Tiempo with Joe Torres

In the latest episode of "Tiempo," Joe Torres sits down with Raymond Collazao and Carmen Iris Santiago, founders of Mi Patria Puerto Rico, an organization of volunteers on the island helping families rebuild after natural disasters. Plus, the star of the ABC show Will Trent, Ramon Rodriguez, will serve as the padrino for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. He sits down with entertainment reporter Joelle Garguilo to talk about the show and his heritage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Insurance fraud is one of the most costly and damaging forms of crime in the United States and globally. Fraud takes many forms because scammers constantly change their methods to find new gaps and loopholes. According to the New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud, 40 percent of Latino adults have been targeted by insurance fraud. We'll talk to the alliance about measures they are taking to help protect everyone. But first: controversy regarding a crackdown on day laborers at several Home Depot stores across New York. One of Home Depot stores in New Rochelle now patrols the parking lot with dogs that pushed the day laborers to the edge of the property. Police say there have been complaints about the laborers getting aggressive with customers when offering to load up their cars. Dario Navarrete from United Community Center of Westchester joins us to shed more light on the situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Department of State just gave more than a million in grant money to several community organizations in our area. The goal? Fund financial literacy programs and help people improve their finances. The programs plan to provide one-on-one coaching with experienced financial professionals and offer help on how to budget and manage your finances for the long term.       Two of the community organizations are based in the Bronx. where so many Latinos live. Joining us is Robert Rodriguez, the New York secretary of state to give us details on why this program is crucial to Latinos.   Then, free legal immigration assistance is being offered at Queens College as the city manages the influx of migrants. The CUNY school just launched a campus branch of CUNY’s Citizenship Now!   The new office will be fully staffed by a supervising attorney, a paralegal and office employees who will provide completely free legal assistance to students, as well as their families.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We examine New York Latino voters and the presidential elections in November. Political analysts expect one million Latinos in New York to cast ballots in the presidential election, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials or NALEO. The association also expects Latino turnout in the Empire State to increase by 12.4 percent from 2020, and more than 13 percent from 2016. Joining us is Dorian Caal from the NALEO Educational Fund, which has a comprehensive analysis on Latino voter turnout come November. *** We highlight a New York City jazz program where most of the students are Latino.  The Jazz Power Initiative is located in the heart of Washington Heights and offers after-school classes, senior center workshops and a program for artists and educators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start in Puerto Rico, where dengue cases are on the rise. Leaders on the island recently declared a public health emergency.       Puerto Rico's Secretary of Health said the Health Department has registered 549 cases of dengue so far this year, and that far exceeds historical numbers. Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne virus across the globe. The secretary said all parts of Puerto Rican society must join forces to prevent contagion and the spread of this virus. Joining us this morning is Judith Aponte, professor at Hunter College.        *** There is a push to make sure Latino children have continuous health coverage during their crucial early years of life. It's a major concern as New York State considers drastic cuts to Medicaid. We talk to Health First New York's largest nonprofit health insurer. They want to raise awareness to help stop gaps in coverage for Latino children.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hundreds of Cubans hit the streets recently to protest the lack of food and access to electricity and fuel. The Cuban government has initiated nightly blackouts for almost seven months due to rising fuel costs and continued economic hardship on the island. Ted Henken, a professor at Baruch College who has written several books on Cuba, joins us to discuss the crisis.  Then, we'll highlight an organization whose mission is to reunite men and women taken at birth in Chile. It happened during the country's dictatorship that lasted from 1973 to 1990. Thousands of babies were taken from their mothers and sold across the world. The nonprofit has made several trips to the South American nation to reunite families. Many of the members are adoptees themselves and from our area.       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mayor Eric Adams wants to modify New York's status as a sanctuary city for migrants. The mayor says migrants who commit serious crimes should be deported. Right now, existing laws prohibit city officials from cooperating with federal immigration agents if a foreign national is charged with a crime. New York City has officially ended the right-to-shelter for single adult migrants after 30 days in a city-run shelter. The administration has provided shelter and care to around 183,000 new arrivals in the past two years. Joe Torres sits down with attorney Muzaffar Chishti from the Migration Policy Institute to focus on the migrant crisis. *** In honor of Women’s History Month, Tiempo is highlighting The CUNY TV Show Latinas, which showcases influential Latina leaders. Joining us is Tinabeth Piña, the host and managing editor of the show.     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences faced controversy in recent years about its lack of diversity. But there's good news - Latino representation in front of and behind the camera has grown. And it can be seen in this year’s nominations. We'll take a closer look. This is the fifth year with at least seven diverse nominees in the acting categories, and three of the five best supporting actress nominees are diverse women. Joining us this morning is Stacie de Armas from Nielsen to share some data regarding diverse representation in the films nominated for Oscars. Plus, the New York City Latino College Expo and Leadership Summit is right around the corner.         Every year we bring you details on all the work the organizers and recruiters do to prepare students and their families for college.      The mission remains the same: Provide that help through specialized programs designed to access resources and link the students to colleges and universities. The expo grows bigger and better each year. Joining us this morning is the founder and executive director of the Latino College Expo, Antonio Aponte and Damaris Mercado, the expo's director of programming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We begin with help with the federal student aid form for college students known as FAFSA. The U.S. Department of Education recently introduced an updated form with fewer questions and expanded eligibility. But the form launched months later than usual, and students have encountered several computer glitches and longer wait times for news on financial aid. . James Rodriguez from College and Career Resource Fairs and Francisco García-Quezada from NYC Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network are here to tell us about several free FAFSA completion events. *** Manhattanville College in Westchester County just appointed the school's first Latino president. Dr. Frank Sanchez takes the helm of the 182-year-old college that has its campus in Purchase, New York. He joins us on this episode of “Tiempo."     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There have been several recent acts of violence by newly arrived migrants in New York City. A group of migrants assaulted several police officers in Times Square and a 15-year-old migrant fired several shots in a Times Square store and at police trying to capture him.   The city also announced a curfew for many migrant shelters to try and curtail the crime.  Some immigrant advocates believe the recent crimes create a false sense of chaos and insecurity that threatens law-abiding immigrants.  Take a look at the numbers: Overall, they show the New York City shelter system has housed almost 174,000 migrants since the crisis began two years ago. The number of those migrants arrested in the city is a very small percentage compared to the number who arrived here Joining us is Liz Alarcón, the daughter of Venezuelan immigrants and founder and executive director of Pulso, a nonprofit media startup.      *** A new podcast series, "Qué Pasa, Long Island: The Story of the Secatogue Nine," shares the stories of nine Latino immigrant families who faced discrimination when they settled in Farmingdale, New York, on Long Island a decade ago. It recounts their traumatic journeys from their native countries, where many lived through social unrest, domestic abuse, and gang violence.      Like so many other families, they decided to restart in America.  They faced new hardships – racism, discrimination, and marginalization – when they settled in Farmingdale. The families found support and legal representation when they connected with the students and faculty at Hofstra University’s law reform advocacy clinic. Joining us are Mario Murillo and Lawrence Levy from Hofstra University to discuss the impact of that case and its final outcome, and why it serves as the foundation for a podcast series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices