President Barack Obama made expanding economic opportunity for the lower and middle classes the main focus of his State of the Union address Tuesday. The federal deficit is smaller and the economy has largely recovered since the 2008 recession, but Obama said most of the economy’s gains have gone to the rich, not the poor. […]
Author Archives: Kristen Taketa
Wage and safety complaints prolong AFSCME’s dispute with UC
The University of California has offered wage increases and an unprecedented freeze on health care rates to its largest and most vocal employee union, but the union said it still refuses to accept its offers because it wants a higher wage increase for its members.
Task force addresses colleges’ sexual assault policies
President Barack Obama announced a new task force Wednesday to help combat the issue of sexual assault and rape on college campuses. The advisory task force, which will be headed by the Office of the Vice President and the White House Council on Women and Girls, will recommend policy changes in the next 90 days […]
A country in healing: UCLA nurse serves patients recovering from Typhoon Haiyan
At UCLA, 25-year-old nurse Paolo Montenegro often works 12-hour night shifts three days a week on the neurotrauma floor of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He takes care of people who have been shot, stabbed, fallen off their motorcycles, weakened from strokes and brain bleeds. Like all doctors and nurses, he was trained to […]
New Calif. committee to review college hate crime policies
A new state committee will investigate how to reduce hate crimes and student harassment at state universities, including the University of California. Calif. Assembly Speaker John Pérez, D-Los Angeles, announced the Select Committee on Campus Climate on Wednesday. The group will hold hearings and evaluate UC, California State University and community college policies for responding […]
Q&A: UCLA meteorologist discusses ‘polar vortex’ phenomenon
Several states in the Midwest and now in the South are chilled from a winter freeze that reached record low temperatures this week, resulting in many canceled flights and school days. The storm brewed after a polar vortex came down from the North Pole and caused temperatures to drop as low as 16 degrees below […]
LA County Sheriff Baca steps down amid department scandal
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election for a fifth term and will be retiring at the end of January, cutting his fourth term short. “I will go out on my terms. The reasons for doing so are so many, most personal and private,” Baca said at a […]