There may be times in our life when we are faced with an unimaginable situation, and we call out for help or pray for a miracle. When Amanda Jurado’s son, Xavier Martinez, a 15-year-old Stagg High School Student, went missing in the Calaveras River she desperately appealed to the community for help. On March 13th, Xavier and his friend, who were involved in a fight, fled the campus and jumped into the nearby river. Xavier’s friend resurfaced from the river, but tragically, Xavier did not. Although many volunteers and agencies responded to the search, including the San Joaquin Sheriff’s Departm ..read more

University tuition is free! No, wait, the full cost of college is tens of thousands of dollars annually. Hold up. There’s enough financial aid to bring down the price tag to just a few thousand dollars a year — tuition, food and housing included. All of those statements are true, depending on where you attend and how much you or the parents who claim you on their taxes earn. For something as consequential — and at times more costly than a small condo — as affording a degree, understanding how much a family must shell out for a better shot at higher wages can be complicated.  This guide i ..read more

While most schools in the United States do not report using corporal punishment — the use of pain as punishment — it still impacts tens of thousands of students annually, particularly in states where it remains legal. Jaime Peterson, a pediatrician and assistant professor at Oregon Health and Science University, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a call this fall again to end of such practices in school. “As pediatricians, we don’t recommend corporal punishment. We know it’s not an effective form of discipline. Spanking and hitting a child might help a behavior in the short t ..read more

The pain and discomfort of a herniated disk can significantly impact the quality of your life. Here is what you should know about having a herniated disk, including what it is, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Plus, learn about the medication, self-care, surgery and lifestyle options that may help relieve pain. What is a herniated disk? The Cleveland Clinic describes a herniated disk as a spinal injury. Your spinal cord is made up of bony parts called vertebrae; between the vertebrae are disks that act as cushions. These make it easier to bend and move. When one tears or leaks, i ..read more

A majority of U.S. Hispanics (75%) describe the recent increase in the number of migrants seeking to enter the United States at its border with Mexico as a major problem or a crisis. A majority (74%) are also critical of the way the U.S. government is handling the situation at the southern border. But Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanics to describe the migrant situation at the border as a crisis or to say it is leading to more crime. Both groups also disagree on the possible effects of several policy proposals on the migrant border situation. Yet Latinos are just as likely as other A ..read more

One year after the multilingual CA vs Hate reporting hotline was launched, how has it answered hate?  At a Friday, March 15 Ethnic Media Services briefing, CA vs Hate staff, civil rights state organizers and community organizations on the ground discussed hate crime trends throughout California, and how the hotline connects those experiencing hate with local resources including mental health support, legal aid and financial help. The hotline Since the CA vs Hate line was launched in May 2023, “we have received 823 reports of hate across 79% of the counties in California,” said Chantel Ber ..read more

A majority of U.S. Hispanics (75%) describe the recent increase in the number of migrants seeking to enter the United States at its border with Mexico as a major problem or a crisis. A majority (74%) are also critical of the way the U.S. government is handling the situation at the southern border. But Hispanics are less likely than non-Hispanics to describe the migrant situation at the border as a crisis or to say it is leading to more crime. Both groups also disagree on the possible effects of several policy proposals on the migrant border situation. Yet Latinos are just as likely as other A ..read more

California’s public schools live – or die – by the numbers. They are utterly dependent on how much money the state budget allocates each year under Proposition 98, a formula adopted by voters in 1988 that only a few wonks in and around the Capitol profess to understand – and even they often disagree. Prop. 98 computations are also subject to political horse-trading during each budget cycle. Whatever number emerges is then distributed to school districts, primarily based on “average daily attendance.” California is one of only a few states that use attendance to distribute state aid and a perpe ..read more

Joe Biden and Donald Trump each have enough delegates in the 2024 presidential primaries to secure their parties’ nominations for president. However, a sizable share of Americans are not particularly fond of either one. Roughly a quarter of Americans (26%) hold unfavorable views of both Trump and Biden. This “double negative” sentiment is more common among younger adults than older adults. Those who reject partisan labels – identifying as independent or “something else” and instead leaning toward a party – are also more likely to hold this combination of views. Most Americans view only one of ..read more

California not only has the nation’s largest number of homeless people, but one of its highest rates of homelessness vis-à-vis its overall population. The last official count found more than 181,000 Californians without homes, nearly a third of the nation’s homeless population. When new data is released later this year, the number will probably approach 200,000. The numbers have continued to grow despite many billions of dollars in federal, state and local funds having been spent — $20 or so billion by the state alone over the last fi ve years. As the problem worsens, it consistently ranks as ..read more