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Zapata crime
Search for president nears end
Man wanted for aggravated assault By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
The Zapata County Sheriff ’s Office and Zapata Crime Stoppers need the community’s assistance with information on a wanted man. Authorities identified the suspect as Carlos Gonzalez. Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Ramon Benavides issued a warrant for Gonzalez’s arrest for aggravated assault with motor vehicle. “Gonzalez is wanted for assaulting a male subject while
unconscious in his vehicle and crashed into the other victim’s vehicle while he was still inside the pickup truck,” reads a statement from the Sheriff ’s Office. Information GONZALEZ leading to Gonzalez’s arrest may be rewarded. All callers may remain anonymous. People with information
See ASSAULT PAGE 8A
Woman allegedly caught shoplifting By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ LAREDO MORNING TIMES
A woman from Zapata County was arrested in Laredo on shoplifting charges, authorities said. On April 13, the suspect, Marlene Valadez, 21, was charged with theft, a misdemeanor. At 5:20 p.m., police officers responded to a theft at the Wal-Mart, 4401 Zapata Highway. An asset protection manager alleged he
saw Valadez concealing merchandise in a baby diaper bag, according to police. Stores representatives stopped Valadez on her way out and confronted VALADEZ her about her alleged actions, according to police.
See SHOPLIFTING PAGE 8A
Community encouraged to participate in open forums THE ZAPATA TIMES
Laredo Community College’s Presidential Search Committee has narrowed down the field of applicants to four finalists. In an effort to introduce the finalists to students, employees and the community, LCC will host open forums at the Fort McIntosh and South campuses. Each candidate will be introCRUZ duced and then given the opportunity to answer questions. Attendees will then be able to provide feedback on each finalist. The finalists are Anthony Cruz, Robert Muñoz, Luis Pedraja and Ricardo Solis.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES PEDRAJA
IMMIGRANT CHILDREN
Wednesday, April 20 Dr. Cruz: 10–11 a.m. (South) and 4–5 p.m. (Fort McIntosh) Dr. Pedraja: 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. (South) and 5:15–6:15 p.m. (Fort McIntosh)
SOLIS
MUÑOZ
Thursday, April 21 Dr. Muñoz: 10–11 a.m. (South) and 4–5 p.m. (Fort McIntosh) Dr. Solis: 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. (South) and 5:15–6:15 p.m. (Fort McIntosh)
See PRESIDENT PAGE 8A
TEXAS
Bad timing for costly lawsuits Oil bust coincides with potential billion-dollar losses By PAUL J. WEBER Photo by Eric Gay | AP file
In this Tuesday, July 7, 2015, file photo, immigrants from El Salvador and Guatemala, who entered the country illegally, board a bus after they were released from a family detention center in San Antonio, Texas.
countries and come here. They say releasing unaccompanied children to sponsors who lack legal papers encourages illegal immigration and reduces the chances the children will attend deportation hearings in immigration court. Immigrant advocates say the minors are fleeing violence and should be granted asylum. The top priority for children, they say, is to be placed with parents or close relatives so they can get on stable footing in the U.S. Any effort to deport sponsors might spook them from coming forward and put the children at risk. Immigration status is not a factor in determining whether someone can sponsor a child. But sponsors are asked their status, and those in the country illegally must
AUSTIN — The oil bust already shrinking Texas’ coffers is colliding with the possibility of the state getting socked with multibillion-dollar verdicts in major lawsuits, budget officials said Tuesday, which could test years of Republican resistance to cracking the state’s emergency piggybank. No lawmakers or budget-crunchers raised the potential of spending cuts or a shortfall when the Legislature returns in 2017. But state Comptroller Glenn Hegar urged caution, even as he rejected comparisons to financial reckonings unfolding in other oil-producing states like Oklahoma and Louisiana. On top of imminent court rulings over school finance and tax refunds that could cost the state billions, Texas is piling up unpaid bills over Medicaid and most recently will have costs from this week’s flooding in Houston that has killed at least five people. “There’s going to be some hard choices that need to be made when we come back in January,” said Ursula Parks, director of the state Legislative Budget Board, testifying to House budget writers at the Capitol. Hegar said Texas has lost more than 100,000 jobs, mainly in the oil and gas sector, since energy prices began tumbling and the price of crude dropped at one point below $30 a barrel. This week began with the oil prices hovering around $40 a barrel, still well below highs that exceeded $100 a barrel in 2014 and left Texas flush with money
See IMMIGRANT PAGE 8A
See OIL BUST PAGE 8A
Most kids sent to stay with undocumented adults By AMY TAXIN ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — The vast majority of immigrant children who arrive alone at the U.S. border are placed by the government with adults who are in the country illegally, federal data reviewed by The Associated Press show. The government has long said that it places the children with family and friends regardless of immigration status. But since more children began arriving on the border in 2014, officials have not revealed how often those sponsors had legal papers. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the Department of Health and Human Services provided data showing that 80 percent of the 71,000 mostly Central American children placed between February
Immigration status is not a factor in determining whether someone can sponsor a child. 2014 and September 2015 were sent to sponsors who were not here legally. Another 6 percent were placed with adults who had temporary protected status, a U.S. government program that has let some Central American citizens stay and work in the country legally for more than a decade. Four percent were sponsored by American citizens and 1 percent by immigrants facing deportation proceedings. Many of the others were placed with sponsors who had other forms of legal status or who have filed immigration applications. Tens of thousands of chil-
dren from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras began arriving on the border in Texas in 2014, overwhelming border officials, overflowing government shelters and further backlogging the country’s immigration courts. Once apprehended by border agents, the children were placed in the care of Health and Human Services in line with U.S. law until caseworkers could screen and select suitable sponsors to care for them. Republican lawmakers have blamed the border influx on Obama administration policies they say encourage kids to leave their
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PAGE 2A
Zin brief CALENDAR
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
Wednesday, April 20
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Webb County Domestic Violence Coalition monthly meeting. Noon. Laredo Medical Center, Tower B, Conference Room, 1st Floor. The monthly luncheon is open to those interested in learning more about resources available to help victims and their children who find themselves in dangerous situations. For more information, contact Sister Rosemary Welsh at 718-6810. Laredo Animal Care Facility Rabies “VACUNA” Clinic. 6:30–7:30 p.m. City of Laredo Animal Care Facility, 5202 Maher Ave. Space is limited to the first 100 animals. Rabies shot for pets is $12; microchip is $10; registration is $5. Laredo Chamber Education Committee Scholarship Fundraiser. 6:30– 9:30 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse, 11210 East Point Dr. Screening of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” $8 per person. Call 722-9895 to reserve seats. Help the Chamber Education Committee raise funds for scholarships. Chamber Singers and Voice Studios Concert. 7:30 p.m. TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. This event is open to the TAMIU community and public. Scholarship donations of $5 minimum are required for admission. TAMIU students with ID and children under 12 go in for free. For more information, please contact Diana Crabtree at 956-326-3040 or email dcrabtree@tamiu.edu. Bible study. 7–9 p.m. Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, 8731 Belize Drive. Every Wednesday. The Word of God has the power to comfort, heal and change hearts. For more information, contact Ricardo Rangel Jr. at 3339294 or ricardo_grace@yahoo.com
Today is Wednesday, April 20, the 111th day of 2016. There are 255 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On April 20, 1916, the Chicago Cubs played their first game at Wrigley Field (then known as Weeghman Park); the Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-6. On this date: In 1792, France declared war on Austria, marking the start of the French Revolutionary Wars. In 1861, Col. Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the United States Army. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation admitting West Virginia to the Union, effective in 60 days (on June 20, 1863). In 1889, Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria. In 1914, the Ludlow Massacre took place when the Colorado National Guard opened fire on a tent colony of striking miners; about 20 (accounts vary) strikers, women and children died. In 1972, Apollo 16’s lunar module, carrying astronauts John W. Young and Charles M. Duke Jr., landed on the moon. In 1986, following an absence of six decades, Russianborn pianist Vladimir Horowitz performed in the Soviet Union to a packed audience at the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. In 1999, the Columbine High School massacre took place in Colorado as two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives. In 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, leased by BP, killed 11 workers and caused a blow-out that began spewing an estimated 200 million gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico. (The well was finally capped nearly three months later, on July 15.) Ten years ago: President George W. Bush welcomed Chinese President Hu Jintao to the White House; the ceremony was interrupted by a protester who shouted to Bush to stop the Chinese leader from "persecuting the Falun Gong." Five years ago: Two Western photojournalists, including Oscar-nominated film director Tim Hetherington, were killed in the besieged Libyan city of Misrata while covering battles between rebels and government forces. One year ago: Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia won the 119th Boston Marathon, finishing in 2:09:17; Caroline Rotich of Kenya won the women’s race in 2:24:55. Today’s Birthdays: Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is 96. Actor Leslie Phillips is 92. Actor George Takei is 79. Actor Ryan O’Neal is 75. Actor Gregory Itzin is 68. Actress Jessica Lange is 67. Actor Andy Serkis is 52. Olympic silver medal figure skater Rosalynn Sumners is 52. Country singer Wade Hayes is 47. Actor Shemar Moore is 46. Actress Carmen Electra is 44. Reggae singer Stephen Marley is 44. Rock musician Marty Crandall is 41. Actor Joey Lawrence is 40. Country musician Clay Cook (Zac Brown Band) is 38. Thought for Today: "Excellence is not a skill, it is an attitude." - Ralph Marston, American football player (19071967).
Thursday, April 21 Cancer Friends Meet. 6 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center, Tower A, 1st Floor. Having cancer is often one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. However, support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges and learn from others who are facing similar situations. For more information, call the A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center at 956-796-4725. Preschool Read & Play. 11 a.m.–12 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Story time and crafts for preschoolers. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Family Story Time & Crafts. 4–5 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. For more information, contact Priscilla Garcia at priscilla@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. Keyboard and Lower Strings Recital. 7:30 p.m. TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall. For more information, contact Dr. Fritz Gechter at 956.326.2639 or email fgechter@tamiu.edu.
Friday, April 22 Relay for Life of Webb County. 7 p.m.–7 a.m. April 23. UISD’s Student Activity Complex. Relay brings together people from all walks of life — all aimed at celebrating the lives of those who have had cancer, remembering those lost, and fighting back the disease. Relay For Life events are held as individuals and teams gather at an athletic track, park, or other gathering area, with the goal of keeping at least one team member on the track or pathway at all times throughout the evening. For more information on Relay For Life or to order your purple bow, please contact Laura Nanez at 956286-6955 or mlnanez@att.net. Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 5–7 p.m. TAMIU. “Earth to the Universe” and “Led Zeppelin.” This event is open to the TAMIU community and public. General admission is $4 for children, TAMIU students, faculty and staff, and $5 for adults. For more information, contact Claudia Herrera at 956-326-2463 or email claudia.herrera@tamiu.edu. “Chulas Fronteras” film screening. 5:30–8 p.m. TAMIU’s Western Hemispheric Trade Center, room 116. This 1975 documentary focuses on the origins of borderland conjunto music and portrays the history and cultural value of this genre of music. This event is free and open to the TAMIU community and public. For more information, contact Marco Bittencourt at 956-3262715 or email marco.bittencourt@tamiu.edu.
Photo by Muliadi Soenaryo | Texas Tribune
Between January 1 and April 7, UT-Austin police dealt with 165 crimes involving individuals unaffiliated with the university, according to daily reports reviewed by the Texas Tribune.
Urban woes on campus By JORDAN RUDNER, LAUREN FLANNERY AND TERRI LANGFORD TEXAS TRIBUNE
The high-profile, on-campus murder of University of Texas at Austin freshman Haruka Weiser earlier this month brought parents’ attention to a longtime reality for the UT Police Department: As a public school in the middle of a bustling city, the UT campus provides no haven from the realities of urban life. That includes drunk drivers, drug sales and a regular influx of Austin’s homeless population seeking shelter. A survey of the past few months of campus police activity underscores the point. Between January 1 and April 7, UT-Austin police dealt with 165 crimes involving individuals unaffiliated with the university, according to daily reports reviewed by the Tribune. In many of those incidents, UTPD officers
worked with outside agencies — most often the Austin Police Department, which has jurisdiction over Guadalupe Street — the campus’ western border and a central hub of student activity. According to UTPD spokeswoman Cindy Posey, those reports paint an incomplete picture of crime on the section of Guadalupe Street that runs alongside campus, known locally as the Drag. Posey said underreporting likely results because students don’t think to call 911 or believe police aren’t needed. "We are desperately trying to get students to dial 911 every single time they’re accosted, verbally assaulted or physically assaulted by a homeless person — or by anyone," Posey told the Tribune. "That gives us data. We hear story after story after story of incidents happening to students, but they don’t call the police.
Public help sought in solving series of assaults
Border Patrol agent dies in traffic accident
Police seek suspect after woman slain in church
AUSTIN — Austin police are appealing to the public for clues to the identity of a man suspected in a series of eight sexual assaults dating to late December. He’s described as white or Hispanic, in his mid-20s, skinny and weighing about 150 pounds with short brown hair and dark eyes but whose face was partially covered by a mask. He was last seen wearing light-colored jeans.
FORT HANCOCK — A U.S. Border Patrol agent in West Texas has died after his agency vehicle hit an 18-wheeler while driving home to El Paso following his shift. Canine handler Agent Jose Daniel Barraza of El Paso died in the wreck Monday morning on Interstate. Authorities say his law enforcement dog, named Vino, was in the pickup truck but was not injured.
MIDLOTHIAN — A fitness instructor has been slain at a North Texas church and investigators are seeking a man dressed as a police officer who was seen on security video. Terri “Missy” Bevers, who was a married mother of three, was killed at Creekside Church of Christ in Midlothian, 20 miles southwest of Dallas. No cause of death was immediately released.
4 dead in apparent triple murder-suicide
Federal judge to decide whether to allow sex expo
Man shot by officer charged with beating
KATY — Investigators say four people have been found shot to death in a Houston-area home in an apparent triple murder and a suicide. The Fort Bend County Sheriff ’s Office says the bodies were discovered Tuesday morning at a house in the Katy area. It appears a man fatally shot his wife and their son and daughter, then killed himself.
DALLAS — A federal judge will decide if Dallas must allow organizers of a sex exposition to again rent the city-owned convention center for an event. U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater heard arguments Monday but didn’t immediately rule on use of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. About 15,000 people attended last summer’s Exxxotica event at the site.
HOUSTON — A Houston man faces assault charges after police say he beat a woman and pointed a gun at an officer who then opened fire, wounding the suspect. Marcus Lakeith Harris of Houston was being held Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault of a family member and aggravated assault of a public servant. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Hot streak continues for a record 11 months WASHINGTON — Earth’s record monthly heat streak has hit 11 months in a row — a record in itself. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday that March’s average global temperature of 54.9 degrees was not only the hottest March, but continues a record streak that started last May. According to NOAA climate scientist Jessica Blunden, the 11 heat records in a row smashes a streak of 10 set in 1944. Climate scientists say this is a result of El Nino, along with relentless, man-made global warming. Blunden and Michael Mann at Penn State University worry that people will be desensitized to the drumbeat of broken records and will not realize the real effect they have on weather — for example, massive changes in what
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A woman strolls the beach with children Monday, in Encinitas, Calif. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that March’s average global temperature of 54.9 degrees was the hottest March on record. is supposed to be winter in the Arctic. Greenland had a record early start for its ice sheet melting. The Arctic had its smallest winter maximum for sea ice and it was the second smallest March snow cover for the Northern Hemisphere.
“It’s becoming monotonous in a way,” said Jason Furtado, a meteorology professor at the University of Oklahoma. “It’s absolutely disturbing ... We’re losing critical elements of our climate system.” — Compiled from AP reports
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata County. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times at newsstands, the Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas 78044. Phone (956) 728-2500. The Zapata office is at 1309 N. U.S. Hwy. 83 at 14th Avenue, Suite 2, Zapata, TX 78076. Call (956) 765-5113 or e-mail thezapatatimes.net
State
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 3A
Houston recovering from another deadly flood By MICHAEL GRACZYK AND NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — As more than a foot of rain deluged the nation’s fourth-largest city, inundating homes, shutting down major highways and leaving at least six people dead, Houston’s mayor said there was no immediate solution. Heavy flooding has become nearly an annual rite of passage in the practically sea-level city, where experts have long warned of the potential for catastrophe and have criticized city leaders for not doing more to address the problem. “A lot of rain coming in a very short period of time, there’s nothing you can do,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday. Flash flooding and a 50 percent chance of more
were possible Tuesday, a day after nearly 18 inches fell in 24 hours. The National Weather Service had the area under a flash flood watch through Wednesday morning. Scores of subdivisions were flooded and most schools remained closed although the city itself was returning to normal. Municipal offices reopened Tuesday and by midmorning, less than 10,000 CenterPoint Energy customers were without power, an improvement from 24 hours earlier when electricity outages topped 100,000. Houston’s Metropolitan Transit Authority resumed service and most highways within the city were open. Outside the city and into the suburbs of northwest Harris County, runoff from Monday’s rains forced creeks over their banks and forced more people to
Photo by David J. Phillip | AP
Louis Marquez carries his dog Chocolate through floodwaters after rescuing the dog from his flooded apartment Tuesday, in Houston. evacuate their homes overnight. In addition to its location, Houston’s “gumbo” soft soil, fast-growing population and building boom that has turned empty pastures into housing developments all over the city’s suburbs and exurbs make it vulnerable to high waters.
Abbott’s diversity issue ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has picked mostly white men and women for hundreds of appointments since taking office last year, keeping with his predecessors who also didn’t name large numbers of minorities to state boards and commissions. Almost three-quarters of the more than 450 appointments made by Abbott have been white and more than 60 percent have been men, the San Antonio Express-News reported Sunday. Hispanics, who make up more than one-third of Texas residents and are the state’s fastest-growing population, have accounted for 15 percent of Abbott’s picks. A former Abbott aide over appointments said the task of getting a larger pool of prospects is challenging.
Photo by Tom Reel | San Antonio Express-News
Governor Greg Abbott was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club of San Antonio luncheon at the Embassy Suites on March 23. One Democratic state senator said the issue of diversity warrants examination. The newspaper also found that roughly a quarter of Abbott’s appointees are campaign contributors who have given the Republican more than $8.6 million combined since 2000. That is also in line with former Gov. Rick Perry, the
state’s longest-serving governor, whose donors also made up a similar proportion of his appointments over 14 years. Seventy-five percent of Perry’s appointees were white. For George W. Bush, it was 77 percent, and Ann Richards’ appointments were 67 percent white.
Harris County has seen a 30 percent jump in population since 2000. Its surrounding counties have almost grown more than 10 percent since 2000, according to the Greater Houston Partnership, a business group. Some of the resulting developments include adequate greenspace for water
runoff, but not all of them do, said Philip Bedient, an engineering professor at Rice University. “Could we have engineered our way out of this?” Bedient said. “Only if we started talking about alterations 35 or 40 years ago.” Samuel Brody, director of the Environmental Planning & Sustainability Research Unit at Texas A&M University, has called Houston “the No. 1 city in America to be injured and die in a flood.” He said Tuesday that mounting damages from flash floods point to a woeful lack of planning in a city that added 90,000 people last year alone and is a major cog in the national economy. He suggested the city should offer buyouts to homeowners in areas that chronically flood and turn the land into open space.
The city should also upgrade its building code to mandate elevating structures in flood-prone areas, he said. “To throw up your hands and say we’re going to be vulnerable and have hundreds of millions of dollars of impact every year in Houston just because it rains a lot is not the attitude we need to take,” Brody said. “We are not thinking about the big picture.” Rainstorms last year over Memorial Day weekend caused major flooding that required authorities to rescue 20 people, most of them drivers, from high water. Drivers abandoned at least 2,500 vehicles, and more than 1,000 homes were damaged in the rain. The year before, flash flooding in Houston and suburban counties left cars trapped on major highways.
PAGE 4A
Zopinion
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
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COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Insomnia resurrects past A recent one-night bout with insomnia and the always-resulting thought swirls, resurrected some childhood experiences that steeled the determination already being forced into my young mind about “succeeding in life.” My parents worked hard as beginner farmerranchers to successfully keep us a few meals above the starvation-poverty level. Their aim was twofold: providing a living and setting an example of “trying to get ahead.” That was the battle cry of most postWorld War II families. If their common sense and work ethic weren’t inspiration enough, there were examples close at hand that made Tobacco Road look like gentrified farm country. Seeing that kind of existence firsthand will, or should, add impetus to the broadsides of hard work and education already being fired point blank by diligent parents. Combining ambition and will to succeed with the lessons of those days — reinforced by those caring parents — not only introduced my siblings and me to worlds beyond Webb Bottom (a series of creeks) but provided ongoing impetus to stretch and to reach for the fruit higher up in the trees. And, the aforementioned “Tobacco Road” look-alikes merely added daily exclamation points to the lessons being carefully imparted by Mom and Dad. Dad had an eighthgrade education and survived a de facto parentless pre-teen and teen years. Mother finished high school (11 grades in those days) but maintained she didn’t have enough education to be much else but a housewife and mother, two titles she wore with marvelous dignity and grace, not to mention great success. I remember my brother, Kerry, and I playing with our neighbor tenant farmers’ children and thinking to myself how different their lives were from ours. These neighbors — call them the Alberts (not their real name) — consisted of the mother and father, Linda and Royce, twin sons Jackie and Johnny, a younger son and daughter whose names I don’t remember. Jackie and Johnny ages fell somewhere between my age and Kerry’s. I was six or seven and he’s three years younger. The Albert kids never
wore shoes that I can remember. The soles of their feet were like leather. Despite their mother’s desires and leanings, they didn’t bathe as often as we did. Once, the twins were “showing off” to Kerry and me. One of them grabbed a handful of dirt, stuck it in his mouth and began chewing with a grin that said, “Look at me (please). See how brave and clever I am.” All of this while a stream of saliva-induced mud ran out of the corners of his grinning mouth that reflected the sad ignorance in which he’d been raised. As mentioned previously, Royce, the father worked hard at sharecropping and at performing farmhand service to my parents’ operations to make ends meet for his large family. That sort of dual labor ensured that he spent little quality time, save around the supper table, with his children. In addition to farming his own crops and working for my parents, Royce fished in a not-too-distant major river (the Trinity), both from a boat and via trotlines to supplement his family’s food supply. Sport fishing would’ve been a term that was totally puzzling to him. Then, one weekend came the crushing news. Royce and a friend were running trotlines in a spring rain-fed swelling of the treacherous Trinity. Their boat was swamped. Neither could swim and perished in the reddish waters of that unforgiving river. Royce left a wife and four children, none old enough to maintain his farming efforts. It was the first time in my young life that someone I knew well died, much less perished in such a tragic way. My mother’s attempts at shielding us and at the same time explaining Royce’s demise, was an almost impossible task for a young parent faced with such a sad, sobering experience. I hope I don’t suffer from insomnia again anytime soon. Willis Webb is a retired community newspaper editor-publisher of more than 50 years experience. He can be reached at wwebb1937@att.net.
COLUMN
Trump’s whining might get worse By GARY STEIN SUN SENTINEL
If you think Donald Trump has been whining a lot, it may get worse after final results in the New York primary. Oh, he’ll win the primary. Easily. The question is: Will he get all of New York’s delegates? He needs to get more than 50 percent of the vote to do that. He’s been polling just over that number. If Trump doesn’t get all the delegates, his chances of having the magic number of 1,237 delegates before the Republican convention get very dim. The chance for a contested convention will grow. And Donald will keep whining that he was
robbed. He wasn’t robbed. The delegate rules, which vary by state, have been in effect for many months or longer. He just didn’t bother to learn them. Instead, he whines that the system is rigged against him. Stop the whining, Donald. Everybody has the same rules. You just didn’t bother to study them. Personally, I still think Trump will drop out before the convention. I think he’ll claim the system is rigged against him, he’ll claim he could have beaten Hillary Clinton if he ran in November, and he’ll run off to do another reality show. I really believe that.
COLUMN
Humanity suffers when we only acknowledge one story In 2009 Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave a fabulous TED talk called “The Danger of a Single Story.” It was about what happens when complex human beings and situations are reduced to a single narrative: when Africans, for example, are treated solely as pitiable poor, starving victims with flies on their faces. Her point was that each individual life contains a heterogeneous compilation of stories. If you reduce people to one, you’re taking away their humanity. American politics has always been prone to single storyism — candidates reducing complex issues to simple fables. This year the problem is acute because Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are the giants of Single Storyism. They reduce pretty much all issues to the same single story: the alien invader story. Every problem can be solved by finding some corrupt or oppressive group to blame. If America is beset by wage stagnation it’s not because of intricate structural problems. It’s because of the criminal Mexicans sneaking across the border or it’s because of this evil entity called “the banks.” Worse, the stories have become identity markers. This is a phenomenon borrowed from campus political correctness. In order to express your solidarity with the virtuous team, you have to embrace the socially approved story. If you
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DAVID BROOKS
differ from the official story — the way Bill Clinton differed from the official progressive crime story a few weeks ago — it is not so much a sign that you are wrong (truth is not the issue). It is a sign that you have false allegiances. You must embrace the approved story to show you are not complicit in a system of oppression. Hillary Clinton is not naturally a single story person. But while she is controlling the delegate race this campaign, Sanders is controlling the conversation and she is gradually coming around to his version of everything. For example, last week she came closer to embracing a nationwide $15 minimum wage, though still with caveats. One true minimum wage story is that corporations are reaping record profits while pushing down wages of the unskilled. But another true story, embodied in the vast trove of research, is that if you raise the minimum wage too high, you end up punishing less skilled workers. One study found the modest hike in the national minimum wage between 2006 and 2009 reduced employment among young people without a high school de-
gree by almost 6 percent. The key is to find a balance between those stories. Raising the minimum wage to $15 may make sense in rich areas, but in most of the country there will be horrendous consequences for less skilled workers trying to find jobs. In the realm of criminal justice, one true story is that America’s criminal justice system was constructed within a system of slavery and racism. It enables police brutality, often of a racist sort. It has led to massive over-incarceration, which has devastated individuals, families and neighborhoods. Yet there are other opposing stories, also true: Incarceration reduces crime. Experts disagree wildly on how much, but most studies show a significant effect. That’s partly because most of the people who do serious crime are career criminals. Among inmates released from state prison in 2005, the average number of previous convictions was five and the average number of previous arrests was greater than 10. Less aggressive policing means more crime. After the release of the horrific Laquan McDonald video — which showed a Chicago cop killing him in cold blood — there was a 69 percent drop in the nonfatal shooting arrest rate and a 48 percent drop in the homicide arrest rate. In the meantime, according to an analysis by Rob Arthur
and Jeff Asher of FiveThirtyEight, nonfatal shootings rose 73 percent and homicides rose 48 percent. While the overall system is steeped in structural racial inequality, parts of the system don’t seem that biased. As the criminologist Barry Latzer notes in his book “The Rise and Fall of Violent Crime in America,” there is not a wide disparity between whites and blacks in time served for various offenses. Moderate, bipartisan efforts are reducing inequality. Decades ago, evangelicals like Chuck Colson joined with a swath of progressives to reduce incarceration rates. These efforts are having an effect. Total U.S. imprisonment has declined for the past seven years. The imprisonment rate among black women has dropped 47 percent since 2000, while the rate of imprisonment among white women has risen 56 percent. Male imprisonment trends are similar though less striking. As in life generally, every policy has the vices of its virtues. Aggressive policing cuts crime but increases brutality. There is no escape from trade-offs and tragic situations. The only way forward is to elect people who are capable of holding opposing stories in their heads at the same time, and to reject those who can’t. David Brooks is a columnist for The New York Times.
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National
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
NYPD officer who shot man spared jail By COLLEEN LONG
School arms security guards with rifles By SADIE GURMAN AND DONNA BRYSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — A former police officer who shot an unarmed man to death in a darkened stairwell was spared prison time Tuesday, and a judge reduced his manslaughter conviction to a lesser charge in a case that became a flashpoint for police accountability. Peter Liang was sentenced to five years’ probation and 800 hours of community service in the 2014 shooting of Akai Gurley, who was walking down a public housing stairway when Liang, a rookie officer, fired a bullet into the dark — by accident after being startled, he said. The bullet ricocheted and killed Gurley, 28. Speaking softly, Liang told the court he never meant to fire and apologized to Gurley’s family. “My life is forever changed,” he added. “I hope you give me a chance to rebuild it.” Liang, 28, is the first New York City police officer convicted in an on-duty shooting in 11 years. A jury found him guilty this winter of a manslaughter charge carrying up to 15 years in prison. But Brooklyn state Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun reduced the offense Tuesday to criminally negligent homicide, which carries up to four years in prison. He said prosecutors hadn’t met the legal burden for the manslaughter charge: proving that Liang consciously disregarded a substantial, unjustifiable risk of death. And, the judge said, “given the defendant’s background and how remorseful he is, it would not be necessary to incarcerate the defendant to have a just sentence in this case.”
Photo by Seth Wenig | AP
Peter Liang arrives to the courtroom for his sentencing in New York, Tuesday. The former police officer was spared prison time. Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson had recommended against prison for Liang, but the prosecutor said Tuesday he would appeal the judge’s decision to reduce the conviction. Defense lawyer Paul Shechtman said Liang would also appeal his remaining conviction, though the day’s developments marked “a very good chapter” for him. The shooting happened in a year of debate nationwide about police killings of unarmed black men, and activists have looked to Liang’s prosecution as a counterweight to cases in which grand juries have declined to indict officers, including those who killed Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York. Like Brown and Garner, Gurley was black. Liang is Chinese-American. Gurley’s family said Liang had been let off lightly. “There’s no justice. Akai Gurley’s life does not matter. Black lives do not matter,” said an aunt, Hertensia Petersen. Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, called Liang’s sen-
tence “a deeply troubling message that police officers convicted of killing unarmed African-Americans will be held to a different, and more lenient, standard of justice” than others. Meanwhile, Liang’s supporters say he has been made a scapegoat for past injustices. More than 10,000 of his backers rallied in New York and across the U.S. after the verdict, protesting his conviction. Dozens of demonstrators representing both sides gathered Tuesday on opposite sides of the street outside the courthouse, separated by police barricades. “Nobody really won here,” Liang supporter Karlin Chan said. “We still feel this was a politically motivated prosecution.” On the Gurley side, demonstrator Daniel Sanchez said the no-prison sentence shows “the justice system doesn’t work for all communities.” Inside, both prosecutors and Liang’s lawyers cautioned against using the case to make a larger point about police conduct. “This simply is not a case of police brutality,” Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Joe Alexis said.
THE ZAPATA TIMES 5A
DENVER — A suburban Denver school district is arming its security staff with military-style semiautomatic rifles in case of a school shooting or other violent attack, a move that appears unprecedented even as more schools arm employees in response to mass violence elsewhere. The Douglas County School District guards are former law enforcement officers and already carry handguns. District security director Richard Payne said he decided to spend more than $12,000 on the Bushmaster brand rifles for the district’s eight armed offi-
cers to give them the same tools as law enforcement, including the sheriff ’s deputies they train with. Payne said the rifles will be kept locked in patrol cars, not in the schools. Payne said he made the decision to buy assault rifles himself and the school board has not discussed it. The superintendent approved the purchase after lengthy discussion, district spokeswoman Paula Hans said. “Overall, parents recognize that based on lessons learned, we must be prepared,” she said. The move raised new questions about how far school officials should go in arming employees, a practice that has become standard in the aftermath
of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Districts across the nation rushed to increase the number of school resource officers on campus and, in a few cases, allowed teachers to carry concealed weapons themselves. In Colorado, where the scars of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre still run deep, volunteer reserve sheriff ’s deputies patrol some elementary schools, and an armed resource officer was credited with stopping further violence at a suburban Denver high school in 2013 by cornering a student gunman, who then shot himself.
PÁGINA 6A
Zfrontera
Ribereña en Breve RELEVO POR LA VIDA Relay for Life (relevo por la vida) del Condado de Zapata se celebrará el 20 de mayo desde las 6 p.m. hasta las 12 a.m. en Zapata County Placita, US Hwy 83 y 7th St. El tema es “Paint your World purple” (Pinta tu mundo de morado).
MIÉRCOLES 20 DE ABRIL DE 2016
TEXAS
Inundaciones Cierran autopistas por lluvia en área de Houston; al menos cinco muertos POR MICHAEL GRACZYK Y NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
REUNIÓN PARA PADRES District Compensatory Education Parent Meeting (reunión de distrito para padres sobre educación compensatoria) se celebrará el 21 de abril a las 2 p.m. en el Arturo L. Benavides Elementary School. Se invita a todos los padres de familia del distrito.
ENTREGA DE BECAS 2016 El evento Becas 2016, un evento anual para recaudación de fondos, para alumnos de Zapata High School, se llevará a cabo el viernes 22 de abril de 5 p.m. a 10 p.m. en El Rincón de los Ángeles Restaurant. Agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza fuera de servicio serán “meseros” y todas las “propinas” y “donaciones” se destinarán al fondo de becas. Se realizará también el 3er. concurso anual de la “Big Burger” (gran hamburguesa). Pida informes en el 956-765-8900.
Foto por Brett Coomer | Houston Chronicle/AP
Personas de un complejo de departamentos se retiran del lugar, algunas arriba de un refrigerador convertido en canoa, en The Woodlands, el lunes, debido a las inundaciones causadas por las lluvias.
HOUSTON — Más de 30 centímetros (un pie) de agua cayeron sobre la cuarta ciudad del país, inundaron viviendas, cerraron autopistas y dejaron al menos cinco muertos, y el alcalde de Houston dijo que no había solución inmediata. Las inundaciones se han convertido casi en un rito anual en esta ciudad situada al nivel del mar donde los expertos advierten desde hace tiempo sobre la posibilidad de una catástrofe. “Lo lamento por aquellos cuyas casas están inundadas otra vez”, dijo el alcalde Sylvester Turner el lunes. “No puedo decir nada que alivie su impotencia. Por cierto, no podemos controlar el clima”. “Mucha lluvia en muy poco tiempo, no hay nada que hacer”, añadió. Había altas probabilidades de nuevas inundaciones el martes, después que en la víspera cayeron 45 centímetros (18 pulgadas) de agua en 24 horas. El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional declaró un estado de alerta por
inundaciones hasta el miércoles por la mañana. Decenas de barrios estaban inundados y la mayoría de las escuelas estaban cerradas, aunque la ciudad misma regresaba a la normalidad. Las oficinas municipales abrieron el martes y para la media mañana eran menos de 10.000 los usuarios que no tenían energía eléctrica. Se reanudó el transporte público y la mayoría de las autopistas urbanas estaban abiertas al tráfico. Fuera de la ciudad y hacia los suburbios del condado de Harris en el noroeste, las lluvias provocaron desbordes de arroyos y obligaron a más gente a abandonar sus hogares durante la noche. “Va a atravesar la ciudad de Houston hasta la bahía de Galveston”, dijo el vocero municipal Francisco Sánchez. Además de su ubicación, la tierra suelta, la población creciente y un auge inmobiliario que ha transformado prados baldíos en complejos de apartamentos en los suburbios han vuelto a la ciudad vulnerable a las aguas crecidas.
TORNEO DE PESCA Bass Champs Fishing Tournament (torneo de campeones para pesca de lubina) se desarrollará el sábado 23 de abril de las 8 a.m. a las 5 p.m. en el Zapata County Public Boat Ramp. Pida informes en el (956) 765-4871.
TORNEO DE SÓFTBOL Un torneo de sóftbol tendrá lugar el 23 de abril en Zapata. Lo recaudado será a favor de Alejandro Cañedo, para la adquisición de una prótesis ya que perdió una pierna en un accidente. Habrá equipos femeninos y masculinos. Cuota 150 dólares. Informes en 956-251-3075.
ZAPATAN OF THE YEAR Zapata High School, 2009 SHW 16, informa que el sábado 23 de abril se celebrará la ceremonia “2016 Zapatan of the Year” honrando a Roberto O. Hein. El evento será en la misma preparatoria en horario de 3 p.m. a 5 p.m.
CORTE DE COMISIONADOS La Corte de Comisionados del Condado de Zapata celebrará su reunión el lunes 25 de abril de 9 a.m. a 12 p.m. en el Zapata County Courthouse. Pida informes en el (956) 7659920.
REUNIÓN SOCIEDAD GENEALÓGICA La Sociedad Genealógica Nuevo Santander celebrará su reunión el sábado 21 de mayo a las 2 p.m. en el Zapata County Museum of History. Los oradores invitados para esta ocasión son Del & Marsha Shumway, así como Viqui Uribe, con el tema “Búsqueda Familiar” (Family Search).
RECOLECCIÓN DE MEDICAMENTOS La Coalición Comunitaria del Condado de Zapata y la DEA realizarán el evento nacional Pill Take Back (recolección de medicamentos) el 30 de abril, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en el Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Zapata. Se buscan medicamentos caducos o que ya no se estén utilizando a fin de retirarlos de forma apropiada. Informes en la oficina de SCAN en el 765-3555.
INTERNACIONAL
TAMAULIPAS
Sada Solana cerca de ser nuevo embajador ASSOCIATED PRESS
CIUDAD DE MEXICO — México anunció el lunes que Estados Unidos otorgó el beneplácito al nuevo embajador mexicano en Washington propuesto por el gobierno del presidente Enrique Peña Nieto, como parte de una nueva estrategia para responder a lo que considera es una imagen distorsionada de su país durante las campañas presidenciales estadounidenses. La canciller Claudia Ruiz Massieu dijo en rueda de prensa que se notificó del beneplácito al Senado mexicano, que ahora deberá citar a comparecer al embajador designado, Carlos Manuel Sada Solana, como parte del proceso para ratificarlo. El gobierno mexicano anunció el cambio de embajador ante Estados Uni-
dos y del subsecretario para América del Norte, con lo cual busca que impleSADA SOLANA mente un plan para difundir la contribución que sus ciudadanos hacen a la economía y sociedad estadounidenses frente al entorno antiinmigrante en el marco de las campañas presidenciales en aquel país. Ruiz Massieu dijo que una vez que los dos principales partidos en Estados Unidos, el Republicano y el Demócrata, designen a sus respectivos candidatos, el gobierno mexicano contactará a sus equipos de campaña para hablar sobre los aportes de los migrantes. Sada, un diplomático de larga trayectoria que se ha desempeñado como cónsul
en las principales ciudades estadounidenses, reemplazará en la embajada mexicana a Miguel Basáñez, un académico que estuvo en el puesto escasos siete meses. Como parte de los ajustes, el presidente también nombró como subsecretario para América del Norte de la cancillería a Paulo Carreño, quien se desempeñaba como responsable del área internacional de la presidencia y con experiencia en relaciones públicas. México ha sido blanco de ataques en la actual campaña presidencial de Estados Unidos, particularmente del aspirante republicano Donald Trump, quien recientemente señaló que bloquearía el envío de remesas de los mexicanos para obligar a su gobierno a pagar por un muro fronterizo.
ECUADOR
Cifra de muertos supera 400 personas POR ALLEN PANCHANA ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANTA, Ecuador — Equipos de rescatistas trabajaban en una carrera contrarreloj para encontrar sobrevivientes de un potente terremoto de magnitud 7,8, mientras la cifra de muertos por el terremoto del sábado en Ecuador superaba las 400 personas. Equipos de Ecuador y países vecinos se repartieron el lunes por la costa ecuatoriana del Pacífico para buscar a las docenas de personas aún desaparecidas. En la ciudad portuaria de Manta, un grupo de unos 50 rescatistas que trabajaba con perros rastreadores, grúas hidráulicas y
un taladro logró liberar a ocho personas que llevaban más de 32 horas bajo los escombros de un centro comercial allanado por el temblor, el más fuerte que sufre el país en varias décadas. El primer rescate se produjo antes del amanecer, cuando una mujer fue extraída por un agujero de unos 70 centímetros (2,5 pies) cortado a través de concreto y acero. Los bomberos aplaudieron cuando la sacaron, desorientada y cubierta de polvo. En Portoviejo una llamada desde un celular a un pariente sepultado por los restos de un hotel derruido guió a los rescatistas hasta Pablo Córdova, el re-
cepcionista del hotel. Los últimos reportes hablan de que la cifra oficial de muertos ha subido a 433, y señaló que esperaba que siguiera subiendo en los próximos días. Entre los fallecidos había un estadounidense y dos canadienses. Dependiendo de las circunstancias, una persona sin heridas graves puede sobrevivir hasta una semana bajo los escombros, explicó el director del servicio de emergencias de Quito, Christian Rivera, a la AP. “Luego de eso, el proceso de deterioro es muy rápido hasta llegar al desmayo, y el trabajo de los rescatistas se vuelve muy difícil”, dijo.
IETAM revela máximo en financiamientos TIEMPO DE ZAPATA
El Consejo General del Instituto Electoral de Tamaulipas (IETAM) aprobó el financiamiento público que corresponde a los candidatos independientes para actividades tendientes a la obtención del voto, así como a los partidos políticos, fijando el tope máximo de gastos de campaña para la elección de gobernador, diputados locales e integrantes del ayuntamiento. El financiamiento público que se otorgó a los partidos políticos para las campañas electorales durante el proceso electoral ordinario 2015-2016 ascendió a 57.339.314,93, los cuales quedaron como sigue: Partido Acción Nacional 16.026.410,61 Partido Revolucionario Institucional 21.351.535,73 Partido de la Revolución Democrática 3.915.796,84 Partido del Trabajo 3.010.294,37 Partido Verde Ecologista de México 2.956.349,54 Movimiento Ciudadano 4.235.612,59 Nueva Alianza 3.549.742,65 Morena 1.146.786,30 Encuentro Social 1.146.786,30 Para los candidatos independientes a los cargos de gobernador, diputados e integrantes del ayuntamiento el total de financiamiento público que se otorgó fue la
cantidad de 955.655,25 También se fijó el cálculo de tope de gastos de campañas electorales, de acuerdo a al número de ciudadanos comprendidos en el padrón electoral de la demarcación correspondiente, cuyo corte fue al 31 de enero de 2016. Ocho personas buscan el cargo de Gobernador, de los cuales seis están postulados por partidos políticos, uno por coalición y otro de manera independiente. Se trata de Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca postulado por el Partido Acción Nacional (PAN); Baltazar Manuel Hinojosa Ochoa, postulado por la Coalición conformada por los partidos políticos Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), Verde Ecologista de México (PVEM) y Nueva Alianza (PNA). Jorge Osvaldo Valdez Vargas postulado por el Partido de la Revolución Democrática (PRD); Armando Vera García dcl Partido del Trabajo (PT), Héctor Martín Garza González de Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional (MORENA) y Gustavo Adolfo Cárdenas Gutiérrez por Movimiento Ciudadano (PMC). Al igual que Abdies Pineda Morín postulado por el Partido Encuentro Social (PES) y del candidato independiente a ese cargo de elección popular, Francisco Chavira Martínez. Todos los candidatos registrados se encuentran en campaña desde el 3 de abril.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
Sports&Outdoors NFL: HOUSTON TEXANS
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Jury to rule on Manziel
File photo by Karen Warren | Houston Chronicle
Houston cut ties with its starting quarterback from 2015 releasing Brian Hoyer after signing Brock Osweiler in the offseason.
Texans cut former starting QB Brian Hoyer released by Houston ASSOCIATED PRESS
HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have cut quarterback Brian Hoyer. The Texans announced the move Tuesday, little more than a month after signing Brock Osweiler to a fouryear, $72 million contract. Houston also released quarterback B.J. Daniels. Hoyer signed a twoyear contract before last season, but his five-turnover debacle in a 30-0 playoff loss to Kansas City suggested his days in Houston were numbered. Hoyer was benched in the season opener and the Texans started Ryan Mallett for four games. But he won just one of those games and soon Hoyer was starting again and Mallett was released after missing a team flight. The Texans had to start both T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden late in the season when Hoyer missed three games because of two concussions in less than a month. Osweiler agreed to leave the Broncos when free agency began despite being the presumed
replacement for the retired Peyton Manning. Hoyer will be visiting the New York Jets on Wednesday as the team does its due diligence at the postion. The Jets and incumbent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, coming off a career-best season, have been far apart in contract negotiations. Coincidentally, Fitzpatrick was with the Texans before joining the Jets. Hoyer is a seven-year veteran, an undrafted free agent who spent his first three seasons as Tom Brady’s backup in New England. He went to Arizona in 2012 and got his first NFL start, then spent two seasons in Cleveland — he’s a native of North Olmsted, Ohio — and was a Browns rarity: Hoyer had a winning record as a starter for the Browns when he was healthy. He went 3-0 in 2013 and 7-6 in 2014. He then moved to Houston when the Browns brought in another veteran, Josh McCown. Hoyer had some spells of good play for the Texans, but the playoff meltdown and Osweiler’s signing ended his stay in Houston.
File photo by Frank Victores | AP
Former Texas A&M and Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel will have his violence case decided on by a grand jury Thursday.
QB’s violence case to go to grand jury Thursday By NOMAAN MERCHANT ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — A Dallas grand jury is scheduled to consider this week whether to charge troubled NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel with attacking his exgirlfriend in a January incident. Prosecutors will present the Manziel case to a grand jury Thursday, Brittany Dunn, a spokeswoman for the Dallas County district attorney, said Tuesday. The grand jury could announce an indictment as soon as Monday. Police originally presented a misdemeanor assault case to prosecutors. That charge carries a maximum punishment of one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Manziel, a former Cleveland Browns quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M, is accused of hitting his ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley so hard that she temporarily lost hearing in one ear. Crowley requested and was granted a protective
order against the 23-yearold quarterback that prevents him from seeing her for two years. She says she and Manziel had a confrontation in a Dallas hotel room, which continued downstairs at the valet station. She said he forced her into a car and a valet ignored her pleas for help. The two drove to where her car was parked in front of a Dallas bar, she said in an affidavit. She accused Manziel of getting into the driver’s seat and beginning to drive. She says when she tried to jump out of the car, Manziel stopped, dragged her back into the car and hit her. Police said they have spoken to Crowley, interviewed several other witnesses and reviewed medical records. But they did not arrest Manziel, instead taking the unusual step of asking the district attorney’s office to present the case to a grand jury. It’s not yet clear whether Manziel or Crowley will testify before the grand ju-
ry this week. The district attorney’s office and lawyers for both Manziel and Crowley did not immediately respond to questions. Manziel was cut by the Browns in March after two tumultuous seasons marked by inconsistent play and off-the-field headlines about his partying and drinking, including one stint in rehab. His future in the NFL is uncertain at best, and might be nonexistent without a second stint in treatment that two agents have demanded. The first one, Erik Burkhardt, cut ties with Manziel after last season. Burkhardt’s replacement, Drew Rosenhaus, dropped Manziel on Tuesday. The little time Manziel spent on the field for the Browns the past two seasons, he didn’t have much impact. He passed for 1,675 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in 14 games. And his admission after his rookie season that he didn’t spend enough time preparing will be another
factor in any team’s decision to pick up Manziel. Cleveland delayed the quarterback’s release for two days trying to find a trade partner, but Manziel’s value has declined since his days as a dynamic playmaker with the Aggies. Agent Drew Rosenhaus drops Johnny Manziel as client Drew Rosenhaus has dropped Johnny Manziel as a client. Last week, Rosenhaus told the troubled quarterback to seek help or he will no longer represent him. On Tuesday, the powerful agent removed his name as Manziel’s representative. Rosenhaus, whose clientele is among the largest in the NFL, represented Manziel for only a few weeks. Rosenhaus has been an agent for 27 years, and this is the first time he’s terminated a contract with a player. In February, Manziel’s first agent, Erik Burkhardt, said he severed his ties with the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner so Manziel could get help.
8A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
OIL BUST Continued from Page 1A to spend and put into a rainy-day fund that now holds nearly $10 billion. Because of the oil downturn, Hegar already has taken off the table nearly $3 billion he originally projected Texas would have available to spend. The oil and gas industry accounts for about 13 percent of Texas’ gross state product, down from nearly 20 percent during the boom of the 1980s as the Texas economy has grown more diversified and resilient. But forthcoming court decisions could sting as much as dried-up oil patches. The most expensive could be a ruling from the Texas Supreme Court over how the state funds public schools, many of which sued after lawmakers cut $5.4 billion from classrooms in 2011 to close a budget shortfall following the Great Reces-
sion. Hegar told lawmakers the state also could lose $4 billion if that same court sides with oil drillers in a long-running lawsuit over whether certain oil equipment should be exempt from sales taxes. Then there’s a lawsuit filed by the parent company of AMC movie theaters, which is also in a legal squabble over taxes that Hegar’s office has said could cost the state more than $1.5 billion a year. Those potential liabilities come as Texas lawmakers are also under pressure to put more money into the state’s foster system, which a federal judge in December ruled was violating the rights of youngsters in long-term care and Gov. Greg Abbott wants overhauled. “There are challenges on the horizon that will require significant fiscal
resources from the state,” Republican House Speaker Joe Straus said in a letter to budget-writers Tuesday. One option, raised again on Tuesday, could involve tapping the state’s emergency fund — which Republicans have fiercely guarded for years with a mix of political pride and purported necessity for maintaining the state’s high credit rating. Hegar still insisted that Texas’ situation was not as dire as neighboring states that are grappling with steep shortfalls in the wake of the oil collapse. Oklahoma has ordered state agencies to reduce budgets for the current year while looking at a $1.3 billion shortfall next year. “Everyone wants to lump us with our sister states,” Hegar said. “But we’re not in the same situation.”
IMMIGRANT Continued from Page 1A provide a backup plan to care for the children if they are deported. U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, said he was not surprised by the data. He blamed current policies for the surge on the border, but did not say whether placing children with sponsors who are here illegally created any additional problems. “Since the president refuses to enforce our immigration laws, unlawful immigrants in the United States consistently pay criminal organizations along the border thousands of dollars to smuggle their family members into the United States,” he said in a statement. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a Democrat from California and a Judiciary Committee member, said the government is required to find a safe home and guardian for children. Immigration status shouldn’t
matter, she said. “If you were here as a legal resident or a U.S. citizen, you would petition for your child,” she said. “Their only route is political asylum. It is not the visa system.” During the 20-month period covered by the data, more than half of unaccompanied children were released to a parent. Many others were placed with siblings, aunts and uncles. Potential sponsors must provide proof of identity and their relationship to the child and undergo screening and background checks. In some cases, the department’s Office of Refugee Resettlement conducts a home study to determine if the placement is safe. The office has collected information about sponsors’ immigration status since at least 2005, the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. Sponsors who are not the children’s par-
ents also are fingerprinted. “The safety and well-being of every child in our care is of paramount importance at every stage,” the statement said. The statistics were culled from a database created in January 2014, according to the department. Geyso Lemus from El Salvador said she didn’t know what would happen to her 10-year-old son when he landed at a shelter in Illinois in 2014 because she didn’t have legal papers, but a government social worker quickly put her at ease. Two weeks later, she said, her son was sent to live with her in Southern California. He has since been granted asylum. “She told me not to be afraid, that she wasn’t from immigration,” Lemus said in Spanish. “I tell other moms not to be afraid ... so long as you can meet their requirements.”
ASSAULT Continued from Page 1A on the whereabouts of Gonzalez are asked to
call the Sheriff ’s Office at 765-9960 or Zapata
Crime Stoppers 765-TIPS (8477).
SHOPLIFTING Continued from Page 1A “Inside the loss prevention room, the suspect was explained how she was seen placing cosmetic merchandise and children’s clothing inside her
diaper bag,” states the police report. Valadez remained at the loss prevention office until police arrived to take her into custody. Police
said the woman pocketed $109.59 in merchandise. (César G. Rodriguez may be reached at 7282568 or cesar@lmtonline.com)
PRESIDENT Continued from Page 1A Where
Community Suite, Laredo Kazen Student Center, Community College’s South Laredo Community College’s William N. “Billy” Campus, 5500 South Zapata Fort McIntosh Campus, West Hall Jr. Student Center Highway End Washington Street
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
THE ZAPATA TIMES 9A
THE MARKET IN REVIEW STOCK EXCHANGE HIGHLIGHTS
u
NYSE 10,517.30
+92.37
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
d
DAILY DOW JONES
NASDAQ 4,940.33
-19.69
GAINERS ($2 OR MORE)
Name
Last Chg%Chg Name
Last Chg%Chg
EndvSilv g Valhi TimknSteel Seadrill SthcrssEn GranaMon ForsightEn HudBayM g FMajSilv g BonanzaCE
3.82 +.75 +24.4 CymaBay 2.01 +.32 +18.9 TOP Ship rs 12.66 +1.94 +18.1 HercOffs n 4.78 +.71 +17.4 CentAl 2.38 +.34 +16.7 CS VSSilv 7.64 +1.08 +16.5 EntertG rs 2.10 +.29 +16.0 OriginAg 4.23 +.58 +15.9 TileShop 9.87 +1.35 +15.8 ReprosTh 2.44 +.32 +15.1 MercBank
2.24 2.53 3.97 8.48 16.74 2.20 2.05 17.91 3.13 24.81
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE) Name
+.55 +.53 +.58 +1.06 +1.99 +.25 +.23 +1.96 +.34 +2.67
+32.5 +26.8 +17.1 +14.3 +13.5 +13.1 +12.6 +12.3 +12.2 +12.1
MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) MOST ACTIVE ($1 OR MORE) Last Chg Name
Vol (00)
BkofAm 1000352 14.45 +.28 SiriusXM FrptMcM 621727 12.01 +.99 Netflix s EgyTrEq s 536588 10.33 +.48 Apple Inc SeadrillLtd 373226 4.20 +.48 Facebook ChesEng 372556 6.12 +.16 Intel Vale SA 371251 5.74 +.47 Microsoft Petrobras 368864 6.97 +.47 MicronT Transocn 304346 10.68 +.93 eBay s FordM 285033 13.44 +.19 Cisco ENSCO 284206 11.34 +1.26 Yahoo
Volume
2,141 933 86 3,160 192 4 3,801,181,867
Last Chg
591542 3.93 +.08 539473 94.34-14.06 309801 106.91 -.57 297511 112.29 +1.84 291035 31.60 -.05 261476 56.39 -.07 206442 10.72 -.17 203726 24.30 -1.01 194514 28.33 +.14 190125 36.33 -.19
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
18,120
Close: 18,053.60 Change: 49.44 (0.3%)
17,800 17,480
18,400
18,351.36 8,953.18 672.28 11,254.87 5,231.94 947.85 2,134.72 1,551.28 22,537.15 1,296.00
10 DAYS
17,600
DIARY Advanced Declined Unchanged Total issues New Highs New Lows
Volume
1,503 1,286 173 2,962 82 24 1,759,034,025
Dow Industrials Dow Transportation Dow Utilities NYSE Composite Nasdaq Composite S&P 100 S&P 500 S&P MidCap Wilshire 5000 Russell 2000
YTD 12-mo Chgg %Chg %Chg %Chg
18,053.60 +49.44 +.27 +3.61 +.58 8,106.14 +103.49 +1.29 +7.96 -8.05 665.39 +.97 +.15 +15.16 +13.59 10,517.30 +92.37 +.89 +3.69 -5.25 4,940.33 -19.69 -.40 -1.34 -1.47 933.66 +3.52 +.38 +2.44 +1.81 2,100.80 +6.46 +.31 +2.78 +.17 1,476.77 +5.83 +.40 +5.59 -3.41 21,681.64 +94.59 +.44 +2.43 -2.48 1,140.23 +.95 +.08 +.38 -9.80
15,200
CURRENCIES
Last PvsWeek
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N
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F
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STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST Name
Div
AT&T Inc AEP BkofAm B iPVixST Caterpillar CCFemsa CmtyHlt ConocoPhil Dillards DirDGldBr EmpIca EgyTrEq s ExxonMbl FordM FrptMcM GenElec HP Inc HomeDp iShEMkts Intel IntlBcsh
1.92 4.9 2.24 3.4 .20 1.4 ... ... 3.08 3.8 1.98 2.3 ... ... 1.00 2.1 .28 .4 ... ... ... ... 1.14 11.0 2.92 3.4 .60 4.5 ... ... .92 3.0 .50 3.9 2.76 2.0 .84 2.4 1.04 3.3 .58 2.2
Yld
PE
Last
17 38.92 21 65.84 11 14.45 ... 16.03 16 80.39 ... 86.47 11 19.28 ... 47.06 11 72.54 ... 1.90 ... .95 9 10.33 22 86.21 8 13.44 ... 12.01 ... 31.15 12 12.78 25 135.44 ... 35.26 14 31.60 13 25.99
YTD Chg %Chg
+.27 -.40 +.28 +.16 +1.14 +3.93 -.53 +2.06 -.45 -.31 ... +.48 +.43 +.19 +.99 +.09 +.11 -1.36 +.53 -.05 +.33
+13.1 +13.0 -14.1 -20.2 +18.3 +22.1 -27.3 +.8 +10.4 -88.5 +23.4 -24.8 +10.6 -4.6 +77.4 0.0 +7.9 +2.4 +9.5 -8.3 +1.1
Name
Div
Yld
IBM Lowes Lubys MktVGold MetLife MexicoFd Microsoft Modine Netflix s Penney S&P500ETF SanchezEn Schlmbrg SearsHldgs SiriusXM SonyCp UnionPac USSteel UnivHlthS WalMart WellsFargo
5.20 1.12 ... .12 1.50 1.81 1.44 ... ... ... 4.13 ... 2.00 ... ... ... 2.20 .20 .40 2.00 1.50
3.6 1.5 ... .5 3.3 ... 2.6 ... ... ... 2.0 ... 2.5 ... ... ... 2.7 1.0 .3 2.9 3.0
PE
Last
YTD Chg %Chg
10 144.00 -8.53 +4.6 23 76.41 -.95 +.5 ... 4.97 +.01 +11.2 ... 23.26 +1.08 +69.5 11 45.62 +.55 -5.4 ... 17.63 +.34 +6.1 36 56.39 -.07 +1.6 ... 10.58 -.07 +16.9 ... 94.34 -14.06 -17.5 ... 9.74 -.16 +46.2 ... 209.90 +.66 +3.0 ... 6.99 +.19 +62.2 24 79.64 +2.19 +14.2 ... 17.02 +.48 -17.2 39 3.93 +.08 -3.6 ... 26.75 +.27 +8.7 15 82.24 +1.36 +5.2 ... 20.04 +.71 +151.1 19 125.75 -.37 +5.2 15 69.77 -.09 +13.8 12 49.88 +1.04 -8.2
Stock Footnotes: g=Dividends and earnings in Canadian dollars .h= Doe not meet continued- listings tandards lf = Late filing with SEC. n = New in past 52 weeks. pf = Preferred. rs = Stock has undergone a reverse stock split of at least 50 percent within the past year. rt = Right to buy security at a specified price. s = Stock has split by at least 20 percent within the last year. un = Units. vj = In bankruptcy or receivership. wd = When distributed. wi = When issued. wt = Warrants. Mutual Fund Footnotes: b = Fee covering market costs is paid from fund assets. d = Deferred sales charge, or redemption fee. f = front load (sales charges). m = Multiple fees are charged. NA = not available. p = previous day’s net asset value. s = fund split shares during the week. x = fund paid a distribution during the week. Source: The Associated Press. Sales figures are unofficial.
By ALEX VEIGA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Prime Rate Discount Rate Federal Funds Rate Treasuries 3-month 6-month 5-year 10-year 30-year
Photo by Richard Drew | AP file
In this Oct. 2, 2014, file photo, the statue of George Washington faces the facade of the New York Stock Exchange. growth this year is expected to come in the second half of 2016, noted Erin Gibbs, equity chief investment officer at S&P Global Market Intelligence. Several companies delivered quarterly results that put investors in a buying mood Tuesday. Johnson & Johnson gained 1.6 percent after its first-quarter earnings beat Wall Street’s expectations. Higher sales of new prescription drugs and other key medicines nearly offset a big hit from the strong dollar. The stock added $1.75 to $112.68. UnitedHealth Group added 2.1 percent after it reported strong results for the first quarter and raised its guidance for the year. The health insurer also said it would cut back on participating in Affordable Care Act health care exchanges in a bid to stem losses related to the program. The stock gained $2.69 to $130.50. Goldman Sachs’ latest results also gave the investment bank’s shares a lift. Goldman’s earnings beat Wall Street’s estimates, even though its profit sank by 56
percent from a year earlier. The stock rose $3.63, or 2.3 percent, to $162.65. Kansas City Southern gained 4.6 percent after the railroad operator posted larger-than-expected quarterly earnings. The stock climbed $4.55 to $96.02. Some companies’ quarterly snapshots and outlooks failed to impress traders. Netflix slumped 13 percent, a day after the streaming video company gave a disappointing forecast for subscriber additions and reported first-quarter revenue that fell short of financial analysts’ forecasts. The stock lost $14.06 to $94.34. IBM delivered improved first-quarter earnings thanks to a big tax refund, but also had lower revenue amid weaker software sales. The stock slid $8.53, or 5.6 percent, to $144. Illumina sank 23.2 percent after the genetic testing tools maker predicted that sales in the first quarter will be far lower than analysts expected. Illumina shares were down $41.25 at $136.88. This week, about 100 of
By BREE FOWLER AND KEN SWEET ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by Matt Rourke | AP file
This June 10, 2015 photo shows a chip credit card in Philadelphia. Visa says it’s improving its smart chip-embedded cards. accepted by customers, there have been some complaints the chip transactions take longer,” said Stephanie Ericksen, vice president of risk products at Visa. Visa said the upgrade will be rolled over the next six months. While it is being announced for Visa
debit and credit cards only, the technology is not exclusive to Visa and could be adopted by MasterCard and American Express cards as well. Chip cards have been used for years in Europe and many other parts of the world, making the U.S. a relatively late adopter.
3.50 3.50 1.00 1.00 .25-.50 .25-.50 0.19 0.33 1.25 1.78 2.59
0.22 0.34 1.21 1.78 2.60
Australia Britain Canada Euro Japan Mexico Switzerlnd
Last
Pvs Day
1.2790 1.4404 1.2642 .8790 109.13 17.2838 .9604
1.2912 1.4274 1.2810 .8838 108.82 17.4454 .9643
British pound expressed in U.S. dollars. All others show dollar in foreign currency.
MUTUAL FUNDS Name AB GlbThmtGrA m Columbia ComInfoA m Eaton Vance WldwHealA m Fidelity Select Biotech d Fidelity Select BrokInv d Fidelity Select CommEq d Fidelity Select Computer d Fidelity Select ConsFin d Fidelity Select Electron d Fidelity Select FinSvc d Fidelity Select SwreITSvcs d Fidelity Select Tech d T Rowe Price SciTech Vanguard HlthCare Waddell & Reed Adv SciTechA m
Total Assets Obj ($Mlns) NAV WS 483 86.09 ST 2,780 55.56 SH 887 11.21 SH 9,957 178.00 SF 335 60.95 ST 180 27.76 ST 420 66.84 SF 90 11.76 ST 1,474 72.37 SF 1,098 82.26 ST 3,214 121.07 ST 2,998 118.11 ST 2,946 33.89 SH 10,810 203.90 ST 3,005 12.65
Total Return/Rank 4-wk 12-mo 5-year +3.0 -5.6/D +2.0/E +0.1 +5.9/A +11.6/A +6.3 -8.7/B +16.1/D +14.1 -26.3/E +23.3/A +1.7 -13.3/E +6.1/D -0.9 -9.7/E +2.2/E -1.7 -13.7/E +5.6/E +4.4 -6.8/D +11.2/A -1.8 -3.0/D +11.8/A +2.4 -5.9/C +7.5/C +3.7 +10.7/A +15.9/A +2.4 +1.1/B +9.6/C +2.8 +1.8/B +10.3/C +5.4 -4.2/A +18.4/B +3.0 -14.4/E +10.5/B
Pct Min Init Load Invt 4.25 2,500 5.75 2,000 5.75 1,000 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 2,500 NL 3,000 5.75 750
CA -Conservative Allocation, CI -Intermediate-Term Bond, ES -Europe Stock, FB -Foreign Large Blend, FG -Foreign LargeGrowth, FV -Foreign Large Value, IH -World Allocation, LB -Large Blend, LG -Large Growth, LV -Large Value, MA Moderate Allocation, MB -Mid-Cap Blend, MV - Mid-Cap Value, SH -Specialty-heath, ST - Technology, WS -World Stock, Total Return: Chng in NAV with dividends reinvested. Rank: How fund performed vs. others with same objective: A is in top 20%, E in bottom 20%. Min Init Invt: Minimum $ needed to invest in fund. Source: Morningstar.
the companies in the S&P 500 names are due to report quarterly results. Beyond earnings, the market pushed up prices for mining and energy companies as the price of oil, natural gas, metals and other materials rose. Freeport-McMoRan gained 99 cents, or 9 percent, to $12.01, while Newmont Mining rose $1.45, or 4.9 percent, to $30.91. Williams Cos. was among the energy and drilling services companies to get a boost. It jumped $1.33, or 8 percent, to $18.01, while Oneok climbed $2.23, or 6.9 percent, to $34.39. Diamond Offshore Drilling rose $1.41, or 6.3 percent, to $23.76. Benchmark U.S. crude rose $1.30, or 3.3 percent, to close at $41.08 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, gained $1.12, or 2.6 percent, to close at $44.03 a barrel in London. Natural gas jumped 15 cents, or 7.6 percent, to close at $2.088 per 1,000 cubic feet. Upbeat economic data and a rebound in oil prices lifted European markets. Germany’s DAX was up 2.3 percent, while France’s CAC 40 was up 1.3 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.8 percent. Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei rallied 3.7 percent a sharp loss on Monday. South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.1 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 1.3 percent. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose about 4 cents, or 3 percent, to close at $1.48 a gallon. Heating oil added 3 cents, or 2.2 percent, to close at $1.26 a gallon. Precious and industrial metals futures ended sharply higher.
Visa to improve chip technology Visa is upgrading its software to process chipembedded credit and debit cards to function faster — addressing a source of grumbling from businesses and customers who are often forced to wait for transactions to go through. The company said Tuesday that its program — Quick Chip for EMV — will let customers dip and remove cards, usually in two seconds or less, without waiting for purchases to be finalized. Though the wait can be just seconds, in today’s economy of swipes and scans, the cards have been a nuisance for high traffic retailers, for example, a coffee shop during the morning rush. “While chip cards have been adopted and generally
15,370.33 6,403.31 539.96 8,937.99 4,209.76 809.57 1,810.10 1,215.14 18,462.43 943.09
Last
MONEY RATES
16,000
Stocks close mostly higher U.S. stocks closed mostly higher on Tuesday, led by gains in energy, mining and financial companies. The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index eked out small gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite closed modestly lower, reflecting a slump in technology stocks, which were dragged down by Netflix and IBM. The gains in energy and mining companies came as prices for oil, copper and other basic materials rose. Investors were mostly focused on the latest batch of corporate earnings and on what company managers have to say about their prospects for growing profits this year. “The market is focused on where we are going to be three months from now, five months from now,” said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial. “It’s all about the guidance, and it’s also all about what companies are doing to beat on the bottom line.” The Dow rose 49.44 points, or 0.3 percent, to 18,053.60. The S&P 500 index gained 6.46 points, or 0.3 percent, to 2,100.80. The Nasdaq fell 19.69 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4,940.33. Expectations for earnings are low this quarter, with corporate profits for companies in the S&P 500 projected to be down 8.1 percent, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Even excluding the beaten-down energy sector, earnings growth for the S&P 500 companies is expected to be down 3.4 percent. All of the earnings
Name
16,800
Last Chg%Chg
DxGMBr rs 2.57 -.71 -21.6 ApldOptoel 11.72 -4.39 -27.3 CSVInvNG 15.34 -4.09 -21.0 Illumina 136.88-41.25 -23.2 PrSUlshJrM 4.60 -.76 -14.2 IdealPower 4.91 -1.20 -19.6 PrUltShNG 167.50-23.50 -12.3 CodeReb n 2.74 -.53 -16.2 MaxLinear 15.86 -1.80 -10.2 ArgosTher 10.69 -1.75 -14.1 PrSUlshGlM 7.02 -.79 -10.1 CSVS3xInSlv 33.53 -5.21 -13.5 DrxNGBear 13.42 -1.29 -8.8 Netflix s 94.34-14.06 -13.0 PrUSSilv s 40.41 -3.92 -8.8 AegleaBio n 8.49 -1.22 -12.6 MGIC Inv 7.11 -.68 -8.7 CalumetSp 4.63 -.67 -12.6 CSVInvCrd 116.90-10.89 -8.5 XBiotech n 13.43 -1.56 -10.4
Vol (00)
Dow Jones industrials
LOSERS ($2 OR MORE)
Last Chg%Chg Name
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STOCK MARKET INDEXES 52-Week High Low
Analysts say that’s the main reason that roughly half of all global credit card fraud occurs in the U.S., even though the country makes up only about a quarter of all credit card transactions, according to a report by Barclays last year. The credit card industry set a deadline of Oct. 1, 2015 for banks to issue chip-enabled cards and retailers to install and activate new terminals capable of processing chip transactions. After that date, liability for fraudulent transactions shifted to whichever party in a transaction hadn’t upgraded to the new technology. Before that, the costs always fell on the banks. Despite that, not all retailers have been quick to adopt the change. But that’s mainly been a result of a backlog in the certification process.
Intel to cut 12,000 jobs By BRANDON BAILEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN FRANCISCO — Intel is cutting 12,000 jobs — about 11 percent of its workforce — as it reorganizes to confront a decline in sales of personal computers. The giant chipmaker made the announcement Tuesday as it reported lower-than-expected sales for the first quarter. This as industry analysts say an extended slide in global PC sales is showing no signs of leveling off. Intel, which has long been the world’s leading maker of PC chips, is now trying to expand into other types of computing. “It’s time to make this transition,” CEO Brian Krzanich told analysts. While calling the job cuts “difficult,” he said they would help the company sharpen its focus in new areas. The latest cuts follow an earlier reduction of about 5,000 jobs announced by Intel in 2014, and analysts say they may not be the last. “These companies are so big that it takes time” — and sometimes multiple rounds of restructuring — to change direction, said Patrick Moorhead, a longtime industry expert at Moor Insights & Strategy. Krzanich has been pushing Intel to change its focus from PCs to other computing segments that are growing and providing more profit. These include making microprocessors for “cloud computing” data centers, along with
chips for Internet-connected gadgets, wearable devices and drones. “We are evolving from a PC company to one that powers the cloud and billions of smart, connected computing devices,” he said in a statement. Intel said the job cuts will include “voluntary and involuntary departures” over the coming year, some of them occurring as Intel consolidates some of its PC chip operations into fewer locations. A spokeswoman declined to say exactly which jobs or locations would be affected. Intel has large campuses in Portland, Oregon; Chandler, Arizona; Rio Rancho, New Mexico; and Santa Clara and Folsom, California. It also has facilities in countries including Israel and China. Most of the affected workers will be notified in the next 60 days. The cuts are likely to involve divisions making and selling chips for traditional desktop and laptop computers, Moorhead said. He noted Intel has signaled its plans to continue investing in chips for gaming consoles and new “two-in-one” devices that resemble tablets with detachable keyboards. Those devices are still seeing strong sales growth. Analysts say Intel Corp., based in Santa Clara, was slow to recognize the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets. It now makes processors for those devices, but most handheld gadgets still use chips made by Qualcomm and other rivals.
10A THE ZAPATA TIMES
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016