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Latina Equal Pay Day: Meet organizations fighting to close the income gap

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — More than 50 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Latinas typically earn only 57 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men and must work nearly 23 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months.

Latina Equal Pay Day — the day when Latina pay catches up to that of white, non-Hispanic men from the previous year — is being observed on Oct. 21.

In 2019, the median wealth of a Latino household was about $14,000, which represents only 9% of the median wealth of white households: $160,200, according to the National Bureau Of Economic Research. It’s a gap that can affect Latino families for generations.

As Latinas across the country fight for equal pay and equal opportunities, organizations like #WeAllGrow Latina, the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement and Vela are working to support, uplift and fund Latina workers on their path toward breaking glass ceilings.

“If I’m going to grow, if I’m going to understand how to do this, then I’m going to teach it and we’re all going to do this together,” said Ana Flores, the founder and CEO of the online networking community #WeAllGrow Latina. “Now we’re on 11 years later and we really have become a community.”

Systemic racial and gender-based discrimination is at the root of this pay gap, according to Patricia Mota, the CEO of Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement.

However, these groups are working hard to not only cultivate a strong Latinx network, but also provide professional development trainings, talent acquisition services and grants or fellowships to entrepreneurs, businesses and students. They also offer tools for mental health and self-care.

For example, Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement hosts the Women’s Leadership Program, which has hosted about 3,000 Latinas over the years with leadership workshops. Within less than 12 months of completing the program, Mota said that 70% of the program’s alumni have reported an increase of pay or promotion at their place of employment.

#WeAllGrow has taken on many forms since its conception. What started as a tool for Latina bloggers has become a multimedia environment with forums, breakout sessions and chat rooms that brings the expansive community of Latinas from across the globe to one home base online.

To address Latina Equal Pay Day, #WeAllGrow and Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement are teaming up with experts across many industries to provide seminars, panel discussions and conversations to host a cohort of future leaders on different skills to help them on their journey.

The Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, #WeAllGrow and the Vela network, which is an up-and-coming Latinx professionals network for entrepreneurs, reach people of all ages — from students to early career workers to veteran professionals.

Creating a space for Latinas to talk openly about their experiences can give other Latinas the tools needed to fight against systems of discrimination, Vela founder Vanessa Nevarez said.

Nevarez has been inspired by those who have started similar efforts before her. She has never started her own business and neither has anyone in her family, so navigating this project has been a learning experience. She hopes that this network can be a tool for not only her members, but for herself as well.

Nevarez is just one example of how much the system of support and community has worked and will continue to work.

“[Vela] will extend into a hub, where we believe in community over competition,” Nevarez said. “We’re not a monolith … but we do have a commonality, which is that we care about our community and want our community to go forward.”

As glass ceilings continue to be smashed by Latinas across the globe, and as organizations fight to change the system that keeps Latinas at the bottom of the pay scale, these professionals offer some words of advice in the meantime.

Mota recommended doing your research when negotiating pay or a promotion — what others in your industry are being paid for the same work; what your colleagues make; and what opportunities are there for growth?

“It’s an employees market, a job-seeker market,” Mota said. “Right now is the opportunity to be able to leverage that and to really increase what you’re bringing in in terms of income — whether it’s in another industry or another opportunity.”

Vanessa Valentin, the director of marketing and communications at Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, recommended talking to others openly about income and pay since transparency helps make the process more equitable. She and Mota also recommended working on maintaining self-confidence, building connections and never settling with the first salary offer without a negotiation.

They also recommended building connections, your network and taking advantage of groups like theirs to ensure you have a Latinx force to support your goals and needs.

“It’s not your fault — this system has not been created for us — but we are here, showing up together, to make sure to change it and to make sure that the gatekeepers are listening to us,” Flores said.

Donald Trump launching new social media platform, TRUTH Social

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Silenced by many major platforms, former President Donald Trump is launching his own social media app.

Trump Media and Technology Group and Digital World Acquisition Group, which is already listed on the Nasdaq, have entered into a merger to form a new company, chaired by the former president, according to a press release.

Trump says the group will form “a rival to the liberal media consortium.”

Its first step will be launching a new social media platform called TRUTH Social. A beta version will be available to invited guests in November, according to the release.

“We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced,” Trump said in the statement.

According to the release, the company was formed using a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, which the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website says is a “popular vehicle for various transactions, including transitioning a company from a private company to a publicly traded company.” The SEC says these companies are often referred to as “blank check companies.”

Patrick F. Orlando, who according to the release is the chairman and CEO of the Digital World Acquisition Group that is merging with the former president’s new media company, is also CEO of Yunhong International, which itself is an international blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with headquarters in Wuhan, China, according to Bloomberg.

It’s currently unclear who else is behind the SPAC that is launching Trump’s new platform.

The former president and his advisers have hinted since he left office that he was considering creating a rival platform to Facebook and Twitter, after the social media giants suspended his accounts following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Trump, who throughout his presidency used Twitter to attack his enemies and often break his own news, has been emailing out statements almost has frequently as he previously tweeted.

Trump’s announcement comes only months after his longtime aide Jason Miller launched his own social media company called GETTR in July. The former president quickly pushed back on rumors that he would be joining Miller’s platform shortly after it launched, writing in a statement, “I am not on any social media platform in any way, shape, or form, including Parler, GETTR, Gab, etc. When I decide to choose a platform, or build or complete my own, it will be announced. Thank you!”

CDC advisers set to vote on Moderna, J&J boosters, mixing and matching doses

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — An independent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Thursday is set to discuss and vote on booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines, along with the potential for people to mix and match their booster doses.

On Wednesday, the FDA authorized Moderna and J&J boosters for some, and allowed for mix and matching booster doses with a different vaccine.

The next step in the process is for the CDC panel to deliberate and ultimately vote on whether to recommend those boosters, and whether and how to mix and match them.

The panel’s vote is non-binding, and CDC is not required to follow the panel’s recommendations, though they generally do so.

Once the panel votes, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to make her own final signoff shortly after — typically within a day.

Boosting for eligible Moderna and J&J recipients would be able to start once Walensky gives the greenlight — potentially meaning those populations could begin receiving their boosters as soon as the end of this week.

The FDA has made clear there is no preferred booster vaccine for the mixed dosage, but the CDC panel is likely to discuss available data on what booster blend might offer the strongest immunity.

Dr. Peter Marks, a top FDA official, said allowing people to mix boosters makes sense, particularly when people might not remember what brand they initially received.

“Most people don’t know what brand flu vaccine they received. And although they’re somewhat more standardized, perhaps, this is something that is probably a good next step for us to be able to have the flexibility that people can get vaccinated easily,” he told reporters.

Under the new rules, if the CDC signs off, Moderna recipients would qualify for a booster shot of their choice if they are 65 or older — or younger with medical conditions or a high-risk job. The FDA and CDC had already cleared Pfizer recipients to get a third shot, and now they too can choose which brand booster they want. J&J recipients 18 and older would be eligible for a booster of their choice.

No US injuries in attack on remote American base in Syria

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(AL-TANF, Syria) — There were no U.S. military injuries or deaths resulting from a coordinated attack Wednesday on a small remote U.S. military base at al Tanf, Syria, according to two U.S. officials.

The attack “at a minimum” involved drones and “indirect fire,” the military term for mortar or rocket fire, according to a U.S. official.

Iraqi security sources said the attack involved five booby-trapped drones and was carried out from inside Syria.

There is no indication yet as to who may have been responsible for the attack, but similar drone attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq have been a tactic used by Iranian-backed militias, most notably Kataib Hezbollah.

Drone attacks attributed to those militias have at times resulted in American retaliatory airstrikes in Iraq and Syria targeting their facilities.

The remote base at al Tanf is located along a key highway in southern Syria on the border with Jordan and is surrounded by a 35-mile buffer zone to prevent potential conflicts with Russian and Syrian government troops located nearby.

The small outpost is the only American military base in Syria not located in Syrian Kurdish-held areas in eastern Syria where most of the 1,000 American troops in Syria are based.

U.S. troops remain in Syria as part of an ongoing effort to prevent ISIS from regaining territory inside that country.

COVID-19 updates: FDA authorizes ‘mix and match’ booster shots

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The United States has been facing a COVID-19 surge as the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.

More than 730,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.9 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 66.8% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the CDC.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Oct 21, 1:01 am
US delivers 200M vaccine doses globally: White House

The U.S. has now donated and delivered 200 million COVID-19 vaccines globally, according to a White House official.

The figure is part of 1.1 billion doses President Joe Biden has pledged to more than 100 countries around the world.

“These 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have helped bring health and hope to millions of people, but our work is far from over,” Samantha Power, administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is assisting in the global vaccine effort, said in a statement. “To end the pandemic, and prevent the emergence of new variants, as well as future outbreaks within our nation’s borders, we must continue to do our part to help vaccinate the world.”

The Biden administration has received criticism for getting Americans booster shots while many around the world have yet to get one. Though the White House has insisted the U.S. can provide boosters to its citizens while funneling doses overseas — and working to increase vaccine production abroad.

Oct 20, 10:09 pm
US deaths estimated to continue to fall in weeks ahead, though thousands more lost

Forecast models used by the CDC are predicting that weekly COVID-19 death totals in the U.S. will likely continue to drop in the weeks to come, though thousands of Americans are still expected to lose their lives to the virus.

The model expects approximately 18,000 deaths to occur in the next two weeks, with a total of around 757,000 deaths recorded in the U.S. by Nov. 13.

The ensemble model estimates that 19 states and territories of the U.S. have a greater than 50% chance of having more deaths in the next two weeks compared to the past two weeks, and that four states and territories (Alaska, Nebraska, Ohio and American Samoa) have a greater than 75% chance of an increase over the next two weeks.

Oct 20, 5:21 pm
FDA authorizes booster shots for Moderna, J&J vaccines

The FDA authorized booster shots for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for some populations Wednesday.

Moderna’s vaccine can be administered at least six months after the second dose for people ages 65 and up and those ages 18 through 64 who either are at high risk of severe COVID-19 infection or have occupational exposure to the virus, the FDA said.

The J&J booster can be administered at least two months after the single-dose shot to those ages 18 and up, the agency said.

The FDA, which authorized Pfizer’s booster dose last month, also said it will allow people to mix booster doses.

Largest nurses union applauds possible OSHA action against three states over PPE

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The country’s largest nurses’ union praised the federal government on Wednesday after officials said three states tasked with implementing their own safety measures for health care workers would lose that right unless they adhered to agreed-upon guidelines.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration had announced Tuesday it was considering stripping Arizona, Utah and South Carolina of their abilities to oversee workplace safety enforcement because they’re not in compliance with an emergency standard order passed over the summer that guarantees certain protections.

OSHA had allowed 22 states to oversee work conditions for health care workers — measures including the wearing of personal protective equipment, or PPE, enforcing social distancing, providing paid sick leave — so long as local workplaces adopted requirements at least as strong as those agreed to at the federal level.

Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, which represents over 175,000 nurses, said in a statement on Wednesday that health care workers from coast to coast have been pushing for better protections as they put themselves at risk working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We urge federal OSHA to act expeditiously to put in place the necessary elements for federal OSHA to resume enforcement in Arizona, Utah, South Carolina and any other states which fail to enforce the [emergency standard] to ensure protections for health care workers,” Burger said in a statement. “We will never emerge from this pandemic if we don’t make sure nurses and health care workers are safe at work.”

The Republican governors of Arizona, Utah and South Carolina defended their states’ action and accused OSHA of overreach.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey contended that the Industrial Commission of Arizona’s OSHA, or ICA, the state’s workplace overseer, intends to comply with the emergency standards but is seeking public input on the mandate. Ducey accused the federal government of not justifying its threat to revoke oversight powers.

“The federal government’s threat to strip the ICA of its OSHA authority is nothing short of a political stunt and desperate power grab,” Ducey said in a statement.

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox said in a statement that he had concerns over the emergency standard, saying it “would place an unfair burden on the health care industry” and his state didn’t “have regulatory authority to require employers to pay their employees sick leave.”

“We reject the assertion that Utah’s State Plan is less effective than the federal plan,” Cox said.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said his office is preparing for “a vigorous and lengthy legal fight” and that OSHA’s announcement Tuesday was “clearly a preemptive strike by the federal government.”

Burger stressed that all three states needed to prioritize the safety of health care workers and come together to make sure they’re protected as hospitalizations keep increasing.

“Arizona, South Carolina, and Utah had the duty — legally and morally — to come into compliance and protect workers,” Burger said. “They did not, and we could not be more proud that OSHA is standing up to hold them accountable today.”

Clinton shares first update on recovery following hospitalization: ‘I’m really glad to be back home’

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Former President Bill Clinton spoke out for the first time following his hospitalization.

In a video posted on Twitter Wednesday night, Clinton, 75, said he’s feeling better, and is “on the road to recovery.”

“Hi everyone, I was so touched by the outpouring of support I received during my stay in the hospital. Thanks so much. I’d also like to thank the doctors and nurses at UC Irvine Medical Center for the absolutely wonderful care that they gave me over the last seven days,” he said.

The former president — who has battled a number of health issues, including heart problems, over the past two decades — was taken to the hospital last Tuesday to be treated for an infection not related to COVID-19, his spokesperson said.

“I’m really glad to be back home,” Clinton said in the video Wednesday. “I’m doing great, enjoying this beautiful fall weather. I’m on the road to recovery but I want to remind everyone out there: Take the time to listen to your bodies and care for yourselves. We all have work to do and each of us has an important role to play in life and in the immediate future. I, for one, am going to do my best to be around, to keep doing the most good I can for a lot longer.”

Last week, an aide said Clinton was diagnosed with a urological infection that transformed into a broader infection, but the prognosis was “good.”

He was released from the hospital Sunday.

Brian Laundrie search live updates: Apparent human remains found, not ID’d

October 21, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — A massive search is continuing in Florida for Brian Laundrie, the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old woman who went missing on a cross-country trip and who authorities confirmed as the body discovered strangled to death in Wyoming last month.

The search for the 23-year-old Laundrie is centered around North Port, Florida, where investigators said Laundrie returned to his home on Sept. 1 without Petito but driving her 2012 Ford Transit.

Laundrie has been named by police as a “person of interest” in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie has refused to speak to the police and has not been seen since Sept. 14, according to law enforcement officials.

The search for Laundrie is the latest twist in the case that has grabbed national attention as he and Petito had been traveling across the country since June, documenting the trip on social media. Petito’s parents reported her missing on Sept. 11 after not hearing from her for two weeks.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:

Oct 20, 6:06 pm
Laundrie family attorney reacts to discovery of apparent human remains

Steven Bertolino, the family attorney for the Laundrie family, spoke with New York ABC station WABC Wednesday evening after law enforcement found human remains and items belonging to the fugitive at a Florida park.

The attorney said the area where investigators found Brian’s belongings was shown to police two weeks ago when Laundrie’s father, Chris, aided in the search.

“I can’t say for certain that Chris showed this particular area to police at that point in time, but I can say that this is an area that we initially notified the FBI that Brian liked hiking,” Bertolino said.

The attorney said the family is waiting for a proper identification before making any comments.

“As you can imagine, the parents are very distraught. … At this moment in time they’re grieving,” he said.

Oct 20, 4:42 pm
Police find apparent human remains, personal items belonging to Laundrie

Police have recovered apparent human remains that have not been identified in the search for Brian Laundrie, the FBI said Wednesday.

Authorities also found items belonging to Laundrie, like a backpack and notebook, officials said.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson said the area where the items were found had previously been underwater. McPherson said a team would be on site for several days processing the scene.

Oct 20, 2:55 pm
Remains found at park, not clear if human

A law enforcement source told ABC News remains were found at a Florida environmental park. The source said investigators are working to determine whether the remains are human and whether the remains and other discovered articles are linked to Laundrie.

Oct 20, 2:19 pm
FBI confirms ‘items of interest’ found

The FBI said “items of interest” in connection to the search for Laundrie were found at the Carlton Reserve Wednesday morning and an evidence response team is processing the scene.

FDA authorizes boosters for Moderna and J&J vaccines

October 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The FDA on Wednesday announced it has authorized boosters for millions more Americans, giving a green light for third shots to people who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

The FDA also says it will allow people to mix and match booster doses.

The agency detailed its decision in a news release that said a single booster dose of the Moderna vaccine may be administered at least six months after completion of the primary series to individuals 65 years of age and older, those 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19 and those 18 through 64 years of age with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to the virus.

It went on to say the use of a single booster dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine may be administered at least two months after completion of the single-dose primary regimen to individuals 18 years of age and older.

Nothing has changed yet for individuals.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee will meet Thursday and cast a non-binding vote on the matter and then CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will release final recommendations.

This is developing story. Please Check back for updates.

Parents of 6-year-old girl who died on amusement park ride file wrongful death lawsuit

October 20, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo.) — The parents of a 6-year-old girl who died on a ride at a Colorado amusement park last month have filed a wrongful death suit against the operator after a state investigation found she wasn’t strapped into her seat before the ride plunged 110 feet.

Wongel Estifanos was visiting Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, located atop Iron Mountain in Glenwood Springs, with her family on Sept. 5 when she went on the Haunted Mine Drop ride, a free-fall drop down a pitch-black shaft.

Her uncle took Wongel, two of his children, his wife and another relative onto the ride, according to a complaint filed Wednesday in Denver County District Court.

“Wongel’s uncle specifically observed the ride operators interacting with Wongel, and he trusted that they were properly securing Wongel on the ride,” the complaint stated.

After they dropped 110 feet down the shaft, her uncle “checked to see whether Wongel had enjoyed the ride” and was “stricken with terror to see that Wongel was not in her seat” but at the bottom of the shaft, according to the complaint.

The family “screamed in horror” as they were pulled back to the top of the shaft, the complaint stated.

“Wongel had fallen to her death, suffering numerous fractures, brain injuries and internal and external lacerations,” according to the complaint.

In a report released last month, the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety determined that the two ride operators failed to buckle her seatbelts, as required, even after a monitor alerted them to a seatbelt safety issue. “Multiple operator errors” and “inadequate training” contributed to the fatal accident, the report stated.

The complaint from Wongel’s family extensively cited the findings of the report, charging that Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park “breached its duty by recklessly failing to properly supervise and train its operators on safety procedures of the Haunted Mine Drop ride.”

The complaint also alleged that the amusement park was aware of at least two prior incidents in 2018 and 2019 in which ” angry and terrified customers” on the Haunted Mine Drop weren’t strapped into their seatbelts until repeatedly telling the ride operators.

The family is seeking unspecified monetary damages as well as a jury trial and “post-trial finding that the acts causing the death of Wongel Estifanos constitute a felonious killing.”

“Their mission is to protect other families by holding all who are responsible for the killing of their daughter fully accountable, and by sending a loud and clear message to the entire amusement park industry,” attorney Dan Caplis said in a statement on behalf of the Estifanos family.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park declined to comment to ABC News on the lawsuit. “Our hearts go out to the Estifanos family and those impacted by their loss,” it said in a statement.

Following the release of the state’s investigation, the amusement park’s founder, Steve Beckley, said in a statement, “Safety is, and always has been, our top priority.”

“We have been working closely with the Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety and independent safety experts to review this incident,” he said, noting that the amusement park will review the report “carefully for recommendations.”

“More than anything, we want the Estifanos family to know how deeply sorry we are for their loss and how committed we are to making sure it never happens again,” he added.

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