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TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

EDUCATION

DPS requests $300 million budget increase

Official calls to suspend STAAR exam

Funds for border security

Representative cites ‘litany of errors’ By Kiah Collier THE TEXAS TRIBUNE

By Mike Ward SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS

AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety, already operating the nation’s biggest state-funded border security program, is seeking a nearly $300 million budget increase that over two years could drive the total cost of the controversial program to more than $1 billion. Officials said last week that the additional funds are needed to hire 250 more state troopers for border duty; install 5,000 more cell-based cameras along the Rio Grande; replace 1,240 vehicles, two helicopters and four airplanes used in border enforcement; and upgrade cybersecurity and counterterrorism initiatives.

John Moore / Getty

Texas State Troopers patrol the Rio Grande on Aug. 18 near McAllen, Texas.

The proposed items would add $291.7 million to the agency’s two-year base budget request of $749.9 million. If approved, that total request would increase the beefed-up border security cost to more than $1 billion — about what Texas currently spends on all its psychiatric hospitals and roughly two-thirds of what

it costs to feed two-thirds of the state’s public school students in the free lunch program. The proposal comes at a time when polls show that border security rates as a top issue among likely voters, especially Republicans. GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has made building a border wall a major campaign

issue in the fractious race. In the past, the state’s heightened enforcement efforts have drawn criticism for needlessly flooding some border areas with Texas law enforcement personnel who cannot enforce federal immigration laws and can only make arrests for violations of state law. Critics also have Security continues on A11

A state representative who has passed legislation aimed at reeling in Texas’ standardized testing regime is calling on the state to ditch required STAAR exams while it “tries to iron out STAAR’s many kinks.” State Rep. Jason Isaac’s proposal comes the week after the Texas Education Agency announced it was penalizing the New Jersey-based company that develops and administers the controversial exams more than $20 million over problems that surfaced during springtime testing — including computer glitches that caused

students to lose answers. It is the first year Educational Testing Services has overseen STAAR administration after the state scrapped the bulk of its longtime contract with London-based Pearson Education. “Flawed testing practices threaten the State of Texas’ ability to fulfill our education system’s goals — and our children’s futures,” Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, said in a statement Monday. “The litany of errors being uncovered about STAAR is simply a disservice to our students, hard-working teachers, and families.” While the state works with ETS to resolve the issues, STAAR continues on A11

BACK TO SCHOOL KID’S FISHING TOURNAMENT

SUMMER ENDS WITH A BANG TH E ZAPATA T IME S

ast month’s Back to School Kid’s Fishing Tournament was deemed a great success by the Zapata Chamber of Commerce, who hosts the event annually. “What a great event we had last week, and it was all thanks to you,” the chamber said in a news release. “We hope you had a good time and hope to see you all at our next event.” The Family Fun Fest was Aug. 20 at Bravo Park. The tournament was for children ages 3-12. This year’s winners were Ashley Loyde, Pedro Gutierrez and Alyssa Guerrero, who came in first, second and third place, respectively. First place: Ashley Loyde

Second place: Pedro Gutierrez

Third place: Alyssa Guerrero

Zin brief A2 | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

CALENDAR

AROUND THE WORLD

TODAY IN HISTORY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Laredo Area Retired School Employees Association meeting. 11 a.m. Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall. The topic of the meeting with be the yearbook dedication.

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 7, the 251st day of 2016. There are 115 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History: On Sept. 7, 1916, the Federal Employees Compensation Act, providing financial assistance to federal workers who suffer job-related injuries, was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson.

1 New Urbanism Film Festival. 7:30 p.m. In front of Plaza Theater, 1018 Hidalgo St. Block party hosted by City of Laredo’s Plan Viva Laredo and Plaza Partners.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 1

9th Annual Football Tailgaiting Cook-Off. 2–10 p.m. El Metro Park & Ride, 1819 E. Hillside. Admission is $2. There will be a finger ribs cook-off. The first place winner will get $1,500 in prize money. There will also be a fajita and beans cook-off as well as live music, a car show, food vendors, merchandise booths and more. The Animal Care Facility will be on site with pets up for adoption. For more information, call 286-9055.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 1

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 1

Cancer Friends Meet. 6 p.m. Every third Thursday of the month. Laredo Medical Center, A.R. Sanchez Cancer Center, Tower A, 1st Floor. Having cancer is often one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. However, support groups help many people cope with the emotional aspects of cancer by providing a safe place to share their feelings and challenges and learn from others who are facing similar situations. For more information, call Nancy Santos at 956-285-5410.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 1

Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 6–7 p.m. TAMIU LBV Planetarium, 5201 University Blvd. Stars of the Pharaohs at 6 p.m.; Live Star Presentation at 6 p.m. Admission for the presentation is $3. Observing will occur after presentation if weather permits. General admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information call 326-DOME (3663).

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 1

Down Syndrome Laredo Bowl-AThon. 5–8 p.m. Jett Bowl North, 5823 McPherson Road. Come support our children. Wear your blue and yellow for DS awareness. If you would like to purchase a lane, contact Priscilla Garcia at 333-9312.

Eduardo Verdugo / AP

A man recovers belongings after the passing of Hurricane Newton in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Tuesday. Newton slammed into the twin resorts on the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California.

HURRICANE SLAMS INTO LOS CABOS CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — Hurricane Newton shattered windows, downed trees and knocked out power in parts of the twin resorts of Los Cabos on Tuesday, but residents were spared the kind of extensive damage seen two years ago when they were walloped by a stronger storm. Newton made landfall at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula in the morning as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph (150 kph), pelting the area with torrential rain as residents hunkered down in their homes and tourists huddled in hotels.

Australian man dies after shark attack in New Caledonia WELLINGTON, New Zealand — An Australian man has died after a large shark attacked him while he was kitesurfing in New Caledonia, a French island territory in the South Pacific, marine authorities said Wednesday. The 50-year-old man had fallen from his board Tuesday in a large lagoon near the northwestern town of Koumac

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Palm trees were toppled along Cabo San Lucas’ coastal boulevard and some windows were broken. But there was calm in the city as firefighters cleaned refuse from the streets during the day. “There are only minor damages — fallen branches, some fallen banners, some cables. ... In general, no victims,” army Col. Enrique Rangel said. “Just trying to make it through the day, with a little help,” Mark Hernandez, a tourist from California, said as he raised a can of beer at one of the few bars. — Compiled from AP reports

when the shark bit deep into his right thigh, said Nicolas Renaud, the director of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center. Renaud said the man, from near Perth in Western Australia, had arrived Sunday for a vacation that was due to last about 10 days and had booked a cruise on a sailing boat so he could do some kitesurfing. “The crew on the sailing yacht, they saw the attack,” Renaud said. He said the crew was able to drag the man back on board

and administer first aid while calling rescuers, who sent a medical team. They took the man back to the port at Koumac, Renaud said. “They tried to save him, to give him a heart massage, but it was too late,” Renaud said. Renaud said it was the fourth shark attack this year in New Caledonia, home to 275,000 people. He said an elderly woman was killed and two others injured in the previous attacks. — Compiled from AP reports

Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 2 p.m.–5 p.m. TAMIU LBV Planetarium, 5201 University Blvd. The Little Star that Could at 2 p.m.; Cosmic Adventure at 3 p.m.; Black Holes at 4 p.m.; A Starry Tale at 5 p.m. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. The 2 p.m. show is $1 less. For more information call 326-DOME (3663).

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 1

Spaghetti lunch. Noon–1:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall, First United Methodist Church. No admission fee. Free-will donations accepted.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 1

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 1

Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium shows. 6–7 p.m. TAMIU LBV Planetarium, 5201 University Blvd. Violent Universe at 6 p.m.; Led Zeppelin at 7 p.m. General Admission is $4 for children and $5 for adults. Admission is $4 for TAMIU students, faculty and staff. For more information call 326-DOME (3663).

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1

13 shot to death, dozens wounded in Chicago shootings

Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune

A member of the Chicago Police Department looks around the scene of a shooting on Monday.

passing the 481 homicides that the police department said were recorded for all of last year. Nearly 230 homicides occurred in June, July and August — during which the city had 90 homicides, making it the deadliest single month in Chicago since June 1996. The number of shootings and

Ten years ago: British Prime Minister Tony Blair gave in to a fierce revolt in his Labour Party and reluctantly promised to quit within a year. Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage confirmed he was the source of a leak that had disclosed the identity of CIA employee Valerie Plame, saying he didn’t realize Plame’s job was covert. Five years ago: The latest in a series of Republican presidential debates brought together Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum in Simi Valley, California. A private Russian jet carrying a top ice hockey team slammed into a riverbank moments after takeoff from the airport near the western city of Yaroslavl, killing 44 people. (Investigators blamed pilot error.) One year ago: Hillary Clinton, interviewed by The Associated Press during a campaign swing through Iowa, said she did not need to apologize for using a private email account and server while at the State Department because “what I did was allowed.” Courting unions on Labor Day, President Barack Obama denounced Republicans for a “constant attack on working Americans,” telling a rally in Boston that he was using his executive power to force federal contractors to give paid sick leave to their employees. Former child star Dickie Moore, 89, died in Connecticut.

AROUND THE NATION

CHICAGO — Thirteen people were shot to death over the Labor Day weekend in Chicago, making it the deadliest holiday weekend of one of the deadliest summers the city has experienced in decades. The police department also said the 13 were among 43 people who were shot over the weekend. A mong those was a pregnant woman who delivered a nearly full-term baby after she was shot in the abdomen. The woman, whom police say was not the intended target, was listed in critical condition Tuesday. The infant’s condition has not been released. The holiday weekend slayings come amid a dramatic spike in homicides. The department also said the weekend slayings pushed to 488 the total of slayings for the year — sur-

On this date: In 1533, England’s Queen Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich. In 1812, the Battle of Borodino took place as French troops clashed with Russian forces outside Moscow. (The battle, ultimately won by Russia, was commemorated by composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky with his “1812 Overture.”) In 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the American Revolution, bade farewell to President John Quincy Adams at the White House. In 1927, American television pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth, 21, succeeded in transmitting the image of a line through purely electronic means with a device called an “image dissector.” In 1936, rock-and-roll legend Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas. In 1940, Nazi Germany began its eight-month blitz of Britain during World War II with the first air attack on London. In 1957, the original animated version of the NBC-TV peacock logo, used to denote programs “brought to you in living color,” made its debut at the beginning of “Your Hit Parade.” In 1963, the National Professional Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, Ohio. In 1968, feminists protested outside the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (The pageant crown went to Miss Illinois Judith Ford.) In 1977, the Panama Canal treaties, calling for the U.S. to eventually turn over control of the waterway to Panama, were signed in Washington by President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos. In 1986, Desmond Tutu was installed as the first black clergyman to lead the Anglican Church in southern Africa. In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and mortally wounded on the Las Vegas Strip; he died six days later.

homicides over the Labor Day weekend were both higher than the Memorial Day and July 4 weekends and it was the last of the summer holidays before the school year started Tuesday. The nine homicides that happened on Monday alone was one more for the entire Labor Day weekend last year. — Compiled from AP reports

Today’s Birthdays: Jazz musician Sonny Rollins is 86. Actor Bruce Gray is 80. Singer Gloria Gaynor is 73. Actress Susan Blakely is 68. Rock singer Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) is 65. Actress Julie Kavner is 65. Actor Michael Emerson is 62. Pianist Michael Feinstein is 60. Actor Toby Jones is 50. Actress-comedian Leslie Jones (TV: “Saturday Night Live”) is 49. Model-actress Angie Everhart is 47. Actress Diane Farr is 47. Country Actress Shannon Elizabeth is 43. Actor Oliver Hudson is 40. Actor Devon Sawa is 38. Actor JD Pardo is 37. Actress Evan Rachel Wood is 29. Thought for Today: “When you have a great and difficult task, something perhaps almost impossible, if you only work a little at a time, every day a little, suddenly the work will finish itself.” — Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Danish author (born 1885, died this date in 1962).

Book sale. 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Widener Book Room, First United Methodist Church. No admission charge. Everyone is invited.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3 1

Chess Club. 4–6 p.m. Every Monday. Inner City Branch Library, 202 W. Plum St. Compete in this cherished strategy game played internationally. Free. For all ages and skill levels. Instruction is offered. 1 Ray of Light anxiety and depression support group meeting. 6:30–7:30 p.m. Area Health Education Center, 1505 Calle del Norte, Suite 430. Every first Monday of the month. People suffering from anxiety and depression are invited to attend this free, confidential and anonymous support group meeting.

AROUND TEXAS Galveston sees drop in visitors this summer GALVESTON — Galveston — one of the more popular tourist destinations along the Texas Gulf Coast — has seen a drop in visitors this summer, according to local officials and business owners. Hotel bookings on the island city are down this season compared to last year, the Galveston County Daily News report-

CONTACT US ed Monday. “I can tell you this is one of the slowest years I can remember. Some years are slow due to weather, but this has been worse for a number of reasons,” said Jason Worthen, owner of Gulf Coast Water Sports, which rents Jet Skis. Many of Galveston’s visitors travel from Houston and Louisiana, and Worthen said the floods there this year had an impact, as well as a June report of a man who became infected with rare, flesh-eating bacteria.

“It’s been a tough year between the bacteria and the flooding in Houston and Louisiana,” Worthen said. Galveston’s hotel occupancy tax brought in $2.3 million in July — the latest month for which collections data are available and the immediate month after the bacterial scare — compared with $2.6 million for the same month in 2015. Officials with The Spot say their business is down 3 percent this year. — Compiled from AP reports

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The Zapata Times

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 |

STATE

Dallas County DA Hawk resigns after bouts of depression, anxiety

War against grackles escalates with hawk on patrol in Waco

By David Warren By J.B. Smith

A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

WACO TRIBUNE -HERALD

DALLAS — The Dallas County district attorney, who has spoken publicly about her battles with depression and anxiety, resigned her office Tuesday just a month after returning to work following her third inpatient treatment for mental illness. Since taking office in January 2015, Susan Hawk’s tenure has been marked by long absences as she sought treatment. The Republican had returned to work in early August after spending nearly two months at an Arizona clinic. Her second-in-command, Messina Madson, said at the time Hawk had no plans to resign. By that point, Hawk had worked only about 65 days in 2016. “I believe our office is making a difference and I want to continue that good work,” Hawk said in her resignation letter dated Tuesday to Gov. Greg Abbott. “But last fall upon returning from treatment, I made a commitment to step away from the office if I felt I could no longer do my job, and unfortunately I’ve reached that point as my health needs my full attention in the coming months.” Her resignation is effective immediately. Earlier this summer, Hawk said in a statement, “Mental illness is a fluid and dynamic disease that calls for unexpected and prolonged treatment. I did not choose this disease, but I am choosing to treat it aggressively and open-

David Woo / AP file

In this Oct. 1, 2015 file photo, Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk holds a press conference.

ly.” In an interview with D Magazine for a story published last October, Hawk said there was a time she wanted to resign because she was having suicidal thoughts. Instead, she spent two months at a psychiatric hospital in Houston. Hawk also spent time in rehab for a prescription drug addiction in 2013 during her campaign for office. Dallas County Democrats last year moved beyond nuanced calls for her resignation and explicitly pushed for her ouster from a position that pays about $210,000. Hawk’s staff previously issued statements when she was not in the office for an extended period. Last year, she had not been seen for weeks at the Dallas courthouse before her office revealed she was seeking mental health treatment. Hawk’s absences had generated numerous questions about the management of her office and her ability to perform her duties. One of the attorneys on her staff had said he left his letter of resignation on her desk

last year and it remained there two weeks later. Hawk is a former district court judge who surprised some when in November 2014 she defeated incumbent Democrat Craig Watkins. Watkins won national acclaim during his eight years as Dallas County DA for creating a Conviction Integrity Unit that freed more than 30 men wrongfully convicted of crimes. But the FBI investigated how he handled a mortgage-fraud case involving an oil heir, and opponents accused Watkins of bullying opponents and using county funds to cover up a car accident in which he acknowledged using his cellphone while driving. Heath Harris, the former first assistant district attorney under Watkins, said the legal community, as colleagues, wanted Hawk to “do what she needed to do to take care of her health.” He said her absence was likely difficult for the staff overall. “The district attorney is the captain of the ship. When that captain is not present it affects everything,” Watkins said.

WACO, Texas — Fair warning to the squawking, trash-scavenging, car-splattering hordes along Austin Avenue in Waco: Tiberius is watching. Tiberius is a Harris’s hawk with a fearsome hooked beak and talons, and if he can’t eat all the grackles in downtown Waco, his handlers say he can strike terror in their little avian hearts. Mark Smith of Blackjack Bird Abatement has been taking Tiberius on his night patrols downtown last week as part of a contract with the city of Waco to move the nuisance birds away. “What normally happens is that he will fly straight up into a tree, then I’ll take off walking down the street, and he’ll fly from tree to tree,” Smith told the Waco Tribune-Herald last week near City Hall as Tiberius perched on his leather glove. “All the grackles know, ‘I’ve got a hawk after me.’ If one gets caught, the whole roost know about it, and it sends them all into a panic. Luckily, we don’t have to take out too many of them. Just his presence is enough.” Since 2013, the Fort Worth firm has had a seasonal contract with the city parks and recreation department to control bird populations from October to May. The cost is $1,750 per month. Parks superintendent John Rose said the firm has been successful in

Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald / AP

In this Sept. 1 photo, Tiberius, a Harris's hawk, sits on falconer Mark Smith’s hand in Waco, Texas.

reducing bird populations around River Square Center. But now Austin Avenue and the City Hall area are seeing more grackles, and the problem has started earlier in the year than usual. The city is paying Blackjack to bring out its hawks every weeknight this September and is bidding to contract for a longer season next year as part of a downtown cleanup effort. Rose said he saw several thousand grackles along Austin Avenue when he went out with the Blackjack falconer last week. “There was one tree he flushed out that probably had at least 500,” he said. “Wherever we can get them away is a place where we don’t have to spend so much time getting rid of the smell and power-washing the sidewalks.” Blackjack Bird Abatement also uses other methods, including green laser pointers, to disrupt the roosting birds and

pressure them to move somewhere else. Jeff Cattoor, owner of Blackjack Bird Abatement, said hitting the roosts regularly will eventually cause them to relocate long-term. “The secret sauce is going out consecutive nights,” Cattoor said. “If you just do it a couple of nights, these grackles and starlings will put up with that, but when you’re consistently reintroducing a predator ... they decide this is no longer a safe place to roost.” Cattoor said he has had long-term success with moving nuisance birds in downtown Fort Worth and on the San Antonio Riverwalk area. Centro San Antonio, which maintains that city’s downtown, contracted with the company from 2009 to 2013 but now uses another firm that uses alternative methods, said Jimmy Richards, the group’s public improvement district director.

Zopinion A4 | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

OTHER VIEWS

OP-ED

Each September brings back powerful memories for former teacher By Sally Friedman TH E P H ILADE LPHIA I NQUIRER

I was so scared. I was up long before dawn, and breakfast was out of the question. I had changed clothes three times. Nothing seemed to look right. And just for spite, even my hair was uncooperative. It was the first day of school, and I was a wreck. The thing is, I was the teacher. While it was all decades ago, every September, I remember — and am humbled by — that trial by fire. I was 21 years old, a newly minted graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Education, a new bride, and absolutely terrified about what was ahead. I’d taken all the requisite courses. I’d entered the surreal world of student teaching at a high school, where two master teachers had patiently shown me how to do this thing they made look easy. But it wasn’t easy for me. Not even with them right there to guide me, rescue me, and try to convince me that, yes, I could do this. When I stepped into Room B-4 in a South Jersey suburb to face my first class of eighth graders, I was trembling. I remember gripping my desk so that maybe — just maybe — these 13- and 14-yearolds might not recognize that I wanted to bolt. Let me cut to the chase: that first day was unlike any other in my life. I was in charge, the captain of the ship. Sitting before me were kids who expected me to know a lot, if not everything, about English. That’s what we called it before it became "Language Arts." Eighth graders have a certain ability to compromise whatever confidence a new teacher may have. They squirm, fidget, stare, yawn and are wired to spot vulnerability. So yes, there would be reckonings ahead. Thirteen also is all about mood changes, anxiety about fitting in, anxiety about looks, anxiety about — well, just about everything. Thirteen is no easy ride. But in the fullness of time — if you can call a week that — I was on my way to being on to them. I had figured out their society — and yes, eighth graders create their own anthropologic culture. I had begun to identify the leaders, the followers, the mean girls, the Alpha males. And yes, I had also fallen in love with these itchy, fidgety, sometimes feisty kids who had decid-

ed that I’d passed my initiation. And yes, they were the decision-makers. I was not. By October, we had plunged into a unit on newspapers, and we began reading them together as an experiment in the power of words. By November, they were writing editorials that were so earnest and passionate that they were almost heartbreaking. And by winter, I had brought in several evocative paintings, including a couple of Picasso prints, and had invited them to tell me what was going on in those lines and colors and faces. No one was more surprised than I was at their amazingly imaginative interpretations. These kids were thinkers, and as we came to know one another, I also realized what a powerful thing it was to plumb the souls of the young. The months flew by and I remember how both delighted — and devastated — I was when I learned that I was pregnant as the school year drew to a close. Thanks to the policies back in those Neanderthal days, pregnant teachers were not welcomed in classrooms once they "showed." And by that next fall, I did. I was left to assume that seeing a teacher "with child" would scandalize the adolescent students. So I "retired" from teaching after one year. And because three baby girls soon came in rapid succession, I never went back. I marvel, still, that in dreams, those eighthgrade students return to me. I know where they sat in Room B-4, and how their voices sounded. I was horrified when I learned that two boys I had taught died in Vietnam. Of course, to me, they would always be boys. I also will not forget the awe I felt about having had a chance to mold young minds, as corny as that sounds. Neither will I forget having introduced poetry to kids who initially recoiled at such a notion. But they ended up writing their own achingly beautiful ones. Every September, as summer shifts into fall and life gets a little more serious, I remember that first day of school as Mrs. Friedman, the English teacher. I think of Margie and Becky and beautiful little Linda. Of Nicholas and Bruce and of Eddie, who almost won in our battle of wills. And I say a silent prayer that some of them, somewhere, are still reading poetry.

EDITORIAL

All private prisons need examination SAN ANTONIO EXPRE SS-NEWS

The U.S. Justice Department’s decision to phase out its private prisons has prompted the Department of Homeland Security to review its own use of such facilities. This is a welcome move as immigration detention centers have come under some of the same criticism as other private prisons. The Justice Department said it will take this step because of a decline in the federal prison population and also cited a recent report that found the private facilities to be less safe and secure. The department also said that these facilities do not save the government substantial money. We are confident that a review by Homeland Security of its private facilities — two in Dilley and Karnes County — will result in similar findings.

The DOJ’s decision will affect five privately run facilities in Texas, but the decision did not affect immigration detention facilities or private contracts undertaken by the states. Immigration detention facilities in Dilley and Karnes County have been slammed by immigrant advocates with much the same criticism leveled at the federal government’s private prisons. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, however, has had to deal with an influx of Central American refugees. A study by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2014 found that private detention centers for immigrants were more crowded than those that were state-run. It found also that detainees had less access to education and quality health care. And state-run facilities

are typically managed more transparently for the public. Last year, 2,000 inmates rioted at the privately run Willacy County Correctional Center, an immigrant detention center in Raymondville near the Mexican border. The inmates complained of such conditions as insects swarming the tents and raw sewage from overflowing toilets. This prompted the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to end its contract with the Utahbased Management & Training Corp. The rioting inmates were undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation. They were serving federal criminal sentences, but the federal crime for many was simply entering the U.S. without documents. The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, which opened at the end of 2014, is not as

OP-ED

The merits of keeping email formal By Daniel DiPrinzio THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

For some, email has become the preferred medium to channel their inner e.e. cummings, as they eschew capitalization for an unapologetic army of lowercase letters. But, those of you who equate emailing with texting could face dire consequences in how you are perceived. First off, writing properly in emails should be a no-brainer for people who think that they, at any time, may face an indictment. How would they want to be represented to the general public, should their messages be subpoenaed and posted on-

line? Do they want to appear learned, wise and thoughtful, or like a teenager in the back seat of her parents’ car during a long drive? Also, wouldn’t it be nice to give letters a chance to stand up when their time is due? Letters spend most of their lives sitting down - the ones in each sentence lucky enough to be placed at the front, or at the helm of a proper noun, deserve their day in the sun. Don’t deny them that pleasure. However, never, under any circumstance, overcompensate by using all-caps. That is the most odious offense of any written communique. It doesn’t say that you’re yelling; it says that you’re

insane. If you need to put a little force behind your words, use an exclamation mark. If it needs more than that, use three. If you’re still not at the level you seek, scream the message in the person’s face. If you are among those who go the “an end mark of punctuation means nothing to me in terms of capitalization” route, you should at least cap proper nouns. This shows that you’re not lazy, and you know which words should be capped. It also shows that you simply do not care about the ones at the beginning of sentences, and indifference is usually better than ignorance. I’ve even seen a few

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family-friendly as the title indicates, immigrants and their advocates say. It is a prison for immigrants and their children, they say. There has always been a concern over whether profit is synonymous with high standards when it comes to prisons. Congress requires that at least 34,000 people be housed daily in immigrant detention centers. That might be profitable, but how is that efficient? Profit and looking out for shareholders means tamping down costs. State-run facilities should also be cost-conscious, but the public can be reasonably assured that this is tempered with concerns about living conditions. Texas — more than 10,000 state offenders are housed in privately run prisons in the state — should also take a hard look.

DOONESBURY | GARRY TRUDEAU

people who keep “I” lowercased when referring to themselves. Have they no personal pride? No selfesteem? A little narcissism never hurt anybody (aside from Narcissus). I know that some of my Caucasian friends are constantly checking their white privilege, but the lowercase first-person pronoun is too much, if you ask me. Now, don’t get me wrong. I think, in many cases, there is an abundance of forced formality in the world today. And I myself am guilty of lowercased lettering. But informality has become too pervasive. It’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 |

ENTERTAINMENT

Study finds inequality unchanged in Hollywood By Jake Coyle A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

Despite widespread attention over diversity in the movie business, a new study finds that little is changing in Hollywood for women, minorities, LGBT people and others who continue to find themselves on the outside of an industry where researchers say inequality is “the norm.” A report to be released Wednesday by the Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism offers a stark portrait of Hollywood’s feeble to nonexistent progress in eradicating what researchers call “pervasive and systematic” problems in inclusiveness in front of and behind the camera. Since 2007, USC has analyzed the demographic

makeup of the actors, directors, writers and more from each year’s 100 most popular films. Its latest addition adds data from 2015’s top films, but finds little change. For example, 31.4 percent of speaking characters in the analyzed films were female in 2015 — roughly the same number as in 2007. That’s a ratio of 2.2 men for every single woman. Characters identified as lesbian, gay or transgender accounted for less than 1 percent of all speaking parts, or 32 out of 4,370 characters studied. That was a slight increase

from 19 portrayals in 2014. After finding zero transgender characters in 2014, researchers could pinpoint one in 2015. From 2007 to 2015, the study finds no significant change in the percentage of black (12.2 percent), Latino (5.3 percent) or Asian (3.9 percent) characters in the most popular films. Off screen, of the 107 directors of 2015 films, four were black or African American and six were Asian or Asian American. Just eight were women, still the most since 2008. “We’re seeing entrenched inequality,” Sta-

Dan Steinberg / AP file

In this Jan. 15, 2015 file photo, Chris Pine, left, and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announce the Academy Awards nominees for best actor.

cy L. Smith, a USC professor and the study’s lead author, said in an interview. “Whether we’re studying gender, race, ethnicity, LGBT or characters with disabilities, we’re really seeing exclusionary forces leaving out anybody that’s not a straight, white, able-bodied man.

Despite all the chatter and all the activism and all the press attention, it’s another year where the status quo has been maintained.” USC researchers stressed that the study’s results didn’t just offer a portrait of inequality, but captured the invisibility of many from American

popular cinema. Hollywood, the study concludes, is “an epicenter of cultural inequality.” Issues of exclusion and gender gaps have gained more attention in recent years following two straight seasons of allwhite acting nominees at the Oscars.

Sports&Outdoors A6 | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NCAA FOOTBALL: ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL

NFL: DALLAS COWBOYS

Longhorns leap into Top 25

Stephen Brashear / Associated Press file

A prosecutor says charges won’t be filed against Dallas Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott following domestic violence allegations.

Prosecutor: no charges in Texas ranked for the first time under Strong Elliott domestic violence case Gabriel Lopez / Associated Press file

Texas is ranked for the first time under coach Charlie Strong, coming in at No. 11 in the latest Associated Press college football rankings after a rousing opening victory against Notre Dame.

By Ralph D. Russo A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

Texas is ranked for the first time under coach Charlie Strong, coming in at No. 11 in the latest Associated Press college football rankings after a rousing opening victory against Notre Dame. The last time the Longhorns were ranked was November 2013, Mack Brown’s last as coach. No. 10 Wisconsin also made a big jump into the Top 25 after beating LSU. The Tigers and Fighting Irish were among seven ranked teams that lost during the first weekend of the season. Alabama is still No. 1. The Crimson Tide picked up 21 first-place votes to

total 54 after its 52-6 victory against Southern California. Clemson remained No. 2. Florida State moved up to No. 3. Ohio State is No. 4 and Michigan is No. 5. Houston is No. 6.

POLL POINTS IN 1 Wisconsin, which beat LSU 16-14 at Lambeau Field, matched a record for the best season debut in the Top 25 with its No. 10 ranking. Arizona also went from unranked to No. 10 in 2014 after the Wildcats won at Oregon. 1 Texas A&M is in at No. 20 after beating UCLA, then No. 16, in overtime. 1 Miami slipped in at No. 25. OUT

1 USC, UCLA and North Carolina dropped out after loses. 1 Florida, which was No. 25, fell out after beating Massachusetts 24-7. UP 1 No. 6 Houston and No. 9 Georgia had the biggest jumps for preseason ranked teams. Each moved up nine spots after victories over ranked teams. DOWN 1 LSU fell from No. 5 to No. 21. The 16-spot drop is the fourth largest in poll history. 1 No. 14 Oklahoma dropped 11 spots from No. 3 after losing 33-23 to Houston 1 No. 17 Tennessee, No. 18 Notre Dame and No. 19 Mississippi all fell eight

spots. The Volunteers dropped after an overtime victory against Appalachian State. MILESTONES 1 No. 6 Houston has its highest ranking since Nov. 4, 1990 (No. 3). 1 No. 8 Washington has its highest rank since Nov. 4, 2001 (No. 8). CONFERENCE CALL SEC — 6 Big Ten — 5 Big 12 — 5 ACC — 4 Pac 12 — 3 American — 1 Independent — 1

RANKED VS. RANKED None. This will definitely not be regarded as the greatest second weekend of the college football season ever.

ASSOCIATED PRE SS

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A prosecutor says charges won’t be filed against Dallas Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott following domestic violence allegations. The office of Columbus City Attorney Richard Pfeiffer (FEYE’-fuhr) cites conflicting and inconsistent information in evidence supporting the filing of criminal charges. Pfeiffer’s office said it examined the credibility of all identified witnesses. Elliott’s agent Frank Salzano said Tuesday Elliott and his family were pleased with the

outcome and Elliott looked forward to putting the issue behind him. A police report says Elliott, a running back who played at Ohio State, denied allegations that he assaulted his girlfriend in July, causing bruises and abrasions. Three witnesses told police they didn’t see Elliott assault the 20year-old woman. Elliott says the woman got the bruises and abrasions in a bar fight. The NFL said it would conduct its own review of the matter, and spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tuesday that is continuing.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Season sees familiar faces in new places By Dennis Waszak Jr. A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — At first glance, the new jersey just looks plain strange. The different colors and team names probably even cause a few doubletakes. When NFL players switch from teams with which they had long been associated to new destinations, either through trades or free agency, it often takes a little getting used to for fans and sometimes the players themselves. Some, however, completely embrace the wardrobe makeover. “I look good in red and blue,” said a smiling Damon Harrison, the New York Giants nose tackle who spent his first four NFL season in the Jets’ green and white. Here’s a look at some other familiar faces in new places — and colors: RYAN CLADY, LT, JETS The four-time Pro Bowl selection was a fixture on Denver’s offensive line, but injuries limited him to just 30 games over the last three seasons. When the Broncos signed former Seattle left tackle Russell Okung in March, Clady

leader in 2014 with Dallas to becoming a frustrated and sometimes-forgotten part of Philadelphia’s backfield under Chip Kelly last season. The two-time Pro Bowl selection had just one 100-yard game with the Eagles, who traded him to Tennessee in March. He’ll try to revive his career while teaming with rookie Derrick Henry in the Titans’ powerful backfield. Career stats: 5,228 yards, 34 TDs; 215 catches, 1,522 yards, 2 TDs.

became expendable. Denver traded him to the Jets, who were in need of a left tackle after the durable D’Brickashaw Ferguson suddenly retired in April. Clady, who has recovered from the torn knee ligament that kept him out all last season, will be in charge of protecting Ryan Fitzpatrick’s blind side. MATT FORTE, RB, JETS A workhorse for eight years in Chicago, the 30-year-old running back was signed by the Jets to add a versatile element to New York’s backfield. He dealt with a hamstring injury through the first half of training camp, but played in the Jets’ third preseason game and should be ready to start in Week 1. Career stats: 8,602 yards rushing, 45 TDs; 487 catches, 4,116 yards, 19 TDs. ARIAN FOSTER, RB, DOLPHINS Retirement appeared to be an option for Foster, who has missed significant parts of two of the last three seasons with major injuries. He played seven seasons for Houston, where he set franchise marks for yards rushing and TD runs, but was released in March. Foster signed a one-year deal with Miami, where

Eric Christian Smith / Associated Press file

Houston’s Lamar Miller is one of many high profile players that getting used to a new destination this season, either through trades or free agency.

he could complement Jay Ajayi. Career stats: 6,472 yards rushing, 54 TDs; 249 catches, 2,268 yards, 14 TDs.

quarterback-starved Cleveland. Career stats: 8,097 yards passing, 40 TDs, 23 INTs; 1,480 yards rushing, 8 TDs.

ROBERT GRIFFIN III, QB, BROWNS The No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft got his career with Washington off to an eye-popping start that was capped by a playoff appearance and being selected Offensive Rookie of the Year. Injuries and inconsistency marked the rest of his tenure, eventually losing his starting job to Kirk Cousins. After being cut in March by the Redskins, Griffin will try to resurrect his career in

MALIK JACKSON, DL, JAGUARS A key player on Denver’s Super Bowl-winning defense, Jackson was in high demand in free agency this offseason after five sacks, a safety and seven passes defensed last season. He signed a six-year, $90 million deal with Jacksonville, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid defensive linemen. Career stats: 134 total tackles, 14 sacks, 15 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles.

LAMAR MILLER, RB, TEXANS After a successful fouryear run in Miami that included nearly 2,000 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns the last two seasons, Miller signed with Houston for four years in March. The 25year-old running back showed good versatility while with the Dolphins and is expected to carry much of the workload in the Texans’ backfield. Career stats: 2,930 yards, 19 TDs; 117 catches, 887 yards, 3 TDs. DeMARCO MURRAY, RB, TITANS Murray went from being the NFL’s rushing

JOSH NORMAN, CB, REDSKINS The chatty, opinionated and extremely talented cornerback is coming off a career breakthrough with Carolina that was capped by a Super Bowl appearance, his first Pro Bowl selection and included an on-field backand-forth with Odell Beckham Jr. during a game. The Panthers placed the franchise tag on him in the offseason, but then rescinded it when they couldn’t come to a long-term agreement. He became an unrestricted free agent and signed a five-year, $75 million deal with Washington. Career stats: 7 INTs (2 for TDs), 181 total tackles, 37 passes defensed, 4 fumbles.

Zfrontera THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 |

RIBEREÑA EN BREVE INFORME DE GOBIERNO 1 La Ciudad de Miguel Alemán, Tamps, invita a la comunidad al 3er. Informa de Gobierno para el trienio 2013-2016, en el Salón Millenium, el viernes 9 de septiembre a la 5 p.m. FIESTA MEXICANA 1 Se celebrará Gran Fiesta Mexicana en Familia en la Ciudad de Roma el 14 de septiembre, con la presentación de Eliseo Robles y los Bárbaros del Norte. La cita es en Plaza Guadalupe desde las 6 p.m. Evento gratuito y familiar. Si desea adquirir un puesto para venta de antojitos mexicanos contacte a Blanca Ruiz al 956849-1411 ó 844-1428. Los espacios son limitados. SOCIEDAD DE GENEALOGÍA 1 La reunión de la Sociedad de Genealogía Nuevo Santander invitan a su reunión el sábado 17 de septiembre de 2 p.m. a 4 p.m. Los conferencistas serán Dr. Javier González, María del Refugrio Ramírez, María del Carmen Carvajal y Luis Lauro González. La cita es en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata. TORNEO DE CAMPEONATO 1 La Cámara de Comercio del Condado de Zapata está invitando al Torneo de Campeonato de la Asociación Sun Country Bass, a realizarse del 25 al 30 de septiembre, el cual se llevará a cabo en Falcon Lake. EXHIBICIÓN DE ÁRBOLES FAMILIARES 1 El Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata y la Sociedad de Genealogía Nuevo Santander invitan a la exhibición de árboles familiares y cocina en sartenes de hierro fundido el viernes 21 de octubre y sábado 22 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. El evento se llevará a cabo en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata. 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. FIRMA DE LIBROS 1 La Dra. Alma González Pérez dictará una conferencia y estará firmando su nuevo libro de poesía en la reunión mensual de la Sociedad de Genealogía Nuevo Santander el sábado 12 de Noviembre en el Museo de Historia del Condado de Zapata. La cita es a las 2 p.m. 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.

NUEVO LAREDO, MX

Tiroteos cobran 11 vidas TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

a carretera Nacional que conecta a Nuevo Laredo, México con la ciudad de Monterrey Nuevo León, se encontraba cerrada el sábado por la tarde debido a dos incidentes que involucraban enfrentamientos entre miembros de grupos del crimen organizado y elementos del Ejército Mexicano en donde murieron 11 personas, de acuerdo con autoridades tamaulipecas. El gobierno de Tamaulipas informó que Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas reportó que elementos de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional abatieron a 10 integrantes de un grupo delincuencial que opera en el municipio de Nuevo Laredo, luego de haber sido agredidos en dos ocasiones en diferentes puntos. La primera agresión se registró a las 1:30 p.m. en el kilómetro 13 de la carretera nacional Nuevo Laredo-Monterrey, cuando un convoy de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional realizaba reconocimientos terrestres. En ese punto, los militares fueron atacados por civiles armados que se desplazaban en varios vehículos. Al repeler la agresión, abatieron a ocho de los delincuentes, asegurando una camioneta

Foto de Cortesía

Dos incidentes violentos cobraron la vida de 11 personas en Nuevo Laredo, México el sábado por la mañana. La Carretera Nacional que conecta la ciudad con Monterrey, Nuevo León se encontraba cerrada desde la 1 p.m.

cerrada blanca, varias armas largas, cargadores y cartuchos útiles que no habían sido contabilizados. Desde ese momento, la carretera Nacional que conecta a Nuevo Laredo, México con la ciudad de Monterrey, Nuevo León, fue cerrada al tránsito vehicular en ambas direcciones. Un testigo, que prefirió omitir su nombre, dijo que viajaba con su familia desde Monterrey y al llegar a Nuevo Laredo, como a las 1:35 p.m., observó una línea de autos. Añadió que estuvo detenido por cerca de 10 minutos cuando decidió seguir a otro auto que tomó un camino de terracería y

pudo evadir el cierre. Además, señaló que había tanques del Ejército Mexicano custodiando la carretera. Una hora después y como consecuencia de la búsqueda de los agresores que se dieron a la fuga, los elementos de la Defensa Nacional volvieron a ser atacados en el cruzamiento de la calle Mazatlán y Carretera a Anáhuac. En este segundo incidente, los militares abatieron a otros dos delincuentes, que al igual que los ocho del kilómetro 13, no habían sido identificados todavía. También en esta segunda agresión por parte de los civiles armados, una mujer que se desplazaba a bordo

de su camioneta, recibió el impacto de una bala perdida que la privó de la vida cuando recibía atención médica en un hospital de esa ciudad fronteriza, de acuerdo a un comunicado del gobierno estatal. Cierre de carretera El Alcalde de Nuevo Laredo, Carlos Canturosas anunció en su cuenta personal de Facebook que la Carretara Nacional se encontraba cerrada en ambos sentidos a la altura del Kilómetro 13. La razón del cierre fue que elementos del Ejército Mexicano y servicios periciales se encontraban trabajando, según Canturosas. “De acuerdo al nuevo sistema de justicia penal

se tiene que preservar intacto el lugar de los hechos para que la Procuraduría de Justicia realice su trabajo y se conserve la cadena de custodia, por lo tanto se debe evitar el paso de vehículos para no contaminar la escena”, dice la publicación en redes sociales. Pasajeros a bordo de autobuses con rumbo a Nuevo Laredo, también confirmaron estar detenidos por este cierre. Un testigo que decidió no dar su nombre por temor a represalias indicó que su esposo fue caminando a recoger a su hijo para poder salir de la carretera. A las 8:30 p.m. el ejército no permitía el paso de vehículos hacia o desde Nuevo Laredo. El alcalde indicó en su declaración que al momento no había bloqueos dentro de la ciudad y desmintió rumores publicados en redes sociales. “Es preciso mencionar que hasta este momento no existen BLOQUEOS en la ciudad de calles o avenidas, lo anterior en virtud de que se menciona falsamente en redes sociales y algunos medios de comunicación que algunas vialidades están bloqueadas”, dice la declaración. A las 8:50 p.m. Canturosas publicó en Facebook que la Carretera Nacional Nuevo Laredo-México estaba abierta.

NUEVO LAREDO, MX

RÍO BRAVO, MX

Abuelitos cumplen años

Aseguran contenedores con combustible

E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

El Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) en Nuevo Laredo, México, celebró a 60 personas pertenecientes a la Casa Club del Adulto Mayor, por sus cumpleaños. Durante el convivio los abuelitos disfrutaron de una mañana llena de sorpresas, con actuaciones artísticas, regalos de recuerdo y un pastel que fue elaborado especialmente para la ocasión. El evento dio inicio con la participación del coro de abuelitos, los cuales interpretaron las tradicionales mañanitas, además de realizar un tributo al cantante Juan Gabriel al interpretar canciones del artista que falleció recientemente. Así mismo, los integrantes del club de

E SPECIAL PARA TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

Foto de cortesía | Sistema DIF

Un evento muy especial que incluyó la interpretación de bailes regionales y un tributo a Juan Gabriel, fue la que disfrutaron 60 abuelitos pertenecientes a la Casa Club del Adulto Mayor del Sistema DIF, en Nuevo Laredo, México, por la celebración de sus cumpleaños.

danza, presentaron bailes folklóricos de los principales estados de la república mexicana, luciendo trajes típicos de cada región. También hubo presentaciones individuales de cantantes que interpretaron boleros y canciones rancheras.

Belinda Serna de Canturosas, presidenta del Sistema DIF, está invitando a los adultos mayores a integrarse a la Casa Club del Adulto Mayor, en donde pueden mantenerse ocupados con distintas distracciones y actividades.

CD. VICTORIA, Tamaulipas – El Grupo de Coordinación Tamaulipas informó que el jueves, policías estatales de Fuerza Tamaulipas aseguraron en el municipio de Río Bravo dos contenedores con mil 500 litros de hidrocarburo en total, los cuales se encontraban sobre una camioneta abandonada. El aseguramiento se efectuó cuando los elementos de Fuerza Tamaulipas realizaban reconocimientos terrestres sobre la

calle Bugambilias, entre Azucena y Lirios de la colonia Infonavit Las Flores de ese municipio. En ese punto detectaron una camioneta pick up Ford F-150 sin placas, color negra y con una franja gris, la cual se hallaba abandonada y sobre ella, dos contenedores de mil litros cada uno, los que contenían un total de mil 500 litros de combustible. El hidrocarburo y el vehículo fueron trasladados a la delegación federal de la Procuraduría General de la República, donde quedaron a disposición de esa dependencia.

COLUMNA

Destruyen obra arquitectónica de Juan O’Gorman Por Raúl Sinencio Chávez TIEMP O DE ZAPATA

La Escuela Secundaria “Francisco Nicodemo” de Tampico quedó reducida a escombros. Nada importa que la proyectara Juan O’Gorman, quien da relevancia a la arquitectura y pintura mexicana del siglo XX. Patrimonio tangible del país, en vez de preservarla, con ella acaba la piqueta, dejándole el campo libre a la nueva sede. Hacia el norponiente del antiguo casco urbano de Tampico, el lote destinado al plantel de marras albergaba el primer cementerio, que en 1908 ediles porfirianos acuerdan desaparecer, no obstante su valía histórica.

Foto de cortesía

En esta foto de archivo se destaca la Escuela Secundaria “Francisco Nicodemo” de Tampico, México proyectada por Juan O’Gorman, quien da relevancia a la pintura y arquitetura mexicana del siglo XX. La escuela fue destruida pra dar lugar a la nueva sede.

Iba a cumplir 80 años la edificación instructiva. Creada ex profeso, siempre presta servicios de enseñanza. Otrora Escuela Prevocacional e

Industrial número 13, gusta el pueblo denominarla “Prevo” y egresan de ella diversas generaciones. Viejas fotografías la muestran con dos plantas

a lo ancho del predio, en cinco alas paralelas, de las cuales dos alcanzan máxima longitud. Comunicándolas entre sí, pasillos techados corren por el centro. Alta tapia delimita el área interior, bien distribuida. Al sur, proveída de jardines, enmarca una plazoleta el módulo de acceso, que rebasa la barda. De innovadora factura y líneas ágiles, el conjunto despliega elementos hasta entonces poco vistos en similares recintos. Dándoseles funcionabilidad y armonía, ocupan la parte norte del cuadrante salones, oficinas y talleres. Delimitadas por contiguas arterias viales, del lado opuesto las áreas verdes sirven de enlace con el

puerto de la entidad fronteriza. Ello remite a Juan O’Gorman. El corte funcionalista corresponde incluso al estilo que entretanto desarrolla, para economizar recursos presupuestarios en beneficio de sectores populares. Se apegan los trabajos relativos a cuidadosa lámina que él mismo traza. Curiosamente, al calce anota: “Escuela Primaria en Tampico”. Pero agrega: “Ubicada [en] calles de Hidalgo [y] A. Obregón”, justo donde el complejo docente cobra forma. Datan los bocetos de 1932. Tenemos entendido que el único proyecto fuera de ámbitos capitalinos lo dedica a Tamaulipas. O sea, el que ahora reseñamos.

A8 | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

NATIONAL Carlson settles lawsuit against Ailes for $20 million By David Bauder A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

NEW YORK — Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson settled her sexual harassment lawsuit against Roger Ailes for a reported $20 million and a public apology Tuesday, ending the case that triggered the downfall of the cable channel’s chief executive. Carlson alleged in a lawsuit filed two months ago that she was demoted and let go at Fox because she rejected Ailes’ sexual advances and complained about workplace harassment. In a statement, Fox parent company 21st Century Fox said: “We regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve.” Carlson was paid $20 million, according to a person familiar with the settlement who spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms of the agreement were confidential. Ailes did not pay any of the settlement, said his lawyer, Susan Estrich. Carlson, a former Miss America, spent several years on the “Fox & Friends” morning show before being shifted to the afternoon in 2013. She was told in June that her contract wasn’t being renewed. Carlson said she is ready to move on to the next chapter in her life and promised to work to help women in the workplace. She thanked “all the brave women” who came forward to tell their own stories and others

who supported her. “All women deserve a dignified and reCarlson spectful workplace,” she said. Ailes, 76, denied Carlson’s allegations when the lawsuit was filed. He had no comment Tuesday. Also Tuesday, Fox News announced the surprise departure of Greta Van Susteren from a nighttime lineup that has been one of the most successful and stable in cable news. Van Susteren, who would have marked 15 years with the network in January, said on Facebook that Fox “has not felt like home to me for a few years.” She did not elaborate. She has been temporarily replaced by Brit Hume. Carlson had alleged that Ailes told her in a meeting, “You and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time ago.” She said he ogled her, repeatedly commented about her legs and urged her to wear clothes that enhanced her figure. New York magazine reported last week that Carlson began taking her iPhone into meetings with Ailes in 2014 and secretly recording their conversations. Carlson’s case led 21st Century Fox to launch its own investigation, and other women came forward with stories of being sexually harassed by Ailes, including Fox News star Megyn Kelly. A few women told their stories publicly.

Minnesota man confesses to killing of Jacob Wetterling By Amy Forliti and Steve Karnowski ASSOCIATED PRE SS

MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota man confessed Tuesday to abducting and killing 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling nearly 27 years ago, recounting a crime that long haunted the state, and sharing chilling details that included a handcuffed Jacob asking him: “What did I do wrong?” Danny Heinrich, 53, of Annandale, made the admission as he pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge that will likely keep him locked up for 20 years, with civil commitment possible after that, meaning he could spend the rest of his life in custody. Asked whether he abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered Jacob, Heinrich said: “Yes, I did.” In the years after Jacob’s disappearance, his mother Patty became a nationally known advocate for missing children. A 1994 federal law named for Jacob requires states to establish sex offender registries. With Patty and Jacob’s father, Jerry Wetterling, in a packed courtroom, Heinrich described seeing Jacob, Jacob’s brother, and a friend bicycling down a rural road near Jacob’s central Minnesota home in St. Joseph the night of Oct. 22, 1989. Heinrich laid in wait for the three boys to return, and when they did, he put on a mask and confronted them with a revolver. He said he ordered them into a ditch and asked their

names and ages. Heinrich said he told the two other boys to run and not look back or he’d shoot. He said he then handcuffed Jacob and drove him to a gravel pit near Paynesville, where he molested him. Afterward, Jacob said he was cold, and Heinrich let him get dressed. Jacob then asked whether he was taking him home. “I said, ‘I can’t take you all the way home,”’ Heinrich said. “He started to cry. I said, ‘Don’t cry.”’ Heinrich said at some point a patrol car with siren and lights passing nearby caused him to panic. He said he pulled out his revolver, which had not been loaded, and put two rounds in the gun. He said he told Jacob to turn around. He held the gun to the boy’s head and pulled the trigger. The gun didn’t fire. Heinrich then fired two shots. After the second, Jacob fell to the ground. Some of Jacob’s family members cried openly as Heinrich calmly described the crime. Heinrich said he went home for a couple of hours, then went back to the gravel pit and buried Jacob about 100 yards away. He said he returned to the site about a year later and saw that Jacob’s jacket and some bones had become exposed. “I gathered up as much as I could and put it in the bag and transported it across the highway” to a field, and reburied the remains, he said. Heinrich led authorities to Jacob’s buried remains

Jerry Holt / Minneapolis Star Tribune

Patty Wetterling is consoled by her son Trevor during a press conference on Sept. 6 in Minneapolis.

in a central Minnesota field last week. His remains were identified Saturday. “It’s incredibly painful to know his last days, last hours, last minutes,” Patty Wetterling said after the guilty plea. “To us, Jacob was alive, until we found him.” Prosecutors said the Wetterling family was consulted on and approved the plea agreement, which required Heinrich to give a detailed confession and tell investigators where to find Jacob. As part of the plea agreement, Heinrich will not face state murder charges. U.S. Attorney Andy Luger defended the deal, describing Heinrich as a volatile man. He said defense attorneys came to prosecutors 10 days ago with the possibility of a confession, and prosecutors feared he’d change his mind. “He’s not getting away with anything. We got the truth. The Wetterling family will bring him home,” Luger said. Heinrich’s attorneys declined to comment after the hearing. Authorities named Heinrich as a person of interest in Jacob’s disappearance last October when they announced the child pornography charges. Heinrich had long been under investigators’ scrutiny. They first questioned him shortly after Jacob’s abduction, but he main-

tained his innocence and they never had enough evidence to charge him. They turned a renewed spotlight on him as part of a fresh look into Jacob’s abduction around its 25th anniversary. As part of that effort, investigators took another look at the sexual assault of 12-year-old Jared Scheierl, of Cold Spring, nine months before Jacob’s disappearance. Investigators had long suspected the two cases were connected. Using technology that wasn’t available in 1989, investigators found Heinrich’s DNA on Scheierl’s sweatshirt, and used that evidence to get a search warrant for Heinrich’s home, where they found a large collection of child pornography. The statute of limitations had expired for charging him in the assault on Scheierl, but a grand jury indicted him on 25 child pornography counts. As part of Tuesday’s plea deal, Heinrich also admitted to assaulting Scheierl. The AP typically doesn’t identify victims of sexual assault, but Scheierl has spoken publicly for years about his case, saying it helped him cope with the trauma and that he hoped it could help investigators find his attacker and Jacob’s kidnapper. Jacob’s abduction shattered childhood innocence for many rural Minnesotans, changing the way parents let their kids roam.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 |

BUSINESS

Defying downturn in coal, two new mines planned By Mead Gruver ASSOCIATED PRE SS

Richard Drew / AP

This May 23 photo shows a plate of lobster tails styled by Sarah Abrams at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.

European proposal to ban American lobsters to move forward By David Sharp A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

PORTLAND, Maine — The European Union will conduct a more extensive review of a proposal to ban lobsters imported from the U.S. and Canada after a scientific panel concluded Sweden raised valid points in its request to declare the American lobster an invasive species. The opinion of the European Union’s Scientific Forum on Invasive Alien Species sets in motion a broader review that also will take into account the opinions of North American officials, who’ve criticized the proposal to ban American lobsters. The international dispute started when Sweden announced it had found 32 American lobsters in the country’s waters earlier this year and that they pose a threat to native crustaceans. Lobstermen in the U.S. and Canada, which together export $200 million worth of lobster to EU countries each year, had hoped to stop the proposal before it moved any further. The congressional delegation in Maine, the nation’s lobster leader, issued a statement saying the EU’s actions represent an “unnecessary overreaction that would have devastating economic

effects on the American lobster industry that supports so many Mainers and their families.” A spokesman for the European Union stressed that the scientific panel’s conclusion is considered preliminary. The full review won’t be completed until spring at the earliest. The expanded review will include issues raised by scientists in the United States and Canada, and it’ll also consider economic impact and means of protecting native lobsters other than an outright ban, the European Union’s executive body said Tuesday in a statement. It’s unclear how the American lobsters ended up in Swedish waters. Sweden’s Agency for Marine and Water Management contends the country is right to be cautious about the appearance of a foreign species. The agency also says more research is needed into the impact of cross-breeding of American and European lobsters. But Robert S. Steneck, a University of Maine scientist, said there’s no evidence of successful reproduction resulting in new American or hybrid lobsters in Europe, possibly because of water temperatures or unsuitable nursery

habitat for American lobster. Steneck said the risk of American lobsters becoming invasive in Europe is “vanishingly small.” “I doubt there is evidence that the American lobster can increase in abundance to the point it creates measurable harm to the ecosystem or to humans. Those are the criteria on which ‘invasive species’ are defined,” Steneck said. The National Fisheries Institute, a U.S. seafood trade association, also criticized the EU actions. “You might get hit by a car crossing the street but that doesn’t mean the only way to avoid such risk is never crossing the street,” spokesman Gavin Gibbons said. “This is an attempt to supposedly introduce a zero-risk solution to an issue that numerous researchers have said is not a genuine scientific concern.” Maine lobstermen like Arnie Gamage Jr. question how the lobsters got into Swedish waters in the first place. He’s among those who believe they were illegally released. “It seems to me that they have a problem over there with people releasing things into the ocean. It’s their problem, not our problem,” he said.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Mines are closing and the coal industry is facing a run of bankruptcies and other bad news, but a company backed by a $90 million investment is defying conventional wisdom by preparing to open two new mines in Appalachia, the hardesthit coal region. The mines in West Virginia and Virginia will create some 400 jobs in counties where unemployment ranges close to three times the national average, Ramaco Development CEO Randall Atkins told The Associated Press. “It’s a fairly big deal, frankly, for southern West Virginia,” Atkins said. Low prices for natural gas and new pollution regulations are turning many utilities off coal as their fuel of choice for generating electricity. U.S. coal-fired power capacity is down 15 percent since 2011, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. This coal won’t be used for electricity but for steel manufacturing. Metallurgical coal prices are up lately due to a mix of international market factors. But Ramaco can make the mines work even at even fairly low prices, Atkins said. The Elk Creek Mine in southern West Virginia and the Berwind Mine spanning the boundary between southern West Virginia and Virginia will be operational for around 17 years. A $90 million private equity investment should enable test mining at both sites to begin early next year. Work on the Elk Creek Mine’s coal preparation plant will start even sooner, according to Kentuckybased Ramaco. “We will start construction at the Elk Creek property just as soon as we get all the equipment lined up there,” Atkins said. The company plans to begin talking with potential buyers in the next few weeks and could begin shipping coal under supply agreements in 2018, he said. Ramaco also has been seeking to open a mine in northern Wyoming that would supply coal to power plants for generating electricity. The Brook Mine proposal has been challenged in court by

Mead Gruver / AP file

In this Jan. 15, 2015, file photo, Ramaco, LLC, CEO Randall Atkins poses with a core sample from the planned site of a new coal mine near Sheridan in northern Wyoming.

another company claiming surface ownership rights in the area but the mine faces no significant regulatory obstacles yet. Over the past year, bankruptcy reorganizations by major companies including Alpha Natural Resources, Arch Coal and Peabody Energy have roiled the U.S. coal industry. Coal companies in Chapter 11 also mine much of the nation’s metallurgical coal, which is baked into a substance called coke that plays an important role in steel production. While heavy debts have haunted those companies, Ramaco is debt-free and will strive to keep costs down, Atkins said. “If we can control costs, the market will take care of itself. So even when you had a very low point in the market — which frankly we’ve had in the past 12 months — our cost is such that we would still be quite profitable,” Atkins said. Very thick coal seams will help control costs at the mines, which will be mostly underground but will include some surface and longwall operations as well, he added. Longwall mining uses huge machines to shear blocks of coal hundreds of feet long from the coal seam while allowing the roof behind the machinery to collapse. In Wyoming, the top coal-producing state, nearly all coal comes from open-pit mines but Ramaco plans to employ longwall mining at the relatively small Brook Mine. Ramaco has been working on development, plan-

ning and permitting at Elk Creek since acquiring the property in 2012. The company acquired the Burwind property in 2015, Atkins said. Long-term, Ramaco seeks to produce up to 4 million tons from the two mines per year. While many environmental groups have embarked on a unified “keep it in the ground” campaign for coal and other fossil fuels, a Republican congressman from southern West Virginia welcomed the news that new mines might be on the way. “Southern West Virginia needs jobs, and our families need the hope and promise that a paycheck brings,” U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins said in a release. Prices for high-quality U.S. metallurgical coal have fallen in recent years, from $300 per ton to below $100, but recently rebounded to around $140 amid production cuts in China, rising demand in India and supply interruptions in Australia, said James Stevenson, director of North American coal for analyst firm IHS. A metallurgical coal mine in Alabama formerly owned by bankrupt Walter Energy is set to reopen under new owner Warrior Met Coal, he noted. New life for metallurgical coal mining could become a trend if companies can lock in contracts at higher prices, he said. “It’s pretty slowly ramping up, but you’re going to see that kind of effect, where strong prices bring production,” Stevenson said.

A10 | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES

INTERNATIONAL

The giant panda is no longer endangered

Philippine president reaffirms his deadly anti-drug campaign

By Liam Stack NEW YORK TIME S

By Vijay Joshi A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

VIENTIANE, Laos — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte defiantly reaffirmed his controversial campaign against drugs Tuesday and called for a redoubling of crimefighting efforts across Southeast Asia as he prepared to face two prominent critics of his policy: President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon. “We shall not be cowed. We must press on,” he declared in a speech at a business and investment conference on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which he is attending. He called for increased use of intelligence gathering and more arrests. The summit has been overshadowed by his use of profane language toward Obama. Duterte also threatened earlier to pull the Philippines out of the United Nations over criticism of his crackdown on illegal drug trade that has led to a wave of extrajudicial killings. More than 2,000 people have been killed since June 30, when he took office after winning election on a promise to fight crime and corruption. On Wednesday he is to attend a gala dinner with both Obama and Ban, as well as join a meeting that the two leaders will have with ASEAN heads of state and government. Earlier Tuesday, Duterte expressed regret over his “son of a bitch” remark while referring to Obama, in a rare display of contrition by a politician whose wide arc of

Ye Aung Thu / Getty

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte attends a welcome dinner at the ASEAN Summit on Sept. 6.

profanities has unabashedly targeted world figures including the pope. In a statement read by his spokesman, Duterte said his “strong comments” in response to questions by a reporter “elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the U.S. president.” Duterte made the intemperate remarks Monday before flying to Laos. He had been scheduled to meet Obama separately on Tuesday, but the White House canceled the meeting. Even though Duterte’s statement did not amount to an apology, the expression of regret is unusual for the tough-talking former mayor, who is unapologetic about his manner of speech and liberally peppers casual statements with profanities. Duterte’s aides are likely to have realized there would be a price to pay for insulting the president of the United States. The U.S. is one of the Philippines’ largest trading partners and a key security ally in its fight against Muslim militants in the country’s south. Manila also needs Wash-

ington’s help in dealing with a more assertive China in the disputed South China Sea. The U.S. provides hundreds of millions of dollars in annual assistance to the Philippine military. Duterte likely had realized his folly by the time he arrived in the Laotian capital of Vientiane on Monday night. Speaking to reporters here, he said, “I do not want to quarrel with the most powerful country on the planet,” but immediately returned to his typical combative approach, saying: “Washington has been so liberal about criticizing human rights (abuses), human rights and human rights. How about you? I have so many questions also about human rights to ask you. So ... people who live in glass houses should not” throw stones. He said if the White House had problems with him, it could have sent him a diplomatic note and let him respond. “There’s a protocol for that,” Duterte said. “You just cannot shoot a statement against the president of any country.” But by Tuesday, he had done a complete U-turn in the tone of his statement.

The giant panda has long languished on the endangered species list, but an international monitoring group finally had some good news for it over the weekend. The pandas were removed from the endangered list, along with the Tibetan antelope. But the monitors issued a grim warning about the fate of the eastern gorilla, which has moved one step closer to extinction. It also said that the plains zebra has become “near threatened” because of hunting. The new designations were announced Sunday in a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a leading environmental group that tracks the status of plant and animal species. Giant pandas are national symbol in China, their native habitat, and the IUCN said Sunday that efforts by the Chinese government to reverse the slide of the population, using forest protection and reforestation, had been successful. The panda’s new designation is “vulnerable.” The conservation union said researchers have cautiously increased estimates of the panda population in every study since 1985, but data from the most recent survey conducted from 2011 to 2014 removed any uncertainty about the rebound by the species. That study found an estimated 1,864 giant pandas in the wild, not counting cubs younger than 18 months old. The one remaining source of concern, however, is a big one. The IUCN warned that climate change could destroy

Kin Cheung / AP file

In this Aug. 28, 2014 file photo, two of the one-month-old panda triplets receives a body check.

more than 35 percent of the animal’s bamboo habitat in the next 80 years, leaving its future in doubt. “Whereas the decision to downlist the giant panda to vulnerable is a positive sign confirming that the Chinese government’s efforts to conserve this species are effective, it is critically important that these protective measures are continued, and that emerging threats are addressed,” the group wrote in its giant panda assessment. China said it was less optimistic about the animal’s progress, however. The State Forestry Administration disputed the conservation group’s decision in a statement to The Associated Press, saying pandas struggle to reproduce in the wild and live in small groups spread widely apart. “If we downgrade their conservation status, or neglect or relax our conservation work, the populations and habitats of giant pandas could still suffer irreversible loss, and our achievements would be quickly lost,” the forestry administration told the AP. “Therefore, we’re not being alarmist by continuing to emphasize the panda species’ endangered status.” The eastern gorilla has

been a lot less lucky. The group changed the status of the species, one of the six great apes, from endangered to critically endangered after what it called “a devastating population decline” of more than 70 percent in the past 20 years. The species lives in the mountains and jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo, northwest Rwanda and southwest Uganda, and the group said long-term conflict in that part of Africa was responsible for the sharp decline in the gorilla’s numbers. The spread of firearms and militants in the wider region has also lead to an uptick in poaching and made it dangerous for conservation groups to access the area. The eastern gorilla is composed of two subspecies whose combined population is now estimated to be fewer than 5,000, the group said. One subspecies has fared better than the other. The estimated population of Grauer’s gorilla has declined by 77 percent since 1994, from 16,900 individuals to just 3,800 in 2015. The second subspecies, the mountain gorilla, has actually added to its numbers in recent years, the group said, but its population is still estimated to be only 880.

THE ZAPATA TIMES | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 |

A11

FROM THE COVER

Clinton: He’s a national Congress returns to battle over security danger. Zika, keep government open Trump: No, she is By Andrew Taylor ASSOCIATED PRE SS

By Ken Thomas and Steve Peoples A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Donald Trump said Tuesday night that Hillary Clinton’s handling of private emails disqualifies her to serve as president. His own temperament, Trump said, was his “single greatest asset” and not the national security danger that Clinton alleges. Trump’s charge, delivered to a packed crowd in swing state North Carolina, marked a pointed escalation of the Republican White House hopeful’s case against his Democratic challenger as both court military families in key Southern battlegrounds. Clinton, meanwhile, accused Trump of insulting America’s veterans and pressing dangerous military plans around the globe. Clinton, addressing supporters in Florida, warned that Trump would lead the nation back to war in the Middle East. And to military vets and their families, she pointed anew to his summertime dust-up with the Muslim parents of a slain American soldier. “His whole campaign has been one long insult to all those who have worn the uniform,” the Democratic nominee said at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Trump, trying emphasize his military support, released a letter from 88 retired generals and admirals citing an urgent need for a “course correction” in America’s national security policy. It was aimed at rebutting Clinton’s arguments that she would be best positioned to lead the military and reassuring Republicans who have openly worried that his provocative statements might undermine U.S. alliances.

“We believe that such a change can only be made by someone who has not been deeply involved with, and substantially responsible for, the hollowing out of our military and the burgeoning threats facing our country around the world,” the military leaders wrote. “For this reason, we support Donald Trump’s candidacy to be our next commander in chief.” Trump promoted the letter as he campaigned in Virginia and North Carolina on Tuesday, suggesting that he would rely on the generals to make up for his own lack of national security inexperience to take on the Islamic State group. He vowed to give military leaders a “simple instruction” soon after taking office: “They will have 30 days to submit to the Oval Office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating ISIS.” Clinton pushed back, saying Trump has lagged in securing key military supporters compared to past Republican nominees including John McCain and Mitt Romney. She pointed to her endorsements from retired Marine Gen. John Allen, who blasted Trump at the Democratic National Committee, and former CIA deputy director Mike Morell. “They know they can count on me to be the kind of commander in chief who will protect our country and our troops, and they know they cannot count on Donald Trump,” Clinton said en route to Florida. “They view him as a danger and a risk.” The conflicting messages came as the candidates prepared to appear at an MSNBC forum Wednesday night on national security. It could serve as a warm-up to their highly-anticipated first presidential debate on Sep. 26.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers returning to Washington after a seven-week break picked up right where they left off — feuding about legislation to battle the mosquitoborne Zika virus and deadlocked over the defense budget. A tightening presidential race and pitched warfare for control of the Senate this November promise to overshadow whatever Congress accomplishes in an electionshortened September session — which, for now, looks like little more than a temporary government-wide spending bill to prevent a shutdown at month’s end, possibly linked to money to battle Zika. In its first vote Tuesday, Senate Democrats for the third time blocked a $1.1 billion Zika funding package and an accompanying Veterans Administration spending bill over restrictions on Planned Parenthood. They were poised to vote to prevent the Senate from turning to a $576 billion Pentagon spending measure. “It’s hard to explain why — despite their own calls for funding — Senate Democrats decided to block a bill that could help keep pregnant women and babies safer from Zika,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “It’s also hard to explain why — despite the array of terror attacks we’ve seen across the world — Senate Democrats decided to block a bill that could help keep the American people safer from threats.” Democrats oppose the Zika

Al Drago / New York Times

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, head to the Senate floor for a vote, on Capitol Hill, Sept. 6.

measure as it bars Planned Parenthood clinics in Zikasuffering Puerto Rico from receiving new money to treat the disease and curb its spread. The legislation also would ease, over the objections of environmentalists, permitting requirements for pesticide spraying to kill the mosquitoes that can spread the virus. Republicans added those provisions to the measure in June, along with spending cuts to help pay for the Zika bill, saying they are reasonable priorities that reflect their control of the House and Senate. The Zika threat hasn’t gripped the public as Ebola did two years ago, but pressure is building as dozens of mosquito-transmitted Zika cases have been confirmed in the political battleground state of Florida since lawmakers left Washington in July. The defense bill, meanwhile, is caught in a furious battle sparked by a Republican move to use emergency war funds to try to artificially increase the basic Pentagon budget by $16 billion next

year. The Obama administration and its Democratic allies on Capitol Hill are dead set against the idea, which breaks with a hard-won budget deal that’s less than a year old; they say that if Republicans want more money for defense, domestic programs will have to receive an equal boost. The defense battle won’t be resolved until after Election Day, but Tuesday’s vote on Zika should send the warring parties back to the drawing board, and it appears likely that the provision targeting Planned Parenthood — and perhaps the underlying $95 million worth of social services grants — will have to be dropped from the measure. “We’re going to work through these issues and I’m sure we’ll have a successful outcome to make sure just that the trains are running on time,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told hometown radio host Stan Milam of AM 1380 in Janesville on Tuesday. On the Zika virus, which has spread over the summer and is linked to birth defects, Ryan said, “I do believe we’ll find some kind of resolution.”

Obama vows to work to tighten sanctions on North Korea By Josh Lederman A S S OCIAT E D PRE SS

VIENTIANE, Laos — In the wake of another missile launch, President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday to work with the United Nations to tighten sanctions against North Korea, but added that the U.S. was still open to dialogue if the government changes course. Obama signaled the U.S. would redouble its effort to choke off North Korea’s access to international currency and technology by tightening loopholes in the current sanctions regime. Obama called the series of ballistic missile launches “provocations” that flouted international law and would only lead to further isolation. “We are going to work diligently together with

SECURITY From page A1 said the state is unduly militarizing the border by using National Guard troops on temporary deployment. Supporters of increased state spending have countered that they have no option because the federal government has declined to secure the border, especially two years ago, when a flood of children and families overwhelmed federal patrols. Legislative leaders said last week that they had not yet seen the details of the request but predicted that the increase promises to spark intense debate and questions as state revenues are expected to fall at least $5 billion short. The drop is the result of a sluggish economy caused by the decline in oil prices and related downturn in tax collections and the outcome of a shift in general sales tax revenues from myriad state programs to transportation infrastructure work. Sen. John Whitmire, chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee Chairman

the most recent U.N. sanctions,” Obama told reporters after meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye. “We’re going to work together to make sure we’re closing loopholes and make them even more effective.” North Korea fired three ballistic missiles off its east coast Monday, a launch that was widely viewed as a show of force timed to get the attention of world leaders visiting the region for a series of summits. Obama and other heads of state gathered in China over the weekend for the Group of 20 economic summit. Obama went on to the Lao capital for a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday strongly condemned the North Korean launches

Stephen Crowley / New York Times

President Barack Obama speaks at the Laos National Cultural Hall in Vientiane, Laos, Sept. 6.

and threatened “further significant measures” if it refuses to stop its nuclear and missile tests. The U.N.’s most powerful body agreed to the statement hours after a closed-door emergency meeting called by the United States, Japan and South Korea. The council

John Whitmire, a Houston Democrat, and border lawmakers raised issues last legislative session about whether border security spending could be sustained over the long term. “At some point in time, you have to balance what this state is spending on the border with other critical needs we have — and this may be when that happens,” Whitmire, D-Houston, said last week. “I can tell you that crime problems at the border don’t stay at the border,” Whitmire said. “Human trafficking, dope smuggling, cartel gangs, they end up in Houston and Dallas and San Antonio and Austin and other cities. Security at the border is important, but so is security in our cities.” Anticipating that the Legislature will have less-thanexpected revenues when it starts writing a new twoyear budget in 2017, top state officials — Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus — in June asked all state agencies to submit proposed budgets that were 4 percent less than their current spending. Border security was exempted.

gave no indication of what “further significant measures” it might take. The White House noted the U.S. remains committed to moving ahead with the planned deployment of a major antimissile system in South Korea. China has urged South Korea and the U.S.

Since then, many agencies have submitted requests arguing that they need the 4 percent cut restored to ensure public safety or to keep from damaging key programs. DPS officials made the same pitch in their request for a two-year budget that totals just under $2 billion. Immigration and other advocacy groups that have been critical of border security spending questioned the proposed billion-dollar price tag, after Texas more than doubled its spending to almost $800 million in 2015. “If DPS tells us where they spent the first $800 million, which they haven’t done so far, then we can talk about the billion they want now,” said Terri Burke, executive director of the Houston-based American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, a long-standing critic of the border enforcement spending. “Why don’t they give that money to local lawenforcement agencies to do the enforcement … We’ve got a foster care system in Texas that’s completely broken, so why not spend a billion to fix it? Or how about trying to prevent so many women

to scrap the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, saying it is merely meant to spy on the China. Park told reporters Tuesday that North Korea missile program is “fundamentally threatening the security” of the Korean Peninsula and both leaders defended its position as defensive. Obama suggested they would continue to push China, North Korea’s chief ally in the region, to use its influence to intervene and to crack down on North Korea’s use of front companies and other entities to work around the sanctions. Obama raised the issue in his meeting Saturday, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said. “We have over many years seen North Korea try to find ways to evade

from dying in child birth? Or how about investing a billion on the many other programs in this state that are so drastically underfunded?” Of the additional spending, the plan shows $97.1 million would go to hire the additional 250 troopersto patrol the border area, $65.8 million to replace highmaintenance vehicles, $39.4 million to replace the two helicopters and four airplanes used in surveillance and interdiction of bordercrossers, $36.8 million for operation and maintenance of a statewide radio system, and smaller amounts for intelligence and counterterrorism operations, “communications command platforms” and “cybersecurity tools and support.” DPS director Steve McCraw has touted the border security program as key to thwarting international drug cartels from spreading crimes across Texas, as well as combatting potential terrorist threats. Aides to Gov. Abbott, who has supported adding the additional 250 state troopers at the border, had no comment about the DPS plan.

sanctions, try to find ways to access foreign currency, try to find ways to access sensitive technologies using frontcompanies for their activities. So we have to be very vigilant in terms of enforcement and we have to maintain the sense of urgency among the international community,” Rhodes said. Even as Obama promised a tougher stance, he did not close off the possibility for dialogue with North Korea, if it were to change course. “If it is willing to recognize its international obligations and enforce the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the opportunities for us to dialogue with them are there,” Obama said. “We do not have any interest in an offensive approach to North Korea.”

STAAR From page A1 Isaac suggested “schools be given the freedom to choose from a variety of nationally normed standardized tests.” “School districts should not be hampered by an inefficient and ineffective system,” Isaac said. “Adding a dose of free-market philosophy to education by allowing a variety of standardized test options can only drive down costs and improve quality.” Isaac told The Texas Tribune he will file legislation next year that would allow school districts to use something like the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills instead of STAAR. He filed a similar bill in 2013. Last year, Isaac co-authored a bill that passed overwhelmingly requiring that 85 percent of elementary and middle school students be able to complete STAAR exams within two or three hours (two hours for third through fifth grade; three hours for sixth through eighth grade.) House Bill 743 took effect last June. A group of parents is suing the education agency, alleging it did not comply with the law this year. “I hope my colleagues will join me when the 85th Legislative Session convenes in seeking transformational changes that will ensure that testing is a benefit, not a burden, to Texas’ students, teachers, and families,” Isaac said. The legislative session begins in January.

A12 | Wednesday, September 7, 2016 | THE ZAPATA TIMES