ul

Securing the Border: Defining the Current Population Living in the Shadows and Addressing Future Flows

Testimony of Marc Rosenblum before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs for the March 26, 2015 hearing on the characteristics of unauthorized immigrants in the United States and how to address future flows.




ul

Business as Usual? Regularizing Foreign Labor in Costa Rica

With the growing urbanization and consolidation of Nicaraguan immigrants in sectors such as construction and domestic service, Costa Rica has shifted its focus from immigration enforcement to integration. Tension has emerged between the government and private sector as a new mechanism for regularizing unauthorized immigrant workers has failed to gain traction.




ul

Ask Ariely: On Paper Punishments, Pious Patterns, and Painful Plans

Here’s my Q&A column from the WSJ this week — and if you have any questions for me, you can tweet them to @danariely with the hashtag #askariely, post a comment on my Ask Ariely Facebook page, or email them to AskAriely@wsj.com. ___________________________________________________ Dear Dan, I shop at two different grocery...




ul

Judge declines to dismiss Lori Loughlin, Mossimo Giannulli's college admissions case

A federal judge on Friday declined to dismiss charges filed against Lori Loughlin and 13 others in a national college admissions case based in Massachusetts.




ul

IRS sets deadline to enter direct deposit information for stimulus checks

The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday is the last day for Americans to provide their direct deposit information to receive their stimulus checks directly to their bank accounts.




ul

Michael Buble shares rescheduled dates for 'An Evening with' tour

Michael Bublé postponed his "An Evening With" tour to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.




ul

'RuPaul's Drag Race' announces 'All Stars 5' cast

'RuPaul's Drag Race' announced the 10 competitors from previous seasons who will get another chance in the fifth 'All Stars' season, premiering June 5 on VH1.




ul

Can Return Migration Revitalize the Baltics? Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania Engage Their Diasporas, with Mixed Results

Faced with high emigration rates and shrinking, aging populations, the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—are exploring different ways to lure back nationals who have emigrated and establish or solidify ties with members of the diaspora. Of the three countries, Estonia is proving the most successful, while Latvia appears to be ignoring the looming demographic crisis and lacks an immigration plan.




ul

"Merit-Based" Immigration: Designing Successful Selection Systems

MPI and OECD experts discuss what policymakers should consider in designing and managing immigrant selection systems in a time of intense labor-market and demographic change.




ul

“Merit-Based” Immigration: Trump Proposal Would Dramatically Revamp Immigrant Selection Criteria, But with Modest Effects on Numbers

The Trump administration’s plan to create a "merit-based" U.S. immigration system, lessening the longstanding focus on family reunification in favor of more economic migrants, has met with a lackluster response from Democrats and Republicans alike. This Policy Beat article explores how the Trump proposal would reshape immigration to the United States, and how it compares to selection systems in other countries and past debates about changing the U.S. system.




ul

[ Dogs ] Open Question : I've come to a conclusion,Dogs section on YA is not worth my time or energy, it is bad enough it is full of what I assume are teenagers?

playing games but now I am being repeatedly harassed and accused of being a troll named Sophie. Well you all can just keep this grimy pool. I am not wasting my time or energy. Enjoy yourselves.




ul

[ Other - Holidays ] Open Question : What should I give my mom for Mother’s Day ?

No pets no electronics so maybe something that is nice and simple but homemade




ul

[ Law & Ethics ] Open Question : Law and Ethics: Do you think gore should be illegal?

I certainly do, it doesn't make sense how someone crazy recording someone getting killed isn't illegal but CP is! That shouldn't be because, they should be either running away or trying to stop that super duper crazy person. Why can't both of them be illegal?




ul

[ United States ] Open Question : Is my $1,200 stimulus check taxable as income?




ul

[ Politics ] Open Question : Where would you prefer to live in New York,Chicago or Los Angeles?




ul

[ Law & Ethics ] Open Question : If a relict population of Neandertals were found to be living in a certain cave, on a certain remote island, or in a certain house on?

Pennsylvania Avenue, would placing some of them in zoos be unethical? Would they be considered human enough to receive human rights?




ul

[ Religion & Spirituality ] Open Question : IMAGINE YOU HEARD KIDS ON PHONE TALKING about their difficult reducing MASTURBATION?




ul

[ Women's Health ] Open Question : Ovulation like discharge before period?

I have a 23 day cycle and around day 19 up until my period I produce a ovulation like discharge, it’s clear/ white and super stretchy. I don’t get this during the “ovulation” time frame, it tends to be thick and cloudy then. Why? And when am I ovulating?




ul

[ Politics ] Open Question : IF Cons rewrote the Constitution of the United States would it have less laws, more liberty, & move power from DC to the State Capitals?

Oh would that 'less laws/more liberty/more state capital power' look anything like Mike Pence's Religious Freedom Restoration Act or in other words the 'we Conservative Republican Christians are such oppressed persecuted victims WAAAAA WAAAA' Bill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIikqPmbgvI 




ul

[ Religion & Spirituality ] Open Question : How come there are different writers attributed to the Gospel of Mark.... why would Mark need different people to write his Gospel.?




ul

In Search of a New Equilibrium: Immigration Policymaking in the Newest Era of Nativist Populism

In many recent European and U.S. elections, candidates touting nativist populist and anti-immigrant platforms have enjoyed rising support. As populism moves from the fringes into the mainstream, this report takes stock of the economic and social forces driving its rise, the diverse ways populists are influencing immigration policymaking, and what it will take to build a new center around immigration and integration issues.




ul

Vulnerable to COVID-19 and in Frontline Jobs, Immigrants Are Mostly Shut Out of U.S. Relief

On the frontlines of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic yet also more disproportionately affected by the virus and with reduced health care access, immigrants in the United States have largely found themselves blocked from federal economic relief. As states and philanthropic groups seek to plug the gap, this article examines conditions and changing policies around immigration and the coronavirus response.




ul

Migration and Integration in Czechia: Policy Advances and the Hand Brake of Populism

Since regaining its independence in 1989, the Czech Republic has transformed from a country of emigration to one of rising immigration, amid growing labor market needs. Even as Czechia received few asylum seekers during the 2015-16 European migration crisis, the country has taken a harder line on immigration, and public opinion and political stances have grown more negative towards immigrants and refugees.




ul

The Multicultural Dilemma: Amid Rising Diversity and Unsettled Equity Issues, New Zealand Seeks to Address Its Past and Present

New Zealand drew global attention for its unity and support for the Muslim community targeted during the horrific Christchurch attacks. Yet the country's road to inclusion has been far from straightforward, and amid rising diversity it is grappling with the best way to achieve inclusion for its multiethnic population, including indigenous Māori peoples and migrants. This article outlines the opportunities and challenges to fostering multiculturalism against a backdrop of bicultural policies.




ul

A Profile of Houston’s Diverse Immigrant Population in a Rapidly Changing Policy Landscape

The Houston metro area, home to 1.6 million immigrants, is diverse and rapidly growing. This report sketches the area's immigrant population, examining top origin countries, key socioeconomic measures, and more. It also explores how Hurricane Harvey affected the immigrant population, and how national policy changes under the Trump administration are being felt locally, including by DACA recipients and asylum seekers.




ul

"Event" Cells in the Brain Help Organize Memory into Meaningful Segments

Neurons in the hippocampus categorize what we experience into abstract, discrete events, such as taking a walk versus having lunch

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




ul

What Humans Could Be

As psychologist Abraham Maslow wrote, “Perhaps human nature has been sold short”

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com





ul

Five Types of Research, Underexplored until Recently, Could Produce Alzheimer's Treatments

Research into the brain’s protein-disposal systems, electrical activity and three other areas looks promising

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




ul

Embrace the Ultimate Unknown

 The best way to have a good death is to live a good life

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




ul

Should You Immerse Yourself in Bad News These Days or Ignore It Completely?

Neither approach is ideal. The best option is to temper your negative emotions by focusing on positive ones

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com



  • Mind
  • Behavior & Society

ul

A World of Insults, a World of Reactions

You don't have to be a sports fan to know that something extraordinary happened in the World Cup soccer final last week. Ten minutes from the climactic end -- with his country's hopes, the championship and his place in the history books at stake -- French captain Zinedine Zidane violently...




ul

Cheating Is an Awful Thing for Other People to Do

Both athletes were stars. Both faltered, then staged dramatic comebacks -- displaying the tenacity that separates heroes from also-rans. Both now face drug charges that could end their careers.




ul

Wars Ultimately Measure Tolerance of Pain

Here's a question with three different answers. The first answer is derived from arithmetic. The second comes from common sense. The third is based on psychology.




ul

Go for It on Fourth Down, Coach? Maybe You Should Ask an Egghead.

With just over five minutes to play in yesterday's game against the New York Jets, the Washington Redskins found themselves on their own 23-yard line facing a fourth and one. The team, which was ahead by just three points, elected to do what teams normally do in such situations: They played it safe...




ul

Rules About Delegates Can Sway an Election

Sen. John McCain's quest for the Republican presidential nomination was once seen as dead, but like those robots in the "Terminator" movies that reassemble themselves after being blown to smithereens, he came back. Five years ago, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) was a virtually unknown African American ...




ul

Your Neighbors Could Find Out, So You'd Better Vote

After nearly two years of political jockeying for the presidency, hundreds of millions of dollars of advertising and wall-to-wall campaign coverage in the media, nearly half of all Americans eligible to cast ballots in the presidential election may not bother to vote. Turnout for primaries, as well...




ul

How a Self-Fulfilling Stereotype Can Drag Down Performance

Here's a trick question, so think carefully before you answer: If someone mentions the word "beast" to you, which word would you match it with?





ul

Borderline Irrelevant: Why Reforming the Dublin Regulation Misses the Point

European policymakers are fixated on reform of the Dublin Regulation, the contentious rules that carve up responsibility for asylum claims between EU states. They see it not only as a long-term prophylactic against future fluctuations in irregular migration, but as a marker of the success or failure of solidarity in Europe overall. Yet rather than doggedly working to salvage Dublin, policymakers need to stop and consider why they regard it as so integral to European cooperation, as this commentary explores.




ul

Immigrant Workers: Vital to the U.S. COVID-19 Response, Disproportionately Vulnerable

Six million immigrant workers are at the frontlines of keeping U.S. residents healthy and fed during the COVID-19 pandemic, representing disproportionate shares of physicians, home health aides, and retail-store pharmacists, for example. They also are over-represented in sectors most immediately devastated by mass layoffs, yet many will have limited access to safety-net systems and to federal relief, as this fact sheet details.




ul

Minnesota’s Superdiverse and Growing Dual Language Learner Child Population

Dual Language Learners (DLLs) are a growing segment of the Minnesota young child population, and a particularly "superdiverse" one with myriad origins, cultures, and languages—a new reality other states and communities will face. Drawing on interviews with policymakers and service providers, as well as analysis of census data, this report examines what this incredible diversity means for the state’s early childhood policies and programs.




ul

Unlocking Skills: Successful Initiatives for Integrating Foreign-Trained Immigrant Professionals

Nearly 2 million college-educated immigrants in the United States, more than half coming with academic and professional credentials, are unable to fully utilize their professional skills and instead are stuck in low-skilled work or are unemployed. This report explores a range of programs and policies that are providing cutting-edge career navigation, relicensing, gap filling, and job search assistance to remedy this brain waste.




ul

The Education and Work Profiles of the DACA Population

The future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is uncertain, amid skepticism from the Trump administration about its merits and the promise of legal challenge from ten state attorneys general. This issue brief presents a profile of young adults eligible for DACA in terms of their educational attainment and labor force participation, as well as what is at stake should the program be terminated.




ul

Surviving vs. Thriving: The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Adult Education for Immigrants and Refugees

Marking the release of an MPI brief that articulates a new adult education program model, this webinar features a discussion among immigration and legal services, adult education, and digital learning experts. The webinar includes a discussion of strategies to implement the English Plus Integration model, which would maintain a central focus on English language acquisition while also building skills necessary for successful immigrant integration.




ul

English Plus Integration: Shifting the Instructional Paradigm for Immigrant Adult Learners to Support Integration Success

To successfully integrate, immigrants and refugees need a variety of skills and knowledge—from English proficiency to understanding how school systems and local services work. Yet the adult education programs in place to support them have narrowed in scope. This policy brief proposes a new instructional model, English Plus Integration, to help states more comprehensively meet the diverse needs of their adult immigrant learners.




ul

Surviving vs. Thriving: The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Adult Education for Immigrants and Refugees

Taking stock of weaknesses in the WIOA-driven design of most adult basic education programming, MPI analysts draw on research from the integration, adult education, and postsecondary success fields in arguing for the adoption of an “English Plus Integration” (EPI) adult education program model, and discuss strategies for implementation. 




ul

Credentials for the Future: Mapping the Potential for Immigrant-Origin Adults in the United States

As the U.S. workforce ages and the economy becomes ever more knowledge-based, policymakers face a key question: Do workers have the skills to meet tomorrow's demands? This report examines how immigrants and their children—the primary source of future labor-market growth—fit into the discussion. The report offers a first-ever profile of the 30 million immigrant-origin adults without a postsecondary credential.




ul

Immigrant-Origin Adults without Postsecondary Credentials: A 50-State Profile

With immigrants and their U.S.-born children poised to be the main source of labor-force growth, these adults are an important target for efforts to build the skills of the U.S. workforce to meet the knowledge-based economy of tomorrow. This fact sheet and state data snapshots explore the characteristics of adults without an academic degree or professional credential, by immigrant generation, race/ethnicity, and more.




ul

Specificity and affinity of the N-terminal residues in staphylocoagulase in binding to prothrombin [Computational Biology]

In Staphylococcus aureus–caused endocarditis, the pathogen secretes staphylocoagulase (SC), thereby activating human prothrombin (ProT) and evading immune clearance. A previous structural comparison of the SC(1–325) fragment bound to thrombin and its inactive precursor prethrombin 2 has indicated that SC activates ProT by inserting its N-terminal dipeptide Ile1-Val2 into the ProT Ile16 pocket, forming a salt bridge with ProT's Asp194, thereby stabilizing the active conformation. We hypothesized that these N-terminal SC residues modulate ProT binding and activation. Here, we generated labeled SC(1–246) as a probe for competitively defining the affinities of N-terminal SC(1–246) variants preselected by modeling. Using ProT(R155Q,R271Q,R284Q) (ProTQQQ), a variant refractory to prothrombinase- or thrombin-mediated cleavage, we observed variant affinities between ∼1 and 650 nm and activation potencies ranging from 1.8-fold that of WT SC(1–246) to complete loss of function. Substrate binding to ProTQQQ caused allosteric tightening of the affinity of most SC(1–246) variants, consistent with zymogen activation through occupation of the specificity pocket. Conservative changes at positions 1 and 2 were well-tolerated, with Val1-Val2, Ile1-Ala2, and Leu1-Val2 variants exhibiting ProTQQQ affinity and activation potency comparable with WT SC(1–246). Weaker binding variants typically had reduced activation rates, although at near-saturating ProTQQQ levels, several variants exhibited limiting rates similar to or higher than that of WT SC(1–246). The Ile16 pocket in ProTQQQ appears to favor nonpolar, nonaromatic residues at SC positions 1 and 2. Our results suggest that SC variants other than WT Ile1-Val2-Thr3 might emerge with similar ProT-activating efficiency.