Search query: arizona

In his first State of the Union speech after the defeat of the Dream Act, President Obama linked reviving immigration reform to breathing life back into the country's downtrodden economy, noting that such an effort would not happen overnight. "[...] [L]et's stop expelling talented, responsible young people who could be staffing our research labs or starting a new business, who could be further enriching this nation," President Obama said. With a bipartisan-inspired plea to reach an agreement o

Costs in the CalWORKS welfare benefits program for the children of illegal immigrants living in Los Angeles County are rising, according to a report released by County Supervisor Michael Antonovich. Welfare costs that went to the children of illegal immigrants exceeded $600 million, it said. In November alone, costs rose by $53 million. Social spending, as a whole, is up in Los Angeles County from $500 million last year. Currently, California has the highest population of illegal immigrants in

A California federal judge will hear the case against Jared Loughner, who faces multiple charges related to the shooting rampage in Tuscon, Arizona which left an Arizona federal judge dead and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords critically wounded. Judge Larry A. Burns of San Diego was appointed to the case after all federal judges in Arizona recused themselves because the case involves the death of their colleague, U.S. District Judge John Roll, the chief federal judge for Arizona. Judge Burns wa

Arizona allows anyone concerned about the mental health of another to report them to authorities to be evaluated, even as they continue to slash their mental health budget. Many other states including California are of course doing the same. Such cuts do put those needing help more at risk.  However, the key to recovering from mental illness is for the person to want to change. States can't make anyone change nor can they lock someone up for acting oddly. This is certainly a good thing as such

As many pondered the cause of the attempted assassination of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by a lone gunman, UC Chancellor Robert Birgeneau sought to derive a broader meaning from what he believed to be a volatile political environment, and wondered how the same climate would affect the struggles of illegal immigrants. "A climate in which demonization of others goes unchallenged and hateful speech is tolerated can lead to such a tragedy. I believe that it is not a coincidence that th

The  highly-politicized reaction to the Tucson massacre by professional  partisans in the Democratic and Republican parties reveals the abject  moral bankruptcy that has come to define our politics under the reigning two-party state. In  the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting, Democratic party activists  quickly took to the Internet casting blame for the act of a lone  gunman on the rhetoric of Sarah Palin, the enthusiasm of Tea Party  activists, and the long-standing policies of the GOP.  As W.E

In what the London Telegraph has correctly described as an "unseemly rush to blame Sarah Palin, the Tea Party and Republicans for murder in Arizona," progressive journalists and bloggers have waged an aggressive campaign to blame Sarah Palin and the Tea Party for the tragic shooting massacre in Arizona, which killed six people and left others critically wounded, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In his New York Times blog, The Conscience of a Liberal, Paul Krugman suggested that Congr

A female guard's search of a male prison inmate's genitals and buttocks through nearly-transparent underwear was ruled unconstitutional by the San Francisco-based Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The full 11-judge panel's 6-5 decision called the search "unreasonable" because it was unnecessary and "humiliating" for the female guard to touch a male inmate's private areas in a non-emergency situation with other male prison staff readily available to perform the search instead. The ruling will

In what could make California a battleground for immigration policy in the next major election, Democratic Assemblyman Tony Mendoza of California's 56th assembly district has written an advisory measure that will allow voters to express their input on whether or not the President and Congress should grant a pathway to citizenship for qualified illegal immigrants. "This national discussion demands an intelligent, comprehensive, and balanced approach to immigration reform-one that recognizes that

As immigration reform advocates seek to shift to a more state-oriented strategy that combats the tough immigration language coming from Republicans in the 112th Congress, the chairperson of a California immigration reform group believes that the movement's grassroots supporters have a pretty good chance of holding officials accountable in more progressive states like California. "California voters sent a strong message this past election that we want hardworking, inclusive and responsive govern