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☆ Hollywood's Anna May Wong to become first Asian American on U.S. currency
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Mint will feature an Asian American on its currency for the first time when it issues a coin next week engraved with the image of actress Anna May Wong, who worked in Hollywood during a time of open racism and stereotyping. A quarter-dollar coin featuring a profile of Wong with her signature bangs and long fingernails will begin circulating on Tuesday as part of the American Women Quarters Program, the U.S. Mint said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWong was born in 1905 in Los Angeles as Wong Liu Tsong. She became the first Asian American lead actor in a U.S. television show for her role in "The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong" in 1951. "The fifth coin in our American Women Quarters Program honors Anna May Wong, a courageous advocate who championed for increased representation and more multi-dimensional roles for Asian American actors," Mint Director Ventris Gibson said.

☆ U.S. envoy in Lebanon next week with maritime deal to sign
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, Oct 19 (Reuters) - U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein will be in Beirut next week carrying a copy of the maritime agreement with Israel for Lebanese officials to sign, Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab told Reuters on Wednesday. "Hochstein will be in Beirut next week with the agreement that we will sign," Bou Saab said. A traditional signing protocol with leaders from both countries present is unlikely given that Israel and Lebanon remain technically in a state of war. U.S. envoy Hochstein told a webinar hosted by the Middle East Institute on Tuesday he would be travelling to the region next week but did not give dates or destinations. "The President of Lebanon and Prime Minister of Israel will decide on the signing.

☆ Lebanon MPs pass second attempt at new banking secrecy law
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Lebanon's parliament on Thursday passed another round of amendments to a banking secrecy law after the International Monetary Fund said a previous draft retained key deficiencies. The IMF has laid out a list of reforms, including amending its banking secrecy law, that Lebanon must implement before it can gain access to $3 billion to relieve its economic crisis, one of the worst in modern history. Parliament passed an amended banking secrecy law in late July but the IMF recommended a slew of changes and Lebanese President Michel Aoun sent it back to parliament to make them. The latest draft still does not lift banking secrecy as a whole. The law still needs to be signed into law by Aoun, whose term ends on Oct. 31.

"The Hezbollah leadership scrutinized the understanding line by line before agreeing to it," said one of the sources familiar with the group's thinking. Two Hezbollah lawmakers told Reuters the group was open to the idea of a deal as a pathway to alleviate some of Lebanon’s economic woes. At one point, Hezbollah conveyed its frustration at the slow pace of the talks to Hochstein via Ibrahim, the Western source said. A U.S. official told Reuters Hezbollah had nearly "killed the deal with their provocative rhetoric and actions threatening war". "Once the pipes are in the water, war becomes a long way away," said a source familiar with Hezbollah's thinking.

☆ Mariachi bands fire up fading memories of Mexican Alzheimer patients
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Alberto Fajardo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Henry RomeroMEXICO CITY, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Mariachi bands have long been a staple of Mexican culture, and now their lively songs are finding a new use: reawakening the memories of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The Mexican Alzheimer's Center is promoting the therapy, hoping the music will stir up recollections of times past among patients with the degenerative illness, encouraging them to sing or even dance to familiar old tunes. Originally developed in Germany 11 years ago, the therapy was given a mariachi twist to adapt it for Mexican use. Camacho, who has had Alzheimer's for five years, is one of an estimated 1.8 million people with dementia in Mexico. Since Camacho began the mariachi therapy, Maria del Rocio said her mother had become livelier, and taken up a more active role in family life again.

☆ Deadly bus attack kills 18 Syrian soldiers in Damascus countryside - Sham FM
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAMASCUS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - At least 18 soldiers were killed and 20 wounded on Thursday when an explosive device detonated on a military bus in the Damascus countryside, local outlet Sham FM said. It represents one of the deadliest attacks in months against Syrian government troops not on an active front line. Bus attacks in particular have been on the rise, including in the Damascus countryside. Syrian government troops have managed to recapture much of the territory they had lost to opposition fighters. Security incidents have been on the rise around Damascus and other parts of Syria controlled by the government.

☆ Michelle Obama Award will honor student memoir writers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A literary honor will now carry the name of a uniquely successful author: the Michelle Obama Award for Memoir. On Wednesday, Penguin Random House announced the retitling of the prize in its decades-old Creative Writing Awards program, which also includes categories named for Amanda Gorman (poetry) and Maya Angelou (spoken word). Each year, the Obama prize will provide a $10,000 college scholarship to a high school senior in public school, based on an autobiographical English-language composition. “I know firsthand how nerve-wracking it can be to share the most intimate stories from your life with the world,” Obama said in a statement released by Penguin Random House. “But after publishing my memoir ‘Becoming,’ I’ve learned that writing your own story can be a powerful tool.

☆ Lebanon to resume sending refugees back to war-damaged Syria
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Lebanon hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world. The plan would not involve the United Nations, which maintains that conditions in Syria do not allow for the large-scale return of refugees. The Lebanon office of the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said it was "not facilitating or promoting the large-scale voluntary repatriation of refugees to Syria." New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in July that "Syria is anything but safe for returnees". In its September report, the United Nations' Syria commission said the country was still not safe for returnees.

read moreIt will take effect once Lebanon and Israel send letters to Washington, which will issue a notice announcing the deal is in place. Parties to the deal would seek to resolve any further maritime differences through the United States, securing an ongoing guarantor role for Washington. A centrist, Lapid's caretaker government wants the deal done soon but has denied that the country's election is the deadline. TotalEnergies is set to begin exploration at the Qana prospect immediately after the deal takes effect, though Lebanon's energy minister said preparations would take a number of months. Seeking to play down future Lebanese profits, Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar told Tel Aviv's 103 FM radio initial estimates put that prospect's total value at some $3 billion.

☆ GOP makes push to weaken Democrats’ grip on Texas border
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Greg Abbott, kicking off a rally in the Texas border city of Harlingen. Border Democrats say dramatic moves to bus and fly migrants across the country will backfire with voters, but also acknowledge they can no longer coast into office. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a South Texas Democrat, switched districts to more favorable territory and is hoping to unseat her for a full term in November. Nikki Haley is set to campaign with Flores and de la Cruz on the border Monday — an unusual display of national GOP political force for South Texas. It also has a record 32 Hispanic Republican nominees on House ballots around the country, although many are underdogs.

☆ The war in Ukraine may keep Russia's new Su-75 stealth fighter jet out of the air
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-09 | by ( Maya Carlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Su-75 "Checkmate" is Russia's attempt at building a fifth-generation fighter for export. Originally revealed at the MAKS Airshow last year, the Su-75 was hailed as a solid move by Russia's United Aerospace Corporation, building off the Su-57 platform — Russia's first fifth-generation fighter. Stats and specsA Su-75 Checkmate prototype at MAKS-2021 in July 2021. They note that "The Checkmate fighter is outfitted with versatile armaments capable of fighting any threat: from unsheltered command posts to especially sensitive targets for a potential enemy." Additionally, if the production estimates of the Su-75 continue to be delayed, foreign clients may look elsewhere to fulfill their fighter needs.

☆ Young Black activists are done waiting their turn for political office. They're taking on the 'John Lewis generation' of elder lawmakers who they say are out of touch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Elvina Nawaguna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Most members of the Congressional Black Caucus are twice as old as the median Black person living in the US. The Congressional Black Caucus, a powerful voice for Black Americans, is significantly older than those it speaks for. Clay had replaced his father, William Lacy Clay Sr., a civil-rights icon and founding Congressional Black Caucus member who had represented the area since 1969. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesThe Congressional Black Caucus is reckoning with a leftward shift it's struggled to embrace. A spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ As Biden vows to 'protect' Social Security, here's what we know about the future of benefits
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

"I want to save Social Security, Medicare and Veterans benefits." A spokeswoman for Scott pointed to a recent interview where he said his plan would help make sure people get their Social Security benefits. Specific plans from both parties are needed to secure the future of both Social Security and Medicare, she said. Due to high inflation, estimates show the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is poised to be the highest in decades, according to The Senior Citizens League. One more month of consumer price index data will come in before the official bump for next year is announced by the Social Security Administration.

☆ Teachers' strike and soaring fees: Lebanon’s public school pupils miss class
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Public school teacher Claude Koteich poses for a picture with her son and daughter at their house in Deir Qubel, Lebanon September 19, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterKoteich, 44, has taught French literature at Lebanese public schools for exactly half her lifetime. At the same time, her children's private school was asking for tuition to be paid mostly in cash dollars to guarantee they could afford to pay for expensive fuel and other imported needs. STILL AT HOMESo as their former classmates don their private school uniforms, Koteich and her two children still have no clear idea when they will return to class. Lebanon's education system has long been heavily reliant on private schools, which hosted almost 60% of the country's 1.25 million students, according to the Ministry of Higher Education.

☆ Biden’s student loan cancellation plan to cost $400B, Congressional Budget Office estimates
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden's plan to forgive $10,000 in federal student debt for most borrowers will cost the government about $400 billion over 10 years, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in an estimate released Monday. The report also noted that the administration plan to extend a pause on federal student loans will also cost about $20 billion. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a group that advocates for lower deficits, said the CBO's predictions confirm "the outrageous cost" of Biden's student loan plan. "The Biden Administration’s student debt bailout is even more expensive than we initially thought," tweeted Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. "The current bailout will cost Americans $420 BILLION, according to the CBO. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, tweeted, "President Biden isn’t forgiving student loans—he’s charging hardworking Americans $400 billion."

☆ What is rainbow fentanyl? Colorful pills drive new warnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

"Colored fentanyl pills have been around for a few years. At the time, the agency said that it and its law enforcement partners seized the brightly colored fentanyl and fentanyl pills across 18 states. While he and his colleagues are aware of rainbow fentanyl warnings, he hasn't heard any patients or parents mention it. When it comes to rainbow fentanyl, "the fentanyl itself is going to be the same issue as the counterfeit pharmaceutical fentanyl. The only difference between rainbow fentanyl and the fentanyl products of the past appears to be the coloring.

“Thank you Bad Bunny, thank you for being who you are, thank you for representing us and having us in your heart and soul,” she wrote in a Facebook post. It’s excellent that Bad Bunny is raising his voice for Puerto Rico. He said Bad Bunny's video is a “clear description” of the reality that Puerto Ricans live day by day. The theme of displacement also connects to the last sentences in Bad Bunny's song, which are sung by Bad Bunny’s girlfriend, Gabriela Berlingeri. “We are proud and grateful to Bad Bunny,” Cruz said, “for giving a voice to the people of Puerto Rico during Hurricane Fiona.”Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

☆ In Mexico, a 1,000-year-old site is declared an ancient monument, the first in a decade
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY — An ancient Mexican site more than 1,000 years old has been declared the country’s first archaeological zone in a decade, antiquities institute INAH announced on Tuesday, despite several years of steep budget cuts for archeological research. Cañada de la Virgen, the modern name of an ancient Otomi ceremonial center, is located near the picturesque mountain town and tourist destination of San Miguel de Allende. Scholars believe an ancient version of the Otomi language, which is still spoken today, may have been the language spoken at Teotihuacán, the ancient metropolis near Mexico City and home to towering pyramids and temples. A stone pyramid at an ancient Otomi ceremonial center in Guanajuato, Mexico. INAH added that past archaeological digs at Cañada de la Virgen have revealed artifacts from both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, suggesting it was located along a major trading route.

☆ Lebanon's progress in implementing reforms remains very slow - IMF
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dalati Nohra/Handout via REUTERSBEIRUT, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Lebanon's progress in implementing reforms required to unlock relief funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) remains very slow, the IMF said in a statement on Wednesday. "Despite the urgency for action to address Lebanon's deep economic and social crisis, progress in implementing the reforms agreed under the April (staff-level agreement) remains very slow," the IMF said at the end of its delegation's visit to Beirut. The IMF said Lebanon's small depositors must be fully protected and recourse to public resources should be limited. After meeting the IMF delegation on Wednesday, Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said that "domestic actors" had slowed progress towards reform. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Andrea Shalal, Mahmoud Mourad, Aidan Lewis and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

George Haj of the bank employees syndicate said the holdups were misguiding anger that should be directed at the Lebanese state, which was most to blame for the crisis, and noted some 6,000 bank employees had lost their jobs since it began. Authorities have condemned the holdups and say they are preparing a security plan for banks. "They are all in cahoots to steal from us and leave us to go hungry and die slowly," she said. To aid her escape, Hafiz posted on Facebook that she was already at the airport and on her way to Istanbul. Abdallah Al-Saii, an acquaintance of Hafiz who held up a bank in January to get some $50,000 of his own savings, said more hold-ups were coming.

☆ Where the Wild Things Are
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( The New York Times Magazine | Photographs Yael Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat. “If the snow leopard should manifest itself, then I am ready to see the snow leopard,” Matthiessen writes. “We’ve seen so much, maybe it’s better if there are some things that we don’t see.”Today, nearly 50 years later, if you are so inclined, you can go see a snow leopard at the zoo. The best trips, like Peter Matthiessen’s search for the snow leopard, find a way to make themselves permanent. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat.

☆ Lessons From a Lifetime of Animal Voyages
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Sam Anderson | Photographs Yael Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

An animal voyage is special because it requires us to make many journeys all at once. My favorite record of an animal voyage is a book that’s fluent in failure. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat. “If the snow leopard should manifest itself, then I am ready to see the snow leopard,” Matthiessen writes. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat.

☆ Inside an Animal Sanctuary in Bolivia Where Tourists Can Help
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Photographs Yael Martínez | Yael Martínez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +22 min

An animal voyage is special because it requires us to make many journeys all at once. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat. “If the snow leopard should manifest itself, then I am ready to see the snow leopard,” Matthiessen writes. The best trips, like Peter Matthiessen’s search for the snow leopard, find a way to make themselves permanent. To return home from an animal voyage is to become, yourself, a new animal living in your old habitat.

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