Latest news with #Latino
Axios
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
DNC launches longshot strategy to flip deep-red Utah
The Democratic National Committee is pouring more than $1 million into Utah to lay the groundwork to some day turn the state blue. Why it matters: Though Republican voters in the state outnumber Democrats nearly 4 to 1, recently elected DNC chair Ken Martin sees Utah's growth and evolving demographics as a path to flipping it. State of play: It's a tall order in a state where Trump slightly improved his margin in the 2024 election compared to 2020. Republicans also hold all of Utah's congressional and statewide executive offices as well as supermajorities in both the state House and Senate. Driving the news: Utah is among other GOP-controlled states where the DNC will invest $22,500 monthly in the state Democratic Party over four years through its new State Partnership Program. Martin said the funding will boost infrastructure for races from school board to the federal level. The investment comes as the spiraling Democratic Party struggles to find its identity and connect with voters following President Trump's win. What they're saying: "We have to actually build a party that's not just in seven battleground states," Martin told Axios during an interview in downtown Salt Lake City. "We have to build everywhere. There's no such thing as a perpetual red state." "Eventually, the state will turn blue. It's not going to happen overnight," he said, noting Colorado's decadeslong transition from a former Republican-leaning state to a blue state. The intrigue: After the 2030 census count, Martin believes Utah will remain one of the top five fastest-growing states in the U.S., gaining two to three new congressional seats as blue states like Minnesota and California stand to lose representation. "You have to skate to where that puck will be, not where that puck is," he said, quoting the hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Between the lines: Martin also sees an opening to connect with Latino Utahns, who comprise about 15% of the state population. "When you think about the future voters of this state, the Latino community is really critical," he said. "Whoever is first to organize that community, especially younger Latino voters, is likely going to win the future." Zoom in: When it comes to courting Latter-day Saint voters, a voting bloc shown to be lukewarm on Trump, Martin said Democrats must do a better job talking about religion and faith. What's next: If the state gains congressional power and redraws districts, Martin sees Utah's shift to purple coming into view in as soon as five to 10 years. The other side: "$22,500 and a complete platform change, and we might be talking about something," former Utah GOP chair and previous gubernatorial candidate Carson Jorgensen told Axios about the funding's impact.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Latino vendors to showcase at expanded 2025 South Main Mercado in Rockford
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The South Main Mercado, a celebration of Rockford's Latino community, will take place again in 2025. In 2023, the Mercado (Spanish for 'market') was held at the Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S Main Street. In 2024, the event expanded to include a variety of Latino vendors, including food trucks and merchandise booths, to bring awareness of Latino-led businesses in the area. The 2025 event will be presented by Hard Rock Casino Rockford and held at 917 S. Main Street on Sunday, June 8th from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Nicor Community Initiative Stage will see performances from Spanish rock, mariachi, folk dancers, and DJ Tornado. A family fun zone will be hosted by the Rockford Park District, including games and interactive activities, including face-painting and a crafting corner. The International Soccer League of Rockford will host fast-paced 3v3 futsal games. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New York IATSE Local Accused of Nepotism in Class Action Lawsuit
The largest crew union in New York was hit with a class action lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging that it has excluded hundreds of film and TV workers while reserving jobs for insiders. Ronald Bishop, an electrical technician, alleges that it took him 12 years to gain admission to IATSE Local 52. He was repeatedly informed that he had failed the union entrance exam, which the suit alleges was a 'sham.' He continued to work on shows including 'Blue Bloods' and 'Daredevil' as an 'applicant.' He was excluded from supervisory roles and watched other, less experienced workers get promoted ahead of him, the lawsuit states. Even after he qualified for the pension plan in 2018, he was still denied union membership for another six years, according to the suit. 'During this period, Local 52 arbitrarily admitted hundreds of other individuals on the basis of nepotism and friendship, ahead of Mr. Bishop and putative class members,' the lawsuit states. 'These restrictions caused Mr. Bishop financial harm and emotional distress for the years he was improperly blocked from union membership.' IATSE declined to comment. IATSE Local 52 was previously investigated by the New York State Attorney General's office, which concluded in 2014 that the admissions process was plagued by nepotism, which disproportionately excluded Black and Latino applicants. The union agreed to a settlement in which it paid a $475,000 fine and was subject to outside monitoring for three years. It did not admit wrongdoing. Local 52 agreed to another settlement in 2022, pledging not to illegally 'bump' non-members off of production jobs in favor of cardholders. Bishop's class action lawsuit alleges that the union continues to exclude workers from membership even though they qualify for the health plan, which should make them automatically eligible. The suit also alleges that supervisory members still control who works and who doesn't, and follow 'unwritten rules' that favor cardholders. 'Cardholders can bump, or replace, noncardholders from productions when cardholders need work,' the suit alleges. Bishop, who is Black, filed an individual discrimination suit against Local 52 and several studios, including Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and CBS, in September 2024. His attorney, Fred Charles, dismissed that suit and refiled a class action under federal labor law, after hearing about others of all races who were excluded from membership. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CCM Latino Originators Recognized Among Nations Best on NAHREP Top 250 List
CLEVELAND, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), the Nation's #1 Retail Mortgage Lender, made its strongest showing yet on the 2025 National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) Top 250 Latino Mortgage Originators list, with 17 loan officers earning recognition — a 21% increase over last year. This year's list highlights standout Hispanic leaders across the country, including Terri Santiago-Parker, who ranked #1 in the Northeast Region for the second consecutive year. In the Southwest Region, Chris Leon and Lizy Hoeffer took the top two spots, ranking #1 and #2, respectively. Rodrigo Ballon and Julio Silva were also recognized in NAHREP's Top 100 Latino Mortgage Originators by Volume, earning the #4 and #6 positions. "Helping more Hispanic and Latino families achieve the dream of homeownership is not just a goal at CCM — it's a commitment we're proud to deliver on," said Ron Leonhardt, Founder and CEO of CCM. "Representation on this list is an honor, but what matters most is the real impact behind it. I'm proud of our team and ready to do even more in 2025." NAHREP's Top 250 list honors mortgage professionals who are helping drive sustainable homeownership for Latino families, based on the number of closed mortgages during the 2024 calendar year. In 2024, CCM helped nearly 14,000 Hispanic families purchase homes, funding a record $5 billion in home loan volume within those communities. CCM continues to invest in tools, resources and partnerships that provide authentic, focused support to Hispanic homebuyers — building borrower confidence and expanding access to homeownership. The company is a national partner of NAHREP and actively participates in its annual homeownership and wealth building conference each year. "These professionals represent the backbone of Latino homeownership growth in the U.S.," said NAHREP National President Oralia Herrera. "They have guided thousands of families through a tough housing market, proving that trust, market expertise, and deep community ties are the true drivers of success in this industry." For more information about CrossCountry Mortgage, visit About CrossCountry MortgageCrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is the nation's number one distributed retail mortgage lender with more than 7,000 employees operating over 700 branches and servicing loans across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Our company has been recognized ten times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private businesses and has received many awards for our standout culture. We offer more than 120 mortgage, refinance and home equity solutions – ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs from FHA and programs for Veterans and rural homebuyers – and we are a direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae (NMLS #3029). Through our dedication to getting it done, we make every mortgage feel like a win. Contact: Natalie LonjakDirector, Corporate View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE CrossCountry Mortgage
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia High School Admissions Policy Target of Trump Civil Rights Probe
This article was originally published in Chalkbeat. The federal departments of Education and Justice are investigating whether changes to the admissions policy at a prestigious Virginia high school violated the civil rights of Asian American students, even though the U.S. Supreme Court already let the updated admissions policy stand. The investigation comes after the Virginia Attorney General's Office said its own investigation found 'reasonable cause' to believe bias against Asian American students motivated the changes at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, and referred the case to federal authorities. Under President Donald Trump, the Education Department has warned school districts that even race-neutral policies that aim to diversify magnet schools and honors programs could amount to illegal discrimination, despite court rulings that have repeatedly upheld such policies. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Many school systems with selective high schools are in the midst of ongoing debate about how students should qualify for those schools. This is the first civil rights investigation during the second Trump administration to look specifically at high school admissions. Other cases have targeted mentorship programs for students of color and antiracist teacher training that federal officials say invoked racial stereotypes as the Trump administration tries to root out common practices associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion. Fairfax County Public Schools changed the admissions criteria for the school, commonly known as TJ, in 2020 with the goal of creating a more diverse student body. The 1,800-student school draws from five area school districts and often sends students on to elite colleges and successful careers. In the years before the change, the student body typically was more than two-thirds Asian American. Most students came from just a few middle schools. Very few Black and Latino students attended the school. The district dropped the use of standardized test scores, incorporated 'experience factors' into the admissions process, and reserved seats for students from each middle school in the area. Parents, many of whom were Asian American, organized as the Coalition for TJ and sued the district over the changes, but the Supreme Court declined to take the case in early 2024. That seemed to be the end of the matter. But this week Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, said a two-year investigation had found evidence that anti-Asian American bias had motivated the policy change. Miyares said school board members in private communications described the policies as having 'an anti asian feel' and that the changes would 'kick out Asians.' After the policy change, Asian American students went from 73% of admitted students to 54%, the attorney general's office said. The share of white, Black, and Latino students all increased. The study body is currently about 60% Asian American, 20% white, 7% Latino, and 5.5% Black. The attorney general's office did not release a full report that would provide more context for board member comments and told Chalkbeat to obtain it from the school district. The school district said it would consider the request but did not immediately share the report. Coalition for TJ also alleged in its lawsuit that the school district was biased against Asian American students, but the court did not find that the policy change violated equal protection requirements. Miyares referred the case to the federal Justice and Education departments, which announced they would open Title VI investigations into the district. Title VI protects students from discrimination on the basis of race or shared ancestry. 'Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County has long had a reputation for producing some of our nation's brightest minds, due in no small part to its rigorous admissions process,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement announcing the investigation. 'The Fairfax County School Board's alleged decision to weigh race in TJ's admissions decisions appears to be both contrary to the law and to the fundamental principle that students should be evaluated on their merit, not the color of their skin.' A spokesperson for Fairfax County Public Schools said the district was reviewing documents related to the investigation and would have a more detailed response in a few days. 'This matter has already been fully litigated,' the district said. 'A federal appellate court determined there was no merit to arguments that the admissions policy for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology discriminates against any group of students.' Yuyan Chou, a member of Coalition for TJ, told local TV station WUSA9 that the federal investigation gives parents new hope. 'The Supreme Court decided basically not to hear our case and at that point, I thought the American dream died,' she said. 'There's no path forward, there's nothing going to happen again until today. I believe there is a chance we can revive that dream.' Chris Kieser, a senior attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represented Coalition for TJ and regularly brings lawsuits opposing affirmative action, said he was pleased to see the federal government take another look at the case. 'We certainly think there are grounds to investigate,' he said. Just because the Supreme Court didn't take up the case 'doesn't mean there were no issues.' Kieser said the Pacific Legal Foundation continues to hope that the Supreme Court will take up a high school admissions case. Policies that aim to diversify selective high schools often end up discriminating against Asian American students, Kieser said, and the fact that those student continue to gain admittance at high rates under revised policies doesn't mean they don't discriminate against individual students. Derek Black, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, said civil rights investigations can apply a different standard in seeking to protect students than the Supreme Court did in declining to hear the case. But the Education Department's interpretation of the law appears to be in direct violation of court rulings. 'They have no legal authority to enforce Title VI in a way that is inconsistent with the law,' he said. 'If TJ is willing to stand up for itself, it will have to challenge the administration in court. And this is what has been going on all over the country.' Civil rights investigations often result in negotiated settlements in which school districts agree to make certain changes. The federal government also has the power to withhold federal funds to penalize school districts. Historically that hasn't happened. But under Trump, the federal government has used its civil rights enforcement powers more aggressively in an effort to get states and school districts to comply with its interpretations of the law. Black said the department appears to be applying disparate impact theory — a type of legal analysis that looks at whether certain policies affect certain groups in disproportionate ways — to a high school admissions policy just weeks after Trump signed an executive order barring the use of disparate impact theory. The administration would need a 'smoking gun' that showed bias against Asian American students to conclude that the district violated those students' civil rights, Black said. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at
