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UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT
Senate confirms Gorsuch to serve Trump: He will serve with distinction By Ed O’Keefe and Robert Barnes WA S H INGT ON P O ST
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed Neil M. Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, capping more than a year of bitter partisan bickering over the ideological balance of the nation’s highest
court. On a vote of 54 to 45, senators confirmed Gorsuch, 49, a Denver-based judge on the U.S. Court Gorsuch of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. He will become the 113th person to serve on the Supreme Court and
is scheduled to be sworn in Monday. Gorsuch replaces former justice Antonin Scalia, whose sudden death in February 2016 sparked a year-long partisan fight over the ideological balance of the court. Gorsuch will be thrust into the final weeks of the Supreme Court’s term. The last Gorsuch continues on A10
Al Drago / NYT
Vice President Mike Pence leaves the Senate floor after the vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Friday.
US AND MEXICO RELATIONS
TALES FROM THE BORDER
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Courtesy photo
Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. spoke about bullying at Zapata County Community Coalition of the Serving Children and Adults in Need.
Chief speaks about bullying prevention By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
Rodrigo Abd / AP
In this March 24 photo, Cuban Elaide Vilchez carries her one-month-old daughter Emily Melania Garcia during a religious procession adapted to reflect the plight of immigrants, in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, across the border from Laredo, Texas.
Writer: we talked to anyone willing to open up By Christopher Sherman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
T
IJUANA, Mexico — The smells and sounds of Tijuana smack us as soon as we open the doors of our bug-splattered rental, a Jeep Renegade: food stalls selling roasted corn, churros and hot dogs; a near-empty bar blaring the oompa-oompas of norteno, Mexico's answer to polka. This is our last stop. We have just logged 3,000 miles from the Gulf of
Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, crisscrossing back and forth across the world's 10th-longest border 22 times over two weeks and blogging about the experience . We have traversed the terrain through which President Donald Trump would build a 30-foot-high wall; we have talked to anyone and everyone who was willing to open up to us. We've seen a father and daughter speak through the bars of the border fence, and talked to an Arizona rancher who supports the wall but who has
installed taps at every well on his desert property so migrants can drink. In Ciudad Juarez, we watched Mexican children throw rocks across the fence at railroad maintenance vehicles in the U.S. In Tijuana, we met a U.S. Army veteran who crossed the border, in her words, to "hide" from life for a few hours. What we've found, from the nearempty migrant shelters of Tamaulipas state in Mexico to the drug-running corridors of the Sonoran desert, is a Tales continues on A10
Bullying happens anywhere but people can change that, said Raymundo Del Bosque Jr., chief of the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. Del Bosque was the guest speaker Thursday at the Zapata County Community Coalition of the Serving Children and Adults in Need meeting. The Sheriff’s Office said the presentation shared a focus on how to work together to eliminate bullying from schools, and creating safer environments. “Bullying can happen anywhere from schools to our workplace, but it is up to us to change it,” Del Bosque said in a Facebook post. “I had the opportunity to share some educational material on bullying that I've considered to be very helpful in the fight against bullying.” Del Bosque further mentioned that the Sheriff’s Office is constantly finding new ways to educate the youth and the community in the fight against bullying and create friendly environments. “Sheriff Alonso M. Lopez and the Zapata County Sheriff's Office continue to move forward toward community involvement and public education in an effort to improve the county's quality of life,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, April 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
FRIDAY, APRIL 7
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
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/
Today is Saturday, April 8, the 98th day of 2017. There are 267 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On April 8, 1952, President Harry S. Truman seized the American steel industry to avert a nationwide strike.
SUNDAY, APRIL 9 Holy Redeemer Church annual Jamaica. 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. 1602 Garcia, corner of Garcia and Davis.
MONDAY, APRIL 10 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, APRIL 17 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.
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.
MONDAY, APRIL 24 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26 “A Toast to 25 Years of Music, Art and Fashion.” 11:30 a.m. Laredo Country Club. The Volunteer Services Council for Border Region Behavioral Health Center invites the community to this event to celebrate Administrative Professional Day Luncheon and Fashion Show. A raffle will also be held at the event. To purchase a table, contact Laura Kim at 956-7943130 or blaurak@borderregion.org.
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society Meeting . 3 to 5 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speaker: Celso Sanchez, "Don Tomas Sanchez, The Founder of Laredo.” Members free, guests $5. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Spanish Book Club. 6 to 8 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library, conference room. For more info, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
MONDAY, MAY 1 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available. Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
FRIDAY, MAY 5 2017 Laredo Open. May 5-7. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
SATURDAY, MAY 6 Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee. 2017 Laredo Open. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
Brett Coomer / AP
In this March 2, 2017 photo, Dr. Joseph Lamelas performs heart surgery at Baylor St. Luke's Hospital in Houston. Lamelas is a pioneer in minimally invasive cardiac surgery.
HEART SURGEON RELOCATES TO HOUSTON HOUSTON — Dr. Joseph Lamelas, a pioneer of minimally invasive heart surgery, is new in Houston. So new, it seems, even some of the area's cardiologists aren't aware of what he can do. Lamelas came to Baylor College of Medicine in January, leaving behind his practice of more than 20 years in Miami, where he'd established himself as one of the busiest cardiac surgeons in the world. He was performing more than 700 operations a year, the vast majority of them through small incisions using surgical tools that he helped design.
Police: 4 dead, 1 critically injured after murdersuicide HOUSTON — Investigators believe a woman fatally shot her stepfather, critically injured her mother and killed two other people at different locations in the Houston area before killing herself on Friday, according to police. Officers responding to a welfare check at a Houston
Research increasingly shows minimally invasive techniques result in shorter recovery times and fewer complications, but heart surgeons have been slow to adapt. Lamelas has completed more than 5,000 minimally invasive surgeries over the past 15 years, he said, pushing himself to take on ever more complex operations. He does minimally invasive valve replacements. Minimally invasive double-valve replacements. Minimally invasive triple-valve replacements. Minimally invasive bypass surgeries. — Compiled from the Houston Chronicle
home found the bodies of the stepfather and the alleged shooter around 7:10 a.m., Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said. Silva said the mother had also been shot and was taken to a Houston hospital in critical condition. As detectives were investigating, they were informed of another shooting scene at a nearby home. Officers responded and found the body of a man who investigators believe was also shot by the woman, though how or whether they knew each other wasn't imme-
diately clear, Silva said. After responding to the shootings in Houston, police asked Fort Bend County sheriff's deputies to check on a home in Fresno, about 16 miles southwest of Houston. Silva said deputies found the body of a woman who was possibly related to the alleged shooter. Police have not indicated what might have prompted the shootings. They also haven't released the names of the alleged shooter or victims in Houston. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD Stolen truck kills 4 in Stockholm STOCKHOLM — A hijacked beer truck plowed into pedestrians at a central Stockholm department store on Friday, killing four people, wounding 15 others and sending screaming shoppers fleeing in panic in what Sweden's prime minister called a terrorist attack. A nationwide manhunt was launched and one person was arrested following the latest use of a vehicle as a weapon in Europe. Nearby buildings were locked down for hours in the heart of the capital — including the country's parliament — and the main train station and several large malls were evacuated. "Sweden has been attacked," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said in a nationally televised press conference. "This indicates that it is an act of terror."
Fredrik Sandberg / AP
Emergency personnel load a person into an ambulance, centre, at the scene after a truck crashed into a department store injuring several people in central Stockholm, Sweden on Friday.
Later Friday night, Lofven laid a bouquet of red roses and lit a candle near the site of the attack. Officials announced flags at government offices would fly at half-mast Saturday to honor the victims. "The country is in a state of shock," he said. "The aim of terrorism is to undermine de-
mocracy. But such a goal will never be achieved in Sweden." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Police arrested a man in Marsta, a northern Stockholm suburb close to the city's international airport, as a possible suspect. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Seattle's mayor denies claims of sex with teens SEATTLE — Ed Murray led a long campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state, toiled for nearly two decades as a state lawmaker and won his biggest personal political victory in 2013 when he unseated Seattle's incumbent mayor by promising the ultra-liberal city to raise the minimum wage to
$15. Just as he took on a role as a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump and prepared to launch al re-election campaign, Murray was hit Thursday with a political bombshell — accusations from three men that Murray sexually abused them in the 1980s. On Friday, Murray held a brief news conference to deny the allegations, saying "they were very painful for me. It was painful for my husband." He said he will not step
On this date: In 1820, the Venus de Milo statue was discovered by a farmer on the Greek island of Milos. In 1864, the United States Senate passed, 38-6, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolishing slavery. In 1904, Longacre Square in Manhattan was renamed Times Square after The New York Times. In 1913, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for popular election of U.S. senators was ratified. President Woodrow Wilson became the first chief executive since John Adams to address Congress in person as he asked lawmakers to enact tariff reform. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act, which provided money for programs such as the Works Progress Administration. In 1946, the League of Nations assembled in Geneva for its final session. In 1961, a suspected bomb exploded aboard the passenger liner MV Dara in the Persian Gulf, causing it to sink; 238 of the 819 people aboard were killed. In 1973, artist Pablo Picasso died in Mougins, France, at age 91. In 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit his 715th career home run in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, breaking Babe Ruth's record. Ten years ago: Powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his militiamen to redouble their battle to oust American forces from Iraq and called on the country's army and police to join him in defeating "your archenemy." Zach Johnson won the Masters with a two-shot victory over Tiger Woods. Five years ago: A U.N.-brokered plan to stop the bloodshed in Syria effectively collapsed after President Bashar Assad's government raised new, last-minute demands that the country's largest rebel group swiftly rejected. The U.S. and Afghanistan signed a deal giving Afghans authority over raids of Afghan homes, resolving one of the most contentious issues between the two wartime allies. Bubba Watson saved par from the pine straw and won the Masters on the second hole of a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen. One year ago: In a sweeping document on family life that opened a door to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics, Pope Francis insisted that church doctrine could not be the final word in answering tricky moral questions and that Catholics had to be guided by their own informed consciences. Bruce Springsteen canceled a scheduled concert in Greensboro, North Carolina, citing the state's new law blocking anti-discrimination rules covering the LGBT community. N.W.A. entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Brooklyn's Barclays Center with 1970s-era rock acts Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple and Steve Miller. Today's Birthdays: Comedian Shecky Greene is 91. Actor-turneddiplomat John Gavin is 86. Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Seymour Hersh is 80. Actor Hywel Bennett is 73. Actor Stuart Pankin is 71. Rock musician Steve Howe is 70. Former House Republican Leader Tom DeLay is 70. Movie director John Madden is 68. Rock musician Mel Schacher (Grand Funk Railroad) is 66. Actor John Schneider is 57. "Survivor" winner Richard Hatch is 56. Rock musician Izzy Stradlin is 55. Singer Julian Lennon is 54. Actor Dean Norris is 54. Rock singer-musician Donita Sparks is 54. Rapper Biz Markie is 53. Actress Robin Wright is 51. Actress Patricia Arquette is 49. Actor JR Bourne is 47. Rock singer Craig Honeycutt (Everything) is 47. Rock musician Darren Jessee is 46. Actress Emma Caulfield is 44. Actress Katee Sackhoff is 37. Actor Taylor Kitsch is 36. Rock singer-musician Ezra Koenig (Vampire Weekend) is 33. Actor Taran Noah Smith is 33. Actress Kirsten Storms is 33. Rock musician Jamie Sierota (Echosmith) is 24. Actress Sadie Calvano is 20. Thought for Today: "A highbrow is a person educated beyond his intelligence." — James Brander Matthews, American author and educator (18521929).
CONTACT US down and is sticking to reelection campaign plans but refused to answer reporters' questions, saying the case "is now a legal matter that is in the courts." Murray's spokesman, Jeff Reading, previously suggested unnamed Murray enemies were behind the claims "It is not a coincidence that this shakedown effort comes within weeks of the campaign filing deadline," Reading said. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 8, 2017 |
A3
LOCAL & STATE
Texas spending big on border security despite Trump promises By Paul J. Weber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — As a budget shortfall in Texas threatens cuts to colleges and Medicaid, a costly border security operation is proving largely untouchable despite President Donald Trump's promises to build a wall and the plunging number of people caught illegally entering the U.S. A prolonged oil slump has left lawmakers about $6 billion short of the money needed to keep the status quo in Texas, which attracts about a million new residents every two years. But border security is one area where Republicans — who control state government — have all but refused to search for savings. During a key budget vote on Thursday, House Democrats proposed taking dollars earmarked for hundreds of state troopers on the TexasMexico border and National Guard patrols, and putting that money instead toward other programs they say are underfunded. One even proposed tacking onto a $218 billion spending bill a prohibition against using state funds on Trump's border wall. But the proposals to scale back Texas' $800 million border operation appeared largely symbolic during a marathon debate in the GOP-controlled Legislature. Illegal border cross-
ings have plummeted in recent months. In March, authorities caught 12,193 people at the southern border — the lowest monthly figure in at least 17 years, and the second straight month that border arrests sharply dropped. Still, Republican officials from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on down embrace Trump's plans to build a wall, and the state is committing more money to border security efforts. "At the federal level, the money hasn't been turned loose to apply the new resources that are needed to do what President Trump has said needs to be done, and what I agree needs to be done," said Republican Rep. Matt Schaefer, a U.S. Navy reserve lieutenant from East Texas who is among the most far-right lawmakers in the Texas House. "This is going to take time. I don't believe that we can stand down while the federal government steps up. And that's going to be awhile." The state is set to pass a new budget by June, and just about every part of Texas government is in line to take hit: Public universities are fighting a proposed $300 million cut, and one of Abbott's biggest initiatives — bolstering pre-kindergarten — is also getting short shrift. More than $2 billion in proposed cost cuts to Medicaid is also on the table, and many state agencies are under a hiring freeze.
Courtesy
Zapata County and state officials gather together to openly discuss concerns on border security Zapata County Sheriff’s Office Raymundo Del Bosque Jr. said it was an honor to have met Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. “We had a very productive meeting as we discussed and shared our views and concerns on border security,” Bosque said. “(We’re) really looking forward to future meetings and having open communication with our state capitol officials, representatives, Zapata County, Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition and Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition.”
South Texas motorcycle hearse used to remember riders By Natalia E. Contreras CORPUS CHRISTI CAL LER-TIME S
ARANSAS PASS, Texas — Calvin "Sonny" Cathey loved to ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports he and his wife, Lorrie Cathey of Rockport, would take out the Harley on the weekends for road trips and bike rallies. "For 10 years, riding that bike was something we enjoyed doing together," Lorrie Cathey said. About two years ago, the Catheys attended a friend's funeral service and that's where they first spotted the Resthaven Funeral Home's motorcycle hearse.
Rachel Denny Clow / AP
Lee Hickel, owner of Resthaven Funeral Home, stands with his motorcycle hearse on March 27, 2017.
"He said to me, 'if anything ever happens to me I want you to get that for me'," Lorrie Cathey said. Calvin "Sonny" Cathey, 58, died in January after battling lung cancer. And although it was a difficult time for her family, Lorrie Cathey was glad to know she
was able to fulfill her husband's wishes. "I was very pleased to be able to do that for him," she said. "It made his services so special and unique." Cathey's family is one of the several families in the Coastal Bend who have been able to give their loved ones a final
ride in the Resthaven Funeral Home's motorcycle hearse — the only motorcycle hearse in the Coastal Bend. "My wife and I both ride bikes and one night over dinner we were brainstorming about what we could offer our clients that would be different and special," Resthaven Funeral Home in Sinton, owner Lee T. Hickel said. "We are able to provide some closure for the families and that final ride, that last ride." Hickel purchased the hearse about five years ago and found the Harley-Davidson trike bike to pull it in Mississippi. Anyone in the Coastal Bend and South Texas — even other funeral homes — can use the motorcycle hearse, Hickel said.
Zopinion
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A4 | Saturday, April 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
The reason behind Trump’s Syria attack By Frank Bruni TH E N EW YORK T IME S
The agony of Donald Trump is that there are times when he will actually do the right thing, or at least a defensible thing, and we’ll be left wondering, even more than we did with other presidents, about what his motivations were, whether they fit into any truly considered plan or whether his actions amount to the newest episode of a continuing reality show. Such is the case with the strike against Syria, which is too big a risk in too complicated a place to be used for distraction, for diversion, for the pose he needs in the narrative du jour. There’s justification for it, absolutely. President Obama had advisers who wished he’d done something similar, and there were Democrats aplenty who found his restraint when it came to Syria and the regime of Bashar al-Assad to be infuriating, a surrender of America’s role and moral authority in the world. But Trump’s military action makes little sense in the context of most of what he said in the years before he was elected and much of what he has done as president so far. Let me get this straight: Obama wasn’t supposed to draw or be drawn across a red line, not even when the Assad regime used chemical weapons, but when the regime did that on Trump’s watch, it crossed “many, many lines,” in his words, and compelled an American response? That’s a “dizzying turnabout,” as Blake Hounshell wrote in Politico, under the headline “Trump’s Syria Whiplash.” And I can’t square Trump’s statements over the last two days that the United States can’t stand by idly in the face of such grotesque suffering with his determination to bar those who suffer from being accepted as refugees into America. And so two questions, loud and urgent: Why did he do this now? And, beyond that, who exactly is he? The notion that military action salvages a president on the defensive, boldly underscoring his role as commander in chief, is nothing new. But there’s a fresh wrinkle in this case, because those bombs put Trump at particular odds with Russia at a moment when there’s enormous advantage in that. What’s more, the quickness with which those missiles followed
the Assad regime’s latest atrocity cast Trump in an emphatically decisive light. It’s precisely the look that he needs right now. On Friday morning Mike Allen of Axios quoted an unnamed official in the Trump administration saying that White House aides were viewing this particular juncture as “leadership week,” because Trump was not only meeting with the Chinese president at Mar-a-Lago but had also stood tall at a lectern there on Thursday night, just after the strike against Syria, to utter these sweeping words: “God bless America and the entire world.” Is he guided by any fixed philosophies or is he moved by moods and operating on whim? This, too, isn’t a concern singular to Trump’s presidency, but it’s a concern that’s amplified in Trump’s presidency, because his background is so unusual: no government experience, no military service, a hodgepodge of political positions and associations over time. On top of which, his performance on the campaign trail, in debates and in the White House has made clear, time and again, how woefully uninformed he can be and how blissfully untroubled by that he is. A positive interpretation of these latest developments is that Trump is someone who’s willing to adjust to a deeper, fresher understanding of events, to pivot in accordance with circumstances, to learn and to evolve. Consistency can definitely be overrated. At times it’s just a euphemism for stubbornness. But another take is that Trump isn’t just uninformed but unformed. And that’s not reassuring at all. As the week went on, there were more and more reports not just of tension in the White House between Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner but of extreme acrimony and outright warfare. The intensity of that collision reflects competing ideologies and sensibilities, yes, but it also speaks to the stakes. The winner’s spoils aren’t merely influence over Trump, who, according to a report in The Times on Friday morning, tilts “one way or the other depending on the day, or even the hour.” The spoils, it seems, are the opportunity to mold him utterly, because nearly 80 days into his administration, he remains a wet piece of clay. — Bruni is a columnist for the New York Times.
COLUMN
Health care won’t change until GOP admits it’s flawed By Steven Pearlstein WASHINGTON P O ST
There is a simple explanation for why Republicans in Congress can’t agree, even among themselves, how to replace Obamacare, as demonstrated once again this week. A sizable minority of Republicans, as a matter of free-market principle, believe that nobody has a right to medical care, or anything else for that matter, beyond what they are willing to spend and can afford to pay. Indeed, if members of the socalled “freedom caucus” had their druthers, they wouldn’t stop at repealing Obamacare — they’d repeal Medicare and Medicaid as well. And then there is the majority of congressional Republicans who believe that, in a country as rich as ours, no citizens should be denied medical care because they are too poor or too sick. They are unwilling to come out and say it, however, because to do so would commit them to raising the taxes and enacting the regulations necessary to make that a reality. Because this a dispute about ends, not means, it is not easily amendable to compromise. So Republicans are left to try to paper over their differences by tinkering with “community rating,” “high-risk pools” and other things they barely understand but now have suddenly assigned make-or-break political significance. But what if a newly elected Republican president eager for a political victory were to utter the unutterable - to declare that he is willing to ac-
knowledge the right of all Americans to buy all the medical care they need for no more than 15 percent of household income? It would be a stunning political concession from the leader of an increasingly conservative party. What could a self-styled dealmaker demand from Democrats in return? For starters, he could propose that the third of Medicaid spending that now benefits low-income seniors be transferred, as it should always have been, to Medicare, along with the Obamacare taxes necessary to pay for it. Spending for seniors is the fastest-growing part of a Medicaid program that has become a fiscal time bomb for state governments, which pay anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the cost of the program. Send it to Medicare as a new Part E and he would instantly win 50 governors and thousands of state legislators as political allies, along with the support of the insurance industry. With seniors taken care of, this president could delight Republicans everywhere by proposing to “end Medicaid as we know it,” and instead provide its beneficiaries a voucher which would allow them to buy any managed care plans sold on the state’s health insurance exchanges. Such insurance plans, designed for the Medicaid population but open to anyone, would have no deductibles and limited co-payments and give primary physicians the incentive and responsibility to actively coordinate care and keep patients healthy. That would be a big improvement of the
current Medicaid fee-forservice program, which delivers lousy health outcomes and pays so little that doctors are fleeing it in droves. To finance coverage for the non-poor, the president could demand an end to the regressive policy of exempting employer-paid health insurance from being taxed as income - a tax loophole that costs the Treasury more than $250 billion a year. Instead, that money would be used to provide every household with a tax credit that could be used to pay for insurance, whether or not employers pay any portion of the premium. The credit could be set so that it covers, at a minimum, 80 percent of the age-adjusted cost of a buying a high-deductible catastrophic insurance policy on state exchanges. This would obviate the need for Obamacare’s controversial insurance mandate, because someone would have to be an idiot not to use the credit to buy, at minimal cost, a policy that protects against huge medical bills in the event he gets hit by a truck or needs treatment for a life-threatening disease. Finally, this president could demand that Democrats agree to malpractice reform limiting pain and suffering awards for medical mistakes. This could be coupled with a requirement that the limits only apply if doctors follow practice guidelines based on extensive new research on medical outcomes financed under Obamacare. Political hands will have noticed by now that these demands are guaranteed to generate howls
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letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
of protest from a number of powerful Democratic constituencies: advocates for the poor, who are deeply invested in defending both the structure and funding levels of the current Medicaid program; and labor unions, who will fight to the death to protect the tax advantage of the gold-plated healthcare benefits they have negotiated for their members. But a Republican president who dares to sacrifice sacred cows of his party has the right to demand that Democrats sacrifice sacred cows of their own all the more so because these are all policy changes that nonpartisan economists and health-policy experts have long advocated. In the current political climate, the reality is that there is no way to craft a grand compromise on health care without radically altering the political calculus by changing the terms of the policy debate. Having invested so much time, energy and political capital in their current positions, all factions are so dug in that the only way to shake them loose is by putting on the table ideas that are so bold and so tempting that they are willing to consider giving up something to get them. President Trump has already demonstrated that he doesn’t know enough about health care, while the people around him have shown themselves to be so wedded to their old partisan or ideological positions that they can’t be much help, either. He needs to turn elsewhere for help. And what if it doesn’t work? In that case, he would be in no worse position than he is now.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 8, 2017 |
A5
CRIME
Texas man found guilty Father and sons in 7-month-old’s death sentenced for roles A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
BRYAN, Texas — A jury has convicted a Texas man who prosecutors say was high on drugs when he fatally beat a 7-month-old child who suffered a fractured skull and ribs. Thirty-eight-year-old Talawrence Tennell of
Bryan was found guilty Thursday of capital murder by a Brazos County jury. He’ll automatically receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole for killing Hailey Burleson, who was the daughter of his girlfriend at the time. A prosecution witness
testified that Tennell had admitted smoking PCP on the day the girl was killed. The Eagle newspaper reports that his courtappointed attorney had argued Tennell didn’t intentionally kill the child and that others had testified he never previously mistreated Hailey.
Dallas woman gets life term for starving infant boy to death A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DALLAS — A judge has ordered a 22-year-old Dallas woman to serve life in prison for the 2014 starving death of her 7-month-old son. Princess White was sentenced Friday in Dallas. White on Thursday pleaded guilty to felony
injury to a child. Investigators say the baby, Kary Sharpe, weighed about 7 pounds (3.18 kilograms) at death — just a few ounces more than his birth weight. Prosecutors say White failed to provide adequate nutrition or medical care for the emaciated boy, who was taken to a
hospital by a relative. The baby died on Dec. 2, 2014. An attorney for White, who was indicted a month after her baby died, said she lacked proper parenting skills. Child Protective Services took custody of White’s two other children.
25 indicted in Texas drug, money laundering, gang case A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — Officials say 25 people identified by investigators as gang members or associates have been indicted for their alleged roles in a South Texas drug and money laundering ring. Federal investigators in Houston on Friday an-
nounced the 27-count superseding indictment linked to the Tri-City Bombers. Officials say the defendants — from Texas, Ohio and Minnesota — face counts including racketeering, drug distribution and money laundering. Prosecutors say the suspects are accused of taking part in a multistate
drug ring operating since 2009 and blamed for murder, attempted murder and robbery. The superseding indictment was returned March 30 by a federal jury in Houston and unsealed Thursday. Officials say two dozen of the suspects were in custody as of Friday.
in Texas drug ring ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LAREDO, Texas — Federal prosecutors say the leader of a drugtrafficking network along the border with Mexico has been sentenced to life in prison and his two sons also received lengthy sentences for dealing crack and other illicit drugs. Authorities say 40-
year-old Adan Melendez was sentenced Thursday for leading the drug distribution ring from Laredo. He was previously convicted of numerous charges that included using minors in a drug operation. Melendez’s two sons, one 22 years old and the other 21, also were sentenced Thursday to at least 12 years in prison.
They had earlier been convicted of drug conspiracy and other charges. Fifteen other people previously were sentenced for their roles in the drug network and prosecutors say 10 others are awaiting sentencing. Authorities say Melendez profited about $1,200 a day from his operation.
A6 | Saturday, April 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Ringling Bros. Circus ends 146-year run By LIZETTE ALVAREZ N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS SERVICE
It began in 1871 as P.T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome, back when Prussia was still a kingdom and Jesse James was robbing banks. It survived the Depression, two world wars and the new media of its time, including radio, film and television. But on May 21, the world’s most historic circus, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, will shut down after failing to sufficiently dazzle the children of the smartphone age and to overcome the fierce opposition of the animal rights movement, which does not want to see animals in the circus. Backstage and from the bleachers during a four-day run in Washington, the frenzied spectacle of today is still rooted
in its 19th-century traditions, with a dash of the modern mixed in. Clowns flop. Trapezists fly. Wild animals jump. Contortionists bend. Horses gallop. Tightrope walkers wobble. But ticket sales, which had been declining for a decade, plummeted last year, when the elephants left the ring for the last time. Feld Entertainment, which owns Ringling, spent years battling animal rights groups and accusations of elephant abuse. The circus never lost in court; it won a total of $25 million in two settlements from two major animal rights groups and beat back allegations that it had mistreated elephants with chains and bullhooks. But a surreptitious 2009 video showing heavy-handed tactics against the elephants and a powerful online campaign helped dampen enthusiasm for
Doug Mills / NYT
This photo shows Alexander Lacey, an animal trainer for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, in Washington, March 31.
the circus, even as Ringling moved to revamp its practices. “We won in court — and obviously in the court of public opinion we didn’t prevail,” said Kenneth Feld, the 69-year-old chairman and chief executive of Feld Entertainment, which bought the circus in 1967 and owns a variety of successful traveling shows, including Monster Jam and Disney on Ice. In an unforgiving marketplace, he said, it just became too hard for the circus to hold on to its most crucial fans: wide-eyed kids and their nostalgic parents.
“There has been more change in the last decade than in the preceding 70 years,” Feld said recently. “The circus had to be all things to all people. Now we live in a world of specialization.” Running a circus, even one that has downsized over time, didn’t get any cheaper. The operation — there are two traveling troupes — is gargantuan: Two mile-long circus trains to move people and equipment; more than 500 performers and crew members to pay and house; 100 animals to care for
and feed; 800 costumes; and a universe of props, sound and lights. In a world of distractions, the circus, whittled from five rings to three to, finally, one, found it impossible to compete with cellphones, video games and endless on-demand entertainment. Now, in its last days, the men and women who have dedicated years to an enterprise that felt eternal are looking back with pride, grief and a sense of disbelief that “the greatest show on Earth” is going dark for good.
Prostitute who gave Google exec fatal drug shot is deported By Paul Elias ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Katrina Gross / AP
Tysen Benz hanged himself after seeing social media posts stating that his girlfriend committed suicide.
11-year-old hangs himself after a social media prank By Corey Williams A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DETROIT — Charges are pending against a juvenile after a Michigan mother said a social media prank in which her 11-year-old son's girlfriend faked her own suicide led the boy to take his own life. Katrina Goss said Thursday that she found her son, Tysen Benz, hanging by the neck March 14 in his room after seeing social media posts and texts that his 13-year-old girlfriend had killed herself. Goss said the girl and some of her friends orchestrated the prank. It was not clear who faces charges. "She had pranked her own death," Goss, 41, said of her son's girlfriend. "I don't know what possessed her to do such a weird prank. It's a twisted, sick joke." The unnamed juvenile is being charged in Marquette County with telecommunication servicesmalicious use and using a computer to commit a crime, Marquette city
police Capt. Michael Kohler said in a news release. Police would not release the age of the juvenile charged or comment on what relationship the person had with the boy. The prosecutor's office declined to comment Thursday. Goss said that after seeing posts about his girlfriend, Tysen replied over social media that he was going to kill himself. She said those involved in the prank didn't tell an adult even then. "The whole thing happened in about 40 minutes," Goss said. "He was fine and then I found him. I don't know what she said she did to herself." Tysen was rushed to an area hospital and later transferred to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, near Detroit. He died Tuesday. "Social media harassment, bullying and pranking is a huge issue," Goss added. "The way it's used nowadays, kids are desensitized to social media and it really does hurt people."
SAN FRANCISCO — Federal immigration officials said Friday they were deporting a California prostitute to Canada after she completed a jail sentence for involuntary manslaughter for giving a fatal heroin shot to a Google executive she had been entertaining aboard his yacht. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman James Schwab said a judge ordered Alix Tichelman, 29, deported to Canada because of her felony convictions connected to the accidental overdose death of Forrest Hayes in November 2013. She also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of administering drugs. Immigration agents arrested her after she
Shmuel Thaler / AP
In this 2014 file photo, Alix Tichelman, left, confers with a public defender in Santa Cruz, California.
finished her jail sentence on March 29. Schwab declined to disclose Tichelman’s immigration status in the United States or whether she was represented by an immigration attorney. The San Jose Mercury News reported Wednesday that Tichelman holds a permit to permanently work and live in the United States. The paper re-
ported that Tichelman was raised in Georgia and spent little time in Canada. Police said a surveillance video at the harbor showed Tichelman at first panicking and trying to revive Hayes. Then it showed her casually step over Hayes’ body, finish a glass of wine and lower a blind before leaving the yacht.
Hayes had hired Tichelman several times previously. They were doing drugs and having sex the night he died, authorities said. The high-end call girl was arrested eight months after Hayes’ death. After Tichelman was charged in California, police in Milton, Georgia, took another look at the 2013 overdose death of Tichelman’s former boyfriend Dean Riopelle, 53. He was the owner of a popular Atlanta music venue. Authorities said a panicked Tichelman had called Milton police, saying Riopelle had overdosed on drugs and wasn’t responding. Tichelman was not charged. An autopsy report listed Riopelle’s death as an accidental overdose of heroin, oxycodone and alcohol.
Nebraska court slams policy that banned gay foster parents By Margery A. Beck ASSOCIATED PRE SS
OMAHA, Neb. — The Nebraska Supreme Court says a former state policy banning same-sex couples from serving as foster parents or adopting wards of the state was akin to hanging a “Whites Only” sign on a hiring-office door. The court on Friday ruled that a judge’s 2015 ruling striking down the policy will stand. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by three same-sex couples in 2013. A judge ruled in the cou-
ples’ favor, declaring as unconstitutional the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services policy. The state’s high court rejected state attorneys’ arguments that Lancaster County District Judge John Colburn’s finding should be reversed because DHHS had quietly stopped enforcing the ban in 2012, making the matter moot. Its ruling slammed the 1995 administrative policy, which remained on the agency’s website until February 2015, as evidence “that ‘heterosexu-
als only’ need apply to be foster parents.” “It is legally indistinguishable from a sign reading ‘Whites Only’ on the hiring-office door,” Justice John Wright wrote. The court also upheld an order for the state to pay nearly $174,000 in plaintiffs’ legal fees. “There are tens of thousands of LGBT people who call the Cornhusker State home and thousands of Nebraska children in need of a foster care placement,” said Danielle Conrad, executive director of the
Nebraska American Civil Liberties Union, which was among the groups representing the couples. “This victory means that Nebraska’s motto of ‘Equality before the Law’ rings out more truly for all in our state.” Asked why the state appealed if it wasn’t seeking to reinstate the ban, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office replied in a written statement that “there were legitimate jurisdictional questions that needed to be considered by the court. The court has ruled.” It did not elaborate.
Teen saves sister’s life in Tennessee fire By Jonathan Mattise A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A young teenager saved her little sister’s life in an overnight house fire that killed their parents and three siblings, a Tennessee sheriff said Friday. The fire was reported before midnight Thursday in Buchanan, along the Kentucky state line about 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Nashville. At a news conference, Henry County Sheriff Monte Belew identified the girls as
13-year-old Lilly Pollack and 8-year-old Rose Pollack. Lilly woke up coughing in her bed in a smoky room and was able to get outside, said her family pastor, Randy Stephens of Sulphur Well Church of Christ. Lilly then heard someone calling from inside the home, so she stepped in, got Rose out and they ran to their grandmother’s house next door and called 911, the sheriff said. “We are calling both of those individuals heroes,” Belew said.
Lilly tried to rescue the rest of her family, but couldn’t get back inside again because of the intense flames. Paris Landing Volunteer Fire Department Chief Reggie Coles said the home was already two-thirds engulfed when firefighters arrived. The victims were likely already deceased, he said, and firefighters couldn’t get into the house because of the raging fire. Afterward, officials couldn’t find any smoke detectors in the charred home. Coles called it the
“worst tragedy I’ve ever seen in my 40 years in the fire service.” Belew said parents Jimmy Pollack and Carrie Pollack, and their children, 14-year-old Jimmy Dale Pollack Jr.; 3-year-old Callie Pollack; and 4-year-old Ivy Pollack died in the fire. Rose had minor burns to the neck, face and arms and was taken to the hospital, Belew said. Officials don’t view the fire as suspicious. They are still investigating the cause, which could be faulty wiring or a wood stove.
Stephens, who has talked with Lilly after the fire, said she’s an “outstanding young lady” who is going to be OK, even though she’ll struggle with the loss of her family. “She’s still in shock, very much so, I think,” Stephens said. “And she’s just doing what she feels like she has to do to help grandmother, and also to try to get ready for her little sister to come home.” Lilly and Rose will be living with their grandmother. The sheriff ’s office set up a donation
account in the grandmother’s name at a local bank. “We’re a small rural, west Tennessee county, and that’s kind of what we do, is we help each other,” Belew said. “It’s a tough day in Henry County. I can’t think of any time that we’ve lost five Henry Countians in such a tragic event.” But it could’ve been a completely different story if the family had smoke detectors, the sheriff said. “There’s some things that we need to just take care of,” Belew said.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 8, 2017 |
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 956844-1428. Evento gratuito. REUNIÓN La Sociedad Genealógica Nuevo Santander llevará acabo su junta mensual el sábado 8 de abril a las 2 p.m. en el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N U.S. 83 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 956849-1411 o 956-8441428. 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 956-765-8983. 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. 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. 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.
A7
FRONTERA
CONGRESO
Proponen muro con celdas solares
Oficina Postal cambiará de nombre
P OR TIEMP O DE ZAPATA Y ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Si un muro es erigido a lo largo de la frontera, un ex regidor de Laredo cree que el país debe aprovecharlo y convertirlo en un muro fronterizo solar para producir energía. "Un muro fronterizo solar no es ciencia ficción, sino una idea innovadora adecuada para los Estados Unidos, el país más avanzado del mundo", dijo Alfonso I. Casso, que sirvió como coordinador de asuntos fronterizos de la Secretaría de Estado de Texas desde 2004 hasta 2009. "El futuro de nuestra especie depende de aprovechar la tremenda energía del sol para alimentar hogares, automóviles, camiones y aviones. Ese es el futuro. Creo firmemente que eso va a suceder”. Casso calificó su idea de "una maravilla tecnológica". Dijo que no apoyaría la construcción de un muro a lo largo de Laredo porque destruiría la belleza de la flora y fauna de la frontera. Apoyaría la
construcción de un muro solar en áreas desiertas donde cruzar la línea fronteriza es como cruzar la calle, dijo Casso. "No vas a ser capaz de construir a lo largo de toda la frontera debido a las barreras físicas geográficas. No lo vas a poner donde hay un río", dijo Casso. En una solicitud de información, el Departamento de Seguridad Interna (DHS por sus siglas en inglés) quería "solicitar ideas de la industria y otros socios para una estrategia más amplia a largo plazo relacionada con el muro fronterizo". Casso dijo que el DHS está solicitando un muro multiuso cuyo propósito sea mucho más que prevenir la inmigración ilegal. En su RFI, Casso propuso tener paneles solares que se ajustarían automáticamente y crearían energía. Además, incluiría sensores y cámaras que proporcionarán seguridad, dijo Casso. "La única manera de controlar las fronteras en su totalidad es construir
el muro. Si va a suceder, podríamos hacer una pared de doble propósito", dijo Casso. Casso cree que México puede hacer lo mismo en al otro lado de la frontera en un esfuerzo binacional. "La mayor ventaja que tenemos como especie sobre todas las demás especies es la capacidad de cooperar entre sí. Si queremos que México coopere con nosotros en toda esta actividad ilegal transfronteriza que está ocurriendo, un muro fronterizo solar es la única manera. Si simplemente eriges un muro, habrá mucha ira como respuesta. Necesitamos a México. No podemos divorciarnos de México. Necesitamos a México y nos necesitan. Es una gran familia. Así son las cosas”. Otro de los licitadores también ha sugerido cubrir el muro fronterizo del presidente Donald Trump con paneles solares. Otro licitador sugiere la construcción de una pared lo suficiente-
mente grande como para montar una cubierta que ofrecería a los turistas vistas panorámicas del desierto. En la competencia para construir el muro, las ofertas tradicionales se entremezclan con ideas más caprichosas. A medida que el plazo del martes para las ofertas pasó, Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los Estados Unidos declinó identificar a los licitadores o decir cuántos había, práctica estándar en los procesos de contratación del gobierno. Se espera que las empresas que serán contratadas para construir prototipos sean anunciadas el 1 de junio. Los diseños deben ser capaces de repeler picos y martillos durante por lo menos una hora y ser estéticamente agradables desde el lado norte. El plan multimillonario de Trump promete ganancias potencialmente grandes pero también el riesgo de una reacción negativa de la gente que se opone al proyecto.
E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El próximo lunes 10 de abril, el Congresista Henry Cuéllar será parte de una ceremonia especial en la Oficina Postal de Zapata. En diciembre, el entonces Presidente Obama aprobó el proyecto de ley propuesto por Cuéllar, H.R. 5591, el cual cambiaría el nombre de la Oficina Postal de Zapata en honor de los veteranos. La oficina será bautizada como la Oficina Postal de los Veteranos de Zapata. La ceremonia será llevada a cabo a la 1:30 p.m. en la Oficina Postal, ubicada en 810 North. U.S. Highway 83. El evento contará con la presencia de Joe Rathmell, Juez del Condado de Zapata; Alfonso López, alguacil del Condado de Zapata; la Corte de Comisionados del Condado de Zapata así como la Legión Americana 486 de Zapata y funcionarios del Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos.
OFICINA DEL ALGUACIL DEL CONDADO DE ZAPATA
DICEN NO AL ACOSO Ofrecen plática preventiva Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El acoso o intimidación puede suscitarse en cualquier entorno pero podemos hacer algo al respecto, dijo Raymundo Del Bosque Jr., jefe de la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata. Del Bosque fue el orador invitado de la reunión de la Coaliación Comunitaria del Condado de Zapata que ayuda tanto a menores de edad como a adultos que se encuentran en situaciones de riesgo. La presentación de la Oficina del Alguacil compartió un enfoque que muestra como trabajar en equipo para eliminar el acoso de las escuelas y así crear un ambiente seguro. “El acoso puede suceder en cualquier lugar, desde la escuela hasta el
Foto de cortesía | Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata
Raymundo Del Bosque Jr., orador invitado de la reunión de Coaliación Comunitaria del Condado de Zapata, compartió un enfoquepara eliminar el acoso de las escuelas y así crear un ambiente seguro.
lugar de trabajo, depende de nosotros cambiarlo”, dijo Del Bosque en una publicación de Facebook. “Tuve la oportunidad de compartir material educativo en relación al acoso que considero de
mucha ayuda para luchar en contra del acoso o intimidación”. Además, Del Bosque mencionó que la Oficina del Alguacil esta constantemente tratando de encontrar nuevas maneras
de educar a la juventud y a la comunidad para luchar en contra del acoso y a favor de la creación de ambientes seguros. “El alguacil Alonso M. López y la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de
Zapata continúan avanzando para involucrar a la comunidad y ofrecer educación en un esfuerzo por mejorar la calidad de vida del condado”, dijo la Oficina del Alguacil en un comunicado.
COLUMNA
Relatan origen de bandera mexicana Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Eruditos textos se ocupan de nuestra enseña patria. Imposible parece que algo extra pueda incluirse. Por esas fechas, en todos los territorios del rey Fernando VII recupera vigencia la Constitución Política de la Monarquía Española. Salida de las cortes gaditanas, prevé modernizadoras innovaciones. Sólo a título ilustrativo, señalemos que suprime el cargo de virrey. Acota también fueros y privilegios de las élites.
Hasta poco antes realista al servicio del viejo régimen, el 24 de febrero de 1821 Agustín de Iturbide proclama el Plan de Iguala. Prefiguran sus estipulaciones, con aires condicionantes, la independencia del país. Esto último atrae el respaldo de huestes rebeldes, encabezadas por Vicente Guerrero. Don Agustín escoge para sí el mando supremo del Ejército de las Tres Garantías –religión católica, unidad interna y vida independiente–, promesas que remiten al mentado documento. Manda entonces confeccionar el
gallardete del nuevo periodo en puerta. Sobre pedido, bajan por el paño tres diagonales en rojo, verde y blanco, cada una provista de estrellas periféricas. La corona puesta al centro preconiza, con reminiscencias hispanas, el inminente futuro monárquico. Hacer pespuntes y ajustes le habría correspondido a José Magdaleno Ocampo, sastre de Iguala. Existe la creencia de que con Guerrero consensa don Agustín la distintiva tela. Dicho lábaro denota pretensiones ambiciosas. Pero si buscaba el honor
de identificar a la nación en ciernes, efímera vida lo malogra sin miramientos. Efectivamente, según testimonios gráficos, por ninguna parte ondea durante el apoteósico ingreso de los generales trigarantes a la Ciudad de México, el 27 de septiembre de 1821. La Junta Provisional Gubernativa se reserva definir lo relativo al pendón del flamante Imperio Mexicano. Aunque retoma los tres colores ya referidos, dispone que sean “verde, blanco y encarnado, en fajas verticales”. El centro le correspondería al escudo de
armas, donde aparece “parada en el pie izquierdo un águila”, que recuerda emblemas del generalísimo Morelos, rematándola la “corona imperial” en lo alto. Nótese que la serpiente brilla por su ausencia. Iturbide abdica en marzo de 1823 y desaparece el imperio que intentaba regir. Camino al sistema republicano de corte federativo, pierde la corona el águila del escudo. Su garra derecha debe sostener “una culebra en actitud de despedazarla con el pico”, reivindicándose la herencia mexica que a tantos enorgullece.
A8 | Saturday, April 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL
US strike on Syria puts UN chief selects Malala Xi in tough position for to be messenger of peace Trump meeting By Edith M. Lederer ASSOCIATED PRE SS
By Jane Perlez N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS S ERVIC E
BEIJING — The missiles were being prepared even before the two men finished dinner, disrupting the carefully choreographed proceedings. The U.S. attack on Syria on Thursday unraveled China’s well laid plans for a summit meeting that would present President Xi Jinping as a global leader on par with President Donald Trump, at once stealing the spotlight from Xi and putting him in a difficult position: choosing between condoning the kind of unilateral military action that China has long opposed, or rebuking his host. Xi’s dilemma was also acute because China has generally sided with Russia in defending Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, and because it worries that Trump might be prepared to order a similar strike on North Korea, Chinese and Western analysts said. “Xi can’t fail to be impressed by Trump’s resolve,” said Alan Dupont, an Australian military analyst who worked for that country’s Defense Department. “Xi will have to reassess what the Trump presidency means for Chinese interests in East Asia, particularly North Korea and the South China Sea.” The U.S. strikes on Syria would quite likely make Xi be more amenable about the White House’s demand that China squeeze North Korea’s economy, analysts said. “I suspect Xi will treat Trump’s threat against North Korea as more
Xinhua / TNS
Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, meets with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
serious than before this, provided the behind-thescenes body language does not counteract it,” said Douglas H. Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Beijing has long been fairly confident that the United States would not risk an attack on North Korea, a much more dangerous target than Syria because of its nuclear arsenal and its capacity to hit Japan and South Korea, two U.S. allies, Chinese analysts said. But China’s leaders are still trying to figure out Trump, and his quick decision to strike Syria may cause them to reconsider that assumption. At the same time, analysts said, China is unlikely to abandon North Korea as an ally and a strategic asset because it does not want to see a unified Korean Peninsula dominated by U.S. troops. The first evening between Xi and Trump looked warm and welcoming on Chinese state-run television, with lavish photographs of them chatting informally on an elegant sofa at Mar-aLago, Trump’s Florida
club. The news shows also broadcast images of the two leaders sitting side by side at a vast dining table set with candelabra, and of Trump’s 5-year-old granddaughter, Arabella, singing in Chinese to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, before dinner. The Chinese reports approvingly noted that the granddaughter did a three-part performance, singing a Chinese song, “Jasmine,” and reciting the “Three Character Classic” and some Tang poetry. Trump accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China at an “early date,” the staterun news agency Xinhua reported, a gesture that showed the two men had established the rapport that the Chinese leader was seeking to show his people at home. Then after dinner, with Xi safely back at his nearby hotel, Trump stepped to a podium to announce the strikes, making comments punctuated with emotional descriptions of the children killed by the Syrian government’s chemical weapons attack. It is unclear whether Trump informed Xi of the attack during dinner.
UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has selected Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai to be a U.N. messenger of peace, the highest honor bestowed by the U.N. chief on a global citizen. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced Friday that the 19-year-old education advocate will focus worldwide attention on the need for all girls to go to school. She will be officially designated at a ceremony on Monday and then hold a conversation with Guterres and youth representatives from around the world on girls’ education, he
said. Yousafzai became the youngest-ever Nobel laureate in Malala 2014, when she was recognized for her advocacy of the right of all children to education. Her campaign led to a Taliban assassination attempt near her home in northwest Pakistan that left her severely wounded. She went to Britain for medical treatment and now goes to school there. “Even in the face of grave danger, Malala Yousafzai has shown an unwavering commitment to the rights of women, girls and all people,” Guterres said.
“Her courageous activism for girls’ education has already energized so many people around the world,” he said in a statement. “Now as our youngest-ever U.N. Messenger of Peace, Malala can do even more to help create a more just and peaceful world.” Other messengers of peace including actors Michael Douglas and Leonardo DiCaprio, primatologist Jane Goodall and musicians Daniel Barenboim and Yo-Yo Ma. Messengers of Peace volunteer “their time, talent and passion” in different fields to help focus global attention on the work of the United Nations, according to the U.N.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 8, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Oil climbs after U.S. attacks Syria
Trump to overturn limits on offshore oil drilling By Juliet Eilperin and Steven Mufson WASHINGTON P O ST
By Mark Shenk B L OOMBE RG NEWS
Crude headed for its second weekly gain after briefly spiking in reaction to the first military strike undertaken by President Donald Trump’s administration. Futures surged more than 2 percent to the highest in a month in early trading Friday after a U.S. cruise-missile strike against Syria. Gains eased after a weak jobs report fueled concern about the strength of the U.S. economy. Russia’s deal with OPEC to cut crude supply hasn’t delivered as much as expected, according to Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich. OPEC ministers will gather in Vienna on May 25 to decide whether to extend the accord. Oil had struggled to extend a rally beyond $51 a barrel as concern over surging U.S. supplies countered optimism around a possible extension to production cuts led by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries. The strike against Syria comes two days after Bashar alAssad’s regime used poison gas to kill scores of civilians, drawing international condemnation while President Donald Trump called it “an affront to humanity.” “The market’s focused not just on the direct implications of this missile attack but the wider risk to the region,” Tim Evans, an energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York, said by telephone. “There’s been a flight to quality in other markets; the dollar’s up and so is gold. Oil isn’t alone in trying to evaluate what this will mean.” West Texas Intermediate for May delivery advanced 48 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $52.18 a barrel at 1:03 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices rose as much as 2.4 percent to $52.94, the highest since March 7. Prices are up 3.1 percent this week. Total volume traded was about 40 percent above the 100-day average.
The White House is readying an executive order that aims to open up new areas of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans to offshore oil and gas drilling, according to multiple individuals briefed on the proposal. The White House is considering issuing instructions to the Interior Department to reverse President Barack Obama’s withdrawal of hundreds of millions of offshore acres from future drilling in December 2016. The executive order — which could come out in the next few weeks — represents President Trump’s latest attempt to promote domestic energy exploration by rolling back restrictions put in place by previous administrations, though it would take considerable time for Interior to carry out aspects of the proposed directive. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Thursday, in an address to the annual meeting of the National Ocean Industries Association, confirmed that there was an executive order addressing offshore, “on the way. . .
likely next week,” according to Nicolette Nye, a spokeswoman for the group. However, other oil industry officials, participants at the NOIA meeting, and a GOP lawmaker from an affected state said that they had not been briefed and that the order might not be issued any earlier than May. Individuals familiar with the planned order spoke on the condition of anonymity because it has not been formally announced yet. The Pacific coast has been closed to new oil and gas exploration since the disastrous oil spill off Santa Barbara, California, in 1969. There has been no drilling off the Atlantic coast since the early 1980s. Early in his administration, Obama considered allowing seismic work in preparation for exploration off the southeastern coast, from Florida to Virginia. And he did not move to stop Royal Dutch Shell from drilling an exploratory well in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s Arctic coast; the well turned out to be a dry hole. But near the end of his presidency he closed off vast areas. The Trump directive
under consideration has two elements, according to individuals familiar with it. One part would instruct Interior to revise its current five-year leasing plan to schedule sales of some areas in both the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, which are not included right now. A second part would rescind the designation Obama made under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) in December to withdraw large portions of the Chukchi and Beaufort seas in the Arctic and a string of undersea canyons in the Atlantic stretching from Massachusetts to Virginia from leasing for an indefinite period. Environmental groups are sure to challenge both initiatives in court, and the effort to rescind the protections Obama put in place under OSCLA could prove difficult to defend because a president has not reversed such a move in the past. But presidents have wide latitude to revise the Interior Department’s five-year leasing plan, and have done so in the past, so it is unclear how any challenge to that element of the order would fare in court.
Jacqueline Savitz, Oceana’s senior vice president for the United States, said in an email that the administration would soon find there is widespread opposition to renewed drilling efforts. “Expanding offshore drilling into new areas like the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans would put vibrant ocean ecosystems at risk and be bad for business, threatening thriving coastal economies and lucrative industries, including tourism, recreation and fishing,” Savitz said. “Business leaders along the Atlantic coast have been vocal in their opposition to offshore drilling, and the decadeslong push to drill in the Arctic has put its unique and diverse ecosystem at risk, cost tens of billions of dollars and created significant controversy without profitable results.” It remains unclear whether opening up the remote Chukchi and Beaufort Seas for leasing would attract any bids. After Shell spent more than $7 billion to lease and drill an uneconomic well, other major oil companies have dropped plans to drill in the region.
Google expands fact checking in news searches By Anick Jesdanun A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Google will expand the use of “fact check” tags in its search results — the tech industry’s latest effort to combat false and misleading news stories. People who search for a topic in Google’s main search engine or the Google News section will see a conclusion such as “mostly true” or “false” next to stories that have been fact checked. Google has been working with more than 100 news organizations and fact-checking groups , including The Associated Press, the BBC and NPR.
Their conclusions will appear in search results as long as they meet certain formatting criteria for automation. Google said only a few of those organizations, including PolitiFact and Snopes.com, have already met those requirements; The Washington Post also says it complies. Google said it expects the ranks of compliant organizations to grow following Friday’s announcement. Not all news stories will be fact checked. Multiple organizations may reach different conclusions; Google will show those separately. Still unanswered is whether these fact-check
analyses will sway people who are already prone to believe false reports because they confirm preconceived notions. Glenn Kessler, who writes "The Fact Checker" column at The Washington Post, said in an email that Google’s efforts should at least “make it easier for people around the world to obtain information that counters the spin by politicians and political advocacy groups, as well as purveyors of ‘fake news.”’ He added that “over time, I expect that people increasingly will want to read a fact-check on a controversial issue or
Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP
This 2015 file photo, shows a sign outside Google headquarters in Mountain View, California.
statement, even if the report conflicts with their political leanings.” Google started offering fact check tags in the U.S. and the U.K. in October and expanded the program to a handful of other countries in the subsequent months. Now the program is open to the rest of the world and
to all languages. False news and misinformation, often masquerading as trustworthy news that spreads on social media, has gained attention since the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Google’s announcement comes a day after Facebook launched a
resource to help users spot false news and misleading information that spreads on its service. The resource is basically a notification that pops up for a few days. Clicking on it takes people to tips and other information on how to spot false news and what to do about it.
A10 | Saturday, April 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER GORSUCH From page A1 round of oral arguments for the term is scheduled to begin April 17, and the term ends in June. Gorsuch’s confirmation is a marquee accomplishment for President Donald Trump and his young administration, capping a momentous week for the White House that included the first military airstrikes authorized by the president. In a statement, Trump called Gorsuch’s confirmation “one of the most transparent and accessible in history, and his judicial temperament, exceptional intellect, unparalleled integrity, and record of independence makes him the perfect choice to serve on the Nation’s highest court.” Trump added later that Gorsuch “will serve the American people with distinction as he continues to faithfully and vigorously defend our Constitution. Trump also thanked Scalia and his wife, Maureen, “for their immeasurable service to this country.”
TALES From page A1 region convulsed by uncertainty and angst, but rooted in a shared culture and history unlikely to be transformed by any politician, or any barrier man can construct. Border life "is not going to change," said Ramon Alberto Orrantia, a 54-year-old restaurant parking attendant who has lived in Tijuana for 48 years. "People continue doing the same thing. Life is normal." Practically everyone we met has been welcoming and evinced a deeply held sense of the place they inhabit — from the Mexican-American sheriff in Nogales, Arizona, who shook hands through the fence and chatted amiably with a man he later said was probably a lookout for smugglers, to the cheery border agent in Deming, New Mexico, who astonished us with
The vote also is a significant legislative win for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who refused to even consider President Barack Obama’s nominee after Scalia died, leaving the seat open for Trump to fill. Before the vote, McConnell said that as he reflected on his career, “the most consequential decision I’ve ever been involved in was the decision to let the president being elected last year pick the Supreme Court nominee.” Gorsuch will be sworn in Monday by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who will administer the constitutional oath in a private ceremony at 9 a.m. at the Supreme Court. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy will administer the judicial oath at a public ceremony at the White House later that day. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. is the most recent justice to have been confirmed during a Supreme Court term. He was sworn in the same day as his confirmation, and a ceremonial event with President George W. Bush was held the next day.
On the Supreme Court, Gorsuch could hold the deciding vote on several important issues. The justices will meet privately Thursday to accept or reject cases for next term. Among them: a petition from gun rights activists asking the court to find for the first time that the Second Amendment right to keep a gun for selfdefense extends to carrying firearms outside the home. There is also a plea on behalf of business owners who want to be able to refuse their wedding services to same-sex couples. In the coming weeks, the court is likely to decide whether to intervene in a lower court’s decision that voting-law changes in North Carolina were passed by the Republican-controlled legislature to diminish the influence of minority voters. And when the justices gather for their last round of oral arguments this month, Gorsuch stands to hold the deciding vote in the term’s major case involving the separation of church and state. Missouri cited a clause in its state constitution
barring any government support for any religious group to eliminate a church-affiliated school’s application to a program to improve playground safety. The case was accepted when Scalia was alive, and the delay in scheduling it for oral argument might indicate the court is divided. Gorsuch’s confirmation was all-but-assured Thursday, when Republicans cleared the way for him by overcoming a historic Democratic blockade and changing the rules of the Senate. The long-anticipated rules change now means that all presidential nominees for executive branch positions and the federal courts need only a simple majority vote to be confirmed by senators. The GOP decision to ram through the rules change - and their decision last year to block consideration of Judge Merrick Garland, Obama’s choice to succeed Scalia - is also likely to further divide an increasingly partisan Senate. Several senators openly fretted that eliminating the minority party’s right to block high-court nominees
could lead to the end of filibusters on legislation - effectively transforming the Senate’s traditional role in the legislative process as the slower, more deliberative chamber. Gorsuch’s nomination was announced by Trump in late January and earned immediate, widespread praise from Republican lawmakers excited by the prospect of maintaining the court’s previous ideological balance and relieved by how well the White House orchestrated the nomination. Drawing from a list of 21 names first released during the presidential campaign, Trump introduced Gorsuch to the country in a slickly produced primetime address from the White House East Room, attended by GOP senators who eagerly sang Gorsuch’s praises to television cameras shortly after Trump left the room. In the past four months, Gorsuch met with 78 senators and sat for three days of confirmation hearings last month, answering nearly 1,200 questions and submitting another 70 pages of written responses.
a thorough knowledge of the history of the AP's founding during the Mexican-American War. I've spent six years living and reporting along the border, most of it in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. My traveling companion, Rodrigo Abd, is an Argentine photographer who has covered some of the most violent conflicts on the planet but has spent little time on the border. He expected every American he met there to be fervently pro-Trump and prowall, but we often had a hard time finding such people. Mostly, we found a culture that is neither exclusively Mexican nor American but distinctively both. Nowhere was that more clear than in Columbus, New Mexico, and Palomas, Mexico, where each day about 1,200 children in backpacks and sneakers wake up in Mexico, cross the border and hop on school buses.
These kids are all American citizens; many of their parents were deported and moved to the frontier so they could get a U.S. education. They are the epitome of the bicultural border population, growing up fluent in both English and Spanish and prepared to thrive on either side. "There are more opportunities there ... more hours of work, and I think that all favors them," said Ada Noema Gonzalez, whose 10-year-old son Jesus and 9-year-old daughter Karen live in Palomas and attend class at Columbus Elementary. But life on the border is not always so hopeful. Drug trafficking and its accompanying violence are grave concerns. And Trump's presidency has turned U.S.-Mexico relations on their ear with politicians exchanging insults, threats of possible trade wars, fears of mass deportations and near-
constant talk of the wall. All along the trip, people shared their very real concerns. Some feared the heavily armed cartel smugglers who mule cocaine shipments through their backyards in the dead of night. Others harbored less violent worries of losing a job or being separated from loved ones. Fernie Velasco in Sunland Park, New Mexico, was grilling a mountain of steak next to his trailer when Rodrigo asked to photograph his kids jumping on a trampoline. A U.S. citizen who works construction and spent more than a decade as a migrant farm worker, he worries that his Mexican wife could lose her work permit and be deported at any time, leaving him alone with the kids. In northern Mexico, thousands of people eke out a living at the so-called maquiladora plants that boomed under the endangered North American Free Trade Agreement and
crank out all sorts of goods for export to the United States, everything from shoes to toys to electronics. But while these jobs are treasured, it's not an easy life. Reynosa plant worker Jorge Santiago told us how maquiladora entry-level wages, while well above Mexico's minimum wage, are barely enough to scrape by: "Here everyone makes it with overtime." U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly acknowledged this, "it is unlikely that we will build a wall from sea to shining sea." To travel the length of the border is to understand why. It's a relationship that can be adversarial at times. "We Mexicans have been through a lot," said Hector Mendez Leon, a Mexican who was about to cross from Tijuana to California. "A president like (Trump) is like having a cold. One day you will get over it."
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 8, 2017 |
B1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Tony Romo refuses to say the ‘R’ word Romo won’t commit to retirement By Tim Griffin SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
Former Dallas quarterback Tony Romo apparently is off to a new career, leaving his football playing behind for a broadcasting analyst job with CBS' No. 1 crew. Romo, who will be replacing Phil Simms working with Jim Nantz in his first broadcasting job, has said he doesn't envision himself returning to football again. However, Romo still won't say he is retired.
"I literally had the opportunity to continue to keep playing football," Romo told Dallas radio station KRLD-FM, the Dallas Cowboys' flagship radio state on their network. "I'm choosing not to. I think that's a pretty easy statement when it comes to what you're doing. I mean, I know the 'retired' word is like this word that all of a sudden people [think it] has 90 different meanings. But it just feels like you're done playing football. "You want to call it retired
you want to call it whatever you want, I'm moving on to talking about it, and like I said yesterday, I don't envision that ever changing." Interestingly, Romo, who will turn 37 later this month, left the door to his return slightly ajar by saying he's "99 percent certain" he'll never return to play football. Of course, his hiring by CBS is the most scrutinized in recent broadcasting history. Romo has received incredible early promise by network offi-
Gus Ruelas / Associated Press file
Former Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, who just took a job with CBS, left the door slightly open for a possible comeback.
cials who hired him. But what if he ends up hating being in the booth? Maybe he gets tired of playing golf and having dinners with Nantz? Romo has repeatedly said over the last several days that he's incredibly nervous about the start of a new career. Which is understandable considering he's starting some-
thing new after a 13-season NFL career. The right situation would have to be absolutely perfect to allow Romo to return. And where could it be? The well-connected Jane Slater of the NFL Network hints at his personal football nirvana in this tweet she reRomo continues on B2
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
NBA WON’T REDUCE GAMES League searching for other solutions to its rest issue By Brian Mahoney ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Tony Dejak / Associated Press file
With the NBA still searching for solutions to teams resting their players while healthy, the league said it would not reduce its 82-game season.
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
NEW YORK — The NBA is still searching for ways to stop teams from resting healthy players. Shortening the 82game season won’t be the answer. Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that hasn’t been discussed, though he hopes other steps can help with what he said was the most important issue facing the league. “I’d say because there is no support right now, hard support, for a belief that simply reducing the number of games will reduce the number of injuries,” Silver said. “As
best we understand the issue right now, it’s a function of spacing games. It’s not the totality of games.” The league’s Board of Governors reached a conclusion on another matter, ruling that Charlotte would be eligible to host the 2019 All-Star Game after a compromise deal to replace a North Carolina law that limited anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people. Charlotte will resubmit its application to host the weekend it was scheduled to have in February before the league moved it due to its objection to the law. NBA continues on B2
NFL: PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger confirms he’s returning in 2017 By Ray Fittipaldo PITT SBURGH P O ST-GAZETTE
Ron Jenkins / Associated Press file
Texas Tech defensive back Jah'Shawn Johnson and the Red Raiders have tried to get somewhat defensive during spring football.
Texas Tech tried to get defensive this spring By Phil Terrigno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LUBBOCK — Scoring points has never really been an issue for Texas Tech under coach Kliff Kingsbury. It hasn’t really been a problem for their opponents, either.
The Red Raiders had the nation’s worst defense last season, allowing 43.5 points and 554 total yards per game. Both of those totals were dead last among the 128 FBS teams, the yardage nearly 35 more per game than Arizona State at 127th.
Four junior college transfers on defense, three of them defensive backs, have already provided a boost in spring practice and made an impact in their two offcampus scrimmages. Spring practice wraps up Tech continues on B2
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made official Friday what everyone else had surmised for weeks — he was going to return for his 14th season. Roethlisberger tweeted Friday afternoon: "Informed the team I am looking forward to my 14th season. Steeler Nation will get my absolute best! — Ben." Roethlisberger sparked speculation about possibly walking away from the final three years of his lucrative contract a few days after the AFC championship when he said on 93.7 The Fan: "I’m going to take this offseason to evaluate, to consider all options, to consider health and family and things like that and just kind of take some time away to evaluate next Steelers continues on B2
Matt Slocum / Associated Press file
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced on Twitter Friday that he’s told the Steelers he plans to be back under center in 2017.
B2 | Saturday, April 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
NBA: Charlotte eligible to host 2019 All-Star Game By Brian Mahoney And Emery P. Dalesio A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Charlotte will be eligible to host the 2019 NBA AllStar Game after a compromise deal to replace a North Carolina law that limited anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people, the league’s commissioner said Friday. “It’s not a done deal yet,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “The most recent change in the law does not mean the fundamental issues are resolved. But after considering all points of view, we determined that Charlotte will be eligible to host.” The league’s Board of Governors discussed it during their meetings this week and made what Silver said was “not an easy decision.” The league will develop an anti-discrimination policy that participating groups including host sites, hotels and businesses would have to abide by before the 2019 game is committed to Charlotte. But Silver said it’s his expectation that Charlotte would get the game if those assurances are met within the next month or so. Silver said he was proud the league opposed the law known as House Bill 2, and added: “And I’m also proud that we’re going back.” “I understand that there is a segment of our fan base that believes that the change from HB2 to the new law is not enough, but it is change,” he said. “It’s incremental change. We were part of the movement, pushing for that change. It’s not everything we could have hoped for, but we’re prepared to go back.” The NBA’s Charlotte Hornets issued a statement that the team would work with the league on
ROMO From page B1 leased on the day of his hiring by CBS. So could Romo return to the NFL? Maybe if the Cowboys asked him to. There's obviously a reason Romo is uncomfortable with the word "retired" and left the door slightly ajar by saying he is "99 percent" certain he
STEELERS From page B1 season — if there’s going to be a next season." It was the first time Roethlisberger had talked about retirement publicly, but coach Mike Tomlin said a few days later that he and Roethlisberger had discussed his longterm future in other years. For the past two months, little had been said about the retirement talk. The Steelers made it known they were proceeding with plans to have Roethlisberger, who turned 35 last month, at the helm for the 2017 season. "As an organization, we have been hopeful that Ben would return this year," Tomlin told the Steelers’ website Friday. "Ben and I have had many conversations, and I understood at this point in his career he is going to have to think about his long-term future. There is no question Ben wants to win championships for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we know he will do
Chuck Burton / Associated Press file
Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA ruled Charlotte is now eligible to host the 2019 All-Star Game after it was stripped of this year’s event due to the “bathroom bill” targeting lesbian, gay and transgender people.
returning the event, adding that “our city, our fans and our business community remain extremely enthusiastic in support of hosting.” North Carolina’s Republican legislative leaders said they would be OK with whatever hosting agreement the NBA strikes with Charlotte businesses. That “shares our long-held belief that private businesses, including potential host venues, have every right to expand on federal non-discrimination policies however they wish,” Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore said in a statement Friday. Silver said last year that returning the game to Charlotte in 2019 was “a high priority,” provided there was a resolution to conflicts over House Bill 2. Los Angeles hosts the game in 2018. Charlotte was scheduled to host the game this year, but the NBA relocated it because of the law also commonly referred to as the “bathroom bill.” The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority estimated the yanked event would have generated about $100 million in
economic impact. That was part of more than $3.76 billion over a dozen years in lost business as a consequence of HB2, an Associated Press analysis found. Gay-rights advocates have denounced the North Carolina legislation enacted last week to undo HB2 as inadequate. The mayors of New York, Washington, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City and other cities announced this week that previous municipal bans on taxpayer-funded travel to North Carolina will stay in place because discrimination persists in the replacement law. The measure left some LGBT restrictions in place, including a moratorium until December 2020 on local governments passing broad nondiscrimination ordinances covering sexual orientation and gender identity. While the new law ended the HB2 provision requiring transgender people to use public restrooms corresponding to their birth certificates, state lawmakers remain in charge of future bathroom policies. The president of the
won't return to football. As Florio notes, Romo hasn't even tried his hand at broadcasting yet. What if he ends up hating it? He did admit he is nervous about starting a new career. If Romo ever were to return to playing, the situation would have to be perfect. One report claims there is only one team he would consider coming out of retirement for.
TECH From page B1
everything possible to lead our entire team to achieving that goal." Roethlisberger signed a five-year, $99 million contract in March 2015 that included a $31 million signing bonus. If he retired the Steelers could have asked him to repay a portion of the signing bonus in addition to forfeiting the final three years of the contract that is set to pay him $36 million in salary, $12 million each season through 2019. The Steelers have been scouting quarterbacks in advance of the NFL draft and had potential firstround pick Patrick Mahomes of Texas Tech and potential mid-round pick Joshua Dobbs of Tennessee in for visits at the UMPC Rooney Sports Complex earlier this week. The Steelers are not expected to take a quarterback high in the draft, but they could draft one later to mold behind Roethlisberger and backup Landry Jones, who signed a two-year contract last month to remain in his current role.
Saturday night with another scrimmage at home. “Lots of competition,” junior defensive back Jah’Shawn Johnson , the team’s second-leading tackler last season, said of the secondary transfers. “They’re all flying around. Making plays on the ball. They’re all aggressive on the run game. They all can tackle.” With dual-threat quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has since left for early entry in the NFL draft, Tech led the nation with 565 total yards and 43.7 points per game. The Red Raiders scored 524 total points during a 5-7 season, and gave up 522 points. Along with those junior college defensive backs — Vaughnte Dorsey (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC), Octavious Morgan (Butler County CC) and Jaylon Lane (Independence CC) — the Red Raiders are also anticipating the return of linebacker Dakota Allen. He was Tech’s secondleading tackler as a redshirt freshman in 2015 before getting kicked off the team because of an off-field incident and then going to East Mississippi Community College. He led East Mississippi with 117 tackles last season. Red Raiders linebacker coach and recruiting coordinator Zac Spavital is hopeful that Allen, who signed again with Texas Tech, will be back on campus in June. “And then we can get him full speed ahead,”
Washington-based advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, Chad Griffin, said Friday: “It is deeply disappointing to see the NBA reward North Carolina for doubling down on discrimination.” Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has said it was the best compromise that the Republican-controlled legislature would approve. The deal was done ahead of a deadline by the NCAA, which removed championship events from basketball-crazy North Carolina for the current academic year and threatened to exclude the state from hosting any new ones through 2022. On Tuesday, the collegiate athletic association expressed concerns about the new law’s provisions but said it “meets the minimal NCAA requirements” to keep North Carolina in consideration as a host for championship events. In a statement Friday, Cooper applauded the NBA announcement and added: “I will continue to fight for statewide antidiscrimination protections for our LGBT North Carolinians.”
NBA From page B1 “I’m proud of the league’s stance on opposing HB2 and announcing that we were not going to play the All-Star Game under those circumstances. And I’m also proud that we’re going back. I think we can be a force for change,” Silver said. But the rest issue continues to vex Silver and the league, realizing players need breaks but the fans and TV partners paying billions want to see the stars as much as possible. “So there’s no more important issue for the league right now,” Silver said. “I mean, it goes to the heart of what we do and to the core of competition, and so it is something that we’re going to be spending a lot more time on.” For now, there are guidelines but no new rules. The recommendations were that teams avoid resting multiple healthy players for national TV games, and when necessary to rest players, do so during home games. Silver sent a memo to owners last month , urging them to be more mindful of the rest decisions, after Golden State and Cleveland rested multiple All-Stars during back-to-back Saturday prime-time games on ABC. But he doesn’t seem ready to punish teams, at least yet, saying he was “trying to find the right line between cajoling and new requirements.” “What we talked about among our owners was a sense of obligation to the game and what appropriate behavior is,” Silver said. “And so what we concluded is if we could focus on these two issues, namely, to the extent you’re resting, resting at home and avoiding resting multiple starters, especially in marquee games, we could solve a large part of the problem.” He also hopes a new scheduling format will
help. The league will start the 2017-18 season about a week earlier than the usual late-October time, which he hopes could trim about two more back-to-backs per team from the schedule and possibly slash stretches of four games in five nights entirely. The NBA hoped it had already alleviated that problem this season when back-to-backs were trimmed to an average of 16.3 per team, down from 19.3 per team just two years ago. Also, no team had more than one fourin-five stretch for the first time in league history. But coaches, armed in some cases with medical data telling them when a night off would be optimal, don’t seem to be resting their best any less. The Spurs, at the forefront of the resting strategy under coach Gregg Popovich, have already announced they are resting Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol for their game Friday against Dallas on the opener of a back-toback. The issue has even turned players against players, with Hall of Famers such as Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman criticizing players of today for taking nights off they say their contemporaries wouldn’t have. Former Knicks star Charles Oakley fired back at Rodman on Twitter in defense of LeBron James resting. Silver defended the players, noting it’s a team deciding when to sit them. So he’s trying to get them to cooperate in getting the problem under control. “So as I said, it’s a complex issue. It doesn’t mean we won’t resolve it,” Silver said. “I felt that the spirit in the room of our owners yesterday was the right one, a true sense of partnership, a recognition that we cannot take the game for granted, that this game is bigger than any team, than any one person in the room, and that we should never take our fans for granted.”
Brad Tollefson / Associated Press file
Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury is focusing on improving on defense this offseason for the Red Raiders to take the next step in the Big 12.
Spavital said. “We still got to get some installs with him. But the good thing is he’s got the foundation.” That’s not necessarily the case for all those junior college transfers who are new to the program, including linebacker Tony Jones from Butler County CC. “They have to get used to the speed of the game and the effort that you have to play with,” Spav-
ital said. “That is not the issue with (Jones). He will run to the football. He knows how to tackle the ball. He knows where it’s at. Right now we’re just grinding through the mental parts.” Kingsbury, a former Red Raiders quarterback, is going into his fifth season as head coach. He has a 24-26 record despite all the big offensive numbers because they also give up so much.
Texas Tech has averaged 38.8 points a game in his four seasons, and allowed 39.6 points a game in the same time. The offense has gained 540 total yards a game, and their opponents have averaged more than 507 a game. “The biggest improvement on this defense will be our secondary,” said David Gibbs, going into his third season as defensive coordinator.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, April 8, 2017 |
A PICTURE OF THEFT Dear Heloise: Everyone should be aware that it's important that if you are paying by check, credit or debit card, to guard against someone SNAPPING A PICTURE of your check or card. While writing a check, I cover my account number. If I pay by credit or debit card, I cover the front on the card until I am ready to use it. I then quickly return the card to my wallet. -- Judy in New Braunfels, Texas Judy, who would have "thunk it," but here we are with the possibility of personal information being stolen by a camera phone. Can't be too careful these days, and while you're at it, passwordprotect your cellphone. Thanks for the hints. -Heloise
CONDIMENTS Dear Heloise: Did you know that if you have extra condiments on your table at a restaurant and leave them behind for other patrons, the workers just throw them away? So here's what I do: I take all extra condiments home and store them properly. Then when we go on a picnic or beach outing, we take them along. They take up less space in our food basket than whole jars of ketchup and mustard, shakers, etc. -- Darla R., via email (c)2016 by King Features Syndicate Inc.
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B4 | Saturday, April 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Mickelson’s gambler pal convicted: ‘I’m in total shock’ By Larry Neumeister ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Chris Graythen / Getty Images
Jimmie Johnson is a six-time winner at Texas Motor Speedway as the NASCAR Cup Series shifts to Fort Worth.
With Texas changes, the track’s six-time winner not even a NASCAR favorite By Stephen Hawkins A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
FORT WORTH, Texas — Jimmie Johnson has led more laps at Texas than any other NASCAR Cup Series driver, and won a record six times there. But all that was before the entire 1 1/2-mile track was repaved, and Turns 1 and 2 were reconfigured. “It’s a clean sheet of paper. You can’t pick a favorite right now,” Johnson said Friday. “Any time there is a reconfiguration, a new asphalt, it’s a total game changer. All of past history is now out the window and it’s like we are coming here for the first time.” Even for guys like Johnson , who will make his 28th start Sunday at the Texas track that was completely repaved earlier this year for the first time since 2001. “Everyone is on equal playing ground,” Trevor Bayne said. “Nobody has 10 years of notebooks to go to and say, ‘I am Kevin Harvick and I run the bottom at Atlanta and I am really good at it.’ You can’t do that now. You don’t know what you need to do.” On only the second lap of a nearly 2 1/2-hour practice session Friday,
“It’s a clean sheet of paper. You can’t pick a favorite right now. Any time there is a reconfiguration, a new asphalt, it’s a total game changer. All of past history is now out the window and it’s like we are coming here for the first time.” -Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR driver
Denny Hamlin got loose and spun through Turns 1 and 2, but was able to keep his car off the wall. Kyle Busch later made slight contact with the rear of his car against the outer wall after going too high into the wider and less-banked area on the track. “I just missed the entry point getting into Turn 1,” Busch said, referring to the area in the track where the changes begin. Chase Elliott wasn’t as fortunate, forced into a backup car after crashing the primary No. 24 Chevrolet coming out of Turn 2. Erik Jones also had to go to a backup car after his crash, when he went hard into the wall through Turns 3 and 4. “It’s going to get better, but the problem is the
groove itself keeps getting better and better and better as we run in it,” Martin Truex Jr. said “The faster you’re going in the groove, the faster you’re going when you get out of it.” Johnson has 1,023 laps led in the Lone Star State, well ahead of Matt Kenseth’s 854 that is the second-most and with one more start there. Johnson has 20 top-10 finishes, including the runner-up four times by less than a half-second. Before last year, when Joe Gibbs Racing drivers swept the two Texas races, Johnson had won three in a row and five of the previous seven here. Busch won last April and Carl Edwards, who has since stepped away from driving, got his fourth Texas victory last fall.
Texas announced plans in January to repave the track and do extensive drainage improvements after both NASCAR weekends and the IndyCar race at Texas last year were hampered by rain. TMS President Eddie Gossage said the old asphalt had become porous, almost like sponge, making it difficult to dry in a timely matter. The IndyCar race had to be pushed back 2 1/2 months after two days of rain. As part of the project, completed before this race so the track would be the same for the Chase race there in November, Texas also made changes in Turns 1 and 2. The banking was reduced from 24 degrees to 20 degrees and the racing surface widened from 60 to 80 feet in that area. “I think the asphalt itself is going to be a bigger factor in this first race,” Johnson said. “As time goes on I think the extra real estate we have in 1 and 2 will become more the story, but getting started it’s going to be tire wear-related and the asphalt.” At least it should be dry. There’s no significant chance for rain in North Texas until next week.
NEW YORK — A Las Vegas gambler linked to golfer Phil Mickelson saw the jury verdict convicting him of insider trading charges Friday as only a gambler could. “I just lost the biggest bet of my life,” William “Billy” Walters said outside Manhattan federal court minutes after the jury returned its verdict after two days of deliberations. “To say I was surprised would be the biggest understatement of my life,” Walters said in the Southern drawl that reflects his Kentucky birth and considerable time spent in Texas. “Frankly, I’m in total shock.” Prosecutors said Walters made over $40 million illegally from 2008 to 2015 trading on the stock of Dean Foods Co. Thomas Davis, a former Dean Foods board chairman, testified that he fed Walters tips about major developments involving the company before they became known publicly. The Dallas-based Dean Foods is one of the nation’s largest processors of milk for retailers. As the verdict was returned on 10 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud, Walters shook his head repeatedly. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel set sentencing for July 14 and agreed to prosecution demands that Walters submit to electronic monitoring and give up use of his private plane. Over a prosecutor’s objection, Castel permitted Walters
to return with his family on his plane to southern California, where he will reside until sentencing. His lawyer, Barry Berke, promised an appeal. The verdict capped a three-week trial. Mickelson never testified, though he had been on a list of prospective witnesses. A prosecutor had said Mickelson earned nearly $1 million after Walters told him to buy Dean Foods stock in 2012. The prosecutor said Mickelson gave the profits to Walters to cover gambling debts. The Securities and Exchange Commission cited Mickelson for the trades in a lawsuit and Mickelson agreed to repay the money. Mickelson was not charged. During the trial, Berke used Mickelson as proof that his client was innocent, saying that if Walters had inside information, “the last thing you would do is give it to Phil Mickelson, one of the most famous athletes in the world who is going to attract regulatory scrutiny.” Walters, 70, has built a sprawling business of auto dealerships, car rental agencies and golf courses worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Berke said he routinely makes multimilliondollar bets on companies in the stock market. Davis testified under a cooperation deal that he met Walters while golfing. He has pleaded guilty to insider trading charges and is likely to receive leniency at sentencing as a result of his testimony.
Brant Sanderlin / TNS
A gambler connected to Phil Mickelson, pictured, was convicted of insider trading charges Friday.
Racial, gender hiring decline in college sports in 2016 By Steve Reed A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
The number of African-Americans and women hired in college sports declined in 2016, according to a diversity report released Thursday. The annual report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport gave college sports a C+ for racial hiring by earning 78.5 points, a decrease from 83.6 points in 2016. College sports received a C grade (73.5 points) for gender hiring, down from 78.8 from points in 2015. The combined grade of a C+ overall for racial and gender hiring was the lowest among all sports covered by the institute. Richard Lapchick, the primary author of the report and director of University of Central Florida institute, called the report "disheartening." Lapchick attributes the decline to a lack of punishment. "There is no price that you pay if you continue to hire all white men, and this is overwhelmingly
Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press file
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is one of a dwindling number of female head coaches in women’s basketball.
what we're looking at at the college level," Lapchick said. Lapchick has been in favor of the Eddie Robinson rule, named after the former Grambling State coach, that would be comparable to the NFL's Rooney rule, requiring teams to interview minorities for jobs. Likewise, he believes the Judy Sweet rule, which similarly applies to requirements to interview
women, would help. "We do the report cards to move whoever it is we are looking at to hire more women and people of color," Lapchick said. "The fact is that we have regressed in racial and gender hiring." The only area drawing high grades was the NCAA headquarters. The NCAA received a B for race in both senior leadership and professional positions and an A- and
A+ for gender in those respective areas. Lapchick said while the NCAA's numbers are not perfect, they are "far ahead of its member institutions." Lapchick said the most "depressing" figure in his study is that 45 years after the passage of Title IX, more than 60 percent of all women's sports teams are still coached by men. He hopes that might change, with Dawn Sta-
ley leading South Carolina to the women's NCAA basketball championship. For now, the study finds, opportunities for coaches of color remain a significant concern. Last year 86.1 percent of Division I, 88.1 percent of Division II and 91.7 percent of Division III men's coaches were white. On the women's side, whites held 84.5 percent, 87.5 percent and 91.6 percent in Divisions I, II, and III, respectively. African-American men remain underemployed in men's Division I basketball. Only 20.8 percent of all head coaches were African-American, which was down 1.5 percentage points from the 22.3 percent reported in the 20142015 season. It's significantly down from the high of 25.2 percent reported in the 2005-2006 season after John Thompson led Georgetown to a national championship and prompted many institutions to hire coaches of color. "That's a substantial concern," said Lapchick of a sport with 54.8 percent African-American
male athletes. African-American women make up only 10.9 percent of the coaching positions in 2015-16, while African-American men held 5.9 percent of the positions in women's Division I basketball. The combined percentage of 16.8 percent is an increase from the 15.1 percent from the previous year, but it also still stands in stark contrast to the 45.4 percent of African-American women who played basketball. Also in the report -Only 6.5 percent of Division I head baseball coaches were people of color. -The number of head football coaches of color at the FBS level remained at 16 in 2016, the same as in the 2015 report. Nearly 88 percent were white. -Athletic directors were overwhelming white during the 20152016 year: 87.6 percent in Division I, 89.4 percent in Division II and 93.6 percent in Division III. Women made up only 9.8 percent of Division I athletic directors.