Friday, July 31, 2026
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Jazz Latino: Multi-dimensional artistic expression in the Americas

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, the Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD), and SFJAZZ presents a six-week lecture series by John Santos. Machito and the Afro Cubans (c.1946)  L-R: Graciela (claves), Carlos Vidal (conga), René Hernandez (piano), Jose Mangual (bongos in front), Ubaldo Nieto (timbales), Bobby Rodriguez (bass), Machito (maracas).
Wednesday evenings 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Aug. 5 through Sept. 9, 2015, at MOAD 685 Mission St. San Francisco. (415) 358-7200. (Aug 19 only) at the California Historical Society, 678 Mission St. San Francisco. (415) 357-1848.
YBGF/MOAD/SFJAZZ Members: $15/class or $75/full series. Public: $20/class or $100/full series. One Free class when you purchase the series!

It’s the Psychotronix Film Festival!
Weird, Wild & Wacky Short Subjects: Monster Movie Trailers, Drive-in Snack Bar Ads, Old School Films, Retro TV Commercials, Forgotten Cartoons, Scopitone Music Films and Much More! All on 16mm film, the Vinyl of Visuals.
Friday, Aug. 7, 2015 at Art House Gallery & Cultural Center, 2905 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA (510) 472-3170. Doors: 7 p.m. Show: 8 p.m. Donation: $5 – $10. All Ages & Wheelchair Accessible.

Summer Nights Outdoor Concert Series
At the Osher Marin JCC Kanbar Center, ‘Plena Libre Celebrate Puerto Rico,’ on Saturday Aug. 8, 6:15 p.m. doors open, 6:40 dance lesson, 7 p.m. show.
Tickets and more info at: http://www.marinjcc.org/events/2015/08/08/performing-arts/plena-libre-summer-nights-outdoor-concert/55886/
$20 members / $23 public / $28 Day of (members & public), ages 17 and under FREE!
SFJAZZ presents a tribute honoring Puerto Rican icon and photojournalist Frank Espada
An unforgettable concert experience commemorating the life work of activist and master photographer Frank Espada (1930-2014).
Featuring The John Santos Sextet, with extra special guests, wordsmith Rico Pabon, guitarists/vocalists Jose Roberto Hernandez & Manuel Constancio, Afro-Puerto Rican dance master Shefali Shah, vocalist/poet Sandra Garcia Rivera corista Sarita Shah.
Images of Frank Espada’s profound work will be shown throughout this concert.
This will be the largest public showing of his iconic photography to date!
(Some seats have obstructed views of the large screen above the stage – inquire with SFJAZZ)
Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, 2 p.m. at the gorgeous new SFJAZZ Center, 201 Franklin at Fell St., San Francisco. http://www.sfjazz.org, (866)920-5299.

Unveiling of mural and performance of spoken word piece
67 Sueños, Oakland chapter, will unveil a mural in East Oakland to celebrate and honor past victories of migrant communities. The mural aims to shed light on the struggles, risk, but also the hope that many undocumented communities, and their allies, endured while fighting against draconian anti-immigrant bills and advocating for bills such as AB- 241, the California Bill of Rights. The mural is inspired by interviews conducted by 67 Sueños youth with parents and community activist who migrated to the U.S. with aspirations to improve their conditions. Youth, children of immigrants, painted the mural.
At 23 percent, undocumented immigrants constitute a large majority of the California population, yet their stories are often overlooked. Making up roughly 5.1 percent of the labor force in the nation, undocumented immigrants are vital to the U.S. economy. Despite this, executive actions to provide protection from deportation such as DAPA have come to halt; little aid is reaching to the broader 11.1 M undocumented immigrants in this country. On Sunday, Aug. 9, at 1390 66th Ave, Oakland.

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Óscar Jaenada awarded as Best Actor for his role in Cantinflas

by the El Reportero’s wire services

The Spanish-Argentinian co-production Wild Tales has won a total of eight Premios Platino of Iberoamerican Cinema during the second annual award show recognizing the best work of the film industry in Iberoamerica.
Damian Szifrón’s Wild Tales, which started as the front-runner with 10 nominations, won the awards for Best Iberoamerican Feature Film, Best Director, Best Performance by an Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Direction, Best Editing and Best Art Direction.
In the Best Actor category, the award went to Oscar Jaenada for his work on Cantinflas, while the film of Alberto Rodríguez, La isla mínima (Marshland) won for Best Cinematography. Two Brazilian productions dominated the categories for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Documentary, with O Menino e o mundo (The Boy and the World) and O sal da terra (The Salt of the Earth) respectively. As for the Best Iberoamerican Feature Film Debut, the award went to the Spanish-Venezuelan film La distancia más larga.
Critics and audiences have made Wild Tales the highest grossing film in the history of Argentina. Its director, Damian Szifron, emphasized that “it is the end of a long road” – a road that began at the Cannes Film Festival and has led him to earn almost a hundred awards including an Academy Award Nomination and now eight Premios Platino of Iberoamerican Cinema.
The Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada received from a trio of presenters (Kate del Castillo, Miguel Bose and Dario Grandinetti) the award for Best Performance by an Actor for his role as Mario Moreno in the Mexican film Cantinflas. The award for Best Performance by an Actress, which went to Erica Rivas for her performance in Wild Tales.
Italian square named after novel One Hundred Years of Solitude
Italy today perpetuates the memory of Gabriel García Márquez by naming a square in the village of Perdasdefogu One Hundred Years of Solitude, which is the most famous novel by the Colombian writer.
During the ceremony a plaque will be unveiled with the dates of birth and death of Garcia Marquez and the public will be able to read the first pages of the novel that tells the story of the Buendia family in the imaginary town of Macondo.
The initiative is a tribute to the 1982 Nobel Literature Prize winner, also known as one of the greatest exponents of magic realism, a literary movement founded in the mid-twentieth century.
In his prolific creation, Gabo brought to life unforgettable characters: Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza, protagonists of his famous novel Love in the Time of Cholera.
García Márquez also created unmatched stories that stand out in the world and Latin American literary scene as No One Writes to the Colonel, Chronicle of a Death Foretold and Of Love and Other Demons.

Record number of films in Film Festival Mar del Plata
The 29th edition of the Film Festival Mar del Plata, which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of this event, has registered a record of two 2,112 productions until today, organizers reported.
In total, 318 short and feature films from the USA are registered; 798 from Latin America; 832 from Europe; 126 coming from Asia; 25 from Oceania, and 13 others from Africa. On its website, the organizing committee also states that in the special celebration of this year more than one million 500,000 pesos will be distributed (over $163,000) as prizes.

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Harvard psychologists have been studying what it takes to raise good kids

Help unlock your child’s best self with a few tried-and-true strategies, here are six tips

by Maz Ali

A lot of parents are tired of being told how technology is screwing up their kids
Moms and dads of the digital age are well aware of the growing competition for their children’s attention, and they’re bombarded at each turn of the page or click of the mouse with both cutting-edge ideas and newfound worries for raising great kids.
But beneath the madness of modernity, the basics of raising a moral child haven’t really changed
Parents want their kids to achieve their goals and find happiness, but Harvard researchers believe that doesn’t have to come at the expense of kindness and empathy. They say a few tried-and-true strategies remain the best ways to mold your kids into the morally upstanding and goals-oriented humans you want them to be. Here are six practical tips:
1) Hang out with your kids
This is, like, the foundation of it all. Spend regular time with your kids, ask them open-ended questions about themselves, about the world and how they see it, and actively listen to their responses. Not only will you learn all sorts of things that make your child unique, you’ll also be demonstrating to them how to show care and concern for another person.
2) If it matters, say it out loud
According to the researchers, “Even though most parents and caretakers say that their children being caring is a top priority, often children aren’t hearing that message.” So be sure to say it with them. And so they know it’s something they need to keep up with, check in with teachers, coaches, and others who work with your kids on how they’re doing with teamwork, collaboration, and being a generally nice person.
3) Show your child how to “work it out”
Walk them through decision-making processes that take into consideration people who could be affected. For example, if your child want  s to quit a sport or other activity, encourage them to identify the source of the problem and consider their commitment to the team. Then help them figure out if quitting does, in fact, fix the problem.
4) Make helpfulness and gratitude routine
The researchers write, “Studies show that people who engage in the habit of expressing gratitude are more likely to be helpful, generous, compassionate, and forgiving — and they’re also more likely to be happy and healthy.” So it’s good for parents to hold the line on chores, asking kids to help their siblings, and giving thanks throughout the day. And when it comes to rewarding “good” behavior, the researchers recommend that parents “only praise uncommon acts of kindness.”
5) Check your child’s destructive emotions
“The ability to care for others is overwhelmed by anger, shame, envy, or other negative feelings,” say the researchers. Helping kids name and process those emotions, then guiding them toward safe conflict resolution, will go a long way toward keeping them focused on being a caring individual. It’s also important to set clear and reasonable boundaries that they’ll understand are out of love and concern for their safety.
6) Show your kids the bigger picture
“Almost all children empathize with and care about a small circle of families and friends,” say the researchers. The trick is getting them to care about people who are socially, culturally, and even geographically outside their circles. You can do this by coaching them to be good listeners, by encouraging them to put themselves in other people’s shoes, and by practicing empathy using teachable moments in news and entertainment.
The study concludes with a short pep talk for all the parents out there:
“Raising a caring, respectful, ethical child is and always has been hard work. But it’s something all of us can do. And no work is more important or ultimately more rewarding.”
Watch the Washington Post’s wrap-up of the study below:
http://www.upworthy.com/harvard-psychologists-have-been-studying-what-it-takes-to-raise-good-kids-here-are-6-tips?g=2&c=ufb2

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Texas launches gold-backed bank, challenging Federal Reserve

FROM THE EDITOR:

Dear readers, for most of you who don’t know the story about the gold confiscation by the US government during the Great Depression, which gave birth to the current gold defunded dollar, the story below, written by Alex Newman, brings some hope to the return to sound money backed by gold, speculating that real prosperity for the American people could be coming.

by Alex Newman
The New American

The State of Texas is setting up a gold-backed bank that will allow depositors to bypass the controversial Federal Reserve System and its fiat currency in banking and commerce, according to the state representative who authored the recently enacted law. Under the measure, passed overwhelmingly by lawmakers and signed in mid-June by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, Lone Star State officials will establish and operate the Texas Bullion Depository for anyone who would like to deposit and trade in precious metals. The implications are as big as Texas.
While some analysts have said the move may be another sign heralding Texas’ eventual secession from the union, or preparation for financial Armageddon, its advocates say the depository simply makes financial sense. Among other benefits, the institution will provide more options to consumers weary of the increasingly troubled traditional banking and monetary system, which is viewed by the public with growing suspicion. And experts say the effect of making it easier to use sound money in commerce could be far-reaching.
Among other immediate effects, the law creating the first state-level gold-backed bank in the nation, House Bill 483, will involve repatriating about $1 billion of Texas gold from New York. Conflicting news reports and official statements say the state’s precious metals stockpile is being held either by HSBC in New York, or by the powerful New York Federal Reserve Bank, a privately owned outfit cloaked in secrecy with immense power over the U.S. economy. First, though, officials will need to select a home for the Texas depository.
“Today I signed HB 483 to provide a secure facility for the State of Texas, state agencies and Texas citizens to store gold bullion and other precious metals,” said a statement issued by Governor Abbott, a popular conservative governor, after the ceremonial signing.  “With the passage of this bill, the Texas Bullion Depository will become the first state-level facility of its kind in the nation, increasing the security and stability of our gold reserves and keeping taxpayer funds from leaving Texas to pay for fees to store gold in facilities outside our state.” The law protects the assets from seizure by the feds or other forces, too.
There will be many other benefits as well, according to supporters. While other states have in recent years passed legislation declaring gold and silver to be legal tender, analysts say Texas’ new depository could help supercharge the growing movement for an honest and sensible monetary system founded on real money rather than debt-based paper notes conjured into existence by a private banking cartel. Indeed, one of the chief aims of gold-and-silver-as-currency proponents is to restore sound money — and the Texas law could help pave the way.
Tenth Amendment Center chief Michael Boldin, whose organization promotes states’ rights to rein in the feds under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, called the law “an important first step towards gold and silver as commonly-used legal tender in the state.” He said the move has the potential to open the market to sound money, even in day-to-day transactions. “By making gold and silver available for regular, daily transactions by the general public, the new law has the potential for wide-reaching effect,” Boldin added.
The Tenth Amendment Center also highlighted the constitutional implications. Noting that Article I, Section 10, of the U.S. Constitution prohibits state governments from making anything other than gold and silver a tender in payment of debts, Boldin said the bill takes Texas a step toward fulfilling that long-ignored constitutional obligation. “Such a tactic would undermine the monopoly the Federal Reserve system by introducing competition into the monetary system,” he said.
Other experts also highlighted those effects. “Over time, as residents of the state use both Federal Reserve notes and silver and gold coins, the fact that the coins hold their value more than Federal Reserve notes do will lead to a ‘reverse Gresham’s Law’ effect, where good money (gold and silver coins) will drive out bad money (Federal Reserve notes),” explained constitutional-tender expert William Greene in a paper for the market-oriented Ludwig von Mises Institute.
The new law can also help protect depositors from other downsides of the present monetary regime — the risks inherent in fractional-reserve banking, for example — while still providing many of the conveniences associated with a bank account. Indeed, the depository will engage in many of the functions associated with traditional banking: The ability to store wealth for safe-keeping, the ability to write checks against deposits to transfer funds, and so on.
But in other respects, the institution will function very differently from a traditional bank. For instance, depository accounts will not pay interest, according to the law, nor will the deposits be loaned out to borrowers under the prevailing fractional-reserve banking regime.
“This is different than your traditional bank — a traditional bank lends money,” said Texas Representative Giovanni Capriglione, who authored and sponsored the legislation. “Especially if you’re in Greece right now, you know that if you go to the bank, and everybody went to the bank to try to get their deposits out, there’s not enough paper money to cover it. That causes a whole bunch of concerns. What this depository does is, it doesn’t allow that — if there are 5,000 bars of gold in there, there will be 5,000 gold bars there, and you’ll be able to access your deposits directly upon demand.”
Depositors will also be able to write checks against their gold deposits to pay others, continued Rep. Capriglione, calling the measure a “big deal.” “You can write checks to individuals who have gold depository accounts, and you’ll also be able to write checks to individuals and corporations who don’t have gold depository accounts,” he explained. “We set up a system of depository agents so you can have any corporation, any group, basically start a depository agent, and they can send and receive through this depository system, outside of the Federal Reserve System.” Public entities will also be able to participate.
It will not be just Texas citizens, governments, agencies, and businesses taking advantage of the new options, either. “We are not talking Fort Knox,” Capriglione told the Star-Telegram newspaper. “But when I first announced this, I got so many emails and phone calls from people literally all over the world who said they want to store their gold … in a Texas depository. People have this image of Texas as big and powerful … so for a lot of people, this is exactly where they would want to go with their gold.”
Some conservative and liberty-minded activists expressed concerns about the law because it creates yet another state agency.

However, writing in the market-oriented Ludwig von Mises Institute, economist Ryan McMaken argued that the benefits outweigh the downsides in this case. “While the Texas depository is a government-owned enterprise, it nevertheless is an improvement since it is a case of decentralization (and arguably nullification) which provides alternatives to the federally controlled monetary and banking systems,” he said. “As Hayek and other Austrians noted for decades, a decentralization of the monetary system is a key first step in moving toward more sound money.”
The depository will be run by an administrator appointed by the Texas Comptroller, whose office will oversee the institution. The chief of the Texas depository will have to be approved by various state executive and legislative officials. Any profits made will be handed to the general revenue fund, potentially benefiting taxpayers beyond the savings associated with repatriating the state’s gold.
A similar bill was introduced in 2013 but did not gain traction. This year, though, lawmakers approved it by a landslide margin, with 140 to 4 in the Texas House and 27 to 4 in the state Senate. Now, energized activists in other states are hoping to see similar measures across the country — with the ultimate goal of eventually restoring sound money and an honest economy free from the clutches of the Federal Reserve.

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Chamomile tea lowers thyroid cancer risk: study

by Dr.Sofiya

The tiny, daisy-like flowers from the chamomile plant have long been valued for their medicinal properties. At least as far back as Roman times, chamomile was used in teas and extracts to promote relaxation and restful sleep as well as to support the health of the digestive system. Topically, it was used to even skin tones and to bring out highlights in blonde or light-colored hair. It is a popular treatment for the conditions mentioned above even today. However, apparently the healing power of chamomile goes far beyond promoting digestive function and sound sleep. Modern research is also discovering that the bio-active compounds in these tiny, sweet-smelling flowers can also help to reduce the chances of thyroid cancer. While this form of cancer can often be treated successfully with either surgery or radioactive iodine treatment (or both), it is even better to prevent it in the first place! Let’s look at the research.
The new study
The study that has everyone talking is one that was recently published in the European Journal of Public Health. Three groups of volunteers were studied for this research: The first was a group of 113 thyroid cancer patients who were compared to another group of 138 cancer-free patients and 286 patients who have a history of benign thyroid disease. All three groups received detailed questionnaires so that researchers could determine such factors as their daily dietary habits, overall medical history, general lifestyle and beverage consumption (including the consumption of coffee and tea).
The results
What the researchers found was that those who consumed the highest amounts of chamomile tea had the lowest chances of developing thyroid cancer. And the percentage was significant: A person consuming 2-6 cups of chamomile tea on a weekly basis has a whopping 70 percent less chance of thyroid cancer development; if this practice had been going on for 30 years or longer, they were 80 percent less likely to suffer from the onset of this disease.
Reactions of the researchers
Researchers working on this study noted that while many studies have been done to study in the effects of green or black tea consumption and its relationship to disease development, no studies have looked at the same effects for different kinds of herbal teas. They noted that “our study suggests, for the first time, that consumption of chamomile tea is linked to a lower incidence of thyroid cancer as well as other benign thyroid diseases”. They believe that this correlation between chamomile tea consumption and reduced thyroid cancer risk is due to one of the compounds in chamomile called apigenin, which has clinically proven anti-cancer properties.
In short, this research is important because it identifies the consumption of herbal teas to be a healthy behavior akin to that of consuming green tea on a regular basis. It is also the first proof clinicians have of chamomile’s ability to fight off thyroid cancer rather than being used solely for insomnia or digestive complaints. Hopefully, more research like this will be done in the future to determine the healthful effects of other herbal teas as well.

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Nearly 40 national Latino groups denounce SF anti-sanctuary ordinance

by Michael Oleaga

A coalition of 39 national Latino advocacy groups have called on the House of Representatives not to pass a bill that generalizes Latino immigrants for political gain.
The “Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act” (H.R. 3009) would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and make state and local jurisdictions ineligible of federal funding if they refuse to comply on reporting detained immigrants. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., introduced the bill as a response to Kathryn Stienle’s death by an undocumented immigrant in San Francisco earlier this month.
Latino advocacy groups and politicians, however, have opposed the legislation and connected the bill to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric. In a letter sent to members of Congress, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA) said passage of H.R. 3009 will affect lawmakers’ scorecard in their annual congressional scorecard — conducted by NHLA.
“This enforcement-only piecemeal bill is simply another vehicle for spreading the same lies that Donald Trump has espoused about Latino immigrants,” said NHLA Chair Hector Sanchez, who also serves as the executive director for the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. “The truth is that immigrants are less likely to be involved in crime than native-born Americans and that H.R. 3009 will not improve public safety. Congress should vote down this offensive bill and then get to work on serious immigration reform.”
In the letter, the NHLA reiterated its recommendation for a “No” vote and any similar pieces of legislation. According to NHLA, such legislation represents a “misguided response” to Steinle’s death, which has led to extensive generalizations about immigrants because of one undocumented immigrant’s actions — who was previously deported on five occasions over drug felonies.
The letter continued, “It is unacceptable when a presidential contender such as Donald Trump makes such generalizations in campaigning and equally unacceptable when members of Congress do so in legislating. No responsible public official should use this tragedy as a pretext for harsh and unproductive policies that only serve to satisfy the anti-immigrant impulses of certain politicians while doing nothing to improve public safety.”
The letter references the American Immigration Council study, which states immigrants are less likely to be criminals than U.S.-born individuals.
While acknowledging Steinle’s death was tragic, the case should not warrant a “wholesale change” in immigration policy and called for comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
The letter comes after the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing about immigration enforcement policies, which included testimony from Steinle’s father. According to a prepared statement by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the July 21 hearing focused on the Obama administration’s immigration policies and practices that are “hurting American families.” Grassley claimed the deaths of Americans by immigrants were “a direct result” of the Obama administration’s “failure to deport criminals or its tolerance of sanctuary policies.”
Among the NHLA’s 39 national Latino organizations are the Hispanic National Bar Association, League of United Latin American Citizens, NALEO Educational Fund, National Council of La Raza and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) has referred H.R. 3009 as “The Donald Trump Act.” CHC Chairwoman Linda Sanchez, Democratic representative from California, said the bill is another attack on Latinos and the immigrant community.
“This Congress we’ve seen numerous anti-immigrant bills and this legislation is yet another excuse to scapegoat our community,” said Sanchez in a statement. “With this vote, House Republicans are running to embrace Donald Trump’s racist and offensive views. Donald Trump should not be setting the agenda for the United States Congress.
“Any law enforcement professional will tell you that when half of the community is too afraid to report a crime, they can’t do their job,” Sanchez said. “Withholding federal funds from jurisdictions that practice community-oriented trust policies jeopardizes the public safety of families. This bill undermines law enforcement when the real issue here is the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus continues to call for smart immigration legislation that will move our country forward.”
(For the latest updates, follow Latin Post’s Politics Editor Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com).

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Debt slaves: 7 out of 10 Americans believe that debt ‘is a necessity in their lives’

Could you live without debt? Most Americans say that they cannot

by Michael Snyder
End of The American Dream
Analysis

According to a brand new Pew survey, approximately seven out of every 10 Americans believe that “debt is a necessity in their lives”, and approximately 8 out of every ten Americans actually have debt right now. Most of us like to think that “someday” we will get out of the hole and quit being debt slaves, but very few of us ever actually accomplish this. That is because the entire system is designed to trap us in debt before we even get out into the “real world” and keep us in debt until we die. Sadly, most Americans don’t even realize what is being done to them.
In America today, debt is considered to be just part of normal life. We go into debt to go to college, we go into debt to buy a vehicle, we go into debt to buy a home, and we are constantly using our credit cards to buy the things that we think we need.
As a result, this generation of Americans is absolutely swimming in debt. The following are some of the findings of the Pew survey that I mentioned above…
• “8 in ten Americans have debt, with mortgages the most common liability.”
•”Although younger generations of Americans are the most likely to have debt (89 percent of Gen Xers and 86 percent of millennials do), older generations are increasingly carrying debt into retirement.”
• “Seven in 10 Americans said debt is a necessity in their lives, even though they prefer not to have it.”
Most of us wish that we didn’t have any debt, but we have bought into the lie that it is a necessary part of life in America in the 21st century.
It has been estimated that 43 percent of all American households spend more money than they make each month, and U.S. households are more than 11 trillion dollars in debt at this point.
When it comes to government debt, that is easy for us to blame on someone else, but all of this household debt is undoubtedly something that we have done to ourselves.
It all starts at a very early age for most of us. When we are still in high school, we are endlessly told about how important a college education is. All of the authority figures in our lives insist that we should just try to get into the best school that we possibly can and to not even worry about how much it will cost.
So many of us go into staggering amounts of debt before we even get out into the working world. We had faith that the “good jobs” that were being promised to us would be there when we graduated.
Unfortunately, in this day and age those “good jobs” end up being a mirage more often than not.
But whether or not we can find a good job, we still have to pay off all that debt.
According to new data that was recently released, the total amount of student loan debt in the United States has risen to a grand total 1.2 trillion dollars. If you can believe it, that total has more than doubled over the past decade.
Right now, there are approximately 40 million Americans that are paying off student loan debt. For many of them, they will keep making payments on this debt until they are senior citizens.
Another way that they get you while you are still in school is with credit card debt.
I got my first credit card while I was in college, and nobody ever taught me about the potential dangers.
Today, the average U.S. household that has at least one credit card has approximately $15,950 in credit card debt.
So let’s say that you have that much credit card debt and you are paying an annual interest rate of 17 percent. If you only pay the minimum payment each month, it will take you 229 months to pay your credit card off, and during that time you will have paid $13,505.82 in interest charges.
In other words, you will almost have paid twice as much for everything that you originally bought with your credit card by the time it is all said and done.
This is why banks love to give you credit cards. If they can get back nearly twice as much money as they originally give you, they get rich and you get poor.
Most of us get loaded down with even more debt when we go to buy a vehicle. Instead of saving up and getting what we can afford, many of us end up getting the largest loans that we can qualify for.
In a previous article, I discussed the fact that the average auto loan at signing in America today is approximately $27,000. In order to get the monthly payments down to a level where we can afford them, many of these auto loans are now being stretched out for six or seven years. In fact, the number of auto loans that exceed 72 months has hit at an all-time high of 29.5 percent.
It is the same thing with home loans.
In the old days, it was extremely rare for a mortgage to be stretched over 30 years, but today that is pretty much the standard.
Sadly, most people don’t understand how much money this is costing them.
If you take out a $300,000 mortgage at 3.92 percent and stretch it over 30 years, you will end up paying back a grand total of $510,640.
In other words, you will pay for two houses by the time you are done.
Yes, we all need somewhere to live, and there are definitely negatives to renting as well. But it is very important that we all understand what is being done to us.
And I haven’t even discussed one of the most insidious forms of debt yet.
Have you noticed that most doctors and most hospitals will never tell you how much something is going to cost in advance?
They get us when we are at our most vulnerable. When there is something wrong with us physically, we are often desperate to get help. So we don’t ask too many questions and we just go along with whatever they say.
But then later we get the bill and we are often completely shocked by what they have charged us.
If you are completely unethical, it is a great business model. People that are extremely desperate and needy come to you and you don’t even have to tell them how much your services are going to cost. And then once they leave, you send them an absolutely outrageous bill for whatever you feel like charging.
Frankly, I don’t know how a lot of people working in the medical field live with themselves. In their extreme greed, they are ruining the lives of millions of ordinary American families.
One very disturbing study found that approximately 41 percent of all working age Americans either currently have medical bill problems or are paying off medical debt. And collection agencies seek to collect unpaid medical bills from about 30 million of us each and every year.
Most of us will spend our entire lives paying off debt.
That is why we are called debt slaves – our hard work makes others extremely wealthy.
So is there a solution to this?

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IMF warns of adverse implications for Latin America economy

by the El Reportero’s wire services

The Latin American currencies will face in the future more violatility, specially when the United States changes its monetary policy and increase its interest rates, warned the International Monetary Fund today.
In a press conference about the economic situation in Latin America, Managing Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, said that the region will also be affected by a fall in the prices of raw materials and a smaller demand from China.
However, Lagarde ruled out any economic recession in Latin America, and forecasted an increase in its GDP of 0.5 percent, which is reliable for an increase of 1.7 percent next year.
In Latin America, as in other regions, every economy has its own characteristics, she commented, though they are all suppliers of basic goods, raw materials, and clearly they have failed to have the benefits of a decade of high prices that boosted growth, she said.
Lagarde said most Latin American currencies have registered a considerable depreciation against the dollar, in view of the anticipated increase of interests in the United States.
She highlighted, however, the measures implemented by the governments of Brazil, Colombia and Peru to restore confidence and reinforce fiscal positions that are on the right course now.

Honduras- over 10,000 children living in the streets 

 
Over 10,000 children are living on the streets of the main cities of Honduras, a local newspaper reported today.
According to estimates by La Prensa, only in the capital and San Pedro Sula in the number of children living on the street, while 94 percent of them consume some kind of drug.
Statistics from Casa Alianza revealed that most are also victims of sexual abuse.
Churches and non-governmental organizations serve a number of children in distress or social risk, but not enough, said the director of Casa Alianza, José Guadalupe Ruelas.
In his opinion, the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family does a good job, because it rescues and takes the children to institutions where they are taken care, but capacity is overwhelmed.
Since the beginning of the year about nine thousand children without accompanying adults they migrated recently reported the United Nations Fund for Children.
Poverty and violence were incentives for 2013 and 2014 more than 15 thousand minors traveling to the US border, a situation that was seen as a humanitarian crisis in this nation.

Mexico: No sentences after ten months of Iguala crime
Ten months after the crime of Iguala in Guerrero, Mexico, authorities have charged 110 people with being involved in the disappearance of 43 students from a teacher training college, but so far none have been sentenced.
Two of the main perpetrators of the crime, occurred on September 26 and 27, 2014, have not been arrested yet.
From that date on, more than 25 mass graves have been found in the state of Guerrero and more than 1,428 killings reported, as well as 113 kidnappings and more than 30 missing people.
Governmental statistics indicate that the crime rates have not decreased in that state and, quite the contrary, the number of homicides and discovery of corpses in mass graves have increased, mainly in the areas of Acapulco and La Montaña, said the newspaper La Jornada.

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Pure Latin Rock with Dakila

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

The legendary 1970’s Latin rock band that made its glorious return to the stage at the 2013 Voices of Latin Rock, will perform on Saturday July 18, 7 p.m. at Slim’s SF, at 333 11th St, San Francisco. For more info call 415-255-0333
or http://www.slimspresents.com. Tickets: $15 Adv./$20 Door at: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/dakila-at-slims-w-sol-d-edward-presented-by-dr-rock-and-latin-rock-inc-tickets-16944465352

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid
Come and join the Berkeley-East Bay Gray Panthers. Hear Teri Gerritz of California Retired Teacher’s Association(CalRTA) on the expansion of Social Security and Jodi Reid of California Alliance of Retired Americans(CARA). There will be music, fun and surprises.
Wednesday, July 22 at 1:30 p.m., at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst, Corner of MLK, Berkeley. All Welcome. Wheelchair Accessible.

Summer Nights Outdoor Concert Series
Come watch and listen to the great playing by Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca.
Afro-Cuban Beats.
Congo born musician and singer, Ricardo Lemvo, arrives with his band, Makina Loco, along with their blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms with pan-African styles, to the 2015 Summer Nights Festival for an evening of innovative music.  And dancing!
On Saturday Aug. 1, 6:15 p.m. doors open, 6:40 p.m dance lesson, 7 p.m. show starts.
At the Osher Marin JCC Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts, 200 N San Pedro Rd, San Rafael. www.marinjcc.org/performingarts/summer-nights-outdoor-concerts.
Tickets and info at:: http://www.marinjcc.org/events/2015/08/01/performing-arts/ricardo-lemvo-makina-loca-summer-nights-outdoor-concert/55885
ALSO at the Osher Marin JCC Kanbar Center, ‘Plena Libre Celebrate Puerto Rico,’ on Saturday Aug. 8, 6:15 p.m. doors open, 6:40 dance lesson, 7 p.m. show.
Tickets and more info at: http://www.marinjcc.org/events/2015/08/08/performing-arts/plena-libre-summer-nights-outdoor-concert/55886/
$20 members / $23 public / $28 Day of (members & public), ages 17 and under FREE!

Mex I am: Live it to Believe it Festival
The Consulate General of Mexico cordially invites you to the second edition of Mex I Am: Live It To Believe It, a multidisciplinary art and cultural Festival that will run July 19-26, 2015, at different venues across the San Francisco Bay Area.
The multidisciplinary Festival will feature some of the finest performers and food and wine artisans from Mexican genres and traditions at different venues across the San Francisco Bay. In addition to presentations by influential Mexican artists in their fields of expertise from around the world, including opera, art exhibitions, Latin jazz, ballet, as well as scientists, humanists and society game-changers, and more.
Mex I Am is proudly presented by The Mexican Foreign Ministry, the National Council for Culture and the Arts (Conaculta), and Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR), in collaboration with the SFJAZZ Center.
The presentations include:
Natalia Lafourcade – Songs of Agustín Lara
Thursday, July 23, 7:30 p.m.
SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium
A three-time Latin Grammy winner and the most celebrated singer to emerge from the Mexican pop scene in recent years, Natalia Lafourcade presents the West Coast premiere of material from her new album, Hasta La Raíz, on July 23.
La Santa Cecilia
Friday, July 24, 7:30pm
SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium
2014 Grammy winner La Santa Cecilia is on a meteoric rise as one of the most visible and celebrated Latin bands to emerge from the L.A. music scene in recent years, bringing universal songs of love, loss and heartbreak to audiences worldwide and to SFJAZZ on July 24.
Tania Libertad – A Tribute to Chavela Vargas
Saturday, July 25, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium
Tania Libertad presents her loving tribute to influential vocalist Chavela Vargas whose songs of defiance and triumph broke down borders throughout the Americas for two shows on July 25.
Flaco Jiménez and Max Baca
Sunday, July 26, 7:30 p.m.
SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium
The foremost living ambassador of Tex-Mex music, accordionist Flaco Jiménez has transcended the limits of the conjunto style, collaborating with artists including the Rolling Stones and Carlos Santana. He is joined by 12-string guitarist Max Baca, celebrating their new album, Legends & Legacies.
The Festival runs from July 23-26, For more information visit sfjazz.org.

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Mexico to be the guest of honor at the International Book Festival in Guatemala

by the El Reportero’s news services

Mexico is the guest of honor at the 12th edition of the International Book Fair in Guatemala, which begins today aiming at promoting reading and the literary and intellectual exchange.
That neighboring country known for its great editorial effort and the development of writers throughout history, recognized the Editors Guild of Guatemala in a note included in the official program of activities.
The Industry Park in this capital will host the International Book Fair in Guatemala 2015 (FILGUA 2015 in Spanish), until next July 26. The imperative need to promote reading in Guatemalan society is crucial, since readership is rather low there.
To this Guild of Editors belong the Editorial Santillana, F&G Editors, GP Editores, Promociencia/FLACSO, Libraries and Publishers Artemis Edinter, Editora Educativa, among others.
Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012) and Elena Poniatowska are some of the artists who have contributed with their work to enrich Mexican literature.
Fuentes is considered one of the most important writers of literary history of his country, whose narrative is described as an exploration of the history and Mexican identity.
Meanwhile, Poniatowska has cultivated genres such as the novel, has also written essays, poetry and testimony, chronic and interview, mostly inspired in events, social movements and characters of contemporary Mexico.

Famous U.S. filmmaker Ford Coppola visits Cuba
U.S. filmmaker and producer Francis Ford Coppola taught a conference at the International Television and Movie School of San Antonio de los Banos (EICTV) in Cuba.
Together with his son Roman, also a movie director, and his grandsons Gia, Pascale Electra and Marcello Archimedes, Ford Coppola will be in this capital until Sunday.
During his visit, Ford Coppola will meet Roberto Smith, president of the Cuban Institute for Art and Movie Industry (ICAIC).
The famous movie director and producer, who directed unforgettable films such as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Dracula and others, showed a great interest for talking to the Cuban young filmmakers and know about their artistic aspirations.
Coppola will discuss in coming days, from his vast experience, some film productions by novice directors who are now in Cuba.
The also producer and screenwriter, winner of five Oscars, has been described by critics as one of the essential names of world cinema.
Just a month ago, Ford Coppola received in Spain the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, because the jury believed his name and figure is essential to understand the transformation and contradictions in the film industry and art, to which growth he has contributed decisively.

Defaced LGBT Latino mural in SF Mission District
Repeated vandalism of a mural in San Francisco’s Mission district that depicts gay, transgender, and lesbian Latinos caused concern in the area of 24th Street and Harrison, a predominantly Latino neighborhood – where artwork is located.
A July 1 rally, held in front of the Por Vida (For Life) mural that is hosted by Galería de la Raza at 24th and Bryant streets, brought together community members and political leaders who denounced the vandalism, which included defacing it with paint and an effort to burn the piece – the last one of three, occurring on June 29.
The mural, by artist Manuel Paul of the Los Angeles-based Maricón Collective, shows a gay couple, a transgender man, and a lesbian couple.
(Prensa Latina contributed to this report).

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