By Rafael Quintero
Senior political reporter with bylines from Caracas, Bogota and Washington, focused on the new Latin American diplomacy.
Texas school arrests surge as minor incidents turn into criminal cases
Over 47,000 Texas students aged 10-13 were referred to juvenile justice for minor school incidents. Mandatory police presence on campuses ha
Student loan data breach settlement: up to $5,000 for affected borrowers
A $6.5 million settlement compensates victims of the ECSI student loan data breach. Claims up to $5,000 for documented losses, or $100 witho
California faces harsher droughts from heat-driven evaporation, report warns
California's Fifth Climate Change Assessment warns that extreme heat will accelerate evaporation, worsening droughts even with steady rainfa
San Clemente's string of disasters: fire, erosion, and a crumbling coast
San Clemente, a beloved Orange County beach town, is reeling from wildfires, vanishing beaches, and a damaged pier. With El Niño looming, re
Oracle's $165B New Mexico data center faces water and power scrutiny
Oracle's $165B Project Jupiter in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, is under construction with promises of water-saving cooling and cleaner energy.
Pennsylvania town resists $10K per household to host data center
NorthPoint Development offers $10,000 per household in Hazle Township to build a data center. Residents call it a bribe and protest the envi
Pew Survey: Most US Latinos Feel Their Pay Falls Short of Desired Life
73% of Latino adults in the US say their earnings don't match the life they want. 60% struggled to pay for at least one basic necessity in t
Social Security COLA 2027: Bigger Checks, But SNAP Benefits at Risk
The 3.6% Social Security COLA in 2027 will increase retiree checks, but it could push some households over SNAP income limits. However, medi
Tinder and Hinge face a crisis of trust as romance scams surge
Senate investigations expose Tinder and Hinge's outdated fraud detection, enabling romance scams that cost Americans $1.5 billion in 2025. M
Malibu wildfire spreads as Santa Ana winds threaten California coast
The Bryson Fire near Malibu has burned 147 acres and prompted evacuation orders as Santa Ana winds threaten to spread flames. Firefighters a
FBI hunts ex-TV producer accused of $30M fraud using fake heiress identity
Mary Carole McDonnell, a former California TV producer, is the subject of an FBI manhunt for allegedly defrauding banks of $30 million. She
AI data centers along Texas-New Mexico border threaten climate and water
Texas and New Mexico are betting big on AI, but new data centers along their border could emit greenhouse gases equivalent to over 2 million