Panama is changing its law and is going to start charging 25% tax on new cars. This new tax will go into effect in July. If you are planning on buying a car, you might need to speed up your thinking process.
UPDATE: The Panama News posted the Spanish text for Martinelli’s tax reform. I assume buried within this document is the answer to the whether cars are going to have a tax of 25% or not. Being Spanish legalese, it is beyond my ability to understand it.
Dear Wardens: Please disseminate this message to U.S. citizens in your area. Thank you.
The U.S. Embassy has been informed that the Panamanian National Police (PNP) have been instructed to keep streets open should SUNTRACS, a union representing construction workers, attempt to close traffic. Protests led by SUNTRACS are taking place today, Tuesday, March 16, 2010, and may occur at any time. The protests are often targeted for locations near construction sites, especially along Balboa Ave in Panama City, although construction sites near the U.S. Embassy in Panama are also possible locations for protests. There is a strong possibility that there may be confrontations between the police and protestors at any time.
On Tuesday, March 16, 2010, police confronted protestors in the Balboa Avenue area. Protestors were throwing bricks from rooftops and police deployed water cannons to disperse protestors. Protestors also blocked Tumba Muerte near the El Dorado neighborhood and were confronting police. Embassy personal were directed on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, to avoid the area of Balboa Ave from Parque Urraca towards Central Ave. Continue reading
Panama does not change the clocks for daylight sayings. I am sure most Panamanians pay no attention to the change that much of the world recognizes.
I got up at the same time and it was this evening when I noticed the effect. My programs on CBS had all started an hour earlier.
The good news is that Letterman now starts at an hour I can watch. 
While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, “Are you a cop?”
“Yes,” I answered and continued writing the report. “My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” I told her.
“Well, then,” she said as she extended her foot toward me, “would you please tie my shoe?”