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San José, Costa
Rica, Wednesday, March 23, 2016,
Vol. 17, No. 58
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Our reader’s opinion
Irish immigrants frequently were
slavesDear A.M. Costa Rica: If you wish to use more about the Irish, here is some information that I found and was new to me. Irish immigrants, voluntary or forced, had a difficult time in the North American. I have a great-great-great grandmother who was Irish, so I don't think that I am being offensive. Some of the names for the Irish in colonial and U.S. history include: Mick, Paddy Muckers, Cat-Lick, and Donkey, among others. These came from their names which included many Mac's or Mic's, from their work in Boston filling the Back Bay, their Catholic religion and that they were cheaper to hire than a donkey in coal mining areas. And there were other more derogatory ones. Many, but not all, of the white slaves in North America were Irish. In the mid 1600s a white slave rebellion in Virgina took 800 troops to put down. The British colonial government admitted blacks into the colonial militia to police white slaves. In 1676 white slaves led by Nathaniel Bacon burnt down Jamestown, plundered plantations and expelled the governor. All were eventually captured or killed. The 18th century did not see improvement in their conditions. In 1710, 40 Irish slaves took over a ship, killed all the crew and ran it aground in Nova Scotia. Five years later a reward was offered to American Indians to capture runaway white slaves and return them to their masters. In 1748 the Virginia House of Burgesses upheld the Act of 1705 which legitimized white slavery. In the Antebellum South, black slaves were viewed as valuable property and were prohibited by law from participating in hazardous, life-threatening work. Unemployed Irish were hired for these jobs at low wages, so their loss of them would not be a property loss. Indentured servitude was not technically slavery, but was a way that many Irish men and women came to the colonies. The terms of their work could be harsh, and termination dates were often ignored, and they remained in service as long as the households wanted them. President Andrew Johnson of Irish lineage was sold into servitude at age 10. He escaped and went to Tennessee and worked as a free man. He became president at Abraham Lincoln’s death. He was also the first president to be impeached. Many Irish were not welcomed nor had auspicious starts in North America, but as shown in previous articles, they became very important and powerful in the U.S., and their culture is now celebrated. Loren Cain
Piedades de Puriscal A.M. Costa Rica offices closed Thursday and Friday By the A.M. Costa
Rica staff
The downtown office of A.M. Costa Rica will be closed to the public Thursday and Friday. The newspaper will not be published Friday, but the Thursday newspaper will be posted as usual. Staffers will monitor the news and update the newspapers if there is a major development. The editor@amcostarica.com email address also will be monitored. Good Friday is one of the few weekdays in the year that the newspaper is not published.
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The contents of this
Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Ro
Colorado S.A 2065 and may not be reproduced anywhere
without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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| A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 58 | ||
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| Costa
Rica tightens airport security in wake of Brussels
attacks |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Terror attacks Tuesday in Belgium resonated in Costa Rica where well-off residents and expats are frequent air travelers. The terrorist attacks killed 34 persons and left more than 230 injured, according to wire service reports. Airport police here reported that in the wake of the attacks, security was reinforced at Juan Santmaría airport and Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia. Ministerio de Seguridad Pública officials were urging air travelers to arrive at the airports at least three hours before flight time because their possessions would be undergoing multiple checks. Three terrorist at the Zaventem airport in Brussels brought their bombs into the terminal inside luggage, and they placed them on baggage carts. Two of the three bombs exploded, killing two terrorists. A released photograph taken from closed-circuit television shows a man wearing a black hat, a light-colored jacket, and sunglasses pushing an airport luggage cart alongside two other men who are believed to have been the suicide bombers, wire services said. |
The
Partido Liberación Nacional joined President Luis
Guillermo Solís in expressing solidarity with the
European people. Liberación condemned the attacks and
urged the international community to seek strategies to
achieve peace and security. Solís called the attack barbaric and said that there was no justification except the rejection of the most high and sacred value of the human family. At least two Costa Ricans were in the vicinity of the airport when the bombs when off, said the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto. They were reported to be unhurt. Four U.S. Mormon missionaries were reported injured. The Islamic State took responsibility. One of the attacks was at the Maalbeek metro station near government offices. The two dead bombers were brothers, police in Belgium concluded early today. Expats traveling north also will find beefed-up security in the United States as a result of the attacks. Belgium has become the unlikely war zone because it was the staging site for the Paris attacks in November and is believed to be the location of several Islamic State cells. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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Colorado S.A. 2016 and may not be reproduced
anywhere without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page | ||
| San José, Costa Rica, Tuesday, March 22, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 57 | ||
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| Survey
says U.S. marijuana use doubled and related ills are up,
too |
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By the Columbia University news
staff
The percentage of Americans who reported using marijuana in the past year more than doubled between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, and the increase in marijuana use disorders during that time was nearly as large, according to a new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The research also showed that 2.5 percent of adults, nearly 6 million people, experienced marijuana use disorder in the past year, while 6.3 percent had met the diagnostic criteria for the disorder at some point in their lives. The collaborative study was carried out by scientists at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. The study also found that marijuana use disorder is often associated with other substance use disorders, behavioral problems, and disability and goes largely untreated. The data were collected in the 2012-2013 wave of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. This is the largest ever conducted on the co-occurrence of alcohol use, drug use, and related psychiatric conditions. For this study, over 36,000 U.S. adults were interviewed about alcohol, drug, and related psychiatric conditions. The data showed that marijuana use disorder is about twice as common among men than women, that younger age groups are much more likely to experience the disorder than people age 45 and over, and that those at the lowest income levels were at the highest risk. To be diagnosed with the disorder, individuals must meet at least two of 11 symptoms that assess craving, withdrawal, lack of control, and negative effects on personal and professional |
responsibilities.
Severity of the disorder is rated as mild, moderate, or
severe depending on the number of symptoms. As the severity of marijuana use disorder increased, so did associated disability levels and frequency of marijuana use. Deborah Hasin, lead author and professor of epidemiology at Columbia’s Mailman School, was on the workgroup responsible for making the changes in substance use diagnostic criteria, including marijuana use disorders. In a study published last year, Dr. Hasin reported that three out of 10 marijuana users experienced marijuana abuse or dependence in 2012 to 13. “An increasing number of American adults do not perceive marijuana use as harmful,” said Dr. Hasin. “While some can use marijuana without harms, other users do experience negative consequences, which can include mental and physical problems, and impaired functioning. This paper helps provide information on some of those risks.” The researchers found that only about 7 percent of people with past-year marijuana use disorder receive any marijuana-specific treatment, and only about 14 percent of people with lifetime marijuana use disorder receive treatment. “The new analysis complements previous population-level studies conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism that show marijuana use can lead to harmful consequences for individuals and society,” said George F. Koob, institute director. The study authors note the urgency of identifying and implementing effective prevention and treatment for marijuana use disorder and call for more research to understand the combined effects of marijuana and alcohol. “We feel strongly that more public education about the dangers associated with marijuana use is imperative,” said Dr. Hasin. “This is especially critical since we are learning more about public beliefs that marijuana use is harmless.” |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The
contents
of
this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río
Colorado S.A. 2016 and may not be reproduced anywhere
without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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A.M. Costa Rica's
Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 58 | |||||||
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it’s time to forget Cold War By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Appealing directly to the Cuban people in Havana, President Barack Obama said it is time for the U.S. and Cuba to move beyond their Cold War differences and begin a new journey toward a future that will benefit both nations. “I have come here to extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people,” Obama said during a televised address, hours before he departed the island nation Tuesday afternoon. “It is time for us to leave the past behind. It won’t be easy and there will be setbacks and it will take time.” More Cuba news HERE!
Speaking Tuesday in the majestic El Gran Teatro de Havana, with Cuban President Raúl Castro seated in a balcony directly across from him, Obama expressed hope for future relations between the United States and Cuba and their peoples. He added that kind of sweeping change between the former enemies must begin on a human level with understanding, forgiveness and listening. Obama said he has hope for Cuba’s future because he believes in the Cuban people, prompting loud applause from the audience. Those attending the speech included Cuban officials and prominent figures, as well as members of Obama’s cabinet and a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers. The president outlined the two nations’ painful history and separation, what they share in common and the stark differences they must overcome as the United States and Cuba move forward to normalize relations. Obama cited common values, religion, patriotism, pride, commitment to family, education and innovation. But he added there remain deep chasms between their approach to the economy, society and government. Speaking directly to Castro, Obama said, “You do not need to fear a threat from the United States,” adding the Cuban government also does not need have to fear the voices of the Cuban people. "People should be able to criticize their government and choose those who govern them," Obama said. While the United States has loosened restrictions on travel and commerce since both countries formally restored diplomatic ties in July, more changes are needed, especially on human rights, he said. “We need the space to change, individuals bring change.” Obama noted, adding in Spanish, “El futuro de Cuba tiene que estar en las manos del pueblo humano,” or Cuba’s future must rest in the hands of its people. In Washington, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan condemned Obama's visit to Cuba, saying the trip legitimizes the tyrannical dictatorship of Castro. Ryan made his remarks to reporters as Obama was wrapping up his historic visit to Havana. Castro has blamed a 55-year U.S. embargo on Cuba for many of the Communist nations problems and has repeatedly urged Obama to pressure Congress to lift it. Obama attended a baseball game between Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban national team. Leaving after the third inning, he boarded Air Force One, departing for Argentina and capping his visit as the first U.S. president in nearly 90 years to visit Cuba. The Rays won the game 4-1. Before the game started, Obama introduced Rachel Robinson, the widow of baseball great Jackie Robinson, to the Cuban president. Rachel Robinson and her daughter Sharon Robinson rode on Air Force One to Cuba with the Obamas. Jackie Robinson played for Cuba in 1947. World soccer federation begins bribery investigation By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
World soccer’s ethics committee has opened a bribery investigation into six people involved in the bidding process that awarded the 2006 World Cup to Germany. Among those targeted are the former German football association president, Wolfgang Niersbach, and the former vice-president, Franz Beckenbauer. In a statement, the ethics committee says Niersbach and former German association secretary-general Helmut Sandrock are being investigated for failing to report a breach of the FIFA Code of Ethics. It says Beckenbauer is being investigated along with three former association executives, Theo Zwanziger, Horst Schmidt, and Stefan Hans, in a case centering around "possible undue payments and contracts to gain an advantage in the 2006 FIFA World Cup host selection and the associated funding." The Fédération Internationale de Football Association says its decision to open the investigation follows the release of a report commissioned by the German football association. Last week, the federation admitted that its executive members sold World Cup votes as part of its claim to recover millions of dollars in bribe money seized by U.S. officials. The claim said executive committee members and their co-conspirators "corrupted the negotiations for 15 different sets of FIFA World Cup qualifiers." The United States has charged 42 sports officials and associates of the federation on wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering charges. The defendants include former heads of national and continental governing bodies and Costa Rica Eduardo Li. In a separate action, Swiss authorities have also launched a criminal inquiry into the federation’s controversial awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. Apple and FBI may face a draw on iPhone privacy By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Less than a day before a high-profile hearing in the legal standoff between Apple and the FBI, attorneys for the Department of Justice late Monday persuaded a federal judge to cancel the hearing and issue a temporary stay in the case. At issue was an earlier order by U.S. District Judge Sheri Pym ordering engineers at Apple to create a software patch to assist FBI analysts in unlocking an iPhone allegedly used by Syed Farook, one of the two assailants in December’s San Bernardino terror attack. From the beginning, the FBI argued it was unable to crack the phone’s security features and needed Apple’s help to search the phone’s contents. In filings to Judge Pym, though, U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said that just last weekend “an outside party demonstrated to the FBI a possible method for unlocking Farook’s iPhone.” Pym temporarily stayed her previous order, giving the government until April 5, when it must present a status report. The sudden move is raising questions not just about this case, but also about the FBI’s technical capabilities, as well as larger government efforts to limit encryption on personal devices. What’s the status of the iPhone? The FBI is not saying who the third party is or what technique they’ve proposed to bypass the iPhone’s auto-erase function, which permanently deletes all data on the phone after 10 incorrect guesses at the password. For its part, Apple has not made any public statements regarding the government’s filing. Instead the firm is limiting its comments to this week’s introduction of new iPad and iPhone models. A number of digital forensics analysts have proposed a variety of possible methods over the last several weeks, including duplication of the flash memory or reverse engineering of the iPhone’s internal circuitry. None of these techniques have yet been proven effective. Computer anti-virus pioneer John McAfee has publicly called breaking into an iPhone a trivial matter and personally offered to help the FBI free of charge, an offer the FBI declined. If the new technique is unsuccessful, FBI attorneys likely will say that bolsters their argument that only Apple engineers can help break into the phone without destroying data. And because the stay is only temporary, the Justice Department could ask Judge Pym to reinstate her order, putting the matter back to square one. Assuming that, the judge again will be asked to rule on Apple’s request to vacate her earlier order, as she had been scheduled to do Tuesday. Whatever her ruling, it’s all but guaranteed the case will be appealed, perhaps all the way to the Supreme Court. On the other hand, if the unnamed third party can successfully unlock the phone, this specific legal case would end. Apple attorneys likely would continue, however, to argue that the FBI never really needed Apple’s help to begin with, and shouldn’t be required to provide assistance in the future. Most observers think it’s unlikely that this issue will not be in court again. Apple, along with other tech companies, say they intend to offer even more robust encryption and security features to consumers in the future, while the FBI continues to expand its Going Dark initiative to slow the spread of unbreakable encryption. Because both the FBI and the tech industry are hoping to establish a legal precedent to guide future requests, it’s probable both sides will continue to look for the perfect test case that presents the strongest legal argument for their case. Members of Congress may feel pressured to act if the legal challenge drags on too long. Already, two influential politicians have proposed a national commission to study the competing demands of privacy and security in order to promulgate legislation governing encryption. Privacy and encryption also are topics of concern for the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest court. In several cases, most recently in 2014, the court has ruled that all individuals have a fundamental right to privacy online. Any laws requiring companies like Apple to provide the FBI with some form of access to break into devices may well be challenged there. The resulting decisions could have major economic consequences for the mobile industry. World Health is seeking more for TB battle By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
In advance of World TB day Thursday, the World Health Organization is calling for collective global action and more money to support TB control strategies to end this scourge by 2030. The World Health Organization says ending tuberculosis by 2030, the target set by the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, will be a challenge, but it can be done. It notes 43 million peoples’ lives have been saved since 2000. World Health says countries can save the lives of the 1.5 million people who continue to die from tuberculosis every year by strengthening TB programs and adopting newer tools. Mario Raviglione, director of World Health’s global TB program, says several of the 30 countries with the highest TB burden are implementing newer TB strategies with some success. One such country is India, home to more people ill with TB and multidrug-resistant TB than any other country in the world. He says the country is making progress in providing universal access to TB care for patients. South Africa is another country that has expanded access to a rapid molecular test for TB and drug-resistant TB. “South Africa is, let us remember, home to the largest number of people living with HIV who are receiving also TB preventive treatment. So, worldwide there are these sort of pathfinders for prophylaxis of tuberculosis, which is one of the other new elements of the new strategy that we are very much insisting on because it prevents tuberculosis and saves lives," said Raviglione. World Health cites Thailand, Russia, Brazil, and Vietnam for running successful TB control programs. Every year, an estimated one million children become ill with TB and some 140,000 die.  Voice of
America photo
Graphic shows the opposing pistons that share the
same cylinders.Opposed-piston
motor firm
gets $9 million from U.S. By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Internal combustion engines in cars may be on their way out, but experts agree it will take a few decades before electric-powered vehicles become dominant. Meanwhile, the existing gas and diesel engines can be made more efficient and less polluting. With a $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, a U.S.-based company is using an old technological concept to build a power train that is 50 percent more fuel-efficient and just as powerful as conventional engines. The little engine looks like it has only three pistons, but in fact, it has six, sharing only three cylinders. With the help of modern technology California-based Achates Power has given new life to the concept of the opposed-piston engine, mostly abandoned after World War II. “With the opposed-piston engine, you're able to achieve the efficiency of a much larger engine in a much smaller package," said Fabien Redon of Achates Power. An opposed-piston engine is a two-stroke engine with separate oil flow. It has no cylinder heads and no valves, both sources of considerable loss of heat and power in conventional combustion engines. Two pistons move against each other in the cylinder, compressing a fuel-air mixture, which self-ignites, pushing the pistons apart, generating power. Exhaust gases escape through ports in the cylinder walls. Stripped of many conventional engine parts, the opposed-piston engine is inexpensive and simple to manufacture. “We make sure that we do not over scavenge and achieve a very good combustion efficiency, so that hydro nitro-carbons and the emissions are reduced to a great extent," said Redon. Larger opposed-piston engines have long been used for military and other applications. But developing them for consumer vehicles was not easy. “This combustion strategy has some difficulties and weaknesses at low loads, because it needs a certain level of temperature inside the combustion chamber to make sure that the gasoline gets ignited," said Redon. Achates Power, together with Argonne National Laboratory and Delphi Automotive, say they are sure they will overcome the obstacles, and by 2018 will have a 50 percent more efficient three-liter three-cylinder engine that will be suitable for passenger cars and trucks.  Voice of America photo
Skydiver hits the target on the Giza PlateauEgypt is promoting
sports
to boost tourism income By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
In an effort to boost Egypt's flagging tourism industry, skydivers recently took part in a high-flying competition over Egypt's Great Pyramids. Participants say the event was aimed at attracting more visitors to the country, as Egypt has suffered a $1.3 billion drop in tourism revenue over the past few months. More than 200 skydivers from 17 countries took part in the recent three-day competition with participants jumping from helicopters more than 1,100 meters high, and aiming for specific targets on land. The event, organizers say, sends a message to the world. "Egypt is strong and it will never be affected by all the chaos going on,” said General Soliman El-Hadary of the Egyptian Union for Air Sports. “We want to emphasize to the world that our country is safe and tourists are welcome." Tourism is one of the most important sectors of Egypt's economy. The suspected terrorist downing of a Russian plane over North Sinai last year badly hurt the tourism industry, driving away nearly 4 million tourists. But to bring them back, analysts say, Egypt needs to not only better market the industry, but review its security policies. "You need first of all to assess all the counterterrorism strategies that have been going on for the past two years, because Egypt has been in an official open war against terrorism since 2013. So where did that go? Where did that lead? How effective were these strategies?” said Ziad Akl of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies. “This needs to be reviewed and, on the other hand, the tourism sector needs to be marketed in a lot more professional manner than it is right now." While sporting events are good publicity, he says, the government needs to do more to support and protect the tourism industry. |
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
| The
contents
of
this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río
Colorado S.A. 2016 and may not be reproduced anywhere
without permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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| A.M. Costa Rica sixth news page |
| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, March 23, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 58 | |||||||||
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Trump and Mrs. Clinton lose to rivals By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
The front-runners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nomination split contests with their chief rivals Tuesday in a set of western states. Republican Donald Trump easily won Arizona and all of its 58 delegates, defeating Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas by more than 20 percent. Cruz bounced back with his own resounding win in Utah where votes were still being counted Wednesday. If Cruz ends up with a majority, he gets all of Utah's 40 delegates, but if he falls short, then the delegates are split up proportionately. That difference is big as Cruz tries to deny every possible delegate to Trump to keep him below the 1,237 needed to clinch the Republican nomination. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont scored two much-needed routs in the Democratic race, winning caucuses in both Idaho and Utah with more than 70 percent of the vote over former secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Democrats award their delegates proportionately, so Sanders has to earn lopsided victories in order to close Clinton's overall lead. She won the Democratic contest Tuesday in Arizona by a wide margin. Tuesday's voting took place in the hours after the deadly terrorist attacks at the airport in the Belgian capital of Brussels and at a subway station not far from the European Union headquarters. Trump, who called for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. after previous attacks linked to Islamic terrorists, said he had warned about new assaults. "Brussels was a beautiful city, a beautiful place with zero crime, and now it's a disaster city," Trump said. Ohio Gov. John Kasich said the global community must redouble its efforts to "identify, root out and destroy the perpetrators of such acts of evil." Cruz declared that "radical Islam is at war with us," and said that if he is elected president, he would unleash the full force and fury of the U.S. military to defeat Islamic State jihadists. Mrs. Clinton said the U.S. must stand in solidarity with European allies in fighting terrorism. "We've got to be absolutely strong and smart and steady in how we respond," she said. Sanders declared, "This type of barbarism cannot be allowed to continue," saying the attack was a "brutal reminder that the international community must come together to destroy" Islamic State. The Republican contest in Utah is a microcosm of the efforts by Cruz and Kasich to keep Trump from moving closer to the 1,237 Republican convention delegates he needs to clinch the presidential nomination before the quadrennial gathering convenes. His opponents want to keep him under that threshold and instead throw the convention to an open vote. The party's 2012 nominee, Mitt Romney, said he is voting for Cruz on Tuesday and urged others to do the same, calling supporting Cruz the only way to get to the open convention and stop Trump. Last week, Romney endorsed John Kasich before the Ohio governor won the winner-take-all primary in his home state, thus denying Trump a big haul of delegates in the midwestern state. After Tuesday, Republicans have just two contests over the next three weeks, in the midwestern state of Wisconsin April 5 and in the western state of Colorado April 9. |
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| Food security initiative
working here is honored Special to A.M. Costa
Rica
Costa Rica has received international recognition for its work implementing the food security program Plantwise. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development made the award for innovation. The Plantwise plant health initiative helps farmers lose less and feed more in 34 countries around the world. Plantwise has operated in Costa Rica since 2014 with 27 trained plant doctors supporting Costa Rica’s small farmers with practical plant health information. The award is testament to the contribution that partners make, including the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería and its plant health department. This international award, which was presented in Paris, recognizes initiatives that take innovative approaches that have been scaled up and make a difference to people’s daily lives. This prestigious award recognizes the efforts of all the Plantwise supporters and partners over 168 worldwide who make its innovative approach a reality in policy and practice, said the organization. Plantwise helps increase food security and improve rural livelihoods by reducing crop losses. It achieves this by establishing sustainable networks of local plant clinics, run by trained plant doctors, where farmers can find practical plant health advice. Plant clinics are reinforced by the Plantwise knowledge bank: a gateway to actionable online and offline plant health information, including diagnostic resources, pest management advice and front-line pest data for effective global vigilance. |
