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A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Monday, May 4, 2015,
Vol.
15, No. 86
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The word marriage
would be hijacked
Dear A. M. Costa Rica: Your Wednesday, April 29, article titled " High court justices grill lawyers on gay marriage" merits some calm thinking and comment. There is no denying that marriage, in its traditional meaning, is a union and commitment between a man and a women. It has a religious and biological in addition to a social aspect and this goes from primitive tribes where the medicine man performed the ceremony to the priest, pastor, minister, rabbi, monk, etc. who does the ceremony. As a matter of fact, marriage is one of the seven sacraments in the Christian faith. Maybe now you understand why they fight so hard to retain the sanctity of marriage. Of course, not all heterosexual unions are conducted in a religious setting. Those that are not are termed civil marriages where the union is formalized by way of registering the union in what is commonly referred to in Canada as city hall. Civil marriage is recognized in every way the same as a religious marriage, enjoying the same legal protection under the law and responsibility to each partner. The two terms signifies the difference in the setting while recognizing the heterosexual nature of the union. Hence the word marriage remains constant. Now we have a new group requesting recognition of their same-sex union. Their request is easily understood. It was reported that Mary Bonauto, representing same-sex couples in four states where gay unions are not recognized, repeatedly cited the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing equal protection under the law. There is no arguments here. It is also true that gays and lesbians have the right to solidify their commitment to each other publicly or privately as they so choose. Mary Bonauto is correct in this point. However her argument ends here. While two gays or two lesbians are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution to be free to commit themselves to each other, the same Constitution does not guarantee that their commitment to each other, the union of these two same sex persons, be conferred the term marriage. The term marriage has been for millennia referred to and reserved for a union and commitment between a man and a women. Yes, the Constitution guarantees that two persons of the same sex cannot be banned for making a commitment to each other but stops short in guaranteeing this commitment be called a marriage. Mary Bonauto was also reported as saying that denying marriage to gays and lesbians condemns them to second-class status in America. I have not personally come across any such representation except perhaps what is in the gays' and lesbians' own mind. This is their way of highjacking the argument and shaping the discussion to what it is not. What better way to put the other side in a debate on the defensive than by accusing him/her of trying to make gays and lesbians second-class citizen. The same tactic is used daily by calling the opponent is a racist. Then the opponent goes to defend himself/herself and forgot the real issue at hand. The term civil union has been in used for same sex commitments to each other in the media, and I think it is time to formalize this term. I think it is important that two same-sex person in a civil union be guaranteed the same right and protection under the law as heterosexual unions, and this should include but not limited to social benefits. I hope gays and lesbians are not suggesting that same-sex unions are identical to a heterosexual one, and let us not forget that not being the same does not mean that one is therefore better or worse than the other as Mary Bonauto suggested. For years women fought for equal right, equal pay, equal everything to a man, but women never fought to be called a man. Women and men are different, but they are equal under the law, and they wanted to be seen and treated as equals. They are not the same. They are different but equal, equal as in one not being superior and the other inferior, not one being first-class citizen and the other second-class citizen. Anything else would only muddy the water, confuse the issue and side track the argument. Gay and lesbians want to be recognized as equals, having equal protection from the law and equal rights as heterosexual unions and, most of all, not be discriminated. I support them in their endeavor. However this can be achieved without taking away the historical term marriage from heterosexual unions. Highjacking the term marriage by highjacking the argument (second-class citizen) will only invite a protracted fight especially from the religious fractions of society (indeed the religious fractions of humanity) and delay the recognition and protection gays and lesbians profess to fight for. Dennis Jay
formerly of Alajuela. EDITOR'S NOTE: Costa Rican lawmakers are considering a proposal for a civil union law. Volunteers needed for disabled adults Dear A.M. Costa Rica: As disabled individuals move from childhood to adulthood, the range of services available to them in Costa Rica goes from meager to nil. At the same time, their need to develop skills for daily living, to progress physically and to participate in social activities (which are readily available to the rest of society) is increasing. In short, they are left out in the cold. I started working with small foundation in Heredia called FUNDEPAD, whose primary mission is to help young disabled adults learn, develop and enjoy. It was started by a woman name Lorena, who is devoting her retirement years (and income) to this mission. Right now we need volunteers to make music, art and dance programs. If you have the background and want to do something enriching for yourself and these deserving members of society, this is your chance to step up. To find out more, please email me at hamidkaber@gmail.com or call 8666-0541. Hamid Kaber
Heredia Jet stream disrupted, reader says Dear A.M. Costa Rica: While I have seen many letters both pro and con regarding global warming, none seems to get to the root cause of the cold air hitting the Northeast United States. In our first Arctic, the North Pole is in the middle of thousands of square kilometers of ice. Unlike the Antarctic, the Arctic has no land and is just a large mass of floating ice, but the effect this has on weather is extremely important to conditions in the northern hemisphere. With a good ice covering as in pre-global warming and even up until the last decade the cold ice tended to have a jet stream that would go around it in a circular motion. This would keep the trade winds and jet streams fairly reliably going through Canada and temperature remained relatively constant year after year. When the ice pack started melting due to excessive greenhouse gases, there was no longer the great temperature differential between the cold ice and warmer waters in the south to contain the cold polar air. This has allowed the jet stream to move hundreds of miles south, which is causing the extremely cold weather in the northeastern United States along with a drought in the western United States. The albedo or reflectiveness of the ocean is far less than the ice it's replacing. In simpler terms, the ocean surface soaks up heat from the sun while ice reflects it. This becomes a force multiplier and makes things that much worse. This was predicted in Scientific American and other publications long ago before it happened. As a geophysical science honors student, I studied this in detail when I was younger. The people who deny global warming exists are ridiculous and assuming that the northeastern U.S. signifies an overall cooling as the United States as a whole is hotter and drier. Europe is getting some of the same cold weather because the warm Gulf stream that goes from the Gulf of Mexico to the coast of Europe is also passing south allowing cold Arctic air to cause record cold temperatures in parts of Europe. We are at a tipping point where catastrophic conditions are bound to occur even with the most stringent climate control measures. That's why it is so important to ignore the minority whose self interests and talking points are shoddy at best. The fact that the oil companies are actually excited at the prospect of using an ice free Northwest passage to drill more oil from the Arctic and move it with tankers adds insult to injury. While the U.S. has enacted certain standards since the BP spilling, other countries along the Gulf of California are drilling deeper and deeper into the lower Tertiary layers up to 20,000 feet below sea level. With the bottom of the well being 10,000 feet down no technology currently exists to fix a broken wellhead. I encourage you doubters to get online and seek out these answers for yourself. Jordon Berkove
Forestville, California Four die in
weekend motorcycle crashes
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
At least four persons died in motorcycle mishaps over the weekend. The Cuerpo de Bomberos reported that one accident in Santa Rosa de Limón involved one of its fire trucks. A man identified as Juan Carlos Cabezas Rosales was on a motorcycle that collided with the truck about 6:04 a.m. on a curve, the agency said. The truck was responding to a call that turned out to be a short circuit, said the agency. Judicial agents said that a 24-year-old man died in Ciudad Colón when he collided with another vehicle. An unusual accident between two motorcycles claimed the lives of both drivers Saturday night in Villarreal on the Pacific coast. A female passenger on one of the motorcycles was hospitalized in the Hospital de Nicoya. The motorcycles collided head-on, said investigators. Four missing when boat overturns By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Preliminary reports Sunday night say that a boat overturned in the Gulfo Dulce near Golfito and that four persons are missing. The boat contained nine persons, and the missing include three minors and an adult woman. Searchers were underway, said the Cruz Roja. The boat is believed to have been overloaded with passengers, and none was wearing a life jacket.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, May 4, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 86 | |
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| Barge spill generates brief concern about bather safety in
Gulf of Nicoya |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
What was thought to be a health emergency is now being considered an environmental problem after a barge overturned in the Gulf of Nicoya. The barge overturned and dumped 180 tons of ammonium nitrate into the water about 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Emergency officials are being criticized because there was more than a 12-hour wait before action took place to notify individuals who might suffer from the spill. Fuerza Pública officers began making the rounds of Nicoya Peninsula beaches and those at Puntarenas Centro about 3 a.m., they said. Police officers visited most of the hotels and other commercial establishments and maintained a presence on the beaches. There also were officers on boats notifying those on land via bullhorns. The chemical, which is an ingredient for chemical fertilizer, is soluble in water and disperses quickly. Emergency officials issued a red alert early Sunday and then reduced the alert after there appeared to be no health danger. Just a few dead fish were found, they said. However, the presence of so much plant food in the water might cause a red tide if the algae responses to the dumping, officials said. That might create toxins that are poisonous to water dwellers. Residents were told Sunday that they could eat fish that already was in the marketplace. Fishing is being restricted in the northern gulf through Wednesday as a safeguard, officials said. The chemical can cause skin damage if individuals are exposed to higher concentrations of it. |
 Comisión Nacional de
Prevención de Riesgos
Cross-hatched area was
believed affected by the spill.y Atención de Emergencias graphic The national emergency commission is having a number of tests performed. The affected area ran down the peninsula coast from Playa Pájaros north of Paquera to Playa Tambor. Also affected was the area from Caldera to Puntarenas Centro. The merchants who were counting on the weekend tourist trade said that many of their potential customers left after hearing about the spill. Fertica Costa Rica, part of the international Grupo Fertica, has a fertilizer production plant in Puntarenas Centro not far from the Hospital Monseñor Sanabria. The plant has its own canal that gives access to the gulf, according to the firm's Web site. The owner of the barge and its destination was not made clear by officials, although the vessel was ordered towed and probably can be salvaged. The barge is believed to have overturned due to high seas that had been predicted. |
| You need to see Costa Rican tourism information HERE! |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, May 4, 2015, Vol. 15, No. 86 | |||||
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| Scientists say they discovered potential key to reverse
aging in humans |
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By the Salk Institute for Biological
Studies news staff
A study tying the aging process to the deterioration of tightly packaged bundles of cellular DNA could lead to methods of preventing and treating age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, scientists at the Salk Institute and the Chinese Academy of Science found that the genetic mutations underlying Werner syndrome, a disorder that leads to premature aging and death, resulted in the deterioration of bundles of DNA known as heterochromatin. The discovery, made possible through a combination of cutting-edge stem cell and gene-editing technologies, could lead to ways of countering age-related physiological declines by preventing or reversing damage to heterochromatin. “Our findings show that the gene mutation that causes Werner syndrome results in the disorganization of heterochromatin, and that this disruption of normal DNA packaging is a key driver of aging,” says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a senior author on the paper. “This has implications beyond Werner syndrome, as it identifies a central mechanism of aging, heterochromatin disorganization, which has been shown to be reversible.” Werner syndrome is a genetic disorder that causes people to age more rapidly than normal. It affects around one in every 200,000 people in the United States. People with the disorder suffer age-related diseases early in life, including cataracts, type 2 diabetes, hardening of the arteries, osteoporosis and cancer, and most die in their late 40s or early 50s. Salk Institute researchers discovered that a protein mutated in the premature aging disorder, Werner syndrome, plays a key role in stabilizing heterochromatin, a tightly packaged form of DNA. More generally, the findings suggest that heterochromatin disorganization may be a key driver of aging. The disease is caused by a mutation to the Werner syndrome RecQ helicase-like gene, known as the WRN gene for short, which generates the WRN protein. Previous studies showed that the normal form of the protein is an enzyme that maintains the structure and integrity of a person’s DNA. |
When the
protein is mutated in Werner syndrome, it disrupts the
replication and repair of DNA and the expression of genes, which was
thought to cause premature aging. However, it was unclear exactly how the mutated WRN protein disrupted these critical cellular processes. In their study, the Salk scientists sought to determine precisely how the mutated WRN protein causes so much cellular mayhem. To do this, they created a cellular model of Werner syndrome by using a cutting-edge gene-editing technology to delete WRN gene in human stem cells. This stem cell model of the disease gave the scientists the unprecedented ability to study rapidly aging cells in the laboratory. The resulting cells mimicked the genetic mutation seen in actual Werner syndrome patients, so the cells began to age more rapidly than normal. On closer examination, the scientists found that the deletion of the WRN gene also led to disruptions to the structure of heterochromatin, the tightly packed DNA found in a cell’s nucleus. This bundling of DNA acts as a switchboard for controlling genes’ activity and directs a cell’s complex molecular machinery. On the outside of the heterochromatin bundles are chemical markers, known as epigenetic tags, which control the structure of the heterochromatin. For instance, alterations to these chemical switches can change the architecture of the heterochromatin, causing genes to be expressed or silenced. The Salk researchers discovered that deletion of the WRN gene leads to heterochromatin disorganization, pointing to an important role for the WRN protein in maintaining heterochromatin. And, indeed, in further experiments, they showed that the protein interacts directly with molecular structures known to stabilize heterochromatin, revealing a kind of smoking gun that, for the first time, directly links mutated WRN protein to heterochromatin destabilization. “Our study connects the dots between Werner syndrome and heterochromatin disorganization, outlining a molecular mechanism by which a genetic mutation leads to a general disruption of cellular processes by disrupting epigenetic regulation,” says Izpisua Belmonte. “More broadly, it suggests that accumulated alterations in the structure of heterochromatin may be a major underlying cause of cellular aging. This begs the question of whether we can reverse these alterations, like remodeling an old house or car, to prevent, or even reverse, age-related declines and diseases.” |
Here's reasonable medical care
Costa Rica's world class medical specialists are at your command. Get the top care for much less than U.S. prices. It is really a great way to spend a vacation. See our list of recommended professionals HERE!amcr-prom
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth
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| Curfew is lifted in Baltimore as rallies and protests continue By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has ended the citywide overnight curfew as protesters held another rally against police violence outside city hall. Baltimore was in turmoil last week after the funeral for Freddie Gray, the African American man who died last month while in police custody. Mayor Rawlings-Blake said she did not want to have the curfew in place longer than necessary. "My number one priority in instituting a curfew was to ensure the public peace, safety, health and welfare of Baltimore citizens," she said. The American Civil Liberties Union and business owners, especially restaurants, criticized the curfew. Shortly after the mayor's announcement ending the curfew, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said some of the 4,000 soldiers and police brought in from other states have begun to leave the city. Hogan said the state of emergency in Baltimore will not be lifted until all the soldiers have left. In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland criticized the curfew as "being used to restrict the First Amendment rights of protestors, legal observers, and the media" while also "engendering needless tension and hostility." Demonstrators took advantage of a beautiful spring day to rally peacefully outside city hall Sunday. Many prayed for peace. The neighborhood shopping mall that was looted during Monday's riots reopened for the first time Sunday, giving residents badly-needed accesses to a close-by supermarket and department store. Parts of the city exploded in violence after Gray's funeral Monday, leaving stores and cars burned, police officers hurt, and more than 200 people arrested. The 25-year-old African-American man died of spinal injuries suffered while in police custody. Baltimore state's attorney's office has charged six officers involved in Gray's arrest - three of them African American - with crimes ranging from manslaughter to murder. Prosecutors say Gray was arrested for no reason and that officers ignored his pleas for medical help. World Press Freedom Day focuses attention on violations By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Sunday was World Press Freedom Day, an annual observance established by the United Nations in 1993 to support and celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, which President Barack Obama has described as vital to democracy. The U.N. said World Press Freedom Day is also an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom, a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even killed. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, Obama met at the White House Friday with three immigrant journalists. He said all three faced harsh treatment in their home countries and are now continuing their journalistic endeavors in the United States where they were granted political asylum. They are: Dieu Cay from Vietnam is a blogger who has written extensively on human rights and religious freedom and is a leading voice for press freedom in his county. He spent six years in prison and was released last October. Lily Mengesha from Ethiopia has written to expose the marrying off of girls as child brides in her country. She was harassed and detained and now works for the National Endowment for Democracy. She worked as a translator for a Voice of America correspondent in Ethiopia and was detained with him for illegal reporting in 2012 in Addis Ababa. Fatima Tlisova, an ethnic Circassian from the North Caucasus region of Russia, works for the Voice of America’s Russian Service. Obama said, “She reported on military operations in the North Caucasus region, as well as disappearances and corruption. She was attacked, kidnapped, tortured herself. Today, she reports for the Voice of America and most recently has spent time reporting on the Boston trials related to the Boston bombing.” After returning to VOA following the meeting with Obama, Ms. Tlisova said the opportunity to meet and speak with the president was indeed a moving experience, but above all the importance of it was the message that the president of the United States sent to journalists in Russia. “Because killing journalists, arresting journalists, intimidating journalists is not just a punishment, it is an act of sending a message to all other journalists,” she said, a harsh treatment that has contributed to increase of self-censorship. The 2015 World Press Freedom Index spotlights the negative impact of conflicts on freedom of information. Reporters Without Borders, the sponsor of the index, said the index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information. The group said media freedom is in retreat on all five continents. Finland tops the World Press Freedom Index for the fifth straight year. Two other Scandinavian countries, Norway and Denmark, follow Finland. At the bottom of the list as the worst performers are Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, which is in last place, number 180. The United States comes in at number 49, with Britain number 34 and Japan is 61. Toward the bottom of the index are Afghanistan at 122, Zimbabwe at 131, Cuba at 169 and China is ranked at number 176. Bracelets part of campaign to highlight journalists' plight By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services More than 220 journalists around the world are imprisoned for covering news and reporting information their governments may not like, such as stories on official corruption, political uprisings and pro-democracy rallies. Beginning Sunday, World Press Freedom Day, the Committee to Protect Journalists, a private U.S. group, is launching a campaign to bring attention to their plight and encourage efforts to free them. The campaign is called Press Uncuffed. It is selling clear, plastic bracelets, to represent the importance of the transparency of information. Each is etched with the name of one of nine imprisoned journalists: – Yusuf Ruzimuradov, a reporter for an opposition newspaper in Uzbekistan, who has been imprisoned for more than 15 years – Ilham Tohti, a minority Uighur economist and writer in China – Bheki Makhubu, a magazine editor in Swaziland – Mahmoud Abou Zeid (Shawkan), a photographer in Egypt – Ta Phong Tan, an online blogger in Vietnam – Khadija Ismayilova of Azerbaijan, an investigative reporter and a radio host for the Azeri service of Radio Free Europe – Reeyot Alemu, a columnist for the leading independent weekly newspaper in Ethiopia – Ammar Adbulrasool, a photographer from Bahrain – U.S. citizen Jason Rezaian, a reporter for The Washington Post, who has been imprisoned for nine months in Iran, and just recently was charged with espionage The idea for the bracelets originated with University of Maryland journalism students in a class focusing on imprisoned reporters overseas. Lejla Sarcevic, who graduated with a master’s degree in journalism, is now the project’s campaign director. “Imprisoned journalists around the world are often abused and tortured,” Ms. Sarcevic said. “I really want people to have a conversation about it and to raise awareness of it.” Courtney Radsch, the advocacy director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said most of those named on the bracelets were incarcerated on anti-state or retaliatory charges. “These journalists are primarily being jailed because they are critical, they are looking into the abuses of those in power, or simply trying to report on things that are happening in their countries," Ms. Radsch said. According to Washington Post reporter Dana Priest, “That includes pieces on the Internet, where governments are increasingly scrutinizing articles and other information. And then they're using those against social media journalists, bloggers and citizen journalists to stop them, to put them in prison, to exile them, to threaten them. That's happening in places like Ethiopia, Vietnam, places in Central America, China for sure.” Ms. Priest is teaching the journalism class that developed the campaign. The Committee to Protect Journalists said, over the past decade, the number of journalists being jailed has risen, especially in the past three years. “Not just imprisoning but there are more journalists killed,” Ms. Priest said, adding that China holds the most, followed by Iran. Press Uncuffed hopes its efforts will increase pressure on governments to release imprisoned journalists. The bracelets can be purchased online for $10. The money is being put into an emergency assistance fund to help journalists in dire situations. Mayweather wins decision in Las Vegas spectacle By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
American boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr., remains unbeaten in 48 professional bouts after earning a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao of The Philippines in their welterweight unification title fight, in what had been promoted as the latest fight of the century. The 38-year-old Mayweather, with his longer reach, started strong in Saturday's fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. But left-hander Pacquiao countered aggressively in the later rounds, just not enough to overcome Mayweather's renowned defensive skills. Mayweather was able to frustrate the 36-year-old Pacquiao, while peppering in several effective jabs and punches of his own. The bout fell short of being great, with long periods where both fighters appeared to be cautious. There were no knockdowns and neither boxer seemed to be seriously hurt at any time. Two ringside judges scored the 12-round fight 116-112, while the third had it 118-110, all in favor of Mayweather. After the fight, Pacquiao said he thought he had earned the victory. The Philippine star fell to 57-6 with two draws. Mayweather said after the bout he will fight one more time later this year, then retire. The showdown between the two best boxers of their generation, although years past their prime, is expected to be the biggest-grossing prize bout of all time. Mayweather earned at least $180 million for the fight, viewed by millions around the world on pay-per-view. American Pharoah is winner in 141st Kentucky Derby By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
American Pharoah, with jockey Victor Espinoza aboard, won Saturday's 141st running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Firing Line ran second. Dortmund placed third before a record crowd of 170,513. The victory was Espinoza's second straight triumph at the Kentucky Derby win and his third Derby win overall. American Pharoah was trained by Bob Baffert, as was Dortmund. This was Baffert's fourth Derby win. The colt gave owner Ahmed Zayat his first Derby win after three second-place finishes. "I'm speechless. We were very close before,'' Zayat said. "We are very blessed.'' The second jewel of U.S. horse racing's Triple Crown, the Preakness, is in two weeks in Baltimore, Maryland. The third race, the Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York, is June 6. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed won with Steve Cauthen aboard in 1978. Trade promotion authority may be in jeopardy in D.C. By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The Obama administration is pressing hard to win approval of controversial trade legislation in Congress, as a series of news reports say the Trade promotion authority bill is in trouble. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there is still important work to be done on this issue. The effort includes a gathering of dozens of moderate Democrats at the White House, a briefing by a top economic official for the press, and a campaign-style trip by Obama to a major exporter on the West Coast. House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, says his party strongly supports trade and urged Obama to step up his game in terms of persuading skeptical Democrats to vote for trade legislation. The first issue is trade promotion authority which is sometimes called Fast Track. The bill is strongly opposed by many of Obama’s usual allies in the labor and environmental movements and a number of his fellow Democrats in Congress. The trade promotion authority would set rules for congressional consideration of other trade agreements with Pacific nations and the European Union. Trade promotion authority would allow members of Congress to approve or reject proposed trade deals, but not permit them to make changes. Trade promotion authority supporters say U.S. trading partners are not going to make their best offer in negotiations if they expect the U.S. Congress to pick apart the measure. Trade promotion authority opponents say Congress should not surrender authority to another branch of government. They also criticize the proposed agreements: The Trans Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Critics argue that these two proposed agreements and previous trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement do too little to protect U.S. workers and the environment, and in some cases, give too much legal clout to foreign companies. But White House Spokesman Earnest says the new agreements are an improvement over the North American Free Trade Agreement because they include enforceable provisions to protect labor and the environment. And since the North American Free Trade Agreement member nations Canada and Mexico would be part of the new deal, it is a chance to redress problems with the prior deal. Earnest says Obama believes that raising labor and environmental standards in nations that trade with the United States will level the playing field for U.S. firms. That is because when U.S. competitors have to go to the trouble and expense of meeting these standards, American firms that have to meet similar standards will no longer be at a competitive disadvantage. The leading Democrat in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said trade deals might get more votes if there were some accommodations to meet the concerns of critics. She said the current proposal offers far too little money for a program that retrains workers displaced by trade deals for new jobs in the future. Ms. Pelosi told journalists that, so far, she does not see any big movement toward support among her fellow Democrats. U.S. unemployment claims reach a 15-year low for week By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. jobless claims fell to a 15-year low last week, as the number of Americans signing up for unemployment aid fell 34,000 to a nationwide total of 262,000. Thursday's report from the Labor Department shows that's the lowest level of job layoffs since the year 2000. Economists say weekly claims below 300,000 are evidence of an improving job market. Last month's unemployment rate was 5.5. percent, and a report from Credit Suisse says the jobless rate will probably fall below 5 percent by the end of next year. The report's author says continued U.S. economic recovery could put another 2.5 million people back to work over the next two years. A separate Labor Department study showed wages rising 2.6 percent from the same time a year ago, which is a bit faster than the rate that prices are going up. Rising wages may have contributed to gains in consumer spending, which the Commerce Department says rose four-tenths of a percent in March. Experts watch consumer spending closely because consumer demand drives most U.S. economic activity. |
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contents of this Web site are copyrighted by Consultantes Río
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permission. Abstracts and fair use are permitted. Check HERE for details |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's sixth news page |
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Scams can spoil
the taste of fresh fruit
It’s a lovely morning. The clay colored robins are singing. Hummingbirds surround the feeder. Cicadas are a background hum, high-pitched and distant. Laundry is on the line, and the deck is almost
Last Tuesday, I opened amcostarica.com and was struck by the first article – scams and frauds. Struck, because I have friends who were scammed, defrauded, who struggle with developers and contractors. One such couple is still trying to get title on a property and home already paid for in full because the developer absconded to the States. They also struggle with problems of water, electricity and a leaky roof. Other friends have electrical problems and find that the entire house is keyed to a single circuit breaker or they have a grey water system that doesn’t run into a dry well. There is a code for things here in Costa Rica, but if you aren’t watching, codes don’t mean much. Like a neighbor whose under-siding turned out to be cheap Styrofoam. Yes, there is a language barrier for us newbies, which just means that we need to hire an interpreter to make sure things are clear. (I finally did that for one piece of work, and it was done perfectly.) It also means not investing cash without due diligence, plugging into the local expat network for information (up here it’s Facebook’s Lake Arenal Community but there are networks everywhere), going to the “Gringo Breakfast” (Arenal again) or hanging out where expats congregate and asking questions. Yes, the slander laws are strict here, and some people are afraid of being sued if they tell you, “don’t hire Mr. X” but that’s easy to circumvent. Simply ask, “Would you recommend Mr. X or let him do more work for you?” Problem solved. So, for those of us enjoying fruit and veggies from our own gardens, do the new expats a favor. Save that A.M. Costa Rica article or print it out. Make sure newcomers read it. And, yes, I have been scammed, too.  This Week’s Plant
One of my friends laments is that petunias just don’t
grow well in Costa Rica, but here they are growing happily in a window
box. Maybe that’s the solution: Keep them out of the direct weather and
care for them here as you would for an exotic in Virginia. Aren’t
the colors terrific?If you would like to suggest a topic for this column, simply send a letter to the editor. And, for more garden tips, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arenal-Gardeners/413220712106845 |
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Fish
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| From Page 7: Problems finally resolved at new border crossing By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Activities at the new Las Tablillas border crossing post got off to a slow start Saturday. Costa Rican officials said they were ready to process persons and vehicles leaving the country at 8 a.m. but that Nicaraguans on the other side of the international line said they had not received final orders to open the border. At 1 p.m. officials said that travelers from Nicaragua passed through the border post and that at 4 p.m. three passenger vehicles left Costa Rica with special permissions. Sunday the report form the border post was that both individuals and their vehicles were able to make the border crossings normally. The second border crossing on the Nicaraguan-Costa Rica border is considered a major benefit for truckers who will be hauling cargos to and from the new container handling facility in Moín. |
