Latest news with #Cornejo
CBS News
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Equity Arc teens join Civic Orchestra members to kick off Chicago Youth and Music Festival
A group of teens played in harmony despite the president's DEI executive order. They played alongside Civic Orchestra members to kick off the Chicago Youth and Music Festival, where a packed crowd praised them before they even performed. Music is a universal language. It's not defined by the color of your skin, which is what Equity Arc wants listeners to take away from Sunday's performance. Jacob Cornejo, 18, has been playing the flute since he was in the fifth grade. "I feel, through the flute, I'm able to express what I'm feeling, and I can share my music and the music that's written on the paper with the audience," he said. Cornejo is one of 60 students in the Equity Arc program, a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and support for young musicians of color. Inside the symphony center, they performed next to Civic Orchestra members, giving a free concert. "We're very excited to have some of the most talented students from across the country, many of them that are representing Chicago, with us, that really represents the extraordinary talent that we have for those that are seeking a professional career in classical music," Equity Arc Executive Director Stanford Thompson said. The teens were supposed to perform "The President's Own," a concert with the United States Marine Band in May, but that opportunity was taken away. An executive order signed by President Trump banned programs for diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the federal government and military. In March, 60 Minutes brought the teens to Washington, D.C. , to ask about the canceled concert. They answered in song. "The color of your skin doesn't matter, you know. You're White, you're Black, you're Brown; you should be able to share the music or do what you love," Cornejo said. This performance kicks off the Chicago Youth and Music Festival. Chicago Symphony Orchestra has a Connect program, in which it works with CPS schools and community youth orchestras to rehearse with Civic Orchestra members. Equity Arc helps student musicians connect with mentors from across the country and provides professional development opportunities, including internships and mock auditions.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Today is the first day of spring: Warm temps, showers usher in season in DC region
The Brief Warm 70s and spring showers mark Thursday's start to the season in D.C. Rain expected around 2 p.m., with evening showers and gusts around 30 mph. Clear Friday with highs in the 50s; mild Saturday, cooler Sunday. What we know WASHINGTON - Warm weather and spring showers usher in the season across the D.C. region on Thursday, with temperatures in the low 70s expected by the afternoon. A cold front will approach by the afternoon hours, knocking temperatures back down into the 60s. Rain is expected to push in around 2 p.m. from the west with showers likely lingering in the area through the evening. Wind gusts in the low 30s are possible tonight. READ MORE: Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off Thursday, welcoming first day of Spring What's next Looking ahead, skies are expected to clear by Friday, with cooler highs in the mid-50s. The weekend will bring mild conditions, with Saturday seeing sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s, while Sunday cools slightly with highs in the 50s. Dig deeper "The last five years have shown that temperatures are not consistent at all on the first day of spring (shocker...), but we have seen that most years have been dry," says FOX 5 meteorologist Cesar Cornejo. Over the last five years, Cornejo said the first day of spring has only seen one day of measurable rainfall. That was back in 2020. "A total of 0.02" was recorded at DCA for the day. The only other year that saw rain on this day was 2022, where the airport recorded only a trace of rain (this does not count as measurable rainfall)," he added. "As for temperatures, the range jumps from warm days in the 70s and 80s to brisk days in the 50s and 60s," Cornejo said. "The warmest day of the last five years has to go to 2020 where a temperature of 83° was recorded as the high. Our coldest morning was in 2023, the low for the day was 30°. That's a whopping 53° difference between our warmest high and coldest low over the last five years." The Source FOX 5 Weather Team & National Weather Service
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Guatemalan workers sue Iowa egg company, alleging human trafficking
Six Guatemalans filed a lawsuit alleging a Centrum Valley Farms supervisor kept this gun displayed in his office and threatened them with deportation as part of a human trafficking operation at the Clarion egg farm. (Main photo courtesy Wright County Assessor's Office; inset photo from federal court filings) Six Guatemalan nationals who worked for Iowa industrial egg supplier Centrum Valley Farms are suing the company alleging human trafficking and claiming they and other immigrant workers were denied overtime pay and threatened with deportation in retaliation for their complaints. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa by attorneys for Guatemalan citizens Kenny Augusto Tetzaguic Lux, Gerver Noel Marroquin Argueta, Isaias Tevalan Lopez, Consuelo Esperanza Lux Tepaz, Cecilia Angelica Bernal Cobo and Juan Carlos Tetzaguic Lux, all of whom lived in Belmond, Eagle Grove, Clarion or Webster City while working for Centrum Valley Farms in recent years. Named as defendants are Centrum Valley Farms of Clarion and company manager Jose Cornejo. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for harassment, discrimination and retaliation; wrongful discharge; human trafficking related to forced labor; violations of wage-and-hour laws related to overtime pay, and violations of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The plaintiffs claim Centrum Valley Farms recruited them to work at the company's Clarion egg farm and packaging facility and helped them obtain work-authorization documents from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with Cornejo acting as their supervisor. On a daily basis, Cornejo, who is Mexican, made 'repeated unwelcome comments disparaging the plaintiffs for their Guatemalan national origin,' the lawsuit claims. Cornejo is accused of telling the plaintiffs all Guatemalans were lazy and that he wanted to replace them with Mexicans or Americans. When the Guatemalans complained about Cornejo to other managers, the harassment allegedly grew worse with Cornejo threatening to have them deported. 'Cornejo even brought a firearm to work, showed it to the plaintiffs, and displayed it in his office to intimidate the plaintiffs and silence their complaints,' the lawsuit claims. Cornejo also is accused of threatening to turn the Guatemalans into Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they tried to voluntarily leave their positions at the company. 'Centrum Valley Farms wanted obedient workers to perform difficult and undesirable job duties that many U.S. citizens are unwilling to perform,' the lawsuit alleges. The company eventually terminated the Guatemalans' employment 'in retaliation for their complaints,' the lawsuit adds. According to the plaintiffs, Centrum Valley Farms hired Kenny Augusto Tetzaguic Lux under a pseudonym in 2016 because he did not have legal status to be in the United States. After working at Centrum Valley Farms for more than six years, the company's management allegedly help him obtain documents to legally work in the United States, according to the lawsuit. Later, company officials allegedly insisted that Lux keep working for Centrum Valley Farms, threatening to blacklist him to discourage him from seeking employment elsewhere, the lawsuit claims. As a poultry barn maintenance worker, Lux was allegedly instructed to keep working each day until all of his tasks were completed, resulting in him working more than 40 hours per week, but without overtime pay, according to the lawsuit. On Jan. 25, 2023, Cornejo allegedly brought a firearm to his office and displayed it on his desk to intimidate Lux and the other Guatemalans, according to the lawsuit. On Oct. 7, 2023, Lux filed his first complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission alleging discrimination based on his national origin, and on May 14, 2024, after being disciplined for insubordination, Lux was fired. One of the other plaintiffs alleges Cornejo referred to him as his 'faithful dog,' his 'slave' and as his 'Guatemalan wetback,' while making him apply pesticides in chicken houses without the necessary protective equipment. The defendants in the case have yet to file a response to the allegations. Officials with Centrum Valley Farms did not return calls Tuesday from the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Vinson & Elkins Welcomes Back Denver-Based Environmental Lawyer Jennifer Cornejo
By Karen Roman Vinson & Elkins said Jennifer Cornejo rejoined the firm's Environmental practice as a Denver-based partner. Ms. Cornejo previously served as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, it stated. Ms. Cornejo focuses on environmental liabilities across diverse industries, including oil and gas and renewable power, among others, the firm said. She also has experience in infrastructure development matters. 'Jennifer has phenomenal experience and judgment, having successfully negotiated the environmental terms of hundreds of transactions across a range of industries,' said Matt Dobbins, Vinson & Elkins deputy practice leader for the Environmental practice. Ms. Cornejo holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center. Contact: Editor@ The post Vinson & Elkins Welcomes Back Denver-Based Environmental Lawyer Jennifer Cornejo appeared first on CorpGov. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
COVID fraud scheme sends Fillmore woman to jail
A Fillmore woman was sentenced to jail Tuesday for stealing more than $100,000 in a felony fraud case that involved COVID-19 relief funds. Claudia Portugal Cornejo, 52, had pleaded guilty in October to five felonies, including two counts of grand theft along with counts of conspiracy, presentation of a fraudulent claim and false personation, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in a news release. Prosecutors say Cornejo stole $70,000 from the county of Ventura and $25,000 from the state through a scheme involving her business, Fillmore General Services. The county had launched a business assistance grant program in June 2020 to help local companies impacted by the pandemic. The state funded a similar program. Cornejo submitted multiple fraudulent applications to the program, according to the DA's office. She also stole $6,800 from two individuals who paid her a fee in advance to submit applications on their behalf. The applications were never submitted, prosecutors say. The county's executive office discovered the fraud in October 2021 when they found suspicious documents in the grant applications, including forged business certificates and doctored tax forms, according to the release. The Ventura County Sheriff's major crimes unit, along with the county executive office, found Cornejo turned in multiple fraudulent applications. She also charged victims to submit paperwork and took a portion of approved grants. She was arrested in October 2022. 'The defendant stole tens of thousands of dollars from taxpayers and hardworking individuals, lining her own pockets at the expense of those in real need,' said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko in a statement. The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy DA Howard Wise. On Tuesday, Cornejo was sentenced to 12 months in jail. An additional 28 months in jail was suspended as part of felony probation terms, the DA's office said. She was also ordered to pay more than $92,000 in restitution to the county, $25,000 to the state and $6,800 to two individual victims. She remains housed at the county's Todd Road Jail facility outside Santa Paula. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: COVID fraud scheme sends Fillmore woman to jail
