|
MORE BORDER — The Biden administration has extended border restrictions with Canada and Mexico through Aug. 21, reports Michelle Hackman of the Wall Street Journal, even though Canada plans to allow fully vaccinated Americans to enter starting Aug. 9. The administration cited the increase in the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the fact that vaccination rates are falling short of its goal. Elsewhere, Leandra Bernstein of Sinclair Broadcast Group reports on the challenges the Biden administration faces as it considers whether and when to ease pandemic-era Title 42 restrictions at the border. MARITIME MIGRATION — After a busy year of maritime migration from Cuba to South Florida, U.S. officials aren’t sure why it has recently and abruptly stopped, reports David Goodhue and Adriana Brasileiro of the Miami Herald. Some experts believe it could be related to the nationwide protests of the communist government since July 11. "Inside of Cuba, it could also be because of the police — the high alert that all the security forces in Cuba could be making it difficult for people to leave," said Ramón Saúl Sánchez, a prominent member of the Cuban exile community in Miami and the leader of the civil rights group Democracy Movement. FUEL GROWTH — Rural America needs immigrants to fill jobs, two Iowans note in an op-ed for The New York Times. Put simply, "We need smart public policy for sustained growth — and immigration reform would be a big part of it," book author Robert Leonard and Coyote Run Farm co-owner Matt Russell write. Dave Swenson, an economist at Iowa State University, says that although the state’s ag sector is thriving, "[t]hey will not thrive and grow if they are not able to continue to attract and retain immigrant labor." With unemployment at 3.5%, "[w]e simply don’t have enough people in our county or in the state to fill the open positions," the authors write. To the south and east, Frank Knapp, president and CEO of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, shares his perspective in The Hill on the necessity of immigration to respond to labor shortages.
ESSENTIAL WORKERS — In a beautiful black and white interactive photo series, the New York Times’ Todd Heisler and David Gonzalez feature interviews with more than 130 essential workers, including immigrants, in New York who kept the city going amid the pandemic. "They were part of that delicate economic and social tapestry that connects us all," they write. One of the interviewees is Gustavo Ajche, a construction worker by day and restaurant deliveryman by night, who is helping support extended family in Guatemala. "We made the sacrifice," he said. "It was complicated, because my family was separated here, while in Guatemala the situation with the virus was uncertain and things were getting bad. ... I would come home exhausted, but hearing ‘gracias’ or ‘God bless you,’ that was beautiful." WOODSHOP — Since 2017, the nonprofit organization Sparrow Furniture has helped refugees who have resettled in Salem, Oregon, overcome barriers to employment through a custom woodworking apprenticeship program and English tutoring, reports Saphara Harrell of the Salem Reporter. Since its launch, Sparrow has employed 11 refugees from eight countries, and five of the graduates have found full-time work. "[W]e’re hoping to set them up, so they’ll be able to provide for their families," said Sparrow Sales Manager Jess Bashioum. In the last two years alone, Sparrow has sold more than 1,000 pieces of furniture with the help of refugee employees. FÚTBOL IS LIFE — This week on Only in America, Ali had the opportunity to speak to the co-founders of the Curbside Cup in Bowling Green, Kentucky — a tournament in which more than 50 children, most of them refugees, participated. Co-founders Terri Sheldon and Jean Bosco Tuyisenge take us back to how the soccer tournament came together, and how the sport led to new opportunities. As the Olympics approach and we collectively turn our TVs to feats of athleticism, this story highlights another way sports brings people together. Thanks for reading, Dan |
