Although New York is home to the second-largest Asian population in the country, Asian Americans are underrepresented in both state and city governments. At the federal level, Andrew Yang is the only Asian American running for president. Though he is not the first to vie for the office – Hiram Fong was a candidate in 1964 – he is the first to achieve some measure of mainstream success.

Several hours before last week’s Democratic presidential debate, a small group gathered in lower Manhattan for a heated discussion of its own. Crossing Party Lines: New York hosted a “table talk” on political correctness – a subject that polarizes Americans who support free speech without restriction and those who believe language offensive to certain groups has no place in society.

With earthquakes shaking the Caribbean, including one of the largest in the region’s history on Tuesday, Puerto Rican organizations and artists came together this week at Casabe House in New York City’s El Barrio to raise funds for Puerto Rico.

Amid reports of panic-buying of masks and the cancellation of Lunar New Year celebrations, many remain unconcerned about the global spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. With only a handful of confirmed cases in the United States, it was business as usual in most of the country last week — including in New York, the largest Chinese community outside of Asia.

Today, as the United Nations recognizes the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, federal legislation banning the practice is stalled in Washington. Sometimes referred to as female circumcision, FGM is often portrayed as a practice that doesn’t affect the United States. But the reality is that approximately 507,000 U.S. women and girls – mainly in immigrant communities – are either at risk for or have suffered through it.

In an ugly partisan spat over immigration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last week declared New York residents ineligible for enrollment or reenrollment in several of its Trusted Traveler Programs, such as Global Entry.

In 2019, the number of female CEOs on the Fortune 500 list hit a new record, with 33 of the country’s highest-grossing firms being led by women. While that’s a significant achievement, it accounts for only 6.6 percent of CEOs on the list.

On March 1, New York will join the short list of states with bans on plastic carryout bags. Only California and Hawaii have state-wide bans aimed at reducing the proliferation of single-use plastics. New York’s ban is less than a week away, but many are unaware of it.

An hour’s subway ride from Manhattan is the Bensonhurst neighborhood of south Brooklyn, home to a growing Chinese community. Under the Bay Parkway station, 86th Street is lined with Asian grocery stores. One popular market flowing with customers is Thanksgiving Supermarket — a marked departure from South Florida’s Publix.

Known as the world’s finest antiquarian book fair, the NYIABF attracts bibliophiles, collectors, scholars, connoisseurs and others interested in antique collections. Vendors present collections that include rare books, maps, illuminated manuscripts, incanabula, fine bindings, illustrations, historical documents, rare prints and print ephemera.

For nearly 20 years, residents of East Harlem had access to reasonably priced fresh produce and other basic necessities at the local Pathmark grocery store. In 2015, following the bankruptcy of its parent company, Pathmark closed all of its stores. This left many low-income residents in food deserts – a term is used to describe the fallout when a centralized food market closes and leaves residents in the area it served with few alternatives.

Usually synonymous with anything and everything wrong, Friday the 13th is tattoo enthusiasts’ lucky day — it’s one of the only times they can get a tattoo that won’t break the bank.

More than 200 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in New York, with 95 in New York City, which is arguably the tourist capital of America, just ahead of Miami. Even after Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency on Thursday, tourists still visited city landmarks.

In South Florida hurricane-warning-like fashion, people across the country are racing to stores and buying any available antibacterial product they can find. Hand soaps, face masks, hand sanitizers and toilet paper have been cleaned out of many stores. Employees have even put up signs limiting the number of products that can be bought per person.

At a time when the flow of accurate information is critical to society, major news outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post are encouraging journalists to telecommute. The Los Angeles Times is even restricting air travel.

During the 2016 Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders lost 10 of the 11 states where Latinos made up 15% or more of the population. This time around, he notched a big win in Nevada, where 30% of the population is Latino. He was also victorious in delegate-rich California, where he garnered 49% of the Latino vote.

Since the spread of the coronavirus began in late 2019, a new wave of racism and xenophobia has plagued Asian-Americans. Just a couple weeks ago, President Donald Trump referred to the coronavirus as the “Chinese Virus,” then denied the term is racist. Though the coronavirus originated in China, there is no evidence that people of Asian descent are more likely to be carriers or bear responsibility for its transmission, but ignorance has put Asian-American lives in danger from racist attacks.

Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone — these are just a few of the women who played pivotal roles in shaping the United States. By hosting conventions and both protesting and lobbying Congress, they tirelessly fought for women’s rights and suffrage. They paved the way for future women activists.

Several days a week, Julian Burgess watches his two nephews, Joseph (Jojo), 9,  and Elijah, 4, while their parents, a store sales clerk and an ultrasound technician, continue to work during the global pandemic. Burgess, a senior at FIU majoring in sports management, has also become Jojo’s de facto teacher.

In an effort to limit the spread of the COVID-19, people around the world have been advised to stay indoors and isolate themselves. While there is evidence that this social distancing is working, it can also negatively impact people’s mental health.

As the coronavirus has forced education online, some subject areas have transitioned more smoothly than others. Some students have been left without access to needed facilities or tools.

In the latest about-face caused by the coronavirus, students have gone from being stressed about taking exams to stressing over not taking exams. With the cancellation of spring and possibly summer SAT and ACT testing, many high school juniors have been left in limbo.

Lazy Loggerhead Café, situated inside Palm Beach County’s Carlin Park near Juno Beach, closed its doors on March 19. That was one day before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statewide order ending on-premises dining. Jennifer Wilson, who owns the cafe with her husband Brian “Duke” Wilson, said they closed to keep customers and employees safe.

Welcome to Zoom University! The class of 2020 will now be completing the remainder of the semester online with professors and teachers using remote tools in order to maintain a semblance of normality. Together with the stress of a global pandemic, this adjustment has taken a toll on students’ mental health.

Among the misfortunes that the novel coronavirus has caused, such as the disruption of education and a recession, at least one positive result has emerged. While humans have largely been quarantined indoors, nature has started to rebound.

The coronavirus pandemic may be the last nail in the coffin for a beloved American pastime: going to the movies. Theaters were already suffering major financial losses before the pandemic, and now their future looks increasingly unstable.

With each passing day, more Americans are diagnosed with COVID-19. The total count is nearing 1 million and the illness has killed more people in one month than flu did during the entire 2018-2019 season. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House’s top infectious disease expert, predicted in late March that more than a million people in the U.S. could contract the virus — but now the number is certain to be much higher.

With the coronavirus negatively affecting nearly every business in the United States, one online store is seeing financial gains. Chewy, an online retailer of pet care products based in Dania Beach has seen a rise in business since the outbreak of COVID-19.