50 ways to take a break

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin ISLA HOLBOX, MEXICO - While the wind-roiled waters of the Gulf of Mexico lash the shores of this narrow island less than 100 yards away, barefoot construction workers trudge through puddles of mud and shin-deep standing waters left by recent rains to lay the foundation for much-needed road improvements. The workers' struggle to keep the slurry from immediately filling in the trenches they're digging could be just as futile as keeping this road open 10-15 years from now if worst-case scenario estimates about rising sea levels pan out. Road construction amid rain puddles on Isla Holbox, Mexico. (Credit: Eric Mack) The way things have been going with the latest projections, that's how soon it could be that this street is permanently under sea water rather than just temporarily swamped by torrential rains. The upgrades to the current grid of sandy streets used by the small island community's ubiquitous golf carts … [Read more...] about This Hot New Vacation Spot Could Be Underwater Within 15 Years

Globe Telecom has forged agreements to sell 5,709 of its towers to Miescor Infrastructure Development Corp. and Frontier Tower Associates Philippines for a combined P71 billion. The Ayala-led telecommunications company said on Friday that Frontier acquired 3,529 towers for P45 billion while Meralco unit Miescor got 2,180 towers for P26 billion. Globe added that it was in “advanced discussion” with a tower company for a separate sale and leaseback deal covering 1,350 towers in Visayas and Mindanao and related passive telecommunications infrastructure. The bulk or 75 percent of the proceeds from the transactions will be used to bankroll Globe’s aggressive network expansion program. The balance will be used for its debt servicing requirements next year. “We have always been looking for ways to monetize our tower assets and this record-breaking initiative marks our continued commitment to optimize our capital raising efforts and further strengthen the balance sheet,” said Rizza … [Read more...] about Globe Telecom sells 5,709 towers for P71B

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Tax Notes reporter Benjamin Guggenheim discusses the latest tax legislation on Capitol Hill: the recently passed CHIPS and Science Act and the revived reconciliation bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. David D. Stewart: Welcome to the podcast. I'm David Stewart, editor in chief of Tax Notes Today International . This week: Build Back smaller? After months of stalled negotiations, little agreement in either chamber of Congress, and a declaration that Build Back Better was dead, last week, Senate Democrats were able to make progress on not one, but two separate bills. The first, known as the CHIPS and Science Act, was a more bipartisan effort from the Senate that has generally been split down party lines. While the second, known as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), is Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senator Joe … [Read more...] about Congress Vs. Inflation: The Legislative Tax Showdown