Ameris Bank accused of โredliningโ Black, Hispanic Florida residents, settles with Justice Dept.
Georgia-based Ameris Bank has been accused by the Department of Justice of systematically denying and discouraging home loans and other credit to those living in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville.
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.
US life expectancy drops a year in pandemic, most since WWII
AdThis is the first time the CDC has reported on life expectancy from early, partial records; more death certificates from that period may yet come in. Life expectancy is how long a baby born today can expect to live, on average. Black people now lag white people by six years in life expectancy, reversing a trend that had been bringing their numbers closer since 1993. Between 2019 and the first half of 2020, life expectancy decreased 2.7 years for Black people, to 72. Overall, the drop in life expectancy is more evidence of โour mishandling of the pandemic,โ Brawley said.
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.
Seminole County focuses on vaccinating Hispanic community
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. โ Rubi Rendon was able to bring her in-laws to Forest Lake Church on Monday to get the COVID-19 vaccine. โIโm so grateful, so grateful. Honestly, everything was easy, especially for people like us, the Hispanics, we can speak in our language,โ Rendon said. Health officials said 45,000 residents have gotten vaccinated so far in Seminole County but the percentage of Hispanics still remains unknown since many are not filling out their race or ethnicity when registering for an appointment. AdTo keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6โฒs coronavirus newsletter and go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.
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.
The Latest: 2nd presidential debate is officially canceled
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland. (Olivier Douliery/Pool vi AP)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on the 2020 presidential campaign (all times local):6:35 p.m. The second presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden is officially off. ___HEREโS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHATโS HAPPENING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:President Donald Trump is convalescing from the coronavirus at the White House. ___3:50 p.m.On Saturday, President Donald Trump is planning to hold his first in-person event since testing positive for the coronavirus.
Breaking the stigma: Research shows uptick in Hispanics, Latinos investing in real estate
We are also seeing overwhelming confidence in Latino investors who choose to invest in real estate. Veronica Figueroa and her Figueroa Team (Figueroa Team)โWe represent clients from all cultures, but what makes our team extremely proud is the representation we have for Latinos from different countries. At Figueroa Team, we have agents from Puerto Rico, Colombia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Romania, Haiti, Jamaica, South Africa and many more places. We are proud to know Latinos trust us as their experts in real estate," said Figueroa. For Hispanic Heritage Month, sheโs using her platform to share opportunities for Latinos in the real estate business.
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.
Puerto Rican coalition pushing Hispanic community to vote
In fact, he voted for the first time four years ago and as a Nicaraguan-American, he is looking forward to seeing more Hispanics vote this time around. โEspecially around this area we have so many Hispanics so for them to actually go register and go vote it makes a difference. The goal for the campaign is to motivate more Puerto Ricans and Hispanics in Central Florida to cast their vote. โDuring the 2018 election cycle, Puerto Ricans came out in record numbers in Central Florida,โ Alex Barrio with Respecta Mi Gente said. Julian Loaiza, from Colombia, said this is the opportunity for all people to embrace the right to vote.
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.
Commissioners urge Hispanic, Latino communities to fill out census ahead of deadline
Two Orange County commissioners made a call to action to the Hispanic and Latino communities in an effort to change the statists when it comes to the 2020 U.S. Census. โJust 1970 is when the census actually started counting Hispanics but what we noticed over the years is traditionally African Americans and Hispanic communities are undercounted,โ Mayra Uribe, Orange County Commissioner for District 3 said. Orange County government said while people are focused on their jobs, health, and families, they need to be reminded of the importance of responding to the 2020 U.S. census. Orange County government set up seven computer kiosks inside seven different community centers in the county. The centers will be open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Those needing to visit a census location can visit one of the following sites:
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.
Spanish colonial monuments fuel race strife in US Southwest
Protesters say figures such as Oรฑate, who led early Spanish expeditions into present-day New Mexico, shouldnโt be celebrated. Earlier this month, demonstrators tried to tear down an Oรฑate statue outside an Albuquerque museum using chains and a pickax. โThis is the work of a small, radical Native American group, not our Pueblos,โ Ortiz said. As a result, Nieto-Phillips said elite Hispanics in the region took on a solely Spanish American identity over their mixed heritage as a means to embrace whiteness. Meanwhile, Latinos in other southwestern states often identify as Mexican American or mestizo, a mixture of Spanish and Native American ancestry.
Orlando company launches free business resource guide in Spanish for Hispanic entrepreneurs
"These folks have a very high entrepreneurial spirit so folks want to start their business." Viera, who launched her own marketing business a few years ago says the lack of information in Spanish made the process more difficult for her. This inspired her to create a free business resource guide completely in Spanish for future small business owners and those already in business. The free business resource guide can be downloaded here. For more stories about how people in the community are stepping up to help during the pandemic, visit clickorlando.com/doyourpart.