by Samuel Rodriguez

The federal government’s shutdown occurred on December 22nd, 2018 and has set a record for the longest government shutdown in the modern era, surpassing the previous 21-day shutdown of 1995-96.

Today, January 17th, marks the 27th day of the shutdown with no looks of it ending within the near future.

According to Business Insider, the shutdown seems to be due to a dispute between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats about funding for Trump’s border wall. However, the shutdown only affects a part of the government since 7 of the 12 bills that fund the government were passed in September.

Business Insider continues to say that some of the departments that have been affected by the shutdown are the departments of agriculture, homeland security, commerce, transportation, housing, and urban development.

The New York Times estimates that 800,000 federal workers are being affected by this shutdown while the loss of government services are affecting millions more. The shutdown has a widespread but uneven toll, affecting many American’s while going almost unnoticed by others. The New York Times continues to explain that President Trump waits for Democrats to accept his demand for $5.7 billion in funding for his border wall, which is highly unpopular.

The Trump administration has called back tens of thousands of federal workers to fulfill key government tasks in an attempt to numb the effects set upon by the shutdown. These workers are being put back to work without pay and, according to The New York Times, a typical federal worker has missed $5,000 in pay from the shutdown thus far.

“They’re not being paid right now because of the Democrats. People are impressed with how well the government is working with the circumstances we’re under,” stated President Donald Trump.

Even though many government officials are patiently waiting for the end of this shutdown to come, Democrats are asking Trump to reopen parts of the government that have nothing to do with the wall before they negotiate further on the issue, states The Washington Post. 

According to The New York Times, President Trump stated on Monday that he rejected a proposal by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to halt the shutdown for three weeks in an attempt to “breathe new life” into stalled talks with Democrats.

The shutdown looks to continue on as President Trump and the Democrats stand their ground and have not reached an agreement yet.

by Lucas Agatep

For the past nine weeks, protests continue to rage on all over France – mainly in Paris – by a group called the “gilets jaunes” or the Yellow Vests.

What started as a peaceful protest against a controversial fuel tax and economic reform has turned into riots demanding the resignation of French President Macron. 

The fuel tax that President Macron implemented to cut down 40 percent of carbon emissions on pollution faced much resistance due to the increased price of gas. After the protest began and turned violent, Macron backtracked on the fuel tax and suspended the tax as well it cut from the 2019 budget.

The anger from the people hasn’t stopped however, and the violence still goes on. Now, the protests have turned into anti-government riots, which occur weekly.

In the latest week of protests, authorities deployed 80,000 officers around the country to control the violence that occurs every time protesters emerge on the weekends. From the protests, vast amounts of damage has been done to businesses and property, government or privately owned. An estimate of 60 percent of the speed camera network of France has been destroyed or vandalized, stated the country’s interior minister.

The protesters consists the majority of the middle class who reasons vary amongst themselves. Coming from both Left and Right political views and parties, one common thing to which they compare is there distrust and hatred for President Macron. The group doesn’t have a leader to their protest, but rather just people uniting against the government.

For the Yellow Vest, there isn’t a specific or symbolic reason why they wear the yellow safety vest when protesting. Their reason to wear it is simply so the protesters have something in common to wear. 

Recently, Macron has asked for direct dialogue with the protesters in a month long debate between the two. President Macron seems to be willing to discuss his policies that he wants to implement and some of his actions. In a 2,330 word letter that he published towards the Yellow Vest protesters asking for dialogue, Macron added in a series of questions which he hopes to be answered. 

Some questions are listed below:

• Which taxes do you think we should cut?
• What kind of public spending savings do you think we should make a priority?
• Should we use referendums more often and who should be able to trigger them?

The Yellow Vest protest in France has influenced anti-government sentiments amongst other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. In the UK, Brexit protesters have decided to dawn the yellow vest in solidarity towards their cause and distrust into the imposed government. They as well stand for a variety of reasons. A leaflet about what they support and are against was recently passed around and posted on social media.

The Canadians that wear the yellow vest in protest to their Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are over gas laws and immigration. However, they are a smaller group and not that renowned compared to their European counterparts.

by Matthew Ruiz

As Los Angeles Unified School District teachers fight for smaller classrooms sizes, better pay, school funding, and an increase in school staffing, a huge strike has occurred within the district.

There are roughly 1,240 schools affected by this teacher strike and 600,000 students. Around 32,000 educators are going to be on strike. LAUSD has had to hire 500 substitute teachers in response.

Teachers have been talking to the state superintendent, the Mayor, and the Governor. Jerry Guzman’s daughter is among the children affected by this teachers strike.

“Our children need to be in school, and our teachers also need the tools they need to successfully do their job,” said Guzman.

As of Friday, the last proposal to the United Teachers of Los Angeles was made and was rejected.

“The strike won’t create the funding we need to boost teachers salaries or hire new educators,” argued LAUSD superintendent Austin Beutner yesterday.

The last strike of this magnitude was 30 years ago. These teachers are fighting for the same rights as those of the past.

Teachers are speaking out on this matter as well.

“We know that parents don’t have the means to provide adequate care during the strike. We hope the district and union come to resolution fairly quickly,” said Lisa Duarte, a teacher in the LAUSD.

Teachers are asking for class size reductions through the hiring of more teachers. Most argue that 40-50 students at a time is way too many students in one classroom.

“We want to ensure no increase in any class size, increase nurses, counselors and librarians at all schools, along with a 6 percent salary increase and back-pay for the 2017-2018 school year,” was the official statement released by the Teacher’s Union.

According to the LA Times, Los Angeles Unified School District schools lost $15 million on the first day of the strike.

 

 

 

by Joshua Adoh and RJ Johnson

The United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on March 29th, 2019, but how many people understand the backdrops that come with this transition and the Irish Border Issues?

What is Brexit?

Brexit stands for “British exit,” describing Britain exiting the EU (European Union).

Why is the UK leaving the Union?

According to BBC News, the UK is leaving the Union because a public vote called for a referendum – which is a general vote by the electorate on a question.

This referendum was held on back on June 23rd, 2016.

Question asked in the Referendum

The big question that was on everyone’s minds during the referendum was: should the UK leave or remain in the Union?

The leave side won 52 percent to 48 percent. The date for the UK’s exit is said to be on March 29th, 2019.

What is the EU?

The EU is a group of 28 countries that trade with each other and allow each other to move freely within one another’s country.

The UK and the other EU countries are currently going over the withdrawal agreement, discussing more of how the United Kingdom will secede from the EU and then about what will happen after they leave.

What is the withdrawal agreement?

According to BBC News, the withdrawal agreement has two documents, one draft that is a 585-page agreement on Britain’s withdrawal and another 26-page statement on the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

Each discuss the commitments over citizens’ rights after Brexit. People will be able to work and study where they currently live, and to be joined by family members for a 21-month transition period after the UK’s departure, to allow time for trade talks.

The UK will continue to follow all EU rules during this period in order to give governments and businesses more time to prepare for long-term changes.

A “fair financial settlement” from the UK – also known as the £39bn “divorce bill” – is a “backstop” arrangement to keep the Irish border unmanned if trade talks don’t come up with a way of avoiding that happening.

Recent news as of December 11th, 2019

Theresa May made little progress in her efforts of re-negotiation when Angela Merkel – the German Chancellor – ruled out a re-negotiation of her Brexit Deal. Theresa May’s emergency European tour has been cut short as the EU ruled out re-negotiation.

 

by Joaquin Medrano

The Catholic Church is the faith of 1.2 billion people around the world. The Church is human, like any other person, just like its leader, and by no means is it free of errors.

In the late 1970’s to early 1980’s, El Salvador was a country in the middle of a civil war. The military was fighting against the left guerrilla group, to control the power.

This war brought the Catholic Church to surrender and decide to obey the oligarchs, and support the war. In return they would receive protection from the war.

From day one there were mixed emotions, as many priests supported the idea of the extremist groups. Others, like Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero opposed the idea.

Monsignor Romero was a humble man, born in a loving family, who from a young age allowed him to have a good education and exposed him to the Catholic faith.

Romero went on to become the archbishop of the Salvadoran capital of San Salvador, and there, he was known and loved by many, as well as hated by the oligarchy.

Romero’s message was a loving, rather comforting message, something that the people weren’t used to at the time of the civil war.

The two major parties at war didn’t care to protect the people, they only wanted to prove who had the most power, and who would have the control of the country.

Romero’s message was different from other priests as he chose to see the people first before the state, so he became hated by both the military and the guerrilla group.

Oscar Romero wanted his people to feel safe and stay faithful after all the disaster the country was facing, so he went to the pope for help.

In Rome, many of the corrupted priests from El Salvador informed the pope of Romero’s visit, but they told the pope that Romero was a threat for the Vatican, disobeying the pope’s rule.

Pope John Paul II agreed to talk to Monsignor, and he was not happy or welcoming to Romero, but Romero stated his position and asked for papal support.

Romero went to the Vatican with multiple documents about the mistreatment of Salvadorians around the nation, even showing him photos of fellow priests who died in the war.

Pope John Paul II denied the support and went on to tell Romero, “Monsignor, here we do not have time to read so many things, do not come here with so many papers.”

These words really hurt Monsignor, as he couldn’t believe that the head of the Church was denning the help that was needed.

“At that moment, Monsignor Romero’s eyes filled with tears, perhaps that was what hurt him most: that one of his priests, (after being) murdered in such a cruel way, the Holy Father questioned the reason for which they had killed him in that way,” says Maria Lopez Vigil, a journalist who recorded Romero’s life.

Monsignor Romero made the trip to the Vatican and was later classified as a “danger” so any visit from him to the holy city would be suspicious.

Monsignor never gave up, he was strong and kept his word to help other. He would do whatever it took to stop the oligarchs from oppressing the citizens of El Salvador.

Oscar Romero was finally an enemy from both the military and the guerrilla group. He knew from the beginning he was going to get killed.

Finally, while offering a mass at a local chapel in San Salvador, on March 24^th, 1980, Romero was shot, allegedly by the military group.

In 1983, three years after Romero’s assassination, Pope John Paul II visited El Salvador and broke protocol, cancelling everything he had in his agenda.

John Paul II visited Romero’s tomb, where he spent a couple of minutes. Some say he was crying, others that he was asking for forgiveness and blindness from corrupted priests.

Romero’s life was full of challenges in his mind and profession, which is why many considered him a Saint right after his death in 1980.

Romero was beatified in 2015, and after a wonderful miracle last year, was canonized officially on October 14^th of 2018, something that many classify as an act of forgiveness for us, his loved ones.

by Enrique Gutierrez & Nikolas Molina

Most Americans use Veterans Day as a day of rest and see it as a regular day. Veterans Day is a day of recognition for those who served in the military and risked their lives for millions of Americans.

Although certain Americans have served for their country in the military, the United States fails to give back to their veteran’s service as there is a mass of veterans who are homeless and earn very low income.

American soldier veterans tend to return from deployment at risk. Soldiers see violence, blood, gore, and death while at war. During their journey in warfare, soldiers live in poor conditions. Being in the military, their tasks revolve around survival of the fittest and tests the ability of one’s mind and spirit. Serving in the military leads to many illnesses and disorders. Some soldiers may get used to the conditions they were living in during their deployment.

Once soldiers return home, many are not the same person they were before their tenure. Those who serve in the military tend to return with bad memories from combat. Some veterans return with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – which is a mental disorder that affects those who lived a tragic or terrifying event – giving them mental flashbacks of the scene. Since veterans lived to see war, they may have extremely bad memories regarding what they witnessed and saw before their own eyes.

The United States fails to give US Veterans aid when they return. Most veterans tend to come “home” homeless. The government fails to give necessary services to their veterans as they try to sustain their needs. Some necessities that are not given to veterans are housing, food, healthcare, and counseling. From the failure of this, some veterans become homeless and become apart of the homeless population living on the streets.

Los Angeles, California has one of the country’s highest homeless veteran populations. According to Libby Denkmann of KPCC – a public radio station based in Pasadena – there were 4,800 homeless veterans “living” in Los Angeles in 2017.

On May 31st, 2018 when Denkmann reported her article, there has been an 18 percent drop in homelessness. The number went from 4,800 to 3,910 in just over a year. This decline is a huge relief to many LA officials, especially after the rate last year raised 57 percent.

In 2012, according to calvet.ca.gov, California held 25 percent of the United States homeless veterans population. In 2012, the population of homeless veterans in the United States was around 62,600. With California having 25 percent of the population, the state alone was responsible for 15,650 homeless veterans.

In 2010, there were approximately 74,000 homeless veterans in America. In 2016, the number has dropped to an estimated 40,000 homeless veterans according to the Military Times. This decrease is a huge drop compared to 2010 but, nonetheless, there are still a large amount of homeless veterans out there.

The ultimate goal is to have zero homeless veterans in America, and the progression in the last couple of years is trending towards that number. According to the Military Times, nearly 25,000 veterans are currently living in temporary facilities. That means that 15,000 are left without any shelter at all.

The concept of veterans being homeless leads to a whole different political problem regarding the government. Immigration in the United States is currently focused on more than taking care of veterans who are living in poverty on the streets dealing with many disorders and problems.

US President Donald Trump is focusing more on the immigration issue going on worldwide rather than worrying about his own American citizens (army veterans) who are living on the streets and fighting with their personal selves. The government needs to take action and provide support to all homeless veterans nationwide. 

 

by Joshua Lucero

On December 12th, 2017, Christopher Maurice Daniels, former Marine, Black activist and also known as Rakem Balogun was arrested by the FBI. When the FBI led their attack with a surplus of men and equipment, they bust his door down and surrounded Balogun with 50-to-70 armed men.

Most men were armed with kevlar helmets and night vision goggles, AR-15’s and full body armor. Not only were these men armored, but had military hummers with full automatic machine guns mounted. ATF (the Burial of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms), military task force was present, Terrorist task force and local Dallas Police.

Balogun was investigated for Domestic Terrorism and had been recently monitored by the FBI after supposedly supporting the deaths of police officers and the people who were brutally gunned down in Dallas. He was explained to that he was arrested for “unlawful gun possession” at the time of the arrest.

When being stripped away from his home, Rakem Balogun witnessed first hand of what it means to be profiled as a Black Identity Extremist. Rakem Balogun would be arrested and charged with illegal gun possession and being a threat to law enforcement. After five-to-six month, Balogun was released from prison because the US attorney failing to prosecute him.

During this time period in jail for almost half a year, Balogun was faced with injustice and lost his house, as he was unable to provide for his family, all because of a crime he was wrongly accused of.  

Balogun openly expressed what his group of activists is intertwined in. He is the co-founder of Guerrilla Mainframe, a group modeled after the Black Panthers based on their contributions to the community in several ways. They pride themselves as a community-based political organization.

Guerrilla Mainframe contributes to food drives, self-defense classes, weapon training, open-carry patrols and educates people through political awareness rallies. Balogun’s group does not conspire against any one people, as this group is mainly present to create a sense of family and unity. When Guerrilla Mainframe feels there is an injustice, those who feel the need will participate in protest.

The FBI first stumbled upon this group in 2015 when they protested against the injustice of police brutality, kick starting the FBI’s surveillance on Balogun and other Black Activists for the next few years.

On August 3rd, 2017, the FBI created the Black Identity Extremist assessment, using a Dallas shooting in 2016 and five other unrelated attacks on police to justify their investigation. According to the FBI, they believe it is likely that this “Terrorist” group will strike once again. Because of police brutality and injustice in law enforcement units nationwide, violent revolts against law enforcement will continue in the future regardless.

The people that will advocate for these “violent revolts” will be Black Activist groups, such as Guerrilla Mainframe. This will justify any action taken by the FBI when sprint on any Black Activist group. Many questions  arose from this surveillance and investigation, many with very few answers.

Why are Black Activist groups being targeted for using lethal force and helping communities? Why is this treatment not going toward White Nationalist, Alt-right groups, Neo Nazis and other hate groups who openly express their hate to Black, Mexican, Asian, or any ethnic background that does not identify as white? Why are these White Nationalist groups not being watched more carefully by the FBI?

Ms. Jackson Lee, an American politician who currently is the U.S Representative of the 18th congressional district in Texas, realizes all these injustices. When talking to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Lee needed no introduction, immediately raising questions asking why Black Activists, who only oppose unjust acts, are being attacked.

She followed up with questioning why the same discipline is not being taken against White Nationalist and other hate groups. Sessions, who under his jurisdiction the Black Identity Extremists is pursued, was dumbfounded by the facts that were laid upon him and had little words in response when confronted about other hate groups in which they do little to investigate.

We see this injustice throughout history and continue to see unlawful acts in a society that has created “change.” These new violations against African-Americans have obstructed the rights across all of America, leading to an unequal democracy.

Black Americans are now targeted legally through a federal agency, rather than in the 1900s where discrimination was normal. In today’s society, we are taught that discrimination has stopped, but in reality the social injustices have escalated to a federal point of view. This injustice must stop, but cannot do so without the contribution of others in the community and in American society.

 

by Lucas Agatep

As midterm elections arrive November 6th, last months incidences may have an impact on choices made. From the migrant caravan, the synagogue shooting and the mail bombs sent to Democratic politicians, CNN and other news networks may influence the choices people make for the people that they elect for congress.

With the midterm election only a day away, past incidents can impact the end result due to them being used as examples and support for the two parties respective agendas and beliefs. These could be used for either side: trying to interpret what happened and what’s going to happen for political support from voters.

The 7,000-person, large migrant caravan that is trying to reach the US-Mexico border to seek asylum could have people vote for Republican politicians for Congress, on terms that the US needs a more enhanced border control and needs to change immigration policies to restrict illegal immigrants from entering. This is the biggest caravan that has happened in recent times and the timing of this one is viewed suspiciously from the Republican Party, who claim that Democrats are going to try to use this as an opportunity to support to their agenda, accusing them of funding and encouraging this current caravan.

The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that happened on October 27th claimed 11 lives. This shooting plays into and favors the agenda of Democrats, who are trying to enforce and gun laws to prevent another more mass shootings. When Robert Bowers (the synagogue shooter) was arrested, the police confiscated one rifle and three pistols from him. With this recent shooting, Democrats could only use this as support and evidence to their view that there should be stricter gun laws and reforms or else things like this will happen again.

For the pipe bombs that were mailed to Democratic politicians recently, the potential tragedy could be advantageous to Democrats. Many have expressed concern of the aggression that Trump uses against his opponents. From this, they could use it as evidence that Trump’s words, actions and his intentions are only causing problems and these bombs may have been sent as a result of his acts. Trump, a Republican Party representative, has expressed and shown differences in viewpoints with the Democratic Party in the past.

From last month, these incidents are still on people’s minds and base what politicians are talking about for the upcoming election. Each side has there own way of explaining and focusing on what they want and what to use for support from their voters and independent voters nationwide. Now, it’s up to you and the rest of America to decide the results of these upcoming elections.