Latest news with #Miami-based
Los Angeles Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Jorge Ramos on his new digital series: ‘I have a few pending battles left'
Journalist Jorge Ramos is officially back in the spotlight following his departure from TelevisaUnivision last December. 'Journalists never retire and I have a few pending battles left,' said Ramos in a phone call with The Times. On Wednesday, the Mexican reporter announced his new independent daily news program, 'Así veo las cosas,' on Instagram. Featuring interviews with notable figures and everyday people alike, his broadcasts will be accessible across multiple social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, X, Facebook and TikTok beginning June 23. While most of his segments will be filmed in a Miami-based studio, Ramos expects to be in the field, speaking with community members. 'I want to be with the people, transmitting live,' he said. 'This is a dangerous and critical time for Latinos and immigrants,' Ramos added. 'There's not enough spaces for immigrants' voices to be heard and to counter all the lies told about us.' Early last week, Ramos teased his comeback to broadcast journalism in the wake of the protests against ICE sweeps across Los Angeles. 'This is a grave moment, especially with the presence of the National Guard in Los Angeles,' said Ramos in an Instagram Reel, uploaded on June 8. 'We have to explain why so many immigrants feel betrayed, why so many immigrants feel persecuted,' he continued. 'Because what is happening in Los Angeles is a motive for frustration and desperation among the Latino and immigrant community.' In the same clip, Ramos acknowledged his six-month hiatus. 'I know that I have many months out of the news and screens for various reasons, but this is the exact moment that I must return to tell [you] what is happening,' said Ramos. On Dec. 13, Ramos concluded his 38-year run with 'Noticierio Univision,' the most-watched Spanish-language newscast, along with his Sunday morning public affairs program, 'Al Punto,' which he anchored for 17 years. Throughout his career, Ramos established himself as a fierce reporter known for pressing world leaders with tough questions, particularly surrounding the topic of immigration. 'Never, never in my career has someone censored me or dictated what I say or don't say in the U.S.,' Ramos told The Times. Many may recall Ramos directly referring to former President Barack Obama as 'Deporter-in-Chief' during a 2014 interview aired on Univision, citing his mass deportation efforts and a failed campaign promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Less than a year later, Ramos made headlines when he was ejected from a Donald Trump press conference in Iowa after refusing to sit down. Ramos had asked the Republican candidate about his promise to build a wall and deport millions of undocumented immigrants; in response, Trump told Ramos to 'go back to Univision.' News of Ramos' departure came last September, when parent company TelevisaUnivision announced that both parties had 'mutually agreed' not to renew Ramos' contract at the end of the year. While no further details were disclosed, Ramos was the second major figure to leave after Televisa merged with Univision. León Krauze, who anchored Univision's late-night newscast, resigned in 2023, notably less than a week after Televisa journalist Enrique Acevedo conducted a nearly hour-long, nonconfrontational interview with President Trump. Ramos' exit from broadcast television came at a troubling time overall for network evening newscasts, which have struggled to compete with fast-paced content creator hubs like YouTube. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center report about U.S. Latino news consumption, 65% of Latinos said they largely consumed news through their digital devices, a detail that Ramos seemed to acknowledge with the launch of 'Así veo las cosas.' 'I've been fortunate enough to be a very privileged journalist,' said Ramos. 'I want to continue using that platform for other voices that need to be heard, but aren't.' He jokingly referred to himself now as an avant-garde 'content creator,' but added: 'I hope I can differentiate myself by the journalistic experience and credibility I have gained over 40 years. 'I think journalism is more important than ever, and my bet is that people who saw me on TV will follow me on social media,' said Ramos.
Axios
14 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Exclusive: Payabli raises $28M to scale embedded payments
Payabli, a Miami-based embedded payments platform, has raised $28 million in Series B funding led by existing investors Fika Ventures and QED Investors, its founders tell Axios exclusively. Why it matters: Payments are becoming a core strategy for software vendors and SaaS platforms to unlock new revenue streams and deepen customer relationships. How it works: Payabli provides vertical software companies with an embedded platform that combines payment acceptance, payment issuance, and payment operations under a single API. This lets software vendors and vertical SaaS providers offer branded payment solutions without managing multiple third-party providers. "We remain laser-focused on our mission of making all software companies payment companies," co-founder William Corbera says. "And on unifying pay-in, pay-out and pay-ops through a single, unified API." What they're saying: "Vertical-SaaS platforms used to see payments purely as a cost center, but Payabli makes it so easy to embed and monetize that it's a no-brainer," Fika Ventures general partner TX Zhuo says. By the numbers: Payabli has grown nearly 8x since its Series A, processing billions annually and supporting over 50,000 merchants, Phillips says. He expects the company to support over 100,000 merchants by year's end. Between the lines: Insiders QED and Fika decided to double down on the company less than a year after it raised its Series A round. "We didn't need the money ... but our investors came to us. They see Payabli as a multiple-billion-dollar company and wanted to accelerate our growth," co-founder Joseph Elias Phillips says. Zhuo notes that the Series B round was the largest check Fika has written to date. "The team is building the go-to platform for software companies looking to embed payments, and we wanted to ensure they had capital to accelerate," QED partner Laura Bock said in an email. The latest: With the new funding, the company is betting big on AI, which it uses for risk management, fraud detection, customer support, and platform integration. It recently introduced an AI-powered support agent, Amigo, that is trained on extensive customer and platform data. "We've been investing heavily in AI — from Amigo on the support side to risk-and-fraud models across the platform — to keep the infrastructure reliable as we scale," Phillips says. Zoom in: The funding brings Payabli's total raised to $60 million, just nine months after its Series A.
Axios
17 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Supply chain tech startup Pelico raises $40M round led by General Catalyst
Supply chain orchestration platform Pelico raised $40 million in strategic financing led by General Catalyst, co-founder Tarik Benabdallah tells Axios Pro. Why it matters: Fragmented supply chains restrict manufacturers' ability to make proactive decisions and rapidly respond to disruptions. Follow the money: Existing investors 83North and Serena joined General Catalyst in the financing round. Pelico has raised $72 million to date. How it works: Miami-based Pelico provides a platform to synchronize data and processes, helping manufacturers reduce backlog and lower inventory costs. It serves aerospace, defense, luxury and industrial customers, though Benabdallah sees relevance in medical devices and energy. What they're saying:"In a factory, every day, at 7am when you show up, you have a perfect plan," Benabdallah says. "On average, [by] 7:16, it's a different story. "It's a late delivery from a supplier, quality issue, some operations that didn't finish on time, demand change from a customer. Each one of those disruptions basically has snowball effects." Pelico "collects data from the systems and continuously scans for those disruptions [and] propagates their impact so that teams stay aligned," Benabdallah says. "We've been deeply impressed by the team's ability to deliver measurable impact in complex environments — fast, global and enterprise-grade," Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, General Catalyst managing director and La Famiglia founding partner, tells Axios Pro. By the numbers: Customers see an average reduction of 40% in parts shortages and a 15% increase in on-time deliveries, according to the company. Customers such as Airbus, Safran, Eaton and Daikin have successfully deployed Pelico in only 12 weeks, the startup says. Pelico's customers operate more than 1,000 factories globally, and the startup works with half of the world's top 10 aerospace and defense firms. Zoom in: The platform "brings structure, clarity and collaboration into environments where even a single late part can disrupt billion-dollar production lines," Zu Fürstenberg says. Catch up quick: Pelico was founded in Paris in 2019 by Benabdallah, Mamoun Alaoui and Jonathan Hickson. The company also maintains offices in Miami and Frankfurt, Germany. Pelico raised $18 million led by 83 North and Serena in 2022. What's next: The startup will be able to foresee its profitability within two years if it does not take on any new funding to accelerate its growth, Benabdallah says.
Time of India
a day ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Hurricane Erick makes landfall in Mexico, category 3 storm could bring "life-threatening" flooding: 10 points
Hurricane Erick has made landfall in western Oaxaca state in Mexico, reports Associated Press. The hurricane strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 3 storm when it headed towards Mexico's Pacific coast, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Despite the downgrade from Category 4, the hurricane center had warned that the storm's strong winds and rain are expected to cause " life-threatening flooding and mudslides." Here are ten things you need to know on Hurricane Erick -'Major Hurricane #Erick makes landfall in extreme western Oaxaca, Mexico just east of Punta Maldonado. The estimated maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph (205 km/h),' the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a post on social media. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dream Kitchen Within Reach? See How HomeLane Get Quote Undo -Earlier, forecasters upgraded Erick to an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 hurricane before lowering it to a Category 3. Early Thursday, the hurricane's center was located about 20 miles east of Punta Maldonado. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 125 mph (205 kph). ALSO READ: Juneteenth federal holiday in US: Check what's open and closed Live Events -Hurricane Erick made landfall on the southern Mexico coast, threatening to unleash destructive winds, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge on the region in coming hours. -Heavy rainfall was expected to cause "life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain" in Oaxaca and Guerrero states, the NHC said. A "life-threatening storm surge" was expected to cause coastal flooding near where the storm made landfall. -Mexican authorities said they were also expecting heavy rain in southernmost state Chiapas. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told people in the storm's path to "stay tuned to official communications, to stay indoors, and not go out", reports BBC. -A hurricane warning is in effect for a 500km-stretch (300 miles) of Pacific coast, from the resort town of Acapulco to Puerto Ángel. Residents in Guerrero and Oaxaca have been warned of life-threatening floods and swells. ALSO READ: Did White House post misleading video of Tulsi Gabbard over Iran's nuclear weapon amid her 'clash' with Trump? -People living in mountainous areas have been told to beware of possible mudslides. Around 2,000 shelters have been set up across the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca and more than 18,000 first responders have been mobilised to prepare for the hurricane. -A hurricane warning was in effect from Acapulco to Puerto Ángel. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the area, and preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion, according to the hurricane center advisory. ALSO READ: Amazon's 30-day deadline to employees amid mass layoff fear: Resign in 60 days or... -Laura Velázquez, Mexico's national civil defense coordinator, said Erick was forecast to bring 'torrential' rains to Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas in southern Mexico. The mountainous region along the coast is especially prone to mudslides with numerous rivers at risk of flooding. -In October 2023, at least 50 people were killed during Hurricane Otis, a category 5 hurricane that battered Acapulco. Otis intensified rapidly, meaning many people were unprepared when the hurricane made landfall.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erick upgraded to Category 4 storm as it approaches Mexico
Hurricane Erick has become an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 storm, hours before it is expected to pummel Mexico's Pacific coastline, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) has said. In its latest bulletin, the meteorological centre said Erick could grow even more powerful before making landfall in the eastern part of Guerrero state and the western part of Oaxaca state on Thursday morning. The major storm, which is travelling to the northwest at a rate of 15km/h (nine mph), will unleash destructive winds, flash floods and a dangerous storm surge, forecasters have predicted. As it neared Mexico, the NHC reported that the hurricane's maximum sustained winds had increased to about 230km/h (145mph), putting it within the Category 4 wind speed range of 209-251km/h (130-156mph). The NHC warned that Erick could unleash up to 16 inches (40cm) of rain on Oaxaca and Guerrero, bringing the risk of 'life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain'. The Mexican states of Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco could also be hit by up to 6 inches of rainfall, the Miami-based centre added. Late on Wednesday, Erick's projected path was revised, as it is headed closer to the resort city of Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca. A hurricane warning is in place for the entire coastal area between Acapulco and Puerto Angel. Mexican authorities have scrambled to prepare residents and tourists ahead of Erick's arrival. In a video message on Wednesday night, President Claudia Sheinbaum urged people to stay at home or move to shelters if they were in low-lying areas. Some 2,000 temporary shelters have been set up in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero and Oaxaca to house those who have to leave their homes. Meanwhile, Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said that schools in her state would stay closed, and that fishing and tourism operators had been told to make their boats storm ready. Residents in the Guerrero resort of Acapulco were among those steeling themselves for Erick's landfall. The city of almost one million people was devastated in October 2023 by Hurricane Otis, which killed at least 52 people and destroyed many homes and businesses. Carlos Ozuna Romero, 51, lost his restaurant at the edge of an Acapulco beach in the 2023 hurricane. On Wednesday, he oversaw workers as they stored tables and chairs in preparation for the new storm. 'Authorities' warnings fill us with fear and obviously make us remember everything we've already been through,' he said. Elsewhere in the city, Veronica Gomez, a 40-year-old shipping company worker, suggested the city was much better prepared this time. 'Now it's not going to catch us by surprise,' she said. Erick is likely to rapidly weaken as it reaches the mountains, and it is predicted to dissipate on Thursday night or early Friday, according to the NHC.
