Mexican sailors aboard doomed Navy ship that crashed into Brooklyn Bridge will set sail again this week — on different vessel
Nearly two weeks after the deadly May 17 crash in the Big Apple, the surviving cadets will resume their training course Sunday aboard the 262-foot-long ARM Usumacinta, the Spanish news outlet El Gráfico reported.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum and Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles are slated to give the order to cast off from the port of Veracruz during the country's Navy Day celebrations, the outlet said.
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4 The sailors will take off from the port of Veracruz, on board the ARM Usumacinta, on June 1.
US Navy/Petty Officer 3rd Class Dylan Lavin
'The crew aboard our ARM Usumacinta (A-412) has sailed national and international waters, braving the seas to bring humanitarian aid and hope to those most in need in disaster situations and areas,' Mexico's Navy Ministry said in a statement.
The powerful vessel — which took part in a multinational training mission organized by the US Navy's Third Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC2024, last summer — uses propulsion engines, a far cry from the ill-fated Cuauhtémoc, which relied on wind power to propel its 297-foot-long deck through the sea.
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4 The training excursion will resume nearly two weeks after the Cuauhtémoc's fatal crash into the Brooklyn Bridge on May 17.
@SAMMMSPARKS via REUTERS
4 The wreck — which is still under investigation — killed two young cadets and injured 19 others.
James Keivom
The sailboat's three masts cracked and broke as they struck the 142-year-old Brooklyn Bridge during the Cuauhtémoc's departure from Manhattan, killing 23-year-old Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos and 20-year-old América Yamilet Sánchez, and injuring 19 others.
There were 277 crew members aboard — including 213 men and 64 women — most of whom were cadets from the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar, the Mexican naval training academy in Veracruz.
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The Cuauhtémoc had been scheduled to sail to Iceland, then continue a months-long voyage to ports in France, Scotland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain and Barbados before returning to the Mexican coast in November.
However, due to the Usumacinta's structural and operational differences, the vessel cannot follow the Cuauhtémoc's original route.
4 The Mexican navy trainees were granted a week-long reprieve from their service obligations to visit family.
James Keivom
The new itinerary — and whether all the crash survivors will be on board — wasn't immediately clear.
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In the wake of the wreck injured sailors were flown home to Veracruz for treatment at Antón Lizardo Naval Hospital, where they also underwent psychological evaluations, according to the Spanish news outlet La Razón.
They were later granted a week-long reprieve from their navy obligations to visit family, a break that was 'fundamental' for their emotional recovery, Mexican navy sources told the outlet.
The Brooklyn Bridge incident remains under investigation. The Cuauhtémoc remains docked at Pier 36 in Manhattan.
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Los Angeles Times
14 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘A land that our ancestors walked': L.A. County tribe wins land back for the first time
On July 10, a church signed the deeds transferring a half-acre of land hosting a community center in the heart of San Gabriel — less than a mile down the road from the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel — to an Indigenous tribe's nonprofit. On paper, it was a relatively ordinary transaction (except maybe for the $0 price tag); however, for the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians based in Los Angeles and Orange counties, it was anything but: For the first time in centuries, a piece of their ancestral territory belongs to them. 'There were books when my daughters were in grammar school and high school that stated we were extinct,' said Art Morales, an elder and historian in the tribe. To Morales, persevering through that long, painful history is what makes the agreement so significant: The tribe is 'basically on the map now.' The lot, previously owned by the Presbytery of San Gabriel — a unit of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), one of the largest Presbyterian denominations in the U.S. — hosts offices, a kitchen and a community space, as well as an outdoor patio and green space. Now, under the ownership of the tribe, led by the Gabrieleno Tongva Tribal Council, the space will host cultural ceremonies, government meetings, programming for tribal youth and a community food bank. Unlike tribes with federal recognition, the hundreds without it have no direct legal means to negotiate with the U.S. government for reservations. Instead, they often set up nonprofit organizations to acquire land through agreements with private organizations or states. In California, many tribes have found it difficult to secure federal recognition. They had to survive through three different occupying governments: Spain, Mexico and the U.S. The U.S. government negotiated numerous agreements with California tribes that it has repeatedly failed to uphold — often because the state got in the way. In the late 19th century, a federal effort to send surveyors throughout the state to create reservations for California mission tribes began in San Diego but lost steam by the time it reached Los Angeles. The result is that even to this day, tribes without land — including the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians until this July — have had to find a venue (often local parks) and get all the proper permissions and permits any time they wanted to hold a public gathering. 'Everything is very labor-intensive on our part just so that we can actually engage in our culture,' said Kimberly Johnson, secretary for the tribe. 'This breaks that barrier, and folks know they can go at any time and be together. I think, right now, people need each other more than anything.' Long before the lot was a community center, it sat in Siban'gna. Siban'gna was a village of the First Peoples in the region. Nestled along the river, it was home to a few hundred individuals. Dome-shaped homes covered in tule, called ki, dotted the landscape. In 1771, Spanish priests tasked with establishing church footholds in the region decided to build what would become the San Gabriel Mission near the village. 'When the padres came through … they used the words 'a land of abundance.' They use words like 'water flowing' and 'food' and 'happiness,'' said Johnson. To execute the mission project, they exerted control of the Native communities and forced Indigenous people — many of whose descendants now refer to themselves as Gabrieleno, a term derived from the mission — into labor to construct and maintain the mission. After the United States took over in the 19th century, it began using a different method of control: Red-lining maps made it impossible for residents in low-rated areas to obtain mortgages and discouraged businesses from investing in the areas where Indigenous people lived. Indeed, the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians' newly recovered land received the lowest possible rating at the time. In the assessment, the neighborhood was described as 'a menace to this whole section,' noting 'pressure is being exerted to confine the population and keep it from infiltrating into other districts.' Now, over 250 years after the Spanish first settled in current-day Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians — one of several Gabrieleno tribes acknowledged by the state — has finally gained a toehold back. 'To be able to connect to a land that our ancestors walked is very powerful,' said Johnson. 'The land that we lived on — and had a village on — that we worked on, we were then told, 'It's illegal for you to own that land.' So to see it come full circle back to us again, it's very healing.' When the Presbytery of San Gabriel began exploring options for the former community center site, Mona Recalde, who runs community outreach for the tribe and is deeply involved with the church, asked whether it would consider a land return. 'When Mona asked … for just about everybody in the Presbyterian, it was an instantaneous recognition of how much sense this made,' said Wendy Tajima, executive presbyter, or spiritual leader, of the church. For Tajima, it seemed like a way to make good on the promise of land acknowledgment — the church, instead of just paying lip service to past land grabs, could actually ameliorate some of the harm Christian institutions like the mission caused in the past. The tribe hopes other religious institutions (including the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel just down the street) will follow the presbytery's lead. The church and the tribe held a ceremony commemorating the agreement at the tribe's new Gabrieleno Tongva Tribal Center at Siban'gna on Aug. 2. As Presbyterian ceremonies gave way to the Gabrielenos', an emotional Tajima couldn't help but feel the tribe's deep-rooted connection to the land rekindling in real time. When the tribe 'started to burn the sage … that's when it hit me,' she said. 'This was a public witness of the first time that they could practice their traditions. They could be who they are and not have to ask anybody else.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Bronx charter kids excel on NY math and reading tests, surpassing public school students by 25%
The Bronx is learning — at least in charter schools. Students from charter schools in the borough's poorest neighborhoods, including the South Bronx, excelled on state reading and math exams — with pass rates exceeding 90% in some classrooms, according to new data. Those results vastly surpassed the scores of students at traditional public schools in The Bronx by at least 25%, according to a Post review of the numbers. Advertisement 8 According to new data, students from charter schools in the Bronx's poorest neighborhoods, including the South Bronx, excelled on state reading and math exams, with some pass rates exceeding 90%. National Blue Ribbon Schools 8 At the Zeta Charter Schools network with four in The Bronx, an average of 91.9% of students in grades 3-8 passed the reading exam and 94.8% aced the math test. James Keivom At the Zeta Charter Schools network — four in The Bronx and two in northern Manhattan — an average of 91.9% of students in grades 3-8 passed the reading exam and 94.8% aced the math test. Advertisement 'Zeta is focused on the whole child, not just academics,' said mom Laura Manzano, whose three children attend the Zeta South Bronx K-to-8 school — where a whopping 93.8% of students passed the reading test and 93.5% score proficient in math. Among all 99 charter schools in the borough, 68.6% of students in grades 3-8 passed the English Language Arts exams, compared to a measly 43.6% for Bronx traditional public schools, the data show. The gap widened even more, to a roughly 26% difference, on the math test, with an average 69.2% of all charter school students in The Bronx scoring proficient, compared to 43.3% for neighboring public schools. The Post's review of the results found: Advertisement Students at Success Academy's five Bronx charter schools soared. At Success Academy IV and V, 100% of pupils passed the math test, while results for the ELA exam ranged from 92% to 99% in all five of the schools. At all four of the South Bronx Classical Charter schools 95% or more of students passed the ELA exam and 96% or more score proficient in math. Students also performed well at the Icahn network of seven schools in The Bronx. At Icahn Charter Schools I and IV, 99.5% passed both the ELA and math exams. Students in six of the schools had pass rates of 80% or more on the ELA and students at 5 of the school had 80% or more in math. 'The Bronx is learning,' said Lawford Cunningham, superintendent of the Icahn charter network, referring to the infamous headline 'The Bronx is Burning' during the borough's dark days of the 1970s when raging fires engulfed scores of buildings. Citywide, 67.5% of all charter school students scored proficient on their ELA exams, compared to 56.3% of traditional public school students – an 11.2 percentage point difference, according to an analysis by the New York City Charter School Center. In math, 68.6% of charter school students scored proficient compared to 56.9% of public school students – a 11.7 percentage point differential. Advertisement 8 'Zeta is focused on the whole child, not just academics,' said mom Laura Manzano, whose three children attend the Zeta South Bronx K-to-8 school. James Keivom Critics said the test scores for the traditional public schools — despite seeing some gains compared to last year — were nothing to brag about given the Big Apple school spending tops $41 billion and the state's $36,293 per pupil tab is the highest in the nation. More than 40% of kids in the traditional public schools scored below proficient on both the math and reading exams. The results show that charter schools remain a great option for city parents and their children, said James Merriman, CEO of the NYC Charter School Center. 8 At all four of the South Bronx Classical Charter schools, 95% or more of students passed the ELA exam and 96% or more score proficient in math. Tomas E. Gaston 'This incredible progress is only possible thanks to the tremendous charter school teachers and leaders who challenge and support their students every day. When families are empowered with great public school choices, students rise to the occasion,' Merriman said. New York City has 285 public charter schools serving about 150,000 students — or 15% of the pupils in Big Apple public schools, the largest district in the nation with some 1,800 schools. Nearly 90% of the students at city charter schools are black or Latino, 83% come from low-income families and 19% have special needs. Advertisement 8 New York school spending tops $41 billion. Google Maps Charters are publicly-funded, but privately managed and most have a longer school day and year than traditional public schools. Most have staff that don't belong to a union, unlike in public schools. Despite their popularity and success, the Democratic-run state legislature has refused to lift the charter school cap set in law to open more of them across the city, something the powerful United Federation of Teachers' union fiercely opposes. Manzano, the Zeta charter mom, said the school encourages parental involvement, including writing letters of encouragement to their child before exams, and also provides small group instruction for struggling students. Advertisement 8 Google Maps There are fun events before exams to lessen stress and anxiety, as well as class trips to experience music and arts, such as to Radio City Music Hall. Her son, Gohan, is entering 8th grade, daughter Yatziri will be starting 5th grade and Manzano's youngest, Ailyn, is enrolled in kindergarten for the upcoming school year. 'I wish I had a school like Zeta when I was young,' said Manzano, who attended traditional public schools. Advertisement Emily Kim, founder and CEO of Zeta Charter Schools, was thrilled with the test results and noted that the network is expanding into Queens, with new schools in Jamaica and Elmhurst opening this fall. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Zeta also reported that 100% of its 4th graders at the Bronx Tremont Park charter school and all of 7th graders at its Manhattan Middle School passed the state math exam. 'The results show that our academically rigorous, whole-child model works, and that all children thrive when they are challenged academically, encouraged creatively, and equipped with the tools they need to grow emotionally,' Kim said. Advertisement Cunningham, who started with the Icahn network when it opened its first school in 2002, said: 'Everything we do has the students in mind.' 8 Manzano's son, Gohan, is entering 8th grade, daughter Yatziri will be starting 5th grade and Manzano's youngest, Ailyn, is enrolled in kindergarten for the upcoming school year. James Keivom That starts with hiring and training of teachers, adopting a rigorous and engaging curriculum, providing state of the art technology and conducting data analysis, he said. 'Who you put in front of the kids matters. We prepare our teachers so they are ready to teach our kids,' he said. The charter network — named after its founder, billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn — also encourages competition and stresses the importance of holding each other accountable for results, Cunningham said. Bronx state Sen. Luis Sepulveda, who has many charter schools in his district, applauded the results. 8 Success Academy's charter schools IV and V had 100% of pupils passed the math test, with ELA exam results ranging from 92% to 99% in all five of the schools. 'Overall the charter schools are doing well. We congratulate them,' he said. 'I support the charter schools and traditional public schools.' Candidates for mayor in the November election have not promoted charter schools despite their success. Socialist Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is on record opposing charter schools. Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, did not fight to increase the cap on charter schools when he had the opportunity to do so. Andrew Cuomo, who is also running as an independent, championed charter schools when he was governor but has toned down his support as a mayoral candidate. Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa does not mention charter schools as part of the education plan on his website, but he has publicly supported lifting the cap in state law to increase them in the past.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Separated by a border for decades, parents and children are reunited at last
José Antonio Rodríguez held a bouquet of flowers in his trembling hands. It had been nearly a quarter of a century since he had left his family behind in Mexico to seek work in California. In all those years, he hadn't seen his parents once. They kept in touch as best they could, but letters took months to cross the border, and his father never was one for phone calls. Visits were impossible: José was undocumented, and his parents lacked visas to come to the U.S. Now, after years of separation, they were about to be reunited. And José's stomach was in knots. He had been a young man of 20 when he left home, skinny and full of ambition. Now he was 44, thicker around the middle, his hair thinning at the temples. Would his parents recognize him? Would he recognize them? What would they think of his life? José had spent weeks preparing for this moment, cleaning his trailer in the Inland Empire from top to bottom and clearing the weeds from his yard. He bought new pillows to set on his bed, which he would give to his parents, taking the couch. Finally, the moment was almost here. Officials in Mexico's Zacatecas state had helped his mother and father apply for documents that allow Mexican citizens to enter the U.S. for temporary visits as part of a novel program that brings elderly parents of undocumented workers to the United States. Many others had their visa applications rejected, but theirs were approved. They had packed their suitcases to the brim with local sweets and traveled 24 hours by bus along with four other parents of U.S. immigrants. Any minute now, they would be pulling up at the East Los Angeles event hall where José waited along with other immigrants who hadn't seen their families in decades. José, who wore a gray polo shirt and new jeans, thought about all the time that had passed. The lonely nights during Christmas season, when he longed for the taste of his mother's cooking. All the times he could have used his father's advice. His plan had been to stay in the U.S. a few years, save up some money and return home to begin his life. But life doesn't wait. Before he knew it, decades had passed and José had built community and a career in carpentry in California. He sent tens of thousands of dollars to Mexico: to fund improvements on his parents' house, to buy machines for the family butcher shop. He sent his contractor brother money to build a two-bedroom house where José hopes to retire one day. His mother, who likes talking on the phone, kept him informed on all the doings in town. The construction of a new bridge. The marriages, births, deaths and divorces. The creep of violence as drug cartels brought their wars to Zacatecas. And then one day, a near-tragedy. José's father, jovial, strong, always cracking jokes, landed in the hospital with a heart that doctors said was failing. He languished there six months on the brink of death. But he lived. And when he got out, he declared that he wanted to see his eldest son. A full third of people born in Zacatecas live in the U.S. Migration is so common, the state has an agency tasked with attending to the needs of Zacatecanos living abroad. It has been helping elderly Mexicans get visas to visit family north of the border for years. The state tried to get some 25 people visas this year. But the United States, now led by a president who has vilified immigrants, approved only six. José had a childhood friend, Horacio Zapata, who also migrated to the U.S. and who hasn't seen his father in 30 years. Horacio's father also applied for a visa, but he didn't make the cut. Horacio was crestfallen. A few years back, his mother died in Mexico. He had spent his life working to help get her out of poverty, and then never had a chance to say goodbye. He often thought about what he would give to share one last hug with her. Everything. He would give everything. He and his wife had come with José to offer moral support. He put his arm around his friend, whose voice shook with nerves. East L.A. was normally bustling, filled with vendors hawking fruit, flowers and tacos. But on this hot August afternoon, as a car pulled up outside the event hall to deposit José's parents and the other elderly travelers, the streets were eerily quiet. Since federal agents had descended on California, apprehending gardeners, day laborers and car wash workers en masse, residents in immigrant-heavy pockets like this one had mostly stayed inside. The thought crossed José's mind: What if immigration agents raided the reunion event? But there was no way he was going to miss it. Suddenly, the director of the Federation of Zacatecas Hometown Assns. of Southern California, which was hosting the reunion, asked José to rise. Slowly, his parents walked in. Of course they recognized one another. His first thought: How small they both seemed. José gathered his mother in an embrace. He handed her the flowers. And then he gripped his father tightly. This is a miracle, his father whispered. He'd asked the Virgin for this. His father, whose heart condition persists, was fatigued from the long journey. They all took seats. His father put his head down on the table and sobbed. José stared at the ground, sniffling, pulling up his shirt to wipe away tears. A mariachi singer performed a few songs, too loudly. Plates of food appeared. José and his parents picked at it, mostly in silence. At the next table, José Manuel Arellano Cardona, 70, addressed his middle-aged son as muchachito — little boy. In the coming days, José and his parents would relax into one another's company, go shopping, attend church. Most evenings, they would stay up past midnight talking. Eventually, the parents would head back to Zacatecas because of the limit on their visas. But for now, they were together, and eager to see José's home. He took them by the arms as he guided them out into the California sun.
