"The term 'PTSD' has come into the common lexicon in a very non-specific manner, often used to refer to any type of emotional reaction to traumatic or disturbing events," said Dr. David Reiss, M.D., in an interview for IVN. Reiss is a psychiatrist from San Diego currently providing treatment within the Uniform Services Program at The Brattleboro Retreat in Vermont.

It's important to understand that PTSD isn't just an abbreviation on a memo from a bureaucrat's office. It is a debilitating condition to those who live with it.

“They set out with little or no money. Thousands, shelter workers say, make their way through Mexico clinging to the sides and tops of freight trains. Since the 1990s, Mexico and the United States have tried to thwart them. To evade Mexican police and immigration authorities, the children jump on and off the moving train cars.

1. A new lawsuit filed in federal court challenges restrictive ballot access laws for independent candidates in New Mexico.

The lawsuit, filed by a member of the Public Education Committee, says the significantly higher bar in signatures required for independent candidates to appear on the ballot places an unfair burden on independents.

In the fall, California Assemblymember Kristin Olsen will take on a new political role as Republican Minority Leader. Olsen, 40, who represents the 12th Assembly District in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, has a reputation of working effectively on both sides of the political aisle.

The California State Republican Caucus elected Olsen with a united front, announcing the win as unanimous. Assembly colleagues say she's smart, savvy, and ready for the job. Olsen is expected to make the transition in November when Minority Leader Connie Conway’s term is over.