Voice of Asia E-paper September 7, 2018

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FRIDAY, September 7, 2018 l HEALTHLINE September is Prostate Awareness Month

l YOUNG LIFE Investment tips for new college and university graduates

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Serving Harris, Fort Bend and Surrounding Counties for 30 years

Vol. 32 No. 35 • FRIDAY, September 7, 2018 Published Weekly from Houston 24 Pages (2 sections)

JANMASHTAMI

BUSINESS

Wipro wins $1.5 Billion deal from US-based Alight Solutions

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In New Delhi talks, Mattis and Pompeo seek to bring U.S. and India closer

CELEBRATIONS at ISKCON Houston

by Thomas Watkins

N

EW DELHI, India | AFP - IUS President Donald Trump's top two envoys were expected Thursday to press India not to buy Russian military equipment or Iranian oil, while seeking to bolster ties as China grows more assertive in the region.

The "2+2" meeting in New Delhi of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis with counterparts Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman is the first of its kind.

It follows Washington's designation in 2016 of India as a "major defence partner" as the US seeks to turn India into a regional bulwark against China.

The talks were first meant to be held in April and then in June but both were postponed, triggering speculation of a rift.

Pompeo said on Tuesday, en route for India's arch rival Pakistan, that India was a "true strategic partner" and "very important to our success in our Indo-Pacific strategy".

"As the world's largest democracy, we see India taking on a greater regional and global responsibility, a stabilising force," Mattis said.

The talks were expected to touch on expanding the scope of joint military exercises.

Scenes from ISKCON Houston's Krishna Janmashtami celebrations on Monday, September 3rd and Kirtan Fest this past weekend. (Photos courtesy Thejas K. Rajaram and Dīna Bandhu Dāsa/Facebook )

India and the US are also close to signing an agreement that would ensure communications between their two militaries are compatible and secure.

But Washington also wants India to distance itself from Russia, notably by

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman greets US Secretary of Defence James Mattis on his arrival (Photo: NDTV) stepping back from decades of purchases of Russian military equipment.

cant concerns if India pursued major new platforms and systems (from Russia). I can't sit here and tell you that they would be exempt, that we would use that waiver," Schriver told a Washington think tank.

India, the world's top defence importer, wants to purchase new systems from Moscow, including its S-400 long-range, surface-to-air missile system.

India already has bought US Apache attack helicopters and other gear, and is negotiating to buy armed drones.

Under current US rules against Russia, third countries could face sanctions if they transact with Russian defence or intelligence sectors.

In May, Trump pulled the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and said other countries, including India, must stop buying oil from Tehran before November 4 or face US sanctions.

The Press Trust of India recently quoted an unnamed official as saying the deal was almost done, and that Delhi would be asking for a special sanctions waiver from Trump.

India however is highly reliant on Iranian crude imports.

However last week, Randall Schriver, the Pentagon's assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, warned there are no guarantees.

Pompeo said on Tuesday that the issues of Russian arms sales and Iranian oil "will certainly come up, but I don't think they will be the primary focus of what it is we are trying to accomplish here."

"We would still have very signifi-

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

VOICE OF ASIA 2

By Ellen Zentner

VOICE OF ASIA Publisher: Associate Publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Austin Correspondent: Marketing Director: Office Manager:

U

Koshy Thomas Sherly Philip Shobana Muratee Sherine Thomas Susan Pothanikat Priyan Mathew

Consumers love the job market but aren't crazy about rate hikes the interest expense.

The University of Michigan’s measure dropped by 1.7 points to its lowest level since January, while the Conference Board’s measure surged by 5.5 points to its highest level since 2000.

More importantly, buying conditions were not considered to be poor because households expected "bad times ahead" or an "uncertain future."

While these two surveys tend to broadly track one another over time, monthly divergences are not uncommon and can mostly be tied to methodological differences. The questions asked and the timing of the survey matter most.

Contributors: Legal: Sharlene Sharmila Richards Mala Sharma

VoiceofAsiaOnline.com Editor Online:

.S. households appeared to be confused in August. Was it the heat? A sizable divergence in two of the most widely followed surveys of consumer confidence might suggest so.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Shobana Muratee

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Overall, though, both surveys are trying to get at how households "feel." Generally, a household that feels confident about the state of the labor market and its personal finances tends to spend, and consumer spending is roughly 70 percent of the U.S. economy.

So what happened in August? The Conference Board’s survey frames much of its questions around the respondent’s assessment of the labor market, and this appears to be the primary driver of the reported jump in confidence.

Most likely reflecting the continued robust pace of job gains and multi-decade low level of layoffs, the assessment of current labor market conditions rose in August to the highest level since 2001.

This measure matches up well over time with actual labor market conditions, and its elevated level indicates continued downward pressure on the

Photo: Shutterstock unemployment rate. Indeed, we expect the unemployment rate to have fallen further this month to just 3.8 percent.

The University of Michigan’s survey more directly gets at how consumers feel about current personal finances, which tends to make it quite sensitive to monthly fluctuations in gas prices and the stock market. Yet, stocks were generally higher over the month and gas prices remained relatively stable.

Instead, it was households’ assessment of current buying conditions that plunged — and it can all be tied to rising interest rates. The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates since December 2015, but the pace has been so slow that it has taken longer than usual for household’s to feel the bite of

costlier credit.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the August decline in sentiment was concentrated among households in the bottom third of the income distribution. These folks are much more sensitive to rising interest expense.

Some economists have noted the decline in buying conditions with alarm. After all, the index of home buying conditions fell to its lowest level since December 2008, and the index for buying vehicles fell to its lowest since 2013.

In both cases, respondents blamed rising prices and interest rates. To be fair, these factors may not be mutually exclusive as some buyers might gauge the price by the monthly payment, which would include

So before getting too carried away, I think it’s important to note that this is normal. Housing and autos are two interest-rate sensitive sectors,

and the drop in buying conditions shows the Fed is doing its job successfully thus far.

The Fed raises interest rates to moderate the economy, primarily through the tightening of credit conditions. The University of Michigan noted as much in its write-up saying, “Overall, the data indicate that consumers have little tolerance for overshooting inflation targets, and to the benefit of the Fed, interest rates now play a more decisive role in purchase decisions.”

In the end, despite the large divergence among the August surveys, both measures show confidence has risen sharply since the financial crisis.

Ellen Zentner is the managing director and chief U.S. economist for Morgan Stanley.

Colleges must make textbooks more affordable

By Don Weimer

I

teach at a large, public technical college that grants associate degrees in more than 100 occupational programs. I have never had a trust-fund baby in any of my classes. My students come from low- to modest-income households. And many are being saddled with a lifetime of student debt.

lars for one textbook. To cut costs, students seek alternatives, such as buying used (sometimes outdated) books, renting books or taking courses without buying the books.

Because those student strategies don’t generate revenue for them, publishers often issue frequent revisions. Some fields of study change rapidly, making updates critical. In other

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VOICE OF ASIA 3

Section 1

Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com

India Development and Relief Fund founder remains steadfast for service to others

by Manu Shah

into action with relief measures when the Morvi Dam collapsed in 1979 and the Bhopal Gas tragedy struck in 1984.

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OUSTON - Vinod Prakash has distinct memories of delivering flyers during the freedom movement in India. He was only 9 years old but vividly recalls that the flyers were printed in a concealed room by his brother. In the same breath, he reveals how his sister-inlaw (Bhabhi) along with his mother, 3 unmarried sisters and brother offered Satyagraha (peaceful protest) against the British government.

This is the kind of personal history the Founder of India Development and Relief Fund (IDRF) Vinod Prakash, now 85, comes from. It would have a tremendous influence in shaping his character, sense of idealism and the life changing decisions he took from quitting a prestigious job at the World Bank, rushing relief measures to a quake hit area or refusing to pay a bribe to a government official.

The youngest of nine siblings, Vinod was born in Meerut, a city northeast of New Delhi.

He belonged to a lower middle class business family that ran a publishing house and owned the Prakash Educational Store selling books and stationery.

Vinod’s wife and partner in every social service endeavor, Sarla was born in Bihar Sharif, and is the 7th among 8 siblings. A topper right through, Sarla did her Bachelors from Kanya Gurukul Mahavidyalaya in Dehradun and then joined the DAV College in Kanpur for a Masters in Political Science.

While in college, she agreed to meet Vinod at her brother’s request. The two met over a cup of tea at the Kanpur railway station. She liked his “simplicity,” while he appreciated her zest for knowledge.

A brilliant student, Vinod

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

In 1988, almost 20 years later, Vinod retired from the World Bank only to begin working fulltime for IDRF his nonprofit.

Dr. Prakash given award during Republic Day celebrations. completed his Bachelors in Science and Masters in Mathematics at a local college in Meerut after which he headed to the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata. He joined the Government of India’s Perspective Development Planning program which attracted several global experts from countries such as Australia, UK and the US. Vinod worked with all of them and they would good humoredly refer to him as “a walking Encyclopedia.”

He then joined the World Bank and was also heading the India Relief Fund (IRF) for a decade. When the Fund’s purpose was served, Vinod

In 1993, when Latur in Maharashtra was crumbling under a 6.2 Richter scale earthquake, IDRF moved swiftly, raised $303,000 with the help of Houstonian Vijay Pallod, and volunteers landed in Latur to provide relief measures.

Sarla, likewise, shared her husband’s idealism. A school for deaf children in Kolkata moved her so much that she asked every friend to contribute $100 dollars. She also in-

A tax exempt 501 (c) 3 public charity, IDRF’s transparency, accountability and financial health won it a coveted Platinum rating from America’s largest non-profit data resource GuideStar and a four out of four star rating from Charity Navigator for five consecutive years.

Dr. Prakash being presented a check of Rs.51 lakhs to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. (Photos courtesy IDRF)

IDRF’s efficient use of resources helped the organization rush relief and rehabilitation measures to every major Indian disaster since 1991. When the earthquake struck in Gujarat in January 2001, Vinod describes the donations as “falling from the sky.” In the 1999 tragic Kargil war, the organization presented a check of Rs.51 lakhs to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. They raised $100,000 to aid victims of flooding in Uttarakhand and equipped temporary shelters with beds, mattresses, cooking utensils and solar lanterns.

approached the World Bank Executive for India – M. Narasimham and explained that he would like to use IRF to provide relief assistance. Given Vinod’s integrity, capability and sincerity, a special provision was made and from 19771987 Vinod took charge of the Fund. The organization swung

Over the years, IDRF, in cooperation with local NGOs and partners, built 2500 toilets, focused on education of impoverished tribal girls from the north east, created access to medical services for 50,000 people in the remote villages of Assam and IDRF’s medical van played a key role in improving the lives of the tribal

Seeing his potential, they offered Vinod a Fellowship in their countries but he opted for the Ford Foundation Fellowship at MIT. In 1960, he and Sarla left for Boston where Sarla joined Boston University for a Masters in Mass Communication and Vinod pursued his Fellowship at MIT. The couple returned to Delhi for a brief period where Vinod served as Joint Director of Monopolies and Enquiry Commission – an unusually high position for one so young.

However they had to return to the US for treatment for their son who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Vinod secured a Graduate Scholarship at MIT and the family moved back to the US.

IDRF’s emphasis has always been “Putting power, not charity in the hands of the underprivileged.” Vinod’s experience as a developmental economist had taught him that people must be provided with skills to make them self-reliant versus giving hando u t s .

O v e r time, the organization expanded its focus to 6 key areas: women empowerment, education, health, eco-friendly development, improving governance in urban and rural areas and relief and rehabilitation.

vited friends for a $25 sit down luncheon, served different Indian cuisines and raised $1000 dollars for many years. Vinod had jokingly told her he would match whatever she raised.

She held him to his word and in her way demonstrated how even a homemaker can support a cause.

Tel: 713-774-5140 people and in diverting youth from Naxalism to social work.

IDRF also helped construct 127 check dams/ponds and 147 wells putting an end to the daily long trek for water. IDRF helped start the Savitri Soni Vidya Mandir Inter College in Meerut, UP with two teachers and two classrooms under a thatched roof. Today, the school has changed the educational landscape of the region and draws children from 30 adjoining villages.

Since 1988, IDRF has sent over $34 million to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka – and helped thousands of donors give back to their homeland.

This generosity and empathy is imbibed in the family.

Vinod and Sarla’s elder son, Sanjay and to-be-daughterin-law Renu donated all their wedding gifts to Seva Bharati, a residential school for tribal boys in the outskirts of Delhi.

Vinod’s younger son Gautam followed suit when he got married. By the time Sarla’s 60th birthday and Vinod’s 75th birthday came around, their friends knew what to expect!

All gifts went to NGO’s in India through IDRF. In 2010, personal tragedy struck when an undiagnosed infection and a doctor’s negligence cost Vinod his vision.

Today, he wistfully says he misses seeing the smiles on the faces of his grandchildren and visiting NGOs in India but reflects that the tragedy invigorated his purpose of a life of service.

Vinod and Sarla live in Maryland and their efforts continue to empower Indians in the remotest and poorest regions of India.

Visit www.idrf.org for more information or call 301-7040032

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 4

Eighth annual free Health Fair in Pearland/Manvel area on Sept 15

M

ANVEL TX -"Life and Soul" Health Fair is a free community health fair serving the residents of Houston and neighboring cities. The 8th annual health fair this year will be held on Sep 15, Saturday, 8 am to 12 Noon at Sai Primary Care – New Life Plaza, 3945 CR 58, Manvel 77578. It is organized by Love to Share Foundation America, a non-profit community organization, and brings together several service organizations and volunteers to serve the community.

The Honorable Mayor of Manvel Ms. Debra Davison and Honorable Mayor of Pearland Mr. Tom Reid will kick-off the event this year at 8 am.

F

Community free health fair set for local residents. (Photos: Nisha Giri)

Free flu vaccines will be offered to first 100 participants who are 4 years old or above.

A similar parent university was held in the spring-time and proved a popular success. The need to prepare for higher education has never been greater.

For more information contact Fort Bend ISD at 281-6341100.

DAISO JAPAN opens new store in Katy Free bike helmet giveaway will promote safe biking for youth.

Free Bike Helmets will be given way to educate the public about preventing head injury.

Flu Vaccines and Bike Helmet giveaways are made possible

by Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise - Immunize Program and Hard Hats for Little Heads Program.

Walmart and Dr. Richard Johnigan III are the grand sponsors of the event this year.

Other sponsors include HEB, Amgen, Walgreens, Southeast Cardiovascular Associates, Coastal Vascular Center, GeoGrafx, Alvin Community College - Respiratory Division, UTMB, Texas Medical Association Be Wise - Immunize and Hard Hats for Little Heads, Bay Area Printing, Genesis Hearing, Bandy And Associates, Cooling Towers, Shipley’s Donuts, Ina Patel, Biriyani Express, Starbucks and BJ's.

For further information or to make a tax-exempt donation for this noble cause, please call 281-402-6585.

HCC to host forum for small business owners

H

OUSTON (September 4, 2018) – Houston Community College will open its doors to small business owners who want to learn from entrepreneurs, sales professionals and marketing experts at the “Small Business Forum” Saturday, September 15.

The event, sponsored by the National Sales Network and the Houston Office of Business Opportunity, will provide insight on how to operate a business and build a successful one. The keynote speaker will be Marcus Davis, owner of The Breakfast Klub restaurant in Houston’s Midtown.

Who: National sales Network, Houston Office of Business Opportunity What: Forum”

“Small Business

Where: HCC Southeast College, 6815 Rustic Street, Houston, TX 77087

When: Saturday, September 15, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The cost to attend is $25 for all NSN and OBO members, $50 for non-members, and $15 for HCC students. Registration information will be available until noon, September 12 at https://nsnsmallbusiness. eventbrite.com.

About HCC Houston Community College (HCC) is composed of

15 Centers of Excellence and numerous satellite centers that serve the diverse communities in the Greater Houston area by preparing individuals to live and work in an increasingly international and technological society. HCC is one of the country’s largest singly-accredited, open-admission, community colleges offering associate degrees, certificates, workforce training, and lifelong learning opportunities. To learn more, visit www.hccs.edu

Fort Bend ISD calls for bond referendum of nearly $1B

R

ICHMOND - Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees have voted to put a massive bond on the November ballot.

The district wants two separate referendums totaling $1.7 billion. This is the largest bond referendum in Fort Bend ISD’s history.

On Monday, the board unanimously voted to call a November 6 bond election to address capital needs related to new construction, safety and security, renovations to address maintenance and adequacy throughout the District, and transportation and technology.

“If it helps our children, our babies, do what you need to do,” said Brent Pickett.

This free event will give parents an opportunity to meet with FBISD personnel and other education experts to receive an overview of the Houston job market, advice on how to be involved in your child’s postsecondary planning and information on obtaining financial aid and college scholarships.

The free event will last approximately two hours, consisting of three sessions.

General Practitioners and a Gastroenterologist, a Cardiologist and a Rheumatologist will be available to answer any questions.

Free screening Mammograms will be offered to eligible Brazoria County residents.

Participants are requested to call 281-412-6606 for scheduling the test.

Fort Bend ISD to host Parent University, September 18 ORT BEND ISD (September 4, 2018) – To help families prepare their high school students for postsecondary careers, Fort Bend ISD is hosting a Parent University on Tues., Sept. 18, beginning at 6 p.m. at Travis High School (11111 Harlem Rd., Richmond TX 77406).

All the screenings will be offered free of cost to attendees and these include – Biometrics, Bone Density, EKG, Carotid Doppler, Blood sugar, Cholesterol, Lung Function Test, Vision and Glaucoma Screening, Hearing test, Thyroid Screening, Ultrasound and Blood Pressure. These screenings will be offered on a first come first serve basis, no prior appointments needed.

This year we will also have CPR and Stroke education classes.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

The one that would be voted on in November would be worth $992 million and fund the first of a two-phase, six-year plan to address capital needs in the District, which is expected to serve more than 85,000 students by the year 2027. Phase one includes the $992.6 million bond referendum, followed by a projected $705.2 million bond plan in 2021.

of Lakeview Elementary and Meadows Elementary, and additions at Madden Elementary and Neill Elementary.

The $992.6 November 6, 2018 bond referendum includes:

$10.6 million for transportation.

$403.4 million for new construction, rebuilds and additions, including the construction of three elementary campuses, design of one middle school, construction of one high school, the rebuild

$396.5 million to address life-cycle deficiencies and educational adequacy across the District. $14.9 million to fund safety and security upgrades and investments.

$142.6 million for technology. $19.7 million for future land purchases.

For more information, visit https://www.fortbendisd.com/ bond

by Susan Pothanikat

K

ATY – On Friday, August 31, 2018, DAISO Japan, a rapidly growing value store known for selling quality items for $1.50, held their grand opening of its first Houston area store in Katy, Texas, located at 559 S Mason Rd. DAISO Japan, known for its wide selection of household products at extremely low prices, is averaging 10 to 20 new store openings globally every month. With 2,800+ stores in Japan and 600+ stores overseas, DAISO is proud to introduce its high quality DAISO brand items to new shoppers around the world. Through high volume purchases -- in the millions for a single product – the Japanese variety store is

Ribbon cutting at DAISO with (L-R) Rafi Zitvar, Heather Nguyen, Houston Japanese Consul-General Hideo Fukushima, Daiso USA's senior VP of operations Yoshi Murata, City of Houston Rep. for Steve Le and John Nguyen. (Photo: Susan Pothanikat) able to keep costs down. With the continuing increase in the cost of living DAISO mission is to help consumers maintain

a high standard of living without spending more. For more information, please visit http://www. daisoglobal.com/.

VOICE OF ASIA 5

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place Section 1

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital named one of America’s top 100 community hospitals

Fort Bend ISD to host Community Information Sessions regarding Nov. 6 Bond Referendum

Tel: 713-774-5140

'Show Me City' to host public input workshop Missouri City residents urged to share feedback at “Community Connection” forum

Learn more of the details of Fort Bend ISD’s $992.6 million bond package FORT BEND ISD (August 31, 2018) – At the August 13 Board meeting, the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees called a $992.6 million bond election for November 6, 2018 to address capital needs related to new construction, safety and security, renovations to address maintenance and adequacy throughout the District, and transportation and technology.

Photo courtesy HMSLH

S

UGAR LAND, (September 1, 2018) — Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has been named one of America’s top 100 community hospitals by Becker’s Hospital Review, a national trade publication.

Becker's Hospital Review compiles an annual list of leading community hospitals using data from a wide range of outside ranking and ratings organizations, including IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals, iVantage Health Analytics and The Chartis Center for Rural Health's Top 100 Rural & Community Hospitals, CareChex ratings, Leapfrog Group grades, Healthgrades awards and CMS stars.

The compilation recognizes hospitals that have achieved outstanding clinical quality and operational excellence while having a significant economic impact on their local communities.

“This honor is special because it incorporates such a broad array of input from some of the nation’s most respected health care organizations,” said Chris Siebenaler, CEO, Houston

Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “To be included, a hospital must demonstrate excellence across a wide range of metrics and be a leader in the marketplace. This recognition is truly a testament to the commitment and dedication of our physicians, nurses and hospital staff and the work they do every day on behalf of our patients and our community.”

Houston Methodist Sugar Land is one of just five Texas hospitals named to the 2018 list, and the only hospital in Fort Bend to be honored.

“We are proud to call Sugar Land our home and we are committed to continuing to advance both the quality and breadth of our health care offerings for the people of Fort Bend and surrounding areas,” said Siebenaler.

For more information about Houston Methodist Sugar Land, go to houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or call 281.274.7000. Visit our Facebook page at fb.com/methodistsugarland for the latest news, events and information.

- HMSLH

Classic Chili Challenge to benefit Fort Bend County first responders

To provide the community with details about the 2018 Bond package, FBISD is hosting a series of community information sessions in September and October.

All FBISD parents, staff, students and community members are welcome to attend.

The information sessions will give community members an opportunity to receive detailed information about the 2018 Bond, engage in open discussions and ask any questions they may have. You can learn more about the 2018 Bond Program on the Bond webpage.

October 9 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 6 election. For more information about registering to vote, check with the Fort Bend County Elections at http://www.fortbendcountytx. gov/, under Services/Elections.

The Community Information Sessions will be held on the following dates, from 6-8 p.m.: September Meetings: Tuesday, September 18

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ISSOURI CITY - #MCTX staff invites residents and stakeholders to attend a public input workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Community Center, 1522 Texas Pkwy. Citizens are encouraged to attend the superherothemed “Community Connection” forum and share ideas on how to: • Solve SUPER community issues • Build SUPER community networks • Receive information on SUPER City programs & events In alignment with the theme, participants may wear their favorite superhero attire. The forum will also be an opportunity for staff to learn how residents receive and want to receive

information about City programs and services, for residents to network with their neighbors and for citizens to build citywide alliances.

To RSVP, please call 281.403.8500 or register on the City’s website here: https://bit.ly/2wC20F8.

For more information about the City, watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov, like us on Facebook—fb/ MissouriCityTX, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat—@MissouriCityTX, watch Missouri City Television (Ch. 16 on Comcast and Ch. 99 on AT&T U-verse) or download the MCTX Mobile app (available for free in Google Play and the Apple app store).

- MissouriCityTX.gov

2018 National Night Out set for Oct. 2

Hightower High School Auditorium 3333 Hurricane Lane, Missouri City 77459 Austin High School Auditorium 3434 Pheasant Creek Dr., Sugar Land 77498

Register your block party on missouricitytx.gov or on sugarlandtx.gov

Wednesday, September 19 Kempner High School Auditorium 14777 Voss Rd., Sugar Land 77498 Fort Settlement Middle School Commons 5440 Elkins Rd., Sugar Land 77479 Wednesday, September 26

National Night Out celebratins in Missouri City last year (Photo: Missouri City)

Ridge Point High School Auditorium 500 Waters Lake Blvd., Missouri City 77459 Clements High School Auditorium 4200 Elkins Dr., Sugar Land 77479 October Meetings: Thursday, October 4 A photo from previous year's challenge in Sugar Land.

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he 8th annual Classic Chili Challenge is scheduled for Oct. 13 and will once again benefit all Fort Bend County first responders.

To sweeten the deal this year, a Dessert Bake Off has been added to the community event.

“We are very excited about the addition of a bake off,” said Classic Chevy Sugar Land Operations Director Jerry Parks.

Classic Chevrolet in Sugar Land hosts the event each year.

“Call today for a booth and a chance to win serious bragging rights,” Parks said. “Just like with the chili, we will be awarding a trophy to both our Crowd Favorite and our Judge’s Choice, chosen by honorary judges: the Johnson Development marketing team. For schools and churches, we are waiving the bake off $100 entry fee. We just ask that you bring extra cakes, cookies and pies we can sell to benefit our Fort Bend County first responders.”

For those who make a mean bowl of the official “state food” of Texas, the Chili Challenge is your challenge.

With many competitors there will be plenty of chili and dessert samples for everyone to try.

“That’s right,” Parks said. “This is a family event. For $2/ticket or $5/ family, you can come out and eat all the chili you want, topping it off with homemade desserts sampled from our bake off. Don’t forget to bring a pocket full of dollars to vote for your favorites. Remember, 100 percent of what we collect goes directly to our first responders, our heroes.”

Those heroes – like Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls, EMS Chief Graig Temple and Richmond Fire Chief Michael Youngblood – will also be engaging in four-way tug-of-war contests, rock wall climbing and the demolition of a car with sledgehammers.

“You are all welcome to join our first responders in these unique and challenging activities,” Parks said. “We’ll also have carnival food, live music, and fun games – including a game truck – for the kids. There will be fire trucks, police cruisers, ambulances and SWAT units on site. This is can’t miss fun!”

“We’ve moved the Chili Challenge Classic Chili Challenge and Dessert to the fall, hoping for some ‘chilly’ Bake Off honorees and beneficiaries weather,” said Classic Chevy Sugar include: Land owner Jeff Sebastian.

Behind the Badge, police and fire/ Chili categories include Texas Chili, EMS departments from Sugar Land, Spicy Chili, Bean Chili and Specialty Missouri City, Stafford, Richmond, Chili. Teams need to submit a $100 en- Rosenberg, and Meadows Place, along try fee per category or tent space (fees with the sheriff and constable departfor first responder teams are waived). ments of Fort Bend County.

Don’t forget to decorate booths for a “My wife Tiffany and I are excited to chance to win the coveted Spirit Award again be a part of this event that bentrophy.

Hodges Bend Middle School Commons 16510 Bissonnet, Houston 77083 Wednesday, October 10 Dulles High School Cafeteria 550 Dulles Ave., Sugar Land 77478 Travis High School Auditorium 11111 Harlem Rd., Richmond 77406 Tuesday, October 16 Bowie Middle School Commons 700 Plantation Dr., Richmond 77406 Willowridge High School Auditorium 16301 Chimney Rock, Houston 77053

M

ISSOURI CITY - The “Show Me City” once again will participate in National Night Out celebrations on Tuesday, Oct. 2, with citizens, elected officials, first responders and stakeholders partnering to promote our safe streets.

The City’s proactive public safety initiatives will be a central theme citywide as neighborhoods host block parties to showcase their support of local firefighters and police officers.

The annual Pre-National Night Out “Kick Off” block party will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Missouri City Police Mini-Station, 1703-A Texas Pkwy., starting at 3 p.m.

Members of the Fire & Rescue Services and the Police Department, including the SWAT, Bike Patrol and K9 Units, will be at the kick-off event to

greet participants and hand out crimeprevention materials. Police vehicles, the City-branded community engagement fire truck, a Dalmatian bounce house, tactical equipment, and a Rescue Boat will also be on display.

Then, on Tuesday, Oct. 2, cities statewide will officially observe National Night Out. Citizens can check neighborhood block party locations with their homeowner’s associations.

There will not be any pre-event celebrations in the Target parking lot this year.

Communities that are hosting a block party are encouraged to register their event by Monday, Sept. 24 on the homepage of the City website or via this link: http://bit.ly/2P3hVDX. To receive more event details, contact Sgt. Russell D’Oench at 281.403.5819.

National Night Out Sugar Land promotes community involvement, neigborliness

Wednesday, October 17 Elkins High School Auditorium 7007 Knights Court, Missouri City 77459

efits the men and women in our community committed to keeping our families and businesses safe and sound,” Sebastian said. “We look forward to seeing all of you on October 13.”

Classic Chili Challenge Raffles Raffle prizes include a Puerto Vallarta vacation as well as several firearms and the use of a new Tahoe! Raffle tickets will be available the day of the event or purchase tickets now at Classic Chevy Sugar Land or a local firehouse or police station.

- Classic Chevrolet Sugar Land

T

he Annual National Night Out event involves more than 89,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, close to 31 million people participate in "America's night out

against crime."

For more about Sugar Land's National Night Out, contact SLPD crime prevention officers Harris Johnston at 281-275-2580 or Lauren Stockholm at 281-275-2956.

- City of Sugar Land

US NEWS

VOICE OF ASIA 6

Kaepernick, from Super Bowl quarterback to NFL pariah

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ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 9/4/2018 - What began as a quiet protest against police brutality and racial inequality catapulted Colin Kaepernick to the forefront of the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

"We need to seriously think about whether the time has come for these companies to abide by new transparency obligations," Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai said in a blog post a day ahead of congressional hearings with executives from Twitter and Facebook.

It also left the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback without a job, a pariah in the National Football League (NFL).

Two years after sitting on the sidelines during the playing of the national anthem, the 30-year-old athlete has become one of the most controversial figures on the US landscape.

Pai offered no specific proposals, but appeared to echo concerns raised by President Donald Trump, who claimed tech firms may be biased against conservatives.

Kaepernick's Twitter post debuted the new ad from Nike

Seen as the quarterback of the future, the heir to legends Joe Montana and Steve Young, he signed a six-year contract extension with the 49ers in June 2014 paying him up to $126 million, with $61 million guaranteed.

ing that they are disrespectful to veterans and the flag and others demanding that the league support players exercising their free speech rights.

Kaepernick lost his starting job in 2015 but was battling to regain it at the dawn of the 2016 season.

Kaepernick asked the 49ers to be traded in 2017 and he has been unable to find an NFL job since then, filing a grievance against team owners who he accuses of colluding to keep him out of the league.

He staged his first silent protest during the team's third preseason game, sitting on the bench and declining to join his teammates during the traditional playing of "The StarSpangled Banner."

"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told reporters after the game. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way."

Referring to the recent highprofile slayings of several young black men by police officers, Kaepernick said: "There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

For the next preseason game, he was persuaded by a former NFL player and serviceman to kneel instead of sit.

The kneeling protest was adopted by several other black players and in September 2017 it drew the attention of President Donald Trump, who declared that NFL owners should fire any "son of a bitch" who failed to stand for the anthem.

- Grievance against the NFL -

That lawsuit is ongoing.

Since his effective banishment by the NFL, Kaepernick has embraced the role of civil rights activist in the mold of pioneering black baseball player Jackie Robinson and boxer Muhammad Ali before him.

He has donated money to groups fighting racial injustice and was named an "Ambassador of Conscience" by Amnesty International in 2018.

Kaepernick was born on November 3, 1987 to a teenaged mother who was white and a father who was black.

Put up for adoption, he was raised in California by a white couple, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick.

An outstanding all-around athlete -- the 6ft 4in (1.93-meter, 104-kilogram) Kaepernick played baseball and basketball in addition to football in high school.

The protests have left NFL fans divided with some claim-

A pitcher, he was drafted by Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs in 2009 but decided to attend the University of Nevada in Reno instead to play college football.

Colleges must make textbooks more affordable...

Institutions can further increase their reliance on adjunct instructors, who are dealing with their own debt and are desperate for work.

Contnued from page 2

And online economies of scale are appealing to cashstrapped institutions. If professors are willing to set courses on autopilot, they have an incentive to pack students into larger online sections. Our great institutions of higher learning may become massive online course providers.

The explosive growth of online learning has been a godsend for publishers, which provide essential online content.

This is usually included in the price of a new book. Students who buy used books must pay an additional access fee for required online content, and often end up paying as much as they would have to for a new book.

Further, publishers now provide a new level of services for faculty, such as customized content with matching syllabi and automated test-scoring.

These rely heavily on online content that students must pay to access.

But our duty as educators is to use online learning to the students’ best advantage. Our institutions of higher learning — including faculty, administration and boards of trustees — need to take control. The good news is that alternatives are emerging.

A backup his first year, Kaepernick took over as the 49ers starting quarterback in the 10th game of the 2012 season, taking them to the Super Bowl where they lost 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens.

Kaepernick, who is deeply religious and sports several tattoos of Bible verses, led the 49ers to the NFC championship game the following year where they lost to the evetual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

On Monday, shoe and athletic apparel giant Nike named Kaepernick as the face of a new advertising campaign to mark the 30th anniversary of the company's iconic "Just Do It" slogan.

The Nike campaign, unveiled just days before the kickoff of the 2018 NFL season on Thursday, shows a portrait of Kaepernick with the slogan: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

"We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward," said Gino Fisanotti, Nike's vice president of brand for North America.

"Consumers interact with these digital platforms on a daily basis. We get our news from them. We interact with our family and friends on them," Pai wrote.

"But how do these companies make decisions about what we see and what we don't? And who makes those decisions?

We still don't know."

The FCC chief repeated complaints made in recent months over the blocking or removal of content by conservative politicians and activists.

Tech firms have contended their algorithms are not designed with political aims, and analysts have pointed out that many conservatives, including Trump himself, have a considerable online following.

Pai said the FCC imposes "strict transparency requirements" on companies that operate broadband networks, but that the public has "virtually no insight" into tech firms' business practices.

"Are these tech giants running impartial digital platforms over which they don't exercise editorial judgment when it

comes to content?" he asked.

"Or do they in fact decide what speech is allowed and what is not and discriminate based on ideology and/or political affiliation? And again, going back to the first point: where is the transparency?"

The government " shouldn't regulate these entities like a water company," Pai said, while maintaining that "it's important to have a serious conversation about these issues... because these tech giants have come to have much greater influence over our economy and society."

Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg were set to appear at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday of foreign influence operations on social media.

Lawmakers were seeking a top executive from Google or its parent Alphabet, but it remained unclear if the search giant would be represented.

Dorsey is due to testify at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on online "transparency and accountability."

CENTERED LIVING

One publisher, Cengage Unlimited, now allows full access, for a single fee, to students who use that publisher’s material.

This is an improvement, but it monopolizes the role of that publisher.

A better idea is for school to set a flat rate for all supporting material for courses, including textbooks and online content.

Publishers can structure their products for reasonable return.

Schools may also require all sections of a course to use the same book. This is the standard at the college where I teach.

If a faculty member objects to some publisher’s content or considers it incomplete, he or she can develop supplemental material for the course. We are paid to teach, after all.

Student loan debt has exceeded credit card debt for several years. We are the only developed nation that does this to our students. We must decide who will carry this burden, and strive to minimize it.

50% OFF Your Rent for 2018

Don Weimer teaches economics and personal finance at the college level.

- Tribune News

Connect with us today!

Visit us Online @ www.voiceofasiaonline.com

713-774-5140

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he hopes the recent scrutiny of US technology firms will lead to more transparency (Photo: GETTY/ AFP/File)

The campaign has sparked a backlash among some fans with a #NikeBoycott hashtag trending on Twitter while others have come out in support of the company and the ostracised quarterback.

CONNECT WITH US

SOCIAL

To be clear: online learning offers a range of benefits. Modern foreign language classes can provide television shows in slow language. Art classes can present clear images online rather than blurry slides in the lecture hall. Late-breaking developments can quickly be integrated. Students in the military can continue their educations.

After a standout college career, he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft.

He was the 36th player selected overall.

MEDIA

CONNECT WITH US

Some professors, especially those working at institutions that prioritize research over teaching, are pleased to pass the task of teaching to publishers, or to outsource their online course management to outside academics.

Top US regulator calls for 'transparency' from tech giants ASHINGTON | AFP | Tuesday 9/4/2018 - The head of a key US regulatory agency called Tuesday for Silicon Valley firms to provide more transparency about how they operate, raising the possibility of tougher regulations for technology firms.

by Chris Lefkow

As a mobile quarterback with a rifle arm, Kaepernick took the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012 and to the NFC championship game the following season.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

LUXURY APARTMENT HOMES In the Texas Med Center

NOW OPEN 713-527-1000

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SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

Pakistani lawmakers elect Imran Khan ally as president

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Pompeo and Mattis aiming to ease tensions on trips to India, Pakistan

by Michael Kugelman

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SLAMABAD, Pakistan | AFP | Tuesday 9/4/2018 Pakistan Tuesday elected a close ally of Prime Minister Imran Khan as its new president, further cementing the ruling party's power after a controversial general election victory.

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ASHINGTON This week, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis will travel to New Delhi for talks with their Indian counterparts.

Pompeo will also visit Islamabad to meet Imran Khan, Pakistan’s new prime minister.

Former cricket champion Khan became prime minister last month following his party's controversial victory in the mid-July parliamentary elections.

Imran Khan nominates Dr. Arif Alvi for president. (Photo: AFP) backed by the ousted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), came second with 185 votes while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Aitzaz Ahsan won 124 votes, Ahmad said.

The official result is expected to be announced by the election commission on Wednesday.

Prime Minisiter Imran Khan Khan's critics accuse him of having benefited from an underhand intervention by the military in his favour, and from fraud on the day of the vote.

State-run Pakistan television announced the unofficial results just over an hour after voting ended Tuesday, with Alvi claiming victory in televised remarks.

"According to unofficial results, Alvi bagged 353 votes," election commission spokesman Altaf Ahmad later told AFP. Alvi's opponent Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulemae-Islam, an opposition party

Alvi told reporters he was "thankful to God", and vowed to be a president for all of Pakistan. TV footage showed him shaking hands with parliamentarians after the vote, with many handing him sweets in celebration.

A father of four and active Twitter user, Alvi was shot and wounded during a protest against military dictator Ayub Khan in Lahore in 1969. He still has a bullet embedded in his right arm.

He studied at the University of Michigan and the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, as well as in Lahore, before making a career as a dentist and then entering politics.

He served as PTI's secretary general for eight years from 2006, and was elected an MP in the southern megacity of Karachi in 2013, winning reelection in the July vote.

- Balance of power -

Pakistani presidents wielded more power until President Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of assassinated premier Benazir Bhutto, took office in 2008 and devolved most of his powers to his prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

Political analyst Sohail Warraich said the president's role is now to act as a bridge between the federal government and the provinces, adding that Alvi's status as a member of middleclass Pakistan would endear him further to Khan.

"In Pakistan, middle-class presidents don't revolt against prime ministers," he said.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan, a Muslim giant of more than 207 million people, has seen security improve dramatically in recent years after a decadelong struggle against Islamist extremism.

But Khan's government now faces major challenges, with the country teetering on the edge of a balance-of-payments crisis that analysts say could force it to seek an IMF bailout.

Pakistan is also among the world's worst affected countries by global warming, and is facing a shortage of water exacerbated by its surging population.

Why it matters: This highlevel U.S. diplomacy is freighted with importance for the Trump administration’s South Asia strategy. The White House sees India as a key partner in U.S. efforts to push back against Beijing’s rising influence in Asia. Pompeo and Mattis will try to reaffirm the strength of the U.S.–India relationship, which has suffered recent strains after years of growth and warmth.

- Show less Such cooperation will face challenges, rooted largely in Washington’s unhappiness over New Delhi’s warm relations with Iran and Russia.

While India enjoys close energy and defense ties, respectively, to those two countries, the White House has moved to sanction both of them — and it doesn’t want New Delhi doing business with them. Other White House policies, including its new steel tariffs and threats to dismantle visa programs that have greatly benefited Indian workers in the U.S., have also caused friction.

Meanwhile, Pompeo will arrive in Islamabad only a few days after Washington canceled $300 million in security assistance to Pakistan, citing the country's failure to take sustained action against terrorists who enjoy safe haven in Pakistan and target U.S. forces next door in Afghanistan. With Taliban offensives at a fever pitch and U.S. officials redoubling efforts to launch a peace process with the emboldened insurgents, Pompeo’s meeting comes at a critical moment for the struggling U.S. war effort.

Defence Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman welcomes U.S. Secretary of Defence James Mattis in New Delhi, India, on September 26, 2017. (Photo: Imtiyaz Khan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) What's next: The outcome of Pompeo's and Mattis' diplomacy could go a long way toward determining the degree of success (or failure) of the Trump administration’s South Asia

strategy.

Michael Kugelman is deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center.

- AXIOS

ANALYSIS

Former dentist Arif Alvi, one of the founders of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, will replace Mamnoon Hussain after the vote by more than a thousand lawmakers from both houses of parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

The much delayed dialogue is finally taking place at a time India is grappling with the threat of US sanctions for its oil imports from Iran and the finalisation of $ 6 billion S-400 missile defence system deal with Russia. Both issues are likely to figure prominently in the talks.

India has decided to go ahead with the S-400 purchase + despite pressure from the US to shun the deal. In the run up to the September 6 talks, it hasalso made 3 important points before the Trump administration on its oil imports from Iran which sources here described as a "major relationship in the region" for India.

First, India meets almost 83 per cent of its energy requirements from external sources. Twenty-five per cent of this comes in the form of crude from Iran. Second, India has asked US to suggest alternative sources of crude available including the pricing involved.

"Third, we have also made the point that some of our refineries are dependent on certain kind of crude oil. However, there is no question of taking any decision on the issue of oil imports under compulsion from either the US or Iran," said a source.

On whether or not Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) will be signed after the talks on Thursday, sources said both sides will take stock of the "enabling instrument". In case the agreement, which will help India obtain encrypted and secure communication technology from the US, isn't signed during the visit, the 2 countries can still be expected to announce support for the agreement "in principle". (- Times of India)

ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 8

China's new threat against Trump has U.S. farmers nervous

by Justin Worland

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In a keynote presentation, a leading official from China’s grain sector laid out how the country not only can buy soybeans elsewhere but can also switch to entirely different types of crops to supply its livestock and feed its population.

Such a move would undercut global demand for soybeans and prevent the U.S. from simply turning to other countries.

“If the trade tensions cannot be resolved quickly, the decrease in purchasing volumes of American soybeans will continue,” said Mu Yan Kui, an executive at the Yihai Kerry Group, a Chinese grain company, and vice chairman of China National Association of Grain Economy. “Many people have underestimated the Chinese people.”

China, which bought more than 60% of U.S. soybean in the 2016-2017 sales year largely to feed its stocks of livestock, has already begun to look to new places like Brazil as a source of the product.

That’s no surprise to U.S. farmers who have long understood Trump’s trade agenda would hurt in the short term, but U.S. exporters thought they would be able to stem the tide by developing new markets. If China buys more soybeans from Brazil, other Brazilian customers in Europe and Asia would turn to the U.S. Or so the farmers thought.

The plan laid out by Mu

Japan’s bid to resume commercial whaling sets stage for fierce debate

By Simon Denyer

ANSAS CITY, Missouri - In recent years, the annual meeting of the U.S. soybean export group has been a celebratory affair complete with a grand signing ceremony during which attendees committed to exporting billions of dollars of U.S. soybeans to China.

But following months of escalating trade tensions Chinese attendees at this year’s confab in Kansas City last week carried a different message: China doesn’t need U.S. soybeans.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

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OKYO, September 4 Japan will open a new bid to resume commercial whaling operations, as well as demand major reforms to the International Whaling Commission, at a global conference in Brazil next week.

Trade tensions with China may have the Asian country choose another source for soybeans over the US. (Photo: Xinhua) would undercut that shift to the detriment of U.S. farmers. In excruciating detail, Mu listed palm mill, rapeseed, sunflower seed and other crops among those alternatives. And he pointed to Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan as places where China would look to work with farmers to develop new crop sources and improve yields.

“The United States is going to become the warehouse for global soybean supplies,” says Paul Burke, regional director for North Asia at the U.S. Soybean Export Council. “This is the realization that we’re coming to within the trade within the last couple of weeks.”’

That’s damaging for the U.S. industry in the short term, but industry insiders say that the effect could last far longer than the next season if the Chinese develop new relationships and come to view the U.S. as an unreliable trade partner. “As a farmer you fear that the Administration may not understand that,” says Monte Peterson, a North Dakota soybean farmer who serves on the board of directors at the American Soybean Association.

Whether China will actually make good on the threat to soybean farmers remains to be seen. The country has expanded its capacity to process soybeans and abandoning those efforts would be costly.

The Trump Administration

has gambled that the current strength of the U.S. economy will allow the country to outlast China in the ongoing trade disputes. Meanwhile, economic growth in China has slowed in recent years and remains tenuous.

Nonetheless China’s response to soybeans underscores the dangers for the U.S. of a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

The highly coordinated nature of the country’s economy and agricultural sector leave little doubt that the country could deploy a destructive response if it chose to do so. In his presentation, Mu argued that the trade war would lead to a depreciation of the value American farmland and a “devastating impact” on farmers while leaving China in the clear.

“It has a very small impact on China,” Mu said of the any damage the soybean processing industry feels.

And, while China recently opened the door for Xi Jinping to remain its leader for life, elected officials in the U.S. face regular elections and potential blowback when policies go awry. Trump’s trade agenda is already broadly unpopular with a majority of Americans saying free trade is a “good thing,” according to a May Pew Research poll. This fall’s midterm elections will prove a crucial test of those policies. - Asian Times

Tokyo claims that the IWC has become dysfunctional after not living up to its initial mandate in 1946: finding a balance between preserving whale stocks and allowing the “orderly development” of the whaling industry.

Japan’s proposals have already received fierce opposition, setting the stage for a showdown at the annual commission meeting beginning Monday in Florianópolis, Brazil, which Japan’s representative will chair.

“We to have rescue the IWC before it collapses,” Hideko Moronuki, senior fisheries negotiator in the Fisheries Agency in Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said in an interview.

Faced with collapsing whale stocks, the IWC agreed to a moratorium on commercial whaling from 1986, a move credited with saving several species from imminent extinction.

But Japan, Iceland and Norway have continued to hunt whales. Japan justifies its annual hunt in the name of scientific research, which it says is necessary to evaluate global populations of whale species.

In March 2014, the International Court of Justice ruled that Japan’s Antarctic hunt had no scientific basis. Wildlife groups say it is a thinly veiled attempt to keep the industry alive, making sure boats, skills and a market for whale meat are maintained.

Unhappy with the moratorium, Japan has been threatening to pull out of the IWC since 2007. But Moronuki said Japan would rather seek changes within the organization.

Captured short-finned pilot whales lie on the deck of a whaling ship at Taiji Port in Japan's oldest whaling village of Taiji on June 4, 2008. (Issei Kato/Reuters) Japan wants permission to hunt Antarctic minke whales, common minke whales, Bryde’s whales and Sei whales, he said, citing IWC population estimates in the tens of thousands for three of the species and of more than 500,000 for the Antarctic minke. The IWC rejected Japan’s last request to resume a small-scale hunt in 2014.

It also wants to form a new Sustainable Whaling Committee that would recommend commercial catch limits, and move to a system in which proposals can be passed by simple majority vote rather than the current three-quarters majority.

With the support of many smaller island and coastal nations — some of which benefit from significant financial aid from Japan — that reform could be enough for Japan to get its way.

But Australia’s government has already condemned the proposals, saying that it is “steadfastly opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling,” and that it “vehemently opposes” any attempts to undermine a global moratorium.

In a new report, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and the Animal Welfare Institute said that Japan,

Norway and Iceland had killed 38,539 whales since the moratorium took effect: more than 22,000 killed by Japanese boats alone.

Clare Perry, EIA’s ocean campaigns leader, said any resumption of commercial whaling would be “a massive victory for rogue whalers” who have defied the international ban, and “an absolute disaster” for the world’s whales.

“Many whale species have not yet recovered from massive overhunting in the past and are also facing a wide array of mounting existential threats ranging from climate change to marine pollution by chemical, plastics and noise,” she said.

In May, Japan touched off outrage after reporting that its whaling fleet had killed 122 pregnant minke whales in the Southern Ocean last winter.

It will face more criticism at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in October “Whether whales are sentient or not, they are very difficult to count. They are long-lived, slow-breeding animals. It’s very hard to know if you are depleting the population, and if you do deplete the population, it takes a long time to recover.”

- Washington Post

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

WORLD

VOICE OF ASIA 10

SLAUGHTERED!

Botswana poaching spree sees nearly 100 elephants killed in two months

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The wild pachyderms were shot with heavy-calibre rifles at watering spots near a wildlife sanctuary in the Okavango Delta.

According to Chase, the carcasses’ skulls were “chopped open by presumably very sharp axes, to remove their tusks”.

In some cases, the trunks were also removed.

“The scale of elephant poaching is by far the largest I have seen or read about in Africa to date,” Chase said, adding that the poaching coincided with Botswana’s rangers being reportedly disarmed earlier this year.

Botswana previously had a zero-tolerance approach to poaching, with a “shoot-tokill” policy against poachers.

The landlocked country with its unfenced parks and wide open spaces has the largest elephant population in Africa at more than 135,000.

Chase said elephants in Zambia and Angola “have been

L

ONDON, September 4, 2018 - A Labour MP is trying to change the law so that misogynistic behaviour is treated as a hate crime.

Her changes would mean someone convicted of the crime could get a tougher sentence if it was "motivated by misogyny".

Most of the animals killed were large bulls carrying heavy tusks, Elephants Without Borders said on Tuesday.

Mike Chase, the charity’s director, said: “We started flying the survey on 10 July, and we have counted 90 elephant carcasses since the survey commenced. Each day, we are counting dead elephants.”

Make misogyny a hate crime, UK MP urges Stella Creasy wants to amend new legislation that bans taking unsolicited pictures under someone's clothing.

ABORONE, Botswana, September 4, 2018 - Over ninety elephant carcasses have been found in Botswana with their tusks hacked off, in what is believed to be one of Africa’s worst mass poaching sprees.

The discovery was made over several weeks during an aerial survey by scientists from Elephants Without Borders and Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Botswana has the largest elephant population in Africa and appears to have become a target for poaching. (Photograph: Charmaine Noronha/AP) poached to the verge of local extinction, and poachers have now turned to Botswana”.

Botswana’s tourism minister, Tshekedi Khama, confirmed dozens of elephants had been poached.

“I am very concerned, it’s a huge worry,” he said. “I’m aware that the numbers are in double digits, and for Botswana they are high.

“Because we had been spared poaching for a long time, I think now we are realising the sophistication of these poachers. Unfortunately, sometimes we learn these lessons the hard way.”

Maj Gen Placid Segokgo, the country’s defence chief, said he was unable to immediately comment on rangers being apparently disarmed earlier this year under a new government policy.

The number of African elephants has fallen by about 111,000 to 415,000 in the past decade, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The killing is taking place at a rate of about 30,000 elephants a year, to meet demand for ivory in Asia, where tusks

sell for about $1,000 (£780) a kilo.

The Botswana poaching occurred months after Ian Khama, who is passionate about protecting wildlife, stepped down as president, handing power to his chosen successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare’s vice-president for conservation, Jason Bell, said of the slaughter: “Until now, Botswana’s elephant herds have largely been left in peace, but clearly Botswana is now in the crosshairs.”

Poachers have also targeted rhinos in Botswana, with six white rhino carcasses found in recent months.

Botswana is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife destinations.

Defined by the desert of the Kalahari and the delta of the Okavango, it is home to abundant wildlife, including the world’s largest concentration of African elephants.

Home to just over two million people, Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world – allowing space for thriving populations of large game.

- The Guardian

MPs will consider the draft legislation on Wednesday.

Stella Creasy is urging other MPs to support her changes to the upskirting ban (Photo: Getty Images)

The government legislation seeks to ban what is known as upskirting, because there is not currently a specific law against this in England and Wales.

behaviour as either hate crime or hate incidents, depending on whether or not it is criminal.

It has been an offence in Scotland since 2010, when it was listed under the broadened definition of voyeurism.

Ms Creasy's amendment to the draft law has been backed

by MPs including former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan.

Writing for the Metro, Ms Creasy called for an extension of a pilot project by Nottinghamshire Police, which has been recording misogynistic

"Crimes like upskirting don't happen in a vacuum," she said.

"They happen in a world where we don't see violence against women as a priority for action; where we tell young women to not walk around late at night as a way of staying safe, rather than those who hassle them that their behaviour is unacceptable."

Misogyny involves showing dislike, contempt or ingrained prejudice against women.

The amended law would al-

low a sentencing judge to take into account if the offender "demonstrated towards the victim of the offence hostility based on the victim having (or being presumed to have) a particular sex characteristic".

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said of Ms Creasy's amendment: "We already have robust legislation that can be used to protect women from a range of crimes.

"We are determined to see the upskirting bill passed as soon as possible, to better protect victims and bring offenders to justice."

-BBC News

Migrant death rate soars in Mediterranean Sea Nearly 1,600 people have died or vanished en route to Europe this year, including 1,100 while attempting to cross by sea from N. Africa

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ONDON - The death rate among migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya to Italy has doubled year-onyear, according to the U.N.'s refugee agency.

A report published Monday found that between January and July around one-in-18 people trying to complete that journey either died or went missing. The UNHCR agency said that compares to a figure of one-in-42 people during the

same period in 2017. early 1,600 people have died or vanished en route to Europe this year, including 1,100 while attempting to cross by sea from North Africa.

UNHCR figures show that the death rate for the entire Mediterranean Sea during the first seven months of 2018 are almost three times the level during the same period in 2015 — the height of Europe's migration crisis. The UNHCR

said that represented the “highest death rate on record in the Mediterranean Sea.” The spike in the death rate comes despite the fact that fewer people are trying to make the crossing.

Some 72,000 people arrived in Italy, Greece and Spain during the first seven months of 2018, compared to around 121,000 for the same period last year.

-NBC News

VOICE OF ASIA 11

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Indian American Nurses Nightingale Award Night The Beginning of Indian Nurses Immigrating in the US Until 1965, immigrants who came to the US were from European countries. In 1965, the president relaxed the immigration rule and allowed for the first time, people from non-European countries.

Along with the relaxation of immigration laws they introduced health care, Health Insurance and Medicare.

At that time, there were not enough registered nurses or technicians available in the US. This scarcity of professional nurses opened the way for our nurses to come as immigrants in large numbers.

Indian Nurses were among the first wave of immigrants since President Johnson relaxed the immigration law and allowed Nurses from India to come to the US in thousands.

Though they had an easy entry to US, they had to face many hardships and discrimination.

They were mostly middle-aged women who traveled thousands of miles leaving their children, the family and husband back in India.

The purpose of the Indian American Nurses Nightingale Award is to give them their due recognition and respect they deserve and to get their story published for the information of the next generation people to know that the rich life they enjoy now as the result of their sufferings.

Koshy Thomas Publisher and CEO of Voice of Asia Group You can reach me at 832-419-7537 or email:koshyvoa@aol.com

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Business

LEGAL: COMPANIES SAY TRUMP HURTING US BY LIMITING LEGAL IMMIGRATION page 15

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The benefits and pitfalls of sharing workspaces

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ith a surge in the number of startups in the country, firms are also facing a space crunch. Thus, the idea of coworking spaces is gathering pace among start-ups. In fact, the demand for co-working space has seen a rampant rise in 2018. Co-working spaces are common shared spaces where all office amenities and infrastructures are shared between two organizations. According to a report by real estate consultancy Knight Frank, co-working offices took up 2 million square feet space in the first three months of 2018, surpassing the tally for last year.

This number is set to triple over the next three years, the report said. Co-working spaces that can be rented out on an hourly, daily or monthly basis, are now being offered by several firms.

Co-working space is an area where unlike and like-minded people share a common working infrastructure. The basic idea is to work, connect, grow and let the other aspects get automated. Abhishek Kumar Gupta, CEO & Co-Founder, Hackerspace said, “The companies which are financially capable can obviously afford to find, design, customize, furnish and make the arrangements but this is not possible with companies that are financially not that sound, mainly for start-ups.

Co-working spaces are trying to solve these problems.”

- Popularity of co-working spaces Start-ups in our country are expanding their footprints. The funding for start-ups, however, is limited. Keeping the costcutting aspect in mind and also the requirement of a place in terms of workspace has led to a further rise in demand for coworking spaces.

“A co-working space opens up incredible opportunities for start-ups to concentrate more on solving problems. Setting up the offices and managing everything from the maintenance to office supplies is taken care of by the co-working space”, said Mr Gupta.

Indian start-ups and the growth of the startup ecosystem is a major driver behind the growing co-working space industry. According to Vipul Shah, Managing Director, Parinee Group, “In this dynamic environment, it is a desire for a start-up entrepreneur to cope with the advanced mechanisms and also consider the essentialities and importance of a modern work space. Tak-

ing the commercial aspect into consideration, it is ideal for the start-ups to go for co-working spaces.”

When we talk about startups, they are limited when it comes to finances. Co-working spaces gives them an economical option. The pricing models are flexible for co-working spaces. There are different pricing plans like monthly, hourly and daily plans for fixed and open space.

- Traditional offices vs coworking spaces Traditional office spaces are outmoded and it takes more money to set them up and maintain them. It requires effort and a lot of hand-holding to make it work best. There is less flexibility in terms of costing, maintenances and agility.

In comparison to these traditional spaces, the co-working spaces cost less.

“A co-working space adds to the employee experience by solving the location puzzle faced by early stage start-ups.

Easily accessible locations are hard to afford and this becomes a major challenge to attract talent. However, the sharing office structure comes with no liabilities and added amenities which are unlike traditional offices”, added Mr Gupta.

- Challenges faced by startups in a co-working spaceUndoubtedly, co-working spaces are benefitting startups; still one cannot ignore the other facet of the coin. Sharing the same working infrastructure can often be challenging.

Cyber-security is something that requires concern while working in a co-working space.

Safeguarding intellectual property and sensitive information can be a problem for companies and special arrangements

Tel: 713-774-5140

Wipro wins $1.5 Billion deal from US-based Alight Solutions need to be made in that case.

“In a co-working space, several organisations work under the same roof. Thus, the pri-

Co-working spaces can be rented out on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. (Photo: iStock) - Pricing of co-working spaces -

Section 2

vacy factor gets questionable at times as people get to know about the clients or third parties visiting their office in case two or more organizations belong to the same industry or field. Then there is a question of availability. There is a common conference room. Suppose, if at the same time the requirement of conducting a meeting arises for more than one organization, it might get difficult for both the organizations trying to avail the same space,” added Mr Shah.

- NDTV

Claiming the deal to be its largest win so far, Wipro said it would generate $1.5-1.6-billion revenues over the tenure

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ENGALURU: Software major Wipro on Sunday said it had won a $1.5 billion (Rs. 10,500 crore) 10-year deal from the US-based technology firm, Alight Solutions LLC. “We have won a 10-year engagement to provide a suite of solutions and services to the Illinois-based Alight Solutions, a leader in technology-enabled health, wealth, human resources and finance solutions,” said the city-based IT major in a statement here.

Claiming the deal to be its largest win so far, the company said it would generate $1.5-1.6-billion revenues over the tenure.

“We were chosen by Alight as its long-term strategic partner in its enterprise transformation journey to bring digital experiences and offerings to employees and employers globally,” said Wipro Chief Executive Abidali Z. Neemuchwala in the statement on the occasion.

The deal will enable the digital transformation of Alight’s offerings across health, wealth, HR and finance solutions and enhance the employee experience of its clients by leveraging Wipro’s industry-leading

Wipro has built its strategic investments in digital, cloud platforms and cognitive platform. strengths in digital technologies, cognitive automation and data analytics.

“Our industry-leading partnership with Wipro will enhance our client experience by drawing on its leading position in automation and innovation, while allowing us to invest in health, wealth and cloud-based solutions to meet the needs of our clients,” said Alight Chief

3 Social Security mistakes that could cost you a fortune ou can’t afford to make mistakes when Social Security will be a primary source of income.

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Social Security will probably be a pretty big source of income for your retirement -- at least if you’re like most Americans.

However, while Social Security provides benefits to millions of seniors, many of the people who claim those benefits don’t really understand how the program works.

If you’re soon to become a Social Security recipient, it’s imperative you understand a few things about how your benefits are determined so you can avoid costly errors that could leave you with a permanently reduced income during your golden years.

In particular, there are three mistakes you absolutely don’t

want to make.

1. Claiming benefits before you understand how they work How your age affects your retirement benefits. If you retire before full retirement age, your monthly income will be permanently reduced. If you retire after FRA, you earn delayed retirement credits so that your income goes up for each month you delay until your 70th birthday. The reduction or increase in benefits is permanent, so understand it before you decide at what age to claim benefits.

2. Relying on the Social Security Administration to help you decide when to claim benefits One place you may turn for help is the Social Security Administration.

Unfortunately,

you

can’t

count on the advice the SSA gives you when deciding on a claiming strategy. In fact, a report from the Inspector General found that thousands of widows and widowers were given bad advice by the SSA and missed out on more than $141 million in Social Security benefits because of it.

3. Not applying for Social Security Disability if health issues force you into early retirement Many people who retire early do so not because they want to, but because health issues make it impossible to continue working. If you’re 62 or over and experience a serious health issue, don’t make the mistake of just claiming retirement benefits if you need Social Security to support you.

Instead, consider trying to qualify for Social Security Dis-

Executive Chris Michalak.

The deal is also a testimony to the capabilities Wipro built through its strategic investments in digital, cloud platforms and cognitive platform.

“We will leverage this expertise to digitalise and modernise Alight’s core across platforms, technologies and operations,” added the company. - NDTV

ability. There are a few major benefits to this approach: You can collect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits until full retirement age, so you won’t reduce your income by claiming retirement benefits early.

Your SSDI benefits equal your benefits at full retirement age, so you’ll have a higher monthly income than you would if you started receiving retirement benefits early.

You become eligible for a disability freeze, which allows the Social Security Administration to ignore low-earning years -when you were disabled -- in determining your monthly benefit amount.

While it can be difficult to qualify for SSDI benefits, the process is easier if you’re in your 60s -- and it’s worth trying rather than being left with a lower income for the rest of your life if health issues push you into early retirement.

- Fool.com

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Taapsee

How Mel B’s America’s Got Talent family is supporting her through PTSD battle

Pannu

“

I have no fear of failure

”

Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu said she does not fear failure and that translates into her performances.

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he Federal Censor Board of Pakistan has banned Anubhav Sinha’s courtroom drama ‘Mulk’ which stars Taapsee Pannu and Rishi Kapoor in significant roles and is set to hit the screens in early September (after an August delay).

Mel B

by Courtney Contreras

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el B’s America’s Got Talent family is showing their support for the singer in her time of need.

Judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell told E! News they are all rooting for the singer after it was revealed she is entering rehab due to struggles with PTSD. Klum, who has been friends with the Spice Girls member for a long time, said, “We definitely have grown much closer because we have spent so many hours together, so many years.” And like everyone else, the model hopes her friend knows, “I am always going to be there for her and help her in whatever is she needs.”

Likewise, Mandel shared his admiration for the star, who he says is a

“wonderful” talent and friend. “I am very proud of that young lady,” he shared.

That sentiment was shared by Cowell, who praised the Brit for her commitment to the show. The music mogul said, “When she does the show, everything is directed towards the contestants. She is not sitting there thinking about herself and that is a true professional.”

The U.K. native recently opened about her decision to seek treatment after going through an “incredibly difficult” past six months. Following her divorce from Stephen Belafonte, the singer began “working with a writer on my book, Brutally Honest, and it has been unbelievably traumatic reliving an emotionally abusive relationship - eOnline

While the ban on Bollywood releases in Pakistan is currently the trending topic, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred. After ‘Mulk’ and ‘Soorma’, she is gearing up for her third release of the year ‘Manmarziyaan’.

“As an individual, I have no fear of failure. I think that translates on-screen in my performances. While I do my work with a sense of honesty, I tell myself, what is the worse that can happen? I fail right? So, will I stop living after that? No. I will try again,” Taapsee told.

“If my films fail, I will work on something else, my life will not end. And the film is not the end all of my life. Perhaps that confidence and sense of security from within me drives me to choose all these films that I have chosen so far,” added the actress, known for powerful roles in projects like ‘Pink’, ‘Baby’ and ‘Naam Shabana’. Apart from acting, Taapsee also ventured into a wedding planning business partnering with her sister Shagun and is planning to start her café soon.

Asked whether these different ventures help her grow as an artiste, she said, “Well, it surely expands the horizon.

Padma Lakshmi shares empowering message about confidence on her birthday

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Like now, I am planning on opening a café but it is just on that idea level. Once I have time and man power, I will execute the idea. My point is that I will do different things that are not attached to my acting career. So tomorrow, if I have to leave this profession, the other venture should not have a string attached to that. It is good to have a life beyond films.” ‘ Manmarziyaan’ is a love triangle set between two men played by Vicky Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan who falls in love with one woman. The film is releasing on September 7.

Giving an insight of her character, Taapsee said “One of the admirable quality of my character Rumi is that she is very relatable. She is outspoken, little confused, think from the heart and that surely puts her into trouble. I think her outspoken nature is something that I so can relate to.”

How has equation with people of the film fraternity changed?

“She does quality roles unlike running around trees like other actresses Santosh.

“I do not socialise that much so do not know about that, but I must say that I get better scripts to choose from these days. Of course, success changes certain things, people treat me with more respect and they want to know my opinion and point of view about a script if I did not like it.

I think finally my hard work is paying,” she said. (- IANS)

We should respect Kapoor family’s decision of selling RK Studios: Subhash Ghai

adma Lakshmi is ringing in her 48th birthday with an empowering message to women.

The Top Chef host posted a thread of messages on Twitter about what it means to age and how she has grown more confident in herself. “It takes time to develop as a person,” she wrote. “In truth, I feel better about my body now, even after breastfeeding, gravity, etc. than I did in my 20s. I’m not riddled with insecurity anymore.”

The cookbook author also mentioned double standards for men and women and how aging represents two very different things for males and females. “Men become distinguished and women become ‘old news,’” she wrote. “I think aging is beautiful.”

I’ve learned to be thankful for what I have rather than focus on what I don’t,” she penned.

- eOnline The late Raj Kapoor and Subhash Ghai, right. (File photo) UMBAI - Bollywood filmmaker Subhash Ghai on Wednesday reacted on Kapoor family’s decision to let go of patriarch Raj Kapoor’s famous RK Studios.

been an institution. When time changes, things change too. Even single theater has been demolished to make way for digital theatres, multiplexes,” said Ghai.

He said that everyone should respect their decision. “We should respect the family’s decision as they have collectively taken it. There’s no dispute. And I trust their decision. RK Studios has

It was reported that the family has collectively decided to sell the sprawling landmark, which was built 70 years ago by veteran actor Raj Kapoor. (-TOI)

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LEGAL

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Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Companies say Trump is hurting business by limiting legal immigration

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EW YORK, Sept. 2, 2018 - The Trump administration is using the country’s vast and nearly opaque immigration bureaucracy to constrict the flow of foreign workers into the United States by throwing up new roadblocks to limit legal arrivals.

With foreign hires missing, the employees who remain are being forced to pick up the slack. Seasonal industries like hotels and landscaping are having to turn down customers or provide fewer services. Corporate executives worry about the long-term impact of losing talented engineers and programmers to countries like Canada that are laying out the welcome mat for skilled foreigners.

At Northwell Health’s pathology lab on Long Island, a new doctor’s cubicle stands empty, her computer and microscope untouched. Other residents started on July 1, but she is stuck in India’s Punjab State, held up by unexplained delays in her visa.

“There have been delays in processing that we have not felt before,” said Dr. Andrew C. Yacht, chief academic officer at Northwell, which includes Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. In April 2017, President Trump signed a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, directing government officials to “rigorously enforce” immigration laws. The order did not get the kind of attention that followed the administration’s decision to separate families at the Mexican border this summer. few months later, the president endorsed legislation that

Rob Hurst, manager of Edgartown Commons on Martha’s Vineyard, has had to scrub bathrooms this summer because five Jamaican workers who had long worked at the hotel couldn’t get visas. would cut legal immigration by half. The bill was introduced by two Republican senators, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia. But Republican leaders in Congress have not advanced it.

Some lawmakers say Mr. Trump is using administrative means to reshape immigration policy because those changes have stalled on Capitol Hill.

“If they want to have a proposal on immigration, they should send it to Congress,” said Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Silicon Valley. “The administration should engage in that conversation. To unilaterally and without any accountability change what Congress has authorized is not democratic.”

In practice, businesses say the increased red tape has made it harder to secure employment-based visas. That has added to the difficulty of finding qualified workers with the unemployment rate falling to 3.9 percent.

A recent analysis of government data by the National Foundation for American Policy, a nonpartisan research group, found that the denial rate for H-1B visa petitions for skilled foreign workers had increased 41 percent in the last three months of the 2017 fiscal year, compared with the third

quarter. Government requests for additional information for applications doubled in the fourth quarter, a few months after Mr. Trump issued his order.

Experts say a sustained reduction in immigration could dampen growth over time as more baby boomers retire, leaving big gaps in the job market.

That goes for high-skilled immigrants and low-skilled workers, said Francine D. Blau, an economist at Cornell. The latter will be vital in fields like elder care and child care, as well as construction and cleaning.

“A lot of our labor-force growth comes from immigrants and their children,” Ms. Blau said. “Without them, we’d suffer the problems associated with countries with an aging population, like Japan.”

The Business Roundtable, a group of corporate leaders, recently challenged the Trump administration over changes that it says threaten the livelihoods of thousands of skilled foreign workers, and economic growth and competitiveness.

In a statement, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services said the administration was “relentlessly pursuing necessary immigration reforms that move toward a merit-based system.” It added that all petitions and applications were

he staid legal industry is smitten by “innovation,” even as it lacks a common definition how the term applies to legal delivery and education/training. There’s a proliferation of awards, job titles, and conferences devoted to legal innovation. With all the ballyhoo, one would infer that law’s wicked problems— lack of access to affordable legal services and low legal consumer satisfaction, among other challenges-- would be under control. That’s not the case. Why? Short answer #1: “innovation” is an overused, exaggerated term when applied to law. Short answer #2: legal culture- the clash between legal fundamentalists and the legal industry- and regulation are strong headwinds buffeting legal change agents.

Efforts to change the legal industry garner headlines, but there’s plenty of resistance, too.

A cultural war is being waged between lawyers and the broader legal industry. Many lawyers have difficulty acknowledgingmuch less embracing- their industry consists of lawyers and technologists, process/ project managers, entrepreneurs, fi-

nanciers, operations managers, data analytics professionals, paraprofessionals, and machines. Many lawyers bristle when legal delivery is characterized as an industry—even if global legal spend is approximately $1 trillion per year and average partner profit at many large firms is well into sevenfigures.

There is a rift between lawyers seeking to preserve the “profession” (or is it really the guild?) and the needs of consumers and the industry intent on satisfying them. The profession still controls regulation, practice rules, state bars, the judiciary, education, and legal culture. The industry has capital, tools, talent and new delivery/economic models to address the unmet demand for more accessible, efficient, and cost effective legal services.

The two, in the words of Rodney King, should “just get along.” Unfortunately—and to the detriment of legal buyers and society—many lawyers regard the growing influence of “non-lawyers” as existential threats, not collaborative resources to expand and better serve legal buyers. Many in the profession mistake change for marginalization. Ironically,

handled “fairly, efficiently, and effectively on a case-by-case basis.”

seas applicants in all specialties has dropped for two years in a row.

The H-1B program, which was created to bring in foreigners with skills that business leaders argued would strengthen the economy, has long been a target for some politicians.

The visa program has been criticized because corporations have exploited it to replace American workers.

“The administration’s policies are having a chilling effect on the interest of international medical graduates coming to the United States to train,” said Mona M. Signer, chief executive of the matching program.

Still, many economists say H-1B holders are valuable. Immigrants file patents at twice the rate of native-born Americans and start about 25 percent of high-tech companies in the United States.

“There’s absolutely no research that supports the idea that cutting legal immigration is good for the economy,” said Ethan Lewis, a Dartmouth economist.

Hospitals in particular argue that they need foreign doctors who are more willing than native-born Americans to take jobs in less glamorous and lower-paying fields, like internal and family medicine.

Of Northwell’s 1,826 resident doctors, 165 came in under H1-B or J-1 student visas.

Nearly one-third of pathology residents come from other countries, according to the National Resident Matching Program. But the number of over-

Read previous articles on LEGAL issues by our columnist Visit us online : www. voiceofasiaonline.com To contribute articles, email voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Legal innovation is the rage, but there’s plenty of resistance

by Mark A.. Cohen

by Nelson D. Schwartz and Steve Lohr

The government is denying more work visas, asking applicants to provide additional information and delaying approvals more frequently than just a year earlier. Hospitals, hotels, technology companies and other businesses say they are now struggling to fill jobs with the foreign workers they need.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Uday Verma, a software developer from India, is moving to Toronto after 12 years in Iowa. He said he had grown frustrated waiting for a green card.CreditKathryn Gamble for The New York Times The missing Indian pathologist’s workload at Northwell has been spread among 11 residents, lengthening the time they are on call.

“Our nation’s ability to care for patients is dependent on international medical graduates,” Dr. Yacht said.Rob Hurst is not concerned with the macroeconomics of immigration. He is just struggling to keep bathrooms clean.

This summer, he has found himself on his hands and knees scrubbing toilets and tubs at Edgartown Commons, a hotel he manages on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Five Jamaican workers who had long worked at the property failed to get H2-B seasonal-work visas.

“I’m 65 years old, but you got to do what you got to do,”

their attitude might seal their fate.

The profession relies upon legal culture, regulation, and historic buyer passivity to forestall change to an industry where access to legal services is severely restricted and customer dissatisfaction is high.

The profession’s headwinds might prolong the journey of law’s transformation, but they will not alter its course or destination. There is mounting evidence demonstrating law’s transformation from a laborintensive, lawyer-centric guild to a digitized, multidisciplinary industry that will serve tens of millions of new consumers and offer existing ones “more with less.” The customer-centricity of the industry offers more choice, greater efficiency, predictability, transparency, and holistic, value-driven solutions Legal fundamentalism, like other forms of orthodoxy, is rooted in idealization of the past, not adaptation to a changing world. The legal profession will continue to play a key role for clients and society, especially during these turbulent times when the rule of law is under siege.

- Forbes

he said. “We did hire contract workers, but it’s never going to be as good as people with years of experience.”

In the past, returning H2-B visa workers were not counted against the program’s annual cap of 66,000. Congress declined to renew that exemption in December 2016.

Foreign workers are also growing frustrated about the clampdown on visas and rising anti-immigrant sentiment.

Uday Verma is leaving after 12 years in Iowa, time he spent earning a graduate degree in computer science and working for a technology company.

Mr. Verma, 37, who emigrated from India, has repeatedly renewed his H-1B visa while waiting fruitlessly for permanent resident status — also known as a green card. Had he been successful, he could have easily switched employers or started his own business.

“I can’t make a plan here,” Mr. Verma said. “You’re perpetually in this state of limbo.

It just doesn’t make sense anymore to stay here and keep pursuing this American dream.”

Mr. Verma, his wife and their 9-year-old son plan to be living in Toronto by the time their American visas expire in the second week of September.

- NYTimes

Young Life

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FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

5 investment tips for beginners who Back to School: How young is too young to stay home alone? just graduated college illions of recent college graduates are starting careers, qualifying for 401(k) plans and trying to balance student debt with long-term saving needs and grown-up expenses. The new financial dilemmas can be mystifying.

• Recent college graduates need to learn a variety of investing strategies for beginners.

Some rules of the game are pretty well known even among beginners, like the value of saving as much as possible, qualifying for the maximum employer match on the 401(k), building an emergency fund and emphasizing the growth potential of stocks over the safety of bank savings.

• Many young investors are in low tax brackets and unfamiliar with tax strategies, but pros say it’s never too soon to start profiting from the tax statutes.

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But experts offer a variety of tips that aren’t quite so obvious, like the value of taking more risk than a beginning investor might be comfortable with at first. Investors in their 20s, for example, are typically urged to put most of their long-term investments into stocks. Simple index funds tracking the Standard & Poor’s 500 returned an annual average of about 14 percent over the past five years.

Bonds typically pay a fraction of that, and cash savings like bank accounts earn almost nothing.

- Spread out “Beginning investors should make sure that they aren’t always following the herd mentality,” says Todd Burkhalter, CEO of Drive Planning, a financial consulting firm based in Georgia. Aside from the standard lineup of stock and bond funds, young investors, he says, should consider holdings like private placement investments in real estate and energy industries – things that aren’t so common.

That kind of advice relies on the fact that young investors can afford more risk than older ones since they have more time to recover from downturns.

Young investors who grew up doing things online may be wise to consider equity crowdfunding sites such as Realtyshares. com that allow users to invest in out-of-the-mainstream private ventures like house flipping projects, and start-ups, some experts say.

Thanks to new rules that took effect in May 2016, anyone (not

• Millennials need to understand the value of passive, index-style investing that has beaten actively managed funds over time.

• Some financial planners advise young investors to save for retirement rather than race to pay off student loan debt when they graduate. just high income investors) can invest in non-public companies in exchange for equity.

“Portfolio diversification is important, especially investing into asset classes beyond publicly-traded equities,” says Chris Rawley, CEO of Harvest Returns, an online platform for investing in agriculture. “Multiple streams of income produced by assets that are not correlated with the stock market are important to reduce risk in a portfolio.

“Crowdfunding platforms make it possible for new investors with smaller investment balances — as low as $100, or even $10 — to diversify into real estate, farmland, and other tangible assets that produce a steady yield.”

- Team up Investors young and old have been told over and over of the value of passive, index-style investing with funds that track broad market gauges like the Standard & Poor’s 500. Many studies have shown that index funds beat actively managed funds over time, largely because of their lower fees.

But some advisors say young investors should start gaining experience with individual stocks as well, though the ins and outs of stock picking can be daunting for a beginner. Sharon Marchisello, author of the financial guide “Live Cheaply, Be Happy, Grow Wealthy,” recommends that a beginner join

ADHD in the US almost doubled since 1998

by Katherine Ellen Foley

I

OWA CITY, Iowa - From 1998 to 2016, the rate of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in US children has gone up from about 6% to over 10%, according to a study published Friday (Aug. 31) in JAMA Pediatrics.

sive behavior according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA). As a result, children with ADHD may underperform in school. Previous estimates suggested that about 8.2% of children living in the US had ADHD. Although the data appear

an investment club where likeminded investors evaluate and pool their contributions to purchase individual stocks or other financial products.

Clubs can be found online, through sites like Meetup.com, or even at the local library.

Some clubs pool member contributions, which can be quite small, and invest by majority vote, while others are discussion groups for exchanging ideas, tips and war stories.

“A good club will also assign a monitor to each holding and develop ‘when-to-sell’ guidelines,” Marchisello said. That helps members learn discipline.

She says that as the portfolio grows the young investor can add strategies that are less likely to come to mind at the start, like selling covered calls, an income-generating technique using stock options that give the buyer the right to buy your shares at a set price for a given period.

- Consider taxes Many young investors are in low tax brackets and unfamiliar with tax strategies, but pros say it’s never too soon to start profiting from the tax statutes.

That starts with the tax deferral provided by the traditional 401(k), or the tax-free status of the Roth 401(k). The Roth, unlike the traditional 401(k), does not offer an up-front deduction on contributions, but many advisors say young investors should put at least half their 401(k) contributions into Roth accounts anyway. That’s because tax-free withdrawals can be more valuable than taxdeductible contributions if an investor has decades for investments to grow.

Also, many young investors are likely to be in higher tax brackets in retirement than they are now. With a Roth, you pay tax now to avoid a higher tax bill later, while a traditional 401(k) can mean avoiding a low tax today only to pay at a higher rate in retirement.

N

ORFOLK, Va -Where will your children be after the final school bell each day?

Many will go home to empty houses, but what is the law for leaving your kids home alone?

Parenting experts and pediatricians, however, say elementary school aged children should never be left alone.

As for middle schoolers, Community Outreach Program Director at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Sam Fabian, told WAVY. com there is no magic age.

Every child is different, so when deciding whether or not to leave them home Fabian suggests you ask them first.

“Say, ‘Hey, how do you feel about after school if you have to stay home for 30 minutes or an hour after school what do you think about that?’” said Fabian.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says children ages 11 and 12 should not come home to an empty house unless they show unusual matu-

Another smart tax strategy for beginners is to avoid a tax bill next April by making sure enough is withheld from each paycheck, says Gabriel Pincus president of GA Pincus Funds, an investment advisor based in Dallas and Chicago. This is done when filling out the W-4 form, part of the paperwork blizzard a new employee may deal with without much thought.

“When completing your W-4, select single [tax status] and zero dependents, Pincus says.

“I believe it is better to withhold more during the year and get a refund at the end of the year rather than owing money [to Uncle Sam that] you may have already spent. Yes, you are giving the government a zero percent interest loan, but the peace of mind that you won’t owe

Isabel Loeffler, 12, poses in the hallway of her home, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008, in the Calabasas section of Los Angeles. (Photo: AP/ Mark J. Terrill) rity for their age.

To assess their readiness Fabian advises you ask how they would respond to different situations that might arise such as: - A knock at the door - Something breaks

money in April should help you forget about [that]. Deposit half your refund check directly into savings and half into your taxable investment account.”

- Avoid tunnel vision

- They smell smoke.

“You may work 30-40 minutes away; you want to make sure you also have an adult close by in an event your child needs an adult immediately,” she said.

If alternate adult supervision is not available, parents should make special efforts to supervise their children from a distance. Children should have a set time when they are expected to arrive at home and should check in with a neighbor or with a parent by phone or video chat. Then set the ground rules, especially concerning computer and cell phone use.

Recent graduates often feel their top financial priority is to pay off student loans, but that can be a mistake, says Andy Smith, a financial planner at Financial Engines in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“That’s just as if you’re letting them go out into the community unsupervised and so it’s really important for parents to have those parental controls on the computer,” Fabian told WAVY.

“I advise young investors to aggressively save for retirement rather than racing to pay off student loan debt when they graduate,” Smith said. “The employer matches, tax breaks and compound interest that retirement contributions offer are worth far more than the interest saved.

Experts also say whatever you do, don’t force a child to stay alone. It can do psychological and emotional harm if they are not ready. If you’re worried about the cost of child care, there are programs available through local schools and non profit community groups.

- CNBC

- WAVY

Study: Obesity at young age increases cancer risk later Early Intervention Is the Key W

ASHINGTON, August 31, 2018 – For all the advances made in the United States in the “war on cancer” over the past 40-plus years, the battle against obesity-related cancer is another story. Case in point: a study(www.cdc.gov) published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report last October. The authors of that study found that while the incidence of cancers not related to overweight and obesity decreased by 13 percent between 2005

and 2014, the incidence of overweight- and obesity-related cancers decreased by only 2 percent during the same period.

as a person’s body mass index (BMI) increases, so does the cancer risk.

While being overweight or obese has been linked to an increased risk of more than a dozen types of cancer,(www. nejm.org) there remain questions about the relationship between obesity at a young age and the prospect of having cancer later in life. Results of a recent systematic review and meta-analysis(onlinelibrary.wiley.com) of observational studies published online in Obesity Reviews have revealed the degree to which being obese increases the risks of several of these cancers. In particular, the results provide compelling evidence that individuals 30 years or younger who are obese are at increased risk of developing various types of cancer later in life. The review also found that

The authors selected eight cancer types for their review: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric cardia cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer, renal cell cancer and thyroid cancer.

- Selection Process -

Fifty-six articles published between 1993 and 2018 and representing 27,559 cancer cases met the authors’ search criteria.

The final meta-analysis included both cohort and casecontrol studies. All participants in the selected studies were 30 years or younger. Patient followup ranged from 7.2 years to 40 years, and cancer cases

were identified via medical records and cancer registries. All the selected studies reported hazard ratios, odds ratios or relative risks with 95 percent confidence intervals for at least three BMI categories.

In their analysis, the researchers equated relative risks cited in some studies with odds and hazard ratios in other studies.

They used two established conversion methods to convert risk ratios into variables for each 5 kg/m2 increase in body weight and a random effects model to calculate summary relative risks for each increase.

Specifically, health care professionals should screen children and adolescents 6 years and older for obesity and offer or refer them to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions (i.e., multicomponent sessions with a total of 26 contact hours or more over a period of two to 12 months) to promote improvements in weight status.

- AAFP

Number of children in the US with ADHD tops 10 percent.

Researchers from the University of Iowa and the Shenzhen Children’s Hospital in China tracked survey results from the National Health Interview Survey, which is administered by the US Centers for Disease Control. The survey is given annually and includes about 35,000 households across the US. Among other questions, it looked for diagnoses of ADHD in children aged 4 to 17 over two year periods.

ADHD is characterized by symptoms like inability to focus, trouble completing tasks, difficulty paying attention, and ignoring instructions, as well as fidgety, talkative, or impul-

to suggest ADHD is becoming more prevalent, that likely isn’t the case. More likely, doctors are diagnosing children with the condition more often than before. As with most other mental-health conditions, there’s no definitive test to say whether a child has ADHD or not; it’s diagnosed instead by observing and analyzing symptoms.

The survey was first given in 1997-1998, and in 2013, the APA updated the symptoms for ADHD to also include inattentiveness, which girls with the condition exhibit more often, CNN reports. Since then, girls who were previously undiagnosed have been

more likely to be included in these data. It’s also likely that more children have had access to healthcare since the passing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

Both factors likely played a role in the increase in the number of cases over the period of two decades, particularly among students who were not white, who had the largest increase in diagnoses.

- The Atlas

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FRIDAY, September 7, 7, 2018 2018 FRIDAY, September

September is Suicide Prevention Month

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Section 2

Tel: 713-774-5140

Nurse meets baby she helped save 28 years ago – and he’s a doctor!

September is recognized as Prostate Health Month and also Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

S

AN DIEGO - A California nurse who never forgot a premature baby she cared for early in her career has been reunited with her patient – now a doctor at the same hospital where he was born 28 years ago.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated with Twitter chats, prostate cancer screenings, and awareness events across the country.

Stanford’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, in a post that exploded on Facebook, says Vilma Wong recognized pediatric resident Brandon Seminatore’s name when he was performing rounds at the hospital in San Jose.

Seminatore was born at the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, 29 weeks into his mother’s pregnancy. He weighed a little more than two pounds.

“Fast forward nearly 30 years, and Vilma recognized Brandon’s name while he was rounding at our hospital.

What a memory!” the Facebook post exclaims.

Wong, 54, told The Mercury News she saw someone visiting with patients who had not checked in at the nurse station. She asked him who he was and thought his name sounded familiar. She pressed him, and he said he was born, a preemie, in the same hospital.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

In the USA, each year Congressional Resolutions are introduced, there are presentations in Congress, and the President issues a proclamation recognizing Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. You can google and find the latest Presidential Proclamation and Proclamations from Governors of most states including State of Texas.

A chance encounter between a nurse and her former patient, 28 years later. (Photo credit: swns) 29-weeks gestation, and was cared for in the NICU nurse Vilma Wong in 1990.

them from parents and fellow health care professionals lauding Wong’s skill and dedication.

Seminatore spent 40 days in NICU as an infant, checking out a healthy 5 pounds and 2 ounces. Today he is bigger and stronger, but Wong says he has the same dark eyes and alert expression.

“Vilma was my daughter’s primary nurse, I just simply love her!!!” said Monica Rodriguez Regalado. “She has a very special place in our hearts!!!”

She thought she remembered him, and asked him whether his father was a police officer.

Wong says she loves her work and has no plans to retire. Having the opportunity to meet a baby she nurtured later in life makes the job even better, she said.

“There was a big silence,’’ she said, “Then he asked if I was Vilma.’’

“As a nurse,’’ she said, “it’s kind of like your reward.’’

Brandon Seminatore was born at Stanford Children’s Hospital at just

The hospital’s Facebook post drew more than 700 comments, hundreds of

Type 2 diabetes diet: What to eat for dinner if you want to control your blood sugar level TYPE 2 diabetes is a common condition in the US often caused by being overweight or obese. It’s recommended a person with this type of diabetes eat a healthy, balanced diet, alongside regular exercise and losing weight. But when it comes to what to eat for dinner, what food should you be including in your diet?

Seminatore told the Mercury News he doesn’t know for sure whether his rocky early weeks played a role in his decision to become a healer. But he was impressed by Wong.

“Meeting Vilma was a surreal experience,’’ he said. “She cares deeply for her patients, to the point that she was able to remember a patient’s name almost three decades later.’’

- ITV/Mercury News

cose levels is to exercise as this can help to stimulate insulin production and reduce blood sugar levels.”

But polyphagia can also be caused by anxiety, stress, depression, and certain prescription drugs such as corticosteroids.

There are nine other symptoms of type 2 diabetes to be wary of, from eating patterns to toilet habits.

Feeling hungry Often feeling hungry can be a sign,

Local and national awareness organizations and professional associations engage in activities designed to raise awareness of the issue and encourage men to talk to their healthcare provider about prostate cancer and early detection.

In the USA, over 160,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and about 30,000 die from it.

Early detection is the key to successful treatment. This awareness period, and the organizations and associations that support it, are responsible for saving an untold number of men’s lives by encouraging them to have a discussion with their healthcare provider about prostate cancer and early detection.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It is the 2nd leading cancer killer of men, behind lung cancer. It is generally very slow growing and most men die with prostate cancer (meaning that they die of some other cause) rather than from it. There are almost 2.8 million men living with prostate cancer in the USA. While no one knows how to prevent prostate cancer, there may be ways to reduce your risk. It is thought that this helps reduce the risk for most forms of cancer.

• Eat healthy – and choose a lowfat diet • Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains • Maintain a healthy weight • Stay physically active

T

ype 2 diabetes is where the body can’t control the amount of glucose in the blood and a person’s blood glucose levels become too high.

• Don’t use tobacco • Get regular checkups Organizations promoting prostate cancer awareness in September

Among causes such as having a close family member with the condition, being overweight or obese can put you at risk of type 2 diabetes.

Resources and additional information about prostate cancer:

Those with the condition are recommended to make changes to their diet.

Bupa advises to eat a healthy balanced diet with regular meals, three times a day.

In general, the fat, sugar and salt content in food should be reduced, more fruit and vegetables should be included, and portion sizes should be reduced. More specifically, what can a person with the condition eat for dinner?

Diabetes UK recommends a number of different meals you could have for dinner. These include lasagne and salad, roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables, and beef stir-fry, vegetables and rice.

More ideas it suggests are chicken tortillas and salad, salmon and noodles, and curry and rice.

It explains: “These ideas may not look much different from what you eat already, and your favourite recipes and meals can usually be adapted to be healthier without you noticing too much difference.

“Making any of these changes would certainly help, but there is no need to go over the top and radically change everything in the early days after your diabetes diagnosis - it makes it much harder to stick to in the longer term.”

Type 2 diabetes is usually picked up during a routine medical examination or screening test for non-related health

National Cancer Institute (NCI) The leading center of prostate can-

the genitals.

Cuts or wounds Type 2 diabetes diet: Diabetes orgisation recommends lasagne and salad. (Photo: Getty Images) problems.

But if signs do show, one to note is feeling hungry - particularly if you feel hungry shortly after eating, which is known as polyphagia.

This is recognised as one of the main symptoms of diabetes and occurs as a result of glucose from the blood not being able to enter the cells.

Diabetes.co.uk explains: “In uncontrolled diabetes where blood glucose levels remain abnormally high, glucose from the blood cannot enter the cells - due to either a lack of insulin or insulin resistance - so the body can’t convert the food you eat into energy.

This lack of energy causes an increase in hunger.

“Simply eating will not get rid of the hungry feeling of polyphagia in people with uncontrolled diabetes, as this will just add to the already high blood glucose levels.

“The best way to lower blood glu-

particularly if you feel hungry shortly after eating.

Urinating habits

These tend to heal slower in people with type 2 diabetes.

Thrush Having regular yeast infections is a notable sign.

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 cer research and information.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (CDC) Provides information on prostate cancer incidence and mortality, and conducts critical research on treatment decision-making and outcomes.

American Cancer Society Provides basic information on prostate cancer and yearly statistics on almost all cancers.

American Urology Association Professional medical association whose membership is urologists.

Urology Care Foundation The Urology Care Foundation is the official foundation of the American Urological Association.

Men’s Health Resource Center The online health and parenting information center for men and boys.

Prostate Facts A variety of fact sheets and other publications on prostate cancer and other male health issues.

Men’s Health Library A comprehensive on-line library that covers all aspects of men’s health, including prostate health issues. Site includes a wide selection of brochures on prostate health, some in Spanish (search: prostate brochure).

To choose right health plan including Medicare and Long Term Care planning contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713-771-2900.

Skin disorders Having a skin disorder such as psoriasis or acanthosis nigricans.

Weight loss Sudden weight loss or loss of muscle mass.

- ExpressUK

Urinating more often than normal can indicate the condition, particularly needing to do so during the night.

Feeling abnormally thirsty This is known as polydipsia.

Vision People with the condition may experience blurred vision.

Itching of the skin Particularly itchiness around

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5 reasons why your ‘healthy’ diet is not helping you lose weight

HEALTH

National Nutrition Week 2018: If you are on a ‘healthy’ diet but not losing weight, here are 5 things you are not doing right.

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

UCLA researchers test if eating one avocado a day could promote weight loss

N

ational Nutrition Week is celebrated from September 1 to 7 to generate awareness about eating right for good health.

If you are on a diet but not enjoying weight loss or feeling fit, then it may not be the right diet for you.

Here are 5 things that you may be doing wrong: * You frequently change your diet.

Going on fad diets every few days can be counterproductive and may actually cause you to gain a lot more pounds in the long run. Stick to a particular diet for at least three months to see any result. If the diet excludes too many food groups, it may not be the best option. And if after a few months, you don’t notice any change in weight, you may as well go back to your earlier diet. * You go for cheat days.

Cheat days are bad for your longterm weight loss efforts. It’s not practical to binge-eat in a short period of time. It can even ruin your diet and weight loss progress for the week. * Your portion size is all wrong.

Get a digital scale and measure the portions of food you are eating. You may not realise it but you could be eating multiple servings of even healthy foods which could lead you to pile up the kilos. * Your exercise routine makes you eat more.

Dieters often make the mistake of eating too much food because they had a heavy workout. You are likely to overestimate the amount of calories you burned. Instead, plan your preworkout and post-workout meals in advance so that you don’t give in to temptation.

Getty Imges/iStock

Stick to a particular diet for at least three months to see any result. If the diet excludes too many food groups, it may not be the best option for weight loss.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

8 things to do keep the pounds off * Plan your meals Thinking through exactly what and when you’re going to eat your meals can make you more likely to stick to your diet goals, according to a study in Psychology and Health. In a study designed to encourage healthy eating, all

* You consume diet drinks.

Diet soda could actually be making you gain weight. They contain artificial sweeteners that can raise your insulin levels and lower blood sugar, making you more hungry and likely to overeat.

- Hindustan Times

nited States health officials are issuing a sharp warning, following the dramatic increase in sexually transmitted diseases and they are asking the federal government for help.

able, but if left untreated, women could suffer from permanent damage the reproductive system, and men to the prostate.

According to the National Coalition of STD directors, President Trump needs to declare sexually transmitted diseases a public health crisis in America, CNN reports.

Experts worry the opioid epidemic could be a major factor in the increase, with more men and women trading sex for drugs.

For the fourth year in a row, rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia have gone up in the U.S., according to the CDC. Nearly 2.3 million cases of these STDs were reported in the U.S., topping the previous record high set in 2016, by more than 200,000 cases.

Now, health experts are asking the government to authorize emergency access to public health funding so they can combat the crisis.

All three of these diseases are treat-

Heart and nervous system issues are also concerns for patients.

That would explain why more babies are being born with congenital syphilis.

Experts are focusing on education as the best method towards prevention, as well as utilizing testing and available treatment services. Chances are, you *know* this. But before you roll your eyes, the numbers don’t lie. Consider this a PSA for the importance of using condoms every damn time. It only takes a split second for the STD bug to get in your system. Be safe, always. - ABC News

How to protect yourself from STDs

T

he good news here is that gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis are all very simple to detect—and for the moment at least, all three STDs are still treatable. So aside from using condoms, the number-one thing you can do to protect yourself is get tested regularly—”at least once a year, even if you’re in a monogamous relationship,” Dr. Gupta says.

Current guidelines from the CDC no longer recommend getting screened every year unless you’re under 25 or have certain risk factors, but both docs disagree with this and are in favor of yearly STD tests.

“If we had more and better STD screening practices, we’d obviously pick up a lot of this sooner and prevent STDs from spreading further,” says Dr. Minkin. “If you don’t have widespread screening, there are going to be a lot of people walking around with STDs and no symptoms

* Sweat it out * Show some skin

Rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia reach record highs, CDC says

U

participants ate more fruit for a week, but those who made a concrete plan, wrote it down, and visualised how they were going to carry out the action ate twice as much fruit as those who simply tried harder.

and not knowing—in view of the increasing numbers, screenings should take on increasing importance.”

On top of your regular screenings, you should also get tested after every new partner, Dr. Gupta says, adding that “before having a sexual relationship with anyone, you should ask for documented negative HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomonas and genital herpes results.” Asking a date to prove they’re clean can definitely be awkward—and kind of a mood killer—but it’s worth it when it comes to protecting your health. (Not sure how to ask your partner if they’ve had an STD test? The experts say, it’s best to just be blunt.)

If you do wind up with an STD though, don’t panic. Get it treated right away and follow up with your doctor to make sure you’re totally cured before your next hookup.

- Shape.com

Voice of Asia brings you the latest

in medicine, medical technology, nutrition, pharmacy, and other health related articles.

healthlinemag.com

* Snack right with unproceeed whole foods * Eat off small plates * Avoid ‘diet’ foods sweetened with sugar alcohols * Drink coffee * Get a good night’s sleep In a recent study, 10 overweight volunteers went on a diet while sleeping 8.5 hours a night for two weeks and just 5.5 hours per night for another couple of weeks. In both cases, the average weight loss was 2.9kg, but when the group slept less, they lost less fat (0.5kg versus 1.3kg), and felt hungrier. - HT

L

OS ANGELES - Southern California avocado lovers: You may have found the most cost-effective way to eat the magical, traditionally pricey fruit and get paid to do it.

Loma Linda University is looking for people to eat avocados - in large quantities and small quantities - as part of a study, and they’re paying participants.

LLU is looking for people to help them prove once and for all if avocados help with abdominal fat loss or not.

In the want ad, LLU said they’re looking for as many as 250 avocado lovers to participate in the six-month trial.

Participants for the study must: Be 25 years of age or older Be willing to either eat one avocado per day for six months or eat only two avocados per month for the same period Men must measure at least 40 inches around the waist.

Women must measure at least 35 inches around the waist.

So the big caveat, avocado aficionados: You will randomly be assigned whether you eat a boat-load of avocados or just two per month.

- Are Avocados Healthy? “The test group will be given 16 avocados every two weeks and be required to eat one avocado per day throughout the six-month study. The control group will be required to eat no more than two avocados per month during the same period,” the news release said.

You could either hit the avocado jackpot, or end up out of luck.

The big bonus: Everyone will get paid $300 each at the end.

A few selected participants will need to undergo free MRI an health screenings, as well as attend a monthly appointment with a dietitian.

If you don’t get in on LLU’s study, UCLA is also recruiting avocado eaters.

Penn State University and Tufts University in Massachusetts are also seeking participants, for a total of 1,000 people munching on avocados for the sake of science.

“LLU and three other American universities will evaluate the controversial idea in a randomized, six-month trial,” the news release said.

The study, while being funded by the Hass Avocado Board, will not be swayed by its sponsorship, the news release promised.

- NBC News

FDA warns of rare flesh-eating genital infection linked to diabetes medication ASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning diabetes patients that some drugs may cause a flesh-eating bacterial infection of the genitals.

W

The FDA issued the warning on Wednesday. Cases of Fournier’s gangrene have been reported in connection with sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.

The drugs help the body lower blood-sugar levels via the kidneys, and excess sugar is excreted in a patient’s urine. Urinary tract infections are a known side effect.

The SGLT2 inhibitors approved by the FDA include Johnson & Johnson’s Invokana, Eli Lilly & Co’s Jardiance, as well those from Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca Plc, Merck & Co and Pfizer Inc. Patients are at risk for an infection known as Fournier’s gangrene, an extremely rare but life-threatening bacterial infection of the tissue under the skin that surrounds muscles, nerves, fat, and blood vessels of the perineum.

The FDA said the bacteria usually gets into the body through a cut or break in the skin.

While having diabetes is a risk factor for the infection, it is still rare.

Publications report Fournier’s gangrene occurs in 1.6 out of 100,000 males annually in the U.S., and most frequently occurs in males 5079 years.

The FDA said in the five years from March 2013-May 2018, they identified 12 cases of Fournier’s gangrene in patients taking one of the inhibitors. This is compared to only six cases identified in a review of other antidiabetic drug cases over a period of more than 30 years.

The cases included 7 men and 5 women.

In this file photo, a prescription is filled at a pharmacy in Sacramento, Calif. On Friday, May 11 2018, Trump is scheduled to give his first speech on how his administration will seek to lower drug prices.

All of the patients were hospitalized and required surgery.

The FDA said some patients required multiple disfiguring surgeries, some developed complications, and one patient died.

The FDA is concerned there may be additional cases that they are not

aware of. Patients should seek medical help immediately if they experience any symptoms of tenderness, redness, or swelling of the genitals or the area from the genitals back to the rectum, and have a fever above 100.4 For a general feeling of being unwell.

- WTVO

VOICE OF ASIA 19

The shady world of beauty influencers

FASHION & BEAUTY

Brands pay influencers tens of thousands of dollars for posts, sometimes to bash competitors. But they don’t always disclose it.

by Cheryl Wischhover

I

n the not-so-distant past, makeup and skin care companies used to get new customers by hiring celebrities to be official ambassadors for their brands, buying TV ads, and working with beauty editors at magazines to secure editorial placement for their products. Brands would send free products, wine and dine editors, and give them access to those celebrity ambassadors for interviews. (Being an advertiser in the magazine also increased a brand’s chances to be featured or recommended.)

YouTube, instead of the homogeneous models in magazines. There was an authenticity and relatability there, and soon it became evident that influencers could, well, influence people to buy stuff. It gave rise to personalities like Michelle Phan, Jeffree Star, and Huda Kattan, who all ended up with massive followings and makeup brands of their own.

The authenticity of beauty influencers has been coming under question for the past year or so, with a steady stream of scandals and an increasingly unwieldy number of influencer wannabes trying to make a career of it.

This Clueless fashion trend is totally back and better than ever!

by Alana Joseph

M

ore than twenty years later, the fashion from Clueless remains our style goals.

Last night, as influencers from all over the world gathered for the #REVOLVE carnival to display the latest trends, we couldn’t help but notice that one of the most popular looks is actually a throwback style, made popular by the fictional character Cher Horowitz.

In the hit ‘90s film, Cher (played by Alicia Silverstone) and her BFF Dionne (Stacey Dash) enter their high school as the popular kids whose lifestyles deserve today’s hashtag, #Blessed. They’re wealthy, in relationships with equally popular guys and wearing the hottest clothes money can buy. Essentially, they fit the description of an influencer today.

While Clueless is filled with looks worthy of recreating, Cher’s most famous outfit is the yellow plaid skirt suit with knee-high socks. For a long time after the movie it was a go-to Halloween costume. Now, the print of her look is a fall staple.

Yellow plaid started making its comeback during Fall/Winter 2018 fashion weeks. Versace revealed a similar look to Cher’s during their ready-to-wear runway show, adding blue to create a fresh look (as seen to

cloak of distrust about whether influencers are actually disclosing any of this.

The explosive influencer allegations

Shireen Khan set up Hannah London Spa salon in June 2017, with almost 30k Instagram followers. (Photo: Instagram@hannalondonspa) This still happens, both at magazines and on editorial websites, but beauty editors are no longer the predominant “influencers” in beauty.

As social media grew, people started to trust the so-called “regular” people they were seeing on Instagram and

And this week, we’re seeing another big challenge to the reign of the influencers: an unveiling of the staggering sums that they are paid for their endorsements, including claims that brands are paying influencers to say negative things about competitors’ products. And it’s all wrapped in a

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

The “gurus” who post about makeup and skin care to large followings on YouTube and Instagram have had a rough few months. Hot on the heels of the racism scandal that has rocked that world and cost some high-level influencers a lot of income comes a new controversy about payment, deception, and transparency. It’s a global issue in the influencer economy, but beauty is getting the focus now.

Some in the industry have alleged that unnamed influencers are asking beauty brands for $20,000 to even $85,000 for a single video or Instagram post to tout their products. (Kattan revealed this year that a brand once offered her $185,000 for one post.) Even more explosive, though,

The original girls of Clueless (left) and Versace Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2018 on the runway (right). (Photos: Paramount Pictures/VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) the left). Rick Owens used a yellow and brown plaid, soft fabric to create outerwear and separates. Michael Kors also made outerwear using a pattern very similar to Cher’s.

We also saw yellow plaid in street style with Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and Jessica Alba wearing

the pattern in different ways. Bella wore a cropped button-down with high-waisted jeans. Emily wore a coord set, completed by a crop top and cigarette pants. And, Jessica wore a pattered midi skirt, pairing it with a leather jacket.

- eOnline

were suggestions that brands were willing to pay influencers these sums to post negative reviews about competitor brands. Vox spoke to industry professionals who confirmed some of the practices and numbers. It provides a window into how marketing works more broadly in the beauty industry now and how truly opaque it all is.

It can also have serious legal consequences.

Brands will pay for anything from a single mention in a video to an actual collection collaboration with an influencer. Historically, when trusted influencers mentioned products, their viewers purchased them. (A Nivea men’s aftershave went viral 15 years after it launched when a popular guru said in a video that it made a good makeup primer.) Brands want to harness that selling power.

How influencer marketing works in the beauty industry

MAC, a popular and beloved makeup brand, is a great example of this shift. It has done collaborative makeup collections throughout the years with celebrities like Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Brooke Shields, and even Catherine Deneuve. But this year, influencer Patrick Starr landed a year-long deal with MAC to release multiple collections with the brand.

Influencers get paid in several ways.

There is YouTube ad revenue, which is dependent on subscriber and view count. In recent years, YouTube has decreased the amount of income an influencer can make this way, in a process that has been dubbed the “adpocalypse.” So influencers are counting more and more on other sources of income, generally from brands.

It’s still an area the FTC keeps tabs on with investigations related to the endorsement guides. - Vox

VOICE OF ASIA 20

Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures to unveil new Indian cultures exhibit

by Meagan Falcon

C

ORPUS CHRISTI - The Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures is unveiling a new exhibit focusing on Indian culture.

The new exhibit “India in Colour and Sound” will educate the community on some traditional Indian practices.

opening Sept. 8.

The event will be free to the public.

“We are really excited to unveil the exhibit at the same time as the Ganesh Festival in India. It’s one of the most popular festivals in the country,” she said. “To me, it’s just perfect timing.”

The grand opening celebration will

ART / CULTURE

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Artist paints on vintage letters and bills to bring alive stories of strangers

by Chinki Sinha

T

here is a grocery bill from 1933 and in the artist’s words maybe it wasn’t an earth-shattering event, but to her it was a slice of history, a record of everyday life.

It was a bill from Michigan City Fruit Co. and Joe had paid $4. She, who only works on collected vintage paper, paints a pantry can, an olive oil bottle, a sugar tin and birds and fruits with her delicate hand.

And that’s how she paints stories on old diaries and frayed bills giving them a new narrative and yet keeping their stories.

Recently, Bengaluru-based artist, Bakula Nayak, held an exhibition called Intimate Strangers in Delhi, where the painted framed included a journal from 1907.

Nayak has a masters in communication design from Pratt Institute in New York.

The 43-year old decided to use the pages of the journal for her two paintings which are part of the show.

She speaks to India Today about her art and her love for old letters, newspaper articles and diaries that she found in old shops during her travels.

She has over 3,000 of these.

What draws you to vintage paper like postcards, letters, old bills? How does the paper you choose guide your illustration process?

Bakula’s painting on a bill. (Images courtesy the artist) painful to even read them. However, I had been collecting vintage papers, photographs and other objects from when I was in school and I began to draw on those; I had found my calling.

to their lives and their stories - to be reminded to a slower time, to remind us to slow down.

Tell us one story from one of the canvases.

My stories come directly from the papers themselves and surprisingly, most of the times they coincide with stories from my own life. Perhaps, it is because I tend to use everyday papers, I never draw on collectible papers that have value; those have their own admirers and collectors. These are papers that are glimpses of history, of a life gone by...and of lives so similar to ours in emotions.

What is your art all about?

On August 19th, the museum hosted Classical Indian dancer Shekar Rajendran of Bangalore along with Bharatanatyam students from the Corpus Christi community.

Julie Galbraith, president of the museum’s board, said the museum wanted to dedicate an exhibit on the culture because it never had one like it before.

“We really have a large Hindu and Indian community in the area,” she said. “So, we really wanted to devote a section in the museum that would represent the community.

“We are an Asian museum and we want to make sure we represent all cultures in South Texas.”

Galbraith said the museum plans to host a Bollywood-inspired grand

feature performances from Kingsville Dhol Drummers, Mohini Dancers from the University of Texas in Austin, henna painting, authentic Indian food vendors, film and more.

Galbraith said people in the community can look forward to a giant, happy family-oriented festival.

“The best part about the festival is that everyone is going to have a chance to get a little taste of India right here in Corpus Christi,” she said. “People are going to have a great time.”

-Corpus Christi Caller Times

Traditional culture helps Chinese design rise on global stage

L

product design prize that was set up in 1955. Zhang’s works stood out from thousands of entries, and he won three awards this year.

The Red Dot is an international

“Chinese culture and elements are my major sources of inspiration,” said Zhang, who has won a total of eight Red Dot awards over the past seven years.

ANZHOU, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Yangsheng, an independent Chinese designer, is once again preparing for his journey to the Red Dot Design Award Ceremony held in Germany this September.

One of his award-winning works is a non-spill bottle. The bottle can lean in any direction and right itself without spilling.

“The design was inspired by a traditional Chinese roly-poly toy, a round-bottomed doll that is self-balancing. When I prepared bottles for my child, I would sometimes knock them over and soil the rubber nipple,” Zhang said.

Hand-pulling noodles in north-west China.

“I began to do some research and discovered that the ancient Chinese toy’s egg-shaped bottom could solve my problem,” he said.

My art is my visual expression for the overwhelming sense of responsibility I feel for these abandoned treasures. Letters and papers that had lived once, loved and lost. These are not papers that record earth shattering events or made any apocalyptic changes to lives, but they have survived time. Slices of history, glimpses into life from another time - my art is a narrative of these times that collides sometimes with our realities today.

My parents lived in Mumbai when I was born, but moved to Bangalore when I grew up. I had a super happy and loving childhood that perhaps is the source of all the joy I still feel today. A very conservative upbringing led me to not leave Bangalore till I was 25 and study architecture because that was the only “creative” profession available in my city then. I then did my Masters in Design at Pratt Institute in Manhattan and worked for the likes of Ralph Lauren and L’Oreal for over a decade, before moving back to Bangalore eight years ago. I had my own design company here and was doing well when I lost my dad 5 years ago (I had already lost my mom 18 years ago).

I soon found letters my parents had written to each other (about 300-400 of them), they were so full of love, hope and dreams. I started expressing myself by drawing on these as a way of dealing with my grief. Soon, it got

Another one of Zhang’s awardwinning designs is a package of thin, dried Chinese noodles. The design is

(Left) Zhang Ya n g s h e n g has also been awarded a Red Dot Design award for his packaging work on TibetCare’s yak milk carton. (Photo: Red Dot Design)

Bakula Nayak and a detail from a playful painting image.

I basically decided to introduce my friends to this world. I feel strongly for the people who are no longer around to love their treasures and as I pore over their objects or their letters - I feel a connect - like I know them personally. You will find the catalog divided into seven sections and stories connected with each.

I am an environmentalist at heart.

My move back to Bangalore saw the drastic changes it had undergone.

It saddens me. I do my bit - protesting the cutting of trees, educating my children and hopefully more kids, and my art is another way of subliminally making us aware of the love and beauty nature is capable of.

How do you find these old papers and why do you want to paint on them?

Also, the animal kingdom is far more beautiful than us cruel human beings. What’s not to love about a bird or a rabbit? When I draw a human my interaction with the art is totally different - I react as I would with another human. So, I feel I remove that layer, because right now I want my story to be unsullied by that.

I think the papers find me and not the other way around. I have had people just come up to me and give them, I have found them in flea markets and vintage stores in New York and Paris where I lived briefly, in garages while traveling in Barcelona, in raddi shops, second hand book stores, everywhere.

If there is a story in an object it’s mine.

How are you preserving memory through your art?

These are memories from another time on ordinary scraps of paper - a story that might have been lost otherwise. I draw on them to call attention

inspired by makeup used in the Peking Opera, folk culture and cartoons.

“I first got the idea during a museum tour, during which I was surprised to find that the beard created from Peking Opera makeup is similar to the shape of Chinese hand-pulled noodles,” he recalled.

Zhang matched various types of noodles with different images of famous figures in ancient China. Thanks to Zhang’s work, Chinese hand-pulled noodles, a regional specialty of northwest China, caught the world’s attention.

A graduate from Lanzhou University in Gansu Province, Zhang worked in business for nine years before he

What are the next projects you are working on?

I am next working for a show in Chennai and probably another in Kolkata for next year. I am still trying to walk the balance between “art” and “illustration” and I have lots of journeys to make and stories to tell.

- India Today

started his career as a designer.

“When I brainstorm design ideas, I always evaluate their practical use and social value first,” he said. “I always want to bring innovation to traditional culture.”

“The market is changing, and many enterprises are seeking cooperation with independent designers, which provides bright prospects for the younger generation,” Zhang said.

“Many young designers in China know the traditional culture well and can express it in unique ways,” he noted. “I believe that more Chinese designs and designers will go global in the near future.”

- Xinhua News

VOICE OF ASIA 21

FRIDAY, September 7, 2018

Home&Real Estate Toxic homes: The invisible threat after Hurricane Harvey

by Michele Koh Morollo

H

OUSTON - One year after Hurricane Harvey slammed the Gulf Coast, preliminary results of new research suggest public health risks remain for flood victims returning to waterlogged homes.

The preliminary results shared exclusively with CBS News, reveal that air quality in flooded homes matched the outdoor pollution of some of the world’s most contaminated cities such as Mumbai and Beijing.

“I wasn’t expecting them [air pollution levels] to be that high,” said Memo Cedeño Laurent, a research associate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “On a blind basis, we can tell what house flooded and what house didn’t flood just because the differences in the levels are so stark.”

Harvard’s study uses a network of environmental sensors aimed at monitoring 30 homes that were flooded and 30 that were not, which are located throughout Houston. Neighborhoods with sensors include Kashmere Gardens and Memorial. Sensors track each home’s

A tiny cabin is built in three weeks for only $10.5K

I

n Finland, houses with a floor area between 96 to 128 square feet do not require a building permit, so when local industrial designer Robin Falck decided to build his own cabin in the picturesque municipality of Sipoo, he made sure to keep the tiny home under 100 square feet.

Officials say about 300,000 area homes were impacted by flooding in Hurricane Harvey in Aug. 2017. (Photo: D.J. Phillip/AP) indoor air quality to check for minute amounts of toxins invisible to the naked eye, which flood waters may have left behind.

Many of the flood victims participating in the study are still living in their homes while they are being rebuilt since they do not have other longterm housing options.

According to Laurent, a lack of indoor ventilation and the prolonged exposure to known pollutants such as mildew, mold or particulate matter from construction debris, can lead to

a more toxic environment inside a home than breathing the air outdoors.

“People think that problems finish once the water goes away, but that’s when they start for many people.” Laurent said.

“In 2010, I wanted to build a place of my own. I found this beautiful plot and I set out to design a compact getaway for myself. I also wanted to maximize this small space, use local, recycled materials, and build it myself,” explains Falck, who named the cabin Nido, which translates to “bird’s nest” in Italian.

Not only was Falck able to save on the cost of the building

The color scheme for the interiors are inspired by the color of a large boulder near the site. (Photos: Robin Falck) permit, he also found recycled materials, which he used for the bulk of the construction. This further reduced his expendi-

ture on the project, and the total cost for the Nido cabin was just around $10,500.

-Dwell

The most dangerous pollutants are fine airborne particles of less than 2.5 microns in diameter known as PM2.5. These tiny particles can find their way deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems, including asthma, strokes, lung cancer and heart attacks.

- CBS

Falck designed the cabin to maximize space and improve acoustics and light flow.

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Week of SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 21 March to 20 April With the new moon in your lifestyle zone on Sunday, go easy if you’re eager to get started on a new plan or project. Be sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for; check the details.

21 April to 20 May You tend to get stuck in your ways, but something happens at the end of the week to help you see your love life from a new perspective.

You could get used to changes like this!

21 May to 20 June This is an ideal time to apply for a new or better job. Powerful forces can be stressful if you aren’t willing to compromise. Be patient with ongoing projects that need more research or organization.

21 June to 22 July This week you get a strong message from the Universe. With all the tense energy flying around, you need to look for answers in the area of your chart governing personal transformation.

What do you want your look to say about you?

23 July to 22 August You may feel such a surge of positive energy that you can’t resist exercising more. But if you aren’t careful, there’s a danger that you could burn yourself out. You may think that you can do a lot more than is good for you.

23 August to 22 Sept The new moon in your sign on Sunday can be perfect for kick-starting a new habit, upgrading a relationship, or taking life in a new direction. Go easy, though, because someone could try to undermine your plans.

Astrology.com

23 September to 22 Oct The future comes into focus later in the week, but you could be surprised by what might be down the road. It isn’t too early to start planning – and it isn’t too late to make changes. You’re in control of your destiny.

23 October to 21 Nov Your naturally friendly and diplomatic manner is very effective in calming troubled waters now. You can help co-workers feel more at ease.

The time also offers opportunities in careers that bring people together.

22 November to 21 Dec You have several challenging aspects affecting your money house this week. Activity in your house of money returns you to simpler times. But also affected is your house of other people’s money, or debt.

22 December to 20 Jan You have inner reserves of strength that are going to make themselves known to you. If you think you can do more, you’ll find this to be true.

Set a fitness challenge and you could be surprised at your stamina.

21 January to 19 Feb Saturn’s forward motion can help you develop greater awareness of what is happening and so transform your experience. The move of sultry Venus into your sector of ambition suggests that charm can work wonders.

20 February to 20 Mar Aspects affect your house of debt, agitating to get you moving toward repayment and refrain from further spending. Your family and romantic life will be your primary motivating factors now.

Challenges await this weekend.

ACROSS 1. Words to live by 6. Flicked in a tray 9. Text messenger 13. Cowboy movie 14. *Badgley and Mischka, e.g.

15. Young Montague 16. Diver’s lung 17. Ostrich of Australia 18. Cake cover 19. *Between stiletto and flat 21. *Winter collection 23. Drench 24. ____-de-camp 25. George Orwell’s Napoleon 28. Program for training officers 30. Win at an auction 35. Applications 37. ____ d’Ivoire 39. Port in Portugal 40. C&H crop 41. *____ couture 43. Madrid’s football club 44. “____ on Wayward Son” 46. Comedian Carvey 47. Barber’s supply 48. First-aid item 50. “Pro” follower 52. *To change the color of fabric 53. Sacred 55. Little troublemaker 57. *a.k.a. catwalk 60. *Outerwear pullover 63. Tarantino’s creation 64. Like King George, 17601820 66. Find new tenant 68. 1st letter of Hebrew alphabet 69. Negative conjunction 70. Do penitence 71. Those not opposed 72. *Designer Laroche 73. Espresso plus steamed milk

DOWN 1. Trigonometric func.

2. *Nordstorm’s outlet 3. *Purse for the red carpet 4. Financial woes 5. Demosthenes, e.g.

6. Port in Yemen 7. Greater than the whole?

8. Alluring maiden 9. *Little Black Dress creator 10. Arabian chieftain 11. Fast time 12. Lincoln lumber 15. Come to the surface 20. Unit of geological time 22. Tokyo, once 24. Insurance industry statistician 25. *a.k.a. Prince of Prints 26. *Designer Mizrahi 27. Tragedy or comedy or satire 29. Frog’s friend, according to Lobel 31. Civil wrong 32. Measured in loafs 33. *Salvatore Ferragamo’s home country 34. *Gabbana’s partner 36. Balkan native 38. Volcano in Sicily 42. Dine at home 45. Name of God in the Old Testament 49. Former Portuguese colony in India 51. Unprincipled 54. Deviating from truth 56. *____-____-Porter 57. Part to play 58. Part of the eye 59. Tiny sips 60. Gossamer 61. Frequently 62. Superman’s last name 63. Word of possibility 65. Debtor’s note 67. Tiger’s starting point

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FRIDAY, September 7, 2018