[su_label]Bay Area[/su_label]
‘Monster in the Mission’ development in limbo
Plans for the proposed 10-story housing development at 1979 Mission Street have stalled, the San Francisco Business Journal reported on Aug. 20. Maximus Real Estate Partners, the developer behind the controversial project, has apparently filed a lawsuit against the Jang family, which owns the property. Maximus alleges that the Jangs violated the purchase agreement by working to delay the project while meeting in secret with other developers in an attempt to profit more from the sale. Maximus has stated it is still fully committed to the project, but the outcome of the lawsuit will likely decide who develops the property and when.
Community rallies against the sale of Precita Eyes studio center
With the building at 348 Precita Ave.—which has housed Precita Eyes Muralists’ studio center since 1977—up for sale, artists, neighbors and concerned members of the community came together on Aug. 25 to celebrate the cultural institution. The event was scheduled to coincide with the property’s open house in an attempt to dissuade prospective buyers. The Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) has announced it will make a bid for the property, and if successful will protect all current tenants from eviction by making the property a cooperative.
[su_label]National[/su_label]
Co-working startup lays off janitors who try to unionize
New York City-based co-working startup WeWork laid off nearly all of the 150 (mostly Latino) subcontracted employees who clean its 17 offices, after they attempted to organize a union. WeWork, a company valued at $10 billion, denies that the employees’ attempts to unionize had anything to do with its decision not to renew their contracts. The careers page of the company’s website states that it is looking to hire people who are “authentic,” “tenacious,” and “grateful.”
Jorge Ramos forced out of Trump press conference
Influential journalist and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos was forcibly escorted from a Donald Trump news conference in Iowa on Aug. 25 after questioning public remarks that the Republican presidential candidate has made about immigration. Trump told Ramos to “go back to Univision” before signaling to his security team to have him removed, but apparently he quickly thought better of the decision and Ramos was allowed to return. “I’ve never been forcibly removed from a press conference or an interview,” Ramos later said on Univision.
Rural Latino children at a disadvantage
A recent study conducted by Stateline found that 47 percent of Latino children in rural areas of the United States are born into poverty, as compared to 41 percent in urban areas. Rural immigrant families are much less likely to have access to federal and state assistance programs such as Women Infants and Children (WIC) the report concluded, and they are less likely to have consistent healthcare, especially if the parents are undocumented and afraid of being deported.