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NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Negotiations take on a new urgency Ministers will meet again as presidential election nears By Eric Martin and Josh Wingrove B L OOMBE RG NEWS
NAFTA talks will continue through the weekend before ministers regroup Tuesday, as negotiations take on new urgency while Mexico cautions nothing is imminent.
Senior U.S., Canadian and Mexican officials met in Washington Friday, under pressure from looming elections to reach a deal quickly. The countries have said they’re hopeful for something by early May, though the U.S. has indicated it may be only a deal “in principle.” Key
figures struck a generally upbeat tone. “We are basically working very hard, but I think there’s still a lot of work to do,” Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on his way into meetings. On his way out, he downplayed the notion of a deal that focused only on the auto sector and said countries will need to be flexible to get a quick deal. The talks include Guajardo, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign
MEXICO CARAVAN
Minister Chrystia Freeland, as well as White House adviser Jared Kushner, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Katie Telford, the chief of staff to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The countries are said to have concluded the chapter on telecommunications, the seventh completed out of about 30 potential chapters. Click here to read about all the reasons why NAFTA talks are in a hurry NAFTA continues on A8
Peter Mccabe / AFP/Getty Images
Mexico's Minister of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, Canadian Foreign Affairs minister Chrystia Freeland, and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, from left, address the press at the closing of a NAFTA meeting.
ST. MARTIN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
MEMORIAL HONORS BARBARA BUSH Jordi Ruiz Cirera / Bloomberg
A group of Central American refugees and asylum seekers ride ‘The Beast’ freight train in Matias Romero, Oaxaca state, Mexico.
Remnants of caravan hop a train heading for the border Handout / Office of George H.W. Bush
About 500 migrants stretch out on the roofs of freight cars A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MEXICO CITY — The remnants of a caravan of Central American migrants that drew angry tweets from President Donald Trump hopped on the roofs of a freight train Thursday heading for northern Mexico. About 500 migrants departed the western Mexico city of Guadalajara before dawn, stretching out on the roofs of freight cars. “We are heading north seeking a better life,” said Mirna Ruiz, a Honduran. “As you know, in Honduras we just can’t live there anymore because of the gangs. We can’t even go shopping because we are afraid. We are also worried that our children will be recruited by the gangs. Those are the fears in our country.” Caravan organizer Irineo Mujica said the migrants expected to reach the Pacific coast city of Mazatlan, then go to the northern city of Hermosillo, where they might make a rest stop sometime over the weekend. They would then continue to the U.S. border, where they hope to arrive by April 24, he said. Mujica said a couple of hundred migrants were expected to
Former President George H. W. Bush greets the mourners with his daughter Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch during the visitation of former first lady Barbara Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal Church Friday in Houston, Texas.
Former President George HW Bush greets mourners
turn themselves over to U.S. authorities at the border and request asylum, arguing that it was too dangerous for them to stay in Honduras, where most are from. The caravan left the Guatemala-Mexico border in late March and grew to more than 1,000 migrants who found safety travelling in numbers. It was to have formally ended in Mexico City, but many of the migrants feared going solo on the dangerous final leg north and decided to keep travelling en masse. Some who had split off to press on alone reported back about kidnappings and having their papers for safe passage torn up. Also Thursday, Mexico’s National Immigration Institute said its agents found a total of 191 mostly Central American migrants jammed into a truck and a bus in southern and central Mexico. The institute said 103 migrants were found packed into a truck in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. The people had gone two days without food or water. All but two are from Guatemala, and 55 are minors. Agents also found 88 migrants crowded into a bus that
HOUSTON — Former President George H.W. Bush greeted some of the hundreds of mourners filing through a large Houston church on Friday to pay final respects to his wife of 73 years, former first lady Barbara Bush. A spray of dozens of pink and yellow roses covered her closed, light-colored metallic casket in the sanctuary of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. The 93-year-old former president arrived shortly after a daylong public viewing began, sitting in a wheelchair nearby and smiling as people shook his outstretched hand and offered condolences. Barbara Bush died on Tuesday at age 92 at the couple’s Houston home, where her husband also by her side. Many women wore blue, Barbara Bush’s favorite color, and pearls, a nod to her go-to neckwear jewelry. Officials say about 1,600 people had come through the church in about the first hour after going through security checks and boarding shuttle buses to travel a few miles to the nation’s largest Episcopal church. Lucy Orlando was among more than 100 people in line well before bus service began, after traveling from Florida. Originally from
Migrants continues on A8
Bush continues on A8
By Juan A. Lozano and John L. Mone ASSOCIATED PRE SS
David J. Phillip / AP
A woman holds the program during visitation of former first lady Barbara Bush.
In Brief A2 | Saturday, April 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Border Region Behavioral Health Center Volunteer Services Council’s 26th Annual Administrative Professionals' Day Luncheon & Musical Fashion Show. 11:30 a.m. Laredo Country Club. If you would like to purchase tickets or reserve a table, RSVP with Laura Kim 956-794-3130 or blaurak@borderregion.org. Tickets are $75 a person. First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
THURSDAY, APRIL 26 Villa San Agustin De Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting. 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speakers will be Cynthia Haynes Ramirez and Pat Rogers Yzaguirrre. For more information, call Syliva Reash at 956-763-1810. Spanish Book Club meeting. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library conference room. For more information, call Syliva Reash at 956-7631810. 22nd Annual Photography Exhibition. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Laredo Center for the Arts. Journalism students at Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts will be hosting the opening reception for the exhibition. For more information, contact Mark Webber at mwebber004@laredoisd.org. VMT Tapestry’s annual Unveiling Ceremony. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Laredo Center for the Arts. Literary magazine students at Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts will be hosting the unveiling. For more information, contact Mark Webber at mwebber004@laredoisd.org.
SATURDAY, APRIL 28 RGISC’s 3rd Earth Day Fest with Kayak Races and Eco-Games. The Rio Grande International Study Center will host its 3rd Earth Day celebration. 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Lake Casa Blanca State Park. Fun-filled family event. Free event and free entry to park. Register now for kayak races, $20 per person, at www.rgisc.org or call 956718-1063 for more info. World Tai Chi Day. 9-10 a.m. Blas Castaneda basketball court on 5400 McPherson. The public is invited to join and participate with The Laredo Tai Chi Club for World Tai Chi Day.
SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2018 United Methodist Men Spaghetti Luncheon. 1220 McClelland Ave. 12 p.m. to 1:30 pm. All you can eat spaghetti, bread, salad, drink, and dessert. Public is invited. Free will donations accepted. Proceeds are used to support the church’s mission projects.
TUESDAY, MAY 1 15th Annual Mental Health and Substance Abuse Symposium. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. UT Health Regional Campus Laredo. 1937 Bustamante St. For more information, call the Area Health Education Center at 956-7120037.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, MAY 5 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, MAY 26 Mexico Lindo 2018. Laredo Little Theater, 4802 Thomas Ave. 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 years of age or younger.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Alexandre Meneghini / AP
Cuba's outgoing President Raul Castro, right, and new President Miguel Diaz-Canel raise their arms in unison at the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba on Thursday.
RAUL CASTRO RETIRES AS CUBAN PRESIDENT HAVANA — Raul Castro turned over Cuba’s presidency Thursday to a 57-yearold successor he said would hold power until 2031, a plan that would place the state the Castro brothers founded and ruled for 60 years in the hands of a Communist Party official little known to most on the island. Castro’s 90-minute valedictory speech offered his first clear vision for the nation’s future power structure under new President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez. Castro said he foresees the whitehaired electronics engineer serving two
Mexico’s ruling party struggling in presidential race MEXICO CITY — As Mexico prepares for the first of three presidential candidate debates, the governing party is struggling to remain relevant in the campaign ahead of the July 1 election. Advertisements for Institutional Revolutionary Party candidate Jose Antonio Meade have even dropped the party’s logo. Instead they use three
five-year terms as leader of the Cuban government, and taking the helm of the Communist Party, the country’s ultimate authority, when Castro leaves the powerful position in 2021. “From that point on, I will be just another soldier defending this revolution,” Castro said. The 86-year-old general broke frequently from his prepared remarks to joke and banter with officials on the dais in the National Assembly, saying he looked forward to having more time to travel the country. — Compiled from AP reports
colored triangles meant to represent the parties in his coalition. That decision makes sense given the striking unpopularity of the ruling party, known as the PRI. In a face-to-face poll of 1,200 voters published Wednesday by the newspaper Reforma, 59 percent said their most important goal in the election is to get the PRI out of office. At the same time, 22 percent said they wanted to prevent the race’s front-runner, leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, from reaching the presidency.
The poll had a margin of error of four percentage points. Meade “is doing the best he can. The thing is he has a mission impossible, because the rejection of the PRI is now brutal, it’s enormous,” said Jose Antonio Crespo, a political analyst at Mexico’s Center for Economic Research and Teaching. “He has some strong points, he’s been a good official, he has a more or less friendly demeanor,” Crespo added. “But he is carrying the weight of the party.” — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE STATE Southwest sought more time for engine inspections DALLAS — Southwest Airlines sought more time last year to inspect jet-engine fan blades like the one that snapped off during one of its flights Tuesday in an accident that left a passenger dead. The airline opposed a recommendation by the engine manufacturer to require ultrasonic inspections of certain fan blades within 12 months. Southwest said it needed more time, and it raised concern over the number of engines it would need to inspect. Other airlines also voiced objections. It wasn’t until after Tuesday’s accident that the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it will soon make the inspections mandatory. It is unclear how many planes will be affected by the FAA order. Airlines including Southwest say they have begun inspec-
Handout / Getty Images
An NTSB investigator examines damage to the engine belonging Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that separated during flight.
tions anyway. An engine on a Southwest jet exploded over Pennsylvania on Tuesday, and debris hit the plane. Jennifer Riordan, a 43year-old bank executive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sucked partway out of the jet when a window shattered. She died later from her injuries. The Boeing 737, bound from
New York to Dallas with 149 people aboard, made an emergency landing in Philadelphia. Investigators said the blade that broke off mid-flight and triggered the fatal accident was showing signs of metal fatigue — microscopic cracks. NTSB also blamed metal fatigue for the failure. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Wells Fargo bank to be fined $1 billion as early as Friday NEW YORK — Federal regulators plan to fine Wells Fargo as much as $1 billion as early as Friday for abuses tied to its auto-lending and mortgage businesses, The New York Times and other news outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. The potential $1 billion fine would be largest ever imposed by the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency, the bank’s main national regulator, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal watchdog bureau set up after the Great Recession. The fine against Wells Fargo had been expected. San Francisco-based Wells Fargo said last week that it was negotiating with federal regulators to pay as much as $1 billion in fines to settle various charges. A CFPB spokesman declined to comment, as well as a spokesman for the Comptrol-
Today is Saturday, April 21, the 111th day of 2018. There are 254 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On April 21, 1918, Manfred von Richthofen, 25, the German ace known as the "Red Baron" who was believed to have downed 80 enemy aircraft during World War I, was himself shot down and killed while in action over France. On this date: In 1649, the Maryland Toleration Act, providing for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland assembly. In 1789, John Adams was sworn in as the first vice president of the United States. In 1836, an army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence. In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74. In 1930, fire broke out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates. In 1942, the first edition of "The Stranger" (L'Etranger), Albert Camus' highly influential absurdist novel, was published in Nazi-occupied Paris by Gallimard. In 1955, the Jerome LawrenceRobert Lee play "Inherit the Wind," inspired by the Scopes trial of 1925, opened at the National Theatre in New York. In 1962, the Century 21 Exposition, also known as the Seattle World's Fair, began a six-month run. In 1977, the musical play "Annie," based on the "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip, opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 2,377 performances. In 1986, a rediscovered vault in Chicago's Lexington Hotel that was linked to Al Capone was opened during a widely watched live TV special hosted by Geraldo Rivera; aside from a few bottles and a sign, the vault turned out to be empty. In 1998, astronomers announced in Washington that they had discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away, the clearest evidence to date of worlds forming beyond our solar system. Ten years ago: President George W. Bush opened a two-day summit in New Orleans with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Robert Cheruiyot of Kenya won the Boston Marathon in 2:07:46 to become the fourth man to win the race four times; Dire Tune of Ethiopia won the women's race in 2:25:25. 1970s soul singer Al Wilson died in Fontana, California, at age 68. Five years ago: On the first Sunday since the deadly Boston Marathon bombing, churches paused to mourn the dead and console the survivors while in West, Texas, residents prayed for comfort four days after a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 people. In Britain, the London Marathon sent out a powerful message of solidarity with Boston and its victims as runners crossed the line in front of Buckingham Palace with black ribbons on their chests. Joe Scarborough, a 50-year-old self-employed electrical contractor, rolled the first 900 series in Professional Bowlers Association history — three straight perfect games. One year ago: A San Francisco power outage blamed on the massive failure of a circuit breaker that sparked a fire at a power substation stranded people in elevators and left tens of thousands in the dark. Prince fans marked the first anniversary of his sudden death by gathering at Minnesota sites made famous by the "Purple Rain" superstar. Today's Birthdays: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is 92. Actress-comedianwriter Elaine May is 86. Actor Charles Grodin is 83. Actor Reni Santoni is 80. Anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean is 79. Singer-musician Iggy Pop is 71. Actress Patti LuPone is 69. Actor Tony Danza is 67. Actor James Morrison is 64. Actress Andie MacDowell is 60. Rock singer Robert Smith is 59. Rock musician Michael Timmins is 59. Actor-director John Cameron Mitchell is 55. Rapper Michael Franti is 52. Actor Toby Stephens is 49. Rock singer-musician Glen Hansard is 48. Actor Rob Riggle is 48. Comedian Nicole Sullivan is 48. Football player-turned-actor Brian White is 45. Olympic gold medal pairs figure skater Jamie Sale is 41. Rock musician David Brenner is 40. Actor James McAvoy is 39. Former NFL quarterback Tony Romo is 38. Thought for Today : "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please." — Mark Twain (1835-1910).
CONTACT US ler’s Office. A spokeswoman for Wells Fargo also declined to comment. The problems with Wells Fargo this time are not tied directly to its well-known sales-practices scandal, where the bank admitted its employees opened as many as 3.5 million bank and credit card accounts without getting customers’ authorization. But they do involve to significant parts of the bank’s businesses: auto lending and mortgages. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 21, 2018 |
A3
STATE
Woman suspected in deaths captured in Texas A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — A tip-off in a Texas resort town led to the arrest of a woman who investigators believe killed her husband in Minnesota then fled to Florida, where she fatally shot her doppelganger with the intention of assuming her identity, police said Friday. Two federal deputy marshals arrested Lois Riess, 56, about 8:30 p.m. Thursday at a restaurant’s in South Padre Island, Texas, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. South Padre Island is a beach resort
Jobless rate holds steady A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN — The Texas unemployment rate for March held steady at 4 percent for the third straight month, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday. Last month’s jobless rate mirrored statewide unemployment for January and February, according to a commission statement. The nationwide jobless rate in March was 4.1 percent. The Midland area had the lowest unemployment rate in Texas last month at 2.4 percent. The McAllenEdinburg-Mission area had the state’s highest jobless rate during March at 6.9 percent, state labor officials said. Commission authorities say the Texas economy added 32,000 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in March, which marked 21 consecutive months of employment growth. “Texas employers added 294,100 positions over the year with 10 of 11 industries adding jobs in the diverse Texas economy,” said commission Chairman Andres Alcantar, noting that the state has seen broad-based growth across industries. The trade, transportation, and utilities industry recorded the largest private-industry employment gain over the month with 7,500 positions added. Professional and business services employment grew by 6,200 jobs, according to the commission. Construction employment expanded by 3,800 positions. Private-sector employment remained strong over the month with 30,600 jobs added in March, officials said. April jobless figures for Texas are scheduled to be announced May 18.
community 27 miles (43 kilometers) from the crossing into Mexico. Riess City spokeswoman Angelique Soto said Friday that a witness called authorities saying a woman matching Riess’ description was at the restaurant. Her identity was confirmed by officers and the car she was using was towed and impounded “for forensic processing,” Soto said. Riess had checked into a local motel and was sitting at a nearby restau-
rant’s bar with others, though authorities don’t know if Riess had met the individuals in South Padre or elsewhere, South Padre Island Police Chief Randy Smith said Friday. Riess was first approached by undercover officers and did not resist arrest when she was taken into custody, Smith said, adding that she did not have a weapon on her. “I think she’s kind of built up a resilience, where she thought she may not get caught. So she seemed to have let her guard down a bit,” he said. Riess had been on the run since at least late
March when her husband, 54-year-old David Riess, was found fatally shot at their home in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota. She became the subject of a nationwide hunt. She had been seen on March 23 at a convenience store and casino in northern Iowa. Authorities released video showing Riess approaching the store cashier, buying a sandwich and asking for directions south of the state. The store is next to a casino where authorities say Riess spent the day gambling before stopping at the gas station. It was also on March 23
that David Riess’ business partner called authorities to ask them to check on him. The partner said no one at work had seen David Riess in more than two weeks. Authorities found David Riess’ body inside his home with multiple gunshots. They were not able to determine how long he had been dead and could not find his wife. They learned Lois Riess may have been at the casino in Iowa, but she wasn’t there when they went looking for her. From there, investigators believed she went to Florida where she killed
59-year-old Pamela Hutchinson of Bradenton, Florida. Authorities were called to Fort Myers Beach on April 9 and found Hutchinson dead, with gunshot wounds. Investigators believe Riess used the same gun to kill her husband and Hutchinson, and that she killed the woman to assume her identity. Surveillance video showed Riess smiling and talking with Hutchinson on April 5 at a brewery in Fort Myers Beach. Authorities say she may have targeted Hutchinson because the two women looked alike.
Southwest pilot pushed Navy boundaries for flying By Emily Schmall and Jim Vertuno ASSOCIATED PRE SS
BOERNE, Texas — Tammie Jo Shults was determined to “break into the club” of male military aviators. One of the first female fighter pilots in the U.S. Navy, Shults flew training missions as an enemy pilot during Operation Desert Storm, while working with other women to see a rule excluding them from combat flights repealed. Twenty-five years later, Shults was at the controls of the Dallas-bound Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 Tuesday when it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia after one of the engines on the Boeing 737 exploded while the plane was traveling 500 mph (800 kph) at 30,000 feet (9144 m) with 149 people on board. Shrapnel hit the plane and passengers said they had to rescue a woman who was being blown out of a damaged window. The woman later died of blunt force trauma to her head, neck and torso. Shults calmly relayed details about the crisis to air traffic controllers, and passengers commended her handling of the situation. “Everybody is talking about Tammie Jo and how cool and calm she was in a crisis, and that’s just Tammie Jo,” said Rachel Russo, a friend from Shults’ church in Boerne, Texas, about 30 miles (48 km) northwest of San Antonio. “That’s how
she’s wired.” Shults and the other pilot on board, First Officer Darren Ellisor, said in a statement Wednesday that they were simply doing their jobs. “On behalf of the entire Crew, we appreciate the outpouring of support from the public and our coworkers as we all reflect on one family’s profound loss,” the two pilots said, adding that their “hearts are heavy.” Shults was commissioned into the Navy in 1985 and reached the rank of lieutenant commander, said Commander Ron Flanders, spokesman for Naval Air Forces in San Diego. She was among the few to learn to fly the F/A-18 Hornet, a single-seat jet and the Navy’s premier strike fighter aircraft, a privilege reserved for elite pilots, according to retired Navy helicopter pilot Andi Sue Phillips. “When you pull those g’s, you can actually feel your organs slamming on the inside of your ribs,” Phillips said. “It’s exhausting to put your body through those maneuvers.” Phillips said that that there was a lot of resistance for women to fly jets and for Shults “to fly a fighter aircraft when nobody even wanted her there is pretty amazing.” Women aviators were excluded from combat missions until the month after Shults got off active duty in March 1993. Flanders said Shults flew during Operation Desert Storm trainings as an
aggressor enemy pilot, helping “male pilots hone their skills.” “Obviously it was frustrating,” said Veteran Navy combat aviator Linda Maloney, who became among the first women to join a combat military flying squadron and was deployed to the Arabian Gulf. “We go through the same training that the guys do, and our hope was the Navy would allow us to fly in combat at some point.” Maloney featured Shults in her book, “Military Fly Moms,” along with the stories and photos of 69 other women U.S. military veterans. Shults wrote in the book about her determination to “break into the club” of male military aviators. “There did not seem to be a demand for women pilots,” she said, adding that her Hornet flight training squadron did not share her commander’s “open-mindedness about flying with women.”
Courtesy Linda Maloney / AP
Tammie Jo Shults is photographed in the early 1990s.
Russo and Staci Thompson, who has known Shults for about 20 years and was nanny to her two children when they were small, said she “loved” her military career but has alluded to frustrations and challenges that came with it. They also said she embraced those experiences to make her stronger and guide her into a role as a mentor to young female pilots or girls thinking about a military career. “She learned a lot about overcoming things as a
woman in a male-dominated field,” Russo said. Shults grew up in a New Mexico ranch near Holloman Air Force Base, and was a 1983 graduate of MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas, where she earned degrees in biology and agribusiness. Her husband, Dean Shults, also is a Southwest pilot. “She’s a formidable woman, as sharp as a tack,” said Gary Shults, a dentist in San Antonio. “My brother says she’s the best pilot he knows.”
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A4 | Saturday, April 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
OTHER VIEWS
COLUMN
America not as intolerant as we think By Jonah Goldberg TR IB UN E NEWS SE RV ICE
I don’t normally watch the GLAAD Media Awards. Not that there’s anything wrong with them. GLAAD, by the way, originally stood for "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" before the organization declared that GLAAD was its name and not an acronym. But I did see a video of Britney Spears’ acceptance of GLAAD’s Vanguard Award last week. "I feel like our society has always put such an emphasis on what’s normal, and to be different is unusual or seen as strange," Spears said. She added some other stuff about how we’re all individuals together, or something. There was a time when I might have had a bit of fun with Spears about some of the inconsistencies. But I’ve mellowed. It’s all good. It was a nice speech, and she seemed sincerely honored to receive her award and grateful for the support of her fans. Fine, fine. But there’s one thing that vexes me. I could have picked a thousand other examples from any given week to illustrate it, but this one got my attention. "Those who only know one country, know no country," the legendary political scientist Seymour Martin Lipset observed. What he meant is that if you don’t know what distinguishes one country from other countries, you can’t know what is normal about your country and what is exceptional about it. For instance, these days we hear a great deal about America’s deep-seated racism, as evidenced by various legitimately horrible incidents, particularly excessive force by police. Discrimination exists. But there’s a difference between saying that discrimination or other injustices exist and that there is more work to be done, and saying that America is the most racist country in the world and that things haven’t gotten better. (Search Twitter for "most racist" and "America" and scroll through the results.) First of all, things have gotten better. In 1958, 44 percent of white Americans said they’d move if a black family moved in next door. Forty years later, that number had dropped to 1 percent. Were some whites lying? Probably, sure. But most probably weren’t. When the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, only 18 percent of white Americans said they had a black friend. By 1998, that
number was 86 percent. Some people were probably fibbing, but the mere fact that they wanted others to believe they had a black friend is a kind of progress. There is one sure sign that white attitudes have changed: Rates of marriage between races have been trending up for decades. In 1967, only 3 percent of newlywed marriages were interracial. The rate has risen more than fivefold, to 17 percent in 2015. Presumably, people willing to spend the rest of their lives with people of another race never mind have children with them - aren’t lying. But let me get back to my point. When I hear people say things about America - it’s racist, it’s sexist, etc. - or when I hear them say that America is the most this or the most that, I always want to ask, "Compared to whom?" By no plausible objective standard is America the most racist or bigoted country in the world, even just among industrialized countries. On a 2014 list of countries ranked by opposition to having a racially different neighbor, America ranked 47th (with 6 percent of the population saying they were opposed). In raw numbers, we admit more immigrants than any other country. And as Amy Chua notes in her new book, "Political Tribes," "No other major power in the world has ever democratically elected a racial minority head of state." I dwell on race because that’s where so much of the passion is these days. But let’s get back to Ms. Spears. She says that our society puts so much emphasis on being "normal." And again, one has to ask, "Compared to whom?" Does America have a history of discrimination toward homosexuals? Absolutely. Quick: Name a country that doesn’t have such a history. Meanwhile, attitudes on homosexuality have followed the same trend as race. More broadly, the idea that America is uniquely hostile to "being different" is an interesting thesis, and it might have had some basis in fact 50 or 100 years ago (though I’m skeptical). America is not without its problems. And the fact that we’re not nearly as bad off as people claim doesn’t erase the need to tackle them. But perhaps those problems would be alleviated somewhat if we stopped insisting they’re so much worse than they really are. Jonah Goldberg is a Tribune Content Agency columnist.
COLUMN
Barbara Bush was a great lady of a lost age By John Kass CHICAGO TRIBUNE
I have never liked obituaries. Biographies? Yes. Complete histories? Of course. But obituaries? The limitations of the form have always bothered me. And reducing something as complicated as a human life, rendering it into an easy-to-read piece on the train seems almost sinful. Yet obituaries of great lives produce some awfully fine and thoughtful writing. But subjecting the dead to a writer’s whim, taking a few details from a life or an anecdote and using these to pin the dead to common memory like a butterfly on a board? It’s always seemed rather monstrous. If obituaries are often incomplete, just consider Twitter, and having your life and your honor subject to the mad barking of anonymous dogs. Why am I thinking this way? I’ve been at several funerals lately, good and kind people of my parents’ generation, the Greatest Generation, are passing on. The golf balls tucked neatly into an uncle’s coffin, sports tickets, a last letter to grandma. They’re remembered by those of us who loved them and we’ll tell their stories again and again around our kitchen tables. But what of the public dead, those who leave their mark and make a name, and then are subject to slurs when they close their eyes for good? It is happening to Barbara Bush. She was America’s grandmother with those pearls and her white hair and that beautiful weathered face, the face of a
She died at home, surrounded by family, her husband — the first boy she ever kissed — by their children and their grandchildren. A life well lived.
woman who lived a life with profound character. And on the train into Chicago, scanning the Real Clear Politics website, I was struck by this headline about her. "The First Lady Who Ran the Family That Ran the Country" linked to excellent piece on Mrs. Bush by Margaret Carlson of Time. "Barbara Bush was as grounded as any first lady," Carlson begins, "a down-to-earth realist planted firmly between two high-flying stars: Nancy Reagan of the rail-thin coiffed good looks, rarely seen children, and adoring gaze; and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the two-for-theprice-of-one lawyer who let it be known she wouldn’t be staying home and baking cookies. But she proved to be a national force, worth every penny we didn’t pay her." Mrs. Bush was a Republican matron of a lost age, when women were expected to put their children and husbands first. It was terribly unfair that women were expected to put aside their own careers and educations, but those were the times. She made the best of them. A gracious and kind farewell by the Women’s March Twitter account — a photo of Mrs. Bush with the words "rest in peace and power" — drew a predictable angry response from America’s left. They ticked off her sins. She loved being a wife and mother and
wanting to stay at home. She said some things about the refugees from Hurricane Katrina coming to Houston, although now I’m reminded that Jesse Jackson and others of the left had loudly prohibited the use of the word "refugees." Journalists complied, terrified lest they be branded as racists, and so much for the notion of free speech. Yet what were the people fleeing from Katrina if not refugees seeking shelter from the storm? No one lives a life without saying something they regret, unless of course, you live as some hateful insect, crawling along the baseboards of social media, a cartoon head as your sigil. And Barbara Bush was the wife of an American president, and mother of another American president. In our history, the only other woman to have been wife and mother to presidents was Abigail Adams. She had those pearls and the smile and that white hair, and yes, a patrician demeanor. But only a fool could look at those eyes twinkling, and not see the strong woman behind the face, a woman who spent her life in politics, and who could probably cut out your heart with a butter knife to protect her family or her country. She’d do it with a smile. The hard American left — to be distinguished from liberals — hates her. The left is all about hatred now, about decon-
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DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
struction, about scraping away the past in an iconoclastic Orwellian frenzy. And so warriors of the left treated compliments paid to the memory of this gracious lady with anger. In ages past, they might scribble anonymously on bathroom walls. Now they use Twitter. Some of the most distasteful tweets came from Randa Jarrar, a professor of English at Fresno State. In barely literate fashion, this shaper of impressionable young minds displayed her venomous hatred. "Barbara Bush was a generous and smart and amazing racist who, along with her husband, raised a war criminal," Jarrar wrote on Twitter. "F - outta here with your nice words." This is the left. Understand them. They feel a tribal duty to visit hatred upon the mother for what the son did to Iraq. There is no honor in this. I’d much rather think of Barbara Bush visiting Wellesley, as Carlson did at the end of her excellent obituary, Mrs. Bush speaking to those young women who wanted her there and to those who did not. "At the end of your life," said Barbara Bush, "you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a child, a friend or a parent." She died at home, surrounded by family, her husband — the first boy she ever kissed — by their children and their grandchildren. A life well lived. John Kass is a Chicago Tribune columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 21, 2018 |
A5
NATIONAL
Southwest Flight 1380 passengers get apology, $5,000 By Joseph A. Gambardello P H ILA DE LPHI A INQUIRE R
PHILADELPHIA Southwest Airlines has sent passengers of Flight 1380 a letter of apology that includes a check for $5,000 "to cover any of your immediate financial needs" after the plane suffered an engine failure and had to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia. The letter also says the passengers would separately receive a $1,000 flight voucher.
There were 144 passengers and five crew members on Flight 1380 when its left engine was ripped apart in mid-air Tuesday morning, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport. One passenger, Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old bank executive and mother of two, died of injuries she suffered when she was partially blown out a window that shattered when the engine failed. Such payments are not unusual in such situa-
tions, said Mary Schiavo, a transportation lawyer and CNN analyst. "It gets money in the hands of people that need it for counseling or something," Schiavo said. While the National Transportation Safety Board investigates the catastrophic engine failure, the airline’s "primary focus and commitment is to assist you in every way possible," said the letter, signed by Southwest president Gary C. Kelly. "We value you as our Customer and hope you
Marty Martinez / AP
Marty Martinez, Martinez, left, appears with other passengers after a jet engine blew out on the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 plane he was flying in from New York to Dallas, resulting in the death of a woman who was nearly sucked from a window during the flight with 149 people aboard.
will allow us another opportunity to restore your confidence in Southwest as the airline you can count on for your travel needs. In this spirit, we are sending you a check in the amount of $5,000 to cover any of your immediate financial needs. As a
tangible gesture of our heartfelt sincerity, we are also sending you a $1,000 travel voucher (in a separate e-mail), which can be used for future travel." The letter opened and closed with the company offering its "sincere" and "heartfelt" apologies. Investigators say a
broken rotor blade set off the engine failure. They are trying to determine why the blade, which showed signs of metal fatigue, broke off. While Southwest is offering its apologies, passengers are hailing the plane’s pilot, Tammie Jo Shults, as a hero.
4 plead not guilty in fraternity pledge drinking death By Michael Kunzelman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
BATON ROUGE, La. — Four young men pleaded not guilty on Friday to criminal charges in the drinking death of a Louisiana State University fraternity pledge. Matthew Alexander Naquin, 20, of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, was arraigned on a negligent homicide charge in the September 2017 death of 18-year-old Maxwell Gruver, a freshman from Roswell, Georgia. The felony charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. Three others pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor hazing charges. SeanPaul Gott, 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana; Ryan
Isto, 19, of the Canadian town of Oakville, Ontario; and Patrick Gott Forde, 21, of Westwood, Massachusetts, face a maximum of 30 days in jail if convicted. State District Judge Beau Higginbotham scheduled a Sept. 6 trial for the three charged with hazing. He did not immediately set a date for Naquin. Police originally arrested 10 people last year, but East Baton Rouge Parish prosecutors presented a grand jury with evidence of possible charges against nine of them. Ultimately, the grand jury indicted only
the four defendants on March 15. Gruver’s bloodalcohol Forde content was more than six times the legal limit for driving after a night of drinking at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house. Fraternity members found him lying on a couch and couldn’t tell if he was breathing. He died at a Baton Rouge hospital later that day. A coroner said the cause was acute alcohol intoxication, with aspiration: He had inhaled vomit and other fluid into his lungs. Naquin’s attorney, John McLindon said he believes his client is
being singled out unfairly. “The problem with alcohol on Isto college campuses is bigger than just one person. The problem is a lot bigger than just Matthew Naquin,” he said. But witnesses said Naquin singled out Gruver during a hazing ritual involving 18 to 20 pledges, and forced him to drink more than the others the night before his death, according to a police report. Naquin targeted Gruver because he was frequently late for events and forced him to drink because he was having trouble reciting the Greek alphabet
during “Bible Study,” a ritual testing their fraternity knowledge, Naquin witnesses told police. Naquin was “a main participant during the hazing event,” Jeff Malone, an investigator for the district attorney’s office, wrote in a court filing last month. “LSU Police reports indicate that Naquin was the most aggressive, and in charge of the hazing incident,” Malone added. One pledge said Gruver was made to take at least 10 to 12 “pulls” of 190-proof Diesel, while other pledges had to drink less of the hard liquor, according to the
police report. All of the defendants were associated with Phi Delta Theta, but none of them is currently enrolled at LSU. Forde wasn’t a student at LSU at the time. LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard said federal law bars the university from disclosing whether the others withdrew from LSU or were expelled or suspended. Last month, Gruver’s parents visited Louisiana’s Capitol to testify in favor of a bill that would make hazing a felony in cases resulting in somebody’s death. The maximum sentence for a felony hazing conviction would be five years in prison. The House unanimously passed the legislation, which awaits a vote in the Senate.
Frontera A6 | Saturday, April 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE RECOLECCIÓN DE LLANTAS 1 La Ciudad de Roma anuncia que llevará a cabo una recolección de llantas el sábado 21 de abril dese las 8 a.m., para lo cual requieren voluntarios. La recolección se llevará a cabo de 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. Mayores informes con Blanca Ruiz al 956849-1411. GENEALOGÍA 1 ¿Desea saber más sobre su historia familiar? ¿Necesita ayuda para iniciar su genealogía? Venga y reciba ayuda personalizada para investigar a sus ancestros utilizando recursos en línea. Voluntarios entrenados le ayudarán, este martes 24 de abril de 6:30 p.m a 8 p.m., en Roma Birding Center. Evento gratuito patrocinado por la Iglesia de Jesús de los Santos de los Últimos Días. VAQUERO DAY FESTIVAL 1 La Ciudad de Escobares invita al Vaquero Day Festival en su 13ava. edición, el sábado 27 de abril. Música en vivo, cabalgata, parrilladas, y más actividades para toda la familia. Entrada gratuita. Mayores informes al 956-847-4106. MEDICAMENTOS CADUCOS 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la comunidad a la recolección de medicamentos sin uso y/o caducos en la plaza Roma Guadalupe el sábado 28 de abril, de 10 a.m. a 1 p.m.
LAREDO
Juez niega mociones Fiscal Isidro Alaniz teme sospechoso intente fugarse Por Joana Santillana TIEMP O DE LAREDO
El agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza acusado del homicidio de su supuesta amante y su hijo pequeño compareció por primera vez el jueves, solicitando al juez que fijara una fianza y le concediera libertad por falta de causa probable. Ronald Anthony Burgos-Avilés, de 28 años, ha permanecido bajo custodia desde el 9 de abril, cuando el Departamento de Policía de Laredo (LPD por sus siglas en inglés) dijo haber descubierto evidencia que lo conecta con el homicidio doble de Grizelda Hernández, de 27 años, y su hijo, Dominick Alexander Hernández, de un año. Silverio Martínez, abogado de Burgos-Avilés, presentó un mandato de habeas corpus la semana pasada solicitando a la corte que establezca una fianza razonable, citando la falta de causa probable. Burgos-Avilés nunca ha sido condenado por un crimen, y por lo tanto, su confinamiento y detención son ilegales, de acuerdo con el mandato. Martínez presentó dos mociones adicionales el jueves, una hora antes de la audiencia, solicitando a la corte que designe al abogado Eduardo Peña como defensor adjunto y que no se permita entrar al público a las audien-
cias previas al juicio. La última moción indica que el odio y la animosidad hacia Burgos-Avilés son extremadamente duros y perjudiciales debido a la naturaleza de alto perfil del caso. "(Burgos-Avilés) no se puede permitir que el público o los medios envenenen a los posibles miembros del jurado al publicar o divulgar lo que se dice Burgos durante la audiencia", se lee en el documento. El juez de la Corte de Distrito 406, Oscar J. Hale Jr., denegó la moción de la defensa. El Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Webb Isidro “Chilo” Alaniz dijo que la fiscalía presentará a testigos cuyas declaraciones ayudarán a establecer causa probable. Él le solicitó a la corte que no fijara una fianza, argumentando que existe el riesgo que BurgosAvilés, originario de Puerto Rico, se fugue. Burgos-Avilés es un peligro para la comunidad y usó su insignia como escudo para esconderse dentro de las fuerzas del orden después de cometer homicidios atroces, le dijo Alaniz a la corte. “Las habilidades especializadas que utilizó para cometer los crí-
menes apuntan y revelan que es un individuo extremadamente peligroso”, dijo. Adriana Escamilla de las Oficina de Asuntos Internos de Aduanas y Patrulla Fronteriza, quien está ayudando a llevar a cabo la investigación en el caso de Burgos, testificó que el día de los homicidios, BurgosAvilés comenzó su turno a las 6 a.m. Burgos reportó los cuerpos a las 11:20 a.m. Escamilla mencionó que esa llamada fue la única transmisión que Burgos-Avilés realizó dentro de un periodo de cinco horas desde que comenzó su turno. Ella dijo que era “bastante fuera de lo normal” para alguien como BurgosAvilés quien se desempeña como supervisor. Como oficial de supervisión, Burgos-Avilés estaba a cargo de cinco agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza. Recientemente, los sensores y las cámaras habían sido retirados de una ubicación cerca del Parque Father Charles McNaboe, donde se encontraron los cuerpos, según Escamilla. Ella dijo que Burgos-Avilés estaba consciente de esto. Sin embargo, dijo que no podía recordar si los cuerpos fueron encontrados en el área sin sensores o muy cerca de ella. Escamilla agregó que mientras revisaba el registro de Burgos-Avi-
lés, encontró dos incidentes de posible mala conducta, uno fue un accidente automovilístico. Burgos-Avilés mintió sobre un robo en su casa durante un incidente de 2013, de acuerdo con Escamilla. Ella dijo que Burgos-Avilés les dijo a supervisores que necesitaba abandonar sus funciones para asegurarse que su esposa estuviera bien. Debido a que él estaba apostado en la estación de la Patrulla Fronteriza ubicada al norte de Laredo, lejos de su residencia, agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza fueron enviados a comprobar que todo estuviera bien en la casa, declaró Escamilla. Ella dijo que los agentes no encontraron evidencia de un robo y que los vecinos les dijeron que nunca hubo un robo, sino una pelea entre la esposa y la amante de Burgos-Avilés. Escamilla manifestó que el reporte no incluyó la identidad de la supuesta amante. Burgos-Avilés ha estado casado por poco más de cinco años, de acuerdo con registros obtenidos por Laredo Morning Times. La audiencia continuará el lunes. Arresto La policía dijo que Burgos-Avilés se convirtió en la principal persona de interés del caso cuando llamó al 911 al-
rededor de las 11:30 a.m. del 9 abril, para reportar que había encontrado el cuerpo de una mujer cerca de la orilla de río al noroeste de Laredo. Los oficiales que acudieron a la escena encontraron el cuerpo de un niño cerca de ella. Después que la policía identificó a la mujer como Hernández, se enteraron que Burgos Avilés tenía una relación romántica con ella. Más tarde ese día, él fue arrestado por los cargos de homicidio capital. LPD dijo que habían encontrado evidencia en una unidad de la Patrulla Fronteriza ligada al homicidio doble. “Examinamos una unidad de la Patrulla Fronteriza. La trajimos a la estación… En este momento, no podemos divulgar que fue lo que exactamente encontramos pero se rescató evidencia”, dijo el Jefe de la Policía de Laredo Claudio Treviño Jr. La Patrulla Fronteriza declaró que Burgos Avilés fue suspendido indefinidamente sin goce de sueldo. Los cuerpos fueron descubiertos en una zona de maleza al sur del parque Father Charles McNaboe al noroeste de Laredo. Cada uno sufrió lesiones múltiples, según la policía. LPD no ha revelado cómo pudieron haber muerto o si se cree que perdieron la vida en otro lugar.
TORNEO DE CAZA 1 1er Torneo de caza de cerdo y depredadores del sur de Texas, el 28 de abril de las 10 a.m. hasta el 29 de abril a las 10 a.m. Mayores informes en Brush County Insurance Agency, 702 Hidalgo Blvd., Suite 4, en Zapata, o al teléfono 956-750-3600. TORNEO DE SOFTBOL 1 Torneo de Softbol Batalla de las Insignias, donde particiarán bomberos y policías del Condado de Zapata, el 28 de abril, a beneficio de Israel “Ike” Gutiérrez. Cuota de entrada 150 dólares más 10 dólares para los umpires de los equipos. Mayores informes con Martha al 956251-3075 o con Carlos al 956-269-6436. COCINA SALUDABLE 1 Cena esta nocheEscuela de Cocina Saludable, organizado por Texas A&M AgriLife Extension del Condado de Zapata, el 4 de mayo, de 6 a 8 p.m., en Zapata High School. Mayores informes en la Oficina de Extensión de Zapata, en el 956765-9820 i regístrese en Zapata County Courthouse, suite 249 en el segundo piso. EVENTO CONTRA LUPUS 1 3er. evento anual contra Lupus, el 10 de mayo en el parque Bravo. Mayores informes con Gilda Jasso al 956-2379456 y 956-2088390.
ADUANAS Y PROTECCIÓN FRONTERIZA
ROMA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
NOCHE DE LAS ARTES
Agente salva vida de infante
Estudiantes del distrito escolar Roma Independent School District participan en una obra de teatro presentada durante el evento Noche de las Artes, donde participaron estudiantes de todos los campus, el miércoles por la noche.
E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
La rápida respuesta de un oficial de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza (CBP por sus siglas en inglés) del Puerto de Entrada Laredo en el Puente Puerta de las Américas fue crucial cuando prestó auxilio y salvó la vida de una pequeña de seis meses de edad durante un incidente el fin de semana. El domingo, 15 de abril, en el Puente Entrada de las Américas, el Oficial Supervisor de CBP Michael Garza fue informado de que una menor de seis meses se estaba ahogando con comiCortinas da. El oficial de CBP Juan Cortinas estaba trabajando en Control Secundario de Pasaportes (PCS) cuando escuchó un fuerte grito por parte de la madre de la menor. El Oficial Cortinas se mantuvo en calma y respondió rápidamente a brindar ayuda cuando vio a una menor tratando de tomar aire. El Oficial Cortinas tomó a la bebé de brazos de su madre y la colocó sobre su rodilla y empezó a darle palmadas en la espalda. Después de varias palmadas en la espalda, la infante tosió y empezó a respirar normalmente. Personal de Servicios de Emergencias Médicas fue contactado y llegó al Puente Puerta de las Américas. El personal de Servicios de Emergencias Médicas evaluó a la menor y agradeció al oficial Cortinas por responder rápidamente y tomar la iniciativa para reaccionar. “Nuestro oficial de CBP fue más allá de su deber al tomar la iniciativa y salvar la vida de una pequeña”, dijo el Director de Puerto Albert Flores del Puerto de Entrada Laredo. “Este oficial de CBP es un perfecto ejemplo de los valores que persigue Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza, una agencia que tiene la tarea de proteger nuestras fronteras, siendo profesionales todo el tiempo y ayudando a la comunidad”.
Foto de cortesía / Roma ISD
COLUMNA
Presuntos dólares para Madero Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Sobre la Revolución Mexicana pesan señalamientos de financiamiento extranjero para derrocar al dictador Porfirio Díaz. Encontrados puntos de vista al respecto sostienen investigadores serios. “Los americanos aliándose directa o indirectamente con el movimiento (revolucionario) lo han hecho con la esperanza de vengar algún sentimiento … contra el gobierno de México”, declara el secretario de Hacienda José Ives Limantour. Ante periodistas neoyorkinos desestima los motivos ciertos del colapso por venir y lanza velados reproches a corporaciones estadounidenses del sector
energético. A la Standard Oil Company le autorizan labores exploratorias y de explotación. Sus planes de pronto caen por tierra, al cancelarle Díaz las concesiones. Francisco I. ProbMadero lemático socio de esta firma, también acumula disgustos Henry Clay Pierce, magnate de la Waters Pierce Oil Company. Facilidades arancelarias le permitirían importar de EU insumos e instala aquí las primeras
refinadoras; en Árbol Grande –entonces municipio de Tampico. Tras monopolizar el mercado interno de queroseno y lubricantes, adquiere el control del Ferrocarril Central Mexicano, que era la mayor empresa de nuestro país. El régimen porfirista coarta de golpe dichos intereses rieleros, absorbiéndolos en Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México. Barrida la dictadura, aparecen indicios que alientan suspicacias. Marcial Ocasio Meléndez puntualiza: “La refinería Árbol Grande de Pierce … dejó de pagar impuestos municipales –los únicos que pagaba—durante el gobierno de (Francisco I.) Madero”. Pero advierte que lo anterior denota acaso “la mentalidad procapitalista” del mandatario.
Sports&Outdoors
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 21, 2018 |
A7
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
New series details Dez’s frustrations By Kate Hairopoulos THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
In light of Dez Bryant’s release last week, it will only be natural for viewers of a soon-to-be-released "docuseries" that chronicles the Cowboys’ 2017 season to scrub every second for indications the team would ultimately move on from its onetime superstar receiver. Signs are there in "All or Nothing: The Dallas Cowboys," a Prime Original series produced by NFL Films. And the eight-episode show, available to be streamed in its entirety April 27 on Amazon, dives headfirst into the heart of the matter. It asks if Bryant is simply in a mid-career lull or a permanent decline. It captures his signature fire and growing frustration. Yet the unfiltered dialogue and remarkable behind-the-scenes access doesn’t necessarily surprise anyone who followed Bryant’s eight-year career in Dallas. What would be his last season with the Cowboys comes off as complicated, but that’s not new. His catches and drops, smiles and scowls have always been hyper-analyzed, but were simply part of the package before
50-yard touchdown after breaking a tackle on a slant pass.
the 100-yard games and 1,000-yard seasons evaporated. Here are some storylines from All or Nothing that help detail how it got to this point. Growing frustrations Bryant led Dallas in receiving last season but wanted more targets, and how he deals with the ongoing issue is a central theme. "Just because you said something, you get viewed as if you’re angry," Bryant says while in a position meeting with Dooley and the other receivers. "But you not angry, you just calling out that fact." Bryant’s frustration at not getting more opportunities came out during a game at Washington in October. "Come on, coach," Bryant says to Garrett during the game. "I’m wearing these mother (expletive) out." He tells quarterback Dak Prescott that he didn’t get the ball when he was in single coverage. Then he does it again. After a fade to the end zone that does come his way is too high, Bryant comes to the sidelines saying, "I just need a chance."
Brad Penner / Associated Press file
The Cowboys released wide receiver Dez Bryant last week opting to move on from their former All-Pro playmaker to shed his salary in 2018.
When he does get a chance later, Bryant drops a ball in the end zone. Lack of connection with Dak The inability for Bryant and Prescott to connect on a consistent basis is clear. During one practice, Bryant points out to Dooley that the second-year QB isn’t placing the fade pass where he wants it. "The fade is you and him, it ain’t us," Dooley tells Bryant. "Y’all got to get together." Dak and Dez are shown discussing at length the throw — one they were never really
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
able to connect on as the season went on. When former longtime Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo returns to call an upcoming game against Kansas City for CBS, Romo and Bryant talk about how much they worked on the fade during their years together. During the broadcast, Romo stresses that Prescott isn’t placing the ball where Bryant prefers. Connecting is still an issue when the Cowboys play in December at the New York Giants. Bryant is shown dropping two passes he should’ve caught. Finally, he scores a
Bryant and the coaching staff Bryant has said his directness with the coaching staff may have contributed to his departure. He doesn’t bite his tongue in "All or Nothing." In Week 2, before a game at Denver, Dooley is preparing the receivers to face a tough Broncos secondary. Bryant erupts in the receivers meeting room. "You always praise these mother (expletive)," he says. "Why not we just can’t go out there and beat the (expletive) out of them? Why can’t we get words of (expletive) encouragement? I’m not trying to come at you wrong, but that’s all I’ve been hearing." In a coaches-only meeting after the blowout loss at Denver, the coaches are critical of Bryant’s play, noting a drop that turns into an interception and saying it got worse from there. The edge Garrett talks a lot about how he wants to see an edge in all of his players. Bryant displays it in a practice late in the season
leading up to the Oakland game. Bryant and rookie cornerback Jourdan Lewis go one-on-one in practice. Smack talk escalates, as the jawing continues while the team is stretching at the end of practice. Garrett calls Bryant and Lewis up for a oneon-one drill to settle the score. Bryant gets by Lewis and goes up and catches the ball. He then spins it at Lewis and gets right in the rookie’s face. Teammates end up holding the two apart. After the practice flareup with Lewis, Bryant goes deep while talking with an assistant coach, an insightful glimpse into his mindset late in the pivotal season. "I’m who I am, and that’s never going to change," Bryant said. "Jourdan just got caught in the crossfire, that’s all that was. I even apologized to him... Those are just frustrations built up inside. I just want to win. . I want that Super Bowl, and I know we can get that mother (expletive). I know that for a fact... It aint got nothing to do with ability, technique, none of that... It’s here (he points at his head). I love this game.”
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
NBA mourns death of Gregg Texans GM Gaine ‘optimistic’ Popovich’s wife, a ‘real star’ Clowney deal will get done A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
By Aaron Wilson, John McClain
SAN ANTONIO — LeBron James fought back tears. Former President Bill Clinton offered condolences. Craig Sager’s daughter tweeted that she was “just sick” over the news. Such is the regard that so many, from so many walks of life, have for San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose 67-year-old wife, Erin, died Wednesday after a long battle with a respiratory problem. Spurs star Manu Ginobili says the team is “devastated, we are all hurting.” But the players will “go out there and compete” and respect Popovich’s philosophy of playing with “fire” and “determination.” Added San Antonio’s Tony Parker: “It puts everything in perspective. It’s way bigger than basketball.” The Spurs trail the Golden State Warriors 2-0 in the first round, with the playoff series shifting to San Antonio on Thursday night. The 69-year-old coach ran practice Wednesday but will not be on the sideline for Game 3. Assistant Ettore Messina will coach the team. Clinton reached out on Twitter to the coach and his daughters: “I join the NBA family and countless fans across the country who are thinking of you, Jill, and Micky tonight as you mourn the loss of your Erin.” The Spurs asked the media to respect the family’s privacy. General manager RC Buford said at Thursday’s shootaround he spoke to Popovich, who is “overwhelmed by the support” but “wants our focus to be about the
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Courtesy photo / San Antonio Spurs
Gregg Popovich missed Game 3 Thursday while mourning the loss of his wife Erin who passed away Wednesday.
game today.” “Erin and Gregg were best friends who were together for 40 years, and Erin’s impact and influence on our organization, on our families, on our players and their families will be felt for years to come,” Buford said. Popovich has been a mentor to countless players and coaches, never afraid to speak out on social issues or rebuff a wayward question from a reporter. His humor is sharp, and just the other day he was the one in the film room who shouted “Go Warriors!” Warriors coach Steve Kerr, one of those mentored by Popovich, declined to talk at practice, a rarity for him. Warriors star Stephen Curry tweeted that he is “lifting up prayers” for the coach and his family. After Popovich ran practice Wednesday, Ginobili and Parker spent time with the coach that evening. “She was a great lady,” Parker said. “I always thought of them like a dad and a mom, everybody knows that. He was always very private, but I had an opportunity to see
him in a different way.” Kacy Sager was heartsick because of the bond her late father shared with the coach. When the longtime broadcaster returned to his TNT job in 2015 after treatment for leukemia that ultimately took his life, Popovich granted an interview if for no other reason than to welcome Sager back. “Pop went out of his way to make sure our family knew we had his support when my father passed. ... I hope the Popovich family are also able to find strength in all of the love this community has to give,” Sager said on Twitter. LeBron James calls himself a “huge Pop fan.” He was visibly upset by the “devastating news” after Game 2 of the Cavaliers-Pacers series. Popovich has coached San Antonio since 1996, leading the Spurs to five NBA titles. He also is the current Olympic men’s basketball coach. Popovich met his wife at the Air Force Academy in the 1970s when he was an assistant coach for the Falcons. Erin’s father, Jim Conboy, was Air Force’s head athletic trainer.
Texans general manager Brian Gaine has a strong conviction that one of his biggest offseason goals will get accomplished. Gaine is bullish on the Texans' chances of hammering out a blockbuster contract extension with Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney. "I'm optimistic that something will get done," Gaine said. No deal is imminent, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly. A contract for Clowney could be one of the richest deals signed by a defensive player in NFL history. It's regarded as an eventuality, not a possibility. Clowney could become the highest paid nonquarterback in the NFL, which would entail topping the six-year, $114.1 million contract of Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller. That deal includes $70 million guaranteed and an average annual salary of $19.016 million. The Texans love Clowney's skill set and attitude. "Height, weight, speed, pass-rush ability, disruptive player, plays the run well," Gaine said. "We're doing our best to fortify [roster] and we'd like him to a part of it." Entering his fifth NFL season and due a $12.306 million club option, Clowney has emerged as one of the top defensive players in the gamee. "I want to be here, too," Clowney said revcently. "Hopefully, they lock me in. I want to be here forever. I know it will come soon. It would mean a lot.
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle file
The Texans are already thinking about extending outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney’s contract.
"It would be great, something I always dreamed of. I don't want to leave this team. I've been here since the beginning. I want to stay here. I want to finish my career here, so I'm looking forward to that. Hopefully, they lock me in." Acquiring high-character players important to Gaine As he approaches his first draft as the Texans’ general manager, Gaine said Friday that character is important to him when it comes to selecting players. Owner Bob McNair’s philosophy has been to avoid players with patterns of bad behavior because he believes they can become divisive in the locker room. That philosophy won’t change under Gaine, who was part of the team’s last four drafts and free agency periods before leaving for Buffalo in June. “I’m very sensitive to the character portion of our process,” Gaine said
during his predraft news conference. “We spent a lot of time evaluating that (character) because I’m sensitive to the impact it can have on the locker room, the weight room, the training room and when you get on the practice field. “I want to know exactly what we’re getting from a football and character standpoint. I’m certainly aware that we’re bringing players into our community, and that weighs heavily on me. I want to make sure we’re bringing good character people here. “As it relates to measuring character: I think minor-major. If it’s a minor characteristic, you’re studying it on a case-bycase basis, and you want to know the whys. If it’s a major characteristic, you certainly assess it. I think when you draft players, you try to eliminate your margin for error and assess risk, whether you take him in the first, second, sixth or seventh round.”
A8 | Saturday, April 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER BUSH From page A1 Haiti, the 74-year-old said had admired Barbara Bush for years, including for her work promoting literacy . “She was a very sweet lady and she loves people,” said Orlando, who was carrying a gray suitcase containing framed photos of the couple and members of their family, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura. Varney Johnson, a 49-year-old local social worker originally from Liberia, said he also came to honor the former first lady’s work in supporting literacy efforts, saying: “This woman dedicated her life to educating children.” Jessica Queener, who works in special educa-
NAFTA From page A1 The talks are meant to produce a wide-ranging NAFTA, not just new rules for automotive production, Guajardo said. “There’s no sense to modernize NAFTA, to upgrade NAFTA, if it’s not based on what you have built in the original one,” while adding in provisions for the new and modern economy, he said. “We’re well-advanced on telecom, energy and digital trade. This is a comprehensive NAFTA.” How quickly a deal is reached will depend “on the flexibilities that all the parties at the table show,” he said. Talks have been focused until now mostly on the crucial auto sector issue, and negotiators are
tion and wears a cochlear implant to help with hearing loss, said Barbara Bush’s work in education and helping people with disabilities “really resonates with me on a personal level but also professionally.” Queener was in Houston from Washington, D.C., with her husband for work, and they decided to attend events honoring the former first lady, who Queener also credits for being a positive influence on her husband when he signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. “I believe that Barbara Bush is a mother and a grandmother to every American,” added Jamie Sumicek, 52, of Houston. “Whether you’re Democrat or whether you’re Republican, whether you’re young or old, she is the matriarch of America. That’s what moved me to visit.”
A hearse containing the former first lady’s casket arrived before daybreak at the church. Her body was to be in repose until midnight. Among the officials allowed in earlier were the Senate’s majority whip, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. The invitation-only funeral will be held Saturday behind her husband’s presidential library at Texas A&M University, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Houston. The burial site is in a gated plot surrounded by trees and near a creek where the couple’s 3year-old daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953, is buried. In a statement released Friday, the family said Barbara Bush had selected son Jeb to deliver a eulogy along with her
The countries have said they’re hopeful for something by early May, though the U.S. has indicated it may be only a deal “in principle.” Key figures struck a generally upbeat tone.
“take the time it takes to get a good deal,” Freeland said. Negotiators will stay in Washington over the weekend before the ministers meet again next week, Freeland said. Videgaray said the ministers would meet Tuesday in Washington. Freeland regularly calls auto rules of origin -- which govern what share of a car needs to be made in the three countries to be traded tarifffree under NAFTA -- the most important issue. “If we can get that right, that will be the core of a successful agreement and negotiation,” she said Thursday. “A Canadian focus right now is on being sure we get the details right, being sure we come up with an outcome that is actually workable for our companies.”
“making good progress,” Freeland said Friday. The countries had energetic and productive talks during what she says is now essentially a “continuous” negotiating round, though she too has cautioned against assuming a deal is imminent, as has Trudeau. Canada will
Refugio Ruiz / AP
Migrants wait for a northern-bound train in Guadalajara, Mexico. The remnants of the migrant caravan continue their journey north toward the U.S. border.
MIGRANTS From page A1
had seating for only 42 people in the north-central state of Hidalgo.
Eighty are from Guatemala, among them 45 minors accompanied by relatives.
David J. Phillip / AP
Former U.S. first lady Barbara Bush lies in repose during the visitation of former first lady Barbara Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal Church on Friday.
longtime friend Susan Baker, wife of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, and historian Jon Meacham, who
wrote a 2015 biography of her husband. Some 1,500 guests were expected to attend, including first lady Mela-
nia Trump, former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, and former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 21, 2018 |
X3
BUSINESS
Black men arrested at Starbucks get an apology By Errin Haines Whack A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PHILADELPHIA — Rashon Nelson initially brushed it off when the Starbucks manager told him he couldn’t use the restroom because he wasn’t a paying customer. He thought nothing of it when he and his childhood friend and business partner, Donte Robinson, were approached at their table and were asked if they needed help. The 23-year-old entrepreneurs declined, explaining they were just waiting for a business meeting. A few minutes later, they hardly noticed when the police came into the coffee shop — until offi-
cers started walking in their direction. “That’s when we knew she called the police on us,” Nelson told The Associated Press in the first interview by the two black men since video of their trespassing arrests April 12 touched off a furor around the U.S. over racial profiling, or what has been dubbed “retail racism” or “shopping while black.” Nelson and Robinson were led away in handcuffs from the shop in the city’s well-to-do Rittenhouse Square neighborhood in an incident recorded on a white customer’s cellphone. In the week since, the men have met with Star-
bucks’ apologetic CEO and have started pushing for lasting change at the coffee-shop chain, including new policies on discrimination and ejecting customers. “We do want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anybody again,” Robinson said. “What if it wasn’t us sitting there? What if it was the kid that didn’t know somebody that knew somebody? Do they make it to jail? Do they die? What happens?” On Thursday, they also got an apology from Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross, a black man who at first staunchly defended his officers’ handling of the incident.
Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC / TNS
Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, the two men arrested at a Starbucks, tell their story on "Good Morning America" on Thursday.
Tech companies pull stocks lower in afternoon trading By Alex Veiga A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
U.S. stocks were on course Friday afternoon to finish lower for the second straight day, weighed down by a broad slide led by consumer goods and technology companies. The latest market tumble comes as bond yields continued to rise, reflecting increasing investor concerns of higher inflation in the wake of rising commodity prices. The S&P 500 index fell 29 points, or 1.1 percent, to 2,663 as of 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 261 points, or 1.1 percent, to 24,403. The Nasdaq composite lost 105 points, or 1.5 percent, to 7,132. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks gave up 11 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,562. “Higher commodity prices, a little bit more inflation pressure and higher interest rates, that sort of takes some wind out of the sails for equity markets, at least short-term,” said Edward Campbell, senior portfolio manager at QMA, a business unit of PGIM. Mattel was one of the biggest decliners among consumerfocused companies. The struggling toy maker slid 4.1 percent to $12.90 after announcing that CEO Margo Georgiadis is stepping down and is being succeeded by a company director and former studio executive. Several technology companies were trading lower, extending the sector’s losses this week. Apple led the slide, losing 4.1 percent to $165.75. Shares in Skechers USA plunged 27.1 percent to $30.69 after the footwear company issued a second-quarter forecast that was far weaker than analysts had expected.
Study finds about 7 in 10 adults now have bank account By Ken Sweet ASSOCIAT ED PRE SS
Richard Drew / AP
NYSE Global Head of Listings John Tuttle, right, watches as GrafTech CEO Dave Rintoul, left, breaks the gavel as a ceremonial bell to mark his company's IPO Thursday.
Stanley Black & Decker dropped 6.4 percent to $144.71 after the tool company said commodities costs rose in the first quarter and sales of outdoor products got off to a slow start. General Electric climbed 4.5 percent to $14.62 after the conglomerate reported quarterly results that beat Wall Street’s expectations. Crude oil prices reversed an early slide triggered by news that representatives from OPEC nations and allied oil ministers were meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss their agreement to maintain cuts to production in a bid to keep prices up. Benchmark U.S. crude gained 9 cents to settle at $68.38 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added 28 cents to $74.06 per barrel in London. In other energy futures trading, heating oil rose a penny to $2.12 a gallon. Wholesale gasoline picked up 2 cents to $2.10 a gallon. Natural gas gained 8 cents to $2.74 per 1,000 cubic
feet. Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 2.95 percent from 2.91 percent late Thursday. While financial sector stocks declined overall, some banks got a boost from rising bond yields, which drive up interest rates on mortgages and other loans. Regions Financial gained 2.8 percent to $18.65. The dollar rose to 107.60 yen from 107.41 yen on Thursday. The euro fell to $1.2283 from $1.2337. The pound weakened to $1.4023 from $1.4078 after the Bank of England’s governor cast some doubts about the possibility of a rate increase next month. Gold fell $10.50 to $1,338.30 an ounce. Silver dropped 8 cents to $17.16 an ounce. Copper was little changed at $3.14 a pound. In Europe, Germany’s DAX slipped 0.3 percent, while France’s CAC 40 gained 0.2 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.4 percent. Asian stock indexes finished lower. Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.1 percent. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.4 percent, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.9 percent.
NEW YORK — Roughly seven out of every 10 adults worldwide now have some form of bank account, the World Bank said Thursday, largely due to the proliferation of cell phone-based bank accounts and other simple bank account programs in places like India and Sub-Saharan Africa. The finding is a sign of the improved financial wellbeing of those living in developing countries and particularly women, who increasingly have a safe place to store their savings and are able to participate in the growing digitalization of the global economy. But women still lag behind their male counterparts in bank account ownership, the World Bank report said. An estimated 69 percent of adults had some sort of bank account in 2017, up from an estimated 51 percent in 2011 and up from 62 percent in 2014. That translates into an additional 515 million adults now having a bank account compared to three years ago. The figures were released as part of the World Bank’s Global Findex Report , a study on financial inclusion released every three years that involves interviews or surveys of 150,000 people covering 144 countries representing 98 percent of the world’s population. A chunk of the growth came from India, the world’s secondmost populous country, where
bank account ownership has more than doubled from 40 percent to 80 percent in six years. Since 2014, the Indian government has been pushing a program to sign up individuals for simple, no-fee accounts tied to government biometric identification cards. While usage of those accounts is mixed, the World Bank report was not measuring whether or not a bank account is used, just if an adult had one or not. Sub-Saharan Africa saw big growth as well, fueled by mobile phone-based accounts. These “mobile money” accounts, as they are sometimes known, are tied to a person’s cell phone account instead of a bank, and allow users to transfer money to family or businesses. In countries such as Kenya, roughly three quarters of Kenyans have a mobile money account, and other Sub-Saharan countries like Zimbabwe and Uganda also saw jumps in mobile phone account usage in the last few years. Mobile money accounts also appear to be gaining popularity in other parts of the continent as well, not just East Africa, to places like West Africa. World Bank experts expect that mobile money accounts will be the primary way to drive the remaining 1.7 billion people without a bank account into financial services. The bank estimates that 1.1 billion of those 1.7 billion unbanked adults have a mobile phone, and could be more easily brought into the financial system.
X4 | Saturday, April 21, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Prosecutor says Prince thought he was taking painkillers By Amy Forliti A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MINNEAPOLIS — Prince thought he was taking a common painkiller but instead ingested a counterfeit pill that he probably did not know contained fentanyl, a Minnesota prosecutor said Thursday as he announced that no charges would be filed in the musician’s death. Carver County Attorney Mark Metz said Prince had suffered from pain for years and was addicted to pain medication. While some of the superstar’s associates might have enabled his drug habit and tried to protect his privacy, authorities found “no direct evidence that a specific person provided the fentanyl.” “In all likelihood, Prince had no idea that he was taking a counterfeit pill that could kill him,” Metz said. Metz’s announcement came just hours after the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that a doctor who was accused of illegally prescribing an opioid for Prince agreed to pay $30,000 to settle a civil violation of a federal drug law. Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg allegedly wrote a prescription for oxycodone in the name of Prince’s bodyguard, intending
Adam Bettcher / Getty Images
Carver County Attorney Mark Metz announces that no criminal charges will be filed in the Fentanyl death of Prince Rogers Nelson at Carver County Court on Thursday.
for the potent painkiller to go Prince. That prescription was not linked to Prince’s death. Prince was 57 when he was found alone and unresponsive in an elevator at his Paisley Park studio compound on April 21, 2016. His death sparked a national outpouring of grief and prompted a joint investigation by Carver County and federal authorities. An autopsy found he died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin. Metz said several pills were found at the Paisley Park complex after Prince died, and
many of them were not in their original pharmaceutical containers. Some of those pills were later determined to be counterfeit, and state and federal authorities have been investigating the source of the fentanyl for nearly two years. “My focus was lasered in on trying to find out who provided that fentanyl, and we just don’t know where he got it,” Metz said. “We may never know. ... It’s pretty clear from the evidence that he did not know, and the people around him didn’t know, that he was taking fentanyl.” Metz’s announcement effectively closed the case.
Richard Hartog / The New York Times
Two years after Prince’s death by accidental fentanyl overdose, Minnesota authorities announced on that though a doctor who did treat him will pay a $30,000 fine for writing an illegal prescription, no one will face criminal charges over how Prince obtained the opioid.
‘60 Minutes’ report details progression of Alzheimer’s By David Bauder ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Matt Slocum / AP
Bill Cosby gestures to a supporter as he arrives for his sexual assault trial Thursday at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown.
Expert says pills could have affected Cosby accuser By Michael R. Sisak A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby’s chief accuser could have been made woozy either by the cold and allergy medicine Benadryl or by quaaludes, an expert testified Thursday as the prosecution rested in the comedian’s sexual assault retrial. The identity of the pills that Cosby gave Andrea Constand before a 2004 sexual encounter at his home has been one of the most enduring mysteries of the case. Constand testified that Cosby gave her three blue pills that knocked her out and then he violated her. Cosby, now 80, has said he gave her Benadryl to help her relax and that she consented to a sexual encounter. Dr. Timothy Rohrig, a forensic toxicologist called by prosecutors, testified Thursday that Benadryl’s main ingredient can cause sedation, “mental clouding” and even short-term amnesia, as well as muscle weakness and clumsiness. He said Benadryl’s manufacturer indicated it produced the medication in blue tablets until 2010. The company’s website shows that an “allergy plus congestion” variety currently comes in blue. Rohrig said quaaludes — the 1970s-era party drug that Cosby has acknowledged giving to
women before sex — also have a tendency to make people sleepy. Prosecutors rested their case after Rohrig got off the witness stand. The defense immediately asked Judge Steven O’Neill to acquit Cosby and send jurors home, arguing prosecutors hadn’t proved aggravated indecent assault charges. O’Neill refused. The defense also contended there’s no evidence to prove the alleged assault happened within the 12-year statute of limitations. Prosecutors countered that Constand and Cosby have both said the encounter was in 2004, pointing out Cosby was arrested in late 2015, just before the deadline to charge him. As the legal wrangling continued, Thursday’s testimony focused on the unidentified drug that Cosby gave Constand on the night she says he molested her. Constand said Cosby called the pills “your friends” and told her they would “help take the edge off.” She testified earlier this week that Cosby refused to tell her what they were when she confronted him about two months later. Her mother testified that Cosby told her in a January 2005 phone conversation that he’d have to look at a prescription bottle and would send the answer to her by mail. She said he never did.
NEW YORK — Filmed over 10 years, a “60 Minutes” report this weekend shows in startling detail the progression that Alzheimer’s disease takes on a patient. CBS medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook began interviewing Mike and Carol Daly of Staten Island, New York, in 2008, shortly after Carol learned of her diagnosis. She was mildly forgetful but functional, although upset at how it had affected her ability to cook, or enjoy books and movies. “I don’t want to be like this, I really don’t,” said Carol Daly, then 65. LaPook went back to the couple, who volunteered for the project, six more times. By this January, Carol Daly was uncommunicative and slumped in a wheelchair with restraints holding her in place. She required round-the-clock care. “It broke my heart,” LaPook said of the most recent visit. While there may be clinical studies, the national Alzheimer’s Association is unaware of any broadcast report that followed a patient with the disease
CBSNews/60Minutes / AP
From left are Mike Daly, his wife Carol Daly, social worker Dan Cohen and CBS News correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. LaPook followed Alzheimers patient Carol Daly for 10 years.
over this length of time in this manner, said Mike Lynch, a spokesman for the group. “We would hope that it raises awareness about the challenges these families face, given that it’s a very devastating disease,” Lynch said. “People are aware of that, but to see it really up close and personal, it will have an impact.” LaPook found the couple a decade ago when he was doing a story about research into treatment of the disease, and proposed the extended look. His first five reports were broadcast on “CBS Evening News,” and “60 Minutes” accepted his pitch to take a longer
look at their experience. Considering most Alzheimer’s patients generally survive four to eight years from the initial diagnosis, Daly has already exceeded that. Just as illustrative as the changes in his wife is the progression of her husband, a retired New York City police officer. He talked bravely of taking care of her at first, viewing duties such as helping her with her makeup as returning the favor for years that she had done things for him. Years later, he said darkly of the burden of full-time caregiving: “I’m ready to put the gun to my head.”
Dixon to try skills on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ By Jenna Fryer ASSOCIATED PRE SS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scott Dixon will be the latest IndyCar driver to enter the realm of reality TV when he auditions in Indianapolis next week for “American Ninja Warrior.” The four-time IndyCar champion, nicknamed “The Iceman,” thought it sounded fun when he was approached with the idea of trying out. As the competition has drawn near, Dixon is wondering what he got himself into. “I feel a lot of pressure on this one,” Dixon said Thursday in a telephone interview. “When it got to be about a month away, I figured I should start training for it, and it’s pretty hard stuff.” IndyCar drivers Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden and Tony Kanaan all auditioned for the show, which follows competitors as they tackle a series of obstacle courses in qualifying rounds across the country. None of IndyCar’s contestants advanced out of the first round
Rick Scuteri / AP
Scott Dixon will be the latest IndyCar driver to enter the realm of reality TV when he auditions in Indianapolis next week for "American Ninja Warrior.
and neither did NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Dixon’s appearance comes about the same time the Game Show Network has Sebastien Bourdais as a guest host for “Daily Draw” for the entire week leading into the month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Most recently, Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly teamed to finish fourth on “The Amaz-
ing Race,” and James Hinchcliffe was a runner-up last year on “Dancing With The Stars.” Castroneves is a former “DWTS” winner. Dixon, the 2008 winner of the Indianapolis 500 who ranks fourth on IndyCar’s all-time wins list, is accustomed to success. But the New Zealander not so sure he’s going to become the next great ninja. Most of his fitness work focuses on endurance training, and preparing for the obstacle course has taken Dixon out of his element. “It’s not my wheelhouse,” he said. “This is agility kind of stuff and I’m looking forward to the process. I’m not looking forward so much to the failure, because it’s going to happen at some point, so I guess I just have to make the most of it and enjoy the experience.” Dixon was famously robbed at gunpoint in the drive-thru of a Taco Bell last year hours after he won the pole for the Indy 500. Asked if his ninja training will have him better prepared should that happen again, he did not think so.