Friday to Sunday May 12-14, 2023

The San Juan Star

Sovereign Immunity Stands

US Supreme Court Rules Against Local Journalists Seeking Records from Oversight Board

Governor Urges PREPA Creditors to Take Fiscal Board’s Proposed Debt Cut

EN ESPAÑOL

What’s Driving Record Levels of Migration to the US Border?

GOOD MORNING

The San Juan Daily Star, the only paper with News Service in English in Puerto Rico, publishes 7 days a week, with a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday edition, along with a Weekend Edition to cover Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

US Supreme Court rules

against Center for Investigative Journalism, says PROMESA does not remove fiscal board from immunity

By THE STAR STAFF

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday against the Center for Investigative Reporting (CPI by its Spanish initials) in its lawsuit to obtain documents from the Financial Oversight and Management Board, arguing that Congress did not explicitly deprive the oversight board of its shield against lawsuits.

In an 8-1 vote, the justices reversed an appeals court ruling in favor of the CPI.

“Our precedent thus conveys a consistent message: If a defendant enjoys sovereign immunity (which we are assuming the Board does), abrogation requires an ‘unequivocal declaration’ from Congress,” the Supreme Court ruled.

In 2016, Congress passed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA), creating the board to oversee Puerto Rico’s finances and represent it in bankruptcy processes.

The CPI had sought numerous documents, including emails and communications between the board’s members and federal and government officials.

When the request went unanswered, CPI sued the oversight board in the U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico. CPI cited a provision of the Puerto Rico Constitution interpreted to guarantee a right of access to public records. And it requested

an injunction ordering the records’ release.

The oversight board moved to dismiss the suit on the grounds that, as an arm of the Puerto Rico government, it enjoys the same shield from federal lawsuits as the government. The lower courts had ruled that PROMESA eliminated immunity from lawsuits, allowing the CPI’s lawsuit to proceed.

The Supreme Court reversed those rulings. The top court said the question presented is whether the statute categorically eliminates any sovereign immunity the board enjoys from legal claims. Writing for the court, Justice Elena Kagan said Congress has to speak clearly on this subject and nothing in PROMESA makes clear “that Congress deprived the board of sovereign immunity.”

“We hold it does not,” the high court said. “Under long-settled law, Congress must use unmistakable language to abrogate (eliminate) sovereign immunity. Nothing in the statute creating the board meets that high bar.”

The Supreme Court said the CPI never argued that the commonwealth’s immunity did not extend to the oversight board, and for that reason, the lower courts below simply assumed the board’s immunity before turning to the abrogation issue.

“[W]e are a court of review, not of first view,” the top court said. “That means we assume without deciding that Puerto Rico is immune from suit in federal district court, and that the Board partakes of that immunity. We address only whether, accepting those premises, PROMESA effects an abrogation.”

In the lone dissenting vote, Justice Clarence Thomas sided with the CPI, breaking with the majority on the issue of Puerto Rico’s sovereign immunity.

According to a Bloomberg Law report, Thomas said the oversight board had the burden to prove that immunity and did not do so.

The CPI said the top court had just “trampled over” Puerto Ricans’ right to access documents and to free speech. It noted that in the case of access to documents, Puerto Rico has renounced its right to protect itself against lawsuits, allowing citizens to sue to obtain documents.

“We reject in the most energetic manner the federal Supreme Court having trampled over the rights of Puerto Ricans,” CPI Executive Director Carla Minet said. “We are once again in another chapter of the colonial relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, this time with the intention of blocking government transparency.”

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan

Senator warns mayor to stay out of the sexual harassment probe against him

By THE STAR STAFF

Carolina District Sen. Marissa “Marissita” Jiménez Santoni warned Trujillo Alto Mayor Pedro Rodríguez González on Thursday not to get involved in the investigation of alleged sexual harassment that has been initiated against him.

“Some time ago the headlines in the press were that the former mayor of the municipality, José Luis Cruz, was involved in a corruption scandal and that he would be arrested, which, finally, would happen …” the New Progressive Party senator said. “Now, the news has to do with the new incumbent being accused of sexual harassment by a policewoman … The mayor, sadly, has not been in charge of the municipal seat for a year.”

“We demand that Rodríguez González keep his hands out of the investigation that has begun against him and that a reliable official carry it out,” she said. “… Here the most important thing is to ensure the propriety of the process to avoid the distrust of all the constituents.”

“That he himself has given instructions to his legal and human resources team [where the alleged victim went, according to the press, without obtaining any reaction], to investigate the facts, may very well raise hundreds of red flags,” Jiménez Santoni said A policewoman, belonging to the

municipal police, alleged that since 2022 she has been the victim of harassment by the mayor. She also filed an official complaint against the Trujillo Alto police commissioner.

The municipal police officer filed the complaint, on Wednesday, May 3, with the federal Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission and, as part of that filing, made a series of very delicate and serious complaints against Rodríguez González, who, as detailed, had allegedly made a series of approaches of a very compromising sexual nature.

Additionally, she stressed that her supervisor has made comments and insinuations about her to other people.

“Men should know that when a woman says ‘no,’ it’s ‘no,’ period. … Sexual harassment is extremely shameful,” the senator said. “If you are a woman and feel that you are being sexually harassed, do not remain silent. … Dare to put an end to such a cowardly act, wherever it comes from.”

Meanwhile, the island Justice Department confirmed Thursday that it has launched an investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against Rodríguez González and other Trujillo Alto municipal officials.

“We confirm that the Justice Department’s Division of Public Integrity and Comptroller’s Affairs has launched an investigation,” Justice Secretary Domingo Emanuelli Hernández said at a press conference.

Hau to leave Senate to fill House seat left open by death of Díaz Collazo

By THE STAR STAFF

Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Sen. Gretchen Hau Irizarry announced Thursday her decision to leave her Guayama District seat in the upper chamber to fill the seat in the House of Representatives left by the late José Aníbal Díaz Collazo.

“That questio n is about the future; I don’t like to speculate, I like to concentrate on the work that is before me,” Hau said in an interview with Red Informativo.

“Always the detractors will not agree with the decisions that one can make, so I appreciate and respect their opinion,” the senator said in response to criticism of the alleged motives behind her decision to move from the upper to the lower chamber.

Hau rejected speculation that her decision to change seats is a strategy for a future mayoral run in Cayey when current Mayor Rolando Ortiz Velázquez decides to retire.

The PDP announced that documents will be received until Saturday from candidates for the Senate vacancy left by Hau’s departure, for a special election through an assembly of delegates.

The names of former senators

Cirilo Tirado Rivera

and Ángel Rodríguez Otero, as well as that of former representative Carmen “Ciela” González González, are being mentioned as possible candidates to fill the seat to be left open by Hau’s resignation.

Sen. Marissa Jiménez Santoni

Sen. Gretchen Hau Irizarry

Governor urges PREPA creditors to accept debt cut proposed by fiscal board

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia on Thursday recommended that the creditors of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) accept the 50% debt cut proposed by the Financial Oversight and Management Board in the utility’s adjustment plan, because otherwise “they are not going to collect much.”

“Because if what they do is cause an economic debacle, tremendously affecting the Electric Power Authority, then they won’t [collect] much,” the governor said in response to questions from the press.

Pierluisi also recommended that creditors look for another type of bonds with which they can receive greater profits.

“If they want to recover more, they should focus on having an instrument of incremental value, such as another type of bond that depends on the income generated by the Authority through both LUMA and Genera PR,” he said. “It will depend on the performance of the Authority, but they must accept the cut proposed by the [oversight] board, because otherwise it does not make sense.”

The governor’s remarks were made at a Manufacturers Association event.

Regarding the oversight board’s insistence on establishing additional charges on the electricity bill to pay the debt to PREPA’s creditors and retirees, Pierluisi insisted that those proposals are ill-timed and it is not up to the federal entity created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and

Economic Stability Act to establish them, either.

“Regarding the electricity rate, what I have consistently said is that it is the Energy Bureau that ultimately approves the budget for the Authority. It is the one that can review the electricity rate, it is the one who adjusts what is paid on the electricity bill quarterly, it is the one who establishes the base

charge,” the governor said. “It is the Bureau that at the time, after seeing the savings that Genera PR achieves and seeing the financial statements of the Authority, is going to determine if it is necessary to make an adjustment in the electricity rate. It seems to me ill-timed to be talking about there going to be an increase and even saying how much that increase will be.”

Two are indicted for violations of federal environmental laws at Jobos Bay

By THE STAR STAFF

Afederal grand jury for the district of Puerto Rico has issued two separate indictments against Luis Enrique Rodríguez Sánchez and Pedro Luis Bones Torres for violations of the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act.

W. Stephen Muldrow, United States attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, and Todd Kim, assistant attorney general and head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, made the announcement Thursday. The grand jury issued the indictments Wednesday.

The charges relate to the illegal construction and deposit of materials in U.S. wetlands and waters in the area of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (the Jobos Estuarine Reserve) and the Las Mareas community in Salinas.

Several federal agencies are participating in the investigation into environmental

crimes in the Jobos Estuarine Reserve and the Las Mareas community, including the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, the FBI,

the U.S. Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement.

The indictments state that, from approximately January 2020 through October 2022, Rodríguez Sánchez and Bones Torres knowingly dumped fill material from excavation machinery in wetlands and U.S. waters in violation of the Clean Water Law.

In addition, Rodríguez Sánchez and Bones Torres were accused of building structures within U.S. navigable waters without authorization from the secretary of the Army, in violation of the Rivers and Ports Law.

The Clean Water Act was passed by Congress in 1972 to protect and maintain the integrity of U.S. waters. The main purpose of the law is to ensure the restoration and maintenance of the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the country’s waters. The law prohibits the discharge of any pollutant or filler material into U.S. waters, except when a U.S. permit is obtained.

The federal charges relate to illegal construction and the dumping of materials in U.S. wetlands and waters in the area of the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Las Mareas community in Salinas.

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi

FEMA allocates funds for repairs at Ponce museums

By THE STAR STAFF

Several museums in Ponce have already been allocated funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair the structures tasked with preserving historic treasures.

The approval represents nearly $2.1 million earmarked for repairs after Hurricane Maria, and over $379,000 to address damages after the 2020 earthquakes.

The museums that will benefit tell Puerto Rican history from various angles: the development of trade and agriculture, the remembrance of significant events and the preservation of popular music.

“Museums are an essential component to learn about our ancestors and the origins of the traditions that define who we are today,” Federal Disaster Recovery Coordinator José G. Baquero said. “The restoration of these museums will contribute to the economic recovery of the municipalities and will allow them to reaffirm their identity and history, to which Hurricane Maria and the earthquakes definitely added a footprint.”

One of the main attractions in the southern coastal city is Castillo Serrallés Museum, which welcomes about 4,000 visitors a month. Once the residence of businessman Juan Eugenio Serrallés Colón and his family, the museum

today houses exhibits on the development of the island sugar industry.

Over $385,000 was allocated for repairs to windows, paving stones and other parts of the museum due to damage after Hurricane Maria, while $26,000 was allocated to seal cracks in parts of the structure as a result of the 2020 earthquakes, both for the museum and the Cruceta El Vigía monument.

Fránces Torruella de Alustiza, chairwoman of the Castillo Serrallés board of trustees, said it is important to preserve the castle because it is one of the few remaining architectural jewels in Puerto Rico. She added that the castle has a great economic impact because it attracts a lot of tourism and business.

Also within the municipality’s urban area is the Music Museum of Puerto Rico, which promotes the island’s cultural traditions and popular art. Some $1.7 million assigned to the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture will go toward repairing the damage caused by Hurricane Maria.

The Folklore Research Center, meanwhile headquartered in the Casa Paoli, will benefit from over $230,000 to address the damage caused by the 2020 earthquakes to the neoclassical building with 20th century elements.

ASSMCA launches new internet portal with enhanced accessibility

By THE STAR STAFF

With a new design that guarantees accessibility for people with disabilities and improves the user experience, the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA by its Spanish initials) on Thursday premiered its new digital portal available at assmca.pr.gov.

The new page, developed by the Office of Innovation and Technology Services (PRITS), has been designed following interface and design guidelines. It also has an extensive library of all recent ASSMCA campaigns and newsletters, allowing citizens to download all material related to those initiatives.

“Our mission at ASSMCA is to ensure the delivery of integrated mental health services of optimum quality and

cost-effectiveness through the development and implementation of innovative strategies,” ASSMCA Administrator Carlos Rodríguez Mateo said. “This portal specifically centralizes all the services we offer in one place and allows citizens to obtain valuable and necessary information easily and immediately.”

PRITS Executive Director Nannette Martínez Ortiz added that “from our office, we continue to develop initiatives that guarantee access to information for citizens, and certainly government portals are an essential part of this effort.”

“Specifically, this redesigned ASSMCA portal has the particularity of having, in an accessible and carefully organized way, information and documentation so that users can comfortably access them,” she said.

Rodríguez Mateo reminded citizens that if they need emotional support they can call, confidentially and free of

charge, the PAS Line at 9-8-8, and to learn more about the services and programs offered by ASSMCA, those interested can visit the new portal assmca.pr.gov, as well as the agency’s social networks on Facebook and Twitter.

Labor Dept. to hold youth job fair at Plaza San Patricio

By THE STAR STAFF

“My First Job: Youth Job Fair,” the latest mass recruitment event sponsored by the Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH by its Spanish initials), will target youth ages 14 and older.

The job fair will take place on Friday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at San Patricio Plaza de Guaynabo shopping center, where participants can evaluate job and training opportunities before entering the labor market.

“This initiative aims to support our young people, so that

they can get a first job opportunity regardless of their age or minimal experience,” DTRH Secretary Gabriel Maldonado González said. “For this, we have a range of employers committed to this segment of the population who are available to give you that first opportunity in their respective companies. … Beyond a job fair, this activity will be a space for knowledge where self-confidence will be reinforced and [participants] will be provided with tools for achieving a successful interaction with the employer.”

The youth job fair will be supported by 25 employers from various industries, many of whom will interview and recruit job

applicants on the spot, to fill full-time and part-time vacancies. In addition, the DTRH Employment Service will also have job openings available.

To assist participants in their search for employment and professional development, there will be educational sessions where topics such as recommendations applicable to interview processes, how to perform in a job and the value of work, among others, will be discussed.

Meanwhile, staff from the agency’s Bureau of Labor Standards will guide attendees on the Work Permit for Minors and the process for completing it.

Once the residence of businessman Juan Eugenio Serrallés Colón and his family, the Castillo Serrallés Museum in Ponce today houses exhibits on the development of the island sugar industry, and welcomes some 4,000 visitors per month.

Carlos Rodríguez Mateo, head of the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration

House Republican report finds no evidence of wrongdoing by President Biden

By LUKE BROADWATER

After four months of investigation, House Republicans who promised to use their new majority to unearth evidence of wrongdoing by President Joe Biden acknowledged earlier this week that they had yet to uncover incriminating material about him, despite their frequent insinuations that he and his family have been involved in criminal conduct and corruption.

At a much-publicized news conference on Capitol Hill to show the preliminary findings of their premier investigation into Biden and his family, leading Republicans released financial documents detailing how some of the president’s relatives were paid more than $10 million from foreign sources between 2015 and 2017.

Republicans described the transactions as proof of “influence peddling” by Biden’s family, including his son Hunter Biden, and referenced some previously known, if unflattering, details of the younger Biden’s business dealings. Those included an episode in which he accepted a 2.8-carat diamond from a Chinese businessperson. GOP lawmakers also produced material suggesting that the president and his allies had at times made misleading statements in their efforts to push back aggressively against accusations of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden.

But Wednesday, the Republicans conceded that they had yet to find evidence of a specific corrupt action the president took in office in connection with any of the business deals his son entered into. Instead, their presentation underscored how little headway top GOP lawmakers have made in finding clear evidence of questionable transactions they can tie to the president, their chief political rival.

It has not stopped them from accusing the president of serious misconduct.

“I want to be clear: This committee is investigating President Biden and his family’s shady business dealings to capitalize on Joe Biden’s public office that risks our country’s national security,” said Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the chair of the Oversight Committee. He emphasized that the president — not just his son — would be the target of the investigation, which Comer said would now “enter a new phase,” in which he would subpoena specific financial information based on material learned through bank records.

Federal prosecutors have examined Hunter Biden’s international business activities as part of a criminal investigation. But the only charges they are considering, according to people familiar with the case, are unrelated to his work abroad. They include tax charges related to his failure to file his tax returns over several years, and a charge of lying about his drug use on a federal form he filled out to purchase a handgun.

To date, Comer’s committee has issued four bank subpoenas, obtained thousands of financial records and spoken with several people he describes as whistleblowers. Comer has also hired James Mandolfo, a former federal prosecutor who has experience investigating foreign corruption, to oversee the inquiry.

Here’s what we know so far.

Businesses connected to Hunter Biden received more than

$10 million from foreign companies, some with criminal ties.

The House Oversight Committee report focused on payments made to companies connected to Hunter Biden from businesses and individuals in Romania and China. Bank records obtained by the committee show the receipt of money from a foreign company connected to Gabriel Popoviciu, who was the subject of a criminal investigation and prosecution for corruption in Romania.

In 2015, Popoviciu retained Hunter Biden, who is a lawyer, while his father was vice president, to help try to fend off charges. That effort was unsuccessful, and in 2016, Popoviciu was convicted on charges related to a land deal in northern Bucharest, the Romanian capital.

Comer has also focused on John Walker, an associate of Hunter Biden who was involved in a joint venture with executives of CEFC China Energy, a now-bankrupt Chinese conglomerate.

A Shanghai-based company, State Energy HK Ltd., that was affiliated with CEFC China Energy sent millions to Robinson Walker LLC, a company associated with Walker, who then made payments to Hunter Biden and other Biden family members.

Hunter Biden had cultivated a business relationship with Ye Jianming, the founder of CEFC, who has been investigated by Chinese authorities on suspicion of economic crimes. In 2017, Ye gave Hunter Biden a 2.8-carat diamond as a thankyou for a meeting.

“What would they be bribing me for? My dad wasn’t in office,” Hunter Biden told The New Yorker in 2019, adding that he gave the diamond to his associates. “I knew it wasn’t a good idea to take it. I just felt like it was weird.”

CEFC had hoped to invest in a liquefied natural gas venture in Louisiana, but that deal ultimately flopped.

Representatives of Hunter Biden characterize his business offerings at the time as providing legal and consulting services.

The president has falsely denied his son had ties to Chinese businesses.

None of the payments detailed in the report went to the

president himself, nor has Comer’s investigation produced any evidence that Biden ever took a corrupt action in connection with his son’s business dealings.

But Biden has made several false or misleading statements about the matter.

During the 2020 presidential debate, Biden claimed that no one in his family had received money from China.

“My son has not made money in terms of this thing about — what are you talking about, China,” Biden said, turning the charge on his opponent, former President Donald Trump. “The only guy who made money from China is this guy. He’s the only one. Nobody else has made money from China.”

This year, Biden also claimed that it was “not true” that family members received more than $1 million from a Chinese firm.

Aides to Biden said he was speaking colloquially and was pushing back generally on claims that his administration had been corrupted by Chinese money.

Presidents’ families have long made money off the family name.

During his news conference, Comer acknowledged that Hunter Biden would have been far from the first relative of a president or vice president to try to make money off the family name.

He invoked Billy Carter, the brother of former President Jimmy Carter, who visited Libya and received a $220,000 loan; and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law whose firm has received hundreds of millions from Persian Gulf nations.

“This has been a pattern for a long time,” Comer said. “Republicans and Democrats have both complained about presidents’ families receiving money.”

However, Comer has conceded that he has no interest in investigating Kushner’s conduct.

Officials allied with the president played a role in wrongly discrediting Hunter Biden’s laptop.

The report from Comer came as a second Republican-led House committee is investigating a related issue. The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday released a report about a letter from 51 former intelligence and security officials in 2020 that questioned materials — substantial portions of which were later verified as authentic — from a laptop Hunter Biden abandoned at a Delaware repair shop and suggested they might be part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

The Republicans argue that the letter influenced the public to discount the materials on the laptop, which contained evidence of Hunter Biden’s drug use and sex life, which they believed would harm his father’s electoral chances against Trump.

The Judiciary Committee report detailed the role played by Antony Blinken, now the secretary of state and then a Biden campaign official, in spearheading the letter, and said a CIA employee had been involved in soliciting at least one signature for it.

The intelligence officials maintain their letter stated they had no evidence of a Russian disinformation campaign and that they were merely stating an opinion.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) takes notes during a news conference on the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into President Joe Biden’s family financial ties with foreign entities on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 10, 2023.

Five takeaways from Trump’s unruly CNN town hall

and onscreen for the television audience — and stifled Collins as she repeatedly tried to interrupt him with facts and correctives.

No matter how vulgar, profane or politically incorrect Trump was, the Republican crowd in New Hampshire audibly ate up the shtick of the decades-long showman.

He would pardon a “large portion” of Jan. 6 rioters. Applause.

He mocked the detailed accusations of rape from E. Jean Carroll as made up “hanky-panky in a dressing room.” Laughter. No matter that a New York jury held him liable for sexual abuse and defamation this week, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages.

Calling Carroll a “wack job.” Applause and laughs.

Flip-flopping on using the debt ceiling for leverage, because “I’m not president.” More laughs.

The cheers revealed the current psyche of the Republican base, which is eager for confrontation: with the press, with Democrats, with anyone standing in the way of Republicans taking power.

reminder how much of the Biden 2024 campaign is likely to be about Trump.

Trump aggressively dodged taking a stance on a federal abortion ban

Trump is perhaps the single Republican most responsible for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year. He appointed three of the court’s justices who powered the majority opinion. But he has privately blamed abortion politics for Republican underperformance in the 2022 midterms and has treaded carefully in the early months of his 2024 run.

Before the town hall, his team spent considerable time honing his answer to a question they knew he would be asked: Would he support a federal ban, and at how many weeks?

His repeated dodges and euphemisms were hard to miss on Wednesday.

“Getting rid of Roe v. Wade was an incredible thing for pro-life,” he began.

By SHANE GOLDMACHER and MAGGIE HABERMAN

Donald Trump is still Donald Trump. His 70 minutes onstage in New Hampshire served as a vivid reminder that the former president has only one speed, and that his second act mirrors his first. He is, as ever, a celebrity performance artist and, even out of office, remains the center of gravity in American politics.

CNN’s decision to give him an unfiltered prime-time platform was a callback to the 2016 campaign, even as the moderator, Kaitlan Collins, persistently interjected to try to cut him off or correct him.

Trump was so focused on discussing and defending himself that he barely touched on President Joe Biden’s record — which people close to Trump want him to focus on. But he was disciplined when it came to his chief expected primary rival.

Here are five takeaways.

Trump won’t let go of his lies about 2020 or Jan. 6

If viewers were expecting Trump to have moved on from his falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen from him, he demonstrated once again, right out of the gate, that he very much hasn’t.

The first questions asked by Collins were about Trump’s refusal to accept his loss in 2020, and his false claims of fraud.

“I think that, when you look at that result

and when you look at what happened during that election, unless you’re a very stupid person, you see what happens,” Trump said, calling the election he lost “rigged.”

Trump later said he was “inclined” to pardon “many” of the rioters arrested on Jan. 6, 2021, after the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob during certification of Biden’s Electoral College win. His avoidance of an unequivocal promise pleased people close to him.

He also came armed with a list of his own Twitter posts and statements from that day — an idea that was his, a person familiar with the planning said. He lied about his inaction that day as Collins pressed him about what he was doing during the hours of violence. And he said he did not owe Vice President Mike Pence, whose life was threatened by the mob, an apology.

As time has worn on, Trump has increasingly wrapped his arms around what took place at the Capitol and incorporated it into his campaign. Wednesday night was no exception.

“A beautiful day,” he said of Jan. 6.

It was a reminder that embracing the deadly violence of that day — at least for Republicans — is no longer seen as disqualifying. Privately, Trump’s team said they were happy with how he handled the extensive time spent on the postelection period during the town hall.

The GOP audience stacked the deck, but revealed where the base is

The audience’s regular interruptions on behalf of Trump were like a laugh track on a sitcom. It built momentum for him in the room —

The town-hall format felt like a set piece for Trump that he leveraged to cast himself as both the putative Republican incumbent — “Mister president,” he was repeatedly addressed as — and the outsider, recreating conditions from his two previous campaigns.

Republicans cheered, but so did Democrats looking to the general election

Biden’s team had changed the televisions on Air Force One from CNN to MSNBC as he returned from New York on Wednesday evening. But that didn’t mean his political team was not eagerly watching the town hall unfold, and cheering along with the Republican audience.

Trump defended Jan. 6 as a “beautiful day.” He hailed the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a “great victory.” He wouldn’t say if he hoped Ukraine would win the war against Russia. He talked again about how the rich and famous get their way. “Women let you,” he said. And he refused to rule out reimposing one of the most incendiary and divisive policies of his term in office: purposefully separating families at the border.

Trump’s answers played well in the hall but could all find their way into Democratic messaging in the next 18 months.

Late Wednesday, the Biden campaign was already figuring out what segments could be turned quickly into digital ads, seeing Trump staking out positions that would turn off the kind of swing voters that Biden won in 2020.

Shortly after the event ended, Biden issued a tweet. “Do you want four more years of that?” it read. It was a request for donations. It was also a

That was about as specific as he would get. He said he was “honored to have done what I did” — a line Democrats had quickly flagged as potential fodder for future ads — and that it was a “great victory.”

He deepened his legal jeopardy with comments on investigations

The most heated exchange that Trump had with Collins was over the special counsel investigation into his possession of hundreds of presidential records, including more than 300 individual classified documents, at his private club, Mar-a-Lago, after he left office.

And it was the area in which he walked himself into the biggest problems.

“I was there and I took what I took and it gets declassified,” said Trump, who has maintained, despite contradictions from his own former officials, that he had a standing order automatically declassifying documents that left the Oval Office and went to the president’s residence.

“I had every right to do it, I didn’t make a secret of it. You know, the boxes were stationed outside the White House, people were taking pictures of it,” Trump said, intimating that people were somehow aware that presidential material and classified documents were in them (they were not).

In what will be of great interest to the special counsel, Jack Smith, Trump would not definitively rule out whether he showed classified material to people, something investigators have queried witnesses about, in particular in connection with a map with sensitive intelligence.

There are few issues that worry the Trump team and the former president as much as the documents investigation, and Trump wore that on his face and in his words on the stage in New Hampshire.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington on Dec. 22, 2022. Tuberville defended former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, after the jury found him liable of sexual abuse.

George Santos: An accused con man who happened to trade in politics

tion on pressuring McCarthy to act on his own.

In shining a light on his misconduct, prosecutors indirectly illuminated the many ways in which political, financial and media institutions failed to weed out people like him. In fact, there was no indication federal prosecutors were investigating Santos before The New York Times and other news media began documenting his widespread lies and unusual financial dealings in December.

Since then, the news media has assembled a remarkable catalog of lies by Santos.

campaign.

The indictment also provided new details about three distinct schemes prosecutors said Santos undertook in recent years.

They charged him with two counts of making false statements on personal financial disclosure reports that he had submitted to the House, by misstating the source of his income and then by overstating it.

The unemployment benefits scheme resulted in two counts of wire fraud and one count of stealing public funds.

By NICHOLAS FANDOS

By all appearances, the summer of 2020 was a very good time for George Santos. He was pulling in a six-figure salary from a Florida-based investment firm, and he had won the Republican Party’s support as a firsttime candidate contesting a Long Island, New York, House seat.

Yet that June, Santos presented the state of New York with a very different story. According to federal prosecutors, he falsely claimed that he was unemployed in order to twist open a spigot of pandemic-era jobless benefits that eventually amounted to $24,000.

For the entirety of his public life, Santos has been a man shrouded in myths. He cast himself as a self-made American success story, spinning audacious lies about university degrees, fast cars and vast wealth. And when that persona unraveled, fellow politicians and the media fixated on the idea that he was a criminal mastermind evading detection.

The searing 13-count indictment unveiled by federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday cut through all of that. It cemented a story closer to “The Great Gatsby,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley” or other mainstays of a popular subgenre of frauds that snakes like a corrupt seam through American life.

In prosecutors’ telling, George Santos, defendant, is just another grifter with a taste for fame and designer goods, willing to lie and defraud wealthy people to get what he wants. That the stage happens to be politics seems incidental: As a two-time congressional candidate, he took advantage of donors, state officials and even the House of Representatives.

“It feels like a particularly American story,” said Amy Reading, a historian of American cons, before referencing Santos’ work for a Florida firm

cited by the Securities and Exchange Commission for wrongdoing. “Here you have someone who worked for an actual Ponzi scheme, while falsely claiming unemployment benefits in a global pandemic, and then he fell up to Congress.”

Former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, a Long Island Republican whose name graces the courthouse where Santos was arraigned, was more blunt.

“He’s a two-bit thief,” he said. “He is dead in the water. They got him good.”

Santos has already begun fighting that narrative. Though he has admitted to some lies, he pleaded not guilty in a packed courthouse on Long Island to all 13 counts, including money laundering, wire fraud, false statements and stealing public funds. Then he walked outside to reaffirm his intention to seek reelection.

“The reality is, this is a witch hunt,” Santos, 34, said, invoking another old American motif. “This is the beginning for me of the ability to address and defend myself.”

The indictment prompted a new round of calls by rank-and-file Republicans for Santos to resign or to even be expelled from Congress, but it remains far from clear if the political system will exact a price.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, who cannot afford to lose a single vote from his spare Republican majority, has already said that he has no intention of trying to push Santos out of office unless or until he is convicted at trial. That stance fits with House precedent in recent cases involving Republicans like Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska and Chris Collins of New York but could take years to play out.

Democrats do have the ability to force a vote on expelling Santos from the House, but they would need dozens of Republicans to defy McCarthy and join them to meet the required vote threshold. For now, they have trained their atten-

There is the fake résumé, fabricated down to the rapid growth he helped achieve at a major bank he never worked for and the 3.89 GPA he earned at a college he never attended. He claimed — falsely — that some of the people killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, were his employees. He told Nassau County Republican leaders he was part of a champion volleyball team at Baruch, the college he did not attend. He lied about houses he said he was building and sports cars he said he owned.

And then there were the reports that he raised money to pay for lifesaving surgery for a veteran’s dog, only to keep the money, and that he took part in an illegal card-skimming scheme.

There were hints in the 20-page indictment that prosecutors may still be digging through the tangled web of Santos’ financial life. It included work for the Florida investment firm accused of operating a Ponzi scheme; campaign finance reports riddled with irregularities; and attempts to broker the sale of luxury goods between wealthy businesspeople he met through his political

The most complicated scheme laid out in the indictment involved Santos, a fake super PAC and a pair of wealthy Republican donors.

Beginning in September 2022, prosecutors said, Santos and a political operative working for him began pushing the donors to make large donations. In email and text messages, they falsely told the donors that the company was a super PAC working “exclusively” to elect Santos by buying TV ads.

In fact, it was a limited liability company, and after the two donors wired $25,000 each just days before the election, Santos pocketed the money himself. Prosecutors said he had used it to buy designer clothing and to pay off debts. None of the money went to the campaign.

Santos’ next court appearance is set for June 30, but his attention to another legal matter beckons sooner. Brazilian authorities have revived a 2008 case in which Santos was accused of using a stolen checkbook to buy $700 in clothes at a small clothing store in Brazil, and a hearing on the matter was scheduled for Thursday.

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Representative George Santos reaffirmed his intention to seek re-election after pleading not guilty to a 13-count indictment on Wednesday.

Inflation slowed in April, marking 10th month of moderation

moderation in travel expenses that might not last, said Laura Rosner-Warburton, senior economist at MacroPolicy Perspectives.

That slowdown offered “a little bit of good news, but also probably a little bit of a head fake,” she said.

While inflation has been gradually cooling for months, it has remained too elevated for policymakers.

sified by a series of recent high-profile bank failures, which might make other lenders nervous and prompt them to pull back on extending credit.

By JEANNA SMIALEK

Inflation slowed for a 10th straight month in April, a closely watched report earlier this week showed, good news for American families struggling under the burden of higher costs and for policymakers in Washington as they try to wrangle rapid price increases.

The consumer price index climbed 4.9% in April from a year earlier, less than the 5% that economists in a Bloomberg survey had expected. Inflation has come down notably from a peak just above 9% last summer, although it has remained far higher than the 2% annual gains that were normal before the pandemic.

Cheaper prices for airline tickets, new cars and groceries including eggs and produce helped to pull inflation lower last month even as gas prices and rents climbed briskly. In an important shift, prices for some services slowed — a positive for the Federal Reserve, which has been raising interest rates to slow the economy and wrestle inflation lower. Central bankers have been watching services costs carefully in part be -

cause they have been proving stubborn.

The report also provided welcome news for President Joe Biden. Inflation has plagued voters for more than two years now, weighing on the president’s approval ratings. As prices climb less dramatically with each passing month, they may become a less pressing concern.

Yet economists warned against overstating the progress: While inflation is showing positive signs of cooling, a chunk of the decline since last summer has come as supply chains have healed. With that low-hanging fruit gone, it could be a long and bumpy path back to a normal inflation rate.

“Inflation is still sticky; I don’t think that the Fed is going to look at this and cut rates, or heave an especially big sigh of relief,” said Priya Misra, head of global rates research at TD Securities. “Not so fast. We can’t draw the conclusion that the inflation problem is over.”

Even so, stock prices jumped in response to the data as investors — who tend to prefer lower interest rates — greeted it as good news for the Fed.

After stripping out food and fuel to get a sense of the underlying trend in price increases — what economists call a core measure — consumer prices climbed 5.5% from a year earlier, a slight deceleration from 5.6% in the previous reading.

And a closely watched measure of services prices outside of housing costs pulled back even more meaningfully. That was an encouraging sign that a stubborn component of inflation is finally on the verge of cracking, but it was also driven partly by a

Much of the slowing in price increases has come as supply chain bottlenecks that emerged during the depths of the pandemic have cleared up, allowing goods shortages to ease. Energy prices have also moderated after a surge in summer 2022 that was tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But underlying trends that could keep inflation persistently high over time have remained intact, including unusually strong wage growth, which could prod companies to try to charge more.

That is one reason Fed officials have been paying such close attention to service prices: They tend to be more responsive to strength in the economy, and they can be difficult to slow down once they pick up.

There are reasons to hope for more measured services inflation in coming months. Rents have begun to climb more slowly in market-based trackers, which should begin to show up in the official inflation data.

But the question is whether the Fed has slowed the economy enough for other service prices — for things like travel, manicures, child care and health care — to follow suit.

Central bankers have raised interest rates over the past year at the fastest pace since the 1980s to slow lending and weigh down growth, lifting borrowing costs above 5% as of this month.

Those increases have made it more expensive to borrow money to buy a house or expand a business. As growth cools and companies compete less aggressively for workers, wage growth has already begun to slow. That chain reaction is expected to sap demand, which could make it harder for firms to increase prices without scaring away customers.

But the full effect of the Fed’s moves is still playing out. The fallout could be inten-

And Congress is approaching a showdown over raising the nation’s debt limit, which could also shape the outlook: If markets panic as Democrats and Republicans struggle to reach a deal and investors worry that the U.S. government will fail to pay its bills, that could trickle out to hurt the economy.

Democrats have warned that the brinkmanship could undermine progress in a strong economy with slowing inflation, while Republicans argued Wednesday that rapid inflation is evidence that they are correct to demand spending cuts.

With so many factors poised to weaken the economy, Fed officials are assessing whether they need to raise borrowing costs further, or whether their moves so far will suffice to guide inflation back to normal. John C. Williams, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, told reporters in New York on Tuesday that the Fed’s next decision — to lift rates or to pause — would hinge on incoming data.

“We’ll adjust policy going forward based on what we see out there,” he said.

Policymakers will receive the consumer price report for May on June 13, the day before their decision, but officials typically give markets at least a hint of what they might do with rates ahead of time. Given that, central bankers are likely to pay close attention to the April inflation report.

Fed officials will also receive May jobs data and a reading of the personal consumption expenditures price index — the measure they officially target in their 2% inflation goal, but one that comes out with more of a delay — before their next meeting. The personal consumption measure builds partly on the data from the consumer price report.

For now, the fresh inflation figures probably aren’t enough to convince policymakers that they should change course and reduce interest rates soon, economists said.

“It probably keeps them on track to pause at the next meeting,” Rosner-Warburton said.

Dow, S&P 500 weighed down by Disney; PacWest leads regional banks lower

The Dow and the S&P 500 fell on Thursday, pressured by a drop in Disney shares after the company reported a fall in subscriber growth, while PacWest’s latest woes sparked another rout in the regional banking sector.

Walt Disney Co slid 7.9% and was the biggest loser on the benchmark S&P 500 index, following its quarterly report on Wednesday.

PacWest Bancorp plunged 25% after it reported a drop in deposits last week and pledged an additional $5.1 billion of its loans to the central bank.

The KBW Regional Banking Index slid 1.4% and was on track for a fourth straight day of loss.

The index, which is down 32% this year, has witnessed a series of volatile sessions since March due to the banking crisis, which has led to the collapse of three regional lenders.

The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) said around 113 of the country’s largest lenders will bear the cost of replenishing the $16 billion hit that the agency has taken due to the crisis.

The banking sector worries overshadowed data that showed U.S. jobless claims jumped to a 1-1/2-year high last week, pointing to widening cracks in the labor market, which together with subsiding inflation could allow the Federal Reserve to halt further interest rate increases next month.

The reports provided further evidence that the economy was losing steam.

“There is an increasing sense that interest rates are going to be lower later this year. Without the debt ceiling uncertainty, the market would be moving to new highs,” said David Russell, vice president of market intelligence at TradeStation.

Markets are keenly watching for any updates on raising the United States’ $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, as the country races to avert an unprecedented default.

“The fact is, nobody really knows what to make of it. The American sovereign debt is intermeshed throughout our entire financial system, so it is really impossible to know what will happen in the case of a default,” Russell added.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged Congress to raise the federal debt limit and warned that a default could have severe repercussions on the global economy.

At 12:20 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 253.51 points, or 0.76%, at 33,277.82, the S&P 500 was down 11.99 points, or 0.29%, at 4,125.65, and the Nasdaq Composite was up 9.68 points, or 0.08%, at 12,316.12.

The Nasdaq was boosted by a 5% rise in shares of Alphabet Inc after Google rolled out more artificial intelligence products on Wednesday to take on competition from Microsoft Corp.

The S&P 500 communication services index, housing the stock, rose 2.1% and hit a near nine-month high and among rare gainers on the day.

Tapestry Inc jumped 8.6% as it raised its annual profit forecast.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 2.76-to-1

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ratio on the NYSE and for a 1.85-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded four new 52-week highs and 13 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 48 new highs and 161 new lows.

Zelenskyy says military hardware from the West has been arriving ‘in batches’

By SHASHANK BENGALI and LARA JAKES

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine needs more time to begin a planned counteroffensive because its allies have not yet delivered enough of the equipment they have pledged, raising fresh questions over the country’s plans for a military operation that Western officials have said could be its best chance to retake territory seized by Russia.

In an interview that aired on the BBC on Thursday, Zelenskyy said that in terms of personnel and motivation, Ukraine’s forces were “ready” for the operation, but that they were still waiting for some military hardware, specifically armored vehicles, which had been arriving “in batches.” NATO member states have already sent billions of dollars in tanks, armored vehicles, drones, missiles and launchers and ammunition to Ukraine.

With the weapons that Ukraine has already received, “we can go forward, and, I think, be successful,” Zelenskyy said in the interview. “But we’d lose a lot of people. I think that’s unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time.”

It was not clear whether Zelenskyy’s comments were an attempt at misdirection in an information war that has been full of feints and surprises. For weeks, Ukrainian officials have said that they were in the final stages of planning for the counteroffensive, while not disclosing when or where it might start.

As recently as 10 weeks ago, Western

weapons deliveries still fell far short of what Ukraine needed for a counteroffensive that had long been planned for this spring or summer, according to classified U.S. military assessments from February and March.

But late last month, the top NATO military commander, U.S. Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, told a congressional panel that Ukraine had by that point received 98% of

the combat vehicles that would be necessary to launch the battle.

U.S. officials are accelerating the delivery of Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and they will potentially reach the battlefield by this fall, months before what was originally thought possible. But the Biden administration has adamantly maintained that it will not send F-16 fighter jets, despite pleas from Ukraine to send the warplanes or give export licenses to other countries to transfer theirs to Ukraine.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov urged Western allies to quickly send more weapons for the anticipated counteroffensive.

“Time is of the essence,” Reznikov said in taped remarks to the annual European Defense and Security Summit in Brussels. “Prolonging or freezing the war means lost lives, means human suffering. Ukraine wants to turn the tide on the battlefield this year. Ukraine has already proven on the battlefield that victory is possible. But we need help.”

Reznikov did not mention any specific weapons systems or shortfalls in his comments Thursday, which officials said were taped a day earlier.

Suspect in teenager’s Aruba disappearance to be extradited to US

By MIKE IVES

Aman connected to the 2005 disappearance in Aruba of Natalee Holloway, an American teenager, will be temporarily extradited to the United States from Peru to face charges that he extorted her mother, Peruvian authorities said Wednesday.

Holloway disappeared during a trip to the Dutch island with her Alabama high school class at age 18. She was declared dead in 2012 and the unsolved case has long generated great public interest in the United States. First there was intense news coverage, then true-crime books and feature-length films.

The suspect, Joran van der Sloot, is a citizen of the

Netherlands who grew up in Aruba and has been linked for years to Holloway’s disappearance. According to the FBI, she was last seen leaving an Aruba nightclub in a car with him and two other young men around 1:30 a.m. on May 30, 2005.

Van der Sloot is in Peru serving a 28-year prison sentence for murder in a separate case: the 2010 strangulation death of Stephany Flores, a 21-year-old Peruvian student. He was sentenced in 2012, at age 24, after pleading guilty.

Around the time of his 2010 arrest in the Flores case, van der Sloot was indicted by a federal grand jury in Alabama on charges of trying to extort Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway, for $250,000 for information about how her daughter died and the location of her body, which has never been found. He accepted an initial payment of $25,000 in an FBI sting operation and provided what he knew was bogus information, authorities said then.

Peru and the United States have a 2001 extradition treaty. The Peruvian government issued a decree Wednesday to allow van der Sloot, before he finishes his prison sentence, to be handed over temporarily to “ensure” that he “finally faces justice” in the United States, officials said.

“We hope that this action will enable a process that will help to bring peace to Mrs. Holloway and to her family, who are grieving in the same way that the Flores family in Peru is grieving for the loss of

their daughter, Stephany,” Peru’s ambassador to the United States, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, said in the statement.

“It has been a very long and painful journey, but the persistence of many is going to pay off. Together, we are finally getting justice for Natalee,” said Beth Holloway in a statement.

An attorney for van der Sloot, Maximo Altez, told The Associated Press that he would fight the decision.

Joran van der Sloot before his sentencing in a Lima, Peru, courtroom in 2012.

Gravediggers carry the coffin of a civilian killed last week by Russian shelling in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson as smoke from fresh shelling rises in the distance, May 10, 2023. (Finbarr O’Reilly/The New York Times)

‘We don’t want this war’: Trapped in Khartoum as combat rages

By ABDI LATIF DAHIR and CORA ENGELBRECHT

Nurses maneuver through gunfire and shelling to make house calls, delivering babies and providing care to those who can’t reach hospitals. Families barely eat in order to conserve dwindling food and water supplies as temperatures rise. And the few good Samaritans who venture out to help the elderly or put out a blazing fire face intimidation and arrest by the fighters in the streets.

It’s been almost a month since the rivalry between two generals burst into an open war in Sudan, plunging the country deep into a humanitarian crisis and reshaping life in one of Africa’s largest and most geopolitically important nations.

The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, has endured the most intense fighting, prompting embassies and the United Nations to evacuate their nationals and staff members — leaving behind millions who now face shortages of water, food, medicine and electricity.

The clashes — between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF — have continued despite repeated cease-fires purportedly agreed to by both sides.

Talks that began in Saudi Arabia last weekend between the warring parties, brokered by Saudis and Americans, have so far yielded no breakthrough — even though these talks have only the modest goal of reaching an actual cease-fire, to allow humanitarian aid into the country.

“We are feeling increasingly desperate, as there’s no end in sight,” said Tagreed Abdin, a 49-year-old architect who has been sheltering with her three sons and husband in Al-Diyum, a neighborhood close to Khartoum’s international airport, the scene of some of the fiercest fighting.

Abdin, who spoke by phone, said she spends most of her days shuttling her boys from one side of their apartment to the other as shelling volleys overhead. When things grow quiet, she allows them to sit by the open windows to escape searing heat.

“It’s an unseen tragedy,” she said, adding that she has started to prefer the noise of war over the humming silence. “At least when there’s gunfire, I know they are running out of ammunition.”

The Sudanese army launched a concerted push into central Khartoum on Wednesday, using ground troops backed by armored vehicles to push into areas that have been largely controlled by the RSF since the war started, said two people with knowledge of the situation,

who asked not to be identified because of its sensitivity.

The army’s drive appeared to be an effort to gain ground before any potential cease-fire deal is signed, both people said. An agreement remained out of reach as of late Wednesday, but appeared to be getting closer, they said.

Four years ago, Khartoum was at the heart of a popular uprising that promised to usher in democracy after decades of dictatorship in the northeast African nation of 45 million people. But in the last month, the city, which sits at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile, has become the center of a violent power struggle between Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of the military, and Lt. Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The clashes have spread to several towns and regions and have raged in Bahri and Omdurman, Khartoum’s adjoining cities across the Nile. At least 600 people have been killed and more than 5,000 others injured, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. The conflict has displaced more than 700,000 people, according to the United Nations, and 160,000 others have fled to bordering nations, many of them encumbered with their own economic and political crises.

Residents of Khartoum say they have stayed behind either because they are sick, caring for aging relatives, or lack passports or money for transportation. Others, like Abdin, opted to stay after hearing of people being attacked and robbed on the road and spending long days at border crossings.

Yet by remaining, they are stuck in the crossfire and the deteriorating situation on the ground.

Water and electricity infrastructure has been damaged. Banks have been looted, and ATMs are wrecked. Phones and internet net-

works are patchy, cutting off communication and hindering mobile money transactions that act as a lifeline. Factories and businesses have been destroyed and looted, depriving many of income in an economy that was already in distress.

As the fighting has intensified, hospitals, clinics and laboratories, which were already operating under strain, have increasingly come under attack.

A majority of the city’s health facilities have closed, the U.N. said, and only 16% are operating normally. The Sudan Union of Pharmacists said Khartoum’s central medical supplies facility, which holds crucial medications for diabetes and blood pressure, closed after it was seized by the Rapid Support Forces.

The U.N. Population Fund also said that medical care for 219,000 pregnant women in Khartoum alone had been disrupted, with supplies “running dangerously low.” More than 10,000 women are in immediate need of obstetric care, including cesarean sections.

SERVICIOS:

Medical workers in the city have faced reprisals too.

The Sudan doctors‘ union said Monday that the army had arrested two medical volunteers who were evacuating patients from a hospital in Khartoum. The two were later released following an uproar on social media.

At checkpoints manned by paramilitary fighters, many people, and doctors in particular, reported being harassed or having their phone messages and photos checked to determine their allegiances.

“The doctors are not supporting either of these groups,” Dr. Sara Abdelgalil, a pediatric consultant, said in a phone interview. “We don’t want this war.”

Abdelgalil, who has been fundraising and coordinating support for the medical workers from Britain, where she lives, said that she was inundated with requests from Khartoum in the past few days. Doctors, she said, have been asking families and patients to vacate hospitals because they were running out of oxygen, drugs or fuel to run machines.

“It is so inhumane,” she said. “It is so cruel.”

Some residents in Khartoum who stuck it out until now are starting to run to the city’s suburbs.

Aya Elfatih and her family recently fled to a small village in the northern suburbs of Khartoum after bullets hit their home and chunks of their roof fell in. Elfatih, 33, works with a nongovernmental organization and just a few weeks ago was helping refugees from other countries settle in Sudan. Now she and her family have been driven from their home and are afraid the violence will spread to the now-tranquil countryside.

“I never imagined that I would live to see my situation turn to this,” she said. “Sudan deserves peace. We deserve better.”

Lash Extención

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Sudanese Army soldiers pass by tanks stationed on a street in southern Khartoum, last week.

What’s driving record levels of migration to the US border?

By NATALIE KITROEFF and JULIE TURKEWITZ

Millions of people are leaving their homes across Latin America in numbers not seen in decades, many of them pressing toward the United States.

While migration to the U.S. southern border has always fluctuated, the pandemic and the recession that followed hit Latin America harder than almost anywhere else in the world, plunging millions into hunger, destitution and despair.

A generation of progress against extreme poverty was wiped out. Unemployment hit a two-decade high. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine choked off a key pipeline for grain and fertilizer, triggering a spike in food prices.

Economic shocks were worsened by violence, as conflicts between armed groups festered in once relatively peaceful countries and raged in places long accustomed to the terror.

Amid these events, smugglers and migrants alike have pushed powerful social media campaigns, many rife with misinformation, that have encouraged people to migrate to the United States.

This accumulation of grim factors means that when a pandemic-era border restriction known as Title 42 lifts this week, the United States will be confronted with an immigration challenge even more daunting than the one it faced when the measure was first imposed.

“You couldn’t come up with a worse set of facts to leave tens of millions of people with no choice but to move,” said Dan Restrepo, who served as President Barack Obama’s top adviser on Latin America. “It’s inevitable that you’d have massive displacement. It really is a perfect storm.”

For the past three years, the American government has tried to curtail the record flows of people arriving at the U.S. border by using the public-health measure to quickly expel those whose crossed illegally.

However, when Title 42 expires, migrants who enter the country illegally will have the opportunity to apply for asylum, something

many were barred from doing during the three years the public-health restriction was in place.

Qualifying won’t be easy — the Biden administration is rolling out new eligibility restrictions — and if the process works as intended, many will still be deported relatively quickly.

But the large flows building in northern Mexico could overwhelm the system, which means more people, especially families and children, may be released into the United States with a notice to appear before an immigration judge.

In some cases, social media is being used to falsely advertise the coming border rule changes as the opening of the floodgates. On TikTok, posts tagged #titulo42 have been viewed more than 96 million times, with one popular post claiming, “May 11: You cannot be deported. Title 42 has come to an end.”

The number of encounters at the border has already risen in recent days, a jump American officials hope will last only a few weeks and then eventually die down.

Many migrants are coming from places like Venezuela, which was suffering one of the worst economic crises in the world before the pandemic. Much of the country sank further into misery when the coronavirus shut

the world down. A mass exit deepened, bringing the total number of Venezuelans who have fled since 2015 to 7.2 million — roughly a quarter of the population.

In Colombia, where worker protections are weak, joblessness reached its highest rate on record. Brazil recorded the secondhighest number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide. Immigrants who had already traveled from across Latin America to these two countries were among the first to lose their hold on any hope of a livelihood.

Nicaraguans historically migrated north in relatively small numbers. But inflation, sinking wages and an increasingly authoritarian government have prompted hundreds of thousands to leave in recent years.

Gang violence and homicides exploded in relatively tranquil Ecuador. Haiti got hit by a cholera outbreak, an extreme hunger crisis and warfare between armed criminal groups — all at the same time.

The Darién Gap, a treacherous 70-mile stretch of jungle that connects Central and South America, suddenly became a thoroughfare for people without the visas or money to make the journey any other way.

The United Nations expects as many as 400,000 people to pass through this year, nearly 40 times the yearly average from 2010 through 2020.

Sitting inside pale pink tent on a Colombian beach not far from the jungle last year, Willian Gutiérrez, 31, a welder and bricklayer, said the situation at home in Venezuela had gone from bad to worse. He hadn’t had stable work in years, meals were meager, “and sometimes I stopped

eating so they would be able to,” he said, motioning to his children, Ricardo, 5, and Yolayner, 2.

The family lived in a half-built house without electricity in the oil-rich city of Maracaibo, Gutiérrez’s wife, Johana García, 38, explained. After watching so many friends leave for the United States, she said, they decided to risk the trek.

They went because the American economy bounced back quickly from the coronavirus and then got hungry for workers.

But they also were told — by human smugglers, relatives and people posting on Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp — that under President Joe Biden, they could actually cross the border and stay.

American border authorities have in fact been regularly using Title 42 to immediately turn back people who enter the country illegally, invoking it more than 2.7 million times since March 2020.

But Mexico only agreed to take in expelled migrants from a handful of countries in the region, forcing the Biden administration to fly others back to their homelands — a slower process constrained by cost, logistics and the fact that some governments have not always accepted expulsion flights from the United States.

“What on paper was in some ways the harshest border policy ever put into effect, like a complete and total ban on entry, never worked like that in practice,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, a Washington-based immigrant advocacy organization.

Since taking office, according to federal data, the Biden administration has allowed some 1.8 million migrants to stay in the country while awaiting asylum hearings, many of whom turned themselves in after crossing the border. Unknown numbers also entered the country undetected.

“People who want to get to the United States know that it has been an advantageous time to try to get into the country,” said Andrew Selee, the president of the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization. “They calculate their chances of getting in before they go.”

In Facebook and WhatsApp groups directed at would-be migrants, a cascade of users have been encouraging migrants to make the trip to the border after the public health measure expires.

“For those who want to know if the border is open,” one person said last week in a Facebook group called Darién Jungle Migrant Survivors, “yes it is.”

People camp out in line waiting to be processed by Border Patrol after crossing into the United States in El Paso, May 3, 2023.

A guilty ex-president

By DAVID FRENCH

From the beginning of the #MeToo movement, both its advocates and good-faith critics have made a series of powerful, necessary points. The courageous women who blew the whistle on powerful men exposed a culture of impunity that still exists, decades after the development of workplace harassment law and generations after a dramatic increase in female workplace participation.

But they did more than merely blow the whistle; they also educated the public. Abuse is still abuse even if a woman is too terrified in the moment to scream. Abuse is still abuse even if a woman does her best to carry on with her life. The list of lessons is long.

At the same time, good-faith critics raised an important objection: In our zeal to expose abuse, we cannot neglect due process. Abuse is evil and can destroy lives. False accusations can destroy lives as well, and the press is a poor place for adjudicating disputes. Whenever possible, we should resolve disputes in courtrooms, where rules of evidence control.

And this brings me to E. Jean Carroll. On Tuesday afternoon, a jury in Manhattan, New York, unanimously determined that Donald Trump sexually abused Carroll during an encounter at a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. It also found that he defamed her when he called

the case a “complete con job” and her claims a “hoax and a lie.” And it finally determined that, despite the finding of sexual abuse, Carroll had not proved her claim that Trump raped her.

It’s important to note that this was a civil case, not a criminal trial. The burden of proof in civil cases is lower. The jury was charged with determining whether Carroll proved her claims with a preponderance of the evidence, not beyond a reasonable doubt. In other words, it had to decide whether Carroll’s claims were more likely true than false.

But the case was not a simple matter of “he said, she said.” Carroll provided her own testimony, of course. But she also presented evidence that she had told others about the assault at the time, as well as evidence from other women that Trump had assaulted them and touched them without their consent.

Trump declined to testify at the trial, but the jury did see his videotaped deposition, during which he denied Carroll’s claims but also doubled down on his assertions in the infamous “Access Hollywood” video. “I just start kissing them,” he said on the tape, “It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.” He added: “Grab ‘em by the (genitals). You can do anything.”

I spent decades litigating cases, including a number of sexual harassment cases, and as I watched the evidence accumulate, I reached a tipping point; I would have been surprised by any verdict other than the one we received Tuesday. Juries can always surprise you, of course, but what made the verdict truly notable wasn’t the outcome. It was the identity of the defendant. In an important moment for the rule of law, a jury heard evidence against a former president and reached exactly the conclusion that it likely would have reached for anyone else.

Now America faces an all-too-familiar challenge. The court system has once again delivered an outcome supported by the law and by substantial evidence. But will that change Republican hearts and minds?

If past performance can predict future results, I’m skeptical. After all, we watched as even Trump-nominated judges ruled time and again against Trump’s election challenges, yet a majority of Republicans still do not believe that Joe Biden legitimately won enough votes to carry the 2020 election. When the choice is between the law and the evidence or Trump, Republicans have consistently picked Trump.

But is sexual abuse different? Can an actual jury verdict — after a trial featuring all the due process that American law requires — finally break the bond with Trump?

Here is the darkest possible outcome to the case, one that I fear is more likely than not: The Republican public will either shrug at the result or will simply choose to disbelieve the jury, assuming without evidence that it was biased against Trump. Indeed, when asked about the verdict, Sen. Marco Rubio told a Bulwark reporter, “That jury’s a joke.” Sen.

Lindsey Graham said he questioned “the whole process” and told Punchbowl News, “I think you could convict Donald Trump of kidnapping Lindbergh’s baby.”

But would a jury so hopelessly biased against Trump reject Carroll’s rape claim? Or is that an indication that the jury actually weighed the evidence supporting each charge?

I hope and pray that Republicans don’t shrug. There are conservative women (including my own wife) who are themselves victims of sexual abuse and have watched, aghast, as Republicans have wrapped their arms around a man who’s faced an avalanche of allegations of sexual misconduct. Yet there was always an explanation, a rationalization for the continued support. They’re all lying, Trump’s defenders would claim. Nothing has been proved. Why didn’t they take him to court?

But Carroll did. She did exactly what Trump’s defenders demanded. She went to court, faced cross-examination, looked the jury in the eye and made her claims. She provided witnesses who supported her story, under oath. The court gave Trump a chance to answer, to do the same thing — to look the jury in the eye and state his case. He declined.

The jury’s verdict echoes beyond politics. It implicates our nation’s moral core. Trump had his day in court. He lost. Now the GOP faces a very different kind of trial, one conducted not before a jury, but before a watching nation. It’s a test of decency, integrity and respect, and it is a great tragedy of our time that no one can presume that it’s a test the party will pass.

POR CYBERNEWS

SAN JUAN – Un jurado federal encontró culpables a Luis Carmona Bernacet, Yadiel Serrano Canales, Alan Lugo Montalvo, Fabiany Almestica Monge y Rolando Rivera Solis el martes por delitos de narcotráfico, violaciones de armas y tres asesinatos.

“Estos delincuentes violentos no tienen lugar en nuestra sociedad”, dijo el fiscal federal, W. Stephen Muldrow, en declaraciones escritas.

“Nuestro compromiso es perseguir y procesar a quienes violen la ley y pongan en peligro a nuestra

comunidad”, añadió.

“Este veredicto es un paso importante en nuestra lucha contra el narcotráfico y la violencia con armas en Puerto Rico”, comentó Joseph González, agente especial a cargo del FBI.

Los delitos ocurrieron desde el año 2000 hasta el 2014, en los municipios de San Juan, Trujillo Alto, Guaynabo y Bayamón. Los cinco acusados eran miembros de una empresa dedicada al asesinato y al tráfico de drogas.

Cuatro de los acusados fueron declarados culpables de usar armas de fuego durante y en relación con delitos de narcotráfico. Un acusado fue decla -

rado culpable de incitar, ordenar e inducir a los demás a llevar un arma de fuego durante y en relación con un delito de narcotráfico, causando la muerte de William Castro el 30 de diciembre de 2002. En relación con el asesinato de Maurice Spagnoletti, los acusados Serrano-Canales y Rivera-Solis ayudaron e incitaron a cada uno a llevar un arma de fuego durante y en relación con un delito de narcotráfico, causando la muerte de Maurice Spagnoletti.

La sentencia se llevará a cabo el 11 de agosto de 2023, a las nueve de la mañana. Un sexto acusado, Alex Burgos-Amaro, comenzará su juicio en una fecha posterior.

LA FORTALEZA – El gobernador, Pedro ierluisi, firmó el jueves, la Orden Ejecutiva 2023-012 en la que declara que finalizó el Estado de Emergencia decretado desde principios del 2020 como consecuencia de la pandemia del COVID-19.

Sin embargo, el Departamento de Salud retendrá la facultad de emitir reglamentación, directrices, Órdenes Administrativas, cartas circulares, protocolos y recomendaciones para atender la enfermedad del COVID. La Orden Ejecutiva del gobernador va en acorde con la Resolución Conjunta de la Cámara 7 que firmó el presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, en la que también declara que culminó el periodo de emergencia de esta pandemia. Lo mismo sucede con la determinación de la Organización Mundial Salud (OMS) la cual el pasado 5 de mayo informó que no califica al COVID-19 como una emergencia global.

“Al igual que el gobierno federal y la Organización Mundial de la Salud, en Puerto Rico las estadísticas demuestran una continuidad en la reducción de los contagios, hospitalizaciones y fallecimientos a causa del COVID-19. Así pues, es el momento de que el Gobierno de Puerto Rico tome acciones afirmativas para cambiar el enfoque ante el COVID-19 de una fase de emergencia a una de mitigación”, destacó el gobernador en la Orden Ejecutiva en la que agradece a los funcionarios públicos y personal de la empresa privada que desde inicios de 2020 han trabajado en aras de proteger y garantizar la salud, seguridad y bienestar del pueblo.

Según establecido en la Orden todas las agencias y municipios deberán desactivar cualquier procedimiento especial puesto en vigor para responder a lo que fue el Estado de Emergencia. A esos efectos, la Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto (OGP), la Autoridad de Asesoría Financiera y Agencia Fiscal (AAFAF) y el Departamento de Hacienda velarán por que este ejercicio se

haga responsablemente y en cumplimiento con cualquier requisito o proceso aplicable y podrán requerir aquellos informes y establecer aquellos controles presupuestarios que estimen necesarios para descargar esta responsabilidad.

“El fin de la emergencia no impacta los proyectos o programas existentes que se estén llevando a cabo con fondos estatales y federales asignados para trabajar con cualquier faceta de la emergencia según sus períodos de vigencia. Las agencias y los municipios deberán continuar cumpliendo con las guías, regulaciones y términos establecidos por cualquier agencia federal o estatal. El período elegible para incurrir en gastos vence el 31 de diciembre de 2024 y los fondos deberán ser utilizados en su totalidad en o antes del 31 de diciembre del 2026. Sin embargo, cualquier fondo que tenga una fecha de vigencia distinta se regirá de acuerdo con los periodos de vigencia previamente establecidos para esos fondos”, establece la Orden Ejecutiva.

POR CYBERNEWS

Gobernador firma orden ejecutiva para finalizar emergencia por COVID-19

Cinco individuos son declarados culpables de narcotráfico, violaciones de armas y tres asesinatos incluyendo el de Maurice Spagnoletti

Undaunted by air raids, a Ukrainian duo gets ready for Eurovision

By MARC SANTORA and ALEX MARSHALL

Whenever their rehearsals for the Eurovision Song Contest were interrupted by air raid sirens, the Ukrainian pop duo Tvorchi would race to the safety of underground bunkers, sometimes wearing their matching stage outfits.

While recording a video in Kyiv of their contest entry, “Heart of Steel,” they lost electricity, sending them on a hunt for generators.

But they are quick to stress that those inconveniences have been minor compared with what others are going through.

“Everyone can meet hard and difficult times,” said Andrii Hutsuliak, 27, who formed the group with singer Jimoh Augustus Kehinde, 26, describing what has become the theme of their song. “We just wanted to say, be a stronger and better version of yourself.”

They are about to get a chance to project that message at the world’s largest,

glitziest and often campiest song contest: Eurovision, in which entrants from countries across Europe and beyond are facing off Saturday on a broadcast that is expected to draw some 160 million global viewers, making it the world’s most-watched cultural event.

This year’s contest should have been held in Ukraine because the country’s entrant last year, Kalush Orchestra, won with an upbeat track that mixed rap and traditional folk music. But with Russia’s bombardment of Ukraine continuing, the host city was switched to Liverpool, England.

Tvorchi, which means “creative,” won the right to represent Ukraine after performing “Heart of Steel” at a Eurovision selection contest staged in a metro station deep below Kyiv, out of reach of Russian bombs. They were flanked by backup dancers wearing gas masks, and images of nuclear warning signs flashed on screens behind them.

Continues on page 18

Andrii Hutsuliak, left, and Jimoh Augustus Kehinde, who, as the duo Tvorchi, are representing Ukraine at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, in Amsterdam on April 15, 2023.

From page 17

“It still feels kind of unreal,” Hutsuliak said as he prepared to leave for Liverpool.

Known now as a sprawling television extravaganza with wild costumes, eclectic mixes of acts and over-the-top performances, Eurovision began in 1956 as a way of uniting Europe after World War II. As it has grown — and expanded beyond Europe, with entries from Israel and Australia — it has often reflected wider political and social issues.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken the contest’s entanglement with politics to new heights. The European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the contest, barred Russia from competing immediately after its invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian victory at last year’s Eurovision, awarded by a mix of jury and public votes, was widely seen as a show of solidarity with the besieged nation.

In Ukraine, which has won top honors three times since making its Eurovision debut in 2003, the contest has long been hugely popular and valued as a way for the nation to align itself culturally with Europe. Now it is also seen as a way to keep Europe’s attention focused on the war.

As Hutsuliak and Kehinde sat down for an interview at a hip restaurant in central Kyiv called Honey, they apologized for having had to delay the meeting by a day, explaining that they had some urgent business: securing the paperwork that men of fighting age need to exit the country so they could travel to Liverpool.

Their song “Heart of Steel” was inspired, Hutsuliak said,

by the soldiers who worked to defend the now-ruined city of Mariupol in southern Ukraine, holding out months longer than anyone imagined possible. The soldiers made their final stand at the sprawling Azovstal steel plant.

“Get out of my way,” Kehinde sings. “’Cause I got a heart of steel.”

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February last year, martial law meant that Hutsuliak couldn’t leave, while Kehinde, a Nigerian citizen originally from Lagos, could. His mother, panicked, called him on the morning Russia started bombing Ukrainian cities and urged him to get out.

“That day I think I had 25 to 30 relatives call me,” Kehinde

recalled. “They wanted me to leave.”

Kehinde, whose stage name is Jeffery Kenny, visited his mother in Nigeria for a week — “because she wouldn’t stop panicking,” he said — but then returned, as he’d built a life in Ternopil, in western Ukraine. At first he thought the war would last a few months, but then the reality of the conflict set in.

The band would never have formed if Kehinde had not made the unusual decision to move, in December 2013, to Ukraine for college to study for a pharmacy degree. As one of the few Black people in Ternopil, Kehinde stood out, he recalled, but that proved instrumental to the band’s formation. One day, Hutsuliak introduced himself and asked if he could practice his English, promising that Kehinde could try out his Ukrainian.

Many of their early tracks were love songs, but the invasion led them to write a series of more intense tracks including “Heart of Steel” and “Freedom,” which has defiant lyrics including “These walls / You can’t break them down.” Those songs were not written with Eurovision in mind, but in December the pair competed in a live contest in Kyiv to become Ukraine’s entry.

The pair didn’t expect to win, but they became Ukraine’s choice. Ever since, they have been trying to live up to that decision, which they called an honor.

This year, they reworked their track a little to make it even more representative of the country. While Eurovision songs are frequently sung in English, the version of “Heart of Steel” that will be performed on Saturday now contains a section in Ukrainian.

“Despite the pain, I continue my fight,” Kehinde sings during it. “The world is on fire, but you should act.”

Andrii Hutsuliak, left, and Jimoh Augustus Kehinde, who, as the duo Tvorchi, are representing Ukraine at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, in Amsterdam on April 15, 2023.

White Lasagna

By MELISSA CLARK

Made without any Bolognese or tomato sauce, a white lasagna is a celebration of pasta and vegetables bound together by a creamy béchamel. This version, brimming with herbs, spinach, asparagus and peas, is an ode to spring, like a baked pasta primavera in its richest form. Serve it in small squares as a first or pasta course, as it’s served in Italy, or in more substantial slabs as a meatless main course. It’s a bit of a project, so if you want to work ahead, you can make the béchamel up to a week in advance and store it in the refrigerator. The baked lasagna can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat, covered, in a 350-degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

Yield: 6 main course or 12 appetizer or side-dish servings

Total time: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Béchamel:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

For the Filling:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Fine sea or table salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw)

1 cup combination of soft herbs (parsley, chives, basil, dill), finely chopped, plus more for garnish

2 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

8 ounces baby spinach or baby greens, like kale or arugula (about 8 cups), chopped

1 lemon, zested and juiced

32 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 4 cups)

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano

12 ounces dried lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles), or substitute the same amount of no-boil, oven-ready or fresh noodles; all will work

8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, thinly sliced Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a little butter.

2. Prepare the béchamel: In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Once melted, add flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until pale golden. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, so that the sauce does not clump. Add the salt, nutmeg and bay leaf. Gently bring to a simmer and let cook for 9 to 12 minutes, whisking often, until the béchamel is thick but still pourable. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan and grated garlic, and taste, adding more salt if needed.

3. While the béchamel is cooking, start preparing the filling: Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Let it heat until it thins out, about 30 seconds, then add the asparagus and sauté, shaking the pan, until crisp-tender, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the frozen peas and 2 tablespoons herbs.

4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and heat until the oil thins out, about 30 seconds, then add the leeks, fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté leeks until tender and golden at the edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the spinach and remaining herbs, working in batches if needed, and sauté until the greens are very tender and the pan is very dry, about 10 minutes. Stir in

White lasagna in New York, April 20, 2023. Layered with asparagus, spinach, peas and lemony ricotta, this springy recipe from Melissa Clark is the cheesy dish for right now. Food styled by Simon Andrews.

lemon zest and juice. Taste and add more salt if needed. It should be well seasoned.

5. Add mixture to a large bowl. Stir in ricotta and 3/4 cup each Parmesan and pecorino (save remaining Parmesan for the top). Taste and add more salt if needed.

6. Remove bay leaf from béchamel, then ladle some of the sauce into the bottom of the baking pan until just covered. Place as many noodles as will fit on top of the béchamel, breaking or cutting them to fit in one layer. Ladle a little more béchamel on top of the noodles, covering the surface. Add half of the ricotta mixture, spreading evenly, then sprinkle half of the asparagus-pea mixture on top. Add another layer of noodles, then béchamel, then the remaining ricotta mixture, then the remaining asparagus-pea mixture. Top with the sliced mozzarella. Add a third and final layer of noodles (don’t worry if you don’t end up using all of the noodles) and cover with remaining béchamel. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.

7. Cover the pan with foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling on top. (If the top is still pale, you can run the lasagna under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes.) Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

New support for some extinct Tasmanian tiger sightings

By JOSHUA RAPP LEARN

Depending on whom you ask, the Tasmanian tiger or thylacine has either been extinct for nearly a century or has been just really good at hiding.

Now new research examining hundreds of reports from more than a century shows there is a good chance the thylacine may have persisted for a few decades longer in the most remote parts of Tasmania.

“There are pockets where the species could have maintained small populations,” said Barry Brook, a professor of environmental sustainability at the University of Tasmania.

One of the problems with the thylacine, and extinction in general, is it’s hard to prove something is truly gone. Australia’s night parrot for instance, was thought to be extinct for 140 years until its recent rediscovery.

The last known thylacine was given to Hobart Zoo in Tasmania in 1931, dying in captivity in 1936. European settlers, some of whom harbored mostly unwarranted fears that the animal would attack livestock, relentlessly hunted the striped, carnivorous marsupials, which resembled wolves more than felines. The Tasmanian government even offered bounties on the thylacines. By the early 1900s, the population had crashed, Brook said.

But cryptozoologists, hikers and even the occasional hunter or park ranger have reported thylacine sightings for decades after the animal’s presumed extinction in Tasmania, driving speculation about whether 1936 “was the final death knell of the species, or did it hang on,” Brook said.

He and his colleagues decided to take a statistical approach, combining all the reports they could gather and rating them in terms of reliability to improve their understanding of when and where the thylacine might have

gone extinct.

For a study published in the June issue of the journal Science of the Total Environment, Brook’s team studied 1,237 Tasmanian tiger reports from 1910 onward. It classified these reports in terms of credibility. More than half of the reports came from the general public. The team also found spikes of sightings that were probably linked to high-profile thylacine news in Australia — what Brook’s team called “recency bias.”

Some reports between 1910 and 1937 were of confirmed captures or kills, with the last fully wild photographed kill occurring in 1930. Brook’s team considered another four reports of kills and captures/releases from 1933-1937 legitimate.

For the following eight decades, 26 deaths and 16 captures were reported but not verified, as were 271 reports made by people that Brook’s team considered experts: former

trappers, outdoorsmen, scientists or officials. These types of high-quality reports from experts peaked in the 1930s and started to fall in the 1940s.

People who had definitely trapped or seen thylacines before the 1930s, and who presumably knew what they were looking at, had either died or retired by the 1970s. “That whole pool of expertise kind of dries up by the 1970s,” Brook said.

The best quality report after that, he said, came from a park officer who saw one in 1982. A model based on all these reports reveals Tasmanian tigers likely went extinct between the 1940s and 1970s, with a smaller chance they persisted in remote areas until the 1980s or even the early 2000s.

Branden Holmes, an independent conservationist and editor of the recent book “Thylacine: The History, Ecology and Loss of the Tasmanian Tiger,” and who was not in-

volved in Brook’s study, called the research “a laudable attempt to find out when and where the thylacine likely went extinct,” using a large data set of reports. “The last members of a species are invariably (almost) never seen by humans, particularly on an island as large and sparsely populated as Tasmania,” Holmes said in an email.

But he noted that not everyone may agree with the quality rating of some of the reports the team analyzed.

Nick Mooney, who studied Tasmanian wildlife for decades and who also wasn’t involved in Brook’s study, put it another way: “You have court cases without any witnesses, just scraps of reports written down by other people.”

Mooney has interviewed hundreds of people who reported thylacines. He found that most either misidentified the creature they saw, lied or were delusional — and that a psychological effect or modified memory might be to blame in some cases.

At the same time, Mooney finds the 1982 report by a park officer relatively credible. “I don’t disagree with the authors, except to say their conclusions are somewhat optimistic, considering the material used,” he said.

Brook’s analysis found there to be a very small chance that the thylacine is still around today. For that possibility, Mooney said that even if Tasmanian tigers did persist past 1936, the likelihood of their still being around shrinks all the time. Someone should have found one by now, given the high levels of roadkill in Tasmania and the increasing use of trail cameras in more remote parts.

Brook agrees that we’re unlikely to discover surviving thylacines.

“The hope for some people is that the thylacine is a Lazarus species that will rise from its tomb and walk again,” he said, “but that unfortunately hasn’t happened.”

The last known Tasmanian tiger died in captivity in 1936. But a study suggests hundreds more sightings into the 20th century.

How to get into the swing of kettlebell training

By HILARY ACHAUER

Shaped like a teapot without a spout, the kettlebell is an unusual fitness tool. Initially designed as a farm implement, it’s unbalanced and awkward to lift and move. That is partly why it’s so effective.

The handle of a kettlebell is thicker than that of a dumbbell or barbell, so swinging or moving it improves grip strength. Its center of mass is farther from your hand, meaning your body has to work to stabilize the weight as you swing it, lift it and press it overhead.

But talk to kettlebell enthusiasts and most of them will say the same thing: The weight feels alive in their hands.

“What I liked about the kettlebell training was that it didn’t look like exercise so much as it looked like movement,” said Os Aponte, owner and trainer at Iron Core, a kettlebell training gym in San Diego, about the first time he tried it. “It’s very thoughtful. It’s very mindful.”

The origin of the kettlebell

The first thing to know is it’s a kettlebell — like the one you ring — not a kettleball. The second is that it has been around for a long time. It first appeared in a Russian dictionary in 1704, where it was a counterweight for measuring crops. Before long, farmers were using them to show off their strength at farming festivals.

“You put a group of people together with some weights and it’s not too long before somebody says, ‘I can lift that more than you can,’” said Brett Jones, the director of education and a master instructor for StrongFirst, a strength training school in Reno, Nevada. StrongFirst was founded by Pavel

Tsatsouline, who is widely recognized as the person responsible for popularizing kettlebell training in the United States.

In the early 1900s the Soviet army began to use kettlebells as part of its physical training and eventually organized kettlebell championships in the late 1980s. By the early 2000s, partly thanks to Tsatsouline, kettlebells became a fixture in most gyms.

How kettlebells improve your strength and fitness

One reason for the popularity of kettlebells is their versatility. You can use them like any other weight for squatting, pressing or deadlifting. You can also get a cardiovascular workout and build explosive power with cleans (when the weight is lifted from the ground to the shoulders) or snatches (when it’s lifted from the ground to over the head). While most of these movements can be performed with a dumbbell as well, the thick handle and the offset center of mass of the kettlebell strengthens your grip and requires you to engage your core muscles as you lift it.

“All kettlebell exercises are core exercises,” Aponte said.

The swing, however, is where the kettlebell comes alive. In one fluid movement you grip the weight, lift it and snap your hips in an explosive yet smooth movement. Learning how to use your legs and hips to change the direction of the kettlebell works many of the muscles in your body and elevates your heart rate with less impact to the body than other free weights.

A few small studies have suggested that kettlebell training improves symptoms of knee arthritis and boosts grip strength in older adults. (The association between grip

strength and longevity has been well documented.) Other small studies suggest kettlebell training improves aerobic capacity in female intercollegiate soccer players and performance in weightlifting and powerlifting. It is also accessible for beginners.

“The handle itself makes it so forgiving because you can grab it on the corner, you can grab it on the side, you can grab it on the top,” Damali Fraiser, a kettlebell and nutrition coach in Brampton, Ontario, said. “You don’t have to necessarily balance it centered as you might with a barbell or a dumbbell.”

Which kettlebell to use

To figure out what size to use first, find the heaviest kettlebell you can lift from your shoulder to overhead comfortably and safely three to five times. This will most likely be a 24-pound kettlebell for women with some experience strength-training and a 35-pound one for men.

Be sure to look for a cast-iron kettlebell made from a single piece of iron. Vinyl or plastic kettlebells get slippery as you sweat and the seams can damage your hands.

When you are ready to add other kettlebells to your collection, go up about 10 pounds for your next one. Then add a second kettlebell the same size as your first to start swinging two simultaneously.

The foundational kettlebell movements

Those who are starting out will want to focus on three effective, easy-to-master movements: the deadlift, the swing and the farmer’s carry. When you first begin using a kettlebell, get used to how the weight moves, Fraiser said. Start with movements that don’t go overhead. Once you’re comfortable, move on to pressing and lifting the weight overhead.

— The deadlift

A deadlift involves lifting a weight to hip level. It’s a functional, practical movement, and in kettlebell training, it’s the first part of the swing. It’s also often a lot easier than other types of deadlifts.

To start, place the kettlebell between your ankles, feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, keeping your hips elevated and your back flat. Grab the kettlebell handle with both hands, keep your arms straight, tighten your glutes and core, and stand up.

— The swing

Start with a deadlift to bring the kettlebell to your hips. Push your hips back, slightly bending your knees, and bring the kettlebell between your legs. Keep your back straight and use your core muscles and your glutes to push your hips, straightening your knees and swinging the kettlebell forward. Swing the kettlebell as high as it will go with the force of your legs. Try to build momentum as you swing the kettlebell back and forth between your legs and the front of your body.

— The farmer’s carry

Start by placing the kettlebell on the ground by either side of your body. Bend your knees slightly, like in the deadlift, and reach down to grab the handle of the kettlebell. Stand up with a flat back and a tight core. Start to take small steps forward, keeping your core engaged to maintain balance. Don’t let the weight drag you to one side and keep your chest upright. You can march in place or walk forward. Once it’s time to switch hands, place the kettlebell on the ground by bending your legs and maintaining a flat back, and then repeat on the other side.

Kettlebell swings in Portland, Ore., April 2023. Perfect for beginners, these oddly shaped weights offer a low-impact, full-body workout that will bring a sense of flow to your exercise routine.

LEGAL NOTICE

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO

WILMINGTON SAVINGS

FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS CERTIFICATE TRUSTEE OF BOSCO CREDIT II TRUST SERIES

2017-1, BY FRANKLIN CREDIT MANAGEMENT AS SERVICER

Plaintiff V. LAURA MALDONADOCASILLAS A/K/A LAURA EMMA MALDONADOCASILLAS

Defendant

Civil No.: 19-1400. IN REM. NOTICE OF SALE.

To: LAURA MALDONADOCASILLAS A/K/A LAURA EMMA MALDONALDOCASILLAS.

WHEREAS, Default Judgment was entered on August 22, 2022, published on November 3, 2022, in favor of Plaintiff the aggregated amount of $118,159.02, consisting of principal, interests which continues to accrue until full payment of the debt at $16.33 daily and other charges, plus the amount of $10,192.00 to cover costs, expenses and attorney fees as agreed in the Mortgage Note in the event judicial foreclosure and collection action. WHEREAS, pursuant to said judgment, the undersigned SPECIAL MASTER, Joel Ronda Feliciano, was ordered to sell at public auction for US currency in cash or certified check, without appraisal or right to redemption to the highest bidder, the sale will take place at: Federico Degetau Federal Building, Room 150, 150 Carlos Chardon Street, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00918; this sale is regarding the following property belonging to the Defendant, located at the following physical address: Condominio Medical Center Plaza, Apt. 812 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00912, and described in the Property Registry as follows: URBAN:

HORIZONTAL PROPERTY:

Apartment for residential use number eight hundred and twelve on the plot plan, which is part of the building called Condominium Medical Center Plaza, built on a plot of land of the Monacillos ward of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, whose apartment It is located on the ninth floor of the building, with access door to a corridor for cir-

culation, which communicates with the exterior of the building. This apartment has a surface area of six hundred eightyfour-point ninety square feet, equivalent to sixty-three point sixty-five square meters and consists of the following facilities. Living room, balcony, kitchen with counter, room with its auxiliary closet and bathroom. It adjoins by the NORTH, with the corridor for circulation; by the south, with the front yard; by the EAST, with the apartment number eight hundred and eleven; by the WEST, with apartment number eight hundred thirteen. It corresponds to this apartment and therefore also marks number eight hundred and twelve the parking space for a car located in the parking area at the basement level. The linear measures are this apartment are the following; In front is twenty-two ten inches, equivalent to six point seventy-four meters, in the background is thirty feet zero inches corresponds a share in the common elements equivalent to fifty-five percent point.” Property number 22169, recorded at page 281 of volume 696 of Monacillos, Registry of the Property of Puerto Rico, Section III of San Juan. The property is described in the Spanish language in Registry of the Property of Puerto Rico as follows: URBANA: Propiedad Horizontal. Apartamiento para uso residencial marcado número ochocientos doce en el plano, el cual forma parte del edificio denominado Condominio Medical Center Plaza, construido en una parcela de terreno del Barrio Monacillos del término municipal de San Juan, Puerto Rico, cuyo apartamiento está localizado en la novena planta del edificio, con puerta de acceso a un pasillo para la circulación, que lo comunica con el exterior del edificio. Este apartamiento tiene un área superficial de seiscientos ochenta y cuatro punto noventa pies cuadrados equivalentes a sesenta y tres punto sesenta y cinco metros cuadrados y consta de las siguientes facilidades. Sala-comedor, balcón, cocina con mostrador, habitación con su closet, closet auxiliar y baño. Colinda por el NORTE, con el pasillo para la circulación; por el SUR, con el patio delantero; por el ESTE, con el apartamiento número ochocientos once; y por el OESTE, con el apartamiento número ochocientos trece. Le corresponde a este apartamiento y por lo tanto también se marca número ochocientos doce, el espacio de estacionamiento para un

automóvil localizado en el área de estacionamiento al nivel del sótano. Las medidas lineales de este apartamiento son las siguientes: de frente, veintidós pies diez pulgadas equivalentes a seis punto setenta y cuatro metros de fondo, treinta pies cero pulgadas equivalentes a nueve punto quince metros. Con un porcentaje en los elementos comunes de cero punto cincuenta y cinco por ciento. Potential bidders are advised to verify the extent of preferential liens with the holders thereof. It shall be understood that the potential bidders acquire the property subject to any and all the senior liens that encumber the property. It shall be understood that each bidder accepts as sufficient the title that prior and preferential liens to the one being foreclosed upon, including but not limited to any property tax liens (express, tacit, implied or legal), shall continue in effect, it being understood further that the successful bidder accepts them and is subrogated in the responsibility for the same and the bid price shall not be applied toward the cancellation of their cancellation. The present property will be acquired free and clear of all junior liens. WHEREFORE, the FIRST PUBLIC SALE will be held on JUNE 9, 2023 AT 9:30 AM and the minimum bidding amount that will be accepted is the sum of $101,920.00, pursuant to the “Deed of First Mortgage”, Deed Number 13 of November 30th 2007, before notary public Jorge Alberto Maisonet Rivera, duly recorded at Page 110, Volume 929 of Monacillos, 8th inscription, recording of the Registry of the Property of Puerto Rico, Section III of San Juan, securing a mortgage note payable to the Plaintiff, and no lower offers will be accepted. In the event said first auction does not produce a bidder and the property is not adjudicated, a SECOND PUBLIC AUCTION shall be held on JUNE 16, 2023 AT 9:30 AM and the minimum bidding amount that will be accepted will be two-thirds the amount of the minimum bid, the sum of $67,946.67. If said second auction does not result in the adjudication and sale of the property, a THIRD PUBLIC AUCTION shall be held on JUNE 23, 2023 AT 9:30 AM and the minimum bidding amount that will be accepted will be one-half of the minimum bid, the sum of $50,960.00. Upon confirmation of the sale, an order shall be issued canceling all junior liens. For further particulars, reference is made to the

judgment entered by the Court in this case, which can be examined in the aforementioned office of the Clerk of the United States District Court. The files and all the documents corresponding to the procedure initiated will be shown at the court’s office during working hours. San Juan, Puerto Rico, this 4 day of April 2023. JOEL RONDA FELICIANO, APPOINTED SPECIAL MASTER, E-mail: rondajoel@me.com, Tel: 787565-0415.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Demandante V. LUIS RUBÉN CASTRO AQUINO T/C/C LUIS CASTRO AQUINO; MARITZA CASTRO AQUINO; CARLOS SOBET GUERRIDO

Demandados

Civil Núm.: TB2019CV00382.

Sala: 504. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y 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 Bayamón, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, hago saber, a la parte demandada y al PUBLICO EN GENERAL: Que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia expedido el día 12 de abril de 2023, por la Secretaria 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 once del Bloque FD en la Urbanización Levittown en el Barrio Sabana Seca de Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, con un área de trescientos sesenticinco metros cuadrados con treinta y siete centímetros cuadrados en lindes por el NORTE, en veintitrés metros con el solar número doce; por el SUR, en diecinueve metros cincuenta centímetros y arco de dos metros setecientos cuarenta y nueve milímetros con Ramon Marín; por el ESTE, en doce metros cincuenta centímetros y arco de dos metros setecientos cuarenta y nueve milímetros con Ramon Marín; y por el OESTE, en dieciséis metros con el

solar número diez. Contiene una casa de cemento, diseñada para una familia construida de acuerdo con los planos y especificaciones aprobado por la Administración Federal de Hogares y otras agencias gubernamentales. Inscrita al folio

211 del tomo 178 de Toa Baja, finca número 10,528. Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección II de Bayamón. La propiedad ubica según pagaré en:

11 FD Ramón Marín St. Urb. Levittown, Sexta Unidad de Planificación Barrio Sabana Seca, Toa Baja, PR. El producto de la subasta se destinará a satisfacer al demandante hasta donde alcance, la SENTENCIA dictada a su favor, el día 27 de febrero de 202 y notificada el 1 de marzo de 2023, en el presente caso civil, a saber la suma de $144,491.37 por concepto de principal; generando intereses a razón de 6.50% desde el 1ro de noviembre de 2018; cargos por demora los cuales al igual que los intereses continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda reclamada en este pleito, y la suma de $18,915.00 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 13 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en el cuarto piso, Oficina de Alguaciles de Subastas de Centro Judicial de Bayamón, Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Que el precio mínimo fijado para la PRIMERA SUBASTA es de $189,150.00. Que de ser necesaria la celebración de una SEGUNDA SUBASTA la misma se llevará a efecto el día 20 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina antes mencionada del Alguacil que suscribe. El precio mínimo para la SEGUNDA SUBASTA será de $126,100.00, 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 27 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina antes mencionada del Alguacil que suscribe. El precio mínimo para la TERCERA SUBASTA será de $94,575.00, 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 Bayamón, Puerto Rico, hoy día 25 de abril de 2023. Maribel Lanzar Velázquez, Alguacil Placa #735, Alguacil De La División De Subastas, Tribunal De Primera Instancia, Sala Superior De Bayamón.

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CAGUAS ORIENTAL BANK

Demandante Vs. SUCESION DE GREGORIO ANGULO RIVERA Y LYDIA

ESTHER ROSA RIVERA, COMPUESTAS POR SUS

HIJA JESSICA ANGULO ROSA; FULANO DE TAL Y ZUTANO DE TAL, COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS CON POSIBLE INTERÉS DE AMBAS

SUCESIONES; CENTRO DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (“CRIM”)

Demandados

Civil Núm.: CG2022CV00672. (701). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO (EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA). EDICTO DE SUBASTA. Al: PÚBLICO EN GENERAL.

A: SUCESION DE GREGORIO ANGULO RIVERA Y LYDIA

ESTHER ROSA RIVERA, COMPUESTAS POR SUS

HIJA JESSICA ANGULO ROSA; FULANO DE TAL Y ZUTANO DE TAL, COMO HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS CON POSIBLE INTERÉS DE AMBAS SUCESIONES; CENTRO DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (“CRIM”)

Yo, EDGARDO ALDEBOL MIRANDA, ALGUACIL AUXILIAR, Alguacil de este Tribunal, a la parte demandada y a los acreedores y personas con interés sobre la propiedad que más adelante se describe, y al público en general, HAGO SABER:

Que el día 30 DE MAYO DE 2023 A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Caguas, Caguas, Puerto Rico, venderé en Pública Subasta la propiedad inmueble que más adelante se describe y cuya venta en pública subasta se ordenó por la vía ordinaria al mejor postor quien hará el pago en dinero en efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del o la Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento

incoado, estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Caguas durante horas laborables. Que en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta a celebrarse, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA para la venta de la susodicha propiedad, el día 6 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA y en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 13 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina sita en el lugar antes indicado. La propiedad a venderse en pública subasta se describe como sigue: URBANA: Solar marcado con el número Cuarenta y Seis (46) del Bloque R guión Trece (R-13) de la URBANIZACIÓN TURABO GARDENS, radicado en el Barrio Cañaboncito del término municipal de Caguas, Puerto Rico, con una cabida de TRESCIENTOS DOCE PUNTO CERO CERO (312.00) METROS CUADRADOS. En lindes: por el NORTE, en veinticuatro punto cero cero (24.00) metros, con el solar número Cuarenta y Cinco (45); por el SUR, en veinticuatro punto cero cero (24.00) metros, con el solar número Cuarenta y Siete (47); por el ESTE, en trece punto cero cero (13.00) metros, con la Avenida Shuford; y por el OESTE, en trece punto cero cero (13.00) metros, con la Calle “A”. Contiene una casa de concreto reforzado diseñada para una familia. La escritura de hipoteca se encuentra inscrita al folio 31 del tomo 1744 de Caguas, Registro de la Propiedad de Caguas, Sección Primera, finca número 22,077, inscripción décima. La dirección física de la propiedad antes descrita es: Urbanización Turabo Gardens III, Calle A (antes 34), R13-46, Caguas, Puerto Rico. La subasta se llevará a efecto para satisfacer a la parte demandante la suma de $97,281.23 de principal, intereses al 5.00% anual, desde el día 1ro. de agosto de 2021, hasta su completo pago, más la cantidad de $12,460.00, por concepto de costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado, más recargos acumulados, todas cuyas sumas están líquidas y exigibles. Que la cantidad mínima de licitación en la primera subasta para el inmueble será la suma de $124,600.00 y de ser necesaria una segunda subasta, la cantidad mínima será equivalente a 2/3 partes de aquella, o sea, la suma de $83,066.67 y de ser necesaria una tercera subasta, la cantidad mínima será la mitad del precio pactado, es decir, la

suma de $62,300.00. La propiedad se adjudicará al mejor postor, quien deberá satisfacer el importe de su oferta en moneda legal y corriente de los Estados Unidos de América en el momento de la adjudicación y que las cargas y gravámenes preferentes, si los hubiese, 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 del remate. La propiedad a ser vendida en pública subasta se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente Edicto para conocimiento y comparecencia de los licitadores, bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Caguas, Puerto Rico, a 27 de abril de 2023. Edgardo Aldebol Miranda, Alguacil Auxiliar, Alguacil Del Tribunal, Sala Superior De Caguas.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE COAMO

FIRSTBANK PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. RAMON RIVERA SANTOS Y CALIXTA CARDONA RODRIGUEZ Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCILES

COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

Parte Demandada

Civil Núm.: B2CI2016-00728.

Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA “IN REM”. ANUNCIO DE SUBASTA. El suscribiente, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Puerto Rico, Sala de Coamo, a los demandados de epígrafe y al público en general hace saber que venderá en pública subasta en la Oficina de Alguaciles, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Humacao, al mejor postor, en moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América en efectivo, cheque certificado, o giro postal a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, el derecho que tenga la parte demandada en el inmueble que se relaciona más adelante para pagar la SENTENCIA por $59,451.64 de balance principal, los intereses adeudados sobre dicho principal y computados al 4% anual hasta su total pago y completo pago desde el primero de marzo de 2016; cargos por demora devengados, más la suma de $7,676.00 estipulada para honorarios de abogado pactada en la escritura de hipoteca y cualesquiera otras sumas que por cualesquiera concepto le-

gal se devenguen hasta el día de la subasta. La propiedad a venderse en pública subasta se describe como sigue: URBANA: Parcela de terreno en la Urbanización “Extensión Jardines de Coamo”, situada en el Barrio San Ildefonso del término municipal de Coamo, marcada con el número cuatro (4) del bloque “P”, con un área superficial de doscientos noventa y tres punto setenta y cinco metros cuadrados (293.75). En lindes por el Norte, en veinticinco metros (25.00) con el solar numero tres (3) del bloque P, por el Sur, en veinticinco metros (25.00) con el solar número cinco (5) del bloque P, por el Este, en once punto setenta y cinco metros (11.75) con la calle numero veinticinco (25), y por el Oeste, en once punto setenta y cinco metros (11.75) con solares dieciséis (16) y diecisiete (17) el bloque P. Enclava casa. Inscrita al folio ciento uno (101) del tomo ciento cuarenta y siete (147) de Coamo, finca numero ocho mil trescientos noventa y seis (8396), Registro de Barranquitas. Dirección Física: Extensión Jardines de Coamo, P4, Calle 25, Coamo, PR 00769-2140. La PRIMERA SUBASTA se llevará a cabo el día 15 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 10:00 DE LA MAÑANA y servirá de tipo mínimo para la misma la suma de $76,760.00 sin admitirse oferta inferior. En el caso de que el inmueble a ser subastado no fuera adjudicado en la primera subasta, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 22 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 2:00 DE LA TARDE, y el precio mínimo para esta segunda subasta será el de dos terceras partes del precio mínimo establecido para la primera subasta, o a sea la suma de $51,173.33. Si tampoco hubiera remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una tercera subasta el día 29 de junio de 2023, a la 2:00 de la tarde, y el tipo mínimo para esta tercera subasta será la mitad del precio establecido para la primera subasta, o sea, la suma de $38,380.00. El mejor postor deberá pagar el importe de su oferta en efecto, cheque certificado o giro postal a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse el inmueble al acreedor hipotecario dentro de los diez días siguientes a la fecha de la última subasta, si así lo estimase conveniente, por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada conforme a la sentencia, si ésta fuera igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta y abonándose dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si ésta fuera mayor. Se avisa a cualquier licitador que la propiedad queda sujeta al gravamen del

Estado Libre Asociado y CRIM sobre la propiedad inmueble por contribuciones adeudadas y que el pago de dichas contribuciones es la responsabilidad del licitador. Que se entenderá por todo licitador acepte como suficiente la titulación y que los cargos y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante continuarán subsistentes en entendiéndose que el rematador los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse su extinción al precio rematante. Todos los nombres de los acreedores que tengan inscritos o anotados sus derechos sobre los bienes hipotecados con posterioridad a la inscripción del crédito del ejecutante, o de los acreedores de cargas o derechos reales que los hubiesen pospuesto a la hipoteca ejecutada y las personas interesadas en, o con derecho a exigir el cumplimiento de instrumentos negociables garantizados hipotecariamente con posterioridad al crédito ejecutado, siempre que surgen de la certificación registral, para que puedan concurrir a la subasta si les convenga o satisfacer antes del remate el importe del crédito, de sus intereses, costas y honorarios de abogados asegurados, quedando entonces subrogados en los derechos del acreedor ejecutante. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. Y para conocimiento de licitadores, del público en general y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general diaria en Puerto Rico y en los sitios públicos de acuerdo a las disposiciones de la Regla 51.7 de las de Procedimiento Civil, así como para la publicación en un periódico de circulación general diaria y en el Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, por espacio de dos semanas con antelación a la fecha de la primera subasta y por lo menos una vez por semana. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento indicado estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal durante las horas laborables.

(Art. 102 (1) de la Ley núm. 210-2015). Expedido el presente en Coamo, Puerto Rico, a 26 de abril de 2023. RODOLFO

LARA MARTÍNEZ, ALGUACIL PLACA #321, ALGUACIL DEL TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE COAMO.

MARIE IVETTE GRAU GRAU

Demandada

Civil Núm.: CCD2014-0427.

(302). Sobre: Ejecución de Hipoteca por la Vía Ordinaria “IN REM”. EDICTO DE SUBASTA.

Al: Público en General.

A: MARIE IVETTE GRAU GRAU; DEPARTAMENTO DE LA VIVIENDA, por tener Hipoteca en Garantía de Pagaré a su favor por la suma de $40,000.00.

Yo, ÁNGEL DE JESUS TORRES PÉREZ, Alguacil de este Tribunal, a la parte demandada y a los acreedores y personas con interés sobre la propiedad que más adelante se describe, y al público en general, HAGO SABER: Que el día 23 DE MAYO DE 2023 A LAS 10:45 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Arecibo, Arecibo, Puerto Rico, venderé en Pública Subasta la propiedad inmueble que más adelante se describe y cuya venta en pública subasta se ordenó por la vía ordinaria al mejor postor quien hará el pago en dinero en efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del o la Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado, estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Arecibo durante horas laborables. Que en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta a celebrarse, se celebrará una SEGUNDA

SUBASTA para la venta de la susodicha propiedad, el día

31 DE MAYO DE 2023 A LAS

10:45 DE LA MAÑANA; y en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día

7 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS

10:45 DE LA MAÑANA en mi oficina sita en el lugar antes indicado. La propiedad a venderse en pública subasta se describe como sigue: Apartamento número Dos Mil Seiscientos Uno (2601). Cabida: CIENTO DIEZ PUNTO OCHENTA Y SEIS (110.86) METROS CUADRADOS. URBANA: Propiedad Horizontal: Apartamento residencial localizado en el primer piso (segundo nivel) del Edificio “E” del Condominio “Marina IV de Barceloneta”, sito en el Barrio Pueblo del término municipal de Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. Área aproximada de OCHOCIENTOS NOVENTA Y CINCO PUNTO NOVECIENTOS CUARENTA Y UNO (895.941) PIES CUADRADOS, equivalentes a OCHENTA Y TRES PUNTO VEINTISIETE (83.27) METROS CUADRADOS. En lindes: por el NORTE, en veintiún pies con tres

pulgadas (21’ 3”), con la Calle Unión; por el SUR, en veintiún pies con tres pulgadas (21’ 3”), con área de estacionamiento; por el ESTE, en cuarenta y seis pies con cuatro pulgadas (46’ 4”), con áreas comunes, pasillo y escalera; y por el OESTE, en cuarenta y seis pies con dos pulgadas (46’ 2”) con el apartamento número Dos Mil Setecientos Uno (2701). Consta de sala comedor, cocina, balcón, tres dormitorios, dos baños, roperos (“closets”) y área de lavandería (“laundry”). Le pertenece el uso exclusivo como elemento privado: dos espacios de estacionamiento, identificados con el número Dos Mil Seiscientos Uno (2601) en el área descubierta del estacionamiento y en el “Plot Plan”, con una cabida superficial de Doscientos Noventa y Siete punto Cero Uno (297.01) pies cuadrados, equivalentes a Veintisiete punto Cincuenta y Nueve (27.59) metros cuadrados, siendo sus colindancias: por el NORTE, con áreas comunes y áreas verdes; por el SUR, con área de rodaje; por el ESTE, con el estacionamiento Dos Mil Quinientos Uno (2501); y por el OESTE, con el estacionamiento Dos Mil Setecientos Uno (2701). El área total de este apartamento, incluyendo el estacionamiento privado es de Mil Ciento Noventa y Dos punto Novecientos Cincuenta y Un (1,192.951) pies cuadrados, equivalentes a Ciento Diez punto Ochenta y Seis (110.86) metros cuadrados. Su puerta principal de entrada está situada en su lindero Este. Este apartamento tiene una participación en los elementos comunes generales de uno punto seiscientos treinta y tres porciento (1.633%). La escritura de hipoteca se encuentra inscrita al Sistema Karibe de Barceloneta, Registro de la Propiedad de Manatí, finca número 16,047, inscripción segunda. La dirección física de la propiedad antes descrita es: Condominio Marina IV, Apartamento 2601, Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. La subasta se llevará a efecto para satisfacer a la parte demandante la suma de $92,802.86 de principal, intereses a 4.50% anual, desde el día 1ro. de diciembre de 2013, hasta su completo pago, más la cantidad de $9,760.00, estipulada para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado, más recargos acumulados, todas cuyas sumas están líquidas y exigibles. Que la cantidad mínima de licitación en la primera subasta para el inmueble será la suma de $97,600.00 y de ser necesaria una segunda subasta, la cantidad mínima será equivalente a 2/3 partes de aquella, o sea, la suma de $65,066.67 y de ser necesaria una tercera subasta, la cantidad mínima será la mitad del

precio pactado, es decir, la suma de $48,800.00. La propiedad se adjudicará al mejor postor, quien deberá satisfacer el importe de su oferta en moneda legal y corriente de los Estados Unidos de América en el momento de la adjudicación y que las cargas y gravámenes preferentes, si los hubiese, 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 del remate. La propiedad hipotecada a ser vendida en pública Subasta se encuentra afecta al siguiente gravamen posterior: Hipoteca en Garantía de Pagaré a favor del Departamento de la Vivienda, o a su orden, por la suma principal de $40,000.00, sin intereses, vencedero en 10 años, según consta de la Escritura Número 82, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 27 de diciembre de 2010, ante el Notario Público Miguel Bauzá Rolón; inscrita al tomo Karibe de Barceloneta, Registro de la Propiedad de Manatí, finca 16,047, inscripción 3ra. y última. La propiedad a ser vendida en pública subasta se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente Edicto para conocimiento y comparecencia de los licitadores, bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Arecibo, Puerto Rico, a 3 de mayo de 2023. Ángel De Jesús Torres Pérez, Alguacil, Tribunal De Primera Instancia, Sala Superior De Arecibo. ***

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC, COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC

Demandante Vs. ANGEL L.

ARCHEVAL QUINTANA

Demandado

CIVIL NÚM.: SI2022CV00091

SALÓN: ___ SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO ORDINARIO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA. EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS. EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO. SS.

A: ANGEL L. ARCHEVAL QUINTANA- URB. SAN TOMAS, G-45 CALLE ANDRES PAGES

BELMONT, PONCE PR 00716-8844.

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, el Lcdo. Edwin Serrano Peña cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección, edwin.serrano@orf-law. com y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law.com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en PONCE, Puerto Rico, hoy día 19 de ABRIL de 2023. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 19 de abril de 2023. Carmen Tirú Quiñones, Secretaria. Sandra González Rodríguez, Secretaria Auxiliar.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC, COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS FUND, LLC

Demandante Vs. BENJAMIN ACEVEDO ARCE

Demandada CIVIL NÚM.: SJ2023CV00522. SALA: 803. SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO ORDINARIO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: BENJAMIN ACEVEDO ARCE - URB. VISTA DEL CANO, CALLE VALVERDE 7, SAN JUAN, PR 00923. 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 direc-

ción 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, el Lcdo. Kevin Sánchez Campanero cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 009368518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección kenmuel.ruiz@ 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 20 de abril de 2023. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 20 de abril de 2023. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. MARIA I. RÍOS LÓPEZ, SECRETARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIO DE HATILLO FIRSTBANK PUERTO RICO

Demandante Vs. LIONEL RODRIGUEZ SANTIAGO, GLORIVEE TOSADO ARVELO Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

Demandados CIVIL NÚM.: HA2021CV00206. SOBRE: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA Y COBRO DE DINERO. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA. EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA. ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO. SS.

A: LIONEL RODRIGUEZ SANTIAGO, GLORIVEE TOSADO ARVELO Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES

COMPUESTA POR AMBOS; Y AL PUBLICO EN GENERAL: El Alguacil que suscribe, anuncia y hace constar que en cumplimiento de Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que me ha sido dirigido por la Secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de HATILLO, procederé a vender en pública subasta y al mejor postor,

de contado y por moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América. Todo pago recibido por el (la) Alguacil por concepto de subastas será en efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del (de la) Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia. Todo derecho, título, participación e interés que le corresponda a la parte demandada o cualquiera de ellos en el inmueble hipotecado objeto de ejecución que se describe a continuación: RÚSTICA: Solar radicado en el Barrio Cocos del término municipal de Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, identificado con el número uno (1) en el plano de inscripción, con una cabida superficial de 988.66 metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, con Gladys Méndez y Gilberto Tosado; por el SUR y OESTE, con remanente de la finca principal de la cual se segrega; y por el ESTE, con faja de terreno dedicada a uso público Número “10,134”, inscrito al folio “250” del tomo “187” de Quebradillas. Registro de Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección II de Arecibo. Dirección Física de la Propiedad: 2 RD, KM 97.5

Barrio Cocos, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico 00678. En relación a la finca a subastarse se establece como tipo mínimo de licitación en la Primera Subasta la suma de $181,510.23, según acordado entre las partes en el precio pactado en la Escritura de Ampliación #194 otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico el día 18 de marzo de 2013, ante la Notario Ivonne Gonzalez Medrano. Inscrita al folio “183” del tomo “229” de Quebradillas, inscripción 8va. Finca ”10134” Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección Segunda de Arecibo. La PRIMERA SUBASTA se llevará a cabo el día 5 DE JULIO DE 2023, A

LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en mis oficinas sitas en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, SALA DE CAMUY. En relación a la propiedad a subastarse, la cantidad mínima de licitación en la Primera Subasta será la suma de $181,510.23. Si la primera subasta del inmueble no produjere remate, ni adjudicación, se celebrará una SEGUNDA

SUBASTA EL DIA 12 DE JU-

LIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo sitio y servirá de tipo mínimo las dos terceras partes del precio pactada para la primera subasta, o sea, la suma de $121,006.82.

Si la segunda subasta no produjere remate, ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA

SUBASTA EL DIA 19 DE JU-

LIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA en el mismo lugar y regirá como tipo de la tercera subasta la mitad del precio pactado para la primera, o sea, la suma de $90,755.12. Dicha Subasta se llevará a cabo, para con su producto satisfacer a la

parte demandante el importe de la Sentencia dictada a su favor, a saber: Dicha venta se llevará a efecto, para con su producto satisfacer a la parte demandante el importe de su Sentencia, a saber: la suma de hasta donde alcance, el importe de las cantidades adeudadas a la parte demandante, conforme a la Sentencia dictada, a saber: demandante la suma principal de suma principal de CIENTO TREINTA Y NUEVE MIL DOSCIENTOS OCHENTA Y TRES DÓLARES CON VEINTISIETE CENTAVOS ($139,283.27), más intereses a razón del SIETE PUNTO NOVENTA Y CINCO (7.95%) por ciento anual desde el 1ro de noviembre de 2016, hasta el presente y los que se continúen acumulando hasta su total y completo pago y aquellas otras sumas que surjan de la faz de la anterior obligación y de la hipoteca que la garantiza, más la cantidad de DIECIOCHO MIL CIENTO CINCUENTA Y UN DÓLARES CON DOS CENTAVOS ($18,151.02) para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado, condenándola además, a la pago de cualquier adelanto que haya hecho la parte Demandante más la suma de TREINTA SEIS MIL CIENTO CINCUENTA CON CINCUENTA Y ÚN CENTAVO ($36,156.51) de “piggy back” cantidad que no acumula intereses en virtud de las disposiciones de la Escritura de Hipoteca y del Pagaré Hipotecario. Para más información, a las personas interesadas se les notifica que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado, estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal, durante las horas laborables. Este EDICTO DE SUBASTA, se publicará en los lugares públicos correspondientes y en un periódico de circulación general en la jurisdicción de Puerto Rico. 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 continuaran 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. Se procederá a otorgar la correspondiente Escritura de Venta Judicial y el Alguacil pondrá en posesión judicial al nuevo dueño, si así se lo solicita dentro del término de veinte (20) días, de conformidad con las disposiciones de Ley. Si transcurren los referidos veinte (20) días, el Tribunal podrá ordenar, sin necesidad de ulterior procedimiento, que se lleve a efecto el desalojo o lanzamiento del ocupante u ocupantes de la finca o de todos los que por orden o tolerancia del deudor la

ocupen. Se informa que la propiedad objeto de ejecución se adquiere libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. Expedido en CAMUY, Puerto Rico, a 2 de mayo de 2023. Luis E. Román Carrero, Alguacil Placa #657.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE PONCE FIRSTBANK PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. YANCY MARIEL CINTRÓN TORRES

Parte Demandada Caso Civil Núm.: PO2023CV00219. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA Y COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: YANCY MARIEL CINTRÓN TORRES. POR LA PRESENTE se les emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá radicar 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/ sumac/, salvo que se presente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá radicar el original de su contestación ante el Tribunal correspondiente y notifique con copia los abogados de la parte demandante, Lcda. Marjaliisa Colon Villanueva, al PO BOX 7970, Ponce, P.R. 00732-7970; Teléfono: 787843-41668. En dicha demanda se tramita un procedimiento de cobro de dinero y ejecución de hipoteca bajo el número mencionado en el epígrafe. Se alega en dicho procedimiento que la parte Demanda a incurrió en el incumplimiento del Contrato de Hipoteca, al no poder pagar las mensualidades vencidas correspondientes a los meses de julio de 2022, hasta el presente, más los cargos por demora correspondientes. Además, adeuda a la parte demandante las costas, gastos y honorarios e abogado en que incurra el tenedor del pagaré en este litigio. De acuerdo con dicho Contrato de Garantía Hipotecaria la parte Demandante declaró vencida la totalidad de la deuda ascendente a la suma de $93,604.16, más intereses a razón del 5.00% anual, así como todos aquellos créditos y sumas que surjan de la faz de la obligación hipotecaria y de la hipoteca que la garantiza, inclu-

yen o $11,880.00, pactado para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado. La parte Demandante presentó para su inscripción en el Registro de la Propiedad correspondiente, un AVISO DE PLEITO PENDIENTE (“Lis Pendens”) sobre la propiedad objeto de esta acción cuya propiedad es la siguiente: URBANA: Solar número nueve (9) del bloque seis (6) de la urbanización Valle Real también conocida como Haciendas del Real radicada en el Barrio Anón, Sector Anón, del término municipal de Ponce, Puerto Rico; con una cabida superficial cuatrocientos veintisiete punto cero cero (427.000 metros cuadrados; en lindes por el Norte, a una distancia de treinta punto cincuenta (30.50) metros, con el lote diez (10); por el Sur; a una distancia de treinta punto cincuenta (30.50) metros, con ello ocho (8); por el Este, a una distancia de catorce punto cero cero (14.00) metros, lote la Calle “D”; y por el Oeste, a una distancia de catorce punto cero cero (14.00) metros, con el lote tres (3). Inscrita al folio ciento ochenta y siete (187) del tomo mil ciento noventa y tres (1,193) de Ponce, finca número veintisiete mil ochocientos catorce (27,814), Registro de la Propiedad Ponce, Sección II. SE LES APERCIBE que de no hacer sus alegaciones responsivas a la demanda dentro del término aquí dispuesto, se les anotará la rebeldía y se dictará Sentencia, concediéndose el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, sin más citarle ni oírle. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal en Ponce, Puerto Rico. A 13 día de abril de 2023. CARMEN G. TIRÚ, SECRETARIA. MARIELY FÉLIX RIVERA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAGUAS SALA SUPERIOR SELECT PORTFOLIO SERVICING INC. COMO AGENTE DE SERVICIOS DE LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2019-PR1 Demandante Vs. PEDRO MIRANDA RIVERA, WANDA MARTY LEON Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES COMPUESTA ENTRE ELLOS, FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE COMO POSIBLES TENEDORES DEL PAGARE

Demandada

CIVIL NÚM. CG2023CV01133. SOBRE: DECLARACION DE EXTRAVIO Y REPRODUCCION DE PAGARE. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA. EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE. UU. EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO SS.

A: JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE como posibles tenedores desconocidos.

POR LA PRESENTE se les emplaza y requiere para que conteste la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este Edicto. Usted deberá radicar 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/ sumac/, salvo que se presente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá radicar el original de su contestación ante el Tribunal correspondiente y notifique con copia a los abogados de la parte demandante, LCDA. MARJALIISA COLÓN VILLANUEVA. A su dirección: PO. Box 7970 Ponce, PR. 00732. Tel: 787-843-4168. En dicha demanda se tramita un procedimiento de restitución de pagaré extraviado. Se alega en dicho procedimiento que se extravió un pagaré hipotecario a favor de Doral Bank, o a su orden, por la suma de $187,000.00, con intereses al 5.95% anual, vencedero el primero de diciembre de 2034, según surge del testimonio número 552, asegurado mediante la escritura número 447, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 30 de noviembre de 2004, ante la notario Lucy Navarro Rosado y cuya obligación está inscrita al folio 145 del tomo 275 de Aguas Buenas, finca número 12,027, Registro de la Propiedad, Caguas II. Que, la propiedad sobre la cual se constituyó dicha hipoteca es la siguiente: RUSTICA: Parcela de terreno radicada en el Barrio Sumidero de la Municipalidad de Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, identificada con el número cuatro (4) del proyecto Estancias La Sierra II, con una cabida superficial de dos mil ciento cincuenta punto setenta (2,150.70) metros cuadrados, equivalentes a cero punto cinco mil cuatrocientos setenta y dos (0.5472) cuerdas. En lindes por el Norte, con el lote número cinco (5), en una distancia de sesenta y uno punto setenta y seis (61.76) metros; por el Sur, con el lote número tres (3), en una distancia de cuarenta y nueve punto setenta y uno (49.71) metros; por el Este. con la calle número tres (3), en una distancia de diez punto veintidós (10.22) metros y arco de treinta y dos punto

noventa y uno (32.91) metros; y por el Oeste, con remanente del proyecto en una distancia de treinta y ocho punto ochenta y un (38.81) metros. Inscrita al folio ciento cuarenta y cinco (145) del tomo doscientos setenta y cinco (275) de Aguas Buenas, finca número doce mil veintisiete (12,027), Registro de la Propiedad Sección Segunda (2da) de Caguas. SE LES APERCIBE que, de no hacer sus alegaciones responsivas a la demanda dentro del término aquí dispuesto, se les anotará la rebeldía y se dictará Sentencia, concediéndose el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, sin más citarle ni oírle. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal en Caguas, Puerto Rico, a 4 de mayo de 2023. Lisilda Martínez Agosto, Secretaria.

Eneida Arroyo Vélez, Secretaria Auxiliar.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA

TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE VEGA BAJA

LEGACY MORTGAGE

ASSET TRUST 2019-PR1

Demandante v. LA SUCESION DE LYDIA

ESTHER OTERO PADILLA COMPUESTA POR EDDIE LUIS SUAREZ OTERO; FULANO DE TAL Y FULANA DE TAL COMO

POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LYDIA ESTHER OTERO PADILLA

Demandado(a)

CIVIL: VB2021CV00478 SOBRE: EJECUCION DE HIPOTECA POR LA VIA ORDINARIA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: LOS HEREDEROS desconocidos de LYDIA ESTHER OTERO PADILLA denominados como Fulano y Fulana de Tal a su última dirección conocida FISICA: Bo. Almirante, Sector

Almirantito, Carr 160 KM 2.5, Vega Baja, PR 00693; POSTAL: 4500

Loma del Rey Cir, El Paso, TX 79934-4100; HC 2 Box 46128, Vega Baja, PR 00693; Hogar Grupal

Manuel Cordero, lnc., 1002 calle General Valero, Las Delicias, San Juan, PR 00924; PO Box 2752, Carolina, PR 00984.

EDDIE LUIS SUÁREZ

OTERO como miembro de la sucesión de Lydia Esther Otero Padilla

FISICA: Bo. Almirante, Sector Almirantito, Carr

160 KM 2.5, Vega Baja, PR 00693. POSTAL: Hogar

Grupal Manuel Cordero, lnc., 1002 calle General Valero, Las Delicias, San Juan, PR 00924; PO Box 2752, Carolina, PR 00984. (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 18 de octubre 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 3 de mayo de 2023. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, el 3 de mayo de 2023. Lcda. Laura I. Santa Sánchez, Secretaria. Maritza Rosario Rosario, Secretaria Auxiliar.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE SAN JUAN SUCESION DE EUGENIO

E. FIGUEROA ALVAREZ COMPUESTA POR SUS

ÚNICOS Y UNIVERSALES

HEREDEROS LLAMADOS

(I) EUGENIO ENRIQUE

FIGUEROA ALVAREZ Y

(II) RAIMUNDO LESMES

FIGUEROA ALVAREZ. Demandantes Vs. POPULAR FINANCE INC.; JOHN DOE; RICHARD ROE.

Demandados CIVIL NO. SJ2023CV03550

SOBRE: CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA. EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE.UU. EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO.

A: POPULAR FINANCE INC.; JOHN DOE Y RICHARD ROE, como posibles tenedores del

pagaré Por medio del presente edicto se les notifica de la radicación de una Demanda de Cancelación de Pagaré Extraviado en la que se solicita la cancelación del siguiente pagaré hipotecario, que se ha extraviado, luego de haber sido saldado por el deudor hipotecario: Pagaré a favor de POPULAR FINANCE INC., o a su orden, por la suma de $17,800.00, con interés al 8.98%, y vencedero 1 de agosto 2016, según consta escritura número 363, otorgada en Caguas, Puerto Rico, el día 20 de julio de 2001, ante el Notario Pedro Muñoz Carreras, inscrita al folio 25vto del tomo 414 de Monacillos, finca número 15601 inscripción 4ª. La parte demandante solicita del Honorable Tribunal que declare Con Lugar la demanda y en su consecuencia ordene al Secretario del Tribunal que expida Mandamiento al Registrador de la Propiedad correspondiente, para que dicho funcionario proceda a cancelar en los libros a su cargo la referida hipoteca dejando la propiedad aquí descrita libre de dicho gravamen hipotecario. POR EL PRESENTE EDICTO se le emplaza para que presente al Tribunal su alegación responsiva dentro de los treinta (30) días de haber sido diligenciado este emplazamiento, excluyéndose el día del diligenciamiento. 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. 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. Copia de dicha contestación debe remitirse al abogado del demandante, Lcdo. Alejandro J. Cacho Rodríguez, 54 Calle Resolución, Suite 303 San Juan, PR 00920 Tel: (787) 722-2242; Fax: (787) 722-2243, cacho@ cacholaw.com dentro del término de treinta (30) días siguientes a la fecha de publicación de este Edicto. EXPEDIDO bajo mi firma y el sello del Tribunal de San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy 5 de mayo de 2023. Griselda Rodríguez Collado, Secretaria Regional. Myriam Rivera Villanueva, Secretaria de Servicios a Sala.

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL

GENERAL DE JUSTICIA

TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE ARECIBO ORIENTAL BANK

Parte Demandante v. NAIDALISSE

LARACUENTE SANTIAGO

Parte Demandada

CIVIL NUM. CCD2015-0190

SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA.

LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA. EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE.UU. EL ESTADO

LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R. SS.

AVISO DE PÚBLICA SUBASTA. El que suscribe, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Arecibo, hago saber a la parte demandada

NAIDALISSE LARACUENTE

SANTIAGO y al PÚBLICO EN GENERAL; que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia expedido el 5 de abril de 2023, por la Secretaría del Tribunal, procederé a vender y venderé en pública subasta por el precio mínimo de $112,084.00 y al mejor postor, pagadero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o giro postal, a nombre del alguacil del tribunal, la propiedad que se describe a continuación:

832 MONTE DELGADO JARD

MONTELLANO, MOROVIS, PR 00687, y que se describe de la siguiente manera: RUSTICA:

Parcela de terreno localizada en el barrio Monte Llanos del término municipal de Morovis, Puerto Rico e identificado en el plano de inscripción del Proyecto Montebello con el #2-H, con una cabida superficial de 325.00 metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, en 13.00 metros con el lote #9 del mismo bloque H; por el SUR, en 13.00 metros con la calle D; por el ESTE, en 25.00 metros con el lote #3 del mismo bloque H; por el OESTE, en 25.00 metros con el lote #1 del mismo bloque H. Enclava una casa de hormigón armado y bloques de concreto de una sola planta diseñada para fines residenciales y construidos de acuerdo con los planos y especificaciones de la Administración Federal de Hogares para Agricultores y la Junta de Planificación de Puerto Rico. Finca 9364 inscrita al folio 160 del tomo 178 de Morovis, Registro de la Propiedad de Manatí. La finca antes descrita se encuentra afecta a los siguientes gravámenes:

(i) Condiciones Restrictivas de venta por el termino de 10 años impuestas por la Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Vivienda de Puerto Rico, por el termino de 10 años por haber concedido la suma de $5,655.16 para sufragar gastos de cierre, según Esc.#49 en San Juan el 30 de junio de 2011 ante Lisadaira Serrano Martínez,

inscrita al folio 165 del tomo 309 de Morovis, finca #9364 inscripción 9na. (ii) Hipoteca en garantía de un pagaré, a favor de Scotiabank de PR, o a su orden, por $112,084.00 al 4.50%, vencedero el 1 de julio de 2041, según Esc. #50 en Vega Baja a 30 de junio de 2011 ante Lisadaira Serrano Martinez, inscrita al folio 165 del tomo 309 de Morovis, finca #9364, inscripción 10ma. (iii) Condiciones Restrictivas impuestas por la Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Vivienda de P.R., (Programa Mi Nuevo Hogar), por el término de 10 años por haber concedido la suma de $5,655.16 para sufragar gastos de cierre según la Esc. #1, en Vega Baja, el 16 de enero de 2013, ante Humberto Lorenzo De Gaztañando, inscrita al folio 165 del tomo 309 de Morovis, finca #9364, inscripción 11 ma. (iv) Modificada la hipoteca de la inscripción 10ma., a $88,207.09, y vencedero el 1 de marzo de 2044, según Esc. #49, en San Juan, el 28 de febrero de 2014, ante Ana E. Gorbea Padró, inscrita al Sistema Karibe de Morovis, finca #9364, al margen de la inscripción 10ma. (v) Hipoteca constituida por Naidalisse Laracuente Santiago, soltera, en garantía de un pagare, aff. #380, a favor del Secretario del Departamento de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda de los Estados Unidos de América, o a su orden, por $33,082.77, sin intereses, vencedero el 1 de junio de 2041, según Esc. #50, en San Juan, el 28 de febrero de 2014, ante Ana E. Gorbea Padró, inscrita al Sistema Karibe de Morovis, finca #9364, inscripción 12da. y última. La hipoteca objeto de esta ejecución es la que ha quedado descrita en el inciso (ii). Será celebrada la subasta para con el importe de la misma satisfacer la sentencia dicta el 13 de febrero de 2017, mediante la cual se condenó a la parte demandada pagar a la parte demandante la suma de $87,739.85 de principal, más intereses acumulados hasta el paga completo de la deuda, más la suma de dinero para primas por seguro a contribuciones, inspecciones, más cargos por demora mensuales, más las cantidades debidas de contribuciones e impuestos, primas de seguro contra riesgo y seguro de hipoteca hasta su completo pago, más la cantidad de $11,208.40 estipulados para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogados en caso de reclamación judicial, cantidades todas garantizadas par la hipoteca.

La PRIMERA SUBASTA será celebrada el día 12 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 10:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en la oficina del Alguacil, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Servirá de tipo mínimo para la misma la

cantidad de $112,084.00, sin admitirse oferta inferior. De no haber remate ni adjudicación, celebraré SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 20 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 10:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar, en la que servirá como tipo mínimo, dos terceras (2/3) partes del precio pactado para la primera subasta, o sea, $74,722.67. Si no hubiese remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta, celebraré TERCERA SUBASTA el día 27 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 10:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar en la que regirá como tipo mínimo, la mitad del precio pactado para la primera subasta, o sea, $56,042.00. El Alguacil que suscribe hizo constar que toda licitación deberá hacerse para pagar su importe en moneda legal de los Estados Unidos de América, de acuerdo con la Ley y de acuerdo con lo anunciado en este Aviso de Subasta. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal durante horas laborables. Se entiende que todo licitador que comparezca a la subasta señalada en este caso acepta como bastante la titulación que da base a la misma. Se entiende que cualquier carga y/o gravamen anterior y/o preferente, si la hubiere al crédito que da base a esta ejecución continuará subsistente, entendiéndose, además, que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción cualquier parte del remanente del precio de licitación. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. Por la presente se notifica a los acreedores que tengan inscritos o anotados sus derechos sobre los bienes hipotecados con posterioridad a la inscripción del crédito del ejecutante o acreedores de cargas o derechos reales que los hubiesen pospuesto a la hipoteca ejecutada y las personas interesadas en, o con derecho a exigir el cumplimiento de instrumentos negociables garantizados hipotecariamente con posterioridad al crédito ejecutado, para que puedan concurrir a la subasta si les convenga o satisfacer antes del remate el importe del crédito, de sus intereses, costas y honorarios de abogados asegurados, quedando subrogados en los derechos del acreedor ejecutante. Vendida o adjudicada la finca o derecho hipotecado y consignado el precio correspondiente, en esa misma fecha o fecha posterior, el alguacil que celebró la subasta procederá a otorgar la correspondiente escritura pública de traspaso en representación del dueño o titular de los

bienes hipotecados, ante el notario que elija el adjudicatario o comprador, quien deberá abonar el importe de tal escritura. El alguacil pondrá en posesión judicial al nuevo dueño, si así se lo solicita dentro del término de veinte (20) días a partir de la confirmación de la venta o adjudicación. Si transcurren los referidos veinte (20) días, el tribunal podrá ordenar, sin necesidad de ulterior procedimiento, que se lleve a efecto el desalojo o lanzamiento del ocupante u ocupantes de la finca o de todos los que por orden o tolerancia del deudor la ocupen.

Y PARA CONOCIMIENTO DE LOS LICITADORES Y DEL PUBLICO EN GENERAL y para su publicación de acuerdo con la Ley, expido el presente Edicto bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal. En Arecibo, Puerto Rico, hoy 4 de mayo de 2023. ANGEL DE JESÚS TORRES PÉREZ, ALGUACIL PLACA #770, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE ARECIBO.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE GUAYAMA ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE ACE ONE FUNDING, LLC

Demandante V. FLOR YARIS SARMIENTO MARRERO

Demandado(a)

Civil: PA2021CV00106. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: FLOR YARIS SARMIENTO MARRERO.

(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 04 de mayo 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 05 de mayo de 2023. En Guayama, Puerto Rico, el 05 de mayo de 2023. MARISOL ROSADO RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA. LUZ MARÍA GUZMÁN SANTIAGO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC, COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS

FUND, LLC

Demandante V. ELISA M. BRAÑA RAMOS

Demandado(a)

Civil: BY2022CV04698. 702. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO ORDINARIO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: ELISA M. BRAÑA RAMOS. (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 3 de mayo 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 5 de mayo de 2023. En BAYAMÓN, Puerto Rico, el 5 de mayo de 2023. LCDA LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. MIRCIENID GONZÁLEZ TORRES, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN COOP. DE AHORRO Y CREDITO LA PUERTORRIQUEÑA

Demandante Vs. LOUIS MARTINEZ DAVILA

Demandado

Civil Núm.: DCD2018-0094. (701). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EEUU, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PR.

A: LOUIS MARTINEZ

DAVILA: DIRECCIÓN

POSTAL: DORADO DEL MAR, #86 VILLAS DE GOLF ESTE, DORADO, P.R. 00646. AL PÚBLICO EN

GENERAL:

El Alguacil del Tribunal que suscribe anuncia y hace constar: A- Que en cumplimiento de un Mandamiento fechado 5 de marzo de 2019, librado por este Honorable Tribunal en el caso de epígrafe, procederé a vender en pública subasta, en el Cuarto Piso del edificio que ocupa el Centro Judicial de Bayamón, al mejor postor y por dinero en efectivo o cheque certificado, todo título, derecho y/o interés de la parte demandada sobre la propiedad que se describe a continuación:

URBANA: Solar marcado con el número Ochenta y Seis (86) de la Urbanización Dorado del Mar Hotel and Country Club, Primera Sección(East), localizada en el Barrio Pueblo del término municipal de Dorado, Puerto Rico. Dicho solar ubica dentro de la parcela identificada en el plano de segregación del desarrollo conocido por Dorado del Mar Hotel and Country Club como Townhouses Remnant Parcel (East). Este solar tiene una cabida de doscientos sesenta y siete punto sesenta y siete (267.67) metros cuadrados. En lindes por el Norte, en una distancia de veintinueve punto quinientos noventa y seis metros, con el solar número ochenta y cinco; por el Sur, en una distancia de treinta punto doscientos cuatro metros, con área denominada common area; por el Este, en dos alineaciones distintas en una distancia de uno punto ciento cuarenta y seis metros y en un arco de longitud de siete punto seiscientos cuarenta y tres metros, con la calle número uno de dicha urbanización y por el Oeste, en una distancia de ocho punto setecientos sesenta y dos metros, con área denominada common area; todos estos solares pertenecientes al referido desarrollo urbano. Se le asignan a este inmueble dos espacios de estacionamiento localizados dentro del área común destinada a estos propósitos, los cuales estarán marcados con el número de dicha unidad de vivienda. Enclava una unidad de vivienda de concreto diseñada para una familia. Inscrita al folio 133 del tomo

240 de Dorado, Sección Cuarta del Registro de la Propiedad de Bayamón, finca número 11,385.

B- Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado están de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal durante horas laborables bajo el epígrafe de este caso. C- 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, continuaran subsistentes, 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. D- Que la propiedad se encuentra afecta al siguiente gravamen anterior; Ninguno; Gravamen posterior; Ninguno. E- La subasta se llevará a cabo para satisfacer a la parte demandante el importe de la Sentencia que ha obtenido ascendente a la suma de $236,574.38; desglosados en $233,859.15 de principal e intereses acumulados al 6.75% anual, hasta su total y completo pago; $1,059.14 de recargos; $2,715.23 en deficiencia de cuenta de reserva, mas la suma de $21,200.00 pactados para el pago de costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado, intereses vencidos acumulados y en cantidad asegurada por adelantos. Se fija como tipo mínimo para la primera subasta la cantidad de $212,000.00. La PRIMERA SUBASTA se celebrará el día 15 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 10:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en el Cuarto Piso del Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Bayamón, por el tipo mínimo de $212,000.00. De declararse desierta dicha primera subasta, se celebrará en el mismo lugar antes mencionado, una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 22 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 10:45 DE LA MAÑANA. El precio para la segunda subasta lo será 2/3 del tipo mínimo correspondiente fijado para la primera subasta, o sea, $141,333.33. De declararse desierta esta segunda subasta por el tipo mínimo indicado en el párrafo anterior, se celebrará en el mismo lugar, una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 29 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 10:45 DE LA MAÑANA, con el tipo mínimo de la mitad del tipo mínimo fijado para la primera subasta, o sea, $106,000.00. Y PARA QUE ASÍ CONSTE, para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general y por un término de dos(2) semanas en los sitios públicos conforme a la Ley, expido el presente bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, hoy 4 de mayo de 2023, en Bayamón, Puerto Rico. MARIBEL LANZAR VELÁZQUEZ,

ALGUACIL PLACA #735, ALGUACIL DEL TRIBUNAL PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE BAYAMÓN.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA SALA SUPERIOR DE ARECIBO COOPERATIVA DE AHORRO Y CRÉDITO DR. MANUEL ZENO GANDÍA

Demandante V. JOSÉ A. ROMAN VÁZQUEZ

Demandado(a)

Civil Núm.: AR2022CV00472. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO R-60. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: JOSÉ A. ROMAN VÁZQUEZ.

(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 4 de mayo 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 4 de mayo de 2023. En ARECIBO, Puerto Rico, el 4 de mayo de 2023. VIVIAN Y. FRESSE GONZÁLEZ, SECRETARIA. BRUNILDA HERNÁNDEZ MÉNDEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE AGUADILLA

BAYVIEW LOAN

SERVICING, COMO AGENTE DE SERVICIO DE ORIENTAL BANK AND TRUST, ANTES

EUROBANK

Parte Sustituida por TRIANGLE REO PR CORP.

Parte Acumulada V. JUAN RUIZ VALENTÍN;

The same work but a lot less pay for women. Welcome to tennis in 2023.

By MATTHEW FUTTERMAN

The best tennis players in the world descend this week on Rome, where men and women will play in the same bestof-three-sets format, on the same courts and in the same tournament, which sells one same-price ticket for both men’s matches and women’s matches.

There is one massive difference between the two competitions, however: Men will compete for $8.5 million, while the women will compete for $3.9 million.

The huge pay discrepancy comes after two months of tennis that included three similarly significant tournaments in California, Florida and Madrid that featured men and women competing for the same amount of prize money. Men and women also get paid the same at the four Grand Slam tournaments, where men play best-of-five sets and the women play best-of-three.

But not in Rome at the Italian Open. And not yet in the Cincinnati suburbs at the Western & Southern Open. Or in Canada, at the National Bank Open, where the men and women alternate between Toronto and Montreal each year.

Angelo Binaghi, the CEO of Italy’s tennis federation, announced recently that the Italian Open was committed to achieving pay equity by 2025 “to align itself with other major events on the circuit,” even though an expanded format will bring in additional money this year. For the next two editions of the tournament, women will have to do the same work for a lot less pay, which makes them feel, well, not great.

“I don’t know why it’s not equal right now,” said Paula Badosa, a 25-year-old from Spain who is among the leaders of a nascent player organization, the Professional Tennis Players Association. “They don’t inform us. They say this is what you get and you have to play.”

A spokesperson for the Italian federation did not make Binaghi available for an interview.

“It’s really frustrating,” Ons Jabeur, who made two Grand Slam finals last year and is seeded fourth in Rome, said during an interview Tuesday. “It’s time for change. It’s time for the tournament to do better.”

Steve Simon, the chair and CEO of the WTA Tour, which organizes the women’s circuit on behalf of the tournament owners and players, said the disparate prize money was a reflection of a market that values men’s sports more highly than women’s, especially for sponsorships and media rights. He said

the organization was working toward a solution that would strive to achieve pay equity at all of tennis’ biggest events in the coming years.

“There is still a long way to go, but we are seeing progress,” Simon said in an interview Monday.

The explanations — and blame — for women in tennis continuing to be so shortchanged include ingrained chauvinism, bad agreements with tournament owners and the eat-what-you-kill nature of the sports business, where owners, officials and organizers often blame the athletes (rather than their incompetence) for not generating enough revenue. Then they use it as an excuse not to invest in the sport and keep athlete pay and prize money low.

In tennis, women often receive second billing in mixed tournaments — less desirable schedules on smaller courts, sometimes even lesser hotels. In Madrid last week, the participants in the women’s doubles final did not get a chance to speak during the awards ceremony. The men did.

The WTA has committed some unforced errors. At the most important mixed tournaments, attendance is mandatory for women and men. The WTA requires participation at tournaments only in Indian Wells, California; Miami Gardens, Florida; Madrid; and Beijing, but not in Rome, Canada or Ohio, even though those events rank just behind the Grand Slam events in importance. Also, the WTA awards slightly fewer ranking points than the men’s tour does in Rome, Canada and Ohio, where the women’s champion re -

ceives 900 points compared with 1,000 for the men.

These minor differences have given tournament officials an excuse for paying women so much less, even though nearly all of the top women play the big optional events, unless they are injured. Organizers, however, say that without mandatory participation they can’t market the tournament as effectively, so local sponsors and media companies will not pay as much.

Marc-Antoine Farly, a spokesperson for Tennis Canada, cited that difference when asked recently why the National Bank Open offered men $5.9 million last year, compared with $2.53 million for the women. Despite that difference, Farly said, “gender equity is very important for our organization.” He pointed to Tennis Canada’s recently released plan to seek gender equity at all levels during the next five years and to offer equal prize money at the National Bank Open by 2027. “Over the next few years, Tennis Canada fully intends to be a leading voice with the WTA on a development plan to close the WTA/ ATP prize money gap.”

Like most aspects of the tennis business, the formula for prize money requires a somewhat complicated explanation. Tournament owners guarantee a portion of revenues from tickets, domestic media rights and sponsorship sales for prize money. The tours contribute a portion using money from their own media rights and sponsorship deals as well as the fees the tournament owners pay the tours to acquire the licenses for the events. Simon said the WTA brings in substantially less money than the men’s circuit, the ATP Tour, which means it has substantially less money to contribute to prize money.

That said, if equal prize money is important to tournament owners, they can choose to pay it. That is what the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, owned by computer technology billionaire Larry Ellison, has agreed to do for more than a decade under his contract with the WTA.

In addition to Italy’s and Canada’s tennis federations, the United States Tennis As-

sociation, which has long bragged about its leadership in pay equity, did not award equal prize money at the Western & Southern Open, the main tuneup for the U.S. Open. Last year, men competed in Mason, Ohio, for $6.28 million. Women competed for $2.53 million. The U.S. Open became the first of the Grand Slam tournaments to offer equal prize money, in 1973, and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the event in grand fashion this summer. The USTA ran the Cincinnati-area tournament for more than a decade.

Chris Widmaier, a spokesperson for the organization, said the prize money was “dictated by the commensurate level of the competition as determined by each tour.”

In other words, since the Western & Southern was not a mandatory WTA event and the women competed for 10% fewer rankings points, paying them roughly 40 cents for each dollar the men received was justified.

The USTA last summer announced it was selling the tournament to Ben Navarro, the South Carolina financier and tennis enthusiast. Through a spokesperson, he declined to be interviewed for this article.

Help may be on the way.

Earlier this year, CVC Capital Partners, the

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“I don’t know why it’s not equal right now,” Paula Badosa of Spain said of the prize money on the women’s and men’s tours.

Milan divided by partisanship, united in voice

By RORY SMITH

Smoke wreathed and coiled around the Curva Sud, billowing in clouds thick and dark enough to obscure the top two tiers of the stadium stand almost entirely. Flags swooped and fluttered. Flares burned lurid red. Firecrackers, as loud as thunder, exploded. And all the time, the noise rose, echoed and gathered enough strength to rattle San Siro’s ancient concrete.

AC Milan trailed by two goals at that point Wednesday, and had been for some time. Its nightmare prospect was starting to materialize: not just losing a Champions League semifinal, its first trip there in 16 years, but doing so at the hands of Inter, its rival and housemate. Stefano Pioli’s team stood on the verge of a defeat it will never be allowed to forget.

It made little difference. At the front of the Curva, home to Milan’s most ardent fans, a group of men — clad wholly in black — urged their choir, tens of thousands strong, to increase the volume. The response was instant, earsplitting. “Hell is empty,” a banner unfurled by Milan’s fans had read before kickoff. “All of the devils are here.”

A close examination, of course, would doubtless conclude that this Champions League semifinal matchup was not quite as refined, glossy or accomplished as the previous day’s meeting between Real Madrid and Manchester City: an encounter between a team that already belongs to history and one constructed for the express purpose of making it.

The power dynamics — read: who has the most money — of European soccer dictate that was always going to be the case. For all their rich histories, Milan and Inter belong firmly in the second category of European powers these days. They are not paupers, not by any means. Neither one makes an especially convincing underdog. One is owned by an American investment fund. The other is backed by a Chinese private enterprise vehicle. But they, and the league in which they play, have undeniably been diminished by the wealth that has flooded into England, especially in the past two decades. They do not have the benefit of the statebacked resources that have been poured into City. They have not ridden the turbu-

lent waves of the game’s economics quite as well as Real or Bayern Munich.

Milan had so many ticket requests for this game that it could have sold out San Siro — which hosted more than 75,000 Wednesday — no fewer than 13 times. These are clubs of renown, of widespread and fervent and deep-rooted support, not just in Italy but across the world. They are not small, even if the distorted lens of modern soccer can, from the outside, make it feel that way.

Inter, for example, does not currently have a jersey sponsor. The firm that occupied that cherished real estate across players’ chests had been acquired during soccer’s brief and intensely regrettable cryptocurrency boom, the club lunging hungrily for the easy money on offer. The firm has, it will surprise absolutely nobody, subsequently failed to make some of its payments.

Milan, meanwhile, has roughly 11 million followers on TikTok. Real has almost three times as many. Their players are, of course, among the best in the world, prodigiously gifted, high-specification athletes, but they can be broadly sorted into two categories: those already deemed surplus to requirements by the new elite, and those who dream one day of making it there. Few, if any, would be regarded as global stars at the peak of their fame. These are teams that have, by the standards of the superclubs, been thrown together by compromise and cost control.

For all the intrigue naturally gener-

ated by this pairing — a derby played out over 180 minutes spread across six days, creating a city anxious and alert, divided by red and blue — it was understandable that it was seen, by many, as a formality of a semifinal with the teams competing for the right to be beaten in the final next month.

And, in many ways, that was true. The passes were not quite as crisp. The control was a little less sure. Some of the decisions were rash. One or two of the ideas were muddled. Everything was somehow more deliberate, a fraction slower. The players of Milan and Inter might require two touches where City’s Kevin De Bruyne or Real’s Luka Modric might need only one.

Likewise, when looked at in the finest possible detail, the soccer was neither as perfectly executed nor as cutting edge as it had been at the Bernabéu. At no point, for example, did either Milan or Inter invert a full back — no, not even a single one — in order to create an overload in one of the central half-spaces.

That was all true, but none of it seemed especially relevant, or to contain even the slightest real significance, because inside San Siro, it was extremely difficult to think at all. The stadium, the one both clubs are so desperate to leave behind, was so noisy, so animated, so vivid and so vibrant that it bordered on a form of sensory overload.

The game itself was no less compelling.

There is something stirring about soccer played to a pitch of perfection, when a team transforms itself into something approaching art. That is why those who can affect that transformation are so revered, and so richly rewarded. But it does not need to reach those heights to be absorbing, engaging, thrilling. All it has to be is a contest, an occasion, an event.

That, after all, has a far broader, far more visceral appeal. Some games exist to be watched, to be admired, to be appreciated. Others are there to be heard, to be sensed, to be felt. The slender technical deficiencies — of both teams — will not be remembered. In the white heat, they may not even have been noticed. The noise, though, washing down from the Curva Sud even as the thing Milan had dreaded most of all slowly came into being, will echo for some time.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, left, scored the second goal for Inter Milan in its 2-0 win.

Sudoku

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

Crossword

Answers on page 30

Wordsearch

Aries (Mar 21-April 20)

Today you might work on your spiritual practice or studies, Aries. You could read a book on the subject, attend a lecture, or practice some kind of discipline such as yoga or meditation. The only caveat is don’t try to do too much at once. You could tire yourself out. Concentrate on one thing at a time. The information will still be there tomorrow!

Taurus (April 21-May 21)

Physical pleasure may be at the top of your priority list today, Taurus. You might want to go to your favorite restaurant and have a great meal, including wine, appetizers, and dessert. Or you might feel especially energetic and want to take your partner for a complete spa treatment. Whatever your desires, exercise some restraint You can get too much of a good thing!

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

Love matters may prove too intense today, Gemini. You may be having a rough week. Your partner may be especially demanding of your time and energy. This might be a good day to schedule some time alone. Go for a massage, sauna, or hot tub - by yourself - and simply relax. That way you will be more refreshed when you meet with your beloved in the evening.

Cancer (June 22-July 23)

You’ve been hoping for a quiet day on the job, Cancer, but too many calls could come your way. You might have to juggle several at once. Don’t try to deal with every problem. Exercise your triage abilities and take care of the most pressing first. Let the others go, if necessary. You aren’t doing anyone any favors by getting too distracted. Even you can be less than thorough when overwhelmed.

Leo (July 24-Aug 23)

Were you planning to go shopping today, Leo? If you can, put it off until tomorrow. You could be tempted by too many items that seem wonderful in the store but are nothing but a bother once you get them home. If you must go, make the effort to bypass shops where you might fall into this trap. You don’t want to have to make a second trip to bring back returns.

Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 23)

You look especially attractive today, Virgo, and it’s doing wonders for your self-esteem. Even members of your household notice. But you probably feel more like staying in than going out. If you want a romantic partner to notice how you look, it might be a good idea to extend an invitation to visit your home. You will get to stay in and still be admired by the one you love the most!

Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)

Today, Libra, you might want to make an unqualified declaration of love. That’s fine if you’ve been involved for a while, although you could overwhelm your partner. If the relationship is new, beware! This could feel like too much too soon. Your friend could respond by backing away or even disappearing. Use restraint or you might have the opposite effect to the one you want.

Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)

A friend may offer you a gift today, Scorpio. It could involve money, favors, time, items you need, or something else. Be discriminating about what you accept, and make sure you offer to reciprocate. Insist, if you must. As generous as your friend may be now, later he or she could feel used or else call in some favors that you aren’t willing to perform. Accept graciously, within limitations.

Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)

The temptation to take center stage might be too strong to resist, Sagittarius. Someone may ask you to tell a story. Your gift with words and vivid imagination should serve you well. Keep it brief. If you go on too long, your friends could fidget. Time your performance by watching their expressions. Do it right and you will be asked to do it again.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20)

A gathering could bring you lots of good news and useful information, Capricorn. The problem is that there might be too much. You will want to remember it all, but your memory may not be as sharp as usual. Before you attend a gathering, grab a notebook and pen. That way you can write down whatever you want to look into later.

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19)

You generally enjoy your dreams, Aquarius, both the dreaming process and analyzing them later. But tonight you might have too many to keep track of. While you will probably recall the most significant ones, it may be frustrating if you forget any of them. This might be the day to start a dream diary, if you don’t have one. Have fun!

Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)

Too many invitations to social events may come today, Pisces. This might be one evening when you want to relax at home, but you won’t want to say no to anyone. Analyze each invitation. Consider the location, host, other guests - whatever seems most significant to you. Attend only the ones you think you will really enjoy. Follow your heart.

Speed Bump