Latino News Network

Noah Bullock, Executive Director of Cristosal, told LNN that the year‑long detention of López is a politically motivated act of repression designed to silence dissent and punish her for exposing high‑level corruption within the Bukele administration. “Ruth was arrested without an order from the attorney general and accused of a crime that she couldn’t have committed because she never managed public funds,” Bullock said.

The circumstances of her arrest were equally alarming. Luis Benavides, López’s husband, told Latino News Network that police arrived at their home under false pretenses. “The police came to our house with some story about our car having been in an accident,” he said. “She was in her pajamas. They had her change into other clothes on the street, with a photographer documenting her humiliation.” For Benavides, the spectacle was not only degrading but a clear signal that authorities intended to criminalize López before any legal process had even begun.

How the Chicago suburb of Berwyn is boosting civic engagement and financial transparency through participatory budgeting, inspired by successful initiatives in Edinburg, Texas. Learn how residents are gaining a voice in local spending decisions and rebuilding trust in government.

Lincoln, NE - Thousands of protesters attended the ‘No Kings’ day demonstration on Saturday.  This nationwide protest denounced President #Trump’s military parade and policies. A common theme was criticizing the Trump administration's immigration policy and treatment of immigrants.   Jessica Meza reports

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests trees and native species as a viable method to reduce flooding (while also removing harmful pollutants in water at the same time).  Julia Klee of Spoke Pockette Farm, built a pocket forest in her yard. A pocket forest is a densely planted collection of trees and shrubs; they have a host of benefits, including carbon sequestering and runoff reduction. Klee spoke with Illinois Latino News contributor, Britton Struthers.  

Dr. Martha Muñoz is an evolutionary biologist. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University and an Assistant Curator in the Division of Vertebrate Zoology at the Yale Peabody Museum.Dr. Muñoz spoke with Connect Latino News’ Belen Dumont about her work and family.

Sandi Bianchi, death doula — or una guía del fin de vida

Daughter Rosa Salazar remembers the devotion her parents Beatríz and Anastacio shared until their last moments together. The couple from Zacatecas, Mexico had been married for 70 years and shared 10 children. Her father took care of her, until he took a serious fall and passed away two days later.  

María Santonastaso is an educator who leads her classroom by incorporating literacy, research, and creative components. She emphasizes the importance of play-based learning, comprehensive learning, and classroom collaboration in her teaching. RI Latino News’ Belen Dumont spoke with Santonastaso about providing her students with a strong foundation that prepares them for a lifetime of learning.

According to the NALEO Education Fund, Latinos make up 28 percent of Nevada's population, and one in every five registered voters in the state is Latino. With Nevada being a crucial swing state in November's election, the Latino vote has become increasingly important. LNN's Alexandra Couraud spoke with Rico Cortez, a Mexican American living in northern Nevada. He was raised by a single mother, Rebecca Guerrero, and his Latino roots, along with growing up with a strong matriarch, have shaped his political views. “Women's rights are super important to me because women raised me. Women brought me into this world,” Cortez stated.

On this episode of LNN Spotlight, Writer/Editor Belén Dumont speaks with AARP New Hampshire State Director Christina FitzPatrick about family caregiving. The topics include Deciding Between Home Care or Long-Term Care Facilities Starting Out As A Family Caregiver Family Caregiving Support Groups What Kinds Of Resources Are Available

On Monday, September 16, the Chicago Cubs hosted a Hispanic and Latino Heritage Celebration at Wrigley Field which included pregame festivities. Marija Kraljevic was there reporting for Illinois Latino News.

“The monarch butterfly is like an icon, something that Mexicans identify with,” Claudia Galeno-Sanchez said. “The only difference between monarch butterflies and us as Mexicans is that we do not have the freedom to cross borders.” Jacqueline Cardenas reports on one mother's plight to help save the monarch butterfly. Please visit ILLatinoNews.com to read the story.

‘Doubling-up,’ or when a person temporarily lives with others, is one of the most common forms of #homelessness in #Chicago experienced by predominantly communities of color.  In 2023, over 68,000 people experienced homelessness in the city and nearly 45,000 of them lived doubled-up, according to a report by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. Electa Bey is one of them.

Latinos are disproportionately affected by extreme heat due to climate change. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), more than 40% of Latinos are more likely to live in places that are too hot to work outside for a full day. Cooling centers are proven to help lower the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths. As the heat index soared into the hundreds this past weekend, the Siena Francis House in downtown Omaha opened its cooling center for the first time in 2024. Isa Luzarraga, reporting for LNN and the Midwest Newsroom spoke with Jonathan Kuebler, Salvation Army, Kroc Center. To read the complete article click HERE.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Leo Morales knew that the most vulnerable communities, particularly Latinx communities, would be the hardest hit by the virus. Dr. Morales shares insights…

#LatinoNewsNetwork #Reporter/#Editor Belén Dumont speaks with AARP New Hampshire State Director Christina FitzPatrick on how residents can identify #fraud and skillfully avoid #scams that are becoming increasingly more common and targeting underserved communities. - #identitytheft #aarp #criminal #federaltradecommission #internet #victim #AARPFraudWatchNetwork #cryptocurrency #giftcard Please visit NHLatinoNews.com

First time novelist, Diana Rojas introduces us to "Litany of Saints: A Triptych." Stories about new Americans. To read her opinion piece for Latino News Network by visiting LatinoNewsNetwork.com or cut and paste: https://latinonewsnetwork.com/community/5063180/

In this episode of LNN spotLIGHT, Just JP shares their inspiration and motivation in creating spaces for BIPOC performers. Jewel Sanchez reports for MALatinoNews.com READ: https://malatinonews.com/bostons-latine-drag-community/

The Latino Policy Forum and Illinois Latino News are partnering to create a 2-year long public awareness campaign that will illuminate the most common form of homelessness experienced in the Latinx community, which is through ‘doubling-up’ or when a person temporarily lives with others. Jose M. Muñoz, executive director of La Casa Norte, a homelessness resource non-profit, shared his personal story with doubling up. Anna Arzuaga, Housing Policy Analyst, LPF, also shared insights.

The 2024 elections will soon kick into high gear. The Latino News Network and AARP are collaborating in ensuring voters have the information they need to participate in the electoral process. Christina Fitzpatrick, State Director with AARP New Hampshire spoke to New Hampshire Latino News Writer/Editor Belen Dumont about resources available to the public.

Dr. Geraldine Luna, the Medical Director at the Chicago Department of Public Health, who shares her expertise and insights on the social determinants of health. This is the first episode of the new collaboration between ⁠Illinois Latino News⁠ and ⁠CAN-TV⁠. IL Latino News is one of six independent, local, multimedia news outlets in the Midwest and Northeast. (Spring/Summer Season, 2023)

Today’s LNN Spotlight episode is focused on Social Security. We’ll be answering a few common questions on collecting benefits and busting several myths on the topic. Hispanics make up about 19 percent of the total population in the U.S. and these communities are expected to continually grow across the country. As Hispanics tend to have longer life expectancies in the U.S., elderly Hispanics will also have more time in retirement compared to other ethnic groups.  Our guest today is Christina FitzPatrick, State Director of AARP New Hampshire.

Latino culture often prioritizes caregiving with family members providing direct care to aging parents.  It’s estimated that 75% of Latino caregivers are Latina, and likely to be in their early to mid-40s. An increasing 27% of Millennial family caregivers are Latino, and more than half are people of color. Christina FitzPatrick, AARP New Hampshire State Director, spoke with Belen Dumont, New Hampshire Latino News Editor about the invisible work of family caregivers and the resources available to help them manage what can often be a very stressful situation.

Activists across the South Side of Chicago demand transparency from the Department of Water Management as the city attempts to combat lead contamination in drinking water. While the City has not publicly reported new results since the end of 2021, existing data from the City of Chicago website shows that a significant portion of water tests with elevated lead levels were recorded in Black and Hispanic communities. Mackenzie Tatananni, graduate student at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, spoke with Linda Gonzalez, a member of the People’s Council of Southeast Chicago, who is advocating for change following her experience with the city-sponsored Equity Lead Service Line Replacement Program.

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic’s arrival, small businesses and nonprofits across the state continue to be disproportionately impacted.  Seeing as minority-owned and led organizations faced a variety of challenges before the pandemic, accessible resources have become more crucial than ever. Associate Lending Manager of the National Development Council Jovanna Mejia speaks to us about specific barriers minority entrepreneurs face and the unique resources available to them.

In September, the Madison Metropolitan School District appointed Nury Castillo Crawford as Executive Director of Alternative Schools & Innovation. Castillo Crawford shared with LNN her experience as an immigrant from Peru and her experience as a student in the public school system shaped her life's work and mission as an educator and advocate for students and bilingual education.

Voting in the United States can often be an inaccessible process preventing eligible voters, particularly in marginalized communities, from casting their ballot. This is especially true for Hispanic Latinos. Many of them are new to the electoral process, either because they just came of age or in the case of foreign-born members of the group – they just became naturalized citizens. Giana Aguilar-Valencia, a journalism student at DePaul University, and also an Hortencia Zavala Foundation fellow in the Journalism Camp: Covering Race, ethnicity, and culture - hosted a special edition of the Latino News Network podcast, "3 Questions With..."

“Much of [misinformation and disinformation] has been targeting the Spanish language population in the United States, and they’re especially vulnerable because platforms haven’t been as good in dealing with [misinformation from] non-English speakers on the platforms," said John Marion. Among the insights Marion shared were on national efforts to address voting misinformation and disinformation, which continues to disproportionately reach Hispanic and Latino communities online. This leads to confusion and frustration among potential Hispanic-Latino voters, possibly turning them away from casting their ballot.

With over 12 percent of the students enrolled in Illinois public schools during the 2020-2021 school year considered English Language Learners, Illinois has the fourth highest concentration of English Learners in the U.S. These students, many of whom are Spanish-speaking Latinos, face a unique set of barriers that research and advocacy groups are looking to solve. Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro and Erika Mendez of Latino Policy Forum’s (LPF) education team discuss the needs of bilingual and English Learner students in Illinois.

“Civics is a hallmark of the work that we do here at the (CWECSEO) commission,” said Steven Hernandez, an attorney who serves as the executive director of the Commission on Women, children, seniors, equity and opportunity (CWCSEO) at the Connecticut General Assembly. In this episode, Hernandez speaks of the importance of promoting civic engagement in the state of Connecticut.

Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos discusses the budget for the 2023 fiscal year and the many benefits for Rhode Island residents, including the Cover All Kids campaign promising to ensure that all children in the state have access to health coverage regardless of their immigration status. Matos also shares what being the first Dominican American to hold the position of Lieutenant Governor in the United States means to a community who often does not see themselves in positions of leadership in government.

Andres Mejia on creating spaces for students of color and diverse backgrounds to feel safe and have a sense of belonging. Mejia also shares insights about challenging the state’s ‘banned concepts’ law prohibiting the teaching of so-called "divisive concepts" related to race and gender by public schools, state agencies, and contractors.

Rosario Ubiera-Minaya on building the political and economic power of the Latinx community of Massachusetts

Marcela Betancur on the Let RI Vote Act, and how it will make it easier for Hispanics-Latinos to participate in the electoral process.

Sonia Alvelo on the importance of financial literacy, and insights on helping small businesses not just survive through the COVID-19 crisis, but how to thrive.

Secretary Gorbea on her career in public service, the first Latina to run for Governor in New England, and the importance of equitable representation in government.

Ric Estrada shares insights into empowering families to learn, to earn, to heal, to thrive.

Sylvia Puente speaks about the work she leads in building the power, influence, and leadership of the Latino community.

Marcela Betancur shares her life’s work, LPI’s mission, and what matters most to Hispanics-Latinos in Rhode Island.

Dr. Marina Del Rios, a former emergency room doctor at University of Illinois Hospital, member of the Illinois Unidos coalition shares insights on battling COVID19, and social determinants of health.

Werner Oyandel talks about eliminating disparities by identifying opportunities, why resources should focus on young Latinos, and solutions to getting more members of the community to participate on Election Day.

Cesar Rolon talks about how the women in his life inspire his work to elevate the visibility of Latinas as artists, entrepreneurs, leaders.

Rojas Saldana talks about her new collaborative new book: Extraordinary Latinas: Powerful Voices of Resilience, Courage & Empowerment, and advice for women on managing their personal and professional lives

Representative Espitia shares insights on the state's debate over critical race theory, being the focus of intimidation tactics by white supremacists, and the Latino population boom.

Festa shares insights on how scam artists prey on the most vulnerable of the pandemic, grants given to local organizations working to build up disenfranchised communities, and a look at what's ahead for the organization in 2022.

William talks about the salsa group's new album El Camino, Latino contributions to american music, and performing in a  virtual concert in the era of COVID.

Joe Rodriguez, talks about the need for diversity and inclusion in media, the role of independent Latino  journalists and the summer of futbol!

Nora Duncan talks about organizing and mobilizing members and partners to action on issues like  Affordable Health Care, Long-Term Care, Consumer Protections, Financial Security, and more. The Latino News Network, the Online News Source of New England's Latinos

Evelyn Barahona, Director of the Latino Equity Fund talks about advocacy work focused on addressing the longstanding health and economic inequities the Massachusetts Hispanic-Latino community faces; providing them with the resources they need to thrive. The Latino News Network, the Online News Source of New England's Latinos