Now that President Trump has decided to end DACA, a look at what's next, plus a California Assemblyman weighs in on how we can achieve healthcare for all in the state.
With DACA's end announced, what should Dreamers think about?
President Trump's decision about DACA hits close to home for many. In California, around 200,000 people benefit from the program.
One of them is Vlad Stoicescu-Ghica, an Angelino from Romania. He told Take Two he found the Tuesday morning announcement by Jeff Sessions disturbing:
"I think I've had time to prepare and to get myself ready for what would happen in my case, but the way that it was put out there — particularly with Attorney General Jeff Sessions stating a lot of inaccuracies about the DACA program — that really did not connect with my experience at all," Stoicescu-Ghica said to Take Two's A Martinez. "That frustrated me more, the way that they presented it."
With such an uncertain future, what do DACA recipients like Stoicescu-Ghica do now?
For that, Take Two turned to L.A. immigration attorney Yanci Montes. Below are just a few things for Dreamers to think about.
Do: Seek legal advice from an experienced immigration attorney
Montes: It's important for them to seek the right guidance and the right legal advice to determine whether they're eligible for some work permit. They may be eligible for a Green Card. There are so many other immigration benefits out there that they may not be aware of.
Do: Apply for a Social Security number
Do not: Leave the country
If you are planning on leaving the country under Advance Parole (that's permission from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to leave the country) do not do it at this moment.
If you know anyone or if you are someone outside of the United States with Advance Parole, they need to come back into the United States right away, because we're not sure if they're going to have the right to enter the United States again.
Do not: Do immigration applications on your own
Do not: Have a notary public to do your paperwork
These are matters that are very delicate. Only an immigration attorney with experience should handle these matters.
Workplace rights
[Dreamers] are still eligible to continue working at their workplaces until their work permits expire. They do not have to tell their employers that they're under the DACA program.
As soon as their DACA permits expire, they should go ahead and have other plans as far as other ways they can get a work permit or Green Card through other programs.
Employers do not have the right to ask an employee if they are under DACA.
If ICE visits a DACA recipient or their family
ICE may come over to their house, but they have to understand that they have rights, just like any other undocumented person here in the United States.
The Constitution protects them. If ICE comes over to their house, they have the right to remain silent. They have a right to have an attorney. They have a right to present their case before an immigration court to present their immigration case.
ICE has said that DACA recipients are not a priority to them, so the fear of ICE coming to their house right away? I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon.
This post should not be used in place of an experienced immigration attorney. Guest answers have been edited for brevity and clarity. To hear the entire interview with Montes as well as more of Stoicescu-Ghica’s story, click on the blue play buttons above.
Want universal health care for California? Be patient, says committee co-chair
California Assemblyman Anthony Rendon faced an intense backlash in June when he shelved a bill called the "Healthy California Act." SB 562, as it's also known, was a plan to make universal, single-payer health care a reality in the state.
Rendon says he received death threats for his decision. So when he called for new hearings on the future of health care late last month, supporters of a single-payer plan took notice. Rendon has now tasked a committee in the state assembly to find a way to make health care for all a reality.
Co-chairing that committee is Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), who tells Take Two the committee will examine several aspects of health care in California, but it's unlikely that they'll return in January with a new piece of legislation.
Here are some highlights from his interview with A Martinez:
It wasn't explicitly stated by Speaker Rendon that the committee hearings would result in a replacement for SB 562. That has a lot of single-payer proponents bothered. When the legislature reconvenes, what can voters expect to have from the committee?
Hopefully, well, my plan is there will be a lot more information. What's important in this discussion is that I don't believe all the stakeholders have been at the table.
We have a proposal by a group that wants something their way on their timeline. We haven't had a diverse discussion with all the potential stakeholders involved, so one of the things we want to do is bring as many stakeholders to the conversation to gather as much information as we can. Is it going to lead to a new bill or the fleshing out of this bill? It's hard to say, but it's really important that people understand this is a sincere effort. This is not a sham.
You mention certain stakeholders. Which stakeholders, specifically, haven't been involved yet?
I don't believe that we've heard from organized medicine. I don't think we've heard from hospitals. I don't think we've heard from employers. We certainly haven't gotten input from the federal government. We haven't had input from our state agencies. I think there is a lot of information we need to gather so we can make a decision and move in policy directions that make sense.
Let me just ask you straight-out: Is this committee going to bring something the legislature will vote on this session, starting in January?
The purpose of a select committee is not to bring a bill forward. The purpose of a select committee is to gather information and gather ideas.
There may be a variety of authors who decide, based on the information that we pull together, to introduce different bills. I'm not going to commit to saying the committee itself will absolutely introduce the bill because I don't know that that will happen.
I think this is a lengthy discussion. I think if we're going to do this right, we're going to need to spend the time to get this right.
How would you respond to a group like the Nurses Association who want action on something like this?
I would say that look, our health care system in the United States started evolving in the late 1940s. That's 70 years. I think to expect that in seven or eight months that we can completely reinvent health care in California is pretty ambitious and I just don't think it's possible.
I am not about stalling; I believe that we can get there. I really, really do. But I want to do it collaboratively, and I just hope that people will be patient. This is a big, big issue and it's going to take time.
California's relationship with the current administration is fraught. Is it even possible to achieve health care for all without some support from Washington?
I don't believe it is. I really don't. Regardless of what number we talk about, we rely heavily on money from Washington DC. It's approaching $200 billion. It will require waivers and a variety of different exceptions from the federal government to get the resources here. If we don't get that, I don't really see how we move forward, other than a large tax on residents here.
Press the blue play button above to hear what Assemblyman Wood thinks about the political chances of new health care legislation.
IV hydrogen peroxide: An unproven therapy that could be dangerous
Why do patients undergo alternative, unproven treatments?
A number of naturopathic practitioners in Southern California offer IV treatments that inject vitamins, herbs or chemical compounds directly into your bloodstream. KPCC reports that one of these treatments, IV hydrogen peroxide, is unproven, expensive and potentially dangerous.
Why would patients undergo this treatment?
Some people, especially here in Southern California, try to avoid prescription medication when possible. They could be skeptical of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the pharmaceutical industry; they could be trying to live a more natural lifestyle. To this group, a treatment like IV hydrogen peroxide may seem more appealing than a pill.
Others turn to alternative medicine after getting frustrated with Western medicine. It's frustrating when your doctor doesn't have enough time to take care of you; it's frustrating when it feels like the doctor is writing you a prescription rather than addressing your underlying health problem.
Mercedes Curran, of Beverly Grove Canyon, experienced that frustration before she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She saw a lot of doctors but says she didn't feel like they took her concerns seriously. She says the solutions they offered her didn't address the real causes of her problems.
"They're so well intentioned, but they have about 15 minutes to meet with you and they say, 'alright, well, here, maybe you need to take this drug. Or, well, have you tried birth control?'" she says.
It's also frustrating when patients hit the limits of Western medicine.
Western medicine can do amazing things, but it still doesn't have all the answers. There aren't cures for every condition. And anyone who's seen a drug advertisement on television knows that some FDA-approved treatments have unpleasant side effects.
For example, MS is an unpredictable, degenerative disease of the central nervous system. There's no cure, but there are drugs that can modify the disease course. That feeling of being left between a rock and a hard place can drive people toward alternative medicine, says Dr. Paul Offit, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania medical school and author of a book about alternative medicine.
"I have enormous sympathy for [Curran]," Offit says. "She's looking for help and frankly, turning to the medical profession, she finds there are limits to medicine, whereas when she goes to the alternative healer, he promises something else."
What do patients find when they turn to alternative medicine?
Naturopathic doctors have a reputation for taking time to talk with their patients.
They're known for trying to treat the whole person rather just a person's individual symptoms. They're more likely to try natural, holistic solutions first, like prescribing herbs or diet changes, before prescribing medication.
Are alternative treatments safe and effective?
There are some treatments that were developed outside of Western medicine, that have since been studied and proven to be effective and have been adopted by mainstream medicine.
For example, clinical studies have proven that acupuncture, yoga, massage and mindfulness are all effective treatments for back pain; the American College of Physicians guidelines says providers should recommend these treatments before prescribing painkillers like opioids.
Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics says there's good evidence supporting the use of some evidence-based non-traditional treatments for kids, including supplements like fish oil and probiotics.
There are other alternative treatments that haven't been studied or scientifically proven, but people might be open to trying them due to their mistrust and frustration with Western medicine.
How can patients determine which alternative treatments are safe?
It's a challenge, and the internet doesn't make it any easier. People can fall down a rabbit hole as they find horror stories about FDA-approved medications and anecdotes about miracle potions.
You have to be a smart consumer to distinguish between treatments that are proven to be safe and effective and those that are a waste of money and possibly dangerous.
You should talk with your doctor about any alternative treatments you're using or considering using. And the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is a great source of science-based information on a wide variety of alternative treatments.
Tuesday Reviewsday: Brockhampton, new Wu-Tang and Frank Ocean
Every week, Take Two's Tuesday Reviewsday is the place for discovering fresh new music. Following are the latest picks from Oliver Wang of Soul-Sides.com.
Artist: Brockhampton
Album: Saturnation II (out now)
A 15-man, black/white/American/European collective originally assembled in San Marcos, Texas, though key members now live out here in L.A. The creative clique approach will likely remind some of Odd Future though their three releases thus far suggest they’re closer to A$AP Mob or early Wu-Tang in terms of the cross-collaborative nature of their songs.
Super excited about these guys, especially Kevin Abstract who’s one of the first truly out gay rappers out there.
Wu-Tang feat. Redman
Album: Wu-Tang: The Saga Continues… (forthcoming)
When you think of huge rap collectives, you have to keep the Wu-Tang Clan at the top of the list. They’re back with a new group album coming out soon and this is the first single. Classic Wu style, soul loops plus an invite to Redman to cameo.
Frank Ocean
Album: NA
I’m basically always here for Frank Ocean random drops. Unlike some of the other songs he’s put out via his website this year, this one feels more like something that could have been on last year’s “Blonde” - very formless in feel even if it has more a classic song structure.