Tuesday Sep 27, 2022

GOOD MORNING

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Diesel fuel supply ship unable to dock due to lack of Jones Act waiver

By THE STAR STAFF

INDEX

Aship

carrying diesel fuel had been unable to dock in the southern municipality of Peñuelas since Sunday because of the century-old Jones Act provision that prevents foreign-flagged vessels from transporting goods among U.S. ports.

On Monday the vessel was waiting for federal authoriza tion to deliver its cargo.

Gov. Pedro Pierlusi Urrutia said via Twitter that he had asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to personally intervene to allow the vessel loaded with diesel to dock “for the benefit of our people.”

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement to NBC News on Monday that it “will continue to examine individual requests for Jones Act waivers on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with the Maritime Administration, Departments of Defense, and Energy.”

Federal officials must examine whether granting the waiver could prevent a crisis in national security and it is a time-consuming process.

Diesel fuel is used for the operation of power generators in hospitals and businesses. There is no crisis in the amount of diesel fuel available in Puerto Rico but there are problems with its distribution, a situation that has forced some businesses to limit operating hours or shut down.

The problem with the cargo ship comes at a time when about 40% of power customers still do not have electricity a week after Hurricane Fiona dumped over 30 inches of rain and wreaked havoc on the island.

The 1920 Jones Act requires that goods shipped from one U.S. port to another be transported on a ship that is American-built, American-owned, and crewed by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

For Puerto Rico, the Jones Act has created problems. Basic shipments of goods from the island to the U.S. main land, and vice versa, are more expensive relative to goods purchased on the U.S. mainland. Puerto Rico does receive goods from foreign-flagged ships without waivers as long as they do not come from U.S. ports.

Ports Authority Executive Director Joel Pizá Batiz said on the radio Monday that the foreign-flagged ship had departed from Texas City, Texas with 300,000 barrels of diesel two days ago. British Petroleum (BP) owns the diesel and its commercial partner is Peerless Oil and Chemicals in Puerto Rico.

He said they were supposed to get the waiver at least 96 hours in advance.

“They knew they needed a waiver and on Sunday, they called saying they would leave in 16 hours if they could not dock,” Pizá Batiz said.

While the Puerto Rico government is ready to help with the waiver process, the Ports chief noted that BP is an experienced firm that knows it needs a waiver. The firm asked the government for help when they were three to four miles away from the Puerto Rican shore, he said, despite knowing the processes required by the Jones Act.

“We will ask BP and Peerless for explanations,” Pizá Batiz said.

Peerless officials did not answer requests for comment.

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.

Governor urges mayors to sign a collaborative agreement with LUMA before touching power lines

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov.

Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said Monday that mayors interested in helping to restore power in their municipalities should sign a memorandum of collaboration for that purpose.

“My call is for them to sign the memorandum of collaboration already in place with LUMA [Energy, the electricity transmission and distribution system operator], which ensures that no one’s life is endangered when work is done near distribution lines,” the governor said in response to questions from the press. “It is important to say that so far we have not had any accidents. Help is accepted, but as [Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority Executive Director] Josué Colón [Ortiz] said, this is not [an easy task]. When this work is done, it must be done in a safe way.”

The governor described as conservative the projection issued by LUMA Energy to complete the reconnection of service to about 91 percent of customers by Friday of this week.

“[Early Monday], the LUMA team, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, and the co-generators had a roundtable with the media and established conservative goals. Mine have always been more aggressive,” the governor said, adding that last week he demanded that the energy reconnection be done by last Wednesday, which did not occur.

“They indicated that by Friday of this week, it could

Gov. Pedro Pierluisi

be that 90 percent of the population would already have their electrical service,” Pierluisi said. “Well, I hope it will be sooner, by the middle of this week.”

He insisted that the island’s southern region received “more damage,” so reconnection could take more time there.

“It may take longer. … I was in Ponce [on Monday], and I expect the same, that [electrical service] will be

normalized in two or three more days at least,” he said.

Pierluisi also noted that he asked LUMA Energy to be in better communication with mayors.

“It is important that there is good communication with the mayors,” he said. “What happens is that LUMA staff do not want to commit to restoring service for an exact date and time, and look bad, but they should inform the mayors.”

Senator proposes moratorium on mortgages, car loans

By THE STAR STAFF

Sen.

Keren Riquelme on Monday proposed a 90-day mora torium on mortgage and motor vehicle loan payments for anyone directly affected by Hurricane Fiona.

“The passage of Hurricane Fiona left a lot of damage through out Puerto Rico. This event, with sustained winds of 80 miles

per hour and precipitation that will exceed 30 inches of rain, has marked our lives,” said the at-large New Progressive Party senator, who announced that she will be filing a joint resolution in the upper chamber in the coming days. “Many people have suffered great losses in this onslaught and they need immediate help. That is why we are proposing a moratorium on the payment of mortgage loans and motor vehicles for three months, in order to assist in these moments of crisis.”

Riquelme said the proposed moratorium should cover a period from Sept. 18 to Dec. 31 of this year, and should not carry any cost. According to the proposal, anyone who avails themselves of the moratorium would have to present evidence of direct damage caused by Hurricane Fiona.

She said that under the proposal, collection efforts for loan arrears would be suspended for three months as well.

In addition, people with mortgages whose loans were less than 90 days past due as of Sept. 18 would be provided the flexibility to postpone the next three monthly payments.

When the moratorium ends in January 2023, if the client cannot update their loan, both mortgage and car, they will have the option of establishing a payment plan in accordance with the type of loan and their particular circumstances.

“We are sending a letter to the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico to initiate the corresponding procedures to establish this moratorium as soon as possible, so

that our people do not have to have another concern in addition to that of the recovery from this [storm], which caused so much damage,” Riquelme added.

She also urged the Puerto Rico Bankers Association to accept the proposal as soon as possible.

“This is something that was done with the passage of Hurri cane Maria in September 2017,” the senator said. “My call to the members of the Bankers Association is to take the step voluntarily and establish these payment agreements with their clients, focused on a moratorium, at no additional cost, for three months.”

Sen. Keren Riquelme

Adjuntas, Salinas in the dark without answers; Caguas hires outside brigades

By JOHN McPHAUL jpmcphaul@gmail.com

Oneweek after Hurricane Fiona, Adjuntas and Salinas remain 100 percent dark, which is causing a serious crisis in both municipalities, while officials from LUMA Energy, the private consortium that operates Puerto Rico’s electricity transmission and distribution system, have not honored the promises made to Adjuntas Mayor José Hiram Soto Rivera and his counterpart in Salinas, Karilyn Bonilla Colón, the mayors said Monday.

“LUMA had told us that the urban center, the town substation, as well as the Yahuecas substation were ready to be energized, but a week after the hurricane passed, there is no electricity service anywhere in our municipality,” Soto Rivera said. “They have given us false information.”

The Salinas mayor meanwhile called it an abuse that LUMA has taken so long to re-energize her town, where not even the hospital has electricity. Bonilla Colón said LUMA personnel in charge of electricity have told her that they are waiting to have the capacity to energize her municipality. However, she said, that contradicts what they had told her before, that they would give priority to her municipality because it was one of the most affected.

Soto Rivera concurred with Bonilla Colón, in that one of his main requests was the energization of the urban area of Adjuntas, where the Diagnostic and Treatment Center is located, which has had problems operating with the emer gency electricity generator and also has faced diesel supply problems.

Bonilla Colón said Salinas “needs to have electricity so that water flows and families can clean their houses.”

“This can even cause a health [public] problem since in two communities [Playa and Margarita] the overflow of used water mixed with the mud is already unsustainable and it has not been possible to clean it.”

According to information received by the municipal administration of Adjuntas, the transmission lines were never patrolled by certified personnel in order to provide electricity to the town.

“The last excuse they gave is that two or three lines are still on the ground. One that comes from Ponce, another from Yauco,” Soto Rivera said. “Each time a different excuse demonstrating total incompetence.”

Bonilla Colón added that, unlike other towns, the in frastructure of cables and poles in Salinas suffered little or no damage.

“They have told us that everything is ready. We do not understand why then they continue without energizing,” she said. “It seems to me that they have not understood the sense of urgency with which these situations must be addressed and what the real priorities are.”

“May LUMA keep its word to start energizing the mu nicipality of Adjuntas and stop lying to the people,” Soto Rivera said.

In Caguas, meanwhile, Mayor William Miranda Torres has

Villalba Mayor Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz

decided to hire outside brigades to help restore electricity.

“It is unacceptable that one week after Hurricane Fiona, LUMA Energy has not been able to restore power to much of the country,” he said. “This terribly affects citizens who also have lost water service due to lack of energy. It is a devastating effect that becomes more critical as the days go by. That is why I made the determination to hire brigades that can help in tasks to restore electrical service.”

Miranda Torres said brigades have already been hired to carry out tasks related to erecting and placing poles, erect ing non-energized cables, and trimming trees to clear lines, among others. However, the energizing tasks continue to be in the hands of LUMA Energy.

“What we would be doing is advancing the work of LUMA Energy with the objective that they can advance in the process of energizing,” the mayor said. “We hope that this action has the expected result since we need the service to be restored as soon as possible. The days continue to pass and we have no certainty or clear information about what is happening. We know that there are people suffering and a country in the dark and it is unacceptable. We are doing everything we can to advance the work and respond to the needs of citizens.”

Given what he said was the poor planning and lack of preparation of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) in its response after the passage of Hurricane Fiona, Miranda Torres has rented generators for the PRASA pumping stations that serve the sectors of Hormigas, El Cinco I and II, Los Prados, Guavate I and II and Cañaboncito. Likewise, the municipality has provided generators for the rural aqueducts that serve the Parcelas Nuevas, Villa Vigía, El Paraíso and La Sierra sectors. The municipality, through the Municipal Emergency Management Office (OMME), also established potable water stations in the urban center.

Villalba mayor calls on skilled townspeople to restore electricity

Villalba Mayor Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz on Monday also joined the list of municipal leaders who are tired of waiting for the brigades of LUMA Energy to get to their municipality and called on retired PREPA employees

living in the town to work and restore power.

“Since they took away the only brigade that was doing the work of raising the energy infrastructure in Mi Pueblo, I have decided to activate VILLALBA POWER,” Hernández Ortiz, who is also the president of the Puerto Rico Mayors Association, wrote on his Facebook page. “Therefore, I CALL on all electrical experts and retirees of PREPA to come to the Fine Arts Center at 10:00 a.m. to outline the work plan. I grant PREPA and LUMA 24 hours to start giving us generation through hydroelectric or any other available generator. THE ABUSE IS OVER!”

LUMA Energy, the private consortium in charge of operating the electricity transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico, said in a press conference Sunday afternoon that it would take until Friday to restore power to 91% of the island. At that time, 869,279 customers had service, representing 59% of LUMA’s clients.

Ponce was the least energized region, with 16% of customers with service, followed by Mayagüez (28%). More than half of the customers in the Arecibo and Caguas regions (53% and 58%, respectively) had electricity, followed by San Juan (87%) and Bayamón (88%), according to the recently created Puerto Rico Emergency Portal System (www.preps. pr.gov.)

The animosity between the island’s mayors and LUMA has gained momentum nine days after the passage of Hur ricane Fiona. The tropical storm hit the island and became a hurricane as it passed through the southwestern town of Cabo Rojo. The entire island was left without power, and citizens have had to endure high temperatures without means of cooling themselves, long lines to get fuel, diesel and ice, and slow recovery efforts.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell arrived on the island last week and has been accompanying Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia as they’ve been touring the most impacted zones. Last Thursday, Criswell said at a press conference that “this storm is personal to FEMA.”

Several suspected cases of leptospirosis are under investigation

By THE STAR STAFF

Given the floods caused by the recent passage of Hurricane Fiona on the island, the Department of Health has issued an alert on leptospirosis, a bacte rial disease that affects humans and animals.

The disease can affect anyone who comes into contact with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. Without treatment, leptospirosis can lead to kidney dam age, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

“Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can cause serious health conditions in the kidneys, liver, meningitis, difficulty breathing, and bleeding. It is a disease that could be fatal,” Health Secretary Carlos Mellado López said Monday. “So last week, we issued a notice calling on the public to know how to prevent it, specifically to stay away from contaminated water.”

On Sept. 19, the department shared a notice about the disease with health facilities, all hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers, 330 centers, dialysis clinics, and the guide for managing patient cases related to the disease. The guide is available through the portal https://www.salud.gov. pr/leptospirosis.

Currently, seven suspected cases have been identi fied and are under investigation. Health professionals took samples from all patients, and the results are pending. Since the disease can be fatal, all patients are taking antibiotics. The cases involve four males and three females between

Leptospirosis can affect anyone who comes into contact with water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. Without treatment, the disease can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress and even death.

the ages of 10 and 69 years. The affected individuals are from the Bayamón, San Juan metro, Ponce, Caguas and Mayagüez regions.

The incubation period for leptospirosis is two to 30 days; most cases of the illness occur five to 14 days after exposure. The first symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, muscle aches, red eyes, vomiting, diarrhea,

abdominal pain, jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), rash and cough.

The following are some recommendations to avoid becoming infected with leptospirosis.

* First, do not walk, swim, bathe, submerge your head or swallow flood water or any body of water that may be contaminated with animal urine or flood runoff.

* Second, individuals should cover skin cuts with waterproof bandages, Band-Aids, or other material that does not allow water to enter.

* Third, anyone dealing with debris should wear longsleeved clothing, cover most of the skin, and wear gloves, safety glasses, and closed shoes. Individuals should not walk outside barefoot. Everyone must wear waterproof protective clothing, gloves, closed shoes, or boots near water or wet ground that may be contaminated. The public should not use flood water or water bodies to clean the house or wash clothes. Food and garbage must be kept in closed containers.

* If you feel ill and have the aforementioned symptoms you should seek medical evaluation immediately. Early detection saves lives.

* Finally, a call is made for anyone with leptospirosis symptoms to contact their health professional or visit an emergency room immediately.

“Treatment against the disease is more effective when started as soon as possible,” the Health secretary said.

For information, visit the Department of Health page https://www.salud.gov.pr/ or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention page https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/es/ los-huracanes- y-la-leptospirosis.html.

Franqui Atiles demanded that both PREPA and LUMA send generation to the district of Hatillo, Camuy and Quebradillas.

Patience wears thin in Hatillo, Camuy, Quebradillas

Later on Monday, New Progressive Party Rep. Joel

The main feeder lines are open and among the three municipalities we are only 25% restored due to lack of gen eration,” Franqui Atiles said.

The legislator, who in recent days charged that 90% of the electrical infrastructure was ready to receive service, called for authorities to take affirmative action with power generation.

“Our people are in need, our elderly, everyone is suffering because of their ineptitude,” he said. “There is no excuse for this inefficiency.”

Franqui Atiles likewise demanded the urgent energiza tion of the water pumping station that supplies the Pajuil and Buena Vista de Hatillo communities, as well as the treatment plant that supplies water to the southern sectors of Camuy and Hatillo, as they are critical areas.

“The Aqueduct and Sewer Authority has a broken gen erator, its parts are not available in Puerto Rico and we are still waiting,” he said. “Our families can’t take it anymore.”

Alejandra M. Jover Tovar contributed to this report.

Rep. Joel Franqui Atiles

Bill to grant Afghan evacuees a path to residency hits snags

By LUKE BROADWATER

On the lawn outside the Capitol this week, the flags of two countries flew in protest: America’s and Afghanistan’s from before it fell to the Taliban.

Beside them stood supporters of Afghans who had risked their lives to help Americans during the decadeslong war in Afghanistan — as translators, drivers and fixers — and had to flee the country last year when U.S. forces withdrew. About 82,000 were evacuated to the United States, but since then, most have been living in legal limbo, with no long-term authorization to remain.

Military veterans and other supporters have been lobbying Congress for more than a year to provide Afghan evacuees with a pathway to permanent legal status in the United States. Many have only temporary authorization to stay, even though they will most likely never be able to sa fely return to their former homes. Now they are pushing for legislation addressing the issue to be tacked onto a must-pass spending bill to keep the government funded past the end of the month, when it is slated to lapse.

But despite support from the White House, a bipar tisan group of senators and military veterans, a direct path to legal status for Afghans has proved difficult to establish amid opposition from some Republicans, who argue that the evacuees pose security risks. The measure is unlikely to be included in the spending package this month because of those objections.

“It’s an atrocity that it is taking so long to get this simple thing done,” said Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and founder of the group AfghanEvac, which supports resettlement efforts. “This shouldn’t be controversial. I wish we could show up for them like they showed up for us.”

The advocates have thrown their support behind a bipartisan bill called the Afghan Adjustment Act that would allow Afghans who have short-term humanitarian parole status — which typically lasts two years — to apply for permanent legal status if they submit to additional vetting, including an interview.

The protest at the Capitol in support of the bill has continued for a week. “We’re not going until this gets done,” said Matt Zeller, an Army captain who served in Afghanistan and whose interpreter saved his life.

The measure, sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is modeled off laws enacted after other humanitarian crises, such as the Vietnam War. Similar statutes also were enacted after crises in Cuba, Nicaragua and Iraq.

The bill would allow evacuees who pass an added layer of security checks to seek permanent authorization to stay in the United States without wading through the yearslong bureaucratic burdens of applying and being approved for asylum. It is meant to address security concerns about the Afghan evacuees, who were chaotically rushed from the country as U.S. forces abruptly departed, prompting some to argue that they were not properly vetted for potential ties

Matt Zeller, a U.S. Army captain who served in Afghanistan and whose interpreter saved his life, center, gathers with other veterans who are urging Congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Sept. 21, 2022.

to terrorism or other criminal behavior.

About 3,500 of the evacuees brought to the United States are now lawful permanent residents, and more than 3,000 received special immigrant visas. Most of the others are in the country under the tenuous status of humanitarian parole.

The White House included the Afghan Adjustment Act in its request for the spending bill that must pass by Sept. 30.

“Afghans have found themselves in this real legal limbo because the U.S. government has essentially applied short-term Band-Aids for a population that needs long-term protection,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of the Lutheran Im migration and Refugee Service. “The Biden administration inherited a refugee program in ruin from its predecessors.”

Congress did not include a similar proposal in an emergency spending bill passed in May to help fund the war in Ukraine, despite President Joe Biden’s call to do so.

Proponents argue that the lack of action reflects bias on the part of some policymakers against helping people from a majority-Muslim country when the United States has been far more welcoming to refugees from Ukraine, a mostly white and majority-Christian nation.

“The degree of support for Ukrainian refugees is appro priately and deservedly high,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., co-sponsor of the legislation to help Afghan evacuees. “But Afghans, even those who served alongside us, have struggled somewhat to garner the same level of support. And that’s really regrettable.”

The difference is particularly acute for Afghans who are still abroad. Since the evacuation of their country ended, the United States has mostly stopped quickly accepting parole

requests from Afghans who remain overseas. Many of those who are applying have fled Afghanistan, and there is currently no entity that processes applications from within the country, which is controlled by the Taliban.

A vast majority of humanitarian parole applications for Afghans abroad have yet to be considered or have been denied. After the initial evacuation, 48,900 parole requests were made on their behalf; only 369 had been approved through July.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are entering the United States on humanitarian parole.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security noted that more Afghans were admitted under that status in the immediate aftermath of the evacuation than Ukrainians have been to date.

Republicans argue that their opposition to granting a path to legal residency for Afghan evacuees is rooted in security concerns.

Stephen Miller, who was a senior adviser to President Donald Trump and a central figure in gutting the refugee pro gram during his administration, argued shortly after the fall of Kabul that Afghan evacuees should not be allowed into the United States because they had not faced stringent vetting.

VanDiver, who has been among the protesters outside the Capitol this week, said he became involved with the effort after an Afghan friend texted him from a mountain surrounded by the Taliban in August 2021.

“He asked me to grant his last request and help get his family out,” VanDiver said. “So I did. And I’m doing everything I can.”

Top state judges make a rare plea in a momentous Supreme Court election case

courts would, these days at least, generally seem to help Re publicans, who control more legislatures.

But Hecht, who was elected as a Republican and has called for ending partisan elections for judges in his state, said the constitutional principles should remain constant.

“Politics can shift,” he said. “You can say, ‘We want these people to make the call because they’re in the right party.’ But tomorrow they might not be in the right party — but they still get to make the call.”

Evan Caminker, a law professor at the University of Michigan who represents the conference along with two prominent Supreme Court specialists, Carter G. Phillips and Virginia A. Seitz, said the filing was part of a useful dialogue.

“This brief provides a rare and important opportunity for federal Supreme Court justices to receive direct input from their peers who sit on state supreme courts,” Caminker said. “State justices have a central stake in this case because, in our federalist system, they typically have the final say over the meaning of state law, and here they can directly explain to their federal counterparts why their traditional state role is worthy of protection.”

The independent state legislature theory is based on a literal reading of two similar provisions of the U.S. Constitu tion. The one at issue in the North Carolina case, the Elections Clause, says: “The times, places and manner of holding elec tions for senators and representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.”

By ADAM LIPTAK

“It’sthe biggest federalism issue in a long time,” Chief Justice Nathan Hecht of the Texas Supreme Court said on the phone the other day. “Maybe ever.”

He was explaining why the Conference of Chief Justices, a group representing the top state judicial officers in the na tion, had decided to file a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in a politically charged election-law case. The brief urged the court to reject a legal theory pressed by Republicans that would give state legislatures extraordinary power.

Nicholas Stephanopoulos, a law professor at Harvard University, said the brief underscored how momentous the decision in the case could be.

“It’s highly unusual for the Conference of Chief Justices to file an amicus brief in the Supreme Court,” he said. “It’s even rarer for the conference to do so in a controversial, ideologi

cally charged case.”

If the Supreme Court adopts the theory, it will radically reshape how federal elections are conducted by giving state lawmakers independent authority, not subject to review by state courts, to set election rules in conflict with state constitutions.

The conference’s brief, which was nominally filed in support of neither party, urged the Supreme Court to reject that approach, sometimes called the independent state legislature theory. The Constitution, the brief said, “does not oust state courts from their traditional role in reviewing election laws under state constitutions.”

The case, Moore v. Harper, No. 21-1271, will be argued in the coming months. It concerns a congressional voting map drawn by the North Carolina Legislature favoring Republicans that was rejected as a partisan gerrymander by the state’s Supreme Court. Republican lawmakers seeking to restore the legislative map argued that the state court had been powerless to act.

Four conservative members of the U.S. Supreme Court have issued opinions indicating that they may be ready to en dorse the independent state legislature theory. Stephanopoulos said the conference’s decision to raise its voice was telling.

“That the conference is willing to take a stand here highlights how extreme and dangerous the argument of the North Carolina legislators is,” he said. “That argument would undermine the authority of state courts to interpret state law — a bedrock principle of our system of federalism, and one that conservative justices historically championed, not questioned.”

Empowering state legislatures at the expense of state

That means, North Carolina Republicans argued, that state legislatures have sole responsibility among state institu tions for drawing congressional districts and that state courts have no role to play in applying their states’ constitutions.

The North Carolina Supreme Court rejected that argu ment, saying that was “repugnant to the sovereignty of states, the authority of state constitutions and the independence of state courts, and would produce absurd and dangerous consequences.”

Texas and a dozen other states led by Republicans filed a brief supporting the North Carolina lawmakers. “The Elections Clause forbids state courts from usurping state legislatures’ districting authority,” it said.

The Conference of Chief Justices’ brief said that read ing was too cramped. “While the text of the Elections Clause requires that state legislatures prescribe the laws governing federal elections,” it said, “it does not otherwise displace the states’ established authority to determine the final content of their election laws, including through normal judicial review for constitutionality.”

Hecht said the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the case was unlikely to be limited to redistricting and could open the floodgates for all sorts of election challenges in federal courts.

“The Constitution’s language is very broad about time, place and manner of elections,” he said. “So that’s mail-in ballots, what it takes to register, what ID you have to show, how late the polls are open, how the ballots are counted, who gets to sit and watch when they do. The state courts get scores of these cases in virtually every election.”

The case, he added, “will profoundly affect both the state and the federal courts.”

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case that could radically reshape how federal elections are conducted.

Some Floridians urged to begin evacuating as Hurricane Ian strengthens

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

AsHurricane Ian picks up steam and heads north toward Cuba and eventua lly the United States, Florida residents have been urged to begin evacuations of low-lying areas and prepare for serious storm surge in the coming days.

Forecasters on Monday warned of “sig nificant” winds and storm surge for western Cuba, and issued watches and warnings for much of the region, including the Dry Tortugas, the Florida Keys and Grand Cay man. Cuban authorities were preparing for evacuations.

The National Weather Service issued a hurricane watch for parts of the west coast of Florida, including Tampa Bay, where the governor, Ron DeSantis, warned residents to begin preparing for the storm’s arrival. A watch means that hurricane conditions are possible and is typically issued a few days before the arrival of strong winds.

DeSantis said Monday that the east coast of Florida could also have effects from the anticipated 500-mile wide storm, with possible flooding.

“This has really developed into a big storm,” he said at a briefing.

Hurricane Ian was expected to become a major hurricane — meaning Category 3 or stronger, with winds of at least 111 mph — as soon as Monday night when it is nearing Cuba, forecasters said. Its winds Monday afternoon were 85 mph.

At 2 p.m. Monday, it was 120 miles west-northwest of Grand Cayman, moving at 13 mph, the hurricane center said. The Cay man Islands government warned residents to expect “extremely rough seas” with waves as high as 14 feet, tropical storm force winds and a storm surge. Even as the hurricane warning was downgraded to a tropical storm warning, the government there issued advisories telling people to remain indoors.

“For your safety, we urge members of the community to stay off the roads and avoid the shoreline during the storm,” Danielle Co leman, director of the Hazard Management department for the Cayman Islands, said. “Strong winds, flying debris and storm surge can cause serious injury.”

Ian was 195 miles southeast of the wes tern tip of Cuba on Monday afternoon and intensifying. By Monday night, the forecast track puts Ian near or over western Cuba, where a hurricane warning was in place for Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio and Artemisa,

the forecasters said.

Cuban authorities were preparing for evacuations in Matanzas province and moving people from Varadero, a northern beach resort town on the Hicacos Peninsula, to more secure areas.

On Tuesday, Ian is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico, follow a course west of the Florida Keys late Tuesday and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.

“The surge vulnerability along the west coast of Florida is very extreme,” Jamie Rho me, acting director of the National Hurricane Center, said in a briefing Sunday. “I’m telling you, it doesn’t take an onshore or direct hit from a hurricane to pile up the water.”

Some Florida communities began to issue evacuation orders or signal they might be ahead. Hillsborough County, which in cludes Tampa, ordered people in low-lying areas along the shore and rivers as well as all mobile homes in the county to evacuate starting at 2 p.m. Monday.

Manatee County, south of Tampa on Florida’s west coast, also issued an evacua tion order effective Tuesday morning. Many public offices will be closed from Tuesday until further notice.

Pinellas County, which is nearby, said it would look to evacuate residents in certain zones Tuesday, but it had not yet issued an order as of Monday morning. During a news conference, an official warned that the typical one-hour drive to Orlando could become a four- or even 10-hour drive because of traffic buildup. Residents were encouraged to top off gas tanks and buy water and nonperis hable foods.

Some school districts in Florida had announced closures. Hillsborough County Public Schools said it had “no choice but to close schools” Monday through Thurs day because county officials planned to use many schools as storm shelters starting Monday. Pasco County Schools said schools and offices would be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sarasota County schools will also close Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution” and to prepare schools that serve as emergency evacuation centers, the local government said.

Scott Stricklin, athletic director at the University of Florida, said on Twitter on Monday that the Gators’ home game Saturday against Eastern Washington University remai ned “scheduled as planned.” But Stricklin said officials were monitoring the storm and

how it could affect Gainesville, where the university is located.

At least two colleges ordered students to evacuate. Bethune-Cookman University, located in Daytona Beach, on the east coast of the state, issued a mandatory campus evacuation order starting Monday at noon, and an announcement said that a return date would be determined once it was safe. Eckerd College in St. Petersburg also ordered people to prepare to leave campus.

The Florida Keys could get 2 to 4 in ches of rain, with some areas receiving up to 6 inches through Tuesday evening, the Hurricane Center said, adding that flash and urban flooding could occur across the Keys and Florida Peninsula. Flash flooding and mudslides are also possible in high terrain in Jamaica and Cuba.

After several postponements, NASA announced Monday that it would roll the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the vehicle assembly building from its launchpad.

“The decision allows time for employees to address the needs of their families and protect the integrated rocket and spacecraft system,” the administration said.

DeSantis, who has declared a state of emergency for all of Florida’s 67 counties, emphasized the continued uncertainty of the storm’s path.

He said Monday that tolls were being suspended to help in evacuations, mostly

along the west, and cautioned residents to anticipate possible power failures and fuel disruptions. But there was no need to “panicbuy” fuel and water, he said.

Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said Monday that the Port of Tampa would be shut down, while east coast ports should be open.

He said at the news conference that as of Sunday afternoon the division had 360 trailers loaded with meals and water ready to distribute to residents.

Some animal shelters and rescues in Florida, such as Clewiston Animal Services and Haile’s Angels Pet Rescue, posted on social media asking residents or rescue part ners not in evacuation zones to take in some of their dogs.

President Joe Biden approved an emer gency declaration for 24 Florida counties that will unlock direct federal assistance.

Ian is expected to generate 1 to 3 inches of rain in Jamaica, 3 to 6 inches in the Cayman Islands, and 6 to 10 inches in western Cuba, with up to 16 inches possible, the center said.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June through November, had a relatively quiet start, with only three named storms before Sept. 1 and none during August, the first time that had happened since 1997. Storm activity picked up in early September with Danielle and Earl, which formed within a day of each other. Ian is the ninth named storm of the season.

Hurricane Ian over the central Caribbean on Monday. The storm is expected to grow stronger in the coming days.

While you’re in the air, pilots’ key partners may be working from home

By NIRAJ CHOKSHI

Millions of people boarded flights this summer, eager for an escape more than two years into a stifling pan demic. What many may not have realized is that at least some of the dispatchers who planned and managed those flights — map ping out routes, monitoring weather fore casts and more — were doing the job from home.

Two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration allowed a handful of airlines to let some aircraft dispatchers work remo tely to keep travel running smoothly as coro navirus cases ran rampant. Two carriers, Re public Airways and SkyWest Airlines, which operate flights for the largest U.S. airlines, took the agency up on the offer. But critics say it is long past time to end that practice, arguing that it exposes dispatchers to dis ruptions and distractions, shields them from oversight and raises concerns about flight safety.

“This dispatch-from-home concept takes all the controls away,” said Gary Pe terson, air division director of the Transport Workers Union, which represents tens of thousands of airline workers, including dis patchers at Republic. “Taking people out of the operation like they’re doing, it’s insanity.”

Dispatchers typically work from secu re facilities known as airline operations cen ters. There, they play a crucial role, sharing operational authority over flights with pilots. Dispatchers put together comprehensive flight plans, charting routes, accounting for weather and turbulence, and ensuring that a given plane is ready and safe to fly. If an emergency arises or weather patterns chan ge, they work with pilots to adjust course or address any problems.

Since first allowing dispatchers at some airlines to work remotely in the summer of 2020, the FAA has expanded the policy, per mitting as many as 60% of the dispatchers at Republic to do so. SkyWest allows remote work when local coronavirus cases are high or when the airline deems it necessary, the FAA said. United Airlines was also given the option but hasn’t used it.

SkyWest did not say how many dispat chers it employed; Republic said it employs more than 80. The Transport Workers Union, which has fought the FAA on the remote working practice since the beginning, esti

mated that about eight Republic dispatchers work from home on a typical day, managing about 150 flights. (The SkyWest dispatchers are not unionized.)

The union and other critics say that while the number of dispatchers working remotely is limited, the practice sets a dan gerous precedent. The Airline Dispatchers Federation, a national advocacy group com posed of working dispatchers, and many ex perts say the job should be done only from the secure confines of an operations center.

Those facilities serve as nerve centers where dispatchers typically work from desks with three or more monitors to track a ran ge of information that could affect air travel — weather, flight status maps, FAA notices and even broadcast news. Operations cen ters have strict measures to protect physical security and cybersecurity and are equipped with high-speed internet access and backup generators that can keep the facilities run ning for days or weeks. Some are blast-resis tant and built to withstand extreme weather, such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

Such protections are impossible to re plicate remotely, experts said. At home, in ternet speeds are typically slower, and dis tractions are harder to limit. If a dispatcher falls ill or is unresponsive at home, collea gues may not notice for some time. There

are also concerns about substance abuse: Dispatchers are subject to random drug and alcohol tests at work. At home, such tests can be harder to carry out.

“We have the safest air system in the world,” said Catherine Jackson, the president of the Airline Dispatchers Federation and a longtime dispatcher for Southwest Airlines. “Why are we even considering making com promises?”

Republic and SkyWest defended the practice, saying that safety remains a top priority and that they have worked closely with the FAA to ensure that dispatchers who work remotely are held to high standards.

“We have worked with our dispatchers and the FAA to fully leverage the latest ad vancements in technology and develop pro cedures, training, redundancy and oversight that ensure we are meeting strict safety re quirements,” Republic said in a statement.

Both airlines fly typically short routes for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United. SkyWest also flies for Alaska Airli nes. Together, they carried nearly 53 million passengers within the United States last year, according to federal data. SkyWest carried about 6% of all passengers on domestic flights, while nearly 3% flew with Republic.

Like Republic, SkyWest defended the safety of the practice and said in a statement

that remote work accounted for a “very small” portion of its dispatching operation. The airline also said that the practice had been “essential and effective in ensuring the health and safety of our dispatch team as well as our flight operations throughout the pandemic.”

Peterson of the Transport Workers Union acknowledged that some of the union’s members may want and enjoy the option to work from home. But, he said, the union took a hard stance against the practice because it can put dispatchers at risk. If a dispatcher gets in trouble for something that happened while working remotely, the union may have a har der time mounting a defense, he said.

In a letter to the FAA this summer, Peterson provided what he said were two examples that showed how remote dispat ching can undermine safety. In one, which he said occurred in May, a Republic pilot could not reach an assigned dispatcher for 30 minutes while the pilot was stuck flying over Albany, New York, because of bad weather. In another, a dispatcher at Republic’s opera tions center worked well beyond the FAAmandated maximum 10-hour shift because the dispatcher’s replacement was having trouble connecting to the internet.

Billy Nolen, the acting FAA administra tor, responded in an Aug. 31 letter, saying that the agency had investigated those con cerns and found that “Republic complied with regulatory requirements for operational control.” Nolen also said that the agency had reviewed drug and alcohol testing records for both airlines since 2020 and could not find evidence to support the union’s claim that remote dispatchers were being excluded from testing.

As with remote work in other profes sions, there are benefits to allowing at least some dispatchers to work from home, inclu ding a better work-life balance, the airlines and some dispatchers said. Remote work could also allow a smaller airline to hire more dispatchers farther from its offices to spread out the work and lighten the load, some said.

But to Jackson and others, there’s only one good reason to entertain any change in how the job is done — and that is if it can improve flight safety.

“When you can convince me that it is safer, then we can have a conversation,” she said. “I’ve yet to find someone who can come close to telling me it’s even as safe.”

American Airlines planes at Kennedy International Airport in New York, April 19, 2022. Republic Airways and SkyWest Airlines allow some dispatchers to work re motely as they map out routes, monitor weather forecasts and more, but labor groups say that puts workers at risk and can lead to safety issues.

Wall Street extends declines on recession worries

WallStreet’s main indexes extended declines on Monday as investors continued to fret about the Federal Reserve’s aggressive policy tightening and its impact on the U.S. economy.

The last two weeks have been rough for U.S. stocks, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average coming within spit ting distance of a bear market in the previous session, after the Federal Reserve signaled that high interest rates could last through 2023 on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 index has shed almost all of its gains made in the summer and is hovering near its mid-June closing low of 3,666 hit on Friday.

The morning session kicked off with some hope of a re bound after the Nasdaq index rose as much as 1.4%, only to edge lower as a bounce in growth stocks proved short-lived.

Gains in sectors housing megacap growth companies, including technology, consumer discretionary and commu nication services, petered out by early afternoon, with Apple Inc, Microsoft Corp, Amazon.com Inc and Tesla Inc only up between 0.3% and 0.9%.

“Bargain hunters tend to step in when markets hit yearto-date lows and that will typically drive those sorts of bounc es,” said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas.

“Obviously, there are concerns about continued tighten ing of the Fed policy, the next rate hike doesn’t happen till early November, but it’s a virtual certainty that it will hap pen.”

Trading sentiment was also hurt by dramatic moves in the global forex market as the sterling hit an all-time low on worries that the new British government’s fiscal plan threat ened to stretch the country’s finances to their limits. [MKTS/ GLOB]

That also added an extra layer of volatility to markets worried about a global recession amid soaring prices. The CBOE Volatility index, hovered near three month highs

At 12:41 p.m. ET the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 314.77 points, or 1.06%, at 29,275.64, the S&P 500 was down 36.67 points, or 0.99%, at 3,656.56 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 57.06 points, or 0.53%, at 10,810.87.

Shares of casino operators Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands Corp and Melco Resorts & Entertainment jumped be tween 12.2% and 25.1% after Macau planned to open to mainland Chinese tour groups in November for the first time in almost three years.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers for a 4.43-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and for a 2.24-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P index recorded no new 52-week high and 87 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 12 new highs and 424 new lows.

The S&P 500 index (.SPX) has shed almost all of its gains made in the summer and is hovering near its mid-June clos ing low of 3,666 hit on Friday.

The morning session kicked off with some hope of a re

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bound after the Nasdaq index (.IXIC) rose as much as 1.4%, only to edge lower as a bounce in growth stocks proved short-lived.

Gains in sectors housing megacap growth companies, including technology (.SPLRCT), consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) and communication services (.SPLRCL), petered out by early afternoon, with Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O), Amazon.com Inc and Tesla Inc (TSLA.O)

only up between 0.3% and 0.9%.

“Bargain hunters tend to step in when markets hit year-todate lows and that will typically drive those sorts of bounces,” said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and de rivatives for Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas.

“Obviously, there are concerns about continued tighten ing of the Fed policy, the next rate hike doesn’t happen till early November, but it’s a virtual certainty that it will happen.”

US warns Russia of ‘catastrophic consequences’ if it uses nuclear weapons

By DAVID E. SANGER and JIM TANK ERSLEY

President Joe Biden’s national se curity adviser said Sunday that the United States had warned Russia that there would be “cata strophic consequences” for the coun try if Moscow used nuclear weapons in its increasing desperation to hold on to territory in Ukraine, adding that in recent days the United States has “spelled out” how the world would react in private conversations with Russian officials.

The adviser, Jake Sullivan, re peated the comments several times in three Sunday television interviews, although he left deliberately vague whether those consequences would be military, economic or diplomatic. Officials were quick to say they still had not seen any movement in Rus sia’s stockpile of 2,000 or so small tactical weapons — which can be launched from a short- or mediumrange missile — despite President Vladimir Putin’s threats in a televised address last week that “this is not a bluff.”

But Sullivan’s use of the word “cat astrophic” as a deliberately ambigu ous warning of a major — if almost certainly non-nuclear — response to a Russian nuclear detonation illustrat ed how quickly the rhetoric has in tensified as Russia has faltered on the battlefield in recent months.

In late May, Biden wrote a guest essay in The New York Times in which he said that “any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences.”

American intelligence officials say they still believe the chances that nuclear weapons will be used in the conflict are low. But they believe those chances are significantly high er than they were in February and March because Putin has lost con fidence in the ability of his ground troops to hold territory, much less

take over Ukraine.

Sullivan is a longtime student of nuclear escalation risks, and he has been walking a fine line between or chestrating repeated warnings to the Russians and avoiding statements that could prompt Moscow to raise the stakes, perhaps by beginning to move weapons toward the border in a men acing show of seriousness.

He indicated as much on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “We have communicated to the Russians what the consequences would be,” Sulli van said, “but we’ve been careful in how we talk about this publicly, be cause from our perspective we want to lay down the principle that there would be catastrophic consequenc es, but not engage in a game of rhe torical tit for tat.”

The White House declined to say whom in Russian leadership the of ficials had communicated with, or to characterize the Russian response. But even before Putin issued his latest threats last week, the White House and the Pentagon had quietly en gaged in detailed tabletop exercises, senior officials say, to think through how the United States and its allies

might react to a variety of provoca tions.

Those varied from a detonation over the Black Sea by Putin to the ac tual use of a weapon against a Ukrai nian target. The first of those would be more akin to a North Korean nu clear test, intended as a warning shot. The second would be the first use of a nuclear weapon against a popula tion since the United States bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

For months, administration of ficials have said they could think of almost no circumstances in which a nuclear detonation by Russia would result in a nuclear response. But there has been discussion of several nonnuclear military responses — using conventional weapons, for example, against a base or unit from which the attack originated, or giving the Ukrai nian forces the weaponry to launch that counterattack. In the minds of many officials, any use of nuclear weapons would require a forceful military response.

But many of the options under discussion also involve nonmilitary steps, casting Putin as an interna

tional pariah who broke the nuclear taboo for the first time in 77 years. It would be a chance, some officials say, to bring China and India, along with much of Asia and Africa, into the effort to impose sanctions on Russia, cutting off some of the biggest mar kets that remain for its oil and gas.

On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sul livan said there would be announce ments in the coming days of new eco nomic sanctions from the Group of 7 nations against Russia — including on Russian entities operating in other countries — in response to Moscow’s “sham” referendums in portions of Ukraine it is occupying.

The voting, which ends early this week, is widely believed to be a pretext for Russia to annex those territories.

“We’ve been clear: We’re not going to stop or slow down our support to the Ukrainians, no matter what Putin tries to do with these fake elections and fake referenda and annexation,” Sullivan said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”

Ukrainian and Western officials be lieve that the rushed voting would open the door for Putin to claim that Kyiv’s defensive war was an attack on Russian territory.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that annexation by Moscow would scuttle any fleeting hopes for a diplomatic res olution to the crisis.

Sullivan put it even more bluntly, citing plunging Russian troop morale and shortages of precision-guided weapons.

“What we are seeing are signs of unbelievable struggle among the Rus sians,” Sullivan said. “You’ve got low morale, where the soldiers don’t want to fight. And who can blame them be cause they want no part of Putin’s war conquest.”

He added: “You’ve got Russia dis organized and losing territory to a ca pable Ukrainian force. And you’ve got a huge amount of infighting among the Russian military leadership. And now the blame game has started to include these replacements.”

Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022.

At least 15 killed in school shooting in Russia, including children

By VALERIE HOPKINS

At least 15 people have been killed and 24 injured in a school shoo ting on Monday in the Russian city of Izhevsk, 600 miles east of Mos cow, according to Russian authorities. The Kremlin called the shooting a terro rist attack.

A gunman entered School Number 88, which teaches the first to 11th gra des, and killed four adults and 11 chil dren before killing himself.

Authorities said the attacker, who was armed with two pistols, “was wea ring a black top with Nazi symbols and a balaclava” and was not carrying any ID.

“President Putin deeply mourns the deaths of people, children at a school where there was a terrorist attack by a person, who apparently belongs to a neo-fascist group,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a

phone call.

“The president wishes for the reco very of those injured as a result of this inhuman terrorist attack.”

The shooting came on the same day a gunman opened fire at a Siberian military enlistment center, injuring a recruitment officer, as anger mounted over President Vladimir Putin’s plan to mobilize hun dreds of thousands of civilians to bolster Russia’s struggling army in Ukraine.

There appeared to be no link bet ween the shooting at the school and the conflict in Ukraine.

In the past three years, there have been at least 13 mass shootings in Russia, including a school shooting in Kazan in May 2021 that resulted in nine deaths.

Izhevsk, population 630,000, is the regional capital of the Udmurt Republic. The regional governor there, Aleksandr Brechalov, declared three days of mour ning.

Police and paramedics working at the scene of a shooting at school No. 88 in Izhevsk, Russia, on Monday.

Ukraine warns of growing attacks by drones that Iran has supplied to Russia

By MARC SANTORA

Multiple drone strikes hit a building in the center of the southern port city of Odesa on Sunday, the se cond day in a row that unmanned aerial vehicles have struck there, the Ukrainian military said.

The flurry of drone attacks comes as Ukrainian officials warn of a new menace in the skies: “kamikaze” drones supplied to Russia by Iran, so named because they explode on impact, carrying a warhead of about 80 pounds. In Odesa, an attack by an Iranian-made drone Saturday killed one person, officials said, while throughout the weekend drones buzzed above the city, anti-aircraft guns boomed and videos of frightened residents staring up at the sky cir culated on social media.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens kyy said Friday that seven Iranian-made dro nes had been shot down in recent days over cities from the eastern front to the southern coast.

On Sunday, in Odesa, the Ukrainian military southern command said “the ene my hit the administrative building in the center of the city three times,” adding that a fourth drone had been shot down. There

were no immediate reports of casualties, the military said.

Russian military bloggers said the buil ding was the headquarters for the Ukrainian military southern command, a claim that could not be immediately verified.

As Moscow finds itself isolated inter nationally, and as its arsenal has been de

pleted during its monthslong campaign in Ukraine, it has turned for military support to countries including Iran, which has quietly ramped up its drone sales to Russia. Iran’s powerful drones are not previously believed to have been deployed outside the Middle East.

As the threat posed by Iranian-made

drones grows, Zelenskyy on Saturday re voked the accreditation of the Iranian am bassador to Ukraine and significantly redu ced the number of diplomatic personnel of the Iranian Embassy. In an interview with France’s TV5Monde, Zelenskyy expressed disappointment that Israel, which has deep insight into Iranian capabilities, had not done more to assist Ukraine in securing its airspace.

“I don’t know what happened to the sta te of Israel,” Zelenskyy said. “I’m in shock. I don’t understand why they couldn’t send us air defense.”

But a senior Ukrainian official, spea king on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information, said Israeli intelligen ce officials were providing their Ukrainian counterparts with information about Iranian drones, as well as satellite images of some battlefields.

Drones play an increasingly important role in the Ukraine war, both for surveillan ce and for launching munitions. The United States has supplied Ukraine with Americanmade Switchblade drones, and an attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Au gust involved a drone. Ukraine has also de ployed Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones, which fire guided missiles.

An unmanned aerial vehicle seen on Friday over the southern port city of Odesa, where Ukrainian officials say Russia has repeatedly deployed Iranian-made drones.

Key takeaways from Italy’s landmark election

By GAIA PIANIGIANI

After a historic national election in Italy, nearly complete election results Monday showed a clear victory for a right-wing coalition led by a party descended from the remnants of fascism. The impressive showing for that party — the highest of any single party — made it almost certain that Giorgia Melo ni, its leader, would become Italy’s first female prime minister.

The right-wing coalition won 44% of the votes across the country, while the left, which failed to cobble together a significant alliance, barely surpassed 26%. Those results would give the right the ability to govern without help from the opposition.

Italy will not have a new government for weeks, though, as the system requi res the newly elected Parliament to be seated before negotiations on who beco mes prime minister. A new government should be installed by the end of Octo ber or early November, analysts said.

The country’s hard turn to the right has sent shock waves across Europe after a period of stability in Italy led by Mario Draghi, the centrist technocrat who re signed as prime minister in July. Draghi directed some 190 billion euros, about $184 billion, in COVID recovery funds to modernize the country and helped lead Europe’s strong response to Russia’s inva sion of Ukraine.

But Monday, European analysts said that Meloni, who has a long record of bashing the European Union and inter national bankers, did not represent an immediate economic or political threat to the bloc. They said that the real risk was for Italy, noting that the nation would likely lose the influence it exercised un der Draghi, going from a leading country to one that Europe watches anxiously.

Here’s what to know about the land mark vote.

Some familiar names are back: Berlusconi and Salvini.

One vote out of every four cast was for the hard-right Brothers of Italy, known for its anti-immigrant policies, nationalist views and focus on “traditional” families. The party managed to multiply its support more than sixfold, to 26% in Sunday’s

election, from 4% in 2018. Meloni’s par ty is now the largest in the country and the strongest within the coalition.

In an early-morning speech from an upscale Roman hotel, Meloni said that Italians’ indication was “clear” for a go vernment “led by Brothers of Italy,” an apparent signal that she expected her coalition partners to support her for pri me minister.

Before the election, Matteo Salvini of the nationalist League party,and Silvio Berlusconi, the four-time former prime minister and leader of Forza Italia — her main partners in the coalition — had been ambivalent about clearly designa ting her the top candidate for prime mi nister.

But the League party, which sought to expand from its northern, businessoriented base to a nationalist party on the strength of an anti-migrant appeal, had such a poor showing Sunday that analysts said it was unlikely to be able to argue about who gets to lead the coun try. The party won less than 9% of the vote, about half of what it obtained in 2018, hemorrhaging support especially

in its stronghold in the northern regions.

Meloni’s party devoured the League’s support, leaving Salvini’s leverage, and even leadership, in doubt. Some repre sentatives of the League have started ca lling for his resignation.

Berlusconi, positioning himself as the most moderate partner in the coalition, should hold on to his influence even though his party also lost support. Forza Italia took 8% in this election, compared with 14% in 2018. In 2001, the party had 29%.

The Five Star Movement was resurgent.

One of the surprises in the vote was the performance of the 5-Star Move ment, the once anti-establishment party that was part of the coalitions that gover ned Italy for more than four years from 2018 until earlier this year.

The party had been struggling be cause of internal divisions and lacklus ter showings in opinion polls. But after it prompted the collapse of Draghi’s government, it managed to gain 15% of the votes Sunday, becoming the thirdlargest party, after Brothers of Italy and

the center-left Democratic Party, which took 19%.

Giuseppe Conte, the 5-Star Movement’s leader and a former prime mi nister, campaigned largely on the citizens’ income, a subsidy for unemployed, lowincome Italians that has split the electorate. Five-Star introduced the program in 2019, and it has been very popular in Italy’s poo rer south. But many of Meloni’s supporters are against the subsidy, and she has said in the past that she wants to abolish the program.

At a news conference in the early hours of Monday, Conte spoke of his party’s “great comeback,” which he dee med “very significant.”

The center-left was split and suffered for it.

The Democratic Party won 19% of the vote, losing support even in historical bas tions of Italy’s left.

After the defeat, Enrico Letta, the party’s leader, said, “Our opposition will be strong and intransigent.”

But he also announced that he was not going to run for the party’s leadership next year. He has been accused of leading a campaign lacking in substance and based on fear of the right.

The Democrats, for decades the lar gest party in the center-left, have failed to build durable alliances. In this election, as in previous ones, they were able to build a coalition only with smaller, pro-European, environmentalist and more extreme le ftist parties. In recent years, some of the Democratic Party’s former leaders have broken away and founded their own par ties, draining support.

Governing the country with other po litical forces for the past 10 years, and in Draghi’s unity government, did not help the party, Letta said.

Turnout hit a record low.

Voters went to the polls in record-low numbers. Only 64% of eligible voters cast ballots Sunday, 9 percentage points lower than in 2018. In the southern region of Ca labria, only 50% voted.

“Italians are disillusioned with politics,” Giovanni Orsina, director of the school of government at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome, said on a national news channel Monday. “The largest party in Italy are tho se who didn’t vote. It’s a strong message.”

Giorgia Meloni, leader of the hard-right Brothers of Italy party, holds a sign reading “Thank you Italy” at a news conference in Rome early Monday morning, Sept. 26, 2022.

The nuclear shadow over the Ukraine war

By ROSS DOUTHAT

Ata 1985 banquet marking the 30th anniversary of National Review, with Ronald Reagan in attendance, William F. Buckley Jr. gave a speech celebrating the American nuclear deterrent, and the willingness of the American president to use it. Those weapons and that willingness, Buckley declaimed, had sustained American freedom through the Cold War, so that future generations could look back and be grateful that “at the threatened nightfall, the blood of their fathers ran strong.”

Some decades later, after Reagan’s passing, Buckley would write that he had changed his mind. He now believed that “the critical moment having arrived,” Reagan “would in fact not have deployed our great bombs, never mind what the Soviet Union had done.”

This anecdote matches the general evolution in perceptions of Reagan’s presidency. While in office, he was loved or feared as a hawk; today he’s increasingly remembered as a peacemaker. But it also illustrates the deep uncertainty at the heart of every attempt to analyze and make predictions about the use of nuclear weapons.

Across almost eight decades, the possibility of nuclear war has been linked to complex strategic calculations, embedded in command-and-control systems, subject to exhaustive war games. Yet, every analysis comes down to

unknowable human elements as well: Come the crisis, the awful moment, how does a decisive human actor choose?

This problem is worth pondering because the world is probably now closer to the use of nuclear weapons than at any point in decades — and just how close may depend on the unknowable mental states of the Russian dictator.

In one sense, this past week’s speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing a larger-scale mobilization in his war against Ukraine arguably pushed the nuclear danger a little further off, since it committed him to a deepening of conventional conflict. But the nuclear threat has always been linked to Russian desperation in this conflict, and his move was undoubtedly a desperate act. The policy’s deep unpopularity promises to make Putin’s government much more internally vulnerable than it has been through the war to date, and it doesn’t promise any certainty of military success. At best, the mobilization may help Russia hold on to its limited, too-costly conquests; at worst, it will just feed miserable conscripts into a collapsing front.

And the mobilization speech was explicit in its promise that a full collapse simply would not be permitted, even if that required the use of nuclear arms. By announcing referendums in occupied regions of Ukraine, Putin was essentially declaring that Russia intended to absorb them into its own territory. By promising to defend Russian territory with “all the means at our disposal,” he was pledging to defend the conquests with, at the very least, tactical nuclear strikes.

This creates an unusually perilous dynamic. We are not in a traditional balance-of-terror situation, where nuclear superpowers are threatening each other with massive retaliation and the greatest danger is the sort of miscalculation or simple accident that brought us close to the precipice a few times in the past.

Instead, we have an active conflict, a hot war, where a non-nuclear power is trying to win a victory with conventional forces and the other side is attempting to draw a red line past which nukes will be deployed — meaning that if the war continues on its current trajectory, that side’s bluff will be called, and it will face an immediate choice between the nuclear option and defeat.

The closest Cold War parallels might be Fidel Castro’s desire for Soviet nukes to defend his regime against invasion, or Douglas MacArthur’s request for permission to use nuclear weapons to forestall outright defeat in the Korean War. Both were cases like the current one, where the contemplated use was not an overwhelming Strangelovian exchange but a tactical intervention to prevent a conventional defeat.

Except with the added twist in this case that the key decision-makers, Putin and his inner circle, are more immediately threatened — in the sense of a danger to their hold on power and ultimately their very lives — by the

prospect of conventional defeat in the Ukraine war than the United States was threatened by the prospect of defeat in Korea or the Soviet Union by the prospect of Castro being toppled.

This doesn’t mean that we should expect Putin to use nuclear weapons (and it’s unclear from the Russian chain of command just how singular the decision would be). The world-historical recklessness of such a decision would carry its own potentially regime-destroying consequences — the possibility of escalation to outright war with NATO, the total abandonment of Russia by its remaining quasi-friends and the full collapse of its economy. It’s a reasonable-enough bet that even facing defeat, he or his regime would blink.

But you don’t bet on nuclear war the way you bet on other outcomes. Suppose there were “only” a 20% chance of the nuclear taboo being busted: That would still be a terrifying rather than a reassuring figure. And although the West’s Ukraine hawks, who are currently inclined to play down the nuclear risk, have gotten a lot right about this war, one of the key things they’ve been right about is that the aging Putin is more a reckless, ideologically motivated gambler than a cold-eyed statesman. What does that imply for nuclear peril? Nothing good.

So, I return to a point I’ve made throughout this war. American support for Ukraine is good and necessary, but there is a point at which Ukraine’s goals and America’s interests may diverge, and the combination of Ukrainian military breakthroughs and Russian nuclear threats brings that point closer than before — the point where the Ukrainians want to go all the way, and we require negotiation and restraint.

I say this understanding why Kyiv might be willing to accept an unusual degree of nuclear risk, even absorb a nuclear strike, for the sake of its own territorial integrity. In a battle for their very freedom, the Ukrainians, no less than Buckley, want their children to look back and say that in the greatest crisis, the blood of their fathers ran strong.

But just as Reagan’s horror of nuclear war turned out to be crucial to his legacy, the policies of President Joe Biden — so far successful — will be judged not only on what they achieve for the embattled Ukrainians, but for the peace of the entire world.

DDEC asigna fondos adicionales para incentivos de emergencia para pequeños y medianos comerciantes

POR CYBERNEWS

SAN JUAN – El secretario del Depar tamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio (DDEC), Manuel Cidre Miran da, anunció el lunes, que se añadirán 3 millones de dólares al Incentivo de Emergencias a las Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas (PyMEs) adicional a los 2 millo nes de dólares previamente identificados para un total de 5 millones de dólares.

Además, se comprometió a continuar identificando fondos que ayuden a miti gar el impacto en estos comerciantes.

“Al otro día del paso de Fiona, el equipo del DDEC visitó los municipios más afectados para asistir a los pequeños comerciantes en el proceso de completar la solicitud del Incentivo de Emergencia. Los municipios visitados la primera sema na: Arecibo, Adjuntas, Guayanilla, Jayu ya, Maunabo, Patillas, Peñuelas, Ponce, Salinas. En este periodo de tiempo se impactaron sobre 1,000 comerciantes de manera presencial entre las visitas a los municipios y los comerciantes que fueron atendidos en el Centro Único de Servi cios (CUS). Durante las primeras 72 ho ras de la emergencia, se recibieron sobre

13,600 solicitudes a través del portal re fuerzoeconomico.ddec.pr.gov”, explicó Cidre Miranda en declaraciones escritas.

Precisamente desde hoy el DDEC comenzó a desembolsar el dinero de los casos que ya han sido evaluados. Sin embargo, el secretario comentó que du rante esta semana continuarán visitando municipios para asistir a los comerciantes porque el objetivo es que antes del 15 de octubre se pueda abarcar la mayor parte de los municipios para orientar a los pe queños y medianos comerciantes.

Cidre Miranda destacó que se atem peró el perfil del pequeño comerciante precisamente para que la mayoría de la ayuda recayera en los más afectados. El perfil actualizado de un pequeño comer ciante es el que implica a un negocio con ventas anuales de 1.5 millones de dólares o menos. El requerimiento de 25 em pleos o menos se eliminó debido a que la mayoría de los pequeños empresarios tienen uno o dos empleados y en muchas ocasiones el mismo dueño es quien lo opera.

El incentivo de emergencia puede ayudar a cubrir parte del costo de adqui sición de un generador eléctrico, reem plazo de equipos, pérdidas de inventario, reparación de la infraestructura de su ne gocio, entre otros. El secretario explicó que es importante completar el formulario porque además de tener la posibilidad de acceder a las ayudas del fondo de emer gencia del DDEC, la base de datos se utili zará para identificar el número de peque ñas empresas que operan en Puerto Rico y compartir información necesaria para solicitar fondos federales adicionales.

Los municipios a visitar desde hoy hasta el 30 de septiembre son los siguien tes:

Lunes, 26 de septiembre: Mayagüez, Cabo Rojo, Añasco, Lajas y Aguadilla; Martes, 26 de septiembre: San Ger mán, Sabana Grande, Hormigueros y Yau co;

Miércoles, 28 de septiembre: Oroco vis, Naranjito, Morovis, Ciales;

Jueves, 29 de septiembre: la región de Fajardo, incluyendo Vieques, Culebra y Canóvanas

Viernes 30 de septiembre: Naguabo, Humacao y Isabela

POR CYBERNEWS

SAN JUAN – El secretario del Depar tamento de Agricultura (DA), Ramón González Beiró, hizo un llamado el lunes, a los agricultores con disponibilidad de productos y que cuentan con el Registro Único de Licitador (RUL) a que acudan a uno de los siete Centros de Mercadeo de la Administración para el Desarrollo de Empresaria Agropecuaria (ADEA) a ven der sus productos.

“Hay una necesidad apremiante de los agricultores por vender sus cosechas y con esta iniciativa queremos minimizar las pérdidas causadas por el huracán Fio na. Tenemos los fondos disponibles me diante la ADEA y el personal para aten derlos, sólo necesitamos que vayan a los Centros de Mercadeo a vendernos sus productos. Para este esfuerzo hemos des tinado 9.8 millones de dólares para ayu dar a todos nuestros agricultores”, sostuvo González Beiró en declaraciones escritas.

Explicó que los productos adquiri dos por la ADEA serán distribuidos entre

las organizaciones sin fines de lucro que participan del Local Food Purchase As sistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA), por sus si glas en inglés.

Según el titular, los Centros de Mer cadeo comenzarán a recibir los produc tos a partir del martes, 27 de septiembre de 2022. Estos centros están localizados en los municipios de San Germán, San Sebastián, Ciales, Naranjito, Cayey, Rio

Grande y Patillas.

Más de cincuenta organizaciones sin fines de lucro que ofrecen servicios co munitarios a poblaciones de base de fe, envejecientes, niños, estudiantes, entre otros, se beneficiarán de esta iniciativa del Departamento por el periodo de un año. Los Centros de Mercadeo de ADEA, distribuirán las cajas de alimentos directa mente a las organizaciones que no tengan la capacidad de recogerlos.

Las cajas de alimentos incluyen fru

tas, vegetales y hortalizas. Algunos de los productos serán la acerola, aguacate, pi mientos dulces, papaya, tomates, plátano, cilantro, arúgula, celery, calabaza, habi chuelas, guineo, piña, yuca, chinas, be renjena, mango, pepinillo, lechuga, entre otros productos, según la disponibilidad.

Para más información se pueden co municar con la Oficina Central Finca Monterrey en el Municipio de Dorado al (787) 796-6960 e ir a uno de los siete Centros de Mercadeo.

Las direcciones de estos centros son: Centro Agropecuario de San Sebastián, carr. 125 km 20 Bo. Baho Mamey Sector Guatemala, Centro de Mercadeo de San Germán, carr. 102 km. 26.5 Bo. Sana ba Enea, Centro de Mercado de Ciales, carr.149 km 9.2 Bo Hato Viejo, Centro de Mercadeo de Naranjito, carr. 152 km 12.3 Bo. Cedro Arriba, Centro Agropecuario de Cayey, carr. 1 km. 51.3 Bo Beatriz, Cen tro de Mercadeo de Rio Grande, carr. 958 km 5.2 Bo Ciénaga Baja y el Centro de Mercadeo de Patillas, carr. 3 km 124.3 Bo Cacao Abajo.

Rihanna to perform at Super Bowl halftime

By ELENA BERGERON and JOE COSCARELLI

Rihanna is managed by Roc Nation and signed to its record label, according to the company’s website.

Rihanna

will perform at the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 12 as the NFL enters the first year of a new deal with Apple Music as primary sponsor of the halftime show, replacing Pepsi.

It is the first scheduled return to the stage for an ar tist who last performed publicly at the Grammy Awards in early 2018 and whose most recent solo album, “Anti,” was released in January 2016.

“We’re excited to partner with Rihanna, Roc Nation and the NFL to bring music and sports fans a momentous show,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats.

The announcement is an about-face for the singer, who was among the artists who rebuffed invitations to per form on football’s biggest stage in support of Colin Kaeper nick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who has been unable to find a new team since he became a free agent in March 2017. Kaepernick accused the league of blackballing him because of his kneeling during the natio nal anthem to protest police brutality toward Black people.

Facing player protests and an impending loss of ca chet for the show, the NFL in 2019 signed on Jay-Z and Roc Nation, the rapper’s entertainment and sports company, as “live music entertainment strategist,” to consult on the Super Bowl halftime show and contribute to the league’s activism campaign, Inspire Change.

Last February’s halftime show in Inglewood, Califor nia, was the third under Roc Nation’s guidance. Home town rap icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, and singer Mary J. Blige delivered well-regarded perfor mances that bookended that of rapper Eminem. In what appeared to be a reference to Kaepernick’s protest, Emi nem knelt after performing “Lose Yourself” in a move that was anticipated by NFL officials who had seen him do it in rehearsals.

In the years since Rihanna’s last album release, she has appeared as a guest on a small handful of singles by other artists — including DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” which hit No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 2017 — and in termittently teased new music of her own, although none has materialized.

As a result, what would be Rihanna’s ninth studio album has taken on a near-mythic quality among fans — who regularly refer to it as “R9” — even as the singer has focused instead on her business empire, which inclu des the Savage x Fenty lingerie brand and skin-care and makeup lines that have contributed to her $1.7 billion net worth, as estimated in 2021 by Forbes.

Earlier this year, Rihanna had her first child with rap per ASAP Rocky.

In a 2019 interview with T Magazine, the singer of hits such as “Umbrella” and ”We Found Love” said the

new album would, as long rumored, be a reggae project, while joking about the fan-given name. “I’m about to call it that probably, ’cause they have haunted me with this ‘R9, R9, when is R9 coming out?’ How will I accept another name after that’s been burned into my skull?”

More recently, Rihanna told Vogue, “I’m looking at my next project completely differently from the way I had wanted to put it out before,” adding: “It’s authentic, it’ll be fun for me, and it takes a lot of the pressure off.”

Harvey Awards to induct new Hall of Fame members

By GEORGE GENE GUSTINES

The Harvey Awards, which honors exemplary comic book work, will be adding members to its Hall of Fame

at New York Comic Con in October. The new induc tees are Neil Gaiman, whose bestselling series The Sandman was recently adapted for Netflix, underground cartoonist Gilbert Shelton and Roy Thomas, a prolific writer and editor for DC Comics and Marvel Comics.

Marjorie Henderson Buell, who died in 1993 and was the creator of Little Lulu, will be inducted posthumously. Litt le Lulu debuted in 1935 as a single-panel cartoon in The Sa turday Evening Post. The character proved popular and Buell, who was known as Marge and who controlled the rights to Little Lulu, spun her into a syndicated newspaper strip and later, comics, cartoons and all manner of merchandise.

“We’re thrilled to return to New York Comic Con for our first in-person Harvey Awards ceremony since 2019 and to induct four legendary creators into our Harvey Awards Hall of Fame,” said John Lind, a chair of the Harvey Awards steering committee. The awards began in 1988 and were na

In July, Neil Gaiman attended a panel for “The Sandman” at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

med after Harvey Kurtzman, the cartoonist who created and founded Mad magazine, who died in 1993.

The Harvey Awards honor comic book work in six ca tegories, including book of the year, best manga and best adaptation. The nominees are determined via a survey of about 200 industry professionals, librarians, educators and creators who submit candidates for each of the categories. The selections are tallied and pulled into a ballot, which is then open to a vote by all industry professionals, creators and librarians.

Looking back, Gaiman shared some fond memories of his Harvey experiences. “The first time I was given a Harvey award, it was 1991, 31 years ago, I had a whole career or two ahead of me and Harvey Kurtzman was still alive. It was the award that bore his name, and was thus the most important award I had ever received,” he said in a statement. “Now, with over three decades of comics career behind me, it’s just as thrilling to hear that I get to join a Hall of Fame named for Harvey. He was one of the greats, and so many of the people who have been inducted already have been people I looked up to over the years. So this is an unalloyed delight for me.”

Rihanna, pictured in February 2022, last performed publi cly in 2018 at the Grammy Awards.

El peticionario, Commonwealth Oil Refining Company, Inc. (CORCO), cuya dirección postal es 600 Carr. PR 127 Peñuelas P.R. 00624-9802, representado por el Sr. Roberto Gratacós Rosado, Vicepresidente Senior, ha solicitado al Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) la renovación del permiso de operación UIC-17-57-0044, para un sistema de inyección subterránea (SIS) Clase VC-1, bajo las disposiciones del Reglamento para el Control de la Inyección Subterránea (RCIS) y la Ley Federal de Agua Potable Segura, según enmendada 42 USC 300f et seq. (LFAPS).

El SIS consiste de 17 tanques o pocetos provistos con bomba, sistema de control para encender y apagar la bomba y sistema de alarma, que descargan a un tanque séptico de doble compartimiento con aproximadamente 6,369 galones de capacidad, el cual está conectado al área de infiltración, cuyas dimensiones son 101.25 pies de largo por 20.33 pies de ancho, provisto con siete (7) filas de cámaras de infiltración con dieciséis (16) infiltradores por fila, proporcionando un área de percolación de 2,058.41 pies2

En el SIS se inyectarán 960 galones/día de aguas sanitarias, provenientes de la empresa ubicada en la Carretera PR-127 Km. 15.5 Bo. Tallaboa en Peñuelas, Puerto Rico.

Luego de realizada la evaluación correspondiente de los documentos sometidos, el DRNA tiene la intención de renovar el Permiso de Operación, para la instalación antes mencionada en conformidad con los requisitos del RCIS y de la LFAPS.

Esta notificación se hace para informar que el DRNA, ha preparado el borrador del permiso de forma tal que el público interesado pueda someter sus comentarios con relación al mismo. El permiso contiene las condiciones y prohibiciones necesarias para cumplir con los requisitos reglamentarios aplicables.

Copia de la solicitud de permiso que sometió el peticionario ante el DRNA, el borrador del permiso y otros documentos relevantes estarán a la disposición del público para ser examinados, a petición del interesado mediante el envío de un un correo electrónico a la siguiente dirección: inyeccionsubterranea@ drna.pr.gov o visitando la ORG, localizada en la Carr. PR-3 Km. 136, Barrio Algarrobos en Guayama. Copia de dichos documentos pueden adquirirse en la ORG, entre las 8:00 a.m. y las 4:30 p.m. de lunes a viernes o escribiendo a la siguiente dirección: Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales, Oficina Regional de Guayama, 2000 Ave. Los Veteranos, Guayama, Puerto Rico 00784.

Las partes interesadas o afectadas pueden enviar sus comentarios por escrito a la Sra. Vanessa Del Moral Rosario, Directora de la ORG, o solicitar una vista pública por escrito a la Secretaria Interina del DRNA, a la dirección postal o correo electrónico antes indicado.

Los comentarios por escrito o la solicitud de vista pública deberán ser sometidos al DRNA no más tarde de treinta (30) días a partir de la fecha de publicación de este aviso. La fecha límite para someter comentarios puede ser extendida si se estima necesario o apropiado para el interés público. La solicitud para una vista pública deberá señalar la razón o las razones que en la opinión del solicitante ameritan la celebración de la misma. De realizarse una vista pública los interesados o afectados tendrán una oportunidad razonable para presentar evidencia o testimonio sobre si se emite o deniega el permiso, si la Secretaria Interina determina que dicha vista es necesaria o apropiada. Este anuncio se publica conforme a lo requerido por la Ley Núm. 416-2004, según enmendada, conocida como la “Ley sobre Política Pública Ambiental”, los reglamentos aprobados a su amparo; y las leyes y reglamentos federales aplicables. El costo del Aviso Público es sufragado por la entidad peticionaria.

En San Juan, Puerto Rico, a 22 de agosto de 2022.

Anaís Rodríguez Vega Secretaria

Este anuncio se publica conforme a lo requerido por la Ley Núm. 4162004, según enmendada, conocida como la “Ley sobre Política Pública Ambiental”, los reglamentos aprobados a su amparo; y las leyes y reglamentos federales aplicables. El costo del Aviso Público es sufragado por la entidad peticionaria.

Louise Fletcher, 88, dies; Oscar winner for ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’

By ANITA GATES

LouiseFletcher, the imposing, steely-eyed actress who won an Academy Award for her role as the tyrannical Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” died Friday at her home in the town of Montdurausse, in southern France. She was 88.

The death was confirmed by her agent, David Shaul, who did not cite a cause. Fletcher also had a home in Los Angeles.

Fletcher was 40 and largely un known to the public when she was cast as the head administrative nurse at an Oregon mental institution in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The film, directed by Milos Forman and based on a popular Ken Kesey novel, won a best actress trophy for Fletcher and four other Oscars: best picture, best director, best actor (Jack Nicholson, who starred as the rebellious mental patient McMurphy) and best adapted screenplay (Bo Goldman and Lawrence Hauber).

Louise Fletcher in 1976, when she won an Academy Award for her performance in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

lice. It was her appearance in that film that led Forman to offer her the role in “Cuckoo’s Nest.”

“I was caught by surprise when Louise came on screen,” Forman recalled of watching “Thieves Like Us.” “I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She had a certain mystery, which I thought was very, very important for Nurse Ratched.”

Reviewing “Cuckoo’s Nest” in The New Yorker, Pauline Kael declared Fletcher’s “a mas terly performance.”

“We can see the virginal expectancy — the purity — that has turned into puffy-eyed selfrighteousness,” Kael wrote. “She thinks she’s do ing good for people, and she’s hurt — she feels abused — if her authority is questioned.”

Fletcher is often cited as an example of the Oscar curse — the phenomenon that winning an Academy Award for acting does not always lead to sustained movie stardom — but she did main tain a busy career in films and on television into her late 70s.

Fletcher’s acceptance speech stood out that night, not only because she teasingly thanked voters for hating her but also be cause she used American Sign Language in thanking her parents, who were both deaf, for “teaching me to have a dream.”

The American Film Institute later named Nurse Ratched one of the most memorable villains in film history and the sec ond most notable female villain, surpassed only by the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz.”

But at the time “Cuckoo’s Nest” was released, Fletcher was frustrated by the buttoned-up nature of her character. “I envied the other actors tremendously,” she said in a 1975 interview with The New York Times, referring to her fellow cast members, most of whom were playing mental patients. “They were so free, and I had to be so controlled.”

Estelle Louise Fletcher was born on July 22, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama, one of four hearing children of Robert Capers Fletcher, an Episcopal minister, and Estelle (Caldwell) Fletcher; both her parents had been deaf since childhood. She studied drama at the University of North Carolina and moved to Los Angeles after graduation.

She later told journalists that because she was so tall — 5 feet, 10 inches — she had trouble finding work in anything but Westerns, where her height was an advantage. Of her first 20 or so screen roles in the late 1950s and early ’60s, about half were in television Westerns, including “Wagon Train,” “Maverick” and “Bat Masterson.”

Fletcher married Jerry Bick, a film producer, in 1959. They had two sons, John and Andrew, and she retired from acting for more than a decade to raise them.

Fletcher and Bick divorced in 1977. Her survivors include her sons; her sister, Roberta Ray; and a granddaughter.

She returned to movies in 1974 in Robert Altman’s “Thieves Like Us,” as a woman who coldly turns in her brother to the po

She had a lead role as the Linda Blair character’s soft-spoken psychiatrist in “Exorcist II: The Heretic” (1977) and was notable in the ensemble comedy “The Cheap Detective” (1978), riffing on Ingrid Bergman’s film persona. She also starred with Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood as a workaholic scientist in “Brainstorm” (1983). But she was largely relegated to roles with limited screen time, especially when her character was very different from her Nurse Ratched persona.

After a turn as an inscrutable UFO bigwig in “Strange In vaders” (1983), she appeared in “Firestarter” (1984) as a fearful farm wife; the police drama “Blue Steel” (1990) as Jamie Lee Curtis’ drab mother; “2 Days in the Valley” (1996) as a compas sionate Los Angeles landlady; and “Cruel Intentions” (1999) as Ryan Phillippe’s genteel aunt.

Only when she played to villainous stereotype — as she did in “Flowers in the Attic” (1987), as an evil matriarch who sets out to poison her four inconvenient young grandchildren — did she find herself in starring roles again. And that film, she told a Dragoncon audience in 2009, was “the worst experience I’ve ever had making a movie.”

Later in her career, she played recurring characters on sev eral television series, including “Star Trek: Deep Space 9” (she was an alien cult leader from 1993 to 1999) and “Shameless” (as William H. Macy’s foulmouthed convict mother). She also made an appearance as Liev Schreiber’s affable mother in the romantic drama “A Perfect Man” (2013). She appeared most recently in two episodes of the Netflix comedy series “Girlboss.”

Although Fletcher’s most famous character was a portrait of sternness, she often recalled smiling constantly and pretend ing that everything was perfect when she was growing up, in an effort to protect her nonhearing parents from bad news.

“The price of it was very high for me,” Fletcher said in a 1977 interview with The Ladies’ Home Journal. “Because I not only pre tended everything was all right. I came to feel it had to be.”

Pretending wasn’t all bad, however, she acknowledged, at least in terms of her profession. That same year she told journalist Rex Reed, “I feel like I know real joy from make-believe.”

LEGAL NOTICE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Small Business Administration)

Defendants

CIVIL NO. 22-01331. ACTION FOR CANCELLATION OF LOST MORTGAGE NOTE (Esperanza Inn, Corp.). SUM MONS BY PUBLICATION.

TO: JOHN DOE AND RICHARD ROE

Unknown holders of a pro missory note of $342,000.00 executed on July 8, 2008, by Esperanza Inn. Corp., as ack nowledged by affidavit number 3,631 sworn before Miguel B. Hernández Vivoni, and secured by a voluntary mortgage in favor of the plaintiff created by Mort gage Deed No. 54 executed on July 8, 2008, before Notary Public Miguel B. Hernández Vi voni, over the following proper ties, described in the Spanish language as: RÚSTICA: Parce la marcada con el número 103 en el Plano de Parcelación de la Comunidad Rural Esperan za del Barrio Puerto Real, del término municipal de Vieques, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superficial de 0.2951 cuerdas, equivalentes a 1,159.99 me tros cuadrados, en lindes por el NORTE, con la parcela número 102 de la Comunidad; por el SUR, con la parcela 104 de la Comunidad; por el ESTE, con la parcela número 165 de la Comunidad; y por el OESTE, con la Calle número 1 de la Co munidad. Contiene una casa de vivienda construida de bloques en concreto y torta de hormi gón que mide 18x18 y consta de sala, cocina, 2 cuartos dor mitorios y servicios sanitarios. The aforementioned Mortgage Deed is duly recorded in the Registry Property of Fajardo, at page 116, volume 83 of Vie ques, property number 1,649, eleventh inscription. Pursuant to the Order for Service by Pu blication entered on August 11, 2022 by the Honorable Aida M. Delgado-Colon, United States District Judge (Docket No. 4), you are hereby SUMMONED to appear, plead or answer the Complaint filed herein no later than thirty (30) days after publication of this Summons

by serving the original plea or answer in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, and serving a copy to counsel for plaintiff Pedro Jaime López Bergollo, Esq., at SBA District Office for the Dis trict of PR & USVI, 273 Ponce de León Ave., Suite 510, Pla za 273, San Juan, PR 009171930, telephone numbers (787) 766-5269T.h is Summons shall be published by edict once a week for six (6) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of ge neral circulation in the Island of Puerto Rico. Should you fail to appear, plead, or answer to the Complaint as ordered by the Court and noticed by this Sum mons, the Court will proceed to hear and adjudicate this cause against you based on the relief demanded in the Complaint.

BY ORDER OF THE COURT, summons is issued pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1655, Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(e) and Rule 4.5 of the Rules of Civil Procedure for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, this 15th day of August, 2022. MA

RIA ANTONGIORGI-JORDAN, ESQ., CLERK, U.S. DISTRICT COURT. By: Viviana Diaz, De puty Clerk.

LEGAL NOTICE

IN THE UNITED STATES DIS TRICT COURT FOR THE DIS TRICT OF PUERTO RICO LIME HOMES, LTD.

Plaintiff V. AMERICO MARTINEZ ROMERO, MARIA INES RODRIGUEZ JIMENEZ AND THE CONYUGAL PARTNERSHIP COMPOSED BY AMERICO MARTINEZ AND MARIA INES RODRIGUEZ JIMENEZ

Defendants Civil No.: 15-2723. JAG. Re: MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE. NOTICE OF SALE. To: AMERICO MARTINEZ ROMERO, MARIA INES RODRIGUEZ JIMENEZ, AND THE CONJUGAL PARTNERSHIP COMPOSED BY THE TWO, AND ALL PARTIES THAT MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY.

WHEREAS: Judgment in favor of Plaintiff was entered for the principal sum of $663,971.78 of principal balance, plus in terest at a rate of 6.25% per annum since December 1st, 2008. Interest will continue to accrue until the debt is paid in full. In addition, the defendant owes Plaintiff late charges in

the amounting to 5.000% of any and any payments or ins tallments in arrears over fifteen (15) days since the installment is due. The defendant owes Plaintiff all of the advances made by Plaintiff pursuant to the provision or dispositions of the mortgage note and mortga ge deed. The defendant also owes the Plaintiff an amount equivalent to 10% ($68,900.00) of the original principal balance as liquidated amount to cover the costs, expenses and attor ney fees. The record of the case and of the proceedings may be examined by the interested par ties at the Office of the Clerk of the United States District Court, Federal Building, Chardon Ave. Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, or by accessing the electronic court records. WHEREAS: Pursuant to the terms of the aforementio ned judgment and the order of execution thereof, the undersig ned SPECIAL MASTER, was ordered to sell at public auction for US currency in cash or cer tified check, without appraisal or right to redemption to the highest bidder and at the office of the Clerk of the United States district Court for the District of Puerto Rico, Federal Building Office 150, 1st, Floor, 150 Car los Chardon Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918 the following property belonging, describe in Spanish as follows: URBANA: Solar Marcado con el número cuarenta y cuatro (44) de la Urbanización Campos de Mon tehiedra, localizada en el Barrio Caimito de Rio Piedras, termino municipal de San Juan, Puerto Rico, con una cabida superfi cial de setecientos veintisiete puntos nueve mil quinientos cuarenta y cuatro (727.9544) metros cuadrados. En lindes por el Norte, con la calle Jun cal, en una distancia de vein titrés punto doscientos treinta y nueve (23.239) metros; por el Sur, con terreno de Acisclo González, en una distancia de veintitrés punto novecientos dos (23.902) metros; por Este, con el lote número cuarenta y tres (43), en una distancia de treinta y uno punto cero trein ticuatro (31.034) metros; por el Oeste, con los lotes cuarenta y cinco (45) y cuarenta y seis (46) en una distancia de trein ta y uno punto ochocientos veintinueve (31.829) metros. Enclava en este solar una es tructura de concreto reforzado y bloques de hormigón, para fines residenciales. number 21335, recorded at page 53 of volume 756 of Rio Piedra Sur, Registry of the Property of San Juan, Section IV. Phy sical Address: 744 Juncal St. Los Campos I, De Montehie dra, Barrio Caimito, San Juan,

Puerto Rico 00926. Potential bidders are advised to verify the extent of preferential liens with holders thereof. It is un derstood that potential bidders acquire the property subject to any and all senior liens that encumber the property. It is un derstood that potential bidders acquire the property subject to any and all senior liens that encumber the property. It shall be understood that each bidder accepts as sufficient the title that prior and preferential liens to the one being foreclosed upon, including but not limited to any property tax liens (ex press, tacit, implied or legal) shall continue in effect it being understood further that the suc cessful bidder accepts then and is subrogated in the responsibi lity for the same and the bid pri ce shall not be applied toward the cancellation of the senior lien. THEREFORE, the FIRST PUBLIC SALE shall be held on OCTOBER 12TH, 2022, AT 3:15 PM. The minimum bid that will be accepted in the first public sale is the sum of $689,000.00. In the event that said first public sale does not produce a bidder and the pro perty is not adjudicated, a SE COND PUBLIC SALE shall be held on the OCTOBER 19TH, 2022 AT 3:15 PM and the mini mum bid that will be accepted is the sum of $459,333.33. If said second public sale does not result in the adjudication and sale of the property, a THIRD PUBLIC SALE shall be held on the OCTOBER 26TH 2022 AT 3:15 PM and the minimum bid that will be accepted is the sum of $344,500.00. Upon confirma tion of the sale, an order shall be issued canceling all junior liens that are attached to the property referred to above. For further particulars, reference is made to the judgment entered by the Court in this case, which can be examined in the Office of the Clerk of the United Sta tes District Court. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, this 6th of July of 2022. BEATRIZ VAZQUEZ SO LÍS, SPECIAL MASTER.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA

CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CARO LINA SALA SUPERIOR BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. SUCESIÓN DE VÍCTOR RODRÍGUEZ CHAULIZANT COMPUESTA POR FULANO Y MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLES HEREDEROS

DESCONOCIDOS, SUCESIÓN DE MERCEDES MORALES VÁZQUEZ, COMPUESTA

POR ZUTANO Y PERENCEJO DE TAL, POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS, DEPARTAMENTO DE HACIENDA POR CONDUCTO DE LA DIVISIÓN DE CAUDALES RELICTOS; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIÓN DE INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (CRIM)

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CA2019CV00094. Sala: 409. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA “IN REM”. ESTA DOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, EL ES TADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. AVISO DE PÚBLICA SUBASTA. El Algua cil que suscribe por la presente anuncia y hace constar que en cumplimiento de la Senten cia en Rebeldía dictada el 19 de julio de 2019, la Orden de Ejecución de Sentencia del 15 de agosto de 2022 y el Manda miento de Ejecución del 18 de agosto de 2022 en el caso de epígrafe, procederé a vender el día 21 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LAS 1:00 DE LA TARDE, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Centro Judicial de Carolina, Sala Superior, en la Avenida 65 Infantería, Carretera Número Tres (3), Kilómetro 11.7 (En trada de la Urbanización Man siones de Carolina) Carolina, Puerto Rico, al mejor postor en pago de contado y en moneda de los Estados Unidos de Amé rica, cheque de gerente o giro postal a nombre del Alguacil del Tribunal; todo título, derecho o interés de la parte demandada sobre la siguiente propiedad: URBANA: Solar radicado en la Urbanización Villa Fontana, situada en el Barrio Sabana Abajo de Carolina, Puerto Rico, que se describe con el Número Dos (2) del bloque “EL” con un área de 315.80 metros cuadra dos. En lindes por el NORTE, con los Solares veinticuatro (24), veinticinco (25) y veinti séis (26), distancia de 16.54 metros; por el SUR, con la Calle Número Cuarenta y Siete (47), distancia de 12.16 metros; por el ESTE, con el Solar Núme ro Uno (1), distancia de 21.79 metros; y por el OESTE, con el Solar Número Seis (6), distan cia de 22.31 metros. En dicho solar enclava una vivienda de concreto para una familia. La propiedad consta inscrita al fo

lio 1 del tomo 617 de Carolina, Finca Número 32275 BIS, Re gistro de la Propiedad de Caro lina, Sección I. La escritura de hipoteca consta inscrita al folio móvil del tomo 898 de Caroli na, Finca Número 32275 BIS, Registro de la Propiedad de Carolina, Sección I. Inscripción novena. DIRECCIÓN FÍSICA: VILLA FONTANA, EL2 VÍA 26, CAROLINA, PR 00983-3908. Número de Catastro: 20-088016-493-02-001. El tipo mínimo para la primera subasta será de $64,928.00. De no haber adju dicación en la primera subasta se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA, el día 28 DE OC TUBRE DE 2022, A LAS 1:00 DE LA TARDE, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será de dos terceras partes del tipo mínimo fijado en la prime ra subasta, o sea, $43,285.33. De no haber adjudicación en la segunda subasta, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 4 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2022, A LAS 1:00 DE LA TARDE, en el mismo lugar, en la cual el tipo mínimo será la mitad del precio pactado, o sea, $32,464.00. Si se declarase desierta la tercera subasta, se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la tota lidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo de la tercera subasta, si el tribunal lo estima conveniente. Se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si ésta es mayor. Dicho remate se llevará a cabo para con su producto satisfacer a la deman dante el importe de la Senten cia por la suma de $36,553.89 de principal, más intereses sobre dicha suma al 7% anual desde el 1 de octubre de 2017 hasta su completo pago, más $213.76 de recargos acumula dos, más la cantidad estipulada de $6,492.80 para costas, gas tos y honorarios de abogados, así como cualquier otra suma que contenga el contrato del préstamo. Surge del Estudio de Título Registral que sobre esta propiedad pesan los siguientes gravámenes posteriores a la hi poteca que por la presente se pretende ejecutar: a. Hipoteca: Constituida por Víctor Rodrí guez Chaulizant y su esposa, Mercedes Morales Vázquez, en garantía de un pagaré a favor de Citibank N.A., o a su orden, por la suma de $16,000.00 sus intereses al 2.5% anual y vencedero a la presentación, según consta de la Escritura Número 367, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el 7 de oc tubre de 1998, ante el Notario Alejandro Oliveras Rivera. Inscrita al Folio móvil del tomo 901 de Carolina, Finca Número 32275 BIS, inscripción décima. Nota: Sujeta a condiciones

que aceleran su vencimiento.

b. Aviso de Demanda: Pleito seguido por Banco Popular de Puerto Rico Vs. Víctor Ro dríguez Chaulizant, Mercedes Morales Vázquez y la Sociedad Legal de Bienes Gananciales, compuesto por ambos, ante el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Carolina, en el Caso Civil Número CA2019CV00094 sobre Cobro de Dinero y Ejecu ción de Hipoteca, en la que se reclama el pago de hipoteca, con un balance de $36,553.89 y otras cantidades, según De manda de fecha 10 de enero de 2019. Anotada al Tomo Karibe de Carolina. Anotación A. Se notifica al acreedor posterior o a su sucesor o cesionario en derecho para que comparezca a proteger su derecho si así lo desea. Se les advierte a los interesados que todos los do cumentos relacionados con la presente acción de ejecución de hipoteca, así como los de Subasta, estarán disponibles para ser examinados, durante horas laborables, en el expe diente del caso que obra en los archivos de la Secretaría del Tribunal, bajo el número de epígrafe y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general en Puerto Rico por espacio de dos semanas y por lo menos una vez por semana; y para su fijación en los sitios públicos requeridos por ley. Se entenderá que todo licita dor acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecutante, conti nuarán subsistentes; enten diéndose que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mis mos, sin destinarse a su extin ción el precio del remate y que la propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gra vámenes posteriores tal como lo expresa la Ley Núm. 2102015. Y para el conocimiento de los demandados, de los acreedores posteriores, de los licitadores, partes interesadas y público en general, EXPIDO para su publicación en los luga res públicos correspondientes, el presente Aviso de Pública Subasta en Carolina, Puerto Rico, hoy 7 de septiembre de 2022. SAMUEL GONZÁLEZ

ISAAC, ALGUACIL DEL TRI BUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTAN CIA, CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CAROLINA, SALA SUPERIOR.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA CENTRO JUDICIAL DE CARO LINA SALA SUPERIOR BANCO POPULAR DE

PUERTO RICO

Parte Demandante Vs. LA SUCESIÓN DE JOSÉ

ROBERTO RODRÍGUEZ FIGUEROA T/C/C JOSÉ R. RODRÍGUEZ COMPUESTA POR MENGANO DE TAL, POSIBLE HEREDERO DESCONOCIDO, LA SUCESIÓN DE LUZ

ESTHER CRUZ ROMERO T/C/C LUZ E. CRUZ ROMERO COMPUESTA POR LUZ A. RODRÍGUEZ CRUZ T/C/C LUZ ARELIZ RODRÍGUEZ CRUZ, EILEEN RAQUEL RODRÍGUEZ CRUZ, SUTANO Y PERENCEJO DE TAL, POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS; ROBERTO RODRÍGUEZ CRUZ, POR SÍ Y COMO HEREDERO DE LUZ

ESTHER CRUZ ROMERO T/C/C LUZ E. CRUZ ROMERO, SU ESPOSA AGAR PLAZA ROBLES Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA

POR AMBOS; DEPARTAMENTO DE HACIENDA POR CONDUCTO DE LA DIVISIÓN DE CAUDALES RELICTOS; CENTRO DE RECAUDACIÓN DE

INGRESOS MUNICIPALES (CRIM)

Parte Demandada Civil Núm.: CA2019CV03294. Sala: 407. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HI POTECA POR LA VÍA ORDI NARIA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDEN TE DE LOS ESTADOS UNI DOS, EL ESTADO LIBRE ASO CIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS. AVISO DE PÚBLICA SU BASTA. El Alguacil que suscri be por la presente anuncia y hace constar que en cumpli miento de la Sentencia dictada el 24 de marzo de 2022 Enmen dada Nunc Pro Tucn el 22 de abril de 2022, la Orden de Eje cución de Sentencia del 12 de agosto de 2022 y el Manda miento de Ejecución del 18 de agosto de 2022 en el caso de epígrafe, procederé a vender el día 21 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LAS 1:15 DE LA TARDE, en mi oficina, localizada en el Tri bunal de Primera Instancia, Centro Judicial de Carolina, Sala Superior, en la Avenida 65 Infantería, Carretera Número Tres (3), Kilómetro 11.7 (Entra

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO.

Plaintiff v. JOHN DOE AND RICHARD ROE as those unknown persons who may be the holders of the lost mortgage note or have any interest in this proceeding,

precio pactado en la Escritura de Hipoteca #248, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 22 de septiembre de 2010, ante el notario Frederick James Baraga Huyke, e inscrita al folio 17 del tomo 320 de Vega Alta, finca número 19,647, inscrip ción 2da. y última. La PRIMERA SUBASTA, se llevará a cabo el día 24 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022

A LAS 9:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en mis oficinas sitas en el Tribu nal de Primera Instancia, Sala Superior de Bayamón, el tipo mínimo para la primera subasta es la suma de $215,000.00. Si la primera subasta del inmue ble no produjere remate, ni adjudicación, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 31 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022 A

LAS 9:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo sitio y servirá de tipo mínimo las dos terceras partes del precio pactada para la pri mera subasta, o sea, la suma de $143,333.33. Si la segunda subasta no produjere remate, ni adjudicación, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 7 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2022 A LAS 9:45 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar y regirá como tipo mínimo de la tercera su basta la mitad del precio pac tado para la primera, o sea, la suma de $107,500.00. Dicha subasta se llevará a cabo, para con su producto satisfacer a la parte demandante el importe de la Sentencia dictada a su favor, a saber: Suma Principal: $201,171.15, más intereses a razón de 5.75% anual, desde el 1ro de marzo de 2020, hasta el presente y los que se continúen acumulando hasta su total y completo pago, más los cargos por demora que se correspon den a los plazos atrasados desde la fecha anteriormente indicada a razón de la tasa pactada de 5.00% de cualquier pago que éste en mora por más de quince (15) días desde la fecha de su vencimiento, más adelantos para el pago de se guros y contribuciones, entre otros; más la suma equivalente a $21,500.00, por concepto de costas, gastos y honorarios de abogado, más cualquier otra suma que resulte por cuales quiera otros adelantos que se hayan hecho la demandante, en virtud de las disposiciones de la escritura de hipoteca y del Pagaré hipotecario. Para más información, a las perso nas interesadas se les notifica que los autos y todos los do cumentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado, estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal, durante las horas laborables. Este EDICTO DE SUBASTA, se publicará en los lugares públicos correspon dientes y en un periódico de circulación general en la juris dicción de Puerto Rico. Se en tenderá que todo licitador acep ta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes

anteriores y los referentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecu tante continuarán subsistentes. Se entenderá que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su ex tinción el precio del remate. Se procederá a otorgar la corres pondiente Escritura de Venta Judicial y el Alguacil pondrá en posesión judicial al nuevo due ño, si así se lo solicita dentro del término de veinte (20) días, de conformidad con las dispo siciones de Ley. Si transcurren los referidos veinte (20) días, el tribunal podrá ordenar, sin necesidad de ulterior procedi miento, que se lleve a efecto el desalojo o lanzamiento del ocu pante u ocupantes de la finca o de todos los que por orden o to lerancia del deudor la ocupen. Expedido en Bayamón, Puerto Rico, a 13 de septiembre de 2022. Maribel Lanzar Veláz quez, Alguacil Placa #735.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CA GUAS

CPD, LLC; Demandante V. IGLESIA PENTECOSTAL LUZ Y SALVACIÓN DE CAYEY, INC.; JUAN SANTOS BURGOS, CARMEN TERESA RIVERA COLÓN Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE BIENES GANANCIALES COMPUESTO POR AMBOS

Demandados Civil Núm.: G2CI201300218. (703). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA OR DINARIA. AVISO DE SUBAS TA. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PUEBLO DE PUERTO RICO, S.S. YO, el(la) Alguacil que suscribe, por la presente anuncia y hace constar, que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento de Ejecución de Sentencia expedido el 10 de septiembre de 2021, por la Secretaría de este Tribunal, procederé a vender en pública subasta y al mejor postor, quien pagará el importe de la venta en dinero efectivo o en cheque certificado o de gerente, a la orden del Alguacil suscribiente, en moneda del curso legal de los Estados Unidos de Amé rica, el día 12 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LA(S) 10:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en mi oficina locali zada en el Tribunal de Caguas todo título, derecho o interés que corresponda a la parte demandada sobre el inmueble que se describe a continuación:

URNANA: Solar radicado en el barrio Montellano de Cayey,

Puerto Rico, con una cabida su perficial de dos punto siete cin co siete cuerdas (2.757 cdas), reducida a cero punto sesenta y cinco ochenta y siete (0.6587 equivalentes a dos mil quinien tos ochenta y ocho punto nueve mil quinientos cuarenta y cuatro metros (2,588.9544 M.C.). En lindes por el SUR, con la anti gua carretera insular número uno (1) en el trayecto de Ca guas a Cayey; por el NORTE, ESTE y OESTE, con terrenos pertenecientes al Estado Li bre Asociado de Puerto Rico (Caserío y Escuelas Públicas). Tiene enclavada una casa de concreto dedicada a vivienda que mide treinta (30’) pies de frente por cuarenta y siete (47’) pies de fondo, compuesta de balcón, sala, comedor, cocina, cuarto de baño y cinco (5) ha bitaciones, además los bienes del hogar, un garage de con creto de veinte (20’) pies de frente por veintiséis (26’) pies de fondo. Consta inscrita al folio número 82 del tomo 130 de Cayey, finca número 1,959 de la Primera Sección del Re gistro de la Propiedad de Ca guas, Puerto Rico. Dirección Física: 14 Road Km. 7.3 Mon tellano Ward, Cayey, Puerto Rico. La propiedad descrita anteriormente está afecta a los siguientes gravámenes: Afecta por su procedencia: Libre. Por sí: HIPOTECA: En garantía de un pagaré a favor de Caribbean Financial Services Corp. h/n/c Easy Money, o a su orden, por la suma de $59,250.00, con in terés al 9 ½%, y vencedero 1 de julio de 2006, según consta de la escritura #170, otorga da en Caguas, Puerto Rico, el día 14 de junio de 2001, ante el Notario Público Raúl Muñoz González, inscrita al folio 29 del tomo 564 de Cayey, finca # 1959 inscripción 19. ANOTA CIÓN DE DEMANDA: Es objeto de esta anotación la Hipoteca a favor de Caribbean Financial Services Corp. h/n/c Easy Mo ney, por la suma de $59,250.00 que surge de la inscripción #19. Demandante: Doral Bank; Demandado: Titular; Cantidad Adeudada $41,474.72, por con cepto de principal más intere ses, según Demanda expedida por el Tribunal de Caguas en el caso Civil #GCD2009-0056, inscrito al folio 29 del tomo 564, de Cayey, finca 1959, Anotación H de fecha del 18 de febrero de 2010. ANOTACIÓN DE DEMANDA: Es objeto de esta anotación la Hipoteca a favor de Caribbean Financial Services Corp. h/n/c Easy Mo ney, por la suma de $59,250.00 que surge de la inscripción #19. Demandante: Doral Bank; Demandado: Titular, Cantidad Adeudada $41,474.72, por con cepto de principal más intere ses, según Demanda expedida por el Tribunal de Cayey en el caso Civil #G2C12013-00218 el día 28 de junio de 2013, inscri

to al folio 13 del tomo 576, de Cayey, finca 1959, Anotación I de fecha de 20 de noviembre de 2013. Servirá como tipo mínimo para la primera subas ta en ejecución de la hipoteca objeto de este caso que grava la Propiedad antes descrita la suma de $59,250.00, conforme a lo estipulado en la escritura número 170, otorgada en San Juan, Puerto Rico, el día 14 de junio de 2001, ante el Notario Público Raúl Muñoz González. De no adjudicarse la propie dad en la primera subasta, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SU BASTA, en las mismas oficinas de este Alguacil, el día 19 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LA(S) 10:30 DE LA MAÑANA. El tipo mínimo para la segunda subas ta será dos terceras partes (2/3) del tipo mínimo de la primera subasta, o sea, $39,500.00. De no adjudicarse la propiedad en la segunda subasta, se celebra rá una TERCERA SUBASTA en las mismas oficinas de este Al guacil, el día 26 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LA(S) 10:30 DE LA MAÑANA. El tipo mínimo para la tercera subasta será la mitad (1/2) del tipo mínimo que se pactara para la prime ra subasta, o sea, $29,625.00. Esta subasta se hará para sa tisfacer a la parte demandante, hasta donde alcance, el importe adeudado a CPD, LLC, ascen dente a la suma de $41,474.72 de principal, más los intereses que se acumulen hasta el pago total de la deuda, $6,155.93 de reserva “Escrow”, $355.00 de otros gastos, más honorarios de abogado según pactados, costas y gastos del pleito. La venta en pública subasta de la propiedad descrita anterior mente se verificará libre de toda carga o gravamen posterior que afecte dicha propiedad. Se en tiende que cualquier carga y/o gravamen anterior y/o preferen te, si lo hubiera, al crédito que da base a esta ejecución, con tinuará subsistente, entendién dose además, que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su extinción el precio del remate. Que los autos y todos los do cumentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado estarán de manifiesto en la Secretaría de este Tribunal durante horas laborables. El Alguacil procede rá a otorgar la correspondiente escritura de venta judicial y se pondrá al comprador en po sesión física del inmueble, de conformidad con las disposicio nes de Ley. POR LA PRESEN TE, se les notifica a los titulares de créditos y/o cargas registra les posteriores, si alguno, que se celebrará la SUBASTA en la fecha, hora y sitio anteriormen te señalados, y se les invita a que concurran a dicha subasta, si les conviniere, o se les invita a satisfacer, antes del remate, el importe del crédito, sus inte

reses, otros cargos y las costas y honorarios de abogado ase gurados, quedando entonces subrogados en los derechos del Acreedor ejecutante, siempre y cuando reúnan los requisitos y cualificaciones de Ley para que se pueda efectuar tal subroga ción. Y PARA SU PUBLICA CIÓN en el tablón de edictos de este Tribunal y en tres (3) lugares públicos del Municipio donde se celebrará la subasta señalada. Además, en un pe riódico de circulación general en dos (2) ocasiones y median te correo certificado a la última dirección conocida de la parte demandada. EXPEDIDO el presente EDICTO DE SUBAS TA en Caguas, Puerto Rico, a 30 de agosto de 2022. ÁNGEL GÓMEZ GÓMEZ, ALGUACIL PLACA #593, TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA, SALA DE CAGUAS.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBUNAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRI BUNAL DE PRIMERA INSTAN CIA SALA DE RÍO GRANDE EN FAJARDO - SUPERIOR LIMITADO

FIRSTBANK PUERTO RICO

Demandante V. JUAN ARTURO JULIAN GOMEZ GIL DE RUBIO

Demandado Civil Núm.: N3CI201700070. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA. EDICTO DE SUBASTA. ESTA DOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ES TADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LI BRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: PÚBLICO EN GENERAL.

El Alguacil del Tribunal que suscribe anuncia y hace cons tar: A. Que en cumplimiento del Mandamiento que me ha sido dirigido por la Secretaria del Tri bunal de Primera Instancia de Puerto Rico, Sala de Fajardo, en el caso de epígrafe, venderé en pública subasta y al mejor postor de contado y en mone da de curso legal y corriente de los Estados Unidos de América y cuyo pago se efectuará en efectivo, giro postal o cheque certificado a nombre del Al guacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, todo derecho, título o interés que tenga la Parte Demandada en el bien inmue ble que se describe a continua ción: URBANA: PROPIEDAD HORIZONTAL: Apartamento residencial de forma irregular localizado en la primera plan ta del Edificio B de Portales de Río Grande, localizado en la Carretera PR número tres (3), kilómetro 23.6 en el Barrio Ciénaga Baja del término Mu nicipal de Río Grande, Puerto Rico, el cual se describe en la escritura matriz de dedicación

al Régimen de Propiedad Hori zontal y en los planos aproba dos para este Condominio, con el número, área y colindancias que se relacionan a continua ción: Apartamento número B ciento diez (B-110). Área total de la vivienda: mil veinticuatro pies cuadrados con seis mil quinientos veintiocho milési mas partes de otro (1,024.6528 p.c.), equivalentes a noventa y cinco punto ciento noventa y tres metros cuadrados (95.193 m.). Los linderos del área de vivienda son los siguientes: por el NORTE, en dieciséis pies diez y media pulgadas (16’10 ½”), con área común; por el SUR, en veintiún pies y diez pulgadas (21’10”), con patio posterior; por el ESTE, en trein ta y cinco pies nueve pulgadas (35’9”), con pared que colinda con el Apartamento ciento nue ve (109); y por el OESTE, en treinta y siete pies nueve pulga das (37’9”), con pared que co linda con el Apartamento ciento once (111). Tiene su puerta de entrada y salida por su lado No reste, que da al área del pasillo que conduce a las escaleras que le brindan acceso al Edi ficio. Consta de sala-comedor, un (1) balcón, un pasillo que brinda acceso a las siguientes áreas: un (1) dormitorio con closet, área de lavandería, co cina, un (1) dormitorio con un closet, un (1) baño completo de uso general, un (1) dormitorio principal (“master bedroom”) en el cual ubican un área de closet y un (1) baño comple to. A esta unidad de vivienda se le ha asignado dos (2) es pacios de estacionamiento, identificados con los números ciento diez (110) y ciento diez A (110A) para uso exclusivo del Apartamento aquí individua lizado. A este Apartamento le corresponde una participación en los elementos comunes del Condominio de cero punto cero cero siete nueve tres siete por ciento (0.007937%). Dirección Física: Cond. Portales de Río Grande, 110 B, Río Grande, PR. Finca 29,029, al tomo Kari be de Río Grande, Registro de la Propiedad de Puerto Rico, Sección Tercera de Carolina.

B. Que los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedimiento incoado están de manifiesto en la Secretaría del Tribunal durante las horas laborables bajo el epígrafe de este caso. C. Que se entenderá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes ante riores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito ejecutante, continuarán subsistentes, en tendiéndose que el rematente los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su ex tinción el precio del remate. La propiedad a ser ejecutada se adquirirá libre de cargas y gra vámenes posteriores. D. Dicha

subasta se llevará a cabo para satisfacer a la parte demandan te el importe de la sentencia que ha obtenido ascendente a las siguientes cantidades adeudadas al 1 de agosto de 2018: la suma de $117,638.43 de principal, intereses, cargos por demora y otros cargos, que se acumulan diariamente hasta su total y completo pago, más la suma de 10% del principal, por concepto de costas, gas tos y honorarios de abogado hipotecariamente asegurados hipotecariamente asegurados.

La PRIMERA SUBASTA se celebrará el día 11 DE OCTU BRE DE 2022 A LAS 3:00 DE LA TARDE en la Oficina del Al guacil del Tribunal de Primera Instancia de Fajardo, por el tipo mínimo de $124,788.00. De de clararse desierta dicha subasta se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 18 DE OCTU BRE DE 2022 A LAS 3:00 DE LA TARDE en el mismo lugar antes mencionado. El precio para la segunda subasta lo será 2/3 partes del precio mínimo de la primera, o sea, $83,192.00. De declararse desierta dicha segunda subasta, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA el día 25 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022

A LAS 3:00 DE LA TARDE en el mismo lugar antes mencio nado. El precio para la tercera subasta lo será 1/2 del precio mínimo de la primera, o sea, $62,394.00. Y PARA QUE ASÍ CONSTE, y para su publicación en un periódico de circulación general y por un término de catorce (14) días en los sitios públicos conforme a la ley, ex pido la presente bajo mi firma y sello de este tribunal, hoy 12 de septiembre de 2022 en Fajardo, Puerto Rico. DENISE BRUNO ORTIZ, ALGUACIL AUXILIAR PLACA #266. JORGE A. ORTIZ ESTRADA, ALGUACIL REGIO NAL INTERINO PLACA #622.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE FAJAR DO

ESTRELLA COMMERCIAL, LLC

Demandante V. FOUR ANGELS INVESTMENT GROUP

I; MANUEL LEIZAN GONZALEZ, ROSALINDA

RIVERA MONTALVO Y LA SOCIEDAD LEGAL DE GANANCIALES COMPUESTA POR AMBOS

Demandados Civi Núm.: NSCI201400552. (303). Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA OR DINARIA. 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 21 de agosto de 2015 y notificada el 25 de agosto de 2015; y de un Mandamiento de Ejecución emitido el día 26 de agosto de 2022, que le ha sido dirigido por la Secretaria del Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Sala de Fajardo, procederá a vender en subasta, y al mejor postor, por separado, de contado y por moneda de curso legal de los Estados Unidos de Améri ca, 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 subas ta habrá de celebrarse el día 7 DE FEBRERO DEL AÑO 2023 A LAS 3:00 DE LA TARDE, en el Tribunal de Primera Instan cia, Sala Superior de Fajardo, sobre el inmueble que se des cribe a continuación: URBANA:

HORIZONTAL PROPERTY: Residential unit 2803 of Cluster Six (28), which forms part of the Beach Resort Condominium Regime, located at Los Frailes ward, Culebra, Puerto Rico. Squared shaped one story unit, with a total construction area of 534.11 square feet, equivalent to 49.62 square meters. This unit shares part of the second floor of Cluster 36, with resi dential unit 3804. The main entrance is located on the side of the unit leading to the foyer which is a limited common ele ment of cluster 28. Its bounda ries are: By the NORTH, with a common wall separates it from residential unit 2804, and with the foyer which is an interior li mited common element; by the SOUTH, with exterior common areas of the condominium; by the WEST, with exteriors com mon areas of the condominium, and by the EAST, with exteriors common areas of the condo minium. Residential unit 2803 contains a living-sleeping area, a kitchenette, a bathroom, a closet, an owner’s closet, an air condition closet and a covered balcony area. This unit has the exclusive use and enjoyment of the following limited common elements, of the Costa Bonita Beach Resort Condominium, the foyer and access stairways of cluster 28, which gives ac cess to the units forming part of such cluster. PERCENTAGE: General Common Elements: .4494%. Limited Common Ele ments: 25%. FINCA: Número 1888 de Culebra, inscrita al tomo Karibe de la Sección de Fajardo). El siguiente pagaré consta inscrito en la propiedad antes mencionada y es el que

apartamento está situada en el lindero Oeste. Esta unidad tiene una participación en los elementos comunes generales del condominio de punto cero cero cuatro cinco ocho uno por ciento (.004581%). Le co rresponde como parte de los elementos comunes limitados 2 estacionamientos marcados “U-101”. FINCA NÚMERO: 31,296, inscrita al folio 125 del tomo 715 de Trujillo Alto, sec ción IV de San Juan. Dirección

Física: COND. VISTA SERENA U-101, TRUJILLO ALTO, PR 00976. Se anuncia por medio de este edicto que la PRIMERA SUBASTA habrá de celebrarse el día 12 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LAS 11:30 DE LA MA ÑANA, en mi oficina sita en el edificio que ocupa el Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala Superior de Carolina. Siendo ésta la primera subasta que se celebrará en este caso, será el precio mínimo aceptable como oferta en la Primera Subasta, eso es el tipo mínimo pactado en la Escritura de Hipoteca para la propiedad, la suma de $149,000.00. De no haber remanente o adjudicación en esta primera subasta por dicha suma mínima, se celebrará una SEGUNDA SUBASTA el día 19 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LAS 11:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en el mismo lugar antes señala do en la cual el precio mínimo serán dos terceras (2/3) partes del tipo mínimo pactado en la escritura de hipoteca, la suma de $99,333.33. De no haber remanente o adjudicación en esta segunda subasta por el tipo mínimo indicado en el pá rrafo anterior, se celebrará una TERCERA SUBASTA en el mis mo lugar antes señalado el día 26 DE OCTUBRE DE 2022, A LAS 11:30 DE LA MAÑANA, en la cual el tipo mínimo aceptable como oferta será la mitad (1/2) del precio mínimo pactado en la escritura de hipoteca, la suma de $74,500.00. Si se declare desierta la tercera subasta se adjudicará la finca a favor del acreedor por la totalidad de la cantidad adeudada si ésta es igual o menor que el monto del tipo mínimo de la tercera subasta, si el tribunal lo estima conveniente. Se abonará dicho monto a la cantidad adeudada si ésta es mayor. Con el im porte de esta venta se habrá de satisfacer el balance de la sentencia dictada en este caso el cual consiste en el pago de $99,623.32 de principal, más intereses convenidos al 6.125% anual más recargos hasta su pago, más el pago de lo pactado en la sentencia para costas, gastos y honorarios de abogados. Se dispone que una vez celebrada la subasta y ven dido el inmueble relacionado, el alguacil pondrá en posesión ju dicial a los nuevos dueños den tro del término de veinte (20) días a partir de la celebración

de la Subasta. Si transcurren los referidos veinte (20) días, el tribunal podrá ordenar, sin necesidad de ulterior procedi miento, que se lleve a efecto el desalojo o lanzamiento del ocu pante u ocupantes de la finca o de todos los que por orden o tolerancia del demandado/deu dor la ocupen. El Alguacil de este Tribunal efectuará el lan zamiento de los ocupantes de ser necesario. Si la subasta es adjudicada a un tercero y luego se deja sin efecto, el tercero a favor de quién se adjudicó la subasta solo tendrá derecho a la devolución del monto consig nado más no tendrá derecho a entablar recurso o reclamo adicional alguno (judicial o extrajudicial) contra el deman dante y/o el acreedor y/o inver sionista, dueño pagaré y/o su abogado. Si se anula la venta, el comprador tendrá derecho a la devolución del depósito de la venta judicial menos los honorarios y costos incurridos en el proceso de venta judicial. No tendrá ningún otro recurso contra el acreedor hipotecario ejecutante ni la representación legal de éste. Por la presente también se notifica e informa a Banco Popular de Puerto Rico por éstos contar con una anota ción de demanda a su favor por la suma de $119,207.20 bajo el número civil #FECI2017-00199, anotado el 1ro de marzo de 2018 en Karibe de Trujillo Alto, anotación A. También, se notifi ca e informa a Fulano de Tal y Sutano de Tal, personas desco nocidas que puedan tener de rechos en la propiedad o título objeto de este edicto. La Venta en Pública Subasta de la referi da propiedad se verificará libre de toda carga y gravamen pos terior que afecte la mencionada finca, a cuyo efecto se notifica y se hace saber la fecha, hora y sitio de la Primera, Segun da y Tercera Subasta, si eso fuera necesario, a los efectos de cualquier persona o perso nas con algún interés puedan comparecer a la celebración de dicha Subasta. Se enten derá que todo licitador acepta como bastante la titularidad y que las cargas y gravámenes anteriores y los preferentes, si los hubiere, al crédito del ejecu tante continuarán subsistentes. Se entenderá que el rematante los acepta y queda subrogado en la responsabilidad de los mismos, sin destinarse a su ex tinción el precio del remate. Los autos y todos los documentos correspondientes al procedi miento del caso de epígrafe es tán disponibles en la Secretaría de este Tribunal durante horas laborables y para la concurren cia de los licitadores expido el presente Edicto que se publi cará en un periódico de circu lación diaria en toda la Isla de Puerto Rico por espacio dos (2) semanas y por lo menos una vez por semana y se fijará, ade

más, en el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, Alcaldía y la Colec turía de Rentas Internas del Municipio donde se celebrará la Subasta y en la Colecturía más cercana del lugar de la residen cia de la parte demandada. EN TESTIMONIO DE LO CUAL, expido el presente que firmo y sello, hoy día 16 de agosto de 2022. HÉCTOR L. PEÑA RO DRÍGUEZ, ALGUACIL, SALA SUPERIOR DE CAROLINA.

***

LEGAL NOTICE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF PUER TO RICO AIR-O-MATIC CORPORATION

Plaintiff(s)

Torres-Orengo et al Defendant(s)

Civil No.: 3:22-CV-01241-WGY.

NOTICE OF ISSUANCE OF SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION.

Notice is hereby given that Summonses have been electro nically issued on an expedited basis. Summonses have been securely signed and sealed.

Counsel must print all sum monses and follow the service requirements set forth by the Rules of Civil Procedure. Elec tronic issuance of Summonses should not be construed as authorizing electronic service.

To request paper copies, plea se contact the Clerk’s Office at (787)772-3000. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, this 20th day of September of 2022. MARIA ANTONGIORGI-JORDAN, ESQ., CLERK OF COURT. VI VIANA DÍAZ - MULERO, DE PUTY CLERK.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CARO LINA

A: FULANO DE TAL~ Y FULANA DE TAL, COMO POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS DE LA SUCESIÓN DE FLOR VÁZQUEZ ROBLES.

Queden emplazados y notifica dos que en este Tribunal se ha radicado Demanda sobre Eje cución de Hipoteca en su con tra. Por la presente se le empla za y notifica que debe contestar la demanda dentro del término de treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación del presente edicto y deberá presentar su alega ción responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SU MAC), el cual podrá acceder utilizando la siguiente direc ción electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Si usted deja de presentar su alegación responsiva dentro del referido término, el tribunal podrá dictar Sentencia en Rebeldía en su contra y conceder el remedio solicitado en la Demanda, o cualquier otro, si el tribunal, en el ejercicio de su discreción, lo entiende procedente. Los abo gados de la parte demandante son: Lcdo. Andrés Sáez Marrero T.S.P.R. Núm. 18074

TROMBERG, MORRIS & POULIN, LLC

1515 South Federal Highway, Suite 100 Boca Ratón, FL 33432 Tel. 877-338-4101 / Fax: 561-338-4077

Expido este edicto bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, hoy 15 de septiembre de 2022. LCDA. MARILYN APONTE RODRÍ GUEZ SECRETARIA REGIO NAL. KEILA GARCÍA SOLÍS, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR.

LEGAL NOT ICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE VEGA BAJA

BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO

USUFRUCTUARIA; DEPARTAMENTO DE HACIENDA; DEPARTAMENTO DE JUSTICIA

Demandado Civil Núm.: VB2022CV00437. Sobre: COBRO DE DINERO Y EJECUCIÓN DE HIPOTECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA. EM PLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉ RICA, PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUER TO RICO, S.S.

A: VIRGENMINA GARCÍA ORTIZ Y RAÚL SELAIC TRINIDAD GARCÍA, CARLOS ABDIEL TRINIDAD GARCÍA Y LA SUCESIÓN DE WADY OMAR TRINIDAD GARCÍA, COMPUESTA

MARITZA ROSARIO ROSA RIO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL I.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO QE PU:ERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE SAN JUAN OLGA MEJIAS RIVERA Demandante V. DORAL BANK; BANCO POPULAR, FIRST BANK COMO CUSTODIOS DE LOS EXPEDIENTES DE DORAL BANK; ORIENTAL BANK COMO CUSTODIO DE LOS EXPEDIENTES DE RG PREMIER

Demandados Civil Núm.: CA2022CV02341. Sobre: EJECUCIÓN DE HIPO TECA POR LA VÍA ORDINARIA - IN REM. EMPLAZAMIEN TO POR EDICTO. ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, PRE SIDENTE DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS, ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, S.S.

Demandante V. VIRGENMINA GARCÍA ORTIZ Y LA SUCESIÓN DE RAÚL TRINIDAD GARCÍA COMPUESTA POR RAÚL SELAIC TRINIDAD GARCÍA; CARLOS ABDIEL TRINIDAD GARCÍA Y LA SUCESIÓN DE WADY OMAR TRINIDAD GARCÍA, COMPUESTA

POR: FULANO DE TAL Y MENGANO DE TAL LOS POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS Y ZUTANA DE TAL, EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL

POR FULANO DE TAL Y MENGANO DE TAL, LOS POSIBLES HEREDEROS DESCONOCIDOS Y ZUTANA DE TAL, EN LA CUOTA VIUDAL USUFRUCTUARIA. Por la presente se le emplaza y notifica que debe contestar la demanda dentro del término de treinta (30) días a partir de la publicación del presente edicto. Usted deberá presentar su ale gación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Administración de Casos (SU MAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente direc ción electrónica: https://unired. ramajudicial.pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Se le apercibe que de no contestar la demanda dentro del término aquí estipulado, se le anotará la rebeldía y se dictará sen tencia sin más citarle ni oírle. Por la presente el Tribunal de Primera Instancia, conforme al caso de Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria vs. Latinoamericana de Exportación, Inc., 164 D.P.R. 689 (2005), le ordena que en el término de treinta (30) días, haga declaración aceptando o repudiando la herencia de la SUCESION DE RAÚL TRINI DAD GARCÍA Y LA SUCESIÓN DE WADY OMAR TRINIDAD GRACÍA. Se le apercibe que de no expresar su intención de aceptar o repudiar la herencia dentro del término que se le fijó, la herencia se tendrá por aceptada. Los abogados de la parte demandante son: Lcdo. Guillermo A. Somoza Colomba ni, P.O. Box 366603, San Juan, PR 00936-6603. Tel. (787) 9190073, Fax (787) 641-5016. Ex pido este edicto bajo mi firma y sello de este Tribunal, hoy 12 de septiembre de 2022. LCDA. LAURA I. SANTA SÁNCHEZ, SECRETARIA REGIONAL.

BANK; FULANO DE TAL; MENGANA DE CUAL, PERSONAS DESCONOCIDAS CON POSIBLE INTERÉS

Demandados Civil Núm.: SJ2022CV06400. Sala: 504. Sobre: CANCE LACIÓN DE PAGARÉ HI POTECARIO EXTRAVIADO. EDICTO. EN LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉRICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS ESTA DOS UNIDOS, EL ESTADO LI BRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO, SS.

A: FULANO DE TAL Y MENGANA ,DE CUAL, COMO POSIBLES

TENEDORES DEL PAGARÉ DESCRITO MÁS ADELANTE.

Por la presente se les notifica que se ha radicado una De manda donde se solicita se cancele el siguiente pagaré, el cual está extraviado, así como hipoteca que garantiza su pago: Un pagaré a favor de Do ral Mortgage corporation, o a su Orden, por la suma de treinta y dos mil dólares ($32,000.00), con interés al ocho y cinco oc tavos por ciento (8 5/8 %) anual y vencedero el primero de abril de dos mil doce (2012), según consta escritura número ciento treinta y cuatro (134), otorgada en Caguas el día veinte (20) de marzo de mil novecientos no venta y dos (1992), ante Nota rio Miguel A. Hernández Sana bria, inscrita al folio 11 de tomo 715 de Carolina Norte, fiinca número 16,894. Por la presen te se le emplaza y requiere para que notifique al licenciado Marcos R. Aponte Reyes, P.O. Box 2002, Caguas, PR 00726, teléfono (787) 743-5596, email: apontelaw@yahoo.com, abo gado de la Parte Demandante, con copia de vuestra contesta ción a la Demanda, radicada en este caso contra ustedes, den tro de un término de treinta (30) días contados a partir de la pu blicación de este Edicto. Usted debe presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Adminis

tración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electróni ca: https://unired.ramajudicial. pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la secretaría del tribunal. Por la presente se le apercibe que de no comparecer a formular alegaciones dentro de treinta (30) días contado a partir de la fecha de publicación de este Edicto, se le anotará la rebeldía y se dictará sentencia de acuerdo con lo solicitado en la Demanda, sin más citarle ni oírle. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, hoy 22 de julio de 2022. GRISELDA RODRÍGUEZ COLLADO, SE CRETARIA REGIONAL. LINDA LEVY RODRÍGUEZ, SECRE TARIA DE SERVICIOS A SALA.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL GENERAL DE JUSTICIA TRIBUNAL DE PRIMERA INS TANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE BAYAMÓN MARIANA ARROYO RESTO T/C/C ADRIANA ARROYO RESTO T/C/C

MARIANA ARROYO

Demandante V. SUCN. DE JUAN RIVERA ORTIZ T/C/C JUAN RIVERA; ADA LYDIA RIVERA PAGAN; ALBA NYDIA RIVERA PAGAN; JUAN RIVERA PAGAN; NELSON ELIEZER RIVERA PAGAN; SYLVIA O’NELLY RIVERA PAGAN Y MILTON RIVERA PAGAN Demandado(a) Civil: BY2022CV01125. Sala: 506. Sobre: LIQUIDACIÓN COMUNIDAD DE BIENES Y SOCIEDAD BIENES GANAN CIALES. NOTIFICACIÓN DE SENTENCIA POR EDICTO.

A: SUNC. DE JUAN RIVERA ORTIZ T/C/C

JUAN RIVERA; ADA LYDIA RIVERA PAGAN; JUAN RIVERA PAGAN; SYLVIA O’NELLY RIVERA PAGAN Y MILTON RIVERA PAGAN. (Nombre de las partes a las que se le notifican la sentencia por edicto)

EL SECRETARIO(A) que sus cribe le notifica a usted que el 7 de septiembre de 2022, este Tribunal ha dictado Sentencia, Sentencia Parcial o Resolución en este caso, que ha sido debi damente registrada y archivada en autos donde podrá usted en terarse detalladamente de los términos de la misma. Esta no tificación se publicará una sola vez en un periódico de circula ción general en la Isla de Puer to 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 Sen tencia, Sentencia Parcial o Re solución, de la cual puede esta blecerse 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 publi cación de este edicto. Copia de esta notificación ha sido archi vada en los autos de este caso, con fecha de 8 de septiembre de 2022. En BAYAMÓN, Puer to Rico, el 8 de septiembre de 2022. Laura I. Santa Sánchez, Secretaria. Marilyn Colón Ca rrasquillo, Secretaria Auxiliar.

LEGAL NOTICE

ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE PUERTO RICO TRIBU NAL DE PRIMERA INSTANCIA SALA SUPERIOR DE CA GUAS YOJANI

SIERRA MIRANDA Demandante Vs. OMAR ORTIZ COLON Demandado Civil Núm.: CG2022RF00532.

Sala: 501. Sobre: PRIVACIÓN DE PATRIA POTESTAD. EM PLAZAMIENTO POR EDICTO.

ESTADOS UNIDOS DE AMÉ RICA, EL PRESIDENTE DE LOS EE.UU., ESTADO LIBRE ASOCIADO DE P.R., SS. A: OMAR ORTIZ COLON.

BARRIO LAS VEGAS, CAYEY, PUERTO RICO. Queda emplazada y notificada de que en este Tribunal se ha radicado una demanda de Pri vación de Patria Potestad en su contra. Se le notifica que deberá presentar su alegación responsiva a través del Sistema Unificado de Manejo y Adminis tración de Casos (SUMAC), al cual puede acceder utilizando la siguiente dirección electróni ca: https://unired.ramajudicial. pr, salvo que se represente por derecho propio, en cuyo caso deberá presentar su alegación responsiva en la Secretaría del Tribunal Superior de Puerto Rico, Sala de Caguas y en viando copia a la parte deman dante:

LCDO. IAN A. LEBRON WARD CONDOMINIO EL CENTRO 1 SUITE 249 SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, 00918 TELÉFONO (787) 751-4391 Se le apercibe y notifica que si no contesta la demanda ra dicada en su contra dentro del término de treinta (30) días de la publicación de este edicto, se le anotará la rebeldía y se dictará sentencia concedien do el remedio solicitado en la demanda, sin más citárseles, ni oírseles. Expedido bajo mi firma y sello del Tribunal, a 13 de septiembre de 2022. LI SILDA MARTÍNEZ AGOSTO, SECRETARIA REGIONAL. MADELINE LUGO NAVARRO, SECRETARIA AUXILIAR DEL TRIBUNAL I.

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The

Eliud Kipchoge smashes his own marathon world record

By TALYA MINSBERG

Two questions come to mind any time Eliud Kipchoge toes the start ing line of a marathon.

At what point in the race will Kip choge, who before Sunday had won 14 of the 16 official marathons he entered, leave the rest of the field fighting for sec ond place? And are the conditions such that he could shatter his own world re cord again?

On a sunny morning in Berlin, Kip choge, a 37-year-old Kenyan, answered both questions unequivocally, winning the Berlin Marathon for the fourth time, in 2 hours, 1 minute, 9 seconds, a world record.

The world record he broke was his own — 2:01:39 — set four years ago on this course.

The field went out at a fast pace, with Kipchoge joined by five runners who hit a 10-kilometer split of 28 minutes, 22 sec onds, a sub-two-hour marathon pace.

Midway through, the group had dwin dled. Only Andamlak Belihu of Ethiopia was with Kipchoge as they hit the half way point, in 59:51, an incredible halfmarathon split in itself. That was the plan, Kipchoge said.

The race shifted around 25 kilome ters, or about 15.5 miles, when the pac ers left the course and Belihu dropped behind Kipchoge. The pace slowed, by Kipchoge’s standards, at least, but was still well within world-record range.

By the time Kipchoge ran through the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate, the result was clear: The world record would be shattered by about 30 seconds. He slapped his chest as he went across the line and almost seemed to surprise him self as he ran into the arms of his longtime coach Patrick Sang. Kipchoge looked at his wristwatch as if to confirm it all.

Second place was a few minutes be hind, with Mark Korir of Kenya finishing in 2:05:58. Tadu Abate of Ethiopia came in third, in 2:06:28, and Belihu faded to fourth.

Kipchoge has no equal in the distance and now counts 15 marathon wins to his name.

In 2019, in Vienna, he became the

first person to run a marathon in under two hours, though his time of 1:59:40 was not recognized as a record because he

ran on a controlled course with profes sional pacesetters. Last year, he added an Olympic gold medal to his collection after

a commanding win at the Tokyo Games, becoming only the third man to win backto-back gold medals in the event.

He does not intend to slow down. He plans to defend his Olympic title at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“There’s still more in my legs,” Kip choge said after the race.

In the women’s race Sunday, Tigist Assefa shocked the field by running away with the win in 2:15:38, shattering the course record by almost three minutes. The time makes Assefa, a 28-year-old Ethiopian, the third-fastest female mara thoner ever.

Assefa, a former 800-meter runner who competed at the 2016 Olympics, has run only one other marathon. Her debut in the distance was in March at the Riyadh Marathon, in Saudi Arabia, where she ran 2:34:01 and finished in seventh place.

Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya finished in second place Sunday with a time of 2:18:00, a remarkably quick debut mara thon time. Tigist Abayechew of Ethiopia finished in third with a time of 2:18:03.

Keira D’Amato, who went into the Berlin Marathon as the No. 1 seed, hav ing set the American women’s record, 2:19:12, at the Houston Marathon in Jan uary, finished in sixth place with a time of 2:21:48.

She came into the race as somewhat of a hero to the everyday runner and as a notable favorite in a field that rarely sees an American at the top of the seeded lists.

A 37-year-old mother of two, D’Amato left the sport in 2009 and re turned in 2017 to run a marathon for fun with her husband. She has since beaten her college 5-kilometer time by a min ute, set a 10-mile American record and signed a sponsorship deal with Nike.

“I’m just having fun,” she said in an interview Friday at the Brandenburg Gate. She took a photograph with Kip choge, giving him bunny ears.

“I feel like I have nothing to lose be cause no matter if I win or lose, I’m going to go home, and my kids are going to ask what’s for dinner.”

Both Kipchoge, a father of three, and D’Amato will be going home to proud children.

Eliud Kipchoge added another win, and another world record, to his marathon résumé.

Eliud Kipchoge wins the Berlin Marathon.

Remembering a deadline single by the Sundown Kid

By GERALD ESKENAZI

It was the bottom of the ninth inning, and I was at the height of agitation.

“Why did I do this?” I berated myself. Even though this was back in 1971, I think of the drama every year at this time.

The High Holy eve of Rosh Hashana was fast approaching at Yankee Stadium. Every good Jew would be in the synagogue before sunset to greet the Jewish New Year. But here I was, in the press box, fists tight ened over my Olivetti portable typewriter, staring down at the baseball diamond. Sure, it was the best seat in the house. But it wasn’t where I wanted to be. In just a few hours, I was supposed to be at the Shelter Rock Jewish Center on Long Island, far from the Bronx.

Could I make it home in time? The score was tied 2-2. The Yankees had managed only two hits all day. If the game went into extra innings, I’d be out of luck.

Writing baseball was the gold standard for a sports journalist at the time. After all, it was America’s pastime, right? To cover a baseball game for a newspaper was practi cally an honor. This was 1971, and even though I had been a reporter for eight years, I didn’t want to turn down the chance to cov er the Yankees — the New York Yankees, the Bronx Bombers, playing in Yankee Stadium, the House that Ruth Built.

And so I accepted the assignment.

It had seemed so simple. I had to be home by sundown. Most baseball games in those days took under 2 1/2 hours. The game started at 2:04 p.m. I figured it would be over by 4:30. I go to the locker room; get my in terviews; come back to the press box; fin ish writing my 800-word story by 5:30 p.m.; drive home to Roslyn, Long Island; arrive by 6:15; get my yarmulke to cover my head and Bible; and Roz, 5-year-old Ellen and 3-yearold Mark and I walk to temple — just before sundown.

I checked my notes. The Yankees were in fourth place with the season winding down. But third place was worth fighting for. The players on a third-place team would earn $250 a man! Fourth place was worth nothing. For a fellow such as Ron Blomberg, who was earning $12,500 for the season, that $250 was the equivalent of getting paid for three extra games.

He wasn’t much on my mind as the Yan kees prepared for the bottom of the ninth. The score was tied, but the Yanks had gener ated only two hits all game. Blomberg? He had been hitless in three at-bats.

I always thought of Blomberg as more

Georgia than Jewish. I had met him just once, five weeks before. And that was on the Long Island Rail Road, of all places. The Yan kees were conducting a marketing campaign in New York Mets’ country — Long Island — to get fans to go all the way out to the stadium in the Bronx. Traditionally, Yankees fans came from the five boroughs (well, not so much from Brooklyn) and North Jersey.

So here I am, on the train with Blom berg, whose job was to wave to fans and say a few words as it wended its way through the suburbs.

The train stopped in Ronkonkoma. Blomberg, who had complained earlier about the heat, asked the conductor to turn up the air conditioning and said he was tired and hungry after having driven to New York from New Jersey.

“Boy, I’m exhausted,” he whispered.

Someone came in with trays of cocktail sandwiches.

And so I watched Blomberg, the Jew from Atlanta, consume eight ham-andcheese sandwiches. He topped the banquet off by eating a whole lemon.

Now, more than a month later, I squirmed in the press box. I just knew this game would go into extra innings. The Bombers looked bad at the plate.

A fellow named Jake Gibbs led off, though, with a single against Steve Dunning — the first hit that the pitcher had yielded since the third inning. Gibbs got to second when the ball skipped off the right fielder’s glove. Felipe Alou then sacrificed Gibbs to third.

Next up was Roy White. He was walked intentionally so that Cleveland could get set up a double-play situation against … yes, you guessed it, Blomberg.

What was left of the crowd of 9,177 (I guess a good many left to go to temple) was now roaring.

Blomberg — a good percentage hitter but not a slugger — strolled to the plate, and suddenly the entire Cleveland outfield left their positions and stopped halfway toward the infield. Manager Johnny Lipon was figur ing a deep fly ball would send home Gibbs anyway.

And that’s what Blomberg hit.

Center fielder Vada Pinson looked at the ball sailing over his head for an instant — and then headed for the Cleveland dug out. He knew it was over. The ball landed in deep center; Bloomberg high-tailed it to first; Gibbs came home. And the Yankees won.

Maybe I could make temple after all.

I charged down to the locker room, and there was a jubilant Blomberg in the middle.

Ron Blomberg at Yankee Stadium in New York on Aug. 6, 1971. Every year as Rosh Hashana approaches, a longtime reporter thinks back to 1971 when he was running out of time and Blomberg, the Yankees’ only Jewish player, came through.

“If the count had been 3-2 and the sun went down, I would have left for temple,” he shouted.

Wow. What a quote.

So he would have left the game to go to services? All the writers were scribbling on their notepads, and Blomberg looked as if he had just capped a World Series game. He was ecstatic. He was at that moment a Jewish ballplayer who had just won the right to go home and celebrate one of the most important holidays of his religion. I shared his excitement. I knew that although about 2% of Americans were Jewish, only about 1% of major leaguers had been Jewish.

“Well, Blomberg got an early celebra tion, huh?” said Alou.

I had my quotes, got back to the press room, typed my story, handed it to the Western Union telegrapher who sent it to The New York Times. And I made it to tem ple at 6:45.

The next morning, I picked up the pa per in anticipation. Would the Times, a pa per that avoided religious talk back then, leave in all my references to Blomberg, his Jewishness and the holiday?

It spread my story across the top of the page.

The eight-column headline read:

Blomberg Gives Yanks 3-2 Victory in Ninth and a Happy New Year

Below it, the one-column subhead read:

Sundown Kid Hits Deadline Single Grinning all the way, I went back to Shelter Rock for morning services. Rabbi Myron Fenster, a key figure in American Ju daism, soon gave his sermon to a temple packed with more than 700 people.

“Sundown kid hits deadline single,” he began. I was ecstatic.

The years passed, and Blomberg con tinued his career with the Yankees until a string of injuries curtailed his effectiveness. Yet, he made the Baseball Hall of Fame, in a way, by becoming the game’s first desig nated hitter. The bat from that first appear ance, in 1973, is in Cooperstown.

He played his last game for the Yankees in 1976. Free agency took him to the Chica go White Sox two years later, but he lasted only one season and retired at 30.

But every year, l remember sitting in that press box, looking down as he belted the baseball into deep center, sending the Yankees to victory and me to the temple on time.

How to Play:

Fill in the empty fields with the numbers from 1 through 9.

Sudoku Rules:

Every row must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Every column must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Every 3x3 square must contain the numbers from 1 through 9

Aries (Mar 21-April 20)

Have a lot to contend with? Some tasks might be urgent, or at least feel that way, so don’t hang about. Even so, a focus on your lifestyle sector, encourages you to make some time for yourself. Investing in your wellbeing, whether this involves hiring a personal trainer, shopping for organic food or a massage or a spa day now and again will be a wise move, and one you won’t regret.

Taurus (April 21-May 21)

Keen to absorb new information and to explore opportunities? If so, you might be drawn to interact with people who inspire you, whether this relates to a friend who has adopted new interests or a group that encourages your hidden qualities to flower. Looking to get more done? The Sun in your lifestyle zone hints that streamlining routines and getting organized can help.

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

Venus and Mercury both align with Pluto, making for an intense few days that could find you questioning your relationship to the deeper issues of life. Been taking something or someone for granted? Your perspective might change, and you’ll see things clearly. On a positive note, a delightful Sun/Jupiter opposition sets the stage for a pleasant get-together or a special date.

Cancer (June 22-July 23)

If someone shares your passion for a subject or interest, it could bring you closer together. The alluring and compulsive alignment between Venus and Pluto, might find you more deeply attracted, especially if you can talk about this matter in-depth. And while you may not be ready to share your feelings just yet, your body language could be speaking loud and clear.

Leo (July 24-Aug 23)

You’ll be in the mood to be generous, whether you do a random act of kindness, purchase a gift for someone or give advice. A delightful blend of energies involving the Sun and Jupiter, encourages warmhearted actions that others will appreciate. Need some down time? This is a day to indulge your passions. Mind, a lucrative offer could come your way too, so stay alert!

Virgo (Aug 24-Sep 23)

The energy of kindness and caring, bestows a warm and gentle quality to events over the days ahead. Romantic partnerships may blossom and reach a new level of passion, or the flame of love can burn more brightly in your partnership. Venus and Mercury’s positive angles with Pluto, suggests one relationship could move to deeper levels of intimacy, whether new or established.

Libra (Sep 24-Oct 23)

Where there’s a will there’s a way, might as well be your motto over coming days. As you’ll sense that it’s possible for a dream of yours to come true. The cosmos encourages you to have faith that it will turn out as expected, even if there’s no sign of your needs being met just now. And because of your determined outlook it could happen, even if not quite as planned, Libra.

Scorpio (Oct 24-Nov 22)

The possibilities for bonding deeply and enhancing romance, are certainly there over coming days. Hoping for some positive trends to help cement a relationship, or to make that first move regarding a love interest? If so, the cosmos urges you to make the most of today’s potent aspects. With a more intense influence in the mix though Scorpio, your heart can rule your head at times.

Sagittarius (Nov 23-Dec 21)

The Sun opposes effervescent Jupiter, bringing an upbeat note to a day that might be a tad passionate too. You may be offered an opportunity that could increase your income or net you a promotion. And you’ll likely be tempted to push hard for it, Archer. However, if you can take a more relaxed approach, you’ll find things come together naturally, as good fortune wins the day.

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 20)

Ready to move out of your comfort zone? You may find an offer, opportunity or new interest so enticing, that you can’t get it out of your head. And you’ll be ready to tackle any obstacles if it means you can have what you want. A positive link between Mercury, Venus and Pluto, suggests that if you do go ahead, your life could change for the better in ways you can’t yet imagine.

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb 19)

Although you may have plans which could seem unrealistic to some, you might be guided by inner confidence to give them consideration. What happens over coming days may not contribute to your life in a material way, but can open new possibilities as you tap into hidden resources. You could find someone’s warmth and caring helpful, as you forge a new direction, Aquarius.

Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)

Encounters and conversations could be intense, but so worthwhile. A chat with someone might find the discussion leading into deep waters. If you’ve only just met for the first time, you may discover things about them that are deeply personal, Pisces. Something you discuss can have a profound effect on you. The way you think about it could be changed forever, in a good way.

Answers to the Sudoku and Crossword on page 29

Ziggy

Herman

Speed Bump