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Noncitizen arrests plummet
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ZAPATA COUNTY FIRE
Department receives $20K grant and vehicle
By Alicia A. Caldwell A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Arrests of people caught trying to sneak into the United States across the Mexican border plummeted in March to the lowest monthly figure in more than 17 years, the head of the Department of Homeland Security reported. That’s a likely sign that fewer immigrants are trying to make the trek into the United States. Secretary John Kelly said the steep decline in arrests is “no accident” and credited President Donald Trump’s approach to illegal immigration. Kelly reported the figures in written testimony submitted to a Senate committee ahead of an appearance Wednesday. The Associated Press obtained a copy of his testimony. Though the Trump administration has not yet changed how the border is patrolled, the president’s tough talk on immigration — including plans to build a border wall — and his stepped-up arrests of immigrants living in the country illegally have likely acted as deterrents. It’s unclear if the declines will continue. The number of people caught trying to enter the United States typically increases as the weather warms. Arrests during the normally slower winter months were higher than in past years. It is possible that some migrants rushed to the border after the election and before Trump took office. It’s also unclear if migrants are waiting south of the border to see how Trump’s border Noncitizen continues on A11
Courtesy
This picture shows the side view of the military vehicle received by Zapata County Fire and EMS. The vehicle will allow the department to handle wildland fires.
The grant and truck were administered by Texas A&M Foster Service SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
T Courtesy
This picture shows the military vehicle received by Zapata County Fire and EMS.
he Zapata County Fire and EMS received a 5-ton cargo truck and a $20,000 grant to help create a firefighting vehicle that will help increase the department’s capacity to save lives and property. “This truck is vital to the Zapata County Fire & EMS,”
said Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Fire Coordinator Travis Pecht. “Their mutual aid department is 40 miles away which means response takes valuable time when traveling so far. This 5-ton truck and slip-on unit will be crucial to containing grass fires and protecting homes.” Zapata County Fire and Department continues on A12
BORDER PROTECTION
Wall contractors brace for hostile environment By Elliot Spagat ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Gregory Bull / AP
Reverend Guy A. Leemhuis, center, of the Holy Faith Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, leads a song on the U.S. side of the border fence separating Tijuana, Mexico on Monday in San Diego.
SAN DIEGO — One potential bidder on President Donald Trump’s border wall with Mexico wanted to know if authorities would rush to help if workers came under “hostile attack.” Another asked if employees can carry firearms in states with strict gun control laws and if the government would indemnify them for
using deadly force. With bids due Tuesday on the first design contracts, interested companies are preparing for the worst if they get the potentially lucrative job. A U.S. official with knowledge of the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details haven’t been made public said four to 10 bidders are expected to be chosen to build prototypes. They will be constructed on
a roughly quarter-mile (400meter) strip of federally owned land in San Diego within 120 feet (37 meters) of the border, though a final decision has not been made on the precise spot, the official said. The government anticipates spending $200,000 to $500,000 on each prototype. The process for bids and prototypes are preliminary steps for a project that will Border continues on A12
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
IBC Keynote Speaker Series: “Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy.” 7:30 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, 5201 University Blvd. The presentation features Edward Allen, author and the Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. Free and open to the public. The author will be available for book signing following the lecture.
Today is Wednesday, April 5, the 95th day of 2017. There are 270 days left in the year.
THURSDAY, APRIL 6 Laredo Area Retired School Educators Association meeting. 11 a.m. Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall. The topic of discussion will be wills and beneficiaries.
FRIDAY, APRIL 7 Farewell Dinner Tribute for Dr. Tom Vaughan. 7 p.m. Laredo Country Club. The event will feature Joe Guerra Jazz Trio, mariachis, DJ, complimentary wine and beer, guest speakers and memorable giveaways. For ticket information, call 718-1063 or visit http://www.rgisc.org/
SUNDAY, APRIL 9 Holy Redeemer Church annual Jamaica. 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. 1602 Garcia, corner of Garcia and Davis.
SATURDAY, APRIL 22 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.
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.
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 956794-3130 or blaurak@borderregion.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.
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.
MONDAY, MAY 8 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.
MONDAY, MAY 15 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.
MONDAY, MAY 22 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.
MONDAY, MAY 29 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.
Patrick Semansky / Associated Press
In this 2015 file photo, a Baltimore police officer stands guard outside of the department's police station as men hold their hands up in protest during a march in Baltimore.
CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS ALARMED OVER RETREAT ON POLICE REFORMS Civil rights groups reacted with alarm Tuesday, while law enforcement organizations expressed relief, after the Trump administration signaled it may back out of federal agreements reached with police departments around the U.S. to curb racial bias and excessive force. In a memo made public this week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered a review of all Justice Department “consent decrees” that force police departments to overhaul their practices, saying, “It is not the responsibility of the federal government to manage non-federal law enforcement agencies.” Consent decrees, which are enforceable by the courts, were put in place by the Obama Justice Department in such racially fraught cities as Cleveland and Fergu-
Man dies trying to scarf doughnut in shop’s eating challenge DENVER — A man trying to eat a half-pound doughnut in 80 seconds as part of a doughnut shop’s eating challenge has choked to death in Denver.
son, Missouri. A decree worked out under the Obama administration is awaiting approval in Baltimore, which erupted in riots in 2015 over the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. And an agreement is being negotiated in Chicago. NAACP President Cornell Brooks called the move by the Trump Justice Department “somewhere between chilling and alarming.” “Consent decrees are the means by which you provide a hedge of protection, civil rights and civil liberties,” Brooks said. “Why would our attorney general upend and undo that? This review and potential reversal represents a potentially catastrophic, life-or-death consequence for cities where citizens feel like they’re under siege.” — Compiled from AP reports
The city coroner’s office says 42-year-old Travis Malouff of Thornton died early Sunday of asphyxia due to obstruction of the airway. Julia Edelstein was standing in line at Voodoo Doughnuts and said Malouff was trying to eat a half-pound glazed doughnut around 1:30 a.m. Sunday when he choked. Edelstein says people tried to
help him when they realized he was choking. The coroner’s office said Malouff died at the scene. Portland, Oregon-based Voodoo Doughnuts didn’t immediately return calls or emails seeking comment. Denver news station KUSATV first reported Malouff’s death. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Chemical attack kills dozens in Syria BEIRUT — A chemical weapons attack in an opposition-held town in northern Syria killed dozens of people on Tuesday, leaving residents gasping for breath and convulsing in the streets and overcrowded hospitals. The Trump administration blamed the Syrian government for the attack, one of the deadliest in years, and said Syria's patrons, Russia and Iran, bore "great moral responsibility" for the deaths. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 58 people died, including 11 children, in the early morning attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, which witnesses said was carried out by Sukhoi jets operated
Edlib Media Center / AP
This photo, provided by a Syrian anti-government activist group, shows victims of a suspected chemical attack in Syria.
by the Russian and Syrian governments. Videos from the scene showed volunteer medics using fire hoses to wash the chemicals from victims' bodies. Haunting images of lifeless children piled in heaps reflected the magnitude of the attack, which was reminiscent of a 2013 chemical
assault that left hundreds dead and was the worst in the country's ruinous six-year civil war. Tuesday's attack drew swift condemnation from world leaders, including President Trump, who denounced it as a "heinous" act that "cannot be ignored by the civilized world." — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Texas bill lets officials deny issuing gay marriage licenses AUSTIN, Texas — A bill allowing county judges and other officials to refuse to issue licenses for same-sex marriages because of religious objections is headed to the full Texas Sen-
ate. Sen. Brian Birdwell's proposal only applies in cases where other officials without any objection can step in and issue marriage documents. If the substituting official is located outside the county where the marriage license is being sought, the bill allows for documents to be sent electronically. The measure has cleared the
Senate State Affairs Committee, but when it will be heard on the chamber floor is unclear. Progressive groups say it sanctions discrimination. Birdwell, a Granbury Republican, counters that he's seeking to protect the religious liberties of county clerks, justices of the peace and other officials — many of whom are locally elected. — Compiled from AP reports
Today's Highlight in History: On April 5, 1792, President George Washington cast his first veto, rejecting a congressional measure for apportioning representatives among the states. On this date: In 1621, the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts on a monthlong return trip to England. In 1867, the original version of the poem "Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight" was written by 16-year-old Rose Hartwick under the title "Bessie and the Curfew." In 1887, Anne Sullivan achieved a breakthrough as her 6-year-old deafblind pupil, Helen Keller, learned the meaning of the word "water" as spelled out in the Manual Alphabet. British historian Lord Acton wrote in a letter, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." In 1915, Jess Willard knocked out Jack Johnson in the 26th round of their fight in Havana, Cuba, to claim boxing's world heavyweight title. In 1925, a tornado estimated at F-3 intensity struck northern Miami-Dade County, Florida, killing five people. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order creating the Civilian Conservation Corps and an anti-hoarding order that effectively prohibited private ownership of gold. In 1955, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill resigned his office for health reasons. Democrat Richard J. Daley was first elected mayor of Chicago, defeating Republican Robert E. Merriam. In 1986, two American servicemen and a Turkish woman were killed in the bombing of a West Berlin discotheque, an incident which prompted a U.S. air raid on Libya more than a week later. In 1997, Allen Ginsberg, the counterculture guru who shattered conventions as poet laureate of the Beat Generation, died in New York City at age 70. Ten years ago: A Greek cruise ship, the Sea Diamond, sank off an Aegean Sea island, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,600 people; two French tourists went missing and were presumed to have drowned. FBI Special Agent Barry Lee Bush was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow agent as a stakeout team closed in on three suspected bank robbers in Readington, New Jersey. Darryl Stingley, a former New England Patriots player paralyzed during an on-field collision in 1978, died in Chicago at age 55. Five years ago: President Barack Obama signed bipartisan jobs legislation intended to help small businesses and make it easier for startups to raise capital. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, 76, grandson of the automaker's founder and developer of the Porsche 911, died in Salzburg, Austria. Guitar amplifying pioneer Jim Marshall, 88, died in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Barney McKenna, 72, the last original member of the Irish folk band The Dubliners, died in Dublin. One year ago: The leak of millions of records on offshore accounts claimed its first high-profile political casualty as Iceland's prime minister, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, stepped aside. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a law allowing religious groups and private businesses to deny services to gay and transgender people. R&B singer-songwriter Leon Haywood, 74, died in Los Angeles. UConn won an unprecedented fourth straight women's national championship, capping another perfect season by routing Syracuse 82-51. Today's Birthdays: Movie producer Roger Corman is 91. Former U.S. Secretary of State and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell is 80. Country singer Tommy Cash is 77. Actor Michael Moriarty is 76. Pop singer Allan Clarke (The Hollies) is 75. Writer-director Peter Greenaway is 75. Actor Max Gail is 74. Actress Jane Asher is 71. Singer Agnetha Faltskog (ABBA) is 67. Actor Mitch Pileggi is 65. Singer-songwriter Peter Case is 63. Rock musician Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) is 51. Country singer Troy Gentry is 50. Singer Paula Cole is 49. Actress Krista Allen is 46. Country singer Pat Green is 45. Rapper-producer Pharrell Williams is 44. Rapper/producer Juicy J is 42. Actor Sterling K. Brown is 41. Country singermusician Mike Eli (The Eli Young Band) is 36. Actress Hayley Atwell is 35. Actress Lily James is 28. Thought for Today: "I know too much and not enough." — Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997).
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SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 |
A3
LOCAL & STATE
Ranchers for the Hungry State Rep. Tracy O. King Program receives donation signs bill supporting S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
Eight area ranchers stepped up to the plate to help the South Texas Food Bank's mission of feeding the hungry by donating to the awardwinning initiative, Ranchers for the Hungry. “This year I wanted to do more, so I didn’t wait to be approached by the ranchers – I reached out to them and asked them if they would help,” said Hugo Flores, STFB board member and Ranchers for the Hungry Program coordinator for the Laredo area. The goal of the Ranchers for the Hungry Program is to encourage South Texas ranchers to join the fight against hunger by donating deer, steer and/or other live-
stock. Besides livestock donation, support to the program includes monetary donations to help cover meat processing fees. All donations are tax deductible. The program currently has three regional chapters in Webb, Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. “I am very grateful to Robert Cadena, Stan Peters, Robert Laurel, Ed Glassford, Joe Schwarz, Ana Maria Finley, and Judge Tano Tijerina for their support,” Flores added. Flores proudly noted that all the steers that were purchased were raised by local 4-H and FFA participants. The steers were taken to a USDA-licensed meat processor. The meat is then distributed through the food bank’s Kids
Café Program and the Adopt-A-Family Program. “Thanks to the generous support of these ranchers, the food bank will be able to provide fresh, organic beef to feed the children in our Kids Cafes programs and families through the Adopt-A-Family Program,” concluded Flores. In 2012, Ranchers for the Hungry Program was named Food Sourcing Program of the Year for 2012 by Feeding America at the national Feeding America Network Summit in Detroit, Michigan. For more information about the Ranchers for the Hungry program, contact the South Texas Food Bank at 956-7263120 or visit southtexasfoodbank.org.
SCAN celebrates 35th anniversary S P ECIAL TO THE TI ME S
In 1982, on Wednesday, April 14, a small but tenacious group of concerned citizens set forth to create a safe haven for children who had become victims of abuse and neglect. SCAN was established by founding members Dr. Henry Cuellar, Dr. Edmundo Ruiz, Judge Antonio Zardenetta, and Ricardo Floyd. The primary focus was to help children who were victims of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect. The founders of SCAN soon realized that the vision and scope of the agency was somewhat limited. As the years passed, the founders, board members, administration and staff began to notice that other problems existed in the community that needed to be addressed. SCAN began to add more programs and services to meet the needs of the community. The once small nonprofit agency began to grow into a diverse organization providing a variety of pre-
vention, intervention, treatment and recovery services. Today, SCAN is a premier provider of social services with over 40 programs dedicated to providing children, adolescents, adults and families an array of services including those focused on helping to address substance use, sexual assault, runaway behaviors and homelessness, HIV and viral hepatitis prevention, traumatic stress and safe exchanges of children from custodial to non-custodial parents. SCAN currently has a budget of more than $10 million dollars and employs more than 200 individuals that provide services in 16 different counties in South Texas. These counties include Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kleberg, LaSalle, Maverick, Real, Starr, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Zapata and Zavala. SCAN has satellite offices in Brownsville, Cotulla, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Hebbronville, Kingsville, Pharr, Rio Grande City, Uvalde
and Zapata. In addition to the agency’s residential treatment facilities for adolescent and adult males and females in Webb County, SCAN also has a residential treatment facility for adolescent males in San Benito, Texas. In 2015, SCAN moved into a newly constructed state-of-the-art facility located between McPherson Road and Bartlett Avenue in Laredo, Texas. This $1.5 million dollar facility has 14,000 square feet of space and houses the agency’s administrative staff as well as staff from numerous prevention, intervention, and treatment programs. In 2016, SCAN was awarded four grants totaling approximately $5.5 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide effective prevention and treatment services for substance abuse, HIV and viral hepatitis infection, and youth that have experienced trauma.
Texas valedictorians SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
State Rep. Tracy O. King, D-Zapata, signed on as a co-author of House Bill 3904. This bill ensures that all Texas valedictorians are given automatic admission to statefunded Texas colleges. In 1997, the Texas Legislature passed a bill guaranteeing admission to Texas students graduating in the top ten per-
cent of their high school class. Although this legislation was designed to increase access to state universities for top-performing Texas graduates, the math works against valedictorians in classes with fewer than 10 students. “I am proud to coauthor HB 3904 which levels the playing field for valedictorians from small
schools in rural areas with fewer than 10 students in the graduating class. This bill will make sure our brightest students are given the consideration they deserve by state-funded schools," said State Representative Tracy O. King. For more information or to contact Rep. King, call the Capitol office at (512) 463-0194.
Texas Senate passes Senator Zaffirini’s bill SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
The Texas Senate overwhelmingly approved Tuesday the Judge Julie Kocurek Judicial and Courthouse Security Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 42) by Senator Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, which would implement the Texas Judicial Council's (TJC) recommendations to improve judicial security in Texas. SB 42 would create the position of Director of Security and Emergency Preparedness at the Office of Court Administration, establish local court security committees, fund security training for judges and court personnel, facilitate the removal of judges' personal information from public documents and allow the Department of Public Safety to provide security for judges who are threatened or attacked. "The implementation of these measures would improve safety for every-
one who interacts with the Texas justice system, including judges, courthouse personnel, lawyers, jurors and citizens," said Senator Zaffirini, a member of TJC. The bill is named for the Texas district judge who survived an assassination attempt at her home in November, 2015. After 27 surgeries and 39 days in the hospital, she returned to the courtroom in February, 2016. "The attack on Judge Korcurek was not only an assault on our judicial system, but also a wakeup call to improve security for all judges and courthouses in our state," Senator Zaffirini said. "Her courage and perseverance in returning to the bench proved that criminals cannot thwart justice by threatening or intimidating Texas judges. What's more, her desire to ensure that others are not attacked and her belief in justice for all inspired her meaningful advocacy for
improving court security." In 2016 Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht appointed a Court Security Committee at the TJC to study the issue and make recommendations. It found serious deficiencies in the state’s security posture, including a lack of court security best practices, training and funding. SB 42 addresses the committee's findings and implements its recommendations. "I am grateful to Chief Justice Hecht for his leadership on behalf of improved court security in our state," Senator Zaffirini said. "What's more, feedback from the Office of Court Administration and countless other judges, lawyers, law enforcement officers and citizens helped improve the legislation. Thanks to our collaboration, the Senate has passed a bill that would help make Texas safer for all who seek justice."
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A4 | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Federal oversight of police won’t go away easily By Noah Feldman B L OOM BE RG
It’s certainly symbolic that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has called for a review of agreements made by the Obama Department of Justice with urban police departments to improve law enforcement and race relations. But in practice, reversing the 14 consent decrees in place would be extraordinarily difficult, and even the handful that are incomplete, such as the Baltimore decree, may well reach finality despite the review. President Donald Trump’s administration can affect community policing at the margin by signaling that it doesn’t care about police abuses. But it likely can’t roll back the steps taken under President Barack Obama. The memo announcing the review raises warning flags. Signed by the attorney general and directed to the department heads at Justice and to U.S. attorneys across the country, it directs the deputy attorney general and the associate attorney general to review all collaborative arrangements between Justice and local police departments, including consent decrees “existing or contemplated.” The stated goal of the review is to make sure those arrangements comply with policies expressed in eight bullet points in the memo. Some are unproblematic, like the goals of public safety and respect for civil rights. One is more ambivalent: It says that local control is important and that the federal government shouldn’t manage local police. Taken literally, that’s unquestionably true, and the Obama Department of Justice wouldn’t have disagreed. The intent, however, may be to signal that Justice shouldn’t be involved in supervising local police to make sure they aren’t violating civil rights. Most significant is the bullet point that says “the misdeeds of individual bad actors should not impugn or undermine the legitimate and honorable work that law enforcement officers and agencies perform in keeping American communities safe.” Again, that’s technically true. The consent decrees are meant to make structural reforms to procedures of policing, not cast a negative light on good cops. Yet the implicit meaning seems to be that the consent decrees weren’t responding to genuine problems with police procedures. Instead, the decrees are implicitly being depicted as a kind of overreaction to highly publicized officer misconduct. If Sessions’s Nos. 2 and 3 conduct a review that finds existing consent decrees violate these principles, that sounds worrisome. The reality, however, is significantly less bad, because of the way consent decrees are structured. First, consent decrees are actually judicial decrees. That means each and every one has been blessed by a federal judge, who has issued a binding order enforcing the terms of the deal. To change a consent decree, you need to go to the judge who authorized
and issued it. Typically a judge would require evidence of some changed circumstances before permitting a change. Anything else would make a mockery of the judicial function in approving the decree in the first place. A judge issuing a consent decree isn’t supposed to simply rubber-stamp the parties’ agreement. The judge is supposed to be implementing the law and looking out for the interests of others, including the public. And consent decrees typically can’t be altered by just the Department of Justice. It takes both parties to seek most changes; otherwise the judge would have to reconsider the facts, which most judges are not eager to do. Here’s where the second major structural issue arises: Many municipalities won’t want to touch the consent decrees. The party on the other side of the Department of Justice in each case is ordinarily a local government run by a mayor. And in most places made subject to consent decrees by the Obama Justice Department, the mayors were fully on board. Police departments might have chafed under scrutiny and federal observation. But politically, liberal mayors with significant black voting bases had every reason to side with the federal government against their own police departments. For its part, the Obama administration had no political interest in weakening Democratic mayors. It was perfectly happy to shift such blame as existed to the police departments. Because the police departments aren’t normally distinct legal entities suing and being sued, they aren’t parties who can join the Trump Department of Justice in seeking revision of the consent decrees. That means in most cases Justice would have to go it alone. The same political structure might apply even to the Baltimore litigation, which hasn’t yet been resolved. The Justice Department requested that the federal judge delay a final hearing on the consent decree, and observed in its submission that changes already made by the Baltimore police might be taken “into account where appropriate” in the decree. But it’s unlikely that the city of Baltimore is going to try to weaken the decree, because the mayor and police commissioner have both said they want the issue resolved now. That fits their political interests in changing the subject; and it reflects the reality that many Baltimore constituents welcome some federal supervision. This isn’t to deny that the Trump Department of Justice can skimp on enforcing the consent decrees in place. That will shift responsibility to civil society watchdogs to make sure the legal agreements are followed. But the prospect of a major rollback is slim. In this instance, at least, the Obama administration’s actions will very likely remain consequential. — Feldman is a Bloomberg View columnist.
OP-ED
Right-wing media attacks on Susan Rice are absurd By Paul Waldman WASHINGTON P O ST
If you’re an ally of Donald Trump, the everwidening Russia scandal has to have been disheartening. Nearly everyone agrees that the Russian government actively attempted to aid Trump’s presidential campaign, which might be possible to explain away as not Donald Trump’s fault, were it not for the fact that so many of his aides and associates have ties of one form or another to Russia, as does the president himself. So with each new revelation or phase of the investigation, the questions get more and more uncomfortable. Which is why conservatives have been waiting so desperately for something, anything they can use to turn the story around to their advantage, no matter how ludicrous the arguments they make might be. And now they’ve found it. And boy, are those arguments ever ludicrous. At this moment, the right wing media is going bonkers over reports that Susan Rice, who was national security adviser at the time, in 2016 requested the “unmasking” of certain U.S. persons who had been picked up in surveillance of foreign intelligence targets. Because those persons turned out to be associates of Donald Trump, conservatives have managed to twist this into the allegation that the Obama administration was “spying” on Trump and his campaign. Over at foxnews.com I count 11 separate articles about Rice on the home page. You can find similar screaming headlines at Breitbart, the Daily Caller, and all the other conservative sites. Why the gleeful eruption of accusations? Certain conservative media already had their basic storyline, which is that the problem isn’t Russian meddling in our election, the problem is that somebody revealed Russian meddling in our election. That’s why, along with President Donald Trump, they’re so out-
raged about leaks of the various investigations. But what they lacked was a single villain, and now they have one, someone they hated already and on whom they can focus all their considerable venom. Tuesday on MSNBC, Rice responded to the allegations. She said, “The allegation that somehow Obama administration officials utilized intelligence for political purposes, that’s absolutely false,” adding that “I leaked nothing to nobody, and never have and never would.” While Rice answered most of the questions in general terms, we need to go over this as carefully as we can, to make clear a simple point. Based on what we know so far, Susan Rice not only didn’t do anything wrong, she did exactly what we would expect of a national security adviser. Indeed, it would have been alarming if she didn’t do what we’re hearing she did. We start with a report this week from Bloomberg’s Eli Lake, who was told by sources in the Trump administration that “former national security adviser Susan Rice requested the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions that connect to the Donald Trump transition and campaign.” This is referred to as “unmasking,” since ordinarily, when a U.S. person is picked up in surveillance of a foreign intelligence target, their identity is masked out of privacy concerns. For instance, the NSA might be recording the phone calls of the Russian ambassador, and if he calls an American friend and has an innocuous conversation, the identity of the American will be masked. It’s important to understand that “unmasking” doesn’t mean making the name public, or even making the name widely available to officials inside the government. It means that the official who made the request gets to see the name. High-ranking
American officials can and do request the unmasking of U.S. persons in these reports if it’s relevant to national security. As Lake himself wrote: “The standard for senior officials to learn the names of U.S. persons incidentally collected is that it must have some foreign intelligence value, a standard that can apply to almost anything. This suggests Rice’s unmasking requests were likely within the law.” But it goes even farther than that. If Rice saw a report on conversations with foreign intelligence targets with the identities of the U.S. persons redacted, the content of those conversations had to have given her some reason for concern, something that suggested it would be important to know who those U.S. persons were. It wasn’t a random fishing expedition that just happened to land on associates of Donald Trump. If Rice saw a report saying that a Russian intelligence target “Placed call to U.S PERSON 1 and inquired as to when his dry cleaning would be ready,” she wouldn’t have cared who that person was, and she wouldn’t have requested the unmasking to find out. Yet conservatives are trying to convince people that the Obama administration set out to spy on the Trump team, an allegation for which there is zero evidence. Sen. Rand Paul tweeted, “Smoking gun found! Obama pal and noted dissembler Susan Rice said to have been spying on Trump campaign.” Fox’s Tucker Carlson said to his audience, “What exactly were the Obama people doing spying on the Trump people?”, adding that “Our laws currently provide no serious protection to U.S. citizens from being spied upon for political reasons by their own government, and worse, it actually happens. In fact, it just happened, and that is the scandal here.” We can have a debate about the scope of the NSA’s surveillance authority, but we have to be
clear about this: Susan Rice couldn’t have known that the foreign intelligence targets were speaking to Trump associates when she made the unmasking request, because their identities were masked. Unmasking enabled her to find out who they were. I suppose it’s possible that the content of the conversations made it obvious that the foreign intelligence target was speaking with a Trump associate, but at a time when the government was investigating Russian efforts to subvert our election, that would have made it even more urgent to know which Americans they were talking to. It isn’t just that Rice’s effort to fully understand what was passing back and forth between foreign intelligence targets and Trump associates was legal, though it was, or that it was appropriate, though it was. It was more than that: it was absolutely critical. Indeed, it would have been a shocking dereliction of duty if she hadn’t. What conservatives are really saying is that the national security adviser, knowing that Russia was undertaking what amounts to an assault on the American political system, shouldn’t have tried to learn all she can about what it involves. If she got a report about foreign intelligence targets talking to Americans, and the content of those conversations was enough to raise alarms, she should have just put it in a drawer and not asked any questions. When you see conservatives screaming about Susan Rice and accusing her of all manner of nefarious deeds, keep in mind what their goal is: to distract from the inquiry into whether Trump and his associates may have cooperated with Russia in their meddling in our election. That’s what they’re after. — Waldman is a contributor to The Plum Line blog, and a senior writer at The American Prospect.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 |
A5
CRIME
Man gets Immigration agents round up 153 in South Texas 15 years for harming 2 riders ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO — Federal immigration agents say they have arrested 153 immigrants in South Texas with criminal records or who were living in the country illegally.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday the arrests were part of a 12-day enforcement operation which ended last month. Most of the arrests — 62 — took place in San Antonio. Other arrests included: 38 in
Harlingen; 29 in Laredo; and 24 in the Austin/Waco area. According to an ICE statement, most of the immigrants targeted by the operation had criminal histories that included convictions for various crimes, including: sexual assault, burgla-
ry, and cocaine possession. ICE has said such operations in Texas and around the country are business as usual. But immigration advocates have alleged the operations have also targeted individuals who are not dangerous criminals.
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
GRANBURY, Texas — A North Texas man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for intentionally veering his car into a passing motorcycle, injuring the two riders. Another motorcyclist who was wearing a camera recorded the 2015 crash near Granbury and the video was shared broadly across social media. Sixty-nine-year-old William Sam Crum was sentenced last week after being convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Crum was unable to post bail after being jailed in the days after the wreck and has been incarcerated since that time. The video showed Crum pulling over and the second cyclist yelled: “What were you doing? You hit them.” Crum responded: “I don’t care.” He initially claimed an insect bit him, causing him to swerve into the motorcycle as it tried to pass him.
Gunman sought wounding seven in Lubbock A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LUBBOCK, Texas — Police are searching for a suspect after investigators say seven people were shot while on the balcony of a West Texas motel. Lubbock police say the gunfire happened late Monday night during an argument between an armed man and some people standing on a second-story balcony of the Villa Town Motel. A Lubbock police statement says all of the victims suffered injuries not believed to be lifethreatening. Six remained hospitalized Tuesday. Investigators say the suspect allegedly had been at a nearby bar and restaurant prior to the shootings. Police say the man left the bar, then got into a verbal altercation with the victims. Police didn’t immediately say what prompted the argument that led to a suspect opening fire. Investigators say the suspect fled in a car following the shootings.
Harris County deputy constable fatally shot after arriving for work ASSOCIATED PRE SS
BAYTOWN, Texas — A highly regarded Texas law enforcement officer was shot and killed Monday moments after arriving for work in an attack that prompted a massive manhunt for the gunman. The shooting of Harris County Precinct 3 Assistant Chief Deputy Clinton Greenwood did not appear to be random, according to Baytown police Lt. Steve Dorris, but a motive was not immediately clear. "Whether or not he was specifically targeted, or whether this was because of the uniform he was wearing or the place he pulled up to in the morning, we just don't know that right now," Dorris said. No arrests had been made as of Monday evening. Dorris said authorities were still "actively investigating" the shooting. Investigators said late Monday they were looking for a suspect described as a white or Hispanic male, approximately 6 feet (1.8 meters) to 6-feet-3 inches tall, with short hair and a medium to stocky build. The man was described as possibly wearing a dark jacket with some type of patch on the sleeve and was seen in the area around the time of the shooting. Baytown police said the suspect might have fled the scene in a dark vehicle. Greenwood, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, was shot outside a county courthouse
Melissa Phillip / AP
In this 2016 photo, Harris County Sheriff's Office Maj. Clint Greenwood answers questions during a commission in Houston. Harris County Precinct 3 Assistant Chief Deputy Greenwood was shot and killed Monday moments after arriving for work.
building in Baytown, east of Houston. He suffered a single gunshot wound and was airlifted to a Houston hospital where he died. The attack led to the lockdown of a nearby high school and a broad response by law enforcement as authorities closed intersections as part of their search for the suspect. Access to businesses in the area was limited as law enforcement helicopters searched by air and officers
spread into nearby neighborhoods. Montgomery County sheriff's Lt. Tim Cannon told the Houston Chronicle that he had known Greenwood for decades and was struggling to understand who would harm him. "Clint was absolutely a target, for whatever reason. We don't know," he said. "But he didn't need to be a target. Clint was there to help. And whoever this person was, Clint probably
would have reached out to help him as well." A reward of up to $65,000 has been offered for information that would lead authorities to arrest and charge someone in the case. Greenwood received his law license in the 1980s and worked for the Harris County district attorney's office. At one point, he oversaw the office's civil rights division. He also once served as part of the command staff for the Harris County sheriff's office, one of the busiest in the country. "My heart goes out to the family and friends of Assistant Chief Deputy Greenwood and the Harris County law enforcement community in the wake of this heinous murder," Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. "Texas is taking action to strengthen penalties for those brazen enough to commit crimes against law enforcement, and we will send a message that such vile acts will not be tolerated." The shooting of Greenwood was reminiscent of the 2013 slaying of a prosecutor as he exited his car and walked into work southeast of Dallas. Authorities say the gunman who killed Mark Hasse outside the Kaufman County courthouse later fatally shot the county's district attorney and his wife. The deaths were retribution after Hasse and District Attorney Mike McLelland prosecuted gunman Eric Williams for the theft of county equipment, authorities have said.
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE BÚSQUEDA DE CASCARONES
La Comisión de Parques y Recreo de Roma invita al público a asistir a la búsqueda de cascarones el sábado 8 de abril de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en el Parque Municipal de Roma. Habrá venta de comida, música en vivo y actividades para toda la familia. Para mayores informes llame al 956-849-1411 o 956-844-1428. Evento gratuito. RECOLECCIÓN DE LLANTAS
La Ciudad de Roma invita a su segunda recolección anual de llantas usadas que será llevada a cabo el 22 de abril. El punto de reunión será en la Plaza Guadalupe a las 8 a.m. Se estarán recolectando llantas en diferentes puntos de Roma. Para registrarse llame al 956-8491411 o 956-8441428.
MIGUEL ALEMÁN, TAMAULIPAS
I.C.E.
Mueren 4 tras enfrentamientos E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Cuatro presuntos integrantes de un grupo de la delincuencia organizada murieron y dos más fueron detenidos luego de agredir con sus armas a elementos de la Policía Estatal de Tamaulipas en el municipio de Miguel Alemán, la tarde del 2 de abril. Como consecuencia de uno de los enfrentamientos se decomisaron 137 paquetes, con hierba verde
de características propias a la marihuana, con peso aproximado superior a una tonelada, los cuales están siendo puestos a disposición del Ministerio Público Federal. La primera confrontación ocurrió después de que policías estatales fueron recibidos a balazos por varios sujetos que iban a bordo de una camioneta tipo Hummer. Esto dio lugar a una persecución durante la cual una patrulla sufrió
Detienen a más de 150 en marzo
una volcadura, sin que hubiera lesionados. Al final uno de presuntos delincuentes murió y fueron aseguradas cuatro armas. Hubo otro enfrentamiento en el cual tres presuntos delincuentes murieron y dos quedaron detenidos. En ambas situaciones, tras realizarse los enfrentamientos, llegó apoyo de las Fuerzas Armadas.
CONDADO DE ZAPATA
CONVIERTEN CAMIÓN MILITAR EN VEHÍCULO DE BOMBEROS
CARRERA DE BICICLETA: ZAPATA A LAREDO
El próximo 30 de abril, Pro Bike Laredo llevará a cabo una carrera que abarcará 43 millas desde los terrenos de la feria del Condado de Zapata hasta Cielito Lindo Road, cerca de la Preparatoria LBJ en Laredo. Habrá diferentes categorías de competencia tanto masculina como femenil e incluyen bicicletas de carretera, bicicletas de montaña y bicicletas contrarreloj. Más informes al 956-726-3469. MUSEO EN ZAPATA
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 al 956765-8983. PAGO DE IMPUESTOS
Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St.
Foto de cortesía | Texas A&M
La adquisición del camión fue posible gracias al Departamento de Defensa y el Programa de Asistencia de Bomberos Voluntarios Rurales, ambos administrados por el Servicio Forestal de Texas A&M.
Combatirán eficazmente incendios forestales E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata y su equipo de Servicio de Atención Médica de Urgencia (EMS por sus siglas en inglés) recibieron un camión de cinco toneladas así como un subsidio de 20.000 dólares para ayudar en la construcción de un camión de bomberos que incremente la capacidad del departamento para salvar vidas e impedir daños a propiedades. "Este camión es vital para el Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata y su EMS", dijo Travis Pecht, coordinador regional de bomberos del Servicio Forestal de Texas A&M. "Su departamento de ayuda mutua está a 40 millas de distancia, lo que significa que la respuesta
toma un tiempo valioso cuando se viaja esa distancia. Este camión de 5 toneladas y la unidad de deslizamiento serán cruciales para contener fuegos de césped y para proteger hogares”. El Departamento de Bomberos y EMS del Condado de Zapata ha estado sirviendo a su comunidad y área circundante desde 1950. El área de protección del departamento cubre 1.003 millas cuadradas, 800 de esas millas son arenosas y cubiertas de maleza. La adición de un vehículo militar con una unidad de deslizamiento dará ventaja al departamento sobre los incendios forestales. "Este camión militar nos permite salir a las áreas sin quedar atascados en el terreno arenoso", dijo Juan José Meza,
jefe de bomberos y EMS del Condado de Zapata. “El camión tiene cuatro ruedas motrices y es automático, una mejora con respecto a la transmisión estándar que implica más trabajo para el bombero”. La adquisición del camión fue posible gracias al Programa de Propiedad de Bomberos del Departamento de Defensa y la subvención para la unidad de deslizamiento fue recibida a través del Programa de Asistencia de Bomberos Voluntarios Rurales, ambos administrados por el Servicio Forestal de Texas A&M. "El año pasado tuvimos tres incendios muy grandes", dijo Meza. "Cubrieron 1.000, 4.500 y 4.000 acres. Tuvimos que luchar contra esos incendios con sólo un camión más bomberos en el
suelo. Tener la opción de tener este vehículo nos da la capacidad de estar mejor preparados para acabar con incendios mucho más rápido. Hace poco respondimos a una llamada de ayuda por un incendio de 400 acres en la línea del Condado de Webb. Nos encargamos de ese incendio muy rápidamente con la ayuda de este camión". El Programa de Propiedad de Bomberos del Departamento de Defensa, supervisado por el Servicio Forestal de USDA, provee equipo militar excesivo a los departamentos de bomberos y proveedores de servicios de emergencia. Lanzado en Texas en 2005, este programa ha entregado más de 400 camiones militares retirados en todo el estado.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
Eligen a sus primeros representantes
PAGO EN LÍNEA
La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día. LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL
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 956849-1411.
Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Para el trazo de la Villa se partió de un cuadrado destinado a la plaza al oriente de ésta delimitaron predios para la Iglesia y el Cementerio, mientras que al poniente quedaron adjudicados terrenos destinados a Cárcel y Casa para la Autoridad. En la época colonial la autoridad de la Villa era ejercida por un representante del Virrey, elegido entre los vecinos de poblado y quien recibía el nombre de “Justicia Mayor”. Entre las primeras autoridades de la Villa
figuraron el Capitán Don Vicente Guerra, el Capitán Báez Benavides y el Teniente Bartolomé Martínez Treviño. Después del trazo de la plaza y de los principales predios a su alrededor, continuó el trazo de solares para levantar las casas de los habitantes, cuidando que las manzanas quedaran simétricas y repartidas en torno al centro de la plaza. Las ceremonias se celebraron con toda solemnidad en presencia de las Autoridades de la Villa y los propietarios tomaron posesión de sus tierras y solares en nombre de Su Majestad el Rey de España Carlos III. A partir de 1754, las
tierras de Misión quedaron bajo administración y custodia de Fray José Antonio de Arratibel, quien las administró hasta 1770. La vida en el poblado de Revilla empezó a transcurrir en las labores agrícolas y ganaderas, pero frecuentemente la tranquilidad de las familias era interrumpida por los ataques de los indios que merodeaban la región, por lo cual los revillanos vivían siempre preparados con armas para defender sus familias y sus propiedades, desplegando todo su valor. Periódicamente se trababan combates para rechazar las agresiones que sufría la Villa y var-
ias familias perdieron a algunos de sus miembros que fueron sacrificados bárbaramente. A finales del siglo XIX (1889) se efectuó una remedición de terrenos en el municipio de Guerrero, conforme con el decreto número 190 expedido por el Gobernador del Estado, Alejandro Prieto, con fecha 7 de junio de 1890, pero no hubo cambios ni afectaciones de consideración. Nota del editor: Esta serie de artículos sobre la historia de Ciudad Guerrero, México, fueron escritos por la guerrerense Lilia Treviño Martínez (19272016), quien fuera profesora de la escuela Leoncio Leal.
Hubo arrestos en Laredo Por Jason Buch SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
El mes pasado, agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos (ICE por sus siglas en inglés) arrestaron a más de 150 personas en Texas, incluyendo a 62 en San Antonio, en lo que ICE ha llamado una “medida coercitiva”. Los agentes de inmigración realizaron arrestos en Austin, Waco, Laredo y en el Valle del Río Grande. De los 153 arrestados, 137 tenían antecedentes penales, de acuerdo con ICE. La agencia también mencionó que 33 de los arrestados fueron referidos a la Oficina del Fiscal de Estados Unidos por cargos de re-ingreso ilegal al país y el resto fue puesto en proceso de deportación. Los detenidos incluyen un joven de 20 años de Guatemala que había sido condenado por lesión a un menor de edad y un ciudadano mexicano de 46 años que había sido condenado por agresión sexual con agravantes a un menor de edad, dos cargos por conducir bajo los efectos de drogas o alcohol y un cargo de agresión. Ambos fueron arrestados en San Antonio. A diferencia de las redadas ampliamente publicitadas en Austin a principios de este año, los arrestos de San Antonio pasaron desapercibidos en gran medida por defensores de la inmigración de San Antonio. ICE no esclareció si las recientes detenciones forman parte de una nueva política, pero en una declaración la agencia dijo: "ICE regularmente lleva a cabo operaciones selectivas y lo ha hecho durante muchos años". Julian Calderas, ex director adjunto de la oficina de campo de San Antonio para las operaciones de aplicación y eliminación, la rama de ICE que se encarga de deportaciones, dijo que el Congreso provee fondos para los equipos que se encargan de las operaciones de fugitivos en ICE. "Parece que fue una operación regular," dijo Calderas, ahora CEO de XFed, una firma de consultoría. "Lo hacen trimestralmente. Ellos son financiados por el Congreso para hacer esto. Se espera que lo hagan”. Trump relajó las políticas de administración de Obama que exigían que los oficiales de ICE se concentraran en criminales serios, pero Calderas dijo que las recientes detenciones, que ocurrieron durante 12 días y que terminaron el viernes, no indican un cambio significativo en la política. "Ellos tienen la capacidad de arrestar a cualquiera, pero están manteniendo el porcentaje de criminales muy alto", dijo Calderas.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 |
NCAA BASKETBALL
A7
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Romo to retire, join CBS broadcast team David J. Phillip / Associated Press
North Carolina and Gonzaga are the biggest teams to watch next season after Monday’s championship.
UNC, Zags lead major storylines heading to next year By Aaron Beard
vals and Scout.com.
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
VILLANOVA’S NEXT ACT Villanova won the 2016 national championship on Kris Jenkins’ lastsecond 3-pointer, then carried the No. 1 overall seed into this year’s tournament before being upset by Wisconsin in the second round. It was a familiar stumble for Villanova, which failed to make it out of the opening weekend of the tournament in seven of eight years following the 2009 Final Four run. And with Jenkins joining AP All-American Josh Hart out the door, it’s time to see what coach Jay Wright can do next.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The 2016-17 season is over, with North Carolina holding off Gonzaga to win the national championship for the program’s sixth NCAA title. The win for the Tar Heels wrapped up the season’s biggest story line: How North Carolina would bounce back from a buzzer-beating loss in last year’s finale. TAR HEELS’ RESPONSE, AGAIN The key question for the 2017-18 Tar Heels as they follow this year’s run is how different the team will look. Seniors Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and Nate Britt will be gone, and Associated Press All-American Justin Jackson could join them in an early entry to the NBA draft. Freshman big man Tony Bradley also told The Associated Press after the Monday night win that he was “100 percent” going to test the waters and didn’t rule out hiring an agent, saying he “might not” be back. The Tar Heels will try to become the first team to reach three straight title games since Kentucky (1996-98) and the first to repeat since Florida in 2006 and 2007. ZAGS’ BREAKTHROUGH For so long, Gonzaga was the team that couldn’t get to a Final Four. A 37-2 season changed that. Now it’s time to see if Mark Few’s program can do it again. Like the Tar Heels, there are roster questions such as whether guard Nigel WilliamsGoss returns for his senior season or 7-footer Zach Collins decides to become a one-and-done player. KENTUCKY’S LATEST RECRUITING HAUL De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk are the first of this year’s potential oneand-done prospects to declare for the draft at Kentucky, but John Calipari’s next wave of touted recruits is on deck. Touted guard Hamidou Diallo is already on campus as a midyear enrollee, while power forward P.J. Washington leads a recruiting class ranked No. 1 nationally by both Ri-
WAY OUT WEST The Pac-12 had a terrific year at the top with Oregon making its first Final Four since winning the first NCAA championship in 1939, while Arizona was a 2-seed and UCLA was a No. 3. For the Ducks, top players Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell have decisions to make on whether to return — and that could determine whether Oregon can take another step after reaching an Elite Eight in 2016 and reaching this year’s national semifinals. THE SURPRISES Northwestern was a sentimental favorite after making its first NCAA Tournament and throwing a second-round scare into eventual finalist Gonzaga. Coach Chris Collins now faces the challenge of maintaining instead of building. As for South Carolina, coach Frank Martin can try to build off a Final Four run as a 7-seed that included knocking off preseason No. 1 Duke. COACHING SHUFFLE There are new coaches at several prominent programs, most notably Archie Miller leaving Dayton for Indiana. Some other new coaches to watch: Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing (replaces John Thompson III); Illinois’ Brad Underwood (from Oklahoma State); LSU’s Will Wade (from VCU); Missouri’s Cuonzo Martin (from California); North Carolina State’s Kevin Keatts (replaces Mark Gottfried); and Washington’s Mike Hopkins (longtime Syracuse assistant).
Associated Press file
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is retiring rather than trying to chase a Super Bowl with another team after losing his starting job last season. The all-time passing leader for the franchise is headed to the CBS broadcast booth.
Dallas’ all-time leading passer says goodbye By David Moore THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Retirement was not at the top of Tony Romo’s list three months ago. But as time wore on and the networks pursued him in a way NFL teams didn’t, it became the best choice. The Cowboys announced Tuesday that they are releasing Romo at the quarterback’s request. He will retire from the NFL and pursue a career in broadcasting, the statement said. In the statement, team owner Jerry Jones said, "We wish Tony and his family nothing but the best. As an organization, we did what he asked us to do in terms of his release, and we wanted to do what was ultimately in his best interest and in the best interest of his family." Romo confirmed his move to CBS by tweeting a photo of himself in a
CBS blazer. "When you think about the NFL, two of the most iconic brands are the Dallas Cowboys and CBS Sports," Romo said in a Tuesday news release from CBS. "Going from one legendary team to another as I begin the next phase of my career is a dream come true. I have always known that once my playing career was over I wanted to become a broadcaster. I am ecstatic for the opportunity to work with Jim as I learn the craft and convey to fans my passion for this great game." Romo will become CBS Sports’ lead NFL game analyst beginning with the 2017-18 season, Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports, announced in the same statement. He will join Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson on CBS’ top team. "Tony has been one of
the NFL’s biggest stars for the past decade; and we are thrilled to welcome him to CBS Sports," McManus said. Romo didn’t want his playing career to end the way it did, losing his starting job to injury and then watching rookie Dak Prescott play at such a high level he couldn’t get it back. But in the end, quality of life and the opportunity to climb the network food chain made more sense. Romo has played in just two games the past two seasons that he was in from start to finish. He turns 37 later this month and his third child is on the way. The Cowboys released Romo as a June 1 cut early Tuesday afternoon. This splits his salary cap hit to the Cowboys over the next two seasons, freeing up $14 million in space for 2017. The drawback: the club won’t be able draw
from that pool for player acquisition or to extend existing contracts for three months. "Tony has been a wonderful representative of the Cowboys organization for 14 years, and he left everything he had on the field," Jones said. "He will leave us with many great memories and a legacy of being, truly, one of the greatest players in Cowboys history. We are thrilled for him and his family that he will be able to continue working as a professional in the game he so dearly loves. "He is a young man who is just getting started on a long journey in life. All the best my friend." Romo started 127 games for the Cowboys over the last 11 seasons. Troy Aikman is the only quarterback in the franchise’s rich history with more starts.
2018 WINTER OLYMPICS: ICE HOCKEY
Ice hockey world body still works for Olympic deal with the NHL By Graham Dunbar ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AARHUS, Denmark — Like Russia’s star Alex Ovechkin, the International Ice Hockey Federation thinks NHL players need not miss the 2018 Winter Olympics — though team owners likely now need a “game-changer” offer on the table. “We are continuing to try to find solutions,” the governing body’s general secretary Horst Lichtner told The Associated Press on Tuesday, after the NHL said it would not take part in the games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Lichtner spent much of the day in talks with IOC officials and winter sports leaders about the NHL’s announcement late Monday. The league ended negotiations aimed at ensuring it would shut down for the Olympic period in February and let
Paul Chiasson / Associated Press file
The NHL announced it wasn’t going to allow players time off for the 2018 Olympics on Monday.
its superstars play in South Korea. Ovechkin said Tuesday he would play at the games anyway, suggesting the NHL was bluffing. Lichtner also said the door is not closed, though he acknowledged that the Switzerland-based IIHF must make a better offer. “Then we can re-open
the discussion, maybe not for ever but to come back with some so-called game changers to the (NHL team) owners which would then probably help to find a better decision than we have now,” he said. The IIHF had already agreed to meet players’ travel and insurance costs
when the IOC ended its long-time commitment to pay. The NHL sought more concessions, but the IOC would not concede a share of marketing rights to a commercial league. Lichtner said the IIHF was focused on a five-year plan for the sport in Asia, leading up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Games in the coveted Chinese market. “We have a strategy and that would of course be easier and much nicer if this is with the NHL than without,” he said. Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals star, said Tuesday that “I’m pretty sure everything is going to be fine.” “It’s my country,” Ovechkin said in Toronto. “It’s the biggest opportunity in your life to play in the Olympic Games. Somebody going to tell me I don’t go. I don’t care, I just go.”
A8 | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
STATE
Matt York / AP
In this 2017 file photo, NCAA President Mark Emmert answers a question at a news conference in Glendale, Ariz. The NCAA says it will consider North Carolina as a host for championship events again after the state rolled back a law that limited protections for LGBT people.
Texas’ governor renews defense of ‘bathroom bill’ A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ lieutenant governor is renewing his defense of a so-called “bathroom bill” now that the NCAA is putting North Carolina back into consideration for championship events. Republican Dan Patrick said Tuesday he
believes it is now “abundantly clear” that efforts to require people in Texas to use public bathrooms that correspond with the sex on their birth certificate are not in conflict with NCAA goals. The NCAA offered a lukewarm endorsement of a compromise “bathroom bill” in North Carolina after the state last
week repealed elements of the original 2016 law that led to seven championship events moving elsewhere. Patrick says the Texas proposal mirrors North Carolina’s compromise law. But the Texas bill still faces strong opposition in the House and hasn’t been publicly endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Texas Senate endorses campus assault reporting bill A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate has voted to approve tough new requirements for university employees and student leaders to report instances of sexual assault or dating violence. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston,
said it’ designed to prevent a repeat of the events at Baylor University, where the school was found to have mishandled reports of assault for years. The fallout at Baylor led to the firing of football coach Art Briles and the demotion and eventual departure of school President Ken Starr.
Baylor is now facing federal lawsuits from several women, as well as criminal and civil rights investigations. Under the bill, school employees and student leaders who don’t report assaults could face jail time or expulsion if they are found to have intentionally concealed information.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Fox loses more advertisers after sexual harassment claims against O’Reilly
Crude rises as US supplies declines
By Emily Steel And Michael S. Schmidt N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS SERVICE
Fox News was facing a major advertising revolt on Tuesday as companies wary of the sexual harassment accusations against Bill O’Reilly continued to pull their ads from his primetime cable news show. Six more marketers said they were withdrawing ads from “The O’Reilly Factor,” making a total of eight that have suspended sponsorship in the last 24 hours. Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai announced their decisions Monday night, and on Tuesday they were joined by BMW of North America; GlaxoSmithKline; Allstate; Constant Contact, an online marketer; Untuckit, a men’s clothing distributor; and Sanofi Consumer HealthCare, which advertised products like ACT mouthwash on O’Reilly’s show. The decisions come after The New York Times published an investigation last weekend that found that five women who had accused O’Reilly of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior received settlements totaling about $13 million. “We are continually reviewing our advertising to ensure it is conducted in a
By Mark Shenk BL OOMBERG NEWS
Richard Drew / AP
In this 2015 file photo, Bill O'Reilly of the Fox News Channel program "The O'Reilly Factor," poses for photos in New York.
responsible manner aligned with our values,” said Sarah Spencer, a spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline. Also Tuesday, the National Organization for Women called for O’Reilly to be fired and said an independent investigation should be conducted into the culture at Fox News. If more advertisers leave O’Reilly’s program, Fox News and its parent company, Twenty-First Century
Fox, may be forced to respond. O’Reilly, 67, is the network’s most visible star. “The O’Reilly Factor,” which draws almost 4 million viewers a night, generated more than $446 million in advertising revenue from 2014 through 2016. Representatives for Fox News and Twenty-First Century Fox could not immediately be reached for comment. O’Reilly has said that the accusations against
him are without merit and that his fame has made him a target “for those who would harm me and my employer.” Also Tuesday, the legal troubles for Fox News continued. Monica Douglas, a black Fox News employee, joined a lawsuit that was filed last week against Fox News by two other women, asserting that they were subjected to racial harassment at the network.
Stocks tread water as banks slip and energy companies incline By Marley Jay A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are inching lower Tuesday as a recent drop in bond yields continues to put pressure on banks. Department stores, apparel retailers and handbag makers are falling, but Amazon continues to rise. But energy companies are rising with the price of oil, and stocks are little changed overall. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index was unchanged at 2,358 of 2:15 p.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 31 points, or 0.2 percent, to 20,681 after Boeing said it will sell $3 billion in aircraft to an Iranian airline. The Nasdaq composite remained at 5,894. The Russell 2000 index of small-company
stocks lost 1 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,368. On the New York Stock Exchange, more stocks fell than rose. Trading is quiet Tuesday as investors wait for a series of reports on the U.S. economy and the meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping starting Thursday. Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.35 percent from 2.33 percent. However banks took losses for the second day in a row following a sharp drop in bond yields on Monday. Lower bond yields force interest rates on loans lower, which cuts into banks’ profits. KeyCorp slid 14 cents to $17.59 and Discover Financial Services lost 73 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $67.22.
Benchmark U.S. crude rose 78 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $51.02 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, added $1.01, or 1.9 percent, to $54.13 a barrel in London. Anadarko Petroleum added 74 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $62.5. The price of natural gas jumped 4.6 percent to $3.27 per 1,000 cubic feet, and Southwestern Energy climbed 57 cents, or 7.2 percent, to $8.46 while Range Resources gained $1.03, or 3.6 percent, to $29.60. Furniture and mattress retailer Conn’s surged after it announced a deal with Progressive Leasing, which will offer lease-to-own options to customers who don’t qualify for credit offered by Conn’s. Conn’s said working with Progressive could improve its sales. The company’s fourth-quarter
adjusted profit and sales were also a bit better than analysts expected. The stock rose $2.66, or 31.5 percent, to $11.11. Lighting maker Acuity Brands tumbled after its second-quarter profit and sales disappointed analysts. The company said the market for smaller projects remains weak, while sales in Europe, Mexico, and some other international markets were down and manufacturing costs were higher. The stock shed $29.04, or 14.2 percent, to $175.02. Gold rose $4.40 to $1,258.40 an ounce. Silver added 11 cents to $18.32 an ounce. Copper rose 1 cent to $2.61 per pound. The dollar slipped to 110.72 yen from 110.96 yen. The euro slipped to $1.0660 from $1.0665.
Crude climbed to a four-week high on forecasts that U.S. inventories have dropped from a record and reports of a North Sea oil-field shutdown. Futures climbed 1.6 percent in New York. U.S. crude supplies probably fell by 150,000 barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg News survey of analysts before an Energy Information Administration report Wednesday. The industryfunded American Petroleum Institute will release its weekly data Tuesday. The Buzzard oil field shut after an unplanned outage, according to person with knowledge of the matter. Oil rose 5.5 percent last week, the most since December, after Kuwait and other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries joined with Oman to voice support for an extension of the six-month output cuts that began in January. OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said Sunday that he is “cautiously optimistic that the market is already rebalancing,” even as the number of active oil rigs in the U.S. rose to the highest since September 2015 and Libya was said to restore production. “There’s an expectation, one that I don’t share, that the EIA and API will report crude draws,” Bob Yawger, director of the futures division at Mizuho Securities USA Inc. in New York, said by telephone. “Gasoline inventories are supposed to continue to draw.” West Texas Intermediate for May delivery rose 79 cents to $51.03 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It’s the highest close since March 7. Total volume traded was about 9 percent below the 100-day average. Brent for June settlement rose $1.05, or 2 percent, to $54.17 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. It was also the highest close since March 7. The global benchmark crude ended the session at a $2.66 premium to June WTI. The global benchmark advanced more than WTI following the reports of unplanned shutdown of the Buzzard field. The field operator, Cnooc Ltd.’s Nexen unit, didn’t reply to an email seeking comment. David Pursell, a managing director at investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt & Co., sees crude reaching $65 a barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in 2019. He expects a big drawdown in inventories over the next eight weeks and said stockpiles will revert to normal levels by the end of the third quarter. “Prices are going to get better, and you can take that to the bank,” Pursell said at Hart Energy’s DUG Permian Basin conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Since mid-February, between 10 million and 20 million barrels have left storage in the Caribbean, according to estimates from traders who asked not to be named because their data is proprietary. The decline, hardly noticed by most in the market, reflects the impact of the OPECled output cuts.
A10 | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Harrison Ford Chuck Norris won't face announced as penalties over honorary runway incident Rob Griffith / AP
Texan
By Anthony Mccartney ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate has named Chuck Norris an honorary Texan — especially fitting for the former star of "Walker, Texas Ranger." The actor and his wife, Gena, appeared in the chamber on Tuesday. Norris has acted in many action and martial arts films over the decades, in addition to playing the title character in the "Walker" TV series from 1993 until 2001. Norris, who's 77, was born in Oklahoma but has lived in Texas. A conservative Christian, he's Norris campaigned for some of the state's top Republicans, including with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz during his White House run last year, and with now-Gov. Greg Abbott in 2014. For more than a decade, Norris has been the center of popular online jokes attributing superhuman strength and impossible feats to him.
LOS ANGELES — Harrison Ford will not face any penalties over mistakenly landing on a taxiway at a Southern California airport earlier this year, the actor's attorney said Monday. Attorney Stephen Hofer wrote in a statement that the Federal Aviation Administration will not fine Ford and the actor will retain his pilot's license without restriction. "The FAA conducted a full investigation into the matter, including an interview with Mr. Ford, and determined that no administrative or enforcement action was warranted," Hofer wrote.
Ford mistakenly landed on a taxiway at John Wayne Airport in Orange County on Feb. 13 after flying over an American Airlines jet that was waiting to take off. "I'm the schmuck who landed on the taxiway," Ford told an air traffic controller shortly after the landing. Recordings of Ford's conversations with air traffic controllers were released Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration, and video previously released by the airport showed the actor's Aviat Husky plane from behind as it descends toward the airfield where the American Airlines Boeing 737 is slowly taxiing. Ford told an air traffic controller after the incident that he "got distracted by
In this 2015 file photo, Harrison Ford greets fans during a Star Wars fan event in Sydney, Australia.
the airliner" and also mentioned "big turbulence" from another plane that was landing. The FAA confirmed it had concluded its investigation into the incident, but the agency said it does not comment on individual pilots. Ford cooperated with investigators, has been a licensed pilot for more than 20 years with more 5,000 hours of flight experience, and has never been the subject of an FAA enforcement action, Hofer said. Ford collects vintage planes and has had several close calls and a serious accident in March 2015 when he was injured in his World War II-era trainer
after it crashed on a Los Angeles golf course when its engine failed. Alan Diehl, an aviation safety consultant who once worked for the FAA, said in an email to The Associated Press that it is likely "the inspectors felt this was an understandable mistake and concluded no further administrative or punitive action was warranted." He also said quickly taking responsibility for the mistake — as Ford did — is looked upon kindly. "His candor and long history of supporting aviation safety causes may have also been a factor in the decision to cut him some slack."
Jason Blum, producer behind ‘Get Out,’ is starting a TV company By Brooks Barnes N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS S ERVIC E
LOS ANGELES — Jason Blum, the producing whiz behind blockbuster horror films like “Get Out” and “Split,” has secured funding from ITV Studios in Britain to start a stand-alone television company. The first of several projects, a miniseries called “Secure and Hold: The Last Days of Roger Ailes,” is already in the works at Showtime. Blum, 48, said by phone on Monday that the company, Blumhouse Television, would focus on “dark genre” programming — not just horror, but “things that scare us.” In addition to the mini-
series about Ailes, who was ousted from Fox News last year after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment, Blumhouse Television will also lead the financing and production of a drama set in the same dystopian world as the “Purge” movie franchise. The three “Purge” films, about an America where crime, including murder, is legal for 12 hours once a year, were produced by Blum for a total cost of $21 million, and they collected $320 million worldwide. A fourth big-screen chapter is scheduled to arrive in the summer of 2018. The television spinoff will appear on both the Syfy and USA networks, he
J. Emilio Flores / NYT
Jason Blum at his production office in Los Angeles, Aug. 28, 2013.
said. Universal Cable Productions will help produce the “Purge” show. The miniseries about Ailes has not yet begun casting but could make its way to Showtime’s schedule by this time next year. (That project was announced in October,
though without a title or network partner.) Timing for the “Purge” series is unclear, in part because the storytelling must be melded with the movies. It is unusual for a continuing film series to spawn a television spinoff; studios usually wait until the
movies have concluded. Blum and ITV declined to discuss financial terms beyond saying that ITV would own 45 percent of Blumhouse Television. A person who helped arrange the deal, speaking on the condition of anonymity to comply with confidentiality strictures, said ITV’s minority investment gives Blumhouse Television an $80 million valuation. This is not Blum’s first foray into TV. His smallscreen work has included several HBO series, including “The Jinx,” which chronicled the deaths or disappearances of people close to the real estate scion Robert Durst; and “The Normal Heart,” an adaptation of Larry Kram-
er’s play about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. But he did not finance those projects, giving him limited control. Blumhouse Television, on the other hand, will give him significant autonomy — and a share of profits. Julian Bellamy, ITV’s managing director, said in a statement that Blum and his movie team have an “unrivaled reputation” and declared the investment “another step forward in ITV Studios building a global scripted business of scale.” Blumhouse Television will be run by Marci Wiseman, who played a role in the creation of “The Walking Dead,” and Jeremy Gold, who previously worked at Endemol Shine Studios.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 |
A11
NATIONAL & FROM THE COVER
IRS to use private debt collectors amid telephone scam By Stephen Ohlemacher A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The IRS is resuming the use of private debt collectors amid a wave of telephone scams in which fake government agents tell innocent taxpayers to pay up or face jail, the tax agency announced Tuesday. The IRS stopped using private debt collectors in 2009 after the agency determined that IRS employees could better do the work. But Congress passed a law in 2015 requiring the IRS to restart the program. The IRS says it will soon start turning over the accounts of 100 taxpayers a week to four private debt collectors. The program will grow to 1,000 accounts a week for each firm by the end of summer. The firms can keep up to 25 percent of what they collect. To combat fraud, the IRS says it is sending letters to taxpayers alerting them that their accounts are being turned over to private debt collectors. The private companies will then send letters to the taxpayers before calling them. “The IRS remains extremely concerned about the many con artists out there who masquerade as IRS employees or contractors,” said Mary Beth Murphy, who heads the small business and selfemployed division at the IRS. “We urge everyone to be on the lookout for scammers who might use this program as a cover to swindle taxpayers,” she said. Since the fall of 2013, more than 1.9 million people have received unsolicited telephone calls from fake government agents, according to the inspector general for tax administration. The callers demand money, saying the victim owes unpaid taxes. To date, over 10,300 victims have paid more than $55 million to the criminals. The IRS has said the scam is so widespread that multiple criminal organizations are taking part. In October, the Justice Department announced charges against 61 defendants in the United States
Vincenzo Pinto / AP
Pope Francis leaves after meeting Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at the Vatican on Tuesday.
Andrew Harnik / Associated Press
This 2015 photo shows the Internal Revenue Service Building in Washington. ASSOCIATED PRE SS
and abroad in connection with call center operations based in India. Callers worked off scripts posing as agents for the IRS or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They told unsuspecting victims that they had failed to pay taxes or were at risk of deportation, and that a fast payment was needed to get out of trouble. Murphy offered several tips to detect con artists. “No one will hear from a private collection firm unless they have unpaid tax debts going back several years and they’ve already heard from IRS multiple times about this debt,” she said. “We don’t collect taxes on iTunes cards or gift cards, and we don’t do it with aggressive, threatening phone calls.” “We will never use a phone call to threaten to bring in the police or have someone arrested,” Murphy added. Even though private firms will be contacting taxpayers, all payments should be made to the U.S. Treasury, Murphy said. The old private collection program was relatively small, collecting a little more than $80 million in three years. But it sparked a political and ideological debate over the value of public employees and government privatization. The union representing IRS workers and the National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent ombudsman within the IRS, opposed the program. They were joined by some Democrats in Congress. Other powerful lawmakers from both political parties supported it. “Every time this has been tried before, it has failed,” said Tony Reardon, national president of
the National Treasury Employees Union. “But once again Congress has forced this policy on the IRS, and we expect the results to be the same: collection agents getting paid to harass taxpayers, many of whom need assistance, not threats.” Nina Olson, the taxpayer advocate, says the new program doesn’t provide enough protections for taxpayers, especially those facing financial hardship. The new program could grow larger, depending on its success. The IRS will start by assigning cases in which the debt is less than $50,000. As it progresses, the agency will assign larger, more complicated cases to the private collectors, said Bill Banowsky, who will head the program for the IRS. “I think we learned some things from the last iteration,” Banowsky said. “One of those was to ensure the taxpayers are confident that they are talking to a private collection agency.” The collection firms are CBE Group of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Conserve of Fairport, New York; Performant of Livermore, California, and Pioneer of Horseheads, New York. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the new program is overdue. “It’s been clear for a long time that the IRS isn’t collecting the debt that these contractors will focus on. Collecting tax debt that’s due and not in dispute is a matter of fairness to the many taxpayers who pay what they owe,” Grassley said. “It’s important to note that the IRS doesn’t take financial information over the phone, so any scammers who ask for such information are just that,” he said.
NONCITIZEN From page A1
security efforts and plans for a wall develop. In his testimony for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Kelly said fewer than 12,500 people were caught crossing the border illegally last month. That compares with more than 43,000 in December. Kelly told lawmakers that the number of families and children traveling alone — groups that accounted for hundreds of thousands of illegal border crossers in recent years — also declined steeply. Last month fewer than 1,000 children were caught at the border and fewer than 1,100 people traveling as families were found. In recent years most of the families and children traveling alone have been from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Kelly has said his agency is considering separating parents and children as a way to dissuade parents from making the trek from
Pope Francis prays for Chicago violence victims
Rodrigo Abd / AP
In this April 1 photo, a man in Nogales, Arizona, talks to his daughter and her mother who are standing on the other side of the border fence in Nogales, Mexico.
Central America. News of the dramatic decrease in arrests comes on the same day that proposals for Trump’s border wall were due to the government. Last month, Customs and Border Protection published two notices asking for private companies to bid on the project. The government intended to have successful bidders build prototypes in San Diego
this year before selecting a final design. Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan told reporters Tuesday that while the Trump administration’s budget request for a more than $2 billion down payment on the wall appears unlikely to win approval in Congress this year, Homeland Security has the money to start the process and fund the prototypes.
CHICAGO — Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich says Pope Francis has written him a letter saying he is praying for the city’s victims of violence. Cupich read from the pope’s letter during an event Tuesday announcing the Chicago Archdiocese’s new initiatives to
fight violence in the city. Chicago has seen killings spike, hitting a 19-year high last year when there were 762 homicides. Pope Francis made a call for nonviolence in his letter dated Tuesday and told Cupich to tell the people of Chicago that he shared in their grief and prays they
“may experience healing and reconciliation.” The archdiocese’s anti-violence efforts will include a Good Friday “Walk for Peace” through the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. The archdiocese also is creating a fund to invest in new anti-violence approaches.
Senate approves tuition freeze for performance standards ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Senate has endorsed freezing tuition rates at public universities for two years and making schools meet performance benchmarks before raising them again. Lawmakers have been targeting ways to reduce tuition costs that have
skyrocketed since Texas deregulated rates in 2003. Tuition has risen nearly 150 percent while classroom spending has increased just 65 percent. The Senate bill would also cap tuition increases at 1 percent. It now goes to the House for consideration. The Senate also gave preliminary approval to
eliminating a requirement that universities set aside 15 percent of tuition to be used for financial aid. The change wouldn't reduce tuition but would give schools control over how they spend that money. Senate Democrats objected, saying it would take money from poor students.
Seattle tunnel machine reaches end troubled journey By Martha Bellisle ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SEATTLE — The world’s largest tunnelboring machine broke through a concrete wall beneath Seattle on Tuesday to reach the end of its long, troubled journey, a milestone in a multibillion-dollar project to replace an aging highway hugging the city’s waterfront. Critics of the effort to build an underground roadway called it an overpriced endeavor that would collapse under the weight of its ambition and mounting costs. For a while, they looked to be right as the machine, known as Bertha, broke down soon after it started drilling in 2013 and didn’t crank up again until last year. Bertha has finally capped its 1.75-mile journey, which the state Transportation Department and some media live-streamed online. Social media users posted memes about the time it took to reach this moment, when the giant machine cut through the final pieces of concrete in a 5-foot wall, filling the air with dust. “Today is a major construction milestone in our plan to reclaim Seattle’s waterfront,” Mayor Ed Murray said. “We will build a waterfront for pedestrians, transit and sensible car trips without a freeway wall casting a shadow over our vision of a well-connected 21st century city.” Crews will break down Bertha as others prepare the inside of the tunnel to handle double-decker lanes of an underground highway that will replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which was damaged in a 2001 earthquake. The $3.1 billion tunnel is set to open in 2019, four years
Elaine Thompson / AP
Workers watch and take photos as a massive tunneling machine finishes breaking through a five-foot wide concrete wall to complete boring for the State Route 99 highway Tuesday in Seattle.
behind schedule. The original completion date was in 2015. Proponents say the viaduct will no longer wall off Puget Sound. Some conservative lawmakers slammed the project as an expensive vanity project, and environmentalists objected to building another highway in Seattle. “This is a historic moment in our state’s transportation history,” said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, adding that it was a time “to reflect on the incredible level of innovation and skill needed to get to this point.” Republican state Sen. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane, a member of the Transportation Committee, called the project “a tragedy of errors.” “Only in bonkers, leftist Seattle would an absurdly stupid project that’s massively behind schedule and over cost, would finishing be considered a success,” he told The Associated Press. Bertha had only drilled about 1,000 feet of its 9,270-foot trek when it hit a steel pipe and ground to halt in December 2013. Crews spent much of 2014 digging a pit to reach the
machine so it could be pulled out and repaired. The removal of water near the pit sparked concerns about the ground in the area settling and posing a danger to pipes, buildings and roadways. Some businesses reported cracked walls, and monitors detected ground movement near the pit. Officials ultimately decided the movement stemmed from activity in the pit and natural causes. After being shut down for more than two years for repairs, Bertha began digging again in 2016. Officials also expressed concern when a barge carrying excavated soil began to tip and dropped material into the water. The spill posed a hazard to tunnel workers and the public. The courts will decide who will pay for the hundreds of millions of dollars of cost overruns and delays. Seattle Tunnel Partners and its insurance companies sued in 2015, claiming the state was at fault for Bertha’s breakdown. The Department of Transportation responded with its own lawsuit, seeking unspecified damages because of the delays caused by the breakdown.
A12 | Wednesday, April 5, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER BORDER From page A1 face deep resistance in Congress and beyond. Trump repeatedly said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall, but he has since requested that Congress approve billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer funds. Democrats vow to oppose any wall funding, and many Republicans are also wary of his plans for a massive brick-and-mortar barrier. The Border Patrol and local police would establish a buffer zone around the construction site if necessary, the U.S. official said. The San Diego police and sheriff ’s departments said Monday they will respect constitutional rights to free speech and assembly for any peaceful, law-abiding protesters. Enrique Morones, executive director of Border Angels, said his group plans to protest. “There will be a lot of different activity — protests, prayer vigils — on both sides of the wall,” said Morones, whose immigrant advocacy group is based in San Diego. “We pray and hope that they’re peaceful.” Michael EvangelistaYsasaga, chief executive of The Penna Group LLC, a general contractor in Fort Worth, Texas, said he has received about a dozen death threats since publicly expressing interest in bidding, including one from a woman who told him she hired a private investigator to trail him. Evangelista-Ysasaga said he bid in part because he wants broad immigration reform. Securing the border, he said, is a prerequisite for granting a path to citi-
The Border Patrol and local police would establish a buffer zone around the construction site ... they will respect constitutional rights to free speech and assembly for any peaceful, law-abiding protesters.
zenship to millions in the U.S. illegally. “We didn’t enter this lightly,” he said. “We looked at it and said we have to be a productive part of the solution.” Building a wall on the Mexican border was a cornerstone of Trump’s presidential campaign and a flashpoint for his detractors. The multibillion-dollar project along the 2,000-mile border has many outspoken critics, including the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico, which said last week that Mexican companies expressing interest were betraying their country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that it would pick multiple contractors to build prototypes by around June 1 and will name only the winning bidders. The agency said last month that the prototypes should be about 30 feet (9 meters) long and 18 to 30 feet (5.5 to 9 meters) high. The winning bidders must submit a security plan with details including “’fall back posi-
tions, evacuation routines and methods, muster area, medical staff members/availability, number of security personnel, qualifications, years of experience, etc. in the event of a hostile attack,” according to the solicitation. A chain-link fence with barbed wire around the construction site is required. The agency said it won’t provide security. Bidders are also asked to demonstrate experience “executing highprofile, high-visibility and politically contentious” projects. The agency, responding to questions from companies on a website for government contractors, said the Border Patrol would respond as needed if there is a hostile attack, but companies were responsible for security. The government won’t allow waivers from state gun laws or indemnify companies whose workers use deadly force. The website for contractors lists more than 200 companies that signed up for email notifications on the design contract but it’s unclear how many of those will apply. Bidders must have done border security or similar projects worth $25 million in the past five years to qualify. Ronald Colburn, Border Patrol deputy chief when hundreds of miles of fences were built under President George W. Bush’s administration, said companies should plan on training workers to know when to seek cover and stay put and when to retreat. “Most of those organizations are probably fairly accustomed to that,” said Colburn, who retired in 2009. “Some of them may be learning for the first time, that kind of risk at the borders.”
DEPARTMENT From page A1
EMS has been serving their community and surrounding area since 1950. The department’s protection area covers a 1,003 square miles, 800 of those miles are sandy and covered in brush. The addition of an excess military vehicle with a slip-on unit will help to give the department an upper hand over wildland fires. “This military truck allows us to get out into areas without getting stuck in the sandy terrain,” said Zapata County Fire and EMS Fire Chief Juan Jose Meza. “The truck has four-wheeldrive and is automatic, an improvement over the standard transmission that is more work for the firefighter, with the clutch and constant shifting.”
The acquisition of the truck was made possible through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program and the grant for the slip-on unit was received through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Grant Program, both administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. “Last year we had three very large fires,” said Meza. “They covered 1,000, 4,500, and 4,000 acres. We had to fight those fires with only one truck plus firefighters on the ground. Having the option to have this additional apparatus with a 1,000-gallon water tank gives us the ability to be better prepared for a quicker knock-down. We recently responded to a mutual aid call that was a 400-acre fire on the Webb County line. We took care of that fire pretty quickly
with the aid of this truck.” The DoD Firefighter Property Program, overseen by the USDA Forest Service, provides excess military equipment to fire departments and emergency service providers. Launched in Texas in 2005, this program has released over 400 retired military trucks to VFDs across the state. Texas A&M Forest Service transports the vehicle from a military installation, performs necessary repairs and delivers it to the volunteer fire department at no cost to them. Texas A&M Forest Service is committed to protecting lives and property through its various fire department assistance programs. For more information on programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, please visit http://texasfd.com.
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