The Potential Benefits of Assistive Technology on Special Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jul29

By Taher Kameli and Chathan Vemuri   The switch to virtual learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a process of adjustment for most grade-school students. Yet the challenge has been particularly acute for students with special needs.[1] Given the particular demands of the disabilities involved, the difficulty of providing specialized instruction via virtual schooling and the challenging priorities of parents under the stress of the pandemic (particularly if they are of lower income), grade school students with special needs are left at a disadvantage as their specialized form of instruction may not be effectively conveyed via virtual learning

July 29, 2021
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Trump Extends April and June Visa Bans to March 31, 2021

Trump Extends April and June Visa Bans to March 31, 2021
Jan14

Written by Taher Kameli & Chathan Vemuri President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on December 31 of 2020, extending the bans on certain immigrant and non-immigrant visas that were previously banned as per his proclamations on April 22 and June 22 of 2020, respectively.[1] Although these orders were supposed to expire on December 31 of 2020 itself, the President invoked the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on jobs in late 2020 to justify protecting US workers by continuing both of the bans.[2]While the ban would primarily hurt applicants for the H-1B visa, it would

January 14, 2021
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California Voters Approve Ridesharing Drivers from Labor Protections

California voters approve Uber-Lyft-sponsored proposition 22
Nov24

Written by Taher Kameli & Chathan Vemuri In an earlier post, we talked about how the First District Court of Appeal in California ruled that Uber and Lyft drivers were employees and were entitled to full protections under California’s Assembly Bill 5 law (AB5) such as paid sick leave, overtime, and fair wages.[1] Around the same time, however, Uber and Lyft were sponsoring a state ballot-initiative for Election Day known as Proposition 22 that would have exempted their drivers from the protections of AB5 and identified them as “independent contractors” rather than “employees.”

November 24, 2020
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Illegal Profits From False Claims About COVID-19 Vaccines

False Claims on COVID-19 Vaccine Making Illegal Profits
Sep28

Written by Taher Kameli & Chathan Vemuri Due to the need for a vaccine in light of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, biotechnology companies developing vaccine candidates have become the source of immense profit to stockholders investing in these companies.[1] Investors are betting on companies with promising candidates for successful vaccines, hoping to make millions, if not billions, off of the sale of these drugs. Already insiders from 11 small companies dependent on drug success or failure have sold over $1 billion in shares since March, in response to announcements of positive test results from heads of pharmaceutical

September 28, 2020
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Businesses Sue Insurers for Their Refusal to Pay Claims During COVID-19

Businesses Sue Insurers For Not Paying Claims During COVID
Sep14

Written by Taher Kameli & Julie Seong The long-term effects of the Coronavirus pandemic continue to reveal themselves in various ways. A United States Chamber of Commerce report shows that more than eight in ten small businesses have had to plan for changes made in response to the pandemic. The June report also shows that business owners’ negative sentiments toward the U.S. economy are slowly changing. However, the financial hit the majority of businesses took since March remains a reality. Although there have been multiple legislative proposals, bills, acts, and grants made available to both individuals and businesses in

September 14, 2020
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The Economic Effects of COVID-19 on Businesses

The Economic Effects of COVID-19 on Businesses
Aug27

Written by Taher Kameli According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, there are 5,176,018 reported cases of  COVID-19 in the United States alone as of August 13, 2020. As a result, the lives of caretakers, family, and employers of the affected individuals have also been changed. The unemployment rate in the United States is estimated to be at 13 percent and counting, and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation ended on July 25, 2020. This is the highest unemployment rate Americans face since the Great Depression. People and businesses have taken drastic measures to keep afloat. Several new laws

August 27, 2020
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President Trump’s Executive Order Suspending Immigration for 60 Days

Trump Suspends Immigration for 60 Days
May01

Witten by Bita Lak On April 22, 2020, President Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending the entry of immigrants whose presence would be detrimental to the interests of the United States for an initial period of 60 days. This suspension may be extended depending on the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.   Due to the high rate of unemployment during the pandemic and ongoing economic uncertainty, President Trump’s reasoning provided in the order is to protect American jobs.  On this basis, the issuance of immigrant visas for certain family-based cases and employment-based cases are suspended as of April 23, 2020. 

May 1, 2020
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Non-Citizen Public Charge Ground for Inadmissibility

Non-Citizen Public Charge Ground for Inadmissibility
Apr28

Written by: Bita Lak The purpose of this article is to overview the grounds for inadmissibility with a focus on public charge. A non-citizen who wishes to come to the United States needs to satisfy the requirements for immigrant or non-immigrant classifications. Satisfying the requirements of these classifications do not guarantee admission to the United States. Some applicants may face grounds for inadmissibility upon arrival and could not be admitted to the United States.  Some non-citizens who already reside in the United States can also be considered inadmissible if they evaded inspection by a U.S. immigration official when they entered

April 28, 2020
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Student visa holders and the effect of COVID-19

Student Visa (F1) Holders and Affect of COVID-19
Apr20

Written by Taher Kameli The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is a worldwide concern. Many businesses and individual lives have been affected by the spread of this virus. International students under F1 visa and non-immigrant visa workers, such as H-1B visa holders, are not exceptions to this situation. As of April 12, 2020, there were 554,849 total cases of coronavirus and 21,942 total deaths in the United States according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report. This pandemic affects current and prospective F1 students. Currently, most universities and colleges

April 20, 2020
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Solutions for H-1B Workers who lost jobs during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Solutions for H-1B Workers Who Lost Jobs during the Pandemic
Apr11

Written by Taher Kameli To control the spreading of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) in the United States, the implementation of travel restrictions and social distancing has resulted in a serious economic downturn: drop in sales, closure of businesses, and loss of jobs. Since the declaration of a national emergency, millions have lost their jobs and incomes.  This includes  many H-1B workers who now are facing an additional layer of uncertainty – their legal status to work and remain in the United States.  This post will briefly explore the difficulty in maintaining proper H-1B status

April 11, 2020
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