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Fighting continues over Trump's health bill Committee vote set for Thursday By Alan Fram ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Photos by Danny Zaragoza
GOODBYE ZAPATA COUNTY FAIR, TILL NEXT YEAR The Zapata County Fair finished off this year with an array of entertainment. Musical acts such as Intocable, Elida Reyna y Avante, La Leyenda, Los Traileros del Norte, Kevin Fowler, Siggno and Jaime y Los Chamacos were among the excitement this past weekend. On Saturday at 3 p.m., the fair also showcased its yearly parade; contests and the coronation of the queens followed after. Traditional fair rides and games for all ages played a big role in amusing the public as well. See more photos from the fair on Page A5.
WASHINGTON — Undaunted by fellow Republicans' defiance, GOP leaders and the White House redoubled their efforts Tuesday to muscle legislation overhauling America's health care system through Congress following a sobering report about millions being shoved off insurance coverage. President Donald Trump, whose strong Election Day showing in GOP regions makes him the party's ultimate Capitol Hill vote wrangler, discussed the legislation by phone with Congress' two top Republicans. He also dispatched Vice President Mike Pence and health secretary Tom Price to hear GOP senators' concerns. With a crucial House committee voted slated for Thursday, Trump's spokesman acknowledged they were open to making changes to win support. "This has never been a take it or leave it," said Press Secretary Sean Spicer. The GOP bill is the party's response to seven years of promising to repeal President Barack Obama's 2010 health care overhaul. It would undo that law's individual mandate, which requires most people to have coverage, by ending the tax penalty on those who don't. It would also provide age-based tax credits instead of the subsidies geared to income in Obama's statute, end that law's expansion of Medicaid and curb its future spending, and let insurers boost rates for seniors. On Monday, the Congressional Budget Office said the Republican legislation would reduce the ranks of the insured by 24 million in a decade, largely by cutting Medicaid recipients and people buying individual policies. That would be more than the 20 million who've gained coverage under Obama's overhaul — and attach a big number to a problem haunting GOP governors and members of Congress whose states have benefited from "Obamacare." Health continues on A12
TEXAS SENATE
State Sen. Zaffirini votes against ‘bathroom bill’ By Julia Wallace LA R ED O MORNI NG T IME S
Texas Sen. Judith Zaffirini was the only member of the Senate Committee on State Affairs to vote against the highly contentious, so-called “bathroom bill,” which is now headed for a vote in the full Senate. The “bathroom bill,” Senate Bill 6, would mandate that transgender people use public restrooms in accordance with the sex on their birth certificate, rather than their gender identity.
Zaffirini
Zaffirini said she does not believe this bill will make Texans safer. “Generally, SB 6 would cre-
ate a public safety hazard for transgender men and women without enhancing the safety of other Texans,” she said. The legislation is modeled off a law passed in North Carolina last March, which famously led the NBA and NCAA to move games out of the state, and cost the state thousands of jobs and about $500 million, according to Politifact. Supporters say the bill keeps women and children safe by legally barring men from their restrooms. Texas’ bill has garnered
steady attention from both sides of the aisle. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on State Affairs heard about 13 hours of public testimony from about 230 people, according to the Texas Tribune. “Transgender witnesses of all ages were persuasive as they explained how they suffered for hours by avoiding using restrooms associated with the gender markers on their birth certificates and how they shunned food and drink so they wouldn’t have to do so. These practices endangered their physical and mental
health,” Zaffirini said in an email to LMT. The senator said she also heard from mental health experts and religious leaders, who relayed the statistic that the suicide attempt rate among transgender people is 40 percent. “Descriptions about the beatings, humiliations, bullying and insults endured by transgender men, women, and children were difficult to endure. It broke my heart to realize the extent to which so many have suffered, and I did Bill continues on A11
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AHEC Health Careers Camp. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. UT Health Regional Campus Laredo, 1937 E. Bustamante St. The goal of this camp is to expose students interested in health careers to the various career choices in the medical field and provide them with an opportunity for interaction with practicing health care professionals. Registration for this camp is free and open to all high school students. To register or receive additional information, please call 956-712-0037.
MONDAY, MARCH 20 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22 Fourth Annual Laredo Media and Film Festival. LISD Civic Center. The Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts Audio and Video Production Department is hosting the free festival, which is open to all local middle and high school students, clubs or classes who are interested in TV, film, animation and radio.
THURSDAY, MARCH 23 Fourth Annual Laredo Media and Film Festival. LISD Civic Center. The Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts Audio and Video Production Department is hosting the free festival, which is open to all local middle and high school students, clubs or classes who are interested.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25 Gateway Gatos of Laredo’s Cat Fundraiser. 12-3 p.m. Petco north store. All donations received will go toward financially helping cat community caretakers to neuter and spay their cats. For more details, call Birdie at 286-7866. 67th Annual Flower and Art Show. 1-6 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church. Sponsored by the United Methodist Women. Guest artists: Laredo Community College Art Instructors. $3 admission fee per person. Public invited. Rally at the Border Laredo. 4-7 p.m. Convent Avenue.
SUNDAY, MARCH 26 67th Annual Flower and Art Show. 1-6 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church. Sponsored by the United Methodist Women.
MONDAY, MARCH 27 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29 Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library on Calton. or more info call Sylvia Reash 763-1810. Laredo Next Generation Rotary Club “Unsung Heroes” dinner. 7:30 p.m. Montecarlo Reception Hall, 6415 McPherson Road. This year’s recipients are Ignacio Urrabazo, Samuel Ayala and Gigi Ramos. For more information about sponsorship levels or to reserve a table, contact Rudy Morales at 956-206-5378 or Hector Chapa at 956-206-1505 or visit nextgenerationrotary.com
THURSDAY, MARCH 30 Speaker and book signing. 6-7:30 p.m. Multipurpose Room at Joe A. Guerra Public Library on Calton. Hosted by Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society and the library. The speaker is Mauricio J. Gonzalez, LCC instructor and author of “My Grandfather’s Grandfather: Tomas Rodriguez Benavides.” For more info call Sylvia Reash 763-1810.
SATURDAY, APRIL 1 Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
MONDAY, APRIL 3 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
TUESDAY APRIL 4 Community Conversation on Teen & Young Adult Mental Health. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Border Region Behavioral Health Center, Auditorium, 1500 Pappas St. The purpose of this event is to encourage the community to voice concerns, ask questions and share information on available resources to help those afflicted with a mental illness or a substance abuse problem. We invite the community to join others in the community for an informal conversation on mental health presented by the Area Health Education Center, Border Region Behavioral Health Center and Texas Department of State Health ServicesOffice of Border Services.
Charlie Neibergall / AP
In this photo, Rep. Steve King of Iowa speaks in Des Moines. On Tuesday, White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, said the President does not condone King’s inflammatory remarks.
WHITE HOUSE REFUTES LAWMAKER’S COMMENTS ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday distanced itself from Republican Rep. Steve King's inflammatory comments about immigrants, as Democrats pressed House GOP leaders to punish the Iowa lawmaker by stripping him of a chairmanship. King said this weekend that America can't restore "our civilization with somebody else's babies" and warned of a liberal effort to destroy Western civilization through immigration. Questioned about the comments, White House spokesman
Northeast hit by late-season snow NEW YORK — A blustery late-season storm clobbered the Northeast with sleet and heavy snow Tuesday, crippling much of the Washington-to-Boston corridor after a stretch of unusually mild winter weather that had people thinking spring was already here. The powerful nor'easter unloaded 1 to 2 feet of snow in places, grounded more than 6,000 flights, knocked out pow-
Sean Spicer said President Donald Trump "believes that this is not a point of view that he shares." "He believes he's the president for all Americans, and so I'll leave it at that," Spicer told reporters at his daily briefing. King was a strong supporter of Trump in the 2016 campaign and backed the candidate's tough stand on immigration. In a statement Tuesday, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP leaders should immediately take the chairmanship of a House Judiciary subcommittee from King.
er to nearly a quarter-million customers from Virginia northward and, by the time it reached Massachusetts, had turned into a blizzard, with the wind gusting at nearly hurricane force over 70 mph along the coast and waves crashing over the seawalls. It was easily the biggest storm in a merciful winter that had mostly spared the Northeast, and many weren't happy about it. "It's horrible," said retired gumball-machine technician Don Zimmerman, of Lemoyne,
Pennsylvania, using a snowblower to clear the sidewalk along his block. "I thought winter was out of here. ... It's a real kick in the rear." While people mostly heeded dire warnings to stay home and off the roads, police said a 16year-old girl was killed when she lost control of her car on a snowy road and hit a tree in Gilford, New Hampshire. The storm closed schools in cities big and small, Amtrak suspended service and the post office halted mail delivery. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Representatives take congressional road trip WASHINGTON — Two Texas congressmen — a Democrat and a Republican — are livestreaming their 1,600 mile drive from San Antonio to Washington, talking to constituents as they sit in traffic and even hit the burger drive-thru. Republican Rep. Will Hurd and Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke rented a Chevrolet Impala in San Antonio on Tuesday after attending a veterans' town hall together and Hurd's flight was canceled due to bad weather in the Northeast. O'Rourke proposed driving the long distance and Hurd agreed, after some consideration, "to show what unites us and not just talk about what divides us." With viewers typing questions at them, topics have ranged from veterans programs to the Republican
Congressman Beto O'Rourke via Facebook
Rep. Will Hurd and Rep. Beto O’Rourke travel across the country together on Tuesday.
health care bill, from the notion of microwave surveillance to fast-food condiments. They also discussed their favorite buddy cop movie. "It's a chance to get to know each other, answer your questions and functionally do a cross-country town hall," O'Rourke, 44, told viewers as the two began driving at dawn
in San Antonio. They visited a coffee shop in San Marcos, and then sat in some traffic outside Waco. They eventually ended up at a Waco Whataburger fast-food restaurant, livestreaming as they ordered. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Mexican official: 250 skulls found in clandestine graves MEXICO CITY — The top prosecutor in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Veracruz confirmed Tuesday that more than 250 skulls have been found over the last several months in what appears to be a drug cartel mass burial ground on the outskirts of the city of Veracruz. State Prosecutor Jorge
Winckler said the clandestine burial pits appear to contain the victims of drug cartels killed years ago. But the news came as no surprise to Lucia Diaz, one of the mothers of the disappeared whose group is known as Colectivo Solecito. The mothers pushed authorities to investigate the fields where the skulls were found, because they suspected more than a year ago that the wooded area known as Colinas de Santa Fe was a clandestine burial
Today is Wednesday, March 15, the 74th day of 2017. There are 291 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 15, 1767, the seventh president of the United States, Andrew Jackson, was born in the Waxhaw settlement along the North Carolina-South Carolina border. On this date: In 44 B.C., Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of nobles that included Brutus and Cassius. In 1922, Sultan Fuad I proclaimed himself the first king of modern Egypt. In 1937, America's first hospital blood bank was opened at Cook County Hospital in Illinois. In 1944, during World War II, Allied bombers again raided German-held Monte Cassino. In 1956, the Lerner and Loewe musical play "My Fair Lady," based on Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion," opened on Broadway. In 1977, the U.S. House of Representatives began a 90-day closedcircuit test to determine the feasibility of showing its sessions on television. The situation comedy "Three's Company," starring John Ritter, Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers, premiered on ABC-TV. In 1985, the first internet domain name, symbolics.com, was registered by the Symbolics Computer Corp. of Massachusetts. In 1999, an Amtrak train slammed into a steel-filled truck at a crossing in Bourbonnais, Illinois, killing 11 people. In 2011, the Syrian civil war had its beginnings with Arab Spring protests across the region that turned into an armed insurgency and eventually became a full-blown conflict. Ten years ago: Senate Republicans easily turned back Democratic legislation requiring a troop withdrawal from Iraq to begin within 120 days. Actress Angelina Jolie adopted a 3-year-old boy from an orphanage in Vietnam (Pax Thien was her fourth child with Brad Pitt). Former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn (BOO'-ee kyoon) died in Jacksonville, Florida, at age 80. Five years ago: Convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (blahGOY'-uh-vich) walked into a federal prison in Colorado, where the 55-yearold Democrat began serving a 14-year sentence for corruption. The American campaign in Afghanistan suffered a double blow as the Taliban broke off talks with the U.S., and President Hamid Karzai (HAH'-mihd KAHR'zeye) said NATO should pull out of rural areas and speed up the transfer of security responsibilities to Afghan forces nationwide. One year ago: Democrat Hillary Clinton triumphed in the Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri presidential primaries; Donald Trump strengthened his hand in the Republican race, winning in Florida, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri, but falling in Ohio to that state's governor, John Kasich (KAY'-sihk), while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio ended his campaign after his home-state loss. In a major reversal, the Obama administration barred offshore drilling off the Atlantic Coast. Dallas Seavey won his third straight Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in a record time of 8 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes, 16 seconds. Sylvia Anderson, 88, co-creator of the cult classic science fiction TV puppet show "Thunderbirds," died in Bray, Berkshire, England. Today's Birthdays: Musician DJ Fontana is 86. Former astronaut Alan L. Bean is 85. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 84. Actor Judd Hirsch is 82. Jazz musician Charles Lloyd is 79. Rock musician Phil Lesh is 77. Singer Mike Love (The Beach Boys) is 76. Rock singer-musician Sly Stone is 74. Rock singer-musician Howard Scott (War; Lowrider Band) is 71. Rock singer Ry Cooder is 70. Actor Craig Wasson is 63. Rock singer Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) is 62. Actor Joaquim de Almeida is 60. Actress Park Overall is 60. Movie director Renny Harlin is 58. Model Fabio is 56. Singer Terence Trent D'Arby (AKA Sananda Maitreya) is 55. Rock singer Bret Michaels (Poison) is 54. Rhythm-and-blues singer Rockwell is 53. Actor Chris Bruno is 51. Rock singer Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray) is 49. Actress Kim Raver is 48. Rock musician Mark Hoppus is 45. Country singer-musician Matt Thomas (Parmalee) is 43. Actress Eva Longoria is 42. Rapper-musician will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) is 42. Rock DJ Joseph Hahn (Linkin Park) is 40. Rapper Young Buck is 36. Actor Sean Biggerstaff is 34. Rock musician Ethan Mentzer is 34. Actor Kellan Lutz is 32. Actress Caitlin Wachs is 28. Thought for Today: "The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality." — President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).
CONTACT US ground. In the face of authorities' inaction, the activists themselves went out in to the fields starting in August 2016, sinking rods into the ground to detect the telltale odor of decomposition, and then digging. When they find what they believe are burial pits, they alert authorities, who carry out the final excavations. "We dig holes, but we try not to touch the remains," Diaz said. — Compiled from AP reports
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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.
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 |
A3
LOCAL Zapata Lions Club volunteers at County Fair Pictured from left to right are Lions Manuel Gonzalez Jr., Jaime Gonzalez, Jose E. Gonzalez, Humberto Gonzalez Jr., 56-year member, Roberto Villarreal, Aurelio Villarreal, Cesar Gomez, Ray Del Bosque, Carlos Uribe, Domingo Castaneda Jr., Rene Elizondo, and Carlos Garza. Greetings from Zapata Lions Club! Lions Club put their lions share to make the Zapata County Fair the best Little Town Fair in Texas. We gave free hot dogs, pizza and drinks to youth participants at the fair. We helped at the token booth, charged at the gate on Thursday night and, on the final night, gave back $1,000.00 in add-ons to all LEO participants and their projects. Now that's what I call LION PRIDE. Courtesy photo
LCC hosting career and transfer expo S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
Life after graduating from college can be a daunting time for some grads. In an effort to ease the stress during this transitional period, Laredo Community College is helping students, who are close to graduating, transition successfully to the next chapter of their lives. LCC is hosting the first-ever Palomino Pathways Career and Transfer Expo on Wednesday, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Kazen Student Center at the Fort McIntosh Campus. The expo, hosted by the LCC Office of the Registrar, will offer prospective LCC graduates the opportunity to meet with representatives from various four-year institutions, as well as local civic and
business groups. Business and civic groups planning to be at the expo are Brightstar Care, Entravision Communications, International Bank of Commerce, Laredo Independent School District, LCC, Texas A&M International University Human Resources Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Navy, among others. Students who are considering transferring to a four-year university also are encouraged to attend the expo. Several institutions will have recruiters on hand to meet with students, including Our Lady of the Lake University, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Texas State University, Texas Tech University,
University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, University of HoustonVictoria, and many more. While the expo is focusing its efforts in preparing prospective graduates, the community is welcome to attend. Admission to the event is free. The upcoming expo is one of several events offered to prospective graduates as they complete their studies at LCC. Through these important initiatives, LCC graduates can better prepare themselves for any future career or educational endeavor they pursue, explains LCC Graduation and Career Services Specialist Ramiro Hernandez. “It’s essential to provide a strong focus on career services for our students. The services Laredo Com-
Courtesy photo / LCC
LCC Graduation and Career Services Specialist Ramiro Hernandez, left, assists LCC student Roman Diaz with his resume.
munity College is offering will align their education with a career and assist in making them marketable professionals,” explained Hernandez. Upon applying for graduation, students are offered assistance in résumé development, interview preparation, job searches, cover letter formatting, professional dress standards, and other areas pertinent to
career success. In addition to these services, an online job postings website is available for both potential applicants and employers. Through the online job postings board, students and alumni can explore a variety of different job options that are available. Employers also are invited to post job vacancies at no cost. Several exciting initia-
tives are in the works by the Office of the Registrar’s, including an upcoming Business Fashion Show, slated for Thursday, April 20 at 10 a.m. in the Kazen Student Center. For more information on the Palomino Pathways Expo and career services available at LCC, contact the Office of the Registrar at 721-5861 or visit www.laredo.edu/careers.
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
OP-ED
OTHER VIEWS
Make the American novel great again Garrison Keillor WA S H INGT ON P O ST
The $54 billion bonus heading for the Pentagon is a beautiful thing and so far I haven’t heard a dogbark against it, even though we don’t appear to have $54 billion worth of new enemies and we’ve now come to admire former enemy Vladimir Putin and the idea of throwing billions at the Islamic State is like going after bedbugs with bazookas, so there it sits, a big lake of cash waiting for water skiers. Base pay for a PFC these days is around $22K and, granted, it is not rocket science -- aerospace engineers earn a hundred grand or more -but a Radio City Rockette earns about $1,500/week. Should we be paying more for precision tapdancing than for the defense of our country? Meanwhile, apple pickers are hauling down $23K while orange pickers get $20K. I’d say our soldiers are due for a big raise. Those caissons don’t roll themselves, you know. The shores of Tripoli are an ever-present threat to our security. And the halls of Montezuma are out for revenge. I just hope that my good friends in the Pentagon will stop and think about the value of the arts and literature to our national defense. Some of that money, perhaps $3 billion or $4 billion, would be well spent encouraging writers and artists to cast a warmer light on our uniformed services than what we’ve seen the past century or so when, aside from George M. Cohan’s “Over There” (1917) and Frank Loesser’s “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” (1942), the arts have been decidedly antiwar. When was the last time a great poet wrote an ode to the importance of following orders? Eighteen fifty-four, that’s when. Tennyson wrote, “Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die,” immortalizing Lord Cardigan’s botched mission in the Battle of Balaclava -- “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” Tennyson was England’s poet laureate at the time and felt obliged to turn a military disaster into something heroic. No American poet laureate ever wrote anything similar and maybe that’s because they’re paid $35K per year. Make that $350K and give the laureate the rank of major general and a cap with a plume and see if the tune doesn’t change. Our Nobel laureate Mr. Dylan could have written (but did not): Well it ain’t no use to sit around the barracks And ask why you must drill.
Or ask why we have to carry rifles: They are to injure, maim and kill. Get out of bed at the break of dawn, Put your helmet and your uniform on, You’re not a bishop, son, you’re just a pawn. Don’t think twice, it’s all right. It’s no wonder that wealthy New York real estate heirs shopped around for physicians to diagnose heel spurs to exempt them from the draft. For a century, nobody has written a great work of literature celebrating America’s military -- “SlaughterhouseFive”? “Catch-22”? “The Naked and the Dead”? “The Things They Carried”? I don’t think so. Nobody read “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and went down to the recruiting office to sign up. It was not always thus. Look at what Homer did for the Greeks with his Iliad. It’s an action epic, one hero after another, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, Ajax -- no introspective nonconformist in the ranks, wondering, “Why are we brutalizing each other? Why can’t we sit down and talk through our differences?” Because we are us and they are them and it’s one for all and all for one, so grab your spear and go puncture those Trojans, son. What we need to make America great again is American literature about greatness. Look at Tolstoy. He could’ve just written Peace but he wrote War too, both of them, glorifying General Kutuzov, who engineered the defeat of Napoleon. Spending some of that $54 billion on the arts would be an excellent investment. If they need someone to write an epic poem, here I am, my pen is poised. Media to the right of him, Media to the left of him, Democrats embittered. Loud was his battle cry, The man with long red tie, Onward he twittered. Rising in early dawn, Turning his smartphone on, Texting he bravely fought, Tweet after tweet he shot With his red hat on, Looking like George C. Scott Playing George Patton. It’s the story of a man who overcame his heel spur handicap by playing golf regularly and eventually took command in his bomber jacket and led the country to greatness. It’s going to be fantastic. I promise you. Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality.
COLUMN
Cutting the murder rate is a job for government Noah Smith BL OOMBERG
President Donald Trump talks a lot about murder rates. He’s wrong that homicides are the highest in 47 years; in fact, the national rate is still near the historic lows of 2014. But in the last two years, the rate has begun rising. The increase has been led by a handful of cities -- Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee -where murder is near record highs. In St. Louis, the rate is now more than 60 per 100,000 people -- twice the level of notoriously violent South Africa. If that trend persists, the U.S. will be in trouble. It needs to be nipped in the bud. But how? Most people who study the epic decline in crime that took place in the 1990s have no definitive idea why it happened. Mass incarceration probably had a fairly small effect. The theory that legalized abortion was behind the decline, made famous by the book “Freakonomics,” was probably incorrect. A third explanation has to do with the rise and fall of drug epidemics, which fuel violence between gangs and other narcotics sellers. And a fourth idea is that reductions in lead pollution reduced violent tendencies. The answer might be found in New York and Los Angeles, two large cities once famous for their high crime rates, but which are now among the nation’s safest. Some credit the so-called broken windows policing strategy, where police target minor crimes in order to create an atmosphere of public order. Others believe that it was the elimination of open-
“By protecting people from attacks, the police and courts allow normal citizens to stop being preemptively violent. The bad equilibrium of anarchy gives way to a good equilibrium.”
air drug markets that did the trick. The explanations are endless. But I want to suggest one that gets little attention. This is the leviathan theory of violence, as popularized by psychologist Steve Pinker in his 2011 book, “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.” The word “leviathan” hearkens back to the book of that title by the 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes, who theorized that government’s monopoly on the legitimate use of force is necessary to pacify an inherently violent state of nature. Pinker adds insights from modern psychology and game theory to tell a story where violence is the result of a bad equilibrium created by the lack of good government. Pinker posits that in an anarchic society, everyone has to defend himself and his family on his own. The only way to deter attacks is to establish a reputation for aggression and willingness to resort to violence. This can only be done by inflicting violence on other people -- a bunch of tough guys run around assaulting and killing people in order to show how brutal they are, in order to keep themselves and their families and friends safe from opportunistic attacks. But that preemptive violence just adds to the overall level of danger in society, forcing other people to respond in kind, and estab-
lishing an equilibrium where everyone is violent. According to Pinker, government can break this cycle. By protecting people from attacks, the police and courts allow normal citizens to stop being preemptively violent, which leads to further drops in violence. The bad equilibrium of anarchy gives way to a good equilibrium where people are peaceful and the government doesn’t have to do anywhere near as much policing. This theory fits our anecdotal experience of violent people. Gangsters are generally obsessed with reputation and respect. Honor culture is a well-established phenomenon in the psychology literature. Far from being the superpredators of which Hillary Clinton once warned, most violent people tend to be superdefenders -- young men struggling in vain to carve out a sphere of safety in a world of anarchy, but in the end simply contributing to that anarchy. This theory could help explain why murder -but not property crime -has risen in the last two years. A rash of highly publicized police killings, starting with Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 has made its way around the news and social media. Those high-profile killings, which many attribute to police racism, have probably decreased the black community’s trust of the police, especially in the
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
cities where the deaths occurred. Police shootings have been shown to lead to fewer 911 calls in predominantly black neighborhoods. After all, why call the cops when the cops might just shoot an innocent bystander -or even the person who made the call? There’s also circumstantial evidence that some police spend less effort solving murders when the victims are black. The policy implication is clear. Police departments in cities such as St. Louis and Baltimore with high murder rates should make a greater effort to protect vulnerable residents, especially black people, from violence. Community policing strategies, where police attempt to integrate into and befriend a local community, would probably help. Programs such as Operation Ceasefire, which try to identify and protect potential victims before they are attacked, should be expanded. Cities should hire more detectives to solve murders, especially in poor and black neighborhoods. And police forces involved in high-profile shootings of black citizens should make open and honest efforts to show the community that they aren’t infected by racist attitudes, as well as bringing culpable officers to justice If the U.S. is going to stem the rise in murder, it’s going to have to be proactive and smart. Convincing people that the government is there to protect instead of persecute them is a good place to start. Smith is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 |
A5
ZAPTA COUNTY FAIR
Photos By Danny Zaragoza
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FERIA DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CAMINATA AMISTOSA 1 El Servicio de Extensión Texas A&M Agrilife invita a la segunda caminata Walk Across Texas que iniciará desde el 1 de febrero y hasta el 24 de marzo. Una competencia amistosa para ver quién acumula más millas haciendo cualquier actividad física como correr, caminar andar en bicicleta, , baile, etc. Mayores informes en Texas A&M Agrilife Service Extension al (956) 487-2306. TORNEO DE PESCA 1 El próximo 25 de marzo se llevará a cabo en la Presa Falcón el torneo de pesca Bass Champs de 7 a.m. a 4 p.m. 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.
Foto por Danny Zaragoza | Tiempo de Zapata
DESPIDEN FERIA DEL CONDADO
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. LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.
La Feria del Condado de Zapata terminó exitosamente su edición 2017. Los terrenos de la Feria de Zapata fueron escenario de las presentaciones musicales de Intocable, Elida Reyna y Avante, La Leyenda, Los Traileros del Norte, Kevin Fowler, Siggno, Jaime y Los Chamacos. Además del entretenimiento musical, el sábado se llevo a cabo el tradicional desfile de la Feria del Condado en la Tercera Avenida. También fueron coronados los reyes de la Feria, hubo subastas y concursos así como la presencia de los tradicionales juegos mecánicos en los que chicos y grandes disfrutaron de un paseo lleno de emociones.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
Confiscan arma larga en aduana Por César G. Rodriguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Un hombre fue arrestado la semana pasada tratando de pasar de contrabando un rifle de asalto a Nuevo Laredo, México, a
través del puente internacional II, dijeron las autoridades. Oficiales de la aduana mexicanos trabajando en el Puente Internacional Juárez-Lincoln detuvieron el intento de contrabando,
de acuerdo con la oficina del fiscal general de México. Oficiales de la policía federal respondieron a la escena, donde un hombre viajando con su equipaje y una televisión había in-
tentado entrar a México. Una inspección de su equipaje reveló un rifle de asalto 7.62x39mm un cartucho cargado, dijeron las autoridades mexicanas. La policía incautó el arma y la munición, y
arrestaron al hombre. Su nombre no fue revelado. Las autoridades dijeron que está siendo acusado de posesión de arma de fuego y municiones de uso exclusivo del ejército mexicano.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
TEXAS
Funda José de Escandón villa Revilla
Republicanos utilizaron distritos electorales
Nota del editor: Esta serie de artículos sobre la historia de Ciudad Guerrero, México, fueron escritos por la guerrerense Lilia Treviño Martínez (1927-2016), quien fuera profesora de la escuela Leoncio Leal.
Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEM P O DE ZAPATA
El origen del municipio de Guerrero data de los tiempos de la Colonia y se encuentra precisamente en una de las 22 fundaciones realizadas por don José de Escandón, Conde de Sierra Gorda, y se inició como una Villa que recibió el nombre de Villa de San Ignacio de Loyola de Revilla. Antes de la colonización y aun después de ella, en las tierras de este municipio hubo asentamientos de indios carrizos y de otros grupos que eran más o menos pacíficos, pero en su mayor parte, la región era utilizada para correrías de indios rebeldes, entre ellos los apaches, comanches y lipanes, que aprovechaban estos espacios para introducirse a las poblaciones del Nuevo Reino de León, hoy estado de Nuevo León, donde realizaban sus
fechorías en forma de asaltos, saqueos y matanzas. Don Vicente Guerra, por autorización de Escandón, fundó la villa “Revilla” el 10 de octubre de 1750, en un lugar llamado “Los Moros”, con varias familias procedentes del Nuevo Reino de León. Aproximadamente un año después, el pueblo fue cambiado unas nueve leguas más abajo, y en 1754 sufrió un nuevo cambio de lugar, pues Escandón visitó la Villa y dispuso su traslado a un sitio que le pareció más apropiado, bastante próximo al anterior, en la margen izquierda del río Salado, entre una cascada llamada “El Salto” y un hermoso paraje que se denominó “Las Brisas”. El poblado conservó el nombre de Revilla durante la época colonial y en los primeros tres años del México independiente, pero en 1824, por consenso de sus pobladores tomó el nombre de Guerrero y ascendió a la categoría de ciudad. El nuevo nombre hace honor al héroe Vicente Guerrero, y fue autorizado por decreto del 12 de noviembre de 1827, expedido por el Congreso del estado de Tamaulipas.
Por Paul J. Weber ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Jueces federales encontraron más problemas en las leyes electorales de Texas, al sentenciar que los republicanos manipularon racialmente algunos distritos para las votaciones al Congreso, a fin de debilitar la creciente influencia política de las minorías en el estado, a las cuales el entonces presidente Barack Obama se propuso proteger en las urnas antes de dejar el cargo. El fallo, emitido el viernes por la noche por un panel de tres jueces en San Antonio, da a los demócratas la esperanza de que los nuevos mapas de votación puedan darles más escaños en el Congreso en las votaciones de 2018. Sin embargo, la decisión 2-1 no significa una solución inmediata y Texas podría apelar a la Corte Suprema. Los republicanos tienen actualmente dos de los tres distritos del Congreso que ahora fueron declarados inválidos y según los jueces, fueron elaborados al menos parcialmente con intenciones discriminatorias.
Los mapas fueron creados originalmente en 2011, cuando la Legislatura de Texas era controlada por los republicanos. En ese año, el estado también aprobó una ley que obliga a los votantes a presentar ciertos documentos de identificación y que es una de las más estrictas de la nación, pero desde entonces ha perdido fuerza debido a varios fallos judiciales. Los jueces subrayaron la “fuerte tensión racial y el acalorado debate sobre los latinos, los hispanohablantes, los inmigrantes indocumentados y las ciudades santuario”, que fue el telón de fondo cuando la legislatura a Texas adoptó los mapas y la ley de identificación de votantes. Esas tensiones están volviendo a estallar nuevamente debido a los decretos del presidente Donald Trump sobre inmigración. El gobernador de Texas, el republicano Greg Abbott, también está exigiendo que haya medidas estrictas de represión contra las llamadas ciudades santuario. A menudo la etiqueta de ciudad santuario significa que una ciudad coopera poco —o
no lo hace— con las autoridades federales de inmigración en cuanto a la persecución de personas que viven en Estados Unidos sin autorización. “El expediente indica no solo hostilidad hacia los distritos demócratas, sino hostilidad hacia los distritos minoritarios y una disposición a usar la raza para tener ventaja partidista”, escribieron los jueces de distrito Xavier Rodríguez y Orlando García en su opinión. El fiscal general de Texas, el republicano Ken Paxton, no hizo comentarios sobre el fallo por el momento. Se encontró que los hispanos fueron los que hicieron que la población de Texas tuviera un crecimiento espectacular en el censo de 2010, un año antes de la elaboración de los mapas, lo que significó que dos de cada tres nuevos residentes en el estado son hispanos. Los demócratas y los grupos defensores de las minorías están presionando ahora a un tribunal federal independiente en Texas para que determine que la ley de identificación de votantes también fue elaborada con intención discriminatoria.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 |
A7
NBA: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
San Antonio is Kawhi Leonard’s team now Spurs and Warriors tied for top seed out west By Scott Cacciola N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS S ERVICE
SAN ANTONIO — Mike Budenholzer was there at the beginning. It was June 2011, and the San Antonio Spurs had decided to gamble on potential and promise at the NBA draft. Kawhi Leonard was no sure thing back then. In two seasons at San Diego State, he had not proven himself to be a terrific outside shooter. But he could defend and rebound and cut through traffic like a hot blade, and the Spurs were seduced by his many gifts. He had those hands that were the size of sauce pans. Imagine the possibilities. So the Spurs engineered a draft-night trade, sending George Hill — a steady, productive guard whom the Spurs had drafted and developed and whom coach Gregg Popovich loved — to the Indiana Pacers for Leon-
ard, whom the Pacers had selected with the 15th overall pick. The impact of the deal would reverberate for years to come. “The draft is always hard,” said Budenholzer, who was an assistant coach with the Spurs at the time. “There’s some uncertainty about how good somebody is or isn’t going to be, and you trade somebody we all felt strongly about in George. But just studying the film and working with everybody — putting their minds together — it felt like a great opportunity for the Spurs.” Budenholzer paused for a half-beat. “Needless to say,” he said, “it’s turned out to be that.” Budenholzer, now the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, returned to San Antonio on Monday night to face his old team. It doubled as another opportunity for him to gauge the growth of a familiar figure who has become a
feared nemesis. Sure enough, the Hawks had all kinds of trouble dealing with Leonard, which does not make them unique among NBA teams. He scored 11 points in the first quarter. He scooped a left-handed layup over the outstretched arm of the Hawks’ Kent Bazemore in the second quarter. And he sealed the Spurs’ 10799 victory with a 3-pointer late in the fourth. “A few good plays here and there,” said the Spurs’ Pau Gasol, who was trafficking in the fine art of sarcasm. “Kawhi is a very special player.” In truth, it was a hohum effort for Leonard: 31 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Afterward, he seemed annoyed that he had shot just 10 of 24 from the field. But he had missed the team’s previous game after entering the NBA’s concussion protocol, so perhaps he could cut himself some slack. On Monday, the
Spurs were glad to have him back. “And the rest of us filled in and did the best we could,” the Spurs’ David Lee said. The win was significant because it pushed the Spurs’ record to 52-14, tying them with the Golden State Warriors for the best record in the NBA entering Tuesday. Under Popovich, the Spurs have been a model of consistent excellence for 20 years. The Warriors, of course, retooled last summer, adding Kevin Durant to a pyrotechnic smorgasbord of All-Star scorers. The Spurs, on the other hand, lost Tim Duncan to retirement. Without much fanfare, San Antonio acquired Lee and Gasol — two solid but aging pieces. There was no guarantee that they would help this team actually vie for supremacy in the West. As for owning one of the best records in the NBA at this late stage of the regular season?
Eric Gay / Associated Press
San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard is averaging a career-high 26.3 points per game this season.
“With the guys that we brought in, and with Pop, there was no telling where we’d land,” Green said late Monday night. “But when you see Golden State and what they had, and other teams and what they put together over the summer — I knew we’d be a pretty solid team. But without Timmy, we didn’t expect to be No. 1. But we’ve been fighting, keeping at it all season.” That fight continues. Over the weekend, the Spurs announced that LaMarcus Aldridge, their starting power forward and second-leading scorer, had been ruled out indefinitely after he experienced what the team described as an occurrence of a mild heart arrhythmia. His return remains uncertain. His absence, though,
has highlighted the Spurs’ depth. Against Atlanta, for example, Lee slid into the starting lineup and scored 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting. “I don’t want to compliment David Lee too much,” Popovich said. “I don’t want him to get a big head. I want to keep him angry and mean and wondering whether he might play or not.” If there is a delicate calculus to keeping his role players engaged, Popovich has no such concerns about Leonard, who is the primary reason that the Spurs, in their latest iteration, are back in familiar territory, atop the standings, and clear contenders. Leonard is averaging a career-high 26.3 points along with 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals.
NBA: HOUSTON ROCKETS
HARDEN HAS ROCKETS SURGING TOWARD PLAYOFFS Houston currently No. 3 seed out west By Kristie Rieken A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
H
OUSTON — Ask James Harden about how happy he is running coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense and a smile spreads across his face before the sentence is done. Harden has shaken off the disappointment of last season to thrive under D’Antoni and become a leading candidate for league MVP. His performance has the Houston Rockets thinking this could be the year they contend for a title. The Rockets are third in the Western Conference with less than a month left in the regular season and on the cusp of securing their fifth straight playoff berth. “We’re all in a good place right now and we’re for each other,” Harden said. “So just ride this momentum into the postseason.” Harden knew all about what D’Antoni did with the Phoenix Suns teams led by Steve Nash, and couldn’t wait to see how his up-tempo offense would translate in Houston. So far things have exceeded even the high expectations Harden had. “Yeah, especially when you’ve got guys that are encouraging you, that are having just as much fun as you and you’re all playing together,” he said. “That makes it exciting.” Harden had 38 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds on Sunday night in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to outshine LeBron James and collect his 16th triple-double this season. His 29.1 points a game rank third in the NBA and in his
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston guard James Harden logged 38 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in Sunday night’s win over Cleveland.
first season as the team’s point guard he leads the league by averaging 11.2 assists. Harden’s 216 3-pointers are second in the NBA and lead a 3-point crazy team that is first in the league with 983so far this season. Harden has had some great
seasons before this one, but having the ball in his hands on every play as the point guard has taken things to another level. But he knows he must do even more for the Rockets to have a shot at their first title since they won back to back
championships in 1994 and 1995. “I can always improve,” he said. “We can always improve as a team and we will.” Much is made about Harden being a good fit for D’Antoni, especially after coach Kevin
McHale was fired last year after just 11 games and the Rockets were ousted from the playoffs by Golden State in the first round. But Houston’s first-year coach might be even more thrilled that he has a talent like Harden to implement his offensive vision. “The system only works if you have good players, and he’s probably the best in the league,” D’Antoni said. “So that makes it easy. You’d have to be an imbecile not to be able to come up with something that makes him look good.” D’Antoni has not only been impressed with Harden’s play, but also with how he’s embraced his role as this team’s undisputed leader this season with Dwight Howard gone to Atlanta. “He’s very coachable and he took to the point guard role,” D’Antoni said. “He wanted to be a point guard. Not just in name, but he does everything on and off the court that point guards need to do. It’s been great.” Harden’s scoring is on par with his work from last season, but his rebounding and assists have both taken significant jumps. He finished last season averaging 6.1 rebounds and is averaging 7.9 this year and his league-leading assist average is up from just 7.5 a year ago. Obviously, his assists have been helped by his move to point guard, but he gives a lot of credit to new teammates Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson and their shooting abilities. Gordon ranks third in the NBA with 210 3-pointers and Anderson has added 179. Harden leads the league by making 66.9 passes a game and his assist points created are 27.3, best in the league. He said he loves how the team has come together. As good as the Rockets have been this season, Harden is confident that they can take things up a notch in the postseason. “We can be better — on both ends of the floor, too,” Harden said. “That’s what’s pretty scary.”
A8 | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Rick Bowmer / AP
In this file photo, the Followers of Christ Church is shown in Oregon City, Ore. Gennifer Mitchell, a girl born to members of the church that practices faith healing, died from complications of prematurity, a medical examiner has ruled.
Autopsy: Infant born to faith healer died from prematurity By Gillian Flaccus A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon's chief medical examiner said Tuesday that an infant born to members of a church that practices faith healing died from complications of prematurity as authorities conducted a criminal investigation into the child's death. The baby, Gennifer, was probably "a couple of months" premature and her lungs were too underdeveloped to allow her to breath unassisted for long, Dr. Karen Gunson, the chief medical examiner, said in a phone interview. Clackamas County sheriff's investigators will present the case to prosecutors but have not finished interviewing witnesses, Sgt. Brian Jensen told The Associated Press in a phone interview. She died a few hours after her birth at her grandparents' home on March 5 in Oregon City, where the Followers of Christ Church is based. Her birth was attended by three traditional midwives, family members and other church members, authorities have said. No one called 911 when the baby began to have trouble breathing, Jensen said. A deputy medical examiner responding to a call about Gennifer's death noticed the surviving twin, Evelyn, was also struggling and called law enforcement, who persuaded the parents to get her medical treatment. That baby girl is doing well in the neonatal intensive care unit at Oregon Health & Science University, Gunson said. "Given the fact that her sister is doing pretty well, I suspect she probably would have done pretty well too," she said. "I can't tell you for sure whether she would have survived, but the fact is, there's a twin that is doing well." Gennifer and Evelyn's parents, 24-year-old Sarah Mitchell and 21-yearold Travis Mitchell, did not return a telephone message seeking comment. Gunson said Sarah Mitchell did not know how far along the pregnancy was because the mother received no prenatal care. The church, which
operates in Oregon and Idaho, has about 1,000 members and is rooted in Pentecostalism, although it is not affiliated with any denomination. Members believe in a literal translation of the Scripture, which states that faith will heal all and if someone dies, it is God's will. The congregation shuns traditional medicine in favor of prayer, the laying on of hands and anointing the sick with oils. Several members of the church have been convicted of crimes for failing to seek medical care for their children, including Sarah Mitchell's sister and brother-in-law. Children born to church members have also died in Idaho. In 2011, a judge sentenced Sarah Mitchell's sister and brother-in-law to more than six years in prison after a manslaughter conviction in the death of their son, David. The boy was born prematurely and weighed less than 4 pounds. An autopsy determined he died of staph pneumonia and complications from a premature birth, including underdeveloped lungs. Another couple was convicted that same year of first-degree criminal mistreatment and sen-
tenced to 90 days in jail for not getting medical treatment for their infant daughter, who developed an abnormal mass of blood vessels across her face and left eye. A third couple was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to 16 months in prison after their 15-yearold son died of a urinary tract blockage. Of 78 children buried in the church's cemetery from 1955 to 1998, at least 21 could have been saved by medical intervention, according to a 1998 analysis by The Oregonian. In 1999, state lawmakers passed a law that eliminated religious protections in cases of second-degree manslaughter and first- and seconddegree criminal mistreatment. The law left religious immunity in place for some other crimes but gave prosecutors more options for charging parents in such cases. Repeated attempts to pass bills in Idaho to loosen religious exemptions in such cases have failed. A vigil for the dead children of the church's members is planned by former church member Linda Martin at the Idaho statehouse on March 21.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Student loan defaults rising, study finds By Sarah Skidmore Sell A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
The stock market is up, unemployment is down but things aren't rosy for all Americans. A new analysis of government data by the Consumer Federation of America found that the number of Americans in default on their student loans jumped by nearly 17 percent last year. As of the end of 2016, there were 4.2 million Federal Direct Loan borrowers in default, meaning they've not made a payment in more than 270 days. That's up from 3.6 million at the end of 2015. "Despite all improvements in the economy, student loan borrowers are still struggling," said Rohit Chopra, senior fellow at the Consumer
Federation of America and formerly the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Student Loan Ombudsman. As of the end of 2016, 42.4 million Americans owed $1.3 trillion in federal student loans, according to the U.S. Department of Education data. This doesn't include borrowing through private student loans, credit cards, and home equity loans to finance the growing costs of college. The Federal Reserve System puts the measure slightly higher at $1.4 trillion, as it includes private loans as well. Defaulting on a federal student loan can be a financial disaster for the borrower. Unlike other types of debts, most federal student loans cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.
Those who go into default face serious repercussions including wage garnishment, damaged credit scores and potentially added costs in fees, interest and legal fees. Student debt has risen along with the cost of education, which makes repayment difficult. The average amount owed per borrower rose to $30,650 in 2016, after rising steadily for years. In 2013, borrowers on average owed $26,300. The good news is that the number of people who are defaulting for the first time is down. But the number of people defaulting for the second time or more is up. And that worries the CFA, an association of more than 250 nonprofit consumer groups "We thought in an
improving labor market, default rates would improve but we simply are not seeing that," Chopra said. Other reports have also painted a bleak picture for student loan borrowers in the U.S. The New York Federal Reserve, which looks at slightly different data, reported last month that total household debt in America in 2016 began nearing its previous peak from 2008, driven largely by student debt and auto debt. It found that student loan defaults jumped sharply in 2012 and the default rate has held fairly steady since. But the NY Fed also warned that the true number of people unable to pay is much higher because about half of loans are in forebea-
rance, deferment or a grace period so are not at risk of default. The CFA also said Tuesday that the report validates some of the recent claims made by federal regulators that the nation's largest loan servicer put borrowers at greater risk for default by failing to help them find the best repayment plans for their needs. The USDE contracts with four major servicers to collect payments owed the federal government. Navient, formerly known as Sallie Mae, is the largest of them. The report found Navient had the lowest percentage of borrowers in two incomebased repayment plans, which are designed to help struggling borrowers. In January, the Con-
sumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Navient, accusing it of making it harder for borrowers to repay loans by giving them bad information, processing payments incorrectly and failing to act on complaints. Several states followed with lawsuits of their own. Navient disputed the charges. The USDE declined to comment. Navient called the report "irresponsible" because it only looked at two types of income-driven repayment plans rather than all of them. The company said that USDE loans serviced by Navient are more likely to be enrolled in income-driven repayment plans than comparable servicers. Navient also said it has the lowest level of delinquency among its peers.
Another drop for oil prices pulls stock indexes lower By Stan Choe A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Stock indexes sank Tuesday after yet another drop in the price of oil dragged down shares across the energy industry. Other areas of the market saw modest losses as investors wait to hear from the Federal Reserve, which began a two-day policy meeting on interest rates. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 8.02 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,365.45. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 44.11, or 0.2 percent, to 20,837.37. The Nasdaq composite fell 18.97, or 0.3 percent, to 5,856.82. Two stocks fell on the New York Stock Exchange for every one that rose. The price of oil has been slipping on concerns that supplies will outweigh demand. It's dropped from nearly $55 per barrel in late February to $47.72 on Tuesday, down 68 cents, or 1.4 percent. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, fell 43 cents to $50.92 per barrel in London. It's the seventh straight decline in the price of oil. Energy stocks in the S&P 500 fell 1.1 percent, the largest loss among the 11 sectors that make up the index. Marathon Oil fell 52 cents, or 3.3 percent, to $15.32. Lower oil prices help to curb inflation, and bond yields sank in tandem. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.59 percent from 2.63 percent late Monday. The 30-year yield
Richard Drew / AP
The statue of George Washington on the steps of Federal Hall overlooks the New York Stock Exchange, right, during a winter storm Tuesday. Global stocks drifted lower on Tuesday as investors looked to the Federal Reserve's policy meeting for an expected interest rate increase and hints on future hikes.
sank to 3.18 percent from 3.21 percent, while the two-year yield dipped to 1.37 percent from 1.38 percent. Stocks of smaller companies sank more than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 of small-cap stocks lost 0.6 percent, double the decline of the S&P 500 index of the largest stocks. When the Fed finishes its meeting on Wednesday, most economists expect it to raise interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. It would be only the third increase since the Fed slashed rates to a record of nearly zero in 2008 during the financial crisis. What investors are likely
more interested to hear is what Fed Chair Janet Yellen says about the pace of future increases. The job market, stock prices and other economic indicators have picked up momentum in recent months, which raises expectations for more increases. In the past, expectations for higher rates may have spooked stock investors, because moreexpensive borrowing can slow the economy. That's not happening this time. "We're in an environment now where the market is no longer afraid of Fed hikes because the perception now is the Fed is hiking for the right reasons," said Jon Adams, senior
investment strategist at BMO Global Asset Management. As long as the economy continues to improve and interestrate hikes are only gradual, analysts say stocks can maintain their lofty heights. One key risk, Adams said, is that many of the encouraging data points from recent months have come from opinion surveys, such as confidence levels for consumers and purchasing managers. He'd like to see that optimism translate into more action by shoppers and businesses, whether that's by spending or producing more, before getting more confident. Airline stocks had some of the market's biggest losses after the industry canceled thousands of flights in the face of fierce snowstorms. United Continental fell $3.30, or 4.7 percent, to $66.55, while rival Southwest Airlines lost $1.61, or 3 percent, to $52.88 and American Airlines Group dropped $1.16, or 2.7 percent, to $41.21 . Valeant Pharmaceuticals fell $1.22, or 10.1 percent, to $10.89 after one of its biggest investors sold its entire stake in the company. Valeant's stock has tumbled nearly 96 percent since its peak in the summer of 2015 because the company is facing more scrutiny for raising prices on its drugs. Activist investor Bill Ackman's Pershing Square said Monday it has sold its investment Valeant. Health care stocks held relatively steady overall amid increased expectations that the
Republican proposal to overhaul the Affordable Care Act is unlikely to pass in its current form. The sector fell 0.3 percent. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said late Monday that the Republican proposal would result in 24 million more uninsured people over a decade, while trimming the federal deficit by $337 billion. In the currency market, the British pound fell against the dollar after Parliament gave its prime minister the authority to divorce Britain from the European Union. Scotland's first minister, meanwhile, called for a referendum to break free of the United Kingdom. The pound fell to $1.2145 from $1.2231 late Monday. The euro fell to $1.0632 from $1.0660, and the dollar dipped to 114.72 Japanese yen from 114.77 yen. In commodity trading, gold fell 50 cents to settle at $1,202.60 an ounce, silver fell 5 cents to $16.92 an ounce and copper rose 1 cent to $2.64 a pound. Wholesale gasoline was little changed at $1.58 a gallon, heating oil fell 1 cent to $1.49 a gallon and natural gas fell 11 cents to $2.94 per 1,000 cubic feet. In Europe, Germany's DAX stock index was close to flat, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 slipped 0.1 percent and the French CAC 40 lost 0.4 percent. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 stock index dipped 0.1 percent, South Korea's Kospi rose 0.8 percent and the Hang Seng in Honk Kong was close to flat.
A10 | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
STATE
Texas executes man convicted of killing man and infant son By Michael Graczyk A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Texas executed on Tuesday a man convicted of the 1987 killings of a father and his infant son and who three years later at his capital murder grabbed a loaded gun from a drawer in the courtroom and Bigby tried to attack the judge. James Bigby, 61, was pronounced dead at 6:31 p.m. Bigby was the fourth inmate in Texas and the sixth nationally to be executed by lethal injection this year. Bigby was condemned for the fatal shooting of Michael Trekell, 26, and suffocation of Trekell’s 4-month-old son, Jayson, at their home in Arlington on Christmas Eve 1987. Evidence showed Bigby also was accused but not tried for killing two other men, believing they along with Trekell were conspiring against him in a workers’ compensation case he filed against a former employer. “I know I am guilty, and so do you,” Bigby told police during a SWAT standoff at a Fort Worth motel before he was taken into custody. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 refused to review Bigby’s case after a lower federal appeals court had rejected appeals. At his 1991 capital mur-
“I don’t think anyone in the courtroom claimed he wasn’t mentally ill, but there were too many dead people and a dead baby. And going up and getting the judge’s gun out of his drawer in court and going at him ... is kind of the icing-on-the-cake moment.” — Wes Ball, defense lawyer
der trial in Fort Worth, Bigby grabbed a loaded gun from behind District Judge Don Leonard’s bench during a court recess and barged into Leonard’s chambers. The judge and a prosecutor wrestled Bigby to the floor and pulled the gun away and the judge continued presiding over the case. Jurors were told about the attack, rejected Bigby’s insanity defense and decided he should die. Then in 2005, a federal appeals court threw out his death sentence, saying the trial jury wasn’t properly instructed during punishment. Three years later, another Tarrant County jury returned him to death row. “I don’t think anyone in the courtroom claimed he wasn’t mentally ill, but there were too many dead people and a dead baby,” Wes Ball, one of Bigby’s defense lawyers at the new punishment trial, recalled Monday. “And going up and getting the judge’s gun out of his drawer in court and going at him ... is kind of the
icing-on-the-cake moment.” Bigby was never tried for the killings of Calvin Crane Jr., 38, in nearby Fort Worth, and Frank Johnson, 33, in Arlington. Both were shot at their homes. Court documents show Bigby, who had worked as an auto mechanic and had two previous prison stints for burglary, believed they and Trekell were conspiring against him in his workers’ compensation lawsuit against a former employer, Frito Lay Inc., where he worked in a body shop. In his statement to police he described how he shot Trekell with a shotgun while the man was at a kitchen table preparing steaks, then went to the infant’s room and wrapped the child’s head with cellophane he took from a refrigerator, suffocating him. Bigby then filled a bathroom sink with water and put the baby face-down into the water. “I regret killing the baby but not the other,” Bigby told police.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 |
A11
ENTERTAINMENT & FROM THE COVER
2 fined nearly $31,000 for poaching elk on TV hunting show A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DOUGLAS, Wyo. — Two Kentucky men who appeared on a cable television hunting show have been fined nearly $31,000 and have lost their hunting privileges for 15 years after poaching two bull elk in southeastern Wyoming in 2014. The case emerged when a Wyoming resident watching “Hunting in the Sticks” on the Pursuit Channel reported that the men appeared to have killed elk in the wrong hunting district during an episode titled “Western Redemption.” “I believe the two de-
fendants were driven to get kill-shot footage for the television show and that resulted in their making bad decisions,” said Mike Ehlebracht, an investigator with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Ricky J. Mills and Jimmy G. Duncan, both of Bedford, Kentucky, pleaded guilty to several poaching violations Monday. The websites and Facebook page for the TV show were offline Tuesday. Information about the show on the Pursuit Channel website says, “Every deer we harvest,
every turkey we call in, they are earned, and that’s the way we want it!” Duncan, 25, was ordered to pay $17,500 in fines and restitution, including $6,000 in restitution for a bull elk and $4,000 for an antelope he killed in 2013. Mills, 37, was ordered to pay $13,460. The Game and Fish Department said they also had to forfeit their elk mounts. The loss of hunting and trapping privileges extends to 44 states, including Kentucky, that are part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Charles Sykes / Associated Press
In this file photo, Stephen Hillenburg attends the world premiere of "The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water" in New York. Hillenburg, the creator of Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob SquarePants" said he has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. Hillenburg told Variety that he will continue to work on the show and his other passions for as long as he's able.
‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ creator Stephen Hillenburg to continue on show after ALS diagnosis Michael Cavna WASHINGTON P O ST
Universal Pictures / AP
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Daniel Kaluuya in a scene from, "Get Out." In an interview on Monday, the actor responded to Samuel L. Jackson’s accusations.
Daniel Kaluuya responds to Samuel Jackson's casting critique A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Daniel Kaluuya, star of the horror hit "Get Out," has responded to Samuel L. Jackson's suggestion that a black American actor ought to have played his part. Jackson last week told radio station Hot 97 that he thought too many roles were going to British black actors. Jackson said an "American brother who really feels" the movie's racial tensions would have benefited "Get Out," a thriller about deepseated American racism and an interracial couple. In an interview posted
Monday by GQ, the 27year-old Kaluuya expressed admiration for Jackson but disagreed with his stance. "Here's the thing about that critique, though. I'm dark-skinned, bro," said Kaluuya. "When I'm around black people I'm made to feel 'other' because I'm dark-skinned. I've had to wrestle with that, with people going 'You're too black.' Then I come to America and they say, "You're not black enough." I go to Uganda, I can't speak the language. In India, I'm black. In the black community, I'm dark-skinned. In America,
I'm British. Bro!" Kaluuya said that while he wasn't "trying to culture-vulture," Jordan Peele's script "spoke to me," and that he's experienced his own traumas as a black person. "I've been to Ugandan weddings, and funerals, and seen that cousin bring a white girl," said Kaluuya. "That's a thing in all communities. I really respect African-American people. I just want to tell black stories." "Get Out," made for $4.5 million by Blumhouse Productions, has made more than $111 million in three weeks of release.
Ben Affleck says he's finished alcohol addiction treatment A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Ben Affleck says he has recently completed treatment for alcohol addiction. The actor and director said in a Facebook post Tuesday that it's the first of many steps toward a positive recovery.
BILL From page A1 not want to add to their burden,” Zaffirini said. The bill’s potential economic impact played into the senator’s deci-
He added that he wants to be the best father he can and show his kids there's no shame in getting help. He also thanked Jennifer Garner for supporting him and caring for their three kids. Garner and Affleck have been separated since
announcing their plans to divorce in 2015. Affleck previously entered rehab for alcohol addiction in 2001. Recently, he has stepped away from directing "The Batman" after almost a year in the job. He'll still star in the film as the titular crusader.
sion as well. “Business, civic, and religious leaders also opposed the bill because of its economic impact, including lost revenue from cancelled sports and entertainment events,” she said.
The seven other members of the Committee on State Affairs, six Republicans and one Democrat, voted “yes” on SB 6. Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
Few people deliver as many round-the-clock laughs to so much of the globe. Three-fourths of the planet may be covered by water, but most of the rest of Earth seems to be covered by the ocean’s most wideeyed character, SpongeBob SquarePants. Stephen Hillenburg’s multibillion-dollar brainchild has been viewed in at least 170 countries and translated into dozens of languages. The Nickelodeon show has spawned two feature films that combined have grossed nearly a halfbillion dollars worldwide. Amid all this success, “SpongeBob SquarePants,” which was launched as a Saturday morning show in 1999 before moving to prime time, has retained its high creative spirit -with creator Hillenburg at the helm for most of those seasons. And now we’re reminded that we can’t take Hillenburg’s greatness for granted. On Monday, he announced through a statement to Variety that he has ALS. He only recently received the diagnosis that he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease. Hillenburg, 55, says he plans to continue to
work on the series. “Anyone who knows me knows that I will continue to work on ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ and my other passions for as long as I am able,” Hillenburg said in the statement. “My family and I are grateful for the outpouring of love and support. We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during this time.” Nickelodeon’s statement said that “Steve Hillenburg is a brilliant creator who brings joy to millions of fans. Our thoughts and support are with Steve and his family during this difficult time.” We share our profound appreciation of Hillenburg’s gifts with his many fans. In interviews, he always speaks with a focused specificity that reflects his marine biologist’s mind -- evidence of his professional life prior to his decision to alter his life’s path toward animation. The world’s most famous marine cartoonist also displays the grounded humility of a man who was willing to be a starving artist just to work in his second field. “Honestly, I hadn’t looked into the logistics and income” of studying experimental animation at Cal Arts, Hillenburg told The Washington Post in 2009. “I just
knew that’s what I wanted to do. I thought at least I could get a job cleaning up somebody’s drawings.” And so the Ocean Institute biologist, inspired by animation festivals, professionally transitioned just as “The Simpsons” and “Ren and Stimpy” were exploding in popularity. “Everyone was excited about the rebirth of the form,” Hillenburg told The Post. “My timing was perfect.” Joe Murray, the creator of Nickelodeon’s “Rocko’s Modern Life,” spotted Hillenburg’s work at a festival and hired him for that show, where the rising animator would meet his future “SpongeBob” title voice actor, Tom Kenny. Hillenburg created “SpongeBob SquarePants” with an eye toward joyful innocence. “I think ‘SpongeBob’ was born out of my love of Laurel and Hardy shorts ...,” Hillenburg said. “SpongeBob was inspired by that kind of character: the Innocent -a la Stan Laurel.” And that is part of the reason that the show -which has been renewed through its 11th season -travels so well. “Everybody recognizes the childlike character ...,” Hillenburg said of the blend of traits and physical comedy. “It’s universally understood.”
A12 | Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER HEALTH From page A1 "I plan to vote NO" on the GOP bill, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., tweeted Tuesday. "As written the plan leaves too many from my #SoFla district uninsured." The budget office report also said the measure would reduce federal deficits by $337 billion over the next decade, largely by cutting Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, and eliminating Obama's subsidies for low- and middle-income people. The report said that the bill's changes would result in federal subsidies that would fall to half their current size in a decade and that older, lower-earning people would be hit especially hard. Those findings further energized Democrats, who already were unanimously opposing the GOP repeal effort and showing no sign of relenting. "Of course you can have savings if you cut off millions of people from access to health care," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California. She said the measure's shift of billions of dollars from lower- to higher-earning families actually would effectively transfer money from GOP to Democratic regions, and, seemingly taunting Republicans, she added, "Explain that to your constituents." Pence and Price discussed the legislation over lunch with GOP senators at the Capitol. Participants said senators suggested targeting the bill's new tax credits more at lowerearning people, improving benefits for seniors and protecting the expansion of Medicaid, the federalstate program that helps lower-income people
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., joined by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington Tuesday.
afford care. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., all but acknowledged the widespread assumption that the measure will be reshaped, saying, "It will be open to amendment in the Senate." Emerging from the senators' lunch — which included two House committee chairmen as well as Pence and Price — Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said, "All four of them are open to suggestions and change." Even so, criticism cascaded from both ends of the GOP political continuum, suggesting leaders face a festering problem. Freshman Rep. John Faso, R-N.Y., from a closely divided district in the Catskill Mountains, said he was concerned the bill would hurt hospitals and was undecided about supporting it. He's a member of the House Budget Committee, where Thursday's vote could be close. Citing the bill's projected increase in uninsured people, Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., from another close district, said he opposed the bill. Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., said he was leaning no because of people losing coverage, saying of CBO's projections, "If the numbers are in the ballpark, it
sounds like we've gone back to where we started after seven years." Conservatives continued complaining that the Republican measure doesn't fully repeal Obama's law, as they and Trump promised in last fall's election campaigns. Their demands include voiding the law's requirement that policies cover 10 specified benefits like mental health services, which they say drives up consumers' costs. "Ultimately it will be President Trump that saves this deal," said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., head of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus. No. 3 Senate leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he was working on a proposal to devote more of the GOP tax cut to lowerearning people. It would currently begin phasing out for people earning $75,000 annually. "It'd be nice to add it to the House bill, but if necessary it'd be in the Senate," Thune said of his plan. AP reporters Alison Noon in Reno, Nevada, Steve Peoples in New York, and Ken Thomas and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.