Palo Alto police have cited a 15-year-old Palo Alto High School student suspected of bringing a pellet gun to campus in December, police said Monday.
Officers responded Friday to a call at 11:28 a.m. from school administrators who said students had alerted them that the girl had posted images on social media of herself holding a firearm.
Students also claimed the girl had brought the gun to campus months ago and let another student hold it while she was in the school bathroom.
An investigation found an image dated December 2022 of the girl holding a gun, which police said they believe could have been a BB gun that fires plastic pellets.
Authorities cited the student on suspicion of possessing a weapon on a school campus and released her to her family.
Police searched the student's home and did not locate the gun, which is now believed to be out of state in the custody of the relative who owned it, according to police.
Palo Alto police praised the students who reported what they had seen online, as well as others who cooperated and helped with the investigation.
Police urge anyone with information about the case to call their 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be emailed to paloalto@tipnow.org or sent via text or voicemail to (650) 383-8984.
Mexicans will now have new options for paying Infonavit loans from the U.S.
The National Workers' Housing Fund Institute (Infonavit) in Mexico added Solopin to the network of remittance companies with which it has an alliance, to receive payment of loans from Mexicans living in the United States.
Thus, through the Infonavit Sin Fronteras Program, the Institute is now an ally of five remittance companies, bringing the total to around 6,000 branches in 43 states in the United States.
The Institute explained that, with Infonavit Sin Fronteras, the Institute assumes the cost of the commission for sending the funds to Mexico, whether to pay the credit of the holder, that of a family member, partner, or that of a third party.
It should be noted that, from January 2019 to February 2023, Infonavit has received more than 516 million 336 thousand pesos in payments through this program, which translates into the payment of 10,338 loans.
The Institute stated that it has assumed more than 10 million 468 thousand pesos in commissions, resources that represent savings for the accredited.
Please note that to make a payment for your loan or that of a family member or friend, Mexicans living in the United States can go to any of the participating remittance company branches with the 10-digit loan number and make the deposit.
Or if you prefer, you can send the funds on the website or mobile application of one of the remittance companies that have these options available.
Those interested in learning all about Infonavit credits, procedures and services can do so through the site https://infonavitfacil.mx/.
Infonavit is a social security institution of the Mexican State that aims to provide cheap and sufficient credit so that workers can access adequate housing and build assets.
Since its creation in 1972, the organization has issued more than 12 million loans.
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” the saying goes. And RethinkWaste’s 2023 Art with Trash contest is now open, where students in grades 3-5 can create a work of art using materials that would otherwise have been thrown away or recycled.
Each school year, RethinkWaste hosts the Spring Trash Art Contest, which is designed for students who attend schools located in the public waste management agency's service area.
To this end, students eligible to participate must be attending an elementary school in Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, and unincorporated parts of San Mateo County and the West Bay Sanitary District.
This year there are two categories: Group Category for classes from 3rd to 5th grade and Individual Category for students from 3rd to 5th grade.
So it's time to get your tools and creativity ready, as children who wish to participate can do so through different art mediums, including sculptures, collages and murals.
It is important to note that at least 90 percent of the piece must be made of recyclable material or trash and must not exceed 3 x 3 feet in height. Also, keep in mind that the works must be delivered in person.
Submissions are due Friday, April 7 at 4:00 p.m. RethinkWaste's main office is on the second floor of the San Carlos Library, located at 610 Elm Street.
Winning artworks will be announced on Friday, April 14. All winners will be publicly recognized at the RethinkWaste Earth Day event on Saturday, April 29 at the Shoreway Environmental Center.
Interested parties must fill out a form, which is available at Spanish e English.
For years, ethnic groups and the problems that afflict them have been rendered invisible, however science fiction has become a tool to bring them to everyone's attention.
The struggle of ethnic groups to be visible has crossed many borders and has managed to use a literary genre as an instrument of visibility, since its characteristics allow to show the impact that situations such as technological, scientific and social advances have on society.
Without a doubt, showing the reality of racial and ethnic groups is essential and literature is creating a bridge to disseminate it.
"These stories are starting to look at science fiction beyond the stereotype of traveling through space and conquering it and seeing it as something much more regional, localized and connecting with communities and how they're experiencing the world right now," said Ericka A. Hoagland, associate professor and coordinator of Graduate Studies, English and Creative Writing at Stephen F. Austin State University, at a press conference organized by Ethnic Media Services.
Hoagland discussed some science fiction stories that help make ethnic groups visible and recommended showing students that literature can provide great lessons, and that it is not only for white men, but that women and communities of color can also write and be successful in this genre.
"American science fiction in the mid-20th century was very exclusive and exclusionary, considering which authors were being published and promoted, and many women and people of color were not being promoted and took much longer to be able to write," she explained.
And due to various reasons such as discrimination, racism and the gender gap, the path of writers of color has been more complicated and to date, they still struggle to have more dissemination and support for their dissemination.
"I'm still learning how deep this diverse history of science fiction goes," he said.
In her turn, Libia Brenda, a writer, editor and translator who currently resides in Mexico City, pointed out that at least in Mexico and Latin America, although there are serious situations such as poverty, violence, murders and femicides, there are authors from other generations who influence literature, but also culture and the fact that they are colonized countries.
"In Mexico, when we imagine a future - especially young women - we try to imagine something based on hope, not an impossible world, but a world that is the product of change," she stressed.
She also pointed out the need to write things that focus on the different voices and origins that exist, avoiding ethnocentrism, that is, avoiding a single vision of the world.
For his part, Ken Liu, an American author of speculative fiction and winner of the Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy awards, pointed out the need to "redefine" technology - understanding that it is a manifestation of human patterns in the world where there are cultural factors, capital and ideologies - through science fiction literature, to make it part of the construction of modernity and the future.
Isis Asare, CEO and founder of Sistah Scifi — the first Black-owned science fiction and fantasy bookstore in the United States — said, “As a queer woman of color in America, where there are so many limitations, science fiction is a place where you can ignore class and gender limitations and explore the world.
"Science fiction is about developing practices and exploring themes to re-imagine," she said, noting that in her experience, oppression is what limits imagination.
Finally, Samit Basu, an Indian novelist and filmmaker of science fiction, fantasy and superhero novels, children's books, graphic novels, short stories and non-fiction works, pointed out the importance of writing stories that consider the different filters of reality in which we are living.
"I live in a part of the world and I'm writing a book where I hope to capture everyday reality, even though everyone says it's a dystopia. And I realized that a dystopia is a function of distance, where my reality, for other people, can be seen as a complaint or a criticism," she said.
Science fiction is certainly capable of showing the multiplicity of cultures, characteristics, social problems and hopes of each region about which it is written.
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.
At least 39 migrants died after a fire at a temporary shelter in Ciudad Juarez. INM Commissioner Francisco Garduño Yañez visits local hospitals to check on the health of migrants hospitalized after the fire at the INM Temporary Shelter in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. Photo: Twitter INM
At least 39 foreign migrants died on Monday after a fire that started shortly before 10:00 p.m. in the accommodation area of the Provisional Shelter in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.
In response, the National Migration Institute (INM) of the Mexican Ministry of the Interior stated that 68 adult men from Central and South America were being housed at the immigration headquarters.
Of these, 29 more foreign migrants were injured in the accident and were transferred in a "critical to serious" condition to four local hospitals for immediate care.
In light of this, the authorities reported that they have established communication and coordination with consular authorities from different countries to implement actions that allow for the full identification of deceased migrants.
In this regard, the INM expressed its willingness to assist in legal investigations in order to clarify the unfortunate events.
After regretting the death of these people, the INM also reported that a complaint was filed with the corresponding authorities to investigate what happened and, if necessary, proceed accordingly.
The immigration authority stated that it will closely monitor the progress of the health of those who are hospitalized and will provide all support to the families of the victims.
"The National Migration Institute strongly rejects the actions that led to this tragedy," INM said.
Likewise, the Mexican immigration authority said that it had given notice to the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) to intervene in the legal proceedings and safeguard foreign persons.
For his part, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said during his morning press conference on Tuesday that the fire that killed 39 people was started by migrants protesting against deportation.
"This had to do with a protest that they started, we assume, when they found out that they were going to be deported, mobilized, and as a protest at the door of the shelter they put mats and set them on fire, and they did not imagine that this would cause this terrible disaster," López Obrador said.
From the National Palace, the Mexican president explained that what is known so far is that the majority of the deceased migrants are from Central America and some from Venezuela.
"We still don't know the names and nationality of those who lost their lives. It's very sad that this is happening," he added.
A shooting at a school in Nashville, Tennessee has left at least 7 people dead this Monday morning.
The death toll from a shooting on March 27 at Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, is at least three children and three adults, police in that city reported at a press conference.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said the three students and three adults who were inside the school were "fatally wounded" by a 28-year-old woman, whose identity "has not been confirmed" at this time.
All three children were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt told WTVF and WZTV.
The Nashville Fire Department said there were "multiple patients" in the hospital due to the incident.
Authorities said the alleged attacker was confronted by at least five police officers and is dead.
The attacker was carrying at least two assault rifles and a handgun. Efforts are currently focused on identifying the woman who decided to commit these acts.
Cultivation of a strain of Candida auris in a petri dish at the CDC.
The fungus Candida auris (C. auris) is now considered an urgent threat in the United States after it has spread at an alarming rate in healthcare facilities across the country, but above all, due to its high resistance to antifungals.
According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‒CDC, for its acronym in English‒ is equally worrying the tripling in 2021 of the number of cases resistant to echinocandins, the most recommended antifungal drug for the treatment of Candida auris infections.
In general, this fungus is not a threat to healthy people, the CDC said in a statement. However, people who are very sick and have invasive medical devices or prolonged or frequent stays in health care facilities are at higher risk of contracting C. auris.
CDC has designated C. auris as an urgent AR threat because it is often resistant to multiple antifungal drugs, spreads easily in healthcare settings, and can cause serious infections with high mortality rates.
"The rapid increase and geographic spread of cases is concerning and emphasizes the need for continued surveillance, expanded laboratory capacity, more rapid diagnostic testing, and adherence to proven infection prevention and control practices," said CDC epidemiologist Meghan Lyman, lead author of the paper.
C. auris has been widespread in the United States since it was first reported in 2016, with a total of 3,270 clinical cases—in which infection occurs—and 7,413 detected cases—in which the fungus is detected but does not cause infection—reported as of December 31, 2021.
Clinical cases have increased each year since 2016, with the most rapid increase occurring during 2020-2021, while the CDC has continued to see an increase in case counts for 2022.
During 2019-2021, 17 states identified their first case of C. auris. Nationwide, clinical cases increased from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021. Detection cases tripled from 2020 to 2021, for a total of 4,041. Detection is important to prevent the spread by identifying patients carrying the fungus so that infection prevention controls can be used.
C. auris case counts have increased for many reasons, including poor overall infection prevention and control practices in healthcare facilities, as well as increased case detection efforts.
The timing of this increase and findings from public health investigations suggest that the spread of C. auris may have worsened due to pressure on healthcare and public health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance Laboratory Network, which provides nationwide laboratory capacity to rapidly detect antimicrobial resistance and inform local responses to prevent spread and protect people, provided some of the data for the report.
CDC said it has worked to significantly strengthen laboratory capacity, including at state, territorial and local health departments, through supplemental funding supported by the American Rescue Plan Act.
Efforts include increasing C. auris susceptibility testing capacity from seven regional laboratories to more than 26 laboratories nationwide.
On the morning of March 25, 2023, one of Mexico's great comedians, Xavier López "Chabelo", passed away at the age of 88, victim of an abdominal condition.
This was reported by his family through their social networks.
"This is a very sad morning, Xavier López Chabelo, father, brother and husband, has left us suddenly, due to abdominal complications," can be read on the Twitter account @chabelooficial.
This is a very sad morning, Xavier Lopez Chabelo, father, brother and husband has left us suddenly, due to abdominal complications.
"With a broken heart and knowing that many people have loved him for many years and will feel his passing, we ask you to pray for his repose and to give us the opportunity to peacefully endure the mourning that our entire family is experiencing. López Miranda Family," they stressed.
With a broken heart and knowing that many people have loved him for many years and will feel his departure, we ask you to pray for his repose and to give us the opportunity to peacefully go through the mourning that overwhelms our entire family. López Miranda Family
The artistic, social, and political community, as well as the general public, have taken to social media to thank him for the good times of laughter he provided to millions of people over several generations.
Xavier López Rodríguez, or "Chabelo" as he was known in the media, was born on February 17, 1935 in Chicago, United States. Throughout his life he worked as an actor, television presenter, producer and Mexican comedian.
His career began in the early 1950s as a child actor in Mexican films, and in 1959 he began his career in Mexican television with the program "Cepillín y Sus Amigos."
But it was not until 1968 when he became an icon of Mexican television with his children's game show, "En Familia con Chabelo," which aired for 48 years.
In addition, Chabelo participated in films, radio programs, commercials, and even produced.
During the women's strike at the UAM, students from the Lerma campus, on the outskirts of the State of Mexico, denounce the atmosphere of violence against women that exists in the region where this campus, the youngest of the UAM, is located.
The strike in the Metropolitan Autonomous University ‒UAM‒ is celebrating its 14th day. It began two days after March 8, when the students gathered to march together and began to discuss how to organize themselves in the face of cases of gender violence that occur at the university.
The straw that broke the camel's back was the report of a rape committed by a student who admitted the facts according to an official statement from the UAM. However, the incident is not an isolated one because, according to the students, gender violence at the University is a structural problem.
The young women, demonstrating that in addition to their actions, they engage in political-ideological discussions, subscribe to intersectional feminism that integrates issues of race, class and gender. From there, they discuss and make decisions.
"Silence should never be an option. We will not allow spaces where our dreams seek to materialize to continue to be misogynistic with impunity," said the students from the UAM Lerma unit.
Each of the units, headquarters of the university, chose two spokespersons for the press conference at school assemblies so that the entire student community was represented. At the table from which they address the media, a feminist flag was seen and 10 young people who decided to wear hoods to hide their identities.
Each of the media's questions was answered by all the units because, the young women point out, the conditions of each school are different and their particularities deserve to be treated in specific ways.
What does the women's strike at the UAM demand?
The rape case exposed the major problems faced by universities when it comes to issues related to women: re-victimization, intimidation against those who report, and even persecution of those who mobilize, to name just a few of the issues that young women face when they go to school.
That is why, in addition to the corresponding sanction for the young man who sexually abused his partner, the UAM women's strike demands measures to prevent gender violence, action protocols to guarantee that complaints are addressed and, in the case of the Cuajimalpa unit, the departure, either through resignation or dismissal, of Esther Morales Franco, academic secretary of the Division of Social Sciences and Humanities, for re-victimizing students who report violence.
After intense discussions at each school, each unit also specified its demands and problems, while each unit prepared a petition that included the various demands of the student community and the women who comprise it.
For example, they demand improvements in public transport, since, they say, most of the units are located in dangerous places in the metropolitan area, which is why they feel exposed to all kinds of violence.
They also demand that the street vending work that some students do to support their studies be respected.
The students from the Azcapotzalco, Lerma, Iztapalapa and Xochimilco units are clear that the strike began at the Cuajimalpa campus, where the sexually assaulted young woman belongs. In their speeches they refer to the students from this campus as "brave sisters."
But they are not the only ones to whom thanks are directed. Men have also received recognition, as the young women say that it has been good that they joined the strike and, above all, they recognize the female teachers who have organized themselves in a very supportive way to support them by sending them food supplies, participating in some guards, and even bringing them books so that they can continue their education.
The teachers, who were present at the press conference, decided not to participate or express their point of view, as they believe that it is the young women who should take the lead and lead the movement. But their eyes speak for themselves: they look at their students with enthusiasm and joy, they care for them and guide them in a supportive and respectful manner.
The young women thus bear the responsibility for a historic moment: the first time that the entire UAM has gone on strike due to women's demands.
Agents of Redwood City Police Department A 21-year-old man named Cristian Josué CanelSian was arrested on various charges of robbery and sexual assault after having been investigated since January of this year, when the perpetrator began a series of crimes in the same city, of which he is also a resident.
Since January 2023, the Redwood City Police Department's Investigations Unit has investigated three robberies involving female residents who encountered an unknown, uninvited man either entering or inside their home.
On two occasions, authorities said, the man broke into homes while the female victims were sleeping in bed, including one instance in which the victim woke up when the man touched her inappropriately.
In all of these events, the man left when confronted and was able to flee the scene before police arrived.
Descriptions of the man were generally similar across all three events, but his identity was unknown and evidence recovered at the scene did not result in a positive identification of the suspect.
On March 19, 2023, at approximately 2:20 a.m., Redwood City Police responded to a residential burglary in progress involving a male who entered the female victim's home and inappropriately touched her while she was sleeping. When the victim confronted the suspect, he barricaded himself in the bathroom but escaped through an exterior window before police arrived.
A search of the surrounding area resulted in surveillance video that helped identify the suspect and provided enough information to connect him to three previous incidents of similar activity. Most of these crimes took place in the 1200-1300 block of Ebener.
The suspect broke into the victims' homes at night to commit his crimes.
It is worth noting that a total of five robberies believed to have been committed by the same suspect since early January 2023 are being investigated.
