#U.S. Committee For Refugees And Immigrants

[charitabledirection]

Harry Styles teams up with the International Rescue Committee to bring three Ukrainian refugees to his show

[darkmaga-retard]

It is remarkable how many well-informed conservative foreign policy strategists have never even heard of the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM).  Even those who closely follow immigration and border issues rarely understand the role PRM plays in accommodating and promoting the worldwide movement of illegal migrants.  

PRM should not be confused with State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, which is in charge of issuing visas to foreigners to enter the United States and is known in Foggy Bottom as “CA.” Because so many interest groups constantly want more visas to be issued, CA gets its fair share of scrutiny from the media, lobbyists, and members of Congress. The PRM bureau has nothing to do with visas, and so it often flies under the conservative policy radar. 

PRM manages, along with DHS, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Under Biden-Harris, PRM currently resettles around 125,000 refugees annually. Trump had cut admissions down to 15,000. 

While 125,000 a year is not an insignificant number of admissions—and Biden-Harris want it to massively grow—the figure is still small potatoes compared to the millions of illegal and quasi-legal migrants that this administration has admitted into the country. 

Thus, even more consequential than PRM’s refugee admissions is the bureau’s diplomatic support and international grant-giving to the worldwide “irregular” migration industry. PRM doles out around $4 billion annually, mainly to establishment international organizations such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).  

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate:

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, Trump’s running mate, Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance, made a series of controversial, bigoted, and inflammatory statements during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. Vance doubled down on debunked claims about Haitian immigrants abducting pets to eat them and falsely linked the migrant community to rising rates of HIV and tuberculosis in Springfield, Ohio. His remarks have since drawn widespread condemnation for their harmful, fear-mongering nature.

During the interview, Vance insisted on the veracity of a discredited conspiracy theory circulating in Springfield that claims Haitian immigrants have been abducting pets for food, a laughable claim Trump made during the debate. Local officials have already said that “no credible evidence” supports these allegations, but Vance continued to push the narrative. “We’ve heard from a number of constituents on the ground… saying this stuff is happening,” Vance said. When Collins pointed out that officials had found no evidence, Vance responded, “They’ve said they don’t have all the evidence.” Collins pressed Vance on his responsibility as a public figure to avoid spreading misinformation. “If someone calls your office and says they saw Bigfoot, that doesn’t mean they saw Bigfoot,” Collins asked. Vance, however, stood firm, responding, “Nobody’s calling my office and saying that they saw Bigfoot. What they’re calling and saying is we are seeing migrants kidnap our dogs and cats.”

Vance’s continued insistence on pushing the discredited claims has drawn sharp criticism from immigration advocates, who accuse him of stoking racial fear and division. Vance escalated his claims by linking the supposed arrival of Haitian immigrants to a rise in infectious diseases in Springfield, including HIV and tuberculosis. “Communicable diseases like HIV and TB have skyrocketed in this small Ohio town. This is what Kamala Harris’ border policies have done,” he said, without offering evidence to support his claims. Vance’s comments tap into a broader, troubling pattern of discrimination that Haitian migrants have faced for decades. Historically, U.S. immigration policy has treated Haitians disproportionately, often in ways that are harsher than those directed toward other groups. According to a 2021 U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants report, Haitians have frequently been misclassified as economic immigrants rather than political refugees, even when fleeing violence during authoritarian regimes, stripping them of asylum rights and leading to mass deportations. One of the most egregious examples of discrimination occurred in the early 1990s, when Haitians attempting to flee their country were subjected to HIV and AIDS screenings by U.S. authorities. Even as the HIV epidemic was waning, Haitians who tested positive for the virus were held to higher standards when seeking asylum. Many were sent to quarantine camps in Guantanamo Bay, where they lived in squalor and were denied proper medical care, the report notes.

This history of associating Haitians with disease resurfaced during the Trump administration, when Title 42—a public health measure aimed at stopping the spread of communicable diseases—was invoked to justify the expulsion of Haitian migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Vance’s claims that Haitian immigrants are responsible for a rise in HIV reinforce these historical stigmas, stoking xenophobia and racial fear. Public health experts have widely discredited the idea that immigrants are driving HIV transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV and that effective treatment can suppress the virus, making it undetectable and untransmittable.

Racist pathetic excuse of a human being JD Vance now implies that Haitian immigrants are “spreading HIV” after his cat-eating hoax claim went up in smoke.

See Also:

MMFA: Right-wing media are celebrating JD Vance for his racist lie that Haitian immigrants are widely spreading disease in Springfield, Ohio

[brown-little-robin]

hey I saw your post involving refugee resettlement orgs, would you mind sending me a list? I’m a Catholic law student hoping to work in immigration law next summer

Oh, awesome! Here you go!

Here's an overview of resettlement partners from UNHCR (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the single most important force for refugee resettlement in the world: https://www.unhcr.org/us/us-resettlement-partners

And here's an overview from the USA Office of Refugee Resettlement: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/grant-funding/resettlement-agencies

I advise looking for resettlement agencies in the area you want to work in, if you have a specific location you want to be in, since the agencies don't all cover the entire United States.

Resettlement Agencies in the US

Bethany Christian Services (BCS) (Christian)

Church World Service (CWS) (Christian)

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) (Christian)

Ethiopian Community Development Council (non-religious)

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (Jewish)

Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service (LIRS) (Christian)

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Christian)

World Relief (WR) (Christian)

International Rescue Committee (IRC) (non-religious)

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (non-religious)

So, I may have had a wrong fact in my last post. There's ten agencies here, and six of them are Christian. I haven't looked into this, but I think either the IRC (International Rescue Committee) or the USCRI (US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants) are not technically US resettlement agencies. I got the "6 out of 9" fact from a seminar on refugee resettlement that I took three months ago, so there you have it. Anyway, hope this is helpful!

[gusgrissom]

Hello! Do you know anything about testimonies or experiences of Jewish scientists at NASA who were working there at the time of Operation Paperclip?

Hi! Yes, there aren't a ton of sources that explicitly deal with Jews at NASA and how they felt about working with Paperclip scientists in the 1950s and 60s, but I dug up a good bit of information for my thesis. NASA's Johnson Space Center Oral History Project has a vast collection of interviews with engineers and other employees, including Jewish ones, and some of them talk about their experiences.

There's a mix of positive and negative reactions. Several NASA workers said they didn't have issues with the Germans. Some, for example, expected to dislike their new colleagues but found them quite charming. Others were not so happy. Huntsville (perhaps surprisingly) had a growing Jewish population and many families had lost families in the Holocaust or experienced antisemitism from the POWs held in the area during the war.

There were several Jews in NASA's upper administration who did not get along with von Braun at all. There are probably many reasons, disagreements about the program's direction, etc., but I don't doubt for a second his Nazi past was part of it (more than understandable). From my thesis:

…most notably George Low, the Chief of Manned Space Flight in Washington, D.C. Low was an Austrian Jew whose family fled Vienna after the Nazi occupation in 1938 and immigrated to the U.S. as refugees. As one of NASA’s top administrators, Low frequently worked with von Braun and the two infamously butted heads throughout the early space program. While some members of von Braun’s team later claimed that Low’s “outright jealousy” of von Braun’s success and popularity fueled their tense relationship, others speculated that the refugee Low harbored resentments against the Nazi von Braun. Abe Silverstein, a longtime NASA administrator from an American Jewish family, “couldn’t stomach even being physically near von Braun, with his Nazi past.” In September 1962, Jerome Wiesner, a Jewish engineer and chairman of President John F. Kennedy’s Science Advisory Committee, publicly sparred with von Braun over the direction of the space program. A later report from the White House stated that “there has always been some question as to whether Dr. Von Braun's Nazi background played some role in this spat.”

Tensions existed between lower level NASA employees as well… Another Jewish scientist later admitted to the “discomfort of many Jews in a German atmosphere where English seemed to be a secondary language” as the von Braun team came to dominate Huntsville. Despite working with the Paperclip specialists for several years, he remained mindful of their Nazi pasts. “I don’t know,” he said, “I kind of yet see blood on their hands.”

Most of my sources for this section were the JSC oral histories and Monique Laney’s German Rocketeers in the Heart of Dixie.

[marveltrumpshate]

Dreams. Changed worlds. Hope. Desperation to change circumstances. Family. These are all tenets of the immigrant and refugee experience and ones that would resonate with many of our favorite Marvel characters as well. The following organizations assist those who strike out from everything they know to everything they don’t in the hopes of a better tomorrow, whether they choose to do so or are forced to flee their homes.

For more information on donation methods and accepted currencies, please refer to our list of organizations page.

International Rescue Committee

Founded in 1933, the IRC is a long-standing trusted partner in supporting those whose lives have been upended by sudden violence, political or natural. Their main fundraising focuses right now are Pakistan and Ukraine, but they are no stranger to areas of disaster throughout the world as they currently work in 40 countries. The IRC provides emergency aid and long-term assistance, including refugee settlement, and focuses on health, education, economic well-being, empowerment, and safety.

National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum

NAPAWF is the only organization focused on building a movement for social, political, and economic change for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls. Their work focuses on policy and structural change, organizing and civic engagement, and legal advocacy and judicial strategy. They also tackle reproductive health and rights, economic justice, and immigration and racial justice.

Organization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM)

ORAM assists people fleeing persecution based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression. They are with LGBTIQ asylum seekers and refugees every step of the way, from the asylum process to resettlement and rebuilding of their livelihoods. They provide legal assistance and resources, champion LGBTIQ rights, respond to emergency situations, and help asylum seekers and refugees get back on their feet economically so they can survive and thrive on their own.

Rainbow Railroad

Rainbow Railword helps LGBTQI individuals around the world escape persecution, violence, imprisonment, or death. Since 2006, they’ve assisted more than 3,100 people from over 38 countries in emergency situations find asylum in safe countries. Rainbow Railroad also monitors and reports on state-sponsored violence affecting the LGBTQI community in 70 countries that criminalize LGBTQI identification and relationships.

Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services

Most known for their work on the Texas/Mexico border but operating on the national frontlines of the fight for immigration rights, RAICES provides free and low-cost legal services, bond assistance, and social programs to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees. Among their many accomplishments, RAICES established the largest bond fund in the U.S., which they use to secure the release of individuals from ICE detention, and has more immigration lawyers than any other organization in Texas. These lawyers represent individuals, including children, in court, offer residency and citizenship services, assist asylum seekers, and deal with removal defense. RAICES also offers social services ranging from case management and resettlement assistance to a national hotline connecting migrants with local community resources and transit support for recently released migrants.

RefugePoint

RefugePoint was founded in 2005 to identify refugees who fall through the cracks of humanitarian aid. Initially providing life-saving care to HIV+ refugees in Nairobi, Kenya, the agency grew quickly, adding a range of services to support those with the most urgent needs. Their goal is to advance lasting, long-term solutions for at-risk refugees by increasing equitable access to resettlement, strengthening capacity in refugee-hosting countries, and helping refugees achieve self-reliance so they can rebuild healthy, dignified lives.

Southern Poverty Law Center

They’re mostly known in the U.S. as a hate group watchdog of sorts, but their work goes beyond tracking and exposing hate groups and promoting tolerance education programs. SPLC works on voting rights advocacy, children’s rights, immigration reform and family reunification, LGBTQ+ rights, economic justice, and criminal justice reform, working “with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.” Essentially, if there is injustice against a vulnerable and/or marginalized group in the U.S., SPLC aims to address and fix it. For specific information on their immigration justice work, please click here.

[mariacallous]

Tens of thousands of Afghans who fled to the United States will remain in limbo after Congress dropped legislation that would grant them a path to legal permanent residency from a major government spending bill, leading advocates for refugees to accuse the U.S. government of abandoning its commitments to its Afghan allies.

More than 30 retired top military officers and former U.S. ambassadors to Afghanistan joined a grassroots campaign to push Congress to pass the legislation, the Afghan Adjustment Act, as part of a massive omnibus spending bill before the end of the year. Advocates argue that the act would help save the roughly 70,000 Afghans in the United States from the risk of deportation before their temporary humanitarian parole status expires in 2023.

But opposition from at least one major Republican lawmaker in the Senate scuttled those efforts, and the final bill released Tuesday did not include the act. Supporters saw the omnibus bill as the last chance to pass the act in the current Congress. The act now faces an uncertain future in the new year, as the new Congress will take power with a log-jammed legislative schedule and other competing priorities.

The news left some current and former U.S. officials who worked on Afghanistan fuming. “I’m angry,” said Ryan Crocker, a retired senior diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria. “These are people who fought with us, who trusted us. Those who blocked inclusion of the Afghan Adjustment Act in the omnibus have damaged America’s national security and our values,” he said. “It is another retreat from American global leadership. It strengthens our enemies and discourages our allies. We will all pay the price for that.”

The act would offer Afghans in the United States pathways to legal permanent residency and seeks to streamline massive backlogs and bureaucratic bottlenecks for Afghans in the process of trying to permanently settle in the United States. The act enjoys widespread bipartisan support, with 10 co-sponsors—five Democrats and five Republicans.

At least one influential GOP lawmaker, Sen. Chuck Grassley, has opposed the bill from his perch as ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over the legislation. Grassley has raised concerns that the legislation doesn’t have enough provisions in place to vet Afghans seeking entry to the United States for any red flags on national security grounds. Supporters of the bill say the legislation has been adjusted to address those concerns.

Grassley’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Refugee advocates say that by failing to include the act in the omnibus spending bill, Congress is failing the Afghans it vowed to help protect after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

“Afghans in the U.S. will remain subject to the anxiety and stress of unnecessary legal limbo,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the president and CEO of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service that offers support and advocacy for refugees in the United States. “The glaring omission of this bill is an epic failure to seize on practical solutions that enjoy broad, bipartisan support.”

Former top military brass and U.S. diplomats argued that not including the Afghan Adjustment Act in the omnibus spending bill would undermine national security. “If Congress fails to enact the [Afghan Adjustment Act], the United States will be less secure,” the former top military officers, including three former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a top NATO commander, wrote in an open letter to Congress on Dec. 17. “As military professionals, it was and remains our duty to prepare for future conflicts. We assure you that in any such conflict, potential allies will remember what happens now with our Afghan allies.”

U.S. lawmakers scrambled in behind-the-scenes, last-minute negotiations to include other provisions for Afghans seeking a way to come to the United States, separate from and despite the setbacks for advocates of the Afghan Adjustment Act. As a result of those negotiations, the omnibus bill includes a provision to expand the number of Afghans allowed into the country through the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program by 4,000, from 34,500 to 38,500. The SIV program was set up to give Afghans who risked their lives aiding U.S. war efforts, such as interpreters for the U.S. military, to permanently resettle in the United States. The program has been plagued with bureaucratic backlogs and red tape for years.

“While I’m frustrated that partisan obstruction necessitated an eleventh-hour solution, I’m relieved that we have a deal to extend the authorization of the Afghan SIV program and that this bill provides an additional 4,000 visas,” said Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a lawmaker who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee and who helped negotiate the agreement on SIVs in the omnibus bill. “This is about upholding the vow we made to the brave individuals who risked their lives and the safety of their families for the U.S. mission,” she said.

The omnibus spending bill also includes $2.4 billion in additional government funding for supporting Ukrainian refugees fleeing war in their home country after Russia launched a massive invasion of Ukraine in February. Some 85,000 Ukrainians have fled to the United States since the war began.

[darkeagleruins]

Administration for Children and Families grant (2023)

Amount: $110,842,481

Recipient: U.S. Committee For Refugees And Immigrants, Inc.

Purpose: Gy 2023 ORR refugee cash and medical assistance

More Totally Insane Numbers!!

[owlmygod]

More Than Just Refugees: China's Illegal Immigration to Export Chaos  

In recent times, on March 27, 2024, a Chinese illegal immigrant trespassed at a Marine Corps base in California. Despite being warned by security personnel, he continued driving forward and was eventually subdued and arrested. Apart from causing a commotion, this individual is also likely involved in gathering data, surveying terrain, and potentially damaging infrastructure. From this incident, it's clear to see the national security crisis lurking within the refugee issue.  

In fact, the issue of illegal Chinese migrants has been growing increasingly serious. Many Chinese people have been desperately trying to escape from the "New China" where economic conditions continue to worsen and human rights deteriorate under Communist Party rule.  

According to data from the CBP, in December 2023 alone, the number of Chinese attempting to cross the southern border into the United States reached nearly 6,000, a sixfold increase compared to the same period in 2022. And for the entire year, the statistics exceeded 24,000, surpassing the total for the previous ten years combined.  

CBP officials have warned the Homeland Security Committee that these individuals are not just illegal immigrants; they could also be active-duty soldiers sent by the CCP to infiltrate and spy on the United States. Several senators have jointly written to the Secretary of Homeland Security, expressing concerns that amidst the immigration flow across the U.S.-Mexico border, there could be covert operatives assisting the CCP in conducting cyber-attacks, stealing secrets, and engaging in drug trafficking.  

The CCP's inability to sustain the livelihoods of its people, forcing them to flee, has exposed their incompetence in governing. Instead of making efforts to improve or eliminate the problems, the CCP is exploiting this wave of refugees to export chaos, intelligence, and military actions. This reveals their unscrupulous nature even more. We should bear in mind that accepting or rejecting these refugees is not simply a humanitarian issue but also a matter of national security. People should not allow their kindness and tolerance to be abused by the CCP, leading to the erosion of their prosperity and freedom.  

[newstfionline]

Sunday, October 8, 2023

How Do Americans Feel About Politics? ‘Disgust Isn’t a Strong Enough Word’ (NYT) Whitney Smith’s phone buzzed with a text from her mother, alerting her to the latest can-you-believe-it mess in Washington: “Far right ousted the House speaker. Total chaos now.” Ms. Smith, 35, a bookkeeper and registered independent in suburban Phoenix, wanted no part of it. She tries to stay engaged in civic life by voting, volunteering in local campaigns and going to city meetings. But over the past week, the pandemonium of a narrowly averted government shutdown and leadership coup in the Republican-controlled House confirmed many Americans’ most cynical feelings about the federal government. “It was just like, Oh God, what now?” she said. Griping about politics is a time-honored American pastime but lately the country’s political mood has plunged to some of the worst levels on record. In dozens of recent interviews across the country, voters young and old expressed a broad pessimism about the next presidential election that transcends party lines, and a teetering faith in political institutions. “Disgust isn’t a strong enough word,” said Bianca Vara, a Democrat and grandmother of five in the Atlanta area.

Venezuelan Migrant Surge Overwhelms Chicago (NYT) The buses packed with Venezuelan migrants are now arriving in downtown Chicago day and night, doubling in number in recent weeks. City officials are struggling to open more shelters, while more than 2,300 migrants are sleeping at police stations, in lobbies and just outside in makeshift camps. At the city’s airports, migrants who have just landed sleep on the floor, many with babies and toddlers, as local officials plead for more help from the federal government. “We don’t have any place for them to go,” said Cristina Pacione-Zayas, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Brandon Johnson. “We are scrambling.” Like New York and a number of other cities in the country, Chicago is straining to provide for the growing numbers of migrants who have arrived over the last year on buses from the U.S.-Mexico border. But with Chicago’s infamously cold winter fast approaching, volunteers and leaders are worried that things will only get worse. “It’s a logistical nightmare,” said Andre Vasquez, the chairman of the city’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “You’re going to see more people on the street figuring out a way to survive.”

Guatemala’s top court upholds suspension of president-elect’s party. His supporters block roads (AP) Activists blocked roads Friday in surging demonstrations to support President-elect Bernardo Arévalo after Guatemala’s highest court upheld a move by prosecutors to suspend his political party over alleged voter registration fraud. Arévalo has denounced the suspension as a “coup” aimed neutralizing him before he takes office in January, and his supporters are demanding the resignation of the prosecutors responsible. Street blockades that started this week grew from 14 on Monday to 58 road and highway blockages Friday. Without his party, Arévalo may be hamstrung after he takes office Jan. 14. Arévalo says politically motivated prosecutors are trying to overturn his victory in August elections. Prosecutors say some of the signatures used to register Arévalo’s party may have been false. The Organization of American States observation mission said prosecutors’ actions appeared to be aimed at keeping Arévalo from taking office.

Ukraine battles to shape the narrative on its grueling counteroffensive (Washington Post) As Ukrainian forces press ahead with their closely-watched counteroffensive, another battle is underway: the fight to control the story and influence how the world sees the war. After much hand-wringing about slow progress and grim assessments of Ukraine’s prospects through the summer, Ukrainian and Western officials in recent weeks have focused on reshaping the narrative to manage expectations and shore up support through the winter. Four months of brutal fighting and steep losses have not yielded the results that Kyiv and its Western backers hoped for. Despite some Ukrainian progress in breaking through dense Russian defenses, fears of a frozen conflict—and crumbling international support—loom. There is also anxiety that after dominating the public relations war, largely thanks to the formidable skills of President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor, Ukraine is losing its edge, while Russian President Vladimir Putin are gaining traction in their insistence that Moscow’s forces are winning. Controlling the narrative is crucial to maintaining public support for Ukraine’s fight, which has begun to waver in some Western countries including the U.S. Debate over the high spending on Ukraine already has factored into national election campaigns in Poland and in Slovakia.

Geologist fears for Istanbul (NYT) The news that a powerful earthquake had struck southern Turkey first reached the eminent geologist in a pre-dawn video call from a phone number he did not recognize. “Professor, please save us,” he recalled the woman saying. But the call cut out and he lost the number in the flood of calls he received that day. He never learned who the woman was or what had happened to her. “I cried for two hours,” said the geologist, Naci Gorur, a retired professor who has made it his life’s work to warn Turks about the tremendous threat that earthquakes pose to their country and to implore them to prepare. The woman had called after the first of the two powerful quakes that hit southern Turkey on Feb. 6 of this year, together killing more than 50,000 people in Turkey and 6,000 in neighboring Syria. In a land with multiple active faults and a history of catastrophic quakes, Dr. Gorur has become the most prominent voice sounding the alarm about seismic threats and suggesting how society can mitigate them. He is particularly worried about Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city and economic engine, whose 16 million inhabitants he fears could face a debilitating quake sometime in the near future. “Istanbul is not ready at all,” he said, predicting that collapsed buildings would leave tens of thousands of people buried under rubble and clog the city’s narrow roads, hampering rescue work and aid delivery.

Afghanistan earthquake: At least 120 killed and 1,000 injured in 6.3 quake (BBC) Hundreds of people are feared dead and at least 1,000 are injured after a powerful earthquake hit western Afghanistan, near the Iranian border. The 6.3 magnitude quake struck about 40km from the western city of Herat at around 11:00 local time (06:30 GMT). Many buildings were damaged, trapping people under rubble and there were at least three powerful aftershocks. Survivors described their terror as office buildings first shook, and then collapsed around them.

Flooding in Indian Himalayas kills 50 (Washington Post) About 50 bodies were recovered and significant infrastructure was destroyed during flooding in India’s northeast this week, with dozens missing and over a thousand tourists stranded in the Himalayan state of Sikkim, according to authorities. A glacial lake overflowed and flooded the Teesta River in Sikkim, a mountainous region between Bhutan and Nepal, on Wednesday, after a cloudburst of sudden, extreme rainfall, authorities said. There were 27 confirmed deaths in Sikkim, according to state government figures released Saturday, and at least 23 bodies were recovered downstream in neighboring West Bengal state, the Sikkim government said. The flooding washed away the Sikkim Urja hydroelectric dam at Chungthang, more than a dozen bridges, a sewerage treatment plant, and a highway and other roads. Ongoing rescue operations have moved almost 2,500 people to safety, while thousands are in relief camps, the state government said.

Chinese holiday travel (AP) Chinese tourists jammed popular sites as travel bounced back to pre-pandemic levels during a recent eight-day national holiday, giving a temporary boost to China’s flagging economy. The government said that tourism revenues reached about 753 billion yuan ($103 billion) during the combined Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday period that ended Friday, a rise of 1.5% over 2019 and 130% compared to last year when pandemic restrictions were still in place. China maintained locked-downs and other restrictions much longer than most other countries, enforcing a “zero-COVID” policy until last December. But a hoped-for consumer spending boom after the lifting of restrictions hasn’t materialized, as many Chinese remain cautious with an unfolding real estate crisis weighing on the economy and youth unemployment topping 20%.

China Is Becoming a No-Go Zone for Foreign Executives (WSJ) Foreign executives are scared to go to China. Their main concern: They might not be allowed to leave. Beijing’s tough treatment of foreign companies this year, and its use of exit bans targeting bankers and executives, has intensified concerns about business travel to mainland China. Some companies are canceling or postponing trips. Others are maintaining travel plans but adding new safeguards. The reluctance among foreign executives to travel to mainland China could put more strain on the relationship between Beijing and the U.S., which has been damaged by tensions over Taiwan, competition for supremacy in the race for AI chips and a prolonged trade war.

Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation (AP) Backed by a barrage of rockets, dozens of Hamas militants broke out of the blockaded Gaza Strip and into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday. A stunned Israel said it is now at war with Hamas and launched airstrikes in Gaza, vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.” In an assault of startling breadth, Hamas gunmen rolled into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip, including towns and other communities as far as 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Gaza border. In some places, they roamed for hours, gunning down civilians and soldiers as Israel’s military scrambled to muster a response. Gunbattles continued well after nightfall, and militants held hostages in standoffs in two towns. Israel’s national rescue service said at least 200 people were killed and 1,100 wounded, making it the deadliest attack in Israel in decades. At least 198 people in the Gaza Strip have been killed and at least 1,610 wounded in Israeli strikes, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. Hamas fighters took an unknown number of civilians and soldiers captive into Gaza, a deeply sensitive issue for Israel. After nightfall, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza intensified, flattening several residential buildings in giant explosions.

[sarnews]

Chicago Spent $100 Million on Migrants’ Since August

Chicago has only a small portion of the illegal aliens arriving in red border states. Still, it has been a tremendous burden in a state already under extraordinary pressure from crime and homelessness.

Yahoo reports:

The city of Chicago spent more than $100 million to provide help and services to the thousands of migrants who have arrived in Chicago from south of the U.S. border since last August, mostly on personnel costs, officials said Wednesday.

The cost breakdown came during a hearing run by the City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which also voted to hold monthly meetings on the topic moving forward. Of the $101.3 million, $72.6 million was spent on staffing the migrant shelters that are run by the city but rely on outside nonprofits for day-to-day operations.

The next biggest buckets of migrant services funding: The city spent $10.6 million to house asylum-seekers outside of the shelters, $9.1 million on food, $4.1 million on facility maintenance, $4 million on rental assistance, $600,000 on legal services and $250,000 on transportation of the new arrivals.

He still blames Governor Abbott for providing transportation but not the administration that has opened our borders.

Johnson is proud of doubling down on providing for the aliens. Those resources spent on people who don’t belong here should be spent on American children. He doesn’t seem to notice the failing public schools.

$100 MILLION ON ILLEGAL ALIENS

For example, a commentary by Don Tracy at Real Clear Politics notes that Mayor Johnson, a toady for the Chicago Teachers Union, displeased with SCOTUS ending affirmative action, said, “Affirmative action was a means by which generations of children were allowed access to institutions, access to ideas, and access to cultures that a wicked system of discrimination had long excluded them from.”

Yet, Johnson says nothing about the failures of the Chicago public school system. He doesn’t want to improve the schools so they can earn their way into higher education.

For example, Tracy points to Clark Academy High School, a magnet school in Johnson’s neighborhood where not a single child has been taught to read at grade level but where 94% graduate.

For CPS as a whole, just 20% of students can read at grade level, and 16% can do math at grade level, says Tracy.

“Education opens the door to opportunities, but in Chicago, Democrats and the teachers union have slammed that door shut,” Tracy states.

Johnson should work on improving education, but there is no sign he will. It would be best if he told the administration to close the borders, but these are future Democrat votes, so he won’t. Democrats are rushing towards a one-party state, and that is all that matters.

[jon-purizhansky]

Joblio Inc. Appoints Mark E. Reimann as Vice President of Government Affairs and US Operations

Brings expertise in the field of immigration based upon decades of experience fighting human trafficking as a Senior Special Agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Buffalo, NY — Joblio Inc., the transparent and tech-enabled ethical recruitment platform for foreign talent, today announced the appointment of Mark E. Reimann as Vice President of Government Affairs and US Operations. Reimann, a nearly 30-year veteran with the United States Department of Homeland Security is a highly decorated former Senior Special Agent, who brings to Joblio extensive experience in the field of immigration, human smuggling detection , human trafficking and predatory labor fraud. 

A leading investigator in cases involving terrorism, narcotics, money-laundering, and other transnational criminal activities, Reimann has earned top awards from non-governmental organizations as well as from multiple federal agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His work dismantling a smuggling ring between the U.S. and Canada was recognized by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and his most recent case before joining Joblio involved stopping a complex network of human traffickers that was smuggling Indian nationals into the United States through illegal brokers and corrupt officials.   

Reimann brings Joblio a wealth of firsthand knowledge that will benefit refugees and labor migrants globally as they seek to establish better lives and themselves and their families. His deep base of national and international contacts will benefit Joblio as it expands to new countries and business sectors, while his background in all matters of immigration will enable governments, NGOs and employers globally to understand the importance of ethical recruitment.    

“I have spent my entire career in the service of others, and I look forward to continuing that through the important work that Joblio is doing in the ethical recruitment of international workers,” Reimann said. “I am truly honored to join the team at Joblio and to put my experience as a Special Agent to use helping our employer and employee clients.”  

Joblio, a preeminent leader in international recruiting, is on a mission to redefine the global labor market with a transparent, systematized, and humanized platform that is accessible to workers and employers around the world. As global labor shortages continue to put a strain on supply chains, more employers are looking internationally to add skilled and talented workers to their organizations. Through its proprietary Applicant Concierge Experience (ACE) program, Joblio not only helps workers find foreign employment, it also prepares them to acclimate to their new homes before they even leave their country.

“Mark recognizes the existential threat that human smuggling and trafficking continues to have across the globe,” added Joblio CEO Jon Purizhansky. “He is passionate about leveraging his unique expertise, both domestically and internationally, to ensure that foreign nationals are empowered to achieve the careers and lives they want, unfettered by the corruption and crimes of others.” 

Besides his career in law enforcement, Reimann is actively involved in the Taste of Buffalo, the largest two-day food festival in the United States. He serves on the non-profit event’s volunteer Board of Directors and chairs its Security Committee. 

For more information, visit joblio.co.  

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ABOUT JOBLIO INC.

Founded by N.Y. attorney Jon Purizhansky and chaired by David Arkless, the former president of the Manpower Group, Joblio is a technology-powered social impact enterprise that allows for  more efficient recruitment, training, and retraining for cross-border employment. The company’s proprietary Applicant Concierge Experience (ACE) program is focused on pre-departure and post-arrival community management, helping international job seekers to begin acclimating to their new homes even before they leave their countries of origin. Differentiated from the non-transparent and inefficient practices of the current global migrant labor market, Joblio’s accessible global platform removes unethical intermediaries from the process, freeing up more economic value for employers and laborers. Its streamlined and transparent hiring process results in faster applicant processing, higher employee satisfaction, and lower employee attrition. To learn more, visit joblio.co.

Originally Posted: https://joblio.co/en/blog/joblio-inc-appoints-mark-e-reimann-as-vice-president-of-government-affairs/

[college-girl199328]

Poilievre calls for parliamentary probe of Liberals' relationship with McKinsey consulting firm

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Tuesday he wants a Commons committee to probe the Liberal government's relationship with McKinsey & Company after a report revealed that the value of federal contracts held by the consulting firm has increased dramatically since 2015.

Radio-Canada reported recently that the cost of McKinsey's federal contracts has increased 30-fold under the current Liberal government.

According to public accounts data from Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), McKinsey was awarded $2.2 million in federal contracts during the Harper years. Over Trudeau's seven years in office, the company has received $66 million from the federal government.

McKinsey, an American firm with 30,000 consultants in 130 offices in 65 countries, provides advice to private and public entities, which sometimes have conflicting interests, and does not disclose its business ties.

McKinsey has advised many national governments on their COVID-19 pandemic response in recent years, including those in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Mexico.

Radio-Canada's analysis showed that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency account for 44 percent of federal contracts issued to the consultancy since 2015.

IRCC alone has given McKinsey $24.5 million in contracts for management advice since 2015. Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada hired the firm for management advice, and the Department of National Defense paid McKinsey several million dollars for leadership development.

Since the start of 2021, PSPC has called upon McKinsey on behalf of various federal entities for contracts worth more than $45 million. All of those contracts were sole-source, according to documents obtained by Radio-Canada.

Poilievre said that he is not calling for a full public inquiry. He said a Conservative MP will propose a motion before a parliamentary committee calling for a probe into the firm's relationship with the Liberal government.

The Conservative leader said his MPs will be requesting copies of all contracts the Liberal government has with McKinsey, including all text messages, emails, and other communications between officials regarding the firm's work.

Poilievre said a future Conservative government led by him would get better value for money by relying less on consultants and more on the public service.

The federal government said it employs consulting firms to provide high-quality services and ensure the best possible value for taxpayers. It said departments are required to award contracts.

The governments of Quebec and Ontario also hired McKinsey to advise them on their pandemic responses and plans for economic recovery.

An investigation by the French Senate accused consulting firms like McKinsey of undermining national sovereignty and making the state dependent on them.

McKinsey has also been under investigation in France over tax filings, the awarding of contracts, and its role in President Emmanuel Macron's 2017 and 2022 election campaigns.

Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet stopped short of accusing the Liberal government of wrongdoing. He said that while he may have suspicions, his job is to find out what they are.

Blanchet would not weigh in on the Quebec provincial government's use of McKinsey, saying his job is to focus on holding the federal Liberals to account.

[bestreasonstowriterecordreviews]

Yea, we’re headed out with our wallets open in the wind this weekend too. But as we did previously in 2016 and 2015, we suggest, if you’re comfortable enough as a vagabond of the western world, please consider donating a fraction of this week’s discretionary income to one of the worthy organizations listed below…that way, when you scroll your uglies into Fuckin’ Record Reviews’ BEST REASONS TO WRITE FUCKIN’ RECORD REVIEWS IN 2017 and revisit BEST REASONS TO WRITE FUCKIN’ RECORD REVIEWS IN 2016, BEST REASONS TO WRITE FUCKIN’ RECORD REVIEWS IN 2015 and 2014 and 2013, you won’t feel as bad about yourself as you normally do. Someone, somewhere will give thanks.  Thanks!

Fuckin’ Record Reviews endorses the agendas of the following organizations, each of which includes localized links after the respective jump:

BATTLE FOR NET NEUTRALITY: Imagine you’d have to pay extra for access to Fuckin’ Record Reviews! Egads!!! “Net neutrality is the principle that Internet providers like Comcast & Verizon should not control what we see and do online. In 2015, startups, Internet freedom groups, and 3.7 million commenters won strong net neutrality rules from the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC). The rules prohibit Internet providers from blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization—"fast lanes" for sites that pay, and slow lanes for everyone else.”

SAVE DACA LIVES via HERE TO STAY:  “On September 5th, Donald Trump ended any renewals and new applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, taking away work permits and deportation protection from almost 1 million immigrant youth. Congress must pass a clean Dream Act before going home in December! Tweet these stories to Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and demand a clean Dream Act by December 2017.

COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE: “CSGV’s guiding principle is simple. We believe that all Americans have a right to live in communities free from gun violence.”

SECULAR COALITION OF AMERICA: “Our mission is to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all.”

NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS: “What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.”

PLANNED PARENTHOOD: “In October 2016, Planned Parenthood turned 100 years strong. Planned Parenthood was founded on the revolutionary idea that women should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams — no ceilings, no limits. Learn more about how 100 years of care, education, and activism have changed everything. Today, Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and a global partner helping similar organizations around the world. Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide.”

CLINIC VEST PROJECT: “The mission of the Clinic Vest Project is to provide FREE clinic escort vests to groups that service facilities that support the full range of reproductive health options including safe and legal abortion.”

U.S. COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS (USCRI): “For over 100 years, we have advanced the rights and lives of those who have lost or left their homes. We believe we have a shared responsibility to clear obstacles and uncover opportunities for people everywhere. So, when lives are uprooted by force or by choice, we fight alongside those on the path to independence.”

THE TREVOR PROJECT: “The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.”

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (ACLU): “The ACLU is non-profit and non-partisan. We do not receive any government funding. Member dues and contributions and grants from private foundations and individuals pay for the work we do. The ACLU, with headquarters in New York City, litigates across the nation and all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Our Washington, D.C., legislative office lobbies the U.S. Congress. We use strategic communications to educate the public about issues. And the ACLU has expanded its reach by applying international human rights standards in our complex Post 9/11 world. A number of national projects address specific civil liberties issues: AIDS, capital punishment, lesbian and gay rights, immigrants’ rights, prisoners’ rights, reproductive freedom, voting rights, women’s rights and workplace rights.”

NATIONAL ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE (NARAL PRO-CHOICE AMERICA): “NARAL Pro-Choice America uses numerous tactics to lobby for liberalized access to abortion, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. It sponsors lawsuits against governments and hospitals, donates money to politicians supportive of abortion rights through its political action committee, and organizes its members to contact members of Congress and urge them to support NARAL’s positions.”

THE JEREMY WILSON FOUNDATION MUSICIANS’ EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE FUND: “…a safety net for musicians and their families when facing debilitating medical crisis. The JWF creates better access to resources and information to help improve the state of musicians’ health and healthcare, and, in turn, their careers and financial and overall well-being.”

SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: “Your gift will help win justice on behalf of those who have no other champion, expose and fight the hate that thrives in our country, and provide tolerance education materials free of charge to schools across our nation.”

NATIONAL NETWORK OF ABORTION FUNDS: “The National Network of Abortion Funds works to make sure that all people can get the abortions they seek. If you are seeking help paying for an abortion, we are here today to help you get what you need. The local abortion funds in our organization help people pay for abortions they can’t otherwise afford.”

EMILY’S LIST: “We elect pro-choice Democratic women to office.”

BRADY CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE: “The mission of the Brady organization is to create a safer America for all of us that will lead to a dramatic reduction in gun deaths and injuries. Of the 32,000 people who die from gun violence in this country each year, how many could be saved? Brady has announced the bold goal to cut the number of U.S. gun deaths in half by 2025, based on an innovative and exciting strategy that centers on the idea of keeping guns out of the wrong hands through three impact-driven, broadly engaging campaigns: (1) a policy focus to “Finish the Job” so that life-saving Brady background checks are applied to all gun sales; (2) to “Stop ‘Bad Apple’ Gun Dealers” – the 5 percent of gun dealers that supply 90 percent of all crime guns; and (3) to lead a new national conversation and change social norms around the real dangers of guns in the home, to prevent the homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings that happen every day as a result.”

WFMU: the premier “…listener-supported, non-commercial radio station broadcasting at 91.1 Mhz FM in Jersey City, NJ, right across the Hudson from lower Manhattan. It is currently the longest running freeform radio station in the United States.”

[cisrjmu]

We invite you Wednesday to this awesome CISR event!

Come see a panel of refugee experts and local refugees discuss U.S. policy, and their experiences April 3, at 7 p.m. in the Hall of Presidents (D-Hall).

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Emergency Week of Action for Haitian Refugees

September 24 – October 2

Biden: Halt Your Racist Border Patrol

Stop the Whippings and Racist Deportations NOW!  

Progressive organizations and activists in solidarity with Haitian refugees will hold protests around the country demanding the Biden administration end state terror at the border and deportations. In Texas, refugees face life-threatening conditions and brutal racist terror by U.S. policies and Klan-like Border Patrol agents.

We demand:

-Immediate firing and prosecution of all those responsible for the whipping and hate speech used against Haitian refugees, witnessed by and documented in the videos of various news organizations, including Al Jazeera;

-Provide permanent shelter and health care, including access to COVID-19 vaccinations, to all arrivals at the border;

-Extend Temporary Protection Status indefinitely for those facing deportations;

-Provide asylum to all arrivals;

-End the use of Title 42 to deny humane immigration policies and its racist and selective use of justifying the denial for the majority of non-European peoples;

- Reparations not deportations!

Partial list of endorsers, 9/25/21:

Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice - Los Angeles; Unión del Barrio; Christopher Silvera, Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local 808* - NY; Clarence Thomas, author, "Organizing In Our Own Name: Million Worker March"; Puerto Rican Alliance; National Young Lords Organization; United American Indians of New England (UAINE); BAYAN-SoCal; American Indian Movement - SoCal; OCCUPY ICE – LA; Peoples Power Assembly - Baltimore; Moratorium NOW Coalition - Detroit; Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MECAWI); Wisconsin Bail Out the People Movement; Socialist Unity Party; San Diego Coalition to Free Mumia & All Political Prisoners; Committee Against Police Brutality – San Diego; Pacific Asian Nuclear-Free Peace Alliance; Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA) – LA; Coloradans Against Racist Hate; Indian Voices newspaper; Party for Justice and Liberation – Columbia, SC; Leonard Peltier Defense Committee – San Diego; San Diego Cop Watch; San Diego County Central Committee of the Peace & Freedom Party; Entrepreneur Educational Center, Inc. – LA; Solidarity with Novorossiya & Antifascists in Ukraine; Ina Martinez, UPWARD*; Sandra Sunshine Williams, SOA Watch – LA*; Casey Lynn - Syracuse, NY

* For identification only

Add your endorsement here: https://forms.gle/GGMuiujx6u4SDJX49

Please consider doing an action, regardless of size, during this week.  Pick an ICE office, Federal Building, City Hall, or stand at a busy intersection with signs. Every action is important. This is an emergency!