BuzzFeed: "An American Guy Tries British 'Crisps' For First Time"

In an experiment that's sure to promote cross-cultural understanding and good relations, BuzzFeed Contributing Member Jay Maloney tried for the first time and reviewed a Walkers variety pack of British "crisps." He liked the Distinctively Salt & Vinegar ("THIS is what Salt and Vinegar should be. It puts domestic Lays Brand to shame quite honestly, with their use of what I assume to be white vinegar.") as well as Unmistakeably Cheese and Onion ("Holy moly guys") but not Famously Worcester Sauce ("an oddly chemical amalgamation of synthetic spice").

Others have reviewed crisps before (not a fan here and a big fan here though he stopped posting in 2013--hope he's okay). The Guardian took a trip to the biggest crisp factory in the world (belonging to Walkers) which "processes 800 tonnes of potatoes a day" and "has six, 200m-long production lines, each of which turns out three tonnes of crisps an hour." The quantity is necessary because, well, the British do eat a ton of crisps. For good reason, the Savoury Snacks Information Bureau says, as crisps are "'indisputably an integral part of the British culture.'" What about American chips? This might satisfy your curiosity.

How to spend your days if you ever find yourself in beautiful Begur, Spain

11am - Wake up and go get a coffee and croissant at cafe down the street; 12pm - Go to beach and lie there for a while and then go in water; 1pm - Drink sangria sold in to-go cups on the beach; 2pm - Go to lunch and sit for two hours and drink at le…

11am - Wake up and go get a coffee and croissant at cafe down the street; 12pm - Go to beach and lie there for a while and then go in water; 1pm - Drink sangria sold in to-go cups on the beach; 2pm - Go to lunch and sit for two hours and drink at least one bottle of wine; 4pm – I’m tired, let’s siesta; 6:30pm – Check office email; 7pm - Gin and tonics and tapas; 8:30pm - Evening stroll in plaza and around town to look at medieval castle on top of hill (see above); 10pm - Time for dinner; 12am - Did we eat enough today? No, how about we get gelato and crêpes? 

The Daily Beast: "How the US Sold Out Indian Asylum Seekers On the Border"

While much of the recent news from the US/Mexico border concerns the surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America--which we've discussed here and here--The Daily Beast also looks into the story of approximately seventy Sikhs from India who applied for political asylum at the border last fall. Despite passing the "credible fear" interview, which should allow them to be released to a relative while waiting for their hearing, many were detained indefinitely in the El Paso, Texas facility. Frustrated with their treatment, they organized a hunger strike (incidentally, not the only hunger strike at immigration detention centers). The Daily Beast reports:

During the first few days of the hunger strike, according to a lawyer representing some of the men, ICE agents threatened to force-feed the detainees. When that tactic failed to break the strike, the Sikhs received a visitor: a representative from the Indian consulate in Houston. According to statements from the detainees and an attorney representing some of them, N.P.S. Saini was called to convince the men to end their hunger strike, give up their asylum claims, and go home. If true, this would be a violation of American laws on amnesty, which explicitly prohibit the disclosure of any information that links an asylum seeker’s identity to the fact that they’ve applied for asylum.

John Lawit, an immigration lawyer representing six of the men, notes in the Texas Observer that El Paso is the toughest venue for asylum cases in the country (with an eighty-seven percent denial rate for asylum; the national average is fifty percent). “'I’ve been practicing there for 35 years, and it’s always been that way,' he says."

Briana Cornelius: The DLG-Proust-Actors Studio Questionnaire

“I’m an old person now,” Briana says and laughs. She’s talking about her predilection to stay home with a nice glass of wine and also, of course, to study long hours, the good law student she is. Briana is our Summer Associate (along with Carolyn), who is back at Daryanani & Bland after having worked previously for three years at the firm as a Paralegal and Office Manager (we affectionately called her BOM—Best Office Manager).

But she is not old. She’s only twenty-five with a bright future ahead of her. Born and raised in San Diego, California, Briana moved to Manhattan in 2006 to attend New York University (move-in day of freshman year was her first time in the City), and upon graduation she joined Daryanani & Bland fulltime. After her stint as “Best Office Manager” (Protima laughs and says: “No comment”), Briana left last year to attend William and Mary Law School (where she made Law Review!).

“My first semester was tough,” she says, “but I really got into it second semester. I like law. I’m sure it’s been said before, but law school for me has been useful in how it teaches you to approach and to think about things. I’m learning that there’s not an answer to many things. You can research and research and not find an answer, because there is no answer. You have to think of what the answer should be. You have to make the best argument. It’s difficult but it’s also an appealing aspect.” 

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The Guardian and Bloomberg: What Will Obama do?

Congress began a five-week recess without passing any legislation to address immigration reform or the current border surge.  President Obama says he now intends "to act alone." The Guardian explores the options available to the President, from extending Deferred Action to the parents of DACA recipients or parents of children born in the United States, to Parole in Place, to new procedures and standards for deportation. 

It will be interesting to see how far the President goes. Many, including the President himself, believe he extended his administrative powers to their limits last year in providing Deferred Action for the DREAMERS.  Bloomberg highlights this aspect of the problem stating:

“Among the actions being considered is granting some of the 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally work permits that would allow them to stay in the country, according to a Democratic Senate aide and immigration advocates.

That’s sure to reignite Republican accusations that Obama exceeding his constitutional authority, one of their main campaign themes for November’s midterm elections. The Republican-controlled House last month voted to sue Obama over implementation of his signature health-care law.”

Some Republicans are even going as far as stating that they would call for impeachment if the President stretched his powers too far.  Stay tuned.  We will be sure to post updates as soon as we have them.

 

The Museum of Moving Image

How many YouTube videos do you watch per day? What are your favorite classic films? How many episodes of Breaking Bad have you crammed into one weekend? The subject of these questions, however diverse, is moving image, and this, as the name suggests, is what The Museum of Moving Image is all about. Located in Astoria, Queens in New York, the museum takes visitors on a journey to discover the history of filmmaking as well as modern phenomena and trends in the medium of moving image.

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Border Surge Update: Children Reuniting with their Parents

It is estimated that more than 57,000 unaccompanied minors have crossed the US-Mexico border in the last several months, overwhelming the border agents and immigration courts seeking to stem the tide, as well as communities and legal resources seeking to help them. Most of these children are fleeing severe poverty, and many are fleeing gang and drug violence. Many of these children are also coming to reunite with their parents, immigrants living without legal status in the US. ABC News features a story of one young woman from Guatemala, 19-year old Washington, D.C. resident Cindy Monge, who made the journey herself when she was only 11 years old. Like many of the children coming now, Cindy had never met her father and rarely saw her mother when she left home in 2006 to reunite with her family.

The New York Times reports that a “vast majority” of the children coming to the US now are coming, at least in part, to reunite with their families. According to the article, Government officials are aware that many of the sponsors are also living illegally in the US. Since there is no requirement that a sponsor taking in a child be lawfully present in the US, many of these parents have quickly reclaimed their children. According to the article, those children who are not claimed remain in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is frantically scouring the country looking for suitable shelters to house the children as they process asylum claims and go through removal proceedings.