Latest news with #Cabrera
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
More L.A. car washes targeted in immigration raids, some closed amid fears of further sweeps
These days, Alejandro Cabrera doesn't do much work in his office. The manager of Touch and Glow Car Wash in Whittier instead stays outside, where his workers are, keeping his eyes peeled for approaching vehicles. If he glimpses a white Ford F-150, the type of vehicle federal law enforcement agents often use, or a gray suburban — or any car with tinted windows — his heart begins to pound. Cabrera has been on edge ever since June 9, when immigration agents raided the car wash and took three workers, although he said one was later released. His fears were only confirmed when agents returned five days later and snatched another worker. 'All the time, I'm always looking for those cars,' Cabrera said. The rash of immigration raids at local car washes have created stressful environments at the businesses that have been targeted and forced others to temporarily close out of fear of future raids. Two dozen car washes in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas have been the sites of immigration sweeps this month, according to CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, a labor advocacy nonprofit that said it has been able to verify these raids through community reports and footage on social media. Some car washes that have been targeted, such as the one that Cabrera supervises, have remained open. Others have lost enough workers — either because they were detained by immigration officials or because they're staying home, fearing future raids — that they have been forced to shut down. Misael, the owner of a car wash in Marina Del Rey, said he had to close his doors for four days straight because his employees weren't coming in. He opened the business seven years ago to pursue the American dream, he said. Misael, who declined to share his last name and asked The Times not to name his car wash out of fear for his employees' safety, is a legal immigrant from Mexico, but many of his workers don't have legal status. 'Everybody's scared. I'm scared too. But what can I do?' he said. 'I have to pay the bills, I have to pay the rent.' Misael said on Wednesday that business has been particularly slow after the raids, which could be due to the fact that customers at car wash locations have also been detained by immigration officials in prior hits. Car washes are nearly ubiquitous in the car-dependent Los Angeles, with CLEAN estimating that there's roughly 500 businesses in Los Angeles County employing about 10,000 people. The economic fallout of some of these businesses closing, even temporarily, is likely to have ripple effects. 'This is going to affect us all,' said Flor Melendrez, executive director of CLEAN. 'Because our restaurants are not full, our stores are not full, our car washes are not full, that means the workers in our communities who are not going to work, they're also not going to be spending. Those businesses that usually make a profit are not going to make a profit.' While some car washes that closed have since opened back up, Westchester Hand Wash, which was hit by raids on consecutive days earlier this month, has remained closed. Mehmet Aydogan, the car wash's owner, said of the seven workers who were picked up by immigration agents earlier this month, five have already been deported. Other workers are lying low, and several quit outright, said Aydogan, who took over the business two years ago. 'Everyone is really afraid to come back to work,' Aydogan said. 'They want to go back to Mexico, they told me. They don't even go outside the house. They are waiting until things calm down to leave.' Aydogan wants to reopen soon, but he said he does not want to convince workers to come back, just in case agents return once again. And he worries that in addition to the federal government crackdown driving away workers, customers will be frightened too — especially if the enforcement actions continue for weeks or months. 'This will be very bad. I will lose all the guys, and no one will come to the business as customer or employee. And everyone will think something is wrong with this car wash,' he said. 'It's destroying the business.' Early Thursday morning, several potential customers drove up to the lot where Westchester Hand Wash sits. About six cars pulled up to the normally bustling location, confused as to why their regular spot wasn't attracting a long line of sap-covered cars, as it usually would on a spring morning. Cynthia Bell, a 59-year-old resident of Playa Vista and regular customer, got out of her car to take a closer look at the sign that read, 'Sorry, we are now closed.' 'My car needs a good wash and they'll clean your mats and everything, but just looking at it, it looks kind of deserted,' Bell said. 'I've never seen it like this.' A handful of other hopeful customers asked Bell, who was standing near the sign, to confirm whether the location was closed. One man, who now lives in Seattle, stopped by while he was visiting in hopes of buying the air fresheners he used to love from the spot he once frequented. A small crowd of customers began to gather around 8:45 a.m., and Bell said she wondered whether they'd be open at 9 a.m. 'They're always open early,' another said. Minutes before 9 a.m., Bell drove away, seeing no signs the business would be up and running anytime soon.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB Trade Idea Eyes Marlins' Edward Cabrera for Chicago Cubs
MLB Trade Idea Eyes Marlins' Edward Cabrera for Chicago Cubs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Ever since the injury to Justin Steele in April, starting pitching has been an area the Chicago Cubs could look to improve on at the trade deadline. Although Chicago received good news on Shota Imanaga, and the possibility of a return soon, depth at starting pitching never hurts. Advertisement ESPN's Jesse Rogers (h/t Bleacher Nation) threw out a new name for the Cubs to keep an eye on as the deadline approaches: Miami Marlins' Edward Cabrera. Cabrera made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2021 and is now in his fifth season with the team. The right-handed flame-thrower doesn't have thrilling numbers over his career, averaging a 4.28 ERA, 1.364 WHIP, and 103 ERA+. Aug 4, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (27) pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Mertens-USA TODAY Sports However, Cabrera has a nasty arsenal that the Cubs could use to take him to the next level. According to Baseball Savant, the Marlins' starter throws a sinker, slider, curveball, changeup, and four-seam fastball. The changeup, curveball, and sinker are used pretty evenly, with the fastball and slider sprinkled in. Advertisement Cabrera's sinker and fastball average over 96 mph and top out at nearly 100 mph. His changeup dips to about 93 mph, and the slider is at about 88 mph. Cabrera's curveball averages about 83 mph, giving him up 17 mph of difference from his heater. The sign for improvement in Cabrera is his walk ratio. Over the last two years, he's dropped his walks per nine innings from six to 3.9, while keeping his strikeouts pretty consistent. Cabrera wouldn't be the ace pitcher the Cubs may be looking for to head the rotation alongside Imanaga, but he could be a valuable piece to continue to build on for the future. Advertisement The Marlins starter is only 27 years old and under team control via arbitration through 2028. The Cubs are a young, exciting team that will be in the mix in the near future. Chicago has relied on the likes of Colin Rea, Cade Horton, and Ben Brown to get through the stretch with Imanaga out. The three have done enough to get the Cubs by, but can you rely on them for the foreseeable future? Cabrera would give the Cubs another young arm to work with, and could be a future potential superstar with his pitching arsenal. Related: Cubs' Jed Hoyer Named Among MLB Execs Under Most Pressure This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Business Upturn
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Global Times: A new era of shared development and cultural exchange with China: Colombian Ambassador to China
Beijing, China, June 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In an era marked by unprecedented global transformations, the world stands at a critical crossroads, grappling with deepening deficits in peace, development, security, and governance. As humanity faces unparalleled challenges during this tumultuous period, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has put forth a solemn call to action through the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). The three pivotal initiatives address the pressing issues of our time, offering viable pathways and robust support for the building of a global community with a shared future. Rooted in the rich historical experiences of the CPC's century-long struggle and infused with the wisdom of China's traditional culture, these initiatives are expected to unite the world in the pursuit of common progress and stability. To offer a deep understanding of the three global initiatives, and elaborate on their significance on a global scale, the Global Times is launching a series of articles. China and Colombia signed a cooperation plan on jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road on May 14. The year 2025 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Colombia. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 45 years ago, the two countries have witnessed the steady growth of economic and trade ties with tangible results. China is now Colombia's second-largest trading partner, while Colombia ranks as China's fifth-largest trading partner in Latin America. Colombia's agricultural products, ranging from coffee to cut flowers, are becoming increasingly popular in the Chinese market. In this issue, Global Times reporters Xu Liuliu and Liu Yang (GT) spoke with Colombian Ambassador to China, Sergio Cabrera Cardenas (Cabrera), about bilateral cooperation and exchanges, as well as his insights on the GDI, the GCI, and the GSI. GT: Colombian President Gustavo Petro was in Beijing for the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in May. On May 14, Colombia officially joined the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, a milestone decision in Colombia's diplomatic history. Why did Colombia make such a decision? How will the two sides expand trade through mechanisms such as cross-border e-commerce and free trade agreements? Cabrera: Colombia's accession to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been a long process that began around six years ago during the previous government. Although the previous government initiated some studies, it decided not to join. When President Gustavo Francisco Petro took office, he quickly sent copies of the memorandum to the different ministries and institutions that were somehow related to the commitments that were going to be made. It has been a two-year study process, as it is natural, in any case, that there were many people interested in strengthening the bilateral relationship with China through the BRI decision. Colombia is a country strongly influenced by the US, a country that has been its natural ally, as the US is the country with which Colombia has the most trade, so both the influence of the North and that of the business sector was a brake on the possibility of signing this agreement, but fortunately, thanks to the relationship between the Colombian Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Foreign Ministry, all the adjustments were made and the agreement was signed, and we are very satisfied to say that we were able to sign this agreement. [Signing the agreement] was a challenge for me. That is, since I arrived at the embassy, I was resolved that, whatever it took, we had to find the way to sign it, and at this moment I believe that the people who are better versed with what has been signed, are very satisfied, as this cooperation is crystallizing in projects, with the plan to start studying different initiatives and projects to move forward little by little. We are acting on taking the first step of a great march, and I think that it will strengthen e-commerce, physical commerce, education, culture, industry, and agriculture. Everything will benefit greatly from the signing of this memorandum. GT: Since being proposed in 2021, the GDI has been continuously substantialized, its implementation mechanisms increasingly refined, and practical cooperation under its framework has gradually taken shape, thereby offering China's solution to bridging the development gap in Global South countries as well as building a better world together. May I ask, what is your view on the content of the GDI? Cabrera: As for the GDI, I think this is a very important step that China has taken through President Xi Jinping, as it is an important initiative that considers the future in many aspects. China has a lot to teach the world. China is a country that has managed to strengthen, enrich, and build itself in the last 50 years. It has taken many people out of poverty, while developing industry and its technology. It is a great example for the rest of the world and especially for us Latin Americans and Colombians. The GDI , as I understand, it is the opportunity to exchange experiences and seek to walk toward the same objective, a global objective through which we can live together in peace and help each other to develop. GT: How do you view the role of the GCI in promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges, cultural integration, and mutual understanding between China and Colombia? Cabrera: I have always thought that art, literature, and culture are not only tools but vehicles for development to get to know each other. In recent years, the cultural exchanges between Colombia and China have grown and in the future, we hope there will be many more exchanges because we have many things in common. Although we are two very different countries, we have the same love for the same literature, music, dance, and art. We like the same things and each one civilization approaches each passion uniquely. I believe that the arrival of cultural samples from another country enriches the country that receives it. Culture is important, but art is more important, as art generates emotions and feelings in any of its manifestations, such as in painting, in poetry, and in music. It makes people want to look for goodness and peace, so I think it is very important to strengthen the mechanisms of cultural and artistic cooperation between Colombia and China. GT: Security is a prerequisite for development, and humanity is an indivisible security community. The GSI aims to eradicate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, and urge the international community to join hands in injecting more stability and certainty into an unstable and changing era, so as to achieve lasting world peace and development. Under the current challenges and issues faced by the international community, how do you view the important significance of the GSI for today's world? Cabrera: I have grew up in a bipolar world in my youth, and not so long ago, we lived through the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the US. Today the world is more open, and there are many more possibilities. China, as such an important power, has entered the scene. It seems very important to me that in the search for world security, the US is not the world's policeman; the one who is going to fix the world's problems. The world is full of US military bases, which I don't think are of much use, because the world is still very imbalanced, so I think that the entry of China as a factor that contributes to reach a consensus on the interests of the peoples of the world in the search for world peace will be very important. I think it [GSI] is one of the most important initiatives that China has at this moment and toward the future. GT: How would you evaluate the China-CELAC Forum as an important platform for equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Latin America? In an external environment where unilateralism is on the rise, how can China and Latin America strengthen multilateral cooperation to uphold free trade? Cabrera: The forum is an important organization for our Latin American and Caribbean region, and the union of these countries in CELAC has led to important advances and developments, and of course, the relationship between CELAC and China is very important because China is the country that is currently most interested in developing our region. It is the country that is most willing to invest in our region and that is why this forum, which just concluded, was so important, and that is why the conclusions of the forum are aligned with seeking to implement projects to help the development of the region and of each one of our countries. GT: As you say, this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Colombia. Ambassador, how do you evaluate the achievements of both countries in the last 45 years and the current development of bilateral relations? Cabrera: Cooperation between Colombia and China has been, and continues to be very important, and will be very important in the future. China has participated in the construction of many large Colombian projects, perhaps even the largest, such as the construction of the subway, the regional trans, and some highways. China is also somehow involved in the construction of the largest hydroelectric dam in Colombia. There are many Chinese projects related to the fight against global warming. It also provides technology transfer, with projects of communications, such as Chinese tech company Huawei. There are around 120 Chinese companies that are working in Colombia and they are helping greatly in the construction of infrastructure communications, health, and education. Aside from the signing of the adhesion to the BRI opens new possibilities, because China is generously offering opportunities for infrastructure construction and this is a moment in which our country needs to develop, needs to make big investments. There are not many interested in helping us, but China is interested in helping us. The BRI is helping countries develop big form of infrastructure with projects that benefit the people. GT: How do you see the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in cultural fields such as literature and tourism? How do you plan to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries in these sectors? Cabrera: We have talked about the importance of strengthening cultural exchanges, and we have immediate and long-term plans. This year is the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Colombia and China, so we have already carried out some activities. Books by Colombian authors have been published and translated into Chinese, as we have great writers like García Márquez and Álvaro Mutis. In addition, we also have many singers such as Shakira, which was known among the Chinese youth. I know that Shakira is interested in coming to China, and the embassy has a plan to take advantage of this year. We are also going to bring poets for meetings in China. Other projects include the film festival and every time the directors will come. We are also in talks to make a large sample of our art photography, contemporary, art and also ancient heritage. We are planning for the symphony orchestra of Colombia to return again at the end of the year, in order to celebrate the 45th years of the establishment of diplomatic relations with a great concert by the symphony orchestra of Colombia. This story first appeared in Global Times: Company: Global TimesContact Person: Anna Li Email: [email protected] Website: City: Beijing Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
13-06-2025
Legion of Christ priest arrested in Mexico City airport on rape charge for alleged abuse of a minor
MEXICO CITY -- Authorities arrested a Roman Catholic priest at the capital's international airport on charges of raping of a minor over a period of years, officials said Thursday. The Mexico state prosecutor's office said that Rev. Antonio Cabrera, a member of the Legion of Christ religious order, was arrested Wednesday night on a court order for rape. Authorities cited incidents in 2004, 2007 and 2011, but the investigation only began in December 2024, after the alleged attacks were reported. The abuse allegedly occurred in Naucalpan, a Mexico City suburb. The prosecutor's office did not say why Cabrera was at the airport. The Legion of Christ religious order has been involved in sexual abuse scandals before, including those of its late founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel, who was later determined to be a serial pedophile. The Vatican in 2010 took over the Mexico-based Legion and imposed a process of reform after an investigation showed that Maciel had sexually abused seminarians and fathered at least three children with two women. The Legion of Christ confirmed the arrest of one of its priests without naming him in statement Thursday. The order said it had not received information from authorities about the case, but were willing to cooperate with the investigation. Cabrera was jailed pending an initial hearing.
Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Legion of Christ priest arrested in Mexico City airport on rape charge for alleged abuse of a minor
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities arrested a Roman Catholic priest at the capital's international airport on charges of raping of a minor over a period of years, officials said Thursday. The Mexico state prosecutor's office said that Rev. Antonio Cabrera, a member of the Legion of Christ religious order, was arrested Wednesday night on a court order for rape. Authorities cited incidents in 2004, 2007 and 2011, but the investigation only began in December 2024, after the alleged attacks were reported. The abuse allegedly occurred in Naucalpan, a Mexico City suburb. The prosecutor's office did not say why Cabrera was at the airport. The Legion of Christ religious order has been involved in sexual abuse scandals before, including those of its late founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel , who was later determined to be a serial pedophile. The Vatican in 2010 took over the Mexico-based Legion and imposed a process of reform after an investigation showed that Maciel had sexually abused seminarians and fathered at least three children with two women. The Legion of Christ confirmed the arrest of one of its priests without naming him in statement Thursday. The order said it had not received information from authorities about the case, but were willing to cooperate with the investigation. Cabrera was jailed pending an initial hearing. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
