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| A.M. Costa Rica's Second news page | |
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San
José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 109
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President will
seek investments in U.S.
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
In an attempt to attract foreign investments for Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís is traveling to the United States Monday to meet with U.S. businesses and government officials. The president said the trip will span both coasts, starting in San Francisco and ending in New York City. In San Francisco he will meet with Intel representatives, he said, in hopes of talking about the company's future business track in Costa Rica. In April the company closed its local assembly line, cutting 1,500 jobs in the process. About 1,000 are still employed in mostly engineering and finance fields. Wednesday Solís travels to New York to talk with investors and banks about future prospects within the country. He will then spend a short time in Washington D.C. to meet with government authorities although he said its improbable he will end up meeting with Barack Obama because of the short timeframe. Then he will return to New York for another set of meetings before returning to San José next June 14. Joining Solís on the trip will be Ministerio de Comercio Exterior Alexandra Mora and the president of the Agencia de Promoción de Inversiones en Costa Rica, known as Cinde, José Rossi. Solís rules out joint patrols with U.S. Navy By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
President Luis Guillermo Solís made it clear Tuesday that he supports joint anti-drug patrols with U.S. Coast Guard vessels and crews but does not support those with the U.S. Navy. Solís was clarifying comments he had made earlier in his statement at a press conference forwarded by Casa Presidencial. The issue of the joint patrol comes up frequently in the legislature because lawmakers have to give approval for the docking of U.S. vessels. Traditionally the political party of Solís, Acción Ciudadana, opposes the docking of foreign warships and only begrudgingly allows Coast Guard boats. As Solís noted in his comments, the U.S. Coast Guard is not exactly a military branch. It is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He also said that the joint patrol agreement with the United States only covers the U.S. Coast Guard. Both U.S. Coast Guard vessels and U.S. Navy vessels are seeking drug smugglers off both coats. Eric Turner, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy here, noted that the only pending request to allow U.S. boats to dock has been before the Assembly since last December and would only cover the rest of the month of June, if approved. Turner called it business as usual. However, as part of the agreement, U.S. crews are obligated to turn over any Costa Ricans caught at sea with drugs to authorities here. At the legislature Tuesday, Antonio Alvarez Desanti urged his fellow lawmakrs to approve the docking of U.S. boats until Dec. 31. There are two measures pending. "Should a U.S. Navy vessel be involved in an interdiction involving a Costa Rican boat or crew, we would either seek permission for that vessel to enter on a case-by-case basis or arrange an at-sea transfer," said the embassy's Turner. It is less efficient that way, but something we have done in the past." Still the comments by Solís call into question the future of the entire agreement for joint patrols against drug trafficking.  Observatorio Vulcanológico y
Sismológico
This was the scene May 4 at
10:45 a.m.Volcán
Poás continues to perform
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Volcán Poás is doing its part to promote the country's tourism. The Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica at Universidad Nacional has logged some spectacular eruptions at the volcano crater over May, and the estimate is that such activity will continue for two or four years, the experts there say. The volcano has been erupting off and on over eight years, but from February to May there were some that shot from 200 to 400 meters (some 650 to 1,400 feet) into the air. Poás has one of the world's largest calderas, so there were no times when any tourists who might have been on the observation area were endangered. The Observatorio is getting a better account of eruptions now because there are Web cameras installed to keep an eye on the caldera. At night the experts have to rely on reports of changes in gas levels at the crater. Most of what is ejected from the crater lagoon are sediment, rock fragments, water, vapor and sulfur. The eruptions appear to be from the rapid expansion of water vapor and not the ejection of volcanic magma. The information about the recent eruptions comes from a routine report from the Observatorio, which keeps close track with all sorts of measurement devices noting local earthquakes, temperature changes, and the gases. Because of its easy access, Poás is one of the country's most visited volcanos. The caldera is on many tourism tour agendas. Train horns necessary, Sala IV determines By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
That screeching, abrupt sound of a train's horn is not about to be quieted anytime soon for those who work or live near the Central Valley's train tracks. The Sala IV constitutional court rejected a proposal that would put limits on a conductor's horn usage. A veterinarian who works near a section of the tracks filed the appeal, claiming that the loud noise harms the hearing and health of those nearby. Judges ultimately ruled the horns as a necessary evil that do not violate the rights of citizens. They added that the horns are needed for safety reasons to signal a train's approach, as good portions of the tracks run through and along streets with heavy traffic and without gates. Similar appeals have been presented before the constitutional court but have also been rejected to uphold safety procedures. Bus firms with bills rejected for fare hikes By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Some 4.3 percent of the nation's bus lines got an average of a half a percent fare hike, but the overwhelming majority did not because the operators are behind on their bills. The Autoridad Reguladora de Servicios Públicos made this announcement Tuesday. The bus lines that did receive increases were awarded amounts from 5 colons to 45 colons, said the price fixing agency. The amount 45 colons is about eight U.S. cents. The bus operators who are behind on payments to the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social or for a handful of other mandatory payments were not considered for increases, the Autoridad said. The fare hikes that were awarded mainly reflected increases in petroleum products, such as fuel, the agency said. Puerto Viejo bar shooting suspect detained By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Judicial agents on the Caribbean coast finally caught up with a 21-year-old man suspected of shooting up the inside of a Puerto Viejo bar as the climax of an argument. That happened last Nov. 3, and five persons, three men, a woman and a minor girl, suffered bullet wounds, said agents. The suspect was detained Monday afternoon near his home in Paraíso de Sixaola, also on the Caribbean coast. He faces allegations of attempted murder. Agents said that the early morning argument was based on personal problems. There was no indication why a 17-year-old minor girl would be in a bar at that time.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 109 | |
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| Quepos scandal involved a judicial agent and a quantity of
drugs |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An arrest Monday has revealed another drug scandal in the judiciary. This time the principal suspect was an agent with the Judicial Investigating Organization. That man, identified by the last name of Ulate, is out of reach now because he committed suicide a month ago. But agents detained Monday a woman associate in downtown Quepos. The allegation is money laundering. The Judicial Investigating Organization said that the investigation was done by the Sección de Estupefacientes y Legitimación de Capitales, based in San José, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. The allegation is that Ulate used his position as a judicial agent to take over a quantity of drugs, which he then sold. The money was used to invest in properties in conjunction with the woman suspect. The agents said that they confiscated a vehicle and a motorcycle and placed annotations on three properties to prevent their sale. These are presumed to be the product of the crime. The couple also are accused of using the money to bankroll a small lending operation. Agents said they were following the case for two years. There was no immediate indication that the man killed himself because he feared arrest. The woman, however, tried to flee Monday, judicial agents said. She was detained and placed in handcuffs. She was not named. The Corte Suprema de Justicia has set up a high-level investigative panel to explore the infiltration of drug dealers and smugglers into the judiciary. That came after a judge in Limón was accused two weeks ago of using her influence to adjust legal proceedings for those facing drug charges. The Judicial Investigating Organization also is an agency of the courts under the Costa Rican legal system. |
 Judicial Investigating Organization photo
Handcuffed woman in white blouse
is led to a vehicle in Quepos |
| What happened in France 70 years ago truly was a triumph of
the will |
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By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Most of the combatants are dead now, and for youngsters D-Day, if they know about it at all, is right up there with the Battle of Bull Run. Few realize that democracy and liberty hung by a thread as British, New Zealand, U.S. and Canadian troops struggled to gain a foothold in France. That was 70 years ago Friday, and the main reminders are some abandoned gun emplacement on the French coast and row upon row of military graves. Even someone who lied about age to enter the military would have to be about 86 or 87 today. Few such individuals will be at the ceremonies in Normandy Friday where Barack Obama will represent the United States. These were members of what Tom Brokaw called the greatest generation in his 1998 book. They suffered through the Depression and then were thrust into a war they hardly could understand. Brokaw was talking about Americans, but the Canadians and British of that time share the designation. More than 4,400 allied troops died that day. And that was just the start of a grim operation to drive the Germans and their allies from France. Also participating, of course, were troops from the captured countries: The free French, Polish, Greeks, Norwegians, Czechs, Dutch and Belgians. Many a family received unwanted telegrams that week, and every family with a solder, sailor or Marine on duty expected one. Jumping into the surf from a landing craft in the face of machine gun fire is not something that comes natural to any human. The U.S. Army high command knew that, and efforts began just as the war started in 1941 to give American troops a reason. That reason was to protect the home, family and the American way of life. Even as the British and French fought the Germans, many Americans wanted to stay out of the European war. The memories of Word War I still were strong. In fact, there was strong sentiment in favor of the German National Socialist regime headed by Adolf Hitler. Those seeking a similar government in the U.S. filled Madison Square Garden once for a gigantic rally. Gen. George Marshall, the U.S. military chief of staff, knew where to look. He called on Hollywood and the man who sent Mr. Smith to Washington in 1939, Frank Capra. The result was a seven-part propaganda series that was mandatory |
 Library of Congress/U.S. Maritime
Commission, 1944.
Bird's-eye view of landing
craft, barrage balloons and allied troops landing in Normandy on D-Day.for all U.S. troops. Faced with a minimal budget, Capra said he rejected the military's idea for films about big ships, many planes and U.S. strength. Instead, he turned the Axis propagandists back on themselves. Capra said he felt fear as he watched reel after reel of German and Japanese movie clips and news shorts. A few minutes of Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will' about the 1934 Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg would chill any American. These guys were for real, Capra said, and he figured his job was to make the average soldier aware of that. The resulting "Why We Fight" series is a classic. Disney studio participated, too. Most of the Americans on the 5,300 ships and 11,000 planes that participated in the D-Day invasion had seen the series. Eventually the bulk of the U.S. public did, too. Much of what Americans know now about the Normandy invasion comes from "The Longest Day," the 1962 Oscar-winning movie that depicted action on both the Allied and German sides. Like many soldiers, those who endured the horrors of the landing and subsequent hedgerow-by-hedgerow fighting were reluctant to talk. And now most belong to history |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 109 | |||||
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| Another
study says that learning a second language protects aging brain |
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By
the John Wiley & Sons, Inc., news service
New research reveals that bilingualism has a positive effect on cognition later in life. Findings published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, show that individuals who speak two or more languages, even those who acquired the second language in adulthood, may slow down cognitive decline from aging. Bilingualism is thought to improve cognition and delay dementia in older adults. While prior research has investigated the impact of learning more than one language, ruling out reverse causality has proven difficult. The crucial question is whether people improve their cognitive functions through learning new languages or whether those with better baseline cognitive functions are more likely to become bilingual. “Our study is the first to examine whether learning a second language impacts cognitive performance later in life while controlling for childhood intelligence,” says lead author Thomas Bak from the Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh. For the current study, researchers relied on data from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936, comprised of 835 native speakers of English who were born and living in the area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The |
participants were
given an intelligence test in 1947 at age 11 years and retested in
their early 70s, between 2008 and 2010. Two hundred and sixty two
participants reported to be able to communicate in at least one
language other than English. Of those, 195 learned the second language
before age 18, 65 thereafter. Findings indicate that those who spoke two or more languages had significantly better cognitive abilities compared to what would be expected from their baseline. The strongest effects were seen in general intelligence and reading. The effects were present in those who acquired their second language early as well as late. “The Lothian Birth Cohort offers a unique opportunity to study the interaction between bilingualism and cognitive aging, taking into account the cognitive abilities predating the acquisition of a second language” concludes Bak. “These findings are of considerable practical relevance. Millions of people around the world acquire their second language later in life. Our study shows that bilingualism, even when acquired in adulthood, may benefit the aging brain.” After reviewing the study, Alvaro Pascual-Leone, an associate editor for Annals of Neurology and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. said, “The epidemiological study by Dr. Bak and colleagues provides an important first step in understanding the impact of learning a second language and the aging brain. This research paves the way for future causal studies of bilingualism and cognitive decline prevention.” |
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| A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 109 | |||||||
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| U.S. image as a paper tiger causes concern among allies By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
In recent months, U.S. President Barack Obama has faced criticism that his approach to foreign policy has been too cautious, emboldening adversaries such as Syria, China and Russia. The White House argues the projection of power involves more than military might. Whether or not the United States still plays the role of the world’s policeman is in question. Dozens of men, women and children lie dead or dying after an apparent chemical weapons attack by Syrian government forces on the Damascus suburb of Ghoutta last August. Syria’s President Bashar al Assad had crossed one of Washington’s stated red lines, but faced no military consequence. That was a pivotal moment, says Xenia Dormandy of London-based policy institute Chatham House. “Nobody really believes America’s red lines in quite the same way as they used to because ... Assad was allowed to walk over those red lines without consequence,” said Ms. Dormandy. Ms. Dormandy said the United States remains by far the world’s biggest military and economic power, and the perception that it is unwilling to use its muscle is dangerous. “If countries — say for example China — believe that they can take over territory, as Russia did in the case of the Crimea, without consequence, they will cross red lines that they do not see causing a U.S. or a Western response.” Russia’s armed takeover of Crimea in March prompted criticism that a cautious approach by the United States had emboldened other world powers. The West had few military options, however, according to Arne Westad of the London School of Economics. “Its options of course under any circumstance, going back to the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, would have been very limited. Russia after all is a nuclear weapons state,” said Westad. Ukrainians recognize such limitations, said Orysia Lutsevych, a Ukraine specialist at Chatham House. “Ukrainians are really cautious, and understanding that an outright military confrontation that will be backed by the United States would be difficult and it will cause a lot of casualties.” In a speech to military graduates last month, Obama said it would be wrong to launch military operations simply to avoid America looking weak. "I would betray my duty to you, and to the country we love, if I ever sent you into harm's way simply because I saw a problem somewhere in the world that needed to be fixed,"said Obama. Many allies in Asia rely on the so-called U.S. security umbrella as a counterweight to growing Chinese power. Washington is war-weary after tough campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, though, and wants its allies to step up to the plate, according to Ms. Dormandy. “But acting together is about building coalitions. And so this assumption that they have long held and many in Europe have long held that America will be first, America will put the resources out on the table and they just need to back it up, is no longer true,” said Ms. Dormandy. U.S. ally Japan plans to allow its military a greater role in global security, prompting Chinese anger. But analysts say the change in policy is welcomed in Washington, where policy makers are happy for the United States to take the lead, but want more support in return. Army promises close review of soldier's trip to Taliban By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The U.S. Army is responding to the growing wave of criticism over the deal to free Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. He was released Saturday in Afghanistan, after almost five years as a Taliban prisoner, in exchange for five high-risk Taliban detainees held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The deal has sparked outrage from those who call Bergdahl a deserter. The anger is coming from people like Bowe Bergdahl’s former team leader in Afghanistan. "People calling him a hero or calling him this great soldier? It's a spit in the face to one, all the soldiers who were there," said Evan Buetow. Former Army Sgt. Evan Buetow is glad Bergdahl is safe, but Buetow says he cannot comprehend celebrating a soldier he says just walked away. "More importantly, it's a spit in the face to the soldiers who died as a direct result to him leaving," he said. Tuesday, Army Secretary John McHugh issued a statement making clear the military’s first priority is restoring Bergdahl’s health, but there is no timeline for how long that will take. McHugh says once that happens, the Army will undertake a comprehensive, coordinated review of Bergdahl’s June 2009 disappearance from his base in Afghanistan, including a talk with Bergdahl himself, leaving open the possibility the former prisoner could face discipline. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are continuing to take aim at President Barack Obama’s administration, with some calling for an investigation into how the prisoner swap was pulled off. Others, like Arizona Sen. John McCain, are warning of dire consequences for letting high-ranking Taliban leaders go. “Clearly, this is putting many, many additional American lives in danger," said McCain. Whether Bergdahl is even aware of the firestorm sparked by his release is not clear. Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren says Bergdahl remains at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany under the care of specially trained psychologists. “Part of the reintegration process is to get the returnee in control of his emotions, in control of his feelings and able to tell his story," said Warren. Bergdahl’s access to media is also being limited, and Pentagon officials say that as of Tuesday morning, he had not even been ready for contact with his parents. Disaster of Pompeii featured as California museum exhibit By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
One of the worst natural disasters in recorded history, the destruction of Pompeii by a volcano nearly 2,000 years ago, has often been the subject of Hollywood drama. Now the California Science Center is presenting the history, and the science, behind the tragedy. Mt. Vesuvius unleashed fiery gases and scorching ash on Aug. 24 in 79 A.D. Visitors to the California Science Center watch a computer-generated film reconstructing the tragedy. The disaster has been shown on screen many times, in a short 1907 French documentary, an Italian feature from 1913, and in later Hollywood treatments, including this year's epic "Pompeii." Archeologist Kenneth Lapatin says hot ash preserved the outlines of the victims, and kept intact many everyday items that surrounded them. “When we go to Rome, we have the glorious shells of great imperial buildings. What Pompeii gives us is something we do not get in the literary sources, which is the everyday, the domestic, the simple," said Lapatin. Including the coins and artwork, household gods, work tools and cooking utensils. Pompeii was a small commercial city away from the ancient Roman centers of power, and its neighboring community Herculaneum was a Mediterranean resort. Both were buried in the eruption. Diane Perlov of the California Science Center says they still hold a fascination. “It was luxurious, it was high living, and then it was just wiped off the face of the earth all at once. There is something very mythical about that story," said Ms. Perlov. Lapatin says the film "Pompeii," released in February, brought that drama to the screen with a mix of fact and fiction. “The latest Pompeii film, I think, did a really good job of capturing urban topography. They did flights over the site and they computer-reconstructed the city. The volcano, I think they did a good job of. They did not have a lot of lava. They had volcanic gasses and clouds and mudslides," he said. That science is explained at the Center's exhibit, along with a fascinating glimpse into the everyday lives of these ancient Romans; their medical tools, art works, and the weapons and armor used by gladiators. About 150 items are on loan from the Naples National Archeological Museum. California Science Center president Jeff Rudolph says there is a message in the exhibit. “The forces of nature are incredibly strong, and we have learned to live with them, but they can have catastrophic consequences," said Rudolph. Pompeii was rediscovered in the 18th century buried beneath the ash, with haunting images that stare out from its art work. Kenneth Lapatin says that faces from the past speak to modern viewers. “We see ourselves in the past, and that is why for 250 years, Pompeii since its rediscovery has been incredibly popular and exhibitions like this one are so exciting," he said. And why the drama of Pompeii still intrigues us. Obama cited unratified pact as barrier to ocean talks By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
U.S. President Barack Obama says a U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea would help ease tensions in the South China Sea if is ratified by U.S. lawmakers China is facing a series of maritime disputes with its neighbors in the South China Sea. Speaking to Army cadets at West Point, President Obama says it's more difficult for the U.S. to push for a resolution of rival claims because it exempts itself from rules that apply to everyone else. "It’s a lot harder to call on China to resolve its maritime disputes under the Law of the Sea Convention when the United States Senate has refused to ratify it — despite the repeated insistence of our top military leaders that the treaty advances our national security," he said. "That’s not leadership; that’s retreat." The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea establishes rules for commercial and military shipping as well as the distribution of offshore oil and gas royalties. That has made it a target for the president's opponents, including former Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld. "I do not believe the United States should endorse a treaty that makes it a legal obligation for productive countries to pay royalties to less-productive countries based on rhetoric about common heritage of mankind," he said. While not ratified by the Senate, the United States does observe most of the structures of the Law of the Sea treaty. "I think the president was making a false choice," said American Enterprise Institute analyst Michael Auslin. "He was saying if we don't ratify UNCLOS, we can't call China to account for any of its provocative, coercive, and aggressive behavior. That's completely false. Of course we can." The latest flare-up in the South China Sea concerns a Chinese oil rig in disputed waters off Vietnam – a standoff that Chinese deputy army chief Wang Guangzhong says is being forced on Beijing. "China, in its issues concerning territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, has never taken the first step to provoke trouble," he said. "It has always been that China has been forced to respond." Vietnamese protesters say Beijing is trying to provoke wider confrontation over disputed islands. American University professor Hillary Mann Leverett says Beijing is trying to undermine U.S. alliances in Asia. "The way China has done that is to push these allies over issues that the United States doesn't really care about -- a craggy island here, a craggy island there," she said. "Why should the United States really send the 7th Fleet out to fight China over these various islands?" U.S. reluctance to confront China has nothing to do with the Law of the Sea, says Auslin. "I think it shows a very disturbing trend line in the Obama administration of trying to find excuses for not getting more involved in the maritime and naval disputes that are roiling Asia," he said. The Philippines is using Law-of-the-Sea mechanisms to challenge China's territorial claims, but China is refusing to join that non-binding tribunal. Chinese police take over Tiananmen Square today By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Chinese police filled Beijing's Tiananmen Square today, the 25th anniversary of the deadly crackdown of student-led demonstrations there. Watchful security forces, both uniformed and plain-clothed, checked identifications of passersby and kept journalists from reporting in the square. In what has become a yearly ritual, China has rounded up or placed under house arrest dozens of activists, journalists and lawyers ahead of the anniversary. The United States on Tuesday demanded Beijing free the government critics and allow for public discussion about the Tiananmen Square incident. A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry defended the detentions, saying China was only punishing law breakers, and not dissidents. At least hundreds, and possibly thousands, died on June 3 and 4, 1989, when Chinese troops moved in to break up the demonstrations, which had spread nationwide. The official death toll is not known, and the government has gone to impressive lengths to erase the nation's collective memory of the incident. Shen Tong was a third year student at Beijing University when the massacre happened. He said that at the time, he did not expect Chinese troops to kill civilians. "It's one of those things that the day before you think is impossible, the day after it becomes inevitable. So in some larger sense, I would say nobody predicted that. But then when the moment actually was upon us, all the factors before that seemed to lead to that inevitable outcome," said Tong. Tong was forced to leave China for his safety following the crackdown. He said the incident represents a missed opportunity for the Communist Party to be more open to the will of the people. "China could have gone onto a more balanced development instead of embracing this unbalanced, full embrace of materialism, which now eventually led to the breakdown of moral and social fabrics in China," said Tong. The 1989 demonstrations included Chinese citizens from all walks of life, including some members of the Communist Party. Many were expressing frustration at a lack of freedom of speech, rising inequality, and rampant official corruption. Beijing's foreign ministry on Tuesday defended the 1989 crackdown, saying China has long ago reached a conclusion about the incident. It instead focused on China's rapid economic development since then. Hurricanes named for females prove to be bigger killers By the University of Illinois news service
In the coming Atlantic hurricane season, watch out for hurricanes with benign-sounding names like Dolly, Fay or Hanna. According to a new article from a team of researchers at the University of Illinois, hurricanes with feminine names are likely to cause significantly more deaths than hurricanes with masculine names, apparently because storms with feminine names are perceived as less threatening. An analysis of more than six decades of death rates from U.S. hurricanes shows that severe hurricanes with a more feminine name result in a greater death toll, simply because a storm with a feminine name is seen as less foreboding than one with a more masculine name. As a result, people in the path of these severe storms may take fewer protective measures, leaving them more vulnerable to harm. The finding indicates an unfortunate and unintended consequence of the gendered naming of hurricanes, which has important implications for policy makers, meteorologists, the news media and the public regarding hurricane communication and preparedness, the researchers say. "The problem is that a hurricane's name has nothing to do with its severity," said Kiju Jung, a doctoral student in marketing in the University of Illinois College of Business and the lead author on the study. "Names are assigned arbitrarily, based on a predetermined list of alternating male and female names," he said. "If people in the path of a severe storm are judging the risk based on the storm's name, then this is potentially very dangerous." The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined actual hurricane fatalities for all storms that made landfall in the U.S. from 1950 to 2012, excluding Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Hurricane Audrey (1957) because they were much deadlier than the typical storm. The authors found that for highly damaging storms, the more feminine the storm's name, the more people it killed. The team's analysis suggests that changing a severe hurricane's name from the masculine Charley to the feminine Eloise could nearly triple its death toll. "In judging the intensity of a storm, people appear to be applying their beliefs about how men and women behave," said Sharon Shavitt, a professor of marketing at Illinois and a co-author of the report. "This makes a female-named hurricane, especially one with a very feminine name such as Belle or Cindy, seem gentler and less violent." In a follow-up set of experiments, Jung and his colleagues examined how the gender of names directly affected people's judgments about storms. They found that people who were asked to imagine being in the path of Hurricane Alexandra (or Christina or Victoria) rated the storm as less risky and intense compared to those asked to imagine being in the path of Hurricane Alexander (or Christopher or Victor). "This is a tremendously important finding. Proof positive that our culturally grounded associations steer our steps," said Hazel Rose Markus, a professor in behavioral sciences at Stanford University, who was not involved in the research. Hurricanes in the U.S. formerly were given only female names, a practice that meteorologists of a different era considered appropriate given the unpredictable nature of the storms. According to the paper, an alternating male-female naming system was adopted in the late 1970s because of increased societal awareness of sexism. The names of this year's storms, alternating between male and female names, will start with Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal and Dolly. Even though the gender of hurricanes is pre-assigned and arbitrary, the question remains: Do people judge hurricane risks in the context of gender-based expectations? "People imagining a female hurricane were not as willing to seek shelter," Shavitt said. "The stereotypes that underlie these judgments are subtle and not necessarily hostile toward women – they may involve viewing women as warmer and less aggressive than men." "Such gender biases are pervasive and implicit," said Madhu Viswanathan, a professor of marketing at Illinois and a co-author of the study. "We found that people were affected by the gender of hurricane names regardless of whether they explicitly endorsed the idea that women and men have different traits. This appears to be a widespread phenomenon." Hurricanes kill more than 200 people in the U.S. each year, and severe hurricanes are capable of producing casualties in the thousands, according to the paper. Although the negative effect of gender stereotypes is well-known in hiring decisions and other evaluations of women and men, this research is the first to demonstrate that gender stereotypes can have deadly consequences. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Wednesday, June 4, 2014, Vol. 14, No. 109 | |||||||||
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U.S. soccer team
drills under new coach By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The world’s biggest sporting event, the World Cup, kicks off June 12 in Brazil, with the host nation facing Croatia. The U.S. national soccer team recently hosted a media day event at Red Bull stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, just outside New York City, one of the training sites for the American team. The team worked out ahead of its eventual 2-1 win over Turkey Sunday. The media was allowed to view this workout of easy exercises and mild training. The more intense workout took place without reporters or cameras. A few hours later, the scene switched to a hotel room in New York City where head coach Jurgen Klinsmann and team captain Clint Dempsey were center stage. Klinsmann, a former star German player and coach, was named head U.S. coach in 2011 and guided the Americans to their seventh straight World Cup berth. He has great confidence, despite being drawn in the so-called World Cup Group of Death that includes second-ranked Germany, third-ranked Portugal and 38th-rated Ghana. “It’s a very difficult draw," said Klinsmann. "It’s a tough group. We are expected and we expect from ourselves to do well. We expect to go into the knockout stage. So we've got to figure out a way to do that. That’s what we are working on. We believe we can absolutely go into the next round. Will it be tough games, tight games? Absolutely. That’s what the World Cup is all about.” Clint Dempsey, a star forward who commands the respect of his teammates, says being named captain of the U.S. team is a tremendous honor. “Anytime you can go into a World Cup and be the captain for your country is something very special and you never forget," he said. "During this World Cup qualifying process, once Jurgen named me captain, I just try the best I can to lead the way I know how to." Dempsey’s American teammates also met the media and were asked about their chances. They're optimistic and looking forward to the challenge in Brazil. Coach Klinsmann took a realistic approach to what lies ahead. “Germany is expected to win," he said. "I don’t think we expect us now to win the cup, but definitely we want to go far. We want to do well. “ The U.S. soccer team opens its campaign in Natal, Brazil, June 16 against Ghana, the team that has knocked the Americans out of the two previous World Cups. World Cup brings public health warning By
the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
This month, fans from around the world will be heading to Brazil for football’s FIFA World Cup. But public health experts advise there could be more at risk than a disappointing result on the field. Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say travelers visiting Brazil may be exposed to a variety of health and safety risks. Joanna Gaines, in the Centers’ Geographic Medicine branch, says there always are risks to health and safety while traveling. But she cautions that for those going to Brazil for the World Cup or the 2016 Olympics, travelers who are attending special events like these may be at an increased risk. In an online article published in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine, Ms. Gaines and her colleagues recommend vaccinations or preventive medicine for infectious diseases, including yellow fever and malaria. In other cases, travelers should be aware of steps they can take to avoid getting infected — for example with dengue fever. “There’s no medication or a vaccine to prevent it,” she said in a telephone interview. “So we really recommend that travelers are regularly using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeve clothing, wearing clothing that’s been treated with insect repellent, and doing those types of active things they can do to protect their health.” Travelers are urged to check with their doctor before going, says the article, and doctors should alert their patients to hazards ranging from bedbugs and sexually transmitted diseases to crime and traffic accidents. “Most of the roads in Brazil are actually not paved, and we do recommend that travelers be particularly vigilant, so really being careful when they are driving,” Gaines said. “Making sure that you’re trying to find a vehicle that does have the safety features that you want — I mean, at a minimum seat belts for sure.” In their article, Dr. Gaines and her colleagues say travelers should see their health care practitioner at least a month before leaving, and seek immediate attention if they develop a fever during or after their trip to Brazil . |
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| From Page 7: Food industry chamber seeks glimpse of future By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The food industry will be looking to the future as it hears from experts Tuesday on the state of the economy and prospects for the next few years. The event is the 13th national congress of the Cámara Costarricense de la Industria Alimentaria. The sessions will be in the Hotel Wyndham Herradura. Expected guests include Olivier Castro, executive president of the Banco Central, said the chamber. José Manuel Hernando, president of the chamber, said in a release that the tastes of Costa Rican families are changing and those who provide for them must change, too. The chamber said that discussions will include an analysis of recent evolutions in these areas. The chamber also wants to increase the nation's international trade standing, it said. |
