status Archives - usatoday24

The measles outbreak is close to 8,500 cases and puts the health status of the country in check

February 10, 2026 by usatoday24

Measles has ceased to be a latent threat and has become a worrying statistical reality in Mexicoas the latest consolidated data from February 2026 have pointed out. These leave no doubt that the country is going through its most complex outbreak in decades, accumulating 8,459 confirmed cases since the start of the crisis in 2025. It’s already worrying. The situation has escalated to such a point that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a clear warning: If the chain of transmission is not cut in the coming weeks, Mexico could lose its status as a measles-free country. X-ray of the outbreak. The figures are compelling and draw a map of active transmission in the 32 states of the republic. Although the problem is national, the intensity is not homogeneous, since there are points where positive cases are much more evident. This is something that can be seen in the reports of the Ministry of Health (SSA) of Mexico, which indicates that so far in 2026, 2,143 cases have been reported. But the current epicenter is in Jaliscowhich is where 1,245 cases have been concentrated, representing almost 60% of the reports this entire year. Historical accumulated. Since February 2025, the state of Chihuahua leads the accumulated total with more than 4,400 cases, now followed by the rebound in the west of the country. But the most tragic thing is undoubtedly the human losses, since they have already been confirmed 27 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in February 2025, with two recent deaths recorded in Tlaxcala and Michoacán This is in addition to the fact that the most vulnerable population is the youngest children, who are between one and four years old. Something that also makes it act as the perfect vector to infect the older population and those at greater risk of suffering from a more serious disease. The root of the problem. Experts point out that it is necessary to have a herd immunity to be able to apply containment to this serious health problem. And for such a contagious virus, at least 95% of the population is required to be vaccinated, something very similar to what was noted in the Covid pandemic in our environment. And the problem is precisely in low vaccination coverage that exists in these regions, causing many to not reach this percentage. And, despite the fact that the SSA reports the application of more than 11.8 million vaccinesthe spread of the virus suggests that there are still susceptible population groups, especially those where there are a greater number of cases right now. Use of face masks. As already happened in the COVID pandemic, there are some states such as Jalisco or Nuevo León that are evaluating the use of masks or face coveringsespecially in closed spaces and with a large influx of people. This is a simple containment barrier to prevent spread while the population finishes its vaccination schedule. The ultimatum. On the technical side, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched an extension until April to evaluate whether Mexico has achieved endemic transmission of this virus. This is something that is achieved when there is no continuous circulation of the virus in a territory for 12 months. Mexico has been fighting this outbreak since February 2025, and if transmission continues uninterrupted beyond the calendar year, measles will once again be considered endemic (typical of the region) and not an imported case. In addition to this, PAHO has confirmed that Mexico currently accounts for 71% of the cases on the entire American continent, a figure that forces health authorities to rethink the containment strategy to prevent its spread to the rest of the neighboring countries. What’s coming The next PAHO meeting in April will be critical in this regard. The decision that Mexico lose “measles-free” status It is not just a diplomatic label, but it implies greater costs in epidemiological surveillance, potential barriers in tourism and the confirmation of a major setback in the country’s public health status. Intensive campaigns are underway, but with the virus present in all states and active community transmission, the Mexican health system faces its most important test of the post-COVID era. A global problem. Although the news focuses on the many cases in Mexico in this case, the reality is that In other parts of the planet cases have also increased. One of the clearest examples is in the United States, where the CDC has raised alarm bells after observing how cases are multiplying in a matter of months. In Spain Official data also indicate that, while in 2023 only 14 cases were recorded, in 2024 they increased to 229 cases and in 2025 the forecast points to almost 400. Images | NIH Ed Us In Xataka | The myth of 37º: it is increasingly clear to us that there is no “normal” body temperature

how to check their status and the dangers of river overflows with infoAGUA

February 5, 2026 by usatoday24

Let’s tell you how to look at the state of the reservoirs and the dangers of river overflows. For this we are going to use infoAGUA, an application promoted by the General Directorate of Water and with official data from the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation and the Ministry for Ecological Transformation and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO). With this application we will have all the information related to water in Spain in a unified and centralized way. It’s like an alternative to Google flood risk mapbut with the official information. You can download the application for free on Google Play for Android and in the App Store for your iPhone. Look at the level of reservoirs and flood zones When you open the app, you will go to a simple screen with few options. Here, To see the information on the reservoirs, click on Quantity of Water Resourceswhich will take you to a screen where you have the option Cartographic Viewer to view information on a map. This will take you to a screen where you can see the general level of reservation capacity of each hydrographic district. This will allow you to see at a glance the regions where the most water is being stored. But you can zoom in to get more information. If you zoom in you will begin to see all the reservoirs in the areas you have approached. If you click on one of them you will be able to see at what level is this reservoir that you have chosen. You will be able to do this in as many as you want. Also you will have rain gauge information to know how much it is raining in specific areas. In Xataka How to know if you live in a flood zone with this map On the main screen you also have the section of Flood risk. This will show you in red the Areas with Significant Potential Risk of Flooding (ARPSI), and in shades of blue the flood zones in general. On this map you will also be able to zoom in and explore specific areas. In addition, if you click on these areas you will also be able to see the level of water rise that may exist in this place. In Xataka Basics | Google flood risk map: so you can see if you live in an area that is at risk

lose the status of wonder of the world

September 18, 2025 by usatoday24

In tourism there is a very fine line between being a successful destination and die of success. Kyoto, Venice, Bali or Some points of the Spanish coast, areas so busy that they have ended up saturating, harming the experience of those who visit them. When the great tourist claim is nevertheless a patrimonial jewel as Machu Picchuin Peru, the scenario is nevertheless more complicated. So much, in fact, that in a year in which he expects break your record Of visits, the famous citadel risks losing its ‘wonder of the world’. What happened? Than Machu Picchu It takes a risk to lose one of its large presentation cards and one of its most powerful tourist hooks: the ‘new wonder of the world’. This has been warned in A resounding statement New7Wornders, responsible for managing a list that the famous Inca citadel shares with other heritage jewels on the planet: the Taj Mahal of India, the Christ redeemer from Rio de Janeiro, the Colosseum of Romethe Mayan site Chichén Itzáin Mexico, the Great Chinese wall either Petrain Jordan. The ‘New Wonder of the World’ label part of an initiative launched at the beginning of the century by the company New Open World Corporation, which organized an international competition to choose the seven most impressive monuments on the planet. The firm assures that it received More than 100 million of votes, which allowed them to announce in 2007 the list of farmers. Since then it ensures that its promotion has generated a flow of thousands of millions of dollars. Why is this status in danger? In Your statement New7Wornders warns that he has been observing “challenges” for several years that in his opinion require a “priority attention.” Which is it? “The high pressure of tourism without sustainability management, the increase in prices in services and goods, the risk of affectation to assets, denunciations of irregular practices linked to the sale of tickets, difficulties in land transport, as well as limitations in conservation and management policies”, enumerates the agency, which speaks in addition to “disorder” between institutions and companies and “repeated complaints” by visitors. And what does that imply? The organization warns that if these problems are not solved, they will damage the image of Peru among tourists and “will compromise Machu Picchu’s credibility as one of the seven wonders of the world.” In case the message was not clear enough, those responsible remember that appearing in that world list brings a series of “commitments” of conservation and adjusting to certain “standards.” “The permanence, justifiable and credible by Machu Picchu as one of the seven wonders under our jurisdiction depends on it, which remains our primary objective,” ditch The letter, signed in Zurich on the 13th and signed by its director, Jean-Paul de la Fuente. What does the government think? The touch of attention has generated enough stir for the Peruvian government to have to go out to calm the spirits. He did it on Monday, through Another statement launched by the Ministry of Culture and in which it emphasizes some ideas. The main one, that one thing is the ‘new seven wonders of the world’ and a very different cataloging as World Heritage by UNESCO, a status that reached in the early 80s. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture recalls that, during the meeting held last July in Paris, the World Heritage-Unesco Committee “valued the improvement in visitors’ management” and the use of “monitoring and conservation tools” in the site. “We are emphatic in specifying that the conservation and protection of the historical sanctuary of Machu Picchu is not being violated, so much so that it is not registered in the ‘World Heritage List’ of Unesco”, They underline From the Department of Culture. Is that true? Yes. Among the 53 patrimonial enclaves that UNESCO considers “in danger”, a list that It can be consulted In detail (with map included) the organism’s website, does not appear Machu Picchu. And it is also true that the authorities They have made an effort To protect the citadel, reinforcing access and access control and rethinking The ticket sales system. However, it is no less than New7Wornders is not the first one that has raised the voice to warn of the challenges facing the famous Inca site. Recently the specialized portal Travel and Tour World It included it in Your selection of destinations that are no longer worth visiting for its saturation, along with others such as Venice or Bali. Have there been more notices? Probably the most severe touch of attention received it however from within the country itself. A few months ago the general control of the Republic, autonomous body, warned the government That Machu Picchu is suffering a “tourist overload”, a problem that extends to both the citadel and the Inca road network (Qhapaq Ñan). The agency stressed that the excess of visitors is a “risk” for the place and shared an exam that proves that in April the maximum permitted qualifications were exceeded. What is the danger? Beyond the impact that the tourist massification can have for the Incas vestiges or the environment, the greatest risk for Peru is to fall into the list of ‘World Heritage’ of UNESCO. And the truth is that, although the government emphasizes that it has received congratulations from its commission, the control would seem not to see it so far -fetched in May. In fact slid that the overload “could cause” that the site enters the list. “It should be noted that at the UNESCO commission meeting in July 2024 in New Delhi, concern about the state of conservation of the sanctuary was expressed,” he recalled. Is there anything else? Yes. Chance or not, the New7Wornders statement has arrived at a complex moment for the citadel. The government only a week ago celebrated That 1.4 million tickets have already been sold to visit Machu Picchu, which is confident in closing the year above the million and a half. Of achieving it, warnswill involve a “historical” milestone that … Read more

The wolf hunting throughout Spain depended on a red button that changes its status. And Europe has decided to press it

June 24, 2025 by usatoday24

The wolf has just seen how his future is complicated in European soil. And not because of pollution, global warming, a new disease that affects herds or the loss of their ecosystem. No. The key is in the EU Official Gazettewhich has just published the directive that degrades the status of protection of the species, passing it from “strictly protected” to only “protected”. Maybe it sounds like a smaller detail or pure community bureaucracy, but In the case of Spain It will allow hunters to reduce animals throughout the country. The reason: a chain of legal changes. What happened? After years of controversypolitical anger and a rifirrafe attempt between environmentalists and hunters, over the last months the wolf has seen how cracks opened in the legal armor that protected him from the hunters. And the reason must be sought in a series of decisions adopted nationally and community. In the case of Spain, one of the key steps to reduce the protection of the wolf In Marchduring the processing of the Law on Food Waste in Congress. Now there has been a new step in that same direction, but at the broader level, with a change that It has just officialized he EU Official Gazette. And what change is that? Basically degrades The status of the Canis lupus. Instead of being considered a “strictly protected species”, as until now, it appears in the list of “protected”. Without more. It may seem like a small adjustment, but in practice it supposes that the wolf will appear without nuances in the list of animals that “can be subject to management measures.” That is, hunt. The European directive was approved a few days ago, June 17but just officialize in the EU Official Gazetteas He has revealed eldiario.es. Again it may seem simple bureaucratic, but it has important repercussions: from now on it opens a period of 20 days For the entry into force of change, so on July 14 the wolf will have lost its “strictly protected” status. Is it a novelty? Yes. And no. The change made in the Habitat Directive to beginning of this month And his recent publication in “The Community Boe” are important news for their impact, but they will actually surprise few. The wolf’s legal armor has been a reason for debate at European level. The controversy can be at least 2022, when the president of the CE, Ursula von der Leyen, lost his favorite pony for the attack of a wolf. That same year Brussels commissioned a “In -depth analysis” on the increase of the species in the continent thanks to its legal armor against the hunters. What was your conclusion? “The concentration of wolves in some European regions has become a real danger to cattle and, potentially, also for humans”, He reflected Von der Leyen in 2023. In the same statement, the CE encouraged local authorities to “take measures when necessary.” What happened since then? That community machinery has continued working on the subject. TO late 2024 The Permanent Committee of the Berna Agreement voted in favor of the EU proposal to reduce the wolf protection status, so that it passed from “strictly protected” to only “protected”, and In March The Commission moved again to propose that this change was transferred to its Habitats directiveadaptation that He received green light This same month. And what happens in Spain? The wolf has not only been the protagonist of community policy. Throughout the last years it has also served to warm the debate in Spain, where environmentalists, hunters or the parliamentary arch itself differs on the degree of protection that the species must enjoy in the Peninsula. Ecologists in action He thinks for example, authorizing his hunt “turns his back on science.” For the RFF it will help the “coexistence” With the farmers. With that backdrop, three months ago Congress adopted a series of fundamental measures for the future of the wolf in our country. The most immediate affected the herds located north of the Duero River. The lower house He endorsed A change in The Royal Decree that develops the Lespre to eliminate the protection of the animals located in that territory and that the autonomies can decide on their hunting. In practice that meant returning them to the situation in which they were before 2021. And what happens to the south of the Duero? It is there where there will be news from now on. In March Congress He opened the door Also to be reduced by the protection of the wolf to the south of the Duero, but as long as its community protection is reduced before, something that has just been formalized. In that way The species comes out of the special protection regime list also south of the Duero River. Interestingly, the Congress of Deputies made the decision while processed a law on food waste management. The reason: the promoters of the amendment that made possible the change in the Statute of the Wolf They argued that the attacks of the wolves to the cattle generate thousands of kilos of lost meat. Images | Leopold de Castro (Flickr) 1 and 2 In Xataka | We have made the giant wolves return after 10,000 extinct years. The problem is that they “return” may not be the right word

Starbase has acquired municipality status with a Spacex employee as mayor

May 5, 2025 by usatoday24

The residents of the small community that surrounds the Spacex headquarters in Boca Chica, southeast of Texas, have overwhelmingly voted in favor of constituting the city of Starbase. A step that gives Elon Musk’s company an unprecedented level of autonomy to develop the huge Starship rocket. Only six votes against. As We count in DecemberSpacex had initiated legal procedures to turn its growing Texan complex into an independent municipality. The movement followed Musk’s decision to transfer the official Head of California to Texas, in search of a more favorable regulatory and fiscal environment, and With explicit support From the state governor, Greg Abbott. Now, that plan has materialized. The vote took place on Saturday and resulted in 212 votes in favor and only six againstaccording to the Cameron County Elections Department. It is not a surprise, taking into account that the vast majority of the approximately 283 eligible voters within the territory of 3.9 square kilometers are employees of Spacex or their relatives. Who is the new mayor. The city of Starbase will be governed by a municipal commission of three members, composed, as expected, by three people linked to Spacex who presented themselves to the position without opposition. The mayor is Bobby Peden, current vice president of tests and releases in Texas de Spacex. Jenna Petrzelka, former Starbase Engineering Operations Manager, and Jordan Buss, current Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety of Spacex, will be the other two councilors. Why does Spacex need your own city? The key is the control and agility that it gains with change. According to A letter to the authorities Signed at the end of 2024 by Kathryn Lueders (General Director of Starbase and former director of NASA manned flights), Starbase acquires greater autonomy to expedite the development of Starship and the colonization of Mars. With the city status, the Municipal Commission (Spacex controlled) has authority over zoning, construction projects and other aspects of local life. Although it is not a blank check to ignore state or federal regulations, it gives them considerable power to mark their own rhythm. Spacex was already de facto managing some infrastructure, such as the road (whose traffic frequently interrupts for evidence and rocket transfers). And already provided medical attention or education (the Astra Nova School of Elon Musk) to the families of employees. Starbase has a housing problem. Constituting the city of Starbase, Spacex has eliminated many bureaucratic friction to build the necessary infrastructure to attract and retain talent in its new headquarters. A critical point is housing. The company had no power to build enough houses for the hundreds of workers who would like to live near Starbase. Currently, some 260 employees live there with their families, almost 500 people. Other 3,100 move from Brownsville and nearby areas. In fact, a recent attempt to build more attached houses was rejected by the county. A controversial control over the beach. The creation of this “business city” is not exempt from criticism. Ecological groups and local residents have been expressing their concern for the growing control of Elon Musk about the area, especially with regard to access to the popular Beach of Boca Chica and the adjacent state park. For now, the closure of the road and the beach for the spacex launches and tests required the county authorization. However, there are legislative initiatives in Texas, promoted in parallel to the creation of the city, to transfer that closing authority directly to the Mayor and the City of Starbase. Spacex argues that this would speed up the releases now that they are looking for federal permission to increase the frequency of 5 to 25 per year. Following the steps of Toyota or Huawei. The creation of Starbase as a city follows a pattern that we already saw with Toyota City in Japan or the huge residential campus and R&D of Huawei in China. Also in urban projects such as the neighborhood Sidewalk Torontopromoted by Google in Canada. For Spacex, having its own city is another step to strengthen its mastery of space releases with Starship, whose ultimate goal is to take humans to Mars. Now, officially starbly on the map, Elon Musk has a little more control over his Texan fief to try to convert that vision into reality, although the controversy and scrutiny, without a doubt, will remain there. Image | Spacex In Xataka | Leaving California is just the first step: Spacex has started the procedures to create an independent city in Texas

The boom and fall of Blackberry, the status symbol that the iPhone turned into history

February 6, 2025 by usatoday24

Before the absolute domain of the format imposed by smartphones with any screen without space for the keys, in half the world who left the cod was nokia. In the other half was Blackberry. Its mobile phones, with a reliable QWERTY keyboard and technology to the last, were synonym for quality, even status. Not only public figures had a Blackberry, but their use in business environments was practically mandatory at certain levels, and the company got that His models were desired by the general public. In that area, they had a very special model: the Blackberry Pearl 8100. It was something similar to what is currently happening with the iPhone, but beyond ‘Fardar’, having a Blackberry allowed access to a free instant messaging service among its users. At a time when SMS kept costing money (unless they were included in the rate) and were not as immediate as a chat, Blackberry Messenger It was consolidated as a kind of Microsoft Messenger to talk to friends and family. In 2009, everyone wanted to have a Blackberry mobile and dominated the market with almost 21% share. However, nothing lasts forever and, as soon as the iPhone and the Android mobiles They began to popular, the company’s sales fell into dive. The reason for his success was that physical keyboard that had stopped making sense and to which the brand He wanted to cling without successeven testing hybrid alternatives and Systems like Blackberry 10 To compete against Android. Spoiler: They did not set. And that is only a tip of the Blackberry iceberg, a story that my partner Ana Boria tells perfectly in the video we leave to lead this article, with the perfect storm that led to the loud fall of the mythical Blackberry. And it is curious because, many years later and already in 2025, there are users who continue to remember the fantastic times of that innovative Blackberry and, especially its keyboard and touchpad with those who differentiated themselves from the competition. From outside, as someone who never had a Blackberry, I can only say that it is even sorry for the story of a company that, obviously, was buried by a progress that did not see coming and who did not know how to adapt. Although … well, it’s not like so many other companies that disappeared without a trace. Although their attempts to return to the mobile segment did not work, at least they managed to reinvent themselves in other fields. AND It seems that nothing is going to him. In Xataka | Commodore boom and fall, the giant of the 1980s who revolutionized computer science and fell into oblivion

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