Sunday, July 21, 2024
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The Guatemalan Prosecutor’s Office raids the headquarters of the electoral court for the second time

by the El Reportero’s wire services

 

The current economic situation and the upward trend in the prices of raw materials make this initiative a priority issue for the government and a concern for the public in general, declared the minister.

He assured that he hopes to have the support of legislators to carry out the measure, consisting of approving an amount of 50 million quetzales per month (around 6.5 million dollars).

It seeks to provide financial relief to the population and guarantee more affordable access to fuel, the authority said at a press conference.

The increases are causing concern, and the ministry is evaluating various options to mitigate the impact on the individual economy and on the economic stability of the country in general, he stressed.

The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, appointed Arita the day before as the main figure of Energy and Mines.

He reported that he is an electrical engineer with a master’s degree in Business Administration and has more than 24 years of experience in the electrical sector.

He added that during the current administration he was in charge of the Vice Ministry of Energy and Mines, specifically in the energy area from January 16, 2020 to date.

During the period he also served as substitute director before the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Electrification and commissioner before the Regional Commission of Electric Interconnection.

The former Minister of Energy and Mines, Alberto Pimentel, left the portfolio on July 11 for personal reasons, according to the Government, on the same date that the Minister of Economy, Janio Rosales, resigned for the same reason.

Of the executive appointed by the president at its inception on January 14, 2020, only Claudia Ruiz continues, at the head of Education.

 

Possible fuel subsidy transferred to the Guatemalan Congress

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

The current economic situation and the upward trend in the prices of raw materials make this initiative a priority issue for the government and a concern for the public in general, declared the minister.

He assured that he hopes to have the support of legislators to carry out the measure, consisting of approving an amount of 50 million quetzales per month (around 6.5 million dollars).

It seeks to provide financial relief to the population and guarantee more affordable access to fuel, the authority said at a press conference.

The increases are causing concern, and the ministry is evaluating various options to mitigate the impact on the individual economy and on the economic stability of the country in general, he stressed.

The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, appointed Arita the day before as the main figure of Energy and Mines.

He reported that he is an electrical engineer with a master’s degree in Business Administration and has more than 24 years of experience in the electrical sector.

He added that during the current administration he was in charge of the Vice Ministry of Energy and Mines, specifically in the energy area from January 16, 2020 to date.

During the period he also served as substitute director before the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Electrification and commissioner before the Regional Commission of Electric Interconnection.

The former Minister of Energy and Mines, Alberto Pimentel, left the portfolio on July 11 for personal reasons, according to the Government, on the same date that the Minister of Economy, Janio Rosales, resigned for the same reason.

Of the executive appointed by the president at its inception on January 14, 2020, only Claudia Ruiz continues, at the head of Education.

We must not be silent, nor ignore what is happening in the society that wants to destroy us morally

Has it lost the value that great Hollywood once had when it brought to the screen patriotic themes of unity, justice, love stories, that moved an entire nation and the world, that did not make us dream?

They brought us stories of real life issues that informed us and made us act for the good of humanity, of the family, of human, moral and spiritual values.

The degeneracy that we see today on the screens about violence, graphic sex – pornographic – was introduced little by little without the audiences realizing that we were being objects of mental filthing that has led us to social decadence. And I’m almost sure it’s been done by social engineering. With a purpose, and not by chance.

From vulgar music, clearly satanic, promoted by the music industry, where the artists who express the most vulgarity in their songs are the most highly paid and launched towards the pinnacle of fame. Where sexual promiscuity crosses the limits of morality and decency. Where the highest spiritual distance from the human being is promoted.

The schools, silently, are responsible for contaminating the same children, behind the back of the true heads of the family: the parents.

Against parents, they have introduced ‘sex education classes’, which are nothing more than advances towards a promiscuous sexual life with pornographic exposures. And all this with the protection of the State, that same government that our taxes pay to protect society and promote values and therefore lead to the protection of the family.

The news about human trafficking and especially children for sexual gratification have fallen like a bomb that have shaken the social conscience foundation.

And I am in awe of how Hollywood, Disney and the mainstream press have turned their backs on the efforts of so many brave ones who have come out to defend the thousands of children currently in the hands of these criminal degenerates who exploit and kill these innocent creatures of God.

If you haven’t heard of the movie Sounds of Freedom, dear readers, go and watch it, it’s breaking the box office. She shows the reality not shown by the press that you possibly see daily but are not allowed by the owners of the media to cover or investigate these child abuses. Hollywood and Disney refused to promote it.

“Our future is the children. Now, the first step to eradicate this crime is to become aware. Go see Sounds of Freedom,” added actor Mel Gibson in a video message posted on the Instagram account of Eduardo Verástegui, the actor who stars in the film.

In 2013, Tim Ballard and several former government agents left their jobs to found Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), an organization that works around the world and in conjunction with law enforcement to rescue children from slavery and exploitation.

We must not be silent, nor ignore what is happening in the society that wants to destroy us morally

Has it lost the value that great Hollywood once had when it brought to the screen patriotic themes of unity, justice, love stories, that moved an entire nation and the world, that did not make us dream?

They brought us stories of real life issues that informed us and made us act for the good of humanity, of the family, of human, moral and spiritual values.

The degeneracy that we see today on the screens about violence, graphic sex – pornographic – was introduced little by little without the audiences realizing that we were being objects of mental filthing that has led us to social decadence. And I’m almost sure it’s been done by social engineering. With a purpose, and not by chance.

From vulgar music, clearly satanic, promoted by the music industry, where the artists who express the most vulgarity in their songs are the most highly paid and launched towards the pinnacle of fame. Where sexual promiscuity crosses the limits of morality and decency. Where the highest spiritual distance from the human being is promoted.

The schools, silently, are responsible for contaminating the same children, behind the back of the true heads of the family: the parents.

Against parents, they have introduced ‘sex education classes’, which are nothing more than advances towards a promiscuous sexual life with pornographic exposures. And all this with the protection of the State, that same government that our taxes pay to protect society and promote values and therefore lead to the protection of the family.

The news about human trafficking and especially children for sexual gratification have fallen like a bomb that have shaken the social conscience foundation.

And I am in awe of how Hollywood, Disney and the mainstream press have turned their backs on the efforts of so many brave ones who have come out to defend the thousands of children currently in the hands of these criminal degenerates who exploit and kill these innocent creatures of God.

If you haven’t heard of the movie Sounds of Freedom, dear readers, go and watch it, it’s breaking the box office. She shows the reality not shown by the press that you possibly see daily but are not allowed by the owners of the media to cover or investigate these child abuses. Hollywood and Disney refused to promote it.

“Our future is the children. Now, the first step to eradicate this crime is to become aware. Go see Sounds of Freedom,” added actor Mel Gibson in a video message posted on the Instagram account of Eduardo Verástegui, the actor who stars in the film.

In 2013, Tim Ballard and several former government agents left their jobs to found Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), an organization that works around the world and in conjunction with law enforcement to rescue children from slavery and exploitation.

California bill that would force big tech to pay for journalism shelved, for now

by Julian Do and Sandy Close

 

State lawmakers announced last week that a bill aimed at supporting California’s struggling media sector by forcing tech companies to pay for the news content they carry is being shelved until next year.

The California Journalism Preservation Act (AB 886) would require online platforms to pay news organizations a “journalism usage fee” comprised of a yet-to-be-determined percentage of their ad revenue, with the funds to be shared among media outlets large and small.

Australia passed just such a law in 2021, allowing the Australian government to force digital platforms into arbitration with news organizations to negotiate fees for using their content. The law has been credited with generating nearly $200 million in revenue for news agencies and the creation of hundreds of jobs in the sector.

Passage of AB 886 in California — the world’s 5th largest economy and home to many high-tech corporations — would be a game changer and could help propel similar efforts across the country and internationally. The bill’s failure, conversely, would be a huge setback for the media industry which in two decades has seen no viable commercial solution to the challenges it confronts.

EMS, as a non-profit organization representing a coalition of ethnic media outlets, supports AB 886, sponsored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, for its intent to rectify the inherent imbalance in the current commercial relationship between news organizations and online platforms.

Its passage would provide a sustainable pathway for the media industry, with key features designed to ensure ethnic media outlets benefit from the new system.

No free rides

Since the emergence of online search engines like Google and Yahoo and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, media outlets have followed big tech’s key selling point: by offering their content for free online and by leveraging tech’s digital ad systems, these outlets could expand audiences exponentially.

That increased traffic, the argument went, would generate revenues many times more than what they were earning from the traditional media business model based on print newspaper ads and subscriptions.

More than two decades later, this approach has not only laid waste to thousands of media outlets — some of which had been in existence for more than a century — but has also threatened the foundations of the wider media ecosystem itself.

In contrast, the oligopolist operators of search engines and online platforms, where most media outlets’ content is distributed, now control more than 90 percent of total digital ad revenue.

Against this background, AB 886 has these three main features:

– Operators of search engines and social media platforms like Google and Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) are required to pay California-based media producers a monthly “journalism usage fee” set by arbitration.

– In turn, media publishers must retain a certain percentage of “usage fee” profits – 50 percent for newsrooms with five or fewer full-time staff and 70 percent for the rest of the industry – for re-investment in journalism jobs.

– Web scraping for calculating online traffic and “usage fee” payment must also include all content published in different languages by ethnic media.

Big tech pushes back

Critics, including Google and Meta, have opposed AB 886 on the grounds that instead of helping revive community outlets and the news deserts they once covered, the bill would primarily benefit large and national media organizations with footprints in California.

But that argument, ironically, bolsters arguments made by supporters of AB 886 who say the bill would drive more money into the coffers of ethnic and community media. Many of these outlets are now operating in survival mode and hence can’t afford the investments needed to ramp up their online presence under a system that consistently yields negative returns and whose path is littered with thousands of media closures.

Revenues generated through AB 866 would allow struggling news organizations to invest more in increasing their digital capacity, boosting their online traffic, and reaping “real” positive returns.

Competing media models

Some argue that rather than force tech companies to subsidize local journalism, the government should instead create permanent journalism tax credits with special incentives toward non-profit news outlets that some see as the future of media writ large.

But a new report produced by the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) Center on Technology Policy finds that similar programs in Canada and parts of the US have yielded at best mixed results, with unequal distribution of funds even as layoffs continued apace, and digital subscription subsidies for readers bearing little to no fruit.

There are also concerns that foundations — which are the major funders in the non-profit space — tend to favor digital-first and non-profit media outlets, while governments appear more interested in assisting legacy media whose sector still employs most working journalists.

That leaves ethnic media out in the cold.

Preserving media’s independence

Issie Lapowski co-authored the UNC report. In an interview with Nieman Lab, she said given the country’s current political polarization, receiving government support while preserving editorial integrity would be a tricky proposition.

There is in fact a significant body of research on the consequences of “dependency,” when media outlets become beholden to the state. Ethnic media publishers whose outlets serve immigrant communities are all too aware of this reality. It is precisely why many were motivated to create independent media outlets here in the US, to produce reporting free of government influence.

AB 886 offers a market-driven solution that ensures the media’s continued independence, providing a “usage fee” that rewards outlets based on performance. Additionally, the bill requires newsrooms to re-invest significant percentages of gained profits from the new system in hiring and retaining journalists.

One size doesn’t fit all

Wicks said on Friday the decision to shelve the bill until next year is part of an effort to “ensure the strongest legislation possible.” A hearing in the fall of this year, meanwhile, will look at the issues addressed in the bill and explore similar legislation in countries including Australia, as well as Brazil and Indonesia, both of which are now considering similar legislation.

To be clear, AB 886 is no silver bullet when it comes to addressing the challenges confronting today’s media industry, which are many and varied. All options need to be on the table, and struggling news outlets will need to develop a diversified strategy of participating in those that best meet their needs, including the proposed “usage fee” system.

Yet the fact remains that all media — large, small, national or local, ethnic or mainstream — have not benefited from the digital media revolution in the way that big tech promised.

AB 886 aims to make good on that promise.

Julian Do is co-director of EMS. Sandy Close is the organization’s executive director.

 

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Redwood City Symphony Orchestra offers concert for children

by Magdy Zara

A classical music concert for children, is one of the many activities that Redwood City has organized for this summer 2023, it will be offered by the Redwood Symphony Orchestra, which according to its organizers is an excellent introduction to classical music for children from the house

Exposure to classical music can improve listening skills, increase attention span, enhance creativity, and promote relaxation and stress relief. In addition, it can also inspire children to play an instrument, learn to read music, and develop a lifelong appreciation of music.

This concert will be completely free and will take place this Saturday, June 24, starting at 7 p.m., in the Plaza del Palacio de Justicia, Redwood City, attend and enjoy with your family.

Fashion, art and opera unite in the work The Last Dream of Frida and Diego

The composer, pianist and winner of a Latin Grammy, Gabriela Lena Frank, presents her work El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego in San Francisco, in which iconic artists of fashion, art and opera come together.

The opera is set in 1957 and begins in a cemetery, as Mexico celebrates the annual festival of El Día de los Nuestros. Muralist Diego Rivera walks surrounded by sugar covered skulls, candles and fragrant marigold flowers, longing to see his late lover Frida once.

In the afterlife, Frida agrees to join Rivera in the world above, knowing that the dead can never touch the living. For just twenty-four hours, they relive their tumultuous love through their paintings, embracing the passion they shared and the pain they inflicted on each other.

This colorful work will be presented on June 26, starting at 5 p.m., at the Club de la Mancomunidad de Calia, 110 El Embarcadero Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium, San Francisco.

Parade this July 4th

Everything is set for the annual 4th of July parade, the largest Independence Day parade in Northern California, drawing thousands of spectators.

This year the San Francisco parade reaches its 84th edition, since it has been taking place without interruption since 1939.

The parade in San Francisco begins promptly at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, your route this time will be 1.3 miles in distance and your route is through historic downtown Redwood City.

Federal judge delivers major blow to Biden’s ‘equity’ agenda

by Truth Press

A federal court in Texas has issued a stinging rebuke of the Biden administration’s so-called “equity agenda.”

“In a lawsuit challenging the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) — a new federal agency dedicated to helping only certain preferred racial groups — a federal judge ruled that the Biden administration cannot discriminate based on race,” Fox News reported on Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump appointee, essentially gave the administration a lesson in civics in his ruling, noting: “The Constitution demands equal treatment under the law.”

Fox News noted:

While such a statement should be obvious to any American, this was quite a painful blow to the administration. On his first day in office, President Biden declared a “whole of government” approach to racial equity, requiring all his agencies to “affirmatively advance[e] equity.” In practice, the equity agenda resulted in a bevy of programs open to some races, but not others. Farmers, restaurant owners, homeowners, small business owners and federal contractors all got billions in federal tax dollars, so long as they belonged to certain racial groups.

The MBDA (Minority Business Development Agency) is the central element of the equity agenda. Established as a permanent federal agency under the Infrastructure Act in November 2021, the MBDA aims to support specific minority business owners by providing grants, training, consulting, government contracts, and other advantages to enhance their financial performance. As Under Secretary of Commerce Donald Cravins stated, “If you are a minority entrepreneur, MBDA is your agency.”

According to Pittman’s ruling, the MBDA does not extend its assistance to business owners with ancestral ties to the Middle East, North Africa, or North Asia. Furthermore, the MBDA excludes all minority business owners who own less than 51% of their businesses from receiving its support.

Consequently, when Biden mentioned “building community wealth” for “underserved communities” as part of his equity agenda, he expressly referred to preferred racial groups such as blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and certain Southeast Asians. Most non-white groups are actually excluded from taking part in the program, Pittman noted.

The administration’s questionable efforts to categorize individuals based on race, such as the inclusion of Pakistani Americans while excluding Afghani Americans, are indicative of a deeper issue. As Chief Justice John Roberts once expressed, “divvying us up by race” is a “sordid business.”

Attorney Daniel Lennington noted in his Fox News column: “Enter Greg Nuziard, Christian Bruckner and Matt Piper. These three White small business owners from Texas, Florida and Wisconsin, sued the Biden administration, alleging that the MBDA is an unconstitutional agency. Represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, where I serve as deputy counsel, all three men attempted to get help from the MBDA but couldn’t because of the color of their skin.”

“In an email from the MBDA Office in Orlando, Florida, the MBDA told Christian Bruckner that because he was White, they couldn’t help him, but they would be happy to ‘refer you to our strategic partner… for assistance.’ Separate but equal, literally,” he added.

During the court proceedings, attorneys representing the Biden administration staunchly defended the race-based agency, asserting that such race discrimination was warranted as it aimed to address the lingering consequences of historical inequities resulting from racial prejudice. According to that argument, Lennington noted, past practices like redlining, Jim Crow laws, and the denial of benefits from the G.I. Bill provide contemporary policymakers with a basis to prioritize certain racial groups over Whites and other non-preferred racial groups.

“If this sounds familiar, it should. This is the theory of systemic racism, a modern-day progressive religion, which declares that all present-day racial disparities are caused by past race discrimination, despite clear evidence to the contrary (documented aptly by academics like Thomas Sowell),” he noted further.

“Pittman was not persuaded. In ruling against the Biden administration, he explained that the Constitution forbids race discrimination and that the government cannot justify a racial preference merely by pointing to statistical disparities. Allowing this type of justification for a race-based program would give ‘governments license to create a patchwork of racial preferences based on statistical generalizations about any particular field of endeavor,’” Lennington concluded.

US ‘exports obesity:’ the battle of the corn

 

by Timothy A. Wise/Inter Press Service

 The U.S. government has escalated its conflict with Mexico over that country’s restrictions on genetically modified corn, initiating the formal dispute-resolution process under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

It is only the latest in a decades-long U.S. assault on Mexico’s food sovereignty using the blunt instrument of a trade agreement that has inundated Mexico with cheap corn, wheat, and other staples, undermining Mexico’s ability to produce its own food.

With the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador showing no signs of backing down, the conflict may well test the extent to which a major exporter can use a trade agreement to force a sovereign nation to abandon measures it deems necessary to protect public health and the environment.

The measures in question are those contained in the Mexican president’s decree, announced in late 2020 and updated in February 2023, to ban the cultivation of genetically modified corn, phase out the use of the herbicide glyphosate by 2024 and prohibit the use of genetically modified corn in tortillas and corn flour.

The stated goals were to protect public health and the environment, particularly the rich biodiversity of native corn that can be compromised by uncontrolled pollination from GM corn plants.

Where the original decree vowed to phase out all uses of GM corn, the updated decree withdrew restrictions on GM corn in animal feed and industrial products, pending further scientific study of impacts on human health and the environment.

Some 96 percent of U.S. corn exports to Mexico, nearly all of it GM corn, fall in that category. It is unclear how much of the remaining exports, mostly white corn, are destined for Mexico’s tortilla/corn flour industries.

These were significant concessions. After all, there is no trade restriction on GM corn. Mexico is not even restricting GM white corn imports, just their use in tortillas.

No matter. In the U.S. government’s formal notification on June 2 that it would initiate consultations preliminary to presenting the dispute to a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement arbitration panel, it cites a lack of scientific justification for the measures, denials of some authorizations for new GM products and Mexico’s stated intention to gradually replace GM corn for all uses with non-GM varieties.

As Mexico’s Economy Ministry noted in its short response, Mexico will show that its current measures have little impact on U.S. exporters, because Mexico is self-sufficient in white and native corn.

Any future substitution of non-GM corn will not involve trade restrictions but will come from Mexico’s investments in reducing import dependence by promoting increased domestic production of corn and other key staples.

The statement also noted that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s environment chapter obligates countries to protect biodiversity, and for Mexico, where corn was first domesticated and the diet and culture are so defined by it, corn biodiversity is a top priority.

As for the assertion that Mexico’s concerns about GM corn and glyphosate are not based on science, the U.S. Trade Representative Office’s action came on the heels of an unprecedented five weeks of public forums convened by Mexico’s national science agencies to assess the risks and dangers.

More than 50 Mexican and international experts presented evidence that justifies the precautionary measures taken by the government. (I summarized some of the evidence in an earlier article.)

Three Decades of U.S. Agricultural Dumping

Those measures spring from deep concern about the deterioration of Mexicans’ diets and public health as the country has gradually adopted what some have called “the neoliberal diet.”

Mexico has displaced the United States as the world leader in childhood obesity as diets rich in native corn and other traditional foods have been replaced by ultra-processed foods and beverages high in sugar, salt, and fats.

Researchers found that since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was enacted in 1994, the United States has been “exporting obesity.”

The López Obrador government recently stood up to the powerful food and beverage industry to mandate stark warning labels on foods high in those unhealthy ingredients. Its restrictions on GM corn and glyphosate flow from the same commitment to public health.

So does the government’s campaign to reduce import-dependence in key food crops – corn, wheat, rice, beans, and dairy. But as I document in a new IATP policy report, “Swimming Against the Tide,” cheap U.S. exports continue to undermine such efforts.

We documented that in 17 of the 28 years since NAFTA took effect, the United States has exported corn, wheat, rice, and other staple crops at prices below what it cost to produce them.

That is an unfair trade practice known as agricultural dumping, and it springs from chronic overproduction of such products in that country’s heavily industrialized agriculture.

Just when NAFTA eliminated many of the policy measures Mexico could use to limit such imports, U.S. overproduction hit a crescendo, the result of its own deregulation of agricultural markets.

Corn exports to Mexico jumped more than 400 percent by 2006, with those exports priced at 19 percent below what it cost to produce them. Again, from 2014 to 2020, corn prices were 10 percent below production costs, just as Mexico began seeking to stimulate domestic production.

We calculated that Mexico’s corn farmers lost $3.8 billion in those seven years from depressed prices for their crops. Wheat farmers lost $2.1 billion from U.S. exports priced 27 percent below production costs.

Thus far, the Mexican government has had little success increasing domestic production of its priority foods, though higher international prices in 2021 and 2022 provided a needed stimulus for farmers.

So too have creative government initiatives, including an innovative public procurement scheme just as the large white corn harvest comes in across northern Mexico.

With corn and wheat prices falling some 20 percent in recent weeks, the government is buying up about 40 percent of the harvest from small and medium-scale farmers at higher prices with the goal of giving larger producers the bargaining power to then demand higher prices from the large grain-buyers that dominate the tortilla industry.

With its commitment to public health, the environment, and increased domestic production of basic staples, the Mexican government is indeed swimming against strong neoliberal tides.

Remarkably, it is doing so while still complying with its trade agreement with the United States and Canada.

Before U.S. trade officials further escalate the dispute over GM corn, they should look in the mirror and ask themselves if three decades of agricultural dumping are consistent with the rules of fair international trade. And why Mexico doesn’t have every right to ensure that its tortillas are not tainted with GM corn and glyphosate.

Timothy A. Wise is senior adviser at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and a senior research fellow at Tufts University’s Global Development and Environment Institute.

– The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News and El Reportero.

 

US requests labor rights review at Grupo México mine in Zacatecas

El tratado de libre comercio USMCA, firmado en 2018, compromete a México a mejorar las condiciones laborales y respetar los derechos de negociación de los trabajadores. (Ron Przysucha/Departamento de Estado de EE.UU.)

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

On Friday, United States labor officials requested a labor rights review at a Grupo México-owned mine in the community of San Martín, located in the municipality of Sombrerete, Zacatecas.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) requested that the Mexican government investigate allegations that Grupo México violated workers’ rights at the mine, which extracts lead, zinc and copper.

The USMCA free trade agreement, signed in 2018, commits Mexico to improving labor conditions and respecting bargaining rights for workers. (Ron Przysucha/U.S. Department of State).

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai made the complaint in a letter to Mexico’s Economy Minister Raquel Buenrostro under the “rapid response” labor mechanism of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“This mechanism complements Mexico’s labor reforms as our governments work together to create real and tangible change. We are grateful to our stakeholder partners for promptly raising these issues and look forward to working with the Government of Mexico in the weeks ahead,” the DOL said in a statement.

Under the USMCA’s rapid-response regulations, the U.S. can request a review of a foreign company that exports to the United States. The mine also has a U.S. connection: Industrial Minera México, which runs the mine, is a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation, a holding company which also owns an 89 percent share in Southern Copper Corporation, based in Phoenix, Arizona.

The request for a review follows a joint complaint made in May by the Los Mineros union and two U.S. labor organizations — the AFL-CIO and United Steelworkers.

 

The groups claim that Grupo México continued operations in the San Martín mine during a strike, thereby violating the right to collective bargaining and freedom of association. Workers also said the company negotiated with employees who did not have the right to represent the mine’s workforce

The strike at the San Martin mine — which began in 2007 over safety conditions — has lasted between 12 and 16 years, depending on which side you talk to. The union says that the mine reopened illegally in May of 2019 because the collective bargaining contract that ended the strike was not valid.

“Respect for a union’s status as the exclusive collective bargaining representative and its right to strike are critical components of Mexico’s labor reform,” said U.S. Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee.

“We value our partnership with the Mexican government and look forward to resolving this matter in a manner that preserves the rights of workers.”

Approximately 1,000 people are employed at the mine.

Mexico now has 10 days to agree to carry out the review, which must be completed within 45 days. Penalties for denying workers’ rights include the suspension of preferential tariffs or denial of entry into the U.S. of goods manufactured at that facility.

This is the 11th labor complaint launched by the U.S. under the rapid response mechanism and the sixth this year. Nine have corresponded to the automotive sector, one to the clothing sector and one to the mining sector.

This Monday, the U.S. government also filed a complaint against the Mexican garment manufacturing company Industrias del Interior, accusing it of failing to bargain in good faith with the union over alleged human rights abuses at a factory in the state of Aguascalientes.

With reports from El Economista and Reuters.

Black pepper: 7 Science-backed health benefits of the “king of spices”

by Olivia Cook

Black pepper (fruit of Piper nigrum) has been around since time immemorial and has long been thought to possess healing properties, according to Sanskrit medical volumes dating back more than 3,000 years.

During the Middle Ages, black pepper was rare, expensive, incredibly in demand and so highly-priced that in 410 A.D., Visigoths demanded 3,000 pounds of black pepper as part of their ransom for the city of Rome.

Dubbed the “king of spices,” black pepper was a valuable commodity that served as a tribute in the Middle Ages. It powered economies and was considered one of the driving forces of the spice trade. Yet now, that pepper is never far away from our fingertips in the grinder next to the salt in our kitchen.

A superfood in its own right, black pepper offers many science-backed health benefits. Here are some of them.

Contains high levels of health-supporting plant compounds

A study published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition confirmed that black pepper is an important healthy food.

Aside from its active ingredient, piperine, researchers reported that black pepper also contains volatile oil constituents (piperamides and nerolidol), alkaloids (piperine and chavicine) and oleoresins, which exhibit antioxidant, anti-depressant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and gastro-protective activities.

Provides high amounts of antioxidant vitamins and polyphenols

Black pepper is a rich source of potent antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. A study published in the journal Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology also reported that piperine, which is responsible for black pepper’s distinct biting quality and pungent arom, has many pharmacological effects.

In addition to its potent antioxidant properties, piperine’s anti-inflammatory activities can protect against chronic diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Piperine has also been reported to help with hepatic steatosis, or fatty liver disease, and insulin resistance.

A study published in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy confirmed piperine’s anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects in an arthritis animal model. Tests resulted in less joint swelling and fewer blood markers of inflammation.

Another animal study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology reported that piperine suppressed inflammation in the airways caused by asthma and seasonal allergies.

Increases “good cholesterol”

In an animal study published in Current Research in Biotechnology, researchers found that a diet supplemented with black pepper can significantly increase high-density lipoprotein, or “good cholesterol,” levels. Researchers believe this warrants further studies to confirm the beneficial effects of black pepper on lipid metabolism in humans.

Helps fight cancer

The high piperine content of black pepper’s oleoresin has been shown to be effective against most types of cancers. Piperine also helps increase the absorption of nutrients, such as selenium, beta-carotene and B vitamins, in the intestines.

A Canadian study published in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis found that piperine inhibits the growth of human colon cancer via G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (cell death).

A comprehensive review published in the journal Nutrients also found that piperine can suppress the proliferation of breast and prostate cancer cells. The alkaloid was also found to enhance the effectiveness of docetaxel, a chemotherapy medication used to treat prostate cancer.

Supports healthy cognitive functions

Piperine in black pepper has been shown to inhibit an enzyme (monoamine oxidase A) that breaks down serotonin (controls your mood), epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (regulates arousal, attention, cognitive function and stress reactions) and disrupts the production of the “feel good” hormone, dopamine.

Piperine also inhibits the enzyme (hepatic cytochrome P450) that impairs the functioning of the hormone melatonin, which regulates your sleep-wake cycle.

Several studies have shown that piperine may improve brain function and reduce symptoms associated with degenerative brain conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease. In a study published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, piperine significantly improved (working and reference) memory performance in rats with Alzheimer’s and reduced the formation of amyloid plaques, the damaging protein fragments that first develop in areas of the brain linked with memory and cognitive function.

Supports gut health

Studies suggest that black pepper not only helps boost nutrient absorption, it also exerts prebiotic effects. Piperine from black pepper has been shown to help regulate human intestinal microbiota and enhance gastrointestinal health.

A healthy gut microbiota is vital for a well-functioning immune system. Having a healthy gut ensures that your body has a strong immune defense against disease-causing pathogens.

Supports sensible weight management goals

Black pepper is a rich source of vitamins (A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, C, E and K), minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc) and healthy fatty acids.

Consuming food seasoned with black pepper helps your body burn calories hours after eating. Black pepper has also been found to help prevent the creation of new fat cells, suppressing fat accumulation. (Related: Black pepper could help fight obesity: Research shows it lowers body fat and blood sugar.)

There is no scientific evidence that black pepper causes major health risks or side effects. However, consuming too much may cause digestive stress, which is true for most herbs and spices. Nevertheless, black pepper is a great addition to a healthy diet as its beneficial components can support overall health. Food.news.com
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