Thursday, March 14, 2013

3.14.13 - Latin America sees change under region's 1st pope - San Bernardino Sun

 


Latin America sees change under region's 1st pope - San Bernardino Sun - Thursday, March 14, 2013

Pope Francis: Simple image, complex past - Wednesday, March 13, 2013


"But the conclave appeared more swayed by Bergoglio’s reputation for compassion on issues such as poverty and the effects of globalization, and his fealty to traditional church teachings such as opposition to birth control.
His overriding image, though, is built around his leaning toward austerity. The motto chosen for his archdiocese is “Miserando Atque Eligendo,” or “Lowly but Chosen.”
Even after he became Argentina’s top church official in 2001, he never lived in the ornate church mansion where Pope John Paul II stayed when visiting the country, preferring a simple bed in a downtown building, warmed by a small stove on frigid weekends when the building turned off the heat. For years, he took public transportation around the city, and cooked his own meals.
He accused fellow church leaders of hypocrisy and forgetting that Jesus Christ bathed lepers and ate with prostitutes.
“Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony. Go out and interact with your brothers. Go out and share. Go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit,” Bergoglio told Argentina’s priests last year."
...

"Initially trained as a chemist, Bergoglio taught literature, psychology, philosophy and theology before taking over as Buenos Aires archbishop in 1998. He became cardinal in 2001, when the economy was collapsing, and won respect for blaming unrestrained capitalism for impoverishing millions of Argentines.
Later, there was little love lost between Bergoglio and Argentina’s government. Relations became so frigid that the president stopped attending his annual “Te Deum” address, when church leaders traditionally tell political leaders what’s wrong with society.
“Is Bergoglio a progressive, a liberation theologist even? No. He’s no Third World priest,” said Rubin. “Does he criticize the International Monetary Fund, and neoliberalism? Yes. Does he spend a great deal of time in the slums? Yes.”"


En portada: El argentino Jorge Mario Bergoglio de 76 años, fue elegido como el primer papa latinoamericano en la historia de la Iglesia católica

Primera salida de Francisco I como papa, a rezar - Thursday, March 14, 2013

El nuevo papa, Jorge Bergoglio, es argentino - Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - Magdalena Saux

Francis begins first day as new pope - Thursday, March 14, 2013

Catholics overjoyed at 1st Latin American pope - The Sun - Thursday, March 14, 2013 - (author unknown)

Puerto Rico, Not States, Losing Healthcare Funds - Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - KG


Puerto Rico, Not States, Losing Healthcare Funds


The Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposed by U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) would cut Federal healthcare funding for low and middle income individuals living in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories while just eliminating increases for healthcare assistance in the States and the District of Columbia.
The resolution calls for repeal of the 2010 Federal healthcare reform’s expansion of Medicaid, the joint Federal-State/territory program covering health care costs for low-income individuals.  It also calls for repeal of ‘Obamacare’s new health insurance exchanges, which would subsidize the cost of health insurance for middle-income individuals. These exchanges will be run by States that choose to do so, or the Federal government in States that do not set up an exchange.
The Ryan budget is expected to be approved by the House but not the Senate.  Although chances of its healthcare funding proposals passing both houses of Congress are slim, territories would be the biggest losers under the proposals if passed.  Puerto Rico and other territories have one representative each in the House who can only vote in House committees but not for final passage of bills and no representation in the Senate.
Under the new ‘Obamacare” Medicaid expansion, individuals who earn up to 133% of the Federal poverty level would receive Medicaid health coverage in States that agree. Currently, income level eligibility is determined through State-drafted plans but it is often 100% of the poverty level.  The Federal government would cover the full cost of the expansion to 133% for three years and then 90% of the cost with no dollar limits on the costs.
The health insurance exchanges in States would subsidize policies for individuals who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, paying part of the premium costs for people earning up to 400% of the poverty level.  The Federal government would pay the total cost of the subsidies.
The territories were treated differently under ‘Obamacare,’ as they are under current Federal law.   In Medicaid, Puerto Rico continues to be eligible only for limited funding.  The 2010 health care law increased Medicaid funding in the territories by $6.3 from mid-2011 through 2019, of which $5.487 billion was allocated to Puerto Rico.
The nearly $5.5 billion tripled Federal contributions to Medicaid in Puerto Rico.  Even with this increase, Puerto Rico is not funded equally with the States  in the program.  The Federal government is paying only 55% of the cost in Puerto Rico. If the territory were funded equally with the States, the Federal government would pay about 82% — not including the 100% and, then, 90% of the cost of the Obamacare expansion of program eligibility in the States.
It has been estimated that the nearly $5.5 billion in additional funding for Medicaid in Puerto Rico would only enable the insular government to cover individuals up to 100% of the Federal poverty level — the level of eligibility in many States before the Obamacare expansion to 133%.
An additional $1 billion was allotted for health insurance exchanges in the territories, including $925 million in Puerto Rico.  The territories could opt to not establish exchanges and use the money for Medicaid instead — but the Federal government would not operate exchanges in the islands if territorial governments do not — meaning that there would then be no subsidies for health insurance for middle-income earners in the territories.  This is a new area of adverse discrimination against territories in Federal programs.


Fortuno: Republican Party Must Be the Party of Opportunity - Tuesday, March 12, 2013 - hadeninteractive

Puerto Rico Statehood Featured on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Thursday, March 07,
2013 - KG


Opinión - El Nuevo Día: NO IMPROVISEMOS EN TORNO A RETIRO - Thursday, March 14, 2013

Puerto Rico sends Italy home from World Baseball Classic - CBC.ca - Wednesday, March 13, 2013





Puerto Rico derrotó a Italia, 4-3, para mantenerse con vida en el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol. ¿Qué te pareció la conclusión del partido? http://ow.ly/iTsIb
Puerto Rico derrotó a Italia, 4-3, para mantenerse con vida en el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol. ¿Qué te pareció la conclusión del partido? http://ow.ly/iTsIb


Felicidades a nuestro equipo boricua en su victoria de ayer contra Italia. www... - Thursday, March 14, 2013



¡Estamos vivos! Puerto Rico le gana a Italia en el Clásico http://ow.ly/iU38U
¡Estamos vivos! Puerto Rico le gana a Italia en el Clásico http://ow.ly/iU38U 

Bhatia dice Pesquera debe hacer un “sacrificio” - Thursday, March 14, 2013



Puerto Rico Beyond IRS Reach Woos Paulson-Sized Fortunes - Businessweek - Thursday, March 14, 2013



 S&P cuts PR rating to near-junk status - Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Puerto Rico Tax Law Act 22 - Business Insider - Monday, March 11, 2013 - Julia La Roche


Festival de Cine Europeo 2013 (Miramar) - Thursday, March 14, 2013 - Puerto Rico News



From March 14 to 20 in Fine Arts Cinema Café at Miramar. European Festival bringing movies from France, Italy, England, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Romany, Czeck Republic, Serbia, Sweden, Ukraine and Spain.

For more information: www.hechoeneuropa.org (787) 722-3174/722-5434


Elogian a García Padilla y al secretario de Justicia - Thursday, March 14, 2013


Hector Sanchez Shot To Death in Puerto Rico Fire Fight - BoxingScene.comExamin... - Thursday, March 14, 2013

Report: Carnival Dream having problems at Caribbean port - Florida Today - Thursday, March 14, 2013


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

3.12.13 - De viaje el superintendente de la Policía - El Nuevo Día | Héctor Pesquera: Contrato de la discordia - Primera Hora

Updated: 3.15.13


Jefe interino de la DEA consideraría ocupar la superintendencia de la Policía http://ow.ly/iZQAU ¿Crees que sería un buen candidato para dirigir la Policía de Puerto Rico?
Jefe interino de la DEA consideraría ocupar la superintendencia de la Policía http://ow.ly/iZQAU ¿Crees que sería un buen candidato para dirigir la Policía de Puerto Rico?
Like · · · 5 hours ago ·



Héctor Pesquera entiende que la Mano Dura no dio buenos resultados http://ow.ly/iZden ¿Crees que se debe seguir con la política de Mano Dura contra el crimen?
 

Like · ·



Updated: 3.14.13:

Bhatia dice Pesquera debe hacer un “sacrificio” - http://www.vocero.com/opinion/



En portada: La Fortaleza asegura que negocia la continuidad del jefe policiaco, pero su antiguo patrono confirmó que regresa en abril



De viaje el superintendente de la Policía- http://end.pr/YYfIdO
De viaje el superintendente de la Policía- http://end.pr/YYfIdO



12 de marzo de 2013
2:16 p.m.

De viaje el superintendente de la Policía

Su portavoz de prensa dijo que en un viaje oficial y que regresa esta semana
Héctor Pesquera
La portavoz de prensa de Héctor Pesquera dijo que no sabe a dónde viajó el superintendente. (Archivo / El Nuevo Día)
Por ELNUEVODIA.COM
Mientras el Gobierno intenta lograr un acuerdo con la Autoridad de Puertos del condado de Miami-Dade para retener a Héctor Pesquera como superintendente de la Policía, el funcionario se encuentra centrado en un viaje oficial, confirmó la portavoz de prensa, Michelle Franco.
“Esta misma semana regresará”,dijo la portavoz, quien fue escueta en sus declaraciones.
De hecho, Franco alegó desconocer el destino del viaje del superintendente y cuando se le insistió sobre el lugar donde se encuentra, precisó que la única información que divulgarán será que Pesquera se encuentra fuera de Puerto Rico.
No indicó si la travesía está relacionada a la demanda federal por violación a los derechos civiles que tiene la Policía o si responde a algún acuerdo de colaboración con las autoridades federales.
Según ha trascendido, el condado de Miami-Dade le reclamó al jefe policiaco que se presente a su puesto de director de seguridad de Puertos el próximo 1ro de abril.
Fuentes de El Nuevo Día aseguraron ayer, lunes, que Pesquera está decidido a retornar a sus viejas funciones. Esto, a pesar de que el gobernador Alejandro García Padilla continúa en las negociaciones para lograr que el funcionario termine su mandato al frente de la Uniformada.
Pesquera llegó a Puerto Rico hace un año, gracias a un acuerdo contractual logrado por la administración pasada de Luis Fortuño.
Es el jefe de agencia mejor pago en la Isla, pues devenga $283,100. Este dinero se divide en un salario de $144,542.58, beneficios marginales de $34,232.39 -a los que se les restan $14,454 que paga Pesquera por su plan médico- y reembolsos por gastos como viajes, comida y lavandería de hasta $118,779.03.



Héctor Pesquera: Contrato de la discordia http://ow.ly/iNJL8
 

Héctor Pesquera: Contrato de la discordia

Por Rosita Marrero / rmarrero@primerahora.com 03/12/2013 |



Se rumora que las diferencias entre el súper y el gobernador, Alejandro García Padilla, se deben al nombramiento del superinten-dente auxiliar en La Fortaleza y el pago del “enfermito”, entre otros. (Archivo)

Fuentes aseguran que el superintendente de la Policía, Héctor Pesquera, no desea permanecer en el cargo, a pesar de que el gobernador quiere que se quede.
Pesquera se quiere ir.
El superintendente de la Policía, Héctor Pesquera, no quiere continuar en su cargo a pesar del deseo expresado por el gobernador, Alejandro García Padilla, y el secretario de Justicia, Luis Sánchez Betances, para que continúe en sus funciones.
“Pesquera ha manifestado que no quiere quedarse”, dijo una fuente a Primera Hora. “El secretario de Justicia impulsa su permanencia y el gobernador le ha manifestado su deseo de que se quede. La decisión es de Pesquera”, agregó.
Pero tal parece que el súper regresará a sus labores como subjefe de seguridad portuaria en el condado de Dade, en Miami, según confirmó Andria Muñiz, portavoz del Departamento de Puertos de esa localidad a El Nuevo Día.
“El retorno del señor Pesquera al puerto de Miami está programado y confirmado como estaba previsto hace un año”, dijo en un comunicado.
“Hasta hace un minuto, ellos no tenía información de lo contrario, por lo que asumen que él regresa. Eso debe cambiar. Si las negociaciones rinden fruto, se queda. Hay optimismo”, dijo una fuente.
De hecho, anoche, a través del secretario de Asuntos Públicos, Jorge Colberg Toro, el gobernador y el jefe policiaco expresaron que “continúan en comunicación con miras a resolver el asunto del puesto de superintendente. A esos efectos, el gobernador inició gestiones con el alcalde del condado de Miami Dade, Carlos Giménez, para dialogar sobre la permanencia del superintendente en su cargo”.
Por supuesto, surgen interrogantes de por qué el superintendente quiere marcharse. Se ha filtrado información en el sentido de que Pesquera se molestó con el gobernador porque el primer ejecutivo nombró superintendente auxiliar de La Fortaleza a Einar Ramos, un policía de Coamo y amigo íntimo de la infancia, “sin haber consultado con Pesquera”.
La portavoz de la Policía, Michelle Franco, declinó reaccionar a este punto.
Por los pasillos del Cuartel General se comenta también que el súper está molesto porque García Padilla no le informó que no pagaría los días de enfermedad acumulados, conocido como “el enfermito”, a pesar de que conversaron durante el operativo efectuado la semana pasada.
Otro asunto que parece ser el principal objeto de discrepancia entre el gobernador y Pesquera es la negociación de los términos de su contrato de $283,100 que el pasado gobernador Luis Fortuño concedió al ex alto funcionario del Negociado Federal de Investigaciones (FBI, por sus siglas en inglés), de los que $144,542.58 son por concepto de salario, $34,232.39 son de beneficios marginales (menos $14,454 que paga Pesquera por su plan médico) y $118,779.03 por viajes, comida y lavandería.
Colberg afirmó que si el superintendente de la Policía y el gobernador deciden renovar el contrato, los términos del acuerdo no serían idénticos. Expuso que ambos funcionarios han objetado varias cláusulas del contrato actual sobre el reembolso de ciertos gastos, como el de lavado de ropa, los cuales no se repetirían.
Quieren a Pesquera
El secretario de Justicia reiteró su interés y el del gobernador de que Pesquera continúe en la superintendencia.
“Yo apoyo totalmente al superintendente. Está haciendo un magnífico trabajo y quisiera que se quedara. Siempre ha tenido toda la cooperación del Departamento de Justicia y hemos trabajado como un equipo, y bien positivamente”, apuntó el secretario.
¿Por qué la reticencia de él?
Son temas que surgen en este tipo de situación. Tiene que ver con su situación personal, su trabajo en Miami...
Sánchez Betances dijo desconocer que exista malestar por parte del superintendente por el proceso de nombramiento del jefe de seguridad de La Fortaleza.
“Creo que es una prerrogativa del gobernador nombrar a quien entienda apropiado (como) jefe de seguridad de Fortaleza. Y no creo que sea lo del ‘enfermito’, porque el superintendente es consciente de la situación crítica presupuestaria nuestra y el gobernador está haciendo todo lo más en su alcance para mejorar la situación de la Policía porque él es bien pro policía”, afirmó.
¿Es por el contrato?
Los términos y condiciones del contrato es una de las cosas que se deben negociar. Estamos en ese proceso y todavía tengo mucho optimismo.
“El sábado intercambiamos mensajes. En todo momento le he reiterado mi interés y el del gobernador de que continúe como superintendente”, agregó Sánchez Betances.
Dijo que la gente pudiera pensar que ha habido diferencias.
Pero no creo que nada de lo ocurrido ha sido un impedimento para que él se quede.
Sánchez declinó comentar si se están considerando otros candidatos para el cargo.
“Yo estoy con el que diga el gobernador, y voy a trabajar con quien sea designado”, recalcó.
 
 

Sunday, March 10, 2013

3.10.13

  1. Ventana Al Jazz llega a Mayagüez el domingo 17 de marzo de 2013

    laenegroup28 views
    El exitoso evento Ventana Al Jazz esta por cumplir su evento numero 60 en
  2. Seaplanes in Paradise

    Ettractions3 weeks agoNo views
    Peacock Bass Fishing in Puerto Ricoby Ettractions 21 views; 344. Watch Later
  3. 131 views
    • HD

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Atheist Puerto Rico cop files discrimination suit
The Associated Press
Michelle Franco, a spokeswoman for Puerto Rico's police chief, Hector Pesquera, did not respond to a request for comment. One of the supervisors named in the lawsuit, Guillermo Calixto Rodriguez, was appointed police chief for the capital of San Juan ...






World News: Vatican Conclave Meets Tuesday to Choose New Pope
WTVY, Dothan
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Federal officials have rescued 71 Haitian migrants found stranded on the shores of a cluster of islands just west of Puerto Rico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection ... The court also acquitted seven police officials for ...

and more »

via carlos cases fbi - Google Blog Search by unknown on 3/9/13
... y vean que los que trabajamos aquí somos como cualquier otro de carne y hueso, es que ellos adquieran el conocimiento para que continúen transmitiendo el mensaje”, explicó el director del FBI en la Isla, Carlos Cases.

Domingo 10.03.2013

Tras las elecciones generales que se avecinan al fallecer Hugo Chávez
La novena boricua domina por primera vez a Venezuela para obtener el bolet...
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Alejandro García Padilla indicó que tiene ante sí realizar un análisis ...
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Logra la victoria en un partido marcado por una fea trifulca
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Será el abridor de Puerto Rico contra la escuadra quisqueyana
77
Confiados los boricuas rumbo a la segunda ronda tras eliminar a Venezuela
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IMPULSO A LA AGENDA A FAVOR DE LA MUJER

Ante la celebración de hoy viernes del Día Internacional de la Mujer, es preciso tomar conciencia y acelerar acciones sociales ante los retos que aún persisten, algunos agravados, que afectan al colectivo femenino en la Isla, entre ellos un recrudecimiento de los incidentes de violencia de género y el impacto de la crisis económica.

Hay espacio...

ue me disculpe el barón Pierre de Coubertin, fundador de los Juegos Olímpicos modernos, pero en el olimpismo sí hay espacio para las mujeres, y no necesariamente en las gradas como

65

Yara Liceaga Es que no basta con tener una carga de trabajo que excede cualquier parámetro de pudor profesional; los planes del Gobierno de turno empiezan a limpiar la raíz que, bien pla

Porqué, escrito junto, es sinónimo de causa, motivo. Ejemplo: el porqué de mi alegría.
Si usted está recibiendo hoy mismo un dinerito de retiro siéntase afortunado y no se queje. Usted por ser pensionado del gobierno y tener 65 años o más vive con dos entradas de ingreso: pensión y seguro social (no los maestros y otros que no aportan al seguro social).
Hay miles de personas que solo viven del seguro social y con ese dinerito tiene que vivir. En Nueva York no existe bono de navidad ni de verano para sus pensionados (lo sé porque yo soy uno de ellos), tampoco recibo mi pensión de cada 15 días sino mensual. Lo que está pasando es que se quiere llevar el mismo estilo de vida que gozábamos cuando trabajábamos y esperamos que el gobierno lo pague aunque no tenga los fondos.
Basta ver en Navidad cuando se da el bono, cómo la gente sale a comprar televisores plasma, tabletas, y otros artículos de lujo. Entonces no hay escasez de dinero. Amárrese el cinturón y viva con lo que recibe, pues los tiempos de las vacas gordas se acabaron.
Rafael González Marrero
Esta semana se anunció la exaltación de Carlitos “Charlie” Pasarell Matos al Salón de la Fama del Tenis en Estados Unidos. Para quienes no conozcan la estelar carrera de este tenista puertorriqueño, cabe señalar sus múltiples triunfos y campeonatos en las categorías “junior”, que unidos a sus dos campeonatos colegiales lo colocan en un sitial nunca alcanzado por ningún otro tenista que haya nacido en Puerto Rico.
En 1966 y 1967 este singular jugador ocupó el primer lugar en la clasificación del tenis a nivel colegial sobre su gran amigo, el gran Arthur Ashe y Clark Graebner, entre otros. Además estuvo entre los primeros cinco jugadores aficionado sembrados en Estados Unidos en sencillos. Luego como profesional logró que se le cotizara como jugador de sencillo entre los primeros quince del mundo, junto a jugadores de la talla de Ke Rosewall, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Manolo Santana, Richard “Pancho” González, Arthur Ashe y Dennis Ralston, entre otros.
Sin restarle méritos a nuestra Beatriz “Gigi” Fernández y a nuestro Francis González, ningún tenista boricua en sencillos ha obtenido los triunfos y la clasificación de Carlitos Pasarell. Ahora que se le hizo justicia en Estados Unidos, ya es hora que se haga lo propio con él en su patria, Puerto Rico.
Manuel B. Freiría
Guaynabo
Una vez más damos a demostrar al mundo el nivel de violencia que vivimos en nuestra Isla. Un guardia de seguridad agredió a un joven estudiante en los predios de la UPR-Río Piedras por correr su patineta.
Entonces, ¿cuál es la campaña que el Gobierno promueve en nuestra ciudadanía de un Puerto Rico Verde con menos contaminación y promovemos lo contrario a lo que queremos?
¿No aspiramos a un Puerto Rico con menos dependencia del carro, con el uso de transporte colectivo, bicicletas, patinetas o cualquier medio de transportación que no afecte nuestro ambiente y sin tolerancia alguna el oficial de seguridad le brinda una paliza al joven? Queremos un Puerto Rico con menos dependencia al petróleo, pero incitamos al uso de este y para colmo educamos con violencia.
Tony Sierra
Peñuelas
La joven Ismari Marín Negrón acaba de sacudir al país con una canción, un cartel y dando y recibiendo abrazos a granel con el fin de combatir la violencia. Resulta que Kathleen Keating, una asesora de salud mental, directora del Servicio de Educación y Relaciones Comunitarias del Hospital Woodview-Calabasas de California regía su vida bajo el lema: “Sentir, conocer y enseñar las muchas dimensiones del amor: el coraje para luchar; la vulnerabilidad para dar y recibir; la sensibilidad a la compasión y al poder del enojo; la apertura al deleite del juego y el intensísimo placer de un cálido abrazo”.
Abrazar es un instinto, una respuesta natural a los sentimientos de afecto, compasión, necesidad y alegría. Es también una ciencia, un simple método de apoyo, curación y desarrollo, de resultados mesurables y notables. Cualquier pediatra puede corroborar el beneficio notable que recibe el bebé prematuro en una unidad de cuidados intensivos con el mero contacto físico con su madre. En este caso el abrazo alcanza la categoría de arte.
El contacto físico no es sólo algo agradable: es necesario para nuestro bienestar psicológico, emocional y corporal, y acrecienta la alegría y la salud del individuo y la sociedad. El abrazo es una forma muy especial de tocar, que hace que uno se acepte mejor a sí mismo y se sienta mejor aceptado por los demás. Sin duda alguna Ismari Marín sería para Keating la primera abrazoterapeuta social boricua, ya que en un mundo de gente solitaria, violenta y agresiva como la que abunda en nuestro país, el abrazo acerca y une. Transmite amor y apoyo.
A Ismari, abrazoterapeuta natural y social, solo me resta decirle: ¡adelante!
Tomás R. Carrera
San Juan
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via Puerto Rico Report by hadeninteractive on 3/7/13
Science literacy is an issue across the United States. The need for skilled workers in the fields of science, technology, and engineering regularly outstrips the supply of graduates in those fields, and most high school graduates don’t have sufficient background in math and sciences to be able to major in those fields.
The Coalition for the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) works to improve science literacy. One of their initiatives is the Paul Shin Award, honoring individuals whose passion for science has led them to share their love of science in a way that helps get more people involved in and aware of science in daily life.
The most recent honoree is Mónica I. Feliú-Mójer, Ph.D., Vice-director and News Editor for Ciencia Puerto Rico. Ciencia Puerto Rico had its start as an initiative of the Council for the Advancement in Puerto Rico for Innovation and Scientific Research (CAPRI). The goal of the organization is to encourage scientific study of Puerto Rico, to encourage scientists in Puerto Rico, and to support “the next generation of Puerto Rican scientists.”
Ciencia Puerto Rico maintains the world’s largest database of Puerto Rican scientists, including both scientists from Puerto Rico and those who study phenomena within Puerto Rico. The group has prepared teaching materials for K-12 designed to enhance interest in science careers. Above all, Ciencia Puerto Rico serves as a hub for the community of individuals and organizations interested in promoting science literacy and awareness in and about Puerto Rico.
Feliú-Mójer was honored in recognition of both her work as Vice-director and for her generous unpaid hours in support of Ciencia Puerto Rico.



via Puerto Rico Report by KG on 3/7/13
Last night, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart took on the issue of statehood for Puerto Rico. The mock report featured “journalist” Al Madrigal attempting to convince demonstrators pushing for Puerto Rican statehood in a rally on Saturday, March 2nd that they would be better off without it.
Madrigal’s efforts – while humorous – were not successful. The people who attended the rally in front of the White House were committed to pushing for Puerto Rico’s entry as a new state of the United States.
To the Daily Show’s credit, they did cover the rally, exposing its viewers to the fact that there are many people – in Puerto Rico and the rest of the U.S. – who seek statehood for Puerto Rico. Many other news outlets ignored the news. And Madrigal effectively made the point that no matter how badly off the United States appears to be right now, people in Puerto Rico still want to live in a state.
But we are also left wondering what clips are on the cutting room floor. When asked about what Puerto Rico can offer to the rest of the U.S., did any of the demonstrators talk about the extraordinary rate of military participation by Puerto Ricans? Did someone note that Puerto Rico is already a part of the United States, and that the demonstrators were also there to celebrate the anniversary of their U.S. citizenship? It seems a bit late to ask Puerto Ricans what they bring to the table now.
The closing piece of the segment was also insightful. Madrigal tried to convince a demonstrator that having Senate representation wouldn’t matter because Senators could be filibustered. But having Senate representation also means that your Senator could conduct the filibuster. And that is power that Puerto Rico does not have.


via FOX News on 3/9/13
Don't expect any protests Chávez at Calle Ocho this year, but do expect tons of sangria.

via NBC Latino by The Associated Press on 3/9/13
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Lawyers filed a lawsuit Friday against some of Puerto Rico’s top police officials, accusing them of discriminating against an officer for being an atheist and not adhering to the separation of church and state.
It is one of the first cases of its kind filed in the deeply religious U.S. territory, where 85 percent of the people consider themselves Roman Catholic and a large minority is Protestant.
The lawsuit names the island’s police chief and three supervisors. It was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in Puerto Rico and the Washington-based ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.
The case involves police officer Alvin Marrero Mendez, 38, who repeatedly refused to participate in Christian prayers held at his precinct because he is an atheist.
In one case, attorneys say his supervisors held a prayer in the parking lot of a shopping mall prior to an intervention. Marrero objected and his supervisors ordered him to abandon the formation, yelling, “He is standing there because he doesn’t believe in what we believe in,” the lawsuit states.
After Marrero filed a complaint, lawyers said, supervisors demoted the 14-year veteran, stripped him of his gun and made him wash patrol cars and act as a messenger.
The ACLU is seeking a court judgment stating that forced prayer in a government workplace violates the doctrine of separation of church and state as well as the officer’s freedom. Puerto Rico’s constitution specifically states there needs to be complete separation of church and state.
The ACLU also requested a court order to stop the alleged retaliation.
“Government employees should never be forced to pray with the boss,” said Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.
Michelle Franco, a spokeswoman for Puerto Rico’s police chief, Hector Pesquera, did not respond to a request for comment.
One of the supervisors named in the lawsuit, Guillermo Calixto Rodriguez, was appointed police chief for the capital of San Juan in January. He could not be reached for comment.
The lawsuit highlights how church and state are often intertwined in Puerto Rico, a conservative island of 3.7 million people.
A couple years ago, officials with the Treasury Department organized a Catholic Mass in the building’s lobby, complete with an altar.
Prayer circles have been held at the Supreme Court.
And in March 2012, former Police Chief Emilio Diaz Colon promoted more than 470 officers at a ceremony held at a church, saying at the time, “We are very grateful that God is with us at the Puerto Rico Police Department.”
Diaz was criticized at the time for his comments and for using the church, but he said the location was provided at no cost and was large enough to accommodate everyone who attended.
“This has always been a problem in Puerto Rico,” said William Ramirez, the ACLU’s local director. “It’s very divisive and it’s unconstitutional. … Government is sending a message, ‘This is what we believe, and we believe you should be believing.’”

Tagged: Alvin Marrero Mendez, atheist, catholics, Hector Pesquera, lawsuit, Puerto Rico, religious, san juan

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelans will vote April 14 to choose a successor to Hugo Chavez, the elections commission announced Saturday as increasingly strident political rhetoric begins to roil this polarized country.
The constitution mandated the election be held within 30 days of Chavez's March 5 death, but the date picked falls outside that period. Critics of the socialist government already complained that officials violated the constitution by swearing in Vice President Nicolas Maduro as acting leader Friday night.
Some people have speculated Venezuela will not be ready to organize the vote in time, but elections council chief Tibisay Lucena said the country's electronic voting system was fully prepared.
Lucena announced the date on state television, appearing in a small inset as the main picture showed people filing past Chavez's coffin at the military academy in Caracas, where his body has lain in state since Wednesday.
Chavez's boisterous state funeral Friday often felt like a political rally for his anointed successor, Maduro, who eulogized him by pledging eternal loyalty and vowing Chavez's movement will never be defeated. Maduro is expected to become the candidate of Chavez's socialist party.
Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, coordinator of the opposition coalition, immediately followed the election announcement by offering his bloc's presidential candidacy to Henrique Capriles, the governor of Miranda state who lost to Chavez in October. A Capriles adviser said the governor would announce his decision Sunday.
Mariana Bacalao, a professor of public opinion at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, said the passion on both sides just hours after Chavez's funeral raised fear of far worse to come in the weeks ahead.
"You can expect during the campaign that these rages will be unleashed," she said.
In his speech after his swearing-in, Maduro took shots at the United States, the media, international capitalism and domestic opponents he often depicted as treacherous. He claimed the allegiance of Venezuela's army, referring to them as the "armed forces of Chavez," despite the constitution barring the military from taking sides in politics.
The opposition has denounced the transition as an unconstitutional power grab, and Capriles has said his side was studying its strategy for the vote, which will be held in the shadow of the government's efforts to immortalize Chavez. Since his death, the former paratrooper has been compared to Jesus Christ and early-19th century Venezuelan liberator Simon Bolivar, and the government announced that his body would be embalmed and put on eternal display.
Edith Palmeira, a 47-year-old Caracas resident at a park Saturday in central Caracas, said she would vote for Maduro, but made clear her allegiance was based purely on her love of Chavez.
"Imitations are never as good as the original," Palmeira said. "But I think he must have grown as a person during so much time at the president's side. He must have learned to be a president."
Elvira Orozco, a 31-year-old business owner, said she planned to sit out the vote to protest Maduro's swearing-in Friday.
"What they want is to say that here there's a democracy, but here they violate the constitution and there's no authority who says anything," Orozco said.
Observers voiced mounting concern about the deep political divide gripping Venezuela, with half of it in a near frenzy of adulation and the other feeling targeted.
"Everything that happened yesterday (with the funeral and Maduro's speech) are outward signs of a fascistic aesthetic, complete with armbands," said Vicente Gonzalez de la Vega, a professor of law at Caracas' Universidad Metropolitana. "It is the cult of the adored leader, an escape from reality. ... They are trying to impose on the rest of the country a new pagan religion."
He said the ruling party was playing with fire with its strong nationalistic rhetoric and the implication that a vote against Maduro was somehow subversive.
Capriles, too, has used emotionally charged language in his public comments. On Friday he denounced Maduro as a shameless liar who had not been elected by the people, and condescendingly referred to him as "boy."
Opposition figures have said they are concerned about the election's fairness, particularly given the public vows of allegiance to Chavez from senior military officials. Capriles lost to Chavez in Oct. 7 elections, but he garnered 45 percent of the vote, which was the most anyone had ever won against the late president.
A boycott of 2005 legislative elections was widely seen as disastrous for the opposition, letting Chavez's supporters win all 167 seats and allowing him to govern unimpeded by any legislative rivals.
___
Associated Press writers Jorge Rueda and Vivian Sequera contributed to this report.
___
Paul Haven on Twitter: www.twitter.com/paulhaven

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelans will vote April 14 to choose a successor to Hugo Chavez, the elections commission announced Saturday as increasingly strident political rhetoric begins to roil this polarized country.
The constitution mandated the election be held within 30 days of Chavez's March 5 death, but the date picked falls outside that period. Critics of the socialist government already complained that officials violated the constitution by swearing in Vice President Nicolas Maduro as acting leader Friday night.
Some people have speculated Venezuela will not be ready to organize the vote in time, but elections council chief Tibisay Lucena said the country's electronic voting system was fully prepared.
Lucena announced the date on state television while a small inset in the picture showed people filing past Chavez's coffin at the military academy in Caracas, where his body has lain in state since Wednesday.
Chavez's boisterous state funeral Friday often felt like a political rally for his anointed successor, Maduro, who eulogized him by pledging eternal loyalty and vowing Chavez's movement will never be defeated. Maduro is expected to run as the candidate of Chavez's socialist party.
Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, coordinator of the opposition coalition, immediately followed the election announcement by offering his bloc's presidential candidacy to Henrique Capriles, the governor of Miranda state who lost to Chavez in October. A Capriles adviser said the governor would announce his decision Sunday.
David Smilde, an analyst with the U.S.-based Washington Office on Latin America, said the opposition needs to run a candidate in the presidential election even though he believes it will almost certainly lose.
Smilde said he wasn't sure Capriles will accept the candidacy.
"If he says he doesn't want to run I could totally understand that," Smilde said. "He is likely going to lose, and if he loses this election, he's probably going to be done."
In that case the opposition would be wise to run someone such as Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledesma or Henry Falcone, governor of Lara state and one of just three opposition governors, he said.
That would give the opposition an opportunity to clearly articulate its platform and vision.
"Really what this campaign would be about is allowing the opposition to put themselves in position for the future, to show that they have some ideas for the country," Smilde said.
In his speech after his swearing-in Friday, Maduro took shots at the United States, the media, international capitalism and domestic opponents he often depicted as treacherous. He claimed the allegiance of Venezuela's army, referring to them as the "armed forces of Chavez," despite the constitution barring the military from taking sides in politics.
The opposition has denounced the transition as an unconstitutional power grab, while the government moves to immortalize Chavez. Since his death, the former paratrooper has been compared to Jesus Christ and early-19th century Venezuelan liberator Simon Bolivar, and the government announced that his body would be embalmed and put on eternal display.
Edith Palmeira, a 47-year-old Caracas resident at a park Saturday in central Caracas, said she would vote for Maduro, but made clear her allegiance was based purely on her love of Chavez.
"Imitations are never as good as the original," Palmeira said. "But I think he must have grown as a person during so much time at the president's side. He must have learned to be a president."
Elvira Orozco, a 31-year-old business owner, said she planned to sit out the vote to protest Maduro's swearing-in Friday.
"What they want is to say that here there's a democracy, but here they violate the constitution and there's no authority who says anything," Orozco said.
Observers voiced mounting concern about the deep political divide gripping Venezuela, with half of it in a near frenzy of adulation and the other feeling targeted.
"Everything that happened yesterday (with the funeral and Maduro's speech) are outward signs of a fascistic aesthetic, complete with armbands," said Vicente Gonzalez de la Vega, a professor of law at Caracas' Universidad Metropolitana. "It is the cult of the adored leader, an escape from reality. ... They are trying to impose on the rest of the country a new pagan religion."
He said the ruling party was playing with fire with its strong nationalistic rhetoric and the implication that a vote against Maduro was somehow subversive.
Capriles, too, has used emotionally charged language in his public comments. On Friday he denounced Maduro as a shameless liar who had not been elected by the people, and condescendingly referred to him as "boy."
Opposition figures have said they are concerned about the election's fairness, particularly given the public vows of allegiance to Chavez from senior military officials. Capriles lost to Chavez in Oct. 7 elections, but he garnered 45 percent of the vote, which was the most anyone had ever won against the late president.
A boycott of 2005 legislative elections was widely seen as disastrous for the opposition, letting Chavez's supporters win all 167 seats and allowing him to govern unimpeded by any legislative rivals.
___
Associated Press writers Frank Bajak, Jorge Rueda and Vivian Sequera contributed to this report.
___
Paul Haven on Twitter: www.twitter.com/paulhaven

via latino - Google Blog Search by Sandra Lilley on 3/9/13
Thomas Perez, the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, is President Obama's top choice for Secretary of Labor, according to a person familiar with the selection process, reports the ...

via latino - Google Blog Search by Steve Ralls on 3/8/13
Washington, DC – A new Immigration Equality/Latino Decisions poll of Latino voters shows strong support for immigration reform legislation that includes lesbian and gay binational couples. Support for ending the separation ...

via crime in puerto rico statistics - Google Blog Search by The Huffington Post News Editors on 3/8/13
Al Madrigal's got a question for Puerto Rican statehood supporters: what do you want with this mess? ... One staffer viewed the status vote as a "statistical fiction." Contribute to this Story: Send us a tip; Send us a photo or video ...




'Don't Give Up On Us': Puerto Ricans Wrestle With High Crime
WUSF News
Puerto Rico's population is declining. Faced with a deteriorating economy, increased poverty and a swelling crime rate, many Puerto Ricans are fleeing the island for the U.S. mainland. In a four-part series, Morning Edition explores this phenomenon ...

and more »




The people of the Falkland Islands are heading to the polls on Sunday and Monday for a referendum on whether they wish to remain a British Overseas Territory.

via caribbean - Google News on 3/10/13

Jamaica Observer


The Caribbean after Chavez
Jamaica Observer
Seventeen countries of the Caribbean face a heightened period of economic uncertainty now that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died. Twelve of the 17 Caribbean countries are members of the Caribbean Community (Caricom). They have become ...
The Caribbean's debt to Hugo ChávezJamaica Gleaner
Celebrating Chavez—Caricom's 'friend'Trinidad & Tobago Express

all 3 news articles »

via Fotos de Hoy on 3/9/13


Viene no lo dejen caer q la sere sigue 😊 #tendidoselectricos #electricalsky @ar0n @pernoctar

via (title unknown) on 3/9/13
5 Comments, last updated on Saturday Mar 9 by Jorge

via (title unknown) on 3/9/13
3 Comments, last updated on Saturday Mar 9 by Jorge

via Puerto Rico News on 3/10/13
In San Juan, Puerto Rico , a police officer who claims he was punished for refusing to participate in compulsory Christian prayers has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination .

via puerto rico - Búsqueda de blogs by miguelsumaran@netjoven.com (NetJoven S.A.C) on 3/8/13
Recibo con polémica frase / Foto : Huffingtonpost.com En Puerto Rico, un cajero automático imprimió un recibo con la frase 'we hate fags' (odiamos a los maricones). Las críticas no se hicieron esperar y arremetieron contra ...

via puerto rico - Búsqueda de blogs by desconocido on 3/8/13
San Juan, 8 mar (EFE).- Puerto Rico marcó tres anotaciones en la primera entrada, las cuales fueron suficientes para derrotar vía blanqueada a España 3-0 en su debut del Clásico Mundial de Béisbol como parte de la ...

via puerto rico - Búsqueda de blogs by SinUniforme on 3/8/13
08 mar, Carlos González Lovito (SU).- Puerto Rico debutó con triunfo 3 carreras por 0 sobre España y acompaña a República Dominicana en la cima del grupo C. Con un estadio a media capacidad la selección boricua hizo ...



via The New York Times's Facebook Wall by The New York Times on 3/9/13
"My father came from Ireland and he had the gift of the gab. Part of the reason the Irish developed the gift of the gab was simple. They lived on an island. They had to get along. Not that they did get along. But they had to try," writes John Patrick Shanley, a playwright and the author of "Doubt: A Parable."

In the Opinion Pages, Mr. Shanley shares "how all hell broke loose" when he visited his Aunt Mary and Uncle Tony in Ireland in 1993.


The Darkness of an Irish Morning
www.nytimes.com
My eccentric, boisterous relatives told me everything — almost.

via Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links on 3/9/13
"Lorenzo, gracias por ser mi amigo"

"Lorenzo, gracias por ser mi amigo"

11:01 a.m.A tres años del asesinato del niño, ciudadanos visitaron la tumba; entre ellos, un amiguito que vestía el uniforme de su equipo de fútbol

Expertos analizan el mal de …


"Lorenzo, gracias por ser mi amigo"

via The Wall Street Journal's Facebook Wall by The Wall Street Journal on 3/9/13
As social media changes the way we experience vacation photos, there's no better time to improve the shots themselves. Lesson one: Focus on the details. How to take better travel photos: http://on.wsj.com/Z8KCzh

What photography tips have you found most helpful?

Photo by Diane Cook and Len Jenshel.


via Videos matching: puerto rico by a GirLwithaPlaN on 3/7/13
Hi boys and girls! Been away in Puerto Rico this week on vacation with family. I will uploaded more videos of my adventures whilst on vaca. Hope you guys are having an awesome week too! :D Subscribe Here: www.youtube.com Tweet me here: twitter.com
Views:546
35ratings
Time:02:41More inPeople & Blogs

via Videos matching: puerto rico by woltersworld on 3/8/13
www.woltersworld.com Visiting Puerto Rico and not sure what to expect? Jocelyn from Wolters World goes through her 5 things she loves and hates annoyed by when visiting Puerto Rico. An amazing island with fantastic people and food and weather but hectic traffic. Copyright Mark Wolters 2013 Filmed in Puerto Rico Visit Puerto Rico, Travel Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Tourism Advice
Views:146
12ratings
Time:05:33More inTravel & Events

via Puerto Rico News - Archive Links's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico News - Archive Links on 3/9/13
Oposición venezolana estudia su estrategia

Oposición venezolana estudia su estrategia

Arrestan a hombre por herir a otro en Guayanilla

Reclaman fin de la violencia infantil

Instalan chimenea en la Capilla Sixtina para el cónclave

La chimenea de …


Oposición venezolana estudia su estrategia

via Puerto Rico Videos & Songs's Facebook Wall by Puerto Rico Videos & Songs on 3/9/13
Obama Pride: Ricky Martin

Obama Pride: Ricky Martin


Share this: OFA.BO Tweet this: OFA.BO Ricky Martin shares why he's standing with President Obama and what you can do to make sure he's re-elected for a second term. As Ricky shares: "As a parent, …


Obama Pride: Ricky Martin

via Puerto Rico News on 3/9/13
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Federal officials have rescued 71 Haitian migrants found stranded on the shores of a cluster of islands just west of Puerto Rico.

via Puerto Rico Newswire on 3/9/13
... In honour of International Women's Day, here's a look at the often difficult working lives of women. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Federal officials have rescued 71 Haitian migrants found stranded on the shores of a cluster of islands just west of Puerto ...