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Father dies after saving daughter at Falcon Lake Relatives call Juan Jesus Sandoval Jr. a ‘hero’ for final act By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA TIME S
A man drowned over the weekend at Falcon Lake after he rescued his teenage daughter, according to the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities identified him as
Sandoval
Juan Jesus Sandoval Jr., 34. At 2:35 p.m. Saturday, deputies responded to a possible drowning at Falcon State Park’s boat ramp
area. Relatives of Sandoval stated he had rescued his 16-year-old daughter who was drowning but he was not able to swim back to shore, authorities said. The Sheriff’s Office, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Border Patrol, park
rangers, Department of Public Safety and the Zapata County Fire Department dive team began searching for Sandoval. “After a thorough search for Mr. Sandoval, which agencies were unable to locate him, it was then decided to deploy the Zapata continues on A11
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION Doug Mills / NYT
This photo shows Stephen Miller during a news conference at the White House on Aug. 2. The Trump administration is considering reducing the number of refugees admitted to the country over the next year to below 50,000.
CONSTRUCTION OF WALL PROTOTYPES BEGIN
By Josh Lederman and Matthew Lee A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will allow no more than 45,000 refugees into the United States next year, officials said Tuesday, in what would be the lowest admissions level in more than a decade. President Donald Trump is expected to announce the cap on refugee admissions following a lengthy debate within his administration about whether to go higher or lower. The figure represents the maximum number of refugees the U.S. would be willing to accept. The actual number of refugees who move to the United States could actually be much lower. The administration had been considering a ceiling somewhere between 40,000, which the Homeland Security Department recommended, and 50,000, the State Department’s preferred level, according to officials. The new figure appears to be a compromise that Cabinet officials felt would be palatable to the president. Still, Trump’s stated hostility to accepting refugees and opposition among others in his administration mean the U.S. may not intend to fill all 45,000 slots in the 2018 fiscal year that starts Sunday. The U.S. hasn’t taken in so few refugees in a single year since Slashed continues on A11
U.S. Customs and Border Protection / NYT
Shown is an undated handout image of a concept illustration of a U.S.-Mexico border enforcement zone. Contracts have been awarded to four companies for concrete wall prototypes to be built in the San Diego area, the first major step toward building a barrier on the border with Mexico.
Building process to last about 30 days in San Diego, California ASSOCIATED PRE SS
SAN DIEGO — The federal government said Tuesday that contractors began building eight prototypes of President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico, hitting a milestone toward a key campaign pledge. Construction in San Diego began three months behind schedule after those who didn’t win contracts protested. The building
process will last about 30 days, Customs and Border Protection said. The agency may pick several winners, or none. It said in a news release that the prototypes “will inform future design standards which will likely continue to evolve to meet the U.S. Border Patrol’s requirements.” Each prototype will be up to 30 feet high (9 meters high) and Wall continues on A11
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Sessions says free speech ‘under attack’ By Sadie Gurman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Decrying what he sees as political correctness run amok on college campuses, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the Justice Department will ramp up its support for students who sue universities claiming their free-speech rights have been violated.
The complexity of the freespeech issue was on display as Sessions spoke to an invitationonly crowd at Georgetown University’s law school. About 200 protesters gathered outside in university-designated “free speech zones” and some students complained they were excluded from the Sessions event. But even as he lamented what he sees as a lack of tolerance for unpopular views on
campus, Sessions condemned the NFL players who have been exercising their own freedom of expression by kneeling silently during the national anthem before games. “These players, with all the assets they have, can express their political views without in effect denigrating the symbols of our nation, a nation that has provided our freedom to speak,” Sessions said during a
question-and-answer period. In declaring free speech “under attack” on college campuses, Sessions dove into an issue that has become a cause celebre for conservatives who argue their voices are being drowned out on college campuses, with speeches by right-wing figures derailed by protests and threats of violence. Demonstrations erupted this Speech continues on A11
Win McNamee / Getty Images
Georgetown University Law School students cover their mouths with tape as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions speaks at the Georgetown University Law Center on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
CALENDAR
AROUND THE WORLD
TODAY IN HISTORY
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
Today is Wednesday, Sept. 27, the 270th day of 2017. There are 95 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History: On September 27, 1942, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra performed together for the last time, at the Central Theater in Passaic, New Jersey, prior to Miller's entry into the Army.
THURSDAY, SEPT. 28 Spanish Book Club. 6 - 8 p.m. Joe A Guerra Public Library off Calton Road. For more info, call Sylvia Reash a 763-1810.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Texas A&M International University. On-site registration begins at 7:30 a.m. in the walkway between the Student Center and the TAMIU’s Fine and Performing Arts Center. The walk begins at 9:30 a.m. after a brief opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Those who wish to register online and establish a fundraising team with family, friends, or co-workers can go to alz.org/walk and follow prompts to the Laredo walk.
SUNDAY, OCT. 1 Life Chain. 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sidewalks from Hillside Road and McPherson Road. This event hosted by Diocese of Laredo Family Life Office. “Join us to prayerfully witness that every human life matters and is sacred from conception to natural death.” All faiths are welcome to attend. 8th Annual Blessing of All Animals. In celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. 4 to 5 p.m. St. Peter's Plaza (Matamoros Street and Main Avenue). Pets should be taken on a leash, harness or cage. All donations received will go toward financially helping cat community caretakers to neuter and spay their cats.
TUESDAY, OCT. 3 23rd Dia del Rio Proclamation. 9 a.m. Tres Laredos Park (under bridge I). Join the Rio Grande International Study Center for its annual binational ceremony and blessing of the Rio Grande. Free event. Light refreshments served.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions.
SATURDAY, OCT. 7 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. Dia del Rio River Painting & Art4Environment Workshop. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join the Rio Grande International Study Center at Falcon International Bank, 7718 McPherson Road, 3rd floor. $40. Includes all painting supplies, refreshments and mimosas. Led by artist Paty Orduña. Register at www.rgisc.org. Laredo Northside Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. North Central Park. The market is located at the playground behind the trailhead facility at the park. Visitors are reminded that tickets will be given out for the market’s anniversary drawing in November. The market will award one $150 gift card and other prizes at the November market. Tickets will be given out in October and November for the drawing.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. There Goes the Neighborhood: How Communities Overcome Prejudice and Meet the Challenge of American Immigration. 7:30 p.m. TAMIU Student Center Ballroom, 5201 University Blvd. International Bank of Commerce Keynote Speaker Series presentation featuring Ali Noorani, author and Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum in Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public. Translation services (English to Spanish) will be available. The author will be available for book signing following the lecture.
SATURDAY, OCT. 14 Dia del Rio Laredo Paddling Trail Excursion. 8:30 a.m. registration at Outlet Shoppes parking lot 2 (corner of Santa Maria/Pedregal). Join the Rio Grande International Study Center for a 3-mile paddle from Laredo Water Museum to Bridge I. $20 with boats on first-come, first-serve basis. Private pachanga immediately after, at the Outlet Shoppes. Register at www.rgisc.org.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 First United Methodist Church Used Book Sale. 10 a.m. - noon. 1220 McClelland Ave. Hard cover $1, paperback $0.50, magazines and children’s books, $0.25. Public is invited. Proceeds are used to support the church’s missions. The 32nd Distinguished Business Awards banquet. 6 p.m. Laredo Country Club. The Laredo Chamber of Commerce announced the selection of Ermilo Richer Jr. and Ermilo Richer III as Laredo 2017 Businesspersons of the Year. For ticket and sponsorship information, call 956-722-9895 or email miriam@laredochamber.com.
Alfredo Estrella / AFP/Getty Images
Shown is a building damaged by the magnitude 7.1 quake that struck central Mexico on Tuesday.
MEXICO TALLIES COST OF EARTHQUAKE MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials are tallying up the economic losses of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that caused widespread damage in the capital, as the number of buildings that may need to be pulled down or need major repairs rose to 500. The death toll in the quake rose to 333, with 194 of those deaths in Mexico City. Authorities pledged a return to normality, but many streets in the capital were still blocked by construction equipment and recovery teams looking to extract the last remaining bodies from the rubble. Mayor
Saudi Arabia agrees to allow women to drive Women in Saudi Arabia will be permitted to drive in the kingdom, according to a royal decree issued in Riyadh on Tuesday that overturned one of the most widely criticized restrictions on human rights. The decree, signed by King Salman and broadcast on state television, said that the “majority of senior scholars” had deemed the change legitimate
Miguel Angel Mancera said 40 to 50 people are still considered missing. The city government announced a plan of reconstruction loans and aid for apartment dwellers who lost their homes or who may lose them as teetering buildings are pulled down. Moody’s Investors Service said in a report Monday that the Sept. 19 earthquake that caused damage and deaths in the capital and nearby states “has the potential to be one of Mexico’s costliest natural catastrophes.” — Compiled from AP reports
under Sharia law, and ordered applicable government ministries to make whatever legal adjustments are required to implement it by next June. The change aligns Saudi Arabia with virtually every other country in the world, including other conservative monarchies in the Persian Gulf regions that have long allowed more freedom for women. It was unclear how the permission to drive would relate to other remaining restrictions, including laws requiring
women to be accompanied by a male “guardian” when leaving their homes. In recent years, a number of female Saudi activists have been arrested for defying the restriction. Ali al-Ahmed, director of the Institute of Gulf Affairs, a group often critical of the Saudi leadership, said the decision reflects the influence of reforms pushed by the crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman. — Compiled from the Washington Post
AROUND THE NATION U.S., Mexico expand pact on managing overused Colorado River DENVER — The United States and Mexico have agreed to renew and expand a farreaching conservation agreement that governs how they manage the overused Colorado River, which supplies water to millions of people and to farms in both nations, U.S. water district officials said. The agreement to be signed Wednesday calls for the U.S. to invest $31.5 million in conservation improvements in Mexico’s water infrastructure to reduce losses to leaks and other problems, according to officials of U.S. water districts who have seen summaries of the agreement. The water that the improvements save would be shared by users in both nations and by environmental restoration
Gregory Bull / AP
In this 2014 photo, a man stands in a blocked duct which leads water to his fields in Mexico, through a maze of canals stemming off the Colorado River.
projects. The deal also calls on Mexico to develop specific plans for reducing consumption if the river runs too low to supply everyone’s needs, said Bill Hasencamp of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water to about 19 million people in and around Los Angeles.
Major river consumers in the U.S. would be required to agree on their own shortage plan before Mexico produces one, he said. The deal will extend a previous agreement that both countries would share the burden of water supply cutbacks if the river runs low, Hasencamp said. — Compiled from AP reports
AROUND TEXAS Feds accused of improperly detaining pregnant immigrants HOUSTON — Immigrants’ rights advocates filed a complaint Tuesday with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over what they say is the inhumane treatment of pregnant women being held in detention, including one who had a miscarriage.
On this date: In 1540, Pope Paul III issued a papal bull establishing the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, as a religious order. In 1779, John Adams was named by Congress to negotiate the Revolutionary War's peace terms with Britain. In 1854, the first great disaster involving an Atlantic Ocean passenger vessel occurred when the steamship SS Arctic sank off Newfoundland; of the more than 400 people on board, only 86 survived. In 1939, Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. In 1943, Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters and the Vic Schoen Orchestra recorded "Pistol Packin' Mama" and "Jingle Bells" for Decca Records. In 1954, "Tonight!" hosted by Steve Allen, made its network debut on NBC-TV. In 1962, "Silent Spring," Rachel Carson's study on the effects of pesticides on the environment, was published in book form by Houghton Mifflin. In 1979, Congress gave its final approval to forming the U.S. Department of Education. In 1989, Columbia Pictures Entertainment Inc. agreed to a $3.4 billion cash buyout by Sony Corp. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush announced in a nationally broadcast address that he was eliminating all U.S. battlefield nuclear weapons, and called on the Soviet Union to match the gesture. The Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked, 7-7, on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ten years ago: Soldiers fired into crowds of anti-government demonstrators in Yangon, Myanmar, reportedly killing at least nine people; Kenji Nagai, 50, a video journalist for Japan's APF News, was among the dead. President George W. Bush promised to take steps to reduce air traffic congestion and long delays that were leaving travelers grounded. Five years ago: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly that the world had only a matter of months to stop Iran before it could build a nuclear bomb. NFL referees returned to the field after a tentative deal with the league ended a lockout; games had been marred by controversy, blown calls and confusion as substitute referees officiated during the first three weeks of the season. Actor Herbert Lom, 95, best known as Inspector Clouseau's longsuffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies, died in London. One year ago: The United States provided another $364 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians as their nation's civil war appeared to be getting worse. President Barack Obama announced career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis as his choice to become the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than a half-century. Scientists announced the first baby born from a controversial new technique that combined DNA from three people — the mother, the father and an egg donor. (The goal was to prevent the child from inheriting a fatal genetic disease from his mother.) Today's Birthdays: Actress Kathleen Nolan is 84. Actor Claude Jarman Jr. is 83. Author Barbara Howar is 83. World Golf Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth is 78. Singer-musician Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is 74. Rock singer Meat Loaf is 70. Actress Liz Torres is 70. Actor A Martinez is 69. Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt is 68. Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is 67. Singer Shaun Cassidy is 59. Comedian Marc Maron is 54. Rock singer Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind) is 53. Former Democratic National Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is 51. Actor Patrick Muldoon is 49. Singer Mark Calderon is 47. Actress Amanda Detmer is 46. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is 45. Rock singer Brad Arnold (3 Doors Down) is 39. Christian rock musician Grant Brandell (Underoath) is 36. Actress Anna Camp is 35. Rapper Lil' Wayne is 35. Singer Avril Lavigne is 33. Bluegrass singer/musician Sierra Hull is 26. Thought for Today: "Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once." — Lillian Dickson, American missionary (1901-1983).
CONTACT US The complaint filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups asks DHS to investigate the cases of 10 women that were held at facilities in California, Texas, and Washington state. It alleges that several women were held for weeks despite a memorandum issued last year by Thomas Homan, who is now acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which oversees the custody of immigrants detained for having entered the United States ille-
gally. That memo says pregnant women are generally not to be detained “absent extraordinary circumstances or the requirement of mandatory detention.” Lawyers and advocates for immigrants being held in detention facilities have long argued that the sites cause physical and psychological harm. Federal officials say immigrant detention is a necessary part of better border security and reducing illegal immigration. — Compiled from AP reports
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THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 |
LOCAL Court: Texas can enforce more of ‘sanctuary cities’ law By Paul J. Weber A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas for now can require law enforcement to honor federal immigration requests to detain people in local jails for possible deportation under a new “sanctuary cities” law supported by the Trump administration, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday. The decision prompted one notable critic of the immigration crackdown, Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez, to announce that her Austin jails would now honor all detainers from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The elected Democrat had become a polarizing figure after announcing on the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration that the county’s jails would no longer comply with all such requests. But the unanimous ruling of a three-judge panel in New Orleans wasn’t seen as so clearcut by others. Some lawyers said they believed the decision did not demand total compliance with federal agents, while other local officials struggled to interpret the ramifications. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed it as a clear victory allowing the state to “enforce the core” of the law known at Senate Bill 4. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling negates some of U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia’s Aug. 31 halt to much of the law one day before it was to go into effect. The decision lets Texas enforce the detainer provision, pending fuller oral arguments in November.
“We are pleased today’s 5th Circuit ruling will allow Texas to strengthen public safety by implementing the key components of Senate Bill 4,” Paxton said in a statement. Major cities such as Houston, Dallas and Austin had sued the state, saying the measure was unconstitutional and warning that it would have a chilling effect in immigrant communities. Nina Perales, an attorney for the Mexican American Defense and Legal Education Fund who is also representing the cities of San Antonio and El Paso, said the ruling appeared to leave wiggle room for interpretation. “I don’t read this decision as making all detainers mandatory,” she said. Hernandez said her policies had been updated to comply with the latest ruling and that she looked forward to “further clarification” from the courts. Her spokeswoman, Kristen Dark, said the changes mean that Travis County jails will now honor all detainer requests. Jose Garza, an attorney for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, acknowledged that the state now potentially had room to pursue penalties against chiefs or sheriffs who don’t comply. The Republican push to pass the law roiled the Texas Legislature throughout the spring. One GOP legislator notified federal immigration agents about protesters who held signs saying they were illegal, and told a Democratic colleague who pushed him during an argument, that he would shoot in self-defense.
A3
Lawsuit filed against Houston officials for rape kit backlog ASSOCIATED PRE SS
HOUSTON — A class action lawsuit has been filed against current and former Houston officials alleging that a delay in testing thousands of rape kits allowed accused perpetrators to remain
free and denied justice for victims. The class action represents about 6,000 women and several hundred minors who say in a complaint filed Sunday in U.S. district court in Houston that they were harmed when
the Houston Police Department failed to submit their rape to a crime lab. Kits the department submitted for testing starting in 2011 had languished in police storage for years. Experts say testing
kits promptly and comparing them to federal DNA databases for hits is crucial because as many as half of all sex offenders are serial rapists. The suit seeks unspecified compensation and a jury trial.
Texas homeowners: We weren’t warned about flooding risks By Juan A. Lozano ASSOCIATED PRE SS
KATY, Texas — More than 20 years before Hurricane Harvey, officials in suburban Houston were aware that a heavy storm could cause a reservoir to overflow and inundate nearby homes with water. So they issued a warning to potential home buyers. But they put the warning in an obscure place: deep in the same public land records that list street dimensions and the layout of utilities in a subdivision. Now many of the 3,000 suburban Houston homeowners who were flooded during Harvey question whether local officials did enough to caution them about the dangers of flooding from big rainstorms. “A disclosure like this shouldn’t have been buried in county records,” said Eli Magaña, who with his wife, Marcela, knew nothing of the warning or that his home was near the usually dry reservoir when they bought it less than a year ago. Last week, the Maganas were tearing out and cleaning the inside of their home, which stood in 4 feet of water for more than a week. The couple wore thick gloves and
David J. Phillip / AP
In this Aug. 29 photo, water from Addicks Reservoir flows into neighborhoods from floodwaters brought on by Tropical Storm Harvey in Houston.
dust masks as they sprayed disinfectant on exposed wooden beams. A huge pile of debris sat on their front lawn. Fort Bend County’s top elected official said homeowners have a right to be upset, but information about the flooding risk around the Barker Reservoir was available if they had done research. Judge Robert Hebert acknowledged that he “wouldn’t have researched to that extent” either. “Hindsight being 20/20, if I had known this was going to happen, I would have let everybody know a couple of months ago,” Hebert said. The Barker Reservoir and a similar nearby basin, the Addicks Reservoir, were both built in the mid-1940s to collect exces-
sive rainfall and release it downstream at a controlled rate. The lake beds are usually dry, with trees and tall grasses covering the low-lying terrain that also includes some parks. But when heavy rain arrives, the two reservoirs are designed to catch the deluge and prevent flooding in downtown Houston and other urban areas to the east. Both dams sit mainly in Harris County, which includes Houston, but a portion of the Barker dam extends into neighboring Fort Bend County. The reservoirs are run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. When developers began to build subdivisions just west and upstream of the Barker Reservoir in the 1990s, Fort Bend County
officials debated whether to include the flood warning in an obscure land record known as a plat. Developers balked at the warning, but county officials decided to include it for parts of at least six subdivisions, Hebert said. The existence of the plat was first reported by The Dallas Morning News. The language said simply that subdivisions near the Barker Reservoir could be “subject to extended controlled inundation” under the management of the Corps of Engineers. “Whether or not the people were advised that statement existed, I don’t know,” said Hebert, adding that he understood that Texas does not require any such warning to be included in closing documents. Magana said the warning was not mentioned in any of the documents he received when he bought his home in December. Many of his neighbors did not know about it either. Because their houses are not considered to be in a 100-year floodplain, many of the affected homeowners, including Magana, did not have flood insurance. A home in such a floodplain has a 1 percent chance each year of being flooded.
Zopinion
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A4 | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
COMMENTARY
OTHER VIEWS
NFL players should respect the nation By Mark Davis TH E DA L LAS MORNING NEWS
I’m sure they are mightily proud of themselves, these athletes choosing to vent their frustrations through derision of the nation and its symbols. For the record, all pampered millionaires are free to register whatever distaste they wish for America or any president of their choosing, on their own time. But every pipe-fitter, office clerk and burger-flipper knows that they are not free to spout off when they are on the clock. The National Football League sideline protests of some players taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem are in no way a free speech issue. Players are free to sling political and cultural venom in a variety of ways through media interviews, Twitter posts or any method that meets the approval of the profession that has made them rich. That means the NFL and its various teams are indeed free to permit employees to insult millions of Americans by showing intentional disrespect to the nation’s flag and anthem. So what we have here is not a matter of constitutional rights, but a battle over what is right. A smattering of NFL malcontents has seen fit to register concerns about racial disparities in policing by displaying contempt for the patriotic displays that unify fans of every type even amid challenging times, if only for one minute. When President Donald Trump called them out for this outrageous overstep, NFL culture revealed itself in a convulsion of self-absorbed disapproval. Large numbers of athletes dropped to one knee on Sunday, joined by the occasional owner and a commissioner who scolded the president for daring to take issue with the players’ decision to protest in a manner discordant with the majority of fans. So, for those keeping track, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will tarry at length in cases of players beating women, but reacts with lightning reflexes if a president suggests he needs to restrain players from maligning America. So that we can have clarity on who is engaged in "divisiveness," it is players who have chosen to denigrate a national ritual, not the voices objecting when they do. The dividers are the National Basketball Association athletes who refused an invitation to the White House because they hate the president, not the president who suggests they stay home. If the concept of dividing is being misdefined, so is the concept of unifying. Sunday’s widespread kneeling was referred to as "unity," when a majority of players did not participate. The kneelers surely unified with the like-minded, but one presumes there were players who were embarrassed by the entire spectacle. I would like to announce my unity with them, and with one player in particular. While the Pittsburgh Steelers idiotically chose to remain in the locker room for the anthem before their game in Chicago, lineman Alejandro Villanueva emerged from the tunnel. This former Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan did not visibly take a position on the sideline, but stood where he could at least see the flag he fought for and salute it. One wonders if any of his teammates felt stripped of their right to show respect for America because their team had chosen to cave to agitators. Fans across America are choosing to ignore an NFL that does not care to compel a mere 60 seconds of respect from players. Not just respect for the flag; how about respect for the fans who are mortified by this insolence? How about fellow players like Villanueva, whose service they spit on with every knee taken? But the protesting players care not one bit about things like that, as long as everyone knows how twisted off they are about President Trump and policing issues. The sad irony is that the vast majority of fans would be more than tolerant of the players’ views on both of those subjects if their method of expression did not involve gestures that disparage the nation they should thank for their blessings. Mark Davis is a radio host and frequent contributor to The Dallas Morning News.
LETTERS POLICY Laredo Morning Times does not publish anonymous letters. To be published, letters must include the writer's first and last names as well as a phone number to verify identity. The phone number IS NOT published; it is used solely to verify identity and to clarify content, if necessary. Identity of the letter writer must be verified before publication. We want to assure our readers that a letter is written by the person who signs the letter.
Laredo Morning Times does not allow the use of pseudonyms. This space allows for public debate of the issues of the day. Letters are edited for style, grammar, length and civility. No namecalling or gratuitous abuse is allowed. Also, letters longer than 500 words will not be accepted. Via email, send letters to editorial@lmtonline.com or mail them to Letters to the Editor, 111 Esperanza Drive, Laredo, TX 78041.
COLUMN
Trump administration’s guide to peaceful protests By Alexandra Petri WASHINGTON P O ST
The Trump administration is a huge believer in the power of protest! Many protesters are very fine people, as President Trump has pointed out, and that is because they abide by these commonsense rules for peaceful protesters. “But wait,” you ask. “How can I tell if I am a very fine person or a son of a b--?” Good question. Just so we are absolutely clear on the guidelines for protests approved by the Trump administration, I am putting them here. Be very, very careful, or you will be FIRED! 1. Respect the Flag Under the Trump administration, you have carte blanche to respect all kinds of flags, be they red, white and blue with stars from 240 years ago or red, white and blue with stars from just 150 years ago! When disposing of a wellrespected flag, fold it gently with exquisite care. Be as careful with the flag as you would not be with the
head of a person you were putting into a police car. When honoring the flag and thinking how best to respect it, keep Puerto Rico as far from your thoughts as possible, as the flag is perfect as it is and remembering that Puerto Rico is part of the United States might someday lead to ruining the flag’s aesthetic with additional stars. 2. Protect Objects at All Costs If you break a window, you are going to cause a family a lot of pane. That window could have led a long, productive life during which it never once knelt during the national anthem or caused a police officer to feel threatened, unless maybe the officer turned around suddenly, saw his reflection in it and got startled. The devastation you have caused will never be remedied, and there will be a hole in the world and a family’s heart forever because of your actions. Wait, am I thinking of windows, or something different? Oh, well, anyway: This is a handy
way of knowing if you are a good kind of protester or a bad kind. The same goes for statues. The Trump administration believes in and supports peaceful protest when it revolves around an important issue like protecting the lives of vulnerable statues. Ask yourself, am I protesting something that is being done to a human being (pathetic, weak, fragile, possibly not a Trump voter) or an inanimate object (beautiful, noble, symbolic, definitely would have voted for Trump if given the opportunity)? Human bodies are absurd flesh dumpsters (except Donald Trump’s body, which is perfect, a shrine to health and clean living), whereas metal bodies are immaculate and perfect and clean. Wherever a statue is, it is supposed to be, and it is rude to act suspicious of it or try to make it leave. 3. Stand You may well ask, “What made the torchwielding white supremacists in Charlottesville ‘very fine people’ while
Colin Kaepernick gets called a ‘son of a [noun]’?” Simple. The white supremacists were standing. Which meant that if the national anthem began to play at any time, they were ready to give it ample respect. Kneeling is always frowned upon, as is raising your hand (unless there is a torch in it), as both of these gestures have historically proven very startling to officers of the law. If you think this sounds like overreaction, just remember how alarming and threatening it seemed to the president of the United States when Kaepernick knelt peacefully. 4. Does it have to be nonviolent? Only if you are not fine people. 5. How do I know if I am fine people? Surely you understand by now the distinction between Colin Kaepernick and those excellent protesters with button-downs and torches. The difference is black and white. Alexandra Petri is a Washington Post columnist.
COMMENTARY
Trump just threatened to commit genocide By Ben Kiernan and David Simon WASHINGTON P O ST
President Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly last week was noted for its aggressiveness, bellicosity and emphasis on U.S. sovereignty over multilateralism. Whatever one thinks of that approach, that wasn’t the most notable aspect. The speech made an open and outright threat to commit genocide: “The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.” Had Trump threatened to “totally destroy” that country’s nuclear weapons capacity, its army, its government, or its physical infrastructure, the implications under international law would be different, but carrying out his threat “to totally destroy North Korea” would necessarily sow
mass death among its population of over 25 million, in direct contravention of the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The Convention defines genocide as acts that are undertaken with the intent to destroy, “in whole or in part,” a “national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such.” While simply threatening to commit genocide is not a clear violation of the Convention, conspiracy and public incitement to do so are. If Trump were to act on his threat, he will have signaled his criminal intent in advance. Just as disturbingly, Kim Jong Un’s regime in North Korea has made similar threats. Its Korea AsiaPacific Peace Committee, which oversees North Korea’s relations with the outside world, has asserted: “The four islands of the [Japanese] archipelago should be sunken into the sea by the nuclear bomb,”
adding that “Japan is no longer needed to exist near us.” That statement came in response to the U.N. Security Council’s unanimous vote in support of Resolution 2375, which had condemned Pyongyang’s missile test and imposed sanctions on North Korea. The committee also singled out the United States for its leadership in drafting the resolution: “Let’s reduce the U.S. mainland into ashes and darkness. Let’s vent our spite with mobilization of all retaliation means which have been prepared.” Like Trump’s statement, both of these constitute clear threats of genocide. Washington and Pyongyang are bound by international law, which explicitly includes the provisions of the Genocide Convention. It is unprecedented for a leader of a state that has signed the Convention, as the United States did in 1988, to mount a U.N. platform and flout this core component of
international criminal law. (As the United Nations created the Genocide Convention, the Security Council is also responsible for enforcing it.) It is likewise an egregious attack on the Convention, which North Korea signed in 1989, to threaten sovereign nations and their people so seemingly casually. If, heaven forbid, armed conflict actually erupts, both leaders have already announced the standard against which they should be judged. If they carry out their threats, we do not have to work hard to compare them to the 20thcentury’s greatest monsters. They declared the likeness themselves. Ben Kiernan, founding director of Yale’s Genocide Studies Program, is the author of “Blood and Soil: A World History of Genocide and Extermination from Sparta to Darfur.” David Simon is the director of the Genocide Studies Program at Yale University.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 |
CRIME
Man’s behavior prompted 911 call prior to killing of 8 A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
PLANO, Texas — Police records show a Texas man’s behavior at a Dallas-area bar prompted employees to call 911 but it wasn’t soon enough to prevent him from going to his estranged wife’s home and fatally shooting her and seven others.
Search warrants released Tuesday show 32-year-old Spencer Hight displayed a knife and handgun to bar employees in Plano on Sept. 10. He was escorted to his car to put away the weapons. Two employees were concerned enough to follow Hight as he drove
to the nearby home of his estranged wife, Meredith Hight, who was hosting a party. Authorities say Spencer Hight opened fire on the party before responding officers killed him. Friends say he had grown despondent as his marriage dissolved and was drinking heavily.
Death of transgender teen surrounded in mystery By Summer Ballentine and Jim Salter A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
HOUSTON, Mo. — Even as authorities in rural southern Missouri dismiss the possibility that a transgender teenager’s death was a hate crime, questions remain about why the quiet 17-year-old was killed in such a ghastly manner. Authorities identified the burned remains as those of Joseph Matthew Steinfeld Jr. —the birth name of a transgender girl who went by the name Ally Lee Steinfeld. The remains were found last week in the town of Cabool, near the mobile home of one of the alleged killers, 24-year-old Briana Calderas, with whom Steinfeld was living. Some of Steinfeld’s bones were in a bag in a chicken coop. Authorities said both eyes were gouged out and Steinfeld had been stabbed in the genitals. Calderas and two 18year-olds, Andrew Vrba and Isis Schauer, were charged with first-degree murder and other counts. A fourth suspect is
charged with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence. All four are jailed without bond. Steinfeld had been missing for weeks, and initial news reports referred to her as a male, in part because missingperson posters distributed by the family used Steinfeld’s birth name, as did police documents. Steinfeld’s mother, Amber Steinfeld, still refers to her child as Joey, but said the teen identified as female to family and to friends on social media. She said her child was “loving and kind-hearted.” Steinfeld was engaged to a woman until they broke up in August, Am-
ber Steinfeld said, and soon after began dating Calderas. She said Steinfeld and the two 18-yearold suspects were all living at Calderas’ mobile home. She said that Steinfeld was upbeat before she disappeared, telling relatives that she loved them and was happy. Authorities aren’t saying what led to the killing. But both Sheriff James Sigman and prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr. insist the crime was not motivated by Steinfeld’s gender identity. “I would say murder in the first-degree is all that matters,” Stevens said. “That is a hate crime in itself.”
A5
Gang member on Texas 10 Most Wanted list caught in El Paso ASSOCIATED PRE SS
EL PASO, Texas — A prison gang member on the Texas 10 Most Wanted sex offender list has been captured in El Paso. The Texas Department of Public Safety says 48-year-old Daniel Garcia Brown was arrested Friday near an apartment.
Records show Brown in 1999 was convicted of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping in an attack on a woman in Midland County. He was sentenced to nine years in prison. Brown in 2010 was convicted for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements
and was sentenced to 25 years. Brown was paroled in mid-2016, ordered to stay at an El Paso halfway house and was allowed to work. He failed to return to the residence on Aug. 5. Warrants were issued for parole violation and failure to register as a sex offender.
Suspect pleads guilty in hormone distribution scheme ASSOCIATED PRE SS
ST. LOUIS — A 57-year-old Texas man was sentenced to nearly 3.5 years federal prison and ordered to pay a $95,000 fine for distributing human growth hormone in the St. Louis area. George Patino, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced Tuesday for conspiracy, smuggling and distributing the hormone for unauthorized medical purposes. Federal prosecutors say the growth hormone can be used only for specific
medical conditions, such as AIDS. Court documents say from April 2014 through June 2015, Patino sent numerous packages of HGH to a St. Louis doctor and area patients, for use to improve energy, strength, endurance and athletic ability. The drugs came from a Korean manufacturer that has not been approved to sell it in the U.S. Dr. Michael Mimlitz previously pleaded guilty to providing misbranded HGH drugs to numerous patients.
Zfrontera A6 | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
RIBEREÑA EN BREVE Roma Fest 2017 1 Festival Roma Fest 2017 “Decades”, el domingo 8 de octubre desde las 5 p.m. Desfile inicia en el Citizens State Bank.
Festival Nuevo Santander 1 La Sociedad Genealógica Nueva Santander del Condado de Zapata invita al Festival Nuevo Santander el 13 y 14 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 4 p.m. en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata.
Caminata contra cáncer 1 Cuarta caminata anual Walk All Over Cancer! Caminata iniciará el sábado 21 de octubre en Citizens State Bank y termina en el Centro Comunitario de Roma. Inscripciones en el Ayuntamiento llamando al 956849-1411 x9241 o 956-844-1428.
Pago de impuestos 1 Desde diciembre, los pagos por impuestos a la propiedad de la Ciudad de Roma deberán realizarse en la oficina de impuestos del Distrito Escolar de Roma, localizado en el 608 N. García St. PAGO EN LÍNEA 1 La Ciudad de Roma informa a sus residentes que a partir de ahora el servicio del agua puede pagarse en línea a cualquier hora las 24 horas del día.
Llenado de aplicaciones 1 La Ciudad de Roma ofrece el servicio de llenado de aplicaciones para CHIP, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Chip, Prenatal y otros. Contacte a Gaby Rodríguez para una cita en el centro comunitario o en su domicilio al 956246-7177.
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. 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.
CLIMA SEVERO
Cierran carretera tras lluvias Por Melissa Santillana TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Tras la lluviosa noche del lunes, el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional de los Estados Unidos con base en Corpus Christi ha emitido una alerta de inundación para el Río Grande en el área de Laredo y el Condado de Webb, sin embargo hasta ahora, es la Ciudad Hermana la que ha sufrido los estragos de la lluvia. Autoridades neolaredenses cerraron el paso a la Carretera Nacional que conecta a Nuevo Laredo, México con la ciudad de Monterrey y el estado de Nuevo León pues registraba inundaciones en tramos tan largos como 600 metros que sobrepasan los neumáticos de vehículos personales y de carga. Carretera La inundación es resultado del desbordamiento del Río Salado, que dejó varados a 30 vehículos en el tramo de la Gloria durante la mañana del martes, de acuerdo con el Presidente Municipal de Nuevo Laredo Enrique Rivas. En conferencia de prensa conjunta transmitida en vivo por redes sociales, Rivas y el titular de Protección Civil y Bomberos Omar Enríquez Sánchez, convocaron a la ciudadanía a respetar esta medida de emergencia para evitar accidentes. “El cierre de la Carretera Nacional es una cuestión grave, principalmente en el kilómetro 185 en el límite del estado que es la zona más afectada. Se encuentran 30 vehículos ligeros y pesados varados con agua sobrepasando los neumáticos”, dijo Rivas. Enríquez dijo que elementos de Protección Civil trabajan
Foto de cortesía/Gobierno de Nuevo Laredo
En el kilómetro 185 de la Carretera Nacional, 30 vehículos ligeros y pesados quedaron varados con agua sobrepasando los neumáticos.
Río Salado se desborda, 30 vehículos se quedan varados desde de la madrugada, debido a un llamado de auxilio de personas que estaban varadas en ese tramo de la carretera. “Se recibió un llamado a las 4 a.m., para rescatar a una familia que transitaba y que por cuestiones de su vehículo ya no pudo avanzar”, dijo Enríquez. “A esa hora se despacharon las unidades de emergencia. Empezamos a sacar a todas esas familias con sus vehículos y los llevamos al kilómetro 26 para que estuvieran al resguardo de la lluvia, estas acciones continuaron hasta las 6 a.m. cuando se despejo la carretera”. Alrededor de las 7 a.m. Protección Civil recibió una llamada de la Policía Federal indicando que los tráileres de carga se habían adentrado de nuevo a la carretera y habían perdido contacto con
la cinta asfáltica, provocando que un camión de carga se volcara, y que un camión de pasajeros quedara varado, dijo Enríquez. “Despachamos las unidades nuevamente incluyendo la unidad de rescate acuático, pues el nivel del Río Salado al desbordarse prácticamente era imposible llegar a pie a la unidades”, dijo el funcionario. “Logramos sacar a todos los traileros, los vehículos no se pueden mover de momento por la posición en que están y ya localizamos el autobús. Todos los pasajeros están bien”. El camión de pasajeros se encontraba a la altura del kilómetro 25 pasando el límite del estado en el área de Nuevo Leon, de acuerdo con Enríquez, ellos fueron trasladados en lancha hacia el lado de Nuevo Laredo.
Ciudad Dentro de los límites de Nuevo Laredo, los funcionarios indicaron que se registraron 2,5 pulgadas de agua. En la ciudad solo hubo dos encharcamientos grandes, afortunadamente los drenajes funcionaban debidamente. Las dos áreas afectadas dentro de la ciudad fue en la esquina de la calle 5 de Febrero y Lerdo de Tejada y el crucero de Venezuela y Aldama, dijo Rodolfo González Morales, gerente general de COMAPA. El martes por la tarde, el Gobierno de Nuevo Laredo anunció que la circulación en dirección sur-norte fue abierta con precaución, evaluándose la posibilidad de habilitarla en doble sentido. La carretera se mantiene cerrada a la altura del kilómetro 162 en dirección norte-sur por un hundimiento. El Servicio Meteorológico estipula que la lluvia y tormentas ligeras continúen en el área todo el martes y hasta el día de hoy. Las tormentas eléctricas del martes por la noche podrían producir desde dos a tres pulgadas de agua por hora, en porciones que ya estaban saturadas por la lluvia de la noche del lunes. González anunció la llegada de una creciente en el Río Bravo, que indica no tendrá mayores riesgos para la ciudadanía. “Se espera una creciente de hasta tres metros para mañana”, dijo González. Rivas exhortó a la ciudadanía a evitar intentar cruzar la Carretera Nacional. Agregó que mantienen contacto con autoridades estatales, federales y del estado de Nuevo León para obtener una solución lo más pronto posible.
PRESA FALCÓN
FRONTERA
Confiscan más de 2 millones
Muere hombre ahogado
E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Por César G. Rodríguez Personal militar adscrito a la 8a. Zona Militar en Nuevo Laredo, México, aseguró en esta ciudad dinero en efectivo en fajos, que suma casi 2.345.000 dólares así como poco más de un millón de pesos. Hay dos personas detenidas. Durante recorridos de reconocimiento, un grupo de soldados ubicó un automóvil Dodge Avenger, sin placas, del cual descendieron cuatro individuos que intentaron darse a la fuga para lo cual saltaron la barda de un domicilio situado en Malincheros número 18, de la colonia Viveros. En el interior del domicilio fueron encontrados 2.344.980 dólares, 1.126.410 pesos, una máquina para contabilizar billetes y otra para empaquetarlos, además de bolsas transparentes, sobres amarillos y un vehículo. Los billetes estaban colocados en anaqueles, cajones y maletas. Lo asegurado fue puesto a disposición de las autoridades federales correspondientes para las investigaciones y el seguimiento procesal.
TIEMP O DE ZAPATA
Foto de cortesía
La imagen muestra una parte del efectivo confiscado en una casa ubicada en la Colonia Viveros de Nuevo Laredo, México.
GUERRERO AYER Y HOY
Emerge de las aguas ‘Guerrero Viejo’ Nota del editor: Esta serie de artículos sobre la historia de Ciudad Guerrero, México, fueron escritos por la guerrerense Lilia Treviño Martínez (1927-2016), quien fuera profesora de la escuela Leoncio Leal. Por Lilia Treviño Martínez TIEM P O DE ZAPATA
Evacuada la Antigua Ciudad Guerrero en 1953, quedó
a merced de la acción del agua, del viento, del abandono. Un reducido número de personas se instalaron en las casa de la parte alta de la ciudad, y empezaron a perfilarse como guardianes del pueblo abandonado. Un año después, en 1954, las fuertes lluvias y avenidas de los ríos hicieron que las aguas alcanzaran su nivel más alto, avanzado sobre la
ciudad y cubriendo casi dos terceras partes de sus calles, avenidas y predios. Por varios años, el agua unida a la acción del viento, erosionó suelos, reblandeció muros y cimientos, entonó noche a noche su canción de triunfo y destrucción, enseñoreándose de la inerme ciudad, acogiendo en su lecho las piedras que caían vencidas, los lienzos de paredes que se desplomaban
indefensos, los restos de muebles y enseres que habían quedado abandonados en casas de dos plantas; los estantes de madera maciza, vacíos ya, pero que fueron albergue durante dos siglos, de los valiosos legajos del Archivo del Pueblo. Y aquella Antigua Ciudad Guerrero, que fuera la Perla de la Frontera en el siglo XIX, pasó a ser “Guerrero Viejo”.
Un hombre se ahogó durante el fin de semana en la Presa Falcón después que rescatara a su hija adolescente, de acuerdo con la Oficina del Alguacil del Condado de Zapata. Las autoridades lo identificaron como Juan Jesús Sandoval Jr., de 34 años de edad. El sábado a las 2:35 p.m., oficiales respondieron a una posible persona ahogada en el área de Sandoval la rampa para botes del Parque Estatal Falcón. Familiares de Sandoval indicaron que él había rescatado a su hija de 16 años de edad que se estaba ahogado pero él no pudo nadar de regreso a la orilla, dijeron las autoridades. La Oficina del Alguacil, el Departamento de Parques y Vida Salvaje de Texas, la Patrulla Fronteriza, el Departamento de Seguridad Pública y el equipo de buceo del Departamento de Bomberos del Condado de Zapata comenzaron a buscar a Sandoval. “Después de una búsqueda exhaustiva de Sandoval, en la cual las agencias no pudieron localizarlo, se decidió utilizar los ganchos y el equipo de buceo. La búsqueda después se convirtió en una operación de recuperación del cuerpo de Sandoval”, dijo la Oficina del Alguacil en una declaración. Las autoridades recuperaron el cuerpo a las 5:18 p.m. La Jueza de Paz del Precinto 1 Anna Guerra pronunció a Sandoval muerto a las 5:45 p.m. La investigación continúa. ‘Héroe’ Familiares están diciendo que Sandoval era un “héroe”. “D.E.P. sobrino… Juan Jesús Sandoval. Te fuiste de este mundo como un héroe dando tu vida por tu preciosa hija. La salvaste de ahogarse, pero no pudiste regresar”, dijo la usuaria de Facebook Yvette Cornejo. “Dios decidió que era tu tiempo de ir a su casa y tu trabajo aquí en la tierra ha terminado”. Cornejo describió a Sandoval como “un gran padre, esposo, amigo, hijo, primo y tio”, ella agregó que todos querían a Sandoval. “Serás extrañado Juanito. Tan joven, te fuiste muy pronto. Realmente un ángel y un héroe”, escribió Cornejo.
Sports&Outdoors THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 |
A7
NCAA FOOTBALL: TEXAS A&M AGGIES
A&M’s Kirk has breakout game Aggies star wide receiver gets back on track against Arkansas By Kristie Rieken A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk was so upset when he walked off the field after the game against Louisiana-Lafayette two weeks ago that he couldn’t even enjoy the win. The star receiver and returner was mad at himself for muffing a punt and not performing as well as he thought he should on offense. “I hold myself to a very high standard, probably to a standard that nobody else can hold me to,” Kirk said. “And I felt my game against (Louisiana-Lafayette) was probably one of the worst games I’ve had since I’ve been here and it ate me alive inside.” It was then that he vowed to
Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press
Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk had 110 yards receiving with two scores and a kickoff return touchdown in the Aggies’ 50-43 overtime win over Arkansas Saturday.
atone what he thought was a poor performance when the Aggies returned to the field on Saturday in their Southeastern Conference opener. Kirk was able to do just that, returning a kick 100 yards for a touchdown and finishing with 110 yards receiving with two touchdowns in a 50-43 overtime win against Arkansas. Kirk entered the season as one of the top receivers in the country after piling up 1,937 yards receiving combined in his first two seasons. He got off to a slow start this season and didn’t have more than 60 yards receiving in any of Texas A&M’s first three games as he dealt with near-constant double teams. On Saturday he was not only able to have a breakout game on offense, he also led the Aggies on special teams when he fin-
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: DALLAS COWBOYS
JONES CAME UP WITH COWBOYS’ PRE-ANTHEM PLAN
ished with 136 kick return yards to earn SEC special teams player of the week. Kirk’s kick return touchdown on Saturday was Texas A&M’s first since Coryell Judie had an 84-yard return on Nov. 12, 2010. Kirk holds the school’s record for special teams touchdowns with six after returning five punts for scores in his first two seasons with the Aggies. Kirk had an 81-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter on Saturday and his 10-yard TD reception in overtime gave the Aggies the win. The performance drew the attention of Arizona Cardinals star receiver Larry Fitzgerald who tweeted congratulations to Kirk for his big game and added: “go get that Biletnikoff Trophy,” referring to the award given annually to the nation’s top collegiate receiver.
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION: SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Eric Gay / Associated Press
Pau Gasol averaged 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in his first season with the Spurs. Matt York / Associated Press
The Dallas Cowboys, led by owner Jerry Jones, center, take a knee before the national anthem prior to their game in Arizona Monday night. The team then stood up for the playing of the anthem.
Cowboys kneel prior to beginning of anthem By Clarence E. Hill Jr. FO RT WORT H STAR-T E LE GRAM
GLENDALE, Ariz. — That Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is a unifier and a consensus builder was never more evident than Monday night. It was Jones who came up with the idea for the Cowboys’ organized, coordinated and unified response to President Donald Trumps criticism of NFL players for protesting racial inequality during the national anthem. Jones, who donated a $1 million to Trump’s campaign, refused to call out the president for his controversial remarks, but took pride in how the team handled the situation that ultimately was his creation. The Cowboys, including Jones, came to the field before the anthem with linked arms and then took a knee together, some in prayer, before walking to the sideline and standing for the anthem still linked arm in arm before the team’s 28-17 victory against the Arizona Cardinals. "I was just happy we were able to do something together," receiver Brice Butler said. "Initially, we had a certain plan. Then
Jerry (Jones) came and spoke to us before the game and was like, "Just trust me on this, let’s do this together.’ That was Jerry’s plan. I actually liked it because everybody did it." Another Cowboys player, who planned to take a knee during the anthem, said they didn’t know what they were going to do until right before the game. He said it was all Jones, who leaned on his long-standing relationships with his players and support in the face of criticism. "I enjoy a lot of confidence that our players know that I know my way around the NFL and know that this was a way to basically do both," Jones said. "So, as you know, I’ve had a lot of criticism over the years for being too close, or being too supportive, of players. So, I don’t ever have to worry about being trusted, or for that matter, believing that we can do it. "There’s no question we wanted to do something that others could take a look at and say, ’This is the way to make a statement about that.’ I just don’t believe we’ve gotten to the point in this country where we have to basically be disrespectful of the flag, yet stand up and say,
’Look. We’re against, and we need to do some things about unity and about equality.’ I don’t know why you have to create controversy, much less controversy regarding the flag. This is an answer to it." Jones hopes the Cowboys’ plan becomes a template for the rest of the NFL to follow. "I’m very proud of the fact that the Dallas Cowboys and our players have always stood," Jones said. "Always stood for the flag and stood to the flag and the recognition of the flag, always. What is important is to figure out that to do that and to show the kind of respect and the perception of respect, how could they, basically, in front of a national audience, show unity and a statement for equality. There’s no need for us to talk about unity and equality and have 60 percent of this country mad at you because you’re not doing, or not perceived, to be honoring the flag. This was a way to do both." Jones’ message and the Cowboys model certainly resonated with the NFL office, per league spokesman Joe Lockhart "If you look back over the last year and then some, these protests started to draw attention to
racial equality and social justice in America," Lockhart said. "Over the last few weeks, this has been obscured by divisive political rhetoric in the country. Overall, the night particularly with the Cowboys kneeling before the anthem - powerfully refocused these protests where they belong on issues of equality and social justice, issues our players care deeply about, our commissioner feels deeply about, and all across the NFL family." Jones declined to offer an opinion on Trump’s criticism of the league’s players and his suggestion that the owners should fire anyone who didn’t stand for the national anthem. He readily agrees that the players should stand for the anthem and the flag should be respected. "One of the things that we didn’t do was look at anyone’s suggestions or ideas," said a hesitating Jones before continuing. "No one’s. Not the league’s, not anybody’s idea. Our players, and that’s why I’m so proud of them, and our coaches and our organization, decided that this would be a great way to do what I just described and it worked." Actually, Jones decided it himself.
Gasol discusses offseason weight loss, new contract By Tom Orsborn SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS
SAN ANTONIO — Spurs center Pau Gasol sported a new look Tuesday morning when he hit the floor for the opening day of training camp. The 7-foot Spaniard begins his 17th NBA season weighing “about 252, 253” after shedding close to 10 pounds during the offseason. “The way the game is played today you have to be a little more agile and lighter in order to keep up with these young kids that are coming in running and gunning,” said Gasol, 37. Gasol said he shed the weight through a combination of diet and exercise. “It also it takes a lot of load off my joints because I have a few miles accumulated,” Gasol said. “So it’s a win-win. Now it’s a good baseline for me to get into the best shape I can to perform at a higher level and be able to keep up.” Gasol signed a threeyear, $48 million deal with the Spurs in July
after declining a $16.2 million option for the 2017-18 season in June. “I’m happy with the commitment of the team towards me and the trust for an extended period of time,” he said. “I hope I can be an even bigger tool for the team, contribute more and help the team be better.” By initially opting out, Gasol gave the Spurs salary-cap space to sign free agents Rudy Gay, Brandon Paul and Joffrey Lauvergne. Gasol averaged 12.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game after signing a two-year deal with the Spurs a year ago. “The team rewarded my patience and my trust,” Gasol said of his new deal. Gasol said other teams new he was going to stick with the Spurs even though he opted out initially. “The rest of the teams knew that my commitment was here and my desire was to continue to be here,” he said. “So there wasn’t really a whole lot of flirting with other teams.”
A8 | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
ENTERTAINMENT
‘Fixer Upper’ to end after fifth season A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WACO, Texas — The husband and wife team behind HGTV remodeling show “Fixer Upper” have announced that the popular series will end after its upcoming fifth season. In a blog post Tuesday announcing the decision, Joanna and Chip Gaines write that they need to catch their breath for a moment. The couple says their family is healthy and
their marriage “has honestly never been stronger.” They say they plan “to take this time to shore up and strengthen the spots that are weak, rest the places that are tired and give lots of love and attention to both our family and our businesses.” Launched in 2013, “Fixer Upper” follows the couple as they redo houses near their Waco home. Its final season premieres in November.
HGTV / TNS
HGTV's popular series “Fixer Upper” is coming to an end, hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines announced on their blog.
‘World News’ breaks NBC’s 21-year streak By David Bauder A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
NEW YORK — ABC’s “World News Tonight” with David Muir has dethroned NBC and finished the television season as the year’s most-watched evening newscast for the first time in 21 years, since the late Peter Jennings was anchor. While network evening newscasts have diminished in influence over the years and morning shows make more money, they still collectively reach 23 million viewers each weeknight and are considered the flagship broadcasts of news divisions. Bragging rights are eagerly sought. “One has to recognize the breaking of one of the great streaks in television,” said James Goldston, ABC News president. Muir and his team “worked immensely hard to do that, and they’ve done it in an extraordinary period of news.” For the year, “World News Tonight” averaged 8.25 million viewers, while NBC’s “Nightly News” had 8.17 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 6.56 million, according to the Nielsen company. For statistical purposes, television marks its year by the start of a new season of broadcast programs in September. Like much in television, the programs aren’t a growth industry. ABC moved in front by essentially staying even from the previous two years while its rivals lost viewers. NBC touted its victory among the 25-to-54-yearold demographic, the statistic primarily used as a basis for advertising sales in news. NBC News ran a full-page newspaper advertisement boasting that it was No. 1 for the second season in a row with “Nightly News,” the “Today” show, “Dateline NBC” and “Meet the Press.” The small print noted they were wins among specific demographic categories, not among all viewers. For the evening newscasts, NBC News President Noah Oppenheim said he wouldn’t trade places with his ABC counterparts. “If you are going to go by the quality of the broadcast, ours is superior,” he said. “If you’re going to go by business measurements, we’re winning in the only category that matters.” Goldston said he wasn’t going to dismiss the large number of viewers not included in that category. “We want to be America’s favorite news show,” he said. “In a world consumed by social media and fake
Matt Rourke / AP
In this 2012 photo, ABC News anchor David Muir speaks before retired boxing champion Muhammad Ali received the Liberty Medal during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. ABC's “World News Tonight” with Muir has beaten its rivals at NBC and CBS to win in the ratings for the first year in more than two decades.
news, people are thirsting to get a straightforward account of what happened that day,” he said. “I think ‘World News Tonight’ does that better than anybody.” What’s most important is building on the victory, he said. ABC’s “Good Morning America” ended a long victory streak by “Today” earlier in this decade, and hasn’t relinquished that lead since. There’s some question about whether NBC’s Lester Holt, who has traveled to Puerto Rico to anchor “Nightly News” from the hurricane-ravaged territory this week, may be hurt by association with one of NBC News’ biggest success. MSNBC and its leftleaning prime-time lineup has been a huge hit in the Age of Trump. Do some of the president’s supporters who don’t like MSNBC take it out on people at NBC News? “It’s absolutely possible,” said Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative
watchdog Media Research Center. Oppenheim said the audience is sophisticated enough to know the difference between the products, just like The New York Times has separate opinion pages and news pages. CBS, whose evening newscast is in transition with Anthony Mason as interim anchor, instead looked to the morning to tout accomplishments. “CBS This Morning,” while still in third place, is more competitive with ABC and NBC at that time of day than the network ever has been. Its rivals, meanwhile, bleed viewers. “Good Morning America” averages 4.4 million viewers, but is down from 5.5 million four years ago. “Today” has dropped from 4.9 million to 4.2 million in the same time frame. Meanwhile, CBS has gained audience in that time from, going from 3 million viewers in 2013-14 to just under 3.6 million now.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 |
A9
BUSINESS
Sales of new homes decline in August
Obamacare repeal efforts dropped By Laura Litvan and Steven T. Dennis BL OOMBERG NEWS
By Josh Boak A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
WASHINGTON — Sales of new U.S. homes slumped 3.4 percent in August, the second straight monthly decline. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that sales dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000. This followed a 5.5 percent decline in July. Still, sales gains earlier this year mean that sales are running 7.5 percent higher year-to-date than in 2016. Sales could worsen in coming months as parts of Texas and Florida — both hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma — find that new construction gets delayed as the focus turns to rebuilding properties that were flooded or damaged by the fierce winds and rainstorms. But August’s drop in new home sales also points to the limits of the rebound from the Great Recession and the housing bust that triggered the downturn a decade ago. Home values have climbed at a much faster pace than incomes, meaning that many buyers had to strain their budgets to purchase a house. Low mortgage rates reduced the financial crunch somewhat, but then sales listings began to dwindle and many would-be buyers have found themselves outbid on existing homes and priced out of new housing developments.
Chuck Burton / AP
In this April 27 photo, an “Under Contract” sign is posted in front of a home for sale in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A shortage of homes for sale coupled with rising prices has turned affordability into a challenge for many would-be buyers. Fewer new homes priced below $200,000 are coming onto the market. New homes at these relatively affordable prices were 14 percent of sales in August, down from 17 percent in 2016 and 19 percent in 2015. The median sales price increased 3.7 percent in the past 12 months to $368,100 New-home sales in August fell in the Northeast, South and West, while staying unchanged in the
Midwest. The sales decline over the past two months was so significant that the months’ supply of new houses on the market ballooned to 6.1 months. That figure had been hovering around 5.3 months in June — raising a question of whether builders will wait to sell off some of their inventory before breaking ground on more new houses. The pace of new-home construction dropped 0.8 percent in August, but that was largely because of fewer apartment buildings being started.
Oil takes a breather after rally to five-month high By Jessica Summers B L OOMBE RG NEWS
Oil dropped as expectations for a fourth week of growth in U.S. crude inventories gave traders pause, snapping a rally spurred in part by optimism that a worldwide glut is dissipating. Futures slid 0.7 percent in New York, following a 3.1 percent gain on Monday that propelled the market into bullish territory. U.S. oil supplies probably rose by 3.1 million barrels last week, a Bloomberg survey showed, extending the longest streak of increases since March. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ output restrictions and lingering concerns that Turkey may disrupt Kurdish oil shipments forestalled a deeper price decline. “We’re going to go back to watching our inventory reports,” Gene McGillian, a market research manag-
er at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut, said by telephone. The supply caps implemented by OPEC and allied producers are “working and we’re seeing a tightening in the supply-demand balance.” Oil has gained almost 10 percent this month in New York and its global counterpart traded in London reached a twoyear high on Monday amid forecasts for rising consumption in the face of output cuts by OPEC and partners including Russia. The oil market is nearing the end of the “lower-for-longer” era that began in 2014, with a shortage on the horizon as soon as 2019, trading house Trafigura Group said. West Texas Intermediate for November delivery declined 34 cents to settle at $51.88 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Total volume traded was 4 percent below the 100-day aver-
age. Prices surged to $52.22 on Monday, more than 20 percent above their most recent low -the classic definition of a bull market. Brent for November settlement dropped 58 cents to end the session at $58.44 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange. Futures closed at $59.02 on Monday, the highest settlement since July 2015. The global benchmark traded at a premium of $6.56 to WTI on Tuesday. Turkey may halt oil exports from Iraq’s Kurdish region that pass through the Turkish port of Ceyhan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned. The landlocked Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq can ship as much as 700,000 barrels a day through the pipeline to Ceyhan for loading onto tanker ships. The Energy Information Administration’s weekly inventory data is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, while the
industry-funded American Petroleum Institute will release its inventory data on Tuesday. Cushing, Oklahoma, crude stockpiles increased by 1.5 million barrels last week, according to a forecast compiled by Bloomberg. Gasoline inventories probably dropped by 750,000 barrels, while distillate supplies likely shrank by 2.05 million barrels, according to the survey. Meanwhile, the refinery utilization rate probably will register an increase as fuel makers continued recovering from Hurricane Harveyrelated shutdowns. Following Monday’s rally, it’s evident that there has been profittaking, Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at Price Futures Group Inc. in Chicago, said by telephone. The market is turning its attention to the inventory report and “wants to see that the refineries are making progress” after Harvey.
Senate Republicans gave up on their lastditch proposal to repeal Obamacare Tuesday as opposition in their own ranks ended months of fruitless efforts to gut the Affordable Care Act. The chamber won’t vote before Saturday’s deadline to use a fasttrack procedure to keep Democrats from blocking a GOP-only bill, according to a person familiar with the decision. On Monday, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine added her opposition to that of GOP Senators John McCain of Arizona and Rand Paul of Kentucky, enough to sink the legislation in the 52-48 Senate. Republicans have campaigned on repealing Obamacare for seven years, and they thought their goal was in sight when the GOP took control of the presidency as well as both houses of Congress in January. While House Republicans passed a bill in May and celebrated at the White House Rose Garden with President Donald Trump, their measure wasn’t acceptable to
the Senate, which has been unable to agree on a plan of its own. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s own proposal stumbled to an embarrassing 49-51 defeat in July, with McCain providing the final “no” vote. The House and Senate proposals were crafted in secret, with no public hearings or input from Democrats. Trump has repeatedly criticized congressional Republicans for failing to quickly send a repeal bill to his desk after promising for seven years to end the Affordable Care Act. Republicans could revive efforts to repeal Obamacare in the next fiscal year starting Oct. 1, though it would be much more difficult to do as their primary focus will be on overhauling the U.S. tax system. The latest Senate proposal introduced by Republicans Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana would turn Obamacare funds into block grants for the states and cut Medicaid funds to states that expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act. It would leave most of the Obamacare taxes in place.
Twitter to test new 280-character limit By Barbara Ortutay ASSOCIATED PRE SS
NEW YORK — Need more room to type those deep thoughts? Twitter is testing a 280-character limit for tweets, doubling the current length restriction that’s been in place since the company’s founding 11 years ago. The test is being made available to a small subset of users and applies to languages other than Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. That’s because in those languages, Twitter notes, you can convey about double the amount of information in one character as you can in others. The original 140-character limit was created so tweets would fit in a single text message back when people used Twitter that way. But most people now use Twitter through its mobile app, where there isn’t the same technical constraint. Twitter has already
eased the restrictions, and doesn’t count photos, videos, polls and other things toward the character limit. And users have found creative ways to get around the restrictions, including taking screenshots of blocks of text and highlighting relevant phrases. Twitter said in a blog post Tuesday that 9 percent of all tweets in English come up against the 140-character limit, compared with just 0.4 percent of tweets in Japanese. “Also, in all markets, when people don’t have to cram their thoughts into 140 characters and actually have some to spare, we see more people Tweeting — which is awesome!” the blog post reads. Twitter acknowledged the “emotional attachment” some users might have toward the 140 characters. But it said the new limit, while double the size, is “still brief.”
A10 | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES
INTERNATIONAL
Egyptians arrested for waving rainbow flag By Declan Walsh N EW YORK T I ME S NEWS S ERVIC E
CAIRO — Seven Egyptians were arrested on charges of promoting homosexuality after concertgoers waved rainbowcolored flags at a rock concert in Cairo last week, Egyptian officials said. The arrests were the latest assault on social freedoms in Egypt under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, whose government has imposed harsh restrictions on free speech and led an aggressive campaign against gays. Photos and video clips of audience members waving rainbow flags during a performance
Friday by Mashrou’ Leila, a popular Lebanese band whose lead singer is openly gay, were shared widely on social media over the weekend. On its Facebook page the band called the concert “one of the best shows we’ve ever played!” But the images provoked a backlash from conservative Egyptian politicians and television hosts, as well as a heated debate on social media that featured virulently homophobic comments. On Monday Egypt’s top prosecutor, Nabil Sadek, ordered an investigation and by evening the police had arrested seven people, most of whom were said to have waved rainbow flags.
An official at Sadek’s office said the seven had been charged with “promoting sexual deviancy” and could be detained for 15 days. The state paper Al Ahram said one of the men had been detained for posting approvingly on Facebook about the concert. On Monday, one man who had been photographed with a rainbow flag at the concert wrote on Facebook, “Had I raised the ISIS flag I wouldn’t be facing half of what I am facing now.” The man, who said he was not gay, did not respond to requests for comment. It was unclear if he was among those arrested.
THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 |
A11
FROM THE COVER
Georgia plans to execute man who killed sister-in-law By Kate Brumback A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS
JACKSON, Ga. — A man who killed his sister-in-law 27 years ago is scheduled to die Tuesday as Georgia carries out its second execution of the year. Keith Leroy Tharpe, 59 and known as “Bo,” is set to be put to death at 7 p.m. at the state prison in Jackson by injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital. He was convicted of murder and two counts of kidnapping in the September 1990 slaying of Jaquelyn Freeman. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles — the only authority in Georgia with the power to commute a death sentence — declined on Monday to spare his life. Tharpe’s lawyers have asked the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution. They claim he is intellectually disabled and thus ineligible for execution, and that his death sentence is tainted by a juror’s racial bias. One juror freely used a racial slur when he was interviewed by Tharpe’s legal team years later, according to filings by Tharpe’s lawyers. Juror Barney Gattie, who has since died, also said Freeman was from a family of
ZAPATA From page A1 drag hooks by (Parks and Wildlife) and the … dive team. The search then turned into a recovery operation for the body of Mr. Sandoval,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Authorities recovered the body at 5:18 p.m. Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Anna Guerra pronounced Sandoval dead at 5:45 p.m. The investigation continues. ‘Hero’ Relatives are calling Sandoval a “hero.”
“good black folks,” but Tharpe wasn’t in that category and should be executed for his crime, according to an affidavit. Gattie later said his comments had been “taken all out of proportion” and “misconstrued.” He testified that he voted for the death penalty because of the facts of the case, not because of Tharpe’s race. Lawyers for the state say in court filings that Tharpe’s intellectual disability claim already has been reviewed and rejected by the courts. The juror racial bias claim has already been decided and is barred by evidence rules, they argue. They also say there is insufficient evidence to show that juror bias affected the trial’s outcome, they argue. The Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stop the execution. The court agreed with the state lawyers that the claims had already been reviewed and rejected and that the racial bias claim is barred by evidence rules. Tharpe has another challenge pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Tharpe’s wife left him on Aug. 28, 1990, taking their four daughters with her to live with her
mother. Tharpe ignored an order not to contact his wife or her family and during an argument over the phone on Sept. 24, 1990, he said that if she wanted to “play dirty,” he would show her what dirty was, a Georgia Supreme Court summary of the case said. As his wife was driving to work with her brother’s wife the next morning, Tharpe used a borrowed truck to block them. He ended up shooting Freeman to death. A little more than three months after the killing Tharpe was tried in Jones County, convicted and sentenced to death. In a clemency application, Tharpe’s lawyers described a tough childhood and an extensive history of substance abuse that they say included getting black-out drunk by age 10 and a debilitating crack cocaine habit. They say Tharpe feels deep remorse over Freeman’s killing and has kicked his addictions during his time in prison, devoted his life to God and sought to help improve the lives of others. Tharpe would be the second inmate executed this year by the state, and the 19th nationwide. Georgia executed nine people last year.
“R.I.P. nephew... Juan Jesus Sandoval. You left this world as a hero by giving your life for your precious daughter. You saved her from drowning, but you didn't make it back,” said Facebook user Yvette Cornejo. “God decided it was your time to go home and your work was done here (on) earth.” Cornejo described Sandoval as a “great father, husband, friend, son, uncle, cousin.” She added that everybody loved Sandoval. “You will truly be missed Juanito. So young gone too soon. Truly an Angel and a Hero,” Cornejo stated.
WALL
SPEECH From page A1 week at the University of California, Berkeley, around a planned four-day conservative event dubbed Free Speech Week, which was suddenly canceled. Sessions blamed administrators, saying they “coddle and encourage” by caving to protesters’ demands. “The American university was once the center of academic freedom, a place of robust debate, a forum for the competition of ideas,” Sessions said. “But it is transforming into an echo chamber of political cor-
SLASHED From page A1 2006, when 41,223 were allowed entry. All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations. They said no decision was final until formally announced by the president. The State Department declined to comment on potential figures ahead of a presidential announcement. Trump has until Sunday to determine how many refugees to admit. The U.S. welcomed 84,995 in fiscal year 2016, and former President Barack Obama had wanted to raise that number to 110,000 in 2017. But the strong preference among aid groups and governments has been to seek conditions so refugees can return to
From page A1
30 feet long. Bidding documents say four of the prototypes are to be solid concrete and four are to be made of “other materials.” Trump said Friday that the wall should be see-through, appearing to cast doubt on the concrete designs. The administration faces several federal lawsuits in San Diego that seek to block the prototypes and plans to replace existing barriers in California. A complaint filed last week by
rectness and homogenous thought, a shelter for fragile egos.” As Sessions spoke, the Justice Department announced it would throw its support behind a student who sued Georgia Gwinnett College, arguing his rights were violated when administrators limited where he could preach Christianity on campus. The department filed a so-called statement of interest in the case, saying its concerns were heightened because the student had also alleged religious discrimination. The crowd of invited students, staff and Justice Department employees was mostly
their homes, rather than being permanently resettled in host countries. Trump has made limiting immigration the centerpiece of his policy agenda. He temporarily banned visitors from a handful of Muslim-majority nations, has rescinded an Obama-era executive action protecting young immigrants from deportation and insisted he’ll build a wall along the southern border with Mexico. During his campaign, Trump pledged to “stop the massive inflow of refugees” and warned of terrorists smuggling themselves into naive countries by posing as refugees fleeing war-torn Syria. He said last October that “thousands of refugees are being admitted with no way to screen them and are instantly made eligible for welfare and free health care,” even as American military veter-
Richard Vogel / AP
A baby mandrill monkey sleeps it's mother's lap in their enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo on Tuesday. The zoo is welcoming two mandrill babies to the troop, the largest of the monkey species and one of the most colorful.
Baby monkeys make debut at Los Angeles Zoo LOS ANGELES — Two baby mandrills, a type of monkey, have made their debut at the Los Angeles Zoo. The mandrills, a male and a female by different mothers, were introduced to the public Tuesday. Mandrills are the largest monkey species. The
adult males are known for their colorful red-andblue muzzles. The animals also have red-andblue rumps. The babies don’t have names yet, but the zoo says they’ve been playing and exploring their environment. They were born in August to mothers Clementine and Juliette, who
came to LA from a zoo in France. The babies were born to a first-time father, Jabari, under a survival program that’s designed to strengthen the gene pool of vulnerable species. Mandrills are affected by the loss of their African habitat. They’re also hunted for their meat.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, largely mirrors two others by environmental advocacy groups that allege the administration overstepped its authority to speed up construction of the wall. At issue is a 2005 law that gave the Homeland Security secretary broad powers to waive dozens of laws for border barriers, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act. The lawsuits say that authority has expired. The administration
has not commented directly on the lawsuits but it has issued two waivers since August, the first since 2008, on grounds of national security. Both waivers are in California, including one that covers the site of prototype construction. Funding to extend the wall beyond its distance of 654 miles (1,046 kilometers) is in doubt. Democrats have balked at Trump’s $1.6 billion request to replace 14 miles (22 kilometers) in San Diego and build 60 miles (96 kilometers) in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings.
Caddell Construction Co. of Montgomery, Alabama, and W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. of Philadelphia, Mississippi, were awarded contracts to build one wall of concrete and one of other materials. Other contracts for concrete prototypes went to Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. of Tempe, Arizona, and Texas Sterling Construction Co. of Houston. Contracts for prototypes of other materials were awarded to KWR Construction Inc. of Sierra Vista, Arizona, and ELTA North America Inc. of Annapolis Junction, Maryland.
ASSOCIATED PRE SS
friendly. But in at least one row, students sat silently in black with duct tape over their mouths. “We respect your views no matter what they are,” Sessions said in comments directed at protesters outside. “We will defend your views and the right to express them in appropriate and effective ways. We celebrate the diversity of opinion.” Sessions hasn’t always been a vocal supporter of free expression. As an Alabama senator in 2006, he spoke out against flag burning, which the Supreme Court has ruled is free speech. He spoke then about the need for reasonable “time, place, and
ans can’t get such care. Trump has advocated keeping refugees closer to their homes. In a speech to the United Nations last week, he thanked Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon for taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Syrian conflict, and described the United States as a “compassionate nation” that has spent “billions and billions of dollars in helping to support this effort.” “We seek an approach to refugee resettlement that is designed to help these horribly treated people, and which enables their eventual return to their home countries to be part of the rebuilding process,” Trump said. For the cost of resettling one refugee in the United States, he said, the U.S. can assist more than 10 migrants in their home regions.
manner” restrictions on speech. “In my view, the flag of the United States is a unique object, and prohibiting its desecration will not in any fundamental way alter the free expression of ideas in this country,” he said at the time, in support of proposed constitutional amendment outlawing the practice. Ambur Smith, 24, a thirdyear law student who was protesting outside, said holding a speech about free expression but limiting the audience was “hypocritical.” “He should be accountable to everyone in this country, let alone on this campus,” she said. “It’s a blatant contradic-
tion of what it’s supposed to be about.” But law professor Randy Barnett, who organized the event at the Justice Department’s request, said he invited certain students from his classes because he was looking for an audience that would be civil, not sympathetic. “We did not screen people for political views,” he later told reporters, adding that the speech was livestreamed so more people could listen. “If they wanted to do more than listen and if they actually wanted to disrupt the event, then they were not provided with that opportunity.”
A12 | Wednesday, September 27, 2017 | THE ZAPATA TIMES