ROCKETS DROP FIRST GAME WARRIORS TAKE HOUSTON’S HOME-COURT
WEDNESDAYMAY 16, 2018
FREE
ADVANTAGE IN CONFERENCE FINALS, A7
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT
Workplace audits surge Illegal immigrant crackdown shifts to employers By Elliot Spagat A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Immigration officials have sharply increased audits of companies to verify that their employees are authorized to work in the country, signaling the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration is reaching deeper into the workplace to create a “culture of compliance” among employers who rely on immigrant labor. Expansive plans also have been drafted for a long-term push to scruti-
nize employers’ hiring practices more closely. Under a 1986 federal law, companies must verify their employees are authorized to work in the United States by reviewing their documents and verifying to the government the employees’ identity and work authorization. If employers are found to hire someone without proper documents, the employers may be subject to administrative fines and, in some cases, criminal prosecution. The recent focus on employers comes after a
surge of deportation arrests of workers that started immediately after Trump took office in January 2017. The crackdown is likely to please immigration hawks among Trump’s supporters but may alienate industries and companies that rely on immigrant labor. There were 2,282 employer audits opened between Oct. 1 and May 4, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Monday, nearly a 60 percent jump from the 1,360 audits opened between October 2016 and
September 2017. Many of those reviews were launched following the January ICE audits and employee interviews at about 100 7-Eleven franchises in 17 states. There were 594 employers arrested on criminal immigration charges from Oct. 1 to May 4, up from 139 during the previous fiscal year, and 610 civil immigration charges during the same period, compared to 172 in the preceding 12-months. Derek Benner, head of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, told The Associated Press that
Chris Carlson / AP
ICE agents serve an employment audit notice at a 7-Eleven convenience store. Immigration officials have sharply increased audits of companies to verify that their employees are authorized to work in the country.
another nationwide wave of audits planned this summer would push the total “well over” 5,000 by Sept 30. ICE audits peaked at 3,127 in 2013. The agency has developed a plan to open as many as 15,000 audits a year, subject to funding and support for the plan
LAREDO COMMUNITY COLLEGE
from other areas of the administration, Benner said. The proposal calls for creation of an Employer Compliance Inspection Center to perform employer audits at a single location instead of at regional offices around the country, Benner said.
DACA
PINNING CEREMONY HELD FOR GRADUATES
Dreamers face crucial test in court President Trump urges judges to undo policy By Kartikay Mehrotra BL OOMBERG NEWS
Courtesy
LCC honored students graduating with an associate degree in nursing with a pinning ceremony at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center.
Over 100 nursing professionals receive associate degrees ZA PATA T I ME S
More than 100 Laredo Community College nursing assistant program student and associate degree nursing program students were honored
during a traditional pinning ceremony recently at the Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center theater at the Fort McIntosh Campus. Graduates from the program included dually
enrolled high school students from Laredo, United and Zapata County independent school districts. The ceremony served as an opportunity for the students to receive their nursing pins from their in-
structors as families and friends cheered their success. List of the graduates for NURA Pinning Ceremony: 1. Mariel E. Aguilar 2. Rosa A. Aguilar LCC continues on A3
Lupus Awareness event hosted by Lions Club Zapata Lions Club set up a booth at the third annual Lupus Awareness event and passed out children's diabetes literature. During the event, the club recruited two possible type I diabetes students for Lions Camp. Courtesy photo
The future of kids brought into the U.S. by their undocumented parents faces a crucial test in a federal appeals court in California. The Trump administration seeks to knock down one of a trio of lower-court decisions that have barred the government from ending the program for so-called Dreamers that allowed the children to stay in the country. On Sept. 5, Trump unveiled a plan to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals by March, an edict that was first blocked in January by a San Francisco federal judge. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is reviewing that ruling at a hearing Tuesday in Pasadena, California. A three-judge panel will hear from from the Justice Department and attorneys representing six Dreamers, four states, two cities and a university. An immediate decision from the judges is unlikely. Undoing the Obama administration’s DACA program has been an evolving policy priority for President Donald Trump over the past year. After initially expressing empathy for beneficiaries threatened with deportation, Trump’s position soured as negotiations with Democrats over a political solution sputtered. Trump administration attorneys are arguing that the Department of Homeland Security exercised its authority to issue policy directives under the purview of the Administrative Procedures Act. Even if the lower court’s decision is upheld, the Trump administration believes the nationwide injunction is “overbroad,” according to court filings. On the Dreamers side, lawyers will continue to claim that Trump’s proposed change in policy threatens imminent harm to about 700,000 DACA beneficiaries. They also will point to the government’s plans to instantly end DACA, instead of applying a notice and comment period. DHS personnel will “deny applications without exception, which would in turn suspend the employment authorizations of hundreds of thousands of people, eliminate their access to advance parole and expose them to arrest and deportation,” according to an appeals court filing by the University of California. That point could become central to the case, since the Obama administration similarly skipped that part of the policy-making process. The government argues that if the former administration avoided the notice period when enacting the program, the current one may may do so when ending it. Twenty entities are supporting the Dreamers, including law professors, former federal immigration agents and historians alleging discriminatory intent behind Trump’s action.
In Brief A2 | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Joint Replacement Surgery Seminar. 6 p.m. Learn more about this innovative program, offered by the Laredo Bone and Joint Center at Laredo Medical Center. To reserve a space, call 956-796-3009 or 7963223. Weight Loss Surgery Seminar. 6:30 p.m. Learn more about this innovative program, offered by the Laredo Bone and Joint Center at Laredo Medical Center. To reserve a space, call 956796-3223.
THURSDAY, MAY 17 Healthy Lifestyle Luncheon. 12 p.m. Laredo Medical Center invites adults who are 50 or better to have lunch and listen to a presentation on stroke by the city’s newest neurosurgeon, Dr. Scott Robertson. To reserve a space, call 956-796-2007 or stop by the Senior Circle at LMC, Tower B. Tiny Toes Prenatal Class – Spanish. 6-7:30 p.m. 1700 East Saunders. Tower B, 1st floor. This class gives mothers-to-be the most important information to help them deliver a healthy, full-term baby from the start of labor until birth. To reserve a space, call 956-796-4019 or visit www.laredomedical.com/tiny-toes. Celiac Support Group Meeting. 7:15 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, 1700 East Saunders, Tower B, 1st floor. The Laredo Chapter of the Celiac Disease Foundation invites the community to attend. For more information, email laredo@celiac.org. First-ever Secret Film Screening. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Gallery 201, 513 San Bernardo Ave. Hosted by Laredo Film Society. $5 cover, BYOB.
SATURDAY, MAY 19 Laredo Spring Alzheimer’s Educational Symposium. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. UT Health Regional Campus Laredo, 1937 Bustamante, Laredo, Texas, 78041. Call Ginny Funk for more information at (210) 822-6449 Ext. 8102. An informational symposium regarding Alzheimer’s. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church loteria. 6:30 p.m. 1718 San Jorge Ave., in the church hall. $20 for four cards. Open to the public.
TUESDAY, MAY 22 Tiny Toes Virtual Tour – English. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. 1700 East Saunders. Tower B, 1st floor. The virtual tour gives mothers-to-be detailed information about what to expect upon arrival and during their stay at Laredo Medical Center. To reserve a space, call 956-796-4019 or visit www.laredomedical.com/tiny-toes.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Hard cover $1, paperbacks $0.50, magazines and children’s books $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
THURSDAY, MAY 24 Healthy Woman Luncheon. 12 p.m. Laredo Medical Center invites women between the ages of 21 and 54 to have lunch and listen to a presentation on stroke by the city’s newest neurosurgeon, Dr. Scott Robertson. To reserve a space, call the LMC Healthy Woman program at 956-796-2222.
FRIDAY, MAY 25 Special Needs Transition Conference. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Joe E. Guerra Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Rd. Call Area Health Education Center for more information at (956) 7120037. A conference for parents seeking information about their child’s transition into independent adulthood.
SATURDAY, MAY 26 Mexico Lindo 2018. Laredo Little Theater, 4802 Thomas Ave. 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 years of age or younger.
SUNDAY, MAY 27 St. Patrick Catholic Church Men's Club Steak Plate Sale. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. St. Patrick Church grounds, 555 Del Mar Blvd. $5 per plate for scholarships to St. Patrick parish high school seniors. For more information, call 956-324-2432.
Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images
White House senior advisor Ivanka Trump and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrive to the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on Monday in Jerusalem, Israel.
US EMBASSY OPENS IN JERUSALEM JERUSALEM — The opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem attracted more than a dozen Republican members of Congress, two billionaire GOP fundraisers and the president’s eldest daughter, putting on a display of political muscle and Republican unity rare for the Trump era. Even as it sparked deadly protests in the Mideast, President Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem united a cross-section of the GOP. It injected new energy into the evangelical movement, which has long wanted the embassy moved because of the deep
Mexico’s banking system misplaces $18M to $20M MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s banking system has somehow misplaced between $18 million and $20 million in electronic transfers between banks, authorities said Monday, the latest in a series of embarrassing breakdowns that have affected debit card purchases and epayments across the country. Mexico’s central bank and regulatory agencies said they
religious significance of the area. And it pleased big donors and allowed Trump to claim another campaign promise kept. “Above all else, we’ve shown that the United States of America will do what’s right. And so we have,” declared Trump’s chief Mideast adviser, son-in-law Jared Kushner. The celebration underscored the power of the evangelical wing of the party, which has set aside early skepticism of Trump to deliver some the president’s most loyal — and rewarded — backers. — Compiled from AP reports
are not sure whether the problem with settlement transactions among banks was the work of outside hackers, an inside scam or errors. But in a country where phishing emails and freelance debt collectors often use banks’ logos and letterheads, it is no secret that bank security standards are lax. Depositors won’t be affected, but the banks themselves could take a hit on the missing money. “This is a tough lesson that these standards must be tight-
ened,” said Mario Di Costanzo, who heads the government commission to protect financial customers. Di Constanzo said that “for some time, we have noticed that banks in general have to do more, not just to protect the information of their customers, but to protect their own identities.” It wasn’t exactly clear how the shadow transaction occurred. Di Constanzo said the amount not accounted for may be between 350 million pesos and 400 million pesos. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Tesla’s Autopilot engaged during Utah crash SALT LAKE CITY — The driver of a Tesla electric car had the vehicle’s semi-autonomous Autopilot mode engaged when she slammed into the back of a Utah fire truck over the weekend, in the latest crash involving a car with self-driving features. The 28-year-old driver of the car told police in suburban Salt Lake City that the system was switched on and that she had been looking at her phone before the Friday evening crash. Tesla’s Autopilot system uses radar, cameras with 360-degree visibility and sensors to detect nearby cars and objects. It’s built so cars can automatically change lanes, steer, park and brake to help avoid collisions. The auto company markets the system as the “future of driving” but warns drivers to remain alert while using Auto-
South Jordan Police Department / AP
This photo shows a collision involving a Tesla Model S with a Fire Department mechanic truck stopped at a red light in Utah.
pilot and not to rely on it to entirely avoid accidents. Police reiterated that warning Monday. A Tesla spokesperson did not comment following the disclosure about the use of the feature. On Twitter, co-founder Elon Musk said it was “super messed up” that the incident was garnering public attention,
while thousands of accidents involving traditional automobiles “get almost no coverage.” South Jordan police said the Tesla Model S was going 60 mph (97 kph) when it slammed into the back of a fire truck stopped at a red light. The car appeared not to brake before impact, police said. — Compiled from AP reports
Today is Wednesday, May 16, the 136th day of 2018. There are 229 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 16, 1868, at the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, 35 out of 54 senators voted to find Johnson guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors" over his attempted dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, falling one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict; the trial ended 10 days later after two other articles of impeachment went down to defeat as well. On this date: In 1532, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and a small band of soldiers landed on the northwestern coast of Peru. In 1703 (Old Style calendar), the Russian city of Saint Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great. In 1770, Marie Antoinette, age 14, married the future King Louis XVI of France, who was 15. In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV. In 1939, the federal government began its first food stamp program in Rochester, New York. In 1946, the Irving Berlin musical "Annie Get Your Gun," starring Ethel Merman as Annie Oakley, opened on Broadway. In 1948, CBS News correspondent George Polk, who had been covering the Greek civil war between communist and nationalist forces, was found slain in Salonika Harbor. In 1953, Associated Press correspondent William N. Oatis was released by communist authorities in Czechoslovakia, where he had been imprisoned for two years after being forced to confess to espionage while working as the AP's Prague bureau chief. In 1966, China launched the Cultural Revolution, a radical as well as deadly reform movement aimed at purging the country of "counter-revolutionaries." In 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest. In 1988, the U.S. Supreme Court, in California v. Greenwood, ruled that police could search discarded garbage without a search warrant. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop released a report declaring nicotine was addictive in ways similar to heroin and cocaine. In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address the United States Congress as she lauded U.S.-British cooperation in the Persian Gulf War. Ten years ago: President George W. Bush visited Saudi Arabia, where he failed to win help from Saudi leaders to relieve skyrocketing American gas prices. Osama bin Laden said in an audio statement that al-Qaida would continue its holy war against Israel and its allies until the liberation of the Palestinians. Robert Mondavi, the patriarch of California wine country, died in Yountville at age 94. Five years ago: President Barack Obama named a temporary chief for the scandal-marred Internal Revenue Service and pressed Congress to approve new security money to prevent another Benghazi-style terrorist attack. Candice Glover won the 12th season of "American Idol" on Fox. One year ago: The White House issued a furious denial after a report that President Donald Trump personally appealed to FBI Director James Comey to abandon the bureau's investigation into National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. President Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House, where both leaders vowed to repair a relationship battered by years of disputes over Syria's civil war and its various fighting groups. Today's Birthdays: Former U.S. Rep John Conyers, D-Mich., is 89. Former U.S. Senator and Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker is 87. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats is 75. Jazz musician Billy Cobham is 74. Actor Danny Trejo is 74. Actor Bill Smitrovich is 71. Actor Pierce Brosnan is 65. Actress Debra Winger is 63. Olympic gold medal gymnast Olga Korbut is 63. Olympic gold medal marathon runner Joan Benoit Samuelson is 61. Actress Mare Winningham is 59. Rock musician Boyd Tinsley is 54. Rock musician Krist Novoselic is 53. Singer Janet Jackson is 52. Country singer Scott Reeves (Blue County) is 52. Actor Brian F. O'Byrne is 51. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ralph Tresvant (New Edition) is 50. Actor David Boreanaz is 49. Political correspondent Tucker Carlson is 49. Thought for Today : "I want, of course, peace, grace, and beauty. How do you do that? You work for it." — Studs Terkel, American writer (born this date in 1912, died 2008).
TUESDAY, MAY 29 Tiny Toes Virtual Tour – Spanish. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. 1700 East Saunders. Tower B, 1st floor. The virtual tour gives mothers-to-be detailed information about what to expect upon arrival and during their stay at Laredo Medical Center. To reserve a space, call 956-796-4019 or visit www.laredomedical.com/tiny-toes.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 1220 McClelland Ave. 10 a.m. to noon. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
AROUND THE STATE Death row inmates push for ban on forensic hypnosis AUSTIN — Two Texas death row inmates are pushing for the state to ban forensic hypnosis in criminal cases. Hypnosis played a critical part in the arrest and conviction of Charles Don Flores, 48, and Kosoul Chanthakoummane, 37, the Dallas Morning News reported . Both men allege their convictions were
based on “junk science” and their executions have been delayed. Flores was convicted in the 1998 killing of Elizabeth “Betty” Black. A neighbor was hypnotized to help her remember the features of two men she witnessed entering the victim’s home the morning of the slaying. Chanthakoummane was convicted in 2007 in the stabbing death of real estate agent Sarah Walker. A hypnotized witness helped the police iden-
CONTACT US tify Chanthakoummane through a sketch. Texas has a robust forensic hypnosis program, where police officers are trained statewide to sharpen or recall witnesses’ lost memories. The Texas Rangers have conducted two dozen hypnosis sessions over the past two years. Half of all U.S. states have banned using memories retrieved from hypnosis as evidence in criminal cases, according to a 2012 study. — Compiled from AP reports
Publisher, William B. Green .....................................728-2501 General Manager, Adriana Devally ..........................728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................................728-2531 Circulation Director ..................................................728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo..................................728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ..............................728-2582 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ........................................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo.......................728-2569
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 |
A3
FROM THE COVER LCC From page A1 3. Valeria J. Aguilar 4. Ashly R. Aguirre 5. Leyda A. Alcorta 6. Juan G. Alejo 7. Vennica B. Alvarez 8. Karen D. Antunez 9. Jaqueline. Arizola 10. Ana K. Ayala 11. Nathaly. Ballesteros 12. Jonathan. Barrera 13. Jose L. Bautista Gonzalez 14. Aileen A. Bryand 15. Carla P. Calcaneo 16. Brittney. Cardenas 17. Cynthia C. Carmona 18. Josue. Castillo 19. Kathleen N. Cavazos 20. Keren A. Ceballos 21. Amanda M. Cisneros 22. Odette L. Cisneros 23. Anabel Y. Contreras 24. Karem G. De Ita 25. Maribel. De Luna 26. Joel J. Delgado 27. Erika D. Diaz 28. Juan A. Diaz 29. Alfonso. Esparza
30. Alexis N. Flores 31. Karma R. Flores 32. Victor A. Flores 33. Aylin C. Franco 34. Veronica F. Garcia Delgado 35. Austin D. Garcia 36. Joel E. Garcia 37. Donna J. Garza 38. Monserrat Y. Garza 39. Perla N. Garza 40. Aida L. Gomez 41. Juan D. Gonzalez 42. Porfirio R. Gonzalez 43. Priscilla L. Gonzalez 44. Cesar R. Guerra 45. Gabriela A. Guerra 46. Isaias G. Guerra 47. Juan G. Guizar 48. Treigh A. Hernandez 49. Miguel A. Hinojosa 50. Indira J. Iglesias 51. Carlos R. Inocencio 52. Priscilla. Jimenez 53. Maria C. Juarez 54. Yesenia. Lara 55. Isabel. Lerma 56. Martha M. Linero 57. Abraham. Lopez 58. Kassandra. Maldo-
nado 59. Lorena de los Angeles. Marrero 60. Diana A. Martinez 61. Lizbeth G. Martinez 62. Lorely M. Martinez 63. Sandra L. Martinez 64. Veronica. Martinez 65. Paola A. Mata Cabrera 66. Ivan E. Molina Vargas 67. Giselle. Montelongo 68. Roxanna E. Montemayor 69. Rohit R. Moorjani 70. Gerardo I. Moreno 71. Clarissa. Navarro 72. Prisilla D. Pacho 73. Pricila. Palomares 74. Victoria N. Parra 75. Victor M. Pedraza 76. Brenda J. Pedroza 77. Daniela T. Perez 78. Mario E. Perez 79. Noemi J. Perez 80. Esmeralda M. Quintero 81. Lisa N. Raines 82. Melissa E. Ramirez 83. Emily A. Renteria 84. Virgen. Reyes 85. Catalina. Rivas
FREE HEARING AID REPAIRS Our expert repair technicians are able to repair over 90% of hearing aids in-office, free of charge. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS LIMITED-TIME OFFER! You are invited to come in this week and meet our factory-certified hearing aid repair technicians. Bring in your old or broken hearing aids and let us repair them on-site, while you wait, free of charge. (parts not included) Call today to guarantee your appointment! 709 E. Calton Rd., Suite 101 in Laredo
956-790-0936
www.newsoundhearing.com
86. Clara F. Rivera 87. Leslie Y. Rivera 88. Maria F. Rivera 89. Andrea F. Rodriguez 90. Felipe J. Rodriguez 91. Jose M. Rodriguez 92. Gisela A. Sanchez 93. Samantha A. Sanchez 94. Tamara. Sanchez 95. Jacob. Sifuentes 96. Patricia M. Silva 97. Leslie. Soliz 98. Sophia A. Trejo 99. Gerardo D. Urdiales 100. Veronica. Valenzuela 101. Alejandra. Vargas 102. Crystal A. Vargas 103. Jose F. Vargas 104. Jonas N. Walker 105. Ariana A. Ydrogo 106. Brianna T. Ydrogo
1 Alexander High - Mariel Aguilar & Andrea Rodriguez 1 Lyndon B Johnson High - Lorena de los Angeles Marrerro 1 Martin High - Donna Garza 1 Zapata High - Porfirio Gonzalez
Mary Alice Award recipients: 1 LCC - fall 2017 - Gerardo Daniel Urdiales 1 LCC - spring 2018 Alfonso Esparza
List of graduates 2018 ADN Pinning Ceremony 1 Alvarez, Ashley 1 Barragan, Krishna
Merit Award recipients: 1 LCC - fall 2017 - Diana A. Martinez 1 LCC - spring 2018 Alfonso Esparza 1 Alexander High - Felipe J. Rodriguez 1 Lyndon B Johnson High - Jonas Walker 1 Martin High - Crystal Vargas 1 Zapata High - Isabel Lerma
1 Camacho, Yaratze 1 Castillo, Ashley 1 Castillo, Eva 1 Castillon, Rolando 1 Colchado, Monica 1 Estrada III, Juvencio 1 Garcia, Grace 1 Gil, Violeta 1 Gutierrez, Rodrigo 1 Gutierrez, Tara 1 Gutierrez, Valerie 1 Lopez, Kimberly 1 Mancha, Vicente 1 Martinez, Yvonne 1 Osorio, Adriana 1 Rodriguez, Priscilla 1 Rosales, Jasmine 1 Sanchez, Frances 1 Santos, Jorge 1 Saucedo, Melissa 1 Torres, Martin 1 Valadez, Gabriel 1 Velasquez, Rosalynn 1 Villarreal, Barbara Eloisa 1 Villarreal, Gerardo Daniel 1 Zamora, Gabriel 1 Zimmerman, Samantha Lorraine
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Call me an unassimilated legal resident By Rex Huppke CH ICAGO T RIBUNE
I don’t think I have the skills to easily assimilate into Donald Trump’s America. And that can mean only one thing: I should be deported. It was a difficult conclusion to reach, but after listening to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s recent comments on undocumented immigrants, I see no other path forward. Speaking to NPR, Kelly said people who enter the country illegally are "not people that would easily assimilate into the United States, into our modern society." "They don’t speak English, obviously," he said. "That’s a big thing. They don’t speak English. They don’t integrate well. They don’t have skills." His point was: They have to go. They’re just not going to fit in. They’re . different. Based on the Trump administration’s approach to immigration, it seems that standard will apply to large swaths of people: undocumented immigrants; asylum seekers; young people previously protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program; hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries that suffered natural or man-made disasters protected under the Temporary Protected Status program; and even immigrants seeking to legally come here from countries the administration views as sub-optimal or, to use the language of Trump’s America, "shitholes." Sadly, I don’t think I’m going to integrate well into that version of America. I’m fully documented — American, born and raised — but feel like an interloper. Call me an unassimilated legal resident. Maybe I should selfdeport. That’s part of the hope, of course, that by making America inhospitable to outsiders, some will just leave. But I’m not going to do that. You know us unassimilated legal residents. We’re notoriously lazy. No, the government is going to have to deport me, and to help in that effort, I’ll outline the obstacles to my assimilation into Trump’s version of America. 1) My culture and my Catholic upbringing are incompatible with the the idea that mothers and their children seeking asylum should be separated from each other once they enter the country. In fact, I don’t believe the United States should be separating any families, even those who cross the border illegally. I think we can find ways to enforce immigration laws and make the border more secure without losing the decency that defines America. But that thinking is at odds with the current leadership of this country and with the opinion of a small but super-shouty minority of the population. And I’m afraid these pre-Trump ideals are so ingrained in me that they cannot be fear-mongered or brainwashed out. I’m not a good fit. 2) I do speak English, but not in a way that’s compatible with the current language used by this
administration and its supporters. For example, when it was reported that White House aide Kelly Sadler said Republican Sen. John McCain’s support of a nominee for CIA director doesn’t matter because McCain "is dying anyway," I heard a shameless insult against a war hero and longtime public servant who is fighting brain cancer. The White House staff apparently heard "a joke." I felt shocked that Sadler still has a job and hasn’t publicly apologized. The administration felt shocked that anyone found out about the comment and painted Sadler as the real victim. I know I should work to better fit in, but I prefer my native tongue over that new language. It’s the same with the administration’s decision to have Rev. Robert Jeffress, the pastor of a Dallas megachurch, join the U.S. delegation in Jerusalem on Monday for the opening of the new American embassy. Jeffress has previously said that "you can’t be saved by being a Jew," "the dark dirty secret of Islam is that it is a religion that promotes pedophilia" and "Mormonism is heresy from the pit of hell." He also said gay people "are engaged in the most detestable, unclean, abominable acts you can imagine." In my home country’s version of English, those comments are unbelievably offensive, anti-Semitic, bigoted and just generally hateful. But apparently the present-day American English translation makes them reasonable and worthy of elevating the speaker to an international stage. Bottom line: I don’t see how I can overcome this language barrier and become a productive member of society. 3) Lastly, the country I come from taught me to understand history and recognize that things called "facts" are worth considering. For example, Kelly’s comments about presentday immigrants are exactly the same as comments made about past waves of immigrants, including his own Irish ancestors who many in this country once viewed as uneducated, undesirable people who could never assimilate. And the idea that immigrants don’t learn English, don’t assimilate, don’t contribute, take jobs from American workers, and are more prone to be criminals has been knocked down by study after study after study and is in no way supported by data. Due to an obviously sub-optimal upbringing in a now-foreign America, I am unable to overlook these things and embrace the idea that we are being invaded by menacing hordes of disreputable others. Those three flaws disqualify me from becoming a member of modern American society under President Trump. And that makes me an unassimilated foreigner in America and a prime candidate for deportation. So please send me back to my home country. Truth be told, I miss it terribly. Rex Huppke is a Chicago Tribune columnist.
COLUMN
Support for same-sex marriage has increased By Dahleen Glanton CHICAGO TRIBUNE
It is painful to acknowledge one’s own intolerance. But harboring intolerance of any kind is a choice we make as individuals. And everyone is capable of change. Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law of the land, many people still are not convinced that gay people should be allowed to marry. They might not say it out loud, but in their hearts, they still believe marriage should occur only between a man and a woman. The good news, though, is that those numbers are getting smaller. A recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found that overall support for same-sex marriage has increased substantially since 2015. According to its Atlas of American Values, 61 percent of Americans say gay and lesbian couples should be able to marry legally, while only about 30 percent are opposed. With the exception of white evangelical Christians, most religious groups in America also now support same-sex marriage. The majority of white and African-American Protestants as well as Catholics are in favor of marriage between samesex couples, according to the report. Still, there have been several recent incidents of intolerance aimed at school teachers that send the message that two men or two women joined in holy matrimony is somehow unnatural. Some people still insist that such an act makes a mockery of the institution of marriage. They are hoping that one day the law will be reversed and the issue will go away for good. But that’s not going to happen, and it’s time those holdouts accepted it. Nathan Etter, a music teacher at Prairie View Grade School in Elgin, Ill., knows firsthand what it’s like to be a victim of this kind of intolerance. Though the persecution may have softened over the years, it is still there, lurking beneath the surface. On Valentine’s Day, he received a bouquet of
flowers delivered to his classroom. When a firstgrader asked if the bouquet was from his wife, Etter said, "No, it’s from my husband." He decided to use the moment to talk about tolerance, explaining that some families have samesex parents. The little talk only lasted a few seconds, but it landed him in hot water. After a parent complained to district officials, Etter was called into the principal’s office and told to "stick to the curriculum." Etter said he took that as a verbal warning, though district officials claim his job was never in jeopardy. In Miami, a first-grade teacher was fired from a Catholic school days after she married her girlfriend. Jocelyn Morffi spoke of the discrimination in an Instagram post, according to The New York Times. "This weekend I married the love of my life and unfortunately I was terminated from my job as a result," she wrote. "In their eyes I’m not the right kind of Catholic for my choice in partner." Though 66 percent of white Catholics and 65 percent of Hispanic Catholics support same-sex marriage, the institutions themselves remain behind the times. After Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage was lifted in 2015, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement reaffirming marriage as between a man and a woman. Employees of the archdiocese, including school teachers, were told they must lead lives consistent with Catholic teachings. There are plenty of people who blame their Christian upbringing for teaching that homosexuality is a sin. It is easy to read between the lines of the Bible that God doesn’t favor homosexuals. At least that’s what many churchgoing folks choose to believe. In the church I grew up in, there were many hypocrites. It was a well-known secret in our Southern Baptist church that the minister was gay. People whispered about it all the time, but the adults seemed to have adopted their own version of "don’t ask, don’t tell." There was
an understanding that the church elders wouldn’t make an issue of it as long as the preacher didn’t flaunt it. That’s likely how school administrators in Arlington, Texas, felt when an art teacher, Stacy Bailey, showed her fourth-graders pictures of the woman she planned to marry. Bailey, who had been a teacher at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School since 2008, was considered one of the best, having been voted teacher of the year twice. That abruptly changed last fall when she introduced herself to the class with a slideshow of her life. The photographs included one of Bailey and her partner of seven years dressed in fish costumes from the film "Finding Nemo." At least one parent complained that Bailey was promoting a "homosexual agenda" in class. Bailey, who has since married her partner, filed a lawsuit last week claiming her career was damaged when she was accused of showing inappropriate images to the students, placed on leave and later asked to resign. The Mansfield Independent School District said in a statement that there had never been an issue with her open sexual orientation until this year. "That’s when her actions in the classroom changed, which prompted her students to voice concerns to their parents." The statement went on to say the district has strict guidelines by which, "Teachers shall not use the classroom to transmit personal belief regarding political or sectarian issues." It is no accident that we’re seeing so much intolerance toward gay teachers. In this climate of hatred toward anyone who does not fit our version of the norm, gays, lesbians, transgender persons and others have been swept up in the storm of intolerance that is pounding down on our country. Like reading between the lines of the Bible, the message from the top is that anyone who is not heterosexual is an anomaly to be ostracized and pushed aside. Often, people don’t even recognize their own bigotry. They might have
friends who are gay, and they would never say derogatory things about them. They just don’t think that people who happen to be gay deserve the right others have to choose with whom to make a lifetime commitment. Perhaps some might have an inkling that there’s something wrong with that logic. But when you are wallowing in self-righteous oblivion, nothing is required to make sense. When then-President Barack Obama endorsed same-sex marriage in 2012 and brought it to the public forefront, Americans were prompted to decide where they stood. This was the first time some had given the question of civil rights for gay people any sustained thought. But there was an aroma of change in the air and many were willing to go with the flow. After the high court’s ruling, many religious people began searching their souls for answers. They could no longer ignore the double standard they had previously endorsed. It was a time of reckoning, of exploring the origin of their feelings and re-examining their validity. But too many others are still carrying baggage from their religious teachings, never questioning whether it’s time to let it loose. Those outdated beliefs are based on pure ignorance. Anyone who took the time to have a conversation with a gay person about marriage and listen to their stories about the pain of discrimination would know that. Their hurt is no different from that of anyone who is treated unfairly simply because of who they are. The premise that marriage should be only for those who meet a certain sexual criterion that is out of their control has no merit. It takes a conscious effort to acknowledge one’s own intolerance. But it takes an even greater effort to go through the process of learning and understanding what is necessary to reverse it. It’s good to know that so many people have taken that step. Dahleen Glanton is a Chicago Tribune columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 |
A5
Frontera A6 | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Recital Baile Folclórico 1 La escuela preparatoria Roma High School invita a su Concierto de Baile Folclórico el 16 de mayo desde las 6:30 p.m., en el Centro de Artes Escénicas del Roma ISD.
INMIGRACIÓN
WEBB
Gobierno defiende poner fin a DACA
Confiscan toneladas de droga TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Programa ha protegido a 700.000 personas
Concierto de coro
Por Sudhin Thanawala
1 El distrito escolar Roma Independent School District invita a su Concierto de Coro el 17 de mayo desde las 6:30 p.m., en el Centro de Artes Escénicas del Roma ISD.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Fun Run/Walk 1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la carrera/caminata Fun Run/Walk 5K & 1K por el Día de las Fuerzas Armadas, que se llevará a cabo el 19 de mayo desde las 8 a.m. La carrera iniciará en Roma Guadalupe Plaza.
Premios televisivos 1 La preparatoria Roma High School invita a la entrega de premios Roma High School Gladiator Television Network Awards el 24 de mayo desde las 6:30 p.m., en el Centro de Artes Escénicas del Roma ISD.
SAN FRANCISCO — El gobierno de Donald Trump tratará el martes de convencer a una corte federal de apelaciones de que está justificada su decisión de poner fin al programa conocido como DACA creado por el ex presidente Barack Obama para proteger de la deportación a miles de jóvenes migrantes. La Corte de Apelaciones del 9no Circuito será el primer tribunal federal de apelaciones que escuchará los argumentos para eliminar el programa Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia. El DACA ha protegido de la deportación a unas 700.000 personas que llegaron de niños a Estados Unidos, ya sea porque sus padres entraron ilegalmente al país o porque se quedaron una vez que expiraron sus visas, por lo que podrían ser deportados si no cuentan con
Jeff Chiu / Associated Press
ARCHIVO — Judy Weatherly participa en una protesta a favor de mantener el programa DACA que protege de la deportación a miles de jóvenes migrantes, el 15 de septiembre de 2017 en San Francisco.
protección legal. En enero, un juez federal en San Francisco bloqueó la decisión del gobierno de Trump de poner fin al DACA y reinstauró el programa a nivel nacional. El juez federal de distrito William Alsup rechazó el argumento de que Obama excedió sus facul-
tades presidenciales al implementar el DACA y dijo que la administración Trump no consideró las repercusiones que traería el fin del programa. “Este se ha vuelto un importante programa para los beneficiarios del DACA y sus familias, las empresas que los contratan, para nuestros cofres
fiscales y para nuestra economía”, dijo el juez. El gobierno federal dijo que estaba obligado a actuar porque Texas y otros estados amenazaron con demandar, lo que expone la posibilidad de que el programa tenga un caótico fin. El gobierno busca que la Corte del 9no Circuito anule el fallo de Alsup, junto con las cinco demandas que consideró el juez, incluyendo una presentada por el estado de California y otra por parte de la rectoría de la Universidad de California. Jueces federales en Nueva York y Washington, D.C., también han fallado contra el gobierno de Trump por el DACA. Se espera que la Corte de Apelaciones del 2do Circuito escuche este verano una apelación al fallo del juez de Nueva York. De cualquier forma, es muy probable que la decisión sobre el DACA termine en manos de la Suprema Corte.
COMUNIDAD
Aviario
CELEBRAN MES DEL ADULTO MAYOR
1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a visitar el aviario Roma Bluffs World Birding Center en el distrito histórico de Roma. El aviario estará abierto desde el jueves a domingo de 8 a.m. a 4 p.m. hasta enero. Mayores informes al 956-849-1411 Museo en Zapata 1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de martes a viernes en horario de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
Foto de cortesía
Los residentes en el salón comunitario Dr. Henry Carranza disfrutaron de una tarde llena de música de mariachi, comida y premios en conmemoración del Mes del Adulto Mayor. Una proclamación fue declarada por el fideicomisario de LCC Henry Carranza, el alcalde de Laredo Pete Sáenz y el juez del Condado de Webb Tano Tijerina. Cada año, el mes de mayo representa un momento especial a nivel nacional ya que significa honrar a los ciudadanos mayores y evaluar sus necesidades actuales.
Botes de basura 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a la comunidad que sólo estará recolectando basura contenida en botes propiedad de la ciudad. Informes al 849-1411
EDUCACIÓN
Fundación otorga becas a estudiantes E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE
Grupos de apoyo en Laredo 1 Grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reúne cada primer martes de mes a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario. 1 Grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. 1 Grupo de Apoyo para Ansiedad y Depresión Rayo de Luz se reúne cada primer lunes de mes de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en el Centro de Educación del Área de Salud, ubicado en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430.
Por César G. Rodríguez
ZAPATA
La fundación Better Community Foundation del Condado de Webb ha nombrado a sus beneficiarios de becas después de recibir cientos de solicitudes de todas las escuelas preparatorias en los condados de Webb y Zapata. Las becas académicas universitarias se otorgaron a estudiantes de último año de preparatoria durante una ceremonia especial celebrada en la Sala de la Corte de Distrito 406 del Condado de Webb. Los estudiantes elegidos demostraron un compromiso con la excelencia a lo largo de su trayectoria en la escuela preparatoria en lo académico, atletismo, actividades extracurriculares, participación de la comunidad y en función de las necesidades financieras de cada uno. La beca de 1.000 dólares
Foto de cortesía
La junta directiva de la fundación Better Community Foundation del Condado de Webb posan con Rogelio Rodríguez, Rogelio Vásquez Jr., Jiovanni A. Rodríguez, Blanca N. Rodríguez, Magdalena Pecina, Javier Medina, Mario Martínez, Melanie Espinoza, Ismael Contreras y Alejandro C. Arredondo.
ayudará a estudiantes de último año que deseen obtener un título universitario en cualquier campo. Durante la ceremonia también se otorgó la beca Isidro R. Alaniz a dos estudiantes de último grado de la Preparatoria Nixon. Los siguientes estu-
diantes recibieron la beca de la fundación Better Community Foundation: 1 Mario Martínez, Preparatoria Zapata 1 Alejandro C. Arredondo, Preparatoria United South 1 Ismael Contreras, Preparatoria United 1 Melanie Espinoza, Prep-
aratoria LBJ 1 Carla Hernández, Preparatoria Early College 1 Javier Medina, Preparatoria Alexander 1 Magdalena Pecina, Preparatoria Nixon 1 Blanca N. Rodríguez, Preparatoria Cigarroa 1 Jiovanni A. Rodríguez, Preparatoria Martin
Agentes especiales de Investigaciones del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los Estados Unidos (HSI por sus siglas en inglés) arrestaron a un ciudadano mexicano por supuestamente esconder casi 4 toneladas de marihuana en un almacén local ubicado en un área céntrica de Laredo. José Ángel Polo-Hernández, de 49 años, fue acusado de posesión de una sustancia controlada con la intención de distribuir y conspiración para poseer con la intención de distribuir la sustancia controlada. El hombre compareció por primera vez ante la corte el lunes. La audiencia de detención de Polo-Hernández esta programada para el viernes en la sala 2B ante la magistrada Diana Song Quiroga. Agentes especiales de HSI y otros oficiales asignados a este grupo de trabajo acudieron el 10 de mayo a un almacén local cerca de las calles Gale y Cerrito Prieto Circle después de recibir denuncia de un cargamento sospechoso que había llegado al almacén. Agentes especiales descubrieron narcóticos escondidos dentro de un envío comercial que había sido importado de México el 4 de mayo. El video de vigilancia mostró a un hombre llegando en una camioneta Chevrolet negra para preguntar sobre el envío. Los agentes especiales más tarde lo identificaron como Polo-Hernández, un ciudadano mexicano con una visa de turista. El sospechoso presuntamente solicitó una factura para poder pagar las tarifas de almacenamiento aplicables. Agentes especiales habrían descubierto que Polo-Hernández ingresó y salió del país el 10 de mayo. Los agentes especiales comenzaron a vigilarlo cuando fueron notificados sobre la entrada de Polo-Hernández al país. El sospechoso se encontró con un hombre con antecedentes de narcóticos en una tienda de Mines Road. Posteriormente el hombre condujo hasta la carretera 59. Agentes especiales se le acercaron en el puesto de control de la Patrulla Fronteriza cerca de Freer. Polo-Hernández supuestamente acordó hablar con las autoridades sin un abogado. Afirmó que un hombre lo reclutó en México para coordinar la entrega de envíos comerciales que contienen marihuana dentro de paletas de mercancías, según una denuncia penal presentada el lunes. Supuestamente declaró que le pagarían 5.000 dólares por coordinar la entrega del envío desde México a un almacén en Laredo. Agregó que su empleador le dio información específica para distinguir a las paletas que contienen narcóticos de las demás, según documentos judiciales. Polo-Hernández declaró que 15 paletas de las 61 contenían marihuana. Los agentes especiales dijeron que confiscaron 621 bultos de marihuana con un peso de 8.621 libras. El contrabando tenía un valor estimado en la calle de 6.465.750 millones de dólares.
Sports&Outdoors
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 |
A7
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Kirk arrested after rock-throwing incident Cardinals second-round pick had pre-draft arrest February in Arizona By Brent Zwerneman HOUSTON CHRONI CLE
Last month receiver Christian Kirk had hoped to extend Texas A&M's streak of having at least one first round selection in the NFL Draft to eight consecutive years. He did not and as it turns out, Kirk didn't help his cause in the months leading to the draft. According to the Arizona Republic, Kirk was arrested in early February after he and
some friends were seen throwing rocks at cars while leaving the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Scottsdale, Ariz., police charged Kirk with criminal damage, according to the paper. Kirk, who grew up in Scottsdale, was drafted in the second round by his hometown Cardinals, and the franchise told the paper they knew about his arrest prior to the draft. "We spoke with Christian about it at length and also
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: DALLAS MAVERICKS
looked into it independently," a team spokesman told the paper. "Our understanding is that the process will be resolved in the near future but while it remains an active legal matter, we won't comment further." According to the Republic Scottsdale police said, "The suspects were intoxicated and leaving the WMPO. As they were walking through a parking lot, security personnel observed them throwing rocks at cars and breaking a window of
Matt York / Associated Press
Wide receiver Christian Kirk was arrested for throwing rocks at cars before the NFL draft. The former Texas A&M wideout was selected in the second round by the Cardinals.
at least one of them." Kirk, a former five-star recruit, starred as both a punt and kick returner for the Aggies in addition to catching at least two passes in every college game he played (39 consecutive). Kirk also holds the school record for
most punts returned for touchdowns in a career (six) and in a season (three in 2016). He bypassed on his senior season to enter the draft in January, and hoped to become A&M's 10th first round choice over the last eight drafts.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: HOUSTON ROCKETS
DURANT’S 37 LEAD Mavs’ rebuild WARRIORS OVER ROCKETS just starting, even if they get No. 1 pick
Houston loses home-court advantage By Kristie Rieken
By Eddie Sefko TH E DALLAS MORNI NG NEWS
Rick Carlisle gave us a nasty dose of reality last month. He said what no Mavericks fan, player, executive or owner wants to hear about their trip to Chicago for Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery. Buckle up, folks. This could be an annual affair. Carlisle is one of the few in the organization willing to acknowledge that this rebuilding process isn’t going to be anywhere close to finished after Tuesday night, even if they do get lucky and jump to the No. 1 overall pick. Deandre Ayton may end up being the next Karl-Anthony Towns, but even at that, it wasn’t until Towns’ third season that the Minnesota Timberwolves got to the playoffs and avoided a seat at the kid’s table that is the draft lottery. So there are no assurances that the Mavericks won’t be right back here again next May. "We want to get through this as expeditiously as possible, but there’s no way you can skip steps," Carlisle said. "Things don’t happen overnight and they don’t just happen without some turbulence and without some upheaval. We’ve been through that for a couple years now. "Unfortunately, at times, you have to get really bad to get really good again." The NBA landscape is littered with teams that languished in the lottery far longer than they would have liked. Minnesota missed the playoffs for 13 years in a row before making it this season. Philadelphia was in the lottery for five seasons and had four top-three
draft picks, including the No. 1 overall pick twice, before becoming playoffworthy. The Mavericks are only two seasons into their lottery run. This is not the kind of stage owner Mark Cuban likes being on. But you can only turn things around so fast. It would help immensely if Lady Luck would be kind to the Mavericks when the lottery balls get tangled up in that machine. The Mavericks have a 13.8-percent chance at the No. 1 pick and about a 43-percent chance of finishing in the top three. That means the chances are better that they will finish fourth (23.8 percent) or fifth (29 percent). They have only a 4.5-percent chance of finishing sixth — their lowest possible spot in the draft order. Charged with representing the Mavericks is a small army of staffers led by assistant vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley and assistant general manager Keith Grant. Also in the traveling party: Neil Herskowitz, the double-lung transplant survivor who was the designated good luck charm last season at the lottery. It worked, sort of, as they did not fall any lower than where they were supposed to pick, which was ninth. This year, Finley — a Chicago native — will be the main representative, which coincides with his rise up the Mavericks’ front office ladder. Nelson has known Finley since both were in Phoenix for Finley’s rookie season. Nelson helped bring Finley to the Mavericks, where he partnered with Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki until leaving the franchise via the amnesty clause in 2005.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON — Kevin Durant continues to deliver in the postseason for the Golden State Warriors. He scored 37 points on Monday night to lead the Warriors to a 119-106 win in the long-awaited showdown with the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. But if it were up to him, he would have done even more. Durant wasn’t happy with coach Steve Kerr when he took him out in late in the third quarter and loudly asked his coach why he was putting him on the bench. Durant, who played just more than 40 minutes, was asked if he’d prefer to play the entire 48 minutes. “Probably so,” Durant said. Kerr acknowledged that he should have left him in at that point and raved about his performance after his fourth 30-point game this postseason. “This is why anybody would want him on their team ... I don’t know what you do to guard him,” Kerr said. “He can get any shot he wants.” Starting a playoff series on the road for the first time since 2014, the Warriors trailed by as many as 9 early, but had evened it up by halftime and used a big run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to pull away. “We’re in the Western Conference finals they are going to come out with a lot of energy,” Durant said. “We’re going to take that first punch and keep punching.” Game 2 is Wednesday night in Houston. Eric Gordon opened the final period with a 3pointer to get the topseeded Rockets within 4, but Thompson scored the
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Coming into the night with home-court advantage, James Harden and the Rockets lost it in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in Houston falling 119-106 to defending champion Golden State.
first eight points of a 13-4 run to make it 100-87 with about eight minutes left. Houston used a 9-3 spurt, where James Harden scored five, to cut the lead to 103-96 with less than five minutes to go. But Thompson struck again, hitting a wide open 3 to leave the Warriors ahead by 10 with four minutes left. Harden scored 41 to lead the Rockets, who lost at home for the second time this postseason. “You’re not going to come in and just knock them out,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said. “There were too many times where we had mental lapses. We didn’t switch properly, turned the ball over and missed too many layups. We need to do a better job of staying up mentally.” Now the Rockets are left to regroup after losing their leg up in the homecourt advantage they worked all season for. “It’s nice to have home court,” D’Antoni said. “(But) we don’t have it. Now we’ve got to go get it.” Steph Curry added 18 for the Warriors, who are in the conference finals for a franchise-record fourth straight time. It’s Houston’s first trip since 2015
when Golden State won the series in five games. “I think he’s going to get even better as the series goes on, which is good for us,” Kerr said of Curry. The Warriors, who are the second seed in the West, opened a playoff series away from Oracle Arena for the first time since 2014 when they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 in the opening round. Houston struggled to slow down Durant all night, and things got even worse when Trevor Ariza picked up his fifth foul with about 10 minutes left in the third with Golden State up by 3. Durant made two baskets for the Warriors around one by Chris Paul that left the Warriors up 73-68 a couple of minutes later. “He’s one of the best scorers ever,” D’Antoni said of Durant. “I thought he was extremely good. But we can withstand that. We can’t withstand turning the ball over and giving up so many wide open 3s.” Gordon added a layup for Houston after that, but Golden State scored the next six points, with a 3-pointer from Thompson, to make it 79-70 with about 4 1/2 minutes left in
the third. Houston ended a scoring drought of more than two minutes with a dunk by Harden seconds later and the Warriors followed with another run, scoring six straight points to extend it to 85-72 with just more than two minutes left in the third. The Rockets rediscovered their offense after that, scoring the next eight points, powered by 3s from Gordon and Gerald Green, to get within 85-80 with about a minute left in the quarter. Durant added two free throws to close out the quarter and leave the Warriors up 87-80 entering the fourth. “Houston, they never stop,” Durant said. “They are always in the game with 3-point shots. We try to get good shots every time down and defend on the other end.” TIP-INS Rockets: Paul added 23 points and 11 rebounds. ... Clint Capela had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks. ... Gordon added 15 points off the bench. UP NEXT After Game 2 the series moves to Oracle Arena for games 3 and 4 on Sunday and Tuesday.
A8 | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Actress Margot Kidder dies at 69 By Andrew Dalton A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Margot Kidder, the Canadian actress who starred as a salty and cynical Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve in the “Superman” film franchise of the 1970s and 1980s, has died. Kidder died Sunday at her home in Livingston, Montana, according to a notice on the website of Franzen-Davis Funeral Home. She was 69. Kidder’s manager Camilla Fluxman Pines said she died peacefully in her sleep. No cause or other details were given. “Superman,” directed by Richard Donner and released in 1978, was a superhero blockbuster two decades before comic book movies became the norm at the top of the box office. It’s cited as an essential inspiration by makers of today’s Marvel and D.C. films. Kidder, as ace reporter Lane, was a salty, sexually savvy adult who played off of the boyish, farm-raised charm of Reeve’s Clark Kent and Superman, though her dogged journalism constantly got her into dangerous scrapes that required old-fashioned rescues. Kidder had many of the movies’ most memorable lines, including “You’ve got me?! Who’s got you?!” when she first encountered the costumed hero as she and a helicopter plunged from the top of a Metropolis building. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige called the moment “the best cinematic superhero save in the history of film” at an Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences event honoring Donner last year. Kidder and Reeve were relative unknowns when they got their leading parts in the first of the films in 1978, which also included big names Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando. Kidder and Reeve went on to star in three more “Superman” movies, the fourth and last in 1987. She said she and Reeve, who died in 2004, were like brother and sister, both in their affection and animosity for each other. “We quarreled all the time,” Kidder said May 9 in an interview on radio
station WWJ in Detroit, where she had been scheduled to appear at Motor City Comic Con later this month. “The crew would be embarrassed. They would look away. Then we’d play chess or something because we were also really good friends.” Both would remain known almost entirely for their “Superman” roles, and struggled to find other major parts. Kidder also had a small part in 1975’s “The Great Waldo Pepper” with Robert Redford, and starred as conjoined twins in Brian De Palma’s 1973 “Sisters,” and as the mother of a terrorized
family opposite James Brolin in 1979’s “The Amityville Horror.” B-movie buffs say 1974’s “Black Christmas,” with Kidder as a sorority sister, is a must-watch. “It introduced some elements that are now genre tropes and she’s fantastic in it,” comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani said on Twitter Monday. Kidder had a debilitating car accident in 1990 that left her badly in debt, confined her to a wheelchair for most of two years and worsened the mental illness she had struggled with for much of her life. That struggle became
public in 1996 when she was found dazed and filthy in a yard not far from the studio where she once filmed parts of “Superman.” She fought through her illness and continued working, however, appearing in small films and television shows and amassing credits until 2017, most notably “R.L. Stine’s the Haunting Hour,” which earned her a Daytime Emmy Award as outstanding performer in a kids’ series in 2015. “I don’t act much anymore unless I’m broke, and then I’ll take a job,” she told the Detroit radio station with a laugh. She spent the last de-
cades of her life living in Montana and engaging in political activKidder ism, including protest of the U.S. military action in Iraq. Kidder was born in Yellowknife, Canada, and graduated from a Toronto boarding school before pursuing acting. She dated then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the 1980s, calling him the “love of my life, my true love” in her radio interview last week. Kidder was married and divorced three times, including a brief marriage to actor John Heard, and is survived by a daughter, Maggie McGuane.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 |
A9
BUSINESS
Deadline nears for Western Union refund claims By Miguel Segura S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
Thousands of Texas residents may be eligible for a refund following a federal investigation into Western Union, but the deadline to file is fast approaching. Consumers who lost money to a scammer by wiring money through Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, can now file a claim to get their money back. According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, 39,000 Texas residents may be eligible.
The deadline to file the free claim is May 31, 2018. The refunds are a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Western Union agreed to pay a $586 million settlement, and the DOJ is using that money to provide refunds to victims. Once the claim is filed, the DOJ will check with the Treasury Offset Program to ensure that victims do not owe money to the federal government,
which could reduce the refund amount. Consumers who sent multiple wire transfers can also file a different claim for each case. Other expenses like Western Union fees, losses or transfers sent through other businesses are not eligible for a refund. Better Business Bureau serving the Heart of Texas also wants to warn you of possible scams related to this refund. Con artists will send an official-looking email about the Western Union settlement and ask you
for information about your transaction, along with your name and address. The thing to know is that you cannot apply for a refund by email. These emails are scams. Do not respond and do not give out any personal information. To file a claim, go to ftc.gov/wu. According to the FTC, it will take up to a year to process the claim and determine eligibility for repayment. Some of the types of scams that requested money to be transferred include:
Romance Scams - A person you meet online expresses interest in you romantically. When you are serious with your new friend they ask for money to travel to see you, for medical services, or to help a family member. Advance Fee Loans – A loan is offered, but there is a fee that must be paid upfront prior to the issuing of the loan. The fee is for a processing fee or insurance. Lottery or Prize Scams – You are informed that you have won a prize or are a winner in a lottery.
To collect your prize, you must pay taxes, shipping or other fees upfront. In each case, your money is gone without getting what you paid for. BBB reminds consumers to never send money to a stranger by an untraceable method such as wire transfer, cashier’s check, or a prepaid gift card or debit card. For more information on how to avoid these types of scams, go to BBB.org/ avoidscams. Miguel Segura is the regional director for the Better Business Bureau.
Sears eyes assets sale as bankruptcy rumors surface By Lauren Coleman-Lochner and Katherine Doherty BL OOMBERG NEWS
Joe Raedle / Getty Images
A cell phone manufactured by ZTE is shown on a store shelf. President Trump issued a tweet in support of Chinese telecom giant ZTE and reports indicate that it may be a part of a deal to try and protect U.S. farmers.
Trump easing up on ZTE By Ana Swanson and Keith Bradsher N EW YORK T I ME S
WASHINGTON — After weeks of threatening China with punitive restrictions and stiff tariffs, President Donald Trump is now siding with his more moderate economic advisers and looking to strike a deal to avert a devastating trade war. The administration is considering easing up on one of China’s largest telecommunications companies, ZTE, in exchange for China agreeing to buy more U.S. products and lift its own crippling restrictions on U.S. agriculture, people familiar with the deliberations said. Trump defended the shift in a tweet Monday, saying that ZTE “buys a
big percentage of individual parts from U.S. companies” and that the new stance was “reflective of the larger trade deal we are negotiating with China and my personal relationship with President Xi” Jinping of China. The move is a sharp reversal from just two weeks ago, when the views of anti-China advisers within the Trump administration appeared ascendant. Trump, spurred on by Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, and Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser, was pushing the United States toward a potential showdown with the Chinese over its economic behavior — a clash that had put many U.S. companies at risk. During a trip to Beijing early this month, top
U.S. officials handed their Chinese counterparts a lengthy list of demands to dramatically change their trade practices and curtail the state’s role in the economy. The list, which included cutting their trade surplus with the United States by $200 billion, halting subsidies to advanced manufacturing and slashing their tariffs to the same level as the United States, took the Chinese by surprise, according to people familiar with the visit, and appeared to further chill relations between the two economic giants. Trump now appears, at least for the moment, to be walking back from that tougher stance and seeking a quicker — and easier — resolution of trade conflicts with the Chinese.
News that Sears Holdings Corp. is exploring the sale of assets including Kenmore drove shares to a four-month high — and has at least one analyst bracing for a possible bankruptcy. The retailer said Monday it had formally started a process to re-shop the Kenmore appliance brand and parts of its home services business — units it hired Citigroup Inc. and LionTree Advisors to explore selling two years ago. Sears shares spiked as much as 19 percent in intraday trading and closed up 6.7
percent. Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Bill Dreher said the company reinitiating a possible sale process suggests its cash constraints are becoming so severe that a bankruptcy process could be closer than expected. “The assets are ridiculously priced,” which is why they haven’t elicited much interest over the years, Dreher said in an interview. Monday’s announcement points to “heightened liquidity concerns and a cash crunch.” Susquehanna is a market maker for Sears stock. Investors shouldn’t have been caught off guard by the news Sears
was exploring asset sales. Chief Executive Officer Edward Lampert’s hedge fund, ESL Investments Inc., said in April it would be open to buying the assets and urged the department store to put the businesses on the block. “I don’t know why there is any surprise,” said Noel Hebert, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. “Not only have they been shopping the assets for years, but could there have been any doubt this would happen after ESL put forth the request and what amounts to an outof-court stalking horse bid for some of them?” Sears declined to comment.
Jeff Chiu / AP
A man walks in front of a Sears sign in San Bruno, California. In a move announced Monday, Sears Holdings says a special committee of its board is starting a formal process to explore the sale of its Kenmore brand and related assets.
A10 | Wednesday, May 16, 2018 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL
Markle seeks respect for dad after report he’ll skip wedding By Gregory Katz A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LONDON — Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are requesting “understanding and respect” for Markle’s father after a celebrity news site reported he would not be coming to the royal wedding to walk his daughter down the aisle, Kensington Palace said Monday night. A palace statement on “this difficult situation” did not confirm the TMZ report that Thomas Markle had decided not to attend Saturday’s wedding at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The palace said earlier it would not comment on the report, and its statement did not clarify if the bride’s father would or would not be at the wedding. “This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding,” the palace statement said. “She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation.” TMZ said Thomas Markle was upset over the way his decision to have staged paparazzi photos taken of him preparing for the wedding has been received and decided to miss the wedding to avoid embarrassing his daughter and the royal family. The site also said he suffered a heart attack less than a week ago. The palace had announced last week that Thomas Markle and his
ex-wife, Doria Ragland, would play important roles in the wedding. Both were expected to meet Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals in the days before the wedding. Thomas Markle and Ragland divorced when their daughter was 6years-old, but they both played an active role raising her. He spent many years supervising the lighting and camera crew for the “Married...With Children” television show and often brought young Meghan to the set at Sunset Gower Studios. Since retired, he has been living in Mexico. The Associated Press has been unable to reach him for comment. Thomas Markle was set to walk Meghan down the aisle during the church ceremony, and Ragland plans to ride to the chapel with her daughter. Both were to be entertained this week by the queen and other senior royals, including Prince Charles and Prince William. TMZ said the father had a change of heart over the weekend after the British press reported he was paid to pose for photos that showed
him getting measured for his wedding suit and making other preparations. According to TMZ, he told the website he regretted allowing the pictures to be taken and acknowledged they looked “stupid.” The website reported that he said money was not his primary motivation for agreeing to be photographed and he was opting to miss the wedding to avoid embarrassing his daughter and the royal family. Meghan Markle’s halfsister, Samantha, tweeted Monday that she is to blame for the photo debacle. “The bad press over my father doing staged photos is my fault,” she tweeted. “The media was unfairly making him look bad so I suggested he do positive photos for his benefit and the benefit of the royal family.” Meghan Markle is estranged from her halfsister, who has not been expected to attend the nuptials, and from her half-brother. Harry and Markle have invited 600 guests to the wedding, which will be followed by a gala reception hosted by the queen.