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GOP HEALTH BILL
ZIKA VIRUS
Senate sees little use Pregnant women for repeal, replace plan should be tested
Americans fear they won’t afford insurance By Erica Werner and Alan Fram A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans wasted no time on Friday showing they have little use for the House bill to repeal and replace Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act amid fears among Americans that people already sick won't be able to get affordable insurance.
"I'm going to read the House bill, find out what it costs and where I find good ideas there, why we'll borrow them. But basically we're writing our own bill," Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate health committee, said in an interview. "At this point, there seem to be more questions than answers about its Senate continues on A10
City of Laredo reminds public to take precautions SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
Evan Vucci / AP
President Donald Trump, accompanied by GOP House members, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on Thursday after the House pushed through a health care bill.
FALCON LAKE
BASS CHAMPS SOUTH REGION TOURNAMENT First place winners received $20K S P ECIAL TO THE TI ME S
F
alcon Lake held the Bass Champs South Region Tournament on March 25, 2017. Tye Heineman and Mike Bates had the biggest sack of fish of them all winning over $20,000. Winners Tye Heineman and Mike Bates had started their day drawing boat #117. "We weren't thrilled about drawing such a late number,” Heineman said. “Falcon is low, and there are only so many points to fish." Regaining their composure, they decided to relax and just go fishing. "We made a run to the dam, fishing the chunk rock in 10'-15' of water," Heinman said. "We knew a lot of the Bass continues on A10
Courtesy
Pictured are first place winners of the Bass Champs South Region Tournament, Tye Heineman and Mike Bates.
Mosquito season is here and the City of Laredo Health Department is reminding the public to take precautions. All pregnant women in Laredo-Webb and Zapata counties should be tested for Zika virus in the first and second trimesters of their pregnancy. Also, anyone with a rash and at least one other common Zika symptom (fever, joint pain or eye redness) should also be tested for Zika virus. For women who are not pregnant, the Health Department recommends taking preventive measures with some form of birth control and everyone should take the following mosquito control measures: To assist with prevention, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has approved repellant purchase as of May 1 to Dec. 31. The following persons qualify under these programs: Pregnant women of any age, women and girls ages 10-55, and males 14 and older, as applicable, in the following programs: 1 Medicaid 1 Children's Health Insurance Program 1 CHIP-Perinatal 1 Healthy Texas Women 1 Children with Special Health Care Needs Services Program 1 Family Planning Program Benefit details: 1 One can/bottle of mosquito repellent is permitted per pharmacy, with one refill allowed per month. 1 Mosquito repellent won't count against the monthly three prescription limit for those clients with a monthly limit. 1 There is no cost to Medicaid or Healthy Texas Women clients (for those enrolled at the City of Laredo Health Department you can you can obtain repellant at the Women's Health Clinic at 2600 Cedar) 1 CHIP members may pay the generic copay or less if the cost of the repellent is less than the copay. 1 Many pharmacies can provide you mosquito repellent without a prescription from your doctor. Contact your favorite pharmacy to make sure they are participating in this benefit. To find your pharmacy's phone number, you can use the Pharmacy Search on the following website: https://www.txvendordrug.com. 1 If you are enrolled in managed care, please refer to that health plan's website, or call the Member Services number on the back of your Member ID card. 1 If your pharmacy recommends getting a preZika continues on A10
DALLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Police officer faces murder charge in teen’s death By Claudia Lauer and Will Weissert A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DALLAS — A white Texas police officer has been charged with murder in the shooting of a black teenager for which the officer was fired, according to an arrest warrant issued Friday. The warrant for Roy Oliver, a former officer in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs, was issued by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office for the April 29 shooting death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. In a statement it released announcing the warrant, the sheriff’s office cited evidence that suggested Oliver “intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit
an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death.” Oliver fired a rifle at a car full of teenagers leaving a party, fatally shooting Edwards. The teen’s death led to protests calling for Oliver to be fired and charged. On Tuesday, the same day that the officer was fired, news broke of the Justice Department’s decision not to charge two white police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the shooting death of a black man in 2016. And a white officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, pleaded guilty that day to federal civil rights charges in the fatal shooting of a black man in 2015. The warrant for Oliver’s
arrest states that any peace officer may arrest him, and that Oliver could also turn himself in to authorities. Oliver’s attorney, Cindy Stormer, didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment. The attorney for the teen’s family, Lee Merritt, said he would issue a statement later Friday. Edwards and his two brothers and two other teenagers were driving away from an unruly house party in Balch Springs late Saturday night when Oliver opened fire on their vehicle with a rifle. The bullets shattered the front passenger-side window and struck Edwards. Oliver’s firing TuesDallas continues on A10
Jay Janner / AP
State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas speaks at a news conference at the Supreme Court Building in Austin, Texa, on Thursday, about the shooting of Jordan Edwards in Balch Springs, Texas.
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, May 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, MAY 6
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. Public invited, no admission fee.
Today is Saturday, May 6, the 126th day of 2017. There are 239 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
2017 Laredo Open. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop. Health and Wellness Fair 2017. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Road. The fair will have free screenings for blood pressure, fitness and nutrition demos, a puppet show and reading time, giveaways and door prizes.
SUNDAY MAY 7 2017 Laredo Open. Laredo Country Club. $150 registration fee, which includes live music, food, drinks and raffle prizes. Guest fee: $20 per day. Registration deadline: May 2 at midnight. Sponsor and player packet pickup and party is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 3 in the Rosewood Room. Sign up today at tennislaredo.com or at the LCC Tennis Pro Shop.
MONDAY, MAY 8 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 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, MAY 15 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
Korean Central News Agency / AP
In this undated photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, watches a military drill at an undisclosed location.
NORTH KOREA ACCUSES US, SOUTH KOREA OF ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea on Friday accused the U.S. and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on leader Kim Jong Un involving biochemical weapons. In a statement carried on state media, North Korea's Ministry of State Security said it will "ferret out and mercilessly destroy" the "terrorists" in the CIA and South Korean intelligence agency responsible for targeting its supreme leadership. North Korea frequently lambasts the United States and South Korea, but its accusation Friday was unusual in its de-
tail. The ministry said the spy agencies in June 2014 "ideologically corrupted and bribed" a North Korean citizen who was working in Russia to carry out the alleged assassination on Kim after returning home. It said South Korean agents gave money and satellite communication equipment to the North Korean to attack Kim during a public event using a biochemical weapon such as a delayed-action radioactive or "nano poisonous" substance. — Compiled from AP reports
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 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.
SATURDAY, MAY 20 Harry Potter Book Club. 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free and family friendly. Children and adults are welcome. We will discuss “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J.K. Rowling.
MONDAY, MAY 22 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 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.
THURSDAY, MAY 25 Landscaping with Native Plants. 6:30 p.m. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park Ranchito. Presented by George Altgelt, Sr., Soil Scientist, and Danny Gunn, Sr., Master Gardener. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com. Villa San Agustin de Laredo Genealogical Society regular meeting. 3-5 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library, second floor. Speaker: Judy Jordan, "When It Rains It Pours; The Story of the Jordan Family.” For more information, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A. Guerra Public Library, conference room. Discussion of La Quinta Montaña by Paulo Coelho of Brazil. Power Point on Brazil. For more information, contact Sylvia Reash at 763-1810.
MONDAY, MAY 29 Chess Club. Every Monday, 4-6 p.m. LBV-Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete with other players in this cherished game played internationally. Free instruction for all ages and skill levels. Chess books and training materials are available.
Death toll in Mexico border drug violence rises to 12 MEXICO CITY — Gunbattles between rival drug gangs in the Mexican border city of Reynosa have left 12 people dead, authorities say. The security spokesman for the northern state of Tamaulipas said five people were killed in two gunbattles Thursday. Another seven people were killed earlier in the violence that
began Tuesday. The disputes between rival factions of the Gulf cartel follow the killing of leader Julian Loisa Salinas, known as "Comandante Toro," by military personnel in late April. The cartel gunmen have burned vehicles, blocked roads, attacked military patrols and fought gunbattles on city streets. The administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto has long faced security problems in Tamauilpas, as in many other
border areas, but in the last year violence has spread to other parts of Mexico that had previously been relatively peaceful. On Wednesday, gunmen believed to be linked to fueltheft gangs opened fire on military patrols, killing four soldiers. The ensuing confrontation left six assailants dead. The gunmen used local residents as human shields to attack the army, and townspeople blocked roads to demand the army be withdrawn. — Compiled from AP reports
Cargo plane goes off runway in West Virginia; 2 killed
Ben Queen / AP
An officer walks near part of a cargo plane following a fatal crash at Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia on Friday. The plane contracted by UPS went off the runway and over a hillside at the West Virginia airport Friday morning, an airport official said.
Kentucky, at 5:43 a.m. and arrived at the Charleston, West Virginia, airport at 6:51 a.m., Plante said. He said the plane was a small, twin-engine turboprop. Plante said officials have no idea why the plane, which made regular runs to the airport,
Ten years ago: Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidency by a comfortable margin over socialist opponent Segolene Royal. Five years ago: Vice President Joe Biden told NBC's "Meet the Press" he was "absolutely comfortable" with gay couples who marry getting the same civil rights and liberties as heterosexual couples. One year ago: In his first remarks about Donald Trump's status as the GOP's presumptive nominee, President Barack Obama urged the media to undertake tougher scrutiny of presidential candidates, saying from the White House, "This is not entertainment; this is not a reality show."
AROUND THE NATION
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A cargo plane contracted by UPS went off the runway and over a steep, wooded hillside Friday at a West Virginia airport, killing the pilot and co-pilot, an airport official said. Nearly two dozen emergency vehicles lined the runway as emergency crews tried to reach the crash site from above and below, Yeager airport spokesman Mike Plante said. "It's difficult terrain to negotiate," Plante said. The Federal Aviation Administration said on its website that Yeager Airport was closed and wasn't expected to reopen until Saturday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and planned a news conference Friday evening. The Air Cargo Carriers plane had departed from Louisville,
On May 6, 1937, the hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 35 of the 97 people on board and a Navy crewman on the ground. On this date: In 1889, the Paris Exposition formally opened, featuring the just-completed Eiffel Tower. In 1910, Britain's Edwardian era ended with the death of King Edward VII; he was succeeded by George V. In 1935, the Works Progress Administration began operating under an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1941, Josef Stalin assumed the Soviet premiership, replacing Vyacheslav M. Molotov. Comedian Bob Hope did his first USO show before an audience of servicemen as he broadcast his radio program from March Field in Riverside, California. In 1942, during World War II, some 15,000 American and Filipino troops on Corregidor surrendered to Japanese forces. In 1954, medical student Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile during a track meet in Oxford, England, in 3:59.4. In 1957, Eugene O'Neill's play "Long Day's Journey into Night" won the Pulitzer Prize for drama; John F. Kennedy's "Profiles in Courage" won the Pulitzer for biography or autobiography. In 1960, Britain's Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. (They divorced in 1978.) In 1974, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt resigned after one of his aides was exposed as an East German spy. In 1987, Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart held a news conference in Hanover, New Hampshire, in which he denied ever having an affair with Miami model Donna Rice, but declined to say whether he'd ever committed adultery. CIA Director William J. Casey died at age 74, leaving questions unanswered about his knowledge of the Iran-Contra affair. In 1992, former Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev delivered a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, where Winston Churchill had spoken of the "Iron Curtain"; Gorbachev said the world was still divided, between North and South, rich and poor. Actress Marlene Dietrich died at her Paris home at age 90. In 2002, Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was shot and killed in Hilversum, Netherlands. (Volkert van der Graaf was later convicted of killing Fortuyn and was sentenced to 18 years in prison — he was released in May 2014.)
crashed. The weather in Charleston was sunny and clear. UPS said in a statement that the company was aware of an incident at the airport involving a small feeder aircraft carrying UPS packages, but said it had no details to share. — Compiled from AP reports
Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall-ofFamer Willie Mays is 86. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is 83. Rock singer Bob Seger is 72. Singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore is 72. Gospel singer-comedian Lulu Roman is 71. Actor Alan Dale is 70. Actor Ben Masters is 70. Actor Richard Cox is 69. Actor Gregg Henry is 65. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 64. TV personality Tom Bergeron is 62. Actress Roma Downey is 57. Rock singer John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) is 57. Actress Julianne Phillips is 57. Actor-director George Clooney is 56. Actor Clay O'Brien is 56. Rock singer-musician Tony Scalzo (Fastball) is 53. Actress Leslie Hope is 52. Rock musician Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 50. Rock musician Chris Shiflett (Foo Fighters) is 46. Actress Stacey Oristano is 38. Model/TV personality Tiffany Coyne is 35. Actress Adrianne Palicki is 34. Actress Gabourey Sidibe is 34. Actress-comedian Sasheer Zamata is 31. Actress-singer Naomi Scott is 24. Actor Noah Galvin (TV: "The Real O'Neals") is 23. Thought for Today: "No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." — Mary Wollstonecraft, British writer and philosopher (1759-1797).
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.
AROUND TEXAS Texas stabbing suspect told police he didn't remember attack AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas student accused of stabbing four students, one fatally, told police he didn't remember attacking anyone, according to an arrest affidavit. Kendrex J. White, who authorities have said suffered
CONTACT US from mental health troubles, was charged with murder in Monday's campus attack. He remained in jail Thursday on $1 million bond. Attorneys listed for him didn't immediately return messages left Thursday. The affidavit said after White, 21, was taken into custody he agreed to talk. When asked if he knew why he was there, he said, "Yes, accusations of pushing someone down and I think using a bladed weapon." When asked if he was hear-
ing voices in his head, White said his mind told him to "tell the truth and withhold any action that he did because it really didn't happen," according to the affidavit. White told police it was possible he used a knife to hit someone but that he didn't remember, the affidavit said. White said he had bought a knife several days earlier for protection but Monday was the first day he carried it, according to the affidavit. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 6, 2017 |
STATE
Texas-Arlington students build 2 tiny houses By Robert Cadwallader FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
ARLINGTON, Texas — With dark clouds and graduation deadlines looming, a group of University of Texas at Arlington architecture students were recently drilling and hammering in a field on campus, a ritual that lately has extended into nights and weekends. The Fort Worth StarTelegram reports the architecture majors are building structures they designed that can pack a complete living environment into less than 400 square feet. The assignment, part of the School of Architecture’s second-year design-build program called Parallel Construction, was inspired partly by the hot tiny-house trend. “That played into it,” said Brad McCorkle, an adjunct professor who teaches both phases of the program. “But a lot of the decision was to pursue something that would be within our reach to complete in a 16-week semester.” The two houses faced a final jury review, then the students graduate on May 12. And after putting sweat equity into their projects, they feel more confident they are ready for careers in architecture. “It’s definitely hands-on experience,” said Kevin Park. “In school, they teach you just about design, how spaces form, how things go together. But out here, we actually, physically do it with our hands, so we know what’s possible and what’s not. Because sometimes the stuff we design is so extravagant it might not work in real life.” Tiny houses are riding a big wave of interest now, thanks to cable shows that have fanned the trend. HGTV has “Tiny House, Big Living,” “Tiny House Hunters” and “Tiny House Builders,” and FYI has “Tiny House World” and “Tiny House Nation.” It counters a steady trend of growing home sizes. According to the U.S. census, the median house has increased from 1,525 square feet in 1973 to 2,467 square feet in 2015, a 62 percent expansion. While that may have fueled a movement to live more within means, not all the people fascinated with tiny homes want to end up in one. “We were at the State Fair of Texas for two years, and millions of people walked through our tiny houses,” said Alex Hammons, a salesman for the Tiny House Outlet lot in Greenville. “But I would say 99 percent of them ... didn’t have any desire to live in them.”
Paul Moseley / AP
In this Friday photo, a group of University of Texas at Arlington architecture students continue work on two tiny houses, in Arlington, Texas.
He said the houses they sell often are to families for “a mother-in-law situation,” or young couples who can’t afford a typical mortgage, or retired people as a vacation lodge. Hammons said his smallest house is 399 square feet — more than twice the size of many featured on the TV shows — and sells for between $19,000 to $30,000, depending on the customizable amenities selected. Virginia Stuart, public relations director for Superior Concrete Products in Euless, acknowledges the tiny-house craze as something new — “but it’s just become popular again.” “People lived in smaller houses for thousands of years,” she said. “It’s only been the last 100 years that people have been living in larger houses. And people live in smaller houses in Europe. People want something affordable that they can enjoy, so they have more disposable income for them to use on things other than a mortgage.” Superior Concrete’s tiny houses costs are high end. The custom “Cowboy Cool” model it displayed at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo in January is 200 square feet and costs about $85,000, or $425 per square foot. But its features include marble countertops and, like all its tiny houses, was built with low-maintenance, precast concrete panels, Stuart said. A nonprofit group was trying to put together funding to buy both houses, McCorkle said. The price tag on each is about $50,000, and all proceeds — boosted by the free student labor — would be rolled over into next year’s project. “Students work cheap; they get paid with a grade,” McCorkle said, adding they work long hours to earn it. “They’ve really enjoyed it. And it’s been fun to watch. I’ve always wanted to do design-build, to do a house for students. It’s kind of a bucket-list item for me.” The concept of providing construction experi-
ence for architecture students isn’t as old as the profession. McCorkle cited Auburn University’s influential design-build program — Rural Studio, whose students design and build $20,000 homes for rural Alabama residents — founded in 1993 and adapted by many other universities. UTA’s Parallel Construction program is nailing down its permanent status. McCorkle said there have been a couple of construction projects involving architecture students in the past. “But this is the first time we’ve had support to sustain the program,” he said. Students in the School of Architecture, part of the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs, last year built three pavilions to serve as a bus stop, business incubator and an information kiosk. In the fall, his students will start designing a regular-size house — 1,600 to 1,700 square feet — in partnership with the Housing Channel, formerly the Tarrant County Housing Partnership. The house will be gifted to a family, McCorkle said. He believes the construction experience will help his students in their careers. “We have a contractor that’s been involved with the program, and his thought is that he can’t wait to work with these students once they get out in their professions,” McCorkle said. “They understand the issues of construction and realities of construction.” But some say the students may be getting their construction experience at the expense of their design experience. “Some people think, well, they’re not really learning design this semester, because this is a design studio,” McCorkle said. “But they’re designing out here on site as much or more than they would be in studio, because they’re continually running into issues that they have to stop and solve. And that’s as much design as sitting in the studio and drawing a plan.”
Omar Soto, 21, designed the tiny house he worked on. It’s being built in three modules that will be connected on their next resting place. The toughest thing about building tiny houses is meeting city codes in tight spaces, Soto said, because the front edge of the toilet still has to be a certain distance from the opposite wall, and there’s a minimum separation required of the cook top and sink. Based on his experience, he wants to pursue small residential housing as a career, but not tiny houses. “Personally, I prefer urban design, multifamily housing,” he said. “I think maybe tiny houses as far as the HGTV thing might be a little bit of a fad, and I may have made some people upset over that comment,” he said. “But I think this idea of downsizing, simplifying and getting back to the important things in life — I think that’s something that’s going to be around for the foreseeable future.
A3
Abbott announces funding to fight cattle fever ticks SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
Governor Greg Abbott today announced the United States Department of Agriculture has allocated an additional $3.7 million to fighting the spread of cattle fever ticks in South Texas. The increased funding, which came at the Governor's request, will be added to the existing budget of $8.5 million for FY 2017, bringing the total funding for the USDA's cattle fever tick control efforts in Texas to $12.2 million. These funds are in addition to the State of Texas' efforts at the Animal Health Commission to control the destructive pest. "The State of Texas is being threatened with a crisis, which if not contained quickly, could devastate the agricultural sector of our state," said Governor Abbott. "Texas cattle producers are currently experiencing an infestation of fever ticks
not experienced since the 1970s, and I am committed to containing this threat before it becomes a statewide epidemic. I thank the USDA for their work with Texas on this matter and am hopeful that together we can reverse these trends, saving Texas cattle." Cattle fever ticks, known scientifically as Rhipicephalus (formerly Boophilus) annulatus and R. microplus, are a significant threat to the United States and Texas cattle industry. These ticks are capable of carrying the protozoa, or microscopic parasits, Babesia bovis or B. bigemina, commonly known as cattle fever. The Babesia organism attacks and destroys red blood cells, causing acute anemia, high fever, and enlargement of the spleen and liver, ultimately resulting in death for up to 90 percent of susceptible naive cattle.
Dallas County looking into voter fraud complaints ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — Dozens of ballots in bright green envelopes have showed up at homes in West Dallas and Grand Prairie in the past few weeks, confusing the residents who say they hadn’t requested mail-in ballots for Saturday’s municipal elections. The Dallas Morning News reports that more than 100 voters of retirement age have reported complaints to the Dallas County Elections Department in recent weeks.
Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole tells the newspaper that’s the largest number of fraud complaints the county has ever received. Only people who are 65 and older or disabled are eligible to request annual mail-in ballots. The county elections department turned over its evidence to criminal investigators with the district attorney’s office. Pippins-Poole said her department is reviewing all mail-in ballots and mail-in ballot requests for authenticity.
Zopinion
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A4 | Saturday, May 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
OP-ED
OTHER VIEWS
Five myths about the Mafia By George Anastasia WA S H INGT ON P O ST
The Tribeca Film Festival ended last month with screenings of “The Godfather” and “The Godfather: Part II.” The purpose was to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the first film, which pumped new life into a genre that had dominated the movie industry in the 1930s. They have also reinforced several myths about the Mafia that, ironically, the actions of those in the next generations quickly dispelled. Myth No. 1 The Mafia doesn’t deal drugs. The reality is that as far back as Lucky Luciano, the mob has been in the drug business. In 1959, Vito Genovese was jailed on drug charges, as was his low-level crime family soldier Joe Valachi. Drugs have generated billions of dollars in income for the mob over the decades. Myth No. 2 Omerta, the code of silence, is a sacred rule. The idea that the Mafia’s code of silence is unbreakable is a centerpiece of pop culture about the mob, in movies, books and TV shows. In reality, that code was broken decades ago, when Valachi, the Genovese crime family associate, told a Senate subcommittee in 1963 that the syndicate called itself “Cosa Nostra,” or “Our Thing.” Over the next 20 years, a half-dozen made members, including Angelo Lonardo in Cleveland, Aladena “Jimmy the Weasel” Fratiannoin Los Angeles and Vincent “Fat Vinnie” Teresa in Boston, became cooperators. By the late 1980s, omerta was shattered. In city after city, members of the mob began to realize that they could get out from under their criminal problems by cutting deals with federal prosecutors and heading for the witness stand. Myth No. 3 The Mafia’s initiation rite is a secret ceremony. For years, the rite of passage into a Mafia family was a closely guarded secret. The formal ritual was sacrosanct and seldom discussed, even among members of the crime families. The FBI secretly recorded one ceremony in 1989 by planting electronic listening devices in a home in suburban Boston where members of the Patriarca family were to be made. A year later, a New Jersey mob figure who was cooperating with the state police wore a body wire to his own initiation. The mobster, George Fresolone, later co-authored a book titled “Blood Oath.” After the fact, Mafia leaders ruled that ceremony invalid, even though four of the
five initiates that day had no idea what Fresolone was up to. Myth No. 4 Anyone who testifies against the Mafia will be killed. Joe Pistone, the FBI agent who spent six years undercover as Donnie Brasco, building cases and then testifying against the mob, put it best in a 1997 Washington Post interview: “What concerns you is the cowboy, y’know? Somebody who wants to make a name for himself within the mob.” Pistone’s comments came in response to reports that the mob had put a $500,000 contract on his head. Murder is the tool used to enforce the code of conduct in the underworld. Pistone, as Donnie Brasco, had violated that code. But the Witness Security Program means it’s safe to break with the Mafia. Cooperating witnesses and their families have an opportunity to walk away from the life. Run by the U.S. Marshals Service since 1971 and commonly but incorrectly referred to as the Witness Protection Program, the service provides relocation, a new identity and a financial stipend to help a witness get reestablished in another part of the country. The program has set up new lives for more than 8,600 witnesses (not all of them Mafiosi) and 9,900 of their family members. Myth No. 5 The Mafia never interacts with other organizedcrime groups. Most film and TV depictions of the Mafia show it operating completely on its own. And indeed, when they were the big dogs in the game - from the late 1940s through the 1970s - Mafia organizations rarely interacted with other criminal groups. The one exception was an occasional overlap with the Sicilian Mafia, but then they were criminal cousins whose roots went back to the same family tree. Today the American Mafia, while still a player, is no longer the monolithic underworld power that it was in the days of Luciano and Al Capone. Mafia figures in various cities have been linked to the methamphetamine trade with members of the Pagans motorcycle gang. And leaders of the Lucchese and Colombo crime families dealt on a regular basis with Leroy “Nicky” Barnes, a notorious heroin trafficker out of Harlem. At the end of the day, the Mafia isn’t about pride, it’s about money how to get it, how to keep it and how to make more of it. Anastasia is an author and former reporter who has written extensively about organized crime and the American Mafia.
OP-ED
Immigrant children are living in fear By Andrea Somoza-Norton And Erica Ruvalcaba-Heredia TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
To better understand how President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is affecting children and families, we spoke to teachers and parents in Santa Maria, California. Constant stress and anxiety are known to impact children’s social, emotional and cognitive development. For some immigrant children already suffering from
earlier traumatic experiences, coping with additional stress can make matters worse. Since Trump took office, distress has visibly increased in Santa Maria, where nearly threefourths of the population is Latino. "Paula," a mother of two small children (the name is a pseudonym), said she has lived in agony since the new administration took office. "My kids always ask me if I’m coming back from work," she said. “That makes me feel sadder because I go to work with fear and
uncertainty over what is going to happen today.” Many of these families do not have relatives in this country who could look after the children of deported parents. They worry all the time. "What if we will never see our children again?" asked a mother we’ll call Sophia. "Who will take care of them? What would happen to them?" The United States has always been a country of opportunities. Latino families come here to provide a better education for their children. Community agencies
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.
Andrea Somoza-Norton is an assistant professor at the School of Education at California Polytechnic State University. Erica Ruvalcaba-Heredia is a professor at Allan Hancock College.
OP-ED
I was raped. Thanks to Republicans, I could be denied insurance for surviving. By Carly Mee WASHINGTON P O ST
When I learned that the most recent version of the American Health Care Act allows insurers to classify rape as a preexisting condition, my initial inclination was to pull out a calculator. After an older student chose to rape me during my second week in college, the bills had quickly started piling up. I paid for doctors’ visits, weekly therapy appointments and medication to treat my PTSD, anxiety and depression. I had medical insurance at the time, but that only covered part of the expenses. Still, the medical bills were only part of it. There were also subtle costs that no one talks about: I found that I couldn’t sleep in my own bed without thinking of all the times that I lay there, unable to get up, so I threw out many of my belongings and replaced
them. I was hopeful that something as small as a change in decor might somehow stop the flashbacks. When my nightmares and panic attacks continued, I realized that I needed some distance from the place where I had been raped so that I could begin to feel even remotely safe. At a substantial cost, I packed up my things and moved across the country. Years later, I still incur expenses from my trauma on a weekly basis. People often talk about the immediate costs of rape (such as getting a rape kit) but fail to consider the long-lasting treatment that is needed and the additional costs that develop over time. When combined, these expenses make it impossible for many survivors to access the resources they need. Furthermore, denial of coverage would discourage survivors from seeking out assistance immediately after the rape, as evidence of a
sexual assault within their medical records could exclude them from coverage going forward. And years down the line, no survivor wants to revisit their trauma with an insurance company simply to purchase coverage. I was never able to tally up all the costs I incurred after my rape. I got exhausted just trying to add up the ones that piled up in the immediate aftermath, not to mention the ones that still arise today. And my case isn’t the worst example out there: Ultimately, because I continued to receive the help I needed, I have been able to put my life back together and feel strong again over time. I learned that helping others who had similarly suffered was part of my personal recovery process, so I became an attorney for survivors of sexual violence. However, it is crucial to consider that my own experience is of a rape survivor who had access to treatment
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
need to do more to provide social and emotional support for immigrant children and their families. More must be done to inform parents of their rights. School faculty and staff should receive training to deal with these issues. We need community collaboration, effort and determination.
CLASSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
and support. I had the ability to pay for the services I needed. If rape survivors are now denied insurance coverage, it will become impossible for them to heal, effectively burdening those who are already suffering the most. Many rape survivors cannot pay the significant expenses incurred in the aftermath. They need assistance without being forced to pay a premium for their trauma and denied coverage altogether. Lawmakers have a responsibility to reject bills that inappropriately rely on our status as survivors to diminish our worth. Our suffering cannot be reduced to a “preexisting condition” that allows insurers to turn us away at will. Carly Mee is a staff attorney at SurvJustice, where she provides direct legal representation to survivors of sexual violence in civil, campus and criminal systems.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 6, 2017 |
A5
CRIME
Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman will be tried in April 2018 By Larry Neumeister A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — A U.S. judge on Friday set an April 2018 trial date for Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on charges he oversaw a multibillion-dollar international drug trafficking operation responsible for murders and kidnappings. Guzman answered the judge's questions through an interpreter. He spent half the hearing looking across the courtroom at his wife, who
smiled and waved to him as she entered. Defense lawyers complained that glass separated them from the defendant during their meetings, hindering communications. The judge said the matter will be investigated. The 59-year-old defendant famous for twice escaping from prison in Mexico lost his bid Thursday to relax the terms of his confinement at a lower Manhattan lockup when U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan concluded that solitary
confinement was appropriate. Cogan said the U.S. government had good justifications for applying tough jail conditions on a man who escaped twice, including once through a milelong tunnel stretching from the shower in his cell. But Cogan relaxed the restrictions known as Special Administrative Measures enough for Guzman to communicate with his wife through written questions and answers. His lawyers said in a
U.S. law enforcement / AP
In this Jan. 19 file photo, authorities escort Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, center, from a plane to a waiting caravan in Ronkonkoma, New York.
statement that it was "devastating" for Guzman and his wife that they will not be allowed jail visits. Guzman was brought to the U.S. in January to face charges that he oversaw a multibillion-dollar international drug traf-
ficking operation. He has pleaded not guilty. He has remained in a 20-by-12-foot cell for 23 hours a day in a wing of the Metropolitan Correctional Center that often is used to house high-risk inmates including terrorists.
The U.S. government has said severe restrictions are necessary for Guzman in part because he used coded messages, bribes and other means to continue operating his drug empire from behind bars and arrange escapes.
Florida man gets 30 years for Man who killed running child porn website Texas sports bar By Tom Foreman Jr. A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Florida man who federal prosecutors said was the creator and lead administrator of what’s thought to be the world’s largest child-pornography website has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, the FBI announced Friday. Steven W. Chase, 58, of Naples, Florida, was sentenced this week in a federal courtroom in North Carolina on multiple child- pornography and child-exploitation charges, the agency said in a news release. Two codefendants who also were identified as administrators of the website — Michael Fluckiger, 46, of Indiana, and David Browning, 47, of Kentucky, each received 20-year prison terms earlier this year. The FBI did not provide their hometowns. The agency said Chase created a website called Playpen in August 2014 on Tor, an open network on the internet where users can communicate
anonymously through “hidden service” websites. Tor was created by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory as a means of protecting government communications, U.S. Attorney Jill Rose noted in a written response to a motion to have Chase’s indictment dismissed. But she said the network has a downside. “The Tor network is a haven for criminal activity in general, and the online sexual exploitation of children in particular,” she wrote. Playpen had more than 150,000 users around the world, the FBI said. Members uploaded and viewed tens of thousands of postings of young victims, categorized by age, sex and the type of sexual activity involved. The FBI said it became aware of the site after it launched, but Special Agent Dan Alfin said that because of how Tor worked, there wasn’t much agents could do about it. But in December 2014, agents said Chase slipped up and revealed Playpen’s IP address, which was a location in the U.S. The mistake was caught by
overseas law enforcement, which then informed the FBI. In launching its own investigation, the FBI learned that the computer server that hosted Playpen was located at a webhosting facility in North Carolina and that Chase was the administrator of the server, Rose wrote. Chase was arrested in February 2015, after which the FBI took over the website for two weeks in order to identify its users. Chase argued through his motion filed in federal court in North Carolina that the FBI’s operation of the website amounted to “outrageous government conduct” and that his indictment should be dismissed. Alfin said the agency used a court-approved network-investigating technique to uncover IP addresses and other information that helped locate and identify users. Investigators sent more than 1,000 leads to FBI field offices around the country and thousands more to overseas law enforcement agencies. “It’s the same with any
criminal violation: As they get smarter, we adapt, we find them,” Alfin said. “It’s a cat-andmouse game, except it’s not a game. Kids are being abused, and it’s our job to stop that.” In January 2015, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice launched Operation Pacifier in an effort to track down Playpen’s thousands of members. The operation received support from Europol and other law enforcement agencies around the world. As a result, there were 368 arrests or convictions in Europe and 870 worldwide, according to a statement from Europol. Chase lived in a ruralsuburban neighborhood in Naples, tucked between Interstate 75 and Florida’s Everglades. According to public records, he ran an excavation trucking company. Chase had been charged with a few crimes in Naples over the years, including battery and possession of a controlled substance, but those charges were dismissed.
manager had 2 guns, 2 knives ASSOCIATED PRE SS
ARLINGTON, Texas — Authorities say a man who fatally shot a North Texas sports bar manager before being killed by a customer had come into the restaurant with two loaded guns and two knives. Arlington police say after 48-year-old James Jones killed Zona Caliente sports bar manager Cesar Perez a customer licensed to carry a handgun fatally shot Jones on Wednesday.
Standoff with deputies ends in death of armed woman ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Veteran convicted of capital murder A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DALLAS — A Dallasarea military veteran has been convicted of capital murder in the 2013 shooting deaths of four women including his girlfriend and his estranged wife. Prosecutors are seek-
ing the death penalty for 48-year-old Erbie Lee Bowser, who was convicted Friday in Dallas. Attorneys for Bowser, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, say he’s mentally ill and suffered concussions playing football.
Beaumont man found guilty of capital murder A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont man has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2010 deaths of a woman and her 16-year-old daughter. Jefferson County jurors on Thursday found 38-year-old Joseph Colone Jr. guilty. He now faces life in prison or the death penalty in the slayings of Mary Goodman and her daughter, Briana Goodman. Prosecutors said 41-year-old Mary Goodman had implicated Colone in the robbery of a game room. The woman and her daughter were found dead at their home. A forensic pathologist who performed the autopsies testified that Mary Goodman was shot once in the head and once beneath her chin. Briana Goodman was shot once in the forehead and had a deep cut on her head.
Prosecutors called the ex-Dallas Mavericks ManiAAC, part of a male dance troupe at the NBA team’s games, a con man and say the deaths were domestic violence. Authorities say Bowser fatally shot girlfriend Toya Smith and her 17-
year-old daughter Tasmia Allen, in Dallas. Investigators say Bowser then drove to nearby DeSoto and fatally shot his wife, Zina Bowser, and her 28-year-old daughter Neima Williams. Four children were wounded.
Lt. Christopher Cook told the Fort Worth StarTelegram Thursday that Jones “had the capacity to harm many more people in the business if he wanted to.” Witnesses told police Jones was yelling and making incoherent statements after walking into the sports bar. Cook says Perez had tried to calm Jones down. Police do not believe Jones and Perez knew each other. Authorities don’t know why Jones was so heavily armed.
KATY, Texas — A 54-year-old woman is dead after a welfare check at her home near Houston led to a fourhour armed standoff ended with sheriff's deputies shooting her dead. The incident happened in a residential neighborhood in Katy. The Harris County Sheriff's Office says deputies arrived at the woman's home about 2:30 p.m.
Thursday. They found her with a handgun in her hand and behaving in a "belligerent" and threatening manner. The deputies withdrew and called in the tactical squad. After four hours of negotiation, squad members approached the house and broke a window to use gas to drive her into the open. Instead, the woman came to the window and pointed a gun at the deputies, who opened fire on her.
Suspect arrested in Houston sandwich store worker slaying ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON — Authorities say a suspect has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a Houston sandwich store employee as he tried to protect his mother who worked at the same shop. Houston police on Friday morning announced a capital murder warrant for
Houston police say the victim, 18-year-old Javier Flores, and his mother were alone at the shop and preparing to close when two gunmen burst in. Jeffery Archangel. The 25-year-old Archangel surrendered Friday afternoon. Police say the case involves the Feb. 22 fatal shooting during an attempted armed robbery. Houston police say the
victim, 18-year-old Javier Flores, and his mother were alone at the shop and preparing to close when two gunmen burst in. Police say the mother was held at gunpoint and Flores was shot while
trying to intervene. Both suspects then fled. Online records didn’t immediately list bond or attorney information for Archangel, who was charged Thursday while still at large.
San Antonio army hospital eliminates shortage of sterilized surgical instruments ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO — The commander at the Army health system’s flagship Brooke Army Medical Center says the San Antonio hospital has eliminated a shortage of sterilized surgical instruments that
forced the reduction of elective surgeries. The San Antonio Express-News reported Sunday the hospital had closed 16 of its 28 operating rooms and reduced elective surgeries after finding improper sterilization last month in 73 cas-
es. Brig. Gen. Jeffery Johnson on Thursday acknowledged instruments tainted with “unintended retained materials” reached the operating room and were rejected by surgical teams. He says there’s no evidence contaminated tools
were used on patients. A backlog of more than 600 instruments needed to be processed, assembled and moved to a cleaning facility. Officials say the backlog was eliminated nine days after a midApril operating room shutdown was ordered.
Sports&Outdoors A6 | Saturday, May 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
HORSE RACING: KENTUCKY DERBY
No clear favorite, rain make for unpredictable Derby Max Faulkner / TNS file
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, right, reiterated a previous comment from his father owner Jerry Jones, center, saying the team would like the league to change its policy on marijuana.
Cowboys want to change marijuana policy By Clarence E. Hill Jr. FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
Executive vice president Stephen Jones reiterated on during an interview with Pro Football Talk that the Dallas Cowboys plan to the lobby the NFL to change the drug policy as it relates to marijuana. Owner Jerry Jones made a similar request to the NFL owners during private meeting in March. The elder Jones even talked last week about suspended defensive end Randy Gregory’s chances of returning to the league hinging on a possibly change in the drug policy. Stephen Jones doubled down, saying it’s time for the NFL review its outdated approach to marijuana in the best interest of the players and the league. "Well, our system, our testing, has been in place for years and not unlike we do in our organization. We always look to see how we can do it better," Stephen Jones said. "I think Jerry’s opinion, my opinion, is this program, this system has been in place for a long time. I think it needs to be heavily scrutinized in terms of its results. "Is it helping players in terms of their accountability? And, obviously, addiction is a sickness and you want to make sure — obviously, there’s accountability, but it’s also a program that helps players get better. I think personally, I know Jerry and I think that it could be done better and we just need to take a look at it. Like I said, it’s been the same program that’s been in place for many, many years and I think all
things to do with the NFL, we should all want the very best for our players. We should want the very best for our organizations and we should want the very best for our fans, and that’s anything that has to do with the NFL. "In my opinion, we should take a long hard look at how we’re doing this and see if there’s a way, a better way to do it. What that is, I don’t have the answer. But we have a lot of smart people that can get in there and analyze something and really make some good decisions and see if there need to be changes." Stephen Jones said that the changing views of marijuana across the country, considering its legal for medicinal and recreational use in several states, should be part of the league’s consideration. "You know, I think it should be a part of what’s looked at," Stephen Jones said. "When you re-look at the whole program, I think you should take a look at every aspect of it. From the testing to the discipline to the amounts, anything to do with this. At the end of the day our goal should be to help players who have sicknesses and addictions and make them better people off the field, and then how we go about that I think is what needs to be looked at and make sure we’re doing everything the best way we can do it. Obviously, when you look at something like that you have to look at, ’How do we do it in society right now? How does that affect the way a player sees his situation in that lens?’ And then make decisions based on that."
Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg
The 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby will feature a field of twenty horses with the winner receiving a gold trophy plus an estimated $1.24 million payday.
Classic Empire tops field with 4-1 odds to win By Beth Harris ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two trainers saddling three horses each. A horse trying to win for the first time. The early favorite whose training was interrupted. Another attempting to overcome irascible behavior. The 20-horse field for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby lacks a dominant runner. The winter prep races did nothing to establish a clear favorite. Classic Empire is the 4-1 pre-race choice. Two horses, Always Dreaming and McCraken, are the cosecond choices at 5-1. Toss in the threat of rain early in the day, which could soak well-dressed racegoers wearing fancy hats, and it all makes for a most unpredictable Derby. Todd Pletcher will saddle three horses — 5-1 shot Always Dreaming, 20-1 Tapwrit and 30-1 Patch, the one-eyed horse. Pletcher is 1 for 45 in the Derby. With no left eye, Patch will only see the crowd as he breaks from the far outside spot in the gate. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione figures to hustle him over to the rail to save ground as the field makes its way to the traffic-choked first turn.
Steve Asmussen also has three runners, and they’re all longshots: 15-1 Hence, 20-1 Lookin at Lee, and 30-1 Untrapped. He is winless in 15 tries, the only hole in his Hall of Fame resume. “The Kentucky Derby would look really good to add to the list,” he said. Don’t look for four-time winner Bob Baffert. The white-haired trainer doesn’t have a horse this year, but like everyone else, he has an opinion. “There’s a lot of parity. There are some nice, solid horses,” he said. “I think Classic Empire is probably the best horse in the race. Todd’s horse has brilliance, Always Dreaming. If they can get him figured out, he could steal it. The rest are bombers.” The rain is predicted to end hours before the race goes off in the early evening. The last Derby run on an off-track was 2013 when Orb splashed home in front. Favorites have won the Derby the past four years, the longest such streak since the 1970s. Sonneteer will try to overcome that bit of history. He’s 0 for 10 in his career. He would be just the fourth maiden and the first since Brokers Tip in 1933 to wear the roses. Classic Empire sure
PGA TOUR: U.S. OPEN
Tony Romo to try qualifying for U.S. Open By Drew Davison FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
FORT WORTH — Tony Romo has been showered with plenty of love since announcing he’d walk away from football. But he’ll have to earn his way to the U.S. Open the hard way. Romo, 37, will try to take his first step in local qualifying Monday at Split Rail Links & Golf Club in Aledo. Romo is listed in the USGA’s database of 9,485 entrants, the fifth-most entrants in U.S. Open history. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback is scheduled to tee off at 1:30 p.m. on Monday with Fort Worth residents
Gus Ruelas / Associated Press
Tony Romo will be taking part in a U.S. Open qualifier on Monday.
Mike Rausch and David Lutterus. Split Rail said the qualifying is open and free for the public to attend. If he advances through local qualifying, Romo would then have to earn a spot in the 156-man field in sectional qualifying
held on June 5 at 10 sites across the country. The U.S. Open will be held in Romo’s home state, Wisconsin, for the first time with the championship going to Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. June 15-18. This is not the first
time Romo has attempted to get a coveted spot in the field. He advanced to sectional qualifying in 2010, shooting a 69 at The Honors Golf Club of Dallas in Carrollton during local qualifying, but had to withdraw from sectionals because weather delays conflicted with Cowboys practices. He also was an entrant in 2011 and 2012, although he did not play in 2012. Romo is listed as having a plus-0.3 handicap. To be eligible for qualifying, players must have a handicap not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional. Local qualifying is based on an 18-hole stroke play score. Sectional qualifying is based on 36 holes of stroke play.
looked like the early Derby favorite last year when he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and was named 2-year-old champion. He made his 3-year-old debut with a third-place finish in the Holy Bull Stakes in February. Then came two more months off caused by hoof and back injuries. Twice, the bay colt didn’t want to train. “We’re happy to be where we are today given the last couple of months,” trainer Mark Casse said. “I love being the favorite. Let’s just enjoy the ride.” Always Dreaming had been fractious in morning workouts leading up to the Derby. In an effort to harness the colt’s energy, Pletcher switched to longer reins, and Always Dreaming resisted. He has since calmed down and John Velazquez will be in the saddle Saturday to lend an experienced hand. Girvin has battled a quarter crack in his right front hoof that limited his workouts. Trainer Joe Sharp and his assistantwife, former jockey Rosie Napravnik, had the colt swimming and using a hyperbaric chamber to make the race. Gunnevera’s trainer, Antonio Sano, was kidnapped twice in his native Venezuela before relocating his family to Miami.
Jockey Javier Castellano, also from the violencewracked nation, is trying to snap an 0 for 10 skid in the Derby. Gunnevera is the cheapest horse in the field. He was bought for $16,000 at auction. “Every day, I stop to think, ‘My horse can win the Kentucky Derby,”’ Sano said. “It would be a big gift for the people of Venezuela at this moment. In Venezuela, people are killing people. People have no food. Very sad.” Thunder Snow carries the hopes of Godolphin Racing, which is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. He’s the ruler of Dubai. The stable is winless in nine previous Derby attempts. “There’s plenty of speed lined up for this race and nobody’s going to get an easy lead,” said Jerry Hollendorfer, who trains Battle of Midway. Horses coming from off the pace often get dirt kicked in their faces for the first time. “Some horses don’t like that and they lose their concentration,” said Ian Wilkes, who trains McCraken. “Other horses thrive on the challenge and my horse likes a challenge.” Post time is about 6:50 p.m. ET.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Spurs’ Tony Parker has surgery on ruptured quad tendon ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs say veteran guard Tony Parker has undergone successful surgery to repair a ruptured left quadriceps tendon. The team said Friday’s procedure was performed by Spurs physician Dr. David Schmidt and a timeline for Parker’s return will be determined later. The 34-year-old Parker was injured Wednesday
night as the Spurs evened their second-round playoff series against the Rockets at 1-1. The Frenchman averaged 10.1 points in the regular season, but had raised that to 15.9 points on 53 percent shooting in eight playoff games. It will be up to Patty Mills, rookie Dejounte Murray and others to pick up the slack against James Harden, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and the rest of Houston’s sharp-shooting guards.
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 6, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CARRERA 5K
1 La Ciudad de Roma invita al Tributo a las Fuerzas Armadas con Caminata/Carrera 5K iniciando en Guadalupe Plaza, el sábado 20 de mayo a las 8 a.m. a 12 p.m. 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. DÍA DE LA INDEPENDENCIA
1 La Ciudad de Roma invita a la comunidad celebrar el Día de la Independencia el martes 4 de julio en el Distrito Histórico de Roma de 6 p.m. a 11 p.m. Habrá música en vivo, comida y juegos mecánicos
SE ENFRENTAN GRUPOS DELICTIVOS
Estalla violencia Reynosa se encuentra en alerta TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
REYNOSA, México— Funcionarios municipales y estatales anunciaron que la ciudad hermana de McAllen, Reynosa, México se encuentra en alerta tras una serie de enfrentamientos entre grupos del crimen organizado. El miércoles por la noche al menos una persona fue declarada muerta después de un altercado entre grupos narcotraficantes rivales en la ciudad, de acuerdo con reportes de AP. El Municipio de la Ciudad de Reynosa emitió una alerta roja el miércoles por la noche a través de una red social. La Alcaldesa de Reynosa Maki Ortíz Domínguez explicó que debido a “la difícil situación que
se vivió desde la noche del (miércoles) y madrugada de hoy” los residentes debían buscar asilo en un lugar seguro ya que múltiples áreas se encontraban bajo riesgo y pidió a la ciudadanía prestar atención a los comunicados de las autoridades a fin de resguardarse. “Enfrentamientos entre grupos delictivos hicieron necesaria la intervención de las Fuerzas Federales y Estatales para contener la situación, manteniendo activo el despliegue de operativos de patrullaje, que permitió evitar que la situación se complicara”, se lee en el mensaje que emitió la página de Facebook de la Ciudad de Reynosa. En la mañana del jueves la página emitió una alerta naranja para el área este de la ciudad,
pidiendo a los residentes que tomaran precauciones. Sin embargo, el jueves por la tarde, usuarios en las redes sociales reportaron balaceras, varias calles bloqueadas con vehículos abandonados así como la presencia en la ciudad de vehículos con personas “encapuchadas y con armas largas” y un incendio cerca de una de las sucursales de Cinemex. El Gobierno de Tamaulipas convocó al Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas a una sesión extraordinaria la tarde del miércoles a fin de reforzar las medidas de seguridad ante la situación de violencia que se registra en la ciudad fronteriza. El Procurador de Justicia de Tamaulipas, Irving Barrios Moj-
ica, reveló que serían reforzados los operativos para lograr que se restablezca el orden. Las alertas llegan unas semanas después que Julián Loisa Salinas, mejor conocido como "El Comandante Toro", haya sido abatido el 22 de abril por efectivos de la marina en Reynosa. Loisa Salinas era señalado como jefe del cártel del Golfo en Reynosa. Los intentos de la policía para capturarlo en varias ocasiones suscitaron varios enfrentamientos con la organización delictiva. Además, autoridades mexicanas lograron capturar el martes a Dámaso López o “El Licenciado”, sucesor del capo Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán del cartel de Sinaloa, de acuerdo con reportes de AP.
MIGUEL ALEMÁN
TAMAULIPAS
CELEBRAN 155 ANIVERSARIO BATALLA DE PUEBLA
Buscan debilitar finanzas del crimen E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
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. 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.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Miguel Alemán
Una representación de la Batalla de Puebla se realizó el viernes en la explanada de la presidencia municipal de Miguel Alemán, México, ante autoridades municipales y educativas. Este día se conmemora el triundo del Ejército Mexicano sobre las fuerzas francesas en 1862.
Recuerdan triunfo de México sobre Francia E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE LAREDO
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.
Miguel Alemán, México— El viernes en la mañana, en presencia de autoridades municipales y educativas, se conmemoró el 155 Aniversario de la Batalla de Puebla en una ceremonia efectuada en la explanada de la presidencia municipal en recordando la importancia
del esfuerzo y la constancia del general Ignacio Zaragoza, quien dirigió al Ejército Mexicano para replegar la invasión francesa el 5 de mayo de 1862. La alcaldesa Rosa Icela Corro Acosta en su mensaje dijo que la conmemoración del 5 de mayo es una celebración cívica en la que recordamos la Batalla de Puebla, la cual
representa la defensa de las libertades plenas y derechos conquistados por los mexicanos, a lo largo de nuestra vida independiente como nación, estado y municipio. "Nuestro México sigue enfrentando grandes retos, pero con la sabiduría de nuestros antepasados cada quien desde su trinchera, desde su trabajo y compromiso de servicio,
estamos obligados a dar lo mejor de nosotros mismos, para contribuir con los principios de lealtad y justicia que nuestro país y sociedad reclama. “Es nuestro deber, enaltecer el sacrificio de tantos hombres que dieron su vida por querer brindar una nación humana y generosa, en un marco de la cultura y la legalidad”, dijo Corro Acosta.
COLUMNA
Paradojas del himno nacional mexicano Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEM P O DE ZAPATA
Junto al escudo y la bandera de México, cimenta nuestros símbolos patrios el Himno Nacional. Este último, curiosamente, aparece marcado por circunstancias que resultan paradójicas en un país con hondas raíces nacionalistas. Rescatado del exilio por los conservadores, vuelto Alteza Serenísima gobierna en forma postrera y despótica Antonio López de Santa Anna. Su máxima hazaña –conseguir en Tampico la capitulación de los reconquistadores hispanos—estaba próxima al XXV aniversario. Ensal-
A7
zándolo, a través del flamante Ministerio de Fomento las propias autoridades convocan el sábado 12 de noviembre de 1853 a componer el Himno Nacional. Ganan los versos con que participa Francisco González Bocanegra, hijo de rancios españoles. Aunque parezca increíble, todavía pendiente la segunda fase del certamen –relativa a la partitura–, el texto escogido se entona por vez primera el miércoles 17 de mayo de 1854 en la metrópoli capitalina. Al evento sirve el Gran Teatro Santa Anna de sede. En vía de mientras lo musicaliza Giovanni Bottesini. Le presta voz Enriqueta Sontag, can-
tante de ópera y también extranjera. Tiene aquello cierto toque de tragedia romántica. Porque víctima del cólera morbus el posterior sábado 17 de junio fallece la prusiana Sontag, condesa de Rossi. “Dejó de existir … a las tres de la tarde. … Enriqueta parecía que dormía”, indica Manuel Payno en larga nota biográfica. Amigo de ella y desafecto al santannismo, el novelista de fuste jamás menciona la magna función del 17 de mayo. Prefiere evadir por lo visto el tema implícito. En la parte correspondiente del concurso toman parte renombrados compositores do-
mésticos. Sin embargo, se adjudica el triunfo al catalán Jaime Nunó Roca, que Santa Anna había traído de Cuba, asignándole espléndido salario. Cual si fuera contraseña secreta, concursa don Jaime con el pseudónimo “Dios y Libertad”, en la época lema gubernamental. Listos por fin letra y acordes, deciden presentar la obra el viernes 15 de septiembre de 1854, al conmemorarse el Grito independentista que diera Miguel Hidalgo en Dolores, Guanajuato. Bajo la batuta de Bottesini, interpreta coro y estrofas la Compañía de Ópera Italiana, de René Masson, en que descuella la soprano Claudina
Fiorentini. De nueva cuenta los mexicanos brillan por su ausencia en la escena artística. Con dicha pieza iba a comenzar el programa. Acaba de improviso en segundo término. Motiva esto Su Alteza Serenísima, que “no asistió a la fiesta” para lisonjearlo, dizque “por hallarse indispuesto”, aseguran fuentes periodísticas. Al día siguiente, sábado 16 de septiembre, se repiten los números en presencia del controvertido mandatario, informándolo el Diario Oficial, que calla respecto al desaire ocurrido la víspera. El caudillo prefiere Semíramis, obertura de Joaquín Rossini, apunta Leopoldo Zamora Plowes.
Reynosa, México— El Gobernador de Tamaulipas, México, Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca solicitó a instancias federales establecer convenios de colaboración, para otorgar al Gobierno de Tamaulipas, facultades para combatir delitos que contribuyen a fortalecer la estructura financiera de grupos criminales en el estado. Durante una gira de trabajo en Reynosa, el mandatario tamaulipeco reiteró el compromiso de su administración de atacar de manera coordinada con la federación el problema de las organizaciones delictivas en el estado, que se ven fortalecidas en gran medida gracias a actividades ilegales como el robo de combustible, el contrabando de mercancías, la operación de negocios de apuestas y otros que son del orden federal. “Esas son acciones que debe llevar a cabo el Gobierno federal, ¿quiere el apoyo del gobierno del estado aunque no sea de mi competencia? Pues por supuesto, por supuesto que le entro”, sentenció el Gobernador García Cabeza de Vaca en conferencia de prensa. Destacó también que la comunidad de Tamaulipas requiere un compromiso del Gobierno de Estados Unidos en cuanto al tema de las armas, ya que la gran mayoría de ellas provienen de aquel país. Anunció también que solicitó, durante la reunión ordinaria de la Conferencia Nacional de Gobernadores de este miércoles, que el Gabinete de Seguridad Pública sesione en Reynosa, y se fortalezca una estrategia integral de combate a los grupos criminales. La noche de este miércoles, García Cabeza de Vaca sostuvo en Reynosa una reunión con integrantes del Gabinete de Seguridad y visitó las instalaciones de la Policía Estatal Fuerza Tamaulipas, de la Policía Federal y de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, además de realizar un recorrido por las calles la ciudad. Reiteró que atenderá personalmente la situación de esa ciudad fronteriza para recuperar el orden y la tranquilidad de los reynosenses.
A8 | Saturday, May 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Helen Maybanks / AP
In this photo, Andrew Garfield plays the lead during a hospital scene in the “Angels in America” production at Britain's National Theatre in London.
Andrew Garfield wows critics in London ‘Angels in America’ By Jill Lawless A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LONDON — One of the landmark plays of the late 20th century, "Angels in America " is set in a deeply divided United States haunted by premonitions of apocalypse. It still feels completely relevant. Tony Kushner's "gay fantasia on national themes" — revived in a sold-out production at Britain's National Theatre — is set against the backdrop of the 1980s AIDS crisis, the "Reagan revolution" and the end of the Cold War, but doesn't feel like a period piece. The epic drama — made up of two plays, "Millennium Approaches" and "Perestroika," running almost eight hours in all — is the London theater event of the year, with a high-profile cast that includes Academy Award nominee Andrew Garfield and Tony Award winner Nathan Lane. The Daily Telegraph gave the production five stars on Friday, with critic Dominic Cavendish calling it "a start-to-finish sensation." He said Garfield — an Oscar nominee this year for war movie "Hacksaw Ridge" — "gives one of the performances of his career" as Prior Walter, the young New York man diagnosed with AIDS and battling both fear and unsettling angelic visions. The Evening Standard said the play's "sheer imaginative reach can be exhilarating and it's studded with devilish humor." The Times of London's Ann Treneman was a dissenting voice, finding "quite a few moments of tedium" in a production whose "pace is, at times, glacial." But she joined other reviewers in praising the cast for embodying Kushner's flawed and deeply human characters. The almost all-British cast includes James McArdle as guilt-ridden Louis, who abandons Prior in his hour of need; Russell Tovey as repressed Mormon lawyer Joe Pitt; and Denise Gough as his valium-addicted wife Harper. Broadway veteran Lane makes his National Theatre debut as the real-life figure of Roy Cohn, a
ferocious lawyer who prosecuted Communists for Sen. Joseph McCarthy and wielded power in New York and Washington. He also mentored an ambitious real estate tycoon named Donald Trump, and though that is not mentioned in the script it gives the play an extra dose of modern-day resonance. Kushner's fictionalized Cohn is both monstrous and a great American life force. The Guardian's Michael Billington called Lane "magnetic," while Cavendish said he was "superb ... puppyish one minute, a Rottweiler the next." Above all, "Angels in America" is big — a sprawling drama that's by turns questioning, ironic, mocking, heroic and operatic. At its heart is the struggle within American history between the impulse to put down roots and build walls, and the drive for movement and mingling. Henry Hitchings in his five-star review for London's Evening Standard, said that "instead of appearing dated, it seems pointedly topical in its scrutiny of intolerance, immigration, religious values and national ideals." At the play's close, Prior offers a note of hope: "The world only spins forward." Watching it now, audiences may not be so sure. "Angels in America" runs to Aug. 19 and will be broadcast to movie theaters around the world starting July 20 as part of the NT Live series.
Partners Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell get Walk of Fame stars ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Longtime partners Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been honored with neighboring stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In a Thursday ceremo-
ny, the 66-year-old Russell said there's no one he'd rather be next to than Hawn. Russell and the 71-year-old Hawn have been together for more than 30 years. Hawn said at the ceremony that she and Russell have never been
Richard Shotwell / AP
Kate Hudson, from left, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Quentin Tarantino and Reese Witherspoon attend a ceremony honoring Hawn and Russell with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday in Los Angeles.
celebrated in that way and jokingly asked Russell, "Did we just get married?" The couple was joined by Hawn's daughter,
Kate Hudson. Reese Witherspoon was on hand to help honor Hawn. Quentin Tarantino introduced Russell.
The true cost of Disney’s Fairy Tail Weddings By Megan McDonough WASHINGTON P O ST
Interested in getting hitched at a Disney property? Here’s what you and your intended can expect. The parks offer a range of prices. A smallscale ceremony, with up to four guests, is $2,500 to $4,500; a ceremonyonly occasion for up to 18 guests is $5,000 to $9,000; and customized ceremonies for more than 18 guests start at $12,500. Options include intimate elopements in secret pockets of the parks and extravagant, 300-person, after-hours celebrations in front of the Cinderella Castle ($180,000 minimum). You may need a fairy godmother, or three, for that one. Early-morning and weekday ceremonies are typical. In-park ceremonies are limited because of operating hours, and can start as early as 7:30 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. Want to customize your wedding? Disneyphiles can wave their magic wands and handpick an array of extras, including a white dove flyover ($250), a private fireworks display and dessert party ($2,500), and, yes, a spin in Cinderella’s coach ($2,950). Want Captain Jack Sparrow to dab on the
dance floor? That’ll be $5,000 to $6,500. Had some last-minute cancellations? Disney will hire a pair of “uninvited guests” - actors posing as Disney-obsessed tourists - to “crash” your party and entertain for three hours ($1,800). There are nonnegotiables. Disney characters are not allowed to officiate or attend the ceremony. “It’s definitely an adult event, and they make it an adult event,” says Anne Chertoff, a WeddingWire trend expert. “They don’t want it to be like you’re just playing dress-up.” Also, all food and beverages must be provided by the park, so if you have your heart set on In-NOut Burger, you’re out of luck. And brides can’t wear their gowns during theme-park hours unless they’re willing to pay a pretty penny ($75,000 minimum).
Disney-Marvel / AP
This image shows Zoe Saldana, from left, Karen Gillan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista and Rocket, voiced by Bradley Cooper, in a scene from, “Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2.”
‘Guardians’ sequel blasts off to $17M on opening night ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" has rocketed to a $17 million opening night, beating out early showings of the first film. Disney reported the sales estimate for Thursday night preview screenings on Friday. The sequel is the biggest opening night earner of the year so far. The first "Guardians" film was a surprise blockbuster for many, transforming a little-known
band of Marvel superheroes into household names. It earned $11.2 million on its opening night. Both films were directed by James Gunn, who has already signed on to direct a third "Guardians" film. Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana star in the franchise, which will become interwoven into Marvel's hit "Avengers" franchise in future films. ComScore figures show the first "Guardians" film earned $93.3 million in its opening weekend.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, May 6, 2017 |
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BUSINESS
Jobs report indicates healthy drop in underemployment By Christopher S. Rugaber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — A burst of hiring in April provided a reassuring sign for the U.S. economy and reduced a broader gauge of the job market's health to its lowest level since the recession began nearly a decade ago. Employers added 211,000 jobs, more than double the weak showing in March, the Labor Department said Friday . The unemployment rate dipped to 4.4 percent, a 10-year low, from 4.5 percent in March. Taken as a whole, the April jobs report suggested that American businesses are confident enough in their outlook for customer demand to keep adding jobs briskly despite a slump in the January-March quarter when the economy barely grew. The jobs report "does increase our confidence that the soft patch in the first quarter is over," Michael Gapen, an economist at Barclays Capital, said in an email to clients. In an encouraging sign, the number of part-time workers who'd prefer full-time jobs has reached a nine-year low. That trend suggests that many
employers are meeting rising customer demand by shifting part-timers to full-time work. During much of the economic recovery, the number of part-timers remained unusually high — one reason why steady job growth didn't produce sharp gains in pay or consumer spending. The shift toward fulltime work has also helped reduce a measure of underemployment that includes people who aren't counted as unemployed: They are the part-time workers who want fulltime jobs as well as people who have given up their job hunts. This broader figure reached 8.6 percent in April, the lowest point since November 2007, just before the recession officially began. In 2009, it had topped 17 percent. That broader measure of underemployment has been cited by President Donald Trump and his advisers as a more accurate gauge of the job market's health than the unemployment rate. So far, the job market under Trump closely resembles the one Barack Obama presided over. This year, employers have added an average of 185,000 jobs a month, matching last year's pace. In his first 3½ months,
Patrick Semansky / AP
In this 2015 photo, a UPS employee works inside the company's Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky.
Trump has sought to put his imprint on the economy. A deputy White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said falsely at a briefing for reporters Friday that job growth in April occurred "especially" in industries where the president has focused: Coal mining, construction and manufacturing. In fact, those three sectors accounted for less than 6 percent of April's job growth. A representative of the White House, contacted later by The Associated Press, said that Sanders had misspoken. Some of the job market's scars from the Great Recession have yet to heal. The proportion of Americans who either have jobs or are looking for one dipped in April to 62.9
percent from 63 percent. While that figure has improved over the past 18 months, it remains well below the prerecession level of 66 percent. Economists don't expect that figure to get much better. With the vast baby boom generation retiring and younger Americans more likely to stay in high school and attend college, fewer Americans will likely work or seek work in the foreseeable future. Friday's jobs report makes it highly likely that the Federal Reserve will resume raising short-term interest rates when it next meets in mid-June. Investors have estimated the likelihood of a June rate hike at 83 percent. Beyond hiring, the economy is showing other signs of health: Sales of
existing homes have reached the highest point in a decade. And a survey of services firms this week — including restaurants, banks and retailers — showed that they are expanding steadily. Average paychecks did grow more slowly in April, increasing 2.5 percent over the past 12 months, below March's year-over-year gain. Companies may not yet feel much pressure to raise pay to find or keep the workers they need. Typically, employers feel compelled to pay more as the number of unemployed dwindles. In a strong economy, hourly pay gains tend to average around 3.5 percent. One reason for the tepid wage gain is that hiring was strongest last month in lower-paying industries. One such category that includes hotels, restaurants, casinos and amusement parks added 55,000 jobs, the most of any major sector. Health care, which includes some higherpaying jobs in nursing as well as lower-paid home health care aides, added 37,000 in April. Many manufacturers are looking to add jobs but say they can't find enough qualified workers. Eric Kus, CEO of Goshen Stamping in Goshen,
Indiana, wants to add six to eight employees to his 80-person staff. The company makes parts for the stepladder and RV industries. "It's getting better," Kus said of the economy. Rising home sales and growing interest in do-it-yourself work among homeowners have boosted his company's revenue about 6 percent so far this year, he said. Friday's jobs report adds to evidence that economic growth is rebounding in the current April-June quarter, with some economists forecasting that it could top a 3 percent annual rate, compared with the first quarter's 0.7 percent rate. Last quarter, consumers spent less in part because of low utility bills during an unseasonably warm winter. That's likely to prove a temporary restraint. The retail industry's woes continued last month, with stores adding just 6,000 jobs. That's below their long-run average and comes after retailers slashed a combined 55,000 jobs in February and March. Traditional chains like Sears and Macy's have been shedding jobs in the face of ferocious competition from Amazon.com and other e-commerce companies.
Yellen says women still face Jury awards $110.5M in baby challenges in workplace powder lawsuit
By Martin Crutsinger and Matt O'brien A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said Friday that women have made major strides in the workplace in the past 125 years, but she expressed concern about barriers that are still holding women back today. In a speech at Brown University, Yellen cited a recent study that showed that boosting the participation rate of women in the workforce to the same level of men could raise overall U.S. economic output by 5 percent. Yellen said that women's participation rate in the workforce climbed to around 74 percent by the early 1990s. She said that rate for women in their prime working years currently stands at about 75 percent, compared to a
participation rate for men of around 88 percent. "While some marYellen ried women choose not to work, the size of this disparity should lead us to examine the extent to which structural problems such as a lack of equal opportunity and challenges to combining work and family are holding back women's advancement," she said. Yellen also noted that while the gap in earnings between men and women has narrowed substantially over the years, progress has slowed lately. Women who work full time earn about 17 percent less than men on average. Even when the comparison is between men and women in the same or similar occupa-
tions and similar experience, a pay gap of about 10 percent remains, she said. "We cannot rule out that gender-related impediments hold back women, including outright discrimination, attitudes that reduce women's success in the workplace and an absence of mentors," Yellen told a crowd of several hundred Brown alumni attending the conference celebrating 125 years of women at the Ivy League school. Yellen, the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, graduated from Brown in 1967 with a degree in economics after switching her major from philosophy. She then went on to obtain a master's degree and doctorate in economics from Yale University. In her speech, Yellen cited factors that appear to be constraining wom-
en, including the difficulties they face in trying to combine their careers with responsibilities at home. She suggested, however, that potential solutions should aim to improve work conditions and policies for both women and men. "The experience in Europe suggests picking policies that do not narrowly target childbirth, but instead can be used to meet a variety of the health and caregiving responsibilities," she said. President Donald Trump, in his first address to a joint session of Congress, said his administration wanted to work with lawmakers to make childcare accessible and affordable and to help ensure new parents that they have paid family leave — issues that have been championed by Trump's daughter Ivanka.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis jury has awarded a Virginia woman a record-setting $110.5 million in the latest lawsuit alleging that using Johnson & Johnson's baby powder caused cancer. The jury ruling Thursday night for 62-year-old Lois Slemp, of Wise, Virginia, comes after three previous St. Louis juries awarded a total of $197 million to plaintiffs who made similar claims. Those cases, including the previous highest award of $72 million, are all under appeal. About 2,000 state and federal lawsuits are in courts across the country over concerns about health problems caused by prolonged talcum powder use. Slemp, who was diagnosed with ovarian can-
cer in 2012, blames her illness on her use of the company's talcum-containing products for more than 40 years. Her cancer has spread to her liver. Although she was too ill to attend the trial, an audiotape of her deposition testimony was played. In it she said: "I trusted Johnson & Johnson. Big mistake." Jim Onder, one of her attorneys, said Friday that Slemp was "thrilled" when the verdict was shared with her in a phone call and that she hoped it would "send a message." He said she is too sick to talk to reporters. Johnson & Johnson, based in Brunswick, New Jersey, said in a statement that it would appeal and disputed the scientific evidence behind the plaintiffs' allegations.
A10 | Saturday, May 6, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER SENATE From page A1 consequences," said moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, whose vote may prove one of the hardest to get for President Donald Trump and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. And Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said over Twitter: "A bill — finalized yesterday, has not been scored, amendments not allowed, and 3 hours final debate — should be viewed with caution." The outspoken and immediate skepticism pointed to a long road ahead in the Senate. And for a president who's already expressed disappointment in Congress' slow-moving ways, more frustration seemed assured. "I don't think anyone in the Senate is going to be bullied into artificial benchmarks or timelines," said Josh Holmes, a GOP consultant and former chief of staff to McConnell. "It will be a very different process that will look very different from the one that we just saw unfolding in the House." Senate leaders have repeatedly vowed success. "Failure is not an option," No. 2 Senate leader John Cornyn, RTexas, said earlier this year. McConnell plans to move forward under special procedures that allow legislation to pass with a simple majority vote, instead of the 60 usually required for major bills in the Senate. That means he will only need Republican votes, which is all he can rely on anyway since Democrats are refusing to participate in dismantling Obama's law. But under complicated Senate rules, it also limits what can go
into the legislation. And with only a slim 52-48 majority, McConnell can lose only two senators from his sometimes fractious caucus, which runs the gamut from moderates like Collins to conservatives like Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas. Then there are those senators who are up for re-election in 2018. Fortunately for McConnell only two are in any serious jeopardy, Dean Heller of Nevada and Jeff Flake of Arizona, but they are certain to be particularly cautious about casting their vote for anything that jeopardizes their constituents. There was immediate evidence of the political pressure that awaits. Hinting at the attacks to come as next year's elections draw nearer, the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees both released digital ads lambasting supporters of the legislation. Major Democratic Super PAC American Bridge also released a digital ad declaring: "Tell Senate Republicans this is their mess now, and we are watching." The legislation could become a major issue for vulnerable House Republicans in divided districts, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has already threatened they will "glow in the dark" over their vote. At the "IAmAPreexistingCondition" hashtag on Friday, Twitter users including actress Alyssa Milano described how the proposed House law could affect them or family members dealing with serious illnesses. Some describe suffering from cancer, hereditary diseases or post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by combat. On the other side, a GOP group allied with House leadership an-
nounced plans to run TV ads thanking Republicans who voted for the repeal bill in key districts. The House bill, passed 217-213, would end the health care law's fines on people who don't purchase policies and erase its taxes on health industry businesses and higher-earning people. It would dilute consumerfriendly insurance coverage requirements, like letting states permit insurers to charge higher premiums for customers with pre-existing medical conditions. The latter provision was the focus of much attention from opponents Friday. The measure would also water down the subsidies that help consumers afford health insurance, and it would cut Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor and disabled, including ending extra federal payments to 31 states that expanded Medicaid to cover more people. The provision was of particular concern to a number of Senate Republicans who represent states that expanded Medicaid, including Nevada's Heller and Arizona's Flake, who may face tough re-election challenges next year. Senators have set up a working group of about a dozen lawmakers to examine how to craft the Senate's health bill: with members ranging from Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who chairs the health committee, to Cornyn, Cruz and McConnell himself. The working group itself drew immediate criticism from Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon who sniped over Twitter: "Convening a group of men behind closed doors to scheme how to make care worse for women is as gutless as it gets, @SenateGOP."
DALLAS From page A1 day was for violating department policies. It took a few moments for Edwards’ 16-year-old brother, who was driving, and other passengers to notice that he was slumped over in his seat. The investigation into the shooting continues, sheriff’s spokeswoman Melinda Urbina said. Records show that Oliver was briefly suspended in 2013 following a complaint about his conduct while serving as a witness in a drunkendriving case. Personnel records from the Balch Springs Police Department obtained by The Associated Press show Oliver was suspended for 16 hours in December 2013 after the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office filed the complaint. Oliver also was ordered to take training courses in anger management and courtroom demeanor and testimony. The personnel records
BASS From page A1 guys were going to be fishing shallow, but we were figuring on going for the bass that were transitioning." Heineman and Bates decided on jigs as their
ZIKA From page A1 scription, or you are enrolled in CSHCN, contact your healthcare provider, and then ask them to send a prescription to your pharmacy. Your provider can send a prescription to your pharmacy. 1 For those enrolled at the City of Laredo Health
also included periodic evaluations that noted at least one instance when Oliver was reprimanded for being “disrespectful to a civilian on a call.” That evaluation, dated Jan. 27, 2017, called the reprimand an isolated incident and urged Oliver to be mindful of his leadership role in the department. The complaint from the prosecutor’s office said the office had a hard time getting Oliver to attend the trial, he was angry he had to be there, he used vulgar language that caused an assistant district attorney to send a female intern out of the room, and he used profanity during his testimony. “In an email from one of the prosecutors he states you were a ‘scary person to have in our workroom,”’ then-Balch Springs Police Chief Ed Morris wrote in the suspension findings. Oliver joined the Balch Springs department in 2011 after being an officer with the Dalworthington Gardens Police Depart-
ment for almost a year. A statement from Dalworthington Gardens officials on Wednesday included details of that and previous intermittent employment as a dispatcher and public works employee between 1999 and 2004. He received an award for “meritorious conduct” as a dispatcher and there were no documented complaints or disciplinary action in either his work as a public safety officer or dispatcher, according to the statement. Between his employment as a dispatcher and officer in the Dallas suburb, Oliver was in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of sergeant while serving two tours in Iraq and earning various commendations. He served for two years in the Texas National Guard reserves through 2012. After the Dallas County Attorney’s Office complained about Oliver’s behavior, Morris suspended the officer for 16 hours, which Oliver completed by forfeiting two sick days.
bait of choice. Within about 15 casts, they had a three and a four pounder in the boat. Toward the end of the tournament, the scales locked in at 28.09 lbs, securing Heineman and Bates the first place win. Bass Champs present-
ed them the first place prize — $20,000 — and they enjoyed additional winnings from Lowrance, PowerPole and SureLife. This is Heineman and Bates’ third Bass Champs win, and their second on Falcon Lake.
Department you can you can obtain repellant at the Women's Health Clinic at 2600 Cedar Remember to: 1 Use mosquito repellent when outside 1 Wear long sleeves and pants 1 Use air conditioning and make sure window screens are properly installed and maintained 1 Pick up trash and dump out containers
holding standing water around their homes 1 Cover gutters and drains with netting 1 Report abandoned unkempt yards and illegal tire dumping For more information on Zika call the Health Department Epidemiology Division at 956-7954951 or visit TexasZika.org, TexasZika.org/ prevention or cdc.gov/ zika/