photo by Lourdes Oliva
Members of Congress Force Government Shutdown – For the first time in 17 years, the U.S. government was shut down, when Republicans from the House of Representatives refused to authorize expenses. A group of ultra-conservative congressmen insisted on voting on the budget only if the Affordable Care Act was postponed. President Obama and senators from both parties refused to negotiate on the health reform law. The political crisis continues and the closure of some government agencies has caused furloughs for more than 800,000 federal employees. José López Zamorano has the story from Washington, D.C.
Health Insurance Marketplaces Open – This week, new health insurance marketplaces opened all over the country, as part of the Affordable Care Act. Interest was so high that millions clogged the government’s digital sites and phone lines, causing delays. According to analysts, California could set the standard for managing health reform, and Latinos could benefit most from the new insurance coverage. Our correspondent in Los Angeles, Rubén Tapia, conversed with some of the first people to connect to Covered California, the agency that administers the health insurance marketplace in California.
Debate on Depenalizing Marijuana in Mexico – The war against drugs in Mexico has taken thousands of lives. And though the federal government in Mexico continues its policy of prohibition of drugs, in some sectors of Mexican society, new alternatives are being proposed. The government of the state of Morelos recently brought together intellectuals, specialists, doctors and activists to dialogue with society about what a depenalization of the use of marijuana could mean. Our correspondent in Mexico, Raúl Silva, went to the forum and interviewed some of the people there.
