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Going green is the new normal

To our beloved community

As we start transitioning to a new normal post-pandemic, communities and businesses are looking to “go green” to stay healthy. Staying healthy does not only mean social distancing and vaccinations, it also means making a concerted effort to improve the air quality, and overall environment, of our communities by making homes and businesses “greener.”

Going green has many meanings, one of them is making the buildings where we live or work at more energy-efficient with improvements such as an energy-efficient roof, windows and doors, an HVAC unit, and renewable energy systems like solar panels, to mention a few.

For many, financing these projects may seem out of reach; however, there is an option called Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing – a powerful and affordable long-term solution. Companies like Renew Financial, specialized in PACE, can help you learn more about this unique type of financing.

Let’s do our part in making our communities greener!

Carlos Solórzano-Cuadra, CEO CHCC-SF

EXECUTIVE BOARD
Carlos Solórzano Cuadra CEO Multi Visión Latina, LLC Business Consulting, PR; Victor Reyes Umana Chairman of the Board Bodega del Sur Winery;  A. Raul HernandezCFO/Treasurer Hood;  Strong, LLC;  Alvaro Bonilla Secretary AB Contracting
DIRECTORS
Martha Vaughan Futura Realty;  Miriam Chaname MC Taxes;  Immigration Services; Randy Olson Gallegos Olson Consulting;  Carlos Bonilla Camp;  Auto Body;  Guillermo MoranEco-Delight Coffee Roasting Company;  Antonio Lau InovaNow IT , Web Services; Gabriela Sapp, MBA Equitable Growth Solutions; Manuel Cosme Jr. Payroll Partners, Inc. Legislative Committee Chair; Frank Ayala Ayala Realty Investments; Alex Maltez Bay Area Homes.
ADVISORS
Adam Thongsavat Air bnb; Astrid Acero Lopez Medicare Plans Broker; Eduardo Arenas EAB Brokerage;  Roberto Barragán AQUARIA Funds Inc.;  Sandra Beaton Beaton Global Connections;  Servio Gomez Back to The Picture; Manuel Rosales The Latino Coalition; Karla Garcia Bris’s Creations.

Give Peruvians their day in court

Legal challenges to an extremely narrow vote are a fundamental part of democracy

 

por Mary Anastasia O’Grady

Shared from the Wall Street Journal

 

June 20, 2021 – During the Peruvian presidential campaign earlier this year, socialist candidate Pedro Castillo told voters that he would nationalize the assets of foreign investors. He did not say whether this would apply to Chinese corporations that own billions of dollars of Peruvian mining interests. But predicting that it won’t isn’t exactly going out on a limb.

Mr. Castillo is a rabid anticapitalist backed by Peru’s extreme left. He’s a perfect partner for Beijing, which doesn’t even pretend to care about corruption or human rights. China is eager to increase its political and economic influence in South America, and it made inroads into Peru when, in May 2019, then-President Martin Vizcarra —who was later impeached on corruption charges and removed from office—signed on to its Belt and Road Initiative.

The China card that Mr. Castillo is expected to play is one reason Peruvians, along with the U.S. and other democracies, have an interest in a transparent review of contested votes from the June 6 runoff presidential election. But it isn’t the only one.

The difference between vote totals for Mr. Castillo and his center-right rival, Keiko Fujimori, is extremely narrow. If Mr. Castillo is declared the winner he has threatened to use his slim majority as justification to tear up the country’s economically liberal constitution and replace it with something closer to Venezuela’s. It isn’t hyperbole to say that he believes that 50.1% of the vote entitles the winner to steamroll the rights of the other 49.9%.

This is no reason to deny Mr. Castillo a victory if he won fair and square. But it strengthens the case for maximum transparency, which can only be guaranteed by an impartial hearing for both sides. If Mr. Castillo can be taken at his word, Peruvian freedom is at stake.

On June 10, 17 former presidents from Latin America and Spain issued a declaration calling on both parties to exercise leadership by waiting for Peru’s electoral authorities to complete their oversight responsibilities.

Mr. Castillo’s camp says the outcome is already decided because he’s ahead by around 44,000 votes after some challenges have been resolved by electoral authorities. Ms. Fujimori says that some 200,000 more votes—the majority in favor of Mr. Castillo—ought to be nullified because of fraud. She says she can prove it if the electoral council releases the data and the tribunal agrees to hear the evidence.

Mr. Castillo’s supporters, claiming to love democracy, want to deny that possibility. Alberto Fernández, Argentina’s leftist president, tweeted congratulations to Mr. Castillo days after the election, adding some mumbo-jumbo about the country’s “institutional strength.”

But it’s too early to draw the conclusion that institutions have worked. First Peruvians must be permitted to challenge the election results, as is their right under Peruvian law.

Some not-very-bright opponents of Donald Trump had meltdowns last fall when I suggested that Trump challenges should be allowed to play out in court. They were wrong. By allowing judges—many of whom were named by Republicans—to review claims of massive fraud, the process played out legally.

Peruvians deserve equal treatment and transparency, and public trust in institutions requires as much. Petitions for access to the legal system not only are legitimate but would clarify the results.

It is likely that Mr. Castillo understands this better than most. In what appears to be an effort to close the matter quickly, he has withdrawn his appeals not yet heard by the national electoral tribunal.

That tribunal, which decides what appeals will be heard, is off to a rocky start. It has five seats but only four are filled. The president of the tribunal, whose sympathies with the left are well established, is by law the tie breaker.

The tribunal asks for challenges to be filed within three days of the election, with proof that lawyers have paid the required fee. Hundreds of challenges are hanging in limbo because the tribunal has not yet decided if failure to comply with such technicalities ought to render them invalid.

Lawyers for Ms. Fujimori argue that the court needs to consider her challenges on the merits rather than arbitrary deadlines. The tribunal seemed to have some empathy for that argument on Friday, June 11, when it ruled that it would accept late challenges. Later that same day it reversed its own decision, sparking speculation that it is under enormous pressure from the left to rush through a Castillo victory.

If Mr. Castillo cheated, with the help of political allies like Cuban-trained Vladimir Cerrón —who heads Mr. Castillo’s Peru Libre Party—then Peruvians deserve to know. If he didn’t cheat and the nation voted, however narrowly, for a candidate who has repeatedly promised to blow up the market economy, they deserve to know that too.

Sang Matiz performs as a 7-piece force with a blast of Afro-Latin and Tropical rhythms!

compiled by the El Reportero‘s staff

 

Joining us on the show

 

Female-led powerhouse band, Sang Matiz, has garnered a reputation for enlivening audiences with their insatiable World and Afro-Latin beats which fuse Tropical elements with touches of Funk.

With musical finesse, they’ve perfected a unique combination of styles that weaves catchy, syncopated melodies with flamenco-infused guitar licks. Sang Matiz takes you on a journey of cultural expression with an exciting fusion of rhythms full of passion, energy, and wild creativity!

Yuriza Jared (Singer-Songwriter/Composer) on vocals, charango, quena, and guitar, Eddie Cabezas on Latin/Flamenco Guitar, Braulio Barrera (Grammy Award Winner) on Congas/Cajon, Rana Moussa on Keys & hand percussion, Alex Farrell on Bass, Christian Pepin (Grammy Award Winner) on Drums, and Jesus Martinez on Brazilian percussion.

Join us at Rocky’s to honor and celebrate all of the amazing dads out there for Father’s Day! 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sun, June 20, 2021

Support the arts during these times by coming to a live outdoor performance!

Doors open at 5 p.m. ~ Live music at 6 p.m. Kids: 12 years and bellow come in for free! Venue closes at 9 p.m.

 

Summer Stride 2021 at the SF Library

Summer Stride is the Library’s annual summer learning, reading and exploration program for all ages and abilities.

From June through August, we are promoting:

– Author talks, reading lists and book giveaways

– STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) learning

– Mindful experiences in nature

– Workforce development opportunities for teens

– Meaningful connections for all ages for our diverse community

Challenge yourself and others to read, learn and listen with the Library this summer!

Begin your journey towards 20 hours of summer learning starting in June.

Track your progress virtually on Beanstack. You can register individual participants as well as groups (families, classes).

Or, track your progress on our printable tracker! Color each square for every 20 minutes of participation. (3 squares = 1 hour)

Recommended Summer Reading

Students, Families and Educators, the annual SFUSD Recommended Summer Reading Lists are your source for great, diverse and newly-published reads for Pre-K to Grade 12. All SFUSD students are receiving the Summer Reading List in their home mailboxes this spring.

Pro tip: Visit our Reading Resources for more fun free downloadable activities to enhance your reading experience.

Fantastic Free Programs for All Ages

Every summer, the Library offers a bevy of quality programs for all ages—free of cost. From programs that teach kids about nature, to music performances from award-winning artists, to authors who speak on topics ranging from SF Bay Area history to racial justice, to valuable how-to programs on gardening and cooking, you will find something to love at the Library.

We’re offering one-time programs, as well as exciting series, that will carry you through the whole summer.

We’re building home libraries with free book giveaways for SFUSD PreK to 12th grade students as part of Summer Together.

  • 10 free books for each SFUSD student, grouped by grade levels
  • May 21-24 – Summer Stride reading tracker and book list mailed to each SFUSD student
  • Starting June 14 – Books distributed to students via Summer Together in-person summer camps
  • June 14-Sept. 12 – Books given out at all SFPL To Go, bookmobile and in-person browsing locations. Locations and hours for open libraries
  • By Sept. 12 – Collect your Summer Stride finishing prize at any open library location.

Tollan, the city ruled by Quetzalcóatl

Tollan was a city in pre-Hispanic Mexico, located in the current city of Tula, Hidalgo. It is said that it was ruled by Quetzalcóatl

 

Shared from Mexico Desconocido

 

Of all the cities of pre-Hispanic Mexico, it is difficult to find one that has had the fame of Tollan. According to Mesoamerican mythology, Tollan was the city founded and ruled by Quetzalcóatl.

Where is Tollan located?

Recent archaeological investigations have confirmed that Tollan is located in the city of Tula Hidalgo. Tollan was a city of around 15 km2 that had great economic and social complexity.

Tollan can be translated as “place where tules abound” in Nahuatl. Bernardino de Sahagún, missionary and author of some of the most important documents for the investigation of Mexico prior to the colony, called Tula “Tollan Xicocotitlan”, which means Tula together with Xicococ. There is near the city of Tula, the famous Jicuco hill, which we could interpret as proof that Tollan is actually the current city of Tula.

Why is it said that Quetzalcóatl ruled it?

According to Mesoamerican mythology, Quetzalcóatl was born between the 9th and 10th centuries after Christ, near Xochicalco, in the current state of Morelos. As an adult he took revenge for the murder of his father and claimed his inheritance as king of the Toltecs. After this, he founded Tollan and began a new era of prosperity for the Toltec civilization. This continued until the war between the people of Quetzalcóatl and the followers of Tezcatlipoca, the god of war and human sacrifice. Quetzalcóatl and his followers were defeated and exiled from Tollan.

During the 1940s, Jorge Acosta and Hugo Moedano, anthropologists, rescued hundreds of sculptures from the city of Tula. Within these, representations of characters from the history of pre-Hispanic Mexico stood out. It was not until the 1980s that a research project led by Roberto Gallegos recovered a fragment of a pilaster from one of the Tollan pyramids, which contained the image of Quetzalcóatl.

Another figure found in the place was that of the god Tezcatlipoca; this is the oldest sculpture of this deity found in the central highlands. The remains mentioned here, found in such close proximity to each other, would represent a great advance for the knowledge that we have today of the Mesoamerican peoples.

Christian Nodal receives 8 nominations for Premios Juventud

The young Star of Regional Mexican Music Christian Nodal continues to consolidate in the taste of lovers of Regional Mexican Music and this time he has been nominated in 8 categories for the Premios Juventud.

Premios Juventud will be held in the City of Miami on July 22 at the Watsco Center in the City of Miami and will be broadcast live on the Univision network.

Is California still facing an eviction tsunami when the moratorium ends?

in Beaverton, Ore., Friday, July 13, 2012. in Beaverton, Ore.(AP Photo/Don Ryan )

by Nigel Duara

 

California’s eviction moratorium is coming to an end June 30. Since the earliest days of the pandemic, housing analysts have worried about a tsunami of evictions whenever the state lifts protections for renters.

Will there be an eviction tsunami when the moratorium ends? Or a smaller wave? CalMatters asked Carolina Reid, associate professor of city and regional planning at the University of California, Berkeley. The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

A few months back, we discussed a potential eviction cliff. Are we still headed for that cliff?

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent announcement that California would cover 100% of rent owed by tenants is welcome news, and will help to mitigate the worst impacts of the pandemic on rental households. Depending on the timing of those payments, the ending of the eviction moratoria on June 30 may be less of a cliff than many believed.

But it is unclear whether a) the relief will get to all households that need it soon enough and b) the funds are sufficient to pay back owed rent.

There’s also the question of how long it will take to see jobs and wages back in full, and whether households took on other forms of unsustainable debt — for example, through credit cards or other higher cost products like payday loans — to make ends meet during the pandemic.

How many people are at risk in the eviction tsunami? How much will they owe?

Analysis by PolicyLink suggests that about 900,000 households in California are behind on rent, with an average of $4,600 in rental arrears.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s estimates of rental debt are higher – they estimate that nationally, the average amount of rental arrears (for those who are not paid up on their rent) is closer to $8,000.

In a new study we’re about to release next week, we look at the actual rental debt for households living in subsidized housing — so those who benefit from below-market rents. And even there, a small proportion of those who are behind on rental payments have accumulated more than $5,000 in rental debt. So I think these other estimates are reasonable averages, though of course some families may owe much more.

Our study also shows that families are also struggling with food costs, and may be struggling to pay rent because they’re also assisting family who may have more need. Even though things are starting to open back up, I think a lot of families are still really reeling from both the economic and emotional impact of this crisis.

What are you seeing in the Census Household Pulse Survey that has been conducted during the pandemic? What do the surveys suggest could happen when the moratorium lifts?

The Census Pulse Survey results have been quite consistent over time – there’s been some improvement in recent waves, and there is some volatility around the estimates because of small sample size, but in general, about 12% to 15% percent of renters in California report being behind on rent, and just over a third think they are very or somewhat likely to be evicted in the next two months.

What do we know about the demographics of the people at risk of eviction?

The risks of eviction, and homelessness, are significantly higher for Black, Hispanic, and indigenous households – across every measure and in every dataset, we see higher rates of vulnerability to eviction, including income losses and higher rates of rental delinquencies. In our new study, we also see the dramatic impact of this crisis on households with children, particularly single-parent households. More than three times as many single-parent households with children were behind on rent in comparison to households without children. This is deeply concerning, since we know that the impacts of housing instability, insecurity and homelessness have a significant negative impact on children’s health, educational outcomes and well-being.

What are the risks for families beyond the actual eviction process? What are some of the impacts of eviction?

Recent studies on eviction show how disruptive it is, not only in the short term in terms of loss of housing and housing instability, but also over the long term. It greatly increases the likelihood of homelessness, but it can also lead to a cycle of housing insecurity and instability.

It also increases negative health outcomes and increases health care costs. It lowers credit scores, so it can serve as a barrier to finding new housing or employment, and can raise the costs of borrowing for a car.

This article is part of the California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequality and economic survival in California.

G7 tax deal: From global tax to global government

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

 

Dear Reader:

 

I bring you today an exposé of what is been said is coming about what many of you might have been hearing lately: the plans of the elite to institute a World Government in out planet Earth. Well, investigative journalist, James Corbett brings that exposure to us in the article below. Hope you will enjoy it. – Marvin Ramírez

 

by James Corbett

June 13, 2021Imagine if you spent months planning an elaborate 50th birthday party for yourself—hiring performers, decorating your place and inviting everyone you know—and when the big day finally arrived . . . no one bothered to show up. Embarrassing, right?

Well, that’s essentially what happened to the European Union in 2007 when they threw themselves a 50th Anniversary Extravaganza. Reports at the time talked of EU-sponsored “citizen parties,” street festivals and public celebrations that were largely ignored by the public. About the only thing that Europeans can ever agree on is their differences, and even after 50 years of conditioning it seemed few outside of Brussels were stirred by the EU flag or the thought of half a century of political union.

Perhaps that’s because 2007 did not really mark the 50th anniversary of the EU or 50 years of political union at all. No, 2007 was the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, a 1957 compact to form a common market and customs union between six European nations. It is doubtful that many people beyond the handful of Bilderbergers and globalists who signed the treaty could have imagined that it would result in a grandiose anniversary celebration for the European Union 50 years hence.

(FUN FACT: The “Treaty of Rome” that was signed on March 25, 1957 was literally a blank document because “[t]he Italian state printer had not met the deadline.”)

It makes you wonder: Is there any seemingly innocuous event taking place in the world today that, 50 years from now, may be commemorated as the moment that some monstrous globalist institution was born?

As it turns out, there is just such an event that took place this month that may lead to a “50 Years of Global Government” celebration in June 2071. Do you know what it is?

Here’s some hints, courtesy of dinosaur media headlines:

Finance Leaders Reach Global Tax Deal

Biden and G-7 leaders will endorse a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15%

Yes, It’s a Global Tax on American Tech

Have you heard about this story yet? If not, here are the talking points that the MSM want you to take away from this.

The first is that the US is ready to go along with the rest of the G7 (and, eventually, the G20) on a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%, meaning that no nation under the agreement could charge corporate tax rates below that mark. Why would the Biden administration agree to such a plan? Well, if you ask Biden (or, more accurately, his teleprompter writers), he’ll tell you it’s part of a “foreign policy for the middle class” that aims to “ensure that globalization and trade are harnessed for the benefit of working Americans, and not merely for billionaires and multinational corporations.”

But even the New York Times is willing to call that nonsense out for the shameless mealymouthed political dissembling that it is. As Alan Rappeport puts it more bluntly in his report for the Old Grey Presstitute on the deal:

“The Biden administration has been particularly eager to reach an agreement because a global minimum tax is closely tied to its plans to raise the corporate tax rate in the United States to 28 percent from 21 percent to help pay for the president’s infrastructure proposal.”

What? A politician taking whatever opportunity presents itself to deflect blame for a huge tax hike? Will wonders never cease.

More seriously, we arrive at the other key part of the plan. This is where things get a bit more convoluted. As the G7 Finance Ministers “explained” in their communiqué last week:

We commit to reaching an equitable solution on the allocation of taxing rights, with market countries awarded taxing rights on at least 20% of profit exceeding a 10% margin for the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises.

Clear as mud? I thought so. In this case the Wall Street Journal is there to helpfully translate this impenetrable jargon from the globalese into everyday English:

“Translating the jargon, this means new rules would allow jurisdictions where global companies earn revenue (“market countries”) to tax a portion of the resulting profits. This would upend a century of global standards that tax companies where their headquarters are based.”

So why this? Why “20% of profit exceeding a 10% margin”? Why now?

Well, the super secret thing that you have to read between the lines with your special decoder ring in order to understand is that this clause is specifically aimed at Big Tech. Of course, they don’t say “Big Tech” or talk specifically about Amazon, Facebook, Google or the other FAANGsters. If they did, it wouldn’t be a secret! But when they float the idea of a $20 billion revenue threshold for this clause (as Yellen has reportedly done), that automatically includes all the Big Tech companies and excludes most other major multinationals. And there are very few industries other than Big Tech where companies routinely achieve greater than 10% profit margins. According to the WSJ, “negotiators are carving out exclusions for other industries that otherwise would have to pay the tax.”

So why the “secrecy,” then? Why not call it a Big Tech tax and be done with it? Because (again according to the WSJ):

 

Ms. Yellen and her G-7 colleagues understand truth in advertising could kill this measure on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers might bristle at a tax aimed primarily at U.S. companies. They especially will notice the goal is to shift to other governments tax revenue Washington might otherwise claim for itself.

In other words, we’re being asked to believe that as long as American politicians don’t physically read the words “Big Tech” or “US companies” (and as long as they don’t read the op ed pages of the Wall Street Journal) then they’ll never figure out what’s really going on here until it’s too late.

This is self-debunking bunkum. There’s obviously a much bigger story here. So what is it? Perhaps we can turn to less mainstream-y sources for the story.

Unfortunately, if you turn to a publication like The American Conservative you’re not going to get a much better explanation. In “G7’s Global Tax Plans Threaten Prosperity Worldwide,” contributor Charles Amos makes the least persuasive argument imaginable in the most ham-handed way possible, all the while constructing the most convenient strawman for proponents of the deal to tear down with ease. In the most wonkish, straight-out-of-college way conceivable, Amos earnestly intones:

“These plans will do significant damage to the global economy. According to the Tax Justice Network, the 15 percent proposals can be expected to raise roughly $275 billion globally. Nevertheless, when corporate taxes rise, shareholders see lower returns, consumers pay higher prices, and workers earn lower wages. And while high prices and low wages hurt momentarily, lowering returns on capital impoverishes entire economies for years to come.”

In other words, “Won’t someone think of the poor World Economic Forum partner corporations?!”

The global tax is not here yet, but it is on the way and if you can’t see that yet I don’t know what else to say to you. Of course, when the global tax arrives it will be hailed as a wonderful thing. A penny or two on every ton of CO2 emitted anywhere in the world to go directly to the UN’s climate mitigation efforts. Who could possibly dispute such a virtuous and noble cause?

And, just like that, the global government will be funded into existence.

Although we are not there yet, and although it may sound fairly innocuous, the announcement of this global tax deal is one of the landmark moments in the establishment of the global government. And just like no one but the conspirators themselves could have predicted in 1957 that the signing of the Treaty of Rome was going to be commemorated as the birthday of the European Union, it’s almost certain that some similarly mundane event will one day come to be seen as the birthday of the New World Order. Like, say, a global minimum corporate tax rate deal reached at the G7 Summit in 2021.

All I’m saying is that when the cryogenically preserved head of Klaus Schwab pronounces a Year of Celebration to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his rule as Planetary Overlord in 2071, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Relieve digestive issues and fight cancer with Indian bael

by Evangelyn Rodríguez

 

Aegle marmelos, commonly known as bael in Nepal and India, is a plant that belongs to the Rutaceae, or citrus, family. It is native to Northern India but can also be found in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Also called shivaduma, or the tree of Shiva, bael is sacred to the Hindus and is commonly found growing near temples. The Hindus believe that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, resides in bael leaves; hence, the plant is often used as a religious offering. Bael is also widely used in traditional Indian medicine.

In a recent article published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine, researchers from Australia and South Korea reviewed scientific evidence supporting the pharmacological activities of bael. The plant has long attracted scientific interest because of the many medicinal uses associated with its various parts. For more than 5,000 years, ethnic communities residing in the Indian subcontinent have been using the leaves, bark, stem, fruits and seeds of bael to treat a wide variety of diseases.

The root of bael, for instance, is used to treat intermittent fever, hypochondriasis, melancholia and heart palpitations. It is also an important ingredient of “dasmula” or “dasamula,” an Ayurvedic medicine used for the management of pain, arthritis and inflammatory disorders. Bael leaves and bark, meanwhile, are used in medicated enemas. The leaves are also said to be effective against diabetes mellitus and related complications.

But the part of bael most used for medicinal purposes is its fruit. A well-known remedy for diarrhea that’s been included in the British Pharmacopoeia, the unripe fruit of bael is also used to treat dysentery, or intestinal infections, peptic ulcers and respiratory infections. Studies have also reported that bael fruit is effective in experimental models of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The fruit has been called a “rasayana” by early scholars, which, in Ayurvedic medicine, means something that can invigorate the body and prolong a person’s lifespan.

The anti-cancer properties of bael

Recently, studies have emerged supporting the use of bael as anti-cancer medicine. For instance, a study published in the Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences reported that bael leaf extracts have significant antiproliferative activity against leukemia, colon and breast cancer cells. Phytochemical analysis of the bael leaf extracts revealed that the plant is rich in alkaloids, anthraquinones, terpenoids, tannins and reducing sugars. Researchers also identified a compound called imperatorin that contributes to the anti-cancer activity of bael’s ethanol extract against leukemia cells.

In a separate study published in Nature, Indian researchers reported that bael fruit extracts also have anti-cancer properties. Using rats with chemically induced breast cancer, they looked at the plant’s ability to reduce tumor formation. The researchers found that treatment with bael fruit extract for five weeks significantly reduced mammary tumor volume in the breast cancer model. The extract also decreased serum levels of tumor growth biomarkers and improved kidney and liver serum biomarkers. Altogether these results suggest that bael fruit is a promising natural medicine for breast cancer that also confers kidney- and liver-protective effects.

Many other phytochemicals in bael have been identified as anti-cancer agents. Marmelin, a compound unique to bael, has been found to inhibit the growth of epithelial cancer cells by decreasing cancer cell survival, proliferation and invasiveness. Lupeol, another active compound in bael, prevents tumor formation in neoplastic cell lines. Eugenol shows cytotoxic effects on malignant liver tumors, colon cancer and melanomas, while citral induces apoptosis in hematopoietic cancer cell lines.

Many studies have validated the medicinal uses of bael, as well as the plant’s antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, antidiarrheal, gastroprotective, anti-ulcerative colitis, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, radioprotective and anti-cancer activities. However, more studies are needed in order to identify other useful phytochemicals in bael and develop them into potent medicines that can be used in clinical practice. Shared from Natural News.

Mexico falls 7 percent on Latin America corruption index to place 11th out of 15 countries

2021 report shows Mexico on ‘clear downward trajectory’ in tackling corruption

 

by Mexico News Daily

 

A new study says corruption in Mexico continues to worsen despite President López Obrador’s claims that his administration is eradicating the scourge.

Mexico dropped three places to 11th out of 15 countries on the 2021 Capacity to Combat Corruption (CCC) Index and its score fell to 4.25 out of 10, a decline of 0.3, or 7 percent, compared to its score on last year’s index.

It is the second consecutive year that Mexico’s score has declined. It was down 2 percent, to 4.55, on the 2020 CCC Index, which assesses Latin American nations’ ability to detect, punish and prevent corruption. The index was first published in 2019.

Mexico only ranked ahead of Paraguay, Guatemala, Bolivia and Venezuela this year. Uruguay led with the best score of 7.8 out of 10. In second to 10th places, respectively, were Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Developed by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) and the global risk and strategic consulting firm Control Risks, the index looks at 14 key variables, including the independence of judicial institutions, the strength of investigative journalism and the level of resources available for combating white-collar crime.

“The CCC Index’s goal is not to shame or single out countries but to foster a policy-driven discussion, helping governments, civil society and the private sector identify — through data and a robust methodology — areas of success and deficiencies to be addressed,” the organizations said.

In three subcategories — legal capacity, democracy and political institutions, and civil society and media — Mexico achieved scores of 3.82, 4.08 and 6.35 respectively. The first two scores declined compared to last year, but the third increased.

In the legal capacity subcategory, Mexico fared best in “access to public information and overall government transparency” and worst in “independence and resources for the chief prosecutor’s office and investigators.”

The prosecutor’s office refers to the federal Attorney General’s Office, which is ostensibly autonomous but headed by a close ally of the president, Alejandro Gertz Manero, who has been described as a fiscal carnal, or government-friendly prosecutor, by government critics.

In the democracy and political institutions subcategory, Mexico’s best result was in “overall quality of democracy” and its worst was in “lawmaking and ruling processes.”

López Obrador, who has been accused of seeking to concentrate government power in the executive, said Sunday that Mexico is an example to the world in “how to govern in a democracy.”

“… Mexico is an example to follow in the world in this way of governing, with the people [and] with honesty, austerity [and] efficiency, … guaranteeing the right to dissent,” he said during a visit to Oaxaca.

In the civil society and media subcategory, Mexico’s highest score was in “civil society mobilization against corruption” and its lowest was in “education improvements.”

There are numerous civil society organizations dedicated to the fight against corruption in Mexico, including Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity, which has exposed corruption in the current government, angering López Obrador, who describes the group as a political opponent.

The CCC Index report (opens as a PDF) acknowledges that Mexico is on a “clear downward trajectory” in terms of its capacity to detect, punish and prevent corruption.

“… Over the past year, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has continued the anti-corruption rhetoric that he campaigned on in 2018, even declaring in a morning press conference this year that ‘there is no more corruption’ in Mexico,” the report said. “However, prominent corruption cases, including former Pemex CEO Emilio Lozoya’s, remain unresolved, while corruption allegations involving politicians, including members of AMLO’s Morena party, have emerged.”

Lozoya was extradited to Mexico last July after being arrested in Spain on corruption charges, but he has still not faced trial, while Public Administration Minister Irma Sandoval and Federal Electricity Commission chief Manuel Bartlett are among current government officials whose reputations have been tainted by corruption accusations.

The report noted that the National Anti-Corruption System, devised by the previous federal government, has not been implemented, “and even saw significant budget cuts as part of austerity measures” implemented by the López Obrador administration.

“This contributed to a 13 percent decline in the variable assessing the independence and efficiency of anti-corruption agencies. There has been a lack of transparency in both public procurement during the pandemic and in trust funds (fideicomisos), several of which have been dismantled and centralized under the executive branch,” it said.

“The country fared better in the civil society and media category, where Mexico ranks fifth regionwide. Despite AMLO’s rhetorical attacks on NGOs, civil society mobilization against corruption remains strong, registering over two points above the regional average, second only to Uruguay,” the report said.

The AS/COA and Control Risks said that in the months following the midterm elections, which were held June 6, “it will be crucial to monitor whether the integrity of independent institutions is maintained.”

“The president and members of Morena have criticized the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) and the National Electoral Institute (INE) and may pursue reforms that affect their autonomy,” the report said.

“AMLO has supported a Senate measure to extend the term of Supreme Court Justice Arturo Zaldívar, who has previously supported the president. The move raises questions about executive branch interference in the judiciary.”

Remains of another Ayotzinapa student identified

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

 

The federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced Tuesday that the remains of one of 43 students who disappeared in Guerrero, Mexico, in 2014 has been conclusively identified.

Omar Gómez Trejo, the special prosecutor in charge of the reexamination of the disappearance and presumed murder of the 43 Ayotzinapa rural teachers college students, said that a bone fragment of Jhosivani Guerrero de la Cruz was identified via nuclear DNA testing at the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

“Today we can report … that the identification of Jhosivani Guerrero de la Cruz is certain and absolute,” he said.

The University of Innsbruck identified a bone fragment as matching the DNA of Guerrero de la Cruz’s mother in 2015 but that finding wasn’t considered conclusive.

Gómez said the bone fragment analyzed was found in a ravine in the municipality of Cocula, Guerrero. Authorities found the remains of another Ayotzinapa student, Christian Alfonso Rodríguez Telumbre, in the same ravine last year. DNA analysis at the University of Innsbruck identified the remains as those of Rodríguez.

The remains of three of the 43 students have now been formally identified. Those of Alexander Mora were identified in December 2014.

The previous federal government claimed that the students were intercepted by corrupt municipal police in Iguala on September 26, 2014, after they commandeered a bus to travel to a protest in Mexico City. According to its “historical truth,” the police handed the students over to a local crime gang, the Guerreros Unidos, whose members killed them, burned their bodies in the Cocula dump and scattered their ashes in the nearby San Juan River.

However, the remains of Guerrero de la Cruz and Rodríguez showed no evidence of fire damage.

The parents of the former were notified of the positive identification of their son last weekend. They met with President López Obrador on Tuesday along with other parents of the disappeared students.

A lawyer for the parents, Vidulfo Rosales, said the president told them that the United States had advised Mexico of the arrest of a person allegedly involved in the case. However, it is unclear whether that person will be extradited to Mexico and when that might occur.

Scores of suspects have been arrested in connection with the students’ disappearance but many were later released because they were found to have been tortured while being questioned about their alleged crimes.

President López Obrador established a super commission to conduct a new investigation into the Ayotzinapa case shortly after he took office in late 2018. His administration has dismissed the previous government’s “historical truth” but hasn’t established its own definitive version of events.

The army has long been suspected of involvement in the students’ disappearance, and leaked testimony obtained by the newspaper Reforma earlier this year supported that theory.

With reports from El Universal and AP

Focusing on Financial Health: Chart the Path Toward Your Next Milestone

By Avianca Verdugo

Bay Area Market Director for JPMorgan Chase

Sponsored content from JPMorgan Chase & Co

When was the last time you looked at your bank account balance? According to a recent study, over 60 percent of Americans check their balance at least once week[1]. This is a habit, if practiced the right way, that can put you on the path to achieving your financial goals.

Whether you’re looking to become financially independent, planning for a long awaited vacation, or saving for a down payment to buy your first home,  we want you to be aware of some of the tools and skills to help make your financial journey as smooth as possible.

But let’s talk about the basics first. Managing your money can be overwhelming but it doesn’t need to be. Understanding things like budgeting, saving, paying your bills, and even building your credit score are skills that can help you at any stage of your life. Even in these difficult times with the pandemic when so many of us are facing greater uncertainty around our finances and job security, it is these types of moments where understanding core financial skills can be the difference maker.

The past year has impacted families, friends, colleagues and our community. Since the start of the pandemic, 61% of Latino households Americans have said that either they or someone in their family has experienced a job or wage loss due to COVID.[2] In these situations, especially, it is critical to know how to manage your finances to stay or get back on track.

If you’re unsure of where to begin, how to start making progress, or simply looking to refresh your knowledge, consider the following as you chart a successful path forward and take control of your financial future.

Advice and Tools

Our financial goals hub is a great place to start. Start by picking a goal – save, budget, or build credit – and explore advice, offerings and tools that more simply allow you to control your financial future. Our Grow Your Savings page, for example, offers an interactive calculator that maps out a timeline to reach savings goals and highlights how the Autosave tool can help you manage a regular savings schedule to stay on track and meet your goals. Other resources are also available, such as budget worksheets to monitor and track monthly spending, guidance on using the Credit Journey tool to build and protect credit, as well as background on low-cost checking accounts designed to provide access for anyone who has had trouble getting or keeping an account in the past.

Reserved Capital for Business Owners

Education, reliable support and resources are fundamental first steps to financial literacy, but equal access to capital is just as critical. With 32% of Latino-owned businesses shuttering since this time last year[3], COVID-19 has only worsened the disparities and inequities that demand an intentional reprioritization of capital. Through our Entrepreneurs of Color Fund, we’re working to provide more access to capital to future entrepreneurs, existing business owners and communities who have historically and unfairly struggled to secure it. JPMorgan Chase also recently announced it is setting aside funds specifically for Latino and Black business owners – stop into your local branch and talk with a Chase For Business representative to see if you qualify.

Equitable Home Lending

Home equity is also a major contributor to families’ wealth, making it imperative that we increase property ownership among Latino communities. One way we hope to do this is through our Chase DreaMaker mortgage, which makes applying for your first mortgage or refinancing a current one more attainable with a smaller down payment, and by offering reduced mortgage insurance, more flexibility around your credit score, potential assistance grants and homebuyer education courses.

No matter where you are financially, budgeting and saving are two key habits that can help all of us bounce back from life’s unexpected moments or keep on track to ensure you meet your goals. That is why we are here to help everyone have open conversations about what it means to become financially healthy and provide support, tools and advice to get there. Financial health is a journey, and we can help you think about a plan for now and the future.

For more resources, information and access to tools that can help you achieve your financial goals and milestones, visit chase.com/personal/financial-goals

 

[1] https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/survey-36-of-americans-look-at-their-bank-account-daily

[2] https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/05/05/financial-and-health-impacts-of-covid-19-vary-widely-by-race-and-ethnicity/

[3] https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w27309/w27309.pdf