An editorial against the S.A.V.E. Act

Just by chance I found this editorial on the S.A.V.E. act:

EDITORIAL: Stop scapegoating immigrants!

Author: PWW/NM Editorial Board


People's Weekly World Newspaper
Chester County PA
03/27/08 15:40

The Republican leaders in Congress and the Bush administration continue trying to score points in an election year by using undocumented immigrants as scapegoats for their owned failed policies.

The GOP House leadership, abetted by a few Democrats, is pushing the viciously anti-immigrant HR 4088, the SAVE Act. They are trying to get enough signatures on a “discharge petition” so that this ill-considered legislation can skip committee hearings and be voted on directly on the House floor.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced that he is going ahead with plans to use the records of the Social Security Administration as an immigration enforcement tool. He intends to require employers to fire all employees who cannot clear up discrepancies involving their Social Security numbers within 90 days.

Chertoff’s announcement came as a federal judge was getting ready to hear arguments in a suit brought by the AFL-CIO, the ACLU and others aimed at stopping the Chertoff plan. They say such a use of Social Security files is not authorized by law and will do irreparable harm to millions.

The SAVE Act and the Chertoff policy will cost the jobs of not only countless immigrant workers, but also the huge numbers of U.S. citizens who, it is already recognized, have errors in their Social Security files.

Neither the GOP congressional leadership nor Chertoff or Bush plan to add a single government worker to deal with the vast extra burden that their policies would put on the Social Security system. Could it be that the inevitable chaos will be used to “prove” that it is necessary to privatize Social Security?

The federal judge should rule in favor of the AFL-CIO suit, and the American public should contact their elected representatives and demand that they reject the SAVE Act and the 1,600-plus anti-immigrant bills that have been introduced at state and local levels. Then we need to fight for real immigration reform, based on the legalization of all undocumented workers, and oust this vicious and irresponsible GOP crowd from power in November.

for link to PWWN click the title of this post

A few details on S.A.V.E. and the Discharge Petition

Below we posted a commentary from Politico's The Crypt that responds to the magazine's article on the S.A.V.E. Act.

The media continues to avoid publishing anything on H.B. 4088

One thing lacking in this comment is compassion.

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A discharge petition circumvents the legislative process by "discharging" the bill from the committee with jurisdiction and preventing amendments. This is a back-door approach to legislating that undermines the democratic process and shortchanges the public. Instead of systematically addressing the problems in the broken immigration system, the SAVE Act throws more money at the border, mandates use of a flawed employer verification system, and spends more taxpayer dollars on prosecuting and removing needed workers. It simply pushes the much bigger problems under the rug. Not ONCE in this entire argument has ANYONE (Congress Members, Editorial writers, etc) given some serious thought and argument to THE ROOT CAUSES of why immigrants come to the U.S. in the first place: unfair, unethical trade agreements that force down the price of the only goods that they used to survive in the first place, and leave them without jobs or means to provide for their family. If you want to address the immigration issues in this country, you need to start taking a good look at the very legislation that this country enacts and that the president signs into law that causes immigrants to come here in the first place. Is is really a coincidence that the past 15 years have seen a stead increase of immigrants? (NAFTA was enacted in 1994).

Posted By: MMD | March 12, 2008 at 06:56 PM

for link to this comment click the title of this post

Saving the U.S. from the S.A.V.E. ACT

This is just a reminder to our readers that dreamacttexas has four posts regarding the save act, Saving the U.S. from the S.A.V.E. ACT part I, II, III, IV from March 26, 2008

An open letter to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times

It is reprehensible that you, as the most important newspaper media outlets in the country have not been informing the American people about the S.A.V.E. ACT (HB 4088) - that is currently being discussed in Congress.

There is no legitimate excuse for keeping this information a secret. Is your concern that if you publicize this, the nation will react with numerous protest marches (again)? Are you not wanting to receive the thousands of emails and phone calls from irate Americans who want all undocumented immigrants sent back to their home countries? Or are you worried about more death threats like the ones you received when you covered the congressional discussion on immigration last summer (2007)?

It is clear that one of the best ways to get an unethical bill passed is to keep it secret. You still have a chance to redeem yourself. Congress goes back into session in a few days - there is still time to send out your reporters. Just remember, if you let the S.A.V.E. ACT happen, you could get arrested for giving your babysitter a ride home.

Marie Theresa Hernandez

More on the Secret S.A.V.E. ACT

Congress goes back into session in three days -

Concerned about the lack of media coverage of the S.A.V.E. ACT - the pending immigration bill that would make U.S. citizens vulnerable to prison sentences if they gave an undocumented person a ride in their car --

I looked up the S.A.V.E. ACT and HB 4088 in Lexus Nexus* - under newspapers, blogs, newscasts and web publications - using the last month as a time-line. The small article below from a newswire service is the only thing I found. Interesting that Lexus Nexus didn't mention "The Road to Dystopia" published in the NYT on March 13, 2008. See our post from that date: "The Frightening Thought of HB 4088"

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DRAKE FILES DISCHARGE PETITION ON S.A.V.E. ACT BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD ENHANCE BORDER SECURITY AND ENFORCEMENT

States News Service
March 12, 2008
WASHINGTON

The following information was released by the office of Virginia Rep. Thelma Drake:

U.S. Representative Thelma Drake (R-Va.) today filed a discharge petition aimed at bringing the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act to the House floor for a vote. Once 218 Members sign the discharge petition, the bill will be brought directly to the floor for a vote. The SAVE Act is a bipartisan bill that will secure America's borders by adding 8,000 new Border Patrol agents and utilizing new technology and infrastructure at the border. The SAVE Act also makes the E-Verify system mandatory for employers to ensure that new workers are compliant with U.S. immigration laws and enhances interior enforcement by increasing the investigative abilities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Finally, the SAVE Act calls for DHS, in consultation with the heads of other Federal agencies, as well as state, local and tribal governments, to create one national strategy to secure our nation's borders. The SAVE Act has strong bipartisan support; the bill has over 140 co-sponsors, including 93 Republicans and 48 Democrats.

"I call on all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting a vote on the SAVE Act," said Rep. Drake. "The SAVE Act is a bipartisan bill that offers concrete solutions to stop the flow of illegal aliens through our borders. It is time for Congress to put aside partisan politics and start addressing the national security problems posed by our porous borders."

http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.lib.uh.edu/us/lnacademic/search/homesubmitForm.do
accessed March 28, 2008

* Lexus Nexus, which focuses on media coverage is a search engine used by academics and university students.

The Secret S.A.V.E. ACT: Why isn't the LA City Council Press Release in the LA Times?

There is continuing silence from the media on HB4088 - the S.A.V.E. ACT. There is no mention of the LA City Council's press release on March 26 announcing their resolution against the S.A.V.E. ACT.

I recently saw a headline that said immigration wasn't being mentioned in the presidential campaigns these days. Maybe its not because the media seems to think that HB4088 doesn't exist - This is very convenient - if there is little said about it in the media there will be fewer people aware of it coming... and fewer people to protest against it.

Remember when they passed the Patriot Act? That went under our noses also, and look how it has affected our lives.

Saving the U.S. from the S.A.V.E. Act - part IV

As I look at this bill more closely, I am amazed that we (as Americans) have been so complacent about it. Is this the kind of country we want?


check out the 2 following clauses from the Subtitle E - Other Border Security Initiatives:

(iii) transports or moves that individual in the United States, in furtherance of their unlawful presence;

(ii) if the offense involved the transit of the defendant's spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or niece or nephew, and the offense is not described in any of clauses (iii) through (vii), be fined under title 18, United States Code or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both;

What this means is if you give a ride to an undocumented person or their family member you can be fined and/or imprisoned for up to one year
____

HB4088

Subtitle E--Other Border Security Initiatives

SEC. 141. ALIEN SMUGGLING AND TERRORISM PREVENTION.

(a) Checks Against Terrorist Watchlist- The Department of Homeland Security shall check against all available terrorist watchlists those alien smugglers and smuggled individuals who are interdicted at the land, air, and sea borders of the United States.

(b) Strengthening Prosecution and Punishment of Alien Smugglers- Section 274(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324(a)) is amended--

(1) by amending the subsection heading to read as follows: `Smuggling of Unlawful and Terrorist Aliens- ';

(2) by redesignating clause (iv) of paragraph (1)(B) as clause (vii);

(3) in paragraph (1), by striking `(1)(A)' and all that follows through clause (iii) of subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:

`(1)(A) Whoever, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an individual is an alien who lacks lawful authority to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowingly--

`(i) brings that individual to the United States in any manner whatsoever regardless of any future official action which may be taken with respect to such alien;

`(ii) recruits, encourages, or induces that individual to come to, enter, or reside in the United States;

`(iii) transports or moves that individual in the United States, in furtherance of their unlawful presence; or

`(iv) harbors, conceals, or shields from detection the individual in any place in the United States, including any building or any means of transportation, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be punished as provided in subparagraph (C).

`(B) Whoever, knowing that an individual is an alien, brings that individual to the United States in any manner whatsoever at a place other than a designated port of entry or place other than as designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security, regardless of whether such alien has received prior official authorization to come to, enter, or reside in the United States and regardless of any future official action which may be taken with respect to such alien, or attempts or conspires to do so, shall be punished as provided in subparagraph (C).

`(C) A violator of this paragraph shall, for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs--

`(i) unless the offense is otherwise described in another clause of this subparagraph, be fined under title 18, United States Code or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both;

`(ii) if the offense involved the transit of the defendant's spouse, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or niece or nephew, and the offense is not described in any of clauses (iii) through (vii), be fined under title 18, United States Code or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both;

`(iii) if the offense is a violation of paragraphs (1)(A)(ii), (iii), or (iv), or paragraph (1)(B), and was committed for the purpose of profit, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, be fined under title 18, United States Code or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both;

`(iv) if the offense is a violation of paragraph (1)(A)(i) and was committed for the purpose of profit, commercial advantage, or private financial gain, or if the offense was committed with the intent or reason to believe that the individual unlawfully brought into the United States will commit an offense against the United States or any State that is punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year, be fined under title 18, United States Code, and imprisoned, in the case of a first or second violation, not less than 3 nor more than 10 years, and for any other violation, not less than 5 nor more than 15 years; and

`(v) if the offense results in serious bodily injury (as defined in section 1365 of title 18, United States Code) or places in jeopardy the life of any person, be fined under title 18, United States Code or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both;

`(vi) if the offense involved an individual who the defendant knew was engaged in or intended to engage in terrorist activity (as defined in section 212(a)(3)(B)), be fined under title 18, United States Code or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both; and';

(4) in the clause (vii) so redesignated by paragraph (2) of this subsection (which now becomes clause (vii) of the new subparagraph (C))--

(A) by striking `in the case' and all that follows through `(v) resulting' and inserting `if the offense results'; and

(B) by inserting `and if the offense involves kidnapping, an attempt to kidnap, the conduct required for aggravated sexual abuse (as defined in section 2241 without regard to where it takes place), or an attempt to commit such abuse, or an attempt to kill, be fined under such title or imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both' after `or both'; and

(5) by striking existing subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) (without affecting the new subparagraph (C) added by the amendments made by this Act) and all that follows through paragraph (2) and inserting the following:

`(2)(A) There is extraterritorial jurisdiction over the offenses described in paragraph (1).

`(B) In a prosecution for a violation of, or an attempt or conspiracy to violate subsection (a)(1)(A)(i), (a)(1)(A)(ii), or (a)(1)(B), that occurs on the high seas, no defense based on necessity can be raised unless the defendant--

`(i) as soon as practicable, reported to the Coast Guard the circumstances of the necessity, and if a rescue is claimed, the name, description, registry number, and location of the vessel engaging in the rescue; and

`(ii) did not bring, attempt to bring, or in any manner intentionally facilitate the entry of any alien into the land territory of the United States without lawful authority, unless exigent circumstances existed that placed the life of that alien in danger, in which case the reporting requirement set forth in clause (i) of this subparagraph is satisfied by notifying the Coast Guard as soon as practicable after delivering the alien to emergency medical or law enforcement personnel ashore.

`(C) It is a defense to a violation of, or an attempt or conspiracy to violate, clause (iii) or (iv) of subsection (a)(1)(A) for a religious denomination having a bona fide nonprofit, religious organization in the United States, or the agents or officer of such denomination or organization, to encourage, invite, call, allow, or enable an alien who is present in the United States to perform the vocation of a minister or missionary for the denomination or organization in the United States as a volunteer who is not compensated as an employee, notwithstanding the provision of room, board, travel, medical assistance, and other basic living expenses, provided the minister or missionary has been a member of the denomination for at least one year.

`(D) For purposes of this paragraph and paragraph (1)--

`(i) the term `United States' means the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States; and

`(ii) the term `lawful authority' means permission, authorization, or waiver that is expressly provided for in the immigration laws of the United States or the regulations prescribed under those laws and does not include any such authority secured by fraud or otherwise obtained in violation of law or authority that has been sought but not approved.'.

for link to the Thomas Congressional Record click the title of this post

Saving the U.S. from the S.A.V.E. Act - part III

Statistics that influenced recommendations for the S.A.V.E. ACT came from the data provided by the 2006 Federal Court Management Statistics which are issued by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.

As we know, after the Gonzalez debacle, the U.S. Judicial system is only semi-functional (at best) - what type of competency can we expect in these matters? There is also doubt behind the validity of the information since the Bush Administration is not known for it's accuracy.


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HB4088

SEC. 305. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings- Based on the recommendations made by the 2007 Judicial Conference and the statistical data provided by the 2006 Federal Court Management Statistics (issued by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts), the Congress finds the following:

(1) Federal courts along the southwest border of the United States have a greater percentage of their criminal caseload affected by immigration cases than other Federal courts.

(2) The percentage of criminal immigration cases in most southwest border district courts totals more than 49 percent of the total criminal caseloads of those districts.

(3) The current number of judges authorized for those courts is inadequate to handle the current caseload.

(4) Such an increase in the caseload of criminal immigration filings requires a corresponding increase in the number of Federal judgeships.

(5) The 2007 Judicial Conference recommended the addition of judgeships to meet this growing burden.

(6) The Congress should authorize the additional district court judges necessary to carry out the 2007 recommendations of the Judicial Conference for district courts in which the criminal immigration filings represented more than 49 percent of all criminal filings for the 12-month period ending September 30, 2006.

for link to Thomas Congressional Report click the title of this post

Saving the U.S. from the S.A.V.E. Act - part II

In this section of the bill, there is a request for 8,000 additional immigration detention beds -

There is also a recommendation that ICE "contract private facilities" for efficiency and reduced liability.

The request for more detention beds is confusing since it seemed like the U.S. wanted undocumented immigrants to leave the U.S. - but having more detention facilities would keep people here.

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SEC. 304. INCREASED DETENTION FACILITIES FOR ALIENS APPREHENDED FOR ILLEGAL ENTRY.

(a) In General- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make arrangements for the availability of 8,000 additional beds for detaining aliens taken into custody by immigration officials.

(b) Implementation- Efforts shall be made to--

(1) contract private facilities whenever possible to promote efficient use and to limit the Federal Government's maintenance of and liability for additional infrastructure;

(2) utilize State and local facilities for the provision of additional beds; and

(3) utilize BRAC facilities or active duty facilities.

(c) Construction- The Department of Homeland Security shall construct facilities as necessary to meet the remainder of the 8,000 new beds to be provided.

(d) Family Detention Facility- To further meet the special needs of detained families, the Department of Homeland Security shall retain or construct a family detention facility, similar to the T. Don Hutto Family Residential Facility, offering no less than 500 beds.

(e) Responsibilities- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall be responsible for providing humane conditions, health care and nutrition, psychological services, and education for minors.

(f) Authorization- All funds necessary to accomplish the directives within this section are authorized to be appropriated.

for link to the Thomas Congressional Report click the title of this post

Saving the U.S. from the S.A.V.E. Act - part I

There is still very little information out on HB 4088 the impending immigration bill - As mentioned before it would be an arbitrary law - that appears draconian in every way. Today I checked the NYT, and the Washington Post - there was nothing published on the bill. In order to make HB4088 - the S.A.V.E. act less secret - I will be posting information from the Thomas Congressional Report.


from the S.A.V.E. ACT:

SEC. 307. MEDIA CAMPAIGN.

(a) In General- The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop strategies to inform the public of changes in immigration policies created by provisions in this legislation.

(b) Notification of Changes to Employment Verification Process- The Secretary of Labor shall employ, at his or her discretion, a combination of print, television, internet, and radio media to notify employers of changes to the employment verification process. These multilingual media campaigns should be targeted toward non-citizen communities and those most likely to employ non-citizens. Announcements should encourage compliance with new legislation and should explain penalties for noncompliance with provisions within this Act.

(c) Multilingual Media Campaign- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall also develop a multilingual media campaign explaining the extent of this legislation, the timelines therein, and the penalties for noncompliance with this Act. Announcements should be targeted toward undocumented aliens and should emphasize--

(1) provisions in this Act that enhance border security and interior enforcement;

(2) the benefits of voluntary removal of undocumented aliens;

(3) punishment for apprehension and forced removal of undocumented aliens; and

(4) legal methods of reentering the United States, including temporary work visas.

(d) Cooperation With Other Governments- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make all reasonable attempts to cooperate with the Governments of Mexico and the countries of Central America in implementing a media campaign that raises awareness of the issues in paragraph (2).

for link to Library of Congress/Thomas web page click the title of this post

Discharge Petition on HB 4088

C-Span's definition of "Discharge Petition:" starts a process to force a bill out of committee. A successful petition requires the signatures of 218 members, which is a majority of the House.

The bill 4088 is very similar to the bill presented by the House of Representatives in early 2006. As mentioned before on this blog - the media seems to have made a pact with the devil - they are leaving the news about 4088 under the table.

Hopefully, the people involved with 4088 are pushing the bill so that they can seem tough to their anti-immigrant constituents - they might be thinking its the only hope they have when November comes - since it is clear that the GOP will be going down the tubes (at least for a while).

The list below is that of Representatives who signed the petition on 4088 (s.a.v.e. bill)

Is your favorite Representative on this list? If so, you might want to question how they view humanity - if they are supporting (and endorsing) HB4088 they are wanting something very harsh to come down on the U.S. See dreamacttexas posts "The Gravity of HB4088" from March 19, 2008 and "Explaining the S.A.V.E. Act (HB 4088) from March 13, 2008.

Discharge Petition on HB 4088 signed by the following Members:

Thelma D. Drake, Brian P. Bilbray, Lynn A. Westmoreland, Tom Davis, Bill Shuster, Jo Bonner, Peter J. Roskam, Mike Pence, Roy Blunt, Charles W. Dent, Mac Thornberry. Jeff Miller, Terry Everett. Thomas G. Tancredo, Heath Shuler, Ginny Brown-Waite, Steve Buyer, Eric Cantor, Michael C. Burgess, Virginia Foxx, Gus M. Bilirakis, Jeb Hensarling, Joe Wilson, Jean Schmidt, Jim Gerlach, David Davis, Paul C. Broun, Gene Taylor, Tim Walberg, John Campbell, Mike Ferguson, Dean Heller, Thaddeus G. McCotter, Ted Poe, Kevin Brady, Darrell E. Issa, Charles W. Boustany, Jr., Rodney Alexander, Michael R. Turner, Todd Russell Platts, Phil English, Tom Cole, Frank R. Wolf, Edward R. Royce, Mary Fallin, Randy Neugebauer, Marilyn N. Musgrave, Candice S. Miller, Mary Bono Mack, Connie Mack, Jim Jordan, John Abney Culberson, J. Randy Forbes, John Kline, Steve King, Bob Inglis, Joe Knollenberg, Jim Saxton, Peter Hoekstra, Brad Ellsworth, F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., Ron Lewis, Jerry Weller, Kay Granger, Patrick T. McHenry, K. Michael Conaway, Walter B. Jones, Jo Ann Emerson, Michele Bachmann, J. Gresham Barrett, Ray LaHood, John Barrow, Lee Terry, Dana Rohrabacher, Harold Rogers, John J. Duncan, Jr., John B. Shadegg, Daniel E. Lun- gren, Nick Lampson, Joseph R. Pitts, Sue Wilkins Myrick, Barbara Cubin, Geoff Davis, Robin Hayes, Christopher H. Smith, Virgil H. Goode, Jr., Henry E. Brown, Jr., Mark Steven Kirk, Lamar Smith, Ken Calvert, Bob Goodlatte, Christopher Shays, Judy Biggert, Todd Tiahrt, Nathan Deal, Michael N. Castle, Robert E. Latta, Ric Keller, David G. Reichert, Kenny Marchant, Jim McCrery, Robert J. Wittman, John Boozman, John R. Carter, Donald A. Manzullo, Sam Graves, Ander Crenshaw, Doug Lamborn, Scott Garrett, Tom Feeney, Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, Cliff Stearns, Paul Ryan, Dave Weldon, Tim Murphy, Kenny C. Hulshof, Jack Kingston, Steven C. LaTourette, Marsha Blackburn, Mike McIntyre, Dan Burton, Duncan Hunter, Nancy E. Boyda. Michael T. McCaul, Greg Walden, Jerry Lewis, David Dreier, Trent Franks, Heather Wilson, Rick Renzi, Jeff Fortenberry, Phil Gingrey, Pete Sessions, John Sullivan, W. Todd Akin, Zach Wamp, Tom Price, John Linder, Adrian Smith, Kevin McCarthy, John L. Mica, John A. Boehner, Frank D. Lucas, Jerry Moran, Ed Whitfield, Adam H. Putnam, Howard Coble, Gary G. Miller, Roscoe G. Bartlett, Louie Gohmert, Dave Camp, C. W. Bill Young, Wayne T. Gilchrest, Elton Gallegly, Ralph M. Hall, John E. Peterson, Peter T. King, Thomas E. Petri. Sam Johnson, Steve Chabot, Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, John T. Doolittle. Stevan Pearce, Vern Buchanan, Wally Herger, Chris Cannon, Rob Bishop, John Shimkus, Mike Pence, Robert B. Aderholt, Michael K. Simpson, Ralph Regula, Jim Ramstad, Jon C. Porter. Dennis R. Rehberg, Tom Latham. Spencer Bachus, Joe Barton, Joe Donnelly, Christopher P. Carney. and Jeff Flake.

click title of this post for link to Thomas Report on 4088

Is HR 4088 a secret?

I have checked a number of newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle and the LA Times, and see NO mention of HR 4088.  Is there some kind of agreement among the media to give this bill a low profile?

It is ironic that Bill Gates is going to testify again re: HB1 visas, when across the hall our honorable Congressmen are working on deporting everybody.

---March 11, 2008, 2:33PM
Bill on Capitol Hill: Gates Wants Visas
By DIBYA SARKAR AP Business Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Bill Gates is coming back to Capitol Hill with the same wish list he's had for years: more visas for highly skilled workers, more math, science and engineering in schools and more money for technology investment.

On Wednesday, Gates' scheduled testimony before the House Science and Technology Committee will amplify the call for major overhauls in education and immigration laws to help the U.S. technology industry stay competitive globally...

"We have to welcome the great minds in this world, not shut them out of our country," Gates said last year in testimony. "Unfortunately, our immigration policies are driving away the world's best and brightest precisely when we need them most."

[Jack Krumholtz, Microsoft Corp.'s managing director for government affairs]... thinks the changing political climate makes for a more responsive audience this time around...

for complete AP -Houston Chronicle article click the title of this post