UH Hobby School research highlights community importance, human trafficking in Houston, and more on Houston Newsmakers
Host Khambrel Marshall sits down with the University of Houstonโs Hobby School of Public Affairs and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to identify the importance of Hispanics in our community.
Texas needs to do more to help Hispanic students graduate from college, university leaders say
In a Texas Tribune event Tuesday, university leaders discussed why Hispanic students finish higher education programs at a lower rate than the state average but have better performance in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso.
Texas troopers are causing car chase fatalities and racially profiling drivers under Abbottโs border crackdown, complaint claims
Two civil rights groups have expanded their request for a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into Operation Lone Star, citing evidence of risky pursuits and more frequent traffic stops of Hispanic drivers.
Bill attempts to prevent political meddling in US head count
A U.S. Census Bureau director couldnโt be fired without cause and new questions to a census form would have to be vetted by Congress under proposed legislation that attempts to prevent in the future the type of political interference into the nationโs head count that took place during the Trump administration.
4 places in Houston you should visit during Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to highlight the contributions and achievements of Hispanic Americans in our country, and Houston has plenty of landmarks where you can learn and celebrate this vibrant community that has made an impact in the Bayou City.
Senate approves map cementing GOP dominance in upper chamber, dividing up Tarrant countyโs voters of color
Democrats criticized Republicans for โtargetingโ a North Texas district that had been trending Democratic and for not drawing any new districts where people of color would represent a majority of eligible voters.
Latinos face barriers like fear, language in getting vaccine
Dr. Ingrid Felix-Peralta, second from left, and her husband Dr. Victor Peralta, second from right, administer second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in New York, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. From elderly Cuban Americans in Florida to farmworkers in California, Latinos face daunting barriers like fear, language and a lack of education and access as the COVID-19 vaccines roll out, creating risks for public health as the virus mutates and spreads. From elderly Cuban Americans in Florida to farmworkers in California, Latinos face daunting barriers to getting COVID-19 vaccines, creating risks for public health as the coronavirus mutates and spreads. The poll says Latinos' willingness to get the vaccine is similar to the American public overall. โAs efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine continue, trust and acceptance of Hispanics will be crucial," Leรณn said.
CDC numbers show women, white people most likely to be vaccinated after first month of rollout
HOUSTON โ Numbers compiled from the CDC paint a demographic picture of exactly who has received the COVID-19 vaccine so far. But how do the numbers behind the numbers add up? Ho pointed out that the two groups targeted for the initial rollout were healthcare professionals and senior citizens in nursing homes. She said since about 75% of the medical field is female, it makes sense that more women have been vaccinated at this point. AdโUsually what happens is that if men need assistance in their older age itโs usually their wife taking care of them and then itโs the women,โ Ho said.
For many Latinos, virus deaths loom over Day of the Dead
It will sit alongside fresh flowers and Salazar's blouse on Day of the Dead, a holiday that Salazar actually didn't care for much. She decided not to schedule surgery until after Day of the Dead because she wanted to honor her mother properly. Ofelia, 88, is a fifth-generation altar-maker, and both were cultural advisers on Disney-Pixar's โCoco," a movie centered around Day of the Dead. Besides the pandemic-induced sadness, the Esparzas believe Latinos are more interested in observing Day of the Dead. โJust like Mother's Day and Fatherโs Day this year, this is when people go visit their loved ones.โUltimately, some say pageantry isn't what's important.
US Latino civil rights group moves 2021 convention online
LULAC, the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization, voted Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, to postpone its planned national convention in Albuquerque, N.M., in 2021 over uncertainty caused by COVID-19. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)RIO RANCHO, N.M. โ The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Latino civil rights group in the U.S., has decided to move its 2021 national convention online amid concerns and health orders caused by COVID-19. The state currently limits the number of people at large gatherings and LULAC national conventions typically attract thousands of activists. The group still plans to hold a national convention in Albuquerque in 2023 because the city and the LULAC's local chapters made financial commitments to hold an event in the city. LULAC national conventions and gatherings have attracted presidents, presidential candidates, and international leaders.
Drug shows promise in 1st largely minority COVID-19 study
A drug company said Friday that a medicine it sells to tamp down inflammation has helped prevent the need for breathing machines in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the first large study that primarily enrolled Hispanics and Blacks. The drug, given through an IV, tamps down a protein called interleukin-6 thatโs often found in excess in COVID-19 patients. About 12% given the drug needed a breathing machine or died within 28 days versus about 19% of patients given a placebo. This is the third time this week that companies have announced positive results from studies testing COVID treatments via press releases. On Monday, Eli Lilly reported benefits from a study testing its anti-inflammatory drug baricitinib when combined with the antiviral drug remdesivir.
Biden courts Latino voters in 1st trip to Florida as nominee
โMore than any other time, the Hispanic community, Latino community holds in the palm of their hand the destiny of this country,โ Biden said Tuesday during a Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff event in Kissimmee. โYou can decide the direction of this country.โA win for Biden in Florida would dramatically narrow Trumpโs path to reelection. But in a state where elections are often decided by a percentage point, there are mounting concerns that Biden may be slipping, particularly with the stateโs influential Latino voters. An NBC-Marist poll released last week found Latinos in the state about evenly divided between Biden and Trump. โDonald Trump has failed the Hispanic community time and time again, and that's not a secret,โ Biden said.
'Work like the devil': Biden visiting Florida to woo Latinos
Biden doesnโt need to win Florida to capture the White House as long as he reclaims the upper Midwestern states that Trump flipped in 2016. A recent NBC-Marist poll found Latinos in the state about evenly divided between Biden and Trump. Biden, who hasn't been to Florida since last October, has struggles with Latinos that stem in part from the policies of the Obama administration. In a further effort to promote Biden, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny and Mexican singer Alejandro Fernandez have recorded ads decrying Trump with songs in Spanish. Biden has repeatedly criticized Trump for the slow federal response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria devastated it in 2017.
On Western swing, Trump aims to court pivotal Latino voters
There is increasing concern about Democrats that their nominee, the former vice president, has not done enough to court Latino voters. Estimates from the Pew Research Center and AP VoteCast show that about 3 in 10 Latino voters supported Trump in 2016 and Republican candidates in 2018. Thatโs also consistent with long-term trends in party identification among Latino voters, according to Pew. Nationally, little public polling is available to measure the opinions of Latino voters this year and whether they differ from four years ago. After Nevada, Trump planned to visit California on Monday for a briefing on the devastating wildfires racing through the region.
Get to know Juan Sรกnchez Muรฑoz, President of the University of Houston-Downtown
HOUSTON โ Dr. Juan Sรกnchez Muรฑoz, President of the University of Houston-Downtown, has helped expand the school's reputation in the city and throughout the state. Some of these role models include Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, Houston Fire Chief Sam Peรฑa, and Houston Community College Chancellor Dr. Cesar Maldonado. What plans do you have to benefit the Hispanic community at UHD? What advice do you have for Hispanic students throughout Texas? I encourage Hispanic students and those from all cultures to honor the generations before them by maintaining a focus on excellence and working hard.
These diseases are leading causes of death in Hispanics, officials say
In a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, experts evaluated health trends in Hispanics across the world. The study was the first done nationally on Hispanic health risks and leading causes of death in the United States. Similar to nonwhite Hispanics, the leading causes of death in Hispanics are heart disease and cancer. However, though fewer Hispanics than white people die from the 10 leading causes of death, the CDC saw higher death rates in Hispanics when it came to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and kidney disease. This report reinforces the need to sustain strong community, public health and health care linkages that support Hispanic health, said CDC Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Equity Dr. Leandris C. Liburd.