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Vol. 34 • No. 17 • 16 Pages • 2 Sections • 50 cents • 713-774-5140 • www.voiceofasia.news • E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Trump vows immigration halt for 60 days, virus roils world economy

by Michael Mathes

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ASHINGTON | AFP | 4/21/2020 - Donald Trump vowed to temporarily ban immigration to the United States for 60 days to combat the “invisible enemy” of the coronavirus, as the pandemic threatens to push the global economy into freefall.

The president’s late-night Tweet was scant on details but suggested a hardening of his anti-immigration crusade, a move likely to delight Trump’s supporters ahead of November elections.

The threat came as the death toll from US President Donald Trump calls for temporary ban on immigration saying he the virus surpassed 170,000 worldwide, wants to protect American workers. (AFP Photo/MANDEL NGAN) sending economies into a tailspin as

governments anxiously try to chart a path out of the crisis.

Freezes on whole sectors of commerce are playing out dramatically on oil markets, where shrinking energy demand and a supply glut have crashed prices.

In hard-hit Europe, some countries are cautiously creeping out from confinement to soften the economic costs, though large gatherings appear to be out of the question for the forseeable future.

While Germany is allowing smaller shops to reopen, authorities cancelled Oktoberfest, a beloved beer-swilling

Hundreds protest against US virus rules

by Joseph Prezioso with Catherine Triomphe in New York

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Sunday 4/18/2020 Hundreds protested Saturday in cities across America against coronavirus-related lockdowns -- with encouragement from President Donald Trump -as resentment grows against the crippling economic cost of confinement.

An estimated 400 people gathered under a cold rain in Concord, New Hampshire -- many on foot while others remained in their cars -- to send a message that extended quarantines were not necessary in a state with relatively few confirmed cases of

COVID-19.

The crowd included several armed men wearing military-style uniforms, with their faces covered.

In Texas, more than 250 people rallied outside the State Capitol in Austin, including far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, founder of the Infowars site, who rolled up in a tank-like truck.

“It’s time to reopen Texas, it’s time to let people work, it’s time for them to let voluntary interaction and good sense rule the day, not government force,” said Justin Greiss, an activist with Far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones addresses a “Reopen America” Young Americans for Liberty. rally at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas. (AFP Photo) Continued on Page 3

festival in southern Bavaria, for the first time since World War II. Spain also announced it was scrapping its annual bull-running festival in Pamplona, a centuries-old tradition that normally draws hundreds of thousands.

The US is now home to the world’s deadliest outbreak, with more than 42,000 people killed and 784,000 infected nationwide.

As the downturn starts to bite, President Trump has stoked conflict with Continued on Page 3

Haircut being given inside restaurant caught on camera

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OUSTON, Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - People at one Houston-area restaurant apparently took advantage of the lack of dine-in customers during the COVID-19 pandemic to perform some salon duties instead.

A woman driving by a Wings N More took video of a someone giving a haircut inside the restaurant which was open for pick-up and delivery.

Taylor DeVault posted the video on her Facebook page on Thursday night and said what she saw was “unacceptable and unsanitary.”

DeVault said the video was

taken at the Wings N More at 8400 Highway 6.

DeVault said in her post, “Tonight we couldn’t get an answer on the intercom or at the window because this is what the employees were doing inside. So much for social distancing & non essential closed salons. Need a haircut? Just pull up at wings n more they got you!”

The restaurant is not owned

by Wings N More, but is independently owned. We reached out to the manager of the store about the incident and were told “no comment.”

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Page 2 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

VOICE OF ASIA

COMMUNITY Second Front Page

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

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Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF) donates reusable and disposable facial masks to Houston communities to raise funds to extend support to Houston during disasters such as Hurricane Harvey by contributing $200,000 to the Houston Mayor’s Harvey Relief Fund.

IACF has donated several millions of dollars in funding over the past three decades to Houston based non-profit organizations such as Houston Food Bank, Search Homeless Services, Turning Point and Reach Unlimited to name a few.

IACF President Joseph Zenith Ellankil handed over 5000 reusable and disposable face masks to Fort Bend County Judge K.P. George as their

first batch of donation.

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or over three decades, Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF) has appealed to the philanthropic spirit of the Indo-American community in Houston to target four key areas; education, family welfare, general giving and healthcare.

IACF’s motto is “We Live Here, We Give Here”, and its mission is to bridge the Indo-American community and the mainstream causes.

As the current threat from the Pandemic, COVID-19 virus, is amplified, so too are our efforts.

IACF board, members, and volunteers are providing credible and valuable information from well- respected organizations through its website and email communication. We have many prominent Houston based Health Care Professionals in our organization, and this information is shared at their recommendation.

At the beginning of April 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) issued their recommendations for individuals, who are not first responders, to wear facial coverings when in public places or when social distancing was not possible.

Prior to the above recommendation coming out, IACF members and volunteers, based on the recommendation of the Doctors on its board, were already working diligently to provide three-layer reusable cotton fabric facial masks with a MERV 11 filter insert, to the frontline healthcare workers and the elderly. Since then IACF has amplified its effort by employing professional tailors.

IACF members and volunteers dropping off the disposable face masks at various locations.

Turning Point Center, Veterans Affairs Hospital, and LyondellBasell’s Channelview site. It has also delivered 5000 reusable and disposable face masks to Fort Bend County as the first batch. Fort Bend County Judge Hon. K.P. George has personally received the donation along with other Fort Bend County IACF has delivered 600 re- Emergency Management Ofusable facial coverings to the ficials. IACF President Joseph

Among the many accomplishments attained by IACF, some groundwork examples include, parent-child educational workshops for students in inner city schools, providing meals and volunteers for family dinner nights at pre-schools for homeless children and providing free flu shots to the elderly homeless population.

Zenith Ellankil handed over the donation in the presence of few other IACF Board Members and supporters. “The vision and planning of making facial masks by IACF is very timely and commendable.”, said Hon. Judge George. He also thanked the support of IACF to the local communities.

More reusable facial masks and disposable surgical masks are scheduled for Fort Bend County and Harmony House.

The group has a plan of donating more than 20,000 masks and is working with Harris County to assist their Emergency Management team with their facial covering needs.

IACF is a 100% volunteer organization, run by a dedicated group of board members and volunteers. This helps the organization to keep its expenses to a minimum and maximize the funding that can be distributed annually. IACF members and officers have been instrumental in supporting the Houston area organizations and communities during major disasters to normal situations. IACF has been able

Family members volunteer in preparing the masks for donations.

Page 3 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS People over politics on PPP funding

by Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas), Opinion Contributor

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lizabeth Taylor is the founder of HR Backbone, a small business in the Houston area district that I represent. Last week she sent me a plea for help. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the multi-billion dollar federal program to keep businesses like HR Backbone afloat while COVID-19 economic restrictions remain in effect, was out of money — and Elizabeth was out of time.

“I need help to stay in business and feed my family until this crisis is over,” Elizabeth said. “One of my clients can no longer pay me and the work at my other

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three has diminished significantly. Please implore Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to consider those in my situation. We need help.”

Sadly, Elizabeth’s situation is not unique. Neither is her appeal to House Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-N.Y.). Less than one month ago, a final vote on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that created PPP was held up in the House due to Democratic demands that the bill include unrelated provisions for everything from climate change studies to forced early voting.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and Congress passed a CARES Act that focused on the health and economic security of the American people as well as a promise from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin that if the funding well on PPP runs dry “the President has made clear that … he’s going to go back to Congress.”

The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that after issuing 1,661,397 loans from 4,975 lenders totaling $350 billion, PPP funds had been ex-

hausted. Pelosi and Schumer are again putting politics over people at the negotiating table, tacking on demands unrelated to replenishing PPP funding while small businesses facing extinction are hitting a wall.

The list of impacted businesses goes on. “Our business was forced to close by local county government and faced with steep fines and jail if we tried to open,” Steve Cone of JP Bombers in Houston shared with me.

“This is a no-fault-of-our-own problem and we are now facing possible bankruptcy as a result of government action. Business that are forced to close should have received first consideration for funding. This has all the ingredients of government tyranny at its finest. Forced closure of a legitimate business with no help on the other end.”

James Plimper of Assure Rx Consulting in Pearland, Texas, is also feeling abandoned by a government requiring him to alter his business due to COVID-19.

“I have not let go of any employees,” he shared. “I applied for this loan a week ago. I was notified by the bank today we would not be receiving the mon-

ey because the government fund has been exhausted. This money is needed for payroll to keep me from laying off staff. I feel like my company is so small I am being overlooked.”

The longer Democrats dither on providing critically needed financial support for small businesses, the sooner PPP transforms in the eyes of the American people from the “Paycheck Protection Program” into a “Partisan Political Problem.”

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Reports indicate a House vote on new of PPP funding could be as soon as this Wednesday — and not a moment too soon. Elizabeth Taylor, Steve Cone, James Plimper and the thousands of other small business owners who employ 58.9 million Americans need the help of Congress right now to survive this national crisis.

Pete Olson represents the 22nd District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill

A long Texas road trip for 525,000 masks

OUSTON, Texas | AFP | Wednesday 4/14/2020 - All it took was one little call to spur Tom Banning into action, undertaking a giant mission across a very large state -- distributing 525,000 masks to health care providers around Tex- it cannot be used,” she said. as, a sprawling landmass roughly - ‘System design failure’ the size of France.

Hundreds protest against virus rules...

Continued from Page 1

Stay-at-home mother Amira Abuzeid added: “I’m not a doctor but I’m an intelligent person who can do math and it looks like at the end of the day, these numbers are not that worrisome.”

Few if any observed social distancing recommendations.

Demonstrators outside Maryland’s colonial-era statehouse in Annapolis stayed in their cars but waved signs with messages like “Poverty kills too.”

Dolores, a hairdresser, told AFP she is not eligible for unemployment because she is a business owner, not an employee.

“I need to save my business. I need to work to live. Otherwise I will die,” she said.

Other demonstrations took place across the country in cities such as Columbus, Ohio and San Diego, California, as well as the states of Indiana, Nevada and Wisconsin.

Few practiced social distancing but many of the protesters waved American flags.

- ‘Live Free or Die’ Protesters have drawn encouragement in certain Democratic-led states from tweets by Trump, who has said he favors a quick return to normal, though protests have also taken place in Republican-led states like New Hampshire and Texas.

The US has seen more coronavirus cases and deaths than any other country in the world -- with more than 734,000 confirmed infections and 38,800 fatalities as of Saturday evening.

The vast majority of Americans are under lockdown orders restricting public movement and keeping all but essential businesses closed.

In Concord, demonstrators carried signs with slogans like “The numbers lie” and “Reopen New Hampshire.”

Their common demand was that the stay-at-home order for the state of 1.3 million people

be called off before its scheduled May 4 end date.

Others, amid a sea of American flags, chanted the state’s Revolutionary War-era slogan, “Live Free or Die.” “People are very happy on a voluntary basis to do what’s necessary,” one demonstrator, 63-year-old Skip Murphy, told AFP by phone.

He added, however, that “the data does not support the egregious lockdown we are having in New Hampshire.”

As of early Friday, New Hampshire had reported 1,287 confirmed coronavirus cases and 37 deaths.

- ‘Free country’ “All over the country, a lot of people are saying, ‘We will do our part, but at the same time, this is supposed to be a free country,’” Murphy said.

“When that gets transgressed, people start to say, ‘Wait a minute, this is wrong.’”

Most Americans -- by a twoto-one margin -- actually worry about virus restrictions being lifted too soon, not too late, a recent Pew survey found.

But demonstrators found encouragement Friday from the president, who in a series of tweets called to “LIBERATE” Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia -- all states with Democratic governors -- from stay-athome orders.

Trump has repeatedly called for the earliest possible return to normality as virus-related closings have had a crushing impact on American workers and businesses.

“I really think some of the governors have gotten carried away,” Trump said at a White House news conference on Saturday.

He welcomed the reopening of some businesses in Texas and Vermont on Monday “while still requiring appropriate social dis-

In mid-March, amid the emerging US coronavirus outbreak, the doctor was contacted by a golf buddy who had come into possession of hundreds of thousands of professional-grade masks from Mexico and wondered whether Banning knew anyone who might be in need.

“The whole state is looking for this PPE!” Banning said, using the acronym for personal protective equipment -- vital everyday items such as masks and gowns that health care professionals depend on to protect themselves.

Banning, who is also CEO of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, had an address book brimming with doctors about to close their clinics for lack of such items.

The next day, Banning went to examine the precious cargo -- lo and behold a moving van filled with 350 boxes, each containing 1,500 high-quality masks similar to the N-95 masks recommended by American health authorities.

Thus began the equipment’s odyssey to a constellation of far-flung Texas cities, from San Antonio to Dallas, with a number of rural hospitals in between -- and all in one day.

- ‘Better protection’ “I got on the phone and immediately started calling some practices that I knew were seeing high volumes of potentially COVID-19 patients,” Banning said.

Jumping in his car, with his 12-year-old son along for the ride, Banning headed to Houston, in east Texas, to drop off a shipment to the team of caregivers tending to the city’s first declared cases.

Meanwhile, with Banning coordinating, a health care network dispatched a driver to take masks to Dallas and San Antonio, while a rural hospital association sent a plane to pick up some 60,000 of the masks.

The father-son duo distributed some 3,000 remaining masks to doctors in the Austin region over the following days.

Erica Swegler, one of those physicians, said it was “very reassuring to both myself and my staff” to have the masks.

Her office had not been able to obtain any professional-grade masks save for a few brought in by patients.

Now her team has four masks per person, which they use in rotation.

“As these were intended to be single-use items, this is not ideal but we feel it gives us better protection than using an inferior mask,” she said.

For the moment, “our only option is to use our current equipment until it is soiled to the point

The shipment of masks came from the Mexican border town of Matamoros, but Banning refused to detail their exact origin in order to protect the “safety” of the manufacturer and people bringing them across.

The 47-year-old doctor said, however, that the masks “work great.”

And while they were not certified by the US Food and Drug Administration, having been made in Mexico, “they are a hell of a lot better than a bandana or nothing at all,” he said.

Tom Banning, who helped organize delivery of some 525,000 masks “We wouldn’t put soldiers into across Texas, is pictured in Austin on April 9 .K(risty Banning Family battle the way that we’re equip- Handout/AFP) ping our healthcare frontline physicians and others,” he added. eralizing mask supply and distri- organize distribution of such reBanning said he dreams of fed- bution -- as it stands, US states sources themselves.

Trump vows immigration halt as virus roils world economy...

Continued from Page 1 Democratic state governors by lending support to a spate of anti-lockdown protests.

He also drew criticism with his vague announcement to temporarily halt immigration to the country, claiming it would save American jobs -- some 22 million of which have vanished in the wake of the virus.

“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” he tweeted.

The White House did not provide any further details about the measure or how long it would last.

California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris shot back, accusing Trump of “shamelessly politicizing this pandemic to double down on his anti-immigrant agenda.”

- Fear lingers in Wuhan Debates are raging worldwide over when and how to relax clampdowns on business and ordinary life.

Many governments fear triggering another wave of infections but are also worried about the mounting economic costs and signs of social tension.

In Europe, several countries including Germany, Austria, Norway and Denmark have begun to relax restrictions while still calling for the public to practice social distancing.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has also promised to soon unveil a plan to start reopening the hard-hit country.

In a sign of what lies ahead, the gradual awakening of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus first emerged, remains tinged with fear about fresh outbreaks of the dis-

ease.

“Every day, a women is abused, raped or beaten at home by her partner or her ex,” said Ada Rico, from the NGO La Casa del Encuentro.

The industrial city was released from quarantine two weeks ago, but many restaurants, for instance, have not reopened or are still only able to offer outdoor seating and “In normal times, we would help takeout. her to file a complaint. These days, “We have very, very few cus- the urgency is to get her out of the tomers,” said Han, the 27-year-old house as quickly as possible.” owner of a soy drink stall.

- Oil in turmoil -

“Everyone is worried about asFinancial markets continued their ymptomatic infected people,” she roller-coaster ride after US crude said. “Business is just not as good futures sunk below zero for the first as before.” time on Monday, sending world eqSingapore, meanwhile, has be- uities spiralling. come a sober example of how infections may ebb and flow, with the financial hub extending lockdown measures Tuesday as it battles a second wave of contagion.

With energy demand sharply down and storage options running out, many traders preferred to effectively pay someone to take the oil off their hands.

“Many will be disappointed by On Twitter Trump ordered his adthe extension,” Prime Minister Lee ministration to come up with a plan Hsien Loong said, acknowledging to aid US oil companies. that businesses and workers were “We will never let the great U.S. “hurting greatly”.

Oil & Gas Industry down,” he - Hunger, abuse wrote.

Elsewhere, there is fear over The aviation sector has also been how the most vulnerable will sur- hammered particularly hard by the vive lockdowns that breed their global economic pause, with cashown dangers. strapped Virgin Australia announcThe number of people around the ing Tuesday it had entered volunworld suffering from acute hunger tary administration -- the largest could nearly double to 265 mil- airline so far to collapse. lion this year due to the economic Meanwhile, activists warned impact of the pandemic, the UN’s that press freedom was becoming World Food Programme warned. another victim of the virus, with The virus is “potentially cata- countries like China and Iran acstrophic for millions who are al- cused of censoring reporting on the ready hanging by a thread,” the crisis.

WFP’s Senior Economist Arif HuSome regimes are taking “adsain said in a statement. vantage of the fact people are In many parts of the world, in- stunned...to impose measures cluding Latin America, weeks of that would be impossible to adopt confinement have also seen a surge in normal times”, Christophe in calls to helplines for victims of Deloire, the secretary general of domestic abuse.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Eighteen women have been told AFP. killed by their partner or ex-partSimilarly “in Eastern Europe ners during the first 20 days of Ar- and Central Asia, strongmen are gentina’s mandatory quarantine. consolidating their grip on news Appeals to helplines have also and information,” the watchdog warned. shot up nearly 40 percent.

Page 4 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

Family Health

Section 1

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

USADA tries ‘virtual’ testing amid COVID-19 pandemic

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OS ANGELES | AFP | 4/18/2020 - The US Anti-Doping Agency has come up with a novel random testing program to cope with the unique circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic.

With the United States, like much of the world, under lockdown as authorities try to slow the spread of the virus, USADA has launched a program in which athletes collect blood and urine samples from themselves at home, while being monitored remotely on Zoom or FaceTime by testing personnel.

The test kits were sent to athletes, who must produce samples when they receive an unannounced call from a doping control officer.

The officer watches the blood sample being taken, but urine samples are provided in private.

The samples are sealed under the eye of the doping control officer and sent to an accredited lab for testing.

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart told the New York Times that plenty of top US Olympic hopes were eager to sign up for the pilot project.

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Lyles and Allyson Felix were among those who volunteered.

“We’ve been talking about this and laying the foundation for several months,” Tygart told the newspaper.

“COVID put that on fast forward and allowed us to roll it out.”

Ledecky said she “felt very comfortable” administering her

USADA has built safeguards into the system to limit opportunities for cheating.

Although athletes are not observed during collection of urine, they show the monitoring officer the bathroom that will be used, they are timed and the temperature of the sample is recorded to lessen the chances of sample tampering or sample substitution.

Scientists from Boston University, the Ohio State University and Yale University will lead teams for the American Heart Association’s ENACT: End Nicotine Addiction in Children and Teens Research Initiative

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ALLAS, April 21, 2020 — The ENACT: End Nicotine Addiction in Children and Teens Research Initiative is funding ground-breaking research to fill a critical need for clear scientific knowledge in this area. This is the latest in a multipronged, ongoing commitment announced last fall by the American Heart Association — the world’s leading voluntary organization dedicated to a world of longer, healthier lives — to fight the growing epidemic of youth vaping.

The American Heart Association has funded more than $4.6 billion in cardiovascular research since 1949. (File photo)

VAPERACE — Led by Naomi Hamburg, M.D., the Joseph A. Vita, MD Professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, this team will establish the Rapidly Advancing Discovery to Arrest the Outbreak of Youth Vaping Center and will include four intersecting projects at Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University and the University of Louisville.

These projects include: basic research using human induced pluripotent stem cell samples to test the toxicity of the components of e-cigarettes; mobile health technology to measure the physiological cardiovascular impacts of e-cigarettes on youth in real-world settings and a virtual reality and text messaging delivered e-cigarette cessation program for youth developed by combining social media methods with focus groups.

VERIFY: A Comprehensive Approach to Understanding and Ending Youth E-cigarette Addiction — Led by Peter Mohler, Ph.D., the vice dean for research and director of the Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute at the Ohio State College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, this team comprised of investigators in the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Engineering and the Comprehensive Cancer Center will work to provide answers about the short- and long-term health effects of e-cigarettes, including their impact on the brain, lungs, and heart; the most effective regulations to reduce the appeal and addictiveness of e-cigarettes for youth; and the best methods to help youth addicted to e-cigarettes quit. Team VERIFY: Vaping’s End through Research and Innovation For Youth will recruit

youth for a year-long study to look at the relationship between nicotine form, concentration and flavorings on youth e-cig use, addiction, neurocognitive outcomes and pulmonary health compared to healthy peers. They will also study the influence of nicotine form, concentration and flavor on youth puffing behavior, nicotine delivery, abuse liability, toxicant exposure and acute cardiovascular and pulmonary effects; and they will develop and test a multi-point, scalable vaping cessation program to include quit-line-delivered phone counseling, text-based cessation, nicotine replacement therapy and online cessation support.

Understanding and Treating E-cigarette Use Among Youth — Led by Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, this team will develop and test several youth-based programs and conduct clinical and behavioral research to learn more about the effect of youth e-cigarette use.

They plan to develop a high school-based intervention to educate youth about e-cigarettes, prevent initiation of vaping, promote quitting among those who already use e-cigarettes and change attitudes and perceptions toward e-cigarettes school-wide.

They will also develop a cessa-

Tel: 713-774-5140

How Social Security and Medicare insurance work together

ocial Security and Medicare are social safety programs that Americans pay into during their working years through taxes. Both are designed to assist older Americans and distribute benefits to the disabled and their families. Social Security provides financial support, and Medicare is a health insurance program that helps cover doctor visits, hospital stays and other medical treatments.

While the programs are sepaUSADA has launched a program in which athletes collect blood and rate, Social Security and Medicare urine samples from themselves at home, while being monitored remotely are intertwined in several ways. online by testing personnel. (AFP Photo/Miguel Medina) Here, we look at the connections between the two programs as well Freestyle swimming great Ka- first self test this week at her as what to expect when applying for benefits. tie Ledecky and athletes Noah home in California.

Nearly $17 million invested in research to fast-track studies on health impacts of e-cigarettes and nicotine on youth

“E-cigarettes are being marketed as a healthy option to traditional cigarettes, but no one knows if vaping is safe in the long run because e-cigarettes haven’t been around long enough to be studied deeply. Some diseases can take years and even decades to develop, so there is more work needed to fully understand all the dangers,” said American Heart Association volunteer president Robert A. Harrington, M.D., FAHA, Arthur L. Bloomfield Professor of Medicine and chair of the department of medicine at Stanford University. “There’s certainly plenty of indication they’re harmful for growing minds and bodies because we know e-cigarettes contain nicotine and we know the harmful effects of nicotine, but it’s important we grow that overall body of scientific evidence.”

Harrington said there’s a sense of urgency because, at a time when regular cigarette smoking has reached an all-time low, young people are turning to e-cigarettes at epidemic proportions with nearly one in four high school students reportedly vaping. That’s why these research projects will be high-impact and fast tracked, only two years in length and funded at levels among the highest individual grants awarded in the Association’s history. The initiative is designed to produce turnkey programs to support youth as well as provide clear evidence to inform policy decisions.

Research teams from Boston University, the Ohio State University and Yale University will be working over the next two years to identify the biological impacts of vaping on multiple organ systems (heart, brain, lungs, vascular, etc.), behavioral factors and specific social influencers of health to reverse these trends.

The projects, funded for two years, include:

www.voiceofasia.news

Both Social Security and Medicare are national programs managed by different organizations within the federal government.

Social Security is run by the Social Security Administration, whereas Medicare is run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Social Security Administration determines who is eligible to receive Social Security benefits as well as which individuals qualify for Medicare. Additionally, the Social Security Administration carries out a lot of the administrative functions for Medicare.

parts, including Part A for stays in a hospital or nursing home and some home health care, Part B for doctor services, outpatient care and medical supplies, and Part D for prescription drugs. Medicare does not provide coverage for certain health expenses, including long-term care, dental, eye exams and hearing aids.

Workers who are eligible for Social Security can begin their benefits any time between ages 62 and 70. The longer they wait, the higher the benefit they are locking in for the rest of their life.

Those who begin their benefits before their full retirement age, which is set by the Social Security Administration and determined by birth year, will received a reduced amount in benefits. Seniors who enroll when they reach full retirement age can expect 100% of their benefit. Individuals who apply after their full retirement age will receive an increased benefit, which can be as much as 8% more a year, until age 70.

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900

curity Administration to apply for Medicare benefits.

Individuals enrolled in Medicare need to pay for the coverage. The exact amount owed can vary, depending on a person’s retirement income and the health plans they select. Most people don’t have to pay a premium for Medicare Part A. Medicare Part B premiums are income-dependent. Most people in 2020 are paying $144.60 per month for Part B. Prescription drug coverage premiums for Part D are also based on income.

An individual’s benefit amount is determined by applying a formula to the income earned during working years. Your Social Security benefit is based on your 35 highest-earning years. To apply, workers can fill out a form online, For those receiving Social SeTo be eligible for Social Secu- call the Social Security Adminisrity, workers must earn enough tration or visit their local Social curity benefits and enrolled in Medicare automatically and the credits while they are employed. Security office. premiums for Medicare Part B are The minimum number of credits In contrast, Medicare for seniors usually automatically deducted for most workers is 40 credits. The amount of earnings needed for one begins when they turn 65. If you from Social Security payments. credit is $1,410 in 2020, and indi- are already collecting Social Secu- Individuals who are enrolled in viduals can earn up to four credits rity benefits by the time you turn Medicare but are not receiving So65, you will automatically be en- cial Security will receive monthper year. rolled in Medicare Parts A and B ly or quarterly bills for Medicare premiums. Source: US News and To receive Medicare, individ- upon turning 65.

CMS uals usually need to be age 65 or Individuals who aren’t receivolder. Medicare is also available To enroll in suitable Medicare to some younger Americans with ing Social Security benefits at age disabilities and those with perma- 65 will not automatically receive Advantage Plan, Medicare Supnent kidney failure which requires Medicare. Those who haven’t en- plemental Plan or Medicare Predialysis or a transplant. The Medi- rolled in Social Security by age 65 scription Drug Plan contact Sudhir care program consists of different will need to contact the Social Se- Mathuria 713-771-2900

Researchers uncover mechanisms of protective antibody response during deadly Marburg virus infection Virus causes hemorrhagic fever often leading to death

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navirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 disease, but there are other viral families that continue to cause deadly human disease.

One of these viral families are the filoviruses, which includes Ebola and Marburg viruses. There are currently no vaccines or drugs approved for human use to protect against the Marburg virus, which causes severe and often lethal disease in people. The largest known outbreak of Marburg virus occurred in 2004-2005 in Angola, which had a 90 percent case fatalCertainly, the virus that is on ev- ity rate, according to the Centers eryone’s mind is the novel coro- for Disease Control and Preven-

tion.

tion program that will use smartphone-based contingency management for nicotine abstinence in combination with individualized, cognitive behavioral therapy. Further, they plan to develop and pilot a computerized cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for youth e-cigarette users.

Finally, the team will develop a measure of e-cigarette withdrawal in youth and assess the relationship between withdrawal, dependence, treatment outcomes and e-cigarette characteristics such as flavors and devices.

“The rapid pace of e-cigarette products entering the market and

In an earlier study, the researchers isolated a large panel of monoclonal antibodies from immune B cells of a person who survived a natural Marburg infection. In the current study, they analyzed the monoclonal antibodies and learned that two of them revealed unique biological properties that protect against natural Marburg infection. These monoclonal antibodies bind to the envelope protein of Marburg virus called glycoprotein but do not kill the virus.

Instead, they recruit immune cells that contribute by killing infected cells. In addition, one of these antibodies rearranges the glycoprotein in a way that facilitates access for other antibodies that are able to kill the virus, thus strengthening the protective effect.

ALVESTON, Texas – A detailed study of the monoclonal antibodies from a person who survived a Marburg infection led researchers to identify novel mechanisms that contribute protection against the disease, according to the latest findings of a collaborative team led by The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The findings are now available in Cell Host & Microbe.

targeting our youth requires an ambitious, aggressive approach beyond the incremental pace achieved through traditional research mechanisms. Policymakers, regulators, medical professionals and schools are looking to enact strategies, policies and solutions but there’s inadequate evidence to inform these efforts,” Harrington said. “The American Heart Association is proud to be on the forefront of bringing together some of the best minds in their fields to conduct the research, development and testing to bring bold and innovative results to address the growing epidemic of youth vaping.”

“Antibodies are currently the most promising platform for developing post-exposure treatments for Marburg virus infection and are critical tools for design of improved vaccines,” said senior author Alex Bukreyev, a UTMB virologist in the departments of Pathology and Microbiology & Immunology who led the UTMB team that performed the study.

“Understanding the mechanisms of antibody-mediated protection during Marburg virus infection is also useful for understanding antibody protection against other viral pathogens, including SARSCoV-2, which causes COVID-19.”

To study the protective effect of the monoclonal antibodies, mice were infected with Marburg virus and then given a single antibody dose 24 hours later. All of the mice who received the antibodies survived the Marburg infection, which would have otherwise been uniformly lethal.

Page 5 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

ASIA/SOUTH ASIA Flickers of joy in China’s virus ground zero mask deep fears

Kohli ‘howled’ all night after team rejection

by Jing Xuan Teng

W

UHAN, China | AFP | 4/21/2020 -A bride in a long white gown poses by Wuhan’s East Lake with her groom, face masks off momentarily as a photographer snaps pre-wedding photos.

At a nearby park in the central Chinese city, a grandfather swings his tiny grandson in a hammock strung between trees while families with tents and picnic mats make the most of a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Signs of life unimaginable during the recently ended lockdown at the coronavirus pandemic’s ground zero have appeared in recent days, as Wuhan returns to work and play days after lifting a 76-day quarantine on April 8.

Onlookers join a man singing and dancing near a bridge by the Yangtze river, while swimmers dive into the water elsewhere along the bank, even as public spaces around the world fall silent under the shadow of the pandemic.

Wuhan’s malls and convenience stores reopened in late March, initially requiring visitors to submit to strict temperature checks and show a code on a special app that assigns each person a colour-based rating depending on their level of infection risk.

By Saturday, some smaller stores were allowing customers in without any checks, while boutiques at the Hanjie outdoor shopping mall had stopped checking health codes.

Even traffic jams have returned, with cars slowing to a crawl on the way to the Wuhan train station and in tunnels under the Yangtze during rush hour last week.

Final-year high school students in the city and the surrounding Hubei province will return to school from May 6, officials said Monday, while many workers have already returned to their offices.

“It may take a while, but things are moving in a good direction,” Bai Xue, a 24-year-old Wuhan

India captain Virat Kohli

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EW DELHI | AFP | 4/21/2020 - India captain Virat Kohli revealed Tuesday how he “howled” through the night after being rejected by his state side before turning into the world’s leading batsman.

Signs of life are slowly re-emerging in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic. (AFP Photo)

resident, told AFP. - Uncertain future But while new infections in the city have dwindled as the city recovers, fear of asymptomatic carriers and cases re-imported from overseas has stopped Wuhan from fully letting down its guard.

Commuters are urged to scan QR codes on subway trains to register the exact car they take, while lines of people seated on plastic chairs a safe distance apart stretch outside banks across the city.

Residential communities continue to monitor people entering and leaving compounds, while barricades remain on many streets in the metropolis of 11 million people.

Wuhan has reason to be fearful: After emerging in a live animal market late last year, the virus spread like wildfire across the city, infecting more than 50,000 and killing over 3,800 -a toll revised upward last week after authorities admitted errors in counting victims.

The industrial city also faces

great economic uncertainty, with businesses ranging from wholesale market sellers to cat cafes telling AFP that losses incurred during the lockdown have made rents unaffordable, while continued restrictions on movement within the city are hurting sales.

“We have very, very few customers,” said Han, the 27-yearold owner of a soy drink stall in central Wuhan.

“Everyone is worried about asymptomatic infected people,” she said. “Business is just not as good as before.”

Official data released Tuesday showed the extent of the damage, with Hubei’s economy shrinking by 39.2 percent in the first quarter.

Authorities are trying to boost spending, releasing nearly $71 million of “consumption coupons”, offering discounts at supermarkets, malls, restaurants and bars across the city.

But many restaurants have not reopened, and those operating are only allowed to offer outdoor seating or takeout -- making post-lockdown celebrations nearly impossible.

- ‘Staying alive’ After dark, Wuhan remains a shadow of its former self.

Most nightclubs and bars are still forbidden from operating, with authorities on Sunday warning against the reopening of “self-contained entertainment venues”.

The American-themed Hot & Crazy Sugar Daddy by the Yangtze river was the only establishment open in its neighbourhood Friday night -- and completely devoid of customers.

In the area near Wuhan University, streets were empty Saturday as roadside eateries popular with students remained closed.

The Huquan Night Market lay silent behind plastic barricades.

Wuhan residents told AFP they were wary of celebrating too much, too soon.

“My life isn’t good,” said Li Xiongjie, a 30-year-old local who said the epidemic had left him unemployed.

“Just staying alive is a victory, staying alive is the most important thing.”

Kohli and his Bollywood actress wife Anushka Sharma spoke about their lives and careers in an online session with students on how to get motivated.

“The first time I was rejected in the state selections, I remember it was late at night and I just cried,” said the 31-year-old cricket superstar.

“I howled till about three in the morning and I could not believe it,” he added.

“Because I scored well, everything was going perfectly for me. I performed till I reached that stage and I was rejected.

“And I kept asking my coach for two hours, why didn’t it happen? And I couldn’t make sense of it. But when there is passion and commitment, that motivation comes back to you.”

Kohli made his debut for home state Delhi in 2006 before breaking into the national team two years later in a one-day international against Sri Lanka.

He has since shattered records on the way to accumulating 7,240 runs, including 27 centuries and 22 fifties in 86 Tests.

His marriage to Sharma in 2017 has added to the spotlight on him and Kohli credited his wife for improving his temper.

“To be honest the patience bit I have learnt ever since me and Anushka met each other. I was a very impatient before,” said Kohli. The couple met in 2013 when filming a shampoo advert.

“The learnings from one another that we have had, looking at her personality, looking at her composure in situations has really inspired me to fight it out.

“Even when things are tough you have to swallow your ego and keep being there in adversity, keep fighting your way out and eventually you will find a way.

“So that’s what I have seen her do and I have learnt from that.”

Kohli said he can now apply the attribute “where things are totally against you.”

“Sometimes you have to bat in a Test match for two hours for 20 runs but the team wants you do that. So you should be able to do that.”

Ramadan on collision course with virus for Asia’s Muslims

Fast-fashion nightmare for Bangladeshi clothes makers

by Shafiqul Alam

A

SHULIA, Bangladesh | AFP | Friday 4/17/2020 - One day Parvin was toiling to meet the fast-fashion demands of European capitals, the next she was among hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi clothes workers made instantly jobless as the coronavirus pandemic struck.

Big-name international brands have cancelled billions of dollars in orders because of the pandemic, decimating Bangladesh’s most important export industry and hurting in particular rural woman who dominate the workforce.

Parvin, a 28-year-old seamstress, joined thousands of workers queueing to collect final wages from tables of banknotes set up at the Al Muslim factory, one of the biggest in the country that supplies some of the world’s most famous labels.

The workers waited in long lines, each one metre apart in a bid to keep up social distancing, and the anxiety built as the towers of bank notes went down.

“We don’t know when it will reopen,” said Parvin, who collected her salary for March just before the giant complex closed its doors.

She has no other means to support her family going forward, and described her situation as a “catastrophe”.

“Many factories have already closed. My husband is jobless.”

Making the shirts, pullovers, bras and socks for stores in wealther nations is the foundation of Bangladesh’s impoverished economy.

It accounts for 80 percent of the South Asian nation’s $40 billion of annual exports and has played a vital role in its growth of the past two decades.

More than four million people, mainly women from poor rural villages, are employed in the

Worshippers maintain social distancing at a mosque in Karachi in Pakistan at the weekend. (Rizwan Tabassum AFP Photo)

by David Stout and Sajjad Tarakzai

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SLAMABAD, Pakistan | AFP | Tuesday 4/21/2020 Across Asia, home to about half of the world’s Muslims, the coming Islamic holy month of Ramadan is on a collision course with the coronavirus pandemic as clerics call on the faithful to cram into mosques.

Thousands of laid-off Bangladeshi garment workers have taken streets to demanding payment from factories and support from big name brands who have cancelled orders.

sector.

But the industry has a reputation for running sweatshops, with workers toiling in unsafe factories without labour protections or a social safety net.

The 2013 Rana Plaza diaster, when the collapse of the garment complex claimed the lives of 1,130 lives, exposed appalling safety conditions in Bangladeshi factories.

Now, with international brands walking away and a government lockdown stopped people in Bangladesh travelling, laid-off workers are complaining of being dumped without any help.

Thousands of workers -- some of whom had earnt just $100 a month -- have staged multiple demonstrations over the past week complaining that factories have not paid them.

- What do we do? -

“Many of us don’t have food at home now. We can’t even ask for handouts on the streets because those poorer than us would mock us as we have jobs,” said sewing machine operator Didarul Islam.

“What do we do? Die of hunger?” added the 38-year-old father of two.

International brands have cancelled or held up orders worth $3.11 billion, affecting more than two million workers, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

“The situation is apocalyptic,” said Asif Ibrahim, a factory owner and a BGMEA director.

The Bangladesh group and counterparts in China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Cambodia and Myanmar, have pleaded with the high street majors not to cancel or-

ders.

“It is time for global businesses to uphold and honour their commitment to labour rights, social responsibility and sustainable supply chains,” said a joint statement.

Sone of the big firms, including H&M and Inditex, which runs the Zara chain, responded by vowing not to cancel existing orders. Others have sought discounts, according to the BGMEA. There were no promises for the future though.

H&M chief executive Helena Helmersson said that purchasing was a key area where “forceful measures” have been taken because of the pandemic.

But the situation is already dire at Ashulia, home to 600 factories where workers live in rows of concrete slums near the plants.

Authorities have tried to limit the fallout during the sacred period of fasting, which starts Thursday, but in many cases religious leaders have brushed aside concerns about activities that could spread COVID-19.

In Bangladesh, clerics lashed out at attempts to reduce the number of people going to mosques, and demanded the country’s secular government allow millions of Muslims to join daily and weekly prayers.

“The quota on the number of worshippers imposed by the government is not acceptable to us. Islam does not support imposition of any quota on worshippers,” said Mojibur Rahman Hamidi, a senior member of the hardline Hefazat-e-Islam group.

Islamic leaders in Bangladesh, where tens of thousands of people defied a nationwide lockdown Saturday to attend the funeral of a top preacher, reminded people it is “mandatory” for a healthy Muslim to attend prayers in a mosque.

In Pakistan, devotees said worship is more important than coronavirus concerns.

Authorities have buckled under religious pressure, allowing daily prayers and evening congregations at mosques after clerics promised to instruct religious leaders to clean their facilities regularly.

In the run-up to Ramadan, mosques have been filling up across Pakistan with hundreds attending Friday prayers, sitting shoulder to shoulder and paying little heed to social distancing.

“I will take all the preventive measures, washing my hands and using my mask but it doesn’t mean I will stop attending prayers, especially during Ramadan,” taxi driver Zubair Khan told AFP in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

The virus threat at large religious congregations has been highlighted in recent weeks by three waves of infections in Asia, linked to separate, massive Islamic congregations in Malaysia, Pakistan and India.

- Rising death tolls Asia is home to some of the world’s largest Muslim populations stretching from the Indonesian archipelago to the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, and close to a billion Muslims live in the region.

Regional death tolls from COVID-19 have been much smaller compared with Europe and the United States but are rising steadily, sparking fears the virus may overwhelm often underfunded healthcare sectors.

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FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

Page 7 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

Section 2

Senior Living Email: voiceasia@aol.com

As you age, keep nutrition top of mind

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etting proper nutrition can be challenging for everyone, but especially as we age for a variety of reasons, including changing tastes, physical or dental conditions, and lack of access to healthy foods.

be an underlying reason for these changes. For instance, your medication might be affecting your appetite. Or maybe you’re dealing with depression. Your doctor can work with you to identify possible causes.

“It’s critical that people of all ages get proper nutrition, but especially seniors, and particularly now with the spread of COVID-19 in the United States,” says Dr. Gina Conflitti, chief medical officer with Cigna’s Medicare Advantage business, which offers Medicare plans in 18 states and the District of Columbia. “Good nutrition helps older adults stay active and vital, and can help them stave off or better manage chronic conditions.”

• Adapt to changing tastes.

There are a number of ways to change your eating habits to improve your nutrition, from eating more frequent, smaller meals to trying new foods and cooking styles. For tips on preparing healthy meals, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.

• See a dentist. A dentist may be able to address any dental problems impacting your ability to enjoy food. If you have a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, you Cigna provides the following may have access to dental benefits at no extra cost. Check your nutrition tips: plan for details.

for better recoveries. Check your plan for details.

• Consult your doctor. If your appetite is changing or you’re losing weight, talk to your primary care physician. There could

Treating foot and ankle conditions during the COVID-19 crisis

personal nutrition requirements.

For videos about senior nutrition and some warning signs of malnutrition, visit wnpt.org/agingmatters/nutrition-aging.

Proper nutrition is essential to overall health. As you age, keep nutrition top of mind and explore new ways to eat well.

- StatePoint

Photo source: denozy / iStock via Getty Images Plus

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uring this unprecedented However, Dr. Sachs notes that time, it’s still important you should visit your doctor for to take care of your over- the following conditions and sitall wellness, and your feet are no uations: exception. Healthy feet and ankles • Post-operative care are crucial for balance, mobility and a healthy body.

• Injuries (sprains or trauma,

However, it’s important to identify which issues can be taken care of via telemedicine and which should be done in person.

It’s also important to take steps on your own to keep feet healthy.

“Foot and ankle surgeons are here to help keep you healthy via telemedicine visits for non-urgent care and in the office for urgent or serious issues,” says Dr. Brett Sachs, DPM, FACFAS, a foot and ankle surgeon and Fellow Member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Not sure whether your condition requires an in-person appointment? According to Dr. Sachs and the experts at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, the following conditions can be seen by foot and ankle surgeons via telemedicine: • Heel and arch pain, generalized foot pain • Achilles tendinitis • Metatarsalgia • Skin rashes and athlete’s foot • Planter warts • Big toe pain • Arthritis • Gout

Fort Bend ISD Gifted and Talented seniors have opportunity to shine

Students in FBISD GT Mentorship Program, with local business support, present research in virtual showcase

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ORT BEND ISD (April 16, 2020) – As the global Coronavirus pandemic cancels so many year-end milestones and celebrations for students across the country, Fort Bend ISD is proud to announce that seniors enrolled in the Gifted and Talented (GT) Mentorship program will have the opportunity to present their research in a unique virtual showcase. The GT Mentorship Virtual Showcase will be live as of April 30 at 6 p.m. at: www.fortbendisd.com/gtmentorship.

Ten high school seniors from across the district were selected through a rigorous and competitive application process. They spent the fall semester honing their business communication and research skills and were asked to identify a career path they are interested in pursuing in college and beyond. Each student was then matched with a volunteer mentor who is a recognized professional in the student’s selected field of study. The mentors and students collaborated over the course of the spring semester, despite obstacles in the form of local and nationwide shutdowns. Each year, students involved in the GT Mentorship program are invited to showcase their work to the public. While

many senior events will have to be canceled because of social distancing measures, this year’s GT Mentorship students are excited to showcase their work virtually.

“These brilliant and talented young people have done work they are rightfully proud of,” said Nancy Bryant, FBISD GT Mentorship Program Instructor. “We are elated that we have found a way for them to continue their collaborative relationships with their mentors remotely and that they will now have a chance to not only showcase their work to the FBISD community, but to industry professionals well beyond the District’s boundaries. By making the showcase a virtual online experience, these students can get feedback from leaders in their fields across the globe.”

The students and their projects: Neer Jain of Dulles High School’s Math and Science Academy worked alongside multiple engineers in the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology fields at LEAF Engineers, a PBK Architects company.

Rene Leal of Travis High School saw patients and attended surgical procedures under the

Tel: 713-774-5140

If you aren’t eligible for this type of assistance, you can still find ways to save on food bills, including asking for senior discounts, using coupons, having a store discount card and buying store brands.

(Photo Source: (c) Rawpixel / iStock via Getty Images Plus)

zations offering transportation or meal delivery to older adults. If you have an MA plan, you may have access to home-delivered meals following a hospitalization.

One-third of hospital patients are malnourished at admission and poor nutrition increases their risk of having to return to the hospital after being released. Good nutrition helps patients regain their strength and energy faster

• Get help. Some older adults with limited resources may qualify for assistance with food purchases through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Many older adults qualify for this program and don’t know it. One way to verify eligibility is to visit Cigna.BenefitsCheckup.org and enter your information under the “Food & Nutrition” section.

These are just a few resources. Every individual has unique needs. Cigna encourages you to • Make healthy choices. Add • Explore options. If mobility talk with your physician for adplenty of fruits and vegetables to your plate for colorful, nutri- is an issue, look for local organi- ditional information about your

ent-rich, fiber-filled meals. Add flavor with spices and herbs instead of salt. Stay hydrated with plenty of water. Even light exercise can stimulate appetite and strengthen bones and muscles.

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

guidance of vascular surgeon Dr. Ulises Baltazar of Methodist Houston.

Emma Lee, a Clements High School senior, experienced a double mentorship in food science, comparing amenity farm Harvest Green with a non-profit community farm, Lettuce Live.

Julie Mandimutsira, a fellow Clements High School senior, was given a hands-on experience with Forward Science, the biomedical industry leader for oral oncology.

The Sugar Land Skeeters afforded Allie Nguyen of Elkins High School the opportunity to learn about sports marketing.

Travis High School’s Anthony Pierson has learned about computer science at Nitco, Inc., a technology services company specializing in artificial intelligence, app development, cloud services, and more.

Milcah Poothakary from Elkins High School experienced the opportunity to work in a medical research lab with Dr. Cintia De Paiva of the Baylor College of Medicine.

Houston Federal Credit Union Sugar Land took Clements High School senior Bhaavya Rastogi

throughout the city to learn about marketing and financial literacy programs.

Malay Shah of Hightower High School’s Medical Science Academy learned a wealth of information from Access Health Richmond about public health administration in a not-for-profit community healthcare facility.

Kanika Talwar of Dulles High School’s Math and Science Academy learned about the nuances of successful marketing through Creative Consumer Research in Stafford.

How the virtual showcase works: Each student will have a page dedicated to his/her research project available for viewing as of April 30 at www.fortbendisd. com/gtmentorship.

“We hope the local community and the greater business community alike will take some time and visit the site to support these students,” added Bryant. “They are truly excited to share all they have learned, and are looking forward to this amazing opportunity for extensive feedback that visitors can leave on the website.

What a great way for the mentorship process to continue after the project has ended!”

anything that requires an x-ray for suspected bone fractures) • Infections • Ingrown toenails • Wounds • Foot ulcers • Calf pain with warmth, redness, or swelling, which could possibly be a blood clot It’s important to know that if you do have to make an in-person appointment, foot and ankle surgeons are taking many steps to protect patients. These measures include taking patients temperatures and performing a comprehensive screening process, having patients and staff wear masks or face coverings, limiting patients and family in the waiting room, limiting patient appointments to prevent overlap, practicing social distancing where possible, and performing extensive deep cleaning of all patient rooms and common areas throughout the day.

A bit of preventive care can also support healthy feet. Here are a few tips from the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons you can follow while at home: • Stay active. Do sit-ups, pushups, planks, squats and leg lifts

or check out virtual fitness classes online. You can still get outside for fresh air without putting yourself at risk. Go for a walk, run or hike while practicing social distancing. If you feel better staying inside, take scheduled breaks to get up and walk around your home.

• If you suffer from foot pain, such as a neuroma, avoid wearing narrow shoes and also avoid walking on hard surfaces barefoot, even in the house.

• Do eccentric strengthening exercises like calf raises on a step to prevent or treat Achilles tendinitis.

• Examine your feet regularly for bumps, lumps or other changes.

• Wear comfortable, sensible shoes, especially for exercise.

Continue using padding, insoles or whatever special footwear you’ve been prescribed.

To find a foot and ankle surgeon near you or to find more foot and ankle health tips, visit FootHealthFacts.org, the patient education website of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

“While the COVID-19 crisis is understandably top-of-mind for many right now, taking steps to protect your overall health is vital,” says Dr. Sachs. “Because so many health problems stem from the feet, paying attention to them is essential for your comfort, safety and overall wellness.”

Mattress Mack teams up with Kroger to help seniors after being named to Texas strike force ceipts at checkout for a bag of groceries to be delivered by his volunteers and staff.

“The stories that I have heard from seniors seeking food have been heartbreaking,” said McIngvale. “With Kroger’s partnership and the generosity Mattress Mack teams up with Kroger to help seniors during of the Houston pandemic. (Screengrab: KTRK video) community, we will be able to make sure that every senior reOUSTON, April 17, 2020 - It’s no surprise to ceives food.” see Jim “Mattress Mack” For its part, Kroger has delivMcIngvale supporting the helpless ered over $350,000 of groceries and underprivileged members of to Gallery Furniture, which have the Houston community. been distributed to those in need.

It’s also no surprise to see Mack is also recruiting volMack rise up as a business leader unteers who can be available to lean on, as proven through his on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 addition to Gov. Greg Abbott’s a.m. to help deliver groceries to Texas Strike Force to Reopening. seniors. Volunteers can drive up McIngvale launched a team- with their trunk open and Gallery up effort with Kroger on Friday Furniture will load it with bags to feed thousands of homebound of groceries. seniors in the city.

Volunteers will receive a list of Mack and Kroger’s plan calls addresses located within a single for adding $5 to customers’ re- zip code to deliver to seniors’ doorstep.

H

Page 8 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

Section 2

LIFESTYLE

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

To cut or not to cut? In US, quarantine slows everything but hair growth

by Charlotte Plantive

T

he economy may have slowed and normal life come to a standstill, but in the world of hair, a follicle free-for-all unencumbered by coronavirus has Americans asking one critical question -- to cut or not to cut?

For Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, the answer was clear: “I thought I would do it myself but I thought it would be a disaster.”

She only admitted to having had her hair cut after being caught red-handed when her hairdresser posted on Facebook that giving the mayor a trim had been a pleasure: cue the chorus of public shaming.

In her defense, Lightfoot invoked her visibility and the fact that the hairdresser wore a mask, but the accusations of privilege and elitism poured in.

Stuck at home for several weeks, Americans are finding their normally carefully coiffed ‘dos growing roots or even transforming into mullets.

Rather than despair, many are using their intriguing growth patterns and bird’s nest-like locks as an antidote to tragedy, posting jokes, memes, video montages and even helpful video tutorials online.

Even The New York Times has gotten in on the act with articles explaining “How to Take Care of Your Hair at Home”

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

Tel: 713-774-5140

Working from home: 5 tips on how to stay productive

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any of us are not in our usual professional work spaces, and as we work from home, tempting distractions around the house can interfere with productivity.

Sarah Horne, curatorial assistant for decorative arts, craft, and design, selected favorites from the MFAH collections to accompany five simple tips that can help keep your in-home productivity high.

(Top) Ugo La Pietra “Poltroncina” chair”

Most hairdressers live by the adage that it is better to wait for a cut than embark on experiments that will later have to be fixed

and “How to Touch Up Your Roots at Home.”

Not everyone -- celebrities included -- has seen success.

Actor Riz Ahmed of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” appeared to have taken a razor to his head with a near buzz cut.

“Anyone else do a #StayAtHome haircut that got outta hand?” he posted on Twitter, along with a photo of his new look and a forlorn expression.

“Least now feels like there’s someone else here when I look in mirror.”

Mary Lee Gannon, a 59-yearold Pittsburg resident, is not a celebrity but said her spouse was beginning to look like one.

“I offered to cut my husband’s hair two weeks ago because he looked like Mike Jagger -- he turned me down,” she said.

When he finally took her up on her offer, she armed herself with an old pair of scissors previously used to cut their dog’s hair and took his tresses to task.

The end result: “He was very pleased, it worked out OK,” she said.

For child star Julia Butters from “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood,” cutting her father’s hair did not end in a happily-ever-after storybook finish, even if the experience -- and extremely patchy looking ‘do -provided a bit of fun.

1) To stay focused, create a dedicated work space in your (Right) Marianne home, whether it’s your kitch- Brandt desk set en table or a desk like this one, designed by mid-century icon Marianne Brandt Desk Set George Nelson in 1946. work. This chair, by pioneering 2) To stay alert, make sure designer Ugo La you have plenty of lighting Pietra, may be faaround your work space. A miliar—it’s in the 1950s–inspired table lamp exhibition Radicould do the trick. cal: Italian Design 1965–1985, The Dennis Freedman 3) Fill your desk set with all Collection. the tools you’ll need to ac5) Get up early complish your tasks throughout the day. Marianne Brandt, and change out a painter, sculptor, and pho- of your pajamas. tographer who later headed You’ll feel like a the Bauhaus Metallwerskstatt, million bucks and designed this three-piece set be ready to take on the day. For inin the early 1930s. spiration, we suggest this designer from 4) Comfort is key! Pull up ensemble your favorite supportive chair the 1960s. to stay comfortable while you - Statepoint Oscar de la Renta evening ensemble

Oscar de la Renta Evening Ensemble

Page 9 VOICE OF ASIA

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

Section 2

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place Email: voiceasia@aol.com

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Fort Bend Co. releases This is not the time COVID-19 case data for an increased for race and ethnicity property tax burden

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“I am committed to transparency and that means releasing data about the novel coronavirus cases accurately and quickly,” said County Judge KP George. “I ask everyone of all ages, genders, races and areas in Fort Bend to help stop the spread of this virus in our county by social distancing, hand washing and wearing masks in public places.”

CURRENT DATA: The race and ethnicity COVID-19 breakdown as of today (4/21/20) is on the websites and shows this data: Of the confirmed cases with race and ethnicity reported, 34% are Black, 22% are Hispanic, 21% are Asian, 19% are White and 4% are other. The total deaths are 18 and of those, 9 were White, 4 were Hispanic, 3 were Asian and 2 were Black.

REPORTING METHODOLOGY: Fort Bend County receives reports of notifiable diseases from multiple sources,

To learn more about the health issues related to coronavirus (COVID-19) in Fort Bend County, please visit fbchealth.org/ ncov

Katy ISD closes schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year

K

ATY [April 17, 2020] – In line with Governor Greg Abbott’s orders today regarding the closure of all Texas schools for the rest of the school year, Katy ISD campuses will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic school year. The District will however continue to deliver student instruction through online teaching and learning. Katy ISD support ser-

Fort Bend County Commissioner Ken R. DeMerchant

Fort Bend County Commissioner Ken R. DeMerchant requests a Call to Action to residents of Fort Bend County.

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he disastrous situation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a downturn in the economy as well as emotional distress and anxiety for all. Life as we know it has changed.

This past week property owners received the 2020 Notice of Appraised Value with significant increases to property values, which translates to higher tax bills at the end of the year. This comes at a time when many have fears regarding job security, paying mortgages, and other expenses. The increased property tax burden resulting from the surge in property valuations will harshly affect and compound the hardships for residents.

vices, as well as the Grab and Go Meals Program, will also remain operational throughout the closure. ing COVID-19 in our area, it is

“Understandably, many of our families and students have questions about what this may mean for graduations, summer programs, items left on campuses, athletics, fine arts and other activities. With the evolving guidance and information surround-

anticipated that established dates and procedures will inevitably be subject to future adjustment,” stated Katy ISD Superintendent of Schools Ken Gregorski. “I am truly appreciative of our school community’s commitment to supporting student learning, while protecting the health and

Sugar Land Skeeters hit home run for front-line workers

S

UGAR LAND - Normally at this time of year, the Sugar Land Skeeters would be preparing for opening day. While COVID-19 may have pushed baseball season back this year, the team is still staying busy off the field.

Constellation Field is serving as a drop-off site for personal protective equipment, which will be donated to Memorial Hermann health care workers. Between 10am-4pm Monday-Friday, you can visit the

ticket office to donate unused, unopened PPE. All items will be inspected before donation to care delivery sites within the Memorial Hermann System.

Items most needed include: • Alcohol Wipes • Bleach Wipes • Face Shields

April 20, 2020

As your County Judge & the top elected official in Fort Bend County, we are taking every action to slow the spread and fight back against the invisible enemy of the novel coronavirus. In addition to our lives and safety being disrupted, our livelihoods have been affected. Many of you have already received your new appraisals, which determine this year’s tax bills. These appraisals are based on market property values as of January 1, 2020, a few short months before this pandemic brought the greatest economy in the world to a crashing halt.

which include hospitals, doctors and laboratories. The reports have varying amounts of information on them. Up to now, Fort Bend has posted the data from the reports online for gender, age and zip code. The County did not initially report the race and ethnicity online because not all the reports have that information.

However, due to the heightened national interest in race and ethnicity data, Fort Bend County has begun adding that information to its online hub daily.

REPORTING DETAILS: The county’s health department is working with various reporting sources to go backwards and capture as much of the race and ethnicity information as possible for all the reported cases. The additional case data will be updated on the website as it is received, with two caveats. There is a lag in reporting cases across the country so the information can be for older cases. Secondly, the data on the county website will likely never equal 100 percent of cases because some reports don’t include race and ethnicity.

Judge KP George Letter to Taxpayers Dear Fort Bend County Taxpayers:

Demographics will be posted online daily ORT BEND COUNTY, TX – County Judge Kp George announced that the county has updated its website with all available race and ethnicity data for residents of Fort Bend County who have tested positive for COVID-19. The data will be updated daily when new reports are received.

Tel: 713-774-5140

• Isolation Gowns • Medical Grade N95 Masks • Sanitation Wipes • Sanitizer with CDC requirement of 60% or higher • Shoe and Boot Covers • Surgical Masks For updates on the Sugar Land Skeeters, please visit sugarlandskeeters.com - KTRK

Commissioner DeMerchant is calling on Fort Bend County residents to reach out to State officials respectfully requesting and strongly urging the following: · Roll back the 2020 valuations to the 2019 valuations · Create payment plans without fees · Reduce late fees · Extend deadlines · Change payment due dates “I decided to run for County Commissioner to improve the County and that includes property tax relief. Being taxed out of homes is unacceptable”, states Commissioner DeMerchant. safety of Katy ISD children and staff.”

Katy ISD students, parents and community members are encouraged to monitor Katy ISD’s social media platforms and the Health Update/ School Closure web page for the latest information.

Fort Bend COVID-19 by the numbers

F

ORT BEND - The total number of COVID-19 cases in Fort Bend County is 808, according to public health officials on Tuesday, April 21.

The number of confirmed deaths is 18, and the number of people who have recovered is 90. (Chart: KTRK-TV)

As a longtime business owner and fellow taxpayer, I see and understand your concerns about these higher values. The power to revert property appraisals to their 2019 levels lies solely in the hands of our state elected officials such as our Governor, our Comptroller, and our Legislature. I will work with any public official from any side of the aisle to better this process for our residents. In fact, I have already proposed a Resolution on Tuesday, April 21st for the Commissioners’ Court to adopt calling for major relief by our State Officials.

Additionally, Fort Bend County has continued a tradition of reducing taxes from 0.56000 cents per $100 in 1990 to $0.4600 cents per $100 in 2019 and only constitutes a small percentage of your overall taxes. However, I believe we must lead by example to help our residents.

During these difficult times, I will be spearheading efforts with our Tax Assessor’s Office, Auditor’s Office, and Budget Office to keep our tax rate as low as possible while not compromising the services our community has come to expect – such as Emergency Medical Services to Flood Mitigation to Law Enforcement – to ensure you have

much needed relief. Through leading by example, I encourage all other taxing entities like the School Districts and Cities within Fort Bend County to also consider the financial hardship brought upon by this pandemic to follow suit and provide much needed relief to our residents.

We have set up a tool for you to see the tax rate for each entity in Fort Bend at: https://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/government/departments/financial-administration/tax-assessor-collector/ tax-rate-information All of our decisions will continue to be guided, by science, data, and community input – not fear. If you would like to receive community updates, please make sure to sign up at: https://www.fortbendcountytx.gov/your-county/covid-19-alerts. To access verified and scientific information about COVID-19, make sure to visit: https:// www.fbchealth.org/ President Lincoln put it best by defining our nation as one of “Of the People, By the People, and For the People.”

This is a team effort as we navigate, as a people, through these truly uncharted waters. I will work diligently for you to provide this important tax relief, and, on the other hand, we need your help to ensure the best health guidelines from the CDC and local health officials are followed. I assure you that local public health officials and business leaders are working in tandem to achieve both goals because there is simply too much at stake.

We are Texans. We overcome struggles of every kind and emerge stronger and more resilient.

God bless you and stay healthy,

KP George Fort Bend County Judge

Page 10 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section B)

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

HOLLYWOOD - BOLLYWOOD Section 2

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www.voiceofasia.news

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Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Deal that brings together Bollywood and Hollywood

By Nabila Ahmed

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UMBAI - Indian movie producer Eros International Plc is merging with privately-held U.S. filmmaker STX Entertainment in an allstock deal that brings together Bollywood and Hollywood.

The combined company, to be known as Eros STX Global Corp., will be publicly traded and have a valuation of more than $1 billion, including debt, according to people familiar with the details, who asked not to be identified as the matter is private.

It’s a rare deal in a mergers and acquisitions market that’s all but seized up as executives and investors grapple with the fallout from the pandemic.

Although discussions began six months ago, final terms were hammered out in recent weeks over conference calls, with part of the Eros deal team dialing in from India. The transaction was signed virtually by an exchange of signature pages between lawyers, the people said.

Eros founder Kishore Lulla said his long-standing relationship and trust in his STX counterpart Robert Simonds, for whom his daughter was once an intern, was key to getting a deal completed under unusual circumstances.

Ultimately, the pandemic underscored the importance of the deal.

“I was always a believer that technology is going to change the studio model and everything is going to shift to digital,” said Lulla, who will be co-chairman alongside Simonds. “Covid escalated that digital model.”

In the last four to six weeks, the amount of time users spend on the platform jumped between 50% and 200%, Lulla said.

Photo: Gulf News

Bollywood actors Riteish Deshmukh and Nargis Fakhri during a shoot for the Eros International film Banjo in 2016. (Photographer: Pramod Thakur/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

- Bigger Footprint But both companies have had their struggles over the years, and it’s too early to tell how much the combination will resolve them. STX has failed to find much of a winning formula at the box office, with modest recent performers like “Brahms: The Boy 2” and “The Gentlemen.” Eros, meanwhile, has become the target of short sellers who published reports on accounting irregularities. When the company posted a surge in revenue from the UAE in 2015, it was vague about the reasons, rankling investors.

Joining forces will give the two independent companies more heft to compete with bigger studios as trends sweeping Hollywood have made it hard for smaller players to gain scale.

Between Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures, the combination of Walt Disney Co. and Fox Corp.’s film companies, and AT&T Inc.’s acquisition of Time Warner Inc., a trio of studios now own and produce many of the most well-known blockbust-

er movie franchises, including the Marvel superhero universe and DC Comics. The result is a small group of big films increasingly dominating the box office.

The deal will give the company a bigger geographical footprint.

“My personal dream was always to be an important premium content provider globally in the markets that actually matter -- US, India and China -- and this combination is all three of those,” said Simonds, who will become chief executive officer of the company.

STX films include comedian Amy Schumer’s “I Feel Pretty” and Jennifer Lopez’s “Hustlers”.

The combined company expects to release 40 feature-length films this year, as well as content for services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon.

The combined company will have $600 million in pro forma revenue for 2019 and $300 million of “highly predictable” future revenue from STX films that have already been released.

There will be about $50 million in operating synergies.

Tiger King star Joe ‘Exotic’ attempted to become a ‘Wolf King’ shortly before his 2018 arrest

by Cassie Carpenter

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iger King star Joe ‘Exotic’ Maldonado-Passage reportedly procured 28 grey wolves in early 2018 for his Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma in an effort to also become a ‘Wolf King.’

Animal Legal Defense Fund attorney Christopher Berry accused the 57-year-old former roadside zookeeper of violating the Endangered Species Act for the sale and transportation of the wolves from Minnesota, according to TMZ. Christopher also caught Joe ‘Exotic’ trying to sell four wolf pups on social media, and Maldonado-Passage called Berry and delivered a ‘profanity-laced rant’ denying all his charges.

But after wolves ‘clawed out of their enclosures and ran amok,’ the gun-toting openly gay polygamist agreed to send 25 of his 28 wolves to the California sanctuary, Lockwood Animal Rescue Center.

Joe ‘Exotic’ - who was arrested in September 2018 - admitted that one of the wolves ‘died from

Photo: Netflix

an infection’ at his park and two other wolves ‘went missing.’

Maldonado-Passage is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for two counts of murder for hire, eight violations of the Lacey Act, and nine violations

of the Endangered Species Act. On April 8, President Donald Trump told a New York Post reporter he’d ‘look into’ possibly pardoning Joe, who ran for President in 2016 and Oklahoma Governor in 2018.

It was like being in the Colosseum: Chris Hemsworth up on shooting ‘Extraction’ in India

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UMBAI - Shooting in India was like being in the Colosseum or doing live theatre with thousands of people watching and cheering every take, Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth said on Wednesday as he looked back at the making of his new film Extraction in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

he star, known for his superhero persona of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, was supposed to travel to India again this March to promote his film but the trip got cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Thousands of people up in the buildings and bridges watching and we’d call cut’ and they’d all start cheering and applauding, Hemsworth said at a virtual press conference.

He was in India towards the end of November 2018 to shoot for the film. It was like being in the Colosseum or a live theatre, which is very new to me but quite a lot of fun, Hemsworth added from his home in Australia. Joining him in the press conference was Extraction director Sam Hargrave.

The Netflix production, set in Mumbai and Dhaka, revolves around Hemsworth’s character, Tyler Rake, a former military man-turned-black market mercenary with emotional scars, embarking on a dangerous mission to extract the child of an Indian drug dealer from his rival in Bangladesh.

Hemsworth said he had never shot in India before, making the experience more unique.

“I have such pleasant memories of people and interactions there, and a lot of enthusiasm and positivity. There was real excitement for us shooting there.

We had never shot there before.

From the crew it felt like there were not many films like this

being shot there so there was a unique sort of originality to it,” he added.

Extraction brings together the talent from the last two Avengers movies. It is based on a script by filmmaker Joe Russo. It also marks the directorial debut of Hargrave, who worked as a stunt coordinator on Russo’s Endgame. Hargrave, who joined in from Los Angeles, said the reason for Russo setting the film in India and Bangladesh was because it’s a part of the world Western audiences are yet to explore.

“Western audiences have not seen that side of the world. It is a very unique setting. It offered a lot of opportunities visually because it is a stunning part of the world.” There were logistical challenges while shooting the film in India, but it also made the process fun, he said. After India, the team moved the production to a place near Bangkok, Thailand.

“We were shooting a lot of intricate action sequences, so sometimes we would have cars flying down the streets 30-50 miles an hour and you had to lock up the streets. You had 300 security personnel just to make sure that no one got hurt because as crazy as you want to make these action sequences, safety is our number one concern. So that was one logistical hurdle that we came through with a great crew, he said. Hargrave was particularly impressed with the local crew.

“It was a really fun environment to make a movie. The energy was palpable, you could feel it. It kind of made going to work fun,” he added. The film, slated to drop on April 24 on Netflix, comes at a time when people everywhere are locked up and all the theatrical releases are on hold, making Extraction that rare

summer action release this season.

Hemsworth said his only hope is their film, which has stunningaction sequences shot without the aid of green screen and visual effects, gives people a chance to escape to a different world under the lockdown.

“If it provides an escape to people, then it’s fantastic. That’s what I love about cinema or art form; (it) is that you are able to be transported to another place and experience... if you are isolating, there is a great joy in that.

I have spent many of my hours watching my favourite films and new TV shows,” he said.

The movie features many Indian actors, including Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi, Priyanshu Painyuli and Rudraksh Jaiswal, in prominent roles.

Hemsworth said he could not get a chance to catch up on Hindi movies during his Mumbai stay, but loved collaborating with local talent, especially Hooda.

Most of my stuff was with Randeep. We had fight sequences and hand-to-hand combat and endless rehearsals. It was so exhausting for both of us and yet when you have got an actor opposite you who is putting 110 per cent, it’s a team effort.

Neither of you is willing to quit, Hemsworth said.

Hargrave also praised Hooda as a person with depth and gravity. The director said it was “a bit daunting” to direct actors of incredible quality in the language that they understood but he didn’t. It was extremely challenging because directing a movie is a lot of work... To add on to that, directing actors in two different languages, neither of which you speak-- Hindi and Bengali -- was extremely challenging.”

- UPI

Page 11 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section B)

Section 1

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

LEGAL

www.voiceofasia.news

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

Personal Injury:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES AS A RESULT OF AUTO ACCIDENTS Mala Sharma

Automobile collisions frequently cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) as a result of serious head bumps or blows during the accident. TBIs may lead to long-term health concerns, permanent disability, mental impairment, and possibly death. Thus, it is imperative to understand this injury, symptoms and signs, getting treatment quickly, and knowing your rights to recover these damages, including cost of medical care, lost income, mental anguish, and physical pain. It is in your best interest to contact an experience personal injury attorney as soon as possible to help you recover the maximum compensation you are entitled.

There are different types of brain injuries that occur during all types of auto accidents including: contusion, concussions, coup-contrecoup, and diffuse axonal injuries. Concussions occur when the brain is jolted and strikes the skull due to a forceful blow or impact on the head. Contusions are bruises on the brain, as a result from a hard impact that causes swelling and then blood clots. Coup-contrecoup results when a contusion forms on the side of impact as well as opposite. Diffuse axonal injuries occur when the axons in the brain tear as a result of

the brain shifting inside the skull during a traumatic head injury.

Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries include unending headaches, pain, nausea, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and fatigue.

More serious side effects include seizures, loss of coordination, mood shifts, difficulty with memory, vomiting, numbness, confusion, and inability to sleep. Symptoms are not always noticeable immediately after an accident and a person does not need to lose consciousness to receive a concussion.

Those who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury during a car or trucking accident are entitled to get all necessary treatment immediately, hold the at fault party accountable, and recover full compensation. When a brain injury claim is filed, recoverable damages include: past medical treatment, cost of future medical treatment, medical equipment expenses, rehabilitation, cost of long-term care, lost income, loss of earning capacity, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, mental anguish, physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more. Please contact a qualified personal injury attorney immediately after an accident to pursue your brain injury claim again

ticing family law and personal injury with her family at the Law Offices of Sharma & Associates, founded in 1997.

Mala has been appointed leadership roles for the American Bar Association GP Solo and GP Solo YLD division, is Board member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, Past President of the Houston Northwest Bar Association, and prior board member of the South Asian Bar Association. She is also a member of the Houston Bar Association.

Mala Sharma has been selected to the 2019 Texas Rising Stars by Super Lawyers.

Mala has also been selected as 10 Best Attorneys by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorney for 20182019, Top 40 under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers for 2018-2019, and Texas Top 10 Personal Injury Attorney by Attorney and Practice Magazine for 2019.

Disclaimer:

This material is available for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you require advice on any particular legal question, you may contact Sharma & Associates at 281-893-8644 or by email About the Author: at mala@sharmalaws.net to schedule a free consultation to Mala Sharma has been prac- discuss your case.

Custody and the coronavirus: parents denying visitation rights

by Bob Chiarito

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HICAGO, Illinois | AFP | Sunday 4/18/2020 - It has been more than a month since Jennifer Leeper’s ex-husband has seen their 12-year-old daughter, despite him being granted regular contact after the divorce.

Leeper, 48, of Sacramento, California, is defying the custody settlement out of fear that Chloe risks contracting COVID-19 by being with her father.

“My preference is to have Chloe stay here with me until this dies down. We can make up the time after this ends,” she told AFP.

el,” Leeper said.

- Playing with fire -

custody over COVID-19 fears is unlikely to qualify, she added.

- ‘Equally at home’ While her worries may be legitimate, Ronald Brot, a family Kathy Tynus, a physician in law attorney, said parents who Chicago and the mother of a ignore child visitation agree- 17-year-old, said following her ments could be playing with fire. child custody agreement led to her son having to self-quarantine Some may feel emboldened, alone. he told AFP, because most family courts are only handling emerSomeone at her ex-husband’s gency matters during the crisis. workplace had tested positive for COVID. “So we have parents seeking this edge or advantage that in all “Then they tested everyone in likelihood has very little concern his office and several people, infor COVID-19 on an objective cluding my ex-husband and his basis,” said Brot, the president girlfriend, who he lives with, of the Los Angeles County Bar tested positive,” Tynus said.

Association.

Once she found out her ex-hus“Who’s to say that one parent’s band had tested positive, Tynus home puts the child more at risk had her son quarantine himself than the other parent’s home?” in a rental property she owns.

Leeper’s story is becoming increasingly common as divorced parents try to balance divvying up time with their children and keeping them safe in the panBrot concedes that while some A few days later he tested negdemic. may be using the pandemic as an ative but she said he is still monAcross the country, bar associ- excuse, many parents’ concerns itoring himself for symptoms. ations, states and counties have are warranted and there are sitWhile parents juggle safety issued advice for parents, mostly uations where even he would ig- issues with visitation rights, annore the law. informing them to stick to their other obstacle in fighting an exvisitation agreements.

“I’ve seen a situation where spouse is having the resources But not every case is the same one parent will say, ‘I don’t be- during a financial crunch to hire and blanket pronouncements do lieve this is a risk. I’m not do- a lawyer. ing anything differently, I’m not not work for some parents.

“I can go to court, but it’s gowearing a mask, I’m letting peoFor Leeper, the choice has ple into my home,’ et cetera,” ing to cost me a lot of money that I do not have right now,” been simple. As an elementary Brot said. said 43-year-old Kairi Coleman school teacher with a school-age “If I’m the other parent, I of New York, who has not seen daughter, she has not left their would not let my kids go.” his son in a month. home since March 13 and neither has Chloe.

Her ex-husband, a construction contractor who lives two hours’ drive away, has continued to work and interact with people.

Stephanie Williams, a family law attorney from Sacramento, California, said parents who find themselves without their children because of the other parent’s COVID-19 concerns do not have much legal recourse.

Leeper feels this makes her daughter, herself and her current “If you have a situation where husband, who is deemed highthe circumstances present a risk because of health issues, danger, then you can go in and more vulnerable to infection. ask for emergency relief, but “He’s currently moving and the courts are being very strict he’s had workers in the house in what they are considering an that he is moving into and at the emergency right now,” she told house he’s moving from. Plus AFP. he’s... still working. Those are A petition seeking an order my concerns more than the travto prevent a parent withholding

In his case, he feels the argument that underpinned the original custody order has been turned on its head by the pandemic.

“The whole premise of a lot of these children, including my own son, living with their mothers, is because the fathers were out earning money and had no time and the mothers were home and if they were working had a more flexible schedule,” Coleman said.

“Now that we are home, that should go out of the window. We both are equally at home.”

Tel: 713-774-5140

by Sharlene Sharmila Richards, Immigration Lawyer Email at srichardslaw@aol.com

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT H-1B VISA ISSUES Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Q: My employer’s H-1B registration submitted on my behalf has been selected under the H-1B cap program. I will be completing my final course for my Master’s degree. Can my employer submit my petition under the Master’s cap?

A: Yes. This is assuming that your Master’s Degree meets the requirements for the Master’s cap i.e. it is a U.S. degree and not a foreign Master’s Degree. In the preamble to the final rule created under the registration system, USCIS stated that the “final rule does not alter the general requirement for establishing eligibility at the time the petition is filed. Eligibility for H-1B classification does not need to be demonstrated at the time the H-1B registration is submitted”. You may need to ensure that the request for consideration of the advanced degree exemption in the H-1B registration was indicated in the affirmative or as ‘yes’. As long as you complete all the degree requirements before the H-1B petition is filed, this should be permitted.

Q: It is already April 2020. I have just found an employer who wishes to file the H-1B Petition for me. Am I too late for the H-1B cap for Fiscal Year 2021?

A: Yes, your employer will not be able to file an H-1B Petition for you now as the registration and lottery selection period has already been concluded in March 2020. If your employer is a cap exempt employer, then your employer may go ahead and file the H-1B Petition for you as no registration is needed for cap-exempt H-1B petition.

Q: Do I have to be in the United States for the H-1B Petition to be filed? I am currently living in India and my petitioning sponsor’s H-1B registration submitted on my behalf has been selected for H-1B filing.

A: It is not necessary for the Beneficiary of the H-1B petition to be in the United States at the time the petition is filed. In your case, the H-1B petition will designate the location or US Consulate where the visa is to be issued.

When the petition is approved, the Beneficiary will apply for the issuance of the H-1B visa stamp at the designated US Consulate.

Q: I currently have F-1 Student status and have Optional Practical Training (OPT) Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or work permit which is due to expire on May 26th, 2020. My employer’s registration for H-1B petition on my behalf has been selected for processing. I was informed that for H-1B, the employee cannot commence work under H-1B status until at least October 1st, 2020. Can I continue to work after the expiration of my OPT based on cap gap?

A: Under the cap-gap provisions, if the sponsoring employer timely files the cap subject H-1B petition for a change of status for an October 1st, 2020 start date and files it before the OPT period ends, then the individual in F-1 status may continue working between the expiration of EAD and October 1st, 2020. In your case, provided your employer files the H-1B petition no later than May 26th, 2020, you will be able to continue working until at least September 30th, 2020. If the H-1B petition is subsequently approved by October 1st, 2020, then you will begin work in H-1B status starting October 1st, 2020. If the H-1B petition is still pending after October 1st, 2020, and your OPT period or EAD has expired, then you must stop working until the H-1B petition is approved. If the H-1B petition is denied, then the cap-gap period will also terminate.

Q: My Optional Practical Training (OPT) is scheduled to expire next year on July 20th, 2021. My employer’s H-1B registration filed on my behalf has been selected for processing. What happens if the H-1B petition filed by my employer takes a long time to adjudicate because of Request for Evidence and issues which could delay the processing of the petition. When do I have to stop work on the OPT? A: For your situation, if the H-1B petition is timely filed and is approved on October 1st, 2020, then you will stop work on the OPT and begin work on H-1B status commending October 1st, 2020. However, if

the petition is taking longer to adjudicate beyond October 1st, 2020, you should be able to continue working with the cap gap benefit until the time your OPT expires on July 20th, 2021.

Q: I have CPT which will be expiring on May 16th, 2020. Can I continue to work until October 1st, 2020 under cap gap? My employer’s H-1B registration which was submitted on my behalf has been selected for processing.

A: The H-1B cap gap provision does not cover F-1 Students on CPT (Curricular Practical Training) as it only applies to F-1 Students on OPT (Optional Practical Training). Because you currently have CPT, you will need to find another way to legally remain in the US until at least October 1st, 2020.

One suggestion would be to apply within the 60 days grace period of the completion of your CPT to resume or continue your F-1 Student status for classes to commence in the summer. The other suggestion would be to depart the United States and return on the H-1B visa obtained via consular processing. You might wish to discuss the best possible option for you with your immigration attorney.

Disclaimer Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case.

My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration Lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court.

If you require advice or assistance, you may contact her at telephone number 713-6238088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

Families sue helicopter firm in Kobe Bryant crash

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OS ANGELES | AFP | Tuesday 4/21/2020 - The families of four passengers who were killed in the helicopter crash with NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna have launched legal proceedings against the firms that owned and operated the chopper, media reports said.

The lawsuits were filed Sunday in the Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of the families of basketball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa -- who played basketball with Gianna -- and of assistant coach Christina Mauser, the TMZ website said.

The complaints accuse Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. of negligence.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa filed a lawsuit nearly two months ago against the operators of the helicopter and the estate of the pilot, Ara Zobayan, who was among the nine killed when they crashed in rugged terrain west of Los Angeles on January 26.

Her complaint faults the

AFP / File photo

company for allowing the helicopter to fly in “heavy fog and low clouds.”

The helicopter was headed to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, where his daughter was set to play.

The other victims included

another of Gianna’s basketball teammates, Payton Chester, and Payton’s mother Sarah.

The death of Bryant -- a fivetime NBA champion for the LA Lakers and double Olympic gold medalist -- shocked players and fans around the world.

Page 12 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section B)

Young Life

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Poor US students miss out as virtual learning sharpens divide

by Javier Tovar

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R

OME, Italy | AFP | Friday 4/17/2020 - The melodic theme music from “Cinema Paradiso” soars over a completely still and silent Rome every sunset.

It provides an enchanting end to surreal days in lockdown living through a pandemic that has claimed over 22,000 lives in Italy and 145,000 worldwide.

The 18-year-old guitarist behind the performances has turned into a social media star for his impromptu covers of Ennio Morricone classics.

He plays from the terrace of his luxurious flat overlooking the fountains of Rome’s now-empty Piazza Navona.

The Vatican’s dome stands to the left of the setting sun and the sea gulls flutter overhead as he plays, “We decided to lend a hand

Tel: 713-774-5140

Afghan girls try building ventilator from used car parts

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California teen Kenia Molina is relying on a donated laptop to be able to graduate high school (AFP Photo/Frederic J. Brown)

21st century.”

- Six months’ education The closures have caused particular challenges in poor or rural areas where families often lack computers or internet access.

Molina was one of 400 students at her school who received computers for viewing classes, turning in assignments and taking tests.

For families lacking internet, the school district is also working with technology providers to get them online.

In the school zone overseen by Andres Chait, one-in-five Telfair Primary pupils do not even have a home of their own.

Many of them live in motels or at the homes of other families, with no “desk in a quiet space” free from distractions, said Chait.

Parents who still have to work to pay the bills are making huge sacrifices to ensure their children have the opportunity to log in to lessons, or at times entrusting the supervision of young children to older siblings.

Teachers have also been forced to rapidly adapt, learning to use YouTube channels and video call applications like Zoom.

“They’re keeping (students) within that educational space so

that we don’t have a whole generation that loses six months of instruction,” said Chait.

The closure of schools also affects free meals on which poor families depend. Los Angeles school district has set up 63 drive-through distribution points, handing out half a million meals per day.

- ‘Changed forever’ California was one of the first US states to shut schools, in midMarch, under a containment policy that experts say has helped to contain the deadly coronavirus.

Even though the state has avoided the fate of eastern hotspots like New York, California has lost almost 900 people to the disease so far.

When schools finally reopen, Governor Gavin Newsom has warned that floorplans may need to be spaced out and start times staggered to maintain social distancing.

“It’s safe to say that education has changed forever,” said math teacher Andrew Rowland, who created education app Classkick.

“Many more teachers will have now been educated on how they can use virtual teaching more effectively.” For Molina, those changes are likely to continue through university.

Young guitarist enchants locked down Rome

by Arman Soldin

by Usman Sharifi

OS ANGELES | AFP | Saturday 4/17/2020 - As a member of the 2020 “class of coronavirus,” Kenia Molina needed to find a laptop in order to graduate high school -- a technology gap that has caused thousands of poorer students to miss out on weeks of education.

With many US schools and universities shut for the academic year, the Los Angeles student will be completing her final year via virtual learning on a home computer donated by her district.

“This is really important... for students that don’t have any access to the internet or even have any devices, they can’t even afford any devices,” said Molina, wearing a protective mask and gloves as she collected her laptop.

The free computers handed out

by Los Angeles school district -- second largest in the nation -“help us to be there and connected to one another,” she added.

But California’s Department of Education estimates nearly 240,000 more computers are needed.

Some 7,400 of Los Angeles’ 120,000 high school students have not logged in since quarantine began.

That number is down from 15,000 absentees in the first two weeks of lockdown, when at least 40,000 students had no daily contact with their teachers.

“This is something we should have been ready and prepared for years ago,” said Rafael Balderas, principal of the school in Los Angeles suburb Bell where Molina studies.

“You can’t take away from face-to-face learning -- it is the best form of instruction for kids,” he told AFP. “But this now has become our new normal,” he added, with the pandemic and advances in technology spurring the school system to “move our kids to the

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

ABUL, Afghanistan | AFP | Wednesday 4/15/2020 - A team of

robot-designing girls in Afghanistan is trying to build a lowcost medical ventilator from car parts, as health authorities look to boost critical-care capabilities for coronavirus patients in the impoverished country.

If the teenagers succeed and can get government approval for their prototype, they say it could be replicated for as little as $300, where normally ventilators sell for around $30,000.

“The team is working with local health specialists, as well as experts from Harvard University, to produce the prototype based on a design by Massachusetts Institute of Technology,” said Roya Mahboob, who runs an Afghan tech company and sponsors the team of five girls, aged 14-17.

They are part of a bigger group of high-achieving high school girls known as the “Afghan Dreamers”, from the western city of Herat, where coronavirus is on the rise after thousands of people returned from neighbouring Iran as it experienced a spike in cases.

The girls made headlines in 2017 after being denied visas to take part in a robotics competition in Washington -- before President Donald Trump intervened and they were allowed to travel.

They are taking engine and battery parts from a Toyota Corolla -- ubiquitious on the streets of Afghanistan -- to produce a prototype they started designing

Afghan Girls Robotics Team works on a ventilator that is based on a prototype of an American firm’s digital device. (Photo/Supplied)

after the Herat governor called for more ventilators as coronavirus cases rose.

Central to the ventilator is a self-inflating plastic sac known as an Ambu bag that medical staff use to help patients breathe.

The girls’ prototype uses a mechanical system to operate the bag automatically and accurately.

“The complicated part is how to adjust the timing and pressure of pumping, as different patients require different volume and pressure of air based on their age and the severity of their condition,” Somaya Farooqi, the team’s 17-year-old captain, told AFP. With a population of 35 million, Afghanistan only has about 300 ventilators.

Wahidullah Mayar, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s health ministry, said officials have asked specialists and engineers to help the team.

“We appreciate and encourage these hardworking girls, our sisters, for their efforts to produce ventilators,” Mayar said.

Any ventilator prototype would have to be approved by the World Health Organization and the Afghan health ministry before the team could start producing more devices, Mayar said.

As of Wednesday, Afghan officials had reported at least 784 coronavirus cases and 24 deaths across the country. The true number of cases is feared to be much higher, as only limited testing kits are available.

Dance moves from ‘Tik Tok Doc’ bring welcome relief from virus blues

by Jocelyne Zablit

L

OS ANGELES | AFP | Saturday 4/11/2020 - A US doctor’s dance videos posted on social media have proven just the right medicine for hundreds of thousands of people, including health care workers, who are cheering him on for lifting their spirits during the coronavirus pandemic.

Dubbed “Tik Tok Doc” after the popular short-form video app, Dr. Jason Campbell has taken the Internet by storm with clips featuring him and colleagues doing the “corona foot shake,” “the cha-cha slide” and other dance moves.

The 31-year-old anesthesia resident physician at Oregon Dr. Jason Campbell has taken the Internet by storm with clips featuring Health & Science University him and colleagues doing the “corona foot shake”. (Screengrab) Hospital told AFP he has been overwhelmed by the positive The melodic theme music from “Cinema Paradiso” soars over a comresponse, including from health COVID-19 pandemic.

Campbell said fellow doctors pletely still and silent Rome every sunset. (AFP Photo) care workers in New York, and nurses at the hospital in “When you’re in medicine, the country’s epicenter of the you see a lot of serious, sad Portland were initially reluctant to Italians: a message of hope,” things all the time,” Campbell to appear in the videos, but afJacopo Mastrangelo tells AFP doned, and we decided to help.” said. “And so we too need a way ter seeing the positive reactions Mastrangelo’s father is a sefrom his patio. to remain human, stay sane and have joined in the fun. nior accountant and the teenager a chance to just smile or laugh, Hospital officials have ap“We are accustomed to always the teen and invited him to play seeing Rome full, teeming with lives an admittedly privileged a special Easter Sunday perfor- even if it’s just five minutes out plauded the initiative. people. Now the grass is grow- life in one of Rome’s most ex- mance from the hilltop Piazza of a 12-hour day.”

“Dr. Campbell’s energy and ing between the cobblestones, clusive neighbourhoods.

Campbell said he initially be- charisma is infectious,” said Dr. del Campidoglio that rises above The Rome mayor heard about the Forum. everything has been left abangan posting the videos to en- Renee Edwards, the hospital’s courage teens, especially Afri- chief medical officer. “A skilled “He moved us when he played can-American youths, to pursue physician, he’s found a unique from his terrace overlooking Pi- their dreams and know that they way to incorporate the power azza Navona,” Raggi said in her too could become physicians. of positivity into his daily work, introduction to his Easter conThe clips, however, quick- helping to lift the spirits of pacert. ly went viral, resonating with tients and co-workers alike.”

“Today, from Rome, we want a much wider audience clearly The videos have been hailed to pay homage to Romans, Ital- in need of cheering up during by the state’s governor and even ians and the whole world.” these dark times. His “corona caught the attention of popular Mastrangelo said the mayor foot shake” video alone has been recording artist Janet Jackson, who retweeted one of the docphoned him up one day and they watched four million times. agreed that he would perform “I got a message today (Fri- tor’s TikToks. three songs. day) from someone who said his Campbell, who has posted “I was nervous. Because it’s wife was a cardiologist working about a dozen videos since the one thing to play here with with COVID-19 response teams beginning of March, said his my father, like it’s my hobby, and found the videos so refresh- next dance routine, currently being rehearsed, was in response and quite another when it’s the ing,” Campbell said. mayor looking straight into my Another message came from a to a special request from his eyes,” he recalls. lung cancer patient who thanked co-workers’ kids. him for making his quarantine “It’s going to be a slow-mo“I was stressed.” more bearable. tion challenge with one of my He says that he still worries “The overwhelming response colleague’s daughter,” he said. about his high school exams this has been, ‘Hey, I work in New “It’s multiple moves where you year -- but his sudden popularity York City and I love seeing go slow at first then speed it up does not hurt. your video after my long day,’” back to real time.”

“Nothing is impossible now, Campbell said. “Others say, As for his plans once the panwith this popularity,” he says.

‘Hey, my family member has the demic is over, Campbell said he “I did not expect it. Everything virus and we watch these videos has no intention of stopping his together while they recover.’” dancing. happened very quickly.”

Page 13 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section B)

TRAVEL

Travel quiz for adults and kids Now that you are forced D: Bolivia to stay indoors, how about sharpening your travel IQ 3. Portugal once controlled with this quiz? big swathes of Africa. One of its colonies used to have 1. The Nile and the Ama capital called ‘Lourenco azon are the world’s two Marques’. What is it called longest rivers. Which is now (one point)? the third longest (one A: Tunis point)?

B: Maputo A: The Mekong C: Luanda B: The Volga D: Nairobi C: The Yangtze D: The Mississippi 4. Africa has the world’s fourth-highest capital. Its 2. On a visit to South name is (one point): America, you are in the A: Addis Ababa ‘Triple Frontier’ area.

B: Harare You are (pretty much) on C: Asmara the three-way border of D: Pretoria Argentina, Brazil — and which other country (one 5. Late-era Beatles sinpoint)? gle The Ballad of John A: Chile and Yoko (released in B: Paraguay May 1969) is effectively a C: Uruguay travelogue detailing the

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

C: Jefferson D: Kennedy

honeymoon arrangements of newly-wed Mr and Mrs Lennon. How many of Europe’s capital cities are specifically mentioned in the lyrics (one point)?

A: Two B: Three C: Four D: Five 6. Pennsylvania is home to some big cities. Which of these is the state capital (one point)?

A: Philadelphia B: Pittsburgh C: Allentown D: Harrisburg 7. The face of which of these former US presidents is not carved into Mount Rushmore (one point)?

A: Lincoln B: Roosevelt (Theodore)

8. The denouement of the 1963 Bond classic From Russia With Love plays out in which city (one point)?

A: Istanbul B: Moscow C: St Petersburg D: Venice 9. The world is home to 11 national capital cities whose names start with a ‘K’. Name seven of them (seven points).

ANSWERS: (1) C: The Yangtze — at 3,917 miles, only just shorter than the Nile (4,130 miles) and the Amazon (4,086 miles).

(2) B: Paraguay. You’re about 20 miles from

Iguazu Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world.

(3) B: Maputo — the capital of Mozambique.

Lourenco Marques was a 16th-century explorer who “discovered” Maputo Bay, on which the city sits.

(4) A: Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian capital hovers at an altitude of 7,726ft — higher than Kathmandu in Nepal and Thimphu, Bhutan.

(5) C: Four. Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, London.

(Southampton doesn’t count.)

(6) D: Harrisburg, on the south-east side of the state, midway between the more obvious Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

(7) D: Kennedy. JFK was only 24 when work on the South Dakota landmark ended in 1941. The three other listed presidents are all present — as is the first, George Washington.

(8) D: Venice. Istanbul features heavily in the film, but the final fight with villain Rosa Klebb takes place in Italy.

(9) Take your pick from Kabul (Afghanistan), Kampala (Uganda), Kathmandu (Nepal), Khartoum (Sudan), Kiev (Ukraine), Kigali (Rwanda), Kingston (Jamaica), Kingstown (St Vincent and the Grenadines), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Kuwait City (Kuwait).

- The Daily Telegraph

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD THEME: MOTHER’S DAY

Week of April 24, 2020 HOROSCOPE.COM

21 March to 20 April Is it worth spending money on a formal event at the start of the week? It might not be your thing, but if you go you might be surprised by what transpires. Even if you have to drag yourself there, it could be worth your while. Are you ready for the new moon on Wednesday? This powerful lunar phase takes place in your sector of personal finances and brings an opportunity to kick-start new and positive habits.

21 April to 20 May If you’re at odds with someone in authority, perhaps you feel put upon or overwhelmed by all they’re asking you to do. You could try talking to them. This person may be a lot more understanding than you give them credit for. The new moon in your sign on Wednesday is the best of the year for you. It brings opportunities to initiate new plans, habits, or relationships. Whatever you want to begin, this is the time to go for it.

21 May to 20 June Luscious Venus continues her journey through your sign, enhancing confidence and encouraging you to get out and connect. You will only benefit if you do.

An awkward sun-Saturn angle on Tuesday could find you questioning your beliefs. You may realize how limiting certain ideas have become and that it’s now time to move beyond them.

21 June to 22 July With the sun in your social zone, the coming weeks can be an opportunity to relax in good company and enjoy group and club activities. However, with the sun forging an edgy angle to sobering Saturn on Tuesday, you may not feel quite as comfortable with someone as you used to. Rather than steer clear, overcoming any awkwardness and reaching out could help you resolve this in a positive way.

23 July to 22 August Is someone being a tad critical? If so, try not to doubt yourself. If anything rings true, take note; otherwise, let it go. There are far more constructive things to focus on. You’ll have forgotten all about it soon enough. If you’re ready to take a step forward regarding your career or business, the midweek new moon in your sector of goals and ambitions is an excellent time to make your move.

23 August to 22 Sept The sun in your sector of far horizons suggests that you may be recharged by new scenery, places, and faces. If you have a chance to get away, this can be one of the best times to do so. And with the new moon in the same zone midweek, you might be ready to branch out by taking a course or becoming a freelancer.

23 September to 22 Oct With the sun now in a more intense zone for around four weeks, this can be a great time to let go of anything that may be holding you back. As the sun angles toward prudent Saturn on Tuesday, you may wonder why a friend is being somewhat distant. They may be dealing with issues; this might help them in more ways than you know.

23 October to 21 Nov With a new moon in this sector midweek, this can be a great opportunity to pair up with someone regarding a project or business venture. And if you’re eager to break the ice and get to know someone better, this is the time to do so. Are you involved in a budding romance? You might be ready to take the next step.

22 November to 21 Dec How do you feel about your finances? If you sense that you have blocks in certain areas, underworld Pluto’s retrograde phase that starts Saturday can be a call to dive in and find out more about them.

Connecting with a life coach who specializes in financial matters could help you move beyond them.

22 December to 20 Jan An awkward sun-Saturn angle early in the week could leave you wondering whether it’s worth splurging to learn a hobby or enjoy a new experience.

Although you may be initially reticent, consider giving it a go. You may derive far more benefit than you think.

21 January to 19 Feb As the sun continues its journey through your home zone, the coming four weeks or so can be a call to unwind when possible. Try to cook nurturing meals as opposed to eating fast food, get plenty of sleep, and enjoy a little self-care. This can also be a good time to step back from life and see things from a different perspective.

20 February to 20 Mar With the radiant sun in your sector of talk and thought, communication is key over the coming four weeks or so. This is one of the best times for connecting with your neighbors, especially if you haven’t spoken to them in a while. The same goes for siblings and friends who would love to hear from you.

ACROSS 1. “Ali Baba and the Forty ____,” sing.

6. Eureka!

9. Schools of thought 13. Sound of artillery 14. Car nut 15. Without illumination 16. Nosey one 17. Kind of trip?

18. Lasso loop 19. *Little Women’s mom 21. *Tracee Ellis Ross on TV 23. ____ o’ shanter 24. Quitter’s word 25. Like a fiddle?

28. Like Charles Dickens’ Tim 30. Quarantine state 35. *Egyptian goddess of fertility 37. Insane, in Spain 39. Mother or daughter, in Italy 40. *Biblical Rebecca’s son 41. Online reviews 43. Research facil.

44. Fisherman’s decoys 46. Daytime entertainment 47. Furniture wood 48. End of the road, pl.

50. Blatant promotion 52. Swedish shag rug 53. Yours and mine 55. Little squirt 57. *Mother’s mom 61. *She fought for Mother’s Day, then against it 64. In advance 65. *Bambi’s mom 67. Fancy tie 69. Less than fernier 70. I have 71. “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” host 72. Fairies 73. Galley equipment 74. Feed the fire

DOWN 1. Kitchen meas.

2. Stay out of its way!

3. Pelvic parts 4. Tennis great Chris ____ 5. Particular arrangement 6. Away from wind 7. *Mother’s favorite gift?

8. Ancient marketplace 9. Part of a scheme 10. No neatnik 11. Sushi restaurant soup 12. One-pot meal 15. Like the States 20. *One of the Gilmore girls 22. Hill dweller 24. One-eyed giants 25. *She played Forrest Gump’s mother 26. May edition, e.g.

27. *Worn atop the Queen Mother 29. Denials 31. Nike’s “Just ____ ____” 32. Private 33. “Take it back!”

34. *Mother in Kraków 36. Lard cousin 38. October birthstone 42. Plural of sputum 45. Rundown 49. Bottom line 51. Kind of ungulate, pl.

54. Where you’ll find AM 56. Living room centerpiece?

57. Gamecock’s spur 58. *Greek goddess of fertility 59. Bald eagle’s nest 60. *Mums’ mums 61. Opposite of cheer 62. International Civil Aviation Org. 63. Puppet precursor, possibly 66. *Female gametes 68. Café alternative

SOLUTION: MOTHER’S DAY on Page 14

Page 14 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section B)

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

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A Community message from Voice of Asia Group

STATEPOINT CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Answers:

MOTHER’S DAY from Page 13

Page 15 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section B)

Section 2

Business

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Texas oil at $2 a barrel raises specter of negative prices

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

Tel: 713-774-5140

New iPhone coming as locked-down consumers seek bargains

by Sheela Tobben Bloomberg April 18, 2020

C

zero.

rude prices in America’s oil capital are getting dangerously close to

Buyers bidding for crude in Texas, the birthplace of the shale revolution, are offering as little as $2 a barrel for some oil streams, a precipitous markdown from a month ago. The slumping value of physical barrels is raising the possibility that Texas producers may soon have to pay customers to take crude off their hands.

Negative prices have already hit more obscure corners of the American oil market amid a bearish trifecta of collapsing demand, swelling supplies and limited storage capacity. The first U.S. grade to bid under zero was a small landlocked crude stream known as Wyoming Asphalt Sour, which went for negative 19 cents a barrel last month.

In Texas, prices are heading in that direction. A subsidiary of Plains All American Pipeline bid just $2 a barrel for South Texas Sour on Friday, while Enterprise Products Partners LP offered $4.12 for Upper Texas Gulf Coast crude this week, according to pricing bulletins.

Offers could fall further if

benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude futures -- which have lost three-quarters of their value this year -- continue to tumble.

WTI closed below $20 a barrel this week for the first time since 2002. That bodes ill for producers locked into contracts with suppliers, as the daily price they earn for their crude moves with the broader market.

ic, and these could pressure prices below zero fast, Lipow added.

There is still at least 150 million barrels of available capacity.

“But it’s the fill rate that is likely alarming the market, said Reid I’Anson, a global energy economist at Kpler, an industry research Apple may be preparing to unveil a new iPhone, but without the fanfare of its usual product launches due firm. Stocks at the key storage hub to the coronavirus lockdowns. (AFP Photo/Drew Angerer) at Cushing, Oklahoma, have risen 18 million barrels in three weeks, “I’ve never seen Texas crude oil which is 20% of shell capacity, he

by Glenn Chapman closed. interested features such as camtransition to negative price” but added. eras, screens, and battery life and AN FRANCISCO | AFP | Consumers seeking upgrades it’s possible, said Andy Lipow, less interested in “gimmicks” Wednesday 4/14/2020 - Is president of Lipow Oil Associates The good news is that negative prized by early adopters, Milanow the time to launch a LLC in Houston. “It’s happened in prices -- if they do occur -- will South Korean colossus Samnesi maintained. the natural gas market at the Waha probably be “extremely tempo- new iPhone? sung last week introduced new hub in west Texas,” Lipow added. rary,” said John Auers, executive “This is not a response to coroDespite a pandemic-induced smartphones that included a vice president at energy consultant global economic crisis, Apple is model designed to work on navirus for sure; it just seems to Fast depleting storage is still a Turner Mason & Co. Under those widely believed to be set to remuch-hyped new-generation 5G suit the market better,” she said. major issue against a backdrop of circumstances, ultimately, supply lease a reduced-priced handset Apple has remained mum on unprecedented demand destruc- will be forced to shut in, he added. that aims to fill a gap in its line- mobile networks and priced less than $500. any iPhone plans. tion from the coronavirus pandem-

S

Oil collapses to under $11 as world awash with crude

by Roland Jackson

L

ONDON, United Kingdom | AFP | Monday 4/20/2020 - US oil prices dived to 22-year lows under $11 Monday after crashing 40 percent in a market flooded with crude as demand evaporates in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ahead of Wall Street opening the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for May delivery sank to $10.77 -the lowest level since 1998.

Trade, however, was also technically driven as investors closed out their positions ahead of the May contract expiry Monday.

The June contract was down 9.7 percent at $22.60.

“The real problem of the global supply-demand imbalance has started to really manifest itself in prices,” said Rystad Energy analyst Bjornar Tonhaugen.

“As production continues relatively unscathed, storage is filling up by the day. The world is using less and less oil and producers now feel how this translates in prices.”

The European benchmark contract, London Brent North Sea oil for June delivery, was down 6.5 percent at $26.27 per barrel.

Signs that the coronavirus may

have peaked in Europe and the United States failed to lift Asian and European financial markets generally.

Traders are instead becoming more and more concerned that oil storage facilities are reaching their limits, as stockpiles continue to build owing to the crash in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysts said this month’s agreement between OPEC and its peers to slash output by 10 million barrels a day was having little impact because of the virus lockdowns and travel restrictions that are keeping billions of people at home.

WTI was hit particularly hard as its main US storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma, were filling up, with Trifecta Consultants analyst Sukrit Vijayakar saying refineries were not processing crude fast enough.

There are also plenty of supplies from the Middle East with no buyers as “freight costs are high”, he told AFP. AxiCorp’s Stephen Innes added: “It’s a dump at all cost as no one... wants delivery of oil, with Cushing storage facilities filling by the minute.

“It hasn’t taken long for the

market to recognise that the OPEC+ deal will not, in its present form, be enough to balance oil markets.”

But market analyst Patrick J. O’Hare noted that the collapse in oil prices is not just a problem for the energy sector.

“It’s also a problem for the financial sector and investor sentiment in general, as weakening oil prices increase angst about solvency risk, geopolitical risk, and social unrest in countries that are heavily reliant on oil revenue,” he said in a note to clients.

Stock markets were mostly lower despite governments starting to consider how and when to ease the lockdowns that have crippled the global economy.

Italy, Spain, France and Britain reported drops in daily death tolls and slowing infection rates, while Germany began allowing some shops to reopen and Norway restarted nurseries.

Mounting evidence suggests that the lockdowns and social distancing are slowing the spread of the virus.

That has intensified planning in many countries to begin loosening curbs on movement and easing the crushing pressure on national economies.

US Senate approves new $480 bn pandemic relief plan

by Michael Mathes

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 4/21/2020 - The US Senate approved a bipartisan, nearly half-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief package Tuesday, with funding earmarked for devastated small businesses, overwhelmed hospitals, and a ramp-up of testing nationwide during the pandemic.

The essential job-saving measure, which passed by unanimous consent after more than a week of negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the White House, now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote could occur as early as Thursday.

The effort is the government’s latest massive cash infusion to prop up a collapsing economy amid struggles to contain a

pandemic that has killed 43,000 Americans and left some 22 million people jobless.

“This is a significant package,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, one which was cobbled together “on a crash timeline in these most unusual circumstances.”

The measure builds on the $2.2 trillion rescue legislation -- the largest-ever federal intervention in the US economy -- signed into law last month.

President Donald Trump called on Congress to swiftly send him the bill, which would re-fund a program that has already helped more than 1.6 million businesses, so he can sign it into law.

“I urge the House to pass the bill, and they’ll be voting on it, I imagine, very soon,” he said.

Late last month, with many shops and restaurants nationwide forced to shutter due to the pandemic, the government launched the PPP to provide $350 billion in what were essentially grants as long as businesses use the funds to pay their workers.

Banks were flooded with requests, and the money quickly ran out.

The new tranche would include $320 billion in small business funding, plus $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion to expand coronavirus testing, McConnell said.

It also provides $60 billion in disaster recovery loans and grants, he added.

“We have taken a giant step forward” towards providing more relief for small businesses

up, as early as this month.

Google could also follow a similar path, after Samsung last week unveiled new devices costs less than $500.

Reports suggest that the new Apple handset, to be called iPhone SE or iPhone 9, could have a starting price under $400, and generate some growth with the timetable uncertain for a new flagship smartphone for the California giant.

“While launching a mid-cycle budget/entry-level smartphone into the backdrop of a consumer global lockdown and unprecedented pandemic will be head scratcher to some, we note that Apple is viewing this as a low volume, low touch release with little fanfare as the phones are already ready to ship,” Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives said in a research note.

Ives said Apple is likely to be able to sell 20 million to 25 million of the new devices before a new flagship iPhone 12 is ready to ship.

Any new smartphone release would be without the splashy unveiling for which Apple is known, and would rely on online sales with most retail stores

“People might have less money to spend, but at the same time they want better technology,” said Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi.

“In the US, where it was very high-end or cheap smartphones and the middle had disappeared, that mid-tier has come back.”

Milanesi said these new phones could have some appeal to financially strained consumers, as some high-end devices reach dizzying prices as much as $1,500.

- Tis the season Design and production of smartphones launching this year began long before the coronavirus pandemic, meaning makers are locked into model specifications.

“We are getting into the season,” Milanesi said of escalating rumors that Apple and Google are poised to announce new handsets.

But some of the new devices may end up being timely in appealing to budget-minded consumers seeking an upgrade or replacement.

A mid-priced iPhone has potential to appeal to users more

Google has been known to introduce devices at its annual developers conference, which was slated for next month but cancelled due to the pandemic.

The likely entry for Google would be a Pixel 4A -- a successor to its reduced-price sibling for its flagship Pixel smartphone.

Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy said Apple and others are being forced to consider the economic upheaval.

“Forced to chose between buying a new iPhone and eating, people will chose to eat,” Moorhead said.

“It’s important for Apple to just not lose iPhone sales.”

It remains to be seen if the new devices can generate traction during the deep economic slump.

The new models will be arriving at a time of surging use of desktop or laptop computers by people staying home instead of being out and about relying on smartphones, according to Milanesi.

“A lot of people are home, so mobility is not a top priority,” the analyst said.

Uber expands delivery options for retail, personal items

W

ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 4/20/2020 - Uber unveiled plans to expand delivery of groceries and other goods from retailers as part of its response to the global coronavirus lockdowns.

The ridesharing giant said a new service called Uber Direct would focus on grocery and convenience store deliveries -- where social distancing and other obstacles have made shopping more difficult.

“We’ve heard from retailers and manufacturers around the world looking to introduce delivery through Uber, as an operationally efficient way to reach their customers or manage internal delivery needs,” San Francisco-based Uber said

and for first responders in hospitals, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said.

Schumer claimed Democratic victory for obtaining funding for testing, and he praised Trump, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and chief of staff Mark Meadows for agreeing to include it.

in a statement late Sunday.

“Shoppers can now place orders from select retailers and get their items delivered right to their doorstep -- without contact.”

The new Uber service is working with the retail startup Cabinet to deliver over-thecounter medicines and other items in New York.

It also will partner with Portugal’s postal service to deliver parcels, and in Australia with pet supply retailers.

Uber said it has already delivered medication to some 25,000 people in South Africa as part of a partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The US ridesharing giant has taken a massive hit as people remain home due to the pandemic, but it has been expanding services such as its Uber Eats program with restaurants.

Uber also unveiled a new personal package delivery option called Uber Connect to allow people to send items to family and friends in the same area.

“Whether it’s a care package, a board game, or an extra roll of much-needed toilet paper, you can send it by requesting ‘Uber Connect’ in the Uber app,” the statement said.

“This option is now available in more than 25 cities in Australia, Mexico, and the US.”

“We will not get America moving again until we have a national, well thought out, well executed testing program -- and this administration doesn’t have one,” Schumer said.

Republicans wanted to pass a measure to fund just the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses, but ultimately testing and hospital funding was

included.

Schumer said considerable PPP money will be reserved for minority-run small businesses and those without access to large financial institutions.

The deal leaves out a key Democratic demand: extra funding for state and local governments battling the pandemic.

Page 16 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section B)

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020

Home&Real Estate Mortgage relief and COVID-19 scams: What you need to know

U

nfortunately, during times of hardship, families are often targeted by fraud artists attempting to take advantage of those needing assistance. The COVID-19 crisis is no exception, with many scammers pretending to extend a critical lifeline to struggling homeowners through socalled “foreclosure rescue fraud.”

According to Freddie Mac, this scheme involves bad actors offering false promises of being able to save your home from foreclosure. Common elements of this fraud include the following: • Requiring you to sign over the title to your home.

• Asking you to sign unfamiliar documents and/or share your personal information.

• Charging you rent to stay in your home and/or potentially promising that you can purchase your home back when your financial situation improves.

Another common fraud involves a third party guaranteeing you a loan modification with a reduced mortgage payment. Such scams may operate similarly as foreclosure rescue fraud, as fraudsters collect an upfront fee and promise to work with your loan servicer on your behalf.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

• Don’t disclose. Never provide your information via phone or internet until after you have verified the caller or company’s identity.

• Be suspicious. If someone has contacted you asking for personal or sensitive information, do your homework to verify the validity of the request before providing any information. Contact your servicer (the company listed on your mortgage statement) and confirm that they called you asking for informa-

Sustainable ways to beat the heat without air conditioning!

by Kate Reggev

N

ow that summer has officially started, temperatures are rising and air conditioners are cranked up—but that doesn’t mean you have to do the same.

tion.

• Spot imposters. Scammers across the globe can make any name or number appear on your caller ID or email.

Protect yourself from spoofing by letting calls go to voicemail first. If a call is important, the caller will leave a message. If you do answer and it is a robocall, don’t press any numbers. Just hang up.

• Report fraud. Freddie Mac will never reach out to offer a refinancing opportunity or new loan over the phone.

If you have been contacted by someone claiming to represent Freddie Mac, you can report it by visiting sf.freddiemac. com/working-with-us/fraud-prevention/feedback.

While there are fraudsters out there offering false promises, know that there is real assistance on offer during this crisis, too. Contact your loan servicer to discuss your options. If Freddie Mac owns your mortgage and you are a homeowner unable to make you mortgage payments due to a decline in income resulting from COVID-19, you can learn more about available mortgage relief options by visiting MyHome.FreddieMac.com.

Your family’s health is no doubt topof-mind these days. However, it’s also important to remember that fraudsters are out in full-force, making your financial vigilance a crucial priority as well.

(StatePoint)

Although it may feel like it’s hard to believe, people have survived the unbearable heat of the summer for millennia without air conditioning, largely due to carefully-considered design choices they made in their homes. In fact, there are plenty of passive and sustainable design solutions—both large and small— that can be employed to reduce heat gain and the need to artificially cool a space with air conditioning. Read on to learn about five major strategies you can try out for yourself in your home.

CLOSE YOUR BLINDS While it’s rare to hear a design professional recommend keeping natural light out, in the summer, a lot of heat gain in interior spaces occurs because of the amount of sunlight that passes through transparent materials, including glass.

Unless you’ve replaced the glazing in your windows with a lower solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) or have newer windows where SHGC was a consideration, you should try to reduce the amount of light that reaches inside, especially during peak hours between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The best way to reduce heat gain is to stop the sunlight from the outside with exterior shutters, louvers, or rolling blinds. If you don’t have those, interior shutters, blinds, or curtains are great options. Even slightly sheer curtains can reduce the amount of sunlight enough for you to feel a difference.

OPEN YOUR OPERABLE WINDOWS Many homes, especially those constructed before World War II and the advent of air conditioning, were de-

signed for natural ventilation with operable windows. By opening windows on opposite sides of a home, you can create cross-ventilation for a consistent natural breeze.

CREATE A HOUSE-WIDE STACK EFFECT While operable transom windows can take advantage of the stack effect in smaller areas, you can recreate the same effect throughout an entire home on a larger scale. If you live in a multi-story home, you can use an existing stairwell or other vertically-oriented space to allow for air to move from high to low, opening windows in the upper floors so that you can release the hot air that’s risen.

INSTALL A WATER FEATURE If you live in a hot, arid climate or a region that experiences hot, dry summers, installing a water feature in a garden or courtyard is a helpful way to cool the air directly around a home. As the

water evaporates, it cools the air, creating a microclimate. However, for this to work, the water feature should be “active,” ensuring that as much water and air are in contact with each other as possible.

PLANT GREENERY IN KEY AREAS Another passive approach that can be used to cool a home is to plant vegetation in locations that either provide shade in strategic areas or guide prevailing winds into a home. Like outdoor shutters or blinds, thoughtfully-sited trees and shrubbery can shade windows to prevent direct sunlight from entering an interior space.

In regions that experience cold winters but hot summers, deciduous trees like elms and maples can provide shade in the summer while allowing sunlight to heat a space in the winter. However, it’s important to pay attention to the location of the plant.

- Dwell

DIFFERENT NATIONAL ORIGINS.

SAME FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS.

It is illegal for landlords and real estate agents to deny you housing opportunities because of your ethnicity. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on national origin. If you believe you have experienced a violation of your rights, file a complaint.

Go to hud.gov/fairhousing or call 1-800-669-9777 Federal Relay Service 1-800-877-8339

FAIR HOUSING: THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE. A public service message from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in cooperation with the National Fair Housing Alliance. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability.