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Growing old on the streets is not easy says AMAC

There is a pressing need for solutions to homelessness among the elderly

WASHINGTON, DC, July 14 – According to a U.S. government study 1.5 million Americans are considered to be homeless. And, while efforts are underway, and in some cases making progress toward reducing the ravages of homelessness, more needs to be done, according to Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens.

And, he says, there needs to be a special focus on the population of elderly men and women with no permanent access to shelter. It’s hard enough growing old in the comfort of your own home, but imagine how much more difficult and dangerous it is to age on the streets.

“Bear in mind that the homeless are included in the 10,000 Americans who turn 65 years of age each day. So, there is a pressing need for specific solutions to homelessness among the elderly and the need grows more dire with each and every passing day. The issue is particularly poignant for AMAC since reportedly more than 50% of those living on the streets are elderly. The burden of living hand-to-mouth on the streets is particularly difficult for them since they are more susceptible to injuries and illnesses as they age. Efforts to deal with the problem are valiant but thus far have not been able to cope as is evidenced by the growing waiting lists at shelters,” says Weber.

Sara Bloomberg, a freelance journalist in San Francisco, recently reported that in 2014 wait times for access to temporary shelter for the homeless in that city averaged 26 days and that currently the wait time has more than doubled. Bloomberg noted that among those recently seeking shelter was a 97-year-old individual and three who are in their 80s.

Sam Dodge, deputy director of the San Francisco Department of Homelessness, told her in an interview that “we do have some carve-outs within our shelter system for elderly and veterans.”

But, says Weber, a study conducted by the University of California found that in 27 years ago only 11 percent of the homeless population were older Americans, but that now more than half are age 50 or older so carve-outs are not the answer.

He praised the efforts of officials in municipalities across the country to deal with the needs of those who have no choice but to live on the streets.

“But, as any of us with aging parents or grandparents know, the older you are, the more help you need.  One study of homeless individuals whose average age was 58 showed they have more trouble with such simple tasks as getting dressed, keeping themselves clean and eating properly than 80 year olds living in a proper home environment. Bear in mind that as we age we can become more forgetful. We don’t see as well as we used to. We can become depressed more easily and we can forget to take medications.  And, we become more susceptible to physical injuries,” Weber points out.

While temporary shelters fill an important immediate need, there is widespread agreement that we need to design solutions that provide for permanent solutions for those who otherwise have no choice but to live on the streets.

Says Weber, “we need facilities that offer not only a roof over their heads but supportive services, as well. Shelters are a partial solution at best. They provide bunk beds and shared toilet facilities. That’s good as far as it goes, but there is overwhelming evidence that such environments can actually increase the risk of injury and ill-health.  Furthermore, many shelters require that residents must vacate those shelters during the day.  And, that can lead to further dangers as they have no choice but to wander alone on the streets.”

Weber cites the work of the Hearth program in Boston. Hearth was established to find ways of preventing and ending elder homelessness. Its focus is on identifying older individuals who are currently homeless or are at serious risk of becoming homeless.  It seeks to provide “permanent and affordable supportive” housing.

The AMAC chief called on city officials across the country to seek solutions that offer security, permanence and hope for seniors who can’t fend for themselves. “Hearth and programs like it should be the models for municipalities – particularly bigger cities where aging homeless populations are growing at too rapid a pace.  What use is it to provide so-called temporary, not so safe havens that exacerbate the distress, depression and physical harm suffered by elderly American men and women, many of whom served valiantly in the armed services?”

(The Association of Mature American Citizens [http://www.amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today.

Live long and make a difference by joining us today at http://amac.us/join-amac).

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I still cannot understand the xenophobit attack on a humble street vendor

It would seem that the gates of hell had let out the most evil souls to come to harm and create confusion among peaceful and honorable mankind – only to do harm. In this case, the victim turned out to be a humble street vendor named Benjamin Ramírez, 24.

Like thousands of Facebook users who first saw the video taken by the victim – and uploaded to Facebook by his mother, Imelda Reyes – who shows a man accompanied by a woman with a dog, offend, humiliate and throw the source of work of a young man on the street, turning his cart where he sells his merchandise to live, I was astonished. And all because he blocked the sidewalk with his food cart.

“How cold and mean are those people!” I said, if you can call them people.

And just two days after having dumped the cart with its merchandise of elotes (corns) and its bottled ingredients, on Hollywood Boulevard in the city of Los Angeles, the video has been visited by more than 8.3 million.

Meanwhile, the young Mexican man has received a great unexpected and deserved solidarity and support in social networks and newsreels, condemning the action.

And not only that, but he also has received offers of monetary aid, which no doubt will contribute to enhance his small family business – so to make the Argentinean jealous.

In some messages, the aggressor, who was identified as Carlos A. Hakas and regrettably born in Argentina and known to be a musician, has been classified as the most hated man in social media.

I can already imagine the permanent damage that will bring to the name of this poor wretch – especially in the musical environment, for whome I feel only pity.

Very little is known about Latinos – although there are some out there – who bring out from the closet this type of hatred towards people of their own community and who are exposed in front of millions of people. But why did he do this? It only occurs to me that he suffers from a high degree of psychopathy.

And I wonder, where and with whom has this man grown up to have such feelings, such wild and insensitive behavior towards a humble young man who was not doing anything to him?

It’s amazing how fast the news runs on social networks using a simple video taken from a cell phone and within a few hours of having happened, to have been seen and touched the sensitivity of thousands of people, and how quickly have been discovered the identity of this individual, where he lives since he his identity.

According to some unconfirmed reports, police detained Hakas after the incident and after interrogating him they let him go, but is again being sought for another incident he would have had with another man working in the same neighborhood.

In an interview with ABC7 the victim said that he already had three previous confrontations with the couple that opposes him to sell in that corner, but this time wen beyond words. Before, the man had already threatened him.

In an article titled, Musician Carlos A. Hakas could learn a thing or two about love, published on DeeDee Garcia Blase’s network Huffpost, contributor co-founder of Somos Independents – National Mexican-American Woman-led Get Out The Vote orgaqnization, she said:

“Normally, when a person thinks of a great musician or a legendary musician, we think of people like Bob Marley, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Selena or the like. Clearly their music was inspired by love for their peers …“

He added: “However, it seems that musician Carlos A. Hakas should probably learn one or two things about love – you know, the kind of love that John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix wrote.

In a commentary on the site, Hernández, CEO of Latin Heat Entertainment wrote:

“Carlos A Hakas – You cannot do what you did to that food seller! You deserve all the bad karma you’re getting … maybe next time you’ll see other people with respect … because what you did deserves no respect.“

TG Williams wrote:

“A racist bullying. I have seen your video, and I am a native of America, and my ancestors include the first illegal immigrants of Spain. I am ashamed of the humanity of this person, and your art is negligent if it does not speak to humanity. (You) a failed human being, and a failed musician.“

Alejandro Venegas wrote:

“… you’re a piece of sh… messing up with those in your own community, because people like you is why this country is the way it is. You should be helping people like him who work hard every day and work hard to put food on the family table, this should be a lesson so that you do no more harm, because karma is going to get back to you.“

Karina Morales wrote:

“I hope your career dies and you have to be on the streets selling corn and that way you learn how difficult it is.”

To hate this man for his xenophobic action is to bring upon oourselves the karma that would be his own by nature; that is why we must forgive him, for he did not know what awaited him or what will await him by his action.

And for the victim: “There is no evil that for good does not come”. It will turn into a blessing for you.

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The power of being seen

by Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, Superintendent

Students need to feel seen, to see themselves reflected in their teacher’s eyes as having limitless potential. That’s how learning happens.

That’s something I felt strongly as a student in Oakland public schools and something I kept in mind for years as a teacher in Oakland. As the Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District, I work to ensure all students feel seen by their teachers and safe in our schools. When students feel safe and supported, they are more motivated and inspired to be their best.

I was born and raised in East Oakland and attended Oakland public schools all the way through middle school: Montclair Elementary and Montera Middle School.
For high school, I attended The Branson School in Marin through a program my mom discovered, called A Better Chance. It helps students of color get into independent schools. I got up at 5:30 every morning to take public transportation from Oakland to Marin so I could have that unique college preparatory experience.

I later received a full-ride scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, with plans to become a corporate lawyer.

But my true passion was always working with young people. When I was growing up, I taught dance and piano to make extra money. In college, I taught middle school to incarcerated students.

So with these meaningful experiences, I returned to Oakland to begin teaching at Parker Elementary School, just a block away from the home where I grew up. It was there that I fell in love with teaching.

Working in Oakland schools for the past 19 years, I’ve seen challenges across the District ranging from schools being under-resourced to the emotional trauma that many students in our city feel because of what happens on our streets and in some of our homes.

Regardless of what they face off campus, we must ensure that students feel safe inside our schools.

As the new Superintendent, I want all students and their families to know that Oakland Unified School District is a Sanctuary District. That means we don’t ask for or require proof of legal immigration status when you enroll and that our schools never collect that kind of sensitive information.

There are steps you can take to protect yourself with immigration relief you might qualify for. You can also receive help covering the costs of legal services and application fees.

If you live or go to school in Oakland, you can access free or low cost legal services through the Oakland Immigration Project , which is led by trusted Oakland immigration organizations. The Oakland Immigration Project aims to help qualified Oakland immigrant families apply for immigration relief and work authorization to open the door to economic stability and success.

No matter where you were born or what challenges you have overcome to be here, school can be your refuge. I want to make sure all students have the tools to pursue their passions, just like I did. It starts with being seen.

To access free or low cost legal services in Oakland, go to: www.oaklandimmigrationproject.org. For more information on what Oakland Unified School District is doing, stay tuned to our website at: www.ousd.org.

(Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell took office July 1 as the new Superintendent of Oakland Unified School District).

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Boxing Schedule – The Sports of Gentlemen

Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina (CN23)
Isidro Ranoni Prieto vs. TBA
JULY 29, 2017
Barclays, Brooklyn, NY, USA (Showtime)
Mikey Garcia vs. Adrien Broner
Jarrett Hurd vs. Austin Trout
AUGUST 4, 2017
Chukchansi Park, Fresno, CA, USA (UniMas)
Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. TBA
TBA (ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes)
“Golden Boy Boxing”
AUGUST 11, 2017
Argentina (TyC / VTV)
Caril Herrera vs. Julio Escudero
Sebastian Papeschi vs. Francisco Torres
AUGUST 15, 2017
Shimazu, Kyoto, Japan (beIN)
Shinsuke Yamanaka vs. Luis Nery
AUGUST 18, 2017
TBA (ESPN Deportes)
“Golden Boy Boxing”
AUGUST 26, 2017
StubHub Center, Carson, CA, USA (HBO / BoxNation)
Miguel Cotto vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai
SEPTEMBER 9, 2017
California, USA (HBO)
Wisaksil Wangek vs. Roman Gonzalez
Ekaterinburg, Russia
Shane Mosley vs. Magomed Kurbanov

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Art Huichol – MEX AM Festival

Compiled by the El Reportero’s news service

Wenima López Robles is an artist originally from the wixárika community in Tuapurie Santa Catarina Cuexcomatitlan, north of Jalisco. Since she was 12 years old she has been devoted to share the culture of Huichol art.

Her collection Ta-Iyari, which literally means “our heart”, displays all the heritage of life that the ancestors left for humanity as well as the canonical work that this indigenous group develops to keep the continuity of the life they were granted.

On July 17, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Consulate General of Mexico, 532 Folsom Street San Francisco.

Blues, Music, Arts & BBQ Festival in downtown Redwood City

The City of Redwood City announced the schedule of events for the Pal Blues, Music, ARTS, and BBQ Festival coming up July 21 and 22. Celebrate summer in Redwood City this July with family fun, food, art and entertainment and more! After you and your family enjoy the Fourth of July in Redwood City, mark your calendars for the free Pal Blues, Music, Arts & BBQ Festival!

Featuring live music, the Pal Blues, Music, Arts & BBQ Festival also offers delicious food and drink on Redwood City’s Courthouse Square (2200 Broadway, Redwood City).

For its 12th year, a special rendition of the festival puts women in the forefront by celebrating Women in the Blues, with musicians from the San Francisco Peninsula and beyond.

Friday, July 21 with Music on the Square & Art on the Square from 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. 6 p.m.

Saturday, July 22 with Art on the Square from 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. For more event details, visit www.palbluesfestival.com

A special Latin dance night

“Edgardo & Candela” is a Salsa Band based in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years, making them one of the most established Salsa Orchestras in California.

Better known as simply “Candela,” their trade mark is their high energy level performance, featuring great vocals, a tight rhythm section and the powerful sound of the horns.

The band features the crop of professional musicians in the Bay Area, which makes for an incredible musical experience every time they play!

During the evening, Edgardo will personally assure that everyone is entertained while he mixes singing tunes by Oscar De León, Marc Anthony, Eddie Palmieri, Rubén Blades, Tito Puente, Guaco, Pete “Conde” Rodriguez, Celia Cruz and Ray Barretto among others, but the real treat here is Edgardo’s original music, presenting him as a mature composer and poetic lyricist.

At Le Colonial, 721 Sutter St. San Francisco, on Saturday, July 29. Also with the presence of DJ EldelaClaveSF.

Silicon Valley’s Premier Annual Music San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2017

San Jose Jazz Summer Fest returns for its 28th festival season from Friday, August 11 – Sunday, August 13 in and around Plaza de César Chavez Park in downtown San Jose, Calif.

A showcase for jazz and related genres, SJZ Summer Fest is also nationally recognized as one of the biggest Latin festivals in the country. A standout summer destination for music lovers, concert-goers and families alike, the three-day event features 120+ performances on 10 stages, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to downtown throughout the weekend.

The 28th Annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest 2017 features an acclaimed roster of artists from around the world as well as homegrown Bay Area talent.

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Oaxaca band’s versión of hit song went viral

Young musicians from the Sierra do an adaptation of the international hit Despacito

by the El Reportero’s news services

The eyes of Mexico and the world have turned once again to the small mountain community of San Bartolomé Zoogocho and the talented members of its youth brass band. Eight years ago it was after the visit of a celebrity. This year, fame came through a viral video.

For the sheer pleasure of playing music and without any other motivation, the youths adapted and interpreted a reggaeton song called Despacito, which was released in January by Puerto Rican artist Luis Fonsi and has since become an international hit.

One of the students recorded the band’s rendition of the song, a distinctly Oaxacan version, and posted the clip to Facebook. The rest is viral history.

San Bartolomé Zoogocho has had a brass band and a music school for over 60 years, during which time over 1,600 children from Zapotec, Chinantec and Mixe indigenous towns have learned to play an instrument and to appreciate listening to music and performing it.

Now part of the town’s Social Integration Center (CIS), the band gets along without any official support, not that it has had much in the past.

Its director for the last 22 years has been Camilo Jiménez Hernández, a former student, who told the newspaper El Universal that 40 years went by after the school opened in 1952 before authorities provided any kind of support. After some interest was shown in the early 1990s, little was done until 2009.

In that year, Spanish songwriter and singer Miguel Bosé visited Zoogocho, and with him came media coverage and donations. School facilities were renovated and the musician himself donated six instruments.

But since then no officials have returned to Zoogocho.

But band members carry on, making efforts to purchase their own instruments and continue practicing. Jiménez has made ends meet, and the people of Zoogocho contribute what they can. That has been enough to take the youths to several states to perform and for the last three years they have given a performance during the Guelaguetza cultural celebration in the state capital.

It was 22-year-old Gustavo Ojeda who authored the arrangement and adaptation of the reggaeton hit Despacito for a brass band. He joined the band 10 years ago and dreams of becoming a great composer.

“I like that song a lot, its musicality, which was what I based the arrangement on. Music is a way to express feelings, and I relax through it. I am interested in all [musical] genres,” the youth told El Universal.

After one of the band members posted the video online, they received encouragement from strangers. “The comments motivated me . . . .” said Ojeda. “There have also been negative comments, but those encourage me to improve my work.”

Another of his dreams is to study at a national music school, but money is hard to come by. His parents are farmers in the neighboring town of Santo Domingo Cacalotepec, and traveling to the country’s capital is expensive. For the time being he is enrolled in private lessons.

“A fundamental part of our work is to preserve traditional music. The youths also make arrangements of traditional dance [music], religious chants, that’s basic.” After that part of the work is done, “they start getting inspired.”
Source: El Universal (sp)

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What is the culture of Planet Earth?

by Jon Rappoport

Seen from afar, the predominant culture of Earth has always favored war. War, control, aggression, and slavery of one kind or another, under the sway of small elite groups.

The current fad called collectivism, stripped of its feel-good propaganda, is simply another form of control.

None of this has anything to do with private property or freedom and independence of the individual. These ideas and practices have been corrupted, and utilized to create monopolies.

Earth culture has also always embodied leaders and followers. One cannot exist without the other. The leaders accumulate force (soldiers, priests, spies, etc.) and then try to coerce and dupe the rest of the population into opting for hatred aimed at some opponent.

In truth, the bulk of humanity has always been loath to participate in the war culture. Their natural state is tolerance and friendship. But with enough time, with enough coercing and duping and propagandizing, many sectors of the population can be turned into armies of sheer conquest, into lower forms of themselves.

Once the trend in this direction gathers steam, there are wars and more wars, and bitter lasting enmities between polarized groups. Past wars provide reasons and excuses for present wars. “Remember what they did to us the last time!”

All large religious organizations add fuel to the fire, by prescribing and enforcing rules of behavior (beyond basic moral teachings) which bottle up natural energies and emotions in humans and, adding insult to injury, induce guilt where none is deserved.

However, despite this craven Earth culture, societies and civilizations have emerged in which a measure of individual freedom, tolerance, friendship, and rationality are expressed. During those periods when this occurs, there is a noticeable lack of one rallying cry: UNITY.

Unity is not necessary. Unity is usually promoted as an exaggerated reflex. It is the invented justification for some perverse set of actions. Unity is a synthetic concept. It is dumped on the heads of the population as an artificial stand-in for natural tolerance and friendship and freedom and responsibility.

It is a hypnotic stick.

*Don’t mistake cooperating for unity. Cooperating is something else entirely. Unity is a weapon that devalues the individual. It aims to induce a Collective and make that fantasy an acceptable theme in the human conduct of life. Unity is either a preparation for war or a platitude for bringing about passivity.

For some people, unity is a drug far more powerful than heroin to a street addict. It must be obtained. It must be felt. It must somehow be transmitted.
Leaders, of course, understand this and play it up one side and down another.

The truth is, a reasonable society understands the primacy of the individual. An unreasonable society over-stresses unity.

Defense of the nation can be achieved through cooperation. Selling unity is necessary for initiating wars of conquest and empire.

Of course, if 70 or 80 percent of a nation’s population is already living in a trance, they will only respond to artificial and synthetic archetypes, no matter what the goal is. In that case, waking up from the trance is the first prolonged order of business.

I’ll take this unity-operation a step farther: Significant sectors of society have been tuned up to accept some final notion of “collective consciousness,” as an ultimate ideal and promise. This accompanies the equally flawed idea of a political and economic and social collective utopia.

It is possible for an individual to experience a state of consciousness in which he connects to every other individual. But there is nothing final about it. There is no compelling reason to assume that, once through that door, an individual would never leave.

There are unlimited numbers of states of consciousness. Finding names and descriptions of all of them would be impossible. Not only that, every individual is unique; assuming there is some sort of map of consciousness-states which is same map for every person is a culturally deranged fantasy.

So even in the area of consciousness itself, unity has been sold. It’s sold as the “final and complete and all-embracing” end-game; and those who have bought the idea go on to believe it should apply to all other areas of life.

This is how they are duped into accepting a papier-mache archetype that erases the need for the individual.

That’s the kicker wherever unity is hustled. The individual vanishes for as long as the trance lasts.

(Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections, The Matrix Revealed, Exit From The Matrix, and Power Outside The Matrix).

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The persecution of the most vulnerable for political gain

As we enter into the fifth month of the presidency of Donald Trump, immigrant communities would have been the most hit by the new law just passed by the House.

As this edition goes to press, the news of a bill backed by Trump to crack down on undocumented immigrants passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, drawing criticism from immigration activists and others who called them a threat to civil liberties.

The target is the so-called “Sanctuary City,” a status designated by local government to protect undocumented immigrants who are jailed for whatever minor offenses, even for traffic violations.

The House voted 228-195 to pass the “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act” that would withhold some federal grants to so-called “sanctuary city” jurisdictions that do not comply with certain federal immigration laws.

Also passed was “Kate Law, ” named for Kate Steinle, who was shot dead in San Francisco in 2015 by an undocumented immigrant who had been deported five times.

It must be noted that it is well-known undocumented labor is part of the daily life in the United States, and restaurant chains, construction companies, private homes, etc., utilize these men and women to perform jobs most American won’t do. And so, they are part of the growing economy in the country. And they are not criminals.

However, with so many laws mining our lives, anyone may hit one of them and get arrested for a violation.

And the sad thing is that when someone runs for public office they try to blame the easiest target, so they find a perfect one in undocumented people. But it is not fair to continue inflicting pain to millions who had left their countries to serve and help the US economy with their low-cost labor that most citizens won’t do. And this anti-Sanctuary Law really unfairly hurt the most vulnerable.

The legislators and politicians know that these sanctuaries don’t protect the criminal, it just protects the person from being automatically deported without the benefit of due process – a right to see a judge, a process that is guaranteed in a democracy and in the Constitution.

Sanctuaries provide some protection for undocumented immigrants under laws that limit how much cooperation local police may have with federal immigration authorities.
The “No Sanctuary for Criminals Act” prohibits sanctuary cities from adopting policies that restrict police officers from asking individuals about their immigration status or the immigration status of others.

Imagine that a hateful neighbor wants to take revenge against his undocumented neighbor because he has a pretty wife, and calls the police on the guy, and accuses him of selling drugs, when in fact is a fabrication. So he is arrested.

Well, the sanctuary protection will not notify the immigration, rather, the suspect will be investigated and probably released after it is found that he is innocent. So the wife and his children didn’t lose their loved one. The family remained intact. But now all this could change.

And although both bills will need approval from the Senate to become law, the panic will already be spread onto the community.

Texas is going through its own persecution case of Latinos.

A federal judge will hear arguments to decide whether the harsh anti-sanctuary cities law will take effect in September.

Anger at Texas’ strict new immigration law simmered as a thousand Latino policymakers and advocates gathered in Dallas this weekend, ahead of a hearing in which civil rights groups will ask for the measure to be blocked.

A federal court in San Antonio will hear arguments on Monday, with Judge Orlando García to decide whether to grant a preliminary injunction that would stop the law, known as SB4, from taking effect on Sept. 1.

SB4 is in some aspects redolent of Arizona’s SB1070, a “show me your papers” law that was passed in 2010 but largely neutered by court challenges. Conference-goers in Dallas also recalled California’s Proposition 187, a measure passed by voters in 1994 that would have denied social, health and educational services to undocumented immigrants. It was swiftly halted in court.

The Texas law would in effect ban “sanctuary cities” – places that offer limited or no cooperation with immigration authorities – by criminalizing and fining officials who do not accede to requests to hold immigrants for federal pick-up and potential deportation.

The human face of the case is that many people enter the US without documents because sometimes they are too poor to qualify for a visa in their country, and because visas are almost impossible to obtain. The requirements are too high for this people to fulfill. They just want to work, work and work, and so they cross the border for survival.

I feel for those many – who probably have been living in the country for decades and have no criminal record – that will be victimized by this law, and who will leave their families behind for petty offenses such as traffic violations.

And also for those businesses that benefit from low-cost labor, which allow them to keep consumer prices low for the general public.

And with this I am not endorsing the presence of those who are real criminals who deserve to be taken away. But to soften those harden hearts.
Why cannot this government pass to another page by embracing everyone and start a new chapter of reconciliation? Why every administration has to go through the same process of persecuting the most vulnerable, in the name of security?

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The Peruvian and musical community of the Bay Area of San Francisco is in mourning

by Marvin Ramírez

Mr. José Gonzales, known as Don Pepe, and progenitor of the popular singer and orchestra leader who bears his name, died on July 14, 2017. He was 85 years old.

Born on July 4, 1932, Mr. Gonzalez, who delighted all those who heard him sing, will not only be remembered for his charismatic personality, but for his excellent voice, say those who knew him.

An amateur and bohemian singer, he was the star of family and friends events, who with his voice offered romantic serenades singing tangos, Javier Solís’ boleros – and all the joy emanated without tobacco or alcohol.

“He loved to sing Las Rejas No Matan (by Javier Solís), the Peruvian waltz, and the Peruvian commoner,” recalls his son Hugo.

Originally from Mollendo, Arequipa, in southern Peru, Mr. Gonzales arrived in the USA with his second wife, Dona Thelma Ames de Gonzales and his son Pepe (from his first marriage with Franca Chiscull) about 40 years ago, in search of the American dream for their new family.

And yes, they found it.

In 1979 he established his own company, Pepe’s Auto Repair, located on South Van Ness Street in the San Francisco Mission District, where his son Pepé learned the art of mechanics.

And following the footsteps of his father, Pepe, along with two of his brothers would start the path of music with the formation of the musical group, Pepe and his Orchestra. Then he would create his own weekly television show, the Pepe Show.

In spite of the happiness that the success of his children caused him – two of them with Masters in Psychology and another as professor secondary education, and Pepe Jr. as a popular artist and TV director, the health of Mr. Gonzales, considered the patriarch Of the family, had a serious setback. In October of 2015 he suffered a cerebral stroke that paralyzed parts of the body and since then his health changed. And this past July 14, his body could no longer continue, giving his life to the Creator.

With his death is temporarily extinguished the sound of Pepe and his Orchestra at the next event of the celebration of Independence of Peru on July 29 at the Club Roccapulco, to give way to his mourning for the departure of the patriarch of the family. The official Independence of Peru is the 28 of this month.

He is survived by his wife of a lifetime, four brothers and four sisters; a daughter and four children: Silvia Gonzales, Pepe Gonzales Jr., Luis Gonzales, Hugo Gonzales and Tony Gonzales; and nine grandchildren.

His remains were buried in the city of Richmond, California on July 17.

The staff of the newspaper El Reportero and El ReporteroTV (elreporteroSF.com), and especially its publisher, Marvin Ramírez, extend their deepest condolences and join the pain of the Gonzales family in this tragic moment.

All Rights Reserved. The entire article is property of El Reportero, LLC, and no one is authorized to copy not even a line without permission of El Reportero, LLC.

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Diet of vegetables and wild game found to prevent diabetes and asthma

by Jhoanna Robinson

Professor Tim Spector from King’s College London, author of The Diet Myth, said a hunter-gatherer diet, one which includes seasonal vegetables and wild game, can help replenish our gut bacteria.

Spector spent three days consuming this type of diet during his stay with a Tanzanian tribe called the Hadza, who live in the Savannah and are one of the world’s the last surviving pre-agricultural societies.

Spector said a prehistoric diet paved the way for him to gain 20 percent more types of microbes in his gut and encouraged Westerners to adapt the native tribe’s way of eating. “The Hadza have the healthiest guts in the world in terms of diversity,” he said in an interview with the Times.

He said that the presence of diverse microbes in the gut is “[inversely] associated with the risk of almost every Western ailment. It’s not so much the microbiome itself, it’s what it produces. All these microbes produce thousands of chemicals and metabolites.”

Spector said he analyzed his stool sample after the experience, and found that the results were amazing. “I’ve taken 50 samples or so in the past couple of years, and it doesn’t go up or down much. I went to India, and it didn’t change anything like this.”

“Is it this amazing combination that keeps the Hadza thin and in a better immune state?” Spector added.

Among the food staples that Spector indulged in was fresh porcupine meat, which tasted like any other barbecued meat; fruit of the baobab tree, which was crushed to make a citrus-flavored milkshake; and wild tubers, which tasted a lot like celery and turnip, Spector said.

He did not like the tubers much. “We dug them up and stuck them on the barbecue and they were a bit dull.” He had dissenting opinions when it came to the porcupine meat and the fruit of the baobab tree, however. “Once you had taken the fur off and the quills it was pretty much like most barbecue meals.”

“I wasn’t expecting to like [baobab fruit]. But actually it ended up like a citrusy milkshake.”

He said the Hadza had 40 percent more gut bacteria in them than any other average Westerner. This has something to do with the fact that the Hadza don’t use disinfectant and any form of sterilization equipment, making them more prone to ingesting beneficial bacteria, Spector said, noting that such bacteria can help in staving off diseases such as diabetes and asthma.

“If I ate exactly those foods in north London for a couple of weeks would I still see the same result? Probably not. The Hadza don’t use utensils, don’t sterilize anything, and everything is thrown on the fire, fur and all. Maybe we should ocasionally go back to our roots – rewild ourselves, go camping with the kids, and get dirty,” Spector said.

More emphasis has been placed in promoting gut health, what with the advent of fermentation and the crowning of kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut as the new superfoods. Probiotic food and drinks are also on the rise, what with scientists constantly topping themselves with the best way to incorporate “good” bacteria into every day dishes and meals. (Natural News).

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