Tuesday, March 13, 2012

9:08 AM 3/13/2012: Luis Fortuno for VP a very real possibility - The Daily Caller | Island's severe recession is creating a disconcerting 'brain drain,' as young people seek employment stateside - USA TODAY | Heaven & Hell At The San Juan Star - Posted by: Upfront Yankee: For almost five decades, The San Juan Star was regarded as Puerto Rico’s most reputable newspaper; years of mismanagement brought the once mighty paper to a close | Juan Manuel Lopez faces one-year suspension for referee rant - from Puerto Rico Newswire | Top Puerto Rico fugitive captured. Man found dead in Condado hotel - Puerto Rico Daily Sun | A young man found dead yesterday on the road PR-184 in Guavate, identified today as Nachalí Cotto, 15 years old. A group of hackers said to have stolen the data of more than 73,000 subscribers of pornographic content on the internet Digital Playground site. Editorial: An open path to the environmental debacle - El Nuevo Día

Politics

Luis Fortuno | Fortuño for VP a very real possibility | The Daily Caller

from Gov. Louis Fortuño - Google Blog Search by Adam Brickley

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the next vice president of these United States, Governor Luis Fortuño of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico!” At first blush, this sounds a bit crazy, but it's become a serious ...

Fortuño, on the other hand, brings almost a full term of executive experience as governor — and four years as Puerto Rico’s non-voting congressman before that. The fact that he’s being mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick even though he’s from Puerto Rico is a testament to how successful he’s been in those offices and shows that he would be up to a national-level job.

Would the experience of being Puerto Rico’s governor translate well to the mainland? I don’t see why not. If it were a state, Puerto Rico would rank a respectable 29th in terms of population, just ahead of Oklahoma, and would carry seven votes in the Electoral College. Puerto Rico also has a big crime problem and a higher unemployment rate than the rest of the U.S., so the Puerto Rican governorship is not exactly a low-stress position. In fact, given the massive protests Fortuño weathered in response to his deep cuts to the territory’s government workforce, he may be the most battle-tested governor in the country, and he did it all with unflappable grace.

That’s not to say there are no downsides to a Fortuño nomination. For one, he faces an uphill battle for re-election next year, and while he is steadily clawing his way back into the race, at one point he trailed by more than 20% in the polls. There are also questions to be answered on everything from the life issue to illegal immigration, and there’s the calculation of whether the country would accept a territorial politician who has traditionally waged his campaigns in Spanish rather than English. Someone like Mitt Romney would be hesitant to take those kinds of risks, but it’s exactly the type of flashy move one would expect from Newt Gingrich.

There’s good reason to believe that Gingrich will actually consider it. It’s not hard to find video of Gingrich lavishing praise on Fortuño in an interview for his Hispanic news website “The Americano,” and he’s mentioned both Rubio and Allen West as potential VPs, so he’s clearly interested in having a minority voice on the ticket. A Fortuño candidacy may be a wild idea, but with Gingrich, it’s probably far closer to becoming a reality than many people are willing to admit.

Adam Brickley was the founder of the website “Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President.” He has contributed to Race42012.com, The Weekly Standard’s blog and Conservatives4Palin.com. His personal blog is AdamBrickley.net.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/12/07/fortuno-for-vp-a-very-real-possibility/#ixzz1ozj41TqJ

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/12/07/fortuno-for-vp-a-very-real-possibility/#ixzz1ozja2i6b

Romney asks Southerners to help him secure GOP nod, looks ahead to Missouri ... - Washington Post

from puerto rico - Google News


Globe and Mail

Romney asks Southerners to help him secure GOP nod, looks ahead to Missouri ...
Washington Post
Romney spent part of Monday raising money at private events in Florida. He planned to spend much of Wednesday and Thursday raising money in New York before traveling to Puerto Rico on Friday. Puerto Rico's Republican primary is Sunday.
Mitt Romney, ChessmasterNational Journal
Voting in Alabama, Mississippi could clarify raceThe Associated Press
all 6,958 news articles »

Mitt Romney, Chessmaster - National Journal

from Puerto Rico News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News

Mitt Romney, Chessmaster - National Journal

Mitt Romney, Chessmaster - National Journal
New York TimesMitt Romney, ChessmasterNational JournalViable theories all, but they overlook a simpler reality: Puerto Rico awards 23 delegates to the Republican National Convention, and the US territory's March 18 primary election is the month's only winner-take-all contest. Politics is chess ...GOP nomination fight goes on to Mississippi and Alabama - liveThe GuardianGOP nomination fight goes on to Mississippi and Alabama – liveImperial Valley WeeklySantorum's too disorganized to winDaily Mail -...

Mitt Romney, Chessmaster

from Puerto Rico Newswire

... in the final days before Florida's critical primary election? Was he working to secure the endorsement of Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno, a rising young star in the Republican Party? Or was he simply extending an olive branch to the Latino community, ...

Mitt Romney, Chessmaster - National Journal

from puerto rico politics - Google News

Mitt Romney, Chessmaster
National Journal
Viable theories all, but they overlook a simpler reality: Puerto Rico awards 23 delegates to the Republican National Convention, and the US territory's March 18 primary election is the month's only winner-take-all contest. Politics is chess ...
and more »

Romney Wins Entire Guam Delegation - WMUR Manchester

from puerto rico politics - Google News

Romney Wins Entire Guam Delegation
WMUR Manchester
By Adam LevyCNN Political Researcher/Producer (CNN) -- Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the unanimous vote among Guam Republicans to pledge all nine of their delegates to his presidential campaign. The vote was passed Saturday by all 207 of ...

Romney asks Southerners to help him secure GOP nod, looks ahead to Missouri ......

from Puerto Rico News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News

Romney asks Southerners to help him secure GOP nod, looks ahead to Missouri ... - Washington Post
Romney asks Southerners to help him secure GOP nod, looks ahead to Missouri ... - Washington Post
The HinduRomney asks Southerners to help him secure GOP nod, looks ahead to Missouri ...Washington PostRomney spent part of Monday raising money at private events in Florida. He planned to spend much of Wednesday and Thursday raising money in New York before traveling to Puerto Rico on Friday. Puerto Rico's Republican primary is Sunday.Mitt Romney, ChessmasterNational JournalVoting in Alabama, Mississippi could clarify raceBoston.comall 7,168 news articles »

 

Fortuño points to crime statistics to support his proposed bail amendment. Read...

from Puerto Rico Business News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico Business News

Fortuño points to crime statistics to support his proposed bail amendment. Read...

Fortuño points to crime statistics to support his proposed bail amendment. Read...
Fortuño points to crime statistics to support his proposed bail amendment. Read more: http://ow.ly/9BnuP http://ow.ly/i/vmqgHootSuite Photos...

6:12 PM 3/12/2012: Fortuño points to crime statistics to support his ...

from Gov. Louis Fortuño - Google Blog Search by Mike Nova

Daniels, Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, South Dakota Senator John Thune, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, and Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno.

 

from Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links


8:21 AM 2/13/2012: Fortuño's Plan to Energize Puerto Rico - Wall Street Journal | Puerto Rico News
prnewslinks.blogspot.com

 

Upcoming Puerto Rico political status referendum termed 'historic ...

from Puerto Rico News's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News

Upcoming Puerto Rico political status referendum termed 'historic ...
Upcoming Puerto Rico political status referendum termed 'historic ...
(Overseas Territories Review)- Guest Columnist Pedro Pierluisi, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, representing the territory in the US House of Representatives, argues that the coming Puerto Rico status referendum is ...

Business

Invest in Puerto Rico? - CNBC.com

from puerto rico - Google News

Fast Money Portfolio

Invest in Puerto Rico?
CNBC.com
Given the commonwealth's economic troubles, does it make sense to buy Puerto Rico's bonds? According to CNBC Contributor Alexandra Lebenthal, president and CEO of Lebenthal and Company, quite possibly. One attractive aspect of these bonds are yield.
Given the commonwealth's economic troubles, does it make sense to buy Puerto Rico’s bonds?
According to CNBC Contributor Alexandra Lebenthal, president and CEO of Lebenthal and Company, quite possibly.
One attractive aspect of these bonds are yield.

“Yields have always been higher on Puerto Rico’s bonds because it’s not (as low risk as) New York state or Illinois,” she says. “Unemployment is certainly higher in Puerto Rico than it is the 50 states.”

and more »

 

Turbine Commissioning Completed at Windstar - Sacramento Bee

from puerto rico business - Google News

 Turbine Commissioning Completed at Windstar
Sacramento Bee
Western Wind further owns substantial additional development assets for both solar and wind energy in California, Arizona, Ontario, Canada; and in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Western Wind is in the business of owning and operating wind and solar ...
and more »

 

JetBlue wants Puerto Rico, Austin flights from DC National - USA TODAY (blog)

from puerto rico business - Google News


USA TODAY (blog)

JetBlue wants Puerto Rico, Austin flights from DC National
USA TODAY (blog)
JetBlue's proposed new flights would be the only nonstop service between the US capital's preferred business airport and the capitals of Puerto Rico and Texas – both of which are located beyond the airport's 1250-mile perimeter and are among the 10 ...
Airlines Vie for First Long Washington Flights Since '04BusinessWeek
all 63 news articles »

 

P.R. consumers click their way into saving ... - News is my Business

from puerto rico business - Google Blog Search by Michelle Kantrow

It's no big secret that Puerto Ricans have changed their shopping habits in the wake of the tough economic times experienced in the last six years. So much so that using what was once taboo, a discount coupon, is becoming ...

 

 The Island: Local News

 

Puerto Rico's population exodus is all about jobs

Island's severe recession is creating a disconcerting 'brain drain,' as young people seek employment stateside.

Many professionals graduate from the University of Puerto Rico to face a society with little opportunities. / By Javier Gonzalez, for USA TODAY

Puerto Rico has seen a historic population decline in the past few years, and this "brain drain" is a mere symptom of a larger problem rooted in an enduring recession where unemployment is still above 14%, compared with 8.3% nationally. Increasingly, the exodus is led by educated professionals — young and middle-aged. A poll by global market research company Ipsos last October found that 1.5 million people, or 45% of islanders, have considered leaving — most for U.S. states. About a quarter of those Puerto Ricans have taken steps to do so, the poll found. "It's a brain drain," Santa says. "I'm afraid the island will continue to deteriorate because all the thinkers, the intellectuals, are forced to leave." The island suffered some of the same speculative housing fever that gripped much of the USA. Housing values have dropped about 25% since 2007. A luxury high-rise condominium towers over De Diego Avenue in San Juan, offering health club amenities and superb ocean views. But most of its units sit empty.  In 1950, about 250,000 Puerto Rican natives lived stateside. Today: About 1.5 million, or a third of the 4.6 million Puerto Ricans living stateside, were born on the island. They are the second-largest Hispanic group in the USA (after those of Mexican descent).

The island's unusual status creates something of a schizophrenic relationship with its U.S. neighbors. Elections this November will have a two-part referendum on the ballot. The first will ask voters if they want a change. The second will ask voters to choose between statehood, independence or the current commonwealth status. Any change, however, would have to be approved by the U.S. Congress and the president. Less than nine months before the election, the administration of Gov. Luis Fortuño is desperately trying to lift the economy. The vision: become an international service center for legal, financial, insurance and real estate services by levying a low 4% tax on income generated from exported services and a 90% exemption on the payment of property taxes on call centers, warehouses and corporate headquarters. But this trickle of jobs simply isn't enough to stem the exodus.

USA Today

By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
  • Filed Under

MAYAGÜEZ, Puerto Rico— Here, about 100 miles from the tourist-filled beaches, cobblestone streets and historic forts of Old San Juan and the imposing cruise ships docked near the walled city, the main attraction has little to do with tourism. The real draw is the University of Puerto Rico's swelling ranks of engineering, science and nursing graduates looking for work.

Recruiters for companies such as Boeing and Disney, NASA and other U.S. government agencies, school districts and hospitals from Texas to Florida flock to career fairs in this industrial city on the island's western shore.

They're aggressively courting the most coveted slice of the U.S. workforce: college grads trained in all the hot-button STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) disciplines. Add that these students are bilingual, don't need a passport, visa or any government permission to work stateside, and it's clear why they're a hot commodity, even in a down economy.

Puerto Rico has seen a historic population decline in the past few years, and this "brain drain" is a mere symptom of a larger problem rooted in an enduring recession where unemployment is still above 14%, compared with 8.3% nationally.

To the chagrin of many Puerto Ricans, luring the best and brightest off the island has become a breeze.

Consider this just the latest chapter in Puerto Rico's story, one shaped by its complex relationship with the United States. It's a commonwealth — not a state — yet its residents are U.S. citizens who can vote in U.S. elections when they're living in any of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

How bad is the exodus? So many residents are leaving the island that more Puerto Ricans now live on the mainland than in Puerto Rico. The commonwealth's population had a steeper loss than any of the 50 states since 2006, according to the Census Bureau. In the year ended July 1, 2011, the island lost about 15,000 residents, a 0.4% slide, to a current population of 3.7 million. That's a bigger drop than Rhode Island and Michigan, the only states to see a decline.

Increasingly, the exodus is led by educated professionals — young and middle-aged.

Young people and families are leaving primarily for jobs, but also to get away from a spike in crime (more than 1,000 murders last year, a record high that topped 983 the previous year) and an increasingly active drug trade coupled with widespread police corruption.

A poll by global market research company Ipsos last October found that 1.5 million people, or 45% of islanders, have considered leaving — most for U.S. states. About a quarter of those Puerto Ricans have taken steps to do so, the poll found.

"Professionals are being forced to leave," says Daphne Santa, a speech and language pathologist at the Orlando VA Medical Center and chairwoman of the Puerto Rican Professionals Association based in South Florida. "It's not that they want to."

"It's a substantial concern," acknowledges Secretary of Commerce José Pérez-Riera. "We don't want to see the population leave."

"It's a brain drain," Santa says. "I'm afraid the island will continue to deteriorate because all the thinkers, the intellectuals, are forced to leave."

At the same time, the number of births has slid from 60,000 in 2000 to 42,000 a year today.

"It's basically the bad economy," says Harold Toro-Tulla, research director at the Center for the New Economy, a San Juan-based think tank. "When people face a tough time, they decide to postpone marriage."

The island suffered some of the same speculative housing fever that gripped much of the USA. Housing values have dropped about 25% since 2007. A luxury high-rise condominium towers over De Diego Avenue in San Juan, offering health club amenities and superb ocean views. But most of its units sit empty.

Educated and mobile

More than 20% of Hispanics in Puerto Rico have a bachelor's degree, a higher educational attainment than people of Puerto Rican origin living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (16%), according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

"When you go to a job fair (in Puerto Rico), there are thousands of candidates," says Nestor Ramirez, director for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's technology center group in Alexandria, Va., and a Puerto Rican who returns to the island at least once a year. He recruits about 30 people a year on average in an effort to boost the number of Hispanics in the federal workforce.

"I met a lot of students who work for cellphone or video stores, and they've graduated," Ramirez says.

Puerto Ricans have come stateside, returned home, come back and returned again for decades. In 1950, about 250,000 Puerto Rican natives lived stateside. Today: About 1.5 million, or a third of the 4.6 million Puerto Ricans living stateside, were born on the island. They are the second-largest Hispanic group in the USA (after those of Mexican descent).

Although New York and nearby northeastern states were the prime destinations for much of the 20th century, more Puerto Ricans are now drawn to central Florida, a destination much closer in miles and temperatures. Only a third of recent Puerto Rican migrants went to New York.

Florida is gaining a net 7,300 Puerto Ricans a year, far more than any other state. Texas, North Carolina and Georgia — all states that were not prime destinations in previous decades — have started to attract more Puerto Ricans. A temperate climate and a strong economy, especially in Texas, are the main draws.

The island's complicated relationship with the United States goes back to the Spanish-American War in 1898. Puerto Rico ("rich port" in Spanish) is a former Spanish colony that became a U.S. territory after that war. Puerto Ricans were given U.S. citizenship in 1917. In 1952, Congress granted the island the right to draft a local constitution, making it a commonwealth.

People born in Puerto Rico who live on the island can't vote for president and have a non-voting member in Congress.

The island's unusual status creates something of a schizophrenic relationship with its U.S. neighbors. Yes, they're all Americans and the U.S. flag flies over the island, but moving from Puerto Rico to the mainland requires a much greater cultural, linguistic (Spanish and English are official languages, but Spanish dominates) and social leap than moving from Idaho to Utah or Michigan to California.

"They're here for awhile, and they want to go back," says Victor Vazquez Hernandez, chairman of the social sciences department at Miami Dade College and former head of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights.

This fluidity is why the island's political parties are defined by the relationship they want with the USA. Among the main parties, one wants Puerto Rico to remain a commonwealth, the other — currently in power — wants it to become the 51st U.S. state. A minority party advocates outright independence.

Elections this November will have a two-part referendum on the ballot. The first will ask voters if they want a change. The second will ask voters to choose between statehood, independence or the current commonwealth status. Any change, however, would have to be approved by the U.S. Congress and the president.

"Statehood preference has increased slightly, but it's never seriously addressed," Vazquez Hernandez says.

Trying to heal the economy

For many Americans, Puerto Rico is a port of call along their Caribbean cruises, perhaps their only dalliance with the island. But tourism accounts for only 7% of the commonwealth's economic output. Manufacturing, in fact, is the dominant driver, though it also has taken a beating during this recession.

Less than nine months before the election, the administration of Gov. Luis Fortuño is desperately trying to lift the economy.

Puerto Rico as a film location is taking off (the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were filmed here) and a slew of new incentives — most designed to keep people on the island and get others to return — were recently adopted.

The vision: become an international service center for legal, financial, insurance and real estate services by levying a low 4% tax on income generated from exported services and a 90% exemption on the payment of property taxes on call centers, warehouses and corporate headquarters.

Here in Mayagüez, the government's industrial development arm is using the 50-building Guanajibo Research and Innovation Park near the University of Puerto Rico's local campus as a life sciences incubator.

There's Cutting Edge Superconductors Inc., which has developed new MRI technology. Another, LabChemS Corp., provides consulting services to the medical device industry, creating enough jobs to keep chemical engineers such as Laura Andujar, 28, here.

"Most of my friends are living in the states now," Andujar says. "I know it's hard (here), but there are opportunities."

Edisa Albino, 30, got her advanced degree at the University of Maryland but came back and worked three years as a medical technician. She was thinking of returning to the USA when one of the new companies offered her a job. She is now research and development lab director for CDI Laboratories, one of the start-ups at Guanajibo that's developing antibodies to viruses in a partnership with Johns Hopkins University.

'I couldn't find anything'

But this trickle of jobs simply isn't enough to stem the exodus.

San Juan native Gustavo Rosario, 28, graduated in electrical engineering in 2007. He was unemployed for a year and later was employed as a warehouse manager, taught at a community college and worked in the building permits department.

"I couldn't find anything in my field," he says.

In late 2010, the U.S. Patent office recruited him as an examiner, and he moved to Alexandria, Va. His wife, Jennifer Castro, finished her dental residency in Puerto Rico and joined him.

"I'm leaving everything I know — my family and friends," Rosario says.

Fernando Colón, 29, sees every professional who leaves the island as an opportunity for himself. He estimates that more than half of his graduating class went to college in U.S. states, and fewer than 10% came back. Even his parents moved to Florida for a while, came back and now are thinking of returning.

Colón wants to stay. His Per Capita Consulting firm, run with three partners, helps local municipalities take advantage of federal grants for business development. He sees a future in solar energy.

"I have thought about it," Colón says about leaving. "But there are great opportunities here."

Copyright 2012 USA TODAY

http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/usatoday/article/53490820?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cs 

 

Mike Nova shared a link.

Heaven & Hell At The San Juan Star

www.topix.com

For almost five decades, The San Juan Star was regarded as Puerto Ricos most reputable newspaper. <p></p>Years of mismanagement brought the once mighty paper to a close. Former Star Editor John Marino recounts the dailys last days of agony. On a smoldering Saturday afternoon de…

 

Heaven & Hell At The San Juan Star

Posted by: Upfront Yankee

Full story: trendmag2.trendoffset.com

For almost five decades, The San Juan Star was regarded as Puerto Rico’s most reputable newspaper.

Years of mismanagement brought the once mighty paper to a close. Former Star Editor John Marino recounts the daily’s last days of agony.

On a smoldering Saturday afternoon deep in August, I realized The San Juan Star was finished. In the building’s main hallway, graced with blown-up prints of the best photographs in the newspaper’s storied history, the hulking figures of Star publisher Gerardo Angulo and Union of Journalists, Graphic Artists and Related Occupations chief Nestor Soto stalked each other, hurling insults and threats, oblivious to everything but their mutual intransigence.

The union, known by its Spanish acronym UPAGRA, stopped work Friday night over a broken pledge to ensure sufficient bank funds so all workers could cash their checks when they were paid.

Angulo said his hands were tied until Monday when the banks opened. Soto insisted no work would be done until all checks were cashed. Angulo threatened to shutter the paper for good if it failed to publish on Monday. Soto retorted: “liar.” “Are you telling them that, Nestor?” Angulo screamed. “Your job is to protect workers’ jobs, not endanger them.” “You tell them!” Soto snapped back.

During their face-off, I stared at the worn floors and stained ceilings. For me, this building, clearly buckling under neglect, was a temple of journalism, forever tied to the rigors and satisfactions of a profession that consumed the best years of my life, but had defined it and given it purpose in the process. It was a feeling that was shared by The Star’s newsmen and newswomen, who stayed on despite the increasing certainty that its demise was drawing ever near.

“It was like the death of a friend,” says Assistant Business Editor Michelle Kantrow, of the shuttering of the publication that she joined “as a rookie” in

1995. “It was agony, week after week.

Like seeing somebody on his deathbed.

The Star has received its knocks over the years, and been hit with charges of bias. One former newsroom executive says it was criticized when it came out with a Spanish edition while advertising executives aggressively pursued a bigger cut of government advertising during the Rosselló administration because “news coverage was seen through that prism.” But despite its ups and downs over the years, The Star was able to uphold those high standards set at the start until its very final day, according to former staffers. The Star, they say, was not only known for, but also actually marked by, balanced reporting and an attempt at fair mindedness.

Maldonado, who went on to serve as managing editor of El Mundo before founding El Reportero, says the English- language publication played to political and business leaders in San Juan,Washington and elsewhere, making it far more influential than its limited circulation, which exceeded 40,000 in its heyday. And it was still the source for White House and Congressional staffers at its demise. “The Star was it. It was the Bible,” he says.

Doug Zehr, who rose from the copy desk to business reporter and then managing editor, credits The Star with bringing “nonpartisan journalism” to the island. “Even on its worst days, The Star worked a lot harder at being fair and thorough and professional than our competitors. The Star always made an effort to put the story in context,“ he says.

Noting that tradition, Mercy Mc- Closkey, The Star’s last business editor, says: “Its loss was particularly significant two months before the elections because objective reporting was allowed to evaporate.” While editorial resources were slashed back substantially in the last few years, newsroom staff continued to lay claim to the publication’s proud tradition of impartial reporting.

“It was just loving what you did.We were the balancing act,” says Kantrow, who won three major awards in 2008 for her business reporting, including the Overseas Press Club of Puerto Rico’s Teodoro Moscoso Award for Excellence in Business Journalism. “We were allowed to be fair. It was a privilege.

I talked to my peers at other papers, and they get censored. They get told what to write. It was also our ability to analyze issues beyond the press conference.” In recent months, despite dwindling numbers and faltering equipment, the staff was dedicated to remaining a relevant news force in Puerto Rico. The complaints kept piling up: about lousy delivery, cancelled favorite comics and increased misspellings because of a depleted copy editor corps, but the fan base still sent us accolades on our reporting.

It still provided full coverage of the major news events of the day, and also delivered in-depth reporting and feature news stories on issues of top public concern.

“Despite all the handicaps, work at The Star was a heady challenge,” Mc- Closkey says. “It was great fun because we were allowed to cover the news as we saw fit. The aim in covering a story was always to tell both sides with integrity.

[This is a long report but ever word is worth reading carefully. Access the above link to read the original, entire report. You can also Google: Heaven and Hell At The San Juan Star - John Marino. ]

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Sports

Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manuel Lopez II - 10th Round TKO

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Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manuel Lopez II - 10th Round TKO

Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico March 10, 2012 WBO featherweight title

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Lopez faces 1-year suspension for referee rant - Tucson Citizen

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New York Daily News

Lopez faces 1-year suspension for referee rant
Tucson Citizen
I told the (Puerto Rican Boxing) Commission the referee was a gambler. “And they did wrong putting him as the referee. It was very irresponsible for putting him as the referee knowing he has a gambling problem.” “For my part, I apologize to Roberto for ...
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Juan Manuel Lopez faces one-year suspension for referee rant

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... Ramirez Sr. after his technical knockout loss to WBO champion Orlando Salido Saturday night in San Juan , Puerto Rico . Juan Manuel Lopez tries to get up after being knocked down in the 10th round by Orlando Salido Saturday night, as referee Roberto ...

from Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links


WBO RESOLUTION AGAINST JUANMA LOPEZ AFTER COMMENTS ON REFEREE
www.boxingnews24.com
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO- World Boxing Organization (WBO) president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel announced today that the WBO Executive Committee voted and

"You don't know what he has left" - Larry Merchant on Juan Manuel Lopez's future

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"You don't know what he has left" - Larry Merchant on Juan Manuel Lopez's future
&quot;You don't know what he has left&quot; - Larry Merchant on Juan Manuel Lopez's future
A tremendous firefight took place on Saturday night when WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido successfully made the first defense of his title with a stirring 10th round TKO over Juan Manuel Lopez in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

GEORGE MCNEILL WINS 2012 PGA TOUR PUERTO RICO OPEN FOR SECOND CAREER VICTORY - G...

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GEORGE MCNEILL WINS 2012 PGA TOUR PUERTO RICO OPEN FOR SECOND CAREER VICTORY - Golf Club Business (press release)
GEORGE MCNEILL WINS 2012 PGA TOUR PUERTO RICO OPEN FOR SECOND CAREER VICTORY - Golf Club Business (press release)
GEORGE MCNEILL WINS 2012 PGA TOUR PUERTO RICO OPEN FOR SECOND CAREER VICTORYGolf Club Business (press release)HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – March 12, 2012 – Cleveland® Golf/Srixon® congratulates staffer George McNeill for his victory over the weekend at the PGA TOUR'S 2012 Puerto Rico Open at Trump International Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.and more »

McNeill clings to a 1-shot lead in Puerto Rico - Atlanta Journal Constitution

from puerto rico - Google News


Atlanta Journal Constitution

McNeill clings to a 1-shot lead in Puerto Rico
Atlanta Journal Constitution
AP RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — George McNeill shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Henrik Stenson and Kevin Stadler into the final round of the Puerto Rico Open. Japan's Ryo Ishikawa tees off from the first hole during the third ...

Jones, McNeill share Puerto Rico Open lead - Kansas City Star

from puerto rico - Google News


Kansas City Star

Jones, McNeill share Puerto Rico Open lead
Kansas City Star
AP US' Jeff Overton follows through on his putt on the seventh hole during the first round of the Puerto Rico Open PGA golf tournament in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, Thursday March 8, 2012. RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico -- Matt Jones and George McNeill topped ...
Michael Bradley chasing 3rd Puerto Rico Open titleAtlanta Journal Constitution
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Porsche World Roadshow makes island pit stop | News is my ...

from puerto rico business - Google Blog Search by Michelle Kantrow

The Porsche World Roadshow recently pulled into Puerto Rico, one of the iconic automaker's top Latin American markets that despite maneuvering a prolonged economic downturn, continues to fuel regional sales. ... “The luxury car category, although it has dropped somewhat, has not contracted as much as other categories,” Víctor Gómez III, president of Garage Europa, told News is my Business. “However, it's a market that changes every year and while before ...

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El Nuevo Día
www.elnuevodia.com

 

El Nuevo Dia shared a link.

21 minutes ago

El precio del litro de gasolina amaneció hoy a un dólar en la mayoría de las estaciones de gasolina de la Isla. http://end.pr/yScf1l

The price of a liter of gasoline dawn today to a dollar at most of the stations of gasoline on the island. http://end.PR/yScf1l (Translated by Bing)

Llega al dólar el litro de gasolina

end.pr

Inestabilidad en el medio oriente adelanta la temporada en que se esperaba el alza en el costo del barril 

El Nuevo Dia shared a link.

2 hours ago

La Isla importa el 85% de los alimentos, incluyendo básicos como arroz, habichuelas y carnes http://end.pr/xASq88

The island imports 85% of food, including commodities such as rice, beans and meat http://end.pr/xASq88 (Translated by Bing)

UNA VÍA ABIERTA A LA DEBACLE AMBIENTAL - El Nuevo Día

http://www.elnuevodia.com/editorial-unav...

Versión online del periódico El Nuevo Día de Puerto Rico. Encuentra noticias, fotos, vídeos, blogs y clasificados.

El Nuevo Dia  3 hours ago

Editorial: Una vía abierta a la debacle ambiental http://end.pr/xq6j6r

Editorial: An open path to the environmental debacle

13 de marzo de 2012
 
UNA VÍA ABIERTA A LA DEBACLE AMBIENTAL
 
Los cambios en la definición de delito ambiental en el texto del nuevo Código Penal, que se encuentra pendiente de votación en la Cámara de Representantes, sumen en el desamparo a nuestros recursos naturales y prácticamente premian las prácticas temerarias y negligentes contra la Naturaleza.
 
Por eso, dichos cambios deben ser abortados, no deben pasar, porque su eventual aprobación y conversión en ley forzaría la apertura de una vía franca a la debacle ambiental. Es difícil de entender que en Puerto Rico, una isla pequeña donde cada día se hace más cuesta arriba la protección de los recursos naturales y donde se han cometido tantas violaciones ambientales que han quedado impunes, se intente ablandar, e incluso eliminar, buenas disposiciones ya vigentes desde 2004.

Entre los ardides que se usan para dar una falsa impresión de rigor, se proponen penas ligeramente mayores para aquellas personas que resulten convictas de cometer un delito ambiental. El gran problema, sin embargo, es que resultaría prácticamente imposible probar ese delito, teniendo en cuenta la gran cantidad de circunstancias que habría que probar, muchas de ellas enmarcadas en el plano de lo subjetivo, y los atenuantes que se han añadido.

La manera en que se refrasean y manipulan los conceptos es peligrosa para el País. Por ejemplo, dentro del nuevo código propuesto se establece que en los delitos de estrago y envenenamiento de acuíferos “en cuanto a la modalidad de negligencia, se exigirá que ésta sea una negligencia crasa”. Quiere decir que la negligencia por sí sola, que es un acto irresponsable y criminal, no bastaría para radicar acusaciones y sostenerlas en los tribunales. Peor aún: en el artículo que se refiere a daños catastróficos, se elimina la frase “que cause daño al ambiente”, dependiendo de que se afecten directamente los seres humanos para que el destrozo o contaminación se constituya en delito. En pocas palabras: un cheque en blanco a la debacle ambiental, sin control ni disuasivo de ninguna especie.

Es penoso que haya legisladores que intenten que las leyes sean todavía más laxas en un país que aún tiene fresca en la memoria la terrible experiencia de Capeco, en la que la negligencia y la falta de respuesta ante los daños son todavía palpables. Situaciones como la incineración de productos biomédicos que afectan a comunidades enteras, o la remoción ilegal de extensas áreas de corteza terrestre, o la contaminación intencional de ríos y lagunas con sustancias tóxicas, han ocurrido con frecuencia, sin que haya las reparaciones debidas, enviando un erróneo y oscuro mensaje de impunidad.

La manera retorcida -no hay otro adjetivo- en que se abandonan a su suerte, a merced de la especulación, nuestros recursos naturales y la integridad de los ecosistemas, marca un significativo retroceso en cuanto a nuestras propias premisas constitucionales. Eso es así porque la Constitución de Puerto Rico fue una de las primeras, si no la primera en el mundo, en incorporar como política pública la conservación de esos recursos.

Es trágico que, por afanes partidistas, y además por ignorancia, se traicione esa Constitución, y que Puerto Rico se aboque peligrosamente a un estado de indefensión total, que no le permitirá prevenir los daños ambientales y que obstaculizará la reivindicación de esos derechos para las generaciones futuras. El nuevo Código Penal no debe aprobarse con esa vergüenza.

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March 13, 2012
 
AN OPEN PATH TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEBACLE
 
Changes in the definition of environmental crime in the text of the new Penal Code, which is awaiting vote in the House of Representatives, sink into the helplessness of our natural resources and practically rewarding reckless and negligent practices against nature.
 
Therefore, these changes must be aborted, should not happen, because its eventual passage into law and force the opening of an open path to climate disaster. It's hard to understand that in Puerto Rico, a small island where every day becomes more uphill protection of natural resources and where they have committed so many environmental violations have gone unpunished, they try to soften or even eliminate, good dispositions and place since 2004.

Among the tricks used to give a false impression of rigor, aim slightly higher penalties for those persons found convicted of committing an environmental crime. The big problem, however, it would be virtually impossible to prove that offense, taking into account the many circumstances that would have to prove, many of them framed in terms of the subjective, and mitigating were added.

The way they refrase and manipulate these concepts is dangerous for the country. For example, within the new proposed code states that the crimes of havoc and poisoning of aquifers "in the form of negligence, we will require that this is a gross negligence." It means that the negligence of itself, that is irresponsible and criminal, not enough to file charges and hold them in court. Worse, the article refers to catastrophic damage, eliminating the phrase "to harm the environment," depending on whether they directly affect humans for the destruction or contamination becomes a crime. In short: a blank check to the environmental debacle, without control or deterrent of any kind.

It is unfortunate that there are legislators who try that laws are even more lax in a country that is still fresh in memory Capeco ordeal, in which neglect and lack of response to the damage is still palpable. Situations such as incineration of biomedical products that affect entire communities, or illegal removal of large areas of crust, or intentional contamination of rivers and lakes with toxic substances, have occurred frequently, with no reparations due by sending a wrong, dark message of impunity.

The twisted way-there is another adjective that are abandoned to their fate at the mercy of speculation, our natural resources and ecosystem integrity, marks a significant setback in terms of our own constitutional premises. That's because the Constitution of Puerto Rico was one of the first, if not the first in the world, to incorporate as public policy the conservation of those resources.

Tragically, by partisan zeal, and also because of ignorance, they betray the Constitution, and Puerto Rico to devote itself to a state dangerously and completely defenseless, that will not let you prevent environmental damage and impede the vindication of those rights for future generations. The new Penal Code should not be approved with that shame.

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from Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links


Buscan a mujer desaparecida - El Nuevo Día
www.elnuevodia.com
Cecilia Planas Pizarro fue vista por última vez en su residencia en el barrio Espinosa en Dorado

 

from Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links


Hackers roban datos de miles de usuarios de sitio porno
www.elnuevodia.com
Hurtaron cuentas de 73,000 suscriptores de Digital Playground

 

  • El Nuevo Dia shared a link.

    Arrestan a sospechoso de asesinar a testigo federal - El Nuevo Día

    www.elnuevodia.com

    El joven estaba en la lista de Los Más Buscados de la Policía

    • El Nuevo Dia

      Jiménez Benceví es sospechoso del asesinato de Delia Sánchez Sánchez, una extiradora de drogas que fue asesinada días después de haber terminado de declarar en un juicio federal. http://end.pr/yOYYMZ

      Jiménez Benceví is suspect for the murder of Delia Sánchez Sánchez, a drug extiradora who was murdered days after completion to declare in a federal trial. http://end.PR/yOYYMZ (Translated by Bing)

    • El Nuevo Dia

      El arresto se dio en el embalse San José, en Río Piedras, cuando el joven de 24 años conducía una motora. http://end.pr/yOYYMZ

      The arrest occurred in the reservoir San José in Río Piedras, when 24-year-old was driving a motor. http://end.PR/yOYYMZ (Translated by Bing)

        • Jaina Falcon Y acaso Lorenzo es la única victima que merece justicia?? Muchos llevan años esperando el arresto de semejante ser, no devuelve a ninguna pero calma el alma, personas como esta no deben disfrutar jamas del privilegio de la libertad!!

           

        • Magaly Martinez Te felicito amiga por tus comentarios pero el tipo a la verdad que no leer bien 

  • El Nuevo Dia

    El temor al fracaso, al desempleo y a quedarse sin un ingreso fijo son algunas de las razones por las que las personas no se deciden a renunciar al puesto de trabajo que no les satisface http://end.pr/yX8rdm

    The fear of failure, to unemployment and to stay without a fixed income are some of the reasons why people do not decide to give up the job which does not satisfy them http://end.pr/yX8rdm (Translated by Bing)

    No renuncie... todavía

    www.elnuevodia.com

    El trabajo que le agobia puede tener su encanto oculto

Puerto Rico News - Archive Links and El Nuevo Dia shared a link.

Hackers roban datos de miles de usuarios de sitio porno - El Nuevo Día

www.elnuevodia.com

Hurtaron cuentas de 73,000 suscriptores de Digital Playground

El Nuevo Dia

Una joven hallada muerta ayer en la carretera PR-184, en Guavate, fue identificada hoy como Nachalí Cotto Aldea, de 15 años http://end.pr/zm3Bsf

A young found dead was yesterday on the road PR-184 in Guavate, identified today as Nachalí Cotto village, 15 years http://end.pr/zm3Bsf (Translated by Bing)

Joven asesinada en Guavate tenía 15 años

www.elnuevodia.com

La víctima fue identificada como Nachalí Cotto Aldea

El Nuevo Dia

La víctima, un contratista de Moca, fue asesinado y decapitado por Salas Cordero y su primo Erick Cordero Barreto, ambos de 17 años de edad. http://end.pr/xRWIGZ

The victim, a contractor of Moca, was killed and decapitated by rooms lamb and his cousin Erick Cordero Barreto, both 17 years old. http://end.PR/xRWIGZ (Translated by Bing)

Culpable el segundo asesino del contratista - El Nuevo Día

www.elnuevodia.com

El jurado votó de forma unánime contra el joven de 17 años

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from Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links


6:12 PM 3/12/2012: Fortuño points to crime statistics to support his proposed bail amendment | Residents fleeing Puerto Rico Dailyrecord.com A poll by global market research company Ipsos last October found that 1.5 million people, or 45% of islanders, have considered leaving —most for US states. About a quarter of those Puerto Ricans have taken steps to do so, the poll found | Puerto Rico's exodus is all about jobs - Tucson Citizen | McNeill rallies to win PR Open | A bad, bad day for Juan Manuel Lopez - ESPN
Mike Nova's starred items via Puerto Rico Daily Sun - Timely news about Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and the world on 3/11/12 * Golf-Puerto Rico Open final round scores - Reuters UK via Puerto Rico Sports's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico Sports on 3/11/12 Golf-Puerto Rico Open final round scores - Reuters UKGolf-Puerto Rico Open final round scores - Reuters UKGolf-Puerto Rico Open final round scoresReuters UKMarch 11 (Infostrada Sports) –...

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Mike Nova (G+)

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LINKS

Puerto Rico’s Fight for Independence 

http://kasamaproject.org/interviews/puerto-ricos-fight-for-independence/ 

Jibaro of Puerto Rico

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 1 of our series is “Puerto Rico’s Fight for Independence.”

Part 2 is “The State Persecution of Puerto Rico’s Independistas.”

Part 3 is “American Tortures in the Lexington Women’s Unit 1986-88.”

This work is presented by the Kasama project.

The Early Years — 1898-1954

by Mike Ely

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