Amazon, the company synonymous with online shopping, is supplying facial recognition technology to government and law enforcement agencies over its web services platform. Branded Rekognition, the technology is every bit as dystopian as it sounds.

Given the enormous reach of Amazon’s cloud platform and how easily organizations can integrate new applications into their operations, it’s disturbing that the company can offer a powerful platform-based surveillance technology without any public input, oversight or regulation. Amazon should not have free rein to develop and profit from new surveillance technologies without regard for their effects on civil liberties and human rights. Acquiescing to the technological and economic imperatives of these companies places our democracy on precarious footing.

A coalition of civil liberties and human rights organizations have sounded the alarm, including the American Civil Liberties Union. They are asking Amazon to stop supplying its facial recognition technology to government and law enforcement agencies. Amazon shareholders and Amazon workers have joined them, voicing opposition to the company’s involvement in the business of government and police surveillance. Because of the privacy and related concerns, momentum is building.

The city of Orlando dropped its pilot program use of Rekognition. Brian Brakeen, CEO of the facial recognition company Kairos, took a stand and said his company wouldn’t sell the technology to the government. “In the hands of government surveillance programs and law enforcement agencies,” Brakeen writes, “there’s simply no way that face recognition software will be not used to harm citizens.”

As academics who have studied information technologies and privacy, including the social implications of face recognition and biometrics, we share these reservations. We are calling on Amazon to get out of the surveillance business. Our demand is as strong as it is urgent and sensible.

We don’t want Amazon to merely adjust the functions of its facial recognition technology or update its policies for proper use. The only responsible course of action involves Amazon doing a complete about-face. It must stop building the facial recognition infrastructure for law enforcement agencies and the government and be committed to never return to the business in the future.

Facial recognition technology poses serious and imminent threats to civil liberties and human rights. As workers at Amazon explained in a letter to Jeff Bezos, there is no need to wait and see if the police or government agencies will abuse the technology. It is already clear that ubiquitous, automated facial recognition is well suited for discriminating against people of color, targeting political activists, and otherwise supporting militaristic and authoritarian modes of government. There is little doubt that the adoption of an infrastructure of networked cameras connected to databases of known faces by artificial intelligence tools will eliminate privacy in public and allow the identification, location, and tracking of individuals, linking their behaviors, actions and the people they meet to their identities.

Amazon is not your average large and powerful company. It collects a huge amount of personal information about people, including their buying habits and what they watch and read. The company’s Echo and Alexa products, give it access to audio recordings of what people say in their homes. It is just a step away from adding cameras to these devices, and, indeed, Amazon already markets a camera for its cloud network. Most people using home shopping devices would be surprised to discover that the technology could easily be archiving their faces for use in police databases. Imagine, for example, Apple taking the data collected through its Face ID phone feature and repackaging and reselling it to the Department of Homeland Security or local police.

When should a tech company refuse to build tools for the government?

In fact, given the blurring line between public policing and private security, and between government security agencies and their private contractors, we question whether a moratorium on government and law enforcement uses of Rekognition would go far enough. The security industry has long touted the public safety benefits of facial recognition technology. But a functioning facial recognition system that can consistently and accurately identify specific, targeted individuals requires building a surveillance infrastructure of unprecedented scope and scale, powered by machine learning algorithms and perpetually expanding databases of identity information. The threat that such a massive, automated surveillance apparatus poses to society far outweighs the security benefits it could provide. At the very least, it would require an equally vast system for oversight, transparency and public input, one that neither Amazon nor any government agency has even begun to develop.

Amazon and the information technology industry have lobbied hard to ensure their platforms can operate and expand in a largely unregulated environment. Public policy, the claim goes, cannot keep pace with innovation. If they believe this assertion, then these companies cannot in good faith claim that their responsibilities are limited to securing the assurance that customers abide by established policies and laws. When government practices violate civil liberties, Amazon has a choice to make. Will it blindly accelerate and exacerbate violations of human rights, or will it take responsibility for its powerful technologies?

(The authors are affiliated with the following institutions: Peter Asaro, the New School; Kelly Gates, University of California, San Diego; Woodrow Hartzog, Northeastern University; Lilliy Irani, University of California, San Diego; Evan Selinger, Rochester Institute of Technology; and Lucy Suchman, Lancaster University).

A Border Patrol agent violated the Fourth Amendment when he shot across the US-Mexico border, striking boy 10 times

September 3, 2018

by Kevin Gosztola

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a United States Border Patrol agent did not have “qualified immunity” and could be sued for violating the Fourth Amendment, when he shot across the border and killed a boy in Mexico.

“The court made clear that the Constitution does not stop at the border, and that agents should not have constitutional immunity to fatally shoot Mexican teenagers on the other side of the border fence,” declared Lee Gelernt, the deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project. “The ruling could not have come at a more important time, when this administration is seeking to further militarize the border.”

The ACLU was among attorneys that brought the suit on behalf of the family of José Antonio Elena Rodríguez. The 16-year-old boy was killed on Oct. 10, 2012, in Nogales, Mexico, while walking on a street that “runs parallel to the border.”

According to the allegations against Border Patrol Officer Lonnie Swartz, Rodriguez fired at least 14 bullets across the border. The boy was hit by about 10 bullets.

Rodriguez “was not committing a crime. He did not throw rocks or engage in any violence or threatening behavior against anyone or anything, and he did not otherwise pose a threat to Swartz or anyone else. He was just walking down a street in Mexico.”

The boy was on Calle Internacional, which the decision [PDF] describes as a “main thoroughfare lined with commercial and residential buildings.”

“The American side of the border is on high ground, atop a cliff or rock wall that rises from the level of Calle Internacional. The ground on the American side is around 25 feet higher than the road, and a border fence rises another 20 or 25 feet above that.”

As the decision notes, “Nogales, Mexico, and Nogales, Arizona, are in some respects one town divided by the border fence. Families live on both sides of the border, and people go from one side to the other to visit and shop.”

The boy’s grandparents live in Arizona, and his grandmother would often stay with him when his mother was at work.

“Based on the facts alleged in the complaint, Swartz violated the Fourth Amendment. It is inconceivable that any reasonable officer could have thought that he or she should kill [Rodriguez] for no reason,” the appeals court states.

The appeals court maintains Swartz could not argue the Fourth Amendment did not apply because Rodriguez was a Mexican citizen on Mexican soil. “[Swartz] acted on American soil subject to American law.”

“Applying the Constitution in this case would simply say that American officers must not shoot innocent non-threatening people for no reason,” the appeals court adds. “Enforcing that rule would not unduly restrict what the United States could do either here or abroad. So under the particular circumstances of this case, [Rodriguez] had a Fourth Amendment right to be free from the objectively unreasonable use of deadly force by an American agent acting on American soil.”

Swartz did not know whether the boy was a U.S. citizen or not. “Thus, Swartz is not entitled to qualified immunity on the bizarre ground that [Rodriguez] was not an American.”
Additionally, the appeals court addresses a federal district court’s dismissal of the family’s Fifth Amendment claim. The district court dismissed the Fifth Amendment claim because it found the Fourth Amendment applied.

“If the Fourth Amendment does not apply because [Rodríguez] was in Mexico, then the Fifth Amendment “shocks the conscience” test may still apply. Swartz’s conduct would fail that test.”

“We cannot imagine anyone whose conscience would not be shocked by the cold-blooded murder of an innocent person walking down the street in Mexico or Canada by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on the American side of the border.”

The U.S. government attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed by arguing that allowing Rodriguez’s family to seek damages because the “cross-border nature of the shooting implicates foreign policy.” Yet, the government never specified what policy was implicated.

All the U.S. government could come up with to support this argument is that both the U.S. and Mexican governments have a bilateral council to “address border violence, use of force, and ways to address and mitigate incidents of border violence.” Though, especially under President Donald Trump, it’s ridiculous to suggest that any of those meetings would focus on the violence of U.S. Border Patrol agents.

“Just as national security cannot be used as a talisman to ward off inconvenient claims, neither does the ‘mere incantation’ of the magic words ‘foreign policy’” cause a remedy for unconstitutional conduct to disappear.

In other immigration related news:

Worker accused of sexually abusing eight minors in immigrant shelter

According to ProPublica, a youth caregiver employed by Southwest Key was charged with eleven offenses after authorities accused him of sexual abuse of at least eight unaccompanied immigrant children for almost a year in one of the shelters of the company in Mesa, Arizona, according to the federal court records.

The allegations against Levian D. Pacheco, who is HIV positive, include that he subjected two of the adolescents to oral sex and tried to force himself on one of them to penetrate his anus. The other six adolescents, between 15 and 17 years old, said that Pacheco had handcuffed them on their clothes. According to the petition filed with the court to establish the prosecution case, it is alleged that all incidents occurred between August 2016 and July 2017.

Laura Pausini conquered Guatemalans hearts

September 3, 2018

by the El Reportero’s news services

Italian singer Laura Pausini conquered the hearts of her Guatemalan fans, who today keep the flavor of a concert full of emotions and surprises.

On the eve, Pausini made a musical tour of the best of her hits such as In your absence, When you loves somebody, Loneliness, On the other hand, no and Strange lovers, themes she accompanied with anecdotes of her life and always sheltered by the affection of the public.

The singer arrived in Guatemala from the hand of her World Wide Tour to celebrate 25 years of her professional career and to promote her latest album, Hazte sentir.

‘Wonderful and ‘incredible’ were the words most used by fans to define her presentation on the stage of Forum Majadas, accompanied by a select group of musicians.

The singer-songwriter made an aside to include the new musical proposals of her most recent album Hazte sentir, in particular, the song No one has said, which she recorded with the Cuban duo Gente de Zona, and put everyone to dance.

Ecuador to celebrate National Day of Culture

Ecuador will celebrate the National Day of Culture on August 9 with musical, scenic and recreational shows in different territories of the country, according to authorities.

That day also marks the 74th anniversary of the creation of the Ecuadorian House of Culture (CCE), which has its main headquarters in this capital.

The Ministry of Culture and Heritage reported on its website about the inauguration on Thursday of the exhibition Art in action, whose objective is the strengthening of national identity.

Artists from different parts of the country will present about 55 works, among them, three-dimensional sculptures, as part of the exhibition that will remain open until the 31st in the Juan Villafuerte Hall in Quito.

At the headquarters of the CCE, the National Ballet of Ecuador and several groups of that institution will be presented, such as the Choir, the Camerata and the Musical ensemble, among others.

In February, the Minister of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador, Raúl Pérez, highlighted the work done in the field of arts in this country in 2017, which he considered a fruitful year and with many achievements for the sector.

Chile’s SANFIC Film Festival to exhibit attractive program

Almost all the films awarded at this year’s Cannes Film Festival will be at the traditional SANFIC event from Aug. 19 to 26, with Spanish actress Maribel Verdu as a guest of honor.

The 14th edition of the Santiago International Film Festival (SANFIC) will exhibit a multifaceted program that repeats a successful experience with children and adolescents.

However, the section ‘Masters of Cinema’ seems the most solid option of the event with the premiere for Chile -and in many cases for Latin America and the Caribbean- of recent feature films by prestigious filmmakers.

According to Carlos Nuñez, SANFIC’s artistic director, there will be excellent movies such as Dogman (Italy-France), by Matteo Garrone; BlacKkKlansman (United States), by Spike Lee, and 3 Faces (Iran), by Jafar Panahi. For the second time, will be held the section SANFIC Educa, which will screen eight feature films and two short films devoted to 54 schools in this capital and more than 6,000 students, with the idea of also bringing the festival to other regions of Chile.

More than a hundred productions from 25 countries will be shown at the traditional Santiago meeting with the seventh art, which includes competitions in the national and international sections, each with nine films.

La Tocada Music Festival celebrates its 5th Anniversary

La Tocada music festival celebrated its 5th anniversary featuring some of the biggest names in alternative and pop music, and finds a new home the Los Angeles State Historic Park last Saturday, Aug. 4. The 2-stages music event produced by Live Nation and Frías Entertainment lineup included unforgettable performances by Café Tacvba, Panteón Rococó, Mon Laferte, Jesse & Joy, Molotov, Porter, Little Jesus, Caloncho and Camilo Séptimo.

Fresh Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

September 3, 2018

Brasil en los jardines: Pragandaia con carta especial Marcos Costa

Compilado por el El Reportero del personal

Ninguna ciudad en las Américas cuenta con una presencia cultural africana más rica y profunda que Salvador da Bahia en el noreste de Brasil, y el conjunto de la vocalista Dandara Odara Pragandaia sirve como un conducto para los sonidos de este hervidero musical mundial. Nacida y criada en Salvador, ganó reconocimiento temprano en el popular combo axé de Bahía Banda Relógio.

A lo largo de los años ha actuado con Gilberto Gil y Jorge Ben Jor y compartió escenarios con leyendas del Carnaval Bahiano como Carlinhos Brown, Chiclete com Banana, Ivete Sangalo, Ilê Aiyê y Olodum. Como director de orquesta, Odara comienza con un sensual swing bahiano y agrega ritmos

18 de agosto de 2018, gratis. Al aire libre. Yerba Buena Gardens Mission St. entre 3rd y 4th Sts., San Francisco.

Bobi Céspedes Band en c unrt con Pellejo Seco y el invitado especial John Santos

Una sonera del estilo cubano clásico y una sacerdotisa de la diáspora de Yorùbán, Bobi Céspedes integra elementos folclóricos y modernos cubanos para crear un sonido auténtico y de clase mundial.

El conjunto electrizante de Bobi Céspedes presenta a algunos de los mejores músicos de jazz latino del área de la Bahía, incluidos Marco Díaz, Saúl Sierra-Alonso, Julio Pérez, José Roberto Hernández, Lichi Fuentes y John Santos. Bobi se unirá al cartel de una de las bandas cubanas más ingeniosas del área de la Bahía, Pellejo Seco, cuya música proviene del mundo del folclore afrocubano, lo último en música bailable de La Habana, jazz latino y flamenco, bossa nova y jazz / rock fusión.

Una parte del teatro será limpiada para una pista de baile, ¡así que prepárense para escuchar los sonidos de Afro Cuba y más allá!

Sábado, 18 de agosto. Recepción VIP 6:30 p.m. Puertas abiertas – 7 p. M. Concierto – 8 p. M. En Brava Theatre, 2781 24th St, San Francisco @ York Street.

La Patronal, concierto gratuito

Oriunda de la capital peruana, Lima, La Patronal es una singular banda de música con raíces en la tradición de las fiestas populares (o ferias de la ciudad) comunes en las aldeas rurales de América Latina. Los descendientes directos de músicos rurales de Perú, los miembros de La Patronal combinan su conocimiento de primera mano de la cultura popular con sus estudios de música formales para celebrar su herencia.

Con percusiones contagiosas, vientos y vientos vibrantes, y los vívidos aspectos visuales de las fiestas populares, incluidas las máscaras y la danza tradicional, las animadas actuaciones de La Patronal alientan, no exigen, la participación del público y el baile.

TALLER DE DANZA PRE-CONCIERTO. A partir del mediodía, un taller de danza interactiva explora diferentes danzas del Perú: cumbia, marinera, morenada y toril. El taller invita a los participantes a aprender movimientos básicos y aprender las diferencias entre los géneros, y a aprender la historia en la que se basan los bailes.

El 30 de agosto, a las 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., en Esplanade, Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. entre 3rd y 4th Sts., San Francisco.

Teatro Nahual comenzará sus clases de actuación este mes

COMENZAREMOS NUESTRAS CLASES ACTUANDO CLASSE. Tenemos un grupo de estudiantes matriculados. ¿Quién más se inscribe en las clases de actuación? Contáctanos para más información!

Teatro Nahual te invita a unirte a las clases de actuación: Módulo I y Módulo 2 impartido por Verónica Meza. El curso de acción incluye: “Clases de vocalización y canto” con el instructor Aldo Adrián. Las clases de “Maquillaje básico” con la instructora Cenorina Delgado, y las clases de “Ética Actoral” con el instructor Miguel Martínez. ¡Comunícate con nosotros! El 25 de agosto

https://www.facebook.com/teatro.nahual; http://www.teatronahual.org

Drinking yam bean root or guava juice can improve your heart health

September 3, 2018

by Michelle Simmons

In Thailand, there are a lot of fruits available. Yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus, L.) and guava (Psidium guajava, L.) are two of the most commonly consumed fruits in Thailand. In a study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers from Mahidol University in Thailand evaluated the heart health benefits of yam bean root juice and guava fruit juice in healthy people.

For the study, the researchers recruited 30 healthy participants who were then divided into three groups. Every group was randomly assigned to drink 500 milliliters of freshly made yam bean root juice, guava fruit juice, or water. Yam bean and guava are available throughout the year and are not expensive, thus, consumable by all population. (Related: 13 Medicinal Benefits of Guava and Guava Leaves.)

In addition, the researchers assessed the systemic nitrate and nitrite concentrations, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, serum K+ concentrations, ex vivo platelet aggregation, and plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) concentrations at the beginning of the study and at different time points after the consumption of the drinks.

The researchers found that both yam bean root and guava fruit juices demonstrated inhibitory effects against collagen-induced platelet aggregation. The yam bean root juice had a significant amount of dietary nitrate which was absorbed and further transformed to nitrite in the body after drinking the juice.

Participants who consumed yam bean root juice experienced a reduction in diastolic blood pressure. Meanwhile, those who consumed guava juice not only had a reduction in diastolic blood pressure but only in systolic blood pressure and heart rate.

Based on the findings of the study, the researchers concluded that the consumption of yam bean root juice or guava fruit juice could potentially enhance cardiovascular health due to their roles in platelet inhibition and blood pressure reduction.

Other fruits and vegetables to juice for heart health

In the U.S., approximately 610,000 people die because of heart disease each year – which is one in every four deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S.

Studies have proven that a plant-based diet rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and nutrients boosts heart health. These compounds and nutrients reduce inflammation inside the vessel walls and protect the cells from free radical damage. Most experts suggest that consuming five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables can help in the prevention of heart disease. One of the best ways to consume fruits and vegetables is through juicing.

Unlike smoothies, which generally contain more fiber and more fruit, fresh juices can be filled with dark leafy greens and many red, orange, and/or purple vegetables and fruits to help maximize the nutrients in every glass. Here are other fruits and vegetables that can be juiced and consumed on a regular basis to prevent heart disease:

– Beets – Research revealed that beet juice lowered blood pressure six hours after drinking the juice.
– Celery – The juice of celery contains anti-hypertensive properties because of phthalides. These naturally-occurring compounds relax the tissues of the artery walls to enhance blood flow and lower blood pressure.
– Cranberries – Cranberries are rich in polyphenols which help reduce heart disease risk. Research has shown that regular consumption of cranberry juice decreased arterial stiffness, which occurs as a result of atherosclerosis.
– Garlic – Garlic juice may not be palatable but it is rich in substances that prevent blood platelets from clumping, which lowers the chance of fatal blood clots from forming and helps improve circulation. Garlic also helps prevent atherosclerosis, a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
– Red grapes – Red grape juice protects against oxidized LDL cholesterol, which can cause hardened arteries. In addition, red grapes contain resveratrol which helps prevent platelets from sticking together.
– Pomegranate – Pomegranate juice can lower blood pressure. It is also packed with anti-inflammatory antioxidants that will protect the cardiovascular system from tissue damage and inflammation. (Natural News).

AMLO effect? Consumer confidence spiked percent in July

September 3, 2018

“Los consumidores definitivamente han dado un voto positivo a los resultados electorales”, dice el economista

por Mexico News Daily

El índice de confianza del consumidor de México se disparó bruscamente en julio a su nivel más alto en más de una década, inmediatamente después de Andrés Manuel López Obrador, conocido como AMLO, ganó una victoria abrumadora en las elecciones presidenciales.

El índice subió un 14.8 por ciento el mes pasado, el Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (Inegi) ayer, para alcanzar los 101.7 puntos.

La fecha del análisis fue 90 por ciento de los analistas encuestados por la agencia de noticias Bloomberg y el más alto desde marzo de 2008 cuando alcanzó 102.3 puntos.

El único aumento comparable en la confianza del consumidor se produjo en febrero del año pasado cuando el índice aumentó en poco más del 13 por ciento.

Sin embargo, el resultado fue al siguiente gasolinazo de enero de 2017, cuando los precios del combustible aumentaron bruscamente para dar un gran golpe de confianza.

“Definitivamente, los consumidores han dado un voto positivo a los resultados electorales”, dijo Joan Enric Domene, economista de la firma de corretaje Invex Casa de Bolsa.

“La gente aún no ha visto una mejora sustancial en su calidad de vida, pero están contentos con el resultado”.

El índice también subió un 17.8 por ciento en comparación con julio del año pasado.

The Inegi data is based on the National Consumer Confidence Survey that the institute carries out during the first 20 days of each month in conjunction with the Bank of México.

Confidence about Mexico’s economic outlook over the next 12 months increased by 31.9 percent compared to figures from the previous month, the biggest single-month jump recorded in the history of the survey.

Respondents’ confidence in their own purchasing power over the next year also increased, albeit by a lesser 11.3 percent.

The percentage of people who said they currently had plans to buy furniture, a television, a washing machine or another domestic appliance increased by13 percent compared to June figures.

The peso has also fared better since López Obrador’s election, appreciating 6.3 percent against the US dollar. A greenback currently buys just over 18.5 Mexican pesos.

Following his July 1 triumph, the president-elect and his prospective cabinet sought to calm fears surrounding the next government’s economic plans, a move which analysts believe has reassured investors and contributed to the peso’s strong performance.

Although household consumer confidence is up, Domene said that the same confidence hasn’t manifested itself in the business community.

“There are loose ends that the private sector is waiting to see tied up by this new government,” he said.

“Surely, in the next few months, investment from the private sector will be more reticent than consumer spending.”

López Obrador will take office for a six-year term on Dec. 1.

Source: El Financiero (sp), Bloomberg (en).

In other Mexican news:

New labor secretary will push to raise minimum wage, doubling it in the north

The wage is currently seven pesos below the threshold set by the federal government for well-being

The new government’s nominee for labor and social welfare secretary has pledged that Mexico’s next government will work toward increasing the minimum wage, and even double it in the north of the country.

The current daily minimum wage is 88.36 pesos (US $4.72), seven pesos below the threshold set by the federal government for well-being.

Luisa María Alcalde told broadcaster Radio Fórmula yesterday that she will approach Mexico’s central bank to discuss the issue.

The Mexican Employers’ Federation, or Coparmex, pushed hard in late 2017 for an increase in line with the well-being level set by Coneval, the social development agency, and it is doing so again now.

Coparmex head Gustavo de Hoyos said today he would like to see the wage raised to at least 100 pesos by the end of the year, observing that he had met with Alcalde and found there were commonalities regarding an increase in line with a level established by the United Nations.

He also said it was “one of those subjects in which we concur significantly with the new president” and hoped the agency that sets the wage would meet soon so as to finish the year with a wage possibly as high as 102 or 103 pesos.

Meanwhile, Alcalde also spoke yesterday regarding the plan to move the Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare to León, Guanajuato, one of several departmental moves planned by López Obrador.

She said there was no hurry nor a set timeline but didn’t rule out the possibility that the department might have shifted there by the start of next year.

Alcalde also said she was aware of the constraints raised earlier in the week by Guanajuato Governor Miguel Márquez, who warned that the state doesn’t have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the move and resulting influx in population.

She said the incoming administration was aware of the limitations.

“Of course, we understand that there could be certain problems so the idea is that it [the move] is going to be gradual,” she said.

“I don’t think that there will be any problem and we’re going to convince [the governor] that, on the contrary, this is an idea that intends there be development in the whole country, so that not all the secretariats are centralized, which will help make growth more even across the nation’s territory,” Alcalde explained.

El profesor de derecho de 30 años y ex diputado federal ha publicado varios artículos que abogan por salarios más altos en México.

La integrante más joven del gabinete de López Obrador será la encargada de presentar el esquema de aprendizaje llamado “Jóvenes construyendo el futuro”.

Alcalde dijo que el programa será fundamental para el plan del nuevo gobierno de proporcionar oportunidades de empleo a los jóvenes del país.

López Obrador y su gabinete tomarán posesión el 1 de diciembre.

Fuente: Milenio ( sp ), El Universal ( sp ) .

Electoral tribunal formalizes López Obrador as next Mexican president

September 3, 2018

por los servicios de cable de El Reportero

Aunque el mundo electoral lo reconoce como tal, Andrés Manuel López Obrador lo formalizó como el ganador de las elecciones del 1 de julio y el próximo presidente constitucional de México.

Por unanimidad, vindicando el carácter democrático y legítimo del proceso electoral, los magistrados del Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación (Tepjf) aprobaron el informe en el que certificaron las elecciones presidenciales. También respaldaron la entrega del certificado del Presidente electo al candidato de la coalición Juntos Haremos Historia, Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

“Solo quienes han obtenido el poder a través del proceso electoral tienen el capital político y la moral para ejercer”, argumenta la magistrada del Tepjf, Janine Otalora.

Antes de este paso legal, López Obrador se abstuvo de participar en eventos oficiales, incluida la reciente Cumbre de las Américas, aunque fue invitado por el presidente Enrique Peña Nieto.

También prometió respetar el mandato de Peña Nieto hasta el último momento, aunque haya tenido que tomar medidas con las que cambiar el país, incluso pacificarlo en la actual ola de violencia y delincuencia, y reducir la pobreza.

El 1 de diciembre, López Obrador es juramentado por el Congreso de la Unión como Presidente de la República para el período 2018-2024.

Gracias a Amazon, el gobierno pronto poder rastrear tu rostro

Defensores de los derechos civiles preocupados por la tecnología de reconocimiento facial de Amazon

Washington, DC – Los miembros del Congreso dirigieron una carta bipartidista al presidente, presidente y CEO de Amazon, Jeff Bezos, solicitando una reunión sobre la nueva tecnología de reconocimiento facial de Amazon, marcada y vendida como “Amazon Rekognition”.

 La carta, firmada por 25 miembros del Congreso, la cual puede tener sobre los votantes de la ACLU, los resultados de su propia prueba y la de 28 miembros del Congreso fueron identificados erróneamente. como presuntos delincuentes. Entre los partidos se encontraban el representante Gómez, el representante Lewis y el representante Garrett. Según la ACLU, el 40 por ciento de los partidos falsos de Rekognition fueron de personas de color, un porcentaje del 20 por ciento del Congreso.

Guatemala establece una plataforma para encontrar mujeres desaparecidas

Guatemala ha establecido una plataforma para el tratamiento de mujeres denunciadas como desaparecidas, una cifra que permanece en rojo debido a su relación con la discriminación de género.

La procuradora general Consuelo Porras explicó que el mecanismo llamado Isabel Claudina es una alerta que los familiares pueden activar en la Fiscalía y la Policía cuando se sospecha un delito.

El nombre derivado de la unión de las adolescentes María Isabel Véliz Franco y Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paíz, que fueron encontradas muertas después de ser reportadas como desaparecidas en 2001 y 2015 respectivamente, en el municipio de Mixco y la capital.

Según Porras, en el caso de Claudina, los padres, al enterarse de que estaba perdida y en peligro, a la policía a la policía, pero la policía a la esperaban 24 horas para la denuncia que había desaparecido.

Su cuerpo fue encontrado un día después en la colonia Roosevelt por los Bomberos Voluntarios antes de una llamada anónima.

Las estadísticas del Ministerio Público informaron que en este país centroamericano dos mujeres desaparecen a diario por diferentes motivos, en su mayoría asociados a la violencia de género.

La Fiscalía informó 287 casos solo de enero a mayo, especialmente en la capital.

Las partes mexicanas serán disueltas

Los partidos mexicanos Social Encounter (PES) y New Alliance (PANAL) están a punto de perder su registro oficial después de caer por debajo del tres por ciento exigido por la ley en las elecciones del 1 de julio.

El Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE) espera que el Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial Federal notifique oficialmente el rechazo a los desafíos presentados por ambos grupos, para decidir sobre su disolución.

El PES y el PANAL no alcanzó el mínimo del tres por ciento en las elecciones federales, elecciones presidenciales, para senadores y diputados en el día en que Andrés Manuel López Obrador se convirtió en el presidente electo de México.

Obrador prevaleció con la coalición Juntos Haremos Historia, que integró el Movimiento Nacional de Regeneración, el Partido Laborista y el PSE.

El PANAL apoyó la candidatura presidencial de José Antonio Meade, del Partido Revolucionario Internacional, que fue el tercero en la votación para presidente.

SAM-e the “Supernutrient” vital bio-chemical

August 31, 2018

by Ben Fuchs

Back in the 1990’s SAM-e was popular as an antidepressant and energizer. Although its effectiveness may have been overstated, the fact remains that SAM-e can be a very important nutritional supplement for a lot of mental health issues, anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression.   SAM-e, which was first discovered in the 1950’s, is involved in the production of the stress management hormone serotonin and the pleasure and reward brain chemical dopamine.

SAM-e, a derivative of the amino acid methionine, is a vital bio-chemical that’s involved in the healthy functioning of the brain and the nervous system.  SAM-e is also required for helping keep the insulation of nerves resilient and intact.  This insulation which is called myelin is required for keeping the conduction of electrical energy flowing smoothly.  Movement disorders, neuropathies, paralysis, impaired vision, numbness, muscle weakness, difficulties with speech or with hearing, even incontinence and weak bladder control can all be examples of health issues that can be associated with myelin defects.  SAM-e is made in the body so it’s not really technically “essential” but rather it is said to be “conditionally essential”.  That basically means you don’t absolutely have to be ingesting it on a regular basis, but doing so might not be a bad idea!

However, just because you have been making sure you’re eating lots of methionine doesn’t mean you’ll be making enough SAM-e.   SAM-e is an activatedversion of methionine.  That means that not only is the intake of plain old methionine required, but, because activation requires nutrition and cellular energy, adequate nourishment and a healthy biochemistry are necessary.  If the biochemical milieu in the body is disturbed in any way activation of SAM-e may not occur.  That’s why the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) has called SAM-e a “supernutrient”.  In other words it’s no mere nutrient, it’s an activated nutrient.   And, according to a 2002 article in the AJCN, supernutrients like SAM-e, while not themselves essential (the body can make them), they…

“…must be provided to meet the normal cellular requirements when its endogenous synthesis from a nutritional precursor becomes inefficient”.

In other words, according to the fine scientists at the AJCN,  if your body can’t make enough, you might want to consider supplementing!

And, SAM-e isn’t just important for mental health.  It also plays a part in improving the symptoms, the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.  It has been shown to increase the productivity of cartilage making cells and also to upregulate the squishy, gummy proteins called proteoglycans that have protective and shock absorbing benefits for joints.  Proteoglycans conduct electrical energy and trap water which can make cartilage more effective.  Proteoglycans keep the skin thick and robust and also keep bones and blood vessels healthy too.  Because SAM-e upregulates proteoglycan synthesis, that makes it beneficial for the skeletal system and the circulatory system too.

SAM-e may also relieve the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.  It has been shown to increase the productivity of cartilage making cells and also to upregulate the squishy, gummy protein-sugar complexes called “proteo-glycans” that have a protective and shock absorbing benefits for joints.  Proteoglycans conduct electrical energy and trap water and can make cartridge more effective.  Proteoglycans can also keep the skin thick and robust and stimulate the production of skin-firming collagen.   That makes it helpful for keeping the visage youthful and wrinkle-free.  And because SAM-e upregulates proteoglycan synthesis; in addition to helping keep smooth,  that makes it beneficial for the skeletal system and the circulatory system too, both of which depend on the gel like protein-sugars  for healthy functioning.

SAM-e’s fat metabolizing functions make it a very liver-friendly supplement.    The liver is the main fat processing organ in the body and when it’s working too hard or health is compromised it tends accumulate fat.  This buildup of fat in known as “Fatty Liver Disease” and it’s a serious health issue that affects one out of three Americans.  Alcoholics are at even higher risk for fatty liver disease as are patients on multiple prescription drugs.  And because a great deal of SAM-e production takes place in the liver, SAM-e deficiency can be both the cause and an effect of an unhealthy and/or fatty liver.

The best way to make sure you’re getting the benefits of SAM-e is to supplement.  You can take 400-800 a day.  It’s a little pricy, a month supply will cost you around 40-60 dollars, depending on how much you take.  But you’re not going to get SAM-e from food, so if your health is compromised in any way you might not be making enough of it adding a 200mg tablet or two to a daily supplement program might not be a bad idea.

Kaiser hospital workers to stand up for patient care in labor day protest, civil disobedience

August 31, 2018

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

More than 1,000 healthcare workers and their allies will march and engage in civil disobedience and protest this Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3, to protest the corporation’s plans that would undermine patients and the people who care for them.

The workers will be joined by U.S. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-San Jose) Mark DeSaulnier (D-Richmond).

Kaiser Permanente, which reported $29 billion in reserves in 2017 and whose CEO is paid $10 million a year, is seeking deep cuts that would harm patient care. It has refused to engage in bargaining over the issue, while becoming more strident in its attitude toward workers, deepening the rift between the corporation and its employees.

The march will kick off from Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster St., and continue to the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, 275 W. MacArthur Blvd.

Job fair with many jobs oportunities

Bring 10-15 Resumes. Dress Business Professional. This is a free event for job seekers.

Job Opportunities include:

Inside Sales Reps, Outside Sales Reps, Account Executives, Retail Managers, Account Managers, Insurance Sales, Customer Service, Technical Sales, Sales Managers, Pharmaceutical Sales, Telesales, Sales Trainer, Merchandiser, Mortgage Brokers, Financial Planner, Route Sales, Retail Sales, Retail Management, Human Resources and much more!

In San Francisco, Thursday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, 345 Stockton Street, San Francisco.

Parking Sutter-Stockton Garage: $3/hr

VIVA! Celebrating Latin Hispanic Heritage

Concerts, Dance, Crafts, Food & Films at the San Francisco Public Library

Join the fiesta at the San Francisco Public Library this fall with ¡VIVA!, a citywide celebration of Latino Hispanic cultures with more than 80 music, food, film, dance, crafts and author talks happening mid-September through October.

Special ¡VIVA!  events include concerts with Grammy award winners Lucky Díaz and the Family Jam Band and Jose-Luis Orozco.  Attend a storytime with Caldecott Honor Award winner and Pura Belpré Award winner Yuyi Morales as she reads from her new book, Dreamers.  ¡VIVA!  kicks off on September 15 with a performance by legendary Bay Area band Mariachi Mexicanísimo.

Throughout the fall, take part in salsa and guacamole-making programs, workshops on Repujado, the craft of Mexican embossing, Mission mural tours, piñata workshops and multiple screenings of everyone’s favorite film, Coco. On October 13, in cooperation with San Francisco’s 2018 Litquake Literary Festival, ¡VIVA! welcomes National Book Award finalist author Cristina Garcia as she discusses her latest work Here in Berlin.

Participate in Día de los Muertos festivities by painting masks at North Beach, creating tissue paper marigolds at Richmond and decorating sugar skulls at Mission and Golden Gate Valley. Día de los Muertos altar workshops celebrate those who have passed on, and take place in library locations across the City. Contribute by visiting a participating branch to place an ofrenda (offering) at the altar.

Visit sfpl.org/VIVA for more details and to view the ¡VIVA! Program Guide. ¡VIVA! is funded in part by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. All programs at the Library are free.

¡VIVA! Kickoff Event with Mariachi Mexicanisimo – Sept. 15, 1 p.m., Atrium of the SF Main Library.

Nights with Platanito Premieres New Season

August 31, 2018

by the El Reportero’s news services

With almost five years of existence, Noches con Platanito (Nights with Platanito) is the critically acclaimed “late night” program and the only Spanish-language program of its kind during Prime Time in the American Union that has become an essential part of program circuit of “late night “and practically a mandatory publicity visit for any actor, singer or artist from Hollywood and Latin America who wants to promote his most recent work. “Many actors are super excited to be in Platanito’s chair,” said actor Curtis Lum of the hit series Sirens.

Recorded in the city of Burbank in front of a live audience and entertained by Mexican comedian Sergio Verduzco, also known as Platanito, and his buddy also actor and comedian David Villalpando, Nights with Platanito has been a continuous success and one of the favorites of the public of the EstrellaTV channel, and one of the most popular programs among the coveted demographic group of young Hispanics.

Spielberg’s Oscar-Winning ‘Schindler’s List’ Set For 25th Anniversary

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Universal will be re-releasing the movie in a limited engagement on Dec. 7, with picture and sound digitally remastered as overseen by the filmmaker. This includes a release in formats such as 4K, Dolby Cinema and Dolby Atmos.

Schindler’s List was a very personal film for Spielberg and it went on to win seven Oscars including Best Picture and his first as Best Director. It also is one of the top-grossing black-and-white films at the domestic box office with $96M, part of its $321.3M worldwide take.

Schindler’s List tells the story of German industrialist Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. The movie was released on Dec. 15, 1993, and played limited before breaking 1,000 theaters in the middle of March 1994.

Co-starring Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes, the film also earned Oscars for composer John Williams, screenwriter Steven Zaillian and director of photography Janusz Kaminiski, as well as art directors Allan Starski and Ewa Braun, editor Michael Kahn and producers Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig.

Venice Film Festival Ready for 2018 Edition

The Venice International Film Festival continues the countdown for the inauguration of its 75th edition in which Mexican Alfonso Cuaron has a favorite place along with the Cohen brothers.

With Cuaron as the president, the organizers of the event predict a close contest for the precious Lion of Gold award, while the followers of filmmakers like Orson Welles await interesting proposals like ‘On the other side of the wind,’ an unfinished film of the emblematic director and actor whose shooting began in 1972.

The jury will be chaired this year by Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro, winner of the Golden Lion in the previous edition for ‘The Shape of Water,’ with which he accumulated 13 nominations and won prizes in the most important categories.

The list of competitors in the event includes Damien Chazelle’s First Man (‘La La Land,’ 2016), which will open the event with the main role of Ryan Gosling, as protagonist of the mission of American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man who walked on the surface of the Moon.

The film ‘No Country for Old Men’ by Joel David and Ethan Jesse Coen is considered among the most anticipated, while the Italian director Luca Guadagnino (‘Call Me By Your Name,’ 2017) presents in this edition the film ‘Suspiria,’ in the horror genre.

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