Jan. 21, 2020, 10:11 PM UTC/Updated Jan. 21, 2020, 10:35 PM UTC

The decision by Puerto Rico's governor to fire the island's housing secretary just as the U.S. territory is slated to receive some long-awaited hurricane recovery funds is throwing uncertainty into an already complicated process as both sides dispute the motivations behind the ouster.

Gov. Wanda Vzquez fired Housing Secretary Fernando Gil Enseat and two other high-profile officials after residents in the earthquake-hit southern town of Ponce discovered a warehouse full of emergency supplies, some dating back to 2017 when Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory.

His ouster came four days after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ended its yearlong hold on $8.2 billion of hurricane aid funding to help Puerto Rico rebuild hurricane-ravaged homes. The much-needed funds are supposed to be administered by the agency Gil Enseat used to oversee.

The governor accused the three fired officials of not informing her of the existence of warehouses full of emergency supplies.

Gil Enseat has told local news outlets his agency had nothing to do with the supplies found in Ponce. He clarified that his agency is tasked with overseeing emergency supply warehouses in the towns of Cabo Rojo and Ro Piedras, not Ponce, adding that updated information on the inventory of both warehouses was made available to the governor.

The locations of the emergency supply warehouses situated in Ponce and in other towns are included in Puerto Ricos emergency management plan. The plan was signed by Vzquez in August 2019, suggesting that she already knew about the existence of the warehouses before outraged residents broke into the Ponce warehouse last week.

Get a head start on the morning's top stories.

While Vzquez did not elaborate on the circumstances that led her to fire Gil Enseat, she only said he doesnt have my trust due to various circumstances.

But rumors quickly started circulating suggesting that Gil Enseat was fired because of his support for Pedro Pierlusi who is running against Vzquez to become the gubernatorial nominee under the islands pro-statehood party ahead of the elections in November.

On Tuesday afternoon, Vazquez elaborated on what led to his dismissal, saying in a statement that the former housing secretary put at risk the disbursement of the hurricane aid HUD agreed to release last week after holding the funds for over a year.

The governor did not respond to questions from NBC News on how Gil Enseat specifically put the disbursement process at risk. However, the former housing secretary had been critical of HUD for adding a series of last minute restrictions that would significantly limit the way in which Puerto Rico can use the hurricane aid provided through HUDs grant program known as CDBG-DR.

Gil Enseat told Vzquez the restrictions showed the "bad faith of some officials, not all" at HUD and expressed his intention to fight back, according to El Nuevo Da, Puerto Ricos biggest national newspaper.

Vzquez alleges that Gil Enseat did not consult her before making remarks contesting HUDs actions, adding that his intentions go against the public policies her administration seeks to implement and could further delay the disbursement of the funds, she said in a statement in Spanish.

Rep. Nydia Velzquez, D-N.Y., who has been pressuring the administration to release funds it has allocated but not disbursed to Puerto Rico, told NBC News in a statement that "regardless of why the Puerto Rico Housing Secretary was dismissed, the fact remains that the long delayed federal HUD funds need to be released so Puerto Rico may rebuild. I fully hope to see continuity in this process and will keep monitoring to see HUD keeps moving forward.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson tweeted on Sunday that the news coming out of Puerto Rico is disturbing, to say the least. He said it further underscores the importance of the restrictions his agency imposed last week limiting how the island can use HUD money to recover.

Sergio Marxuach, the policy director at the Center for a New Economy (CNE), a nonpartisan think tank, said the restrictions seek to prohibit the use of HUD funds to help fix the islands electrical grid, even though Congress promised $2 billion to rebuild it, and give more power to a new federal financial monitor appointed by HUD in the islands recovery process, among other limitations.

The situation in Puerto Rico is so desperate and the island really needs those funds at any cost," Marxuach said in Spanish. "And they seem to be taking advantage of that, referring to HUD.

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Nicole Acevedo is a staff reporter at NBC News Digital where she reports, writes and producescontent for NBC Latino and NBCNews.com.

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Doubts surface over Puerto Rican governor's motivation to fire housing secretary - NBC News

Its hard to feel motivated after a semester of hard work and tireless effort, and thats what every spring semester feels like. Though winter break is a nice reprieve from back-to-back classes, hours of studying and a nonstop finals week, its no summer. Its not enough time to fully rest, relax and forget about everything going on at Trinity.

But unlike summer, we come back from winter break with the sense of newness and the potential of transformation that comes with the new year. We have resolutions! We have goals for the next 12 months! We have assessed the past year and know how we want to do this one differently. For the most part.

But we also know that those aspirations kind of become inaccessible by month No. 3, and by summertime maybe youll have forgotten them entirely. Its not that those goals have become less important; we just become surrounded by other needs that seem so much more immediate.

Theres the pressure of academics and jobs and a social life. Getting good grades while not overloading yourself, but doing just enough overloading to graduate (with good grades). But at the same time, a new year means a new running schedule or meditating routine or a plan to read more for yourself. By midterms, all the extra ambition that comes with New Years resolutions makes it hard to prioritize yourself and your future, especially when its much easier to marathon a TV series or scroll endlessly on your phone.

That time feels wasted and unproductive, but that shouldnt be the case. Just because your mid-year version of rest (playing games on your phone, color-coordinating your Google calendar or any other form of slight procrastination) isnt your ideal rest the rest you pictured for yourself at the start of January doesnt mean its bad for you.

On page 9, our columnist Nina Loya talks about the importance of recognizing the growing pains that come with college. She emphasizes that this is a time to be kind to yourself and to recognize your personal needs. Not following through with a resolution isnt a failure, but instead an opportunity to recognize new areas for growth. Maybe running five times a week isnt your thing, and completing every book for that English class is just not doable.

As ambitious students surrounded by other ambitious students, its hard not to want to be the best. But sometimes, in a stressful environment like Trinity, your priority should be in being the best to and for yourself rather than for others.

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Sustaining motivation in the new year - The Trinitonian

Feeling a little down these days? If you're having a tougher time than usual rolling out of bed or staying focused on the task at hand, you may be suffering from SAD, or seasonal affective disorder.

It's a type of depression that's related to the changes in seasons. Many people find it affects them in January when days are short and they're unable to be outside in the sun.

An app might not be able to cure you of the symptoms, but the app "Motivation" may help you feel better about yourself and what you're trying to do.

The free app simply sends text-type messages of motivation and encouragement during the day. Things you probably need to hear to get you or keep you going.

Using the app, you can choose the type of messages you'd like to see. You can also self-diagnose any issues you have and tell the app what issues you're facing such as loneliness, loss of a loved one, or depression.

The app also has options for competitive athletes to help them train.

Once you shuffle through all the categories (you can simply choose generic to get going faster), you'll be asked how many messages you'd like to receive during the day. You can choose between 1 and 30 per day. You'll also have the option to turn off message delivery while you're sleeping.

On my first day, I got a message promptly at 7 a.m. to start my day with a quote from an Elvis Presley song. During the rest of the day, I received inspirational and motivational quotes from Zig Ziglar, Rocky, Anatole France and this from Anthony Robbins: "No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying."

I have to admit I began to look forward to incoming motivational quotes and messages.

If you receive one you'd like to share with others, you have the option to choose a graphics theme to dress it up exactly how you want it to appear and then post to your Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts, or email or text them to a friend.

Motivation is a free app in both the Apple App and Google Play stores, but reviews of the free version are critical of intrusive pop-up ads. A premium version without ads is a very reasonable $12 per year.

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What the Tech? App of the day: Motivation | What The Tech? - WFMZ Allentown

Unbeaten Tyrone McCullagh has extra motivation to seize #GoldenContract glory silencing those who have written him off.

Derrys White Chocolate (14-0, 6 KOs) enters the semi-final draw on February 18 alongside British champion Ryan Walsh, world title challenger Jazza Dickens and pre-tournament favourite Leigh Wood.

Although he acknowledges the excellence of his rivals, McCullagh is fully confident of defying underdog status.

McCullagh said: I genuinely believe that out of my three potential opponents, theres not a lot separating them. Theyre all very, very good.

Without a doubt, whoever I get, it will be my toughest opponent to date but Ive always said that the higher the quality of opponent, thats when youll see the best White Chocolate. You havent seen it yet.

On February 21, itll be my finest display. I know a lot of people think Im here to make up the numbers and I dont blame them because Im a super-bantamweight moving up with only 14 fights against those three, who have world title fights etc.

Im happy to wear the tag of the novice in this. I imagine Ill be the underdog whoever I draw. That suits me down to the ground because it takes all the pressure off me.

Ive got a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I have a few people out there I need to prove wrong and thats part of what has motivated me through this camp. I think about going out there and silencing my doubters.

Johnny Nelson said I dont have any power but thats not true I have the first five seasons of it on DVD in my collection. Jokes aside, I have devastating power but I dont want the knockout bonuses because Im not greedy.

The hotly-anticipated final four collisions will take place at York Hall on February 21 alongside the super-lightweight equivalents live on Sky Sports in the UK in association with Matchroom Boxing and on ESPN+ in the US in association with Top Rank.

CLICK HERE FOR #MTKFIGHTNIGHT & #GOLDENCONTRACT TICKETS

Stay up to date at mtkglobal.com and on social media @mtkglobal

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Unbeaten Tyrone McCullagh reveals the source of his extra motivation - British Boxing News

By now, you know the legend of Raheem Mostert after what he did to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

In case you dont, heres a summary of the path the San Francisco 49ers running back took before he ran for 220 yards on 29 carries and scored FOUR times to clinch a Super Bowl berth: the former Purdue RB went undrafted and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015. He was cut, added to their practice squad, then he ended up joining the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Chicago Bears and eventually ended up on the 49ers practice squad before breaking out and signing a three-year, $8.7 million contract in the 2019 offseason.

Now, hes the lead back for a Super Bowl team. And he certainly didnt forget the slights. He said after the NFC championship game that he looks at the dates of those six times he was cut by those teams before every contest:

It reminds me of Draymond Green remembering all the names of the players taken ahead of him in the NBA draft. Pretty good motivation, Id say.

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How the 49ers' Raheem Mostert uses the six NFL teams who cut him as motivation before every game - For The Win

DALLAS (105.3 THE FAN) - Leave it to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to manufacture an offbeat reason for new coach Mike McCarthy to want to succeed in Big D.

"We know he wants to show 'em,'' Jones said. "And we want him to show 'em everything hes about with the Dallas Cowboys.''

Jones, in Houston to present Bob McNairs Lifetime Achievement Award at the Houston Sports Awards to Janice and Cal McNair and to honor the late Houston Texans owner,visited with 105.3 The Fan sister stationSportsRadio 610and was naturally quizzed about Dallas' coaching change.

"Its very early,'' said Jones, speaking of the process of McCarthy taking over for Jason Garrett. "Mikes got his staff that hes still putting together there back in Dallas (and is) not at the Senior Bowl.

"Well take care of evaluating this talent, at least for right now, while hes doing that work to put the staff together.''

Jerry and Stephen Jones and personnel boss Will McClay will be in Mobile. But eventually? They look forward, Jerry said, to climbing into "the foxhole'' with McCarthy.

"The thing that I like about Mike the best is that hes been in the foxhole,'' repeating ananalogousstory that's become a favorite when discussing McCarthy, who was in charge in Green Bay for 13 years. "Hes certainly had experience getting shot at, but hes been hit. When you get in the foxhole with someone whos shown theyre made of the right stuff get them in with you after theyve had a little flack - and then you might really have you something there.

"Everybody gets theirs,'' Jones said of troubles in life, and football. "It's just a matter of when you do.''

Of course, one of the Jones' attractions to McCarthy is that he and the Packers didn't struggle all that much. Under his guidance, the Packers qualified for the NFL Playoffs nine times in the 13 years, with four NFC title game appearances and a Super Bowl win.

"Without being too poetic here,'' Jerry said, "Mike brings the combination of experience and a can-do attitude.''

And he also brings a desire to prove the doubters wrong, to "show 'em'' - even if, given McCarthy's track record, the doubters are fewer than the storytellers wish to imagine.

Continued here:
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones On Coach McCarthy's Unusual Motivation - 105.3 The Fan

"Mr. Taylor is lashing out due to his own deceptive actions," Rundquist replied in a statement. "He has not been honest and transparent and has been caught. Mr. Taylor claims the process and hearing was a political hatchet job. This is false. Politicians very often take this position when they have been called out for their own misbehavior."

In his ruling Friday, Gill cited a copy of Taylor's mortgage for the Christy Road home in which he agreed to maintain that property as his "principal residence."

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"While the testimony indicates that on March 3, 2018, Mr. Taylor registered with the Commissioner of Elections and represented that his residence was located at 3215 Grandview Boulevard, on May 17, 2019, Mr. Taylor represented to his lender that his residence was located at 5202 Christy Road," Gill wrote.

Gill also cited water bills for the Grandview home that Rundquist introduced as evidence. The bills showed zeros for water consumption at the Grandview home for six of the last seven months ending on Jan. 3.

Gill wrote the Grandview property showed a "dramatic decrease in water consumption in June of 2019, the month after Mr. Taylor purchased the Christy Road home. This evidence is inconsistent with the testimony of Mr. Taylor which indicated he spends more than half of his nights at the Grandview Boulevard address."

Taylor did not reference the mortgage document or water usage in his prepared remarks at Friday's news conference. Asked by a Journal reporter at what point he started staying at the Grandview home four nights a week, and whether he started doing so after questions about his residency began circulating, Taylor responded, "I'm not sure."

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Taylor blasts ruling revoking voter registration as politically motivated, vows to appeal - Sioux City Journal

SAN JOSE, Calif. 2020 will be the final chapter of one of the most fascinating andlegendary careers in MLS history.

When the final whistle blows and the San Jose Earthquakes season comes to an end later this year, Chris Wondolowski will walk away and hang his boots once and for all.

Yep, Wondolowski swiftly told MLSsoccer.com, with an impassioned look on his face, when asked if 2020 was the final year of an illustrious career.

A soon-to-be 37-year-old Wondolowski will walk away from the game with accolades and memories that anyone whos made a living on a soccer field could only dream of. With the most memorable of all, obviously, being his four-goal performance against Chicago Fire FC, making him the leagues all-time goalscorer.

But even at his age, with little to prove, Wondo still has one burning desire he wants to fulfill and no, ironically, it doesn't necessarily involve scoring goals day in and day out.

Win, he says, I want to win. I dont have to worry about any records, anything else. You know, whatever job is needed for me to do, Im willing to do it. If its come off the bench, Ill do that. If its to be a water boy, Ill be the best water boy there is. Honestly, Ill do whatever it takes to win this year.

A double-digit goalscorer every year the past decade, Wondo is far from losing his touch. In fact, 2019 was one of Wondos best campaigns, leading the Quakes with 15 goals in just 1,982 minutes on the field, a personal best since 2015.

Yet Quakes coach Matias Almeyda isnt guaranteeinganyone a starting spot on his roster, not even Wondo. In a press conference on Wednesday, the Argentine indicated that the legendary striker will have three teammates to compete with for minutes, in what he categorized as a good competition.

That hasnt been his message to Wondo, however.

I never stop telling him to enjoy soccer, Almeyda said when asked about coaching Wondolowski during his last season. And if its his last year, that he takes it with tranquility and love, because when you leave soccer, it is difficult to replace the day-to-day [life] of a player. So, he has a year ahead of him, and a coach who is going to support him so that he can be happy kicking a ball.

San Jose fullback and longtime fan Nick Lima had a melancholic moment of his own when speaking of his teammates last go.

Its kinda hard to explain, because while I was growing up, I had those feelings as a kid watching him getting to see what he did when I was traveling with the first-team in high school, he told a flock of reporters. I still watch what he does and take little pieces of his game that mentality that got him where he is and the national team success to implement in what I do and to pass it on to other guys, young forwards. Hes our captain and will always be.

During his last media day of his career as a player, Wondolowski also affirmedthat hell always feel like the Quakes captain in spirit,as hard as it might sound to watch his former teammates from afar.

Honestly, I will always wrestle with that and I will always think I can be on the field, he said. You know, Ill probably be 80 years old with a walker and think, I could have finished that. I could still be out there. I wish I was running the beep test right now. Its more those what ifs or missing time with the guys that I probably would be missing most.

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San Jose Earthquakes' Chris Wondolowski motivated as ever ahead of final MLS season - MLSsoccer.com

There are many different reasons why families engage in philanthropic giving.

Family philanthropy can be a complex blend of giving cultures, approaches, motivations, legacies and structures. During a time of heightened economic and geopolitical turbulence, which is also highlighting rising social inequality and deepening environmental problems, families of wealth are becoming more deeply involved in their philanthropic commitments.

"As the global economy grows, so does the number of wealthy individuals making philanthropy a key part of their lives. They're seeking new approaches and instruments to address acute social and environmental issues effectively," said Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors CEO Melissa A. Berman.

The same drivers that have been affecting changing investment strategies, where returns beyond financial are being expected from companies, have been playing an increasing role in shaping philanthropy. This why it's important to consider innovative practices, tools, measurability and approaches to increase and measure the impact families seek and explore the issues stakeholders are concerned about.

As highlighted in the recently released Global Trends and Strategic Time Horizons in Family Philanthropy 2020, a report by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) and Campden Wealth, there are several main factors to consider when exploring why families give. These include the types of vehicles through which they donate, what shapes their philanthropic time horizon choices, popular causes, and engagement of the next generation.

1. Giving Vehicles

Structuring the right entities has always been of importance for both families and family offices. The actual vehicle for giving philanthropically can play a big role in both how the philanthropic activities sit with the family but also the possible ancillary benefits. Family foundations are the preferred vehicle according to the report, followed by direct donations to nonprofit organizations or charities (45%). Some other options include donor-advised funds (16%), and corporate or business foundations (15%).

2. Causes

Often when deciding on a cause to support, families often look close to home for something that they can relate to. This might be why globally education is the top cause families give to, constituting 29% of the average philanthropic portfolio. Education is closely followed by health (14%), and the arts, culture and sports (10%). Interestingly enough, according to the report, the environment only receives a meager 8% of the giving portfolios. As this is the first edition of the report, it will be interesting to see how this figure might change in light of all the attention on climate change.

3. Time Horizons

With the pace of work and business continuing to increase and planning cycles shortening, time horizons for philanthropic activities have also been reevaluated. More donors are proactively evaluating the time horizon of their philanthropy, considering whether it is more effective to have a predetermined end date for philanthropic initiatives or to continue in perpetuity. Even though time limited approach has seen a steady increase, most families still adopt the perpetual approach.

4. The Next generation

It's often noted that philanthropy can be an excellent vehicle to engage the next generation, a fact that was confirmed by in the report. This demographic significantly influence their families' philanthropic endeavors, often serving on boards or making site visits to their causes.

5. Decision- Making

Strategic decision-making power still tends to lie with the family. Family heads or founders were noted as the key decision-makers in 60% of cases, followed by other family members (48%). Other decision-makers could include founding donors and trustees.

The way forward

The report by Campden Wealth was based on a survey of 201 families of significant wealth who are engaged in philanthropic giving, and respondents represent 28 countries and $2.4 billion in annual giving.

We are in the early stages of a significant transition in which vast sums of wealth are changing hands between generations. The emerging generation is acutely aware of the largescale global challenges it will face, such as climate change, said Dr. Rebecca Gooch, Director of Research at Campden Wealth.

The next generation has a strong influence in the sustainable investment space, and they are also set to significantly affect philanthropic giving. This can result in more meaningful funding for important causes. As donors become more sophisticated in giving and investing, they're thinking seriously about the time horizon that makes the most sense for the goals, their motivations and visions of their own philanthropy. They also want to have a deeper connection to the projects they engage and see measurable results.

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Why Do Families Give? The 5 Spheres And Motivations Around Philanthropy - Forbes

The New York Knicks have been featuring their veterans instead of their younger players and the fan base wants to know why. The entire Knick fan base is wondering whats motivating interim coach Mike Miller to play veterans instead of fully going with the youth movement. The question is still unanswered, however, fans can still wonder if this sort of thing will continue after the trade deadline on February 6th, 2020.

Some fans believe management has been trying to save their jobs by playing the veterans in hopes of getting wins for job security. Others feel the Knicks are showcasing the veterans before the trade deadline. There are also a few others who believe its just total chaos and organizational malfunction.

All in all, there is a reason for everything. What makes sense to one doesnt necessarily mean it will make sense to others. The New York Knicks management including interim coach Mike Miller seems like they believe in their starting lineup. Chemistry seems to be a priority for some wins along with showcasing for potential trades that could lead to talent acquisition. Scott Perry definitely has a tendency of finding underperforming talent, or one who lacked opportunity on a stacked bench on another team. Therefore, nothing can really be said until the trade deadline. Nothing is obvious at this point in time when it comes to what direction the New York Knicks are headed. Time will tell and after the deadline will be a telling moment for the Knicks on the trade market and their player rotations during a live NBA game. Steve Mills and Scott Perry will be making some huge decisions with the roster in the near future.

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Whats Motivating The New York Knicks to Play Veterans Instead of Youth? - Empire Sports Media