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New center to assist the community against covid-19 in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco

There will also be food assistance and help for the unemployed

by FT
Internet services

In a time when the covid-19 pandemic is raging, San Francisco city officials, Mission Neighborhood Centers (MNC) workers and city community leaders inaugurated a new social assistance center and medical facility in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood that will provide access to food, housing and health services and help the unemployed workforce during this coronavirus scourge.

A populous neighborhood that borders the bay to the southeast of the city, Bayview has a majority population of color with Latinos making up more than 20% of its inhabitants. The neighborhood is being hard hit by the pandemic. As of December 6, 2020, the Department of Public Health reported that for every 10,000 residents of Bayview there have been 531.6 cases of covid-19. Latinos represent 15% of the city’s population but, disproportionately, suffer from the highest rate of contagion than any other group: 45.5% of positive cases.

In a virtual press conference, leaders also denounced that communities of color are the most affected by the pandemic, which is why the new center will provide medical assistance and covid-19 tests. The initiative to create these centers in places where communities of color reside began after the successful creation of a similar center in the Barrio de La Misión.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the center was made possible in part because of $28.5 million the city allocated to grassroots organizations that work with the Latino community.

“This center will help community members to have access to food and other basic goods they need. It will be a trusted place for the community to turn to when they need help,” Breed said.

David Chiu, representative of District 17 (eastern part of the city) in the State Assembly, said that there is racism in the structures of society that worsens the situation. “Our communities of color, particularly the Latino community and the African American community have been attacked by this pandemic, by this recession, and quite frankly by the legacy of structural racism. Covid-19 has revealed and called our attention to all these social injustices,” he said.

Chiu added that a baby born in Bayview is twice as likely to be born prematurely than one born in another neighborhood of the city, like Russian Hill for example. These infants are “seven times more likely to be born into poverty and live 14 years less than a baby born six miles away… This is where the challenge of structural racism, poverty and the pandemic leads us,” he asserted.

The representative also warned of a possible wave of evictions that could hit the city and state hard. “We had a moratorium that has halted evictions in the city and in the state but if we don’t pass new laws by January 31…there are literally two million Californians, many of them members of our community, at risk of eviction,” he said. Chiu.

Santiago Ruiz, general director and founder of Centros Vecinales de La Misión (MNC) thanked the municipal officials and said that the city’s response was “affirmative, phenomenal and diligent”. Ruiz also reported that there are individuals in need who were applying for affordable housing in the city but are being “denied that opportunity because they don’t qualify because they don’t have a job due to the pandemic… It’s sad to think that those people we represent can’t apply because They are unemployed.” In a dramatic appeal, Ruiz asked the representatives to cancel this requirement “at least during the covid-19 period that is strangling our families, or at least to put them on a waiting list instead of being rejected from the process.” of application”.

Work & Social Justice: The David Bacon Archive at Stanford

Exhibit opens for in-person and online viewing at Stanford Libraries

by the El Reportero‘s news services

 

Acquired by Stanford Libraries’ in late 2019, the David Bacon Archive is now one of the largest collections of documentary photography at the Libraries, offering scholars and students stunning perspectives of labor and social justice movements as well as societal impacts of globalization and war.

Stanford, CA—From the streets of Oakland and Los Angeles to farmlands and factories across the United States, Mexico, the Philippines and Iraq, the images of photojournalist David Bacon reveal powerful, and often personal, portraits of resilience and courage from communities habitually overlooked or pushed to the margins of society.

These stories are now featured in a new exhibition, Work & Social Justice: The David Bacon Archive at Stanford, on display through May 9, 2021 in the Cecil H. Green Library at Stanford. Access to campus libraries is currently limited to Stanford ID cardholders due to COVID-19; however, the online exhibition, which includes additional content not included in the physical show, is accessible to everyone, and is part of an accessible digital spotlight collection that includes significant images from his body of work.

 

Palo Alto’s Magical Bridge Playground to Re-Open on November 17

Learn more about the reopening including new safety requirements to be aware of before you visit and ways to volunteer

The City of Palo Alto and the Magical Bridge Foundation are partnering together to reopen the Magical Bridge Playground at Mitchell Park and creating a safe and welcoming place for the community to enjoy. This blog provides details about the reopening as the City and Magical Bridge Foundation welcomes the community back on November 17. Play safely and spread kindness in this magical all-inclusive playground.

 

Ways to Support Our Veterans This Veterans Day

Wednesday is Veterans Day and there are many ways to celebrate and honor our veterans even during the pandemic. We’ve gathered these resources to help you pay tribute, including attending virtual events, volunteering opportunities, and ways to donate to organizations helping our veterans. In addition to the resources we’re sharing, the U.S Department of Veteran’s Affairs has this listing of virtual events scheduled for the holiday. Also, see our Family Resources section below for more events.

 

San Francisco Symphony announces cancellation of all previously planned live concerts through June 30, 2021

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The San Francisco Symphony today announces the cancellation of all concerts through June 30, 2021 due to COVID-19. “While it is deeply disappointing to have to cancel the remainder of the planned concerts in our 2020-21 Season, the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 make it clear that this is the best course of action for the Symphony at this time,” says San Francisco Symphony CEO Mark C. Hanson.

“By canceling these performances, we are able to turn our full attention to investing in the creation of compelling and timely digital content and experiences that both fit within required safety guidelines and take advantage of them as a catalyst for innovation.

As we look ahead to 2021, we will continue to take a flexible, collaborative approach to identifying areas of opportunity, and planning meaningful projects that serve our community and excite our audiences.” New digital programming for January–June 2021 will be announced at a later date. Should live concerts in Davies Symphony Hall become possible, the San Francisco Symphony will announce new performances accordingly.

 

Blessing Chukwu, the first Afro-Mexican to represent Nayarit in Miss Mexico

by El Reportero news services

 

For several years, the Miss World contest has been held in which several women from different countries seek to be crowned as the most beautiful woman in the world, not only physically but also for their different virtues.

In Mexico, each year the candidate to compete in the pageant is sought through Miss Mexico and this year, many are surprised by Blessing Chukwu, the first Afro-Mexican to participate.

Blessing Chukwu is an Afro-Mexican woman who represents the state of Nayarit in Miss Mexico and seeks to win in order to represent the country in Miss World.

The 23-year-old is the daughter of a Mexican woman and a man from Nigeria. The Miss Mexico contestant studied Marketing at the Autonomous University of Nayarit and today seeks to win the contest to proudly represent Mexico in one of the most important beauty certificates: Miss World. https://www.milenio.com/estilo/blessing-chukwu-representante-afromexicana-miss-mexico?fbclid=IwAR1he9BkFfrVEv4ApZU5GGcEA_ZRXZ0LP8_arrcFbeOV1eq4g3BK9b4nuT8

 

‘Roma’ star Yalitza Aparicio’s next big role? Hosting the Latin Grammys

A year after scoring a historic Oscar nomination for her breakout performance in Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” Yalitza Aparicio is taking on another major awards show: the Latin Grammys.

The Mexican and Indigenous actress has been tapped to emcee Latin music’s biggest night after original co-host Roselyn Sánchez dropped out due to an injury. The Latin Recording Academy announced Wednesday that Aparicio would take over hosting duties alongside actress Ana Brenda Contreras and singer Carlos Rivera.

“Friends, with a heavy heart, I must inform you that I will no longer be participating in the Latin Grammys ceremony this year,” Sánchez wrote on Instagram last week in Spanish. “I suffered a fall, and my doctor put a boot on me. The doctor’s recommendation was to avoid standing for long periods of time or wearing heels. I’m going to miss you.”

 

Latin Grammy Awards recognize 80 years of successful career of the Orquesta Aragón

The label of La Aragón has reached imposing stages around the world such as Carnegie Hall, Olympia in Paris and Lincoln Center with the sound of its brass band. The discography of the group exceeds 100 plates and enjoys the privilege of belonging to the Hall of Fame of Latin Music in New York and Las Vegas.

After eight decades of recognized artistic career, the mother of Cuban brass bands La Orquesta Aragón, together with the record company Puntilla Music, celebrates its nomination for the Latin Grammy 2020 with the record production “Ícono” in the Best Traditional Tropical Album category, which represents the consolidation of a musical legacy that has been in force for more than three generations.

 

Calexico Teen’s Whim Lands Him a ‘Tengo Talento’ Bid

A lifelong passion for singing has turned into a fast-track opportunity for 17-year-old Calexico resident Yahir “Choco” Garduño to potentially obtain widespread success and stardom.

The Calexico High senior is among the 12 finalists on the 23rd season of the Spanish-language TV series, “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento.”

His current standing is even more remarkable considering that he initially decided against completing the online application required to enter the popular televised talent contest in the vein of “American Idol” or “The Voice.”

 

Young influencer Adriana Murrieta found dead

Your case will be investigated with the femicide protocol. On Instagram she had more than 51 thousand followers.

Adriana Murrieta Treviño, 29, who disappeared on November 1 at night after arriving at the Guadalajara International Airport from Culiacán, Sinaloa, was found dead in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco.

Relatives of the influencer reported the news on their social media on November 3. They asked for respect and prudence for the Treviño family and asked to remember her as she was, unique and outgoing, with a good heart.

More plandemic foreknowledge

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

 

Dear readers:

 

Investigative journalist James Corbett brings us with the following article, perspectives from what he calls, the plandemia, which has hit us all almost like the third world war – only that this war seems to be the definitive war to control our minds, bodies and souls – without bullets. And James seems to send the message that his was all planned from while ago. Due to its length and lack of space in our print edition, the article will be shorten.

However, shortly after you will be able to read the full article and the images that go with each section, including the corresponding links, in the editorial section of our online edition of www.elreporteroSF.com. – Marvin Ramírez

by James Corbett

October 17, 2020 – You’ll recall that back in April of this year I examined the question of whether or not there was foreknowledge of the plandemic. Specifically, that episode of Questions or Corbett looked at:

and several other signs that those in positions of power knew that 2020 was going to be the year of COVID.

But April seems like an eternity ago and many more pieces of suspiciously predictive activities been dug up in the meantime.

So, in the interest of continuing this exploration, let’s examine 10 more signs of plandemic foreknowledge.

1) Crimson Contagion

In 2019 the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) held a pandemic exercise called Crimson Contagion, which, the mainstream press notes, was “eerily similar” to the current scamdemic. The exercise scenario envisioned a novel strain of pandemic influenza originating in China and being brought back to the US by international tourists.

So why did the exercise make it into the mainstream press at all? Because Orange Man Bad, of course. More specifically, because it provides the “Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US” cover story for this neo-9/11, subtly reinforcing the narrative by suggesting that COVID-19 is a real and existential threat to the US and that the valiant leadership of the HHS tried to warn the White House about PPE shortages and other preparedness shortcomings.

Extra points if you recognize this drill from my coverage of it in COVID-911: From Homeland Security to Biosecurity.

2) Canada’s Pandemic Warning System Shut Down Right Before COVID-19

Canada’s international alert system for disease outbreaks—the Global Public Health Intelligence Network, or GPHIN, which, The Globe and Mail helpfully informs us, is “highly regarded”—was “silenced” by the Canadian government in early 2019. And we all know what happened at the end of 2019.

This story once again serves to bolster the mainstream narrative by portraying the novel coronavirus as a real and existential threat that could have been prevented if only the government had plowed more money into its public health department and paid more attention to the epidemiologists (who, as we have seen this year, never get anything wrong).

3) “Simulation” of the Deliberate Release of a Lethal Respiratory Pathogen Planned for 2020

The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board is a body convened by the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO) that seeks to “ensure preparedness for global health crises.”  In their 2019 “Annual report on global preparedness for health emergencies” they warned, a propos of absolutely nothing, of the “very real threat of a rapidly moving, highly lethal pandemic of a respiratory pathogen killing 50 to 80 million people and wiping out nearly 5% of the world’s economy.”

They also set a number of goals for 2020, including:

The United Nations (including WHO) conducts at least two system-wide training and simulation exercises, including one for covering the deliberate release of a lethal respiratory pathogen.

But don’t worry, guys! That’s just a “simulation,” and we all know that drills never go live.

4) The WHO Warns of “New Normal” of Pandemic Outbreaks . . . in 2019

Last June, Dr. Michael Ryan—the executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies programme—told BBC News that “We are entering a very new phase of high impact epidemics and this isn’t just Ebola.” In case you didn’t get the warning, he added: “This is a new normal, I don’t expect the frequency of these events to reduce.”

Look out, folks, we’ve got a regular Nostradamus here.

Dr. Ryan, it should be noted, is the same WHO official who announced that the “new normal” of the COVID-19 era involves governments forcibly removing those suspected of infection from their homes and separating them from their families. Oddly, he forgot to mention that part when speaking to the BBC last year.

5) A Comic Book Published by the EU Envisioned A Global Pandemic Stopped by the EU

What you are looking at is a page from Infected, a comic book published by the EU Publications Office in 2012.

No, you read that right. A comic book published by the EU Publications Office.

And what’s the story of this comic book adventure?

During a tour of a P4 biosecurity lab in China, a time traveler from the year 2111 arrives to warn the assembled scientists that, in the future, a pandemic will ravage the planet. In order to prevent the calamity, the time traveler provides the scientists with a some vials of biological material that he says will be necessary to “nip any pandemic in the bud.”

Terrorists try to steal the material *blah blah blah* man scratched by a monkey *yadda yadda* global infectious outbreak *etc., etc.* and then . . . (you guessed it!) . . . the EU saves the day through an unprecedented global health campaign dubbed “The Way Forward.”

Yes, luckily for humanity, the EU-led “one health” approach saved us all from this “new era” of zoonotic pandemic outbreaks that we have just entered.

Personally, if I were a citizen of the EU I’d be upset that some portion of my taxes go toward paying for the production of propaganda schlock like this. After all, these are the same people who produced the dumbest propaganda video ever.

Oh, and just for the record, although the imaginary P4 lab in the comic is said to be in “Beijing,” China’s first (and only) P4 lab is in fact in Wuhan.

6) COVID-19 Test Kits Being Sold in 2017?

The World Bank runs a website called the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) that tracks global trade data by product using their “Harmonized System” (HS) tracking codes. On September 4, 2020, they posted data on COVID-19 test kits that raised some eyebrows. You see, the website indicated that these COVID-19 test kits were being sold as far back as 2017!

Proof positive that the whole thing was planned years in advance, right?

Sigh.

A cursory glance at the data would give even the most credulous truther pause for thought about the significance of this “find.” If we were to take this posting at face value, then we have to believe that not only were 58 separate countries producing and exporting these COVID-19 test kits (meaning that tens of thousands of people would have been involved in their production, sale, shipping and storage), but that countries like Switzerland were producing over 2,000,000 kg worth of these kits (valued at a cool $23 billion) without a single person anywhere in this supply chain asking, “What’s COVID-19, anyway?” and not a single person coming out afterward to say, “You know, I thought it was odd that we were exporting billions of dollars worth of these COVID-19 test kits, but it was even weirder when COVID-19 was identified and named three years later.”

Or, you know, the test kits were general medical test kits that were relabeled for COVID-19 use in April of this year and retroactively relabeled in the WITS system. Because that’s exactly what the fact checkers are saying.

And you know what? I believe them. (“Oooooooh, I just knew James was a globalist shill!” jeers the crowd.)

The World Customs Organization even announced the reclassification in April of this year.

This is another example of how poorly researched information gets passed around online so that the fact checkers can arrive on their white horses and save the day by dispelling the obvious misinformation (Gates and the God gene vaccine at the CIA, anyone?).

So I don’t consider this one plandemic foreknowledge at all, but thought I would throw it in to put the debunking on record.

7) A White House Advisory Group Published a Report on How a Pandemic Would Ravage the Economy . . . Last September

In September 2019 the White House’s Council of Ecnomic Advisors published a report on “Mitigating the Impact of Pandemic Influenza through Vaccine Innovation.” The report warned of “the potentially large health and economic losses in the United States associated with influenza pandemics,” estimating that such a pandemic would cause “from $413 billion to $3.79 trillion” worth of damage to the economy. And, as the title suggests, it argues that “[n]ewer technologies, like cell-based or recombinant vaccines” could help drastically mitigate that damage.

Unsurprisingly, the usual MSM presstitutes used the story to reinforce the narrative that pandemic diseases are the new normal, that the US is woefully unprepared to fight the war on the invisible enemy, and that investment in novel vaccine technologies can help save the country from economic ruination.

8) Central Bank Gold Repatriation

You might remember back in 2013 when Germany’s Bundesbank issue a remarkable statement announcing that they would repatriate 674 tons of their gold holding from the New York Fed. You may even remember that they specifically set a 2020 deadline for that repatriation.

But did you know that Austria’s central bank followed suit in 2015 with an announcement that they, too, would repatriate the country’s gold by 2020? And did you know that the Polish central bank repatriated 100 tonnes of its gold from the Bank of England’s vaults in a series of secret airlifts ending in November 2019?

All of these pieces of evidence led analysts like Ronan Manly to predict that 2020 would be the year of the great “system reset,” a transformation of the world financial system that would ultimately be used to usher in a new international monetary order.

This has nothing to do with a pandemic, of course, but then again, neither does the financial crisis we’re living through. The truth is that the current financial meltdown has been gathering steam for years and was well underway for at least a year prior to any of this COVID-19 hysteria. “Following the money” to track down the real perpetrators of this crime seems as good advice for would-be scamdemic investigators as it is for 9/11 investigators.

Conclusion

As you can see, there were many different warnings that a pandemic emergency was set to take place this year. As you can also see, there is no “smoking gun” that proves anything specific about COVID-19. Even worse, many of these “warnings” actually serve to bolster the narrative that this scamdemic really is an emergency—one that we could have prevented if only we’d thrown more money at big pharma and given more power to the public health technocrats.

But such is the nature of these large-scale events. Amateur sleuthers get caught up searching for the single, undeniable “smoking gun” and lose sight of the bigger picture.

The bigger picture here is that—exactly as I have demonstrated in my work on Medical Martial Law and Medical Martial Law 2020 and COVID-911—the groundwork for the emergence of the biosecurity state has been carefully laid over the course of the past two decades (at least). From the passage of emergency health legislation to the creation of new pandemic preparedness offices to the signing of international health treaties, this medical martial law infrastructure has ensured that—regardless of whether it is real or fake, planned or unplanned—any public health crisis could be used as the trigger for the beginning of the biosecurity era.

By all means, keep looking for that smoking gun (and, if you happen to find it, let me know in the comments below). But unless we discuss What No One Is Saying About the Corona Crisis and address the root of this new biosecurity paradigm, the bioterrorists will get away with their scam.

This weekly editorial is part of The Corbett Report Subscriber newsletter.

8 Amazing benefits of artichokes for your health

by Joanne Washburn

 

Artichokes are regal-looking veggies that pop up often in salads and dips. Rich in calcium, iron and vitamins C and A, among other nutrients, artichokes are incredibly healthy superfoods that boast a wide range of benefits for your health, from better digestion to a lower risk of cancer.

While most experts recommend eating fresh produce raw to retain vitamins and minerals as much as possible, you can make an exception with artichokes. For one, raw artichokes aren’t exactly palatable. Artichoke’s tough outer leaves also only have a small portion of edible material. In most cases, recipes would call for inner leaves, which are tender and fleshier. Meanwhile, the heart and the stem can be eaten whole after cooking.

The many health benefits of artichokes

Whether steamed, boiled or roasted, artichokes pack an impressive list of health benefits. These include:

Provides many nutrients – Artichokes are a staple of Mediterranean diets because of their nutrition profile. For one, they are rich in vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. They also provide dietary fiber and contain antioxidants, including luteolin, apigenin and chlorogenic acid.

Combats inflammation – The heads and leaves of artichokes have high levels of antioxidants. These antioxidants help protect cells from oxidative stress and inflammation caused by free radicals.

Reduces cholesterol – Artichokes are a heart-healthy food because they help reduce your cholesterol levels. Fiber contributes to this effect, as do some of the antioxidants in artichokes. Anthocyanins, phenols, flavonoids and other antioxidants in artichokes also prevent cholesterol oxidation.

Boosts digestion – In folk medicine, artichoke is used to enhance digestion because of cynaropicrin, a bitter-tasting compound primarily found in artichoke leaves. Plus, artichoke hearts are loaded with fiber, which helps keep food moving along the digestive tract.

Regulate appetite – Natural healers in several European countries, such as Germany and Finland, also make herbal preparations from artichoke leaves to stimulate appetite, especially in children.

Promotes regularity – Inulin, an indigestible carb found in the outer leaves and flower heads of artichokes, serves as food for the good bacteria in the gut, which help regulate bowel movement.

Supports liver health – Two of the most powerful antioxidants in artichokes, cynarin and silymarin, help your liver eliminate dietary and environmental toxins. Many studies have also shown that cynarin helps protect the liver from damage and even helps regenerate liver cells.

May reduce cancer risk – Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with the development of cancer. Thanks to the beneficial effects of their antioxidants on oxidative stress and inflammation, artichokes help lower cancer risk and reduce the potential for cancer cell growth.

Cream of artichoke soup

While not the most colorful soup, nothing screams “comfort food” like this thick and luxurious artichoke soup. Serve it with croutons for added texture.

Ingredients:

4 artichokes

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 potato, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, diced

2 cups water

2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup coconut cream

1/2 cup white wine

4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

Preparation:

Steam the artichokes in 2 cups of water for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain but reserve the liquid. Set aside the steamed artichokes to cool.

Scrape the flesh from each artichoke bottom and add those to a soup pot along with the reserved liquid.

Remove the choke from each artichoke bottom. Dice all the artichoke bottoms and add them to the pot along with the stock, white wine, potato, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves and marjoram. Simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened.

Pour the pot’s contents into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot and reheat.

Stir in the coconut cream and goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with homemade croutons.

Packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, artichokes are amazing superfoods with a wide range of health benefits to their name. To reap those benefits, eat more artichokes as part of a balanced diet.

8,000 fraudulent voter registration applications filed by pair in Hawthorne election

A man who tried to run for mayor in Hawthorne is among two people charged in a voter fraud case in which thousands of fraudulent voter registration applications were allegedly submitted on behalf of homeless people

 

by City News Service

 

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (CNS) — A man who tried to run for mayor in Hawthorne pleaded not guilty today in connection with an alleged voter fraud case in which thousands of fraudulent voter registration applications were allegedly submitted on behalf of homeless people, a fraud effort that prosecutors allege was being funded by the criminal gang MS-13.

Carlos Antonio De Bourbon Montenegro — also known as Mark Anthony Gonsalves — is charged with 18 felony counts of voter fraud, 11 felony counts of procuring a false or forged instrument, two felony counts of perjury and one felony count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud, along with nine misdemeanor counts of interference with a prompt transfer of a completed affidavit, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Montenegro, 53, allegedly submitted more than 8,000 fraudulent voter registration applications between July and October, as well as allegedly falsifying names, addresses and signatures on nomination papers under penalty of perjury to run for mayor in Hawthorne.

According to the prosecutor in court, the fraud efforts were being funded by the criminal gang MS-13 so they could put Montenegro in an elected official position to their benefit.

A separate investigation led authorities to discover those ballots at a motel room. That evidence was handed over to the FBI.

Both men pleaded not guilty. Montenegro could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The conspiracy charge alleges that Montenegro submitted and filed signed nomination papers containing 41 signatures and addresses to the city clerk this summer and that just 18 of the names, addresses and signatures on the nomination papers were validated by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office.

The conspiracy charge also alleges that Montenegro was subsequently issued write-in candidate nomination papers and that he “submitted and filed signed write-in candidate nomination papers containing 32 signatures and addresses for fictitious, non-existent or deceased person” with the city clerk’s office.

It further alleges that he and co-defendant Marcos Raul Arevalo “and other unknown co-conspirators” used three post office boxes in Hawthorne as well as Montenegro’s home address “as mailing addresses for over 8,000 voter registration applications for fictitious, non-existent or deceased persons, that were submitted for processing to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s Office and the California Secretary of State.”

Montenegro could face up to 15 years and eight months in state prison if convicted as charged, according to prosecutors.

Arevalo, 34, is charged with eight counts of voter fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud and four counts of procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, along with four misdemeanor counts of interference with a prompt transfer of a completed affidavit, and could face a maximum seven-year prison term if convicted as charged, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The case stemmed from an investigation by the DA’s Bureau of Investigation. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office, FBI, Covina Police Department and the California Secretary of State’s Office also assisted in the initial investigation, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

 

In other unrelated news shared from USA Today:

 

We are being ruled by experts, suggested Justice Alito

Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito delivered a candid speech on the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions between gay rights and religious freedom, during an address to the Federalist Society on Thursday.

Alito said the restrictions imposed by political leaders in order to contain the coronavirus pandemic have “resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty” and denounced recent Supreme Court decisions holding up orders he believed discriminated against religious groups.

He argued that “the COVID restrictions have highlighted the movement toward rule by experts, litigation about those restrictions has pointed up emerging trends . . . with respect to religious liberty,” and that “in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right.”

He argued the pandemic highlighted a wider assault on religious freedom as conservative views are increasing equated with “bigotry.”

Alito went on to say the “severe, extensive and prolonged” restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic represented an unprecedented curtailment of rights that would clearly be protected by the First Amendment under normal circumstances, creating “a sort of constitutional stress test.”

Alito painted the use of executive orders as the culmination of a dream held by “early 20th century progressives” and “the New Dealers of the 1930s” in which “policymaking would shift from narrow-minded elected legislators to an elite group of appointed experts.” And he warned that after “the pandemic has passed, all sorts of things can be called an emergency or disaster of major proportions” to justify similar measures.

He also said the pandemic restrictions were evidence that “in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right.” Alito decried the Supreme Court’s decision to let restrictions stand in California and Nevada that he said “blatantly discriminated against houses of worship.”

Regarding Nevada’s restrictions limiting religious services to 50 people while allowing casinos to open at 50 percent, Alito said, “The state’s message is this: ‘Forget about worship and head for the slot machines, or maybe a Cirque du Soleil show.'”

Big Tech hearing: Twitter, Facebook accused of colluding in censorship, taking political policy views  

Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley grilled Twitter’s Jack Dorsey and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg regarding their ‘monopoly on public discourse in the online arena’

 

by Michael Haynes

Shared from Lifesite

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In the latest Big Tech hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Facebook and Twitter CEOs were grilled by Republican senators for cooperating in censoring accounts and accessing private information without people’s knowledge.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey appeared via video link before the Judiciary Committee, as senators had the opportunity to question the two about the influence of social media.

The Committee chair, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, opened by stating, “There’s Republican and Democrat concern about the power that’s being used by social media outlets to tell us what we can see and what we can’t: what’s true and what’s not.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, launched an attack upon the Big Tech CEOs, noting that “Facebook, and Twitter, and Google have massive power, they have a monopoly on public discourse in the online arena.”

He also expressed concern that Democrats “consistently” give the message for “Facebook, Twitter and Google to censor more, to abuse their power more, to silence voices that Senate Democrats disagree with, more.”

Cruz pointed out how Twitter used their policies in a “partisan and selective manner,” censoring the New York Post’s article regarding Hunter Biden’s business deals, yet did not block a story regarding President Trump’s tax return, “even though a federal statue makes it a crime to distribute someone’s tax returns without their consent.”

“Your answer is always, ‘once we silence you, we can choose to allow you to speak,’” declared Cruz.

He also raised the issue regarding voter fraud, and the warnings that Twitter is placing upon “virtually any statement about voter fraud.” When Dorsey attempted to explain the warnings, suggesting that they were “linking to a broader conversation so people have more information,” Cruz rebuffed, saying, “No, you’re not.”

“That’s taking a disputed policy position, and you’re a publisher when you’re doing that,” Cruz added. “You’re entitled to take a policy decision, but you don’t get to pretend you’re not a publisher and get a special benefit under Section 230 as a result.”

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act essentially gives social media platforms immunity from civil liability.

The Senator noted that Twitter had “taken the political position right now that voter fraud doesn’t exist.”

Dorsey also refused Cruz’s request to commit to providing a list of political candidates who had been censored, and Zuckerberg claimed he was “not sure if we have that data available.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, then pushed Zuckerberg regarding information he had received from a whistleblower stating that Big Tech companies collaborated in censorship and that “Facebook has an internal platform to manage it.”

Using the “Task platform,” Facebook employees “discuss which individuals, or hashtags, or websites to ban,” Hawley said.

He then provided evidence, suggesting that Facebook coordinated with Twitter and Google to effect content censorship.

Tweeting after the hearing, Hawley wrote, “Zuckerberg admits @Facebook DOES have ‘tools’ to track its users across the internet, across platforms, across accounts – all without user knowledge. I ask how many times this tool has been used domestically against Americans. Zuck won’t say.”

Zuckerberg “repeatedly refused to provide information that he knows that he has, and has now acknowledged that he has,” namely a list of the times Google or Twitter was mentioned on the internal platform.

Hawley then quizzed Zuckerberg about Centra, a tool used by the company “to track its users not just on Facebook but across the entire internet.” Replying as to how many accounts in the United States had been shut down using the program, Zuckerberg said, “I’m not familiar with the name of that tool.”

He repeatedly refused to provide a list of the times that Facebook employees had accessed user’s private information without their knowledge.

Closing his questions, Hawley gave a summary of the relation between the Big Tech companies and their influence upon citizens: “What we have here is clear evidence of coordination between Twitter, Google and Facebook, Mr. Zuckerberg knows he has the tools to track this, but he either doesn’t remember or won’t commit to letting us see it.”

“We have evidence of Facebook tracking its own users all across the web; Mr. Zuckerberg won’t answer questions about it, can’t remember the name, isn’t sure if the tool’s deployed in this way and won’t commit to giving us basic information,” continued Hawley.
“It is exactly what these tech companies have done to the American people and to Congress for years now.”

The Senator took to Twitter later, observing that “Facebook officials can now remember Centra — Zuckerberg told me not one hour ago, under oath, that he didn’t know of any tool or platform by that name and seemed to be suffering terrible amnesia.”

 

 

Longtime political activist, samba dancer is the new District 7 Supervisor-elect

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

 

On Jan. 20, when new local offices are taken by new elected officials, the Latino community will be honored to have the first Latino woman in the SF Board of Supervisors in District 7.

Endorsed by SF Mayor London Breed, Myrna Melgar, who is a Salvadorian immigrant with a longtime community organizing background, was elected on Nov. 3, to serve as the new District 7 Supervisor.

Melgar, who at the age of 12 fled with her family the war in Salvador, has an extensive curriculum of community services, from youth development to home ownership programs to community and labor union organizing to aide to mayoral candidate John Avalos in 2011 (and former SF Supervisor), and as project organizer of dozens of non-profit organizations.

A samba dance enthusiast, who for several years has been taken part of Carnaval SF with her samba group, Melgar holds a Bacherlor’s Degree in Liberal Studies from Excelsior College in New York, and a Master’s Degree in in Urban Planning from Columbia University in the City of New York. She also took classes in Political Science at SF State University.

In 2012, she was appointed Commissioner of the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection and then voted to be the Vice President of the Board of Appeals.

Before March of 2014, she worked at the Mission Economic Development Agency as its Deputy Director, and Director of Asset Building Programs.

“I will be focused on housing and childcare. That is really important to families and also on senior services. We have a lot of senior in this district and we are the only district that doesn’t have a comprehensive senior center,” said Melgar in an interview.

 

Creation in progress of Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency

MEXICO, Nov 17 – The Secretary of Foreign Relations of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard, reported on progress to create a Latin American and Caribbean space agency. The Mexican Foreign Minister chaired a virtual meeting on this issue with his Bolivian counterparts, Rogelio Mayta, Ecuador, Luis Benigno Gallegos, the executive director of the National Commission for Space Activities of Argentina, Raúl Kulichevsky, and representatives of Paraguay, Colombia, El Salvador and Peru, together with regional organizations.

It is an invitation from Mexico and Argentina to lay the foundations for the constitution of a regional space agency, for which a declaration of constitution on the cooperation mechanism was already signed on October 9, within the framework of the UN World Space Week.

Ebrard insisted on the importance of that declaration, and assured that if Latin America and the Caribbean do not participate in the space race, it is very likely they will have more disadvantages in science and technology, which translates into weakness and inability to solve social welfare problems.

He assured this integration of Latin American and Caribbean nations, will make it possible to jointly build small, medium and large satellites, share the space segment infrastructure, develop earth stations and terminal equipment, with significant economies of scale.

The Declaration is the product of the agreements reached at the Latin American and Caribbean Space Encounter, held on July 2, 2020, as part of Mexico’s Work Plan in its capacity as pro tempore President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CLACS).

San Francisco Latino merchants celebrate $ 350,000 COMCAST grants to local businesses

By Eduardo Palomino

Special for El Reportero

San francisco California. Faced with the difficult situation in which Latino small businesses find themselves in the San Francisco Bay Area, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Comcast California has donated $350,000 to the Opportunity Fund, which in turn launched a loan program to support with these funds, marketing services and financial advice for businesses for Latinos, African Americans, indigenous people and other ethnic groups of color.

A clear example of the current situation is Mr. Santos Ortiz, originally from El Salvador, who opened the Multiservices Jewerly jewelry store six years ago. After a lot of work and patience, Ortiz’s small business managed to consolidate. However, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reduced his income and, therefore, forced him to spend the savings he had collected with so much effort. “We are still here eager to do the best for our customers, but we need help, so I celebrate initiatives like Comcast,” said Ortiz.

According to experts, the pandemic has disproportionately affected minorities, including Latin American microentrepreneurs. The foregoing becomes more relevant if we consider that, according to the Small Business Administration, 44% of all productive activity in the United States is created by small businesses, on which two-thirds of the net new jobs in the country depend .

For this reason, in addition to financial support, Comcast will produce Public Service Announcements (PSAc) to promote the fund and show the benefits of the loans. These announcements will be broadcast on Comcast’s communication channels, including Telemundo and NBC Bay Area, as well as in social networks, thanks to the advice of specialists who will advise microentrepreneurs to improve their digital infrastructure, electronic commerce and Internet presence.

“Microenterprises create jobs, drive innovation, and foster competition. They are the lifeblood of the American economy. Although micro-business owners are among the most agile, tenacious and resilient people around, their businesses, their livelihoods, have been challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic in unimaginable and unprecedented ways, ”said John Gauder , Senior Vice President of Comcast California. “We have come to depend a lot on them. Now, when times are tough, we want them to know that they can trust us to overcome this crisis. ”

“In my case, a debt was generated for me for the rental of the property where my business is located, at 2770 Mission St. A loan would save us in many ways, especially since three families depend on this business,” said Ortiz. “My fellow Mission merchants are going through something similar. We work hard because we are working people, however, any support at this time would be greatly appreciated, it would be a blessing from God. With that we could pay the debt of the rent and electricity ”.

“Opportunity Fund has a proven track record of success, helping microenterprises by providing impactful microcredits for more than 25 years,” said Executive Director Luz Urrutia. “Our mission, to promote economic mobility, is part of the fight against systematic inequalities, including racism. We must do this work as quickly as possible, with unwavering commitment and increasing courage, what we want to create is large-scale partnerships. About 2.2 million (15%) of the country’s microenterprises closed during the spring and summer due to COVID-19. Black businesses, 19% of Latinas and 21% of Asian American businesses, have closed, reflecting historical biases of the financial system that have left minority-owned businesses undercapitalized and with fewer resources. We are deeply grateful to Comcast for supporting our efforts in California. ”

More information on microenterprise support with Latino, African American, and indigenous owners can be found on the website: www. opportunityfund.org/get-a- loan / You can also call 888-648-7859 in Spanish, and 888-720-3215 in English.

Similarly, more information about Comcast can be found at the website: california.comcast.com
Opportunity Fund is the nation’s leading microenterprise lender, based on the idea that small loans help hard-working entrepreneurs make lasting changes in their own lives and build stronger communities by growing businesses and creating jobs. The Opportunity Fund’s donor and investor community is creating an inclusive financial system that empowers women, immigrants, and minority micro-business owners. For more information:

www.us.accion.org/accion- opportunity-fund

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with three main businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the largest video, high-speed Internet, and telephone providers in the United States to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the broadcast networks of NBC and Telemundo, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts.

Visit www.comcastcorporation. com for more information.

(Sponsored by Comcast)

Another day of jumping cars in the Mission

Story and photos by Rosa Reyes

 

Hundreds of people gathered on Mission Street on Saturday Oct. 17 to witness one of the many colorful events the neighborhood has to offer.

Named the “Cold Frisco Nights”, the event in which dozens of exotic and colorful cars low-parade, give a spectacle of beautifully and expensively restored automobiles that include antique and newer models. They jump and twist at the push of a button, to the delight of an all-age audience. And there was no shortage of Harley Davidson motorcycles and mini lowrider bikes.

Organized by the SF Lowrider Council, the event takes over a few blocks of Mission Street, making the Muni bus routes to detour and slow regular traffic in one lane.

This year event was held peacefully and as usual, without incidents. Entire families sat on the sidewalks to watch the show, while others cooked barbecue for the car drivers and family members.

Lowriding is a style, and has become a tradition, and has been assimilated into the Latino culture and legacy in the Mission.