This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. ___ Author: Petra Molnar, Associate Director, Refugee Law Lab, York University, Canada At a press conference on Dec. 17, the Canadian federal government announced proposed new measures to expand its management of Canada’s border with the United States. These measures were intended to appease the incoming Trump administration and to avoid a threatened 25 per cent import tariff. The proposal includes expansions of border technologies, including RCMP counterintelligence, 24/7 surveillance between ports of entry, helicopters, drones and mobile towers. But what will this mean for people seeking asylum? If the U.S.-Mexico border is any indication, it will mean more death. Criminalizing migration At the press conference, Dominic LeBlanc, the minister of finance and intergovernmental affairs, reaffirmed Canada’s relationship with the incoming Trump administration. Framed around politics of difference, and relying on the fearmongering trope of migration as a “crisis,” Canada’s new border plan will also cost taxpayers $1.3 billion. During the press conference, LeBlanc’s remarks conflated migration with trafficking and crime, relying on “crimmigration,” or the use of criminalization to discipline, exclude, or expel migrants or others seen as not entitled to be in a country. LeBlanc also made direct reference to preventing fraud in the asylum system, with the driving forces behind this new border plan being “minimizing border volumes” and “removing irritants” to the U.S. However, these framings weaken the global right to asylum, which is an internationally protected right guaranteed by the 1951 Refugee Convention and sections 96 and 97 of Canada’s own Immigration and Refugee Protection Protection Act. Canada’s own courts have also found that the U.S. is not a safe country for some refugees. Deadly borders Since 2018, I have been researching technology and migration. I have worked at and studied various borders around the world, starting in Canada, moving south to the U.S.-Mexico border and including various countries in Europe and East Africa, as well as the Palestinian territories. Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of people seeking safety and witnessed the horrific conditions they have to survive. The Sonoran Desert containing the U.S.-Mexico border has become what anthropologist Jason de Leon calls “the land of open graves.” Researchers have shown that deaths have increased every year as a result of growing surveillance and deterrence mechanisms. I have witnessed these spaces of death in the Sonoran Desert and European borders, with people on the move succumbing to these sharpening borders. Canadian borders are not devoid of death. Families have frozen and drowned attempting to enter Canada. Others, like Seidu Mohammed and Razak Iyal, nearly froze to death and lost limbs as a result of frostbite; they later received refugee status and became Canadian citizens in 2023. ‘Extreme vulnerability’ Throughout the press conference, a clear theme emerged again and again: Canada’s border plan will “expand and deepen the relationship” between Canada and U.S. through border management, including both data sharing and operational support. The border management plan will include an aerial intelligence task force to provide non-stop surveillance. The mandate of the Canada Border Services Agency will also expand, and include a joint operational strike force. In November, president-elect Donald Trump named former Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Tom Homan as his administration’s “border czar.” Homan explicitly called out Canada after his appointment, calling the Canadian border “an extreme vulnerability.” Trump has also made pointed comments directed at Justin Trudeau, referring to him as “governor” and to Canada as the 51st state. And with Trump’s aggressive “America First” policies and the 25 per cent tariff threat, appeasing the incoming administration by strengthening border surveillance at the Canada-U.S. border is the lowest hanging fruit for the Trudeau administration to strengthen its hand. Creeping surveillance Border surveillance technologies do not remain at the border. In 2021, communities in Vermont and New York have already raised concerns about possible privacy infringements with the installation of surveillance towers. There are also fears of growing surveillance and repression of journalists and the migrant justice sector as a whole. And surveillance technologies used at the border have also been repurposed: for example, robo-dogs first employed at the U.S.-Mexico border have appeared in New York City and facial recognition technologies ubiquitous at airports are also being used on sports fans in stadiums. The big business of borders Taxpayers will foot the bill of this new border strategy to the hefty tune of $1.3 billion. This amount is part of a growing and lucrative border industrial complex that is now worth a staggering US$68 billion dollars and projected to grow exponentially to nearly a trillion dollars by 2031. But taxpayers do not benefit. Instead, the private sector makes up the market place of technical solutions to the so-called “problem” of migration. In this lucrative ecosystem built on fear of “the migrant other,” it is the private sector actors and not taxpayers who benefit. Instead of succumbing to the exclusionary politics of the incoming U.S. administration, we should call for transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of new technologies. There is also a need for more governance and laws to curtail these high-risk tech experiments before more people die at Canada’s borders. Instead of spending $1.3 billion dollars on surveillance technologies that infringe upon people’s rights, Canada should strengthen its asylum system and civil society support. Canada should also remember its international human rights obligations, and resist the U.S. political rhetoric of dehumanizing people who are seeking safety and protection. ___ Petra Molnar receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. ___ This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/increased-surveillance-at-the-canada-u-s-border-means-more-asylum-seekers-could-die-246243 Advertisement Advertisement
AP News Summary at 2:48 p.m. EST
Quincy, MA, Dec. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stran & Company, Inc. ("Stran" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SWAG) (NASDAQ: SWAGW), a leading outsourced marketing solutions provider that leverages its promotional products and loyalty incentive expertise, today announced that on December 17, 2024, it received a letter from the Listing Qualifications staff (the “Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), issuing a Staff delisting determination (the “Staff Determination”). The Staff Determination noted that the Staff had notified the Company on June 21, 2024, August 23, 2024 and November 21, 2024 that the Company did not comply with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Filing Rule”) because the Company had not filed its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024, and September 30, 2024 (the “Forms 10-Q”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Staff Determination noted that, based on the Staff’s review and the materials submitted on August 20, 2024, the Staff granted the Company an exception until December 16, 2024 to regain compliance with the Filing Rule. The Staff Determination stated that the Company had not met the terms of the exception. Specifically, the Company has not filed the Forms 10-Q as required by the Filing Rule. The Staff Determination has no immediate effect and will not immediately result in the suspension of trading or delisting of the Company’s common stock. The Staff Determination notified the Company that the Company may request a hearing before a Hearings Panel (“Hearings Panel”), pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5800 Series. Hearings are typically scheduled to occur approximately 30-45 days after the date of the hearing request. A request for a hearing regarding a delinquent filing will automatically stay the suspension of the Company’s securities for a period of 15 days from the date of the hearing request. However, when the Company requests a hearing, it may also request an extension of the stay through the hearing and the expiration of any additional extension period granted by the Hearings Panel following the hearing. However, there can be no assurance that the Hearings Panel will grant the Company an additional extension, or that the Hearings Panel will grant the Company’s request for an extended stay, or that the Company will be able to regain compliance by the end of any additional extension period. In the unlikely event that Nasdaq is not able to rule on the stay request prior to the expiration of the automatic stay, it has been Nasdaq’s recent practice to take no action until the Hearings Panel is able to make a ruling on the extended stay request. Upon such Hearings Panel ruling on the extended stay, the Company intends to make a further announcement. Accordingly, the Company intends to timely submit a request for a hearing and for an extended stay before a Hearings Panel. This announcement is made in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(b), which requires the public announcement of the Staff Determination by issuing a press release, in addition to filing a Current Report on Form 8-K if required by SEC rules. About Stran For over 29 years, Stran has grown to become a leader in the promotional products industry, specializing in complex marketing programs to help recognize the value of promotional products, branded merchandise, and loyalty incentive programs as a tool to drive awareness, build brands and impact sales. Stran is the chosen promotional programs manager of many Fortune 500 companies, across a variety of industries, to execute their promotional marketing, loyalty and incentive, sponsorship activation, recruitment, retention, and wellness campaigns. Stran provides world-class customer service and utilizes cutting-edge technology, including efficient ordering and logistics technology to provide order processing, warehousing, and fulfillment functions. The Company’s mission is to develop long-term relationships with its clients, enabling them to connect with both their customers and employees in order to build lasting brand loyalty. Additional information about the Company is available at: www.stran.com . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” "will,” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s periodic reports which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. Contacts: Investor Relations Contact: Crescendo Communications, LLC Tel: (212) 671-1021 SWAG@crescendo-ir.com Press Contact: Howie Turkenkopf press@stran.comIncreased surveillance at the Canada-U.S. border means more asylum seekers could die
Luigi Mangione, who was arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, once belonged to a group of Ivy League gamers who played assassins, a member of the group told NBC News. In the game, called "Among Us," some players are secretly assigned to be killers in space who perform other tasks while trying to avoid suspicion from other players. > 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Alejandro Romero, who attended the University of Pennsylvania with Mangione and was a member of the same Discord group, said he was shocked when news broke on social media that Mangione had been taken into police custody. "I just found it extremely ironic that, you know, we were in this game and there could actually be a true killer among us," he said. "As soon as his photo and name popped up on X, my friend texted me asking if I knew him, and then either I was calling some 10 friends or they were calling me," Romero added. "I didn't speak to anybody today who wasn't already aware of what had happened." Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday morning in a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee spotted him. Police found a firearm, believed to have been 3D-printed, and a handwritten document on Mangione "that speaks to both his motivation and mindset," New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. U.S. & World Suspect charged with murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in NYC Boeing lays off hundreds in Washington and California as part of cuts announced previously He was also carrying fake identification and a passport, authorities said. In New York, Mangione was charged with murder, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged instrument and criminal possession of a weapon, according to court documents. Authorities in Pennsylvania charged Mangione with carrying firearms without a license, forgery, tampering with records or identification, possessing instruments of crime and providing false identification to police. In a statement on X on Monday night, a member of the Mangione family said they are "shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest." "We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved," wrote Nino Mangione, a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Romero, who said he has not spoken to or seen Mangione since 2020, described him as a typical college student who did not stand out to him. "He just fit a mold," Romero said. "He just seemed like any other normal frat dude that you could see at a frat party." His final year in college was cut short when the pandemic hit. Students were forced off campus in their last semester and did not return for commencement. The Discord group was one way to stay connected, Romero said, but members began to go their separate ways as they got full-time jobs or embarked on long trips. During some of those years, Mangione left behind a digital footprint that included reviewing “Industrial Society and Its Future,” also known as the “Unabomber Manifesto” by Ted Kaczynski, on Goodreads, a platform for book reviews and recommendations. It served as the ideological reasoning for Kaczynski’s yearslong mail bomb campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others. Mangione became significantly more active on X in 2021 after five years not posting or reposting content, according to a review of his account. Asked about the change in Mangione's online persona, Romero said that question is circulating among his friend group. "I feel like people are unsure how to label him," he said. "I'm personally struggling to understand how this all fits." This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is the latest lawmaker targeted by a bomb threat Trump pick to head ICE is agency vet who will be able to start deportation effort on day one Man accused of duping churchgoers into investing in video Covid-test tech to plead guilty
