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NAFTA
TRUMP/RUSSIA PROBE
Mexico to review rules of origin
Flynn agrees to provide documents
Senate continues to search Foreign minister: country is set to look for any possible meddling in the 2016 election over trade deal By Chad Day, Eileen Sullivan and Jake Pearson
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MIAMI — Mexico's foreign minister says the country is "inevitably" set to review rules of origin when renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, giving a boost to President Donald Trump's manufacturing push. Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray said on Tuesday at an event in Miami that NAFTA has allowed Mexican industry to enter the U.S. market with lax rules of origin. The rules dictate how much U.S. content a product assembled in Mexico must have in order to escape tariffs when being imported into the United States. Currently set at 62.5 percent for the auto industry, that number could increase. The Trump administration told Congress earlier this month there would be 90 days of consultations on the renegotiation of the 23-yearold pact before beginning talks with Canada and Mexico.
HEALTH CARE
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will provide documents to the Senate intelligence committee as part of its probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, The Associat-
ed Press has learned. Flynn will turn over documents related to two of his businesses as well as some personal documents the committee requested earlier this month, a person close to Flynn said. Flynn plans to produce documents by next week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Flynn continues on A12
Carolyn Kaster / AP
This file photo shows Michael Flynn sitting in the East Room of the White House in Washington.
HURRICANE SEASON
TEXANS CAREFULLY MONITOR RISING SEA
Medicare to replace Social Security numbers By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Officials said Tuesday the government is on track to meet a 2019 deadline for replacing Social Security numbers on Medicare cards with randomly generated digits and letters to protect seniors against identity theft. Planning for the massive transition has been underway for years. Beneficiaries and their families should start seeing changes next April, Medicare announced Tuesday. That's when the agency will begin mailing out new cards to more than 57 million elderly and disabled beneficiaries. They'll be instructed to destroy their old cards after they get the new one. New cards may be used right away. Health care transitions can be notoriously tricky for the
government. Remember the "Obamacare" computer system that didn't work at first? Or the Medicare drug program rollout, when millions of low-income beneficiaries couldn't get their prescriptions filled initially? In a statement Tuesday, Medicare chief Seema Verma said the Trump administration is aiming for "a seamless transition" over a 21-month period that will involve coordination with beneficiaries, family members, hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, pharmacies and state governments. Congress has set an April 2019 deadline for all beneficiaries to have new cards. Medicare has set up a website that provides some basic information. True to government form, the new Medicare number already has an acronym: MBI, Medicare continues on A12
Michael Ciaglo / AP
In this Monday photo, Lalo Ojeda points at the water line on his garage from Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas. Ojeda is watching the Atlantic hurricane season that begins Thursday with more concern than usual. The retired Coast Guard employee worries that rising sea levels could make the next hurricane more destructive than those he's lived through.
Study shows levels are increasing fast in Texas Gulf Coast By Harvey Rice HOUSTON CHRONICLE
GALVESTON, Texas — Lalo Ojeda has lived with hurricanes all his life. The Houston Chronicle reports he was 14 when Hurricane Carla inundated Galveston Island in 1961. He evacuated as Hurricane Rita barreled toward the coast in 2005, then rode out the devastat-
ing Hurricane Ike in his Galveston home in 2008. But Ojeda is watching the Atlantic hurricane season that begins Thursday with more concern than usual. The retired Coast Guard employee worries that rising sea levels could make the next hurricane more destructive than those he's lived through. "That's really scary to
me," the 70-year-old said. A study released in May shows that rising sea levels threaten to make storm surges more dangerous, seemingly reinforcing Texas officials' push for federal funding for a storm-surge barrier, or Ike Dike, to protect Galveston. "Every storm surge today reaches higher because it starts from a higher level, because sea level
is higher," said study coauthor Ben Strauss, a scientist who is vice president for sea level and climate impacts for Climate Central, a group of scientists and journalists dedicated to climate change awareness. "A small amount of sea-level rise can lead to an unexpectedly large increase in damages to most kinds of Hurricane continues on A12
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
Today is Wednesday, May 31, the 151st day of 2017. There are 214 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On May 31, 1977, the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, three years in the making despite objections from environmentalists and Alaska Natives, was completed.
Gillian Flaccus / AP
A heart-shaped wreath covered with positive messages hangs on a traffic light pole at a memorial for two bystanders who were stabbed to death while trying to stop a man who was yelling anti-Muslim slurs and acting aggressively toward two young women in Portland, Oregon.
GRIEVING MOTHER’S LETTER TO TRUMP PORTLAND, Ore. — The following is the text of Asha Deliverance's letter: Dear President Trump, I'm writing to you today, Memorial Day, to share my heart after losing my son. Taliesin died a hero, like many other Americans who have died defending freedom. He was just 23, a year out of college with a degree in economics, working, had just bought his
first home and was thinking about starting a family. Our family grieves, but we are proud that through his selfless action he, along with the other two men, has changed the world, when in the face of hate he did not hesitate to act with love. Two precious lives were lost this Memorial Day weekend in Portland and one more, nearly so. They
fearlessly risked their lives for two young women who were threatened by an act of bigotry & terror. These brave men saw the immediate injustice and didn't hesitate to act. They recognized the truth: we are more alike than we are different. You have said that you will be President for all Americans. So, I ask you Mr. President to take action at this time. Your words
and actions are meaningful, here in America and throughout the world. Please encourage all Americans to protect and watch out for one another. Please condemn any acts of violence, which result directly from hate speech & hate groups. I am praying you will use your leadership to do so. — Compiled from AP reports
CALENDAR
Judge: Trump deportation order for man in Hawaii ‘inhumane’
court wrote Tuesday in an unusually impassioned opinion. "President Trump has claimed that his immigration policies would target the 'bad hombres,'" Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt said. "The government's decision to remove Magana Ortiz shows that even the 'good hombres' are not safe." Reinhardt, who was nominated to the court by President Jimmy Carter, said the 9th Circuit lacked authority to block the March order to deport Ortiz
to Mexico. Still, he said it was difficult to see how the order was consistent with President Donald Trump's promise of an immigration system with heart. Reinhardt said Ortiz, who came to the U.S. in 1989, was well-established in Hawaii's coffee farming industry, paid his taxes and had three U.S. citizen children from whom he would be torn away. A U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman, Nicole Navas, said the department declined comment. — Compiled from AP reports
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31 LEGO Night. 6:15 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free and family friendly. LEGOs, DUPLOs, and LEGO Robotics will be made available to the public for free-play.
MONDAY, JUNE 5 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
SATURDAY, JUNE 10 The Martin High School Class of 1957 60th Reunion. Embassy Suites, 110 Calle Del Norte. Classmates wishing to attend should register by checking the class website at mhsclassof57.org or calling Irma Perales Mireles at 956-286-6385.
THURSDAY, JUNE 22 Why Invasive Species are So Invasive—An Ecosystem Approach. 6:30 p.m. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park Ranchito. Presented by Stephen Lange, Project Leader, South Texas Ecosystem Project, Chaparral and Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com
MONDAY, JULY 3 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
SAN FRANCISCO — A Trump administration order to deport a man who entered the country illegally nearly three decades ago and became a respected businessman in Hawaii was "inhumane" and "contrary to the values of the country and its legal system," a judge on the nation's largest federal appeals
AROUND THE WORLD Series of bombings kill nearly 40 people across Baghdad BAGHDAD — A massive bombing by the Islamic State group outside a popular ice cream parlor in central Baghdad and a rush- hour car bomb in another downtown area killed at least 31 people Tuesday, Iraqi officials said. Later in the day, bombings in and around the Iraqi capital killed seven more people. The attacks come as IS militants are steadily losing territory to U.S.-backed Iraqi forces in the battle for Mosul, the country's second-largest city. The Sunni extremists are increasingly turning to insurgencystyle terror attacks to distract attention from their losses. The nighttime attack outside the ice cream parlor in the bus-
Karim Kadim / AP
Civilians inspect the site of a deadly bomb attack, in Baghdad, Iraq on Monday.
tling Karrada neighborhood killed 17 people and wounded 32, police and health officials said. A closed-circuit camera captured the moment of the explosion, the video showing a busy downtown avenue with cars driving down the street when
the blast strikes. A huge fireball engulfs a building, causing cars to scramble to get away. Other videos of the attack posted on social media show wounded and bloodied people crying for help on the sidewalk outside the ice cream parlor. — Compiled from AP reports
Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, under international pressure to take tough action against global warming, called for a world summit to set a long-term global strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In a breach of security, detailed plans for the new U.S. Embassy under construction in Baghdad appeared on the website of the architectural firm that was contracted to design the massive facility. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush attended the dedication of the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina. Five years ago: Democrat John Edwards' campaign finance fraud case ended in a mistrial when jurors in Greensboro, North Carolina, acquitted him on one of six charges but were unable to decide whether he'd misused money from two wealthy donors to hide his pregnant mistress while he ran for president. President Barack Obama welcomed his predecessor back to the White House for the unveiling of the official portraits of former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush. Today's Birthdays: Actor-director Clint Eastwood is 87. Singer Peter Yarrow is 79. Former Humanitarian Terry Waite is 78. Singer-musician Augie Meyers is 77. Actress Sharon Gless is 74. Football Hall-of-Famer Joe Namath is 74. Broadcast journalist/commentator Bernard Goldberg is 72. Actor Tom Berenger is 67. Actor Gregory Harrison is 67. Actor Julio Oscar Mechoso is 62. Actor Kyle Secor is 60. Actress Roma Maffia is 59. Comedian Chris Elliott is 57. Actress Lea Thompson is 56. Singer Corey Hart is 55. Actor Hugh Dillon is 54. Rapper DMC is 53. Actress Brooke Shields is 52. Country musician Ed Adkins (The Derailers) is 50. TV host Phil Keoghan is 50. Jazz musician Christian McBride is 45. Actress Archie Panjabi is 45. Actor Colin Farrell is 41. Rock musician Scott Klopfenstein (Reel Big Fish) is 40. Actor Eric Christian Olsen is 40. Rock musician Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy) is 37. Country singer Casey James (TV: "American Idol") is 35. Actor Jonathan Tucker is 35. Rapper Waka Flocka Flame is 31. Actor Curtis Williams Jr. is 30. Pop singer Normani Hamilton (Fifth Harmony) is 21. Thought for Today: "A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done." — Fred Allen, American comedian (born this date in 1894, died in 1956).
CONTACT US AROUND TEXAS
SATURDAY, JULY 22 Laredo and South Texas Weather. 2 p.m. TAMIU Student Center, Room 236. Presented by Richard ‘Heatwave” Berler, Chief Meteorologist, KGNS-TV. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com
Fleeing Texas suspect causes nearly $1M in damage at plant
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4
BORGER, Texas (AP) — Authorities in West Texas say a man fleeing from sheriff's deputies caused nearly $1 million in damage at a chemical plant when he crashed a pickup
Les Amies Birthday Club monthly meeting. 11:30 a.m. Ramada Plaza. The hostesses are Rosita Alvarez, Marta Rangel Bennett, Imelda Gonzalez and Carmen Santos. The honoree will be Magda Sanchez.
On this date: In 1790, President George Washington signed into law the first U.S. copyright act. In 1889, some 2,200 people in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, perished when the South Fork Dam collapsed, sending 20 million tons of water rushing through the town. In 1910, the Union of South Africa was founded. In 1916, during World War I, British and German fleets fought the naval Battle of Jutland off Denmark; there was no clear-cut victor, although the British suffered heavier losses. In 1935, movie studio 20th Century Fox was created through a merger of the Fox Film Corp. and Twentieth Century Pictures. In 1949, former State Department official and accused spy Alger Hiss went on trial in New York, charged with perjury (the jury deadlocked, but Hiss was convicted in a second trial). In 1961, South Africa became an independent republic as it withdrew from the British Commonwealth. In 1962, former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was hanged in Israel a few minutes before midnight for his role in the Holocaust. In 1970, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Peru claimed an estimated 67,000 lives. In 1985, 88 people were killed, more than 1,000 injured, when 41 tornadoes swept through parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Ontario, Canada, during an 8-hour period. In 1994, the United States announced it was no longer aiming long-range nuclear missiles at targets in the former Soviet Union. In 2005, breaking a silence of 30 years, former FBI official W. Mark Felt stepped forward as "Deep Throat," the secret Washington Post source during the Watergate scandal.
through several gates and ran inside. Hutchinson County Sheriff Kirk Coker told the Amarillo Globe-News that 22-year-old Angel Vasquez slammed into the gates Sunday at a Chevron Phillips plant in Borger, northeast of Amarillo. The sheriff says a deputy earlier had attempted to pull over the stolen pickup Vasquez was driving but Vasquez fled
and later drove through the gates. Coker says he tried to hide inside the plant and eventually was found in possession of up to $15,000 worth of Chevron Phillips radios. He was being held Monday at the Hutchinson County jail on theft and other charges. It's not clear if he has an attorney. — Compiled from AP reports
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The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 |
LOCAL
A3
‘Security incident’ puts Air Force base on lockdown ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO — Military officials have locked down a U.S. Air Force base in Texas amid a “security incident” at a
community center there. Authorities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Tuesday directed personnel in some areas of the base to stay inside until further notified.
Base spokesman Oscar Balladeras confirmed that authorities were responding to a security concern but didn’t elaborate. The lockdown appears
to be the first to occur at the base since a shooting in April 2016 when a man killed his commanding officer before turning the gun on himself.
Baylor adds officers, counselors amid sex assault lawsuits ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Courtesy
Los Lonely Boys are set to perform at the Laredo Energy Arena on Friday, Aug. 18, for the South Texas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls.
WACO, Texas — The outgoing president of Baylor University says additional police officers have been hired and the number of campus counselors doubled as the school works to improve
its response to sexual assault complaints. Interim President David Garland also says in a column in the Waco Tribune-Herald that additional staff has been added to the Title IX office, allowing it to more quickly conduct investigations
into sexual violence. Title IX rules guard against sexual discrimination and violence. The changes come as more than a dozen women have sued Baylor alleging that the Baptist school ignored or mishandled their claims of assault.
Linda Livingstone was named in April as the university’s new president and assumes her duties Thursday. Livingstone previously said that she’s met with assault victims and that’s better informed her understanding of the issue.
cer’s patrol car after it was forced off the road by another vehicle. At least 10 people went into the creek bed Monday after the car landed on its roof. Video posted to social media shows they pushed the car onto
its side in an effort to free Senior Cpl. Dale Ordogne. The heavily damaged car was then pushed onto its wheels and Ordogne was pulled free. He was listed in stable condition.
Ordogne was responding to a call when a stolen pickup crossed an intersection and struck his patrol car, forcing it about 25 feet down into the creek. The suspects in the pickup fled.
Los Lonely Boys to perform at Passers-by scramble into Empty Bowls XI Dallas creek bed to aid officer S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
After 10 years of classic rock and rhythm and blues, the South Texas Food Bank Board decided to change the sound of their staple fundraiser event, Empty Bowls XI, which is set to take place at the Laredo Energy Arena on Friday, Aug. 18. This year's band will be Los Lonely Boys. Empty Bowls has aimed to both create awareness about the realities of hunger and to celebrate the generosity of those individuals, businesses and organizations that have impacted and furthered the food bank's mission of feeding the hungry in South Texas. The event includes: a dinner, a benefit concert
and a silent auction featuring artworks from both local and regional artists. Sponsorship tables of 10 that include dinner and access to silent auction items are available. There are different levels of sponsorship available: Diamond ($20,000), platinum ($10,000), gold ($5,000), silver ($2,500) and bronze ($1,500). Individual table tickets are $150. Table tickets are available at the South Texas Food Bank office, 1907 Freight at Riverside. Concert only tickets are $10, $15 and $25. Tickets will are available at the LEA Box office, ticketmaster.com, Select Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1-800-7453000.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — Dallas police are praising a group of people who helped a critically injured officer by scrambling down into a creek bed to stabilize the offi-
Court scuttles Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s criminal trial date ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — An appeals court has sided with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is his pursuit of a new judge to oversee his criminal trial on securities fraud
charges. The ruling Tuesday is likely to result in a Paxton getting a new trial date for the third time since the Republican was indicted in 2015 on charges of misleading investors in a teach startup. The trial had
been scheduled to start in September. Paxton has pleaded not guilty. State District Judge George Gallagher ruled earlier this year that prosecutors couldn’t get a fair trial in Paxton’s hometown near Dallas
and moved the case to Houston. Paxton has since tried getting the judge removed. The Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals ruled that Gallagher lacks authority to preside over the case outside Collin County.
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
OP-ED
OTHER VIEWS
No state would be immune from the GOP’s health-care bill By Linda J. Blumberg WA S H INGT ON P O ST
The structure of the American Health Care Act is such that all states would find themselves under tremendous pressure to adopt the bill’s waivers of regulations, steps that would reduce premiums but also systematically hurt patients with higher health needs - especially those in lowincome households. The AHCA ostensibly gives states the choice to make dramatic changes in nongroup - or individually purchased - health insurance. But the AHCA also replaces the ACA’s tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies, based on income and local insurance prices, with a new set of tax credits based on the age of patients. At the same time, the bill significantly increases premiums for older adults to lower costs for younger people. As a result, federal financial assistance for insurance would fall for people with low incomes, older adults and people living in higher-cost insurance markets. That means people of modest means would have less to spend on health insurance across the country, translating to an increased demand for lower premiums. This pressure would likely lead states to use at least one of three strategies. The first strategy would take advantage of an AHCA waiver that allows states to eliminate the requirement for insurers to cover “essential health benefits,” such as prescription drug coverage, mental-health or substance-use-disorder care. As people’s health insurance subsidies decrease under the AHCA, insurance that covers such benefits becomes less affordable - a problem that would worsen over time, since the AHCA’s subsidies would grow significantly slower than health-care costs. Cutting essential health benefits via a waiver is therefore one strategy to lower premiums. The second strategy is for states to apply for the AHCA waiver that allows insurers to charge higher premiums to applicants with preexisting health conditions who have a gap in their health insurance coverage greater than 62 days. This would be a surefire way to decrease premiums. There is nothing in the AHCA that would prohibit states from allowing extremely high premium surcharges for those with significant health needs,
so they could price these people completely out of the market. With many others in a state facing unaffordable insurance premiums, the pressure would likely mount from insurers and healthy consumers to take this approach to lower premiums as well. The final strategy would be to increase premiums charged to an older adult relative to that charged to a young adult. Under current law, a 64-year-old cannot be charged more than three times what is charged the youngest adult buying the same coverage. The AHCA would increase that ratio to 5-to-1, and it allows states to request even higher ratios, making coverage even more expensive as people age. Since people tend to use more medical care as they get older, making insurance unaffordable for older adults, and thus pushing them out of the insurance pool, is another way to lower premiums for the healthy. Any of these three approaches - selling policies that don’t cover needed benefits, pricing people with health problems out of the market or making coverage increasingly unaffordable as we age - would have the same practical effect: lowering premiums in general but raising costs for people when they need medical care. As subsidies fall, making coverage less affordable for many, pressure to permit lower-premium insurance options would intensify. It would leave state governments and state residents, regardless of political preferences, between a rock and a hard place: many more uninsured vs. many more underinsured. No insurer wants to be the only one offering a broad benefit or low-cost plan in a market because that plan would attract sicker people. Consequently, it could quickly become difficult to find more comprehensive plans, even for those willing to spend more. State choice is a facile and attractive talking point. But the components of the AHCA must be taken in their entirety to understand its implications. Overall and before long, the pieces of this bill are unlikely to leave any state - progressive or conservative with more than a “Sophie’s choice.” Linda J. Blumberg is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute’s Health Policy Center.
EDITORIAL
Why I shed tears this Memorial Day By Charles Lane WASHINGTON P O ST
Over the past few years, I have made a point of visiting Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, to pay respects to my paternal grandfather, who has been buried there since he died in 2005 at the age of 103. This time, I shed some tears. And I would like to say why. It has been 100 years since Americans first went to war in Europe against Germany. My Jewish immigrant grandfather joined the Army in 1917, and he was also in uniform to serve in the rematch 25 years later. My family today is literally a product of this history. So on this Memorial Day, on the 100th anniversary of Kennedy’s birth, I took my youngest German-American-Jew-
ish daughter to show her her grandfather’s grave, and JFK’s, at Arlington and felt a surge of sorrow as I thought about the words that have been exchanged in recent days between President Donald Trump and Chancellor Angela Merkel. It dawned on me that the foundation underneath the transatlantic relationship, a basic premise of my children’s future, might somehow be slipping because of what’s happening at the highest levels of government, especially my own government. What myopia. What historical ignorance. What a waste of the effort and sacrifice and goodwill of generations. Not for a minute do I discount Germany’s, and Europe’s, role in this looming schism. Rolling up trade surpluses while skimping on defense -
and directing barely disguised cultural contempt at the United States - is hardly optimal behavior from allies. But the primitive grievance infusing Trump’s expressions toward Europe is unworthy of a barroom political argument, let alone interactions with long-standing if imperfect partners. To drain the Western alliance of any but transactional meaning is a real insult to the men and women who forged it over decades, and should be deeply troubling to everyone who benefits from it whose loves and lives would not be possible without it - today. In words carved in stone at Arlington, Kennedy said we would “pay any price, bear any burden” to “assure the survival and success of liberty.” Trump says NATO’s current spending pat-
COLUMN
Sine die and a possible death threat at your state Capitol By Ken Herman COX NEWSPAPERS
Sine die got done Monday at your state Capitol. Sine die is Latin for “without another day,” or something like that. I don’t speak Latin. Whatever the literal translation, because the fine folks you elected didn’t get their work done in 140 days, there most likely will be other days in a special session folks expect Gov. Greg Abbott to call. “I’ll be making an announcement later this week on a special session,” he said Monday. It’s OK. It happens. But the lawmakers are done with the 85th regular session, save for the shouting at each other. The House wrapped up Monday at 1:13 p.m., and the Senate shut ‘er down
at 2:25 p.m. Thanks to closing-day rules, the real lawmaking action ended Sunday night with a session-killing, 2-hour, 20-minute filibuster by Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, against an annexation bill. And though technically a filibuster, are we really impressed by a politician speaking for 140 minutes? That’s all it took to kill this particular bill. But screaming, chanting, sign-toting folks in the House gallery and elsewhere in the Capitol on Monday were decidedly and intentionally unruly. Hundreds of protesters unhappy with the anti-sanctuary cities bill OK’d this year packed the Rotunda and the House gallery. In the latter, they brought the proceedings to a chaotic halt.
And the upstairs protest led to a floor scrum between Democratic reps supportive of the protesters and Rep. Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, who the Dems said told them he was calling federal immigration authorities to report the protesters. And Rep. Philip Cortez, D-San Antonio, said he heard Rinaldi threaten to put a bullet in the head of Rep. Poncho Nevarez, D-Eagle Pass. In a statement, Rinaldi confirmed he had called the feds after seeing protester signs that said, “I am illegal and here to stay.” And he said during the heated exchange with Democratic colleagues, one of them “physically assaulted me” and Nevarez told me he would “get me on the way to my car.”
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.
terns are “not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States.” He proudly invokes the slogan “America First,” coined by those who in the 1930s would have left Europe to Hitler and Stalin. There is still time to set everything back on a new and more sustainable course. I left Arlington hoping that maybe this is some perversely inevitable crucible through which our countries must pass, and from which we’ll emerge - necessarily under different leadership - with a stronger, more realistic sense of shared values and interests. Otherwise, my children will take their children to Arlington and teach them not about the worth of their ancestors’ sacrifices, or the farsightedness of JFK’s policy, but the ultimate futility of both.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
“He later approached me and reiterated that ‘I had to leave at some point and he would get me,’” Rinaldi said. “I made it clear that if he attempted to, in his words, ‘get me,’ I would shoot him in selfdefense.” So that whole thing kind of put a damper on the usual bipartisan camaraderie and last-day-ofschool feel that generally prevails on sine die. But lest you think your elected leaders have come unhinged, I can assure you that’s not the case with all of them. Texas senators are hinged, having received last-day goody bags Monday with bookends fashioned after Capitol door hinges. Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 |
A5
STATE
Protests spark Texas lawmaker Federal audit threats of gun violence
finds more lapses in Texas foster care system By Paul J. Weber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal audit released Tuesday heaped more criticism onto Texas' troubled child welfare system and warned of foster kids potentially put in jeopardy over missed deadlines during abuse and neglect investigations. The report was published a day after the Texas Legislature ended a session in which lawmakers approved an extra $500 million for a beleaguered system that a federal judge called unconstitutional and has worsened despite major shake-ups. The findings by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are far from the scathing newspaper investigations or a ruling by U.S. District Janis Graham Jack in December 2015 that ordered an independent overhaul of Texas' foster care agency. But the 18-page report still points to bureaucratic lapses that could put children in danger. Of 100 Texas child welfare cases reviewed by federal auditors, they said 46 did not comply with federal state requirements, including investigators not discussing findings with supervisors in a timely manner.
Those failures "undermines the State agency's internal controls for providing oversight of the investigation and could place foster care children at risk," the report read. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Commission Charles Whitman called the title of the audit — which says that Texas didn't always ensure that allegations of abuse and neglect were investigated in accordance with state and federal statures — "inflammatory" and sensationalized, while defending the thoroughness of his agency's investigations. "There is no suggestion that there were any actual problems in the investigations caused by delay in obtaining supervisory approval," Whitman wrote. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had declared additional child welfare spending and reforms a priority for the Texas Legislature. State data last year showed the state was failing to check on thousands of children who are at the highest risk of abuse or neglect. More recently, the number of Texas foster children staying in agency offices or alternate sites due to lack of placement more than doubled from February to March, according to state figures.
By Meredith Hoffman and Will Weissert ASSOCIATED PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Hundreds of protesters opposing Texas' tough new anti-"sanctuary cities" law launched a raucous demonstration from the public gallery in the Texas House on Monday, briefly halting work and prompting lawmakers on the floor below to scuffle — and even threaten gun violence — as tense divides over hardline immigration policies boiled over. Activists wearing red T-shirts reading "Lucha," or "Fight," quietly filled hundreds of gallery seats as proceedings began. After about 40 minutes, they began to cheer, drowning out the lawmakers below. Protesters also blew whistles and chanted: "Here to stay!" and "Hey, hey, ho, ho, SB4 has got to go," referring to the bill that Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law this month. Some unfurled banners reading: "See you in court!" and "See you at the polls!" State House leadership stopped the session and asked state troopers to clear the gallery. The demonstration continued for about 20 minutes as officers led people out of the chamber peacefully in small groups. There were no reports of arrests. Texas' new law is reminiscent of a 2010 Arizona "show your papers" measure that allowed police to inquire about a person's immigration status during routine interactions such as traffic stops. It was eventually struck down in court. A legislative session that began in January concluded Monday, and the day was supposed to
Eric Gay / AP
In this April 26 file photo, students gather in the Rotunda at the Texas Capitol to oppose SB4, an anti-"sanctuary cities" bill that already cleared the Texas Senate and seeks to jail sheriffs and other officials who refuse to help enforce federal immigration law, as the Texas House prepares to debate the bill in Austin, Texas.
be reserved for goofy group photos and sappy goodbyes. Lawmakers are constitutionally barred from approving most legislation on the last day. But even after the protest ended, tensions remained high. Rep. Ramon Romero, a Democrat from Fort Worth, said he was standing with fellow Democratic Rep. Cesar Blanco of El Paso when Republican colleague Matt Rinaldi came over and said: "This is BS. That's why I called ICE." Rinaldi, of Irving in suburban Dallas, and Blanco then began shouting at each other. A scuffle nearly ensued before other lawmakers separated the two. Later, a group of Democratic lawmakers held a press conference to accuse Rinaldi of threatening to "put a bullet in the head" of someone on the House floor during a second near scuffle. They
said the comment was made in the direction of Democratic Rep. Poncho Nevarez, from the border town of Eagle Pass. In a subsequent Facebook statement, Rinaldi admitted saying he'd called federal authorities and threatened to shoot Nevarez — but said his life was in danger, not the other way around. "Nevarez threatened my life on the House floor after I called ICE on several illegal immigrants who held signs in the gallery which said 'I am illegal and here to stay,'" Rinaldi wrote. He said Democrats were encouraging protesters to ignore police instructions and, "When I told the Democrats I called ICE, Representative Ramon Romero physically assaulted me, and other Democrats were held back by colleagues." Rinaldi said Nevarez later "told me that he would 'get me on the way to my car.'" Rinaldi said
he responded by making it clear "I would shoot him in self-defense," adding that he is currently under Texas Department of Public Safety protection. Texas' new law requires police chiefs and sheriffs — under the threat of jail and removal from office — to comply with federal requests to hold criminal suspects for possible deportation. Police also can ask the immigration status of anyone they stop. The bill was viewed as a crackdown on Austin and other "sanctuary cities," a term that has no legal meaning but describes parts of the country where police are not tasked with helping enforce federal immigration law. Monday's protest was organized by activists who canvassed over Memorial Day weekend in Austin. They informed anxious immigrants about the rights they retain despite the law and urged grassroots resistance against it.
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE MUSEO EN ZAPATA
1 A los interesados en realizar una investigación sobre genealogía de la región, se sugiere visitar el Museo del Condado de Zapata ubicado en 805 N US-Hwy 83. Opera de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. Existen visitas guiadas. Personal está capacitado y puede orientar acerca de la historia del Sur de Texas y sus fundadores. Pida informes en el 956-765-8983.
Pago de impuestos 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St.
TAMAULIPAS
Estado prohibiría casinos y casas de apuestas Gobernador: “Contribuyen a inseguridad” E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
CIUDAD VICTORIA, México — El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca, presentó ante el Congreso del Estado una iniciativa de reforma al artículo 134 de la Constitución Política de Tamaulipas, y a diversas disposiciones de la Ley para el Desarrollo Urbano de Tamaulipas, cuyo objetivo es prohibir la autorización de uso de suelo, licencias de construcción para casinos,
casas de apuestas, juegos de sorteos y similares; así como de los denominados “table dance”. La iniciativa presentada forma parte de las acciones concretas y decididas que buscan debilitar las estructuras financieras de la delincuencia organizada. “Es del dominio público que la delincuencia organizada se sirve de diversos medios para obtener recursos disfrazados de licitud mediante el funcionamiento y
operación de establecimientos que les provén dinero, mismo que es utilizado a su vez para seguir delinquiendo”, destacó el Gobernador. “La operación de estos centros contribuyen a la inseguridad, fomenta el incremento del área de influencia de la delincuencia organizada. Es por ello que se requiere de la implementación de acciones firmes y decididas para combatir frontalmente su proliferación”, consideró García Cabeza de Vaca.
Foto de cortesía
El gobernador presentó una iniciativa de reforma al artículo 134 de la Constitución de Tamaulipas con el objetivo de prohibir la construcción de casinos.
COMERCIO INTERNACIONAL
PAGO EN LÍNEA
1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día. Laboratorio Computacional 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956849-1411.
ELIMINARÁN CUOTA DE PEAJE EN CAMINO COLOMBIA
GRUPOS DE APOYO
1 El grupo de apoyo para personas con Alzheimer se reunirá en su junta mensual, a las 7 p.m., en el Laredo Medical Center, primer piso, Torre B en el Centro Comunitario. Las reuniones se realizan el primer martes de cada mes en el mismo lugar y a la misma hora. 1 El 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. En Centro de Educación del Área de Salud, ubicado en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. El grupo se reúne de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430, cada primer lunes de mes.
Foto de cortesía
El representante Richard Peña Raymond anunció que a partir del 1 de septiembre será elimanada la couta de peaje del Camino Colombia.
Aprobación de ley aliviaría tráfico en Puente III y área de Mines Road Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El representante estatal Richard Peña Raymond anunció el martes la aprobación de un proyecto de ley que eliminaría la cuota de peaje en el Camino Colombia o carretera estatal 255, siendo la primera carretera a nivel estatal que ve eliminada su cuota de peaje. Raymond dijo que los conductores no utilizan el tramo de 22 millas que conecta al Puente Colombia-Solidaridad con la carretera I-35 debido a su costo. Un vehículo privado paga entre tres y cinco dólares mientras que un vehículo comercial debe pagar entre cinco y 20 dólares, de acuerdo con el Departamento de Transporte de Texas. “A partir de septiembre 1, es gratis”, dijo Raymond. Raymond destacó que la Corte
de Comisionados del Condado de Webb y la Ciudad de Laredo aprobaron resoluciones en apoyo a este proyecto de ley. “Somos el puerto terrestre número uno, experimentamos un alto volumen de tráfico. Creo que eliminar la cuota de peaje en el Camino Colombia, permitirá al comercio fluir de manera más eficaz y permitirá que el tráfico se eleve en otras partes del país. Felicito a Raymond por su esfuerzo”, señaló el Juez del Condado de Webb Tano Tijerina en una declaración. Para el alcalde Pete Sáenz, “es una gran noticia”. “Realmente creemos que esto alentará al desarrollo económico en el área alrededor del Camino Colombia. Hicimos esta petición en enero cuando visitamos al representante Raymond y a todos los legisladores en Austin”, mencionó Sáenz en un comunicado.
"Además, el Cabildo aprobó oficialmente una resolución en apoyo de la erradicación de esta cuota peaje. Sé que es muy importante para nuestros vecinos de Nuevo León y personalmente quiero agradecer (a Raymond), al representante Ryan Guillen y al representante Tracy O. King por apoyar esta enmienda. Es una victoria para Laredo”. La aprobación de la ley también podría aliviar el tráfico. "También va a ayudar enormemente con el tráfico de Mines Road, porque actualmente todo el tráfico va hacia el sur (en Mines Road) para tratar de cruzar a la I-35, ahora que el tráfico se puede dividir hacia el norte y tomar el Camino Colombia ya que no tendrán que pagar peaje", dijo Sáenz. Raymond agregó que la eliminación de la cuota beneficia al lado mexicano en el estado Nuevo León.
"Ellos habían indicado que estaban interesados en invertir más en la infraestructura del lado mexicano, no sólo en el puente y en sus instalaciones sino en las carreteras a Monterrey. Pero hicieron declaraciones públicas diciendo que tener una carretera de peaje lo hizo difícil", dijo Raymond. "Ellos habían indicado que estaban interesados en invertir más en la infraestructura del lado mexicano,, no sólo en el puente y en sus instalaciones sino en las carreteras a Monterrey. Pero hicieron declaraciones públicas diciendo que tener una carretera de peaje lo hizo difícil", dijo Raymond. Además, Raymond prevé inversiones y desarrollo en la zona. Con el aumento del tráfico de carga, se crearán más puestos de trabajo en ambos lados de la frontera.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
CONDADO DE ZAPATA
Luchan por mejorar economía
Oficina del Alguacil ofrece recompensa
Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEM P O DE ZAPATA
En 1851 Guerrero fue sede del movimiento llamado “Rebelión de la Loba”, dirigida por el general José María Carvajal y el Teniente Coronel José María Canales, que tuvo por objeto mejorar la economía de la frontera norte mediante un régimen aduanal más favorable. Posiblemente su antecedente fueron las ideas de la malograda “República del Bravo”. La “Rebelión de la Loba” tuvo como consecuencia la creación de la zona libre fronteriza impulsando el desarrollo de las ciudades tamaulipecas de las márgenes del Bravo y favoreciendo también a la ciudad de Monterrey, que ya se perfilaba con un gran futuro para el comercio y la industria. La zona libre comprendía 20 kiló-
metros de franja en toda la frontera de Tamaulipas, y fue establecida por el propio gobierno de la entidad en 1858, siendo gobernador interino Ramón Guerra. El Gobierno Federal no se atrevió a suprimirla, pero pasados los años, en 1875, Estados Unidos se sintió perjudicado en su comercio por las mercancías europeas que entraban sin pagar impuestos. Había desorden general, contrabando en ambas direcciones, e indios abigeos desde Laredo hasta California. Además, forajidos disfrazados de indios cruzaban libremente la frontera después de sus fechorías. En este mismo año de 1851 se llevó a cabo la fundación de Zapata, Texas, con numerosas familias procedentes de Ciudad Guerrero. La población de Zapata ha mantenido, desde entonces, estrechos lazos de amistad con nuestro pueblo.
Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Dos supuestos delicuentes son buscados por la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata, de acuerdo con autoridades. Crime Stoppers de Zapata anunció que entregará una recompensa en efectivo por información anónima sobre el paradero de Osvaldo Valadez y María Elvira Andrade.
Andrade
Valadez
Hay una orden de arresto en contra de Valadez por agresión, un delito de tercer grado. Mientras tanto, Andrade es buscada por supuestamente agredir a
un familiar, lo cual también es un delito de tercer grado. Los detalles de las denuncias no estaban disponibles. Ambos enfrentarían condenas de dos a diez años de prisión y una multa de 10.000 dólares. Cualquier persona con información sobre su paradero puede llamar a la Oficina del Alguacil al 956-765-9960 o Zapata Crime Stoppers al 765TIPS (8477).
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 |
NFL: HOUSTON TEXANS
A7
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Dedmon declines option, will test free agency Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle file
Former Jets tackle Breno Giacomini joined Houston in the offseason reuniting with former offensive line coach Mike Devlin.
Texans' Giacomini happy to reunite with coach Devlin By Aaron Wilson H OUSTON CHRONICLE
When veteran offensive lineman Breno Giacomini joined the New York Jets in 2014 via a $14 million free agent contract, he quickly formed a strong bond with offensive line coach Mike Devlin. One year later, though, Devlin joined the Texans' coaching staff to work for coach Bill O'Brien. Now, Giacomini has been reunited with Devlin with the Texans where he'll compete for the starting right tackle job. "It's pretty cool," Giacomini said. "I know what he expects of us, not just me, but the whole line room. It's hard work. You got to study your butt off and go to work every single day." Giacomini was cut by the Jets in February after struggling with his health last season. He started every game in 2014 and 2015, but a back injury last season forced him to be placed on the physically unable to perform list. He was placed on the active roster in October, but hurt his back again in December and was placed on injured reserve after starting five games. So far with the Texans, the 31-year-old hasn't had
any setbacks during organized team activities that started last week. He's working to get into optimal shape and prevent any further issues with his back. "I'm feeling good," Giacomini siad. "I've got to get better obviously. I'm in the training room every day. It's all about getting back healthy and learning the system." The 6-7, 318-ppunder has started 70 of 78 career games played in nine NFL seasons. Giacomini has a previous stint with the Seattle Seahawks, starting for them before joining the Jets as a free agent. He started for the Seahawks in their Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Denver Broncos. Giacomini competed against Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt two seasons ago, struggling to protect quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in a 2015 loss at NRG Stadium. Giacomini now measures his progress by how he fares in practice against the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. "The whole defense is really good, but obviously most of my reps are against J.J.," Giacomini said. "For a tackle it doesn't get any better than that. You're going against the best every day."
27-year-old Spurs center declines $3 million option By Jabari Young SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
The first wave of free agency news landed for the Spurs as center Dewayne Dedmon has made a decision on his player option for next season. The Express-News has been informed that Dedmon will decline his opt-in worth roughly $3 million for the 2017-18 season, becoming an unrestricted free agent. The deadline to decide on the option was June 21. Dedmon, 27, did have a solid season with the Spurs, and played well after Pau Gasol missed time with a broken hand. Dedmon finished the season averaging a career-high 5.1 points and 6.5 rebounds in 76
games. In his first 21 starts filling in for Gasol, Dedmon averaged 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds. Sources close to Dedmon told the ExpressNews he would be interested in returning to San Antonio, but would like to see his worth on the free agent market, as he could earn more than his $3 million salary for next season. Forward David Lee also has a deadline approaching (June 30) to decide if he’ll opt-in for next season. Lee’s option is worth $1.6 million. Gasol told the Express-News in January that he intended to opt-in his player option worth roughly $16 million for next season. The Vertical was the first to report on Dedmon’s decision.
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images file
Dewayne Dedmon declined his player option with the Spurs and will test free agency.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: HOUSTON ASTROS
CORREA AMID A CAREER-BEST MONTH FOR ASTROS
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS
Leitao remains at Texas after drug conviction By Nick Moyle SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
Texas tight end signee Reese Leitao will be allowed to keep his scholarship and remain with the program, men’s athletics director Mike Perrin announced Tuesday. Leitao’s status had been in limbo ever since he was arrested in February and charged with a felony for possession and delivery of a controlled dangerous substance (Xanax) with intent to sell within 2,000 feet of a school. “Based on several discussions with people who know Reese well as a person both on and off the field, he’s been a good student, highly- regarded teammate and leader among his peers,” Perrin said in a statement. “All indications are that he’s a young man with a history of good character and behavior who made a poor decision.” Last week Leitao pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug possession
charge. He received a four-year probationary sentence and will remain under the supervision of the Tulsa District Attorney’s office for the duration. Perrin said a recent meeting with Leitao and his parents, coupled with the reduced charged, convinced university officials give the tight end another chance. “He has taken ownership of his mistake and the consequences that come with it,” Perrin said. “He understands that he will, strongly, be held to a very high standard of behavior at The University of Texas. He committed to me that he will take this negative action and turn it into a positive outcome. Reese is determined to make this situation a turning point in his life and not an event that defines his character. Coach Herman and I welcome Reese to the Longhorn family, support him and look forward to a promising future.”
Jim Mone / Associated Press
Houston shortstop Carlos Correa, right, has hit .385 in May for the Astros after hitting .233 in the month of April.
Houston shortstop pacing first-place Astros in May By Jake Kaplan HOUSTON CHRONICLE
MINNEAPOLIS — In the final two games of the Astros' series at Target Field this week, Carlos Correa will put the finishing touches on the most productive month of his young career. Correa enters Tuesday night's game with a blistering .385/.457/.670 batting line in May, by far the best batting average, on-base percentage and
slugging percentage he's recorded in a month since he debuted in June 2015. Among players who came into Tuesday with at least 80 plate appearances in May, Correa's 1.127 onbase plus slugging percentage ranked second in the majors behind only Mike Trout (1.280). The 22-year-old Correa has already set a new high for a month in total bases (61) and has tied his mark for most homers with six, matching his
August 2015. His eight doubles are tied for his second-most; he had nine in each of June 2015 and July 2016. His 22 RBI are one fewer than he had last August. After a lackluster .233/ .309/.349 April, Correa has improved his season line to .311/.386/.514 through 177 at-bats. The Astros' star cleanup hitter leads American League shortstops in OPS (.900) and ranks second among major league
shortstops behind Cincinnati's Zack Cozart (.991). Correa's 444-foot blast off Minnesota's Ervin Santana on Monday was his eighth of the season and the 50th of his career. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Correa is the second player in Astros history to have at least 300 hits and 50 home runs within his first 300 major league games, Lance Berkman being the other.
A8 | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL Putin: Russian meddling ‘fiction’ invented by Democrats By Vladimir Isachenkov A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MOSCOW — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has dismissed allegations of Russian meddling in last year’s U.S. presidential election as “fiction” invented by Democrats to divert the blame for their defeat. In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro released Tuesday, Putin reaffirmed his strong denial of Russia’s involvement in the hacking of Democratic National Committee emails that yielded disclosures that proved embarrassing for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The claims of Russian interference were driven by the “desire of those who lost the U.S. elections to improve their standing,” Putin said in the interview recorded during his Monday visit to France. “They want to explain to themselves and prove to others that they had nothing to do with it, their policy was right, they have done everything well, but someone from the outside cheated them,” he continued. “It’s not so. They simply lost, and they must acknowledge it.” The “people who lost the vote hate to acknowledge that they indeed lost because the person who won was closer to the people and had a better understanding of what people wanted,” the Russian leader said.
The rise of heroin brings drug violence and fear to Mexico By Joshua Partlow WASHINGTON P O ST
TELOLOAPAN, MEXICO - In this skittish town on Mexico’s heroin highway, civilians with rusty shotguns shake down passing cars for contributions to the public defense. The police were disbanded years ago. The mayor recently got a death threat and fled in the governor’s helicopter. But it’s when Highway 51 drops down from the rolling hills, and runs west in two lonely lanes across the scorched valley floor, that danger really starts to poison people’s lives. Drug bosses known as “the Tequila Man”and
Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle
In this 2005 file photo, Efrain Limon, 29, holds heroin in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Limon has used heroin and crack for thirteen years. The violence occurring in border towns and throughout Mexico is not only due to the fight over drug trafficking routes, but also for retail drugs in Mexico.
“the Fish” rule like feudal lords, at war with each other and the vigilante groups that have risen
against them. Residents get kidnapped in groups. Tortured corpses are discarded in the valley,
left to sear on hot pavement. The opioid epidemic that has caused so much pain in the United States is also savaging Mexico, contributing to a breakdown of order in rural areas. Heroin is like steroids for drug gangs, pumping money and muscle into their fight to control territory and transportation routes to the United States. Mexico provides more than 90 percent of America’s heroin, up from less than 10 percent in 2003, when Colombia was the main supplier. Poppy production has expanded by about 800 percent in a decade as U.S. demand
has soared. The western state of Guerrero is the center of this business, producing more than half of Mexico’s opium poppies, the base ingredient for heroin. Guerrero also has become the most violent state in Mexico, with more than 2,200 killings last year. “These groups have transformed themselves into a super-criminal power,” said Ricardo Mejia Berdeja, the head of the security committee in the Guerrero state congress. “The anchor for organized crime is heroin poppy.” “This is a land without law,” said one businessman who works in the region.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Wal-Mart works to close gap between itself and Amazon By Anne D'Innocenzio A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOBOKEN, N.J. — Even after an online spending spree, it may be hard for Wal-Mart to escape the Amazon in the room. Wal-Mart's acquisition of Jet.com and brands that appeal to younger shoppers have given it an ecommerce boost as it works to close the gap between itself and the online leader. The world's largest retailer is betting on essentials like cereal and diapers, and has adjusted its shipping strategy to better compete with Amazon's Prime program. But Amazon keeps innovating too, implementing new technology and trying to make shopping more convenient. Marc Lore, a co-founder of Jet.com who is now head of Wal-Mart's U.S. online operations, says he's confident about the company's momentum and that there's plenty of room for it to thrive. "I can tell you we are happy with the moves we are making, and we are happy with the results," Lore said at the Jet headquarters in Hoboken, New Jersey. "It's about
David Paul Morris / Bloomberg
Sergey Brin, president of Alphabet and co-founder of Google, speaks at the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford University in Stanford, California.
Jeff Chiu / AP
In this 2013 file photo, two Wal-Mart employees walk past a sign in the lobby at the Walmart.com office in San Bruno, California.
moving fast. It's about innovating. And it's a very big market." He noted that e-commerce sales industrywide are still growing 15 percent per year. Lore led Wal-Mart's acquisitions of specialty online retailers like ModCloth, Moosejaw and ShoeBuy.com, and said he's still looking at companies that have expertise in categories where WalMart wants to grow faster. As Wal-Mart prepares to show off some of its innovations this week before its shareholder meeting, there are signs
that things are starting to click. Sales at Walmart.com rose 63 percent in the first quarter, up from 29 percent growth in the previous quarter and marking its fourth straight quarter of increases. Wal-Mart said most of the increase was not through acquisitions but was fueled by changes in its shipping strategy and a discount for shoppers who pick up their online orders. Walmart.com now offers 50 million products including those from third-party sellers, up from 10 million a year ago. In comparison, Amazon has hundreds of
millions of products. David Spitz, CEO of e-commerce technology company ChannelAdvisor, says for some shoppers it has become ingrained that they start and finish their shopping at Amazon, and the Prime program reinforces that. He said Wal-Mart wasn't putting a sufficient emphasis on keeping up. "If anything, the gap was widening," Spitz said. "Jet.com was intended to be a jolt. Wal-Mart is clearly being more aggressive. There is a sense of urgency, but whether that is enough is the multibillion-dollar question."
American consumer spending, incomes grew solidly in April By Martin Crutsinger A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Americans increased their spending in April at the fastest pace in four months, bolstered by a solid gain in incomes. The strong results underscored expectations that the economy is poised to rebound after a lackluster start to the year. Consumer spending rose 0.4 percent in April after a 0.3 percent rise in March, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. It was the best showing since December. Incomes also rose 0.4 percent, double the 0.2 percent March increase. Consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of economic activity, grew at the slowest pace in seven years in the first quarter. That was a key reason the economy, as measured by the gross domestic product, ex-
panded by just 1.2 percent at the start of the year. Economists are hopeful GDP growth will rebound to around 3 percent in the current April-June quarter. A key inflation gauge preferred by the Federal Reserve edged up a slight 0.2 percent in April, leaving prices rising just 1.7 percent over the past year — the slowest 12-month gain this year and below the Fed’s 2 percent target. Even with tame inflation, economists believe the Fed will raise rates for a second time this year when official meet on June 13-14, especially if the employment report due on Friday shows job growth remaining strong. “After a two-month hiatus, consumers were out in force this spring, paving the way for a rebound in economic growth,” said Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.
“The rebound in consumer spending will give the Fed confidence to hike rates in June while low inflation will weigh toward a continued gradual pace of policy normalization.” The Fed boosted its policy rate in March and many analysts are looking for two more rate hikes this year, in June and September. With spending and incomes both up 0.4 percent in April, the saving rate was unchanged for a third month at 5.3 percent of after-tax income. It had been 5 percent in January. The rise in spending was led by a 0.9 percent rise in purchases of longlasting durable goods, reflecting a rebound in demand for autos after a weak first quarter. Spending on non-durable goods such as clothing was up a solid 0.6 percent, and spending on services such as utilities grew a moder-
ate 0.3 percent. The 1.2 percent GDP growth rate in the first quarter was far below the targets set by President Donald Trump. During the campaign, Trump blasted the Obama administration’s economic policies, saying they had contributed to the weakest recovery in the postWorld War II period. He promised to double growth from an anemic 2 percent annual rate to above 4 percent with his economic program featuring tax cuts, deregulation and tougher enforcement of trade rules. However, so far, Trump’s economic program has made little headway in Congress. He put forward last week a $4.1 trillion budget for 2018, but it has attracted criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for its sharp cuts in the government’s anti-poverty programs.
Google co-founder reportedly building $100M ‘air yacht’ to help the poor By Hamza Shaban WASHINGTON P O ST
Google co-founder Sergey Brin is spending more than $100 million to build the world’s largest airship, a blimp with a rigid structure designed to both deliver supplies abroad for humanitarian projects and ferry Brin’s family and friends around the globe, the Guardian newspaper reported. The project is the latest example of Silicon Valley attempting to reshape how goods and people are moved. But some say it also underscores a penchant for tech moguls to color their projects with seemingly virtuous ambition. Some people on social media seized on the vessel’s apparent dual purpose. On the one hand, it’s a benevolent carrier transporting food to remote, hard-pressed communities, and on the other it’s a luxurious “air yacht,” as the Guardian report described it, shuttling a billionaire and his inner circle to exotic locations. Google declined to comment. The vessel is reportedly being built at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. When completed, the airship will become the world’s largest aircraft at about 650 feet long, although its payload is not known, according to the Guardian. Plans for the vessel, which is being funded by Brin, were first reported by Bloomberg earlier this year. Experts say that the use of airships could bypass the congestion and costs tied to transporting cargo via roads, railways and
airports. But lighter-thanair travel presents its own challenges, like the need to steady the aircraft by offsetting the weight of cargo once it’s offloaded. According to the Guardian, Brin’s vessel will use a series of internal bladders to stabilize its flight. Brin began his plans to build the vessel about three years ago, according to Bloomberg. His fascination with airships was sparked by visits to the Ames Research Center, next to the headquarters of Google’s parent company, Alphabet. Ames once housed the navy airship USS Macon, which spanned about 784 feet and was among the largest aircraft of its time in the 1930s. Silicon Valley’s novel charitable efforts have been criticized in the past, perhaps most prominently in the case of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s internet.org initiative, which aims to bring Internet access to the billions of people who don’t have it. With altruistic motives but lucrative business prospects, some see Zuckerberg’s initiative less as a magnanimous Internet project than as a version of high-tech imperialism. It’s unclear whether Brin’s airship will be put to commercial use. But Larry Page, CEO of Alphabet and the other co-founder of Google, has also taken a keen interest in innovative aircraft. Page has personally backed two flying-car start-ups, Kitty Hawk and Zee.Aero. Kitty Hawk’s flyer, a personal electric aircraft that hovers over water, will be available for purchase later this year.
A10 | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
How ‘Wonder Woman’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ tops built a world of women, box office, ‘Baywatch’ sinks onscreen and off By Lindsey Bahr By Sandy Cohen
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — It was smooth sailing to the top spot at the box office for "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," but the waters were choppier for the Dwayne Johnson comedy "Baywatch." Studio estimates on Sunday say the fifth installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise commandeered $62.2 million in its first three days in theaters. The Johnny Deppstarrer is projected to take in $76.6 million over the four-day holiday weekend. It was the second-lowest domestic opening for the nearly $4 billion franchise, but the latest film, which cost a reported $230 million to produce, has massive international appeal. Its four-day global total is expected to hit $300 million. Having the majority of profits come from international receipts is not worrying Walt Disney Studios. "This is a trend that we've seen play out over the course of these films," said Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Disney. "'Pirates' is a huge spectacle film of the kind that international audiences continue to be drawn toward ... but the domestic response also shows that the audience for this film is clearly there." The R-rated "Baywatch," meanwhile, is sinking like a rock. The critically derided update of the 1990s TV show earned only $18.1 million over the weekend against a nearly $70 million price tag. Including Thursday earnings, the film is projected to collect $26.6 mil-
Peter Mountain / AP
In this image released by Disney, Geoffrey Rush portrays Barbossa, left, and Johnny Depp portrays Captain Jack Sparrow in a scene from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."
Frank Masi / AP
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Dwayne Johnson as Mitch Buchannon, left, and Zac Efron as Matt Brody in "Baywatch."
lion by the close of Memorial Day. Even "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" did better in its fourth weekend. The space opera added $19.9 million to take second place ahead of "Baywatch" at the box office. The "Baywatch" miss could be attributable to a couple of factors. Even with the star power of Johnson, R-rated Hollywood updates to family friendly television shows have a dubious track record, ComScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said. Earlier this year, Dax Shepard's R-rated update of "CHiPs" tanked, netting only $18.6 million domestically against a $25 million budget.
This month's box office has also been tough on nearly every film except "Guardians of the Galaxy." "'Baywatch' doesn't stand alone as a casualty in this marketplace," Dergarabedian said. "It's joining a cadre of other films that have underperformed." Even the decently reviewed "Alien: Covenant" dropped an uncommonly steep 71 percent in its second weekend in theaters to take fourth place with $10.5 million. The teen romance "Everything, Everything" rounded out the top five with $6.2 million. "Hollywood needs June to save the box office world," Dergarabedian said.
Stars join Grande for Manchester concert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — Justin Bieber, Coldplay and Katy Perry will join Ariana Grande at a concert in Manchester, England, on Sunday. Grande announced Grande Tuesday that the "One Love Manchester" show will be held at the city's Old Trafford cricket ground just under two weeks after a bomber killed 22 people at the pop singer's concert in Manchester. Tickets go on sale Thursday.
Public Notice Region 11 of the Department of State Health Services, in partnership with the Texas Military Forces may conduct a health care program called “Operation Lone Star” in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Jim Hogg, Zapata and Webb Counties. Free medical and dental services may be provided for up to one week in late July and/or early August 2019. Questions should be addressed to: Innovative Readiness Coordinator ATTN: MSG Enrique Sanchez JFTX-J7 P.O. Box 5218 Austin, TX 78763-5218 (512) 782-5738 L-40
LOS ANGELES — As the director of "Wonder Woman ," Jenkins is creating new worlds for women both onscreen and off. As a child, she was inspired by Wonder Woman, describing Lynda Carter's portrayal on TV as "the embodiment of everything that I wanted to be as a woman." "When I was playing Wonder Woman, I was able to do incredible things and save the world," the 45-year-old filmmaker said. That's the feeling she hopes to evoke with viewers of "Wonder Woman," in theaters Friday. Gal Gadot plays the title character, who discovers her superpowers and fights for justice alongside humans after following a charming spy (Chris Pine) to London during World War I. The Israeli-born Gadot didn't grow up with Wonder Woman, but she was always on the lookout for powerful characters to play. "Usually the women are the damsel in distress or the heartbroken woman or the sidekick, but in real life it's not the case. In real life, we bring life. We have babies. We have careers. We are so many other things," said Gadot, a 32-year-old married mother of two. "Wonder Woman symbolizes the magnificence of a woman and how amazing women are. And I think that it's
Alex Bailey / AP
This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Connie Neilsen and Lilly Aspell in a scene from "Wonder Woman," in theaters on June 2.
an important movie not only for women and girls, but it's also great for boys and men... You can't empower women if you don't educate the men and you don't teach the boys, so as much as it's important for girls to be exposed and see this movie, it's important for boys to have a strong female figure that they can look up to." Connie Nielsen, who plays Diana's mother, Amazon queen Hippolyta, also didn't grow up with Wonder Woman, but had myriad other models of powerful women as a child in Denmark. "The Denmark I grew up in was a Denmark in which women were, in fact, fully liberated and the whole world had been opened up to us," she said. "In the magazines in the early '80s, it was men who were photographed doing the vacuum cleaning in the ads for vacuum cleaners and women were no longer posing on the Ford Mustang."
The costumes, including the wedges, had to be considered during the physical training, which included horseback riding, archery and swords(wo)manship. For Robin Wright, who was raised on the "Wonder Woman" TV show, training and shooting with the Amazons was the best part. "I think it was a little daunting for the men because it was very unusual. I think there were like 120 Amazons," said Wright, who plays the warrior Antiope, Diana's aunt and teacher. "That's a different energy on the set, and great for us. We just felt like a team of women that had each other's backs." She called Jenkins "the biggest cheerleader of them all." With the film's arrival this week, Jenkins is thinking about what "Wonder Woman" might mean for a new generation of aspiring superheroes — and filmmakers.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 |
NATIONAL
A11
3 dead after girl falls into raging river waters in Utah By Hallie Golden ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Transgender Law Center / AP
In this undated photo, Ashton Whitaker, right, hugs his mom Melissa in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Transgender student wins appeal in final week of school By Cara Lombardo A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MADISON, Wis. — A federal appeals court says a transgender student who identifies as a male should be able to use the boys' bathroom at his Wisconsin high school. Ashton Whitaker, who will graduate from Kenosha's Tremper High School this week, first asked to use the boys' bathroom as a sophomore. That set off a nearly yearlong legal battle with the school district. In September, U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper granted Whitaker permission to use the boys' bathroom at school. On Tuesday, the second-to-last day of Whitaker's senior year, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that decision. Whitaker's attorney, Ilona Turner, said
though the ruling only applies to Whitaker, it sets precedent that a federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in public schools protects transgender people. "This is just another building block on the large and growing number of courts to hold that discrimination against transgender people is illegal," she said. Kenosha Unified School District had argued that the federal law doesn't apply to transgender people as a group and that the harm to other students of Whitaker using the boys' bathroom, particularly to male students, outweighs any harm to Whitaker. It also urged the appeals court to reconsider whether the case should be thrown out. Ronald Stadler, a lawyer for the school district, didn't immediately return a message.
National Guardsman killed, 3 injured in training A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
FORT IRWIN, Calif. — One Mississippi National Guard member was killed and three others were injured during a training exercise in the California desert. Investigators were trying to determine what caused the death and injuries Monday night at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, a remote facility 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Barstow in the High Mojave Desert midway between San Bernardino and Las Vegas. A military helicopter flew the three injured soldiers to a hospital in Loma Linda, where they were in stable condition Tuesday. The names of all four are being withheld until 24 hours after their families are notified. The members of the 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, based in Tupelo, Mississippi, were participating in a two-week-long training, which focused this week on maneuvering tanks, said Kenneth Drylie, spokesman for the center. Drylie said this week's scheduled exercises did not involve live-fire training. The troops were doing an armored brigade combat team exercise, which
emulates an overseas deployment to a war zone, Drylie said. Also participating in the training are National Guard members from California, Missouri, and members of the Air Force. Later in the training, troops will participate in a mock battle with 5,000 troops squaring off against 5,000 others designated as enemy forces, Drylie said. He declined to comment further, saying the accident is under investigation. Lt. Col. Christian Patterson, spokesman of the Mississippi National Guard, said the exercise has been suspended for the unit that the four members belonged to but the rest of the Mississippi Guard troops will still participate. He said no further details would be released to avoid compromising the investigation. The center is one of the few places in the country with room for 10,000 troops to battle each other. It does 10 such training exercises a year with all branches of the military using the facility, Drylie said. "It's basically like a full deployment overseas except that it's in the California desert," Drylie said.
SALT LAKE CITY — A 4-year-old girl, her mother and a good Samaritan died in Utah after the child fell from a rock and was swept away in a cold, fast-moving river and several people jumped in to help her, authorities said Tuesday. London DeDios had been playing with her mother on Memorial Day near Bridal Veil Falls when she fell. Her mother, Brenda DeDios, and five other people tried to save the girl, Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said. The body of the child was found Tuesday about a mile down the Provo River. Gloria DeDios and Sean Zacharey Thayne, 30, were found about three miles (4.8 kilometers) down the river, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. Both died at a hospital. The deaths came amid warnings from officials around the state urging people to be careful around rivers that are high, fast and icy as warm spring temperatures melt heavy snow
Sammy Jo Hester / AP
In this May 29 photo, police, fire and search and rescue officials respond to a scene along the Provo River near Provo, Utah.
that fell in the Utah mountains. Cannon said the Provo River temperature was 45 degrees and it was moving about 4 to 7 mph — a dangerous combination. "There were at least six people who acted heroically in their effort to save London," he said. "The sad reality is that those heroics would not have been necessary had there been proper planning to keep this young girl out of the water." Search and rescue
teams were aided when officials lowered the water level in the river by reducing the flow at a dam at Deer Creek Reservoir. Last month, a 58-yearold woman drowned in Salt Lake City after she jumped into a river to try and save her two dogs. In Ogden, a boy died after he fell into a river while chasing his dog. Drownings are the third-most unintentional injury death in Utah for people 17 and under, ac-
cording to the Utah Department of Health. A total of 42 children drowned from 2011 to 2015, and about half were 4 or younger. The most common location for the drownings are rivers, streams and lakes. Pools account for three in 10 drownings. Many occur at family gatherings where no one is designated as the "water watcher" to prevent children from wandering off, the health department said.
Dozens arrested after health-care protest in North Carolina By Christina Sandidge ASSOCIATED PRE SS
RALEIGH, N.C. — The head of the North Carolina NAACP was among more than 30 people arrested Tuesday during a demonstration against Republican lawmakers' refusal to expand Medicaid coverage — the latest in a long string of protests the NAACP and members of the Moral Monday movement have waged since the GOP returned to power in 2013. With zip-ties on their wrists, the Rev. William Barber and 31 other protesters were led away by police as supporters continued protest chants in support of health care for all. Before Tuesday's arrests, a group comprising doctors, health care workers, clergy and others marched through the
hallways and gathered near the offices of House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger, where other protesters sat outside. Police also arrested some protesters who had entered Harnett County Republican Sen. Ronald Rabin's office. Demonstrators wanted the General Assembly to expand health coverage to poor and disabled people. They also protested in support of preserving the federal health care law passed under former President Barack Obama. "We never come to get arrested," Barber told the media. "But what we do come to do is exercise our constitutional right." The arrests came after complaints received by officers, General Assembly Police Chief Martin Brock said. Those taken into custody will face
second-degree trespassing charges, Brock added. Some protesters were arrested In a statement released before the demonstration, Barber said that a universal health care system is a necessity and that health care should be viewed as a human right. "If you do not consider the poor up front in your policies, according to our Constitution, you are uncivilized and un-Christian," Barber said Wednesday, attacking Republicans' denial of Medicaid expansion and push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. According to an NAACP handout distributed to gatherers, the expansion would save the state $3.9 billion in federal funds per year and prevent up to 1,145 unnecessary deaths annually. "This is about fact-
s...and it's about real people," Barber said. "It's not just about numbers. But there's a face on the numbers." Protesters announced a health care rally for Tuesday evening on the lawn outside of the Legislative Building. Barber and his allies have spent the past four years protesting Republican policies on education spending, the environment, the minimum wage and fracking. More than 1,000 people have been arrested since then in nonviolent protests of civil disobedience. Earlier this month, Barber announced that he is stepping down after 12 years as the NAACP state leader and will focus on a campaign for poor people, just as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had started before he was assassinated.
Cop who killed Tamir Rice fired for job application omission By Dake Kang ASSOCIATED PRE SS
CLEVELAND — The police officer who shot and killed Tamir Rice was fired Tuesday for failing to disclose that he had been forced out of another department before Cleveland hired him, while his partner was suspended for driving too close to the 12-year-old seconds before the boy was killed. Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams announced the discipline against officers Timothy Loehmann, who shot the boy, and Frank Garmback, who was driving the cruiser. Tamir, who was black, was shot outside a recreation center in November 2014 as he held a pellet gun that the white officers mistook for a real firearm. The killing became part of a national outcry about police violence against black boys and men. The officers weren't charged criminally, but Tamir's mother settled a federal civil rights lawsuit with the city for $6 million. Loehmann was fired because the department concluded he wasn't truthful on his job appli-
cation, failing to reveal that a suburban department had allowed him to resign instead of being fired at the end of a sixmonth probationary period. An evaluation in the suburban department's file had said Loehmann had a "dismal" handgun performance, broke down in tears at the gun range and was emotionally immature. Garmback was suspended for 10 days for violating a tactical rule for his driving that day, with a disciplinary letter saying he drove too close to Tamir. Video of the shooting shows the patrol car skidding to a stop just feet from the boy. The officers' union said it was challenging the discipline, while Tamir's mother said both officers should have been fired. The two officers had gone to the center after a man waiting for a bus called 911 to report a "guy" was pointing a gun. He told the dispatcher that the guy could be a juvenile and the gun might be a "fake," information that wasn't conveyed to the officers. Loehmann shot Tamir within two seconds after the police cruiser
stopped near the boy. A county prosecutor announced in December 2015 that Loehmann and Garmback wouldn't be indicted. After that, Williams ordered a committee to determine if the officers violated department rules. "There's a 12-year-old kid, dead. People on both sides are going to say, 'It wasn't enough, it was too much,'" said Williams. "We have to be fair and objective." Stephen Loomis, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolman's Association, called the discipline "unjustified" and said the union file grievances minutes after they were announced. "This is a politically motivated witch-hunt," Loomis said. "Those officers acted appropriately and within the guidelines they had to work with." Loomis called Loehmann's firing a "joke," saying that officers haven't been fired in the past over job applications. Tamir's mother, Samaria Rice, said she was relieved Loehmann was fired. "He should never have been a police officer," she said. But she said
Garmback also should have been fired for driving so close to her son. She and her attorney, Subodh Chandra, said Cleveland city agencies suffered from systematic problems and that they hope a Department of Justice investigation will lead to rare federal civil rights charges. "Shame on the city of Cleveland for taking so long to deal with the situation," said Samaria Rice. "We still need accountability." Cleveland police brass said they have taken steps to curb the use of deadly force and overhaul their hiring process. Two officers were disciplined in 2015 for failing to thoroughly check Loehmann's personnel file before he was hired. Williams said the department now makes sure to read through all applicants' personnel files and employment history. Earlier this year, the 911 operator who took the call about Tamir was suspended for eight days for failing to tell the radio dispatcher that the caller had said Tamir could be a juvenile and the gun might be fake.
A12 | Wednesday, May 31, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER FLYNN From page A1 Flynn's private interactions with the committee. The decision Tuesday was the first signal that Flynn and the Senate panel have found common ground. Congressional investigators continue to press for key documents in the ongoing investigation, and the retired lieutenant general is trying to limit damaging disclosures that hostile Democratic lawmakers could use against him. Flynn had previously invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against selfincrimination in declining an earlier request from the committee. Flynn's attorneys had argued the initial request was too broad and would have required Flynn to turn over information that could have been used against him. Flynn's cooperation came as President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, rejected a request for documents as part of a House committee's separate probe into Russia's election meddling and contacts with the Trump campaign. Cohen, a longtime attorney for the Trump Organization, remains a personal lawyer for Trump. He served as a cable television surrogate for the Republican during the presidential campaign. The House intelligence committee's request for information from Cohen came as the investigators continued to scrutinize members of Trump's inner circle, including Flynn. Rep. Adam Schiff, DCalif., said last week that a subpoena for Flynn from the House panel was likely. "I declined the invitation to participate as the request was poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered," Cohen told The Associated Press. "I find it irresponsible and improper that the request sent to me was leaked by those working on the commit-
MEDICARE From page A1
tee." Cohen told ABC News Tuesday that he had been asked by both the House and Senate intelligence committees to provide information and testimony about contacts he had with Russian officials. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the allegations of Moscow meddling in the U.S. presidential election are "fiction" invented by the Democrats in order to explain their loss. In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Putin reaffirmed his strong denial of Russian involvement in the hacking of Democratic emails. The interview was recorded during Putin's Monday trip to Paris and released Tuesday. Trump made a similar claim in a tweet early Tuesday: "Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. & how a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News." Cohen's ties with Russian interests came up in February when The New York Times reported that Cohen helped to broker a Ukraine peace plan that would call for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and a referendum to let Ukrainians decide whether the part of the country seized by Russia in 2014 should be leased to Moscow. The Russian government denied knowing anything about such a plan. The Times reported that the peace plan was the work of Felix Sater, a business associate who has helped Trump try to find business in Russia, and Cohen. Cohen was a fierce defender of Trump during the campaign, often haranguing probing reporters and famously challenging a CNN reporter live on-air to name the specific polls that showed thencandidate Trump behind his rival, Hillary Clinton. In the early 2000s, he formed his own firm working on a range of legal matters, including malpractice cases, business law and work on an ethanol business in Ukraine.
which stands for Medicare Beneficiary Identifier. No final prototype of the new card has been unveiled, but the MBI will have 11 characters, a combination of randomly generated numbers and upper-case letters. That will easily distinguish the MBI from the familiar Medicare number, which is based on Social Security numbers. Using Social Security numbers has been a recognized vulnerability for
HURRICANE From page A1
structures." Brian Streck, 62, a retired Galveston firefighter, has watched high tides creep into the streets around the house at the edge of West Galveston Bay, where he has lived for 37 years. He has no patience for climate-change deniers who doubt seas are rising. "I've witnessed it," Streck said. Sea levels are generally rising faster along the Texas Gulf Coast and the western Gulf than the average globally, according to a January study by NOAA.
years, exposing seniors to identity fraud. In a digital society, having a Social Security number stolen can have immediate financial and legal consequences taking months and even years to untangle. "Most beneficiaries will carry that Medicare card in their wallet, so if their wallet is lost or stolen, that is exactly what the identity thief is looking for," said AARP's Amy Nofziger, a fraud prevention expert. Private insurers have stopped using Social Security numbers on ID cards, she added, and it's
imperative that Medicare is gearing up to make the change. Seniors are increasingly the victims of identity fraud, the government says, with a nearly 24 percent increase in such cases from 2012-2014, when 2.6 million incidents were recorded. Nofziger warned that confusion around the transition to new Medicare cards could become an opportunity for fraudsters. Beneficiaries may get unsolicited phone calls from official-sounding people asking for personal details so new cards can be sent.
"The western Gulf is experiencing some of the highest rates of relative levels of sea-level rise in the country," said NOAA oceanographer William Sweet, lead author of the study. "The ocean is not rising like water would in a bathtub." Sea-level rise is making storm surges larger, said John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist at Texas A&M University in College Station. "Compared to a storm that would have hit, say, 30 years ago, the additional storm surge we are talking about is on the order of ... about 7 inches," Nielsen-Gammon said.
The NOAA study found sea levels rising at more than double the rate estimated during the 20th century, increasing to more than 0.13 inch annually. NOAA made six projections of sea-level rise, from low to extreme, and found the global mean level under the lowest projection could rise 2.3 inches by 2020 and 3.5 inches by 2030. The extreme projection shows a 4.3-inch rise by 2020 and a 9.4-inch rise by 2030. By 2100, sea level is expected to rise between 1.3 feet and 31 feet, the NOAA study predicts; Galveston Island and most of the Texas coast would be swallowed up under the latter scenario.
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