The young in Puerto Rico turned drug dealers due to harsh economic reality www.bbc.co.uk | 7/29/10 7:14 PM

If you like Project Runway, you're in luck: The fashion franchise starts season eight tonight and will expand from 1 hour to 90 minutes for each episode.

www.topix.net | 7/29/10 10:46 AM

Intrepid travel has 21-day Peru Encompassed packages including Peru, the Inca Trail, jungles, lakes and deserts from $2964, including a 20 per cent discount.

www.topix.net | 7/29/10 5:47 AM

July 28, 2010: Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi has written to the nation's top two law enforcers seeking additional federal resources for Puerto Rico to fight the illegal drug trade and related violence. Pierluisi lodged the request in nearly identical letters sent this week to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. "I am concerned about the high murder rate in Puerto Rico and the amount of funding, personnel and other resources that the federal government-particularly the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security-has devoted to this problem," Pierluisi wrote. "I respectfully request that the level of federal resources allocated to Puerto Rico be made commensurate with the island's needs in this area." The resident commissioner noted that Puerto Rico's homicide toll has continued to surge even as the overall U.S. homicide rate has declined substantially in recent years. Pierluisi echoed local law enforcers in blaming the bulk of Puerto Rico's murders on the drug trade and the island's role as a transshipment point for Colombian cocaine and heroin bound for the mainland. "The Puerto Rico Police Department has estimated that 75% of murders in Puerto Rico are linked to the trade in illegal drugs, and anecdotal evidence suggests this figure may be a conservative estimate," the resident commissioner wrote. "Drug consumption in Puerto Rico, as in many jurisdictions, is a serious and growing problem," Pierluisi said. "But the consistently high level of drug-related violence in Puerto Rico is primarily attributable to the unfortunate fact that the island serves as a key transit point for drugs produced in South America and Central America and destined for consumption in the 50 states, with South Florida often serving as a gateway." He listed a variety of entry points for illicit loads reaching Puerto Rico including container ships, go-fast boats and other vessels and via cruise ship passengers and crew members. [Open link for full report and several photos.] www.topix.net | 7/29/10 1:23 AM

Christopher Columbus is on the move again in the New World, after numerous rejections in a nearly two-decade quest to find him a suitable spot.

www.topix.net | 7/28/10 11:27 PM

SPAIN MARKETPLACE Ask if there is a company/organisation development plan. TEACHING IN A WAR ZONE "I am planning to live and work in a country which could be at times described as a war zone.

www.topix.net | 7/28/10 6:13 PM

Photo: Puerto Rican nationalist leader Carlos Alberto Torres, right, is embraced by his stepmother Alejandrina Torres as he's greeted by supporters upon his return to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, July 27, 2010. Torres returned from nearly 30 years in prison in Illinois for participating in a group that used violence against U.S. control of the island. (AP Photo/Dennis Rivera) Associated Press Writer / July 28, 2010 -- SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico-Throngs of supporters greeted a Puerto Rican nationalist leader Tuesday as he returned from nearly 30 years in prison for participating in a group that used violence against U.S. control of the island. Carlos Alberto Torres, 57, pushed through hundreds of people who waved Puerto Rican flags and promised they would keep fighting for the Caribbean territory's independence. Among the supporters was Torres' stepmother, who received clemency in 1999 while serving a similar sentence for conspiring against the U.S. government. "This has to be the best day of my life. After 30 years, after many struggles, to come back home," Carlos Alberto Torres told the crowd in a brief statement before leaving the airport. Torres was paroled Monday from a federal prison in Illinois on charges of seditious conspiracy and carrying a firearm. He expects to resume painting and making pottery, said Eduardo Villanueva, spokesman for the Puerto Rican Committee for Human Rights. He had been excluded in 1999 when President Bill Clinton offered clemency to 16 members of the Armed Forces of National Liberation, a group that authorities linked to bombings of U.S. civilian and military targets from 1974 to 1983. The attacks killed at least six people and wounded dozens. In a 1999 letter to a congressman, Clinton said he refused to commute Torres' sentence because he "was identified as the leader of the group, and had made statements that he was involved in a revolution against the United States and that his actions had been legitimate." Testifying before Congress last year, Joseph Connor, the son of a man killed in what authorities say was a 1975 FALN bombing in New York called the clemency offer "unimaginable, immoral and dangerous." [Open above link for full, accurate. impartial story.] www.topix.net | 7/28/10 10:55 AM

Throngs of supporters greeted a Puerto Rican nationalist leader Tuesday as he returned from nearly 30 years in prison for participating in a group that used violence against U.S. control of the island.

www.topix.net | 7/28/10 5:40 AM

Puerto Rican nationalist leader Carlos Alberto Torres, right, is embraced by his stepmother Alejandrina Torres as he's greeted by supporters upon his return to San Juan, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, July 27, 2010.

www.topix.net | 7/28/10 5:40 AM

Some leaders of the People's Democratic Party in Imo State embark on a campaign to stop Ikedi Ohakim from getting a second term as governor With the 2011 election getting closer, a group whose mission is to stop Ikedi Ohakim, governor of Imo State, from getting a second term has emerged.

www.topix.net | 7/28/10 2:40 AM

Rafael Cancel, who runs Puerto Rico's first environmental law practice, talks about what motivates him to fight for social justice. www.bbc.co.uk | 7/27/10 3:44 PM

HERBERT W. BROWN III; JOSÉ L. UBARRI; DAVID W. ROMÁN, Plaintiffs, Appellees, v. COLEGIO DE ABOGADOS DE PUERTO RICO, Defendant, Appellant. No. 08-2432. United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit. July 23, 2010. Harold D. Vicente with whom Nelson N. Cordova-Morales and Vicente & Cuebas were on brief for appellant. David C. Indiano with whom Seth A. Erbe, María Ligia Giráldez, Indiano & Williams, P.S.C., Andrés W. López and The Law Offices of Andrés W. López were on brief for appellees. Before Lynch, Chief Judge, Boudin and Lipez, Circuit Judges. BOUDIN, Circuit Judge. Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico ("Colegio") is a state-created, integrated bar association; membership has been statutorily required in order to practice law before the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's courts. P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 4, § 774 (2009). At the time the present dispute began, Colegio had for many years provided compulsory life insurance to its members, funded by a portion of their annual dues. The present appeal is the latest phase of litigation stemming from this compulsory insurance. The procedural history traces back to a law suit filed in 1994. Carlos Romero, Jr., a Colegio member, claimed that the organization was acting unlawfully by requiring him to purchase life insurance in order to practice before Puerto Rican courts. The district court granted summary judgment in Colegio's favor and dismissed the claim in 1999 but was reversed on appeal by this court. Romero v. Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico, 204 F.3d 291, 295-96, 304-06 (1st Cir. 2000). This court held that the First Amendment allowed Colegio to compel its members to purchase life insurance only if this was germane to the purposes that justify compelling membership in an integrated bar association, id. at 302; but, to avoid needlessly deciding a constitutional question, we directed the district court to certify the question of Colegio's authority, id. at 305-06. The Puerto Rico Supreme Court affirmed that authority as a matter of local law. The district court then held that the life insurance program was not germane and was therefore unconstitutional, awarded Romero damages-the amount of his dues attributable to the life insurance program since he had initially objected-and entered an injunction "prohibit[ing] [Colegio] from collecting {Continue in Extended Entry.] www.topix.net | 7/27/10 10:23 AM

VINELAND -- The pride of the local Puerto Rican community swept quickly down Landis Avenue on Sunday.

www.topix.net | 7/26/10 3:52 PM

Photo: Former Governor Carlos Romero Barceó considers the creation of the Commonwealth as a deception to the international community. Inter News Wire Service: New Progressive Party former Gov. Carlos Romero Barceló, who was the main speaker at the Commonwealths Constitution's 58th anniversary ceremony, said during his speech that "instead of celebrating, we should be mourning." Romero Barceló got laughs during his speech for his jokes and punch lines such as "commemorating whiskey and coconut water", but adopted a more somber tone saying that the ratification of the Puerto Rico constitution makes "the colonial regime legal. We should be sad that this problem has not been put to rest," added the former governor. Secretary of State Kenneth McClintock, previous to Romero Barceló's message, said he was going to hand out a commemorative proclamation, but the document never showed up. McClintock lauded the ex-governor, saying he was "extremely insistent, demanding and effective." He minimized the date's importance, stating that July 25 was celebrated as the day U.S. troops invaded the island in 1898 up until 1951 when the Constitution was signed. The ratification of Commonwealth on July 25 was no mere coincidence. According to McClintock, the document was approved July 3, the U.S. Congress amended it July 13 and "waited until July 25 to ratify it, in hopes of erasing its previous meaning." "Today [Sunday] July 25, we commemorate the invasion of troops and the Constitution," said McClintock before making way for Romero Barceló. While the Popular Democratic Party, defenders of the status quo, called their leaders to Maunabo, the Romero Barceló voiced his dislike of the constitution on the lawn of the main State Department building, in front of the Plaza de Armas in Old San Juan. Sporting a white, long sleeved "guayabera", facing Gov. Fortuño and other pro U.S. annexation leaders, Romero Barceló said that "all the necessary things in the Constitution were already granted in the Jones Act (1917), with the exception of voting for the governor, which changed in 1948." [Continue in Extended Entry.] www.topix.net | 7/26/10 11:35 AM

Do Puerto Ricans also fear for their Spanish language as English Spreads? - Upfront Yankee Photo: By NORIMITSU ONISHI: JAKARTA, Indonesia - Paulina Sugiarto's three children played together at a mall here the other day, chattering not in Indonesia's national language, but English. Their fluency often draws admiring questions from other Indonesian parents Ms. Sugiarto encounters in this city's upscale malls. But the children's ability in English obscured the fact that, though born and raised in Indonesia, they were struggling with the Indonesian language, known as Bahasa Indonesia. Their parents, who grew up speaking the Indonesian language but went to college in the United States and Australia, talk to their children in English. And the children attend a private school where English is the main language of instruction. "They know they're Indonesian," Ms. Sugiarto, 34, said. "They love Indonesia. They just can't speak Bahasa Indonesia. It's tragic." Indonesia's linguistic legacy is increasingly under threat as growing numbers of wealthy and upper-middle-class families shun public schools where Indonesian remains the main language but English is often taught poorly. They are turning, instead, to private schools that focus on English and devote little time, if any, to Indonesian. For some Indonesians, as mastery of English has become increasingly tied to social standing, Indonesian has been relegated to second-class status. In extreme cases, people take pride in speaking Indonesian poorly. The global spread of English, with its sometimes corrosive effects on local languages, has caused much hand-wringing in many non-English-speaking corners of the world. But the implications may be more far-reaching in Indonesia, where generations of political leaders promoted Indonesian to unite the nation and forge a national identity out of countless ethnic groups, ancient cultures and disparate dialects. The government recently announced that it would require all private schools to teach the nation's official language to its Indonesian students by 2013. Details remain sketchy, though. "These schools operate here, but don't offer Bahasa to our citizens," said Suyanto, who oversees primary and secondary education at the Education Ministry. [Continue in Extended Entry.] www.topix.net | 7/26/10 10:26 AM

The 22 people who will be honored during the 50th Jersey City Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade in August were presented at a ceremony yesterday with red, white and blue sashes.

www.topix.net | 7/26/10 7:37 AM

In 1974, Frank Drake, director of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, had completed the task of resurfacing the world's biggest radio telescope.

www.topix.net | 7/26/10 12:13 AM

At El Jibarito, a cafe in the heart of Old San Juan, diners ate platters of fish with the heads still on and vegetables I didn't recognize.

www.topix.net | 7/25/10 2:44 PM

[Google website translation from Spanish to English. Open above link for full report in Spanish. Photo: All that is known to covet the Fortress [Forteleza] have been timid , ineffective or simply non-existent at the time when the country needs . In Puerto Rico is very little that is governed and what is too political . The first year of each government is going to acclimatise and to blame all the problems the previous administration. In the second, you try some work, usually designed to bear fruit in an election year. In the third, are vying for what and who aspire to the fourth or say, hardball politics for eyes , mouth and nose, 24 hours a day. It is , then , a year to rule. So into the second half of the second year of Luis Fortuño , we see the main figures of the parties begin to settle in 2012 and it seems that from now on all his concentration is on securing their positions. In the New Progressive Party (PNP ), for example , have intensified the efforts of Thomas Rivera Schatz to take control of that party organizations , with the obvious purpose of trying to wrest the nomination for governor to Fortuño. It did not seem to have noticed is that Rivera Schatz its political fundamentalism has alienated this important sector of the country with no party loyalties and without which it is impossible to win. Rivera Schatz may have galvanized the militancy of the PNP , but , as shown by past experience , it seems unlikely to get a single vote outside the NPP orthodoxy . Fortuño has maintained that he intends to run for reelection. But to succeed, will have much to explain , especially the lack of progress on key issues such as economics and security, and the dismissal of about 20,000 civil servants , something not many people understand even his own party. Fortuño y Rivera Schatz also have to have the wild card in this deck of cards representing the resident commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi , whom no one knows his intentions. Pierluisi has succeeded in projecting an image of stability in the midst of this commotion and has openly taken positions contrary to the administration on issues like the university, police abuse and access to the Senate steps . www.topix.net | 7/25/10 10:38 AM

Now known as a "salsa legend," West New York resident Billy CarriA3n got his start singing Beatles tunes in his parents' native country of Puerto Rico.

www.topix.net | 7/25/10 7:20 AM

JULY 14, 2010, San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Puerto Rico welcomes all the delegations for these 21st Central American and Caribbean Games. "We are confident that we can fulfill our role as a host country and offer a sports event that the athletes of this region deserve," stated Milagros Rivera and José Morales, spokespersons for the Cuba Solidarity Network and both former executives of the Puerto Rican Swimming Federation. "Unfortunately, we will not be able to count on the sports prowess of the Cuban delegation despite the fact that they trained for the event. Last February, the Cuban Olympic Committee announced its decision not to attend the 2010 Games in Mayagüez because of a lack of guarantees and unequal treatment imposed on its delegation by the federal authorities. The double blockade imposed on us by the United States is solely to blame for that. By not facilitating Cuba's entry to Puerto Rico, it has deprived us of the presence of the sports power of the region, which had prepared to attend Mayagüez 2010 with its best athletes, including Olympic and Pan-American champions," stated José Morales, former president of the Puerto Rican Swimming Federation and spokesman for the Network. "On Saturday, June 27 in Havana, the 19th Juan Rius Rivera Brigade, a solidarity project that travels to Cuba every summer, had the opportunity of meeting with Cuban sports authorities, more than 20 sports legends and a delegation of athletes selected to take part in these Games. We expressed our feelings, as Puerto Ricans, over this affront on the part of the U.S. government, by reading out the Declaration of the Cuba Solidarity Network. The Cubans responded that they hoped that the Games would be very successful and reiterated their commitment to sport in the Central American and Caribbean region. In an emotional encounter, the brigadistas presented those present with baseball caps with the Mayagüez 2010 logo, Puerto Rican flag buttons, and backpacks and T-shirts from the Brigade, bearing the slogan "Puerto Rico always with Cuba: No to the Blockade," said Milagros Rivera, president of the Cuba Solidarity Committee in Puerto Rico and Brigade coordinator since 1993, the very same year in which its members welcomed the Cuban delegation to the 1993 Games in Ponce. [Continue in Extended Entry.] www.topix.net | 7/24/10 12:27 PM

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A Propper International, Inc., Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, is being awarded a maximum $78,800,418 firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for coats and trousers.A Other locations of performance are Mississippi, North Carolina and various locations throughout Puerto Rico.A Using service is Army.A There was originally one ...

www.topix.net | 7/24/10 1:08 AM

A release from Hyannis Massachusetts dated July 19, where Cape Air 62 Cessna is based, stated that the airline would provide two daily flights between Anguilla and San Juan, Puerto-Rico, commencing December 22 coming.

www.topix.net | 7/23/10 6:49 PM

Hydro Alternative Energy, Inc. , a renewable energy company, is sponsoring a world famous Dressage Rider in the equestrian competitions to be held in Puerto Rico during the upcoming days.

www.topix.net | 7/23/10 11:39 AM

Commonwealth and federal disaster recovery officials announced today that public agencies and certain private non-profit organizations needing Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance grants to rebuild infrastructure damaged or destroyed by the storms and flooding occurred from May 26-31, 2010, must submit their Request for Public ...

www.topix.net | 7/23/10 7:30 AM

A tornado struck the venue for the 21st Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on Saturday, July 17, delaying the Gamesa opening ceremony until Sunday.

www.topix.net | 7/23/10 3:20 AM

A Republican governor - a very Republican governor - has an idea for solving one of his party's conundrums.

www.topix.net | 7/22/10 11:11 PM

The WTO agreements are lengthy and complex because they are legal texts covering a wide range of activities. They deal with: agriculture, textiles and clothing, banking, telecommunications, government purchases, industrial standards and product safety, food sanitation regulations, intellectual property, and much more. But a number of simple, fundamental principles run throughout all of these documents. These principles are the foundation of the multilateral trading system. Trade without discrimination 1. Most-favoured-nation (MFN): treating other people equally -- Under the WTO agreements, countries cannot normally discriminate between their trading partners. Grant someone a special favour (such as a lower customs duty rate for one of their products) and you have to do the same for all other WTO members. This principle is known as most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment (see box). It is so important that it is the first article of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which governs trade in goods. MFN is also a priority in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) (Article 2) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) (Article 4), although in each agreement the principle is handled slightly differently. Together, those three agreements cover all three main areas of trade handled by the WTO. Some exceptions are allowed. For example, countries can set up a free trade agreement that applies only to goods traded within the group - discriminating against goods from outside. Or they can give developing countries special access to their markets. Or a country can raise barriers against products that are considered to be traded unfairly from specific countries. And in services, countries are allowed, in limited circumstances, to discriminate. But the agreements only permit these exceptions under strict conditions. In general, MFN means that every time a country lowers a trade barrier or opens up a market, it has to do so for the same goods or services from all its trading partners - whether rich or poor, weak or strong. 2. National treatment: Treating foreigners and locals equally Imported and locally-produced goods should be treated equally - at least after the foreign goods have entered the market. The same should apply to foreign and domestic services, and to foreign and local trademarks, copyrights and patents. [Continue in Extended Entry.] www.topix.net | 7/22/10 6:47 PM

While the advent of e-books may indeed entice people to read more, I am hoping that these electronic devices will not herald the death of actual books.

www.topix.net | 7/22/10 6:02 PM

The Hispanic influence at the NASA Glenn Research Center, long a source of pride in the Latino community, just gained a little more propulsion.

www.topix.net | 7/22/10 1:52 PM

Photo: Puerto Rico Teachers Association (PRTA) president Aida Díaz. DE gets F for effort --Teachers group calls Education disorganinzed... Some 1,239 teachers have retired from the Puerto Rico Education Department this summer, leaving the school system with more problems to solve, Puerto Rico Teachers Association (PRTA) president Aida Díaz said Wednesday. Some 1,120 teachers retired from public service in the first two weeks of July, compared to only 119 in June, explained Díaz. The situation becomes worse because there is not even an Education Secretary to straighten things out. About 120 teachers retire each month, making the July figure almost tenfold the average. "This is just part of the series of problems affecting the [Education] Department. The situation gets more complicated with the number of teachers they classified as 'surplus,'" Díaz said. "We should expect clean, well prepared schools with enough teachers and directors and plenty of materials for our children. Instead, we will find the same as previous years; deteriorated schools, lack of teachers and no books," Díaz added. According to PRTA figures, some 485,000 students are enrolled in the public education system and some 44,000 teachers work for the Education Department. If the maximum number of students per teacher is to be 20, then there are some 24,250 classroom teachers, while the rest perform administrative duties in schools or at the Education Department headquarters. It is obvious not all of the retiring teachers are necessarily classroom teachers but the massive number is sure to have an impact on the students. The Daily Sun tried to contact Education Department officials to confirm the data and comment on the matter, but none could be reached at press time. Former Education Secretary César Rey said that as in previous years, nothing different can be expected this school year. "There's nothing particular about this school year. It is very much the same as previous years -in terms of school preparedness and the number of teachers," Rey said. [Open above link for full report.] www.topix.net | 7/22/10 11:17 AM

Puerto Rico's 16.6% unemployment rate in June remained higher than that of any U.S. state and far above the national average of 9.5% for the month, according to newly released island Labor Department statistics. While the rate dipped slightly from the 16.8% registered in May, it was still higher than the 15.2% unemployment rate of June 2009. The jobless rate in June 2006, when the island recession was taking root, was 11.4%. The labor participation rate in June was 42%, down from 43% a year ago as frustrated job-seekers have given up their searchers amid the marathon local recession. However, the labor participation rate did inch up from the 41.9% registered in May. The 1.085 million people working in June 2010 was 32,000 fewer than the 1.143 million a year ago. The number of people employed in June rose 4,000 from May. Nationally, the U.S. Labor Department said the unemployment rate fell in most states in June, mainly because more people gave up searching for work and were no longer counted. Fewer states saw job increases, the latest evidence that the economic recovery is slowing. The jobless rate declined in 39 states and Washington, D.C. last month, the Labor Department said. That's a slight improvement from May, when 37 states saw their rates decline. But only 21 states saw net job gains in June, the government said. That compared to 41 the previous month and is the fewest this year. The decline in job creation reflects the layoff of thousands of temporary census workers. Those jobs inflated total payrolls in May and then reduced them in June. Still, the report also indicated that businesses aren't hiring many new workers. Nationwide, private employers added a net gain of only 83,000 jobs last month. The national unemployment rate dropped to 9.5% in June from 9.7% the previous month, as about 650,000 people stopped looking for work. Nevada, battered by a housing slump and a drop in tourism, posted the highest unemployment rate of 14.2% stateside. That's the state's highest since records began in 1976. [Open link for full report.] www.topix.net | 7/22/10 10:11 AM

You can also view a map displaying accumulated data from your report and others.

www.topix.net | 7/22/10 9:47 AM

Before he became a Jimmy Buffett impersonator, Tom Watt, left, ran a carpet cleaning business in Pittsburgh.

www.topix.net | 7/22/10 5:28 AM

Puerto Rico's government announced Wednesday it will help finance a $1.2 billion resort on the U.S. island's north coast, the biggest hotel project in two years for a region hit hard by the world economic crisis.

www.topix.net | 7/22/10 1:13 AM

21/07/10: The recent GOP intelligentsia strategy to curry favor for Latino votes via support for Puerto Rican Statehood while opposing immigration reform is misguided, misinformed, and probably disingenuous. Such propaganda-in cahoots with Puerto Rico's Governor Luis Fortuño-looks to this very Republican politician to solve a very Republican problem: the spreading perception among U.S. Latinos as a whole that the Republican Party is dominated by an opposition to immigration reform so virulent that it could only be interpreted as racist and xenophobic. That nearly 45 percent of the Latino vote is required to win a presidential election has some Republicans rightly quaking in their boots, especially with mid-term elections coming up and Latinos widely mobilized by the draconian immigrant profiling law in Arizona. Apparently Gov. Fortuño, a new Republican Party darling with Palin-esque ambitions, has been selling the GOP on supporting Statehood for Puerto Rico to compensate for the party's refusal to back immigration reform --an attempt to curry favor with the 30 million plus Mexican-Americans for whom this is the most important issue. To sweeten the deal for the GOP, Fortuño has professed that he can deliver the Puerto Rico electorate--larger than that of 24 other states--to the Republican Party in the event that Puerto Rico become a 51st state. Such a ploy reveals the Republican Party's ignorance about the political culture in Puerto Rico, as well as a disconnect with Latino voters of all stripes, homogenizing them around an issue that they may not know or care much about. It also reveals just how desperate some Republican leaders are to bank on a governor presiding over the biggest economic debacle on the island, possibly since the 1930s. "Fortuño may appear to be young and with a future, but Republicans are taking a big risk," said Angelo Falcón, President of the National Institute for Latino Policy, a New York-based, non-partisan, non-profit policy center focusing on Latino issues. "The party doesn't know what kind of problems Fortuño could have; Puerto Rico may become explosive, as tensions there now can be cut with a knife," he added, referring to a melee at the Capitol building there June 30, in which police attacked and tear-gassed hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, injuring dozens. "Of course this didn't start with Fortuño, but his policies are clearly making it worse." [Continue Extended Entry.] www.topix.net | 7/21/10 6:19 PM

Fall doesn't have to mean the end of beach season. Visit domestic, Caribbean, and Latin American destinations such Bogota, Cancun, San Juan, Las Vegas, and San Francisco with JetBlue's latest sale.

www.topix.net | 7/21/10 2:57 PM

The Associated Press - MIAMI - Hispanics worry more than most Americans about losing jobs and paying bills. But they place a high importance on education and expect their children to go to college - even if most of them don't expect the United States to elect a Latino president in the next 20 years. An Associated Press-Univision poll of more than 1,500 Latinos shows them eager to blend into American society while still holding onto their cultural identity. They are likewise torn between hopes for tomorrow and daily doses of financial stress. "The situation is bad now, but I have faith that this is going to change," says Yadilka Aramboles, a 32-year-old Miamian from the Dominican Republic. She eyes her three young children playing on the sidewalk and sees college in their future - even though her husband's modest accountant's income barely covers the family's most basic expenses. "For me and my children, I aspire to something more," Aramboles says. America's 47 million Hispanics face acute economic and political pressures. The recession that erased millions of jobs has taken an especially heavy toll on Latinos, whose average income is lower than many other groups. And the Hispanic community has been jolted by election-season debate over the country's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, a debate that has increased in intensity following Arizona's enactment of a law that requires police, while enforcing other laws, to question a person's immigration status if officers have a reasonable suspicion he or she is in the country illegally. About three-quarters of the nation's illegal immigrants are Hispanic, according to the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. The poll, also sponsored by The Nielsen Company and Stanford University, shows that Hispanics have complex beliefs about how best to fit into America. Just over half, 54 percent, say it is important that they change to assimilate into society, yet about two-thirds, 66 percent, say Latinos should maintain their distinct culture. Gary Segura, a political scientist from Stanford who helped conduct the study, said those two views are not necessarily at odds. He said other, better established ethnic groups cling to their traditions, adding, "Identity is multidimensional, and people can see themselves as Hispanic and as Americans." [Open link for full story. It is comprehensive and loaded with facts.] www.topix.net | 7/21/10 9:51 AM

Dominican authorities have described Figueroa-Agosto as the "Pablo Escobar of the Caribbean." FBI SAC Luis Fraticelli, SDUSM Antonio Torres, USMS PRFTF, DEA SAC Javier Pena , U.S. Attorney Rosa Rodriguez, Acting U.S. Marshal Eric Timberman , AUSA Joe Ruiz and PRPD Superintendent Jose Figueroa at the U.S. Attorney's news conference announcing the ...

www.topix.net | 7/21/10 5:34 AM

Agosto, a.k.a. Junior Capsula, is believed to be a cocaine and heroin trafficking kingpin in the Caribbean.

www.topix.net | 7/21/10 3:33 AM

Although it doesn't have a U.S. release date yet, or a trailer, fans anxiously waiting for The Rum Diary can whet their appetites over a few official production photos from the filming in Puerto Rico.

www.topix.net | 7/21/10 2:33 AM

Spirit Airlines has been fighting its fair share of bad publicity recently. Just weeks after a pilot's strike ended, the airline now may have to pay a $50,000 civil penalty for improperly operating an aircraft with known maintenance problem, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

www.topix.net | 7/21/10 12:29 AM

Raquel Gonzalez, 24, of Jersey City , says she plans to sue the day care center that left her 7-year-old son Jonathan alone in Mary Benson Park last Thursday, as reported by The Jersey Journal's Katie Colineri.

www.topix.net | 7/20/10 8:24 PM

Angel Luis Montanez, 60, of New Bedford, passed away Friday, July 16, 2010, at St.

www.topix.net | 7/20/10 2:20 PM

Every $100 that a Puerto Rican earns, $12 goes for electricity. "We are facing an energy crisis, because of our dependence on oil and an obsolete infrastructure," said Gov. Fortuño as he signed three measures that, taken together, create an aggressive plan to rescue the environment, reduce energy costs and create thousands of so-called "green" jobs. The unbridled use of sources of energy derived from petroleum adds to the volatility of energy costs on the island, and therefore adversely affects Puerto Rico's competitiveness. Every year, the cost of petroleum increases and it is expected to continue climbing. This year, we spent more than $5 billion in the importation of combustibles. The first of the measures signed is the "Law for Energy Diversification by Means of Sustainable Renewable Energy." It sets compulsory targets for reduction in conventional energy use and increased use of renewable energy. Under this portfolio, the law requires us to produce 12 percent renewable energy by 2015 and 15 percent for 2020. Development of a plan to achieve 20 percent energy production from renewable and alternative sources by 2035 is also required. The law creates "renewable energy certificates." These will be awarded to each energy supplier to produce one megawatt hour of electricity using renewable energy, setting a financial market around this new industry. The certificates also serve to promote the achievement of companies that produce electricity through renewable sources. The Renewable Energy Commission will ensure compliance of our goals for economic development, environmental protection and public health. The second measure is the "Energy Tax Incentives Act of Green Puerto Rico." This law allows all citizens to contribute to solving the energy problem. Citizens who qualify may receive up to 60 percent cash reimbursement for investment in renewable energy for homes and small businesses, and up to 50 percent for midsize businesses that install energy efficient equipment. In addition, the bill provides for a Green Energy Fund, which provides $20 million in 2011 and increases to $40 million in five years for a total of $290 million intended to promote this industry. "These two legislative measures will create more than 10,000 green jobs over the next five years and achieve an estimated investment of $4 billion over the next 10 years," said the governor. [Open link for full story.] www.topix.net | 7/20/10 10:44 AM

The party should listen to Luis Fortuno, the Reaganite who resides in Puerto Rico's executive mansion.

www.topix.net | 7/20/10 7:01 AM

The XXI Central American & Caribbean Games in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, brought some athletes sweet victory - and others, bitter defeat.

www.topix.net | 7/20/10 3:01 AM

John Mayer and 'Jersey Shore's' Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino compare abs at the 2010 CMT Music Awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on June 9, 2010 Keyboard Shortcuts: Left Arrow - Previous; Right Arrow - Next; Spencer Pratt appear in costume across the street from MTV's 'The Hills' Live: A Hollywood Ending Finale at The ...

www.topix.net | 7/19/10 8:55 PM

Law enforcers on alert for feuds in Caribbean's drug underworld after reputed kingpin's arrest



Caribbean - Puerto Rico - Dominican Republic - Travel and Tourism - San Juan Puerto Rico abcnews.go.com | 7/18/10 9:37 PM

Alleged drug kingpin arrested in Puerto Rico after decade-long hunt by federal authorities



Puerto Rico - Caribbean - Dominican Republic - Pablo Escobar - Illegal drug trade abcnews.go.com | 7/18/10 11:59 AM