A non-profit organization on the east coast is paying healthy people up to $13,000 a year for their feces. OpenBiome, which is based in Medford, Mass., administers frozen stool to patients infected with C. difficile. The bacteria can cause severe gastrointestinal distress that can leave some house ridden. The organization has been processing and shipping…
Californians used 22 percent less water statewide last December compared to the same month in 2013, finally meeting Governor Jerry Brown’s goal of a 20 percent reduction in monthly water consumption. Yet despite the drop in usage, the state still faces troubles as it enters its fourth year of drought. “California is doing its part…
In light of the measles outbreak that began in California’s Disneyland, two state lawmakers said Wednesday, Feb. 5, they would introduce legislation making it harder for parents to opt not to vaccinate their children. State health officials released new statistics on Wednesday revealing that 99 individuals were reported with measles, according to NBC News. The…
Four Democratic and Republican lawmakers attempted to introduce a bill Wednesday, Feb. 4, that seeks to eliminate ethanol fuel-blending mandates under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. The legislation would erase a mandate requiring that corn-based ethanol be mixed in gasoline and repeal the waiver that increased the cap on ethanol content to 15 percent…
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, will address a joint meeting of Congress on Sept. 24 of this year, House Speaker John Boehner confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 5. This is the first time a leader of the Roman Catholic church has done so. Though the Pope’s visit to the East Coast (including Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and…
Police shot and killed a man after he allegedly robbed a bank in Corona, Calif. and led officers in a car chase that ended in Chino on Feb. 4. Few details were released about the shooting, which happened on Pine Avenue, between Fern and Euclid avenues in Chino. The alleged bank robber, who remained unidentified,…
Welcomes the Dalai Lama and major faith leaders at National Prayer Breakfast President Obama condemned terrorists seeking to use religion as a rationale for carrying out violence around the world, declaring that “no god condones terror.” “We are summoned to push back against those who would distort our religion for their nihilistic ends,” said Obama…
Amid the fallout of the Sony Pictures hacking crisis, studio head co-chair Amy Pascal is stepping down from her post. The departure was widely expected, ever since the entertainment studio became caught in one of the worst cyberattacks in corporate digital history. Pascal has already announced her plans to launch a new production venture at…
A bill introduced Monday, Feb. 2, in the Nevada Senate would require preteens in the state to be vaccinated against meningitis and the human papillomavirus (HPV) before enrolling in private or public schools or daycare. “If we vaccinate people, we can prevent diseases that are not only horrific but deadly,” said Joe Hardy, a Boulder…
What is High Blood Pressure? High Blood Pressure, or Hypertension, is a condition where the person’s blood pressure is persistently elevated beyond what is medically considered normal level. Normal blood pressure has a wide range from person to person. When taking blood pressure, there are two sets of figures noted by the physician, the systolic…
Stronger regulations and protection for open Internet Net neutrality advocates celebrated a victory on Wednesday, Feb. 4 with promises of stronger federal authority to enforce and protect open broadband Internet. Under new rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission this week, internet service providers, including those selling wireless connections, would be prohibited from slowing down…
FOR both children and adults with special needs, dental care can be challenging. In some cases, limited coordination can make brushing and flossing tricky. In other cases there may be less access to professional care. Some patients may experience high anxiety levels too. Medications that lead to dry mouth can also contribute to dental care challenges. But…
Dear Atty. Gurfinkel: I am out of status, but in 2006, my employer sponsored me for a green card through labor certification or PERM. The Department of Labor certified my application, and the USCIS approved my employer’s I-140 petition. However, my attorney keeps telling me I still need to “wait” for some kind of change…
I. AB60: Driver’s License. Undocumented Immigrants are now eligible to apply for a Driver’s License in California. On January 1, 2015, a new law called AB60 became effective in the State of California which allows undocumented immigrants – those people who are” unable to submit satisfactory proof of legal presence in the United States” –…
The internationally known Filipina singing group Hi-Pertensions will be headlining a fundraising concert entitled, Thank You for the Music, on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Harbor Light, 4760 Thornton Ave., Fremont, CA. The concert will benefit Mount of Divine Mercy, located at 4255 Sheridan Road, Sunol, CA. Hi-Pertensions is composed of Linda Magno, Norma Ledesma and…
Police shot and killed a man after he allegedly robbed a bank in Corona, Calif. and led officers in a car chase that ended in Chino on Feb. 4. Few details were released about the shooting, which happened on Pine Avenue, between Fern and Euclid avenues in Chino. The alleged bank robber, who remained unidentified,…
THEY consist of running bits of metals through the flesh of men—large, small, pointed, square, round and splintered bits that tear and kill. It is not the metal in its natural state, but the metal fashioned by the intelligence of man — a being who’s great, builds space ships and goes to the moon. For…
Senate Democrats put Congress on hold for a second time Wednesday, Feb. 4, blocking a Republican bill that would finance the Department of Homeland Security along with rollbacks of President Barack Obama’s executive immigration policies. The vote set up an urgent confrontation over the department, which will see its funding run out by the end…
With the recent decline in gas prices, a review by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that construction of the Keystone XL pipeline could cause increased development of Canadian oil sands, which would result in a considerable rise in greenhouse gases. “Until ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production…
A SURPRISING trend among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the professional landscape is developing. Despite abating union memberships nationally, a close look by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) revealed a rise in union membership among AAPIs, up from 9.4 percent in 2013 to 10.4 percent last year—an increase of roughly…
The Nevada Supreme Court heard a nearly 10-year-old state lawsuit on Tuesday, Feb. 3, filed by the Philippine island province of Marinduque for contamination it endured from a 1996 mining waste disaster involving Barrick Gold Corporation. Attorney James McCarthy, who represented Marinduque, told the justices that Philippine courts ruled Barrick couldn’t be sued in the…
Out of the millions of ladies, one who hails from Mindanao’s war-torn provinces—North Cotabato, gained the right to have represented the Philippines at the 63rd Miss Universe Pageant. Among the 88 candidates, the country’s beautiful bet—27-year old Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa, is an epitome of an independent modern-day Filipina. Through the support of three scholarships,…
“I don’t want to be an ‘anti,’ against anybody. I simply want to be the builder of a great affirmation: the affirmation of God, who loves us and who wants to save us.” The words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was killed in 1980 by the military regime in El Salvador, still echo in the…
“WHAT was the direct line of command between the President and the operators? It was not clear whether he just approved the operation at the very start and then let it have its own life or he approved the particular operation. If so, whose advice is he taking and what precautions were taken to protect…
IN light of the current measles outbreak in the United States, Americans are debating: Should children in the nation be required to be vaccinated? What should prevail – parental choice or public health and welfare? While in the Philippines, measles (or “tigdas” as we call it back home) continues to be a problem among the…
MOST Americans are unaware that modern day slavery exists in the form of human trafficking. To many, the phrase “human trafficking” elicits connotations of a tragedy present only in far flung, third world countries. And while trafficking of men, women and children truly is an international evil of epidemic proportions, it hits much closer to…
THE Obama administration has ordered immigration officials to find out if undocumented immigrants they encounter are eligible for President Barack Obama’s recent plans to spare them from deportation. Agents at Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been instructed “to immediately begin identifying persons in their custody, as well as newly encountered…
The national debate over vaccinations has spilled over into the 2016 race for the White House. Potential Republican candidates New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, brought up an ongoing nationwide debate over whether parents should have a say in vaccinating their kids. Following the recent measles outbreak in California, which rapidly spread from…
“About a week after arriving in the Philippines, I happened to wake up one day at 7 o’clock in the morning. My father got angry and he scolded me. As a newcomer in the country, he said, I had to work harder than the people here. “You cannot wake up at 7 o’clock. You must…
The budget proposal unveiled by President Barack Obama to Congress on Monday earmarks more than $1 billion for California transportation and construction projects, including $330 million that Los Angeles city officials called crucial to extending an essential transportation line. Overall, Obama would spend more than $800 million on transit throughout the state: including $165 million…
