Governor Shapiro Names Brigadier General John R. Pippy to Serve as Pennsylvania’s acting adjutant general and head of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs

Región

Por

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30/09/2024

Governor Shapiro thanks Major General Schindler for his decades-long service to our Commonwealth, names Brigadier General John R. Pippy to serve as Pennsylvania’s Acting Adjutant General and will nominate him for full confirmation in the Senate

A western Pennsylvania native, Brigadier General Pippy – a West Point graduate – will bring decades of leadership experience in the National Guard to DMVA

Harrisburg, PA — Today, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he is naming Brigadier General John R. Pippy to serve as Pennsylvania’s acting Adjutant General and head of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). The Governor will be nominating Brigadier General Pippy for a full confirmation in the Senate. This comes after Major General Mark Schindler announced his retirement last week after nearly four decades of service with the Pennsylvania National Guard (PANG).

Governor Shapiro is committed to supporting the Pennsylvania National Guard and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs – and this nomination is critical to ensuring the Administration is able to continue serving Pennsylvania servicemembers, veterans, and their families effectively.

“I am proud today to announce that I am naming Brigadier General Pippy to serve as acting Adjutant General and lead our Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,” said Governor Shapiro. “Ensuring the PA National Guard is able to effectively serve our communities, our Commonwealth, and our country and that the DMVA is able to deliver for Pennsylvania servicemembers, veterans, and their families is critically important to my Administration. Brigadier General Pippy has the experience and readiness to lead on day one – and I look forward to working together with him and the men and women of the PA National Guard and the DMVA to continue delivering for all Pennsylvanians.”

“I would like to sincerely thank Governor Shapiro for his unwavering support of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. I am deeply grateful to the dedicated soldiers and airmen of the Pennsylvania National Guard, who tirelessly protect and defend the people of Pennsylvania and our nation. To the entire DMVA team, thank you for your hard work and devoted service to our service members, veterans, and youth,” said Major General Mark Schindler. “It is with great pleasure that I congratulate BG John Pippy on his appointment to be Adjutant General of Pennsylvania. John is tremendous leader, he will be a fierce advocate for the DMVA, and I know the department will thrive under his leadership.”

«I am humbled and truly honored by the trust and confidence Governor Shapiro has shown in me with this appointment to be the 55th Adjutant General of Pennsylvania,” said Brigadier General John R. Pippy. “Serving with the members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is a privilege that I hold with the utmost respect. I look forward to working with our service members, families, veterans, and DMVA employees to ensure that we are Always Ready and Always There when our Commonwealth or Country needs us.”

“I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to Major General Mark Schindler for his years of dedicated service. His leadership, mentorship, and commitment to the Pennsylvania National Guard have been exemplary – I wish Major General Schindler and Colette all the best in their well-deserved retirement,” said BG Pippy.

Currently, Brigadier General John Pippy serves as Director, Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Pennsylvania National Guard. He leads the integration of strategic and joint staff issues for over 13,000 Soldiers and 4,100 Airmen of the Pennsylvania National Guard. He leads the administration, coordination, planning, development, and execution of all Joint Staff programs that prepare the state for contingency operations in either a federal or state emergency to include man-made or natural disasters, and federal mobilizations.

BG Pippy previously served the Land Component Commander for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard (Fort Indiantown Gap, PA). He concurrently served in a dual hat role as the Deputy Chief of Engineers for National Guard Affairs at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Headquarters (Washington, D.C).

Prior to that, BG Pippy served as the commander of the 55th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (Scranton, PA) and Commander of FEMA Region 3 Homeland Response Force. His previous key assignments included Construction Facilities Maintenance Officer for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Joint Force Headquarters, Commander of the 876th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Johnstown, PA), Operations Officer for the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 28th ID (Washington, PA), and a deployment to the Middle East from September 2016 to July 2017 as the Engineer Director and Headquarters Battalion Commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve.

BG Pippy graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering. He was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas where he served as a Sapper Platoon Leader, A&O Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer within the 20th EN  Battalion (MECH).

After serving on active duty, BG Pippy joined the Army Reserve and was assigned as the Detachment Commander of the 316th EN DET (Prime Power). In March of 2003, he deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the Commander of the 332nd EN CO (Kittanning, PA).

BG Pippy transferred to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2004 and was assigned to the JFHQ. While there, he held the positions of Facility Management Officer, Facility Engineer, and Design Management Branch Chief. Later, he was assigned to HQ, 28th ID as the G3 Engineer Operations Officer and then the 28th ID Division Engineer. BG Pippy joined the 2nd Infantry Brigade, 28th Infantry Division in 2011 as the Brigade Operations officer and was later selected for Command of the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in 2014.

BG Pippy is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, the Engineer Captains Career Course, the United States Army Command General Staff Officer Course, the U.S. Army War College, and the Senior Leader Course at the Baltic Defense College. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from Irish American University, a National Security Management Executive Education Certificate from Syracuse University Maxwell School, and the General and Flag Officer Homeland Security Executive Seminar Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Executive Education.

BG Pippy’s awards and decorations include the Combat Action Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Engineer Regiment’s Bronze Order of the De Fleury Medal.

BG Pippy is a resident of Moon Township, Pennsylvania with his wife, Kathy. They have one adult daughter, Katelyn.

El síndrome del jefe incoherente

Por

Jacques Giraud

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30/09/2024

Una situación que resuena en muchas organizaciones es la de los jefes que hablan maravillas sobre el compromiso de sus empleados, pero, cuando se examinan a sí mismos, la realidad es otra. No es raro escuchar frases como: “Mis empleados son muy dedicados” o “el equipo es excepcionalmente comprometido”, mientras que esos mismos líderes no muestran la misma entrega. Hay una clara incoherencia entre lo que dicen y lo que hacen. Pero ¿Qué pasa cuando el ejemplo no viene desde arriba? La respuesta es simple: el compromiso se desvanece.

Un problema más común de lo que crees

La falta de coherencia entre las palabras y las acciones de los líderes tiene un impacto directo en la motivación y productividad de los equipos. Un estudio de 2024 de Gallup revela que solo el 15% de los empleados en todo el mundo se sienten realmente comprometidos con su trabajo. Aunque una de las causas es por la “falta de compromiso” de los empleados, lo cierto es que este problema es, en muchos casos, responsabilidad directa de los líderes.

Los empleados están observando constantemente. Un jefe que llega tarde a las reuniones, no responde correos importantes o no cumple sus propios plazos, aunque exija lo contrario a su equipo, genera un ambiente de desilusión. Esto se conoce como el “síndrome del jefe incoherente”.

Imagina que trabajas en una empresa en la que el CEO predica la importancia del balance entre la vida personal y laboral. Promueve el bienestar mental y exige que todos los empleados se tomen sus descansos y vacaciones. Sin embargo, este mismo CEO envía correos electrónicos a las once de la noche, programa reuniones urgentes sin previo aviso, sin agenda real o fuera de horario, o no respeta los días feriados e incluso toma vacaciones espontaneas sin previa notificación a sus equipos. ¿Cuál es el impacto real de este tipo de conducta?

Cuando los líderes no son coherentes, el equipo también sufre. Los empleados que ven esta falta de consistencia suelen adoptar un enfoque de “solo cumplir”. Se desconectan emocionalmente de su trabajo y comienzan a hacer solo lo mínimo necesario para mantener su empleo. No es que no tengan capacidad o talento, sino que han perdido la motivación para dar más, porque no creen en el sistema ni en el liderazgo.

Tres claves para jefes y colaboradores

1. Haz lo que predicas. El liderazgo no se trata solo de dar órdenes o dirigir equipos, sino de ser un ejemplo vivo de las expectativas que se tienen. Un líder que exige puntualidad debe ser el primero en llegar. Uno que promueve el bienestar debe tomar sus descansos y respetar los de los demás.

2. La comunicación es clave. Si, como jefe, tienes dificultades para cumplir tus propios estándares, la honestidad y la comunicación abierta puede salvar la situación. Es importante admitir errores o explicar por qué ciertas circunstancias impiden cumplir con lo que se espera. A veces, ser transparente y vulnerable puede fortalecer la relación con tu equipo, en lugar de socavarla.

3. El compromiso es contagioso. Tanto el compromiso como la desmotivación se contagian. Un equipo con un líder verdaderamente comprometido tenderá a seguir ese ejemplo. De la misma manera, un líder que no lo está transmite apatía a su equipo. Invertir en el bienestar y el desarrollo personal y profesional del líder no solo beneficia al jefe, sino a toda la organización.

* Jacques Giraud es ingeniero, especialista en desarrollo organizacional, master coach y mentor, con más de 25 años de experiencia y más de 400 seminarios impartidos como facilitador de Insight Seminars en más de 14 países. Autor del libro “Super Resiliente”. www.jacquesgiraud.com

Vencimiento del parole humanitario: un futuro incierto para miles de inmigrantes

Por

Héctor Benítez Cañas

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30/09/2024

Hector-Benitez-022024-696x577-1-1 — Héctor Benítez Cañas es abogado de inmigración en Miami. Su firma Benme Legal se dedica a la práctica exclusiva de la Ley de Inmigración.

Miles de inmigrantes que llegaron a Estados Unidos bajo el programa de parole humanitario enfrentan un futuro incierto al acercarse el vencimiento de sus permisos temporales. El programa, diseñado para ciudadanos de Cuba, Haití, Nicaragua y Venezuela, otorga una autorización de estancia por dos años. Sin embargo, al cumplirse ese plazo, aquellos que no logren ajustar su estatus migratorio se enfrentan a la amenaza de deportación.

El parole humanitario fue implementado para Venezuela en 2022, y en 2023 para Cuba, Nicaragua y Haití, para brindar alivio a inmigrantes provenientes de países con crisis políticas y sociales, permitiéndoles ingresar a EE. UU. de manera ordenada y segura. No obstante, este alivio es temporal.

Según las autoridades del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS), quienes no consigan asilo u otra vía legal para permanecer en el país, deberán salir de EE. UU. una vez que expire su parole. De lo contrario, podrían ser sometidos a procedimientos de deportación.

El desafío principal para muchos radica en la limitada oferta de vías legales para regularizar su estatus. Obtener asilo es un proceso largo y complicado, con altas tasas de rechazo. La creciente presión en las cortes de inmigración ha ralentizado las solicitudes, dejando a miles de inmigrantes en un limbo legal. Otros programas, como las visas de trabajo o reunificación familiar, también tienen requisitos que no todos pueden cumplir.

A pesar de estos desafíos, el DHS ha dejado claro que el parole no garantiza una permanencia definitiva y que su propósito es brindar un alivio temporal. “Las personas que no regularicen su estatus deberán abandonar el país o enfrentar la deportación”, advierte un portavoz del DHS.

Para los beneficiarios del programa, el tiempo corre en su contra. La búsqueda de opciones legales es vital para evitar la deportación. Por lo menos para los provenientes de Haití, Nicaragua y Venezuela, ya que los cubanos cuentan con la Ley de Ajuste Cubano, que al cumplir un año y un día pueden pedir la residencia permanente. Sin embargo, la congestión en el sistema y la falta de asesoría adecuada hacen que muchos enfrenten un futuro desconocido, con el temor constante de ser obligados a abandonar el país que alguna vez les dio refugio temporal.

El reto es claro: quienes se beneficien del parole humanitario deben actuar rápido de la mano de profesionales para asegurar su lugar en EE. UU- antes de que sea demasiado tarde.

* Héctor Benítez Cañas es abogado de inmigración en Miami. Su firma Benme Legal se dedica a la práctica exclusiva de la Ley de Inmigración. https://www.benmelegal.org/

EE. UU. consolida mayores restricciones al asilo en la frontera

Por

EFE

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30/09/2024

El Gobierno de Estados Unidos anunció eL lunes nuevas medidas para consolidar las restricciones al asilo en la frontera con México, a poco más de un mes de las elecciones entre la vicepresidenta y candidata demócrata, Kamala Harris, y el expresidente y aspirante republicano, Donald Trump.

Los cambios harán más difícil que se pueda levantar el veto al asilo que está en vigor y llegan en medio de una campaña electoral donde la gestión de la migración se ha convertido en uno de los puntos centrales del debate.

El pasado junio el Gobierno promulgó una norma prohibiendo a las personas que crucen de manera irregular pedir asilo en EE. UU. y, tras su implementación, las detenciones de migrantes se han reducido a su punto más bajo en cuatro años.

La decisión forzada por la crisis y el ambiente antimigrante, fue duramente criticada por organizaciones de derechos humanos, que presentaron una demanda en contra del Ejecutivo acusándolo de violar las leyes de asilo en EE. UU. y asegurando que la prohibición pone en riesgo la vida de quienes necesitan protección.

Las medidas anunciadas modifican la norma promulgada en junio de dos maneras: elevan los requisitos para que la prohibición al asilo sea levantada e incluyen a los menores no acompañados en las cifras de cruces irregulares, según indicaron funcionarios del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional en una llamada con reporteros.

La norma inicial estipula que, para levantar las restricciones, la cifra de cruces irregulares de migrantes debía bajar a un promedio de 1.500 al día durante siete días consecutivos.

Expulsiones de migrantes están disparadas

Bajo los cambios anunciados este lunes -que entrarán en vigor a partir del martes- el número de arrestos debe permanecer por debajo de los 1.500 por un periodo de 28 días consecutivos.

Con ello el Gobierno espera «reforzar la seguridad en la frontera y disuadir la migración irregular», señaló en un comunicado el secretario de Seguridad Nacional (DHS), Alejandro Mayorkas.

Desde que las restricciones al asilo entraron en vigor, las expulsiones de migrantes en la frontera se han disparado: las autoridades deportan ahora a un 70 % de todos los adultos y familias que son detenidos en la frontera, según indicó un funcionario de DHS en la llamada.

«Entre el 5 de junio y el 31 de agosto hemos casi triplicado el porcentaje de personas expulsadas (…) tras haber sido arrestadas por la Patrulla Fronteriza», agregó.

Con las cifras actuales en la frontera, con un promedio de 1.800 cruces diarios, y las tendencias de movimientos de personas en la región es «difícil de imaginar» que las restricciones vayan a ser levantadas en el futuro próximo, señaló a EFE Adam Isaacson, experto en política migratoria de la organización WOLA.

«Los números en la frontera siguen bajos, pero no se están disminuyendo más», aseguró.

La decisión de la Administración demócrata de modificar las restricciones demuestra un intento «desesperado» para «limitar el asilo, más que un esfuerzo por controlar la frontera», señaló a EFE Yael Schacher, directora para América de la organización Refugees International.

Que hayan decidido incluir a los menores de edad en el conteo de los cruces irregulares, alegó la experta, demuestra que quieren «inflar la cifra de detenciones» para limitar la entrada de migrantes y solicitantes de asilo.

Esta misma lectura hace la organización ACLU, que presentó junto a otras ONG la demanda contra el Gobierno: añadir a los menores a la cifra de cruces «aumenta enormemente la probabilidad de que los números excedan el umbral» y que el acceso al asilo «permanezca suspendido», destacó en un comunicado.

Derecho a solicitar asilo

El Partido Demócrata, que busca permanecer en el poder con la candidatura de Harris, ha endurecido su postura respecto a la migración en los últimos años, pasando de defender el sistema de asilo en EE. UU. a restringirlo.

La ley estipula que un migrante tiene derecho a solicitar asilo independientemente de si ha entrado o no al país por un puerto de entrada.

La política migratoria del Gobierno de Joe Biden y de Harris es un frecuente blanco de críticas por parte de Trump y los republicanos, quienes han elevado la retórica xenófoba y acusan a los demócratas de crear una «crisis» en la frontera.

Cientos de miles de personas han llegado en lo que va del año a la frontera sur de Estados Unidos, la primera economía del mundo, en busca de mejores oportunidades y huyendo de profundas crisis sociales y políticas en países como Venezuela, Nicaragua o Haití.

Todo el continente americano está registrando cifras elevadas de movimiento de personas, con más de 21 millones de desplazados, según datos de la Oficina del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (Acnur).

Envían suministros a poblaciones aisladas por Helene mientras la cifra de muertos se acerca a 100

Por

Associated Press

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30/09/2024

Esta imagen aérea tomada con dron muestra casas dañadas y un vehículo caído al agua tras la marejada ciclónica provocada por el huracán Helene, el sábado 28 de septiembre de 2024 en Madeira Beach, Florida. (Foto: Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times)

Las autoridades de Carolina del Norte prometieron llevar el lunes más agua y otros suministros a las zonas afectadas por las inundaciones, después de que el huracán Helene dejara un rastro de destrucción en el sureste de Estados Unidos y mientras la cifra de muertos por la tormenta se acercaba al centenar.

Al menos 91 personas murieron en varios estados. Un condado de Carolina del Norte donde se encuentra la ciudad de montaña de Asheville reportó 30 muertos.

El gobernador, Roy Cooper, predijo que la cifra subiría conforme rescatistas y otros trabajadores de emergencias llegaban a lugares aislados por carreteras bloqueadas, infraestructura dañada e inundaciones generalizadas.

Las autoridades enviaban por aire suministros a la aislada ciudad de Asheville. La gerente del condado Buncombe, Avril Pinder, prometió que el lunes llegarían agua y comida.

“Los escuchamos. Necesitamos alimentos y necesitamos agua”, declaró Pinder en una conferencia telefónica con la prensa el domingo. “Mi personal ha estado presentando todas las solicitudes de apoyo posibles al estado y hemos estado trabajando con todas las organizaciones que se han puesto en contacto. Lo que les prometo es que estamos muy cerca”.

Las autoridades advirtieron que la reconstrucción tras las amplias pérdidas en viviendas y propiedades sería larga y difícil. La tormenta trastocó la vida en todo el sureste del país. También se reportaron decesos en Florida, Georgia, Carolina del Sur y Virginia.

Cooper pidió a los residentes del oeste de Carolina del Norte que eviten los desplazamientos, tanto por su propia seguridad como para mantener los caminos despejados para el paso de vehículos de emergencia. Más de 50 equipos de búsqueda se distribuyeron por toda la región con el fin de localizar a personas varadas.

Un total de 41 personas fueron rescatadas durante un solo operativo al norte de Asheville. Otra misión se concentró en salvar a un solo niño. Las cuadrillas localizaron a las personas a través de llamadas al número de emergencias 911 y por mensajes en redes sociales, indicó el general adjunto de la Guardia Nacional de Carolina del Norte, Todd Hunt.

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, describió el impacto de la tormenta como «demoledor» y dijo que visitaría la zona esta semana siempre que eso no complicara la labor de rescates y recuperación.

En una breve conversación con periodistas, dijo que el gobierno proporcionaría a los estados “todo lo que tenemos” para ayudar con su respuesta a la tormenta.

El huracán Helene tocó tierra el jueves por la noche como una tormenta de categoría 4 en la región de Big Bend, en Florida, con vientos de 225 kilómetros por hora (140 millas por hora). Tras debilitarse, el meteoro atravesó Georgia y posteriormente llegó a las Carolinas y Tennessee, donde arrojó lluvias torrenciales que desbordaron ríos y arroyos y dejaron las presas al límite.

Se han registrado cientos de rescates acuáticos, incluido uno en el condado de Unicoi, en el este de Tennessee, donde decenas de pacientes y personal médico fueron evacuados en helicóptero de la azotea de un hospital el viernes.

Más de dos millones de clientes seguían sin luz el domingo por la noche. Carolina del Sur tenía la mayor parte de cortes de luz y el gobernador, Henry McMaster, pidió paciencia mientras los equipos lidiaban con los numerosos postes de luz derribados.

“Queremos que la población mantenga la calma. La ayuda va en camino, sólo tomará tiempo”, dijo McMaster a los reporteros reunidos afuera del aeropuerto en el condado de Aiken.

Sharpton and Central Park Five members get out the vote in battleground Pennsylvania

Por

Associated Press

-

30/09/2024

Pennsylvania — Organizers with the National Action Network put up banners for a Get Out the Vote event as the prepare to depart on a bus tour toward Philadelphia in the Harlem neighborhood of New York on Friday, Sep. 27, 2024. (Photo: AP/Noreen Nasir)

A few dozen New Yorkers boarded a bus in Harlem on Friday with civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton and members of the group formerly known as the Central Park Five , bound for Philadelphia, where they toured the city hoping to energize the youth vote ahead of the 2024 election.

With less than 40 days until Election Day, the choice of a battleground state for a get-out-the-vote bus tour made sense: whichever presidential candidate wins Pennsylvania is likely to do so by a slim margin and with a lion’s share of the Black vote. But it was a strategic choice to recruit speakers who many first knew as Black and Latino teenagers wrongly convicted in a case that former President Donald Trump supported so vociferously, Sharpton said.

“There are polls saying that some Black men are moving toward Trump,” he told The Associated Press on Friday. “I don’t know if that’s true or not. But Black men need to hear some Black men saying, ‘Let me tell you about the Trump I know.’”

The Trump that the Central Park Five knows is the one who took out a newspaper ad in New York City, in the aftermath of the 1989 attack on a white female jogger, calling for the teenagers’ execution. The case roiled racial tensions locally and later became a national symbol of racism in the judicial system.

And more than 34 years later, the group of men, now known as the Exonerated Five, see the former president as a convicted felon who passed through the same courthouse hallways when he was found guilty in a hush money trial in June.

Yusef Salaam, one of the exonerated men, said Friday that using his voice to encourage voter participation lines up with lessons his mother taught him as a teenager. His message to voters in Philadelphia was part condemnation of Trump and part championing doing one’s civic duty.

“We have to fight like the lives of our children’s, children’s children depend on it,” said Salaam, who won a seat on the New York City Council last year. “Will we be allowed to somehow appreciate the American dream, or will we be plunged further into the American nightmare?»

An organizer with the National Action Network signs people in ahead of a Get Out the Vote bus tour toward Philadelphia in the Harlem neighborhood of New York on Friday, Sep. 27, 2024. (Photo: AP/Noreen Nasir)

The jogger case was Trump’s first foray into tough-on-crime politics that preluded his full-throated populist political persona. Since then, dog whistles as well as overtly racist rhetoric have been fixtures of Trump’s public life.

But the Republican presidential nominee has been supportive of reforms that speak to flaws in the criminal legal system. As president, Trump signed a law eliminating harsh sentences for non-violent drug crimes that had filled the nation’s prisons and exacerbated racial disparities in incarceration. In 2018, he used his power to commute the sentences of people like Alice Marie Johnson, who served 21 years in federal prison on a drug trafficking conviction.

Salaam and the other wrongly convicted young men had their convictions vacated in 2002 after evidence linked another person to the brutal beating and rape of the Central Park jogger. Trump in 2019 refused to apologize to the exonerated men, and again defended his position on the case during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this month.

Of the Exonerated Five — which includes Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise — just Salaam and Wise boarded the bus to Philadelphia. With Sharpton and more than 50 supporters, Salaam and Wise engaged residents and students at Sharon Baptist Church, the University of Pennsylvania and the Community College of Philadelphia.

Wise said the message he was bringing to Philadelphians was simple: “Get out the vote, while we’re still here and while we’re still alive.”

Of the Exonerated Five, Wise spent the most time in prison before his conviction was overturned. He wants people to vote as a way of preventing any other young person from experiencing what h did.

“I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing this for little Korey who’s not here no more,” he said. “I’m representing him.”

The bus tour was sponsored by Sharpton’s National Action Network, a nonprofit civil rights group that does not endorse political candidates. But Sharpton and the exonerated men have been outspoken this election year, calling out Trump’s rhetoric around the Central Park jogger case, as well as his record on matters involving race.

In August, during the final night of Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Sharpton shared the stage with members of the Exonerated Five. From the stage, Salaam called out Trump’s failure to apologize for his harmful rhetoric in the Central Park jogger case.

Weeks later, during the debate, Harris evoked the exonerated men in her own critique of Trump’s decades-long history of stoking racial division. In the spin room after the debate, as Trump walked through speaking to journalists, Salaam flagged down the former president and confronted him.

Trump mistook him for a supporter, a moment that Salaam found bizarre. But he still walked away feeling proud, the councilman said.

“These moments of standing for yourself, of speaking for yourself, also speaks life into others,” Salaam told AP. “It gives others the opportunity to see, if he could stand up, I could stand up. If he could still be here, I could be here.”

Sharpton said Philadelphia was the first of other planned legs of his organization’s voter engagement tour. In the coming weeks, he said he would make appearances in the battleground states of Ohio, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

The effort’s success will be judged not just by the outcome of the election, but by the community’s turnout on Nov. 5, said Malcolm Byrd, National Action Network’s chief operating officer.

“This is not just a mobilization effort, just for us to go to say we did something,” he said. “We want to plant a fire in Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. … We’re going with a spark, with the hope that by Election Day it’ll be an inferno of justice.”

Awareness of ‘Latinx’ increases among US Latinos, and ‘Latine’ emerges as an alternative

Por

Associated Press

-

30/09/2024

“Latino” and “Hispanic” have long been the most prominent terms used to describe people in the U.S. with roots in Latin America and Spain. But over the last several years, “Latinx” has become a de-facto gender neutral alternative to Latino and Hispanic, according to a new study by race and ethnicity researchers.

Despite the increased awareness of the term among Latinos — 47% have heard of it — only 4% or 1.9 million people use “Latinx” to describe themselves, an increase of 1 percent since 2019, according to the study by the Pew Research Center.

“’Latinx’ is more broadly known among U.S. Latinos today, but still few embrace it,” said Mark Lopez, Pew’s director of race and ethnicity research.

Of the Latinos who have heard the term, 36% view the usage of the term as a bad thing instead of a good thing, according to the study.

And with opinions mixed, about “Latinx,” a new term has emerged: “Latine” (pronounce LA TEE NEH). That term has gained popularity among people from Latin American countries and Spanish speakers who have pushed for the term to be used instead of “Latinx,” because in Spanish “e” can be used to better note gender neutrality, said Josh Guzmán, an associate professor of gender studies at the University of California at Los Angeles.

In the U.S., “Latinx” has more popularity than “Latine.” Only 18% of Hispanics have heard of the latter, according to the Pew study. Yet 75% of U.S. Latinos surveyed think the terms should not be used to describe the population, and 81% largely prefer “Hispanic” and “Latino.”

Guzmán said it is still important to respect those who do use either term.

“There is already so much difference within Latin communities that academics started debating whether there ever is going to be a term that will be adequate enough to cover all the different components to this identity,” Guzmán said.

Jasmine Odalys, host of the podcast “Hella Latin@,” said the term «Latinx “feels either more corporate, more politically correct and very American.”

Luis A. Torres stands for a portrait in front of the » Joy is the Fuel» mural by Cuban-American artist Alma Landeta at the SF LGBT Center on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, in San Francisco. (Photo: AP/Juliana Yamada)

“I think it came from a community that wanted to feel acknowledged and seen,” Odalys said. “It turned, I think, into corporations maybe adopting it and making it so that it’s like a blanket term for our community. I think we’re almost like perpetuating the problem when we have one kind of quote-unquote inclusive term but then it’s not inclusive of everyone’s experiences.”

“Hispanic” was coined by the federal government for people descended from Spanish-speaking cultures. But for some it has a connotation of political conservatism and emphasizes a connection to Spain and its colonial past. It sometimes gets mistakenly interchanged with “Latino” or “Latinx.”

Latin Americans are not a monolith, and there are multiple identifiers that depend largely on personal preference. Mexican Americans who grew up during the 1960s Civil Rights era may identify as Chicano. Others may go by their family’s nation of origin, such as Colombian American or Salvadoran American. For some, Latino reflects their ties to Latin America.

In the early 1990s, with the rise of the Internet, the usage of the @ character with “Latin” started to become popular among Chicana feminists, according to Guzmán. The word “Latinx” can also be traced to Latino youth and queer culture in the ’90s, as a nod to people’s Indigenous roots.

Then in the early 2000s, “Latinx” started to gain popularity when queer communities in Latin America started to use the ‘x’ in various words such as “bexos” instead of “besos,” Spanish for “kisses,” Guzmán said.

Eventually usage of the letter “x” circulated to the United States, and it stuck.

In 2017, Elisabeth Rosario founded the “Latinx Collective,” a newsletter highlighting achievements within the community. Rosario said the choice of name was a conscious effort to be open and inclusive.

“Language is always going to evolve, and culture is always going to evolve, and the way that people think about their identity,” Rosario said. “I think we just have to be really aware about what makes people comfortable. And you are never going to make an entire group happy.”

Three years ago, Luis Torres founded the group “Queer Latinxs in Tech.” Torres said that in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives, there is strong emphasis on inclusivity, and he wanted to reflect that and respect people’s gender identity and pronouns.

Despite choosing “Latinxs” for the name of the group, Torres said he and his friends change which term they use if they are unsure of who is around and depending on what feels more comfortable. With friends he uses the “Latino” rather than “Latinx,” because that feels more natural to him.

“I think it is all about intention,” Torres said. “I think people who are trying to deliberately, with a good conscience, create a safe and inclusive environment, they use that word.”

Trump is pointing to new numbers on migrants with criminal pasts. Here’s what they show

Por

Associated Press

-

30/09/2024

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pa., Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. ( Photo: AP/Rebecca Droke)

Republicans are pointing to newly released immigration enforcement data to bolster their argument that the Biden administration is letting migrants who have committed serious crimes go free in the U.S. But the numbers have been misconstrued without key context.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement released data to Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales in response to a request he made for information about people under ICE supervision either convicted of crimes or facing criminal charges. Gonzales’ Texas district includes an 800-mile stretch bordering Mexico.

Gonzales posted the numbers online and they immediately became a flashpoint in the presidential campaign between former President Donald Trump , who has vowed to carry out mass deportations, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Immigration — and the Biden administration’s record on border security — has become a key issue in the election.

Here’s a look at the data and what it does or doesn’t show:

What are the numbers?

As of July 21, ICE said 662,556 people under its supervision were either convicted of crimes or face criminal charges. Nearly 15,000 were in its custody, but the vast majority — 647,572 — were not.

Included in the figures of people not detained by ICE were people found guilty of very serious crimes: 13,099 for homicide, 15,811 for sexual assault, 13,423 for weapons offenses and 2,663 for stolen vehicles. The single biggest category was for traffic-related offenses at 77,074, followed by assault at 62,231 and dangerous drugs at 56,533.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, later clarified that the numbers span decades and those not in its custody may be held by a state or local agency. For example, someone serving time in a state prison for murder could be counted as a criminal not in ICE’s custody. They are not being held by federal immigration authorities but they are detained — a distinction ICE didn’t make in its report to Gonzales.

Millions of people are on ICE’s “non-detained docket,” or people under the agency’s supervision who aren’t in its custody. Many are awaiting outcomes of their cases in immigration court, including some wearing monitoring devices. Others have been released after completing their prison sentences because their countries won’t take them back.

What do both sides say about the numbers?

Republicans pointed to the data as proof that the Biden administration is letting immigrants with criminal records into the country and isn’t doing enough to kick out those who commit crimes while they’re here.

“The truth is clear — illegal immigrants with a criminal record are coming into our country. The data released by ICE is beyond disturbing, and it should be a wake-up call for the Biden-Harris administration and cities across the country that hide behind sanctuary policies,” Gonzales said in a news release, referring to pledges by local officials to limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Trump, who has repeatedly portrayed immigrants as bringing lawlessness and crime to America, tweeted multiple screenshots of the data with the words: “13,000 CROSSED THE BORDER WITH MURDER CONVICTIONS.”

He also asserted that the numbers correspond to Biden and Harris’ time in office.

The data was being misinterpreted, Homeland Security said in a statement Sunday.

“The data goes back decades; it includes individuals who entered the country over the past 40 years or more, the vast majority of whose custody determination was made long before this Administration,” the agency said. «It also includes many who are under the jurisdiction or currently incarcerated by federal, state or local law enforcement partners.”

The department also stressed what it has done to deport those without the right to stay in America, saying it had removed or returned more than 700,000 people in the past year, which it said was the highest number since 2010. Homeland Security said it had removed 180,000 people with criminal convictions since President Joe Biden took office.

What’s behind the figures?

The data isn’t only listing people who entered the country during the Biden administration but includes people going back decades who came during previous administrations, said Doris Meissner, former commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which was the predecessor to ICE.

They’re accused or convicted of committing crimes in America as opposed to committing crimes in other countries and then entering the U.S., said Meissner, who is now director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute.

“This is not something that is a function of what the Biden administration did,” she said. “Certainly, this includes the Biden years, but this is an accumulation of many years, and certainly going back to at least 2010, 2011, 2012.”

A 2017 report by Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General says that as of August 2016, ICE had about 368,574 people on its non-detained docket who were convicted criminals. By June 2021, that number was up to 405,786.

Can’t ICE just deport criminals?

ICE has limited resources. The number of people it supervises has skyrocketed, while its staffing has not. As the agency noted in a 2023 end-of-year report, it often has to send staff to help at the border, taking them away from their normal duties.

The number of people ICE supervises but who aren’t in its custody has grown from 3.3 million a little before Biden took office to a little over 7 million last spring.

«The simple answer is that as a system, we haven’t devoted enough resources to the parts of the government that deal with monitoring and ultimately removing people who are deportable,» Meissner said.

ICE also has logistical and legal limits on who they can hold. Its budget allows the agency to hold 41,500 people at a time. John Sandweg, who was acting ICE director from 2013 to 2014 under then-President Barack Obama, said holding people accused or convicted of the most serious crimes is always the top priority.

But once someone has a final order of removal — meaning a court has found that they don’t have the right to stay in the country — they cannot be held in detention forever while ICE works out how to get them home. A 2001 Supreme Court ruling essentially prevented ICE from holding those people for more than six months if there is no reasonable chance to expect they can be sent back.

Not every country is willing to take back their citizens, Sandweg said.

He said he suspects that a large number of those convicted of homicide but not held by ICE are people who were ordered deported but the agency can’t remove them because their home country won’t take them back.

“It’s a very common scenario. Even amongst the countries that take people back, they can be very selective about who they take back,” he said.

The U.S. also could run into problems deporting people to countries with which it has tepid relations.

Homeland Security did not respond to questions about how many countries won’t take back their citizens. The 2017 watchdog report put the number at 23 countries, plus an additional 62 that were cooperative but where there were delays getting things like passports or travel documents.

Vance criticized an infrastructure law as a candidate then embraced it as a senator

Por

Associated Press

-

30/09/2024

As he campaigned for the Senate two years ago, JD Vance harshly criticized a bipartisan 2021 law to invest more than $1 trillion in America’s crumbling infrastructure, calling it a “huge mistake” shaped by Democrats who want to spend big taxpayer dollars on “really crazy stuff.”

That hasn’t stopped the first-term Ohio senator and Republican vice-presidential nominee from seeking more than $200 million in federal money made available through the law for projects across his state, according to records reviewed by The Associated Press.

Vance is hardly alone among Republicans who have condemned spending enacted under Democratic President Joe Biden, only to later reap the benefit when government funds flow to popular projects back home. In this case, he also was criticizing the achievement of one of the bill’s authors — former Sen. Rob Portman, the Ohio Republican he succeeded.

“I believe you should campaign how you govern so that you are consistent in your message and voters know what they are going to get,” said Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan, one of Vance’s 2022 Republican primary rivals, who was the only GOP candidate to support the bill.

Parker Magid, a spokesperson for Vance said, “Senators are elected by their constituents to fight for them in Washington, regardless of the party in charge. The fact is that this bill was a wish list of destructive Biden-Harris policy proposals and over 1,000 pages long, but as his constituents expect of him, Senator Vance successfully advocated for full and fair consideration of legitimate expenditures on Ohio projects by the federal government.”

To the man Vance defeated in the general election, former Democratic congressman Tim Ryan, Vance’s pivot “fits the general pattern of him being two-faced on just about everything.”

«Look at the Trump stuff,» Ryan said. “He was ‘America’s Hitler'» in Vance’s estimation, ”then when it didn’t benefit him anymore to have that view, he changed it.”

Trump had vowed to pass an infrastructure bill when he was president, but did not offer a plan, and “Infrastructure Week” became something of a punch line.

That changed after Biden became president. A bipartisan group of senators including Portman and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, then a Democrat, hashed out a roughly $1 trillion package that passed with 19 Republicans joining Democrats.

Vance criticized the bill as a boondoggle tainted by Democrats’ preoccupation with racial justice.

“I’m reading through this new infrastructure bill, and it includes all these ridiculous references to things called transportation equity, which is basically just importing critical race theory into our nation’s infrastructure programs,” Vance tweeted in August 2021. “It’s totally ridiculous and it’s obvious that Republicans have been had in supporting this bill.”

During a September 2021 interview with CBS News, Vance said that the “mistake that Republicans have recently made on bipartisanship is that we gave Democrats a huge win.”

“We do have infrastructure problems, but I don’t think this bill actually spends the money on the things that we need,” he said of the legislation, which Trump opposed.

Portman, who cited “partisan gridlock” as a reason he retired from the Senate, was unavailable for comment.

After taking office in January 2023, Vance appears to have warmed to the legislation his predecessor helped write — though not publicly.

In 10 letters addressed to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg that were sent between 2023 and 2024, Vance requested more than $213 million made available through the law for Ohio projects, according to copies of his correspondence obtained by the AP. At least four of those projects were approved and are slated to get about $130 million, federal records show.

Toledo received nearly $20 million to revitalize a majority Black area that was isolated from the city’s downtown when Interstate 75 was built in the 1960s. Toledo officials described the planning decision behind the location of the freeway as “discriminatory” in their federal application for the funding.

“These once-thriving communities now suffer from some of the city’s highest rates of poverty, unemployment, and blight,» the application states. “Historically, this majority-Black area has been disproportionately impacted by harmful transportation policy decisions.” The application said those policies “caused displacement from which the area has never fully recovered.”

Vance had previously mocked a journalist who asked Buttigieg about bias that went into decades-old planning decisions. “Nothing in our country works,” he tweeted in November 2021. “And our reporters ask about the racism of our roads?”

As a senator he wrote that the project in Toledo had potentially “far-reaching” benefits, though he did include a disclaimer that he opposed “the Biden Administration’s emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion over outcomes of meaningful infrastructure improvements.»

In another instance, Vance sought $29 million for low or no emissions buses. Vance has repeatedly railed against Democratic efforts to reduce emissions. In a recent opinion article in The Wall Street Journal, he singled out Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration’s support for zero-emission efforts, arguing that they were “stifling investment in the coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants that Americans rely on.”

Dolan, Vance’s 2022 primary rival, said he’s glad the senator seems to have changed his mind about the bill.

“The talking points during a campaign sometimes don’t match the responsibility of governing,» Dolan said. “I think the two should be indistinguishable. That’s what it means to be a public servant.»

He said if lawmakers were to «reject those dollars for political reasons, Ohio would suffer.”

Eagles coach says team has to ‘make some changes’ after dismal start in loss to Bucs

Por

Associated Press

-

29/09/2024

TAMPA, Fla.— After Jalen Hurts and the Eagles fell behind by 24 points and didn’t cross midfield until the second quarter following a dismal start Sunday, coach Nick Sirianni said Philadelphia has to “make some changes.”

The Eagles were held without an offensive yard for more than a quarter of their 33-16 loss to Tampa Bay in the first matchup between the teams since the Buccaneers’ one-sided playoff win last season.

“We got to make some changes as far as what is going fundamentally,” Sirianni said.

Tampa Bay ended Philadelphia’s season for the second time in three years last January. Hurts is 1-4 against Tampa Bay, the lone victory coming in Week 3 of last season.

“I just have to play better,” Hurts said, “Production. Taking care of the ball. Just the efficiency.”

Tom Brady beat Hurts in the regular season and playoffs in 2021, and a 32-9 playoff loss to Baker Mayfield capped a stunning 2023 collapse that saw Philadelphia lose six of seven games after a 10-1 start.

The Eagles were coming off a 15-12 win at New Orleans. The Bucs, on the other hand, had a frustrating 26-7 home loss to Denver.

Most of the first half saw the Eagles completely misfire on offense, miss tackles, and block a Bucs’ defender into their punt returner that resulted in a muff which Tampa Bay recovered.

Philadelphia trailed 24-0 midway through the second quarter and had been outgained 254-0 over the stretch.

“No excuses for that,” Sirianni said. “We didn’t coach well enough. We didn’t play well enough.”

Tampa Bay ran 22 plays in Eagles territory before the Philadelphia offense crossed the 50-yard line in the second quarter.

Hurts threw a touchdown pass to Parris Campbell late in the second and added a one-yard TD run on the opening possession of the third to make it 24-14.

Down 30-16 late in the third, Hurts moved the Eagles to the Bucs 19 before linebacker Lavonte David sacked him, and forced a key fumble.

Hurts finished 18 of 30 for 150 yards and no interceptions. He was sacked six times

Saquon Barkley rushed for 94 yards on 10 carries. He had a 59-day dash on the Eagles’ first play in the second half.

The Eagles’ receiver corps remained short-handed with A.J. Brown’s missing his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury. DeVonta Smith suffered a concussion a week ago against New Orleans and was also out. Britain Covey was placed on injured reserve this week with a shoulder injury.

Pro Bowl tackle Lane Johnson sat out with a concussion.

“We got to get everybody healthy,” Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert said. “We got to get people out there. But we’ve got to make sure all locked in and focused on the details. We’ve got to focus on little things.”

Un problema más común de lo que crees

Tres claves para jefes y colaboradores

Expulsiones de migrantes están disparadas

Derecho a solicitar asilo

Here’s a look at the data and what it does or doesn’t show:

What are the numbers?

What do both sides say about the numbers?

What’s behind the figures?

Can’t ICE just deport criminals?

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