#Humanitarian airfare

[milkboydotnet]

From May 17-18, 2024, an urgent International People’s Tribunal (IPT) will take place. The tribunal is jointly convened by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) and Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS). The theme and title of the tribunal will be:

Katarungan: The Filipino People vs US Government, and the Marcos and Duterte regimes (An International War Crimes Tribunal on the US-directed Counterinsurgency in the Philippines)

The purposes of the IPT will be to heighten international condemnation and isolation against the US-Duterte and US-Marcos regimes for their widespread violations of International Humanitarian Law, to underscore the repressive character and role of US imperialism in the Government of the Republic of the Philippines’ (GRP’s) counterinsurgency war against the Filipino people, to educate the international community on the just cause and legitimacy of the Filipino people’s struggle for national liberation, and to broaden international support for the cause of a just and lasting peace in the Philippines as led by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

In order to make this event happen, we need your help! We are raising funds to cover the airfare and travel costs of witnesses who have seen the war crimes of the Duterte and Marcos regimes up close, as well as lawyers and other human rights advocates. We are also raising funds to cover the costs of publication for the findings of the tribunal. Will you support our efforts, and in doing so, support the Filipino people’s struggle for a just and lasting peace?

[GOFUNDME]

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil Is Embracing the Migrant Crisis That Everyone Else Wants to Avoid

Latin America’s largest economy is linking newcomers with jobs, while its neighbors and the US struggle with a migration surge that shows no signs of slowing

Across the Americas, governments have deployed troops and erected barriers to try to stem what’s become an exodus of 7.7 million Venezuelans from the once-wealthy petro state.

In Brazil, they’re welcoming the newcomers with open arms.

Venezuelan migrants crossing the country’s northern border are greeted by officials waiting to process paperwork and visas; private recruiters offering jobs; a government providing airfare to relocate them to far reaches of the country.

In doing so, Brazil is drawing migrants into its economy — filling many of the grueling jobs that its own citizens don’t want and powering its agricultural-exporting machine. The government has relocated more than 114,000 people, or about a quarter of the Venezuelans who have come to the country since 2018 — a clip of nearly 2,000 a month — primarily to the wealthy south, a historical center of agribusiness. The newcomers have taken up jobs in crucial sectors, including in the world’s largest meat-processing companies, or they’re connected with a sponsor or shelter to take them in while they look for work. It’s helping Brazil’s thriving agribusiness, as a country that’s already the top exporter of beef and chicken tries to cement itself as the world’s slaughterhouse.

For the migrants, the employment support offers a formal foothold in society. But the work is less than ideal: The days are long and arduous, and the jobs are located in remote parts of the country.

It raises larger questions about how governments should attend a humanitarian crisis that’s showing no signs of slowing. More than 260,000 Venezuelans made the perilous trek through the jungle, toward the US, during the first nine months of the year, according to Panama’s government. That tops the 150,000 who made the journey through the Darien Gap last year.

Continue reading.

[jstarkd00110]

travel agency

Golden Rule Travel is an international travel agency established in 1985. They offer the peace of mind of 24/7 emergency customer service for when flights are canceled or other travel disasters strike. They specialize in travel for a wide variety of non-profit organizations, including many churches, humanitarian organizations, missionaries, schools, and universities. Their private fare contracts exclusively for non-profit organizations add a lot of value for these organizations by offering refundability, extra baggage, and much more affordable one-ways in many scenarios and markets. Group airfare is a specialty as well, providing tools and expertise to ease the logistics of arranging for groups to travel. Whether you’re a non-profit getting superlative, no-brainer value or simply an individual traveling internationally, the expert team at GRT stands ready to help https://goldenruletravel.com/.

[airlinenumber-blog]

American airlines humanitarian airfare If you are looking for a discount on flight ticket then you can also save money with the help of humanitarian airfare for non-profit organizations

read more:-http://www.airline-number.com/blog/airline/what-is-humanitarian-airfare-and-missionary-fare/

[samingtonwilson]

A Bid on Bucky

Summary: You spend thousands of dollars at a bachelor auction for Bucky when you could’ve had him for free this entire time.

Pairing: bucky x reader

a/n: this fic is damning evidence that idiots in love is my favorite genre, your honor. i’ve more likely than not used this gif before but idc because im lov it

Tony Stark is a humanitarian— a fact you have neither forgotten, nor will he allow you to forget. 

Oftentimes, he’ll remind you verbally and, other times, a visual reminder will be posted on the team’s social media accounts. The pictures of him at the elephant sanctuary he helped found in Thailand are your personal favorites.

If news of his latest cause is not filling the pages of The Times or showing up on CNN’s special segment of Billionaires Who Care with Christiane Amanpour, it’s being distributed via monthly text reminder of reasons to leave Tony’s special coffee alone— last month you were told, “His donations allowed the doors of Planned Parenthood to remain open in developing nations such as Burkina Faso, and all he asks for in return is that his teammates do not finish his goddamn coffee.” 

Of course, because you all live for him sniffing out your mugs at morning meetings to discover the culprit, his reminders only lead to greater coffee theft as it, in turn, increases the redness in his face when he finds the morally corrupt heathenous criminal— who is usually Clint. 

In true Tony Stark fashion, though, his favorite way to remind you all, and the rest of the world, is through a gala. A gala where champagne flows like water, money is no object, extravagance is to be expected, and, as a member of the team, attendance is mandatory. 

At first, you hated the damn things. It’s not like you’ve ever cared about the private island one guest owns which another guest is so obviously jealous of, or if the deal to buy a chunk of land on the light side of the moon before that hippie Elon Musk usurps it all has successfully closed. 

But now? Now that you’ve learned how to direct the money those snots brag ostentatiously about into causes you truly care for with a couple little sly techniques, you fucking love the things. 

You and Natasha have a game, actually. Whose Shameless and Absolutely Disingenuous Flirting Will Lead to More Money Donated to (Insert Tony’s Latest Cause Here)? 

Natasha is the current titleholder as Smelly Von Oil Tycoon’s wife shooed you away before you could close the million dollar deal and Cowboy Hat McFast Food Franchise would have given up his entire company if Natasha kept batting her eyelashes at him. But in the end, just as every other time the two of you have played, you both felt like winners because the almost obscene amount of money was helping fund housing for Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. The competitive edge to it is just for entertainment. 

This time, though, seeing as this event is an auction and you are in no mood to flirt with red-faced old men with paper-thin skin, you have taken to auctioneering with Sam. 

Motioning to a projected photograph of a luxurious Paris hotel room with a view of the Eiffel Tower in your best Vanna White impression, you grin as brightly as you can. “And the last item Sam and I will be auctioning off together is a two-night stay at Plaza Athénée in Paris. First class airfare for two is included, as are two tickets to the Louvre. You’ve been to Paris, haven’t you, Sam?” 

“Why, yes, baby girl, I have,” he replies with a grin as broad as yours, the spotlight and his natural charm causing his deep brown eyes to sparkle like diamonds. You think for a second that you can actually hear Bucky scoffing in the audience. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell, but I will say that it is called the City of Love for a reason.” 

“Of course, our unlucky-in-love Sam shared those kisses only with every bit of bread and cheese he came across but you can share it all with someone special.” At that, Sam elbows you gently in the ribs with a fond roll of his eyes. “We’re going to start the bidding at twenty-thousand dollars.”

Immediately, paddles shoot up and Sam begins calling out higher bids and paddle numbers while you lean your hip against the podium and take a long sip of your champagne which has since, unfortunately, gone lukewarm and flat. Your face pinches and you scan the crowd for a wandering waiter. 

Before you can, though, your head tilts just as you spot Bucky, a large button reading “BACHELOR #4” pinned to the lapel of his tux.

He’s laughing. Not openly and loudly like he usually does when the two of you are alone, but his shoulders are shaking and he’s grinning so the skin beside his eyes wrinkles. You think fleetingly that his cheeks might even be dusted in pink as he ducks his head. 

The sight makes you smile, too, and you set your champagne aside. It’s secondary now. 

“Congratulations to Mr. Baldwin and all the other winners of these wonderful vacations,” Sam says once the winner has been announced and ushered backstage. “Sadly, our time is up for the night.”

You nod and pick up your microphone again. “Yes, but you will be seeing Sam again tonight as a part of the Bachelor Auction. Give the crowd a spin, Sam, show them what they could be going on a date with.” 

Sam unbuttons his wine-colored tuxedo and spins slowly, a slight swing in his hips. He’s met with several wolf-whistles, a rose thrown on stage, and a brief retching noise courtesy of Clint, to which Sam replies with a wink and a scoffed, “The glory is too much to handle for the insecure and faint of heart, ain’t it, Barton? We got a doctor on retainer in case you pass out.” 

Sam holds out his elbow to help you down the stairs and you gratefully loop your arm through his, your other hand hoisting the hem of your dress above your ankles. 

You sigh after meeting one of the bid winners, smile falling from your lips the moment you turn away. “I should’ve bid on that Marrakech trip.” 

Sam cocks an eyebrow. He doesn’t seem to mind one bit that you have yet to release him and simply follows you as you head to the bar. “Enjoy it last time?” 

“You mean when I was there to locate stolen Chitauri weapons?” you let out a bark of sarcastic laughter. “Steve didn’t even let me glance in the relative direction of a souq when that was the only reason I volunteered.” 

“So that’s a no?” 

You take the fresh flute of champagne a waiter offers and nod your thanks. “That’s a hell fucking no.” A pathetic pout and, “I deserve to love Morocco.” 

“Makin’ that face at me won’t help your cause. Makin’ that face at Pervert Santa Claus over there,” he points to a man, rosy-cheeked with a white beard and wandering eyes, who you recognize as the winner of the trip. “That’ll get you what you want.”

You make a face, tongue sticking out as you gag, and set your glass atop the bar. “First of all, even the prospect of sex with me will make his heart give out.”

Sam laughs into his tumbler of whiskey and rolls his eyes.

You grimace openly when the eyes of an elderly man— his arm around a woman who looks to be barely in her twenties— linger a bit too long and smile when he visibly shrinks. “And B., I only flirt with them to get donations. I’d sooner never leave this tower again than get with one of these ‘I only donate money to boost my public image’ types.” 

He hums and a slow, lazy smile curves his lips. He nods his head in the direction of something behind you. “Barnes’ got a different ideology.”

As casually as you can, you turn your body to lean your elbows atop the bar and tilt your head ever so slightly to glance where Bucky is standing. 

Standing and laughing. How is he still laughing? 

Arching an eyebrow at the woman he speaks to, you lift your glass to your lips. “Doesn’t look like she fits the bill.” 

“You’re joking,” Sam laughs, shaking his head as he sets his elbows on the bar as well. His shoulder brushes yours and, despite the itchy fabric of his tuxedo, you don’t mind. “That’s Maris Scheufele.” 

Long, chestnut brown hair swept over one shoulder to keep her back bare, her gown is silky, liquid gold. Dripping in wealth.

You purse your lips and turn back to Sam. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?” 

“Chopard heiress.” 

“Chopard like—” with wide eyes, you point at the sapphire and diamond earrings borrowed from Pepper on your ears and the matching ring on your left index finger. “Like Cannes Film Festival Chopard? Like that Chopard?” 

“Yeah, that Chopard.” He has to stop from laughing at the look you offer him. He thinks he might see your skin turn green in a matter of minutes. “She’s more loaded than Cigarette-Breath Du Rideshare-App-CEO from the elephant benefit.” 

You manage a small smile and a quick roll of your eyes, only to have them once again land on Bucky and the Chopard heiress. Maris. 

You aren’t jealous— per se. Jealousy is an ugly emotion, after all. Childish, and inconsiderate, and rooted in insecurity. 

Sure, she’s cuddled up next to someone you’re in the midst of denying feelings for out of fear and the prospect of being undeserving. And, sure, she’s covered in diamonds and you’re usually covered in dried blood, dust, and dirt from HYDRA facilities. But you aren’t jealous. 

You know you’ve wasted your time, his efforts, and your emotions being anything but happy with Bucky. Chances lost never come around again, right? So you’ve made your peace with it. You’ve had to make your peace with it.

With how much you’ve messed up, how many chances you’ve lost. With how perfect she is and how perfect he looks laughing with her. 

Perfect. 

So perfect that your teeth grit and the grip you have on your champagne flute tightens.

“He’s gonna bring in the big bucks.” 

You snort. “I thought he had different ideologies.”

“He does. But you know she ain’t gonna let him get auctioned off to anyone else.” A corner of Sam's lips turn up in disgust as he, too, stares at them with little stealth. Nick Fury would be ashamed in you both. “Lookin’ at him like he’s a piece of jerky.” 

“Jerky?”

“Old, dried up beef.” He then hums in agreement with his own words. “Nasty, hundred-year old beef.” 

With a laugh— a laugh that has the cadence of a sob— you drop your head into your hands. 

You meet Bucky’s eyes when you pick your head up, his head tilted in silent question. Perhaps at your wet, ironic smile, perhaps at the pull of your eyebrows. 

You shake your head in response and it’s when he almost immediately returns to laughing at whatever Maris Scheufele is saying that you straighten with a frown. 

What the hell kind of name is that anyway? Maris.

“What the hell—” you pause to take the glass from Sam’s hands and polish off his whiskey. “What the hell is so funny?” 

The glass is snatched back. “Not you finishing my drink, that’s for sure.” 

Shrugging as you continue to stare at Bucky and Maris, you mumble, “Put the next one on my tab.” 

Sam snorts as he asks for another drink, facing you as he adds, “S’an open bar, you cheap ass.” 

Once you’ve been able to secure a fresh, much stronger drink for yourself, you loop your arm through Sam’s again and set your chin on his shoulder. Your noses nearly bump when he looks at you and you both laugh softly. “I fucked up, didn’t I?” 

“You did.” He yelps and laughs when you pinch his side, lightly knocking his head against yours. Gentle eyes meet yours as he says, “Not tryna be harsh, but you had him and you let him go.” 

“I know.” 

“He spent weeks moping about it, you spent weeks moping about it.” 

“I know.”

“It was miserable comforting both you idiots.” 

“Yeah, you’re the real victim here.” 

Despite your dry tone, he nods in agreement. “You could tell him right now. Get all this bullshit over with and out in the open.”

Just the idea makes your heart rate spike. “He might reject me. Exact revenge for what I did.” 

“Barnes is a lotta things. Greasy, geriatric, testy, fuckin’ annoying as shit—” Sam hisses when you pinch him again, “— but vindictive ain’t one of ‘em.” 

Before Sam can convince you to move even an inch from the part of the bar you’ve dubbed yours for the night, warm fingers wrap around your elbow and tap your arm five times in quick succession. A secret identification code. 

A secret identification code that makes you smile despite yourself. You lift your head from Sam’s shoulder and hope you don’t look too eager as Bucky leans back against the bar, facing you entirely. “Look who it is.” 

He waves vibranium fingers and grins, a bit of that thirties charm you’d heard so much about shining in his blue eyes as he looks at you. “Hi, sweetheart. Wilson,” he adds with a playfully curt nod, chuckling when Sam returns it. “You were great up there. Prettiest MC I’ve ever seen. Almost had me buyin’ the trip to Morocco to make up for the shit Steve put you through.”

You feel Sam shaking in silent laughter and sigh when you hear his whispered, “For fuck’s sake.” 

“Only ‘almost’?” you ask with a pout Bucky grins at and wide eyes that have him swallowing over a dry throat. “What does a girl have to do for you to actually bid?” 

He shakes his head after a moment of simply staring, chuckling. “These poor bastards don’t stand a chance against you, do they? They’d probably sign their entire companies over to you and not think twice about it.”

“Just doing my part to save the Amazon,” you shrug. “Like you’re doing with the Bachelor Auction.” 

“‘Bout that,” he begins as he straightens his jacket and tie— all black. You trace his jaw, sharp and angular, when he glances away for just a second. “How long d’you think it’ll take Stark to put me out of my misery when nobody bids on me?”

“I wouldn’t be so negative. I know of one person who’ll definitely bid on you.”

His lips quirk up on one end, eyes dreamy as his head tilts in indulgence. “Yeah? Who’s that?” 

“Your heiress.” 

Bucky doesn’t seem to notice Sam jabbing his elbow into your ribs and cocks an eyebrow in confusion. “My what?” 

Though you weren’t planning on replying, Tony’s voice over the speakers doesn’t allow Bucky to question you further and you heave a sigh of relief. He calls all the bachelors to the stage and Sam pulls his arm from yours, bumping your shoulders together before he departs just as Tony begins telling a story of his first bachelor auction and how much he went for. 

Bucky remains still, however. Leant against the bar, eyes on you. 

“Bachelor number 4,” you say, pointing at the button he wears. You smile softly. “You’re needed on stage.” 

That seems to jolt him out of whatever stupor he was lost in and he stands straight. He takes a step forward and pauses, so close you can feel the heat radiating from him and smell his subtle cologne. “Bid on me if no one else does.” 

“I won’t need to.” 

Natasha finds you just as the bidding begins and orders herself a drink. She doesn’t say much, simply looking at you as you stare at Bucky standing next to Steve and Sam, and nods to herself. She remains a quiet, comfortable presence until Steve is brought to centerstage and nearly every paddle in the room shoots up. “You tell him yet?” 

“Nope.” 

“Thought so.” She nods her head to her left and you follow the movement to where Maris sits, back straight as she, too, looks at Bucky— but she’s grinning, paddle poised to be raised. “Scheufele being a cock block?” 

You’re visibly surprised when you turn back to Natasha, her ginger hair falling in loose waves over her shoulders. “How did you— How the hell could you possibly know that?” 

With the crooked curve of blood red lips, she smiles. “I’m just that good. And Sam texted me about it ten minutes ago.”

She continues to watch you as the excited winner of a date with Steve rises from his seat. “He’s next.” 

“I know that.” 

“You gonna bid on him?” 

You snort, though unconvincingly, and shake your head. “And go against an heiress? I’ll save myself the embarrassment.” 

“Stark pays us buckets,” she tells you with a frown, picking a stray piece of lint off her silver dress. “You could afford to go against an heiress.”

Bucky’s eyes are narrowed as he looks over the crowd of people seated at their tables. The light bounces off diamonds and sequins, gold and shiny leather shoes. It stings his eyes, it makes him scowl. 

“And next, ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on Bachelor Number 4,” Tony announces, turning a bit to glance at Bucky as he trudges over, not bothering to look a bit more appealing. “James Buchanan Barnes, truly the human equivalent of a cat.” 

Bucky openly glares at Tony now.

“James enjoys silence, brooding, eating like a fuckin’ horse, and telling the same story more than once,” Tony continues, ignoring the roll of Bucky’s eyes. “Cute, cuddly, and a little dangerous, we’ll start the bidding at one-thousand.” 

Three paddles shoot up. One from Maris, and two toward the center of the room. Your shoulders tense, Bucky’s relax.

“Okay, do I see eleven hundred?” 

Two paddles remain lifted until Maris shouts from her seat in a lilting voice, “Three thousand.” 

Your jaw clenches, Bucky grins. 

Tony set his hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “Alright, three thousand going once—” 

“Thirty-one hundred!” 

It feels as if the entire room turns in their seats to gape at you, but you try to pay them no mind. You, wearing your jealousy and determination like armor, stand at the bar with an empty glass in your hand, waiting for Tony to call your bid. But before he can— 

“Thirty-two!”

Your eyebrows furrow as you look at Maris. “Thirty-three!” 

“Four thousand!” She’s smiling. A perfectly manicured eyebrow is raised in challenge. 

You see red. “Forty-three hundred.” 

“Six thousand!” 

“Sixty-five hundred!” 

“Seventy-five hundred!”

When you look at the stage in a bit of a panic, Tony grins expectantly at you and Bucky— Well, you don’t think Bucky’s ever looked so shocked in all the time you’ve known him. But when his eyes go from Maris to meet yours, you find yourself yelling, “Ten thousand!” 

The room goes silent, or maybe you’ve just tuned it all out, and Tony is shaking his head in amusement. “Ten thousand going once.” 

You turn toward Maris as she sits and tosses her paddle onto the table. “Ten thousand going twice.”

You face the stage again. Bucky’s expression is unreadable. “Sold to our beautiful teammate in blue.” 

A bright spotlight shines on you and you fight the urge to run from the room, from the Tower, from New York, and give your best smile. 

— 

It’s four in the morning, all the lights on the residential floors of the Tower have been turned off, and the world is peaceful. But your mind continues to race. 

You sit at the kitchen counter, container of Sam’s leftover cheesecake from your lunch out with him open before you. You twirl a fork between your fingers and stare at nothing in particular, your soft breaths the only sound in the room. 

You’d changed out of your dress hours ago, washed off your makeup and taken the pins out of your hair. You could barely meet the eyes of your reflection out of fear of judgement and you didn’t ask FRIDAY to dim the lights or lock your door just in case she laughed at you. 

Tony had yet to talk to you about paying the ten grand you bid on Bucky and you left the ballroom before anyone could so much as snicker. You knew you couldn’t hide forever, you just needed the night to come to terms with your own stupidity. 

Yet as you prop your chin upon your palm and sigh, you think you might need a day or two, too. 

Quiet steps down the hall are made purposefully louder as they grow closer so as to not startle you, the lights dim as bulbs flicker on to about ten-percent of their full brightness. You fear your heartbeat might be audible to everyone in a ten mile radius at the sight of his blue eyes, messy brown hair, and wrinkled black t-shirt, and take a deep breath through parted lips in a futile attempt to calm it down.

He offers you a small smile and walks to the fridge. “You want some water?” 

You shake your head— even though he can’t see you. “No, I’m fine.” 

There’s a beat of silence and you take a breath to steady yourself. “Buck, I think we should talk.” 

He takes out a glass bottle of water for himself and shuts the fridge, leaning against the sink. He’s still smiling. “I know.” 

“I—” 

“I’m not gonna hold you to this thing,” he interjects, rolling the bottle between his hands. He watches as you sit up straight and set your fork down. “I know you made the bid just to donate the money and save me from that married heiress—” 

“Married?” you repeat to yourself. 

“And you’ve made it clear you just want to be friends,” he continues, undeterred. “So it’s okay. Hell, I’ll pay for half of it so I’ll feel like I’ve actually done somethin’ to save the sea turtles.” 

“The Amazon.” 

“Right, the Amazon,” he amends with a quiet laugh. He takes a sip of the water and sets the botte aside. “So whaddya say, huh? We’ll go half and half, help this cause out a little, and you don’t have to go on a date with me.” 

“Bucky, you don’t understand—” 

“No, no, I get it,” he says, walking around the narrow strip of granite separating you to sit on the stool beside yours. Features soft but a little sad, he shrugs as warmth rolls off him in waves. “I told you to bid on me in case no one else did and you saw how much more Steve went for. You tried to raise the bids on me and got stuck since those billionaires didn’t want to shell out more than ten grand on the Winter Soldier. I get it!” 

“That’s not why I did it, Bucky. Not at all.” 

He lowers his eyes to his hands, staring at mismatched palms, and says nothing. 

“Honestly, I—” You stop yourself when it feels as if your heart’s lodged itself in your throat and struggle to swallow over it. “When I saw that Chopard heiress talking to you and laughing with you, and when she bid on you and almost won that date, I— Something happened.” 

He looks at you now, eyebrows pulled together. “What happened?” 

“I— I don’t know. I guess I was a little jealous,” you say with a laugh only to shake your head. There’s a subtle sting behind your eyes, at the tip of your nose, and you pray to every deity you can think of to stop any tears. “No, I was very, very jealous. You two looked so happy and perfect and I wanted to scream, and cry, and— Fuck, all I could think about is how much time, and energy, and emotion I’ve wasted pushing you away so neither one of us ends up heartbroken when I already am.” 

You sigh, unable to meet his gaze as he gapes at you, his mouth hanging open as you laugh mirthlessly. “It probably seems so stupid to you and I know you’ve moved on, but, holy hell, I wish you still had some kind of crush on me because I’m dying here, Buck. I mean I just spent ten thousand dollars to make you go on a date with me.” 

“You did,” he agrees. He’s smiling when you manage to look at him, “You spent ten thousand dollars on me when you could’ve just had me for free this entire time.” 

He grasps your chin between his flesh index finger and thumb and jostles you a little, gaze so adoring. “And what punk ass told you I moved on from you? Huh? That same goof who said it’s just a crush?” 

He leans forward and pauses just before his lips meet yours, as if waiting for you to pull away only for you to close the distance first. 

What starts off as just a light brush of your lips against his quickly turns into a deep, hungry kiss that quiets your mind and forces your heart into overdrive. The warmth of it reaches your toes and every hair follicle, especially as both his hands cup your face while your fingers tangle through his hair, the rasp of his stubbly beard against your soft, sensitive skin stealing your breath even more.

You pull away first and your voice is small, a bit hoarse as you ask, “So you still like me?” 

He sets his forehead against yours and his lips pull into a smile. “I’d say it’s a li’l more than that, sweetheart.” 

It’s hours later when the sun is up, the cheesecake slice is long forgotten, and Bucky’s pulled you onto his stool to straddle his lap, your lips swollen and a little painful, that you groan in embarrassment. 

He immediately leans away from your neck and looks up at you in concern, lips full and cherry red. “What? What’s wrong?” 

“I have to pay Tony ten thousand dollars.” 

Chuckling, he rolls his eyes and presses a kiss to your chin. “I’ll pay it.” 

“Then I’ll owe you ten thousand dollars.” You withhold a moan when he nips at a part of your neck that has your hips rolling into his, the hitching of his breath felt more than heard. “That— that just transfers the problem.”

You feel him smile, arm tightening around you. “I think I know of a way you can pay me back.”

“Sounds like you just discovered the world’s oldest profession.” 

A punishing nip under your jaw and you gasp as he laughs. “I’m still all for going half and half to save the sea turtles.” 

“The Amazon.” 

He sighs and leans back. “Fuckin’ Christ. Someone needs to save the fuckin’ turtles already, then.”

[phroyd]

WASHINGTON — Senior Trump administration official Mina Chang resigned from her job at the State Department two and a half hours after NBC News went to her spokesperson to ask about newly discovered false claims she had made about her charity work.

NBC News had previously reported that Chang, the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, had embellished her resume with misleading claims about her educational achievements and the scope of her nonprofit's work — even posting a fake cover of Time magazine with her face on it.

"It is essential that my resignation be seen as a protest and not as surrender because I will not surrender my commitment to serve, my fidelity to the truth, or my love of country," Chang wrote in her resignation letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "Indeed, I intend to fight for those things as a citizen in the days and years to come."

Chang said she had been "unfairly maligned, unprotected by my superiors, and exposed to a media with an insatiable desire for gossip and scandal, genuine or otherwise."

[Mina Chang’s Fake Time Magazine Cover]

NBC News had reported that Chang, who assumed her post in April, invented a role on a United Nations panel, claimed she had addressed both the Democratic and the Republican national conventions, and implied she had testified before Congress.

She was being considered for an even bigger government job, one with a budget of more than $1 billion, until Congress started asking questions about her resume.

The newly discovered false claims include misrepresenting a trip to Afghanistan as a humanitarian mission, listing an academic who says he never worked for her nonprofit as an employee, claiming a nonexistent degree from the University of Hawaii, inflating an award and claiming to be an "ambassador" for the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO.

Chang had portrayed the 2015 trip to Afghanistan as a humanitarian mission for her nonprofit, but a defense contractor footed the bill and no aid was delivered, according to documents from the company and a former employee.

After the Afghanistan trip, Chang posted photos of herself meeting a group of Afghan women in a room. In a video posted on her charity's website, she refers to the photo and says the Afghan women are "in hiding" at a secret location.

"This is in Afghanistan, I am sitting with women in our program, they are living in hiding. I can only say they are right outside of the Kabul area," Chang said in an interview posted on her nonprofit's website.

But the women were not part of any program run by her charity, Linking the World. They were wives of local employees of the defense contractor that paid for her trip, Automotive Management Services, and they were not in hiding, a former employee said.

"They were photo-ops," the former employee said of Chang's trip to Afghanistan, and another to Iraq.

Company documents obtained by NBC News show Chang was asked to help the firm manage an association of Afghan wives, whose spouses worked for the company. The plan would free up AMS to "focus on our commercial prospects," according to a document outlining the project. AMS, which helped Afghan security forces maintain a fleet of armored vehicles, paid for Chang's airfare and accommodation, according to documents and the former employees.

On her charity's website, Chang posted photos from the Afghanistan trip, without indicating that the defense contractor bankrolled the visit and that her NGO conducted no aid work during the trip.

In an email to NBC News, Chang said her organization was helping the defense contractor “create shared value” in Afghanistan. "Our work was not 'humanitarian aid,' it was to help a company with critical presence on the ground incorporate [creating shared value] into their business model.”

Chang also continued to claim the women were “in hiding,” saying “it’s irresponsible for anyone to share someone’s identity who says they’re hiding from the Taliban.” However, the pictures of the women Chang shared with an interviewer show the women's faces.

Ian Dailey, Linking the World’s chief of staff, did not respond to a request for comment about the AMS sponsorship of Chang's trip to Afghanistan.

The data scientist

In promotional material for Linking the World, under the heading "Who We Are," the group lists a "chief data scientist," Michel Leonard, an adjunct professor at New York University and Columbia University.

Phroyd

[antoine-roquentin]

The Trump administration plans to divert more than $40 million in humanitarian aid from Central America to the U.S.-backed opposition in Venezuela, according to an internal memo and interviews.

The memo, dated July 11 and obtained by The Times, is a notification to Congress from the U.S. Agency for International Development that the money is going to Venezuela in response to an “exigent” crisis involving U.S. “national interest.”

The U.S. has been an ardent supporter of forces attempting to oust the leftist government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and now recognizes his challenger, opposition leader Juan Guaido, as the legitimate ruler of the besieged nation.

All of the money being diverted will go to Guaido and his faction, the memo said, to pay for their salaries, airfare, “good governance” training, propaganda, technical assistance for holding elections and other “democracy-building” projects.

[startwreck]

WizardWorld Chicago 2018

“I’ll never fly to a con.”

That was my self-imposed rule. See, I live in the Northeast US, so there are lots of major cities within driving/busing distance, and thus lots of cons, and other fandom-adjacent events, happen within a reasonable distance of me. (I realize this is a privilege, and one I’m quite grateful for.) Anyway, when I got into the X-Files fandom a couple of years ago, I was interested in meeting Phile Phriends / Tumblr Pals in real life, and in participating in fandom or fandom-adjacent events, which I have done (and have spent money on), but I told myself that there was no need to ever fly anywhere just for a con: the cost of airfare is too much of an investment, the talent’s schedules can change, and besides, there are a disproportionate amount of options that I don’t have to make the investment to fly to. So I thought.

When DD & GA were announced for WizardWorld Chicago, I had already committed to plans for the con weekend. I was a little bummed, but thought that it was probably for the best that I already had plans, because otherwise, I would have been very tempted to fly to it. Then, just a few weeks prior to the con, after hanging up the phone call in which my last weekend in August plans were postponed, I saw a note from Kristin @kateyes224 alluding to her intention to go to the con. She informed me that @sunflowerseedsandscience, who I had been hoping to meet earlier in the summer, would also be flying in for the occasion. I took this influx of information as a sign that I should get myself to Chicago for that weekend. I justified the cost by using airline and hotel points to subside the expense. I was going to fly to a con. The next few weeks were a whirlwind of madness at work, so I was very grateful to have the aforementioned pals, plus Carrie @carrie11 who would be joining us for her first con, in my pocket to countdown to the weekend with.

I flew to Chicago on the morning Friday, August 24, laughing internally at the absurdity of the situation all the way. I made my way to Rosemont, my eyes going wide when I caught my first glimpse of the convention center, and settled myself into the hotel room before heading downtown on the train to meet Carrie. There was a food truck festival right by the L station that I emerged from, and I realized that all I had consumed only an iced coffee so far in the day, so I remedied that. Carrie was nice enough to indulge in my desire to be a tourist, since I hadn’t been to Chicago proper in years. I had never made it to the Willis Sears Tower, so we did that, and she took some fun pics of Puppet Mulder. I think this is my fav:

We then did a bit of walking -- Grant Park, Lake Shore Drive path, Millenium Park, and the Chicago River, before the rest of the crew arrived and it was finally pizza time! Soon after Carrie and I secured a table at Giordano’s, Kristin, @sunflowerseedsandscience, and Amanda @all-these-ghosts arrived. I greeted them on the patio and had an epic reunion hug with Kristin in which we made a total scene and squeezed each other so tight while squealing that I choked on some of her hair. The five us then had a wonderful dinner that I don’t remember much about except that the pizza was amazing, the company was even better, and I’m pretty sure I was just still in awe that this was all happening. After dinner, we went to grab drinks down the street. There was Shiner Bock on the menu, so Puppet Mulder joined us and confused many of the staff. Amanda especially was tickled by Puppet Mulder, while I was fangirling over her (she wrote Then The Bomb, people!!!) Truly, the con could have been cancelled and the trip still would have been worth it for just hanging out with this crew:

Saturday morning, Kristin procured Starbucks and we all readied ourselves to be presentable for photo ops in the late morning. We met Carrie, Clarice @contrivedcoincidences6, and @albanyparkavenue in the lobby and headed to the convention center. The security line coming from the hotels was long but moved fast. At this point, I had only pre-purchased a dual photo op (and Saturday ticket) but while we were in line I accidentally-but-it-was-bound-to-happen-anyway purchased GA & DD autographs on the ticketing app on my phone. Oops! Once we got in and procured our wristbands, it was already time for those of us with dual photo ops to get in line, so we did. In the midst of a lot of line waiting, Kristin perfected Puppet Mulder’s hair (we decided on Season 4 / Paper Hearts classic floops aka Backstreet Bangs). Puppet Mulder also made friends with a tiny Supergirl, which Carrie captured in a couple pics, and my day was made. Soon, it was go time. I was to go first so that Kristin could do last looks on Puppet Mulder’s hair immediately before the photo. As we approached the final holding area, I situated Puppet Mulder on my right arm and was prepared to pose him in an arms-spread position using the armrods in my left hand (we had been practicing in line.) When it was my turn, I approached, and I was told by those in line behind me that Gillian gave an exasperated “Ohhhhhhhhh boy” while I announced “Puppet Mulder is here!” in an attempt to preemptively stave off any questions about who he was and prevent myself from having to make any awkward hand gestures like I did in Montreal. As we were getting in position I asked, “Can he get in between you? I don’t know that I want to be in it” since I didn’t really care about my face being in it, but also didn’t want to crouch down without warning and confuse everyone. But David insisted, “Ah, no, you gotta be in it!” to which I conceded “I do? Ok.” and stayed put. With that, the photo was taken, I said thanks, and moved out of the way. As the rest of the crew emerged from the Tunnel of Love Anxiety, we went around the corner to retrieve our photos, and I think everyone in the group was pleased with the results! I was pleasantly surprised by mine (even if Gillian is doing her nervous hands.)

I even bought a photo protector sheet after being called out by DD in Montreal for not treating our photo with the utmost respect and bending it a bit. After this ordeal, we realized that we needed drinks and to regroup, so we acquired alcohol (beer is a reasonable lunch, right?) and found a path of floor outside the main hall to make our own. We were joined by some more pals including @dahlia-ships, @observeroftheuniverse, and @perplexistan.

After this recovery period, it was time for Gillian’s autograph session. I had the pleasure of being behind Natalie for this and got to listen to Natalie give the most eloquent, heartfelt litany of thanks to one of her favs. Also, somehow margaritas came up and Natalie and I were like “Yesss we just drank before this!” so clearly my 20 seconds were much less profound, but here’s the rough transcript after that:

Me: Thanks for putting up with us. GA: This was one of my favorite photos of the day. Me: Aww, really?! GA: Yeah, it’s between this one and maybe one other. Me: Oh, what was that? GA: Someone had an alien. Me: Oh yeah, the big blow up thing? [Had spotted this in front of us in the photo op line.] GA: Yeah. Me: *nods* Thanks!

When I emerged from her booth and realized she inscribed “My favorite photo of the day” on the photo, I was both heart-eyed and in awe. See, I am a terrible multi-tasker and thus continually in awe of Gillian’s ability to have a conversation while simultaneously making a non-robotic inscription. Like, yeah, she’s pretty good at acting and contributes to humanitarian causes, but I’d like to give her an award for speaking and writing at the same time. Was this talent born from some crazy avant-garde theatre warm-up? Is this some kind of Mom superpower? Really what I’m asking is: Is there hope for me yet to learn this skill?

Anyway, after the crew got their Gillian autographs, some more drinks were procured, and then we decided to go wait in line for the panel (which was actually a solid 9 minute walk from the main hall.) At this point, I started bothering Kristin to come get a DD autograph with me before the panel, because I’m a bad influence like that. She was unprepared with what she would have him sign though, so we started brainstorming, and landed on possibly The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird picture book that I had brought a copy of so that Kristin could do a dramatic reading. Since that was back in the hotel room, a few of us darted back to grab it (and to grab our leftover deep dish, which my growling stomach was very grateful for.) We brought the remaining pizza to the line-sitters, and at around 4pm, I successfully convinced Kristin to come grab a DD autograph with me. Shayla @thatredhead00 joined us and her tale of a DD interaction earlier in the day made me howl with laughter. We made friends with a couple of local guys in line, and I connected with a woman I recognized from a previous event, which was funny. Anyway, DD made it back from his afternoon break, the signing session began, and soon enough, Kristin went first with the picture book, and I globbed on to her convo. Here’s the rough transcript:

DD: [signing on the title page] What am I signing? K: The X-Files picture book! DD: [Turns to the front cover] Aww, it’s cute! [Genuinely, high-pitched] DD: What happens in it? K: They go camping in the woods. Me: And Scully’s parents are aliens. Me: Whoops, I gave away the twist ending. DD: Yeah, you ruined it for me. Me: Yeah, it was gonna take you so long to read… Me: Thanks so much!

For those keeping score at home, this brings my record of accidentally-but-lovingly making fun of DD to his face at con autograph sessions to an even 2-0. Interestingly enough, I’ve been to two of his book signings and complimented him (well, his writing) at both of those. Not sure what gives.

Anyway, we decided that we needed more drinks before the panel so grabbed those and then made the journey back to where that was. Our pals were already seated, and the question line had already started forming, so Kristin and Shayla hopped in that while I took a seat with the crew. The panel was perfectly fine in person. Per usual, a few cringey questions (thanks Natalie for letting me squeeze your arm through these), but also a few great questions and responses. Kristin got to ask her question (and, as predicted, Gillian couldn’t remember specifics, and the morgue scene in “Ghouli” was David’s answer, but it was still nice to hear it.) Other highlights included a thoughtful question and response from Gillian on how the show might have been different if written from a more feminist perspective. Also, there was a fleeting moment when I thought the tell-all book was going to be spoiled, plus the infamous “Who tops?” question. All in all, not bad at all, though this was the first panel I’ve attended with just the two of them, so I admittedly don’t have any equal comparison points. Soon enough, it was over, and it was time to drink (more!) with Philes. All of the aforementioned crew from the day joined, plus Amanda, @datanullyx, @redscully, @xfilesgeekery, and @anicepieceofash.  We started in the hotel bar but, in the interest of cost savings, eventually procured liquor and ordered (more) pizza and moved to our hotel room. There were lots of hugs and snuggles, lots of loudly wondering “What is my life?”, platonic handholding, one human/puppet makeout session, an impressive demonstration of Kristin’s ability to sleep through anything, and some amazing cheesecake brownies . As the evening got late, Puppet Mulder even changed into his red Speedo (and put on his to-scale legs.) Needless to say, it was a night both wonderful and strange. Here’s some of the crew at the after-after party:

I feel so lucky to have gotten to spend time with everyone I met or re-met this weekend, and if I start calling out the specifics of why you’re all so great, I’ll make myself cry, so I’m going to stop here. If you’ve read all of this rambling (whether you were present or not), I’m very impressed. Thanks to everyone who shared in this weekend with me from both near and far, and thanks to Gillian and David for giving us an excuse to meetup.

I said I’d never fly to a con, but I’m so glad I did.

Author's note: I always hate writing these because a) it means it’s over, and b) I can never fully capture the awesomeness that is meeting up with fandom friends. Also, I have a shit memory, but jotted down notes about stuff right after it happened on Saturday, so hopefully I’m not misconstruing anything too terribly. If you were present, feel free to correct me!

[jstarkd00110]

travel agents usa

Golden Rule Travel is an international travel agency established in 1985. They offer the peace of mind of 24/7 emergency customer service for when flights are canceled or other travel disasters strike. They specialize in travel for a wide variety of non-profit organizations, including many churches, humanitarian organizations, missionaries, schools, and universities. Their private fare contracts exclusively for non-profit organizations add a lot of value for these organizations by offering refundability, extra baggage, and much more affordable one-ways in many scenarios and markets. Group airfare is a specialty as well, providing tools and expertise to ease the logistics of arranging for groups to travel. Whether you’re a non-profit getting superlative, no-brainer value or simply an individual traveling internationally, the expert team at GRT stands ready to help.

[airlinenumber-blog]

Does Delta offer Humanitarian AirFare?

Humanitarian airfares are offered by travel companies for missionaries or humanitarians who need urgent flights to remote destinations, laden with risks. Airlines that offer humanitarian airfare are numerous and include American Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa, Emirates, Air Canada, etc. Delta Airlines also offers humanitarian fares for domestic and international travel.

Flight ticket bookings under the Humanitarian Airfare program, entitle you to avail secure travel with no minimum or maximum stays. You are also allowed to change flight dates as there is enough room for flexibility. Not-for-profit organizations like NGOs can make these bookings for one or multiple passengers. The only catch is that to avail humanitarian flight fare services you need to produce an ID or a certificate/letter from your organization. Humanitarian flight allows free excess baggage and multiple changes to your itinerary.

American Airlines lets you cancel your flight penalty-free till 24 hours before the departure time of the flight. Delta airline' missionary fares allow you to make delta flight reservations at lower costs. Apart from these discounted fares, you can also avail of low cancellation costs when you choose to fly at humanitarian airfares. By calling an agent, you can book cheap Delta flights and know more about the company rules as not all airlines offer humanitarian fares. Not all airlines would have the same policies regarding Humanitarian flights. KeyTravel, FlyforGood, Siama, etc. are travel websites that can help you arrange flights for selfless good of humanity. Apart from cheaper airfares that can help you save up to 30% or more on flight ticket bookings, humanitarian airplane rides can have a validity of up to a year. You can enquire more about Humanitarian airfares or make/cancel a flight reservation by calling us on +18002014791.

Changes to your seat booking can also be made easier as companies have 24-hour support services that allow you to make a designated number of changes to your itinerary. Seat change fee might even be reduced or waived off for humanitarian flights. Unlike regular flight tickets, Humanitarian flights do not keep on increasing in price like regular flights, where the airfare keeps increasing as you book closer to the scheduled date of flight departure. Bookings on planes offering humanitarian services mostly allow you to carry one additional baggage, up-to 3 bags in total. Humanitarian flights thus help non-profit organizations save money while providing members or employees supporting the noble cause with a safe and secure travel experience.

[socialjusticeartshare]

Thousands of Migrant Children Detained in Resumption of Trump-Era Policies

President Biden vowed to create a humane approach to immigration. But thousands of children who crossed the border alone are being confined in government shelters.

LOS ANGELES — Thousands of unaccompanied migrant children have been making their way to the southwestern border in recent weeks, presenting a new challenge for the Biden administration as it strives to create a humanitarian approach to unauthorized immigration.

Most of the children, who are arriving from Central America by the hundreds each day, are being placed under Covid-19 quarantine for 10 days and then shuttled to shelters around the country — prompting complaints that President Biden is returning to one of the most controversial practices of the Trump administration, the extended detention of migrant children.

In the last week, the Border Patrol intercepted more than 2,000 young migrants traveling without adults, most of them in their teens but some as young as 6. There is widespread concern that their numbers in coming months could break the record set in May 2019, when 11,000 underage migrants were encountered by the Border Patrol.

“We are seeing minors up and down the line. In South Texas, we are being hammered,” said one Homeland Security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to talk publicly about the situation.

The arrival of unaccompanied children in large numbers compounds a difficult situation already in the making, with migrant families and single adults arriving at the border in ever larger numbers in recent months.

Many migrants — not all — are being turned back by U.S. authorities under an emergency public health law invoked by former President Donald J. Trump at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. But the Biden administration has decided not to refuse entry to minors, and they are now crowding border processing facilities and straining government shelters.

Human rights groups have criticized the decision to hold children in detention during the weeks or months it takes to place them with relatives, a policy they say harks back to the Trump administration’s construction of tent camps along the border to hold an overflow of migrant children.

Last week, the Biden administration reopened a temporary shelter in Carrizo Springs, Texas, to house up to 700 migrant teenagers. The shelter, which faced a barrage of criticism, was closed in July 2019 after the number of children arriving at the border sharply declined.

“It seems this administration can’t think their way through to a new way to handle the situation,” said Joshua Rubin, an activist with Witness at the Border, which was preparing to stage protests outside a soon-to-reopen migrant children’s center in Florida. “Spending time in these large, impersonal places traumatizes them.”

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York who was a longtime critic of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, said on Twitterthat “this is not okay, never has been okay, never will be okay — no matter the administration or party.”

Your Coronavirus Tracker: We'll send you the latest data for places you care about each day.

Critics of the administration’s policies say most of the children arrive with the address and phone number of a relative in the United States and should be allowed to promptly join their families. Covid-19 quarantines are not necessary for children who test negative for the virus at the border, they say.

Pressure on the border had waned after the Trump administration put into place a bevy of policies that effectively blocked migrants from entering the United States to request asylum.

Within days of taking office, Mr. Biden swiftly signed a series of executive orders to reverse several of those measures. But the pressure seems to be escalating before his administration has had time to make the preparations it says are needed to manage a substantial number of new arrivals — ramping up border facilities, adding to the staff and coordinating with Mexico. The latest arrivals are fueled in part by deteriorating conditions in Central America and perceptions by migrants that they will receive a friendlier reception from Mr. Biden.

“The reality is, we had to pull the pin out of Trump’s brutal policies, and Biden is trying to do it in a responsible, sequenced way,” said Seth Stodder, a former assistant secretary of homeland security in the Obama administration. “But some of the dynamics are not in his control.”

The pandemic has exacerbated the challenge.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for overseeing the care of migrant children who arrive alone, operates a shelter network with 13,000 beds around the country. To comply with Covid-19 protocols, the agency has reduced the facilities’ occupancy to 60 percent. At least one shelter operator said his network was adhering to that capacity.

Faced with a housing crunch, the agency this week opened the temporary emergency shelter at Carrizo Springs and is reportedly preparing to reopen an even larger facility, in Homestead, Fla., which inspectors previously had deemed unhealthy and unsafe for children. A search is underway across federal property for places where additional shelters can be erected.

These shelters have been criticized because they generally hold hundreds of children in soft-sided structures, such as tents, that do not have the amenities of longer-term shelters, which are licensed and inspected.

“If they haven’t done a substantial remodel, they are opening a place like Homestead that has dangerous conditions for children,” said Hope Frye, a lawyer who was a member of an inspection team that visited in 2019.

Shelter operators around the country said they have been told that the Homestead facility would be reopened, but a Health and Human Services official said the agency had not made a formal decision yet. “We are not going to take any shortcuts,” the official said. “We are not going to put kids in dangerous situations.”

By law, the government cannot keep migrant children in holding facilities at the border for more than 72 hours; it must either transfer them to a shelter or release them. The Homeland Security official said many children in recent weeks have been stranded in the border processing centers for longer. “We can only get them out of our care as fast as H.H.S. can accept them,” the official said.

During the surge of Central American migrants in 2019, the Trump administration came under attack after child welfare inspectors found that overcrowding had turned the temporary shelters into filthy, dehumanizing environments where children suffered neglect.

“Children must be swiftly transferred to state-licensed shelters for children, as required by law, and not detained for weeks in Border Patrol facilities that are fundamentally inappropriate and unsafe for children,” said Neha Desai, director of immigration at the National Center for Youth Law in Oakland, Calif. She is one of the lawyers charged with ensuring that the government follows standards for migrant children established by a 1997 court settlement decree, known as the Flores agreement.

Once the children are in shelters, the Office of Refugee Resettlement arranges to send them to family members, following guidelines to make sure they are not released to traffickers and will be well cared for in their new homes. But releases in recent weeks have been delayed by a requirement that the young migrants remain in quarantine for 10 days and twice test negative for the coronavirus.

During a news briefing this week, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, conceded that the administration faced a “tough choice.”

Their options are to send children back to danger in their home countries or to families in the United States who have not been properly vetted, she said.

“Our best option, in our view, is to get these kids processed through H.H.S. facilities where there are Covid protocols in place, where they are safe, where they can have access to education and medical care,” Ms. Psaki said.

In an attempt to expedite releases and free up beds, the government advised shelter operators in a memo this week that it would pay airfare for young migrants to join sponsors in cases where families could not pay for tickets themselves. The government said it would also pay airfare for an escort when necessary.

Family members who serve as sponsors have long been required to pay transportation costs, though the requirement was temporarily waived by the Obama administration in 2016. Paying airfare, in the end, may be cheaper than holding children: Costs at a temporary emergency shelter like Carrizo Springs average about $700 per child a day because of the need to install infrastructure like a kitchen, generators and showers.

The United States began to see a significant increase in the number of unaccompanied children arriving from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in 2011, many of them facing threats of violence from gangs. Those problems continue to plague the region. Hurricanes battered Guatemala and Honduras recently, and climate change has rendered land less productive, further pushing people to journey to the United States in a gamble for a better life.

This year, shelter operators said they expected that the numbers of young people could dwarf what was seen during the Obama and Trump administrations.

The Trump administration faced widespread criticism for summarily deporting minors who had arrived at the border without an adult. In November, a federal judge in the District of Columbia prohibited such expulsions, but an appeals court stayed the ruling last month.

Mr. Biden opted not to resume the expulsions, a decision that was applauded by immigrant advocates and essentially opened the floodgates.

“If Trump hadn’t expelled all these children, the arrivals would have been staggered and we wouldn’t be where we are now,” Ms. Frye said.

Migrant families, expecting a more relaxed border policy, began gathering on the Mexican side of the border even before Mr. Biden took office. His announcement that the public health emergency would not be lifted, and that adults would not be allowed to enter the country in large numbers, did not dissuade them.

Upon release from Customs and Border Protection custody, families are dropped off at a bus station in Brownsville, Texas, where they are tested for the coronavirus.Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times

Since U.S. border authorities began processing migrant families in small numbers this month along the Texas border, thousands of people who had been turned back elsewhere, from as far away as Tijuana, have flocked to the Mexican towns near those border posts, hoping to apply for asylum.

Aid groups are rushing to try to help provide shelter and supplies for the stranded families.

One memo circulating among volunteers laid out the problem clearly: “DIAPERS ARE NEEDED EVERYWHERE.”

Article Source

[newstfionline]

Flood of Venezuelans are fleeing depressed country

Simeon Tegel, Special to USA TODAY, Dec. 14, 2017

LIMA, Peru--It is 8 a.m. and the line of Venezuelan refugees outside the Interpol office already stretches to the end of the block.

Most have just arrived in Lima with not much more than the clothes on their back and are here applying for a certificate to show they have no criminal record, a requirement for a work permit in Peru.

“Leaving was tough, but staying would have been tougher,” said Andrea Sequiera, 29, as she waits at the back of the line with her husband Luis, 31, and 8-year-old son Fabian. “We know lots of people who would like to get out of Venezuela but can’t afford the ticket.”

Although Venezuelans for years have been fleeing the “socialist revolution” first launched by the late Hugo Chávez in 1999, in recent months the trickle has turned into a flood as living conditions become ever more dire--from hyperinflation to acute shortages of food and medicine to one of the worst homicide rates in the world.

In response to protests over the once-wealthy country’s seeming demise, President Nicolás Maduro’s increasingly authoritarian regime has cracked down on opponents, making prospects for improved times less and less likely.

While many exiles had fled to the United States, surging numbers, like the Sequieras, now head to other Latin American nations. The change probably stems from President Trump’s tough anti-immigration stance and the fact that fewer Venezuelans can afford the airfare.

From Mexico to Argentina, immigration agencies are reporting skyrocketing numbers of Venezuelan arrivals, doubling and even tripling the total for previous years.

The Sequieras have been in Lima just four days, after a grueling six-day bus trip from their native Valencia, Venezuela’s third-largest city. They rented a small room in a gritty eastern suburb and are now looking to start a new life in Peru.

The Sequieras became desperate as their wages became increasingly worthless--Andrea’s pay as a human resources coordinator and her husband’s at Empresas Polar, Venezuela’s largest food and beverage company. “The worst thing is not being able to feed him,” she said nodding toward their son.

The final straw came when a tire on their car ruptured beyond repair and they couldn’t find a replacement, making the vehicle useless--in the nation with the world’s largest proven oil reserves. Then the couple spent five days searching in vain for an antibiotic to treat a boil on young Fabian’s arm.

Peru introduced a special temporary visa in February to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Nearly 30,000 Venezuelans have applied so far for the visa, which includes a temporary work permit.

The exodus from Venezuela has caused tension in some Latin American countries. In Panama, the flood of citizens from the much larger neighbor now competing for jobs has stoked nationalistic sentiment, said Harold Trinkunas, an international security expert at Stanford University who grew up in Venezuela. Panama responded by tightening visa requirements.

Other countries have coped better, particularly Colombia, which has called on its extensive refugee system, originally created to help those displaced from its civil war that recently ended.

Another change is that most Venezuelan immigrants are now simply looking to survive, instead of wanting to send money back home to support family members, said Garrinzon González, who runs the Venezuelan Union in Peru, a self-help group for immigrants in Lima that has nearly 20,000 Facebook followers.

“There’s nothing to buy in the shops in Venezuela now anyway,” he said. “Here you can have a roof over your head and stable work very quickly after you arrive.”

The Venezuelan diaspora is estimated to be about 1.1 million--more than 4% of the population--although the country long ago stopped publishing official numbers. Many hope to return to Venezuela and help their homeland recover once there is a political transition. They don’t know when that might happen, and the longer they stay abroad, the more they put down roots.

“I want to go back and help lift my country up again, but I am at an age where I want to be established and have a family,” said Patricia Acosta, 38, an MBA who arrived in Peru in April and now consults for the Spanish telecom giant Telefónica. “This really hurts. Venezuelans don’t have a culture of emigration. The expectation is that grandparents will see their grandkids growing up.”

That may hinder Venezuela’s recovery, because most emigrants are university-educated professionals who play a vital role in the economy. “Venezuela’s brain drain is a brain gain for its neighbors,” Trinkunas said.

The Sequieras are not even thinking that far ahead. Their priority is to sort out their papers, find work, rent an apartment and get Fabian back to school as quickly as possible.

“We want to make friends and have a good life here,” Andrea Sequiera said. “We would like to go back, but right now we are focused on just rebuilding our lives.”

[fgiprinc]

KFI-AM 640 Makes Orange County Home for a Day for 9th Annual KFI Pastathon Benefiting Caterina’s Club Dec 6

(Public Invited To Donate Dry Pasta, Tomato Sauce and Cash & Meet Their Favorite Hosts On Day Dedicated To Helping So Cal’s Underprivileged)

Southern California’s #1 rated talk radio station is at it again.  On Friday, December 6 from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., KFI-AM 640 will broadcast live in Orange County for the 9th Annual KFI PastaThon to raise money, dry pasta and tomato sauce for Caterina’s Club, which feeds some 5,000 hungry children daily.  The station will broadcast its line-up of shows live from the Christ Cathedral (13280 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove, CA) starting with “Wake Up Call with Jennifer Jones Lee at 5 a.m.” followed by “The Bill Handel Show” at 6 a.m., "Gary & Shannon" at 10 a.m., "John & Ken" at 2 p.m., " and concluding with the “Tim Conway, Jr. Show” at 6 p.m.   The public is encouraged to stop by, meet their favorite hosts and make their donations to the nonprofit founded by chef/restaurateur/humanitarian Sir Bruno Serato; and 100% of donations will benefit Caterina's Club to help local children in need. In addition, all Smart & Final stores in California, Arizona and Nevada are offering special $10 "Feeding Caterina's Kids" kits filled with Barilla pasta and sauce, forks, napkins and bowls. As a convenience, Smart & Final will deliver the kits directly to Caterina’s Club.  Last year's event generated more than $517,000 and 50,000 pounds of pasta & sauce.  This year’s goal is to beat those numbers. Also this year, all participants are encouraged to register to win a 13-day “Best of Italy” trip including airfare and hotel, courtesy Trafalger Travel Visit any of the participating Smart & Finals or go to pastathon.com to enroll.  No purchase is necessary. Caterina’s Club not only feeds underprivileged children nightly, but helps find permanent housing for families in need and introduces at-risk youth to careers in hospitality. The following are the latest stats reflecting the impact that Caterina’s Club has had on our communities:

·      Total number of meals served:  3,000,000+ ·      Number of meals served nightly: 5,000 ·      Number of cities served: 30 ·      Number of locations: 87 ·      Total number of motel families placed in permanent housing: 216 ·      Number of students put through the Hospitality Academy: 215

“The KFI PastaThon is our biggest fundraiser of the year and it’s all due to the hard work and tireless support of Bill Handel and everyone at KFI-AM 640,” said Serato, who named the nonprofit after his beloved mother.  “Each year, fans of KFI get a chance to meet their favorite hosts while doing some good for those in need.  Also, we welcome the corporate community to participate as every penny we raise helps the children.” Caterina’s Club serves 5,000 pasta dinners each night in 87 locations in Orange and LA counties with more than 3 million meals served.  Serato's influence has extended far beyond the local area to include Caterina's Club chapters in Chicago, New York, Texas, Mexico and Italy.  His nonprofit also helps families escape living in drug and crime infested motels and into safer, cleaner and more permanent housing and his Hospitality Program seeks to divert at-risk high school students by introducing them to opportunities in the food, hospitality and service industries. For his humanitarian work, Serato has earned international publicity including profiles in People Magazine, on CBS, NBC and CNN as well as newspapers and magazines the world over. Among his many honors: CNN Hero, knighted by the Italian government, knighted by the House of Savoy, Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Papal blessing by Pope Francis, humanitarian award on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, and numerous proclamations, Man of the Year awards and other forms of recognition -- all of which he accepts to generate public awareness of the needs of our most vulnerable population – our children.  For more information, visit www.caterinasclub.org

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Rihanna’s efforts to overtake global education continues to find new ways to ensure schooling for those who aren’t granted the opportunity. Under the guidance of her Clara Lionel Foundation, the “Diamonds” singer launched “The Dollar Campaign” which will benefit aspiring students in Malawi and those who donate to help send children to school. According to a press release, the initiative will give those who donate a chance to win a ticket to the third annual Diamond Ball, set to take place in NYC on Sept. 14. Throughout the course of the fundraiser (which will occur from Aug. 23-Sept. 5), one person will be selected as the winner and attend the Diamond Ball alongside a friend. The press release shares that “roundtrip airfare to and from New York City, and one night hotel accommodations,” will also be awarded. During her acceptance speech for the Humanitarian of the Year accolade at Harvard University, Rihanna called her supporters to assist with giving back. “I want to challenge each of you to make a commitment to help one person, one organization, one situation that touches your heart,” she said. “My grandmother always used to say if you have a dollar there’s plenty to share.” #moorinfo @RepostIt_app

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New post in LET'S CREATE AFRICA (L.C.A.): Job / Functional Skills: TPM – Total Productive Maintenance Leadership skills Supervisory skills General Skills: Teamwork Communication Skills IT skills Customer Service Time Management Behavior: Customer Centric Ownership Continuous Improvement Leadership Relevant Experience: At least 5 years of relevant experience in the stationery field. How to Apply Interested candidates may send their CV quoting the job title in the email subject (Shift Supervisor) to recruit@kenafri cind.com Mekan Mattresses East Africa are seeking to recruit an accountant. If you meet the requirments of a qualified accountant please send your credentials to admin@mekanea.co.ke An manufacturing company is recruiting for the following positions:- 1. Ass. Exports Manager 2. Warehouse Supervisor 3. Maintenance Supervisors 4. Distributor sales Rep 5. HR Officer Candidates can share cv through Hr@infosearchresearch.com StepDes No: Become a Paid UN Volunteer UN Paid Volunteers are between 18 and 55 years old, Work with UN agencies on the front lines of political, developmental and humanitarian operations. Benefits: UN Volunteers receive a basic living allowance that allows the volunteer to live healthily and safely in the assigned area. If you volunteer outside of your home area, return airfare or land transport (as applicable) and some other basic costs are paid by the host agency. You will receive orientation and training before and after your assignment. Details here >> http://www.careerpoint-solutions.com/become-un-paid-volun…/… Dedan Kimathi Security Must be holder of Diploma in Criminology/Security Studies from a recognized institution. Must have KCSE/KCE certificate with a mean grade of C- (Minus) Must have a certificate of good conduct. Holders of certificate of good conduct, Fire fighting Certificate, First Aid among other short courses certificate will have an added advantage. Should have at least 3 years relevant work experience at grade 4. How to Apply Open the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology website; dkut.ac.ke , go to the HR Recruitment portal and fill your details as guided; and Send one (1) hard copy of the application letter, accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae (signed on all pages), copies of certified academic and professional certificates, National ID card, current payslip (if any) and other relevant testimonials. They should also give their mobile numbers, email address and names of three (3) referees who send their recommendation letters directly in sealed envelopes. Note Applicants who do not submit one (1) hard copy of the application package will not be considered. Assistant Security Job. KICD 27 Jan 2019 KICD Grade 8 The Assistant Security Officer will report to the Senior Security Officer. Responsibilities Ensuring that Institutes’assets are secured; Implementing security policies;3.Preparing work plans and budgets for security requirements; Coordinating security operations with public law enforcement agencies; Developing emergency management and contingency procedures; Identifying, investigating and resolving security breaches; Keeping abreast with emerging security challenges and devising appropriate interventions to ensure the organization security is maintained at all times. Monitoring all surveillance cameras and CCTV remote viewer programs. Qualifications Diploma in any of the following disciplines:-Criminology; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Criminology and Fraud Management; Criminology and Security Management; Security Management or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution; Undergone a six (6) weeks approved security course at CID training school or an approved security course from the military or its equivalent Served as senior security warden or equivalent for a period of three (3) years. Proven experience in the use of CCTV and surveillance cameras in the security function. A First Aid Certificate from a recognized institution; A valid Certificate of Good Conduct from the Kenya Police; and Computer literacy; Fulfill the requirement of Chapter Six of the Constitution. How to http://bit.ly/2WjkHJA

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Grape :v

Grape: If you could take a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Well, there aren’t many places I haven’t been. I like to tag along with a local church on their mission trips as a humanitarian aid, so I’ve been to Japan, Malaysia, India, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Venezuela, Aruba, The United Arab Emirates, and probably a good 30/50 states in the USA. I’ve most recently been going to Europe to help the refugees there, so that’s been great. If I could go anywhere new I’d like to go to London, England. It’s just a place I’ve always wanted to see. 

Pro Tip: If you want to travel the world and help people, tag along with a major church on their mission trips, even if you aren’t particularly religious. You get to be on a really friendly team, have access to many closed off places, you get airfare discounts, all the arrangements are already planned out and taken care of, you still get to do a lot of fun stuff and experience lots of culture, and the trips typically cost much less than vacation trips because you get lots of support and donations.