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Wanted assault suspect arrested 19-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison By César G. Rodriguez TH E ZAPATA T IME S
A woman wanted for assaulting a peace officer in Zapata County was arrested Thursday in Laredo, authorities said. Alondra Iris Villarreal,
Villarreal
19, was arrested in the Three Points neighborhood. She was served with a warrant charging her with
assault on a public servant. The offense is a thirddegree felony that carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a possible $10,000 fine. Villarreal remained in custody at the Webb County Jail.
Tamaulipas Public Safety Department / Courtesy
LPD officers responded to a wanted person report at about 10 a.m. in the 2500 block of Aldama Street. Authorities arrived at the location and confirmed that Villarreal had an arrest warrant out of Zapata.
Tamaulipas police officers said they recently seized 18 assault rifles after receiving an anonymous tip regarding a suspicious vehicle.
Police seize arsenal, 3 vehicles By César G. Rodriguez
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
RYAN: HEALTH CARE DELAY WON’T HINDER TAX REFORM
THE ZAPATA TIME S
Tamaulipas authorities said they recently seized an arsenal and three vehicles in Ciudad Camargo, a town across the border from Rio Grande City. The Tamaulipas Public Safety Depart-
ment said the seizure came after they received an anonymous tip. On June 27, state police officers responded to reports of a suspicious Chevy Silverado by Calle 13 de Septiembre and Calle Galeana in the downtown area. Police continues on A10
DALLAS
Kidnapped teen dies from gunshot wounds By Ryan Osborne FORT WORTH STAR-T EL EGR AM
Gabriella Demczuk / NYT
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) holds a news conference in Washington, May 17. With the White House in constant upheaval, Congress faces the prospect of myriad investigations as health care legislation still grinding through the Senate; hopes of rewriting the tax code may be fading.
Other Republicans not so hopeful about timely changes By Scott Bauer A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
MADISON, Wis. — U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday he doesn’t think the failure of Congress to agree on a way to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act puts tax reform in jeopardy.
The Republican said he hopes a final version of the health care plan will be approved this summer, and then Congress can turn its attention to tax reform in the fall. He acknowledged that not passing a new health care law would complicate tax reform efforts, but said it wouldn’t
make it impossible. “The way tax reform and Obamacare repealand-replace interact, it’s about revenues,” Ryan said during a news conference in Wisconsin. “What this would mean is we would have to keep those Obamacare taxes, most of them are health care-based tax-
es, off to the side while we reform the rest of the IRS tax code.” Despite Ryan’s optimism, other Republicans have said a tax overhaul will be more difficult if Congress doesn’t move on health care changes first. Republicans’ health care Ryan continues on A10
BORDER SECURITY
Donald Trump again insists Mexico will pay for the wall By Tracy Wilkinson and Brian Bennett TR IB UNE WASHINGT ON BUR EAU
HAMBURG, Germany — In his first meeting as president with his Mexican counterpart, Donald Trump on Friday said he "absolutely" intends for
Mexico to pay for the controversial wall he wants to build along the United States’ southern border, setting off a furor in Mexico over a goal his own administration has largely abandoned. Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto met on the sidelines
of the Group of 20 summit here, amid sharp disagreements over trade and immigration. Some officials had hoped the brief encounter could help heal badly strained relations between the two neighbors. The proposed wall continues to make that diffi-
cult. As journalists were allowed in to see the two leaders take their seats, one reporter asked Trump if he still wanted Mexico to pay for the wall. "Absolutely," Trump said. Mexico has repeatedly Border continues on A10
DALLAS — A 13year-old Lancaster, Texas, girl who was kidnapped and found dead inside an abandoned home last weekend died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Dallas County medical examiner ruled Friday. Shavon Randle — who authorities say had been kidnapped from a relative’s home last week and held for ransom over the theft of marijuana — was shot in the head and torso. Her death was a homicide, according to the medical examiner. Michael Titus, the 19-year-old man who was also found dead in the abandoned home in East Oak Cliff late Saturday night, died of gunshot wounds to his head. His death was also ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner. Suspect Desmond Jones led authorities late Saturday to the Dallas residence. Jones began to shake and became visibly upset as they approached the residence, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. When asked by police what they were going to find in the home, Jones replied, "R.I.P. to her and Mike T (Michael Titus)." Titus was one of the four original persons of interest in Shavon’s disappearance. After a June 30 FBI
Randle
plea for information related to her whereabouts, 24-year-old suspect Devontae Owens was arrested by Lancaster police and the FBI the next day. Owens is being held on aggravated kidnapping charges in the Dallas County Jail. The two-page affidavit on Owens gave this brief account of the case: On the evening of June 26, a 22-year-old man identified as Kendall Perkins stole more than 22 pounds of marijuana from a group of men at a Motel 6 in Lancaster. Two of the men were identified as Darius Fields, 26, and Owens. Perkins fled to a residence in Lancaster, where he told his girlfriend about the robbery. The girlfriend, Ledoris Randle, was one of Shavon’s cousins. The group of men who had the drugs began to track down Perkins. A co-worker of Ledoris Randle told police she received a call from Owens, who told her that someone named "KP" had robbed him at Motel 6 Dallas continues on A10
Zin brief A2 | Saturday, July 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND TEXAS
TODAY IN HISTORY
SATURDAY, JULY 8
A S S O C I AT E D P R E S S
No Mud No Glory Mud Run 5. 7:30 Today is Saturday, July 8, the 189th day of 2017. There are 176 days left in the year.
a.m. North Central Park, 10202 International Boulevard. Register by July 7 at https://nomudnoglory4.itsyourrace.com/register/
Today's Highlight in History: On July 8, 1947, a New Mexico newspaper, the Roswell Daily Record, quoted officials at Roswell Army Air Field as saying they had recovered a "flying saucer" that crashed onto a ranch; officials then said it was actually a weather balloon. (To this day, there are those who believe what fell to Earth was an alien spaceship carrying extra-terrestrial beings.)
Sister Cities Festival. 10 a.m. - 7
p.m. LEA. SUNDAY, JULY 9 Sister Cities Festival. 10 a.m. - 5
p.m. LEA. SATURDAY, JULY 15 Harry Potter Book Club. 3 p.m. –
4:30 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Book club will discuss Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Children and adults are welcome. For more information, contact Analiza Perez-Gomez at 956-7952400, ext. 2401. MONDAY, JULY 17 Ray of Light Anxiety and Depression Support Group Meeting in Spanish. 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Holding Institute, 1102 Santa Maria Ave., classroom #1. Recurring event. Spanish group meets every third 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. The support group welcomes adults suffering from anxiety and/ or depression to participate in free confidential support group meetings and social events. Contact information for a representative: Anna Maria Pulido Saldivar, gruporayitodeluz@gmail.com, 956-307-2014. 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 Homebuying 101 Class. 8:30 a.m.
– 4:30 p.m. McKendrick Ochoa Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco. Free class. Registration required. For more information, call Angelina York or Patricia Ayala at NeighborWorks 956-712-9100 or email nwl@nwlaredo.com. THURSDAY, JULY 27 Spanish Book Club. 6 - 8 p.m. Joe
A. Guerra Public Library. For more information, call Sylvia Reash at 763-1810. SATURDAY, JULY 29 Habitat for Humanity LaredoWebb County fundraiser The Hottest Golf Tournament in Texas two-man scramble. 8 a.m. Casa
Blanca Golf Course. $125 per golfer. Sponsorships available. Proceeds benefit local victims of May 2017 storm. For more information, call Carol Sherwood or Cindy Liendo at 7243227 or email resource@habitatlaredo.org FRIDAY, AUG. 18 South Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls XI. Laredo Energy Arena.
Tex-Mex 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. SATURDAY, AUG. 26 Football Tailgating Cook-Off. 2 p.m. - 11 p.m. Uni-Trade Stadium. Event will feature cook-off competitions, brisket tasting/ sampling for People's Choice from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., car show, live music, food vendors, arts & crafts and merchandise vendors and much more. For more information, contact LULAC Council 14 at 956-2869055
Submit calendar items 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.
Rod Aydelotte / AP
In this June 26 photo, Demetrius Waples poses inside his 1,000 square-foot building which offers a free safe haven to help keep children out of trouble for the day during summer in Waco, Texas.
EX-OFFICER RUNS CHILDREN’S CENTER WACO, Texas — On the outside of Demetrius Waples’ dream building, rusted iron bars guard the door. Inside, Waples, the former juvenile justice corrections officer smiled, hugged and tried to send kids off to play with the other 28 Waco children who needed somewhere to stay that summer day. Neighborhood Lights Community Resource Center, a nonprofit, started as a place to offer resources, including job hunting services, computer access, printing and fax services, diapers and toiletries at no cost. But a week into operation, the building has turned into a
Father of 4-year-old girl killed in Texas boating accident dies TEMPLE, Texas — Authorities say a man has died after losing his legs last month while trying to save his fatally injured 4-year-old daughter
free safe haven to help keep the children of those families out of trouble for the day during summer. Waples, who worked for the state’s juvenile justice system in Mart for 17 years, always knew he wanted to do something that gave at-risk youth a little hope for a better future after living through his own rough childhood, he said. Using $18,000 in savings out of his own pocket and a network of supportive friends to get Neighborhood Lights up and running, he has become known to neighborhood children as ‘Mr. D,’ he said. — Compiled from AP reports
when a houseboat ran over her on a Central Texas lake. Temple police say Patrick Oliver died Thursday at a hospital. Police have said that after a houseboat backed over Kaitlyn Oliver on June 23 at Lake Belton, Patrick Oliver became entangled in the propeller as well while trying to save her. An autopsy says Kaitlyn Oliver died from drowning and propeller wounds.
Patrick Oliver’s body has also been sent for an autopsy. The driver of the houseboat, Jason Bernal of Killeen, was charged with criminally negligent homicide after Kaitlyn’s death. Bell County District Attorney Henry Garza said following Patrick’s Oliver’s death that they are reviewing the case. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND THE WORLD For Trump and Putin, a warm handshake and a long meeting HAMBURG, Germany — It began with one of the most closely watched diplomatic handshakes in decades and ended way later than expected. What transpired between President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin during the two hours and 16 minutes in between will be dissected for days. The public got only a quick glimpse of the two men toward the top of Friday’s much-anticipated meeting, leaving the opening handshake ripe for analysis. It was friendly and simple — no undue handshake drama. That’s not always a given with Trump. He had raised eyebrows when he didn’t shake hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during an Oval
Steffen Kugler / BPA/Getty Images
In this photo, Donald Trump, President of the USA (left), meets Vladimir Putin, President of Russia (right), in Germany.
Office photo opportunity earlier this year. And his clenched, jaw-straining clasp with French President Emmanuel Macron was seen as a test of masculinity and presidential power. Putin and Trump were seated before the cameras were invited in on Friday. The Russian leader sat back in his chair, a look of steely resolve on his
face. Trump seemed relaxed, his hands in a triangle below his knees, his mouth offering a hint of a smile. As the clicking of photographers’ shutters filled the room, the two men leaned in, shared a small laugh and eyed the press, whom both have at times deemed their enemy. — Compiled from AP reports
On this date: In 1663, King Charles II of England granted a Royal Charter to Rhode Island. In 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, outside the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. In 1891, Warren G. Harding married Florence Kling DeWolfe in Marion, Ohio. In 1907, Florenz Ziegfeld staged his first "Follies," on the roof of the New York Theater. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson received a tumultuous welcome in New York City after his return from the Versailles Peace Conference in France. In 1965, Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-6B, crashed in British Columbia after the tail separated from the fuselage; all 52 people on board were killed in what authorities said was the result of an apparent bombing. In 1967, Academy Award-winning actress Vivien Leigh, 53, died in London. In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford announced he would seek a second term of office. In 1986, Kurt Waldheim was inaugurated as president of Austria despite controversy over his alleged ties to Nazi war crimes. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, widely regarded as father of the nuclear navy, died in Arlington, Virginia. In 1994, Kim Il Sung, North Korea's communist leader since 1948, died at age 82. In 2011, former first lady Betty Ford died in Rancho Mirage, California, at age 93. Ten years ago: Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell ordered a range of state government services shut down and placed about a third of the state work force on indefinite unpaid furlough after last-minute negotiations failed to break a budget stalemate. Five years ago: A bomb in eastern Afghanistan killed six NATO service members on a day in which a total of 29 people died from roadside bombs and insurgent attacks. In a show of force, Syria began large-scale military exercises to simulate defending the country against outside "aggression." One year ago: On the first day of a two-day summit in Warsaw, NATO leaders geared up for a long-term standoff with Russia, ordering multinational troops to Poland and the three Baltic states as Moscow moved forward with its own plans to station two new divisions along its western borders. Ten states (Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming) sued the federal government over rules requiring public schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms conforming to their gender identity, joining a dozen other states in the latest fight over LGBT rights. (Nebraska, which led the effort, later asked to drop the lawsuit after the Trump administration ended the protection.) Today's Birthdays: Singer Steve Lawrence is 82. Actor Jeffrey Tambor is 73. Actor Kevin Bacon is 59. Actor Robert Knepper is 58. Rock musician Andy Fletcher (Depeche Mode) is 56. Country singer Toby Keith is 56. Rock musician Graham Jones (Haircut 100) is 56. Rock singer Joan Osborne is 55. Writer-producer Rob Burnett is 55. Actor Rocky Carroll is 54. Actor Corey Parker is 52. Actor Lee Tergesen is 52. Actor Billy Crudup is 49. Actor Michael Weatherly is 49. Singer Beck is 47. Country singer Drew Womack (Sons of the Desert) is 47. Comedian Sebastian Maniscalo is 44. Actress Kathleen Robertson is 44. Christian rock musician Stephen Mason (Jars of Clay) is 42. Actor Milo Ventimiglia is 40. Rock musician Tavis Werts is 40. Singer Ben Jelen is 38. Actor Lance Gross is 36. Actress Sophia Bush is 35. Rock musician Jamie Cook (Arctic Monkeys) is 32. Actor Jake McDorman is 31. Actor Jaden Smith is 19. Thought for Today: "Fools are more to be feared than the wicked." — Queen Christina of Sweden (16261689).
CONTACT US AROUND THE NATION Bald eagle euthanized after being shot on July 4 in Maryland HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Maryland Natural Resources Police are looking for the person who shot a bald eagle on Independence Day. The bird had to be euthanized.
Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson said in a phone interview Friday that the injured bird was found Tuesday afternoon in Harford County. Thomson says an officer went to the scene, gathered the bird up in a blanket and put the eagle in his air-conditioned vehicle The eagle was taken to a wildlife center, where it was determined the raptor had been
shot. Thomson says the bird was euthanized. The bald eagle is the national bird symbol of the United States. While no longer endangered, the bird is still protected. Thomson says Maryland and federal laws prohibit shooting bald eagles. She says Natural Resources Police are investigating. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 8, 2017 |
A3
STATE
Texas county says order on jail release is safety risk By Juan A. Lozano A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — Officials in Texas’ most populous county are concerned that potentially dangerous people are being released from jail under a federal court order that determined the local bail system discriminates against poor people accused of misdemeanor crimes. Harris County officials said that in the first 17 days the court order was
in place, 21 percent of the 1,275 people accused of misdemeanors and released because they couldn’t afford a bond failed to appear for followup court hearings. By comparison, of those who were able to afford a bond, 3.8 percent failed to appear in court. But community and legal groups that sued over the bail system in Harris County — home to Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city — are
accusing county officials of fearmongering by highlighting preliminary statistics that give an incomplete picture. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal ruled in April that the county’s policy of detaining indigent misdemeanor defendants before trial violated equal protection rights against wealthbased discrimination and due process protections against pretrial detention. Her ruling granted a preliminary injunction in
an ongoing lawsuit that accuses Harris County’s bail system of keeping poor misdemeanor defendants jailed only because they can’t afford to pay a bond. Six states — Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska and Texas —have filed a motion in a federal appeals court in support of Harris County’s bail system, They argue the court order invalidates multiple state laws and threatens public
Godofredo A. Vasquez / AP
This photo taken May 4, shows Criminal Justice Campaign Director Tarsha Jackson speaking about the bail lawsuit during a press conference outside the Harris County Criminal Justice Center in Houston.
safety. Under Rosenthal’s order, indigent inmates who certify in a financial affidavit that they can’t afford to post cash bail would be released on personal recognizance bonds while they await trial on misde-
meanor offenses. Some defendants, such as those with immigration detainers or an outstanding warrant in another jurisdiction, wouldn’t be eligible for such bonds. The order went into effect on June 6.
Funeral begins for slain San Antonio officer ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Tamir Kalifa / AP
This 2015 photo shows a crowd at the Texas Marriage Amendment Rally outside of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas.
SAN ANTONIO — A funeral procession of hundreds of law enforcement officers accompanied the body of a slain San Antonio police officer to the funeral service where Gov. Greg Abbott was among those speaking. The service for Officer
Miguel Moreno is being held Friday morning at Community Bible Church in San Antonio. Abbott said, “Today we celebrate officer Moreno’s life.” He added, “we pray that we are worthy of his sacrifice.” Moreno and his partner, Officer Julio Cavazos, were shot last week while investigating a reported
Activists Judge tosses lawsuit want gay over guns on campus spousal benefits halted ASSOCIATED PRE SS
A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Conservative activists are seeking an injunction blocking Houston from paying same-sex spousal benefits to its municipal employees, after Texas’ Supreme Court ruled last week that gay couples may not be entitled to them. Attorneys filed a motion Friday in District Court in Harris County, which includes Houston. They also want to recover public funds that America’s fourth-largest city spent on same-sex spousal benefits since November 2013, though how much such “clawbacks” would be worth is unclear. Last week, the allRepublican state Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s decision favoring same-sex marriage benefits and ordered the issue back to trial. Opponents hope the case will chip away at the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling legalizing gay marriage, arguing that that decision doesn’t mean gay couples have inherent rights to spousal benefits.
AUSTIN, Texas — A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit by three University of Texas professors who argued that a new state law allowing concealed handguns on campus could have a “chilling effect” on classroom debate. Sociology professor Jennifer Lynn Glass and English professors Lisa Moore and Mia Carter sued last summer, before the law took effect in September. It requires public universities to allow peo-
ple with concealed-handgun licenses to carry weapons inside school buildings. The professors said guns in classrooms could lead to self-censorship during discussions about emotional or politically charged topics, such as abortion or gay rights. They said that could disrupt academic discussions and violate constitutional free speech protections. U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel dismissed the case Thursday, ruling the professors offered “no concrete evidence to substantiate their fears.”
vehicle break-in. Cavazos, who was released from the hospital on Tuesday, was among those attending Moreno’s funeral. Moreno was a 9-year veteran of the department. Officer Joshua Flanagan said the always-smiling Moreno was confident, athletic and “quick with a joke.”
Eric Gay / AP
San Antonio police officers follow a caisson with the casket of fellow police officer Miguel Moreno on Friday in San Antonio.
Frida Kahlo look-alikes attempt to break record in Dallas ASSOCIATED PRE SS
DALLAS — With unibrows and flowers in their hair, more than 1,000 people came to a Dallas museum dressed as Frida Kahlo as part of an attempt to set a record. The Dallas Museum of Art says more than 5,000 people attended the cele-
bration Thursday night marking the 110th birthday of the artist. The museum, which partnered with the Latino Center for Leadership Development for the attempt, said evidence will be submitted to Guinness World Records next week and the review process will take up to 12 weeks.
Participants were asked to create a unibrow, put flowers in their hair, wear a red or pink shawl and a flowerprinted dress. The museum is currently featuring an exhibition called “Mexico 1900-1950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Jose Clemente Orozco, and the Avant-Garde.”
Zopinion
Letters to the editor Send your signed letter to editorial@lmtonline.com
A4 | Saturday, July 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Liberals shouldn’t tolerate the loony left By Albert R. Hunt BL O O M BE RG
The Trumpist right, with its conspiracy theories, racist demagoguery and blatant lies, should embarrass honest conservatives and responsible Republicans. There also is a loony left, which though less pervasive and powerful, needs to be condemned by liberals. Its theories excuse efforts to suppress speech by conservatives, especially on college campuses. Its attacks on Trump go well beyond acceptable criticism think of comedian Kathy Griffin’s video with a severed Trump head. Its activists, who include some elected officials, call for impeachment of the president before taking the trouble to build a constitutionally persuasive case. Consider Tim Canova, a law professor at Nova University in Florida, who is waging a Democratic Party primary battle against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. He has suggested that a young Democratic staffer may have been murdered last year because the staffer, not Russian hackers, leaked the damaging information from the party’s national committee that sabotaged Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. He’s downplayed the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the presidential election, and questions whether he is being hacked by political opponents. Canova was embraced last year by Sen. Bernie Sanders out of resentment against Wasserman Schultz who, as Democratic chairwoman in 2016, seemed to try to tilt the party machinery in favor of Clinton. Canova ran a strong race, raising tons of money, but lost. Sanders is staying out of the current challenge. In the Atlantic last week, McKay Coppins reported on leftist conspiracy theorists like the Palmer Report, a blog that focuses on Russia. It reported in April that Representative Jason Chaffetz of Utah was resigning because of Russian blackmail. The whole story was nonsense. Sites like this, Coppins wrote, embrace a world "where it is ac-
ceptable to allege that hundreds of American politicians, journalists and government official are actually secret Russian agents." Someone check Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s gravesite. The far left is divided on Russia and its thuggish leader Vladimir Putin. Many progressives are harshly critical, driven by their hostility to Trump and eager to believe that there are Trump ties to Putin. But there is another element too. At the Moscow feast in December 2015, where Trump’s foreign policy adviser Michael Flynn sat next to Putin, another Western politician at the head table was Jill Stein, the two-time Green Party presidential candidate. (She said she didn’t even say hello to the Russian leader.) Canova’s most offensive gambit has been recycling a baseless right-wing conspiracy theory that a young Democratic staffer, Seth Rich, was murdered last year because he leaked the party emails in the presidential election. This was a charge leveled by Alex Jones, the conspiracy-minded talkradio host and picked up by former House Speaker and present Trump confidant Newt Gingrich. The police found that Rich was murdered after a botched robbery attempt. Fox News retracted its own twisted story on the Rich killing. Not Canova. Asked by the Florida Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald whether Rich’s murder may have been related to the leaks, Canova replied: "I have no idea. I wondered what the DNC under Wasserman Schultz was capable of, but I don’t know." Calls to the number listed on his campaign website and messages to the designated email site went unanswered. If this were a unique case, it would be enough to criticize Canova and move on. But anti-Trump passion will tempt liberals to make excuses for radical craziness, just as many mainstream Republicans have tolerated Trump’s lies, insults and attacks. To keep the high ground, liberals should resist the urge to whip up hostility and should condemn hate-mongers of the left. Albert R. Hunt is a Bloomberg View columnist.
COLUMN
Julian Assange joins Trump’s war against CNN By Eli Lake BL OOMBERG
Julian Assange has had it with CNN. Since July 4, the founder of WikiLeaks has tweeted 14 times in support of Donald Trump’s latest battle with the media: Gif-Gate. Like many controversies in Washington these days, this one involves a tweet. Last week Trump tweeted a gif that portrayed him putting fake wrestling moves on a body with the CNN logo for its head. Assange’s interest in this is all about CNN’s response. On July 5, the network’s master internet sleuth, Andrew Kaczynski, tracked down the Reddit user who came up with the Trump-CNN wrestling video. But because the maker apologized on the forum, CNN decided not to name him. That said, “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.” That last sentence has inspired some pearl clutching among Trump’s supporters. The alt-right has accused CNN of blackmailing some poor Reddit user who just likes trolling the media. What’s interesting here is how Assange responded. “When Trump goes low CNN goes lower: threatens to dox artist behind ‘CNN head’ video if he makes fun of them again,” he tweeted, referring to the online tactic of posting someone’s personal de-
Like many controversies in Washington these days, this one involves a tweet. Last week Trump tweeted a gif that portrayed him putting fake wrestling moves on a body with the CNN logo for its head.
tails on the web. For two days, Assange continued along these lines, speculating that CNN may have even violated the law in “censoring” this “artist.” Doxxing, as it’s known, usually applies to an online persona who wishes to remain anonymous. But the concept is closely related to the kind of thing Assange himself has been doing since he founded WikiLeaks, publishing the private communications of public figures. Methinks the WikiLeaker doth protest too much. After all, Assange’s organization posted the personal emails of John Podesta, Neera Tanden and other Democrats. And while some of those emails had legitimate news value, most of them didn’t. Did the public really have a right to know Podesta’s risotto recipe? The hacked emails WikiLeaks disclosed last year are different from the State Department cables provided to the organization by Chelsea Manning. While some of those cables endangered U.S. government sources in dangerous places, government documents
in our republic belong to the people. The same cannot be said for the personal emails of Democratic operatives, who are exercising their right to political participation. Assange is hardly alone as a participant in this new threat to online privacy. I wrote articles based on the hacked emails WikiLeaks published, as have many other journalists. Anonymous, the online hacker group, has doxxed people before as well. But Assange, as an advocate for radical transparency, has done much to usher in this new era. And this new era should trouble us. In the 20th century, the state was the greatest threat to the individual’s privacy. But in the internet era, where so much of our lives is online, this threat has democratized. Individuals today pose a threat to privacy in a way we used to think was the sole province of the NSA and FBI. At any moment, an email, text or browsing history could be hacked and posted on the web for all to see. In an instant, our private lives can become public. More recently, foreign governments have be-
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the
letter. Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No name-calling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
CLASSSIC DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
come threats to our privacy. Four U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Russia orchestrated a campaign to advantage Trump in the election through hacking and leaking the emails of leading Democrats. The Russians used this tactic in 2014 in combination with their special forces, when RT, the Kremlinfunded network, would post audio recordings of U.S. diplomats. We are already starting to see imitators. Wall Street Journal reporter Jay Solomon lost his job because emails and texts were leaked to the Associated Press that made it appear that he sought a business relationship with one of his sources. Solomon has said he never entered into such a relationship. On the eve of the Gulf crisis over Qatar, the Emirati ambassador to Washington had his Hotmail account hacked and his emails posted on the web. None of this is to say that there is not news value to some of these disclosures. It’s always a balance. The problem is that people like Assange never cared about this balance until now. For years he believed the public’s right to know outweighed the privacy rights of his victims. Today he argues the privacy of an online troll outweighs the public’s right to know who exactly is making the memes the president tweets in his war against CNN. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg View columnist.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 8, 2017 |
A5
CRIME
South Carolina escaped prisoner recaptured in Texas By Meg Kinnard A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina inmate broke out of a maximumsecurity prison using wire cutters that were apparently flown in by drone, officials said Friday, describing a new and devilishly hard-to-stop means of escape. Convicted kidnapper Jimmy Causey, 46, was recaptured at a Texas motel before daybreak, more than two days after bolting to freedom in a plot worthy of a Hollywood script. It was the second time in 12 years that he escaped. This time, he used a smuggled-in cellphone to coordinate the delivery of the breakout tools, in-
vestigators said. Then, with dusk approaching on the Fourth of July, he cut through four fences and left a dummy in his bed that fooled his guards. He got an 18-hour head start. When he was caught, he had about $47,000 in cash, an ID card and two guns, authorities said. “We believe a drone was used to fly in the tools that allowed him to escape,” South Carolina Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said. He said investigators were still trying to confirm that, and he didn’t elaborate on why they believe a drone was involved. But an official aerial photo of the prison shows rings of tall fences and an expanse of more
than 50 yards between the prison perimeter and the cellblocks, making it unlikely someone could have thrown or catapulted tools to him. Kevin Tamez, a 30-year law enforcement veteran who consults on prison security as managing partner of the New Jersey-based MPM Group, said he wasn’t aware of any other U.S. prison escapes aided by drones. Tamez said that delivering something heavy such as wire or bolt cutters via drone would require a sophisticated plan and a powerful machine. “They have to land for you to get the contraband off of them,” he said. “They can’t drop it like a bomb.”
Tamez said there is no easy way for prisons to protect against the use of small, unmanned aircraft, other than hiring more guards to watch the fences. Stirling said the state is spending millions to install netting at prisons to prevent people from throwing things over, but confessed that won’t stop drones. “Now they’re going to fly over the nets,” he said. “So what do we do next?” A tip led Texas Rangers to a motel room in Austin where Causey was found sleeping around 4 a.m. Friday, authorities said. Texas officials released a photo of a handgun, shotgun, four cellphones and stacks of cash found with
Man gets 7 years for insurance scam ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Williamson County Jail / AP
Shown is Jimmy Causey.
Causey about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) from the Lieber Correctional Institution prison near Charleston. Prison officials are investigating how his 8 p.m. disappearance Tuesday went unnoticed until 2 p.m. the next day. “Everyone who assisted him — we intend on bringing them to justice as well,” State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel said.
Oklahoma sheriff fatally shoots wanted Texas man A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A Texas man wanted in eastern Arkansas for domestic battery and
assault has been fatally shot by a county sheriff in Oklahoma. Sequoyah County Sheriff Larry Lane shot 45year-old James William
Huskey on Wednesday after a struggle at a McDonald’s restaurant in Sallisaw. Undersheriff Greg Cox says Huskey shot at Lane
and his chief deputy, and the sheriff returned fire. He says Huskey continued to struggle after he was shot and had to be handcuffed. Emergency per-
sonnel arrived, and Huskey was declared dead later in a local hospital. Lane and Chief Deputy Charles House weren’t injured in the struggle.
DALLAS — A former Texas businessman was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to repay nearly $4 million in an insurance scam targeting a British company. Federal prosecutors say 66-year-old Wesley Michael Woodyard was sentenced Friday in Dallas. Investigators say the 66-year-old defrauded ACE European Insurance Company of London from 2002 through 2013. An indictment alleges Woodyard stole money meant to buy annuities for beneficiaries of ACE European Insurance policies, including United Nations employees hurt or killed in connection with their jobs. Woodyard owned an insurance company and acted an agent to sell annuities. Prosecutors say Woodyard fraudulently induced ACE European Insurance to send funds to bank accounts he controlled.
Woman charged with Teen rescued from 2 defrauding Catholic mission Houston sex traffickers A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON — A 38year-old Houston woman has been arrested on multiple charges of defrauding more than $1.1 million from a Catholic mission that supports schools in Mexico and Colombia. Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez says Rosina Blanco worked as a
bookkeeper beginning in 2014 for the Basilian Father’s Missions of the Catholic Church, based in the Houston suburb of Sugar Land, and fraudulently authorized electronic transfers from the mission account to accounts in her name. Prosecutors say Blanco used the money for jewelry, furniture, luxury items and cars, real es-
tate and services for her dog. The Basilian Catholic priests order, based in Toronto, receives money from sources including individual mail solicitations, mission offerings and from the Congregation of St. Basil in Canada. Blanco was to make an initial court appearance Friday.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON — Two Houston women have been arrested in what authorities say was a sex trafficking operation involving a 14-year-old girl lured through social media to Texas from Chicago. The girl, now in the care of authorities, had
been advertised on online sex sites as a 19-year-old but drew police attention for resembling a young documented runaway. Harris County Constable Mark Herman says undercover detectives responding to the ad arranged a meeting at a north Houston motel Thursday, rescued the girl and arrested 20-year-
old Teresa Henry and 24-year-old Centurrie Garrett. Both have extensive criminal records. Henry is jailed on charges of human trafficking and compelling prostitution of a minor. Garrett is held on a prostitution charge. Herman says Garrett had a 6week-old baby with her at the time of her arrest.
A6 | Saturday, July 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
Water pipe across Grand Canyon needs replacement By Paul Davenport A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
Grand Canyon National Park officials plan to replace much of a decades-old, problemplagued pipeline system that’s forced officials to ask hotels and residents to wash dishes and laundry less frequently and backpackers to drink treated creek water. Crews regularly have to descend into the northern Arizona canyon by trail or helicopter to fix costly rockslide-caused breaks to the 6-inch aluminum pipe that supplies water to hotels, campgrounds and other facilities. The breaks have forced the park to periodically
impose water conservation measures or even temporarily restrict reservations at canyon hotels until repairs are complete. The Grand Canyon, which received nearly 6 million visitors in 2016, is one of the most visited U.S. national parks. Preliminary plans call for ferrying pipe pieces and equipment by helicopter into the canyon to replace miles of pipeline serving the South Rim. That pipeline extends from springs located partway up the North Rim, down to and across the Colorado River in the canyon bottom and up to a pump station partway up the South Rim.
The National Park Service is seeking public comment on several plans to replace the pipe before reviewing how the plans could impact the environment. Officials are considering replacing the entire 12.5-mile (20.12 -kilometer) pipeline serving the South Rim or just replacing about one-third of it. According to park officials, work on the new pipeline would start in early 2020, take three to four years to complete and cost $75 million to $124 million. The current pipeline was constructed in the 1960s and park spokesman Jeffrey Olson said it has already outlasted its designed 40 years of use.
National Park Service / AP
This undated photo shows water spraying from a break in an exposed section of the Grand Canyon trans-canyon waterline as a worker attempts repairs.
“It’s probably the largest deferred maintenance project in the whole Park Service,” Olson said. There have been more than 80 pipeline breaks since 2010 and each break costs an average of $25,000 to fix. Repairs on a major break last winter cost $1.5 million and took weeks. The break prompted a lodge on the North Rim to cancel hotel reservations and tanker trucks had to haul in water to fill storage tanks for drinking
water and firefighting. Past pipeline breaks have prompted park officials to promote conservation measures at hotels, campgrounds and residences, including reducing use of dishwashers and washing machines, and telling backpackers to be prepared to treat water from creeks for drinking. Officials are planning to install an 8-inch wide replacement pipeline, likely stainless steel, which would better resist
damage and handle more water flow to meet the park’s increased water demand, Olson said. In places where it’s practical, sections will be buried to avoid rockslide damage, Olson said. “We’re trying to have something that would last 50 years or longer, rather than 40 years,” he said. After the South Rim project, replacing a pipeline on the North Rim “is next on the list” but there’s no funding yet lined up, Olson said.
Judge: Constitution grants right to record police in public By Maryclaire Dale A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PHILADELPHIA — A federal appeals court in Philadelphia has joined five other circuits in finding that citizens have a First Amendment right to videotape police in public. The U.S. 3rd Circuit on Friday joined what it called the “growing consensus” that the public can photograph or record police without retaliation. U.S. Judge Thomas L. Ambro stressed that the U.S. Constitution grants citizens the right to “information about how our public servants operate in public.” He acknowledged the pressure faced by police but said bystander recordings since at least the Rodney King beating by
Los Angeles police in 1991 have both “exposed police misconduct and exonerated officers from errant charges.” Such recordings, he said, provide different perspectives than the images captured by police dashboard and body cameras. Cellphone recordings in the years since King’s violent arrest was videotaped by a bystander have repeatedly captured shootings of motorists, suspects and others by police, fueling a national conversation around policing and minority communities, activists say. “There’s just no question in 2017 that the right to record the police is part of the liberty protected by the First Amendment, even more so now that
smartphones are as ubiquitous as they are,” said Molly Tack-Hooper, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania who argued the case. “A huge percentage of the country walks around with technology in their pocket that enables them to deter police misconduct by merely holding up a smartphone ... and distributing those recordings at the touch of a button.” Each federal appeals court that has weighed the issue has found it unconstitutional for police to interfere with such public recordings, Ambro said. The technology allows bystanders to complement traditional press accounts of how police use their power, he said.
John Bazemore / AP
Isabel Martinez gestures toward news cameras during her first court appearance on Friday in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Woman grins while charged with murder By Kate Brumback And Kathleen Foody ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Orphan walrus calf gets spa treatment By Dan Joling A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Everybody needs a shoulder to lean on now and then. A walrus calf at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska, is getting one 24 hours per day. Trained staff members, working in pairs, are touching, massaging and cuddling a calf all day and all night as part of its recuperation. The calf, estimated to be about 6 weeks old, was found last month without its mother several miles outside Nome. Walrus are highly social and spend two years with their mothers, said Jennifer Gibbins, marketing and communications director for the center. “They need constant contact,” Gibbins said. “Part of the caregiving is providing that constant contact and tactile interaction. The calf was spotted in mid-June on the deck of a mining barge. The walrus was still on the barge the next morning and the barge crew summoned wildlife experts. The SeaLife Center is dedicated to marine research and education and features a public aquarium. It’s the only facility in Alaska that holds a permit for marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation. When the calf reached Seward on June 17, it weighed 120 pounds (54 kilograms) and was extremely lethargic. “He was severely dehydrated,” Gibbins said. “That was really the first concern.” The calf initially was fed with a tube down its
Jennifer Gibbins / AP
This June 21 photo shows a walrus pup in a quarantined pen as it's cared for at the Alaska SeaLife Center, in Seward, Alaska.
throat that sent food directly to the stomach. It was considered a hopeful sign when the animal began bottle feeding about a week later. The calf now sucks down up to a liter of formula seven times per day. As the calf rehydrated and recuperated, he became more active, curious and plump. He now weighs 143 pounds (65 kilograms). “That’s a pretty dramatic change in a short time,” Gibbins said. The cuddling is critical, Gibbins said. “One of the unique things about walrus is that there is a very high level of maternal investment with a calf,” she said. “They are with their moms for two years in the wild.” Twenty staff members have been trained to be with the little guy. He leans on them and sometimes lies on them. Sometimes he sucks their arms. Gibbins calls it nursing behavior. “An infant human might be sucking on your fingers. That’s what
they’re doing,” she said. Walrus have practical reasons for refined touching. They use their hundreds of short, highly sensitive whiskers to search for clams and other seafood on the ocean floor, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. A sea otter, ringed seal and two harbor seals also are receiving care. Most of the center’s rehabbed animals return to the wild but the young walrus won’t be. “We can care for this calf. We can take care of its health. We can give it some good social interaction. But we cannot teach that animal how to be an animal in the wild,” Gibbins said. “That’s why they’re non-releasable.” No decision has been made on placement. The SeaLife Center will determine what facility can give it the best veterinary and social care. “This walrus needs to be with other walrus,” she said. The center expects to house the animal through summer and into the fall.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — A woman charged with killing four of her young children and her husband smiled and flashed a double thumbs up to news cameras during her first court appearance Friday in metro Atlanta before telling a judge she doesn’t want an attorney. Also, an immigration official said the woman, who is from Mexico, entered the U.S. illegally. Isabel Martinez, 33, appeared before Gwinnett County Magistrate Court Judge Michael Thorpe a day after police said she stabbed the five to death and seriously injured another child at her home. The surviving 9-year-old girl remained hospitalized
with serious injuries. Before the hearing began, Martinez sat with other inmates and posed for cameras — smiling, giving the thumbs up, putting her hands in a prayer position and spreading her arms out wide. As Thorpe listed the charges — five counts of malice murder, five counts of murder and six counts of aggravated assault — Martinez smiled, shook her head “no” and wagged her finger at him. “Ma’am, I’m going to caution you to cut out the display for the cameras,” he said. “It’s really not a good idea, probably not to your benefit.” When Thorpe said she had a right to an attorney, she replied through a Spanish-language interpreter that she doesn’t want one. She later added
that her attorney will always be the people “that we’re fighting for” and her faith. “You are the hope of the world, each one of you,” she said in Spanish, appearing to address the news cameras. “It doesn’t matter what color you are because God loves us all.” Thorpe advised Martinez to hire a lawyer or allow one to be appointed. Meanwhile, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said in an email Friday that Martinez — whom he identified as Maria Isabel GardunoMartinez — is from Mexico and entered the U.S. illegally. This is her first encounter with immigration authorities, and it’s not clear how long she has been in the U.S., Cox said. Local officials called the killings “horrendous.”
Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 8, 2017 |
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Inscripciones para porristas 1 El distrito escolar Zapata County Independent District invita a los padres de alumnos de tercero, cuarto y quinto de la primaria Zapata North Elementary a las inscripciones para porristas el jueves 13 de julio. Para mayores informes llame al 956-765-6917.
Festival de Ciudades Hermanas 1 Del 7 al 8 de julio habrá más de 200 expositores de artesanía mexicana en Laredo Energy Arena, 6700 Arena Blvd., de 10 a.m. a 7 p.m. Entrada libre.
INMIGRACIÓN
LULAC contra proyecto SB4 Critican a fondo legislación en convención nacional Por Jason Buch SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
Debido a la nueva ley de ciudades santuario, Texas se ha convertido en la “zona cero” de la disputa sobre leyes migratorias, dijo el laredense Roger C. Rocha Jr., presidente nacional de la Liga de Ciudadanos Latinoamericanos Unidos (LULAC por sus siglas en inglés). LULAC llevará a cabo su convención nacional esta semana en San Anto-
nio y la demanda en contra del proyecto de ley SB 4 del Senado de Texas, llamada ley de ciudades santuario, se ha cernido sobre el evento desde su inicio el martes. El gobernador Greg Abbott promulgó la ley SB 4 el 7 de mayo, un día después LULAC, junto con El Cenizo, presentaron la primera demanda en contra de la ley. El jueves, funcionarios de LULAC y líderes del gobierno local llevaron a cabo una conferencia de
prensa en la que criticaron a fondo la legislación. La nueva ley castiga a funcionarios locales que impidan a la policía cuestionar acerca del estatus migratorio y que no acaten órdenes de retención inmigratoria hechas por funcionarios federales. En una declaración judicial hecha el mes pasado, el estado de Texas tomó la posición de que la ley no representa obligaciones para la policía local, pero sólo ataca
CINE EXPRIMENTAL
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.
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. 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.
Grupos de apoyo 1 Grupo Cancer Friend se reúne a las 6 p.m. el primer lunes del mes en el Centro Comunitario de Doctors Hospital. Padecer cáncer es una de las experiencias más estresantes en la vida de una persona. Sin embargo, los grupos de apoyo pueden ayudar a muchos a lidiar con los aspectos emocionales de la enfermedad. 1 Grupo de Apoyo para Ansiedad y Depresión Rayo de Luz se reúne cada primer lunes del mes de 6:30 p.m. a 7:30 p.m. en Centro de Educación del Área de Salud, ubicado en 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430.
apropiadas”. Rocha mencionó que la ley permite retener a cualquier persona que detengan, incluyendo a pasajeros de vehículos detenidos por infracciones de tráfico, para determinar el estatus migratorio. “No se equivoque sobre esto, los latinos son el objetivo específico del proyecto de ley SB 4”, dijo él. “Somos la minoría más grande en Texas. ¿A quién cree que van a detener?”
CONDADO DE WEBB
los Tijerina Por Taryn T. Walters TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Llenado de aplicaciones
Laboratorio Computacional
las políticas que la obstaculizan. La nueva ley “no exige que los oficiales tomen ninguna medida específica. Más bien, hace a un lado políticas que siempre impiden a los oficiales cuestionar el estatus migratorio”, establece el estado de Texas en la declaración judicial. “Por lo tanto el proyecto de ley SB 4 permite — no exige— a los oficiales cuestionar voluntariamente acerca del estatus migratorio en circunstancias
BANDIDA DE AMORES Demandan a
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.
1 La Ciudad de Roma ofrece el servicio de llenado de aplicaciones para CHIP, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Chip, Prenatal y otros. Contacte a Gaby Rodríguez para una cita en el centro comunitario o en su domicilio al 956246-7177.
A7
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Camargo
Ajustes al vestuario de Aracely Ramírez, quien interpreta a María Ramírez, personaje principal del filme Bandida de Amores, son realizados durante la filmación de la película en Camargo, Tamaulipas.
Filme se ubica en la época revolucionaria Por Malena Charur TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Una película que destaca el folklore de la frontera está siendo rodada en locaciones de ciudades como Camargo, México, Río Bravo, Matamoros y próximamente en algunos ejidos como El Tomaseño y El Chorrito, pertenecientes a Hidalgo, Tamaulipas. Adán Pardo, originario de Reynosa, es un cantante de mariachi que ha decidido incursionar en el cine con su ópera prima Bandida de Amores. “Como cantante de mariachi busco con esta película rescatar la música mexicana. En mi último disco incluí a cuatro compositores y dos de los temas se cantarán en esta película”, explicó Pardo. “Una de ellas es del autor Eleuterio Méndez quien me proporcionó el corrido de María Ramírez y en quien se basa la película”. Pardo señaló que Méndez escribió el corrido en base a las historias o
leyendas que le contaban sus abuelos quienes fueron caudillos de la Revolución. “La película se ubica en tiempos de la Revolución Mexicana donde una mujer pierde a su madre y a sus hermanas a manos de un padrastro abusivo con lo que se inicia una serie de eventos que terminan en un triángulo amoroso con una lucha de pasiones donde el orgullo puede más que el amor”, indicó Pardo. Aracely Ramírez, actriz
reynosense, da vida a María Ramírez, junto a Antonio Medellín y Enrique Salinas además de otros 80 actores y tres grupos de mariachis. Agregó que llevan tres meses de filmaciones pero que la película debe estar terminada a finales de julio para iniciar su proyección en agosto. Pardo adelantó que habrá dos filmes más que se entrelazan con Bandida de Amores, también basadas en corridos de la autoría de Méndez. Él invitó al público a ver esta película que lleva como director de cámaras a Roberto Azuara, Jaime Arratia como director de fotografía y Porfirio Gutiérrez como editor. “Agradezco a los municipios y al público en general todas las atenciones que han tenido para nuestro equipo ya que estamos haciendo esto por amor, se trata de cine experimental que no cuenta con el apoyo de ninguna dependencia oficial”, finalizó.
El Juez del Condado de Webb Tano Tijerina y su esposa han sido demandados por más de un millón de dólares a causa de un accidente de tránsito en el que estuvo involucrado su hijo de 16 años. Tijerina y su esposa, Kimberly Jean Walker Tijerina, están siendo demandados de forma individual y como los parientes más cercanos de su hijo, Cayetano Issac Tijerina. La demanda, presentada por los pasajeros de uno de los vehículos involucrados en la colisión con Cayetano Tijerina, afirma que los Tijerina tenían, o debían haber tenido conocimiento que su hijo era un “conductor imprudente e incompetente” cuando le autorizaron usar su camioneta Ford F-350 modelo 2012 el día del accidente. En el momento de la colisión, Cayetano había tenido su licencia de conducir por menos de nueve meses, de acuerdo con la demanda. En una respuesta presentada por los Tijerina niegan categóricamente las acusaciones en su contra. Además, niegan que su conducta constituya una negligencia grave y niegan demostrar una indiferencia consciente al bienestar de los demás. Leticia Gutiérrez, de 56 años, Roberto Gutiérrez, de 54 años y Valerie Gutiérrez, de 23 años, pasajeros de uno de los vehículos involucrados en el accidente, han solicitado ser indemnizados por el dolor y el sufrimiento supuestamente ocasionados por la colisión. El vehículo de Cayeta-
no Tijerina estaba detenido en el carril exclusivo para dar vuelta con dirección sur en la cuadra 9000 de Bob Bullock Loop aproximadamente a las 8:17 p.m. del 2 de abril, según un informe de accidente obtenido por LMT. El vehículo de los Gutiérrez, conducido por Valerie Gutiérrez, y otro vehículo, conducido por Whitney Kyle Dupuis, de 28 años, se desplazaban con dirección norte por la cuadra 8000 de Bob Bullock Loop. El vehículo de Cayetano Tijerina no cedió el paso a la izquierda y colisionó con los vehículos de Gutiérrez y Dupuis, señala el informe. El Departamento de Policía de Laredo citó a Cayetano Tijerina por no ceder el paso. Una declaración publicada en la cuenta de Facebook de Tano Tijerina dice que los investigadores de seguros aún no determinan la causa del accidente y las partes responsables. La demanda de Gutiérrez solicita una compensación monetaria de más de un millón de dólares en daños y perjuicios por gastos médicos, dolor físico y sufrimiento, angustia mental, deterioro físico y desfiguración. Los Tijerina aseguran que los daños, si los hubiera, fueron causados de manera aproximada por la negligencia de terceros sobre los cuales no tienen control y que cualquier cobro debe ser prohibido o reducido bajo las disposiciones pertinentes de la ley. “Este es un juicio civil personal que no afecta a los contribuyentes del condado de Webb”, dijo Tano Tijerina en su declaración.
TAMAULIPAS
Confiscan armas y vehículos Por César G. Rodríguez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Autoridades del estado de Tamaulipas dijeron que recientemente confiscaron un arsenal y tres vehículos en Ciudad Camargo, frontera con la ciudad Rio Grande City. El Departamento de Seguridad Publica de Tamaulipas mencionó que la incautación se logró gracias a una denuncia anónima. El 27 de junio, oficiales
de la policía estatal recibieron reportes de una camioneta sospechosa Chevy Silverado circulando por la calle 13 de septiembre y Galeana, en el área del centro de la ciudad. Las autoridades dijeron que la camioneta estaba abandonada. Después de realizar una inspección a la camioneta se encontraron cinco rifles de asalto sin cargadores. Los oficiales también descu-
brieron otros dos vehículos sospechosos: un Nissan Xterra modelo 2002 y un Honda Civic modelo 2017. Dentro de cada vehículo había cargamentos de armas de fuego y otros accesorios. Los oficiales incautaron un total de 18 rifles de asalto, 80 cartuchos de munición y 56 cargadores. Todos los artículos confiscados fueron entregados al fiscal general de México para una investigación.
Foto de cortesía
Los oficiales tamaulipecos incautaron 18 rifles de asalto, 80 cartuchos de munición y 56 cargadores.
A8 | Saturday, July 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
Stone sheds light on gender pay inequality By Sophie Haigney N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS S ERVIC E
Emma Stone has become the latest woman in Hollywood to speak out about gender pay inequality, saying that some of her male co-stars have taken cuts to level the gap between their wages. “In my career so far, I’ve needed my male co-stars to take a pay cut so that I may have parity with them,” Stone said in a conversation with Billie Jean King, the former professional tennis player, published by Out Magazine on Thursday. “And that’s something they do for me because they feel it’s what’s right and fair.” Such paycheck concessions from men helped Stone get paid more for future films, she explained. “If my male co-star, who has a higher quote than me but believes we are equal, takes a pay cut so that I can match him, that changes my quote in the future and changes my life,” she said. It was not clear which male co-stars she was referring to. Stone’s publicist did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stone, who won the Academy Award for best actress this year for “La La Land,” and also played major roles in “Birdman,” “The Help,” and the “Amazing Spider-Man” movies, is currently promoting “The Battle of the Sexes,” a new film based on a 1973 tennis match between King and a male tennis player, Bobby Riggs. King was a pioneer in fighting for gender-pay parity; she lobbied the U.S. Open vigorously about the disparity between women’s and men’s prize money. The movie will be released in
September. Emphasizing that King’s story remained relevant Stone today, Stone said, “I go more to the blanket issue that women, in general, are making fourfifths at best.” King interjected: “White women. If you’re African-American or Hispanic it goes down, and then Asian-Americans make 90 cents to the dollar.” In the United States in 2016, women’s median weekly full-time earnings were 81.9 percent of men’s median weekly earnings. For Hispanic women in comparison with white men, that figure was 57.2 percent, and for black women compared with white men it was 62.5 percent. It’s difficult to determine the precise wage gap for Hollywood in particular. As Stone noted in the interview, factors including the relative sizes of roles, box-office sales, and genre of films make it hard to compare salaries across genders in the industry. Still, it’s clear that many big-budget female stars make less than their male counterparts. One 2014 study showed that female stars’ average earnings per film increase until they turn 34 and then decrease rapidly; meanwhile, male stars’ average earnings per film increase until they turn 51 and then remain stable. Other stars have spoken up about this: Jennifer Lawrence wrote an essay in 2015 when leaked documents showed she was paid less than her co-star Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle.” Amy Adams, another of the co-stars in that movie, has also spoken out as well.
Sonja Flemming / AP
This image shows Paul Abrahamian, a contestant on "Big Brother 18," competing in the new game show, "Candy Crush," premiering Sunday on CBS.
Candy Crush comes to TV By Lynn Elber ASSOCIATED PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Candy Crush addicts, and you know who you are, put down your mobile device immediately. Then you can watch “Candy Crush,” the TV game show. Expect breezy, energetic fun from the CBS series debuting 9 p.m. EDT Sunday with host Mario Lopez, said executive producer Matt Kunitz, whose credits include “Wipeout” and “Fear Factor.” Nearly 200 billion game rounds were played in the Candy Crush Saga last year, according to its maker, King. To entice people to watch it on TV, “Candy Crush” supersiz-
es the visuals and the action. Two specially designed video walls, each made up of 55 monitors and measuring more than 20-by-25 feet, require contestants to physically scramble as they compete for the weekly $100,000 prize. One wall is placed horizontally on the stage floor, the other is perpendicular to it, and players in safety harnesses scoot across and up and down the screens. They make candy matches by, natch, swiping squares a la the mobile game. The stunt team that handled Lady Gaga’s rig during her airborne entrance to this year’s Super Bowl halftime show did the same for “Candy Crush,” with the same
injury-free success, Kunitz and CBS said. Taping is completed. When the show was pitched to the network, Kunitz said, they asked CBS executives to imagine “if you were playing on your phone and got sucked through and were in a Candy Crush arena.” The video walls were key, he said. Their surfaces needed to withstand running, jumping and sliding and respond only to the swipe of contestants’ hands. Producers ended up going with a company, MultiTaction, that had created a 44-monitor wall for the Australia’s Queensland University of Technology. That was the world’s biggest, Kunitz said, until “Candy Crush” came
along — and he points to a Guinness World Records citation attesting to that. Each monitor has 32 cameras to record the flurry of hand swipes. Many video games have been translated to the movie screen, from “Super Mario Brothers” to “Tomb Raider” to “The Angry Birds Movie,” but it’s rare, if not unprecedented, for a game to come to television, said Sebastian Knutsson, a King executive who helped develop Candy Crush. The game’s simplicity “actually translates very well” to TV, he said, and the audience’s perspective allows them to see opportunities more readily than the contestants who are so close to the oversized boards.
Right-wing writer sues over canceled book ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — Polarizing right-wing writer Milo Yiannopoulos (MY’-loh yuh-NAH’-poh-lihs) has filed a $10 million lawsuit against a New York publishing company over a canceled book deal. Yiannopoulos resigned from the conservative website Breitbart News this year after comments he made about sexual relationships between boys and men. In video clips, he appeared to defend sexual relationships between men and boys as
young as 13. He had planned a memoir entitled “Dangerous” and had a deal with Simon & Schuster to publish it, but the company dumped the book after the comments surfaced. He announced the lawsuit Friday. The lawsuit claims the publishing company breached the contract and bowed to “false and misleading reports.” The Daily News says the publisher dismisses the lawsuit as a publicity stunt and says it will prevail.
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Milo Yiannopoulos speaks outside the Simon & Schuster publishing company Friday in New York.
All 6 Spider-Man movies ranked from best to worst By David Betancourt Rich Fury / AP
In this Jan. 8 file photo, Kendall Jenner, left, and Kylie Jenner arrive at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner sued over Tupac shirts A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — A commercial photographer has sued Kendall and Kylie Jenner over the use of two of his images of late rapper Tupac Shakur that were used on T-shirts the sisters briefly sold for $125 apiece. Michael Miller sued the Jenner sisters in a Los Angeles federal court on Friday for copyright infringement over the “vintage” T-shirts that featured their likeness or designs superimposed
over photos of famous musicians. Miller’s suit states the Jenners never sought permission to use his photos. The sisters’ brand Kendall + Kylie stopped selling the shirts last month after Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and the mother of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G, criticized them. Emails sent to the Jenners’ publicists were not immediately returned Friday. Miller is seeking at least $150,000 apiece for the use of his photos.
WASHINGTON P O ST
Now that Spider-Man is swinging into theaters for the sixth time, it’s time to ask where this new franchise, now under the watchful gaze of Marvel Studios in addition to Sony, ranks among the rest. Here is our ranking of all six Spider-Man movies: 1. “Spider-Man 2” (2004) Harry Osborn discovers that his best friend Peter is secretly SpiderMan and, convinced Peter killed his father, Norman Osborn/The Green Goblin, Harry goes down the dark path of becoming a Goblin of his own. Alfred Molina gives a compelling performance as classic Spider-Man villain Doctor Octopus, and composer Danny Elfman, with an assist from superstar comic artist Alex Ross in the
opening credits and some fun-to-watch skyscraper web-swinging at movie’s end, gives us one of the greatest superhero movie scores ever. “Spider-Man 2,” despite now having a lot more competition, can still be considered one of the best superhero movies ever. 2. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017) Spider-Man is finally home where he belongs: Marvel Studios. “Homecoming” isn’t just a declaration of Avenger-hood, however - it almost magically feels like a brand new Spider Man movie, despite being the sixth one. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker leads an actuallyyoung cast of high school supporting players. Michael Keaton gives an all-time Spider-villain performance as the Vulture and Spider-Man has never looked better, with a suit that’s a nod to the Spider-Man art of the 60s and 70s up top with its
webbed wings, mixed with some high-tech, Iron Man-like magic. 3. “Spider-Man” (2002) Perhaps this movie’s only flaw was a silly Green Goblin suit - William Dafoe was actually much more menacing outside of it as he went to war with Maguire’s Spider-Man while slowly going insane. A classic upside down kiss with Mary Jane might be this film’s most memorable moment. 4. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014) So heavy is the shadow of Marvel Studios at this point that not even the strong chemistry of Garfield and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy can save the franchise that ended with this installment. This movie gives us a beautifully-executed Stacy death scene, one of the most powerful moments in the history of SpiderMan comics, and it wasn’t enough. At this point,
Sony knew they needed the Marvel Studios touch. 5. “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012) Garfield shows some decent Spidey-potential, as a New York accented, joke-cracking version who’s likable but working with a not-so-great Spidey suit (it got better in the sequel, see above) and perhaps the least thrilling Spider-Man movie villain ever, Rhys Ifan’s Lizard. 6. “Spider-Man 3” (2007) The “Spider-Man” movie that must not be named. Once Maguire starts dancing, we know this is not going to be one of the all-time great Spidey-films. The love story of Peter and Mary Jane seems to all but disappear amid drama. Venom, perhaps the most intense, imposing Spider-Man villain of all, is played by someone from “That 70s Show,” and even Aunt May looks like she realizes this was all a bad idea.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 8, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Solid June jobs report gets tech and consumer stocks jumping By Marley Jay A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks climbed Friday after the government said hiring grew at a stronger pace in June. Technology and consumer-focused companies led the way as investors were glad to see a positive sign for the economy. The Labor Department said American employers added 222,000 jobs last month. That was more than analysts had expected, and it came just a day after a survey that showed weaker job creation by private companies. Stocks regained much of the ground they lost Thursday. Technology companies jumped and retailers like Amazon and McDonald’s traded higher. Bond yields climbed and the dollar got stronger. Gold fell. “The data itself shows a pretty strong labor market,” said Sean Lynch, co-head of global equity strategy for the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. He said it “probably lays to rest some of the worries (that) we were taking a step back from an economic standpoint.” The Standard & Poor’s 500 index picked up 15.43 points, or 0.6 percent, to 2,425.18. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 94.30 points, or 0.4 percent, to 21,414.34. It fell 158 points a day earlier. The Nasdaq composite rose 63.61 points, or 1 percent, to 6,153.08. The Russell 2000 index of smallercompany stocks added 15.02 points, or 1.1 percent, to 1,415.84. The government said more people looked for work in June, which pushed the unemployment rate slightly higher. The government also raised its estimates of job gains in April and May. However average wage
Oil declines; US resumes expansion By Meenal Vamburkar BL OOMBERG NEWS
Richard Drew / AP
Trader Ronald Madarasz works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. Retailers and technology stocks are leading U.S. indexes lower in early trading on Wall Street.
growth remained modest. Still, companies that would benefit from better economic growth, like banks and industrial companies, made strong gains. Facebook added $2.62, or 1.8 percent, to $151.44 and Microsoft rose 89 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $69.46 as technology companies made the biggest gains Friday. They have done better than any other industrial group within the S&P 500 this year. Despite Friday’s gains, technology stocks have had a bad month. The Nasdaq composite closed at an all-time high June 8 and the S&P 500 technology index closed at a 17-year-high. Since then the tech index has dropped 4 percent, its worst one-month stretch since Britain voted to leave the European Union last June. Apple and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, have both fallen almost 8 percent in that time, while chipmaker Nvidia is down 10 percent and smaller chip and chip equipment companies
have taken even sharper losses. “If the markets are to go higher, it’s got to come from somewhere other than technology,” said Lynch. McDonald’s rose $3.18, or 2.1 percent, to $156.27. Amazon picked up $13.62, or 1.4 percent, to $978.76 and Netflix advanced $3.93, or 2.7 percent, to $150.18. Homebuilder D.R. Horton added $1.30, or 3.8 percent, to $35.79. Stocks dropped Thursday after ADP, a payroll processor, released a survey that showed sluggish hiring by private businesses. Investors have been worried that rising interest rates in the U.S., and possibly in Europe, will affect economic growth, while the end of stimulus measures by the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank could affect stocks, as they have helped support stock markets since the financial crisis in 200809. Benchmark U.S. crude oil lost $1.29, or 2.8 percent, to $44.23 a barrel in New York. Brent crude,
used to price international oils, fell $1.40, or 2.9 percent, to $46.71 per barrel in London. Analysts said investors are focused on the strong increase in U.S. production in Thursday’s energy supply report. Hess fell $1.04, or 2.4 percent, to $41.79 and Devon Energy gave up 64 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $29.54. Bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 2.39 percent from 2.37 percent. Big-dividend stocks like phone companies, household goods makers and utilities mostly lagged the market as investors who sought yield were lured elsewhere. Advisory Board jumped after Bloomberg said health insurer UnitedHealth Group and private equity firm Vista Equity plan to buy the consulting company and break it up. Advisory Board shares climbed $2.90, or 5.4 percent, to $57.10. Investors currently value the company at about $2.3 billion. UnitedHealth gained $1.02 to $187.96.
Oil slumped, posting a weekly loss as a decline in U.S. crude stockpiles was offset by drillers resuming a year-long expansion that’s raising production. Futures fell 3.9 percent this week, even after U.S. data on Thursday showed the nation’s crude stockpiles dropped by 6.3 million barrels, three times as much as expected. U.S. drillers went back to adding rigs this week, after breaking a record streak of expansion last week. Investors remain doubtful that OPEC-led production cuts will clear a global glut as Russia and Saudi Arabia appear to be less committed than earlier in the year, while U.S. production has been rising for most of this year. “The market remains unconvinced because the fundamentals remain unconvincing,” said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Seattle, which oversees $142 billion of assets. “Excess supply is still what’s controlling market prices.” Oil’s longest rally in 2017 faltered this week after Russia was said to oppose deeper supply cuts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners. Saudi production increased in June by the most in almost a year, according to a Bloomberg survey. The oversupply concerns have kept futures below $50 a barrel for the past six weeks. “Oil remains volatile, unable to hold onto gains
even after strong inventory draws in the U.S.,” said Jan Edelmann, an analyst at HSH Nordbank AG in Hamburg. “While the strong draws are a step in the right direction, multiple weeks of the same are now needed for the rebalancing.” West Texas Intermediate for August delivery lost as much as $1.74 to $43.78 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and settled $1.29 lower at $44.23. See also: U.S. Oil Has Never Been in Higher Demand Than This Summer Brent for September settlement closed $1.40 lower at $46.71 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Prices are down 2.5 percent this week. The global benchmark traded at a premium of $2.32 to September WTI. U.S. crude production increased by 88,000 barrels a day last week to 9.34 million, the EIA said in a report Thursday. Output had slid by 100,000 barrels a day through June 23 because of field maintenance in Alaska and the impact of tropical storm Cindy. Gasoline stockpiles fell by 3.7 million barrels. Russia wants to stick to the current OPEC deal and would oppose any proposal for deeper production cuts at the group’s ministerial meeting later this month, four Russian government officials said this week. Russia remains willing to weigh any proposals from its allies at the summit in St. Petersburg, the Energy Ministry said in a statement Friday.
US investigating faulty parts that may cause auto gas leaks By Tom Krisher A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
DETROIT — U.S. safety regulators and automakers are trying to track down gas tank flanges that can crack and cause fuel leaks on what could be millions of cars and trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the parts made by German supplier Continental Automotive GmbH after the company filed recall documents
this week saying the parts could be defective. The documents, posted Friday by the agency, say Continental sold the potentially faulty flanges to 11 automakers and five other parts supply companies. Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi already have recalled nearly a half-million vehicles because of leaky flanges, which cover openings in the fuel tank for the fuel pump and other items. The flanges, made of an industrystandard polymer, can crack and let fuel leak. That could
cause fires. With other automakers possibly involved, Continental’s recall could spread to millions of other vehicles, although the total number was unclear. Continental spokeswoman Mary Arraf conceded the number could run into the millions, but said it will be difficult to determine how many were sold because part numbers are not the same. The company has no reports of fires caused by the problem, she said. In addition to VW, Porsche and Audi, automakers who
received the flanges from Continental include Ford, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, Lamborghini, Jaguar-Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, McLaren and Volvo, documents say. The government said in documents that it will get information from the automakers “in order to determine whether any additional vehicles may have the same defect as identified by VW and Porsche, and whether additional safety recalls are required by those identified companies.” Continental said in docu-
ments that it hasn’t determined exactly what causes the flanges to crack, but it believes the outer wall can degrade due to environmental factors that it can’t control, such as acids from cleaning solutions or other sources. Each automaker uses the flanges differently, and some may not be as exposed to the environment, the documents said. Arraf said automakers would be responsible for determining if the parts are defective in their vehicles and would have to conduct their own recalls.
A10 | Saturday, July 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
FROM THE COVER
Man claiming to have bomb in bank killed in police standoff By Mike Stewart ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Caleb Jones / AP
In this June 30 file photo, Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin speaks at a news conference about President Donald Donald Trump's travel ban in Honolulu.
Hawaii wants appeals court to weigh in on travel ban rules By Sudhin Thanawala A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
SAN FRANCISCO — The state of Hawaii on Friday appealed a federal judge’s decision to leave Trump administration rules in place for a travel ban on citizens from six majority-Muslim countries. Hawaii asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for an order saying the government could not omit grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other relatives of someone in the U.S. from the list of people who can still travel to the country. Attorneys for the state made the same request to U.S. District Court Judge Derrick Watson, who denied it Thursday and said the question would be better posed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Watson put President Donald Trump’s revised travel ban on hold in March, and the justices partially reinstated it last month. “Every day that passes is a day when our government is turning away
human beings — from newborn children to elderly grandparents — whom the injunction requires to be admitted,” attorneys for Hawaii said in their filing with the 9th Circuit. The justices said the president’s 90-day ban on visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen could be enforced pending arguments set for October if a visitor lacks a “credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” The court’s majority said a close family relationship in the U.S. was required to enter the country and a spouse or mother-in-law would clearly be permitted. The Trump administration has said the exemption would apply to parents, spouses, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, fiances or siblings. “Many felt the balance struck by the Supreme Court was nuanced and fairly reasonable, but the Trump administration
has flouted the Supreme Court’s order from the start,” Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin said in a statement. “What happens in the next several weeks matters a lot if the administration is not subject to the checks and balances of the courts.” A U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman said the agency did not immediately have comment. The department said in a court filing that its list of people exempt from the ban “hews closely” to categories defined by Congress. The Trump administration says the travel ban is necessary to keep Americans safe until it can review the vetting process for refugees and others. Hawaii also has challenged the administration’s guidance on the suspension of the refugee program and asked the 9th Circuit to order that officials should not presume visa applicants lack a close relationship with someone in the U.S.
POLICE From page A1 Authorities said the pickup was abandoned. An inspection of the Silverado yielded five assault rifles without magazines. Officers also spotted two other suspicious vehicles: a 2002 Nissan Xterra and a 2017 Honda Civic. Each vehicle was loaded with firearms and other accessories. Officers seized a total of 18 assault rifles, 80 rounds of ammo and 56 magazines. All seized items were turned over to Mexico’s attorney general for an investigation.
BORDER From page A1 said it will not pay for a new border barrier, and Trump’s words set off a furious reaction in Mexico City. Mexican officials, however, decided to ignore the remark, at least publicly. Pena Nieto didn’t hear Trump’s exchange with the reporter, and there was no further discussion of the wall in the private talks that followed, Mexican officials said. The wall "was not part of the conversation," Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said in a news conference here. "That’s what we had agreed to, and that’s how it was."
MARIETTA, Ga. — A man who claimed to have a bomb that could “take out the room” barricaded himself inside a suburban Atlanta bank Friday, sparking an hourslong standoff that forced police to bust through a brick wall of the building and ended when an officer shot and killed the suspect. Cobb County police Sgt. Dana Pierce confirmed the man died in an “officer involved shooting.” Pierce said a police bomb squad had rendered safe a backpack in which the suspect claimed to have a bomb. Police were still analyzing the contents to determine if the suspect actually had explosives, he said. Two people were freed shortly after a militarytype vehicle smashed its way through the wall, raining bricks onto its hood. However, it’s not clear if they escaped through the wall opening.
Tamaulipas authorities said this Chevy Silverado is one of three vehicles that contained a total of 18 assault rifles.
Whether Pena Nieto and his delegation really didn’t hear the comment, Mexican officials were privately angry that Trump responded the way he did. The president easily could have ignored the question, one Mexican official said. A little more than an hour after the meeting with the Mexican delegation, Trump ignored reporters’ questions at the opening of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump’s statement was consistent with the campaign rhetoric, but not with what his administration actually has done. In March, the administration asked Congress for $4.1 billion to begin construction on additional border fencing and walls,
conceding that Mexico would not be paying for it. "It’s coming out of the Treasury," Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, told reporters when asked who would pay for the wall. So far, that request has met with a chilly reception on Capitol Hill. Homeland Security Department officials have made clear that the administration does not intend to build a wall along the full length of the border, the way Trump often has described it. There are already about 600 miles of wall, fencing or other blocking constructions along the 2,000-mile border, which traverses rivers, desert and hilly terrain.
Several heavily armed police officers had converged on the bank earlier in the day. Police had said the man inside the bank branch near Marietta had made threats and was inside with an unknown number of employees. On Friday night, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the man as Brian Easley. GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles described the 33year-old as a transient. Police had previously limited the amount of
information they made public, saying the suspect might be monitoring news coverage and social media, Cobb County police Officer Alicia Chilton said in a statement to The Associated Press. WSB-TV in Atlanta reported the station received a call Friday morning from a man who said he was inside the bank and talked for more than 30 minutes. The man told the station’s assignment desk that he had a bomb and two people with him.
Court: Profanity-laced tirade was protected free speech By Dave Collins ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HARTFORD, Conn. — A Connecticut woman who hurled a variety of insults at a grocery store manager was protected by constitutional free speech rights and will be acquitted of a misdemeanor charge, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday. Nina Baccala was arrested in her hometown of Vernon in 2013 after subjecting a Stop & Shop assistant manager to a profanity-laced tirade. Prosecutors said she became enraged when the manager told her it was too late to process a Western Union money transfer. Baccala called the manager “fat” and “ugly,” in addition to profane names, prosecutors said. Baccala, 44, was convicted of breach of peace and sentenced to 25 days in jail. She appealed to the state Supreme Court, arguing that the name calling and insults did not fall within the “fighting words” exemption to constitutional free speech rights.
RYAN From page A1 Tamaulipas Public Safety Department / Courtesy
Mike Stewart / AP
Police vehicles stand near a Wells Fargo Bank on Friday in Marietta, Georgia.
bill would bring nearly $1 trillion in tax cuts that the GOP is counting on to make tax code changes that would bring in less money. Rohit Kumar, a former
DALLAS From page A1 and he needed information about him. Shavon was kidnapped on the morning of June 28. Ledoris Randle received a telephone call from a private number about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday from a suspect who told her that they had the girl. "Give us our s—- back or we are going to kill her," the suspect said, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Ledoris stated the suspect warned her that if she called the police they would kill Shavon. Later, Ledoris confided to a co-worker about the kidnapping. The arrest affidavit says the coworker told Ledoris that
All seven justices on the state Supreme Court agreed the conviction should be overturned. Four voted in favor of acquittal, while three said there should be a new trial. Justice Andrew McDonald wrote in the majority opinion that while the words and phrases that Baccala used were “extremely offensive and meant to personally demean” the manager, they were not criminal. He wrote that the evidence was insufficient to support Baccala’s conviction under federal constitutional law. “Uttering a cruel or offensive word is not a crime unless it would tend to provoke a reasonable person ... to immediately retaliate with violence,” McDonald wrote. He added, “Store managers are routinely confronted by disappointed, frustrated customers who express themselves in angry terms. ... People in authoritative positions of management and control are expected to diffuse hostile situations.” Baccala did not return messages seeking com-
ment Friday. Her lawyer, Damian Gunningsmith, hailed the ruling as protecting citizens’ free speech rights. Prosecutor Mitchell Brody declined to comment. Brody wrote in his opposition to the appeal that Baccala’s insults were “fighting words” and that the state’s breach of peace law allows prosecution for “abusive language.” The “fighting words” exemption to free speech rights dates to a 1942 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a New Hampshire case. In that case, Walter Chaplinsky was convicted of breach of peace for cursing at a town marshal in Rochester, New Hampshire, and calling him a “damned racketeer” and “damned fascist.” Upholding Chaplinsky’s conviction, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled there was an exemption to free speech rights for “fighting words,” which it defined as words “that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.”
tax counsel for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who is now with accounting firm PwC, has said lawmakers need to resolve health care “one way or another” before they do tax reform. The House passed a bill in May that would
repeal President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health care law, which Republicans have vowed to undo, but the Senate has yet to vote on its version of the plan. Identical bills must be approved by Congress before going to President Donald Trump.
one of the men who had the narcotics stolen was Fields and that "Fields has a history with kidnapping people." An anonymous informant told the FBI that a man she knew advised "he was going to kidnap a child to get his narcotics back," according to the affidavit. The man was identified as Owens. Lancaster police obtained a cellphone number for Owens. A call detail analysis showed that Owens’ phone and Shavon’s phone were both in the area of the home in Lancaster on June 28. The phones were together at the same time and "traveled in the same direction away from the victim’s residence until the victim’s cellphone was turned off," accord-
ing to the arrest affidavit. Another suspect, 30year-old Laquon Wilkerson, was also arrested by the FBI and the Lancaster Police Department in connection with the case on Saturday. Wilkerson was transported to the Dallas County Jail on Sunday. He is charged with aggravated kidnapping and remained in custody Friday. Wilkerson, Fields and Owens are accused of kidnapping Shavon Randle, according to the affidavits. Jones was arrested Sunday and faces a charge of failing to report a death, a Class A misdemeanor. He remained in custody this week. Authorities also have arrested suspects in the June 26 Motel 6 holdup in Lancaster.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 8, 2017 |
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: HOUSTON TEXANS
B1
NBA: DALLAS MAVERICKS
Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney: ‘They move me all over’ The All-Pro selection logged 52 tackles last season By Aaron Wilson H OUSTON CHRONICLE
The success of Jadeveon Clowney as a disruptive pass rusher and run-stopper during a breakthrough season last year wasn't triggered only by shifting him from outside linebacker into a full-time defensive end. The former top overall pick did operate primarily out of a traditional three-point stance with J.J. Watt sidelined with a herniated disk that ended
his season. However, Clowney didn't only play defensive end as he was named to his first Pro Bowl. To make it difficult for opponents to get a bead on Clowney, he lined up all over the line of scrimmage in a versatile role. Clowney worked out of a two-point stance at outside linebacker, shifted inside to shoot gaps and even lined up off the ball and played a bit of inside linebacker. Texans continues on B2
Steve Nurenberg / Fort Worth Star Telegram file
Longtime Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki appears to be ready to take another paycut as he is reportedly close to agreeing on a two-year contract worth $5 million per season. Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Houston defensive end Jadeveon Clowney recorded 17 quarterback hits last season.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
SPURS TAKE THEIR SHOT WITH RUDY GAY
Nowitzki, Mavs finalizing 2-year, $10M deal By Eddie Sefko THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Dirk Nowitzki will be taking a massive pay cut this season — not that that’s anything new for him. Nowitzki and the Mavericks on Thursday were close to agreeing on a two-year contract that would pay him $5 million per season, with the second year at the Mavericks’ option, two sources said. It’s essentially the same contract he signed last summer, just for $20 million less. The second season of last year’s deal was only guaranteed for $5 million. Retaining Nowitzki
was a formality. It will be his 20th season, all with the Mavericks and the only question was how much of a hometown discount he would give them. Contracts can be signed anytime now as the moratorium period ended at 11 a.m. Thursday. What Nowitzki’s deal does is free up enough money to make sure the Mavericks can match any offer restricted free agent Nerlens Noel gets, even if some team ponies up with the maximum $24.75 million. The Mavericks and Noel still are in negotiations. Nowitzki has given the Mavs continues on B2
NBA: HOUSTON ROCKETS
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle
Houston guard Adam Drexler, left, works against Shawn Dawson during the Rockets mini-camp in preparation for the NBA Summer League at Toyota Center on Wednesday in Houston.
Seth Wenig / AP file
Rudy Gay signed a two-year, $17 million deal with San Antonio on Thursday evening.
Gay has averaged 18.4 points per game in 14 NBA seasons By Jess McDonald SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
For the better part of two weeks, the Spurs watched as a handful of NBA All-Stars changed addresses, both before and after the start of free agency. At long last, they’ve created a headline of their own. Not quite an All-Star but darn close when right, Rudy Gay has agreed to join the Spurs, the team announced Thursday. The deal is for two years and about $17 million, league sources said. One of the league’s premier wing scorers in his heyday, Gay is coming off a torn Achilles tendon that makes him a riskreward value play in this market. Gay suffered the injury
Jan. 18 after appearing in only 30 games last season with Sacramento. “We expect him to be ready to go” for camp, said Gay’s agent, Roger Montgomery. “He's healthy. He's cleared. We don't expect any residuals from the injury.” He is only two seasons removed from averaging a career-best 21.1 points for the Kings in 2014-15. The Spurs will be the fourth NBA team in 14 seasons for Gay, who turns 31 in August. He boasts a career scoring average of 18.4 points per game, and is best known for his 6½ seasons in Memphis at the start of his career. In an offseason in which four 2017 All-Stars have changed teams — and the champion Golden State Warriors remained intact — Gay’s addition to
the 61-win Spurs perhaps doesn’t quite move the NBA needle the way, say, Chris Paul’s trade to Houston does. Still, in San Antonio the 6-foot-8 Gay could be a formidable backup to All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard. Will such an accomplished scorer have difficulty adapting to a supporting role? “I wouldn't assume anything. It's up to the Spurs what they do,” Montgomery said. “The Spurs don't make mistakes with the guys they sign and how they fit into their culture. “He'll fit in fine.” It took some sacrifice for Gay to land in San Antonio. He opted out of $14 million this season to leave Sacramento, putting a premium on the chance to win.
Gay has made just one playoff appearance in his career, a resume wart that played into his decision. “The main thing is he wanted the opportunity to play for a winner,” Montgomery said. “The Spurs have a tradition of being a winning organization. He's excited to be a part of that.” In Salt Lake City, where several of the younger Spurs were competing in the Utah Summer League, the news of Gay’s signing was greeted with cheers. “That’s wild,” secondyear guard Bryn Forbes said. “I’ve been watching him since I was in middle school, so I’m excited just to be on the same team as him. He’s a great player.” Point guard Dejounte Murray, who also is entering his second season, Spurs continues on B2
Adam Drexler not trying to be Clyde in Rockets’ summer league By Jonathan Feigen HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Adam Drexler had often played on courts decorated his father's name. He had played for one season at the University of Houston, which retired Clyde Drexler's number in 1997. He has played on the Toyota Center practice court, which has displayed the Rockets' retired numbers since 2003. He never had competed as a member of his father's former team until Wednesday when he went through a workout with the Rockets' summer league team with his father's No. 22 on the wall behind him. "I can't be Clyde Drex-
ler," Drexler said. "I can't be Clyde. I want to show them that Adam Drexler has game, too. My dad has never pressured me into anything. He's never told me to be like him. He encouraged me to the upmost. I feel confident in myself. That's how I approach everything. Do it for me. Don't do it trying to be Drexler, don't do it trying to get my name in those banners. Play for the love of the game." Drexler said reminders of his father's Hall of Fame career are "encouraging." "I have the same DNA," he said. "Hopefully, I can be on there some day. "At the end of the day, Rockets continues on B2
B2 | Saturday, July 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Cleveland’s Terry Francona has heart procedure, out of All-Star Game By Tom Withers A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
CLEVELAND — Terry Francona’s heart, of all things, has kept him away from baseball. Cleveland’s passionate and driven manager underwent a procedure Thursday to correct an irregular heartbeat that sidelined him for a few games and will prevent him from managing in the All-Star Game next week. The 58-year-old Francona had been experiencing dizziness, fatigue and a rapid heart rate for several weeks. He had a cardiac ablation at the Cleveland Clinic, where he continues to recover after being admitted Tuesday. He is resting comfortably and is expected to be discharged in a “day or two,” the Indians said Friday. The plan is for him to resume managing after the All-Star break. Cleveland begins its unofficial second half of the season July 14 in Oakland to start a six-game trip. Francona’s condition had been weighing on the Indians for weeks, even affecting their play. But now that doctors have pinpointed his problem and he’s been treated, those feelings have eased. “Just happy it sounds like he’s got it figured out and taken care of,” All-Star reliever Andrew Miller said. “That’s what
SPURS From page B1 echoed those sentiments. “I love it,” Murray said. “That’s a great addition. I can’t wait to meet him.” Before free agency began, the Spurs were considered a prime suitor for Paul, the All-Star point guard who landed 200 miles to the east in Houston. They also called Indiana to inquire about a trade for All-Star forward Paul George, who ended up in Oklahoma City. They were on the sidelines for Minnesota’s draft-night deal with Chicago for All-Star wing Jimmy Butler. Same with Boston’s successful luring of All-Star forward Gordon Hayward away from Utah. By the simple act of autographing a contract, Gay gave a second wind to the Spurs’ summer. There is still much work to do. Gay’s commitment, coming on the heels of first-round draft pick Derrick White’s signing Thursday, gave the Spurs 10 players under guaranteed contract for next season. They are expected to add an 11th and 12th in the
ROCKETS From page B1 I'm trying to be Adam Drexler, not try to be Clyde, although that would be great. I'm doing it for myself. I have to be me." Drexler said his game is based on "hustle and energy." As for any possi-
TEXANS From page B1 "They move me all over," Clowney said. "I'm not just playing d-end. I'm playing a little bit all over the field. Just knowing the system, knowing the scheme and knowing everything we did the last three years since I've been here it's made my life a lot easier. I really don't write much down now just really study who we are going against." The Texans signaled their confidence in Clow-
we want, him to be healthy. He’s so generous with everything, whether it’s his time or his money or the way he treats people. Hopefully, he’s taking care of himself right now. Selfishly, we want him back. He’s a big part of the mood in the clubhouse and the way things go.” Francona was twice forced to leave in the middle of games last month after falling ill. He was admitted to the hospital this week after doctors detected an arrhythmia from a monitor he has been wearing for several weeks. With Francona unable to manage the All-Stars in Miami next week, the job will fall to Indians bench coach Brad Mills. Mills has been filling in while Francona has been out and will manage an AL team featuring five Indians players. Mills will be assisted by Cleveland’s staff and Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash, who previously worked for the Indians. “If T’s not going to be there, I think the staff is ready to kind of step up and all share in those duties, and we’re all excited about it,” Mills said. Francona and his staff earned the opportunity to lead the All-Star team after guiding Cleveland to the World Series last season, the team’s first since 1997. Francona was forced to leave
days to come. Backup guard Patty Mills has agreed to a four-year, $50 million deal to return, while the team is still expected to negotiate a long-term deal with center Pau Gasol. The Spurs also are awaiting a return-orretire decision from Manu Ginobili. They have the wherewithal to bring him back should Ginobili choose the former. Then there is the issue of guard Jonathon Simmons, a restricted free agent whose courtship appears to be gaining steam. The latest team to reportedly signal its interest was New York. An ESPN report Thursday indicated the Knicks could be preparing a sizeable offer sheet for Simmons. The Spurs have the right to match any offer Simmons receives, and remain in good financial position to do so. By rule, the most a team could offer Simmons next season is about $8.5 million. But a potential suitor could structure a four-year offer sheet to total in the neighborhood of $50 million, in which case the Spurs would have a key decision to make.
bility that his father would make his way to Las Vegas to broadcast one of his son's summer league games, Drexler said, "I don't know. That might affect his golf game." Drexler played one season at Loyola Marymount and one season at UH. He's also played professionally overseas.
ney when they exercised a $13.846 million fifthyear club option for the 2018 season. He was named an All-Pro last season, recording 52 tackles, six sacks, 16 tackles for losses and 17 quarterback hits. He forced one fumble. Clowney is thoroughly enjoying his versatile role, believing it makes him more dangerous. "It's not as bad, It's actually pretty fun when they just move me around," Clowney said. "I just line up and go.They give me the green light, just have me make plays."
Rick Scuteri / Associated Press
Cleveland manager Terry Francona had a cardiac ablation performed on Thursday.
two games last month when he became lightheaded. He had tests following both episodes and team president Chris Antonetti said this week that doctors had ruled out any major health issues. Francona also missed a game in Washington last August after he experienced chest pains. During a series last weekend in Detroit, Francona wasn’t feeling well again and he was admitted to the hospital
July 4 because of abnormal heart readings. Doctors performed an ablation in which a tube is inserted through the leg and guided to the heart. Damaged tissue is then treated with heat, cold or radio energy to help prompt regular heartbeats. Antonetti had been adamant to Francona about putting his health first. He acknowledged that Francona can be stubborn and perhaps not the ideal pa-
tient. However, after speaking with him on Friday, Antonetti said Francona accepted the team’s short-term plans. “It took some dialogue to get there,” Antonetti said. “But I think as Tito said, ‘I want to get back to doing what I love and what matters most and that’s managing the Cleveland Indians and what would put me in the best position to do that for the second half of the season?’ “And I think as we walked through that it made sense for him to get a few days, get out of the hospital and recover. Not go to Miami. Not be on late flights and have all the obligations that go around the All-Star Game because that way when he’s managing Friday, he’s in a really good spot.” In his fifth season with Cleveland, Francona is hugely popular with his players and fans, who affectionately refer to him as “Tito,” his father’s name. The team plans to display get-well cards at Progressive Field on Friday for fans to sign and present to Francona, who has led the Indians to a winning record in his previous four seasons. Francona joined the Indians in 2013 after spending one year as a TV commentator following a messy departure in Boston, where he took the Red Sox to two World Series titles in eight seasons.
Venus Williams ‘lawfully entered the intersection’ at scene of fatal crash, police say By Tonya Alanez SUN SENTINEL
Police announced Friday that there was a third car involved in Venus Williams’ deadly crash last month near her Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., home. A Nissan Altima made a left turn in front of Williams, causing her to stop in the middle of a busy intersection. Seconds later Williams’ SUV was T-boned in the intersection of Northlake Boulevard and BallenIsles Drive by a Hyundai. The passenger in the Hyundai died two weeks later. After initially releasing a police report that said the tennis star was at fault in the June 9 crash that killed Jerome Barson, 78, Palm Beach Gardens police on Friday released new video footage of the crash, and said Williams "lawfully entered" the intersection. "It has been determined the vehicle driven by Venus Williams lawfully entered the intersection on a circular green traffic signal," Major Paul Rogers said in a statement. Williams, 37, is in London competing in the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Barson’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Williams, who was not injured in the collision. A crash report said neither drugs nor alcohol were involved and both drivers claimed to have a green light. The crash happened at 1:13 p.m. near the gated entrance to the BallenIsles Community where Williams lives. Palm Beach Gardens police on Friday explained that the new footage showed Williams get cut off by a left-turning Nissan Altima as Williams passed through the intersection. Williams had to stop in the intersection to prevent crashing into the Nissan, police said. Williams then continued on her northbound path. At the same time, the Barsons in their Hyundai approached the intersection from the west. Linda Barson initially had a red light but it cycled to green and she proceeded into the intersection where she hit Williams. "This updated information, based upon new evidence, is still
MAVS From page B1
Julian Finney / Getty Images file
Palm Beach Gardens police on Friday explained that the new footage showed Venus Williams get cut off by a left-turning Nissan Altima as she passed through the intersection.
under investigation," Rogers said. Police declined to answer any questions about the case. "The video released by the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department continues to support the fact that Ms. Williams remained in the intersection at a red light, violating the Barson’s right of way," the family’s attorney, Michael Steinger, said in a statement Friday evening. "There is nothing that disputes Ms. Williams was in the intersection on a red light, and the witnesses clearly confirm the Barsons had a green light and lawfully entered the intersection." After a court hearing for the wrongful death case Friday in Palm Beach Circuit Court, Williams’ attorney said the tennis star is "devastated" about the crash. The attorney, Malcolm Cunningham, said Barson’s death was an "unfortunate accident" and he
Mavericks steep discounts in the past and last year, when other free-agent dealings didn’t
does not anticipate his client would face criminal charges. He said he had not yet seen the new surveillance video. "Venus Williams entered that intersection on a green light," Cunningham said. "And she had the right by state law to get through the intersection." The Barson estate attorney Gary Iscoe, with co-counsel Ian Duncan, told reporters the Barsons are heartbroken by their loss. "As a result of the crash, a grandfather is now gone forever from his loving family, robbed of his dream vacation with his grandkids because of the collision Ms. Williams caused," Iscoe said. "We look forward to holding Ms. Williams accountable for the harm she has caused to everybody by her decisions, so the grieving family can have the closure they so desperately deserve."
pan out, he was rewarded with the $25 million deal. He’s been the face of the franchise for nearly
two decades - and has given no indication that this season will be for sure his last.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Saturday, July 8, 2017 |
Dear Readers: It's the height of summer, and it is now hot in most areas of the country. Here are some hints to keep your DOG SAFE IN THE HEAT: * Fresh, clean water must be available for the dog at all times. Fill the bowl every morning, and check the water throughout the day. * Walk the dog for exercise, but not during the hot afternoon. Wait until evening. * Make sure the dog is on a flea, tick and heartworm preventative. * Ensure that the dog has lots of shade when outside. * The car is no place for a dog in the hot summer months. Ask your veterinarian for more hot-weather hints. -- Heloise BOX IT UP Good morning, Heloise: As an owner of two cats, I read with interest
in The Maui (Hawaii) News Rhonda R.'s litterbox maintenance procedures. My cats initially did not want to use the same litter box. I left only one out, and eventually they both came around to my point of view and now use it. For easy maintenance of it, I buy litter with baking soda in it that only requires scooping out the waste every day and adding more litter every few days. -- Mary Braidman, Kihei, Hawaii Mary, glad they came around! Baking soda is in a lot of household products, but you can add a thin layer of baking soda after you scrub out the box, before adding fresh litter.
B3
B4 | Saturday, July 8, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
SPORTS
Baylor settles lawsuit with woman who alleged sexual assault By Jim Vertuno A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN — Baylor University has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit with a former student who accused the nation’s largest Baptist school of fostering a “hunting ground for sexual predators” and mishandling her alleged attack in 2015. A settlement notice was filed in federal court in Waco, Texas on Thursday. No details were released, but the agreement marks Baylor’s first settlement to resolve a cascade of lawsuits over the past 18 months by women who said they were attacked and had their cases ignored or bungled by the university for years. Baylor has settled with at least three other women who were attacked but did not file lawsuits, and still faces five federal Title IX discrimination lawsuits from more than a dozen women. The school also faces state criminal and federal civil rights
investigations, and an NCAA probe into the athletic program. The scandal, and the school’s own investigation into how Baylor responded to assault allegations, led to the firing of former football coach Art Briles and the demotion and eventual departure of former school President Ken Starr in 2016. New President Linda Livingstone took over June 1. “Baylor University is pleased that the parties were able to resolve this dispute in an amicable fashion. We are unable to comment further regarding this particular claim out of respect for the student’s privacy,” the school said in a statement. The settled lawsuit was filed by a woman identified anonymously as Jane Doe who said she was assaulted after being drugged and abducted from an off-campus residence known as “The Rugby House,” a place where Baylor officials had received several previous
LM Otero / Associated Press file
The agreement marks Baylor’s first settlement to resolve a cascade of lawsuits over the past 18 months by women who said they were attacked and had their cases ignored or bungled by the university for years.
reports of assaults. The lawsuit did not name her assailant but noted he was not a member of Baylor’s rugby club team. According to the lawsuit, Baylor officials initially attempted to help identify the attacker, and told her there were two more reported victims with similar experiences at the house. But school investigators stopped all correspondence with the woman after five weeks and did not schedule an administrative hearing in her case, the lawsuit said. The woman dropped out of Baylor in summer 2015 and moved home out of state. The woman sued in
2016, alleging Baylor’s own investigation into sexual assault responses showed that officials ignored rape claims at the cost of safety to its students for years. The lawsuit accused the school of creating a “hunting ground for sexual predators to freely prey upon innocent, unsuspecting female students, with no concern of reprisal or consequences.” The lawsuit said she did not file a police report because she was too embarrassed and the woman’s mother contacted school officials. Baylor initially tried to get the lawsuit dismissed, arguing that while the
attack was “horrific” it had not occurred at a place or event under Baylor control. The school also argued the woman couldn’t prove further harassment in her school setting. The woman’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The settlement notice said the two sides are finalizing details and expect to have the case dismissed within the next two months. Trial had been set for May 2018. Baylor is locked in legal battles with the other women who have sued. The lawsuits have alleged gang rape, a football program that fostered sexual
violence and accused the school of using a strict student code of conduct that prohibits premarital sex and drinking alcohol to intimidate victims and witnesses into silence. Baylor’s 2016 investigation report into sexual assault responses found a football program that acted as if it was “above the rules” as coaches and staff had improper contact with complainants, and interfered or impeded school and potentially criminal investigations. Briles has long denied any wrongdoing and insisted he did not cover up sexual violence by his players or try to obstruct any investigations.
Pistons get Bradley, sending Morris to Celtics By Noah Trister ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle file
In USA Today's annual ranking of total revenue by NCAA athletic departments, the Aggies topped the Longhorns for the No. 1 spot on the list.
Aggies, Longhorns athletics top list of highest revenue By Matt Wyatt H OUSTO N CHRONI CLE
The state of Texas' ultimate collegiate rivalry is more than just about maroon and burnt orange; it's about the green. In USA Today's annual ranking of total revenue by NCAA athletic departments, the Aggies topped the Longhorns for the No. 1 spot on the list. Texas is slotted in the No. 2 spot. Texas A&M collected $194,388,450 in revenue compared to UT's $187,981,158. As the No. 1 revenue earner of the 2016 school year, Texas A&M also had a massive discrepancy between its total revenue and its expenses ($137,101,774). USA Today explains that the fundraising that fueled the 2014 renovation of Kyle Field in College Station accounts for the overwhelming margin between revenue and expenses, and also catapulted Texas A&M to the top of the Division I list. The Aggies' total revenue also grew $1,779,574 from the previous year. Six of the top 10 schools on the list call the SEC home. Texas and rival
Oklahoma represent the Big 12 while Ohio State and Michigan constitute the Big Ten's members in the top 10. The first school to make the list not from one of those three conferences is Florida State (ACC) at No. 18. Texas Tech is the first school from the Lone Star State to make the list after Texas A&M and UT. The Red Raiders garnered $82,996,321 in total revenue, good for the No. 42 spot on the list. The University of Houston takes spot No. 57 with $51,469,297 of revenue last year. UH's 2016 revenue increased by $6,654,087 from the previous year. Texas State (No. 75), North Texas (No. 80) and UTEP (No. 81) round out the Texas schools in the list's top 100. UTSA (No. 106), Sam Houston State (No. 129), Lamar (No. 139), Stephen F. Austin (No. 144), UTRio Grande Valley (No. 174), UT-Arlington (No. 185), Texas A&M Corpus Christ (No. 196), Prairie View A&M (No. 201) and Texas Southern (No. 208) make up Texas' representation on the rest of the list.
DETROIT — One of the biggest questions facing the Detroit Pistons this offseason was what they would do with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. On Friday, they replaced him. The Pistons traded forward Marcus Morris to Boston in exchange for guard Avery Bradley and a second-round draft pick in 2019. Bradley’s arrival gives the Pistons a replacement for CaldwellPope, who had been a restricted free agent. Detroit has now renounced the rights to CaldwellPope. Bradley averaged 16.3 points per game last season for the Celtics, but Boston is adding All-Star forward Gordon Hayward and moving on from Bradley. Morris averaged 14 points for Detroit. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge released a statement thanking Bradley for his contributions. “It’s no secret that Avery had been one of my favorite players,” Ainge said. “Avery did a lot of the dirty work and often didn’t get the recognition that he deserved, but our coaches, staff, his teammates, and our fans who watched him play every night appreciated what a special player and person he is.” Bradley was the longest-tenured member of the Celtics, bridging the gap from the era of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that won the 2008 NBA title. Picked 19th overall in the 2010 draft, he developed into one of the league’s best defenders, making the All-Defensive second team in 2013 and first team in 2016. Detroit, which missed the playoffs last year, can slot Bradley into the backcourt alongside point guard Reggie Jackson. Bradley, who turns 27 in November, is older than the 24-year-old CaldwellPope, but he’s also been a
Alex Brandon / Associated Press file
Detroit has acquired guard Avery Bradley from Boston for forward Marcus Morris. Detroit also receives a 2019 second-round draft pick, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity Friday.
better shooter from 3point range, finishing at 39 percent last season. The Pistons lose Morris, who has been a steady veteran and a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past two seasons. Detroit has another solid wing player in Tobias Harris, and the Pistons drafted sharp-shooting Duke guard Luke Kennard in the first round. Boston, meanwhile, will look different from the team that was the top seed in the East in 2017 before being routed in the conference finals by Cleveland. Landing Hayward was a big step, and the Celtics took Duke’s Jayson Tatum with the No. 3 pick in the draft
after trading down from No. 1. With Jaylen Brown — last year’s No. 3 pick — also in the fold, the Celtics look primed to contend for years to come, although the roster could keep changing. Isaiah Thomas averaged 28.9 points last season, and Al Horford, Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart were all in double figures as well. Boston has plenty of bargaining chips it can use in future moves — the Celtics have been stockpiling firstround picks — and it will be up to Ainge to come up with the right mix. Bradley is entering the final season of a four-year contract, so it’s not clear if he can be a long-term
solution for Detroit. The Pistons went 37-45 last season, a disappointing mark for a team that was in the postseason in 2016. Much of the attention this offseason has centered on Jackson and big man Andre Drummond, since Detroit could use more production from that point guard-center tandem. Bradley now brings some extra scoring punch — he averaged more points than any Pistons player last season. Caldwell-Pope averaged 13.8 points, and his athleticism made him an asset on defense, but he shot only 40 percent from the field in 2016-17, and his career rate is about the same.