As reported, the City of Redwood City is seeking residents to serve on the Redistricting Advisory Committee - ARC - to advise on the establishment of election boundaries for City Council districts.
ARC reports that, as of April 26, the City Council voted to establish a Redistricting Advisory Committee. In doing so, it is hoped that the purpose of these elections will reflect the diversity of the community.
To that end, the Committee will work to understand legal requirements and propose best practices for redistricting, engage the public to provide testimony on communities of interest, and create candidate maps for City Council consideration.
In the bulletin, the requirements for registration as a candidate are set out:
"An ideal candidate may have knowledge or experience in - but not limited to - the following areas: data and analysis, GIS and mapping, Redwood City's diverse communities, working as a team to achieve a common goal, and community engagement strategies. An ideal candidate is impartial and committed to ensuring fair representation."
After the application is submitted, it states that "all applications will be reviewed for eligibility. Upon that, the City Council will conduct interviews and schedule appointments at the June 28, 2021 City Council meeting.
Finally, the committee will meet approximately 15 times during the redistricting process, which must be completed no later than April 17, 2022.
A shooting was reported Wednesday morning at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority maintenance facility in San Jose, where, so far, local police authorities have reported that there are several victims, while the perpetrator is dead.
So far the exact number of dead in this fatal attack is unknown, as well as how many are injured and the extent of injuries, said at the time the spokeswoman for VTA, Brandi Childress.
The sheriff's office The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office tweeted at 8:08 a.m. that the "suspect is down," and Childress later confirmed that the shooter had died, however, various media outlets are reporting that the shooter may have committed suicide.
The suspect's cause of death has not yet been made public.
Following the shooting in San Jose, VTA employees have been evacuated from the Guadalupe maintenance yard and county sheriff's deputies remain on the scene, while a meeting with family members is being held at the sheriff's headquarters at 55 W. Younger Ave. Younger Ave.
It should be noted that around 6:30 a.m., San Jose police responded to the VTA Guadalupe facility on West Younger Avenue on reports of an active shooter, police said.
The governor of California, Gavin Newsomannounced the addition of six CAL FIRE HAWK helicopters to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) fleet. He pledged an investment of more than $2 billion for wildfire fighting and emergency preparedness, the largest in the state's history.
Newsom detailed Tuesday at McClellan Air Force Bases that with new investments in state-of-the-art firefighting technology and equipment, as well as a focus on building resiliency through fuel breaks, forest health projects and hardening housing to protect high-risk communities, "the state is more prepared than ever to face seasonal wildfires."
Newsom's California Recovery Plan proposes $2 billion for disaster preparedness, including urgent action to support wildfire suppression, improve forest health, and build resilience in communities to help protect residents and property from catastrophic wildfires.
California Recovery Plan
Firefighting investments include $48.4 million for the phased installation of 12 new CAL FIRE HAWK helicopters and seven large air tankers; $143.3 million to support 30 additional fire crews; and $708 million to restore the health of landscapes and forests to make them more resilient to wildfires.
Notably, California's Recovery Plan includes expanded investments for sustainable approaches and reducing vulnerable landscapes, as well as funding to promote approximately 500 fuel break projects, which played a key role in containing wildfires in 2020.
At the same time, the governor announced during April that he is expanding and refocusing the Forest Stewardship Task Force to meet key commitments in the Forest and Wildfire Resilience Action Plan issued in January.
The group, comprised of federal, local and tribal leaders, builds on the state's collaborative effort to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk to communities.
De acuerdo con una encuesta de Axios-Ipsos, a un año del asesinato de George Floyd, hecho que desató la mayor ola de protestas y disturbios raciales en EE. UU. desde el asesinato de Martin Luther King, 75 por ciento de los estadounidenses cree que su país es racista.
On a day like today, but a year ago, the U.S. and the world were shocked by a news story that would shake the bowels of this country: it exposed racism and police brutality against people of color. On that day George Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis.
Floyd's martyrdom lasted 9 minutes and 29 seconds until he took his last breath, but his death would not be in vain. As little Gianna, George's daughter, told President Biden at the funeral, "My daddy changed the world. And he did.
After the heartbreaking images of George Floyd brutally murdered were released, the whole world raised its voice against injustice, abuse and a disease that has become epidemic in the country, racism.
In commemorating these events, U.S. President Joseph Biden received Floyd's family at the White House today. He told them that the change in justice in the country will not be restricted to convicting agent Derek Chauvin.
"To make real change, we must be accountable when law enforcement officers violate their oaths, and we must build lasting trust between the vast majority of men and women who wear the badge of honor and the communities they are sworn to serve and protect. We can and must have accountability and trust in our justice system," Biden said.
In that regard, he detailed that negotiations on the George Floyd Police Justice Act in Congress are ongoing.
"I have strongly supported the legislation passed in the House and appreciate the good faith efforts of Democrats and Republicans to pass a meaningful Senate bill. I look forward to getting that bill on my desk quickly," he added.
And, given the various attacks against minority communities in the United States, it is imperative to act from all trenches, in legislative matters at the federal, state and local levels, but also as a society.
"We have to act. We face a tipping point. The battle for America's soul has been a constant tug-of-war between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh reality that racism has long torn us apart," the president said.
He added that this is the best time to act against an evil that has invaded the country since it was created.
"It's our finest hour, where the American ideal wins," he finished.
The condemnation of Chauvin
After more than two weeks of an intense trial, one of the most high-profile in recent years, held in mid-April, Chauvin was found guilty on all three charges he faced: second-degree murder, which carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison; third-degree murder, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison; and second-degree manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
However, because he has no prior criminal record, Chauvin could get a maximum of 40 years in prison, so state prosecutors have asked for a harsher sentence than the jury recommended.
The former police officer is awaiting sentencing, which is expected to be read on June 16 in a Minneapolis court.
In that sense, both Floyd's family and the leaders of the movement to end police violence in the U.S. and society in general, believe that the conviction against Derek Chauvin "is not enough".
George Floyd Act has yet to see the light of day
The bill drafted by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, to be dubbed the "George Floyd Police Justice Act," has yet to see the light of day, even though President Biden himself called on Congress to reach an agreement by Tuesday.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers still can't agree on police reform to end abuses and eliminate the use of chokeholds by police officers, the militarization of police departments and "legal immunity" for officers.
A majority of Americans favor an eventual increase in the federal minimum wage. Six in ten adults, including majorities in nearly every demographic group, believe it should be raised to $15 an hour.
This is pointed out by a Pew Research Center survey published in April, which notes that this popular support will not necessarily translate into government action, as proposals for an increase have been stuck in Congress for a decade. If approved, it would mean doubling it since 2009 has remained at $ 7.25 per hour.
While the organization surveyed the general public, the findings suggest that partisan divisions among lawmakers mirror those of Americans as a whole.
Thus, more than seven in 10 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents - 72 percent - oppose raising the wage to $15 an hour, including 45 percent who strongly oppose it.
Meanwhile, 87 percent of Democrats and Democratic supporters say they favor such an increase - including 61 percent who strongly favor it.
After 197 countries and autonomous territories were examined by the Center, it was found that the U.S. is one of the few countries where the legislature has primary responsibility for setting minimum wages.
Thus, the results found that only 17 countries - about 10 per cent of those with minimum wage systems - set their rates by law, which - as the US experience shows - can make it difficult to update them.
How is the minimum wage increase set?
In at least 115 countries, the central government or an official - minister of labour - sets minimum wages by regulation, order or decree, usually in accordance with some authorizing law, the study details.
In about three-quarters of these countries, government action is supposed to follow only after input from workers' and employers' organizations, ranging from unspecified "consultations" to formal recommendations by boards or commissions set up for that purpose.
At least 80 countries where minimum wages are set by or in accordance with national legislation have an explicit requirement to review them eventually, in most cases annually or once every two years.
However, the U.S. has no legal requirement to do so, although states, counties and cities can set their own minimum wage rates.
Thus, the federal minimum wage of $7.25 is actually used in only 21 of the 50 U.S. states, which together account for about 40 percent of the nation's wage earners.
The other 29 states, as well as the District of Columbia among several other cities and counties, have higher minimum wages, such as Emeryville, California, where it is $16.84 an hour.
The inhabitants saw their land burn, turned into a real fear zone, as Aguililla is in dispute between criminal groups of "Tierra Caliente".
By Pamela Cruz
The residents of Aguililla, Michoacan, saw their land burn today. Their town has become a real fear zone, because despite the fact that state and local authorities are aware that it is one of the most important areas of dispute between criminal groups in the so-called "Tierra Caliente," its residents have been abandoned to their fate.
According to a reliable and verified source, who has already denounced this situation on Peninsula 360 Press, This Tuesday, the highway that connects the town with the municipality of Apatzingán is literally cut by metal instruments that puncture the tires of the light and heavy vehicles that pass through it. Unsustainable for them, the villagers have expressed their indignation and fear "because they are not part of the war between cartels."
Just three days ago, they denounced, some land in front of Aguililla burned very close to the Tres Cerritos chapel, an act that was provoked by these groups that seek to dominate the area.
"Today I left Aguililla on my way to Apatzingán and at 8:40 in the morning I found state police officers warning everyone that there were stars with flat tires on the highway, but we don't know why they didn't remove them, which makes me curious if they know they are there," the source said. P360P, who decided to protect his identity in the face of death threats.
During a conversation, he told us that in this stretch of the road there is no authority to support and protect passersby, and that it is the villagers themselves who often risk their lives to remove the tire puncturing devices.
As if that were not enough, our source said that meters ahead of where the metal artifacts were found, state police were removing a trailer that was crossing the road itself.
"Further ahead, past the bridge and the "terrero", the state police were removing a trailer that the criminal groups had crossed, because that is the daily occurrence. The state police arrive around 8:00 in the morning, and they remove it so they can get through. And they leave around 5:30 or 6:00 in the afternoon," he said.
However, he explained that opposing gangs, presumably those known as "Los Viagras," commit these crimes on the highway at night.
"It's a pity. Nobody does anything. This is what we are going through every day," he concluded.
The inhabitants of this once peaceful area feel totally abandoned by the authorities, who out of fear or perhaps because of collusion do not do their duty. Thus the so-called "Tierra Caliente" of Michoacán, which has Aguililla in dispute between criminal groups.
While the last few months in the U.S. have seen a significant decrease in the number of deaths due to COVID-19, there has been a spike in SARS-CoV-2 infections. Yes, the elderly are still getting infected, but the youngest segment of the population, that is, children and adolescents, are now at serious risk of becoming infected and developing severe symptoms, so vaccinating them against the disease will be key to stopping the pandemic.
However, there is a strong reluctance for children and young people to be immunized against one of the deadliest viruses in history, skepticism and mistrust have become the bread and butter for women who are against the anti-COVID-19 vaccine in themselves and their children, especially the younger ones.
So said Covid States Project researcher Matthew Simonson, author of the report "Vaccinating America's Youth," during a press conference held by the Covid States Project. Ethnic Media Servicesin which she noted that mothers between the ages of 34 and 36 are the most resistant to vaccinating themselves or their children.
"We found that about a third of them said they are very unlikely to vaccinate their children. That's our definition of resistant. On five variables ranging from extremely likely to extremely unlikely to vaccinate their children, they chose the most extreme and unlikely option. So we say about a third of young mothers are resistant, and that hasn't changed since February," she said.
In contrast, he said, parents of all ages are 10 to 15 percent resistant. "In fact, parents have become less resistant in recent months. Resistance has dropped from 14 percent to 11 percent in February."
"This gender difference is especially important because mothers are the ones most involved in making these decisions about their children's health," the expert stressed.
Those are part of a survey of 25,000 Americans conducted monthly since the pandemic began in the spring of 2020, which monitors people's attitudes toward vaccines and other areas of public health, Simonson said.
While skepticism of childhood vaccination before the pandemic was about 4 to 5 percent, the same has not been true for the COVID-19 vaccine. "We're seeing, again, about a third of mothers saying, no way, my child is not getting the vaccine."
But, this type of thinking is largely experienced by Caucasians, since according to the analysis mentioned by the researcher, for the first time African-American and Latino families are not observed to be lagging behind, while those who top the lists of those who vaccinate their children are Asian-American families.
"At this point in time, parents of all races, except for Asian Americans, who are the most pro-vaccine, seemed to be about the same place by race. However, socioeconomic differences are still very important."
In that sense, he added that between those who are vaccinated and those who are not, there are large gaps in their family income, as those who earn less than 25 thousand dollars a year are the most resistant to vaccines, while those who exceed 150 thousand dollars a year are the most pro-vaccine.
This is also reflected in the level of education, as those with only high school are the most vaccine-resistant and those with a bachelor's degree are the most pro-vaccine when it comes to vaccinating their children.
Finally, Simonson recalled that the age of the children is also important in their parents' decision making when deciding whether or not to inoculate them, as it was observed that parents of adolescents are slightly less resistant than parents of young children.
"This is quite encouraging because we know that this is the order in which people have access to the vaccine right now. Adolescents can get it next to probably elementary school, toddler age, and finally, it's going to be the younger kids. And so we hope that there can be a downward momentum."
But where do parents get their information, and to what extent does that influence their decisions to vaccinate themselves and their children?
Simonson made it clear that many of those who opt not to vaccinate get their information from social media, and according to studies, only 44 percent of parents consider the benefits of vaccines to outweigh the side effects, compared to 55 percent of those who don't have children.
However, the phenomenon of young mothers who are anti-vaccine is highlighted by the fact that they are much more likely to interact with other women like themselves, who do not work and whose social circle is very closed.
This, coupled with the fact that they belong to or are in social networking groups that are part of parents' associations that do not get real, truthful and formal information on health issues, specifically vaccines.
"I think - disinformation - can originally come from social media, but it's not just disinformation, it's hearing what your friends repeat. That's what really reinforces it, makes you believe it. It's not just that you saw something somewhere online. It's what your friend believes too now, it's really reinforcing things."
Among the most common responses about vaccination, according to the study, are long-term side effects. I'm not sure it's going to work and I don't fully trust the vaccine approval process," Simonson said.
The importance of a vaccine
For Dr. Grace Lee, Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine and Associate Medical Director for Practice Innovation at Stanford Children's Health, it is important to vaccinate children and adolescents against COVID-19 because of the burden of infection.
During her speech, the doctor explained that much attention has been paid to the elderly, but not to children and what happens to them regarding this disease.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), nearly 4 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, after adjustment, perhaps as many as 22 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 have been infected in the United States, he said.
As such, he detailed that children are accounting for nearly a quarter of the newly reported cases of COVID-19 in the most recent weeks.
This, she explained, is related to the fact that children and adolescents are returning to face-to-face classes, but it's also because "vaccines have been so effective in protecting the adult population that, overall, the proportion of reported hospitalizations seems to be increasing in children, but that's primarily because of the protection we're seeing among our adults, and so the burden of disease can be significant.
Lee reported personally observing children being hospitalized and some who have died from the disease.
"Although it's not as common to occur in young children compared to our older adult population, children are also at risk. We know that among the hospitalizations we've seen in the U.S. while 60 percent have a high-risk condition, including obesity, asthma, developmental delay, immunocompromised and diabetes. We also know that 40% of the children who are hospitalized don't have high-risk conditions.
To that, he added that among hospitalized children in the U.S., there has been a disproportionate number of those from the African-American and Latino communities, some of whom have developed severe hyperinflammatory syndrome.
She added that, so far, children are known to be less symptomatic, but can transmit the disease to other members of their family. "And so it's been really important for us to make sure that we're not only protecting children from the burden of the disease, but also continuing to be able to protect our family members as well."
He recalled that, based on a clinical trial, the vaccine was shown to be 100 percent effective and produce a robust immune response among 12- to 15-year-olds, as well as being as safe and having a profile similar to that seen in adults.
He further explained that some children have local reactions to the vaccine such as a sore arm, redness or tenderness at the injection site, as well as systemic symptoms, such as headaches, muscle aches, pains, fever and the like, which, like in adults, are short-lived.
Being Latino in times of COVID-19
Dr. Jose Perez, medical director of South Central Family Health Center in Los Angeles, sees clearly that it is not easy for Latino families to vaccinate their children, mainly because of time.
One of the main reasons for lack of vaccination is access to time off from work. Most of our patients have low-income jobs, like restaurants and day laborers, and so it's a burden for them as well. To take a day off, they just went back to work and now they have to juggle going back to work, having their children at home because they're not attending school right now, and having to juggle having an extra day or an extra half day in order to come to the clinic and vaccinate their children."
In that regard, the specialist points out that Los Angeles County has done a tremendous job in mass vaccine placement, but it requires a car to access it, and "most of our patients use public transportation. So that's an added barrier".
"When you can take time off from work and then you have to jump on a bus to go, get your child and then bring your child back home and then set up and go to work. That usually takes a whole day. So our patients are basically being asked to choose between earning a living during the day or vaccinating their children," she stressed.
Added to this are barriers such as language, immigration status and fear of deportation, as well as those who listen to what they read on social media and misinformation on the Internet.
According to Dr. Perez, children will follow their parents - when it comes to vaccination - because after all, parents have to agree to vaccinate their children, since they can't be immunized without their permission.
"What I've found, especially with Latino teens today, is that they're connected to social media, but they seem to be more attuned to vaccination. They seem to have a lot more and better information than their parents and, most of the time, it's our kids and teens who are really helping to educate their own parents," she said.
Finally, he called on parents not to be afraid of vaccines, as there is a lot of experience with them.
"We have a lot of experience with the vaccine, we don't see children suffering from polio or dying from chicken pox or dying from mumps, and the reason is that we have been vaccinating our children for a long time."
And for those who doubt the COVID-19 vaccine, he pointed out that "it went through the same rigorous testing and the same rigorous scientific evaluation as all the other vaccines. The only difference is that the scientist stopped everything he was doing to focus on this, and the timeline is what ended up being narrowed down.
On June 3, Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media will co-host the nation's only multilingual journalism awards program. The online Zoom event will award 20 outstanding journalists selected from more than 230 entries submitted by media outlets in multiple languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Russian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Tagalog, Arabic and more.
California is the most linguistically diverse state in the country, with 40 percent of households speaking languages other than English, says EMS director Sandy Close. It also has the largest and most diverse ethnic media sector in the United States, with a combined audience that exceeds that of general market news in major metropolitan areas.
To judge these entries, EMS and CBM have called on veteran journalists with linguistic and cultural fluency in each of the languages represented. "It's a challenge," says CBM director Regina Brown Wilson. "But we are honored to recognize the unique role these reporters play in informing and engaging California's diverse communities."
Por favor, inscríbase por adelantado para este evento haciendo clic AQUÍ.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the New England Patriots decided to send the team's plane to El Salvador with a shipment of 500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine against the virus that has brought the world to a standstill.
The news was announced by the presidency of the Central American country, who commanded by President Nayib Bukele, thanked the organization belonging to the NFL for their willingness, all this once this morning landed the jet team six-time SuperBowl champion at the airport Oscar Arnulfo Romero.
This is not the first time the team has been involved in pandemic relief efforts. When the pandemic was at its height in the United States, franchise owner Robert Kraft had 1.2 million KN95 masks brought in from China, which were in short supply in his country.
Increased wildfire danger due to dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region has prompted the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection - CAL FIRE - San Mateo and Santa Cruz Unit to suspend all outdoor burning permits within the State Responsibility Area of both counties.
That suspension will take effect May 20, and bans all outdoor burning with some exceptions. In turn, the order is in addition to the restriction of burning in the country that went into effect on May 1, 2021, CAL FIRE said in a statement.
"Last year, California experienced its most destructive fire season in the state's known history. Together, we must continue to adapt and evolve to withstand the intensity of these fires, keeping in mind, the only way to minimize the damage they cause is through education, prevention and mitigation efforts," said Chief Thom Porter, director of CAL FIRE. "We are confident that the public is prepared."
Ian Larkin, CAL FIRE San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit Chief, said, "It is important for the public to be prepared for fires. With the below average precipitation received this year the vegetation is drying out much faster, it will be ready to burn earlier this season. Be prepared, have a plan and practice that plan before a fire occurs.
Since January 1, 2021, CAL FIRE and firefighters across the state have already responded to more than 2,060 wildfires.
While open burning of landscape debris by homeowners is no longer allowed, CAL FIRE is asking residents to take that extra time to make sure they are prepared for wildfires by maintaining a minimum of 100 feet of defensible space around every home and buildings on their property, as well as being prepared to evacuate if the time comes.
California is entering its second consecutive dry year and is bracing for what could be a very dry year.
another devastating wildfire season
It is a fact that wildfires are a natural part of the California landscape, however, the fire season in the state and throughout the West is starting earlier and ending later each year.
Climate change is seen as a key driver of this trend. Warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced warmer spring and summer temperatures, reduced snowpack and earlier spring snowmelt create longer and more intense dry seasons that increase moisture stress on vegetation and make forests more susceptible to severe wildfires.
Here are some tips to help prepare homes and property in accordance with CAL FIRE:
Clear all dead or dying vegetation 100 feet away from all structures.
Use fire-resistant plants and non-flammable ground cover.
Find alternative ways to dispose of landscape waste, such as chipping it or taking it to a biomass energy or green waste facility.
The department may issue restricted temporary burn permits if there is an essential reason for public health and safety. Agriculture, land management, fire training, and other industrial-type burning may proceed if a CAL FIRE official inspects the burn site and issues a special permit.
The suspension of residential debris burning permits does not apply to campfires within organized encampments or on private property.
Campfires may be allowed if they are maintained in a way that prevents them from spreading into the wild. A campfire permit can be obtained at local fire stations or online at PreventWildfireCA.org.
For additional information on creating defensible space, home hardening, evacuation planning, and wildfire preparedness, as well as wildfire prevention tips, residents can visit the website at www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
