The Weekly Journal - Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Wednesday, January 12-18, 2022 - // no. 142

Puerto Rico and the Caribbean

www.theweeklyjournal.com

How real is the “Great Resignation”?

P6 Workers control labor market P7 More hotel reservations canceled P9

Is the world on the verge of a

cyber-pandemic?

Similar to a viral pandemic, a cyber-pandemic is clearly foreseeable

A

Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal

O’Keefe’s “Spring” restored P13

jhernandez@wjournalpr.com

s technologies get more globally interconnected, cyberattacks on businesses and infrastructure services are increasing to the point that a pandemic, similar to the viral pandemic currently affecting the world, is clearly foreseeable in the future.

In a recent event sponsored by Fortinet and Hexaware, two leading companies in the field of cybersecurity solutions, a group of industry experts discussed the possibility of a computer virus being “propagated through

an app” and the devastating consequences it could have on the Worldwide Web. In October 2021, the World Economic Forum (WEF) argued that hackers “are exploiting” the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), the internet everybody knows, and the millions of vulnerability points it provides to attack critical infrastructure in countries around the world.

In Puerto Rico, Fortinet reported more than 29 million cyberattack attempts against the government and the private sector during the first quarter of 2021.

GO TO PAGE 4

The Weekly Journal > Wednesday, January 12, 2022 >

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La verdad es que no podemos ensenarles a ser buenos, tratandolos mal.

La verdad te necesita para cuidar el futuro.

La verdad no tiene precio.

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/ Wednesday, January 12, 2022

a week in review PayPal plans to launch its own cryptocurrency PayPal, the trusted online payment platform, is considering launching its own stablecoin. A stablecoin is backed by and linked to an existing currency, in this case the US dollar, which makes the cryptocurrency less volatile. Other than public confirmation of its intent to release a stablecoin, the company has not announced any other details relating to a launch date. Since early 2021, PayPal has allowed users to hold and make purchases with cryptocoins. Using PayPal for crypto transactions provides users with fraud protection.

Other tech companies have also explored the idea of releasing their own cryptocoins, including Facebook (Meta) and Amazon.

Felipe VI, King of Spain, set to visit Puerto Rico at the end of January

Renovated walkway planned for Río Piedras San Juan mayor Miguel A. Romero Lugo announced the first phase of the “Paseo del Arte, Río Piedras,” a cultural promotion initiative aiming to revitalize economic activity in the Paseo de Diego, in Río Piedras.

Romero explained the “Paseo del Arte, Río Piedras” will turn this urban area into an openair museum full of large-scale images and statues to improve the environment and infrastructure of the area. The project expects to attract new businesses and promote tourist activity in the once busy commercial district.

The first phase of the project will include micro-projects that will begin at Plaza Robles, across the street from the Urban Train station, and the first block of Paseo de Diego. The entire project

This month, Felipe VI will be visiting Puerto Rico to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the city of San Juan. The Mayor of San Juan, Miguel A. Romero, invited the monarch to the island during his visit to Spain last November, when he participated in the General Assembly of the Union of Ibero-American Cities.

The monarch’s itinerary - his trip having historical, cultural, and economic significance - will also include meetings with Mayor Romero and Governor Pierluisi. San Juan has been celebrating five centuries since its founding in 1521

by Spanish colonizers. Although Spanish settlers first arrived on the island in 1493, it wasn’t until 1521 that Juan Ponce de Leon, the first governor, moved the capital city from Caparra to modern-day Old San Juan.

Powered BY El Vocero de Puerto Rico, 1064 Ave Ponce de León 2nd floor San Juan, PR Postal Address: PO Box 15074, San Juan, PR 00902

President Salvador Hasbún shasbun@elvocero.com

VP of Accounting Félix A. Rosa frosa@elvocero.com

Human Resources Director Arlene Rolón, PHR arolon@elvocero.com

Vp of Marketing and Business Operations Michelle Pérez Miperez@elvocero.com

VP of Production Eligio Dekony edekony@elvocero.com

VP of Editorial Content Juan Miguel Muñiz Guzmán jmuniz@elvocero.com

will include a central sculpture on a large scale in the plaza that will serve as the focal point of the project, works of art on the surface of 10 “rolling doors” from Paseo de Diego, as well as creative lighting.

Multi-Platform Graphic and Technology Director Héctor L. Vázquez hvazquez@elvocero.com

Phone: 787-622-2300, 787-721-2300

Multi-Plataform Digital Director María Arce marce@elvocero.com

Customer Service: 787-622-7480

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 While hackers may attempt to attack just about any system connected to the IoT, they do have a preference for Operational Technology (OT) networks, which interconnect the Industrial Control Systems (ICS) that manage critical infrastructure, such as water supply, power grids, communications and transportation, among others.

Corporate Targets

impacted computerized equipment managing the pipeline. The company ended up paying the 75 bitcoin ransom ($4.4 million) in order to restore network operations. It was the largest cyberattack on an oil infrastructure target in the history of the United States.

The consequences of these attacks are not limited to businesses and companies. But could have a great impact on communities, cities and entire countries.

In fact,

Attacks Against Individuals According to the WEF, as In 2020, 31% of The fact that there are these services “increasingly the companies millions of employees now integrate their operational that suffered working remotely at home and technology systems with the cyberattacks in the in public places, has increased Internet of Things, this creates U.S. had to close. the risks, not only to businesses a new frontier of risks where but also to governments and millions more vulnerability individuals. points and new vectors can be Remote work has put at exploited by hackers.” That is risk thousands of archives and what happened to the Colonial documents that businesses Pipeline. usually keep private, but are now stored in online The Colonial Pipeline is an American oil platforms. Documents related to employees’ pipeline system that originates in Houston, personal information, clients’ profiles, sales and Texas, and carries gasoline and jet fuel mainly corporate reports and operational protocols, to the southeastern United States. It suffered among other documents, are now being stored in a ransomware cyberattack in May 2021 that

The vast majority of problems come not actually from incredibly sophisticated attackers... They come from the carelessness of individual users who happen to have important jobs where they may or may not have a duty to know better.

– Matt Warman, Former British minister for digital infrastructure

open access servers.

According to a study done by Avast Threats Labs, the biggest cyber-threats in 2022 will come from social networks, cryptocurrency and remote work. The study revealed an online scam using the Amazon brand name to lure users to buy a fictitious, Amazon backed cryptocurrency called

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In fact, Puerto Rico suffered more than 29 million cyberattack attempts during the first quarter of 2021.

“Amazon Tokens”. The hackers used links to direct their victims to officially looking websites where they could allegedly buy the virtual currency.

In a different study made by Check Point Software Technologies last year it was estimated that the cost of ransomware to companies around the world was $20 billion. In the U.S., the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) reported that the cost associated to suspicious activities related to ransomware attacks was 30% higher in the first semester of 2021 than in the whole 2020.

“The vast majority of problems come not actually from incredibly sophisticated attackers, be they states or anyone else. They come from the carelessness of individual users who happen to have important jobs where they may or may not have a duty to know better,” argued Matt Warman, former British minister for digital infrastructure, in an interview with British online magazine The New Statesman.

The Biggest Vulnerability

Last December a new internet vulnerability was revealed: a piece of software identified as Apache Log4j, also known as ‘log4shell’. This software is used to record all activities that go on in computer systems, and it is also used in several apps, to register daily activities, users and even passwords.

The Log4j vulnerability allows attackers to enter a network and execute remote codes to access all the data in an infected computer. This also allows

hackers to delete or encrypt business files to retain them and then be able to demand ransom money, commonly known as ransomware.

“New vulnerabilities are identified every day and impact everyone who uses technology such as computers and/or smartphones. It affects all industries, not just banking. Attacks creep in

People have security cameras at home because there are robberies… well, on the internet it is the same thing. There are always risks and threats. Safety is everyone’s responsibility.

– Héctor Guillermo Martínez, President, GM Sectec

all the time and have a domino effect, so you have to protect yourself with layers of security,” said Héctor Guillermo Martínez, president of GM Sectec, a cybersecurity company Vulnerabilities compromise the security of a company’s information network and with it, the

trust of their customers. “In 2020, 31% of the companies that suffered cyberattacks in the U.S. had to close down, and 60% of the SMEs, went bankrupt within six months after falling victim of a data breach or a cyberattack,” Martínez said.

Another consequence that has been recently noticed, and that is directly related to the damage that hackers do to companies, is the increase in insurance policies covering cyberattacks if the company does not comply with several security requirements that insurers require.

Any kind of business can be severely impacted by hackers.

What Can Be Done?

A group of cybersecurity experts convened

by Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (BPPR), recommended that both, companies and citizens, act to prevent the theft of data that can impact the operations and finances of businesses and clients.

Martínez, urged people to be “more proactive” when making transactions on the internet and not wait for a cyberattack to occur to seek protection measures.

“People have security cameras at home because there are robberies… well, on the internet it is the same thing. There are always risks and threats.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Before you react, you have to prevent. This affects the point of sale, the data center and large and small companies… all of them,” Martínez explained.

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Labor statistics in the U.S. contradict the “Great Resignation”

Last December payroll employment increased and the unemployment rate declined

A

Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal

fter the Bureau of Labor Statistics published its latest report on the state of employment in the United States, it would seem the much talked “Great Resignation” could be a matter of

perspective.

Last December saw payroll employment rise by 199,000 and the unemployment rate decline to 3.9%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s most recent report. At the same time, Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate decreased to 7.8% from June’s 8.1%.

There are currently about 6.3 million unemployed persons in the U.S., a decrease of 2.8% over the past 12 months. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020, unemployment stood at 3.5%. The labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 61.9%, which is 1.5% lower than February 2020.

Trends By Industry

From November to December 2021, few remote workers returned to in-person modes.

Only 11.1% of the workforce still work from home.

Last year, job growth averaged 537,000 The Great Resignation per month. The industries seeing the But, if the number of people employed today is highest employment just about the same as at the growth were leisure and beginning of the pandemic, why hospitality, professional are several industries in the U.S. and business services, economic ecosystem claiming manufacturing, construction, to suffer from the so-called and transportation and “Great Resignation.” warehousing. The leisure and Furthermore, people December 2021 hospitality industries added 2.6 categorized as “long-term million jobs in 2021, however, unemployed”, referring to Labor force overall employment in the two those who have been jobless participation rate industries is still operating at a for 27 weeks or more, dropped in the U.S. 7.2% decrease since February by 185,000 to two million 2020.

–half of what it was a year Food and beverage services’ ago. Long-term unemployed Unemployed persons increased employment by persons make up 31.7% of total in the U.S. 43,000 in December, but has unemployed in December 2021. yet to return to pre-pandemic Persons employed part time levels. for economic reasons –those It seems then that the only who would prefer full-time industries in the U.S. economy employment but are working that are still operating under par, when compared part-time due to decreased hours or inability to find a full-time job– decreased by 337,000 over the to pre-pandemic numbers, are the leisure and hospitality, and the food and beverage. And still, month of December.

In fact, 61.9% 6.3M

not as low as it is being perceived.

The retail trade, information, financial activities, health care, and government fields showed little change in December.

The waves of Omicron cases that have been putting a halt on global re-openings will most likely affect these numbers in the coming months.

Changes In Earnings

The report stated that average hourly earnings increased by 4.7% overall in 2021. Meanwhile, the minimum wage in Puerto Rico increased by 16.2% compared to January 1, 2021, according to a team of analysts from Picodi.com, a global online shopping platform.

Puerto Rico minimum wage increase came into effect on January 2022, after the passing of Act #47 last September, increased the minimum wage on the island from $7.25 to $8.50, per hour.

To purchase a month’s worth of staple food items (milk, bread, rice, eggs, cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables), a Puerto Rican earning minimum wage and working full-time would have to spend 12.1% of his monthly salary. In the U.S., this percentage was 12.2% (0.1% greater than on the island). Australia and Ireland have the lowest percentages in the world, varying between 6.6% and 7.3%.

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Today’s labor market favors the worker our personal responsibilities with our work tasks.

Professionals got to know the hybrid work model and quickly integrated it into their lifestyle,” he argued.

Employees seek balance between private and professional life

T

Ileanexis Vera Rosado

ivera@elvocero.com

@iveraro-

he labor shortage that keeps several economic sectors in check responds to a paradigm shift; where the companies used to have the opportunities and employees pursued them, today it is the employee who can choose among different employers, thus transforming the labor market.

Human resources representatives from various fields consulted by the Weekly Journal coincided.

Franco Mondo, Executive Vice President of BMA Group Global, acknowledged that there has been an evolution in the labor market as a result of a pandemic “that taught us to work and live in a different way.”

“With the pandemic we saw an immediate impact with remote work, followed by high unemployment and ending with a market with an extraordinary need for talent. Employers who were prepared, survived. Those who did not evolve, quickly disappeared while others are still trying to survive,” said Mondo.

The business executive identified three main areas within the strategy to attract and retain the talent companies require. The first of them, integrating personal and labor spaces. “If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that our professional and personal lives can coexist and be intertwined, even sharing spaces. Many of us learned to work from our home and to intersperse

This is an ideal moment to create a new organizational culture.

Franco Mondo, Executive Vice President, BMA Group Global

Mondo emphasized that when companies have a vacant position today, they must consider how flexible they can be regarding schedules and the possibility of remote work. “Although there are many roles where physical presence is intrinsic to the position, it is important that we consider when remote work may be an alternative. Offering face-to-face flexibility or hybrid models becomes a motivational factor that makes us a more attractive employer,” he pointed out.

The second point identified by Mondo is remote supervision and evaluation metrics. He explained the pandemic eliminated clocks and the ability to control schedules. The direct supervision model was also impacted after a large number of employees were put behind a screen. Mondo acknowledged that some companies didn’t feel much of an impact on their productivity because their productivity and monitoring models were already aligned. However, he is convinced the

common factor between successful companies is a results-based supervision model and a clear definition of metrics.

“Our workforce and its talent matured and changed its perspective. Before, companies used to chose candidates based on expectations about execution, but today the decision is made by the candidate. A candidate evaluates and clearly understands his possibility for success when making his decision. Employers who can clearly communicate expectations and metrics will be favored by the right talent,” Mondo pointed.

The third point made by the executive was training and career plan. “Talking about results and metrics in an environment where there is flexibility of schedules and remote work sounds attractive to a candidate searching for his desired organization.

As employers, we must distinguish our organizations by highlighting our ability to support the professional growth of our employees,” Mondo said.

He emphasized people are looking for an organization to help him/her develop and grow professionally, so career plans must be clear.

“We want applicants to see us as a true partner in their professional life. Offering clear structures for career and training plans will allow more and better recruitment, greater productivity and commitment, resulting in a common objective of growth between the organization and the person,” he added.

“Employers must be flexible, have clear goals and metrics, and a genuine interest in developing the skills of our employees. Companies and talent can mutually benefit from this new model”, indicated the expert.

“As a result we will have a new culture. The culture we develop will have a life of its own. This is an ideal moment to create a new organizational culture,” Mondo concluded.

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November trade deficit hits near record-high

The deficit was just below the all-time monthly record of $81.4 billion set in September

T

Martin Crutsinger, The Associated Press

he U.S. trade deficit surged to a near-record high of $80.2 billion in November as exports slowed while imports jumped sharply.

The November deficit was 19.3% higher than the October deficit of $67.2 billion and was just below the all-time monthly record of $81.4 billion set in September, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

November imports, goods Americans bought from other countries, jumped 4.% to $304.4 billion in November while exports, those the U.S. sends overseas, edged up a scant 0.2% to $224.2 billion.

Through the first 11 months of 2021, the U.S. trade deficit was 28.6% higher than during the same period in 2020 with the economic recovery in the United States outpacing other nations, as is the readiness of Americans to spend.

largest economies, engaged in a contentious trade battle under former President Donald Trump, who accused China of unfair trade practices that had cost millions of American jobs. Each country imposed titfor-tat punitive tariffs on its economic rival.

So far, the Biden administration has taken a more cautious approach in its economic dealings with China.

Michael Pierce, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said that the sharp jump in last November’s trade deficit means that trade will be a small drag on the overall U.S. economy in the 2021 OctoberDecember quarter.

For all of 2020, Pierce forecast growth, as the U.S. trade deficit measured by the gross domestic stood at $676.7 product, would be around 4.5% in billion, a slight 0.1% the fourth quarter, an improvement For all of 2020, the U.S. trade above the 2019 figure. from the modest 2.3% in the third deficit stood at $676.7 billion, a quarter but below expectations for slight 0.1% above the 2019 figure. much stronger growth before the Omicron variant hit.

The China Factor Other economists are more optimistic, The politically sensitive deficit with China in predicting growth will come in between 6% and 7% goods rose 2.9% to $32.3 billion in November and in the October-December period. The government was up 12.8% for the first 11 months of last year will release its first look at fourth quarter GDP on compared to the same period in 2020 Jan. 27.

The United States and China, the world’s two

In fact,

US service industry grows more slowly in December Matt Ott, The Associated Press

Growth in the U.S. service industry, where most Americans work, pulled back in December after expanding at a record pace the previous two months.

The Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday that its monthly survey of service industries declined to a reading of 62 last month, from an all-time high of 69.1 in November. Any reading above 50 indicates growth.

Since recording two months of contraction last year in April and May when the pandemic was raging, the overall index has now grown for 19 consecutive months.

Slower Activity

Anthony Nieves, head of the ISM services sector survey committee,

said growth in the services industry is still strong and that it didn’t appear that the recent surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant had any impact on the December activity in the sector. It’s more likely to affect January’s activity, if the virus surge is not contained before then, he added.

Business activity, employment, new orders and supply deliveries all showed slower growth in December, the ISM report said.

The ISM’s inventories index contracted for the seventh straight month, as continued supply chain logjams, along with strong demand, has made it difficult for companies to keep shelves stocked. Prices paid by services organizations for materials and services rose in December for the 55th consecutive month, to its third-highest reading ever of 82.5.

Some strengths in the services sector is the result of those supply chain troubles that are making it harder to meet increased demand.

Longer supplier delivery times and rising prices register as strengths for the services sector.

Strong Job Market

Companies are still reporting some difficulty hiring with a job market healthier than it has been since the pandemic began nearly two years ago. The unemployment rate fell to 4.2% last month, a level that most economists consider close to full employment.

The Federal Reserve said last month that in part because of the strong employment situation, its low-interest rate policies are no longer needed. Those low rates were intended to encourage more hiring and the Fed now has its

Hailey Shevitz, an employee at Casbah, cuts bread for take-out orders at the restaurant, in Shadyside neighborhood in Pittsburgh. >Nate Guidry/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP

eyes on an overheating economy, signaling that it would quickly raise rates to rein in inflation that has ballooned to four-decade highs.

Out of 18 service sector industries covered by the ISM, 16 reported growth in December.

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In fact, An important reason for room cancellations is changes in cruise ships that were scheduled to arrive to San Juan and are now being diverted to other destinations.

Royal Caribbean removed Puerto Rico from the Symphony of the Seas’ itinerary due to the island’s new testing requirements.

Hotel room cancellations continue due to pandemic

Meanwhile, the lack of staff still affects hotels and inns

A

Brenda A. Vázquez Colón, The Weekly Journal

large number of would be guests who had booked stays in Puerto Rico’s hotels have been canceling their reservations due to the uncertainty caused by the dramatic increase of Covid-19 cases on the island.

Xavier A. Ramírez, president of the Asociación de Paradores de Puerto Rico (APPR), said local tourists express many reasons when deciding to cancel or postpone their vacations.

“Cancellations have increased drastically anticipating what may happen with the infections and restrictions, in light of the constant changes in the executive orders. People are holding out because they think there could be a lockdown,” he said.

To this uncertainty, Ramírez added the postponement of face-to-face classes in schools, which will begin in virtual mode.

There is also the restriction imposed upon restaurants and the selling of alcohol after midnight.

“The dry law is not affecting the paradores much because they do not have sports bars, where customers stay until dawn, but reducing the capacity of their restaurants to 50% does affect them. Even if there is a return to face-toface classes, the uncertainty it creates would have an impact,” said Ramírez, who also co-owns the Combate Beach Resort.

For his part, Joaquín Bolívar III, president of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association (PRHTA), confirmed hotel reservations in general have decreased, the same as restaurants’ sales.

“Restaurants are impacted by the 12:00 a.m. closing schedule because the 10:00 p.m. shift is shortened. Employees must close the kitchen earlier, to be out by midnight, which definitely has an economic impact on restaurants,” said Bolívar.

The hotelier also identified as an important reason for room cancellations, the changes in cruise ships that were scheduled to arrive to the port of San Juan and are now being diverted to other destinations.

Precisely, representatives of travel agencies and of companies that offer sightseeing tours to cruise

Cancellations have increased drastically anticipating what may happen with the infections and restrictions, in light of the constant changes in the executive orders. People are holding out because they think there could be a lockdown.

- Xavier A. Ramírez, President, APPR

ship passengers, lambasted the government for preventing the arrival of the Symphony of the Seas –the most popular cruise ship and the largest in the world– as part of its measures to prevent Covid-19 positive passengers from reaching the island.

The ship, with a capacity of up to 6,680 passengers and 2,200 crew members, was scheduled to arrive in San Juan the first week of January. It had to change its route, once they were informed that passengers would not be allowed to get off in Puerto Rico. This had a huge economic impact on tourism –hotels, carriers, travel agencies–, among other sectors.

New Year’s Celebration

Another situation that had a direct impact on hotels, especially those in San Juan, was the absence of public at the New Year’s event at the T-Mobile District, since many of the people who would have traveled to Puerto Rico for the event canceled their reservations.

Lack Of Staff

Ramírez also pointed out that some paradores and hotels lack the staff they need because there are very few employees available for work, in addition to the fact that many are sick with Covid-19.

“There are more than 30 unfilled positions in the paradores. Of the 12 certified hostels, there are two that reduced the number of available rooms in order to efficiently attend their guests, in light of the number of employees they have. Some need three or four employees and others need about 10 employees. The positions they are looking for are front desk clerk, housekeeping, waiters and cooks,” said Bolívar.

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NFT’s: how easily can they be stolen?

An NFT is not the digital artwork file that it represents

L

Zoe Landi Fontana, The Weekly Journal

ast week, Todd Kramer, the owner of a New York art gallery, was robbed of $2.2 million in NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). The collector lost 15 NFTs, four of which were from the “Bord Ape Yacht Club”, to a phishing scam.

With no centralized entity to turn to, Kramer posted an SOS to twitter.

The theft reminded investors of the possible pitfalls of a decentralized financial system.

Following his Twitter post, other NFT buyers and administrators from OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace, came to his aid. In a controversial move, OpenSea froze some of the NFTs, making them unsellable. Kramer was eventually able to recover or buy back some of the lost pieces.

OpenSea’s intervention went against the fundamental tenet of the blockchain: decentralization. Responding to critics, representatives of the company indicated that they merely froze the NFTs on their own website, but they could still be found across other blockchains.

The Limits Of NFTs

Although often used interchangeably to refer to the art itself, an NFT is not the digital artwork file that it represents; it’s a certificate of authenticity and ownership.

The Bank of America’s Global Research Center defines an NFT as “a blockchain-stored certificate of authenticity for unique digital or physical objects. The transaction and ownership information are verified through decentralization, recorded within the blockchain and seen as tamper-proof (immutable).

Thus, owning an NFT is not the same as owning the underlying art piece although collectors may sell, trade, or transfer the asset.

Renno & Co, a digital law firm based in Canada, clarified that, “[collectors] can’t (unless they have written authorization from the artist): mint a copy of that NFT, make people pay to view the NFT, sell any derivative object incorporating the NFT or exploit the NFT in a commercial way.”

decentralized web: • Seek help from official channels only. Despite Kramer’s success in tweeting to get help in recovering his lost apes, using social media to ask for help can make a user a target of further scams.

• Make sure wallet extensions are official. Verify that a wallet browser extension comes from Staying Safe On The the provider’s website. Check The Bank of to see if an app is legitimate Decentralized Web America’s Global before downloading by looking For those experienced in Research Center at its developer and reviews. trading digital assets, Kramer’s defines an NFT • A fundamental rule of case could have been easily as “a blockchainevading danger on the internet: avoided. He should have stored stored certificate stay away from unknown or his NFTs in an offline “cold” of authenticity for broken links, cold emails, and wallet, instead of an online “hot’’ unique digital or downloads from strangers. one. physical objects.

• Create strong and unique A hot wallet is always passwords for every account connected to the internet, and consider using two-factor facilitating fast and easy authentication (2FA). transactions, but leaving it • Use a hardware (“cold”) wallet and an vulnerable to attacks by hackers; a cold wallet is a air-gapped computer to store crypto. An “airphysical device that stores cryptocurrency offline gapped” computer system has no connections, a more secure alternative.

OpenSea offered the following tips on their blog physical nor wireless, to unsecured systems and networks. to stay safe and away from scams while using the The NFT market - which took off after “CryptoKitties”, an Ethereum blockchain-based game, gained massive popularity in 2017 - reached $41 billion in value, according to Chainalysis’s 2021 NFT Market Report, that also likened participants in the NFT market to art collectors more than investors.

In fact,

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U T E T N O P

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/ Wednesday, January 12, 2022

opinion Eduardo Hilera, M.P.S.

Emergency Management and Homeland Security Expert

S

Labor Shortages and Supply Chain Challenges: The Impact of COVID-19

upply chain disruptions along with the “Great Resignation” are the talk of the town all over the United States. Comments and opinions may vary depending on where you are, but the concerns are there.

We have all seen the impact— or what we perceive is the impact—of supply chain disruptions and the impact COVID and its variants have had on our daily lives. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, some products were nowhere to be found. From personal hygiene products to certain food products, consumers seemed obsessed. Some product shortages were predictable, others, not so much.

Now we are experiencing shortages that are a bit more concerning. In particular, we are experiencing shortages in human resources, high-value goods and services, and in real estate.

Many jurisdictions are experiencing a real estate “seller’s market” where property values are through the roof. Likewise, car dealerships all over the country are offering trade-in values that would have been unheard of, where vehicle owners are getting more for their vehicles than they owe on them. Go figure—vehicles have turned into a good investment! This is only the case because the supply chain and labor shortages have led to record lows in vehicle inventory.

Less expensive but equally necessary products

such as electronics—computers and mobile phones for instance—are hard to find at times. For instance, finding an iPad during the holidays was nearly impossible and consumers had no option but to buy a more expensive product simply due to availability.

In addition to and simultaneously, labor shortages are closely tied. Professor Anthony Klotz, a renowned scholar from Texas A&M University, coined the term “Great Resignation”

We are experiencing shortages in human resources, highvalue goods and services, and in real estate. last year when he was discussing a prediction regarding the impact that the resignation of so many Americans would have on the labor market.

COVID-19 has certainly changed consumption trends throughout many industries and markets, it has impacted the makeup of the workforce, and it now seems certain that the expectations of workers from their employers have also changed.

Throughout the United States, employees from every industry are leaving their jobs in record numbers. It is not at all clear how all of those who have left their jobs are getting by. According to some experts, however, it’s simple—those who have resigned are saving money because they no longer have work-related expenses, they are living off their savings, or they have simply retired early. While these answers don’t seem to satisfy the need for understanding of many, according to some, the answers are, in fact, that simple.

Of particular concern, state governments and school districts across the country have started to plan for school pauses and staffing shortages in schools. Teachers and support staff have grown concerned for their own well-being, and anxiety related to the handling of COVID-19 has created a worrisome impact across our education system. Schools are not the only ones impacted.

Just yesterday the Puerto Rico legislature suspended its session as tens of legislators and staff tested positive for COVID-19.

As we approach the third year of the pandemic and all these effects continue to develop, our leaders and government officials must observe these trends closely in order to enact policies that address the impact that these inevitable changes have on the safety, stability, and security of citizens at the local, state, and national level.

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/ Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Damaged O’Keeffe Painting on Display Again After Restoration

Conservators had to repair not only the water damage but previous restoration work that had failed. The artwork also had been varnished, a process no longer used in conservation.

“The damage is consistent with it being stacked against another painting,” Kronkright said. “It’s clear at some point that it was sanded. It was almost as if the paint had been pulled off.”

Conservators had to repair not only the water damage but previous restoration work that had failed

A

A Memorial To Her Late Husband

The Associated Press

damaged Georgia O’Keeffe painting is back on display after conservators spent 1,250 hours and $145,000 restoring it.

Dale Kronkright, head of conservation at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico, called the job the most massive restoration project he has ever worked on.

The results will be on display at the museum through Oct. 10. The painting will then travel to the

The primrose is associated with mourning; the bones are connected to death.

It’s interpreted as kind of a memorial to Alfred Stieglitz.

– Ariel Plotek, Curator

Dale Kronkright, head of conservation and preservation at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, works on restoring O’Keeffe’s painting “Spring”. >Brad Trone/Georgia O’Keeffe Museum via AP

San Diego Museum of Art in 2023.

The late American modernist artist painted the piece, titled “Spring,” in 1948. It was last seen by the public in 2019, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

The painting combines such O’Keeffe trademarks as desert primroses, a large vertebra and the northern New Mexico mountain peak named Pedernal. Measuring about 4 by 7 feet (1.2 by 2.1 meters), it was the largest canvas the artist had painted up to that point.

The water damage likely was caused by a tarantula tunneling through the roof at the artist’s 18th century adobe home in Abiquiú, in northern New Mexico.

O’Keeffe Museum Curator Ariel Plotek said the work feels like a statement about a new chapter in the artist’s life. The painting of “Spring” coincided with O’Keeffe’s return from New York — where she spent three years settling the estate of her late husband, Alfred Stieglitz — and the remodeling of her New Mexico home.

“The primrose is associated with mourning; the bones are connected to death. It’s interpreted as kind of a memorial to Alfred Stieglitz,” Plotek said.

Plotek said the fact that O’Keeffe kept the painting for several decades shows it was important to her.

In letters to her New York gallerist, Edith Halpert, O’Keeffe wrote that she didn’t know if anyone else would like it.

After the water damage, O’Keeffe sent “Spring” to her personal conservator in New York, calling it “unmanageable and hard to clean.” It was restretched and cleaned. Ultraviolet light showed large sponge marks on the painting, likely attempts by the artist to clean it, Kronkright said.

The museum acquired the painting when it opened in 1997.

A $75,000 Bank of America grant funded part of the restoration work, while the museum’s operating budget paid for the rest.

US Mint Begins Shipping Quarters Honoring Maya Angelou Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer

The United States Mint said Monday it has begun shipping quarters featuring the image of poet Maya Angelou, the first coins in its American Women Quarters Program.

Angelou, an American author, poet and Civil Rights activist, rose to prominence with the publication of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” in 1969. Angelou, who died in 2014 at the age of 86, was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010 by President Barack Obama.

The quarter design depicts Angelou with outstretched arms. Behind her are a bird in flight and a rising sun, images inspired by her poetry.

The mint’s program will issue 20 quarters over the next four years honoring women and their achievements in shaping the nation’s history.

Additional honorees in 2022 that spoke to the lived experience will be physicist and first woman of Black women,” she said in a astronaut Sally Ride, and Wilma statement.

Mankiller, the first female principal Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, chief of the Cherokee Nation. Also the nation’s first female Treasury honored this year will be Nina Oterosecretary, said, “Each time we Warren, a leader in New Mexico’s redesign our currency, we have the suffrage movement and the first chance to say something about our female superintendent of Santa Fe country .... I’m very proud that these public schools, and Anna May Wong, coins celebrate the contributions of the first Chinese American film star some of America’s most remarkable Poet Maya Angelou. > AP in Hollywood. women, including Maya Angelou.”

Photo/Gerald Herbert, File Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, The Biden administration D-Nevada, the Senate sponsor of legislation announced soon after taking office a year ago that directing the mint to issue the quarters honoring it planned to replace Andrew Jackson’s portrait women, applauded the Mint’s selection of Angelou on the $20 bill with abolitionist Harriet Tubman, for the first coin. a leader in the Underground Railroad. However, since that announcement the administration has “This coin will ensure generations of Americans provided no further details on its plans. learn about Maya Angelou’s books and poetry

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/ Wednesday, January 12, 2022

“Ruta Artesanal Boricua” will promote the work of Puerto Rican artisans

The project emphasizes in education, promotion and organization

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“

InterNews

uta Artesanal Boricua,” or the “Boricua Artisan Route” was created to promote the work of more than 25,000 people dedicated to designing and making arts and crafts throughout the island.

Project coordinator, Johanna Rocío del Mar Flores Pérez, explained this is a non-profit organization that was formed in April 2020 focused on the promotion of crafts following three specific principles. The first is to educate the public about what crafts are and the 25 kinds that are currently done in Puerto Rico. The second is the promotion of the arts, attracting new people to the artisanal work. And third, to continue organizing artisans, both in the technical, and in the business aspects of the work, to create a conglomerate of artisans that will strengthen the industry. “‘The Artisan Route’ is aimed at bringing According to Flores, one of together artisans, strengthening the greatest obstacles limiting them, not only in the sale of the artisanal industry’s growth is cultural artwork, but also in the scarce promotion it receives. the history behind such items.

Another problem that artisans Also, we provide a step by step face is the sale of mass produced explanation of the techniques The Puerto handicrafts coming from China, –some dating back to ‘Taíno’ Rico Industrial which are cheap plastic knock[pre-Columbian] times– used to Development offs. make handicrafts piece and the Company has “It is for this and other reasons materials used for creating them. certified about that ‘The Artisan Route’ is Crafts are a living part of culture,” 25,000 on the island. presented as a means to educate said Flores Pérez. tourists about the work of the According to the Puerto Puerto Rican artisan. Our island Rico Industrial Development must imitate other countries, Company (PRIDCO), there especially in South America, are 25,000 certified artisans where crafts are considered a currently working on the island, serious industry that enhances its culture and and this number continues to grow, due to the not a mere group of artisans scattered in an area certifications that are issued periodically. trying to sell their products,” she said.

On the other hand, the Institute of Puerto Rican The initiative of this group of tour guides, Culture (ICP, for its Spanish acronym), has about focused on the subject of crafts, has been certified 5,000 affiliated artisans.

In fact,

‘The Artisan Route’ is aimed at bringing together artisans, strengthening them, not only in the sale of cultural artwork, but also in the history behind such items.

Johanna Rocío del Mar Flores Pérez, Project coordinator

by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company as “artisan interpreters.”

Flores said they are currently focused on the Old San Juan area, but will soon expand to other municipalities.

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/ Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Fear as an obstacle for greater performance It prevents a person from fully developing his/her potential

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Aldo Civico, holistic business coach

few years ago, I flew with a client on his private jet from New York to Washington, DC. There was bad weather, the clouds were heavy, and it rained violently. During this short flight, there was a strong turbulence.

My client had a great fear of flying.

As we took off he turned pale, and at one point, he grabbed my arm to control his anxiety. It also didn’t help the smoke that filled the cabin after some paper plates left in a microwave caught fire.

“Next time I suggest taking the train,” I said to my client, laughing, after we safely got off the plane.

My client experienced what happens to many of us: the fear of something happening in the future (although unlikely) paralyzes us in the present. Or, at least, it makes us act slower, more doubtful. There are people who, for fear of a plane crash, refuse to fly. Other times, instead, it is past experiences that make fear control us. As

themselves to achieve a higher purpose. The Seneca once said, “a man who suffers before it is courage they showed was closely linked to the fear necessary is someone who suffers more than is they felt. necessary.

It is also important to recognize our own fears, This is why fear is one of the biggest obstacles understand where they come from and ask to greater performance. The fear of failure, or of ourselves, for example, if it is a fear of the present, being judged by others is an emotion that, when or is it a fear that one has had since childhood. it becomes a condition of life, prevents a person The practice of from fully developing meditation is surely the his/her potential. most effective method Fear makes us to become aware of smaller than we are, it your own fears and cuts the wings of full face them. Because expression because it those who transcend is like a thread that ties fear feed the will, the us up; fear makes us determination, the operate from a lower motivation. In his book level of consciousness, - Aldo Civico, holistic business coach thus preventing “La Receta del Éxito,” creativity, intelligence, (The Recipe for Success) intuition. chef and businessman But, how do you overcome fear? To transcend Juan Manuel Barrientos tells how, by overcoming it, you have to have a higher intention to focus his fear of death, he also managed to overcome on and surrender to. Those who have marked the fear of being wrong. the history of humanity is not because they were “That is why I am more creative than before, and not afraid, but because they transcended them; I think that is part of the secret of my success. As I but because they lived for a purpose higher than am not afraid of being wrong, I dream things that their own lives. Furthermore, they knew how to others consider impossible, I take risks and I take transform fear into a powerful force to surrender on challenges”. That’s what it’s all about.

The fear of something happening in the future (although unlikely) paralyzes us in the present.

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