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.
The mediation team in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s (PREPA) bankruptcy case announced Tuesday that in-person mediation seeking to negotiate a debt deal will take place on next Monday and Tuesday, May 22-23.
The mediation parties who will participate in the sessions are the Financial Oversight and Management Board, the Ad Hoc Group of PREPA bondholders, bond insurer Assured, bond insurer Syncora, and the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority Committee.
The scheduling of subsequent sessions with the mediation parties and/or sessions with additional mediation parties will be determined by the mediation team promptly after the conclusion of next week’s sessions, the mediators said in a court document.
For months, mediators have said PREPA’s stakeholders were refusing to participate in mediation, prompting U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who is overseeing the electrical utility’s Title III bankruptcy process, to convene an emergency status conference a week ago.
The announcement of the mediation meetings comes a week after the oversight board had said in court it could not enter into PREPA debt mediations if it was required to agree to increases in debt adjustment offers that are unsustainable.
Swain has said she may dismiss the case if the oversight board’s proposed plan isn’t confirmed. She also said she was more likely to dismiss the case than to allow the board to file another plan if the one under analysis wasn’t confirmed. Therefore, she called upon parties to negotiate a plan that
had more stakeholder participation and advised the oversight board to weigh the potential of a dismissal against the risk that the board would agree to an unsustainable plan that would quickly fail and put Puerto Rico at risk.
The debt plan proposes to restructure PREPA’s debt principally through an issuance of $5.68 billion of new bonds to fund partial recoveries on creditors’ claims. PREPA owns about $8.26 billion in revenue bonds, plus some $218 million in prepetition accrued interest on such bonds. The utility also owns $700 million in fuel line loans and projects some $246 million to $4.9 billion in general unsecured claims. It also has over $3 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
Under the proposed plan, PREPA will pay for the new bonds over a 35-year period through revenues from a legacy charge to PREPA’s customers, but the oversight board has said an affordable and sustainable legacy charge will generate only $5.68 billion in additional net revenues.
PREPA bondholders have said the debt plan is unacceptable and are seeking a higher amount in debt repayment.
Julio Herrera Velutini, the owner of Bancrédito International Bank & Trust, and financial consultant Mark Rossini, both of whom are charged with committing corrupt acts along with former governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, on Tuesday asked the presiding judge to dismiss the case.
A week ago, Vázquez Garced sought a dismissal of the charges, arguing that the evidence in the case did not point to a crime. The two other defendants joined in her request for dismissal.
Herrera Velutini noted that the federal prosecution has to prove the existence of an “explicit quid pro quo or a specific intent to give or receive something of value in exchange for an official act.”
Rossini said the arguments presented in the case by Vázquez Garced and by Herrera Velutini are applicable to his case.
Herrera Velutini affirmed that it is “crucial” for prosecutors to demonstrate under a “high evidentiary standard” when the alleged thing of value is a contribution.
The Venezuelan financier said the accusatory document fails by alleging that the “thing of value” was a political campaign contribution without “complying with the” high evidentiary standard.
The indictment alleges that the alleged bribery scheme occurred during a January 2020 wedding attended by Herrera Velutini and Vázquez Garced.
According to the indictment, during the wedding, Vázquez Garced was offered general support for a potential electoral campaign, but that she had to resolve ongoing issues with the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCIF) to obtain financial support.
The indictment alleges that Velutini asked the former governor to remove the OCIF head George Joyner because he was investigating the bank.
The island Senate on Tuesday discussed a measure that would order the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP by its Spanish acronym), as well as the Highways and Transportation Authority (ACT) to integrate the development of new bike lanes and the expansion of existing ones, all within its “Strategic Road Safety Plan” for the next fiscal year 2023-2024, which begins on July 1.
“Today we again received the sad news that a driver ran over a cyclist of just 13 years in the Jardines de Caparra urbanization of Bayamón,” said Sen. Keren Riquelme Cabrera, author of the legislation. “Aware of the problems and danger faced by people who practice the modality of road cycling, in October 2022
we filed a package of measures to make our streets safer for them; an essential part of that legislation is Senate Bill 1059, which orders the DTOP and the ACT to develop new bike lanes, among other safety measures that have to be adopted because these accidents have to end.”
A vote on the bill is expected as soon as today, a spokesperson for the Senate told the STAR on Tuesday.
“Many people know the Old San Juan bike path, which is composed of an exclusive lane that extends 3.1 kilometers and runs through historic areas of the capital city for the use of citizens who practice the sport of cycling,” the at-large senator said. “This program, under the tutelage of the DTOP, can be taken to [other] municipalities, thus creating a safe cycling network for those men and women who practice this sport. Bill 1059 is the means for that safety development.”
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said Tuesday that he has no problem with keeping the Electoral Code as it is, if the controversy over the approval of proposed amendments persists.
“I disagree with the approach of some that the Electoral Code was not effective in the last elections. For me, it worked,” the governor said in response to questions from the press. “And it can be improved. But if there is a roadblock and they do not want to endorse any amendment, we will live with the current Electoral Code. The others, those who wanted to improve it, missed the opportunity. It’s as simple as that.”
At the moment, the proposed amendments to the Electoral Code have not been approved because, House Speaker Rafael “Tatito” Hernández Montañez said, the Senate, which had a session on Tuesday, has not confirmed whether it will form a conference committee after the two chambers failed to concur on the amendments. In addition, incoming Popular Democratic Party President Rep. Jesús Manuel Ortiz González
has asked for time to take a position on the amendments.
“Whoever wants to improve that Code, the opportunity they have is now. If what they want is to keep it and not improve it, then that is their decision, not ours,” Pierluisi said. “If others don’t have openness to improve it, then they
missed the opportunity to do so.”
On the possibility that the amendments to the Electoral Code are not approved and current State Elections Commission Chairman Francisco Rosado Colomer would finish his duties in December, Pierluisi said “the law requires that whoever is presiding over the commission has to be a judge.”
“That scenario, if it occurs, would be unfortunate, because we lose a great jurist in the judicial system on the one hand and, on the other hand, we lose the one who chaired the State Elections Commission in the last elections and already has a proven track record,” the governor said. “We don’t have to invent. Now we will see what emerges in that legislative process, where what I hope should prevail is the seriousness, reasonableness and stability that we all want in our electoral system.”
Meanwhile, legislators from the Citizen Victory Movement, Puerto Rican Independence Party and Dignity Project, as well as independents José Vargas Vidot in the Senate and Luis Raúl Torres Cruz in the House of Representatives, have expressed their opposition to approving amendments to the Electoral Code.
The 9-1-1 Emergency System has identified an individual who has made more than 12,000 fraudulent calls to the emergency service since January, System Director Manuel González Azcuy said Tuesday.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Public Safety’s legal division are now handling the matter.
González Azcuy said it is the only serious case of system abuse they have, although from time to time there may be cases of children who misuse the emergency line or older adults who call due to ignorance or because they feel alone.
“We do get non-emergency calls and that is where we are trying to get the number down,” the official said, stressing that the 9-1-1 Emergency System has the capacity to save life and property. “They use the lines, of course; thank God we
have enough communicators to serve people.”
“It’s the same number and [the man does it] to annoy,” he said about the person who calls constantly. “He is a person who intentionally calls to annoy and that person will receive the weight of the law.”
“It’s an incredible thing,” González Azcuy said. “We have already reached the limit and we are working on this case.”
San Juan Court Judge Ladi V. Buono de Jesús on Tuesday dismissed LUMA Energy’s request seeking the dismissal of a libel and cyber harassment suit filed against the private consortium by the Electrical Industry and Irrigation Workers Union (UTIER by its Spanish acronym) and its former president, Ángel Figueroa Jaramillo.
The union argues in the lawsuit filed in court on Oct. 11, 2022, that the defendants published advertisements, infographics, texts and images on various social media networks containing false statements that discredited the UTIER and its former president. The ads were published under the slogan “Tumba el Tumbe.”
The judge also refused to dismiss requests from BPUMF (Boricuas Por Un Mejor Futuro/Boricuas for a Better Future) Inc.; Denise Malone, chief financial officer of Quanta Services Inc.; Quanta Services Inc.; and Ramón Alejandro Pabón, resident agent and person authorized to represent BPUMF in Puerto Rico. BPUMF was a company that paid for advertisements on the “Tumba el Tumbe” social media pages.
With the judge’s declaration that there is no room for the requests to dismiss the lawsuit filed by LUMA and other defendants, the case filed by UTIER will be seen on its merits.
“This means that evidence will be introduced to prove the scheme orchestrated by all these people to discredit the UTIER and me to influence public opinion and favor the privatization of PREPA and the hiring of Luma,” said Figueroa Jaramillo, who was the president of UTIER at the time the lawsuit was filed.
He said the publications, in addition to committing libel and cyberbullying, undermined the honor, dignity and reputation of UTIER and himself.
The union also said the alleged false information that was published led to the hiring of LUMA, which, the union and its former president have asserted, has harmed the island economy as well as the membership and activities of the UTIER.
Union officials also argued in the legal filing that in the publications in question, “the plaintiff used the image and name of UTIER and Figueroa Jaramillo without their authorization to influence public opinion and seek support in favor of the privatization of the Electric Power Authority.”
The Office of the Women’s Advocate and the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics invited working women on Tuesday to complete the “Needs of Working Women” survey.
“This survey was created to promote tools that help us fulfill our mission,” Acting Women’s Advocate Madeline Bermúdez Sanabria said in a written statement.
“The results will aid in efforts to develop strategies that help improve the living conditions of working women,” Statistics Institute Executive Director Orville Disdier Flores said.
Under the slogan “We Are All Working Women,” the questionnaire is aimed at all working women in the public and private sector, housewives, caregivers, entrepreneurs and the self-employed. The topics included in the survey are: current employment situation, work environment, breastfeeding, maternity, structure and needs of the house and home, quality of life, physical health and emotional health.
The electronic questionnaire is available on the Institute of Statistics website and participation is voluntary and anonymous. The survey will be available until June 16. Once the answers have been collected, the data will be analyzed and statistics will be generated for the subsequent presentation of the results.
Jiménez Santoni introduced a proclamation in the upper chamber Tuesday to the organizations Fibromyalgia and Me, FATF and the Antworten Foundation as part of “Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Awareness Day.”
The event, held on the steps of the Capitol, was attended by representatives of several entities related to the issue, who made a “call to citizens and government entities to pay much more attention to those suffering from both health conditions.”
“Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that manifests itself
– in people – with a lot of pain …” Jiménez Santoni said. “The symptoms can cause generalized stiffness, especially when getting up -- in the morning -- and a feeling of swelling in the hands and feet, fatigue and tingling, among others. … The condition or disease affects both men and women.”
The Carolina District senator stressed that “to this day, the origin of it is unknown.” Although a lot of research associates it with a neurological problem,” she said.
“What we seek to do is raise awareness in the world about the symptoms that affect the person who suffers from [the two conditions], bringing a message of hope, support and motivation to those who we identify with the condition,” Jiménez Santoni said.
By CHRISTINE HAUSER
Hertz, a rental car chain, has apologized after an employee refused to give a Puerto Rican man his prepaid reserved car at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport because he presented a driver’s license issued on the island instead of a passport.
The man, Humberto Marchand, recorded and described part of the incident at the Hertz counter in Kenner, Louisiana, and shared it on Twitter on May 10. It was widely viewed as others told similar stories of how Americans often fail to realize that people born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, are U.S. citizens.
Marchand began recording while the interaction with the Hertz employee was already underway, and apparently after she had requested his passport instead of permitting him to use his driver’s license, issued in Puerto Rico.
“It is a valid ID,” Marchand says repeatedly, as he films. “It is a prepaid reservation.”
“Would you like me to call the police?” the employee says.
“Yes, please call the police,” he says. The woman takes a cellphone from her pocket and begins to speak, providing
the location of the Hertz counter.
“Call the police. I am not doing anything illegal,” Marchand says.
“Yes you are,” she replies.
He says she is “denying a U.S. citizen” his reservation, which had been prepaid with his credit card.
“Do you know that my driver’s license in Puerto Rico is as valid as a Louisiana driver’s license?” he adds.
When asked Monday about the incident, Hertz said in a statement that the employee had not followed policy. It said the company accepts Puerto Rican driver’s licenses from customers renting in the United States, without requiring a passport.
“We sincerely regret that our policy was not followed and have apologized to Mr. Marchand and refunded his rental,” the company said. “We are reinforcing our policies with employees to ensure that they are understood and followed consistently across our locations.”
Marchand’s story was picked up by national news organizations and Spanish-language media. In a widely shared interview with David Begnaud, a national correspondent for “CBS Mornings,” Marchand said that the Kenner police officer who responded to the Hertz
The Fricassée Festival will be held Sunday, June 4 in the Naranjito public square, where the tradition of preparing the largest fricassée in Puerto Rico
has been maintained since 2013.
With free admission, those who attend the event can enjoy a varied gastronomic, cultural and musical offering.
“This year 2023 we have the pleasant surprise that the largest chicken fricassée will be made by municipal personnel, specifically cooks from the CADAL program of the Elderly and Women’s Affairs Office,” Naranjito Mayor Orlando Ortiz Chevres said. “The involvement of this group means the fricassée will be prepared by Naranjito hands.”
It should be noted that this year the event will be dedicated to the late Jesús Morales, who participated in all the past fricassée festivals in Naranjito and died from an explosion in the kitchen where he produced his delicacies for all kinds of activities.
The mayor noted that the Friccasée Festival will include agricultural kiosks, and participating food vendors will include restaurants El Limbo, Steak by Ricky Nieves, Quick Lunch, El Rincón del Pon, Manny’s Catering and La Vieja Historia. They will offer an appetizing menu of chicken, pork, goat, turkey and rabbit fricassée, among many other ways the dish can be prepared.
The event will feature performances by Child Trou-
employee’s call told Marchand that he would call “Border Patrol” if he did not leave the premises.
Marchand, whose LinkedIn profile describes him as a former U.S. federal probation employee, could not be immediately reached earlier this week. There was no response to emailed questions sent to the Kenner Police Department.
People born in Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the United States, have the same birthright U.S. citizenship as people born in the 50 states under Section 302 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Its people have a delegate in the House of Representatives and a say in presidential nominations, although they cannot vote in general elections without residency in one of the 50 states.
The experience of Marchand, whose license was in English and Spanish, according to Begnaud’s report, is a recurring matter in the United States. A 2017 poll showed that only a slim majority of Americans realize Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
Begnaud’s report stirred similar stories from other U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico of their own encounters with private-sector employers and government agencies.
badours, the Municipal Dance Group, the Naranjito Fine Arts Program, New Culture, Trio Los Condes, Plena Libre and Willito Otero, and the closing act will be merenguero Manny Manuel.
officials said in an interview.
Miguel González Ponce, a local pastor who helps house migrants in Ciudad Juárez, confirmed in an interview that shelters across the city had only around 1,400 people.
“Contrary to what was expected, migrants are not arriving en masse,” he said.
Administration officials said their new border policies and added resources contributed to the lack of chaos.
“We have been planning for this transition for months and months,” Mayorkas said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. He added: “It is too early. But the numbers that we have experienced over the past two days are markedly down over what they were prior to the end of Title 42.”
But few in Biden’s administration are celebrating what appears to be a moment of calm amid a continuing storm.
“It is still early,” Blas Nuñez-Neto, assistant secretary for border and immigration policy at the Homeland Security Department, told reporters Monday.
Conditions in countries that have led to a record number of people fleeing have not changed, Nuñez-Neto said. And the smugglers who have profited from migrants fleeing to the United States are expected to adapt their moneymaking strategies to fit the new policies in place, he said.
By MICHAEL D. SHEARTwo days before officials lifted the Title 42 pandemic restrictions at the southern border, President Joe Biden gave a blunt assessment of his administration’s ability to manage the surge of migrants they expected to arrive last week.
“It’s going to be chaotic for a while,” Biden predicted grimly.
When the time came, what Republicans had insisted would be a career-ending moment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas did not fully turn into the chaos Biden and others had anticipated.
An initial surge of about 10,000 migrants just hours before the rule expired Thursday put fresh strain on full detention facilities and shelters, and scenes of migrants, some with no place to sleep but a sidewalk, underscored the searing reality of a broken immigration system.
But that was followed by a marked slowdown in migration across the 2,000-mile border with Mexico.
“America can manage this moment and we know how to do it in a manner that is both orderly and just, reflecting our values, interests and the rule of law,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, a liberal pro-immigration group in Washington.
Still, she said the Biden administration should not “buy into Republicans’ vision that this is a perpetual crisis that requires perpetual enforcement-only policies.”
The end of Title 42 after three years was a reminder — as if anyone on the border needed one — of the vulnerabilities in the nation’s immigration system, which is far beyond its capacity to deal with the number of migrants fleeing their homes and to determine who can stay and who should be deported.
But the weekend also underscored the ability of federal authorities, local governments and private nonprofits to temporarily triage the situation.
The administration sent 1,500 troops to the border to help free up more Border Patrol agents. Cities declared emergencies and opened extra shelters for migrants needing a place to sleep. Churches and other nonprofit groups received grant money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to bolster their relief efforts. Border officials built temporary holding facilities.
The administration also imposed tough new restrictions on who qualifies for asylum, a policy that has drawn fierce attacks and legal challenges from human rights groups. And officials increased the opportunities for migrants to enter the country legally, using a mobile phone app to schedule interviews with an asylum officer.
What followed was a quieter than expected weekend in Texas, Arizona, California and nearby Mexican cities.
At Gate 42 of the border wall with El Paso, Texas, the number of migrants arriving has dwindled since Friday. On Sunday morning, the local news media reported, only about 20 people were waiting to turn themselves in. However, state and federal authorities — including the military and migration officials — have intensified operations in Samalayuca, about 30 miles south of Ciudad Juárez, to reduce “risks to the migrant population,” they wrote in a statement.
The sprawling migrant encampment caught between walls at the San Diego-Tijuana border has also emptied out in recent days as Customs and Border Protection officers begin to process the people waiting there. Trash bags and abandoned belongings were left behind. On Friday, Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero told reporters that “no serious incidents” had been reported by the authorities.
In Tamaulipas, the scenes of chaos that led many desperate families to cross the Rio Grande have mostly disappeared. In Matamoros, two officials with the Red Cross estimated that crossings had continued in an orderly manner. About 200 people showed up at entry points requesting asylum — only one-quarter of whom had not scheduled an appointment through the CBP One app,
“They will look for any opportunity to make a profit at the expense of vulnerable individuals,” he added.
The border remains one of the government’s most intractable problems, in part because the United States is at the center of a global shift in migration caused by economic and political deterioration in many South and Central American countries. Helping to rebuild the civil societies in those countries — which the administration has tried to do — may help reduce the number of migrants, but it is a long-term goal with many obstacles.
And dealing with the border has also become one of the country’s most polarizing political issues, a situation that has for decades prevented Congress from reaching any meaningful agreement on how to make the system more efficient and fair.
Since taking control of the House of Representatives at the beginning of the year, Republicans have targeted Mayorkas, with some saying they intended to build a case for his impeachment. The situation along the border since Thursday’s lifting of Title 42 did not provide much obvious momentum for that case.
But the political debate in Washington could still shift suddenly, depending on what happens along the border in the days ahead.
“We are in Day 3,” Mayorkas said on Sunday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation earlier this week that largely banned Florida’s public universities and colleges from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and imposed other measures that could reshape higher education at state schools.
The legislation also restricts how educators can discuss discrimination in required, lower-level courses — by forbidding the teaching of “identity politics,” for example — and weakens tenure protections. DeSantis signed it at New College of Florida, a public liberal arts institution that the governor has aggressively sought to transform, replacing trustees with conservative allies and engineering the appointment of a new president. The governor, who is expected to announce
a presidential campaign soon, was met with loud protests Monday that could at times be heard through the television broadcast of his remarks.
The law has outraged faculty, free speech groups and students, particularly people of color and gay and transgender youth, who see it as a political assault on academic independence and anti-bias efforts. But Democrats could organize little opposition in Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature.
“If you want to do things like gender ideology, go to Berkeley,” DeSantis said at the bill-signing ceremony. Republicans around the country are mounting similar efforts to restrict or eliminate diversity initiatives, which they believe are discriminatory.
In Texas, state legislators passed a budget last month eliminating diversity offices and training at public universities.
More than a dozen other states, including Tennessee and North and South Carolina, have proposed bills targeting diversity programs, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. Those who defend the programs say they help students from all backgrounds succeed on campus.
“Make no mistake, this legislation will absolutely destroy Florida’s world-class higher education system,” Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, said in a statement. DeSantis is likely to declare his candidacy for president by the end of May. He is using laws like his higher education bill to promote himself to conservatives in primary states. But parts of the legislation could face legal challenges. Last year, a federal judge granted a temporary injunction against a similar law, calling its limits on what faculty are allowed to teach “positively dystopian.”
An 18-year-old gunman fired indiscriminately while roaming a residential street in Farmington, New Mexico, on Monday morning, killing three people before the police arrived and killed the suspect, authorities said. Six other people, including two officers, were injured.
Authorities received several reports of shots fired near Dustin Avenue and Ute Street just before 11 a.m., Chief Steve Hebbe of the Farmington Police Department said in a video statement released Monday night, adding that the rampage appeared to be “purely random.”
Hebbe said that the gunman, whom he did not name, had used at least three weapons, including an “AR-style rifle,” a gun commonly used in mass shootings, as he roamed through the neighborhood, randomly firing “at whatever entered his head to shoot at” including at least six houses and three cars.
Officers located the shooter in the 700 block of North Dustin Avenue, Hebbe said, where they shot and killed him.
The two injured police officers — one from the Farmington Police Department, and a state police officer — were both treated at the San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington, authorities said. The state police officer had been released by Monday night and the other officer was “doing well,” according to Hebbe.
Earlier on Monday, authorities said that nine people, not including the shooter, had been injured, before lowering that number to six.
The conditions of the others who were injured were not immediately known, and authorities did not release the names of any victims or the suspect.
The motive for the shooting remained unclear. In an earlier news conference, Deputy Chief Baric Crum said it was not
immediately known whether the suspect had any criminal history or why he was in the neighborhood. Crum said that officers were inspecting several blocks to piece together what had happened and that it was unclear whether a video circulating on social media purporting to show the suspect being shot was real. He said it was unclear whether the suspect had entered any homes.
The shooting sent shock waves through the city of about 46,000 people, which is about 140 miles northwest of Albuquerque near the Navajo Nation reservation. The city serves as a commercial hub for nearby oil-producing areas as well as much of northwestern New Mexico.
Matt Mizell, lead pastor of Hills Church, which hosted a vigil for the victims Monday evening, said the community, which had also suffered a nearby school shooting in 2017, was reeling from the carnage. “It has shaken the community to its core,” he said.
Joseph Robledo, a 32-year-old tree trimmer, told The Associated Press that he had rushed home after learning that his wife and 1-year-old daughter had sought shelter in the laundry room when gunshots rang out.
A bullet went through his daughter’s window and room, without hitting anyone, Robledo said, adding that he and others had administered first aid to a woman who appeared to have been wounded while driving through the neighborhood. “We’ve been doing yardwork all last week,” Robledo told the AP. “I just thank God that nobody was outside in front.”
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said on Twitter that she was “deeply upset by the tragic violence” and that her administration would “not stop fighting the epidemic of gun violence.”
In a joint statement, members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation said that they were “devastated” by the shooting and added that they would continue working to ensure federal resources were made available. “Although Congress took major action to combat gun violence last year through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, today is a painful reminder that we must do more,” the lawmakers, all Democrats, said. “We are committed to fighting for sensible gun safety measures that will keep New Mexicans safe.”
The shooting is being investigated by the Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico State Police. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded, its Phoenix field office said.
“There are no other known threats at this time,” police said.
Farmington Municipal Schools were placed under a preventive lockdown after 11 a.m., which was lifted about two hours later, the school system said.
Last month, officers with the Farmington Police Department shot and killed an armed man while responding to a domestic violence call at the wrong home. In 2017, in the nearby town of Aztec, a former student at Aztec High School fatally shot two students at the school before killing himself.
Aman armed with a baseball bat and demanding to see Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., attacked and injured two staff aides in a rampage inside the congressman’s Fairfax, Virginia, office, the latest episode in a surge of political violence across the country.
Xuan Kha Tran Pham, 49, of Fairfax, was facing charges on one count of felony aggravated malicious wounding and one count of malicious wounding, according to the Fairfax City Police Department. He was being held without bond.
Police said they had not yet identified a motive, and Capitol Police said in a statement that the suspect was not known to them.
Sgt. Lisa Gardner, a spokesperson for the Fairfax City Police, said at a news conference Monday afternoon that the assailant walked into Connolly’s office after 10:30 a.m. with what appeared to be a metal baseball bat and struck two staff members in the upper body.
Both staff members were conscious when the police arrived about five minutes after a 911 call, she said. They were taken to and then released from the hospital, Connolly said.
“You could absolutely tell that the people inside were scared; they were hiding,” Gardner said.
“It’s quite frankly scary that someone can walk up to an office with a baseball bat and just start swinging at innocent victims,” she added.
Connolly represents a swath of the northern Virginia suburbs west of Washington. He was first elected to Congress in 2008. In a statement after the attack, he said he had “the best team in Congress.”
“My district office staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day,” Connolly said. “The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.”
Speaking later to reporters on Capitol Hill, Connolly said the attacker struck one of his senior aides in the head with the metal bat, and hit an intern in the side — on her first day on the job.
“Imagine your first day in the office,” a man “comes in with a baseball bat and beats you,” Connolly said.
While members of Congress are protected on Capitol Hill by the United States Capitol Police, their district offices generally do not receive such protection unless there is a specific known threat to the member.
In Monday’s attack, the assailant caused substantial damage in Connolly’s office, shattering glass in a conference room and breaking computers.
Pham was taken into custody within five minutes of police arriving on the scene.
Last year, Pham filed a federal lawsuit in Virginia against the CIA alleging that the agency had imprisoned him for decades in a “lower perspective based on physics called the book world” and demanding $29 million. The suit, which was handwritten, claimed the agency was “brutally torturing” him with a “degenerative disability” from the “fourth dimension.”
“This is a gentleman with a long history of mental illness,” Connolly said. “He’s been engaged in bizarre and untoward behavior in the past, including violent behavior. And he decided today, for whatever reason, to descend upon us and inflict more of the same. He needs intense treatment, I think.”
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the House minority leader, called the attack “horrific.”
“We are grateful for the members of law enforcement and medical professionals who swiftly acted to apprehend the suspect and care for the affected members of our Capitol Hill community,” Jeffries said. “The safety of our members and of our staff remains of paramount importance, particularly given the increased instances of political violence in our country.”
Jeffries said he asked the House sergeant-at-arms and the Capitol Police to “take every available precaution to protect members and our staff, who serve the American people with patriotism and passion and deserve to do so without fear for their safety.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he had reached out to Connolly after the attack. “We’re all praying for the quick recovery for the staffers injured and grateful for the quick actions of the law enforcement who apprehended the suspect,” McCarthy said.
The attack comes amid a rise in threats and violent political speech against members of Congress in recent years.
In October, an intruder bludgeoned Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, with a hammer inside their San Francisco home after the attacker shouted, “Where is Nancy?”
Last month, J. Thomas Manger, the Capitol Police chief, testified on Capitol Hill about the heightened threat climate across the country.
Last year, there were more than 7,500 threats against members of Congress. In 2017, there were fewer than 4,000 such threats.
“One of the biggest challenges we face today is dealing with the sheer increase in the number of threats against members of Congress — approximately 400% over the past six years,” he said. “Over the course of the last year, the world has continuously changed, becoming more violent and uncertain.”
Tasa mínima, promedio ponderado, y máxima para préstamos personales pequeños otorgados para la semana que terminó el sábado, 13 de mayo de 2023
Vice Media filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, punctuating a yearslong descent from a new-media darling to a cautionary tale of the problems facing the digital publishing industry.
The bankruptcy will not interrupt daily operations for Vice’s businesses, which in addition to its flagship website include the ad agency Virtue, the Pulse Films division and Refinery29, a women-focused site acquired by Vice in 2019.
A group of Vice’s lenders, including Fortress Investment Group and Soros Fund Management, is in the leading position to acquire the company out of bankruptcy. The group has submitted a bid of $225 million, which would be covered by its existing loans to the company. It would also take over “significant liabilities” from Vice after any deal closes.
A sale process follows next. The lenders have secured a $20 million loan to continue operating Vice and then, if a better bid does not emerge, the group that includes Fortress and Soros will acquire Vice.
Still, the dreams that Vice executives once had of a stock market debut or a sale at an eye-popping valuation have been wiped away. The company was considered to be worth $5.7 billion at one point.
Investments from media titans like Disney and shrewd financial investors like TPG, which spent hundreds of millions of dollars, will be rendered worthless by the bankruptcy, cementing Vice’s status among the most notable bad bets in the media industry.
Like some of its peers in the digital-media industry, including BuzzFeed and Vox Media, Vice and its investors bet big on the rising power of social media networks like Facebook and Instagram, anticipating they would deliver a tide of young, upwardly mobile readers that advertisers craved.
Though readers came by the millions, new media companies had trouble wringing profits from them, and the bulk of digital ad dollars went to the major tech platforms. Last month, BuzzFeed shut down its namesake Pulitzer Prize-winning news division after going public at a fraction of its earlier valuation, and Vox Media earlier this year raised money at roughly half its 2015 valuation.
“There are definitely commonalities in the hardships media organizations have been facing and Vice is no exception,” said S. Mitra Kalita, the founder and publisher of Epicenter-NYC, a community journalism company based in Queens. “We now know that a brand tethered to social media for its growth and audience alone is not sustainable.”
Bankruptcy records filed Monday show that Vice is made up of a web of companies associated with its various businesses, including Pulse Films and Carrot Creative, an ad agency. The filings say Vice has outstanding debt of $834 million, dwarfing the amount that Vice was recently in talks to sell for.
They also show Vice owes some of its biggest business partners millions of dollars. The company said it owed Wipro, an information technology firm, nearly $10 million. Justin Stefano, one of the co-founders of Refinery29, is owed more than $500,000, according to the filings. And Davis Wright Tremaine, a law firm that has represented Vice, has a claim of more than $300,000.
The bankruptcy filing will give the company some relief from its onerous debt load as its lenders, including Fortress, seek to salvage their investments. Vice Media raised a $250 million loan from Fortress and Soros Fund Management in 2019 as it struggled to make a profit. It has been in default on that loan for months.
“It’s the lender coming in and saying, ‘I’m done funding the losses — if I’m going to fund the losses, I’m going to take control of the company,” said Eric Snyder, chair of bankruptcy at the law firm Wilk Auslander. “It’s not unusual for the lender to come in and tell the debtor, the borrower, ‘You’re putting this into bankruptcy, you’re going to make a motion to sell, we’re going to put in a first bid.’”
Fortress sees a continuing role at Vice for Shane Smith, the brash co-founder who became synonymous with the company’s gonzo journalism from exotic locales and oversaw a boundary-pushing culture that was rife with allegations of sexual harassment, according to a person familiar with the matter. Hozefa Lokhandwala and Bruce Dixon, co-CEOs at Vice, will also stay on.
According to the terms of Vice’s bankruptcy loan, the company has 55 days to complete a sale. In documents filed with the bankruptcy court, Vice said that the timeline to sale, “while tight,” is necessary “to best position the company to survive as a going concern.”
In a statement, Dixon and Lokhandwala said that the bankruptcy sale would ultimately “strengthen the company.”
“We look forward to completing the sale process in the next two to three months and charting a healthy and successful next chapter at Vice.”
The bankruptcy is a moment of humility for Vice, which a decade ago appeared destined to sell for an eye-watering sum or make its debut on the public markets. In the 2010s, Vice raised piles of money from traditional media companies, which it had assailed for growing complacent. The company sold advertisers and investors on its ability to reach young millennials who were hungry for an alternative to its corporate rivals, delivering you-are-there dispatches from North Korea and Liberia without the decorum of the mainstream news media.
But the harsh realities of digital publishing caught up with Vice, and things went sideways. In 2017, the company raised $400 million from the private equity firm TPG in a deal code-named “Project Venus” that valued the company at $5.7 billion. But the cash infusion saddled Vice with financial obligations if it didn’t hit aggressive profitability targets, and it eventually became an albatross for the company. Later that year, The New York Times and other outlets published investigations into allegations of sexual harassment at the company, kicking off a crisis at Vice that shook confidence in its management.
Kalita of Epicenter-NYC, who also co-founded URL Media — a network of media outlets owned by Black and brown people that share content and advertising — said Vice’s bankruptcy was a reminder to founders to develop many different kinds of businesses beyond just advertising.
“I think even those of us running profitable media startups now,” Kalita said, “are thinking more carefully about growth and making sure we can continuously define our audience and the value we represent to them.”
Shares of U.S. regional lenders rose on Monday, led by a rebound in PacWest Bancorp, as investors turned their attention to the U.S. debt ceiling debate instead of the crisis of confidence that has led to the collapse of three banks in two months.
Regional bank stocks have benefited as the market’s focus has shifted away from their problems and toward the debate over raising the federal debt ceiling, said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group in Omaha.
“We survived the weekend without a major bank calamity so there’s some relief rally going on with regional banks bouncing,” Detrick said.
PacWest Bancorp shares rose 17.6% but remained down 77% year-to-date. Western Alliance Bancorp rose 12% but was still down 48% year-to-date. Comerica Inc rose 7.3%, Fifth Third Bancorp was up 2.5% and KeyCorp added 6.7%. The KBW Regional Banking Index rose 3.2% but remained down 36% year-to-date.
U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo dismissed the idea of minting a platinum coin to avoid a U.S. default, saying the only workable solution was for Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also has rejected the idea of a platinum coin to skirt the debt ceiling and fund government expenses.
Hedge fund manager Michael Burry, who rose to fame with his bets against the U.S. housing market before the 2008 financial crisis, added positions in several regional banks during a tumultuous first quarter for the sector, according to securities filings released on Monday.
Burry’s Scion Asset Management’s positions included 150,000 shares in First Republic Bank, 250,000 shares in PacWest Bancorp, 850,000 shares in New York Community Bancorp, and 125,000 shares of Western Alliance Bancorp, filings showed. Burry’s firm also added a position in Wells Fargo & Co. The filings did not specify whether Burry, widely known as “the Big Short” investor, had shorted the stocks previously.
By contrast, Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, sold off U.S. bank stocks in the first quarter as the industry was roiled by a crisis sparked by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, according to regulatory filings.
The firm, founded by billionaire Ray Dalio, cut its holdings to zero in five U.S. banking giants: JPMorgan & Co, Bank of America Corp, Wells Fargo & Co, Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley. It also roughly halved its exposure to Citigroup Inc, the filings showed.
Meanwhile, Greg Becker, former CEO of failed lender Silicon Valley Bank, apologized in congressional testi-
mony for its “devastating” collapse while citing rising interest rates and social media as key causes of its demise.
The bank was responsive to regulator concerns about its risk management and working to address issues when an “unprecedented” bank run led to its failure, Becker wrote in prepared testimony published on Monday by the Senate Banking Committee.
Becker will testify before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday alongside Scott Shay and Eric Howell,
the former chair and president, respectively, of Signature Bank. Regulators had closed Signature Bank on March 12 after it experienced liquidity issues following SVB’s collapse two days earlier. First Republic Bank was the third and largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis.
U.S. yields rose on Friday and Monday after a University of Michigan survey of consumers’ long-term inflation expectations jumped to the highest since 2011.
That put a possible Fed rate hike next month back in play, with traders laying down those odds at 17%.
The euro was up 0.2% against the dollar at $1.0875, rebounding after falling 1.54% the previous week.
Ukraine’s air defense intercepted six hypersonic Kinzhal missiles fired by Russia early Tuesday, several Ukrainian officials and one American official said. The strikes are further evidence of Ukraine’s ability to shoot down one of the most sophisticated conventional weapons in Moscow’s arsenal.
In one of the largest aerial assaults since early March, Russia also launched nine Kalibr cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea, three short-range ballistic missiles from land and a number of drones, according to the commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces. All of the drones and missiles were shot down, the military said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that at least one Kinzhal was used in the attack on Tuesday and claimed that a Kinzhal had hit a Patriot air defense system. Two U.S. officials confirmed that a Patriot system had been damaged in the attack but added that the Patriot remained operational against all threats.
It was not immediately clear how many Russian missiles were aimed at the capital, Kyiv, which local officials said was targeted overnight with an “exceptional” blitz of missiles and drones. The skies over Kyiv lit up around 3 a.m. with thunderous explosions as air defenses collided with the incoming missiles, raining debris across the city.
A statement from Ukraine’s air force about the Kinzhals came quickly. It did not specify whether an American-made Patriot air defense system was involved in shooting down the Russian missiles, but Ukraine until recently lacked the capability to intercept Kinzhals and had pressed allies for Patriot systems that it hoped would provide protection.
In an address by video link later Tuesday to the Council of Europe, the main institution governing human rights on the continent, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “At 3 o’clock in the morning, our people woke
up to explosions. Eighteen Russian missiles of different types were in our skies, in particular, ballistic ones, which the terrorist state has boasted about.”
“All lives were protected,” he added.
It has been unclear whether even the Patriot could intercept hypersonic missiles, which were thought by many experts to be too fast to be detected by radars in time for traditional air-defense systems to respond. But on May 4, Ukraine’s air force said it had for the first time managed to intercept a Kinzhal using a Patriot, a confirmation that took more than 24 hours.
Three senior U.S. officials confirmed that shoot-down and said they had received information about the strike
from the Ukrainian military through classified channels. One official added that U.S. military analysts were able to verify the claim using technical means. Nevertheless, independent analysts were reluctant at the time to confirm the interception until more information was available.
Hypersonic missiles are long-range munitions capable of reaching speeds of at least Mach 5 — five times the speed of sound, or more than a mile a second.
Some Western analysts have remained skeptical about Moscow’s claims of hypersonic capacity, calling the missiles modified versions of existing conventional munitions, “new wine in old bottles.”
The aerial assault over Kyiv early Tuesday was the eighth large-scale attack on the city this month. Ukrainian officials have said the attacks were aimed at exhausting their air defenses. Tuesday’s barrage was extraordinary in the number of attacks launched at the capital over a short period of time, said Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration.
At least three people were injured by the debris, according to the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko. Several cars caught fire, a building was damaged and debris fell onto the grounds of the Kyiv Zoo, Klitschko said. None of the animals or workers were injured, the mayor said.
Kyiv’s air defenses have been largely successful at shielding the capital from major damage in the recent spate of attacks, which followed a lull of nearly two months.
The latest bombardment took place as Zelenskyy posted video of himself on a train returning to Kyiv after a four-country tour in Western Europe during which he secured pledges for even more air-defense systems, attack drones and armored vehicles.
Britain promised air-defense missiles and drones in addition to the long-range cruise missiles it recently delivered. Germany said it would provide a nearly $3 billion package including 16 air-defense systems, more than 200 drones, Leopard tanks and armored fighting vehicles.
Robert Shonov, identified as a former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Russia, has been arrested in the Russian city of Vladivostok and charged with conspiracy, according to the Russian state news agency Tass. Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesperson, told reporters at a briefing on Monday that he had seen the report but that “I don’t have anything additional to offer at this time.”
Tass, quoting an anonymous law enforcement official, said that Shonov was accused of “collaboration on a confidential basis with a foreign state or international or foreign organization.” He has been taken to Lefortovo Prison
in Moscow, Tass reported, and no court date has been set. Being held in isolation is commonplace at Lefortovo, a notorious high-security prison where inmates include Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal correspondent who was accused of espionage in March, charges that his employer and American officials have strongly denied. It is also where Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who is serving a 16-year sentence on what the United States has said are fabricated charges of espionage, was held for 20 months until his trial in 2020. He is now at a forced labor camp several hundred miles away.
In the Soviet era, the KGB kept Soviet dissidents at the prison, and it has been used more recently to isolate opponents of the Kremlin.
number of conflicts, including in Ukraine and in Ethiopia.
He also demonized the opposition, associating them with terrorism. This line of attack capitalized on the support that Kilicdaroglu has received from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party, the country’s third-largest. The government has accused that party’s officials and members of cooperation with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it has designated a terrorist organization.
At campaign rallies, Erdogan even showed a video that had been manipulated to make it look as if a PKK leader was clapping along with one of Kilicdaroglu’s campaign songs.
Turkey has fought a long and deadly battle against Kurdish militants, and the government often accuses Kurdish politicians of cooperat-
ing with them. Many Kurdish politicians have been jailed, prosecuted or removed from office because of such allegations.
The overall results of Sunday’s vote, including for the Turkish Parliament, amounted to a strong showing by right-wing nationalists. The Nationalist Movement Party, Erdogan’s strongest ally in Parliament, increased its share, and Ogan did much better than polls had predicted.
Those candidates emphasize Turkish identity and national security, demonize the Kurds and call for the more than 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey to be sent home. All appear to have benefited from Erdogan’s warnings about terrorism.
At the same time, some of the smaller parties that Kilicdaroglu brought into his coalition failed to mobilize significant numbers of voters.
By BEN HUBBARDAfter heading into elections with high hopes, Turkey’s political opposition is struggling to fight off despair and plot a course to give their candidate a fighting chance against the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a runoff later this month.
While Erdogan, bidding for a third fiveyear presidential term, failed to win a simple majority in Sunday’s election, he still led the opposition by a margin of about 5 percentage points. That and a number of other indications point to a win for the president in the second round May 28.
Importantly, Erdogan looks likely to be the primary beneficiary of votes from supporters of an ultranationalist third candidate, Sinan Ogan, who has been eliminated despite a surprisingly strong showing over the weekend. The firstround results pointed to growing nationalist sentiment across the electorate that will probably boost the president.
All of that amounts to an uphill battle for the challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads a six-party coalition that came together with the goals of unseating Erdogan, restoring Turkish democracy, righting the economy and smoothing over frazzled relations with the West.
“Obviously, it is difficult,” said Can Selcuki, the director of the Turkey Report, which publishes polls and political analysis.
Selcuki, who had predicted a stronger showing by the opposition, said that the coalition now appeared to have at least two options: find a way to increase turnout among supportive voters and adopt a more nationalist tone that might attract crossover votes.
So far, opposition leaders have publicly said very little about how they might modify their campaign before the runoff.
“I am here, I am here,” Kilicdaroglu, the
opposition candidate, said in a video posted on Twitter on Monday that showed him uncharacteristically banging on a desk. “I swear I will fight to the end.”
In another post Tuesday, he tried to rally younger voters, cautioning that a win by his opponent would lead to “a bottomless darkness.”
Still, the math does not appear to be in his favor.
Erdogan won 49.5% of the vote, versus 44.9% for Kilicdaroglu, according to the Turkish electoral authority. The third candidate, Ogan, received 5.2%, and his right-wing supporters seem more likely to opt for Erdogan in the runoff.
Going into the first round, most polls indicated a slight lead for Kilicdaroglu, but since the results came out, analysts have tried to explain why the opposition performed worse than expected.
The six parties that backed Kilicdaroglu represent a disparate range of backgrounds and ideologies, including nationalists, staunch secularists and even Islamists who had defected from Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party.
While their primary unifying goal was to unseat Erdogan, they tried to sell voters on a different vision for Turkey’s future. That included restoring the independence of state institutions such as the Foreign Ministry and the central bank; a return to orthodox financial policies aimed at taming painfully high inflation and enticing foreign investors; and the strengthening of civil liberties, including freedom of expression and of association, which Erdogan has limited.
Erdogan mounted a campaign that linked him in voters’ minds to Turkey’s increasing military might and independence. In interviews, many pro-Erdogan voters expressed admiration for Turkey’s defense industry, particularly its drones, which have played key roles in a
Hundreds of thousands of people began repairing or rebuilding their homes and livelihoods on Monday after a deadly cyclone hit Myanmar and Bangladesh over the weekend.
The storm, named Mocha, killed several people in Myanmar, though there were conflicting accounts from leaders as to exactly how many. The Myanmar government said the number was five, but the shadow government, called the National Unity Government, which may have more sources in the country’s remote conflict zones, said it was 18.
Though the damage from the powerful storm was not as dire as predicted, there were still hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees left homeless, along with reports of people stranded and having to make their way through storm debris to get home.
The damage in Myanmar was mostly confined to Rakhine state, Chin state and other areas in the west, according to officials and aid workers.
Ko Myo Khaing, a rescue worker in the city of Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state, said two people were reported to have died in his area.
“At least 90% of Sittwe was destroyed by the storm,” he said. “The electricity is still out and the phone lines are down. The number of people affected is unknown, due to communication difficulties.”
Khaing Thu Kha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine militia, said that food collected for the emergency was damaged by the rain, and that while floodwaters in Sittwe had receded, they were still high in other areas.
“Since it is impossible for us to help with our revolutionary forces alone, I
would like to ask neighboring countries, including the U.N., to help,” the spokesperson said.
In Chin state, where phone and internet lines have been cut since Myanmar’s generals staged a coup in February 2021, communication was restored for a short while just before the cyclone struck. But that was not enough.
“We didn’t have enough time to tell people to evacuate,” said Salai Mang Hre Lian, the program manager of the Chin Human Rights Organization.
Although there were no immediate reports of fatalities in Chin state, Lian
said more than a thousand people were stranded in the forests, in urgent need of shelter, food, and medicine, and had been unable to make it back to their homes. Transportation was harrowing; travelers had to brave military patrols and unexploded ordnance, along with the effects of the storm itself. Those conditions also made it hard to deliver relief supplies.
Before the cyclone made landfall, its strong winds and rain tore through the tarpaulin-and-bamboo shanties of the Rohingya refugees who live in threadbare camps along Bangladesh’s coastline. More than 1 million Rohingya people sought refuge in Bangladesh after fleeing persecution in Rakhine state, and they now inhabit the world’s largest encampment.
The storm came ashore on Sunday afternoon in the coastal area around Cox’s Bazar, right at Bangladesh’s border with Myanmar, according to Bangladesh’s meteorological department. At that time, it was packing winds of up to 155 mph, according to estimates from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center just before lan-
dfall.
Videos posted to social media showed men and women wading in water and surrounded by broken electrical poles, blown-out tile roofs, pieces of billboards and crumpled metal sheeting.
In Bangladesh, where no deaths were immediately reported, around 3,000 Rohingya shelters were damaged by the cyclone, and some were completely destroyed, officials said. The office of Bangladesh’s commissioner for refugees reported that 32 learning centers and 29 mosques were damaged.
The refugee camps, which stretch over rolling, muddy terrain, suffered 120 landslides during the storm, and at least 5,300 refugees were relocated to more secure locations. In the wider Cox’s Bazar region, a total of 13,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. About 250,000 people were in need of food and shelter by Sunday evening, according to Bangladesh’s government.
In the Cox’s Bazar area, 25-year-old Arefa, who goes by one name and lives with her husband and two children, ages 6 and 4, described in horror how the storm brought a tree down onto her bambooand-plastic shanty. The family escaped unhurt and took refuge at a community leader’s home.
“I lay down on the floor of someone’s home with my children beside me, thinking, ‘Will we go on like this our entire lives?’” she said, her voice shaking.
A series of fires and floods have ravaged the Rohingya camps over the past six years, but Arefa’s shanty had only been damaged once before — two years ago, when another storm blew away its tarpaulin roofing. Life had already been tough for her family in Myanmar, even before October 2016, when armed forces came to her village and set it on fire. Her family was left homeless and had no choice but to flee to Bangladesh, she said, a journey that took several days on foot.
Now they are going to have to start again. She came back to her battered shanty this morning, she said, to find that someone had stolen the cooking gas cylinder. “We want to go home to Myanmar, but there is no hope of that happening anytime soon,” she said. “My two children, I don’t see any future for them.”
By FARAH STOCKMAN
When war broke out unexpectedly in the streets of Khartoum, Sudan, Dr. Hiba Omer, a senior surgeon, could have fled like so many others. Instead, she stayed behind to keep a hospital open. Her city was in its hour of greatest need. If she left, who would perform the C-sections and treat all those bullet wounds? Even after a Sudanese military official accused her on social media of siding with its enemy, the RSF militia, sparking a barrage of death threats against her, she refused to flee.
“I will never leave Khartoum,” she told me. “I will stay here, until death. I have a responsibility, and I will be staying until we do our job. It is a professional commitment.”
Whenever a place becomes unbearable because of a natural disaster or a war, our hearts go out to the refugees who make the desperate trek out. But it’s the people who stay behind who will decide the country’s fate. They are the ones who will determine whether refugees will have a home to return to.
Consider what Ukraine would be like today if President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had taken the American offer to spirit him to safety at the beginning
of the Russian invasion. His famous reply — “I need ammunition, not a ride” — shamed the West into providing more aid, boosted morale and inspired a nation. How must Afghans have felt when they learned that their president, Ashraf Ghani, who had vowed that he “would never abandon” his people, had hastily departed in a helicopter as the Taliban approached? No one can begrudge him the instinct of self-preservation.
But saving your own skin — and leaving those for whom you are responsible to suffer — is an abdication of leadership.
Honorable captains go down with the ship. They don’t slink off in a lifeboat while no one is looking. Ghani’s flight stood in stark contrast to the bravery shown by Afghanistan’s ex-president Hamid Karzai, who posted a video online announcing that he and his three young daughters would be staying in Kabul, at the very moment when other internationally known Afghans were frantically packing their bags and departing for luxurious estates they own abroad.
Karzai’s voice in that video, nearly drowned out by the sound of helicopters evacuating people, must have given some comfort to the poor who could not flee. It made me wonder if Karzai would be Afghanistan’s leader today, had the Americans not micromanaged his every move.
Which brings me to the subject of Americans who threaten to move to Canada every time an election doesn’t go their way. More than 5,000 people renounced their American citizenship in 2016, and more than 6,000 renounced in 2020, according to an analysis by The American Expat Financial News Journal. (It’s not clear how many did so because of politics.) More than 3 million American voters are estimated to be living abroad, some of whom say they left the United States because of political strife.
In today’s postindustrial world, citizenship is just another commodity that can be purchased for a price. When the water rises too high or the weather gets too weird or a bloviating narcissist threatens democracy, those with the resources can book a ticket out. I can’t begrudge those acts of self-preservation. But I can call it what it is: an abdication of the leadership role that wealth and education once commanded. The broken bond between the globalized elite and the ordinary people they leave behind is one reason for the rise of populism across the globe.
The doctors of Sudan should inspire all of us to think differently and live up to our responsibility to help the people in the places we are from. In 2019, Sudanese doctors helped turn a protest over the rising price of bread into an organized uprising for democracy and
civilian rule. When the military dictatorship tried to silence them by arresting them, imprisoning them and torturing them, they organized a general strike. Omer was detained for 58 days. Now those military men have hijacked the pro-democracy movement and turned their guns on one another, dragging their country of 46 million people over a cliff.
Since fighting erupted last month between the Sudanese army and the RSF paramilitary group, Omer and other volunteers with the Sudan Doctors’ Trade Union, which she leads, have worked with civilian resistance committees to keep a hospital functioning. They slept in its wards and shared scarce medical supplies. They have taken a neutral stance in the war, she told me, treating wounded fighters from both sides alongside civilians.
Nevertheless, she and her friends have received a barrage of threatening messages accusing doctors of refusing to treat some Sudanese soldiers while treating others. In one video that Omer forwarded to me, a military official said she is now “considered a traitor” and that her “day will come.”
Even before those threats, the war was already deadly for doctors. At least 10 medical professionals have died in the chaos and crossfire, including Dr. Bushra Ibnauf Sulieman, a U.S. citizen who was stabbed to death by thugs outside his home as he escorted his father to a dialysis appointment, and Dr. Farida Abdel Moneim of Omdurman Maternity Hospital, who died in crossfire on her way home from work.
Fortunately, Omer is still alive and tending to patients in Khartoum. The Sudanese army and the RSF — which just struck an agreement to withdraw their forces from hospitals and to allow aid to reach civilians — must ensure that she stays that way.
The world has never quite figured out how to make the men with the guns share power with civilians who have earned the people’s trust. But it has never been more clear that the doctors of Sudan, who save lives, would be better leaders than fighters who take lives.
EL CAPITOLIO – La presidenta de la Comisión de Cumplimiento y Reestructuración, Marially González, llevó a cabo una vista pública en la comunidad El Faro del barrio Rufina de Guayanilla para conocer las gestiones realizadas por instituciones gubernamentales en el proceso de reubicación de residentes, cuyos hogares resultaron afectados durante temblores del año 2020.
“Pudimos ver en esta vista que solamente dos familias han sido reubicadas de un total de 45. Queda mucho trabajo por hacer, no hay planes concretos, cuánto es el tope para cada familia. El alcalde nos indica que no puede dar esa información, la cual no consideramos que sea algo justo, ya que son fondos públicos, pero sí hay alternativas por parte del Departamento de la Vivienda que, aunque puede dar un poquito más, le da esperanza de que puedan ser lugares más seguros para nuestra gente. Vamos a seguir al tanto, dando seguimiento a los desembolsos y conocer dónde serán reubicadas estas familias”, destacó la senadora que llevó a cabo la audiencia en Guayanilla mediante la Resolución del Senado 596
Rose Vélez, residente de dicha comunidad desde hace más de 50 años, expresó la necesidad de reubicarse en una vivienda segura. “Nunca habíamos pasado por esta situación. Desde los terremotos bajó el terreno y ahora tenemos problemas de inundaciones porque la marea sube. Aquí hay personas desesperadas porque el agua ahora entra a las casas. La gente está frustrada y desesperada. El alcalde nos ha presentado hogares para mudarnos, pero están deteriorados. No puedo salir a una residencia que no tiene agua, luz, sin servicio sanitario. Necesitamos un sitio seguro donde estar”.
En la misma línea se manifestó el licenciado Oscar Padilla, en representación de la residente Iris Rodríguez, quien expresó que “hay una comunidad afectada que va a ser desplazada por razones de seguridad. Si hay un plan y un perfil socioeconómico de las familias afectadas para entonces poder ver el plan de desalojo. Queremos saber esos pasos. Cuáles son los que se van a dar. No sabemos si el realojo lo llevará a cabo el Departamento de la Vivienda o el Municipio. Mi representado desconoce cuál sería el proceso”.
Por su parte, el alcalde de Guayanilla, Raúl Rivera, compareció ante la Comisión y explicó que debido a la burocracia se ha retrasado todo el proceso. “Asumimos la administración en el 2021. Cuando llegamos a la comunidad nos percatamos que estaban sumergidos en el agua, luego surgió que los miembros de aquí no cualifican para muchas ayudas porque no poseen títulos de propie-
dad”.
A su vez, el ejecutivo municipal dijo que se identificaron $1.6 millones en fondos gubernamentales para el proceso de reubicación de las familias que están cerca de la costa, pero aclaró que eventualmente se puede reubicar a toda la comunidad que requiere más tiempo. Mencionó que en Guayanilla 1,500 residencias quedaron afectadas por los sismos, por lo que “conseguir una casa es complicado”. Indicó que se acercaron al Departamento de Vivienda para identificar varias propiedades.
Detalló que se adquirieron siete residencias que, aunque no estaban en las mejores condiciones en términos de estructura, los ingenieros la inspeccionaron. Señaló que las viviendas se están reparando. Además, a preguntas de la senadora, el alcalde indicó que una vez se reubiquen, las residencias actuales se van a demoler.
recibiendo la información necesaria”, añadió.
S
AN JUAN – El presidente electo del Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), Jesús Manuel Ortiz, anunció el martes su comité de transición, encargado de evaluar la situación física y fiscal del Partido, así como sus operaciones y reorganización.
“Ya comenzamos a trabajar para que este sea un proceso expedito”, declaró Ortiz González en declaraciones escritas.
“El Comité, está liderado por el Representante Héctor Ferrer quien junto a otros miembros, estarán
“Una vez finalizado este proceso comenzaremos a ejecutar el proyecto de futuro que prometí al pueblo popular para poner el partido en posición de ganar la próxima elección”, añadió el presidente electo del Partido Popular Democrático.
El Comité de transición también incluirá a Gerardo “Toñito” Cruz, Víctor Pérez y Niavelis Castro.
En las próximas semanas, Ortiz González anunciará los nombramientos de Secretario y Comisionado Electoral del Partido Popular Democrático, marcando el inicio oficial de sus funciones como presidente.
Comisión senatorial investiga proceso de reubicación de residentes de comunidad
This year’s Tony Awards ceremony, which had been in doubt ever since Hollywood’s screenwriters went on strike earlier this month, will proceed as scheduled in an altered form after the writers’ union said Monday night that it would not picket the show.
“As they have stood by us, we stand with our fellow workers on Broadway who are impacted by our strike,” the Writers Guild of America, which represents screenwriters, said in a statement late Monday.
A disruption could have been damaging to Broadway, which sees the televised ceremony as a key marketing opportunity, particularly now, when audiences have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Several nominated shows have been operating at a loss, holding on in the hopes that a Tony win — or even exposure on the broadcast — could boost sales.
The union made it clear that the broadcast, which is scheduled to air on CBS on June 11, would be different from past ceremonies.
“Tony Awards Productions (a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing) has communicated with us that they are altering this year’s show to conform with specific requests from the WGA, and therefore the WGA will not be picketing the show,” the union said in a statement. “Responsibility for having to make changes to the format of the 2023 Tony Awards rests squarely on the shoulders of Paramount/CBS and their allies. They continue to refuse to negotiate a fair contract for the writers represented by the WGA.”
The union did not detail what those differences would be, and the Tony Awards administrators did not have any immediate comment. But a person familiar with the plan, who was granted anonymity to speak about conditions that are not yet public, said the revised broadcast would include the presentation of key awards and live performances of songs from Broadway shows, but that it would not feature any scripted material by screenwriters in its opening number or comedic patter.
The Tony Awards agreed that they would not use any part of a draft script that had been written before the screenwriters’ strike began, said the person.
It was not immediately clear what role,
if any, Ariana DeBose will play in the unscripted show. The Oscar-winning, Broadway-loving actress had hosted the awards ceremony last year, and had agreed to host again this year.
It became clear immediately after the screenwriters went on strike that the labor disruption could affect the Tony Awards, because the awards ceremony is televised (by CBS) and livestreamed (by Paramount+) and ordinarily features a script written by screenwriters.
Broadway is a heavily unionized industry, and unionized theater workers like actors and musicians were not going to participate in an awards ceremony being protested by another labor union. Tony Awards administrators, aware of those concerns, asked the WGA for a waiver that would have allowed its writers to work on the show, given the dire straits of the theater industry; on Friday, the WGA denied that request, and Monday night it reiterated that denial, saying that the guild “will not negotiate an interim agreement or a waiver for the Tony Awards.”
But Tony Awards administrators did not give up, and asked the guild if, even without a waiver to allow screenwriters to work on the show, it would allow the broadcast to proceed without writers as long as it
meets certain conditions.
Prominent theater artists who work on Broadway and are allied with the writers guild also spoke up on behalf of the Tonys, arguing that forcing the show off the air would be devastating to the art form and to the many arts workers it employs. The combination of the lobbying efforts and the new conditions appears to have prompted the guild to say Monday night that it would not
picket the broadcast.
The striking screenwriters have argued that their wages have stagnated and working conditions have deteriorated despite the fact that television production has exploded over the last decade. Negotiations between the major Hollywood studios — represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers — and the WGA broke down three weeks ago. Roughly 11,500 writers went on strike beginning May 2.
Over the past two weeks, the writers have assembled picket lines outside the major studios in Los Angeles and production soundstages in New York. But the writers have also gone farther afield, with some taking to picket outside productions in more far-flung locales like Maplewood, New Jersey, Chicago and Philadelphia.
The threat of demonstrations forced Netflix to cancel a major in-person showcase for advertisers, which was scheduled for Wednesday, and to turn it into a virtual format instead. The company also canceled an appearance for Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s coCEO, at the PEN America Literary Gala on Thursday.
CBS has been broadcasting the Tonys since the 1970s, making it one of the longest continuous relationships between a single broadcaster and an awards show. CBS has a deal to broadcast the show through 2026. Because of the Tonys’ relatively low viewership, it has long been more of a prestige play for the network than a significant profit maker.
Advertising for several Broadway shows at Duffy Square in Times Square in New York, May 15, 2023. Tony Awards administrators held an emergency meeting on Monday to try to salvage this year’s ceremony in the face of a strike by screenwriters that is imperiling the broadcasting of the event. The San Juan Daily Star Wednesday, May 17, 2023 17
as Henry VIII and Alicia Vikander as his last wife, Katherine Parr.
And then there are “Asteroid City” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the fest’s two most anticipated premieres. The former takes place at a 1950s retreat for space-obsessed youngsters and stars Anderson staples including Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Swinton, as well as new recruit Tom Hanks, about whom Anderson said, “I couldn’t have had a better time working with anybody.” Scorsese’s Apple-backed film charts the mysterious murders of the Osage tribe in the 1920s and will bring stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro to the red carpet.
(Still, weep for what might have been: Greta Gerwig’s candy-colored July release “Barbie” will skip an early premiere at Cannes, depriving us of a red-carpet fantasy to trump all others.)
By KYLE BUCHANANWes Anderson’s films have premiered at a wide variety of festivals, but after “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012), “The French Dispatch” (2021) and his upcoming ensemble comedy “Asteroid City,” Cannes Film Festival is the one he keeps coming back to. Last week, I asked Anderson what he finds so compelling about a debut on the Croisette.
“The reason to go to Cannes, I think, is because they said yes,” he deadpanned. “After that, there isn’t really much to contemplate.”
Well, there’s a little more to it than that, Anderson admitted: For cinema lovers, there is no holier pilgrimage to make than to Cannes, where movies are treated with the utmost reverence and routinely given marathon standing ovations.
It is a place where great auteurs have been canonized, like Martin Scorsese, who won the Palme d’Or in 1976 for “Taxi Driver” and will return this year with his new feature “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and Quentin Tarantino, a Palme winner (for “Pulp Fiction” in 1994) and Cannes habitué who’ll be back at the fest this year for a wide-ranging conversation that may touch on his upcoming final film.
“I look at Cannes in relation to the other movies I know showed there, and I feel lucky enough to be included in the program that debuted those films,” Anderson said. “For me, it’s a chance to be involved in this movie history, which I love.”
A Cannes launch can be awfully expensive for a studio to bankroll, since the airfare, star entourages and five-star hotels alone all add up. Still, the return on investment can be major. Last year, “Top Gun: Maverick” launched with a fawning Tom Cruise summit and sent fighter jets flying over the south of France, while Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” threw a rock concert on the beach where drones traced Elvis Presley’s silhouette in the sky. Both films leveraged their splashy
debuts to become some of the best-performing global hits of the year, and were nominated for the best-picture Oscar, to boot.
This year, several star-driven films will attempt to capitalize on a Cannes bow, including “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which is being billed as Harrison Ford’s final appearance in his most iconic role. Can it overcome the tepid response to the last sequel, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” and the substitution of James Mangold (“Ford v Ferrari”) for Steven Spielberg as director of the series? At least the addition of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, in her most high-profile role since “Fleabag,” will add a welcome jolt to the franchise.
Director Todd Haynes, who premiered “Carol” at Cannes, returns to the festival with another female-driven two-hander: “May December,” which stars Julianne Moore as a teacher whose scandalous relationship with a former student is scrutinized by a movie star (Natalie Portman) preparing to play the teacher in a film. Other star-heavy films include “The New Boy,” featuring Cate Blanchett as a nun in her first role since “Tár,” and “Firebrand,” with Jude Law
In recent years, the winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or award has often gone to a film with breakout-hit potential, like “Parasite” and “Triangle of Sadness.” The director of the latter film, Ruben Ostlund, will preside over this year’s competition jury, a group that includes Brie Larson and Paul Dano, and they’ll be picking their favorite from an auteur-heavy lineup that includes several former Palme winners.
Among them are Wim Wenders, who took the Palme for “Paris, Texas” and returns with “Perfect Days,” about a Tokyo toilet cleaner, and Hirokazu Kore-eda, whose new film “Monster” is the first film he has shot in Japan since his Palme winner “Shoplifters.” No director has ever taken the Palme three times, though Ken Loach could this year, if his new working-class drama “The Old Oak” proves as acclaimed as “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” and “I, Daniel Blake.”
This year’s Cannes has its fair share of long films — “Occupied City,” Steve McQueen’s documentary about Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, runs 4 hours and 6 minutes — but not every buzzy premiere will be feature-length. The fest will also premiere shorts directed by Pedro Almodóvar (“A Strange Way of Life”) and the late Jean-Luc Godard (“Phony Wars”), while launching “The Idol,” an already-controversial HBO series from “Euphoria” mastermind Sam Levinson starring Abel “the Weeknd” Tesfaye.
And although the festival will offer G-rated pleasures in the form of Pixar’s new film “Elemental,” it wouldn’t be Cannes without a few envelope-pushers. Keep an eye on Catherine Breillat, whose sexually explicit filmography (“Fat Girl,” “Romance”) gets a new entry with “Last Summer,” about a lawyer who falls for her teenage stepson.
Then there’s the film I’m most curious about: “The Zone of Interest,” an Auschwitz-set drama from director Jonathan Glazer. Rumor has it that Cannes passed on Glazer’s audacious “Under the Skin” back in 2013 and was eager to make up for that mistake. Since Glazer’s films (“Birth” and “Sexy Beast”) are infrequent but stunning, a new project from the director is reason enough to say yes to Cannes — and after that, there isn’t really much to contemplate.
Wednesday, March 4, 20
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 19
week for posing in glamorous swimsuits, modeling is not really new to her. Long before she became a household name and a lifestyle guru, a young Stewart worked as a model. She appeared in television commercials, print editorials and even starred in advertising campaigns for luxury brands such as Chanel and Unilever brands.
The photoshoot, the fashions
The photoshoot for Sports Illustrated took place in early January in the Dominican Republic. Martha Stewart was photographed by Colombian-born Ruven Afanador, a longtime contributor to Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle and The New York Times. Stewart modeled one-piece swimsuits by labels such as Yves Saint Laurent, Body Glove, Norma Kamali, Zimmermann, Monday Swimwear, Anemos, Isa Boulder and Eres. Among the designers who provided sunglasses, cover-ups, jewelry and other accessories are Gucci, Valentino, Anita Ko, Eric Javits, Cicada, Moda Operandi, Torso Creations, Alix Pinho and Jacob & Co.
Inspirational, in her own words
Stewart wrote in her IG account that she is thrilled to be
By IRIS EDÉN SANTIAGO Special to The STARCooking. Gardening. Decorating. Hosting. Baking.
Now add to her long list of talents, swimsuit modeling.
Globally renowned stockbroker and savvy businesswoman Martha Stewart has made the cover of the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. It has to be said the camera still loves the 81-year-old mother and grandmother who was revealed this week by the organization as the oldest cover model in the publication’s history.
Stewart is certainly a box of chocolates or should I say petit fours? This woman remains unshaken. Past the scandal, fast-forward her prison sentence, Martha Stewart always comes back stronger. With a plan. Brilliant, and clearly organized, she never ceases to amaze millions of followers she has all over the world. She is never out of options or hobbies, not even behind bars, and certainly not in her golden years. You may love her or hate her, but you have got to give it to the woman, she hasn’t lost her Midas touch, and looks fantastic. Plus, entertaining is in her blood. You will never be bored with a bestie like Martha.
She’s the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, a best-selling author (of 99 lifestyle books and counting) and an Emmy Award–winning television show host. And although she is making headlines this
on the cover of the SI Swimsuit Issue: “When you are through changing, you’re through, so I thought, why not be up for this opportunity of a lifetime? I hope this cover inspires you to try new things, no matter what stage of life you are in. Changing, evolving, and being fearless -- those are all very good things, indeed. Don’t be afraid of anything.”
From the Jersey shore with a vision
The girl from Jersey City rose to fame in the 1980s when she began writing cookbooks after her success as a chef. Since those first cookbooks, Stewart is now the best-selling author of 99 books over the course of her career. She launched her fabulous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, in 1990.
Throughout her magazines, books, television shows and other media outlets, she reaches approximately 100 million fans each month, according to Sports Illustrated.
Stewart currently hosts three programs on Roku: “Martha Gardens,” “Martha Cooks” and “Martha Holidays.” She also moderates “The Martha Stewart Podcast,” where she interviews business leaders and friends. She opened her first restaurant in August 2022: The Bedford by Martha Stewart, which is located at Paris Las Vegas. The 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue will be on newsstands May 18.
In recent years, mental health struggles have become the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, primarily due to suicides and drug overdoses. It is estimated that 1 in 8 new moms experience postpartum depression, and some research has suggested that the prevalence climbed to as high as 1 in 3 during the early days of the pandemic.
Yet roughly half of the women who are struggling with their mental health after pregnancy don’t receive treatment. Barriers to care include a lack of awareness about symptoms and treatments, an inability to access resources and stigma.
Postpartum depression has historically been underdiagnosed and underresearched, but recognition of the condition is finally growing. As a result, there are more treatment options available than ever, including innovative therapeutic models and at least one new medication.
Many women experience mood swings in the days and weeks following birth because of dramatic hormonal shifts. Sometimes called the “baby blues,” symptoms include feelings of sadness, anxiety, tearfulness or overwhelm; they typically subside within a week or two.
New mothers “feel like they’re on a hormonal ride because they are,” said Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, chair of the psychiatry department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who helped
found the university’s perinatal psychiatry inpatient unit — the first in the country.
“That happens to every single person that gives birth, and that’s considered a normal part of the transition from pregnancy to the postpartum period.”
Postpartum depression is different. It is defined as a major depressive episode that lasts at least two weeks and starts during the year after birth, usually emerging in the first few weeks.
“To meet criteria for a postpartum depressive episode, you must meet criteria for a major depressive episode,” MeltzerBrody said. Those include persistent low mood, low energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, suicidal thoughts and a loss of interest in things that were previously enjoyable.
The condition is typically screened for using a questionnaire known as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, which is ideally (but not always) administered at the six-week postpartum visit to the ob-
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stetrician’s office. Pediatricians are also encouraged to ask about postpartum depression because they see the family more frequently in the year after birth. Risk factors include a history of depression, a traumatic birth experience and lack of social support, said Latoya Frolov, a perinatal psychiatrist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
The treatment a woman receives should depend on her score on the Edinburgh Scale, but all too often there is no follow-up care, either because adequate mental health resources aren’t available or because she can’t access them.
It’s hard to make it to an appointment when you’re overwhelmed, exhausted and depressed, especially if you don’t have easy transportation or child care, Frolov said. “When I see someone make it to an appointment with me, I am overjoyed, honestly, to see them in my office, because I know that often there’s a lot that went into it.”
If a woman is found to have mild to moderate depression, she should quickly be referred to some sort of therapy.
Group therapy is often recommended for new moms who are struggling, and it can be one of the most powerful interventions, said Paige Bellenbaum, a licensed clinical social worker and the founding director of The Motherhood Center, a clinic in New York City that offers intensive outpatient care for women with postpartum depression. “It’s the support that women provide to one another,” she said, “that helps them to feel so much less alone in this really, really challenging journey.”
For women who have moderate to severe postpartum depression, experts often recommend medication — most commonly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. There is limited research specifically testing SSRIs for postpartum depression, but one meta-analysis assessing six studies indicated that a little less than half of the women who take them see an improvement.
Traditionally, doctors have worried that these medications are unsafe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, but Frolov said the risks are small, espe-
cially compared to those associated with postpartum depression. She said Zoloft, in particular, is frequently prescribed because less medication is secreted into breast milk than with other SSRIs.
Frolov is trying to empower physicians who work with pregnant and postpartum women to feel more comfortable prescribing SSRIs, especially to women who are struggling but aren’t able to see a mental health professional. “I always encourage OBs to treat,” she said. “It’s not enough to screen.”
For women who don’t respond to these therapies, more intensive treatment options are starting to become available, including full-day outpatient and inpatient facilities dedicated to maternal mental health, such as The Motherhood Center and UNC’s perinatal psychiatry unit.
The first medication specifically for postpartum depression also now exists, and it works differently than SSRIs. Treatment with the drug, called Brexanolone, causes a significant reduction in depression scores for about 70% of women who receive it, said Meltzer-Brody, who ran the clinical trials at UNC. Most notably, it works within 24 hours, compared with the weeks or months it takes to see a benefit from therapy or SSRIs.
While Brexanolone’s efficacy is promising, it must be delivered in a hospital vwia an IV for 60 hours straight, which makes it extremely difficult to access. As a result, only a few hundred women, usually the most severe cases, have been treated with the drug since it was approved in 2019.
Experts are optimistic that a related fast-acting medication that can be delivered in a pill form may soon become available. The drug, called Zuranolone, is under review by the Food and Drug Administration, both for postpartum depression and major depressive disorder; a ruling could come as soon as Labor Day.
Perhaps even more important than the new medications, Bellenbaum said, is the fact that the medical and scientific community is investing in research into postpartum depression. “The field of maternal mental health is finally starting to matter,” she said.
It has been 20 years since scientists put together the first rough draft of the human genome, the 3 billion genetic letters of DNA tightly wound inside most of our cells. Today, scientists are still struggling to decipher it.
But a batch of studies published Thursday in Science has cast a bright light into the dark recesses of the human genome by comparing it with those of 239 other mammals, including narwhals, cheetahs and screaming hairy armadillos.
By tracing this genomic evolution over the past 100 million years, the so-called Zoonomia Project has revealed millions of stretches of human DNA that have changed little since our shrewlike ancestors scurried in the shadows of dinosaurs. These ancient genetic elements most likely carry out essential functions in our bodies today, the project found, and mutations within them can put us at risk of a range of diseases.
The project’s strength lies in the huge amount of data analyzed — not just the genomes, but experiments on thousands of pieces of DNA and information from medical studies, said Alexander Palazzo, a geneticist at the University of Toronto who was not involved in the work. “This is the way it needs to be done.”
The mammalian genomes also allowed the Zoonomia team to pinpoint pieces of human DNA with radical mutations that set them apart from other mammals. Some of these genetic adaptations may have had a major role in the evolution of our big, complex brains.
Scientists have long known that just a tiny fraction of our DNA contains so-called protein-coding genes, which make crucial proteins like digestive enzymes in our stomach, collagen in our skin and hemoglobin in our blood. All of our 20,000 protein-coding genes make up just 1.5% of our genome. The other 98.5% is far more mysterious.
Scientists have found that some bits of that inscrutable DNA help determine which proteins get made at certain places and at certain times. Other pieces of DNA act like switches, turning on nearby genes. And still others can amplify the production of those genes. And still others act like off switches.
Through painstaking experiments, scientists have uncovered thousands of these switches nestled in long stretches of DNA that seem to do nothing for us — what some biolo-
gists call “junk DNA.” Our genome contains thousands of broken copies of genes that no longer work, for example, and vestiges of viruses that invaded the genomes of our distant ancestors.
But it’s not yet possible for scientists to look directly at the human genome and identify all the switches. “We don’t understand the language that makes these things work,” said Steven Reilly, a geneticist at the Yale School of Medicine and one of more than 100 members of the Zoonomia team.
When the project began over a decade ago, the researchers recognized that evolution could help them decipher this language. They reasoned that switches that endure for millions of years are probably essential to our survival.
In every generation, mutations randomly strike the DNA of every species. If they hit a piece of DNA that isn’t essential, they will cause no harm and may be passed down to future generations.
Mutations that destroy an essential switch, on the other hand, probably won’t get passed down. They may instead kill a mammal, such as by turning off genes essential for organ development. “You just won’t get a kidney,” said Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, a geneticist at the Broad Institute and Uppsala University who initiated the Zoonomia Project.
Lindblad-Toh and her colleagues determined that they would need to compare more than 200 mammal genomes to track these mu-
tations over the past 100 million years. They collaborated with wildlife biologists to get tissue from species spread out across the mammalian evolutionary tree.
The scientists worked out the sequence of genetic letters — known as bases — in each genome and compared them with the sequences of other species to determine how mutations arose in different mammalian branches as they evolved from a common ancestor.
“It took a lot of computer churn,” said Katherine Pollard, a data scientist at Gladstone Institutes who helped build the Zoonomia database.
The researchers found that a relatively small number of bases in the human genome — 330 million, or about 10.7% — gained few mutations in any branch of the mammalian tree, a sign that they were essential to the survival of all of these species, including our own.
Our genes make up a small portion of that 10.7%. The rest lies outside our genes and probably includes elements that turn genes on and off.
Mutations in these little-changed parts of the genome were harmful for millions of years, and they remain harmful to us today, the researchers found. Mutations linked to genetic diseases typically alter bases that the researchers found had evolved little in the past 100 million years.
Pollard is focused on thousands of
stretches of DNA that have not changed over that period of time — except in our own species. Intriguingly, many of these pieces of fastevolving DNA are active in the developing human brain.
Based on the new data, Pollard and her colleagues think they now understand how our species broke with 100 million years of tradition. In many cases, the first step was a mutation that accidentally created an extra copy of a long stretch of DNA. By making our DNA longer, this mutation changed the way it folded.
As our DNA refolded, a genetic switch that once controlled a nearby gene no longer made contact with it. Instead, it now made contact with a new one. The switch eventually gained mutations allowing it to control its new neighbor. Pollard’s research suggests that some of these shifts helped human brain cells grow for a longer period of time during childhood — a crucial step in the evolution of our large, powerful brains.
Reilly, of Yale, has found other mutations that might have also helped our species build a more powerful brain: those that accidentally snip out pieces of DNA.
Scanning the Zoonomia genomes, Reilly and his colleagues looked for DNA that survived in species after species — but were then deleted in humans. They found 10,000 of these deletions. Most were just a few bases long, but some of them had profound effects on our species.
One of the most striking deletions altered an off switch in the human genome. It is near a gene called LOXL2, which is active in the developing brain. Our ancestors lost just one base of DNA from the switch. That tiny change turned the off switch into an on switch.
Reilly and his researchers ran experiments to see how the human version of LOXL2 behaved in neurons compared with the standard mammalian version. Their experiments suggest that LOXL2 stays active in children longer than it does in young apes. LOXL2 is known to keep neurons in a state where they can keep growing and sprouting branches. So staying switched on longer in childhood could allow our brains to grow more than ape brains.
“It changes our idea of how evolution can work” Reilly said. “Breaking stuff in your genome can lead to new functions.”
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN SALÓN DE SESIONES
404 NORAH ASTRID
SÁNCHEZ FIGUEROA PETICIONARIA EX PARTE
Civil Núm.: SJ2021CV04582.
Salón: 504. Sobre: ADMINIS-
TRACIÓN JUDICIAL. NOTIFICACIÓN POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
A : ACREEDORES DE LA SUCESIÓN VÍCTOR A. PERALTA PICCO.
Vista la moción presentada por la parte demandante sobre publicación de edictos en cumplimiento con el Art. 594 del Código de Enjuiciamiento Civil Sec 2542, en el caso de epígrafe se les notifica a los acreedores, si alguno de Víctor A. Peralta Picco que se notifiquen con la Administradora Judicial Jacqueline Frances Rapale Burgos a la siguiente dirección en un plazo no mayor de sesenta (60) días. P. O. Box 20083
San Juan, P. R. 00928-0083
Dada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy día 24 de marzo de 2023. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ
COLLADO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. LINDA LEVY RODRÍGUEZ, SECRETARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA. ***
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA DE PONCE.
ORIENTAL BANK
Demandante v.
CHARLIE GUZMAN
ALVAREZ, por si y como miembro de la Sucesión de Eda Banchs Ramos compuesta por su viudo CHARLIE
GUZMAN ALVAREZ, ALEXANDRA GUZMAN
BANCHS, CARLOS
GUZMAN BANCHS
Y RAQUEL GUZMAN
BANCHS; CENTRO
DE DEPARTAMENTO
DE HACIENDA POR CONDUCTO DE LA
DIVISION DE CAUDALES
RELICTOS; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES
Demandados
CIVIL NÚM. PO2021CV01153.
SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO
REGLA 60. EDICTO DE SUBASTA.
YO, Miguel A. Torres Ayala, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, al público en general, POR LA
PRESENTE HAGO SABER:
CERTIFICO Y HAGO SABER: Cumpliendo con un Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia del Secretario de este Tribunal, venderé en pública subasta al mejor postor en moneda legal de los Estados Unidos, cheque de gerente o giro postal en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, el día 6 de junio de 2023, a las 10:30 de la mañana, la siguiente propiedad:
RÚSTICA: Predio de terreno radicado en el Barrio Real del término municipal de Ponce, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de seis puntos siete mil Setecientos cuarenta y tres cuerdas, equivalentes a veintiséis mil seiscientos veinticinco puntos siete mil ciento setenta y seis metros cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, en quince alineaciones irregulares de cinco punto dieciocho, nueve punto ochenta; once punto ochenta y seis; diecisiete punto sesenta y cuatro; treinta y cinco punto cincuenta y seis; tres punto veintiocho; nueve punto noventa y seis; doce punto sesenta y cinco; doce punto sesenta y tres; once punto cuarenta y siete; doce punto veinte; cuatro punto dieciséis; siete unto ochenta y siete; catorce punto setenta y uno diecisiete punto cincuenta y cinco metros lineales, respectivamente, con acceso a la parcela; por el SUR, en la alineación recta de ciento veintiocho punto noventa y siete metros lineales, con la parcela número treinta y seis; por el ESTE, en una alineación recta de ciento ochenta puntos ochenta y un metros lineales, con la parcela número cuarenta y siete y en una alineación recta de cinco puntos ochenta y dos metros lineales, con la parcela número treinta y seis; y por el OESTE, en una alineación recta de trescientos cincuenta y ocho punto cuarenta metros lineales con las parcelas número 45 y 44. Consta inscrita al folio 225 del tomo 558 de Ponce Sur, finca 7739, Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce. La dirección
física es: Barrio Anon Calle Real 46 Ponce, Puerto Rico 00731. Los tipos mínimos fijados para la ejecución del bien inmueble antes mencionado lo son las sumas de $50,000.00 para la Primera Subasta; $33,333.33 para la Segunda Subasta; $25,000.00 para la Tercera Subasta. La venta se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a la parte demandante, hasta donde sea posible, el importe de la sentencia dictada el pasado 4 de agosto de 2022 y notificada mediante edicto el 29 de noviembre de 2022 en el caso de epígrafe, ascendente a las siguientes cantidades:
$7,630.73 de principal, más $823.69 de intereses acumulados hasta dicha fecha, más los que continúen acumulándose hasta el pago total y completo de la deuda a razón de $1.77 diarios, más la cantidad de $629.28 por recargos, más $344.48 de otros cargos; más $265.95 por “Escrow Balance”; más los que continúen acumulándose hasta el pago total y completo de la deuda; más la suma de $5,0000 por honorarios de abogados pactados. En caso de que el inmueble a ser subastado no fuera adjudicado en la primera subasta, se celebrará una segunda subasta el día 13 de junio de 2023, a las 10:30 de la mañana, y el tipo mínimo para ésta será $33,333.33 que es las dos terceras partes del precio mínimo establecido para la primera subasta. Si tampoco hubiera remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una tercera subasta el día 20 de junio de 2023, a las 10:30 de la mañana, y el tipo mínimo para esta subasta será $25,000.00 que es la mitad del precio mínimo pactado para la primera subasta. Cuando se declare desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si esta fuera 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 ésta fuere mayor. Todas las subastas deberán ser acordadas y celebradas según lo ordenado por el Tribunal. La subasta antes indicada se llevará a cabo en mi oficina, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal durante las horas laborables. El inmueble antes relacionado NO consta de afectos de graváme-
nes preferenciales. El inmueble antes relacionado consta del siguiente gravamen posterior: Aviso de Demanda de fecha 20 de mayo de 2021, expedido en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, en el Caso Civil número PO2021CV01153, sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca, por la Vía Ordinaria, seguido por Oriental Bank, versus Charlie Guzmán Alvarez EDA Banchs Ramos, por sí y en representación de la Sociedad Legal de Gananciales compuesta por ambos, por la suma de $7,630.73 más intereses y otras sumas, anotado el día 8 de octubre de 2021, al tomo Karibe de Ponce Sur, finca número 7,739, Anotación
A. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titulación y que las cargas preferentes, si alguna, continuarán subsistentes; entiéndase que el rematante los acepta y quedan subrogados en la responsabilidad del mismo sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores. Para la publicación de este edicto en un periódico de circulación general una vez por semana, durante dos semanas consecutivas, y para la colocación del mismo en tres sitios públicos visibles del municipio en que se celebre la subasta, libro el presente en Ponce, Puerto Rico, hoy día 15 de mayo del 2023. Miguel A. Torres Ayala, ALGUACIL, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE PONCE.
ESTADO ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE COMERÍO
LIME RESIDENTIAL, LTD.
Parte Demandante Vs. MAXSUEL VAZQUEZ LLANOS Y AMARYLIZ GONZALEZ
Parte Demandada
Civil Núm.: B3CI2014-00515.
Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA Y COBRO DE DINERO. ANUNCIO DE SUBASTA. El suscribiente, Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Puerto Rico, Sala de Comerío, 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 nom-
bre 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 $55,852.78 de balance principal, los intereses adeudados sobre dicho principal y computados al 7.50% anual desde el primero de abril de 2009 y hasta su total pago y completo pago; cargos por demora devengados, más la suma estipulada de $5,615.00 para honorarios de abogado pactada en la escritura de hipoteca y cualesquiera otras sumas que por cualesquiera concepto legal se devenguen hasta el día de la subasta. La propiedad a venderse en pública subasta se describe como sigue: URBANA: Solar en el Bloque N lote Dos (N-2) de Vistas de Montecielo Development antes la Torrecilla Development, localizado en el Barrio Palo Hincado del término municipal de Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, con una cabida de Doscientos Cincuenta Punto Diecinueve metros cuadrados (250.19 m.). En colindancia por el Norte, con Siete punto Setenta y Nueve metros (7.79 m.), con la Calle Mrs. Zoraida López; por el Sur, con Siete punto Setenta y Nueve metros (7.79 m.), con la Calle Lirios; por el Este, con Treinta y Dos Punto Cuarenta metros (32.40 m.), con el solar N lote 3 (N-3); por el Oeste, con Treinta y Dos Punto Cincuenta y Un metros (32.51 m.), con el Solar N Lote 1 (N-1). Sobre dicho solar se encuentra enclavada una casa en hormigón, consta de un nivel, sala-comedor, tres (3) dormitorios, un (1) baño, cocina, balcón y “laundry”. Inscrita al folio ciento sesenta y ocho (168) del tomo doscientos sesenta y tres (263) de Barranquitas, finca número diecisiete mil novecientos veinticuatro (17,924), Registro de la Propiedad, Sección de Barranquitas. Dirección Física: Urbanización Vistas de Monticielo N-2, Calle Lirios, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico 00782. La SUBASTA se llevará a cabo el día 30 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:00 DE LA MAÑANA, y servirá de tipo mínimo para la misma la suma de $55,852.78 sin admitirse oferta inferior. El mejor postor deberá pagar el importe de su oferta en efecto, cheque certificado o giro postal a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal. 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. 2102015). Expedido el presente en Comerío, Puerto Rico, a 10 de mayo de 2023. Andrés Vázquez Santiago, ALGUACIL DEL TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE COMERÍO.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN
Demandante Vs. JONATHAN SANTANA OLMO
Demandada CIVIL NÚM.: SJ2023CV00644. 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: JONATHAN SANTANA OLMO - RES. LA NUEVA PUERTA SAN JUAN, 570 CALLE FLANDES APT 26, 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 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 San Juan, Puerto Rico, hoy día 21 de abril de 2023. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 21 de abril de 2023. Griselda Rodríguez Collado, Secretaria Auxiliar. Michelle Rivera Ríos, Secretaria Auxiliar.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE FAJARDO ISLAND PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC COMO AGENTE DE FAIRWAY ACQUISITIONS
FUND, LLC
Demandante Vs. JESUS M ROSA GUZMAN
Demandado CIVIL NÚM. FA2022CV01241. SALÓN: 1 SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA. EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS. EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO.
A: JESUS M ROSA GUZMAN - URB ALTS DE SAN PEDRO, V35 CALLE SAN IGNACIO, FAJARDO PR 00738-5028. 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. José Aguilar Vélez cuyas direcciones son: P.O. Box 71418 San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-8518, teléfono (787) 993-3731 a la dirección, jose. aguilar@orf-law.com y a la dirección notificaciones@orf-law. com. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el sello del Tribunal, en Fajardo, Puerto Rico, hoy día 21 de abril de 2023. En Fajardo, Puerto Rico, el 21 de abril de 2023. Wanda I. Seguí Reyes, Secretaria Regional. Linda I. Medina Medina, Secretaria Auxiliar del Tribunal I.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE FAJARDO ESTRELLA
HOMES III, LLC.
Parte Demandante Vs. MANGUAL NEGRON, RAUL Y SU ESPOSA
SALA SUPERIOR DE GUAYNABO.
GITSIT SOLUTIONS, LLC
Demandante, V SUCESION ANA
JOSEFINA RODRIGUEZ
VAZQUEZ, T/C/C ANA J.
RODRIGUEZ VAZQUEZ
T/C/C ANA JOSEFINA
RODRIGUEZ, compuesta por SALOMON RONDON
TOLLENS, por sí y en cuanto la cuota viudal usufructuaria y sus hijos
GABRIEL RONDON
RODRIGUEŻ, YAO- MING
RONDON RODRIGUEZ, ERIC SALOMON RONDON
RODRIGUEZ, MARVIN
GEORGE RONDON
RODRIGUEZ, DAISY ANN
RONDON RODRIGUEZ; FULANO DE TAL y MENGANA DE TAL, como herederos desconocidos con posible interés en la Sucesión; CENTRO DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (CRIM)
Demandado(s)
CIVIL NUM. GB2020CV00050.
SOBRE: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCION DE HIPOTECA POR LA VIA ORDINARIA. EDICTO DESUBASTA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO. SS.
A: La Parte Demandada, al (a la) Secretario(a) de Hacienda de Puerto Rico y al Público General:
Certifico y Hago Constar: Que en cumplimiento con el Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia que me ha sido dirigido por el (la) Secretario(a) del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Guaynabo, en el caso de epígrafe procederá a vender en pública subasta al mejor postor en efectivo, cheque gerente, giro postal, cheque certificado en moneda legal de los Estados Unidos de América al nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, en mi oficina ubicada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Guaynabo, el 6 de julio de 2023 a las 11:00 de la mañana, todo derecho titulo, participación o interés que le corresponda a la parte demandada o cualquiera de ellos en el inmueble hipotecado objeto de ejecución que se describe a continuación:
---RUSTICA: Sita en el barrio
Camarones de Guaynabo, Solar: 6. Cabida: 2,963.1177 Metros Cuadrados. En lindes por el NORTE, con Sucesión Pablo Garcia y Rio Guaynabo; por el SUR, con camino municipal; por el ESTE, Con Sucesión Pablo
García; y por el OESTE, con los solares (3) tres, (4) cuatro y (5) cinco del plano de inscripción. Finca Número 50,691, inscrita al tomo Karibe de Guaynabo, Registro de la Propiedad de Guaynabo. Propiedad localizada en: Camarones Ward KM 35 PR 836 IN. Guaynabo, PR 00969. Segůn figuran en la certificación registral, la propiedad objeto de ejecución no está gravada por cargas anteriores o cargas posteriores a la inscripción del crédito ejecutante. Se entenderå que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad de la propiedad y que todas las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito ejecutante antes descritos, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistentes. El rematante acepta dichas cargas y gravámenes anteriores, y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Se establece como tipo mínimo de subasta la suma de $100,000.00, según acordado entre las partes en el precio pactado en la escritura de hipoteca. De ser necesaria una segunda subasta por declararse desierta la primera, la misma se celebrará en mi oficina, ubicada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Guaynabo, el 13 de julio de 2023 a las 11:00 de la mañana, y se establece como mínima para dicha segunda subasta la suma de $66,666.66, 2/3 partes del tipo mínimo establecido originalmente. Si tampoco se produce remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se establece como mínima para la tercera subasta, la suma de $50,000.00, la mitad (1/2) del precio pactado y dicha subasta se celebrará en mi oficina, ubicada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Guaynabo, el 20 de julio de 2023 a las 11:00 de la mañana. Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo para, con su producto satisfacer a la parte demandante, el importe de la Sentencia dictada a su favor ascendente a la suma de $77,601.15 de principal, intereses al tipo del 9.558% anual según ajustado desde el dia 9 de junio de 2017 hasta el pago de la deuda en su totalidad, más la suma de $10,000.00 por concepto de honorarios de abogado y costas autorizadas por el Tribunal, más las cantidades que se adeudan mensualmente por concepto de seguro hipotecario, cargos por demora, y otros adeudados que se hagan en virtud de la escritura de hipoteca. La venta en pública subasta de la referida propiedad se verificará libre de toda carga o gravamen posterior que afecte la mencionada finca, a cuyo efecto se notifica y se hace saber la fecha, hora y sitio de la
PRIMERA, SEGUNDA Y TERCERA SUBASTA, si esto fuera necesario, a los efectos de que cualquier persona o personas con algún interés puedan comparecer a la celebración de dicha subasta, Se notifica a todos los interesados que las actas y demás constancias del expediente de este caso están disponibles en la Secretaria del Tribunal durante horas laborables para ser examinadas por los (las) interesados (as). Y para su publicación en el periódico The San Juan Daily Star, que es un diario de circulación general en la isla de Puerto Rico, por espacio de dos semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) dias entre ambas publicaciones, así Como para su publicación en los sitios půblicos de Puerto Rico. Expedido en Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, hoy dia 25 de abril de 2023.
ALG. HUGO BASCÓ MEDINA, Placa 807, ALGUACIL DE SUBASTAS TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE GUAYNABO SALA SUPERIOR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA DE BAYAMÓN
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante, V. SUCESIÓN DE LUZ
ENEIDA ORTIZ RODRIGUEZ
COMPUESTA POR
WILFREDO ORTEGA ORTÍZ, BEATRIZ ORTEGA ORTÍZ, DAISY ZOE
BELTRÁN ORTÍZ, SHILA NOISKY BELTRÁN ORTÍZ, DORAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION, JOHN DOE
Demandadas
Civil Núm.: TA2023CV00192.
Sobre: CANCELACIÓ DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO POR
LA VÍA JUDICIAL. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO
RICO, S.S.
A: SUCESIÓN DE LUZ ENEIDA
ORTIZ RODRIGUEZ COMPUESTA POR
WILFREDO ORTEGA
ORTÍZ, BEATRIZ ORTEGA ORTÍZ, DAISY ZOE BELTRÁN ORTÍZ, SHILA NOISKY BELTRÁN ORTÍZ COMO TENEDOR DESCONOCIDO DEL PAGARÉ a favor de Doral Mortgage Corporation, o a su orden, por la suma
de $48,000.00, con interés al 9.5%, y vencedero 1 de febrero de 2015, según consta escritura # 50, otorgada en San Juan el día 3 de febrero de 2000, ante la notario Ivonne González Medrano, inscrita al folio 279 del tomo 125 de Toa Alta, finca 6,053, Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Tercera Sección de Bayamón.
Por la presente se le emplaza y notifica que debe contestar la demanda incoada en su contra dentro del término de treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación del presente edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial. pr/sumac/, salvo que se represente por derecho propio. Si usted deja de presentar y notificar 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. Los abogados de la parte demandante son.
ABOGADOS DE LA PARTE DEMANDANTE:
Lcdo. Reggie Díaz Hernández RUA Núm.: 16,393 BERMUDEZ & DIAZ LLP Suite 209
500 Calle De La Tanca San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
Tel.: (787) 523-2670
Fax: (787) 523-2664 rdíazbdprlaw.com
Expido este edicto bajo mi firma y el sello de este Tribunal, hoy 9 de mayo de 2023. LCDA.
LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. MARITZA BONILLA HERNÁNDEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante V.
MIGUEL ANGEL
FERRER SAAVEDRA
T/C/C MIGUEL FERRER SAAVEDRA Y ESTADOS
UNIDOS DE AMERICA
Demandados
Civil Núm.: DCD2014-1209.
(402). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. AVISO DE VENTA EN PÚBLICA SUBASTA. Yo, ED-
GARDO ELÍAS VARGAS SANTANA, ALGUACIL AUXILIAR
PLACA #193, Alguacil de la División de Subastas del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Bayamón, a la demandada y al público en general, les notifico que, cumpliendo con un Mandamiento que se ha librado en el presente caso, por el Secretario del Tribunal, con fecha 19 de abril de 2023 y para satisfacer la Sentencia por la cantidad de $151,476.33 de principal; dictada en el caso de epígrafe el 17 de febrero de 2023, notificada y archivada en autos el 22 de febrero de 2023, procederé a vender en pública subasta, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América, todo derecho, título e interés que haya tenido, tenga o pueda tener la deudora demandada en cuanto a la propiedad localizada en el: Municipio de Bayamón, Puerto Rico, los bienes inmuebles se describen a continuación: URBANA: LOTE CON EL NÚMERO DIECISIETE DEL BLOQUE AK DE LA URBANIZACIÓN REPARTO TERESITA LOCALIZADA EN EL BARRIO HATO TEJAS DEL MUNICIPIO DE BAYAMÓN, PUERTO RICO CON UN ÁREA SUPERFICIAL DE CUATROCIETOS TREINTA Y UNO PUNTO TREINTA Y SIETE METROS CUADRADOS. EN LINDES POR EL NORTE EN DOCE METROS Y CINCO PUNTO CINCUENTA METROS EN ARCO CON LA CALLE CUARENTA POR EL SUR, EN QUINCE PUNTO CINCUENTA METROS CON EL LOTE NÚMERO UNO DEL BLOQUE AK; POR EL ESTE, EN VEINTIOCHO METROS CON EL LOTE DIECISÉIS DEL BLOQUE AK; POR EL OESTE, EN VEINTICUATRO PUNTO CINCUENTA METROS CON LA CALLE TREINTA Y UNO. CONTIENE UNA CASA DE CONCRETO. INSCRITO AL FOLIO 180 DEL TOMO 44 DE BAYAMÓN NORTE, FINCA NÚMERO DOS MIL TRESCIENTOS OCHENTA Y NUEVE (2389) DEL REGISTRO DE LA PROPIEDAD DE BAYAMÓN, SECCIÓN TERCERA. Con el importe de dicha venta se habrá de satisfacer a la parte demandante las cantidades adeudadas, según la Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe, por el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Bayamón, cuyas cantidades ascienden a $151,476.33 de principal, a razón de 5.875% de interés, los cuales continúan acumulándose hasta el saldo total de la deuda; mas costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado. El tipo mínimo para la subasta será la suma de tasación pactada, la cual es $135,861.64 para la propiedad descrita. Si no produjere remate o adjudica-
ción la primera subasta, se procederá a una segunda subasta y servirá de tipo mínimo la cantidad de $90,574.43. Si tampoco hubiere remate ni adjudicación en esta segunda subasta, se procederá a una tercera subasta, en ésta el tipo mínimo será la cantidad de $67,930.82. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta se dará por terminado el procedimiento, pudiendo adjudicarse a opción del demandante. Para el lote descrito, la PRIMERA SUBASTA se llevará a cabo el día 20 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA. De no comparecer postor alguno se llevará a efecto una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 27 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA. De no comparecer postor alguno se llevará a cabo una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 11 DE JULIO DE 2023, A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA. La subasta o subastas antes indicadas se llevarán a efecto en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Bayamón. De Estudio de Título realizado, no surgen gravámenes preferentes, surge los siguientes gravámenes posteriores: Hipoteca en garantía de un pagare a favor de Doral Bank, o a su orden, por $13,500.00 al 10.50% anual, vencedero el 1 de enero de 2020, según Esc. #2088 en San Juan el 16 de diciembre de 2004 ante Luz N. Solero Santiago, inscrita al folio 151 del tomo 231 de Bayamón Norte, finca #2389 inscripción 14ta. Aviso de Demanda dictado el 2 de febrero de 2015 en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala de Bayamón caso civil #DCD2015-0316 sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca seguido por Banco Popular de Puerto Rico vs Miguel Angel Ferrer Saavedra, donde se solicita el pago de le deuda garantizada con la hipoteca de la inscripción 14ta reducida a $9,728.98 o la venta en publica subasta, anotado el 29 de marzo de 2021 al tomo Karibe finca #2389 de Bayamón Norte, anotación “B” y última. Se le advierte a los licitadores que la adjudicación se hará al mejor postor, quien deberá consignar el importe de su oferta en el mismo acto de la adjudicación en moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica, giro postal o cheque de gerente a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal y para conocimiento de la parte demandada y de toda(s) aquella(s) persona(s) que tengan interés inscrito con posterioridad a la inscripción del gravamen que se está ejecutando, y para conocimiento de los licitadores y el público en general y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general, una vez por semana
durante el término de dos (2) semanas consecutivas con un intervalo de por lo menos siete (7) días entre ambas publicaciones, y para su fijación en tres (3) lugares públicos del municipio en que ha de celebrarse la venta, tales como, la Alcaldía, el Tribunal y la Colecturía y se le notificará además a la parte demandada vía correo certificado con acuse de recibo a la última dirección conocida. Se les advierte a todos los interesados que todos los documentos relacionados con la presente acción de ejecución de hipoteca, así como la de la subasta, estarán disponibles para ser examinados en la Secretaría del Tribunal. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titulación y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere al crédito de ejecutante, continuarán subsiguientes entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gravámenes posteriores, previa orden judicial dirigida al Registrador de la Propiedad de la sección correspondiente para la cancelación de aquellos posteriores. Y para conocimiento de la demandada, de los acreedores posteriores, de los licitadores, partes interesadas y público en general, expido el presente Aviso para su publicación en los lugares públicos correspondientes. Librado en Bayamón, Puerto Rico, a 11 de mayo de 2023. EDGARDO
ELÍAS VARGAS SANTANA, ALGUACIL AUXILIAR PLACA #193.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE VEGA BAJA
HACIENDA DEL MAR
OWNERS
ASSOCIATION, INC.
Demandante Vs. ROBERT DOSCHER Y LA SUCESIÓN DE PHYLLIS DOSCHER, T/C/C/ PHYLLIS TESTA, COMPUESTA POR
FULANO Y SUTANA DE TAL
Demandada
Civil Núm. : VB2023CV00331.
Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO E INTERPELACIÓN. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
A: ROBERT DOSCHER; SUCESIÓN DE PHYLLIS
Se les notifica a ustedes que se ha radicado mediante el sistema SUMAC una Demanda por la parte demandante HACIENDA DEL MAR OWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC solicitando un Cobro de Dinero por la Vía Ordinaria. Se les emplaza y se les requiere que notifiquen a GARRIGA & MARINI LAW OFFICES, C.S.P., P.O. Box 16593, San Juan, Puerto Rico 009086593, teléfono (787) 275-0655, copia de su contestación a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días siguientes a la publicación de este edicto. Ustedes deberán presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual pueden acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: https://unired.ramajudicial. pr, salvo que se representen por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberán presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Vega Baja. Si dejaren de contestar podrá anotarse la rebeldía y dictarse contra ustedes sentencia en rebeldía concediéndose el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, sin más citarles ni oírlos. Se les ordena además a que dentro del término legal de treinta (30) días contados a partir de la publicación del presente edicto, acepten o repudien la participación que les corresponde en la herencia de Phyllis Doscher, t/c/c/ Phyllis Testa. Se les apercibe a los herederos antes mencionados que de no expresarse dentro de ese término de treinta (30) días en torno a su aceptación o repudiación de herencia, se tendrá por aceptada. También se les apercibe a los herederos antes mencionados que luego del transcurso del término de treinta (30) días antes señalados contados a partir de la fecha de la notificación de la presente Orden y publicación, se presumirá que han aceptado la herencia del causante, según dispone el Artículo 1578 del Código Civil de Puerto Rico de 2020. EXTENDIDO BAJO MI FIRMA y el Sello del Tribunal, a tenor con la Orden del Tribunal, hoy día 10 de mayo de 2023. LCDA LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. MARITZA ROSARIO ROSARIO, SUBSECRETARIA.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO
DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE RÍO GRANDE EN FAJARDO
FINANCE OF AMERICA
REVERSE LLC.
Demandante Vs.
SUCESION JULIO CESAR
VEGA ROMAN T/C/C
JULIO C. VEGA ROMAN
COMPUESTA POR JULIO
VEGA OYOLA, NARITZA
VEGA OYOLA, VERONICA
VEGA OYOLA; JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO
POSIBLES HEREDEROS
DESCONOCIDOS; SUCESION DHARMA
MARITZA OYOLA
SANABRIA T/C/C
DHARMA N. OYOLA
SANABRIA T/C/C
DHARNA MARITZA
OYOLA COMPUESTA POR
JULIO VEGA OYOLA, MARITZA VEGA OYOLA, VERONICA VEGA OYOLA; JOHN ROE Y JANE ROE; ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMERICA; CENTRO
DE RECAUDACION DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES
Demandados
Civil Núm.: RG2023CV00174.
Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR
EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.
A: MARITZA VEGA
OYOLA; VERONICA
VEGA OYOLA; JOHN DOE Y JANE DOE COMO
POSIBLES MIEMBROS
DESCONOCIDOS DE SUCESION JULIO
CESAR VEGA ROMAN
T/C/C JULIO C. VEGA
ROMAN; JOHN ROE Y JANE ROE COMO
POSIBLES MIEMBROS
DESCONOCIDOS DE SUCESION DHARMA
MARITZA OYOLA
SANABRIA T/C/C
DHARMA M. OYOLA
SANABRIA T/C/C
DHARMA MARITZA OYOLA.
POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al Tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda dentro de los treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación de este edicto. Usted deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema
Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electrónica: http://unired.ramajudicial. pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberé presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaria del tribunal. Si usted deja de pre-
sentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar sentencia en rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su sana discreción, lo entiende procedente.
Greenspoon Marder, LLP
Lcda. Frances L. Asencio-Guido R.U.A. 15,622
TRADE CENTRE SOUTH, SUITE 700 100 WEST CYPRESS CREEK ROAD FORT LAUDERDALE, FL 33309
Telephone: (954) 343 6273
Frances.Asencio@gmlaw.com
Expedido bajo mi firma, y sello del Tribunal, en Fajardo, Puerto Rico, hoy día 1 de mayo de 2023. WANDA I. SEGUÍ REYES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. LINDA I. MEDINA MEDINA, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL I.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE ORIENTAL BANK
Demandante Vs. LETICIA UBIÑAS LOPEZ
Demandada
Civil Núm.: JCD2016-0627. (406). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO (EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA). EDICTO DE SUBASTA.
Al: PÚBLICO EN GENERAL A: LETICIA UBIÑAS
LOPEZ; SCOTIABANK DE PUERTO RICO, AHORA ORIENTAL BANK
POR TENER AVISO DE DEMANDA ANOTADO A SU FAVOR POR LA SUMA DE $124,967.47.
Yo, MANUEL MALDONADO, 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 8 DE JUNIO DE 2023 A LAS 2:15 DE LA TARDE en mi oficina, sita en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Ponce, Ponce, 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 Ponce 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 15 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 2:15 DE LA TARDE; y en caso de no producir remate ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 22 DE JUNIO DE 2023, A LAS 2:15 DE LA TARDE 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 Once (11) del plano de la Urbanización Tomás Carrión Maduro, radicado en los Barrios Pueblo Sur y Oeste del término municipal de Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, con una cabida de QUINIENTOS DOCE PUNTO SETENTA Y DOS (512.72)
METROS CUADRADOS. En linderos: NORTE, en diecisiete punto cero cero (17.00) metros, con la calle número Seis (6) de la urbanización; por el SUR, en diecisiete punto treinta (17.30) metros, con los solares número Siete (7), ocho (8) y nueve (9) de la urbanización; por el ESTE, en veintinueve punto sesenta y seis (29.66) metros, con el solar número Diez (10) de la urbanización; y por el OESTE, en treinta punto sesenta y seis (30.66) metros, con el solar número Doce (12) de la urbanización. Contiene una casa de concreto reforzado diseñada para una familia. La escritura de hipoteca se encuentra inscrita al folio 143 del tomo 542 de Juana Díaz, Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección
Primera, finca número 5,646, inscripción décimo segunda. La dirección física de la propiedad antes descrita es: Urbanización
Tomás Carrión Maduro, Solar 11, Calle 6, Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico. La subasta se llevará a efecto para satisfacer a la parte demandante la suma de $113,983.59 de principal, interés al 5.00% anual, desde el día 1ro. de agosto de 2017, hasta su completo pago, más la cantidad de $12,766.40 estipulada para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado y 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 $140,430.40 y de ser necesaria una segunda subasta, la cantidad mínima será equivalente a 2/3 partes de aquella, o sea, la suma de $93,620.27 y de ser necesaria una tercera subasta, la cantidad mínima será la mitad del precio pactado, es decir, la suma de $70,215.20. 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 todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes preferen-
tes, 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: Aviso de Demanda, del día 14 de febrero de 2013, expedido en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Ponce, en el Caso Civil Número JCD2013-0177, sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca, seguido por Scotiabank de Puerto Rico versus Leticia Ubiñas López, donde se solicita el pago de la hipoteca de la inscripción 12ma., por la suma de $124,967.47, más intereses, costas y gastos, anotado el día 4 de abril de 2013 al folio 143 del tomo 542 de Juana Díaz, Registro de la Propiedad de Ponce, Sección Primera, finca número 5,646, Anotación
A. La propiedad a ser ejecutada 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 Ponce, Puerto Rico, a 11 de mayo de 2023. MANUEL MALDONADO, ALGUACIL DEL TRIBUNAL, SALA SUPERIOR DE PONCE.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE GUAYNABO REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING, LLC
Parte Demandante Vs SUCESIÓN DE MARLYN COLÓN PÉREZ T/C/C MARLING COLÓN PÉREZ, COMPUESTA POR MARLYN SILVA COLÓN, HELEN SILVA, FULANO DE TAL Y SUTANO DE TAL COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DE NOMBRE DESCONOCIDO; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIÓN DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES Y LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA
Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: GB2023CV00042. Sala: 202. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA - IN REM (HIPOTECA REVERTIDA). MANDAMIENTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE.UU., EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SALA DEL TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SS.
A: SUCESIÓN DE
POR CUANTO: Este Tribunal ha dictado la siguiente Orden: “Examinada la Moción presentada por la parte demandante mediante la cual solicita que este Tribunal emita una Orden de Interpelación Judicial a tenor con el Artículo 1578 del nuevo Código Civil de Puerto Rico, 31 L.P.R.A. §11021 y examinados los autos del caso, este Tribunal la declara HA LUGAR y en su virtud acepta la interpelación judicial de la parte demandante a los herederos de la Sucesión de Marlyn Colón Pérez t/c/c Marling Colón Pérez compuesta por Marlyn Silva Colón, Helen Silva; Fulano de Tal y Sutano de Tal, conforme dispone el Artículo 1578 del nuevo Código Civil, supra y a lo resuelto en Banco Bilbao v. Latinoamericana de Exportación, 2005 DTS 050. Se Ordena a los herederos de la Sucesión a que dentro del término legal de treinta (30) días contados a partir de la notificación de esta Orden, acepten o repudien la participación que les corresponda en la herencia del causante. Se les APERCIBE a los herederos antes mencionados que de no expresarse dentro de ese término de treinta (30) días en torno a su aceptación o repudiación de herencia, la herencia se tendrá por aceptada. También se les APERCIBE a los herederos antes mencionados que luego de transcurrido el término de treinta (30) días antes señalado contados a partir de la fecha de la notificación de la presente Orden, se presumirá que han aceptado la herencia del causante y, por consiguiente, responden por las cargas de dicha herencia conforme al Artículo 1578 del nuevo Código Civil, supra y a lo resuelto en Banco Bilbao v. Latinoamericana de Exportación, 2005 DTS 050. NOTIFÍQUESE. Dada en Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, a 9 de mayo de 2023. ALBERTO VALCÁRCEL RUIZ, JUEZ SUPERIOR.” EXPEDIDO bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, en Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, a 12 de mayo de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL II. SARA ROSA VILLEGAS, SECRETARIA DEL TRIBUNAL CONFIDENCIAL I.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante V. BURNAC MORTGAGE INVESTORS REPRESENTADA POR LTD, LA CUAL CAMBIÓ DE NOMBRE A APPEAL INVESTMENT LTD Y POSTERIORMENTE SE FUSIONÓ, SUBSISTIENDO BURNAC CORPORATION; R-G PREMIER BANK OF PUERTO RICO, HOY ORIENTAL BANK; FULANO DE TAL Y MENGANO MAS CUAL
Demandado(a)
Civil: SJ2023CV00242. Sala: 802. Sobre: CANCELACIÓN DE HIPOTECA, REPRESENTADO POR PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.
A: BURNAC MORTGAGE INVESTORS LTD, LA CUAL CAMBIÓ DE NOMBRE A APPEAL INVESTMENT LTD Y POSTERIORMENTE SE FUSIONÓ, SUBSISTIENDO BURNAC CORPORATION; FULANO DE TAL, Y MENGANO MAS CUAL. (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 27 de marzo de 2023, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debidamente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted enterarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta notificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circulación general en la Isla de Puerto Rico, dentro de los 10 días siguientes a su notificación. Y, siendo o representando usted una parte en el procedimiento sujeta a los términos de la Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución, de la cual puede establecerse recurso de revisión o apelación dentro del término de 30 días contados a partir de la publicación por edicto de esta notificación, dirijo a usted esta notificación que se considerará hecha en la fecha de la publicación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archivada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 11 de mayo de 2023. En San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 11 de mayo de 2023. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SECRETARIA. ELSIE PRATTS MELÉNDEZ, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE GURABO PATRICIA MARIA
Demandante Vs. FIRSTBANK; JOHN DOE
Demandados
Civil Número: GR2023CV00108.
Sobre: CANCELACIÓN PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. EMPLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO.
A: JOHN DOE.
POR LA PRESENTE se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva a la demanda de epígrafe dentro de los TREINTA (30) DÍAS a partir de la publicación de este edicto.
Usted deberá exponer lo que a sus derechos convenga en la Ejecución de Hipoteca constituida en Escritura de Constitución de Hipoteca en Garantía de Pagaré mediante la cual la parte demandante y usted suscribieron un pagaré hipotecario al portador por la suma de cinto treinta mil $440,000.00, vencedero en un año, presentada por la parte Demandante sobre el siguiente inmueble: URBANA: Solar marcado con el Número Cuarenta y Uno (41) de la Urbanización Ciudad Jardín de Gurabo (Ciudad Jardín de Gurabo Resort S. Country Club), localizada en el Barrio Mamey de las Municipalidades de Gurabo y Juncos, Puerto Rico. Con una cabida superficial de mil trescientos dos punto noventa y nueve (1,302.99) metros cuadrados. En lindes: NORTE, en una distancia de treinta punto cero sesenta y cinco (30.065) metros, con el Solar número Cuarenta (40); por el SUR, en una distancia de treinta y nueve punto novecientos treinta y siete (39.937) metros con un área denominada “Green Area”; por el ESTE, en una distancia de treinta y cinco punto setecientos tres (35.703) metros, con el Solar número Veintitrés (23); y por el OESTE, en dos (2) alineaciones distintas en un arco de longitud de diecisiete punto ciento cincuenta y seis (17.156) metros, con la Calle Roble de dicha Urbanización, y en una distancia de veintidós punto cero once (22.011) metros, con el Solar número Cuarenta y dos (42), todos estos Solares pertenecientes al referido desarrollo urbano. El inmueble antes descrito contiene una unidad de vivienda de concreto diseñada para una familia construida de acuerdo con planos y especificaciones sometidos y aprobados por las agencias de instrumentalizadas gubernamentales pertinentes. El inmueble antes mencionado se halla inscrito al Folio 213 del Tomo 477, Finca 18510 de Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Usted debe presentar su ale-
gación 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. LCDO. PEDRO A. CRESPO CLAUDIO (RUA 17415)
EMPHATIA NOTARY & LEGAL ADVISORS, PSC Urb. Villa Criollos Calle Corazón A-6, Caguas, Puerto Rico 00725 Tel. 939-337-5550
E-mail: pcrespo@emphatialaw.com POR ORDEN DEL JUEZ DE ESTE TRIBUNAL, hoy día 5 de mayo de 2023. EXPEDIDO bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, hoy día 10 de mayo de 2023. LISILDA MARTÍNEZ AGOSTO, SECRETARIA. VIONNETTE ESPINOSA CASTILLO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL SUPREMO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN GERMÁN BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO Demandante V. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RURAL DEVELOPMENT POR CONDUCTO DE LA ADMINISTRACION DE HOGARES DE AGRICULTORES; FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION (FDIC) COMO SINDICO DE RG PREMIER BANK OF PUERTO RICO Y DE RG MORTGAGE CORPORATION; ORIENTAL BANK COMO SUCESOR EN DERECHO DE SCOTIABANK DE PUERTO RICO; FERMIN MANUEL CRUZ MARTINEZ, ALBA IRIS VELEZ BONILLA Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS; LA SUCESION DE JULIO CESAR VELEZ TORRES COMPUESTA POR SUTANO DE TAL,
TRIBUNAL.
POSIBLE HEREDERO DESCONOCIDO; LA SUCESION DE VIRGINIA
VILLARIN T/C/C VIRGINIA VILLARINI CABOT COMPUESTA POR PERENCEJO DE TAL, POSIBLE HEREDERO DESCONOCIDO; LA
SUCESION DE MIRIAM VELEZ VILLARIN COMPUESTA POR PERENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLE HEREDERO
DESCONOCIDO; JULIO
CESAR VELEZ VILLARIN COMO HEREDERO DE JULIO CESAR VELEZ TORRES Y VIRGINIA
VILLARIN T/C/C
VIRGINIA VILLARINI
CABOT; FULANO Y MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLES TENEDORES
DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARE
Demandado(a)
Civil: SG2020CV00017. Sobre:
CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ
HIPOTECARIO EXTRAVIADO
POR LA VÍA JUDICIAL. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA
POR EDICTO ENMENDADA.
A: JULIO CESAR VELEZ VLLLARIN COMO HEREDERO DE JULIO
CESAR VELEZ TORRES Y VIRGINIA VILLARIN
T/C/C VIRGINIA VILLARINI
CABOT; SUTANO DE TAL, POSIBLE HEREDERO
DESCONOCIDO DE JULIO
CESAR VELEZ TORRES; PERENCEJO DE TAL, POSIBLE HEREDERO DESCONOCIDO DE VIRGINIA VILLARIN
T/C/C VIRGINIA VILLARINI CABOT; PERENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLE HEREDERO DESCONOCIDO DE MIRIAM VELEZ VILLARIN; FULANO DE TAL Y MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLES TENEDORES
DESCONOCIDOS DEL PAGARE.
(Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican fa sentencia por edicto)
EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 1 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 10 de mayo de 2023. En San Germán, Puerto Rico, el 10 de mayo de 2023. NORMA
G. SANTANA IRIZARRY, SECRETARIA. LYDIA SANTIAGO MORALES, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO
DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA
SALA SUPERIOR DE VEGA BAJA
BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante V.
DARILYZ MENDOZA RODRÍGUEZ, FULANO DE TAL Y LA
SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES
COMPUESTA POR AMBOS
Demandados
Civil Núm.: VA2018CV00074.
Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO
Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA
POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. AVISO DE PÚBLICA SUBASTA.
A: LOS CODEMANDADOS DE EPIGRAFE Y AL
PÚBLICO EN GENERAL:
El Alguacil que suscribe por la presente anuncia y hace constar que en cumplimiento de una Sentencia dictada en el caso de epígrafe el 20 de junio de 2019, enmendada el 4 de febrero de 2020, notificada el 5 de febrero de 2020 y publicada el 20 de enero de 2023; y de un Renovado Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia emitido el día 1 de mayo de 2023, que le ha sido dirigido por la Secretaria del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Vega Baja, procederá a vender en subasta, y al mejor postor, por separado, de contado y por moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de América, y/o giro postal, dinero en efectivo, cheque de gerente o cheque certificado a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal, o letra bancaria, con similar garantía de todo título, derecho o interés de los demandados de epígrafe sobre el inmueble que adelante se describe. Se anuncia por la presente que la primera subasta habrá de celebrarse el día 3
DE AGOSTO DE 2023 A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en el
Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Vega Baja, sobre el inmueble que se describe a continuación: URBANA: Parcela marcada con el #105-A de la comunidad rural de Maricao, del barrio Maricao de Vega Alta, con una cabida superficial de 0.5089 cuerdas, equivalente a 2,000.00 metros cuadrados; en lindes por el NORTE, con la calle #4; por el SUR, con la parcela 101; por el ESTE, con la parcela #105 y por el OESTE, con la parcela #100. FIN-
CA: Número 6781, inscrita al folio 20 del tomo 104 de Vega Alta (Sección III de Bayamón).
Dirección física: Maricao Wd.
Lot #105-A 4 St. Vega Alta PR 00692. El siguiente pagaré consta inscrito en la propiedad antes mencionada y es el que se pretende ejecutar: HIPOTECA: Por $132,554.00, con intereses al 4.00% anual, en garantía de un pagaré a favor de RBS Mortgage Corporation, que vence el 1ro de junio de 2042. Según escritura #88, otorgada en San Juan, el 25 de mayo de 2012, ante Enel M. Pérez Montes, inscrita al folio 29 del tomo 323 de Vega Alta, inscripción 6ta. La referida hipoteca grava el bien inmueble antes descrito. Que según surge del estudio de título, la propiedad se encuentra afecta a lo siguiente: Anterior: La titular establece esta finca como su “Hogar Seguro”. CONDICIONES RESTRICTIVAS:
Para viabilizar la adquisición del bien inmueble, la Autoridad para el Financiamiento de la Vivienda de Puerto Rico, bajo las provisiones dispuestas en la guía de procedimientos para el Programa “Bono de Vivienda”, concedió a la parte compradora, la suma de $5,957.00, para sufragar los gastos de cierre y/o para aplicar al pronto pago de esta transacción. La parte compradora no podrá disponer de ninguna forma de la propiedad sin el previo consentimiento de la Autoridad. Estas condiciones tendrán vigencia durante el período restrictivo de asequibilidad de la propiedad de 10 años. Posterior: AVISO DE DEMANDA: De fecha 30 de julio de 2018, dictada en el Caso Civil #VA2018CV-00074; seguido por Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (demandante) versus Darilyz Mendoza, Fulana de Tal y la sociedad legal de gananciales compuesta por ambos (demandados). Se reclama el pago de la deuda garantizada con hipoteca de la inscripción 6ta., reducida a $120,270.77, más intereses y otras sumas, o la venta de esta finca en pública subasta. Anotada al tomo Karibe de la Sección III de Bayamón, finca #6781 de Vega Alta, anotación A y última, con fecha 25 de junio de 2020. La subasta se llevará a cabo para
con su producto satisfacer al demandante, total o parcialmente según sea el caso, de la referida sentencia que fue dictada por las siguientes sumas: $120,270.77 por concepto de principal, más recargos por atraso, más intereses al 4% anual hasta su completo pago, más 4% de todo pago en atraso, más $13,255.40 como cantidad estipulada para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogados, así como cualquier otra suma que contenga el contrato de préstamo. Y PARA CONOCIMIENTO DE LAS PARTES INTERESADAS y del público en general, se advierte que los autos de este caso y demás instancias están disponibles para ser inspeccionadas en la Secretaría del Tribunal de Primera Instancia Sala Superior de Vega Baja, durante las horas laborables. Se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad del inmueble y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes al crédito del ejecutante, incluyendo el gravamen por las contribuciones sobre la propiedad inmueble adeudadas, si los hubiere, continuarán subsistentes, entendiéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda responsable 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. Los tipos mínimos a utilizarse para la subasta son los siguientes: El inmueble antes descrito ha sido tasado en la suma de CIENTO TREINTA Y DOS MIL QUINIENTOS CINCUENTA Y CUATRO
DÓLARES ($132,554.00) para que dicha suma sirva de tipo mínimo en la primera subasta a celebrarse. De no producirse remate ni adjudicación en la primera subasta del antedicho inmueble, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA en el mismo lugar antes mencionado, el día 10 DE AGOSTO DE 2023 A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, sirviendo como tipo mínimo para dicha segunda subasta, una suma equivalente a las dos terceras (2/3) partes del tipo mínimo pactado para la primera subasta, o sea, la suma de OCHENTA Y OCHO MIL TRESCIENTOS SESENTA Y NUEVE DÓLARES CON TREINTA Y TRES CENTAVOS ($88,369.33) para la finca antes descrita. De no producirse remate ni adjudicación en la segunda subasta del antedicho inmueble, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA en el mismo lugar antes mencionado, el día 17 DE AGOSTO DE 2023
A LAS 9:30 DE LA MAÑANA, sirviendo como tipo mínimo para dicha tercera subasta, una suma equivalente a la mitad (1/2) del tipo mínimo fijado para la primera subasta, o sea,
la suma de SESENTA Y SEIS MIL DOSCIENTOS SETENTA Y SIETE DÓLARES ($66,277.00) para la finca antes descrita. En testimonio de lo cual, expido el presente aviso, el cual firmo y sello, hoy 3 de mayo de 2023, en Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Meyleen Rosado Negrón, ALGUACIL PLACA #729, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE VEGA BAJA.
LEGAL NOTICE
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE VEGA BAJA BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO
Demandante V. LUZ DELIA CRUZ; SECRETARIO DEL DEPARTAMENTO URBANO Y VIVIENDA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA A TRAVÉS DE ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA; ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO A TRAVÉS DE HONORABLE SECRETARIO DE JUSTICIA
Demandado(a)
Civil: VB2022CV00574. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO, EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.
A: LUZ DELIA CRUZ - A 25 1ST VEGA BAJA LAKES, VEGA BAJA, PR 00693, Y 124 RUTA 4 ISABELA, PR 00662. (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 11 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 11 de
mayo de 2023. En Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, el 11 de mayo de 2023. LCDA LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. MARITZA ROSARIO ROSARIO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA DE CAROLINA ORIENTAL BANK
Demandante V. SUCESION DE JESÚS ALGARÍN ARROYO COMPUESTA POR
MERCEDES ALGARÍN, FULANO Y FULANA DE TAL
Demandados
CENTRO DE RECAUDACIONES DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES Y DEPARTAMENTO DE HACEINDA
Parte con Interés Civil Núm.: CA2023CV00928. Sobre: INTERPELACIÓN, COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EMPLAZAMIENTO E INTERPELACIÓN POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO.
A: SUCESIÓN DE JESUS ALGARÍN ARROYO COMPUESTA POR
MERCEDES ALGARÍN, FULANO Y FULANA DE TAL. C16 AVE. PEREZ ANDINO, RIO GRANDE PR 00745; K-4 CALLE 3, VILLA CONQUISTADOR, CANÓVANAS PR 00729. (PROPIEDAD).
Por la presente se le emplaza para que presente al tribunal su alegación responsiva dentro de los 30 días de haber sido notificado 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 dirección electrónica 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. Representa a la parte demandante el ceda. Raquel Deseda Belaval, Delgado Fernández, LLC, PO Box 11750, Fernán-
dez Juncos Station, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00910-1750. Tel.
[787] 274-1414. Oriental Bank ha presentado una Demanda en su contra en la cual se reclama que la parte demandada incurrió en el incumplimiento del Contrato Hipotecario al no pagar la mensualidad vencida el día 1 de agosto de 2022 y las que han vencido subsiguientemente, por lo que la parte demandante ha declarado vencida la totalidad de la deuda ascendente a $26,709.74 de principal, más $578.72 a intereses acumulados, que continuarán acumulándose al 3.25% hasta el saldo total de la deuda, más $89.95 a cargos por demora, más $102.00 a otros cargos, más 362.10 a escrow, más costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado, según pactado, más cualquier otro desembolso que haya efectuado o efectúe la parte demandante durante la tramitación de este caso para otros adelantos de conformidad con el Contrato Hipotecario. El inmueble entregado como garantía de la hipoteca antes descrita es: RÚSTICA: Parcela marcada con el número K-4 en el plano de parcelación de la comunidad rural Villa Conquistador del Barrio de Canóvanas del término municipal de Canóvanas, con una cabida superficial de 0 cuerdas con 504 diez milésimas de otra, equivalentes a 190.18 metros cuadrados en lindes por el NORTE, con calle número 3 de la comunidad, por el SUR con parcela número K-13 de la comunidad, por el ESTE con la parcela número K-5 de la comunidad y por el OESTE, con parcelas números K-2 y K-3 de la comunidad. Finca 7017 inscrita al Folio 149 del tomo 137 de Canóvanas, Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección Tercera. Se dicta Orden de conformidad con el Artículo 1578 del Código Civil de Puerto Rico de 2020, antes Art. 959 del Código Civil de 1930, se dicta Orden para que expresen si han de aceptar o rechazar formalmente la herencia del causante JESUS ALGARÍN ARROYO en el término de treinta (30) días, dispuesto en ley. Se advierte a los miembros de la Sucesión de JESUS ALGARIN ARROYO, que al haberse presentado el pleito en Cobro de Dinero y Ejecución de Hipoteca en contra del causante antes mencionado, de no recibirse contestación en el término de treinta (30) días a partir de la notificación de esta orden, la herencia se tendrá por aceptada y los herederos responden por la deuda reclamada. DADA en CAROLINA, Puerto Rico, a 11 de mayo de 2023. KANELLY ZAYAS ROBLES, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. KEILA GARCÍA SOLÍS, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL
ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE GUAYNABO MARÍA DEL ROSARIO FERNÁNDEZ ESTEVE Demandante V. BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO; FIRSTBANK PUERTO RICO, POR CONDUCTO DE SUCESORES EN DERECHO DE DORAL MORTGAGE CORPORATION, JUAN DEL PUEBLO Y JUANA DEL PUEBLO Y CUALESQUIERA
PERSONA
DESCONOCIDA CON POSIBLE INTERÉS EN LA OBLIGACIÓN CUYA CANCELACIÓN POR DECRETO JUDICIAL SE SOLICITA
Demandado(a)
Civil: GB2023CV00128. Sala: 202. Sobre: CANCELACIÓN DE PAGARÉ EXTRAVIADO. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.
A: JUAN Y JUANA DEL PUEBLO (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto) EL SECRETARIO(A) que suscribe le notifica a usted que el 10 de 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 11 de mayo de 2023. En Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, el 11 de mayo de 2023. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA. BRENDA ZAMOT SALGADO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.
There is no question that this season will go down in history as the one in which the pitch clock changed baseball. Whether it is also the season that saved baseball is too soon to tell, but the pitch clock’s effect is real: With around a quarter of the season complete, the average game is 27 minutes shorter than it was last season and the percentage of games lasting longer than 3 hours, 30 minutes has fallen off a cliff, to 0.4%, after having been higher than 10% in five of the previous six seasons.
But while everyone has been focusing on how quickly things are moving, there have been some other notable developments.
Here is what we’ve learned:
— The very expensive New York Mets are in a sizable hole. It is understandable for Mets fans to be frustrated. The team made headlines in the offseason with a Steven Cohen-powered spending spree that gave the franchise the highest payroll in major league history. Yet the Mets entered Monday’s action at 20-21, in a tie with the Miami Marlins for third place in the National League East. Injuries have been a factor, but you could argue that the team played above its head last year and didn’t improve despite all that spending — it just got more expensive.
The good news? Three wild cards in each league mean the Mets were only a half-game out of qualifying for postseason play. If Justin Verlander is full speed ahead and Max Scherzer has regained his stride after a suspension and an injury, the Mets could easily get one of those three spots — putting them in roughly the same position they were in last year when everything went right.
— The New York Yankees are in a similar situation. A 23-19 record through Sunday gave the Yankees bragging rights of sorts over the Mets, but because of the Tampa Bay Rays’ electric start to the season, the Yankees were eight games out of first place in the American League East and entered Monday’s games clinging to the third AL wild card by just a half-game over the Boston Red Sox. The silver lining is that the Yankees have done that even though two of their four best starting pitchers, Carlos Rodón and Luis Severino, have yet to pitch this season and Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have been injured.
— There is more than one way to build
a roster. Six very different teams entered Monday’s games with a winning percentage of .600 or higher. The Rays (.738), easily the best team in baseball, are ranked 28th in payroll. They succeed by blending analytics and scouting — and possibly magic. Next up are the Baltimore Orioles (.650), ranked 29th in payroll, who have been powered by inexpensive, homegrown players. The Los Angeles Dodgers (.634), a perennial powerhouse, have the third-best record and the fifth-highest payroll. The surprising Texas Rangers (.625) invested heavily in free agency to get where they are, while the Atlanta Braves (.625) have showed a knack for developing talent and then retaining that talent on team-friendly deals. The Toronto Blue Jays (.600), meanwhile, round out the group as a mix of all of the above, having developed several stars through international scouting and the draft, while also spending market rate money on a few free agents.
— Stolen bases are cool again. It is not quite the explosion some predicted, but steals are up this year after MLB increased the size of the bases and put restrictions on how often pitchers could attempt pickoffs. Through 42 games, Esteury Ruiz of the Oakland Athletics stole 18 bases, putting him on a pace for 69 over a full season. There has not been even a 50-steal season since 2017, and the last 70-steal season was in 2009. Ruiz, a bright spot on a bad Oakland roster, has company: Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves, having recovered his elite
sprint speed after an ACL tear in 2021, had 17 steals through Sunday.
— Catchers are adjusting. Players ran like wild on the first two days of the season, with catchers allowing an 86.1% success rate, raising fears that MLB had overcorrected. The rate of attempts has stayed high all season, but catchers have adjusted: They allowed a success rate of 79% in April and 76.3% in May. That would still be an improvement for base runners, and it continues a trend in which runners were successful more than 75% of the time in each of the previous two seasons.
— Free-agent deals require patience. There were 13 free-agent contracts this offseason that topped $75 million. The results have not been great. Because of injuries, Edwin Díaz ($102 million, Mets) and Rodón ($162 million, Yankees) have not pitched. Verlander ($86.7 million, Mets) has started only two games because of his own injury, and Jacob deGrom ($185 million, Rangers) has pitched well but is on the injured list. Trea Turner ($300 million, Philadelphia Phillies), Carlos Correa ($200 million, Minnesota Twins) and Andrew Benintendi ($75 million, Chicago White Sox) have been healthy; they have
just been bad. Xander Bogaerts ($280 million, San Diego Padres) has his lowest onbase plus slugging percentage since 2017. Judge ($360 million, Yankees) had a stint on the injured list and is far behind last year’s blistering home run pace.
Could those players end up living up to their contracts? Yes. But some of them won’t, which is the reality of a salary structure in which many players’ best years are behind them by the time they reach free agency.
— It’s time to cringe on a few of the deals. After a wild offseason in which he agreed to huge contracts with the San Francisco Giants and the Mets, only to have both fall apart after the teams saw the results of his physical, Correa went back to Minnesota on a more modest, but still huge, contract. He is having by far the worst season of his career and recently said he agreed with Minnesota fans who have booed his poor play, telling reporters, “I’d boo myself too with the amount of money I’m making.”
Correa’s situation can’t compare to the mess in St. Louis, where the last-place Cardinals tried to replace catcher Yadier Molina with Willson Contreras, who had been an All-Star for the Chicago Cubs. The downgrade defensively was apparently hard for the team to handle, as manager Oliver Marmol set off a chain of confusing events. It was reported by The Athletic that Contreras, who signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract, was going to be moved to designated hitter and outfielder. The team then walked that back and said he would only DH, then reversed course over the weekend and said Contreras would be back at catcher Monday night. Each update came without any real elaboration as to what had gone wrong, and Contreras made it clear he was not happy. As his contract doesn’t expire until 2027, the situation could become really ugly.
Five years ago, when Justin Thomas came to the 2018 PGA Championship as the defending champion, he was still cruising along as one of the top three players in the game and had spent a stint as the top-ranked men’s golfer in the world.
At that moment, elite golf came easily to him.
Thomas was 25 and the winner of one major championship. This week, Thomas once again returns to the PGA Championship as the defending champion. But things are different now.
Since his victory last year at the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Thomas has endured the bumpy, maddening irregularity typical of any golf career (amateur or professional). He comes to the Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, outside Rochester, New York, without finishing first in any of the 20 events he has entered since claiming his second career major victory, in 2022.
In April, he missed the cut at the Masters Tournament, which was a first for him. A month earlier, he stumbled to a tie for 60th at the Players Championship, an event he won two years ago.
In 10 tournaments this year, he has just two Top 10 finishes and five results outside the Top 20. None of this is particularly unusual in the narrative of any lengthy professional golf career but that has not made it any easier for Thomas, whose father and grandfather were PGA teaching professionals and whose emotions are often readily apparent on the golf course.
Always candid, Thomas conceded Monday that his game was tattered enough at times in the past year that he teed up for some tournaments knowing, in the back of his mind, that he could not win. How must that feel for someone who was once rated the best golfer on the planet?
“It’s terrible,” Thomas said. “How I described it for a couple months is that I’ve never felt so far and so close at the same time. That’s a very hard thing to explain, and it’s also a very hard way to try to compete and win a golf tournament.”
But Thomas does feel as if he might be battling his way out of the golfing darkness in recent weeks. He shot three rounds under par at this month’s Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA Tour to finish in a tie for 14th. He has learned a newfangled system of putting, which he said was complex but made reading the greens very simple (sounds like golf, right?). Nonetheless, he sees progress with his putting.
Perhaps most important, he has allowed other golfers to help him, because the sport can be too hard to manage by yourself.
Thomas, for example, played his 18-hole practice round Monday with Max Homa, who is now the sixthranked player worldwide but who once
appeared to have bungled his chance of making a living as a golfer — at about the same time Thomas was winning his first major title.
In 2017, Homa lost his PGA Tourplaying privileges after he missed the cut in 15 of 17 tournaments. In golf parlance, it is called losing your tour card, which is a gracious way of saying you were expelled from the top level of golf for shoddy play.
The next year, Homa magically requalified for the tour, in part by improbably making birdies on each of his final four holes of a minor league tour golf event. Since then, Homa has won more than $21 million on the PGA Tour with two of his six tour victories coming in the past eight months.
On Monday, as Thomas was attempting to explain how he was trying to fight his way back to the highest echelon of men’s golf — and how vital it was to remain optimistic instead of pouting — he used Homa as an example.
“Nobody is in a better place than Max Homa out here,” Thomas said. “There’s no other top player in the world who’s gone through what he’s gone through in terms of having a tour card, losing your tour card, having to earn it back and then becoming one of the top players in the world.
“I’ve talked to him about it before because he’s like, nobody out here really knows how bad it can be.”
Thomas snickered. He was not going to allow himself to feel too badly about his recent slump. He is still the 13th-ranked golfer in the world. Or as he added: “It’s all relative. And it’s all about making the most of whatever situation you’re in.
“That’s how you get out of it, by just playing your way out of it. You hit shots when you want to and make those putts when you need to, and then your confidence builds back up. The next thing you know, you don’t even remember what you were thinking in those times when you felt down.”
But Thomas smiled. He is now a veteran at 30, not just getting started in the big time at 25. He knows he has chosen a mercurial vocation.
“Like anything else in golf,” Thomas said, “it’s easier said than done.”
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
Answers on page 30
Aries (Mar 21-April 20)
A number of loving communications may come your way from people who live in distant states or exotic lands. You’re feeling especially affectionate now, Aries, particularly regarding those closest to you. It might not be a bad idea to get on the phone and talk to people you may not have seen in a long time. They will be glad to hear from you!
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
A small amount of money might come your way today, Taurus. It could be a gift, dividend, or bonus. You may want to squander it on gifts for yourself and others rather than put it to more practical use, which is perfectly fine! Books may be especially appealing, particularly those on new spiritual or metaphysical ideas. Set some time aside for a little reading.
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
You should feel and look great today, Gemini. Your charm and social skills are at a high level, and your joviality and gift for conversation should make you a welcome guest at any social event. And you should be invited to a lot of them - perhaps too many! Enjoy this special time of sociability and friendship.
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
Your psychic abilities and imagination are operating at a very high level, Cancer. You face other people with a profound, spiritual love. They will return it! You might want to write down your thoughts or draw pictures of whatever pops into your mind, even if you don’t feel you have talent. It’s more important to keep a record for you than set things down for posterity.
Leo (July 24-Aug 23)
Some friends associated with a group you admire might take you to some kind of rally, Leo. This could be a lot of fun for you. You could make some new friends. You’re naturally inclined toward humanitarian concerns, and these might be the focus of some animated discussions today. Take in all the information and consider it later. Right now your mind is overwhelmed!
Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 23)
You’re naturally a kind, compassionate person, Virgo. Today your feelings are likely to be focused not only on those close to you but also on all the world’s population. A feeling of unity with the billions you’ve never met could overwhelm you now. You might want to write down your impressions so you can refer to them later. You might otherwise forget it all.
Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)
With today’s planetary aspects, Libra, you’re likely to feel a rush of love. This includes love for family, friends, partner, and all life forms. The reality of spiritual advancement through love is all around you. Your artistic sensibilities are very high, so you might want to write, draw, or paint something that captures your thoughts and feelings.
Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)
You’re feeling especially loving and passionate, Scorpio, and likely to want to pursue a romantic encounter with the special person in your life. Money matters look positive, as your intuition regarding money management has been working well and is likely to continue. Your psychic and intuitive faculties are wide open and receptive. Don’t be surprised by what you pick up today, even from strangers.
Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)
Today is a great time to form or strengthen romantic relationships, Sagittarius. If you aren’t involved, chances are you will meet someone. If you are, expect your relationship to develop a new spiritual bond. New friendships, particularly with people who share your interests, are on the horizon. The coming years will be a time when everyone will have to pull together. Today you get a head start.
Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20)
This is an ideal day to begin a creative venture, Capricorn. You’ve had many ideas and creative urges. Today it’s time to choose one and take the first step to making your vision a reality. You will find that the form will change. This is no reason to be discouraged. It’s part of the normal evolution of any work of art. The key here is to begin.
Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19)
Your naturally loving nature gets a boost today, Aquarius. You could look especially attractive, so don’t be surprised if you draw admiring looks from strangers. Romantic novels and movies could seem appealing now, but you’re more interested in the real thing. If you can, try to schedule alone time with the special person in your life. You won’t regret it!
Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)
Your energy might turn toward beautifying your home, Pisces. Perhaps you’ve decided to repaint or go in a completely new direction in your decorating taste. Posters or other souvenirs of foreign lands might also be especially appealing now. Expect someone to drop by and bring some interesting news that might get your mind going a thousand miles an hour.
