Latest news with #Román
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Americans Are Worried About These 3 Aspects of the Economy — Should They Be?
Inflation continues to weigh heavily on Americans' minds, coming in at or near the top among economic worries in recent surveys. Whether it merits that level of worry is open for debate. Inflation topped a recent YouGov/Economist poll on Americans' biggest concerns, not just for the economy but overall. In a Clever Real Estate survey on consumer sentiment, 94% of Americans listed inflation as a top economic worry. Be Aware: Read Next: While high prices — or at least prices that feel high — continue to strain budgets, not all economists believe that level of concern is warranted. Robert R. Johnson, a professor of finance at Creighton University's Heider College of Business, advises turning that particular worry meter down for now and seeing how the Trump administration's economic proposals play out. 'Americans should not fear inflation currently,' Johnson said. 'But given the tax cuts advocated by the Trump administration, inflation could be a significant problem longer term. The budget deficit will rise dramatically if Trump's tax cuts are enacted. Additionally, inflation will be stoked if significant tariffs are in place for any length of time.' GOBankingRates breaks down the larger worries around the U.S. economy, and whether Americans should be on high alert or not. Price increases have cooled compared to spikes seen in recent years, though many costs are still higher than they were before the surge. As measured by the Consumer Price Index, inflation rose 2.3% over the 12-month period that ended in April. That's actually the lowest increase for the all-items index since February of 2021. It's also down from the 2.4% increase for the 12-month period that ended in March. Belinda Román, an associate professor of economics at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, noted that some level of inflation is always expected, and 2.3% is close to levels targeted by Federal Reserve. Nevertheless many of us have come to define inflation as prices feeling too high, rather than prices increasing significantly. 'A lot of the economy is perception,' Román said. 'People may think inflation has run away, when it hasn't really.' 'We notice it at certain times of year,' she added, citing increasing gas prices as summer draws closer. Try This: The only item listed more often than inflation in Clever Real Estate's survey of economic worries? The rising cost of all types of insurance. A whopping 95% of respondents listed increasing insurance costs among their top economic concerns. Homeowners' insurance rates surged by 24% between 2021 and 2024, according to a report from the Consumer Federation of America. These increases haven't been limited to disaster-prone regions, with rates climbing nationwide due to inflation and higher repair costs. That said, a recent spate of disasters is having a widespread impact. 'This is putting a lot of pressure on insurers,' Román said. 'Even if it's not happening where you are, it's reverberating throughout the country.' Auto insurance has also seen sharp increases, with premiums up 0.6% in April and 6.4 over the last twelve months ending in April, based on the Consumer Price Index. 'There is no magic bullet to control these costs,' Johnson said. 'The rising cost of insurance is certainly changing the attractiveness of certain housing markets, particularly for retirees.' Cuts proposed by the Trump administration were also prominent in Clever Real Estate's survey on top economic worries. Among those figures: Only about a third of respondents supported recent mass layoffs at many federal agencies, with 82% expressing worry about federal spending cuts. Three quarters of those surveyed said they would feel an impact on themselves or their families if cuts reduced assistance programs like Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps, and benefits for veterans. 'There is a great deal of uncertainty with respect to federal government spending, particularly programs like Medicaid,' Johnson said. 'Historically it has been political suicide to advocate for cuts in programs like Social Security or Medicaid. But there is a great deal of uncertainty with respect to the future of these programs in the current political environment.' 'I wouldn't say it was irrational for those who are retiring to claim Social Security earlier than they might have, given the uncertain political environment,' he continued. Cuts to Medicaid and food stamps could affect millions of low-income Americans, forcing states to shoulder more of the costs or reduce benefits. It's all part of a philosophical debate about who should be responsible, and who should pay. 'We haven't done this since… you may need to go back to Reagan,' Román said. 'We're having this national conversation again.' More From GOBankingRates These Cars May Seem Expensive, but They Rarely Need Repairs This article originally appeared on Americans Are Worried About These 3 Aspects of the Economy — Should They Be? Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Americans Are Worried About These 3 Aspects of the Economy — Should They Be?
Inflation continues to weigh heavily on Americans' minds, coming in at or near the top among economic worries in recent surveys. Whether it merits that level of worry is open for debate. Inflation topped a recent YouGov/Economist poll on Americans' biggest concerns, not just for the economy but overall. In a Clever Real Estate survey on consumer sentiment, 94% of Americans listed inflation as a top economic worry. Be Aware: Read Next: While high prices — or at least prices that feel high — continue to strain budgets, not all economists believe that level of concern is warranted. Robert R. Johnson, a professor of finance at Creighton University's Heider College of Business, advises turning that particular worry meter down for now and seeing how the Trump administration's economic proposals play out. 'Americans should not fear inflation currently,' Johnson said. 'But given the tax cuts advocated by the Trump administration, inflation could be a significant problem longer term. The budget deficit will rise dramatically if Trump's tax cuts are enacted. Additionally, inflation will be stoked if significant tariffs are in place for any length of time.' GOBankingRates breaks down the larger worries around the U.S. economy, and whether Americans should be on high alert or not. Price increases have cooled compared to spikes seen in recent years, though many costs are still higher than they were before the surge. As measured by the Consumer Price Index, inflation rose 2.3% over the 12-month period that ended in April. That's actually the lowest increase for the all-items index since February of 2021. It's also down from the 2.4% increase for the 12-month period that ended in March. Belinda Román, an associate professor of economics at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, noted that some level of inflation is always expected, and 2.3% is close to levels targeted by Federal Reserve. Nevertheless many of us have come to define inflation as prices feeling too high, rather than prices increasing significantly. 'A lot of the economy is perception,' Román said. 'People may think inflation has run away, when it hasn't really.' 'We notice it at certain times of year,' she added, citing increasing gas prices as summer draws closer. Try This: The only item listed more often than inflation in Clever Real Estate's survey of economic worries? The rising cost of all types of insurance. A whopping 95% of respondents listed increasing insurance costs among their top economic concerns. Homeowners' insurance rates surged by 24% between 2021 and 2024, according to a report from the Consumer Federation of America. These increases haven't been limited to disaster-prone regions, with rates climbing nationwide due to inflation and higher repair costs. That said, a recent spate of disasters is having a widespread impact. 'This is putting a lot of pressure on insurers,' Román said. 'Even if it's not happening where you are, it's reverberating throughout the country.' Auto insurance has also seen sharp increases, with premiums up 0.6% in April and 6.4 over the last twelve months ending in April, based on the Consumer Price Index. 'There is no magic bullet to control these costs,' Johnson said. 'The rising cost of insurance is certainly changing the attractiveness of certain housing markets, particularly for retirees.' Cuts proposed by the Trump administration were also prominent in Clever Real Estate's survey on top economic worries. Among those figures: Only about a third of respondents supported recent mass layoffs at many federal agencies, with 82% expressing worry about federal spending cuts. Three quarters of those surveyed said they would feel an impact on themselves or their families if cuts reduced assistance programs like Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps, and benefits for veterans. 'There is a great deal of uncertainty with respect to federal government spending, particularly programs like Medicaid,' Johnson said. 'Historically it has been political suicide to advocate for cuts in programs like Social Security or Medicaid. But there is a great deal of uncertainty with respect to the future of these programs in the current political environment.' 'I wouldn't say it was irrational for those who are retiring to claim Social Security earlier than they might have, given the uncertain political environment,' he continued. Cuts to Medicaid and food stamps could affect millions of low-income Americans, forcing states to shoulder more of the costs or reduce benefits. It's all part of a philosophical debate about who should be responsible, and who should pay. 'We haven't done this since… you may need to go back to Reagan,' Román said. 'We're having this national conversation again.' More From GOBankingRates These Cars May Seem Expensive, but They Rarely Need Repairs This article originally appeared on Americans Are Worried About These 3 Aspects of the Economy — Should They Be? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
New L.A. community college Chancellor Alberto J. Román pledges ‘culture of accountability'
Alberto J. Román, the interim chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District who assumed the post amid the system's yearslong reckoning with legal troubles, was appointed to the permanent role Wednesday by the district's Board of Trustees. Román, who pledged a 'culture of accountability,' had been named interim chancellor after Francisco C. Rodriguez abruptly resigned last year, shocking critics and champions alike. During Rodriguez's decade at the helm, the nine-college district faced lawsuits alleging gender discrimination, sexual harassment and whistleblower retaliation, among other claims. He and the trustees endured a vote of no confidence from the district's Academic Senate in 2024 that centered on what it described as a failure to sufficiently address sexual harassment and discrimination claims, among other concerns. Román, 47, who has worked for the nation's largest two-year college system in various roles spanning more than 11 years, was given a roughly three-year contract, which takes effect immediately and pays $440,000 annually. A former president of East L.A. College, he also previously served as the vice chancellor of human resources for the community college district. 'We pride ourselves on being leaders and identifying and combating any type of discrimination,' Román said in an interview with The Times. 'I've also emphasized the importance of transparency, of trust building, both internally and with the broader public.' A Mexican immigrant who came to the U.S. as a child, Román oversaw the creation of East L.A. College's pioneering Central American studies program, which launched in 2023. It has been billed as the first such endeavor in California at the community college level and affords students the chance to earn an associate degree in the field. 'It was truly, for me, a very important program to have here in Los Angeles,' said Román, who has worked in education for more than two decades. He said a trip to El Salvador with faculty had inspired him to create the program. 'I really grew an interest in learning more about our Central American community here.' Just a year ago, Román had praised Rodriguez in an open letter for his 'transformative decade of service, leadership, and vision.' But the end of the former chancellor's tenure had been rocky. In August, Rodriguez said that he would step down to help care for his ailing father. The move was a major surprise, in part because the district had given him a four-year contract extension a year earlier. Rodriguez departed Nov. 2, with Román subsequently assuming the interim position. Rodriguez did not respond to interview requests. Among the lawsuits Rodriguez and the district have faced is an ongoing one filed by former general counsel Maribel Medina over allegations of sexual harassment, whistleblower retaliation and other claims. She alleged in a 2024 L.A. Superior Court suit brought against Rodriguez, the district and a trustee that she was placed on leave — and then fired — after complaining to the then-chancellor about disparities in her salary, and bringing to his attention the 'evident lack of compliance at the District with sexual harassment training.' Medina, who is Mexican American, also alleged in the complaint that Rodriguez once said in her presence, 'Mexican women serve me and they like it.' The defendants have denied the allegations, according to court filings. Their attorneys did not respond to interview requests. Medina's attorney declined to comment. A trial in the case is set for January. Asked about some of the controversies that the former chancellor weathered, Román said that in a system as large as the college district — it has a workforce of nearly 10,000 people — 'issues will invariably arise,' and that he could not discuss ongoing litigation. He also stressed that the district was 'actively working' to make sure policies related to professional conduct are updated. He added employees would be trained on an ongoing basis so they understand the revised codes and guidelines. Another area of scrutiny has been the district's multibillion-dollar construction bond program. Since the early 2010s, it has been dogged by allegations that it was poorly managed, wasted money and was subject to nepotism. Román insisted that the program has been overhauled, touting 'more rigorous accountability measures,' and improved 'vendor selection processes,' while noting the hiring this year of an independent, third-party bond monitor, Affiliated Monitors. 'The issues that were identified about 10 years ago have been resolved,' he said. 'I think a program of this size will undoubtedly have flare-ups, but we have managed those.' Román faces other challenges, among them the ongoing recovery from a massive drop in enrollment tirggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The district said it had about 210,000 students for the 2019-2020 school year — but enrollment plunged to 158,000 for the 2021-2022 year. It picked up from there and stood at 194,000 students in 2023-2024. He touted the upward trend and said the district, as a whole, hadn't seen a decline in enrollment over the last four years. He attributed the success, in part, to an emphasis on career technical education, which he said could be helpful as the region prepares to host both the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. Then, there's President Trump. His executive orders on higher education, the launching of investigations into antisemitism on university campuses and the deportation of college students have roiled academia at large. So far, Román said, the president's various actions have not directly affected the college district. He said that, to his knowledge, no students in the district have been deported and none of its funding has been eliminated — though a roughly $500,000 arts-related grant has been 'placed on hold.' 'We will continue to monitor our funding and do everything we can to protect it,' he said. 'We will continue to monitor policies that could impact our students. We stand firm with them.' Román also said that no programs had been altered to comply with Trump's directives aimed at rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on college campuses. 'Our programs ... [are] inclusive of all students,' he said. 'That's in essence how we are able to continue the work that we need to do.' In a statement, Gabriel Buelna, a member of the Board of Trustees, noted that Román was taking over 'at a time of intense national pressure.' He said the chancellor had 'exceptional credentials, proven talent, and the vision and integrity needed to lead LACCD through challenging times and strengthen our region.'
Boston Globe
30-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Latinos make up vast majority of new Massachusetts residents, report finds
'But for the growth of the Latino population here in the state, Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Advertisement Román said the Latino community, which now makes up 13.5 percent of the Massachusetts population, has become an important economic engine for the state and a crucial part of its long-term sustainability. The rapid growth of the Latino population has compensated for the loss of residents to other states, an exodus widely blamed on high housing costs, particularly in the Boston area. Last year, the state experienced its largest population increase in more than half a century — An estimated 90,000 immigrants came to Massachusetts between 2023 and 2024, according to the UMass Donahue Institute, many of them from Latin America. Last year saw the highest level of immigration to the state since at least 1990. Advertisement Tuesday's report, based on Census Bureau data, did not distinguish between immigration to Massachusetts and the domestic migration of Latinos from other states. In 2023, roughly 54 percent of Latinos who moved to Massachusetts came from other US states, with the rest coming from other countries, according to Ken Johnson, a demographer at the University of New Hampshire, citing ACS data. Related : The report also found that the Latino population in Massachusetts tends to be younger than the state as a whole, with 74 percent under the age of 45 in 2023, as compared to 56 percent of Massachusetts overall. More than a quarter of Latinos are under 17, according to the report. 'That is incredible,' Román said. She said young Latinos are 'driving growth, they're launching businesses, they're enrolling in college, and all at record rates. So these numbers will only continue growing.' Many people who have left Massachusetts in recent years are working-age adults, making the Latino arrivals crucial to the state's workforce. Related : Part of the influx of Latinos has come through the state's emergency family shelter system, which has housed But despite the strain on the shelter system, the report suggests that Latinos in Massachusetts represent a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. Latinos contributed $30 billion of the state's overall economic growth from 2014 to 2023, roughly a quarter of the total, per the report. Román said much of the growth was in high-skill, high-earning sectors, such as financial services. Massachusetts Latinos outpace their national counterparts in the education, health care, and administrative sectors, the report found. Advertisement 'There's this misconception that the only Latinos that come here are for low-level jobs, the quote unquote, 'unskilled labor,'' Román said. 'Part of the narrative that we also want to drive is that there are a lot of Latinos that come here to go to school and end up staying here.' Román said the report also underlined the importance of closing existing gaps in education and workforce training for Latinos. 'When I look at the present workforce and the potential for upscaling, making sure we're driving high-quality education opportunities for young kids who are Latino and who will be the future of our workforce, it's a huge incentive for us.' Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, holds a special place for Hispanic Catholics
Elisabeth Román said she'll never forget where she was on March 13, 2013, the day that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was elected pope. 'I was in a restaurant in Puerto Rico, and it came on the TV that we might have a Latino pope,' said Román, who lives in Chicago and is the president of the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry, which promotes the advancement and engagement of Latino Catholics. "It was so exciting, it felt electric — things felt so hopeful, that we would finally have a pope who comes from our culture.' Assessing his legacy, Román said that 'not only has this pope connected with Latinos, it often felt as if he did so directly; he has not seemed as impeded by bureaucracy as other popes — he speaks directly to us, he sees us, he had an impact on our people that is powerful.' The 266th Roman Catholic pontiff, known to the world as Pope Francis, died on Monday at the age of 88. The first pope from the Americas, he forged bonds of faith and connection with millions of Latino Catholics across the United States and Latin America. Román was one of several U.S. Catholics who recently spoke to NBC News after Pope Francis was hospitalized for serious health issues in late February. One in 5 U.S. adults describe themselves as Catholic and of these, over a third (36%) are Latino, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center report. Just as many Polish Americans felt a special affinity with John Paul II, so it was with Latinos and Pope Francis, said Hosffman Ospino, professor of Hispanic Ministry and Religious Education at Boston College. 'He has been able to name many of the realities, concerns, and hopes of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S.,' said Ospino, a native of Colombia. 'He addressed issues related to immigration, to social justice, assimilation and evangelization — he was very intentionally attentive to how Hispanics are integrated into the life of the church.' Olga Sarabia, a retired clinical social worker in Pasadena, California, said her parish had joined others around the globe since late February in special prayers for Francis. 'We were all concerned about our papa," she said, using the Spanish word for pope. 'I loved him because he displayed an openness to all people ... He elevated women, like he appointed a nun to a high office in the Vatican, which is unheard of," Sarabia said. "I remember, when he first came in, he went and washed the feet of the prisoners in jail. This showed his character. He was a pope of the people.' From his love of soccer — though he called himself a 'patadura,' or bad soccer player — to his native Spanish language, the Argentine pope endeared himself to many who identified with his cultural heritage, warmth and compassion. Acknowledging the traditions of Latino Catholics; he urged Mexicans last year to continue their devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Catholic saint and icon that's a powerful symbol of Mexican identity. In 2022, he celebrated a mass in Spanish at the Vatican, where he said that Our Lady of Guadalupe 'came to accompany the American people on this hard road of poverty, exploitation, socio-economic and cultural colonialism' and that 'she is our mother of mixed race.' Pope Francis had two consistent messages, both of which resonated with many of his Hispanic followers, Ospino said. 'One was his concern for those living in poverty; the poor have been at the center of his pontificate. He invited Catholics to be part of a church that was in service of the poor.' 'His second message, right from Day 1, was the plight of immigrants,' Ospino continued. 'Francis was keen to the realities and struggles of immigrants in Europe, the Caribbean, the U.S. and Latin America. He will be remembered as the pope who brought and centered our attention on those who were poor, and on the migrant populations of the world.' In 2019, on a trip to Central America, Pope Francis suggested that animosity toward migrants was driven by fear and 'makes us crazy.' In 2022, he sympathized with migrant caravans trekking to the U.S.'s southern border seeking what he called 'freedom and well-being.' In January 2025, he named a vocal ally of migrants to lead the Archdiocese of Washington. More than four-in-ten U.S. Catholics are immigrants or children of immigrants, according to Pew Research data. On migration, Pope Francis did not shy away from political controversies. He was a fierce critic of President Donald Trump's immigration policies, saying on a 2016 visit to Mexico that "a person who only thinks about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. In January he called Trump's plans for mass deportations 'a disgrace.' In a February letter to U.S. bishops, the pope criticized the criminalization of migrants and deportations, warning, 'What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.' In the U.S., Pope Francis was able to connect because of his awareness of Latino communities, said Ellie Hidalgo, co-director of Discerning Deacons in Miami, a Catholic group that advocates for female deacons. 'Francis understood Latin American cultures, religious traditions and popular devotions. He understands the faith of the people and their resilience, as well as the violence, the poverty and suffering that can drive one's decision to leave their country.' Pope Francis has generally been viewed positively by U.S. Latino Catholics. Almost 8 in 10 viewed him mostly or very favorably, Pew found in its 2024 study, with a plurality describing him as representing major change in the direction of the Catholic Church. This popularity stands in contrast to the clear majorities of U.S. Latinos and Latin Americans who favor positions opposed by the Catholic Church, such as allowing Catholics to use birth control, allowing priests to marry and allowing women to become priests. Yunuen Trujillo, a lay minister and author in Los Angeles, said that Pope Francis made the Catholic Church more inclusive for LGBTQ+ people. In 2013, when asked about gay priests, Pope Francis famously said, 'If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" "We shouldn't marginalize people for this,' the pontiff said. "Just by acknowledging our existence," Trujillo said, "and speaking about us in a positive light many times, that is a big change in perspective." In his 12 years as pope, Francis made multiple visits to the Americas, including trips to Brazil (2013), Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay (2015), Cuba and the U.S. (2015), Cuba and Mexico (2016), Colombia (2017), Chile and Peru (2018) and Panama (2019). He addressed issues pertaining to these countries, such as urging Colombia's government and guerrillas to agree to a peace deal, and condemning drug cartels in Mexico and urging young people not to join them. Francis' populist style at times alarmed some conservatives and traditionalists. In 2015, returning from a visit to Cuba, he defended his remarks on climate change, capitalism and other issues, saying, 'I am certain that I didn't say one thing more than wasn't in the doctrine of the church.' Trujillo pointed out at the way the pope introduced himself to the world in 2013, coming to the papal balcony in black shoes rather than the traditional red Prada shoes. 'It showed that he wanted to be like regular people. Just seeing someone who speaks Spanish, in the leadership role, was important to Latinos who wanted to feel closer to the church.' And although change and reforms may be slow, she feels that Francis moved the Catholic Church in the right direction. 'This was a good pope.'This article was originally published on
