Since she was elected to office in November, Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell has been proactive on Venezuela. She calls the country's leadership an “illegitimate regime” and last week introduced the “Humanitarian Assistance to the Venezuelan People Act of 2019,” that would provide up to $150 million in humanitarian aid to the people of Venezuela. She’s hosted discussions with local Venezuelan and Central American community leaders in Miami in search of solutions. WLRN’s Danny Rivero spoke to the congresswoman about her proposed bill, temporary protected status (TPS) for Venezuelans and her future plans.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in three women and one in six men in the U.S. will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. In Florida, there are only 44 certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) tasked with properly securing evidence from survivors of sexual assault and conducting rape kit exams. Florida International University (FIU) recently received a $1.5 million grant to launch a SANE training program in rural and underserved communities in the state. FIU’s Dr. Tami Thomas, the Associate Dean of Research at the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, joined Sundial to talk about the program.
According to United Way’s “Asset Limited, Income Restrained, Employed” (ALICE) report, 40 percent of families in Miami-Dade County earn less than it costs to live here. The report looks at the difficulty many families in South Florida face as they struggle to make ends meet. Maria Alonso, President and CEO of the United Way of Miami, joined Sundial to discuss the report and policies to reduce poverty in the county.
Casa Cuba, FIU's Cuban culture affairs center, recently partnered with Books & Books to launch a book club that highlights works from influential Cuban poets and authors. Their first book is Richard Blanco’s “The Prince of Los Cocuyos.” Casa Cuba Executive Director María Carla Chicuén joined Sundial to talk about the book club and opportunities to meet more up-and-coming authors.