Happy Saturday, dear friends. I hope you are all luxuriating in peace and relaxation today.
Yesterday, I was in my two car garage sorting recycling. One of the doors was open and the other was closed. I was standing in the corner, against the closed door, and in flew a tiny bird. It landed right next to me and looked up into my eyes. It did not startle, or fly away, but sat patiently waiting for me to acknowledge its presence.
I said hello to the bird and I also said I love you. It turned around and then flew away. The joy of this small interaction with the natural world was a miracle that made my heart sing for the rest of the day. When we recognize and appreciate these small miracles we open ourselves up to receive more of them.
Today we cover immigration policy, especially in the US and Central America, and we move on from there. So let’s get ready to linger over coffee and the news on this glorious morning.
President Obama announces new US immigration rules.
On Thursday, President Obama announced an executive action to amend current US immigration policy. This action will offer new temporary legal status to undocumented immigrants and expand delayed deportation rules.
The following article details all the proposed changes in immigration policy, and shows the groups that will receive increased protection and those that will not.
Central American countries seek increased opportunities to keep young people at home.
The presidents of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador met with US Vice President Biden last week to discuss ways to support the economies of their nations. The joint effort focuses on creating opportunities for young people. The governments want them to live and work in their home nations instead of entering the United States illegally.
Last year there was a surge in underage illegal immigrants entering the US, and President Obama was forced to ask for $3.7Billion in emergency aid to tackle the situation.
The ultimate goal is stimulating private sector investment, so young people can see a bright future for themselves and their families. When there are economic opportunities for young people in place, immigrating becomes a choice and not a life-saving obligation.
Central America Leaders Offer Plan to Stem Child Migrants by Michael McDonald for Bloomberg News
Moving on…
New York Fed head faces tough questioning by Elizabeth Warren at US Senate hearing.
William C. Dudley was the head economist for Goldman Sachs for more than a decade. He then became the director of the New York Federal Reserve. The NY Fed is supposed to oversee the actions of big banks, like his former employer Goldman Sachs.
This week, Dudley went before a US Senate hearing. It was prompted by allegations of deferential treatment toward certain large banks by the Fed. The allegations came from Carmen Segarra who is a former bank examiner for the NY office.
Dudley faced tough questioning by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D), who has been a harsh critic of financial regulators. She told Dudley that they would find someone else to oversee the banks if he could not do a good job himself.
Swedish court rejects Julian Assange’s appeal to lift arrest warrant.
Most people know that Julian Assange was the head of WikiLeaks. This group released many classified documents in an effort to promote truth and transparency internationally. He has been living, in asylum, at the Ecuadorian embassy in London for a number of years.
Assange has a warrant out for his arrest in Sweden, related to sexual assault and rape allegations which he denies. His lawyer filed an appeal with the Swedish courts to repeal the warrant. This week they denied the appeal, saying he posed a significant flight risk.
His lawyer asserts that the charges were filed in an effort to coerce Assange. They believe that if he were to go to Sweden to appear in court, he may be extradited to the US to face charges as a whistle-blower.
Julian Assange: Swedish court rejects appeal to lift arrest warrant by David Crouch for the Guardian
CEO of Green Mountain Coffee gifts $10Million to Fair Trade, USA.
Paul Stiller, CEO of Green Mountain Coffee, and his wife Christine recently granted $10 million to Fair Trade, USA. Stiller entered the coffee industry in 1981 and says the Fair Trade model has revolutionized the business. He believes that the model can do more internationally to promote sustainable products on many fronts.
The grant comes with a challenge to Fair Trade president, Paul Rice. He must match the $10 million grant through philanthropy. The long term goals are to increase demand for Fair Trade products, world-wide, and expand the program to more workers in developing nations. They hope to return $1 billion to Fair Trade artisans and workers by 2020.
I also found this short promotional video featuring Paul Rice. He passionately describes the platform and shows how Fair Trade wages benefit entire communities.
And finally…
One hundred year old woman crosses the ocean off her bucket list.
Ruby Holt, who is almost 101-years old, grew up on a farm in Tennessee. She picked cotton most of her life, and never had the money or time to go to the beach.
Recently, she was gifted with an all-expenses-paid trip to see the ocean. The trip was funded by the assisted-living community where she resides and a non-profit foundation called Wish of a Lifetime.
The charity grants the “bucket list” wishes of senior citizens. Two women, who work at the assisted care facility, filled out the application for Ruby and sent it in. They had a water gun fight with her in the summer, and found out she has always wanted to go to the ocean. Her response to the size of the ocean was priceless.
100-year-old woman sees ocean for first time for BBC News Front Page
That’s the news for today. Have a fun-filled day. I hope to see you back here tomorrow for Feel Good News!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex