12

  Lawmakers say bird flu funds needs to be expeditiously utilized In the wake of the unprecedented outbreak of avian influenza , a bipartisan group of lawmakers called on USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to quickly disseminate funds Congress recently allocated to limit the impact of the outbreak. Through the appropriations bill passed at the end of the year, Congress allocated over $64 million for improving avian health and included guidance directing APHIS to coordinate proactively with state animal health officials to mitigate the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza. Additionally, Congress directed APHIS to increase outreach and engagement with poultry producers to educate them on how to proactively halt further spread.  A letter led by Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., says, “It is imperative the agency quickly deploy additional resources and work with the states in improving biosecurity ...

  Sumeru Chatterjee, a former customer success manager  in San Francisco, had been working in the United States for nearly a decade and even began to call it home. "I had a comfortable narrative in my head that this would continue to be my life. But the economic ripples of the COVID-19 pandemic made me realize the limitations of the H-1B process." After he was laid off in 2020, Chatterjee also realized the 60 grace period wasn't as graceful as it seemed. "It's a pretty arbitrary number and during that time, you can't work part time, freelance, or pick up any gigs for extra income. Any future sponsorship must be of similar occupation and salary. Otherwise, you are deported at the end of your 60 days." Many H-1B visa holders are stuck — yearslong delays and unprecedented backlogs to apply and receive Permanent Residency Cards leave workers precariously bound to their employers and new obstacles are erected with each wave of layoffs. Notably, many visa hold...