Puerto Rico

Traveling to foreign countries is much tougher with kids in tow. But it's possible to get that exotic travel experience without taking the typical beach or all-inclusive resort trip. In Puerto Rico, it feels like you've left the States: Spanish is the primary language, gas is sold in liters, and architecture resembles Mexico much more than Maryland. The island, though, has been a U.S. territory since 1898, and along with highway postings in Spanish, you'll see familiar road construction signs for the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and all the chain stores you get at home.

How does a city celebrate Puerto Rican pride? Yesterday, during the 25th annual Puerto Rican Week Festival parade, Carlitto Rodriguez and his sister Christiana did a bit of flag-waving; and Antionia Ngo, with her son, Steven, rode on a float sponsored by the Hispanic Heritage Committee. Despite the weather, about 4,000 people marched in the parade, which featured salsa king Tito Puente.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Mitt Romney scored an overwhelming win Sunday in Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary, trouncing chief rival Rick Santorum on the Caribbean island even as the two candidates looked ahead to more competitive contests this week in Illinois and Louisiana. The victory in the U.S. territory was so convincing that Romney, the GOP front-runner, won all 20 delegates to the national convention at stake because he got more than 50 percent of the vote. With 54 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had 83 percent to Santorum's 8 percent.

On the first weekend of autumn, as Philadelphia basked in Caribbean-like temperatures, the city's Puerto Rican community whooped it up on the Ben Franklin Parkway. A parade marking the end of the 27th annual Puerto Rican Week Festival drew 8,000 spectators, according to police, though organizers estimated the crowd was closer to 25,000. This year's theme was "atrevete," which means "dare to" in Spanish, as in "dare to vote. " Non-partisan officials registered hundreds to vote, but it was the colorful floats, clamorous bands and flag-waving, horn-honking spectators that highlighted the event.

With scores of red, white and blue flags waving in the wind, with the strains of festive music blaring from truck beds and speaker-equipped hatchback cars, with little girls dressed as tiny princesses and little boys wearing velvet crowns, the parade wound its way down the Parkway. Crowds three deep lined the route, singing, shouting, cheering and dancing in the streets for the 24th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. The 90-minute parade began at 20th Street and the Parkway and moved to 17th and Chestnut Streets, inching along Chestnut to Independence Mall.

Cibucan has buzz. Shortly after the restaurant opened at the end of May, people began telling me about this new "Cuban" place on Sansom Street near the Roxy. I decided to check it out with my friend Mike, who had just recently returned from a trip to Cuba. Expecting a no-frills rice-and-beans joint, we were surprised by the stylish decor and inventive tapas menu. As it turns out, Cibucan (the Taino word for "extract") actually bills itself as a "Latin fusion" restaurant. Co-owner Francesca Prieto, with her varied background - art and architecture at Penn, former wife of Caribou Cafe owner Bruno Puget, importer for the trend-setting store Anthropologie - was able to assemble some interesting young talent.

Relentless military maneuvers on economically and ecologically devastated Vieques - without regard for the welfare of its inhabitants or the consent of Puerto Rico's government - have been an affront to most Puerto Ricans. . . . A consensus has formed around the recognition that commonwealth status [for Puerto Rico] is no longer appropriate . . . It is time to initiate a transition process to grant Puerto Rico its independence - an independence grounded in economic security, mutual respect and appreciation for the contributions that Puerto Rico and its people have given the United States during the long American century.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - Welcome to the Caribbean, Republicans. Puerto Rico doesn't get full voting privileges in Congress. It doesn't vote for the president in the general election. And it has been fighting for decades not just over its status as a U.S. territory but to make its voice heard on issues of national importance. Now, islanders are getting their chance - for one day at least. A series of state-by-state Republican presidential contests on the mainland have failed to provide clarity to the muddy GOP field.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - Mitt Romney scored an overwhelming win yesterday in Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary, trouncing Rick Santorum on the Caribbean island even as the two rivals looked ahead to more competitive contests this week in Illinois and Louisiana. The victory in the U.S. territory was so convincing that Romney, the GOP front-runner, won all 20 delegates to the national convention at stake because he prevailed with more than 50 percent of the vote. That padded his comfortable lead over Santorum in the race to amass the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.

Traveling to foreign countries is much tougher with kids in tow. But it's possible to get that exotic travel experience without taking the typical beach or all-inclusive resort trip. In Puerto Rico, it feels like you've left the States: Spanish is the primary language, gas is sold in liters, and architecture resembles Mexico much more than Maryland. The island, though, has been a U.S. territory since 1898, and along with highway postings in Spanish, you'll see familiar road construction signs for the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and all the chain stores you get at home.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - Mitt Romney scored an overwhelming win yesterday in Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary, trouncing Rick Santorum on the Caribbean island even as the two rivals looked ahead to more competitive contests this week in Illinois and Louisiana. The victory in the U.S. territory was so convincing that Romney, the GOP front-runner, won all 20 delegates to the national convention at stake because he prevailed with more than 50 percent of the vote. That padded his comfortable lead over Santorum in the race to amass the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Mitt Romney scored an overwhelming win Sunday in Puerto Rico's Republican presidential primary, trouncing chief rival Rick Santorum on the Caribbean island even as the two candidates looked ahead to more competitive contests this week in Illinois and Louisiana. The victory in the U.S. territory was so convincing that Romney, the GOP front-runner, won all 20 delegates to the national convention at stake because he got more than 50 percent of the vote. With 54 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had 83 percent to Santorum's 8 percent.

Occupy activists mark 6th month NEW YORK - Supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement celebrated their sixth month Saturday with a march from the park that protesters seized last fall. With the city's attention focused on the huge St. Patrick's Day Parade many blocks uptown, the Occupy rally at Zuccotti Park drew hundreds of people, many who gathered in the park in the evening. The marchers left the park around 1 p.m., heading down Broadway carrying signs and a large Statue of Liberty puppet.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The long, increasingly messy Republican presidential contest is starting to hit Mitt Romney in his wallet. New signs of financial stress are emerging in Romney's campaign, which has built a wide lead in delegates, thanks in part to his bank account and multistate operation. As rival Rick Santorum's strength keeps extending the nomination battle, Romney has scaled back expenses, trimmed field staff in some cases, and begun to count more on free media coverage to reach voters.

WASHINGTON - An upbeat Rick Santorum barreled into Puerto Rico on Wednesday in pursuit of another campaign-bending victory in a Republican presidential race where suddenly no primary is too minor and no delegate is conceded. Mitt Romney put nearly $1 million into television advertising in Illinois, the next big-state showdown. "If we keep winning races, eventually people are going to figure out that Gov. Romney is not going to be the nominee," said Santorum, eager to build on his unexpected victories Tuesday in Alabama and Mississippi.

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - Welcome to the Caribbean, Republicans. Puerto Rico doesn't get full voting privileges in Congress. It doesn't vote for the president in the general election. And it has been fighting for decades not just over its status as a U.S. territory but to make its voice heard on issues of national importance. Now, islanders are getting their chance - for one day at least. A series of state-by-state Republican presidential contests on the mainland have failed to provide clarity to the muddy GOP field.

Some pro athletes just can't let go - or can't afford to. Allen Iverson and Puerto Rico's professional basketball league are negotiating a possible deal for the former Sixer and 11-time all-star, according to Yahoo Sports. Iverson, 36, is hoping for an NBA comeback and working out for one but needs to prove he's capable of playing. In October, Iverson told Yahoo that he'd "play for anybody. " In January, a judge in Georgia ruled in favor of a jeweler trying to recoup $375,000 it says Iverson owes.