logo
Angel Colon- Rivera

Angel Colon- Rivera

Senior Government Relations Advisor Angel W. Colón-Rivera joins Becker with expertise in legislative strategy, intergovernmental affairs, and coalition building.
Prior, he was Executive Director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and held senior roles at the Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, and on Capitol Hill.
He helped advance key initiatives including the CHIPS Act, Regional Technology Hubs, and Capital Readiness Program and National Museum of the American Latino Act.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Can We Trust a Jobs Report From the Trump Administration? Yes, With Caveats.
Can We Trust a Jobs Report From the Trump Administration? Yes, With Caveats.

New York Times

timean hour ago

  • New York Times

Can We Trust a Jobs Report From the Trump Administration? Yes, With Caveats.

Can we still trust the data coming out of the Trump administration? It's a question I get all the time — on social media, in comments on my stories, in conversations with friends and colleagues. That skepticism has only intensified in recent days, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics disclosed that it was cutting back collection of price data that feeds into the Consumer Price Index. Here's my answer: Yes, I still trust the data. But with some important caveats. Many of the people asking this question are worried about the possibility of political interference in the data-collection or analysis process. There is no evidence that is happening. Major economic reports on inflation, spending, trade and jobs have continued to come out as normal, even when the news has been potentially damaging to the president (such as when the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that gross domestic product shrank in the first quarter). I have spoken to people inside these agencies, and to others who have recently left, and they consistently say they are confident that the numbers being released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau and other agencies remain reliable. They also say that the longtime employees who oversee these statistics will blow the whistle if that changes. (Are you one of them? See our call-out at the end of this article.) But while there is no evidence of political interference, many economists and other experts have a different concern: the gradual erosion in the quality of government statistics. These concerns aren't entirely new. Much of our economic data relies on surveys of individuals and businesses; response rates to those surveys have fallen sharply in recent years, as they have for surveys and polls conducted in the private sector. Many statisticians believe the agencies need to adopt new methods that rely less on surveys and more on data from administrative records and private sources like credit card companies and payroll providers. But that transition would require substantial upfront investment, and the agencies have seen their budgets shrink in inflation-adjusted terms. A major report from the American Statistical Association last year warned that these long-running issues threatened the reliability of government statistics. Are you a current or former worker at a federal statistical agency? We want to hear from you. The New York Times would like to talk to current or recent workers at the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics and other federal statistical agencies about their experiences under the second Trump administration. We are also interested in talking to contractors for these agencies. We may reach out about your submission, but we will not publish any part of your response without contacting you first. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

JEA: Mandarin water main project nearing completion after costly, early failure
JEA: Mandarin water main project nearing completion after costly, early failure

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

JEA: Mandarin water main project nearing completion after costly, early failure

A massive water main replacement project in the Mandarin area is finally nearing completion after months of traffic headaches and construction delays. Action News Jax's Ben Becker has learned that the underground JEA water main at the center of the project failed decades sooner than expected, triggering emergency repairs. JEA tells Becker the water main, located along San Jose Boulevard between Old River Road and Claire Lane, was originally installed in 2001 with a material designed to last 80 to 100 years. Instead, the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe failed after just 25 years, forcing JEA into an urgent and costly replacement project now totaling approximately $3.3 million. HDPE, the material used in the original installation, was expected to be a long-lasting solution. But during repairs last summer, crews found the pipe had been installed deeper than the original design specified. That led JEA to proactively replace the entire section, citing potential future impacts. While JEA did not log the pipe's manufacturer from the 2001 installation, the utility has since revised its design standards, including how directionally drilled pipes are installed and inspected. The new water main being installed is made from ductile iron, a more traditional and durable choice for pressurized systems. This is not an isolated issue. The HDPE pipe installed via horizontal directional drill (HDD) was and continues to be used around the city and is approximately 1.3% of the water and sewer infrastructure, according to a utility spokesperson. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Horizontal directional drilling typically has a lower restoration cost vs. traditional excavation and can be used as an installation method if existing utilities or conflicts are not in the path. The unexpected failure has prompted the utility to strengthen design oversight and field inspections moving forward. JEA insists that customers should not expect widespread issues or similar replacement projects elsewhere. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The utility emphasized that it conducts ongoing evaluations of system conditions and has no immediate plans for additional emergency work on other directionally drilled HDPE pipes. However, Becker asked the utility where the other HDPE pipes are located and how much it would cost to replace them, and is waiting for a response. As construction nears completion, local drivers may finally get a break from the months-long lane closures and congestion that have plagued the busy stretch of San Jose Boulevard. Barring further delays, JEA anticipates full project completion and road restoration by June 17 - about a month later than originally scheduled. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store