SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA, September 11, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With about 150 caregivers who could be affected by a recent announcement about the repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, Intermountain Healthcare’s leadership and Board of Trustees have committed to support them and help them to file the paperwork required for them to continue to legally live and work in the U.S.
DACA is an immigration policy established by the Obama administration in June 2012. DACA allows certain immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit. Approximately 690,000 such young people were enrolled nationally in the program as of 2017, including more than 9,000 Utahns.
About 150 caregivers with DACA permits are employed in Intermountain’s 22 hospitals and 180 clinics in a wide variety of positions such as nurses, medical aides, and food service and maintenance workers, and they comprise an important portion of the organization’s 39,000 employees.
DACA permits that expire during the next six months can continue to be renewed. DACA recipients with a permit set to expire before March 5, 2018 will have the opportunity to apply for a two-year renewal if they do so by October 5.
“These caregivers are making a tremendous contribution and a positive difference in the lives of Utahns,” said Marc Harrison, MD, Intermountain Healthcare CEO. “We stand behind them and will fully support them as they seek to extend their DACA permits.”
On September 5, 2017, DACA was rescinded by the Trump administration, but implementation was delayed six months to give Congress time to come up with a solution for the population that was previously eligible for DACA.
“The leadership of Intermountain Healthcare supports a lasting, long-term solution to immigration policies that allows individuals currently covered by DACA permits to be able to continue to legally live and work in the U.S.,” said Harrison.
Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 22 hospitals, 180 clinics, a Medical Group with some 1,500 employed physicians, a health plans division called SelectHealth, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare through high quality and sustainable costs. For more information about Intermountain, visit intermountainhealthcare.org.
Trump DHS Offers Immigrants Hurricane Harvey Amnesty
SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
Keeping with an Obama-era tradition of offering illegal immigrants reprieve, the Trump administration is providing those in the Houston area with hurricane amnesty in the aftermath of Harvey. Judicial Watch reported extensively on the special Obama amnesties, which were granted for inclement weather, a virus, natural disasters and tainted water in a U.S. city. One of Obama’s final special amnesty programs was issued last year for victims of Hurricane Matthew, the powerful storm that slammed the southeastern United States, killing dozens and causing severe flooding.
Prior to that, Obama took advantage of Hurricane Sandy to waive immigration laws, including for violators of student visas like most of the 9/11 hijackers that carried out the worst terrorist attack on American soil. The official announcement, issued by USCIS, stated that the government “understands that a natural disaster can affect an individual’s ability to maintain a lawful immigration status.” Among the benefits of that hurricane amnesty was “expedited adjudication of off-campus employment authorization applications for F-1 students experiencing economic hardship.” Hurricanes in other countries have also benefitted illegal aliens in the U.S. who happen to be nationals of the affected regions, even though they don’t live there.
Other natural disasters abroad also resulted in special reprieves for illegal aliens in the United States during the Obama years. A special earthquake amnesty was implemented for Ecuadorean nationals living in the U.S. illegally and the word spread like wildfire in Spanish media reports published throughout Latin America. Officially this is known as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian measure designed to temporarily shield illegal immigrants from deportation during emergencies. In a Spanish announcement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that it was helping Ecuadoreans in the U.S. by granting them work permits and waving visa fees of candidates show that their financial situation was hurt by the earthquake a continent away.
The Obama administration also granted Ebola amnesty for illegal aliens from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, earthquake amnesty for Haitians, hurricane amnesty for Hondurans and Nicaraguans and “ongoing armed conflict” amnesty for nationals of Yemen, an Islamic Middle Eastern country well known as an Al Qaeda breeding ground. In 2016, the administration also rewarded illegal aliens in the Southern and Midwestern United States “severe weather” amnesty due to the flooding that battered the region and forced rivers from Texas to Illinois to surge out of control. An absurd water amnesty was also rewarded last year to illegal aliens in Michigan. That reprieve was implemented after pro-immigrant Spanish media outlets demanded that The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refrain from enforcing immigration laws in areas of Flint affected by a crisis in which the areas water got contaminated with lead from decaying old pipes.
Apparently, the Trump administration has no intention of ending the madness. A few weeks ago U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the DHS agency charged with overseeing lawful immigration to the United States, announced its Hurricane Harvey amnesty to help “people affected by unforeseen circumstances, including disasters such as Hurricane Harvey.” The language is taken right out of agency press releases issued for similar causes under Obama. Under the Hurricane Harvey plan, the agency will change a nonimmigrant status or extend a nonimmigrant stay for individuals currently in the U.S. “Failure to apply for the extension or change before expiration of your authorized period of admission may be excused if the delay was due to extraordinary circumstances beyond your control,” according to a USCIS announcement. Other perks include a “re-parole” of individuals previously granted parole, expedited processing of parole requests, expedited adjudication of employment authorization and a variety of other benefits not usually extended to those who have violated American laws. A note at the bottom of the USCIS announcement reads; “when making a request, please explain how the impact of Hurricane Harvey created a need for the requested relief.” It will be interesting to see how the agency confirms the storm’s impact before granting the reprieve.
SKATE OR DIE FEST
TO TAKE OVER GAS MONKEY LIVE IN DALLAS, TEXAS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2017
BOWLING FOR SOUP, FRANKIE COSMOS, SURF CURSE AND MORE SET TO PERFORM
WORLD'S LARGEST GAME OF S.K.A.T.E. TOURNAMENT
WITH 200 PARTICIPANTS AND A $3000 CASH PURSE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT SKATEORDIEFEST.COM
MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
SEPTEMBER 12nd, 2017 - DALLAS, TX - The first ever Skate Or Die Fest, a single day, all-ages skateboarding and music experience, is confirmed to take place on the grounds of Gas Monkey Live in the heart of North Texas on October 22.
Programming includes live music on two stages, world-record-breaking skate competitions, a puppy petting zoo, and live art installations, along with plenty of angst and nostalgia.
Music headliners include Denton-based Platinum-selling, Grammy-Nominated pop punk powerhouse Bowling For Soup and New York City indie rock darlings Frankie Cosmos. Other touring artists set to perform include Surf Curse, The Greeting Committee, Summer Salt, Guantanamo Baywatch, and Okey Dokey, along with local bands Not Half Bad, Hall Johnson, Loafers, and Pearl Earl. The selection is extremely curated, focusing on bands which complement skateboarding's angsty and sweaty vibes, including the genres of indie, garage, surf, and punk rock.The lineup intentionally and importantly features diversity: half of the acts include female talent, and multiple races and sexual orientations are included.
Skate programming is headlined by the world's largest Game of S.K.A.T.E. Tournament, a world record-setting event with 200 participants. (Think H.O.R.S.E., but with skateboarders.) A single-elimination tournament with 9 rounds of exciting head to head competition over 4 hours, all competing for the top spot and a piece of the $3,000 cash purse.
The top 16 competitors from the tournament earn a spot in the best trick contest. Skaters will also compete in a highest ollie contest. Skaters can apply to compete at skateordiefest.com/skate.
Cultural attractions include interactive art installations, murals from local artists, a Vendor Village - bothcurated by local startup Artist Uprising, a puppy petting zoo with adoptable puppies, a politician dunk tank (where you can dunk impersonators of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and more), food trucks, and plenty of angst!
Skate Or Die Fest comes from the mind of local entrepreneur and music blogger Harley Barnes, who has teamed up with event producer Kris Norvet, investor/landscape architect Zac Miller, and the team at Gas Monkey Live. Barnes is the founder and editor of ThisNewBand, a data-driven indie music blog and community of teen music enthusiasts, and has previously founded 2 technology startups, including concert app CrowdFeed which went through the Dallas accelerator Tech Wildcatters in 2013. Norvet has over 15 years of experience producing events, including working for NYC-based Trevanna Entertainment (Hot 97's Summer Jam, Red Bull Music Academy NYC).
Gas Monkey Live is a state-of-the-art live music venue in Dallas, Texas started by entrepreneur Richard Rawlings (who is also the star of Discovery Channel reality television show Fast N' Loud), along with Alex Mendonsa (former House of Blues Los Angeles Manager), and Peter Ore (former Vice President of Talent Live Nation Denver). The 38,000 sq ft venue accommodates 3,000 patrons, along with a world-class sound, lighting, and video setup. The Festival will be making use of the entire indoor footprint of Gas Monkey Live, as well as an outdoor portion of their parking lot in front of the venue.
Tickets are on sale now at skateordiefest.com. Blind presale tickets which went on sale in August have sold out. GA tickets range from $20 to $35 in advance, and $40 at doors. VIP tickets are $70 advance, and $80 at the door. VIP perks include priority entry into the festival, and a private indoor VIP area with exclusive bar, seating, and excellent main stage viewing.
Skate Or Die Fest would also like to thank all of the amazing partners and sponsors who have helped bring the 2017 event together. Early partners for this year's fest include Gas Monkey Live, Artist Uprising, Austere Magazine, and ThisNewBand.
QUOTES
"Skate Or Die Fest is the ultimate experience for the angsty teenager in everyone, combining the excitement of skateboarding with its deep connection to music and art." - Harley Barnes, Skate Or Die Fest Founder
"Growing up in the suburbs of Dallas in the 90's and 00's was pretty stale and boring, but my neighbor and I would turn on the TV and watch Rocket Power, Viva La Bam, and ESPN's X Games, as well as play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. It connected us to a world that was much cooler than our shitty suburbia, so we got our own boards and spent years in the driveway just trying to be as good as the pros. Earlier this year, our team was working on another music festival that ended up falling though, and I had recently been to this skatepark and it gave me the idea to combine a skate event with a music festival. I recruited the amazing team from the former festival and we made it happen. I wanted to create an experience that is current and relevant, but also brings back those nostalgic memories from skating in the neighborhood." - Harley Barnes, Skate Or Die Fest Founder
"Gas Monkey Live is thrilled to be a partner and host of Skate Or Die Fest in its first year, which brings a high-caliber lineup of talent to our facility. I've been skating since 1979. Long before there were skate parks, only backyard pools to sneak into or whatever you could find on the street. It's great to see events like this taking place these days since it wasn't available to me when I was a kid. A lot of the Gas Monkey crew skateboards as well so it's a perfect fit for our venue." - Peter Ore, Gas Monkey Dallas
For more information and to buy tickets please head to skateordiefest.com
To apply for Press Credentials to the festival, please fill out this form.
Assets such as the official poster, social media graphics, founder bios, an information deck, and approved artist photos can be found in our press kit.
To request an interview with any of the founders, partners, or artists performing at the festival, please direct requests to the appropriate press contact found below.
National Press Contact:
Natalie Schaffer | Big Picture Media
40 W. 29th St, Suite 401 | New York, NY 10001
O. 212.675.3103 | M. 661.233.6479
Natalie@BigPictureMediaOnline.com
Local Press Contact:
Amber LaFrance | Culture-Hype
Official Festival Links:
Website: skateordiefest.com
Instagram: @skateordiefest
Twitter: @skateordiefest
Facebook: facebook.com/skateordiefest
Snapchat: skateordiefest
MUSIC LINEUP(13 bands on 2 stages)
Bowling For Soup
Frankie Cosmos
Surf Curse
The Greeting Committee
Summer Salt
Guantanamo Baywatch
Okey Dokey
Fragile Rock
Not Half Bad
Hall Johnson
Loafers
Pearl Earl
Female Band Contest Winner (details)
SKATE CONTESTS
$3000 cash purse for competitions (apply to compete at skateordiefest.com/skate)
World's largest Game of S.K.A.T.E. Tournament (9 rounds, 4 hours, 200 skaters)
Best Trick Contest
Highest Ollie Contest
ATTRACTIONS
Interactive art installations
Murals from local artists
Puppy petting zoo with adoptable puppies
Politician Dunk Tank (where you can dunk impersonators of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and more)
20+ Vendors, curated by local startup Artist Uprising
American Food & Full Bar from Gas Monkey Live
Food Trucks
Angst
VENUE INFO
Gas Monkey Live
10110 Technology Blvd E, Dallas, TX 75220
