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HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
Trump to turn in taped exchanges with former FBI director Comey President is given two weeks to provide recordings to the panel By Karoun Demirjian WA S H INGT ON P O ST
The House Intelligence Committee is demanding that President Donald Trump turn over within two weeks any tapes he made of his conversations with former FBI director James Comey, and that Comey supply the panel with memos he kept of those interactions as well. The letters come just a day after Comey testified before the Senate Intelli-
gence Committee about a series of discussions he had with Trump. Comey told the senators that the president suggested to him that he drop a Trump probe against former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Those conversations made Comey uncomfortable enough that he wrote memos describing
Comey
them. A few days after Comey was fired, Trump warned via Twitter that “Comey better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the
press!” Comey testified Thursday that the tweet alarmed him so much that he
decided to pass his memos to a close friend with instructions to give them to the press - a decision Comey made in the hope that it would force the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor in the Russia probe. On Thursday night, following Comey’s testimony, the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to that friend, Columbia Law School professor Daniel Richman, asking him to give the committee Trump continues on A10
ZAPATA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
WHITE HOUSE
AMBULANCE INVOLVED IN THREE-VEHICLE COLLISION
United States commits to NATO Trump claims devotion to Article 5 By Matthew Lee ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times
A Zapata County Fire Department ambulance was part of a 3-vehicle collision at the intersection of Bustamante Street and Bartlett Avenue on Friday.
Pregnant woman was being transported to Laredo Medical Center when crash occurred By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
A Zapata County Fire Department ambulance transporting a pregnant woman crashed with two other vehicles just a couple of blocks away from the Laredo Medical Center, authorities said. Laredo police are investigating the crash. Laredo Fire Department crews responded to the threevehicle collision at about 9:30 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Bustamante Street and North Bartlett Avenue. Authorities said the Zapata ambulance had its lights and sirens on when it collided with a Nissan Rogue and a pickup truck. No non-life threatening injuries were reported, according to LFD. The ambulance had two occupants and the woman. U.S. Border Patrol had rescued her after she fell in a creek and needed to Ambulance continues on A10
Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times
A Zapata County Fire Department ambulance was part of a 3-vehicle collision at the intersection of Bustamante Street and Bartlett Avenue on Friday.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says the United States is committed to the mutual defense of NATO members, casting aside concerns that his failure to mention the commitment last month weakened the alliance. Trump said Friday that he was “committing the United States to Article 5.” That article in the NATO treaty says an attack on one member is an attack on all members and binds the allies to come to that country’s defense. European countries and others expressed concern last month when Trump did not mention the clause in a speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels. In that speech, Trump demanded that allies live up to a pledge to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense by 2024. He did not specifically mention Article 5, which has only been invoked once, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “I’m committing the United States to Article 5,” Trump told reporters at a news conference Friday with visiting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. “Certainly we are there to protect, and that’s one of the reasons that I want people to make sure we have a very, very strong force by paying the kind of money necessary to have that force. But yes, absolutely, I’d be committed to Article 5.” The White House later reaffirmed the commitment in a statement announcing that Trump will visit Poland next month as part of his second foreign trip. It said that in addition to showing America’s support of Poland, the trip will also emphasize the president’s commitment to strengthening NATO’s “collective defense.” Trump’s omission in Brussels raised concerns on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. White House aides said the NATO continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, June 10, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, JUNE 10
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
The Martin High School Class of 1957 60th Reunion. Embassy Suites, 110 Calle Del Norte. Classmates wishing to attend should register by checking the class website at mhsclassof57.org or calling Irma Perales Mireles at 956-286-6385.
Today is Saturday, June 10, the 161st day of 2017. There are 204 days left in the year.
Today's Highlights in History: On June 10, 1967, war in the Mideast ended as Israel and Syria accepted a United Nations-mediated cease-fire; during the six days of conflict with Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, Israeli forces captured the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Academy Award-winning actor Spencer Tracy died in Beverly Hills, California, at age 67.
TUESDAY, JUNE 13 Les Amies Birthday Club monthly meeting. 11:30 a.m. Ramada Plaza. Honorees are Viola Gonzalez, Luisa Peña and Grace Stegmann. Hostesses are Velia Herrera, Mercedes Salinas and Mary Lou Solis.
THURSDAY, JUNE 22 Why Invasive Species are So Invasive—An Ecosystem Approach. 6:30 p.m. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park Ranchito. Presented by Stephen Lange, Project Leader, South Texas Ecosystem Project, Chaparral and Daughtrey Wildlife Management Areas. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com Spanish Book Club. 6-8 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library. For more info call Sylvia Reash at 956-763-1810.
MONDAY, JULY 3 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30—7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual’s medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
SATURDAY, JULY 22 Laredo and South Texas Weather. 2 p.m. TAMIU Student Center, Room 236. Presented by Richard ‘Heatwave” Berler, Chief Meteorologist, KGNS-TV. Free and open to the public. For more information, email: brushcountrychapter@gmail.com
FRIDAY, AUG. 18 South Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls XI. Laredo Energy Arena. TexMex power rock trio Los Lonely Boys will perform. The event includes a dinner, a benefit concert and a silent auction featuring artworks from local and regional artists. Sponsorship tables of 10 that include dinner and access to silent auction items are available. There are different levels of sponsorship available: Diamond $20,000, Platinum $10,000, Gold $5,000, Silver $2,500 and Bronze $1,500. Individual table tickets are $150. Table tickets are available at the food bank, 1907 Freight at Riverside. Concert only tickets are $10, $15 and $25. Tickets are available at the LEA box office, Ticketmaster.com, select Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Submit calendar items at lmtonline.com/calendar/submit or by emailing editorial@lmtonline.com with the event’s name, date and time, location, purpose and contact information for a representative. Items will run as space is available.
Ebrahim Noroozi / Associated Press
Iranians attend the funeral of victims of an Islamic State militant attack on Wednesday, in Tehran, Iran on Friday.
IRAN ACCUSES US, SAUDIS OF SUPPORTING TEHRAN ATTACKS TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian leaders on Friday accused the United States and Saudi Arabia of supporting the Islamic Stateclaimed dual attacks that killed 17 people in Tehran this week, as thousands of Iranians attended a funeral ceremony for the victims. The country’s Supreme Leader said the attacks will add to the hatred that Iranians harbor toward the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. In a condolence message ahead of a funeral for the victims, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the attack: “will not damage
Indian legislator declares war on ‘killer’ dumplings An Indian politician has declared war on “killer” Asian dumplings, saying teenagers’ addiction to the popular local street food is “like drugs” and that they cause cancer. Ramesh Arora, a member of the state legislative assembly in Jammu in northern India, has been waging a five-month battle against the popular South Asian street food known
the Iranian nation’s determination and the obvious result is nothing except an increase in hate for the governments of the United States and their stooges in the region like Saudi (Arabia),” state media reported. On Thursday, Iran’s Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said investigators were working to determine whether Saudi Arabia had a role Wednesday’s attacks but said it was too soon to say if that was the case. — Compiled from AP reports
as momos - tiny steamed pockets of dough with meat or vegetable filling. “Our teenagers are getting addicted to the dumplings like drugs. It’s spoiling their health. We have to stop it,” Arora said at a demonstration Wednesday, during which he stood in front of an image of a momo with a large red cross and a slogan that read “Say no to momos.” Arora believes the dumplings are “dangerous” because of the use of ajinomoto, which contains monosodium gluta-
mate, a flavor enhancer used in many street foods. “Momo is a killer and we cannot allow a killer to grow in a civilized society. Ajinomoto is dangerous for health,” he said, according to the news website Scroll. In 2016, he tried to attempt to control the number of momo stalls in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Indians took to Twitter to mock the proposed ban, which the Hindustan Times dubbed “Momogate.” — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE NATION Immigration judge frees Mexican activist US was trying to deport SAN DIEGO — A Mexican woman was released from custody Friday while the U.S. government seeks to deport her after a judge rejected arguments she should wear a monitoring device because she was arrested twice while demonstrating in support of people in the country illegally. Claudia Rueda, 22, plans to apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program started in 2012 under President Barack Obama that shields immigrants who came to the U.S. as young children from being deported. Her case has drawn attention because she has no criminal record and is an immigration activist. The immigration judge, Annie S. Garcy, said holding
Jim Watson /AFP/Getty Images
Rene Bermudez, right, wipes away tears as he holds his daughter during a protest on behalf of his wife.
Rueda without bond was “unduly severe” and allowed her to be released on her own recognizance. She noted Ruedas’ academic and other achievements and was incredulous when a government attorney asked that Rueda be required
to wear a monitoring device. Rueda, a student at California State University, was arrested on immigration charges May 18 outside a relative’s home in connection with what the U.S. Border Patrol said was a drug smuggling investi-
gation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it would comply with the order to release Rueda and will consider any additional requests by her attorney. — Compiled from AP reports
On this date: In 1692, the first execution resulting from the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts took place as Bridget Bishop was hanged. In 1892, the Republican national convention in Minneapolis nominated President Benjamin Harrison for re-election and Whitelaw Reid for vice president. (Harrison, however, lost the election to former President Grover Cleveland.) In 1907, eleven men in five cars set out on a race from "Peking to Paris." In 1922, singer-actress Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. In 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio, by Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith and William Griffith Wilson. In 1942, during World War II, German forces massacred 173 male residents of Lidice, Czechoslovakia, in retaliation for the killing of Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich. In 1944, German forces massacred 642 residents of the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane. In 1957, in Canadian elections, John Diefenbaker led the Progressive Conservatives to an upset victory over the Liberal party of Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent. In 1977, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Prison in Tennessee with six others; he was recaptured June 13. In 1982, Steven Spielberg's sci-fi fantasy "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" had its world premiere in Los Angeles. In 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard of South Lake Tahoe, California, was abducted by Phillip and Nancy Garrido; Jaycee was held by the couple for 18 years before she was found by authorities. In 2002, organized crime figure John Gotti died at a prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri, at age 61. A partial solar eclipse cast a shadow over parts of eastern Asia, the Pacific Ocean and North America. Ten years ago: HBO aired the final episode of "The Sopranos," featuring an abrupt blackout ending that left forever dangling the fate of mob boss Tony Soprano. Five years ago: Shanshan Feng won the LPGA Championship to become the first Chinese player to win an LPGA Tour title and a major event, closing with a 5-under 67 for a twostroke victory at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York. One year ago: Singer Christina Grimmie, 22, a finalist on NBC's "The Voice," was shot to death during a meet-and-greet after giving a concert in Orlando, Florida, by an apparently obsessed fan who then killed himself. Today's Birthdays: Britain's Prince Philip is 96. Actress Alexandra Stewart is 78. Singer Shirley Alston Reeves (The Shirelles) is 76. Actor Jurgen Prochnow is 76. Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts is 66. Country singer-songwriter Thom Schuyler is 65. Actor Andrew Stevens is 62. Singer Barrington Henderson is 61. Rock musician Kim Deal is 56. Singer Maxi Priest is 56. Actress Gina Gershon is 55. Actress Jeanne Tripplehorn is 54. Rock musician Jimmy Chamberlin is 53. Actor Ben Daniels is 53. Actress Kate Flannery is 53. Model-actress Elizabeth Hurley is 52. Rock musician Joey Santiago is 52. Actor Doug McKeon is 51. Rock musician Emma Anderson is 50. Country musician Brian Hofeldt (The Derailers) is 50. Rapper The D.O.C. is 49. Rock singer Mike Doughty is 47. Rhythm-and-blues singer JoJo is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Faith Evans is 44. Actor Hugh Dancy is 42. Rhythm-and-blues singer Lemisha Grinstead (702) is 39. Actor DJ Qualls is 39. Actor Shane West is 39. Country singer Lee Brice is 38. Singer Hoku is 36. Actress Leelee Sobieski is 35. Olympic gold medal figure skater Tara Lipinski is 35. Americana musician Bridget Kearney (Lake Street Drive) is 32. Model-actress Kate Upton is 25. Sasha Obama is 16. Thought for Today: "I am firm. You are obstinate. He is a pig-headed fool." — Katharine Whitehorn, British newspaper columnist.
CONTACT US AROUND TEXAS Sheriff: Policy violated in escape that led to killing BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Detention officers did not follow sheriff ’s policy when an inmate being transported to a dental appointment overpowered his guard, escaped, and killed a man before being fa-
tally shot by police, a South Texas sheriff said Friday. Two guards are supposed to transport an inmate, Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said during a news conference, but only one was available Thursday to take Miguel Garcia, 38, to his appointment. Authorities say Garcia fashioned a toothbrush into a
weapon and brought it into the sheriff ’s vehicle, The Brownsville Herald reported. Authorities allege that Garcia somehow undid his shackles and slashed the guard in the neck when they arrived at the dental office in Brownsville, near the Mexico border. Garcia then allegedly took the guard’s handgun and fled.
The guard was hospitalized Friday in stable condition. Lucio said sheriff ’s officials will review department procedures to see what changes are needed to avoid such an escape from happening again. He’ll likely seek additional funding from Cameron County commissioners to boost jail staff, he said. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, June 10, 2017 |
LOCAL
A3
ICE shutters detention alternative for asylum-seekers By Frank Bajak ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Courtesy / Zapata County Fire Department
Authorities inspect the site of a single-vehicle crash that left one woman injured June 3 south of San Ygnacio.
Woman in stable condition after crash in San Ygnacio By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
A woman was flown out to a nearby hospital following a single-vehicle crash reported June 3 south of San Ygnacio, first responders said. She was listed in stable condition. The Zapata County Fire Department responded to the crash at about 6:15 a.m. Crews found a woman who needed extraction, according to reports. EMS crews and representatives from the Zapa-
ta County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol Zapata Station and the Texas Department of Public Safety combined efforts to extricate the woman, according to first responders. “We want to thank everyone who helped out. Especially to Sheriff's Office Deputies David Moya, Freddy Hernandez and Border Patrol Agent Larry Ramirez and his fellow colleagues for going that extra mile. “Prayers for the female involved in the accident,” the fire department said.
HOUSTON — The Trump administration is shutting down the least restrictive alternative to detention available to asylum-seekers who have entered the U.S. illegally, The Associated Press has learned. Immigration activists consider the move a callous insult to migrants fleeing traumatic violence and poverty — nearly all the program’s participants are Central American mothers and children — by a White House that has prioritized deportations that break up families over assimilating refugees. “This is a clear attempt to punish mothers who are trying to save their children’s lives by seeking protection in the United States,” said Michelle Brane of the nonprofit Women’s Refugee Commission. “I think it’s crazy they are shutting down a program that is so incredibly successful.” The overwhelming majority of asylum-seekers that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spares confinement at family detention centers — about 70,000 —have been placed in an intrusive “intensive supervision” program as they await court hearings on whether they can stay in the U.S. GPS ankle monitors are strapped on three in seven. The wearers, mostly
women, complain of bruises and public ostracism. The Family Case Management Program that is being shuttered had 630 families enrolled as of April 19. Essentially a counseling service, it has operated in Chicago, Miami, New York, Los Angeles and Baltimore/Washington, D.C., since January 2016. Social workers help participants find lawyers, navigate the overburdened immigration court system, get housing and health care, and enroll the kids in school. Women who previously would have been eligible can now expect to be put on ankle monitors, said Lilian Alba, program manager at the International Institute of Los Angeles, one of the community-based agencies running the program. It will end June 20, according to a letter signed by Ann M. Schlarb, an executive with GEO Group Inc., the for-profit Boca Raton, Florida, prison company that operated the program under contract with ICE. Dated Thursday, the letter was emailed to members of an advisory group and provided to the AP by Brane, who received it at the end of business hours. The program’s director at GEO Group, Mary Loiselle, referred all questions to ICE, which was reached by email but had no immediate comment.
Schlarb did not explain in the letter why ICE decided to shutter the program, whose contract had been renewed in September for a year. “The families have thrived,” wrote Schlarb, president of the GEO Group division that also manages the company’s electronic-monitoring business. She noted that 99 percent of participants “successfully attended their court appearances and ICE check-ins.” That includes more than a dozen families who were ultimately deported, added Brane, a member of a DHS advisory panel on family detention. The Trump administration’s fiscal 2018 budget request has other priorities. It seeks a $1.6 billion increase to expand detention and removals — and the GEO Group in April signed a $110 million contract with ICE to open a new 1,000-bed immigration detention center in Houston. Agencies that run the program in Los Angeles and Chicago told the AP in April that the GEO Group had informed them that ICE was ending it. “We don’t want to abandon these ladies,” Myrna Fragoroso, director of the Frida Kahlo Community Organization, the Chicago partner, said at the time. “The stories of these ladies, if you hear them, will break your heart.” To qualify for the program, participants had
proven in initial interviews a legitimate credible fear of returning to their home countries. It is geared to “special populations, such as pregnant women, nursing mothers, families with very young children,” said Sarah Rodriguez, an ICE spokeswoman. Family case management cost the government $36 a day per family versus between $5-$7 per adult for intensive supervision. That compares to $319 per-person for a family detention center bed. The Trump administration’s budget request calls for spending an additional $57 million for an alternative to detention programs this year. Nearly all will go to the socalled “Intensive Supervision Appearance Program,” for which GEO Group also has the contract. The U.S. government began the long-term detention of families in 2014, responding to an influx of women and children seeking asylum from record gang violence in Central America. The following year, a federal judge ruled that children cannot be kept more than 20 days in detention centers that have not been licensed as child-care facilities. ICE has not adhered to that ruling, however. An Afghan woman was recently kept with her two children at a Texas detention lockdown for six months.
Zapata County Regional Jain now hiring cook By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
Authorities are looking for an experienced cook
for the Zapata County Regional Jail. The Zapata County Sheriff's Office announced this week that
they are taking applications for the position. Applications are available at the Sheriff's Office.
Contact the Sheriff’s Office at 765-9960 for more information.
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A4 | Saturday, June 10, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Is the new texting ban the best Texas can do? By Ken Herman COX N EWSPAPE RS
Tucked into Gov. Greg Abbott’s Tuesday announcement about the upcoming special legislative session was the revelation that he’d signed into law the bill banning texting while driving. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo. More from Abbott: “But I was not satisfied with this law as it was written. ... We’ve got to pre-empt all local ordinances that regulate mobile devices in vehicles. ... We don’t need a patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas.” About 90 Texas cities have some form of ban. The new state law, effective Sept. 1, bans only “electronic messages” and allows lots of other uses, including handson phone calls, surfing the web and doing your income taxes. So our local ordinance does more to promote safety than the state law, with which Abbott wants to override it. I get the potential problem of patchwork. But why not a state law more like our local ordinance? You’ve got to figure that millions (or more) of texts are sent by drivers every day. Shockingly few of those texts ever cause a problem. But when they do, they can kill. “Insurers believe this bill will save lives on Texas roads,” said Joe Woods, vice president of state government relations for the Property Casualty Insurers of America. “By making texting while driving a primary offense, law enforcement can pull over drivers who are seen using their devices while driving.” Sure enough, and that might be a problem. Some of what those drivers are doing — using a navigation app, navigating a music app — remains legal. HB 62 says, “An operator commits an offense if the operator uses a portable wireless communication device to read, write or send an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is stopped. To be prosecuted, the behavior must be committed in the presence of or within the view of a
peace officer or established by other evidence.” Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, made a defensible, if unsuccessful, case for changing that last “or” to an “and.” “My concern with this bill, members, is it’s got a lot of holes in it, and enforcement, I think, is an issue,” Taylor told colleagues as the bill was headed for Senate approval in May. “From what I’ve been told, it exempts things like using your phone for GPS, for music apps and for traffic apps. “And so we have a real problem with people being pulled over for potentially doing things that are perfectly legal under this law,” he said. Taylor did some Senate floor show-and-tell, tapping on his cellphone and challenging colleagues to guess what he was doing. “Am I texting or right now am I actually in Waze looking for the quickest way out of here?” he asked, then moving on to what he called a “search for the greatest hits of the ‘60s.” And, in a counterintuitive argument, Taylor said a cellphone in a driver’s hand can promote safety, such as using GPS instead of struggling to read street signs at night. Taylor unsuccessfully pushed to change “or” to “and” so that to have a violation of the new law a cop would have to see illegal texting and there’d have to be other evidence of a violation. “This is a very emotional issue,” he said, “and I understand that. I know that people have died texting. “I am against that. But at the same time there are reasonable uses of a device while you’re driving that are reasonable and safe.” Bill sponsor Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, said Taylor’s proposed change would make the law unenforceable. His amendment was voted down 19-12 and the bill was approved 23-8, with Taylor and seven other Republicans saying nay. We need a law regulating cellphone use, for any purpose, while driving. The question is whether this is the right law. Or — is this just the best law we could get? Ken Herman is a columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs
the letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling 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.
EDITORIAL
Comey’s vivid testimony WASHINGTON P O ST
Former FBI director James Comey, testifying under oath Thursday to the Senate Intelligence Committee, painted a picture of a president grossly abusing his executive authority. According to Comey, President Donald Trump pressured him to declare his loyalty, pressured him to drop an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and then fired him in an effort to alter the course of the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign. However Trump and his allies may spin the testimony, these are serious and disturbing allegations. Also disturbing is the revelation that Trump showed little concern about the underlying offense - Russia’s efforts to subvert American democracy. Disappointingly, Re-
publican senators at the hearing for the most part tried to play the part of Trump defense lawyers, challenging or playing down Comey’s testimony. Their efforts for the most part boomeranged. Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, for example, implied that Trump’s pressure regarding the Flynn investigation was no big deal because he did not issue a flat command. “He did not order you to let it go,” Risch said. “He said, ‘I hope.’ “ Comey responded with a brief lesson on the power of the presidency. “I took it as a direction,” Comey said. He added that it was “very significant” that the president asked everyone else to leave the room before expressing his “hope,” saying that an investigator would note what this indicated about the president’s intent. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., minimized Flynn’s misdeeds, arguing it is unlikely he would be charged with breaking
the Logan Act. Comey pointed out that Flynn may have lied to government investigators - as well as to the vice president, exposing himself to Russian blackmail which would be no small lapse. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, suggested that firing Comey was probably not a good way to end the Russia inquiry, implying that the president could not have meant to obstruct the probe. Yet throughout, Comey cited the president’s statement that he had the Russia matter on his mind when he fired Comey. The ousted FBI director explicitly drew the conclusion the facts suggest: “I was fired in some way to change, or the endeavor was to change, the way the Russia investigation was being conducted.” Overall, the Republican effort to minimize the president’s transgressions served only to make those senators look small. Co-
mey, a man of integrity, explained over the course of his testimony that the president’s requests breached a barrier that must be maintained between the president and the FBI, “shocked” career law enforcement officials and were unprecedented in his long experience. He described the president as a man law enforcement could not trust, an unusually irresponsible politician who he feared would “lie” to the public and who dishonestly defamed the FBI. That, he said, is why he kept such careful notes of his meetings with the president. Finally, Comey reminded senators that no one, least of all the president, should be uninterested in investigating and responding to the Russians’ hostile activities. “It’s not a Republican thing or a Democratic thing. It really is an American thing,” Comey said.”They’re just about their own advantage. They will be back.”
OP-ED
Were James Comey’s leaks lawful? By Stephen M. Kohn WASHINGTON P O ST
During his Senate testimony Thursday, former FBI director James B. Comey admitted to being an anonymous leaker. Let’s set the record straight. The vast majority of anonymous leaks are fully legal, many serve the public interest, they follow in a tradition widely practiced by our nation’s Founding Fathers, and they are recognized as fully protected speech by the U.S. Supreme Court. The law is clear and was most recently tested in a case pitting a federal employee whistleblower, fired for leaking information to MSNBC, against both the Bush and Obama administrations. It started on July 26, 2003, when the Department of Homeland Security issued a confidential internal notice warning that al-Qaida was planning attacks on U.S. airlines. All U.S. air marshals were briefed on the plot, which included smuggling weapons onto flights and having hijackers “overpower” airline crew. But within days of this warning, DHS canceled planting marshals on numerous airline
flights. Air Marshal Robert MacLean protested to his supervisors and the DHS inspector general. He was told that the Transportation Security Administration wanted “to save money on hotel costs because there was no more money in the budget” and that there was nothing he could do to change the policy. The whistleblower became a “leaker.” He simply could not accept the fact that air marshals were being pulled from overnight flights during a high-level security crisis. He confidentially contacted an MSNBC reporter and blew the whistle. MSNBC published the story. Within 24 hours of the “leak” being reported by MSNBC, DHS reversed its decision. Air marshals were again placed on the overnight flights, protecting the American people. The “leaker” was not offered praise for stopping a boneheaded policy. Instead, DHS commenced a search for the whistleblower and eventually identified MacLean as the rat fink. He was fired in April 2006 for providing “sensitive information without authorization” to the press.
Over the course of two presidential administrations, DHS used every legal trick in the book to grind MacLean down, destroy his reputation and ensure that he would never work for the government again. In 2015, nine long years after he was fired, his case came before the Supreme Court. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the majority opinion. He ruled that MacLean’s firing violated the Whistleblower Protection Act, and MacLean won his job back. Why is leaking protected? First, absent a specific legal prohibition, government employees have a constitutional right to speak out on matters of public concern. This right was recognized by the Supreme Court in 1968 and is unchallenged today. Second, Americans have a right to blow the whistle anonymously. Our Founding Fathers engaged in anonymous speech, and the utility of speaking out confidentially is widely recognized. Whistleblowers know that anonymity is their best shield against the tyranny of government. Once a whistleblower is known, his or her life is
never the same. They are ostracized, fired and blacklisted. Comey’s admission — that he gave a memo documenting a conversation with Trump to a friend to be leaked to the press — is also legal. Was the information classified or secret as a matter of a federal law? Absolutely not. Did he reveal a matter of public interest? Yes. Did Comey have a right to expose these facts anonymously? Yes. It is time to stop attacking leakers. If someone illegally releases properly classified information, that violates the law. But the vast majority of leakers who release information on matters of public concern are not illegally disclosing classified information; they are blowing the whistle anonymously. The right of current or former government employees to speak out on matters of public concern is protected under the U.S. Constitution. This is how a democracy functions. Stephen M. Kohn is the author of “The New Whistleblower’s Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Doing What’s Right and Protecting Yourself.”
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, June 10, 2017 |
CRIME
Wanted man arrested, 2 more sought By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
A man wanted by authorities was arrested this week, according to the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. Kristopher Alan Essary, 33, was arrested Tuesday at a resiMedina dence in the 100 block of Riverside Drive. He was served with a warrant charging him with assault. If convicted, he could serve up to one year in jail or pay a fine of up to $4,000 or both. He remained behind bars at the Zapata County Regional Jail as of Friday afternoon. Sheriff’s officials said they are still looking for two other suspects who were featured recently as wanted people. 1 Jaime Alejo Sierra, or
Sierra
Essary
“El Mascafierro": Sierra is wanted for evading arrest, a Class A misdemeanor punishable with up to one year in jail or $4,000 fine or both. His height is 5 feet, 6 inches. 1 Felipe Adair Medina: He is wanted for burglary of habitation, a seconddegree felony punishable with two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Medina is 5 feet, 3 inches tall. Zapata Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward for information leading to their arrest. To provide information on their whereabouts, call the Sheriff’s Office at 956765-9960 or Zapata Crime Stoppers at 765-TIPS (8477).
More Texas foster children sleeping in offices, hotels A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — The number of abused and neglected children sleeping in hotels and Texas state offices because foster-care beds aren’t available has continued to climb.
Department of Family and Protective Services spokesman Patrick Crimmins tells The Dallas Morning News that almost 85 children spent at least two nights in a hotel or department office in May, a 20 percent increase from the previous month.
A5
Texas sheriff’s deputy, husband accused of murder leave jail By Juan A. Lozano ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON— A Houston-area sheriff’s deputy and her husband — both charged with murder in the killing of a man during a late-night confrontation — were released early Friday after turning themselves in to authorities. Chauna and Terry Thompson were freed after each posting bonds of $100,000, the Harris County sheriff’s office said Friday. Both are scheduled to have their first court appearance on Tuesday. They surrendered to authorities late Thursday after a grand jury that day handed up separate murder indictments against them. The Thompsons are accused of causing the May 28 death of 24-yearold John Hernandez outside a Denny’s restaurant in Sheldon, an unincorporated community 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) northeast of Houston. Authorities allege Terry Thompson confronted an intoxicated Hernandez after seeing him urinate in public. Chauna Thompson, who was off-duty,
Brett Coomer / Associated Press
Chauna Thompson arrives to turn herself in to the Harris County Sheriff's Office on Thursday in Houston.
arrived later to help her husband subdue and restrain Hernandez. Cellphone video recorded by an unidentified bystander has been released by the bystander’s attorney and posted on local media websites. The footage shows a man who appears to be Terry Thompson lying on top of Hernandez. Jack Carroll, the attorney for the person who recorded the video, has said the man restraining Hernandez used an illegal chokehold.
A medical examiner ruled that Hernandez died of lack of oxygen to the brain caused by strangulation and chest compression. Chauna Thompson remains on administrative leave indefinitely, and her employment status will not be decided until after the internal investigation, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Thursday. Greg Cagle, an attorney for Chauna Thompson, said Friday that Hernandez attacked the deputy’s
husband and it was reasonable for Terry Thompson to hold down Hernandez as a result of being attacked. Cagle said the indictments of the Thompsons were politically motivated by the district attorney’s office. Attorney Scot Courtney, who is representing Terry Thompson, said there wasn’t enough evidence to warrant a murder indictment against his client, and that Terry Thompson did not intend to cause Hernandez’s death. He also criticized the district attorney’s office for putting the case before a grand jury so quickly. Relatives of Hernandez said they are pleased the Thompsons were indicted, but that they won’t stop putting pressure on authorities to bring justice in the case. Despite the indictments, the criminal investigation continues with the assistance of the Texas Rangers and the U.S. Justice Department, Ogg said. Hernandez was Latino and the Thompsons are white. Authorities have said they are investigating whether race was a factor in the incident.
Mom charged after leaving toddlers to die in hot car ASSOCIATED PRE SS
KERRVILLE, Texas — A 19-year-old Texas mother whose two toddlers died when she left them for hours inside a hot vehicle while she visited friends has been charged with child endangerment.
Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer says Amanda Hawkins was arrested in San Antonio Thursday and is being held on $70,000 bond. Investigators believe Hawkins intentionally left her daughters in the vehicle in Kerrville from Tues-
day night until midday Wednesday, when temperatures were in the 80s. The girls, 1-year-old Brynn Hawkins and 2-year-old Addyson Overgard-Eddy, died in a San Antonio hospital Thursday. Hierholzer says autopsies have been ordered.
Magistrate records list no attorney to comment on Hawkins’ behalf. Hierholzer says Hawkins told doctors that the girls collapsed while smelling flowers. Kerrville is 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of San Antonio.
Sports&Outdoors A6 | Saturday, June 10, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
Texans secondary coach John Butler confident in system Houston’s secondary ranked 2nd best in 2016 By Aaron Wilson H OUSTO N CHRONI CLE
During a season where the Texans finished with the topranked defense in the NFL, they remained a difficult team to complete passes against. The AFC South champions didn't have any defensive backs named to the Pro Bowl. Veteran cornerback Johnathan Joseph is the last defensive back on the Texans' roster to be named to the annual all-star game, and his last appearance was in 2012. The Texans finished second overall in pass defense, though, as they allowed just 201.6 passing yards per game. The Denver Broncos, who feature a pair of Pro Bowl corners in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr., finished first by surrendering just 185.8 passing yards per game. "We have good players that have bought into our scheme," secondary coach John Butler said. "I think the scheme we've kind of put together through RAC (Romeo Crennel) and now
Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle file
Houston cornerback Kevin Johnson had surgery to address a Jones fracture in his foot and is expected to play a vital role in the Texans’ secondary this season.
continue with Mike (Vrabel), it's player-friendly. It's multiple. It requires players that are smart, that have ability, that can make adjustments. We have ways to protect the players so that they're not always exposed one-on-one in coverage all the time. "I think one of the biggest things is constantly hitting on, 'We're only as strong as we are together.' We're always saying that and whether it's four strong, five or six. A lot of the
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
times in our sub defenses we've got six DBs on the field. That's six of eleven guys, so they've all got to be playing at their best, performing at a high level. And I think they embrace that, understand that some of our best defense that we've played is when we have five or six DBs on the field." One of the Texans' biggest challenges this offseason will be accounting for the departure of talented cornerback A.J. Bouye. Bouye was a big part of the
Texans' defensive success last season, aggressively shadowing wide receivers. He improved to the point where it became an expensive proposition to retain him and the former undrafted free agent signed a five-year, $67.5 million contract during free agency with the Jacksonville Jaguars. "Well, A.J. had a nice career with us while I was here, there was a year when I wasn't, but then for the last three years he developed very well through the
next three years within this system," Butler said. "I think the system has a lot to do with that, too, the players he's playing with, the system that we've put in, understanding where the strengths and weaknesses of the system is so you can't be exposed. "But, as far as the next person up, that's kind of what we evolve on so if somebody gets hurt, somebody goes to another team, whether it's a corner or a safety, it's just about the take advantage of the opportunity and competing at your highest level and taking the coaching and transferring it to the field. The Texans are counting on the healthy return of former first-round cornerback Kevin Johnson from surgery to address a Jones fracture in his foot to help make up for the loss of Bouye. "I just want, first of all for Kevin to be healthy so that he can play at the level I think he's capable of," Butler said. "Speaking to him, he feels like he's as healthy as he's ever been, so that's just got to translate to a good summer.” The Texans are also upbeat about the progress of younger corners Robert Nelson and Denzel Rice, who have both made some impressive plays during organized team activities.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
Dallas LB Smith happy to be back on the field By Schuyler Dixon ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Patrick Semansky / Associated Press file
Spurs vice president of basketball operations Monty Williams will be the first recipient of The Sager Strong Award.
Spurs VP Williams to receive first-ever Sager Strong Award By Jabari Young SA N A N TONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
Monty Williams will be honored later this month as the first-ever recipient of The Sager Strong Award, named after longtime Turner Sports sideline reporter Craig Sager. The award will be presented annually to an individual who exemplifies “courage, faith, compassion and grace,” according to Turner Sports press release. Williams displayed that faith emphasized in the characteristics of the Sager Strong award after losing his wife, Ingrid, in a tragic car accident in 2016. “Craig Sager’s amazing attitude was truly inspirational. He was a champion during his battle, fighting every day with grace and humor. I have great respect for Craig, Stacy and the Sager family so it’s humbling to be the first recipient of the Sager Strong Award,” said Williams in a statement. “In our case, my children and I couldn’t have made it through the tough times without the grace of God and the wonderful support we received from family and friends. For all of those who prayed for us, everyone who
provided us with hope, love and support, it’s impossible to thank each of you enough. We are forever grateful.” Added Spurs GM R.C. Buford to the Express-News: “We all know that Monty is uncomfortable receiving praise but the grace, class and character that he has displayed throughout this ordeal is truly remarkable. This honor is a wonderful recognition for both Monty and his amazing family. They continue to impress and inspire us on a daily basis.” Known for his colorful wardrobe and unique personality, Sager was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. He died last December from acute myeloid leukemia. Sager was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame shortly after his death. “Craig Sager remains an iconic and courageous figure for all of us,” said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in a statement. “I know Monty feels honored to be associated with this award and is certainly deserving of this recognition.” Williams, who is the Spurs vice president of basketball operations, will receive the award on June 26 at the NBA Awards show in New York.
FRISCO, Texas — Jaylon Smith dodged specific questions about practice time and a brace the Dallas linebacker wears around his left foot and ankle 18 months after a devastating knee injury in his final game at Notre Dame. The vague approach has been Smith’s preference since the Cowboys drafted him last year despite the injury, knowing he probably wouldn’t play as a rookie. Now that reporters have finally seen him in practice for the first time, not much has changed in Smith’s answers. “Just doing everything I’ve been doing,” he said with a smile Wednesday as Dallas wrapped up three weeks of offseason practice before next week’s three-day minicamp. Smith did individual drills and some 7-on-7 work with reporters watching. It was his sixth practice on a schedule that allowed the Cowboys to keep his first five workouts private with so much talk about what role nerve regeneration will play in whether Smith can return to pre-injury form. Dallas won’t have another private practice until sometime pretty close to the season opener against the New York Giants at home on Sept. 10. And Smith has been specific about one thing: He expects to play in that game. There figures to come a time when Smith does everything in practice no matter who’s watching. “We’re absolutely going to get to that point before we play in games,” coach Jason Garrett said. “But I think within the confines of what we’re asking him to do, we’re really cutting him loose him every day. He’s responded so well to that.” The Cowboys took Smith
LM Otero / Associated Press
Dallas linebacker Jaylon Smith is happy to be back at practice this week after recovering from a knee injury 18 months ago.
early in the second round in 2016, much earlier than analysts expected after the injury that ruined his stock as a potential top-five pick. Smith tore two ligaments and sustained nerve damage in a New Year’s Day bowl game against Ohio State. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones still insists Smith could have played late last season, when the Cowboys were the top seed in the NFC at 13-3 before losing to Green Bay in the divisional round. And Smith referred to the same thing when asked when he felt he had reached a point physically that he was ready to play. Dallas never veered from the plan to sideline him for the season, and now the Cowboys are taking the gradual approach in Smith’s first workouts. “No difference,” linebackers coach Matt Eberflus said on the plan for next week’s minicamp. “Just a slow progression. He’s worked his way into individual, now he’s working his way into team periods. Just a slow progression of working there, increasing his reps as we go.” Smith’s upbeat approach played a role in Dallas’ decision
to draft him. “Clear-eyed view” is the catch-phrase he uses every time he’s asked what kept him going through a long rehab process that still isn’t complete. Linebacker Sean Lee missed an entire season at Penn State and another one with the Cowboys because of knee injuries. He missed at least one game because of injury in each of his first six seasons. But he never saw a pressing need to be Smith’s counselor on how to handle down time. “He doesn’t need too much perspective because he’s doing such a great job and because he has such unbelievable character. I think he comes by it naturally,” said Lee, who avoided injury in 2016 and was an AllPro for the first time. “It’s a matter of time for you, just stay the path.” Smith reflects with pride on his perspective. “I understood that it was going to be a process,” Smith said. “And I truly embraced it. So now that I’m getting back to football and being a part of the team, being a part of the guys, really being a part of this culture that we’ve built, it’s embracing it.”
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, June 10, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CAMPAMENTO DE VERANO DE TENNIS 1 Hawk Tennis Summer Camp se llevará a cabo del 5 al 8 de junio y del 12 al 15 de junio, de 9 a.m. a 10:30 a.m., para niños desde kinder hasta 9o. grado. Los participantes serán divididos en grupos de principiantes, intermedios y avanzados. Cuota es de 40 dólares y descuentos para hermanos. PROGRAMA DE COMIDA EN VERANO 1 El distrito escolar Zapata Independent School District participa en el Programa de Servicio de Comida en el Verano que se proporciona a todos los menores sin cargo alguno. Las escuelas y lugares participantes son Zapata High School, Zapata Middle School, Fidel & Andrea Villarreal Elementary, Zapata North Elementary, Zapata South Elementary, A.L. Benavides Elementary, Boys and Girls Club of Zapata, Siesta Shores Park, Zapata Community Center y First Baptist Church.
JUICIO CONTRA CONOCOPHILLIPS
Afirman orden judicial Demandantes recibirán casi 12 millones de dólares Por Taryn Walters TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
El Cuarto Tribunal de Apelaciones afirmó un juicio de casi 12 millones de dólares esta semana, encontrando que la corte de distrito de Zapata estaba en lo correcto al otorgar compensaciones por minerales a una mujer y su hermano que heredaron de su abuela y estaban siendo recolectados erróneamente por ConocoPhillips. La apelación surgió como una disputa por la titularidad de un cuarto de interés del mineral estatal subyacente a un tracto de tierra de 1.058
acres conocido como el Rancho Las Piedras en Zapata, indica la opinión del tribunal de apelaciones. Minerva Clementina Ramírez y León Oscar Ramírez Jr. emitieron una demanda contra ConocoPhillips en noviembre de 2010 en la Corte de Distrito 49 del Condado de Zapata para recuperar su parte de los minerales producidos por la compañía. Mientras que ConocoPhillips ha estado pagando regalías a los integrantes de la familia Ramírez que firmaron los arrendamientos en 1993 y 1997, Ramírez y Ramírez
Jr. no firmaron los arrendamientos y no estaban siendo compensados. El 6 de diciembre de 2012, la corte otorgó mociones enmendadas para resumir el juicio. El juicio final indicaba que Minerva y León Oscar Ramírez Jr. eran los dueños de 1/6 de los minerales (1/12 cada uno). Sus partes sumaban un total de 9.432.070 dólares. En mayo de 2015, la corte otorgó 1.125.000 dólares adicionales a cada uno por los honorarios de los abogados a Minerva y León Ramírez Jr., sumando un total de 11.682.070 dólares, los cuales se dividirían por igual entre los dos.
“Después de pasar siete largos años en un litigio dificultoso contra ConocoPhillips y su enorme equipo de abogados, la familia Ramírez está muy contenta porque el Cuarto Tribunal de Apelaciones afirmó la orden de la corte de otorgar más de 11 millones de dólares por el descarado error de ConocoPhillips”, dijo el abogado Alberto Alarcón, quien representa a los hermanos Ramírez, en una declaración a LMT. El miércoles, la corte de apelaciones falló en contra de varias preocupaciones expresadas por ConocoPhillips, el tío de los hermanos Ramírez, Ro-
DEPARTAMENTO DE BOMBEROS
APRENDEN SOBRE INCENDIOS
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.
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.
OFICINA DEL ALGUACIL
Ejecutan orden de arresto TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
TORNEO DE GOLF 1 Boys and Girls Club of Zapata County invitan al 1er. Torneo de Golf que se llevará a cabo el sábado, 24 de junio en Los Ébanos Golf Course. Registro inicia a las 7 a.m. Para mayores informes contacte a Cipriana GonzálezWells al (956) 8981365.
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 956-849-1411.
dolfo Ramírez y su negocio, El Milagro Minerals. En su lugar, afirmó el juicio de la corte por completo. “Los temas en la apelación, aunque voluminosos, no eran nuevos. Así que el resultado no fue inesperado. La familia Ramírez espera que ConocoPhillips haga lo que es correcto: terminar con este litigio y pagar a León Jr. y a Minerva lo que se les debe para que finalmente puedan continuar con sus vidas”, dijo Alarcón. ConocoPhillips se negó a comentar sobre la decisión del tribunal de apelaciones.
Por César G. Rodríguez
CONSULADO MÓVIL 1 El Consulado General de México en Laredo llevará a cabo el Consulado Móvil el 17 de junio en San Diego, Texas, de 8 a.m. a 2 p.m. y en donde se estarán emitiendo pasaportes, matrículas consulares y recepción de documentación INE, en la iglesia St. Francis de Padua, 401 S. Victoria, St.
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.
A7
Foto de cortesía | Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata
Un bombero enseña a un menor a manejar una manguera para apagar un fuego dentro del Programa de Verano sobre Prevención de Incendios que busca enseñar a los niños acerca de los peligros cuando se está en un incendio, cuándo y cómo llamar al 911, y qué hacer en caso de fuego, el jueves, en la Biblioteca Pública del Condado de Zapata.
ZCFD
Choca ambulancia con dos vehículos Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Una ambulancia del Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata transportando a una mujer embarazada chocó con otros dos vehículos a un par de cuadras del hospital Laredo Medical Center, dijeron las autoridades. La policía de Laredo está investigando el choque. Personal del Departamento de Bomberos de Laredo respondió a la colisión de tres vehículos alrededor de las 9:30 a.m., el viernes en la intersección de la calle Bustamante y la avenida North Bartlett.
Foto por Cuate Santos | Laredo Morning Times
Una ambulancia del Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata fue parte de una colisión entre tres vehículos en la intersección de la calle Bustamante y la avenida North Bartlett , el viernes.
Las autoridades dijeron que la ambulancia de Zapata tenía sus luces y las sirenas encendidas cuando colisionó con un vehículo Nissan Rogue y una camioneta. No se
reportaron lesiones que pusieran en riesgo la vida, de acuerdo al Departamento de Bomberos de Laredo. La ambulancia tenía dos ocupantes y la mujer.
La Patrulla Fronteriza la rescató después que cayó en un arroyo y necesitaba ser llevada al hospital, dijo el Jefe de Bomberos J.J. Meza. “Gracias a Dios mi personal y la paciente así como otras personas involucradas no sufrieron lesiones serias”, dijo. “Solo fueron daños materiales”. El Servicio de Emergencias Médicas de Laredo llevó a la mujer a LMC. Meza sugirió que los conductores tomaran conciencia de los vehículos de emergencia. “Para la comunidad, si ellos ven un vehículo con luces y sirenas, sean corteses y den el derecho de paso”, dijo.
Un hombre que era buscado por las autoridades fue arrestado esta semana, de acuerdo a la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata. Kristopher Alan Essary, de 33 años de edad, fue arrestado el martes en una residencia en la cuadra 100 de Riverside Drive. A él se le ejecutó una orden de arresto por el cargo de agresión. Si es Medina encontrado culpable, podría enfrentar hasta un año en la cárcel o pagar una Sierra multa de hasta 4.000 dólares o ambas. Él permanecía tras las rejas en la Cárcel Essary Regional del Condado de Zapata, el viernes por la tarde. Los oficiales de la Oficina del Alguacil dijeron que aun buscan a otros dos sospechosos que fueron anunciados recientemente como personas buscadas por la justicia. Jaime Alejo Sierra, o “El Mascafierro”: Sierra es buscado por evadir el arresto, un delito menor Clase A que se castiga hasta con un año de prisión o 4.000 dólares de multa o ambas. Su altura es de 5 pies, 6 pulgadas. Felipe Adair Medina: Él es buscado por allanamiento de habitación, un delito en segundo grado que se castiga de dos a 20 años de prisión y una multa de 10.000 dólares. Medina mide 5 pies, 3 pulgadas. Zapata Crime Stoppers pagará una recompensa por información que lleve a su arresto. Para proporcionar información sobre su paradero, llame a la Oficina del Alguacil al 956-765-9960 o a Zapata Crime Stoppers al 765TIPS (8477).
A8 | Saturday, June 10, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Teen who took life in texting case studied suicide methods ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Douglas Healey / AP
In this 2010 file photo, Lishan Wang stands during arraignment in New Haven Superior Court in Connecticut, facing charges he killed Yale University physician Vajinder Toor and attempted to kill Toor's pregnant wife in Branford.
TAUNTON, Mass. — The Massachusetts teenager prosecutors say was coaxed by text messages from his girlfriend into killing himself had researched suicide online, a defense witness testified Friday. Steven Verronneau, a forensic investigator with MWV Multi-Media Forensics, said he had analyzed the computers and phones owned by Conrad Roy III as well as Michelle Carter, who’s charged in Roy’s July 2014 death. Carter, now 20, was 17 when the 18-year-old Roy died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his pickup truck in a store parking lot in Fairhaven. She is charged with involuntary manslaughter. Roy googled “suicide by cop,” visited a website that explained “Easy, quick and painless ways to commit suicide,” and researched which medications would kill him in his sleep, Verronneau said in Taunton juvenile court. On cross-examination
Pat Greenhouse / Associated Press
Roy family members react when crime-scene photos are projected during the trial of Michelle Carter on Tuesday in Taunton, Massachusetts.
by prosecutor Katie Rayburn, Verronneau acknowledged that he also found family photos on Roy’s devices in which he could be perceived as happy. He also said Carter had likely deleted some messages from her phone she had sent to Roy. The defense also called a police officer from Roy’s hometown to the stand. Mattapoisett Patrolman Justin King said he found Roy with a swollen and cut face once while responding to an assault report. Both witnesses ap-
peared to back assertions by Carter’s attorney, Joseph Cataldo, that Roy had long contemplated suicide and was depressed partly because of physical and verbal abuse from family members. The defense started calling witnesses after Judge Lawrence Moniz denied Cataldo’s motion for a directed verdict of not guilty, a standard legal procedure. The prosecution has rested. The case is being heard without a jury in juvenile court because of Carter’s age at the time of Roy’s death. She was charged as a juvenile offender,
Doctor pleads no contest to killing Yale physician Twitter barrage puts By Dave Collins A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HARTFORD, Conn. — A doctor charged with killing a Yale University physician over a workplace dispute pleaded no contest Friday to lesser charges and agreed to serve 32 years in prison. Lishan Wang, a Chinese citizen from Beijing, was charged with murder for the 2010 killing of Dr. Vajinder Toor and with attempted murder for shooting at Toor’s pregnant wife, who wasn’t hurt, outside the couple’s home in Branford. Wang, 51, pleaded to reduced charges of manslaughter, attempted assault and gun crimes during a hearing in New Haven Superior Court. Sentencing is set for Sept. 22. The pleas ended seven years of legal battles over Wang’s competency and his wish to represent himself. Wang has been under a judge’s order to be forcibly medicated against his will for mental illness so he can remain competent to stand trial — an issue that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. “It’s a fair resolution of a very complex case,” said Wang’s public defender, Thomas Ullmann. “The competency issue poses some real dilemmas in terms of defense strategy and how the state approaches the case.” If the case had gone to trial, an insanity defense was likely, Ullmann said. Wang said little in court Friday, only answering questions from a judge on whether he understood the plea deal and its ramifications. He
will remain under the forced medication order and confined at the state’s maximum-security psychiatric hospital until sentencing. Authorities said the shooting appeared to stem from a 2008 workplace dispute Wang had with Toor and other doctors when they worked together at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in New York City. Wang was fired from the medical center that year after a series of confrontations with Toor and other colleagues. Toor was a postdoctoral fellow at the Yale School of Medicine who was working with the infectious disease section of Yale-New Haven Hospital. On Monday, Judge Thomas O’Keefe Jr. ruled Wang competent to stand trial but rejected his request to act as his own lawyer. The judge also continued his previous order to medicate Wang against his will. Wang’s lawyers have said he has delusional disorder and paranoia. O’Keefe ruled Wang incompetent in 2015 and ordered the forced medication to see if he could become competent to stand trial. Wang previously insisted he was competent and didn’t need medication. He represented himself in the case for several years. Wang’s public defenders appealed the forced medication order, saying it violated his constitutional rights to a fair trial and mental and physical bodily integrity. But the state Supreme Court upheld the ruling, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.
which could subject her to adult punishment if convicted. In an unrelated Utah case, an 18-year-old man faces a murder charge for allegedly using cellphone video to record the death of a 16-year-old girl found hanged from a tree. Police say Tyerell Joe Przybycien bought the rope his friend used last weekend, made no attempt to help her, and recorded her death. Assisted suicide is illegal in Utah. He has been charged with first-degree murder. The Carter trial is scheduled to resume Monday.
spotlight on Trump’s son By Jonathan Lemire ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump surprisingly refrained from tweeting during James Comey’s testimony. Donald Trump Jr., not surprisingly, did not. The president’s eldest son, whose Twitter feed can at times be as inflammatory as his father’s, was a one-man rapidresponse team as the fired FBI director testified before a Senate panel Thursday. He delivered denunciations with the same force that made him an effective, if controversial, campaign surrogate and could signal his own political ambitions. Donald Trump Jr. tweeted more than 80 times Thursday, defending his father and attacking Comey. Trump Jr.’s Twitter barrage was all the more striking when compared to his father’s silence, which the president broke with a Friday morning tweet accusing Comey of lying under oath. Trump Jr. declined to comment Friday about his tweets, leaving unanswered questions as to whether they were urged by the White House, which outsourced its Comey response to the Republican National Committee and the president’s personal lawyer. Trump Jr. has certainly been willing to go on the attack for his father before. He crisscrossed the United States during last year’s election, doing hundreds of interviews on Fox News and local conservative outlets. He at-
Kathy Willens / Associated Press
In this file photo, Donald Trump Jr. announces that the family's company is launching a new hotel chain on June 5, at Trump Tower in New York.
tacked “Crooked Hillary,” his father’s derogatory nickname for opponent Hillary Clinton, and delivered a well-received speech at the Republican National Convention. That moment sparked speculation about his political future. But while Trump Jr. told The Associated Press this spring that he would not, as had been rumored, be a candidate for governor of New York, he left the door open for a political run down the road. “Maybe someday,” Trump said then. “It’s not something I’m doing now. But you never know, it’s fascinating stuff.” He’s done a number of Republican campaign events since then, including fundraisers in Texas and Indiana and campaigning for a congressional candidate in
Montana. But Trump Jr., who along with his brother Eric is running their father’s former company, has said he does not discuss the details of politics or their business with the president. He outpaced the national Republican party with his Twitter defense Thursday. In particular, he seized on Comey’s assertion that he interpreted the president’s statement that he “hoped” the FBI would drop its probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn as an instruction. “Knowing my father for 39 years when he ‘orders or tells’ you to do something there is no ambiguity, you will know exactly what he means,” Trump Jr. wrote. He also pointed to Comey’s revelation that he had asked a friend to pass
along to the press memos he had written documenting his interactions with Trump. “Did I miss something or did Comey just say he asked a friend to leak information to the press?” asked Trump Jr. “Is this a joke?” It was not the first time his tweets have drawn attention. During the final months of the campaign, he posted a tweet featuring a bowl of Skittles with a warning: “If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you, would you take a handful?” The tweet went on: “That’s our Syrian refugee problem.” The photo, a popular image on the extreme right, quickly drew condemnation and was denounced by the candy company. A few days later, Trump Jr. linked to a news article posted on the conservative news site Breitbart that suggested Muslim men are a menace to Western women and posted a doctored image of himself, his father and several prominent Trump allies next to Pepe the Frog, a cartoon character whose image has been used by white supremacists. This week, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump announced that their company is launching a new hotel chain inspired by their travels with their father’s campaign. The Trump Organization is calling the new mid-market chain “American Idea” and said it will start with three hotels in Mississippi.
Trump to reveal Cuba policy in Miami next Friday By Patricia Mazzei M IA M I HE RALD
MIAMI-President Donald Trump will travel to Miami next Friday to announce his administration’s changes to U.S.-Cuba policy, a source with knowledge of the president’s plans told The Miami Herald. The location for the event is still in the works. But scheduling the trip indicates the Cuba policy, which has been undergoing drafts for several weeks, will be imminently finalized. And deciding to unveil the policy in Miami suggests it will please the hardline Cuban exiles whose support
Trump considered significant to winning Florida, and the presidency. Vice President Mike Pence is also expected to attend. He will already be in town for a Central America conference to be held next Thursday and Friday at Florida International University and U.S. Southern Command. Three Cabinet secretaries - Rex Tillerson of State, John Kelly of Homeland Security and Steven Mnuchin of Treasury - will take part in the conference, but Tillerson plans to depart Thursday, and it’s not clear if Kelly and Mnuchin will take part in the Cuba policy event.
Several local venues have symbolism for Cuban Americans, including the Bay of Pigs Museum in Little Havana and the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. A mid-June Trump visit has been rumored since Memorial Day, when word of the Cuba policy rewrite began trickling from alarmed backers of former President Barack Obama’s re-engagement approach toward the communist island. Trump is preparing to tighten at least some of Obama’s changes, including restricting business with the Cuban military and U.S. travel that resembles tourism.
Those type of revisions have been endorsed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Miami Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, the only two local GOP members of Congress who backed Trump and as a result have pressured his administration on the issue. Rubio in particular has been working closely with the White House and National Security Council on the upcoming changes. "I am absolutely confident that the president is going to deliver on his word, on his commitments," Diaz-Balart told The Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald in a recent interview. "He was very clear that he
thought that President Obama in essence got nothing in exchange for the concessions he gave to the Castro regime." Members of Congress who favor closer U.S.-Cuba ties have urged Trump to maintain Obama’s approach. On Thursday, seven Republican lawmakers from outside Florida whose districts see agricultural, industrial or commercial opportunities in Cuba wrote Trump to argue that keeping a foothold Cuba is important for U.S. national security. Three GOP senators with similar views made a similar plea to Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, June 10, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Long-awaited retirement savings rule takes effect By Jonnelle Marte WA S H INGT ON P O ST
A rule meant to make it easier for retirement savers to trust their financial advisers began its long-awaited roll out on Friday. But investors may not want to let their guard down just yet. Implementation of the retirement rule, which requires brokers working with retirement savers to put their clients’ interests ahead of their own, marks a major victory for consumer advocates, lawmakers and retirement groups who have been pushing for the regulation for more than six years. The rule, originally slated to take effect in April, was delayed by two months after President Trump signed a memo asking
the Labor Department to reevaluate the regulation and determine if it is harmful for investors. Last month, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta announced that he could not delay the rule any further. Yet even as supporters of the regulation celebrate the milestone, many of them are reminding savers that the fight isn’t quite over. “We won an important battle, but the war goes on,” said Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America and a long time advocate for the rule. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who worked with the Obama administration to promote the rule, posted a video to Twitter Friday congrat-
ulating consumers for the “huge” accomplishment. Still, she cautioned people to “stay alert,” because the “Trump administration may come back again and try to take down the rule.” The fiduciary rule has faced robust opposition from Republicans and industry groups since it was first introduced by the Labor Department in 2010. But efforts to kill or weaken the rule intensified after the election, when Republican victories in Congress and the White House provided more momentum to people who say the rule will raise legal costs and limit options for investors. One provision tucked inside of a sweeping regulatory reform bill that was passed by the House of Representatives
on Thursday would repeal the fiduciary rule and block the Labor Department from proposing a new fiduciary standard until after the Securities and Exchange Commission proposes its own rule. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton announced earlier this month that he would be seeking input about the fiduciary rule, a sign that the agency could propose its own changes. And when the Labor Department announced that the rule would take partial effect starting in June, it said full enforcement of the regulation would not start until January. Acosta also made it clear that the department would continue to review the rule and changes could be made in the future.
Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer plans ACA exchange return By Tom Murphy A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
A prominent Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer is planning to return to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges next year in several states, including big markets like Texas and Illinois. Health Care Service Corp. says it also intends to sell coverage in Oklahoma, where it is the only insurer on the exchange, as well as in New Mexico and Montana. But a spokeswoman also cautioned that the insurer has made no final decisions on its participation level. Companies still have a couple more months to sort out their 2018 cover-
age plans. Options are growing thin for next year in many parts of the country on the exchanges, the only place where people can buy insurance with help from income-based tax credits. Several insurers have already said they are retreating from this market, some after losing more than $100 million. The pullback has left some counties in Missouri, Ohio and Washington with no choices on the exchanges next year if another insurer does not step in. Insurers are hesitant to return to the market in part because of uncertainty over the fate of some federal funding. The government has
been giving insurers money to help customers with modest incomes cover out-of-pocket expenses like co-payments and deductibles. But the future of those payments, which are separate from the income-based tax credits that help people buy coverage, is in political limbo. President Donald Trump has talked about potentially stopping the payments, and insurers want a guarantee that they will last through next year. Health Care Service Corp. and other insurers that are planning to return say they have to factor this uncertainty into their prices. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina recently requested a
nearly 23 percent increase in average premiums next year. The company said that increase would have been about 9 percent if it had a guarantee that the government would continue to make those payments. Health Care Service Corp. spokeswoman Kristen Cunningham did not offer details about rates the insurer plans to charge next year. The company covered more than 1.2 million people in the individual market last year, and more than half of that business came from the exchanges. “Once we finalize the level of participation and rates early this fall, we’ll share more details,” she said.
Drivers head into summer with a surprise at the gas pump By Clifford Krauss N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS S ERVICE
HOUSTON — The average nationwide gasoline price Friday was the lowest for this point of the year since 2005, according to GasBuddy, a website and smartphone
app designed to help drivers find the best deals at the pump. The immediate cause of the price break was the shock to global oil markets that came when the Energy Department reported this week that domestic inventories of both crude oil and gaso-
line had surprisingly surged the week before despite heavy driving on Memorial Day weekend. Crude oil prices plummeted by more than 5 percent on Wednesday alone, and are near a one-year low at less than $46 a barrel. The price drop has
been all the more remarkable given that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has imposed a production cut since the start of the year, threatening the kind of heightened tensions in the Middle East that normally push energy prices higher.
Gas boom seen snarling traffic in Houston By Brian K. Sullivan BL OOMBERG
A boom in natural gas exports from the U.S. Gulf Coast is raising the prospect of traffic jams at one of America’s busiest ports. Weather delays from fog and storms are nothing new at the Houston Ship Channel, which links the prolific oil and gas fields of Texas and Louisiana to the rest of the world. But as more cargoes of liquefied natural gas and petrochemicals head across the globe from newly built plants, the tanker bottlenecks are poised to get worse, according to Poten & Partners. Sixteen months after the first cargo of gas from U.S. shale fields headed overseas, the nation is on the path to becoming a net exporter of the fuel for the first time in decades. The supply surge has created the need for more and bigger roads, pipelines and waterways, prompting a $5.3 billion expansion of the Panama Canal to accommodate the massive tankers used to haul LNG. And with about 20 export terminals already approved or proposed for the Gulf Coast, even more ships are on the way. “A lot of waterways in the Gulf aren’t ready for prime time,” Gordon Shearer, a senior adviser at Poten in New York, said by phone. “Everything is going into a very concentrated strip of coastline.” Between 1900 and 2010, Texas’ Galveston County — located at the mouth of the Houston Ship Channel — has been hit by eight hurricanes of Category 3 or stronger, and neighboring Chambers County has been pummeled by seven, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The area around Galveston, New Orleans and the southern tip of Florida gets hit by more tropical systems than anywhere else in the U.S. Forecasters are expecting the Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1, to churn out 11 to 17 named storms, compared with the 30-year
average of 12. A storm gets a name when it reaches tropical-storm strength of 39 miles per hour. The Calcasieu Ship Channel, which leads to the Port of Lake Charles in Louisiana, is another potential bottleneck for LNG tankers, Shearer said. But Channing Hayden, Lake Charles’ director of navigation, says the port can handle the traffic. Poten is being “overly pessimistic,” Hayden said. While wind creates delays at the port about 16 percent of the time in March, and the fog season runs from October to April, the backups aren’t extensive, he said. “We may have fog, but it is not all the time,” Hayden said. “We do have three or four days in a row, yes, but do we have 30 days in a row? No.” A spokeswoman for the Houston Ship Channel couldn’t immediately find an official available to comment. Every gas export project has to undergo a suitability study by the Coast Guard, which takes weather and traffic into consideration, said Zach Allen, president of Pan Eurasian Enterprises Inc., a Raleigh, North Carolina-based tracker of LNG shipments. Shearer said the U.S. government should make it easier for gas export terminals to open on the East and West coasts, despite state and local resistance, to take pressure off of Gulf Coast facilities. He was the chief executive of Hess LNG, leading a failed effort to site an LNG import terminal in Fall River, Massachusetts. But local opposition to LNG in other parts of the country is one reason why the Gulf, even with its weather challenges, is where developers want to build these projects, Hayden said. “The Gulf Coast is the only section of the country that welcomes the petrochemical industry,” he said. “This is where the petrochemical industry is, it is where all the pipelines converge, it is the logical place to put it.”
A10 | Saturday, June 10, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
Bill Cosby apologizes Mara aimed to get it right for sexual encounter as Marine, dog lover
By Maryclaire Dale and Michael R. Sisak By Brooke Lefferts
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby says he apologized to the family of the woman he is accused of drugging and assaulting because he was afraid her mother thought he was “a dirty old man,” according to testimony read to the jury Friday at the comedian’s trial. Cosby’s account was contained in a deposition
NEW YORK — One of the best things for Kate Mara about starring in “Megan Leavey” was Varco the dog. Varco is the Rex to Mara’s Leavey in the true story of a young Marine corporal and her fight to bring her combat dog home after service in Iraq. “He and I trained together, so by the time we started shooting we were very comfortable with each other,” Mara told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “I loved working with a dog. They’re unexpected and constantly doing things that you’re not expecting them to do. If you want them to just sort of sit there during a scene they will, but then they’ll do some genius little move-
ment or sound or whatever that will make the scene that much better.” Mara, an animal activist who has worked with both Oceana and the Humane Society, also had the rare treat of being directed by a woman, Gabriela Cowperthwaite. She had also directed the
orca-abuse film “Blackfish.” “Animals really do teach us empathy and compassion and so many other things,” she said. It’s that bond between a lost human, Leavey, and a scarred bomb-sniffing dog, Rex, that plays out for Mara.
TRUMP From page A1
NATO From page A1
the memos in the format he received them by Friday. When asked by reporters Friday if there were actually tapes of the conversations, Trump gave a cryptic response: “I’ll tell you about that maybe sometime soon.” When reporters pressed him, he said he would disclose that “in a very short period of time. You’re going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer.” The Judiciary Committee had already requested on May 17 that the FBI and White House provide the panel with documents and records - including recordings - related to Comey and Trump’s interactions.
president’s support was implied even though he deliberately did not utter the words. Still, allies had questions about Trump’s belief in the value of NATO, which he had termed “obsolete” during the presidential campaign.
On Friday, Trump noted that only a handful of NATO’s 29 members — Montenegro joined just this week — were meeting the 2 percent pledge. But he said the U.S. would abide by its treaty obligations. “We’re going to make NATO very strong,” he said. “You need the money to make it strong. You can’t just do what we’ve been doing in the past.”
he gave over a decade ago as part of a lawsuit filed by Andrea Cosby Constand, the woman whose allegations resulted in the only criminal charges brought against the TV star. Portions of the deposition became public nearly two years ago and played a major role in prosecu-
tors’ decision to charge him. For the jury at his sexual assault trial, this could be the closest it comes to hearing from Cosby himself, since he said recently that he did not intend to take the stand. “I apologized to this woman. But my apology was, my God, I’m in trouble with these people because this is an old man and their young daughter and the mother sees this,” he said.
people involved weren’t seriously injured,” he said. “It was just material damages.” Laredo EMS took the woman to LMC. Meza suggests motor-
ists to be aware of emergency vehicles. “For the community, if they see a vehicle with lights and sirens on, be courteous and give them the right of way,” he said.
Jacob Yakob / Bleecker Street
This photo shows Kate Mara as Megan Leavey with Rex in "Megan Leavey."
AMBULANCE From page A1
be taken to the hospital, said Fire Chief J.J. Meza. “Thank God my guys and the patient and other