Obama Under Crossfire for Immigration Message – One year before leaving the presidency, President Obama said goodbye to Congress in his last State of the Union Address, in which he reiterated his support for immigration reform and gun-control measures. This time, the chorus of critics didn’t just include Republican leaders, but also a high number of Democrats, who are upset by the detention and deportation of women and children from Central America who are seeking refuge in this country. José López Zamorano reports.
Rethinking School Discipline in Coachella Valley – Zero-tolerance discipline policies in many schools in the U.S. have resulted in high numbers of Latino and African-American students suspended and expelled, losing out on learning, and often ending up in jail. To improve these students’ prospects, more and more school districts are beginning to use restorative justice, a method that favors resolving conflicts through dialogue and mediation, instead of punishment. One school beginning to take its first steps toward this new form of discipline is in California’s Coachella Valley. Marco Vinicio González has the details.
Will More Latinos Enroll in Health Care Plans This Year? – There are only a few days left for the enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces. After two years, many applaud the law’s accomplishments, increasing access to healthcare for thousands of people. Still, Latinos continue to be the least insured, and one of the factors that makes many hesitate to enroll are the high costs of healthcare. On Radio Bilingüe’s Línea Abierta show, we spoke about the challenges with Cecilia Muñoz, advisor to President Obama and director of the Domestic Policy Council.
