Reading and watching the news today as we head towards World Refugee Day on June 20, it appears there is no issue more divisive in American politics than immigration. Especially in light of the recent end of Title 42 – the pandemic-era policy used to turn away migrants arriving at our southern border – immigration is dominating the public discourse, and has for most of the past decade. Indeed, I can say with confidence, after 8 years in the Obama administration and 20 years before that at the National Council of La Raza (now UNIDOS US), that the issue has never been anything but a hot-button. The work to create a more humane, just, and fair immigration system is incredibly difficult, and while I continue to believe that there are policy solutions at hand, far too many Americans see the issue as hopeless. But even amid all of the turmoil, in the last 18 months regular Americans have emerged at the forefront of an innovative approach that has broken through the typical partisan divide in the immigration debate.

The ocean is an ever-present backdrop of life in Miami. And beyond its scenic presence, there are numerous reasons we should care about the world’s oceans. From regulating our climate and the air we breathe, to providing us food, to forming the backbone of the tourism economies around the world, our oceans are critical for the survival of our planet. However, they are facing many serious threats, including overfishing, pollution and rapid warming. This World Ocean Day, we should all get inspired to protect the waters that keep planet Earth alive.

Let’s talk about youth mental health. You may be feeling uncomfortable at the mention of this topic due to the stigma surrounding it, but let’s look at some statistics that show why we must talk about this topic now.

Growing up, I loved the idea of having a large family. Because of relationships that existed between my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., I knew I wanted a large family. Never in a million years did I think the road to starting a family would come with unexpected twists and turns and take such a long time. It took 9 years of trying to finally conceive. It then took another 6 years to get to the end of my fertility journey. That is 5 years total.

Spinal cord injuries are one of the most severe injuries a child can experience. A spinal cord injury can have long-term consequences, including disability and major disruptions to a child’s way of life. The body’s spinal cord is critical to overall health and functionality, and injuries to the spinal cord can impact the child’s entire body.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic, progressive disease that attacks and destroys lower motor neurons or nerve cells that travel from the brain to the muscles. Lower motor neurons are the neurons that control breathing, crawling, walking, and swallowing, as well as head and neck strength. Once SMA attacks the lower motor neurons, the ability to control muscle movement is lost.