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FEDERAL COURT
Man illegally crossed Group of four charged for transporting 11 people 9 people
Immigrant smugglers indicted By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
Suspect has been charged By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
A man has been arrested in Zapata for transporting nine people who crossed the border illegally, according to an affidavit. A criminal complaint filed Tuesday identified the suspect as Carlos Javier Sanchez and charged him with transporting illegal immigrants. The incident unfolded May 8. An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent observed what appeared to be a human smuggling attempt along U.S. 83 in Zapata. An offduty agent allegedly spotted two suspicious vehicles, a gold Nissan Altima and a gold Nissan Armada, parked on the side of the road. “After viewing people run from the brush and enter one of the vehicles, the (agent) notified the Zapata (Border Patrol) station of the incident and requested they respond to the location,” states the complaint. Agents said they encountered the Armada heading north on U.S. 83 and conducted a vehicle stop. Authorities identified the driver as Sanchez. They determined that his nine passengers were not in the country legally. Homeland Security Investigations special agents responded to the Zapata Station to investigate the attempted human smuggling. Records alleged Sanchez opted to speak to authorities without an attorney present. Sanchez had allegedly agreed to pick up two female immigrants and transport them to Laredo for $200 each. “Sanchez said that he reluctantly picked up seven other (undocumented immigrants) at the pick-up Crossed continues on A10
Four people accused of picking up illegal immigrants in Zapata County were indicted this week in a Laredo federal court, an affidavit states. An indictment filed Tuesday identified the defendants as Karina Cruz-Madrid, Jose Guadalupe Jimenez, Tonie Jo Ann Gonzalez-Pacheco and Cynthia
Veronica Rodriguez-Raya. All were charged with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants within the United States and four counts of attempt to transport undocumented people for financial gain. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years behind bars. They have arraignment May 19 in courtroom 2C before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hack-
er. The group was charged with transporting 11 immigrants, according to a criminal complaint filed April 25. The alleged smuggling attempt occurred April 22 in an area north of San Ygnacio. That day, a concerned citizen called U.S. Border Patrol saying that a white GMC heavy duty dually truck and a green Ford Expedition were on the side of
U.S. 83 possibly picking up illegal immigrants, court records state. Agents said they attempted an immigration inspection on the occupants of the GMC because the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Atascosa County. The GMC sped off and went onto on-coming traffic until it collided with a parked work truck, authorities said. Indicted continues on A10
LGBT RIGHTS
TRANSGENDER BATHROOM DIRECTIVE INTENSIFIES DEBATE Republican leaders draw backlash over policy By Richard Pérez-Peña and Jack Healy NEW YORK TIME S
The Obama administration’s directive Friday on the use of school bathrooms and locker rooms by transgender students intensified the latest fierce battle in the nation’s culture wars, with conservatives calling it an illegal overreach that will put children in danger and advocates for transgender rights hailing it as a breakthrough for civil rights. The policy drew a swift backlash from conservative politicians, groups and parents. In Texas, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick appealed to local school boards and superintendents not to abide by the administration’s directive, noting that there were just a few weeks left in the school year and time over the summer to fight the policy with legislation or legal action. “We will not be blackmailed,” he said. “I believe it is the biggest issue facing families and schools in America since prayer was
LM Otero / Associated Press
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, right, listens to a reporter's question during a news conference at the Texas Republican Convention on Friday, in Dallas. Texas is signaling the state will challenge an Obama administrative directive over bathroom access for transgender students in public schools.
taken out of public schools,” Patrick, a Republican, said at a news conference. “Parents are not going to send their 14-yearold daughters into the shower or bathroom with 14-year-old boys. It’s not going to happen.”
With a jab at another job Patrick has held, Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said, “I think this does underscore the risk of electing a right-wing radio host to a statewide office.”
Earlier in the day, the Justice and Education departments sent a letter to school districts saying that students must be allowed to use the facilities that match the gender they identify as, even if Debate continues on A10
MEXICO
Violence created growing population of displaced ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Alejandrino Gonzalez / Associated Press
In this file photo, people stand next to the body of police commander David Urquizo Molina after he was gunned down in the city of Chilpancingo, Guerrero State, Mexico. Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission said Wednesday that the violence unleashed by organized crime has forced thousands of people to abandon their homes.
MEXICO CITY — Violence unleashed by organized crime has forced thousands of people in Mexico to abandon their homes, adding to the country’s internally displaced population, the country’s National Human Rights Commission said Wednesday. The commission said it interviewed 1,784 people who reported being displaced. But it also said information from others, including local authorities and human rights organi-
zations, produced a total of at least 35,433 people who have fled. Commission President Luis Raul Gonzalez said the report did not measure the phenomenon as much as make it more visible so authorities can address it with a new law for victims. “Forced internal displacement in Mexico is a problem whose magnitude and real reach still must be investigated and determined in an objective and integrated manner,” Gonzalez said. The commission’s fig-
ure was only a fraction of an estimate released Wednesday by an international humanitarian group. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, a Norway-based non-governmental organization, estimated that at the end of 2015, Mexico had 287,000 internally displaced people resulting from conflict and disasters. The report estimated nearly 100,000 newly displaced people in Mexico last year, the vast majority because of disasters. The group tries to meaMexico continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, May 14, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, MAY 14
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
1
Garden Club. 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Laredo Public Library – Calton, Multipurpose Room on the first floor. Come share gardening tips, tools and ideas. Keep Laredo Beautiful will be doing a free seed giveaway. Open to everyone. 1 Imaginarium of South Texas grand re-opening. 1 p.m. Mall del Norte next to the Dillard’s. 1 LCC Rio Grande Arts Festival. 2–11 p.m. Fort McIntosh Campus. Free and open to the public. During the festival, local musical acts, artists, dancers, theater groups and filmmakers will showcase their talents and compete for the top spots in seven different arts-themed contests. 1 Laredo Philharmonic Concert. 7:30–9:30 p.m. TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall.
Today is Saturday, May 14, the 135th day of 2016. There are 231 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On May 14, 1948, according to the current-era calendar, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv.
SUNDAY, MAY 15 1
Laredo Crime Stoppers 5K Run/ Walk. North Central Park. Registration from 7–7:45 a.m. Kids race at 8 a.m. 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m. Pre-registration at City Hall Annex, 1102 Bob Bullock Loop or Laredo Crime Stoppers, 1419 Hendricks. Online registration at active.com. 1 LCC Rio Grande Arts Festival. 2–8 p.m. Fort McIntosh Campus. Free and open to the public. During the festival, local musical acts, artists, dancers, theater groups and filmmakers will showcase their talents and compete for the top spots in seven different arts-themed contests.
MONDAY, MAY 16 1
Chess Club. Every Monday from 4–6 p.m. LBV – Inner City Branch Library. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. For more information call John at 956795-2400 x2520.
TUESDAY, MAY 17 1
Knitting Circle. 1–3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and knitting needles. For more information, contact Analiza PerezGomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. 1 Crochet for Kids. 4–5 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and a crochet needle. For more information, contact Analiza PerezGomez at analiza@laredolibrary.org or 795-2400 x2403. 1 Rock wall climbing. 4–5 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Free. Take the challenge and climb the rock wall! Fun exercise for all ages. Must sign release form. For more information, contact John Hong at 795-2400 x2521.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 1
LEGO Robotics. 6:15–7:15 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Make a LEGO robot and program its movement. Duplo LEGO play available for toddlers. 1 Laredo Animal Care Facility Rabies “VACUNA” Clinic. 7–8 p.m. McKendrick-Ochoa-Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Space is limited to first 100 animals. A Rabies shot is $12, a microchip costs $10 and registration is $5. For more information, contact the City of Laredo Animal Care Facility at 717-5762. 1 Bible study. 7–9 p.m. Lighthouse Assembly of God Church, 8731 Belize Drive. Every Wednesday. The Word of God has the power to comfort, heal and change hearts. For more information, contact Norma Perez at 251-1784 or normalight1@gmail.com
THURSDAY, MAY 19 1
Cancer Friends Meet. 6 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center, Tower A, 1st Floor. Having cancer is often one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. However, support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges and learn from others who are facing similar situations. For more information, call the A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center at 956-796-4725.
SATURDAY, MAY 21 1
El Centro de Laredo Farmers Market. 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Jarvis Plaza. Free and open to the public. There will be fresh, local, seasonal produce available for purchase, a free cooking demo featuring LCC student Marco Gutierrez, more than 25 participating vendors and live music by DJ The Pop Rocks.
MONDAY, MAY 23 1
Chess Club. Every Monday from 4–6 p.m. LBV – Inner City Branch Library. Free for all ages and skill levels. Basic instruction is offered. For more information call John at 956795-2400 x2520.
TUESDAY, MAY 24 1
Knitting Circle. 1–3 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. Please bring yarn and knitting needles.
Tamara Lush / Associated Press
Haus, a German Shepherd, recovers from a snake bite at Blue Pearl in Tampa, on Friday. When a venomous rattlesnake appeared in the backyard of a 7-year-old girl, Haus came to her rescue.
PET DOG SAVES GIRL FROM SNAKE By Tamara Lush ASSOCIATED PRE SS
TAMPA, Fla. — When a venomous Eastern diamondback rattlesnake appeared in the backyard of a 7-year-old girl, her German shepherd came to her rescue, refusing to back down even when the snake bit him three times. In short, Haus is a hero. “It shows you that a rescue dog, for us, paid it forward by protecting my family,” said Adam DeLuca of Tampa. Now hundreds of donors are coming to the family’s rescue, quickly topping the
Man accused of shooting cops facing charges MANCHESTER, N.H. — A man accused of shooting two police officers, one in the face and torso and the other in the leg, is facing two counts of attempted capital murder. Ian MacPherson was arrested early Friday after a threehour pursuit that left Manchester, the state’s largest city, on edge for hours more. He
goal of $15,000 Friday on a GoFundMe account to help pay for the antivenin needed to keep the dog alive. By Friday afternoon, $35,000 had been raised for the dog’s care. Haus is still recovering in the Intensive Care Unit of Tampa’s Blue Pearl Emergency Veterinary and Specialty Hospital, and is being treated with anti-venom and painkillers, said Dr. John Gicking. “Without the pain medication, he’s in pain. He’s responsive, he’s alert, and his leg is swollen and uncomfortable,” the doctor said.
shot Officers Ryan Hardy and Matthew O’Connor, authorities said. Hardy was hospitalized in stable condition, and O’Connor has returned home. Hardy stopped MacPherson on the city’s West Side around 2 a.m. because he matched the description of a suspect in a gas station robbery the day before, police Chief Nick Willard said. MacPherson began to shoot at Hardy as soon as the officer announced himself, striking him in the face and torso, police said.
After being shot, Hardy called in MacPherson’s description and the direction in which he ran, Willard said. “Officer Hardy’s reaction to being shot is beyond courageous, it’s remarkable,” Willard told said Friday afternoon in an emotional news conference. About 20 minutes later, MacPherson encountered O’Connor and shot him in the leg before fleeing. O’Connor returned fire, Willard said. — Compiled from AP reports
Puerto Rico reports 1st Zika-related microcephaly case
Danica Coto / Associated Press file
Aedes aegypti mosquitos are bred for Zika-related testing at the Centers for Disease Control in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Zika can cause severe birth defects, such as babies being born with abnormally small heads and brain damage. The World Health Organization declared Zika a global emergency in February, and the virus has spread quickly throughout the Americas. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it
conducted the laboratory test that confirmed the microcephaly diagnosis. “This case of Zika virus disease in a pregnancy saddens and concerns us as it highlights the potential for additional cases and associated adverse pregnancy outcomes,” the agency said in a statement. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Baylor receives law firm’s sexual assault report WACO — Baylor University officials announced Friday they received a law firm’s report on how the school handled incidents of sexual assault on campus, but the school gave no indication whether the document will be made public. The governing board of the largest Baptist university in the U.S. was briefed by the Pepper
Ten years ago: Mexico's President Vicente Fox telephoned President George W. Bush to express concern about what he called the possibility of a "militarized" U.S.-Mexican border, a day before Bush's planned Oval Office speech on immigration. Rene Preval was sworn in as Haiti's president for the second time in a decade. Former U.S. poet laureate Stanley Kunitz died in New York at age 100. Aras Baskauskas, a 24-year-old yoga instructor from Santa Monica, California, won "Survivor: Panama, Exile Island," the 12th edition of the CBS reality show. Five years ago: At New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund and potential candidate for president of France, was removed from a Paris-bound plane and charged with sexually assaulting a Manhattan hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo. (Strauss-Kahn later resigned; the charges against him were eventually dropped.) One year ago: President Barack Obama, at a Camp David summit, assured Arab allies they were safe from the threat of an empowered Iran, pledging an "ironclad commitment" to the Sunni governments of the Persian Gulf. B.B. King, 89, the "King of the Blues," died in Las Vegas. Award-winning poet Franz Wright, 62, died in Waltham, Massachusetts.
AROUND THE WORLD
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The first Zika-related microcephaly case acquired on U.S. soil was reported Friday in Puerto Rico as concerns grow over an outbreak of the mosquito-borne virus in the U.S. territory. Ana Rius, the island’s health secretary, said a fetus turned over by an unidentified Puerto Rican woman to U.S. health officials had severe microcephaly and tested positive for Zika. Rius declined to say whether the woman had an abortion or miscarried, but said the microcephaly was diagnosed through a sonogram. She declined to provide other details. “We were waiting for this news at some point,” she said. “I want to urge any pregnant women with even the slightest concern of infection to go see a doctor.”
On this date: In 1643, Louis XIV became King of France at age four upon the death of his father, Louis XIII. In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter. In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest left camp near present-day Hartford, Illinois. In 1900, the Olympic games opened in Paris as part of the 1900 World's Fair. In 1925, the Virginia Woolf novel "Mrs Dalloway" was first published in England and the United States. In 1936, British Field Marshal Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, died in London at age 75. In 1940, the Netherlands surrendered to invading German forces during World War II. In 1955, representatives from eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland. (The Pact was dissolved in 1991.) In 1961, Freedom Riders were attacked by violent mobs in Anniston and Birmingham, Alabama. In 1973, the United States launched Skylab 1, its first manned space station. (Skylab 1 remained in orbit for six years before burning up during re-entry in 1979.) The National Right to Life Committee was incorporated. In 1988, 27 people, mostly teens, were killed when their church bus collided with a pickup truck going the wrong direction on a highway near Carrollton, Kentucky. (Truck driver Larry Mahoney served 9 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter.) In 1998, singer-actor Frank Sinatra died at a Los Angeles hospital at age 82. The hit sitcom "Seinfeld" aired its final episode after nine years on NBC.
Today's Birthdays: Movie producer George Lucas is 72. Actress Meg Foster is 68. Movie director Robert Zemeckis is 65. Rock singer David Byrne is 64. Actor Tim Roth is 55. Rock singer Ian Astbury (The Cult) is 54. Rock musician C.C. (aka Cecil) DeVille is 54. Actor Danny Huston is 54. Rock musician Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) is 50. Fabrice Morvan (ex-Milli Vanilli) is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Raphael Saadiq is 50. Actress Cate Blanchett is 47. Singer Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) is 47. Movie writer-director Sofia Coppola is 45. Actor Gabriel Mann is 44. Singer Natalie Appleton (All Saints) is 43. Singer Shanice is 43. Actress Carla Jimenez is 42. Rock musician Henry Garza (Los Lonely Boys) is 38. Alt-country musiciansinger Ketch Secor is 38. Rock singermusician Dan Auerbach is 37. Rock musician Mike Retondo (Plain White T's) is 35. Actress Amber Tamblyn is 33. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is 32. Actress Miranda Cosgrove is 23. Thought for Today: "Silence cannot hide anything — which is more than you can say for words." — From the play "The Ghost Sonata" by Swedish author-playwright August Strindberg (born 1849, died this date in 1912).
CONTACT US Hamilton law firm at a meeting this week and members will be “guided by their faith” in making decisions for students’ welfare. The report comes amid heightened attention to how Baylor and other universities around the country have handled sexual misconduct and rape allegations against athletes. Baylor hired the Philadelphia law firm in September 2015 after former football player Sam Ukwuachu was convicted of sexual assault.
“These deliberations are vital as we seek to preserve and reinforce trust in Baylor University,” board chairman Richard Willis. “Thoroughly understanding the findings and acting on the recommendations to ensure the safety of all students are the Board’s highest priority.” University President Ken Starr did not issue a statement and a spokeswoman said Friday’s announcement would be the only information released. — Compiled by AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 14, 2016 |
A3
STATE
Supreme Court upholds state’s Jury convicts 2 men of plotting cartel leader’s slaying school funding formula By Will Weissert
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DALLAS — Texas’ complicated school finance system is constitutional, the state Supreme Court unanimously ruled Friday — a surprise defeat for the 600-plus school districts that endured more than four years of costly legal battles hoping judges would force the Republican-controlled Legislature to fork over more funding. The all-Republican court reversed a lower judge’s decision that had sided with schools and found that school district funding was inadequate and unfairly distributed among wealthy and poor areas because of $5.4 billion in classroom cuts approved by state lawmakers in 2011. The 9-0 decision ends a case that was the largest of its kind in Texas history. Major legal battles over classroom funding have raged six times since 1984, but the latest ruling marks just the second time that justices have failed to find the system unconstitutional. It also means the Texas Legislature won’t have to devise a new funding system. “Our Byzantine school funding ‘system’ is undeniably imperfect, with immense room for improvement. But it satisfies minimum constitutional requirements,” the court found in its ruling. “Accordingly, we decline to usurp legislative authority.” The court also said “there doubtless exist innovative reform measures to make Texas schools more accountable and efficient, both quantitatively and qualitatively” but it added that “our judicial responsibility is not to second-guess or micromanage Texas edu-
Eric Gay / Associated Press file
In this Feb. 23, 2013 file photo, teachers, students, parents and school administrators march up Congress Avenue to the state Capitol, in Austin, Texas to a rally for Texas public schools.
cation policy.” The school funding mechanism is a “Robin Hood” formula where wealthy school districts share local property tax revenue with districts in poorer areas. Districts rely heavily on property taxes because Texas has no state income tax. School districts in all parts of Texas were on the same side in the case. While those in economically challenged areas said funding was inadequate, districts in well-todo locales argued that voters often refuse to approve local tax increases because much of the money would go elsewhere. Texas State Teachers Association President Noel Candelaria said in a statement: “It is a sad day when the state’s highest court decides that doing the least the state can do to educate our children is enough.” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the leader of the Texas Senate and former head of its powerful education committee, admitted that “Robin Hood’ doesn’t work well” and that lawmakers would continue making improvements to school funding. But with the court fight over, the pressure is off. “The school funding
issue, for now, has been resolved,” Patrick said at the Texas Republican Convention in Dallas. “The Supreme Court said we’re right.” At issue were the massive cuts to public education and related classroom grant programs that the Legislature approved in 2011, when the state’s economy was still reeling from the Great Recession. That prompted more than 600 rich and poor school districts — which educate three-quarters of the state’s public school students — to sue, arguing they could no longer properly function amid Texas’ public school enrollment growth of nearly 80,000 students annually. Exacerbating the problems, the districts argued, was the Legislature’s increased demand for student and teacher accountability measured by standardized testing scores. One of the groups suing was the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund “It is incredibly disappointing that a system so deeply flawed could be interpreted as passing constitutional muster,” said Democratic State Rep. Ana Hernandez, legal counsel to the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A jury on Friday convicted a Mexican man and his cousin of plotting to kill a lawyer in Texas who had been the acting head of a Mexican drug cartel and who died in a hail of bullets in a Dallas-area shopping center parking lot. Jurors deliberated about 61⁄2 hours over two days before convicting Jesus Gerardo LedezmaCepeda and Jose Luis Cepeda-Cortes of interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit murder for hire in the 2013 shooting death of Juan Jesus Guerrero Chapa. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 22 and both men could
face up to life in prison. The cousins were accused of using video cameras and a GPS device to track Chapa to the Southlake Town Square in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs, where his sport utility vehicle was fired upon by a hooded figure who still hasn’t been captured. Over a three-week trial, jurors were presented with lurid, sometimes graphic testimony and evidence of the brutality employed by Mexican drug cartels to exert the will of their leaders. Chapa was a lawyer for Gulf cartel boss Osiel Cardenas Guillen and helped negotiate leniency for Cardenas when he agreed to plead guilty to
U.S. charges and cooperate with U.S. authorities. Cardenas was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2010 under his plea deal. Chapa fled Mexico for what he thought to be the safety of the North Texas suburbs, where he continued to work with U.S. authorities. Prosecutors say the men tracked Chapa on the orders of Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, a Beltran Leyva cartel member known as “El Gato” who had blamed Chapa for the slaying of his father years before. Defense attorneys argued that Ledezma-Cepeda, a private investigator who worked for Villarreal, had been forced by his client to track Chapa.
Zopinion
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A4 | Saturday, May 14, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Millennials embracing socialism By Jonah Goldberg TR IB UN E NEWS SE RV ICE
Socialism is having a moment. I’m not just referring to Bernie Sanders’ surprisingly strong showing in the Democratic primaries. Various polls show that millennials have a more favorable view of socialism than of capitalism. And millennials generally are the only age group that views socialism more favorably than unfavorably. Some conservatives aren’t surprised. Schools have been force-feeding left-wing propaganda to kids like it was feed for geese at a foie gras factory. On the other hand, what are we to make of the fact that only a fraction of the young people who say they like socialism can explain what it is? If left-wing indoctrination is so effective at getting kids to like socialism, you’d think it would have more success at getting kids to at least parrot back a serviceable definition. Regardless, this is a familiar tale. Young people have a well-documented tendency of skipping facts and arguments and going straight to conclusions. Writing in The Federalist, Emily Ekins and Joy Pullmann note that many of these young people think socialism is federally mandated niceness. A 2014 Reason-Rupe survey asked millennials to define socialism. They had in mind a more generous safety net, more kindness and, as one put it, more "being together." But when asked if they agreed with a more technically accurate definition of socialism — government control of the economy — support dropped considerably (though not nearly enough). Given a choice between a government-managed economy and a free-market economy, millennials overwhelmingly chose the latter. It seems young people realize that putting bureaucrats in charge of Uber wouldn’t work too well. Still, it boggles the mind that anyone can see the folly of having the government take over Amazon or Facebook but be blind to the problems of having the government run health care. More intriguing to me is the fact that kids who don’t know what textbook socialism is actually have a better understanding of what drives socialism in the first place. Karl Marx was one of the worst things to ever happen to socialism, and not just because he set the world on a path to the
murder, oppression and enslavement of millions upon millions of people. It was Marx and his confreres who convinced the intellectual classes that socialism was a strictly "scientific" doctrine. For generations, economists — real and so-called — worked on the assumption that the economy could be run like a machine. Just as engineers had mastered the steam engine and the transistor, they could do likewise with supply and demand. For generations, intellectuals — real and socalled — argued that economics was best left to "planners." Time and again, reality — specifically, the reality dictated by human desires — refused to be bent to neatly arrayed columns of numbers and well-stacked slips of paper. The philosophereconomist Friedrich Hayek long ago explained that planners suffer from what he called "the knowledge problem." Even the best bureaucrat couldn’t know what customers, suppliers and managers on the ground wanted or needed. And each time the planners insisted that if they just had a little bit more power, a bit more data, a few more resources, they could make planning work. When all you have is a hammer, you’re inclined to believe that there’s no problem a few more nails won’t fix. The Soviet Union and its various cousins did much to discredit "scientific socialism," what with all the killing and totalitarianism. The fact that it didn’t seem to make people richer also undermined its appeal. "Scientifically," people didn’t want to be bullied, oppressed or impoverished. The unrealism of socialism spelled its undoing — for a time. The dilemma is that there is a reality underneath the fraud of scientific socialism. The first socialists were not economists or technocrats. They were romantics and nostalgists. They loathed the relentless logic of the market and its reward of merit and efficiency as judged by the marketplace. They wanted to return to the imagined Eden of the noble savage and the state of nature. They wanted to live in a world of tribal brotherhood and mutual love. Long before the math of "scientific socialism" there were the emotions of socialism, both light and dark: egalitarianism and envy. Young people understandably are drawn by the promise of "being together." But they think the federal government can make it happen.
COLUMN
Mexicans fight back against outrageous Trump attacks By Andres Oppenheimer MIAMI HERALD
Mexicans have silently begun a campaign to debunk presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s bigotry, xenophobia and economic isolationism in an area where he is most vulnerable: the realm of accurate facts and figures. To confront Trump’s daily Mexico-bashing, the Mexican government will launch a U.S. publicrelations campaign in early June. Meantime, a group of Mexican-American businesspeople is launching a lobbying group named American Mexico Public Affairs Committee, modeled after the pro-Israel AIPAC and other influential Washington lobbying groups. The new group has already started putting out facts and figures on social media. "The best way to respond to xenophobic, or racist, or uninformed positions is with information, not with adjectives," Mexican Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu told me in a recent interview. To be sure, Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto, who has low popularity rates because of his poor handling of corruption and humanrights scandals, is hardly in a position to personally lead the charge against Trump. If Peña Nieto did that, he would lose badly. Trump would shower the Mexican president with insults, calling him a
"The best way to respond to xenophobic, or racist, or uninformed positions is with information, not with adjectives." — Claudia Ruiz Massieu, Mexican Foreign Minister
moron who hasn’t been able to keep drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman from escaping from prison and who has yet to give a good explanation for his government’s dubious investigation into the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in the state of Guerrero. Peña Nieto took a shot at Trump on March 8, when he said the U.S. presidential hopeful’s rhetoric is reminiscent of that of Hitler and Mussolini, but the Mexican leader has remained largely silent on the issue for months. Now, I’m told by diplomatic sources, Peña Nieto has hired the WPP and Burson-Marsteller public-relations firms to design and execute a PR strategy in the U.S. It will include mass advertising and frequent responses to Trump’s attacks from Mexico’s new ambassador to Washington, Carlos Sada, who took office Thursday. "The strategy will be to have higher visibility," Sada says. "The idea is to not allow ourselves to become anybody’s punching bag for not having a mechanism to react to attacks." The privately run American Mexico Public Affairs Committee, which was registered in Texas on March 18, will
seek to counter Trump’s concocted "facts" about Mexico with real figures from reliable U.S. sources. The group’s Twitter account, AMxPAC, started putting out tweets in late April. Arturo Sarukhan, a Mexican former ambassador to the United States and informal adviser to the PAC, told me that the group was founded by MexicanAmerican business people and that it receives "not one cent from the Mexican government or state or local governments." Sarukhan added that the group "is in the process of forming a nonpartisan Super PAC to challenge or support both Democrats and Republicans, depending on their positions related to the Mexico-U.S. agenda." He added, "Its objective is to send a signal there will be a cost to using Mexico and the Mexican diaspora as a political piñata." AMPAC and the Mexican government will counter Trump’s misleading claims that there is an avalanche of Mexican migrants coming into the United States, citing U.S. Census figures showing that the number of undocumented Mexicans entering the country has actually
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
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
declined substantially since 2008. To counter Trump’s claim in his inaugural campaign speech that most Mexican migrants are "bad people" and "rapists," AMPAC tweeted that "Mexican immigrants generate $17 billion annually," alongside a chart with Pew Research Center figures showing the details. Responding to Trump’s almost daily accusations that Mexico is "killing us" in trade, the group tweeted that "40 percent of the content of Mexican exports to the U.S. was originally manufactured in the United States" — a fact that Trump conveniently fails to mention in his speeches. Also, the group tweeted U.S. figures showing that U.S. exports to Mexico are twice as much as to China, and that Mexico ranks among the top three export markets for 33 U.S. states. My opinion: To be sure, the AMPAC Twitter site is still rudimentary, and we will have to wait until June to see whether the governmentpaid WPP and BursonMarsteller campaign will be something more than a big money-maker for the PR firms. But it was time for Mexico and Mexicans to wake up and do something to stop being Trump’s "punching bag." Trump has gotten away for too long with fabricated or misleading statistics, without being confronted by Mexicans with more reliable facts and figures.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 14, 2016 |
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A6 | Saturday, May 14, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Flint’s high water bills may double in next 5 years By David Eggert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LANSING, Mich. — A report released Friday suggests that Flint residents’ pricey water bills could double in the next five years due to several factors, even though the state has pledged aid amid the city’s ongoing lead-tainted water crisis. The analysis, which was submitted to a governor-created committee working to address the crisis, warns that the average residential bill of nearly $54 a month may rise to $110 — not counting sewer charges — “absent any action to increase funding or decrease costs.” The typical residential water bill has doubled since 2009 and is far higher than in other regional cities of Flint’s size. Cost savings were a factor in the city’s fateful switch in 2014 from the metropolitan Detroit utility system to a temporary water source, the Flint River, until it could connect to a new pipeline. Flint was under state management then, and environmental regulators mistakenly told the city not to add a chemical to prevent lead from leaching out of old pipes. The study says bills are so high because Flint went many years without
Carlos Osorio / Associated Press file
This file photo shows a sign over the Flint River noting Flint as Vehicle City. The state of Michigan will pay all Flint water bills in May to encourage the flushing of lead from old pipes and the recoating of plumbing with a corrosion chemical.
any rate increases — later resulting in large hikes — and its aging infrastructure was built for 200,000 people but now serves about half that due to population loss. It says Flint also has a withering industrial base and has “effectively been paying for two water sources,” purchasing from Detroit again while waiting for the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline to be built and still maintaining its own plant as a backup. “I hope everyone comes out of here understanding that there’s a serious problem that needs to be resolved,” Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said at the conclusion of the panel’s meeting in
Flint. The analysis was conducted for the Michigan Department of Treasury by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Raftelis Financial Consultants Inc. It says current rates are not sufficient to fund the water utility, and the gap will widen unless action is taken such as reducing costs or partially subsidizing them with state and federal funding. “It’s a big system that’s not well-maintained,” said state Treasurer Nick Khouri. He said just 50 to 60 percent of the water bought by the city is actually billed to customers because of high rates of leakage from aging water mains and theft. Other issues are that Flint
transfers more utility money to other city funds than normal and — because of lost customers and declining average consumption — those remaining are left with higher bills to cover fixed costs. Also Friday, a federal judge in Detroit heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by residents and civil rights groups who want the state and city to move more quickly in bringing clean drinking water to homes. Long term, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver has committed to replacing thousands of lead service lines that connect mains to homes and businesses. The state has allocated at least $2 million for the initiative, and the Republican governor— who has apologized for his administration’s failures related to the water emergency — is asking lawmakers for $25 million more. The state previously approved $30 million to cover roughly two-thirds of the water portion of residential water/sewer bills by providing a credit for use from April 2014 until the water is declared safe to drink again without a filter. Residents have been using faucet filters and bottled water while enduring the month long emergency.
Chris Crook / Associated Press
Emile Weaver looks at an exhibit during her trial in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court in Zanesville, Ohio, on Wednesday. A jury issued a quick verdict finding the 21-year-old guilty of aggravated murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
Ex-student found guilty of killing baby at sorority house ASSOCIATED PRE SS
ZANESVILLE, Ohio — A former college student accused of giving birth in a sorority house bathroom and killing her baby girl by disposing of her in a trash bag was found guilty of murder on Friday. A jury issued a quick verdict finding 21-year-old Emile Weaver guilty of aggravated murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors argued that Weaver purposefully caused the death of her newborn daughter after giving birth in a bathroom at the Delta Gamma Theta sorority at Muskingum University on April 22, 2015. They said the baby girl died from as-
phyxiation after Weaver put her in a plastic trash bag and left it outside the sorority house. Weaver testified Friday that she had been in denial about the pregnancy and thought the baby was already dead when she discarded the trash bag. She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but a judge ruled that she was mentally competent. Hours after disposing of the baby, Weaver texted the man she thought was the father and said “no more baby” and the situation had been “taken care of.” She told him she had gone into labor the night before but the baby died of complications. Weaver will face life in prison when she’s sentenced later.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona found in contempt of court By Walter Berry and Jacques Billeaud A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PHOENIX — A judge found the longtime sheriff of metro Phoenix in contempt of court Friday for disobeying his orders in a racial profiling case, bringing the lawman who calls himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff” a step closer to a possible criminal contempt case that could expose him to fines and even jail time. The ruling Friday marked one of the biggest legal defeats in the six-term career of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is known for cracking down on illegal immigration, and was expected to lead to greater court oversight of his office. A hearing will be held May 31 to examine whether he will face a criminal contempt case. Two months ago, Arpaio made national news by showering his support on Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, then campaigning for him ahead of Arizona’s primary. Trump even invoked Arpaio’s name in his calls for tougher immigration enforcement. The 83-year-old Arpaio, who is seeking a seventh term this year, and three of his top aides “have demonstrated a persistent disregard for the orders of this court, as well as an intention to
Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press file
In this Dec. 18, 2013 file photo, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks at a news conference at the Sheriff's headquarters in Phoenix. A judge has found the longtime sheriff of metro Phoenix in contempt of court Friday for disobeying his orders in a racial profiling case.
violate and manipulate the laws and policies regulating their conduct,” U.S. District Judge Murray Snow wrote in a 162page ruling. A call to Arpaio was not immediately returned Friday afternoon. Snow ruled three years ago that Arpaio’s officers systematically racially profiled Latinos in regular traffic stops and immigration patrols. He ordered a sweeping overhaul of the agency, including making patrol officers wear body cameras and conducting more training to
ensure officers aren’t making unconstitutional traffic stops. Arpaio has acknowledged violating Snow’s orders, including letting deputies conduct his signature immigration patrols 18 months after the judge barred them. The civil contempt finding doesn’t disqualify Arpaio from holding office. It’s unclear whether a criminal contempt finding would prevent him from serving as sheriff. A felony contempt conviction would force him from office, but the judge has the option of recom-
mending either a misdemeanor or felony contempt case. The judge said Friday that Arpaio “engaged in multiple acts of misconduct, dishonesty and bad faith” related to those who sued over the racial profiling and “made multiple intentional misstatements of fact” while testifying during a hearing. Snow is expected to require Maricopa County to compensate Latinos who were illegally detained during the 18 months that Arpaio’s office violated the prohibition on its immigration patrols. The county the sheriff polices has already paid out $41 million over the past eight years in the case, and taxpayers will have to pick up an additional $13 million over the next year. Lawyers who pressed the case against Arpaio say at least 190 people were pulled over in violation of the order to stop immigration patrols, though they contend the number of victims is likely much higher. They said Arpaio violated the order because he wanted to look tough on immigration during a difficult 2012 election and later used his powerful position to insulate himself from the consequences of his decision. One of those attorneys, Cecillia Wang of the American Civil Liberties Union, said Arpaio’s defiance must end. “Strong remedies are needed
to protect the community’s rights, starting with internal investigations that root out misconduct,” she said. “Willing or not, the sheriff will be made to comply with the law.” An internal investigation into the violation didn’t find any policy infractions and didn’t result in discipline against any employees, even though Arpaio’s top aide acknowledged defying the order. The judge found Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan in contempt and that he lied under oath. The contempt case also examined a secret investigation by the sheriff’s office that opponents say was intended to discredit Snow. Arpaio has been accused of retaliating against his critics in the past but vigorously denied investigating the judge. He insists the investigation examined claims that someone had hacked the bank information of thousands of people. Snow has said the investigation tried to prove a “bogus conspiracy” between him and the U.S. Justice Department, which was pursuing a separate civil rights lawsuit against Arpaio. The sheriff had testified that others in his office ran the investigation. Snow said the inquiry was relevant to the contempt case because it raises questions about whether Arpaio testified truthfully about it.
Mother, 7 adult children win Powerball jackpot By Michael Catalini A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — A woman and her seven adult children stepped forward Friday to claim a $429.6 million Powerball jackpot and said they have plans to tithe to their church, go on a family vacation and help their community. But mostly they’re just still letting it sink in. “Wow. That’s what it’s like,” Pearlie Mae Smith, 70, said at a news conference at state lottery headquarters with her children. “I’m still trying to figure out what it’s like.” Smith’s daughter Valerie Arthur, who retired after 27 years as a state corrections administrator last August, said she
expected “in about an hour from now everyone we know will come out of the woodwork.” “We each have dreams that we want to fulfill in this life and do for our community and do for each other and our families, and it was like, well, we have been funded to do that,” Arthur said. Smith, of Trenton, opted for the lump sum payout of $284 million when she purchased separate $3 tickets last week at a 7-Eleven in Trenton for drawings held Wednesday and Saturday. Arthur said the family hired lawyers and took time before coming forward to get educated on how best to handle the windfall. The ticket is the largest
Mel Evans / Associated Press
Tracy Angela Smith, seated third left, waves a hand in the air as she and siblings Jacqueline Sessoms, left, Marsha-Ann Rebecca Smith, second left back, Steven Elliot Smith, fourth left, listen to sister Valerie Marie Arthur, right, talk about life after they, two other siblings and their mother Pearlie Mae Smith, won the lottery on Friday, in Lawrenceville, N.J.
single jackpot winning ticket sold in New Jersey and the sixth-largest in Powerball history.
The other siblings, seated in front of dozens of reporters and cameras, said they don’t plan to
quit their jobs but hadn’t yet told their employers about the win. “Are we live?” Arthur
asked. “They’re finding out right now.” Katherine Nunnally, another of Smith’s daughters, says she works in education and wants to help put at-risk girls in touch with powerful women as role models and help them get internships. Now she has the money to do it herself, she said. Son Steven Smith said he’d go into business himself. The winning numbers were 5-25-26-44-66, and the Powerball number was 9. Powerball is played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The odds of winning are one in 292.2 million.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 14, 2016 |
Ribereña en Breve CONSULADO MÓVIL 1 Hoy sábado 14 de mayo, el Consulado General de México informa que brindará el servicio de Consulado Móvil a los residentes del Condado de Duval, en el Civic Center de la ciudad de San Diego, Texas, ubicado en 510 E. Gravis Ave, de 9 a.m. a 2 p.m. Se proporcionarán servicios básicos como expedición de Matrícula Consular (ID mexicana), Pasaporte, así como prestar asesoría legal y orientación al público en el ámbito de Protección. Además se llevará a cabo una Feria de Salud donde se proporcionarán algunos servicios de salud de manera gratuita (toma de glucosa, presión arterial, índice de masa corporal) y se proporcionará información sobre higiene dental, entre otros temas. MAESTRO DEL AÑO 1 Roma Independent School District anunció los Maestros del Año 2015-2016 para Roma ISD. Como Maestro del Año en el nivel primaria fue seleccionada Araceli Garcia de R. T. Barrera Elementary School. Como Maestro del Año en el nivel secundaria fue seleccionado Omar Mireles del Instructional & Guidance Center. SALIDA TEMPRANA 1 El Zapata County Independent School District informa que el viernes 20 de mayo los estudiantes tendrán salida temprana de las escuelas. STAAR 1 El martes 21 de junio se volverá a aplicar el examen de matemáticas a los alumnos del 5 y 8 grados; el miércoles 22 de junio, se reaplicará el examen de lectura para alumnos del 5 y 8 grados. El 11 de julio se aplicará el examen de Inglés I y el 12 de julio el de Biología e Historia de EU. El 13 de julio se hará lo propio con Inglés II y el 14 de julio el de Algebra I. RELEVO POR LA VIDA 1 El evento Relay For Life of Zapata County (Relevo por la vida del Condado de Zapata), se llevará a cabo el 20 de mayo en la Placita del Condado de Zapata sobre la Carretera 83 y calle 7a., de 6 p.m. a 12 a.m. El tema será “Pinta tu mundo de morado”. PRÉSTAMOS FSA 1 Los Condados de Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr y Willacy Counties fueron declarados elegibles para los préstamos de emergencia ante desastres del Farm Service Agency (FSA). Esto significa que los agricultores que hayan perdido al menos 30 por ciento de su producción o que hayan sufrido cualquier perdida en producción o física causadas por tormentas severas, vientos constantes, tornados, e inundaciones, en el periodo del 22 al 31 de octubre del 2015. La fecha límite para presentar su solicitud de préstamo es el 25 de julio del 2016. Las oficinas del FSA se ubican en 2514 S. Veterans Blvd., Suite 1 en Edinburg. Informes en el 956-381-0916 Ext. 2.
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PATRULLA FRONTERIZA DE EU
HSI
Intento de contrabando
Reporte resulta en un arresto
Acusan a cuatro en corte federal de Laredo Por César G. Rodriguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Cuatro personas acusadas de recoger inmigrantes ilegales en el Condado de Zapata, fueron acusadas esta semana en una corte federal de Laredo, establece una declaración jurada. Una acusación presentada el martes identifica a los acusados como Karina Cruz-Madrid, José Guadalupe Jiménez, Tonie Jo Ann GonzálezPacheco y Cynthia Verónica Rodríguez-Raya. Todos fueron acusados con un cargo de conspiración para transportar inmigrantes indocumentados dentro de los Estados Unidos y cuatro cargos de intento para transportar personas indocumentadas para obtener ganancia económica. De ser encontrados culpable, ellos podrían enfrentar hasta 10 años
en la cárcel. Ellos tendrán su lectura de cargos el 19 de mayo en la sala 2C ante el Juez Magistrado de EU, J. Scott Hacker. El grupo fue acusado con transportar 11 inmigrantes, de acuerdo con una querella criminal presentada el 25 de abril. El supuesto intento de contrabando ocurrió el 22 de abril en el área norte de San Ygnacio. Ése día, un ciudadano llamó a la Patrulla Fronteriza de EU diciendo que una camioneta GMC blanca y una Ford Expedition verde se encontraban al lado de la U.S. 83 recogiendo probablemente a inmigrantes ilegales, indican archivos de la corte. Agentes dijeron que intentaron una inspección migratoria sobre los ocupantes de la GMC porque el vehículo había sido reportado robado en el Condado Atascosa. La
GMC aceleró y se dirigió en sentido contrario hasta que chocó contra una camioneta estacionada, dijeron autoridades. Reportes indican que ocho personas salieron de la GMC después del accidente. Agentes detuvieron al conductor, Jiménez, y a la pasajera, Rodríguez-Raya, y varios inmigrantes sospechosos de haber entrado al país ilegalmente. Autoridades alcanzaron a la Expedition en el Condado de Webb. Los ocupantes la abandonaron al lado de Espejo Molina Road. Agentes arrestaron a la conductora, González-Pacheco, y a la pasajera, Cruz-Madrid, y más inmigrantes. Una investigación reveló que RodríguezRaya contrató a Jiménez para recoger a seis o siete inmigrantes a cambio de 450 dólares. RodríguezRaya supuestamente admitió transportar in-
migrantes pero negó la ganancia económica, sostuvieron agentes especiales para Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional en la querella. Rodríguez-Raya dijo a las autoridades que González-Pacheco había realizado todo los arreglos para el traslado de los inmigrantes. Sin embargo, González-Pacheco dijo que aceptó una oferta de parte de RodríguezRaya para ir con ella a dejar a los inmigrantes a una ubicación desconocida, dijeron autoridades. Rodríguez-Raya estuvo de acuerdo con pagar a González-Pacheco por transportar los inmigrantes, de acuerdo con documentos de la corte. Además González-Pacheco dijo a las autoridades que Cruz-Madrid estuvo de acuerdo con acompañarla sabiendo que se le iba a pagar. Cruz-Madrid negó eso, indica la querella.
PROPUESTA
INMIGRACIÓN ILEGAL Buscan disminuir riesgos en cruces Nota el Editor: Historia relacionada a travesía de inmigrantes ilegales. Por Aaron Nelsen SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
REYNOSA — Durante las últimas dos semanas, la frecuencia y la variedad de abusos en contra de los inmigrantes ha crecido de forma preocupante. Las autoridades de inmigración se vieron abrumadas en 2014 cuando los contrabandistas dirigieron un flujo de 68.000 niños centroamericanos hacía el Rio Grande Valley. Desde entonces, el gobierno ha construido la infraestructura y las políticas para gestionar mejor la llegada repentina de personas. Padilla lo que está sugiriendo es un poco más. “Está presentando una opción interesante que podría tener algún sentido”, dijo Doris Meissner, investigadora principal en el Instituto de Políticas de
Foto por Bob Owen | San Antonio Express-News
La Hermana Norma Pimentel, a la izquierda, guía a voluntarios al dar la bienvenida a migrantes de centroamérica, a un centro en McAllen.
Migración, un centro de estudios con sede en Washington. “Estamos hablando de una gran mayoría de centroamericanos que demandaría asilo, y presentarse en el puerto de entrada permite una entrada más segura al país”. Existe un precedente para el procesamiento a gran escala de los inmigrantes en los puertos. Los funcionarios de Aduanas y Protección de Fronteriza han estado
procesando miles de inmigrantes cubanos desde 2014, dejándoles entrar al país bajo la Ley de Ajuste Cubano de 1966 a través de los puertos de la frontera entre Texas y México. Una vez que los cubanos entran al país pueden solicitar asilo, el cual reciben casi todos. Aún así, el número de inmigrantes centroamericanos que llegan a los puertos oficiales de Texas sigue siendo bajo, con aproximadamente 3.140
personas cruzando entre octubre y abril. A diferencia de los cubanos, CBP procesa a la mayoría de los inmigrantes para la deportación acelerada, y luego los transfiere a Centros de Detención de Inmigración y Aduanas. Por el contrario, la Patrulla Fronteriza o ICE pueden liberar un inmigrante que entra ilegalmente en el país con una notificación para presentarse ante un juez de inmigración.
Por César G. Rodriguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Un hombre fue arrestado en Zapata por transportar a nueve personas quienes cruzaron la frontera de manera ilegal, de acuerdo con una declaración jurada. Una querella criminal presentada el martes identifica al sospechoso como Carlos Javier Sánchez y lo acusó con transportar inmigrantes ilegales. El incidente se desarrolló el 8 de mayo. Un agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza de EU, quien estaba fuera de servicio, observó lo que parecía ser un intento de contrabando de personas a lo largo de la U.S. 83 en Zapata. El oficial fuera de servicio supuestamente vio a dos vehículos sospechosos, un Nissan Altima color dorado y una Nissan Armada color dorada, estacionadas a un lado del camino. “Después de observar a personas corriendo desde la maleza y entrar a uno de los vehículos, el (agente) notificó a la estación (de la Patrulla Fronteriza) en Zapata acerca del incidente y solicitó que acudieron a la ubicación”, indica la querella. Agentes dijeron que se encontraron a la Armada dirigiéndose al norte sobre U.S. 83 y ordenó al vehículo que se detuviera. Autoridades identificaron al conductor como Sánchez. Ellos determinaron que sus nueve pasajeros no estaban de manera ilegal en el país. Agentes especiales para Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional respondieron a la Estación de Zapata para investigar el intento de contrabando de personas. Archivos indican que Sánchez optó por hablar con las autoridades sin tener un abogado presente. Supuestamente Sánchez había recogido a dos mujeres inmigrantes y las había transportado a Laredo por 200 dólares cada una. “Sánchez dijo que con renuencia recogió a hasta otros siete (inmigrantes indocumentados) en la zona para recoger, después de alegar con un guía de maleza…” indica la querella. Sánchez declaró que estaba trabajando con un hombre conocido como “Negro”, indican documentos de la corte.
BIENES RAÍCES
Fue positiva venta de viviendas E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Las ventas de casas en Texas aumentaron significativamente en el primer trimestre de 2016, mientras que el inventario de viviendas cayó a un mínimo histórico, según el Informe Trimestral de la Vivienda de Texas del primer trimestre de 2016 publicado por la Asociación de Agentes de Bienes Raíces de Texas. “A pesar de la desaceleración económica en algunas partes del estado, las ventas de vivi-
endas siguen siendo sólidas, lo que apunta a la demanda permanente del mercado inmobiliario de Texas”, dijo Leslie Rouda Smith, presidenta de la Asociación de Agentes de Bienes Raíces de Texas. “Nuestro estado sigue siendo un centro de actividad de traslados, desarrollo empresarial y crecimiento de empleos”. Según el informe, se vendieron 65.265 viviendas en Texas en el primer trimestre de 2016, un incremento del 7.8 por ciento frente al mismo trimestre de 2015. Los
precios de las viviendas siguieron aumentando también, con el precio medio de una vivienda en Texas registrando un aumento del 5.4 por ciento año tras año, a 195.000 dólares. “La economía de Texas está experimentando un período donde no está creciendo tan rápido después de un período de auge de cinco años, por lo que las fuertes ganancias del mercado de la vivienda en Texas son notables a pesar del malestar actual en la economía estatal”, dijo Jim
Gaines, economista del Centro de Bienes Raíces de la Universidad de Texas A&M. “Será interesante ver cómo se desempeña la actividad de bienes raíces de Texas en los próximos dos trimestres, que por lo general son los más sólidos para la venta de viviendas cada año. Ese rendimiento mostrará la fuerza total del mercado de la vivienda de Texas en 2016”. El inventario de viviendas cayó a un mínimo histórico de 2.8 meses en el primer trimestre de
2016, lo que representa una disminución de 0.6 meses en comparación con el primer trimestre de 2015. El Centro de Bienes Raíces de la Universidad de Texas A&M estima que un inventario de viviendas mensual de entre 6.0 y 6.5 meses es un nivel equilibrado para la oferta y demanda de viviendas. Los listados activos de inmuebles también cayeron bruscamente en el primer trimestre de 2016, disminuyendo un 11.9 por ciento año tras año, a 74,276 listados activos.
A8 | Saturday, May 14, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
NBC cancels 5 shows, clearing deck for new season ASSOCIATED PRE SS
David M. Russell / Associated Press
Co-hosts Kelly Ripa, left, and Michael Strahan appear during the production of "Live! With Kelly and Michael" on Strahan's final day as co-host, on Friday.
Strahan exiting as Kelly Ripa’s talk-show partner By David Bauder A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Michael Strahan wrapped co-host Kelly Ripa in a giant hug in the final moment of their talk show, his exit on Friday accelerated by awkwardness surrounding the announcement of the former football star’s new job at ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “A lot has happened, a lot has happened,” he said as a clip reel of some light moments on the show rolled — Strahan in a fat suit, wearing red “kinky boots” from the Broadway show, dressed as Serena Williams and in a giant afro wig. A lot happened in the last month, too, when Ripa made headlines by abruptly taking time off after learning only minutes before the rest of the world that her TV partner was leaving. Her bosses apologized and Ripa, upon her return, said the incident opened a conversation about workplace respect. Strahan had been on the show since September 2012, when he replaced Regis Philbin. ABC had initially said Strahan was to work with Ripa for the rest of the summer, but moved his exit to Friday when the transition was fumbled. The show now starts an extended period of guest hosts with Ripa, some auditioning to be Strahan’s permanent replacement. As she sipped from a “Live with Kelly and Michael” mug on Friday, Ripa wryly noted that there will be a run on such mer-
chandise. “It’s bittersweet,” Strahan said. “Of course, you get nervous like this. This is a moment I didn’t anticipate being here at this point. But it’s here, and I’m going to enjoy it.” He said he’ll remain “in the family.” “Good Morning America,” which is counting on Strahan’s sunny personality to reverse fading ratings, is broadcast right before “Live with Kelly and Michael” in much of the country. But he became wide-eyed when Ripa suggested that he guest-host for her when she goes on vacation in a couple of weeks. “I don’t know about that,” he said. “When they say ‘too soon?’ Yes.” With Strahan saying he wanted a low-key send-off, they moved swiftly into the show’s fluffy host chat segment. Ripa recounted seeing New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez in a bar the previous night and told about a hotel stay where the toilet was so tall her feet dangled when she sat. Actor Matt Bomer was a guest, praising Strahan for his “great intelligence and grace and generosity,” while also noting Ripa looked better than he had ever seen her. New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony came on to talk about his role in an upcoming movie. ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, in New York next week for the network’s announcement of its fall schedule, will be guest host on Monday. Fred Savage, Seal and Andy Cohen are also lined up for hosting gigs.
NEW YORK — NBC pulled the plug Friday on Eva Longoria’s “Telenovela,” a comedy spoof of the Spanish-language soap operas, after only a few months on the air. It was one of five series cancellations made by the network, as it clears the deck for a new schedule to be announced on Sunday. With the broadcasters all presenting next season’s schedules to advertisers next week, there’s been a flurry of pink slips delivered in Hollywood, along with the happier news that pilots are being picked up for the schedule. Between ABC, Fox and CBS, more than a dozen prime-time shows were axed on Thursday. “Telenovela” debuted in December. The comedy “Undateable,” which lasted longer than many thought it would, also was cancelled. It premiered as a summer series in 2014 and earned two other seasons — the most recent one with the gimmick that the show aired live. Three other NBC series that were barely around long enough for many people to know they existed learned they wouldn’t come back
Ben Cohen / Associated Press
This image released by NBC shows Eva Longoria as Ana Sofia Calderon, left, and Jencarlos Canela as Xavier Castillo in a scene from the NBC comedy series, "Telenovela."
for second seasons. They are “Crowded,” a sitcom featuring a couple whose empty nest is filled again by adult children; “Game of Silence,” a drama that debuted last month featuring five friends who tried to keep a long-ago secret; and “Heartbeat,” about a female heart transplant surgeon working in a male-dominated field.
‘Sharknado’ meets ‘Walking Dead’ at comic convention By Mike Householder ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NOVI, Mich. — The stars of “The Walking Dead” and “Sharknado” have done battle with zombies and, well, sharks. They’re facing a different kind of horde this weekend. Tens of thousands of fans are expected at the 27th annual Motor City Comic Con, which got underway Friday in suburban Detroit. The threeday pop-culture extravaganza welcomes dozens of celebrities from TV and film as well as hundreds of comic book creators, writers and artists. Michael Goldman, owner of Motor City Comic Con, predicted this would be the biggest event yet with more than 55,000 attendees expected at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, up from last year’s record of 50,000. “If you’d have told me 10
years ago” that the attendance would be this high, “I would have told you that you were crazy,” said Goldman, who added, “the marketplace for comic cons has grown everywhere.” It’s a place where fans’ “inner geek can come out,” he said. Jordan Davis, who came dressed as “Batman” villain Harley Quinn, said she was stopped 15 times to pose for pictures within the first 20 minutes of the show on Friday. “People go all out. . It’s amazing to see some of the artistry that people put into these costumes,” said Davis, a 29-year-old from Troy, Michigan, who was attending her second Motor City Comic Con. Davis wasn’t the only person being asked for photos. Ian Ziering and Tara Reid, who star in July’s fourth installment of the campy smash
“Sharknado” franchise on SyFy, were among the celebrities who mingled with fans. “It’s Comic Con. They’re always fun,” said Reid, also known for her roles in “American Pie” and “The Big Lebowski.” “You have so many different actors and people and vendors. It’s just a fun thing to be a part of. It’s kind of like a carnival.” Ziering set up shop next to Reid, and nearby were Alexandra Breckenridge and Michael Cudlitz, two of the stars of AMC’s zombie apocalypse thriller “The Walking Dead.” And over the weekend, visitors can expect to see Adam West and Burt Ward, who will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the “Batman” TV show. Motor City Comic Con also offers plenty of pop-culture merchandise, including comics, art, T-shirts, movie memorabilia and posters.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 14, 2016 |
A9
BUSINESS
U.S. stocks decline amid data, GM stops sale disappointing retailer results of SUVs By Oliver Renick
By Tom Krisher
B L OOMBE RG NEWS
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
U.S. stocks fell, with the S&P 500 headed toward the longest weekly losing streak in four months, amid lackluster results from large retailers while data signaling consumers remain healthy added to the case for higher interest rates. Despite signs of vitality among consumers, companies that rely on their willingness to spend were among the biggest losers Friday as Nordstrom Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. added to the list of disappointing results and outlooks from department stores this week. Losses among banks accelerated in afternoon trading while energy producers retreated as crude prices fell for the first time in four days. Gains in Apple Inc. faded after a brief rebound from yesterday’s drop to a 22-month low. The S&P 500 fell 0.9 percent to 2,046.22 at 3:13 p.m. in New York, on the verge of a third weekly loss and a one-month low. Declines gathered pace after the gauge slipped below its average price during the past 50 days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 180.69 points, or 1 percent, to 17,539.81. The Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 0.5 percent. Trading in S&P 500 shares was about 6 percent below the 30-day average for this time of day, with consumer discretionary shares the only group with aboveaverage volume. “You’d think the retail numbers would prevent the market from going lower like in the last couple weeks,” Mark Kepner, an equity strategist at Chatham, New Jersey-based Themis Trading LLC, said by phone. “But there are some other issues with the market right now. Every time we get up to 2,100 there’s resistance, and overall the earnings aren’t great and that’s a factor as well.” Sales at retailers in April saw the biggest gain since March 2015, contrasting with weak quarterly results from major chains including Macy’s Inc. and Kohl’s Corp. Nordstrom tumbled 14 percent, the most in the S&P 500 Friday, after cutting its annual forecast. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. lost 2.8 percent to lead declines in the Dow.
DETROIT — General Motors Co. is telling dealers not to sell about 60,000 SUVs in the U.S. because the gas mileage listed on the window stickers was inadvertently overstated. The company told dealers that the Environmental Protection Agency-estimated mileage on the stickers is one-to-two miles per gallon too high. GM says it reported the mistake to the EPA as soon as it was discovered. The problem affects all 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave models, including ones that have already been sold. The Detroit company says it will contact owners to address the problem, but it would not say if they will be compensated for the lowerthan-advertised gas mileage. The EPA confirmed that GM reported the problem and said it will look into the matter. “We
Michael Nagle / Bloomberg
Monsanto Co. signage is displayed on a monitor on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. U.S. stocks slipped amid lackluster results from large retailers, while data signaling consumers remain healthy added to the case for higher interest rates.
Amazon.com Inc. slipped 1.1 percent to fall for the first time in six days. A rally that sent the S&P 500 up as much as 15 percent has been struggling to regain momentum since reaching a four-month high on April 20, amid mixed earnings and lukewarm signs of an economic pickup. This week was marked by the benchmark surging the most in two months on Tuesday as commodities rebounded, only to slide by the most in a month Wednesday after disappointing results from Walt Disney Co. and Macy’s Inc. spurred a broader selloff. Weaker-than-forecast quarterly reports at tech giants including Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Google parent Alphabet Inc. have been among the obstacles for equities. As the earnings season winds down, analysts estimate income at S&P 500 companies fell 7.4 percent in the first quarter compared with forecast for flat growth earlier this year. Of those that have announced results so far, about 74 percent beat profit forecasts, and 54 percent exceeded sales expectations. Along with the retail sales report, investors are scouring other data for clues on the possible trajectory of interest rates. A measure today showed consumer confidence jumped in May to the highest level in almost a year. Another report said wholesale prices rose in April for the first time in three months, while a separate gauge showed growth in business inventories continues to outpace that of sales. Two Federal Reserve presidents, Boston’s Eric Rosengren and Kansas
City’s Esther George, yesterday made separate but similar cases for a rate increase, arguing that the central bank risks stoking an asset bubble by delaying action for too long. Still, traders are pricing in only a 4 percent chance the Fed will act in June. December is now the first month with at least even odds of higher borrowing costs. In Friday’s trading, all of the S&P 500’s 10 main industries fell, with seven groups sinking more than 1 percent. Consumer staples, energy, financial and industrial companies lost at least 1.2 percent. The CBOE Volatility Index increased 6.4 percent to 15.33, approaching a one-week high. The measure of market turbulence known as the VIX trimmed its May decline to 2.4 percent from more than 13 percent earlier this week. Transportation companies were the worst performers in the industrial group, with the Dow Jones Transportation Average poised for the biggest weekly slide since January. Ryder System Inc. fell the most in two months, while railroads Norfolk Southern Corp. and Kansas City Southern dropped at least 2.8 percent. Banks in the benchmark tumbled toward the lowest level in month. Wells Fargo & Co. and Citigroup Inc. dropped at least 1.9 percent. The KBW Bank Index lost 1.7 percent. Among other financials, real-estate companies extended the steepest weekly decline since February, led by mall and shopping-center owners. Macerich Co. and Simon Property Group Inc. sank more than 2.6 percent.
Among energy producers, Transocean Ltd. and Southwestern Energy Co. fell the most, down more than 4.2 percent. Chevron Corp. slumped 1.4 percent. Crude pared a weekly gain as investors weighed the return of output from Canadian producers against supply reductions from the U.S. to Nigeria. Wal-Mart was one of the heaviest drag on the staples group as it headed toward the worst week in seven months. PepsiCo Inc. slid 1.8 percent, on track for the most in three weeks, after a regulatory filing showed Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management LP eliminated its stake in the company. Costco Wholesale Corp. fell for a third day losing 1.5 percent. In the broader retailer group, Target Corp. and Dollar Tree Inc. lost at least 1.8 percent. In the consumer discretionary group, Nordstrom fell the most, while Michael Kors Holdings Ltd. declined for a fifth session, the longest streak in almost 10 months. Tiffany & Co. and Urban Outfitters Inc. lost more than 2.9 percent. Kohl’s Corp. bounced after its biggest drop in three months, rising as much as 8 percent amid signs of short covering. A Goldman Sachs Group Inc. basket of most shorted stocks earlier rose the most in two weeks. Nvidia Corp. rose 14 percent, the most since November, to reach an all-time high. The biggest maker of graphics chips used in high-end gaming computers, predicted sales that may top analysts’ estimates, signaling game players continue enthusiastically to seek the latest technology.
have asked the company to provide all relevant information to the agency,” spokeswoman Laura Allen said in a statement. GM said in a notice to dealers that it checked all other models and model years and didn’t find any other problems with stickers. It says the error was discovered by GM engineers as they worked on the 2017 model year label. GM has printed correct stickers that will be should start arriving at dealers on Saturday. Spokesman Tom Wilkinson says the error has no effect on the safety or operation of the SUVs. He said he didn’t know how many of the 2016s have been sold since they hit showrooms in August and September of last year. So far this year, GM has sold 82,137 of the SUVs, according to Autodata Corp. Most of those likely would be 2016 models. The mileage overstatement was reported Friday by the trade publication Automotive News.
Richard Vogel / Associated Press
This photo shows the YouTube Music app on a mobile phone. YouTube is testing a messaging feature in its smartphone app so people can share and discuss videos.
YouTube tests messaging feature ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN FRANCISCO — YouTube is testing a messaging feature in its smartphone app so people can share and discuss videos without resorting to other ways to connect with their friends and family. The messaging option announced Friday initially is only being offered to a small group of people with YouTube’s app installed on an iPhone or device running on Google’s Android software. If all goes well, messaging
will be included in a future app update available to everyone with an iPhone or an Android phone. YouTube, part of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, is examining whether the messaging feature will encourage its audience to spend even more time inside its popular video app. Currently, people typically copy links to YouTube and paste them into other messaging apps such as Snapchat, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
A10 | Saturday, May 14, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER DEBATE From page A1 that conflicts with their anatomical sex. For districts that refuse to comply, the directive carries the potential threat of legal action or the withholding of federal funds. The administration had already taken that position in scattered cases around the country — from a school district in the Chicago suburb, to a district in rural Virginia, to, most prominently, this week’s lawsuit challenging a North Carolina state law. But Friday’s directive was the most sweeping attempt yet to impose that view, turning it into a national issue. A recent poll found that a majority of Americans opposed laws like North Carolina’s that require transgender people to use facilities that
INDICTED From page A1 Reports state eight people exited the GMC after the crash. Agents detained the driver, Jimenez, and the passenger, Rodriguez-Raya, and several immigrants suspected of entering the country illegally. Authorities caught up to the Expedition in Webb County. The occupants abandoned it on the side of Espejo Molina Road. Agents arrested its driver, Gonzalez-Pacheco, and passenger, Cruz-Madrid, and more immigrants. An investigation revealed that Rodriguez-Raya hired Jimenez to pick up six or seven immigrants for $450. Rodriguez-Raya allegedly admitted transporting immi-
match their biological sex, though the survey did not specifically ask about schools and children. Republicans were evenly split, while Democrats and independents were strongly opposed to such requirements. The events this week demonstrate how starkly views vary by region. The Massachusetts state Senate passed a bill that would allow transgender people to use the bathrooms conforming to their gender identities. “The new guidance from the Obama administration on transgender youth in schools reaffirms a basic human right,” said Chirlane McCray, the wife of Mayor Bill DeBlasio of New York City, which already has such a policy. “No child should face humiliation and embarrassment because of their gender identity, especially during
grants but denied financial gain, Homeland Security Investigations special agents alleged on the complaint. Rodriguez-Raya told authorities that Gonzalez-Pacheco had made all the arrangements for the transportation of the immigrants. However, Gonzalez-Pacheco said she accepted an offer from Rodriguez-Raya to go with her to drop off immigrants to an unknown location, authorities said. Rodriguez-Raya agreed to pay GonzalezPacheco for transporting the immigrants, according to court documents. GonzalezPacheco further told authorities that CruzMadrid agreed to go with her knowing she would get paid. CruzMadrid denied that, the complaint states.
such a private moment.” In Fort Worth, Texas, a deep divide became evident after the school district adopted a similar policy, prompting impassioned speeches and demonstrations from both sides at a school board meeting. At the same time, eight states filed a brief siding with North Carolina in its legal fight with the administration. And in Fannin County, Georgia, a sparsely populated area bordering North Carolina and Tennessee, hundreds of people marched to a school board meeting to insist that the district stick to traditional, anatomical standards in defining gender. Steve Fallin, a pastor who participated in the march, spoke of a rising anger among many Christians who feel they are not being treated with respect — a fury that
CROSSED From page A1 zone after arguing with a brush guide…” states the complaint. Sanchez stated he was working for a man known as “Negro,” court documents state.
MEXICO From page A1 sure internally displaced populations around the world, while conceding that accurate information on such people is difficult to obtain. Mexico’s government estimates 100,000 people have been killed and more than 27,000 are missing since Mexican authorities launched an offensive against drug cartels at the end of 2006.
intensified Friday with news of the president’s directive. “What President Obama did with this letter, he just cranked up the heat on the pot just a few degrees too high,” Fallin said. “I can tell you from what I saw last night, most of rural America, particularly the South, is right ready to just boil over.” Advocates on both sides said they suspect that most school districts did not have explicit policies defining gender. There are districts that allow transgender students to use the facilities that match their identities, and districts that prohibit it, but no definitive count of either group. Jeremy Tedesco, senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, argued that
the administration was distorting a 1972 law requiring equal rights for women and girls in education, known as Title IX. “The Obama administration has absolutely no legal authority to change what a statute means, and that’s what they’re doing,” he said. “And they have complete and utter disregard for students’ privacy and safety in these intimate settings.” Tim Moore, the Republican speaker of the North Carolina House, said, “We all have to wonder what other threats to common-sense norms may come before the sun sets on the Obama administration.” Despite the federal directive and a civil rights complaint by the American Civil Liberties Union, the school district in Marion County, Florida, said it would not change its bathroom policy.
“It’s just an overreaching federal government that didn’t follow the rules,” said Nancy Stacy, a board member. “They’re just bullying everybody.” But transgender people and groups that advocate for them praised the administration’s action on Friday as a civil rights milestone. Capri Culpepper, a transgender high school senior in Anderson, South Carolina, said the guidelines offered support to students like her, who can feel isolated and ostracized. She said school officials told her last year that she had to stop using the girl’s restroom because it was making people uncomfortable, and allowed her to use a staff bathroom or one in the nurse’s office. “They were segregating me into this restroom that I didn’t feel like I belonged in,” she said.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 14, 2016 |
NHL: DALLAS STARS
B1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: TEXAS RANGERS
Rangers call up top pick Matt Bush to debut after prison release By Stephen Hawkins ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Colin E. Braley \ AP file
Tyler Seguin played less than a period for the Stars in a playoffs after straining his calf. It was all caused after a cut to his Achilles tendon that caused him to miss the final 10 games of the regular season.
Seguin sidelined throughout playoffs By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
FRISCO, Texas — Tyler Seguin says he didn’t even know he had calf muscles before the All-Star forward from Dallas injured one trying to come back from a cut on his left
Achilles tendon. So the 24-year-old will just add that to his offseason conditioning checklist as he tries to get healthy for next year after sitting out all but one postseason game this season. Stars continues on B2
ARLINGTON, Texas — When Matt Bush was released from prison last October after a 3 1/2-year sentence for a drunkendriving accident, the former No. 1 overall draft pick was sober and just hoping for another chance to play baseball. After only 12 relief appearances for the Texas Rangers’ Double-A team, the 30-year-old Bush made it to the majors for the first time Friday — a debut that comes 12 years after he was picked first by his hometown San Diego Padres. The former shortstop has become a hard-throwing reliever. “Just thinking how hard I’ve been working lately, and just following the course, all together, it’s unbelievable,” Bush said. “It’s hard to explain.” Bush was drafted in 2004, but he had several alcohol-related incidents and was traded five years
Tom Pennington \ Getty Images
Matt Bush was released from prison last October after a 3 1/2-year sentence for a drunken-driving accident and was called up to the major leagues Friday.
later to Toronto. After being released by the Blue Jays, he signed a minor league deal as a pitcher with Tampa Bay. Then came the March 2012 accident in Charlotte County in Florida that seriously injured a 72year-old man on a motorcycle. Bush, accused of DUI and leaving the
2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS
scene, went to prison after pleading no contest. He said the victim has since expressed his forgiveness and wished him the best in turning things around and overcoming his alcoholism. “I realized I’m not the same person when I drink. I tend to make horrible choices,” Bush
said. “I don’t ever want to be that person again. I like myself today and being sober. I feel like I’m living a dream and I don’t ever want this to stop.” The Rangers signed Bush to a minor league deal in December with conditions that remain in place. Bush is still in an Alcoholic Anonymous program, has a curfew and has to avoid alcohol. He can’t drive a motor vehicle, which is part of his deal but also because his license is suspended. “From our observations and importantly the people around him ... we feel he’s done very well, he’s been an outstanding teammate, he has followed all the conditions that we’ve laid out with him,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “The people around him feel he’s well-equipped to handle (being in the majors). We didn’t feel like additional time in the system would necessarily make him better equipped to handle that later on.” To make room on the 25-man roster, the Rangers sent struggling center fielder Delino DeShields to Triple-A Round Rock. They had a 40-man spot after trading Anthony Rangers continues on B2
NASCAR: DOVER
BAD NEWS BATTERS OLYMPICS
Orlin Wagner \ AP
Kevin Harvick will start on the poll Sunday after posting the fastest lap of 165.145 mph in the only practice at Dover International Speedway.
Harvick takes pole at Dover By Dan Gelston Silvia Izquierdo \ AP
Less than 100 days before the games begin, Brazil is in its worst recession since the 1930s, it’s torn by a massive corruption scandal and Olympic budgets have been slashed.
Past, present and future of games sound grim By Stephen Wilson A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LONDON — Doping scandals. Bribery allegations. Fears about Zika. Political, economic and corruption crises. What else could go wrong? The past few days have unleashed a wave of grim news for the Olympics, battering four host cities — past, present and future — on three continents, and further eroding public trust in the credibility of the global sports movement. The 2014 Winter Games
in Sochi, the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo — all have been caught up in an unprecedented meltdown of trouble. Just when the sports world thought it had pulled away from the darkest days of the FIFA and IAAF scandals, a confluence of turmoil this week brought the clouds back and threatened the image and prestige of the Olympics, less than three months before the Aug. 5 opening ceremony in
Brazil. It poses a new test for the International Olympic Committee, which endured its worst crisis with the Salt Lake City bidding scandal in the late 1990s. Richard Ings, former chief executive of Australia’s anti-doping agency, said sports leaders must work quickly or “sink further into this quicksand.” “It’s about sport and the credibility of sport,” he said. “And the responsibilities rest with sports administrators who are failing to reform.” David Larkin, an at-
torney and sports corruption expert, blames the continuing scandals on “a failed governance model, a broken system of sport justice and a troubled doping system.” A look at the chaos across the Olympic world: SOCHI SCANDAL The 2014 Games were attacked by critics for a reported $51 billion price tag. Now they may be remembered for one of the biggest sporting frauds ever exposed. The former head of Moscow’s anti-doping lab, Grigory Olympics continues on B2
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DOVER, Del. — When the rain hit Dover, Kevin Harvick was prepared. Harvick’s team made the call in the middle of the week to send the No. 4 Chevrolet out for practice in its qualifying setup because rain was forecast for Friday. With a Sprint Cup starting lineup set by practice speeds in the event of a qualifying rainout, Harvick had a needed edge. He posted the fastest lap of 165.145 mph in the only practice at Dover International Speedway and starts first for the first time this season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins Harvick on the front row for Sunday’s race. Joe Gibbs Racing placed Kyle Busch third and Carl
Edwards fourth. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top five. Stenhouse earned his third top-five start of the season. Harvick, who had not won a pole through the first 11 races of the season, won the fall race at Dover. “The guys have done a great job prepping the cars and hit on some things that we like,” Harvick said. “It has worked well over the past few years.” The 2014 Cup champion, Harvick has one win this season and a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship secured. But several other drivers who are regulars in the win column have a big zero next to their name — notably Kurt Busch, Earnhardt, Matt Kenseth, Joey NASCAR continues on B2
B2 | Saturday, May 14, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Hughes enters last season as San Antonio coach By Doug Feinberg A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — WNBA coach Dan Hughes is ready for a new challenge. The veteran San Antonio Stars coach announced last month that this would be his final year on the bench. The franchise has already started to prepare for his departure, announcing former player Ruth Riley as the new general manager — a position previously held by Hughes. “I have truly enjoyed every moment of my time in the WNBA, but I reached a point personally and professionally where it’s time for a change,” Hughes said. “I know I want to stay involved in basketball, just not sure exactly what that is yet.” The 20th season of the WNBA starts Saturday,
when the defending champion Minnesota Lynx face the Phoenix Mercury at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Stars open at home against the Atlanta Dream. Hughes, who is entering his 11th season with San Antonio, knows he wants to see his son play basketball at Air Force next year. He will be a freshman at the service academy. “I want to watch as many of his games that I can,” said Hughes, who turned 61 last month, before his team played in an exhibition tournament in Connecticut last week. The veteran coach was proud of the fact that Riley could come in and take over as the team’s general manager. She’s the second former WNBA player to hold that role in the league. Penny Toler has the same position in Los Angeles.
Jessica Hill \ AP file
Veteran San Antonio Stars coach Dan Hughes announced last month that this would be his final year on the bench.
“It’s great that we can get former players involved in the league in front office positions,” Hughes said. “Ruth will be very good at this.” Riley said she approached Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, who she got to know
OLYMPICS From page B1
RANGERS From page B1
Rodchenkov, detailed in The New York Times how Russia operated a state-sponsored scheme that included exchanging bottles of tainted urine samples for clean ones through a concealed hole in the wall of the Sochi lab. The doping program reportedly involved at least 15 Russian medal winners. Russian officials denied the allegations Friday, with President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman denouncing Rodchenkov’s claims as “a turncoat’s libel.” The World Anti-Doping Agency will investigate. The IOC said it “will not hesitate to act decisively to punish those responsible.” If the cheating is proven, and it’s unclear how much hard evidence exists, it could result in mass disqualifications and stripping of medals. The Sochi Olympics, one of Putin’s pet projects, could wind up as Russia’s Shame Games. The new doping allegations won’t help Russia’s case for having its track and field athletes reinstated for the Rio Games. They were suspended by the IAAF following a WADA panel report that found state-sponsored cheating. Pressure also mounted on Kenya — and its celebrated distance runners — when the East African nation was declared non-compliant Thursday with WADA’s rules.
Ranaudo to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Bush, drafted just ahead of 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, was 0-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings for Double-A Frisco, and converted all five of his save chances in his first regular action since 2011. The right-hander struck out 18, walked four and held opponents to a .158 batting average (9 of 57). The Rangers first took a look at Bush on a recommendation from Roy Silver, a player development assistant for the team who has helped others come back from troubled pasts. Silver had a big impact on slugger Josh Hamilton, the former No. 1 overall pick who was out of baseball for more than three years because of cocaine and alcohol addictions. Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP and a five-time All-
BLAME IT ON RIO Never has a host nation been in such political and economic turmoil before an Olympics. Seven years ago, when the IOC picked Rio de Janeiro to host South America’s first Olympics, Brazil was a rising star on the world stage with a booming, emerging economy. Now, 84 days before the games begin, the country is in its worst recession since the 1930s. It is torn by a massive corruption scandal centered on oil giant Petrobras. Olympic budgets have been slashed. The political situation has imploded — with the Senate voting Thursday to impeach President Dilma Rousseff. She’s now suspended and won’t be declaring the Olympics open on Aug. 5. Her vice president, Michel Temer, is now the interim president. While most of the Olympic venues are ready, concerns remain over the severe water pollution at the sailing and rowing sites. If all that wasn’t bad enough, Brazil is in the grip of the Zika virus. The mosquitoborne disease has been proven to cause a range of severe birth defects, including braindamaged babies born with abnormally small heads and a rare neurological disorder that can cause temporary paralysis. A Canadian professor said this week the Olympics should be postponed or moved because of the Zika threat. The IOC and World Health Organization said the games will be safe, while urging visitors to take precautions. Most Olympics are preceded by controversies and last-minute worries, only for the mood to lift once the cauldron has been lit and the host country has won its first medal. Perhaps that will be the case once the first TV pictures show the Olympic flame burning against a backdrop of the Copacabana beach, Sugar Loaf mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue. PYEONGCHANG’S PROBLEMS The first Winter Olympics in South Korea have been dogged by more problems than expected, including construction delays, conflicts over venues, a shortage of local sponsors — and a revolving-door leadership. While preparations for the 2018 games seemed to accelerate after successful test events this winter, the local organizing committee was hit by yet another sudden resignation of its top leader. For the second time in less than two years, there has been a change at the helm. Business tycoon Cho Yang-ho stepped down to focus on dealing with the financial troubles at the shipping company his family controls. Cho had taken over in July 2014 after the sudden resignation of Kim Jin-sun, the former governor of the Pyeongchang region. On Thursday, Pyeongchang elected former South Korean government minister Lee Heebeom, a newcomer to the sports world, as the new organizing committee chief. With less than two years to go until the games, Lee will need to get up to speed — fast.
when she was playing in San Antonio, and asked to shadow him. Buford, also the president of sports franchises for Spurs Sports and Entertainment, responded by offering her the Stars GM position. While it may seem strange to have a
rookie general manager, Riley knows she can turn to her former coach if she has questions. He said he’ll help her learn the ropes and be involved, if wanted, when the team looks for a new coach at the end of the season. “It’s been an incredible asset to have him,” Riley said. “He’s walked me through some of the basic processes and procedures. As a rookie GM, I didn’t know how it all works and I’m happy to take some things off his plate that he’s been juggling for years.” Hughes said he’s going to enjoy his last season on the bench no matter how the Stars play. They finished with an 8-26 record last season. San Antonio drafted Moriah Jefferson with the No. 2 pick last month. “We have a really talented, young group,” he said. “It’s just going to
take them some time.” San Antonio went 0-3 in the preseason but was missing star guard Kayla McBride, who was still playing overseas. While Riley and Hughes don’t know yet who will succeed him on the bench, one name that is sure to surface is Becky Hammon. The former San Antonio Stars great is currently an assistant with the Spurs. Riley, who was a teammate of Hammon, said that it was unlikely she’d come back. “We would ideally love to have her on the WNBA side,” Riley said. “I think she is gaining so much knowledge having been on the Spurs coaching staff with Pop. I don’t see her transitioning to the (WNBA) side just yet.” That decision can wait. For now, Hughes and Riley are just focused on the present and the upcoming season.
Max Faulkner \ AP
Matt Bush is still in an Alcoholic Anonymous program, has a curfew, has to avoid alcohol and can’t drive a motor vehicle, partly because his license is suspended.
Star, is currently on the Rangers disabled list recovering from left knee surgery. Silver or Bush’s father will remain a constant companion for the pitcher off the field. His father was with him in Frisco. Bush, whose fastball is in the upper 90s, said he was shocked at how hard he was
STARS From page B1 “Probably the toughest time of my career I would say, being away from the rink,” Seguin said Friday following team meetings two days after a Game 7 loss at home to St. Louis with a trip to the Western Conference finals at stake. “Just two months of trying to find a fine line between supporting the guys and also not being a distraction and making sure they can do their jobs.” The trouble started March 17 when Seguin was cut during a 4-3 victory against Tampa Bay. He missed the final 10 games of the regular season but was skating close to full speed when the playoffs started. After Seguin missed the opener against the Wild, coach Lindy Ruff decided to give the team’s No. 2 scorer behind captain Jamie Benn a shot in the second game. The left calf, weakened by the layoff, didn’t last long. “It was another fluke thing that happened, a weird step that made it go fireworks in my leg,” said Seguin, who had 73 points during the regular season (33 goals, 40 assists). “I’ve never
NASCAR From page B1 Logano, and Martin Truex Jr. Here are some drivers looking to conquer the Monster Mile for the first win of 2016: LOOSE LOGANO: Logano won the Daytona 500, five other races and had 22 top-five finishes in 2015. He’s winless with only three top-fives and crashed out of the last two races of this season. His race last weekend at Kansas Speedway ended once Denny Hamlin’s charge for the lead resulted in a threewide push that ended in a multi-car wreck that took out Logano. “There is a win on the line, and it is a big deal, it is hard to do at the Sprint Cup level and any time you have a shot it is expected out of us, not just from the fans but from the teams to go out and make the most of it and make it happen,” Logano said. “When I look at Denny’s move, I would do the same thing if I was him, so I don’t really have any room to speak.” Logano said he felt he could have
already throwing and how great his arm felt when he first threw in spring training. “I think baseball’s a little easier for me because it’s just what I’m gifted at, what I’m blessed to be able to do, throw a fastball and be able to locate. Those things that are natural,” he said. “The
off the field, it’s a battle in its own, but it’s also, I’ve been through a lot, put myself through a lot. I’ve realized a lot about myself and I just continue to take it one day at a time. ... I just don’t ever want to have to go through that again, for myself or any organization, my family or my friends.”
felt anything like that.” The Stars also revealed Friday that Patrick Sharp separated a shoulder in the St. Louis series and fellow forward Antoine Roussel had a strained abdomen. Both played all 13 postseason games. Travis Moen was limited to six games with a broken wrist. Dallas led the Western Conference with 109 points in the regular season, and extended the second-place Blues to seven games despite getting outscored 25-14 in the series. Dallas never scored more than three goals in a game. “It was going to be a tight series regardless of who was in the lineup,” forward Jason Spezza said. “Would he have helped us? Definitely. He’s a special player in the league. The reality of it was is he wasn’t going to be able to play. You almost just block it out and you move forward and that shows the resiliency of the group.” Ruff pointed to several missed chances early before Game 7 got out of hand and the Blues cruised to a 6-1 victory. “I’m going to tell you if you give Tyler a couple of those opportunities that some of our players had, he doesn’t miss,” Ruff said after falling to
0-4 in Game 7s as a coach. “That’s just what he is. He’s a dynamic goal scorer, and he doesn’t need five chances to score one.” If Seguin is healthy and the Stars are contending a year from now, the highscoring duo of Benn and Seguin will try to win a postseason series together for the first time. They lost in the first round to Anaheim in 2014, Seguin’s first season with the Stars. “I think whenever you have a chance to have Tyler in the lineup, it’s going to make your team better,” said Benn, the captain who was second in the NHL in regular-season points with 89 (41 goals, 48 assists) and tied for second in playoff points through two rounds with 15 (five and 10). “It was tough not having him, but we had to find a way to do it without him and came up short.” From Seguin’s point of view, the Stars were effective without him. “We bought into playing with who was in the lineup,” he said. “I don’t think anyone was really thinking about that during the games. But obviously when we’re in those close games, and I’m watching upstairs and I know I can help.” Maybe next year.
won the previous week at Talladega until yet another wreck knocked him from contention. He hasn’t finished worse than 18th when completing a race. The Team Penske driver is winless with three top-five finishes in 10 career Dover starts. “If you look at the consistency in our team, it is still there,” Logano said. “It’s not like we have had races where we have been way off. And if we have started way off in a race, we have been able to recover and get a top 10 out of it.”
uled stop on pit road. He lost a lap and finished 14. Truex said it was easier to overcome that mishap because his No. 78 Toyota is strong enough to win again. “It’s a lot easier than if you weren’t fast and let one slip away and felt like your chances or the opportunity would be hard to get again or it was going to take a while to get that opportunity again,” he said. “It’s definitely easier when you’re running good and you feel like every time you show up at the race track there’s an opportunity. You can get up there and lead some laps and have a shot at winning. It definitely helps.”
TOUGH TRUEX: Truex, from Mayetta, New Jersey, has long considered Dover his home track. He has one of his three career wins at Dover and nine total top 10s on the mile concrete track. Truex has finished in the top 10 in three of the past four races. His win last season at Pocono Raceway propelled him into the Chase and he was one of four drivers racing for the championship in the season finale. Truex had led 172 of the first 211 laps last weekend at Kansas until a loose wheel forced him to make an unsched-
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: Earnhardt’s lone win at Dover came in 2001 back in his DEI days. With seven wins over the last two seasons, Earnhardt should soon crack victory lane. He’ll start second on Sunday and hoped that could give him an edge in the chase for the checkered flag. “It’s a tough place to run well at consistently every time you come here,” he said. “I definitely love the banks and the size of the track is pretty good too.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 14, 2016 |
REMEMBER WHEN Dear Heloise: Because I am a former nurse working in a hospital setting, we are seeing more elderly with forgetfulness, early dementia, etc. Here is my hint: While you still can, make a memory book for yourself. Make it as personal as you want. Write notes to yourself, and make notes about your family so you know how much you love them. -Judy R., via email Judy, no one likes to think about it, but with the demographics of our population, there is a probability of dementia happening to many. Thanks for writing. -Heloise PAINT BE GONE Dear Heloise: I had multiple layers of paint on the cabinet and door hardware. I thought I would be soaking and sanding the hardware, but my neighbor suggested that I soak the hard-
ware in cheap ammonia. It worked perfectly. It may take a couple of days, but the paint came off with no effort at all. -Connie C., Montgomery, Ala. Ammonia gives off very strong fumes, so do work somewhere with good ventilation. -- Heloise SHOO, SHOE ODOR Dear Heloise: I had a person who stayed at my house for a couple of weeks. His shoes smelled so bad that I put them out on the porch. I crumpled up some newspaper and stuffed them into the shoes -- odor gone! -Grace L., Torrington, Conn. PET PAL Dear Readers: Anne G. in Indiana sent a picture of her absolutely stunning tortoiseshell cat, Grace, with amazing green eyes. o see Grace and other Pet Pals, visit www.Heloise.com and click on "Pet of the Week."
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B4 | Saturday, May 14, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES