LEONARD TO BE ENSHRINED
WEDNESDAYAUGUST 31, 2016
FREE
SPURS STAR LEONARD TO BE HONORED BY SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY , 7A
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO
Zetas violence suddenly intensifies Ex-Mexican drug cartel members at war with each other By Jason Buch SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico — The drug war is back in this border city, dashing hopes that several years of relative peace had become the new normal. While the violence has not reached the levels of the cartel wars in the early 2000s and 2010 — when shootings in broad daylight, brazen assassinations of government officials and gruesome public displays of
bodies were common — gunfights between security forces and armed gangsters have become weekly occurrences. The latest round of violence, observers say, is the result of infighting between former members of the once-mighty Zetas drug cartel who have created their own criminal organizations. In June, one of the factions released a video that showed the former head of the Nuevo Zetas continues on A11
Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News
The Tamaulipas State Police patrols the downtown streets of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Aug. 25. A spate of violence has erupted throughout sections of Nuevo Laredo as drug cartels fight for control. The Tamaulipas State Police and the Mexican Army are collaborating and patrolling the city's streets in an attempt to bring calm to the area.
TEXAS
Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News
Former tourist guide Angel Abram Chavez, 28, talks about life in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Aug. 25. He was a guide between 2001 and 2008 but the violence drove tourists away, and his job.
JAN. 7, 1950 — AUG. 28, 2016
Mexicans say ‘adios’ to beloved singer Juan Gabriel By Berenice Bautista ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Timothy Hurst / AP
In this Aug. 26 photo, Navasota Livestock Auction employee Reyes Silvan keeps the line of cattle moving through the pen.
Cattle ranchers still recovering after 2011 Texas drought State became ‘depleted’ of cattle due to lack of grass and water By Aimee Breaux TH E EAGLE
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The year 2011 — the driest year on record in Texas — was the stuff of nightmares for area ranchers. The Eagle newspaper reports that five years later, those who raise beef cattle are just beginning to recover. Kelley Sullivan, who co-owns Santa Rosa Ranch in Grimes and Houston counties with her father, said the 2011 drought made her a better producer. But at the time, the experience brought back daunting stories her father told her about living through the seven-year drought in the 1950s. “He said as a boy he remem-
bers it just never rained,” Sullivan said. “He said when it first rained, he remembered asking, ‘What is that?”’ For many Texas ranchers, the 2011 drought was similar to what the state experienced in the 1950s — but much worse. “What we had at that time was not only the weeks upon weeks without any moisture, but the unbelievable heat,” Sullivan said. “It just completely parched the earth.” Sullivan was able to stave off losing cattle, but ranchers across Texas tightened belts and cut about 20 percent of beef cow herds. Statewide, herds shrunk by more than one million beef cattle, and by 2014, the number in Texas dropped to 3.9 Cattle continues on A11
MEXICO CITY — Juan Gabriel was more than just a singer and songwriter for the hundreds of fans who thronged Mexico City’s Plaza Garibaldi to wish him farewell Monday. He was a legend, an artist who marked an era in people’s lives. Every major Mexican newspaper had news of his Sunday death on their front pages, along with large photos of his flamboyant costumes. “We work nights. When I got up, I heard people singing Juan Gabriel songs in the streets,” said mariachi musician Alvaro Hurtado, who was busy playing favorites like “Amor Eterno” (“Eternal Love”) for clients who were drawn to Garibaldi to mark the singer’s death at age 66. The plaza is the national shrine to mariachi music. “I am grateful to him, more than anything else, for his songs,” Hurtado said. “He was a great person, and more than anything else he gave
Lori Shepler/Los Angeles Times / TNS
Juan Gabriel sings at the Veranazo Concert at Dodger Stadium on Aug 3, 2002.
work to me and my fellow mariachis.” The statue of Juan Gabriel in Garibaldi was adorned with flowers and candles. Those standing around it were not only Mexicans; it seemed the world was united by his death. One of them Marshall Gourley, a tourist from Denver, Colo-
rado, who said that “it would be a mortal sin to be in Mexico and not come to Plaza Garibaldi to remember him.” “His music is universal, and eternal, his music has been a part of all of us since the early ‘70s,” said Gourley, who noted “Amor Eterno” was played at his mother’s
funeral. In Ciudad Juarez, the border city where Juan Gabriel grew up, dozens of people gathered outside a house he owned to place flowers and candles and sing his songs. Juan Gabriel was Mexico’s leading singer-songwriter and top-selling artist. His ballads about love and heartbreak and bouncy mariachi tunes became hymns throughout Latin America and Spain as well as with Spanish speakers in the United States. He brought fans to tears with songs, including top hits such as “Hasta Que Te Conoci” (“Until I Met You”). “Querida” (“Dear”) topped Mexico’s charts for an entire year. In California, John Kades of the Los Angeles coroner’s office said the cause of death had not yet been officially determined, but that due to Juan Gabriel’s medical history, no autopsy would be required. Neither the singer’s family nor representatives announced funeral plans. Juan continues on A11
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE NATION
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
1
Public meeting for Five Year Transit Development Plan. 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sophie Christen McKendrick, Francisco Ochoa and Fernando A. Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. The Laredo Metropolitan Planning Organization and El Metro invites the public to a meeting to discuss the development of the plan, present project findings and gather public input.
Today is Wednesday, Aug. 31, the 244th day of 2016. There are 122 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: On Aug. 31, 1886, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.3 devastated Charleston, South Carolina, killing at least 60 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 1
Book sale. 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. No admission charge. Everyone is invited. 1 Laredo Northside Farmers Market. 9 a.m.–1 p.m. North Central Park at the playground behind the trail head facility. Soap bubble bottles will be given to children accompanied by their parents starting at 10 a.m. as long as supplies last. There are reusable shopping bags for adults. Bags will be given out starting at 10 a.m. as long as supplies last. The usual vendors will be present.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 1
Chess Club. 4–6 p.m. Every Monday. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete in this cherished strategy game played internationally. Free. For all ages and skill levels. Instruction is offered. 1 Cancer Friends Meet. 6 p.m. Every first Monday of the month. Doctors Hospital at the Community Center. Having cancer is often one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. However, support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges and learn from others who are facing similar situations. For more information, call Nancy Santos at 956-285-5410. 1 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30–7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting. While a support group does not replace an individual's medical care, it can be a valuable resource to gain insight, strength and hope.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 1
Alzheimer's support group. 7 p.m. Laredo Medical Center, Building B, meeting room 2. The support group is for family members and caregivers taking care of someone who has Alzheimer's. For information, please call 693-9991.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 1 New Urbanism Film Festival. 7:30 p.m. In front of Plaza Theater, 1018 Hidalgo St. Block party hosted by City of Laredo’s Plan Viva Laredo and Plaza Partners.
NASA / AFP/Getty
This Aug. 29 NASA satellite image shows Hurricanes Lester, right, and Madeline in the Pacific Ocean. The Big Island of Hawaii remains under a hurricane watch as Madeline approaches.
HURRICANE HEADS TOWARD HAWAII HONOLULU — Residents of Hawaii’s Big Island were evacuating animals and stockpiling water Tuesday, bracing for what could be the first hurricane to make landfall in the state in decades. The National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning as the major Category 3 storm dubbed Madeline hurtled west toward the island, urging residents to rush through preparations to protect themselves and their property and expect hurricane conditions within the next 36 hours. “Hopefully our roofs stay on, and our
5 bodies found burned in care home for disabled TEMECULA, Calif. — The bodies of five people were found after a fire gutted a board-and-care home for developmentally disabled people southeast of Los Angeles, authorities said Tuesday. Remains of the five adults were discovered Monday morning after firefighters put out a fire at the home, said a statement from the Riverside Coun-
houses don’t float way or get blown away,” said Big Island resident Mitzi Bettencourt, who boarded up walls of glass windows at her brother’s oceanfront home. “It’s like, ‘Oh my God, are we going to get flattened or what?”’ Bettencourt, who lives in a subdivision called Kapoho Vacationland, manages several vacation rental properties and has her own home to worry about, which sits a few blocks from the ocean. She and her neighbors were stocking their pantries, stowing away lawn furniture and preparing for power outages.
ty Sheriff’s Department. The cause of the fire had not been determined but it was labeled suspicious and arson and homicide investigators were working at the scene, authorities said. The Sheriff’s Department said coroners were trying to identify the remains found at the house, one of two on a lot set amid ranches and vineyards in an unincorporated area of the city of Temecula. Coroner’s officials were trying to identify the remains but a relative told the Riverside
Press-Enterprise that one victim was James Jennex. Jennex was administrator of the Renee Jennex Small Family Home, which was licensed to care for up to four adults with developmental disabilities, state records indicated. “James Jennex will be deeply missed,” his brother, Jerry Jennex, told the newspaper. “On behalf of our family, we also pray for and support other families who have lost loved ones in the same tragedy.” — Compiled from AP reports
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 1
Chess Club. 4–6 p.m. Every Monday. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete in this cherished strategy game played internationally. Free. For all ages and skill levels. Instruction is offered.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 1
Cancer Friends Meet. 6 p.m. Every third Thursday of the month. Laredo Medical Center, A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center, Tower A, 1st Floor. Having cancer is often one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. However, support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges and learn from others who are facing similar situations. For more information, call Nancy Santos at 956-285-5410.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 1
Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 6–7 p.m. TAMIU LBV Planetarium, 5201 University Blvd. Stars of the Pharaohs at 6 p.m.; Live Star Presentation at 6 p.m. Admission for the presentation is $3. Observing will occur after presentation if weather permits. General admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information call 326-DOME (3663).
AROUND THE WORLD Top police chief out after execution allegations MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president dismissed the chief of the federal police force Monday, less than two weeks after the country’s human rights commission released a scathing report alleging federal police “executed arbitrarily” at least 22 suspected drug cartel members during a raid on a ranch. Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said President Enrique Pena Nieto decided to remove Enrique Galindo to allow for a transparent investigation. “In light of the recent events and on instructions of the president, Police Commissioner Enrique Galindo has been removed from his position,” Osorio Chong said. “That is with the objective of facilitating that the corresponding authorities carry out an agile and transparent investigation in full view
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 1
Chess Club. 4–6 p.m. Every Monday. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete in this cherished strategy game played internationally. Free. For all ages and skill levels. Instruction is offered.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 1
Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 2 p.m.–5 p.m. TAMIU LBV Planetarium, 5201 University Blvd.
One year ago: The State Department released roughly 7,000 pages of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s emails, including about 150 emails that were censored because they contained information deemed classified.
Oscar Pantoja Segundo / AP file
In this May 22, 2015, file photo, federal police stand near the bodies of men who were suspected gunmen in western Mexico.
of citizens.” Earlier this month, Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission announced that its investigation found that at least 22 people were killed without justification by police during the operation at a ranch in the western state of Michoacan on May 22, 2015. It described them as being “executed arbitrarily.”
The report further alleged that police planted guns on some suspects and moved some bodies to bolster the official version that all the deaths occurred during a gunbattle. In all, 42 civilians and one federal police officer were killed. Galindo said he accepted the commission’s recommendations. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Law officers investigate fake movie money cases LONGVIEW, Texas — Some East Texas law officers have warned businesses to be on the lookout for counterfeit money meant for use in movies. Police are investigating several cases of fake movie cash passed in Lufkin, Diboll and Jasper, The Longview NewsJournal reported Tuesday. Ken Hartley, who’s a security
Ten years ago: Iran defied a U.N. deadline to stop enriching uranium. President George W. Bush, addressing an American Legion convention in Salt Lake City, predicted victory in the war on terror, likening the struggle against Islamic fundamentalism with the fight against Nazis and communists. Police in Norway recovered the Edvard Munch masterpieces “The Scream” and “Madonna” two years after masked gunmen grabbed the national art treasures in front of stunned visitors at an Oslo museum. Five years ago: The Wartime Contracting Commission issued a report saying the U.S. had lost billions of dollars to waste and fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan and stood to repeat that in future wars without big changes in how the government awarded and managed contracts for battlefield support and reconstruction projects. Betty Skelton Erde, 85, an aviation and auto racing pioneer once called the fastest woman on Earth, died in The Villages, Florida.
1
9th Annual Football Tailgaiting Cook-Off. 2–10 p.m. El Metro Park & Ride, 1819 E. Hillside. Admission is $2. There will be a finger ribs cook-off. The first place winner will get $1,500 in prize money. There will also be a fajita and beans cook-off as well as live music, a car show, food vendors, merchandise booths and more. The Animal Care Facility will be on site with pets up for adoption. For more information, call 286-9055.
On this date: In 1881, the first U.S. tennis championships (for men only) began in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1916, the musical revue “The Big Show,” featuring the song “Poor Butterfly” by Raymond Hubbell and John Golden, opened at New York’s Hippodrome. In 1939, the first issue of Marvel Comics, featuring the Human Torch, was published by Timely Publications in New York. In 1941, the radio program “The Great Gildersleeve,” a spinoff from “Fibber McGee and Molly” starring Harold Peary, debuted on NBC. In 1954, Hurricane Carol hit the northeastern Atlantic states; Connecticut, Rhode Island and part of Massachusetts bore the brunt of the storm, which resulted in some 70 deaths. In 1965, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in voting to establish the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 1972, at the Munich Summer Olympics, American swimmer Mark Spitz won his fourth and fifth gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle relay; Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut won gold medals in floor exercise and the balance beam. In 1980, Poland’s Solidarity labor movement was born with an agreement signed in Gdansk that ended a 17-day-old strike. In 1986, 82 people were killed when an Aeromexico jetliner and a small private plane collided over Cerritos, California. The Soviet passenger ship Admiral Nakhimov collided with a merchant vessel in the Black Sea, causing both to sink; up to 448 people reportedly died. In 1991, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan declared their independence, raising to ten the number of republics seeking to secede from the Soviet Union. In 1996, three adults and four children drowned when their vehicle rolled into John D. Long Lake in Union, South Carolina; they had gone to see a monument to the sons of Susan Smith, who had drowned the two boys in Oct. 1994. In 1997, a car crash in Paris claimed the lives of Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul.
Today’s Birthdays: Japanese monster movie actor Katsumi Tezuka is 104. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson is 81. Actor Warren Berlinger is 79. Violinist Itzhak Perlman is 71. Singer Van Morrison is 71. Actor Richard Gere is 67. Olympic gold medal track and field athlete Edwin Moses is 61. Rhythm-and-blues musician Larry Waddell (Mint Condition) is 53. Actor Jaime P. Gomez is 51. Baseball pitcher Hideo Nomo is 48. Rock musician Jeff Russo (Tonic) is 47. Rock musician Greg Richling (Wallflowers) is 46. Actor Zack Ward is 46. Chris Tucker is 44. Actress Sara Ramirez is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Tamara (Trina & Tamara) is 39. Thought for Today: “Every man in the world is better than someone else and not as good someone else.” — William Saroyan, American author (1908-1981).
CONTACT US and loss prevention officer at Texas Bank and Trust, says it’s amazing how the bills look like U.S. currency — until you get to the side where it says “For Motion Picture Use Only.” Experts say fake movie money, which can be bought online, also lacks certain cash markings. Hartley said the fake money is most often being used at convenience stores and fastfood restaurants because cashiers at such businesses are often too busy to look closely at the bills. He said that a few
bills have gone through the bank through deposit and they’ve been turned over to the Secret Service for investigation. Gregg County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Josh Tubb says the agency is investigating two cases, in recent months, in which movie money was passed off as real. Tubb declined to provide details. The Paris Police Department has issued a notice for residents to be on the lookout for the counterfeit money. — Compiled from AP reports
Publisher, William B. Green .....................................728-2501 General Manager, Adriana Devally ..........................728-2510 Adv. Billing Inquiries ................................................728-2531 Circulation Director ..................................................728-2559 MIS Director, Michael Castillo..................................728-2505 Managing Editor, Nick Georgiou ..............................728-2582 Sports Editor, Zach Davis ........................................728-2578 Spanish Editor, Melva Lavin-Castillo.......................728-2569
SUBSCRIPTIONS/DELIVERY (956) 728-2555 The Zapata Times is distributed on Wednesdays and Saturdays to 4,000 households in Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. For subscribers of the Laredo Morning Times and for those who buy the Laredo Morning Times in those areas at newstands, The Zapata Times is inserted. The Zapata Times is free. The Zapata Times is published by the Laredo Morning Times, a division of The Hearst Corporation, P.O. Box 2129, Laredo, Texas, 78044. Call (956) 728-2500.
The Zapata Times
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 |
A3
STATE
Rick Perry joining new season of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ By Patrick Svitek THE TEXAS T RI BUNE
Former Gov. Rick Perry is joining the new season of “Dancing With the Stars.” Texas’ longest-serving governor will be a contestant in the 23rd season of the dance competition show, which premieres Sept. 12 on ABC. Perry will be paired with professional dancer Emma Slater, the network announced Tuesday morning. Entertainment Tonight broke the news Monday, and in a round of media
appearances shortly before the lineup announcement, Perry declined to comment on the rumors. But he did suggest that the show would help him with dancing at his daughter’s upcoming wedding and that it would be an “extraordinary platform” to draw attention to two issues he has long been passionate about: the military and veterans. “I just hope I don’t forget my dance steps, were I to be on this program, after the third lesson,” Perry said on Fox Business News, riffing off his infamous failure to
remember the third federal department he wanted to eliminate during his 2012 presidential campaign. Other celebrities participating in the 23rd season include Olympic gold medalists Ryan Lochte and Laurie Hernandez, as well as rapper Vanilla Ice and talk show host Amber Rose. Following the lineup reveal, Perry reiterated he would use the show “as a stage” to help veterans as much as possible. Slater, he added, “is a great teacher but she’s got her work cut out for her.”
Decommissioned USS Independence to be towed to Texas A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
BROWNSVILLE — The decommissioned USS Independence will be towed from Washington to South Texas for dismantling. The Brownsville Herald reported Tuesday that the retired aircraft carrier will depart later this year from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. Officials with a recycling company, International Shipbreaking Ltd., say the mothballed 61,000ton ship should arrive at the Port of Brownsville by March. Company president Robert Berry says the Navy will pay International Shipbreaking around $6 million to tow and dismantle the Independence. The USS Independence was launched from the Brooklyn Navy Yard in
Perry would not be the first Texas Republican to appear on the show. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, the former majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, was a contestant during the ninth season, though he left the competition early due to foot injuries. Perry’s dancing credentials are not entirely known. In one memorable moment during his tenure in office, he broke out in dance around a menorah with rabbis and then-state Rep. Elliott Naishtat, DAustin, while celebrating Hanukkah at the Capitol.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Vice Admiral Michael L. Bowman, left, and Captain Mark R. Milliken, salute during the end of the decommissioning ceremony of the USS Independence at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, June 10, 2013.
1958, commissioned the following year and decommissioned in 1998. It was
among several U.S. military ships to carry the name Independence.
Former Texas governor Rick Perry will pair with Emma Slater on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Court: Texas death row inmate may have faked mental illness By Michael Graczyk
Robin Layton / seattlepi.com
Craig Sjodin/ABC / TNS
HOUSTON — A Texas death row inmate may have faked mental illness to avoid execution for the fatal shooting of his exgirlfriend and her daughter 23 years ago in Houston, a federal appeals court said. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling late Monday agrees with a lower court and moves Gerald Eldridge, 52, a step closer to execution, despite his claim of mental illness. The U.S. Supreme Court has said mentally ill people can be executed if they have a factual and rational understanding of why they’re being pun-
ished. Eldridge was convicted of the January 1993 slayings of his Eldridge former girlfriend, Cynthia Bogany, 28, and her 9-year-old daughter, Chirissa. Also shot and wounded were Eldridge’s then-7-year-old son with Bogany, Terrell and the woman’s boyfriend at the time, Wayne Dotson. Eldridge in 2009 was less than two hours from his scheduled lethal injection in Huntsville when U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal halted the punishment. His lawyers had argued Eldridge was too mentally ill to be exe-
cuted and Rosenthal said the claim needed to be examined. At a 2013 hearing, Rosenthal heard testimony from four mental health experts — two from Eldridge’s lawyers and two from the state — and ruled that while there was evidence of mental illness, there was extensive evidence inconsistent with his claims of incompetence, particularly that he faked symptoms in a behavior known to psychologists as malingering. Attorneys now could take their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Eldridge’s lead lawyer, Lee Wilson, didn’t immediately respond to messages Tuesday from The Associated Press.
Zopinion A4 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COLUMN
OTHER VIEWS
Making modern toughness By David Brooks N EW YORK T I ME S
When I ask veteran college teachers and administrators to describe how college students have changed over the years, I often get an answer like this: “Today’s students are more accomplished than past generations, but they are also more emotionally fragile.” That rings true to me. Today’s students are amazing, but they bathe one another in oceans of affirmation and praise, as if buttressing one another against some insecurity. Whatever one thinks of the campus protests, the desire for trigger warnings and safe spaces does seem to emanate from a place of emotional fragility. And if you hang around the middle aged, you hear a common story line to explain the rise of the orchid generation. Once upon a time, the story line goes, kids were raised in a tough environment. They had to do hard manual chores around the house and they got in fights on the playground. Then they went off to do grueling work in the factory or they learned toughness and grit in the military. But today, helicopter parents protect their children from setbacks and hardship. They supervise every playground conflict, so kids never learn to handle disputes or deal with pain. There’s a lot of truth to that narrative, but let’s not be too nostalgic for the past. A lot of what we take to be the toughness of the past was really just callousness. There was a greater tendency in years gone by to wall off emotions, to put on a thick skin — for some men to be stone-like and uncommunicative and for some women to be brittle, brassy and untouchable. And then many people turned to alcohol to help them feel anything at all. Perhaps it’s time to rethink toughness or at least detach it from hardness. Being emotionally resilient is not some defensive posture. It’s not having some armor surrounding you so that nothing can hurt you. The people we admire for being resilient are not hard; they are ardent. They have a fervent commitment to some cause, some ideal or some relationship. That higher yearning enables them to withstand setbacks, pain and betrayal. Such people are, as they say in the martial arts world, strong like water. A blow might sink into them, and when it does they are profoundly affected by it. But they can absorb the blow because it’s short term while their natural shape is long term. There are moments
when they feel swallowed up by fear. They feel and live in the pain. But they work through it and their ardent yearning is still there, and they return to an altered wholeness. In this way of thinking, grit, resilience and toughness are not traits that people possess intrinsically. They are not tools you can possess independently for the sake of themselves. They are means inspired by an end. John R. Lewis may not have been intrinsically tough, but he was tough in the name of civil rights. Mother Teresa may not have been intrinsically steadfast, but she was steadfast in the name of God. The people around us may not be remorselessly gritty, but they can be that when it comes to protecting their loved ones, when it comes to some dream for their future self. People are much stronger than they think they are when in pursuit of their telos, their purpose for living. As Nietzsche put it, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” In short, emotional fragility is not only caused by overprotective parenting. It’s also caused by anything that makes it harder for people to find their telos. It’s caused by the culture of modern psychology, which sometimes tries to talk about psychological traits in isolation from moral purposes. It’s caused by the ethos of the modern university, which in the name of “critical thinking” encourages students to be detached and corrosively skeptical. It’s caused by the status code of modern meritocracy, which encourages people to pursue success symbols that they don’t actually desire. We are all fragile when we don’t know what our purpose is, when we haven’t thrown ourselves with abandon into a social role, when we haven’t committed ourselves to certain people, when we feel like a swimmer in an ocean with no edge. If you really want people to be tough, make them idealistic for some cause, make them tender for some other person, make them committed to some worldview that puts today’s temporary pain in the context of a larger hope. Emotional fragility seems like a psychological problem, but it has only a philosophical answer. People are really tough only after they have taken a leap of faith for some truth or mission or love. Once they’ve done that they can withstand a lot. We live in an age when it’s considered sophisticated to be disenchanted. But people who are enchanted are the real tough cookies.
COLUMN
Kaepernick exercising rights guaranteed to all Americans By Dahleen Glanton CHICAGO TRIBUNE
On Friday night a football player refused to stand for the national anthem. In a statement against racial oppression, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick simply remained in his seat while others stood with their right hand over their heart. And in the process, he showed the world what it means to be an American. There is no clearer emblem of liberty and justice than the American flag. It symbolizes our country’s commitment to human rights, equality and the pursuit of each individual’s idea of happiness. Kaepernick, a biracial man who was raised by white adoptive parents, does not believe those basic rights are afforded to African-Americans and other minorities. He felt compelled to make his feelings known. “I am not going to stand up and show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he told NFL Media following the exhibition football game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Obviously, not everyone agrees with Kaepernick’s assessment.
But the American flag represents his right to speak out against any injustice he perceives. He didn’t lead an antiflag protest down the street. He didn’t set a flag on fire on the lawn of the San Francisco Police Department, though doing so would have been completely within his rights. He didn’t disrupt the national anthem with shouts of “Black Lives Matter.” In fact, he didn’t say a word. By remaining quietly in his seat at the exhibition football game, Kaepernick exercised one of the greatest gifts America guarantees its citizens under the Constitution — the freedom of speech. Like many minorities, Kaepernick sees America as an imperfect nation, one that oppresses some groups while encouraging others to soar. He doesn’t believe that Americans can afford to stand by and watch quietly as authorities trample on the civil rights of citizens. To do so is hypocritical. On Twitter, he has documented a string of events that are emblematic of the social and racial divide in America. He doesn’t like it when politicians try to turn their own citizens into the enemy, when a police officer shoots and kills a black man sitting innocently in his car or when students are silenced while trying to take a stand.
It is clear where he stands. Take, for example, that profanity-laced email defending racial profiling that Maine Gov. Paul LePage left for a state lawmaker. “You shoot at the enemy. You try to identify the enemy. And the enemy right now, the overwhelming majority right now coming in, are people of color or people of Hispanic origin,” the Republican governor said. He tweeted about the incident in Buckeye, Arizona, where school administrators refused to allow 10th-grader Mariah Havard to take her class picture wearing a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt. There are links to police shootings in Milwaukee and Chicago, among other cities. Some might look at Kaepernick’s social media posts and accuse him of being obsessed with race. But to others, it simply shows that he’s aware. As someone in the public eye, he has chosen to use his platform as a voice for those who otherwise would be unheard, even if it means losing his own prestige and wealth. Not everyone has the guts to do that. In exercising his free speech rights, Kaepernick was not disrespecting our military, as some have argued. If anything, he was recognizing the heroic contributions of our armed forces, whose
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.
DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU
job is to ensure that Americans always have the right to disagree with their government. And the right to stand or sit during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In some ways, Kaepernick is like a modernday Muhammad Ali, who refused to fight in the Vietnam War, not only because it was a violation of his Muslim religion but because he did not believe America had always stood up for him. “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?” Ali asked. Many Americans scorned Ali for taking such a stance. His heavyweight boxing title was stripped from him. It took years for people to realize that Ali did nothing wrong, though some never did. Kaepernick faces a similar challenge in defending his patriotism. Some see his protest as an extension of Black Lives Matter, a movement that is feared and misunderstood. But like Ali, Kaepernick doesn’t seem to care what others think. So, under the banner of our flag, he took a stand against injustice. Because to him, that is what it means to be an American.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 |
A5
ENTERTAINMENT
Comic performer Gene Wilder kept his serious side off camera By Sandy Cohen A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
LOS ANGELES — Revered as a comedic and storytelling genius by Hollywood’s top entertainers, Gene Wilder was a humble man who downplayed his comic gifts, was a serious director and remained deferential to his longtime collaborator, Mel Brooks. “I am him in fantasy,” Wilder once said of playing the lead in Brooks’ films. After Wilder’s death was announced Monday, Brooks called his colleague “one of the truly great talents of our time.” “He blessed every film we did together with his special magic and he blessed my life with his friendship,” Brooks said
in a statement. “He will be so missed.” Wilder died Sunday night of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at age 83. His nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman, said Wilder was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans. Though Wilder started his acting career on the stage, millions knew him from his work in the movies, especially the ones he made with Brooks, such as “The Producers,” ‘’Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” The last film — with Wilder playing a California-born descendant of the mad scientist, insisting that his name is pronounced “Frahn-ken-SHTEEN” — was co-written by Brooks
and Wilder and earned the pair an Oscar nod for adapted screenplay. With his unkempt hair and big, buggy eyes, Wilder was a master at playing panicked characters caught up in schemes that only a madman such as Brooks could devise, whether reviving a monster in “Young Frankenstein” or bilking Broadway in “The Producers.” Brooks would call him “God’s perfect prey, the victim in all of us.” But he also knew how to keep it cool as the boozing gunslinger in “Blazing Saddles” or the charming candy man in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” His craziest role: the therapist having an affair with a sheep in Woody Allen’s “Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex.”
Joyce Dopkeen / New York Times file
Gene Wilder sits in the sun porch of his home in Stamford, Conn., Sept. 7, 1999.
Wilder was close friends with Richard Pryor and their contrasting personas — Wilder uptight, Pryor loose — were ideal for comedy. They co-starred in four films: “Silver Streak,” ‘’Stir Crazy,” ‘’See No Evil, Hear No Evil” and “Another You.” But Wilder insisted he was not a comedian. He told Robert Osborne in 2013 it was the biggest misconception about him. “What a comic, what a funny guy, all that stuff! And I’m not. I’m really
not. Except in a comedy in films,” Wilder said. “But I make my wife laugh once or twice in the house, but nothing special. But when people see me in a movie and it’s funny then they stop and say things to me about ‘how funny you were.’ But I don’t think I’m that funny. I think I can be in the movies.” He could be quite serious, said actress Carol Kane, his co-star in 1977’s “The World’s Greatest Lover.” “I don’t think Gene
was depressed, but he was very serious and very sensitive and not afraid to expose what many people would call a feminine side, an emotional side,” she said Monday. A Milwaukee native, Wilder was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933. When he was 6, his mother suffered a heart attack that left her a semiinvalid. He soon began improvising comedy skits to entertain her, the first indication of his future career.
There they are: 52 Miss America contestants in Atlantic City By Wayne Parry ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Mel Evans / AP
Contestants watch during Miss America Pageant arrival ceremonies Tuesday, in Atlantic City.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — There they are: the 52 Miss America contestants, on the Atlantic City Boardwalk — and not a moment too soon for a city that could use a happy diversion. The hopefuls were welcomed to the seaside resort Tuesday afternoon to kick off two weeks that will culminate in the crowning of the 2017 Miss America on Sept. 11. They arrived as Atlantic City faces yet another imminent casino closing — the Trump Taj Mahal
is due to shut down on Oct. 10 — as well as a threatened state takeover of its finances and decision-making power. The city also is bracing for the possibility that voters will choose to authorize two new casinos in the northern part of the state in a November referendum that Atlantic City officials fear will cause even more of the city’s eight casinos to go out of business. “Miss America is just what this city needs right now,” said Mayor Don Guardian. “We may be struggling financially, but we know where we
want to go. You certainly want to put your best foot forward, and this brings people to Atlantic City to have fun and enjoy what we have to offer.” The contestants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico met the public in front of Boardwalk Hall on Tuesday. This year’s competition is the 96th in the history of the pageant, which originated as a way to extend the summer tourist season in Atlantic City for an extra week beyond Labor Day. The current Miss
America, Betty Cantrell, recalled sitting on the same stage a year ago as one of more than 50 hopefuls. “It seems like you’re so small,” she said. “You’re one of 52 girls: how are you going to be noticed? The best thing you can do is just be yourself.” Cantrell, who was Miss Georgia, says she is headed to Nashville after the pageant to begin a career in country music. “I’m thrilled to be passing on the crown to one of these amazing young women,” she said. “I think it’s in very good hands.”
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE CAMBIO DE DOMICILIO 1 La Extensión Educativa de Texas A&M Agrilife Extension en el Condado de Zapata ha cambiado sus oficinas a 200 E. 7th Avenue, Suite 249, Zapata County Courthouse. CONFERENCIA 1 La Diócesis de Brownsville y Evangelización Activa invitan a la conferencia El Amor Conyugal impartida por el sacerdote Ernesto María Caro en el Performing Art Center de la preparatoria Roma High School de la ciudad de Roma, el 1 de septiembre a las 7 p.m. Se les invita a llevar su Biblia. Costo: 15 dólares. Boletos en parroquias de Roma, Escobares y Río Grande. Informes a los teléfonos: 956849-1455 TORNEO DE CAMPEONATO 1 La Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata está invitando al Torneo de Campeonato de la Asociación Sun Country Bass, a realizarse del 25 al 30 de septiembre, el cual se llevará a cabo en Falcon Lake. 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.
NUEVO LAREDO, MÉXICO
OBITUARIO
Regresa violencia
Obama destaca legado de Juan Gabriel
Cárteles pelean por control Por Jason Buch SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico — La guerra de las drogas está de regreso en esta ciudad fronteriza, frustrando las esperanzas de varios años de relativa paz que se habían convertido en la nueva norma común. Mientras la violencia no ha alcanzado los niveles de la guerra de los cárteles a principios de la década de 2000 y 2010 —cuando los tiroteos a plena luz del día, descarados homicidios de funcionarios del gobierno y macabras exhibiciones de cadáveres eran comunes —enfrentamientos entre las fuerzas de seguridad y los delincuentes armados se han vuelto eventos semanales. La última ronda de violencia, dicen los observadores, es el resultado de una lucha interna entre antiguos miembros del alguna vez todo poderoso cártel de los Zetas que han creado sus propias organizaciones criminales. En junio, una de las facciones dio a conocer un video que mostraba al ex jefe de la unidad de homicidios de la policía de Nuevo Laredo retenido a punta de pistola y después dio a conocer una fotografía que mos-
LABORATORIO COMPUTACIONAL 1 La Ciudad de Roma pone a disposición de la comunidad el Laboratorio Computacional que abre de lunes a viernes en horario de 1 p.m. a 5 p.m. en Historical Plaza, a un lado del City Hall. Informes en el 956-849-1411.
Foto por Jerry Lara | San Antonio Express-news
Un hombre vendiendo nieves en la Plaza Benito Juárez en el centro de Nuevo Laredo, México, el miércoles, 25 de agosto de 2016. La violencia ha resurgido en secciones de Nuevo Laredo, mientras cárteles de la droga pelean por el control. La policía estatal y el Ejercito Mexicano colaboran y patrullan las calles de la ciudad en un intento de traer calma al área.
traba su cadáver. La policía estatal reporta que han estado involucrados en tiroteos con hombres armados en camionetas, incluyendo una confrontación del 31 de julio que dejó un soldado muerto. En las primeras horas del 7 de agosto, hombres armados dispararon en dos bares de la ciudad, dando muerte a una persona. Las fuerzas policíacas municipales en todo el estado de Tamaulipas fueron desarticuladas en el 2011, pero los barrios cercanos a los cruces internacionales son vigilados estrechamente por la policía estatal y el personal del ejército mexicano, dijeron los residentes. El peligro real reside en las periferias, donde los criminales mantienen su influencia. “Durante el día, está tranquilo, pero en la noche cambia. Ya sabes, disparos, ese tipo de
cosas”, dijo Miguel Villarreal, de 331 años, un residente de San Antonio, quien dijo que estaba en uno de los viajes que hace cada año para visitar a su familia en Nuevo Laredo. De acuerdo a los observadores, se trata de una lucha interna entre antiguos miembros del alguna vez todo poderoso cártel de los Zetas que han creado sus propias organizaciones criminales. Surge terror Las autoridades en los Estados Unidos están nerviosos al observar la situación en Nuevo Laredo. Los oficiales a lo largo de la frontera de Texas recuerdan cuando a principios de la década del 2000, cuando los cárteles del Golfo y de Sinaloa luchaban por el control de Nuevo Laredo, el número de homicidios al cruzar la frontera en Laredo,
una ciudad de 250.000 habitantes, generalmente con cerca de 10 homicidios al año, se incrementó a más de 20. “Creo que hubo un periodo de calma”, dijo Fred Garza, comisario en jefe para la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Webb. Los cárteles “solo estaban esperando a ver lo que pasaba para dar el siguiente paso”. Los grupos luchando por el control en Nuevo Laredo son antiguos miembros de los Zetas quienes han iniciado sus propias organizaciones criminales, dijo Arturo Fontes, un ex agente de FBI y un consultor de la Oficina del Alguacil. Los Zetas originales, recientemente liberados, se sienten irritados por el dominio del advenedizo Cártel del Noreste, dijo Fontes, y formaron su propio grupo, llamándose Zetas Vieja Guardia, o la Vieja Guardia de los Zetas, Zetas Vieja Escuela; y Comandante Bravo. Se han unido a otros grupos de Zetas disidentes y facciones del Cártel del Golfo para desbancar a la familia Treviño, dijo. Fue la Vieja Guardia de los Zetas quien tomó la responsabilidad por la muerte del comandante de homicidios en Nuevo Laredo. La lucha empezó a principios de año en Ciudad Victoria, la ciudad capital en el centro de Tamaulipas, y desde entonces se ha diseminado a la frontera. “Muchas de estas personas salen y quieren su tajada del pastel”, dijo Fontes.
TAMAULIPAS
FONDO INCREMENTARÁ ACERVO BIBLIOGRÁFICO
SE BUSCA 1 La Oficina del Alguacil de Zapata busca a Juan Luis Quezada con domicilio en la cuadra 5400 de Mission Lane, sospechoso de robo, un delito menor Clase B. Se ofrece recompensa en efectivo a cualquiera que pueda proporcionar información que lleve a su paradero. Llame a la oficina del alguacil al 956-7569960, para hacer un reporte anónimo llame a Zapata Crime Stoppers al 956-765-8477. ZAPATA ISD 1 Atención padres de ZMS y ZNE, el distrito abrió la entrada de la carretera HWY 16 (estadio) para el tráfico. Las rutas regulares para recoger y dejar a los menores están disponibles. Esta es solo una entrada durante las horas escolares, no una salida.
NEIGHBORWORKS 1 Conferencia con J.R. Martínez organizado por NeighborWorks a beneficio de proyecto de construcción de viviendas para veteranos, en Laredo Country Club, 8 de septiembre desde las 6 p.m. Informes en 956-712-9100.
Foto de cortesía | Gobierno de Tamaulipas
La rectora de la Universidad Politécnica de la Región Ribereña, Sonia Mercado, posa para una fotografía con parte del acervo bibliográfico de la institución. La universidad ha recibido un fondo que permitirá incrementar la colección de libros en beneficio de los estudiantes.
Universidad consigue 1.300.000 pesos E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
M
IGUEL ALEMÁN, México— Con la finalidad de ofrecer más herramientas de estudio a los alumnos de la Universidad Politécnica de la Región Ribereña, se consiguió un fondo de 1.300.000 pesos para incrementar el acervo bibliográfico con lo que se enriquecerá la colec-
ción de más de mil libros que se cuenta de bibliografía básica, así lo dio a conocer Sonia Mercado Rodríguez, Rectora de la Institución. Este fondo, se sumará a la colección de libros de bibliografía básica y complementaria, para las tres carreras impartidas en la Universidad Politécnica: Ingeniería Industrial, Ingeniería en Tecnologías de la Información y Li-
cenciatura en Administración y Gestión de PyMEs. Además, la biblioteca cuenta con cinco computadoras en las que se puede consultar la Biblioteca Digital del ECEST (BiDig-ECEST), la cual cuenta con un acervo de más de 500.000 libros electrónicos, a través de acceso a distintas editoriales como CENGAGE Learning, Mc Graw Hill,
PEARSON, entre otras. Sonia Mercado Rodríguez, invitó a los estudiantes, personal docente y administrativo a que visiten la biblioteca, consulten y hagan uso del material adquirido. Comentó que los estudiantes podrán encontrar libros que les ayudarán en cultura general, al desarrollo de hábitos de lectura y con su formación académica.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
El presidente Barack Obama envió a través de la Casa Blanca un mensaje en el que destacó el legado del fallecido cantautor mexicano Juan Gabriel. “Por más de 40 años Juan Gabriel dio su adorada música mexicana a millones, trascendió fronteras y generaciones”, dijo Obama en un comunicado. “Con sus letras románticas, sus actuaciones apasionadas y su estilo peculiar, Juan Gabriel cautivó al público e inspiró a innumerables músicos jóvenes. Era uno de los grandes de la música latina y su espíritu vivirá a través de sus canciones perdurables”. Por su parte, el presidente de México, Enrique Peña Nieto, quien el domingo envió su pésame a la familia del músico a través de Twitter, a provechó la inauguración de un hospital militar en el norteño estado de Sinaloa para reiterar su aprecio por el artista. “En la letra de sus canciones, en su música, en sus interpretaciones, sin duda, proyectaba la esencia del pueblo mexicano”, señaló Peña Nieto. “Vaya desde aquí, mi más sentido pésame a su familia y, también, a todo el pueblo mexicano, que hoy está bajo la tristeza de haber perdido a un gran artista, a uno de los suyos”. Luis Almagro, secretario general de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) escribió en Twitter: “Se nos fue un grande de la música de las Américas. Me uno al luto del pueblo de México”. En Los Ángeles, decenas de admiradores de Juan Gabriel se agruparon frente a la funeraria donde yacen sus restos, cantando varios de sus éxitos y dejándole flores en el jardín. En el Paseo de la Fama de Hollywood, sus admiradores montaron una ofrenda improvisada con velas, flores, mensajes junto a la estrella. El cuerpo del ícono de la música popular mexicana, fallecido el domingo en Santa Mónica, California, se quedará varios días en la funeraria Malinow & Silverman Mortuary, en el suroeste de Los Ángeles, dijo el portavoz de la policía local Pedro Muñiz. Por ahora no hay planes de un velatorio público. El cadáver fue trasladado a la funeraria sin necesidad de una autopsia, de acuerdo con el forense del condado de Los Ángeles. Juan Gabriel murió en su residencia dos días después de haber dado un concierto en Inglewood, California. Tenía 66 años. John Kades, jefe de la oficina del forense del condado de Los Ángeles, dijo a The Associated Press que no podían decir cuál fue la causa del deceso porque aún no han firmado su certificado de defunción, pero comentó que “debido a su historial médico, él no necesita una autopsia”. En abril de 2014 Juan Gabriel fue hospitalizado por una neumonía tras un concierto en Las Vegas. En esa ocasión recibió cuidados intensivos y muchos temieron que no pudiera sobrevivir.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 |
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
A7
NCAA FOOTBALL
Witten says Cowboys can win without Tony Romo Dallas begins year with rookie Prescott By Schuyler Dixon A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
FRISCO, Texas — Jason Witten stood in the posh locker room at the new practice facility for the Dallas Cowboys, addressing a topic that came up frequently at musty old Valley Ranch — as recently as last year. Quarterback Tony Romo is hurt again, and his favorite tight end is here to tell you the Cowboys can make it work without him. Even though they went 1-11 last season with Romo sidelined twice by a broken left collarbone. Now Romo has a broken
Sharon Ellman / Associated Press file
Tight end Jason Witten believes Dallas can continue to win despite a preseason injury to quarterback Tony Romo.
bone in his back — his fourth back injury in less than four years — and no timetable for a return. Witten would also like to remind people that the player he came into the league with 13 years ago once returned
to a game with broken ribs and a punctured lung. “People are going to bet against him, that’s fine, and I don’t think that’s unfair to do so,” Witten said. “But if you know what he’s about, which everybody in this
building does, he’s going to be back sooner than probably expected and he’ll play better than anybody thought he would because I know that’s what he’s about.” Before even taking a question at his opening news conference for training camp, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the Cowboys were finished waiting for star players to return after injuries to Romo and receiver Dez Bryant and suspensions for linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive end Greg Hardy set the tone for a first-to-worst slide to 4-12. In keeping with that vow, Jones is talking up rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott, who figures to start at least the first few games as long as he’s healthy, starting with the opener Sept. 11 against the New York Giants.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
SPURS’ LEONARD TO BE ENSHRINED BY SAN DIEGO ST. Leonard to be honored on October 21 By Nick Moyle SA N ANT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
Five seasons into his NBA career, just two months removed from his 25th birthday, Kawhi Leonard is undoubtedly on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Leonard has plenty of years left to add to his mantle and craft a compelling case for enshrinement alongside former Spurs greats David Robinson and George Gervin and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. In the meantime, Leonard can still claim himself as a Hall of Famer – though he’s not exactly one to engage in that sort of braggadocio. The former San Diego State star will officially be inducted into the university’s Aztec Hall of Fame this fall. The former California Mr. Basketball spent two seasons with the Aztecs playing under coach Steve Fisher.
In his freshman season Leonard steered the Aztecs to a No. 11 seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, the team’s first appearance since 2006. He led the team in scoring (12.7), rebounding (9.9) and steals (1.4). For his efforts, Leonard was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year. One season later, the Aztecs enjoyed the most successful campaign in program history. SDSU set a school record with 34 wins and played in its first Sweet Sixteen., losing to eventual national champion UConn by seven. For a second straight season, Leonard led the Aztecs in scoring (15.5), rebounding (10.6) and steals (1.4). He was named a consensus second-team AllAmerican. The official induction ceremony will take place during a luncheon on Oct. 21, per a team press release. nmoyle@express-news.net Twitter: @NRmoyle
Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News file
Spurs star forward Kawhi Leonard will be enshrined into the San Diego State Hall of Fame on Oct. 21.
Michael Caterina / Associated Press
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday that four of his five players that were recently arrested on marijuana possession charges would likely play this week against Texas.
Notre Dame to play 4 arrested players vs. Texas By Tom Coyne ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly says he intends to make four of the five players arrested by state police on marijuana possession charges available to play when the 10thranked Fighting Irish open the season at Texas on Sunday. Wide receiver Kevin Stepherson and linebacker Te’von Coney were listed on the depth chart released Tuesday and Kelly has said he expects running back Dexter Williams and cornerback Ashton White to contribute this season. Kelly said athletic department policy states that the first marijuana offense is an educational process and he has never suspended a player for a first offense. He said the school could still discipline the players, but there is no deadline for such a move. “If something changes, the university will let us know,” said Kelly, who noted that the players will be in a program that will include random drug tests. “We think that’s appropriate. We think that’s an important part of the education process as well,” he said. Kelly dismissed a fifth player, safety Max Redfield, who also was charged in the same Aug. 19 incident with a misdemeanor charge of carrying a handgun without a license. Kelly said Redfield, who was sent home early from the Fiesta Bowl last season for violating team rules, was kicked off the team because of the gun charge. “That’s what caused the dismissal. And as an upperclassman, not really living up to the standards that I set,” Kelly said. Asked for comment outside court, Redfield said: “I wish the best to them.” The five players were formally charged on Monday. Coney, Stepherson and Redfield appeared in court Tuesday in Rochester, 45 miles south of South Bend, where a judge entered not guilty pleas for them. Attorneys for Williams and White filed motions to waive initial hearings. The five were arrested after their car was stopped for speeding and an improper taillight. Police say they found two bags of marijuana. The five players told police the gun was not theirs, court documents said.
NCAA FOOTBALL: BAYLOR BEARS
Baylor WR Zamora suspended 3 games for beating his dog ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Richard W. Rodriguez / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Baylor WR Ishmael Zamora is suspended for the Bears’ first three games after he beat his dog.
WACO, Texas — Baylor sophomore receiver Ishmael Zamora has been suspended for the first three games of the season after a video surfaced of him beating his dog with a belt this summer. Zamora apologized for his actions, saying he was sorry that he took out his frustrations on his dog.
“This incident will never, ever, happen again,” Zamora said in a statement released by the school Tuesday. “I truly love my dog, however, I know that my actions showed differently and I know that I made a big mistake. I apologize to my family, teammates, Baylor University and our fans for my actions.” When Zamora was listed as a starting receiver on the initial depth chart released Monday,
acting head coach Jim Grobe said then that he was waiting for university officials before determining discipline after Waco police charged Zamora with a misdemeanor in the animal abuse case. Grobe said Tuesday that the program does not condone that sort of behavior by anyone, and worked with university officials to hold Zamora accountable for his actions.
“We have received communications about this incident from many passionate individuals over the past 10 days, and I am aware of their concerns,” Grobe said. “Our goal is for this discipline to be educational and restorative, and I believe that we have taken corrective measures to help Ishmael learn from his actions and to better understand the behavior we demand of all students at the university.”
A8 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
NATIONAL
An emotional Bill Clinton eyes possible exit from foundation By Julie Pace A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — When Bill Clinton told the staff of his global charity he would have to step down if Hillary Clinton won the White House, he was vividly clear about how that felt: Worse than a root canal, he said. For Clinton, the foundation that bears his name has shaped much of his post-White House legacy, helping transform him from a popular yet scandal-tainted former president into an international philanthropist and humanitarian. But the Clinton Foundation is also the focus of electionyear scrutiny — pushed along by Donald Trump — about the Democratic power couple’s ability and willingness to separate the organization’s wealthy contributors from past and possible future government roles. The decisions surrounding the foundation’s future are the latest chapter in an unprecedented partnership of personal and political ambitions. While political spouses — Hillary Clinton among them — often put aside their own goals, never before has that been required of a former president. Friends and associates say that while Bill Clinton knows his role in the high-profile charity has to change, settling on how and when he might walk away has been emotional. He’s also said to be deeply frustrated with the criticism shadowing his potential exit. “We’re trying to do good things. If there’s
something wrong with creating jobs and saving lives, I don’t know what it is,” he said last week. Mark Updegrove, the director of the Lyndon B. Johnson presidential library and author of “Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House,” said that while the foundation has unquestionably done good work around the world, the former president has no choice but to step aside if his wife wins the White House. “Bill Clinton is smart enough to know that as much as the Clinton Foundation might help to augment his legacy, Hillary Clinton becoming president will be a far greater legacy than anything he himself can do as a former president,” Updegrove said. The foundation made some adjustments after she became secretary of state, but it has still faced numerous questions about how rigorously firewalls were upheld that were meant to separate donors from her government work. An Associated Press review of Clinton’s calendars from a two-year stretch show that more than half of those she met with from outside of government had made contributions to the foundation. For Trump and other Republicans, the Clintons’ overlapping worlds are rife with ethical lapses. And for some Democrats, even that perception is worrisome in an election year where control of the White House and Congress are at stake. Meanwhile, there’s an odd reality of modern
American politics: What presidents do after leaving the White House can shape their legacy almost as much as their tenure in the Oval Office. It can be an opportunity to bolster presidential successes and try to make up for failures. And those who leave office relatively young — Clinton was 54 — can spend many more years on these legacy projects than they did in the White House. “For the last 15 years, it has been his life,” said Tina Flournoy, Clinton’s chief of staff. During the announcement of his potential departure, she said he noted that his role as head of the foundation was “the longest job he has held.” Jimmy Carter, who was seen by some as an ineffectual one-term president, has dramatically reshaped his image with decades of work on global issues. George W. Bush left office deeply unpopular, but has been applauded for dedicating his post-White House years to HIV programs in Africa and work with wounded military veterans. President Barack Obama has been discussing plans for his White House afterlife with confidants for months. “There’s a certain expectation that you stay involved, you don’t totally get off the scene,” said Anita McBride, a longtime Bush family aide. Bill Clinton’s foundation began largely to support the building of his presidential library in Little Rock, Arkansas. As his post-White House ambitions grew, so did the foundation, ballooning into a $2 billion charity.
Suicidal Germanwings pilot had struggled in US flight school By Joan Lowy ASSOCIATED PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The German pilot who deliberately flew his airliner into a mountainside last year had struggled with learning to fly and had failed a key test of his skills during training in the U.S., according to FBI interviews with his flight instructors. Andreas Lubitz was promoted anyway. But his training difficulties were one more “red flag” that should have caused Lufthansa and the airline’s Arizona flight school to take a closer look and discover his history of depression, asserted attorneys representing families of crash victims. Lubitz was a co-pilot for Germanwings, a regional airline owned by Lufthansa, when he locked Flight 9524’s captain out of the cockpit and set the plane on a collision course with a mountain in the French Alps last year. All 144 passengers and six crew members, including Lubitz, were killed. One instructor, Juergen Theerkorn, described Lubitz as “not an ace pilot,” and said he failed one flight test because of a “situational awareness issue.” In aviation, loss of situational awareness usually means a pilot becomes absorbed in something and loses track of what else is happening with the plane. Another instructor, Scott Nickell, told the FBI that Lubitz lacked “procedural knowledge” and had trouble with splitting his attention between in-
Uncredited / AP file
In this undated photo from Facebook, Andreas Lubitz poses in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.
struments inside the plane and watching what was happening outside. But while Lubitz struggled with training, he would achieve passing scores enabling him to continue the program, Nickell said. Lubitz failed one of five check rides, which are important tests of a pilot’s flying skills, and one of 67 training flights, Matthias Kippenberg, president and CEO of the Airline Training Center Arizona, told the FBI. However, Kippenberg dismissed the failures as unremarkable, saying students are given the opportunity to retake the tests. Only 1 or 2 percent of students fail to be promoted, he said. The FBI conducted the interviews a week after the March 24, 2015, crash. Summaries were only recently released by prosecutors in Germany, according to attorneys with Kriendler & Kriendler in New York, who are representing the families in a lawsuit against the flight school. The lawyers provided copies to The Asso-
ciated Press. Lufthansa spokeswoman Christina Semmel declined to comment “due to the ongoing legal proceedings.” The flight school referred calls to Lufthansa. Officials for Lufthansa and the flight school didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment. An investigation has revealed that Lubitz was being treated for a relapse of severe depression and suicidal tendencies but had hid the information from Germanwings. Germany’s strict patient privacy laws didn’t allow doctors to share medical information with an employer without the patient’s permission. Lubitz had had a previous bout of depression in 2008 and had informed Lufthansa, taking a leave of absence two months after starting ground school training in Germany. He was allowed to resume training ten months later after providing a statement from his doctor.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 |
A9
BUSINESS
Apple owes $14.5 billion in back taxes to Ireland, EU says By James Kanter and Mark Scott N EW YORK T I ME S
The European Union on Tuesday ordered Ireland to collect $14.5 billion in unpaid taxes from Apple, a record penalty that worsened tensions with the United States over the bloc’s crackdown on sweetheart deals with global multinationals. Europe’s competition enforcer said Apple’s illegal deals with the Irish government allowed the technology giant to pay virtually nothing on its European business in some years. The arrangements enabled Apple to funnel profit from two Irish subsidiaries to a “head office” with “no employees, no premises, no real activities,” the commission said. By doing so, Apple paid only 50 euros in taxes for every 1 million euros in profit during 2014. As part of its ruling, Europe demanded that Ireland recoup 10 years’ worth of back taxes, some 13 billion euros, or about $14.5 billion, plus interest. The amount is a drop in the bucket for Apple, which has a total cash
pile of more than $230 billion. Even so, the company described the order as a “devastating blow” to the rule of law. The U.S. Treasury Department said it jeopardized “the important spirit of economic partnership between the U.S. and the EU.” Since taking over as competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager has made tax avoidance a central focus, a campaign that has also ensnared Starbucks in the Netherlands, Amazon in Luxembourg and AnheuserBusch InBev in Belgium. The U.S. Treasury, one of the most vocal critics of these moves, has said Europe is overstepping its power, unfairly targeting U.S. companies and hurting global efforts to curtail tax avoidance. The U.S. government is an unlikely advocate. Politicians have berated Apple for paying too little by setting up complex and opaque tax structures. Officials have hit back against corporate mergers that allowed companies to move their headquarters to places like Ireland to take advantage of lower tax rates.
Mark Lennihan / AP
In this Dec. 7, 2011, file photo, a person stands near the Apple logo at the company's store in Grand Central Terminal, in New York.
But the positioning in the Apple case reflects a political tug of war over big profitable companies, their potential tax bounty and the rights to regulate them. “U.S. companies are the grandmasters of tax avoidance,” said Edward D. Kleinbard, a professor at the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California and a former chief of staff to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. “Nevertheless, because of the nature of U.S. politics,” he said, the Apple case “will be framed by the U.S. as Europe over-
reaching and discriminating against ‘our team.'” Since early this year, Vestager and Jacob J. Lew, the U.S. treasury secretary, and their teams have met regularly to discuss Europe’s tax investigations. Lew visited Brussels in July to put forward the U.S. perspective. Last week, the Treasury Department released a report criticizing any moves to recoup back taxes from U.S. companies. Politicians also chimed in after the Apple decision. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called it a “cheap money grab” by the Euro-
pean Commission, “targeting U.S. businesses and the U.S. tax base.” The Senate Finance Committee chairman, Orrin G. Hatch, said the decision “encroaches on U.S. tax jurisdiction.” Apple and Ireland had similar defenses. Timothy D. Cook, chief executive of the technology company, said Europe’s ruling had “no basis in fact or in law” and called it an effort to “rewrite Apple’s history in Europe, ignore Ireland’s tax laws and upend the international tax system in the process.” The company called the effective tax rate “a completely made-up number.” The Finance Ministry of Ireland said the commission’s decision would undermine a continuing global tax overhaul and create business uncertainty. The ministry said taxes were a “fundamental matter of sovereignty.” Ireland and Apple both said they intended to fight Europe’s decision, even though any appeal could take years. The commission said the amount due in Ireland could be reduced if
U.S. authorities decided that Apple should have paid more tax in the United States. Other countries in the European Union could also potentially take a share. “The ultimate goal should of course be that all companies, big or small, pay tax where they generate their profits,” the competition commissioner, Vestager, said at a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday. “We need a change in corporate philosophies and the right legislation to address loopholes and ensure transparency.” Although the United States appears to side with Apple and Ireland in this specific fight, the overall view is a bit more complicated. A U.S. Senate committee said in 2013 that Apple had negotiated a special corporate tax rate of 2 percent or less in Ireland. While the committee did not accuse Apple of breaking any laws, lawmakers criticized the “gimmicks,” “schemes” and complex corporate structures that allowed the company to sidestep taxes.
20 Democratic senators blast steep price hike for EpiPens By Matthew Daly A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — In a sign of growing concern in Congress, 20 Democratic senators are demanding answers about steep price hikes for the life-saving EpiPen injector device. The senators said in a letter Tuesday that price hikes of more than 500 percent have jeopardized access to emergency allergy shots for many Americans. The letter was addressed to Heather Bresch, CEO of the pharmaceutical company that makes the devices, Mylan N.V. Bresch is the daughter of Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.Va. Manchin did not sign the letter. Mylan has responded to the public outcry over the price hikes by expanding programs to make Epi-
Pens more affordable and promising a cheaper, generic version. But Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other senators said the generic device still costs $300, three times more than the branded EpiPen did in 2007. “Some Americans who are unable to afford this cost increase have resorted to carrying expired EpiPens — or carry no EpiPens at all,” Warren and other senators said in an eight-page letter. The lawmakers asked Mylan to answer detailed questions by Sept. 12. The senators said Mylan’s near monopoly on the epinephrine autoinjector market has allowed it to increase prices well beyond increases in manufacturing costs. Mylan has not reduced the $608 list price for a
Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg
A demonstrator holds up an EpiPen during a protest outside the offices of John Paulson, founder of Paulson & Co., for his hedge fund's investment in Mylan NV, in New York, on Tuesday.
pair of EpiPen auto injectors or explained why it boosted prices by 500 percent since 2007. EpiPens are used in emergencies to stop potentially fatal allergic reactions to insect bites and stings, and foods like nuts and eggs. People usually keep multiple EpiPens handy at home, school or work, but the syringes, prefilled with the hormone epinephrine, expire after a year. The price hike, which hit just as parents and students were preparing for a new school year, has led to an election-year uproar amid widespread
concerns about high drug prices. A chorus of politicians, consumer groups and parents has been calling for hearings and investigations of EpiPen pricing, along with action by the Food and Drug Administration to speed approvals of rival products. There’s currently little competition for EpiPen. Rival Adrenaclick carries a list price of $461, and there’s a generic version, but doctors typically prescribe EpiPen, originally launched in 1987, because it’s so well-known. Last week, Mylan offered more financial aid to
patients getting EpiPens, including coupon cards covering up to $300 off patient copayments, triple the $100 discounts previously offered. Coupon cards are a standard pharmaceutical industry strategy, one that leaves employers and taxpayers still footing at least two-thirds of a big bill — and everyone facing eventual higher insurance premiums. A generic competitor was expected in 2015 but has been delayed. On Monday, leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote to Bresch, requesting information
about Mylan’s revenues from EpiPens since 2007, manufacturing costs and how much Mylan receives from federal health care programs. Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf about the lack of competition for auto-injection devices. “EpiPens are a critical and often only option for saving kids from the brink of death during severe allergic reactions. And the soaring costs that patients are now facing for Epi-Pen Auto-Injectors is cause for alarm,” said Fred Upton.
A10 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL
Good boy! Dogs know what you’re saying, study suggests By Frank Jordans and Alicia Chang ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi, back to camera, hugs Bishop of Rieti Mons. Domenico Pompili.
Italy honors quake victims as bishop warns of reconstruction By Andrea Rosa and Nicole Winfield A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AMATRICE, Italy — An Italian bishop issued a veiled critique of the suspected shoddy construction behind the high death toll of Italy’s earthquake and warned during a state funeral Tuesday that the rebuilding effort must not become a “looting” of state coffers. “Earthquakes don’t kill. What kills the most is the work of man,” Rieti Bishop Domenico Pompili told the weeping crowds gathered in the shadow of Amatrice’s ruins for the funeral for some of the 292 victims. Wails echoed under the roof of the open-sided tent as Pompili read aloud the names of the 242 people killed in the towns of Amatrice and Accumoli at the start of the service. And the crowd erupted in applause — a common gesture at Italian funerals — when dozens of white balloons were released at the end of the service. On hand to concelebrate the Mass was Monsignor Konrad Krajewski, the pope’s chief almsgiver who frequently stands in for him when he wants to show his personal closeness to people in need. Francis has promised to visit the quake zone soon. Civil protection officials said only 37 caskets were on hand since many families opted for private funerals elsewhere. Another 50 people were killed in neighboring Le Marche region where a state funeral was held over the weekend. The 37 caskets faced the altar in rows, two little white caskets sandwiched between larger ones — evidence of the many children enjoying the final days of summer children who were killed. Relatives placed bouquets on the caskets and sat next to them quietly as rain fell outside. In his homily, Pompili insisted that there was no choice but to rebuild Amatrice and Accumoli since abandoning the towns would “kill them a second time.” But he warned that the reconstruction effort must not become “a political fight or a sort of looting of various forms.” Italy has a long history of organized crime and corrupt builders infiltrating public works contracts, especially those earmarked for reconstruction after natural disasters. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the Aug. 24 quake since many buildings crumbled despite having been renovated with public funds for anti-seismic improvements. The ANSA news agency said Rieti chief prosecutor Giuseppe Saieva ordered Amatrice’s collapsed elementary school to be sequestered on Tuesday and entrusted Italy’s financial police with investigating how public funds destined for antiseismic renovations across the region were used. The school collapsed
during the quake despite being renovated in 2012 using earthquake funds. In addition, the church tower in nearby Accumoli collapsed on a home, killing a family of four, despite also having been recently renovated with earthquake funds. Italian news reports, meanwhile, have said that many other buildings in the area were flagged as being at high seismic risk, and yet nothing was done to them despite having funds made available. Saieva is investigating what was stipulated in the contracts to restore the buildings and what exactly was done. Amatrice Mayor Sergio Pirozzi, who was the first to give state radio the alarm minutes after the 3:36 a.m. quake that “the town isn’t here anymore,” wept as he recalled those who died. “When I heard the names of the victims (at the start of Mass), it was the butcher, the baker, the beekeeper, the girl who went to school with my children,” he said to applause at the end of the service. “You can imagine the pain.” Echoing the bishop, he insisted that Amatrice must be rebuilt where it is, and not allow a “new town” to be rebuilt nearby. “These people died because they loved this land and we want to stay,” he said. Initially, authorities planned to hold the funeral in an airport hangar in the provincial capital of Rieti, citing safety and organizational concerns. The quake area has seen more than 2,500 aftershocks and faced logistical problems in bringing relatives and officials into a town with only one serviceable access road. But grieving residents rebelled at plans to let them watch it on TV or be bussed to Rieti, where many bodies were being housed in a makeshift morgue at the airport.
Enik Kubinyi / New York Times
A handout photo shows dogs that were trained to enter an MRI to have their brain activity measured.
words spoken in an encouraging voice, or meaningful words in a neutral tone, didn’t have the same effect. “Dog brains care about both what we say and how we say it,” said lead researcher Attila Andics, a neuroscientist at Eotvos Lorand University in
Budapest, said in an email. “Praise can work as a reward only if both word meaning and intonation match.” Andics said the findings suggest that the mental ability to process language evolved earlier than previously believed and that what sets humans
Cannes burkini ban overturned after top French court ruling By Philippe Sotto ASSOCIATED PRE SS
PARIS — A French court has overturned a ban on burkinis issued in Cannes — the first in a series of local bans on the Muslim full-body swimwear this summer that set off a heated controversy at home and a wave of outrage abroad. The court in Nice concluded that the Cannes decree violates basic freedoms and is illegal because there were no proven risks of disruption to public order, or reasons of hygiene or decency for the ban in the famous Riviera city resort, according to a copy of the judgment obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press. The decision followed a
AP
Nesrine Kenza, who says she is happy to be free to wear a burkini, and two friends rest on the beach.
ruling by a French top court regarding a similar ban in the nearby town of Villeneuve-Loubet that set a legal precedent. After the Council of State overturned that ban last week, human rights groups said they will
challenge similar bans issued in 30 or so municipalities. More rulings are expected in the next few days as local courts are hearing other contested town decrees. The last Nice ruling is a largely symbolic victory
for the two human rights groups that introduced the challenge, since the Cannes ban, issued late last month, was expected to end on Wednesday night anyway. But it sends a signal to several mayors who have said they won’t revoke their bans even after the top court’s legal precedent. Meanwhile, the national debate on the place of Islam in the strictly secular country continued. Prime Minister Manual Valls, who supported the bans, made a new reference to the burkini controversy with a comment on Marianne, an allegorical figure of the French Republic.
NMLS493828
Andrew Medichini / AP
BERLIN — Scientists have found evidence to support what many dog owners have long believed: Man’s best friend really does understand some of what we’re saying. Researchers in Hungary scanned the brains of dogs as they were listening to their trainer speaking to determine which parts of the brain they were using. They found that dogs processed words with the left hemisphere and used the right hemisphere to process pitch — just like people. What’s more, the dogs only registered that they were being praised if the words and pitch were positive. Meaningless
apart from other species is the invention of words. While other species probably also have the mental ability to understand language like dogs do, their lack of interest in human speech makes it difficult to test, said Andics. Dogs, on the other hand, have socialized with humans for thousands of years, meaning they are more attentive to what people say to them and how. Researchers imaged the brains of 13 dogs using a technique called functional MRI, or fMRI, which records brain activity. The dogs were trained to lie motionless in the scanner for seven minutes during the tests. The dogs were awake and unrestrained as they listened to their trainer’s voice through headphones.
FINANCING TEXAS FOR 100 YEARS. Laredo Office | 956.753.0758 10410 Medical Loop, Ste 5D
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 |
FROM THE COVER
JUAN From page A1
ZETAS From page A1 Laredo police homicide unit held at gunpoint and later released a photo that appeared to show his corpse. State police report they’ve been involved in shootouts with gunmen in pickups, including a July 31 confrontation that left a soldier dead. In the early morning hours of Aug. 7, gunmen shot up two bars in the city, killing one person. On Aug. 8, a Nuevo Laredo resident crossed the bridge to Laredo and told police that seven of his U.S. citizen family members, including a 2-year-old boy and 20month-old twins who were living in Mexico, had been kidnapped. The man acknowledged some of his family members were involved in drug trafficking and said their house had been ransacked, a police report states. That same day, a joint task force of the Mexican military and state police raided a house and rescued 17 Nuevo Laredo residents who’d been kidnapped. Among those rescued were the family members reported missing to Laredo police, according to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. More than 10,000 trucks a day rumble through the region on their way to and from Laredo, the biggest commercial port on the TexasMexico border. That makes Nuevo Laredo, which is on the highway connecting northern Mexico’s industrial hub of Monterrey with Interstate 35 in Texas, a crucial transit point for drug traffickers. Nuevo Laredo, a city of about 375,000 people, has experienced regular clashes between drug groups over the past 15 years. The outbreak of new violence disrupts the relative peace of the past three years, even when other border cities like Reynosa and Matamoros have suffered unchecked cartel violence. On Wednesday morning, the city-under-siege feel that characterized Nuevo Laredo in the the thick of the cartel wars wasn’t evident on the streets near the international bridges to Texas. Gone is the armored personnel carrier that once pointed its cannon down the main drag of Avenida Guerrero, and the cartel lookouts who once slouched on street corners were nowhere to be seen. Municipal police forces across the state of Tamaulipas were disbanded in 2011, but the neighborhoods near the international crossings are heavily patrolled by state police and Mexican military personnel, residents said. The real danger is on the outskirts, where criminals still hold sway. Christian Evangelicals from the U.S. proselytized in Plaza Hidalgo, and in Plaza Juárez, closest to the pedestrian bridge, vendors and shoe-shiners were more concerned about the recent closing of the H-E-B in downtown Laredo, which they said has slowed foot traffic to the United States. “During the day, it’s quiet, but at night it changes. You know, shootings, that type of thing,” said Miguell Villarreal, 33, a resident of San Antonio who said he was on one of the several trips he makes each year to visit family in Nuevo Laredo. Terror spinoffs Law enforcement officials in the U.S. are nervously watching the situation in Nuevo Laredo. Officials across the border in Texas remember when in the early 2000s, when the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels were fight-
Jerry Lara / San Antonio Express-News
A man sells ice cream at Benito Juarez Plaza in downtown Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, Aug. 25.
ing for control of Nuevo Laredo, the number of homicides across the border in Laredo, a city of 250,000 that usually has about 10 murders a year, spiked to more than 20. In 2011, Laredo police arrested a group of cartel operatives that they say tailed three victims, then brought in hired guns from U.S. criminal organizations to execute them. “I think there was a period of quiet,” said Fred Garza, chief deputy for the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. The cartels “were just waiting to see what was going to be the next step.” Garza and the Sheriff’s Office today are pitching a multicounty collaboration to combat drug traffickers. They’re asking the the sheriff’s offices along 300 miles of border, from Starr to Val Verde counties, to join them in asking for $42 million in grants for a five-year program to install cameras and sensors along the border, in addition to sensors and cameras already used by Border Patrol and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Another aspect of the collaboration, which Garza said would help the counties combat potential spillover from cartel fighting in Mexico, would be an intelligence-sharing initiative. One criminal organization can control hundreds of miles of border, so law enforcement agencies in distant counties might be investigating the same gang, he said. It’s particularly important that intelligence gathered from the county jails, which he called “a gold mine of information,” be shared between the various border law enforcement agencies, Garza said. The groups battling for control in Nuevo Laredo are former members of the Zetas who have started their own criminal organizations, said Arturo Fontes, a former FBI agent and a consultant to the Sheriff’s Office. The Zetas began as a group of former Mexican special forces soldiers working for the Gulf Cartel. Since its inception in the late 1990s, the gang grew from a special cartel commando unit to one of the largest criminal organizations in Mexico, involved in drug smuggling, human trafficking, selling counterfeit goods, protection rackets and public works fraud. In 2012, for the first time in the Zetas’ history, someone without military training assumed command of the cartel. Nuevo Laredo native Miguel Treviño Morales, known by his radio call sign “El 40” or “Cuarenta,” became the Zetas boss after its leader, founding member Heriberto Lazcano, was killed by Mexican marines near the Texas border. Treviño’s known as a ruthless killer — in 2010, according to an informant’s statement to federal agents, Treviño’s younger brother boasted that the future Zetas boss had killed more than 2,000 people — and after his arrest in 2013 territory controlled by the Zetas fell onto a period of relative peace. Last year, Treviño‘s family members based in
A11
Nuevo Laredo and in Texas began calling themselves the Cartel de Noreste, Fontes said. Around the same time, several of the Zetas founding members finished serving their prison time in Mexico and were released. Treviño has been seen as a usurper by some members of the Zetas. He rose through the ranks as the gang’s founding members either were killed or arrested. In a 2013 trial in Austin, Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar, a former Mexican special forces corporal and Zetas member known as Mamito, testified that he suspected Treviño was behind his 2011 arrest in Mexico. The recently released original Zetas chafed at the rule of the upstart Cartel de Noreste, Fontes said, and formed their own group, calling themselves Zetas Vieja Guardia, or the Old Guard Zetas; Zetas Vieja Escuela, Old School Zetas; and Comandante Bravo. They’ve joined with other Zetas splinter groups and factions of the Gulf Cartel to take on the Treviño family, he said. It was the old guard Zetas who took responsibility for the killing of the Nuevo Laredo homicide commander. The fighting started earlier this year in Ciudad Victora, the capital city in the center of Tamaulipas, and since has spread to the border. “A lot of these people got out and they want their piece of the pie,” Fontes said. Return to heyday? The recent flareup in fighting has discouraged those who thought several years of peace might bring Nuevo Laredo’s central district back to its heyday when visitors from the U.S. packed the open-air bars and shops in the mercado, many of which have been closed for years, said Angel Abram Chavez, 28, who worked as a tourist guide in the early 2000s. When Mayor Carlos Canturosas won election in 2013, breaking a stranglehold on local politics by the Institutional Revolutionary Party that is widely accused of being corrupt, residents here were excited about the future, Chavez said. The relative peace of Canturosa’s term, which ends in January, had reinforced that. Then, this summer, the shootouts returned. “There was hope for the tourism to return,” Chavez said. “But in reality, as long as the organized crime is so strong, nothing is going to change.” Canturosas’s office did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. Maria Elena Martinez, 54, moved back to Nuevo Laredo last year after 11 years of living in the U.S. illegally. She recently opened a hole-in-the wall selling tacos and snacks. She’s disheartened about the return of the violence and is worried about her 13-year-old grandson, who she’s raising. On Tuesday, Martinez said, soldiers searched her neighborhood doorto-door. “I thought it was calm, but of course we’re all in danger,” she said. “But what are we going to do?”
The singer’s agent, Arturo De la Mora, said Juan Gabriel died “peacefully” at his home in Santa Monica, California, without giving further details. Juan Gabriel, whose real name was Alberto Aguilera Valadez, liked to wear jackets covered in sequins or dress in shiny silk outfits in hot pink, turquoise blue or canary yellow. Juan Gabriel performed to packed auditoriums, including New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. His last concert was Friday night at the Forum in Inglewood, California. He had been scheduled to perform Sunday in El Paso, Texas. President Enrique Pena Nieto said through his official Twitter account: “I regret the death of Juan Gabriel, one of the great musical icons of our country. My condolences to his relatives and friends.” The singer, who was born Jan. 7, 1950, wrote his first song at age 13 and went on to compose more than 1,500. The youngest of 10 children, he rose from rags to riches. He was born in the western state of Michoacan. His father, Gabriel Aguilera, was a farmer and his mother, Victoria Valadez, a housewife. The family lost contact with his father after he was taken to a psychiatric hospital in Mexico City when Juan Gabriel was still a
CATTLE From page A1
million, the lowest since 1958, according to National Agricultural Statistics Service, or NASS. “Cattle were sold and moved to other states, and our state became depleted of cattle, because we just didn’t have the grass and water to do our business,” said Richard Thorpe, president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Brazos Valley was no exception. Beef cow herds in Brazos, Leon, Madison, Milam and Washington counties dropped to as low as 167,000 in 2014, according to NASS. Since then, herds across Texas and in Brazos Valley have expanded slowly. In January, the beef cattle herds in local counties reached 183,000 while across Texas the number reached nearly 4.3 million. Experts such as Dave Anderson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agricultural economist, expect these numbers to continue to grow, but getting back to the amount of beef cows pro-
Eduardo Verdugo / AP
A woman mourns as she holds a picture of Mexican songwriter and singer Juan Gabriel in Mexico City's Garibaldi plaza, Monday.
baby. Unable to support her children, his mother moved the family to the border city of Ciudad Juarez, where he grew up as she worked as a maid. Juan Gabriel said his mother was one of the people he most loved in his life even though he spent most of his childhood away from her. Unable to care for him, she sent him to an orphanage. He signed his first record contract in 1971 and had his first big hit with “No tengo dinero” (“I don’t have any money”), according to his
biography by Mexico’s Society of Music Authors and Composers. Juan Gabriel rarely gave interviews. When he did, he avoided talking about his private life. Although his former personal secretary, Joaquin Munoz, described their homosexual relationship in a book, “Juan Gabriel and I,” the singer neither acknowledged nor denied being gay. His fans were surprised when years later it became known that he had fathered four children with his friend Laura Salas.
duced a decade ago will take time. Anderson, who is also a professor at Texas A&M, attributes the slow growth to urban development, rising costs and the lasting effects of drought. “Since the drought was so severe, it really colors everything after,” Anderson said. “A drought that severe takes multiple years for plant life to recover.” Anderson said farmers and ranchers can use creative irrigation methods and drought-tolerant crop varieties to lessen the effects of dry weather, but ultimately, expanding herd sizes depends on rainfall and grass growth. As such, Anderson said the lifting of burn bans across Brazos Valley recently is a good sign for an industry at the mercy of the weather. But as ranchers expand, certain growing pains arise. With larger herds, ranchers are able to put more beef in the market, which in turn means lower prices for cattle. Thorpe said issues such as this are small concerns when held up to issues related to water
rights and eminent domain. “But, you know, this is business as usual for us,” Thorpe said. “The people who are in this business do it because they know how to make money with it. And they do it because they love it — they love the land, and they love the lifestyle.” For Sullivan, the biggest obstacle Santa Rosa Ranch faces now is a complete 180 from the problems it faced in 2011. The portion of the Trinity River that runs through Sullivan’s Houston lot has come out eight times in the past year and a half. “It was almost the reverse drought. Half of our ranch was not useful, because it was underwater,” Sullivan said. “So, it was almost the opposite — well it was the opposite. Still the circumstances were very, very similar.” Despite this, Sullivan is grateful for the rain. After her ranch flooded Memorial Day weekend, Sullivan said her land had a small dry spell. As Sullivan puts it, in Texas, “you’re only two weeks from a drought.”
A12 | Wednesday, August 31, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES