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Quiet panic’ as national rental assistance program set to run out of cash

Edificio del Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de EE. UU. en Washington, D.C., -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development building in Washington, D.C.

by Ben Christopher

A $5 billion pot of federal money set aside to help people on the verge of homelessness pay the rent is running out of cash — and no one has a plan to keep the roughly 60,000 renters, more than 15,000 of them in California — from losing their housing after the last dollar is spent.

News of the imminent expiration of the Emergency Housing Voucher program came in a March 6 letter the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent to local public housing authorities, the agencies that administer federal rental housing assistance programs.

A final payment this spring may allow some agencies to keep their emergency programs running into 2026, the letter reads. But housing authorities were advised to move forward with “the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.”

For the housing authority staff who received the letter, it remains unclear whether the program is winding down simply because it has run out of funds on its own accord or whether it represents a policy shift from the Trump administration, which has been on an aggressive and often uncoordinated cost cutting tear across the federal bureaucracy.

The letter came as a shock to Lisa Jones, CEO of the San Diego Housing Commission. Jones said the commission could conceivably pay its share of the rent for the nearly 400 San Diego renters currently assisted by the program through December. After that, she could think of no obvious way to make up for the missing federal dollars.

Jones spoke to CalMatters from Washington D.C., where the heads of housing authorities across the country had gathered for a conference and to lobby their representatives. As news of the end of the program has spread among her counterparts, “a quiet panic” has set in, she said.

Absent federal money, “we don’t have the funding to solve that problem,” she said.

The program was modeled after the much larger and well-known Housing Choice Voucher program. Also known as “Section 8,” that long-standing program pays at least 70% of the rent for anyone earning under a certain income and lucky enough to secure one of its scarce vouchers. The Emergency Housing Voucher program is more narrowly targeted at those in most dire need: people currently living on the street or in shelters, those just on the verge of homelessness and anyone fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking.

“It’s a group of people who, but for the voucher, would be at extreme risk of falling back into homelessness,” said Mari Castaldi, who focuses on state housing policy for the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank.

The termination of the emergency programs comes at an inauspicious time for federal rental assistance programs across the country.

For decades, the federal government has offered Housing Choice Vouchers to fewer than 1-in-4 Americans who qualify for those benefits. In California’s large metro areas, voucher waiting lists — the time between when someone applies and actually receives one — regularly tops out at more than a decade.

That means few housing authorities will have many extra housing vouchers to offer anyone booted from the emergency program. Absent another solution, that would put housing authorities in the virtually unprecedented position of having to revoke assistance from people who are currently depending upon it to pay the rent.

“There’s just no plan in place to determine what would happen” in that case, said Alex Visotzky with the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “This could very well lead to thousands of additional people becoming homeless in California.”

Why the funds ran out

The emergency program was never meant to be permanent. Creating one of many COVID-19-era additions to the nation’s social safety net, Congress funded the emergency vouchers in 2021 with a lump sum of $5 billion. Once those funds were spent, the program was meant to come to an end.

The wind-down was supposed to be gradual.

After the program’s roll out, housing authorities were told to stop reissuing the emergency vouchers as renters exited the program — because they no longer needed the help, moved to a different city or died. That way, the program was meant to phase itself out of existence. The federal housing department was given until 2030 to spend all $5 billion.

That led many local officials and housing advocates to assume the program would be funded through the end of the decade.

The wind-down of the emergency program is just the latest shudder in an unprecedented upheaval in federal housing policy enacted by President Donald Trump. The administration is considering mass layoffs at the federal housing department, raising concerns among some housing policy experts about whether they can seamlessly operate federal programs, including Section 8. After temporary freezes on all categories of federal funding in late January, the administration, led by DOGE, its “Department of Government Efficiency,” has more quietly extinguished select federal housing programs. Earlier this month the City of Los Angeles stopped accepting new applications for its general Housing Choice Voucher program, citing uncertain support from Washington.

 

The federal housing department did not respond to repeated emails and voice messages requesting an interview about why the funds ran out sooner than many expected, and whether the news in the March 6 letter represented a change in federal policy.

“To me it just doesn’t sound right, that we’re so far off the mark — four years off the mark,” said Emilio Salas, executive director of the Los Angeles County Development Authority, which oversees federal housing voucher programs for 66 cities and all unincorporated communities across the L.A. basin.

Sonya Acosta, a policy analyst with the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, said she hasn’t seen any evidence that the end of the Emergency Housing Voucher program is the handiwork of DOGE. Instead, she pointed to a familiar problem as the more likely culprit: sky-high rents.

Since Congress authorized the new vouchers in early 2021, rents across the country experienced a post-pandemic boom. That’s even true at the bottom half of the rental market, which the federal housing department uses to set its rental support levels. Between 2021 and 2025, for example, “fair market rents” in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood increased by 43%, nearly double the overall rate of inflation during the same period, according to the department.

Because the housing voucher programs pay the difference between a tenant’s income and rent, soaring rents and stagnant incomes mean the government pays more.

“We’ve seen those really big increases in rent that has also meant that some of the spending might have gone a little bit faster than initial HUD estimates,” said Acosta.

That basic math problem has put the screws to the overall Section 8 program too. Jones, in San Diego, said the Housing Commission’s average per-household rental assistance payment at the beginning of the pandemic was around $870 each month. Now it’s roughly $1,400. Because the emergency voucher program allows for more generous payments and because its voucher holders tend to have even lower incomes than regular voucher holders, the average emergency voucher is about $2,200, she said.

“The gap between the rental market and the lowest incomes in our community is widening,” she said.

What happens when the money runs out

Without fresh funding, there’s no way many housing authorities would be able to transfer emergency voucher holders onto the regular voucher program.

In Santa Barbara County, for example, nearly 1-in-10 of the local housing authority’s vouchers have been shelved, kept out of the hands of qualified renters because the authority can’t afford to provide the assistance.

So once the emergency funding runs out “we have no way of helping those people right now,” said housing authority director Bob Havlicek. “Even if we did have extra vouchers available, then its public policy issue of ‘why are you helping these folks if you have people on your waitlist?’ We can’t win either way.”

 

There isn’t much optimism from advocates that the state will step up once the emergency funds run dry.

Bond funds that the state has used to prop up much of its affordable housing spending are running low, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year includes little extra and rental subsidies, a costly and ongoing expense, have historically been a federal responsibility anyway.

That leaves the federal government, which does not appear to be in a big spending mood when it comes to social programs.

On Monday, Trump signed a budget bill to continue funding the federal government at levels set last year. That may provide a steady funding source for the overall federal housing voucher program, though the bill may give his administration flexibility to redirect some of those funds if it chooses to. It does nothing to address the fate of the Emergency Housing Voucher program.

“We should figure out a way to save this program and make sure these people continue to receive federal rental assistance,” said Tushar Gurjal, a policy analyst at the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, an advocacy group for affordable housing providers. “None of these folks did anything wrong. They’re just using their vouchers and following all the rules.”

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Commemoration of 500 years of Cuauhtémoc in the Zócalo: schedule and history

The Federal and CDMX governments will pay tribute to the tlatoani Cuauhtémoc in the Zócalo. It is 500 years since he was disappeared by Hernán Cortés

by México Desconocido

This year marks 500 years since the death of the huey tlatoani Cuauhtémoc, murdered by Hernán Cortés, according to some sources, on February 28, 1525 (another date could be the 25th). Therefore, as an unprecedented event in history, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a tribute to Cuauhtémoc in the Zócalo. It is expected that a recreation of the fight between the Spanish and the Mexicas will be held. In addition to this tribute, the Senate of the Republic recently also remembered the value of the last huey tlatoani of Mexico-Tenochtitlan.

For the first commemorative event of Cuauhtémoc’s death in the Zócalo, also the former political headquarters of Mexico-Tenochtitlán, screens, chairs and bleachers have been set up. Likewise, rehearsals have been held with dozens of people, so it is expected to be an event with a large number of artists on stage.

Commemoration of Cuauhtémoc in the Zócalo, how did he die?

Cuauhtémoc, or rather Cuauhtemoctzin (the honorific form of the tlatoani’s name in Nahuatl), was captured by Cortés and his allies on August 13, 1521. As a result, the heroic lord of Mexico-Tenochtitlan finally surrendered the city after a three-month siege. Later, the Tenochca ruler, along with the tlatoani of Tlacopan, were tortured to make them confess where Moctezuma Xocoyotzin’s treasure had been left, after the battle of the Noche Triste in 1520. When his feet were bathed in oil and burned by fire, Cuauhtémoc was left crippled, as recorded by the Spanish doctor Cristóbal de Ojeda.

Despite what happened, the young tlatoani was treated with a certain respect. And Hernán Cortés needed his authority to impose order among the Mexicas and to dialogue with the peoples formerly subject to Tenochtitlan. Despite being a ruler held captive by European power, Cuauhtémoc constantly interceded on behalf of his people in the years following the conquest of the Tenochca capital. As if that were not enough, he refused to be baptized. All of this generated various insecurities in the Extremaduran conqueror, who began to fear a rebellion led by the former lord of Tlatelolco.

The expedition to Las Hibueras and the death of the last Mexica tlatoani

In 1524, Hernán Cortés organized a military expedition against Cristóbal de Olid, who had betrayed him. The destination was the Hibueras region, which is currently Honduras. To do so, he mobilized at the head of a huge army where, as usual, the majority of the troops were the subjugated Mesoamerican peoples. The fact is that on that occasion, the bulk of the contingent was Mexica and to a lesser extent Tlaxcalan. For this reason, their main captains went, including the huey tlatoani Cuauhtémoc himself. In addition, with this Cortés managed to distance the noble Tenochca from his city, in order to avoid any uprising on his part.

A year after beginning the military campaign, Cortés received a certain Mexicalcingo, who told him of a supposed plot that the lord of Tenochtitlan was preparing to rise up against the conquistadors. Faced with this, the Castilian captain decided to execute Cuauhtémoc. The decision was controversial and questioned even by the Spaniards on the expedition. In the end, the young tlatoani was hanged along with the ruler of Tlacopan, Tetlepanquetzal, from the branch of a ceiba tree. Before that, he was baptized and given the Christian name Hernando de Alvarado Cuauhtemotzin. The gruesome death is estimated to have occurred around February 28, 1525 in Itzamkanac, currently the region of El Tigre, in Campeche, north of the border with Guatemala.

The last speech of the Huey Tlatoani

The last Mexica ruler was executed without trial by the Spanish invaders, and thus became a symbol of all the martyrs who saw the fall of the Mexica culture. Witnessing the end of their culture, the great orator offered these words:

«Our sacred energy has already seen fit to hide itself, our venerable sun has already worthily disappeared its face, and in total darkness it has deigned to leave us. We certainly know (that) it will deign to return again, that it will once again see fit to rise and will once again come worthily to enlighten us.»

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This March 8th celebrates Women’s Day in SF – Alexandra Rieloff Trio in Concert

by Magdy Zara

March 8th has been declared International Women’s Day, previously known as Working Women’s Day, this is a date dedicated to highlighting the important work that women do in the world.

That is why we share with you some of the activities scheduled to commemorate this important date.

The Mission Cultural Center for Latin Arts (MCCLA) presents its 38th Annual Women Only Exhibition, two impactful exhibitions, which will take place simultaneously.

Both exhibitions celebrate the power, creativity and resilience of women artists.

In the main gallery there will be Lorraine García-Nakata: with “The knowledge we carry”; while in the Inti Raymi gallery, “Derechos/Rights” – Collective exhibition will be exhibited.

The opening reception will be this Saturday, March 8th starting at 6 p.m., while the closing will be on Sunday, April 13th, 2025.

The MCCLA is located at 2868 Mission St, San Francisco. Admission is free.

For its part, La Peña presents to celebrate Women’s Day two extraordinary salsa and Latin jazz bands with only female artists: Salsa y Sol and Agua Pura.

This will be a night of stimulating and energetic music with an open dance floor for everyone to enjoy the rhythms of salsa and Latin jazz.

The appointment is this Saturday, March 8th, 2025 starting at 8pm, at the La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley. Tickets range from $25 – $35.

Alexandra Rieloff Trio in Concert

Renowned jazz vocalist Alexandra Rieloff returns with her trio to delight the San Francisco public with a wonderful repertoire.

Alexandra Rieloff, who was born in Brooklyn and is of Chilean descent, is an all-round artist, as she is an actress, choreographer, dancer, filmmaker, announcer, photographer and a masterful jazz vocalist.

Rieloff has prepared for attendees a compilation of her greatest hits that include Bossa Nova and jazz standards performed by a soulful trio with voice, bass and keyboards, offering smooth and timeless melodies.

Rieloff will be performing with her jazz trio during the month of March on the following days:

March 9 at Stookey`s Blue Room, located at 891 Bush St, SF. Time 7:30 pm.

March 18 at Etcetera Wine Bar, located at 795 Valencia St. SF. Time 6 p.m.

March 20 at Paris 75, located at 515 Broadway Ave. SF. Time: 9 p.m.

March 27 at Sheba Liano Lounge. located at 1419 Filmore St. SF. Time: 7:30 p.m.

March 29 at Scopo Divino, located at 2800 Caloifornia St. SF. Time: 6 p.m.

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Estampas Peruanas: A Little Piece of Perú in Redwood City

Carlos Shimabukuro, propietario del restaurante Estampas Peruanas. Carlos Shimabukuro, owner of the Estampas Peruanas restaurant

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Estampas Peruanas joins the family of sponsors of El Reportero, and we are pleased to welcome them to this space where we celebrate gastronomic and cultural diversity. As a media outlet committed to our community, we value the support of local businesses that, like Estampas Peruanas, contribute to the enrichment of our information offering and the strengthening of community ties. Their incorporation allows us to continue providing quality content to our readers, reaffirming our commitment to editorial independence and the promotion of businesses that reflect the richness of our traditions.

by Marvin Ramírez

Estampas Peruanas is a restaurant in the city of Redwood City that has captivated the local community with its rich Peruvian cuisine. On Camino Real, among the vibrant streets of Redwood City, this restaurant has become a culinary landmark, offering a unique experience that transports diners to the heart of Perú.

Founded and operated by Carlos Shimabukuro, Estampas Peruanas is a place where families and couples gather to enjoy traditional dishes, prepared with ingredients brought directly from Perú. Carlos, who is the owner and creator of the menu, is dedicated to ensuring that every detail of the restaurant reflects his passion for Peruvian cuisine. His dedication to authenticity is what sets Estampas Peruanas apart from other Peruvian restaurants in the region.

“Since 1993, we have brought the best of Peruvian cuisine to California. We were motivated by the desire to share the culinary richness of our Perú and offer traditional dishes,” says Carlos about his first steps in the industry. The restaurant has been operating in the same location in Redwood City for more than 30 years, where it has earned recognition for its authentic food and welcoming atmosphere.

The choice of location was not fortuitous. “We chose El Camino Real because we wanted an accessible place that would allow us to attract both local residents and visitors interested in international cuisine,” explains Carlos. In addition, Redwood City has shown a growing interest in Peruvian cuisine, which has allowed Estampas Peruanas to become a little piece of Perú within this diverse community.

One of the characteristics that makes Estampas Peruanas special is the use of authentic ingredients brought directly from Perú. “We work with specialized suppliers that allow us to import key ingredients such as yellow chili, quinoa, and maca,” says Carlos. These ingredients are essential to preserve the authenticity of the flavours, a vital aspect for Carlos and his team.

But Estampas Peruanas is not only known for its food, but also for the influence of Nikkei culture on its menu. Carlos, who is of Japanese descent, fuses Japanese culinary techniques with Peruvian ingredients, creating a unique dining experience.

“The fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine has given rise to dishes such as tiradito, which combines the delicacy of Japanese sashimi with the flavor of yellow chili and tiger’s milk,” explains Carlos. This influence is also reflected in other emblematic dishes such as lomo saltado, which highlights the harmony between both cuisines.

The menu has evolved over the years, but always maintaining a balance between tradition and innovation. “We focus on offering the most representative dishes of Peruvian gastronomy, such as classic ceviche, lomo saltado and anticuchos, but we are always looking for new ways to surprise our customers,” says Carlos. This commitment to excellence has ensured that Estampas Peruanas remains a favorite destination for locals.

The restaurant’s décor also plays a major role in the diners’ experience. The walls are adorned with Peruvian art that reflects the country’s rich culture. Carlos, who has a deep respect for his heritage, explains that each piece has a special meaning. “The décor not only beautifies the space, but also serves to educate and promote Peruvian culture,” he says.

In addition to food and décor, Estampas Peruanas hosts cultural events, such as live music performances, to continue promoting Peruvian culture. “Every month, we have live Peruvian music, which allows us to offer a complete experience to our customers,” Carlos adds.

The Challenge and the community

Like every business, Estampas Peruanas has faced challenges. Competition in the restaurant industry in the United States is fierce, but Carlos has learned that the key to success is not only in the quality of the food, but in the experience offered to the customer. “Service and hospitality are just as important as the food. We have managed to build a solid and passionate team,” says Carlos.

The response from the community has been extremely positive. “From day one, we have felt welcomed by a diverse community curious to discover the authentic flavors of Perú,” he says. Customer loyalty has been a fundamental part of Estampas Peruanas’ success, many of whom return constantly, becoming part of the restaurant’s gastronomic family.

Differentiation

What really sets Estampas Peruanas apart from other Peruvian restaurants in the region is its focus on authenticity and a family atmosphere. “We don’t just serve food, we provide an experience where customers feel at home,” says Carlos. While many Peruvian restaurants have embraced fusions or international culinary trends, Estampas Peruanas remains true to its roots, offering a culinary proposal that respects tradition without losing freshness and innovation.

With every dish served, with every customer greeted with a smile and with every decorative detail that adorns the restaurant, Estampas Peruanas is not just a place to eat, but a gastronomic experience that brings its visitors closer to the heart of Perú. In a world where globalization sometimes blurs cultural boundaries, Estampas Peruanas offers a little piece of Perú in Redwood City, where every bite tells a story of tradition, passion and love for Peruvian culture.

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‘Trump victory’: Panama Canal’s main ports now under US control

by the El Reportero staff

In another move aligning with his “America First” agenda, President Donald Trump has secured what many are calling a significant victory, following his recent remarks about reclaiming control over the Panama Canal.

According to reports, American investment giant BlackRock has acquired nearly all key ports along the canal, a strategic waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The ports were previously controlled by CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd., a Hong Kong-based conglomerate that sold its stake in the operations.

This sale follows Trump’s bold assertion that the United States should oversee the Panama Canal, given that it originally funded and built the passage in the early 20th century. Before its completion in 1914, ships were forced to navigate the treacherous and lengthy route around Cape Horn at South America’s tip.

Under the terms of the deal, BlackRock—teaming up with Global Infrastructure Partners and Terminal Investment Ltd.—has acquired an 80 percent stake in Hutchison Ports. The transaction also includes a controlling interest in Panama Ports Co., which manages the vital ports of Balboa and Cristobal. The reported price tag for the deal is $19 billion, according to Bloomberg.

While this acquisition marks a major strategic gain for American economic influence, it coincided with another major Trump policy shift—his long-anticipated tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada. Shortly after these trade restrictions took effect, Trump took to Truth Social, urging companies to manufacture their products domestically.

“If companies move to the United States, there are no tariffs!!!” he posted in all caps.

Though CK Hutchison is a publicly traded firm, its base in Hong Kong has led to speculation about Beijing’s indirect influence. With China tightening its grip on the territory in recent years, some observers suggest the sale might have been expedited to appease Trump and reduce U.S.-China tensions. On the same day, Trump escalated his trade war by doubling tariffs on Chinese imports to 20 percent, prompting Beijing to retaliate with its own levies on American goods.

Larry Fink, the CEO of BlackRock, has longstanding ties to Trump, having managed portions of his wealth in the past. The New York Post reported that Fink was once in the running for Treasury Secretary, though he later withdrew from consideration. His firm’s acquisition of the Panama Canal ports is widely seen as a move that could further bolster his influence within Trump’s economic circle.

Beyond this latest port deal, Trump has also secured commitments from corporate giants, including Apple and a SoftBank-led consortium, to invest $600 billion in American workforce development focused on artificial intelligence.

Additionally, Honda announced plans on Monday to manufacture its next-generation Civic in Indiana, reversing an earlier decision to produce the model in Mexico.

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The return of the Panama Canal and the shadow of US expansionism

Marvin Ramírez, editor

by Marvin Ramírez

History has taught us that international politics is marked by cycles of power, economic interests and geopolitical strategies that determine the course of nations. In this context, the recent announcement of the recovery of control of the Panama Canal by the United States has generated a host of questions about the real scope of Donald Trump’s promises and the future of the sovereignty of the nations involved.

Until recently, many of the former president’s statements seemed more like part of excessive nationalist rhetoric, bordering on the fantasy of an impossible expansionism in the 21st century. His intention to buy Greenland was received with skepticism and mockery; his mention of becoming the “owner of Palestine” was perceived as an unfounded exaggeration; and his insistence on recovering the Panama Canal was considered by many to be an unattainable desire. However, time and recent events have shown that those statements were not mere occurrences, but part of a carefully designed strategy.

The return of the Panama Canal to American hands marks a turning point in international relations. This event, which until recently seemed inconceivable without a military intervention or a concession under pressure, has been presented as an absolute triumph of Trump’s leadership. The inevitable question is: what were the conditions that allowed this transition? Was it a covert diplomatic negotiation, irresistible economic pressure or an imposition with overtones of political blackmail? The full details are not yet known, but what is undeniable is that this event redefines the balance of power in the region.

The Panama Canal has been, since its construction, a nerve center of world trade. Its transfer to Panamanian hands in 1999 was a symbol of sovereignty for the Central American country and a sign that American influence in the region could wane over time. However, the return of control to the United States makes it clear that geopolitical interests do not disappear, they are only transformed by new strategies and leadership.

Trump’s speech before Congress on March 4 only reinforced his position on strengthening the United States in the international arena and its fight against what he considers internal threats. From his outright opposition to gender ideology to his promise to eradicate harmful chemicals in consumer products, his rhetoric follows the same pattern as always: protect the nation at all costs and regain its global influence. Now, with the news of the Panama Canal under US control, doubts about the fulfillment of his other promises are beginning to fade.

This fact puts on alert not only Panama, but all of Latin America, which watches with concern what could be the resurgence of a more aggressive interventionist policy by the United States. The impact of this decision remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the rules of the game have changed.

Throughout history, US expansionism has taken different forms: from the Monroe Doctrine to the military occupations of the 20th century and economic diplomacy in the 21st century. The recovery of the Panama Canal could be just the beginning of a new phase in this strategy of domination. Added to this are the attempts to buy Greenland and the insistence on imposing its influence in Palestine, which indicates that the Trump administration (or at least its ideology) continues to pursue territorial and economic expansion as one of its primary objectives.

The governments of Latin America and the world must cautiously analyze the meaning of this event and prepare for a possible escalation of similar measures in other regions. The sovereignty of nations should not be subject to the ups and downs of US policy or the will of a single leader. Panama, as a directly affected country, must clarify under what terms this transfer took place and what long-term implications it will have on its autonomy and development.

What happened reminds us that international politics is a chessboard where moves are not random. The return of the Panama Canal to American hands could mark the beginning of a new era of influence in the region, with consequences that are yet to be determined. In this scenario, the question we must ask ourselves is: what comes next? If history is any guide, the answer will not be long in coming.

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Trump’s USAID shutdown is a win for America and a blow to the globalist agenda

NOTE TO THE EDITOR:

At press time this story changed when the Supreme Court recently intervened to prevent the complete shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In a 5-4 decision, the Court upheld an emergency order requiring the Trump administration to promptly release nearly $2 billion in previously halted funding to USAID contractors and grant recipients.

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USAID’s promotion of DEI, gender ideology, and population control around the world, along with its efforts to undermine democracies in Europe and Latin America, have greatly damaged America’s standing in the world

by Steven Mosher

The closure of a corrupt government agency is always cause for celebration.

Not that it happens very often. As President Ronald Reagan once remarked, “The closest thing to eternal life on earth is a government program.”

In the case of the now-defunct U.S. Agency for International Development, its shuttering will save U.S. taxpayers some $54 billion a year.

But Trump’s closure of the rogue agency is about far more than reducing the size of government or balancing the budget. We are not even talking about simply ending waste, fraud, and abuse, although there were bucket loads of that going on.

Under its former director, Samantha Powers, the agency had been transformed into a slush fund for woke fever dreams. No project was too wacko to throw money at.

You want funding to convince Peruvian girls they were born into the wrong body, or to promote LGBT activism in Serbia? USAID had a check for you.

You need money to fund sex changes in Guatemala or to open a transgender surgery clinic in India? You had but to ask.

But as corrosive to the sensibilities of normal people – and to America’s image overseas – that this reckless promotion of DEI and gender ideology was, our overseas aid agency was engaged in far more nefarious schemes.

It turns about that many millions of dollars of aid to the Middle East made their way into the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah. From funding the college education of al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to sending $2 billion to Gaza over the past two years, our tax dollars have been used to underwrite terrorism.

An estimated 90 percent of our aid to Gaza ended up in the hands of Hamas post-October 7, 2023. Without the constant infusion of U.S. funds, it is doubtful that the terrorist organization would have survived.

Equally egregious is USAID’s undermining of democracy. As Marjorie Taylor Green just noted at a congressional hearing, “What we have learned is that USAID has been used by Democrats to brainwash the world with globalist propaganda to force regime changes around the world.”

Roughly half a billion dollars went into one organization alone. It was called the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and billed as a global network of investigative journalists. But it had as much to do with promoting globalist narratives and undermining populist politicians as it did with exposing corruption, perhaps more.

If you want to know why populist Jair Bolsonaro is no longer president of Brazil, why the conservatives lost in Poland, or why the democratically elected president of Romania – another populist – has now been arrested, look no further than USAID’s massively funded propaganda campaigns against these and other anti-globalist politicians.

As in Xi Jinping’s China, where the Chinese dictator has been purging his political enemies under the guise of an “anti-corruption campaign,” USAID’s anti-corruption campaign was ultimately not about corruption at all.

Like Xi, who was, as the Chinese say, “hanging up a goat’s head, but selling dog meat,” the agency was motivated by a hidden and deeply corrupt purpose – undermining democracy in order to promote globalism.

Victor Orbán of Hungary, whose government has survived years of similar onslaughts, is now vowing to crack down on all of the foreign-funded NGOs operating in his country. He will find that his opposition was chiefly funded by our tax dollars, judging from the many trips to that country that Samantha Powers took over the past few years.

As ruinous as all this is for America’s standing in the world, there is even worse news. Many of the tens of billions of dollars that the agency was flushing down the toilet didn’t go overseas at all, but was spent in and around the Washington, D.C., swamp.

And almost all of this – well over 95 percent – went to Democrat-controlled groups.

How much of the incessant lawfare against Trump that began as soon as he announced his candidacy for president in 2015 was funded indirectly by our tax dollars?

How much of Kamala’s $2 billion campaign coffer came from our own pockets, laundered by USAID through well-connected NGOs and leftist politicians?

Despite the mounting evidence of corruption, there are still those who claim that USAID does much good and should be reformed, not shuttered. “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” one recent headline read.

The problem is that USAID was never primarily about feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty or, for that matter, saving babies. In fact, from the very beginning it was designed to be an instrument of population control.

Its stated goal was “population stabilization.” To this end, it busied itself reducing the number of babies born, all in the name of fighting “overpopulation,” “eliminating poverty,” and, more recently, “saving the planet.”

This is spelled out clearly in Richard Nixon’s National Security Study Memorandum 200, which made it clear that foreign aid was to be used to bribe or bludgeon countries into reducing their birth rates.

Even today, USAID was – until a few weeks ago – promoting abortion in Malawi, doing abortion referrals in Uganda, and pressuring Sierra Leone to legalize abortion as a condition of receiving foreign aid.

Supporters of USAID argue that its programs create goodwill, but it’s hard to see how telling African women and men they would be better off sterilizing themselves and aborting their children accomplishes this end.

And how would Americans feel if China, say, were funding a program to vasectomize American men? Think about that for a second.

USAID’s promotion of DEI, gender ideology, and population control around the world, along with its efforts to undermine democracies in Europe and Latin America, have greatly damaged America’s standing in the world.

But the crime that calls for the complete destruction of the agency is that it was striking at the very roots of the republic itself.

Using the taxes paid by a free people to undermine their freedom is, by anyone’s definition, treason.

Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of The Devil and Communist China.

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Will the Trump-Zelensky Oval Office argument see the US leave NATO?

The most immediate impact of the meeting has been the deterioration of U.S.-Ukraine relations, which are now at rock bottom. But a second, far more significant effect will be had on the U.S.’s ties with NATO

by Stephen Kokx

Analysis

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s explosive meeting in the Oval Office last week has left political observers wondering what it is they just saw.

After nearly forty minutes of mostly cordial remarks, the two engaged in a historic, rarely-seen-before public argument in that space that can only be described as the equivalent of a diplomatic nuclear bomb.

The most immediate impact of the meeting has been the deterioration of U.S.-Ukraine relations, which are now at rock bottom. But a second, far more significant effect will be had on the U.S.’s ties with NATO.

If I were a betting man, I’d wager that President Trump will call for the U.S. to withdraw from that antiquated entity during his highly anticipated speech to Congress tomorrow night. His right-hand man Elon Musk has already called for that on X.

One of the most unexpected developments in the last few days has been the speed at which long-time Zelensky ally Lindsey Graham has thrown him overboard.

“I don’t know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again,” the South Carolina Senator thundered to the media less than an hour after the exchange. “He either needs to resign … or he needs to change.”

Graham is right to be incensed. He and a group of War Inc. senators met with Zelensky just hours before he went to the White House. He has also visited Ukraine nearly a dozen times and was desperately trying to keep the U.S. entangled in it by continually telling Trump it has trillions of dollars in rare earth mineral. His decision to turn his back on the man he has supported for nearly a decade is remarkable.

Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville told Newsmax something similar. He said Zelensky is “brainwashed by the globalist, socialist group in Europe” and that he’s trying to “play hard ball but he’s not even in the game.”

Meanwhile, America first lawmakers are using the meeting to go for broke.

“NATO is a Cold War relic that needs to be relegated to a talking kiosk at the Smithsonian,” Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie said on X, sensing growing frustration with the U.S. subsidizing the alliance.

GOP Senator Mike Lee also called for the U.S. to withdraw from the organization.

Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna wants the U.S. out of NATO as well.

After being kicked to the curb from the White House, Zelensky hopped on a plane to meet with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other leaders of the European Union, who have pledged support for his un-winnable conflict.

Starmer unironically told reporters that the U.K. is committed to sending young men and women to the front lines and that “Europe must do the heavy lifting” now but that “strong U.S. backing” is also needed.

Good luck with that.

Starmer’s comments were met with swift criticism on social media because his efforts would seemingly lead to Britons dying in foreign lands while their homeland is over-run by Islamists.

But not all Senators have had the same reaction Graham did.

RINO Lisa Murkowski, perhaps unaware that Ukraine has lost track of $100 billion in U.S. aid money, said “the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin.”

Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly similarly said that “bullying an ally of ours makes us look weak.”

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut went so far as to call the meeting “a set up” by Trump.

Murphy’s response is most curious because it is verbatim what former Obama adviser Susan Rice has said.

During an interview with MSNBC, Rice accused Trump of plotting an “ambush” in front of the cameras so he could “show fealty to Vladimir Putin.”

Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist wrote about the narrative being constructed by Rice and Democrats on Capitol Hill.

She claimed in an X post that Zelensky was advised by Rice, Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken, warmonger Victoria Nuland, and Alexander Vindman to “be hostile and to try to goad Trump into blowing up” so they could go “on the airwaves to falsely characterize what happened.”

“I think their goal was to have a wonderful performance by Zelensky, an angry Trump appearing to scuttle the deal, and the support of the neocon portion of the GOP to start applying pressure on Trump to have U.S. Troop commitments as part of the ‘security guarantee,’” she said.

“Instead, Zelensky had one of the worst stage performances of his acting career, and Trump was statesmanlike (against all odds) throughout. Zelensky followed Team Obama’s advice to be hostile to a tee, but it didn’t land how they thought it would … even the ‘conservative’ neocon pundits on TV last night were admitting Zelensky had royally messed up.”

Long-time Trump ally Roger Stone is now calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the purported interference, citing a violation of the Logan Act.

In the meantime, the Trump admin is forging ahead to peace. Secretary of State Rubio obliterated Murkowski’s arguments while speaking with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos this weekend.

“Shouldn’t we all be happy that we have a president who’s trying to stop wars and prevent them instead of start them?” he asked.

Trump himself is seeking to refocus attention on domestic issues.

“We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape Gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our country — so that we don’t end up like Europe,” he said on X.

Trump also issued a social media post stating that “America will not put up with” Zelensky’s decision to drag the war on forever.

“This guy doesn’t want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing,” he said. “Europe … stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia.”

All eyes now turn to Trump’s speech to Congress Tuesday night. No doubt he will have important updates on these and on other important foreign policy topics with the aim of ending needless death and destruction.

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California city makes ‘aiding’ or ‘abetting’ a homeless camp illegal

by Marisa Kendall

CalMatters

The Fremont City Council gave final approval this week to an ordinance that bans camping throughout the entire city, while also making anyone “aiding, abetting or concealing” a homeless encampment guilty of a misdemeanor.

The aiding and abetting clause has sparked alarm from local outreach workers who worry they could be targeted for helping people living in camps, and experts in homelessness law who say they’ve never seen anything quite like it in California. Council members considered changing that part of the ordinance Tuesday night, but ultimately passed it as-is 6-1.

“Our public spaces belong to the entire community and it’s really not compassionate at all to cede our public spaces to a select few individuals at the expense of everyone else in the general public,” said Councilmember Raymond Liu, who voted in favor. “Families should be able to take their children to the parks, to the libraries, without fear, and all residents should be able to use our public spaces without encountering any unsafe conditions.”

Council members discussed the camping ban at length in a five-hour meeting Tuesday, where nearly 200 people lined up to speak for and against the measure during public comment. It was an unusual amount of fanfare for an ordinance that the city council already passed once earlier this month – Tuesday’s vote was a “second reading,” which typically is just a formality that warrants no discussion.

But the controversy surrounding the ban, which prohibits camping on all sidewalks, streets and parks in Fremont and makes anyone who aids or abets such a camp subject to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail, prompted the City Council to reevaluate the ordinance.

Three council members, plus the mayor, expressed interest either in removing the aiding and abetting clause or adding language to specify that it wouldn’t be used to punish people for handing out food, water and other essentials in homeless camps.

That change seemed likely to go through until minutes before the final vote. But after City Attorney Rafael Alvarado said multiple times that the aiding and abetting clause would target people who help unhoused people set up illegal camps, not people who give out food, council members changed course. Ultimately, they passed the measure as-is.

Changing the language would have forced council members to re-introduce the ordinance, meaning they’d have to go through two more votes. By the time the City Council voted Tuesday, it was almost midnight.

The text of the ordinance doesn’t specify what qualifies as aiding, abetting or concealing a homeless encampment. That leaves some uncertainty as to how the ordinance will be enforced, despite Alvarado’s assurances, UC Berkeley Law professor Laura Riley told CalMatters.

“That might be their stance at the time of adoption,” she said, “but there’s nothing in the language of the ordinance itself that prevents targeting people from doing things as humane as giving unhoused people tarps when it’s raining.”

In practice, local police often determine how they will enforce an ordinance, Riley said. How the Fremont aiding and abetting clause is interpreted could change when the city’s leadership changes, she said.

The city attorney’s statements were small comfort to Vivian Wan, CEO of Abode Services, which provides food, tents, clothing and other services to unhoused people living in camps.

“We worry about the ‘concealing’ portion, as PD/City staff in Fremont have been known to pressure us to share confidential information, including where a participant is staying,” she said in an email to CalMatters. “I think this ordinance may be used to compel such information, breaking the trust with folks that often takes years to build.”

The measure also puts the city of Fremont at odds with the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern and Southern California, which, in a letter to council members signed by several other aid and human rights groups, said the aiding and abetting clause is “patently unreasonable and will expose the City to legal liability.”

More than two-dozen California cities and counties have either passed new ordinances or beefed up old ordinances banning camping in recent months, after the U.S. Supreme Court gave them more freedom to do so. But none of those bans appear to include specific language that makes it a crime to aid or abet a camp.

In a statement to CalMatters, the Fremont city attorney’s office said the aiding and abetting language is nothing new – it’s already illegal in Fremont, as in many cities, to aid or abet any crime. When asked about that by council members during Tuesday’s meeting, Alvarado said even if the new camping ban didn’t have that specific clause, “in theory,” someone could still be penalized for aiding and abetting a homeless encampment.

But Riley said it’s significant that the new camping ban explicitly makes it a crime to aid and abet an encampment – language she’s never seen in any other active camping ban in California.

“This does seem to be going further,” she said. “Because by making it explicitly tied to this section of the code, to me, it signals that there is intent to prosecute under this section.”

Legal experts CalMatters spoke with said this is extremely unusual. No other city, to the best of CalMatters’ knowledge, has attempted to use general municipal code in the fashion this ordinance would.

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Conmemoración de 500 años de Cuauhtémoc en el Zócalo: horario e historia

La gobiernos Federal y de la CDMX homenajearán al tlatoani Cuauhtémoc en el Zócalo. Se cumplen 500 años de ser desaparecido por Hernán Cortés

por México Desconocido

Este año se conmemoran 500 años de la muerte del huey tlatoani Cuauhtémoc, asesinado por Hernán Cortés, según algunas fuentes, el 28 de febrero de 1525 (otra fecha podría ser el 25). Por ello, como un hecho inédito en la historia, la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum anunció un homenaje a Cuauhtémoc en el Zócalo. Se espera se haga una recreación de la lucha entre españoles y mexicas. Además de este homenaje, recientemente el Senado de la República también recordó el valor del último huey tlatoani de México-Tenochtilán.

Para el primer evento conmemorativo de la muerte de Cuauhtémoc en el Zócalo, también antigua sede política de México-Tenochtitlán, se han colocado pantallas, sillas y gradas. Asimismo, se han realizado ensayos con docenas de personas, por lo que se espera que sea un evento con un gran cantidad de artistas en escena.

Conmemoración de Cuauhtémoc en el Zócalo, ¿cómo murió?

Cuauhtémoc, mejor dicho, Cuauhtemoctzin (la forma honorífica en náhuatl del nombre del tlatoani), fue capturado por Cortés y sus aliados el 13 de agosto de 1521. A razón de ello, el heroico señor de Mexico-Tenochtitlan rindió al fin la ciudad, tras tres meses de sitio. Posteriormente, el gobernante tenochca, junto al tlatoani de Tlacopan, fueron torturados para que confesaran donde había quedado el tesoro de Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, tras la batalla de la Noche Triste en 1520. Al ser bañados sus pies en aceite y abrasados por el fuego, Cuauhtémoc quedó tullido, tal como dejo constancia el médico español Cristóbal de Ojeda.

A pesar de lo sucedido, el joven tlatoani fue tratado con cierto respeto. Y es que Hernán Cortés necesitaba de su autoridad para imponer orden entre los mexicas y dialogar con los pueblos otrora sometidos a Tenochtitlan. A pesar de ser un gobernante cautivo del poder europeo, Cuauhtémoc intercedió constantemente a favor de su pueblo en los años posteriores a la conquista de la capital tenochca. Por si fuera poco, se negó a ser bautizado. Todo esto fue generando diversas inseguridades en el conquistador extremeño, quien empezó a temer una rebelión encabezada por el otrora señor de Tlatelolco.

La expedición a las Hibueras y la muerte del último tlatoani mexica

En 1524, Hernán Cortés organizó una expedición militar contra Cristóbal de Olid, quien le había traicionado. El destino fue la región de las Hibueras, la cual es actualmente Honduras. Para ello, se movilizó al frente de un enorme ejército donde, como era usual, la mayor parte de los efectivos eran los pueblos mesoamericanos sometidos. La cuestión es que en aquella ocasión, el grueso del contingente era mexica y en menor medida tlaxcalteca. Por ello iban sus capitanes principales, incluido el mismo huey tlatoani Cuauhtémoc. Además, con esto Cortés lograba alejar al noble tenochca de su ciudad, a fin evitar cualquier sublevación de su parte.

Al año de iniciar la campaña militar, Cortés recibió a un tal Mexicalcingo, quien le comunicó un supuesto complot que estaría preparando el señor de Tenochtitlan para alzarse contra los conquistadores. Ante esto, el capitán castellano decidió ejecutar a Cuauhtémoc. La decisión fue controvertida y cuestionada hasta por los españoles de la expedición. Al final, el joven tlatoani fue ahorcado junto al gobernante de Tlacopan, Tetlepanquetzal, de la rama de un ceiba. Antes de ello, se le bautizó y se le puso por nombre cristiano Hernando de Alvarado Cuauhtemotzin. La cruenta muerte aconteció, según estimaciones, aproximadamente el 28 de febrero de 1525 en Itzamkanac, actualmente la región de El Tigre, en Campeche, al norte de la frontera con Guatemala.

Ultimo discurso del huey tlatoani

El último gobernante mexica fue ejecutado sin derecho a juicio por los invasores españoles, por lo que se convirtió en un símbolo de todos los mártires que vieron caer la cultura mexica. Atestiguando el fin de su cultura, el gran orador ofreció estas palabras:

«Nuestra sagrada energía ya tuvo a bien ocultarse, nuestro venerable sol ya dignamente desapareció su rostro, y en total obscuridad se dignó dejarnos. Ciertamente sabemos (que) otra vez se dignará volver, que otra vez tendrá a bien salir y nuevamente vendrá dignamente a alumbrarnos.»

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