WHITE HOUSE/BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS A day after U.S. President Donald Trump reversed a policy of separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said there is a plan to reunite the more than 2,000 children who have been detained apart from their parents. "We have a plan to do that," the secretary told reporters at an event in Washington Thursday morning. Shortly before she spoke, a VOA reporter at an immigration court hearing in Brownsville, Texas, said prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges against 17 migrants. The migrants, who were separated from their children remain detained, but dropping the charges could be a means to reunite them and allow the families to be detained as units. David Bier, an Immigration Policy Analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute, said if government prosecutors are dropping criminal charges in similar cases across the immigration court system, it calls into question the Trump Administration's 'Zero Tolerance' policy towards immigration. It's "an even more clear signal that the whole purpose of bringing these prosecutions is to separate parents from children and not about enforcing the law." he told VOA. The administration's policy requires that anyone who crosses the border illegally face criminal charges. "If it continues to be the case that some of these cases or many of them are dismissed by courts that should be the end of the policy," Bier added. The moves come as the House of Representatives prepares to vote Thursday on a pair of immigration bills that address the separations, as well as other issues that have divided the country's major political parties. Nielsen repeated her calls for lawmakers to act. "I want to be very clear on this. Congress has the authority and responsibility to make the law of the land and to fix the immigration system," the secretary said. "We have done everything we can do in the executive branch." The outcome of the votes is uncertain. One measure is more hard-line, while the other... Question: What is a policy area that Kirstjen Nielsen is responsible for? === The answer to the above question is
OPTIONS:
- Agriculture
- Immigration
- Aviation
- not enough information
Immigration
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"Congratulations, jackass, you just got us sued." My editor, Sharon, was standing in front of my desk. She was apparently not happy. I shrugged, slouching further down in my chair, trying to hide from her gigantic crazy eyes behind my computer. It was a white laptop with a sticker that said "This Machine Kills Yuppies" slapped over the corporate logo on back. She reached out with one of her freakish man-hands and slammed the screen shut. "Let me try this again. You just got us sued six times over." Sharon Sinclair was a six-foot-tall beast of a woman with a huge mane of wiry black and gray hair pulled back in a pony tail. I had every confidence that she could tear me in two and use my bloody carcass in some kinky hedonistic lesbian cult ritual or something. So I usually tried to choose my words with the appropriate care around her. "Jesus-fucking-Christ, I haven't even had my morning coffee yet, and my head's still reeling from the Louisville Slugger that pummeled it last night. So I really don't feel like dealing with whatever annoying hormonal episode you have going on here." She glared at me silently, watching me squirm a little before asking, "Are you done?" "Probably." "Good," she said with a suppressed grin as she took a seat next to me. "Because I just let you publicly accuse the mayor and the valley's most powerful corporations of conspiring to defraud the taxpayers. So what's your plan for keeping my ass off the firing line?" I tilted back in my chair and met Sharon's gaze. "Look, we knew we'd get a strong reaction. Let them sue. We have e-mails to back us up." "These legal briefings say your e-mails were forged," she responded, waving a thick stack of papers in my face. "Of course they're gonna say that. That's why I made sure to get corroboration. Abrasax confirmed that the e-mails between Dylan Maxwell and City Hall are legit. But you know all this, so I don't know why we're wasting time going over it again." Question: Who is Sharon? === The answer to the above question is
OPTIONS:
- the narrator's intern
- the narrator's direct supervisor
- not enough information
- the narrator's assistant
not enough information
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Constipation is not a glamorous topic, but it's certainly important, especially in older adults. As anyone who has experienced occasional or even chronic constipation can tell you, it can really put a damper on quality of life and well-being. Constipation can also cause more substantial problems, such as: * Severe abdominal pain, which can lead to emergency room visits * Hemorrhoids, which can bleed or be painful * Increased irritability, agitation, or even aggression, in people with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia * Stress and/or pain that can contribute to delirium (a state of new or worse confusion that often happens when older adults are hospitalized) * Fecal incontinence, which can be caused or worsened by having a hard lump of stool lodged in the lower bowel * Avoidance of needed pain medication, due to fear of constipation Fortunately, it's usually possible to help older adults effectively manage and prevent constipation. This helps maintain well-being and quality of life, and can also improve difficult behaviors related to dementia. The trouble is that constipation is often either overlooked or sub-optimally managed by busy healthcare providers who aren't trained in geriatrics. They are often focused on more "serious" health issues. Also, since many laxatives are available over-the-counter, some providers may assume that people will treat themselves if necessary. Personally, I don't like this hands-off approach to constipation. Although several useful laxatives are indeed available over-the-counter (OTC), I've found that the average person doesn't know enough to correctly choose among them. Also, although in geriatrics we often do end up recommending or prescribing laxatives, it's vital to start by figuring out what is likely to be causing or worsening an older person's constipation. For instance, many medications can make constipation worse, so we usually make an attempt to identify and perhaps deprescribe those. In short, if you're an older adult, or if you're helping an older... Question: After the end of the story, healthcare providers probably think what? === The answer to the above question is
OPTIONS:
- Dementia can lead to constipation.
- Laxatives are not useful for constipation.
- Other health issues are more serious than constipation.
- not enough information
Other health issues are more serious than constipation.
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