THIS week President Barack Obama announced a new rule that could potentially give millions of hardworking Americans a raise. On Tuesday, June 30, the White House began releasing the details of a long-awaited overtime rule aimed at lifting wages for up to five million people as soon as 2016, according to sources familiar with the…

This week, President Obama will propose giving millions of hardworking Americans a raise. On Tuesday, June 30, the White House began releasing the details of a long-awaited overtime rule aimed at lifting wages for up to five million people as soon as 2016, according to sources familiar with the plans. Obama will formally announce the…

New research shows that nearly four of every 10 kids and teenagers in the US were exposed to violence or abuse over the previous year. Phone surveys conducted by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire in Durham found that “children are the most victimized segment of the population,” said…

THE Supreme Court has refused to limit states’ use of a controversial execution method that opponents have likened to being burned alive. The high court’s conservative majority said Monday, June 29 that lethal injection remains the “most humane method of execution.” During oral arguments in April, they had blamed opponents for exacerbating a shortage of…

WITH the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, religious conservatives are focusing on preserving their right to object the 5-4 decision made on Friday, June 26. Their concerns are for the thousands of faith-based charities, colleges, hospitals, and organizations that want to hire, fire, serve and set policy according to their religious beliefs regarding gay…

The Senate gave final approval to legislation on Wednesday, June 24, granting President Barack Obama enhanced power to negotiate major trade agreements with Asia and Europe, and sending his biggest legislative priority to the White House for a signature before the end of his term. The vote was 60 to 38. Obama’s “fast-track” trade agenda…

TWO months after Nepal was hit with a devastating earthquake and an aftershock that killed over 8,500 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses in its wake, the US government granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to the victims and Nepali families who have been affected. Immigration authorities opened applications on Wednesday, June 24, which…

THE federal government announced Wednesday, June 25 that it will release several undocumented migrant families on bond, a move designed to ease the strain on detention centers and address criticism from activists arguing it is wrong to hold women and children for long periods. The change in policies follows other border security changes announced last…

Couples, officials, critics get ready for landmark decision WITH a US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage expected any day now, gay couples in states with bans are making plans, courthouse officials are preparing, and critics are working to keep up the opposition. Marriage license bureaus are bracing for a rush of applicants if the…

OBESE American adults now outnumber those who are merely overweight, according to a new report in the JAMA Internal Medicine health journal. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis estimated that 67.6 million Americans over the age of 25 were obese as of 2012, and an additional 65.2 million were overweight. They…

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton plans to propose tax credits to encourage businesses to train young people and offer apprenticeships as a way to both raise wages and boost youth employment. The former secretary of state called for a $1,500 tax credit per apprentice during a campaign stop in South Carolina on Wednesday, June 17….

MOST Americans support marriage equality, regardless of how various polls frame the question, according to a new report from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. The report by Andrew R. Flores, a public opinion and policy fellow at the Williams Institute, was published in Public Opinion Quarterly and…

AFTER nearly 120 years, a woman will soon be on the American $10 bill. By 2020, the Treasury Department will add an unnamed historical female figure to the $10 bill, as a tribute to the hard work and contributions of women in the US. “It’s time for a woman to be back on our paper…

Suspect caught by police after manhunt THE historic city of Charleston, SC was hit with tragedy when an armed white male entered a black Methodist Episcopal church in downtown on the night of Wednesday, June 17th, shooting and killing nine, including the church’s pastor. Police identified the suspect as 21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof from Lexington,…

UNDER a budget deal announced Tuesday, June 18 by California Governor Jerry Brown and legislative leaders, an estimated 170,000 undocumented immigrant children aged 18 and younger could receive public health care coverage. The budget deal for the 2015-16 fiscal year marks another victory for advocates and lawmakers who have worked to make the state more…

THE Food and Drug Administration recently took a step forward in eliminating artificial trans-fat from the American diet. On Tuesday, June 16, the FDA ruled that trans-fat is not “generally recognized as safe” to be used in human food. The agency said it has made a “preliminary determination” that a major source of trans-fats are…

ACTOR Ernie Reyes Jr., best known for his role as Keno in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze,” is fighting for his life. The martial arts fighter and stunt actor took to GoFundMe for monetary donations to help with his kidney transplant procedure. The 43-year-old Filipino American from San Jose, Calif. was recently in…

CALIFORNIA voters passed the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, also called “Proposition 47,” in November 2014,  allowing for opportunities and a second chance for convicted persons. Prop 47 allows some eligible low-level, non-violent smaller offenses and crimes to be charged as misdemeanors instead of felonies. By reducing the penalties of such petty crimes, Prop 47…

THE White House announced on Wednesday, June 10 that President Barack Obama has approved sending up to 450 additional US troops to Iraq, to help fight the ongoing war against the Islamic State. The troops will be sent to help train, advise, and assist Iraqi security forces at Taqaddum military base in eastern Anbar province….

ASIAN American and Pacific Islanders are now the fastest-growing racial group in San Diego County, according to a new report by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, the nation’s largest API legal and civil rights organization. The report, in collaboration with the Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC), is titled “A Community of Contrasts:…

ACCORDING to Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao each made more money in one night than any other athlete in the world over an entire year. The two boxers topped the list of highest-paid athletes from June 1, 2014 to June 1, 2015. Mayweather, 38, is the top-grossing…

Republicans in Congress are pushing to block an Obama administration rule designed to protect the water quality in small streams, tributaries and wetlands before it goes into effect later this year. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved legislation on Wednesday, June 10 that would force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US…

In April, there were reportedly 5.4 million job openings in the US. That’s the highest number in 15 years. The record of monthly job openings has been tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics since December 2000. It’s a sign that the economy appears to be rebounding from its winter slowdown. “The surge this past…