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Chilean film that tells genocide selknam will arrive at festivals in CDMX and France

by the El Reportero‘s news service

 

The feature film Blanco en blanc, by the filmmaker Theo Court, which had its premiere last September at the Venice Film Festival, continues to conquer screens around the world. This time it is preparing to be released in Mexico and to expand its circuit in Europe.

The film starring Alfredo Castro will land on Thursday, March 5 at the prestigious UNAM International Film Festival (FICUNAM), where it will be shown for the first time to Latin American audiences in the International Competition category; later, it will take the course to the renowned Latin American Film Festival of Toulouse, in the south of France, which will begin on March 20.

“Blanco en blanco” is an international co-production between Quijote Films (Chile), El Viaje Films (Spain), and Pomme Hurlante Films (France). It is set in the early twentieth century in Tierra del Fuego and was filmed both in Chilean Patagonia and on the island of Lanzarote, in Spain.

Giancarlo Nasi, producer of the film comments that “Toulouse is the perfect place for the French premiere, since it is traditionally a festival of resistance and iron commitment to the diverse and plural struggles that occur in Latin America.” Regarding Ficunam, the producer points out that “it has been characterized for years by bringing to Mexico a radical, strong, different, and daring cinema. And for those same reasons, we believe it is the perfect place to release ‘Blanco en Blanco’ in Mexico”.

In the words of the director Theo Court, the film “seeks to portray the fate of a society forged about death, a story about the invisible guilt in which we participate daily. A burden that our protagonist carries in a virgin land marked by the horror of genocide.”

 

Filmmaker Francesco Taboada launches preview of ‘The Doctor‘ in Cuernavaca

On Wednesday, March 11, the short film El Doctor will be screened in the prestigious Manuel M. Ponce Hall of the Borda Garden in Cuernavaca.

With a script based on the testimony of Anita Zapata, daughter of Caudillo del Sur and protagonist of this story, this work of fiction recounts the challenges of young doctor Gustavo Baz to save the daughter of General Emiliano Zapata.

“This short film is also a tribute to the Mexican herbalist and the Suriano corrido played with a fifth bass and sung in the Nahuatl language,” says director Francesco Taboada, director of The Last Zapatistas.

“It is a preview of the fiction feature that we will premiere at the end of 2020 at the national level, the result of an important investigation based on the oral memory of the mystical peasant stories on the eve of the Zapatista uprising at the beginning of the last century. The Nahuatl language is heard in the work, because I am convinced that Mexican cinema must also be heard in the original languages,” continues the director.

Unpublished, this short film was presented at the Rubicó Gallery in Paris within the framework of the Zapata el Disruptor expo in September 2019.

 

Mexican authorities return Yoruba sculpture to Nigeria

Customs authorities seized a bronze Yoruba sculpture at Mexico City airport that was intended to be delivered by post, and was returned to Nigeria, the country of origin.

Mexican Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs Julian Ventura delivered the piece to Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico Aminu Iyawa, and stressed that its immediate detection and authentication, and diplomatic efforts allowed that the sculpture returned to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The piece, from the Yoruba city of Ife, whose foundation dates back to the first millennium of our era, was delivered at a ceremony held at the headquarters of Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretariat.

Deputy Secretary Julian Ventura said that Mexico and Nigeria are multiethnic and multilingual nations, therefore, they are committed to the fight against theft, robbery and looting of cultural property.

On the other hand, Aminu Iyawa said that the return of this piece to his people, beyond a gesture of friendship, is an action that joins to the global call to return the heritage legacy that was once plundered to their countries of origin, many of them with a colonialist past like Nigeria and Mexico.

 

 Life is sacred and inviolable, says Bishop after ruling on abortion in Colombia

ACI Press Writing

 

The bishops of Colombia recalled that life is sacred and inviolable, after the ruling of the Constitutional Court that decided to inhibit and thus reject a proposal to extend free abortion until 16 weeks of gestation.

“Life is inviolable, life is sacred. Let’s respect it, let’s never end it, that is not up to us,” said Msgr. Juan Vicente Córdoba, president of the Episcopal Commission for the Promotion and Defense of Life of the Colombian Episcopacy, this morning at a press conference.

“Life is sacred. Human life has a fundamental characteristic: it is about identical people, with autonomy, with dignity, with freedom. And this must be respected on any side,” said the Bishop of Fontibón.

The Prelate recalled that “the Constitution of Colombia in its article 11 says that the right to life is inviolable and there will be no death penalty. It is a fundamental right. It does not say in such months or circumstances, but from conception to natural death. It is also the position of the Catholic Church.”

“Let us not dispose of the lives of others as if we were gods, and with humility before the Creator, as creatures, we respect life and make life be for the meaning it has: praise to God and happiness of people,” he encouraged.

This, the Bishop continued, “is the position of the Catholic Church and a good Catholic attends the teaching of the Church that has been going on for twenty centuries, from Peter and his successor Francisco, from the apostles and his successors the bishops, with Christ at the head”

Yesterday, March 2, the Constitutional Court of Colombia decided to inhibit and not approve the presentation of Judge Alejandro Linares who sought to extend free abortion until 16 weeks of gestation.

The presentation of Linares responded to the demands presented in January by Dr. Natalia Bernal to prohibit this practice and defend those not born in Colombia. With this decision, the Court also avoided ruling on these legal measures.

In this way, abortion is maintained as established in the 2006 judgment, which decriminalized it for cases of the mother’s risk of life, rape and fetal malformations.

Judgment 096 of 2018, which not only ratified that of 2006, but also placed abortion as a “human right” with the possibility that it is practiced throughout the pregnancy is also held firm.

Mons. Córdoba told reporters that with this decision “what the Court did we could call a stop along the way. Like when you are jogging or exercising, there is a time to calm down, drink and breathe. This is what happened. This is a stop to the road that has not reached the top or the finish”.

“I take it and we take it in the Church as a stop along the way because the Court wanted to stop. That allows us to get fresh air and we continue. What do we continue? What the Court has not yet solved and it is up to them, to Congress. That is that life is respected from conception to natural death.”

The Prelate regretted that “the previous sentences” remain in effect and said that it is not a matter of “saying whether we are happy or not. Let us breathe and move on because there are some sentences that are still hurting, like the one that allows “to perform an abortion” with an injection into the heart”of an unborn baby of seven or eight months of gestation.

The Bishop referred to the case of Juan Sebastián or Juanse, as his father, Juan Pablo Medina, called his almost 8-month-old baby, who could not prevent his girlfriend from having an abortion, a case that moved all of Colombia between January and February 2020.

The Bishop recalled that with the sentences on abortion given by the Constitutional Court, “if the child is born alive, they let him die; and if he is born without life, they make sure he has been annihilated by a lethal injection.”

“This continues and we cannot agree, and we raise our prophetic and pastors voice, in the name of those who have no voice!” He exclaimed.

The Prelate also praised the work of lay people, priests and religious who help women with unexpected pregnancies and thus show the face of Christ in the midst of a complicated situation.

Coronavirus: The “cures” will be worse than the disease  

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

 

Dear readers:

I can’t take my attention away from this latest epidemic bomb that could end up killing many of us in the coming months, such as the coronavirus. And in addition to the covert coverage of the media about the spread of this new disease, whose coverage limits are often limited to the  the government press releases, there are independent analyzes outside the box that provide different perspectives to the discourse. So here is an independent investigative journalist, James Corbett, who does his part, as usual, by giving us his perspective on the situation in the following article.

– Marvin Ramírez

 

by James Corbett

corbettreport.com

Feb. 29, 2020

 

It’s spreading. It’s mutating. It’s going viral.

Am I talking about coronavirus? No! I’m talking about theories about coronavirus.

It’s a natural virus. / No, it’s a manmade bioweapon!

It’s less deadly than the regular flu. / It’s worse than the Spanish Flu! / It’s flying bat AIDS!!

The numbers are being underreported. / The numbers are being inflated!

It was patented in 2015! / No, it really wasn’t.

It was unleashed by accident. / It was unleashed on purpose. / It doesn’t even exist!

Yes, there are as many theories about coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as there are people talking about it. The reality is that I don’t know the truth about what this virus really is or where it came from and neither do you.

But there’s something that we do know for sure regardless of where this virus came from or whether it even really exists. The hype and fear and panic and pandemonium surrounding this (supposed) outbreak is going to be far worse than the disease could ever be. Because, as I’ve been screaming about for over a decade now, a bioweapon attack (real or manmade, false flag or otherwise) is the perfect cover for a slew of agenda items on the globalist checklist. And the more the population panics, the more they play into the globalists’ hands.

Here are five items on The Powers That Shouldn’t Be’s wishlist that are being delivered on a silver platter as people scurry around panicking about coronavirus.

1) Unprecedented surveillance and control of population

As Corbett Reporteers will know by now, China is in many ways the model for the technocratic Brave New World of the 21st century. Social credit scores and facial recognition CCTV networks and government-controlled internet are just the most obvious examples of how governments will seek to surveil and control their populations in the future. So it shouldn’t be surprising that China, as the epicenter of this new coronavirus outbreak, is pioneering new and hitherto undreamt of ways to keep their population in line during the crisis.

The first thing to note is the sheer scale of what the Chinese government is attempting here. The quarantine imposed in Wuhan last month, encompassing a city of 11 million people, was already the largest quarantine in human history. But when that quarantine expanded to include the entire province of Hubei—a population of 57 million people—the scope of the lockdown became nearly unimaginable. How can such a quarantine possibly be maintained?

Well, as we’ve all seen, it can be done by good old-fashioned brute force. When in doubt, just weld the sick person’s door shut so they can’t leave their room!

But to really manage millions of people, you need technological help. And so the Chinese government has been deploying every tool in its arsenal to monitor and maintain restrictions on citizens and their movements.

Flying drones to harass anyone walking around without a mask? Check.

A nationwide video surveillance system called—you can’t make this up—Skynet to help spot quarantine evaders? Check.

A color-coded rating on a smartphone payment app to identify people as low or high-risk for carrying the virus based on their payment and travel history? Check.

If you can think of a creepy and invasive way of tracking and controlling the population, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Chinese government has already thought of it (and is likely already using it).

But here’s the real question: When this is all over, do you think the government will simply shelve these technologies and systems? Or do you think that once this level of control becomes normalized that the authoritarians in the Chinese Communist Party will continue using it?

And here’s the even realer question: Do you think there’s a government anywhere around the world that wouldn’t use this technology on its own population if given a convenient excuse (like, say, a freakout over a novel coronavirus)?

The answers to these questions are obvious, but just look at the prisoner conditioning that has been taking place at the airports for the past two decades. Even people like myself who grew up pre-9/11 can scarcely believe there was a time where you could hop on a plane with little more than a step through a metal detector. What? You want to bring a water bottle through security!

? What are you, crazy? In just two decades, the entire experience of air travel has been utterly transformed, and no declaration of victory in the so-called “War on Terror” will ever bring back the old security screening practices. For the average American, the TSA if just a fact of life now.

And for those who live for long enough in a quarantine crackdown, complete government surveillance of every citizens movements, purchases and interactions will just be a fact of life. These tools of control are here to stay, and the longer these quarantines last and the greater the areas effected, the further it will go in conditioning the public to accept it.

2) A blank check for Big Pharma and the WHO

When a detective is looking to solve a crime, it’s important to ask cui bono. Although it may be circumstantial, establishing who benefits from a crime at least points you to some suspects.

In this case, though, the question of who benefits has a simple answer: WHO benefits, of course. The World Health Organization, that is. As the United Nations body tasked with directing international health and leading the response to global health concerns, the WHO always grows in power in the wake of every crisis.

During the swine flu non-crisis and the ebola non-crisis and the zika non-crisis the WHO was led by Director-General Margaret Chan. It was under Chan’s watch, remember, that the WHO declared the 2009 swine flu outbreak a “global pandemic,” a move that automatically triggered billions of dollars of vaccine purchases by various governments. This was a blatant cash grab, of course, and even the Council of Europe was compelled to note that the members of the WHO council that made the pandemic declaration were also sitting on the boards of the vaccine manufacturers who stood to benefit from that decision.

With the Covid-19 outbreak, too, the WHO is playing a game with the pandemic declaration, only this time its motivation is precisely the opposite. In 2017, the World Bank issued a $425 billion bond in support of its Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility. Investors in that bond issue will lose everything if a global pandemic is declared before July . . . a key reason, some suggest, why the WHO is refusing to call coronavirus a pandemic despite it quite clearly meeting the criteria.

 

___________

 

So who is heading the WHO this time around? Well, it’s not Margaret Chan anymore. She stepped down in 2017 and was replaced by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, an Ethiopian politician and academic who, William Engdahl notes, is the first WHO director-general who isn’t even a medical doctor. Instead, after earning his degree in biology at the University of Asmara in Eritrea and serving in a junior position at the Ministry of Health under the Marxist dictatorship of Mengistu, he:

“[. . .] then went on to become Minister of Health from 2005 to 2012 under Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. There he met former President Bill Clinton and began a close collaboration with Clinton and the Clinton Foundation and its Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI). He also developed a close relation with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. As health minister, Tedros would also chair the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that was co-founded by the Gates Foundation. The Global Fund has been riddled with fraud and corruption scandals.”

Oh, you mean the Gates Foundation and their GAVI Alliance for vaccination that are the WHO’s biggest donors? The Gates Foundation that helped host the Event 201 “high-level pandemic exercise” in New York last October that war gamed out the entire coronavirus scenario we’re currently living through? Right.

And how are WHO going to save the day? With Big Pharma drugs, naturally! Governments are already lining up to pledge tens of millions of dollars to fund the effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine. And that’s just the funding to develop the vaccine. There are many more billions waiting for the big pharma manufacturers who can deliver the first vaccine to market.

Yes, coronavirus is going to be a big payday for some rich and well-connected people in the international medical mafia. But don’t worry, the politicians are going to get in on the fun, too . . .

3) An excuse to implement medical martial law

A decade ago, in the midst of the swine flu hype, I released an episode of The Corbett Report podcast on medical martial law. In that episode I laid out the various ways that governments around the world (including, of course, the US government) have been quietly passing legislation that would enable them to implement martial law in the event of a global pandemic. This would allow them to quarantine and incarcerate citizens suspected of infection, and would allow the government to administer whatever medications (including vaccinations) it deemed necessary to stop the spread of the infection.

In the US specifically, this legislation took the form of The Model State Emergency Health Power Act, a piece of legislation that was drafted by the Center for Disease Creation (CDC). The act grants government the power to quarantine, force vaccinate, and mobilize the military to help implement emergency procedures as deemed necessary to contain the outbreak. It is designed to be forwarded in each state legislature so that the states could harmonize their emergency pandemic plans, essentially creating a federal system enabling medical martial law. As the ACLU notes:

“The Act lets a governor declare a state of emergency unilaterally and without judicial oversight, fails to provide modern due process procedures for quarantine and other emergency powers, it lacks adequate compensation for seizure of assets, and contains no checks on the power to order forced treatment and vaccination.”

Regardless, at last count the act has been the basis for 133 pieces of legislation in 33 different states.

And, sure enough, the citizens of the developed, Western world who thought that martial law was only for banana republics and exotic Eastern countries are about to get a taste of this bitter medicine on the back of the coronavirus hype.

Australia just activated its emergency pandemic plan despite not having a reported case of human-to-human transmission of Covid-19. The plan grants the government the power to cancel public events, force people to work from home, close childcare centers and otherwise impose mandates and restrictions on the daily lives of its citizens as it sees fit.

Not to be outdone, the Swiss Federal Council has just declared a “special situation” which allows the council to issue emergency police ordinances “without a basis in federal law.” Some of the powers explicitly assumed by the council include the power to mandate vaccinations, order quarantines and ban events or close institutions.

Now Britain, the US, and other countries are dusting off their own emergency plans and preparing to get in on the martial law bonanza.

Of course, this is not only the perfectly predictable response to the current outbreak hype, it was the predicted response. That’s right, as noted above, the high-level exercise dubbed Event 201 that was held last October and which simulated a global coronavirus pandemic featured extensive discussion about the need to implement medical martial law in order to bring the virus in check.

Thus we saw Stephen Redd of the CDC opining during the exercise that “governments need to be willing to do things that are out of their historical perspective [sic] . . . It’s really a war footing that we need to be on.”

Likewise, Brad Connett of medical supply manufacturer Henry Schein Inc declared that “it can happen quickly. A martial [law]-type plan–they may not say that, exactly–but a martial [law]-type plan can go into effect and stimulate change very quickly.”

It certainly can. And what room do you believe the governments that implement martial law are going to leave for dissent on the issue? Why, none, of course. But how are they going to stop the spread of information in this age of 24/7 always-connected social media?

Funny you should ask, because that leads us to our next New World Order agenda item.

4) An excuse to crack down on the internet

In New World Next Year 2020—the annual year-end New World Next Week wrap up episode—I predicted that 2020 was going to be The End of the Internet As We’ve Known It! At the time I formulated that prediction, the 2020 (s)election circus and the inevitable wave of censorship that it would bring about weighed heavily on my mind. As it is, it’s quite possible that coronavirus will be the convenient excuse for governments to flex their internet censorship muscles.

Zero Hedge has already had its Twitter account suspended for posting the details of a particular Chinese scientist working in the Wuhan bio lab that some suspect was the origin of the outbreak. This was done in the name of Twitter’s policy about “abuse and harassment,” but given that the website did nothing more than post the already publicly available contact information for the scientist, it seems more likely that this is part of a campaign to control the narrative on coronavirus from the get go.

As I write this editorial, the front page of Google News (which I strongly advise against using as a source of information, for the record) is filled with “Fact Checks” about various coronavirus theories that are floating around the internet.

Given the current state of online censorship, can there be any doubt that governments around the world will jump at the excuse to scrub dissenting voices from the internet? As alternative information about the virus, its origins, and the vaccines that are intended to “cure it” flood the net, a propaganda campaign unlike any we have seen before will be waged to portray the purveyors of this information as a threat to public order. They will be purged from the internet accordingly, with (no doubt) the approval of a large proportion of the population. And with that precedent set, it will only be a matter of time before any information that challenges the ruling power is deemed a “threat to public order” and wiped from the internet.

Lest there be any doubt that the online purge is an aspect of the pandemic scenario that is particularly important to TPTSB, it should be noted that Event 201 dwelled extensively on how to “stop the spread of misinformation.” Their answer: Internet shutdowns and censorship, of course!

5) Precipitating economic crisis

Given that I make my living online, the prospect of internet shutdowns and censorship crackdowns are worrying to me. But before you become too distraught over the plight of the poor podcaster, let’s put this crisis into perspective: Assuming that the virus does go pandemic, it is quite likely that this will be the largest economic disruption of our lifetime.

This is the point where I would put forward some facts to back up such a bold statement, but given that we just saw the worst week in the markets since the financial crisis, including the worst two day point drop in Dow Jones history, I doubt that it’s really necessary to elaborate.

As mass quarantines expand, public events are canceled, businesses are shuttered, and economic activity generally grinds to a halt, it doesn’t take a genius to deduce that we are in for a global economic crisis of nearly unthinkable proportions. But the real disruptions are going to start long before we get to that point.

Given that the mass quarantines have started in China, a.k.a. the most important link in the global just-in-time supply chain, we are going to see significant difficulties for many manufacturers producing basic consumer goods in the very near future. Smartphones. Cars. Even, in a perverse bit of irony, medical supplies. So much of the global economy that depends on Chinese manufacturing is already experiencing shutdowns and shortages. And this is only the razor thin edge of what promises to be a gigantic wedge.

Here’s the worst part: These disruptions are already baked into the cake. Even if everyone on the planet was suddenly cured of their disease overnight and all quarantines were lifted, the effects of these last few weeks of lockdowns and closures would still continue to ripple their way through the global economy for months. But as the fear and hype spreads from continent to continent and the mass disruptions expand, these effects will get worse and worse.

I would expand on this point, but I have a feeling this is going to become a dominant and recurring topic of review in these editorials in the future. Let me just say this for now: Regardless of whether coronavirus is natural or manmade or even whether it exists at all, the economic effects of this event are going to be very real and very profound. Given that I write for the International Forecaster and have been documenting the Ponzi scheme that is the modern global economy for over a decade now, I’m often asked when the scam will collapse and the long-predicted global financial crisis will hit. Well, it’s very possible that the crisis has now officially hit and the decades of pie-in-the-sky negative-interest-rate helicopter-funny-money insanity that has papered over our grim economic reality is about to come crashing down all at once.

Conclusion: Coronavirus panic is a giant boost for the globalist agenda

I recently heard a suggestion that if this does eventuate into a global pandemic then it will set the globalist agenda back by decades. After all, an event like this will surely teach us all a hard lesson in national self-sufficiency and the inherent danger of an overextended, just-in-time global supply chain, right?

Of course not. No, that’s the conclusion that a rational person thinking about the crisis in a rational way would come to. So of course the globalists are going to force feed us the exact opposite idea: That a crisis like this will demonstrate how we need even more global integration amongst all levels of public and private society.

Don’t believe me? Just read the press release that Johns Hopkins and the Event 201 participants put out last month just before “Wuhan” and “coronavirus” became topics of daily conversation:

“The next severe pandemic will not only cause great illness and loss of life but could also trigger major cascading economic and societal consequences that could contribute greatly to global impact and suffering. Efforts to prevent such consequences or respond to them as they unfold will require unprecedented levels of collaboration between governments, international organizations, and the private sector.”

Oh, that’s right. This is another chance to “fail forward.” After all, as that great globalist soothsayer Rahm Emanuel told us during the last financial catastrophe, the global elitists’ mantra is to “never let a good crisis go to waste.” Do you really think this “crisis” (whether real or imaginary) would be any exception?

Skip the antibiotics: How to self-treat a UTI

by Zoey Sky

 

Doctors often prescribe antibiotics to address urinary tract infections (UTIs), but these drugs are linked to many negative side effects, like allergic reactions. If you have a minor, uncomplicated UTI, consider trying home remedies to treat your condition naturally.

UTI: Causes and symptoms

UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract and grow. The usual culprit is E. coli, which is present in a person’s bowels. It can travel through the anus and reach the urethra, where it goes to the bladder or even the kidneys.

Women are more likely to develop UTIs than men because of the short distance between their anus and their urethra. The female urethra is also shorter than the male one.

A person with UTI can experience these symptoms:

 

  • Burning sensation while urinating.
  • Cloudy or white urine (indicating pus).
  • Pink, red, or dark urine (indicating blood.
  • Urine with a strong, offensive odor.
  • Less production of urine, but accompanied by more frequent urges to urinate.
  • Incontinence or urine retention.

Women with UTI may also experience itching in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, men may suffer from prostatitis, a condition that causes symptoms like chills, fever, difficult or painful ejaculation, dribbling and pain in the perineum (the area between the rectum and scrotum) or the lower back.

UTIs are more common in women than in men. At least 50 percent of women worldwide have had a UTI, and only three percent for men.

Take note that only young, healthy individuals who haven’t had a UTI before, and don’t have underlying issues (e.g., blockages or malformations in the urinary tract) should attempt to self-treat an infection.

The negative side effects of antibiotics

Antibiotics, like many prescription medicines, are linked to adverse effects, like:

  • Abnormal liver function
  • Allergic reactions
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Rashes
  • Tiredness

Antibiotics target both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria in your body, which can increase your risk of developing other infections. Long-term use of antibiotics can also make you develop strains of bacteria that are resistant to treatment.

Home remedies for UTI

Detailed below are natural ways to prevent or address a UTI.

  • Stay hydrated. Not drinking enough water every day causes many problems, including UTI. Drinking enough water eliminates waste from your bladder, dilutes urine, and helps your body retain nutrients. Consume six to eight glasses (eight ounces each) every day.
  • Drink cranberry juice.Cranberry juice works best as a prevention instead of a cure. The drink has antioxidants that can prevent coli cells from attaching to the cells in the urinary tract. (Related: Naturally occurring plant carbohydrate in cranberries could help prevent UTI.)
  • Use the bathroom regularly.Going when the urge arises helps flush out bacteria before you get a UTI.
  • Use probiotics (good bacteria) to keep your urinary tract healthy and free from harmful bacteria. Lactobacilli produce hydrogen peroxide in the urine, a potent antibacterial agent.
  • Consume foods rich in vitamin C or take supplements. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts your immunity. Vitamin C reacts with nitrates in your body and produces nitrogen oxide, a substance that helps eliminate bacteria.
  • Wiping from front to back when using the bathroom.This keeps your urethra clean and free of coli.
  • Proper sexual hygiene also helps reduce the risk of UTIs. Urinate before and after sexual encounters, wash genitals and use condoms.

To determine what bacteria is causing your UTI, get a urinalysis.

If you have a fever, are shivering, notice blood in your urine, have abdominal or flank pain or are experiencing an altered mental condition, you require emergency medical care. These symptoms suggest that the infection has traveled to your kidneys or farther.

Follow a balanced diet, supplement with vitamin C and practice proper hygiene to prevent a UTI.

Sources include:

SteadyHealth.com

Health.Harvard.edu

U.S. health officials say Americans shouldn’t wear face masks to prevent coronavirus

Here are 3 other reasons not to wear them

 

by Elisabeth Buchwald

 

Most people don’t use face masks correctly, a Johns Hopkins public health expert told MarketWatch

 

Though health officials have warned Americans to prepare for the spread of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., people shouldn’t wear face masks to prevent the spread of the infectious illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. surgeon general.

But that’s not the only reason Americans may want to think twice about using masks, one expert told MarketWatch.

Most people don’t know how to use face masks correctly, and a rush to buy masks could prevent the people who need them most — health care providers — from getting them, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a scholar at the Center for Health Security at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In fact the U.S. surgeon general recently urged the public to “STOP BUYING MASKS!” “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!,” wrote Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Twitter US:TWTR

The CDC said last month it doesn’t recommend people use face masks, making the announcement on the same day that first case of person-to-person transmission of coronavirus was reported in the U.S. The CDC recommendation on masks stands, a spokesman told MarketWatch Wednesday, even with the first reported case of a COVID-19 infection in an individual in California who had not been to China or been exposed to a person diagnosed with the virus.

“The virus is not spreading in the general community,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a Jan. 30 briefing. “We don’t routinely recommend the use of face masks by the public to prevent respiratory illness. And we certainly are not recommending that at this time for this new virus.”

HHS Secretary Alex Azar said Tuesday, “Our advice remains as it has been that the average American does not need a N95 mask. These are really more for health care providers.”

N95 masks are tighter-fitting than surgical masks and protect against small particles and large droplets, according to the CDC. Azar said that there are only 30 million N95 masks in the national stockpile, adding that there are “as many as 300 million masks needed in the U.S. for health care workers.”

There were 86 cases of COVID-19 and two reported deaths in the U.S., as of Monday.

Americans don’t seem to be heeding health officials’ advice: Walgreens US:WBA and Duane Reade pharmacies have seen increased demand for face masks and hand sanitizer across the country, said Alexandra Brown, a spokeswoman for Walgreens, which owns both chains. “We continually and closely monitor these types of situations to ensure that we have sufficient supply of those products,” she said.

Several sites have sold out of face masks entirely.

Target’s US:TGT brand of face masks, priced at $5.99 for a 10-pack, were out of stock on its site as of Thursday. A Target spokeswoman declined to comment on when the face masks would be back in stock.

There were still some face masks available on Amazon US:AMZN last Thursday, though many were quickly becoming out of stock. A pack of 20 3M US:MMM face masks was available for $129 on Thursday morning, but by midday it had sold out. In April last year the same pack of masks cost $9.99, according to camelcamelcamel.com, a site that tracks historic prices of goods sold on Amazon.

Amazon and 3M did not respond to requests for comment on when customers could expect to purchase masks that are currently out of stock.

To protect against a mask shortage, Home Depot US:HD US:HD US:HD US:HD US:HD has “limited purchase quantity to 10 [masks] per person to best serve as many customers as possible,” said Margaret Smith, a Home Depot spokeswoman. “Our merchandising and supply chain teams are working hard to replenish these items as quickly as possible.”

CVS US:CVS has also seen a surge in sales of face masks. The demand “may cause shortages at some store locations and we’ll re-supply those stores as quickly as possible,” Stephanie Cunha, a CVS spokeswoman, said last month.

Adalja applauded the CDC’s recommendation on face masks. “Even during H1N1 [flu epidemic], there was no recommendation to wear face masks,” he said. They “end up creating a false sense of security and most people don’t wear them appropriately,” he said.

People who are not in the medical field who wear the masks often come in contact with germs when they lift the mask up to eat or slip their fingers under the mask to blow their nose, he said.

Panic-driven demand for face masks, Adalja said, is particularly worrisome because it could have “a negative supply shock” effect on hospital personnel who need these masks more than the general public.

Like the surgeon general, Adalja said, “the best ways [for the general public] to protect themselves are the basic hygienic measures.” That includes washing your hands regularly and covering sneezes and coughs. But if you are “sick and need to go out you should wear a mask.”

Instead of wearing face masks, the general public should “be vigilant to the symptoms and signs of this novel coronavirus, that is, a fever and cough, and if you have those symptoms, please call your health-care provider,” Messonnier said last month.

“We want our actions to be evidence-based and appropriate to the current circumstance,” she said, which she said did not justify the use of face masks for people who have not been directly exposed to the virus.

The CDC has said it expects to see more coronavirus cases in the U.S. “It’s not so much a question of if … but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness, Messonnier said on Feb. 25.

There are still many unknowns about how this strain of coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, spreads, but when person-to-person spread has occurred in the past, “it is thought to have happened via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread,” the CDC said on its website.

Like the CDC, the World Health Organization advises people to wear a mask only if they are displaying symptoms of coronavirus or “taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection.”

In a separate update last month, the WHO gave instructions for how to appropriately wear and dispose of face masks. WHO also noted, “However, the use of a mask alone is insufficient to provide the adequate level of protection and other equally relevant measures should be adopted.”

WHO advises people who wish to wear a mask to place the mask “carefully to cover mouth and nose and tie securely to minimise any gaps between the face and the mask,” avoid touching the mask while you’re wearing it, and dispose of masks as soon as they become damp or humid. When removing the face mask, WHO recommends that people “do not touch the front but remove the lace from behind.”

Worldwide, 89,197 people have been infected with COVID-19, and at least 3,048 have died as of Monday.

Reported by Market Watch. (This story was originally published on Jan. 30 and has been updated).

US denies visas for Nayarit’s ex-governor and family, citing corruption

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged he had received bribes from drug traffickers

 

by the Mexico News Daily

 

The United States government announced on Friday that former Nayarit governor Roberto Sandoval Castañeda and his immediate family members are ineligible for U.S. visas due to involvement in corruption.

Noting that the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Sandoval in May 2019 for corruption-related conduct, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the public designation of Sandoval in accordance with the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act due to “significant involvement in corruption.”

Pompeo said that the ex-governor misappropriated state assets and received bribes from drug trafficking organizations, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

“In addition, Mr. Sandoval accepted bribes from the Beltrán Leyva Organization, which President George W. Bush identified as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Kingpin Act in 2008,” he added.

Pompeo said that once the Secretary of State designates officials of foreign governments for their direct or indirect involvement in significant corruption, those individuals are ineligible for visas to the United States.

The law also requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate the immediate family members of such officials, he said.

“In addition to Mr. Sandoval, the department is publicly designating his spouse, Ana Lilia López Torres; his daughter, Lidy Alejandra Sandoval López; and his son, Pablo Roberto Sandoval López,” Pompeo said.

“Today’s action sends a strong signal that the United States is committed to fighting systemic corruption in Mexico. The United States stands with the people of Mexico in their fight against corruption. The department will continue to use these authorities to promote accountability for corrupt actors globally and near our border, particularly when that corruption is connected to drug trafficking.”

Although Sandoval – Institutional Revolutionary Party governor between 2011 and 2017 – has now been designated by both the U.S. Treasury and Department of State, he does not currently face any criminal charges in the United States.

In Mexico, Sandoval’s bank accounts were frozen by the government’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) after his U.S. Treasury designation last May.

A federal court last month rejected an application by Sandoval to have access to his bank accounts reinstated, ruling that information provided to the UIF by the U.S. Treasury about the ex-governor’s designation is sufficient grounds to keep the accounts blocked.

Sandoval, who has denied all the accusations against him, had argued that the United States does not have jurisdiction over the acts of corruption of which it accuses him because they allegedly took place in Nayarit. It consequently doesn’t have the right to advise Mexico to freeze his accounts, the ex-governor said.

The ex-governor’s attorney general, Édgar Veytia, was sentenced last September to 20 years in jail in the United States for drug trafficking.

He pleaded guilty to accepting payments from drug cartels to help them smuggle cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine into the United States from 2013 until his arrest in San Diego, California, in March 2017.

Source. Reforma (sp) 

 

Coronavirus could hurt exports to the tune of US $1.3 billion: UN

The automotive sector is expected to take the biggest hit, with exports falling by US $493mn

 

Mexico’s exports could decline by US $1.37 billion due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as Covid-19, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The intergovernmental body said in a report that the slowdown of manufacturing in China due to the outbreak of Covid-19 is disrupting world trade and could result in a $50-billion decrease in exports across global value chains.

“Because China has become the central manufacturing hub of many global business operations, a slowdown in Chinese production has repercussions for any given country depending on how reliant its industries are on Chinese suppliers,” UNCTAD said.

According to UNCTAD estimates, Mexico will be the eighth most affected economy after the European Union, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

“In addition to grave threats to human life, the coronavirus outbreak carries serious risks for the global economy,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi.

“Any slowdown in manufacturing in one part of the world will have a ripple effect in economic activity across the globe because of regional and global value chains.”

UNCTAD said its estimates showed that the most affected sectors would include precision instruments, machinery, automotive and communications equipment.

In Mexico’s case, UNCTAD is predicting that the automotive sector will take the biggest hit, with exports forecast to fall by $493 million.

The next most affected sectors are predicted to be electrical machinery, with a forecast export decline of $341 million; “various” machinery, $228 million; communications equipment, $71 million; office machinery, $58 million; precision instruments, $57 million; wood products and furniture, $52 million; rubber and plastics, $26 million; and metals and metal products, $23 million.

UNCTAD noted that the estimated effects of Covid-19 are subject to change depending on the containment of the virus and/or changes in sources of supply. As of Friday morning, there were five confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Mexico and 35 possible cases.

Source: Milenio (sp)

 

Chiapas community evicts Central American migrants, burns belongings

Residents claimed that robberies and assaults on women have increased since the migrants arrived

 

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

 

Residents of the municipality of Palenque, Chiapas, attacked and expelled Central American migrants who had been staying in the local auditorium for months.

Around noon on Monday, residents of the community of Pakal-Ná arrived at the auditorium and evicted the migrants who had taken refuge there with the approval of local authorities.

They said that robberies and assaults on women have increased since the migrants arrived and claimed to have identified the perpetrators among them.

Despite authorities guarding the auditorium, the angry residents took the migrants’ belongings outside and burned them in the park. They also demanded that local authorities close the doors to the auditorium and not allow the migrants to reenter.

Another group of citizens closed the highway connecting Pakal-Ná to the town of Palenque and the Palenque International Airport for three hours.

The Central American migrants fled the town and hid in abandoned houses on the outskirts, having nowhere else to sleep.

No injuries were reported during the eviction, but the Palak-Ná residents threatened to take further action to drive out the migrants should they attempt to reenter their community.

It was not the first time that Central American migrants had resorted to occupying abandoned houses in the face of having no other shelter.

Dozens of migrants forcibly entered and squatted in unoccupied houses in Tapachula, Chiapas, in December, forcing the owners to take legal action to compel authorities to remove them.

Sources: Milenio (sp), Periodismo Hoy (sp)

 

Latin America and the Caribbean is better prepared to face COVID-19

Panama, Mar 6 – The experience of Latin America and the Caribbean in the prevention of viruses and diseases such as measles and H1N1 is today the main strength in the fight against COVID-19, assured epidemiologist Jorge Victoria.

During his presentation at the health commission of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO), which is in session here, the coordinator of Disease Surveillance and Control of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), stressed that this work has allowed the region to strengthen its capacity for diagnosis and response to the new coronavirus.

He pointed out that in most cases the respiratory infection was not detected at airports despite controls, but in health institutions after the appearance of symptoms, which shows that a patient may be asymptomatic during the incubation period.

Victoria said that the number of cases in China has now decreased; however, there is an increase in contagion outside the Asian country, so she called to avoid the irresponsible dissemination, ‘sometimes even faster than COVID-19 itself,’ of alarmist or false news on social networks.

He also urged people to maintain vigilance and raise the level of alert to the presence of diseases such as diabetes, dengue, zika and heart conditions, among others, with higher mortality rates in the region.

Rolando González, deputy secretary of Parlatino Committees, and Luis Velasquez, president of the Health Commission of that legislative body, announced the approval this Friday of a regional resolution on the seriousness of this coronavirus, after its arrival in Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and the Dominican Republic.

Recently, Panamanian Health Minister Rosario Turner met with PAHO Deputy Director Jarbas Barbosa, who expressed his satisfaction with the way the Central American country is implementing the necessary measures to prepare itself to face COVID-19.

Turner, for his part, said that it is important for the international community to know that Panama is taking the corresponding measures, but its compliance is only possible thanks to the support of society, health workers and institutions.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROJECT INITIATION REPORT FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE EXTENSION STUDY (RFP 19/20-07)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROJECT INITIATION REPORT FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE EXTENSION STUDY (RFP 19/20-07)
Notice is hereby given that the San Francisco County Transportation Authority is requesting proposals from qualified respondents (proposers) to prepare a Project Initiation Report for the Pennsylvania Avenue Extension Study. The full RFP is posted on the Transportation Authority’s website, www.sfcta.org/contracting. Proposals are due to the Transportation Authority electronically to info@sfcta.org by March 26, 2020, at 2:00 p.m.

Culture Clash Returns with Their Latest Sketch Anthology!

Compiled by the El Reportero‘s staff

 

The missionaries of mayhem are back with their unique, badass brand of Chicano satire theater!

In this powerful, pointed, and downright hilarious update they turn their razor-sharp wit to everything from pussy hats to MAGA caps, laying down outrageous, biting, and thought-provoking monologues and sketch comedy about the immigrant experience in America right now.

Bay Area Born Chicano Group, Culture Clash, Returns to Berkeley Rep with Their Latest Sketch Anthology, Culture Clash (Still) in America

Born here in the Bay and Los Angeles-based, Culture Clash first brought their dangerous and subversive version of documentary theatre to Berkeley audiences with Culture Clash in AmeriCCa, gleefully skewering American culture through the lens of the Latino experience.

In this powerful, pointed, and downright hilarious update they turn their razor-sharp wit to everything from pussy hats to MAGA caps, laying down outrageous, biting, and thought-provoking monologues and sketch comedy about the immigrant experience in America right now.

The play, written and performed by Culture Clash and directed by Obie Award winner Lisa Peterson, marks the fifth time the satirical group has performed at Berkeley Rep.

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission. Written and performed by Culture Clash
Richard Montoya, Ricardo Salinas, and Herbert Siguenza, directed by Lisa Peterson

Main Season at Peet’s Theatre. now–April 5, 2020 at 2025 Addison St, Berkeley.

At Peet’s Theatre, 2025 Addison St, Berkeley.

Current ticket prices: Premium: $57–97 · Section A: $50–81 · Section B: $30–65. Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

 

A new multidisciplinary theater with theater and Latin jazz

Paul S. Flores, Rosalba Rolón and Yosvany Terry explore the true stories of immigrant Cuban artists living in the US in their National Performance Network and Creative Capital project WE HAVE IRÉ.

Experience theater with live Latin jazz and timba beats, dance, and spoken word to explore Cuban artists, immigration, and Afro-Cuban themes. Developed with jazz composer Yosvany Terry, DJ Leydis, choreographer Ramón Ramos Alayo, and director Rosalba Rolón. We Have Iré is a play about blessing, good fortune, balance, and destiny.

We Have Iré celebrates Cuban immigrants while giving them space to tell their stories on their own terms, through dance, music, and theater.

The work stars many of the artists themselves onstage—including Flores, Terry as well as Ramon Ramos Alayo and DjLeydis DeCuba. It opens at MACLA / Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana in San Jose March 13-15.

Friday, March 13 – Doors Open: 7:30 p.m. / Show: 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 – Doors Open: 7:30 p.m. / Show: 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 15 – Doors Open: 1:30 p.m. / Show: 2 p.m.

 

A Bohemian night you don’t want to miss

Local promoters have organized to bring you this month of March a lovely night full of quality music with quality musicians, an event you don’t want to miss.

Composer and singer, Arturo Leyva, will sing songs that you will fall in love with; and additionally, Sergio Serrano, Rafael Ramos, Zarcos Rios and many surprise artists will fill the repertoire for you and your love one to enjoy. There will be food and wine.

At 6 p.m., March 14, at the Oakland Aviation Museum, 8252 Earhart Rd, Oakland. For more info call at 510-938-9637.

The Adrián Aréas Quartet at Art House Gallery & Cultural Center

Latin jazz percussionist, Adrián Aréas will be performing with his Latin Jazz Quartet at 2905 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, California, don’t miss this great three-hour show full of quality music. Adrian Aréas brings his whole school from his father Chepito Aréas, co-founder of the Santana group, and something more contemporary. On Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m. – 10 p.m., at 2905 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley.

Image result for adrian areas

Placido Domingo cancels functions in Spain following sexual scandal  

by the El Reportero‘s news services

 

Spanish tenor Placido Domingo has given up on performing at the Teatro Real in Madrid and other stages, after being accused by several female performers of inappropriate sexual behavior.

In a press release sent to the media last Tuesday, the famous singer apologized to the women who accused him of sexual harassment last summer, and assumed responsibility for his actions.

In a new statement released on Thursday, Domingo announced the cancellation of his performance of ‘La Traviata’ at the Teatro Real, planned for May, ‘so to prevent my situation, from affecting, harming or causing any additional inconvenience.’

The artist also said that the apologies offered two days ago to the affected women gave a ‘false impression’, and stressed that he never behaved ‘aggressively with anyone’.

According to Domingo, throughout his artistic career he dedicated himself to supporting the industry and promoting the career of countless singers.

The Spanish Ministry of Culture has suspended the performances of the tenor at the Teatro de la Zarzuela, scheduled for May 14 and 15 in Madrid, in solidarity with the women who were allegedly affected by his sexual conduct.

Allegations of sexual harassment against some twenty women came to light last August, most of them anonymously.

 

Mexico City’s 36th Historic Center Festival to span cultural spectrum

Shows and other events are spread out over 20 emblematic sites in the centuries-old community

 

Mexico City’s historic center becomes the stage for theater, opera, electronic music, dance, gastronomy and more at the 36th edition of the Festival Centro Histórico, to be held March 19 to April 5.

Shows and other events are spread out over 20 emblematic sites in this centuries-old community, such as the Palace of Fine Arts, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Esperanza Iris Theater, the Justo Sierra Historic Synagogue and the San Ildefonso College. In addition, free events will be held in public parks and plazas.

This year’s event will honor both the 250th anniversary of the birth of Beethoven and the 350th of Italian Baroque composer Antonio Caldara.

Another musical highlight is the Kuba Wiecek Jazz Trio, headed by saxophonist and composer Wiecek, one of Poland’s best-known young musicians. It’s on March 20 at the Claustro de Sor Juana University.

The most important theatrical event will be a performance of the opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell. With costumes and choreography inspired by the surrealist work of artists Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington, it’s at the Esperanza Iris Theater on March 27 and 28.

 

Romantic music, social contingency focus Chile’s song festival

Romantic music and allusions to the social crisis Chile is experiencing was the focus of the fourth day of the 61st edition of Viña del Mar Song Festival, which is already about to conclude.

Not only Spanish singer Pablo Alboran first, but also Argentine singer Luciano Pereira before concluding the show, literally pleased the audience attending the Quinta Vergara amphitheater with their songs during two concerts in which in tune with their respective styles, the romantic song prevailed.

Alboran, in a simple performance, sang his main hits and especially the songs of his most recent album ‘Saturno’ (Saturn) leaving his fans more than pleased that bestowed him with Gold and Silver Seagulls, the highest honors of the festival.

After receiving them, the Spanish singer got rid of praises to Viña del Mar, a festival that opened him Latin America’s doors when he was still almost unknown.

On the other hand, Pereira started singing at two in the morning, to please an audience that was waiting for him and also bestowed him the two seagulls. He was enraged when broadcasts were cut by the festival’s organizers when the singer had a live 50-minute performance.

When saying goodbye, the Argentine singer joined the list of artists who have referred to the social crisis in Chile, pointing out that ‘I am very sad about the violence we have to live in different countries, but I am very happy and celebrated when a people leaves to speak for what it needs.’

That expression generated an immediate reaction from the audience, with the slogan ‘the people united will never be defeated.’