Many people start their day with a cigarette and a cup of coffee, a routine that feels comforting and familiar. However, research shows this habit may be quietly damaging the heart and blood vessels, especially when both substances are used together.
A study led by Dr. Charalambos Vlachopoulos of the Cardiology Department at Athens Medical School found that caffeine and nicotine, when combined, interact in ways that can harm the cardiovascular system. These effects are not simply additive—they intensify each other’s impact, increasing the risk of heart problems.
Supporting this, research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that people who smoked and drank coffee at the same time had a greater risk of arterial stiffness. Stiff arteries reduce the heart’s ability to pump efficiently and are closely linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Caffeine, found in coffee, stimulates the central nervous system, causing the heart to beat faster. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Together, they place extra strain on the heart, accelerating wear and increasing the risk of damage.
“When the heart works too fast due to these two compounds, the burden increases,” the Athens researchers explain. “Over time, it can lead to serious damage.” This stress on the heart may lead to coronary artery disease, abnormal heart rhythms, and heart failure.
The health risks of smoking alone are already severe. Smoking is a leading cause of heart and blood vessel disorders, as well as several cancers. In women, it can also harm fetal development during pregnancy. When combined with coffee, these risks grow more severe due to their reinforcing effects on the cardiovascular system.
While moderate coffee consumption may have benefits on its own, drinking coffee while smoking eliminates those potential advantages and adds new dangers. Here are some key risks of combining these habits:
– Greater dependence: Many people feel a stronger urge to smoke when drinking coffee. This reinforces both habits, making it harder to quit either.
– Increased blood pressure: Caffeine increases heart rate and blood flow; nicotine tightens arteries. Together, they elevate blood pressure to dangerous levels.
– Artery damage: The combination may promote plaque buildup in arteries, leading to stiffness and reduced elasticity, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
– Higher heart disease risk: Together, caffeine and nicotine increase the chances of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.
This combination may feel relaxing, but its effects are quite the opposite inside the body. Many people aren’t aware of how damaging the interaction between nicotine and caffeine can be when consumed together. They may underestimate the long-term consequences, especially if they feel no immediate symptoms.
Breaking the habit of smoking and coffee together can significantly improve cardiovascular health. Experts suggest addressing smoking first, as its health impact is more severe and widespread. Reducing caffeine, particularly in the early stages of quitting smoking, may also help by decreasing cravings and easing the transition.
Former smokers often report that avoiding coffee helps reduce the urge to light up. Some switch to herbal teas or decaffeinated drinks as part of their strategy to quit smoking and reduce heart strain.
Ultimately, this seemingly harmless routine is far from benign. The pairing of smoking and coffee accelerates damage to the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of life-threatening diseases. Understanding the science behind this interaction may help more people reconsider a habit that could cost them their health—and their life.
Would you like me to suggest a horizontal photo to accompany this article?
La sheriff del condado de San Mateo, Christina Corpus, ingresa a una reunión de la Junta de Supervisores del condado de San Mateo en Redwood City el 13 de noviembre de 2024. --San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus enters a San Mateo County Board of Supervisors meeting in Redwood City on November 13, 2024.
by Nigel Duara
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus won her election as a reformer. Three years later, she could become the first California sheriff to be removed from office by a board of supervisors
To really understand the whole mess in San Mateo County, you have to start with the overtime logs. Or maybe it was the urinating puppy. Or perhaps it was the $1,200 boots.
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus is facing removal by the Board of Supervisors after a cascade of allegations — some scandalous, some concerning, some just plain odd — portrayed a chaotic picture of her two years and three months in office.
After a county investigator found Corpus violated policies on nepotism and conflicting relationships, voters empowered the supervisors to remove her, a three-month process slated to begin at the end of April. If successful, it would be the first removal of a county sheriff in California history.
Six cities in San Mateo County have called for her resignation. The county executive is suing Corpus. Corpus is suing the county. Taxpayers are probably picking up the tab for all of it. At stake is the administration of law enforcement in one of the wealthiest enclaves in the country.
Victor Aenlle. Photo via X
Corpus’ road to professional peril began when the sheriff’s captain decided to run for her boss’s job in 2022.
Her opponent, then-Sheriff Carlos Bolanos, had his years in office bookended by scandal. In 2007, when he was the undersheriff of San Mateo County, he and former Sheriff Greg Munks were briefly detained by police in a raid at a Las Vegas brothel. The raids were dubbed “Operation Dollhouse.” Five people were arrested, but Munks and Bolanos were not among them.
Munks said at the time that he believed the brothel was a legitimate massage business. Bolanos could not be reached by CalMatters for comment.
Fifteen years later, in one of his final acts in 2022, Bolanos sent four sheriff’s office employees to Indiana to raid a production facility that makes $210,000 Batmobiles, complete with flamethrowers to simulate the superhero vehicle’s jet turbine exhaust. The reason: A constituent complained that his car delivery had been delayed over a missed payment. Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to investigate Bolanos.
Corpus ran as a reformer and promised changes.
Bonta endorsed Bolanos and the incumbent held a significant early polling advantage, but Corpus won the 2022 nonpartisan open primary anyway with 57 percent of the vote. Candidates who receive more than 50 percent of an open, top-two primary vote are declared the winners without the need for a general election.
“We stood up to an establishment,” Corpus said on the night of her primary victory, “and it’s been amazing.”
A contemporaneous account of her election night watch party in the local Redwood City Pulse said Corpus’ supporters presented her with a large custom bottle of champagne emblazoned with her name, the year and the sheriff’s office logo.
Beneath that were the words: “A sheriff we can trust.”
Before everything that followed – the arrest of the deputies’ union president; a damning, 400-page outside investigation; the sheriff’s divorce and whispers about her personal conduct – this was one of the first and last highlights of Corpus’ early tenure.
When the sheriff-elect was thanking her volunteers, she called out four by name. One of them was local activist Nancy Goodban.
“A lot of us activists were her best volunteers, because we wanted a reform sheriff,” Goodban said.
So what transformed Goodban from one of Corpus’ top supporters to someone who attends board meetings just to call for her removal?
“Oh,” Goodban said. “When that report came out.”
Hiring an ally kicked off firestorm
The trouble started, according to a November report commissioned by the county, when Corpus named one of her campaign consultants to a position in the Sheriff’s Department, executive director of administration.
Retired Santa Clara Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell’s report described the campaign consultant, Victor Aenlle, as “someone who has far more experience as a Coldwell Banker associate real estate broker than he has in law enforcement.” (Aenlle served for 17 years as a reserve deputy in the sheriff’s office, according to records held by the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.)
Rumors were already swirling in the county building about the relationship between Corpus and Aenlle, according to the 408-page report, specifically a trip to Hawaii the pair took with Corpus’ children in October 2022, four months after she won election.
Corpus’ then-husband, who was also a sworn member of the sheriff’s office, allegedly told a former sheriff’s office employee that “Corpus was having an affair with Aenlle and that he did not go on the Hawaii trip because Corpus told him that the flight was full and that there wasn’t a plane ticket available for him,” according to the report.
Corpus’ ex-husband could not be reached for comment.
In an interview with CalMatters, Aenlle said he and Corpus are just close friends, and any other insinuations are meritless.
“It’s made up,” Aenlle said. “It’s fabricated. I’ve always spoken very highly and cared deeply about the sheriff. I came into the scene when she decided to run because I really saw the injustices in the department. I saw the abuse, the corruption.”
Cordell found that Corpus violated the county’s policy on nepotism and conflicting relationships. She alleged in the report that, by 2024, Corpus had “relinquished control” of the department to Aenlle.
Cordell afforded all of the 40 people she interviewed anonymity in the report. Most of the allegations relating to the personal relationship between Aenlle and Corpus are attributed to one person, identified only as Employee No. 3, a civilian working in the sheriff’s office.
That person alleged that Corpus and Aenlle were physically intimate, sharing massages and on one occasion kissing in front of the employee.
Then there were the boots.
Purchased at a Nordstrom’s, according to Employee No. 3, and hidden away in a black shoebox in the back of her van, the $1,200 boots – and an $11,000 pair of diamond earrings – were the physical embodiment of an inappropriate relationship between Corpus and Aenlle.
Employee No. 3 told Cordell, according to the report, Corpus showed her the boots and said “I’m keeping them back here for now so (her then-spouse) won’t see them.”
Over the next two years, Corpus would make at least four requests to raise Aenlle’s salary. One was granted, raising his pay to $246,979. The other three were denied by the county’s human resources department.
Cordell concluded that their relationship went beyond friendship. She considered the earrings and the boots, allegations that Aenlle gave Corpus late-night rides home from the office.
“These, and so many more observations reported by interviewees demonstrate that Aenlle and Sheriff Corpus are not engaged in a ‘mere friendship,’” Cordell wrote.
In the meantime, Corpus’ husband filed for divorce.
Corpus has not responded to multiple calls from CalMatters seeking comment. When asked at a November press conference about her relationship with Aenlle, Corpus dismissed the allegations as “rhetoric.”
“I have a personal relationship with Mr. Aenlle and with other members of my staff,” Corpus said during a heated reply at the press conference. “I’ve been dealing with this kind of rhetoric my entire career. I am a woman of color that has gone up the ranks in a male-dominated field. This is nothing new to me.”
Meanwhile, morale in the office was cratering.
“Of course it’s demoralizing,” said Eliot Storch, secretary of the San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies union. “Fear, retaliation, we are seeing it.”
The deputies’ union and the command staff of the sheriff’s office filed a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board, alleging that the sheriff and Aenlle had created a toxic work environment and were retaliating against union members.
On Nov, 12, the county published Cordell’s report.
Then, the mess at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office turned into full-blown chaos.
Deputies’ union president arrested
Hours before Cordell’s report was published, the president of the deputies’ union was arrested and charged with time card fraud.
The sheriff’s office alleged that the president, Carlos Tapia, was doing union business on company time and falsified the record of his working hours. But an investigation by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office found no reason to charge Tapia, determining that the errors on his time cards were clerical and concluding that Tapia “should not have been arrested.”
A captain in the sheriff’s office resigned rather than arrest Tapia, and Tapia alleged in a lawsuit filed against the county that Corpus demanded his arrest as retaliation against him for complaining about her leadership.
A series of formal no-confidence votes against Corpus followed: from the cities of San Carlos, Millbrae and San Mateo and from the Organization of Sheriff’s Sergeants, the union representing command staff. In its unanimous no-confidence vote, the Millbrae City Council cited “the decline in leadership, poor decision making, low morale, and a fear of retaliation by Sheriff Corpus and her executive management team” among the reasons for the resolution.
A day after Tapia’s arrest, the county Board of Supervisors demanded Corpus’ resignation. She refused. But Aenlle was relieved of duty the day after the judge’s report’s release, according to county records released to CalMatters.
Regardless, Corpus brought Aenlle back into the office in January, along with a puppy that, as is common with young dogs in new places, urinated a lot. Quite a lot, according to an email sent by a sheriff’s department captain to the rest of the staff and obtained by the Palo Alto Daily Post.
Aenlle’s appearance was distressing to department employees who had spoken to Cordell as part of the county investigation, the email from Capt. Mark Myers said, and employees worried that Aenlle might have been carrying a concealed weapon.
Aenlle denies all of the allegations against him. He, like Corpus, believes he’s a victim of a long-entrenched good-old-boys network that was loath to release its grip on the county.
“The minute I received that title (of executive director of administration), the jealousy ensued, and they had to do everything they could to break us down,” Aenlle said.
Aenlle said he and Corpus arrived as reformers and immediately ran into resistance, followed by the allegations of an intimate personal relationship.
He disputes several elements of the Cordell report, beginning with its design; Aenlle said it’s unfair to grant anonymity to people who were free to make unsubstantiated claims about him and Corpus.
For instance, he said, the report makes mention of his lack of law enforcement experience. Aenlle points to his time as a reserve deputy, but Cordell alleged he was out of compliance with the necessary hours to maintain his reserve status and could face misdemeanor charges in connection with wearing a gold sheriff’s office badge.
“This report hinges on the voices of just 40 individuals — current and former employees — who stand in opposition to progress,” Aenlle wrote in a four-page rebuttal to Cordell’s report. “These individuals represent a faction resistant to the transformative changes aimed at improving our communities, clinging instead to the remnants of a previous administration that lost the community’s trust and mandate to lead.”
Aenlle asserts that the transcripts released with the report of his interview by Cordell were missing crucial pages, including his own defenses of himself and Corpus, and his allegations of a set-up by San Mateo County Executive Mike Callagy. He also said he knows who Employee No. 3 is, and believes that person is seeking revenge because Corpus denied the employee a promotion.
But the biggest change Corpus made, he said, was the reason for the campaign to remove her from her elected office: Threatening the overtime pay deputies had come to expect. That, he said, led to the Cordell report and all of the ensuing fallout.
Some sheriff’s deputies in San Mateo County earn annual overtime that far exceeds their salaries. One deputy received $168,000 in regular pay in 2024 and $489,183.94 in overtime. Another deputy, also in 2024, earned $140,000 in regular pay and more than $318,000 in overtime.
And beginning in 2024, in order to cover vacancies and encourage deputies to work overtime, the sheriff’s office offered double pay for overtime instead of the usual time-and-a-half pay.
That, Aenlle said, led to ballooning overtime costs in the first half of 2024.
Aenlle said he has personally reviewed documents showing the sheriff’s office spent $17 million on overtime in the first six months of 2024, which would exceed the amount spent in any previous year.
Corpus made the same assertions while defending her actions in a September press conference, alleging that Callaghy, the county executive, negotiated the massive overtime bill behind her back and without her knowledge, calling such actions “serious political dirty dealings.”
CalMatters requested a month-by-month breakdown of the county’s overtime spending on sheriffs’ deputies working in patrol and the jails. Records provided by the county show that in 2024, the sheriff’s office spent slightly less in the second half of the year, about $2.2 million per month, than it did in the first half of the year when it spent about $2.6 million per month on average.
The records do not reflect a significant reduction in overtime spending after June 2024.
Finally, on March 4, the question of how to handle Corpus went to the voters. Titled Measure A, the San Mateo County ballot measure asked voters to choose whether to amend the county charter to give the Board of Supervisors the power to remove the sheriff by a four-fifths vote.
San Mateo is a charter county, giving its supervisors the cheaper and quicker option of removal, rather than a recall campaign. At least one California county sheriff has been recalled before, back in the 1970s, and a few have resigned with a recall on the ballot, but Corpus would be the first sheriff removed from office.
The measure passed with 84 percent of the vote. Corpus again refused to resign, setting off a removal process at the county that’s expected to last about three months. At a board hearing in April, members of the public urged county supervisors to move quickly.
The final removal hearing is scheduled to take place behind closed doors, though CalMatters has requested that the meeting be held in an open session.
No matter what happens, Corpus may still face further investigations, this time by San Mateo County District Attorney Steven Wagstaffe, who said his office was looking into Corpus’ conduct but decided to wait until the removal process plays out.
“We are waiting, but we have not closed (the investigation into Corpus),” Wagstaffe said. “There is evidence we have uncovered that provokes us to continue with our inquiry.”
CalMatters journalism engineer Tomas Apodaca contributed reporting to this story.
When Christina Corpus, whose mother is from Nicaragua, was elected San Mateo County Sheriff in 2022 with 57 percent of the vote, it was a historic win on a platform of reform, transparency, and ending cronyism within a department long mired in scandal. But just over two years later, Corpus stands on the edge of removal—not for proven crimes, corruption, or abuse of power, but for a swirl of allegations that, on close inspection, are more petty than damning.
From the start, Corpus’ victory challenged the deeply embedded power structure in the county. Her predecessor, Carlos Bolanos, was no stranger to controversy—having been caught up in the 2007 “Operation Dollhouse” brothel raid in Las Vegas and, in a bizarre final act, dispatching deputies across state lines to resolve a complaint over a luxury Batmobile replica. Corpus, in contrast, promised a break from business as usual. Her campaign attracted community activists eager for reform, and her primary-night message was clear: “We stood up to an establishment.”
But almost as soon as she took office, the system seemed to turn on her.
A series of headlines and investigations has painted Corpus as a chaotic leader, focusing obsessively on eyebrow-raising but ultimately trivial matters: a $1,200 pair of boots, a peeing puppy in the office, and a Hawaii trip with a longtime friend and campaign supporter, Victor Aenlle. The grand scandal appears to revolve around the perception of an inappropriate personal relationship—based on anonymous allegations and circumstantial details. The so-called evidence? Shared massages, earrings, and a hidden shoebox.
We must ask: Is this really the standard for removing a democratically elected sheriff?
Former Judge LaDoris Cordell’s 400-page report on the sheriff’s office casts Corpus as someone who violated county policies on nepotism and allowed a personal relationship to influence professional decisions. But even the report’s foundation is shaky. The central accuser, labeled “Employee No. 3,” remains anonymous, and none of the alleged misconduct rises to the level of criminal activity. Meanwhile, Cordell gave none of the accused the opportunity to challenge their accusers directly—a red flag in any process claiming impartiality.
Aenlle, the supposed power behind the throne, served as a reserve deputy for 17 years. He wasn’t plucked from nowhere, despite Cordell’s emphasis on his real estate background. He and Corpus both argue that the backlash they’re facing comes from entrenched interests that resent reform—specifically, reform that threatens padded overtime pay and long-standing internal hierarchies. Corpus herself pointedly said that as a woman of color who rose through the ranks in a male-dominated field, these attacks feel all too familiar.
In fact, the very issues that Corpus aimed to tackle—misuse of overtime, lack of transparency, and poor leadership culture—may be fueling the blowback against her. It’s worth noting that some deputies have earned more in overtime than in base salary, with one raking in nearly $500,000 in OT in a single year. When Corpus sought to rein in such excesses and reform pay practices, resistance mounted.
One of the most disturbing episodes was the arrest of the deputies’ union president, Carlos Tapia, just hours before Cordell’s report went public. He was accused of falsifying time cards—a charge the District Attorney declined to pursue, citing clerical errors and no intent to deceive. Tapia alleges retaliation by Corpus for his criticisms of her leadership, but the circumstances suggest the opposite: that Tapia’s arrest may have been a political maneuver orchestrated from within a department at war with its own elected head.
The Board of Supervisors, meanwhile, fast-tracked a ballot measure—Measure A—to give themselves the power to remove the sheriff. It passed with 84% of the vote, but voters were primed by a media narrative heavy on innuendo and light on substance. Corpus has refused to resign, and the county is now proceeding with a closed-door removal process—a troubling lack of transparency for a matter of such public interest.
At its core, the campaign against Corpus appears less about ethical violations and more about reasserting control by those who’ve long dominated the department. Reforms threaten entrenched power. A woman of color who beat the system may have become too much of a disruption.
Removing an elected official should require serious, proven misconduct. Not office gossip. Not vague allegations of impropriety. Not misplaced designer boots.
Sheriff Christina Corpus won a democratic mandate to clean up the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. What she got instead was a backlash from a system desperate to protect itself. Whether you support her policies or not, every voter in the county should be alarmed that flimsy accusations—wrapped in the appearance of accountability—are being used to override the public’s choice.
Democracy means letting voters decide who leads. If Corpus has failed to deliver, there are elections for that. Until then, this looks less like justice and more like a coup cloaked in bureaucracy.
La participación de México en el mercado estadounidense de importaciones, con un valor de 948 mil millones de dólares, durante el primer trimestre del año fue del 13.8 por ciento. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro). -- Mexico's share of the US import market, valued at $948 billion, during the first quarter of the year was 13.8 percent. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro)
by the El Reportero‘s news services
Tariffs couldn’t stop Mexico from recording strong first-quarter growth in its earnings from exports sent to the United States.
In addition, in the first three months of 2025, Mexico was once again the world’s largest exporter to the United States, according to data published by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday.
Mexico exported goods worth US $131.29 billion to the world’s largest economy in the first quarter, up 9.5 percent compared to the same period of 2024.
Mexico beat out Canada and China to retain its position as the top exporter to the United States. Canada’s earnings from exports sent to the U.S. increased 7.9 percent annually in the first quarter to $108.93 billion, while China’s revenue rose 5.1 percent to $102.65 billion.
Mexico’s share of the United States’ $948 billion market for imports in the first three months of the year was 13.8 percent.
Mexico, Canada and China all increased their earnings from exports sent to the United States in the first quarter of 2025 despite U.S. President Donald Trump imposing new tariffs on imports from those countries, and many others.
U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel and aluminum, as well as other Mexican goods not covered by the USMCA free trade pact, were in force for most of March, having taken effect on March 12 and March 4, respectively.
U.S. tariffs on vehicles made in Mexico didn’t take effect until early April.
The publication of the United States’ export data comes eight days after Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI released statistics showing that Mexico earned a total of $149.25 billion in export revenue in the first three months of 2025, a 4 percent increase compared to the first quarter of last year.
More than 80 percent of Mexico’s export revenue comes from goods shipped to the United States.
Mexico’s export earnings surge 15.4 percent in March
Despite the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel, aluminum and goods not covered by the USMCA — as well as all Mexican products for a brief period in early March — the value of Mexico’s exports to the United States increased 15.4 percent annually in March to $47.98 billion.
Mexico’s strong growth in export revenue in March can be partially attributed to the fact that Holy Week fell in March last year, while the week leading up to Easter Sunday was in April in 2025. Consequently, there were more working days in March 2025 than in the same month last year.
Mexico’s growth in revenue from exports shipped to the United States in March was well above the 4.2 percent annual increase in earnings for Canada, which shipped goods worth $35.66 billion to its southern neighbor in the third month of the year.
In a sign that hefty U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods are hurting China, the value of the east Asian nation’s exports to the United States fell 1.9 percent annually to $29.38 billion in March.
Mexico’s trade surplus with US increased 19 percent in Q1
The Census Bureau data shows that the United States exported goods worth $84.04 billion to Mexico in the first three months of 2025, a 4.8 percent increase compared to the first quarter of last year.
Mexico thus had a trade surplus of $47.25 billion with its northern neighbor in the first quarter of 2025. Mexico’s surplus with the U.S. in the first three months of 2024 was $39.68 billion.
Mexico’s surplus thus increased 19.1 percent in the space of a year.
In 2024, the value of Mexican exports to the United States exceeded US $500 billion for the first time ever, and Mexico’s surplus with the U.S. increased 12.7 percent annually to $171.8 billion.
Trump has railed against the trade deficit the United States runs with Mexico, and has even suggested that Mexico should become a U.S. state due to the trade imbalance between the two countries.
The U.S. president has cited the United States’ trade deficits with Mexico and Canada as one of the reasons for imposing tariffs on imports from those countries, despite the three nations being signatories to the USMCA and having high levels of integration between their economies.
After a call with Trump last week, President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that the United States is “very interested” in reducing its trade deficit with Mexico.
She said that she and the U.S. president “agreed to keep working” on ways in which the trade imbalance can be reduced by Mexico importing more goods from the United States.
“In other words, have even more trade … for the benefit of both countries,” said Sheinbaum, whose government is currently attempting to negotiate better trade conditions with the United States.
With reports from El Economista
Sheinbaum’s stance on US-Mexico relations earns widespread approval
Just over seven months into her six-year presidency, President Claudia Sheinbaum remains a very popular leader, according to the results of two polls conducted in April.
The latest El Financiero poll detected an 81 percent approval rating for Mexico’s first female president, while a much larger survey conducted by the Mitofsky polling company for the newspaper El Economista found a 70.2 percent approval rating for Sheinbaum.
According to the El Financiero poll results, Sheinbaum’s approval rating declined two percentage points compared to March.
Among respondents to the Mitofsky/El Economista poll, the president’s approval rating has never been higher, increasing 0.4 percentage points in April to go above 70 percent for the first time since she was sworn in on Oct. 1.
Strong support for Sheinbaum’s plan to ban US government advertising in Mexico
For its poll, El Financiero surveyed 1,100 Mexican adults by telephone, with interviews conducted between April 3-7 and between April 24-28.
Per the newspaper’s poll results, Sheinbaum’s approval rating has been above 80 percent every month so far this year. It peaked at 85 percent in February before falling two points in March to 83 percent and two points again in April to 81 percent.
President Donald Trump is pushing a shift in homelessness policy, replacing the “Housing First” model with a treatment-first approach that emphasizes mandated addiction and mental health services before offering housing. His plan includes relocating homeless people to large encampments or mental institutions, requiring treatment, or facing arrest.
The Housing First policy, implemented nationally in 2004 under President George W. Bush, prioritizes permanent housing as the initial step to stabilize people experiencing chronic homelessness. It expanded under Presidents Obama and Biden. Housing First offers housing without requiring sobriety, treatment participation, or employment, and connects individuals to services after housing is secured.
“When you’re on the streets, all you’re doing every day is figuring out how to survive,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Housing is the most important intervention that brings a sense of safety and stability.”
Evidence shows Housing First can be highly effective. A systematic review of 26 studies found that, compared with treatment-first strategies, Housing First programs reduced homelessness by 88 percent. It also led to improvements in health and decreased costly hospital visits.
Despite this, Trump’s administration is moving to dismantle Housing First. HUD has proposed major staffing and funding cuts that affect homelessness programs. The administration has also discouraged local governments from adhering to Housing First models and is shrinking the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Critics warn this shift will worsen the crisis. “Throwing everybody into treatment programs just isn’t an effective strategy,” said Donald Whitehead Jr. of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “The real problem is we just don’t have enough affordable housing.”
Former Trump homelessness adviser Robert Marbut argues the opposite, saying that sobriety and treatment should be prerequisites to housing. He believes Housing First enables people to remain homeless and addicted. Trump’s policy advisors, through the Project 2025 blueprint, are calling for a formal end to Housing First.
Even some Democratic leaders are distancing themselves from the model. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and mayors of major cities are pushing mandatory treatment programs and increased encampment sweeps. However, experts say these crackdowns disrupt service connections and slow housing placements.
Jeff Olivet, President Biden’s homelessness adviser, argues the model works when funded and implemented correctly. “Housing First is not just about sticking somebody in an apartment and hoping for the best,” he said. “It’s about providing stable housing and access to treatment, but not forcing it.”
Rolly Romero stunned the boxing world on May 2 in Times Square, New York, when he dropped and outpointed the heavily favored Ryan Garcia to claim the vacant WBA ‘regular’ welterweight title. Entering the bout as a 12-to-1 underdog, Romero pulled off what many considered a career-defining upset, improving his record to 17-2 (13 KOs).
Now, at 29, Romero has his sights set on an even bigger name: boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
Romero’s Ambition or Misdirection?
Romero made his intentions clear in a recent interview with Sean Zittel, saying, “Rolly versus Pacquiao. No matter if he beats Barrios—it’s still Rolly versus Pacquiao.” He went on to dismiss concerns about Pacquiao’s record, adding, “Pacquiao’s another one that don’t give a fk about losses, and everyone keeps tuning in, right? All that undefeated st don’t mean anything if you’re not fighting anybody.”
While Pacquiao is scheduled to return against WBC titleholder Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas, Romero insists he’d be ready to face the Filipino legend regardless of the outcome.
Pacquiao’s Return: Risk or Redemption?
Pacquiao, now 46, hasn’t fought since 2021, when he lost a wide decision to Yordenis Ugas. Despite widespread skepticism about his comeback, Pacquiao claims his goal is to make history, not simply to re-enter the spotlight.
Should he defeat Barrios, a fight with Romero could emerge as a surprise possibility. In today’s boxing landscape—where spectacle often trumps rankings—nothing seems off the table.
Romero’s Logic Under Scrutiny
Still, some critics question Romero’s path. Why call out a 46-year-old retired legend instead of a top-ranked, active contender in the welterweight division? The Romero-Garcia bout was more tactical than thrilling, and a rematch might even drum up more fan interest.
As for Pacquiao, it’s unclear whether he’s ever watched Romero fight, or whether he’d even entertain the idea of facing him. But one thing is certain: in boxing, legacy and matchmaking often follow their own unpredictable rules.
The US company plans to invest more than $4 billion over the next 15 years to develop a massive infrastructure
by the El Reportero’s wire services
The US technology company Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a $4 billion investment to “support the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance” of data centers in Chile, an infrastructure that will serve all of South America in a “secure, reliable, and scalable” manner.
“As part of its long-term commitment, Amazon plans to invest more than $4 billion in Chile over the next 15 years,” the company reported on its website, which indicated that the project will begin there in 2026.
AWS emphasized that its cloud platform “will provide developers, startups, entrepreneurs, and enterprises, as well as financial services, retail, education, government, and other nonprofit organizations, greater choice in running their applications and serving end users from data centers located in Chile.”
For his part, Felipe Ramírez, AWS’s representative in Chile, told CNN Chile that the project consists of the development of “a region,” whose main feature will be “the deployment of the company’s infrastructure” “in a specific geographic location,” which in any case will be in the Chilean Metropolitan Region.
Following the announcement, Chile’s Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, Aisén Etcheverry, considered the project to be extremely important because it will also generate 7,000 jobs per year and strengthen her country as a leader in digital technology throughout South America.
She also commented that the initiative is part of the National Data Center Plan, launched by the government in December 2024, and is essential to developing Chile’s “great potential” for the “digital economy,” given that the country is among the world’s leading internet speeds.
AWS will also strengthen payment services like those offered by Itaú Chile, Transbank, and Machbank, helping them manage a greater number of transactions in less time, making it easier for them to innovate new products for their customers.
The Great Book, Record, and Movie Sale returns with a venue and promotes the right to culture for all
by the El Reportero staff
Mexico City once again became a major cultural forum thanks to the 19th edition of the Great Book, Record, and Movie Sale, an event eagerly awaited by thousands of Mexico City residents seeking access to literature, film, and music at affordable prices. Held over five days at the Monument to the Revolution, this cultural gathering brought together nearly 200 exhibitors and offered an impressive array of content for all tastes, ages, and interests.
Organized by the Mexico City Ministry of Culture, the sale’s main objective was to guarantee the right to culture and combat the backlog of materials stored by publishers, distributors, and specialty stores. Far from limiting itself to clearance sales or outdated titles, the event surprised with an eclectic and valuable selection: from classics of world literature to cookbooks, science, history, and philosophy; from Latin American trova CDs to jazz, rock, and classical music vinyl records; and from art films to contemporary Mexican cinema.
Attendees—many of them young people, students, entire families, and collectors—found unique editions, out-of-print books, and materials difficult to find in conventional bookstores. All of this with discounts of up to 80 percent, turning the sale not only into a celebration of knowledge, but also into an economic opportunity to promote reading, musical appreciation, and film enjoyment.
One of the great successes of this edition was its inclusive and accessible approach. Complementary activities included public readings, book presentations, author signings, and short concerts, which turned the event into a complete cultural experience. Furthermore, the presence of independent labels and alternative publishers gave visibility to new voices, critical approaches, and fresh proposals that typically don’t find space in large retail chains.
In a country where the average person reads 3.9 books per year, according to INEGI data, initiatives like the Gran Remate are vital to reversing this trend. But beyond the numbers, the event reinforces the idea that access to culture should not be a privilege but a right guaranteed by the State, a vision that Mexico City has promoted through policies that favor cultural decentralization and the strengthening of local consumption.
Thus, among secondhand books, new releases, cult films, and beloved records, thousands of people embraced a public space that had become a marketplace of knowledge and emotions. And although the event has concluded, its impact continues: many readers started or completed collections, discovered unknown authors, or simply found another reason to love art. The Gran Remate demonstrates that when the doors to cultural access are opened, citizens respond enthusiastically and demonstrate that culture, far from being a luxury, is an essential necessity.
With an increasing number of voices promoting physician-assisted death as a means of avoiding advanced dementia, we need to let our elderly family members know that they are valuable and cherished
by Heidi Klessig, M.D.
In a world driven by the pursuit of personal peace and prosperity, the elderly and disabled often get left behind. In honor of Mother’s Day and this month’s upcoming Dementia Awareness Week, I’d like to share some practical tips from our family’s experience in caring for my elderly mother who has dementia.
My husband and I view caring for our elderly parents as a sacred duty, though we know every situation is unique. My father, a double amputee, required nursing home care. My father-in-law lived independently with some help. For nearly twelve years, we have cared for my mother in our home as her dementia has worsened. There is no “one size fits all,” but here are some things that have helped us.
First, caring for someone with dementia is not a solo job. As symptoms progress and your loved one can’t be left alone, you’ll need at least two people involved. My husband and I are Mom’s main caregivers, and family members have given us breaks over the years. While rewarding, caregiving can be emotionally and physically taxing. Having a partner in this work has drawn my husband and me closer—we take turns and support each other.
Establishing a trusting relationship with Mom early on was key. When she first moved in, we created a dependable routine—consistency is crucial when memory fails. We explain things slowly and repeatedly, often using post-it notes. I remind myself how many times she patiently repeated things to me as a child.
Routines help everyone sleep better. Mom likes to sleep in, so I serve Swiss muesli, which she enjoys hot or cold. This gives me flexibility to get things done while she rests. As her dementia progressed, she began avoiding meals that required cutting or scooping. So for lunch, we serve finger foods—sandwiches, fruit, carrots, cookies—anything easy and appealing. For dinner, we prepare her plate with food already cut and buttered so she can eat comfortably without feeling “babied.”
After dinner, my husband spends time with her watching television or playing a simple game. I help her get ready for bed—pills, nightgown, a glass of water, and a bathroom light left on. She always asks if I have a long drive home and smiles when I remind her I live in the same house. Even when she doesn’t remember my name, she remains loving and motherly.
Medication has helped reduce Mom’s anxiety. She takes an antidepressant and a dementia drug called rivastigmine, which has helped greatly. Not every drug works the same for everyone, and we are thankful her doctors have worked closely with us to find what’s best for her. Medication alone isn’t enough—Mom responds to our mood, so we try to provide constant smiles and reassurance.
Since caregiving requires spending lots of time at home, I recommend pursuing enjoyable and enriching activities there. This helps keep your own brain flexible. For example, because Mom is Swiss, I started brushing up on my college German to comfort her with her native language. I’ve also started taking piano lessons—something I’ve always wanted to do.
Though the work is demanding, the benefits outweigh the costs. My sister-in-law once said, “You have all the work, but in the end, you are the lucky ones: you have all the memories.” On hard days—like cleaning up after accidents—I remind myself that whatever we do “for the least of these,” we do for Our Lord. My mom did many such “dirty jobs” for me when I was little.
We just celebrated Mom’s 88th birthday, and her joy at seeing her children and grandchildren was priceless. With growing support for physician-assisted death as a way to avoid advanced dementia, it’s more important than ever to let our elderly loved ones know that they are not a burden. As a wise mentor once told me: “You are not a burden; you make our lives richer.” LifeSite.
The band Santa Cecilia opens the opening show of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Named after the patron saint of musicians, Santa Cecilia exemplifies the creative effervescence of 21st-century Latin music, with a captivating blend of cumbia, bossa nova, tango, jazz, boleros, and alternative rock. Led by charismatic vocalist La Marisoul, the Los Angeles-based group is the perfect band to open the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.
Santa Cecilia is both completely contemporary and inextricably linked to the musicians’ Mexican heritage and their love of Latin American culture.
Also featured will be La Doña and a set by DJ Wonway Posibul.
The YBG Festival will be this Saturday, May 10, starting at 1 p.m., completely free.
The performance is at Yerba Buena Gardens, located at 750 Howard St., San Francisco.
Teatro Visión presents The House on Mango Street
Teatro Visión presents The House on Mango Street, based on Sandra Cisneros’ iconic coming-of-age novel. This is a bilingual theatrical adaptation, performed in English with English and Spanish subtitles.
This is a poetic and moving play about Esperanza, a 12-year-old girl who dreams beyond the borders of her world.
Esperanza’s house is small and dark; she shares a room with her parents and three siblings. But her dreams are much bigger, stronger, and full of hope than the narrow Mango Street.
Don’t miss this production, which will be enjoyed by the whole family. It features a cast of young artists who bring this fun and lively story to life. The Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater is the venue chosen for this masterful presentation. It is located at 1700 Alum Rock Ave., San José.
Performances will be on Thursday, May 15th and Friday, May 16th at 7 p.m.; on Saturday, May 17th at 2 and 7 p.m.; and on Sunday, May 18th at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $40.
9th Annual Latinas in Tech Summit
Latinas in Tech Summit, the largest annual event for Latina professionals in the world of technology, is now in its 9th year. This year, its goal is to empower attendees to thrive in the changing technological landscape.
With more than 1,500 attendees and more than 80 speakers over three days of immersive programming, the Summit fosters innovative careers, transformative connections, and meaningful conversations that shape the future of technology.
According to Nikki Barua, Interim Executive Director of Latinas in Tech, 40% of global jobs will be impacted by AI. However, women adopt AI tools at a rate 25% lower than men, so it is urgent to see how we can ensure that women, especially Latinas, are not left behind.
“AI will be one of the diverse topics addressed at the annual summit, which will also offer immersive workshops and networking opportunities. More than 1,500 professionals are expected to attend, as well as brands such as Amazon, Capital One, LinkedIn, Comcast, Lilly, Pinterest, and many more.
To register online and access agenda information or learn more about Latinas in Tech Summit 2025, please visit https://latinasintechsummit.org.
The Latinas in Tech Summit will take place from May 28 to 30 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, located at 333 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco.
