American technology and social media conglomerate Meta Platforms, trading as Meta, announced that on May 9 it will open the first physical Meta store on its campus in Burlingame, where users will be able to purchase and test all of its hardware products, seeking to take another step in its famous "Metaverse."
In collaboration with Ray-Ban, "Meta Store", the physical store of Meta, will seek to provide interactive demonstrations to its users, where they will be able to make video calls through Portal ‒video call devices‒, learn how to use Ray-Ban Stories ‒smart glasses‒, and explore the magic of virtual reality with a Quest 2 immersive, the first of its kind.
While Burlingame will be home to Meta's first physical store, this one joins the portal www.meta.com, where users can shop from the comfort of their mobile devices.
“Once people experience the technology, they can appreciate it more. If we’ve done our job well, people should go away and tell their friends, ‘You’ve got to go check out Meta Store,’” said Martin Gilliard, director of Meta Store.
With approximately 1,550 square feet, Meta sought to launch its first physical store near the headquarters of Reality Labs, the space where they are building the “metaverse.”
“Having the store here in Burlingame gives us more opportunities to experiment and keep the customer experience at the core of our development. What we learn here will help shape our future retail strategy,” Gilliard added.
The company detailed in a statement that its goal with Meta Store, Meta's physical store, is to show people what is currently possible with its products, while also giving a glimpse of the future as the metaverse comes to life and, "hopefully," demystifying that concept a bit in the process.
“The Meta Store will help people make that connection about how our products can be the gateway to the metaverse in the future. We’re not selling the metaverse in our store, but we hope people will come in and learn a little bit more about how our products will help them connect to it,” Gilliard said.
Starting May 9, the store will be open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific Time at 322 Airport Blvd in Burlingame, San Mateo County, California.
Attendees will be able to purchase the Quest 2 and accessories for it, Portal devices, and if they are interested in purchasing Ray-Ban Stories, a retail associate will help them order them directly from www.Ray-Ban.com.
"At Meta Store, we want you to interact with everything. We want you to collect things. We want you to feel it," said the company that previously bore the name Facebook.
Residents of the Choice in Aging adult care center in the city of Pleasant Hill. Photo: Manuel Ortiz P360P
Tsiliy Tankover walks slowly, he is 94 years old, but his desire to live and enjoy is revealed in all the activities he carries out at the Choice in Aging adult care center, in the city of Pleasant Hill, where, thanks to the support of caregivers and companions, the pandemic has been less painful.
"It's a place full of life. I feel like I need people, and people need me," said the native of Odessa, a city in southern Ukraine, who has lived in California since 1980.
Tsiliy Tankover, 94, a resident of Choice in Aging adult care in Pleasant Hill. Photo: Manuel Ortiz P360P
While Tsiliy, like many older adults, has navigated the pandemic calmly, experts in geriatrics - a branch of medicine dedicated to studying diseases that afflict older people and their care - pointed out that isolation and lack of socialization have been dangerous for this population group, as well as for those with disabilities.
In view of this and during an informative session held by Ethnic Media Services In collaboration with the California Department of Aging, experts stressed that vaccination and the promotion of booster shots is the key to helping these population groups reintegrate into their communities and reconnect with their families and friends.
When about 272 community-based senior day care centers in California closed, hundreds of thousands of seniors were left isolated, according to Susan DeMarois, director of the California Department of Aging.
Meanwhile, 71 percent of COVID-19 deaths in California are among people 65 and older, a worrying figure especially when there is a slowdown in obtaining vaccines and boosters among this population, since one-third of people over 60 in the U.S. are not fully vaccinated or have received any boosters.
But for DeMarois, things are changing. “We know today that many Californians have been vaccinated and boosted, including those over 50 who have received their second shot.”
He also recalled that there are services and support available from the Department he heads in all counties of the state.
“They can start by calling 800-510-2020 to be connected to the services and supports they need,” she said. “We will work where a person is, and we will connect them with support over the phone or virtually, and we will educate them on what is available in the community.”
In this regard, he noted that all people who have MediCal and Medicaid will be assisted and supported so that they find the necessary support to receive proper care and timely access to vaccines and boosters.
However, she stressed, "it is important for all MediCal eligibles to renew their contact information so that their benefits are not interrupted."
He also recalled that, in the coming months, people over 50 years of age who have an irregular immigration status or who are undocumented will be eligible for Medicare in California, and will therefore have access to all MediCal services.
While those who require emotional support in any language through warm conversation can call the Friendship Line at 888-670-1360, which is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.
For her part, Debbie Toth, president and CEO of Choice in Aging, said the past two years have been “incredibly difficult,” particularly for older adults.
“The fear of death was real every day. We were in a situation where older adults were dying and getting sick at extremely high and chilling rates.”
The situation at the time required asking this population to lock themselves in, contrary to what they had always been asked to do, since socialization is very important for older adults.
“We always tell older adults, don’t isolate yourself, it will affect your health,” Toth said. “And now we’re dealing with trying to come to terms with what happened.”
Knowing that seniors wanted to return to the centers, he stressed, they were told that the only way to do so would be to get vaccinated.
“Everyone got vaccinated and we reached 100 percent vaccination among older adults.”
Finally, after great efforts in vaccination and the administration of booster doses, the centre has reopened completely, although masks are still required inside the venue.
“They are finally coming together again in these centers, which allow them to live longer by connecting with each other to have more meaningful lives; and access to social and medical services,” Toth explained. “We need to be able to have a community to come together, to share our language, a culture, a friendship.”
“Vaccines and boosters are the only things that have made this possible for our aging population.”
For her part, internist Dr. Sara Levin, from the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, pointed out that older adults are one of the population groups most vulnerable to the pandemic, as they are often sick with pre-existing health conditions.
Currently, he pointed out, this group of the population is encouraged to use the vaccination resources in their area to obtain their boosters and thus end isolation, such as in care centers, where many of them meet, live together, exercise, receive physical and occupational therapy, in addition to health care.
East Palo Alto Mayor Ruben Abrica. Photo credit: P360P.
After a struggle to recognize the work and importance of the Latino community, especially the Mexican community that lives and/or works in East Palo Alto, its mayor, Rubén Abrica, recalled that the city of East Palo Alto celebrates Mexican identity by celebrating for the 37th consecutive time the commemoration of the Battle of Puebla, which is remembered every May 5.
Abrica, who is of Mexican nationality and managed to become mayor of East Palo Alto, recalled that May 5 has become a community holiday in the area "and this makes me very proud."
In an interview conducted by Marcos Gutiérrez and Manuel Ortiz during the program Península 360 Radio, on KIQI, through the 1010 AM frequency from San Francisco, California, in collaboration with the program Hecho en California, he congratulated the members of the organizing committee for maintaining the tradition for almost four decades.
And, he said, in the 80s, East Palo Alto was a smaller community and there weren't as many facilities as there are now, so people were even embarrassed to speak Spanish or listen to their own music, "sometimes the authorities looked at you like, what's going on here?"
"So we decided that we would always hold a public event to affirm our existence and also have a government that could advocate for all members of the community."
The event, he said, in addition to celebrating Mexican culture, serves to "stay abreast of social issues, which we should all keep in mind to continue improving our community."
"We're going to do much more than just gather together, not just listen to music to celebrate May 5th, but also recognize the past, our ancestors and those who have fought for many of the rights we have here."
This year's celebration will be virtual, like the last edition, and will be broadcast through Peninsula 360 Press on May 5th starting at 7:00 p.m., where attendees will be able to enjoy various activities.
«We hope to be able to do it again next year in the park so that all the families can come and enjoy the culture; to recognize each other, support each other and celebrate our culture, history and to be aware of current issues such as housing, economy, education and health.»
The official added that the committee has encouraged the Latino community to "defend their rights as human beings and to work in solidarity with other communities to rebuild a post-pandemic society that seriously addresses economic, health, education, housing, jobs and other areas of daily life inequalities, maintaining the historical meaning of May 5."
Challenges to overcome in East Palo Alto
The situation for low-income people in various parts of the Bay Area is not easy, as gentrification and rising property prices mean that many people, mostly essential workers who rent, are forced to relocate to places like the Central Valley, a situation to which East Palo Alto is no exception.
This was stated by the mayor of the city, who calls for wise selection of representatives in the upcoming elections.
Ruben Abrica is an outspoken supporter of Democrat David Canepa in his campaign for Congress, just as he did when he ran for councilman and later as supervisor in San Mateo County.
"I hope I can win and bring community issues of economic inequality and immigration to Washington DC. We need more people who are active in these issues."
Los tlaxcaltecas que radican en la ciudad de Nueva York ya tienen un espacio dirigido a ellos, pues el pasado 19 de abril se inauguró «Casa Tlaxcala» en la gran manzana.
La gobernadora del estado de Tlaxcala ‒México‒, Lorena Cuéllar Cisneros fue la encargada de cortar el listón de inauguración de «Casa Tlaxcala», espacio que funge como una representación gubernamental donde se brindarán servicios de asesoría y acompañamiento para diversos trámites de los migrantes tlaxcaltecas radicados en Nueva York.
Entre los trámites que se podrán realizar en Casa Tlaxcala está la expedición de actas de nacimiento, licencias de conducir o constancias de no antecedentes penales, apostilla de documentos, aclaración de actas, repatriación de los cuerpos de personas fallecidas, y apoyo para obtener doble nacionalidad.
«Se llena de alegría mi corazón al ver materializado un compromiso que hice en campaña con la comunidad migrante, y que hoy entrego en Nueva York. Casa Tlaxcala es el espacio que dará asesoría y acompañamiento para diversos trámites a migrantes tlaxcaltecas», señaló la funcionaria mexicana a través de sus redes sociales.
Cuéllar Cisneros detalló que en la oficina que está ubicada en el edificio WeWork en el 54 West 40 Street New York, los servicios serán completamente gratuitos.
En su oportunidad, Manuel Castro, comisionado de Asuntos del Migrantes en la ciudad de Nueva York, subrayó que la comunidad tlaxcalteca ha luchado por mucho tiempo por tener un espacio que les brindara la atención adecuada, pues muchos de ellos no pueden ir a México realizar los trámites necesarios.
Añadió que la oficina que encabeza, ofrece diversos servicios a la comunidad inmigrante, por lo que, de requerirlo, también pueden acercarse a la misma para obtener ayuda en materia de educación o transporte, entre otros servicios.
Casa Tlaxcala llega a Nueva York, luego de una lucha constante por parte de esta comunidad en «La Gran Manzana», pues varios miembros dijeron sentirse olvidados por administraciones tlaxcaltecas anteriores, por lo que agradecieron el nuevo espacio.
Cabe destacar que también, el pasado 19 de abril se declaró el «Día de la Amistad con Tlaxcala», en New Haven, Connecticut.
El alcalde de dicha ciudad, Justin Elicker, reconoció a Cuellar por el trabajo realizado en beneficio de la población migrante tlaxcalteca.
Ambos funcionarios, inauguraron el Consulado sobre Ruedas en la localidad de Connecticut, y destacaron la importancia de la iniciativa que buscará acercar diversos servicios a migrantes tlaxcaltecas.
«Gracias por recibirnos, por darnos todas las facilidades para que el día de hoy podamos celebrar cada 19 de abril una fiesta de Tlaxcala para el mundo, para que conozcan la riqueza cultural», dijo Lorena Cuellar en la instauración del día.
Mencionó que la falta de oportunidades laborales es el principal factor de la migración en la entidad, por lo que su gobierno ya trabaja para generar más y mejores fuentes de trabajo, con la finalidad de que no haya necesidad de que más familias tengan que migrar y separarse, además de que las que ya viven dicha situación, puedan volver a reunirse en su lugar de origen.
«Quiero decirles que la gente de Tlaxcala es muy talentosa, donde hay un tlaxcalteca siempre va a haber éxito porque son muy trabajadores… también queremos lograr reencuentros familiares», subrayó.
Por su parte, el alcalde de New Haven, Justin Elicker, refirió que, en reconocimiento y aprecio a la contribución de los tlaxcaltecas, inició el Proyecto de Ciudades Hermanas New Haven-Tetlanohcan, con el objetivo de crear conciencia sobre las realidades económicas, culturales y políticas de México que valoran a las personas, las comunidades y el medio ambiente, por encima de las ganancias.
Destacó que existe una gran conexión entre ambos estados, por lo que se comprometió a establecer una relación de trabajo cooperativo y continuo para mejorar las vidas de los residentes, así como los expatriados de Tlaxcala, a través de oportunidades económicas, servicios sociales y gubernamentales que apoyen su bienestar general.
After being accused of sexual misconduct in 2019 against two of his students who attended the New York acting school founded and run by James Franco himself, Studio 4, and having paid a fine of 2.3 million dollars to the victims, the native of Palo Alto, California, celebrated his 44th birthday once again embroiled in a media controversy.
Born on April 19, 1978 in Palo Alto, California, to a Jewish mother and a father of Portuguese and Swedish descent, actor James Edward Franco has had a prolific film career since his first appearance on television in 1999 with the series Jóvenes y Rebeldes ‒Freaks and Geeks‒.
However, the director is now the protagonist of the latest of his scandals, as he will have to be called as a witness in the defamation trial currently taking place in Fairfax, Virginia, between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
The actor's career has not always been so turbulent, as he has starred in and participated in films such as the "Spider Man" trilogy (2002, 2004 and 2007), "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011), "The Protector" (2014), "127 Hours" (2011) or the already famous HBO series "The Deuce" (2017).
James Franco celebrates 44 years of life amidst controversy, but that is not all, as he has become a feature film director and writer of a collection of short stories entitled "Palo Alto" ‒2010‒.
The three-time "Harry Osborne" has dedicated a good part of his career to consolidating, thanks to the help of his mentors, a prolific academic career since he has a degree in Literature from the UCLA, two master's degrees, one in writing and another in Digital Media from the Rhode Island School of Design's, as well as a doctorate in Literature from Yale University.
James Franco celebrates 44 years of life amid controversy because a video implicates him in the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
Franco has been called to testify in the trial currently taking place in the Fairfax court in Virginia between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, who, since April 11 of this year, have been the protagonists of one of the most popular televised trials of today.
Depp and Heard who were husband and wife between 2015 and 2016, await Franco's statements to prove, in the case of Johnny Depp, a possible adultery between Franco and Heard.
On the other hand, James' statement would be sought to clarify the actress's accusations about possible attacks that Depp allegedly caused to Heard's face at that time.
In a video handed over to authorities, Amber Heard and James Franco can be seen entering the elevator of the house Heard shared with Depp while the two embrace affectionately, a recording that dates back to May 22, 2016, when Depp and Heard were still married.
The trial will last five weeks and will be broadcast live on the Law and Crime Channel.
By Cristian Carlos. Special for Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
The latest study on climate change and the western United States predicts that drought conditions in California will persist. Scientists have calculated that more than 40% of the severity of its effects is due to human activities, which are causing more frequent droughts in this part of America.
Snowpack normally melts and flows into rivers and reservoirs, providing about a third of California’s water supply. Now, thanks to global warming, it’s melting earlier and faster than usual, providing less water. This will likely lead to more water shortages and higher water prices. According to experts, the drought in California has reached the territory’s 44%, calling it an “exceptional drought,” the worst level on the scale.
For this reason, Ethnic Media Services hosted a briefing with a panel of experts to discuss the causes of the drought in California, its duration, its effects and alternatives that hope to reverse the effects of climate change.
According to Dr. Rajendra Shende, President of the TERRE Policy Center, a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change, a drought occurred in western California 1,200 years ago. He also said that water scarcity is a problem affecting 4 billion people worldwide and that agencies like UN-Water are trying to unify their voice on droughts for this reason.
Shende noted that the water emergency in Africa and Asia is primarily due to the fact that it is so expensive to extract water from underground sources; “water shortages for these areas may be more related to climate change than anything else,” he said. Oman and Saudi Arabia are examples where it is possible to recycle up to 78% of their total consumed H2O supply by adopting some type of technology, according to research studies conducted by the United Nations Water Supply and Sanitation Association (UNWASA). Silicon Valley could integrate new technologies that would help increase our current recycling rate of 15% here in California.
Karina Herrera, WCRB environmental scientist, said that according to the 38% the US is in a severe to extreme drought since March 2022. The 53% is classified as moderate to extreme. Herrera mentioned that there is a pattern to drought in California: big conservation acts follow big droughts. In response, there are two approaches California has taken so far: immediate and long-term actions. Immediate responses include water supply and demand assessments for urban areas, Tier 2 shortage responses for those facing temporary shortages because they are already facing such shortages or have been identified as at risk of experiencing a water shortage this summer when demand increases significantly (approximately 60 million people), defining and prohibiting non-functional lawn irrigation practices in commercial sectors such as retail stores, hotels/motels/restaurants, offices, parks, shopping centers, airports, schools, etc., among others.
She noted that it is critical that water conservation become a priority, as, Herrera said, it protects beneficial uses by saving energy without increasing overall demand due to increased restrictions on the amount of water that can be used without penalty.
Heather Cooley of the Pacific Institute, an independent, nonpartisan global water think tank, said climate change is affecting water collection and distribution systems. Reversing the problem is a major challenge for everyone, not just California; “it’s an international problem,” Cooley said. The solution, she said, is to reduce water use in cities, meaning that rainwater harvesting, along with other measures such as installing more efficient systems, can save 481 TP3T of our total water use. Unfortunately, she said, there is no accurate data on rainwater harvesting in California, so it is difficult to estimate how much we need to do about California’s drought and shortage of clean water.
Sean de Guzman, director of the Snow Monitoring and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, mentioned that 451 TP3T of snowpack levels in California have dropped and that there is a lack of water in some lakes. He also stated that Lake Shasta is only at 391 TP3T of capacity, while Lake Oroville is at 511 TP3T. Sean reported that about 701 TP3T of the average water supply level is needed to be on par with historical data.
Dr. Josué Medellín-Azuara, associate professor at the UC Merced School of Engineering, stated that droughts are not going to disappear and that, on the contrary, they will become more frequent and more intense. He reported that 14,365 jobs were affected by the 2021 drought, resulting in losses of up to 1.7 billion dollars.
Medellín-Azuara painted an urgent picture, as future droughts will be exacerbated by repeated natural disasters, as well as depleted surface water and groundwater regulation. Increased irrigation needs due to population growth will exacerbate the gap between water supply and demand. “Ways we can increase resilience include reducing drought impacts through demand management and changes in crop mix, using natural infrastructure to protect against extreme weather events, building system flexibility into our designs for areas at risk of drought conditions or other disaster risks,” he said. These are expected to be more responsive to variable climate conditions than currently fixed systems (e.g. green roofs). He also said that "a system is needed for land reuse, that is, the development of new sites on environmentally degraded land so that it can be put back to productive use rather than being abandoned from an economic point of view just because it has become unusable from a hydrological perspective."
«Dios salve a la reina» son las primeras palabras del himno nacional de Reino Unido, nada más preciso cuando este jueves 21 de abril, Isabel II festejó sus 96 años de vida con «jubileo de platino», lo que significa tener el trono por 70 años.
Los festejos que se llevarán a cabo en privado van precedidos por los tradicionales cañones de la Torre de Londres que dispararon este día jueves 62 salvas mientras que desde Hyde Park se lanzaron otras 41 más.
Tras un 2021 complicado para la Reina Isabel II, debido a la muerte del príncipe de Edimburgo, su esposo, en marzo de 2021, y previo a ello la estrepitosa salida de la realeza en febrero de 2021 de los Duques de Sussex, Harry y Meghan, quienes no volverán a representar a la familia real británica, mientras que, para septiembre de ese mismo año, su hijo Andrés, duque de York, fue demandado en EE. UU. por abuso sexual a una menor.
Este 2022 no ha ido de lo mejor, pues el 20 de febrero, el Palacio de Buckingham anunciaba que la Reina se había contagiado con COVID-19.
Isabel II festejó sus 96 años de vida con «jubileo de platino» debido a que este onomástico coincide con el 70 aniversario de su reinado, pues permanece en el trono desde 1952, luego de que su padre, el Rey Jorge VI falleciera en febrero de ese mismo año.
Tribute to the Queen
Mattel se ha sumado a los festejos de la Reina Isabel II, pues la marca de juguetes, lanzó, a manera de tributo, la «Barbie Reina Isabel II», muñeca realizada con detalles icónicos de la vestimenta de la monarca.
Los detalles más representativos incluidos en la Barbie de edición especial, incluyen una Tiara y una banda azul cruzada con algunas Órdenes de la Familia Real, todo ello montado sobre un vestido y guantes blancos de seda.
Por su parte, Netflix produjo «The Crown», una serie de televisión que lleva cuatro temporadas y estrenará la quinta ‒penúltima‒ en noviembre de este año.
La aclamada ‒y polémica‒ serie ha sido creada y escrita principalmente por Peter Morgan, y cuyo lanzamiento fue en 2016, de acuerdo con Netflix, está basada en hechos históricos, y es una dramatización de la vida de la reina Isabel II y de los sucesos políticos y personales que han definido su reinado.
La ciudad de Redwood City se une a una demanda contra la empresa Monsanto en la que participan otras 8 ciudades y pueblos del Condado de San Mateo, por los costos masivos en los que incurren para eliminar la contaminación de bifenilos policlorados ‒PCB‒ de sus jurisdicciones y la Bahía de San Francisco.
The county is joined in the lawsuit against Monsanto by the cities and towns of Atherton, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, San Carlos, San Mateo, Woodside and Redwood City.
Todos los demandantes están optando por no participar en un acuerdo de demanda colectiva nacional propuesto porque le habría proporcionado a cada uno solo una pequeña fracción de lo que necesitan gastar para cumplir con las regulaciones y evitar una mayor propagación de PCB en toda el Área de la Bahía, dejando a los contribuyentes en la calle.
De acuerdo con información del condado de San Mateo, los PCB están envenenando a los peces y la vida silvestre, interrumpiendo los negocios y la recreación, además de amenazar la salud de los residentes en toda el área.
La demanda contra la empresa Monsanto, que se presentó en el San Mateo County Superior Court, alega que Monsanto ha sabido acerca de las amenazas para la salud pública y el medio ambiente causadas por los PCB durante más de 50 años, y deliberadamente engañó al público, a los reguladores e incluso a sus propios clientes sobre esas amenazas. para que pudiera continuar obteniendo ganancias masivas de las ventas de PCB.
«La evidencia es clara de que Monsanto sabía, y ocultó la verdad durante décadas, sobre los peligros de los PCB, dijo el fiscal del condado de San Mateo, John Nibbelin. «No existe ninguna razón en el mundo por la que nuestros contribuyentes deban pagar los cientos de millones de dólares que debemos gastar para evitar una mayor contaminación por PCB. Esa es responsabilidad de Monsanto, y por eso los estamos llevando a los tribunales».
En la demanda contra la empresa Monsanto, el condado y las ciudades están representados por su propio personal de abogados, con el apoyo del abogado externo Sher Edling LLP de San Francisco.
Monsanto produjo casi 99 por ciento de todos los PCB utilizados en Estados Unidos a partir de la década de 1930 y continuó hasta que la Ley de Control de Sustancias Tóxicas de 1976 prohibió su fabricación.
Según los propios documentos internos de Monsanto, los funcionarios de la empresa sabían y fueron advertidos sobre los peligros para la salud humana y el medio ambiente de los PCB.
En la década de 1950, la Marina de los EE. UU. se negó a comprar uno de los productos de PCB de Monsanto, Pydraul 150, para usarlo en sus submarinos porque las pruebas de la Marina demostraron que mataba al 100 por ciento de los conejos expuestos a sus vapores.
Sin embargo, Monsanto ocultó esa información al público y a sus clientes.
Se sabe o se sospecha que los PCB causan una amplia gama de cánceres, incluidos el linfoma no Hodgkin, el cáncer de mama, el cáncer de hígado, el cáncer de vesícula biliar, los cánceres gastrointestinales, el cáncer de páncreas y el cáncer de piel.
También están implicados en numerosos problemas de salud no relacionados con el cáncer, incluidos daños cardiovasculares, endocrinos, gastrointestinales, hepáticos ‒hígado‒, inmunitarios, neonatales, neurológicos, oculares y reproductivos.
La contaminación por PCB ya está muy extendida en el Área de la Bahía. La Junta Regional de Control de la Calidad del Agua de la Bahía de San Francisco ha identificado ciertas partes de la Bahía, incluido el puerto de Redwood City, como «puntos calientes» donde las concentraciones de PCB en los sedimentos son varios órdenes de magnitud más altas que en otras partes de la bahía.
La contaminación con PCB en la bahía ha sido tan grave que la Oficina de Evaluación de Peligros para la Salud Ambiental de California ha aconsejado a algunas personas que no coman ciertos tipos de pescado capturado en la bahía. Por ejemplo, se aconseja a los niños y mujeres de 18 a 49 años que no coman lubina rayada, tiburones y esturiones blancos capturados en la bahía.
También se recomienda a todos que no coman la piel y el tejido graso de ningún pescado capturado en la bahía.
El agua y los sedimentos que contienen PCB terminan en los sistemas de aguas residuales y aguas pluviales del condado y los municipios, que finalmente llegan a la Bahía de San Francisco.
Con el fin de cumplir con las normas estrictas para evitar una mayor contaminación, los demandantes deben implementar una amplia gama de acciones, incluidas algunas o todas las siguientes:
Pruebas y seguimiento; La instalación de “infraestructura verde” para capturar PCB en la escorrentía; Medidas para controlar las descargas de PCB cuando se demuelen estructuras con PCB; Identificación de sitios contaminados con PCB y reducción de la contaminación en esos sitios; Barrido de calles más frecuente; Dispositivos de captura de basura que capturan partículas transportadas en la escorrentía; y Operación y mantenimiento continuos de infraestructura verde, dispositivos de captura y otros dispositivos de reducción.
La queja incluye reclamos de alteración del orden público, alteración del orden público y allanamiento de morada.
Fresh Approach brings healthy food to Bay Area residents. Photo: P360P
Through trucks, Fresh Approach seeks to bring healthy food to underserved communities in the Bay Area, selling locally grown fruits and vegetables at discounts to buyers who receive federal assistance benefits.
“Our mission is to connect local farmers with underserved communities, and we do that through mobile farmers markets. We also have a farmers market and a gardening and nutrition program. It’s supporting underserved communities, and helping them in a comprehensive approach,” Isabel Medina, South Bay Food Access Program Manager, told P360P.
Every Thursday, a food truck with food straight from local farms comes to North Fair Oaks, a city in San Mateo County, where residents can get quality products at very affordable prices.
Fresh Approach distributes quality food to underserved communities using trucks. Photo: P360P.
The routes for these mobile farmers markets are diverse and span the entire Bay Area.
But Fresh Approach does not act alone, as it partners with other organizations with the same mission, to become partners and cover various spaces in places that are easily accessible to everyone, Medina said.
"We go out to events or clinics or various locations every week and sell produce from local farmers, especially those within a 200-mile radius. So these farmers are from the Central Valley and the Hollister area, and we sell it at a reduced price to families who have federal benefits."
The organization serves communities of all ages, ethnicities and income levels. They can be found in health clinics, businesses, municipal governments, churches and community centers.
All products are affordably priced and offer a 50 percent discount to customers participating in CalFresh (SNAP) food stamp program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medi-Cal and Unemployment Benefits.
For more information about Fresh Approach's matchmaking programs, interested parties can give click here.
"We believe that everyone should have equal access to healthy food and that the health of our communities and the livelihood of our local farmers should go hand in hand," the organization says on its website.
As of 2020, Fresh Approach has served 12 cities in four Bay Area counties, distributing more than 1.3 million pounds of produce and 6.5 million servings of fresh fruits and vegetables.
According to their website, the mobile farmers market hours and locations are:
Tuesday
Antioch: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Antioch Senior Center at the corner of W 2nd St and E St, Antioch
Antioch: 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sutter Delta Medical Center at 3901 Lone Tree Way, Antioch
San Jose: 10 a.m. -11:30 a.m., Valley Health Center at 500 Tully Rd, San Jose
Sunnyvale: 12:30 p. m. to 2 p. m., 665 W Olive Ave, Sunnyvale
Wednesday
Richmond: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Richmond Public Library, at Nevin Ave. and Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
Thursday
Redwood City: 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Fair Oaks Health Center at 2710 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City
Sunnyvale: 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Stanford Children's Health Specialty Service at 1195 W Fremont Ave.
However, during 2022, there will be breaks, so they will not provide service from May 30 to June 3; from July 4 to 8; from September 5 to 9; from November 21 to 25; and from December 19 to 30.
To learn about all the benefits services provided by the organization, residents can access the website www.freshapproach.org.
Ukrainian refugee in Tijuana. Photo: Manuel Ortiz / P360P
El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de EE. UU. ‒DHS, por sus siglas en inglés‒ ha informado, este jueves, que los ucranianos no podrán ingresar a EE. UU. desde México sin una visa vigente y válida.
A través de un comunicado, la agencia detalló y alentó «encarecidamente» a los ucranianos que buscan refugio en los Estados Unidos que no tienen ni son elegibles para una visa, a buscar entrada a través de «Unidos por Ucrania» desde Europa.
Dicha vía, dijo, la cual estará disponible a partir del 25 de abril, será la forma más segura y eficiente de buscar refugio temporal en la unión americana, además precisó que el gobierno federal ya trabaja con socios europeos para garantizar que los ucranianos puedan cumplir con los requisitos de vacunación contra COVID-19.
«Los ucranianos no deben viajar a México para intentar ingresar a los Estados Unidos. Tras el lanzamiento de “Unidos por Ucrania”, a los ucranianos que se presenten en los puertos de entrada terrestres de EE. UU. sin una visa válida o sin autorización… se les negará la entrada y se les recomendará que presenten su solicitud a través de este programa», puntualiza el documento.
Y es que, este mismo jueves, el presidente Joseph Biden anunció el programa «Unidos por Ucrania», un nuevo proceso simplificado para brindar a los ciudadanos ucranianos que han huido de la guerra ocasionada por la invasión de Rusia, oportunidades de refugiarse en Estados Unidos.
The above, fulfilling President Biden's commitment to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia.
Además, el Departamento de Estado anunció un mayor procesamiento de reasentamiento de refugiados y un mayor acceso al procesamiento de visas en los puestos consulares en el extranjero para complementar los esfuerzos de los países de toda Europa que acogen a ciudadanos ucranianos que han sido desplazados.
«Estamos orgullosos de cumplir el compromiso del presidente Biden de dar la bienvenida a 100 mil ucranianos y otros que huyen de la agresión rusa a los Estados Unidos. El pueblo ucraniano continúa sufriendo una inmensa tragedia y pérdidas como resultado del ataque no provocado e injustificado de Putin contra su país», dijo el secretario de Seguridad Nacional, Alejandro N. Mayorkas.
«El DHS continuará brindando alivio al pueblo ucraniano, mientras apoya a nuestros aliados europeos que han soportado tanto como resultado de la brutal invasión de Ucrania por parte de Rusia», subrayó.
Por su parte, el secretario de Estado, Antony J. Blinken, dijo que EE.UU. apoya al pueblo de Ucrania, y ayudará a cumplir con el compromiso de dar acogida a 100 mil ciudadanos ucranianos «y nuestra asociación con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional nos ayudará a cumplir ese compromiso».
Unidos por Ucrania es un proceso simplificado para que los ciudadanos ucranianos que han sido desplazados por la agresión de Rusia soliciten la libertad condicional humanitaria en los Estados Unidos.
A Ukrainian woman and her daughters wait at customs to cross from Ukraine to Poland. Photo: Manuel Ortiz / P360P
Para ser elegible, los ucranianos deben haber sido residentes en Ucrania a partir del 11 de febrero de 2022, tener un patrocinador en Estados Unidos, completar las vacunas y otros requisitos de salud pública, y pasar rigurosos controles de seguridad biométricos y biográficos, precisó la DHS.
Los ucranianos aprobados a través de este proceso estarán autorizados a viajar a Estados Unidos y serán considerados para libertad condicional, caso por caso, por un período de hasta dos años.
Una vez en libertad condicional a través de este proceso, los ucranianos serán elegibles para la autorización de trabajo, puntualizó la agencia.
Así, a partir del lunes 25 de abril, las personas y entidades con sede en EE. UU. pueden solicitar al DHS que patrocine a ciudadanos ucranianos que han sido desplazados por la agresión de Rusia a través de «Unidos por Ucrania», proceso que se pondrá en marcha ese día en el sitio DHS website.
Cualquier ciudadano o individuo estadounidense, incluidos los representantes de organizaciones no gubernamentales, puede patrocinar a los solicitantes ucranianos. Las personas y organizaciones que busquen patrocinar a ciudadanos ucranianos en el país deberán declarar su apoyo financiero y pasar verificaciones de antecedentes de seguridad para protegerse contra la explotación y el abuso.
El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional administrará el programa.
Además de «Unidos por Ucrania», Estados Unidos anunció una serie de medidas diseñadas para ampliar el acceso a las vías legales existentes para los ciudadanos ucranianos.
El Departamento de Estado ampliará las operaciones del Programa de Admisión de Refugiados de EE. UU. ‒USRAP, por sus siglas en inglés‒ en Europa para proporcionar a los ucranianos elegibles un mayor acceso al proceso de reasentamiento de refugiados bajo el programa Lautenberg , al tiempo que ampliará los mecanismos de referencia para reasentamiento permanente.
Para hacerlo, Estados Unidos está trabajando con socios europeos, el Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados y las ONG para identificar a los ciudadanos ucranianos particularmente vulnerables y otras personas que huyen del conflicto que pueden justificar el reasentamiento permanente a través de USRAP.
Estas poblaciones particularmente vulnerables incluyen mujeres y niñas, niños, personas mayores con necesidades especiales, miembros de grupos minoritarios étnicos y religiosos, personas LGBTQI+, personas con discapacidades, y personas médicamente frágiles.
Además, las embajadas y consulados europeos están aumentando, en la medida de lo posible, la cantidad de citas para visas de no inmigrantes y asegurando que haya un programa acelerado de citas para visas para personas con circunstancias humanitarias, médicas u otras circunstancias extraordinarias para obtener acceso prioritario.
Hasta el momento y de acuerdo con cifras del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados ‒ACNUR‒, la guerra por la invasión de Rusia a Ucrania, ha desplazado a, al menos, cinco millones de personas, las cuales, en su mayoría, han emigrado a otros países de Europa.
