The Polar Vortex continued its grip on the Midwest Thursday with the coldest Arctic air in decades. At least five people are dead as a result of the bitter cold, widespread school closures continue, flights are grounded and mail delivery is still on hold in some states until temperatures warm up.
The extreme cold is responsible for at least five deaths.
An unidentified former member of the Ecorse City Council was found dead near a neighbor’s house Wednesday. The former councilman was reportedly clothed in inappropriate clothing for the cold and without a hat and gloves, the Associated Press reports.
In Detroit, a 70-year-old unidentified man was also found dead in front of a neighbor’s home Wednesday.
18-year-old University of Iowa student Gerald Belz was found dead on campus Wednesday morning, KCRG reports. The exact details leading up to his death are unclear, but officials told the news station that the cold weather was to blame.
An 82-year-old Peoria County, Illinois man was found dead after he tripped and fell outside his home and fell victim to the cold temperatures, NEWS 25 reports.
On Sunday, the body of 22-year-old Ali Gombo was discovered outside his sister’s home in Rochester, Minnesota, WCCO reports. Police say he went to a bar Saturday night and was dropped off at the home around 2:30 a.m. He didn’t have keys to the home and when he found the home locked he reportedly tried to wake his sister but she didn’t hear him. Gombo’s body was found the next morning. Authorities say he likely died of hypothermia trying to get into the home.
The break in the Polar Votex brought a wind chill of -66 degrees Fahrenheit in Minnesota early Wednesday and wind chills of -58 degrees Fahrenheit in Wisconsin and Iowa.
Several major Midwest universities remain closed Thursday, including the University of Notre Dame, the University of Minnesota, the University of North Dakota, the University of Wisconsin, the University of South Dakota and Iowa State University.
In a rare move, the cold prompted the U.S. Postal Service to ignore the popular saying, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Instead, the service has once again suspended service Thursday to parts or all of several Midwest states, including Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
More than 2,500 flights have been canceled as of Thursday morning, including more than 700 at Chicago’s O’Hare, according to Flight Aware.
Here’s a full breakdown of how different states in the Midwest are faring under the bitter cold:
A state of emergency remains in effect for the state.
On Wednesday, 21 passengers on a Chicago-bound bus were rescued when the bus broke down on Interstate 55 near Springfield. The cause of the break down was gelled diesel fuel from the cold. The passengers endured cold temperatures on the bus for a significant amount of time before they were rescued, the Associated Press reports.
Temperatures dipped to -23 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday morning at Chicago’s O’Hare, with a wind chill of 49 degrees below zero. The last time temperatures dropped below -20 degrees Fahrenheit in the Windy City was Jan. 18, 1994.
Calling the brutal cold a “public health risk,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said city agencies are making sure homeless people are in shelters or offered space in five Chicago Transit Authority buses, the AP reports.
“These (conditions) are actually a public health risk and you need to treat it appropriately,” Emanuel said. “They are life-threatening conditions and temperatures.”
The Salvation Army told weather.com they are partnering with city officials to conduct well-being checks. It’s also providing meals at shelters, delivering cold weather gear packages and deploying mobile feeding and homeless outreach units to 31 locations in the city.
Chicagoland schools and most colleges in the state remain closed Thursday.
The Brookfield Zoo is closed on Thursday because of the frigid weather. This will be only the fourth time the zoo has closed during its 85-year history.
Other Chicago attractions closed Thursday include the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Field Museum.
Amtrak says it is restoring some train service in and out of Chicago Thursday after suspending all trains Wednesday. Typically, 55 trains come in and out of the Chicago hub.
To prevent train tracks from contracting under the bitter cold, Chicago transit authorities set fire to the tracks.
The Chicago Transit Authority noted that the extreme cold can cause mechanical issues so commuters should expect delays.
An unidentified good Samaritan reportedly picked up the hotel tab for 70 homeless people who were camped in tents in Chicago Wednesday. The offer apparently came after the Chicago Fire Department confiscated propane tanks the people were using to keep warm.
In Wisconsin, a state of emergency remains in effect through Friday. Schools were also closed throughout the state as temperatures plummeted.
“I want to make sure all state assets are available, including the Wisconsin National Guard if needed, to help communities across the state and keep people warm and safe,” Evers said.
(MORE: Here’s the Coldest It’s Ever Been in Your State)
The Ice Castles attraction, about 90 miles from Chicago on Lake Geneva, remained closed Thursday.
“The health and safety of our guests and our staff is our number one priority,” Ice Castles CEO Ryan Davis said in a statement. “No one should be outdoors for an extended amount of time in extreme sub-zero temperatures.”
In Michigan, a state of emergency remains in effect. Hundreds of schools were canceled for Thursday and nonessential government offices were also closed, including the Capitol.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is urging residents to turn down thermostats to “65 degrees or less” after a fire erupted at a natural gas plant in Macomb County Wednesday.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said homeless shelters in the city were becoming “overloaded.” They also were filling up in Detroit.
“People don’t want to be out there right now,” said Brennan Ellis, 53, who is taking shelter at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
Numerous schools, attractions, government offices and business closed Thursday. Central Michigan University, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, among others, are also closed.
Two dozen water mains froze in Detroit, the Associated Press reports.
The extreme cold cracked rail along the Minneapolis light-rail system, forcing trains onto a single track, the Associated Press reported.
The extreme cold prompted the Minnesota Department of Transportation to halt snowplow operations in 11 southeastern counties. MDot officials said the cold was causing mechanical issues with the snowplows.
As with most states gripped by the dangerous cold, schools, government offices and businesses remain closed.
Numerous schools and universities, including the University of Toledo, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Akron and Bowling Green State and Youngstown State universities are closed Thursday. The Ohio State University canceled classes Thursday until 11 a.m.
In Toledo, all non-essential city offices are closed through Thursday. Courthouses, libraries and many county agencies in Toledo also will be shut down through Friday.
In Cleveland, county buildings and courthouses are closed.
An Indiana State Trooper tweeted Wednesday that Interstate 65 was becoming a “parking lot with broken down semis.” Master Trooper Glen Fifield said the problem stems from fuel filters freezing and gelled fuel.
A Zebra died due to cold exposure in Carroll County. The Zebra got stuck in the fence and froze in the extreme cold.
The temperature fell to -11 degrees Fahrenheit Wednesday in Indianapolis, which tied the record low for the date set in 1966.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Source Article from https://weather.com/news/news/2019-01-30-cold-polar-vortex-midwest
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En las noticias más leídas del día, Sura, XXI Banorte, Principal y Profuturo GNP se ponían de acuerdo para reducir los traspasos de cuenta de los trabajadores para poder ahorrarse gasto en publicidad e incrementar utilidades. Mientras tanto en el estado de Puebla, presuntos ladrones de combustible asesinaron a cuatro soldados en dos incidentes separados, en los que también murieron seis delincuentes y además, te damos algunos consejos para que sobrevivas con éxito una entrevista de trabajo.
Las administradoras de fondos para el retiro Sura, XXI Banorte, Principal y Profuturo GNP tendrán que pagar una multa total por 1,100 millones de pesos por retener las cuentas de trabajadores que ahorran para su pensión a través del proceso de traspaso.
Cofece determinó responsabilidad a estas afores y de 11 personas físicas por ponerse de acuerdo para reducir los traspasos entre afores para reducir el gasto en publicidad y con ello incrementar sus utilidades.
Para el boxeador, Canelo Álvarez, originario de Juanacatlán, Jalisco, cuando elige ropa lo hace pensando en la comodidad. “Mientras uno se sienta seguro, creo que eso es lo más importante”. Algunas de las marcas que suele elegir son: Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein y relojes de la firma Hublot.
El precio de una playera del boxeador va desde 205 dólares y de una sudadera ronda entre los 395 dólares.
En el tema de mercadotecnia, el peleador mexicano tiene la misma importancia que el basquetbolista Stephen Curry, estrella de los Golden State Warriors, para la compañía deportiva Under Armour.
Fueron asesinados en Puebla cuatro soldados, aparentemente por ladrones de combustible en dos incidentes separados, en los que también murieron seis delincuentes, informaron el jueves las autoridades.
El robo de combustible ha crecido en los últimos años en Puebla y otros estados, lo que es un grave problema para la petrolera estatal Pemex.
De acuerdo con la Sedena, en la primera agresión los soldados no respondieron porque los presuntos criminales utilizaron mujeres y niños como escudo, para protegerse.
A todos nos ha pasado que al acudir a una entrevista laboral, las manos nos sudan, la voz nos tiembla y nos ponemos nerviosos debido a que no nos preparamos para ella. El objetivo de la entrevista de trabajo es convencer al entrevistador de que uno se siente motivado y capacitado para el puesto de trabajo ofrecido, pero si fallamos en lo que en algunos casos se puede considerar como el paso más importante, la entrevista, se limitan las posibilidades de obtener ese puesto.
Todos los pasos anteriores en el proceso de selección de un empleador sirvieron para descartar a los candidatos menos idóneos para los puestos, por lo que sólo se quedarán para las entrevistas con los que tienen más potencial para desarrollar con éxito el puesto ofrecido.
Si eres de los que en el momento de las entrevistas, no sabe qué hacer, entra a la nota completa, estos tips te serán de mucha ayuda.
Un cartón de Perujo.
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Source Article from http://eleconomista.com.mx/politica/2017/05/04/5-noticias-dia-4-mayo
La corresponsal de Diario EL UNIVERSO en Cuenca, Sandra Ochoa Naula, falleció este miércoles, víctima del cáncer.
Permaneció internada en el hospital José Carrasco del Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social, en Cuenca, desde hace varias semanas.
Nacida en Cuenca el 11 de febrero de 1973, estaba casada con el tecnológo médico Marco Saltos y eran padres de una hija pequeña. Sus padres son Vicente Ochoa e Inés Naula.
Antes de ingresar al mundo del periodismo, Sandra ingresó a un convento donde estudió para convertirse en religiosa, pero sintió que su vocación era otra.
Estudió Comunicación Social y Derecho en la Universidad Católica de Cuenca. Además ejerció como catedrática universitaria.
Entre sus trabajos periodísticos más relevantes consta la investigación que realizó sobre la ruta que realizan los migantes azuayos en busca del sueño americano. Su reportaje mereció el premio nacional de reportaje “Jorge Mantilla Ortega”, y también se publicó en las páginas del diario norteamericano The New York Times.
Viajó como migrante en un barco pesquero en 2004 para conocer de cerca y poder contar lo que sufren los migrantes en sus viajes ilegales hacia Estados Unidos. “Son barcos que son para llevar pescados y no personas”, dijo en ese entonces.
Su pasión por el periodismo la llevó a realizar miles de coberturas, entre estas, las políticas, donde cubrió las visitas del presidente Rafael Correa. Fue en junio de 2007 cuando el actual mandatario la calificó de “gordita horrorosa”, luego de que ella le preguntara al mandatario qué quería que le preguntara, frente a sus cuestionamientos por temas abordados.
A ella ese calificativo del mandatario no la amilanó. Antes, lo contrario, le dio fuerzas para seguir en su profesión. (I)
Source Article from http://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/2017/05/10/nota/6177688/fallecio-periodista-universo-cuenca-sandra-ochoa-naula
HOUSTON – President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Houston on Friday, the White House officials said Tuesday.
The visit comes a week after the deadly winter storm that crippled the Texas power grid and left many without water.
RELATED: 10 people die of hypothermia in Harris County during arctic blast, Hidalgo says
Stay with KPRC 2 for additional details as they are released.
Source Article from https://www.click2houston.com/news/texas/2021/02/23/president-joe-biden-first-lady-jill-biden-to-visit-houston/
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AFP
A casi un año de la desaparición de los 43 estudiantes mexicanos, una investigación independiente divulgada este domingo pone en entredicho elementos centrales de la versión que el gobierno ha mantenido sobre lo ocurrido ese funesto 26 de septiembre de 2014.
La administración del presidente Enrique Peña Nieto ha sostenido una versión sobre el destino de los 43 estudiantes de la Escuela Normal de Ayotzinapa desaparecidos en Iguala, Guerrero:
Fueron asesinados y sus cuerpos incinerados en un basurero del municipio de Cocula, vecino al sitio donde desaparecieron, pero esto que la Procuraduría (fiscalía) General de la República (PGR) catalogó de “verdad histórica” del caso empieza a tambalearse.
Lea: Así reaccionó el gobierno al informe sobre los estudiantes de Ayotzinapa
En un informe de 550 páginas, el Grupo Interdisciplinario de Expertos Independientes (GIEI), designado por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) a petición del gobierno mexicano para analizar el caso, asegura que no hay evidencias de que un fuego de esa magnitud haya ocurrido ni que los estudiantes hayan sido incinerados en un basurero.
“Ese evento tal y como ha sido descrito no pasó”, aseguró en conferencia de prensa el experto español Carlos Beristáin.
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En su primer informe tras seis meses de trabajo en México, los expertos señalan además que no se hizo todo lo posible para localizar a los estudiantes.
En las conclusiones advierten que hubo hechos no investigados, evidencias destruidas y que se cometieron errores.
Los investigadores no señalan responsables, pero hacen hincapié en elementos que pueden ayudar a determinar el destino de los jóvenes y hacen hincapié en que la pesquisa debe retomarse con nuevas líneas de trabajo.
El “Informe Ayotzinapa. Investigación y primeras conclusiones de las desapariciones y homicidios de los normalistas de Ayotzinapa” se apoya en datos de la investigación oficial (revisaron los 115 tomos del expediente judicial del caso, cada uno de entre 1.000 y 2.000 páginas).
Pero los expertos también solicitaron peritajes independientes, tanto médicos como forenses y de las distintas escenas de crimen.
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El Grupo Interdisciplinario de Expertos Independientes está integrado por cinco personas:
Carlos Beristáin, experto español en atención integral a víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos.
Ángela Buitrago, colombiana, abogada, exfiscal ante la Corte Suprema de Justicia y experta en desapariciones, corrupción y asesinatos políticos.
Francisco Cox Vial, abogado chileno que trabajó en apoyo de la extradición de Augusto Pinochet a España.
Claudia Paz y Paz, abogada guatemalteca, especializada en derecho penal, jueza durante 18 años, responsable del primer juicio al exmandatario Efraín Ríos Montt.
Alejandro Valencia Villa, experto colombiano en derechos humanos, consultor de la Oficina del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos.
——————-
Desde marzo de este año entrevistaron a sobrevivientes del ataque, supuestos agresores y autoridades.
Los estudiantes desaparecieron después que se los llevaron agentes de las policías de Iguala y Cocula, en el estado de Guerrero, en el sur del país.
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La fiscalía mexicana responsabilizó del crimen a la banda de narcotráfico conocida como Guerreros Unidos, una escisión del cartel de los hermanos Beltrán Leyva.
Desde octubre del año pasado han sido detenidas más de 100 personas, entre ellas el exalcalde de Iguala, José Luis Abarca. La lista incluye a su esposa, María de los Ángeles Pineda, a quien la fiscalía acusa de ser una de las principales líderes de la banda de narcotráfico.
Pero el GIEI señala que la investigación se fragmentó desde el inicio —llegaron a haber 52 fiscales trabajando por separado—, lo cual dificultó la pesquisa.
BBC Mundo presenta los principales puntos del informe de los expertos:
La PGR señala que los estudiantes fueron detenidos por policías de Iguala y Cocula, y posteriormente entregados a sicarios de Guerreros Unidos.
Ellos los habrían llevado al basurero de Cocula, donde según declararon ante la PGR asesinaron a los jóvenes y luego improvisaron una pira para quemar los cuerpos.
Durante al menos 12 horas alimentaron la hoguera con llantas, madera, basura, diésel y otros combustibles. Luego machacaron los huesos hasta convertirlos en ceniza, y después juntaron los restos en bolsas de plástico que arrojaron a un río.
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Esta es la versión oficial.
Pero el grupo de investigadores solicitó un peritaje independiente al experto peruano José Torero, de la Universidad de Queensland (Australia) y miembro de la Academia Australiana de Tecnología e Ingeniería.
Entre sus conclusiones se establece:
Según el estudio de Torero, para incinerar 43 cuerpos se deberían haberse usado 30 toneladas de madera y el fuego tuvo que haber ardido por 60 horas, y no las alrededor de 12 que había dicho el gobierno en base a la confesión de los inculpados.
Además, la llama tendría que haber alcanzado siete metros y el humo, 300, lo que habría llamado la atención de la gente de localidades cercanas.
Por todo esto, “el GIEI se ha formado la convicción de que los 43 estudiantes no fueron incinerados en el basurero municipal de Cocula”.
La cremación de los estudiantes es uno de los ejes principales de la investigación de la PGR.
El GIEI reconoce que desde el inicio de su investigación tuvo dudas sobre el número de autobuses utilizados por los estudiantes de Ayotzinapa.
En el expediente oficial se establece que fueron cuatro unidades, pero el testimonio de las víctimas mencionó siempre a cinco.
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En la averiguación de los expertos se determinó que sí existió ese autobús, que los estudiantes tomaron sin permiso en las afueras de Iguala.
El chofer los llevó a la central de autobuses de Iguala. Luego bajó de la unidad y los dejó encerrados. Los jóvenes pidieron ayuda a sus compañeros quienes fueron al sitio a rescatarlos.
Esa fue la razón por la que viajaron a Iguala, pues originalmente ellos no querían ir a la ciudad.
El autobús pertenece a la empresa Costa Line. Al inicio de la investigación fue incluido en el expediente, pero luego no se volvió a mencionar su existencia.
El GIEI obtuvo información de que en Iguala opera una red de tráfico de heroína hacia Estados Unidos, que mueve sus cargamentos en autobuses comerciales.
Los estudiantes tomaron tres unidades de la central camionera la noche del 26 de septiembre y las agresiones en su contra al parecer tenían la intención de impedir que las unidades abandonaran la ciudad.
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“El negocio que se mueve en la ciudad de Iguala podría explicar la reacción extremadamente violenta y el carácter masivo del ataque”, establece el informe.
Otros datos señalan, por ejemplo, que ese autobús en particular no fue atacado, como sí ocurrió con las otras unidades que tenían los estudiantes.
Y cuando el GIEI solicitó a la empresa transportista revisar esa unidad, la compañía presentó un autobús distinto. Las autoridades no realizaron investigaciones sobre ese autobús en particular.
Tampoco averiguaron si existe relación entre las compañías de transporte que operan en Iguala, con las relacionadas en Estados Unidos con el trasiego de heroína.
——————-
Casi 200 víctimas
A nivel oficial se ha hablado de cinco muertos, 43 desaparecidos y 22 heridos en los ataques. Sin embargo, los investigadores aseguran que son 180 las “víctimas directas de diferentes violaciones a los derechos humanos” en los diferentes ataques de la noche del 26 de septiembre. La gran mayoría de ellos eran jóvenes y muchos menores de edad.
——————-
Los expertos de la CIDH no establecen responsabilidades, pero creen que la decisión de los normalistas de tomar autobuses en Iguala explica la violencia extrema contra ellos.
“Podría haberse cruzado con dicha existencia de drogas ilícitas (o dinero) en uno de los autobuses, específicamente en ese autobús, Estrella Roja”.
El quinto autobús, dicen, “podría ser un elemento clave para explicar los hechos”.
Desde la tarde del 26 de septiembre, cuando los estudiantes salieron de su escuela, sus movimientos fueron monitoreados por policías federales y militares y fueron una presencia constante.
Testimonios recabados por los investigadores refieren que hubo agentes de inteligencia del Ejército en al menos dos de los escenarios donde los estudiantes que luego desaparecieron fueron detenidos por policías municipales.
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También existen testimonios de que uno de los autobuses de donde se llevaron a parte de estos jóvenes fue detenido por policías federales.
Además, un grupo de soldados interrogó a estudiantes que llevaron a un compañero herido a una clínica particular.
Los expertos de la CIDH solicitaron hablar con integrantes del 27 Batallón de Infantería de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional.
Es el grupo militar asignado a Iguala y sus alrededores. El gobierno mexicano no permitió los interrogatorios.
Hasta ahora, el papel de policías federales y militares en las escenas de los ataques y desapariciones no ha sido investigado por completo.
“El nivel de intervención de diferentes policías y escenarios (…) da cuenta de la coordinación y mando existente para llevar a cabo dicha acción. La necesidad operativa de coordinación entre fuerzas de dos cuerpos policiales municipales diferentes (…) que intervinieron esa noche señalan la necesidad de un nivel de coordinación central que dio las órdenes“, se asegura en el informe.
“No hubo un uso adecuado, necesario, racional, ni proporcionado de la fuerza”, dicen los investigadores, “todo ello supone que la acción de los perpetradores estuvo motivada por lo que se consideró una acción llevada a cabo por los normalistas contra intereses de alto nivel“.
El informe señala que entre la noche del 26 de septiembre y las primeras horas del día siguiente los estudiantes sufrieron nueve ataques distintos.
En algunos casos se realizaron al mismo tiempo, e incluso se detectó que varios perpetradores se movieron de un lugar de agresión a otro.
Esto significa que los ataques fueron coordinados y que alguien se encargó de organizarlos.
En Guerrero, como en otros estados del país, existe un área que concentra las comunicaciones de policías estatales, municipales y del gobierno federal.
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Se llama C4. En el caso de Iguala los expertos de la CIDH establecen que se mantuvo en operación continua el 26 de septiembre.
Pero extrañamente interrumpió su funcionamiento “a ciertas horas”, especialmente las que siguieron a la detención de los estudiantes que luego desaparecieron.
También se destaca un informe de la unidad de protección civil de Chilpancingo (capital del estado).
El documento dice que “no tiene acceso a información a partir del C-4 en ciertos momentos porque la comunicación está intervenida por Sedena” (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional).
Un dato adicional es que el excalde José Luis Abarca se comunicó más de diez veces con su secretario de Seguridad Pública, Felipe Torres.
Los teléfonos donde se realizaron o recibieron las llamadas coinciden con los sitios y la hora en que se detuvo a los estudiantes desaparecidos.
Abarca dijo inicialmente que la noche de los ataques “estaba dormido” en su casa.
Hasta ahora la versión oficial indicaba que los estudiantes iban a entorpecer un acto del alcalde de Iguala y su esposa y que fueron confundidos con miembros de Los Rojos, un grupo criminal rival de Guerreros Unidos.
Las “explicaciones posibles”, dicen, como “confusión con un grupo del narco o la delincuencia organizada es inconsistente con el grado de conocimiento de las autoridades de los hechos”.
Los investigadores aseguran que la hipótesis “más consistente” de la violencia desatada contra los estudiantes es que:
En la ciudad se ubica una de las entradas principales por carretera a la región montañosa de Guerrero.
El informe señala que, de acuerdo con la información pública, Iguala “es un lugar de comercio y transporte de estupefacientes, especialmente heroína, hacia Estados Unidos y concretamente Chicago”.
“Esta línea de investigación no se ha explorado hasta ahora”, aseguran los expertos.
Pero es también un lugar hostil a los estudiantes, un elemento que deriva en indiferencia de los habitantes a los problemas ajenos, especialmente los estudiantes.
“Es probable que entre los factores que explican la agresión se encuentren también los estereotipos sobre los ‘ayotzinapos’ como de forma despectiva que se ha señalado en muchas ocasiones”, indica el documento.
“A juicio de GIEI éste sería un factor facilitador de la agresión, dado que el desprecio por el otro promueve la violencia”.
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Pero hay otros elementos.
Algunos de los ataques contra estudiantes ocurrieron frente a los asistentes a un concierto masivo en la plaza central de Iguala. Es un elemento que llamó la atención de los expertos.
Por un lado, las agresiones frente a testigos pueden ser una muestra de la impunidad que mantienen los presuntos perpetradores en la región.
Pero también una señal de que su objetivo real era “de alto nivel”, y eso justificaba cualquier tipo de violencia, “aunque fuera indiscriminada y con urgencia de realizar las acciones”.
Los expertos destacan que tuvieron dificultades para hablar con testigos, incluso meses después del ataque a estudiantes. Y advierten: “Hay un enorme nivel de miedo en Iguala”.
Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2015/09/150906_mexico_informe_expertos_giei_cidh_estudiantes_ayotzinapa_jp
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Source Article from https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/politics/linda-tripp-dead/index.html
Six candidates will take the stage on Tuesday night for the first Democratic presidential primary debate of 2020 — and the last one before the Iowa caucuses.
The debate, which will take place at Drake University in Des Moines, will be one of the last chances for the primary field’s top contenders to stand out.
Four candidates — Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersBiden most trusted among Democratic primary voters on foreign relations: poll Warren: Sanders said a woman could not win the White House Hill.TV’s Saagar Enjeti warns Biden’s Iraq record could be general election issue MORE (I-Vt.), Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenBiden most trusted among Democratic primary voters on foreign relations: poll Warren: Sanders said a woman could not win the White House Conservatives slam Warren’s call to put transgender women in women’s prisons MORE (D-Mass.), former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegBiden most trusted among Democratic primary voters on foreign relations: poll Warren: Sanders said a woman could not win the White House Sanders-Warren fight unnerves progressives MORE (D) and former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden most trusted among Democratic primary voters on foreign relations: poll Russia hacked Ukrainian gas company at center of impeachment inquiry: report Warren: Sanders said a woman could not win the White House MORE — appear most likely to take the top spots in the Feb. 3 caucuses. But Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharPoll: Biden leads Democratic field nationally after Sanders takes top spot in Iowa poll Biden found leading in Iowa by Monmouth poll Sanders: Releasing list of Supreme Court picks ‘not a bad idea’ MORE (D-Minn.) is also banking on a strong finish in Iowa to buoy her presidential prospects.
Those five candidates, along with billionaire philanthropist Tom SteyerTom Fahr SteyerSanders: Releasing list of Supreme Court picks ‘not a bad idea’ It’s time for the Democratic candidates to talk more about national security Buttigieg picks up Iowa congressman’s endorsement ahead of caucuses MORE, will make up the debate roster on Tuesday.
Here are five things to watch as the candidates take the stage in Des Moines:
1. Will Sanders take heat?
Sanders has proven himself to be one of the most durable candidates in the Democratic primary field. But after a Des Moines Register–CNN poll released on Friday showed him taking the lead in Iowa, with 20 percent support among likely Democratic caucusgoers, Tuesday’s debate will be the first in which Sanders is the front-runner.
So far, his top rivals have largely avoided direct confrontations with the progressive firebrand, aware of his deep support among the Democratic Party’s activist factions. Now that he’s polling at the top of the pack, however, he could see an onslaught of criticism when he takes the stage in Des Moines.
He may also face questions about a CNN report detailing allegations that Sanders told Warren during a private meeting in 2018 that he did not believe a woman could win the White House. Sanders denied that allegation in a lengthy statement to the news network. But it could provide fodder for his rivals.
2. Will the Sanders-Warren feud come to a head?
Sanders and Warren played nice over the course of 2019, seeing one another as a key ally in the Senate and on the campaign trail, where they both occupy the progressive lane.
But that nonaggression pact fractured this week after Politico reported that Sanders’s campaign had begun quietly directing volunteers to attack Warren as a candidate of the elite. In response to the news, Warren told reporters on Sunday that she was “disappointed to hear that Bernie is sending his volunteers out to trash me.” Sanders denied any responsibility in the matter.
Tensions escalated further on Monday after CNN reported that, during a private meeting in December 2018, Sanders told Warren that he did not believe a woman could win the presidency. He denied that allegation, but Warren confirmed the report in a statement, recalling how she told Sanders that she “thought a woman could win.”
“He disagreed,” Warren said.
All that sets the stage for a potentially explosive confrontation on Tuesday night.
3. Can the moderates make their case?
With the release of the Des Moines Register poll on Friday, the Democratic primary field’s moderate contenders appear to be in an uneasy position. Buttigieg, who led the pack in Iowa in a Register poll from November, fell 9 points into third place, while Biden and Klobuchar remained stagnant at 15 percent and 6 percent support, respectively.
Meanwhile, Sanders ticked up 5 points into first place, while Warren gained 1 point, maintaining her No. 2 standing in Iowa.
The three moderates on the debate stage will be under pressure to stand out on Tuesday night and leave a mark on voters before the caucuses on Feb. 3. They could also use the forum to more aggressively attack the leading progressives as too divisive or unrealistic in their sweeping policy proposals.
4. Does Biden’s Iraq War vote come under scrutiny?
The soaring tensions between Washington and Tehran that emerged following the death of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani earlier this month in an American drone strike has thrust the issues of foreign policy and U.S. military involvement in the Middle East back into the spotlight.
Biden is the only presidential candidate who voted in favor of a 2002 measure authorizing the use of military force in Iraq — a vote that is now seen in as a liability among key elements of the Democratic Party.
Sanders, in particular, has hammered Biden over the 2002 vote, accusing him of helping lead the U.S. into a protracted, aimless and expensive military campaign. And it remains possible, if not likely, that Biden will face a barrage of criticism when he takes the stage on Tuesday.
Biden has since called that vote a “mistake.” But his rivals for the Democratic nomination — Sanders, in particular — see his record as an easy target that could weaken the longtime front-runner.
5. Can Buttigieg mount a comeback?
A couple of months ago, Buttigieg appeared to be the candidate to beat in Iowa. Now, with the caucuses just three weeks away, his chances appear somewhat less certain, and the debate will be a chance for him to climb back to the top.
But he still faces some risks. His fundraising practices have been a target of criticism at past debates, including in last month’s forum in Los Angeles, when Warren excoriated him for holding a high-dollar fundraising event in a “wine cave” in California.
And issues surrounding race relations with the African American community in his hometown of South Bend, where he was mayor for eight years, has proven to be a sore spot for Buttigieg on the campaign trail.
Still, Buttigieg has shown himself to be resilient in the race — he worked his way into the top-tier of candidates after entering the primary contest last year as a virtual unknown outside Democratic political circles — and whether he can kick off a new surge on Tuesday is a central question heading into the debate.
Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/478170-five-things-to-watch-in-the-first-democratic-debate-of-2020
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SAN FRANCISCO – Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Saturday began cutting power to 940,000 customers – 90,000 more than initially planned – in a desperate effort to prevent catastrophic wildfires that could be fanned by exceptionally powerful winds.
The North Bay and northern Sierra foothills were among the first areas to lose power about 5 p.m., said Mark Quinlan, the utility’s incident commander for the public safety power shutoff. Parts of the East Bay and South Bay were expected to follow suit at 8 p.m. Quinlan said the utility plans to continue shutting off the power in waves through Sunday evening, ultimately affecting well over 2 million residents in 36 counties.
And possibly before all that power is restored, yet another round of shutoffs could be activated. Andy Vesey, a PG&E executive who oversees the electric operations, said a fourth series of shutoffs could come as early as next week.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Vesey said.
PG&E said it expanded its map of affected customers in some areas because of “historic wind event” expected to arrive Saturday evening
#PSPS UPDATE: 2nd PSPS Impact Expands by 90k Customers
• Total projected impact now 940k in portions of 36 counties
• Power to be shutoff for safety in 6 zones starting @ approx 2PM today (weather dependent)
• Address look-up: https://t.co/AUFB81ZXtQ pic.twitter.com/mBxz5dhc78— PG&E (@PGE4Me) October 26, 2019
“This wind event is forecast to be the most serious weather situation that Northern and Central California has experienced in recent memory,” said Michael Lewis, PG&E’s senior vice president of electric operations. “We would only take this decision for one reason – to help reduce catastrophic wildfire risk to our customers and communities. There is no compromising the safety of our customers, which is our most important responsibility.”
While the number of people projected to lose power across PG&E’s coverage area has increased, the blackout area in many Bay Area counties slightly shrunk in the utility’s latest estimates.
PG&E said Saturday that 57,002 customers in Alameda County, 48,058 in Contra Costa County, 57,218 in San Mateo County and 27,094 in Santa Clara County are expected to lose power.
That’s just over 9,000 fewer total customers across those four counties than had been projected to see blackouts in plans released Friday. Most of those getting a reprieve were in San Mateo County, where the planned outage is set to affect 7,714 fewer customers.
Officials recommended residents use the address search tool on the PG&E website to find out whether their homes will lose electricity. That feature is more precise than the maps of outage areas PG&E has produced.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people in parts of Piedmont and Oakland’s Montclair district who were already bracing for the shutoff were surprised to find their power go out briefly late Saturday morning, hours before what they expected. But that outage was not connected to the planned power shutoff, according to PG&E.
A city of Oakland spokesman said officials were monitoring reports of isolated outages, which also included flashing red lights on 35th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard.
The utility’s updated plans called for the shutoffs to roll out across the state starting at 5 p.m. Saturday in 12 counties encompassing the Sierra Nevada and parts of the Central Valley, as well as North Bay counties including Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma.
Customers Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties were told they would lose power starting at 8 p.m.
The utility was also poised to cut power on the North Coast at 9 p.m. and in the southern Sierra foothills at midnight.
A final phase, starting at 9 p.m. Sunday, will affect fewer than 1,000 customers in Kern County, although the utility said it was also eyeing potential shutoffs in Madera and Fresno counties.
Although PG&E faced withering criticism from customers and public officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, for a similar shutoff across much of the Bay Area and Northern California less than three weeks ago, this outage is set to be even bigger.
Weather models indicate the combination of wind and heat this weekend could be the most powerful in California in years, with dry offshore winds expected to gust between 45 and 60 mph. Peak gusts between 65 and 80 mph are possible at higher elevations.
“It has the potential to be one of the strongest in the last several years,” PG&E principal meteorologist Scott Strenfel said in a statement. “It’s also likely to be longer than recent wind events, which have lasted about 12 hours or less.”
Customers should prepare for a shutoff lasting at least two days after the winds die down, according to the company.
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PG&E won’t restore power until inspections of de-energized lines are completed and any damage to the system is repaired. The utility also has requested mutual aid from 1,000 workers from other energy companies, including ATCO Energy in Alberta, Canada; Xcel Energy in Minnesota; and Florida Power & Light. Those crews are expected to be staged and in place to do repairs by Sunday, according to the company.
In San Jose, where the outages are expected to be less widespread than they were during the shutoff earlier this month, the city will make four community centers available from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for residents affected by the blackouts, Mayor Sam Liccardo said.
The outages in the southern and eastern parts of the city are expected to affect 98,000 residents and 1,900 businesses — roughly half as many as lost power during the last shutoff.
The Berryesa, Camden, Evergreen and South Side community centers will offer snacks and water, as well as charging stations for phones and medical devices. They will not offer medical care, but Liccardo said emergency personnel will continue operating as usual, at least for the foreseeable future.
The centers will be open during normal business operating hours on Monday and will continue providing services to impacted residents.
“We believe that although the shutoffs are expected to be much shorter, everyone should be prepared for an extended shutoff,” he said.
Liccardo urged affected residents to stay at home and avoid driving, biking or walking outside in the dark.
PG&E is opening a similar center during daylight hours in Alameda County at Merritt College in Oakland, where affected residents can use the restroom, get water and charge their mobile devices.
The Oakland Fire Department will also have roving fire patrols in the Oakland hills to monitor for any fires, according to a city news release.
“We are anticipating historically strong winds, the strongest we’ve seen in years,” Oakland fire Chief Darin White said. “Although the most severe local threat is in the East Bay hills, a rapidly spreading wildfire could have widespread impact across the city.”
There is a red flag warning in effect in the East Bay hills from 8 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Monday, according to the release. Some 23,000 Oakland residents could be affected by the outages, according to PG&E.
An estimated 195,000 residents could be affected by the outages in San Mateo County, according to a county news release. The county’s health department also reached out to vulnerable residents and those dependent on medical equipment.
The San Mateo Medical Center and all clinics except the Coastside Clinic were expected to remain open, according to the release.
In San Jose, government officials expressed frustration with the outages, which they said are disruptive to residents, as well as to city employees that have to work during the weekend. Similar outages earlier this month cost the city an estimated half a million dollars.
“Obviously this is very frustrating for us all as we’re having to deal with this and obviously it’s part of a bigger conversation with PG&E,” Sykes said.
Liccardo, who had previously indicated he would like to explore moving to a city-owned utility, likewise said the shutoffs must not become routine.
“This cannot be the new normal,” he said. “We need to have better solutions.”
Source Article from http://www.mercurynews.com/pge-shutoffs-grow-nearly-1-million-customers-to-lose-power
A group of anti-vax protesters temporarily shut down the COVID-19 vaccination site at LA’s Dodger Stadium on Saturday, delaying appointments by nearly an hour.
About 50 protesters gathered at the stadium entrance, holding signs with anti-vaccine and anti-mask rhetoric and shouting at drivers who were lined up for their vaccination appointments. No vaccine appointments were canceled, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told BuzzFeed News.
The LAFD closed the stadium entrance as a precaution for about 55 minutes beginning at 2 p.m., the Los Angeles Times reported. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, protesters remained peaceful.
Social media posts and a livestream from the protest showed participants wielding signs with false anti-vaccine claims and screeds against masks, lockdown measures, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The protesters attempted to engage with people waiting in their cars.
Source Article from https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/olivianiland/anti-vax-protesters-dodger-stadium-covid-19-los-angeles
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s announcement that he was ” seriously considering” running for president has set off a storm of speculation over how his entrance could affect the 2020 race. But ultimately, the speculation all boils down to three basic scenarios.
Scenario 1: He hurts Democrats and helps President Trump get re-elected
In this scenario, Schultz splits the anti-Trump vote and helps him squeak into re-election. Should Democrats choose a nominee who embraces a sweeping liberal agenda that more moderate voters view with trepidation, Schultz’s presence would give them another place to register their discontent with Trump, without having to suck it up and vote for the extremely liberal Democrat. While liberals would argue that their agenda items poll well in the abstract, that doesn’t take into account two factors: One, polls also show that support for sweeping proposals such as ” Medicare for all” sink once voters are exposed to the tradeoffs; and two, even if such proposals were broadly popular, what matters is if there are a critical mass of anti-Trump voters who oppose the ideas. All that we’re talking about in this scenario is whether Schultz can siphon off enough votes for Democrats, not whether he could actually win. Trump’s core base of support is pretty loyal: with all the drama of the past two years, his approval rating has been pretty stable in the high 30s to low 40s. If Trump could turn out his base and Schultz’s presence narrows the gap in suburban areas that helped elect Democrats to the House last fall, this could help tip swing states to Trump. This scenario, no doubt, is what is making some Democrats nervous about the Schultz prospect.
Scenario 2: He helps Democrats beat Trump
At its essence, independent “outsider” presidential bids such as the one Schultz is considering tend to be about how the status quo is broken. By its nature, that message ends up being more harmful to the incumbent, who is trying to make the case that things are on the right track. If Schultz runs, and spends tens of millions — even hundreds of millions — of his own money carpet bombing the nation with ads arguing that the country needs a major change, that could effectively validate the message of Democrats. Especially given that his status will allow him to attract earned media, as showcased by having been able to tease a presidential run on “60 Minutes” Sunday night. At the same time, it means that Trump has to fend off not just one, but two challengers. This morning, Trump popped off on Schultz on Twitter — but any time spent attacking Schultz is time not spent attacking his opponent. One could also imagine a scenario in which a Democrat running as a liberal populist could lump Schultz and Trump together and make the election about the people vs. the billionaires.
Scenario 3: Schultz fizzles, or hurts each candidate equally
This is perhaps the most likely scenario. There are two reasons why the Schultz effect could be wildly overrated by political journalists. One is that the political media are still battle-scarred from writing off the chances of a certain political novice billionaire in 2016, and so they’re reluctant to be overly dismissive this time around. The other is that there is a long-held fantasy among political reporters about a “moderate” and “reasonable” independent breaking through the polarized political climate and appealing to the middle. The problem with the first argument is that though Trump was under estimated, in hindsight, it’s also true that he was somebody who had been a celebrity for decades, who had been a master of manipulating the media, and who had experience of being on a top-rated reality show for years that portrayed him as the ultimate executive. Furthermore, Trump had an element of surprise that Schultz would not benefit from and is likely to run a significantly more orthodox campaign. On the second point, though many Americans identify as “independent” in polls, or may even say they support the idea of a third party in theory, the reality is that even most independents tend to vote with one party or the other. The flip side of an independent candidate supporting a set of policies that a Democratic-leaning independent may agree with is that they may also embrace policies with which they strongly disagree. Also, as Election Day approaches, voters tend to prefer to vote for one of the major party candidates who actually have a chance to win. Alternatively, there’s a possibility that Schultz ends up doing well, but that the effects of Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 end up balancing each other out, and ultimately not changing any outcomes.
It’s worth noting that should Schultz run and make waves, we may never actually know for sure which of these scenarios turned out to be true. People are still debating the effect of Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential election. What’s more or less conventional wisdom at this point that Perot did not get Bill Clinton elected, because exit polls showed Perot taking equally from both candidates. Some have argued that were it not for Perot absorbing anti-Bush votes, that Clinton’s margin of victory would have been even bigger. But those who insist Perot cost Bush the presidency argue that what these polling analyses don’t take into account is the extent to which Perot spent more of his time attacking Bush and validating Clinton’s message that the economy was doing poorly.
Source Article from https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/three-theories-on-how-ex-starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-could-affect-the-2020-presidential-election
WASHINGTON – Joe Biden ran for the White House as the mask candidate, criticizing then-President Donald Trump’s dismissal of masks, promising to get tough on mask wearing and modeling good behavior by wearing at least one – and sometimes two –masks himself.
“The one thing we do know — these masks make a gigantic difference,” Biden said last June. “I would insist that everybody out in public be wearing that mask.”
As president, however, Biden is running up against the limits of the bully pulpit as mask-wearing remains politically polarized.
Plus, people have gotten tired of pandemic restrictions and see less need for precautions as COVID-19 vaccinations increase, even though health officials are urgently warning that now is not the time to ease up.
After the governors of Texas and Mississippi moved to lift mask mandates on Tuesday, an exasperated and frustrated Biden said Wednesday that such decisions come from “Neanderthal thinking.”
That comment was a direct departure from last week when Biden told a virtual gathering of governors that his administration is “changing the attitude a little bit about how we deal with one another.”
Tony Fratto, who was a deputy press secretary to former President George W. Bush, said he’s sure Biden would take that remark back, if he could.
“No question, it was the wrong language,” said Fratto, who is otherwise complimentary of how Biden has handled the issue.
Biden is also being pressed on what he’s doing to try to either convince states to stick with pandemic restrictions or to work around governors.
As a candidate, Biden promised that if the governors wouldn’t listen to him, then: “I go to every mayor, I go to every councilman, I go to every local official, say, mandate the mask, man – say, this is what you have to do when you’re out. Make sure you encourage it being done.”
The White House insists Biden has been doing that, through the administration’s regular calls with governors, frequent public comments and other actions that have included a public service announcement at the start of the Super Bowl. (First lady Jill Biden did a separate PSA on mask wearing with White House dogs, Major and Champ, for the Puppy Bowl.)
“We are going to continue to use every method of the bully pulpit at our disposal to convey directly to people … that mask wearing, social distancing, getting access to the vaccine is the path to go back to normal,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.
Immediately after taking office, Biden signed orders requiring masks be worn on federal property and on trains, planes, buses and public transportation.
He also asked every American to wear a mask for his first 100 days in office.
Four states that had mask mandates have lifted them over the last month: Montana, Iowa, North Dakota and Mississippi. Texas’ mandate will expire on March 10.
What it could mean:Five states are rolling back mask mandates. More could be on the way.
US coronavirus map:Tracking the outbreak
Texas and the 15 states that have lifted, or never had, mask mandates are led by GOP governors.
“It shouldn’t be political at all, but it seems like it is,” said Rep. Charlie Crist, a former GOP governor of Florida who is now a Democrat and critical of his state’s lack of a mask requirement. “What President Biden is doing is exactly what he needs to be doing: calling them out for it.”
Many cities and businesses in Texas and Mississippi have said they will continue their own mask policies, regardless of state rules.
More:Despite Gov. Reeves’ order, Jackson mayor says mask mandate still in effect
The administration also noted Thursday that one GOP governor, Alabama’s Kay Ivey, is taking a different approach.
Under pressure from fellow Republicans to lift the mandate, Ivey announced that she’s keeping it in place – until April 9.
Ivey said she and the state’s health officer believe more Alabamians should be vaccinated “before we take the step some other states have taken to remove the mask order altogether.”
While temporarily extended, however, the new deadline would fall short of Biden’s 100 days request.
Fratto said Biden doesn’t have many tools at his disposal to get governors to follow federal guidelines.
“You could argue that maybe he promised too much,” Fratto said. “But he did promise to use his voice. And I think he certainly is, and has been, using his voice.”
Fratto said Biden should continue doing that, both in private conversations with governors as well as through the media to talk directly to residents in states easing up.
“He ought to use his voice in those states to encourage good behavior, still, going forward,” he said.
Governors are using the media to push back.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted Wednesday that “Mississippians don’t need handlers.”
“I guess I just think we should trust Americans, not insult them,” he said.
Psaki, on Thursday, said Biden’s Neanderthal comment was “a reflection of his frustration and exasperation.”
While Biden will continue to urge adherence to public health guidelines, Psaki said, he will also “engage with, and talk with, people who disagree with him on a range of issues, including this one.”
Psaki:Biden’s ‘Neanderthal’ comment was a ‘reflection of his frustration’
What experts say:What we know about face masks has changed.
Isaac Baker, a Democratic strategist, called Biden’s response a “visceral gut reaction.”
“It wasn’t as diplomatic as he may have liked,” Baker said. “But I also think it was a genuine feeling of frustration that these governors would just so callously disregard strong, strong recommendations that are universal across the science and health community.”
And if COVID cases rise in the states lifting restrictions before enough people are vaccinated, Baker said, the blame will not go to Biden but will be laid “squarely at the feet of these governors.”
Source Article from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/05/covid-19-mask-mandates-lift-biden-faces-limits-bully-pulpit/6921836002/
Year of Good Citizen Service
Source Article from http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/noticia-peru-president-kuczynski-attends-mass-and-te-deum-on-independence-day-676511.aspx
Mr. Bolton did not address the matter afterward, and a spokesman declined to comment on Tuesday. Speculation arose when the national security adviser skipped the state dinner, although it was not clear why. But rather than fly home with the president, as an aide worried about his position might do, Mr. Bolton flew directly to the United Arab Emirates for meetings, a sign to his allies of the confidence he has in his relationship with Mr. Trump.
“Ambassador Bolton works for the president, and the president sets the policy,” said Fred Fleitz, the president of the Center for Security Policy who was Mr. Bolton’s chief of staff until last year. “Bolton has said for years: ‘Look, I work for the guy who won the election. He sets the policy.’ That’s always been his approach under any president he’s worked for.”
It was left to the State Department to try to clean up the confusion on Tuesday, when it declared that “the entire North Korean W.M.D. program,” referring to weapons of mass destruction, is “in conflict with the U.N. Security Council resolutions,” which would presumably include the short-range missiles.
For his part, Mr. Bolton has privately expressed his own frustration with the president, according to several officials, viewing him as unwilling to push for more transformative changes in the Middle East. At the same time, his allies said he had been misunderstood, cast as favoring military action in Venezuela, for instance, when in fact they say he does not.
But Mr. Bolton is an inveterate disrupter, eagerly upsetting the status quo in furtherance of his policy goals. He has never seemed to worry much about offending others; he does not appear to care much about being liked.
He came into the job last year saying he hoped to emulate the process Brent Scowcroft ran under President George Bush, but he has had his own conflicts with the Pentagon and the State Department.
In reorganizing the national security apparatus, Mr. Bolton eliminated some meetings of the highest-ranking officials known as the principals’ committee, or P.C., in favor of what are called “paper P.C.s,” meaning documents that are distributed. Cabinet officers rarely complain about fewer meetings, but this may lessen opportunities to air points of contention in person.
Source Article from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/us/politics/trump-john-bolton-north-korea-iran.html
Republican-led Maricopa County on Friday rebutted claims from the company behind Arizona’s controversial, partisan election review that more than 23,000 mail-in ballots should not have been cast during the 2020 election.
In its long-anticipated report, Cyber Ninjas did not find any evidence that votes were changed or that ballots were made out of Chinese bamboo. But the company — whose founder, Doug Logan, had previously claimed the election was “rigged” — appears to have tried to save face among its right-wing supporters by intimating that there was still wrongdoing.
One of Cyber Ninjas “critical findings” was that 23,344 mail-in ballots were cast by people who no longer resided at their address on file. These voters, the company asserted, “should not have received their ballots by mail because they had moved,” suggesting that they had been wrongly forwarded to the voters’ new address, a claim amplified by the spokesperson for former President Donald Trump.
But that is not true.
According to the office of Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican elected in November 2020, “As required by law, all election materials, such as ballots, are marked ‘Do Not Forward — Return Service Requested.'” Returned ballots initiate a process of removing the person from the voter roll.
But sometimes people move in the weeks before an election; they are allowed to request that their ballot be sent to a temporary address. According to Maricopa County, 20,933 voters did so in 2020.
As for the rest? Former Maricopa County residents who are in the military and deployed overseas — and other Americans who live abroad but previously called the Phoenix metropolitan region home — have to list their “address in the state in which [they] were last domiciled” in order to participate in a federal election, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program, “Your voting residence is your address in the state in which you were last domiciled, immediately prior to leaving the United States.”
“Cyber Ninjas still don’t understand this is legal under federal election law,” the county posted on its official Twitter account. “To label it a ‘critical’ concern is either intentionally misleading or staggeringly ignorant.”
Source Article from https://www.businessinsider.com/maricopa-county-rebuts-cyber-ninjas-claim-about-mail-in-ballots-2021-9
Image copyright
Thinkstock
Inventar noticias deliberadamente para engañar o entretener no es algo nuevo. Pero la llegada de las redes sociales hizo que las historias reales y las ficticias se puedan presentar de una manera tan similar que a veces es difícil distinguir entre ellas.
Si bien es cierto que internet ha permitido el intercambio de conocimiento a una escala con la que generaciones previas sólo podían soñar, también ha fundamentado lo que el ensayista Jonathan Swift escribió en 1710:
La falsedad vuela y la verdad viene cojeando tras ella”
En Estados Unidos, por ejemplo, una investigación del Pew Centre reveló que el 62% de los estadounidenses adultos reciben noticias a través de las redes sociales, de manera que es cada vez más probable que más de nosotros estemos viendo -y creyendo- información que no sólo no es precisa sino que a veces es totalmente inventada.
Hay cientos de sitios web de noticias falsas, desde las que imitan diarios reales, hasta sitios de propaganda gubernamental, y otras que se mueven por la fina línea que divide la sátira con la desinformación.
Image copyright
National Report
Uno de esos medios es The National Report, que se promociona como “la primera fuente de noticias independientes de EE.UU.”, fundada por Allen Montgomery (no es su nombre real).
“Hay veces que es como una droga”, le dijo Montgomery a la BBC.
“Es genial ver cómo el tráfico sube y cómo pescaste a la gente con la historia. ¡Me divierte mucho!”.
Una de las más grandes de esas historias fue sobre una ciudad de EE.UU. que supuestamente estaba siendo acordonada debido a una enfermedad mortal.
Según explica Montgomery, han perfeccionado el arte de hacer que la gente lea y comparta las noticias falsas que The National Report les ofrece.
“El nombre mismo del sitio es parte de la fórmula: tienes que tener un sitio para tus noticias falsas que se vea lo más legítimo posible”.
“Obviamente, el titular es clave. La gente deja de leer después del titular y los dos primeros párrafos, así que si estos suenan como noticias legítimas, puedes hacer lo que quieras con el final de la historia, hasta volverla ridícula”.
La respuesta es: serias cantidades de dinero.
Sitios como The National Report atraen publicidad de manera que pueden ser muy lucrativos.
Esas potencialmente abultadas recompensas seducen a los dueños de páginas web a abandonar los chistes satíricos y empezar a producir contenido más creíble que tiene posibilidades de ser más ampliamente compartido.
Y a las agencias de publicidad les interesa eso: que la gente comparta, pues la idea es que más personas vean lo que venden, sin importar si lo ven acompañado de mentiras.
“Algunas de nuestras noticias nos han dado US$10,000. Cuando damos en el clavo e impulsamos esas historias, ganamos miles de dólares”, dice Montgomery.
Brooke Binkowski de Snopes, uno de los sitios más grandes de chequeo de información que lucha contra la desinformación, piensa que aunque puede que no sea peligroso que circulen una que otra historia falsa su potencial para causar daño aumenta con el tiempo.
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Empire News
“Hay mucho sesgo de confirmación: mucha gente queriendo probar que su visión del mundo es la apropiada y correcta”, explica.
Y es precisamente eso lo que Allen Montgomery dice que su sitio de noticias falsas trata de explotar: la idea de reforzar las creencias y confirmar con mentiras los prejuicios de la gente.
“Constantemente tratamos de sintonizarnos con los sentimientos que sospechamos que la gente tiene o quiere tener”.
“Recientemente publicamos una historia que decía que a Hillary Clinton le habían dado las respuestas antes de un debate. Ya había algunos rumores sobre eso -todos falsos-, pero ese tipo de titulares entra en la burbuja de los de derecha y son ellos los que mantienen viva la historia”.
Craig Silverman, quien trabaja en Buzzfeed liderando el equipo que estudia los efectos de las noticias falsas, explica cuán fácil es que ese tipo de historias terminen siendo reportadas como ciertas en los medios tradicionales.
“Una página de noticias falsas publica un embuste y, como recibe mucha atención en las redes sociales, otro sitio web lo toma, escribe la historia como si fuera verdad y no la vincula a la página de noticias falsas original”.
“Eso provoca una reacción en cadena hasta que algún periodista de un medio creíble la ve y escribe algo sobre ella. Como los periodistas ahora tratan de escribir tantas historias como sea posible y de que esas historias atraigan muchos lectores y atención en las redes, la tendencia es producir más y chequear menos“, dice Silverman.
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Clickhole
Además, señala Anthony Adornato, del departamento de periodismo del Ithaca College en New York, muchos medios tradicionales no están al día en cuestión de políticas de verificación.
“Es común hoy en día que los medios dependan del contenido compartido pero no todas las salas de redacción tienen una política respecto a cómo autenticar esa información”.
Un estudio reciente dirigido por Adornato en estaciones de televisión locales de EE.UU. reveló que casi el 40% de las políticas editoriales no incluían guías sobre cómo manejar la información de las redes sociales a pesar de que los jefes de noticias admitieron que más del 30% de sus boletines habían reportado información proveniente de esa fuente que luego resultó falsa o imprecisa.
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Thinkstock
Según Allen Montgomery, Facebook ya tomó medidas para reducir el impacto de sitios falsos.
“Hemos sido uno de los blancos específicos de los cambios en el algoritmo de suministro de noticias. Han ahogado nuestras historias para que no sean compartidas ni gustadas, y no dudo que estén haciendo lo mismo con otros sitios de noticias falsas”.
“Pero la verdad es que si se trata de algo que produce dinero – y esto lo produce- uno apela a la creatividad“.
Es por eso que Montgomery ahora tiene 9 sitios de noticias falsas por los que mueve el contenido para tratar de burlar la censura de Facebook.
*Parte o todo lo que le dijo a la BBC Allen Montgomery puede ser falso.
Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-37910450
Thousands of protesters on foot and in vehicles converged Wednesday on Michigan’s capital to rally against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home orders in the state.
“Operation Gridlock,” organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, created a huge bumper-to-bumper traffic jam around the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
Meshawn Maddock, an organizer for the group, said the demonstrators include Republicans, Democrats and independents.
“Quarantine is when you restrict movement of sick people. Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people,” Maddock told Fox News. “Every person has learned a harsh lesson about social distancing. We don’t need a nanny state to tell people how to be careful.”
The protests had been expected to start at noon, but a line of vehicles stretching for miles began earlier in the morning.
“Operation Gridlock” was just one of many demonstrations planned across the country to push back on the stay-at-home orders, calling on state governments to focus on the economic toll the coronavirus pandemic has caused along with taking care of the sick.
Nearly 17 million Americans have been laid off or furloughed in the past three weeks – or one out of every 10 workers.
Echoing President Trump that “we cannot let the cure be worse than the disease,” Maddock said the restrictions are wrecking people’s lives and may have killed more than the virus.
“The health-care system is basically shut down,” she said. “People with issues are having trouble seeing a doctor because everyone is focused on the virus. My husband and I are checking in on my in-laws, but even doing that is now breaking the law.”
Trump has created a White House task force charged with trying to find ways to reopen the economy.
He has suggested a May 1 deadline, but some governors have said that timetable is too soon.
The US has more than 610,000 coronavirus cases and the death toll has surpassed 26,000.
There are more than 25,000 cases in Michigan, and 1,602 have died from the virus.
Whitmer, who acknowledged that people in Michigan are under pressure by the orders she signed last week, compared the stay-at-home orders to being snowed in.
“So we just had snow. I got snow on the ground here in Michigan. I got snow on the ground in Lansing and we’re expecting up to 30 inches of snow in the Upper Peninsula,” she said on the “Today” show.
“The fact that we’re cracking down on people traveling between homes or planting or landscaping or golfing, really, for a couple more weeks is not going to meaningfully impact people’s ability to do so, because the snow will do that itself.”
Asked what factors she is looking at to determine whether it’s safe to return to work, Whitmer said more testing capability.
“It’s that we get robust testing, and that is still a struggle across this nation. We need some assistance from the federal government when it comes to swabs and reagents and making sure that we get the kind of robust testing that we need so we get data that we can actually rely on,” Whitmer said.
Some governors, including New York’s Andrew Cuomo, have joined regional task forces to decide when to have their states ease restrictions and reopen their economies.
Source Article from https://nypost.com/2020/04/15/michigan-citizens-protest-over-coronavirus-stay-home-order/
