Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Home Blog Page 366

Gavin Newsom Announces State Budget, Prioritizes Education and Immunization

Peninsula 360 Press
-
0
Gavin Newsom Announces State Budget, Prioritizes Education and Immunization
Sunita Sohrabji. Ethnic Media Services. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

California Governor Gavin Newsom on January 8 presented the state budget for 2021-2022, a $227 billion proposal that prioritizes the vaccination campaign, reopening of schools safely, support for small businesses and direct cash payments for low-income people.

"Our budget reflects the realities of a pandemic-induced recession that has exacerbated inequalities for decades," Newsom said. "Income disparities have come to the fore, and our budget addresses those disparities. He noted that even in the midst of the pandemic, the state's highest income residents and essential businesses have thrived, contributing unexpected revenues to the state fund.

"People who are in that condition are doing pretty well. But I don't envy their success. Instead, I admire and respect it," he said, adding that the budget reflects the need to rethink additional revenues to support the state's residents most affected by the pandemic.

To address the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor has proposed $372 million for vaccine distribution. Newsom said California currently has 2.5 million doses of Pfizer and Modern vaccines, and more than 1 million doses are expected to be delivered by January 15. The state will launch public service announcements in different languages January 10 to inform various audiences about the benefits of the vaccine and how to access it.

Another $473 million has been set aside for testing and follow-up studies.

575 million has been proposed to help small businesses recover through grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. Small business owners who require more information about the program, as well as to apply, can do so online at covid19.ca.gov. Applications must be submitted by January 13.

Earlier in the week, the Governor introduced the "Golden State Stimulus" proposal, a $5 billion plan to distribute cash payments to 4 million low-income residents of the state of $600, in accordance with the procedures of the California Earned Income Credit program. State lawmakers have already called for this program to be expanded, saying that $600 is too small an amount to support those who have lost income due to the pandemic.

The state also plans to distribute $2.6 billion to delinquent tenants to help them with back rent, but Newsom said the state has not yet established a framework for distributing these funds.

Newsom said one of its top priorities was to open schools safely as soon as possible, and it has allocated $90 billion for the education of preschoolers through age 14, the highest amount in the state's history.

2 billion will go to immediate measures to get students back into face-to-face education. An additional $4.6 billion has been budgeted to expand summer schools and after-school programs; this reflects the reality of parents now working longer hours to maintain their homes in California. Newsom said additional funding has been set aside for low-income students, English language learners and refugee youth.

"We have our sights set on equality. The children are lagging behind," he said.

400 million has been allocated to children's education and 1.5 billion to adaptive education. Newsom said he had to go to an adaptive education school as a child.

Another $786 million has been budgeted for UC and CSU: the former will receive $425 million, while the latter will receive $361 million. Of that amount, $100 million has been budgeted to meet the basic needs of students, such as food and housing, and another $30 million will go to school-based mental health programs. 250 million will support the expansion of the state's college financial aid programs. The governor strongly opposed the increase in tuition fees.

Despite increased investment in the education sector, there was no mention of improved education infrastructure for low-income and rural children who cannot immediately return to the classroom and who lack basic tools such as laptops and high-speed Internet to be part of online learning.

The budget also addressed the housing and homelessness crisis in the state, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Currently, more than 151,000 people are living on the streets or in temporary shelters. Newsom noted the success of the $846 million Project Homekey program, which purchased 94 motels and hotels and turned them into permanent housing for 6,000 homeless people. The new budget adds an additional $1.75 billion for the purchase of more motels and hotels and to add on-site mental health and substance abuse support services.

The governor also budgeted $1.1 billion to expand the state's health care infrastructure, including the MediCal program. Most importantly, however, the 24,000 undocumented seniors in California will still not be able to enroll in any program. Newsom said during a briefing that it was hesitant to budget $3 billion a year to expand health care for undocumented seniors, despite this year's $34 billion budget surplus.

The governor's press conference can be found at the following link: https://bit.ly/3ovvo9R.

Paycheck Protection Program to Reopen January 11

Pamela Cruz
-
0
Paycheck Protection Program to Reopen January 11

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, announced that the Payment Check Protection Program (PPP) will reopen starting this Monday, January 11, for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. 

To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions will be able to provide first-draft PPP loans on Monday, January 11 and second-draft PPP loans on Wednesday, January 13, while the PPP will be open to all participating lenders shortly thereafter.

It is worth mentioning that on January 6 an updated PPP guide was published describing the changes to the Program to improve its effectiveness and accessibility, in accordance with the Financial Assistance Act for Small Businesses, Non-Profit Organizations and Headquarters.

This round of PPPs gives priority to millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $284 billion for job retention and other expenses through March 31, 2021, by allowing PPP borrowers to apply for a second round PPP loan.

The Paycheck Protection Program served "as an economic lifeline for millions of small businesses and their employees when they needed it most," said Administrator Jovita Carranza, who added that the program adapts to the changing needs of small business owners.

Administrator Jovita Carranza

For his part, the Secretary of the Treasury, Steven T. Mnuchin, said that

"The Paycheck Protection Program has successfully provided 5.2 million loans worth $525 billion to small businesses in the United States, supporting more than 51 million jobs.

Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury

"This updated guide improves the specific PPP relief for the small businesses most affected by COVID-19. We are committed to implementing this round of PPPs quickly in order to continue to support U.S. small businesses and their workers," he added.

Some of the key updates to PPPs include that PPP borrowers can set their loan coverage period to 8-24 weeks to better meet their business needs.

Also, that PPP loans can cover additional expenses, including operating expenses, property damage costs, supplier costs and worker protection expenses, as well as greater flexibility for seasonal employees.

For more information on SBA's assistance to small businesses, those interested can visit sba.gov/ppp or treasury.gov/cares.

Bay Area can enjoy fresh crab from this weekend

Pamela Cruz
-
0
Bay Area can enjoy fresh crab from this weekend

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

Local fishermen will be in the water next Monday, January 11, to bring a delicious, sweet Dungeness crab to the tables over the weekend, after San Francisco fishing boat owners and the Seafood Marketing Association reached an agreement to start this activity safely.

According to the Half Moon Bay Seafood Marketing Association (HMBSMA), it took an extraordinary level of communication and unity among a diverse fleet to wait so long to fish, self-regulate a start date and pre-soak under a "gentlemen's agreement", to resume activities.

Agreement for a safe start process was reached among fishermen in Bodega Bay, San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Vallejo, Santa Cruz, Moss Landing and Monterey in late December to mitigate uncertainty and provide a safer start for the entire fleet. 

When a price was agreed upon last Friday, January 8, the process was also enacted in the agreement and this resulted in the established time, which was scheduled for 8:00 a.m. this Monday and a carry time of 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 13.

The need for this agreement was to reduce the damage and dangers that can follow what fishermen call "shotgun starts", a scenario in which a price agreement and a start of fishing in another region is the equivalent of a gunshot in a race. 

The result is that local boats loaded with gear are forced to scatter and rush to sea just an hour ahead, in sometimes dangerous conditions, but by 2021 this scenario has been avoided and is expected to be a new precedent for the future.

So this weekend fishermen are making last-minute preparations with soul before Monday's schedule, while companies, markets and coastal communities supporting the fleet are preparing to be ready when they begin transporting equipment on Wednesday and bringing crabs to market.

"We appreciate the support and love of the public for Dungeness crab and are happy to get down to work bringing in delicious, high quality local crabs to enjoy next week.

HMBSMA Seafood Marketing Association

COVID-19: Palo Alto to Impose Restrictive Access Measures at Foothills Parks

Peninsula 360 Press
-
0
COVID-19: Palo Alto to Impose Restrictive Access Measures at Foothills Parks
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Palo Alto authorities will impose new temporary restrictions on access to Foothills Park nature reserve starting this Saturday, due to the increase in the number of visitors since it opened to the general public last month.

Thus, the city council will close the doors of the park temporarily on weekends during peak hours - from 10:00 to 15:00 h - as well as on holidays, and is preparing to consider additional measures to limit visits.

These measures include charging a parking fee, as well as reducing the number of people who could be in the park at the same time, where the current limit is 750, according to an announcement issued by city authorities on Thursday.

The 1,400-acre reserve, which was long restricted to visitors, has reached its limit of 750 people several times since it officially opened to the general public on Dec. 17.

The busiest hours in the park have been between 10:00 and 15:00 on weekends, which creates safety problems and dangers on the road, so a large number of visitors have had to be turned away.

"This temporary measure is to help manage the number of visitors to the park and provide a safe, enjoyable and consistent experience for visitors," the city announcement said.

It should be noted that among the closures and limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic are the Interpretive Center, the canoe rental, the fountains, the Oak Grove group barbecue sites and all individual barbecues, except for the Orchard Glen picnic area.

While the trails, bathrooms, picnic table area - only one home per site, only the Orchard Glen barbecues - and park benches remain open, some with limitations.

The city of Palo Alto encourages visitors to respect other visitors and to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from people who do not live in the same house, as well as to be careful of snakes, ticks and poisonous oak.

Twitter suspends Trump for good

Peninsula 360 Press
-
0
Twitter suspends Trump for good
Cristian Carlos. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Outgoing President Donald Trump's Twitter account has been permanently suspended, as revealed by a tweet from the social network's security account.

"After a close inspection of the recent tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and in context, we have permanently suspended the account due to future risks of incitement to violence", tweeted this afternoon.

Last Tuesday, outgoing President Donald Trump had refused to concede victory to Joe Biden as successor to the U.S. executive branch on the false grounds of "voter fraud" and, in a speech in Washington, he urged thousands of his supporters to protest to the Capitol, where the counting of electoral votes in the U.S. Congress was taking place.

As a consequence, the security of the Capitol facility was violated. The balance is five people killed in Tuesday's protests.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, also said that access would be restricted to the outgoing president's accounts - Facebook and Instagram - in order to prevent further violence and promote the peaceful resolution of American democracy.

Proposed 2021-2022 budget for California includes funding of $227.2 million

Peninsula 360 Press
-
0
Proposed 2021-2022 budget for California includes funding of $227.2 million
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Governor Gavin Newsom today presented the Legislature with his proposal for the 2021-2022 state budget, which includes $227.2 billion in funding for the immediate response to COVID-19 in support of Californians who need it most.

The budget prioritizes key actions to help California's hardest-hit families and businesses, such as $372 million to accelerate vaccine delivery in California's 58 counties, reinforcing the rapid and safe distribution approach. 

It also includes a $14 billion investment for those who need it most, such as those who have lost their jobs, small businesses, plus $600 cash assistance to millions of Californians facing eviction, through the Golden State Stimulus.

In addition, it intensifies the commitment to equity in school communities, through approximately $90 billion in school funding, to address the uneven impacts of the pandemic on schools and families.

This includes $2 billion to support and accelerate the safe return of in-person instruction, $4.6 billion to help students recover from the impacts of the pandemic, and $400 million for school-based mental health services.

In terms of the actions the state has taken to support California's businesses, the budget proposes supports for businesses of all sizes, including $777.5 million for a Jobs Initiative.

"In this darkest hour of the COVID-19 pandemic, this budget will help Californians with urgent actions to address our immediate challenges and move toward our recovery," Governor Newsom said. 

The budget also makes new proposals to address the affordability of health care and housing, and supports increasing the state's minimum wage to $14 per hour. 

It also reflects the state's highest level of funding for K-12 schools: approximately $90 billion in total, with $85.8 billion under Prop. 98.

California's 2021-2022 Budget Targets the Neediest: David Chiu

Peninsula 360 Press
-
0
California's 2021-2022 Budget Targets the Neediest: David Chiu
Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

The recent budget plan announced Friday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom will allow for "wise investments and safeguarding of the social safety net," said California Assemblyman David Chiu.

"Today is a clear reminder of how different life was just a year ago. Despite a pandemic and difficult economic circumstances, Governor Newsom has used this budget to make wise investments and safeguard our social safety net," he said.

In his statement following Governor Newsom's announcement of the budget for fiscal year 2021-2022, the Assemblyman for the 17th District, which covers East San Francisco, said it was important for the official to address the state's housing crisis.

"I appreciate the governor's continued commitment to addressing our housing crisis. With continued funding for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and the new housing accountability unit within the Department of Housing and Community Development, California will be able to continue to build affordable housing and work to reduce our overall housing shortage," he noted.

In that regard, he noted that Newsom's proposal to spend $1.75 billion on housing for people experiencing homelessness is significant, so the increased funding, he said, is "broadly welcome" from previous years. 

In addition, he said, Chiu's office will be working closely with the administration to ensure that California extends protections against eviction beyond January 31, allowing tenants to keep their homes.

"Through this budget, California is working to support our residents during the pandemic with $4.4 billion for COVID-19 testing, vaccine distribution, direct stimulus payments, a robust small business grant and fee waivers for the hardest hit sectors of our economy," he said.

At the same time, he said, the unprecedented investment in K12 education - primary and secondary - and emergency grants for California's college students, will go a long way to supporting students during this "incredibly challenging" time.

"While no budget is perfect, this proposal is good news for California. I look forward to working with colleagues to get emergency support immediately and pass a final budget in June," he concluded.

Gavin Newsom on Friday presented the legislature with the proposed 2021-2022 state budget, a $227.2 billion fiscal plan that will provide funds for the immediate response to COVID-19 and help Californians who need it most.

COVID-19: Mexican government promises vaccination to undocumented migrants in the U.S.

Peninsula 360 Press
-
0
COVID-19: Mexican government promises vaccination to undocumented migrants in the U.S.
Cristian Carlos. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

In recent days, statements made by Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, who threatened to exclude undocumented migrants from receiving either of the two vaccines - Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna - against COVID-19, have caused a stir.

At a press conference, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued instructions for the foreign ministry to launch a request to reverse the statements made by Ricketts through the consulate in Nebraska, in charge of Guadalupe Sanchez, where a warning is made to correct and include undocumented migrants to receive the COVID-19 vaccine that is already available in the U.S.

"It was very worrying to hear their statements (...) that undocumented workers in meat packing plants could not receive the vaccine," said Guadalupe Sanchez, consul in Nebraska through a statement issued by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).

It is important to point out that in Mexico, simply by being present in Mexican territory, one obtains the right to receive medical attention, which also implies the right to register in the national vaccination program that, since December, includes the new Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19.

Just as in the state of California, Nebraska, more than 60 percent of the meat production chain are undocumented migrants; however, the percentage rises to 70 of the total number of essential workers in Nebraska, said Maki Teramoto, general director of Protection for Mexicans Abroad of the SRE.

Meanwhile, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that if the U.S. local government denied the application of the COVID-19 vaccine, he would begin a vaccination plan for Mexicans abroad, specifically in the case of the United States.

San Mateo offers seminars to raise awareness about human trafficking

Pamela Cruz
-
0
San Mateo offers seminars to raise awareness about human trafficking

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

As part of Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month -January 2021-, San Mateo County invites all residents to participate in webinars on the subject, where you can also learn about the efforts and response by municipalities in this area.

The four seminars that will be given will be free of charge through the Zoom digital platform, so it is important to register to access each one of them through the https://stophumantraffickingsmc.org/webinar-series-January-2021/ .

The first two sessions of the talks are entitled "Introduction to Human Trafficking", the English version was held this Thursday, January 7, however, the same talk will be given in Spanish next January 14 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

Following them, on Thursday, January 21, the theme "Human Trafficking and the Response in San Mateo County" will be taught from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

Finally, on Thursday, January 28, the conference cycle will close with the theme "Youth Sexual Trafficking: Recognizing Risk Factors", which will be held from 6:30 to 7:45 pm.

For questions or assistance, residents can email stophumantrafficking@smcgov.org.

COVID-19: Human excrement, key to understanding the virus

Pamela Cruz
-
0
COVID-19: Human excrement, key to understanding the virus

To Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

To better understand how COVID-19 spreads, researchers from Santa Clara County and Stanford University are looking to human waste as a source of information to better understand the disease.

This new study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, identifies a method that not only detects the virus in wastewater samples, but also tracks whether infection rates are increasing or decreasing.

Measuring wastewater is a solid source of data as those infected eliminate the virus in their feces, which could be used to track more receptively and to supplement critical information from health officials.

According to the report's lead co-author, Alexandria Boehm, who is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, the test works by identifying and measuring genetic material in the form of SARS-VOC-2 RNA, the virus that causes VOC-19.

 "This work confirms that trends in SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in wastewater follow trends in new infections in the community. Wastewater data complement clinical trial data and may provide additional information on infections.

Alexandria Boehm

While the U.S. is struggling with record daily transmission rates, getting more information to track the surge and inform public health policy in local communities remains key to controlling the virus. 

The study highlights that COVID-19 can be particularly difficult to trace, as many asymptomatic or mild cases go undetected. And those who are tested may still spread the infection before receiving the results, inhibiting rapid identification, treatment and isolation to slow the spread. 

So faster identification of case peaks could allow local officials to act more quickly before the disease reaches a point where transmission becomes difficult to contain and hospitalizations overwhelm the local health system. 

Monitoring of COVID-19 through RNA surveillance of sewage is gaining momentum across the country, and could alert decision makers to potential outbreaks days before people recognize the symptoms of the virus.

It is worth mentioning that the county is working with Stanford University, the San Jose Department of Environmental Services and four wastewater treatment plants to analyze the waste.

1...365366367...400Page 366 of 400

Peninsula 360 Press made by Kainos MX

es_MX
es_MX