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AUGUST 2022 ISSUE



EDITORIAL: OVER A CUP OF TEA



SUMMERTIME IN THE TROPICS



Despite the pandemic, thousands of tourists -- foreigners and locals alike -- flocked everywhere in the tropics this past summer. Summer in tropical countries like the Philippines starts in latter part of March and ends late May. For two years, people were in total hibernation, scared to go out and mingle with people because of COVID-19 and its variants. We very well know that thousands of people have been killed by the virus all over the world, forcing everyone to wear face masks and even face shields whenever they ventured out of their homes.


This year 2022 is different, though. After vaccinations and boosters, people have become comfortable getting around, even travelling distances, many even venture out of the country, hungry to see other places, relatives and friends.


I have been going around, as well, but still afraid to get out of the country. I have been contented going to nearby places and visiting local churches. I realize I haven't been to a lot of places in my home province of Laguna. I am now taking advantage of the government's directive allowing people to visit places as long as minimum health protocols are strictly followed. Below are some of the beautiful places and churches I have visited so far this year's summer.



beautiful laguna: my home province





There's nothing like the province of my birth, where my heart will always stay.


Caliraya Mt. in lumban, laguna
liliw, laguna
brenas farm in liliw
vonwelt farm, magdalena

cavinti church
fishing in pila, laguna
villa elena, nagcarlan
magdalena church
silent integrated
Farm

our STORIES AND FEATURES





How Americans Can Fight Back Against a Radical Supreme Court Majority



By Ben Olinsky and Grace Oyenubi
Over the past month, an extreme, activist majority on the Supreme Court demonstrated flagrant judicial overreach when it undermined long-standing precedents, laws, and constitutional rights. That majority repeatedly went out of its way to impose its ideology on the nation instead of simply “calling balls and strikes.” The consequences are dire: Millions of women will lose access to abortion states will have even fewer tools to reign in gun violence and climate change will be allowed to run rampant. -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE


The United States Must Address Its Gun Trafficking Crisis



By Eugenio Weigend Vargas and Alex Barrio


The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is tasked with preventing gun trafficking and conducting oversight of the gun industry, yet it has been without a permanent director since 2015. This is no minor issue. President Joe Biden, recognizing the problem, announced his nomination for ATF’s permanent director in April 2022. While the Senate, in a bipartisan agreement, took a positive step by making gun trafficking an explicit federal crime, it should waste no time in confirming President Biden’s nomination so that ATF can immediately get to work with a renewed focus on stopping the growing problem of gun trafficking and cracking down on the proliferation of illegal guns in communities across the country.-- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE



Community-Based Violence Interruption Programs Can Reduce Gun Violence



By Jahdziah St. Julien


Gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people in the United States and disproportionately harms Black and Hispanic/Latino American children, youth, and young adults. From 2000 to 2020, the number of gun-related deaths among young people rose from 6,998 to 10,186, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Community-based violence intervention (CVI) programs serve as an effective solution to combat gun violence and curb firearm-related deaths. CVI programs that employ a violence interruption model seek to reduce gun violence by meaningfully engaging with the small number of individuals at the center of gun violence. -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE



It’s Long Past Time To Increase the Federal Minimum Wage



By Ashfaq Khan & Rose Khattar


It has been 13 years since the federal minimum wage was increased: Since July 2009, the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour. In fact, in inflation-adjusted terms, it has declined by 26 percent over this time. A failure at the federal level to raise the minimum wage has resulted in a majority of states stepping in to fill the vacuum. Now, 20 states—disproportionately in the South—that have not raised their wage floors above the federal minimum to take action. . -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE



Helping Afghans Without Helping the Taliban



By Peter Juul


Afghanistan has faced an ongoing humanitarian and economic crisis of immense proportions since the Taliban seized the country by force in August 2021. The United Nations estimated in January 2022 that nearly 24.4 million Afghans were in need of humanitarian aid—more than half the country’s population, with children comprising more than half of those in need. A recent assessment by the World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also projects that 18.9 million Afghans will confront acute food insecurity this year, and 92 percent of Afghans face insufficient food consumption. -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE



‘We are being hunted’: One year after Atlanta spa shootings, Asian Americans are more scared now than ever



By Mariel Padilla, Barbara Rodriguez


Several months into the pandemic, Jennifer Chen knew it was time to talk to her 5-year-old twins about a safety plan if something were to happen to her in public. Chen, a 42-year-old Taiwanese American based in Los Angeles, said she bought pepper spray and enrolled in a self-defense class after hearing enough stories from Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders friends who had been harassed or accosted. “It was really hard and scary for all of us,” Chen said. “They were like, ‘We don’t want anything to happen to you, Mommy.’ I told them I want all of us to be safe, and I’ll do everything I can. But this whole time has been scary for the kids.” -- CLICK STORY TO READ MORE



LOCAL NEWS



MADISON & DANE COUNTY in Wisconsin



Dane County Executive Parisi’s Statement on U.S. Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade



Madison Mayor's Blog: In-Person Team City Awards Celebrate Collaborative Staff and Teams



MORE NEWS/FEATURES



West Coast of Wisconsin Cultural Festivals & Events for 2022





Delightful events to experience and celebrate along the shores of Lake Pepin The Great River Road corridor on the Wisconsin side of Lake Pepin on the Mississippi has a deep history in celebrating the arts and culture of our region. Celebrations and festivals fill the calendar with enticing reasons to join in the fun! This list looks at 10 of the most beloved annual events. You can find information on all at www.stockholmwisconsin.com.

-- READ MORE





STATEMENT: AAPI Victory Fund Announces Appointment of National Political Director and National Outreach Director Ahead of 2022 Midterm Elections





WASHINGTON — This week, the AAPI Victory Fund released a statement highlighting their newly appointed National Political Director, Shehn Datta, and National Outreach Director, Vaibhav Jain. In efforts to educate, empower, and mobilize the AAPI community’s 11 million-strong, the AAPI Victory Fund has invested in growing its staff to ensure the AAPI community’s diverse electorate is represented. AAPI Victory Fund President and CEO Brad Jenkins issued a statement.

.--READ MORE



Leading Asian American Nonprofits Unveil Equity Platform to Drive Social, Civic and Economic Change





The country’s leading Asian American nonprofits announced today the first-ever Unity March to take place on June 25, 2022, in Washington, D.C. More than 40 nonprofits—including Asian American Advancing Justice – AAJC, Gold House, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund and more—will gather alongside Asian American, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and other historically excluded groups at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to advance the Equity Platform, which pushes for equitable representation and rights for all. .-- READ MORE



UNABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING?? There should be help. Social Security Disability and SSI - Programs designed to help individuals who are disabled from work. IF YOU APPLY FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY AND/OR SSI AND YOU ARE DENIED, THERE IS HELP! Call 1-800-254-7766



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heidipascual2016@yahoo.com