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A.M.
Costa Rica
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Published Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Vol. 17, No. 160
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San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 160
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Two bronze surfing medals
for Costa Rica
By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
Costa Rica’s surfing team ended up in fifth position at the end of the World Surfing Games Sunday. Noe Mar McGonagle of Costa Rica, the defending men’s champion, had to settle for a bronze medal. Costa Rica also managed to capture a bronze medal in the tag team event. Team Perú took the team championship, the second time in three years, according to the World Surfing Association. Team Portugal was second and received the silver medal, and the United States team finished third and received the bronze. A fourth place copper medal went to Team France. Tia Blanco of the United States won the open women’s gold and Leandro Usuna of Argentina took the gold in the men’s category. Heredia man held in double murder By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
Judicial agents have detained the husband of a woman who died two years ago in what was called then a home invasion. The man also is accused of killing his 16-year-old stepdaughter. The suspect was identified by the last names of Núñez Mussio. He is 46. The murders took place Aug. 11, 2014 in Mercedes Norte de Heredia, and investigators were told at the time that masked men forced their way into the home, stole a television and the man’s car. Death came from suffocation because tape was placed over the mouths and noses of the two victims, said the Judicial Investigating Organization. Quickie contract approved for rail line By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
The nation’s rail institute has been authorized to make a direct contract for 352 billion colons, about $647,000, for maintenance of the rights-of-way, mechanical work and other necessary services. The length of the contract is just 2.7 months, according to the Contraloría General de la República, which must approve such agreements. The rail agency, the Instituto Costarricense de Ferrocarriles, got caught short and did not have time to conduct formal bidding for the work. The Contraloría warned the rail institute that it must take the necessary steps to obtain the same services in future months. The budget watchdog noted that the railway was an essential service. Today begins our 16th
year
By the A.M.
Costa Rica staff
Today A.M. Costa Rica, begins its 16th year of publication. We attribute our success to the unbiased reporting of issues critical to foreign expats living in Costa Rica, the expat business community and those elsewhere with a commercial or personal interest in the country. In addition, we have high regard for our advertisers. The newspaper continues to attracts readers from 90 countries each weekday. Our news is written locally, and we are not one of those parasite sites that steal news from the Spanish-language press. We are very aware of copyright and ethical considerations. This has been a great ride, and we probably help as many people offline as we do with our news stories.
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A.M. Costa Rica Third News Page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 160
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| Finance
ministry says the fat national debt continues to grow |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A good salary in Costa Rica could be $40,000 a year. But suppose the individual receiving that salary added up mortgages, credit card debt and other mandatory payments to find the amount owed was $16,880. That would be 42.2 percent of the annual income and definitely a time for belt tightening and a close look at outgo. Probably a bad approach would be to see the boss and demand a raise because of the loose spending habits. The boss might just say “Clean out your desk.” This is the same condition Costa Rica finds itself. The Ministerio de Hacienda said Friday that the country owes 42.2 percent of the gross domestic product, the total of goods and services. The country has gone from a deficit of 25 percent in 2007 to what is expected to be a deficit of 46 percent at the end of this year, according to the ministry. The percentage of debt is greater than the average debt of other Latin countries, and Chile, for example, has a national debt less than 20 percent. The Latin average is 35.9 percent. |
The
ministry figures come from the U.N. Economic Commission
for Latin America and the Caribbean. The figures show that Costa Rica’s national debt increased 71 percent since 2008. Helio Fallas, the minister of Hacienda, said that 2016 has given officials a time to make reforms. He noted that the international price of petroleum was low as were raw materials that had to be imported. In addition, he noted, there was prudent administration of the dollar exchange rate, interest rates were low and there is the expectation that the economic growth would be better than other countries in the region. Of course, what he called a prudent administration of the exchange rate is the effort by the Banco Central to keep the dollar from soaring against the colon. In effect, this represented an indirect tax against those receiving dollars who have to pay their expenses in colons, such as tourism and exporters. Fallas, who also is vice president, said that by 2019 he and his staff estimated that the national deficit will reach 58 percent. He said efforts then to levy taxes to counter the increase would take about 5 or 6 percent of the gross domestic product, an amount that would affect the entire population including those who are most vulnerable. |
| Police
detain migrants in the north and south of the country |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Migrants continue to cause problems. The Fuerza Pública said it detained 15 foreigners who blocked a northern border crossing into Nicaragua. The individuals of uncertain nationality were protesting problems getting across the border. The Fuerza Pública said the individuals thought that Costa Rica was blocking them when, in fact, it is Nicaragua that is not permitting migrants to enter the country without a visa. |
In the
south in the canton of Goflito Fuerza Pública
stopped 15 Cuban migrants who had managed to evade
border controls and had entered from Panamá. There were three families consisting of 10 adults and five children who were trying to evade the police checkpoint at Kilometer 35 of the Interamericana Norte at Guaycará de Golfito. The individuals were found on what was described as the old railway line, which is a route favored by smugglers for ducking police. Police said the 15 were returned to Panamá. |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fourth News page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 160
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| First
peer-reviewed study rebutted claims of a chem trail
conspiracy |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A small percentage of readers are true believers in the theory that governments are sowing the atmosphere with evil chemicals. In fact, the chemtrails theory has spawned a cottage industry of believers and exploiters. They hold conferences, write books and maintain Web pages. Even the singer Prince cited chemtrails in a 2009 television appearance and said he learned about them from comedian and activist Dick Gregory. Chuck Norris is a believer, too. But the someone who would be expected to believe, Jesse Ventura, who hosted the television show “Conspiracy Theory,” does not. “Why would they commit suicide themselves . . . ,” he asked one interviewer of alleged government polluters. One theory is that the U.S. government is carrying out extensive weather modification experiments, geoengineering, by spreading chemicals in the atmosphere. Official denials are dismissed with the comment that the government lies about lots of things, why not this. Now a new study from the Carnegie Institution for Science, University of California Irvine, and the nonprofit organization Near Zero says that well-understood physical and chemical processes can easily explain chemtrails. Some groups and individuals erroneously believe that the long-lasting condensation trails, or contrails, left behind aircraft, are evidence of a secret large-scale spraying program, said the institution, adding that adherents of this conspiracy theory sometimes attribute this alleged spraying to the government and sometimes to industry. The team's findings, published by Environmental Research Letters, are based on a survey of two groups of experts: atmospheric chemists who specialize in condensation trails and geochemists working on atmospheric deposition of dust and pollution, the institution noted, adding: “The survey results show that 76 of the 77 participating scientists said they had not encountered evidence of a secret |
 Carnegie
Institution for Science /Mick West
A typical condensation trail left by a jet.spraying program, and agree that
the alleged evidence cited by the individuals who
believe that atmospheric spraying is occurring could
be explained through other factors, such as typical
airplane contrail formation and poor data sampling.”
In a 2011 international survey, nearly 17 percent of the public said they believed the existence of a secret large-scale atmospheric spraying program to be true or partly true, the institution said in a summary. And in recent years a number of Web sites have arisen claiming to show evidence of widespread secret chemical spraying, which they say is linked to negative impacts on human health and the environment, it added. The research team said they do not hope to sway those already convinced that there is a secret spraying program as these individuals usually only reject counter-evidence as further proof of their theories, said the summary. Instead, the team wanted to establish a source of objective science that can inform public discourse, it added. This is the first peer-reviewed academic article that the team says shows that chemtrails are just ordinary contrails, which are becoming more abundant as air travel expands. |
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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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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A.M. Costa Rica's Fifth news page |
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San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 160
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for Puerto Rico epidemic By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
The U.S. government declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico Friday responding to widespread transmission of the zika virus. Following his visit to the island territory this week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy predicted that one fourth of Puerto Rico's 3.5 million residents will be infected by the end of 2016. Puerto Rico reported 1,914 new cases in the past week, bringing the total to 10,690 since the first case reported in December. More than 1,000 of the total cases have been pregnant women. But experts fear the real number of infections may be higher. As many as eight of 10 people show no symptoms when infected and thus would not go to the doctor. The state of emergency, requested by Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla, will allow the U.S. to allocate emergency funding to combat the virus in Puerto Rico, as well as deploy medical staff. "Zika poses a hidden threat to future generations of Puerto Ricans, and I feel the responsibility to do everything in my power to fight the spread of it," Padilla said. Although the virus is relatively mild in most cases, pregnant women who are infected with zika risk giving birth to babies with a congenital defect called microcephaly, which causes an abnormally small head. Death of two N.Y. Muslims brings claims of hate crimes By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
New York police are searching for the gunman who killed a Muslim cleric and an associate at close range on a city street as they left afternoon prayers Saturday. Police released a sketch of the gunman, depicting a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. They have not announced a motive for the twin slayings, but activists near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens called it a hate crime. "Please, read my lips," said Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Masjid Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn. "This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it." "It is hate against humanity. It is hate against Muslims," he said. "These are Islamophobes who are causing these kind of troubles." Members of the Bangladeshi community served by the mosque say they want the shooting treated as a hate crime. About 100 protesters gathered Saturday at the scene of the shooting, chanting, "We want justice!" Police say the gunman shot both victims in the back of the head and then fled the scene still holding the gun. The victims were identified as 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and his 64-year-old associate, Thara Uddin. Trump expected to outline his anti-terrorism approach By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is set to say today how he would combat Islamic terrorism, just days after claiming President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton founded the Islamic State militant group. Trump, a real estate tycoon seeking his first elected office, has for months said he would be tougher on jihadists in the Middle East than Obama, but has yet to spell out a specific plan of attack. Trump ignited a new round of criticism of his candidacy last week when he said, falsely, that Obama and Clinton created Islamic State. Trump, after repeating the claim, later said he meant the remark as sarcasm. One of Trump's key supporters, Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, told ABC television Sunday that Trump "is going to talk about how we restore credibility with our allies and friends in that region who also are hostile to and resist this kind of terrorism. He is going to talk about how you target your enemies and work with your friends, you do not overreach and destabilize countries like Obama-Clinton has done." Trump's vice presidential running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, said Trump will offer "real specifics" about how he would combat Islamic State. A Clinton supporter, former U.S. Defense secretary Leon Panetta, said the Republican candidate needs to disclose his specific plan. "I think what would be appropriate is for Donald Trump, instead of making some outrageous claim, that somehow President Obama is the father of ISIS, which is a lie, he ought to present what strategy he would implement to defeat ISIS," Panetta said. "Instead, he says he has a secret plan, and nobody knows what that plan is all about." Mrs. Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of State looking to become the country's first female president, has moved to roughly a 7-percentage-point advantage over Trump in national political surveys and also holds leads in several battleground election states where the outcome of the Nov. 8 contest is likely to be decided. In a series of comments Sunday on his Twitter account, Trump blamed the news media for his standing in the race against Mrs. Clinton to replace Obama when he leaves office next January. "If the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and did not put false meaning into the words I say, I would be beating Hillary by 20 percent," Trump said. In another, he said, "My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm." Numerous former Republican officials, most of whom served in some capacity during the administrations of former President George H.W. Bush and his son, President George W. Bush, the last two Republican presidents, have said in recent days they could not support Trump's candidacy. They have often said that he is ill-prepared to lead the country or does not have the appropriate temperament. The latest to reject Trump's campaign was the younger Bush's commerce chief, Carlos Gutierrez. Republican officials in Washington have contemplated whether to drop their financial support for Trump and instead focus their efforts on Republican candidates running for Senate and House seats in Congress. Trump says he will stop raising money for the national party if it withdraws support from him. Some U.S. hawks find favor with Mrs. Clinton’s policies By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Peter Mansoor is a self-described lifelong Republican and a foreign policy hawk. The retired U.S. Army colonel boasts an unswervingly conservative voting record. "I've voted for every Republican presidential candidate from Reagan to Romney," said Mansoor, who was the right-hand man to then-gen. David Petraeus during the Iraq War. But this year, with Donald Trump as his party's nominee, he just can't bring himself to pull the trigger. "Trump is fully unsuited to the office," Mansoor said. "His temperament, his ego, his inability to control his words, all these things could get a president into deep trouble." Mansoor is one of a growing number of Republicans, especially within the national security establishment, who oppose Trump. Many, like Mansoor, are not only denouncing the GOP nominee. They're also taking the extraordinary step of endorsing his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. "I disagree with Hillary Clinton on a number of policies," he said. "But she, as a person, has the qualifications to be president. She's smart. She's measured in her speech. She has the ability to accept advice from advisers. She has the experience." The comments from Mansoor and other foreign policy hawks suggest they share a common worldview with Mrs. Clinton, who during her time as a U.S. senator and secretary of State supported and oversaw interventionist policies in countries ranging from Iraq to Libya to Ukraine. Mrs. Clinton's foreign policy views often stand in sharp contrast to those of Trump, though his record is at times wildly inconsistent (ranging from explicit calls to invade and occupy Middle Eastern countries and "take the oil" to proposals for the U.S. to show greater military restraint in the world). At this point, it isn't clear whether the bulk of the U.S. foreign policy establishment is voting for Trump or Mrs. Clinton. But if hawks do turn to Mrs. Clinton in significant numbers, it would represent a significant shift for a group that has for decades found a home in the Republican Party. The list of hawkish foreign policy leaders who support Mrs. Clinton is getting longer by the week. It now includes several prominent figures, including ex-deputy secretary of State Richard Armitage, former director of national intelligence John Negroponte, and ex-CIA chief Michael Morrell, an independent, who recently wrote a New York Times editorial saying Trump "may well pose a threat to our national security." Others aren't explicitly endorsing Mrs. Clinton, but appear to be leaning that direction. Former CIA director Michael Hayden, who regularly criticizes Trump, said Mrs. Clinton is the best prepared candidate, though he has stopped short of saying he will vote for her. Earlier this week, a group of 50 prominent foreign policy experts, including Hayden and many from George W. Bush's administration, signed a strongly worded letter saying Trump "would be the most reckless president in American history." Signees of the letter included two Homeland Security secretaries under Bush, Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, as well as Robert Zoellick, a former deputy secretary of State and World Bank president. Mrs. Clinton has embraced the support of Republicans. Many of her campaign ads feature prominent Republicans slamming Trump. This week, her campaign launched a new effort to highlight and reach out to Republicans and independents, rolling out a "Together for America" Web site that includes the names of leaders who have crossed the aisle to support her. At a rally Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa, Mrs. Clinton said she was "humbled and moved by the Republicans who are willing to stand up and say that Donald Trump doesn't represent their values, not only as Republicans but as Americans." "We may not agree on everything, but this is not a normal election," she said. "And I will work hard for the next three months to earn the support of anyone willing to put our country first." There are plenty of reasons why a candidate such as Mrs. Clinton could appeal to foreign policy hawks. From her time as first lady during the presidency of her husband, Bill Clinton, to her time as a New York senator, to her four years as secretary of State under President Barack Obama, Mrs. Clinton has regularly pushed for or overseen interventionist policies. She voted in favor of the U.S. invading Iraq in 2002. She supported the U.S. war in Afghanistan, favored a large troop surge there in 2009, and supports keeping a large presence there through the end of Obama's presidency and perhaps beyond that. She also played a major role in the intervention that removed the late-ruler Moammar Gadhafi from power. More recently, Mrs. Clinton has called for the Obama administration to take a tougher approach to the civil war in Syria, favoring arming rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad. She has also said she wanted the U.S. to do more to respond to Russia's annexation of Crimea and other destabilizing moves in Ukraine. Mrs. Clinton's record is an attractive package for many foreign policy hawks. "She is not the two-dimensional cartoon figure that the Republican Party has made her out to be," Mansoor said. "Especially in the foreign policy and national security realm. She's a lot further to the right than Barack Obama." Asked whether Mrs. Clinton sees the international arena roughly the way he does, Mansoor replied: "Yes, I do. She believes in a liberal international order that the United States has helped create in the wake of World War Two, from which the United States has benefited greatly." Trump's views on foreign policy are largely a mystery. The lack of clarity stems in part from the fact that the billionaire businessman has no record of making national security decisions, having never served in elected office. Trump's statements on foreign policy are also erratic. On the campaign trail, he often refers to the Iraq War as stupid and uses it as an example of U.S. overreach. He also claims he was against the invasion, though several reports have indicated Trump in 2002 actually supported the U.S.-led war. Trump also regularly slams Mrs. Clinton's role in the ouster of Gadhafi, which has helped lead to an unstable, largely lawless Libya that has become a safe haven for militants. However, Trump leaves out the fact that he is on record supporting that military effort, as well. The contradictions in Trump's statements create difficulties for trying to determine what a Trump foreign policy would look like, said James Jeffrey, a former U.S. ambassador to Iraq and Turkey. "We do not know anything about what he would do. We don't know who he would listen to. And we don't know how he'd respond to recommendations. That's part of the problem," said Jeffrey, who signed the anti-Trump letter. "There's no indication that he even follows foreign policy," Jeffrey said. Asked to sum up Trump's foreign policy views, he answered: "Two words: thread-bare and incoherent." One traditional way to determine a presidential candidate's foreign policy views is to examine the records of those who are advising him or her. But in Trump's case, that reveals little. Trump has only released the names of a handful of people advising him on foreign affairs, and the advisors were not well-known. National Guard is on standby for more Milwaukee protests By the A.M. Costa Rica wire
services
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mayor Tom Barrett says the National Guard is being activated in the midwestern city and will be deployed if trouble breaks out after another fatal police shooting of an African-American man. Overnight violence in Milwaukee left six stores burned, police cars destroyed and a teenage girl wounded by gunfire. Several officers were also hurt, including one who suffered a concussion after being hit in the head by concrete. Seventeen people were arrested. Barrett praised Milwaukee police for what he calls their tremendous restraint, telling reporters that not a single police shot was fired during Saturday night's trouble. He appealed to parents not to let their sons and daughters get caught up in violence and troublemaking, saying he will impose a curfew if necessary. Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn identifies Saturday night's shooting victim as 23 year-old Sylville Smith and says he had a "lengthy arrest record." Smith was shot in the chest and arm. The officer who shot him is also black. Flynn and Mayor Barrett say an image taken from the unidentified officer's body camera shows Smith had a gun in his hand and was a credible threat to the officer. Flynn says it appears to be a lawful shooting. Police earlier said Smith fled from police after a traffic stop when his car was behaving suspiciously. A second suspect was arrested. Some witnesses say Smith was unarmed. Barrett said he would like to see the video released as soon as possible and says the investigation must be transparent and carried out quickly. Saturday's shooting took place in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood, an impoverished section with a reputation for crime. Sherman Park residents say the city has been unresponsive to their needs. Alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents Sherman Park, says Milwaukee's black residents are "tired of living under this oppression." Rainey says he does not condone violence "but nobody can deny that there are racial problems here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that have to be rectified.'' The Milwaukee shooting is the latest in a series of incidents in which black men died as a result of police action, including deaths in Baltimore, New York, Baton Rouge, Chicago, and Ferguson, Missouri. |
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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 |
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San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, Vol. 17, No. 160
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A rotary response to
ubiquitous rust
Sometimes my hubby, Metric Man, is such a sweetie. He was on a trip to the States and brought back the perfect gardening gift, a matched set of rosewood-handled gardening pruners! What a wonderful thought. Sadly,
If I could find it, I would use some of that liquid rust dissolver on them, but I can’t, and sandpaper is just too much for me. Fortunately, some years ago I asked for a very useful birthday present and Metric Man actually listened. So I got a Dremel for my birthday. Metric Man is getting used to my asking for strange un-girly gifts. One Christmas, I asked for and received a new wheelbarrow. There was even a nice big red bow on it. Some people want perfume. Some people want wheelbarrows. My hubby just shakes his head. A Dremel is a wonderful tool for all kinds of craft work. It is also a handy tool for dealing with rust. For the last 30 minutes or so, I have been removing rust from my pruners, and then I changed the bit and sharpened them so well that they will cut paper. Doesn’t sound like much, but try cutting paper with your pruners and learn the lesson. If it will cut paper, twigs, branches, and roots are a snap. Back to pruners and rust. Somewhere someone must make rust-proof metal pruners and garden shears and I would love to invest in them. My first guess is that they are not made in China. China made lovely rosewood handles and rusty metal. My second guess is that, if they are made at all, they are made in Germany or Switzerland. If I am ever in either country I intend to look for them. (If you are ever in either country, email me and I will pay you for them). Still, my Dremel made quick work of the rust and I am grateful for that. I just hope I don’t have to do it too often.
If you would like to suggest a topic for this column, simply send a letter to the editor. And, for more garden tips, visit HERE! |
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| From Page 7: Promerica will operate a new college here By the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
Fast food firms do it, and so do clothing and footwear brands. So Texas Tech University has announced that it basically is awarding Promerica Group a franchise to offer bachelor degree and certificates here in the name of the university. The new college will be completely self-sustaining and self-supported through revenue generated by student enrollment and revenues collected from Promerica Group, which the Lubbock, Texas, school said was a highly reputable multinational conglomerate of companies operating throughout Central and Latin America. Promerica runs a bank here by that name and owns banks in other Latin countries. The new college is subject to approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges. The proposal is to offer bachelor degrees in electrical engineering, industrial engineering, computer science, mathematics and restaurant, hotel and institutional management. Also proposed is an undergrad certificate in restaurant and hotel management and a graduate certificate in business, said the university. Courses will be offered in English. Although the Texas university called the proposed Costa Rican institution a university, there does not seem to be any plans to offer graduate degrees yet. “This collaboration with our partners in Costa Rica will increase access to a Texas Tech education for students in Costa Rica and Central America. This project also supports the internationalization efforts at Texas Tech and advances our reputation and competitive position by preparing our graduates to live and work in different cultures,” Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec said. “Beyond the educational programs offered at Texas Tech University Costa Rica, there will be opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in international partnership and internships, research and study abroad.” The university said that the decision to place the Texas Tech campus in Costa Rica was not arbitrary. The country’s strategic location allows it to be a gateway to the rest of Latin America, yet still be easily reached from Texas, it said, adding that as the oldest democracy in the region, Costa Rica shares a cultural affinity with the United States as well as a tradition of stability. |
