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The County-Level View of Unauthorized Immigrants and Implications for Executive Action Implementation

A webinar showcasing MPI's profiles of unauthorized immigrants in the 94 U.S. counties with the largest populations potentially eligible for DACA or DAPA, and the implications of the data for implementation of the DACA and DAPA programs.




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Is This Working? Assessment and Evaluation Methods Used to Build and Access Language Services in Social Services Agencies In Social Services Agencies

The enactment of President Clinton’s Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Executive Order, issued in 2000, triggered a proliferation of efforts to provide services to individuals who cannot speak, understand, read, or write English fluently. With increased service provision, state and local government agencies have expressed a strong and growing interest in assuring the quality and cost-effectiveness of language access services. This paper attempts to catalog and describe some of those tools and practices.




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Communicating More for Less: Using Translation and Interpretation Technology to Serve Limited English Proficient Individuals

This report provides an overview of several commonly used translation and interpretation technologies. It aims to assist language access practitioners in understanding and identifying which systems would best meet their agency’s language access needs.




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Proactive Engagement: Two Strategies for Providing Language Access in Workforce Development Services

This interactive language access webinar, one in a series offered by the Migration Policy Institute's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy, examines how New York and Illinois have broken down some of these barriers to proactively engage LEP communities to obtain workforce services.




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Proactive Engagement: Two Strategies for Providing Language Access in Workforce Development Services

This webinar examines how New York and Illinois have proactively engaged Limited English Proficient (LEP) communities to obtain workforce services.




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LEP Workers & Access to Workforce Services: Perspectives on Current Barriers to Access and Prospects for Improvements Under WIA Reauthorization

In this webinar, experts discuss barriers immigrant and LEP individuals face in accessing the WIA system, how a revitalized WIA could address these barriers, and the extent to which the current Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee's WIA reauthorization proposal addresses these barriers.




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Limited English Proficient Individuals in the United States: Number, Share, Growth, and Linguistic Diversity

The number of U.S. residents deemed Limited English Proficient (LEP) has increased substantially in recent decades, consistent with the growth of the U.S. foreign-born population. This brief offers analysis on the number, share, growth, and linguistic diversity of LEP individuals in the United States from 1990 to 2010 at the national, state, and metropolitan-area levels.




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Does Low-Skilled Immigration Hurt the U.S. Economy? Assessing the Evidence

In a report by MPI's Labor Markets Initiative, noted economist and Georgetown University Public Policy Institute Professor Harry J. Holzer examines the economic reasoning and research on these questions and looks at the policy options that shape the impact of less-skilled immigration on the economy. The discussion is on what policy reform would best serve native-born American workers, consumers, and employers, as well as the overall U.S. economy.




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Immigration and U.S. Economic Competitiveness: A View from the Midwest

At this release event in Washington, DC, co-sponsored by MPI, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and ImmigrationWorks USA, the Chicago Council's independent task force on immigration released its report, U.S. Economic Competitiveness at Risk: A Midwest Call to Action on Immigration Reform.




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Genetically engineered 'Magneto' protein remotely controls brain and behaviour

“Badass” new method uses a magnetised protein to activate brain cells rapidly, reversibly, and non-invasively

Researchers in the United States have developed a new method for controlling the brain circuits associated with complex animal behaviours, using genetic engineering to create a magnetised protein that activates specific groups of nerve cells from a distance.

Understanding how the brain generates behaviour is one of the ultimate goals of neuroscience – and one of its most difficult questions. In recent years, researchers have developed a number of methods that enable them to remotely control specified groups of neurons and to probe the workings of neuronal circuits.

Related: Remote control of brain activity with heated nanoparticles

Related: Researchers read and write brain activity with light

Continue reading...




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How the Zika virus causes birth defects

New research provides the first direct evidence that Zika virus causes severe birth defects, and explains exactly how it does so

“I lifted up my T-shirt to check on what I thought had just been a small heat rash,” writes BuzzFeed correspondent Ali Watkins. “It had shown up along the right of my back, extending out from a handful of mosquito bites I had picked up… it had seemed relatively tame [but] now, it was inching across the front of my stomach and down my legs... Meanwhile, my right eye was inflamed and bright red, almost akin to a busted blood vessel.”

Watkins is describing the symptoms of a Zika virus infection that she contracted on a recent trip to Mexico. For many people, infection with this mosquito-borne virus causes an illness with symptoms just like those experienced by Watkins: fever, skin rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. For others, these symptoms are so mild that they go completely unnoticed.

Related: Zika virus spreads across Americas - in pictures

Related: Zika forest: birthplace of virus that has spread fear across the world

Continue reading...




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Cannabis may enhance night vision

New research shows that the drug makes cells in the retina more sensitive to light

25 years ago, pharmacologist M. E. West of the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica, noted that local fisherman who smoke cannabis or drink rum made with the leaves and stems of the plant had “an uncanny ability to see in the dark,” which enabled them to navigate their boats through coral reefs. “It was impossible to believe that anyone could navigate a boat without compass and without light in such treacherous surroundings,” he wrote after accompanying the crew of a fishing boat one dark night, “[but] I was then convinced that the man who had taken the rum extract of cannabis had far better night vision than I had, and that a subjective effect was not responsible.”

Some of these crew members told West that Moroccan fishermen and mountain dwellers experience a similar improvement after smoking hashish, and in 2002, another research team travelled to the Rif mountains in Morocco to investigate further. They gave a synthetic cannabinoid to one volunteer, and hashish to three more, then used a newly developed piece of kit to measure the sensitivity of their night vision before and after. Confirming West’s earlier report, they found that cannabis improved night vision in all three of their test subjects.

Related: How marijuana impairs memory

Related: A brief history of psychedelic psychiatry | Mo Costandi

Continue reading...




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Breathing modulates brain activity and mental function

New research shows that the rhythm of breathing directly impacts neural activity in a network of brain areas involved in smell, memory and emotions

The rhythm of breathing co-ordinates electrical activity across a network of brain regions associated with smell, memory, and emotions, and can enhance their functioning, according to a new study by researchers at Northwestern University. The findings, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggest that breathing does not merely supply oxygen to the brain and body, but may also organise the activity of populations of cells within multiple brain regions to help orchestrate complex behaviours.

Related: Your nose knows death is imminent | Mo Costandi

Related: A cooler way to evaluate brain surgery patients

Continue reading...




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[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : When did you stop believing in the keebler elves?




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[ Politics ] Open Question : Are the people who are complaining about this "LOCKDOWN" and want things opened up, the MAIN REASON the US WILL DIE OF COVID-19 ?

I say - Lock everything down, as we are, and keep everything locked down for years  This way, what every these people are complaining about will be long gone 




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[ Politics ] Open Question : Should Gregory and Travis McMichael be freed and given a medal of honor for their heroic actions of taking a dangerous thug of the streets?




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[ Elections ] Open Question : See why Boris Johnson will tell public to ‘stay alert, control the virus and save lives’ ?

https://diazhub.com/news/boris-johnson-will-tell-public-to-stay-alert-control-the-virus-and-save-lives/




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[ Politics ] Open Question : Trump says he will move the capital to Moscow to avoid the virus. what do you think of his plan?




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[ Movies ] Open Question : What are some very little known great/good horror or sci-fi movies to watch?

Examples being: XTro (UK), Oldboy (S.Korea), Girl With a Dragon Tattoo (Sweden), Predestination (Australia) ... something like these




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[ Singles & Dating ] Open Question : I’ve been trying to feel pleasure with my eyes wide shut but it keeps on moving ?




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[ Video & Online Games ] Open Question : Is my Sim thick?

is she thicc af? I made this in the Sims 4 lol 




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[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : How would fragrance companies benefit by the invention of smell-o-vision?




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[ Polls & Surveys ] Open Question : True/False: Your bank account is healing - turns out you're the virus all along?

????




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[ Movies ] Open Question : Name of a movie about a man visiting a small town living with a single mom and her son. Everyone thinks he is a coward but he is a war hero?




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California life in the COVID-19 pandemic

The state of California has enacted a shelter-in-place order in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, urging residents to stay in their homes except for essential travel and closing non-essential businesses. Red carpet events have been canceled. The production of many films and TV shows has been suspended.




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Britain to launch 14-day quarantine for arriving travelers, airlines say

British airlines said they have been told the government is planning a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving there from any country other Ireland.




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Memo: Prior COVID-19 diagnosis 'permanently disqualifying' for U.S. military service

Military Entrance Processing Stations won't process individuals who have had COVID-19 for military service, even if they've fully recovered from the virus, the Pentagon confirmed this week.




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Army solicits bids for wearable technology to detect COVID-19 in early stages

The Army is requesting bids for a $25 million contract for wearable sensors to detect early symptoms of COVID-19.




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FDA authorizes for antigen-based coronavirus test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization for a new kind of coronavirus test this week.




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Moving Up the Ladder? Labor Market Outcomes in the United Kingdom amid Rising Immigration

This report analyzes the labor market integration of recent immigrants to the United Kingdom. During the 2000s, a large influx of labor from Eastern European countries transformed the United Kingdom's immigrant population and labor market. The report finds that over time, these new arrivals showed some progress in moving out of the lowest-skilled jobs.




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Moving Up or Standing Still? Access to Middle-Skilled Work for Newly Arrived Migrants in the European Union

The global economic crisis and changing migration patterns in Europe bring up questions about how well immigrants are able to find employment and progress into better jobs over time. This overview report caps a series of six country case studies evaluating the employment outcomes for foreign-born workers during their first decade in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.




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Adult Education, English and Skills Training: Opportunities for Action and Investment in the Most Vital Integration Services

Part of a series exploring issues likely to be addressed by the new National Integration Plan, this webinar, with perspectives from MPI, the National Partnership for New Americans, and the National Skills Coalition, looks at the role of adult education and English language and skills training in the immigrant integration process.




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Adult Education, English and Skills Training: Opportunities for Action and Investment in the Most Vital Integration Services

This webinar, with perspectives from MPI, the National Partnership for New Americans, and the National Skills Coalition, looks at the role of adult education and English language and skills training in the immigrant integration process.




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It is Time for Federal Agencies to Do More to Improve the Provision of Language Access Services

Whether driven by pragmatism, local laws, or federal civil-rights provisions, state and local governments and agencies across the United States increasingly have designed and implemented language access services (i.e. translation and interpretation) in response to growing Limited English Proficient populations. This commentary argues it is time for the federal government to follow suit.




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Weaknesses in the Visa Waiver Program

Testimony of Susan Ginsburg, then Director of MPI's Mobility and Security Program, before the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology, and Homeland Security.




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Moving Toward More Effective Immigration Detention Management

Testimony of Donald Kerwin, former MPI Vice President for Programs, before the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism at its hearing: "Moving Toward More Effective Immigration Detention Management." 




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A Review of the Department of Homeland Security’s Policies and Procedures for the Apprehension, Detention, and Release of Non-Citizens Unlawfully Present in the United States

Letter submitted by Marc R. Rosenblum, Deputy Director, U.S. Immigration Program, at the request of the Minority Staff of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for the February 25, 2015 joint subcommittee hearing reviewing apprehension, detention, and release policies regarding unauthorized immigrants.




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Until her death from COVID-19 at Northwood, Hermance Cormier was singing

Hermance Cormier grew up in a big Acadian family in New Brunswick and came to Halifax in the 1950s not speaking a word of English. She is among those who died from COVID-19 at Northwood.



  • News/Canada/Nova Scotia

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No new cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba on Saturday; number in hospital drops to 4

The total number of cases in the province remains 284, with 30 now considered active.



  • News/Canada/Manitoba

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Anti-lockdown supporters rally against COVID-19-related restrictions outside Manitoba legislature

A group that says pandemic-related restrictions are more harmful than COVID-19 itself held a rally at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Saturday.



  • News/Canada/Manitoba

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Perspective: Existing drugs could be repurposed for COVID-19 patients

Given the rapid spread of COVID-19 and its relatively high mortality, filling the gap for coronavirus-specific drugs is urgent.




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Understanding the ability of COVID-19 virus to infect pets and livestock

A new paper identifies the critical need for research on the ability of the COVID-19 virus to infect certain animal species, the transmissibility of infection between humans and those animals, and the impact infection could have on food security and the economy.




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AGS awards highest honor to West Health for visionary work to improve geriatric care

For only the second time in its near 80-year history, the American Geriatrics Society will award one of its highest honors typically reserved for individuals to West Health, a family of nonprofit organizations dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable older adults to successfully age in place.




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'Make out' — and other things Islanders want to do when COVID-19 is over

Staff and visitors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown were asked to fill in the blank. "When COVID-19 is over, I am going to …" Some of the answers are both heartwarming and hilarious.



  • News/Canada/PEI

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Singapore: Singaporean Courts Hear Only Essential and Urgent Matters During COVID-19 Outbreak, Largely Through Zoom

(May 1, 2020) On April 24, 2020, Singapore’s chief justice announced an extension to June 1, 2020, of the period during which the courts of Singapore would hear only essential and urgent matters in order to slow local transmission of COVID-19. On the same day, the Supreme Court, state courts, and family justice courts each […]




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Sweden: National Prosecutor Investigates Workplace Environment Crime After Nurse Dies of COVID-19

(May 4, 2020) On April 29, 2020, the Swedish National Prosecutor announced that it is investigating a workplace environment crime (arbetsmiljöbrott) after a nurse working at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm died of COVID-19. The investigation comes following a report by the local safety representative (skyddsombud), who reportedly claimed that the hospital lacked the appropriate […]




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Panama: Law on Congressional Virtual Sessions Enacted

(May 5, 2020) On April 11, 2020, Panama published a law allowing its legislative assembly to conduct virtual sessions in cases of a national emergency or other situations that prevent the assembly from meeting in regular fashion. The original bill of this law explained that, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became necessary […]




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Colombia: Congress to Vote on Legislation in Virtual Sessions

(May 5, 2020) On March 28, 2020, Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez issued Legislative Decree 491/2020, which permits governmental bodies, including the legislature, to conduct business virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Article 12 of the decree allows for remote sessions in which members can deliberate by any means (por cualquier medio) and make decisions by […]




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France: Court Orders Amazon France to Limit Its Activity to Sale of Essential Items

(May 5, 2020) On April 14, 2020, the Tribunal Judiciaire (Trial Court) of Nanterre ordered the French subsidiary of Amazon to limit the activities of its warehouses to processing only orders for items that were essential in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential items were defined as food, hygiene, and medical products. The court gave […]




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Norway: Government Launches Mobile App to Track and Stem Spread of COVID-19

(May 6, 2020) On April 16, 2020, the Norwegian government launched a smartphone app to track the spread of the coronavirus in Norway. By downloading the app, users voluntarily allow the app to track their physical location and notify them if they have been in close proximity to a person who later becomes infected with […]