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How US money for protests in Canada could influence US politics

How U.S. Money for Protests in Canada Could Influence U.S. Politics

About 44 percent of the nearly $10 million in contributions to support the protesters originated from US donors, according to an Associated Press analysis of leaked donor files. US Republican elected officials, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, praised the protesters, calling them “heroes” and “patriots.”

Fox News host Sean Hannity told two protest organizers on his show Wednesday that “you have a lot of support from your friends in America. I can tell you that. He added: “We have a movement in the United States that is starting very soon.”

Prime Minister Trudeau and other top Canadian officials have harshly criticized financial support from other countries.

“What this country is facing is a targeted, coordinated and largely foreign-funded attack on critical infrastructure and our democratic institutions,” Bill Blair, the UK’s minister for public safety and emergency preparedness, said earlier this week. Canada.

Ian Reifowitz, a professor of historical studies at the State University of New York, called the protests a “gift” for Republicans in the US, predicting they will use the populist appeal of the rallies to raise money ahead of the election. mid-term in November.

“They constantly need new outrages,” said Reifowitz, author of “The Tribalization of Politics: How Rush Limbaugh’s Racially Harassing Rhetoric on the Obama Presidency Paved the Way for Trump.”

“It’s a big (problem) eight or nine months before the election for them,” he said. “It allows you to deposit money, deposit volunteers, and energize the base, which is what you want to do.”

Protesters in Ottawa have regularly been given fuel and food, and the area around Parliament Hill has at times resembled a spectacular carnival with bouncy castles, gyms, a playground and a concert stage with DJs.

GiveSendGo, a website used to collect donations for Canadian protests, has raised at least $9.58 million, including $4.2 million, or 44%, that originated in the United States, according to a database of donor information posted online by DDoSecrets, a non-profit group.

However, the government in Canada have been working to block protesters’ access to these funds and it is unclear how much of the money was ultimately raised.

Millions of dollars raised through another crowdfunding site, GoFundMe, were blocked after Canadian officials raised objections to the company, which determined the effort violated its terms of service regarding illegal activities.

The GiveSendGo database analyzed by the AP showed more than 109,000 donations as of Friday night to campaigns in support of the protests, with just under 62,000 coming from the US.

The GiveSendGo data listed multiple Americans who donated thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to the protest, with the largest single donation of $90,000 coming from a person who identified himself as Thomas M. Siebel.

Siebel, the billionaire founder of the software company Siebel Systems, did not respond to messages sent to an email associated with a foundation he runs and to his LinkedIn account.

A representative from the Siebel Scholars Foundation, who signed her name only as Jennifer, did not respond to questions about whether she had donated the money. But he said Siebel has a history of supporting various causes, including efforts to “protect individual liberty.”

“These are personal initiatives and have nothing to do with the companies you are associated with,” he wrote.

Siebel has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates and organizations over the past 20 years, according to Federal Election Commission records, including a $400,000 contribution in 2019 to a GOP fundraising committee called “Take Back theHouse 2020”.

The GiveSendGo Freedom Convoy campaign was created on January 27 by Tamara Lich. He was previously a member of the far-right Maverick Party, which calls for Western Canada to become independent.

The Canadian government took steps earlier this week to cut off funding for protesters by expanding the scope of the country’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regulations to cover crowdfunding platforms such as GiveSendGo.

“We are making these changes because we know that these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activities, which is hurting the Canadian economy,” Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said.

Perhaps more important than the financial support is the support protesters in Canada have received from leading conservative American politicians and pundits, like Hannity, who see kindred spirits in their neighbors to the north who oppose vaccine mandates.

The same day that Lich created the GiveSendGo campaign, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn shared a video of the convoy in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

“These truckers are fighting back against nonsense and tyranny, especially from the Canadian government,” wrote Flynn, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency who briefly served as national security adviser to former President Donald Trump.

SEE ALSO: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine EXPLAINED

Best Places to Study in the US

Best Places to Study in the U.S.

Want to study in the USA but you’re not sure where? If you’re looking for a satisfying and rewarding student experience, then look no further than America’s great cities. Below we have listed 10 of the best cities to study in the USA.

San Diego

With perfect sunny weather and sunsets to die for, as well as a relaxing laid-back surf vibe, San Diego has become one of the most desirable places to study in the US.  The city’s highest ranked university is the University of California, San Diego (UCSD. San Diego is also home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo, plenty of gorgeous beaches and the 1,200 acre Balboa Park – so there’s always something to entertain students.

Pittsburgh

When studying in nPittsburgh, you will notice very quickly that the city is very picturesque, with a beautiful skyline, and plenty of museums and theatres to choose from. Students regularly remark upon the culture, environment, and diversity of this post-industrial city. Pittsburg contains two excellent universities; Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh.

Washington DC

The capital of the US, and named after the nation’s first president and founding father George Washington, Washington DC is steeped in history. This famous city contains five top universities including the University of Maryland, College Park, and Georgetown University.

With its collection of monuments and landmarks, acclaimed theatres and historic towns, you will never be at a loss for things to do outside of your studies. If you’re looking for something to do in your free time, take a trip to the White House, go and see the Washington Monument or pay a visit to the impressive Lincoln memorial – the possibilities are endless.

Philadelphia

Next is Philadelphia, as you can see. The city contains three high-ranking universities, the highest being the University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia has a great deal of history behind it – it is where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and also where the Liberty Bell is housed. Fans of cheese steaks, Will Smith, and Alway’s Sunny will find some joy here outside of the, perhaps, more influential historical artefacts.

Atlanta

The capital and most populated city in the state of Georgia, Atlanta is home to over five million people, including 63,000 students. Once you’ve graduated, it could be a good place to stick around as it is home to lots of successful companies, including Coca Cola, United Parcel Service (UPS) and Holiday Inn. There are, therefore, plenty of employment prospects for students at Atlanta’s universities. The city has three top ranking universities, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Georgia State University.

Chicago

Chicago, affectionately known as ‘The Windy City’, is a city with an outstanding reputation among graduate employers. Chicago is also home to an impressive five universities, including the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Whilst studying in Chicago, you should visit Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate, the Sears Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, go and see the Red Bulls play, eat some deep dish pizza, and wrap up warm

San Francisco

San Francisco is home to three world-class universities. The two most prestigious SF universities are Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley. Its high caliber of institutions means that San Francisco is a good bet for your career prospects.

San Francisco is also home to Silicon Valley and therefore to a multitude of successful companies, including Apple, Facebook and IBM, so this too, may have a part to play in the city’s high score for employment activity.

Los Angeles 

‘The City of Angels,’ the ‘Creative Capital of the World’, Los Angeles goes by many names, but is undoubtedly most famous for being the home of Hollywood. The city contains three top universities, including California Institute of Technology (or Caltech) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

In LA, you have the beach, you have the mountains, and a never-ending sprawling modern megacity full of potential, glamour, and excitement. 

New York City

New York has the largest overall population of all the featured cities in this list, with 20,321,000 people. 1.5 percent of these (or 51,300) are students –  meaning you’re likely to make friends, explore the city, and attend a lot of student-oriented events. New York boasts no fewer than 10 world-class universities, including Ivy League university Columbia University, and New York University (NYU, to you and me).

Boston

Surprising no one, Boston is America’s best city to be a student in. The city is home to eight universities in total, including two of the top three universities in the world; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. Cambridge is a student haven, and you will never be short of things to do in the city itself.

SEE ALSO: Best Sports Colleges in the US

Study: Loss of Historical Lands Make Native Americans Vulnerable to Climate Change

Study: Loss of Historical Lands Make Native Americans Vulnerable to Climate Change

A study led by researchers at the Yale School of the Environment have found that indigenous nations throughout the United States have lost approximately 99% of their historical land base over time. It was also found that tribes were displaced to areas that are currently more exposed to the risks and hazards that come from climate change.

Professor Justin Farrell at the Yale School of the Environment, who led the study, said: “When we think about how to address climate change, we sometimes forget that past U.S. policies and actions have led to conditions in which some groups are burdened more by climate change than others.”

To view the full story, click here to visit the Yale News website.

SEE ALSO: Study: SARS-CoV-2 Virus Can Infect Inner Ear

How to Get a Student Visa

How to Get a Student Visa

If you want to be study in the United States, you will be required to have one of three primary student visas’: F-1 Student Visa, J-1 Exchange Visa or M-1 Student Visa. How do you know which visa you should be applying for to study in the U.S.? Below, we have laid out the three visas’, breaking down how they work and giving you an idea of how to get a student visa.

International Student Visas

F-1 Visa – The F-1 is a visa you will need to obtain to be able to study in the U.S. Out of the three different types of visa, the F-1 is the most common for an international student in the U.S. This will be issued if you are taking part in an academic program at an accredited U.S. college or university or English at an English language institute. You will need to be studying the minimum course load for a full-time student to maintain the F-1 visa. The visa also allows for employment, whether that be on-campus or part-time, but only for a maximum of 20 hours per week. In addition, the visa also allows students to work off=campus on optional practical training (OPT) both during and after the completion of the degree. You can apply for OPT up to 9 months after being enrolled.

J-1 Visa – The J-1 visa is given to those who are required to receive practical training that is not available to get in their country of origin, in order to accomplish their academic program. Similar to the F-1 visa, the J-1 also allows for employment, with similar boundaries, granted that they have been granted permission by the Department of Homeland Security SEVP (Student Exchange Visitor Program).

M-1 Visa – The M-1 visa is given to those planning for non-academic or vocational study or training in the U.S. Unlike the F-1 and the J-1 visas, those with a M-1 are not permitted to work during their studies. Applicants for the visa are obliged to provide evidence that they have adequate funds to pay for their tuition and living costs throughout their time in the U.S.

How to Apply for your Visa

There are various steps you will need to follow when applying for a student visa, however these steps can vary by U.S. embassy or consulate. These can be found on the U.S. embassy or consulate website. Firstly, make sure you do your research to find out your university’s admission policy as each school will have different academic eligibility criteria.

Online Visa Application

You can apply for a visa by completing the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form (DS-160). When you have completed the form, make sure to print out a copy for the next stage of the application process.

Interview

Interviews are usually required for student visa applicants. You will need to schedule an appointment at the U.S. embassy or consulate at the nation where you live. Waiting times for appointments can vary therefore it is always useful to apply for a visa as early as possible to get a lower appointment wait time.

When the time for the interview comes around, you may need to pay the non-refundable visa application fee. If your visa is approved, you might also need to pay a visa issuance fee, if appropriate for your nationality.

Make sure you bring the correct documents along with you to your interview. The documents needed:

  • Passport
  • Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form (DS-160)
  • Application fee payment receipt
  • Photo
  • Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students, Form I-20 or Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status for Vocational Students, Form I-20

Additional Documentation that may be required include:

  • Transcripts, degrees or certificates from previous schools attended
  • Your intent to depart the United States upon completion of course
  • Evidence of how you will be able to fund your tuition and living costs

A consular officer will conduct the interview and determine with you are qualified to receive a student visa. The officer will let you know if further administrative processing may be required in your application.

Entering the United States

It is worth keeping in mind that obtaining a valid student visa does not guarantee your entry into the U.S. It will be U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials that will have the authority to permit or deny your entry into the country. A CBP official will provide you with a Form I-20 at the point of entry, where they will make the decision. Once the decision has been made to permit your entry, you will then be provided with a Form I-94, Arrival-Departure. This is a small white card given to you that shows the length of stay you have been permitted.

Can I Stay After Graduating?

Those with an F-1 visa are permitted to depart from the United States within 60 days after their academic program has ended. Those with a J-1 or M-1 visa are permitted to leave within 30 days after their program has ended.

Students who wish to extend their stay may request an extension through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website.

Students who fail to depart from the country on time will be out of status. Therefore, under U.S. law, your visa will be automatically voided. In addition, it will also make you ineligible for visas in the future.

Can I Change My Student Visa Status While in the United States?

If you wish to change your visa status while you are in the United States, you will need to le the USCSI know.

For more instructions on how to apply for a visa, visit the U.S. embassy or consulate site.

After you understand the process on how to get a student visa make sure you go through each step meticulously. Applying and receiving a visa may sound like a long process however it will be needed if you decide to commence your studies in the United States. After you complete the student visa requirements, you can concentrate more on your studies in the land of the free.

SEE ALSO: How to Apply to College

 

 

 

How to Apply to College

How to Apply to College

It is important for international students not to underestimate the application process for college. It requires a lot of time and effort, making sure that you have completed the process with no mistakes. The best way to get through the application process is to set yourself a schedule, which begins ahead of the time you start thinking about planning for your studies. This article goes through the important steps on how to apply to college.

The earlier you begin planning for your application process, the more time you will have. It is crucial that you provide yourself with enough time to meticulously research the college and/or course that you feel will best suit you and your future desires. There will be college sites and other academic platforms that will provide you with a quick application form to fill in, but prior to filling in the application it is important to do your research on possible destinations, contact teachers for possible recommendations that they could be able to provide you with to expand your options and sign up to entrance exams that you may be obliged to take to fulfill your application.

Timeline

  • 18 Months Before Studying:
  • Do large amounts of research on the different college degree programs and pick out the ones that you find interesting
  • Do some preparation for possible entrance exams
  • Get some useful advice on admissions from an educational consulting company
  • 12-14 Months Before Studying:
  • Decide which colleges you want to apply to
  • Gather all the necessary information you need from previous schools you have attended
  • 10-12 Month Before Studying:
  • Pick out references and provide them with the necessary reference forms
  • Draft up an application
  • 9 Months Before Studying:
  • If required, re-take entrance exams
  • Organize financing
  • Write up and submit your finished applications
  • 3 Months Before Studying:
  • Apply for a student visa
  • Plan your travel arrangements for when you enter the United States
  • 1 Months Before Studying:
  • Purchase any useful tools you will need for studying and living

If you follow this timeline of steps, you will have a smooth and stress-free application process.

Standardized Tests

The majority of colleges within the U.S. require you to complete standardized admissions tests prior to entering their institutions as a student. These tests include: SAT, MCAT, GRE, TOEFL and IELTS. For more information regarding these tests visit the Shorelight guide on international standardized tests.

Credential Evaluators

Across the U.S. every college has a different curriculum. When accepting international student into their institutions, many colleges require you to provide them with documents about your previous school’s status to be able to verify your application. This is the stage where credential evaluators fall into. You may be required to submit transcripts to a credential evaluator who will look over the documents as well as translate them if needed so that they can be given to the host nations curriculum to be reviewed.

The application process for college is a process which needs significant planning and a lot of time taken into it. The more time used to focus on your application process will equal a much smoother process. If you do not plan well enough for your application, then you will not have enough time for some of the requirements and therefore you will be stressed out even before you begin your studies. Therefore, it is important you make sure you set yourself a schedule for your application process that begins well in advance. If you follow these key steps then you will have a better understanding on how to apply to college.

SEE ALSO: How to Get a Student Visa

stalking behavior

Did You Know? You Might Be a Stalker

Stalking is sadly a very common problem. But have you ever considered you might be a stalker yourself? Well, perhaps you should—because a survey released yesterday (July 9) has revealed more of us are stalkers than we think.

A team at SafeHome.org interviewed 2,000 men and women and asked them to reveal their deepest, darkest secrets. The results made for some intriguing reading.

For example, 30 percent of those interviewed have ‘jokingly’ been called a stalker; 25 percent of the interviewees admitted they’d hacked into someone’s email and 22 percent had driven by an ex’s house.

What is stalking?

Stalking is defined as a pattern of on-going and unwarranted attention, harassment, contact, or other behaviors directed at someone causing them to be reasonably fearful.

Simply poking your nose in someone else’s affairs (whether the person is love interest or a neighbor) isn’t technically stalking—unless the actions legitimately make the target afraid. In other words, exhibiting stalker-like behavior is one thing, criminal stalking is quite another.

The stalker in us all

The persona of the stalker is deep-rooted in the American psyche and entrenched in our popular culture. Take, for example, the immortal words of Sting, ‘Every step you take, every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you’; or the abundance of classic movies—from Psycho (1960) to Cape Fear (1962)—where the archetypal stalker is brought to the fore in cinematic terms.

In both the movies and chart-topping tunes, references to stalker-like behavior are both allusory and blatant, pervasive and resonant.

Is this, perhaps, because—whether we like it or not—we can all identify with stalker traits? Is there a stalker within us all? After digesting the results from the SafeHome.org survey, you’d be forgiven for thinking there was.

That’s right, more than a third of the people interviewed admitted they had watched someone else without them knowing about it. And a shocking 22 percent of people confessed they had created a fake social media account to keep track of someone. Creepy!

But it gets worse. 20 percent of people said they’d sent someone a gift and not signed their name on purpose and 20 percent admitted they’d broken or ruined something that belonged to someone else.

Meanwhile, 19 percent revealed an ex had told them to stop contacting them. And, astonishingly, 16 percent of interviewees disclosed they had persistently messaged, phoned or texted someone after they had been asked to stop.

However spooky this data may seem, as long as the people carrying out these behaviors are not doing so with the intent to threaten or scare another person, the behavior is not technically stalking.

info graphic about stalking
Image courtesy: SafeHome

Who is most likely to be your stalker?

The SafeHome survey also revealed who was most likely to be your stalker, and what relationship they were most likely to have with you.

Your ex is most likely to be your stalker, with 26 percent of the people interviewed having been stalked by an ex. Close behind, however, was a ‘significant other’, with 25 percent of those surveyed confessing this was the relationship they’d previously had with their stalker.

Co-workers were the least likely to be a stalker, with just 5 percent of people saying they were stalked by one.

The gender factor

According to the SafeHome survey, men and women have different ideas about what constitutes creepy behavior.

When it comes to sexes and exes, men are more creeped out than women by the thought of a former partner hacking into their online life or following them in the real world.

Meanwhile, impersonating someone in real life—or online—disturbed women more than men. Whereas both sexes equally agreed that going into an ex’s house without permission was definitely on the spooky-scale.

Image courtesy: SafeHome

The age of creepiness

SafeHome broke down stalking targets by age. The youngest group they surveyed (aged 18 – 24 years old) said they stalked their friends more than any other group. Non-romantic friendships are more important to college-aged adults as they strive to find their place in the wider community. This factor could explain why friendship groups are common targets of stalkerish behavior within this age demographic.

Among those aged 25 to 64 years old, significant others and exes were most likely to be sneakily investigated. For those aged 65 and older, it was friends.

Image courtesy: SafeHome

The state of stalking

Does where we live in the U.S. influence our tendency to stalk? SafeHome’s survey found it does.

Those living in the West were the least likely to obsessively pursue their exes by following them or driving by their homes, while those living in the South were the most likely to do so. East Central U.S. fell in the middle.

SafeHome’s findings are in line with traditional U.S. stereotypes about regional personality differences.

The West Coast is often characterized as relaxed and laid back, while we consider the American South as somewhat more aggressive or confrontational. Whether these stereotypes hold true is a matter of endless debate —although some studies have shown that personality differences are, in fact, regional.

Image courtesy: SafeHome

When can we expect privacy?

When does stalker-like behavior develop into a serious crime? In some cases, the answer is very straightforward. Trespassing on someone else’s property, or breaking into their home, is a criminal act. Period.

It is also a crime to harass someone—this can apply to a lot of stalkerish behaviors from hacking into an online account to sending unwanted gifts.

High-profile celebrity court cases demonstrate that, in every state, stalking is a serious crime, whether it’s carried out online otherwise.

Curiosity is all well and good, but if you end up making the object of your attention justifiably fearful, you could also end up in jail.

Information courtesy of safehome.org.