Exclusive: P3A boss says operator would not be expected to invest own money in plants
By THE STAR STAFFThe Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) governing board is slated to vote in a partially closed meeting this afternoon on the public-private partnership (PPP) contract that would put PREPA’s legacy power plants under a private operator.
The vote will take place at 1 p.m. While PREPA’s board has said the proceeding will be aired through the utility’s internet portal, the board will shut down the feed when it discusses the specifics on the contract because the contract is considered confidential until the parties sign it, the STAR learned. PREPA’s board members have the contract already, but at the meeting they are expected to discuss it with Public-Private Partnerships Authority (P3A) officials and, if possible, make amendments to the document.
P3A Executive Director Fermín Fontanés Gómez is expected to be at the board meeting.
One of the board members, Tomás Torres Placa, is expected to vote against the contract as he has already said publicly that now is not the appropriate time to privatize generation, when the supply chain has been hindered by the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
Fontanés commented to the STAR on some aspects of the contract.
Asked about the qualifications of the private operator, who STAR sources said is a consortium composed of New Fortress Energy, Peak Energy and Black & Veatch, Fontanés said the PPP committee evaluated all of the 15 proponents of the proposed PPP, evaluating the costs and finances of the different economic proposals.
What would happen with the old power plants that are slated to be decommissioned? Fontanés said the private operator must comply with the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), the blueprint of Puerto Rico’s energy needs, which calls for certain power plants to be eliminated as the island must draw its power from renewable energy sources by 2050.
The LUMA Energy contract was criticized because the company was not investing from its own pockets into the transmission and distribution system as everything was being paid for with public funds.
The private operator of the island’s legacy generation assets is not expected to invest in the power plants either, as the investments and repairs will be paid for with federal funds.
“The private operator has the flexibility of making the investment from its own pockets if the [Puerto Rico] Energy Bureau agrees to it because we do not want energy rates to go up,” Fontanés said. “But it is under no obligation. Any investments are paid for through the energy rates.”
While the energy policy law states that there must be more than one company operating the generation sector, Fontanés said that because PREPA is the owner of the power plants, the provision does not apply.
The P3A chief also said that under the contract, none of the PREPA employees will be left jobless. The workers will have the option of transferring for work with the private operator.
On Sunday, the P3A announced that its board of directors unanimously approved the proposed PPP that would put Puerto Rico’s legacy power plants under private management.
The Department of Justice has sued leading insulin manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for engaging in unfair and deceptive commercial practices that raised insulin prices by over 1,200% of its original cost over the past decade.
Justice Secretary Domingo Emanuelli Hernández made the announcement at a press conference Wednesday.
“These companies have created a scheme of excessive and unjustified increases in insulin prices for their greed and to the detriment of diabetics in Puerto Rico,” he said. “Approximately 30% of the population suffers from diabetes and depends on insulin treatment to live.”
Through the Office of Monopolistic Affairs (OAM), the Department of Justice represents the Puerto Rico government in the lawsuit against insulin manufacturers: Eli Lilly & Co., Eli Lilly Export, Novo Nordisk Inc. and Sanofi Aventis, and the PBMs: Express Scripts Inc., CaremarkPCS Health, Caremark Puerto Rico and OptumRx Inc. They control most
An official from the Justice Department’s Office of Monopolistic Affairs said patients have had to pay for the growing increase in insulin prices, “either through co-payments because they exceed the limit of their coverage or because they simply do not have a medical plan.”
of the market in the United States. Several states, including California last week, have filed similar lawsuits.
PBMs are companies subcontracted by health insurers to handle purchases and
authorizations of prescription drugs for patients. They control the list of drugs covered by insurance policies since they can determine which are included or excluded from the formulary.
As revealed by the assistant secretary of the OAM, Guarionex Díaz Martínez, the PBMs began to implement the tactic of requiring insulin manufacturers to offer them “rebates” or refunds and threatening manufacturers with the possible exclusion of their insulin product from the drug formulary, which PBMs control.
“Manufacturers increased their prices to maintain their profit margin, giving PBMs large rebates to get them to include their product or give them preference,” Díaz Martínez. “This scheme created a huge incentive for manufacturers to artificially inflate the price for the sole purpose of being included or obtaining a favorable position in the PBM formulary. PBMs retain much of those refunds. However, these rebates or discounts have not translated into lower costs for patients. On the contrary, patients have had to pay for the growing increase in prices, either through co-payments because they exceed the limit
of their coverage or because they simply do not have a medical plan.”
For example, if the manufacturer set the price of the insulin at $100, and a PBM wanted a $40 rebate, the manufacturer would increase the list price to $140 to give the PBM the $40 “rebate” and keep the rest.
“To give you an idea of the effect of the scheme, while in the United States and Puerto Rico the price of insulin produced by Eli Lilly can fluctuate around $300 but in Canada it costs approximately $30.00,” Díaz Martínez said.
The Justice secretary said the lawsuit “demands the cessation and desistance of said deceptive practices, the restitution of money collected unjustifiably, the payment of damages caused and the disbursement of profits obtained through the illegal scheme.”
Emanuelli Hernández added that this year, “in addition to continuing to strengthen strategies to combat crime, with special attention to gender violence and corruption, the Department of Justice will focus on doing justice to the most vulnerable populations,” through civil claims like the one filed Wednesday and the recovery of the people’s money.
Justice Secretary Domingo Emanuelli Hernández warned Wednesday that the scope of the investigation into the Naranjito cable suspension bridge will be broad and time-consuming.
“When this news comes up and the comptroller says that she is going to investigate the case, that she was going to communicate with Justice; in fact, she communicated on Thursday with the director of the Division of Comptroller Affairs here, [and] on Friday the next day I called her to put us in agreement and we are scheduled to meet this Friday, in this same office in this conference room, both the comptroller, a specialist they have, me, the prosecutor who is going to be working on this case and the director of [the] Highways [and Transportation Department] or the deputy director of Highways and any other person who should be present,” the Justice secretary said in response
to questions from the press.
Emanuelli Hernández was also asked about the time that the investigation would take while shortening the time for the completion of outstanding payments on the construction of the cable suspension bridge.
“There is a payment of $300,000 and something,” he said. “What these people have to be doing there is to assert their rights so that these abuses do not happen again and if it is an abuse. We are trying. … Here there is going to be an investigation, this is about continuous damage because this is not damage that happened today, you can see different things. There is also possible criminal conduct. There are several situations.”
“You have to do an audit of that project as such, examine contracts, examine expert evidence on how the structure was designed, how it was built, whether or not there was agreement on the plans. This is a thing that takes a long time,” Emanuelli Hernández added.
The bridge on highway PR-5 was inaugurated on Oct.
24, 2008 and was built under contract by Las Piedras Construction, at a cost of $31.8 million. Last week El Nuevo Día revealed that the bridge was repaired in places using cardboard, and uncovered the poor condition of the structure, while only two lanes are being used.
The bridge on highway PR-5 in Naranjito was inaugurated on Oct. 24, 2008 and was built at a cost of $31.8 million.
The Corporation for the Defense of the Puerto Rico Weapons License Holder (CODEPOLA by its Spanish acronym) on Wednesday sued the Municipality of San Juan seeking to overturn an ordinance that would ban licensed gun owners from carrying weapons during the San Sebastián Street Festival, which opens today.
According to the suit, which will be heard today by San Juan Superior Court Judge Anthony Cuevas Ramos, the decision to establish certain areas in which revelers attending the event will be searched is unconstitutional.
The suit also says the fact that the city will not provide public transportation to licensed gun owners is also unconstitutional.
Earlier this week, CODEPOLA President Ariel Torres Meléndez said criminals will not ask permission to carry their illegal weapons with them.
The ban is part of the San Juan city council’s security plan, which includes 1,050 municipal and commonwealth police officers, 400 private security guards, and the installation of 420 cameras deployed in the capital city to provide security to between 85,000 and 110,000 people daily.
Referring to the San Juan municipal administration, Torres Meléndez said it is worrying that “an official who
believes in the safety of his parties does not make those statements that generate fear in people.”
“On the contrary, the legal bearer of weapons places his safety and that of his family in the training he received
and allows him to carry the weapon for the good of his family,” he added.
The municipality of San Juan said it wants revelers to have fun in an orderly fashion.
Agriculture Secretary Ramón González Beiró confirmed Wednesday that the agency had to order the seizure of more than 6,000 boxes of bananas from Costa Rica after the fruit had rotted waiting to leave
the dock.
The spoiled cargo represents about half a million bananas that could not reach the hands of consumers.
“137,000 boxes of bananas have already been distributed, but of the cargo that arrived to us, half of the containers had insects and had to be fumigated for the federal government to allow us to disembark,” the official said in a radio interview. “And having the situation of the insects and the little capacity of fumigation, then that caused the delay in the transporting of the bananas and when the process was completed, already over 6,500 boxes were no longer suitable for consumption.”
González Beiró blamed the company supplying the bananas for what happened, and gave assurances that the corresponding claims had already been made to the importer.
“The responsibility lies with the supplier,” he said. “It is assumed that this [shipment] came with a certificate that they did not have pests, they are aware of the situation and this will not mean losses to the treasury.”
The shipment of bananas began arriving in Puerto Rico on Dec. 3, 2022 with the first 35 containers.
The Agriculture Department estimated the importation of about 335 containers with a total of 367,830 40-pound
boxes, which came from the Limón province in Costa Rica. The source farms were inspected by a plant pathologist from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus.
González Beiró said that by Dec. 22, it was federal agencies that were stopping the importation of the product, to the tune of about 62 containers.
San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo announced Wednesday that after months of intense work, his administration has seen to it that the municipality’s Head Start and Early Head Start programs are in compliance with the regulations of the Administration for Children and Families of the Office of Head Start.
The mayor said the compliance is clear from the report dated Jan. 11, 2023 and signed by Tala Hooban, director of the Office of Head Start, after the most recent monitoring carried out by the agency at the Focus One area of the San Juan Head Start and Early Head Start programs from Dec. 19 to Dec. 21, 2022.
“Education is a pillar of the public policy plan established by my administration for the Capital City, so the findings of compliance in the performance and operation of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs beginning the year not only fills me with great satisfaction and joy, it is also an encouragement for me, and the great work team that accompanies me, to continue making a difference for the benefit of our people, through healthy and responsible public administration,” Romero Lugo said.
The mayor specified that the audit highlighted how the municipality managed to maintain continuous recruitment for the programs through an external media campaign, thereby benefiting eligible families.
“An important part of this monitoring process is that it
highlights how the municipality established and developed a budget review process that ensured that program funds will be used to address established priorities,” the mayor said. “Fiscal and program staff, as well as the governing body and policy council, regularly reviewed the data to keep abreast of any changing needs and budgeted funds accordingly. For example, when the program identified the need to improve its technological capacity, the recipient identified and allocated funds to provide internet services at all of its centers.
This enhancement strengthened the program’s capacity to collect and use data. By aligning funds with the needs of the program, we were able to strengthen services to our children and their families.”
Currently, Head Start and Early Head Start in San Juan provide services to 1,030 children, their families and pregnant women in communities with the greatest need. Services include education services, as well as support for the development of cultural activities, and financial education, among other things.
The main findings of the federal monitoring revealed that, at present in the management of the program, the municipal administration demonstrated that it possesses an approach to provide effective oversight of all program areas and fiduciary responsibilities. Similarly, the San Juan administration showed that it maintains a formal structure for the governance of the program and the management of the grant it receives, which includes a governing body, a policy council or policy committee for delegates, and parent committees.
The audited period also shows that the Municipality of San Juan designed a program that responds to local needs, for which it analyzed the community and parents, to understand the needs of families. In response, full-day services were offered in centers located in public housing projects and other family-friendly areas, while seeking to sustain economic improvement.
“Through his informed approach, the grantee ensured that families in its community had access to comprehensive early education and family support services,” the report said.
Popular Democratic Party (PDP) vice president, Morovis mayor and gubernatorial candidate Carmen Maldonado González presented her “Popular Evolution” concept Wednesday at PDP headquarters, in which she summarized five proposals that define her thinking as she seeks to gain the party presidency.
“As part of the proposals I present to the members of the Popular Democratic Party to be elected as President of this honorable and important institution, I have developed five key principles of what I have called the ‘Popular Evolution,’” she said. “Such principles are: Governance, Transparency, Education, Inclusion and Ethics.”
Maldonado added that Popular Evolution “will entail an indispensable process of metamorphosis en route to developing, renewing and transforming processes within the party. We all know that Puerto Rico cannot continue with government chaos the way it has been happening from 2017 to the present. Popular Evolution will bring solutions to improve the quality of life of all of us who live in our beloved country.”
The five topics are as follows:
Governance: “... Popular Evolution will ensure that the political relations of all Puerto Ricans include the power to consciously evaluate all decisions on public affairs in order to make appropriate decisions and execute them,”
Maldonado said.
Transparency: “It is up to us to implement as voters a government of integrity by going to the polls and voting against everyone who has participated and promoted this corruption that has engulfed the government in the past four-year period and the current four-year period,” the Morovis mayor said.
Education: “Undoubtedly, education is the primary basis from which to address issues of health, safety, art, culture, sports, technology and many more,” Maldonado said. “So that as an institution we can achieve our mission, the political and electoral education of the people, so that everyone can know the processes, is vital. I have no doubt that empowered, and with the right data, we are on our way to victory.”
Inclusion: “As President of the PDP, I will promote under my administration a clear policy of equal possibilities and opportunities, without relegating anyone because of their convictions, characteristics, disabilities, culture or any other reason that invades the freedom of each citizen. Respect and consideration is always the first golden rule …”
Ethics: “We must stand out for being a party that radiates sincerity, empathy, self-love and love of neighbor,” Maldonado said. “That there are times when we will have to exercise patience, sit down and listen carefully to the pain and suffering that many of our fellow citizens carry stored within their being. … Not always can we think that we are right in everything and that within the euphoria that we have for wanting to help
with our ideas, many times it is good to be humble, listen to others and give them the opportunity to execute their ideas …”
The United States is expected to hit a cap on how much money it can borrow this week, a development that will result in the Treasury Department employing what are known as “extraordinary measures” to ensure that the federal government has enough money to pay its bills.
The United States runs a budget deficit, which means it does not take in enough money through taxes and other revenue to fund its operations. As a result, the country sells Treasury debt to finance its operations — using borrowed money to fund military salaries, retiree benefits and interest payments to bondholders who own U.S. debt.
But Congress limits the amount of money the federal government can borrow — what’s known as the “debt limit” — and the United States is expected to hit the current cap of $31.4 trillion today.
As a result, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress last week that the administration would try to keep the country under that debt cap and able to finance its operations as long as possible by using “extraordinary measures.”
While the term suggests that such tools are intended to be used on rare occasions, Treasury secretaries from both parties have recently had to rely on such accounting maneuvers to allow the government to continue its operations for limited periods.
What are extraordinary measures?
When the country comes close to — or hits — the statutory debt limit, the Treasury secretary can find ways to shift money around government accounts to remain under the borrowing cap, essentially buying time for Congress to raise the cap.
That includes seeking out ways to reduce what counts against the debt limit, such as suspending certain types of investments in savings plans for government workers and health plans for retired postal workers. The Treasury can also temporarily move money between government agencies and departments to make payments as they come due. And it can suspend the daily reinvestment of securities held by the Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund, a bucket of money that can buy and sell currencies and provide financing to foreign governments.
After the debt limit impasse ends, programs whose investments were suspended are supposed to be “made whole.”
In the event that the statutory debt limit is breached, the Treasury Department broadly looks for ways to reduce different types of debt that the government incurs so that it can continue to pay its obligations on time. This allows the Treasury Department to reinforce its cash reserves without having to issue new debt.
Yellen said last week that she first plans to take two
steps to buy lawmakers more time to reach a debt limit deal. She will redeem existing investments and suspend new investments in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund. And she will suspend reinvestment of the Government Securities Investment Fund of the Federal Employees Retirement System Thrift Savings Plan.
What happens if a standoff persists?
If the initial steps that Yellen has outlined are not enough, there are other tools at her disposal.
A 2012 Government Accountability Office report said that to manage debt when the borrowing cap is in limbo, the Treasury secretary could suspend investments in the Exchange Stabilization Fund. Typically, funds that are not being used for those purposes are invested in Treasury securities that are subject to the debt limit, so halting these investments creates some additional wiggle room.
The Treasury Department also oversees the Federal Financing Bank, which can issue up to $15 billion of its own debt that is not subject to the debt limit. In a debt ceiling emergency, Yellen could exchange that debt for other debt that does count against the limit.
Another option would be for the Treasury Department to suspend new issuance of State and Local Government Series securities. The Government Accountability Office said such a move would reduce “uncertainty over future increases in debt subject to the limit.”
Are there risks to using extraordinary measures?
Delaying the debt limit does not come without costs.
Suspending certain investments can cost the federal government money in the longer term, and running the country on fumes can lead to market volatility.
“Debt limit impasses have also repeatedly disrupted
implementation of Treasury’s cash management policy — with knock-on effects for money markets,” Joshua Frost, assistant Treasury secretary for financial markets, explained in a speech in December.
Frost added that the Treasury Department usually has a daily cash balance of $600 billion to $700 billion, but that during the 2021 debt limit standoff, there were days when it grew painfully close to zero. Such situations can force the Treasury Department to undertake risky moves such as issuing same-day cash management bills or conducting buybacks.
“There were several instances when we didn’t have sufficient cash on hand to meet even our nextday obligations,” said Frost, who spoke at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Annual Primary Dealers Meeting. “During the course of that impasse, Secretary Yellen wrote eight separate letters to Congress regarding the importance of acting to address the debt limit.”
How long do extraordinary measures last? The timeline for using these measures is uncertain.
Christopher Campbell, who served as assistant Treasury secretary for financial institutions from 2017-18, said that because there so many variables in play, it is often difficult to give a precise estimate of the grace period between when the debt limit is breached and when the United States potentially defaults on its obligations.
“It depends on receipts, it depends on how the economy is doing, it depends on how companies are doing,” Campbell said. “There are some shell games and accounting games that go into it.”
The Bipartisan Policy Center said in a 2021 report that the timing of when the debt limit hits plays a role in how long extraordinary measures might last. Big government expenses in February could mean that X-date, when the government runs out of cash, comes sooner than anticipated, while robust April tax receipts could buy more time for extraordinary measures to keep the lights on.
In her letter to Congress, Yellen said ominously that “Treasury is not currently able to provide an estimate of how long extraordinary measures will enable us to continue to pay the government’s obligations.” She then surmised that it is unlikely that cash and extraordinary measures will be exhausted before early June.
The remains of a Florida man who had been missing since his sailboat disappeared during Hurricane Ian in September have been found, officials said, days after another storm victim’s remains were discovered in the same county.
Divers for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office found the remains of the man, James Hurst, on his sunken sailboat, in the Matanzas Pass area of the harbor in Fort Myers Beach, along Florida’s southwest coast. The boat, named “Good Girl,” had been docked at Island Bay Marina and was spotted across the harbor last week at a very low tide, the sheriff’s office said. The remains were identified on Sunday.
Hurst, 72, known as Denny, had been living on the boat when Ian made landfall in
September. His daughter Shannon Vaughan said on Monday in an interview that he had refused to evacuate.
Lee County, which includes Fort Myers and surrounding barrier islands, experienced some of the most severe devastation from Ian, and Hurst had been the area’s final missing person from the storm.
The discovery of his remains came three days after a debris removal company found the remains of Ilonka Knes, 82, who had been missing since her home in Fort Myers Beach was destroyed during the hurricane.
“I hope this discovery can bring the family some closure,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County said at the time. Officials said that Knes most likely drowned. Her husband was also killed in the storm.
Ian, Florida’s deadliest hurricane since
1935, killed 75 people in Lee County and 147 in the state overall, officials said.
The hurricane hit Florida’s southwest coast on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 storm, bringing punishing winds, unrelenting rains and devastating flooding. Scientists with NASA said last year that sea surface temperatures were particularly warm off Florida’s southwest coast, allowing the storm to pick up energy just before making landfall north of Fort Myers.
Lee County waited a day longer than surrounding counties to order its most vulnerable residents to evacuate. Officials said that decision was based on predictions that the hurricane would head farther north.
Statistics on who was killed by the storm show that older people died in larger numbers. Older adults can face several obstacles when deciding whether to evacuate when a storm
approaches; some of them require medical equipment, or cannot drive, or cannot easily sleep in a makeshift shelter.
Law enforcement officials hoisted a sunken sailboat from a harbor in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. The remains of the boat’s owner, James Hurst, were found onboard.
Sometimes you have to see nature’s power firsthand before you believe it.
Heading into New Year’s weekend, meteorologists warned that an inbound at-
mospheric river would pack a serious punch. Yet as my New York Times colleagues and I checked around the state, relatively few California residents seemed to be filling sandbags or stocking up on emergency supplies. We’ve seen atmospheric rivers before,
including a historically drenching one in Sacramento on Oct. 24, 2021. We could manage this New Year’s storm easily, we thought.
We could not.
Heavy gusts knocked down scores of trees. Many people lost electricity for days, a reminder of how overhead power lines and strong winds do not mix. Some saw their homes and cars destroyed. And the truly unfortunate lost their lives when floodwater inundated their vehicles or trees toppled onto them.
Intense storms continued to slam the state for two more weeks, each time compounding the problems from the previous downpours. Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, and at least 19 people have died, more than during the past two years of wildfires, as Gov. Gavin Newsom has pointed out.
In California, natural disasters become markers in our lives, as well as lessons for navigating the future. I can recall the 1986 floods, when as an elementary school student, I realized for the first time the possibility that our region could quickly go underwater. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, experienced in the left-field seats at Candlestick Park, was the first time I really understood that we could not control the ground beneath us.
wine country fires.
These are moments that reshape our understanding of what it means to live in California, where natural disaster lives alongside natural beauty. And the recent storms serve as the latest alarm bell in an era of climate change.
A few days into the new year, residents took the situation more seriously as another big atmospheric river approached. So many people wanted sandbag supplies that some counties ran out. Bottled water and batteries flew off store shelves. Grocery stores had long checkout lines.
Most of us were fortunate enough to muddle through. We’ll gladly take the water that has flowed into our reservoirs and seeped into our soil. And we want more — just not immediately.
Folsom Lake, to the east of Sacramento, offers an example of trying to strike the right balance between serving our needs and avoiding disaster. As desperate as we are to store more water in a drought, the Bureau of Reclamation has to keep the reservoir empty enough to be able to avoid a catastrophic regionwide flood.
Flooding from the Sacramento River at a public boat launch in Rio Vista, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. The state will soon get a chance to dry out and begin recovering from a relentless stretch of storms.
For others, there was the Northridge earthquake, the Montecito mudslide, the Camp fire. The Oroville Dam evacuation. The
Forecasters say we’re approaching the end of an extraordinary three-week succession of atmospheric rivers. We now get a chance to clean up, repair and make preparations for future storms. It is a most welcome respite.
The disappearance of Ana Walshe, a real estate executive and mother of three from suburban Boston, has dominated headlines in Massachusetts and on national cable news this month as investigators have revealed gruesome evidence found in her home and reporters have dug into her husband’s criminal past.
On Tuesday, prosecutors said that police had obtained an arrest warrant charging Walshe’s husband, Brian R. Walshe, with her murder. Walshe is already in jail after he was arrested on Jan. 8 on charges that he had misled investigators in an effort to cover up or dispose of evidence.
Michael W. Morrissey, the Norfolk County district attorney, said that additional details and evidence supporting the murder charge would be disclosed Wednesday when Walshe was arraigned in court. An assistant to Walshe’s lawyer, Tracy A. Miner, said that Miner would not comment on the charges.
“Her focus is on defending Mr. Walshe in court,” the assistant wrote in an email.
Ana Walshe, 39, was last seen at her home in Cohasset, Massachusetts, an affluent seaside town southeast of Boston, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, according to police. But she was not reported missing until three days later when she did not show up for work in Washington, where she was an executive with the real estate investment firm Tishman Speyer.
Scrutiny soon focused on Brian Walshe, 47, the son of a wealthy family who pleaded guilty in 2021 to charges that he had sold fake Andy Warhol paintings to a California art dealer.
Prosecutors said that Walshe had initially told police that his wife had taken an Uber or Lyft to the airport early on New Year’s Day because of a work emergency.
But her cellphone pinged in the area of her house on Jan. 1 and Jan. 2, after Walshe said she had left, a prosecutor, Lynn Beland, said in court on Jan. 9. Investigators who executed a search warrant at the home found blood in the basement as well as a bloody knife, part of which was damaged, Beland said.
Walshe was seen on surveillance video on Jan. 2 buying $450 in cleaning supplies — including mops, a bucket, tarps, drop cloths and tape — from a Home Depot, Beland said. He had told police that the only time he had left home that day was to buy ice cream for his son, she said.
Media organizations have aggressively followed the investigation, fueling interest with a steady drip of developments — from a search of a local trash transfer station for evidence to reports about Walshe’s internet search history.
The heavy news coverage has revived criticism of the disproportionate attention journalists give to sensational cases involving victims who are white women. PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, who broke barriers as a Black woman in the Washington press corps, coined the term “missing white woman syndrome,” to describe the phenomenon nearly two decades ago.
Some drew comparisons to the case of Gabrielle Petito, who disappeared on a crosscountry van trip in late 2021. Her body was eventually found in a national park in Wyoming, and the chief suspect, Brian Laundrie, her fiance, took his own life while he was a fugitive in Florida.
In The Boston Globe, which has covered the Walshe case extensively, columnist Joan Vennochi wrote that it “illustrates yet again — if you are young, white and pretty, and live in a place where horrific crime is not supposed to take place, you are very newsworthy.”
“Yet would we be just as fascinated if this couple were Black and lived in Roxbury?” Vennochi added, referring to a Boston neighborhood with a large Black population.
She noted that Cohasset is a town of about 8,400 people that is 94% white, with median home values and household income in the six figures, with a low crime rate and no murders in the past decade.
In his newsletter, Oliver Darcy, a CNN reporter who covers the news media, also explored the connection between race and the attention to this case. He quoted Martin G. Reynolds, co-executive director of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, which promotes diversity and anti-racism in the news media. “Journalists are making value judgments and articulating through coverage who is important and whose life has value,” Reynolds said. “That is very powerful.”
Walshe, prosecutors said, was under house arrest and awaiting sentencing in the Warhol fraud case when his wife was reported missing. In that case, federal prosecutors said, Walshe took two of Warhol’s authentic “Shadows” paintings from a friend and then sold two forged renditions to a California art dealer for $80,000.
Walshe pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count each of wire fraud, interstate transportation for a scheme to defraud, possession of converted goods and an unlawful monetary
transaction.
Prosecutors last year recommended that he serve 30 months in prison, contending that he had “orchestrated a long, complicated fraud over many years,” and had deceived his victims with “his likability, communication, his reassurance.”
Walshe’s lawyers asked that he be sentenced to one year of home confinement, writing that he had been “used as a pawn by his parents in their acrimonious marital relationship.”
Quoting Walshe’s psychiatrist, the lawyers said Walshe’s childhood left him “neglected, unloved and emotionally damaged.”
Walshe wrote to the court in September 2021 that he was “extremely sorry for my past conduct.”
“I have created a contract for myself: ‘I am an honest, courageous, loving leader,’” Walshe wrote. “I repeat this contract to myself on a daily basis. I train every day on 100% integrity, 100% of the time.”
quid tokens” that are difficult to convert into cash. Figuring out what they’re worth could take a long time.
Despite the substantial collection of assets lawyers have identified, FTX said in a statement accompanying the filing that they found fewer digital assets than they had hoped to find, both at the main offshore exchange based in the Bahamas and its U.S. unit. The FTX lawyers said they had shared the information earlier in the day with members of a committee that represents customers, lenders and others.
When FTX collapsed in November, initial reports suggested that as much as $8 billion was missing from customer accounts, including money held in some of the 9 million accounts that customers opened at the exchange. The exact amount of money it owes lenders — including other big cryptocurrency trading firms — hasn’t been disclosed.
Fried’s businesses made at least $4.6 billion in investments in roughly 300 other companies, and that those funds could be reclaimed through litigation or negotiations. That amount does not count toward the $5.5 billion total.
FTX also is planning to raise cash by selling some business operations in the Bahamas, Japan and Europe that might be viable with a capital infusion. And the company plans to work with officials in the Bahamas to market the company’s real estate holdings — a total of 36 properties valued at $253 million.
But it’s unclear just how much all those assets can sell for, or how quickly. In short, FTX customers and lenders still need to brace themselves for a multiyear legal drama before they see a return of any money, and they are likely to incur steep losses, experts say.
By MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN and DAVID YAFFE-BELLANYTwo months after FTX filed for bankruptcy, lawyers for the once high-flying cryptocurrency exchange have begun to identify and put a value on its assets, as they determine how much they will be able to recover to repay lenders and customers who lost billions of dollars.
In a court filing Tuesday, lawyers from the New York firm of Sullivan & Cromwell — which is facing a controversy of its own tied to work it did for FTX before the bankruptcy — said that they had located $5.5 billion in assets held in customer accounts or tucked away in other parts of the company.
As the lawyers disclosed more detail about the nature of the assets tied to FTX, the scope of the challenge involved in untangling and recouping them became clearer. In just three years, FTX, founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, had swiftly put money into a hodgepodge of assets, from esoteric cryptocurrencies to investments in hundreds of other companies.
About $1.7 billion of the $5.5 billion is in cash on FTX’s books. An additional
$3.5 billion or so is in cryptocurrency assets — a pool that includes more established coins like bitcoin, as well as other coins of more questionable value. The lawyers say that stash of digital currencies can be turned into cash because the coins are relatively easy to trade.
The total includes $268 million of bitcoin, as well as $245 million of so-called stablecoins, or cryptocurrencies that are designed to maintain a constant value of $1. But it also includes holdings worth hundreds of millions of dollars of lesserknown coins that may not retain their value over the long term: There’s $529 million of FTT, a coin that FTX created, as well as $42 million of dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that was invented as a joke, only to surge in price for a time.
The crypto recovered by FTX also includes an additional $1.2 billion in various digital currencies held at other exchanges — holdings the lawyers said they had “limited visibility” into. A smaller amount, worth about $300 million, sits in investment funds tied to the cryptocurrency market.
Aside from the $5.5 billion, FTX holds sizable positions in 20 digital assets that the lawyers described as “illi-
As lawyers continue to dig into the finances of FTX, the final accounting of what the exchange owes, what it holds and what can be recovered is likely to change. The task is complicated by the fact that FTX did not keep complete financial records. Prosecutors contend that for years, Bankman-Fried treated customer deposits like money in a piggy bank that he could do with as he saw fit.
FTX’s lawyers have said that Bankman-Fried and two other associates took out more than $1 billion in loans from the exchange.
Prosecutors have charged that FTX regularly diverted customer deposits to fuel trading and cover losses at Alameda Research, a crypto trading firm that Bankman-Fried owned. FTX executives also spent customer money to acquire lavish real estate in the Bahamas and make political donations to both Democrats and Republicans, according to federal authorities.
Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, money laundering and campaign finance violations. And he has denied stealing any customer money.
Federal authorities have said that Bankman-Fried also used billions of dollars in customer deposits to invest in hundreds of other cryptocurrency firms. Last week, FTX’s lawyers said Bankman-
“It is possible creditors could be given the option of getting digital coin or cash. It depends on what the underlying crypto is,” said Kenneth Marshall, a financial adviser who has specialized in working with investors who have been victims of failed deals, including those involving crypto. “This could drag on for a long time.”
The latest disclosure about FTX assets has also put a spotlight on the work of Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the world’s most prestigious corporate law firms. It is not only representing FTX in the bankruptcy but also did legal work for the exchange before it collapsed.
A representative for Sullivan & Cromwell pointed to a court filing Tuesday that said the law firm had “worked tirelessly” to recover assets for the company. In a related court filing, a lawyer from the firm, Andrew Dietderich, defended the firm’s prior work for FTX and its ability to conduct an investigation into the events surrounding the collapse of the exchange.
Dietderich took issue with BankmanFried’s prior claim that he was pressured to put the company into bankruptcy. He said in the filing that Bankman-Fried tapped restructuring lawyer John J. Ray III to replace him as CEO after consulting with his father and three other lawyers.
U.S. 10-year Treasury yields slipped to a four-month low and the U.S. dollar index declined on Wednesday as data showed U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in December, while the yen was little changed in the wake of the Bank of Japan’s decision to maintain ultralow interest rates.
A global stock index was up, but Wall Street stocks were little changed after opening higher.
The drop in U.S. retail sales, together with subsiding inflation, could encourage the Federal Reserve to further scale back the pace of its interest rate increases next month.
A separate report showed U.S. producer prices also fell more than expected in December.
Earlier, the Bank of Japan maintained its ultra-easy policy, including a bond yield cap, defying market expectations it would phase out its massive stimulus program because of increasing inflation pressures.
The decision caused the yen to fall, with investors unwinding bets based on expectations the central bank would overhaul its yield control policy.
But in late-morning U.S. trading, the dollar was little changed against the yen. The U.S. dollar index was down 0.5%.
“The PPI and retail sales numbers show that there are disinflationary pressures going on,” said Juan Perez, director of trading at Monex USA in Washington.
The Japanese 10-year yield also earlier plunged as much as 14 basis points to 0.36%, which would have been the biggest one-day decline since September 2003, before edging back up to 0.41%. The yield was at 0.51% prior to the BOJ decision.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 123.72 points, or 0.36%, to 33,787.13, the S&P 500 lost 1.74 points, or 0.04%, to 3,989.23 and the Nasdaq Composite added 13.50 points, or 0.12%, to 11,108.61.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose 0.44% and MSCI’s gauge of stocks across the globe gained 0.30%.
Benchmark 10-year notes fell to 3.375%, the lowest since Sept. 13. Two-year yields reached 4.072%, the lowest since Oct. 4. The yield spread between two-year and 10-year notes was last a minus 72 basis points.
In the energy market, U.S. crude recently rose 1.92% to $81.72 per barrel and Brent was at $87.21, up 1.5% on the day.
The U.S. Justice Department said it will “announce a major, international cryptocurrency enforcement action” on Wednesday.
Bitcoin was last down 0.7%.
Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday while the Japanese yen tumbled and Japanese yields retreated sharply after the Bank of Japan unanimously decided to keep its yield curve controls in place.
Speculation in the bond market that the BOJ would tweak its yield curve control (YCC) settings at the meeting that concluded on Wednesday had pushed 10-year government bond yields above the policy cap of 0.5% for a
fourth straight session.
The bank, however, maintained ultra-low interest rates, including its 0.5% cap for the 10-year bond yield, defying market expectations it would phase out its massive stimulus programme in the wake of rising inflationary pressure.
The 10-year yield JP10YTN=JBTC retreated sharply to 0.360% on Wednesday, after hitting an intraday high of 0.5100%. Japan’s Nikkei share index .N225 meanwhile
surged 2.6%, bucking the declining trend seen elsewhere.
Asian shares were mixed on Wednesday while the Japanese yen tumbled and Japanese yields retreated sharply after the Bank of Japan unanimously decided to keep its yield curve controls in place.
Speculation in the bond market that the BOJ would tweak its yield curve control (YCC) settings at the meeting that concluded on Wednesday had pushed 10-year government bond yields above the policy cap of 0.5% for a fourth straight session.
The bank, however, maintained ultra-low interest rates, including its 0.5% cap for the 10-year bond yield, defying market expectations it would phase out its massive stimulus programme in the wake of rising inflationary pressure.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine made a passionate appeal by video Wednesday to heads of state and other decision makers gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, urging a faster pace of support for his country in the face of Russia’s invasion.
At the start of Zelenskyy’s address, which he delivered in English, he called for a minute of silence to honor Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, Denys Monastyrsky, and more than a dozen others who were killed in a helicopter crash near Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, earlier Wednesday. He called the crash, whose cause is being investigated, a tragedy and said it was one more example of the unnecessary loss of life that had marked the conflict.
Too often, he said, Ukraine found itself in a race against time. “Tragedies are outpacing life. The tyranny is outpacing democracy,” he said. “The time the free world uses to think is used by the terrorist state to kill.”
It had taken only seconds for Russian tanks to roll across the border in February, he said, but days before sanctions were
his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with a moment of silence for those killed in Wednesday’s helicopter crash in Brovary.
imposed. A Russian missile, he said, took only minutes to travel across the country and hit a building in the city of Dnipro, central Ukraine, on Saturday, killing 45 people.
“The supplying of Ukraine with air defense systems must outpace Russia’s next missile attacks,” he said. “The supplies of Western tanks must outpace the next inva-
sion of Russian tanks.”
Zelenskyy spoke during a critical week of diplomacy, as Ukraine pushes for more advanced arms including tanks and air defense missiles. On Tuesday, the Netherlands said that it intended to follow the lead of the United States and Germany and send a Patriot missile system to Ukraine. The same day, Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks in Poland with his Ukrainian counterpart, their first face-to-face meeting since Russia’s invasion in February.
On Wednesday, NATO defense ministers began a two-day meeting in Brussels to take stock of assistance for Ukraine. On Friday, they will be at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, joined by officials from a broader group of nations coordinating the aid. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will lead those discussions, which will include the crucial issue of sending Western tanks.
Kyiv’s leading allies agree that time is running short to enable the Ukrainian military to break a stalemate with Russian forces along the front lines in Ukraine’s east and south. At the same time, missile attacks have devastated much of the country’s infrastructure and killed many
civilians.
Since Russia invaded nearly a year ago, Zelenskyy has pressed his country’s case before many international groups, including the U.N. General Assembly, Congress, the European Parliament and the Group of 20 nations. Only the address to Congress was made in person.
Others are also making appeals for Ukraine at Davos. The country’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, addressed the summit Monday, and Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, is there with his brother, Wladimir Klitschko, a fellow former heavyweight boxing champion.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly argued that Moscow felt empowered to invade Ukraine in part because of the limited international response to Russia’s invasion in 2014, during which it annexed the Crimean Peninsula and set up two breakaway republics in the eastern region of Donbas. On Wednesday, he sought to set the war in the context of a struggle for democratic values.
“We routinely defend values that some of our allies take for granted as a fact of life,” he said. “At first the world underestimates a threat, then it unites to resist it, and then the world wins.”
Sister André, a French nun and the world’s oldest known person, who lived through two world wars, the 1918 influenza pandemic and survived COVID-19, died Tuesday in France. She was 118.
A spokesperson for the nursing home in the southern city of Toulon, where Sister André was residing, confirmed the news in an interview with French news media and said she died during her sleep.
“Humanity loses its oldest person tonight,” Hubert Falco, the city’s mayor, wrote on Twitter.
The French nun made headlines in recent years for being the world’s oldest known survivor of COVID, according to Guinness World Records. She beat the disease with barely any complications just as she was about to turn 117.
“She kept telling me, ‘I’m not afraid of COVID because I’m not afraid of dying,’” David Tavella, a spokesperson at the nurs-
ing home, Ste. Catherine Labouré, said in an interview at the time.
On Tuesday, Tavella told Agence France-Presse that it was Sister André’s “desire to join her beloved brother,” with whom she was close, in death.
“For her, it is freedom,” he said.
Born Lucile Randon on Feb. 11, 1904, the year New York opened its first subway station, Sister André grew up in a Protestant family of six in the southern town of Alès. She worked as a governess in Paris and later converted to Catholicism and was baptized at age 26. She joined a charitable order about two decades later and took on her ecclesiastical title.
Sister André was assigned to a hospital in Vichy, where she cared for orphans and others for three decades.
She was known for her generosity, often aiding older people younger than herself.
“Sister André was above all a profoundly good and endearing woman, dedicated to others,” Falco said.
Besides, Sister André told reporters last year, “Work kept me alive.”
She lived through 18 French presidents and 10 popes. Her relatives said she always had vivid memories of global events, including the two world wars. She said in interviews that she saw many French soldiers who fought in the 1954-62 Algerian independence war returning traumatized to the hospital where she worked.
“Since I came into this world, I have only seen wars and fights,” Sister André said in an interview as she celebrated her 118th birthday.
The French nun became the world’s oldest known person after the death of Japan’s Kane Tanaka, who died last year at 119, according to Guinness World Records. With Sister André’s death, the oldest known person, according to the Gerontology Research Group, which validates those thought to be 110 or older, is Maria Branyas Morera. She was born in the United States, lives in Spain and is 115.
Sister André was known to be a gour-
met. For her 117th birthday, she ate foie gras, roasted capon, cheese and a dessert similar to a baked Alaska. She said in several interviews that she enjoyed a daily diet of wine and chocolate.
“Perhaps her secret of longevity,” Tavella said.
The Pentagon is tapping into a vast but little-known stockpile of American ammunition in Israel to help meet Ukraine’s dire need for artillery shells in the war with Russia, American and Israeli officials say.
The stockpile provides arms and ammunition for the Pentagon to use in Middle East conflicts. The United States has also allowed Israel to access the supplies in emergencies.
The Ukraine conflict has become an artillery-driven war of attrition, with each side lobbing thousands of shells every day. Ukraine has run low on munitions for its Soviet-era weaponry and has largely shifted to firing artillery and rounds donated by the United States and other Western allies.
Artillery constitutes the backbone of ground combat firepower for both Ukraine and Russia, and the war’s outcome may hinge on which side runs out of ammunition first, military analysts say. With stockpiles in the United States strained and American arms makers not yet able to keep up with the pace of Ukraine’s battlefield operations, the Pentagon has turned to two alternative supplies of shells to bridge the gap: one in South Korea and the one in Israel, whose use in the Ukraine war has not been previously reported.
The shipment of hundreds of thousands of artillery shells from the two stockpiles to help sustain Ukraine’s war effort is a story about the limits of America’s industrial base and the diplomatic sensitivities of two vital U.S. allies that have publicly committed not to send lethal military aid to Ukraine.
Israel has consistently refused to supply weapons to Ukraine out of fear of damaging relations with Moscow and initially expressed concerns about appearing complicit in arming Ukraine if the Pentagon drew its munitions from the stockpile. About half of the 300,000 rounds destined for Ukraine have already been shipped to Europe and will eventually be delivered through Poland, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
As senior defense and military officials from dozens of nations, including NATO states, prepare to meet at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday to discuss sending Ukraine more tanks and other arms, U.S. officials have been scrambling behind the scenes to cobble together enough shells to keep Kyiv sufficiently supplied this year, including through an anticipated spring offensive.
“With the front line now mostly stationary, artillery has become the most important combat arm,” Mark F. Cancian, a former White House weapons strategist, said in a new study for the
Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, where he is a senior adviser.
Another analysis published last month by the Foreign Policy Research Institute said that if Ukraine continued to receive a steady supply of ammunition, particularly for artillery, as well as spare parts, it would stand a good chance of wresting back more territory that Russia had seized.
“The question is whether these advantages will prove sufficient for Ukrainian forces to retake territory from entrenched Russian troops,” wrote Rob Lee and Michael Kofman, leading military analysts.
Arming the Ukrainian military with enough artillery ammunition is part of a larger U.S.-led effort to increase its overall combat power by also providing more precision long-range weapons, Western tanks and armored fighting vehicles, and combined arms training.
The United States has so far sent or pledged to send Ukraine just over 1 million 155-millimeter shells. A sizable portion of that — though less than half — has come from the stockpiles in Israel and South Korea, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.
Other Western countries, including Germany, Canada, Estonia and Italy, have sent 155-millimeter shells to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army uses about 90,000 artillery rounds a month, about twice the rate that they are being manufactured by the United States and European countries combined, U.S. and Western officials say. The rest must come from other sources, including existing stockpiles or commercial sales.
Kofman said in an interview that without adjustments to the way the Ukrainian military
fights, future Ukrainian offensives might require significantly more artillery ammunition to make progress against entrenched Russian defenses.
“The U.S. is making up the difference from its stockpiles, but that’s doubtfully a sustainable solution,” said Kofman, director of Russian studies at CNA, a research institute in Arlington, Virginia. “It means the U.S. is taking on risk elsewhere.”
Pentagon officials say they must ensure that even as they arm Ukraine, American stockpiles do not dip to dangerously low levels. According to two senior Israeli officials, the United States has promised Israel that it will replenish what it takes from the warehouses in its territory and would immediately ship ammunition in a severe emergency.
“We are confident that we will continue to be able to support Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters last week. “And we’re confident that we’ll be able to continue to maintain the readiness levels that are vital to defending our nation.”
Ryder told The New York Times in a statement on Tuesday that the Pentagon “will not discuss the location or units providing the equipment or materiel,” citing operational security reasons.
And those war reserve stockpiles are playing a pivotal role.
When last year the Pentagon first raised the idea of withdrawing munitions from the stockpile, Israeli officials expressed concern about Moscow’s reaction.
Israel has imposed a near-total embargo on selling weapons to Ukraine, fearing that Russia might retaliate by using its forces in Syria to limit Israeli airstrikes aimed at Iranian and Hezbollah
forces there.
Israel’s relationship with Russia has come under close scrutiny since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February, and Ukrainian officials have called out Israel’s government for offering their country only limited support and bowing to Russian pressure.
As the war dragged on, the Pentagon and the Israelis reached an agreement to move about 300,000 155-millimeter shells, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
The U.S. desire to move the munitions was officially submitted in an encrypted phone conversation between the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Benny Gantz, the Israeli minister of defense at the time, according to an Israeli official who was briefed on the details of the conversation.
Gantz brought the issue to the Israeli Cabinet. The officials asked to hear the opinion of the defense establishment, whose representatives recommended accepting the plan to avoid tension with the United States, in part because the ammunition was U.S. property. Yair Lapid, then the prime minister, approved the request at the end of the discussion.
The Israeli officials said that Israel had not changed its policy of not providing Ukraine with lethal weapons and rather was acceding to a U.S. decision to use its own ammunition as it saw fit.
U.S. officials say that getting access to the overseas stocks will help tide over the Ukrainians until American ammunition makers can ramp up their production.
Other factors may ease the pressure for more shells. Russia’s artillery fire has reduced sharply in recent weeks, Pentagon officials said, possibly reflecting rationing of rounds because of low supplies. White House officials said in November that North Korea was shipping shells to Russia, another sign of likely munitions shortages, U.S. officials said.
Finally, the United States is helping Ukraine use ammunition more efficiently. The Ukrainians have been firing so many artillery barrages that about a third of the 155-millimeter howitzers provided by the United States and other Western nations are out of commission for repairs.
Over the summer, during intense fighting between Ukraine and Russia in the eastern region of Donbas, Pentagon officials gathered satellite imagery that showed the devastation wrought on farmland between the two forces’ trench lines. Fields had been transformed into moonscapes, pitted and pocked with thousands of crater shells.
Since then, U.S. officials have leaned on Ukrainians to use their artillery more judiciously.
By BRET STEPHENS
For years, I’ve been writing columns predicting China’s decline. This week, the decline became undeniable. The road downhill will not be smooth — not for it or for us.
The news is that the death rate in China outnumbered the birthrate for the first time in more than 60 years. Last time, it was famine caused by Mao Zedong’s economic policies that led to an estimated 36 million deaths from starvation. Now, it’s young Chinese couples who, like their peers in much of the developed world, don’t want children.
So far, the demographic downshift has been small — 9.56 million births last year against 10.41 million deaths, according to Chinese government statistics. That’s out of a total population of 1.4 billion. The country will not be running out of people anytime soon.
But the longer trend lines look awful for Beijing. In 1978, when Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms got underway, China’s median age was 20.1 years. In 2021, it was 37.9, exceeding that of the United States. China’s fertility rate is 1.18. The replacement rate necessary to maintain a stable population is 2.1. As of 2018, there were an estimated 34 million more males in China
than females — the result of a one-child policy that led couples to abort girls at a higher rate than boys. China’s working-age population has been shrinking for years; a government spokesperson estimated that it will fall to 700 million by the middle of the century.
If you think the world has too many people already, then all this might sound like good news. It’s not. China is increasingly likely to grow old before it gets rich, consigning hundreds of millions of Chinese to a penurious and often lonely old age. A declining population generally correlates with economic decline — roughly a 1-percentage-point decline in economic growth for every percentage-point decline in population, according to Ruchir Sharma, a former head of emerging markets at Morgan Stanley. And China, both as an export hub and as a vast market, has been a major driver of global economic growth for four decades. Its weakness will ripple through the world economy.
But the scariest aspect of China’s decline is geopolitical. When democracies experience economic problems, they tend to become inward looking and risk averse. When dictatorships do, they often become externally focused and risk inclined. Regimes that can’t, or won’t, address domestic discontents through political and economic reforms often try to do so through foreign adventures.
That’s a point worth thinking about now that Beijing is also reporting the slowest rate of economic growth in nearly four decades. The immediate cause here is Xi Jinping’s catastrophic mishandling of the COVID crisis — the punitive lockdowns, the rejection of foreign vaccines, the abrupt end of restrictions, the constant lying.
But China’s economy was already in trouble before the pandemic: a real estate bubble at the point of bursting, record high capital flight, the end of Hong Kong as a relatively free city, and Chinese companies like Huawei increasingly unwelcome in Western countries on account of espionage and intellectualproperty-theft concerns.
A pragmatic government might have been able to tackle these challenges. But Xi has appointed a gang of yes men to the Politburo for his unprecedented third term as supreme leader. If — or as — economic conditions deteriorate, they are likelier to find answers to their problems in aggression rather than reform. Think of inflationary Argentina on the eve of the invasion of the Falklands or bankrupt Iraq just before the invasion of Kuwait.
What should the United States do? Three things.
First, deterrence. The better Kyiv does militarily against Moscow, the more deeply the lesson will be learned in Beijing that taking Taipei wouldn’t be as
easy as it seems. The sooner Taiwan acquires large stores of easy-to-use, hard-to-target weapons such as Stinger and Javelin missiles, the more hesitant China’s military planners will be to step on a sea urchin. The more the United States does to help Japan, Australia and other allies strengthen their militaries, the greater the deterrent effect it will have on China’s regional ambitions.
The administration is doing much of this already. It needs to do more of it, much faster.
Second, trade detente. Trying to punish Beijing via Donald Trump’s tariffs aggravates the relationship while harming both sides economically. We should offer to roll them back in exchange for guarantees from China that it will end its hacking campaigns against U.S. institutions.
If it cheats, the tariffs can be reimposed and doubled.
Finally, human rights. At every opportunity, the State Department should speak up loudly for China’s dissidents. Jimmy Lai and Qin Yongmin, among others, should be as familiar to Americans as Andrei Sakharov and Natan Sharansky were in the 1970s. Their names should be raised at every bilateral meeting with Chinese officials not only out of concern for their lives but also as reminders that our fundamental differences with Beijing aren’t strategic. They’re moral.
In the long run, the greatest hope we can have for China is its people. The greatest investment we can make in the coming decades of turbulence is to keep faith with them.
SAN JUAN – El exgobernador Aníbal
Acevedo Vilá y los profesores de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Jorge M. Farinacci Fernós y Julio E. Fontanet Maldonado coincidieron el miércoles en vista pública que es necesario enmendar la Constitución de Puerto Rico para añadir la segunda vuelta como modelo electoral y garantizar que sea electo aquel candidato que obtenga más del 50 por ciento de los votos emitidos.
Actualmente, las elecciones en la isla operan bajo el modelo de pluralidad o mayoría simple, establecido en el Artículo VI, sección 4 de la Constitución, donde los cargos de elección popular se otorgan a la persona que más votos saque en una determinada elección.
“Si no modificamos esta norma pronto, cada día está más cerca el momento en el cual tendremos un gobernador electo con menos del 30 por ciento del apoyo del electorado. Eso hará más profunda la crisis de gobernanza que ya vivimos y va a deslegitimar el
poder del gobernador para ejercer su mandato”, argumentó Acevedo Vilá durante la vista convocada por la Comisión de Derecho Constitucional, presidida por el representante José “Conny” Varela.
Acevedo Vilá aseguró que el modelo de mayoría simple funcionó en Puerto Rico hasta el 2016, pues la isla operaba bajo un sistema de un partido dominante
o bipartita. “En 1968 comienza una era de verdadero bipartidismo, que duró, aparentemente, hasta el 2020”, indicó.
El exgobernante explicó que en el 2012 votaron por Alejandro García Padilla, 896,060 personas, mientras que en el 2020 votaron por Pedro Pierluisi 427,016 electores. “La diferencia en votos entre ambos ganadores fue de 469,016, una reducción de 52 por ciento del electorado en solo ocho años”.
“Nuestra crisis democrática es evidente: una baja dramática en la participación electoral con una reducción dramática en el apoyo que necesita un candidato para ganar. Encima de esto, nuestro sistema constitucional de mayoría simple para gobernar está diseñado y funciona en un modelo político-bipartita, y eso, como vimos, colapsó en el ciclo electoral pasado”, argumentó.
Al mismo tiempo, Acevedo Vilá sugirió que no existe la necesidad de limitar la constitución a un solo modelo, entiéndase la segunda vuelta o el voto preferencial, sino que puede establecerse en la carta magna que solo se declarará electo aquel candidato que obtenga más del cincuenta por ciento de los votos emitidos para dicha elección.
POR CYBERNEWS
– El administrador de la Administración de Servicios de Salud Mental y Contra la Adicción (ASSMCA), Carlos Rodríguez Mateo, anunció el miércoles, la adquisición de una nueva flota de 21 vehículos para uso de sus programas de servicios de tratamiento y prevención, así como el acceso a las comunidades y otros escenarios con necesidades apremiantes.
“Nuestro norte es continuar siendo esa red de apoyo que contribuya al desarrollo de comunidades saludables. De igual forma, mejorar el acceso y la prestación de servicios a la gente vulnerable que busca una mano amiga y solidaria para alcanzar su bienestar. Por eso, en ASSMCA identificamos necesidades y trabajamos planes de acción que nos ayuden a enfrentar los retos. En este caso en particular, la adquisición de estos vehículos le permitirá a los programas contar con recursos adi-
cionales para impactar más comunidades de manera efectiva, movilizar participantes, visitar a los comerciantes para orientarlos sobre las leyes que prohíben la venta de alcohol y tabaco a menores, brindar ma-
yor cantidad de talleres y redoblar los esfuerzos que realizan diariamente para fortalecer la salud emocional y prevenir el consumo de alcohol y drogas”, explicó el doctor Rodríguez Mateo en declaraciones escritas.
Explicó que con la compra de estos vehículos, se brindará a los participantes transportación a distintas actividades recreativas, citas médicas, vistas en los tribunales, servicios externos a la atención de sus necesidades, participación a las redes de apoyo, actividades de impacto y otros servicios de interés.
La flota de vehículos es de diferentes marcas y modelos, entre éstas, unidades de 16 pasajeros para transportar grupos grandes de pacientes y personal de los diferentes programas, así como unidades de hasta 5 y 7 pasajeros. La inversión total asciende a 471,177 dólares provenientes de fondos federales.
This month’s picks include a Latvian satire about World War II, a family portrait by an Indian documentarian, an Oedipal thriller from Mexico and more.
“The Sign Painter” — Tubi
Set during World War II, “The Sign Painter” tells a dark, real-life history with bracing irony and fairy-tale whimsy. Ansis, a sign painter in rural Latvia, lives through three regime changes in the span of a decade, each reflected in the hues he’s asked to color official buildings and signs with: green is favored by the dictatorship of Karlis Ulmanis, red by the Soviet occupation, and black by the Nazi invasion that follows.
Like the slightly canted angle that director Viesturs Kairiss uses throughout the film, this playful conceit offers an off-kilter perspective on the past, emphasizing the tragic absurdity of human brutality. Ansis, played by Davis Suharevskis with an aura of wide-eyed purity, maintains a principled if diffident innocence throughout, while his two lady loves — the forthright Jewish comrade, Zisele (Brigita Cmuntova), and the sweet, sly Latvian Christian girl, Naiga (Agnese Cirule) — act as his strong-willed foils. The slapstick of the film’s first half, replete with painting accidents, petty jealousies and romantic high jinks, gives way to bloody scenes of war and displacement in the second, making for a gutting tonal seesaw that Kairiss executes with finesse.
“About Love” — Mubi
Archana Phadke’s intimate diary-doc opens with the filmmaker and her sister in a car, driving toward their house in South Bombay. Shiny skyscrapers loom on the horizon; their squat, worn building, home to their clan since 1902, marks a contrast, nestled within a crowded complex astir with chatter and dust. Old and new commingle in the Phadke house, where three generations of the family live in noisy, prickly coexistence. Archana observes their daily goings-on with a curious, slightly defiant eye; she loves her ancestral, history-laden home but balks at the traditions that continue to bind it.
As her relatives prepare for her brother’s wedding, she suffers frequent nagging about her own reluctance to marry; her wariness, she reveals, comes from the complicated, loving, yet often rancorous marital dynamic of her parents and her grandparents. Her film gently zeros in on the patriarchal trappings of her family but never flattens her loved ones into didactic archetypes; her patient, affectionate gaze captures them in all their complexity. With its portrait of the kind of middle-class, multigenerational abode that’s increasingly rare in growing cities like Mumbai, “About Love” feels like a microcosmic epic, an entire world captured in a grain of sand.
“Compañía” — Media City Film Festival website Venture beyond your usual streaming hideouts this month and sample some of the treasures in “ThousandSuns Cinema: Indigenous Edition,” a free online series hosted by
the Media City Film Festival and copresented with Cousin, an artist-run collective supporting Indigenous filmmakers. The series rounds up an eclectic variety of films made by Indigenous artists from around the world. One recommendation from among its many gems: “Compañía,” by Germanborn filmmaker Miguel Hilari, who is of Aymara descent. A trance-like visual odyssey driven more by rhythm and sound than by narrative, this mesmerizing documentary revolves around an Indigenous community in Bolivia whose members journey from the city to their ancestral village in the Andes Mountains to celebrate a festival honoring their dead.
Hilari weaves together evocative, fog-shrouded shots of the natural landscape and close, tactile scenes of the community’s everyday urban lives with snippets of interviews in which various individuals recount stories of death and migration — so that both kinds of departure become parallel, flecked by loss, grief, hope and more. Like several other films in the series, “Compañía” is as much a document of a community’s rituals as it is a kind of ritual in itself, a gesture of preservation and remembrance in the face of rapid change.
“Summer White” — Ovid
A classic Oedipal triangle — mother, son, and mother’s new boyfriend — forms the simmering heart of Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson’s taut Mexico City-set feature. The unsettlingly intimate relationship between Valeria (Sophie Alexander-Katz), a young, divorced mother, and her 13-year-old son, Rodrigo (Adrián Ross), is evident in opening scenes that show them sleeping in the same bed, then brushing their teeth together, naked. When Valeria starts bringing home a new beau named Fernando (Fabián Corres), the pensive Rodrigo — who likes to cut school, smoke cigarettes and beat up used cars — seems primed to act out.
But “Summer White” stalls the inevitable with some surprising twists: As it turns out, Fernando is friendly and kind, with a paternal tenderness that both touches and frustrates Rodrigo. The mother-son relationship recedes to the background, and Rodrigo and Fernando’s tense, shifting dy-
namic comes to the fore, made unpredictable by the erratic emotional currents of adolescent boyhood. Refusing easy lines of sympathy and black-and-white morals, “Summer White” turns a familiar narrative into an engrossing, unnerving tightrope walk of a film.
The twists arrive a mile a minute in this lavishly directed, elaborately plotted thriller by Spanish director Oriol Paulo. Set in the 1970s, the film knits together the tropes of many a detective mystery — a slippery femme fatale; a psychiatric hospital buzzing with secrets; a private detective with tricks up her sleeve — into a continually surprising narrative of fickle allegiances and blurry truths.
Things are not quite what they seem right from the beginning, when the elegant, dyed-blonde heiress Alice Gould (Bárbara Lennie) arrives at an asylum; she brings with her a doctor’s letter warning of her penchant for lying and accusing her of having tried to poison her husband. Alice claims the opposite — that her husband tried to kill her for her fortune — but soon suggests that her entire story might be a grand red herring; apparently, she’s a for-hire investigator who’s entered the institution to find the truth about a mysterious recent death.
The haunting camerawork, beguiling performances from an ensemble cast and endless cascade of revelations and flashbacks ensures, however, that nothing is certain. Is Alice caught up in her own delusional fantasies, or is she a victim of an elaborate gaslighting scheme? This is a pulpy affair that shocks and entertains, while also reckoning with the often draconian ways in which the state and medical establishments handle mental illness.
EMPLOYMENT
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Demandante
Demandado Civil Núm.: PO2019CV03989. Sala: 406. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. AVISO DE VENTA EN PÚBLICA SUBASTA. Yo, MANUEL MALDONADO, Alguacil de la División de Subastas del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, a la demandada y al público en general, les notifico que, cumpliendo con un Mandamiento que se ha librado en el presente caso, por el Secretario del Tribunal, con fecha 7 de octubre de 2022 y para satisfacer la Sentencia por la cantidad de $68,883.48 de principal, dictada en el caso de epígrafe el 3 de junio de 2022, notificada y archivada en autos el 7 de junio de 2022, procederé a vender en pública subasta, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América, todo derecho, título e interés que haya tenido, tenga o pueda tener la deudora demandada en cuanto a la propiedad localizada en el: Municipio de Guánica, Puerto Rico, el bien inmueble se describe a continuación: B
13 VALLE TANIA DEVELOPMENT, GUANICA, PR 00653.
DESCRIPCION: RUSTICA: Solar #13 del Bloque “B”, sito en el Proyecto de Viviendas conocido como Valle Tania; en el barrio Montalva del término municipal de Guánica, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de 365.40 metros cuadrados.
En lindes al Norte, con el solar #14-B; al Sur, con el solar #12B; al Este, con la calle #2 de la misma Urbanización y al Oeste, con terrenos pertenecientes a varios dueños. Contiene una casa Modelo “Cerezo” que cuenta con las siguientes facilidades; tres habitaciones, sala-comedor, cocina, balcón, marquesina bajo techo, área de laundry y dos baños. Este solar este afecto a servidumbre a favor de la Puerto Rico Telephone Company en su colindancia Este en una franja de terreno
que la separa de la acera de la Calle #2. #6783 inscrita al folio 145 del tomo 200 de Guánica, Registro de la Propiedad de San Germán. Con el importe de dicha venta se habrá de satisfacer a la parte demandante las cantidades adeudadas, según la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, cuyas cantidades ascienden a $68,880.48 de principal, 6.5% de intereses, los cuales continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda; $623.54 de cargos por mora, los cuales continúan acumulándose hasta el salgo total de la deuda; más costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado. El tipo mínimo para la subasta será la suma de tasación pactada, la cual es $95,000.00 según la escritura de hipoteca para la propiedad antes descrita. De declararse la subasta desierta, se procederá a una segunda subasta y servirá de tipo mínimo de 2/3 del precio mínimo antes mencionado; $63,333.33. Si tampoco hubiere remate ni adjudicación en esta segunda subasta, se procederá a una tercera subasta, en la cual regirá como tipo mínimo ésta la 1/2 del precio mínimo antes mencionado; $47,500.00. Art. 104 de la Ley Hipotecaria, 30 L.P.R.A. sec. 2721. Para el lote descrito, la PRIMERA SUBASTA se llevará a cabo el día 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2023, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA. De no comparecer postor alguno se llevará a efecto una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 28 DE FEBRERO DE 2023, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA. De no comparecer postor alguno se llevará a cabo una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 7 DE MARZO DE 2023, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta o subastas antes indicadas se llevarán a efecto en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Ponce. De Estudio de Título realizado, no surgen gravámenes preferentes y/o posteriores que deban ser cancelados. Se le advierte a los licitadores que la adjudicación se hará al mejor postor, quien deberá consignar el importe de su oferta en el mismo acto de la adjudicación en moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica, giro postal o cheque de gerente a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal y para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda(s) aquella(s) persona(s) que tengan interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, y para conocimiento de los licitadores y el público en general y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación
general, una vez por semana durante el término de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones, y para su fijación en tres (3) lugares públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como, la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía y se le notificará además a la parte demandada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Se les advierte a todos los interesados que todos los documentos relacionados con la presente acción de ejecución de hipoteca, así como la de la subasta, estarán disponibles para ser examinados en la Secretaría del Tribunal. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titulación y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere al crédito de ejecutante, continuarán subsiguientes entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores, previa orden judicial dirigida al Registrador de la Propiedad de la sección correspondiente para la cancelación de aquellos posteriores. Y para conocimiento de la demandada, de los acreedores posteriores, de los licitadores, partes interesadas y público en general, expido el presente Aviso para su publicación en los lugares públicos correspondientes. Librado en Ponce, Puerto Rico, a 22 de noviembre de 2022. MANUEL MALDONADO, ALGUACIL.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE SALA SUPERIOR BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante Vs. WILFREDO RIVERA PAGAN Y KAREN ENID RIVERA ROMAN Demandados Civil Núm.: PO2022CV00788. Sala: 406. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA (VÍA ORDINARIA). EDICTO DE SUBASTA. El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente CERTIFICA, ANUNCIA y hace CONSTAR: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que le ha sido dirigido al Alguacil que suscribe por la Secretaría del TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE,
SALA SUPERIOR, en el caso de epígrafe procederá a vender en pública subasta al mejor postor en efectivo, cheque certificado en moneda legal de los Estados Unidos de América el 21 DE FEBRERO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en su oficina sita en el local que ocupa en el edificio del TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE, SALA SUPERIOR, todo derecho, título e interés que tenga la parte demandada de epígrafe en el inmueble de su propiedad que ubica en: J-4 CALLE SAN RAFAEL (9), URBANIZACION SAN FRANCISCO II, YAUCO, PR 00698 y que se describe a continuación: URBANA: Solar identificado con la letra J cuatro (J-4) del Plano de la Urbanización San Francisco radicado en el Barrio Almacigo Bajo del término municipal de Yauco, Puerto Rico, compuesto de una cabida de trescientos sesenta y cinco punto cincuenta y tres (365.53) metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, en una alineación que mide veintisiete punto treinta (27.30) metros lineales, con el solar J tres (J-3); por el SUR, en una alineación que mide veinticuatro punto cero cero (24.00) metros lineales, con el solar J cinco (J-5); por el ESTE, en una alineación que mide catorce punto veinticinco (14.25) metros lineales, con la Calle nueve (9); y por el OESTE, en dos (2) alineaciones que suman quince punto cincuenta y ocho (15.58) metros lineales, con los solares J veinticinco (J25) y J veinticuatro (J-24). Está afecta a una servidumbre a favor de la Puerto Rico Telephone Company que mide uno punto cincuenta y dos (1.52) metros de ancho que corre por su colindancia con la Calle nueve (9). Contiene una estructura dedicada a vivienda. La propiedad antes relacionada consta inscrita al Folio 268 del Tomo 411 de Yauco, finca número 14,466, Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección Segunda. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta del inmueble antes relacionado, será el dispuesto en la Escritura de Hipoteca, es decir la suma de $121,812.00.
Si no hubiere remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta del inmueble mencionado, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA en las oficinas del Alguacil que suscribe el día 28 DE FEBRERO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA. En la segunda subasta que se celebre servirá de tipo mínimo las dos terceras partes (2/3) del precio pactado en la primera subasta, o sea la suma de $81,208.00.
Si tampoco hubiere remate ni adjudicación en la segunda
subasta se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA en las oficinas del Alguacil que suscribe el día 7 DE MARZO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA. Para la tercera subasta servirá de tipo mínimo la mitad (1/2) del precio pactado para el caso de ejecución, o sea, la suma de $60,906.00. La hipoteca a ejecutarse en el caso de epígrafe fue constituida mediante la escritura de hipoteca número 357 otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 19 octubre de 2012, ante la Notario Shariann Morales Feliciano, y consta inscrita al Folio 208 del Tomo 525 de Yauco, en el Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección Segunda, inscripción Sexta (6ta). Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer al Demandante total o parcialmente según sea el caso el importe de la Sentencia que ha obtenido contra la parte co-demandada, ascendente a la suma de $108,654.46 por concepto de principal, desde el 1ro de junio de 2017, más intereses al tipo pactado de 4.50% anual que continúan acumulándose hasta el pago total de la obligación. Además la parte demandada adeuda a la parte demandante los cargos por demora equivalentes a 4.00% de la suma de aquellos pagos con atrasos en exceso de 15 días calendarios de la fecha de vencimiento; los créditos accesorios y adelantos hechos en virtud de la escritura de hipoteca; y las costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado equivalentes a $12,181.20. Además la parte demandada se comprometió a pagar una suma equivalente a $12,181.20 para cubrir cualquier otro adelanto que se haga en virtud de la escritura de hipoteca y una suma equivalente a $12,181.20 para cubrir intereses en adición a los garantizados por ley. Por razón de dicho incumplimiento, y al amparo del derecho que le confiere el Pagaré, el demandante ha declarado tales sumas vencidas, líquidas y exigibles en su totalidad. Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al Procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la SECRETARIA DEL TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE, SALA SUPERIOR durante las horas laborables. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titulación del inmueble y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el
precio de remate. La propiedad no está sujeta a gravámenes anteriores y/o preferentes según surge de las constancias del Registro de la Propiedad en un estudio de título efectuado a la finca antes descrita. Por la presente se notifica a los acreedores desconocidos, no inscritos o presentados que sus derechos sobre los bienes hipotecados con posterioridad a la inscripción del crédito del ejecutante o acreedores de cargos o derechos reales que los hubiesen pospuesto a la hipoteca del actor y a los dueños, poseedores, tenedores de o interesados en títulos transmisibles por endoso o al portador garantizados hipotecariamente con posterioridad al crédito del actor que se celebrarán las subastas en las fechas, horas y sitios señalados para que puedan concurrir a la subasta si les conviniere o se les invita a satisfacer antes del remate el importe del crédito, de sus intereses, otros cargos y las costas y honorarios de abogado asegurados quedando subrogados en los derechos del acreedor ejecutante. La propiedad objeto de ejecución y descrita anteriormente se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores una vez el Honorable Tribunal expida la correspondiente Orden de Confirmación de Venta Judicial. Y para conocimiento de licitadores del público en general se publicará este Edicto de acuerdo con la ley por espacio de dos semanas en tres sitios públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía. Este Edicto será publicado dos veces en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, por espacio de dos semanas consecutivas. Expido el presente Edicto de subasta bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal en Ponce, Puerto Rico, hoy día 28 de diciembre de 2022. MANUEL MALDONADO, ALGUACIL DE SUBASTAS, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCE, SALA SUPERIOR.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAGUAS SALA SUPERIOR BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Demandante Vs. LAS SUCESIONES DE RAMON ROLDAN MEDINA Y ELBA MARIA LENIS BRINEZ; FULANO Y FULANA DE TAL; MENGANO Y
Demandados Civil Núm.: CG2022CV00704.
Sala: 702. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA (VÍA ORDINARIA). EDICTO DE SUBASTA. El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente CERTIFICA, ANUNCIA y hace CONSTAR: Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que le ha sido dirigido al Alguacil que suscribe por la Secretaría del TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAGUAS, SALA SUPERIOR, en el caso de epígrafe procederá a vender en pública subasta al mejor postor en efectivo, cheque certificado en moneda legal de los Estados Unidos de América el día 8 DE FEBRERO DE 2023, A LAS 10:15 DE LA MAÑANA, en su oficina sita en el local que ocupa en el edificio del TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAGUAS, SALA SUPERIOR, todo derecho, título e interés que tenga la parte demandada de epígrafe en el inmueble de su propiedad que ubica en E-12 C CALLE 4, URBANIZACION
JARDINES DE SAN LORENZO, SAN LORENZO, PUERTO RICO 00754 y que se describe a continuación: URBANA: Derecho de Superficie: Unidad residencial doce C del Bloque E, construido sobre la superficie de la unidad residencial doce “A” raya “E” (12A-E), de la Urbanización Jardines de San Lorenzo, de cemento y bloques de hormigón, con un área de superficie de mil trescientos setenta y nueve punto setecientos sesenta y cuatro (1379.764) pies cuadrados, equivalentes a ciento veintiocho punto mil ochocientos setenta y cuatro (128.1874) metros cuadrados. Contiene tres (3) habitaciones dormitorio, sala-comedor, cocina, baño y terraza. Los sistemas sanitarios y de drenaje pluvial son comunes en algunos puntos de acuerdo a los planos y especificaciones, con aquellos provistos para las siguientes unidades colindantes: doce “A” raya E (12A-E), doce “B” raya E (12B-E), doce “D” raya E (12DE). Es el predio dominante sobre unas servidumbres de acceso y aparcamiento construido sobre el solar propiedad de la unidad doce “A” raya E (12A-E) y sobre parte de la superficie de la unidad doce “D” raya E
(12D-E). La propiedad antes relacionada consta inscrita en el Folio 66 del Tomo 216 de San Lorenzo, finca número 11,271, en el Registro de la Propiedad de Caguas, Sección Segunda. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta del inmueble antes relacionado, será el dispuesto en la Escritura de Hipoteca, es decir la suma de $82,163.00. Si no hubiere remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta del inmueble mencionado, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA en las oficinas del Alguacil que suscribe el día 15 DE FEBRERO DE 2023, A LAS 10:15 DE LA MAÑANA. En la segunda subasta que se celebre servirá de tipo mínimo las dos terceras partes (2/3) del precio pactado en la primera subasta, o sea la suma de $54,775.33. Si tampoco hubiere remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA en las oficinas del Alguacil que suscribe el día 23 DE FEBRERO DE 2023, A LAS 10:15 DE LA MAÑANA. Para la tercera subasta servirá de tipo mínimo la mitad (1/2) del precio pactado para el caso de ejecución, o sea, la suma de $41,081.50. La hipoteca a ejecutarse en el caso de epígrafe fue constituida mediante la escritura número 421 otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 19 de noviembre de 2008, ante la Notario Roy R. Sánchez-Vahamonde Dieppa, la cual consta inscrita al Folio 77 del Tomo 392 de San Lorenzo, inscripción 10ma, en el Registro de la Propiedad de Caguas, Sección Segunda. Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer al Demandante total o parcialmente según sea el caso el importe de la Sentencia que ha obtenido contra la parte demandada ascendente a la suma de $65,738.18 por concepto de principal, desde el 1ro febrero de 2020, más intereses al tipo pactado de 5.50% anual que continúan acumulándose hasta el pago total de la obligación. Además, Las Sucesiones De Ramón Roldan Medina y Elba Maria Lenis Brinez, adeuda a la parte demandante los cargos por demora equivalentes a 4.00% de la suma de aquellos pagos con atrasos en exceso de 15 días calendarios de la fecha de vencimiento; los créditos accesorios y adelantos hechos en virtud de la escritura de hipoteca; y las costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado equivalentes a $8,216.30. Además, Las Sucesiones De Ramón Roldan Medina y Elba Maria Lenis Brinez, se comprometió a pagar una suma equivalente a $8,216.30 para cubrir cualquier otro adelanto que se haga en
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE PONCEen un periódico de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, una vez por semana, por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones, y para su fijación en tres (3) lugares públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía, y se le notificará además a la parte demandada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente Edicto de Subasta para conocimiento y comparecencia de los licitadores, bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Arecibo Puerto Rico, a 17 de enero de 2022.
Angel de Jesus Torres Perez, ALGUACIL, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE ARECIBO.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE AIBONITO SALA SUPERIOR DE COMERÍO
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Demandante V. SUCESIÓN DE HÉCTOR MANUEL LASANTA MELÉNDEZ, COMPUESTA POR FULANO Y MENGANO
URBANA: Parcela radicada en el Barrio Quebrada Grande del término municipal de Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de mil cuatro metros, cincuenta decímetros cuadrados (1004.50 m.c.).
la segunda subasta lo será 2/3 partes del precio mínimo de la primera, o sea, $96,698.00.
USUFRUCTUARIA Demandados Cil Núm.: AI2019CV00372.
(001). Sobre INTERPELACIÓN; COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE GARANTÍAS. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
El Alguacil del Tribunal que suscribe anuncia y hace constar: A. Que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento que me ha sido dirigido por la Secretaria del Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Puerto Rico, Sala de Comerío, en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor de contado y en moneda de curso legal y corriente de los Estados Unidos de América y cuyo pago se efectuará en efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, todo derecho, título o interés que tenga la Parte Demandada en el bien inmueble que se describe a continuación:
En linderos: por el NORTE, en 20.50 metros, con camino vecinal; por el SUR, en 20.50 metros, con la finca principal de la cual se segrega; por el ESTE, en 49.00 metros, con Solar segregado en el caso número 3-680209-LS; y por el OESTE, en 49.00 metros, con la finca principal de la cual se segrega. Enclava casa de concreto y bloques de tres cuartos dormitorios, sala, comedor, cocina, marquesina y balcón, con una estructura adyacente en cemento y bloques utilizada como almacén y colmado, con un valor de $25,000.00, mediante la escritura número 18, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 11 de octubre de 1991, ante el notario Rafael Rivera Vázquez, finca número 3,344, inscripción 8va. Dirección Física: State Road 156, KM 19.9 Int., Quebrada Grande Ward, Barranquitas, PR. 00794. Finca 3,344, inscrita al folio 55 del tomo 79 de Barranquitas, Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección de Barranquitas. B. Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado están de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal durante las horas laborables bajo el epígrafe de este caso. C. Que se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito ejecutante, continuarán subsistentes, entendiéndose que el rematente los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. D. Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo para satisfacer a la parte demandante el importe de la sentencia que ha obtenido ascendente a la suma principal de $126,715.76, la suma de $20,049.71, que incluye intereses según pactados, cargos por demora y otros cargos, que se acumulan diariamente hasta su total y completo pago, más la suma de 10% del principal, por concepto de costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado. La PRIMERA SUBASTA se celebrará el día 10 DE MARZO DE 2023 A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA en la Oficina del Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Comerío, por el tipo mínimo de $145,047.00. De declararse desierta dicha subasta se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 17 DE MARZO DE 2023 A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA en el mismo lugar antes mencionado. El precio para
De declararse desierta dicha segunda subasta, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 24 DE MARZO DE 2023 A LAS 11:00 DE LA MAÑANA en el mismo lugar antes mencionado. El precio para la tercera subasta lo será 1/2 del precio mínimo de la primera, o sea, $72,523.50. Y PARA QUE ASÍ
CONSTE, y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general y por un término de catorce (14) días en los sitios públicos conforme a la ley, expido la presente bajo mi firma y sello de este tribunal, hoy 12 de enero de 2023 en Comerío, Puerto Rico. ANDRES VAZQUEZ SANTIAGO, ALGUACIL CENTRO JUDICIAL DE COMERÍO.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN
LA SUCESIÓN DE FRANCISCO FÉLIX BELLO PERALTA T/C/C FRANCISCO F. BELLO PERALTA T/C/C FRANCISCO BELLO PERALTA.
Demandante V.
BANK COMO AGENTE DE SERVICIO DE THE MONEY HOUSE, INC. Parte Demandante Vs. ANA SOBEIDA DE JESÚS PÉREZ T/C/C ANA S. DE JESÚS PÉREZ T/C/C ANA DE JESÚS PÉREZ, POR SÍ Y EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFRUCTUARIA DE LA SUCESION DE FRANCISCO FÉLIX BELLO PERALTA T/C/C FRANCISCO F. BELLO PERALTA T/C/C FRANCISCO BELLO PERALTA, LA SUCESIÓN DE FRANCISCO FÉLIX BELLO PERALTA T/C/C FRANCISCO F. BELLO PERALTA T/C/C FRANCISCO BELLO PERALTA COMPUESTA POR JAHDAI DINGUIS GARCÍA T/C/C JAHDAI BELLO GARCÍA; FULANO Y FULANA DE TAL COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESIÓN; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (CRIM)
SJ2022CV03597.
COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R., SS.
A: JAHDAI DINGUIS GARCÍA T/C/C JAHDAI BELLO GARCÍA COMO MIEMBRO DE
Quedan emplazados y notificados de que en este Tribunal se ha radicado una demanda de COBRO DE DINERO; EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA en sus contras. Se les notifica para que comparezcan ante el Tribunal dentro del término de treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación de este edicto y exponer lo que a sus derechos convenga, en el presente caso. Se les notifica que deberán presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberán presentar su alegación responsiva en la Secretaría del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de San Juan y enviando copia de su contestación a la parte demandante, Lcdo. Duncan R. Maldonado Ejarque, PO BOX 366221, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-6221, Tel. (787) 6227000, Fax: (787) 622-7001, Correo electrónico: ejecuciones@ cm-prlaw.com, se les anotará la rebeldía en su contra y se dictará sentencia en su contra, conforme se solicita en la Demanda, sin más citárseles, ni oírseles. Se ORDENA a los herederos del referido causante a saber: Jahdai Dinguis García t/c/c Jahdai Bello García como miembro de la Sucesión de Francisco Félix Bello Peralta t/c/c Francisco F. Bello Peralta t/c/c Francisco Bello Peralta, a que dentro del mismo término de treinta (30) días contados a partir de la fecha de la notificación, ACEPTEN o REPUDIEN la participación que les corresponda en la herencia del causante, Francisco Félix Bello Peralta t/c/c Francisco F. Bello Peralta t/c/c Francisco Bello Peralta. Se les apercibe a los herederos antes mencionados que de no expresarse dentro de ese término de treinta (30) días en tomo a su aceptación o repudiación de herencia, se tendrá por aceptada. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, a 12 de diciembre de 2022.
GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA. FERNÁNDEZ DEL VALLE, LUZ E., SECRETARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAGUAS SALA SUPERIOR BANCO POPULAR
Demandados Civil Núm.: E2CI2017-00124. Sobre: IN REM - EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. AVISO DE SUBASTA. El que suscribe, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior, Centro Judicial de Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico, hago saber, a la parte demandada y al PÚBLICO EN GENERAL: Que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia expedido el día 15 de agosto de 2022, por la Secretaría del Tribunal, procederé a vender y venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor la propiedad que ubica y se describe a continuación: URBANA: Solar número #12 del Bloque “B”, sito en Urbanización Haciendas de Tena, radicado en el Barrio Ceiba Norte, término municipal de Juncos, Puerto Rico, con una cabida de 283.87 metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, con solar número #11 del Bloque “B”; por el SUR, con solar número #13 del Bloque “B”; por el ESTE, con Calle Caguax de la Urbanización y por el OESTE, con solar número #26 del Bloque “B”. Enclava una casa. Inscrito al folio 81 del tomo 369 de Juncos, finca número #13,827 Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección Segunda de Caguas. La propiedad ubica según pagaré en: Hacienda de Tenas B 12 Juncos, PR. El producto de la subasta se destinará a satisfacer al demandante hasta donde alcance, la SENTENCIA dictada el 5 de noviembre de 2019 y notificada el 4 de marzo de 2020. Dicha Sentencia fue publicada en un periódico de circulación general, The San Juan Daily Star, el 9 de marzo de 2020 en el presente caso civil, a saber la suma de $40,966.92 por concepto de principal; $421.42 por concepto de intereses acumulados, $332.76 por concepto de cargos por demora los cuales al igual que los intereses continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda reclamada en este pleito; $15.16 por concepto de ‘’Escrow Advances’’ y la suma $6,334.30 para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado; y demás créditos accesorios garantizados hipotecariamente. La adjudicación se hará al mejor postor, quien deberá consignar el importe de su oferta en el acto mismo de la adjudicación, en efectivo (moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América), giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del alguacil del Tribunal. La PRIMERA
SUBASTA se llevará a efecto el día 14 DE FEBRERO DE 2023 A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en el Centro Judicial de Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Que el precio mínimo fijado para la PRIMERA SUBASTA es de $82,345.90. Que de ser necesaria la celebración de una SEGUNDA SUBASTA la misma se llevará a efecto el día 22 DE FEBRERO DE 2023 A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina antes mencionada del Alguacil que suscribe. El precio mínimo para la SEGUNDA SUBASTA será de $54,897.26, equivalentes a dos terceras (2/3) partes del tipo mínimo estipulado para la PRIMERA subasta. Que de ser necesaria la celebración de una TERCERA SUBASTA la misma se llevará a efecto el día 6 DE MARZO DE 2023 A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina antes mencionada del Alguacil que suscribe. El precio mínimo para la TERCERA SUBASTA será de $41,172.95, equivalentes a la mitad (1/2) del tipo mínimo estipulado para la PRIMERA subasta. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el Tribunal lo estima conveniente; se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si esta es mayor, todo ello a tenor con lo dispone el Articulo 104 de la Ley Núm. 210 del 8 de diciembre de 2015 conocida como “Ley del Registro de la Propiedad Inmueble del Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico”. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquiere libre de toda carga y gravamen que afecte la mencionada finca según el Artículo 102, inciso 6. Una vez confirmada la venta judicial por el Honorable Tribunal, se procederá a otorgar la correspondiente escritura de venta judicial y se pondrá al comprador en posesión física del inmueble de conformidad con las disposiciones de Ley. Para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda aquella persona o personas que tengan interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, y para conocimiento de todos los licitadores y el público en general, el presente Edicto se publicará por espacio de dos (2) semanas consecutivas, con un intervalo de por lo menos siete días entre ambas publicaciones, en un diario de circulación general en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico y se fijará además en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio en que ha de celebrarse dicha venta, tales como la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía. Se les informa, por último, que: a. Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la secretaría del
tribunal durante las horas laborables. b. Que se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes. Se entenderá, que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. EXPIDO, el presente EDICTO, en Caguas, Puerto Rico, hoy día 17 de enero de 2023. ÁNGEL GÓMEZ GÓMEZ, ALGUACIL PLACA #593, DIVISIÓN DE SUBASTAS, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS
REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING LLC Demandante Vs. LUISA HADDOCK FIGUEROA T/C/C LUISA H. RIVERA POR SI Y EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFRUCTUARIA; SUCESION VICENTE RIVERA MELENDEZ COMPUESTA POR ELIZABETH RIVERA HADDOCK T/C/C ELIZABETH RIVERA BLANCO, ERICK RIVERA HADDOCK, IVONNE RIVERA HADDOCK T/C/C IVONNE RIVERA ROMERO, SONIA RIVERA HADDOCK; JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA; CENTRO DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES Demandados Civil Núm.: CG2022CV03638.
Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
A: LUISA HADDOCK FIGUEROA T/C/C LUISA H. RIVERA POR SI Y EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFUCTUARIA ; ELIZABETH RIVERA HADDOCK T/C/C
ELIZABETH RIVERA BLANCO, ERICK RIVERA HADDOCK, IVONNE RIVERA HADDOCK T/C/C IVONNE RIVERA ROMERO, SONIA RIVERA
POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al Tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación de este edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: http://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio , en cuyo caso deberé presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaria del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente.
Greenspoon Marder, LLP Lcda. Frances L. Asencio-Guido R.U.A. 15,622
TRADE CENTRE SOUTH, SUITE 700 100 WEST CYPRESS CREEK ROAD FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33309 Telephone: (954) 343 6273 Frances.Asencio@gmlaw.com Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Caguas, Puerto Rico, hoy 29 de diciembre de 2022. LISILDA MARTÍNEZ AGOSTO, SECRETARIA. LILI RODRÍGUEZ RODRÍGUEZ, SUB-SECRETARIA.
ZUTANA DE TAL, A, B Y C COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESIÓN; SECRETARIO DE HACIENDA Y
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE SALA SUPERIOR DE JUANA DÍAZ LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2019-PR1 Demandante V. JOSE JUAN NEGRON SANTIAGO POR SÍ; Y EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFRUCTUARIA DE LA SUCESIÓN DE MAGDA IRIS LEON RIVERA COMPUESTA POR IRIS NEGRON LEÓN, JOSE JUAN NEGRON LEÓN, JUAN ALBERTO NEGRON LEÓN, MAGDA NEGRON LEÓN, JORGE ANDRÉS NEGRON LEÓN Y ELVIN RAFAEL NEGRON LEÓN, HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS; FULANO DE TAL, FULANA DE TAL, ZUTANO DE TAL,
DE TAL, COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS, ANA MIRIAM COLÓN BERRIOS, POR SÍ Y EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL
Demandada Civil Núm.: JD2022CV00443.
Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días de haber sido diligenciado este emplazamiento, excluyéndose el día del diligenciamiento, notificando copia de la misma al (a la) abogado (a) de la parte demandante o a ésta, de no tener representación legal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Por la presente el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, conforme al caso de Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria vs. Latinoamericana de Exportación, Inc., 164 DPR 689 (2005), le ordena que en el término de treinta (30) días, haga declaración aceptando o repudiando la herencia de la sucesión de Magda Iris León Rivera. Se le apercibe que de no expresar su intención de aceptar o repudiar las herencias dentro del término que se le fijó, la herencia se tendrá por aceptada. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial. pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. La parte demandante ha radicado una acción de cobro de dinero y ejecución de hipoteca por deuda vencida y la misma está garantizada sobre la siguiente propiedad: RÚSTICA: Parcela marcada con el número 817 de la Comunidad Rural Serrano, radicada en el barrio Capitaneja del término municipal de Juana Díaz, con una cabida de 358.75 metros
cuadrados. En lindes al Norte, con parcela 816 de la comunidad; al Sur, con parcela 818 de la comunidad; al Este, con calle de la comunidad y al Oeste, con Autoridad de Tierras de Puerto Rico. Finca #15507, inscrita al folio 41 del tomo 442 de Juana Diaz, Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección I.” Los abogados de la parte demandante son: García-Chamorro Law Group, P.S.C., 1225 Ave. Ponce de León, Suite 706, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00907, Tel. (787) 977-1932, Fax (787) 722-1932. Expido este edicto bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, hoy 10 de enero de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA. MARIELY FÉLIX RIVERA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE SALA SUPERIOR DE JUANA DÍAZ LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2019-PR1 Demandante V. JOSE JUAN NEGRON SANTIAGO POR SÍ; Y EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFRUCTUARIA DE LA SUCESIÓN DE MAGDA IRIS LEON RIVERA COMPUESTA POR IRIS NEGRON LEÓN, JOSE JUAN NEGRON LEÓN, JUAN ALBERTO NEGRON LEÓN, MAGDA NEGRON LEÓN, JORGE ANDRÉS NEGRON LEÓN Y ELVIN RAFAEL NEGRON LEÓN, HEREDEROS CONOCIDOS; FULANO DE TAL, FULANA DE TAL, ZUTANO DE TAL, ZUTANA DE TAL, A, B Y C COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESIÓN; SECRETARIO DE HACIENDA Y SECRETARIO DE JUSTICIA DEL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO
Demandada Civil Núm.: JD2022CV00443. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
A LA PARTE
DEMANDADA: ELVIN RAFAEL LEON, JOSE JUAN NEGRON LEON Y JUAN ALBERTO NEGARON CON COMO MIEMBROS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE MAGDA
POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días de haber sido diligenciado este emplazamiento, excluyéndose el día del diligenciamiento, notificando copia de la misma al (a la) abogado (a) de la parte demandante o a ésta, de no tener representación legal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. Por la presente el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, conforme al caso de Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria vs. Latinoamericana de Exportación, Inc., 164 DPR 689 (2005), le ordena que en el término de treinta (30) días, haga declaración aceptando o repudiando la herencia de la sucesión de Magda Iris León Rivera. Se le apercibe que de no expresar su intención de aceptar o repudiar las herencias dentro del término que se le fijó, la herencia se tendrá por aceptada. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial. pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. La parte demandante ha radicado una acción de cobro de dinero y ejecución de hipoteca por deuda vencida y la misma está garantizada sobre la siguiente propiedad: RÚSTICA: Parcela marcada con el número 817 de la Comunidad Rural Serrano, radicada en el barrio Capitaneja del término municipal de Juana Díaz, con una cabida de 358.75 metros cuadrados. En lindes al Norte, con parcela 816 de la comunidad; al Sur, con parcela 818 de la comunidad; al Este, con calle de la comunidad y al Oeste, con Autoridad de Tierras de Puerto Rico. Finca #15507, inscrita al folio 41 del tomo 442 de Juana Diaz, Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección I.” Los abogados de la parte demandante son: García-Chamorro Law Group, P.S.C., 1225 Ave. Ponce de León, Suite 706, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00907, Tel. (787) 977-1932, Fax (787) 722-1932. Expido este edicto bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, hoy 10 de enero de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ QUIÑONES, SECRETARIA. MARIELY FÉLIX RIVERA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO
DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC.
COMO AGENTE GESTOR DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC.
Demandante Vs. XAVIER F. MONTANEZ PABON Demandado Civil Núm.: SJ2022CV09365.
Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
A: XAVIER F. MONTAÑEZ PABÓN - PARK COURT, 1 CALLE FRONTERA APT G-3, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, 00926-2242.
POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), la cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda o cualquier otro sin más citarle ni oírle, si el tribunal en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente. El sistema SUMAC notificará copia a los abogados de la parte demandante, la Lcda. Natalie Bonaparte cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección natalie.bonaparte@ orf-law.com, edwin.serrano@ orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy día 11 enero de 2023. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. JACKELINE ESQUILÍN LUGO, SECRETARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE AÑASCO COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CREDITO
DE RINCON (ANTES COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CREDITO DE AÑASCO)
Demandante V. RAFAEL SOLARES HERNANDEZ (SOCIO 41710), SU ESPOSA ZENAIDA FIGUEROA MARTI Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR
AMBOS
Demandado(a) Civil: AÑ2022CV00149. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO (VÍA ORDINARIA). NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.
A: RAFAEL SOLARES
HERNANDEZ (SOCIO 41710), SU ESPOSA ZENAIDA FIGUEROA MARTI Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS. (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 29 de diciembre de 2022, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 10 de enero de 2023. En Añasco, Puerto Rico, el 10 de enero de 2023. LCDA. NORMA G. SANTANA IRIZARRY, SECRETARIA. LUZ NELDY CHICO ACEVEDO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN SEBASTIÁN
Demandante Vs CESAR G. MENDEZ PLAZA Demandado (a) Civil Núm.: MO2022CV00078. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO VÍA ORDINARIA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.
EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 10 de enero de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 11 de enero de 2023. En San Sebastián, Puerto Rico, el 11 de enero de 2023. SARAHÍ REYES PÉREZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. LAURA LUGO CRESPO, SECRETARIA.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE SAN JUAN
Demandante Vs CYNTHIA M. ESCABÍ, KAREN ESCABÍ, JOSÉ L. ESCABÍ, RODOLFO E. ESCABÍ Y FULANO (A) DE TAL
Demandados
CIVIL: SJ2022CV11154. (603).
Sobre: LIQUIDACIÓN DE COMUNIDAD DE BIENES HEREDITARIOS / NOMBRAMIENTO DE ADMINISTRADOR.
EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE NORTEAMÉRICA, PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
POR LA PRESENTE se les notifica que deberán comparecer ante este Honorable Tribunal dentro de TREINTA (30) DIAS a partir de la publicación de este edicto, el cual se publicará una vez en un periódico de circulación general, para exponer lo que a sus derechos convenga en la presente petición sobre Demanda sobre Liquidación de Herencia y Nombramiento de Administrador, promovido por la Parte Demandante. La Parte Demandada deberá notificar sus alegaciones responsivas través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración y de casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del Tribunal; y copiar a la representación legal de la Demandante, LCDA. CARMEN E. ALFONSO ARROYO, con dirección en 41 AVE FERNANDO L. RISAS, BOX 355, UTUADO, P.R. 00641; a su correo electrónico: alfonsoabogada@gmail.com.
EXPEDIDO POR ORDEN DEL TRIBUNAL, en San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy 29 de diciembre de 2022. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. MEREN OLIVARES PADILLA, SECRETARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAROLINA
BANCO
Demandante V. SUCESIÓN
POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS
Demandado(a) Civil: CA2019CV04220. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO, EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.
ALVARO VEGA CON DIRECCION E IDENTIDAD DESCONOCIDA. SUTANO Y PERENSEJO DE TAL, POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE DOLORES LABRADOR VEGA, CON DIRECCION E IDENTIDAD
DESCONOCIDA.
(Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 10 de enero de 2022, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 12 de enero de 2023. En Carolina, Puerto Rico, el 12 de enero de 2023. MA-
Demandante V.
RILYN APONTE RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. DENISSE TORRES RUIZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
SUCESION DE HILDA MARIA SANCHEZ FLORES, COMPUESTA POR SU HIJA POR MARIA ELENA DAVID SANCHEZ, FULANO DE TAL Y ZUTANO DE TAL, COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS CON POSIBLE INTERÉS; SUCESION DE ROSENDO REYES RIVERA COMPUESTA POR FULANO DE CUAL Y ZUTANO DE CUAL, COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS
COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CREDITO DE RINCON (ANTES COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CRÉDITO
POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
DE MAIRANO
ALVARADO VEGA T/C/C MARIANO ALVARADO VEGA, COMPUESTA POR FULANO Y MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS
A: JOAQUIN CABRERA ZARATE Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA CON ENID ALVARADO LABRADOR T/C/C ENID MARIA ALVARADO LABRADOR A SUS ULTIMAS DIRECCIONES CONOCIDAS. FULANO Y MENGANO DE TAL,
A: CYNTHIA MARIE ESCABÍ CELA, JOSÉ LUIS ESCABÍ CELA, KAREN MARIE ESCABÍ CELA, HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE
The quarterback sneak is football’s simplest play. So simple, in fact, that NFL coaches have long underestimated its value.
The sneak is enjoying a surge in popularity. NFL teams sent their quarterbacks plunging into the heart of the line of scrimmage in short-yardage situations 291 times during the regular season. That figure is up from 243 sneaks in 2021, 170 in 2020 and 133 in 2019. Teams attempted just 73 sneaks in 2016, the first year that Sports Info Solutions began tracking the plays separately.
Even accounting for the addition of a 17th regular-season game in 2021, that’s a 275% increase in the use of the tactic over the past seven years. Fourth-down conversion attempts were much rarer before 2016, and the quarterback sneak is most popular on fourth-and-inches, so it’s very likely that 2022 saw a record number of sneaks.
Coaches are calling the play more because it works: Quarterback sneaks resulted in first downs or touchdowns on 82.8% of attempts in 2022 and have succeeded at a 78.7% rate since 2016. Standard rushing plays on fourth-and-1 succeeded just 62.5% of the time in 2022, passing plays just 57.5% of the time.
The sneak is so effective in short-yardage situations that it prompts an obvious question: Why do coaches call anything else?
Defenders are at a severe disadvantage on sneaks. Before he was an ESPN analyst, Anthony “Booger” McFarland was an NFL nose tackle, the defender who lines up directly across from the center and quarterback. His assignment when expecting a sneak was to dive at his opponents’ legs and “make a pile” of bodies that the quarterback needed to go over, around or through.
But offensive linemen knew when the ball would be snapped and could therefore move first, an alert quarterback could shuffle left or right to avoid trouble and success was usually less than 36 inches away.
“The quarterback can almost trip and fall forward to get the first down,” McFarland said.
The already effective quarterback sneak changed strategically this year, thanks mostly to the Philadelphia Eagles,
who executed 33 sneaks for 29 first downs or touchdowns, both figures the highest on record. Taking advantage of a long-ignored 2006 rule change that allows players to push their teammates forward, the Eagles typically surround Jalen Hurts in short-yardage situations with three compatriots tasked with shoving their quarterback through the pile like a battering ram.
The Eagles’ sneak looks more like a playground rumble than a modern NFL play, but it represents an evolution in how offensive coaches approach the tactic.
“Before, teams wanted to make it look like every other play,” said Mitchell Schwartz, a former All-Pro offensive lineman. “You didn’t want to tip your hand.”
In other words, the sneak was supposed to be sneaky, preventing the defense from cramming as many defenders as possible in front of the quarterback’s face before the snap.
Now, teams like the Eagles practically announce over the stadium loudspeakers that they are planning a sneak and dare the opponent to stop it. The play still works, in part because defensive make-a-pile strate -
gies may be an advantage for the offense.
“If defenders go low, the offensive line can go over the top, and it becomes like a springboard for the quarterback to get shoved over the pile,” Schwartz said.
The sneak was on full display during wild-card weekend. Daniel Jones picked up two key first downs to extend fourthquarter drives in the New York Giants’ 31-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Brock Purdy sneaked for a touchdown on a go-ahead drive in the San Francisco 49ers’ 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
On the downside, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley fumbled while leaping into the pile on a goal-line sneak, and Cincinnati Bengals defender Sam Hubbard returned it 98 yards for what became the game-winning touchdown in a 24-17 final. The Ravens have a knack for such catastrophes, however, and coach John Harbaugh said after the game that the play was designed as an Eagles-style push but was executed improperly.
Defenses have yet to come up with an effective countermeasure against the
sneak, yet some coaches remain reluctant to use the play. Routine handoffs remain more than twice as common as quarterback sneaks (694 attempts to 291 in 2022) when the offense needs only 1 yard, despite the large disparity in success rate. That’s perhaps a justifiable decision with a bruiser like Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry in the backfield or if “1 yard” is closer to 4 feet than 2, but it’s still not the optimal choice in most circumstances.
Some coaches may be understandably wary of injury on a play that turns the quarterback into an applied-physics experiment. Patrick Mahomes injured his knee on a sneak in 2019 and has not run one since. Kansas City sometimes compensates by slipping a burly tight end behind the center to dive into the pile instead of Mahomes.
Other teams insert backup quarterbacks like Jacoby Brissett (Cleveland Browns) or gadget-specialist Taysom Hill (New Orleans Saints) to run the sneak. Again, the element of surprise does not seem to matter much.
Injury concerns alone cannot explain all the alternatives that coaches deploy when they need to gain only 1 yard. For example, quarterbacks often align in shotgun formation in short-yardage situations, placing them several yards away from their goal. Designed shotgun running plays succeeded just 65.1% of the time in short-yardage situations in 2022, yet 235 of them were attempted.
Then there are empty-backfield passes and jet-sweep handoffs to tiny receivers running parallel to the line of scrimmage. From a statistical standpoint, none of these wrinkles are as effective as the simple snap-and-dive sneak. Yet play callers still follow their muses.
The Eagles eschew such over-engineering, so the Giants defense can count on Hurts’ lining up under center surrounded by his closest friends when the Eagles face fourth-and-short in their divisionalround playoff matchup on Saturday. That does not mean, however, that the Giants should not brace for a burst of creativity.
“The Eagles have been showing us this all year long,” McFarland said. “At some time in the playoffs, they’re going to do that, then have a play-action pass off it.
And when that happens?
“It’ll be a wide-open touchdown,” McFarland said. “I guarantee it.”
The end came all at once for Rafael Nadal, and then it happened slowly.
Down one set and on the ropes against Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday, Nadal injured his hip while chasing down a shot in the eighth game of the second set. His eyes, filled with concern, immediately turned to his coaches seated courtside at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. He then crouched in the corner to catch his breath. Moments later, he returned to continue, because for Nadal, the one thing worse than losing is quitting.
Knowing his day and his tournament were all but done, he watched two aces blaze by, bringing him to the brink of going down two-sets-to-love against McDonald, a 27-year-old American who has never cracked the top 40 in the world rankings. McDonald had played the match of his life for nearly two sets, then did what he needed to do to close out a 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 victory over an ailing Nadal, who hobbled around the court for nearly another hour like a wounded deer.
Nadal’s injury came after McDonald, a former UCLA player, had spent more than 90 minutes pasting the lines with his shots when he needed to most. Nadal, the No. 1 seed, called for a trainer, left the court to receive medical treatment for what appeared to be an injury to his midsection, near his right hip, then returned and played on.
Nadal, 36, struggled to move and chase after balls with the abandon that has always been the hallmark of his game. He could barely generate power from his backhand. He somehow stayed even with McDonald through the first 10 games of the third set, hobbling around, taking wild cuts to try to end points quickly. But McDonald put just enough shots out of Nadal’s reach to break his serve in the 11th, then clinched the match when Nadal netted one last backhand return.
When it was over, Nadal left to a rousing ovation, taking an extra few moments to turn and wave to the crowd.
In a news conference 45 minutes
later, the defending Australian Open champion said his disappointment was unimaginable, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke about suffering yet another injury in a career, despite all of its success, that has been filled with them.
“I can’t say that I am not destroyed mentally this time because I would be lying,” he said.
The loss was the latest in a string of defeats that have plagued him recently as he has battled injuries and a wounded psyche. He also has had to adjust to fatherhood after the birth of his first child, a son, in October.
Nadal had lost six of his previous seven matches coming into the tournament, with several of those coming against a younger generation of players. Once they would have been awed playing against a nearly unbeatable opponent. Now, they walk onto the court knowing that Nadal, whose body is banged up from playing an incredibly physical style, is as vulnerable as he has been at any point in his career.
“He’s an incredible champion,” McDonald said of Nadal after the match.
“He’s never going to give up.” McDonald’s win was the latest in a string of successes by Americans against Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion. For nearly two decades, they could barely touch him, especially in Grand Slam tournaments. That changed in September at the U.S. Open, when Frances Tiafoe, 24, knocked him out in the fourth round. Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz beat Nadal later in the fall in other tournaments, when the Spaniard was trying to return late in the season from an abdominal injury. Wednesday, it was McDonald’s turn, in a scene that was eerily reminiscent of last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals, when Nadal tore an abdominal muscle while playing Fritz. On that day he somehow prevailed in five sets, even as his coaches and relatives urged him to quit. Those discussions didn’t materialize Wednesday. His wife, sister, father and coaches sat mostly silent, letting the match reach its inevitable end.
Nadal said he had felt discomfort in his hip in recent days but nothing like what he felt in that crucial moment late in the second set.
“I don’t know what’s going on, if it’s muscle, if it’s joint,” he said. “I have history in the hip. I had to do treatments in the past, address a little. It was not this amount of problem. Now I feel I cannot move.”
Before the injury, McDonald stood on the baseline and beat Nadal at his own game, meeting Nadal’s power and topspin with his own flatter version of it, curling forehands just above the net and sending Nadal chasing the ball from corner to corner. When Nadal hit harder, so did McDonald. He broke Nadal’s serve early in the first and second set and kept Nadal under pressure all day, then remained steady as Nadal played through the pain.
The defeat marked Nadal’s earliest exit from a Grand Slam tournament since he lost in the first round of the Australian Open seven years ago.
McDonald caught a break from the inclement weather that has plagued the tournament since Tuesday, drenching Melbourne with rain. The rain Wednesday had forced the closure of the roof, which the players say slows down the pace of the ball. Throughout the match, Nadal struggled to hit through the back of the court, his ball slowing just enough to allow McDonald to catch up to it and take his best rips.
Nadal will likely take a break to get healthy again, then, if he can, turn his focus to the spring clay-court season and the French Open. It is a tournament he has won 14 times, and he calls it the most special of his career.
“I like playing tennis,” he said. “I know it’s not forever. I like to feel myself competitive. I like to fight for the things that I have been fighting for almost half of my life or even more.”
All that success will mean nothing, though, if Nadal can’t maintain his health, something that only gets harder as athletes age.
Ultimately, that may be the one opponent that proves too tough, even for Nadal, but if there is any chance of delaying the inevitable a little longer, he will take it, regardless of the sacrifice.
“When you like do one thing,” he said. “Sacrifices always make sense.”
How to Play:
Fill in the empty fields with the numbers from 1 through 9.
Sudoku Rules:
Every row must contain the numbers from 1 through 9
Every column must contain the numbers from 1 through 9
Every 3x3 square must contain the numbers from 1 through 9
The coming days bring a chance for a fresh beginning. Whether this applies to an ambition or a personal goal, the act of turning a new page is empowering. In addition, with clever Mercury turning direct in your career zone, you’ll get satisfaction from knowing that recent delays will almost be a thing of the past. Soon you’ll get back on track and will begin to see results, Aries.
If you’ve been overwhelmed by an issue that has left you emotional, then a potent solar tie can inspire you to look beneath the surface and benefit from any insights. What seemed so important more recently, may soon appear less so. Nevertheless, don’t feel bad for jettisoning a situation that has been a burden for too long. It’s time to let it go and be free of the tension it’s caused.
Inquisitive Mercury pushes ahead from today in your sector of transformation. You may be ready to make a decision that could save you a lot of angst in the future. If you’ve been trying your hardest to make something work, recent weeks might have revealed that it isn’t going to happen. No matter how attached you are to the outcome, you’ll realize it’s time to drop it.
The Sun’s tie to Pluto in your sector of relating, reveals you’ll be ready to let go of the past to embrace a better future. This might mean re-writing the script concerning a key relationship in a way that leaves you feeling empowered. And as the planet of talk and thought turns direct from today Cancer, it may be easier to hold a conversation without crossed wires spoiling it.
If your best efforts have been delayed over recent weeks, there is hope. Mercury ends its retro phase and pushes ahead from today. You can breathe a sigh of relief if tech has gone wrong, files have disappeared, and your hard work seems to have got you nowhere. Soon you’ll be flying high. Regarding a project or idea Leo, you may be trying too hard. Relax and let it happen.
This could be an intense day, as the Sun’s merger with Pluto makes it hard to take your mind off something or someone. Thinking isn’t going to make things happen Virgo, but action will. Rather than wonder and obsess, doing something can relieve any angst. And you’ll feel a whole lot better. Plus, as Mercury turns direct, a stalled relationship may fire up again.
If feelings have built to a crescendo around family matters, you may seek solace from friends rather than those in your clan. If you need a break to think things through, then a coffee and a heart-to-heart could help you get your bearings. When you feel ready, you can return to the fold with fresh suggestions. You’ll know what to do, and you’ll have the strength to make a start.
eed to hold an urgent discussion? Today could be intense, as the Sun merges with non-negotiable Pluto. If you try too hard to get a particular outcome, then it might have the opposite effect. And with talkative Mercury turning direct, things may not be as clear cut as you would wish for a day or so. Hold back for now, and in a few days it will all make much more sense.
The Moon in your sign suggests you’ll wear your heart on your sleeve, and may give away more than is good for you Archer. Still, at least others will know where they stand, which can be a good thing. Experienced delays with money coming through? As Mercury forges ahead, matters will begin to speed up. Have a craving for something? You won’t give up until you get it.
As the Sun embraces Pluto in your sign, you may have strong views about everything, but you could get obsessed over one matter and go to extremes. Friends might wonder what you’re so upset about. And you can feel the same soon, as this issue may appear quite trivial. On the plus side, Mercury steps forward so you can safely start on projects that have been on hold.
The Sun/Pluto merger, suggests there may be more going on behind the scenes than you realize. Bearing this in mind, you might find that a more serene approach enables you to grasp opportunities that you could miss if you’re trying too hard. Coincidences can show up that seem to nudge you in a new direction Aquarius, or that encourage you to link with useful people.
Has a long-term goal been on the backburner? You may feel a surge of enthusiasm that is almost overwhelming, encouraging you to dust it down and continue. Perhaps a break from it has allowed fresh ideas to emerge. If it’s something that could change your life in a big way, then you’ll sense this, and be ready to pour more energy into making it happen as soon as possible.
