When President Trump labeled COVID-19 the “Chinese Virus” in late March, he initially received opposition from Chinese officials and those connected with WHO (World Health Organization). Although Trump eventually walked back his comments, xenophobic fears towards people of Asian descent have continued to persist as a product of the coronavirus.
Read MoreWhen Santa Monica College (SMC) made the decision that the spring semester was going to be completely remote through the summer, some international students made the decision to travel back to their home countries whereas others decided to stay. International students in the United States now lead an uncertain future as SMC among other schools, announced the fall semester will be online and the US borders are still closed due to COVID-19.
Read MoreAs people across the country are searching for ways to stay active in quarantine, Santa Monica based fitness studio, BoxUnion, has found a way to bring their classes straight to their community members homes.
Read MoreThe PPE shortage has inspired community innovation. CrashSpace is a collection of volunteer hackers, programmers, builders, makers, artists and people who generally like to break things and see what new things they can build with the pieces.
Read MoreWhen socio-political issues come in the form of a tragedy, such as the evolving Ahmaud Arbery case, colleges and universities often provide a breathing ground for expression and discussion.
Read MoreFor the first time in 98 years, the Hollywood Bowl is cancelling its summer season.
Read MoreThe SMC Nursing Program will continue virtually during Fall and the clinical classes that were previously cancelled during spring, will resume gradually. Incoming applicants will remain on hold until further notice, as safety is prioritized amid pandemic. Both the administration and students face unprecedented challenges.
Read MoreA question on many California State University (CSU) transfer and current students' minds about what is going to happen for the fall semester was answered on Tuesday, May 12. CSU Chancellor Timothy White announced that CSU institutions will be holding most of their fall classes online and keeping nearly all their classrooms closed, with a few exceptions.
Read MoreCalifornia Community Colleges (CCC) filed a federal lawsuit this past Monday against the Department of Education and Secretary of Education Betsy Devos over the eligibility requirements of receiving emergency funds provided to educational institutions through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Read MoreAfter nearly a month of lighting up shores from Baja California to Santa Cruz, the bioluminescent waves have faded. The phenomenon, which drew national media attention, entertained thousands of people eager to see the rare spectacle despite California’s beaches being closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Along several beaches, some local police gave up trying to enforce beach closures due to the large crowds.
Read MoreDo you know how the Ringling Brothers Circus used to train elephants?
I didn’t, until about a week ago. For the first six months of their lives, baby elephants would be restrained with steel chains and forced to stand on concrete floors for up to 23 hours a day. After months of attempting to escape these tethers to no avail, the elephants would give up and assume they would forever be restrained. As they reached adulthood, much weaker tethers were put in place; however, the elephants did not attempt to break free from them because of the traumatic failures they ensued when trying to escape previously.
Does this resonate with anybody else right now?
Read MoreIt's hard enough living in a world that already has such a racial prejudice against you. People of color, including myself, are making conscious decisions everyday about the way that we present and show up in the world and how we are perceived by others, especially the police.
Read MoreSnake oil selling is nothing new here in America, but the country’s dramatic descent into a public health epidemic has highlighted the dangers of disinformation and the rejection of scientific facts. With deaths from COVID-19 climbing into the tens of thousands across the country, new attention is being focused on the dangers of misleading the American public.
Read MoreThe first saliva at-home test for COVID-19 has been approved by the FDA, as it becomes available online to many states throughout the country including California. Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory is able to return results after approximately 48 hours by the time received. Tests are available through Vault Health company online, as it offers its virtual medical supervision.
Read MoreThe USAF Thunderbirds air demonstration team were scheduled to fly over Santa Monica beaches on Friday, May 15th, but no-showed, leaving a lot of disappointed folks who’d been patiently waiting.
Read MoreIn Marina Del Rey, the rituals of boat work and fishing, once reserved for a rare lazy day off are now commonplace. Lighter traffic from large vessels has resulted in an increase in sightings of marine life rarely observed - including stingrays, turtles and even squid.
Read MoreIn a month where many professional and college athletic events would be held, this past April has been met with empty stadiums, and postponed seasons. Due to Covid-19, almost all major league sports have been put on hold. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is still suspending their season indefinitely. The National Hockey League (NHL) also suspended their season, while their proposal is pending on an expanded playoff format.
Read MoreSometimes being Native American feels like you are a walking and talking mythical creature. It's as if you're not even a real person because Natives are mostly heard of only in historical contexts as well as only being known by their stereotypes. But those historical contexts have consequences for the present.
Read MoreFollowing the recent release of the graphic and disturbing video of Arbery’s killing, media outlets, celebrities, advocates for justice, as well as everyday people, were outraged, with some referring to his murder as, “the modern day lynching.” Thankfully the public outcry and activism made an impact because on Thursday night when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation helped in the arrests of the self-proclaimed vigalante father and son, George and Travis McMichael, for the murder of Arbery.
Read MoreFour Corsair photographers made the drive to the high desert to capture fields of California Poppies in bloom.
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