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Bay Area Transportation to Receive 975mm Stimulus for COVID-19

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.01.02

Bay Area Transportation to Receive 975mm Stimulus for COVID-19

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

The $900 billion stimulus, which was recently approved by the U.S. Congress to help address the COVID-19 crisis, also includes $14 billion in compensation for public transportation systems across the country, of which about $975 million is expected to go to the Bay Area.

Bay Area public transportation agencies had warned of possible service and job cuts after the coronavirus left severe impacts on their budgets, which could be overtaken by the stimulus that the region's operators are prepared to receive.

However, there is still an unclear picture of when passengers will return to buses, trains and ferries in large numbers, so the long-term future of the transit system network linking the Bay Area is far from secure.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said they will work in coordination with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to distribute the funds, which will be of great help to "avoid the need to send out layoff notices at the moment.

For his part, San Francisco's transportation director and head of the city's Muni system, Jeffrey Tumlin, noted through his Twitter account that "mass layoffs and more service cuts are off the table.

So it will now be up to the MTC to distribute the funds among the region's approximately two dozen public transportation agencies, a process expected to take place in early 2021.

It should be noted that public transport in the country has faced a serious crisis in the months since widespread closures took most passengers off the roads, although local buses and trains have continued to carry thousands of essential workers and those unable or unwilling to drive.

BART has been among the most vulnerable transport systems because it depends on passenger fares for most of its budget. While bus systems have had a relatively more stable base because they are financed primarily by tax revenues that have remained strong, they have also lost millions of dollars in passenger revenue.

A first federal aid package in March 2020 bolstered transit agencies' finances for a while, but as the pandemic dragged on and funds dried up, agencies warned of job and service cuts that would lead to more traffic, more vehicle emissions and a stalled economic recovery if aid did not arrive.

International news summary

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.01.02

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Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

World receives 2021 in the midst of a peak for COVID-19

Different countries around the world welcomed the year 2021 with fireworks displays, but with empty streets and little celebration, in the face of restrictions imposed by states, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The celebrations were held without crowds, amid fears about the circulation of a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus, which has mainly affected the UK and Germany, but has already been detected in other countries, such as the US.

2020, a year that was marked by this new disease, ends with more than 83.1 million new cases worldwide, as well as 1.8 million deaths.

UK and EU reach historic Brexit agreement

After months of arduous negotiations, the United Kingdom and the European Union reached an agreement on the Brexit, which is beneficial to both parties, and which will serve to regulate trade and security relations in the future.

It should be noted that the deadline for the formal completion of Brexit ended on December 31st as a result of a referendum organised in 2016, where 52 percent of UK voters decided that the nation should disassociate itself from the European bloc.

This new agreement, which is expected to enter into force on 1 January, has yet to become law, and the British and European Union parliaments must ratify it, which is expected to happen in the next few days.

Earthquake in Croatia leaves material and human losses

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 left at least 7 people dead and considerable material damage in the city of Petrinja, in Croatia, a phenomenon that was also felt in the country's capital, Zagreb, as well as in other latitudes of Central Europe.

The mayor of Petrinja, Darinko Dumbovic, commented last Tuesday that the town "is in ruins. There are dead, wounded and missing. There is no house that has not been damaged. Ambulances can't reach everywhere. It is chaos.

Pierre Cardin, fashion revolutionary, passes away

French fashion designer Pierre Cardin died last Tuesday, December 29, 2020, at the age of 98, in a hospital in Neuilly, near the French capital.

Cardin is considered a promoter of the revolution at the end of the 60s and 70s of the last century, due to his futuristic designs. He was also a pioneer in business, licensing his name on other products.

94 low-income housing projects are completed in California

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.01.01

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94 low-income housing projects are completed in California

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all 94 projects in the Homekey Program - low-income housing grants - have closed escrow, meaning that there will be buildings providing 6,029 critical need housing units for homeless people throughout California.

In this regard, the official emphasized that a total of $750 million in dollars from the Federal Assistance Fund for COVID-19 has been allocated to 51 applicants for the 94 projects.

Such critical investments allow high-risk populations to follow public health guidelines to curb the spread of IDOC-19, using innovative approaches, such as converting temporary, uncrowded housing, including hotels, motels, empty apartment buildings and other properties, into permanent ones, he noted.

In a statement, the state government stressed that long-term housing is for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and that $96 million in operating support, a combination of state funds and philanthropic investment, has been granted in full.

Thus, in total, Homekey used $846 million to quickly purchase and subsidize all six thousand 029 units in less than six months from start to finish.

"In a matter of months and in the midst of a pandemic, we did what many said was impossible: California created more than 6,000 new units, on time and under budget, helping thousands of homeless Californians move from cars and tents to housing," Newsom said.

He added that Homekey has been made possible by federal support to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Legislature's partnership and local leaders who "didn't settle for excuses and instead set to work to make history.

The statewide average cost for Homekey per unit is $123,987 and the statewide average local cost is $23,987, making the total average cost per unit $147,974.

"With equity and inclusion built into Homekey, communities and Californians who are too often overlooked will benefit, including at-risk youth and former foster youth, LGBTTTIQ+ youth, people living with HIV, essential farm workers, vulnerable seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and women escaping domestic violence," said Gustavo Velasquez, director of the Department of Housing and Community Development -HCD.

The purpose of "Homekey" and procurement is to create permanent places for at-risk homeless people to live safely, protecting them from many public health risks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HCD began accepting applications for Homekey on July 22, 2020, and by the priority application deadline of August 13, a total of 138 applications had been received from 67 jurisdictions across the state, totaling nearly $1.06 billion requested.

As of December 29, 2020, all 51 local agencies that received awards had obtained their funding and purchased and closed their project escrow.

In addition to funding to acquire units, the 51 grantees have received at least one operating support grant from philanthropic sources or the state General Fund to help ensure the long-term viability of each applicant's Homekey portfolio.

COVID-19: Stanford Students Create Foundation to Donate Computers to Affected Youth

Peninsula 360 Press

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2021.01.01

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COVID-19: Stanford Students Create Foundation to Donate Computers to Affected Youth

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Stanford University seniors Isabel Wang and Margot Bellot created the non-profit organization "Bridging Tech," which provides refurbished computers to students affected by homelessness and vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thus, young entrepreneurs seek to close the digital gap between children and youth, after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic forced education to be provided via the Internet. Young people and children have found it difficult to keep up with academics due to limited or no access to computers.

"In response to COVID-19, we created Bridging Tech, so that children affected by homelessness can have equal opportunities to learn," said Isabel Wang.

It should be noted that since April, Wang and her Stanford senior Margot Bellon have been busy taking their charity to scale, as they have assembled a large network of volunteers, partnered with other organizations and donated hundreds of pieces of equipment to students in shelters.

Also, in these months, Bridging Tech has expanded its services beyond the Bay Area and is now operating in numerous states. As the Christmas season approaches, they hope to double their donations before the end of the year.

"Our ultimate goal is to help bridge the educational gap and ensure that all of these students have an equal opportunity to go to school, succeed and get jobs," Bellon said.

Shortly after schools in the United States changed the type of instruction from face-to-face to online courses, Bellon and Wang were frustrated with how the change was affecting students who did not have access to computers outside their schools.

"What we learned when we created Bridging Tech is that there are 11 million children in the United States alone who do not have their own laptop, desktop, or a suitable device for learning at home," Wang said.

Similarly, this digital divide has been exacerbated by the pandemic and could have long-term adverse effects on students, since not having access to a device prevented them from going to school at all, which was almost a guarantee that they would be delayed a grade.

Bellon and Wang focused their services on K-12 students, who are generally the most disadvantaged and most likely not to have a computer, so they devised a process for acquiring laptops and delivering them.

After identifying donors, willing to give up their old computers, volunteers retrieve the devices, then hand them over refurbished to students personally at a local shelter, who can keep them permanently.

To date, Bridging Tech has donated 437 computers to students in numerous cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York, and is expected to deliver another 400 by the end of 2020. In the coming months, they also hope to expand the organization beyond large urban centers.

"You need to have a laptop to learn, especially at this particular time because of the pandemic," Wang said. "If you don't have access to technology from the beginning, you won't be able to catch up, which is why it's so important that we provide these tools.

For more information, donations, involvement in the project and how to become a beneficiary of the foundation, you can go to www.bridgingtech.org.

COVID-19: Doctors in Mexico denounce vaccination irregularities

Peninsula 360 Press

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2020.12.31

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COVID-19: Doctors in Mexico denounce vaccination irregularities

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]

Yesterday, December 30th, medical personnel demonstrated in Periférico Oriente, from noon until about 2:00 p.m., in front of Jacarandas, in the "El Vergel" Military Hospital, where they claimed not to receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, as personnel notified them that they were suspended.

In view of the inconvenience and the concern to continue working without having more protection than that which they carry in their equipment, the demonstrators closed the circulation in the direction of Cuemanco, waiting for the authorities to listen to their request to be immunized.

The demonstration follows an earlier one on December 25, when doctors and nurses at La Raza Hospital, part of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), reported that they had not been given the COVID-19 vaccine.

At that time, they said that the 22 doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech Pharmaceuticals, destined for that hospital at that time, were not applied to those facing COVID on the front line, but to hospital officials.

The Animal Politics media reported that the protesters carried signs that said Doctors and nurses carried signs that said "Vaccinate the operative, not the manager", "Inhumane selfish managers", "Applause no, vaccine yes".

Thus, last week, the head of the IMSS, Zoé Robledo, was questioned because of complaints from doctors and nurses, however, he denied what happened and said that only one manager was vaccinated.

The official also noted that the 22 people selected to be vaccinated belong to various categories such as doctors, residents, nurses, radiologists, chemists, ambulance people, and cleaners, among others.

In that sense, he said there is an important criterion for the selection of those who should be vaccinated first, because it starts with those most vulnerable, who work in the area of COVID, and who have risk factors such as being over 60 years or have a chronic degenerative disease.

In addition, yesterday afternoon, the Ministry of Health of the State of Mexico reported that it will sanction the director of the Medical Center "Lic. Adolfo Lopez Mateos", after being identified in social networks as #LordVacuna, after having his family in the line to be immunized against COVID-19.

The case began to resonate on social networks on December 29th, where several users revealed the doctor's alleged identity and baptized him as #LordVacuna, a title that reached great relevance on Twitter.

After the situation, the Mexican health agency explained that the director of the medical center will face sanctions, first, by the internal control body of the Ministry of Health, and then give a hearing to the Comptroller General of the State of Mexico.

He also announced that the filter for registering candidates to receive the vaccine will be strengthened "in order to prevent these practices from being repeated".

The 5 most curious notes of December

Peninsula 360 Press

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2020.12.31

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Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

Walt Disney will no longer put digital covers on visitors' photos

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, people can still go to Disney World in Florida as long as they make their reservations early, maintain a healthy distance in lines, undergo temperature checks and wear their mask at all times.

Last July, it was reported that the park was not handing out photos at the rides to people not wearing their masks. Walt Disney World argued that a policy was due that allowed it to withhold photos if someone was doing something unsafe or inappropriate.

This measure was not taken in the best way by the visitors, so he started to add digitally the mask. However, he announced that he will stop doing this and they are confident that visitors will wear the masks to avoid further spread of the virus.

Aliens are real

Although it may sound delirious, Israel's former head of space security, Haim Eshed, stated in an interview that aliens are real. He also said that Donald Trump knows this and not only that, but that he has a pact with an "intergalactic federation" to keep it a secret.

Haim Eshed, 81, who spent three decades at the head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's space directorate, added that "the Unidentified Flying Objects have asked not to publish that they are here, since humanity is not yet ready.

Bethlehem among sharks

A couple of divers dived for several minutes into a tank full of gray sharks, which also contained life-size figures of Mary, Joseph and the Three Kings, to mount the representation of the birth of Jesus in an extreme version.

The attraction is part of the traditional show known as Belén acuático, offered by the Zoo Aquarium of Madrid, which is installed in early December to delight visitors in this season decembrina.

Paris City Hall Fined for Hiring Too Many Women

The Ministry of the Civil Service fined the City of Paris the not inconsiderable amount of 90,000 euros for not respecting gender parity and hiring too many women, since there are 11 women on its staff and only five senior positions for men.

According to the local Parity Law, no one sex can hold more than 60 percent of the positions in the administrations, and although the law was created to increase women's participation in these positions, the fine seems to have come out of a "world upside down".

Adolf Hitler sweeps away Namibian elections

Adolf Hitler Uunona is the new district administrator of the SWAPO party's Ompundja district in northern Namibia. He won 84.88 percent of the votes in the regional elections, which can be considered a resounding success over his opponents.

Unona, 54, says he is used to being teased by name. "My father gave me that name and I probably didn't understand what it stood for, although as a child I didn't know either. As I grew up, I realized I was a man who wanted to subdue the whole world and I had nothing to do with that," he said in an interview.

Weekly Summary, Latin America

Peninsula 360 Press

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2020.12.31

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Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

In historic session, Argentina legalizes abortion

With 38 votes in favor, 29 against and one abstention, Argentina's Senate took a historic step and approved a law to legalize abortion last Wednesday, after decades of struggle by women's movements seeking to guarantee this right in the country.

The law establishes that women and other persons with gender identities who have the capacity to gestate have the right to access voluntary termination of pregnancy up to the 14th week of the gestational process. After that time, abortion is only legal in cases of rape or risk to the pregnant woman.

President Alberto Fernandez said on Twitter that "safe, legal and free abortion is the law. That's what I committed myself to, that it would be on election day. Today we are a better society that extends rights to women and guarantees public health.

Thus, Argentina joins a list that includes nations and other regions of Latin America such as Uruguay, Cuba, Mexico City, the state of Oaxaca -also in Mexico-, the Antilles and French Guiana, where abortion is not criminalized.

Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico initiate vaccination against COVID-19

Countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica began their massive COVID-19 vaccination programs during the week, in a process that is expected to require the entire following year, and even extend into early 2020.

Mexico received a first batch of 3,000 vaccines last Thursday, out of a total of 34 million, while Chile received its first 10,000 doses of 10 million, and Costa Rica almost 10,000 units, all from Pfizer-BioNTech. Argentina received 300,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Cuba closes doors to U.S. and Mexican travelers for COVID-19

The Cuban government announced new measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including limiting entry to travelers from the United States, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Haiti, beginning January 1, 2021.

This measure was taken after the island recorded a peak in the past few days, whose source of infection was mainly abroad, and despite the fact that the number of infections is relatively low, with just over 11,000 cases among the more than 11.2 million inhabitants.

Ecuador starts electoral process

Ecuador officially begins its electoral process on December 31st, with a historic record of 16 candidates seeking to succeed current President Lenin Moreno in the general elections to be held on February 7th, 2021.

In an environment hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimates that the region's economies will shrink by an average of 7.7 percent by 2020 - the largest in 120 years - which will undoubtedly set the course for elections in Latin America, where Peru and Chile will also elect a president in 2021.

Mexico is the third most visited place in the world

Mexico was ranked as the third most visited country in the world and the fourteenth in terms of foreign exchange earnings from tourism, according to preliminary data from the World Tourism Barometer of the Tourism Organization -WTO-, for December 2020.

The above, due to the falls that all countries in the world have presented as a result of the global crisis that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic, to which many countries had to close their borders -except Mexico-, hitting that sector.

COVID-19: California Government Partners with CVS and Walgreens to Administer Vaccines

Peninsula 360 Press

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2020.12.30

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COVID-19: California Government Partners with CVS and Walgreens to Administer Vaccines

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

The California government has partnered with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies to administer Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines to residents and staff at long-term care facilities at no cost at the state or local level.

So, starting yesterday, Monday, December 28, CVS and Walgreens began administering the doses in homes for older adults, a task that will take approximately three to four weeks, and then vaccinate staff and residents in assisted living centers, residential care and other long-term care facilities.

There will be approximately 499 senior citizen households receiving CVS and 357 Walgreens vaccines. The vaccines will be administered by pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and nurses, the state government said in a statement.

He also noted that pharmacy technicians are participating under a recent exemption from the Pharmacy Board that requires adequate supervision under California law and specialized training.

"By leveraging the resources of CVS and Walgreens, we can effectively implement vaccines for residents and staff in our long-term care facilities, who are at increased risk of COVID-19 transmission, and do so at no cost to the state or local government," the governor said.

The program will allow counties to use the staff of these pharmacies to administer the vaccine more widely, as they will go directly to the care centers.

Skilled nursing facilities will receive the vaccine from CVS and Walgreens staff.

"This partnership is an opportunity to increase other vaccination efforts at the local level to prioritize our most vulnerable Californians where we are seeing the most outbreaks, hospitalizations and deaths," said Dr. Erica Pan, acting state public health officer.

It should be noted that the program coordinates on-site vaccination clinic dates directly with each facility, where pharmacy staff will visit each site several times to ensure that all residents and employees who wish to be vaccinated receive the doses.

It also orders vaccines and supplies - for example, syringes, needles, personal protective equipment - ensures cold storage of the vaccine, and provides on-site administration of the vaccine to all residents and staff.

The ephemeral ginger "miracle" that came to San Francisco at Christmas

San Francisco

Peninsula 360 Press

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2020.12.29

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The ephemeral ginger "miracle" that came to San Francisco at Christmas

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

On December 25, many families celebrated Christmas and when they woke up the first thing they did was open the presents under the tree, but many others who decided to go for a walk to Corona Heights Park came across a mysterious "monolith" made of gingerbread, which mysteriously appeared.

There, on the top of one of the park's hills, a true example of pop-art stood more than two meters high, almost like an ephemeral installation that could only be enjoyed, sniffed and eaten by a few.

The tower, formed with 24 pieces of gingerbread - eight on each of the three sides - which were joined together by kilos of icing and decorations with coloured rubber bands, collapsed on 26 December, not before dozens of people had their photo taken with the strange sculpture.

The first to find the "monolith" was Ananda Sharma during his morning run, who told KQED-FM that he had climbed the hill in Corona Heights Park to watch the sunrise when he saw a large pole, yet the smell of gingerbread made him realize what it really was.

"He made me smile. I wonder who did it and when they put it there," he told the radio station.

Throughout December 25, people came to see the sculpture that resembles the monolith that appeared in the middle of the Utah desert last November. To this day, it is not known who placed it, nor is it known who removed the piece, apparently made of stainless steel.

Although it is still not known why, how it came about or who the artist of the piece was, theories have begun to circulate on social networks, among which the ginger "monolith" is a publicity stunt, while others claim that it is the promotion of the fourth season of the Netflix series, Stranger Thingsalthough there's nothing official about it yet.

However, the climate and the fragility of the piece made it a bit of a mess and the mini "obelisk" fell apart, reminding us, perhaps, of the ephemeral nature of life and Christmas. What else will this 2020 that is about to end bring? Did you see the ginger "monolith"? Share your photos with us.

Last days for businesses to apply for energy bill credits in San Mateo

Peninsula 360 Press

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2020.12.29

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Last days for businesses to apply for energy bill credits in San Mateo

Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].

If you have a small business in San Mateo County, don't forget that you only have a few days left to apply for a $250 energy bill credit from Peninsula Clean Energy.

The nonprofit, community-controlled agency notes that there are now many small businesses in the county that have struggled financially, especially since the "Shelter in Place" petition began in March of this year.

To support the county's economic recovery, it is offering a credit of $250 in electricity bills for six thousand small businesses, which have a deadline to apply for the credit of December 31, 2020.

People who want to apply for a credit must be on an A1, B1, A6 or B6 electricity rate plan, and have a total of two or fewer electricity accounts, where the second is not a great electricity service.

For more information on the requirements, you can go to https://www.peninsulacleanenergy.com/business250