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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visited Walter Reed Medical Center on Saturday, where the President awarded the Purple Heart to a wounded soldier. Trump presented the medal to Sgt. First Class Alvaro Barrientos and thanked him on behalf of himself and the first lady. Barrientos’ wife, Tammy, was present for the short ceremony. “When I heard about this, I wanted to do this myself,” Trump said as he placed the Purple Heart on the soldier’s lapel. “Congratulations. Tremendous.” The Purple Heart is awarded to American service members who are wounded or killed in combat. Barrientos was recently...

Ernesto "Che" Guevara's famous beret is gone. His iconic beard is filthy and matted against skeletal cheekbones. One bushy eyebrow arches over his half-open eyes. As a Bolivian country surgeon methodically saws off his lifeless hands, Che appears vaguely amused. Gustavo Villoldo, a stocky figure in green army fatigues, stands just inside the tiny laundry room where the Cuban revolutionary's corpse rests atop a sink. For five months, the CIA operative has led soldiers hunting Guevara through the rough crags and valleys of southern Bolivia. Less than 24 hours ago, his team had captured and executed him in a village...

State senator endorses Doggett opponent By Ken Herman and Gary Susswein AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Thursday, January 8, 2004 State Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, who previously said he was strongly leaning toward a congressional race, announced today he will not challenge local U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett for the Democratic nomination in a newly created U.S. House district. Though he is staying out of the race, Barrientos announced his endorsement of state District Judge Leticia Hinojosa of Edinburg in her effort to end Doggett's congressional career. Hinojosa is the right candidate for the district, which stretches from Austin to the Mexican border, Barrientos said...

Jockeying for congressional races will affect other races DAVE MCNEELY Thursday, October 23, 2003 So, U.S. Rep. Jim Turner might run for governor in 2006? Or the U.S. Senate? Or lieutenant governor? That's where Turner says his interests lie if the Republican re-redistricting knife job on his 2nd District in East Texas is upheld by the Justice Department and federal courts. Turner, D-Crockett, dismissed the rumor that he might seek a return to the Texas Senate against Republican Sen. Todd Staples of Palestine. Elections in a time of uncertainty over district boundaries are nervous affairs. Democrats are telling their Congress...

Here's more context Re: Sept. 20 column by Arnold Garcia, "Difference of opinion? Fine. But the Red Scare, this is not": Garcia says that people have a right to some context with the link between the Communist Party USA and MoveOn.org. While he gave the simplistic context that MoveOn.org's Glenn Smith did not give permission to CPUSA to have a link, he failed to note a further context that should be considered: Organizations carefully select the links they put on their Web sites. They know that when a surfer leaves a site through a link, they have lost their attention....

Senate gives nod to redistricting plan By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL AUSTIN — The Texas Sen ate, by an 18-13 vote largely along party lines, tentatively passed a redistricting bill Tues day night that keeps three West Texas congressional districts largely intact. Sen. Teel Bivins of Amarillo was the lone Republican to vote against the bill. The action by the Senate sets the stage for negotiations with the House, which has passed a far different plan — one that gives House Speaker Tom Craddick the district he's seeking for Midland. The Senate plan keeps Lubbock and Midland in Congres sional District...

Good will frays in Senate as topic becomes fines Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) — Some of the good will shown on the Senate floor a day earlier appeared to be cracking Wednesday as Democrats pressured Republicans about the fines imposed on them for the Democratic boycott of the last special legislative session. "We're here. I'm here," an angry Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, said from the Senate floor. "I'd like to write my constituency back home and either, either somebody does something on this floor or I will. I will go to my parking space ... I want somebody to take...

Democrats stew as GOP talks about dropping sanctions Hold off on the Nobel Peace Prize nominations for anyone involved in bringing Texas Senate Republicans and Democrats back together. After a day of reconciliation, things got testy Wednesday as who had fled to New Mexico demanded an end to sanctions that prohibit them from parking at the Capitol and bar their staffs from the Senate floor. Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, triggered the confrontation when he complained to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst about the sanctions that remain in place until each of the senators who boycotted pays $57,000 in fines levied by...

Perry's timing of 3rd session saves hassles Thursday, September 11, 2003 Gov. Rick Perry left almost three weeks between the second and third special sessions for two reasons, even though the election clock for 2004 is ticking. First, Perry didn't want to rob attention from the effort to pass Proposition 12 on Saturday's ballot. That's the constitutional amendment to cut back on the noneconomic damages that injured parties can collect in civil lawsuits. By waiting to begin the third session on Monday, Perry and wife Anita were free to campaign for the amendment. Second, Perry wanted to fill various positions,...

Texas senators return BY TRICIA CORTEZ Times staff writer Before a cheering crowd of family, friends and supporters, the "Texas 11 Minus One" delivered hugs and speeches Wednesday afternoon in Laredo after returning from a defiant six-week holdout in Albuquerque, N.M. While the Cigarroa High School band played and stylish Ryan Elementary cheerleaders performed, the 10 Democratic state senators received a good dose of Texas heat while they stood on a makeshift stage in an airport hangar before an enormous Texas flag. Hanging over the air was the possibility of being arrested by Texas Department of Public Safety agents. City...

Redistricting fight continues Gov. Perry calls for third special session BY TRICIA CORTEZ Times staff writer After more than six weeks of personal financial and family sacrifice to fight the Republican leadership on congressional redistricting, the "Texas 11 Minus One" are coming home Wednesday. Laredo will be their first stop in the Lone Star State. Eight of the 10 Democratic state senators are expected to fly in from Albuquerque, N.M. Wednesday. They will land at 4:30 p.m. at Labata FBO, a private hangar at the Laredo International Airport, and will be joined later by senators Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville...

Cost of exile adds up for Democrats BY LISA FALKENBERG Associated Press Writer Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos passes up lunch at the Hilton for a $6 chili dog with sauerkraut. Sen. Eliot Shapleigh has asked the other two partners in his El Paso law firm to take on his clients while he's away. Sen. Leticia Van de Putte took a loan out on her life insurance policy to make up for lost wages. In their 30 days of self-imposed exile, the 11 Texas Democrats who fled the state to block a vote on congressional redistricting have found their own ways of...

Without a quorum, Legislature can't pass a bill to delay the March vote, Democrats counterThe state's Republican leadership is looking into the possibility of postponing the March congressional primaries if the boycotting Democratic senators continue to delay the GOP effort to draw new districts. And Senate Republicans, eager to enforce fines it ordered earlier this week for the missing Democrats, today are expected to OK penalties that could include withholding the Democrats' access to conference and meeting rooms, limiting their postage, eliminating their Capitol and cutting off their cell phones. A Senate source said the penalties would be effective in...

All eyes on Texas senators Associated Press AUSTIN (AP) — House Democrats took the lead to kill a congressional redistricting plan during the regular legislative session. Now, with a special session on the same issue starting soon, the focus and pressure could shift to the Senate, where Democrats are in the minority but are strong enough in numbers to block a bill for debate. "I'm hoping we can convince the senators to stand up and fight what we perceive as an injustice," said Rep. Joe Deshotel of Beaumont, who fled the state for four days in May with fellow House...