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About half of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and key to that figure is a surge in Latinos in the U.S. getting a vaccine. That group had been trailing the vaccination rate for white people in the U.S. by 9%. And now, that gap has been cut in half. But the gains are spotty. READ MORE AT NPR

Even without the kind of spending on Latino turnout that some had hoped to see, they registered and voted in record numbers in the 2020 presidential election, according to a City University of New York study.

The election saw a dramatic rise in registration and voting by some 18.7 million Latinos, so that about 1 in 10 voters was Latino.. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

A year away from another election cycle, a nationwide poll of Hispanic Americans shows their opinions, interests and preferences don’t align perfectly with either of the country’s two major political parties.

When asked what topics matter most to them, 29% said COVID-19 is the most pressing issue facing the nation. After the pandemic, 19% think the most important issue is jobs and the economy, followed by health care. Only 6% said immigration, race relations and education are the most pressing issue. READ MORE AT THE CENTER SQUARE

Latino and Black workers remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce compared with their share of all workers. But a Pew Research Center report published Thursday found that the gap in STEM workforce representation is especially large for Hispanic adults. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

With positive coronavirus cases rising in the city even as vaccine doses become more readily available, some residents have questions.

On Wednesday, a virtual event designed for the Latino community will be held to address questions regarding the novel coronavirus and the vaccines for it. The Illinois Department of Public Health has partnered with community entities such as Rock Valley College to create a safe space for people to ask their questions.

The hourlong event will include panelists Juana Ballesteros, manager of community public health outreach for the Illinois Department of Public Health, and Dr. Mellisa Simon of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. READ MORE AT ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR

In the nation’s capital, three Latinas in lab coats are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

Monica Mann, 34; Elizabeth Zelaya, 36; and Connie Maza, 33, analyze Covid-19 samples every day to track the spread of the virus and, more recently, to identify mutations. The three scientists and medical technologists are part of a small team in the Washington, D.C., Department of Forensic Sciences' Public Health Laboratory Division. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

The U.S. Hispanic population is diverse. These nearly 60 million individuals trace their heritage to Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and to Spain, each with distinct demographic and economic profiles. But as migration patterns from Latin America change, the origins of U.S. Hispanics are beginning to shift.

Here are key facts about how the U.S. Hispanic origin groups are changing and how they differ from one another. READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Hispanic adults in the United States have higher life expectancy compared to non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks, two groups for which a trend of decreasing death rates has plateaued.

That's according to data released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. READ MORE DESERET NEWS

The leading causes of death among Latinos include heart disease and cancer, and Latinos are 50 percent more likely to die from diabetes than whites.

Hispanics also have high rates of obesity (an estimated 47 percent) and diabetes (12.1 percent) in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While research on the causes of these conditions continues, one thing is clear: Smarter lifestyle choices, beginning with diet, are an important step to living longer and healthier. READ MORE AT USA TODAY

In the 21st century, digital literacy is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. Every day, we’re becoming more reliant on technology to accomplish basic tasks, from making doctors’ appointments, to paying bills, to applying for jobs, to communicating with friends and family. The ability to use computers and access, create, and share digital content is critical to thriving at work and in our daily lives. More than 8 in 10 jobs require some level of digital competency. Yet, according to a Pew Research Center report, 10% of American adults say they do not use the internet. That figure is higher for Hispanics and seniors: 14% of Hispanic adults in the U.S. and 27% of those 65 and older say that they do not use the internet. Household income is also a factor affecting internet adoption. Adults from lower income households are more likely to be offline than more affluent adults.

Here in Chicago – despite being a hotspot for innovation where the growth rate of tech startups has nearly tripled over the past decade – many communities are faced with these issues of digital exclusion. For the city to thrive it is imperative to train and upskill the current workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs. To do this, Verizon and Unidos.US have joined forces to build digital learning centers in major cities, starting with Chicago. The Chicago center is located at Northwest Side Housing in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood and is equipped with mobile technology, an educational curriculum, and professional services to help program participants become digitally competent in the workplace. The centers will also offer child care and lunches for those enrolled. Verizon and UnidosUS will also launch similar learning centers in Lawrenceville, Massachusetts, Seattle, Washington, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

Cities like Chicago are doing their part to combine efforts of local government, private companies and non-profits to take action to foster workforce readiness for underserved populations. For example, one group, the Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition, has partnered with more than 15 local organizations to improve health and digital literacy among underrepresented groups. The coalition provides a free, one-year subscription to a digital literacy testing service aimed at older residents of the city. The service offers online training through personalized learning programs, and sets users up for success in our increasingly tech-based workforce.

These types of efforts along with Verizon and UnidosUS’s launch of new digital learning centers have the power to make a real impact on the workforce at a time when digital literacy skills are more crucial than ever. As our society becomes more digital, we must ensure that no community is left behind. By continuing to promote the effective initiatives funded by the city of Chicago, private companies, NGOs and others, we can help bridge the digital divide and prepare more residents for meaningful careers.

Janet Murguía is President and CEO of UnidosUS; Craig Silliman is EVP and chief administrative, legal and public policy officer of Verizon

Despite Cities' efforts to train their residents for workforce changes as automation threatens millions of jobs, they are struggling to equip their most vulnerable populations: African Americans and Latinos.

According to the report, between 9% and 47% of jobs will be lost to automation in the upcoming decades, but these job losses will most significantly affect people with lower education levels. READ MORE AT U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Despite a gloomy outlook for their own potential earnings, more millennials are earning higher wages than Gen X. A 10th of millennials said they already earn $100,000, compared to 9% of Gen X and 11% of baby boomers – the only income bracket where boomers earn more than millennials.

As the income brackets go higher, so does the proportion of millennials earning more than older generations. READ MORE AT YAHOO FINANCE

Recent studies predict that by 2025 there may be as many as 100 billion internet of things (IoT) devices deployed worldwide. That's roughly 14 connected devices or sensors for every person on Earth.

IoT consists of almost everything you can attach to a network: computers, smartphones, robots, drones, printers, thermostats, and even consumer packaged goods with RFID tags. To create business value with IoT, you need the right combination of sensors, devices, software, and systems. READ MORE AT ADAGE

Even with the quickly changing landscape in the U.S., experts think healthcare systems aren't prepared to adequately treat the Latino population, which has unique healthcare challenges and needs.

Latinos are 50% more likely to die from diabetes or liver disease than whites. They are also 23% more likely to be obese.

Only a few healthcare systems—even those in areas with a large Latino population already—have invested in services targeted for Latinos beyond language services, which hospitals are legally required to provide under the Civil Rights Act. READ MORE AT MODERN HEALTHCARE

For the first time, non-Hispanic white residents now make up less than half (49.9%) of the nation’s under age 15 population, newly released 2018 U.S. Census Bureau estimates show. The new data highlight the increasing racial diversity of the nation’s overall population, for which non-Hispanic whites now comprise only slightly more than three-fifths (60.4%) of all residents.

But the fact that white children under 15 have already become a minority in their age group puts an exclamation point on the fact that the nation’s diversity is percolating from the “bottom up” as the white population ages. READ MORE AT BROOKINGS

A new study conducted by researchers at Stanford, Harvard and the Census Bureau, finds that in 99 percent of neighborhoods in the United States, black boys earn less in adulthood than white boys who come from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. This undermines the widely-held belief that class, not race, is the most fundamental predictor of economic outcomes for children in the U.S.

The study looked at racial disparities in income over generations by looking at de-identified data from 20 million U.S. children and their parents. It tracked outcomes for Hispanic, white, Asian, black and Native Americans. READ MORE AT NPR

It’s no secret Texas has become one of the fastest growing states in the nation, and Comal County has become of the fastest growing counties.

If the projections of Texas demographers are accurate, the Texas of tomorrow will look very different than the Texas of today both in structure and in its people.

Driving much of the growth in Texas — and the entire nation — is the boom of the Hispanic population — a population that will almost double by 2050. READ MORE AT THE HERALD-ZEITUNG

The top staff of House members is overwhelmingly white, with 313 representatives — about three-quarters — having no racial minorities in their offices’ top three positions, according to a new report.

Just 13.7 percent of staffers, or 152 of 1,110, who work as chiefs of staff, legislative directors or communications directors are people of color, according to the report released Tuesday by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a public policy think tank in Washington.

The representation worsens in the top ranks of staff of U.S. House committees and House leadership offices. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

Hispanics living in the United States tend to have “less education, a higher poverty rate, and worse access to health care” and “represent the ultimate paradigm of healthcare disparities,” with the highest rate of uninsured, lowest rates of health screening and counseling, and poorest levels of blood pressure and blood sugar control, as well as “other measures of deficient quality of care.” So they must have dismal public health statistics, right? READ MORE AT CARE2

The Capstone College of Nursing recently received a $1.7 million grant for the purpose of increasing the number of Latino nurses with bachelor's degrees. The grant is aimed at recruiting 80 Latino registered nurses with associate degrees and getting them on the track to receiving a bachelor's degree in nursing from The University of Alabama.

The College of Nursing will admit 20 students over a four-year period to meet the desired goal. The Health Resources and Services Administration Nursing Workforce Diversity program is funding the grant and efforts to recruit the nurses. READ MORE AT THE CRIMSON WHITE