Matthew Heller

7-Eleven Takes Big Gulp Out Of American Dream

For South Asian immigrants to the U.S., owning a 7-Eleven franchise is no longer the golden ticket to the American dream that it once was.

Matthew Heller
By Matthew Heller
7-Eleven

LOS ANGELES --- For South Asian immigrants to the United States, owning a 7-Eleven convenience store franchise has traditionally been a passport to the American dream. The startup costs for a 7-Eleven franchise are low compared to fast-food and motel franchises -- as little as $50,000. In a departure from the usual franchising model, the

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European Regulator’s Report May Block Bitcoin’s Path To Legitimacy

California simply repealed the state’s prohibition on “anything but the lawful money of the U.S.,” but in Europe, bitcoin’s acceptance and integration is not so simple.

Matthew Heller
By Matthew Heller
1. An image of an Israeli "Iron Dome" missile launcher shooting down a rocket in midair. A caption with a pointing arrow says: "Israeli Missile Interceptor." In the second panel we see an apartment building, reduced to rubble. A similar arrowed caption reads: "Palestinian Missile Interceptor."

LOS ANGELES --- In the United States, bitcoin and other virtual currencies have been enjoying a period of relatively smooth sailing as they voyage toward acceptance as a legitimate medium of exchange. The U.S. Federal Election Commission recently approved the use of bitcoin to make financial contributions to political candidates, and California

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New Flashpoint In Immigration Battle Has “History Of Intolerance,” Activists Say

Instead of rolling out the welcome mat for immigrants, cities in California’s “Inland Empire” are pulling the rug out from under them by blocking buses and protesting.

Matthew Heller
By Matthew Heller
Immigration Overload Flashpoint

LOS ANGELES --- In December 2010, the city of Murrieta, California, joined other communities in southwest Riverside County by passing a law requiring business owners to confirm the immigration status and work eligibility of new employees through the federal government's E-Verify database. The city council had initially considered an ordinance

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Campaign Finance Reformers Look Back To 1787 In Fight Over SCOTUS Ruling

The California Legislature has passed a resolution that seeks a convention to curb the influence of money in politics by amending the constitution.

Matthew Heller
By Matthew Heller

LOS ANGELES --- It's been 227 years since the United States held a constitutional convention in response to a crisis over how to govern the country following independence from Great Britain. The convention of 1787, supported by such luminaries as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, resulted in the creation of the U.S. Constitution. California

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Saying “Data Is Different,” SCOTUS Ruling Could Boost NSA Suits

The Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of a San Diego gang member may be a shot in the arm for cases against the NSA’s bulk collection of phone metadata.

Matthew Heller
By Matthew Heller

LOS ANGELES --- Civil rights activists and others who have sued the U.S. government over the National Security Administration's bulk collection of telephone metadata may now owe a debt to a member of San Diego's notorious Lincoln Park gang. Since the Guardian newspaper published whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations about the metadata

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Report: Promoting Refugees’ Self-Reliance Offers New Model For Aid

Refugees have vibrant economies that “thrive below the radar.” They aren’t necessarily the aid-reliant burden popular myth would make them out to be.

Matthew Heller
By Matthew Heller
Refugees

LOS ANGELES --- Most of the more than 65,500 refugees in the camps of the Adjumani district of northern Uganda survive on two bowls of porridge a day and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has reported severe shortages of water, sanitation and health services. “Life here is not easy,” David Aliar, a Red Cross volunteer from

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Marijuana Legalization May Open Door To “Big Cannabis”

Tobacco giants have been considering the marijuana market since at least the 1960s. After all, who knows how to sell psychoactive smoke-ables better than Big Tobacco?

Matthew Heller
By Matthew Heller
Dave Kois

LOS ANGELES --- In 1978, two market forecasters with the Brown & Williamson tobacco company wrote a report in which they imagined what might happen if marijuana was legalized. While legalization would cause “a period of difficult reappraisal in tobacco company strategy,” they wrote, “marijuana products seem to be a logical new industry for

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