Beware of the Media
New York City
It's good to be reminded of just how big the disconnect can be between reporting and reality: Don't believe everything you read in your morning newspaper.
I
was outside the Plaza Hotel last night when I re-learned this lesson.
It was shortly after Barack and Michelle Obama arrived to speak to the
less-than-1-percent who'd paid $10,000 a plate to attend a fundraiser
hosted by Sex and the City creator Darren Star. It was the president's second campaign stop of the night: He came to the Plaza directly from the home of Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker, where guests shelled out $40,000 a plate to mingle with the fashionista and Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
One of the journalists in the pool covering the president's appearance emailed a report of the arrival, writing that “the streets were lined w 1000s of people behind barriers trying for a snap of the motorcade on a gorgeous NY night.”
I was on Fifth Avenue when the motorcade came through, and I can say that's not an accurate description of the scene.
There certainly weren't thousands of people lining the streets. I'd guess there were a couple hundred, at most. And at the barrier I was behind, not a single person was there hoping to catch a glimpse of the president—New Yorkers just wanted to get home.
“Nothing's moving in the area,” a cop repeated to every inquiry. It was simply impossible to get to the West Side for around 20 minutes, as authorities prepared for the president's arrival at the hotel. Even a nearby subway station was closed. When asked how far down Fifth Avenue the closure went, the officer said, “Very far.”
“How do I get home?,” somebody asked. Wait around 20 minutes, the cop responded. People couldn't quite believe they were being inconvenienced so Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys could help the president make money. “Seriously?”
Wayuu Bag
Como parte de una delegación de altos funcionarios del sector publico y privado, recientemente tuve la oportunidad de viajar a Israel para aprender más acerca de uno de nuestros más importantes aliados en Medio Oriente. Entre los variados puntos que se tocaron estuvieron las advertencias de no ignorar la continua presencia iraní en Latinoamérica.
Según miembros del Knesset (Parlamento israelí) y miembros del ejercito israelí, Estados Unidos podría estar cometiendo un grave error al estar ignorando, o minimizando, la presencia iraní en Latinoamérica.
Como hemos estado informando en Libertad.org, varios informes confirman que Irán, al igual que otros grupos con vínculos terroristas, están aprovechando las invitaciones de algunos mandatarios latinoamericanos con tendencias antiamericanas para crear campos de entrenamiento y organizar espionaje. Entre las naciones que buscan la amistad iraní están Venezuela, Bolivia y Ecuador.
A pesar de la inminente amenaza que representa la presencia iraní en Latinoamérica para Estados Unidos y para el continente en general, se escucha poco la opinión de la administración Obama y menos aún se puede hablar de una buena política para contener este preocupante avance. Encabezado por el “líder supremo” Ali Khameni y su belicista presidente Mahmud Ahmadineyad, Irán se niega a reconocer al estado de Israel y continúa adelante con sus velados, o no tan velados, planes para tener armas nucleares.
Haciendo un recorrido por prácticamente todo el estado de Israel, la delegación pudo apreciar de primera mano la frontera de Israel con varios estados inestables como Siria – que actualmente esta masacrando a sus ciudadanos y enterrándolos en fosas comunes con el afán de reprimir el avance de la libertad y la democracia.
Los acontecimientos en Siria, al igual de la incertidumbre en Egipto y hasta en el vecino Jordán, ponen en cuestión lo que se ha llegado a denominar como la “Primavera Árabe”, el supuesto abandono del estatismo y el avance a la democracia.
En este periodo turbulento en una de las regiones más peligrosas y violentas del mundo, queda claro que lo que se necesita es una verdadera dosis de liderazgo americano, algo que se asemeje al famoso discurso que pronunció el presidente Ronald Reagan en Alemania hace 25 años, defendiendo la democracia y la libertad en su desafio al mandatario soviético Gorbachov.
Estados Unidos siempre debe estar dispuesto a defender la libertad, la democracia, los derechos humanos y ese deseo de todo ser humano de vivir libre.
Asimismo, la importancia de ayudar a la única verdadera democracia de la región, como es Israel, no puede ser más crucial en estos momentos. El Estado de Israel es una democracia que respeta los derechos humanos, cuenta con una prensa libre y respeta la libertad religiosa. Por esto, y por muchas razones, Estados Unidos debería seguir apoyando a uno de nuestros más importantes aliados, especialmente en el contexto de un Irán nuclear cuyos tentáculos llegan ahora hasta Latinoamérica.
President Obama has just opened a
floodgate of opportunity for young illegal immigrants in the United
States, but could it squeeze the aspirations of legal Americans in the
process?
Across the nation Friday, immigrant advocates and Hispanic youth groups hailed Obama’s decision to offer legal status to some undocumented immigrants under 30 as a watershed in U.S. immigration history and a long-sought victory for ambitious youths denied a chance to realize the American dream.
“I thank God for this day. It has changed my whole life,” Jorge
Acuna, 19, a college student in Silver Spring who came to the United
States with his family as a child, told a cheering crowd outside the
White House on Friday afternoon, minutes after Obama announced the new
policy. Last spring, the community college student was nearly deported
to his native Colombia. Now, under the amnesty, he will be able to
pursue his degree in engineering.
But opponents of illegal immigration warned that the policy could create significant new competition for jobs and university slots at a time of nationwide recession and numerous states’ efforts to curb public spending.
“I see a tidal wave coming,” said Brad Botwin, president of Help Save Maryland, a group that opposes legalization for undocumented immigrants. “Half of our college graduates today can’t find jobs, and the unemployment rate for high-school-aged Americans is extremely high. This is unfair to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who are out there struggling to get ahead.”
Residency not provided
Under the new policy, as many as 1.4 million undocumented immigrants under age 30 will be able to apply for the amnesty, allowing them to work and attend college legally. To be eligible, they must have been in the United States for five years, have no criminal record, and attend high school or college or be a military veteran.
The policy does not provide permanent legal residency, but it protects those who qualify from being deported and gives them a chance to renew their new status every two years. It also does not grant any public benefits, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Federal law already grants all undocumented immigrants the right to a public-school education and emergency hospital care.
The new policy could entail additional costs for administration and enforcement, however, and put pressure on state systems of higher education to meet growing demand for slots.
But it could also bring new revenue. Many illegal workers are paid in cash, and taxes or other costs are not deducted. One congressional study found that the Dream Act, a stalled proposal to grant legal residency to young immigrants who graduate from high school and attend college or join the military, would add $2.3 billion in tax revenue over 10 years.
“Texas and California will definitely benefit from this,” said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles, adding that the two states have large populations of Hispanic immigrants who will now be able to open businesses, hire people and earn more.
It's good to be reminded of just how big the disconnect can be between reporting and reality: Don't believe everything you read in your morning newspaper.
One of the journalists in the pool covering the president's appearance emailed a report of the arrival, writing that “the streets were lined w 1000s of people behind barriers trying for a snap of the motorcade on a gorgeous NY night.”
I was on Fifth Avenue when the motorcade came through, and I can say that's not an accurate description of the scene.
There certainly weren't thousands of people lining the streets. I'd guess there were a couple hundred, at most. And at the barrier I was behind, not a single person was there hoping to catch a glimpse of the president—New Yorkers just wanted to get home.
“Nothing's moving in the area,” a cop repeated to every inquiry. It was simply impossible to get to the West Side for around 20 minutes, as authorities prepared for the president's arrival at the hotel. Even a nearby subway station was closed. When asked how far down Fifth Avenue the closure went, the officer said, “Very far.”
“How do I get home?,” somebody asked. Wait around 20 minutes, the cop responded. People couldn't quite believe they were being inconvenienced so Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys could help the president make money. “Seriously?”
Wayuu BagAdvertencia de Israel sobre la presencia iraní en Latinoamérica
Como parte de una delegación de altos funcionarios del sector publico y privado, recientemente tuve la oportunidad de viajar a Israel para aprender más acerca de uno de nuestros más importantes aliados en Medio Oriente. Entre los variados puntos que se tocaron estuvieron las advertencias de no ignorar la continua presencia iraní en Latinoamérica.
Según miembros del Knesset (Parlamento israelí) y miembros del ejercito israelí, Estados Unidos podría estar cometiendo un grave error al estar ignorando, o minimizando, la presencia iraní en Latinoamérica.
Como hemos estado informando en Libertad.org, varios informes confirman que Irán, al igual que otros grupos con vínculos terroristas, están aprovechando las invitaciones de algunos mandatarios latinoamericanos con tendencias antiamericanas para crear campos de entrenamiento y organizar espionaje. Entre las naciones que buscan la amistad iraní están Venezuela, Bolivia y Ecuador.
A pesar de la inminente amenaza que representa la presencia iraní en Latinoamérica para Estados Unidos y para el continente en general, se escucha poco la opinión de la administración Obama y menos aún se puede hablar de una buena política para contener este preocupante avance. Encabezado por el “líder supremo” Ali Khameni y su belicista presidente Mahmud Ahmadineyad, Irán se niega a reconocer al estado de Israel y continúa adelante con sus velados, o no tan velados, planes para tener armas nucleares.
Haciendo un recorrido por prácticamente todo el estado de Israel, la delegación pudo apreciar de primera mano la frontera de Israel con varios estados inestables como Siria – que actualmente esta masacrando a sus ciudadanos y enterrándolos en fosas comunes con el afán de reprimir el avance de la libertad y la democracia.
Los acontecimientos en Siria, al igual de la incertidumbre en Egipto y hasta en el vecino Jordán, ponen en cuestión lo que se ha llegado a denominar como la “Primavera Árabe”, el supuesto abandono del estatismo y el avance a la democracia.
En este periodo turbulento en una de las regiones más peligrosas y violentas del mundo, queda claro que lo que se necesita es una verdadera dosis de liderazgo americano, algo que se asemeje al famoso discurso que pronunció el presidente Ronald Reagan en Alemania hace 25 años, defendiendo la democracia y la libertad en su desafio al mandatario soviético Gorbachov.
Estados Unidos siempre debe estar dispuesto a defender la libertad, la democracia, los derechos humanos y ese deseo de todo ser humano de vivir libre.
Asimismo, la importancia de ayudar a la única verdadera democracia de la región, como es Israel, no puede ser más crucial en estos momentos. El Estado de Israel es una democracia que respeta los derechos humanos, cuenta con una prensa libre y respeta la libertad religiosa. Por esto, y por muchas razones, Estados Unidos debería seguir apoyando a uno de nuestros más importantes aliados, especialmente en el contexto de un Irán nuclear cuyos tentáculos llegan ahora hasta Latinoamérica.
Young illegal immigrants’ amnesty could tighten competition for jobs, college
Jacquelyn Martin/AP -
From left, Ricky Campos, 23; Katye Hernandez, 22; and Rachelle
Robertello, 18, front, rally with other members of Casa de Maryland
outside the White House after Obama announced a policy to offer legal
status to some undocumented immigrants under the age of 30.
Across the nation Friday, immigrant advocates and Hispanic youth groups hailed Obama’s decision to offer legal status to some undocumented immigrants under 30 as a watershed in U.S. immigration history and a long-sought victory for ambitious youths denied a chance to realize the American dream.
An estimated 1.4 million children and young adults live in the United States illegally.
But opponents of illegal immigration warned that the policy could create significant new competition for jobs and university slots at a time of nationwide recession and numerous states’ efforts to curb public spending.
“I see a tidal wave coming,” said Brad Botwin, president of Help Save Maryland, a group that opposes legalization for undocumented immigrants. “Half of our college graduates today can’t find jobs, and the unemployment rate for high-school-aged Americans is extremely high. This is unfair to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who are out there struggling to get ahead.”
Residency not provided
Under the new policy, as many as 1.4 million undocumented immigrants under age 30 will be able to apply for the amnesty, allowing them to work and attend college legally. To be eligible, they must have been in the United States for five years, have no criminal record, and attend high school or college or be a military veteran.
The policy does not provide permanent legal residency, but it protects those who qualify from being deported and gives them a chance to renew their new status every two years. It also does not grant any public benefits, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Federal law already grants all undocumented immigrants the right to a public-school education and emergency hospital care.
The new policy could entail additional costs for administration and enforcement, however, and put pressure on state systems of higher education to meet growing demand for slots.
But it could also bring new revenue. Many illegal workers are paid in cash, and taxes or other costs are not deducted. One congressional study found that the Dream Act, a stalled proposal to grant legal residency to young immigrants who graduate from high school and attend college or join the military, would add $2.3 billion in tax revenue over 10 years.
“Texas and California will definitely benefit from this,” said Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles, adding that the two states have large populations of Hispanic immigrants who will now be able to open businesses, hire people and earn more.
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