I thought,” Trump said, directly addressing the 5-foot-6 second baseman and turning to shake his hand. — Compiled from AP reports
TUESDAY, APRIL 3 Community Conversation on Teen & Young Adult Mental Health. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Border Region Behavioral Health Center, 1500 Pappas St. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center at 956-7120037.
SATURDAY, APRIL 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 Habitat for Humanity Laredo major fundraiser Golfing For Roofs golf tournament. Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course. Hole sponsorships are title $10,000, platinum $5,000, diamond $2,500, gold $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze. For information, call 724-3227.
TUESDAY, MAY 1 15th Annual Mental Health and Substance Abuse Symposium. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. UT Health Regional Campus Laredo. 1937 Bustamante St. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center at 956-7120037.
SATURDAY, MAY 5 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, JULY 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Two fertility clinics respond to egg and embryo storage failures CLEVELAND — Two fertility clinics across the country from each other experienced equipment failures on the same day that may have damaged hundreds of frozen eggs and embryos, something that a fertility expert called a stunning coincidence and that is already producing lawsuits
from crestfallen couples. Lawyers for Amber and Elliott Ash, of the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village, and an unidentified Pennsylvania couple have sued University Hospitals after its fertility clinic in suburban Cleveland discovered a storage tank malfunction March 4 and said last week that as many as 2,000 frozen eggs and embryos may have been damaged. The lawsuits come as a San Francisco fertility clinic said thousands of frozen eggs and embryos may have been dam-
aged in a liquid nitrogen failure in a storage tank on the same day. Lawyers for the couples who went to the Ohio clinic are seeking class action status, which would require approval from a judge. The Ashes said they stored two embryos at a University Hospitals fertility clinic in suburban Cleveland after Elliott’s cancer diagnosis in 2003. They said they were told over the weekend that their embryos are no longer viable. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Politicians seek to ‘open cracks’ in Mexico’s status quo GUADALAJARA, Mexico — In a cafe in downtown Guadalajara, Pedro Kumamoto, 28, an independent politician running for a Senate seat, was savoring his early morning coffee when a middle-aged man approached. “I am sorry to interrupt — I just wanted to greet you,” the older man said, his eyes starting to tear up. “I am sorry for getting emotional, but you are a true inspiration.” Such effusive displays of appreciation for politicians are unusual in Mexico, but encounters like this have become common for Kumamoto, an indication of how hungry Mexicans have become for alternative leaders amid growing disenchantment with the traditional political parties. Two years ago, Kumamoto was elected as the first independent legislator in the state
Brett Gundlock / The New York Times
Pedro Kumamoto, the first independent to win a seat in the state Congress in Jalisco, is interviewed in Mexico City.
Congress of Jalisco, a feat possible only after a 2014 change to the federal constitution allowed for candidates not affiliated with parties. Now, Kumamoto, a self-described “social democrat,” is leading in the polls for a seat in the federal Senate. He is among dozens of independent candidates running for state or federal office in the
July 1 general election who are looking to deliver a sharp rebuke to politics as usual in Mexico. For instance, 16 members of Wikipolitica, a leftist youth movement founded in 2013, have qualified to run as independent candidates for federal and state races. — Compiled New York Times report
Today is Wednesday, March 14, the 73rd day of 2018. There are 292 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 14, 1923, President Warren G. Harding became the first chief executive to file an income tax return, paying a levy of $17,990 on his $75,000 salary. On this date: In 1794, Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized America's cotton industry. In 1900, Congress ratified the Gold Standard Act. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an executive order designed to prevent Japanese laborers from immigrating to the United States as part of a "gentlemen's agreement" with Japan. In 1964, a jury in Dallas found Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and sentenced him to death. (Both the conviction and death sentence were overturned, but Ruby died before he could be retried.) In 1967, the body of President John F. Kennedy was moved from a temporary grave to a permanent memorial site at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. In 1975, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a sendup of the legend of King Arthur, had its world premiere in Los Angeles. Academy Award-winning actress Susan Hayward, 57, died in Los Angeles. In 1980, a LOT Polish Airlines jet crashed while attempting to land in Warsaw, killing all 87 people aboard, including 22 members of a U.S. amateur boxing team. In 1990, the Soviet Congress of People's Deputies held a secret ballot that elected Mikhail S. Gorbachev to a new, powerful presidency. In 1998, India's Congress party picked Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born widow of assassinated prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, as its new president. Ten years ago: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama denounced inflammatory remarks from his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who had railed against the United States and accused its leaders of bringing on the Sept. 11 attacks by spreading terrorism. A tornado ripped into the Georgia Dome during the Southeastern Conference tournament, sending debris tumbling from the ceiling and prompting fans to flee. Protests led by Buddhist monks against Chinese rule in Tibet turned violent, leading to an extensive crackdown by China's military. Lindsey Vonn completed the first American sweep of the overall World Cup titles in 25 years, a day after Bode Miller won his second overall crown in Bormio, Italy. Five years ago: During his first full day as pontiff, Pope Francis stopped by his Vatican hotel to pick up his luggage and pay the bill himself. Some 10,000 workers from across the European Union protested outside a summit of EU leaders in Brussels, demanding they end years of austerity and focus instead on curbing runaway unemployment with more spending. A nearly 19-hour standoff in Herkimer, New York, came to an end inside a cluttered, abandoned bar as police SWAT teams killed the suspect in four fatal shootings. The NHL's realignment plan was approved by the league's board of governors. Today's Birthdays: Singer Phil Phillips is 92. Former astronaut Frank Borman is 90. Actor Michael Caine is 85. Composer-conductor Quincy Jones is 85. Actor Raymond J. Barry is 79. Movie director Wolfgang Petersen is 77. Country singer Michael Martin Murphey is 73. Rock musician Walt Parazaider is 73. Actor Steve Kanaly is 72. Comedian Billy Crystal is 70. Former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is 70. Actor-writer-comedian Rick Dees is 67. Country singer Jann Browne is 64. Actor Adrian Zmed is 64. Prince Albert II, the ruler of Monaco, is 60. Actress Laila Robins is 59. Actress Tamara Tunie is 59. Actress Penny Johnson Jerald is 58. Producer-director-writer Kevin Williamson is 53. Actress Elise Neal is 52. Actor Gary Anthony Williams is 52. Actress Megan Follows is 50. Rock musician Michael Bland is 49. Country singer Kristian Bush is 48. Rock musician Derrick is 46. Actress Betsy Brandt is 45. Actress Grace Park is 44. Actor Daniel Gillies is 42. Actor Corey Stoll is 42. Actor Jake Fogelnest is 39. Actor Chris Klein is 39. Actor Ryan Cartwright is 37. Actress Kate Maberly is 36. Singer-musician Taylor Hanson is 35. Actor Jamie Bell is 32. Rock musician Este Haim is 32. Thought for Today : "The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that still carries any reward." — John Maynard Keynes, economist (1883-1946).
FRIDAY, JULY 13 6th U.S. – Mexico Regional Binational Health Conference. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. UT Health Regional Campus Laredo. 1937 Bustamante St. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center at 956-712-0037.
SATURDAY, AUG. 4 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Submit calendar items by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location, purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
AROUND THE STATE Form of avian flu found at northeast Texas chicken farm SULPHUR SPRINGS — Texas and federal agriculture authorities are testing birds and poultry in a northeast Texas county after inspectors detected a low-pathogenic form of avian flu at a poultry farm. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the H7N1 influenza was found last week during routine surveillance of a com-
mercial breeder’s flock of about 24,000 chickens in Hopkins County, about 75 miles northeast of Dallas. Authorities now are testing other poultry within about 6 miles of the Hopkins County farm.
Two killed, several hurt as strong winds topple trees DALLAS — Two people were killed and several were injured as powerful winds
CONTACT US toppled trees and power lines in East Texas. The National Weather Service says winds of 80 mph were reported over the weekend, along with hail the size of baseballs. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says a 40-year-old woman was killed and her husband was seriously injured when a tree fell on the family’s tent late Saturday at a campground in Jefferson, about 160 miles (257 kilometers) east of Dallas. — Compiled from AP reports
Publisher, William B. Green .....................................728-2501 General Manager, Adriana Devally ..........................728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................................728-2531 Circulation Director ..................................................728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo..................................728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ..............................728-2582 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ........................................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo.......................728-2569
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
The Zapata Times
LAREDO MORNING TIMES | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 |
STATE
Second lawsuit filed over fatal gas rig explosion A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
A second wrongful death lawsuit has been filed over a natural gas rig explosion in Oklahoma that killed five men — three from Oklahoma, one from Texas and one from Colorado. The lawsuit by Betty Jo Cunningham, widow of Roger Cunningham of Seminole was filed Fri-
day, a week after the widow of Parker Waldridge of Crescent filed a similar lawsuit. Each names Red Mountain Energy and Red Mountain Operating, both of Oklahoma City, and Patterson-UTI Drilling and Patterson-UTI Energy, both of Houston. Patterson-UTI did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but
previously said it’s committed to preventing future such accidents. An attorney for Red Mountain did not immediately return a phone call for comment. The Jan. 23 explosion also killed Matt Smith of McAlester, Josh Ray of Fort Worth, Texas, and Cody Risk of Wellington, Colorado.
Father and son convicted in hearing aids scam A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DALLAS — A North Texas father and son could each be sentenced to more than 90 years in prison in a nearly $17 million hearing aids scam targeting American Airlines Inc. workers. Federal prosecutors say 67-year-old Terry Lynn Anderson and 37-year-old
Rocky Freeland Anderson were convicted Thursday in Dallas over hearing aids not needed or dispensed. Both were convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, eight counts of health care fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Terry Anderson was also convicted on two additional fraud counts.
Investigators say the father and son’s business submitted bogus or unnecessary insurance claims for some American workers. Many hearing tests, lasting less than 5 minutes, were conducted in an employee break room at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. No sentencing date was immediately set.
Dallas-bound flight makes emergency landing A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
A Dallas-bound flight made an emergency landing at Albuquerque International Sunport, sending panicked passengers leaping from a wing onto the tarmac after crew members screamed at them to get away from the aircraft, passengers and officials said. Southwest Flight 3562 took off from Phoenix on Sunday night and was headed for Dallas Love Field. About an hour later,
the crew noticed an unusual smell in the cabin, the airline said in a statement. Passengers said they could feel heat from the vents shortly before the crew said the plane was going to make an emergency landing. Passengers were told to brace as the plane landed. “I sent a couple texts out to loved ones that you just don’t really want to have to send out,” Brandon Cox said. He said it was an eightfoot jump to the tarmac
from the wing. “I hit the ground really hard and was just shellshocked that I just had to jump off the wing of an airplane,” he said. Video he posted on Twitter showed people using a slide connected to another emergency exit. A crewmember can be heard shouting, “Move away from the aircraft now!” Passenger David Fleck said he was surprised to discover there were no emergency slides near the exit door over the wing.
A3
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Sugar versus your body By David Leonhardt N EW YORK T I ME S
The sugar industry and its various offshoots, like the soda industry, have spent years trying to trick you. Big Sugar has paid researchers to conduct misleading — if not false — studies about the health effects of added sweeteners. It has come up with a dizzying array of euphemistic names for those sweeteners. And it has managed to get sugars into a remarkable three-quarters of all packaged foods in American supermarkets. Most of us, as a result, eat a lot of sugar. We are surrounded by it, and it’s delicious. Unfortunately, sugar also encourages overeating and causes health problems. As confusing as the research on diet can often seem, it consistently points to the harms of sugar, including obesity, diabetes and other diseases. Virtually the only way to eat a healthy amount of sugar is to make a conscious effort. You can think of it as a political act: resisting the sugar industry’s attempts to profit off your body. Or you can simply think of it as taking care of yourself. I’m one of those people with a raging sweet tooth. I consider ice cream to be a gift from the gods, and I stash small chocolates in too many drawers. A couple years ago, I realized that I needed to cut back. If the ice cream and chocolates were going to stay, other sweeteners had to go. So my wife and I went cold turkey for one month: no added sweeteners. No sugar, no honey, no corn syrup, no stevia. It wasn’t easy, but it worked. We discovered which sugars we missed and would go back to eating — and which had needlessly snuck into our diets. Along the way, we also ate fewer processed foods and more vegetables, fruit, eggs, nuts, meat and fish. In a column last year, I described this “month without sugar,” and I’m still hearing from readers who have done it themselves or are considering it. I highly recommend it. But I have also heard from readers who want to consume less sugar without first going cold turkey. Fair enough. The sugarless month is just a means to an end, and there are other means. Working with experts and colleagues, I’ve now put together an online guide to cutting back on sugar without spending more money or losing the pleasure of eating. That last part is important. Done right, a less sweet diet can be more enjoyable than a sugar-packed one. Our overarching suggestion is to choose a couple of simple rules. Don’t
agonize over the sugar content of every single thing you eat. You’ll make yourself miserable and you will probably give up before too long. Instead, decide on two or three systemic changes, and stick to them. You can add changes later. Your rules should revolve around added sweeteners, rather than the natural ones in fruits, vegetables and dairy. It’s not that the added ones are so much worse. Many researchers believe that sugar is sugar. But people don’t generally overeat natural sugars. The online guide has many more details, but here are a few rules: Fix your breakfast It’s the most sugarpacked meal, and it doesn’t need to be. Eggs, fruit, nuts, plain yogurt, plain oatmeal and traditional pita bread are delicious — and free of added sugars. If you’re pressed for time, boil a dozen eggs, refrigerate them and grab one or two in the morning. A sign of a good breakfast plate: It has an array of natural colors. Redo your pantry. Steer clear of staples — like sauces, crackers and breads — with unnecessary sugars. There are plenty of unsweetened alternatives, like Victoria’s pasta sauces, French’s Yellow Mustard, Maille Dijon mustard, Saltines, Triscuits and some Trader Joe’s tortillas. Once you spend a little time reading ingredient lists, the unsweetened staples can become your defaults. Trader Joe’s is an especially good place to shop, but supermarkets work, too. Eliminate soda Just get rid of it. Soda and sports drinks are essentially liquid sugar, and are the largest source of added sweeteners in the American diet. Switch to flavored seltzer or, if you must, diet soda. The health effects of diet soda still are not clear, but it seems considerably less bad. Whip portion inflation Restaurant desserts are often family-size servings marketed as individual portions. The marble-loaf cake at Starbucks, for example, has more sugar than most adults should eat in an entire day. Your grandparents didn’t eat desserts like this. When you eat out, think of every dessert as a serving for two. It’s better to put some in the garbage than on your waistline. The best news about sugar is that Americans are finally catching on. Sales of regular soda are plunging. Some brands are not adding sweeteners. David Leonhardt is a New York Times columnist.
COLUMN
Cuts to skilled immigration degrade America’s strength By Noah Smith BL OOMBERG VIEW
The battle over tariffs may indicate that President Donald Trump has moved on from the immigration issue. When Democrats stymied Trump’s plans to curtail family-reunification immigration, the chances of major legislation dropped substantially. But that doesn’t mean that Trump is having no effect on immigration. Through a combination of executive actions and rhetoric, the president is deterring exactly the kind of immigrants that the U.S. most critically needs to keep its economy running. Since coming into office, Trump has been making life harder for skilled foreigners working in the U.S. Trump temporarily suspended premium processing of H-1B visas, one of the main visas skilled workers use to enter the country. The only possible reason for that move was to harass visa applicants. Trump’s administration has also made it harder to give the visas to entrylevel computer programmers, and increased its scrutiny of companies that hire workers on H-1Bs. As a result, the pace of H-1B approvals showed signs of slowing last year. The decline in the percent of accepted applications suggests that the skilled worker drought isn’t simply due to the atmosphere of racial exclusion created by Trump’s rhetoric, or to the recent increase in hate crimes. Thanks to Trump’s restrictive policies, skilled workers from countries such as India are turning to Canada instead. Canada, where the racial anxieties of Trump’s base are notably
less prevalent, admits much greater numbers of high-skilled immigrants relative to its population. In 2017, it increased its intake of skilled workers by about 7.5 percent, and announced a new program to approve visas for these workers in two weeks - compared to six or seven months in the U.S. So far, these trends have received little attention. Skilled immigration isn’t the kind of issue that gets masses of activists marching in the streets. Democrats tend to focus on protection for undocumented immigrants. Republicans used to pay lip service to the idea of skilled immigration - and some still do but spend the vast majority of their energy on trying to curb familybased legal immigration. Meanwhile, tech companies support more H-1Bs, but some workers oppose the program, believing that it steals jobs and/or reduces wages for nativeborn Americans. This is a big problem, because skilled immigrants are a key part of the U.S. economy. First of all, they’re highly entrepreneurial between 1995 and 2005, immigrants started more than half of the new businesses in Silicon Valley. As of 2011, more than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were started by immigrants or their children. It’s impossible to know ahead of time which immigrants will start these companies, but they’re much more likely to be those with decent technical training who come from families with a tradition of starting businesses - in other words, skilled immigrants. They’re also highly innovative. A 2017 study by economists Ufuk Akcigit, John Grigsby and
Tom Nicholas examined patenting records, and concluded: "Technology areas with higher levels of foreign-born expertise experienced much faster patent growth between 1940 and 2000, in terms of both quality and quantity, than otherwise equivalent technology areas." They go on to list a number of famous American inventions whose creators were born elsewhere. As for driving down native-born Americans’ wages, there is evidence that the worry is vastly overblown. It’s true that the H-1B program tethers employees to their employers; for a worker on an H-1B to switch to a different company, the procedure can be timeconsuming and annoying. There is some evidence that companies that win the chance to hire more H-1B workers pay lower wages. But there’s also evidence showing that H-1B workers are not paid less than native-born Americans, after accounting for their age and skill level. Moreover, studies that find negative impacts of H-1Bs tend to look only at the specific companies that hire skilled workers. The presence of more smart people in an industry or a city cause new ideas and technologies to flourish. These then diffuse to companies, allowing business to innovate faster, hire more workers and pay higher wages. Skilled foreigners help keep new ideas flowing in technology clusters like Silicon Valley; Austin, Texas; and Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, having a thick market of smart workers in an area allows a lot of innovative companies to cluster there. Tech companies put their offices in high-cost Califor-
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
nia because that’s where the engineers live. And engineers move there because that’s where the companies are. This is why even if they lower wages at a particular company, H-1B workers raise nativeborn wages overall. A 2015 study by economists Giovanni Peri, Kevin Shih and Chad Sparber found: "Increases in (foreign) STEM workers are associated with significant wage gains for college-educated natives. Gains for non-collegeeducated natives are smaller but still significant. Our results imply that foreign STEM (workers) increased total factor productivity growth in US cities." If Trump’s immigration policies break this virtuous cycle, the tech industry could eventually decide to make its home elsewhere - in immigrant-friendly Canada, or even in emerging economies of China and India. That would result in many fewer good jobs, and lower wages, for American workers skilled and unskilled alike. The U.S. is playing a very dangerous game under Trump. By systematically degrading one of the nation’s core strengths - the constant inflow of smart, entrepreneurial foreigners Trump is putting the native-born populace at risk, not helping it. Instead of limiting the H-1B program, the U.S. should replace it with a Canadastyle system that gives green cards to skilled foreign workers. It may not get many people marching in the streets, but skilled immigration is an issue that matters for the future of every American. Noah Smith is a Bloomberg View columnist.
LAREDO MORNING TIMES | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 |
A5
A6 | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | LAREDO MORNING TIMES
FROM THE COVER BUS Student walkouts planned across United States to protest gun violence
From page A1
By Collin Binkley A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
From Maine to Hawaii, thousands of students planned to stage walkouts Wednesday to protest gun violence, one month after the deadly shooting inside a high school in Parkland, Florida. Organizers say nearly 3,000 walkouts are set in the biggest demonstration yet of the student activism that has emerged following the massacre of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Students from the elementary to college level
BOMBS From page A1 South By Southwest music festival. The gathering didn’t appear related, but police urged tourists to be vigilant while warning residents to call authorities immediately if they receive unexpected parcel deliveries. By Tuesday, authorities had received more than 150 calls reporting suspicious packages, according to a tweet from the police department. The first of Monday’s blasts occurred early in the morning when a package was carried into the kitchen and exploded upon being opened, killing a 17-year-old boy and wounding a 40-year-old woman, both of them black. Hours later, police were called to the scene of another explosion also triggered by the opening of a package. That blast wounded a 75-year-old Hispanic woman, who was taken to a hospital with potentially lifethreatening injuries. Both of those explosions are thought to be linked to another early morning blast, this one on March 2, which killed a black man. Monday’s victims were not immediately identified but police said previously that the March 2 victim was 39year-old Anthony Stephan House. “This is the third in what we believe to be related incidents over the past 10 days,” Austin police Chief Brian Manley said during the second of two news conferences he held near each of Monday’s explosion sites. At first Manley suggested that the blasts could constitute a hate crime, but later amended that to say authorities had not settled on a motive since the intended targets weren’t clear because multiple people live in the homes where explosives were placed. He also said they may possibly have been left at the wrong addresses. “We are not ruling anything out at this point,” Manley said. Investigators refused to provide many details about how the explosives were packaged, citing the ongoing investigation. But Manley described them as “not particularly large.” In all three cases, he said, the packages did not appear to have gone through the U.S. Postal Service or private carriers, but were left on doorsteps without knocking or ringing doorbells. In a tweet, organizers of South By Southwest said they were “heartbroken by the explosions” and urged visitors to stay safe. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Manley told festivalgoers, “There’s no reason to believe that you are at
are taking up the call in a variety of ways. Some planned roadside rallies to honor shooting victims and protest violence. Others were to hold demonstrations in school gyms or on football fields. In Massachusetts and Ohio, students said they’ll head to the statehouse to lobby for new gun regulations. The coordinated walkout was organized by Empower, the youth wing of the Women’s March. The group urged students to leave class at 10 a.m. local time for 17 minutes — one minute for each victim in the Florida shooting.
any greater risk.” But he added that they should “be aware” and “look for things that are suspicious.” Four years ago, a driver plowed through a barricade and into a crowded street of South By Southwest revelers, killing four people and injuring many others. Extra security measures were taken, including additional policing, tougher security checks and brighter street lighting. Keith Reynolds lives near the site of Monday’s second blast and said he heard what sounded like a propane explosion. He rushed outside and saw a cloud of hazy smoke and people running to help. “There was a horrible screaming. You knew that something terrible was happening,” Reynolds said, adding that the victim’s body was riddled with holes as emergency responders took her out of the house. There was nothing obvious linking the three areas where the bombs exploded, other than all were east of Interstate 35 that divides the city. The east side has historically been more heavily minority and less wealthy than Austin’s west side, although that has changed as gentrification has raised home prices and rents everywhere. It is also less true on the city’s northern outskirts, closer to where the first explosion occurred and where major firms like Dell, Apple and Samsung have sprawling complexes. Monday’s first blast happened in Springdale Hills, a leafy neighborhood of houses mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. That was about 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of the home where the March 2 package bombing occurred. Monday’s second explosion, meanwhile, occurred about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of the day’s first blast. “It’s just a regular family neighborhood,” Reynolds said. “It’s just a grandmother, you know what I mean? Like, why?” From his house at the end of the same street, 77-year-old retiree Gilbert Rendon heard the boom of Monday’s second blast and then saw a crush of scared people running his way — barefoot neighbors, some carrying babies with dogs chasing behind. “They’re saying, ‘Somebody put a bomb! Somebody put a bomb!” Rendon said. FBI teams are investigating along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Manley said anyone receiving a package they don’t recognize should call 911. “Under no circumstances should you touch them, move them or handle them in any way,” he said.
“All that she remembers is that she felt a bump, then a crash and then the bus flipping onto its side,” Torres said. Frances Dodson-Benson said her 15-year-old son DeWayne Benson, a sophomore who plays bass clarinet, used a borrowed phone to tell her he was OK. Dodson-Benson said her son was sleeping when he was awakened by the bus hitting “some sort of hard bumps.” “Then there was a loud, really huge crash that was presumably when the bus finally came to a stop,” she said. “There were students on top of students, the bags, it was just a disarray, a lot of commotion, a lot of panic.” Jesus Tejeda came upon the scene as he drove to work, finding dozens of police cars and ambulances stopped on the highway near the overpass. He looked down to see the bus lying on its side near the base of a concrete embankment, its front end crumpled. Tejeda said he watched four people being removed from the wreckage, and couldn’t hear any yelling or sounds of panic. “Thank God they were alive but (they) had to take them on (a) helicopter,” he said in an interview conducted by instant messages. Norman Haynes of
SHAKEUP From page A1 was on Air Force One. He said he would delegate all authority to Deputy Secretary John Sullivan, who will serve as acting secretary until Pompeo is confirmed. Tillerson will remain secretary in name until March 31, when he formally resigns his commission. In an illustration of the gulf that has long separated Tillerson and Trump, the White House and the State Department vigorously disagreed about whether Tillerson had even been informed of his firing in advance. Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein and other State Department officials said Tuesday morning that Tillerson hadn’t learned he was dismissed until he saw Trump’s early-morning tweet, and hadn’t discussed it directly with Trump. Goldstein said the former Exxon Mobil CEO was “unaware of the reason” he was fired and “had had every intention of staying.” Then Goldstein, hours after making those comments, was fired, too. “I’m a big boy,” Goldstein told reporters later. Describing Tillerson’s mood, Goldstein said: “He’s accepting.” Multiple White House officials said that Tillerson had been informed of the decision Friday, while he was in Ethiopia. One official said chief of staff John Kelly had called Tillerson on Friday and again on Saturday to warn him that Trump was about to take imminent action if he did not resign and that a replacement had already been identified. Tillerson canceled his entire schedule that Saturday in Ethiopia, with the State Department telling reporters he was sick. When Tillerson didn’t step aside, Trump fired him, that official said. All of the officials demanded anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. “I think Rex will be much happier now,” Trump said before flying to California. Trump’s change puts Pompeo, an ardent foe of the Iran nuclear deal, in charge of U.S. diplomacy as the president decides
Dan Anderson / AP
Rescue crews work at the scene of a deadly charter bus crash on Tuesday in Loxley, Alabama. A tour bus carrying Texas high school band members home from Disney World plunged into a ravine before dawn.
Victoria, Texas said his daughter, 18-year-old trumpet player Makena Campa, was on the bus with her mother. He spoke with both of them after the crash and was on his way to the hospital. “My daughter was really groggy because they had her on some very heavy pain medication,” he said. “They sounded kind of shook up. I think I’d be shook up as well.” The interstate was closed down in both directions as the injured were flown to hospitals including emergency rooms in Mobile and Pensacola, Florida, plus a free-standing emergency room in rural Baldwin County, said Chris Elliott, a Bald-
win County commissioner. “Everybody is being transferred to a hospital to at least be checked out,” said Elliott. Torres said his brother, also a member of the Channelview band, was on another bus not involved in the accident. That bus stopped after realizing what happened, but did not allow the students to get off, and eventually continued on toward Channelview, a Houston suburb of about 38,000. Outside their high school, still closed for spring break, police were stationed at every entrance and no one was available to speak.
Only hours before the crash, the band’s Facebook page had been updated to show a large group posing outside Disney World, where the band performed at a music festival on Saturday. Channelview Independent School District spokesman Mark Kramer said the district had only limited details in the immediate aftermath and was in contact with law enforcement in Alabama to get more information. The bus charter company, First Class Tours of Houston, pledged to help local authorities investigating the crash in a statement that offered prayers for injured and their families.
whether to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement. Trump faces another deadline in May to decide whether to remain in the Obama-era nuclear agreement that he campaigned aggressively against. Tillerson has pushed Trump to remain in the agreement and had been pursuing a delicate strategy with European allies and others to try to improve or augment it to Trump’s liking. The president mentioned differences over how to handle the Iran agreement, “so we were not really thinking the same.” The reshuffle also comes amid a dramatic diplomatic opening with North Korea, with Trump set to hold a historic meeting with leader Kim Jong Un in May. Pressuring North Korea with sanctions and other isolation measures had been a top Tillerson priority, and he had been one of the administration’s more vocal advocates for holding talks in some form with the North. When Trump ultimately accepted Kim’s invitation for a meeting, Tillerson was in Ethiopia, though he said he spoke with Trump at 2:30 a.m., shortly before it was announced. Tillerson’s departure adds to a period of intense turnover within Trump’s administration that has alarmed those both in and
out of the White House. Top economic adviser Gary Cohn announced his resignation last week, not long after communications director Hope Hicks and staff secretary Rob Porter both departed near the start of Trump’s second year in office. Speculation that Tillerson would be fired grew last fall with the reports of his “moron” insult, which the secretary state never personally denied. The president said he was nominating the CIA’s deputy director, Gina Haspel, to take over for Pompeo at the intelligence agency. If confirmed, Haspel would be the CIA’s first female director Pompeo, a former Republican congressman from Kansas, has been one of Trump’s most loyal Cabinet members and quickly formed a close bond with the president, coming personally to the White House most days to deliver the President’s Daily Briefing. Known for his blunt-talking style, Pompeo has already been confirmed by the Senate for his current role at the CIA, making it likely that he will be confirmed for the State Department role. “He will do a fantastic job!” Trump tweeted. But several Democrats quickly raised concerns about both Pompeo and Haspel, suggesting their
confirmation hearings could be contentious. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a Senate Intelligence Committee, accused Pompeo of being insufficiently tough on Russia and said he’d “demonstrated a casual relationship to truth and principle.” Pompeo said he was “deeply grateful” to be nominated and looked “forward to guiding the world’s finest diplomatic corps” if confirmed. He also praised Trump, saying, “His leadership has made America safer.” On Tillerson’s plane trip back from Africa, he had told reporters he had cut short his mission by one night because he was exhausted after working most of the night both Friday on Saturday and falling ill. At the White House, two officials said Trump wanted to have a new team in place ahead of an upcoming meeting with Kim, the North Korean leader. One senior White House official said that when Trump made the decision to meet with Kim while Tillerson was in Africa, an aide asked if Tillerson should weigh in on the matter. Trump said there was no reason to consult him because no matter what the group decided, Tillerson would be against it, the official said.
FREE HEARING AID REPAIRS Our expert repair technicians are able to repair over 90% of hearing aids in-office, free of charge. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LIMITED-TIME OFFER! You are invited to come in this week and meet our factory-certified hearing aid repair technicians. Bring in your old or broken hearing aids and let us repair them on-site, while you wait, free of charge. (parts not included) Call today to guarantee your appointment! 709 E. Calton Rd., Suite 101 in Laredo
956-790-0936
www.newsoundhearing.com
Frontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE VACACIONES DE PRIMAVERA 1 El distrito escolar Zapata County Independent School District anuncia el periodo de vacaciones por primavera del 12 al 16 de marzo en todos sus campus. Las clases reiniciarán el 19 de marzo. CONSULADO MÓVIL 1 El Consulado de México en McAllen invita al evento Consulado Móvil en Roma, el sábado 17 de marzo, en el Centro Mundial de las Aves, ubicado en Portscheller St., y avenida Convento de 8 a.m. a 1:30 p.m. Prepare sus documentos y haga una cita en consulmex.sre.gob.mx/ mcallen/ IMPUESTOS 1 Voluntarios de VITA estarán asistiendo de forma gratuita a aquellas personas con ingresos menores a 66.000 dólares y que deseen presentar su declaración de impuestos. La cita es el 24 de marzo en Zapata County Technical and Advanced Education Center, en la Carretera 83 y 7th Street. HUEVOS DE PASCUA 1 Evento de Búsqueda de Huevos de Pascua en su sexta edición, organizado por la Ciudad de Roma, de 10 a.m. a 12 p.m., en Roma Texas Municipal Park, el sábado 24 de marzo. AVIARIO 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Mayores informes al 956849-1411 BOTES DE BASURA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a la comunidad que sólo estará recolectando basura contenida en botes propiedad de la ciudad. Informes al 849-1411 PAGO DE IMPUESTOS 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. PAGO EN LÍNEA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
A7
LAREDO
Identifican víctimas Fallecieron dos personas en accidente aéreo en aeropuerto Por César G. Rodriguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Las dos víctimas del accidente mortal del jueves en Laredo fueron identificadas el viernes. Robert Christopher Marshall, de 19 años, de Bruni y el pastor de Laredo Kelle David Hein, de 56, se encontraban a bordo del pequeño avión cuando se estrelló en terrenos del Aeropuerto Internacional de Laredo, alrededor de las 10:40 a.m., de acuerdo con la forense del Condado de Webb Corinne Stern. Ellos eran las únicas dos personas en el avión. Ambos fueron pronunciados muertos en la escena. El avión, un Piper PA-31 de doble motor estaba
intentando regresar a la pista de aterrizaje después de que humo se reportara saliendo del motor izquierdo, de acuerdo a la Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA). Marshall era estudiante de segundo año de Baylor University, donde estudiaba ciencias de aviación. Era el hijo de Robert y Amy Marshall, quienes eran los dueños registrados del avión que se estrelló. Los esposos operaban Marshall Aviation, un servicio aéreo para pasajeros y carga. Los Marshalls también son integrantes de la junta de fideicomisarios del Distrito Escolar Independiente de Webb Consolidated. Lynn Lunsford, vocero
Danny Zaragoza / Laredo Morning Times
Los restos de un pequeño avión que se estrelló son vistos en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Laredo el jueves 8 de marzo. La policía de Laredo confirmó que hubo dos fallecimientos como resultado del accidente.
de FAA, dijo el viernes que la aeronave que se estrelló no había estado involucrada en accidentes o incidentes previos. “Los registros de mantenimiento son propiedad del dueño de la aeronave y no son documentos públicos”, dijo Lunsford. “FAA
tiene la autoridad de inspeccionarlos a solicitud”. FAA respondió al accidente y la Junta Nacional de Seguridad en el Transporte es la agencia a cargo de investigar el caso. No se aclaró quién piloteaba el avión. Hein recibió un certificado de
piloto comercial en el 2006. Marshall recibió su certificado de estudiante de piloto en octubre. Como estudiante de piloto, se le prohibía llevar pasajeros. Hein era el predicador de la iglesia Family Baptist Church en Laredo.
AUSTIN
ESTALLAN PAQUETES BOMBA Piden no abrir ni tocar paquetes extraños Por Will Weissert y David Warren ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN— Tres paquetes bomba que fueron dejados en las puertas de vecindarios en los suburbios explotaron en menos de dos semanas en la capital de Texas, cobrando la vida de dos personas, hiriendo dos más y dejando a los investigadores en busca de una posible explicación o motivo. La policía dijo que las explosiones al este de Austin— dos el lunes y una el 2 de marzo— probablemente están conectadas. Todas las víctimas eran minorías y los investigadores se encuentran considerando un motivo racial. Sin embargo, se retractaron de sugerencias iniciales que los crímenes de odio podrían ser la causa. Los ataques se desarrollaron mientras cientos de miles de visitantes llegaban para uno de los días más codiciados del festival musical South by Southwest. El festival no parecía tener ninguna conexión, pero la policía pidió a
Ricardo B. Brazziell / Associated Press
Autoridades investigan la escena al este de Austin, tras que un adolescente falleciera y una mujer fuera herida en la segunda explosión de un paquete bomba en la ciudad en las pasadas dos semanas, el lunes 12 de marzo. La policía dijo que un paquete explotó afuera de una casa en Austin el lunes y se cree está conectado a otro paquete mortal enviado a otra casa en la capital de Texas a principios del mes.
turistas estar vigilantes, mientras que advertía a residentes llamar a las autoridades inmediatamente si recibían un paquete inesperado. Para el martes, las autoridades habían recibido más de 150 llamadas reportando paquetes sospechosos, de acuerdo con un tuit del departamento de policía. La primera explosión del lunes ocurrió por la mañana cuando un paquete fue llevado a la cocina y explotó al ser
abierto, matando a un joven de 17 años de edad e hiriendo a una mujer de 40 años, ambos de raza negra. Horas después, la policía se reportó a la escena de otra explosión también disparada al abrir el paquete. La explosión hirió a una mujer hispana de 75 años de edad, quien fue llevada al hospital con heridas graves. Ambas explosiones se piensa que estén conectadas a otra explosión que ocurrió el 2 de marzo, la
cual mató a un hombre de raza negra. Las víctimas del lunes no fueron identificadas inmediatamente pero la policía había dicho previamente que la víctima del 2 de marzo era Anthony Stephan House de 39 años. “Esta es la tercera explosión que pensamos está relacionada a los incidentes sucedidos en los pasados 10 días”, dijo el Jefe de la Policía de Austin Brian Manley durante la segunda ronda de conferencias de prensa sosteni-
da cerca de los sitios de explosiones el lunes. Al principio Manley había sugerido que las explosiones pudieran ser un crimen de odio, pero después se corrigió diciendo que las autoridades aún no se han decidido por un motivo ya que no estaba claro quiénes eran las victimas destinadas puesto que varias personas Vivian en las casas donde los explosivos fueron colocados. Él también dijo que posiblemente pudieron haber sido dejados en la dirección equivocada. “No estamos descartando nada en este punto”, dijo Manley. Los investigadores se reusaron a proporcionar detalles sobre cómo los explosivos fueron empaquetados, citando que se encuentra abierta la investigación. Pero Manley los describió como “no particularmente grandes”. En los tres casos, él dijo, los paquetes no parecían haber pasado por el Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos o transportadores privados, sino que fueron dejadas en la entrada sin tocar la puerta o el timbre. Manley dijo que cualquier persona que recibiera un paquete que no reconociera debería llamar al 911. “Bajo ninguna circunstancia lo deben tocar, mover o manipularlo en ninguna manera”, él dijo.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
Policía reporta muerto, tiroteo y robos Por César G. Rodriguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Autoridades en Nuevo Laredo, México dijeron que registraron cierto número de incidentes que incluyen encontrar un cuerpo y un tiroteo que dejó una persona muerta. El cuerpo de un hombre de 21 años de edad fue encontrado la semana pasada en un camino rural en el área del marcador del kilómetro 23 de la carretera Nuevo LaredoPiedras Negras. Las autoridades lo identificaron como Glafiro Vázquez Hinojosa, de 21
José, de 26 años de años de edad edad. Un y Néstor, de trabajador 22, fueron supuestaacusados de mente posesión con descubrió el intento de cuerpo en Carlos Gerardo José Néstor distribuir. el área de Soldados de los matorla Secretaria de la Defensa rales. Él supuestamente vio una mano expuesta, de Constituyentes. Las tropas Nacional, los encontraron en posesión de bolsas dijeron que se vieron acuerdo con reportes. Ziploc que contenían coatacados por fuego enemiLa investigación contigo mientras patrullaban el caína y marihuana. núa. Un hombre fue arrestavecindario. El tiroteo dejó Un tiroteo también fue do por supuestamente reportado la semana pasa- a un hombre muerto. Él robar una tienda de conveno ha sido identificado. da. niencia en Nuevo Laredo, En otro incidente dos Hombres armados y la dijeron autoridades reMarina Mexicana tuvieron vendedores de drogas cientemente. un encuentro en el área de fueron arrestados en la La oficina del fiscal Ciudad Hermana. la Avenida Tecnológico y
general de Tamaulipas lo identificó solamente como Carlos, de 27 años de edad. Él fue acusado de tomar por la fuerza 1.132 pesos, o alrededor de 66 dólares, de la caja registradora. Las tropas del Ejército Mexicano arrestaron a un hombre que supuestamente estaba en posesión de un vehículo robado. El sospechoso fue identificado como Gerardo. Soldados dijeron que lo detuvieron, y no pudo probar que el vehículo era su propiedad. Una revisión de registros reveló que el vehículo había sido reportado robado.
A8 | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
STATE
Former UT student linked to fatal stabbing claims he was insane By Ryan Autullo AUSTIN AME RICAN-STAT E SMAN
AUSTIN — A former University of Texas student charged with murder in connection with a campus stabbing attack last spring says he was insane at the time and therefore should receive alternative punishment instead of prison. The recent court filing ends months of speculation by revealing that Kendrex White’s lawyers intend to present evidence for a defense of not guilty by reason of insanity. It’s an argument that is rarely accepted in Travis County, but it could be White’s only path to avoid a lengthy sentence behind bars. White told police he did not remember the May 2017 attack that killed freshman Harrison Brown and left three students injured. That comment and other statements White made after the stabbings lead some legal experts to say he has a legitimate insanity defense. His attorney, Jana Ortega, declined to comment Monday. White’s parents have said their son began acting differently after he was involved in a wreck about a month before the attack and might have hit his head. He began giving erratic answers to their questions and had his first seizure, they said. His odd behavior led to an involuntarily commitment to a psychiatric facility. The standard is high for an insanity defense, as White must show he was suffering from severe mental illness and did not know right from wrong at
the time of the attack. Many defendants who try for an insanity defense are tripped up by something that suggests they were aware of their wrongdoing, such as running from police, lying or discarding a weapon. A Travis County jury has found a criminal defendant not guilty because of insanity just twice. In 2014, attorneys for Alexander Ervin argued successfully that he had been going through a psychotic episode when he killed his father, Ray Scott Ervin.
Jackson Ngai was convinced his UT piano professor, Dannielle Martin, had a computer chip in her brain and was going to kill him. Ngai cut and stabbed Martin more than 200 times, mostly around the head. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2005. Both men avoided prison and were committed to a state hospital. The next step in White’s case is for prosecutors to appoint a psychiatrist to assess his mental state at the time of the attack. White’s lawyers have con-
ducted a similar test through their own doctors. If the second psychiatrist determines White was insane at the time of Brown’s death, prosecutors will then decide whether to present the case to a jury. A separate test ordered by state District Judge Tamara Needles determined White to be competent, which means he is able to discuss the case with his attorneys. White is due to appear in court on Thursday. A trial date has not been set.
Elaborate sandcastle at South Padre Island vandalized ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Police say vandals have damaged an elaborate sandcastle located in front of the South Padre Island Visitors Center . South Padre Island police are seeking four men in connection with the $24,000 in vandalism discovered Friday during spring break. Authorities believe one of the suspects also climbed a flagpole and stole the South Padre Island flag. The sandcastle featured 2018 “Welcome” and “Happy Easter” greetings, along with stylish sand renderings of structures and animals. South Padre Island police are checking security video for further clues in locating the suspects, who could face criminal mischief and theft charges.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 |
A9
BUSINESS
Apple adds more ‘Texture’ with magazine deal ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
The New York Stock Exchange stands in lower Manhattan in New York City. U.S. stocks were split Monday as technology companies continued to climb, but other companies gave back some of the ground they won on Friday.
Tech gains but industrials slide By Marley Jay A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks were split Monday as technology companies continued to climb, but Boeing and other industrial companies gave back some of the ground they won on Friday. Companies like Apple and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and chipmakers including Micron Technology have led the market’s recovery in recent weeks. Retailers including Amazon and Starbucks also made headway. The market was coming off its biggest gain in a month following the February jobs report, which showed strong hiring and moderate growth in wages. Inflation has been the market’s dominant concern over the last six weeks, and two more measuring sticks of inflation will be reported this week as the Labor Department discloses data on consumer prices Tuesday morning and producer prices on Wednesday. Prices paid by consumers jumped in January and so did producer prices, which measure the cost of goods before they reach the consumer. The Federal Reserve is gradually raising interest rates to keep inflation in check, and it expects to boost rates at least three times this year. JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist for TD Ameritrade, said investors are looking at a lot of data but are really asking one question. “If you think about the selloffs that we’ve had, they’ve all been about ‘are we going to get a fourth rate hike or aren’t we?”’ he said. The S&P 500 index fell 3.55 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,783.02. The Dow Jones in-
dustrial average declined 157.13 points, or 0.6 percent, to 25,178.61. Almost all of that loss came from three industrial stocks: Boeing, Caterpillar and United Technologies. The Nasdaq composite finished at another record high after it added 27.51 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,588.32. The Russell 2000 index of smallercompany stocks rose 3.91 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,601.06. Most of the stocks on the New York Stock Exchange ended the day higher. Optical communications company Oclaro surged after it agreed to be bought by optical networking company Lumentum Holdings. The deal values Oclaro at $9.99 a share, or $1.69 billion, and its stock gained $2.16, or 27.5 percent, to $10.01. Lumentum also rose $3.03, or 4.4 percent, to $72. Late Friday the Wall Street Journal reported that Intel might try to buy rival Broadcom. Broadcom is trying to buy a third chipmaker, Qualcomm, for $117 billion, and the Journal said that if that deal appears to be moving forward, Intel will consider responses that could include an attempt to buy Broadcom. It could also attempt a smaller deal. Broadcom jumped $9.06, or 3.6 percent, to $262.84 while Intel fell 67 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $51.52. Qualcomm gave up 22 cents to $62.81. Industrial companies like aerospace and defense firms and machinery makers lost about half of what they gained during their rally Friday. Boeing shed $10.33, or 2.9 percent, to $344.19 and Lockheed Martin lost $7.39, or 2.2 percent, to $333.10. Construction equipment maker Caterpillar dipped $3.75, or 2.4 percent, to $154.50.
Industrial companies have bounced around since President Donald Trump said he would order tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. That will mean higher costs for companies that use those metals to make machinery, and their sales could be hurt if other companies respond by placing tariffs on goods made in the U.S. The February jobs report, which came out on Friday, eased investors’ minds and sent stocks jumping. The market had tumbled in early February following the January jobs report, which showed a surprise spike in hourly wages. Wall Street worried that that might be the start of faster inflation, which would lead the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates more rapidly. Higher rates slow down economic growth. Goldman Sachs said David Solomon will become its sole president and chief operating officer, clearing the way for Solomon to become the firm’s next CEO. Solomon and Harvey Schwartz had shared both job titles, but the company says Schwartz will retire next month. Last week the Wall Street Journal said CEO Lloyd Blankfein could retire as soon as the end of this year, and that Solomon and Schwartz were the only two candidates to replace him. Goldman’s stock gained $2.61, or 1 percent, to $273.38. Benchmark U.S. crude declined 68 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $61.36 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 54 cents to $64.95 a barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline lost 1 cent to $1.89 a gallon. Heating oil fell 2 cents to $1.86 a gallon. Natural gas climbed 5 cents to $2.78 per 1,000 cubic feet.
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple has bought digital magazine distributor Texture to extend its subscription services beyond music and online storage. The deal announced Monday puts Apple in control of a service often described as a Netflix of magazines. Texture allows readers to pore over articles in more than 200 magazines for $10 per month, much like Netflix sells unlimited access to its video programming. But Texture hasn’t proven as popular as Netflix, which boasts 55 million subscribers in the U.S. alone. Texture hasn’t specified how many subscribers it has, but CEO John Loughlin said in a 2016 interview that the number ranged in the "hundreds of thousands." Apple didn’t disclose how much it paid for Texture, which had raised at least $90 million since it was founded nearly a decade ago as Next Issue. The magazine distributor had been owned by investors that included Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Rogers Media and KKR. “We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed
Apple / TNS
A screenshot of Texture on iOS. Texture, a digital magazine distributor and curator, was acquired by Apple for an undisclosed amount on Monday.
and engaging stories for users,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services. Unlike most Apple products, Texture will be available on devices powered by Google’s Android software in addition to the iPhone and iPad. Texture will join a stable of Apple subscription options that are anchored by the company’s music-screaming service, which has 36 million subscribers. Apple Inc. also sells additional storage in its iCloud service to customers who exceed the free limit of five gigabytes.
US budget deficit jumped to $215.2 billion in February By Martin Crutsinger ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The federal government recorded a budget deficit of $215.2 billion in February, up significantly from a year ago as the impact of the GOP tax cuts passed in December begin to surface. The Treasury Department said Monday that the February deficit was 12.1 percent higher than a year ago, reflecting in part a drop of $5 billion in individual withholding taxes paid last month compared to a year ago. In February, employers started using tax tables that withheld less from paychecks based on the new law. For the first five months of this budget year, the deficit totals $391 billion, an increase of 11.5 percent from the same period a year ago. President Donald Trump’s new budget projects this year’s deficit will hit $873 billion, up a sharp 31.3 percent from last year’s imbalance of $665.8 billion. Over the next decade, Trump’s budget projects deficits will total $7.1 trillion. That is more than double the $3.2 trillion in deficits over the coming decade that Trump had envisioned in the budget he sent Congress last year. The deficit picture has darkened in part because of the $1.5
trillion in tax cuts Trump pushed through Congress in December. The administration argues that the tax cuts will pay for themselves over time by boosting growth. But critics contend that this is an overly optimistic view. They argue that deficits will be much worse than Trump is currently forecasting because his budget is using overly optimistic economic forecasts and does not take into account increased government spending which was approved in a January budget deal. Many private forecasters believe annual deficits will top $1 trillion beginning next year and remain at that level in coming years. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget released a report earlier this month projecting that $1 trillion deficits will return next year with the annual deficit hitting $2.4 trillion in 10 years. For the current budget year, which began Oct. 1, the Treasury report said revenues totaled $1.29 trillion, up 2.4 percent from a year ago, while outlays totaled $1.34 trillion, up 4.2 percent from the same period a year ago. Both the revenues and spending totals are records for the first five months of a budget year. AP-WF-03-12-18 1842GMT
A10 | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Levine fired after Met finds evidence of sexual abuse By Ronald Blum A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — James Levine, whose 46-year career at the Metropolitan Opera established him as a towering figure in classical music, was fired by the company on Monday after an investigation found evidence of sexual abuse and harassment. Levine made his Met debut in 1971 and became one of the signature artists in the company’s 135-year history, conducting 2,552 performances and ruling over its repertoire, orchestra and singers as music or artistic director from 1976 until he stepped down two years ago due to Parkinson’s disease. He became music director emeritus and remained head of its young artists program but was suspended on Dec. 3 after accounts in the New York Post and The New York Times of sexual misconduct dating to the 1960s. The Met hired former U.S. Attorney Robert J. Cleary, now a partner at Proskauer Rose, to head its investigation, and the company said more than 70 people were interviewed. “The investigation uncovered credible evidence that Mr. Levine had engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct both before and during the period when he worked at the Met,” the company said in a statement. “The investigation also uncovered credible evidence that Mr. Levine engaged in sexually abusive and harassing conduct towards vulnerable artists in the early stages of their careers, over whom Mr. Levine had authority. In light of these findings,
the Met concludes that it would be inappropriate and impossible for Mr. Levine to continue to work at the Met.” The Met did not release specifics of the evidence. Tim Fox of Columbia Artists, who represents the 74-year-old conductor, did not respond to an email seeking comment. Levine has not been charged with any criminal offense. The Lake County state’s attorney’s office in Illinois said in December it investigated a sexual abuse allegation of misconduct dating to the 1980s but concluded “no criminal charges can be brought” and cited multiple factors, including “the relevant age of consent in Illinois at the time of the alleged incidents.” Levine’s downfall follows that of 81-yearold Charles Dutoit. After The Associated Press reported sexual assault allegations against him, the Swiss conductor resigned as artistic director and principal conductor and engagements were canceled at numerous orchestras. Dutoit has denied the allegations. The Met said in its statement “the investigation also found that any claims or rumors that members of the Met’s management or its board of directors engaged in a cover-up of information relating to these issues are completely unsubstantiated.” Following the death of Leonard Bernstein in 1990, Levine was regarded as the top American conductor and was given a starring role in the film “Fantasia 2000.” Many of his performances were televised by PBS, and singers rearranged their
Michael Dwyer / AP
This 2006 photo shows Boston Symphony Orchestra music director James Levine conducting the symphony in Lenox, Mass. The Met Opera has fired music director emeritus James Levine, finding "credible evidence" of "sexually abusive" conduct.
schedules to appear in his performances or even to audition for him. He was revered by the Met’s orchestra, board and patrons during a reign as chief conductor (1973-76), music director (1976-86 and 2004-16) and artistic director (19862004). In addition, he was music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Ravinia Festival from 1973-93 and the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 2004-11, and chief conductor of the Munich Philharmonic from 1999-2004. Instantly recognizable by his bushy frock of hair and towel draped over a shoulder during rehearsals, he regularly conducted at the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Bayreuth Festival and Salzburg Festival. His power waned only because of health problems. Levine started conducting from a chair in late 2001 and tremors in his left arm and leg became noticeable a few
years later. His health worsened in 2006, when he tripped and fell on the
stage of Boston’s Symphony Hall during ovations that followed a performance and he tore a rotator cuff, which required shoulder surgery. Levine had an operation in 2008 to remove a kidney and another in 2009 to repair a herniated disk in his back. He then suffered spinal stenosis, leading to surgeries in May and July 2011. He had another operation that September after falling and damaging a vertebra, an injury that sidelined him until May 2013. Yannick Nezet-Seguin was hired two years ago to replace Levine as music director starting in 2020-21, but last month the Met said it had moved up the start of his tenure to next season. “While this termina-
tion of the Met’s relationship with Levine obviously brings a certain degree of closure, it is our hope that the Met’s early introduction of Yannick Nezet-Seguin portends a willingness to invest more robustly both in talent and creating a healthy workplace culture,” clarinetist Jessica Phillips, chair of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Committee, said in a statement. “Such commitment to the future is essential if the institution wishes to attract the world’s finest musicians, several of whom have already departed due to wage cuts, among other workplace issues. The artists of the Metropolitan Opera, like workers in every industry, deserve a safe place of work.”
Sports&Outdoors
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 |
A11
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Chiefs agree with Watkins, Hitchens Former Cowboys middle linebacker leaving after recording 304 tackles in four seasons By Dave Skretta A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to deals with wide receiver Sammy Watkins and middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens, filling two of their most glaring needs on the eve of free agency. The 24-year-old Watkins intends to sign a $48 million, three-year contract with $30 million in guarantees, while the 25-year-old Hitchens agreed to a five-year deal, two people familiar with their decisions told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the contracts, along with several other moves made by Kansas City, cannot become official until the start of the free agency Wednesday afternoon.
The Chiefs have been looking for a playmaking wide receiver to pair with speedster Tyreek Hill since last offseason, but resorted to using Chris Conley in the role. Then Conley went down with a season-ending injury, robbing the Chiefs of their No. 2 wide receiver and forcing journeyman Albert Wilson into a more substantial role in their West Coast offense. But questions persist about Conley’s health and long-term upside, and Wilson has agreed to a free-agent deal with the Miami Dolphins, leaving the Chiefs in the market for a wide receiver. Watkins was considered one of the premier talents on the market. The 2014 fourth overall pick of the Buffalo Bills spent last season with the Los Angeles Rams, where he caught 39 passes for 593 yards and eight touch-
downs. And while he seems far removed from his best season in 2015, when he caught 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine scores in a season shorted by injury, the Chiefs undoubtedly believe Watkins has yet to reach his ceiling. It would help matters if he stayed healthy. Along with a calf strain and ankle sprain that season, he’s had hip issues in the past, and missed eight games in 2016 with a fractured left foot. Buffalo decided to decline its fifth-year option on Watkins after all the injuries, and wound up sending him to the Rams last August for cornerback E.J. Gaines and a draft pick. On defense, the Chiefs have been trying to get younger across the board, releasing cornerstone linebackers Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali and shuffling their defensive
backfield. Hitchens, who The Kansas City Star reported will make about $9 million per season, would fill Johnson’s spot alongside Reggie Ragland in the middle of the defense. The 2014 fourth-round pick had 84 tackles in only 12 starts last season, when a knee injury sidelined him the first four games. Hitchens also had a couple of pass deflections and nine tackles for a loss, and showed flashes of the same kind of instincts that made Johnson the Chiefs’ career tackles leader. Watkins and Hitchens are expected to sign their contracts Wednesday, when the new league year means the Chiefs can finally consummate their agreed-upon trades sending quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins and cornerback Marcus Peters to the Rams.
Chris O'Meara / Associated Press file
Middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens had 304 tackles and 3.5 sacks in four seasons with the Cowboys.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
RANGERS LEANING ON EXPERIENCE Beltre, Colon only in MLB with 20-plus seasons By Stephen Hawkins A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Adrian Beltre is long past going to spring training trying to make the team. The five-time Gold Glove third baseman with more than 3,000 career hits is quite a rarity. Going into his 21st big-league season, Beltre is one of only two current players who have played at least 20 MLB seasons. The other is his new teammate with the Texas Rangers, 44-year-old pitcher Bartolo Colon. “One, they’re extremely durable,” San Diego Padres pitcher Clayton Richard said. “And two, they have to be super talented, because to have that long of a career, you have to start really early and that means from an early age you’re talented enough to play with the best people in the world. So to combine those two things and play that long is one of the most impressive things in professional athletics.” Of the 19,183 players listed by baseballreference.com as appearing in a big league game, only 156 have played at least 20 seasons . That is about one-thousandth of 1 percent of all players. Carlos Beltran, like Beltre and Colon, played his 20th season last year. But the 40-year-old outfielder retired after finally being part of a World Series title with the Houston Astros. Beltran was the 13th player since 2010 to end his career after playing that long, with Beltre and Colon the only others that could before 2020. It will be the fewest 20-year players finishing their
Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press
Adrian Beltre has 3,048 his in 20 seasons while posting a .287 average. Beltre and Rangers teammate Bartolo Colon are the only active MLB players with at least 20 years of experience.
careers during a decade since Hall of Fame members Hank Aaron , Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays and Al Kaline were among nine who made their final appearances in the 1970s. “Well, 20 years is a long time. I think that you know the levels of conditioning and the demands of performance year in and year out just may take a greater toll now than they did in the past,” New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. “When you’re talking about position players, you’re almost exclusively talking about the American League because of the ability to DH. As far as pitchers are concerned, pitchers have a short professional life span anyway. Guys like Bartolo are unique.” Nolan Ryan pitched a record 27 seasons before retiring in 1993, nearly a
century after Cap Anson was the only other to play 27 big-league seasons (1871-97). Tommy John pitched 26 seasons from 1963-89, missing all of 1975 after being the first to have ulnar ligament reconstruction in his elbow, the surgery that now bears his name. The workhorse pitchers were among 44 twodecade players whose final games were in the 1980s or 1990s — 22 in each of those decades. Rickey Henderson, the only modern-era position player to go 25 seasons , was one of 27 players who ended careers of at least 20 seasons in the decade that started the 2000s. “I can’t even fathom playing for 20 years. I feel like I’ve been pretty fortunate in my career to stay relatively healthy,” said Chase Headley, the 33-year-old Padres infielder going into his 12th
season. “But I know that it’s a challenge now to get ready to play every day, and for somebody to do it twice as long as I have, it blows my mind. I don’t really understand or comprehend how you could do it.” There is the constant mental and physical grind of 162-game regular seasons, after six weeks of spring training and before any potential postseason play. “I don’t think there’s a lack of desire by players,” said Trevor Hoffman, a reliever who had 601 career saves over 18 seasons and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer. “I think that for the most part, most guys want that jersey ripped of them.” Hoffman pitched his last game only two weeks before his 43rd birthday. Ichiro Suzuki, the 2001 AL Rookie of the Year and MVP who won a pair
of AL batting titles with Seattle, is back with the Mariners on a one-year contract. This will be the 44-year-old outfielder’s 18th MLB season after playing nine seasons in Japan. “I think everybody’s goal is to play like that, but just the nature of it is most people kind of, you start fading off, or injuries or something like that stops you, or lack of performance,” said Kyle Seager, the 30-year-old Seattle third baseman going into his eighth season. Players are also making more money now. The average salary is over $4 million a season, more than double what it was in 2000. Ryan, the strikeout king who also threw seven no-hitters, became the first player with a $1 million annual salary after signing a $4.5 million, four-year contract
with the Astros as a free agent after the 1979 season. Over his entire career, Ryan made just more than $25 million in salary. About a dozen players will make that much just this season. Beltre, who made his MLB debut at age 19 with the Dodgers in June 1998, will turn 39 just 10 days into this season. After last year becoming only the 31st member of the 3,000-hit club , Suzuki was the 30th, Beltre’s primary goal now is to finally win a World Series. “It’s a different challenge every year,” said Beltre, whose only World Series appearance came in 2011, his first season in Texas. “But it’s the same excitement.” Colon went to spring training on a minor league deal with the Rangers, his 11th big league organization. The portly pitcher who turns 45 on May 24 said his motivation is that he still likes being around the game and has always wanted to play a long time. With 240 career wins, Colon is also only three shy of matching Juan Marichal for the most by a Dominican-born pitcher. “I don’t throw hard anymore, but the thing that’s very important as a pitcher is throw strikes,” Colon said through a translator. “I’m a strike thrower. The one thing I do different than before is I put the ball wherever I want.” As a rookie with the White Sox in 2009, Richard was a teammate of Colon’s for part of that season. “I thought he was finishing up,” Richard said with a smile. “I thought he was about done, and he was gone for a couple of years and came back and essentially created another career for himself.”
A12 | Wednesday, March 14, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Black Panther’ holds grip on top spot at box office A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Disney and Marvel’s “Black Panther” held on to the No. 1 spot at the box office for the fourth weekend in a row, adding $40.8 million to its North American gross. “Black Panther” has earned a staggering $561.7 million domestically and over $1 billion worldwide. It beat out Disney’s newest film, “A Wrinkle in Time,” which debuted in second place with $33.1 million. The Ava DuVernay directed film cost just over $100 million to produce. The horror film, “The Strangers: Prey At Night,” opened in third place with $10.4 million. The Jennifer Lawrence spy-thriller “Red Sparrow” took fourth in its second weekend with $8.5 million and the comedy “Game Night” rounded out the top five with $7.9 million. The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by comScore: 1. “Black Panther,” Disney, $40,817,579, 3,942 locations, $10,355 average, $561,697,180, 4 Weeks. 2. “A Wrinkle In Time,” Disney, $33,123,609, 3,980 locations, $8,323 average, $33,123,609, 1 Week. 3. “The Strangers: Prey At Night,” Aviron
Pictures, $10,402,271, 2,464 locations, $4,222 average, $10,402,271, 1 Week. 4. “Red Sparrow,” 20th Century Fox, $8,502,263, 3,064 locations, $2,775 average, $31,471,006, 2 Weeks. 5. “Game Night,” Warner Bros., $7,863,391, 3,061 locations, $2,569 average, $45,004,023, 3 Weeks. 6. “Peter Rabbit,” Sony, $6,775,718, 3,112 locations, $2,177 average, $93,433,524, 5 Weeks. 7. “Death Wish,” MGM, $6,581,130, 2,882 locations, $2,284 average, $23,856,431, 2 Weeks. 8. “Annihilation,” Paramount, $3,302,319, 1,709 locations, $1,932 average, $26,246,833, 3 Weeks. 9. “The Hurricane Heist,” Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, $3,024,399, 2,402 locations, $1,259 average, $3,024,399, 1 Week. 10. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Sony, $2,742,244, 2,157 locations, $1,271 average, $397,250,264, 12 Weeks. 11. “Gringo,” STX Entertainment, $2,722,420, 2,404 locations, $1,132 average, $2,722,420, 1 Week. 12. “The Shape Of Water,” Fox Searchlight,
$2,347,664, 1,552 locations, $1,513 average, $60,940,802, 15 Weeks. 13. “The Greatest Showman,” 20th Century Fox, $1,914,157, 952 locations, $2,011 average, $167,614,558, 12 Weeks. 14. “Fifty Shades Freed,” Universal, $1,368,020, 1,357 locations, $1,008 average, $98,382,615, 5 Weeks. 15. “Thoroughbreds,” Focus Features, $1,224,430, 549 locations, $2,230 average, $1,224,430, 1 Week. 16. “MET Opera: Semiramide (2018),” Fathom Events, $1,200,000, 900 locations, $1,333 average, $1,200,000, 1 Week. 17. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri,” Fox Searchlight, $694,643, 552 locations, $1,258 average, $53,339,205, 18 Weeks. 18. “The Post,” 20th Century Fox, $328,610, 278 locations, $1,182 average, $81,159,866, 12 Weeks. 19. “Call Me By Your Name,” Sony Pictures Classics, $293,406, 309 locations, $950 average, $17,458,151, 16 Weeks. 20. “A Fantastic Woman,” Sony Pictures Classics, $271,632, 166 locations, $1,636 average, $1,157,307, 6 Weeks.
Marvel Studios/Disney / AP
Chadwick Boseman is shown in a scene from "Black Panther." The Disney and Marvel’s film held on to the No. 1 spot at the box office for the fourth weekend in a row, adding $40.8 million to its gross. “Black Panther” has earned a staggering $561.7 million domestically and over $1 billion worldwide.