Let’s Make a Plan: Debt Management

July 21, 2023

Jonathan Morales

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

Mexican artist Elizabeth Gómez presents her work Naturaleza Humana

July 21, 2023

Elizabeth Gómez

by Magdy Zara

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Teens Take Over Red Morton Community Center

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

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

Wow! Gallery 1202 presents exhibition Flamin’ Hot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 21, 2023

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

by the El Reportero‘s news services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UN Experts: UK migration bill violates human rights

July 21, 2023

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

by Kenny Stancil
Common Dreams

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

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

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

As the U.N. Human Rights Office explained:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kenny Stancil is a staff writer for Common Dreams.

Cancer prevention tips: 5 Natural ways to reduce your breast cancer risk

July 21, 2023

by Evangelyn Rodriguez

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the U.S., next only to skin cancer. Although breast cancer deaths have declined in recent years, it is still the second leading cause of cancer death among women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 264,000 cases are diagnosed annually in American women, and about 42,000 die from the disease each year. Breast cancer is not only exclusive to women, as men can also develop abnormal growths in their breast tissue. Although fewer than one percent of all breast cancers occur in men, the lack of routine screening for males means the disease is often diagnosed at a more advanced stage.

But breast cancer is not inevitable. Research shows that women (and men) can decrease their risk of developing breast cancer by implementing simple but meaningful lifestyle changes.

Here are five natural ways you can prevent breast cancer according to science:

Eat plenty of cancer-fighting superfoods

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a diet rich in organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes can help lower a person’s risk for many cancers. Researchers attribute the cancer-fighting potential of these plant-based foods to vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that are naturally endowed with anticancer properties.

Some of the foods that have demonstrated anticancer effects in numerous studies include:

Apples
Blueberries
Broccoli
Coffee
Garlic
Kale
Raspberries
Tea
Walnuts
Whole grains

When it comes to breast cancer prevention, research has found that increased intake of cruciferous vegetables, particularly broccoli and cauliflower, significantly reduces breast cancer risk. This is especially true for premenopausal women. Researchers believe that the anticancer effects of cruciferous vegetables may be attributed to the estrogen-modulating activities of isothiocyanates (ITCs). Cancer-fighting ITCs are formed from the glucosinolate precursors present in cruciferous vegetables.

The major glucosinolate in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables is glucoraphanin. This inert compound is a precursor to sulforaphane, the powerful chemical responsible for many of broccoli’s health benefits, including its anticancer properties. Sulforaphane is released via an enzymatic reaction when cruciferous vegetables are crushed or chewed.

Walnuts are another superfood that offer protection against breast cancer. In a clinical trial published in the journal Nutrition Research, researchers found that walnut consumption significantly altered the expression of 456 relevant genes in the breast tumors of cancer patients. The women added two ounces of walnuts to their daily diet immediately following a biopsy and until their follow-up surgery.

Further analysis revealed that the genetic changes caused by the women’s consumption of walnuts not only led to the death of breast cancer cells, but also to the inhibition of pathways that would’ve allowed those cells to multiply uncontrollably. (Related: Study reveals: Men should eat walnuts to prevent prostate cancer.)

Reduce your consumption of processed foods

Just as there are foods that can fight cancer, there are also foods that can promote cancer. Number one among these foods are unhealthy processed foods. Processed foods contain partially hydrogenated oil, or vegetable oil that is solid at room temperature. Partially hydrogenated oil contains trans fats, which are linked to numerous health problems, including high blood cholesterol, heart disease and stroke.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, consuming trans fats is also linked to a greater risk of developing breast cancer. A recent study by British researchers confirmed this relationship and cited ultra-processed foods (e.g., fizzy drinks, breakfast cereals, ready-to-eat meals and packaged breads) as some of the biggest contributors to elevated ovarian and brain cancer risk. Consumption of heavily processed foods has also been linked to an increased risk of dying from ovarian and breast cancer.

To protect yourself against breast cancer, eat a nutritious organic diet and avoid processed foods as much as you can.

Quit drinking and smoking

Multiple studies have shown that a woman’s breast cancer risk is influenced by sex hormones naturally produced by the ovaries. Specifically, having high levels of estrogen and progesterone has been found to increase the likelihood of a woman developing breast cancer. A study published in the American Journal of Cancer Research also found that high testosterone levels are similarly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women.

Because of the close correlation between sex hormones and breast cancer, women should avoid things that can negatively affect their hormone levels. Drinking alcohol and smoking are known to increase testosterone levels in women. Heavy drinking has also been reported to promote the conversion of androgens to estrogens. Meanwhile, smoking has been found to cause serious DNA damage, thanks to the chemicals present in tobacco that also disrupt DNA repair.

Exercise regularly

It is a widely known fact that regular exercise is key to maintaining a healthy weight and optimal overall health. For women, exercising regularly is also a powerful tool for preventing breast cancer.

According to a study, doing at least five hours of aerobic exercise per week can help reduce the amount of estrogen-sensitive breast tissue in premenopausal women who are at high risk for breast cancer. About 70 percent of breast cancers are estrogen-dependent, meaning the cancer cells rely on estrogen to develop and grow.

Regular exercise also provides the added benefit of boosting immune function, which is also important for cancer prevention.

Manage your stress levels

Chronic stress has been linked to serious health issues, such as hypertension, heart attack and stroke. It has also been reported to promote cancer development. Apart from weakening your immune system, studies show that chronic stress can help cancer spread and grow in a number of ways. For instance, stress hormones can block a process called anoikis from occurring in damaged epithelial cells. Anoikis is a type of programmed cell death that allows the body to get rid of misplaced or detached cells. Anoikis could also prevent the metastasis of cancer cells to other sites.

Chronic stress has also been shown to promote the formation of new blood vessels, an event known as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is an unfavorable process that accelerates the development of cancerous tumors.

To lower your cancer risk, experts recommend finding healthy ways to manage your stress levels. You can naturally reduce stress by engaging in talk therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and practicing mindfulness meditation. Yoga and other relaxation techniques can also help with stress management. To maintain proper immune function and support a positive mood, you should also get eight hours of sleep each night.

Breast cancer is a life-threatening disease that’s linked to modifiable risk factors, which means that in many cases, it can be prevented by adopting risk-reducing behaviors and healthy lifestyle changes. Reduce your breast cancer risk by quitting smoking or drinking, exercising regularly and incorporating foods with anticancer benefits into your daily diet. food.news

Is Mexico a baseball country? Yes, and it could turn even more so

July 21, 2023

photo: Baseball in Mexico may not be as popular as in the early 20th century, but still draws big crowds in modern stadia. (Diablos Rojos/Cuartoscuro)

by Leigh Thelmadatter

On April 29, I made the mistake of taking Line 9 of the Mexico City Metro just as fans from a game between the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants left the Alfredo Helú Harp Stadium. Although I had seen advertisements for the game, I never took Mexico for a baseball country.

We may have to rethink that at some point.

Without a doubt, soccer is king here, but baseball does have an important presence.

Several cities in the country claim to be the site of the first baseball game in Mexico: Guaymas, Sonora, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Cadereyta Jiménez, Nuevo León and even the port of Veracruz. All are good candidates since they had significant contact with the United States, either through railroad construction or “visits” from the U.S. military. Another early introduction was in the Yucatán Peninsula, though this was via fans from Cuba.

By the early 20th century, baseball had become Mexico’s most popular sport, with Mexican teams regularly playing those from the U.S. and Cuba. In 1925, Ernesto Carmona established the Mexican League of Baseball, which is still Mexico’s most important league.

Mexican baseball’s golden age extended from the 1920s to the early 1950s in no small part due to the efforts of brothers Bernardo and Jorge Pasquel. In the 1940s into the 1950s, they raised the status of the sport, regularly recruiting players from Cuba, U.S. Negro leagues and occasionally from the “white” Major Leagues as well.

However, after World War II, they were unable to match the rising salaries in the U.S and in the post-Pasquel decades, the game experienced slower growth here, with 20 professional teams at its height.

These days, Mexican professional players are clearly focused on getting lucrative contracts in the United States, especially after the “Fernandomania” of Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela during the 1970s and 1980s.

Mexican leagues have also struggled with the wild popularity of soccer and, at times, boxing. There are several theories why this is so.

Baseball’s appeal was always concentrated in certain sections of the country. As much as the U.S. influences Mexico’s culture, Europe is a major influence as well, and the sport there is soccer.

The shift in baseball players going off to play for U.S. teams certainly had an effect on baseball here as well. This talent drain hasn’t happened quite so much in professional soccer, where Mexican players divide their time playing for foreign and domestic teams, as well as represent Mexico in international tournaments.

But the work of the Pasquel brothers is important because it established a connection between baseball and Mexico’s industrial enterprises. For decades, Mexican companies have been essential in conserving and reviving the sport here.

The Cuauhtemoc Brewery established the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 in Monterrey, Nuevo León. Years later, the Alfredo Harp Helú Foundation (created by one of billionaire Carlos Slim’s relatives) moved it to its current building in the massive Fundidora Park, also in Monterrey.

The Slim/Helú family has been at the forefront of Mexican baseball for several decades now, promoting it both in Mexico and the United States. Their passion for the sport comes from their childhoods — some are old enough to remember the tail end of Mexican baseball’s “golden age.”

In 2011, Carlos Slim gave a rare interview with Puro Beisbol Magazine during the Red Sox/Yankee World Series, where he declared himself a “…fan of the Diablos Rojos [the Mexico City team], of the Yankees and of Babe Ruth.”

The family’s efforts consist of dominating professional baseball in Mexico and getting a foothold in the MLB. Harp Helú, opened the Alfred Harp Helú Stadium in Mexico City — home of the Diablos Rojos — and in 2009, Slim’s foundation built the Telmex Bicentennial Sport Center in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, México state, on a reclaimed landfill. A multisport center for use by the community, it includes baseball fields.

More importantly, the family has established baseball institutions to encourage an interest in baseball among the young and support their careers, such as the Alfredo Harp Helú Academy in the city of Oaxaca, and the Telmex-Telcel Baseball League, aimed at promoting baseball for kids aged 13–15 all over Mexico through tournaments in which locally organized teams can register to participate. According to the league’s website, it has served as feeder source for teams at the national level.

The purpose of these institutions is to find promising young talent and offer them academic and athletic scholarships. Students pay no tuition, but costs for educating them — covered by corporate benefactors — run around 30,000 pesos per student, per month. The Oaxaca academy has been quite successful, placing about 20% of its graduates into professional teams in Mexico and the United States.

Other industrialists and professional teams have followed suit, not only seeing a way to develop talent but improve community relations. They include the Pastejé Academy, founded by the industrial group of the same name, located in northern México state; the academy of the Charros de Jalisco professional baseball team in Guadalajara, owned by the Gonzalez-Iñigo family, behind seed industrial giant Sesajal; and the Tigers Academy in Quintana Roo. The Tigers team were bought in 2017 by none other than Fernando Valenzuela, with the help of a group of business owners.

Harp Helú bought Mexico City’s Diablos Rojos in the 1990s, and a stake in the San Diego Padres in 2012. There is no doubt that the long term goal is to integrate Mexican baseball at a much higher level internationally, something that just might be of benefit on both sides of the border.

Over in the U.S., the MLB has had its own issues with losing market share to (American) football, and since the 2010s, has been working to broaden the sport’s appeal internationally, especially in Europe and Latin America.

The Giants vs. Padres game I ran into was part of these efforts in collaboration with the Slim/Helú family. The game brought in an impressive number of live fans and was broadcast internationally — and turned out to be an insane 27-run classic.

Without a doubt, there is big money backing the sport in Mexico, but it remains to be seen if slow-paced baseball can make a comeback in a fast-paced world, or whether it will remain a sport with a niche following both in Mexico and the United States.

Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.

NOTE: This article originally misstated the owner of the Mexico City baseball team Los Diablos Rojos. The owner is Alfredo Harp Helú.

The Guatemalan Prosecutor’s Office raids the headquarters of the electoral court for the second time

July 21, 2023

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