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KARNES RESIDENTIAL CENTER
DACA PROGRAM
COMPANY STRUGGLES TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER
Young immigrants won't 'rest easy'
Kathy Willens / AP
In this 2015 file photo, immigration reform group America's Voice, conducts interviews in New York.
By Nomaan Merchant ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON — Young immigrants protected by executive action from deportation say they won't "rest easy," even if President Donald Trump says they should. Several "dreamers" told The Associated Press on Friday that they were not comforted by Trump's pledge, in an AP interview, that he wouldn't target the almost 800,000 people brought to the U.S. as children and living in the country illegally under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program enacted by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump Trump told the AP that his administration is "not after the 'dreamers,' we are after the criminals." "Here is what they can hear: The 'dreamers' should rest DACA continues on A10
US/MEXICO BORDER
Eric Gay / AP
In this 2014 file photo, detained immigrant children line up in the cafeteria at the Karnes County Residential Center, a temporary home for immigrant women and children detained at the border, in Karnes City, Texas.
Immigration advocates say holding children in detention is harmful By Meredith Hoffman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
A
USTIN, Texas — A top private prison company is struggling to convince Texas lawmakers to license one of its facilities to hold immigrant parents and their children together — a practice that President Donald Trump's administration recently committed to upholding. The Karnes Residential Center, 60 miles south of San Antonio, opened as a family detention center in 2014 and used to hold detainees for months, until a federal judge ruled that children held longer than 20 days must be housed in "non-secure" facilities with child care licenses. After the Texas Department of Family Protective Services granted Karnes a license, advocates sued, saying that holding children in detention causes
psychological and physical harm. A state judge ruled last year that family detention centers did not qualify for licenses. Now legislators are considering easing requirements for child care facilities, but opponents say the bill would license the centers without improving conditions. Attorneys have warned that it could invite a costly lawsuit. A state representative who introduced the measure acknowledged that the proposed legislation came directly from GEO Group, the nation's secondlargest private prison company, which operates Karnes. "I've known the lady who's their lobbyist for a long time ...That's where the legislation came from," said state Rep. John Raney, a Republican from the rural town of Bryan. "We don't make things up. People bring things to us and ask us to help." Earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said parents and children caught crossing the Mexican border would generally be allowed to stay together. His comment to a Senate committee contrasted with earlier pronouncements that his agency was considering separating families as a deterrent to would-be border crossers, mostly from Central America. Kelly said families caught crossing the border illegally generally would not be separated unless the Families continues on A10
El Paso leaders condemn Sessions’ remarks ASSOCIATED PRE SS
EL PASO, Texas — Community leaders in El Paso are condemning remarks made by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions during a visit to their city that they say portray the border as a war zone. Sessions said Thursday that the border is “ground zero” against cartels and transnational gangs. He also called the border a “beachhead.” The community leaders say such rhetoric harms El Paso, which is located on the U.S. border with Mexico. El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar called Sessions’ comments “offensive” and said they promote a completely erroneous perception of the border. Sessions Escobar told the El Paso Times that the city already has a challenging time recruiting professionals, and that such rhetoric provides an incorrect answer to one of the first questions professionals ask when they consider moving here: whether it’s a safe place. Sessions, who is on a tour of the U.S.-Mexico border with Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Border continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, April 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
TAMIU Scholarship Benefit Concert. 7 p.m. Laredo ISD Civic Center, 2400 San Bernardo Ave. One of México’s most revered mariachi music groups, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán de Guadalajara, will perform their concert México Mágico. The annual event is presented by TAMIU and benefits the Artist in Residence Program and mariachi music student scholarships. Tickets are $40, $30 and $25 and available at the TAMIU Bursar’s Office in Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, room 137, or by calling Andria Hernández at 956.326.2152.
Today is Saturday, April 22, the 112th day of 2017. There are 253 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On April 22, 1864, Congress authorized the use of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins.
El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jarvis Plaza. Free and open to the public. Free parking in El Metro Transit Center, 1301 Farragut (with a market purchase voucher). The Farmers Market will be celebrating Earth Day, providing the community with organic, local grown products in a fun way. There will also be music by a local DJ, acoustic live music, a dance performance, a Zumba demo and face painting.
SUNDAY, APRIL 23 Spaghetti lunch. Noon to 1:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall. Sponsored by the United Methodist Men. No admission fee, free-will donations accepted.
MONDAY, APRIL 24 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
Evan Sisley / AP
This Thursday photo by the Office of George H.W. Bush shows former President George H.W. Bush with his son former President George W. Bush at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston.
GEORGE HW BUSH TO STAY IN HOSPITAL
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 “A Toast to 25 Years of Music, Art and Fashion.” 11:30 a.m. Laredo Country Club. The Volunteer Services Council for Border Region Behavioral Health Center invites the community to this event to celebrate Administrative Professional Day Luncheon and Fashion Show. A raffle will also be held at the event. To purchase a table, contact Laura Kim at 956-794-3130 or blaurak@borderregion.org.
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting . 3 to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speaker: Celso Sanchez, "Don Tomas Sanchez, The Founder of Laredo.” Members free, guests $5. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 7631810. Spanish Book Club. 6 to 8 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library, conference room. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. VMT journalism students' 21st Annual Photography Exhibit opening reception. 6 to 8 p.m. Laredo Center for the Arts. Laredo Area Community Foundation Gallery. For more information, contact Mark Webber at mwebber004@laredoisd.org. VMT's literary magazine Tapestry is having its annual unveiling. 6 p.m. Second floor at the Laredo Center for the Arts. For more information, contact Mark Webber at mwebber004@laredoisd.org.
MONDAY, MAY 1 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
FRIDAY, MAY 5 2017 Laredo Open. May 5-7. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
SATURDAY, MAY 6 Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. 2017 Laredo Open. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
SUNDAY MAY 7 2017 Laredo Open. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
HOUSTON — Former President George H.W. Bush got a hospital visit from another former president — his son. A photograph was posted on Bush's Twitter account Thursday, showing him with former President George W. Bush. Both were smiling as the elder Bush spent another day at a Houston hospital where he's under observation after recovering from a mild case of pneumonia. Family spokesman Jim McGrath reports
Prosecutors reopen sex assault case dropped by Austin school police AUSTIN, Texas — Prosecutors are reopening the sexualassault case of a 4-year-old girl at a South Austin school two months after it was closed by school police who failed to
no changes Thursday for the 92-year-old Bush. On Wednesday, Bush was said to be gaining strength and in good spirits. He was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital last Friday for treatment of a persistent cough. Doctors determined he had pneumonia, and they say the illness was treated and has been resolved. Bush served as president from 1989 to 1993. His son served from 2001 to 2009. — Compiled from AP reports
check her medical report. The Austin AmericanStatesman and KVUE-TV of Austin report that medical report documents bodily trauma consistent with forced sexual assault. Austin school district police Chief Eric Mendez says officers called to the hospital where the girl was being treated interviewed her. But when she couldn't iden-
tify her assailant, the officers classified the crime report as "unfounded." Only after the girl's parents and their attorney showed the medical report to prosecutors was the case reopened. Mendez said he would meet with his department's detectives to discuss how they handled the girl's report. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Coin toss decides winner of small town election MARION, Ill. — The flip of a coin on Thursday decided the next leader of a tiny town in southern Illinois after an election earlier this month ended in a tie. Williamson County Clerk Amanda Barnes said Bryan Riekena let fellow candidate Tammy O'Daniell-Howell choose heads or tails before the coin toss. She picked heads. Barnes said she "let it just fall to the ground" and it landed on heads, making O'DaniellHowell village president in Colp, home to about 250 residents. After her victory, O'Daniell-Howell said she made a promise to Riekena, that if she won she would work to find a place for him on the village board. "I intend to honor that promise," said the lifelong resident of the village. "We need young voices, we need change, and we
Isaac Smith / AP
Tammy O'Daniell-Howell shakes the hand of Bryan Reikena after winning the coin toss to win the election for Colp Village.
need growth." O'Daniell-Howell has been the village clerk since 2009. Riekena describes his occupation as "geek." He attended Southern Illinois University on a swimming scholarship and stayed in the area after earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry. O'Daniell-Howell said her
long-term plans for the town include creating a community center, which would also function as a storm shelter. Barnes said she let both candidates inspect the 2016 North Dakota quarter before she tossed it. "It was the shiniest one I found in the office," she said, adding the event "went very smoothly." — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Venezuela officials: 12 killed overnight CARACAS, Venezuela — At least 12 people were killed overnight during looting and violence in Venezuela's capital amid a spiraling political crisis, authorities said Friday. Most of the deaths took place in El Valle, a working class neighborhood near Caracas' biggest military base where opposition leaders say a
group of people were hit with an electrical current while trying to steal a refrigerator from a bakery. Two days of huge protests on the streets of Caracas against the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro spilled into a violent Thursday night in several parts of the city, with residents in El Valle witnessing repetitive gunfire, street barricades set aflame and more than two dozen businesses looted. Amid
On this date: In 1889, the Oklahoma Land Rush began at noon as thousands of homesteaders staked claims. In 1930, the United States, Britain and Japan signed the London Naval Treaty, which regulated submarine warfare and limited shipbuilding. In 1937, thousands of college students in New York City staged a "peace strike" opposing American entry into another possible world conflict. In 1946, Harlan F. Stone, chief justice of the United States, died in Washington, D.C., at age 73. In 1952, an atomic test in Nevada became the first nuclear explosion shown on live network television as a 31-kiloton bomb was dropped from a B-50 Superfortress. In 1954, the publicly televised sessions of the Senate Army-McCarthy hearings began. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson opened the New York World's Fair. In 1970, millions of Americans concerned about the environment observed the first "Earth Day." In 1987, Joe Hunt, leader of a social and investment group called the "Billionaire Boys Club," was convicted by a jury in Santa Monica, California, of murdering Ron Levin, a con man whose body was never found. In 1994, Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, died at a New York hospital four days after suffering a stroke; he was 81. Ten years ago: In the first round of the French presidential election, conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist rival Segolene Royal received enough votes to advance to a runoff, which Sarkozy won. Five years ago: George Zimmerman was quietly released from a Florida jail on $150,000 bail to await his seconddegree murder trial in the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. The U.S. and Afghanistan reached a deal on a strategic partnership agreement ensuring that Americans would provide military and financial support to the Afghan people for at least a decade beyond 2014, the deadline for most foreign forces to withdraw. In the first round of the French presidential election, Socialist Francois Hollande narrowly edged conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy, sending the candidates to a May 6 runoff, which Hollande won. One year ago: Leaders from 175 countries signed the Paris Agreement on climate change at the United Nations as the landmark deal took a key step toward entering into force years ahead of schedule. President Barack Obama, visiting London, made a forceful plea for Britons to heed Prime Minister David Cameron's call to stay in the European Union and dismissed critics who accused the U.S. president of meddling in British affairs. Eight members of the same family were shot to death at four locations in rural southern Ohio in a still-unsolved case. A man in Appling, Georgia, shot five people to death before killing himself. Today's Birthdays: Actress Charlotte Rae is 91. Actress Estelle Harris is 89. Singer Glen Campbell is 81. Actor Jack Nicholson is 80. Singer Mel Carter is 78. Author Janet Evanovich is 74. Country singer Cleve Francis is 72. Movie director John Waters is 71. Singer Peter Frampton is 67. Rock singer-musician Paul Carrack (Mike and the Mechanics; Squeeze) is 66. Actor Joseph Bottoms is 63. Actor Ryan Stiles is 58. Baseball manager Terry Francona is 58. Comedian Byron Allen is 56. Actor Chris Makepeace is 53. Rock musician Fletcher Dragge is 51. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan is 51. Actress Sheryl Lee is 50. Actress-talk show host Sherri Shepherd is 50. Country singer-musician Heath Wright (Ricochet) is 50. Country singer Kellie Coffey is 46. Actor Eric Mabius is 46. Actor Ingo Rademacher is 46. Rock musician Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down) is 43. Rock singer-musician Daniel Johns (Silverchair) is 38. Actor Malcolm Barrett is 37. Actress Cassidy Freeman is 35. Actress Michelle Ryan is 33. Actress Amber Heard is 31. Singer-songwriter BC Jean (Alexander Jean) is 30. Thought for Today: "That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach." — Aldous Huxley, English author (1894-1963).
CONTACT US the confusion, mothers and newborn children had to be evacuated from a maternity hospital named after the late leader Hugo Chavez when it was swamped with tear gas. The Public Ministry said the violence left 11 people dead in El Valle, all men between the ages of 17 and 45. Another death was reported east of Caracas in El Sucre. Six other people were injured. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 22, 2017 |
A3
LOCAL & CRIME Ex-investigator gets probation in theft case A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — An exHarris County district attorney’s office investigator must serve five years’ probation and repay $157,000 in an evidence theft case involving rare comic books. The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday that a federal judge sentenced Lonnie Blevins, who pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen goods. Prosecutors say Blevins sold some of the more than $1 million in collectibles at
trade shows in San Antonio and Chicago. Blevins testified against ex-partner Dustin Deutsch, also formerly an investigator with the DA’s office. Deutsch was convicted in state court of theft by a public servant and received five years in prison. Officials say the items were among evidence against a man later convicted of embezzling from a company. Restitution goes to the company and to dealers who bought stolen items from Blevins.
Ex-Dallas Cowboy found guilty of battery ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WICHITA, Kan. — Former Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle has been found guilty of aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, criminal threat
Texas man gets 18 years for shooting romantic rival A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
NEW BOSTON, Texas — Authorities say an Northeast Texas man who shot a romantic rival in the back then drove the victim to a hospital must serve 18 years in prison. Barry Kendall Green of Simms was sentenced Thursday in New Boston. The 35-year-old Green
earlier pleaded guilty to assault causing serious bodily injury. Green sought probation over last September’s attack on 40-year-old Michael Brad Hooks. Prosecutors say Green argued with a woman he dated and she threatened to resume a relationship with Hooks, prompting Green to say he’d make
sure that wouldn’t happen. Bowie County sheriff’s investigators say Green told them he grabbed a shotgun, drove to Hooks’ home, shot the victim and then took him to a hospital. A doctor testified Hooks suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs and lost a kidney.
and marijuana possession after striking three people with his car as he left a house party in Kansas. KAKE-TV reports that the jury couldn’t reach a verdict Friday on two charges of aggra-
Travis Heying / AP
This 2016 photo shows former Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle in Wichita, Kansas.
vated battery and a count of criminal damage to property. A mistrial was declared on those counts. Judge Kevin O’Conner put those back on the May 1 docket. Randle is accused of kicking in the door at a
home in Wichita in 2016, then hitting three people with his car as he fled what he called a hostile situation. He’s also charged with running from police officers trying to serve him with a warrant following the attack.
San Antonio officer fatally shoots knife-wielding man ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO — Authorities say a San Antonio police officer has fatally shot a man who charged at him with a knife as the officer intervened in a fight between the man and the man’s girlfriend. San Antonio police Chief William McManus
said the man was fighting with his girlfriend when the officer was flagged down Thursday. McManus says witnesses told police the suspect pulled a knife and the woman tried to take it away. He says the man broke free and charged at the officer, who deployed his stun gun.
McManus said that the stun gun was ineffective, so the officer “resorted to the use of his firearm.” The officer will be placed on administrative duty while the shooting is investigated. McManus says, “From what we’re hearing, the officer did everything right.”
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, April 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
OTHER VIEWS
COLUMN
How Bill O’Reilly used religion to fuel fear Right to bring the culture wars to the front and center of American politics. It’s ironic that Bill O’Reilly tried to disO’Reilly — perhaps the tinguish secular progresmost prominent Catholic sives as the far left of politconservative on American ical ideology. Driving fear television — was fired the of possible persecution, he same day he met Pope accused the group of marFrancis. ginalizing people of faith, The two occupy different intellectual parts of the particularly in positions of political leadership. Catholic Church, and the “It is long past time for television personality has made his disdain for some the secular progressive movement to stop deniof the pope’s positions grating people of faith,” he known. said in 2015. “I believe After Francis derided most fair-minded Amerthen-candidate Donald icans get angry when they Trump’s proposed border hear fanatics attacking wall last year as “not Christian,” O’Reilly took to folks who believe differently than they do . . . The the airwaves to push back big reason the secular on the pope. At the time, progressive movement has he said, “I would suggest succeeded so well is the to Pope Francis, that millack of religious leadership lions of Americans have been harmed economically in America.” By pitting the left by our immigration system against religion, O’Reilly which desperately needs was making a clear claim: reform. I think I could the Republican Party persuade the pope that should be the natural providing protection and political home for religious enforcing settled law is Americans. certainly not un-ChrisAnd in doing so, he tian.” It’s unlikely that O’Reilly oftentimes defied Catholic teaching to give his own ever got that chance to try Christian imprimatur on a to persuade the pope on Wednesday when he brief- GOP initiative, most notably during the Iraq War in ly shook hands with the 2003. A defiant O’Reilly pontiff in Rome while on said then that Pope John vacation. O’Reilly’s dismissal from Paul II was misunderFox News brings an end to standing Jesus’ teaching by opposing the Iraq War: his 20-year helm as a de“I admire John Paul as a facto champion of the philosopher and as a huReligious Right in estabmanitarian. I simply think lishment Republican polihe’s a terrible administratics. During his tenure, tor and is wrong about O’Reilly helped to shepherd the once-fringe right- dealing with killers.” O’Reilly’s religious wing movement into the shtick won him many heart of the GOP by marrying a religious movement admirers. In his 2013 New York Times best-selling with right-wing media. book “Killing Jesus,” O’Reilly regularly inO’Reilly attempted to retell voked religion as a part of the story of the crucifixion his show and acted as an of Jesus in an accessible aggressive right-wing prophet decrying the elitist way for his audience. The Catholic Church claims secular left. Perhaps the Bible was inspired by O’Reilly imagined himself the Holy Spirit, and likeas a modern-day King wise O’Reilly claimed his David, a prophet and book was as well. But as psalmist, who with eloscholar Candida Moss quence and persistence, would protect God’s people wrote when the book came out, “The Holy Spirit from the Goliaths of today may have inspired ‘Killing - most notably the left. Jesus’ but he didn’t factIn O’Reilly’s heyday, he was a mainstream champi- check it.” Loose facts didn’t matter, as Moss on of the Religious Right. argues, because O’Reilly’s His annual tirade against Holy Spirit helped him sell the “War on Christmas,” books. By setting himself fueled fear that a muchbeloved holy day would be up as a prophet, O’Reilly knew his audience, knew culturally cast aside for a mere “Happy Holidays.” In their values and knew how to appeal to them. 2012, he said the left was King David had a fatal “tying the Christmas situaflaw: his sexual miscontion into secular progresduct with women. After sive politics.” Why? Bebeing confronted by the cause they wanted “a new prophet Nathan, David America, and traditional repented and changed his Christmas isn’t a part of ways. But according to it.” O’Reilly’s accusers, he was For O’Reilly and Fox never able to repent and, News, the most damning because of the continued evidence of this supposed coordinated effort was the allegations against him, ultimately lost his kingObama White House’s dom. refusal to say “Christmas” on their annual holiday cards, part of a bigger Hale, a contributor to Fox effort by O’Reilly and his and a columnist for TIME allies on the Religious on faith. By Christopher Hale WA S H INGT ON P O ST
COLUMN
When student protesters defeat their own cause By Cass R. Sunstein BL OOMBERG VIEW
At Middlebury College, student demonstrators recently shut down a speech by Charles Murray, the conservative author, in the process injuring a Middlebury professor who was accompanying him. At Claremont McKenna College, student protesters this month succeeded in shutting down a speech by Heather Mac Donald, another conservative author. In a subsequent letter, students from the adjoining Pomona College explained that Mac Donald "is a fascist, a white supremacist, a warhawk, a transphobe, a queerphobe, a classist, and ignorant of interlocking systems of domination that produce the lethal conditions under which oppressed peoples are forced to live." Officials at the University of California at Berkeley this week canceled a scheduled speech by Ann Coulter, the conservative author, on the ground that the school could not "find a safe and suitable venue" for her. Outbursts of campus activism can be good, potentially even great. But far too often, they turn out to be about expressing what students regard as the correct values, rather than actually improving people’s lives. Expressive protests take up a lot of time and energy, and produce an abundance of passion. But they tend to do little or nothing to address the injustices that students say they want to remedy. Efforts to shut down speakers are the worst and the most extreme form of campus expressionism. It should go without saying that at colleges and universities,
Outbursts of campus activism can be good, potentially even great. But far too often, they turn out to be about expressing what students regard as the correct values, rather than actually improving people’s lives. Expressive protests take up a lot of time and energy, and produce an abundance of passion. But they tend to do little or nothing to address the injustices that students say they want to remedy.
free speech is indispensable, and interferences with it are deplorable. But I want to emphasize a different point: Those who shut down Murray and Mac Donald apparently thought that they were striking a big blow for justice, but they really weren’t. What probably happened is that like-minded students, talking mostly to one another, got all stirred up to the point where they went to indefensible extremes. That’s a pervasive risk in politics, and it is a hallmark of campus expressionism. If the goal is to combat "interlocking systems of domination," students have a lot of opportunities, whether the activity involves helping particular individuals who face terrible conditions, or devoting time and attention to some kind of reform that might produce systemic change. Instead of silencing speakers, how about helping victims of domestic violence, or working on behalf of increasing the earnedincome tax credit, one of the best programs for combatting poverty? To be sure, most forms of campus expressionism
are a lot less harmful than efforts to shut down speakers. Officials at Harvard, my university, recently announced that they are seeking substitutes for the final line of the alma mater, written in 1836, which ends: "Be the herald of Light, and the bearer of Love/Till the stock of the Puritans die." According to one faculty member, the line could be seen as "complicit with racism." In my view, the reference to the Puritans has some charm, but it’s a product of a particular time and place, and it’s not a horrible idea to find a substitute for it. But careful scrutiny of old song lyrics isn’t exactly the best way to change the world. It belongs in the same category as protest activities about old statues or names on old university buildings, perhaps the most common recent form of campus expressionism. At Princeton, for example, students engaged in a 32-hour protest and sit-in at the office of President Christopher Eisgruber, asking him to excise Woodrow Wilson’s name from its buildings and programs because
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letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
Wilson believed in racial segregation. But how, concretely, would it further the cause of racial justice if Princeton dropped the name of its former president (and the president of the United States)? Were the protesting students focusing their time and attention in the right place? No one should deny that symbols matter, because they can affect how people experience their institutions. It is important to reckon with history, and in some cases, changing names might make sense, especially if a building was originally named after a prominent defender of slavery. But far too often, student expressionism looks inward at college life, rather than outward at the world, focusing on what is happening on campus rather than in places where people most need help. It ensures that students will devote their limited time, idealism and concern for justice to actions or reforms that do little or nothing to improve human lives. Previous generations of student activists contributed immeasurably to the civil-rights movement and the fight against sex discrimination. On the right, they helped create the Federalist Society, which has transformed how judges and lawyers think about the Constitution. On the left, they have given life to the movement for LGBT rights. In the current era, student activists would do well to think much less about how to express their values and instead to focus insistently on a single question: If I succeed, how many people will I actually be helping? Sunstein is a Bloomberg View columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 22, 2017 |
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A6 | Saturday, April 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
STATE
Five injured in FDA finalizes refusal to give Texas execution drug shipment Texas house A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
GALVESTON, Texas — Federal officials on Thursday finalized their refusal to allow Texas prison officials to receive a foreign shipment of a drug the state has used to execute death row inmates. The refusal centers on a shipment of 1,000 vials of sodium thiopental detained by federal officials at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport in July 2015. The drug was from an unidentified foreign drug supplier. In a document filed Thursday in federal court in Galveston, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it "has made a final decision, refusing admission of the detained drugs into the United States." The decision is
based on the FDA view "that the detained drugs appear to be unapproved new drugs and misbranded drugs. As such, the shipments must be exported or destroyed," FDA spokeswoman Lyndsay Meyer said in a statement. Federal officials have said the drug has no legal uses in the United States, but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office has sued for the drugs to be released. Texas has carried out 542 lethal injections since 1982, including four this year, and has used the sedative pentobarbital for executions since 2012. The barbiturate sodium thiopental previously was part of a three-drug process Texas used for executions. According to the lawsuit, the state's use of the
drug falls within a "law enforcement" exemption, is not for patient use and is labeled as not for patient use. The drug is solely used by law enforcement as part of enforcing lawfully imposed capital sentences through lethal injection, Paxton asserted. The lawsuit also pointed out the drug has been used for anesthetic purposes since before the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was enacted in 1938. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which operates the state prison system, is now considering its next move. "It has taken almost two years for the Food and Drug Administration to reach a decision which we believe is flawed," Jason Clark, a spokesman for
the department, said in a statement. "TDCJ fully complied with the steps necessary to lawfully import the shipment. We are exploring all options to remedy the unjustified seizure." Corrections departments in death penalty states around the U.S. have had difficulties obtaining execution drugs since traditional drug manufacturers — many of them under pressure from capital punishment opponents — have barred sales of their products for lethal injection use. Texas prison officials have declined to provide any details about the state's ordered drugs. A state law that took effect in September allows Texas to withhold the identity of its lethal injection drug provider.
explosion
DAWSON, Texas — Officials are trying to determine what caused an explosion at a house that injured five people in a small Texas town. Authorities responded late Thursday night to an explosion at the home in Dawson, located about 70 miles south of Dallas. Navarro County Sheriff Elmer Tanner said first responders had to sift through remnants of the collapsed house to rescue those injured. He says
Legal rulings could force Texas back into federal oversight By Paul J. Weber ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Kin Man Hui / AP
Russ Studebaker surveys peaches to pick from his crop of Fire Zest peach trees Thursday in Stonewall, Texas.
Texas peach crop challenged by lack of cold weather By Lynn Brezosky SA N AN T ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
SAN ANTONIO — Winter pretty much stood up South-Central Texas this year, and the neglect is showing in this season’s scanty crop of Hill Country peaches. “Some things bloomed really extended and long, and some didn’t take, so it’s been really an interesting year,” peach grower Russ Studebaker said. “We’ll have, I think, about a 30 percent crop, which is better than nothing. So we’re happy about that.” The San Antonio Express-News reports lacking an adequate number of “chill hours,” most buds didn’t get the blasts of cold needed to break out of dormancy. What did bloom into fruit tended to be the earlier varieties, ones nudged along with special treatments or experimental types bred to be “low chill,” like the Texas A&M Fire Zest peaches flourishing inside the high tunnels at Studebaker’s orchard in Blumenthal. The varieties that tend to be ready later in the summer appear to have taken the season off. “The lack of chill hours is a big deal,” said Larry Stein, extension horticulturalist with Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center. Plants that don’t get enough chill hours are slow to leaf out, which typically leads to poorly developed fruit or no fruit at all, Stein said in a news release. How warm was it? Yvette Benavides, a mete-
orologist at the National Weather Service for Austin-San Antonio, said the average temperature from December through February was 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit, making for the warmest South-Central Texas winter since 1907. The 20th-century winter average for the area is 48.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Jim Kamas, AgriLife Extension horticulturalist in Fredericksburg, said the winter was the warmest he could remember in 22 growing seasons, providing only 525 of the minimum 800 to 850 chilling hours most trees need to break out of dormancy and properly develop. “The trees look like it’s still winter,” he said. “Leaves are still slow to emerge.” Peaches in general will be in higher demand than usual this year, as a mid-March cold blast that missed the Texas orchards hit the ones in Georgia and South Carolina hard. South Carolina, which has a $90 million annual peach crop and is the largest peach-producing state on the East Coast, lost an estimated 85 percent to 90 percent of its peaches after record low temperatures wiped out early blooms from what had been an unusually warm winter. Strawberry and blueberry producers also saw deep losses. Officials in Georgia, which ranks third in peach production after California and South Carolina, estimated at least half the peach crop was destroyed in a freeze that cost farmers over
$100 million in losses. “The early spring that we have been experiencing the last few weeks has led to early blooming of our peach crop and unfortunately the freezing temperatures killed any open flowers and possibly compromised emerging buds,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said in a March 15 news release. The sweet spot may be California, where Roger Duncan, a pomology and viticulture farm adviser based in Modesto, could think of no major problems affecting the southern part of the state’s fresh market peach crop. “I think in general it’s probably going to be just fine,” he said. Although that’s good news for peach lovers, it may not be enough to comfort fans of Hill Country peaches. Texas may be a small player in the grand scheme — its 9 million pounds of peaches in 2016 was dwarfed by California’s 1.2 billion pounds, South Carolina’s 136 million pounds and even Georgia’s 86 million pounds — but Hill Country producers boast that their elevation and soils replete with mineral deposits from ancient seas make for the most flavorful peaches around. The area’s peach growers have built a niche market on that flavor. While some sell to regional farmers’ markets, most do a brisk business just letting customers come to them. During the late spring and summer months, stands selling peaches, pies, cobblers and preserves
spring up in Fredericksburg and east along U.S. 290 to Stonewall and as far as Johnson City. The Stonewall Peach JAMboree and Rodeo, which this year runs June 16 and 17, celebrates Stonewall as the selfdeclared “Peach Capital of Texas,” with activities including a peach-eating contest and the coronation of the peach queen. Jamey Vogel, a grower who is president of the Hill Country Fruit Council, said the best advice for Hill Country peach fans is to check the council’s website and plan their visits early in the season, as the outlook isn’t good for varieties that usually come out in late June, July and August. “Our crop is not as strong as our last three pretty good crops,” he said. “Our early stuff is pretty strong; there should be enough to meet most of the retail demands. The later stuff, we’ll have to do with what we have.” Ricky Priess of Gold Orchards in Stonewall was even less optimistic, saying that while he’d have plenty of vegetables, homemade peach ice cream, and peach pies, cobblers, breads and preserves to sell, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to muster up enough peaches for customers to tote home this summer. “I don’t know if we’ll have any to sell,” he said. “I’ll just have to see how they turn out. I know I was hoping there was going to be a few more, but it doesn’t look like they’re really growing.”
three people were flown to a Dallas hospital and two others had injuries not believed to be life threatening. He had no update Friday on the conditions of those taken to the Dallas hospital. Tanner says authorities will interview the survivors to try to determine the cause of the explosion. He says there was also a small fire after the explosion, but it was quickly extinguished.
AUSTIN, Texas — A run of legal defeats over its voting laws means Texas could risk becoming the first state forced back into federal oversight since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act four years ago. The justices' 2013 ruling struck down a provision in the 1965 law that required Texas and other states with troubled histories of racial discrimination to "pre-clear" any voting law changes with the federal government before enacting them. However, it left standing a scarcely used provision in the act that minority groups are now embracing as an emergency brake. Under the provision, the preclearance mandate can be restored if a state is found to intentionally discriminate against minorities. On Thursday, a federal court reached that conclusion about Texas for the third time in roughly a month — decisions dealing with its voter ID law and Republican-drawn electoral maps. The possibility of Texas returning to federal oversight is likely still down the road, since more pressing for Democrats now is getting a federal court to order new Texas voting maps for 2018 after racial gerrymandering and voter dilution were found in the ones originally drafted by Republicans in 2011. The latest 2-1 decision by a federal panel in San Antonio this week found race was used in statehouse redistricting to intentionally "undermine Latino voting opportunity." New maps could make some congressional Republicans in Texas more vulnerable in the first midterm elections under President Donald Trump, and potentially swing seats to Democrats in the Legislature, where Republicans currently have overwhelming control. But opponents of Texas' voting laws say they will press courts to again require the state to fall under federal "preclearance" before changing future voting laws. Similar efforts are also unfolding in North Carolina, where a voter ID law that was struck down as racially discriminatory could be taken up by the Supreme Court early as Monday. "You've had now six court rulings that have found intentional discrimination," said Demo-
cratic state Rep. Rafael Anchia, who chairs Texas' Latino legislative caucus. "If that's not enough to (restore preclearance), I don't know what is." Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said this week he is confident the state will ultimately prevail. His stance is that the recent redistricting rulings are moot because they pertain to maps that were redrawn by courts before ever being used in an election. The original maps were drawn following the release of 2010 U.S. Census Bureau figures that showed Hispanics accounting for two of every three new Texas residents in the previous decade. Texas GOP legislators bristle at claims they passed a strict voter ID law — which courts have since weakened — and voting maps with the purpose of undermining the growing electoral power of minorities. "I disavow that. Did anybody here intend to discriminate against minorities when we voted that?" Republican state Rep. Larry Phillips said on the House floor earlier this month. "That's what we were just told. They were saying we intentionally did that. We had intent to do that. I reject that." His words were punctuated by applause in the chamber, which Republicans control 95-55. In 2013, the Supreme Court effectively gutted the part of the Voting Rights Act under which all or parts of 15 mainly Southern states had been required to submit all voting changes for approval from Washington before they could take effect. That decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, said it was no longer fair to subject those jurisdictions to strict federal monitoring based on data that was at least 40 years old. Texas is already home to the first local government forced back under preclearance: a federal judge in January required the Houston suburb of Pasadena to submit voting changes to the U.S. Justice Department. Michael Li, an elections expert with the New-York based Brennan Center for Justice that helped sue over Texas' voter ID law, said there have been few preclearance battles like the ones opponents in Texas are now waging. He said courts could wait until Texas appeals the recent findings of intentional discrimination before weighing whether the state again needs federal supervision.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 22, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CAMINATA/CARRERA
1 Hoy sábado 22 de abril se llevará a cabo la Tercer Carrera/Caminata Anual 5K para concientizar sobre el autismo. Costo de registro: 20 dólares para adultos y 5 dólares para menores de 10 años. Evento comienza a las 8 a.m. en el Corte del Condado de Zapata, 200 E. 7th Ave. Para más información llame al 956-236-2672 o 956-334-9220 DÍA DE LA TIERRA 1 Por segundo año consecutivo, la Ciudad de Roma invita a la Recolección de Llantas para celebrar el Día de la Tierra, el sábado 22 de abril, desde las 8 a.m., en la Plaza Guadalupe.
MIGUEL ALEMÁN, MÉXICO
BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU
Seguro popular Buscan afiliar más beneficiarios E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Miguel Alemán, México— La oficina del Seguro Popular busca incrementar el número de afiliados a este programa de salud. “Hasta la fecha tenemos un número aproximado de 40 personas que se han afiliado, 25 de ellos han renovado su póliza y mas de 30 han acudido para preguntar sobre los requisitos necesarios para el trámite del Seguro Popular”, informó la oficina del Seguro Popular.
INSCRIPCIONES DE PRE-KINDER 1 ZCISD iniciará inscripciones para pre-kinder el próximo jueves 27 de abril en cada campus de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m. y de 2 p.m. a 4 p.m. Los documentos necesarios para la inscripción son la tarjeta de seguro social, tarjeta de inmunización y copia de identificación del padre de familia.
La oficina del Seguro Popular, instalada en la planta baja de la presidencia municipal con sus titulares Lic. José Antonio López Polanco y el Biólogo Miguel Angel Gutierrez Alanís, hicieron extensiva una invitación a todos los habitantes de Miguel Alemán para que se beneficien de este programa federal. Ambos funcionarios municipales expresaron recibir la instrucción directa de la primera autoridad en el municipio, Profra. Rosa Icela Corro Acos-
ta, para que se le dé la agilidad necesaria a este asunto y puedan acceder al programa, la mayor parte de los habitantes de nuestra ciudad. La alcaldesa, por su parte solicitó el apoyo de su departamento de Comunicación Social para la creación de la publicidad necesaria y la información específica, para que los interesados en el Seguro Popular acudan a inscribirse a las oficinas que están ubicadas en la planta baja de la presidencia municipal.
CITY OF ROMA FIRE DEPARTMENT
CARRERAS SOBRE RUEDAS
CAMINATA/ CARRERA 5K 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita al Tributo a las Fuerzas Armadas con Caminata/Carrera 5K iniciando en Guadalupe Plaza, el sábado 20 de mayo a las 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. MUSEO EN ZAPATA 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983. LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.
A7
Foto de cortesía | City of Roma Fire Department
Oficiales del Departamento de Bomberos de la Ciudad de Roma hablan sobre su trabajo a estudiantes de la escuela primaria YB Escobar durante el evento Career on Wheels el jueves.
Evite productos “verdes” engañosos Por Miguel Segura BURÓ DE ME JORE S NEGOCIO S
¿Está considerando "volverse ecológico" y comprar productos ambientalmente seguros? En reconocimiento del Día de la Tierra (Earth Day) este sábado, 22 de Abril, el Buró de Mejores Negocios alerta a consumidores que estén atentos con mercadotecnia verde que suena genial, pero puede ser engañosa. De acuerdo con la Comisión Federal de Comercio (FTC), muchos vendedores utilizan "greenwashing" - el acto de engañar a los consumidores con respecto a los beneficios ambientales de un producto - para convencer a los consumidores de que sus productos son respetuosos con el medio ambiente. La FTC informa a consumidores que busquen información específica sobre los envases y productos, explicando como el producto es verde. Entonces, ¿cómo diferenciar productos “verdes” reales de aquellos que dicen ser respetuosos con el medio ambiente? BBB y la FTC recomienda que tenga cuidado con estas luces rojas: 1 Productos anunciados como “Libres de”. Las compañías que usan reclamos como "libre de", "no tóxico" o "amigable con el ozono" pueden ser una preocupación. Los productos que están "libres" de un producto químico deben poder comprobarlo - y que el producto está libre de cualquier otro ingrediente que presenta el mismo tipo de riesgo . Si un producto declara que es "no tóxico", el producto debe tener pruebas de que es seguro para los seres humanos y el medio ambiente, o debe especificar a cuál se aplica la reclamación. 1 Productos que reclaman utilizar menos residuos. Una empresa declarando que su producto produce menos residuos debe tener un ejemplo, estadística o comparación para respaldar su reclamo. La etiqueta debe usar un lenguaje como "el paquete está hecho con un 85 porciento de material reciclado". 1 Observe atentamente los sellos y las certificaciones. Algunos productos pueden contener sellos oficiales y certificaciones con palabras como "Earth Smart". Pero, ¿qué significan? Busque información sobre el envase que indique las conexiones que la empresa tiene con la organización detrás del sello. 1 Material biodegradable o compostable. Muchos productos dicen ser "biodegradables", lo que significa que se descomponen en elementos encontrados en la naturaleza cuando se exponen a la luz, el aire y la humedad.
COLUMNA
Jorge Yapur, artista con visión propia Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEM P O DE ZAPATA
Audaces embarcaciones construyen los fenicios. Ensanchan horizontes con ellas, dándole al Occidente en ciernes semillas de civilización desde el Líbano antiguo. Don Juan Yapur Elías y doña Sdagía Sherife de allá zarpan mucho después. Igual acaso que ancestros remotos, tras arduas travesías alcanzan el flanco opuesto del orbe. Escasos de equipaje, desembarcan sobrados de anhelos y, como movidos por designios insondables, de todos los sitios posibles escogen procrear en suelo mexicano a su descendiente postrero. El maestro Jorge Yapur Sherife nace el 18 de abril de 1937 a orillas del Pánuco. Justo por este río, al cabo de inmemoriales navegaciones habrían venido los huastecos, de raíces asimismo milenarias. Deliciosos ceramistas, orfebres de conchas y caracoles, diestros con el cincel de piedra, en linderos me-
soamericanos levantan ciudades que pulen hasta parecer de plata. Según Tezozómoc “vasallos del sol”, los huastecos esbozan tempranos apogeos en umbrales contemporáneos a las bases fenicias de nuestro alfabeto. Jorge toma conciencia del pasado consanguíneo y del pasado de su entorno. Integrándolos, sabe obtener certezas e impulso. El arte sería lo suyo. O sea, precisamente en cuanto significa crear visiones propias e interpretativas de lo real o imaginado, con originalidad estética y belleza universal. Al margen de propósitos utilitarios, el maestro desarrolla visiones mágicas, cautivantes, que celebran la vida. Para compartirlas, escoge la plástica. Lenguaje por antonomasia promisorio, Yapur le arranca bondades reservadas al talento que decanta el aprendizaje intenso, autodidacta casi. Técnicas y consistencia intelectual, por lo demás, así hacen mancuerna. Con sello de alquimista plás-
tico, Jorge va y viene del caballete a los murales. En secuencia de estilos, madura el Huastequismo, eximia propuesta estética, que considerarían rulfiana. Nunca falto de tesis respecto del asunto elegido, depura una narrativa pictórica afincada en trazos de luz que despliegan la forma, imprimiéndole perspectiva y volumen a partir de gamas cromáticas, si bien contenidas, también certeras. Bastándole incluso los matices que le procura un solo color, nos entrega resultados de axiomático genio. Su prosa escultórica adapta y desdobla estas pautas. Alentándolas el Huastequismo, las piezas recrean con bríos renacentistas los fundamentos estéticos de quienes otrora poblaron la región que versos prehispánicos llaman “de la lluvia y de la niebla”. El maestro evita, sin embargo, la réplica arqueológica o folcloroide. Por lo contrario, las esculturas insinúan en movimiento escenas que transmiten la majestuosidad y el orgullo étnico impuesto por los hijos
Foto de cortesía
Tomiyauh, nuestra linda flor de maíz por Jorge Yapur.
pródigos de Ixcuinan-Tlazoltéotl, la Madre Tierra. Sólo la crítica del tiempo quizás equilibre tanto contundencia y sobriedad, rigor y esclarecimiento. Jorge lo prevé. Cabe apuntarlo, pues varios lustros han transcurrido desde que en 1992 visitara Sevilla, antaño colonia fenicia de Hispalis. Invitado a la magna exposición con que entonces diversos países conmemoran el V Centenario del Encuentro de Ambos Mundos, exhibe ahí cuadros de
gran autenticidad, saldos de procesos implacables. El 18 de abril de 2017, el maestro Jorge Yapur Sherife hubiera cumplido 80 años de edad. Antes de ausentarse en definitiva, encuentra por fortuna la manera de permanecer entre nosotros. Tengo para mí que mientras escucha hoy nuestras palabras, retoca alguna pintura suya, perfeccionándola. O tal vez moldea figuras alucinantes y canta ‘O sole mio. En todo caso, estoy seguro de que sonríe.
A8 | Saturday, April 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Fresno killings suspect shouts during court hearing By Scott Smith FRESNO, Calif. — The suspect in this week's racially motivated shooting rampage in Fresno shouted Friday that natural disasters will increasingly hit the United States as he was ushered into a cramped courtroom for his first appearance before a judge. Kori Ali Muhammad, 39, was supposed to be officially informed about the first-degree murder charge he is accused of in the shooting death of an unarmed security guard. Authorities have said he then killed three more people in the rampage,
targeting white victims, before he was caught. But the reading of Muhammad the charge never happened because Muhammad had another outburst, yelling "Let black people go" and a phrase similar to "in reparations" that was not clearly enunciated. His court appointed lawyer, Eric Christensen, then told the judge: "I believe this gentleman may not be mentally competent to proceed." Muhammad yelled again and the judge can-
celed the proceedings, setting bail at $2.6 million and ordering a mental evaluation for Muhammad. Police have said Muhammad told them that learning he was wanted for the Williams' killing prompted him to try to kill as many white people as possible before he was caught. He shot three other white men at random Tuesday, police said, including a Pacific Gas & Electric utility worker sitting in a truck and two men who had come out of a Catholic Charities building. Muhammad fired 17 rounds in less than two
minutes, police said. Officers with help from acoustic sensors posted in the area arrested him less than five minutes after the rampage began. Muhammad said Williams showed him disrespect while Muhammad was visiting a woman at the motel, according to police. Prosecutors said they are waiting for investigators to finish compiling their case before filing charges related the other three victims. Christensen after the court hearing declined comment about his client or the authorities' case.
Lawmakers seek details from Trump on foreign payments By Kevin Frekling and Matthew Daly A S S O CIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Leaders of a House investigations panel asked the Trump Organization on Friday for specifics on how it will donate its profits from foreign government payments to the U.S. Treasury. Before taking office, President Donald Trump promised to donate profits from foreign governments paying for services at his hotels, including one near the White House. A lawyer representing Trump said the Trump Organization would turn the money over to the Treasury as
part of a broad plan to address ethics concerns over Trump's global business ties. However, Reps. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said details about the donations remain unclear. The lawmakers cite news reports indicating that the Trump Organization has received payments from foreign government sources since the inauguration, including a reception in February hosted by Kuwait's ambassador to the U.S. Chaffetz chairs the House Oversight Committee, while Cummings is the senior Democrat. They said in a letter Friday that they want to know how
payments from foreign governments are identified, how profits are calculated, how they will be donated and whether Trump or his trust plans to claim the donations for tax deduction purposes. The letter was addressed to Sheri Dillon, an attorney representing the Trump Organization, the president's global real estate, property management and business empire. Trump stepped down from the family company before taking office but still maintains financial ties to it. Dillon did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the letter. Chaffetz said earlier
this week he will not seek re-election. He has faced some criticism for his leadership of the committee and his reluctance to investigate potential conflicts involving Trump. Chaffetz was booed at a town hall in February and grilled by constituents who chanted "Do your job!" Some lawyers have claimed that foreign leaders who pay for rooms and services at Trump's hotels across the globe would put the president in violation of the "emoluments clause" of the U.S. Constitution. It bars U.S. officeholders from receiving gifts or presents from a foreign government without the consent of Congress.
Steve Helber / AP
Ten-year-old Isabella Nicola Cabrera smiles after playing her violin with her new prosthetic at the engineering department of George Mason University on Thursday in Fairfax, Virginia.
Undergrads build prosthetic arm for 10-year-old violinist By Matthew Barakat ASSOCIATED PRE SS
FAIRFAX, Va. — The pressure was on for Abdul Gouda and his classmates at George Mason University: not only did their graduation depend on the success of their project, but so did the hopes of impossibly cute 10-yearold girl. Fifth-grader Isabella Nicola wanted to play the violin, but she was born with no left hand and a severely abbreviated forearm. Her music teacher at Island Creek Elementary in Fairfax County had built her a prosthetic allowing her to move the bow with her left arm and finger the strings with her right — the opposite of how violin is usually taught. But the prosthetic was heavy and he thought there might be a better option. He reached out to Mason, his alma mater. As it happened, Gouda and his four teammates in the bioengineering department were in the market for a project — students are required to take on a capstone project their senior year, and their initial idea had fallen through. Still, Gouda admitted
some hesitation at the outset. "It's sort of a lot of pressure," he said. "You've got this young girl whose counting on you and you're expected to deliver." The team — Gouda, Mona Elkholy, Ella Novoselsky, Racha Salha and Yasser Alhindi — developed multiple prototypes throughout the year. There was a fair amount of literature on similar projects that helped them get a good start, but Isabella's case is unique to her, and the project included plenty of trial and error. Isabella communicated easily with the group and provided feedback, especially about the weight. The first came in at 13 ounces; the final version shaved an ounce or two off of that after feedback from Isabella. The team enlisted a music professor at Mason, Elizabeth Adams, who provided feedback on what Isabella would need to play the violin with some finesse. On Thursday, Isabella received her final prosthetic, built from a 3-D printer, and hot pink (at her request) with "Isabella's attachment" emblazoned on the forearm.
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 22, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Mexico seeks new home for oil imports By Sheela Tobben and Amy Stillman B L OOMBE RG NEWS
Shipments of crude to the U.S. from Mexico fell to a new low last week, extending a trend that goes back to when the Energy Information Administration began compiling preliminary weekly import data in June 2010. Imports totaled 290,000 barrels a day, a 43 percent weekly drop that may have been triggered by weather-related closings at Mexico’s key export ports this month. But the shipments have
been sinking for years. The 52-week average through April 14 was 561,000 barrels a day, down from about 630,000 a year earlier. “The latest import levels are continuing a long trend,” Court Smith, director of research with shipbrokers MJLF & Associates, said by instant message from Stamford, Connecticut. “This is because of a combination of recent rise in refinery rates and historically declining production in Mexico.” Production in Mexico has declined for 12 years
in a row and this year will be less than 2 million barrels a day, the lowest level since 1980, according to Petroleos Mexicanos, the state producer, hurting sales of the benchmark Maya heavy crude. Pemex’s six refineries are also using more of the crude, lessening the need for exports. They processed 930,400 barrels a day of crude in February, the most since June of last year, according to Mexico’s Energy Information Agency. The company expects to raise rates further to boost gasoline supply in the near term.
Revamped health care bill remains dubious in House By Alan Fram and Julie Pace A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed the significance of pushing Republican health care legislation through the House next week, a retreat from more bullish White House pronouncements a day earlier, which had gotten a skeptical reception at the Capitol. In brief comments to reporters Friday, Trump said the attempt to rekindle the GOP drive to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law is "coming along well." But he said there was "no particular rush" to do it next week, when Congress returns from its spring recess. "It doesn't matter if it's next week. Next week doesn't matter," Trump said at the White House. Those comments represent a ratcheting back from Thursday, when Trump said at a news conference that there was "a good chance" of passing health legislation soon, adding, "I'd like to say next week." Amplifying those comments, a senior White House official was also expressing confidence Thursday that a breakthrough on the mired Republican health care bill could emerge in the
House next week. That official was not authorized to discuss the internal process publicly and insisted on anonymity. The White House is eager to pass the health bill quickly, partly because Trump will likely hit his 100th day in office — April 29 — without having signed a major piece of legislation. But that goal is running straight into the time-consuming, pushand-pull reality of Congress, not to mention enduring divisions between the conservative and moderate wings of Trump's party. Many GOP lawmakers and aides have expressed doubt that the House would vote next week on health legislation, just a month after an earlier version died for lack of support within the party. They cited the higher priority of passing a spending bill to avert a government shutdown. Also, there's uncertainty over a developing deal to revive the Republican health bill. In any case, it would take time to sell such an agreement to lawmakers. Republicans are also expressing doubts that a health care compromise that's been discussed between party conservatives and moderates would win enough support to put the bill over
the top. The party has long promised to repeal Obama's 2010 health care law, and the House bill would replace it with less generous subsidies and eased insurance requirements. An outline of a deal has been crafted by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who heads the hard line House Freedom Caucus, and Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., a leader of the centrist Tuesday Group. Vice President Mike Pence also played a role in shaping that plan, Republicans say. The plan would deliver a win to moderates by amending the GOP health care bill to restore Obama's requirement that insurers cover specified services like maternity care. But in a bid for conservative support, states would be allowed to obtain federal waivers to abandon that obligation. In addition, states could obtain waivers to an Obama prohibition against insurers charging sick customers higher premiums — a change critics argue would make insurance unaffordable for many. To get those waivers, states would need to have high-risk pools — governmentbacked insurance for the most seriously ill people, a mechanism that has often failed for lack of sufficient financing.
FDA approves near-copy of Remicade for immune disorders ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Federal regulators have approved an alternative version of Remicade, an expensive injected drug widely used for rheumatoid arthritis and other immune system disorders. The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it approved Renflexis, developed by Samsung Bioepis Co. of South Korea. It will be marketed by its U.S.
Merck said Renflexis should be available in six months. The delay is required under U.S. regulations for a relatively new category.
partner, Merck & Co. of Kenilworth, New Jersey. The companies refused to disclose the list
price. Without insurance, Remicade generally costs more than $30,000 annually for adults; dosage varies with the patient’s weight. Merck said Renflexis should be available in six months. The delay is required under U.S. regulations for a relatively new category called biosimilars. That’s the industry term for generic but not quite identical versions of biotech drugs.
Texas unemployment rate slightly up 5 percent ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas unemployment rate rose slightly to 5 percent in March, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday. The statewide jobless rate was 4.9 percent in February. Nationwide unemployment was 4.5 percent in March. Amarillo had the lowest unemployment rate in Texas last month, at 3.5 percent, according to a commission statement.
The McAllen-EdinburgMission area had the highest jobless rate for Texas, at 8.5 percent. “Texas employers continue to boost the diverse Texas economy by adding jobs, including 249,000 over the year,” said Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar. The Texas economy expanded in March with the addition of 9,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs, the commission said. Employment in the professional and business
services industry recorded the largest private industry gain over the month with 13,200 jobs added. Mining and logging employment grew by 4,800 jobs in March, while Construction employment expanded by 4,000 jobs. “Texas employers continue to keep our state competitive with an overall private sector annual job growth of 210,500 with 7,000 jobs added in March, said Commissioner Ruth R. Hughs.
Texas watchdog agencies remain understaffed ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — At least 30 Texas investigative jobs remain unfilled after Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state hiring freeze in January in an attempt to save $200 million in anticipation of a budget shortfall. The Dallas Morning News reported the unfilled jobs include two at the jail standards commission and one at the Texas State Securities Board. Over 50 agencies requested waivers to the order. This week the governor granted permission to fill dozens of positions to some agencies, including the insurance department, the environmental quality commission and law-enforcement agencies.
“Public safety is a top concern for Governor Abbott,” spokesman John Wittman said Wednesday. State investigators respond to crime and safety threats in various areas. Some state employee groups and safety advocates said staff shortages have put the public at risk while potentially stalling justice for crime victims. The state nursing board has three investigative vacancies. The agency notified the governor of 4,441 open complaints, a caseload so large investigators are struggling to keep up with the demand. State investigators “serve a critically important role in society taking care of some of our elderly and most vulnerable people,” said Seth Hutch-
inson, vice president of the Texas State Employees Union. “Their workloads are going through the roof.” Hutchinson said while individual agencies sometimes stop hiring to get through budget shortfalls, Abbott’s statewide hiring freeze is “unheard of,” particularly because Texas isn’t facing a financial crisis. The state anticipates a $4 billion decrease in revenue due to a downturn in oil and gas revenue. Legislators are considering tapping into the state’s emergency savings account, which has over $10 billion, the biggest balance of any such account in the nation. The governor warned legislators not to “loot” the fund.
A10 | Saturday, April 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER FAMILIES From page A1 "situation at the time requires it." He gave as examples the mother being sick or addicted to drugs. But he said separation would not be routine. Immigration advocates say holding families in detention — a practice adopted by the Obama administration in its own effort to deter border crossers — is just as harmful and that families seeking asylum should be released to pursue their legal cases. Thirty-three people testified against Raney's bill when it was heard in committee, including pediatricians and psychologists. A similar bill is pending in a Senate committee. GEO insists that Karnes "provides high-quality care in a safe, humane, and family friendly environment" and that the company "supports any effort to provide appropriate levels of government oversight." Despite GEO's lobbying, neither version of the child care licensing bill appears likely to pass. "There were a lot of questions that need to be answered," said Republican state Rep. Byron Cook, chairman of the House Committee on State Affairs, which will have to approve the bill before it can reach the House floor. State Sen. Bryan Hughes, another Republican and sponsor of the Senate bill, said the
family facilities will probably close without licenses. He said he remains confident the bill will advance because "illegal immigration is one of the top, if not the No. 1 concern of people in Texas." GEO Group's political action committee has spent up to $320,000 lobbying the Texas Legislature since January and contributed $193,000 to Texas lawmakers' campaigns since 2013, according to Texans for Public Justice, a leftleaning political watchdog group that compiled its findings using Texas Ethics Commission filings. GEO has multiple lockups in Texas, including one announced last week that will be the first new immigrant detention center under the Trump administration. Because lawmakers have been considering several measures related to private prisons, it's hard to say how much of the money was directed specifically toward immigration detention matters. In an emailed statement, GEO disputed the group's findings. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, GEO earns about $55 million annually from Karnes, its only family facility. Karnes' population has plummeted to about 100 in the 830-bed facility. The state's other family facility, the 2,400-bed South Texas Residential Center, is run by CoreCivic, America's largest private prison operator. Its population has dropped to about 200.
A CoreCivic spokesman said his company has not been involved with the bills and takes no position on them. Both centers are operating below capacity because the flow of women and children fleeing gangs and violence in Central America to seek asylum in the U.S. has slowed dramatically. Immigrant advocates attribute the drop to more frequent turnarounds at the border by customs agents and immigrants' fears of enforcement under the Trump administration. The number of overall illegal border-crossers detained nationally has fallen since the presidential election, but federal authorities have also begun detaining more adults who are already in the country illegally. That has made adult detention centers more full than those housing families. Immigrant women in detention with their children say the lockdown buildings could never qualify as child care providers. That includes Suyapa, a 35-year-old Honduran mother who was detained with her three children and grandson in February in Karnes. "A jail isn't a school," said Suyapa, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be used since her asylum case is pending. "My son got sick and turned yellow, and they said the doctor didn't have time to see my child."
DACA From page A1 easy," Trump said. "OK? I'll give you that. The 'dreamers' should rest easy." It was Trump's latest statement expressing support for immigrants in the program, even as his administration broadly cracks down on illegal immigration. U.S. officials have promised to speed up and widen deportations, and threatened local governments that don't cooperate with federal immigration agents. "Obviously actions speak louder than words," said Saba Nafees, a 24-year-old 'dreamer' who is a graduate student at Texas Tech University. "His actions are pretty terrifying. What I've seen across the country, it's unbearable for all of these families." Juan Escalante, a 28-year-old who came to the U.S. from Venezuela at age 11, said he was "not comforted by the president's words." "He has said he will treat us with 'heart' and to 'rest easy,' and it just seems so general," Escalante said. Some young immigrants pointed to the case of Juan Manuel Montes, a 23-year-old whose attorneys say is the first person enrolled in the DACA program to be deported. After initially denying Montes was covered by DACA, federal authorities said this week that Montes had violated the conditions of the program. Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, which is representing Montes, said Trump was trying to have it both ways.
"This is a president who is saying, 'I love dreamers and I care about them as children,' and yet is turning around and traumatizing them and their families," she said. The program granted work authorization to certain immigrants brought to the U.S. before their 16th birthday. The young people who benefit are called 'dreamers' because the program mimics versions of the so-called DREAM Act, which would have provided legal status for young immigrants but was never passed by Congress. Trump has left Obama's program in place, and he said before his January inauguration that people protected under DACA would "end up being very happy." A month later, he called the program "a very difficult thing for me as I love these kids." Rafael Robles, 26, and two of his siblings have relied on the program for years to go to school and work in the U.S. Their parents brought them to the Chicago area from Mexico as young children on visitor visas, which they overstayed. "In a weird way it does put my mind at ease because at least there is something to bring forward if he were to change his mind," said Robles, who works at a real estate development company. "It sort of sends a message that they are having conversations about 'dreamers.'" But Greisa Martinez, an immigrant in the program who is also advocacy director for the group United We Dream, said Trump could push Congress to give 'dreamers' permanent legal status if he wanted.
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BORDER From page A1 Kelly, did say he believes El Paso has done a good job in keeping crime low. But that was of little comfort to area leaders. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, a Democrat from El Paso, said calling the border ground zero makes it difficult to attract professionals to
the city. He said El Pasoans, including himself, now have to work harder to share the facts and the contributions that the city makes to the security of Texas and the U.S. in general. Richard Dayoub, president and CEO of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, said Sessions’ comments are detrimental to the extensive efforts by El Paso
business and political leaders to inform and educate the country about the reality of border life. “We are, on a positive note, ground zero for economic growth as it relates to our partnership with Mexico in the NAFTA agreement that we all benefit from, not just here in El Paso, along the southern border, but throughout the
nation,” Dayoub said. Dylan Corbett, executive director of the Hope Border Institute, said, “This is not a community of violence, this is not a community that is out of control. This is a beautiful community that represents the contributions and hard work of everybody — migrant and not migrant.”
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Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 22, 2017 |
B1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
Rangers release former AL MVP Josh Hamilton Another knee injury finishes Hamilton’s time with Texas, possibly ends his career By Schuyler Dixon ASSOCIATED PRE SS
David Zalubowski / Associated Press file
The Rangers have released Josh Hamilton from his minor league contract after another knee injury to the former AL MVP.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers released Josh Hamilton from his minor league contract Friday after another knee injury, perhaps signaling the end of the 2010 AL MVP’s career. Team spokesman John Blake said Hamilton injured his right knee while
recovering from left knee surgery and will have a procedure on the newly injured knee at some point. Hamilton, who turns 36 next month, underwent reconstructive surgery on his left knee last June and left the team during spring training for another procedure after experiencing soreness. The procedure during spring training Hamilton continues on B2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
TEXANS GM SAYS NO PRESSURE TO DRAFT A QB IN FIRST ROUND
Darren Abate / Associated Press file
In Thursday’s Game 3 loss at Memphis, the Spurs saw Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker held scoreless in the same game for the first time in their careers.
Do scoreless nights from Manu, TP show the end is near? By Tim Griffin SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
The mortality of the Spurs' one-day Hall of Fame backcourt of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili has been noticeable throughout the first three games of the Spurs' playoff series against Memphis. Parker and Ginobili both were shut out in the Spurs' 105-94 Game 3 loss to Memphis Thursday night. Both players are locks to one day make the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But their score-
less games on Thursday marked the first time in their history with the Spurs that both were shut out in the same game. It was the third scoreless game in the 216 career playoff games for Parker, who turns 35 next month. And Ginobili, who turns 40 in July, has not scored in any of the first three games of the playoff series against Memphis. He was blanked once previously in his 197 playoff games before this season, but has missed Spurs continues on B2
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle file
Houston general manager Rick Smith indicates that there’s no pressure for the Texans to pick a quarterback with their first-round selection.
Rick Smith says he’s comfortable with Savage, Weeden at QB for Texans
T
here's no pressure on the Texans to use their firstround draft choice Thursday on a quarterback, according to general manager Rick Smith. The Texans have two quarterbacks on the roster, Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden, and they're expected to use a high pick on a third one, possibly even a first-round selection. In his annual state-of-the-Texans predraft news conference, Smith
admitted they'll add a third quarterback, but he doesn't necessarily have to be a draft choice. Smith reiterated what coach Bill O'Brien said earlier this month: He has confidence in Savage, who's battled injuries in each of his first three seasons. "He's proven he understands this offense and can play at a high level," Smith said about Savage. "He's been injured, so he hasn't had an extended amount of time to do that. I'm Texans continues on B2
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Romo will call two Cowboys games for CBS Sports By Barry Horn TH E DALLAS MORNI NG NEWS
Tony Romo will have to wait until Nov. 5 to work his first Cowboys game. As CBS’ lead analyst he will be alongside play-byplay voice Jim Nantz when the Kansas City Chiefs visit AT&T Stadium in a nationally televised 3:25 p.m. game. Romo and Nantz will be back at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day
when CBS broadcasts the Los Angeles ChargersCowboys at 3:30 p.m. The Cowboys Thanksgiving game traditionally draws the most viewers of the NFL season. Those are CBS’ only two scheduled Cowboys games during 2017. CBS has six games on the opening Sunday of the season, Sept. 10, but none are in the national 3:25 p.m. window. Romo and Nantz undoubtedly
will work one of them. With the Cowboys playing on NBC Sunday Night Football, CBS would be clear to send any of the five noon games to Dallas-Fort Worth. The game Romo works likely would have the most interest locally. Fox has the national game the second week of the season. Nantz and Romo get their first 3:25 p.m. kickoff in Week 3. Romo continues on B2
Chris Pizzello / Associated Press file
Former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will call two Cowboys games this year for CBS in the broadcast booth.
B2 | Saturday, April 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Astros' Musgrove working on his delivery mechanics By Jake Kaplan H OUSTO N CHRONI CLE
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The pinpoint command Joe Musgrove typically exhibits has lacked in his first three starts of the season, but the Astros' 24-year-old righthander thinks he's found a fix via a minor mechanical adjustment in his delivery. Musgrove has been working with Astros pitching coach Brent Strom on a more balanced stance out of the set position when pitching from the stretch. While still maintaining a simple and repeatable delivery, the hope is that the tweak will alleviate stress on Musgrove's right hip, which he's had issues with in the past. "I'm just trying to go for a more balanced standpoint out of the set opposed to like a pre-
ROMO From page B1 That is a definite for Channel 11. They’ll work either the Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers or Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers. CBS also doesn’t take
lot smoother and cleaner." Musgrove was born with hip dysplasia, and since it first acted up late in the 2015 season it's something he's always monitoring. He didn't encounter any hip issues last season but they started to creep back a bit during spring training. The idea is this slight mechanical adjustment will also help prevent further problems. "It's something that can be monitored and maintained. You just have to constantly stay on it," he said. "Whether that means changing up the delivery a little bit or whatever just to allow a little more freedom, that's what I'm going to try and do." Musgrove has a 5.87 ERA through three starts and has yet to complete more than 5 1/3
over production of the Thursday Night NFL Network games of the week until the fourth week of the season. NBC, with Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth in the booth, will produce the second and third Thursdays of the season on NFL Network exclusive games.
Lease: Raiders wouldn’t pay rent at tax-funded Vegas stadium
Mark Wallheiser / Associated Press file
Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson is one of many projected first-round quarterbacks available in this year’s NFL Draft.
TEXANS From page B1 comfortable (with Savage)." Smith declined to say how he would add a third quarterback, pointing out that trades, free agents and undrafted players are other routes that could be utilized. Deshawn Watson, Patrick Mahomes and Mitchell Trubisky are the topthree quarterback prospects. All could be gone by the time Smith makes the 25th overall pick – assuming he doesn't trade up. "I think it's a good quarterback class," Smith said. "I don't feel any pressure. At some point, we're going to add a quarterback." Smith talked about what the Texans look for in a quarterback prospect. "I think there are a lot of variables that go into successful quarterback play," he said. "If you start with the intangibles, there's the work ethic, the leadership, the ability to rally people. There's the ability to be able to command a room, the ability to handle adversity – all of those intangible things you look for. "Then, the physical skillset. The arm strength,
innings. He next pitches Sunday in the Astros' series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. "I feel really good," he said after working with Strom in a bullpen session Friday afternoon. "I'm constantly in between starts trying to find something to work toward, so you're not getting stagnant in between starts and doing the same stuff over and over. "I've always taken pride in the film work and all of the work in between my starts, so I feel like I've found a good little tool here that I can work on this week to hopefully get me locked in for Sunday."
load on my back hip," he explained. "That back load is kind of causing my hip to take an awkward route toward the plate, and I think an even stance out of the stretch will give me a more direct line and just take a little extra pressure off." Musgrove said in his last couple starts he's been "fighting myself to get my leg to come through freely and swing through." "I feel like we've pinpointed it down to that start point (out of the set) as kind of being the initial cause of it all," he said. "I'm hoping to have a freer follow through, which is allowing me to locate pitches better and I've been missing pitches a lot lately. (With) a freer finish with my back side and me not having to think about trying to pull my hip through, it's going to be hopefully a
the athletic ability. There's certain size – height, weight and speed – parameters that ideally we look for. There's his playing history, the style of offense he's come from. "All of those things go into an obvious comprehensive evaluation of the position because it's so important." As many as six or seven quarterbacks could be drafted in the first two rounds. Of the first-round picks in Smith's first 10 drafts, nine are still on the team and contributing. Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye (2007) started for his first four seasons before leaving when they switched to a 3-4 under Wade Phillips in 2011. "We want to be very diligent in the first round," Smith said. "We want to mitigate risk. We try not to do anything in our draft evaluation and this process that reflects need. We evaluate strictly on talent. You open yourself up to being inaccurate if you evaluate on need." The Texans have a desperate need at right tackle. The Texans could take one in the first round but may wait until later based on who's available. "I'd characterize the offensive line as a little light," Smith said.
Odds and ends 1 Chris Devenski's save Thursday was the first in the majors of seven or more outs with a lead of
Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle
Astros pitcher Joe Musgrove is working on refining his delivery after compiling a 5.87 ERA through three starts.
three runs or fewer since then-Rays lefthander Drew Smyly converted a four-inning save against the Yankees on April 5, 2013. 1 Devenski's 16.88 strikeouts per nine innings is by far the best in the majors among all pitchers who have logged at least 10 innings this season. (Devenski has 13 1/3 innings.) The next-best mark coming into Friday was Boston's Drew Pomeranz (13.94), who had
logged 10 1/3 innings. 1 Outfielder Preston Tucker is off to a hot start in Class AAA Fresno. He came into Friday batting .375 with a .955 OPS in 48 at-bats. 1 Righthander Franklin Perez, one of the Astros' best pitching prospects and the 54th-best prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, has allowed only three hits over 14 1/3 scoreless innings with Class A Buies Creek.
By Regina Garcia Cano ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LAS VEGAS — The Oakland Raiders wouldn’t pay rent at a proposed tax-funded stadium they want to call home in Las Vegas under the most recent version of a lease agreement unveiled Thursday during a meeting of the public entity overseeing plans for the $1.9 billion project. The stadium authority board justified the lack of rent for the Raiders with the investment that the team is making on the 65,000-seat domed stadium to which guests of hotels and other lodging facilities in the Las Vegas area are contributing $750 million through a room tax increase. “It’s based on the fact that the Raiders are going to be investing up to $1.15 billion and certainly taking the risk for any overruns,” board chairman Steve Hill said after the meeting. “So, in order to make that agreement make financial sense, the revenue from the stadium needed to flow to those investors.” The previous draft of the agreement that was made public called for a $1 annual rent. The Raiders paid $3.5 million to play at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 2016, up from $925,000 for the 2015 season. Several details of the draft agreement, including the stadium’s insur-
HAMILTON From page B1
was the 11th of Hamilton’s career and third since the five-time All-Star last played in the majors in 2015. “I am disappointed but not discouraged that my knee problems have not allowed me to play this season,” Hamilton said. “I plan to have surgery on my right knee and
SPURS From page B1 his first 10 shots so far in the series. At the same time the Spurs' most aged players struggled, Memphis' Vince Carter has shown some moments. Carter, who turned 40 in January and is the league's oldest player, appeared to be shot out of a cannon for a couple of his
John Locher / Associated Press
The Raiders will not be paying rent in their upcoming tax-funded Las Vegas stadium.
ance, naming rights and length of the lease, were addressed by board members. They expressed satisfaction over the progress made on the document, but also raised questions over the timeline officials and the team face in order to meet the goal of seeing fans at the stadium during the 2020 season. The lease agreement and other crucial documents must be finalized before construction can begin. Among the pending documents is the agreement that would allow the University of Nevada, Las Vegas football team to use the stadium. “We still have five to 10
issues to work out, but I think it’s in pretty good shape,” Hill said, adding that he anticipates the agreements will be done by the end of the summer or into the fall. “If we get past October that’s probably problematic because they are going to have to break ground; they’re going to have to get moving.” Land for the stadium has not been purchased, but an area of more than 60 acres near the Las Vegas Strip has surfaced as the preferred site. A clause in the lease agreement gives the team the stadium’s naming rights, which cannot promote or be related to firearms. NFL owners approved
the Raiders’ relocation last month. President Marc Badain said the Raiders have received over 40,000 refundable $100 deposits for personal seat licenses. The team plans to announce its third-day NFL draft picks from the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign next week. “The response was overwhelming,” Badain said. “The deposits are coming in from everywhere. They are coming in from California, from Nevada, from Arizona, from Utah, all the surrounding states, but then they are also coming from all over the country, and really, all over the world.”
then evaluate the situation.” Hamilton was the No. 1 overall pick out of high school in 1999. His career was almost derailed by drug and alcohol addiction before he made his big league debut with Cincinnati in 2007. The left-handed slugger joined the Rangers in an offseason trade, starting his five-year All-Star run in 2008. The stretch included 142 home runs,
506 RBIs and the only two World Series trips in club history. “Josh will forever hold a place in Rangers history as one of the most talented, charismatic and productive players to wear our uniform,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “We wish him all the best in his upcoming recovery, and with his family.” Hamilton signed a $125 million, five-year contract
with the Los Angeles Angeles ahead of the 2013 season, then started his injury-plagued decline. He came back to Texas in a trade two years ago. This is the final year of his major league contract, and the Angels are paying the Rangers $22 million, which covers most of the $24 million Hamilton is due. His minor league contract called for a $20,000 monthly salary.
dunks earlier in the series. The Spurs have found other scoring elements to step up throughout the series. But watching Parker and Ginobili slow down has been hard for Spurs Nation to watch -particularly after their four previous NBA titles they have helped the team win earlier in their careers. Both have been a part of every Spurs championship with the
exception of the first one in 1999. And for fans with a long sports memory, watching Parker and Ginobili struggle against the Grizzlies is like watching Willie Mays stumble around the outfield in the 1973 World Series when he was a member of the New York Mets. Like the recent performances of Parker and Ginobili, Mays' struggles
were hard for sports fans to watch. But they still had an appreciation for Mays' supreme competitive talents -- even while struggling on the field. The Spurs will need scoring contributions from Parker and Ginobili if they have any hopes of making a deep playoff run. A good time for them to start would be in Game 4 Saturday night in Memphis.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 22, 2017 |
Dear Heloise: I recall reading about a place to send OUTDATED COUPONS that can then be used by our soldiers at PXs overseas. Can you give that information again, please? I have people at church saving them. I can't find the address and specifics. I always read your columns! -- Helen F., Prairietown, Ill. More than happy to help, and as a military brat, it means a lot to me to be able to spread the word. Coupons can be used by service members and their families to shop at the Post Exchange or commissary. There are groups and clubs all over the U.S. that have individual programs, so check with your Chamber of Commerce. Here is just one for you: Overseas Coupon Program at www.ocpnet.org. The website has all the information you
need: the kinds of coupons accepted, which bases accept them, how to get started, etc. The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section is a perfect place to learn about the program.-Heloise P.S.: These coupons save our troops a LOT of money! VIDEO/PICTURE IT Dear Heloise: I recently moved my computer to my bedroom, and I am not a "tech-savvy" person. To be sure I hooked up the cables correctly, I took pictures of the hookups with my phone. I videotaped myself talking about the connections between the monitor and the tower. Once in its new location, I was able to walk myself through the process of hooking up my computer correctly and in working order. Thank you, cellphone! -- Alyssa M., Asheville, N.C.
B3
B4 | Saturday, April 22, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Woods has fourth back surgery; likely to miss majors this year By Doug Ferguson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
One day after saying his back was progressing, Tiger Woods had a fourth back surgery to alleviate pain and will go through another year without playing a major. The surgery was Wednesday at the Texas Back Institute. Woods was in Missouri on Tuesday to announce plans to design a public golf course at Big Cedar Lodge, and he even tried hitting a few shots to a par 3. The first one rattled around in the rocks, and the second shot was about 10 feet from the flag. Asked about his health during the ceremony, Woods said he had good days and bad days. And then he flew to Dallas for fusion surgery to create space in his lower back. The announcement on his website Thursday said typical recovery from a single-level fusion surgery is six months. “The surgery went well, and I’m optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain,” Woods said. “When healed, I look forward to getting back to a normal life, playing with my kids, competing in professional golf and living without the pain I have been battling so long.”
The 41-year-old Woods first had back surgery — a microdiscectomy — a week before the 2014 Masters, and he tried to return in three months. He sat out three months at the end of 2014 to let his body fully heal. But after a 2015 season in which he missed the cut in three majors, he had back surgery in September and another one in October. He went 15 months without competition before returning in December at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where Woods made 24 birdies in 72 holes and swung freely. But then he missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January, and he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 after opening with a 77, citing back spasms. And now he’s gone through a fourth surgery. “You see him in the Bahamas, and he looked pretty good,” said Mark Steinberg, his agent at Excel Sports Management. “And then you see him in Dubai. It can happen any time. You heard him say two days ago, ‘I have good days and bad days.’ This surgery, we hope, eliminates the bad days.” Questions about the 14-time major champion have shifted
from if he will win another major to if he will play another major. The statement on his website said Woods’ bottom disc in his lower back has severely narrowed, causing sciatica and severe pain in his back and legs. Woods opted for a fourth surgery when more conservative therapy, such as rest and injections, failed to solve anything. “He had consulted with a number of top people that had recommended this was the way to go if he wanted a clear and final path,” Steinberg said. “Everything he had done in the past was a temporary fix, so to speak. At that point, they thought there were other alternatives than fusion.” Steinberg said they were advised fusion surgery was the best option if Woods wanted an active lifestyle and was willing to sit out the rest of the season. “He should be better than he’s been in the past five years,” Steinberg said. “He’s pretty encouraged.” The surgery was described as “anterior lumbar interbody fusion” at the L-5 and S-1 of his spine. It was performed by Richard Guyer of the institute’s Center for Disc Replacement, and involved removing the
Nezar Balout / AFP/Getty Images file
Tiger Woods has undergone a fourth back surgery to alleviate pain.
damaged disc and lifting the collapsed disc space to normal levels. “After he recovers from surgery, he will gradually begin his rehabilitation until he is completely healed,” Guyer said on the website. “Once that’s accomplished, his workouts will be geared to allowing him to return to competitive golf.” Guyer said the bottom of the spine is the best place for single-level fusion to occur. Woods’ first surgery in 2014 was in Park City, Utah, by neurosurgeon Charles Rich, who also did the second operation. This is the first time Woods has gone to the Texas Back Institute. Woods was to begin therapy and treatment after several weeks of rest. He won his 79th PGA Tour event in August 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational. Three
weeks later, he was in contention late in the final round at the Barclays when he dropped to his knees after experiencing what he described as back spasms. Woods is exempt for life at the Masters and PGA Championship, and until he is 60 at the British Open. He has a 10-year exemption for the U.S. Open from his 2008 victory at Torrey Pines, which was his 14th and last major. He had reconstructive knee surgery a week later. He has started just 19 events worldwide since that first back surgery, and he has completed 72 holes in just nine of them. His best finish was a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015, a month before his second back surgery. With so many injuries and inactivity, Woods now is No. 788 in the world ranking.
Judge orders evidence preserved in Hernandez prison suicide for family’s investigation By Michelle R. Smith A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — A judge on Friday ordered key evidence in the prison suicide of Aaron Hernandez preserved, granting a request from the ex-NFL star’s fiancee so the family can investigate the circumstances of his death. Bristol Superior Court Judge Thomas McGuire’s ruling includes video recordings of Hernandez’s cell for the eight hours before he was found hanged, records of where Hernandez was during that time and all of his property, including his writings. Authorities say he left three notes next to a Bible in his cell. McGuire’s order also covers recordings of his phone calls for 30 days before his death. But the judge declined to include recordings of other inmates’ phone calls — something that George Leontire, a lawyer for Hernandez’s fiancee, had requested. The fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins Hernandez, had filed court papers on
“I lost my son, the love of my life. I’ll never ever see him again.” -Ursula Ward, Aaron Hernandez’s mother
behalf of Hernandez’s estate, asking that prison officials be barred from altering or destroying any potential evidence. She wasn’t present for Friday’s hearing. The former New England Patriots tight end was found hanged in his cell in a maximum-security prison early Wednesday. He was serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, who had been dating Jenkins Hernandez’s sister. Leontire was harshly critical of state authorities. Hernandez’s family, he said, still doesn’t know what was in the notes he left behind and
Aram Boghosian / TNS file
Former New England tight end Aaron Hernandez was found hanged in his prison cell Wednesday morning.
was learning disturbing details about Hernandez’s death from news reports and on Twitter. A physician retained by the family told The Associated Press he performed an independent autopsy on Hernandez’s body Thursday. Dr. Michael Baden said Friday he won’t discuss his findings until outside
labs finish a toxicology report and a study of Hernandez’s brain. Scientists at Boston University are studying the brain for signs of repeated trauma suffered by his years of playing football. Also Friday, Lloyd’s mother, Ursula Ward, told reporters in Boston she still forgives Hernan-
dez and prays he found peace. But she also acknowledged that his suicide had opened painful wounds and that she still feels a “tremendous loss.” “I lost my son, the love of my life,” Ward said. “I’ll never ever see him again.” Ward’s lawyer, Doug Sheff, said he issued “a friendly challenge” to the New England Patriots and the NFL Players Association to voluntarily release whatever money Hernandez might still be owed so a court can decide who should get it. Ward has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit that seeks unspecified damages from Hernandez’s estate. Sheff said he thinks the team might have owed Hernandez up to $6 million. The suit seeks to recover that plus proceeds from the eventual sale of Hernandez’s $1.3 million home, a Hummer and any other assets. Asked if he believed Hernandez had any money actually left after years of litigation, Sheff replied: “Good question.
We wonder that ourselves.” The Patriots did not immediately react to his request. Hernandez was found hanging from a bedsheet Wednesday, days after being acquitted in a 2012 double homicide case. Another of Hernandez’s lawyers said that he would ask a court to have that murder conviction erased. John Thompson said Friday he would file the necessary paperwork in Bristol County, the jurisdiction where Hernandez was tried and convicted in 2015. Thompson didn’t say when he’ll file the request. The district attorney would be able to challenge it. Courts in Massachusetts and a number of other states customarily vacate the convictions of defendants who die before their appeals are heard. All first-degree murder convictions in Massachusetts trigger an automatic appeal. Hernandez’s appeal was still in its early stages and hadn’t yet been heard when he hanged himself.