V-
WORLD & NATION
NEWS IN BRIEF
February 10. 2012
Stories by.Becca Heller
Graphic by Daniel Vasiles
■
^ * I SYRIA
On Feb. 7, Syrians and Jordanians
JOINED TOGETHER OUTSIDE THE
Russian embassy to protest Russia's
POLITICAL DECISION TO BLOCK U.N.
Condemnation of the current Syrian
Regime. In a move that some stipulate
was strategically aimed to undercut
the U.S., Russia vetoed the U.N.
Security Council resolution to formally
condemn Syrian President Assad's
crackdown on protesters. The response
to the veto was not limited, however,
to the U.S. and Syria, as Jordanians all
along the border gathered to express
solidarity with their neighbors, the
Jordan Times reports. "A group of
my friends are collecting money and
clothing for refugees," said
Raeda Atoum, a Jordanian
demonstrator, to the Jordan
' Times. "The massacres
are a tragedy for both
Jordanians and Syrians."
UNITED STATES
For the first time ever, U.S. Scientists have successfully
CREATED HUMAN BRAIN CELLS THAT REPLICATE GENETICALLY
CAUSED Parkinson's disease. With these new brain cells,
scientists will be able to study Parkinson's mutations in
live neurons and test treatments on an accurate model,
BBC reports. In a technique which had already been
proven successful, the scientists used donated skin cells to
create these new brain cells. "Before this, we didn’t even
think about being able to study the disease in human
neurons," said Dr. Jian Feng, who led the investigations.
It has recently emerged that in 2010, Canada directed
ITS INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TO USE INFORMATION EXTRACTED
BY MEANS OF TORTURE IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE RISKS TO
PUBLIC SAFETY. According to the public safety ministry,
this directive only applies in rare cases and does not in
any way condone or encourage torture, BBC reports.
However, the statement does contradict previous orders
and human rights promises, and many fear that it will
encourage other countries to continue torture practices.
"Information obtained by torture is always discounted,
but the problem is, can one safely ignore it if Canadian
lives and property are at stake?" Public Safety Minister
Vic Toews asked in Parliament.
On Dec. 29, Egypt announced Its decision to prosecute 16
Americans and 27 others involved in Non-Governmental
Organizations for allegedly accepting illegal foreign funds
TO PUSH DEMOCRATIC AGENDAS IN EGYPT. According to USAToday,
military-backed Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri has suggested
that "foreign hands" are behind a plot to destabilize the country
and oppose his rule, and this crackdown on foreign-funded
NGO's is a strategic step to undermine such plots. Despite U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's threat to freeze $1.5 billion in
aid to Egypt, on Feb. 8 el-Ganzouri refused to halt the prosecution.
Kansas’ Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services' new
policy: cutting food aid for children of illegal immigrants
NEW POLICY DISPUTED WITHIN KANSAS
STATE GOVERNMENT
By Haejin Song
Staff Writer
Born in the USA, the land of the free ...
On Oct. 1, the Kansas Department of Social and
Rehabilitation Services made a controversial policy
change, cutting food aid for many children of parents who
are illegal immigrants, reported the Kansas City Star.
Although illegal immigrants are not allowed to obtain
food stamps, the children of illegal immigrants born
in the USA had previously been eligible. Because of the
children's status as U.S. citizens, the families had been
able to receive food aid and some relief for the tight family
budget. However, the implementation of the new policy
discontinues this aid to many families living in Kansas.
According to MSNBC News, SRS has changed the way
it counts household income for its Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program. Through this program, SRS considers
the entire income of all members of a household, but does
not account for illegal family members when considering
the eligibility of a family for aid.
"Now, all household incomes are treated equally," said
Angela de Rocha, SRS director of communications, to
the Kansas City Star. "Prior to the policy change ... U.S.
citizens were being discriminated against."
Rocha believes that without the recent change, the
policy would have given illegal immigrants in Kansas
"This is not a time, with this economy,
when we should be withdrawing help from
struggling families with children."
Stacy Dean, vice president of food assistance policy
more benefits than some U.S. citizens.
Some supporting the policy change argue that the
children of illegal immigrants would not have become
U.S. citizens in the first place if their parents had not
unlawfully immigrated.
However, many are taken aback by the new policy,
and a heated debate has emerged regarding whether the
state's action is ethical.
"This is not a time, with this economy, when we
should be withdrawing help from struggling families
with children," said Stacy Dean, vice president of food
assistance policy. "We have a demonstrated problem
of food insecurity in this country, and, in Kansas, this
policy takes you further away from being able to solve
the problem."
"The bottom line here is we have children who are
going to bed hungry at night," said President and CEO
of Kansas Action for Children Shannon Cotsoradis to the
Kansas City State.
Even though Kansas Governor Sam Brownback
continually tries to defend the new policy, the controversial
issue does not rest within the Kansas state government.
"Their bill is a legal impossibility and a political
fantasy," said Kris Kobach, Kansas Secretary of State, to
the Associated Press.
As the controversial issue gains more attention in Kansas
and throughout the nation, many illegal immigrants
continue to worry about the future of their families,
including their children, who remain legal citizens of the
United States of America.