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Caitlin Johnstone: A world shrouded in secrecy

What we don’t know does hurt us: Julian Assange in 2010 made a profound point about the “bankruptcy” of any political theory in our current situation

Shared from/by Caitlin Johnstone

Via Consortium News

In a video clip from 2010, Julian Assange, speaking in London, made an important observation while explaining the philosophy behind his work with WikiLeaks.

All our political theories are to some extent “bankrupt,” he said, because our institutions are so shrouded in secrecy that we can’t even know what’s really going on in the world.

“We can all write about our political issues, we can all push for particular things we believe in, we can all have particular brands of politics, but I say actually it’s all bankrupt,” Assange said.

“And the reason it’s all bankrupt, and all current political theories are bankrupt and particular lines of political thought, is because actually we don’t know what the hell is going on. And until we know the basic structures of our institutions — how they operate in practice, these titanic organizations, how they behave inside, not just through stories but through vast amounts of internal documentations — until we know that, how can we possibly make a diagnosis? How can we set the direction to go until we know where we are? We don’t even have a map of where we are. So our first task is to build up a sort of intellectual heritage that describes where we are. And once we know where we are, then we have a hope of setting course for a different direction. Until then, I think all political theories — to greater and lesser extents of course — are bankrupt.”

It’s an extremely important point if you think about it: how can we form theories about how our governments should be operating when we have no idea how they are currently operating? How can a doctor prescribe the correct treatment when he hasn’t yet made a diagnosis?

Political theories are in this sense “bankrupt”, because they are formed in the dark, without our being able to see precisely what’s happening and what’s going wrong.

The nature of our institutions is hidden from us, and that includes not only our government institutions but the political, media, corporate and financial institutions which control so much of our society. Their nature is hidden not only by a complete lack of transparency but by things like propaganda, internet censorship, Silicon Valley algorithm manipulation and by the way the most loudly amplified voices in our society are those who more or less support status quo politics.

That all the most important aspects of our civilization’s operation are hidden, manipulated and obfuscated by the powerful makes a joke of the very idea of democracy. How can people know what government policies to vote for if they can’t even clearly see those policies? How can people know what to vote for when everything about their understanding of the world is being actively distorted for the benefit of the powerful?

Democracy is impossible when the public is flying blind, and so is any other means by which the public might impose its will on existing power structures.

You will never see a collective uprising of the masses against their rulers when the dominant message being inserted into everyone’s mind is that everything is basically fine and if you don’t like the way things are you can change it by voting. If the veil of secrecy were ripped away from the U.S. empire’s inner workings and everyone could see the full scale of its criminality in the plain light of day you’d probably have immediate open revolution in Washington. Which is precisely why that veil exists.

We can’t form solid political theories while everything’s hidden from us. Even if we could we’re unable to organize any means to put those theories into action for the same reason. The fact that the nature of our world is being so aggressively obfuscated keeps us from knowing exactly what needs to change and keeps us from effecting change.

For this reason I often argue that our most urgent priority as a civilization is rolling back all the secrecy and obfuscation, because until that happens we’ll never get change, and we’ll never know what should be changed.

I have my ideological preferences of course, but I’m just one person taking a best guess at what needs to happen in a world where so many of the lights are switched off. Not until our society can actually see the world as it really is, will we have the ability to begin, as Assange says, “setting course for a different direction.”

And those who benefit from our current course are lucidly aware of this. That’s why we’re not allowed to see what they’re up to behind the veils of secrecy. That’s why our entire civilization is saturated in nonstop propaganda.

That’s why the internet is being increasingly censored and manipulated. That’s why Julian Assange is in prison.

We can only begin fighting this from our own positions. None of us individually has the power to rip the veil of secrecy off the empire, but we do each individually have the ability to call out its lies where they can be seen and help wake up people to the fact that we’re being deceived and manipulated.

Every pair of eyelids you help open is one more pair of eyes looking around helping to get an accurate picture of what’s going on, and one more pair of eyes helping to open the eyes of others.

Once we have enough open eyes, we will have the potential for a real course of action.

Caitlin Johnstone’s work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, following her on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, YouTube, or throwing some money into her tip jar on Ko-fi, Patreon or Paypal.

https://youtu.be/90OIGGpfHDo

Parents of missing Mexican normalists in Ayotzinapa want to meet with López Obrador

by the El Reportero’s wire services

The fathers and mothers of the 43 missing normalist students in Ayotzinapa, Mexico, asked this Wednesday to meet with the president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as soon as possible, and claimed that after almost nine years of fighting to clarify the case, it has still not been possible to reach the truth or do justice.

In a press conference, the parents expressed their anguish and discomfort because “the president’s word is not being kept”, so it is urgent for them to “have a meeting with him” to ask him not to fail them in this long duel.

The statements by the parents of the normalists come one day after the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) that studied the case released its sixth and last report, in which they denounced that the official investigation into Ayotnizapa is riddled with lies, concealments, obstacles and contradictions by the Mexican Army.

Mission sent by Pope Francis arrives in Peru to investigate sexual and psychological abuse in a congregation

The Spanish priest Jordi Bertomeu and the Archbishop of Malta, Charles Scicluna, will investigate the complaints against Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana for sexual, physical and psychological abuse

The Vatican once again sent its investigative experts to investigate cases of abuse within the Catholic Church in Latin America.

This time to Peru, where the Archbishop of Malta, Charles Scicluna, and the Spanish priest Jordi Bertomeu will have to investigate the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana congregation, accused for years of sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference welcomed the arrival of Bertomeu and Scicluna, both members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and experts in crimes of abuse, to “investigate, listen and present a report” on the complaints against the congregation.

A “fair and objective” report

“I think it is excellent that this matter is investigated in depth, that the people involved are listened to and I am sure that the report will be fair and objective for the good of all,” said the president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Miguel Cabrejos.

Cabrejos will meet with the envoys of Pope Francis this Wednesday at the headquarters of the Apostolic Nunciature.

Bertomeu and Scicluna have a long history. In 2023, they visited Paraguay and Bolivia to investigate complaints of pedophilia and sexual abuse against priests from those nations.

“Half monks, half soldiers”

The Sodalicio case broke out in 2015 thanks to the revelations of Peruvian journalists Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz. In their book ‘Half monks, half soldiers’, they collect the testimonies of victims of physical, psychological and sexual abuse allegedly committed by members of that Catholic congregation.

This congregation was founded in 1971 in Peru by the consecrated layman Luis Figari. Over the years it expanded to other countries such as Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, the US, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Italy. It has tens of thousands of followers.

The two journalists frequently denounce that they are victims of monitoring and physical and judicial harassment for having denounced this case. The Church denounced them for defamation. Salinas was sentenced to a suspended year in prison for it.

A facade congregation

In January 2018, the Vatican announced the intervention of the Sodalicio. A month earlier, the Peruvian Prosecutor’s Office requested preventive detention for various members and former members of the organization, including Figari.

Sodalicio conducted an internal investigation and identified several attackers, who were removed from the organization. His report concluded that at least 36 people, 19 of them minors, were allegedly victims of sexual abuse between 1975 and 2002 by members of the organization.

The main source of recruitment for the congregation were teenagers from upper-class private schools who were brought to live in the community as ‘soldiers of Christ’.

In the original complaint, the plaintiffs maintain that it was actually a front organization to commit kidnapping and physical and sexual abuse.

Mexico requests reopening of lawsuit against US gun manufacturers

by Mexico News Daily

The Mexican government on Monday presented its case in favor of the reopening of a US $10 billion lawsuit against United States-based gun manufacturers and expressed confidence that its arguments will be “well received.”

The federal government sued gunmakers, including Smith & Wesson and Barrett Firearms in August 2021, accusing them of negligent business practices that have led to illegal arms trafficking and deaths in Mexico, where U.S.-sourced firearms are used in a majority of high-impact crimes such as homicide.

Mexico’s case — championed by former foreign affairs minister Marcelo Ebrard until he left that position last month — was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in September 2022, prompting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) to file an appeal in March.

The SRE noted in a statement on Monday that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston had “heard Mexico’s oral arguments in its lawsuit against gun manufacturers.”

“… The Mexican Government seeks to reverse the Sept. 30, 2022, ruling in which the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts dismissed the lawsuit,” the ministry said.

The SRE noted that the federal judge who dismissed the lawsuit, F. Dennis Saylor,  ruled that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) “grants immunity to the defendant companies, even if the damage caused occurs in Mexican territory.”

It said that its appellate brief argued that the federal district court “erred in defining the focus of the PLCAA so broadly and in such absolute terms and thus granting immunity to the gun companies.”

The SRE said that in the appeals court on Monday, lawyers for the Mexican government made two points.

– There is no provision in the PLCAA explicitly stating that it can be applied to damages caused outside the U.S. territory, therefore, it does not grant immunity to the companies for damages caused in Mexico.

– Alternatively, even if the PLCAA is again held to be applicable, the actions and omissions committed by the gun companies fall under the exceptions to PLCAA immunity, so the Mexican case should be allowed to continue.

“The appeals panel that heard Mexico’s arguments was made up of one female and two male judges considered to be liberal and progressive in their outlook,” the SRE said.

“The Mexican Government is confident that its arguments will be well-received by the court. Should Mexico win the appeal, the case will return to the lower court to be judged on its merits.”

Steve Shadowen, a lawyer for the Mexican government, said that a favorable ruling by the appeals court would allow Mexico to not only seek damages from gun manufacturers but also a court order that could help combat the thousands of murders perpetrated every year with weapons illegally smuggled into Mexico from the United States.

“What we want is an injunction to make these defendants start paying attention to their distribution systems,” Shadowen said. “And it’s only U.S. courts that can provide that injunctive relief.”

The Mexican government claims that some 500,000 guns are smuggled into Mexico from the United States every year and that over 68 percent of that number are manufactured by the companies it sued, which also includes Beretta USA, Colt’s Manufacturing Co. and Glock Inc.

Noel Francisco, a lawyer for Smith & Wesson, argued that Mexico’s lawsuit lacked allegations that gun sales by the accused gun manufacturers did anything that created an exception to the broad protections provided by the PLCAA.

“You have licensed manufacturers that sell to licensed distributors that sell to licensed retailers that sell to individuals who satisfy the requirements of federal law, but some of them happen to be straw purchasers,” he said.

A ruling from the Boston-based appeals court is expected in the coming months, the news agency Reuters reported. However, Alejandro Celorio Alcántara, the SRE’s legal advisor, said that a decision might not come for six to eight months. He added that the government was “optimistic” that it will receive a favorable ruling.

“The simple fact that … [people] in Mexico, in the United States and around the world are paying more attention to … [Mexico’s] legal arguments is already a victory in itself,” Celorio said.

In its 2022 lawsuit, Mexico alleged that U.S. gun companies were aware that their business practices caused illegal arms trafficking in Mexico.

Colt’s, for example, manufactured a pistol embellished with an image of Emiliano Zapata, a hero of the Mexican revolution. That weapon was used in the 2017 murder of Chihuahua-based journalist Miroslava Breach.

The government argued that other arms manufacturers also design weapons to appeal to criminal organizations in Mexico, among which are drug cartels such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

Separately, the government filed a lawsuit against five gun stores in Arizona last October. In that case, which is ongoing, Mexico alleged that the five stores “routinely and systematically participate in the illegal trafficking of arms, including military-style ones, for criminal organizations in Mexico, through sales to straw purchasers and sales directed to arms dealers.”

With reports from Reuters and El País 

Benefits of Medi-Cal coverage uncertain for Doulas

Peaceful Pregnant Woman Having A Relaxing Massage From African Female Therapist At Home

Doulas in California are divided as to the benefit that inclusion in Medi-Cal can offer them

by Selen Ozturk

While policymakers have championed the Medi-Cal Doula Services Benefit, the benefits of inclusion for doulas are ambiguous.

The program, which went into effect on January 1, 2023, provides families enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program with the services of a doula, a trained non-medical professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support to clients before, during and after childbirth.

Doulas throughout California — the vast majority of which work independently for uninsured pay — are mixed, however, as to whether and how much participation in the low-income health insurance program helps them provide this support.

Juliana Birnbaum, a Marin County doula who has practiced since 2012, said that this systemic inclusion of birthwork eases the central challenge that her clients face: accessibility.

“Up until this Medi-Cal change,” she said, “people had no choice, unless there was a volunteer program available at the time of labor, but to pay doulas out-of-pocket. This is made harder by the fact that doula relationships start ideally before labor, in the second trimester. Because hospital care is based on shifts, you rarely have someone with you from the beginning through the end.”

Though fees are often out-of-pocket, doula care saves $58.4 million from the $26.2 billion ($51,600 per baby) spent on preterm delivery in the U.S., and prevents 3,288 preterm births annually.

When a hospital system does not prioritize the birthing patient through continuity of care, Birnbaum continued, “it can be in the interest of care providers to suggest interventions to make a profit. But in a costly intervention like a C-section, too, there can also be risky outcomes, especially when it’s left to whoever happens to be on-call when a woman gives birth, rather than to an advocate for their interests.”

Rising maternal mortality rates

This neglect can often be fatal: California Department of Public Health data shows that California’s 2020 maternal mortality rate was 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births — a 45 percent increase from a rate of 12.8 in 2019, while the rate for Black mothers was three times higher than the rate for white, Asian, and Hispanic mothers.

Although Medi-Cal funds over half of California births and nearly 5 percent of all U.S. births, the mortality rate for those with Medi-Cal in 2021 was 2.8 times higher than for those with private health insurance.

In light of this, the benefits of doula care are well-supported: the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine report that “one of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes” — including reductions in pain, Caesarean deliveries, and labor length — “is the continuous presence of support personnel, such as a doula.”

Lack of training

Nevertheless, the incorporation of this support in Medi-Cal may hinder it, says Neri Life Choma, who operates San Jose-based birth support center Birth Coach Method and has been practicing since 1999.

For one, no universal doula training system exists. California does not require doulas to earn a certificate; Choma estimates that most work without one. In place of a certificate, Medi-Cal allows doulas to enroll through five years of experience and three letters of recommendation from licensed providers, community-based organizations, or enrolled doulas.

This lack of a requirement for hospital-adjacent training may oppose doulas — and their clients — to the system intended to aid them.

“In Israel, where I trained, you worked for a year, 100 hours of hospital shifts. Here you can be done in a few weekends, maybe online. At the hospital there’s no culture of teamwork in place, you may be intimidated from the start,” Choma said.

“I see the result often in recently trained doulas,” she added. “They position themselves as the resistance to the medical system, and their job is to rescue their clients from it. But this instills fear, not empowerment. I don’t tell a mother that her providers don’t have her best interests at heart but examine how her providers are contributing to her wishes and values.

“Patient-centered advocacy is not done through resistance but collaboration,” she continued. “If a client wants something, I ask: ‘How comfortable do you feel going back to the clinic and sharing it with your doctor? If I see hesitation, then we need to discuss it.”

Low pay for doulas

Although institutional standards of care for doulas may position them away from what Choma deems “fight-or-flight thinking,” enrollment in Medi-Cal may not help this.

For one, coverage would lower doula pay. Governor Newsom’s 2021-2022 budget originally set reimbursement to $450 per birth; practically minimum wage, given the extensive prenatal support involved.

Even the $1,154 per birth set by the 2022-2023 budget is lower than the market rate for doula work in most regions of California, which can run between $1,500 and $3,500 (and as much as $5,000 for very experienced doulas). The highest rate statewide is $1,500, currently provided through Medicaid in Oregon and Rhode Island.

Accordingly, participation in the program is low. In Los Angeles County, which is roughly three times larger than any other in California by population (currently about 10 million), 10 doulas had enrolled out of a total 25 applications as of April 2023.

Patient centered trust

Lower pay, said Choma, not only limits doula services but the relationship of trust which these services build: “The heart of doula work is prenatal. The message is that birth does not begin with the experience of delivery, but with physical, mental, and emotional preparation for it. Medical providers want this too, but the health system is often short-sighted in connecting the dots.”

Per example she cites the ARRIVE trial, a 2018 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which concluded that inducing labor electively (i.e. with no medical reason) before 39 weeks would reduce caesarean rates to 19 percent from 22 percent, but wouldn’t reduce baby deaths or complications.

“Based on this, providers started inducing mothers early, despite the risks involved,” Choma explained. “But what’s the goal, to reduce caesareans to zero or to reduce maternal and baby deaths and interventions in general?”

“Doulas reduce caesarean rates too” — anywhere from 28 percent to 56 percent, research shows — “but the relationship we have with our clients lets us see holistically how we get there. If Medi-Cal is involved, it must support this relationship,” she concluded.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art names Amada Cruz as its new director

Amada Cruz (Photo by Dorothy Edwards/Crosscut)

Courtesy by the SB Museum

July 25, 2023 – The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Amada Cruz as Director and Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Executive Director effective October 30, 2023. Presented by the Selection Committee of the Museum, Cruz was later unanimously elected by the Board of Directors.

“We are grateful to the more than 100 stakeholders, including community members, employees, board of directors (past and present), and donors who participated in the selection process. Your input was used to inform our decision making after an international search and review of many impressive candidates, we are delighted with the result,” said Lynn Cunningham Brown, chair of the selection committee.

Cruz comes to SBMA from the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), where she has served as Director and CEO of Illsley Ball Nordstrom since 2019. She says, “I am delighted to join SBMA with its important mission of ‘integrating art into people’s lives. This inspiring position is a call to engage the different communities of the Santa Barbara region increasing the local relevance and global visibility of the Museum. I look forward to working with the staff and the Board to build on the strong foundation of academic exposure and strong educational programs established under my predecessor, Larry Feinberg. As we move into the 21st century, museums are challenged to demonstrate their purpose by engaging audiences and building community. SBMA’s diverse collections and programs offer countless ways to celebrate and embrace a rapidly diversifying population.”

Nicholas Mutton, SBMA Chairman of the Board, states, “Amada has a proven track record as a consummate professional, a visionary leader and a change agent who has succeeded wherever she has been. We are taking advantage of a wonderful opportunity right now. This change will allow us to together craft a compelling strategic vision for the future, engage with the Santa Barbara community, advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, empower and inspire our Museum staff, and enhance the institution’s resources. ”. And he adds: “The Museum thanks Larry Feinberg, who is retiring at the end of this year, for his contributions during his successful 15-year tenure at SBMA.”

During her 30-year career, Cruz has held positions such as Director of the Phoenix Art Museum; Executive Director of Artpace, a San Antonio-based artist residency program; Museum Director of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, where she co-organized the first survey of museums in the United States on the work of Takashi Murakami; Acting Chief Curator and Manilow Curator of Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Cruz has also worked as a grant maker and was the founding director of the American Artists Program in Los Angeles, where she formed long-standing relationships with artists from across the country, and was responsible for all programming activities for a foundations initiative. Ford and Rockefeller. She has also been the Executive Director of Artadia: The Fund for Art and Dialogue in New York City, which awarded fellowships to visual artists in San Francisco, Houston, and Chicago.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Cruz received a BA in art history and political science from New York University. She received the 2018 Virginia Cárdenas Arts Advocacy Award from Xico, an Arizona cultural institution serving Latino and indigenous artists. In 2015, W magazine named her one of America’s 11 Most Powerful Museum Directors.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art is one of the best museums on the West Coast and is renowned for the excellent quality of its permanent collection. Its mission is to integrate art into people’s lives through internationally recognized exhibitions and special programs, as well as the thoughtful presentation of its permanent collection. SBMA opened to the public in 1941 and through the immense generosity of dedicated collectors, has assembled a significant collection of more than 25,000 works of art spanning more than 5,000 years of human creativity.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm, free Thursday nights from 5 to 8 pm

805.963.4364 www.sbma.net

Connect: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

New system to resell small business loans helps women, people of color

by Suzanne Potter

California News Service

July 18, 2023 – A new system of bundling and reselling small-business loans is funneling millions to companies owned by women, people of color, immigrants and others who are often excluded from the financial system. Community development financial institutions – known as CDFIs – focus on small loans of $5 to $250,000 sometimes even if the business has not started turning a profit.

Brett Simmons, managing director at Scale Link, said the nonprofit buys loans from CDFIs and bundles them for larger banks looking to meet requirements under the Community Reinvestment Act.

“Any CDFI, after they originate a loan, they have to wait for repayment before they have new capital to lend. And we help them get that capital back faster by purchasing loans from them. So, that frees up new cash to lend. And then we also help them generate new revenue by packaging some of those loans together and selling them to banks.”

This secondary market is expanding. Since Scale Link launched in 2020, it has purchased 731 loans made by CDFIs to California small businesses, worth more than $14-million.

Sara Razavi, CEO of Working Solutions CDFI, said her group focuses on helping businesses that have a hard time getting financing from traditional banks that prefer to deal with larger, more established companies.

“They’re just low-income individuals who have limited credit profiles and have been designated by banks as being less likely to pay back, but we have an over 95% repayment rate,” she insisted. “So, the quality of our portfolio is extremely strong.”

Nationally, Scale Link has purchased more than 2,800 loans worth $43-million and has donated $4.4-million in profits back to the CDFIs.

 

Lawsuit Progresses Against CA’s Medical Aid-in-Dying Law

Film about CA Patient Receives Emmy Nomination

California’s medical aid-in-dying law is still under fire this week – as Friday is the deadline for the state to respond to a federal lawsuit seeking to invalidate it.

The California End of Life Option Act allows terminally ill patients with less than six months to live to get a prescription they could use to end their suffering.

The plaintiffs include the disability rights group “Not Dead Yet,” which opposes medical aid in dying.

Charmaine Manansala, who has a disability herself, supports the law and works as the chief advocacy officer with the nonprofit Compassion & Choices.

“In the twenty plus years medical aid-in-dying laws have been around, there’s been no evidence of coercion or abuse,” said Manansala. “And the law specifically states just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you qualify for medical aid in dying.”

The California Department of Health reports more than 2,800 terminally ill Californians received prescriptions from 2016 to 2020, and about 1,800 opted to use the medication.

A new film on the subject has just been nominated for an Emmy. “Last Flight Home“ tells the story of Eli Timoner, a terminally-ill California man who used the law to die peacefully.

Timoner’s daughter Ondi is a documentary filmmaker who produced, directed, wrote and edited the movie. She said the End of Life Option Act gave her father a sense of peace and a feeling of agency.

“It’s a basic human right, that we all deserve to have bodily autonomy at the end of life,” said Timoner. “I think it’s very important that people choose the day if they want to, and can gather their family around them, like we did. It allows everyone in the family healing and closure.”

The film can be viewed on Paramount Plus and Amazon.

  Let’s Make a Plan: Debt Management

 

 

 

Jonathan Morales

Q&A with Jonathan Morales, Head of Community Banking in California, Chase

Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

If you’ve found yourself in credit card debt, you’re not alone. According to TransUnion, the average American has $5,474 in credit card debt—and the number of people in debt continues to climb. Jonathan Morales, Head of Community Banking in California for Chase, discusses the importance of debt management, including key steps to take and how to rid yourself of any debt stress.

1)  Why is managing debt so important?

Falling into debt is undoubtedly stressful—it can feel like you’re carrying around a weight. If you’re dealing with your own financial burden or a loved one’s, long-term debt can distract you from living your regular day-to-day life. Finding a way to address your debt can be difficult, but it’s important to manage it because you could spiral into further debt or other complicated situations if it’s not addressed early.

2)  What are some steps to take to manage debt and help get rid of that stress?

One way to jumpstart your debt management is by setting up a debt management plan, which is a roadmap for how you plan to repay your debts. Debt management plans can be made either on your own or through a credit counselor or debt relief program:

– DIY Debt Management – While it may be a major undertaking, managing debt on your own is not impossible. If you’re looking to find ways to navigate your financial situation on your own (and perhaps set yourself up for better habits in the future), there are resources you can use to build your own plan.

– Credit Counselor or Debt Management Company – If you want support from a professional, a credit counselor is a professional who has experience in understanding finances and budgeting. As experts in credit, they can help you figure out your financial situation, provide budgeting tips and personalize a plan for you.

3) Can you walk us through the steps for building a debt management plan from scratch?

The first thing you need to do is have a thorough understanding of your current financial landscape. Start by listing out your outstanding balances and give your budget a detailed look. Check with your bank for free online tools that can help break down some of these numbers. For instance, the Chase Credit Journey tool helps you understand your current credit score and how settling debts can help to improve it. You may want to ask yourself the following questions:

– What type of debt do you owe?

– Which debt would be cost-effective and helpful to pay off first?

– How much money are you spending on non-essential items?

4)  If we want to go the professional route, is there anything we should keep in mind?

A credit counselor or a nonprofit debt management company can sit down with you and help you learn how your finances work, what actions to take and, other helpful advice. Working with a professional may come with negotiations about monthly payments, waiving fees and getting you a lower interest rate. When looking for professional assistance, make sure you consider the following:

– Are you working with a company that has a long history with a good reputation?

– Are the costs/fees reasonable for the services they offer?

5) Any final thoughts you want to add?

Remember that no matter how much debt you are in or what your financial situation is, managing money can be stressful. Taking proactive steps—whether that’s creating a debt management plan with a credit counselor or developing one yourself—can help empower you to start making financially healthier decisions and set yourself up for a better financial future.

For more information, tools and resources to help support your financial health anytime, visit chase.com/financialgoals.

 

 

Mexican artist Elizabeth Gómez presents her work Naturaleza Humana

Elizabeth Gómez

by Magdy Zara

With her Naturaleza Humana exhibition, Mexican artist Elizabeth Gómez explores what it means to be a human animal in the environment.

This exploration of reality is carried out through fantastic transformations typical of Latin American art. Gómez uses patterns and decoration found in the popular arts of Mexico.

Elizabeth Gomez is a professional artist and community organizer born and raised in Mexico City, currently residing in the Bay Area since 1991.

Her work is influenced by popular arts from around the world and by surreal artists who explore reality through fantastical transformations.

“I love the sharply outlined cartoon qualities that I watched endlessly as a kid. I often have in mind the Mexican altarpieces of my childhood. I also love the jewel-like Persian or Indian miniatures and medieval illuminations. I strive for work that has the honesty and directness of handmade crafts with the use of excessive decoration and pattern that flattens the space, the artist stated during an interview.

Gomez has taught art for many years to all ages. She paints, illustrates books, directs community murals, and makes art installations: Gomez says, “My proudest moment is finishing a 750-square-foot mosaic mural made with the help of more than 700 community members, of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds during the pandemic.

Human Nature, will be completely free, at Caldwell Gallery 400 County Center, Redwood City, from July 13 to July 31, starting at 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

 

Teens Take Over Red Morton Community Center

As part of the recreational activities programmed by Redwood City for this summer of 2023, there is the taking over of the Red Morton Community Center, which will be open only for adolescents from 13 to 17 years of age, so that they can enjoy a different day, in which they will have the opportunity to play basketball, use the gym, the game room, music, various DJs, raffles, gifts, and movie screening.

This July 21, only youth will be welcome from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Red Morton Community Center, 1120 Roosevelt Ave, California.

 

Wow! Gallery 1202 presents exhibition Flamin’ Hot

After the controversy that has been generated for years by the creation of the famous spicy Cheetos and the subsequent recording of a film to tell this story, Órale Galería 1202 presents an exhibition of plastic arts called Flamin’ Hot.

For the same Órale he has assembled a group of top Bay Area artists and Cheetos connoisseurs of the flaming hot varieties.

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are more than red, crunchy, cheesy-flavored hot snacks, they’re a pop culture icon that’s both nostalgic and current—a cultural revolution.

From corner ice cream carts to Forever 21 stores around the world, Hot Cheetos have seeped into our subconscious and soon onto the big screen. On the eve of the “Hot Cheetos Movie” which tells the story of the Mexican janitor-turned-executive who invented these finger-staining nuggets, we’ll celebrate these iconic chips with a curated group art display, heartburn and all.

Some of the artists participating in this exhibition are: Rubén Darío Villa, Nacho Moya, Rosanna Álvarez, Frankie Franco, Hola Ruca, Hortencia Martín, Emilio Cortez, Tijuana Rick, Princessa Xicana, El Fernado Sez

The Exhibition that began on July 16 at 12 noon and ends on August 12 at 6 p.m. It is free to enter, open to the public.

Órale Galería 1202, is located at 7363 Monterey Street, Gilroy.

Based on a real life story, “Sound of Freedom”

photo: Eduardo Verastegui and Tim Ballard talk about the “Sound Of Freedom” project

by the El Reportero‘s news services

The story of this tape is based on real events, generally in the life of Tim Ballard, a former agent of the United States government who decides to leave his work with the aim of rescuing children from traffickers and exploiters of human trafficking. worldwide, especially in Latin American countries.

However, he will be involved in something deeper and more terrifying after being able to let go of a 7-year-old boy who asks him to find his sister, who is also kidnapped. Thus, he decides to abandon his work and start an operation that takes place in the jungle of Colombia.

A plot that has made thousands of followers on social networks very tense, in addition to raising awareness about this crime that has increased over the years.

For some time now, the actor and director, Mel Gibson, has been distant from Hollywood, which is why he has sought to make films in parallel to the largest industry in the world, making few appearances and this one stands out for the theme and type of film it is.

“One of the most worrying problems in our world is human trafficking, especially child trafficking. Our future is children. The first step in eradicating this crime is to be aware. Go see ‘Sound of Freedom,” Mel Gibson said on social media, supporting the film’s premiere.

The film narrates how the life of Tim Ballard, an agent of the United States Department of Homeland Security, changes.

In 2013, Ballard founded Operation Underground Railroad, an organization dedicated to combating child trafficking and exploitation of all kinds around the world in collaboration with authorities.

At the end of the trailer, the actor Jim Caviezel, who also gave life to Jesus in the film The Passion of the Christ, appears, explaining the importance of Sound of Freedom.

Sound of freedom surpassed on the day of its premiere in the United States – July 4 – the last installment of the Indiana Jones saga. It played in more than 3,000 theaters in the US.

The Spanish artist, Alejandro Sanz, recommends the latest film by Eduardo Verástegui and Jim Caviezel.

https://www.aciprensa.com/noticias/alejandro-sanz-recomienda-la-ultima-pelicula-de-eduardo-verastegui-y-jim-caviezel-59182.

The owner of Twitter, billionaire Elon Musk, gave advice to promote Sound of Freedom, the new film by Mexican actor and producer Eduardo Verástegui, in which child trafficking and sexual exploitation of children are denounced.

This June 14, Verástegui responded: “Thank you very much, Elon, it’s a great idea! God’s children are not for sale. I can’t wait for you to see the movie. God bless you brother!”.

UN Experts: UK migration bill violates human rights

Two U.N. human rights commissioners have rebuked the Sunak government for its centerpiece legislation, passed earlier this week, to crack down on asylum-seekers and “stop the boats” crossing the English Channel

 

by Kenny Stancil
Common Dreams

A pair of United Nations commissioners have accused the United Kingdom of violating its international human rights and refugee law obligations after the country’s Conservative Party-led Parliament approved legislation cracking down on asylum-seekers.

It passed the so-called Illegal Migration Bill, the centerpiece of right-wing U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to “stop the boats” crossing the English Channel, on Monday. It is set to become law once King Charles III gives his “royal assent,” which a monarch hasn’t used to block a bill in 315 years.

After that formality, the measure “will have profound consequences for people in need of international protection,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi warned in a joint statement this week.

As the U.N. Human Rights Office explained:

“The bill extinguishes access to asylum in the U.K. for anyone who arrives irregularly, having passed through a country — however briefly — where they did not face persecution. It bars them from presenting refugee protection or other human rights claims, no matter how compelling their circumstances. In addition, it requires their removal to another country, with no guarantee that they will necessarily be able to access protection there. It creates sweeping new detention powers, with limited judicial oversight.”

“For decades, the U.K. has provided refuge to those in need, in line with its international obligations — a tradition of which it has been rightly proud,” said Grandi. “This new legislation significantly erodes the legal framework that has protected so many, exposing refugees to grave risks in breach of international law.”

According to the U.N. Human Rights Office, the legislation “denies access to protection in the U.K. for anyone falling within its scope — including unaccompanied and separated children — regardless of whether they are at risk of persecution, may have suffered human rights violations, or whether they are survivors of human trafficking or modern-day slavery and may have other well-founded claims under international human rights and humanitarian law.”

In Türk’s words, “Carrying out removals under these circumstances is contrary to prohibitions of refoulement and collective expulsions, rights to due process, to family and private life, and the principle of best interests of children concerned.”

“In addition to raising very serious legal concerns from the international perspective,” Türk continued, “this bill sets a worrying precedent for dismantling asylum-related obligations that other countries, including in Europe, may be tempted to follow, with a potentially adverse effect on the international refugee and human rights protection system as a whole.”

Last month, the U.K. Court of Appeal ruled that the Tories’ widely condemned plan to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda is unlawful because the African nation cannot be classified as a “safe third country.”

Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman have vowed to challenge the ruling in the U.K. Supreme Court. The courtroom battle over the legality of the so-called U.K.-Rwanda Asylum Partnership Arrangement could have implications for the fate of the broader Illegal Migration Bill. It also underscores how the newly approved legislation threatens to leave asylum-seekers in limbo.

The U.N. Human Rights Office warned Tuesday that “in the absence of viable removal arrangements with third countries, or without adequate operational capacity to remove large numbers of asylum-seekers, thousands can be expected to remain in the U.K. indefinitely in precarious legal situations.”

“The legislation will exacerbate the already vulnerable situation of people who arrive irregularly in the U.K., drastically limiting the enjoyment of their human rights, and putting them at risk of detention and destitution,” the office added. “As a result, their rights to health, an adequate standard of living, and to work are at risk, exposing them to the risk of exploitation and abuse.”

According to the Financial Times: “The end of the legislative debate between the Commons and the Lords came as the Bibby Stockholm barge docked in Dorset where it is expected to house up to 500 migrants, with the first arrivals expected this month.

Ministers’ plans to house asylum-seekers in the 93-meter-long vessel have faced intense backlash from local people and council members, who said the proposal was “cruel and would place undue strain on the community.”

Türk noted that “the U.K. has long had a commitment to upholding international human rights and refugee law.”

“Such steadfast commitment is needed today more than ever,” said Türk, who added:

“I urge the U.K. government to renew this commitment to human rights by reversing this law and ensuring that the rights of all migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers are respected, protected, and fulfilled, without discrimination.”

“This should include efforts to guarantee expeditious and fair processing of asylum and human rights claims, improve reception conditions, and increase the availability and accessibility of safe pathways for regular migration.”

Kenny Stancil is a staff writer for Common Dreams.

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