Dollars and Sense, a News is my Business podcast

In an exclusive interview with News is my Business, attorneys from Littler Mendelson, a global legal firm specializing on workplace solutions related to labor and employment laws, and its local partners at Schuster LLC discussed how the new labor trends are affecting not just companies across the US mainland, but also in Puerto Rico.

President Joe Biden visited Puerto Rico on Monday, Oct. 3 to get first-hand insight on the devastation caused by Hurricane Fiona and the federal government's plans to help in recovery efforts, specifically regarding the island's energy grid and other infrastructure.

During a recent visit, the US Department of Labor's Deputy Secretary, Julie Su, sat down exclusively with Dollars & Sense to offer her take on what needs to happen in Puerto Rico's job market, calling for an alignment among academia, the government and the private sector to make progress.

The Transportation Security Administration is implementing new logistics at the Luis Muñoz Marín Int'l airport to expedite passenger movement while keeping a close watch on safety. 

What are the implications and benefits for travelers during this busy summer season?

Check out the interview, then LIKE and SHARE!

In this episode, Matt Miller, president of HMS Puerto Rico and Rick Newman, president of Puerto Rico Fast Ferries, provide their views on the status of the ferry service connecting Puerto Rico with Vieques and Culebra, and expectations for coming months. The Maritime Transportation Authority, the government entity responsible for the service, did not return requests for an interview.

In this episode, attorneys Vito Gagliardi, Bill Hughes and Luis Rivera-Marín discuss plans for the Porzio, Bromberg & Newman law firm, which recently opened a practice in Puerto Rico, where it plans to expand its reach and that of its Porzio Life Sciences subsidiary. 

The firm seeks to provide legal, business and commercial compliance solutions in the region, zeroing in on the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry. The attorneys also said they will work with Act 20/22 beneficiaries in Puerto Rico in their affairs with the Internal Revenue Service. 

Tune in!

We sat down with Jorge Pérez, regional manager of ASM Global, the company that manages four important entertainment venues in Puerto Rico — the Puerto Rico Coliseum (known as the "Choliseo"), the Convention Center, the majestic Antiguo Casino, and the soon-to-open Coca Cola Music Hall — about expectations of the restart of events as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are eased. TUNE IN! 

Check out our newest episode in which we chat with Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport CEO Jorge Hernández about the impact of COVID-19 on travel over the past year, and the road to recovery ahead. LISTEN! SHARE! RATE US!

It has been a little more than a month since the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnership Authority announced that LUMA Energy had been chosen to operate, maintain and modernize the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s electricity transmission and distribution system for the next 15 years.

Since then, there has been much talk from different sectors in Puerto Rico concerned about what’s to come.

So, with that said, News is my Business sat down with LUMA Energy CEO Wayne K. Stensby to talk about aspects related to the agreement and how it will affect consumers, as well as the "behind-the-scenes" of the deal.

Ten days after Hurricane María slammed into Puerto Rico in September 2017, Paseo Caribe resumed operation of its oceanfront mixed-use complex. And despite challenges such as the exit of tenants from El Mercado food court and its retail areas, operator CPG Island Servicing continues to bet on the local market and is working again to establish a connection between the property and locals and tourists, through its entertainment and gastronomy options.

Sam Kirschner, president of CPG Island Servicing, sat down with Dollars & Sense to discuss those topics, as well as Paseo Caribe’s expectations about the upcoming opening of the El Distrito entertainment venue across the way in Miramar.

Aurelio Alemán, CEO of First BanCorp., the parent company of  FirstBank, explained what the acquisition of Banco Santander’s assets in  Puerto Rico will represent for the market and the financial institution  he heads.

He also went over aspects of the bank’s third quarter results, released a day after the deal was made public.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis is working on establishing a clear picture of Puerto Rico's economy, and laying down a uniform methodology in line with U.S. mainland states and territories, countries across the world.

In this episode of "Dollars & Sense," Kristy Howell, economist with the BEA, provides more insight on the preliminary numbers released this week. Local economist Juan Castañer, from local analysis firm Estudios Técnicos, reacts to the findings.

The Federal Communications Commission today approved $950 million in  funding to improve, expand, and harden communications networks in Puerto  Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Chairman Ajit Pai, who has been front and center of the telecom  recovery efforts for Puerto Rico and the USVI since day one after  Hurricanes Irma and María hit in September 2017, discusses the historic  vote in an exclusive interview with News is my Business.

In this episode of "Dollars & Sense, a News is my Business podcast"  we sat down with Rod Miller, CEO of Invest Puerto Rico, the recently  launched independent entity responsible for promoting the island in the  international business community.

Today’s special episode features interviews with representatives from Puerto Rico’s private sector to discuss the events of the last week, when six people with ties to Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s administration were arrested on corruption charges, as well as the contents of nearly 900 pages of a chat on Telegram involving the governor and a group of his tightest collaborators were revealed. 

The lineup of interviewees is:

1. Tomás Ramírez, representative of Puerto Rico’s small inns — or paradores — tourism sector;
2. Jorge Argüelles, president of the Puerto Rico United Retailers Association;
3. Jay Fonseca, attorney and news analyst;
4. Kenneth Rivera, Certified Public Accountant and past president of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce;
5. José Joaquín Villamil, economist and founder of the Estudios Técnicos analysis firm; and,
6. José Ledesma, president of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.

At Dollars and Sense, we wanted to know the effects of these situations on Puerto Rico’s current and future business and investment climate. These were their thoughts.

In this special “Throwback Thursday” edition of our podcast series, we re-visit our exclusive  interview with Sir Richard Branson, who took shelter in Puerto Rico —  with most of his family and staff — after Hurricane Irma ravaged the  British Virgin Islands and his property on Necker Island in September  2017.

This is the first time News is my Business has released the audio of this interview, done at a lobby of a hotel in Isla Verde.

Soraya Correa, chief procurement officer of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Antonio Sosa-Pascual, co-chair of the Puerto Rico Technology Cluster talk about the opportunities for small companies in Puerto Rico to do business with the large federal agency. They spoke about the importance of promoting innovation and entrepreneurial vision in this industry.

Nonprofit organization Causa Local Founder Ana María Cintrón talks  about the mission to provide alternative access to capital for small and  medium  businesses in Puerto Rico. 

Through crowdfunding and loans, local operations like Molcajete Foods  are able to get their businesses off the ground, says Roberto Rivera,  one of the three founding brothers of the Caguas-based manufacturing  operation.

Puerto Rico Information Technology Cluster co-Chairman, Antonio  Sosa-Pascual and Board member José Huyke discuss the agenda for the  upcoming conference that will feature local and international IT  industry leaders talking about Artificial Intelligence, Health  Technology, Cyber ​​Security, Innovation and Business Vision, IT as  Economic Development, among others.

If you like this episode, please rate it and share it! Available for download and on your favorite podcast streaming platform.

Dennis Román, vice president of the Sila M. Calderón Foundation’s Centro para Puerto Rico discusses the nonprofit’s missions and programs  to promote entrepreneurship and self-reliance among the island’s youth  and low-income women.

CPA Rubén Rodríguez, a member of the Puerto Rico Society of CPAs, and  expert on the topic of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), discusses  their benefits to taxpayers in Puerto Rico in our latest podcast  episode.

Liberty Puerto Rico President Naji Khoury says NBCUniversal is holding customers hostage, while no new negotiations are scheduled to solve the matter to get Telemundo, NBC and 13 other channels back on the air. In the meantime, the carrier is offering discounted services and vows to give credit.

Listen to the full interview HERE!

In this episode of Dollar$ and $ense, we share with you information provided during a news conference in San Juan about the agreement reached between the Central Office of Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency (known as COR3) and FEMA for the review and reimbursement approval of federal recovery funds. Heading the news conference were Omar Marrero, executive director of COR3, and Mike Byrne, FEMA's acting Caribbean area division director for disaster operations in Puerto Rico.

U.S. Small Business Administration Regional Administrator Steven Bulger  is visiting the island this week as a curtain raiser to the start of  this year's Emerging Leaders program, which so far has graduated more  than 90 local companies, said SBA District Director for Puerto Rico and  the U.S. Virgin Islands, Yvette T.  Collazo.

Popular Inc.’s fourth quarter 2018 earnings report,  Liberty Puerto Rico announces new plans and rates for 2019, the Puerto Rico Treasury Department announced a moratorium through March on payment plans extended to federal government employees affected by the shutdown.

Oriental Bancorp reported earnings, medicinal cannabis clinics are proliferating quickly in Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics goes to court.

Headlines for Jan. 22.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló sits down with News is my Business  to discuss several pressing economic issues, and the government’s  proposed resolutions.

Here's a summary of the stories appearing in News is my Business today!