CONGRESS MEMBERS FEEL PRESSURE AT HOME – U.S. Congressmen face strong pressures in favor of immigration reform as they return to their districts for the holiday recess. In California’s Central Valley, Republican and Democratic representatives were received with a pro-reform clamor during a public forum convened by Radio Bilingüe in Fresno, the nation’s agricultural capital. Our reporter Ruben Tapia has the story.
BORDER RESIDENTS REJECT BORDER SECURITY BILL – Many at the border with Mexico are not celebrating the recent approval of a landmark immigration reform bill in the U.S. Senate. Organizations and political leaders at the border rejected the agreement, arguing that their opinion was ignored as the Senate decided to pour billions of dollars to create a highly militarized zone in the region. Our reporter Manuel Ocaño covered the protests.
CONFUSION ABOUNDS OVER HEALTH REFORM LAW – Less than six months before the implementation of health reform’s central mandate requiring most to have coverage, consumers are unsure about how the law will work. This was confirmed by our reporter Juan Santiago during an informational forum in Fresno, in California’s Central Valley. The forum was organized by Covered California, the organization in charge of the state’s new health insurance exchange.
MEXICANS MARCH AGAINST VIOLENCE – Thousands of Mexicans, many dressed in white, marched through the streets of Cuernavaca, a city convulsed by drug violence, to protest crime and public insecurity. The silent march was led by the poet Javier Sicilia and Julian Le Baron. Both became activists after their families were victims of violence. From Cuernavaca, Raul Silva provides the details of this mobilization.
