Travel and… different sorts of food !

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Yummy !!!!

FEELING A BIT DOWN ? Treat Yourself : Grab a Little Piece Of Your Favorite Food…. AND STEP FORWARD

THEY SAID : “KEEP WORKING ON YOUR IDEA”

I SAY : Enjoy !!! 😋

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Découverte culinaire au cours de mes merveilleuxvoyages

Madagascar : Popular food and dishes (part2)



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Iowa Democrat wears jeans to protest lack of mask mandate, to defy chamber dress code – The Washington Post

Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley (R) has repeatedly pushed back against imposing a mask mandate inside the legislature, saying that he cannot force lawmakers to cover their faces — just as he cannot stop someone from voting on the House floor in their bathing suit.

But when one Democratic lawmaker attempted to speak during a floor debate on Tuesday — not in a bikini or one-piece but in jeans — Grassley called her out for violating the chamber’s dress code.

“You will not be recognized to speak for debate,” he told state Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D), according to the Des Moines Register. “You can continue to vote from the floor.”

That was, perhaps, exactly as she had planned it. As the Register first reported this week, Wessel-Kroeschell told members of her party that she wanted to challenge Grassley’s remarks by sporting jeans inside the statehouse, defying an established rule on formal attire.

Source: Iowa Democrat wears jeans to protest lack of mask mandate, to defy chamber dress code – The Washington Post

Kevin McCarthy’s remarkable flip-flop from “there’s no place for QAnon” to “I don’t even know what it is”

The Qowardly traitor to himself and everyone else…
US House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy during his weekly press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 21. | Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

The House Republican leader defends Marjorie Taylor Greene by insulting everyone’s intelligence.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy claimed during a Fox News interview last August that “there’s no place for QAnon in the Republican Party.” But it turns out there is a spot for the conspiracy theory that former President Donald Trump is fighting against a satanic pedophilic cabal run by prominent Democrats — and it’s on the House Education and Labor Committee.

During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, McCarthy’s caucus decided not only to not sanction QAnon-embracing first-term Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) — who in addition to QAnon has endorsed the murder of the House speaker and was filmed harassing a survivor of a school shooting she claimed was a staged attack — but is going forward with plans to place her on the education and budget committees.

Following Wednesday’s meeting, McCarthy said during a press conference that Greene made remarks “denouncing QAnon” — something she has not done publicly — then added, “I don’t even know what [QAnon] is.”

McCarthy proclaiming ignorance about a conspiracy theory that played a crucial role in motivating the January 6 insurrection that left five people dead is hard to believe, given that he’s had to repeatedly weigh in on the topic. But it’s indicative of how the theory has moved toward the mainstream of Republican politics in recent months — and the tacit acceptance of mainstream leaders of the party.

McCarthy said during the aforementioned Fox News interview that QAnon had no place in the party. But during the closing months of the 2020 campaign, he and other Republican leaders (including Trump) did nothing to ostracize Greene and other QAnon-backing Republicans. Then, after Greene and Lauren Boebert, another Republican who has expressed support for the conspiracy theory, won seats in Congress, McCarthy told reporters last November that “both of them have denounced” QAnon — something neither of them has done publicly.

Watch the evolution of McCarthy’s QAnon statements:

Kevin McCarthy went from saying “there is no place for QAnon in the Republican Party to “I don’t even know what [QAnon] is” in the span of six months pic.twitter.com/Hr9cwSHhxd

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 4, 2021

It’s not entirely clear exactly what Greene told her House Republican colleagues during Wednesday’s meeting. Politico reported that she “apologized to the conference for her past rhetoric about 9/11 and school shootings being hoaxes and other QAnon-adjacent conspiracies that she previously peddled,” but the Hill says she “defended her comments that past school shootings were staged by stating that she had personal experience with a school shooting.” One thing we do know from all reports about the meeting, however, is that her comments earned a standing ovation from some members.

Regardless of what she said in private, in public Greene has been completely unrepentant about recent revelations regarding her activities both on social media and in public, tweeting last Thursday that she “won’t back down” and will “never apologize,” and using the firestorm created by her comments as a fundraising opportunity.

I won’t back down. I’ll never apologize. And I’ll always keep fighting for the people.

For me, it’s America First!!!

Any elected politician that isn’t putting America First doesn’t deserve their position or the people’s trust.

Cont’d…

— Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) January 30, 2021

McCarthy’s approach stands in contrast to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who on Monday released a scathing statement that doesn’t mention Greene by name but makes no doubt that he views her professed beliefs as “cancer for the Republican Party and our country.”

“Loony lies and conspiracy theories are cancer for the Republican Party and our country,” McConnell said, before going on to mention a few of the many conspiracy theories she’s embraced. “Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality.”

The problem for McCarthy is that QAnon is more popular with the Republican base than people would like to believe — a YouGov poll conducted last month found that 30 percent of Republican voters respond positively to the conspiracy theory — so by denouncing it and banishing Greene from committees, the House Republican leader risks alienating a significant portion of the GOP base.

So instead of taking a firm stand against the types of conspiracy theories that motivated bands of Trump supporters to storm the Capitol last month, McCarthy is opting for feigned ignorance, while at the same time trying to weaponize the issue by pushing false equivalences in a statement he released Wednesday between QAnon believers and Democrats like Reps. Maxine Waters and Ilhan Omar.

House Democrats, meanwhile, are moving forward with a floor vote to do what Republicans will not and strip Greene of her committee assignments. During a hearing on Wednesday, rules committee chair Jim McGovern (D-MA) acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the vote Democrats are planning to force, but said “if the new precedent here is that a member of this House is calling for assassinations … if that’s the standard that we remove people from committees, I’m fine with that.”

Greta Thunberg Toolkit FIR By Delhi Police: “No Amount Of Threats…” Says Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg’s controversial tweet on a “toolkit” for supporting the farmer protests was cited in a case filed today by the Delhi Police that includes charges of sedition, an overseas “conspiracy” and an attempt to “promote enmity between groups”.

Source: Greta Thunberg Toolkit FIR By Delhi Police: “No Amount Of Threats…” Says Greta Thunberg

ASIA/MYANMAR – Cardinal Bo’s appeal: release arrested leaders and resume dialogue

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Yangon – “The elected representatives of our people belonging to the National League for Democracy are under arrest. So are many writers, activists and youth. I urge you, respect their rights and release them at the earliest. They are not prisoners of war; they are prisoners of a democratic process. You promise democracy; start with releasing them”: is the appeal addressed to the leaders of the army by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo who, in the aftermath of the coup, issued a heartfelt Message – sent to Agenzia Fides – addressed to the people of Myanmar and the international community. On the day of the military takeover, the Cardinal was on a pastoral visit in Kachin State and therefore remained isolated for a few days. The Cardinal – authoritative voice of the Catholic Church in Asia, Archbishop of Yangon, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Myanmar and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences , as well as Patron of “Religions for Peace” in Myanmar – writes a long appeal not as politician, he specifies, but “as a spiritual leader, empathizing with the sentiments of millions of people at this moment”. The text is addressed, in four points, to fellow citizens, civilian leaders, the Tatmadaw and the international community. “I have watched with sadness the moments of darkness in our history and watched with hope the resilience of our people in their struggle for dignity. We are journeying through most challenging times of our history. I write with love towards all, seeking a durable solution, praying for an end forever to the periodic darkness that envelops our dear nation”, reads the introduction.
In the first point, speaking to the people of Myanmar, the Cardinal appeals to the citizens: “Stay calm, never fall victim to violence. We have shed enough blood. Let not any more blood be shed in this land. Even at this most challenging moment, I believe that peace is the only way, peace is possible. There are always nonviolent ways for expressing our protests. The unfolding events are the result of a sad lack of dialogue and communication and disputing of diverse views. Let us not continue hatred at this moment when we struggle for dignity and truth. Let all community leaders and religious leaders pray and animate communities for a peaceful response to these events. Pray for all, pray for everything, avoiding occasions of provocation”. And, due to the current pandemic, he pleads “the brave health workers not to abandon the people in need at this time”, as some have resigned as protest from their public service.
In the second point, addressed to the Tatmadaw General and the Tatmadaw Family, he says: “The world has reacted with shock and agony to what has happened. When, in 2015, a peaceful transition to the elected government was effected by the Army, that won the admiration of the world. Today the world tries to understand what went wrong in the following years. Was there a lack of dialogue between the elected civilian authorities and the Tatmadaw? We have seen so much pain in conflicts. Seven decades of shedding blood and the use of violence brought no results. You all promised peace and genuine democracy. Democracy was the streak of hope for solving the problems of this once rich country. This time millions voted for democracy. Our people believe in peaceful transfer of power.
Now the Tatmadaw has unilaterally taken over. Allegations of voting irregularities could have been solved by dialogue, in presence of neutral observers. A great opportunity was lost. Many leaders of the world have condemned and will condemn this shocking move”. He continues: “Now you promise greater democracy – after investigation and another election. Myanmar people are tired of empty promises. How will you gain the trust of our people? They will trust only when words are matched by sincere actions”, urging the military to “take care of the population”, to avoid violence, to respect their rights and to release all leaders under arrest.
The third point speaks to leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the leaders of the National League for Democracy: “You are in this plight in your unending struggle to bring democracy to this nation. The unexpected turn of events has made you prisoners. We pray for you and urge all concerned to release you at the earliest”. “Dear Aung San Suu Kyi – he continues – you have lived for our people, sacrificed your life for our people. You will be always the voice of our people. These are painful days. You have known darkness, you have known light in this nation. Truth will prevail. God is the ultimate arbiter of truth. But God waits. At this moment I offer my personal sympathies with your plight and pray that you may once again walk amidst your people, raising their spirits”. “At the same time I wish to confirm that this incident takes place due to lack of dialogue and communication and lack of acceptance of one another. Please listen to others”.
Finally, the Cardinal addresses the international community, expressing gratitude for the compassionate accompaniment at this moment. However, he emphasizes, “sanctions and condemnations brought few results, rather they closed doors and shut out dialogue. These hard measures have proved a great blessing to those super powers that eye our resources. The international community needs to deal with the reality, understanding well Myanmar’s history and political economy. Sanctions risk collapsing the economy, throwing millions into poverty. Engaging the actors in reconciliation is the only path”.
Cardinal Bo, at the end of the Message “wishes the best for our people”, so that the Burmese nation will once again be “a reconciled community, animated by hope and peace” and, inviting all stakeholders to solve all disputes through dialogue, he reaffirms that “Peace is the only way. Democracy is the only light to that path.

‘It’s Embarrassing’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Tests the Limits of Some Voters

In her Georgia district, voters saw Ms. Greene as a conservative voice that would be impossible to ignore. Now the revelation of past social media posts has unsettled some who backed her.

In her Georgia district, voters saw Ms. Greene as a conservative voice that would be impossible to ignore. Now the revelation of past social media posts has unsettled some who backed her.

President Biden’s early immigration overhaul has overlooked one growing problem: A massive court backlog

Doubt it has been overlooked – it was ignored by Trump for 4 years and will be fixed as soon as possible…
Immigration detainees wait at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility in Texas.

Advocacy groups and immigration attorneys warn that Biden’s overall success could be limited if he’s unable to tackle another problem that has been growing for years: the ever-growing case backlog in federal immigration courts.

Credit: Eric Gay via AP POOL

In his first weeks in office, President Joe Biden has made his administration’s approach on immigration policy clear: reviewing or replacing four years of his predecessor’s hardline approaches.

In less than three weeks in office, Biden has sent to Congress a massive immigration reform bill that would provide a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, issued executive orders to refortify the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and ordered a review of interior enforcement policies and the controversial Migrant Protection Protocols.

Advocacy groups and immigration attorneys have cheered those early steps, but warn that Biden’s overall success could be limited if he’s unable to tackle another problem that has been growing for years: the ever-growing case backlog in federal immigration courts. Without addressing the backlog, they say, Biden’s mission of achieving a fair and equitable immigration system won’t be complete.

“The immigration courts and the backlog are not a physical border wall, but it is a paper border wall,” said Austin Kocher, a research assistant professor at the Transactional Research Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, which uses Freedom of Information Act requests to track immigration court cases. “It’s one of the ways to keep people from participating in society in a full and complete way.”

As of Jan. 1, there were 1.3 million cases pending before the country’s immigration courts, including about 360,000 asylum cases, according to TRAC data. That’s more than double the 542,411 cases pending when Donald Trump took office in 2017. Texas courts have about 162,000 pending cases, the second-largest total behind California’s 187,000. The backlog includes people from more than 200 countries.

The backlog means that asylum seekers and other undocumented immigrants often have to wait years between hearings. In El Paso courts, there was an average wait time of 715 days — or just under two years — between when a person was given a notice to appear before a judge and the next hearing. And that’s a relatively quick turnaround: The average was nearly four and a half years in Dallas courts and 4.8 years in Houston courts, according to the TRAC data.

The backlog grew under Trump despite the former president adding hundreds of immigration judges. But that wasn’t enough to contain the “tsunami of new cases filed in court” under the Trump administration’s enforcement-heavy approach, a TRAC report states.

Leaders from both parties, including Vice President Kamala Harris, have supported appointing even more immigration judges. But simply adding more judges misses the point, said Gregory Chen, director of government affairs for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Instead, he said judges need more freedom to use their discretion to remove or dismiss cases from their dockets that involve people the federal government doesn’t deem a security or flight risk, including thousands of cases that have been pending for years.

There are also 460,000 cases in the current backlog involving immigrants who could qualify for legal status, Chen said.

“Just adding more judges doesn’t make the system more fair or independent,” he said. “[The Department of Justice] is not a judicial body, and so what we’ve seen happen is the law enforcement and immigration enforcement priorities have interfered with the court’s independent operation and ability to be impartial.”

There is also growing pressure on Biden to address the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who have been placed in the Migrant Protection Protocols program, which sends most asylum seekers back to Mexico as they wait for their asylum hearings in American courts. As of last month, more than 70,400 people had been enrolled in the program.

Biden on Tuesday signed an executive order requiring Department of Homeland Security officials to “promptly review and determine whether to terminate or modify the program.” Advocates are calling for the outright end to the program, which they say Biden promised on the campaign trail.

“There’s nothing to review about a policy that leads to people getting beaten, tortured and kidnapped regularly, as they wait like sitting ducks on the southern border,” said Erika Andiola, the chief advocacy officer for Texas-based Refugee and Immigrant Center or Education and Legal Services, or RAICES. “Everyone impacted by it over the past two years should be welcomed into our country with open arms.”

Because none of Biden’s early executive orders mentions the court backlog, Kocher said he hopes Biden’s proposed immigration bill addresses it.

“Biden has been in office for less than a month, so it is too early to draw conclusions about where the court backlog fits within his priorities,” he said. “The only thing we know for certain is, these 1.3 million people must be taken into account or the integrity and legitimacy of our immigration system will continue to be undermined and mired in dysfunction.”

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