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“It’s in a view to getting them in and out as quickly as possible because there’s a huge revenue stream there,” Winrow said.
One cohort even attended classes from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., five days a week, two years ago, after international students in accounting learned that program was not eligible for the QEP.
To accommodate them, the EMSB allowed the students to transfer into other programs that were eligible for the QEP. To make up for lost time, it scheduled classes 12 hours a day, plus two hours of breaks.
The result was that students arrived late, left early and were falling asleep in class, teachers said.
But teachers said the board’s willingness to relax its standards for international students has bred cynicism toward the administration.
The EMSB currently has 1,342 international vocational students, representing 29 per cent of all vocational students.
Enrolment in vocational programs — which currently totals 4,601 students — has doubled in five years.
International students pay the EMSB an average of $24,000 for an 1,800-hour vocational program.
International vocational students contributed $9 million in gross revenue to the EMSB’s coffers in 2015-16, while international students in elementary and high schools contributed $1.3 million.
Revenue from international students accounted for about 15 per cent of gross revenue in the EMSB’s vocational sector in 2015-16.
International vocational students enrolled in the EMSB’s French courses for newcomers pay an additional $1,600 per semester (about $12 per hour).
Afghanistan will hold national elections on Saturday for the 249 seats in the nation's lower house of Parliament, the Wolesi Jirga. The elections are expected to be a major test for the country's frail national infrastructure, for its perilously corrupt political class, and for the international mission to bring stability and security to a country that has been at war for 30 years. Here's what to know.
What's at Stake for Afghanistan The Associated Press explains, "This is the first election since last year's fraud-marred presidential vote and is considered a test of whether the government has instituted promised reforms and rooted out corrupt officials. The election will also be an indicator of the strength of the insurgency as NATO and Afghan forces work to secure polling stations in volatile areas amid Taliban threats."
It Will Be Violent PBS's Joshua Foust warns, "Last year, during Afghanistan’s presidential elections, the Taliban waited a long while to issue any kind of edict or ruling against the election. This year, they’ve been explicit: do not even bother. They’ve already murdered candidates, and have been explicit that they will attack voting stations. The government and ISAF (the International Security Assistance Force) will have a role to play as well. They haven’t exactly acquitted themselves lately, and have killed several people during the recent Quran burning protests. Last year, voters in Nuristan held a protest because they felt they didn’t have enough voting cards. During the chaos that ensued, the Afghan police killed two people. Afghan officials are pinky-swearing they will be able to provide security, but no one is under any illusions that this will be a bloodless election. Yesterday, the UN evacuated a third of its staff due to safety concerns."
No Democracy Without Security The New York Times' Alissa Rubin writes, "Turnout — and the legitimacy of the second election in a year — hangs in the balance as voters fear waning security and brace for fraud. ... Many election districts remain insecure, and some people worry that turnout in such places may end up being so low that it could raise questions about the legitimacy of the elections. 'Is an election with 5 percent turnout a valid election?' asked a Western diplomat in Kabul. This August there were double the number of attacks in Afghanistan as in August 2009, and the Taliban have encroached into northern Afghanistan, while remaining entrenched in many areas of the south and east. The Taliban warned Afghans this week to stay away from the polls."
Difficult Moment for Afghan Women Afghan law requires that one quarter of Parliamentary seats be reserved for women. GlobalPost's Jean MacKenzie writes, "The burden falls most heavily on women, many of whom lack the financial and political resources of their male counterparts. ... In many districts outside the main cities, women have not been able to campaign at all. In Herat province, 10 campaign workers for prominent female lawmaker Fawzia Gailani were kidnapped; five were released, but the others were killed." A female politician tells MacKenzie, "Five years ago things were different," but now the situation for women who would enter politics is much more difficult.
Elections Really Don't Matter That Much Foreign Policy's Alexander Lobov writes, "The real question is, what does this mean for reality on the ground? The answer is: not much. While corruption, particularly in the electoral process, could very well be damaging to Afghanistan's democratic future, for now it is something that both the Afghan people and the international community have to live with. Also, while security is of course paramount to the success of any public ballot, there is no indicator that insurgent groups are capable of derailing the entire process. As long as attacks and security fears are limited, although regrettable, they will not cause the electoral project to be abandoned, even if they mean that voter turnout will also be limited."
Does GOP really want to run on its record of support for Xcel?
It’s no surprise that Republicans have decided to contest the re-election campaign of Rep. Julie Bunn in Minnesota House District 56A, which extends all the way from Stillwater’s South Hill to the northern reaches of Woodbury.
And it’s no surprise that the GOP has made Bunn its No. 1 target, statewide, for the current election cycle — well, aside from the six so-called Rogue Republicans that they also want to defeat.
Nor is it surprising that the governor, who is also the leader of one of Minnesota’s political parties, sometimes uses the power of his office to enhance his party’s political prospects.
What’s surprising is that Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Republicans would want to remind voters in 56A about the fly ash landfill that Xcel Energy wanted to build in West Lakeland Township — a landfill that the Lower St. Croix Valley community and Bunn opposed, and the governor supported.
But that’s what the governor has done. He has raised the visibility of the issue, and of Bunn’s work on the issue, by appointing Bunn’s opponent, Kathy Lohmer, to the Citizen’s Board of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
“It sounds to me like it could be that (Republicans) are trying to get Rep. Bunn’s opponent some qualifications in the environment area,” Rep. Jean Wagenius, DFL-Minneapolis, told a reporter from the Pioneer Press. Indeed, environmental issues currently are not listed among Lohmer’s top five issues on her campaign website.
Lohmer is not now an officer or employee of the state, of course. But it’s clear that if she is elected in November, she will not be able to continue to serve on the MPCA board.
Not only that, but claims that Lohmer’s appointment was motivated by considerations of geographical balance don’t hold up either. The MPCA board has four Greater Minnesota members, all from a triangular-shaped area of north-central Minnesota running from the Bemidji to Duluth to St. Cloud areas. One of the three metro members, Dr. Daniel Foley of Woodbury, already hails from Washington County. Geographical balance might have been served by an appointee from Anoka County, or Mankato or Rochester, but not Lake Elmo.
Still, critics’ claims that the appointment is illegal or unethical would appear to be overstated. Rather, the appointment may be a political miscalculation, and that’s something that the voters will decide — not the courts.
One such issue was the adequacy of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed West Lakeland landfill. The Citizens’ Board voted 5-1 to find the EIS to be adequate — and to allow the landfill project to go forward — May 20. Among the “yes” votes were the governor’s appointee as MPCA commissioner, Brad Moore, and citizen member Dennis Jensen of Duluth, whom the governor re-appointed to the board last week along with Lohmer.
Meanwhile, Bunn introduced legislation that prohibits the siting of landfills in areas that are highly susceptible to groundwater contamination, which most observers believe the West Lakeland site to be. Bunn’s legislation became state law last month over the objections of the governor and Xcel. This was yeoman legislative work by any standard — but especially for a freshman lawmaker.
Bunn’s district is a traditionally safe Republican district. The GOP may feel that they lost the district in 2006 more than Bunn won it, because they simply didn’t take Bunn’s challenge to incumbent Mike Charron seriously enough. So observers expect Lohmer to run a strong challenge to Bunn’s re-election.
Still, there is every indication that Bunn’s opponent would have been a “yes” vote for the West Lakeland landfill project had she served on the MPCA Citizen’s Board a month ago. And there can be no question that Lohmer would not have authored legislation designed to prohibit landfills in gravel soils such as are found in West Lakeland.
It’s hard to imagine why Republicans wanted to run all of that up the flagpole.
Marc Hugunin lives in Grant, Minn. This piece originally appeared in the Stillwater Gazette and is reprinted with permission.
It sounds like the stuff of horror fiction, but scientists have raised health fears after a species of disease-carrying vampire bat, previously thought to mostly diet on birds, has been discovered feeding on human blood.
The flying mammals are well known to feed on blood, however, the hairy-legged vampire bat and white-winged vampire bat subspecies predominantly feast on birds.
Scientists in Brazil have discovered that hairy-legged vampire bats have resorted to feeding on humans, sparking fears that the rabies and hantavirus-carrying creatures could cause an increase in disease in humans.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, is a disease carried by rodents which does not affect the host animal. It can be fatal in humans, and has a mortality rate of 38 per cent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Enrico Bernard from the Federal University of Pernambuco in Recife, Brazil, was “quite surprised” to find traces of human blood in the faeces of a colony of bats living in Catimbau National Park in the north-east of the country.
He believes that the creatures have been sneaking through holes in roofs and feasting on campers and people sleeping outside - perhaps driven by deforestation of their natural hunting grounds.
The team in Brazil are currently investigating how often and at what time people near the park are being bitten, in order to assess the danger.
By the grace of whatever deity you pray to, neither film going wide this week is a franchise installment. Limited releases continue the originality with an abortion rom-com. It's summer refreshment at the movies this weekend. Savor it.
In what may be the first truly great week of blockbuster season, you can't go wrong with either wide release this week.
Let's talk about the flashy blockbuster first. Edge of Tomorrow, the sci-fi action-palooza with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt has an admittedly terrible marketing campaign ("Live. Die. Repeat." ugh) but it is, miraculously, not as bad as it looks. In fact, if you trust movie critics, it might actually be pretty good: Tomorrow enjoys a 90 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Don't expect a whole lot of depth (nor box office success), as The Wire's own David Sims compares it to a cinematic video game, but sometimes depth isn't the point. "Edge of Tomorrow is the perfect mix of blustering action and sci-fi thinky nonsense that is best enjoyed without picking at it too much," Sims writes. "It's worth seeing just for the performances, the set-pieces, and the strong exploitation of its high-concept premise. It's what summer movies are supposed to be for."
What summer movies might not be for is crying, but if you're looking for that, boy, do we have just the thing. If you aren't one of the fanatics who've been counting down until Friday for months (if not years) and unfamiliar, The Fault in Our Stars is a guaranteed weeper, based on the novel of the same name by John Green, enjoyed and cried over by teens and adults alike. The film might not evoke the same devastation as the book, but it has teens and romance and cancer – who among us could withstand that? Plus, Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, and Nat Wolff put in compelling performances, and there are some nifty production details to keep an eye out for. So if you're not into sci-fi thrillers, TFIOS is definitely worth checking out – just don't blame us when your heart is broken.
None of your choices are particularly appetizing this week. There's the Robocop reboot that seems eminently forgettable; Filth if you want to watch James McAvoy do something other than be Professor X; Lone Survivor, a behind-enemy-lines war thriller that seems self-explanatory; and The Pretty One, which has Zoe Kazan playing twins, where one impersonates the deceased other and eventually woos Jake Johnson. Lone Survivor has the best RT rating of the bunch, but there's enough variety here that it probably depends on what you like. We recommend Filth, mostly because it's based on a novel by the guy who wrote Trainspotting.
What should you watch on Netflix this weekend? You mean if we're pretending we're not all going to be binging Orange is the New Black? Well, there's another season of Luther up on instant, and three movies worth checking out: Rudy for some inspirational sports feelings, Girl Most Likely for Kristen Wiig (unfortunately it's most likely not as good as you want it to be), and Harriet the Spy for some good old fashioned '90s nostalgia.
Enough Said is on at 8 p.m. Saturday on HBO, and you should most definitely watch. Both Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini give outstanding performances in this middle-age rom-com, and watching Louis-Dreyfus play a character the polar opposite of Selina Meyer could be a refreshing warm-up for the Veep finale Sunday. On Showtime Saturday, you either have the last two Twilight movies starting a 2 p.m., or The Last Exorcism Part II (because apparently the first Last Exorcism wasn't the last) at 10 p.m. But seriously, watch Enough Said.
There is not a single mention in Putin's article, addressed to the American people, of the egregious crimes committed by the Syrian government and extensively documented by the UN Commission of Inquiry, local and international human rights groups, and numerous journalists: deliberate and indiscriminate killings of tens of thousands of civilians, executions, torture, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests.
His op-ed also makes no mention of Russia's ongoing transfer of arms to Assad throughout the past two and a half years.
The Russian president strategically emphasises the role of Islamic extremists in the Syrian conflict. Yes, many rebel groups have committed abuses and atrocities.
Yet Putin fails to mention that it is the Syrian government that is responsible for shooting peaceful protesters (before the conflict even started) and detaining and torturing their leaders - many of whom remain detained - and that the continued failure of the international community to respond to atrocities in Syria allows crimes on all sides to continue unaddressed.
Putin's plea to use the United Nations Security Council to resolve the conflict sounds great, until you remember that, from the very start of this conflict, Russia has vetoed or blocked any Security Council action that may bring relief to Syria's civilians or bring perpetrators of abuses in Syria to account.
While Russia's proposal for international monitoring of Syria's chemical weapons is a welcome step, it will do nothing to bring justice to hundreds of victims of the latest attack, let alone to thousands of others, killed by conventional weapons.
And when Putin squarely blames the opposition for the August 21 chemical attack - against all available evidence and without presenting a shred of his own evidence - one can only wonder why Russia remains so vehemently opposed to referring Syria to the International Criminal Court, an action that would be fully in line with international law, which Putin seems so keen to uphold in his op-ed, and would enable an investigation into abuses by both sides of the conflict.
Putin should give more credit to his audience: Russia will be judged by its actions, both on the international arena and domestically. So far, Russia has been a key obstacle to ending the suffering in Syria. A change towards a more constructive role would be welcome. But a compilation of half-truths and accusations is not the right way to signal such a change.
Work with senior management in NY on creating a sales and marketing strategy for taking our multi-platform network ad revenue to the next level and communicate strategy to sales group.
Provide strategic input to setting and maintaining sales targets and new business development opportunities for the Local & National Sales Managers and their immediate teams.
Drive expected revenue performance as well new ideas and "outside the box" revenue streams from new technology and growing sponsorship revenue.
Develop business models to monetize these revenue streams.
Oversee the Sales department including Sales Operations (Local/National/Digital/Traffic).
Ensure employees work and sell with integrity and uphold NBCSW sales standards. Clearly communicate expectations of performance and establish and maintain a professional and motivated staff through NBCSW’s performance management process.
Work cooperatively and in partnership with the other network departments and networks such as News, Marketing/Creative Services, and Digital groups to ensure growth in revenue and increased profitability through all network platforms.
Deliver presentations to Senior Management and assist Sales Managers with growing/maintaining relationships and negotiating and closing major deals when needed.
Oversees the planning and execution of sales meetings, client events, community and goodwill events and network representation at trade association meetings.
Ensure consistent network image throughout commercials, promotional materials, and events.
Minimum 10 years prior experience in a broadcast, professional team sales, digital sales or marketing role is required.
Must be willing to work at the location in Washington, D.C.
Proven track record in driving, developing and mentoring high performance teams.
The ability to lead change. Creativity and an imaginative mindset is necessary.
Knowledge of how direct ad clients, agencies, marketing/promotion companies and emerging companies operate.
Experience with and an understanding of the digital/emerging media world is critical.
NEWPORT BEACH — Most locals shy away from lessons aimed for tourists. The thought of a shaggy-haired beach boy demonstrating how to pop up on a surfboard can seem a little corny.
But a new club in Newport Beach is hoping to avoid such corniness. It welcomes beginners to stand-up paddling, the sport steadily gaining popularity.
SUP Dog (short for "stand-up paddle" and a play on "what's up, dog") is the name of a loose group of paddlers who gather weekly for evening harbor paddles and weekend events. Mandy McDonnell, the club's organizer, started paddling with friends and then decided to invite beginners to join.
"Every time I'd get back from a paddle, I heard someone say, 'I've been wanting to try it out,'" said McDonnell, who grew up sailing in Newport Harbor. "But they might not want to go to a rental place, or they're intimidated to try it on their own."
She checked into the local stand-up paddle scene and couldn't find any clubs, she said, so she started SUP Dog for both experienced paddlers and newcomers. It's free to join the club.
Since they started in the spring with just a few friends, the group has grown to about 20 paddlers each week heading out for evening runs. They meet at Newport Fun Tours, a rental shop behind the Crab Cooker, on 22nd Street each Wednesday.
"It just sounded really inviting because it's in the harbor," said Serena Flowers, 38, who had seen paddlers off the coast in Laguna Beach and wanted to try it out herself. She found the club on Meetup.com, a website where people with common interests can find each other.
Flowers rents a board and a paddle each week for $20. Other members use their own equipment. McDonnell is seeking sponsorships from board and paddle manufacturers so she can have a club fleet.
She gives a few pointers on how to stroke and how to turn, and then they're off.
"Everyone just wants to go paddling," McDonnell said, so she keeps instruction to a minimum. After the paddle, they usually hang out for a few beers.
And on the weekends, members sometimes head out for "bars on boards," where they paddle from restaurant to restaurant around the harbor to stop for drinks. More advanced paddlers head to races in locales like Dana Point, Lake Tahoe and San Diego.
"It's a great way to get people together," McDonnell said. "It kind of creates this cocktail party on the water."
I am responding to a letter to the editor titled, "Know what the war is about" (Feb. 26) written by Tim Hamilton.
As a three-time, combat-wounded Marine Corps Vietnam veteran who has struggled with the "collateral damage" from my service to this country in Vietnam for the past 35 years and who has spent much of this time estranged from my family, friends and society, I have some personal observations about what this, or any war, is about.
It is about devastation and destruction of not only personal property and infrastructure, but of the mind and spirit of the young men and women who are ordered to carry out the "dirty work" of such acts.
It is about having to do some deep soul-searching to validate what transpired on the battlefield 35 years ago and some 14,000 miles from home.
It is about innocent civilians - women, children and elderly - who will not be able to find safe haven in time to escape the brutality of the onslaught.
It is about a young girl that you grew up with that you had to physically remove from her boyfriend's flag-draped casket at the cemetery, knowing she will not be with him again.
It is about the young Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who cry out for their mothers when they are wounded, captured or dying.
It is about a lifetime of "survivors guilt" because somehow you were physically spared death, yet you could not save all the other young casualties.
It is about not seeing your father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, friend, cousin, husband or wife ever again.
It is about all of the "forgotten" veterans in the VA medical system who cannot get adequate treatment because our military budget has nothing left for them to use.
It is about being the wealthiest nation on earth, yet millions of Americans are homeless and go to sleep nightly with the pangs of hunger because America is addicted to war.
It is about coming back from serving your country to a nation so divided, knowing that there was little support for such a war, yet citizens were so ashamed that they could not look you in the eye and utter a simple "thank you" or "welcome home."
Lastly, it is about a young 18-year-old who walked repeatedly into the shadow of the valley of death, looked into the eye of the tiger, and was forever changed.
Mr. Hamilton, I am one of "those people" who are saying no to this, or any war. I would advise you to seek out alternative news sources other than CNN Headline News or your onboard newspaper.
Iraq is a land-locked country with no Navy and as you sit on your "luxury floating hotel" with hot showers, hot edible food, and e-mail access to your loved ones back home, think hard about how you have it made defending our freedoms.
Until you put on a flight suit and fly a "sortie" or a flak jacket and pound the ground as a "grunt" you are nowhere near "in harm's way."
I will pray for you and our president in hopes the Almighty will intervene and change the course we are on. People who know me personally will vouch for my patriotism. You're absolutely correct, however, freedom is not free.

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