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Saigon Sentinel · All articles
Browse every article we've published, from the latest news to long-form analysis and practical guides.
- Digest
News Digest 20/08: Conflict escalates, US economy shaken, Waymo expands
From Russian missiles raining down on Kyiv to a gold mine collapse in Central Africa, plus the Meta trial and a surprise Florida Senate primary — one hectic news day worth reading the original sources.
- SoCal
Del Mar Scraps Housing Deal, Exposing Gaps in California's Housing Law
An affordable housing deal at Del Mar collapsed not for lack of funding, but because of overlapping administrative boundaries and conflict-of-interest allegations—a warning for anyone investing in real estate under Calif…
- Politics
Money Cannot Buy Everything: Lessons from Florida's Senate Primary
A candidate who spent less than one-tenth of her rival's budget still won the Florida Senate primary by a landslide. What does that figure say about the real limits of money in American politics, and why the Hope Florida…
- Politics
Why did a cash-strapped state representative just defeat a former military officer with $16 million in Florida?
A state representative once disciplined for using a handheld megaphone on the chamber floor just defeated a retired military officer with sixteen times her campaign funds. This is the story of how a grassroots, under-res…
- US
Green Card Application Form I-485 Updated; Old Version Rejected from September 18
USCIS will replace the green card application form I-485 starting September 18, 2026 to comply with new Public Charge regulations, and will provide no grace period for applicants who late-submit using the old version.
- SoCal
Reversing 41.18: Why a councilman who defeated his predecessor now dismantles the encampment ban zones he created
A councilmember who defeated his predecessor over the Echo Park Lake eviction is now erasing the very camping ban zones that predecessor created, but data shows encampment cleanup campaigns in his district are still risi…
- World
When the Interior Ministry investigates itself: a test of trust in post-Assad Syria
The death of a man after being held by police in Syria exposed a mechanism flaw: the authority investigating the incident is the same authority accused of causing it.
- World
US Shortens Military Exercise with South Korea: What is happening and why?
Trump ordered the shortening of the regular U.S.-South Korea joint exercise, causing it to end nearly a week earlier than scheduled. This unexpected decision is fueling debate in Seoul about the reliability of U.S. defen…
- Gulf Coast
ICE accused of ignoring court orders: what limits exist for those facing deportation?
An ICE official faces contempt of court charges for re-arresting a person three times despite a federal judge's release order. The case reveals a broader pattern: court orders protecting people from deportation are not g…
- US
USCIS Tightens 'Public Charge' Rule for Green Card Review Starting 18/9/2026
USCIS has issued new guidance implementing a federal regulation effective September 18, 2026, that broadens the scope of public benefits that may affect green card review — while the Department of Homeland Security has y…
- Guides
A new career in the US, part 2: the shortest route, and the contract trap few people read closely
Part 1 ordered the routes by time: how long until the first paycheck. This piece covers the fastest group, from a few weeks to about six months. This is the route for someone who needs money now.…
- Digest
News Digest 18/8: Oil Prices Surge Over Iran, Federal Court Rules on Nevada Case
From US-Iran tensions pushing oil prices to new highs to the shooting at Virginia university, here are the stories worth reading today that Saigon Sentinel has not covered in full.
- World
US bonds shake as Iran ceasefire expires, long-term borrowing costs spike
US bond yields hit their highest level in nearly 20 years as the US-Iran ceasefire expires, a signal that the market is pricing in long-term geopolitical risk, not just Fed policy.
- SoCal
LA County Reopens Public Housing Waitlist After More Than Two Years of Silence
LA County's public housing enrollment window is open for just one month, and history of similar openings shows that applicant demand always far exceeds the actual number of available units.
- Guides
A new career in the US, part 1: the map of four routes, and how to pick yours
In an earlier article we wrote that nail work accounts for about one-seventh of Vietnamese people working in the US, and that the other six-sevenths do something else.…
- Guides
Opening a Vietnamese Restaurant in the US: From Paper Idea to Successful Grand Opening
The hardest part of opening a phở shop is not in the kitchen. It is the order of the paperwork, because the law dictates what has to be finished before what. This guide follows that order, with the statute sections and f…
- Digest
News Digest 8/17: US Withdraws Aircraft Carrier from Asia, Ukraine Intensifies Attacks on Russia
From the US redirecting resources to the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere, to Ukraine expanding its economic battlefield against Russia, to border fencing encroaching on a Texas national park — one day brings multi…
- SoCal
California Gig Workers Union Recognized — but History Shows New Labor Contracts Are the Real Battle
Union recognition is only the opening procedural step for California's 800,000 Uber and Lyft drivers — AB 1340 does not require the two companies to reach an actual labor contract.
- World
Dry Soil Feeds the Heat: Europe Faces a Water Crisis Stretching to 2030
Not a single heat wave but a self-reinforcing spiral: dry soil loses its cooling ability, heat dries the soil further — triggering wildfires, deaths, and a water crisis spreading across Europe.
- World
Why does NATO keep shooting down drones near the Ukraine-Romania border?
A NATO fighter jet just shot down the fourth drone in a year to violate Romanian airspace, showing how the Russia-Ukraine war is expanding its impact into neighboring NATO countries, including those not directly involved…
- US
FAA Proposes Mandatory Replacement of Trent XWB Engine Oil Conduit Lines on Airbus A350 Aircraft
The FAA has just released a proposal to mandate repairs to Trent XWB engines on the Airbus A350 fleet after detecting abnormal oil pressure, with estimated costs exceeding half a million USD for U.S. carriers.
- US
IRS finalizes mandatory Roth rules for retirement catch-up contributions
The IRS's new rule requires high-income workers aged 50 and older to direct all catch-up contributions to retirement plans in the form of post-tax Roth contributions, rather than receiving a pre-tax tax deduction as befo…
- Business
10-year Treasury bond yield falls for third consecutive session, now at 4.63%
The U.S. 10-year Treasury bond yield fell for the third consecutive session to 4.63% as of August 13, 2026, although it remains 0.39 percentage points higher than the same period last year.
- Digest
News Digest 16/8: Indonesia earthquake, US healthcare crisis, accidents worldwide
From the guilty plea of the UnitedHealthcare CEO's killer to warnings about an American healthcare crisis, plus a series of notable natural disasters and international accidents from today.
- SoCal
The Mechanism for Determining 'Flight Risk' — A New Legal Gray Area for Immigrant Arrests in Los Angeles
Nearly 80 percent of immigrant arrest records in Los Angeles contain no proper assessment of flight risk as required by 1946 law — and a federal judge is now preparing to compel agents to prove each specific case.