José “Pepe” Mujica, former president of Uruguay and a global symbol of humility and political consistency, died on May 13, 2025, at the age of 89, after a prolonged battle with esophageal cancer that had spread to his liver. He died at his farm in Rincón del Cerro, on the outskirts of Montevideo, accompanied by his wife and life partner, Lucía Topolansky. (ElHuffPost)
Born on May 20, 1935, in Montevideo, Mujica grew up in a family of Basque and Italian origins linked to rural work. In the 1960s, he joined the Tupamaros National Liberation Movement, a Marxist-inspired urban guerrilla group. During the Uruguayan military dictatorship, he was captured and spent nearly 15 years in prison, many of them in extreme conditions and solitary confinement. (Montevideo Government, The Times, Reuters)
After the restoration of democracy in 1985, Mujica was pardoned and joined the Broad Front, founding the Popular Participation Movement. He held positions as a deputy, senator, and minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries before being elected president in 2009. His term (2010-2015) was characterized by pioneering social reforms in Latin America, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage, the decriminalization of abortion, and state regulation of the marijuana market. (Diario AS, ElHuffPost)
Mujica was known worldwide as “the poorest president in the world” for his austere lifestyle: he lived on a modest farm, drove an old Volkswagen Beetle, and donated much of his presidential salary. His 2013 UN speech, in which he stated that “wealth is time, not money,” became a manifesto against global consumerism. (AP News, The Times)
In April 2024, Mujica publicly announced his diagnosis of esophageal cancer. In January 2025, he announced that the disease had spread and that he would not undergo further treatment, opting for palliative care. (Wikipedia, Wikipedia)
His death generated a wave of tributes in Latin America and around the world. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said: “You left us with the unquenchable hope that it is possible to do things better.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum described him as “an example for Latin America and the entire world for the wisdom, foresight, and simplicity that characterized him.” (BBC)
The Uruguayan government declared three days of national mourning. His legacy endures as a beacon of integrity, simplicity, and commitment to social justice. (Wikipedia)
A 2022 clinical trial found magnesium supplementation reduced pain and stress in fibromyalgia patients, particularly those with moderate stress levels. Magnesium regulates nerve function, muscle relaxation and ATP production, addressing key symptoms.
While overall stress reduction was modest, a subgroup saw pain scores drop from 5.7 to 5.1 (on a 10-point scale). However, magnesium did not improve sleep or fatigue, highlighting its role as a complementary—not standalone—therapy.
Magnesium blocks overactive NMDA receptors (reducing pain signals), relaxes muscles by balancing calcium and supports ATP production for energy. It also stabilizes neuron activity and neurotransmitter release.
Bioavailability varies by form—magnesium glycinate (calming), L-threonate (neuroinflammation) and citrate (constipation relief) are preferred. Avoid poorly absorbed forms like magnesium oxide. Dietary sources (leafy greens, nuts, seeds) and Epsom salt baths enhance absorption.
Magnesium deficiency is often underdiagnosed due to unreliable blood tests. It may interact with medications (e.g., blood pressure drugs). While not a cure, its safety and affordability make it a key tool in chronic pain management, warranting further research on dosing and delivery.
Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition marked by widespread pain and fatigue, has long defied simple solutions. However, a 2022 clinical trial and mounting evidence suggest magnesium — a mineral critical for nerve function and energy production — may offer relief for millions. The study, which tested magnesium supplementation on fibromyalgia patients, revealed a nuanced yet promising effect: participants with moderate stress levels experienced significant reductions in stress and pain scores. These findings, coupled with historical trends of widespread magnesium deficiency, position the mineral as a cornerstone of future treatment strategies.
Magnesium’s subtle but substantial impact
The 2022 trial, though small, marked a milestone in understanding magnesium’s role in fibromyalgia. Researchers administered a slow-release magnesium supplement or a placebo to participants over a month. While overall stress reduction trends were weak, a subset of patients with mild to moderate stress saw a substantial drop in stress scores. Pain severity also eased: in this subgroup, scores declined from 5.7 to 5.1 on a 10-point scale—a modest but meaningful improvement.
Dr. Jodi Duval, a naturopathic physician, emphasizes that magnesium deficiencies are often the first clue in persistent pain cases: “Lower magnesium levels may disrupt cellular processes critical for pain modulation, making supplementation a foundational step,” she explains.
However, results aren’t universal. Sleep quality and fatigue remained unchanged across groups, underscoring that magnesium is a complementary tool, not a cure-all. A 2008 migraine study, however, demonstrated stronger effects: 80percent of patients administered 1g of intravenous (IV) magnesium reported pain relief within 15 minutes — a stark contrast to placebo groups.
The science behind magnesium’s pain-relieving effects
Magnesium’s analgesic properties stem from its role in cellular processes:
NMDA receptor blockade: Magnesium curbs overactivity of NMDA receptors, which can amplify pain signals by allowing excessive calcium into neurons. This mechanism is pivotal in conditions like fibromyalgia, where heightened pain sensitivity is common.
Muscle relaxation: By regulating calcium balance, magnesium prevents muscle spasms and tics, common in fibromyalgia.
ATP support: Magnesium aids ATP production, addressing energy deficits linked to chronic pain and fatigue.
Emma Laing, a registered dietitian, highlights magnesium’s dual role in nerve health: “It stabilizes electrical potentials in neurons and supports neurotransmitter release, modulating pain pathways at multiple levels.”
For migraines, low magnesium levels disrupt brain excitability and blood vessel constriction. Studies show oral or IV magnesium can reduce both attack frequency and severity by stabilizing these processes.
Choosing the right form of magnesium matters
Not all magnesium supplements are created equal. Forms differ in absorption rates, tolerability and targeted effects. Here are some of the most common:
Magnesium glycinate: Well-absorbed and calming, ideal for muscle tension and stress.
Magnesium L-threonate: Crosses the blood-brain barrier effectively, addressing neuroinflammation in migraines.
Magnesium citrate: Cost-effective and proven for constipation, but may cause diarrhea.
Avoid magnesium oxide: Poorly absorbed and prone to laxative effects.
There are several others, including chloride, aspartate and malate, so be sure to do your own research to find which is best for you.
Dr. Duval notes that “bioavailability drives outcomes — slow-release formulations like glycinate or Epsom salt baths may be more effective for sustained tissue absorption.”
Beyond pills: Dietary and lifestyle strategies
Dietary magnesium is abundant in pumpkin seeds, leafy greens and dark chocolate — foods that should be staples for chronic pain management. Slow magnesium absorption and potential deficiencies in bioavailable forms mean supplementation often complements dietary intake.
Epsom salt baths (magnesium sulfate) offer an alternative route for skin absorption, easing muscle soreness without the digestive side effects of oral supplements. However, blood tests for deficiency can be misleading, as only 1percent of total magnesium circulates in blood. Tissue levels often remain low even with normal serum results, necessitating symptom-driven trial-and-error.
Cautionary notes
While magnesium’s benefits are clear, its effectiveness has been underappreciated due to measurement challenges and low public awareness. A 2007 paper highlighted its role in sleep disturbances — common in fibromyalgia — and insulin resistance, showing how deficiencies exacerbate metabolic issues.
Caution is advised in those on blood pressure medications or diuretics, as magnesium can alter drug efficacy. Collaborating with a healthcare provider to balance risks is critical.
Magnesium as a pillar in chronic pain management
Magnesium’s multifaceted role in pain relief—blocking receptors, balancing minerals and supporting energy—is now backed by rigorous studies. While not a singular solution, its safety, affordability and widespread availability make it an attractive option for those struggling with fibromyalgia, migraines, or musculoskeletal pain. It is a critical cofactor for more than 600 enzymatic reactions in the body including everything from nerve and muscle function to breaking down food into essential nutrients to helping build hormones, neurotransmitters, bone health and DNA.
Future research must clarify optimal dosages and delivery methods, but for now, the evidence suggests: “Even small, consistent steps toward higher magnesium intake can make a difference,” says Duval. As patients and providers navigate chronic pain’s complexities, magnesium’s time has come.
For those balancing hope and skepticism, the journey starts with a seed—and perhaps, a handful of pumpkin seeds.
A large group of migrants line up in front of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at Jacumba Hot Spring, June 6, 2024. Photo by Frederic J. Brown, AFP. Photo via Getty Images. -- Juez restringe la Patrulla Fronteriza en California: “No se puede simplemente acercarse a las personas de piel morena”
by Sergio Olmos and Wendy Fry
‘You just can’t walk up to people with brown skin and say give me your papers,’ a federal judge told Border Patrol attorneys at a hearing challenging recent immigration sweeps
A federal court on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction forbidding the Border Patrol from conducting warrantless immigration stops throughout a wide swath of California.
The ruling came in response to an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed after the El Centro Border Patrol traveled to Kern County to conduct a three-day sweep in January, detaining day laborers, farm workers and others in a Home Depot parking lot, outside a convenience store and along a highway between orchards.
The ruling prohibits Border Patrol agents from taking similar actions, restricting them from stopping people unless they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is in violation of U.S. immigration law. It also bars agents from carrying out warrantless arrests unless they have probable cause that the person is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained.
“You just can’t walk up to people with brown skin and say, ‘Give me your papers,’” U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer L. Thurston said during a Monday hearing in Fresno that featured moments of heated exchange between government attorneys and the judge.
The ACLU filed suit on behalf of United Farm Workers, arguing that the stops violated the Fourth Amendment. The judge has not decided on the totality of the case, but on Tuesday granted the ACLU’s motion to stop the Border Patrol from conducting similar operations while the case moved through the courts.
“I think that it’s pretty clear that half of a century of really established law is being upheld. It’s unfortunate that this is a cause for celebration. It’s not legal to snatch people off the street for looking like farm workers or day laborers,” said Elizabeth Strater, vice president of United Farm Workers.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta agreed. “That’s existing law, and the judge’s order reflects existing law.”
“You can’t just indiscriminately stop people and search them without any appropriate reasonable suspicion or probable cause or without a warrant,” Bonta said at a news conference in San Diego on Monday about conditions in ICE detention. “So, it sounds like the judge had seen enough and wanted to issue an order. “
The injunction is in effect in the jurisdiction of California’s Eastern District, which spans the Central Valley from Redding to Bakersfield.
After the January sweep, the man who led it, Chief Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino, said his agents specifically targeted people with criminal and immigration histories. However, a CalMatters investigation revealed that the Border Patrol had no criminal or immigration history on 77 of the 78 people it arrested.
The court also ordered the Border Patrol to document every stop and provide reports within 60 days. During oral arguments on Monday, the government attorney said doing so would be burdensome to Border Patrol agents. Judge Thurston rebuked the government, saying: “They have to make a report for every arrest, not sure what the burden is.”
According to sworn declarations filed in court by those detained, Border Patrol agents slashed tires, yanked people out of trucks, threw people to the ground, and called farmworkers “Mexican bitches.”
Border Patrol attorneys characterized those examples as actions of individual agents, and not reflective of a policy from the agency.
Thurston disagreed. “The evidence is that this was wide scale” and not limited to individual agents, she said.
Border Patrol agents receive new training
Border Patrol attorneys didn’t offer evidence of their own to dispute the evidence presented by the ACLU, including stopping people based on their race and warrantless arrests. They tried to persuade Thurston that the order would not be necessary because the agency is already taking steps to retrain its officers. In a previous court filing, government attorneys said Border Patrol had issued guidance to retrain the El Center sector’s 900 agents on the Fourth Amendment in order to prevent warrantless arrests.
At Monday’s hearing, Thurston questioned why guidance would even be necessary since agents are trained on the Fourth Amendment in the academy.
Government attorneys told the judge 270 agents have received the training. Thurston asked for details on how the training was being carried out. “Shift by shift?” she said. But government attorneys said they did not know.
The packed courtroom was contentious at times. U.S. Department of Justice attorney Olga Y. Kuchins argued that the Border Patrol’s sweep in Kern County, known as “Operation Return to Sender” wasn’t standard policy. “This two-day operation does not a policy make,” she said.
Thurston asked how many days were needed for an operation to be taken as policy, and on what authority the government was relying on to establish this operation could not be interpreted as part of Border Patrol policy.
“Do you know of that authority?” Thurston said.
“I don’t know of that authority,” Kuchins said.
The injunction also compels the El Centro Sector to provide proof within 90 days, and every 30 days thereafter, that agents involved in these operations have been trained on these rules.
“This ruling is a powerful recognition that what happened in Kern County and surrounding area in January was illegal,” said Bree Bernwanger, ACLU senior staff attorney.
She called it a “powerful reminder that law enforcement agents – including immigration – cannot stop you, detain you because of the color of your skin.”
Another immigration sweep
Even after government attorneys pledged to retrain agents on the Constitution, El Centro sector traveled more than 200 miles north to Pomona last week and rounded up day laborers outside a Home Depot, an action reminiscent of the Kern County raid.
Witnesses say federal agents arrived in unmarked vehicles around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, and quickly surrounded the Home Depot parking lot on South Towne Avenue.
“When they saw that a critical mass was gathered, they executed the raid,” said Alexis Teodoro, a Worker Rights Director with the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, agents arrested 10 and placed them into removal proceedings. No other agencies were involved, said Michael Scappechio, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Advocates are adamant that more than 20 people were initially taken into custody, based on piecing together the accounts of different witnesses about what happened.
Federal officials defended their actions, saying agents were initially targeting a single individual with an active arrest warrant. During the operation, nine other people were also taken into custody. Some of those detained had prior charges, including child abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, immigration violations, and DUI, said Hilton Beckham, the assistant commissioner for CBP’s office of public affairs.
Jesus Domingo Ross, 38, was standing on a street corner looking for work near the Home Depot in Pomona last week when, he said, agents appeared from all sides, grabbed him and threw him to the ground.
“I panicked,” he said, describing the moment he realized he was in custody of U.S. immigration authorities. “Just with everything you’re seeing on the news right now, I really panicked because we didn’t know what was going to happen.”
He spoke to CalMatters on Saturday night during visiting hours at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, where he is now being held.
“I’m trying to keep my confidence in God to carry me through this,” he said quietly.
Seventeen members of the family of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera crossed the Mexico-U.S. border and turned themselves into Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials last Friday, according to journalist Luis Chaparro.
During his online program Pie de Nota, Chaparro said on Monday that Guzmán Loera’s ex-wife Griselda López Pérez and a daughter of the imprisoned former Sinaloa Cartel leader were among those who turned themselves in to the FBI at the border between Tijuana and San Diego.
He presented photographs and video footage that purported to show the family members of Guzmán Loera at the border with their suitcases.
The journalist, whose reporting has been disseminated by many Mexican news outlets, asserted that the family members’ decision to surrender to the FBI was likely linked to the plea agreement Ovidio Guzmán López, one of the sons of El Chapo, is negotiating with U.S. authorities.
“According to the reports from our sources, the family turned themselves in to the FBI at midday last Friday at the San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana. According to the information from the same sources, among these people are Griselda López, mother of Ovidio, several nephews and nieces, a grandson by the name of Archivaldo and a daughter of Chapo together with a son-in-law,” Chaparro said.
He said it was not known why the family members of the imprisoned former drug capo turned themselves in to the FBI.
“But the fact that they turned themselves in to people who were waiting for them [means that] it’s probably linked to the deal that Ovidio Guzmán made with the United States government last week,” Chaparro added.
He also said that the 17 family members were carrying more than US $70,000 in cash between them.
Chaparro said that the family flew to Tijuana from Culiacán, Sinaloa, before crossing the border. He said that “at least one sniper” was positioned at the San Ysidro port of entry due to the risk of one (or more) of the family members being targeted in an attack.
“This act of getting his family to safety could be a sign that Los Chapitos might be losing the war in Sinaloa or that the war is going to get a lot worse,” Chaparro said, referring to the bloody battle between the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Los Mayos faction of the same criminal organization.
He said that his sources revealed that Ovidio Guzmán asked U.S. authorities for a “guarantee” that his mother and other family members would be given permanent residency in the United States.
“In exchange for what? We’re going to find this out on June 6 when Ovidio Guzmán changes his declaration of guilt,” Chaparro said.
Guzmán López — one of “Los Chapitos,” as four of El Chapo’s sons are known — was extradited to the United States in September 2023, eight months after he was captured in Culiacán, Sinaloa. He faces drug trafficking, money laundering and other charges in the U.S.
According to a document of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois that was filed last Tuesday, the 35-year-old defendant is scheduled to attend a plea hearing on July 9. His lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said last week that his client and the U.S. government had not yet reached a final plea deal, but hoped to reach one “in the future.”
El Chapo Guzmán, who, together with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and others, founded the Sinaloa Cartel, was sentenced to life imprisonment in the United States in July 2019 after he was found guilty of drug trafficking in February of that year.
Griselda López, mother of four children with El Chapo, is on the “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list” of the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control.
She is also the mother of Joaquín Guzmán López, who is currently in U.S. custody. He was arrested last July after flying into a New Mexico airport on a private plane with Zambada, who claims that Joaquín Guzmán López kidnapped him and forced him onto the plane. The alleged kidnapping and arrest of El Mayo triggered an intensification of the long-running conflict between Los Chapitos and Los Mayos.
Both Joaquín Guzmán and Zambada pleaded not guilty to the drug trafficking charges they face in the U.S., as did Ovidio Guzmán in September 2023.
Sheinbaum: US hasn’t provided any information about entry of Chapo’s family
Asked about Luis Chaparro’s reporting at her Monday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said there was “no more information” than that which had come out in the media.
She noted that Ovidio Guzmán was extradited to the United States during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and declared that the U.S. government should be “sending information” to Mexico about his case on a “permanent” basis.
Expressly asked whether the U.S. government had provided the information it “should” provide, Sheinbaum said it had not.
“It should deliver it to the Federal Attorney General’s Office, because [it’s a matter of] the United States Justice Department and it has to have coordinated information with the Federal Attorney General’s Office,” she said.
Sheinbaum told reporters that the Attorney General’s Office has its own “investigation files” on Ovidio Guzmán “in Mexico.”
On Tuesday, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch confirmed that 17 members of the extended Guzmán family had handed themselves into the FBI. None of those that crossed into the U.S. were wanted in Mexico, he said in a radio interview.
Guzmán López shot to international infamy in October 2019 when his arrest in Culiacán triggered a wave of cartel attacks that terrorized residents of the northern city.
Not long after his arrest, federal security force released him “to try to avoid more violence … and preserve the lives of our personnel and recover calm in the city,” then security minister Alfonso Durazo said at the time.
Violent chaos also followed Guzmán López’s second and final capture in January 2023, with both soldiers and alleged criminals losing their lives in armed combat in the Sinaloa state capital.
There was speculation last year that Ovidio, also known as “El Ratón” (The Mouse), had entered the United States Federal Witness Protection Program, but that was not confirmed.
Citing his sources, Luis Chaparro predicted on Monday that Ovidio and Joaquín will both enter the U.S. witness protection program at some time in the future.
Many people start their day with a cigarette and a cup of coffee, a routine that feels comforting and familiar. However, research shows this habit may be quietly damaging the heart and blood vessels, especially when both substances are used together.
A study led by Dr. Charalambos Vlachopoulos of the Cardiology Department at Athens Medical School found that caffeine and nicotine, when combined, interact in ways that can harm the cardiovascular system. These effects are not simply additive—they intensify each other’s impact, increasing the risk of heart problems.
Supporting this, research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that people who smoked and drank coffee at the same time had a greater risk of arterial stiffness. Stiff arteries reduce the heart’s ability to pump efficiently and are closely linked to high blood pressure and heart disease.
Caffeine, found in coffee, stimulates the central nervous system, causing the heart to beat faster. Nicotine constricts blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Together, they place extra strain on the heart, accelerating wear and increasing the risk of damage.
“When the heart works too fast due to these two compounds, the burden increases,” the Athens researchers explain. “Over time, it can lead to serious damage.” This stress on the heart may lead to coronary artery disease, abnormal heart rhythms, and heart failure.
The health risks of smoking alone are already severe. Smoking is a leading cause of heart and blood vessel disorders, as well as several cancers. In women, it can also harm fetal development during pregnancy. When combined with coffee, these risks grow more severe due to their reinforcing effects on the cardiovascular system.
While moderate coffee consumption may have benefits on its own, drinking coffee while smoking eliminates those potential advantages and adds new dangers. Here are some key risks of combining these habits:
– Greater dependence: Many people feel a stronger urge to smoke when drinking coffee. This reinforces both habits, making it harder to quit either.
– Increased blood pressure: Caffeine increases heart rate and blood flow; nicotine tightens arteries. Together, they elevate blood pressure to dangerous levels.
– Artery damage: The combination may promote plaque buildup in arteries, leading to stiffness and reduced elasticity, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
– Higher heart disease risk: Together, caffeine and nicotine increase the chances of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.
This combination may feel relaxing, but its effects are quite the opposite inside the body. Many people aren’t aware of how damaging the interaction between nicotine and caffeine can be when consumed together. They may underestimate the long-term consequences, especially if they feel no immediate symptoms.
Breaking the habit of smoking and coffee together can significantly improve cardiovascular health. Experts suggest addressing smoking first, as its health impact is more severe and widespread. Reducing caffeine, particularly in the early stages of quitting smoking, may also help by decreasing cravings and easing the transition.
Former smokers often report that avoiding coffee helps reduce the urge to light up. Some switch to herbal teas or decaffeinated drinks as part of their strategy to quit smoking and reduce heart strain.
Ultimately, this seemingly harmless routine is far from benign. The pairing of smoking and coffee accelerates damage to the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of life-threatening diseases. Understanding the science behind this interaction may help more people reconsider a habit that could cost them their health—and their life.
Would you like me to suggest a horizontal photo to accompany this article?
La sheriff del condado de San Mateo, Christina Corpus, ingresa a una reunión de la Junta de Supervisores del condado de San Mateo en Redwood City el 13 de noviembre de 2024. --San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus enters a San Mateo County Board of Supervisors meeting in Redwood City on November 13, 2024.
by Nigel Duara
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus won her election as a reformer. Three years later, she could become the first California sheriff to be removed from office by a board of supervisors
To really understand the whole mess in San Mateo County, you have to start with the overtime logs. Or maybe it was the urinating puppy. Or perhaps it was the $1,200 boots.
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus is facing removal by the Board of Supervisors after a cascade of allegations — some scandalous, some concerning, some just plain odd — portrayed a chaotic picture of her two years and three months in office.
After a county investigator found Corpus violated policies on nepotism and conflicting relationships, voters empowered the supervisors to remove her, a three-month process slated to begin at the end of April. If successful, it would be the first removal of a county sheriff in California history.
Six cities in San Mateo County have called for her resignation. The county executive is suing Corpus. Corpus is suing the county. Taxpayers are probably picking up the tab for all of it. At stake is the administration of law enforcement in one of the wealthiest enclaves in the country.
Victor Aenlle. Photo via X
Corpus’ road to professional peril began when the sheriff’s captain decided to run for her boss’s job in 2022.
Her opponent, then-Sheriff Carlos Bolanos, had his years in office bookended by scandal. In 2007, when he was the undersheriff of San Mateo County, he and former Sheriff Greg Munks were briefly detained by police in a raid at a Las Vegas brothel. The raids were dubbed “Operation Dollhouse.” Five people were arrested, but Munks and Bolanos were not among them.
Munks said at the time that he believed the brothel was a legitimate massage business. Bolanos could not be reached by CalMatters for comment.
Fifteen years later, in one of his final acts in 2022, Bolanos sent four sheriff’s office employees to Indiana to raid a production facility that makes $210,000 Batmobiles, complete with flamethrowers to simulate the superhero vehicle’s jet turbine exhaust. The reason: A constituent complained that his car delivery had been delayed over a missed payment. Attorney General Rob Bonta declined to investigate Bolanos.
Corpus ran as a reformer and promised changes.
Bonta endorsed Bolanos and the incumbent held a significant early polling advantage, but Corpus won the 2022 nonpartisan open primary anyway with 57 percent of the vote. Candidates who receive more than 50 percent of an open, top-two primary vote are declared the winners without the need for a general election.
“We stood up to an establishment,” Corpus said on the night of her primary victory, “and it’s been amazing.”
A contemporaneous account of her election night watch party in the local Redwood City Pulse said Corpus’ supporters presented her with a large custom bottle of champagne emblazoned with her name, the year and the sheriff’s office logo.
Beneath that were the words: “A sheriff we can trust.”
Before everything that followed – the arrest of the deputies’ union president; a damning, 400-page outside investigation; the sheriff’s divorce and whispers about her personal conduct – this was one of the first and last highlights of Corpus’ early tenure.
When the sheriff-elect was thanking her volunteers, she called out four by name. One of them was local activist Nancy Goodban.
“A lot of us activists were her best volunteers, because we wanted a reform sheriff,” Goodban said.
So what transformed Goodban from one of Corpus’ top supporters to someone who attends board meetings just to call for her removal?
“Oh,” Goodban said. “When that report came out.”
Hiring an ally kicked off firestorm
The trouble started, according to a November report commissioned by the county, when Corpus named one of her campaign consultants to a position in the Sheriff’s Department, executive director of administration.
Retired Santa Clara Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell’s report described the campaign consultant, Victor Aenlle, as “someone who has far more experience as a Coldwell Banker associate real estate broker than he has in law enforcement.” (Aenlle served for 17 years as a reserve deputy in the sheriff’s office, according to records held by the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.)
Rumors were already swirling in the county building about the relationship between Corpus and Aenlle, according to the 408-page report, specifically a trip to Hawaii the pair took with Corpus’ children in October 2022, four months after she won election.
Corpus’ then-husband, who was also a sworn member of the sheriff’s office, allegedly told a former sheriff’s office employee that “Corpus was having an affair with Aenlle and that he did not go on the Hawaii trip because Corpus told him that the flight was full and that there wasn’t a plane ticket available for him,” according to the report.
Corpus’ ex-husband could not be reached for comment.
In an interview with CalMatters, Aenlle said he and Corpus are just close friends, and any other insinuations are meritless.
“It’s made up,” Aenlle said. “It’s fabricated. I’ve always spoken very highly and cared deeply about the sheriff. I came into the scene when she decided to run because I really saw the injustices in the department. I saw the abuse, the corruption.”
Cordell found that Corpus violated the county’s policy on nepotism and conflicting relationships. She alleged in the report that, by 2024, Corpus had “relinquished control” of the department to Aenlle.
Cordell afforded all of the 40 people she interviewed anonymity in the report. Most of the allegations relating to the personal relationship between Aenlle and Corpus are attributed to one person, identified only as Employee No. 3, a civilian working in the sheriff’s office.
That person alleged that Corpus and Aenlle were physically intimate, sharing massages and on one occasion kissing in front of the employee.
Then there were the boots.
Purchased at a Nordstrom’s, according to Employee No. 3, and hidden away in a black shoebox in the back of her van, the $1,200 boots – and an $11,000 pair of diamond earrings – were the physical embodiment of an inappropriate relationship between Corpus and Aenlle.
Employee No. 3 told Cordell, according to the report, Corpus showed her the boots and said “I’m keeping them back here for now so (her then-spouse) won’t see them.”
Over the next two years, Corpus would make at least four requests to raise Aenlle’s salary. One was granted, raising his pay to $246,979. The other three were denied by the county’s human resources department.
Cordell concluded that their relationship went beyond friendship. She considered the earrings and the boots, allegations that Aenlle gave Corpus late-night rides home from the office.
“These, and so many more observations reported by interviewees demonstrate that Aenlle and Sheriff Corpus are not engaged in a ‘mere friendship,’” Cordell wrote.
In the meantime, Corpus’ husband filed for divorce.
Corpus has not responded to multiple calls from CalMatters seeking comment. When asked at a November press conference about her relationship with Aenlle, Corpus dismissed the allegations as “rhetoric.”
“I have a personal relationship with Mr. Aenlle and with other members of my staff,” Corpus said during a heated reply at the press conference. “I’ve been dealing with this kind of rhetoric my entire career. I am a woman of color that has gone up the ranks in a male-dominated field. This is nothing new to me.”
Meanwhile, morale in the office was cratering.
“Of course it’s demoralizing,” said Eliot Storch, secretary of the San Mateo County sheriff’s deputies union. “Fear, retaliation, we are seeing it.”
The deputies’ union and the command staff of the sheriff’s office filed a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board, alleging that the sheriff and Aenlle had created a toxic work environment and were retaliating against union members.
On Nov, 12, the county published Cordell’s report.
Then, the mess at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office turned into full-blown chaos.
Deputies’ union president arrested
Hours before Cordell’s report was published, the president of the deputies’ union was arrested and charged with time card fraud.
The sheriff’s office alleged that the president, Carlos Tapia, was doing union business on company time and falsified the record of his working hours. But an investigation by the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office found no reason to charge Tapia, determining that the errors on his time cards were clerical and concluding that Tapia “should not have been arrested.”
A captain in the sheriff’s office resigned rather than arrest Tapia, and Tapia alleged in a lawsuit filed against the county that Corpus demanded his arrest as retaliation against him for complaining about her leadership.
A series of formal no-confidence votes against Corpus followed: from the cities of San Carlos, Millbrae and San Mateo and from the Organization of Sheriff’s Sergeants, the union representing command staff. In its unanimous no-confidence vote, the Millbrae City Council cited “the decline in leadership, poor decision making, low morale, and a fear of retaliation by Sheriff Corpus and her executive management team” among the reasons for the resolution.
A day after Tapia’s arrest, the county Board of Supervisors demanded Corpus’ resignation. She refused. But Aenlle was relieved of duty the day after the judge’s report’s release, according to county records released to CalMatters.
Regardless, Corpus brought Aenlle back into the office in January, along with a puppy that, as is common with young dogs in new places, urinated a lot. Quite a lot, according to an email sent by a sheriff’s department captain to the rest of the staff and obtained by the Palo Alto Daily Post.
Aenlle’s appearance was distressing to department employees who had spoken to Cordell as part of the county investigation, the email from Capt. Mark Myers said, and employees worried that Aenlle might have been carrying a concealed weapon.
Aenlle denies all of the allegations against him. He, like Corpus, believes he’s a victim of a long-entrenched good-old-boys network that was loath to release its grip on the county.
“The minute I received that title (of executive director of administration), the jealousy ensued, and they had to do everything they could to break us down,” Aenlle said.
Aenlle said he and Corpus arrived as reformers and immediately ran into resistance, followed by the allegations of an intimate personal relationship.
He disputes several elements of the Cordell report, beginning with its design; Aenlle said it’s unfair to grant anonymity to people who were free to make unsubstantiated claims about him and Corpus.
For instance, he said, the report makes mention of his lack of law enforcement experience. Aenlle points to his time as a reserve deputy, but Cordell alleged he was out of compliance with the necessary hours to maintain his reserve status and could face misdemeanor charges in connection with wearing a gold sheriff’s office badge.
“This report hinges on the voices of just 40 individuals — current and former employees — who stand in opposition to progress,” Aenlle wrote in a four-page rebuttal to Cordell’s report. “These individuals represent a faction resistant to the transformative changes aimed at improving our communities, clinging instead to the remnants of a previous administration that lost the community’s trust and mandate to lead.”
Aenlle asserts that the transcripts released with the report of his interview by Cordell were missing crucial pages, including his own defenses of himself and Corpus, and his allegations of a set-up by San Mateo County Executive Mike Callagy. He also said he knows who Employee No. 3 is, and believes that person is seeking revenge because Corpus denied the employee a promotion.
But the biggest change Corpus made, he said, was the reason for the campaign to remove her from her elected office: Threatening the overtime pay deputies had come to expect. That, he said, led to the Cordell report and all of the ensuing fallout.
Some sheriff’s deputies in San Mateo County earn annual overtime that far exceeds their salaries. One deputy received $168,000 in regular pay in 2024 and $489,183.94 in overtime. Another deputy, also in 2024, earned $140,000 in regular pay and more than $318,000 in overtime.
And beginning in 2024, in order to cover vacancies and encourage deputies to work overtime, the sheriff’s office offered double pay for overtime instead of the usual time-and-a-half pay.
That, Aenlle said, led to ballooning overtime costs in the first half of 2024.
Aenlle said he has personally reviewed documents showing the sheriff’s office spent $17 million on overtime in the first six months of 2024, which would exceed the amount spent in any previous year.
Corpus made the same assertions while defending her actions in a September press conference, alleging that Callaghy, the county executive, negotiated the massive overtime bill behind her back and without her knowledge, calling such actions “serious political dirty dealings.”
CalMatters requested a month-by-month breakdown of the county’s overtime spending on sheriffs’ deputies working in patrol and the jails. Records provided by the county show that in 2024, the sheriff’s office spent slightly less in the second half of the year, about $2.2 million per month, than it did in the first half of the year when it spent about $2.6 million per month on average.
The records do not reflect a significant reduction in overtime spending after June 2024.
Finally, on March 4, the question of how to handle Corpus went to the voters. Titled Measure A, the San Mateo County ballot measure asked voters to choose whether to amend the county charter to give the Board of Supervisors the power to remove the sheriff by a four-fifths vote.
San Mateo is a charter county, giving its supervisors the cheaper and quicker option of removal, rather than a recall campaign. At least one California county sheriff has been recalled before, back in the 1970s, and a few have resigned with a recall on the ballot, but Corpus would be the first sheriff removed from office.
The measure passed with 84 percent of the vote. Corpus again refused to resign, setting off a removal process at the county that’s expected to last about three months. At a board hearing in April, members of the public urged county supervisors to move quickly.
The final removal hearing is scheduled to take place behind closed doors, though CalMatters has requested that the meeting be held in an open session.
No matter what happens, Corpus may still face further investigations, this time by San Mateo County District Attorney Steven Wagstaffe, who said his office was looking into Corpus’ conduct but decided to wait until the removal process plays out.
“We are waiting, but we have not closed (the investigation into Corpus),” Wagstaffe said. “There is evidence we have uncovered that provokes us to continue with our inquiry.”
CalMatters journalism engineer Tomas Apodaca contributed reporting to this story.
When Christina Corpus, whose mother is from Nicaragua, was elected San Mateo County Sheriff in 2022 with 57 percent of the vote, it was a historic win on a platform of reform, transparency, and ending cronyism within a department long mired in scandal. But just over two years later, Corpus stands on the edge of removal—not for proven crimes, corruption, or abuse of power, but for a swirl of allegations that, on close inspection, are more petty than damning.
From the start, Corpus’ victory challenged the deeply embedded power structure in the county. Her predecessor, Carlos Bolanos, was no stranger to controversy—having been caught up in the 2007 “Operation Dollhouse” brothel raid in Las Vegas and, in a bizarre final act, dispatching deputies across state lines to resolve a complaint over a luxury Batmobile replica. Corpus, in contrast, promised a break from business as usual. Her campaign attracted community activists eager for reform, and her primary-night message was clear: “We stood up to an establishment.”
But almost as soon as she took office, the system seemed to turn on her.
A series of headlines and investigations has painted Corpus as a chaotic leader, focusing obsessively on eyebrow-raising but ultimately trivial matters: a $1,200 pair of boots, a peeing puppy in the office, and a Hawaii trip with a longtime friend and campaign supporter, Victor Aenlle. The grand scandal appears to revolve around the perception of an inappropriate personal relationship—based on anonymous allegations and circumstantial details. The so-called evidence? Shared massages, earrings, and a hidden shoebox.
We must ask: Is this really the standard for removing a democratically elected sheriff?
Former Judge LaDoris Cordell’s 400-page report on the sheriff’s office casts Corpus as someone who violated county policies on nepotism and allowed a personal relationship to influence professional decisions. But even the report’s foundation is shaky. The central accuser, labeled “Employee No. 3,” remains anonymous, and none of the alleged misconduct rises to the level of criminal activity. Meanwhile, Cordell gave none of the accused the opportunity to challenge their accusers directly—a red flag in any process claiming impartiality.
Aenlle, the supposed power behind the throne, served as a reserve deputy for 17 years. He wasn’t plucked from nowhere, despite Cordell’s emphasis on his real estate background. He and Corpus both argue that the backlash they’re facing comes from entrenched interests that resent reform—specifically, reform that threatens padded overtime pay and long-standing internal hierarchies. Corpus herself pointedly said that as a woman of color who rose through the ranks in a male-dominated field, these attacks feel all too familiar.
In fact, the very issues that Corpus aimed to tackle—misuse of overtime, lack of transparency, and poor leadership culture—may be fueling the blowback against her. It’s worth noting that some deputies have earned more in overtime than in base salary, with one raking in nearly $500,000 in OT in a single year. When Corpus sought to rein in such excesses and reform pay practices, resistance mounted.
One of the most disturbing episodes was the arrest of the deputies’ union president, Carlos Tapia, just hours before Cordell’s report went public. He was accused of falsifying time cards—a charge the District Attorney declined to pursue, citing clerical errors and no intent to deceive. Tapia alleges retaliation by Corpus for his criticisms of her leadership, but the circumstances suggest the opposite: that Tapia’s arrest may have been a political maneuver orchestrated from within a department at war with its own elected head.
The Board of Supervisors, meanwhile, fast-tracked a ballot measure—Measure A—to give themselves the power to remove the sheriff. It passed with 84% of the vote, but voters were primed by a media narrative heavy on innuendo and light on substance. Corpus has refused to resign, and the county is now proceeding with a closed-door removal process—a troubling lack of transparency for a matter of such public interest.
At its core, the campaign against Corpus appears less about ethical violations and more about reasserting control by those who’ve long dominated the department. Reforms threaten entrenched power. A woman of color who beat the system may have become too much of a disruption.
Removing an elected official should require serious, proven misconduct. Not office gossip. Not vague allegations of impropriety. Not misplaced designer boots.
Sheriff Christina Corpus won a democratic mandate to clean up the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. What she got instead was a backlash from a system desperate to protect itself. Whether you support her policies or not, every voter in the county should be alarmed that flimsy accusations—wrapped in the appearance of accountability—are being used to override the public’s choice.
Democracy means letting voters decide who leads. If Corpus has failed to deliver, there are elections for that. Until then, this looks less like justice and more like a coup cloaked in bureaucracy.
La participación de México en el mercado estadounidense de importaciones, con un valor de 948 mil millones de dólares, durante el primer trimestre del año fue del 13.8 por ciento. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro). -- Mexico's share of the US import market, valued at $948 billion, during the first quarter of the year was 13.8 percent. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro)
by the El Reportero‘s news services
Tariffs couldn’t stop Mexico from recording strong first-quarter growth in its earnings from exports sent to the United States.
In addition, in the first three months of 2025, Mexico was once again the world’s largest exporter to the United States, according to data published by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday.
Mexico exported goods worth US $131.29 billion to the world’s largest economy in the first quarter, up 9.5 percent compared to the same period of 2024.
Mexico beat out Canada and China to retain its position as the top exporter to the United States. Canada’s earnings from exports sent to the U.S. increased 7.9 percent annually in the first quarter to $108.93 billion, while China’s revenue rose 5.1 percent to $102.65 billion.
Mexico’s share of the United States’ $948 billion market for imports in the first three months of the year was 13.8 percent.
Mexico, Canada and China all increased their earnings from exports sent to the United States in the first quarter of 2025 despite U.S. President Donald Trump imposing new tariffs on imports from those countries, and many others.
U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel and aluminum, as well as other Mexican goods not covered by the USMCA free trade pact, were in force for most of March, having taken effect on March 12 and March 4, respectively.
U.S. tariffs on vehicles made in Mexico didn’t take effect until early April.
The publication of the United States’ export data comes eight days after Mexico’s national statistics agency INEGI released statistics showing that Mexico earned a total of $149.25 billion in export revenue in the first three months of 2025, a 4 percent increase compared to the first quarter of last year.
More than 80 percent of Mexico’s export revenue comes from goods shipped to the United States.
Mexico’s export earnings surge 15.4 percent in March
Despite the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel, aluminum and goods not covered by the USMCA — as well as all Mexican products for a brief period in early March — the value of Mexico’s exports to the United States increased 15.4 percent annually in March to $47.98 billion.
Mexico’s strong growth in export revenue in March can be partially attributed to the fact that Holy Week fell in March last year, while the week leading up to Easter Sunday was in April in 2025. Consequently, there were more working days in March 2025 than in the same month last year.
Mexico’s growth in revenue from exports shipped to the United States in March was well above the 4.2 percent annual increase in earnings for Canada, which shipped goods worth $35.66 billion to its southern neighbor in the third month of the year.
In a sign that hefty U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods are hurting China, the value of the east Asian nation’s exports to the United States fell 1.9 percent annually to $29.38 billion in March.
Mexico’s trade surplus with US increased 19 percent in Q1
The Census Bureau data shows that the United States exported goods worth $84.04 billion to Mexico in the first three months of 2025, a 4.8 percent increase compared to the first quarter of last year.
Mexico thus had a trade surplus of $47.25 billion with its northern neighbor in the first quarter of 2025. Mexico’s surplus with the U.S. in the first three months of 2024 was $39.68 billion.
Mexico’s surplus thus increased 19.1 percent in the space of a year.
In 2024, the value of Mexican exports to the United States exceeded US $500 billion for the first time ever, and Mexico’s surplus with the U.S. increased 12.7 percent annually to $171.8 billion.
Trump has railed against the trade deficit the United States runs with Mexico, and has even suggested that Mexico should become a U.S. state due to the trade imbalance between the two countries.
The U.S. president has cited the United States’ trade deficits with Mexico and Canada as one of the reasons for imposing tariffs on imports from those countries, despite the three nations being signatories to the USMCA and having high levels of integration between their economies.
After a call with Trump last week, President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that the United States is “very interested” in reducing its trade deficit with Mexico.
She said that she and the U.S. president “agreed to keep working” on ways in which the trade imbalance can be reduced by Mexico importing more goods from the United States.
“In other words, have even more trade … for the benefit of both countries,” said Sheinbaum, whose government is currently attempting to negotiate better trade conditions with the United States.
With reports from El Economista
Sheinbaum’s stance on US-Mexico relations earns widespread approval
Just over seven months into her six-year presidency, President Claudia Sheinbaum remains a very popular leader, according to the results of two polls conducted in April.
The latest El Financiero poll detected an 81 percent approval rating for Mexico’s first female president, while a much larger survey conducted by the Mitofsky polling company for the newspaper El Economista found a 70.2 percent approval rating for Sheinbaum.
According to the El Financiero poll results, Sheinbaum’s approval rating declined two percentage points compared to March.
Among respondents to the Mitofsky/El Economista poll, the president’s approval rating has never been higher, increasing 0.4 percentage points in April to go above 70 percent for the first time since she was sworn in on Oct. 1.
Strong support for Sheinbaum’s plan to ban US government advertising in Mexico
For its poll, El Financiero surveyed 1,100 Mexican adults by telephone, with interviews conducted between April 3-7 and between April 24-28.
Per the newspaper’s poll results, Sheinbaum’s approval rating has been above 80 percent every month so far this year. It peaked at 85 percent in February before falling two points in March to 83 percent and two points again in April to 81 percent.
President Donald Trump is pushing a shift in homelessness policy, replacing the “Housing First” model with a treatment-first approach that emphasizes mandated addiction and mental health services before offering housing. His plan includes relocating homeless people to large encampments or mental institutions, requiring treatment, or facing arrest.
The Housing First policy, implemented nationally in 2004 under President George W. Bush, prioritizes permanent housing as the initial step to stabilize people experiencing chronic homelessness. It expanded under Presidents Obama and Biden. Housing First offers housing without requiring sobriety, treatment participation, or employment, and connects individuals to services after housing is secured.
“When you’re on the streets, all you’re doing every day is figuring out how to survive,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “Housing is the most important intervention that brings a sense of safety and stability.”
Evidence shows Housing First can be highly effective. A systematic review of 26 studies found that, compared with treatment-first strategies, Housing First programs reduced homelessness by 88 percent. It also led to improvements in health and decreased costly hospital visits.
Despite this, Trump’s administration is moving to dismantle Housing First. HUD has proposed major staffing and funding cuts that affect homelessness programs. The administration has also discouraged local governments from adhering to Housing First models and is shrinking the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Critics warn this shift will worsen the crisis. “Throwing everybody into treatment programs just isn’t an effective strategy,” said Donald Whitehead Jr. of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “The real problem is we just don’t have enough affordable housing.”
Former Trump homelessness adviser Robert Marbut argues the opposite, saying that sobriety and treatment should be prerequisites to housing. He believes Housing First enables people to remain homeless and addicted. Trump’s policy advisors, through the Project 2025 blueprint, are calling for a formal end to Housing First.
Even some Democratic leaders are distancing themselves from the model. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom and mayors of major cities are pushing mandatory treatment programs and increased encampment sweeps. However, experts say these crackdowns disrupt service connections and slow housing placements.
Jeff Olivet, President Biden’s homelessness adviser, argues the model works when funded and implemented correctly. “Housing First is not just about sticking somebody in an apartment and hoping for the best,” he said. “It’s about providing stable housing and access to treatment, but not forcing it.”
Rolly Romero stunned the boxing world on May 2 in Times Square, New York, when he dropped and outpointed the heavily favored Ryan Garcia to claim the vacant WBA ‘regular’ welterweight title. Entering the bout as a 12-to-1 underdog, Romero pulled off what many considered a career-defining upset, improving his record to 17-2 (13 KOs).
Now, at 29, Romero has his sights set on an even bigger name: boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
Romero’s Ambition or Misdirection?
Romero made his intentions clear in a recent interview with Sean Zittel, saying, “Rolly versus Pacquiao. No matter if he beats Barrios—it’s still Rolly versus Pacquiao.” He went on to dismiss concerns about Pacquiao’s record, adding, “Pacquiao’s another one that don’t give a fk about losses, and everyone keeps tuning in, right? All that undefeated st don’t mean anything if you’re not fighting anybody.”
While Pacquiao is scheduled to return against WBC titleholder Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas, Romero insists he’d be ready to face the Filipino legend regardless of the outcome.
Pacquiao’s Return: Risk or Redemption?
Pacquiao, now 46, hasn’t fought since 2021, when he lost a wide decision to Yordenis Ugas. Despite widespread skepticism about his comeback, Pacquiao claims his goal is to make history, not simply to re-enter the spotlight.
Should he defeat Barrios, a fight with Romero could emerge as a surprise possibility. In today’s boxing landscape—where spectacle often trumps rankings—nothing seems off the table.
Romero’s Logic Under Scrutiny
Still, some critics question Romero’s path. Why call out a 46-year-old retired legend instead of a top-ranked, active contender in the welterweight division? The Romero-Garcia bout was more tactical than thrilling, and a rematch might even drum up more fan interest.
As for Pacquiao, it’s unclear whether he’s ever watched Romero fight, or whether he’d even entertain the idea of facing him. But one thing is certain: in boxing, legacy and matchmaking often follow their own unpredictable rules.
