Wednesday, August 17-23, 2022 - // no. 173 www.theweeklyjournal.comPuerto Rico and the Caribbean GO TO PAGE 4 PR as a technology hub P6 legislation will have no imPact on inflation P8 should biden oPt out? P10 the next field of dReams P13 Retail in the futumetaveRsewhattheReholds
70% of the top global brands will be in the metaverse in the next five years
Madison Choudhry, Special to The Weekly Journal Society has once again taken another step towards an all-encompassing digital world. The metaverse, a term coined by science fiction author Noel Stephenson, has transitioned from a fictional concept into our daily reality. “The metaverse is a massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds which can be experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of users with an individual sense of presence, and with a continuity of data, such as identity, history, entitlements, objects, communications and payments.” Matthew Bell a venture capitalist stated. Looking Forward Into The Metaverse Cassandra Napoli a strategist for WGSN, a company specializing in the forecast of consumer trends, explained the metaverse is no longer
2 202217,AugustWednesday,>JournalWeeklyThe >
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Designer Eyes has opened its second store in Puerto Rico. Located on the first floor of Plaza Las Américas, the store will carry brands such as Cartier, JMM, Dita Epiluxury, Chanel, and FRED. Also, they will carry Costa del Mar, Celine, Ray Ban, Dior, Dolce Gabbana, and Oakley to only name a few. “Puerto Rico has given us a warm welcome since we first entered the market here and our team is focused on serving our local customers, as well as the vast amount of international tourist that visit the Island,” said Francisco Torres Manager of Designer Eyes. Dr. Daphne Aponte, the attending optometrist will offer digital eye exams, prescribe eyewear and contact lenses with state-ofthe-art digital technology. Store associates will assist customers with their purchases and help with eyeglasses adjustments and repairs. Me salvé: “i aM not plastic” Me Salvé stores have begun the process of carrying compostable bags rather than the traditional plastic bags. As of now 36 of their 100 stores around the island have completed the transition. The clothing store chain has made it its goal to carry 100% compostable bags by the end of the year. With this decision Me Salvé becomes the first company in Puerto Rico to commit to such a wide ranging eco-friendly alternative. “According to the information presented to the company, the plastic bags we were using took between 500 and 900 years to decompose and in Puerto Rico they generated about 70 thousand tons of plastic waste annually. With this in mind we began to look for a long lasting solution,” said Larry Monge, Marketing Director of Me Salvé. “present with clorox” With the arrival of the new school year The Clorox Company has introduced its “Present with Clorox” initiative, through which the company expects to donate cleaning and disinfection products to several public schools throughout Puerto Rico. This initiative is part of Clorox’s social responsibility effort helping to facilitate the children’s safe return to school with cleaner and disinfected spaces. Selected schools will receive 1,980 packs of Clorox Disinfectant Wipes and 1,956 bottles of Clorox Bleach. “Hygiene creates clean spaces and positive attitudes, inspiring and facilitating new possibilities for the new school year. We are committed to helping facilitate a safe and bright return to school for our children, youth and education professionals in Puerto Rico,” said Clorox Country Manager for Puerto Rico, Maria Luisa de Boyrie. The Clorox program will extend from August 1st. to September 15, and is expected to moreimpactthan anclassrooms525withenrollment of over students5,500for this school year.
/ Wednesday, August 17, 2022 3 a week in review
Multi-Platform Graphic and Technology Director Héctor L. hvazquez@elvocero.comVázquez Multi-PlataformDigitalDirector Rafelli González rgonzalez@elvocero.comCotto
Designer eyes opens seconD store
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 something to expect in the future, it is here. It is a reality. Napoli elucidated that 70% of the top global brands will be in the metaverse in the next five years.Tofurther corroborate Napoli’s statement, Goldman Sachs reported the metaverse is estimated to be a $2-$12 trillion opportunity with $8 trillion being the probable number. In a forum recently hosted by the Retail Business Association (ACEDET, for its Spanish acronym), Napoli spoke of what the possibilities the metaverse might look like. “The ideas are still developing but, as of now, the consensus is people will have multiple avatars. Just as you present a different version of yourself on Facebook than you would on LinkedIn, you will have the opportunity to present different avatars for eachSimilarplatform.”toDTC (direct to consumer), Napoli anticipates we will have something that is referred to as “direct to avatar” in the metaverse. Here, similar businesses may sell their products, such as clothes or accessories, as “skins,” directly to the avatar of your choice.”
estimatedtheSachsGoldmanreportedmetaverseistobea $2$12 trillion probable$8opportunitybusinesswithtrillionbeingthenumber.
According to a presentation from JP Morgan, “direct-to-avatar sales of virtual goods have already amassed a $54 billion market, and some brands are testing different opportunities to generate revenues.” Gucci, for example, sold last year a digital version of its Dionysus bag for $4,115 –more than the price of the physical item itself. In 2016 Tommy Hilfiger pioneered the business model, “see now, buy now,” in retail. After a three year hiatus from the New York Fashion Week the company has returned, with a digital twist to the “see now, buy now” model. During this year’s Fashion Week, before consumers had the option to immediately purchase the clothes, they could see them on the models before they buy them for their“Theavatars.current trend is that large companies are focusing their attention and resources into creating opportunities for themselves in the metaverse. For example, Clinique has recently rolled its “Metaverse Like Us” campaign, which includes a collection of 8,888 female and nonbinary profile picture avatars, that aims to be more inclusive in this developing digital world,” said Napoli. Technology research and consulting firm Gartner, Inc. has predicted 25% of consumers in the U.S. will spend one hour daily in the metaverse shopping, socializing, being entertained and learning by the year 2026.
In fact, Direct-to-avatar sales of virtual goods have already amassed a $54 billion market… J.P. Morgan, Opportunities in the metaverse presentation
In fact,
Gucci sold a digital version of its Dionysus bag last year for $4,115— more than the price of the physical item itself.
Now is the right time to adopt a test-and-learn mindset, to be open to experiments in the metaverse...
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Questioned about how individuals would enter the metaverse, Napoli surmised the consensus seems to be that brands are leaning towards Virtual Reality (VR) instead of Augmented Reality (AR). The difference being the inconvenience –and additional cost - the required headset poses of AR, which would require a headset that contributes added cost to the consumer. While VR could be accessed on a smart phone and it would be as simple as opening an app. Possible Concerns Although it is an exciting venture there are still many concerns to account for. Safety and privacy of the users information is a main talking point with proponents against the development of the metaverse. According to Napoli, “the idea is that each avatar will be connected to a blockchain, which will protect your financial and personal data.” However, it would be up to the user to set up his/her avatar in such a way.Also, the possibility of digital body dysmorphia –a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in the appearance– is an issue which many people fear.
Considering the speed at which the metaverse is being created, the measures needed to protect users are lacking. “It’s all so new… The problems are apparent, but with each solution two more problems arise,” Napoli said.
People are quick to point to the similarities the impact Instagram has had on young children and question the consequences a true digital avatar would have on people. For example, an internal Instagram presentation from March 2020 stated that, when 32% of teenage girls “felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.”
“Now is the right time to adopt a test-andlearn mindset… to be open to experiments in the metaverse, and to move on quickly from failure and capitalize on success,” he concluded.
People are quick to point to the similarities the impact Instagram has had on young children and question the consequences a true digital avatar would have on people. For example, an internal Instagram presentation from March 2020 stated that, when 32% of teenage girls “felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.”
Eric Hazan, senior partner at McKinsey’s and Company
The way Is Still Forward However, there are those who see no issue in the expansion of a digital world. Advocates for the expansion of the metaverse argue videogames, digital concerts, video calls, online avatars, and commerce platforms, could be considered virtual worlds that already exist. According to senior partner in McKinsey’s and Company, Eric Hazan, “marketers and the metaverse represent an opportunity to engage consumers in entirely new ways while pushing internal capabilities and brand innovation in new directions.”
National Research Lab Strengthens
Not only does Puerto Rico have an incredible concentration of Blockchain and Web 3 experts, it is also the ideal location for a national research laboratory both geographically and culturally.
Puerto TechnologyPositionRico’sasHub
Gail Nolan, CEO of PR5GZ According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the island ranks 6th globally for engineers.ofconcentrationhighestscientistsand In fact,
The 5G-Blockchain Connection The Research Empowered Advanced Communication Hub (REACH) proposal aims to stimulate smart manufacturing growth specifically in 5G, 6G, the internet of things (IoT), Blockchain, and Web3 technologies using highly secure and sophisticated regional communication infrastructure.“5Gisthelatest generation of communications that has significantly higher speeds and capabilities. You can do a lot more video streaming and real-time applications without having gaps,” explained Nolan in an interview with THE WEEKLY JOURNAL.Blockchain technology has many applications outside of supporting cryptocurrencies, one of which is supporting supply chains. The transparency and immutability of the Blockchain make finding and addressing problems easier. “In an open use blockchain, individuals can go and access an existing blockchain. Everything is run on a ledger, but multiple people simultaneously see it. Every line is recorded, so you can’t go back and change a previous line. It’s an immutable record,” Keiko Yoshino, Executive Director of the PRBTA, explained to THE WEEKLY JOURNAL. This kind of environment adds additional layers of security to the information stored on the blockchain. Working from a software perspective or supply chain solutions for defense contracting companies, for example, it is also possible to set up private networks using the same technology. With everything on a private blockchain, organizations can maintain an extreme level of accountability, privately – a feature that participants of REACH will benefit from.
Puerto Rico 5G Zone and PRBTA seek collaborative agreement Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal
“Puerto Rico is small and affordable enough to pilot programs, but complex in network and governmental structures. The solutions can be translated and scaled to other places in the world. Puerto Rico is the development hub, not a guinea pig. It flips the entire story – Puerto Rico will be leading the development of these new technologies,” Nolan expressed.
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Additionally, the island is advantageous for the US’s national security interests. Through its shared language, unique legal structure, and international banking and cultural similarities, Puerto Rico is a national security nexus to the Caribbean, Central, and South American countries. Thus, the island is uniquely positioned to defend against technology and information warfare within the Americas.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), the island ranks 6th globally for highest concentration of scientists and engineers, with approximately 60% of its college graduates receiving degrees in STEM fields. Outside of the island, the Puerto Rican diaspora also has a significant documented population of midcareer researchers who might eagerly accept an opportunity to return to their home.
Puerto Rico is small and affordable enough to pilot programs, but complex in network and governmental structures. The solutions can be translated and scaled to other places in the world.
Puerto Rico - A national research laboratory “The [PRBTA] brought together an influx of new residents and created a knowledge sharing economy of diverse backgrounds and companies that can provide various services,” Yoshino commented of Puerto Rico’s blockchain community. The island has the ‘critical mass’ necessary to pull together optimized teams for solving problems as they arrive at the PR5GZ.
In a recent proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Puerto Rico based 5G research network, Puerto Rico 5G Zone (PR5GZ), requested $160 million over 10 years to create a research hub based on supporting critical intelligent infrastructure in a collaborative agreement with the Puerto Rico Blockchain Trade Association (PRBTA). Research will be focused on the aerospace and new space industry, port management and disaster management, and medical technology and telemedicine – all areas where Puerto Rico already holds value, and where there is great opportunity to further develop the use of advanced technological applications.“Weenvision partnerships with government, industry and academia to better understand the opportunities this enabling technology represents. The lab would be a place where innovation, development, testing and evaluation can be implemented. Without a secure 5G Network and lab environment both IP and National Security are at stake. This alliance with the PRBTA can help in supporting the collective Puerto Rico innovation network capabilities to potential users by educating and guiding them”, stated Gail Nolan, CEO of PR5GZ. PR5GZ is an independent research network that operates two zero-trust architecture (ZTA) secured research labs on the island. They’re a nonprofit that provides innovators, from small businesses to government organizations, with access to digital tools to address the challenges of data security and telecommunications at a lowcost. They provide expert networks to support multi-disciplinary acceleration of discovery, as well as regular training activities and opportunities on new technologies for students and personnel.
Businesses in Puerto Rico are currently feeling the consequences of the island’s fiscal situation and now the loss of funds from the Nutrition Assistance Program (PAN, for its Spanish acronym). Shoplifting (theft) has begun to rise at an alarming rate. Shoplifting in stores and businesses have become a booming enterprise for those incurring in such illegal activity and a black market network using a business-like strategy to operate has been established. The same laws which dictate supply and demand have become the driving force behind these black market supply chains. Criminals steal a specific item from a store with the intention of selling it to a known buyer who had expressed his/her need for the merchandise. “They sell the products online, in kiosks and small shops,” said Walgreen’s Asset Protection manager for Puerto Rico and the USVI Daniel Negrón.“Thisproblem is a headache for business owners and operators, not only because of the economic impact, but also because of the discomfort of the employees who witness these thefts, often perpetrated by people who display violent behavior,” Negrón added. Colonel Orlando Rivera, director of the Puerto Rico Police Academy, urged people to be vigilant to any suspicious activity that might result in theft.“[Most] stores policy is not to intervene with thieves, but the Puerto Rico Police need willing witnesses to be able to prosecute the criminals,” Rivera said. “With the devastating fiscal effects the pandemic have had on the people’s income, there has been an escalation in [the number of] thefts, and 72% of businesses report that these criminals are becoming violent. They are organized groups that study schedules and staff,” Negrón informed. “Criminals take drills and other tools and equipment but it is not only that… they will visit multiple stores several times a day. They are organized criminals who on occasion arrive with firearms,” said Alex Sostre, from Home Depot Loss Mitigation Department for South Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Sostre said that between eight and 10 robberies are recorded daily in at Home Depot stores in Puerto Rico, with some $40 million in loses every year in Puerto Rico.
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Sales are dipping According to Eduardo Marxuach, president of Econo Supermarkets, “a new trend has begun, where customers are visiting to the stores more often but are buying less… and when they do buy, they are more likely to buy from the daily specials.” Marxuach estimated this trend started out last May. The supermarket executive considers this is due to people trying their best to stay on a budget.“Theloss of PAN funds translated into a more budget conscientious consumer that spends his/ her money on basic needs, instead of clothes and shoes, which they may have bought more freely when they had additional income,” Marxuach argued. However, Puerto Rico is set to receive an increase in federal funding for PAN by next October. This ultimately means participants in the nutritional program would be receiving an increase in their benefits. According to the Administration for the Socioeconomic Development of the Family (ADSEF, for its Spanish acronym), additional funding is expected to be more than $130 million. Even though most of the funds from PAN are destined for buying food, about 40% the funds are transferred to other sectors on the island’s economy.
Daniel Negrón, Walgreen’s Asset Protection Manager
Black market network using business-like strategies to operate Madison Choudhry, Special to The Weekly Journal
Shoplifting losses increase as a consequence of economic uncertainty
With the devastating fiscal effects the pandemic have had on the people’s income, there has been an escalation in [the number of] thefts…
The same laws which dictate supply and demand have become the driving force behind these black market supply chains. In fact,
WASHINGTON — With inflation raging near its highest level in four decades, the House on Friday gave final approval to President Joe Biden’s landmark Inflation Reduction Act. Its title raises a tantalizing question: Will the measure actually tame the price spikes that have inflicted hardships on American households?Economic analyses of the proposal suggest that the answer is likely no — not anytime soon, anyway.Thelegislation, which the Senate passed earlier this week and now heads to the White House for Biden’s signature, won’t directly address some of the main drivers of surging prices — from gas and food to rents and restaurant meals. Still, the law could save money for some Americans by lessening the cost of prescription drugs for the elderly, extending health insurance subsidies and reducing energy prices. It would also modestly cut the government’s budget deficit, which might slightly lower inflation by the end of this Congressionaldecade.ThenonpartisanBudget
Office concluded last week that the changes would have a “negligible” impact on inflation this year and next. And the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Wharton Budget Model concluded that, over the next decade, “the impact on inflation is statistically indistinguishable from zero.” Such forecasts also undercut the arguments that some Republicans, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have made, that the bill would “cause inflation,” as McCarthy said in a speech on the House floor last month. Biden himself, in speaking of the legislation’s effect on inflation, has cautiously referred to potentially lower prices in individual categories
Inflation Reduction Act may have little impact on inflation
At the same time, the White House has trumpeted a letter signed by more than 120 economists, including several Novel Prize winners and former Treasury secretaries, that asserts that the law’s reduction in the government’s budget deficit — by an estimated $300 billion over the next decade, according to the CBO — would put “downward pressure on inflation.”Intheory, lower deficits can reduce inflation. That’s because lower government spending or higher taxes, which help shrink the deficit, reduce demand in the economy, thereby easing pressure on companies to raise prices.Jason Furman, a Harvard economist who served as a top economic adviser in the Obama administration, wrote in an opinion column for The Wall Street Journal: “Deficit reduction is almost always inflation-reducing.”
Yet Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who was a top economic adviser to President George W. Bush and later a director of the CBO, noted that the lower deficits won’t kick in until five years from now and won’t be very large over the next decade considering the size of the economy. “$30 billion a year in a $21 trillion economy isn’t going to move the needle,” Holtz-Eakin said, referring to the estimated amount of deficit reduction spread over 10 years. He also noted that Congress has recently passed other legislation to subsidize semiconductor production in the U.S. and expand veterans’ health care, and suggested that those laws will spend more than the Inflation Reduction Act will save.
Legislation won’t directly address some of the main drivers of surging prices
>AP Zalubowski,Photo/DavidFile rather than to lower inflation as a whole. This week, the president said the bill would “bring down the cost of prescription drugs, health insurance premiums and energy costs.”
In addition, Kent Smetters, director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, said the law’s health care subsidies could send inflation up. The legislation would spend $70 billion over a decade to extend tax credits to help 13 million Americans pay for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Those subsidies would free up money for recipients to spend elsewhere, potentially increasing inflation, although Smetters said he thought the effect would likely be very small.
While the act could have the benefit of increasing the savings of millions of households on pharmaceutical and energy costs, it’s unlikely to have much effect on overall inflation. Prescription drugs account for only 1% of the spending in the U.S. consumer price index; spending on electricity and natural gas makes up just 3.6%.
Prices at fellwholesalethelevelfromJune to July, the first U.S.someandthandropmonth-to-monthinmoretwoyearsasignthatoftheeconomy’s inflationary pressures cooled last month.
Congressional Budget Office concluded last week that the changes would have a “negligible” impact on inflation this year and next. In fact, $30 billion a year in a $21 trillion economy isn’t going to move the needle.
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Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former presidential economic adviser
Christopher Rugaber and Josh Boak – The Associated Press
9 < 202217,AugustWednesday,>JournalWeeklyThe special delivery
The Right to Life
expands services
While President Joe Biden’s approval ratings are at historic lows, he has accumulated at least 14 major recent domestic and foreign policy accomplishments. these: The Inflation Reduction Act, which hits climate change while reducing the deficit The Bipartisan CHIPS Act, which improves our competitiveness versus China The Bipartisan PACT Act, which dramatically to veterans The Bipartisan Gun Act, the most important gun law in decades elimination of Al Qaeda’s leader with no Associate Justice Ukraine Sweden and Finland in NATO Rescue Plan Electoral Count Act He must now decide another big issue, how will he fulfill his commitment to reduce student loan debt –which affects 40 million Americans– ranging from a $10,000 reduction to the total elimination of the $1.75 trillion debt. Whatever he decides, it will be a win-win situation months before the midterm elections.Biden’s enormously successful record, including multiple bipartisan achievements, unfortunately has not had a positive effect on his political polling stats. Months after these accomplishments began accumulating, the support for his re-nomination and reelection has shrunk. Some Democratic leaders have begun timidly voicing the idea that he should consider not running for reelection. Names of potential successors, beyond the obvious Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg, the former competitors in Biden’s cabinet, have not yet begun surfacing. However, if President Biden were to contemplate that possibility, it would be to his advantage as President, and to his congressional allies’ benefit, that he consider it now and not later in his term. Lyndon B. Johnson, as Biden, accumulated major accomplishments, many of them on the legislative front reflective of the enormous congressional experience they both brought to the White House. When he withdrew from the presidential race in
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Ketanji Brown Jackson • Leading multinational support for
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WalshPhoto/Susan>AP
Biden at the crossroads
Kenneth Davison McClintock Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
22nd
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“The Right to Life” is a phrase used in the national discourse only in the context of the beginning of life when discussing women’s right to choose or the end of life and euthanasia. However, at least once a person is born, he or she has an enduring right of survival throughout life. In designing several important federal programs since as far back as the nineteenth century, the Federal government has sought to help Americans prolong their lives. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln saw the need to create a system, now known as the Department of Veteran Affairs, to provide those who fought in America’s wars with medical services that would help them live and receive medical services. Few nations provide those who have served the level of health services as America. During the Depression, as part of the New Deal, the federal government saw the need to help Americans who could not afford basic health services, and began to provide some assistance. In the 1960s, President Lyndon Johnson spearheaded efforts to create Medicare for the elderly and the disabled and Medicaid for the medicallyUnfortunately,indigent.federally subsidized medical assistance has not been made available to all Americans in a non-discriminatory fashion. As for veterans, VA facilities are doled out, not strictly on the basis of need, but as a result of patronage or political influence. Partisan politics and seniority in Congress is factored in when it is determined where a new VA hospital or clinic will be located. In that case, a state-like jurisdiction that should have two voting senators and two voting representatives but doesn’t, ends up getting the short end of the stick. Regarding Medicare, that same state-like jurisdiction lacking voting representation in the national legislature as well as in the Electoral College that elects that jurisdiction’s president and vice president, Congress has built in mechanisms to extend Medicare services almost equally, but almost. When I turned 65 last month, I qualified for the Medicare coverage that I’d been paying premiums for 47 years. However, if I didn’t ask particularly for “Part B”, one of the most important benefits, I wouldn’t get it. Anywhere else in the nation I would get that benefit automatically. That discriminatory rule---“opt in” if in Puerto Rico, “opt out” if anywhere else--- was devised for Medicare to be less expensive for the federal government in Puerto Rico, only in Puerto Rico.
Kenneth Davison McClintock 22nd Secretary of State of Puerto Rico
As Congress struggles to legislate and keep America fiscally stable past Friday, February 18, Puerto Ricans on the mainland as well as their representatives in Congress should make sure in the next few days to include language that will protect the Right to Life in Puerto Rico, providing equal benefits under Medicare and Medicaid to its citizens in our territory.March of 1968, triggered by weak primary results in New Hampshire, it was too late to benefit him or the Democratic Party. Should President Biden, however, decide to walk away from a reelection bid before November of this year, the midterms would no longer be a referendum on him and become a debate between his record and Republicans’ promises. Under that scenario, the probability that the Democrats would grow their 50 seat-plus-oneVP tenuous majority in the Senate would grow and the possibility of keeping the House majority would begin to emerge. In other words, should he decide before the midterms not to run again, the benefits of having a Democratic majority for the next two years, and be able to govern better could become a reality. Analysts are frequently suggesting that the reason his numbers are not improving, despite an increasingly positive record, boils down to one thing: his age. Obviously, there is concern over his physical and mental health while holding the toughest and most stressful job in the world during the age span of 82 to 86 years of age. Over the past 60 years, the health of three older presidents triggered concerns. President Eisenhower was 70 when he left office in 1961 and the subject of major concerns regarding his health and that of his heart. LBJ, while only 60 when he left the presidency in 1969, had a history of heart ailments. In Ronald Reagan’s case, he was 77 when he left the presidency in 1989 and, while his heart was healthy, it is now suspected that he already had early Alzheimer’s disease symptoms towards the end of his presidency. In 2029, when his potential second term would end, Joe Biden would be 26 years older than LBJ, 16 years older than Ike and 12 years older than Trump, on their respective last day in office. Leaving office midterm, whether by illness as FDR in 1945, assassination as JFK in 1963, or resignation as Nixon in 1974, is a traumatic event for the nation. As he continues accumulating positive achievements during his presidency, Joe Biden should take a good hard look at whether he should run or not run again, and if he decides not to run, whether he should announce it soon and hope for a Democratic Senate and, if possible House, or keep quiet and feed the rumors, the doubts and the fears that could “lame-duck” him as much as a withdrawal from a reelection bid.
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Should President Biden, however, decide to walk away from a reelection bid before November of this year, the midterms would no longer be a referendum on him and become a debate between his record and Republicans’ promises.
Among
Concerning Medicaid, the program to provide services to all the medically indigent throughout America, the cost in Puerto Rico is statutorily capped at less than $400 million and the federal share is limited to 55% of the total cost, requiring America’s poorest jurisdiction to cover 45% of the cost. In a state with demographics similar to the nation’s most populated territory, the total cost to the federal treasury would be over $4 billion, and the federal share would be 83%. While those benefits are automatic in a state, Puerto Rico’s non-voting representative Jenniffer González, Governor Pedro Pierluisi, and their predecessors for generations, have to devote a lot of time and lobbying efforts to plead with Congress and every President from LBJ on to seek the equality that would guarantee residents of Puerto Rico the “right to life” that is automatic on the mainland. There are many reasons why an absolute majority of Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico want statehood. According to multiple polls, over 75% of Puerto Ricans in Florida, over 60% of Puerto Ricans in New York and probably an absolute majority of the two thirds of America’s Puerto Ricans who have chosen to live in the states and not in discriminated Puerto Rico, also want statehood for the territory. However, because of the discrimination in extending federally financed health services to the island, it is also a life or death issue, a denial of the Right to Life. As Congress struggles to legislate and keep America fiscally stable past Friday, February 18, Puerto Ricans on the mainland as well as their representatives in Congress should make sure in the next few days to include language that will protect the Right to Life in Puerto Rico, providing equal benefits under Medicare and Medicaid to its citizens in our territory. That should be our urgent agenda for the next week, seeking the full extension of The Right to Life in Puerto Rico through equality and statehood.
civilian collateral damage • The plummeting of gas prices • Huge job creation numbers • Low unemployment numbers • Bipartisan confirmation of
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update
5. Educate versus sell The best brands teach their employees to educate customers versus sell to them. I love technology and the moment something new is released I have to have it (worst thing a consumer can do). One time, when Apple released a new Ipad, I ran into the Apple store to upgrade. When the Apple employee asked me what I wanted, I said, “I currently have the Ipad but I want the Ipad 2.” He could not have had an easier sale. However, he asked me what I used my Ipad for. I said, “For email, surfing the Internet, social media, and I read articles and books on it.” He said, “Do you play games or watch movies?” I replied, “No, never.” He said, “Don’t get it. It won’t be worth it. The big difference between the Ipad and Ipad 2 is the resolution that you would only appreciate if you played games or watched movies.” I couldn’t believe he talked me out of spending $500. I was actually bummed! I said, “Well maybe I will start playing games.” No seriously, I would have bought anything in the store from this employee after that. He wasn’t about selling me, he was about educating me and making sure I spent my money wisely.
6. Personalized experiences Every regular customer at Starbucks has “their order.” It is unique from anyone else’s. It usually is something long and complicated like a “grande, single shot, 4 pumps sugar free peppermint, nonfat, extra hot, no foam, light whip, stirred white mocha.” Did you know there are over 80,000 ways you can order your Starbucks drink? What is easier than that?
1. Great service/product This is a given. It is the price of admission that your product or service better be damn good. However, this is typically not even listed in the top three reasons why people love a brand. A company is in trouble if they are relying on their product or service to differentiate them in their market. Today, every product or service is eventually commoditized.
John R. DiJulius, president, DiJulius Group
We all have a company or two that we can’t fathom life without. What are the few companies that you would be extremely upset if I told you, “You can no longer do business with them, ever again”? When I ask my audiences this question, the same brands always get mentioned: Apple, Starbucks, Nordstrom, & Amazon besides local mom and pop shops.
2. Consistency This is huge and cannot be over emphasized. More than anything else, customers want brands to be brilliant at the basics. Forget the bells and whistles; just be consistent, reliable, accurate, and friendly in every interaction. Don’t make it dependent on which location or which employee your customer deals with.
3. Ease of doing business Think about Amazon, Zappos, Nordstrom, and Uber. Amazon is the easiest and most convenient company for purchasing, from one-click, to returns, to their customer support. Companies like Zappos and Nordstrom do not have return policies. Bring it back in a year; you don’t need your receipt. Does your company have policies and rules to make your life more convenient? How easy is it to speak to a human being? How easy is it to find a phone number on your website? Is the buying experience for your customers convenient for you or your company?
The best brands teach their employees to educate customers versus sell to them.
4. Employee evangelist Great brands have employee evangelists of two things: 1) what they do and 2) the brand they do it for. When you shop at world-class brand, you see a strong similarity; their employees love the product, love helping and discussing the benefits of different types of tea, and they love working for Teavana.
/ Wednesday, August 17, 2022 11 John R. DiJulius speaker at the Puerto Rico chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management’s Annual Conference
Now the important part is, think about what they have done and what they consistently do to make you so loyal, to make you feel that you cannot live without them. That is power. That is brand loyalty. The more people you can make feel like they cannot live without your brand, the closer you are to making price irrelevant. The key deciding factors to being a brand people cannot live without are:
6 Key Drivers to Become a Brand Customers Can’t Live Without
The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) first service office in Puerto Rico was established in Arecibo, and the agency currently operates 14 offices throughout the island. Today, the SSA disburses $714 million monthly to about 850,000 beneficiaries of different ages and socioeconomic backgrounds in Puerto Rico, contributing to individual or family stories where this program plays an important role. For information regarding your Social Security account, you can go to www.socialsecurity.gov, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit your local Social Security office (www.ssa.gov/ locator/).
Shortly after, H. C. Schuette, the first director of Social Security for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, announced they would begin assigning social security numbers on December 18, 1950. Schuette presented the first two social security cards during an official ceremony at the office of the Social Security, then located on the fourth floor of the Banco Popular at Ponce de León Ave. in Santurce. El Mundo reported that “the first person registered was Mr. Mariano Villanueva, an employee of ‘El Imparcial’ newspaper. Villanueva had been working for ten years, and was in charge of the newspaper’s janitors. He was 56 years old, had a wife and two grown children.” He was an Utuado native and then living at 260 San Sebastián Street, in Old San Juan. The last four digits of his Social Security number were: 0001”. In just two weeks, Social Security numbers were assigned to some 400,000 workers in Puerto Rico, who began contributing to it on January 1st, 1951. The first person who applied for Social Security retirement benefits in Puerto Rico was Luis Cruz, who had been insured since he worked as a merchant marine in the U.S.
/ Wednesday, August 17, 202212
On Monday, January 8, 1951, Mr. Schuette began publishing a weekly column in El Mundo. At the end of it, he would hint what his next theme would be; ‘And next week, do you have a maid in your house?’
T his week, Social itStates.inanniversaryitsSecuritycommemorates87ththeUnitedAlthoughhasraineda lot since, almost all of us -or our children, parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents- could share an experience or anecdote where Social Security has played an important role. So, kick back and enjoy this celebration –like you would any birthday party–savoring some “sandwichitos de mezcla,” fruit juice, cake and ice cream. And don’t forget to polish your history with a few fun facts about the first steps of Social Security in our Puerto Rican archipelago. We also recommend you to keep this historical document. On August 14, 1935, at 3:30pm, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. As early as 1943, newspapers reported lobbying in Washington D.C. to extend this program to Puerto Rico. Finally, on August 28, 1950, then U.S. President Harry S. Truman signed into law the extension of Social Security to workers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The next day, El Mundo newspaper published: “The President signs the Insurance Law”. The sub-headline read: “The Island would benefit in January.”
“For the first time, United States citizens in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands will be covered under the insurance and public approvalprograms…assistanceTheofthislegislation is a remarkable achievement,” Truman said.This federal law required the Legislature of Puerto Rico to approve a concurrent resolution agreeing to join the Social Security program at least 90 days before the law went into effect on January 1st, 1951. The resolution passed on September 22, 1950.Ina press conference, then Governor Luis MuñozcharacterizedMarín the extension of Social Security to the island as “one of the most important steps taken in favor of social justice in Puerto Rico.” On his part, outstandingActtheimplementationIsernAntonioCommissionerResidentFernós-saidtheofSocialSecurity“isthemostevent in the history of this country in favor of its inhabitants”. Both leaders urged employers, employees and selfemployed workers to collaborate in the process of assigning social security numbers.
On February 27, 1951, El Mundo published a photo of Mr. Schuette handing over a check to Mr. Cruz, along with claim’s examiner, Pedro Jiménez. The headline read: “Social Security Pays Its First Check.” Cruz received a first check of $100 and received a pension of $20 a month.
Víctor Rodríguez Public Affairs Specialist (Puerto Rico and the USVI), Social Security Administration
Today, the SSA disburses $714 million monthly to about 850,000 beneficiaries in Puerto Rico In fact, [This is] one of the most important steps taken in favor of social justice in Puerto Rico. Luis Muñoz Marín, former governor of Puerto Rico
The history of Social Security in Puerto Rico
According to ancient hieroglyphs, of a bat-and-ball game – seker-hemat – was played by Egyptian pha raohs.
/ Wednesday, August 17, 2022 13
The Associated Press asked several sports and entertainment figures where they would take a major league game if they had a choice, and they responded with sites all over the world. John Thorn, Major League Baseball’s official historian, wants to return to Egypt. Not only did major leaguers play a February 1889 game near the pyramids, but the earliest record of a batand-ball game – seker-hemat, played by Egyptian pharaohs – is from a wall relief in an Egyptian temple.“Such a game played today would be doubly important as Egypt is not only the cradle of civilization but also the cradle of baseball,” Thorn said in an email.
Some suggestions for a place for a game include Egypt, the cradle of baseball. >AP Photo/Nariman
Where could the next ‘Field of Dreams’ be?
Jay Cohen – The Associated Press
The anisEgyptianhemat,ballrecordearliestofabat-and-game–seker-playedbypharaohs–fromawallreliefinEgyptiantemple.
Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona had a similar thought, but with a twist. Francona and his father, Tito, another former major leaguer, both grew up in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.TerryFrancona, 63, wants to play in his hometown — because of Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe.“Hotdogs after the game,” a grinning Francona said. “Before and after.” Like Francona, Phoenix Mercury guard Diamond DeShields also has strong family ties to baseball. DeShields’ father, Delino, spent 13 years in the majors, and her brother, Delino Jr., has appeared in 601 games with three teams over seven seasons.BobKendrick, the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, hit on a couple more possibilities that very well could be under consideration.“I’mpartisan to those few remaining places that the Negro Leagues called home,” Kendrick said in an email, “Rickwood Field as a tribute to Willie Mays and the Birmingham Black Barons or Paterson, (New Jersey) at Hinchliffe when it’s restored as a tribute to Monte Irvin, Larry Doby and teams like the (New York) Black Yankees and others that played on that historic site.”
In fact, Such a game played today would be doubly important as Egypt is not only the cradle of civilization but also the cradle of baseball.
DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) – Egypt. Australia. A hot dog place in Pennsylvania. A junior college in Chicago.IfMajorLeague Baseball is looking for another place for a game, oh man, do we have some fun ideas. The second “Field of Dreams” game is Thursday night in the cornfields of eastern Iowa, near the site of the beloved 1989 movie. The Chicago Cubs play the Cincinnati Reds after the 2021 game – a wild 9-8 victory for the Chicago White Sox against the New York Yankees – was a smashing success. But Major League Baseball wants to wait before making a decision on a third “Field of Dreams” date. It has been in contact with multiple cities about future games – including Evansville, Indiana, about Bosse Field, where parts of the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own” were filmed – and it has an internal working group examining the possibilities.Inthemeantime,
Major League Baseball is considering future game sites
Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks wanted to play a game in his native Australia. “Ideally, I’d like to take it to Baseball Park in Perth because that’s where I grew up playing,” Hendriks said. “Especially in Perth, we don’t really get anyone on that coast very often, so being able to take it there would be a treat for everybody involved.”TheLos Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks opened the 2014 season in Australia, with the Dodgers sweeping a pair of games at Sydney Cricket Ground. The connection to home was a recurring theme. Bonnie Hunt, an actor and lifelong Cubs fan, suggested Wilbur Wright College near where she grew up in her hometown of Chicago. “I would do it there because I remember my dad hitting the ball out for us seven kids out in the outfield, me and my six siblings, and we’d run and get the ball,” said Hunt, the writer, director and showrunner for “ Amber Brown,” a new series on Apple“MyTV+.dad would throw the ball up in the air and hit it himself. And that would be my ‘Field of Dreams’ ... to go back to the old neighborhood and be with all the kids I grew up with.”
“Laal Singh Chaddha” premiered in India, Germany, France, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S. last week. This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Aamir Khan in a scene from “Laal Singh Chaddha.” >Paramount via AP
“I just remember seeing it a couple of times in a short span, and it had a deep impact on me,” Khan says. “I loved the character of Forrest. I loved the way Tom played the part as well. And it’s a film that stayed with me.” It took a decade for Khan to get the movie rights. But big changes were made to root “Laal Singh Chaddha” in Indian history and culture, with both the Kargil war and superstar Shah Rukh Khan appearing.Laaldoes not think life is like a box of chocolates, he instead likes to quote his mother talking about Golgappas - small circles of filled, deep-fried flatbread enjoyed with spiced water, which has a slightly different meaning than the original motto. “(Forrest says) ‘my momma used to say life is like a box of chocolates: you never know which one you would get.’ And in this one, the English translation is, ‘My mama used to say that life is like a Golgappa: your stomach gets full, but your heart desires more,’” explains Khan. He says writer Atul Kulkarni was adapting what was “essentially American” into something “quintessentially Indian and very relevant to us culturally.” Directed by Advait Chandan, “Laal Singh Chaddha” also stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mona Singh and Naga Chaitanya. Khan says he asked Kapoor Khan, who’s had a successful career for more than two decades, to try out for the pivotal role of Laal’s friend, Rupa D’souza. “She’s such a huge star and she’s never auditioned for a part in her life. But for me, doing an audition for the part is perfectly natural because even I want to see how close I am to the character. So we’re not really testing to see that a person can act or not, but really how suitable the person is for the part. But that’s something which is very unusual in India.”
14 / Wednesday, August 17, 2022
“Laal Singh Chaddha” is releasing around the world this month – including on 350 screens in the U.K., which is a new record for an Indian movie. “I’m really nervous,” Khan admits. “It’s a film that we’ve made with so much love and care and it’s been such a challenging film to make. The whole journey has been difficult but exciting and fun.”
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Indian actor Aamir Khan enjoyed “Forrest Gump” so much that he’s starring in a Hindi remake. Released in 1994, the original film went on to sweep the Oscars, taking six trophies including best picture and best actor for Tom Hanks. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth based on Winston Groom’s novel, “Forrest Gump,” is the tale of a slow-witted but mathematically gifted man who witnesses key points and figures of U.S. history, like the Vietnam War, presidents and Elvis Presley.Nearly 30 years later, the story has been given an Indian makeover – with Khan taking on the role of the titular character “Laal Singh Chaddha’’ – including converting the line “Run, Forrest, run” into “Run, Laal, run.”
The
Big historyChaddha”rootwerechangesmadeto“LaalSinghinIndianandculture. In fact, I loved the character of Forrest. I loved the way Tom played the part as well. And it’s a film that stayed with me.
Aamir Khan, Indian actor
Run, Laal, run: Aamir Khan stars in Indian ‘Forrest Gump’ years later, the story has been given an Indian makeover Hilary Fox – Associated Press
Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump.”
Another huge star who makes a small but important appearance in the movie is legendary Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan. No audition needed, as he’s portraying himself. “We were trying to look for an equivalent to Elvis Presley in America. And I think for us, it was an obvious choice to go for Shah Rukh, because he’s such a huge star and everyone loves him so much,” Khan says. “He was really sporting and generous and said, yes, I’d love to do that.”
A lot of that journey was spent sprinting towards the finish line – and he “ran a lot,’’ Khan says. “For a month and a half we were traveling across the country, and each place we went to I just was running, and Advait as a director was quite heartless. He would start a shot and he would be in the car, and there would be a camera in the car, and I would be running and the car would be just driving, and it would be a few kilometers by the time he said cut.”
The Native denouncedAmericanthetreatment of American Indians by the film industry Jake Coyle – The Associated Press NEW YORK – Nearly 50 years after Sacheen Littlefeather stood on the Academy Awards stage on behalf of Marlon Brando to speak about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences apologized to her for the abuse she endured. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Monday said that it will host Littlefeather, now 75, for an evening of “conversation, healing and celebration” on Sept. 17. When Brando won best actor for “The Godfather,” Littlefeather, wearing buckskin dress and moccasins, took the stage, becoming the first Native American woman ever to do so at the Academy Awards. In a 60-second speech, she explained that Brando could not accept the award due to “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.” Some in the audience booed her. John Wayne, who was backstage at the time, was reportedly furious. The 1973 Oscars were held during the American Indian Movement’s twomonth occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota. In the years since, Littlefeather has said she’s been mocked, discriminated against and personally attacked for her brief Academy Awards appearance. In making the announcement, the Academy Museum shared a letter sent June 18 to Littlefeather by David Rubin, academy president, about the iconic Oscar moment. Rubin called Littlefeather’s speech “a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity.”
“The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified,” wrote Rubin. “The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged.
For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.” Littlefeather, in a statement, said it is “profoundly heartening to see how much has changed since I did not accept the Academy Award 50 years ago.”
David Rubin, president Academy of Motion Pictures Arts
“Regarding the Academy’s apology to me, we Indians are very patient people — it’s only been 50 years!” said Littlefeather. “We need to keep our sense of humor about this at all times. It’s our method of survival.”
In fact,
At the Academy Museum event in Los Angeles, Littlefeather will sit for a conversation with producer Bird Runningwater, co-chair of the academy’s Indigenous Alliance. In a podcast earlier this year with Jacqueline Stewart, a film scholar and director of the Academy Museum, Littlefeather reflected on what compelled her to speak out in 1973. “I felt that there should be Native people, Black people, Asian people, Chicano people — I felt there should be an inclusion of everyone,” said Littlefeather. “A rainbow of people that should be involved in creating their own image.”
The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable.
AmericantreatmentprotestmoveMarchGodfather,”forOscarwasMarlonannounceceremonyAwardstothatBrandodeclininghisasbestactorhisrolein“Theon27,1973.ThewasmeanttoHollywood’sofIndians.
Film academy apologizes to Littlefeather for 1973 Oscars
/ Wednesday, August 17, 2022 15
>AP Photo, File The 1973 Oscars were held during the American Indian Movement’s twomonth occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
Sacheen Littlefeather appears at the Academy
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