EHT Secures $ 2 Million Credit Facility to Fund New Housing Orders in Puerto Rico

by Jacob C. on September 23, 2021

NIAGARA FALLS, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 23, 2021 / EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp. (TSXV: EHT) (“EHT” or the “Company”), a global leader in solar and wind renewable energy technologies, is pleased to announce that it has secured a $ 2 million credit facility. dollars (the “Credit Facility”) from a private institution loan to finance the initial construction of the Company’s housing orders in Puerto Rico. As announced on September 20, EHT’s Residential Reconstruction Project in Puerto Rico JV has received orders for 141 additional housing units through three Puerto Rico-based housing developments in Arroyo, Carolina and Vega Baja, construction of which will begin immediately. .

“This credit facility will provide us with substantial capacity to meet our construction schedule and associated installation costs for the initial homes.” said John Gamble, CEO of EHT. “It is imperative that we act quickly to fill additional orders and move the displaced citizens of Puerto Rico to their new homes. The 141 new orders represent $ 21 million in revenue for the company and position EHT for additional orders as government funding is released. We are working hard to position EHT for significant revenue growth as these homes begin construction and will provide our shareholders with regular updates as we move forward. “

The full amount of the Credit Facility may be drawn at any time by the Company. The credit facility has a term of 12 months, with prepayment options in the event of a drawdown, and bears interest at a rate of 12% per annum, with interest and principal being due at maturity. The outstanding amount of the Credit Facility as well as accrued and unpaid interest may be reimbursed by the Company at any time.

The 141 additional orders announced this week bring current housing orders to 341, with the JV immediately starting construction. EHT’s net zero homes are built twice as fast as a standard home using unskilled local labor for 90% of the construction, capable of withstanding winds over 200mph and powered by EHT’s “glassless” solar panels that continue to operate if struck by flying storm debris.

Advantages of the EHT Net-Zero house

Builds quickly – Cat5 “Lego” type designs allow homes to be locally manufactured and built using 90% unskilled labor in less than 60 days without slab.
‘Lego’ block design – Wall systems do not require plasterboard, fiberglass or wood, but the insulation is built into the blocks, which means there is no risk of mold if the house is flooded.
Seismic engineering – Reinforced concrete design is flood resistant and can withstand winds over 200mph, making these homes the most durable solution to protect against future disasters. Closed cell foam holds the walls together in the event of a seismic event.
Solar energy – EHT’s proprietary solar technology is integrated as a multi-layered composite structure in panels up to 20 feet long with the cordage built inside the panel, generating more energy per square meter, resistant to breakage and powered off grid.
Very profitable – Average income of $ 150K per home and a strong 15% net margin for EHT.

The company plans to complete the first 35 homes by the first quarter of next year and increase its capacity to build more than 50 homes per month from March 2022.

About EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies

EHT (TSXV: EHT) provides exclusive turnkey energy solutions that are smart, bankable and sustainable. Most energy products and solutions can be implemented immediately where they are needed. EHT sets itself apart from its competitors by combining a full line of solar photovoltaic, wind and battery storage solutions, which can provide energy around the clock, both on a small and large scale. In addition to traditional support to established power grids, EHT excels where there is no power grid. The organization provides advanced solutions for various industries in combination with energy saving and power generation solutions. EHT’s expertise includes the development of module structures with full integration of smart energy solutions. These are transformed through EHT’s production technologies into attractive applications: modular homes, cold storage facilities, schools, residential and commercial outbuildings and emergency / temporary shelters. Windular Research and Technologies Inc. (WRT) provides cutting-edge wind technology to the global telecommunications market whereby the WRT system can be implemented directly on any existing or new tower configuration. WRT provides a source of renewable energy in remote and rural areas where the primary source of energy is diesel. WRT’s innovative system offers customers a lower overall cost of ownership as well as a reduced carbon footprint.

For more information please contact:

John gamble
Chief Executive Officer
EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies
Phone. : 289-488-1699
Email: [email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information relating to the sales of products (the “Opportunities”) involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects, for the Opportunities to differ materially from those expressed. or implied by this forward-looking information. information search. Although EHT believes that the assumptions used in preparing forward-looking information about the opportunities described in this press release are reasonable, one should not place undue reliance on such information, which only applies as of the date of this press release. press release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur within the disclosed time frame or not at all. EHT disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

THE SOURCE: EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp.

See the source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/665288/EHT-Secures-2M-Credit-Facility-to-Fund-New-Puerto-Rico-Housing-Orders

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“Not enough, but a starting point”

by Jacob C. on September 22, 2021

Puerto Rico raised its minimum wage for the first time in more than a decade, but experts say that while it is a step in the right direction, several structural factors make it difficult for working families in the United States.

Governor Pedro Pierluisi on Tuesday signed a law to increase the current minimum wage from $ 7.25 an hour to at least $ 8.50 an hour starting in January.

The increase could be $ 2,000 more per year for a full-time worker, he said.

“For a long time, thousands of workers on our island did not receive a minimum wage increase, but they have experienced an increase in the cost of living over the past 12 years,” Pierluisi said in a statement. “A payment of $ 7.25 an hour is no longer viable to live in Puerto Rico, so it was time to do the working class justice.”

The new law will greatly benefit “those at the bottom of the wage structure of Puerto Rico’s economy,” said Carlos Vargas-Ramos, director of public policy at the Puerto Rican economy. Puerto Rican Studies Center at Hunter College in New York.

These people include workers in the retail trade, which in Puerto Rico is a very large sector of the economy, as well as those who work in department stores, supermarkets, gas stations or as security guards, has t -he adds.

While many applauded the move amid Puerto Rico’s decade-long financial crisis, the new minimum wage is still not enough to ensure that fewer families live above the federal poverty line. Almost 44 percent of the Puerto Rican population lives in poverty, according to census figures.

“It is not enough, but it is a starting point. It can also be supplemented by the tax credit on labor income,” a refundable tax credit for working families with low income or moderate that Puerto Ricans will have access to from next year, said José Caraballo-Cueto, economics expert and associate professor at the University of Puerto Rico’s Graduate School of Business in Rio Piedras.

“When you consider this tax credit, a worker could essentially earn the equivalent of $ 10 an hour,” he added.

The main reason why the current minimum wage or the new minimum wage is not enough to lift families out of poverty is the high cost of living on the island.

“The cost of electricity is one of the expenses that weighs on most citizens and small businesses” who have already pay twice as much for electricity as US customers for unreliable service, Caraballo-Cueto said in Spanish.

A century-old law known as Jones Act, which prevents foreign ships from reaching Puerto Rico, increases the cost of imported goods, contributing to the island’s high cost of living, Caraballo-Cueto and Vargas-Ramos said.

Under this law, only American-built ships and American crews, some of the most expensive in the world, are allowed to make unrestricted shipments to the island. This consequently increases the cost of goods sold in Puerto Rico, including gasoline, cars and products, Vargas-Ramos said. This is especially important for an island that imports about 85 percent of all its food.

The minimum wage in Puerto Rico is set to rise again in July 2023 to $ 9.50 an hour, according to the new law. Another increase to $ 10.50 is being considered for July 2024, but it would require additional approval.

Helping businesses adapt to pay more

The government should step in to help subsidize the economic impact that future minimum wage increases may have on some small businesses, especially those in “low-income and highly competitive industries” such as day care centers and home helpers, Caraballo -Cueto mentioned. “If the minimum wage is too high for these businesses, it can cause them to close. ”

However, other industries such as construction and finance, which pay their workers at least $ 15 to $ 12 an hour respectively, may be better placed to deal with future wage increases, he added.

For this reason, Caraballo-Cueto argues that the ideal thing to do would have been to establish minimum wage requirements in different industries.

The latest pay hike excludes restaurant waiters, who still earn a minimum wage of $ 2.13 an hour plus tips, and some farm workers, some of whom have access to other farm economic incentives, Caraballo- said. Cueto.

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The Latest: WHO Reports Global Drop in New COVID-19 Cases

by Jacob C. on September 22, 2021

The number of new COVID-19 cases continued to decline last week, with 3.6 million new cases reported worldwide, up from 4 million new infections the week before, the World Health Organization said.

Last week’s drop marked the first substantial drop in more than two months, with COVID-19 cases falling in every region of the world. In its latest pandemic update released on Tuesday, the WHO said there had been a significant drop in cases in two regions: a 22% drop in the Middle East and a 16% drop in East Asia. South East.

The United Nations health agency said there were just under 60,000 deaths last week, a drop of 7%. He said that while Southeast Asia has reported a 30% decrease in deaths from COVID-19, the Western Pacific region has reported a 7% increase. Most of the coronavirus cases have been seen in the United States, India, Britain, Turkey and the Philippines. WHO said the faster-spreading delta variant has now been seen in 185 countries and is present in all regions of the world.

The organization has also revised its list of “variants of interest” or those that it believes are likely to cause major epidemics; The WHO said it is tracking the lambda and mu variants, both of which have appeared in Latin America but have yet to cause widespread epidemics. The WHO has previously said that in all countries where the delta variant circulates, it has become the predominant virus.

___

4 years after Hurricane María, will we finally listen to the voices of the survivors?

by Jacob C. on September 21, 2021

Survivors of one of the worst storms in Puerto Rican history tell how they turned to mutual aid in the face of government neglect and incompetence.

Four years ago, Hurricane María made landfall in the Puerto Rican archipelago on September 20, 2017, leaving no part of the land unscathed. Hurricane triggered floods and mudslides, washed away roads, destroyed tens of thousands of homes, farms and businesses, the biggest blackout in US history (the second largest in the world), cut communications, led to widespread shortages of food, clean water and gasoline, and was ultimately responsible for thousands of deaths.

The government of Puerto Rico accepted 2,975 as the official hurricane death number based on a study by George Washington University. However, a similar study by Harvard University puts that toll at 4,645. The actual death toll is probably much higher.

Zaira Arvelo Alicea and her husband, Juan Carlos, survived the hurricane by floating for 16 hours on a patched air mattress. They were eventually rescued and taken to a small apartment where they stayed with a group of 22 evacuees for two nights before walking for miles from their ruined home in Aguadilla to a family member’s home in Aguada, two towns located on the west coast of the main island of Puerto Rico.

Arvelo Alicea was the first person I interviewed for the oral history book Mi María: Surviving the storm, voice of Puerto Rico (Haymarket Books, September 2021), a collection of 17 first-person stories that explore what it means to be an American citizen in a colonial context, how communities come together in the aftermath of disaster, and how precariousness is exacerbated for those living on the front lines of the climate crisis.

As Arvelo Alicea recounted the slow journey to the family, describing cars that had been caught in a seawater storm and balanced upside down along the highway, she stopped to ask: ” How do you describe the smell of rotting bodies? Our conversation for the day ended there as I turned off the recorder and grabbed her hand over the table.

Hurricane María was – and still is – a place of trauma for all who survived. But that trauma includes not only the fierce storm that struck the archipelago for more than 30 hours, but also the long months, and now years, of inadequate government relief and assistance intended to help those in crisis.

Arvelo Alicea’s story opens the Mi Maria oral history collection, a collaboration with the association Witness voice. Throughout the project, I worked with over 100 students at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez where I teach, and traveled – with co-editor Marci Denesiuk – through Puerto Rico marked by hurricane and marred by insufficient relief efforts.

The work took us from a farm nestled in the peaks of the Cordillera Central mountain range in Adjuntas to a health clinic under reconstruction on the island municipality of Culebra off the easternmost coast of the country. main island and finally to a community arts center in the basement. wealthy neighborhood of La Perla in San Juan.

Carlos Bonilla Rodriquez Case /Photo courtesy of Ricia Anne Chansky

Horror stories from survivors showed the extent of the disaster

The stories collected in this project shed light on the enormous obstacles to the survival of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico. In the midst of the hurricane, Emmanuel Rodríguez desperately tried to drive his pregnant wife to hospital, only to be forced to return home when they discovered that the road in front of them had collapsed under a mudslide.

From a neighbor’s house, Carlos Bonilla Rodríguez watched the hurricane tear off the roof of his house and throw it into the wind, his belongings following close behind.

Other narrators have said that they desperately held the doors shut against the wind and barricaded the windows as best they could, while frantically wiping off the water that relentlessly poured into their homes. Still others described being forced to seek refuge in hastily organized government shelters, where the sick cried all night and where people with disabilities were on their own.

Equally dire was the post-hurricane period

The aftermath of María was as dire as the actual storm, and the stories of survivors drew attention to the precariousness of surviving in the weeks, months and years after the hurricane.

Neysha Irizarry Ortiz’s premature son was born in a makeshift clinic with no electricity three weeks after the hurricane. Luis G. Flores López watched his father grow sicker and sicker as he desperately prayed for the reopening of the dialysis clinic so that he could receive life-saving treatment. A month passed before a government or non-profit agency came to check on Windy Díaz Díaz, leaving her trapped in her own home with debris blocking her wheelchair ramp.

This natural hurricane disaster was compounded by years of repeated government failures. A perpetually underfunded electricity service could not recover from the damage sustained during the hurricane. FEMA did not succeed of its stated goals – instead of appropriating gasoline and moving it from local stations to sites it deemed essential, leaving nothing for private cars or generators.

FEMA also redirected food shipments that failed to reach many rural communities or urban neighborhoods and failed to provide shelter to those who had lost their homes. The organization and delivery of relief was so chaotic that the stocks of potable water and goods warehouses are yet to be discovered.

Puerto Rico’s colonial history forms the backdrop for the hurricane disaster

Puerto Rico’s complex colonial roots also shaped the hurricane’s aftermath and delayed recovery. In the 21st century, the US Congress allowed laws that were enacted to stimulate the economy to expire. In 2016, the PROMESA Act established an external financial management and oversight board to oversee all aspects of the governance of Puerto Rico related to finance.

Harmful austerity measures promulgated by this council created an ongoing humanitarian crisis, accelerated mass migration from Puerto Rico to the continental United States, and jeopardized the archipelago’s medical care, education and infrastructure. These actions are just one step in the process of multigenerational colonization that has positioned the people of Puerto Rico as second class citizens who cannot vote for the president, do not have a voting representative in Congress, and do not receive equal funding for social protection programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, HUD and SNAP / NAP, among others.

The precariousness continues to this day. In December 2019, a earthquake swarm—More than 9,000 earthquakes to date — have started off the southwest coast of the main island, forcing thousands to flee their homes, and in 2020 the governor declared state of emergency due to drought and water shortages.

In a single example of “catastrophe capitalism”, Puerto Rico’s power grid was recently privatized and, as of June 1, 2021, is managed by Luma energy, an American and Canadian company. Since the takeover, Luma has laid off scores of line workers to cut expenses, set up English-only customer service, suffered a cyberattack that crashed the customer service portal and damaged Costa Sur power plant. by earthquakes, failed, causing a huge network. failure. Combined problems have led Luma to institute continuous blackouts during the height of the hurricane season, affecting hospitals and medical care across the archipelago.

These problems with the electricity grid add a layer of complication to surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, as many people do not have a stable home in which to take shelter, running water necessary for washing their hands or the electricity needed to power a house. .

Speaking of his underserved neighborhood, La Perla, in San Juan, Lorel Cubano Santiago, whose story is featured in Mi Maria– believes that “the lack of help here is systemic – it is intentional”. Expressing her concerns about gentrification, she said: “Our people have been systematically mistreated their entire lives. No one is going to help our community because La Perla is coveted. She added, “If no help comes here, people are hoping it will be abandoned, so they can just buy it.”

Mutual assistance in the absence of government assistance

Despite widespread government failures around Hurricane María, we have repeatedly seen communities rise up to take care of each other. Grassroots organizations and mutual aid efforts brought people together to cook community meals, care for children and the elderly, rebuild shelters, provide first aid and pool funds.

Cubano Santiago and his neighbors took it upon themselves to feed, clean up and organize La Perla after the hurricane. Neighbors sharing with each other – and with strangers – became friends through acts of kindness.

When reading individual first-person accounts in Mi Maria, several links between survivor stories emerge, fostering a better understanding of the continued failures of government services across the archipelago and of the strength of those affected.

The Wider Meaning of Survivor Stories

Puerto Rico is at the forefront of the global climate emergency, as the latest IPCC report and recent storms such as Hurricane Ida are intensifying. The ways in which these oral histories demonstrate community responses to disasters are applicable to other places in the world that are also affected by climate change.

These stories of government neglect and second-class citizenship in the face of a climate catastrophe remind us of the systems of marginalization, colonial practice and institutionalized racism that many communities on the front lines of the climate emergency face and will face. The book’s title, Mi Maria, emphasizes the need to reappropriate the narrative of Hurricane María and Puerto Rico from the government or the media to the people who experienced this disaster. Who tells the story matters.

The Mi Maria The collection is a start and not an end, as there are countless more stories to tell. Four years after Hurricane María, it is high time to listen.

Ricia Anne Chansky Sancinito

is a professor in the Department of English at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez, where she directs the Oral History Laboratory. It focuses on Puerto Rico, disasters, climate and the environment. Recent publications include Mi María: Surviving the Storm, Voices from Puerto Rico (Haymarket 2021) and America Untied: Unraveling National Identity in the Twenty-first Century (Wisconsin 2022). She has won numerous awards for her climate justice project, “Mi María: Puerto Rico after the Hurricane”.

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Republicans crash into debt limit deadlock despite Democrats’ efforts to turn up the pressure

by Jacob C. on September 21, 2021

Senate Republicans are firmly resisting an increase in the federal debt limit, even as Democratic leaders on Monday announced they would tie the increase in the borrowing limit to a must-have government funding measure.

Government funding is due to expire in late September, and administration officials predict that the United States could default on its credit in the coming weeks. The White House has warned that an unprecedented default could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger a recession.

For weeks, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has opposed support for an increase in the debt ceiling, arguing that Democrats, who control both houses of Congress, should be held accountable for the move. But Senate Democrats have worked with Republicans under the Trump administration to raise the debt ceiling on several occasions, and they have said it is a bipartisan responsibility.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday sought to increase pressure on Republicans by tying the increase in the federal spending cap to a resolution to keep government open beyond an imminent end of the exercise. This resolution includes aid to Afghan refugees and emergency funding for natural disaster relief.

“The American people expect our fellow Republicans to shoulder their responsibilities and pay off the debts they proudly helped incur,” the executives wrote in a statement, highlighting $ 908 billion in COVID relief legislation. dollars passed under former President Donald Trump.

Moments after the Democratic announcement that the two measures would be linked, McConnell threw cold water on the plan. In his remarks on the ground Monday afternoon, he doubled down on his long-standing opposition to raising the debt ceiling.

Republicans would support an extension of government funding, McConnell said, but not if that includes raising the debt ceiling.

“Since Democrats have decided to go it alone, they will not get help from Republicans in the Senate to raise the debt ceiling,” McConnell said Monday.

Almost all Senate Republicans are behind McConnell, vowing to vote against a limit increase because they oppose the massive additional spending measures Democrats are currently working to craft.

Their biggest opposition is to a $ 3.5 trillion spending measure that encompasses many items on President Joe Biden’s agenda and that is exempt from the normal 60-vote Senate threshold. Democrats can pass it without any GOP support, and an increase in the limit should be tied to this bill, Republicans argue.

Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Monday that his vote on raising the debt ceiling would be “absolutely no.”

“Democrats say they don’t need our votes to spend the money they want to spend, but they need our votes to pay for it,” Romney said. “This dog will not hunt.

“I will not consent to anything that allows Chuck Schumer and the Democrats to bankrupt our children,” said Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joining a chorus of other Republicans who also said on Monday that they would not support not a stopgap for government funding that includes an increase in the debt ceiling.

Democratic whip Dick Durbin accused Republicans of being politically motivated in their opposition and said they did not take responsibility for their actions.

“I certainly hope Senator McConnell does not harm America and its economy through an act of political spite,” Durbin said. “If he doesn’t stand up and take responsibility for the things he and his members have stood for in the Trump administration, it shows that this is a totally political effort.”

But in a hurry to find out what the Democrats would do if the Republican opposition held out, Durbin was frank: “I don’t know”.

The House is expected to vote on Tuesday to raise the debt limit and fund the government, after the Rules Committee considers the matter. Schumer said Democrats in the Senate would hold a vote to increase the limit in the coming weeks, but without at least 10 Republicans to back the measure, there’s not much to do other than include it in the $ 3.5 trillion package. If the United States defaults on its debt in the coming weeks, this will be the first time in history that this has happened. The creditworthiness of the United States would suffer and the markets could be seriously affected.

At least one Republican, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, said he would vote with Democrats on the measure because it would include hurricane relief for his home state. However, he predicted that the bill would still fall short of 60 votes.

As they grapple with a looming government funding deadline and potential credit default, Democratic lawmakers also disagree on how to advance their $ 3.5 trillion social policy agenda and the deal. bipartite on Senate infrastructure.

Progressives have pledged to withhold votes in the House for the Senate infrastructure deal until their political demands are met for the larger package. But moderates in the House and Senate have threatened to sink Biden’s core set of policies on his scale and individual dispositions.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney, DN.Y., said of the to-do list in Congress. “I don’t know how this will end.”

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On The Money – Democrats dare GOP to vote shutdown, by default

by Jacob C. on September 20, 2021

Happy Monday and welcome to On The Money, your evening guide to everything related to your bills, your bank account and your results. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-inscription.

The big deal today: Democrats are upping the ante on the tax chicken game. We’ll also see how Wall Street reacts to worrying work for global markets and President BidenJoe BidenCapitol’s fencing begins to drop after ‘Justice for J6′ rally Senate MP rejects Democrats’ immigration plan Biden pushes Democrats back on taxes MOREpressure on taxes.

But first, some elements adjacent to social justice ice cream news.

For The Hill, I’m Sylvan Lane. Email me at [email protected] or @SylvanLane. You can reach my colleagues from the Finance team Naomi Jagoda at [email protected] or @NJagoda and Aris Folley at [email protected] Where @ArisFolley.

Let’s go.

Democrats aim to suspend debt ceiling with bill to avoid government shutdown

House Democrats will combine a short-term government spending bill with a debt limit suspension, a package expected to fall to the ground this week, the president said Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiBiden pushes Democrats back on taxes Yarmuth and Clyburn suggest .5T package could be lightened From partisan fights and follies, or why Democrats should follow Manchin, not Sanders MORE (D-Calif.) Announced Monday.

The move comes after weeks of debate over how best to increase the government’s borrowing limit and avoid default in the face of opposition from Senate Republicans, who are threatening to oppose the measure in protest. President Biden’s spending plans.

Combining the increased debt limit with the continuing resolution, which will extend government funding until December, Pelosi dares Senate Minority Leader Mitch mcconnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump Seeks Challenger For McConnell As Senate GOP Leader: President Budget Report: Tackling Debt Ceiling “A Ridiculous Position To Be” Buckle Your Belt For More Trump, With The kind permission of the Democratic Party MORE (R-Ky.) To sink the package and risk a government shutdown on October 1.

Mike Lillis from The Hill explains here.

The background: Congress has until Oct. 1 to pass a short-term funding bill to avoid a shutdown and a few weeks later to raise the federal debt ceiling. While Republicans should support the former, they have ruled out supporting an increase in the debt ceiling and want Democrats to do so through the budget reconciliation process, which would take time on the ground and scold their huge debt ceiling. expenses.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Made this clear in remarks in the Senate shortly after Pelosi and Schumer’s announcement.

“Senate Republicans would support a clean, ongoing resolution that included appropriate disaster relief and targeted aid to Afghans. We will not support legislation that increases the debt ceiling ”, McConnell said of the Senate floor.

What shall we do now? Unless Republicans abandon their position en masse for some unknown reason, the bill to be passed by the House is likely to die in the Senate, meaning Congress will have to pass a “clean” RC by October. After this point, who knows?

Learn more about the debt ceiling battle: Five questions and answers on the fight against the debt ceiling

LEAD THE DAY

Stocks crash as debt ceiling deadlock, global threats scare Wall Street

Stocks closed with losses on Monday as numerous concerns about the strength of the economy led to a wide sell-off on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed with a loss of 593 points on Monday, falling 1.7% after losing as much as 900 points earlier.
The Nasdaq composite closed with a loss of 2.2% and the S&P 500 index closed with a loss of 1.7%, each also gaining ground before the closing bell.

Why?

Investors and analysts attributed Monday’s sell-off to a flurry of concerns over the global economy, including the potential economic impact of the delta variant and how it could affect the Federal Reserve’s plans to reduce stimulus measures.
The gradual collapse of Chinese real estate giant Evergrande, which investors fear could cause a larger credit crunch in China, has also weighed on the market.

“Investors are eager for a significant pullback in the stock market. Now we could finally get one, ”wrote Lindsey Bell, chief investment strategist for Ally Invest.

AN IMPRESSIVE TIME

Biden pushes back Democrats on taxes

President Biden is pushing to prevent Congressional Democrats from reduce his tax proposals, as lawmakers work on a $ 3.5 trillion social spending program to advance the president’s economic agenda.

The White House and Congressional Democrats both want to raise taxes on the wealthy and businesses, and strengthen law enforcement, to fund investments in areas such as child care, health care and the climate. .

But legislation that the House Ways and Means Committee approved on Wednesday raised some taxes less than what Biden had previously proposed, and left out some of Biden’s proposals.

It remains to be seen whether the administration can get lawmakers to be more aggressive about raising and enforcing taxes, given the slim Democrats’ majority in Congress. Naomi explain why here.

NOTHING BETTER THAN BEING AT HOME

Biden administration launches new national initiative to tackle homelessness

The Biden administration on Monday launched a new national initiative to tackle homelessness, which will work with local governments to help those suffering from the national housing crisis.

The initiative, dubbed “House America,” will call on heads of government in cities, counties, states and tribes across the country to publicly commit to reducing homelessness in their regions.

The federal government will then provide advice and support to help local jurisdictions provide permanent housing for homeless people and build new affordable housing options for those in difficulty, according to Bloomberg.

Good to know

The pharmaceutical industry is in on the verge of defeat a major Democratic proposal that would allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices.

Here’s what else we have on our minds:

A group of Senate Democrats are calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop new rules to protect data confidentiality in a context of stalled progress on a national framework.
The progressive group Tax March announced on Monday that it was leading a new $ 2 million campaign to pressure GOP lawmakers in major states and districts to support President Biden’s economic agenda.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading and check out The Hill’s Finances page for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow.

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Federal Court Should Review Constitutionality of Vaccine Warrants in Puerto Rico Case

by Jacob C. on September 20, 2021

On Tuesday, a federal court in Puerto Rico will hear arguments over the constitutionality of the territory’s vaccination mandate for public employees. The case, Rodriguez Velez and. Al. V. Pierluisi-Urrutia, represents the first time that a federal court will rule on the constitutionality of a government mandate. And while the outcome of tomorrow’s hearing has no precedent-setting, an appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals will surely follow, whoever wins, making this case a case to watch. Here’s what you need to know.

First things first: Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and for the purposes of the issue – the constitutionality of the vaccination mandate – they have the same rights under the U.S. Constitution as citizens. of the fifty states. Like states, which also have their own constitutions, Puerto Ricans also enjoy protection guaranteed by the constitution of Puerto Rico. While the lawsuit alleges violations of both constitutions, of national interest, this will be how federal courts interpret the US Constitution.

The vaccination mandate in question in Rodriguez Vélez came in the form of a decree signed by Puerto Rican Governor Pedro Pierluisi on July 28, 2021. Decree 58 spanned fourteen pages, the first nine of which recited in numerous paragraphs “WAITING” for the details of the pandemic of COVID-19 and various statements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, as well as identifying current precedents on vaccination mandates. The mandate then ordered: “all public bodies of executive power [to] require employees who work in person, except as otherwise provided below, to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. “

Employees exempt from the mandate include people with weakened immune systems or those allergic to vaccines or with another medical condition that makes the vaccine unsafe for employees. The decree also provides for a religious exemption, but requires the employee to provide an affidavit signed by the employee and their minister attesting under penalty of perjury that they reject the vaccine on the basis of their religious beliefs.

Curiously, while the decree only provides for two exemptions from the vaccination mandate, the section titled “refusal of vaccination” allows government employees to refuse vaccines if they provide either proof of a positive COVID-19 test from all three. months, as well as documents establishing that they have recovered, or undergo weekly COVID-19 tests, within 72 hours of the start of the Monday work week. Employees exempted due to a health condition or religious belief must also submit to the weekly COVID-19 test, in the absence of proof of a COVID diagnosis within 3 months.

After the governor issued the executive decree, four employees of the executive agency filed a lawsuit, seeking a preliminary injunction prohibiting the execution of the vaccination warrant, claiming, in essence, that the warrant violated their rights. of “substantive due process”, namely their interest in liberty “in their personal autonomy, bodily integrity and medical choice”, and their “right not to undergo a medical test for a virus”.

While there are aspects of this case that make the situation in Puerto Rico unique, namely the territory’s limited medical resources for testing, the basic issues facing the court on Tuesday are the same that all courts will have to resolve to rule on the challenges. vaccination. mandates: whether there is an interest in the freedom to refuse vaccination and, if so, what standard must a state meet to justify the mandate.

Here the focus will be on the Supreme Court’s decision in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 US 11 (1905). In Jacobson, the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of a Massachusetts law that allowed local city boards of health to require vaccination of adults, with violators facing a fine of five dollars. In February 1902, the Cambridge Board of Health mandated residents to obtain the smallpox vaccine. After Henning Jacobson refused to be vaccinated, he was prosecuted and fined in the statutory amount of $ 5.00. Jacobson then challenged the constitutionality of mandatory vaccinations.

The Supreme Court in Jacobson ruled that Massachusetts had acted within its “state police power” to enact a mandatory vaccination law and that it was not for the courts to consider whether vaccination is the best way to prevent smallpox and protect public health. The Jacobson The court’s analysis included several passages important to the current issue of the constitutionality of COVID-19 warrants.

First, the Court noted that a state’s policing power extends to “reasonable regulations established directly by law that will protect public health and safety,” adding that this power can be delegated to local authorities. The Supreme Court then considered Jacobson’s argument that his constitutional right to liberty outweighed the vaccine’s mandate. The Court rejected this argument, stating that “the freedom guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States to everyone within its jurisdiction does not matter an absolute right of each person to be, at all times and in all circumstances, completely free from any constraint “.

Jacobson also considered the argument that there was some disagreement over whether the vaccine argument prevented smallpox or caused other diseases. The Supreme Court rejected this argument, noting that “the fact that the belief is not universal is not determinative, because there is hardly any belief that is accepted by everyone”. Further, “the possibility that the belief may be false, and that science may still show it to be false, is inconclusive, for the legislature has the right to pass laws which, according to the common belief of the people, are adapted to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

This precedent puts the plaintiffs in the Puerto Rico case in a difficult position. Applicants seek to circumvent detention Jacobson, emphasizing the evolution of constitutional law since the judges rendered this decision in the early 1900s. They also point out the relatively minor consequence of the violation of the vaccination warrant, a fine of five dollars, which, even in dollars d ‘today, is of no consequence to the requirement that unvaccinated employees undergo (and pay for) weekly COVID-19 tests or, in essence, drop out. their jobs.

Here, the complainants point out that, given Puerto Rico’s limited healthcare resources, weekly testing may not even be possible. They also note that instead of requiring vaccinations, the government could allow remote working arrangements. Employees further stress that the reasons set out in the decree to justify the vaccination mandate do not make sense from a factual standpoint given the already high vaccination rates.

Tuesday’s hearing will provide insight into the correctness of those arguments, but given the Seventh Circuit Appeals Court’s refusal to stay, pending appeal, Indiana University’s vaccination mandate for students based on Jacobson, it will likely take a trip to the Supreme Court for citizens to successfully challenge a government-implemented vaccination mandate – even if there is little justification for the mandate and even when the incompetence of the State (or territory) limits the availability of COVID-19 testing.

Puerto Rico’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its draconian vaccination mandates are further evidence of government incompetence, said Jorge L. Rodriguez, CEO and founder of the newly formed company. Puerto Rico Institute for Economic Freedom (“ILE”), which manages the dispute.

“The lack of institutional capacity of the government of Puerto Rico demonstrates once again how this can have a negative impact on the well-being of the people of Puerto Rico,” he told me.

In addition to the lawsuit challenging the EO requiring vaccinations for public employees, the ILE, through Advocate General Arturo Bauermeister, is pursuing the EO’s vaccination mandate for private employers. Rodriquez tells me that Puerto Rico is the only U.S. jurisdiction that has established a vaccination mandate for the private sector, with only a few cities trying to require COVID vaccines and those limited to restaurants and bars.

“Puerto Rico’s vaccine mandates, enforced through a series of endless continuous executive orders, are the most extreme policies of any U.S. jurisdiction at this point in the pandemic,” said Ilya Shapiro, vice president constitutional studies at the Cato Institute. , who advises lawyers prosecuting Puerto Rico. “It’s bizarre, because the Commonwealth is doing both better on all measures related to COVID than almost any other state or territory and has less institutional capacity for vaccination and testing.”

It might be weird, but is it constitutional? The case heard on Tuesday, because it involves the most extreme government action and is one of the most advanced litigation cases, may well be the landmark case that reaffirms or overrides Jacobson, so stay tuned.

Margot Cleveland is a senior contributor to The Federalist. Cleveland has served for almost 25 years as a permanent legal assistant to a federal appellate judge and is a former full-time faculty member and assistant instructor at the University of Notre Dame College of Commerce. The views expressed herein are those of Cleveland in a private capacity.

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US launches mass deportation of Haitian migrants from Texas

by Jacob C. on September 20, 2021

DEL RIO, Texas (AP) – The United States returns Haitians encamped in a Texas border town to their home country and prevents others from crossing the border into Mexico in a massive show of force that signals the start of this which could be one of the fastest in America, massive expulsions of migrants or refugees in decades.

More than 320 migrants arrived in Port-au-Prince on three flights on Sunday, and Haiti said six flights were expected on Tuesday. In total, US authorities have decided to deport many of the more than 12,000 migrants camped around a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after passing through the city of Ciudad Acuña, Mexico.

The United States plans to start seven deportation flights a day on Wednesday, four to Port-au-Prince and three to Cap-Haitien, according to a US official who has not been authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Flights will continue to depart from San Antonio, but authorities could add El Paso, the official said.

The only obvious parallel for such a deportation without the possibility of seeking asylum was in 1992 when the coast guard intercepted Haitian refugees at sea, said Yael Schacher, senior United States lawyer at Refugees International, whose studies of doctoral studies focused on the history of American asylum law.

Likewise, large numbers of Mexicans were sent home during the peak years of immigration, but by land and not so suddenly.

Central Americans have also crossed the border in comparable numbers without facing mass deportations, although Mexico has agreed to accept them from the United States under pandemic-related authority in effect since March 2020. The Mexico does not accept expelled Haitians or people of other nationalities abroad. from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

When the border was closed on Sunday, migrants first found other means to cross nearby until confronted with federal and state law enforcement. An Associated Press reporter saw Haitian immigrants still crossing the river to the United States about 1.5 miles east of the previous point, but they were eventually stopped by border patrol officers on horseback and Texas law enforcement officials.

As they crossed, some Haitians carried crates full of food on their heads. Some took off their pants before entering the river and took them away. Others weren’t afraid to get wet.

Officers shouted at the waist-deep migrants crossing the river to get out of the water. The few hundred who had crossed successfully and were sitting along the bank on the American side were sent to the Del Rio camp. “Go now,” the officers shouted. Mexican officials aboard an airboat told others who were trying to cross back to Mexico.

Migrant Charlie Jean had returned from the camps in Ciudad Acuña to collect food for his wife and three daughters, aged 2, 5 and 12. He was waiting on the Mexican side for a restaurant to bring him an order for rice.

“We need food for every day. I can do without it, but my kids can’t, ”said Jean, who had lived in Chile for five years before starting the journey north to the United States. It was not known if he had returned to the camp.

Mexico announced on Sunday that it would also begin to deport Haitians to their homeland. A government official said the flights would come from towns close to the US border and the border with Guatemala, where the largest group remains.

Haitians have migrated to the United States in large numbers from South America for several years, many having left their Caribbean countries after a devastating earthquake in 2010. After jobs have dried up since the Olympic Games d he summer of 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, many made the dangerous journey by foot, bus and car to the US border, including through the infamous Darien Gap, a Panamanian jungle.

Some migrants from Del Rio camp said the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti and the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse made them fearful of returning to a country that seemed more unstable than when they left.

“In Haiti, there is no security,” said Fabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived in Texas with his wife and two daughters. “The country is in a political crisis.

Since Friday, 3,300 migrants have already been evacuated from the Del Rio camp to planes or detention centers, border patrol chief Raul L. Ortiz said on Sunday. He expected 3,000 of the approximately 12,600 remaining migrants to be moved within the day and aimed for the rest to be gone within the week.

“We are working around the clock to quickly move migrants out of the heat, elements and under this bridge to our processing facilities to quickly process and remove individuals from the United States in accordance with our laws and policies,” Ortiz said at a press conference at the Del Rio Bridge. The Texas city of about 35,000 people is located approximately 230 kilometers west of San Antonio.

Six flights were planned in Haiti on Tuesday – three in Port-au-Prince and three in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, said Jean Négot Bonheur Delva, director of migration for Haiti.

The swift deportations were made possible by a pandemic-related authority adopted by former President Donald Trump in March 2020 that allows migrants to be immediately deported from the country without the ability to seek asylum. President Joe Biden exempted unaccompanied children from the order but left the rest in place.

Any Haitian who is not deported is subject to immigration laws, which include the right to seek asylum and other forms of humanitarian protection. Families are quickly released in the United States as the government generally cannot detain children.

Some people arriving on the first flight covered their heads as they entered a large bus parked next to the plane. Dozens of people lined up to receive a plate of rice, beans, chicken and plantains as they wondered where they would sleep and how they would earn money to support their families.

All received $ 100 and have been tested for COVID-19, although authorities have not planned to quarantine them, said Marie-Lourde Jean-Charles of the National Migration Office.

Gary Monplaisir, 26, said his parents and sister live in Port-au-Prince, but that he was not sure he would stay with them because to join their home, him, his wife and their daughter. 5-year-olds would pass through a gang-controlled area called Martissant where murders are rife.

“I’m scared,” he said. “I don’t have a plan.”

He moved to Chile in 2017, just as he was about to earn an accounting degree, to work as a tow truck driver. He then paid for his wife and daughter to join him. They tried to reach the United States because he thought he could find a better paying job and help his family in Haiti.

“We are always looking for better opportunities,” he said.

Some migrants said they plan to leave Haiti again as soon as possible. Valeria Ternission, 29, said she and her husband wanted to travel with their 4-year-old son to Chile, where she worked as a cashier in a bakery.

“I am really worried, especially for the child,” she said. “I can’t do anything here.”

___

Lozano reported from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, Sanon from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Spagat from San Diego. Associated Press editors Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Maria Verza in Mexico City also contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

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US closes part of Texas border and begins repatriating Haitians

by Jacob C. on September 19, 2021

DEL RIO, Texas (AP) – The United States acted on Sunday to stem the flow of migrants to Texas by blocking the Mexican border in a remote town where thousands of Haitian refugees have set up camp, and US authorities have started to repatriate some migrants. to their homeland.

About a dozen Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles lined up near the bridge and river where Haitians crossed from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico to Del Rio, Texas for nearly three weeks.

The migrants first found other ways to cross nearby until they were confronted with federal and state law enforcement. An Associated Press reporter saw Haitian immigrants still crossing the river to the United States about 1.5 miles east of the previous point, but they were eventually stopped by border patrol officers on horseback and Texas law enforcement officials.

As they crossed, some Haitians carried crates full of food on their heads. Some took off their pants before entering the river and took them away. Others weren’t afraid to get wet.

“In Haiti, there is no security,” said Fabricio Jean, a 38-year-old Haitian who arrived in Texas with his wife and two daughters. “The country is in a political crisis.

Border patrol chief Raul L. Ortiz said on Sunday that 3,300 migrants had already been evacuated from Del Rio camp to planes or detention centers, and he expects 3,000 of the approximately 12,600 migrants remainder are moved during the day. The rest should be gone within a week, he said. The first three planes left San Antonio for Port-au-Prince on Sunday, the first arriving in the afternoon.

Meanwhile in Haiti, three flights landed at Port-au-Prince airport, each carrying 145 people.

Families arriving on the first flight held the children by the hand or carried them as they exited, and some of the 145 deportees covered their heads as they boarded a large bus parked next to the plane. Dozens of people lined up to receive a plate of rice, beans, chicken and plantains as they wondered where they would sleep and how they would earn money to support their families.

All those deported received $ 100 and were tested for COVID-19, although authorities did not plan to quarantine them, said Marie-Lourde Jean-Charles of the National Migration Office.

“I’m scared,” he said. “I don’t have a plan.”

“We are always looking for better opportunities,” he said.

“I am really worried, especially for the child,” she said. “I can’t do anything here.”

A Haitian political leader asked on Sunday if the nation can handle an influx of returning migrants and said the government should stop the repatriation.

“We have the situation in the south with the earthquake. The economy is a disaster, (and) there are no jobs, ”Election Minister Mathias Pierre said, adding that most Haitians cannot meet basic needs. “The Prime Minister should negotiate with the US government to stop these deportations at this time of crisis.”

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Follow AP’s coverage of migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

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Puerto Rico, four years after Hurricane Maria, far from recovering.

by Jacob C. on September 19, 2021

Memories of the survival of Hurricane Maria still haunt the people of Puerto Rico, four years after the storm wreaked havoc on U.S. territory on September 20, 2017.

There are reminders of the destruction, with thousands of homes, many of which are still covered in blue tarps, yet to be repaired. Constant power cuts are a reminder to Puerto Ricans that essential work to modernize the dilapidated power grid decimated by Maria has yet to begin. The deterioration of school buildings, roads, bridges and even health facilities indicates a slow reconstruction process that has not yet picked up its pace.

A new analysis by the Center for a New Economy, a Puerto Rico-based non-partisan think tank, argues that post-hurricane reconstruction is just one of three “system shocks” – along with the Covid-19 pandemic and the decade-long financial crisis – which challenge Puerto Rico.

On reconstruction, some of the most important work, which includes “undertaking mitigation activities to increase resilience and reduce risk exposure of vulnerable populations – has yet to begin,” according to analysis.

Hurricane Maria caused $ 90 billion in damage and Congress allocated at least $ 63 billion for disaster relief and recovery. Four years later, around 71% of these funds have not reached the communities of the island archipelago. Puerto Rico received around $ 18 billion, according to FEMA Recovery Support Function Steering Group.

According to Sergio Marxuach, CNE policy director and author of the analysis, the Oversight and Budget Management Board overseeing Puerto Rico’s finances has said the bulk of reconstruction aid is expected to come after fiscal 2025. .

Blue tarps distributed by FEMA cover several roofs two years after Hurricane Maria hit the island of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 18, 2019.Ricardo Arduengo / AFP – Getty Images file

Created under the Obama administration under the Promesa Act of 2016, the Federal Tax Board is tasked with restructuring Puerto Rico’s $ 72 billion public debt after U.S. laws arbitrarily excluded US territory from the Federal Bankruptcy Code. This has resulted in severe austerity measures as Puerto Rico tries to revive its economic growth.

The precarious financial situation has become more complicated as worsening crises such as a series of destructive earthquakes in early 2020 followed by the Covid-19 pandemic have made life more difficult for the 3.2 million Puerto Ricans living on the territory.

Puerto Rico has so far made up about two-thirds of the loss of economic activity resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. But Marxuach said it was important to remain cautious about the relatively rapid recovery, as it is largely attributed to a recent injection of federal aid linked to the pandemic.

“It is worrying that short-term economic growth depends primarily on receiving federal transfers over which we do not control,” Marxuach said in the report. “We are concerned that these expenditures may have a temporary positive impact on the economy that may delay efforts. To develop a medium / long term economic strategy or plan for Puerto Rico.”

Puerto Rico is expected to receive $ 43.5 billion in federal aid related to Covid-19 by fiscal 2023, according to the Fiscal Oversight and Management Board.

Power 4 Puerto Rico, a coalition of national organizations from the United States, is lobbying the federal government to address structural factors hampering recovery in the short and long term. They are also working to strengthen the infrastructure of the United States, reduce its debt as part of the restructuring process and increase transparency and accountability.

Coalition urges President Joe Biden and his administration to address issues he vowed to undertake during his campaign.

According to a fact sheet written by Power 4 Puerto Rico and shown in advance to NBC News, Biden has kept some campaign promises, including releasing previously blocked hurricane aid and reviving a White House task force in Puerto Rico to advance reconstruction efforts on the island. ‘Isle.

But he has yet to order a review of the federal tax council’s fiscal austerity policy, which he has pledged to do, as well as support a Puerto Rican debt audit and ensure that the recovery funds benefit local businesses.

The Federal Tax Council is promoting structural reforms for Puerto Rico in key areas such as social protection, energy and ease of doing business, “which it says will have a cumulative positive impact equal to 0.75% of GNP by fiscal year 2026 “. Marxuach said in the report.

But Marxuach points out “that it is not clear, however, whether the government of Puerto Rico has the capacity to implement these policies” and whether they will have the economic impact predicted by the board.

To follow NBC Latino to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Nicole Acevedo is a reporter for NBC News Digital. She reports, writes and produces stories for NBC Latino and NBCNews.com.

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