#rural mexican border town

[transgenderer]

The Republic of Yucatán (Spanish: República de Yucatán) was a sovereign state during two periods of the nineteenth century. The first Republic of Yucatán, founded May 29, 1823, willingly joined the Mexican federation as the Federated Republic of Yucatán on December 23, 1823, less than seven months later.[1][2] The second Republic of Yucatán began in 1841, with its declaration of independence from the Centralist Republic of Mexico. It remained independent for seven years, after which it rejoined the United Mexican States. The area of the former republic includes the modern Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo. The Republic of Yucatán usually refers to the Second Republic (1841–1848).

The Republic of Yucatán was governed by the Constitution of 1841 which guaranteed individual rights, religious freedom and what was then a new legal form called amparo (English: protection).[3] The 1847 Caste War caused the Republic of Yucatán to request military aid from Mexico. This was given on the condition that the Republic rejoin the Mexican Federation.

The Caste War of Yucatán or ba'atabil kichkelem Yúum[2] (1847–1915) began with the revolt of native Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula against Hispanic populations, called Yucatecos. The latter had long held political and economic control of the region. A lengthy war ensued between the Yucateco forces based in the northwest of the Yucatán and the independent Maya in the southeast.[3][4][5]

The Caste War took place within the economic and political context of late colonial and post-independence Yucatán.[6] By the end of the eighteenth century, Yucatán's population had expanded considerably, and white and mestizo Mexicans migrated to rural towns. Economic opportunities, primarily in the production of henequen and sugar cane, attracted investment and encroachment onto indigenous customary lands in the south and east of the peninsula.[7] Shortly after the Mexican War of Independence in 1821, the Yucatecan congress passed a series of laws that facilitated and encouraged this process. By the 1840s, land alienation had increased precipitously, forcing much of the Maya peasantry to work as indebted laborers on large estates (haciendas). This had a dramatic effect on the Maya and precipitated the war.[8]

In the 1850s, the United Kingdom recognized the Maya state because of the value of its trade with British Honduras (present-day Belize) and provided arms to the rebels at the beginning of the insurgency.[9] By 1867, the Maya occupied parts of the western part of the Yucatán, including the District of Petén, where the Xloschá and Macanché tribes allied with them. Growing investment in Mexico resulted in a change in United Kingdom policy, and in 1893 London signed a new treaty with the Mexican government, recognizing its control of all of the Yucatán, formalizing the border with British Honduras, and closing the British colony to trade with Chan Santa Cruz, the capital of the Maya.

The war unofficially ended in 1901 when the Mexican army occupied Chan Santa Cruz and subdued neighboring areas. Another formal end came in 1915 when Mexican forces led by Yucatán Governor Salvador Alvarado subdued the territory. Alvarado introduced reforms from the Mexican Revolution that ended some Maya grievances. Skirmishes with small settlements that rejected Mexican control continued until 1933.

[abirdie]

Gael García Bernal photographed by Craig McDean for AnOther Man in 2006.

Accompanying interview text (it's a really good interview) after the jump.

Interview by Dave Calhoun

(source but I can never get AnOther Man articles to display properly)

He played Che Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries. He made a stunning drag queen in Bad Education. Now he’s a confused young Parisian who can’t distinguish between dreams and waking-life in The Science of Sleep, Michel Gondry’s latest mind-warp of a movie. He’s worked for some of the world’s top directors, from Pedro Almodóvar to Walter Salles. He’s fiercely political, a true film lover, and an actor who genuinely puts his art before his bank balance. He’s also a powerful force behind the new wave of filmmaking in Latin America. And Gael Garcia Bernal is still only 27.

Last night, Bernal was knocking back drinks and dancing late into the night at a house party in Greenwich Village. The morning after, he’s sitting in a small diner in downtown Manhattan, talking spiritedly about the disastrous effects that globalisation is having on rural farmers in his home country of Mexico.

“It’s getting to the point where it’s going to implode,” Bernal warns, knocking back a coffee. “The people who will be affected will be the poor. The countries who are going to get fucked up are the poor ones. It’s going to lead to civil wars.”

The more you speak to Bernal, the more time you spend in his company, and the more of his friends and collaborators that you speak to, the more you begin to understand that there’s something unusual about this young actor. There’s a refreshing, even old-fashioned, seriousness to the way he approaches his life and work. He’s unusually engaged – politically, culturally and socially – in a way that isn’t awkward or mannered. He’s hungry to learn, to work with the right people, to do the right thing, to make a difference. There’s a natural, confident ease in his commitment to cinema, politics and the world around him. If all this makes him sound too earnest, it shouldn’t; he’s as comfortable sniggering about beach parties in Brazil as he is dissecting politics. It’s all one life to him.

Bernal first grabbed the attention of the art-house crowd in 2000 in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros, an extreme story of three lives that collide in one car crash amid the chaos of Mexico City. He was 21. In the following year, he filmed the sexually charged road movie Y tu mamá también, which made him, alongside good friend and co-star Diego Luna, Mexico’s most in-demand young actor.

“We had finally discovered a new face,” remembers Carlos Cuarón, writer of Y tu mamá también and brother of the film’s director, Alfonso Cuarón.

“Here was a new young actor who could sustain emotion in a very different way. After seeing Gael in a short film a year or two before Amores Perros came out, I remember calling my brother and saying to him, ‘Man, you have to see this guy.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, thanks, I’m busy right now.’”

A year or two passed before Alfonso saw Gael in action. “Alejandro González Iñárritu is a friend of ours and he showed Alfonso an early cut of Amores Perros,” continues Carlos. “That was the moment when Alfonso said, ‘I want that guy!’ I was on the telephone saying, ‘I told you so!’”

Since then, Bernal has played a youthful Che Guevara in an award-winning performance for Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles in The Motorcycle Diaries, a fox of a transvestite (and according to one critic a “dead ringer for Julia Roberts”) for the Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar in Bad Education, and opposite Charlotte Gainsbourg in French director Michel Gondry’s latest movie, The Science of Sleep. It’s an impressive roll-call of collaborators. And still not one Hollywood movie in sight.

“I think Tijuana is the closest I’ve ever got to Hollywood,” Bernal jokes as we talk about the three months he recently spent on location in the notorious Mexican border town for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s latest film, Babel. “It sounds like a really bad tragedy, doesn’t it? The Closest I Ever Got to Hollywood Was Tijuana!”

Carlos Cuarón agrees that Bernal’s acting path has been remarkable. “The really crazy thing about Gael is that he’s probably the most famous Mexican actor nowadays, but he still hasn’t done a Hollywood movie. He chooses his projects very intelligently. He picks them because he likes the director or because he thinks the script is amazing or because there are other interesting actors in the film. Usually, people become famous across the world because of Hollywood movies, he hasn’t had to go that route.”

Bernal’s commitment is thrown into sharp relief when he talks about his move to London to go to drama school at the age of 17 a decade ago. He was shocked by the country’s apathy to politics and culture. He expected the Rolling Stones, the Marquee Club and arthouse cinema. Instead what he found were the Spice Girls, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and students who would rather sit drinking in pubs or subject themselves to pharmaceutical testing than attend a political rally.

“I found it difficult coming from Mexico,” Bernal explains. “In Mexico, there’s this feeling that everything you do has a political complexity. Which it does. Whatever you do, whoever you say hello to, whichever part of the neighbourhood you go to... Everything has this huge political complexity, as well as social, emotional and sexual.

“I think my attitude also has something to do with my family. They work in the theatre, underground theatre, so maybe I was pretentious, or snobbish perhaps.”

Bernal’s teenage years coincided with a tumultuous time in Mexico. The country was emerging from what he labels “an old tyrant democracy”, and the Zapatista movement in Mexico’s southern state of Chiapas was rising up against the government. Street demonstrations were part of everyday life. Bernal and his family lived comfortably in Mexico City – his mother is an actor, his father an actor and director – but like many kids of his age he was swept up by the energy and sheer excitement of the capital’s mass support for the Zapatistas.

“That movement polarised the country, but it also united a lot of people,” Bernals recalls. “We helped to stop the war. Because of that, it felt like what we did counted. Something like a million and a half people demonstrated every day when the war between the government and the guerrillas started. I was very involved. I was writing and reading about the situation, helping to send food, and demonstrating on the marches. It was great. I was young, and it was fun. And, I’ve got to say, I met my first girlfriend – my first real girlfriend – there as well. It was a great place to meet girls!”

Sex and politics. There’s nothing po-faced about Bernal’s political engagement. It’s wrapped up in movies, fun, friendships, music, travel, theatre and family. There’s something pleasing and traditionally bohemian about all this. There is often a sense in Europe and North America, that we are too comfortable, cynical even, and few people believe that protest – let alone art – can make a difference. Bernal would get along just fine in Paris circa 1968.

All of which helps to explain why he spent the past ten days at the World Trade Organisation summit in Hong Kong. His world doesn’t end with himself and his films. In Hollywood, political engagement, more often than not, means rash gestures and red faces all round. Bernal’s engagement is more steady, more regular, more constant. He quietly attended the protests at the G8 summit in Edinburgh last year on the same weekend that Madonna, Elton et al performed at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park. In Hong Kong, he sat in meeting after meeting, discussing ideas, presenting case studies and assisting delegates such as Mary Robinson, the former Irish president (“La Presidenta!” as Bernal calls her, laughing). Before travelling to Hong Kong, he spent some time in Chiapas, discovering for himself the effect that free trade is having on local maize and coffee producers.

He’s fully aware that his profile as an actor is a selling point for organisations such as Oxfam, but still he makes sure – indeed demands – that he’s fully informed. He’s not interested in being an intelligent pretty face. He wants to get stuck in. He arrived at the Hong Kong summit with an undefined role, but was soon speaking out at meetings.

“Little by little, I started to get into it and became really interested in everything,” he explains. “Oxfam asked me if I wanted to be in the talks and negotiations.”

He jokes about something else that he picked up at the summit, after some Germans he met fell about laughing when they heard his name. “Gael” it turns out, means “horny” in German. You can already see the pin-up poster tag-line in the German equivalent of Teen Vogue: “Ich bin Gael”, it would read, pasted across a brooding portrait of the actor. It wouldn’t be anything new. “Mexican heart-throb”, “Sex Mex”, “The sexiest thing to come out of Latin America since Ricky Martin” are just some of the tacky headlines – often in upmarket publications – that have been written recently about Bernal.

The conversation turns to Live 8. Bernal admits that he feels a strong sense of unease towards events like these.

“I was a bit critical of Live 8. The people that organised it act as if they are there to safeguard our souls, and present it as a civil action, as if it’s our civil duty to go to a concert. Many of the people who took part made no more effort to do this concert than they would to make a Pepsi commercial. Some of these artists are the same people who advertise Coca Cola. People in Mexico don’t have clean water, yet they’ve drunk Coca Cola all their lives. It’s cheaper to get a Coke than to get clean drinking water. That in itself is a strong image of how much power such companies wield across the world.”

Such independent thinking is present too in Bernal’s attitude to films and filmmaking. He’s happier on the margins, where the ideas and imagination lie. It’s interesting to contrast his career with the young American actors of a similar stature – those who, one minute are hailed as the new saviours of independent cinema, and the next, are dressing up as Spiderman or nestling happily in King Kong’s computer-generated fur. It’s easier to say yes than it is to say no, as Bernal has consistently replied to all approaches from Hollywood.

The screenwriter Milo Addica (Monster’s Ball and Birth) tells a good story about how Bernal accepted the lead role in The King, which he wrote and produced. It’s an independent American movie that British director James Marsh shot in late 2004. When the film was still in the casting stage, many young American actors read the script and liked it, but, as Addica recalls, backed off for what he calls “moral reasons”. They didn’t like the film’s violence or the ambiguity of a lead character who starts out as a hero, but commits an horrific act in the film’s closing moments. Bernal, on the other hand, leapt at the chance. He plays Elvis Valderez, a young American with a Mexican mother, who leaves the navy and goes in search of his father (William Hurt), a popular Baptist preacher who never knew his illegitimate son. It’s a search that ultimately has terrible consequences. Bernal does a good job in his first American film.

“We went to a number of young actors, all of who you know but I won’t name names,” Addica explains. “They all liked the script but were concerned with the audience’s perception. They wanted changes made to accommodate that. Of course, when you pay an actor $20 million he will do an Irish jig on the table for you. He doesn’t give a flying fuck.” Needless to say, $20 million was not on offer for The King.

Bernal is not easily tempted by a pay cheque. “A film with no point of view is such a waste of money,” he considers. “So much money is spent on films. Oh man, spend that money somewhere else!”

Bernal’s attitude to cinema is rooted in Mexico – rooted in the struggle to get films made – personal stories, real storytelling, strong ideas. He says that making The Motorcycle Diaries, for which he travelled through Argentina, Peru and Mexico, reaffirmed his commitment to Latin America and Latin American cinema. Last month, his production company in Mexico City opened for business in partnership with Diego Luna. They’ve already launched a travelling documentary festival that began in Mexico City and is due to visit 16 towns across the country.

As an actor, Bernal is drawn to the filmmakers he has worked with. He wants to learn more, and says unashamedly that he usually wants to be friends with his directors.

“That was the best thing about all these films, on a very personal level, getting to know these people,” he says. “To be their friends, actually. That’s the best thing, and I really get emotional about that. Many people have explained what cinema is, but so far, to me, the best appreciation is that cinema is further proof, further affirmation that fiction can move people more than reality, more than the facts. Also that in the process of making films you get to travel and make friends.”

This isn’t just talk. Michel Gondry, who last year directed Bernal in his latest film, is effusive about the actor who he now counts as a good friend. In The Science of Sleep, Bernal plays Stephane, a half-Mexican, half-French young man whose colourful dreams have a bizarre effect on his waking-life. On the phone from New York, Gondry mentions that he has borrowed Bernal’s old apartment in the city while he works on the post-production of his film in time for Sundance. The two became close both before and during the shoot. When they first met, Gondry hadn’t quite completed his script, so he and Bernal discussed ideas together. Gondry is happy to credit Bernal with offering crucial input to the finished screenplay.

“He’s a great person on top of being a great actor,” Gondry says warmly. “He’s very caring and we’ve become very, very close. He’s very committed. The character he was playing in my film is close to me, so we had to find out what we both had in common. That takes time, and he was really pleased to spend time getting to know me. He’s also just a machine of happiness. During the shoot, he would always make everybody happy and entertain them.”

We walk around the corner and head back to the hotel, still talking about films, Mexico, London and New York, before saying goodbye in the lift. Bernal still has places to go today. The first is the local cinema, where he plans to catch the Tommy Lee Jones-directed Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, a superb film written by his fellow countryman Guillermo Arriaga, the writer of Amores Perros and 21 Grams. The second is with a TV set in a bar somewhere. His local football team in Mexico are playing in a cup final tonight. He wouldn’t miss it for the world. The revolution rolls on.

#gael garcía bernal #craig mcdean #dave calhoun #ggb interview #ggb photoshoot #gael garcia bernal

[auranova26]

Felicia Rose

I want to go over some lore and facts regarding Felicia in Cryas Darkstalkers.😺 First things first, you might have noticed the last name of 'Rose' for her. Well, one thing I am changing regarding this mythos is Sister Rose. In Cryas Darkstalkers, she is now known as Ramona Rose. While she does run a small orphanage, it is not one in connection with Christianity. Simply put, I am removing any hint of Christianity/Catholicism in Felicia's backstory for quite honestly personal reasons. The orphanage is located in a rural town in New Mexico, one that will likely take inspiration from Taos, NM. Ramona Rose in this mythos is in fact a kind, hardy Mexican woman who made a life for herself in the states.

Speaking of ethnicity, one big thing for Felicia in Cryas Darkstalkers is that she is Hispanic, with part of her heritage being Mexican. This is in part that her biological parents are both of Hispanic origins, with her mother being a Mexican Catfolk and her father being from a country in Central America. I have yet to actually decide which one, but just know her biological father is from somewhere there.

'Catfolk' you say? Yeah, in this mythos the whole 'Catwoman' thing is just being changed to where this race of cat like humanoids are just known as Catfolk. There are female and male ones because quite frankly the lore of the Catwomen in the OG lore was really fucking stupid. Another thing that is being changed that can be seen with Felicia's design her is the change of the fur to make them feel more cat like rather than naked women with some bits of fur here and there. In the case of Felicia, her fur even grows in a way where it looks like she has a skirt and a crop top. Her hair is changed in a style to more express her Hispanic/Mexican heritage. Another neat detail is how her eye isn't white, but a color similar to her iris. Was a neat detail an artist did with a commission they did of Felicia.

(Credit: Beck (Slots Open) (@ViewtifulBeck) / Twitter)

Do her parents have names? No, cause quite honestly, they are not too important to her backstory beyond her being born and the circumstances of how she ended up in the US, in New Mexico, and eventually at the doorsteps of Rose's orphanage. Basically, her parents sought to move the US for a better chance at life, as many from Central America are one to do. However, before they could cross the border, they were spotted by guards. While her mother could outrun the guards, her father couldn't. Despite not wanting to leave him, he begged her to go as who knows what they would do to her or the baby since they were non-human. Having crossed in the state of New Mexico, Felicia's mother contemplated on things such how she is gonna support the child, the loss of her husband, and these new circumstances in a new country with no support. Eventually, passing through a town, she decided the best thing was to leave her daughter in the hands of an orphanage as she believed she couldn't provide well for the baby. That was the last her mother ever saw the child.

When the baby was found, it was taken in. The orphanage was small, only being aided by her friends who volunteered time, but Ramona did her best to make sure the children were cared for and found good homes. When the wrappings were unfurled, all were surprised by the appearance of the baby: it was a Darkstalker! There was an argument that unfolded as Ramona and her friends disagreed about what to do for the child. Ramona refused to abandon the baby because despite it being non-human, she saw it as a poor, lost child that needed guidance. She was adamantly against putting it back on the streets for the elements to take care of. While her friends couldn't convince her on that, they did bring up a good point: who is gonna adopt a monster? Maybe some rich folk if they want an exotic pet or those freak show organizers. Ramona was revolted by those thoughts, but that was a good point. After thinking about it, she decided she would raise the little baby as her own daughter. Deciding on the name Felicia, little Felicia Rose would grow up in a modest, but loving home. Always aiding her mother around with chores and the orphanage, she got to make a lot of friends with the kids that came in. Overtime, Ramona's friends, neighbors, and eventually the community grew to accept the Catfolk as part of the community, to varying degrees.

As she grew up, she would be introduced to all sorts of forms entertainment, like television shows, cinemas, comics, festivals, and plays. Felicia loved seeing all these as she got to see all kinds of people and characters not only put on an entertaining show, but also see how she, her mother, and others connected with these performers. While Felicia's home life was generally a loving household, she was made aware of the general bias people have against those who aren't human. In a way, she was lucky. Even with her luck, she felt her life still shows that connection with humans and Darkstalkers was possible. 'We might be outwardly different, but we all have dreams, emotions, aspirations, and a desire to connect with others', Felicia would think. As this dream kept burning in the adolescent to adulthood, she eventually decided that she would become a star. Inspired by her hero 'El Santo', she was aware how the famous luchador was loved by the entirety of Mexico. With such status, she could hold influence to show the world that Darkstalkers are not just monsters but living beings with hearts and souls who also want to live. So, she set out to make her dream a reality. It was going to be tough, but she was willing to put her all into achieving this dream!

Some other notes about Felicia:

Felicia is bilingual in Spanish and English. With Spanish as her first language, she has an accent.

As mentioned, she is a mega fan of the luchador El Santo. So strong is her admiration, she went out of her way to watch his films, collect comics, and any memorabilia she could with her allowance.

Felicia in Cryas Darkstalkers is quite tall at 5'11'. Not only tall, but very fit and strong considering her catfolk genes.

Felicia's Birthday is held at around the month of February as that was when she was found at the orphanage. As for the date, it is held on the 5th. She was born in the year 1967.

Her tongue is like that of a cat, so thus is covered with papillae.

When thrown into pure rage, Felicia can go into a feral state like a big cat.

She is incredibly fast on her feet, with her kicks hitting incredibly hard.

(Credit: MasterMaind Designs-Open Commissions (season 5)👀 (@MastermaindD) / Twitter) A girl can dream.

#cryas darkstalkers #darkstalkers #auranova26 #felicia #rose #felicia rose #ramona rose #mexican #hispanics #lore #new mexico #el santo #felicia is the superstar

[heaveninsnow]

We all sing "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Georgia on My Mind," though most of us have never seen a pecan tree. But Georgia becomes the Maritimes for Maritimers when they are out west — "Those Old Cotton Field Back Home" becomes the half-acre of potatoes your father planted in Bartibog. Maritimers in Toronto can relate to the song about being stuck in Detroit city while dreaming of rural life. We sing about every single city in United States, though few of us use to get to there. We just adopt. Young men and woman belting out "Going back to Houston" probably means they are heading home to Bathurst, New Brunswick, or Truro, Nova Scotia. It's even funnier if they are singing it with a French accent, and somehow even more poignant. A "rebel yell" is something Maritimers could always do. It seems to me that most Maritimers worth their salt sympathize with the south. Don Williams sings about "Good Ole Boys Like Me," and for six months it was top on our charts — though he talked about cotton wool, Thomas Wolfe's novels, the Civil War, Tennessee Williams' plays and Hank Williams' songs. We've heard more stories about Mexican Federalies than we've ever heard about our own police. Sing about white lightning and poisonous swamp snakes when we are at a community centre in January. I think, quite honestly, we've heard about the Vietnam war so much, in movie and song, that half of us think we're veterans. Willie and Waylon are our outlaws as much as anyone's, and when Hank Jr. says, "The Mississippi River is runnin dry / but a country boy can survive," all we have to do is think of the Miramichi. Nor do I have much argument with this. Hell, I love Hank Jr.'s daddy as much as anyone, and I know exactly what he means when he sings, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," or whispers, "Men with Broken Hearts." At least we're allowed to stand in a reflection from the light. We foster our patriotism from America's bankroll. There are friends of mine who love the song "The Ballad of the Green Berets" and those who hate it. Believing, for or against, that is their song. I know Canadians who sing Merle Haggards' "You're Walking on the Fighting Side of Me (running down our country, Lord)," as if they were ready to attack somebody by the throat. There is no reason whatsoever we shouldn't have patriotism. If we can't get it from our own nation we'll get it where we can. This should be perfectly obvious. I've seen four movies about Eddie Rickenbacker, while in the one film Canada has made Billy Bishop was almost called charlatan by his own countrymen. The gap in the principle us so wide it's not worth discussion. But as Yeats says, too long a sacrifice makes a stone of the heart. If we aren't allowed to love who we are, millions pf us will adopt the love that singers give to another country. For that's what all these songs are saying and doing. They are sculptured verses of love of their country by ordinary men and women. Nothing more than that." — David Adams Richards, Just Singing Along, 1989

*** I find the appropriation of American culture into Atlantic Canada so interesting. Growing up on a border town influenced this experience for me even more.

[newstfionline]

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Irreparable (ABC News) Auto repair prices are up and outpacing the overall rate of inflation considerably, with government data showing motor vehicle repair prices up 23 percent over the course of the past year. The cause is a combination of a shortage of workers—the industry will be 642,000 workers short of capacity by 2024—and an inconsistent supply of auto parts. There are also fewer car repair stops still in business: In 2016 there were 225 vehicles on the road for every service bay, a level that in 2021 rose to 246 cars and trucks for every bay.

Jaded with education, more Americans are skipping college (AP) When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability and a happy life. The pandemic changed his mind. A year after high school, Hart is directing a youth theater program in Jackson, Tennessee. He got into every college he applied to but turned them all down. Cost was a big factor, but a year of remote learning also gave him the time and confidence to forge his own path. Hart is among hundreds of thousands of young people who came of age during the pandemic but didn’t go to college. Many have turned to hourly jobs or careers that don’t require a degree, while others have been deterred by high tuition and the prospect of student debt. Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022.

Bank’s failure shakes companies worldwide (AP) It was called Silicon Valley Bank, but its collapse is causing shockwaves around the world. From winemakers in California to startups across the Atlantic Ocean, companies are scrambling to figure out how to manage their finances after their bank suddenly shut down Friday. The meltdown means distress not only for businesses but also for all their workers whose paychecks may get tied up in the chaos. U.S. customers with less than $250,000 in the bank can count on insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. But many companies had millions (and in at least one case billions) of dollars that are now frozen or gone, and have no idea how to meet payroll. Silicon Valley Bank worked with startups, and many “are terrified,” according to one depositor.

Atmospheric river floods California towns, brings rain, snow (AP) More than 9,000 California residents were under evacuation orders Friday as a new atmospheric river brought heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, swelling rivers and creeks and flooding several major highways and small rural communities. In Santa Cruz County, a creek bloated by rain destroyed a portion of Main Street in Soquel, a town of 10,000 people, isolating several neighborhoods. In the San Francisco Bay Area, flooding blocked portions of several major highways, including Interstate 580 in Oakland, disrupting travel. The storm marked the state’s 10th atmospheric river of the winter, storms that have brought enormous amounts of rain and snow to the state and helped lessen the drought conditions that had dragged on for three years.

Matamoros victims found, but 550 Americans are still missing in Mexico (Washington Post) Lisa Torres was glued to her phone, watching news reports on the kidnapping last week of four Americans in the Mexican city of Matamoros. She lived in the Houston suburbs, hundreds of miles away, but knew well the pain of having a relative snatched on the other side of the border. Her son, Robert, was just 21 when he vanished in 2017. More than 550 Americans are reported as missing in Mexico, a little-known facet of a broader tragedy that has honeycombed this country with mass graves. Soaring violence and government dysfunction have fueled a crisis that’s left at least 112,150 people missing, according to government records here. Americans make up a small part of that ghastly toll. And they are a tiny percentage of the millions of U.S. citizens who travel to Mexico every year for tourism, work and family visits. But just as there’s been an uproar in Mexico over the government’s all-out effort to find the four Americans, compared with its far more limited search for its own abducted citizens, relatives of the Americans still missing are asking why their loved ones haven’t been a higher priority for Washington.

Chile’s president shakes up Cabinet, replaces five ministers (AP) President Gabriel Boric shook up his Cabinet on Friday, replacing five of his 24 ministers on the eve of beginning his second year in power, announcing the change two days after Chile’s lawmakers rejected a proposed tax overhaul for financing most of his government program. It was the second time Boric has carried out a major Cabinet reshuffle. The previous overhaul came in September when 62% of voters rejected a new constitution that had been championed by the president. The Cabinet reshuffle came after an unexpected defeat Wednesday for Boric as Congress rejected a tax package that would have helped the president fund his progressive social agenda. Rodrigo Espinoza, director of the School of Management at Diego Portales University, said one of the difficulties Boric now faces is that “a significant part of his program will no longer have financing.”

German Officials Had Gotten Tip About Jehovah’s Witness Gunman (NYT) Weeks before a gunman opened fire on his former congregation at a Jehovah’s Witness hall in northern Germany, the authorities got a tip that he “harbored a special rage” toward religious groups, officials said Friday. But when they checked on him, they said, they determined they did not have grounds to seize his weapons. The gunman killed six people, including a pregnant woman, before turning his weapon on himself as police stormed the building in Hamburg on Thursday in what the authorities called “the worst such mass shooting incident of this dimension” to affect the city. Eight people were wounded, four of them severely. In keeping with German privacy laws, the police identified the gunman only as Philipp F., a 35-year-old German who, according to the authorities, had been a member of the congregation until a year and a half ago, “but apparently did not leave on good terms,” said Thomas Radszuweit, the head of state security in Hamburg. Mass shootings are extremely rare in Germany, where regulations limit who can own a weapon, and make training and testing compulsory before a gun can be purchased. Fully automatic weapons are considered “weapons of war” and are illegal.

Female and nonbinary swimmers can go topless in public pools, Berlin says (Washington Post) Berlin’s authorities want to make it very clear: Women are free to swim topless in municipal pools, as are those who identify as nonbinary, if that’s what they want. Topless swimming in public pools wasn’t forbidden in the German capital anyway, but a woman recently lodged a complaint alleging discrimination after a pool prevented her from swimming without covering her chest, a restriction that wasn’t applied to the male swimmers. The city and its public pools operator will now ensure that men and women are treated equally when it comes to swimming topless, the Berlin state government said in a press release Thursday. Germans “are generally quite relaxed about” nudity, Keon West, a professor of social psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, who has conducted studies into nakedness and body image, previously told The Washington Post. Nudity, also known as “free body culture,” is not seen as sexual.

Russia’s hypersonic missile attack on Ukraine highlights Western vulnerability (Washington Post) Russia fired a half-dozen of its rare Kinzhal hypersonic missiles at Ukraine on Thursday, as part of a broader barrage that killed six people and that the Russian Defense Ministry described as revenge for an incursion into western Russia last week by a far-right Russian nationalist group fighting on Ukraine’s side in the war. Russia’s use of the hypersonic missiles—“Kinzhal” means dagger in Russian—renewed alarm over the Kremlin’s sophisticated arsenal, and it highlighted that Putin possesses difficult-to-intercept, nuclear-capable weapons that the United States and its allies do not yet have. Hypersonic missiles are highly maneuverable weapons that travel at speeds above Mach 5, or more than five times the speed of sound, making them extremely hard to intercept. The United States and China are also developing hypersonic weapons. After Russia used them in Ukraine for the first time in March last year, President Biden called the missiles “almost unstoppable.” Russia has other nuclear-capable hypersonic weapons, but its flaunting of the Kinzhal in battle adds to the pressure on Washington as a hypersonic arms race heats up, one in which Washington has catching up to do, with both Russia and China.

Hong Kong activists behind Tiananmen vigil jailed for months (AP) Three former organizers of Hong Kong’s annual vigil in remembrance of victims of China’s 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests were jailed Saturday for four and a half months for failing to provide authorities with information on the group in accordance with a national security law. The now-defunct alliance was best known for organizing candlelight vigils in Hong Kong on the anniversary of the 1989 Chinese military’s crushing of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, but it was voted to disband in 2021 under the shadow of the Beijing-imposed national security law. Before its disbandment, police had sought details about its operations and finances in connection with alleged links to democracy groups overseas, accusing it of being a foreign agent. But the group refused to cooperate, arguing the police did not have a right to ask for its information because it was not a foreign agent and the authorities did not provide sufficient justification. In her mitigation, one member said the alliance was not a foreign agent and that nothing had emerged that proved otherwise, so sentencing them was about punishing people for defending the truth. “Sir, sentence us for our insubordination if you must, but when the exercise of power is based on lies, being insubordinate is the only way to be human,” she said.

South Korea proposes a 69-hour workweek, up from an already long 52 (Washington Post) South Korea’s conservative government has proposed increasing the legal cap on weekly work hours from 52 to 69, triggering backlash from the opposition and wage-earners who fear the plan will ruin work-life balance in a country already well known for workaholism. South Koreans already toil more than many of their overseas counterparts. They work an average of 1,915 hours per year, compared with 1,791 hours for Americans and 1,490 hours for the French, who have a 35-hour workweek, according to figures from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The OECD average is 1,716 hours. The proposal has sparked a backlash from workers who fear it will give employers legal grounds to encourage grueling hours on busy weeks.

Saudi deal with Iran worries Israel (AP) News of the rapprochement between long-time regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran sent shock waves through the Middle East on Saturday and dealt a symbolic blow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has made the threat posed by Tehran a public diplomacy priority and personal crusade. Saudi Arabia’s decision to engage with its regional rival has left Israel largely alone as it leads the charge for diplomatic isolation of Iran and threats of a unilateral military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. The UAE also resumed formal relations with Iran last year. “It’s a blow to Israel’s notion and efforts in recent years to try to form an anti-Iran bloc in the region,” said Yoel Guzansky, an expert on the Persian Gulf at the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank. “If you see the Middle East as a zero-sum game, which Israel and Iran do, a diplomatic win for Iran is very bad news for Israel.”

#headlines #news

[wikiuntamed]

On this day in Wikipedia: Friday, 22nd March

Welcome, dobrodošli, до��ре дошли (dobre doshli), croeso 🤗 What does @Wikipedia say about 22nd March through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?

22nd March 2021 🗓️ : Event - 2021 Boulder shooting Ten people are killed in a mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado. "On March 22, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Ten people were killed, including a local on-duty police officer. The alleged shooter, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa, was arrested after being shot in the right leg. He was temporarily..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by Mapillary user "dgrinbergs"

22nd March 2019 🗓️ : Event - Ghana Two buses crashed in Kitampo, a town north of Ghana's capital Accra, killing at least 50 people. "Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east. Ghana covers an area of 239,567 km2 (92,497 sq mi), spanning diverse..."

Image by See File history below for details.

22nd March 2014 🗓️ : Event - 2014 Oso mudslide A massive landslide in Oso, Washington, killed 43 people after engulfing a rural neighborhood, the largest death toll for a standalone landslide in U.S. history. "A major landslide occurred 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Oso, Washington, United States, on March 22, 2014, at 10:37 a.m. local time. A portion of an unstable hill collapsed, sending mud and debris to the south across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, engulfing a rural neighborhood, and covering..."

Image by Spc. Samantha Ciaramitaro

22nd March 1974 🗓️ : Birth - Geo Meneses Geo Meneses, Mexican producer and singer "Georgina "Geo" Meneses (born 22 March 1974 in Oaxaca City, Mexico) is a Mexican producer and singer of traditional music and world music genre. Georgina Meneses was born in Oaxaca City, the daughter of Linda Meneses and Eulogio Garcia, from a very early showed an aptitude for music especially for..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0? by Shake Away (talk)

22nd March 1924 🗓️ : Birth - Bill Wendell Bill Wendell, American television announcer (d. 1999) "William Joseph Wenzel Jr. (March 22, 1924 – April 14, 1999), known as Bill Wendell, was an NBC television staff announcer for almost his entire professional career...."

22nd March 1822 🗓️ : Birth - Ahmed Cevdet Pasha Ahmed Cevdet Pasha, Ottoman sociologist, historian, scholar, statesman and jurist (d. 1895) "Ahmed Cevdet Pasha or Jevdet Pasha in English (22 March 1822 – 25 May 1895) was an Ottoman scholar, intellectual, bureaucrat, administrator, and historian who was a prominent figure in the Tanzimat reforms of the Ottoman Empire. He was the head of the Mecelle commission that codified Islamic law for..."

Image by Unknown authorUnknown author

22nd March 🗓️ : Holiday - Christian feast day: Nicholas Owen "Nicholas Owen, S.J., (c. 1562 – 1/2 March 1606) was an English Jesuit lay brother who was the principal builder of priest holes during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and James I of England. Owen built many priest holes in the buildings of English Catholics from 1588 until his final arrest in 1606,..."

Image by Mathias Tanner. Engraver Melchior Kusell

#OnThisDayInWikiHistory #WikiUntamed #GemsOfWikipedia #WikiExplorer

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for January 19

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for January 19 include ORIGIN, The Kitchen, Another Code: Recollection, and more.

ORIGIN

ORIGIN, the new movie from Ava DuVernay, is out today.

Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay, ORIGIN chronicles the tragedy and triumph of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson as she investigates a global phenomenon of epic proportions.

The Kitchen

The Kitchen, the new movie from Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares, is out today.

Izi’s close to escaping The Kitchen, one of London’s last remaining housing estates. But when young Benji enters his life, he faces some hard decisions.

Sixty Minutes

Sixty Minutes, the new movie from Oliver Kienle, is out today.

MMA fighter Octavio (Emilio Sakraya) has one hour to make it to his daughter’s birthday party or he’ll lose custody forever. To reach her in time he turns down an important fight, which puts him in a dangerous position with some even more dangerous people. Suddenly Octavio isn’t only trapped in a ruthless race against time but also a chase through the entire city of Berlin that pushes him to his limits.

Sunrise

Sunrise, the new movie from Andrew Baird, is out today.

When an ex-cop named Fallon returns to the scene of a horrific crime, the residents of a rural town soon discover that this dark visitor is really a vampire who feeds on blood and fear. After he is befriended by a kind immigrant family, the instinctive killer is faced with a choice between revenge and redemption.

Wanted Man

Wanted Man, the new movie from Dolph Lundgren, is out today.

An American police officer must retrieve an eyewitness and escort her across the Mexican border after a cartel shooting leaves several DEA agents dead. When they discover that the attack was executed by American forces, he must decide who to trust.​

I.S.S.

I.S.S., the new movie from Gabriela Cowperthwaite, is out today.

Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth. Reeling from this, the astronauts receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary.

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, the new movie from Thien An Pham, is out today.

Winner of the prestigious Camera d’Or for Best First Feature at the Cannes Film Festival, this enthralling debut from Vietnamese filmmaker Thien An Pham is a reverie on faith, loss, and nature expressed with uncommon invention and depth. The sudden death of his sister-in-law brings unexpected responsibilities to Thien (Le Phong Vu), who is reluctantly tasked with bringing his five-year-old nephew Dao to their countryside hometown. On the road, Thien is drawn into a search for his long-missing older brother, haunted and spurred forward by a series of sublime dreams that reignite suppressed memories, forbidden desires, and specters of his own youth. What began as a journey home becomes a pilgrimage marked by visual splendor and mystical overtones, a quest for understanding and certainty in a Vietnam that seems unable to provide any clear answers. As Thien battles with the existential question of what is worth living for, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell interrogates the persistence and complexity of faith, not only in the spiritual but in the delicate beauty of earthly existence.

The Woman in the Wall

The Woman in the Wall, the new TV series from Joe Murtagh, is out today.

Lorna Brady (Ruth Wilson) wakes to discover a corpse in her home with no recollection of how it got there. When Detective Colman Akande (Daryl McCormack) arrives he’s drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse as he and Lorna search for answers in a small town full of long-buried secrets.

The Bequeathed

The Bequeathed, the new TV series from Yeon Sang-ho, is out today.

After the death of an unknown uncle, a woman inherits a burial ground and finds herself in the center of a string of murders and dark secrets.

Late Bloomer

Late Bloomer, the new TV series from Jasmeet Raina, is out today.

LATE BLOOMER is a half-hour comedy series following Jasmeet Dutta, a turban-wearing millennial struggling to find his place in life while balancing Eastern roots with Western ideals. Like many his age, Jasmeet feels behind in life compared to his peers, and working as a delivery driver for his mother’s Tiffin business isn't helping. Jasmeet’s video blog sharing his journey leads him to connect with a growing audience, but his increased popularity makes it harder to maintain his commitment to family and culture.

Another Code: Recollection

Another Code: Recollection, the new game from Cing and Nintendo, is out today.

Uncover mysteries and visions of the past in this two-game collection, fully enhanced for the Nintendo Switch system.  In the Another Code: Two Memories game, previously known as Trace Memory for the Nintendo DS system, Ashley journeys to the solitary Blood Edward Island after receiving a letter from the father she thought was deceased. In the sequel Another Code: R – Journey into Lost Memories, previously unreleased in North America, an older Ashley will meet new individuals and unravel the memories of her dearly departed mother.

The Cub

The Cub, the new game from Demagog Studio, Untold Tales, and Gamersky Games, is out today.

From the creators of Golf Club Nostalgia and Highwater. Return to their whimsical, neon-lit apocalypse in a Jungle Book meets The Armageddon fusion. Parkour through the remains of humanity as a child being hunted, while catchy end-of-days tunes and curious survivor stories play on the radio.

#Games #Movies #TV #News

[klondikekatesrestaurantsaloon1]

Beyond Newark: Culinary Discoveries at Restaurants Near DE

Delaware's culinary scene extends far beyond the charming city of Newark, beckoning food enthusiasts to explore the diverse offerings in the surrounding areas. From quaint towns to bustling suburbs, the restaurants near Delaware promise a culinary journey filled with unique flavors, local charm, and hidden gems waiting to be discovered. In this guide, we will delve into the culinary treasures that lie just beyond Newark's borders, offering a taste of the rich and varied gastronomic landscape in the vicinity.

Quaint Towns, Big Flavors: Culinary Gems Near Newark

Venturing beyond Newark unveils a tapestry of quaint towns that harbor culinary gems, each with its unique character and flavor profile. These towns, often rooted in history and local traditions, boast restaurants that showcase the region's culinary diversity.

Take, for example, the charming town of Middletown, just a short drive from Newark. Here, you can discover family-owned diners serving classic American fare alongside innovative eateries experimenting with farm-to-table concepts. The juxtaposition of the old and the new in Middletown's culinary scene adds an extra layer of charm to the dining experience, making it a destination for those seeking a taste of small-town authenticity.

Coastal Culinary Delights: Seafood Extravaganza

Delaware's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean brings with it a bounty of fresh seafood, and the coastal areas near Newark are a haven for seafood enthusiasts. Towns along the coast, such as Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, offer a seafood extravaganza with a variety of dishes that celebrate the ocean's harvest.

Imagine indulging in succulent crab cakes, platters of buttery lobster, or perfectly grilled fish with a view of the ocean. Coastal restaurants near Newark often emphasize the use of locally sourced seafood, creating a dining experience that is not only delicious but also a celebration of the region's maritime heritage.

Farm-to-Table Magic: Rural Dining Escapes

The surrounding rural areas near Newark contribute to the farm-to-table magic that defines Delaware's culinary landscape. Small farms and local producers collaborate with restaurants to showcase the freshest ingredients, resulting in dishes that highlight the seasonality and flavors of the region.

Explore the countryside, and you might stumble upon a charming farmhouse restaurant with a menu inspired by the day's harvest. From artisanal cheeses to handpicked vegetables, these rural dining escapes offer a taste of Delaware's agricultural richness. The emphasis on local sourcing creates a connection between the diner and the land, making each meal a journey into the heart of the region's culinary traditions.

Historic Haunts: Dining with a Side of Heritage

Delaware's rich history is reflected not only in its architecture but also in its culinary offerings. Towns with a deep historical heritage, such as New Castle and Odessa, house restaurants that blend the past with the present. Dining in these historic haunts is an experience that transcends the taste buds, offering a glimpse into the culinary traditions that have shaped the region over the years.

Imagine savoring a meal in a colonial-era tavern, where recipes passed down through generations come to life. The ambiance of historic restaurants near Newark adds a layer of nostalgia to the dining experience, inviting patrons to dine in the footsteps of those who came before them.

Culinary Fusion: Global Flavors in Suburban Settings

Beyond Newark's borders, suburban areas showcase a fusion of global flavors that reflect the diversity of the community. Towns like Hockessin and Pike Creek offer a diverse array of international cuisines, from Thai and Indian to Italian and Mexican. These suburban dining destinations bring the world to Delaware, allowing diners to embark on a global culinary journey without leaving the state.

Picture yourself enjoying the bold spices of authentic Indian curry or savoring the delicate flavors of handmade pasta in a rustic Italian trattoria. Suburban restaurants near Newark infuse global influences into their menus, creating a culinary tapestry that mirrors the multicultural fabric of the community.

Conclusion: Delaware's Culinary Tapestry Unveiled

In conclusion, the culinary discoveries near Newark, DE, unveil a rich tapestry of flavors, traditions, and hidden gems waiting to be explored. From the coastal seafood extravaganzas to the historic haunts that echo with the past, each restaurant near Delaware contributes to the vibrant and diverse culinary landscape of the region.

Whether you choose to explore the quaint towns, coastal areas, rural escapes, historic venues, or suburban settings, the restaurants near newark de promise a culinary journey that goes beyond the city limits. Delaware's culinary tapestry is one of authenticity, innovation, and a celebration of the local and global influences that shape the state's gastronomic identity. So, the next time you find yourself in Delaware, venture beyond Newark's borders and immerse yourself in the culinary wonders that await in the surrounding areas.

[the-eternal-quest-for-balance]

There is even more blood on the hands of Joe Biden thanks to his lawless open borders policies.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin revealed today that two innocent Americans were killed after a human smuggler carrying hordes of illegals in his 18-wheeler crashed into an SUV while fleeing from the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident occurred in Batesville, Texas along US Highway 57. In addition to the two Americans, everyone else died including the smuggler.

Batesville is roughly 50 miles from the U.S.-Mexican border.

[healthstyle101]

Assailants kill 2 Morena party poll workers in southern Mexico, another abducted

Mexico’s president said Tuesday that assailants have killed two workers who were conducting internal polling for his Morena party in southern Mexico. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said a third worker was kidnapped and remains missing. The three were part of a group of five employees who were conducting polls in the southern state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala. He said the other two pollsters were safe. It was the latest in a series of violent incidents that illustrate how lawless many parts of rural Mexico have become; even the ruling party — and the national statistics agency — have not been spared. The president’s Morena party frequently uses polls to decide who to run as a candidate, and Chiapas will hold elections for governor in June. Rosa Icela Rodríguez, the country’s public safety secretary, said three people have been arrested in connection with the killings and abduction, which occurred Saturday in the town of Juárez, Chiapas. MEXICAN MOTHER SHIELDS SON FROM BEAR CRASHING BIRTHDAY PARTY, DEVOURING TACOS ON PICNIC TABLE She said the suspects were found with the victims’ possessions, but did not say whether robbery was a motive. Local media reported the two murdered pollsters were found with a handwritten sign threatening the government and signed by the Jalisco drug cartel; however, neither the president nor Rodríguez confirmed that. The Jalisco gang is fighting a bloody turf battle with the Sinaloa cartel in Chiapas. The leader of the Morena party, Mario Delgado, wrote in his social media accounts that "with great pain, indignation and sadness, we energetically condemn and lament the killing of our colleagues," adding "we demand that the authorities carry out a full investigation." Rural Mexico has long been a notoriously dangerous place to do political polling or marketing surveys. In July, Mexico’s government statistics agency acknowledged it had to pay gangs to enter some towns to do census work last year. Two workers who were conducting polls for Mexico's ruling party have been killed, and another was kidnapped in southern Mexico. (Fox News) National Statistics Institute Assistant Director Susana Pérez Cadena told a congressional committee at the time that workers also were forced to hire criminals in order to carry out some census interviews. One census taker was kidnapped while trying to do that work, Pérez Cadena said. She said the problem was worse in rural Mexico, and that the institute had to employ various methods to be able to operate in those regions. In 2016, three employees of a polling company were rescued after a mob beat them bloody after apparently mistaking them for thieves. Inhabitants of the town of Centla, in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco, attacked five employees of the SIMO Consulting firm, including two women and three men. Three of the poll workers, including one woman, were held for hours and beaten, while two others were protected by a local official. The mob apparently mistook them for thieves. The company denied they were involved in any illegal acts. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In 2015, a mob killed and burned the bodies of two pollsters conducting a survey about tortilla consumption in a small town southeast of Mexico City. The mob had accused the men of molesting a local girl, but the girl later said she had never even seen the two before. Read the full article

[recentlyheardcom]

TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico’s armed forces sent troops, vehicle convoys and helicopters into remote towns near the southern border with Guatemala on Wednesday after drug cartels blocked roads and cut off electricity in some areas over the weekend.The drug cartels have taken control of so much territory in the rural southern state of Chiapas that some government workers had to be flown in by helicopter to repair power lines.A combined force of about 800 soldiers, National Guard officers and police fanned out around the township of Frontera Comalapa, after videos surfaced over the weekend of a convoy of heavily-armed gunmen from the Sinaloa cartel rolling into one town, drawing cheers from some inhabitants. Church groups complained supplies were running out because of the gang roadblocks.The government convoys Wednesday meet no armed resistance. But some locals are understandably skeptical about how long the peace will last.The army carried out a similar operation in the area in May, but then withdrew.Army Lt. Col. Felix Moreno Ibarra said Wednesday that this time, the soldiers will stay until control is regained over the area.President Andrés Manuel López Obrador acknowledged Monday that the cartels have cut off electricity in some towns and forbidden government workers from coming in to the largely rural area to fix the power lines.He said the cartels were fighting for control of the drug smuggling routes that lead into southern Mexico from Central America. But the area around the town of Frontera Comalapa is also a valuable route for smuggling immigrants, thousands of who have clambered aboard trains to reach the U.S. border.The Sinaloa cartel is fighting the Jalisco New Generation cartel for control of the area, located in a rural, mountainous area north of the border city of Tapachula.Four men, apparently members of the Jalisco cartel, were found dead over the weekend in a nearby town, according to an employee of the Chiapas state prosecutor’s office who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to be quoted by name.The conflict threatened to spread over the border into Guatemala.Col. Alex Manolo Tuyuc of the Guatemalan Army said about 2,000 soldiers and 350 vehicles had been sent to areas on the Guatemalan side of the border, after reports of Mexican cartel gunmen entering Guatemala.“We got reports of armed men in vehicles crossing from Mexico into Guatemala and threatening communities” on the Guatemalan said, Tuyuc said.In Chiapas, the local Roman Catholic Diocese said in a statement over the weekend that cartels were practicing forced recruitment among local residents, and had “taken over our territory,” blocking roads and causing shortages of basic goods.López Obrador also appeared to lend credence Monday to the videos showing residents applauding about 20 pickup trucks full of armed Sinaloa cartel gunmen as they entered one Chiapas town. The president said the cartels might be forcing or bribing residents into acting as civilian supporters, known in Mexico as “social bases.”“On the side of the highway there are people apparently welcoming them,” López Obrador said of the video, which shows uniformed men aboard the trucks brandishing rifles and machine guns mounted on turrets. Voices in the video can be heard shouting phrases like “Pure Sinaloa people!”“These may be support bases, like those in some parts of the country, because they give them food packages, or out of fear, because they have threatened them,” the president said.But López Obrador said the problem was a local, isolated issue that had been magnified and exploited by his political foes.

[mexicodailypost]

South Texas sheriff weighs in on decision to arrest Mexican councilwoman on cocaine charges

FALFURRIAS, Texas (Border Report) — A South Texas sheriff says he issued an arrest warrant for a Mexican councilwoman who had federal drug charges dropped, “because she violated state law.” In an exclusive interview with Border Report at his offices in this rural South Texas town, Brooks County Sheriff Urbino “Benny” Martinez says he couldn’t let the charges go, and says he intends to transfer…

View On WordPress

#councilwoman arrested

[nycannabistimes]

#Repost @lacannabisnews ・・・ "#Corruption in California’s #cannabisindustry has become widespread and brazen. There have been pay-to-play #schemes, including a demand for #cash in a brown paper bag for a pot license, threats of violence against local officials, and city council members accepting money from #cannabis businesses even as they regulated them. Those problems and more were uncovered by a sweeping Times #investigation last year. Now state officials are launching an audit aimed at curtailing #bribery, conflicts of interest and other misdeeds. The inquiry, requested by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) and authorized Wednesday by the state Joint Legislative Audit Committee, comes more than six years after California #voters approved Proposition 64, the ballot measure that legalized #recreational cannabis and unleashed a wave of corruption that has afflicted local governments in rural Northern California enclaves and towns like Calexico near the Mexican border. Other state #lawmakers have proposed hearings and reforms following The Times’ “#LegalWeed, Broken Promises” investigative series, which also highlighted the failures of public officials to root out the illegal cannabis market and protect the workers toiling and dying on farms. State auditors plan to identify six jurisdictions with licensed cannabis businesses and review criteria used to approve the permits, reviewing local governments that have been rocked by #corruption allegations and others that appear to have fewer such problems." @latimes (at George Washington Bridge) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqc73S5s0lK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#repost #corruption #cannabisindustry #schemes #cash #cannabis #investigation #bribery #voters #recreational #lawmakers #legalweed

[odin-energy]

Best Neighborhood near Goodyear, AZ

Goodyear is a great place to live. It's close to the city, but you get the benefits of being in a more rural area. While there are plenty of things to do in Goodyear, you can also head out and explore the surrounding areas during your free time. Here are some of our favorite neighborhoods in Goodyear for residents:

Westbrook Village

Westbrook Village is a neighborhood in Goodyear, Arizona. The community is gated with a guard house at the entrance. Westbrook Village has a fitness center, swimming pool and tennis courts.

Glendale

Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. It is one of the westernmost cities of the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 226,721.

Glendale incorporated in 1951 and is the ninth largest city in the state of Arizona.

Tolleson

Tolleson is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 10,817. It is located approximately 17 miles west of downtown Phoenix and its immediate surrounding suburbs.

Tolleson experienced rapid growth during the 1980s and 1990s as more people moved into the area for affordable housing opportunities.

In 2005, Tolleson became known for having chosen not to allow Wal-Mart or Home Depot stores to build within its borders--a move that was made official by a vote from residents in 2006. The town has since become known for its efforts at maintaining an independent business economy. On September 25th of 2017 it was announced that Tolleson will be getting their first ever Walmart store built on Broadway Rd & 83rd Ave which opened on June 1st 2019

Palm Valley

If you’re looking for the most expensive neighborhood in Goodyear, look no further than Palm Valley. This small neighborhood has a population of only 1,500 people and is located in the southwest corner of Goodyear. With some of the highest property values in Arizona, it’s no surprise that this area is home to many well-established families who enjoy living life on their own terms—and they have no problem paying for it!

If you’re looking for an affordable place to live near Goodyear, there are many options. Westbrook Village is located at the southeast corner of Estrella Parkway and E. Ajo Way and offers a variety of apartment styles from one bedroom apartments to three-bedroom town homes. There are also amenities such as pools, playgrounds, fitness centers, volleyball courts and more! Glendale has been named one of the safest cities in Arizona with its good schools systems and low crime rates. You can find homes for sale here too

Tolleson is another great option with plenty of parks nearby including Tolleson Park which is right next door! The community also offers some great restaurants like Chipotle Mexican Grill or Sonic Drive-In which serve everything from tacos to burgers on their patio seating areas! Finally Palm Valley gives buyers access to luxury living without breaking bank accounts by offering spacious two bedroom units starting around $1,000 per month (plus utilities).

Odin Energy 1300 S Litchfield Rd Bldg. 230A, Goodyear, AZ 85338, United States [phone] https://odinnow.com/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=5810424964595617470

#Insulation contractor #Spray foam insulation #insulation companies near me

[byneddiedingo]

Jeff Bridges, Margaret Bowman, and Gil Birmingham in Hell or High Water (David Mackenzie, 2016)

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham. Dale Dickey, Marin Ireland, Katy Mixon, John Paul Howard, Margaret Bowman. Screenplay: Taylor Sheridan. Cinematography: Giles Nuttgens. Production design: Tom Duffield. Music: Nick Cave, Warren Ellis.

Hell or High Water portrays a rural desperation that echoes the era of Bonnie and Clyde, when robbing banks was seen as a kind of stick-it-to-the-man activity, a way of getting back at an economic system that allowed no other way of breaking a cycle. As Toby Howard (Chris Pine) puts it, "I've been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation." Toby enlists his ex-con brother, Tanner (Ben Foster), in a scheme to rob the small-town branches of the fictional Texas Midland Bank to build up enough cash to pay off the reverse mortgage that threatens the foreclosure of their recently dead mother's ranch, and then to put the property in trust -- with the same bank -- as a guarantee of a better future for Toby's sons. He is, in short, buying off the bank with the bank's money. Given that the Howard brothers have nothing to lose, it's a risk they think worth taking. On the other hand, there is the law to contend with, in the form of Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), just days away from a retirement he dreads. Hamilton, too, has nothing to lose, which means he doesn't mind dragging along his partner, Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), on an pursuit that Parker thinks is absurd. It's a film of beautiful performances, not only another laurel for Bridges, but also a potential career-maker for Foster and a chance for Pine to show that he's not just another pretty face -- he grunges up well. The West Texas setting -- though the film was shot just across the border in eastern New Mexico -- is exploited skillfully, with deft touches like the frequent billboards advertising ways to get out of debt and the moribund small towns that cause Parker to ask, "Do you want to live here? Got an old hardware store that charges twice what Home Depot does, one restaurant with a rattlesnake for a waitress." The film also plays on the Texan love of guns when the robbers discover that the patrons of the banks are taking full advantage of the state's concealed-carry laws. Hamilton also echoes the region's casual racism, perhaps ironically, with his digs at his partner's American Indian heritage, though the point is made without irony when an old man is surprised that the robbers "ain't Mexican." Hell or High Water doesn't reach the elegiac heights of No Country for Old Men (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, 2007), but in its simpler, less florid way it's a worthy companion in the neo-Western genre.

#Hell or High Water #Jeff Bridges #Margaret Bowman #Gil Birmingham

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Sunday, March 24, 2024

UNESCO Warns: Half of Global Population Faces Severe Water Shortages (Spiegel) The annual UNESCO water report highlights that about half of the world's population suffers from severe water scarcity, with over two billion people lacking access to clean drinking water and 3.5 billion people unable to use clean sanitation facilities. The increasing water scarcity is seen as a potential trigger for conflicts worldwide. The report also emphasizes the negative impact of water scarcity on the education of women and girls, particularly in rural areas, where they are responsible for time-consuming water supply, affecting their schooling. Water scarcity also poses a threat to the well-being and existence of the poorest and most vulnerable groups.

Congress Passes Spending Bill in Wee Hours to Fend Off Shutdown (NYT) The Senate overwhelmingly gave final approval early Saturday to a $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund more than half of the government, effectively averting a shutdown by sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk just hours after a midnight deadline. The 74-to-24 vote, which concluded about 2 a.m., capped an extraordinary day on Capitol Hill that began with a big bipartisan vote to speed the measure through the House, which set off a conservative revolt and prompted one Republican to threaten a bid to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from his post. The Senate action came more than 12 hours after the House vote, after intense haggling to arrange a series of politically charged votes on proposed changes to the legislation that Republicans had demanded that threatened to push the government into a brief partial shutdown into the weekend.

About 1 in 4 Americans have unfavorable views of both Biden and Trump (Pew Research Center) A sizable share of Americans (26%) say they don’t like President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. Younger adults are particularly likely to hold this view, as are partisan leaners—those who don’t identify as Republicans or Democrats but lean toward one party. Similar shares of Republican leaners (35%) and Democratic leaners (38%) don’t like either of the 2024 presidential front-runners.

Across US, homeless initiatives highlight a growing crisis (Reuters) U.S. state and local governments pushed ahead this week with divergent strategies to deal with the country’s homeless crisis, aiming either to raise more funds to address the issue or to empower authorities to rid public places of its visible signs. In California, voters narrowly approved a ballot measure that prioritizes funding for homeless services. In Chicago, voters appeared to reject a tax increase on property transfers worth more than $1 million, spelling the defeat of a plan that may have raised $100 million a year to benefit the city’s burgeoning population of residents without stable housing. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis instead advanced a get-tough policy, signing legislation on Wednesday that bans people from camping on city sidewalks, parks and other public places. The coast-to-coast activity reflects concerns that the problem of homelessness is getting worse. In many U.S. cities and towns, it’s commonplace to see destitute people living in the open, with tents pitched on city sidewalks or roaming the streets, pushing politicians to take action.

As its workers stream to the U.S., Mexico runs short of farmhands (Washington Post) For decades, Mexicans crossed the border to pick Americans’ lettuce, grapes and strawberries. Mexico had a seemingly inexhaustible supply of farmhands—tough, hard-working men who did the jobs most Americans didn’t want. But the country is running short of farmworkers. The workforce is graying; nearly three-quarters of Mexican campesinos are over 45. Young people are turning up their noses at farm jobs. And those willing to do migrant work have other options. Nearly 300,000 a year travel to the United States on seasonal agricultural visas, a fourfold increase in a decade. The worker shortage reflects a paradox often overlooked in the supercharged U.S. immigration debate. Even as American politicians outdo each other in proposals to fortify the border with Mexico, economic forces are pulling the two sides closer. The U.S. appetite for made-in-Mexico goods, from avocados to automobiles to airplane parts, is growing so fast that it’s straining the workforce that produces them.

As gangs rampage through Haiti’s capital, more than 33,000 people have fled in 13 days, report finds (AP) More than 33,000 people have fled Haiti’s capital in a span of nearly two weeks as gangs continue to pillage homes and attack state institutions, according to a new report from the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration. The majority of those displaced have traveled to Haiti’s southern region, which is generally peaceful compared with Port-au-Prince, which has an estimated population of 3 million and remains largely paralyzed by gang violence. Scores of people have been killed and some 17,000 people overall left homeless since the gang attacks began on Feb. 29, with gunmen targeting police stations and the main international airport that remains closed. They also stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons and released more than 4,000 inmates.

Ecuador’s war on crime (Foreign Policy) Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s war on crime is showing early positive results, the country’s foreign minister said last week. She told news agency EFE that the country had experienced a dramatic 60 percent drop in daily homicides since Noboa imposed a state of emergency in January. That month, Noboa declared that Ecuador was undergoing a state of “internal armed conflict” and deployed security forces to jails and traffic hubs in response to spiraling violence. The president’s approval rating now stands at 80 percent.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, being treated for cancer. (1440) Catherine announced via video Friday she is in the early stages of preventative chemotherapy but did not specify for what type of cancer. The news comes two months after Kensington Palace revealed the 42-year-old future queen and wife of Prince William underwent abdominal surgery for what was a noncancerous condition at the time. King Charles, 75, was diagnosed with cancer last month.

‘Strike Madness’ Hits Germany (NYT) For those striking at the gates of the SRW scrap metal plant, just outside Germany’s eastern city of Leipzig, time can be counted not just in days—136 so far—but in the thousands of card games played, the liters of coffee imbibed and the armfuls of firewood burned. While monthslong strikes may be commonplace in some other European countries like Spain, Belgium or France, where workers’ protests are something of a national pastime, Germany has long prided itself on nondisruptive collective bargaining. A wave of strikes this year has Germans asking whether that is now changing. By some measures, the first three months of 2024 have had the most strikes in the country in 25 years.

Putin says gunmen who raided Moscow concert hall tried to escape to Ukraine. Kyiv denies involvement (AP) Russian authorities arrested the four men suspected of carrying out the attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 133 people, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday during an address to the nation. He claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine. Kyiv strongly denied any involvement in Friday's attack on the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, and the Islamic State's Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility. Putin didn't mention IS in his speech, and Kyiv accused him and other Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the assault in order to stoke fervor in Russia's war in Ukraine, which recently entered its third year. A U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press that U.S. agencies had confirmed that IS was responsible for the assault and that they had previously warned Moscow an attack could be imminent.

Chinese coast guard blasts Philippine boat with water cannon in disputed sea for 2nd time this month (AP) Two Chinese coast guard ships fired at a Philippine supply boat with water cannon Saturday in the latest confrontation near a disputed South China Sea shoal, causing heavy damage to the wooden vessel, Philippine officials said. It was not immediately clear if the Philippine navy crew was injured, or whether their damaged boat, the Unaizah May 4, managed to maneuver past the Chinese coast guard blockade to deliver supplies to Philippine forces manning a territorial outpost in the nearby Second Thomas Shoal. It’s the second time this month the Unaizah May 4 has been damaged during an attempt to resupply the outpost. The shoal has been occupied by a small contingent of Philippine navy personnel on a marooned warship since the late 1990s, but has recently been surrounded by Chinese coast guard and suspected militia vessels in an increasingly tense territorial standoff.

Israel announces largest West Bank land seizure since 1993 during Blinken visit (Washington Post) Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced the seizure of 10 square kilometers (3.8 square miles) of Palestinian territory in the West Bank on Friday. The move marks the single largest land seizure by the Israeli government since the 1993 Oslo accords, according to Peace Now, a settlement watchdog group. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Still, Israel has used land orders like the one issued Friday to gain control over 16 percent of Palestinian-controlled lands in the West Bank. The announcement came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the future of the war in Gaza. Blinken’s arrival followed meetings in Cairo with several Arab leaders, and amid calls from Democratic senators for President Biden to establish a “bold, public framework” for a two-state solution that recognizes a “nonmilitarized Palestinian state.”

Israel determined to invade Rafah (Bloomberg) Israel will invade the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah “even if the entire world turns on Israel, including the United States,” said Ron Dermer, the nation’s strategic affairs minister and a confidante of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Still, Dermer and other Israeli officials will travel to the US to hear the Biden administration’s concerns, including what the United Nations has warned is a looming famine in northern Gaza. In the leaders’ first call in more than a month, Biden warned Netanyahu that invading Rafah, where more than a million displaced Gazans have fled, would be a mistake, leading to more civilian deaths and worsening the already dire humanitarian situation.

Swift quakes (Caltech) Fans at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concerts in Los Angeles made SoFi Stadium and the ground around it “ring like a bell” last August, creating measurable seismic activity during each song. So say scientists from Caltech and UCLA, who collected seismic data during one of the shows. In a new paper, the researchers report that it was the dancing and jumping movements of the 70,000-plus fans, not the music or sound system, at the August 4 concert that created the seismic waves that have come to be called “Swift quakes.” To analyze the results, the researchers turned to spectrograms, graphs showing how much energy is measured at various frequencies of vibration over time. By pulling out the seismic signals from the spectrograms, the scientists were able to identify 43 out of the 45 songs Swift played at her concert and calculated the total amount of energy radiated for each. They found that the song that came with the largest “concert tremor” was “Shake It Off.” During that song, the amount of radiated energy was equivalent to an earthquake of magnitude 0.85.

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