By Miriam Raftery

November 24, 2005 (Washington D.C.)--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved sale of genetically modified salmon – the first GMO animal to received federal approval.

East County News Service

November 10, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Amid a public outcry over soaring prescription drug prices, President Barack Obama’s administration has announced it will hold a public forum on drug prices on November 20^th.

East County News Service

October 11, 2015 (Washington D.C.)—Seeking to help hundreds of thousands of young people who are currently a part of the foster care system and the tens of thousands who leave the system each year, Reps. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and Jim McDermott (D-Wash.)—Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth,  have introduced H.R. 3641, the “Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act of 2015.”  The measure would close a loophole and guarantee that foster youth will still receive health insurance through Medicaid until they turn 26 years old,  regardless of their state of residence.

By Miriam Raftery

August 31, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme Court today denied a request from a county clerk in Kentucky who sought to be excused from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples due to her religious beliefs.

East County News Service

Devoreo Bell, Juwan Armstrong and Miriam Raftery contributed to this series.

Part 1:  Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton (most prominent political pedigrees) and Donald Trump (the show horse)

August 3, 2015 (Washington D.C.) -- The 2016 presidential candidates are off and running. It’s a crowded race, with over two dozen contenders vying for the ultimate winner’s circle.  Over the next couple of weeks, East County Magazine will run a “Race for the White House” series profiling the candidates.

Our series opens with frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush, two seasoned entries with long political pedigrees, and “show horse” Donald Trump who’s been grabbing media headlines and moving up in the polls. Later we’ll highlight mavericks such as Rand Paul and  Bernie Sanders,  each drawing populist followings for talking about issues like civil liberties and the wealth gap largely ignored by party power-brokers.  Finally, we’ll have coverage of the pack of other prominent contenders, plus some dark horses hoping to pull off an upset win.  For each candidate, we’ll give you  biographical highlights, stances on key issues, controversies, and fascinating facts as these contenders bolt out of the starting gate and run for the roses—the White House rose garden, that is.  Plus, we’ll check with pollsters and odds makers to see how they’re handicapping this important race—so keep an eye out for each installment in our “Race for the Whitehouse” 2016 coverage.

Click "read more" and scroll down to learn more about Bush, Clinton and Trump.

East County News Service

July 21, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Last week, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced  finalization of a new rule, “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, that requires communities to remove zoning laws and other barriers to integration in neighborhoods at all income levels, or lose federal HUD funds.

By Susan Potter, Public News Service

Photo credit: Dodgerton Skillhause/Morguefile.

June 30, 2015 (Washington D.C.)--The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday the lethal-injection drug midazolam does not violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment – clearing the way for states like Florida to resume using the drug in capital cases.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: U.S. Congressional Districts, by Matte, Creative Commons license

June 29, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – By a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the right of voters to approve an independent redistricting commission. In a case that has implications in California, Justice Anthony Kennedy sided with four liberal justices to uphold Arizona’s redistricting plan approved by the state’s voters.

East County News Service

June 15, 2015 (Washington D.C.)--The House of Representatives will soon be considering the 21^st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6), important legislation that will accelerate the process of translating scientific advancements into new treatments and therapies. The bill would support efforts to develop potential treatments and interventions for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, childhood leukemia, Down’s syndrome, congenital heart disease, autism spectrum disorders, sleep apnea and epilepsy, to name a few.

By Miriam Raftery

May 30, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – There’s a new wrinkle to consider before signing up for those wrinkle-plumping injections of soft tissue fillers, also called derma fillers or injectible face implants. The substances that have gained popularity with cosmetic surgeons and other healthcare providers to reduce the appearance of wrinkles on the face or to augment lips and cheeks.

By Miriam Raftery

May 27, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear two cases on redistricting of Congressional districts. Both could have broad impacts on California.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Senator Dianne Feinstein voted in favor of fast-tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership

May 19, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Senate has voted 65 to 33 to take up HR 1314, a measure that would allow fast-tracking of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership with no amendments or filibuster allowed.

East County News Service

Photo: 20-week fetus (public domain image)

May 16, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – The House of Representatives has passed a bill to ban virtually all abortions after 20 weeks.  The bill has an exception only for rape victims, after a 48 hour waiting period.

April 27, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – Americans are getting too much fluoride from multiple sources including toothpaste, mouthwash, some juices and sodas, and water.  So the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is recommending cutting in half the amount of fluoride that’s added to drinking water to prevent tooth decay.

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2015 (Washington D.C.)  - The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a landmark case this week, Obergefell v. Hodges, that is expected to decide whether same-sex couples should have a constitutional right to marriage in all 50 states.