Tag Archives: U.S. Capitol

Chita Rivera to Headline “West Side Story” 65th Anniversary Celebration on PBS’ “A Capitol Fourth” Program

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Chita Rivera will bring the West Side to the world…

This year’s A Capitol Fourth, the annual televised Independence Day concert, will feature a celebration of West Side Story‘s 65th anniversary, headlined by the 89-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress, singer, dancer and Broadway star.

Chita RiveraRivera, who played Anita in the original Broadway production of West Side Story, will lead the anniversary celebration, as the National Symphony Orchestra performs a musical tribute.

The event, to be broadcast on PBS, will be hosted by Mickey Guyton, with performances by Darren Criss, Yolanda Adams, Gloria Gaynor, Keb’ Mo’, Emily Bear, Andy Grammer and Loren Allred with the National Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jack Everly.

Rachel Platten will do a special tribute to military heroes and their families, as she performs her song Stand By You.

The event, on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, will be open to the public, after two years of virtual celebrations due to COVID-19.

The evening will conclude with the Capital fireworks display, including a performance featuring The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” also marking its 100th anniversary.

The event will air from 8:00 pm ET to 9:30 pm ET on PBS. It also will be aired on Armed Forces Network and aired on NPR member stations. It will be streamed on YouTube and PBS.org from July 4 to July 18.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Routs John Cummings to Earn Second Term in U.S. House of Representatives

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is heading back to The District…

The 31-year-old New York-born Puerto Rican politician, handily defeated Republican John Cummings in her bid for re-election as the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th Congressional District.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

AOC, as she’s known, took 68% of the vote, while her opponent, a former NYPD officer, scored 31% of the vote to earn a second term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2018, the self-proclaimed Democratic socialist won the seat with nearly 80% percent of the vote, defeating Queens County Democratic Party leader and longtime Congressman Joe Crowley in the primary. She swept her way into the U.S. Congress with a historically diverse midterm group of freshman, including 36 women and 24 people of color.

Ocasio-Cortez currently sits on the House Financial Services Committee and Oversight and Reform Committee.

AOC has racked up several memorable moments in her relatively short time in Congress, including a searing takedown over the summer of Rep. Ted Yoho after he called her “crazy,” “disgusting” and a “f*cking bitch” on the steps of the U.S. Capitol within earshot of a reporter.

In a moving address to the House, she attacked deep-seated sexism and misogyny. “I want to thank him for showing the world that you can be a powerful man and accost women. It happens every day in this country,” she said, adding, “I am someone’s daughter too.”

Previously, AOC, whose parents are of Puerto Rico descent, was targeted by an infamous President Donald Trump racist Twitter tirade that urged her and Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” The four became known as The Squad, and all four won re-election on Tuesday night.