International
María Hinojosa to Latinos: “We have to eat that fear”
Emmy-winning journalist and author Maria Hinojosa, of Mexican descent, talks about being the first Latina to work in all the newsrooms she’s ever worked, in her new book “Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America.”
The long-time host of the National Public Radio Latinos in the US, tells the story of her life, as an immigrant, storyteller, advocate for Latinos, as well as the challenges she had to overcome to succeed as a journalist.
Hinojosa details her struggle with anxiety, being a mother, her career and becoming a media entrepreneur. She also opens up about the historical events that shaped her life and the stories she has covered as a reporter. Such as the Salvadoran refugees who became her friends at school, who were exiled from their country because of the U.S. intervention in Central America. For decades, she covered news about immigration and the U.S. policies behind the way they treat its most vulnerable residents.
There are few people who can afford to be “first”, the ones who break down barriers that will indirectly help more people. Journalist Maria Hinojosa is one of those people. But she would not have made it without putting aside her fear of “eating it”, as she puts it.
“I talk about it a lot, because I was the first Latina to work in all my newsrooms. The first on NPR, on CNN, on CBS. The first to create my own nonprofit journalistic company,” she says. “When you’re the first one, when you’re a Latina, you’re obviously scared… but one of the most beautiful things I’ve been able to understand is why I was able to eat that fear.
Hinojosa refers to the company The Futuro Media Group, which she launched in 2010. A positive consequence of having lost her fear, thanks in large part to her life partner, her husband Germán Pérez, a Dominican painter.
Once I Was You, tells the author’s stark truth, from being raped in her youth in Mexico, to her struggle as a woman in a career exclusively for men, to the love-hate relationship that many have with the country that has welcomed them as migrants: The United States.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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