- A national group is launching a cell phone app aimed at increasing Hispanic voter registration. They believe Donald Trump’s comments about Mexicans will help make it a hit.
- American eye doctors who want to help people in developing countries are learning to remove cataracts without using machines.
- In New Mexico, an effort is underway to prevent child abuse before it starts.
- Millions of Americans struggle every day because they cannot read. A Santa Fe program is helping people overcome the stigma of illiteracy.
Hispanic Voter Registration App Has Provocative Name
A national group that works to register Hispanic voters is launching a cellphone app and a provocative campaign called: “F- the Wall.” That stands for "Fight the Wall, Register a Mexican to Vote."
The national group is the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. It’s president, Antonio Gonzalez, believes there will be a surge in registration this presidential year because of anti-Hispanic activity. The app is designed to jumpstart the campaign and reach a growing number of Hispanic millennials.
Gonzalez says anti-immigration efforts have spurred voter registration in the past. He points to California Gov. Pete Wilson’s support of a 1994 state ballot proposition to prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving social services. In Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio ordered deputies to stop Hispanic drivers because they might be in the country illegally.
Gonzalez told Texas Public Radio's Shelley Kofler, anti-immigrant efforts resulted in a flood of new Hispanic voters in those cases, and will again this presidential year.
North Texas Doctors Are Crossing Borders To Treat Cataracts
Some American eye doctors are crossing borders to help people with cataracts see again. Cataracts, the clouding of eye lenses, are the leading cause of curable blindness worldwide. They’re incredibly treatable, but for people who have lost their ability to see clearly, not being able to get the surgery can mean a life with no livelihood. KERA’s Christopher Connelly recently spent a day with North Texas doctors learning to help people with cataracts in the poorest parts of the world.
Curbing New Mexico Child Abuse
Child abuse and neglect is preventable, according to a report just released by the Centers for Disease Control. It says stopping child abuse should be a public health priority. Marisa Demarco of KUNM teamed up with KNME/New Mexico PBS to look at prevention efforts, including the Nurse-Family Partnership program in Albuquerque.
Overcoming The Stigma Of Illiteracy
Imagine that when you walk out of your house the road signs are blank. Billboards are filled with what looks like gibberish. You try to order breakfast at a new restaurant, but you have to listen to other customers to figure out what’s on the menu. KUNM’s Anna Lande reports that’s the reality for thousands of New Mexico adults, and 32 million Americans, who are struggling to read.