Falla informática a nivel mundial ha generado caos a nivel mundial, pues lo que debió haber sido una actualización de rutina, se convirtió en una verdadera pesadilla para aeropuertos, sistemas de salud, servicios públicos y más en diversas partes del mundo, incluido Estados Unidos, y California no fue la excepción.
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Este viernes se ha vuelto caótico en todo el mundo en materia tecnológica, pues lo que debió haber sido una actualización de rutina, se convirtió en una verdadera pesadilla para aeropuertos, sistemas de salud, servicios públicos y más en diversas partes del mundo, incluido Estados Unidos, y California no fue la excepción.
Vuelos cancelados, no poder realizar compras por internet, y comunicaciones interrumpidas, han sido de las principales consecuencias de este apagón tecnológico.
The cybersecurity company CrowdStrike dijo que el problema se produjo cuando implementó una actualización defectuosa en computadoras que ejecutaban Microsoft Windows; sin embargo, aclaró que lo ocurrido no fue un ciberataque.
“CrowdStrike está trabajando activamente con clientes afectados por un defecto encontrado en una sola actualización de contenido para hosts de Windows. Los hosts de Mac y Linux no se ven afectados. Esto no fue un ciberataque”.
El problema, precisó la empresa tecnológica, ha sido identificado, aislado y se ha implementado una solución, además de que seguirán proporcionando actualizaciones completas y continuas en su sitio web.
“Nuestro equipo está totalmente movilizado para garantizar la seguridad y la estabilidad de los clientes de CrowdStrike”, subrayó.
“Entendemos la gravedad de la situación y lamentamos profundamente las molestias y la interrupción. Estamos trabajando con todos los clientes afectados para asegurarnos de que los sistemas tengan una copia de seguridad y puedan ofrecer los servicios con los que cuentan sus clientes”, puntualizó en un comunicado.
Entre los servicios críticos afectados en Estados Unidos está el número 911, caídos en varios estados, mientras que aerolíneas como Delta, United y American Airlines, han tenido que dejar vuelos en tierra.
Los sistemas judiciales en California, Maryland, Pensilvania y Kansas reportaron cierres por el colapso informático global. En el caso del “estado dorado”, el Sistema Judicial Superior del Condado de Los Ángeles reportó en un comunicado fallas de conectividad en todos sus sistemas, por lo que las citas judiciales agendadas para sostenerse por vía remota fueron canceladas y serán reprogramadas.
Nationwide, 2,219 flights have been canceled and 6,169 delays have been generated, according to flight tracker flightaware.com.
The Redwood City Council will discuss at its weekly meeting whether to approve proposed changes to the Redwood City business license tax aimed at maintaining essential services through increased revenue and reducing the tax burden on smaller businesses. Photo: redwoodcity.org
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On July 22, the Redwood City Council will discuss at its weekly meeting whether or not to approve proposed changes to the city's business license tax with the goal of maintaining the essential services through increased revenues and reducing the tax burden on smaller businesses.
The changes to the business license tax, the city said, would help reduce a persistent annual deficit of $9 million.
The proposal was made following 20 meetings held with the business community, residents and other stakeholders to explore modernizing the city's Business License Tax, where significant feedback was obtained to restructure the tax proposal, the city said in a statement.
Based on this feedback, the proposed changes to the Business License Tax have been updated. The new proposal retains the current approach of charging businesses based on the number of employees in Redwood City rather than their gross revenue in the city; however, the structure has been adjusted to reduce the proportional tax burden on small businesses, he noted.
The full proposal and background information will be provided with the City Council agenda packet for the July 22 meeting, which has already been posted on Thursday, July 18 and is available by visiting the website www.RedwoodCity.org/CouncilMeetings.
Key elements of the proposal include:
Continue to base business tax on per-employee rates, with different rates depending on the business category (such as retail/commercial, contractors, services, and professional services). By charging different rates for different categories of businesses, we can reduce the regressive nature of the current tax structure.
Maintain current per-unit charges for residential rental properties without rate changes, while ensuring that deed-restricted affordable housing units remain exempt from the tax.
Maintain current square footage-based charges for commercial rental properties, raising rates to those common in nearby cities.
“We believe this approach will balance the many interests the City has heard, including ensuring the business community pays its fair share of supporting Redwood City services while continuing to foster a business climate that is competitive with other cities,” the City Council explained.
The City Council will consider the updated proposal on July 22 in the Council Chambers (1017 Middlefield Road) at 6:00 p.m. Residents can participate in person (including by providing live public comment) or watch the meeting online.
The city said it is important to note that the City Council's role is to decide whether to put a ballot measure before voters to update the Business License Tax, so the city does not make the final decision on the changes.
If supported by the City Council, the measure would be on the November 2024 ballot for consideration by Redwood City voters.
The city noted that, like many communities in California and the Peninsula, the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic permanently reduced funding for services and “sIn an increase in income, deep budget cuts will be necessary”.
In this regard, he explained that these reductions would degrade the services prioritized by the community, including public safety, street and sidewalk maintenance, and flood control.
Período de nominación para postularse a candidatos al Concejo Municipal de Redwood City esta abierto, a partir del 15 de julio y hasta el 9 de agosto, los potenciales candidatos pueden inscribirse para la contienda.
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El período de nominación para apply para el Concejo Municipal de Redwood City para la elección del 5 de noviembre de 2024 ya inició. A partir de este lunes 15 de julio y hasta el viernes 9 de agosto, los potenciales candidatos pueden inscribirse para la contienda.
Durante dicho período de 26 días, los candidatos potenciales pueden recibir la documentación de nominación por parte del secretario municipal, que debe completarse y devolverse antes del cierre del período de nominación.
Requirements for the position
Una persona debe ser residente y elector del distrito del Concejo Municipal de Redwood City en el que busca la nominación durante al menos 30 días inmediatamente anteriores al nombramiento o al día final de presentación de la nominación para poder convertirse en candidato para el cargo de Miembro del Concejo Municipal.
Cualquier persona, independientemente de su sexo, que sea mayor de 18 años, ciudadano, residente de Redwood City, votante registrado y que no esté inhabilitado por la Constitución o las leyes de California para ocupar un cargo civil, es elegible para ser elegido o nombrado miembro del Ayuntamiento sin más requisitos.
Según el sistema de elecciones por distritos de Redwood City y los mapas de límites recién establecidos, los votantes sólo elegirán a un concejal para el Ayuntamiento en función del distrito en el que estén inscritos para votar.
Los escaños del Ayuntamiento en los distritos 1, 3, 4 y 7 se elegirán en 2024, por lo que los votantes de los distritos 2, 5 y 6 no votarán para elegir a un concejal durante estas elecciones.
En las elecciones del 5 de noviembre se elegirán los escaños que actualmente están ocupados por los concejales cuyos mandatos actuales por acumulación terminarán en noviembre de 2024: Jeff Gee (Distrito 1), Lissette Espinoza-Garnica (Distrito 3), Elmer Martínez Saballos (Distrito 4), y Alicia Aguirre (Distrito 7).
La ciudad volverá a trazar los mapas de los distritos tras la publicación de los datos del Censo de 2030.
Votar es una de las formas más importantes que los ciudadanos de Estados Unidos tienen para poder expresar su poder judicial. En tiempos recientes, la discusión sobre el papel de la juventud, especialmente la latina, ha preocupado a la población doméstica. Esta expectativa es esperada, pero es una realidad dura que viene con mucha presión y responsabilidad.
No es que no nos importe la política, pero hay más cosas de las cuales preocuparnos en un nivel más urgente.
Como estudiantes, es difícil tener un balance entre nuestras carreras profesionales, nuestros estudios, y nuestras vidas sociales. En muchos casos, los jóvenes prefieren empezar a trabajar directamente después de graduarse de la escuela preparatoria por el alto costo de vida, al igual que desarrollar su independencia. Se preocupan por viviendas económicas, trabajos que paguen más, y todavía tener oportunidades para disfrutar la vida.
No es que seamos egoístas, más bien estamos tratando de encontrar posiciones estables para nosotros, nuestras familias y nuestros futuros, un fundamento sólido.
Adicionalmente, los jóvenes de hoy también expresan su decepción con el sistema judicial y con las opciones que les han dado en las elecciones.
Estamos frustrados con el activismo performativo, con las promesas falsas, la desconfianza y desconexión entre políticos y sus constituyentes, y también el desafío de conocer la campaña de cada candidato en todas las elecciones nacionales, al igual que de locales.
Una porción de la juventud latina todavía es indocumentada y aunque quieran votar no tienen el derecho legal para hacerlo.
Con la ayuda de las redes sociales, podemos ver más claramente que a muchos políticos, gobernadores, senadores y representantes, no les importa el pueblo sino el poder, los beneficios financieros y el estatus asociado con su nueva posición.
Tiempo al tiempo, otra vez. Hemos sido testigos del cambio de los valores de estos políticos durante sus campañas y sus valores cuando finalmente asumen sus nuevos trabajos.
San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus will become a member of the California State Board of Commissioners after California Governor Gavin Newsom announced her appointment on Friday.
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San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus will become a member of the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), after California Governor Gavin Newsom announced his appointment last Friday.
With this appointment, Corpus, who began her law enforcement career in the corrections field, becomes one of two sheriffs, and the only one in Northern California, to serve on the current BSCC.
Established in 2012, the state board seeks to provide expertise, leadership and technical assistance to the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems on a broad range of community corrections issues, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
“I have spent a large portion of my career working in corrections here in San Mateo County and have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing correctional facilities. I look forward to applying my experience and knowledge to help improve systems across the state,” said Sheriff Corpus.
Since taking office in 2023, Corpus has implemented a variety of programs at San Mateo County jails with an emphasis on behavioral health care and detox programs for incarcerated individuals.
It is noteworthy that Governor Newsom’s appointment of Sheriff Corpus to the Board awaits approval by the State Senate.
As the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin prepares for increased security, California has deployed 61 law enforcement officers to Wisconsin through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact in support of local, state and federal law enforcement partners at the Convention.
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To enhance security measures at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, California has deployed 61 law enforcement officers to Wisconsin through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) in support of local, state, and federal law enforcement partners at the Convention.
According to a statement from the California state government, the request for these agents was planned since May 2024 and is being coordinated by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
The deployment includes 40 members of the California Highway Patrol and officers from the Bakersfield, Fresno and Long Beach police departments.
“Public safety transcends party lines. California is proud to support our law enforcement colleagues in Wisconsin during this important political event. Working together, we are helping to provide a safe environment for all participants at the Republican National Convention,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
It is worth noting that the Republican Convention takes place from July 15 to 18, 2024, and at this event, the United States Republican Party selects the nominees for president and vice president in the November presidential elections.
“California’s peace officers are well-trained and experienced in handling large-scale events, and we are confident in their ability to enhance security operations in Milwaukee,” said Nancy Ward, director of Cal OES.
California officers will work in conjunction with public safety agencies at the event. Their responsibilities may include crowd management, traffic control, and ensuring public safety for the duration of the convention.
Former President Donald Trump is the 2024 presidential candidate, the first to be nominated for president for the third time since Richard Nixon in 1972, and the first Republican candidate to be nominated three consecutive times.
Trump lost the 2020 re-election election against Joseph Biden, but he could return to the White House again, this time accompanied by vice presidential candidate JD Vance, who at 40 years old, would be the third youngest vice president in US history.
If elected in November of this year, Trump, at 78, would be the oldest president elected in US history, breaking Joseph Biden's record in 2020 (at 77).
Do you know the difference between a hate crime or hate incident? o What to do when faced with an act of hate in San Mateo County?
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Hate crimes and incidents seem to be on the rise in different parts of the country, driven by various reasons: religion, immigration status, sexual preference, gender, race, or even political preferences. But do you know the difference between a hate crime or incident? Or what to do about any of these cases in San Mateo County?
Hate crime or incident?
According to information from the San Mateo County Police Department, it is important to know the difference between a hate crime and a hate-motivated incident.
A hate incident is an action or behavior motivated by hate but legally protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.
However, if a hate incident begins to threaten a person or property, it can become a hate crime.
Some examples of hate-motivated incidents are:
Verbal abuse
Abuse
Displaying hate materials on your own property.
Posting hate material that does not cause damage to property.
Distribution of materials with hate messages in public places.
A hate crime is a crime against a person, group, or property motivated by the victim's actual or perceived protected social group.
Some signs that a crime was motivated by hate are that:
The attacker chose the victim because she is a member of a protected group.
The attacker chose the property because its owner is a member of a protected group.
The offender made comments (written or verbal) that demonstrated prejudice toward a protected group.
The crime occurred on an important or significant date for the victim's or the aggressor's group.
There is organized hate activity in the area.
hate crimes
In California, people can be victims of a hate crime if they have been targeted because of their actual or perceived actions on the basis of: race or ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or association with a person or group with one or more of these "actual" or "perceived" characteristics.
It should be noted that crimes motivated by hate can be prosecuted as misdemeanors or as serious crimes depending on the acts committed.
It should be noted that if you witness a hate crime, you can call the San Mateo County Police Department at (650) 522-7700.
Take action
Local authorities suggest that if you are the victim of a hate crime, you should immediately contact local police, get medical attention (if needed), write down the exact words that were said to you, make notes about any other events, save all evidence (e.g., graffiti, eggshells, writing on the victim's vehicle), and if it is safe to do so, wait for law enforcement to arrive and take photos.
Similarly, try to get names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of other victims and witnesses, try to get a description of the suspect or vehicle from any eyewitnesses, and, if possible, contact community organizations in your area that respond to hate crimes.
County police are urging you, if you are a victim, witness or community member, to speak out against hate and intolerance, organize community rallies to support victims, offer support and assistance to victims, and ask public officials to speak out against hate crimes.
In addition, they explain that a human relations commission or hate crimes network could be established that includes law enforcement, local government, schools, religious organizations and community organizations, who can be asked to respond to hate crimes immediately when they occur and to promote prevention and awareness.
It is important to note that if you are a victim of a hate crime in this state, you are protected under the California Victims' Bill of Rights (Marsi's Law), which grants you certain rights.
Thus, you have the right to receive compensation for your losses; to request money to cover your property losses, medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses; to disclose how the crime impacted your life before the defendant is sentenced; to obtain information about the criminal case from the prosecutor; to obtain court orders that could help you, such as a protective order to keep the defendant away from you, or one to pay attorney fees if you hired one to help you with your case.
The court may also order the defendant to pay up to $25,000 or more for violating your civil rights.
It is important to know that California law prohibits law enforcement from asking people, including those reporting or being victims of possible crimes, about their immigration status unless the information is necessary to certify the victim for a U visa (victim of crime visa) or T visa (victim of human trafficking visa).
En plena temporada de elecciones en Estados Unidos, la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) amenaza con desestabilizar el sistema electoral estadounidense, ya que cada vez es más fácil utilizarla para crear contenido audiovisual falso y difundirlo, lo que puede alimentar la desinformación y confundir a los votantes en su decisión.
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En plena temporada de elecciones en Estados Unidos, la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) amenaza con desestabilizar el sistema electoral estadounidense, ya que cada vez es más fácil utilizarla para crear contenido audiovisual falso y difundirlo, lo que puede alimentar la desinformación y confundir a los votantes en su decisión.
Lo que antes requería el presupuesto de un estudio y un equipo de producción, puede hacerse con unos pocos clics; el resultado es que cada día los votantes tratan de navegar por un panorama electoral en el que es difícil identificar la autenticidad de imágenes, mensajes y vídeos, tal es el caso de aquellas realizadas con IA de votantes afrodescendientes que apoyan al expresidente Donald Trump y que recientemente han circulado ampliamente.
Preocupa especialmente el impacto que la IA puede tener no solo en las elecciones presidenciales, sino también en las locales, generando una idea falsa de los candidatos, así lo dijeron expertos durante una sesión informativa realizada por Ethnic Media Services.
Jonathan Mehta Stein, director ejecutivo de California Common Cause, una agencia de vigilancia sin ánimo de lucro, comentó que existen campañas de desinformación que tienen como objetivo influir en las próximas elecciones de noviembre, dando de ejemplo la detección de una realizada en Rusia dirigida a redes sociales, donde se hacían pasar por ciudadanos estadounidenses, todo creado por inteligencia artificial.
"La inteligencia artificial esta atacando todos los días en la participación de los votantes y ahora también tiene el poder de inundar nuestro discurso político y crear mensajes, videos y apoyo a votantes y candidacough", he stressed.
La inteligencia artificial generativa es un sistema que crea información noticiosa siguiendo una sugerencia humana como imágenes, audio y texto, algo que puede ser muy sencillo y divertido, de alguna manera, sin embargo, en temas delicados se vuelve un riesgo para todos, pues crear imágenes falsas puede poner en riesgo la veracidad y crear conflictos, mencionó Mehta Stein.
Imágenes creadas por IA que después circulan en redes sociales y son acompañadas de noticias falsas, en particular esta imagen generó problemas en el mercado porque los inversores pensaron que estaba siendo atacado Estados Unidos.Texto imagen: En el tema político se pueden generar videos o imágenes que son modificadas para poner en duda la palabra y acciones de los candidatos, circulando por las redes sociales pocas personas tienen el criterio de identificar las que son falsas.
Para poder proteger la información, los líderes políticos deben estar al pendiente, trabajar en leyes que apoyen la revisión, y en codificación de la información digital, sin embargo, la desinformación seguirá presente, por lo que cada usuario de redes sociales y persona tiene el deber de cuidar lo que consume, asegurándose de que es verdad antes de compartirlo.
Jinxia Niu, directora del programa Chinese Digital Engagement de Chinese for Affirmative Action, comentó que han detectado más de 600 piezas de desinformación que circularon en redes sociales en los últimos 12 meses, en su mayoría atacan a Trump, pero Biden también ha sido atacado a través de fotos generadas por IA.
Niu aseguró que el mayor reto, es que la comunidad no revisa lo que comparte, específicamente los inmigrantes, quienes tienen un acceso limitado a la información por su idioma; los medios étnicos son muy pocos, lo que deja una gran brecha para que la información falsa circule, pues si se encuentra en su idioma de origen es aún más sencillo de influir.
La experta agregó que, últimamente, la IA esta generando mensajes a través de las aplicaciones de mensajería como WhatsApp, Telegram y otros, lo que vuelve aún más difícil contener la desinformación, pues la amenaza no solo se encuentra en las redes sociales.
Brandon Silverman, ex consejero delegado y cofundador de CrowdTangle (ahora propiedad de Meta), comentó que la información en redes sociales es difícil de separar en lo falso y verdadero, dando el ejemplo de que la luna es de queso, cuando muchas personas o en metáforas aseguran que la luna sí es de queso.
Estos espacios grises que se generan entre la información, comentó Silverman, hace complicado dividir lo que es o no falso, pues no es tan sencillo de separar o identificarlo en un sistema.
"Lo que se ha observado es lo que llamaron como ‘inundar la zona’, esto es crear tanto contenido hacia una dirección que en algún punto ya no se sabe en que confiar", he stressed.
En ese sentido, apuntó que existen tres pilares: uno es ver quien está enviando la información, que sería la parte que genera la oferta; el segundo es la demanda que genera, acción importante para identificar por qué lo siguen consumiendo; y el tercero es conocer los mecanismo que se están utilizando para la oferta y la demanda, pues así se identifica el medio que utilizan para difundir.
Los expertos coinciden en que es importante verificar los mensajes antes de compartirlos, buscar en varios medios oficiales si es verídico lo que se dice y no dar por hecho que todo lo que circula en redes sociales o grupos de chat. La responsabilidad es de todos, pues con la velocidad que se mueve la IA, se vuelve casi imposible tener un sistema eficaz de verificación que vaya al día.
Guatemala is approaching a clash between the executive branch and corrupt Congressmen who refuse to declare a state of emergency that would allow President Bernardo Arévalo to deal with the destruction of road infrastructure caused by heavy rains, lack of maintenance and the poor quality of materials used in often unfinished projects.
It is becoming clear that at least eighty slackers, led by the former president of Congress and deputy for Sololá, Allan Rodríguez, together with the "cliques" in the Public Ministry and in the courts, form the driving force of the kleptocracy and narcopolitics that attempts to wear down the Arévalo government and its ministers with excessive summons and simulations of oversight that were never done during previous governments.
While during Alejandro Giammattei's administration they approved eleven states of calamity; now, as the executive does not offer them money under the table, they refuse to declare a state of calamity to address the emergency.
President Arévalo has ordered the Ministry of Defense and the Army Engineering Battalion to work on restoring communication routes that have collapsed due to heavy rains.
For many years, white-collar thieves and oligarchic businessmen plundered the budget of the Ministry of Communications and Public Works, and now through legal tricks and misinformation, they accuse the president and his party, the Semilla Movement, of refusing to negotiate and lacking political skills.
Arévalo has come out to meet them by making public his asset declaration and we will see if, as the days go by, this attempt to hinder the governability of the country does not result in another ambush for the “deputies”, as has happened in recent years.
San Mateo County residents have described an increasing number of days of poor mental health and ongoing problems accessing health care services, along with difficulties paying for housing, according to a newly released plan on ways to improve community health.
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San Mateo County residents have described an increasing number of days of poor mental health and ongoing problems accessing health care services, along with difficulties paying for housing, according to a newly released plan on ways to improve community health.
The Community Health Improvement Plan 2024-2026 (CHIP) for San Mateo County was seven months in the making and compiles survey results with input from health care professionals, community organizations and individuals.
This new guidance for the county uses the information collected to outline priority areas for focus and funding to improve community health and promote health equity.
According to the Plan, priority areas over the next two years include access to health care services, mental health, and the social determinants of health.
“It takes a collective effort to create and maintain a healthy and safe San Mateo County, which requires an ongoing commitment to serve and support one another,” wrote Dr. Kismet Baldwin-Santana, San Mateo County health officer, in the plan’s introduction.
The survey results (conducted online, in-person and by phone) provide an overview of the health and mental health of 3,053 San Mateo County residents.
Among the key findings of the analysis, it found that the number of homeless people tripled, from 1.4 percent in 2013 to 3.6 percent in 2022.
Respondents reported experiencing an average of 4.1 “mental ill health days” over the past month in 2022, up from 2.1 days in 2013, doubling the need for mental health.
Additionally, 1 in 5 San Mateo County adults had difficulty accessing a doctor in the past year.
In a county where 1 in 5 adults lives below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, the plan cites an overarching goal of “improving coordination among organizations that provide essential services across all sectors to all people and communities,” especially those currently experiencing disparities.
Strategies to achieve the goal include promoting policies that improve the social determinants of health and improving coordination of essential services from county and community partners.
A key goal, the county said in a statement, is to increase screening for social determinants of health at client visits by 50 percent among all medical and social service providers.
Clients will also be asked about their housing situation, experiences of racism or discrimination, whether they have access to nutritious food and opportunities for physical activity, among other topics. The data will serve as the basis for strategies to achieve the goal.
“The survey provides insight into the health and wellness needs of our community,” said Tamarra Jones, director of the Public Health, Policy and Planning division of the County Health Department. “We will now use that information to work both internally and with our partners on strategies to address these needs.”
This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the 
