Doris O'Brien is a retired college Speech teacher and banker. She has published two books of humor (Up or Down With Women's Liberation and Humor Me a Little) and for many years contributed light verse to the Pepper 'n Salt column of the Wall Street Journal. She is an avid writer of letters to the editors.
Doris celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary in the same year she welcomed her first grandchild. She now lives in Pasadena with a great view of the San Gabriel mountains — and the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.
She can be reached by e-mail: witsendob at (@) gmail.com
To Become a Citizen After Birth, You Must: Apply For “derived” or “acquired” Citizenship Through Parents; Apply for Naturalization
Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
For more information, see USCIS Policy Manual Citizenship and Naturalization Guidance. Most naturalization applicants are required to take a test on: English; Civics (U.S. history and government). For more information, visit our Naturalization Test page. Get study materials from the Citizenship Resource Center. more »
Hollowed-Out Public Health System Faces More Cuts Amid Virus; "When we do our job, nothing happens"
The US public health system has been starved for decades and lacks the resources to confront the worst health crisis in a century. Marshaled against a virus that has sickened at least 2.6 million in the US, killed more than 126,000 people and cost tens of millions of jobs and $3 trillion in federal rescue money, state and local government health workers on the ground are sometimes paid so little that they qualify for public aid.They track the coronavirus on paper records shared via fax. Working seven-day weeks for months on end, they fear pay freezes, public backlash and even losing their jobs. more »
Stateline: Politicians Shunt Aside Public Health Officials
Shunted to the background, and often ignored, public health professionals at the state and local levels who have been working long hours with few breaks are starting to burn out and lose momentum. Many have left office; a number of them were pushed out, either by their bosses or in the face of vehement public opposition. A recent analysis from Kaiser Health News and the Associated Press found that at least 27 state or local public health leaders across 13 states had resigned, retired or been fired since April. From the beginning of the pandemic, Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials and other experts say, the White House set the tone for this unprecedented circumvention of public health agencies. more »
Review of The Meanest Man in Congress: Jack Brooks and the Making of an American Century
Jo Freeman writes: This book is a fine description of how the political boys clubs worked. The inner sanctum was known as the Board of Education. Most weekday evenings "Mr. Sam," as Speaker Rayburn (D. TX) was called, invited a few Representatives to have a drink with him... With Mr. Sam as his mentor, Brooks moved up the hierarchy rather quickly, becoming a subcommittee chairman after only two years in the House. Eventually he chaired the Government Operations and Judiciary Committees. More than a biography this book gives you an inside look at how Congress operates, at least during the latter half of the 20th Century. You should get course credit in Political Science just for reading it. more »
