U.S.A.'s interesting latest news

Application for T Nonimmigrant Status; Application for Immediate Family Member of T-1 Recipient; and Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer for Victim of Trafficking in Persons, Form I-914 and Supplements A and B

10/03/2018 12:00 AM EDT

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: Application for T Nonimmigrant Status; Application for Immediate Family Member of T-1 Recipient; and Declaration of Law Enforcement Officer for Victim of Trafficking in Persons, Form I-914 and Supplements A and B

Application To Adjust Status From Temporary to Permanent Resident

10/03/2018 12:00 AM EDT

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection; Application To Adjust Status From Temporary to Permanent Resident

H-2 Petitioner's Employment Related or Fee Related Notification

10/03/2018 12:00 AM EDT

Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: H-2 Petitioner's Employment Related or Fee Related Notification

For more information, please visit our USCIS Federal Register Announcements page.

October 1, 2018: We transferred some of the following cases from the California Service Center to the Nebraska Service Center:

• Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for petitioners requesting H-1B nonimmigrant classification

For more information, see our Workload Transfer Updates page.

USCIS has published a policy memorandum (PDF, 108 KB) providing guidance on the implementation of section 1045 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (the FY 2019 NDAA), which allows certain H-2B workers on Guam and in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to qualify for an exemption to the “temporary need” requirement if they begin employment on or before Dec. 30, 2023. USCIS is accepting H-2B petitions filed pursuant to the NDAA provision that exempts the temporary need requirement for certain health care workers on Guam and in the CNMI, as well as for workers directly connected to, or directly associated with, the planned military realignment of U.S. Marines from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam. The FY 2019 NDAA also eliminated the annual cap of 4,000 H-2B workers for Guam and the CNMI that were permitted to use the temporary need exemption. The policy memorandum provides detailed information on how petitioners may demonstrate eligibility for the exemptions under the new law. Petitioners must continue to comply with other H-2B requirements including submission of an approved temporary labor certification issued by Guam’s Department of Labor or the U.S. Department of Labor, as appropriate. Employers on Guam and in the CNMI remain exempt from the national H-2B cap until Dec. 31, 2029. Additional general information about the H-2B program can be found on the H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers page. On Oct. 1, USCIS began using digital tablets to administer the English reading and writing tests during naturalization interviews as part of the agency’s ongoing business modernization efforts. Although USCIS applicants already use digital tablets to sign or verify parts of their applications, this new approach expands tablet usage, allowing the device to be used for a greater portion of the application process. USCIS will be able to continue using the paper process on a case-by-case basis. While the eligibility requirements and the subject material of the naturalization test have not changed, applicants are now using a stylus on a digital tablet instead of a paper application. Immigration Services Officers (ISO) will carefully instruct applicants on how to use the tablets before administering the tests: For the reading test, a sentence will appear on the tablet and the ISO will ask the applicant to read it. For the writing test, several lines will appear on the tablet, replicating the appearance of a piece of blank paper. The ISO will read a sentence aloud and ask the applicant to write it on the tablet. Applicants will continue to take the civics test verbally, without the tablet.

---

October 3, 2018     Thanks everyone who worked hard all year to close out FY18!

U.S.A.'s latest

National Review: ‘The Perjury Farce’ “The case against Kavanaugh is constantly changing, but one thing has stayed the same: Democrats will make any argument, no matter how implausible or over-the-top, to try to sink him,” the National Review editorial board writes. Click here to read more. “National wage growth is at the highest it’s been in nearly 17 months — and, according to a new study released by Glassdoor, it’s not expected to slow down anytime soon,” Megan Henney reports for Fox Business. “Wages grew 2.6 percent year-over-year from 2017 to $52,664, making it the fastest wage growth seen since April 2017.”Glassdoor economist Daniel Zhao added in a statement that “we expect wages to continue to rise as demand remains for workers throughout a number of industries.” The New York Post editorial board writes that President Trump came through on another big promise by securing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. “It’s hard to argue with the result,” the editors write. “Trump has once again delivered on a campaign promise that his rivals called a fantasy. A politician who does what he says he’ll do: Imagine that.” “The Trump administration’s new three-way trade deal to replace NAFTA got a thumbs-up from American farmers,” S.A. Miller writes in The Washington Times. “Americans for Farmers & Families spokesman Casey Guernsey, a seventh-generation farmer, said the three-way deal showed Mr. Trump remembered his promise ‘to stand up for rural America.’” In the Washington Examiner, Justin Haskins reminds readers that “just one day after Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, famed New York Times writer Paul Krugman wrote, ‘It really does now look like President Donald J. Trump, and markets are plunging. When might we expect them to recover? A first-pass answer is never … So we are very probably looking at a global recession, with no end in sight.’” Haskins adds that “nearly two years later, Krugman couldn’t possibly look more foolish.” Another Key Barometer of U.S. Economy Hits Postrecession High: ISM Service Index Soars “A survey of business executives pointed to the strongest U.S. growth in September in more than two decades, suggesting the economy is primed for a strong finish in 2018,” Jeffrey Bartash reports for MarketWatch. “The economy is going strong and appeared primed for a strong holiday season to finish out the year.” Click here to read more. “White House press secretary Sarah Sanders lambasted Senate Democrats for their handling of allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, calling it a ‘complete and total disgrace,’” Melissa Quinn writes in the Washington Examiner. “This is about politics and this is about power, pure and simple. And they have destroyed Judge Kavanaugh's reputation, undermined Dr. Ford's privacy, and tried to upend our tradition of innocence until proven guilty in the process,” Sanders said yesterday. “When Lisa Cummings of Parkton pulled up at Hyde Park Baptist Church on Wednesday, she was shocked to see the president’s daughter giving out food to victims of Hurricane Florence. After Cummings recognized Ivanka Trump, she got out of her sports utility vehicle and hugged the first daughter,” Steve DeVane writes for The Fayetteville Observer. Ms. Trump “spent about 40 minutes meeting relief workers and handing out meals in flood-ravaged Robeson County. She arrived just after 4 p.m. at the church, which is serving as a relief site where N.C. Baptists on Mission, the Red Cross and others are helping hundreds of victims.” Adviser to the President Ivanka Trump “visited the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville Wednesday morning to learn about the facility, which prepares students for careers in automotive-related fields,” Steve Harrison reports for WFAE. “The reality is that we have to rethink fundamentally human potential,” Ms. Trump said during a vocational training panel. “We can no longer have kids graduating from third grade not knowing how to read. We also can’t have kids who are leaving university without skills, but loaded with student debt.” First Lady Melania Trump said yesterday “that she ‘will never forget’ her visit to a former slave holding facility on Ghana's coast. She called it ‘very emotional’ and ‘really something that people should see and experience,’” The Associated Press reports. “The U.S. first lady spent nearly an hour on a guided tour of the 17th-century castle, which originally was built by the Swedes for the trading of timber and gold but eventually became a warehouse for slaves shipped to the New World.”

U.S.A.:FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION's latest

FTC Announces Agenda for the Third Session of Its Hearings on Competition and Consumer Protection in the 21st Century October 15-17 event at George Mason University will address multi-sided platform businesses, acquisitions of nascent competitors, and antitrust in labor markets The Federal Trade Commission announced the agenda for its Hearings initiative with three full-day sessions, co-sponsored with the Global Antitrust Institute and held at the Antonin Scalia Law School of George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, on October 15-17, 2018. The three-day event will examine the potential for collusive, exclusionary, and predatory conduct in multi-sided, technology-based platform industries. The sessions will also examine antitrust frameworks for evaluating acquisitions of nascent competitors or occurring in nascent markets, including in the technology and digital marketplace; and the approach to addressing antitrust issues regarding labor markets. A detailed agendais available. The Commission invites public comment on these issues, including the questions listed below. Comments can be submitted electronically no later than December 14, 2018. Multi-Sided Platforms (Oct. 15, 16, and 17): What are the defining characteristics of multi-sided platforms? Is there a way to distinguish between multi-sided and single-sided businesses? Are any adjustments to antitrust analysis necessary to account for any special characteristics of multi-sided businesses? How should the courts and agencies define relevant antitrust markets and measure market power for multi-sided platform businesses? What is the relevance of network effects (direct and indirect) in multi-sided platform markets? How should the courts and agencies evaluate exclusionary conduct by firms competing in multi-sided platform markets, including predatory pricing, vertical restraints, most-favored nation clauses, and actions to undermine rivals who depend on platform infrastructure? Are there unique procompetitive justifications for these types of conduct by firms competing in multi-sided platform markets? What is the relevant legal precedent for evaluating antitrust concerns related to multi-sided platform businesses? Antitrust in Labor Markets (Oct. 16): Is a lack of competition among employers a significant contributor to observed macroeconomic trends in labor markets, such as the declining labor share and/or real wage stagnation? What are other explanations for these trends? How should the agencies approach defining relevant labor markets for purposes of antitrust analysis? What (if any) reliable evidence is available on the existence and effect of employer concentration in properly defined labor markets? Does available evidence suggest a causal relationship between employer concentration and labor market outcomes, such as wage? Does this evidence suggest a change in antitrust enforcement is needed? Should the agencies and courts apply the consumer welfare standard to the analysis of monopsonistic labor markets in which firms are buyers and workers are sellers? How should the agencies and courts resolve cases where evidence suggests output in the product market is likely to increase, but employment and wages are likely to decline, because of reduced competition in a properly defined labor market? Acquisitions of Nascent and Potential Competitors in Digital Technology Markets (Oct. 17):

Νέα έκδοση του Κέντρου Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών

Νέα έκδοση του Κέντρου Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών:

Λαϊκή ιατρική και ιατρική επιστήμη. Σχέσεις αμφίδρομες. Πρακτικά Πανελλήνιου Επιστημονικού Συνεδρίου, Αθήνα, 7-11 Μαρτίου 2012 (Οργάνωση: Κέντρον Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών και Ιστορικό Παλαιογραφικό Αρχείο του Μορφωτικού Ιδρύματος της Εθνικής Τραπέζης), Δημοσιεύματα του Κέντρου Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών, αρ. 33, Επιμέλεια Κυριακή Χρυσού-Καρατζά, Υπεύθυνος έκδοσης Ευάγγελος Καραμανές, εκτύπωση: Εθνικό Τυπογραφείο, Αθήνα 2018, τόμ. Α΄, σελ. 506, τόμ. Β΄ σελ. 502, ISBN [τόμ. Α΄]: 978-960-404-339-2, ISBN [τόμ. Β΄]: 978-960-404-340-8, ISBN [SET]: 978-960-404-341-5.

Λαϊκή ιατρική και ιατρική επιστήμη. Σχέσεις αμφίδρομες. Πρακτικά Πανελλήνιου Επιστημονικού Συνεδρίου, Αθήνα, 7-11 Μαρτίου 2012 (Οργάνωση: Κέντρον Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών και Ιστορικό Παλαιογραφικό Αρχείο του Μορφωτικού Ιδρύματος της Εθνικής Τραπέζης), Επιμέλεια ύλης και επιστημονική επιμέλεια Κυριακή Χρυσού-Καρατζά, Γενική επιμέλεια, Αικατερίνη Πολυμέρου-Καμηλάκη, Υπεύθυνος έκδοσης Ευάγγελος Καραμανές, Δημοσιεύματα του Κέντρου Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών, αρ. 33, εκτύπωση: Εθνικό Τυπογραφείο, Αθήνα 2018, τόμ. Α΄, σελ. 506, τόμ. Β΄ σελ. 502, ISBN [τόμ. Α΄]: 978-960-404-339-2, ISBN [τόμ. Β΄]: 978-960-404-340-8, ISBN [SET]: 978-960-404-341-5

Κέντρον Ερεύνης της Ελληνικής Λαογραφίας

της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών

Ηπίτου 3, 10557 Αθήνα

Τηλ.: 210.3318042, 210.3318043, 210.3664751 

Fax: 210.3313418, 210.3664735

Hellenic Folklore Research Centre

Academy of Athens

3, Ipitou St. – Athens 105 57, Greece

Tel.: +30 210.3318042, +30 210.3318043, +30 210.3664751  

Fax: +30 210.3313418, +30 210.3664735

URL:    http://www.academyofathens.gr    http://www.kentrolaografias.gr

e-mail:  keel@academyofathens.gr

AHEPA e-News!

Supreme President Loucas Visits NYC Supreme President George E. Loucas visited New York City, September 27-28, for a series of events that included an audience with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios, Geron of America.  read new release The National Herald Interviews Supreme President Loucas Supreme President George E. Loucas visited the offices of The National Herald and met with the newspaper's publisher, Antonis Diamataris (pictured). Reporting on Loucas's early September visit to Greece, the newspaper stated, "One [Greek] official made a point of thanking Loucas, noting that 'AHEPA never asks for anything, only gives.'"  read entire interview PSP Dr. James F. Dimitriou Elected President of American Hellenic Council AHEPA congratulates Past Supreme President Dr. James F. Dimitriou, who was elected President and Chairman of the Board of the American Hellenic Council of California on September 1, 2018, announced Supreme President George E. Loucas.  PSP Dr. Dimitriou also served AHEPA as Chairman of the National Educational Foundation and as Chairman of the Cyprus and Hellenic Affairs Committee.   Congressional Hellenic Caucus Membership is 126.   Help It Grow.    Although Congress is heading into the homestretch of the 115th Congress, there is still time to increase the membership of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues. AHEPA asks for your help, especially as U.S. representatives are back in their districts until after the midterm November elections. The Hellenic Caucus has been an active, bipartisan group in Congress since its founding in 1995.  It is co-chaired by U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and its co-founder, Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).   Membership in the Hellenic Caucus stands at 126.   Is your U.S. representative a member?  Click here to find out. Download & Share: Action Alert to help you outreach to your U.S. representative  Don't forget to follow AHEPA on social media:

Upcoming Events & Deadlines October - November 19-21 | Sons of Pericles Greeks in Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio 26 | Deadline for The Ahepan winter issue 29 - 3 |  2018 AHEPA National Golf Invitational, Frisco, Texas Join AHEPA Today! In Our Own Words. What AHEPA means to us. Join AHEPA Now Greek American News Digest   Editor's Note: Editorials, Commentaries, and Opinion pieces are shared for information purposes only and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy positions of the Order of AHEPA, its affiliated organizations, and members.       Greece's Left-Wing Leader Builds Alliance With U.S., Europe in the Balkans Wall Street Journal (Sept. 27) Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras vowed to ratify a landmark pact with neighboring Macedonia regardless of domestic political risks, as part of a strategy to stabilize the Balkan region in cooperation with the U.S. and European Union.  Macedonians are expected to back the agreement with Mr. Tsipras's government to rename itself "North Macedonia" in a referendum on Sunday.  read more    Low Voter Turnout Puts Macedonian Name Change in Doubt  Wall Street Journal (Sept. 30)   Low turnout cast doubt over the results of a referendum in which Macedonian voters overwhelmingly backed a deal to change the country's name to North Macedonia and clear a path for the country to join the West's most powerful clubs.  With nearly all of votes counted on Sunday, about 91% backed the agreement reached with neighboring Greece in July. But only around 37% voted at all, showing the lack of enthusiasm for a national name change as the condition for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Union.  read more    Salamis: How Greece Stopped Persia (And Changed History Forever) National Interest  (Sept. 28)   In the summer of BC 481, a delegation from Athens arrived at Delphi in central Greece to consult with the oracle of Apollo. The Sanctuary was always crowded with people seeking advice from the god, or perhaps a glimpse into an uncertain future. The oracle was located in the temple of Apollo, a building perched on a slope that was reached by a winding Sacred Way.   read more    3 people missing after storm pounds Greece with heavy rain Associated Press (Sept. 30) Greek authorities are looking for three missing people on a Greek island after a rare and powerful Mediterranean storm dumped heavy rain on the region.  The storm has been moving slowly in a northeasterly direction, affecting Aegean Sea islands as well as Greece's central mainland. read more    2,000-year-old painting found in Cumae Greek City Times (Sept. 28) A 2,000-year-old painting depicting a naked servant carrying a jug of wine and a vase, has been found in a tomb in Cumae, which is considered as the first settlement started by the Ancient Greeks in modern Italy.  Cumae is located 15 miles west of Naples, in southern Italy, which historians believe was founded in the eighth century BC.  read more    Greek-American mechanical engineering pioneer George N. Hatsopoulos dies at 91 Ekathimerini (Sept. 28)       The esteemed Greek-American mechanical engineer George N. Hatsopoulos, an MIT senior lecturer emeritus, has passed away at the age of 91, it was announced earlier this week.  Born in Athens in 1927, Hatsopoulos was co-founder of the Thermo Electron Corporation in 1956 along with Peter Nomikos, while at MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and was also responsible for developing the world's first artificial heart. read more

Συνάντηση με το Υπουργό Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ. Γιώργο Σταθάκη πραγματοποίησε ο Βουλευτής του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ Αττικής κ. Γιώργος Πάντζας..

Αθήνα, 2/10/2018

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

Θέμα: «Aδειοδότηση νέων καταστημάτων στη Νέα Πέραμο»

Συνάντηση με το Υπουργό Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ. Γιώργο Σταθάκη πραγματοποίησε ο Βουλευτής του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ Αττικής κ. Γιώργος Πάντζας με τον Δήμαρχο Μεγαρέων κ. Γρηγόρη Σταμούλη, προκειμένου να συζητήσουν το μεγάλο πρόβλημα που έχει ανακύψει αναφορικά με την αδειοδότηση νέων καταστημάτων στη Νέα Πέραμο.

Συγκεκριμένα, το πρόβλημα αφορά σε πολλούς ιδιώτες που ενώ έχουν εδώ και μήνες ξεκινήσει τις διαδικασίες για άνοιγμα καταστημάτων στην περιοχή έχοντας ξοδέψει χρήματα, εντούτοις δεν έχει καταστεί εφικτό να αδειοδοτηθούν  επειδή η Διεύθυνση Πολεοδομίας Μεγάρων δεν δύναται να χορηγήσει βεβαιώσεις γενικής κατοικίας, που αποτελεί και προϋπόθεση για την αδειοδότηση καταστημάτων παντός τύπου, δεδομένου ότι έληξε η παράταση των πέντε ετών που είχε δοθεί με το άρθρο 51 παρ.3 του ν. ν. 4178, από την 8-8-2013 έως και την 8-8-2018.

 Ο κ. Πάντζας από την πλευρά του τόνισε ότι, είναι επιτακτική η ανάγκη να δοθεί μια λύση άμεσα ούτως ώστε να συνεχιστεί ο επαγγελματικός και τουριστικός χαρακτήρας του Δήμου Μεγαρέων και της Δημοτικής Ενότητας της Νέας Πέραμου μιας και τη χρονιά που μας πέρασε καθώς και αυτή που διανύουμε,η περιοχή επλήγειτόσο από πλημμύρες όσο και από πυρκαγιές.

Τέλος, αφού ο Δήμαρχος Μεγαρέων κ. Σταμούλης  παρουσίασε όλα τα έγραφα από την πλευρά του Δήμου και εξήγησε την αναγκαιότητα της άμεσης επίλυσης του προβλήματος, ο Υπουργός Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας κ. Σταθάκης δεσμεύτηκε ως προς την θετική αντιμετώπιση του ζητήματοςμε τις υπηρεσίες του υπουργείου.

ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΠΑΝΤΖΑΣ

ΒΟΥΛΕΥΤΗΣ ΑΤΤΙΚΗΣ ΣΥ.ΡΙΖ.Α.

ΚΟΣΜΗΤΟΡΑΣ ΒτΕ

Δ/νση: Βασ. Σοφίας 2, Μέγαρο Βουλής των Ελλήνων 10021, Αθήνα

Τηλ: 2103708387, Fax: 2103708391

gpantzas@parliament.gr

http://gpantzas.wordpress.com/

www.facebook.com/giorgos.pantzas

www.facebook.com/gpantzas

www.twitter.com/gpantzas

www.youtube.com/user/gpantzas