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millions allocated to improve supply chain
In fact,
The $241 million in grants is being made available immediately to 25 projects in 19 states.
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US Transportation doles out $241M to US ports to boost supply chain
Hope Yen, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is awarding more than $241 million in grants to bolster U.S. ports, part of the Biden administration’s near-term plan to address America’s clogged supply chain with infrastructure improvements to speed the flow of goods.
The transportation money is being made available immediately to 25 projects in 19 states. Next year, the amount of money for port improvements will nearly double to $450 million in annual grants for five years under President Joe Biden’s new infrastructure law.
“U.S. maritime ports play a critical role in our supply chains,” Buttigieg said of last week’s announcement. “These investments in our nation’s ports will help support American jobs, efficient and resilient operations and faster delivery of goods to the American people.”
A week ago, Biden touted the coming grants as one of a series of efforts that will alleviate supply bottlenecks over the short and long term.
“Earlier this fall we heard a lot of dire warnings about supply chain problems leading to a crisis around the holidays, so we acted,” Biden said. “We brought together business and labor leaders to solve problems and the much predicted crisis didn’t occur. Packages are moving. Gifts are being delivered. Shelves are not empty.”
The Recipients
The grant money includes $52.3 million to help boost rail capacity at the port in Long Beach, California, with a new locomotive facility, 10,000foot support track and extensions of five existing tracks to speed up freight movement while cutting down the number of truck trips required to do that.
Other recipients include: — Portsmouth, Virginia, $20 million, to help build out a supply chain for the offshore wind industry. — Brunswick, Georgia, $14.6 million, to build a fourth berth for cargo ships at Colonel’s Island Terminal. — Houston, $18.3 million, to help pay for a 39-acre greenspace at the Bayport Container Terminal. — Tell City, Indiana, $1.6 million, to construct a 40-foot diameter pier on the Ohio River that can be used to direct barge-to-truck unloading of cargo. — Delcambre, Louisiana, $2 million, for dock restoration and climate resiliency.
In recent months, higher prices have eaten into wages and turned public sentiment on the economy against Biden in polls. One of the obstacles for reducing inflation amid a coronavirus pandemic has been backlogged ports with ships waiting to dock at major transit hubs, causing shortages and leaving some store shelves depleted.
Buttigieg’s announcement seeks to build upon recent moves by the Transportation Department to reduce supply chain congestion, such as by allowing port authorities to redirect leftover money from grant projects. For example, the Georgia Ports Authority is using $8 million to convert its inland facilities for the port of Savannah into container yards, freeing up dock space and speeding the flow of goods to their final destinations. Last Friday, Buttigieg toured the port, which his department says has seen the number of ships waiting at anchor fall from over 30 to six last week, while long dwelling containers have been cut in half. Earlier this year, the Biden administration sought to reduce delays by working to move major ports to 24/7 operations. The administration is also seeking to improve working recruitment and retention in the trucking industry.
Still, supply chain issues linger, and the steps taken by the administration have shown that there is no quick fix to the problems that have been hurting smaller businesses and causing consumers to face higher prices. The Transportation Department informed last week projects receiving grants vary widely in readiness to get off the ground, and it could take months before consumers can start to feel the effects from the improvements.
Puerto Rico’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve will be a ‘virtual’ event
Only hotel and casino guests, people with hotel reservations, and employees will be allowed to enter the Convention District
Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal
Employees scheduled to work in the “From Puerto Rico to the world: 2022 begins here,” New Year’s event production crew, as well as hotel guests, will be required to meet the same safety conditions established for the event by the Department of Health. The directive was announced by Convention District Authority’s (DAC) executive director Mariela Vallines, after Governor Pedro Pierluisi’s decided to restrict public access to the venue.
“Since we began coordinating this event, we had the support of the Department of Health to guarantee a safe activity with the necessary measures and protocols,” said Vallines. “Although there will be no public, production staff, performers and the broadcast team will be present. They all will be required to present evidence of a negative test result (PCR or antigens) for Covid-19, taken at least 48 hours before the event. They will also be required to present evidence of vaccination, either the electronic VACU ID or a vaccination card and photo I.D.”
Furthermore, Vallines said restaurants located within the T Mobile District will not be operating on December 31st.
“We are going to establish a perimeter around both stages to prevent people from crowding in the area where the artists will be performing. Also, only hotel guests, people with hotel reservations, casino guests and employees will be allowed to enter the Convention District,” Vallines explained.
“We will be very strict about compliance with the measures recommended by the Department of Health’s team and the governor’s directives,” she added. Nevertheless, Vallines did not tell whether hotel guests would be able to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve from the established perimeter for each of the stages where the show will be broadcasted, since only hotel guests would be the ones with access to the Convention District.
Health As A Priority
Brad Dean, CEO for Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s Destination Management Organization (DMO), said he shares the governor’s concerns about the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, but argued that “Puerto Rico has shown its ability to adjust to changing realities.” “This decision shows that Puerto Rico maintains the safety of its population and visitors as the highest priority… We understand that this same level of responsibility is what travelers will value and will make them choose Puerto Rico as their vacation destination in the future,” said Dean. General Manager for the T-Mobile District Francisco Mariani said that “we support the governor of Puerto Rico’s decision to change the format of the ‘From Puerto Rico to the World’ New Year’s Eve’ event. Since the broadcast from Puerto Rico will continue to be part of ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022’, all of our efforts will be focused on ensuring that the world enjoys a world-class event and to project the greatness of Puerto Rico. To that end, and to facilitate the production and broadcast process
In fact,
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. The show will feature its first in the new format, we have decided to cancel the Spanish language gastronomic experiences in our restaurants.” countdown. “Those who made reservations will be receiving instructions soon for a refund. As a local company, we are extremely proud to be the host of a broadcast that will project Puerto Rico globally and promote all the natural beauties and tourist attractions that we have to offer,” said Mariani. The local broadcast will begin at 9:00 pm on Telemundo, while the broadcast for the United States and Latin America will begin at 10:00 pm on ABC.
-Brad Dean CEO, Discover Puerto Rico
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Filed tax returns reached 99%
Victoria López, Intelligent Economics
Treasury Department Secretary Francisco Parés Alicea reported that, despite the Department’s need to increase its human resources and improve salary conditions for employees, about 1.2 million individual and corporate 2020 income tax returns have been processed. This represents 99% of the total returns filed, of which about one million have included reimbursements because of excess retention.
Parés Alicea thanked the public servants for their efforts, specifically the assistant Internal Revenue secretaries who collaborated with him in facing great challenges and managed to keep the operation to the maximum. He reiterated that they will continue to improve and perfect the systems and processes. “We have an ambitious work plan for the coming years, which includes converting the tax forms that are currently filed on paper to fully electronic filing. For this next taxable year, tax returns for conduit entities (those who report their income to partners and shareholders) will be filed electronic, as well as those of non-profit entities. For 2023 all tax incentive returns will be electronically filed. This means that, substantially, all taxpayers will be filing their returns electronically,” explained the Treasury Secretary.
Another initiative to be implemented next year is the tax credit manager, which will attend to beneficiaries from special incentive laws.
This electronic tool will allow to digitally control, monitor and generate reports of the granting, transferring/selling and claiming credits from taxpayers in income tax returns without requiring cumbersome procedures from them. Regarding tax credits, even though audits of these particular transactions have not revealed substantive findings, Secretary Parés Alicea indicated they seek to establish a control to avoid the audit process. “In this way, we would avoid the undue burden on taxpayers since they have already gone through a rigorous application and approval process at the initial granting of the credits.” Still, the Secretary highlighted the prevailing need for more resources and better financial compensation for the Department’s employees. “Our colleagues working at the Department of the Treasury are the cornerstone upon which we achieve a better service to our taxpayers,” he said.
Revenues Surpass estimates
Puerto Rico’s General Fund net revenues for October surpassed estimated projections by 25%. Net revenue for October was $887.1 million, which is 18% more than in October 2020 (more
In fact,
About 1.2 million individual and corporate 2020 tax returns have been processed. Treasury Department Secretary Francisco Parés Alicea highlighted the prevailing need for more resources and better financial compensation for the Department’s employees. >Carlos Rivera Giusti / The Weekly Journal than $141.6 million). Revenues from the Sales and Use Tax (IVU, for its Spanish acronym) were $198 million, or more than 16.5% higher (over $28 million) than October 2020. Act 154 from 2010 for foreign corporations yielded a net revenue of $121.6 million in October. These were $84.4 in October 2020; the revenues were 44% greater. Individual Income Tax totaled $151.8 million, exceeding estimates by approximately $9.4 million. When comparing the performance of the first four months of the current fiscal year with what was collected for the same period in fiscal 2021, the Treasure Department emphasized that this period should be adjusted by $479.2 million. This is because -as part of the public policy to address We have an ambitious work plan the pressing cash flow situation caused by the for the coming years, which pandemic- the postponement until fiscal year 2021 of payments that would otherwise have entered in includes converting the tax forms that are currently filed on FY 2020. When compared to the previous fiscal year, this adjustment represents a cumulative revenue for paper to fully electronic filing. FY 2022 through October that exceeds fiscal 2021 revenue by $398.5 million or 14%. Fiscal year 2021 Francisco Parés Alicea, had a total accumulated revenue of $11,682.4 Secretary, Treasury Department million, an increase of 25.8% compared to the previous year.
New Year’s Eve in Times Square still on, with smaller crowd
The Associated Press
Revelers will still ring in the New Year in New York’s Times Square this week, there just won’t be as many of them as usual under new restrictions announced last week as the city grapples with a spike in COVID-19 cases. Viewing areas that normally accommodate about 58,000 people will be limited to about 15,000 to allow for more distancing, and everyone in attendance must show proof of vaccination and wear a mask, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a news release announcing the changes.
“There is a lot to celebrate, and these additional safety measures will keep the fully vaccinated crowd safe and healthy as we ring in the New Year,” de Blasio said, noting the city’s success in getting residents vaccinated while also keeping businesses open.
Record Number Of Infections
The added precautions for New Year’s Eve in Times Square were spurred by the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the Big Apple, where lines for testing have snaked around blocks in recent days. Last week, the city set yet another one-day testing record with 22,808 new cases, though a true comparison to the number of cases during the initial COVID-19 surge in spring 2020 is impossible because tests were very limited at the time. Because of vaccinations, hospitalizations and deaths from the current surge are far fewer than at the pandemic’s height.
The new wave of cases has led to the cancellation of concerts, sporting events and Broadway shows, but de Blasio has shown a strong preference for having the annual Times Square ball drop go on as planned — the last major event of his eight-year tenure, which ends Jan. 1.
Little more than a month ago, de Blasio gleefully announced that a fully vaccinated crowd of hundreds of thousands of people would be back at the iconic celebration — donning goofy 2022-themed glasses and watching a crystal-clad ball drop at midnight — after it was limited last year to small groups of
essential workers. But that was before Omicron caught fire, forcing city officials and event organizers to rethink just how many people they wanted to squeeze into the bright, billboard-lined tourist haven known to some as the Crossroads of the World. Last week, the Fox network gave its verdict, pulling the plug on a planned live broadcast from the New Year’s Eve event. Other networks plan to air the festivities, including Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC, the stalwart now hosted by Ryan Seacrest. De Blasio said along with last week’s announcement that the city is monitoring the COVID-19 situation and could impose additional precautions if needed. Among other changes announced, revelers won’t be allowed into viewing areas until 3 p.m., much later than in past years. On New Year’s Eve last year, Times Square was mostly empty, with Jennifer Lopez and other artists performing behind police barricades. After vaccines became widely available in the U.S., the New York is the best place in city allowed crowds back to the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade the world to celebrate New and other events. Year’s Eve, and now it will be “New York is the best place in the world to celebrate New Year’s Eve, and now it will be one one of the safest against COVID as well. of the safest against COVID as well,” Mayor-elect Eric Adams said in a written statement endorsing the new precautions. “New Yorkers and visitors Eric Adams, Mayor-elect, NYC alike can now enjoy Times Square and the rest of our city as we ring in 2022.”
In fact,
Last week, New York City recorded 22,808 new cases of Covid-19 in just one day.
New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world
Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal
Very much like Christmas Eve, different countries have different traditions, ceremonies or superstitions to ring-in the New Year. And while some of these traditions may seem quaint, odd or downright bizarre to people from different cultures, the fact is that those who practice them believe a “dark fate” could befall on them if they don’t do it. Such is the case of Scotland’s First Footing. According to Scottish lore the first person to cross the threshold of your home after midnight on New Year’s Day must be a dark-haired man if you wish to have good luck in the coming year. This tradition dates back to the time when Scotland had been invaded by the Vikings; blond haired savages wield swords and axes. So, a dark-haired man at the door came to symbolize good fortune.
The Netherlands
If you thought Scots were “strange” in their beliefs, the Dutch may not be far behind. The Dutch use to eat Olliebollen, deep fried pieces of dough during the Yule to avoid Germanic goddess Perchta, the Belly Slitter, to try and cut their stomachs open and fill them with trash –considered to be a punishment for those who hadn’t sufficiently partaken in yuletide cheer. According to Dutch tradition the fat from the dough would cause her sword to slide right off the stomachs.
Japan
In Japanese culture, people welcome the New Year slurping a bowl of soba noodles in a ritual known as “toshikoshi soba”, or year-crossing noodles. It is believed that the noodles’ thin shape and long length symbolize a long and healthy life.
Russia
Instead of drinking vodka, as anybody might think, Russians welcome the New Year drinking champagne. But mixed with ashes. Don’t worry, they are not human ashes. Russians traditionally write down their wishes for the New Year on a piece of paper which they burn close to midnight with a candle. They later mix the ashes with the champagne and toast-in the New Year.
Czech Republic
Czechs have a penchant for divination, particularly on New Year’s Eve, when they use an apple to reveal their friends and families’ future. The night before New Year an apple is cut in halves and the shape of its core would determine the fate of everyone surrounding it. A star shaped core means there will be happiness and health for everyone. But an apple core in the shape of a cross means someone at the party should expect to fall ill.
Ireland
If you thought mistletoe’s only use was to kiss an unsuspecting guest caught under a bunch of it, think again. In Ireland girls use to put some mistletoe under their pillows on New Year’s Eve because that would help them meet their future husband. If this tradition catches on worldwide, the people at match.com could probably need to start to worry.
Turkey
All of us must have tossed a little salt over our shoulder after accidentally spilling some at the table. Well, the Turkish have taken that a step further. It is a Turkish tradition to sprinkle salt on the home’s doorstep as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day. Those doing so are ensured a year of peace and prosperity.
Spain
Of course, Spaniards traditionally welcome the New Year by eating 12 grapes –one with each bell strike at midnight – which will ensure good fortune and prosperity. And, while this tradition might be considered somewhat tame when compared to others in this article, you will have to try and gulp down one grape between each of the 12 bell strokes to really know how difficult a fête this is.
A Christmas Tale Like No Other
“New Mexico Christmas Story” was crafted as an invitation for children to explore literature in English and Spanish
The Associated Press
An author known as the father of Chicano literature left behind a bilingual children’s book after his 2020 death, telling a story about Christmas in the American Southwest.
The tale from Rudolfo Anaya, who died from natural causes at 82, is being published posthumously for the holiday season by Museum of New Mexico Press with parallel text in Spanish and English. The story extends a cycle of Anaya’s illustrated children’s books with a playful cast of animal characters, converging around a tiny, inquisitive owl named Ollie Tecolote.
The book was painstakingly crafted by Anaya in his waning year as an invitation to children to explore literature in English and Spanish, said Enrique Lamadrid, a publisher and retired chairman of the Spanish teaching department at the University of New Mexico. Lamadrid collaborated closely with Anaya in his final years to translate the “Owl in a Straw Hat” series into Spanish.
“We crafted that really, really, really carefully so that kids would be comfortable,” said Lamadrid, who first befriended Anaya in the 1970s. “You start with love. You have to fall in love with your second language in order to be any good with it at all.”
Anaya achieved lasting literary fame and influence with the novel “Bless Me, Ultima” in 1972 about a boy’s coming of age in post-World War II New Mexico under the guidance of a traditional spiritual healer. The book became a movie and an opera.
Hispanic Traditions
Anaya wrote his “New Mexico Christmas Story” for children initially in English, sprinkling in a smattering of Spanish-language words and phrases about Hispanic holiday comfort food and traditional Christmas pranks performed by “abuelos.”
Translated literally, “abuelos” means grandfathers or grandparents, while it is also used as slang for costumed family elders who, in northern New Mexico, traditionally go house-tohouse at Christmastime to ask startled children whether they have been naughty or nice.
The book’s images are from painter and popculture muralist Moises Salcedo — who goes by El Moisés — and provide a splashy visual tour of winter holiday traditions in northern New Mexico, from handcrafted “farolito” candlelights to steaming “pozole” stew and an adventure that touches upon the three wise men.
Michelle García, a preschool teacher for the city of Albuquerque, reads an earlier Owl in a Straw Hat book to her 4- and 5-year-old students, seated in a semicircle, allowing for comments and questions.
Hispanic traditions run deep in New Mexico, where Spanish settlers arrived in the 1598. Nearly half of the state’s population claims Hispanic heritage, and some students in Garcia’s class — but not all — recognize the Spanish words in Anaya’s book. García says a short EnglishSpanish glossary in the book helps her answer any questions.
“There’s just a such a variety of wording, they can relate, especially if they’re from Chicano descent or any kind of Spanish descent,” said Garcia, who traces her Hispanic roots and comfort with Spanish expressions to grandparents in northern New Mexico and southernmost Colorado. García took a day off to meet Anaya shortly before his death, knowing that he would appear at the dedication of a public library in his name.
“He said he met his wife at the library,” García said. “It was just this amazing story to encourage children to come to the library and to read and to open a book. It just encouraged me to tell those stories.”
The book’s images are from painter and pop-culture muralist Moises Salcedo. >AP Photo
