One of the latest polls relating to immigration reform shows that more Americans are beginning to relate to the Democrat Party’s formal position. Support for the Republican agenda seems to be evaporating. A whopping 48 percent reported that they hold the belief that the Democrat’s policies on immigration reform are much like their own, personally-held beliefs. Thirty-six percent said they were in line with the Republicans.

While the numbers may seem to be neck-and-neck, once they are broken down, another story is evident. The results actually appear to be a warning of sorts for the GOP —- a warning that they need to seriously consider whether or not push forward some form of a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants or bite the bullet and agree to the Democrats’ plan.

What are they really thinking? The Republicans really have their sights set on the 2016 election, which means nothing much is likely to get done with immigration reform, because it is too valuable in terms of political payoff to act now. If the Republicans can figure out how to break the stranglehold Obama seems to have on the Hispanic electorate, then 2016 may bring some interesting developments. In the meantime, immigration reform assumes its old, tired status as a much-abused political football, almost, but not quite, punted into the end zone for a touchdown.

The poll figure are capable of being cut down into specific demographics, and it shows roughly 70 percent of African Americans and about 60 percent of Hispanics like the Democrats’ plans, while14 percent of African Americans and 26 percent of Hispanics identify with the Republicans’ plans. Across the board, Caucasian Americans are in duelling position, with 41 percent favoring the Democrats and 42 percent the Republicans. Nothing gets done in the meantime, and figures bandied about make no difference in the final analysis, as it is plain as day that immigration reform is stalled —- still.

It’s no secret Latin Americans swung the vote pendulum in the last two elections, and it’s a no-brainer that they will carry the same clout in 2016. Whoever woos them the best may get elected. But, will immigration reform ever get passed? Chances are slim to none.

Sally Odell - Rifkin & Fox-Isicoff, PA is an immigration lawyer in Miami with immigration law offices in Orlando and Miami Florida. To learn more, visit http://www.rifkinfox.com/.

In one of the first large studies on Alzheimer’s in African-Americans, researchers found the same gene variants that previous studies found in Caucasian Alzheimer’s patients. APoE4, a gene long known to correlate with higher Alzheimer’s risk in Caucasian people, was identified in a similar percentage of African-American patients as Caucasian patients. Another, ABCA7, was found at slightly higher rates in African-Americans with the disease.

In an editorial accompanying the publication of the research, Dr. Robert L. Nussbaum of the University of California, San Francisco, said that finding the genes in African-Americans supports theories that they contribute to susceptibility to Alzheimer’s.

The study analyzed data from 6,000 African-Americans over the age of 60. Approximately 2,000 had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers determined that ABCA7 confers an 80 percent increase in the risk of Alzheimer’s in African-Americans, compared with a risk of 10 to 20 percent among whites. Even 80 percent is considered modest; a gene conferring significant risk would at least double the likelihood of a disease. And the gene is fairly uncommon even among African-American Alzheimer’s patients, leaving the cause of the disease mostly unexplained.

ABCA7 helps move cholesterol in and out of cells and is also suspected of influencing the development of heart disease. That may explain why many Alzheimer’s patients are diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and vice-versa.

The elder law attorneys at Hook Law Center assist Virginia families with will preparation, trust & estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, long-term care planning, special needs planning, veterans benefits, and more. To learn more, visit http://www.hooklawcenter.com/ or call 757-399-7506.