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Expanded Benefits: PG&E Increases Energy Bill Assistance, Expands REACH Program to Help More Customers

More eligible customers can receive up to a $2,000 bill credit under new guidelines

Corporate news

Oakland, Calif. — To provide additional financial assistance to more households with past-due energy bills, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is amending mid-year guidelines for the Energy Assistance Through Community Assistance (REACH) program Asistencia energética a través de ayuda comunitaria (REACH). REACH and the REACH triple match help eligible low- to moderate-income customers pay their past-due energy bills and help prevent service disconnections.

“We want to make sure more customers have the support they need to pay their energy bills,” said Vincent Davis, PG&E Senior Vice President of Customer Experience. “With a stronger bill credit and broader income eligibility, we can provide greater financial relief to households that need it most”

“I understand the hardships currently affecting many residents who are struggling to pay their bills,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer. “I support any savings initiatives that can be passed along to residents who are struggling financially and have fallen behind on their PG&E bills. “I am hopeful that the REACH program can provide much-needed relief on those residents’ energy bills, and that policymakers will take steps to stabilize them.”

Based on recent customer data, PG&E anticipates that approximately 65,000 additional customers will be eligible for REACH assistance and the REACH triple match under the new guidelines. More than 3,500 applications have been approved in Fresno County since January, resulting in more than $2 million in financial assistance, the highest amount in PG&E’s service territory.

“Many Fresno residents are already struggling with overdue energy bills and are unable to make payments on time. “The REACH program offers critical relief, ensuring that families in some of the highest-poverty areas in the country can stay cool and safe without sacrificing their basic needs,” said Fresno City Council President Annalisa Perea.

PG&E has provided more than $17.2 million in financial assistance to more than 25,000 income-eligible customers through REACH and the REACH triple match since January.

Benefits Expanded and How to Apply

– Duplicate Bill Credit: The maximum credit on a customer’s bill that can be applied to a past due balance has been increased from $1,000 to $2,000 for REACH and REACH Triple Match (the total must not be more than the customer’s past due amount).

– Increased Income Cap: A larger group of income-eligible customers now qualify for REACH Triple Match which provides a 3-to-1 match on customer payments of $50 or more to further reduce an unpaid balance. For example, a family of four earning up to $156,000 a year could qualify for assistance.

– The REACH and REACH Triple Match income limits are set at different thresholds and both use federal income guidelines.-

Amount of Past Due Balance: Eligible customers can now participate in the program regardless of their past due balance, which was previously limited to $2,000. Customers on a payment plan are now also eligible.

– Additional benefits available for 2024 recipients: Eligible customers who already participated in REACH or the REACH triple match will be offered the opportunity to participate a second time under the new guidelines with a total benefit of up to $2,000 available for 2024.

The revised criteria are intended to help more customers cope with high past due amounts, especially during the hot summer months when energy use typically peaks. Information on how to apply for the program is online (aquí) here.

Dollar Energy Fund

PG&E recently contributed $55 million to support the nonprofit Dollar Energy Fund (DEF), marking an expansion of the REACH program. This contribution is funded through PG&E and not from customer rates. DEF operates separately from PG&E.

DEF, a nonprofit entity, administers the REACH program funds, which operate through 170 offices in Northern and Central California. PG&E customers, including those who need language assistance or help with their applications, can contact an agency in their county or apply online at www.hardshiptools.org/MyApp. Applicants can also call 1-800-933-9677 for assistance.

Other Income-Eligible Assistance Programs

PG&E has other assistance programs to help income-eligible customers pay their energy bills:

– California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE): Provides a monthly discount of 20 percent or more on gas and electric bills. New federal income eligibility guidelines apply.

– Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA): Provides an 18 percent monthly discount on electricity for households with three or more people. New federal income eligibility guidelines apply.

– Energy Savings Assistance (ESA): Provides energy-saving upgrades at no charge. New federal income eligibility guidelines apply.

– Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): A federally funded, state-supervised assistance program that provides a one-time payment of up to $1,000 on past-due bills to help low-income households pay for heating or cooling their homes.

Other programs include Medical Baseline, which offers a lower monthly rate for customers with certain medical conditions.

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How meal sequencing with protein and veggies can improve health

by News Editors

Food.news

Exploring the benefits of starting meals with protein or vegetables to manage weight and balance blood sugar levels.

Georgina Djan, a health coaching student from South Africa, discovered a powerful strategy to combat stubborn belly fat and boost her energy: meal sequencing. By changing the order in which she consumed her food, she found significant improvements in her health and well-being.

“I had never struggled with my weight, even after having four children,” Djan shared with The Epoch Times. However, after her youngest child was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, she turned to comfort eating, resulting in weight gain around her midsection that seemed impossible to shed.

The Science of Meal Sequencing

Meal sequencing involves starting meals with vegetables or proteins before consuming carbohydrates. This approach is backed by scientific studies that highlight its benefits. A study published in Diabetes Care found that eating vegetables and proteins before carbohydrates significantly reduced post-meal blood sugar levels by up to 36.7%.

Further research in the Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications in 2019 revealed that individuals focusing on meal sequence lost more weight compared to those following traditional dietary guidelines. Additionally, a 2020 review in Nutrients suggested that this approach can prevent Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Consuming protein or fat before carbohydrates enhances the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which helps regulate insulin, suppress appetite, and delay gastric emptying.

Practical Benefits

In practical terms, meal sequencing can help manage blood sugar and support weight loss. A study in Diabetes Care showed that taking whey protein before or with a high-carb meal significantly lowered blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes patients, similar to the effects of some diabetes medications.

Nutritional therapist Nicky Denvir explained to The Epoch Times that starchy carbohydrates are quickly digested and absorbed when eaten first, leading to rapid glucose spikes. In contrast, proteins, which undergo initial digestion in the stomach, slow down carbohydrate absorption, resulting in more stable blood sugar levels.

Veggies Before Carbs

Starting meals with vegetables also plays a crucial role in managing blood sugar. A study in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating vegetables before carbohydrates led to better glycemic control compared to traditional portion-based meal plans. Participants in this study achieved significant improvements in their HbA1c levels, a key marker of long-term blood sugar control.

Soluble fibers in vegetables, like psyllium husk, help regulate blood sugar by delaying gastric emptying and forming a gel matrix in the intestine, which slows glucose absorption. Studies have shown that consuming 5 to 15 grams of psyllium before carbohydrate-rich meals can significantly reduce blood sugar spikes.

Sustained Energy and Improved Mood

Mary Curristin, a nutritionist from ART Health Solutions, emphasized that starting meals with vegetables or proteins can help maintain steady energy levels throughout the day, preventing energy dips and enhancing productivity. A well-balanced diet rich in essential nutrients supports optimal brain function and mood stability.

Djan’s experience underscores these benefits. During a visit to Johannesburg, friends noticed her slimmer figure and flatter stomach. Beyond the physical changes, she also felt more energized and positive about life. “I found myself waking up energized and feeling more positive about life,” she said.

Implementing Meal Sequencing

To adopt meal sequencing, start with vegetables and proteins before consuming carbohydrates in each meal. For example, if having pasta or a sandwich for lunch, begin with a salad and some lean protein like turkey.

Some studies suggest eating slowly and waiting a few minutes before consuming carbohydrates can be beneficial. The Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications study recommended eating vegetables and proteins first, then waiting five minutes before consuming carbohydrates to improve glycemia.

A 2023 study published in Nutrients found that the order of food intake—vegetables first and carbohydrates last—improves blood sugar levels and insulin concentrations, even if the meal is eaten quickly.

Conclusion

Meal sequencing offers a simple yet effective strategy for improving metabolic health, managing weight, and maintaining steady energy levels. By starting meals with vegetables or proteins, you can experience significant benefits for your overall health and well-being.

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NOTICE OF THE CHIEF ELECTION OFFICIAL COUNTY OF SAN MATEO CALIFORNIA

NOTICE OF THE CHIEF ELECTION OFFICIAL OF THE TIME AND PLACE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR PRESIDENTIAL, FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, MUNICIPAL, SCHOOL, SPECIAL AND ADVISORY OFFICES TO WHICH QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL BE ELECTED

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a General Presidential Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN TO ALL QUALIFIED PERSONS that an election will be held for the following offices in the County of San Mateo, State of California, for the purpose of electing members to the Federal, State, County, Municipal, School, Special and Advisory Offices listed below:

Federal and State Offices:

President/Vice President: 4-year term commencing January 20, 2024 2025

U.S. Senator (Full Term) – 6-year term beginning January 3, 2025

U.S. Senator (Partial/Unexpired Term) – This special vacancy election is for the remainder of the unexpired term in the United States Senate, which ends January 3, 2025

U.S. Representative in Congress, Districts 15 and 16 – 2-year terms each beginning January 3, 2025

State Senate, Districts 11 and 13 – 4-year terms each beginning December 2, 2024

State Assembly, Districts 19, 21, and 23 – 2-year terms each beginning December 2, 2024

County Offices:

Board of Supervisors: District 4 – 4-year term beginning January 6, 2024 2025

School Districts:

Bayshore Elementary School District: two 4-year terms; two 2-year terms

Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, Trust Areas 2 and 4: 4-year terms each

Brisbane School District: two 4-year terms

Burlingame School District, Trust Areas 2, 3, and 5: 4-year terms each

Cabrillo Unified School District, Trust Areas B and D: 4-year terms each

Hillsborough City School District: two 4-year terms

Jefferson Elementary School District: two 4-year terms

Jefferson Union High School District: two 4-year terms

La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District: three 4-year terms

Las Lomitas Elementary School District: two 4-year terms; 2-year term

Menlo Park City School District: two 4-year terms

Millbrae Elementary School District: two 4-year terms; 2-year term

Pacifica School District: two 4-year terms

Portola Valley Elementary School District: three 4-year terms

Ravenswood City School District: two 4-year terms

Redwood City School District, Trust Areas 1, 3, and 4: 4-year term each

San Bruno Park School District, Trust Areas 1 and 4: 4-year term each

San Carlos School District: two 4-year terms

San Mateo County Board of Education, Trust Areas 4, 5, 6, and 7: one 4-year term each

San Mateo County Community College District, Trust Areas 1, 3, and 5: one 4-year term each

San Mateo Union High School District, Trust Areas 1, 3, and 5: one 4-year term each Trust 2 and 4: one 4-year term each

San Mateo-Foster City School District, Trust Areas 3, 4, and 5: one 4-year term each

Sequoia Union High School District, Trust Areas B, C, and E: one 4-year term each

South San Francisco Unified School District, Trust Areas A and B: one 4-year term each

Woodside Elementary School District: two 4-year terms

Qualifications for Governing Board member positions pursuant to the Education Code are: any registered voter who is a resident of the school district, and for trust area races, a registered voter of the trust area, and not disqualified by the Constitution or state laws from holding civil office.

 

Special Districts:

Bayshore Sanitary District: three 4-year terms

Broadmoor Police Protection District: 4-year term

Coastside County Water District, Zones 1, 3, and 4: 4-year terms each

Coastside Fire Protection District, Districts A and B: 4-year terms each

Colma Fire Protection District: two 4-year terms

East Palo Alto Sanitary District: three 4-year terms

Granada Community Services District: two 4-year terms

Highlands Recreation District: two 4-year terms; 2-year term

Ladera Recreation District: two 4-year terms

Menlo Park Fire Protection District: two 4-year terms

Mid-Peninsula Water District, Divisions 1 and 2: 4-year term each

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Division 7: 4-year term

Montara Sanitary and Water District, Divisions 2 and 4: 4-year term each

Montara Sanitary and Water District, At Large: 2-year term

North Coast County Water District, Zones C and D: 4-year term each

Peninsula Health Care District: two 4-year terms

San Mateo County Port District, Districts 1, 4, and 5: 4-year term each

Sequoia Health Care District, Zones B and D: 4-year term

West Bay Sanitary District: three 4-year terms

Westborough Water District, Zones 1, 3, and 5: 4-year terms each

Woodside Fire Protection District: two 4-year terms

Advisory Councils:

Central Coast Community Council: three 4-year terms

Pescadero City Advisory Council, District 1: six 4-year terms

Pescadero City Advisory Council, District 2, 3, and 4: two 4-year seats each

Pescadero City Advisory Council, At Large: 4-year term

Qualifications for the offices of Member, of the Board of Directors pursuant to the main charter of the district provide that the candidate be a registered voter of the district, and for races with divisions, zones, sections, and districts, that he be a registered voter of the division, zone, section, or district, who is … not disqualified by the Constitution or the laws of the state from holding civil office and all other specifications contained in the main charter of the district.

Declarations of candidacy and nomination papers for qualified candidates who wish to run for any of the elective offices may be obtained from the San Mateo County Registration and Elections Division, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402, 650.312.5222, beginning July 15, 2024, and must be filed by 5:00 p.m. on August 9, 2024. If any qualified officeholder fails to file nomination papers by the date and time stated, voters will have until 5:00 p.m. on August 14, 2024 to nominate candidates other than the officeholder of such office.

The supervisory authority shall make appointments to each elective office in accordance with §§5326 and 5328 of the Education Code and §§10515 of the Election Code in the event there are no candidates or an insufficient number of candidates for such office and a petition for election has not been filed within the time prescribed by law, which expires no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 14, 2024.

 

I FURTHER PROCLAIM that at such election there shall be submitted to a vote of the electors such proposed constitutional amendments, questions, propositions, and initiatives as the Constitution and laws of this State require them to be submitted.

NOTICE IS GIVEN that principal arguments for or against the initiatives may be submitted in written form to the San Mateo County Registration and Elections Division, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402, for printing and distribution to the voters, in accordance with the provisions of the California Elections Code, not later than 5:00 p.m. on August 13, 2024. Rebuttal arguments by the authors of such principal arguments may be submitted in like form not later than 5:00 p.m. on August 20, 2024.

The printed arguments submitted to the voters will be titled either “Argument in Favor of Measure ” or “Argument Against Measure ,” and “Rebuttal to Argument in Favor of Measure ___” or “Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure ___,” respectively.

All arguments on the above-named ballot measures must be accompanied by the following model statement, which must be signed by each proponent and each proponent, if different, of the argument:

The undersigned proponent(s) or proponent(s) of the ___________ (main/rebuttal) argument (for/against) the Ballot Measure for the _____________________________ (name of election) for the _____________________________ (name of jurisdiction) to be held on _________ (election date), hereby declare that said argument is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief.

Signed ________________

Date___________________

Main arguments shall not exceed 300 words. Only one argument for and one argument against each ballot measure shall be selected to be printed and distributed to voters. Arguments may not contain more than five signatures.

The authors of the main arguments for or against each ballot measure may draft and submit rebuttal arguments not to exceed 250 words. The authors may authorize in writing any other person or persons to draft, submit, or sign the rebuttal argument. Rebuttal arguments may not bear more than five signatures.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a 10-calendar-day inspection period shall be established for public review of such arguments. During that period, any registered voter qualified to vote on the ballot measures, or the election official, may seek an order or writ of mandamus requiring that some or all of the material be amended or struck out. The review period for the main arguments for or against ballot measures shall begin at 5:00 p.m. on August 13, 2024, and shall end at 5:00 p.m. on August 19, 2024. The period for review of rebuttals to the principal arguments for or against ballot measures shall begin at 5:00 p.m. on August 20, 2024, and end at 5:00 p.m. on August 30, 2024.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that at such election polling places will be open between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on the day thereof.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that all ballots for the Election to be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, shall be counted at the location indicated below:

San Mateo County

Registration and Elections Division

40 Tower Road

San Mateo, CA 94402

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Las Cafeteras: Opening night of San Jose Jazz Summer Fest

by the El Reportero staff

Las Cafeteras have taken the music scene by storm with their infectious live performances and have crossed many genres and borders along the way. Their eclectic sound and high-energy performances have taken them around the world playing shows at Bonnaroo, the Hollywood Bowl, WOMAD, Montreal Jazz Festival and beyond.

Born and raised in East LA, Las Cafeteras are remixing roots music as modern-day troubadours.

They are a sonic explosion of Afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats and powerful rhymes that document stories of a community seeking to “build a world where many worlds fit.” From Afro-Mexican to Americana, soul to son jarocho, and roots to rock and hip-hop, Las Cafeteras take folk music into the future.

The band honors the past by using electrifying traditional instrumentation like the 8-string jarana, 4-string requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone) and tarima (a wooden platform). Las Cafeteras sing in five distinct languages: English, Spanish, Spanglish, love and justice. They believe everyone understands at least one of those languages.

One of Summer Fest 2024’s must-see discoveries, Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso, was crowned the winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2022.

Lucía Gutiérrez

She hails from Veracruz and is steeped in son jarocho, a traditional regional style that blends Spanish, African and indigenous Mexican influences.

At the Fest, you’ll be treated to a bewitching set of Mexican folkloric and traditional jazz standards, sung in both Spanish and English. Tickets and passes are on sale now!

– Sábado 10 de agosto a las 12:30 p.m. en el California Theatre Stage.

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival brings its production for 3 weekends

Thought to be Shakespeare’s last solo written play, The Tempest is a classic tale with complex characters, intricate plot, and profound themes. Our relaxing outdoor setting provides an opportunity to see high quality, professional theater, free of charge. Treat yourself to some Shakespeare this season, for a moment that is sure to bring you a touch of The Bard!

Along with Shakespeare in the Park, other exciting FREE events in Redwood City include: Music in the Park on Wednesdays; Movies on the Square on Thursdays; Music on the Square on Fridays; Pub in the Park on Saturdays; Kids Rock! Concert Series on Sundays, plus special outdoor exhibits featuring ART on the Square. More info at http://www.RedwoodCityEvents.com

From August 10 through August 25, offering 6 p.m. shows on both Saturdays and Sundays. Red Morton Park, Valota Road side, 1455 Madison Ave, Redwood City, 94063.

http://www.redwoodcity.org/shakespeare

Root Division Presents: Introductions 2024

Established in 2007, Introductions is one of Root Division’s signature exhibitions, showcasing the talents of twelve emerging Bay Area artists without gallery representation. Artists are selected through a rigorous review process by a panel of three prominent arts professionals based on the conceptSual and formal strength of their work. The resulting exhibition provides a snapshot of the Bay Area’s artistic landscape featuring a diverse range of media and subject matter.

Among the participating students include: Kevin Lopez, Sophia Ramírez, Tamara Suárez Porras

Exhibition Dates: Aug 14 – Sept 21, 2024 | Gallery Hours:  Wednesday–Saturday, 2-6 p.m. | Opening Reception: Sept. 14, 2024 from 7–9 p.m., at 1131 Mission St. San Francisco

Kids Rock! 2024

Because Kids Get To Rock Too!

Redwood City concludes its beloved Kids Music Series back on Courthouse Square with Asheba on August 18. MCd by Redwood City’s own, Andy-Z, the Master of Music and Play, this series brings high energy and tons of fun to both kids and adults on Courthouse Square! Because Kids get to Rock too!

Sponsored by Redwood City’s Public Library and Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, this series provides a safe and fun environment for kids to dance and enjoy live music. Your family will be thrilled to enjoy free live music, along with an inflatable play-land and more! Sunday, Aug. 18 – Asheba, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Courthouse Square, Redwood City, CA.

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World Arts West Celebrates 45th Anniversary with Festival of Dance, Music and Cultural Activism

by Zurellys Villegas

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the annual dance festival organized by World Arts West, and for the third consecutive year, the event will be held at the Presidio. One of the most anticipated festivals in the Bay Area, this festival promises an enriching experience that combines dance, music and cultural activism.

Festivities include artist dialogues and dance workshops at the Dance Mission Theater on August 25 and September 1. These activities offer a unique opportunity for attendees to interact directly with the artists, learning from their experiences and techniques. The climax of the festival will be a day of free performances at the Presidio Tunnel Tops on Sunday, September 8, from 1 to 4 p.m., where culture, wisdom and beauty will be celebrated through dance and music from around the world.

Groups, primarily from the Bay Area, will showcase their cultural heritage with vibrant rhythms, colorful costumes, and dances that range from traditional to contemporary. This free event is a chance to travel the world without leaving the Presidio, in a joyful and festive celebration.

World Arts West has expanded this year’s performances to reflect both traditional and contemporary styles prevalent in the cultural dance community.

With the theme “Dance as Activism,” this year’s festival highlights the transformative power of dance as a tool to challenge social norms, preserve heritage, and promote social change.

World Arts West Festival Artist Lineup, September 8, 2024

Chinyakare Ensemble: This group presents traditional dance, music, and culture from Zimbabwe and Southern Africa, weaving together stories that depict scenes of everyday life and teach lessons such as perseverance and gratitude.

Destiny Arts Youth Performance Company: An ensemble of teens who collaborate with professional artists to create dynamic productions that blend hip hop, modern and aerial dance, theater, song, and rap, expressing their commitment to inclusion, equity, and justice.

Destiny Muhammad (harpist): Recording and performing artist, bandleader, composer, and producer whose style ranges from Celtic to Coltrane, with a touch of jazz and storytelling to round out the sonic experience.

Fua Dia Congo: This nonprofit organization is dedicated to preserving and promoting Congolese cultural legacies.

International Performing Arts of America: This nonprofit dance group celebrates East Asian culture through movement and choreography.

Ishami Dance Company: South Asian contemporary dance company that explores and amplifies the diverse voices and stories of the South Asian diaspora, combining Western and South Asian dance forms.

Ishami Dance Company

Ishita Mili: Bengali-American director, choreographer, and educator who founded the IMGE dance company, a group that bridges global stories through cultural narratives.

Kitka: A female vocal arts ensemble that draws inspiration from traditional songs and vocal techniques.

The Mix: A rhythmic ensemble of women of color that explores historical narratives and social justice.

Noorani Dance Company: This company exemplifies the unique artistic expression of its founder Farah Yasmeen Shaikh along with the classical and innovative influence of its guru, the late Pandit Chitresh Das.

Parangal: Their mission is to honor Filipino heritage by preserving and promoting Filipino ethnic dress, music, and dance through research.

Suhaila Salimpour Dance Collective: A first-generation belly dancer from the Middle East, Suhaila Salimpour is known for her belly dance certification program and the global influence of her teaching format.

The 45th Annual World Arts West Dance Festival promises to be an unforgettable event celebrating cultural diversity and the transformative power of dance as a tool for social change and activism.

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Criticism of a plan to restructure U.S. mail service is mounting

by Eric Tegethoff, Producer

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan, called Delivering for America, was announced in 2021 but has kicked into high gear this year. Intended to make the U.S. Postal Service more efficient and cut spending, the plan has involved moving mail through larger processing centers rather than smaller, local ones.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said it has led to a slowdown in mail delivery.

“He has had a plan for getting rid of our regional sorting centers or downgrading them,” Merkley explained. “Which means that the mail from Bend and Medford and Eugene — basically all over the state — has to go just to Portland and be sorted there and then returned.”

DeJoy has paused his consolidation of centers through the end of the year, but said he will continue pursuing his Delivering for America plan. He was appointed to the position of postmaster general in 2020 during the Trump presidency by the Board of Governors of the Postal Service.

Merkley pointed out he has heard from constituents as delays in mail delivery increase. For instance, people are getting late fees for sending checks for bills or rent through the mail. He also noted medications are not making it to people in a timely manner.

“In some cases, they can’t apply until they’ve run out of their medicine or nearly out, which means they have to apply at the last minute and by the time the slow mail operates, they have a space,” Merkley observed. “They either miss their meds or they have to buy them locally at a much higher price.”

Merkley added the Delivering for America plan is not realistic and should be reversed.

“Every other government service we provide we subsidize,” Merkley stressed. “We don’t expect it all to pay for itself 100 percent. Mail is so important to people, so important to our communities, so important to our small business, so important to our communication, so important to our sense of community that we should be sustaining it as a high-quality service.”

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Peso sees sharp drop following release of weak US employment report

El peso se depreció a 19,16 por dólar el viernes por la mañana, su peor posición desde mediados de junio. -- The peso depreciated to 19.16 to the dollar early on Friday, its worst position since mid-June. (Cuartoscuro)

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

The Mexican peso depreciated to well above 19 to the US dollar on Friday morning after official data showed that hiring in the United States slowed significantly in July.

The peso declined to as low as 19.16 to the greenback early Friday, according to Bloomberg data.

At 10 a.m. Mexico City time, the peso was trading at 19.00 to the US dollar.

Compared to its closing position of 18.86 to the dollar on Thursday, the peso depreciated around 1.6 percent to reach 19.16. That position represents a depreciation of 14.9% compared to the peso’s strongest level this year — 16.30 to the dollar in April.

The currency’s depreciation on Friday came after the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that “non-farm payroll employment edged up by 114,000” in the U.S. in July and unemployment increased from 4.1 percent to 4.3 percent, the highest level since October 2021.

Job creation declined 36.3% compared to June. The consensus forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg was that 175,000 jobs were added in the United States in July.

The weaker-than-expected data increased bets that the United States Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in September.

“Traders are now pricing in a 71 percent probability that the Fed will cut rates by 50 basis points in September, up from 31 percent before the data was released,” Reuters reported.

On the X social media site, Janneth Quiroz, the Monex financial group’s director of economic analysis, noted that the peso was affected by a “weak employment report” in the United States.

The July employment numbers and separate data showing that manufacturing activity in the United States dropped to its lowest level since November last month are generating fear that an economic slowdown in the U.S. could become more pronounced, Quiroz said.

A slowdown in the U.S. could negatively affect Mexico’s economy and reduce the inflow of dollars to Mexico due to “lower exports, remittances and foreign direct investment,” the analyst wrote.

As the Mexican peso depreciated against the US dollar on Friday morning, the greenback lost ground against other major currencies. The DXY index, which measures the value of the greenback against a basket of foreign currencies, was down more than 1 percent shortly after 10 a.m.

CI Banco analysts said in a note that investor sentiment has significantly deteriorated due to fears of a recession in the United States.

Peso now weaker than in the election aftermath 

Other factors have recently weighed on the peso, most notably the comprehensive victory of Claudia Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party in the June 2 elections in Mexico.

The peso depreciated to as low as 18.99 to the dollar 10 days after the elections on concerns that a coalition led by Morena will approve a range of constitutional reform proposals — including a controversial judicial reform proposal — once recently-elected lawmakers assume their positions on Sept. 1.

Morena, the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico will have a supermajority in the lower house of Congress, allowing it to approve constitutional reform proposals without the need to court opposition support. However, it will need a few additional votes to get such proposals through the Senate.

Sheinbaum will be sworn in as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1.

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Are Americans a totally conquered people?

Paul Craig Roberts

by Paul Craig Roberts

The various “investigations” of the Secret Service’s failure to protect Trump are focused on operational and communication failures. The fact that the Secret Service did hardly anything normal procedures required has not yet raised the question whether elements of the Secret Service were involved. The failure is too large to be dismissed without investigation as nothing but a result of a collection of mistakes. The investigation that is needed is one that investigates whether elements in the Secret Service were involved in an assassination attempt on Trump, who is considered to be an existential threat to the ruling establishment.

The investigation cannot be conducted by the Secret Service, Homeland Security, and the FBI, because if the assassination attempt was a deep state plot, all else against Trump having failed, these three agencies are the likely ones involved in the plot.

A real investigation would have to answer these questions:

  1. Was the acoustic evidence examined?
  2. Were the fired bullets collected? Did they all come from the same rifle and was it the rifle found 7 feet away from Crooks dead body? Why was the rifle 7 feet away from the person alleged to have shot at Trump?
  3. Why was Trump allowed to go on stage when the Secret Service knew Crooks was positioned on the building?
  4. Why was the urgent information sent by the Pennsylvania police on the scene to the Secret Service not acted on and shared with Trump’s security detail?
  5. Do such unprecedented operational and communicative failures of this magnitude suggest Secret Service complicity in an attempt on Trump’s life?
  6. Was Crooks just a patsy whose presence was ignored because the plotters needed a patsy in place?

It is unclear that the investigation can be conducted by a Congressional committee as members are dependent on ruling elites for campaign contributions and are vulnerable to threats from executive branch agencies. The Founding Fathers made Congress weak because they feared “mob democracy.” But the consequence was to leave Congress too weak to hold the executive branch accountable.

A real investigation would have to be conducted by credentialed independent experts, but even here independence can be hard to find. So many people rely on government contracts that it is difficult for many to speak freely. The fact that physics departments and universities are dependent on federal money explains why academic physicists avoided taking issue with the 9/11 narrative.

Money speaks, and in the corrupt America of the 21st century, money is all that speaks.

To understand the difficulty of private expert examination, consider the fate of the experts who proved beyond all doubt that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. That the election was stolen is as clear as day, but those who brought forward the evidence have been ridiculed as “conspiracy theorists,” sued, prosecuted or threatened with prosecution, and some sentenced, if memory serves, to prison for “interfering with an election.” Even those who merely protested the stolen election were arrested, indicted, and imprisoned as “insurrectionists.” Any who survived the vendetta were bankrupted by their legal bills.

Some of Trump’s lawyers were indicted along with him in a RICO indictment by a corrupt black female Atlanta prosecutor, apparently put in office with George Soros’ money and currently under investigation herself for going on vacations with money she paid her lover who she paid $700,000 to prosecute Trump.

When people see that there is no limit on the power of corrupt prosecutors, they fear to go against the system.

Even if somehow an objective investigation could be conducted, if the conclusion was unacceptable to the ruling elite, the media would discredit it. The proven charges would lead nowhere. Look how long the US Department of Justice has been able to protect Hunter Biden from the perfectly clear evidence he provided on his laptop.

In America today the main result achieved by the enormous sums poured into universities and public schools by taxpayers, corporations, philanthropic foundations such as the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, and by ego-driven businessmen, who want their name to live on forever on a university building, is to teach guilt to white students and to teach hatred of “white racist scum,” one of the most common terms used in American university classes.

The position of white people in American Society today is such that whatever they say, even if fact-based, is dismissed as “white supremacy speaking.” In other words, as white people are “aversive racists,” nothing they say, despite the evidence, can be believed.

So, the conclusion in front of our face is that the ruling elite can do whatever it wants, because any challenge to it is impotent and results in the destruction of the challenger by the media, rejection by his family and friends, and if he is a business person the withdrawal of his financing, or his financial destruction by a Democrat prosecutor bankrupting him with the cost of endless producing of documents, as the corrupt NY prosecutor did to the website Vdare.

It seems that what we are confronted with is the American people are whatever the ruling elite want them to be, which is insouciant sheep, totally incapable of protecting their freedom and independence.

In effect, a totally conquered people.

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Finance minister says reducing Chinese imports would boost North American economies

El secretario de Hacienda, Ramírez de la O, dijo el miércoles que si América del Norte pudiera sustituir las importaciones de China, el impulso al PIB y al crecimiento del empleo sería sustancial. -- Finance Minister Ramírez de la O said on Wednesday that if North America could replace imports from China, the boon to GDP and job growth would be substantial. (anam.gob.mx)

by Mexico News Daily

Replacing just one-tenth of Chinese imports with products made in North America would significantly boost economic growth in Mexico and the United States, Finance Minister Rogelio Ramírez de la O said Wednesday.

Ramírez, who will continue as finance minister after President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum takes office on Oct. 1, also said that more than half a million new jobs would be created in Mexico if North America replaced 10 percent of Chinese imports with local production.

He told President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning press conference that GDP growth in Mexico would increase by 1.4 percentage points over current or recent levels if North American production ramped up to a point where 10 percent of Chinese imports were able to be replaced.

Economic growth in the United States and Canada would increase by 0.8 percentage points and 0.2 percentage points, respectively, Ramírez said.

There would be “very significant impacts for the three countries,” he said, noting that both the manufacture of additional products in North America and their sale to local consumers would spur growth.

The finance minister also said that increased local production would create 560,000 jobs in Mexico, 600,000 in the United States and 150,000 in Canada.

The GDP growth and job creation figures he cited presumably came from government modeling. Ramírez didn’t say how soon he believed North American production could replace 10% of Chinese imports.

In which sectors will Mexico seek to boost production? 

López Obrador told reporters that the federal government “already has a list of what we import the most from China and what can be produced in Mexico and North America.”

Ramírez said that “the products we’ve looked at are all in the manufacturing chain.”

Among them, he said, are medical devices, pharmaceutical products, electronics, metal products, auto parts and electrical and non-electrical machinery.

López Obrador said that the government’s plan to increase production in Mexico and North America had been presented to United States authorities. He claimed that the U.S. government “pirated” the plan and “began to call it … nearshoring.”

“But that [plan] emerged here, from our country,” he said.

Paradoxically, the establishment in Mexico of manufacturing plants operated by Chinese companies could help Mexico, and North America, reduce its reliance on Chinese imports.

Chinese companies already operate in various sectors in Mexico, and many others, including Lingong Machinery Group and electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, have announced plans to open plants here.

AMLO highlights importance of North American self-sufficiency 

Before Ramírez outlined the benefits that increased production capacity would generate for the Mexican economy, López Obrador declared that during his six-year term in office, the United States government and the U.S. business sector came to understand “the importance of being self-sufficient in North America” and “not depending on other continents, other regions of the world.”

“[We need to] produce in North America what we consume, … strengthen America as a continent, starting with what has already begun — the consolidation of North American economic integration. That is going very well,” he said.

The fact that Mexico has become the United States top trade partner — and the largest exporter to the U.S. after dethroning China in 2023 — shows just how much the country has advanced, López Obrador said.

“However — and this is what Rogelio is setting out — we’re still depending a lot on imports from China, that can be reduced. We’re not talking about eliminating them completely because that wouldn’t be viable, not even in the medium term,” he said.

Ramírez said July 20 that Mexico needs to review its trade relationship with China because it isn’t “reciprocal” given that that Mexico’s imports from China — including significant quantities of consumer goods — far exceed its exports to the East Asian nation.

“We buy US $119 billion [worth of products] per year from China and we sell $11 billion [worth of goods] to China. China sells to us but doesn’t buy from us and that’s not reciprocal trade,” he said during a speech at an event in San Luis Potosí.

Mexico recently implemented new tariffs on a broad range of Chinese products, but a former Mexican ambassador to China told Mexico News Daily that he didn’t believe they would be a sufficient deterrent.

The incoming government needs to do more to “help Mexican industry withstand this tsunami of Chinese imports,” Jorge Guajardo said.

In his address in San Luis Potosí, Ramírez suggested that stronger measures against Chinese imports may be coming.

The finance minister also said that Mexico has “great opportunities to produce more” and by doing so will “maintain our industry, our jobs and our salaries.”

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

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With escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric, California farmworkers fear the future

As the ’24 elections get into full swing, anti-immigrant rhetoric is growing increasingly ugly, with real world consequences for migrant communities

by Selen Ozturk

Ethinic Media Services

As this year’s polarized election cycle continues, anti-immigrant rhetoric grows ever uglier, with life-altering consequences for farmworkers in California.

Between half and one-third of all farmworkers in the U.S. live in California alone. That’s between 500,000 and 800,000 farmworkers. These immigrants working to put food on the nation’s table face a paradox of great demand for cheap labor on the one hand, and politically fueled hate speech rejecting immigrants on the other.

“Ninety nine percent of the communities we’ve reached out to are farmworkers and all have expressed anxiety and fear. All feel their future is deeply impacted by this,” said Gustavo Gasca Gómez, immigration outreach specialist and Stop the Hate coordinator at the Fresno-based Education and Leadership Foundation.

“They’re most concerned about public charge, about being deported if they access benefits like health care that they or their children — who are often U.S. citizens — qualify for,” he explained at a Friday, August 2 Ethnic Media Services briefing about the impact of hate speech on migrant farmworkers.

Nationwide, 70 percent of farmworkers are foreign-born with 78 percent identifying as Hispanic. In California, 75 percent of farmworkers are undocumented, with 96 percent identifying as Hispanic.

“I’m undocumented with a sliver of privilege … I’m still in a precarious position, but millions of people would love to be in my shoes,” Gómez continued. “I can work, and I have social security. But I can’t vote or leave the country and return without express permission. And before I was a DACA recipient in 2012 I was a farmworker right out of high school … The work is difficult. It’s hot, dirty and tedious. It makes your mind numb in many ways. But it’s a job that the entire country depends on.”

“I speak to clients who say, ‘How can it not faze me when there are hundreds if not thousands of people holding up ‘Mass Deportation Now’ signs on national news?’” he said. “I am still human, and I am still committed to this country. We didn’t come here to cause harm.”

“Power in politics needs to invent a physically and morally repugnant enemy who wants to take what’s yours because the feeling of emergency creates unity and the need of a savior,” said Manuel Ortiz Escámez, sociologist, audiovisual journalist and co-founder of Redwood City-based press Peninsula 360.

“That’s why migrants have always been the ideal enemy of some U.S. political campaigns … and the data shows that it works,” he continued, adding that in the mid-19th century, for instance, manufacturing industries encouraged Irish immigrants to work in the U.S. while the nativist Know-Nothing Party characterized them as job-stealers. The country saw similar pushes for Chinese immigrants to work on railroads and in gold mines until the Chinese Exclusion Act passed by Congress in 1882.

Far more recently, Brookings data analysis shows that support for Donald Trump in his successful 2016 presidential campaign was primarily driven by anti-migrant and racist rhetoric, alongside sexist sentiment.

However, racist anti-immigrant sentiment is now evolving from what it has been for decades, since the civil rights advances of the 1950s and 1960s, said Escámez. “We had this phrase, ‘No human being is illegal.’ But we’re entering an era now where we’re breaking what we’ve built, this idea that it’s not okay to be directly racist … With a second Trump term, migrants will be the first to suffer, but they won’t be the only enemy. They’ll target anyone who questions this.”

“During community discussions I had in Tulelake, a remote town in Siskiyou County, everyone agreed that migrants are experiencing anxiety and fear due to the elections,” he continued. “Some were not getting Medi-Cal because they were afraid of public charge.”

“Many kids were bullied at school who said, ‘Once Donald Trump is here, your family will be deported’ … but some who were bullied now support Trump,” he added. “I asked why, and they said it was to belong in a society that is turning more racist for young people. They have to be quiet now or show support for the bullies.”

“The consequence is that people are very afraid to talk at all. I hold interviews with people who later call and say, ‘Please do not publish anything, because I’m afraid of what could happen,’” Escámez said. “We’re breaking the social fabric in these communities. Until now, many of these farmworkers had built good relationships, including with the white population … Now, they tell me they’re more isolated. That they just go to church, to work, to the store, then stay home, because they don’t know what could happen.”

“What worries us most is that this rhetoric in power, on TV, that undocumented people are criminals and not welcome here, is reinforcing these actions of hate,” said Arcenio Lopez, executive director of Ventura-based Mixtec Indigenous Community Organizing Project. “We saw, when Trump was running the country, the increase in racism-motivated crime.”

Hate crimes under Trump spiked nearly 20 percent under the Trump administration — from 6,121 reported incidents in 2016 to 7,314 reported in 2019, according to annual FBI hate crime statistics reports. Of these hate crimes in 2019, 57.6 percent were motivated by race.

Hate-motivated murders in particular totalled 51 in 2019 — the highest count in nearly three decades.

“We talk about the politics, but the indigenous Mexican migrant communities we work with experience this hate daily,” explained Lopez. “We’re called ‘Oaxaquitas’ (‘little Oaxacan’) and ‘indito’ (‘little Indian’). We’re told what we speak is a dialect, not a language. We hear ‘You’re brown,’ ‘You’re short,’ ‘You’re ugly’ … When this language takes the mic, it gives the green light for these actions.”

Around 84 percent of California farmworkers are Mexico-born, while 9 percent identify as indigenous.

“When we talk about this, we should also mention why people leave their lands to come here. Many don’t want to,” he added. “If you go to Oaxaca, you’ll see so many companies from the U.S., Canada and Europe extracting natural resources. How does that impact indigenous communities who can’t compete, who don’t have trees or clean water? What are the decisions that this government is making with those? Who is in power?”

 

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