They have also asked for the suspension of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme which lets foreign students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) work in the United States for up to three years after graduating. In 2019, over 223,000 people had their OPTs approved or extended.

Economic Survey 2020: Here's everything you need to know

The Global Times is published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party. The party has been known to float ideas and guide public sentiments via the Global Times, which tends to take a nationalistic stance on issues involving other countries.

'You have to get right kind of worker with right kind of skills'

Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) Director-General T R Dua said that during the lockdown period so far, telecom tower-related work was primarily focused on operation and maintenance activities and carrying out essential repairs and upgrades.

Jim McIngvale, aka Mattress Mack, is a legendary Houston, Texas, furniture store owner who's brought his unique brand of marketing to the Thoroughbred world. If you're not familiar with his medication-free champion sprinter Runhappy, the Claiborne Farm stallion he's been promoting the last several years, there's no point in reading any further. You're clearly from […]

The post ‘We Need To Get In The Game’: McIngvale Urges Racing To Embrace Lower Takeout, Millennials’ Thirst For Sports Betting Action appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Don and Donna Adam's Courtlandt Farm has decided to remove its horses from the care of trainer Mark Hennig, reports the Daily Racing Form. Hennig has worked from Courtlandt since 2015, conditioning graded stakes winners Strike Charmer, My Miss Lilly, and Strike Power. “It's nothing that Mark did or didn't do, it just didn't seem to […]

The post ‘Needed To Make A Change’: Courtlandt Removes Horses From Mark Hennig’s Care appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left a hole in the Gophers' budget, and AD Mark Coyle said, 'Everything is on the table.' Minnesota has the eighth biggest budget in the Big Ten, yet supports the fourth most sports.

Expand programs to meet the urgencies of this moment. There'll be broad, bipartisan support from the public.

At just 33 years of age, Juan Alvarado was already among the top echelon of trainers in his native Dominican Republic. He had trained a Triple Crown winner, Dr. Calderon, in 1985, and had saddled the winners of some of the country's most prestigious stakes races. But in 1992, tragedy struck the local horse racing […]

The post Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: ‘Sometimes You Need To Take The Pride And Put It In The Back’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

The congressman cosponsored a proposal to back $900 billion more in small business loans.

Multiple graded stakes winner Call Paul, formerly trained by Jason Servis, had to be euthanized on Wednesday morning at Belmont Park. The Daily Racing Form reports that the colt suffered catastrophic injuries to his left hind leg during a workout over the training track. The 4-year-old Pennsylvania-bred son of Friesan Fire was breezing for the fourth […]

The post Former Jason Servis Trainee Call Paul Fatally Injured During Belmont Workout appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Last week we discussed the Santa Clara county study, in which 1.5% of the people tested positive for coronavirus. The authors of the study performed some statistical adjustments and summarized with a range of 2.5% to 4.2% for infection rates in the county as a whole, leading to an estimated infection fatality rate of 0.12% […]

Robin Lee writes: To check for linearity and homoscedasticity, we are taught to plot residuals against y fitted value in many statistics classes. However, plotting residuals against y fitted value has always been a confusing practice that I know that I should use but can’t quite explain why. It is not until this week I […]

The engineering librarians at the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library are pleased to announce that some engineering textbooks for the Fall 2019 semester are available to you in full text online through Library subscriptions.

The engineering librarians at the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library are pleased to announce that some engineering textbooks for the Winter 2020 semester are available to you in full text online through Library subscriptions.

Grand Canyon National Park’s Green Team is pleased to announce that Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan, award-winning author, conservation biologist, farmer, and "pioneer of the local food movement" as he has been called by Time magazine, Utne Reader, and Mother Earth News, will be presenting special programs at the park on July 21 and 22, 2012. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2012-07-13_nabhan.htm

After nearly 100 years since its opening, Grand Canyon Pioneer Cemetery will close to new burials due to lack of space. Although the cemetery is closed to new plots, some burials may continue for individuals with a spouse or immediate family already interred in the cemetery. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2017-06-26-historic-pioneer-cemetery-has-closed.htm

The National Park Service (NPS) announced today that Grand Canyon National Park will modify its entrance fees beginning June 1, 2018 to provide additional funding for infrastructure and maintenance needs that enhance the visitor experience. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/2018-entrance-fee-changes.htm

This first-of-its-kind study zeroed in on the optimal amount of time the average person could spend in contact with nature in order to enjoy its benefits.

The post Stressed? This Study Says You Simply Need a 20-Minute ‘Nature Pill’ appeared first on Good News Network.

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced an exciting new plan in California to bring three nutritious meals a day to seniors in need, while providing meaningful work to those who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first program of its kind in the nation, ‘Great Plates Delivered’ will support struggling restaurants to […]

The post California Will Start Paying Restaurants To Deliver Food to Seniors in Need appeared first on Good News Network.

National forests and grasslands are home to a diverse array of wildlife.

Based on an in-grade testing program, the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center has registered three proprietary grademarks for Alaska species of hemlock (Tsuga heteraphylla (Raf.) Sarg.), yellow-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach), and spruce (combined Sitka spruce [Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.] and white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss]). The Ketchikan Wood Technology Center conducted tests to establish glulam beam manufacturing specifications. In conjunction with this program, there is a need to measure the market for glulam beams in Alaska. The purpose of this research was to compare Alaska residential builder adoption rates of glulam beams and other engineered wood products to those of the continental United States. The results showed that a higher percentage of Alaska builders use glulam beams compared with builders in the rest of the United States.

Are you looking for an air talent service? Prep services? Parody songs? Celebrity interview services? Need someone to put your aircheck/demo together?  For all this and more, check out … more

The unbeaten 23-year-old prefers to let his fists do the talking

Multiple news sources report that TONY ALLEN, the NIGERIAN born drummer and pioneer of Afrobeats has died in PARIS. The cause of death is not known yet. He was 80. He came to fame as Musical … more

COLORADO-based THE LUMINEERS are presenting TODAY (5/8) COLORADO GIVES BACK, a live stream benefit concert from 1-4p MT for the COLORADO RESTAURANT WORKERS and NATIONAL MUSIC COMMUNITY. The … more

During the COVID-19 lockdown, and during the gradual re-opening of communities, cities and businesses there is a lot information you've got that your listeners need. And, they are looking … more

Ann Marie “Ree” Drummond is an award-winning American blogger, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, food writer, photographer and television personality who lives on a working ranch outside of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. In February 2010, she was listed as No. 22 on...

Statement Highlights: New developments in identifying and treating the increased risk of premature heart disease in children and teens with certain medical conditions associated with increased cardiovascular risk are discussed in a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Obesity and severe obesity are now considered significant risk factors for an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in children and teens.

Statement Highlights: While significant improvements have been made in resuscitation and post cardiac arrest resuscitation care, mortality remains high and is mainly attributed to widespread brain injury.Better science is needed to support the ...

DALLAS, March 31, 2020 — Many people have concerns about staying healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those with a chronic condition such as high blood pressure — a reading above 130/80 — may face an increased risk for severe complications if they get...

Statement Highlights: Women with cardiovascular disease should receive pre-pregnancy counseling and be monitored during and after pregnancy by either a cardio-obstetrics team or a multidisciplinary team of health care providers with experience in...

DALLAS, April 29, 2020 — As the shortage of many goods, resources and services grows during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the American Heart Association, the leading nonprofit organization focused on a world of healthier lives for all, has launched ...

DALLAS, May 5, 2020 — An estimated five million patients in the United States live with heart valve disease, and many have had upcoming valve repair surgery rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Heart Association, along with 14 North...

When I first started designing websites in the 1990s, I focused most of my attention on creating striking visuals. In my defense, I was typically designing gaming website with only the occasional local business… but my goal was always to design a site that looked “cool.” In the early 2000s I stumbled across a website […]

The post Does your website need to be beautiful? appeared first on Psychology of Web Design | 3.7 Blog.

Lately, The hype of GDPR was on high around May 25, 2018 but due to its complication and in depth detail, it was not easy for everyone to understand and get prepare for this new policy for European countries. In very simple words, GDPR stands for General...

The post Better Late Than Never To Make Your WordPress GDPR Compliant – 21 Plugins You Might Need To Know appeared first on SmashingApps.com.

Are you sure everyone on the web can easily access your website? ‘Cause if it is not accessible to everyone, you are losing some great business opportunities! This article is going to put some shades on this “web accessibility” term. Also, you will get to know why it holds so much importance in today’s digital...

There is a lot of debate going on right now in the WordPress world about the WordPress Foundation barring all ThemeForest/CodeCanyon (Envato really) authors from speaking at WordCamp events. I don't want to rehash the argument here; the best place to get it is in the original post, and the comments on it. Instead, I want to make a different point: Regardless of whether he is right or not, it's good for WordPress that Matt makes these bold choices.

It’s more important than ever to follow up with existing customers. Learn how to save a ton of time by automating your most important follow-up emails.

The post Three Essential Follow-Up Emails Every WooCommerce Store Needs appeared first on WooCommerce.

When Andrea Wilson approached me five years ago with her idea of creating a space for writers in our community separate from any offered by the University of Iowa, I must admit I was a bit skeptical,...

Growing up on the Greenfield family farm outside a little town of 500, we worked hard and learned to look out for one another.

I’ve visited with folks in every corner of Iowa during my U.S. Senate campaign. The people I hear from want the dignity of providing for their families, and to know they can get a hand up when they need it. Now, as the coronavirus threatens our communities and Washington seems more focused on pointing fingers than getting results, Iowans want to know that we can get through this and come out stronger in the end. I’ve been through tough times, and I know from my own life that the only way we get through is by pulling together.

I was 24 when my first husband, an electrical worker, was killed in a workplace accident. Social Security and hard-earned union benefits helped me get back on my feet and pursue a career where I could support my two young sons. I’ll fight to protect and strengthen Social Security so every Iowan can get that same hand up.

So, I know what it’s like to have a loved one not come home from work. When I hear about workers having to choose between staying home safely or earning a paycheck, I say no way. Since March, I’ve put out two plans calling for more testing, personal protective equipment, paid sick leave, premium pay, and stronger protections for our front-line workers.

I also believe health care is a right — not a privilege. This shouldn’t be partisan.

As a businesswoman and a mom, I know the tough decisions our small businesses and families are making right now. That’s why I’ve called for more urgent economic aid and faster help for our small businesses and workers — not more bailouts for corporate CEOs. We also need a robust infrastructure plan and to invest in more skills training to create opportunity in all of our hometowns.

None of this will happen unless we make Washington work more like we do by ending political corruption. I’m not taking a dime of corporate PAC money and I will work to overturn Citizens United, and ban dark money and corporate PACs.

Sen. Joni Ernst broke her promise to be different. Instead, she’s voted with Mitch McConnell and her corporate PAC donors for tax breaks to corporations and the wealthiest — while hardworking Iowans fall further behind.

Iowans deserve a senator who shares their grit and their resolve, who will carry the fight for our small towns and our working families in her heart. It’s how we get through this pandemic and how we create more opportunity for our state. In the Senate, I’ll never forget where I’m from or who I’m fighting for, and I’ll always put Iowa first.

Theresa Greenfield is a candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

I have been a Johnson County resident since 1977. I grew up in Clear Lake, a small farming community in North Central Iowa. I came to Iowa City after being recruited by Dan Gable to wrestle for the University of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team and placed 3rd place in the 1980 NCAA Division I.

I met my wife Teresa and we settled in Iowa City. I have two children, Melissa, 36, and Anthony, 25; and grandchildren Emma, 9, Ellie and Emilia, 4-month-old twin girls, and Jack, who passed two just before his 2nd birthday. I am a cancer survivor and support cancer research and patient support.

I was a maintenance supervisor at the old Cantebury Inn, I owned and operated Advance Property Management for 23 years and drove a school bus for First Student, Inc. While working at First Student I was one of the driving forces in the campaign for the workers to unionize with the Teamsters. I was asked to join the Teamsters as a full-time organizer after the campaign, which I did for 13 years. I found my calling as an organizer because I was able to help others stand up for themselves and really change their lives.

I made the decision to run for Johnson County supervisor because we need to bring some common sense back to Johnson County government, and run a smarter government that works for all. The supervisors need to oversee the county departments better to stop wasting county funds paying settlements to individuals because of illegal action by department employees. Rules are for everyone and if you work outside the rules there will be costs and consequences.

I want to bring new blood to the board as well as new ideas. County supervisor is a public service position of honor and trust. Being a supervisor is about following through on jobs you were elected to do for the people. The supervisors need to finish jobs that they started but never completed. You should never leave a job half done!

I hope the voters agree the Johnson County Board of Supervisors need to answer to the public for their actions and their employees. We can no long just “sweep issues under the rug.”

Dean Phinney is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

I am absolutely thrilled that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors finally has both a person of color and a female majority on the board.

Why?

Because women make decisions and guide communities in totally different ways than men do. Women have a unique ability to communicate with those who need to be heard and to understand multiple sides of any argument.

Because our entire community needs to be represented on our Board of Supervisors. In Johnson County we have a vibrant, diverse, exciting community with the potential to come together to improve the lives of all our citizens and our community.

Because by including representatives from our entire community on our governing boards, those voices have the potential to be heard, and acted upon. This is the best way for us to hear the voices of all our diverse community. Yes, there are more voices to be heard and future elections will make that difference. We have come a long way from the times when every board member was a white male. Let’s keep going!

Because in Johnson County we purport ourselves to be a liberal, inclusive and vibrant community. We are most vibrant when all of us come together, honor each other, listen to each other, work together for common goals and have fun together.

Because that is the kind of community I long to live in. A community where every voice and concern is heard and people work toward solutions together, not from the top down, but from inclusivity, listening, understanding and taking action together.

Because change is most effective when it comes the roots up, not from the top down. Women and people of color have more experience and success working in this way.

Because men want to fix things and people of color and women are more adept at changing things by listening to the voices of concern.

I am enthusiastically looking forward to working with everybody as a member of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

Royceann Porter is a candidate in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Board of Supervisors.

COVID-19 is a brutal villain, infecting millions and taking more than 185,000 lives worldwide, just over 100 of which were Iowans at the time of this writing. In the face of this, Iowans are showing the strength of their character. Individual acts of courage have become everyday occurrences. Nowhere is this truer than in our state’s long-term care centers.

The threat facing those in long-term care is unprecedented. Because many who are infected remain asymptomatic, efforts to prevent the virus from being introduced into facilities has proved difficult. Once the virus is introduced, it is hard to impede its spread — and virtually impossible without enhanced testing capabilities and more personal protective equipment (PPE) than we have access to today.

Long-term care providers have taken unprecedented steps to protect their residents, including prohibiting non-essential visitors in early March. Unfortunately, even with these measures and following guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health officials, more than 3,600 long-term care facilities nationwide have been impacted by the virus, including 13 in Iowa.

Yet, in the face of this challenge, our long-term care workers are performing with a valor we have not seen during peacetime in a generation; maybe two.

While many of us are hunkered down in our homes teleworking and spending time with our families, these caregivers are leaving their families to provide care for the loved ones of others. What these caregivers are doing and what they are sacrificing is remarkable. We owe them our gratitude, and we owe them our best efforts to address their critical needs.

Adequate PPE and routine testing for long-term care are paramount. While there has been significant attention paid to providing hospitals with PPE, it is imperative we not overlook those working in long-term care.

More than 70% of long-term care facilities nationwide report they lack enough PPE. This not only puts our caregivers at risk, it also puts the people they care for at greater risk. Preventing the introduction of the virus and containing its spread in nursing homes and assisted living facilities is one of the most important things we must do to relieve pressure on hospitals now.

Testing is a critical area where more support is needed. There are protocols in place to limit the spread of the virus once it is in a facility, including establishing isolation wings where those who have the virus are kept apart from the rest of the residents and are cared for by staff who do not interact with those in the rest of the building. But the virus leaves many of those infected without symptoms, these steps cannot be effectively implemented without broader testing.

We applaud Gov. Kim Reynolds’ recent action to broaden testing for some of Iowa’s long-term care staff. Equally important is the plan to address potential staff shortages which may result from expanded testing. Since a test result only captures an individual’s infection status for a fixed period of time, long-term care staff and residents must be prioritized at the highest level to receive ongoing testing to effectively identify infections and respond as early as possible.

Those one the front lines of this fight need the tools to confront, contain and ultimately defeat the virus. There is reason to be hopeful. Even though residents of long-term care are particularly at risk, most recover from the virus. Caregivers can do even more amazing work if we get them the tools they need: protective equipment, testing and staffing.

It is time to rally around our long-term care residents and staff, and give them the support they need and deserve.

Brent Willett is president and CEO of the Iowa Health Care Association.

I’m running for Iowa’s 2nd district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Early last fall, I found that Mariannette Miller-Meeks is running again, after three losses, and that former Illinois Congressman Bobby Schilling is an Illinoisan turned Iowan. The second district seat should be held by a true Iowa citizen legislator.

The House of Representatives was meant to be the people’s house. One where people temporarily left their home and family to serve in Washington, then returned home to resume their life. Being elected to office was never intended to be a lifetime job. If elected I will serve three terms, then return to Iowa and the private sector.

I believe our government should be small, efficient and responsive to its citizens. I would insist that all government programs are reviewed and eliminated if they are not currently serving the public’s interests. I would also push for a budget that does not grow at a higher rate than incoming revenues.

I believe that all law-abiding citizens have the right to own a gun to hunt or to protect themselves from danger. I will not support any additional restrictions placed on law-abiding citizens.

I believe all life is sacred, from conception to natural death, regardless of ability. It is not my intention to tell any woman what to do with her body. I would prefer that each women take full control of her body and the choices she makes before pregnancy occurs.

In the beginning, our country was land rich and people poor. Anyone who could make it to our country was welcome and opportunities abounded. Today, we are crowded and too many struggle to find substantial work. Immigrants are welcome, but I support only legal immigration, to mitigate how many enter the United States, while our county exercises its right to defend its borders by reasonable means, including strengthening barriers to illegal entry.

I grew up in Washington, Iowa and moved to Iowa City in my late 20s. I currently work in retail and my wife works at a food distribution plant. We have two children, ages 11 and 9, who attend public school in Iowa City. On any given day you could see me at the grocery store, the mall, at the children’s school or at their soccer game. I will be a true citizen-legislator and I would like your support.

Tim Borchardt is a candidate in the Republican primary for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.

When Andrea Wilson approached me five years ago with her idea of creating a space for writers in our community separate from any offered by the University of Iowa, I must admit I was a bit skeptical, if not defensive. Over a long coffee discussion, I shared with her a detailed look at the literary landscape of Iowa City and all of the things my organization, the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature was doing to make those assets more visible and accessible.

• Coronavirus closes the Iowa Writers’ House - for now

Despite this, Andrea mentioned the need for an “on ramp,” a way for people who don’t feel a part of that community to find their path, to access those riches. It was there, I thought to myself. She just hadn’t looked in the right place.

Then she built that ramp in the form of the Iowa Writers’ House. As she and her team defined what that ramp should look like, what role it should play, the Writers’ House evolved from being an idea with promise to a vital part of our literary infrastructure. She showed that people were hungry for further instruction. They desired more and different ways to connect with one another. These were things beyond the scope and mission of the UI and the City of Literature. She had found her niche, and filled it, nicely complementing what was offered by my organization and others.

But those services do not come without cost. Andrea and her team scrambled, using the house as a literary bed-and-breakfast that was used by many visiting writers. They scheduled workshops. They held fundraisers. But that thin margin disappeared with the onset of COVID-19. Unable to hold those workshops, to serve as a bed-and-breakfast, to provide meaningful in-person connections, the Writers’ House was unable to carry on in its current configuration.

We have every hope and expectation that the Iowa Writers’ House and Andrea will continue to be a part of our literary landscape in the future. This will come perhaps in another form, another space. Conversations have been underway for months about the needs of the literary community beyond the UI. Andrea has been a key part of those discussions, and the work that she and her team has done offer vital information about where those conversations need to go. Gaps have been identified, and while they won’t be filled in the same way, they will be filled.

These conversations join those that have been taking place in our community for decades about the need for space and support for writers and artists. As we all have realized over these past few weeks of isolation just how much we miss when we are not able to gather to create and to celebrate those creations, perhaps those conversations will accelerate and gain focus once we reconvene. The newly formed Iowa City Downtown Arts Alliance, of which we are proud to be a part, is an additional voice in that conversation.

In the meantime, we want to thank Andrea, Associate Director Alisha Jeddeloh, and the team at the Iowa Writers’ House, not just for identifying a need, but for taking the rare and valuable step of actually rolling up their sleeves and doing something to meet it.

John Kenyon is executive director of the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Like other members of the United States House, the “new normal” for Rep. Dave Loebsack involves a lot of time on the phone and in video conferences.

Although the Senate returned to Washington this past week, the House may not return to the Capitol until mid-May. As representatives work from their districts, many face the same challenges as their constituents who are working from home via various phone and video meeting platforms.

“They’re clunky, difficult, frustrating at times,” the 2nd District Democrat said after a 90-minute Energy and Commerce Committee teleconference meeting, “but we can get a lot of things done that way without necessarily going into Washington. It’s not the same by any means ... but I think we can get a lot of our work done that we have to get done even though were not there.”

If there’s an upside to the telecommuting downside, it’s that the poor connections, dropped calls and sometimes spotty internet signals highlight an issue Loebsack has been working on — Congress and the country need better broadband connectivity. A member of the Communications and Technology subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over telecommunications issues, Loebsack also serves as a co-chair of the Rural Broadband Caucus.

In one meeting, Loebsack said, a fellow committee member was unable to ask questions because the Wi-Fi signal at his home outside of a southwestern city was so poor.

“So I think we’re going to make some progress” convincing congressional colleagues of the need to connect all Americans to reliable and affordable broadband internet, Loebsack said.

“In times like these, when families are at home, millions of K-12 students do not have access to the high-speed internet needed to take classes and complete their assignments online,” he said in an announcement with House Majority Whip James Clyburn and others of a House Democratic plan to connect all Americans to high-speed internet.

When the transmission of COVID-19 slows, the need for high-speed internet connectivity will remain as well as the need for Congress to provide incentives for internet service providers to close the “broadband gap” by extending service to the las mile in rural areas and eliminate what he called “internet deserts” that exist in cities.

The plan calls for an investment of $80 billion over five years for internet infrastructure and another $5 billion over five years for low-interest financing of projects.

With more reliable connectivity, Congress could consider remote voting at times like this when members don’t want to gather in Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been cool to the idea, but Loebsack thinks members are “more open” to voting remotely.

“But we have to make sure that it’s completely secure, that the system can’t get hacked, and that votes are recorded properly,” he said.

Remote voting may be a may be a generational issue, “but I think this is doable.”

“I’m not making that prediction, but I would not be shocked if we move in that direction, especially the longer this (isolation) goes on,” Loebsack said.

Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com