brookings institution: Research published last week by the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank, predicted the U.S. could see 300,000 to 500,000 fewer births next year, according to CTV. But could Canada see an equivalent drop in birth numbers Or are the two countries -- and the way the pandemic has impacted them -- different enough that Canada will fare slightly better Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox Economists Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip Levine wrote in Brookings that economic factors have a lot more to do with babies than you might think. However, experts say that we might be in for a baby bust, and see birth rates fall due in part to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. Unemployment rates correlate with a decrease in birth rates, the report says, noting that a one percentage-point increase in state-year unemployment rates is associated with a 0.9 to 2.2 percent decrease in birth rates in the U.S. The authors pointed out that an economic downturn that only lasts a short period of time is unlikely to create a huge change in birth rates. A deeper and longer lasting recession will then mean lower lifetime income for some people, which means that some women will not just delay births, but they will decide to have fewer children, the report states. But an event such as COVID-19 that affects so many levels of the economy -- and has caused layoffs on such a grand scale -- is more likely to have a lasting impact. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

kinky dream: My cousin and I have flirted and joked about getting it on together for about 50 years or more, according to Georgia Asian. Now she's divorced and having the time of her life. This is true, not a Penthouse letter. The other day, she told me what she'd really like is to have a lesbian experience with me watching and then joining. This is a kinky dream come true! I love oral sex, and with two pussies to eat, et cetera, the whole thing sounds just great! What I don't know is how to contact someone to do this. I'm so crazed with lust that I'm having a hard time thinking straight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

poc nights: It's offered scholarships to people of colour, LGBTQ students, and differently abled students in the last year, as well as POC Nights a free improv class and jam session, according to Georgia Asian. The school also has extensive language banning discrimination and harrassment. The initiative, called the Welcome 2020, is the latest diversity push by the program. Ronald Dario and Ese Atawo are its diversity coordinators. All courses will be held digitally during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year's Welcome saw over 70 people who identify as women, trans, and/or femme try out comedy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

scheer: Scheer had entered the crowded auditorium wearing a crisp navy blue suit and carrying his daughter Mary in his left arm, trailed by his wife Jill and their four other children, looking buoyant, according to National Observer. His supporters, however, were noticeably subdued. He just didn't know it. Although the federal Tories had grabbed 121 seats and won the largest share of the popular vote that evening, they'd failed to take out a weakened Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. And now we're heading back to Ottawa with a much bigger team, with more support from coast to coast. More Canadians wanted us to win this election than any other party, Scheer said in his speech. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stories people: The CCLA said vulnerable groups impacted by the pandemic need public health support and not punitive law enforcement, and that these fines are paving the way for further racial profiling and discriminatory policing of groups including people of colour, those with precarious housing, recent immigrants, youth, members of the LGBTQ community, as well as certain religious minorities, according to CTV. From the stories people sent us, primarily from Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, the organizations we talked to, we know these are the communities that are both disproportionately impacted by this pandemic, and they're also the communities that are disproportionately impacted by fines and policing, Abby Deshman, the director of the Criminal Justice Program with the CCLA told CTV News Channel, adding that the vast majority of people are trying their best to comply with rules. The Policing the Pandemic Mapping Project, launched in April, tracks what it describes as the massive and extraordinary expansions to police power enacted in response to the pandemic. In one instance, a Black man relayed his unsettling encounter with law enforcement to the CCLA. He said he was walking in a Toronto park with his partner when they were stopped and questioned by a bylaw officer on whether they lived in the same household. Eventually, two Toronto Police Service cruisers also pulled up. He said the by-law officer and his team followed him for 25 minutes through the park, even after he and his partner decided to part ways and meet at home. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

support something: Because two homosexuals cannot produce offspring...two lesbians cannot produce offspring, according to CTV. So, why would I want to support something when this would be the last generation on Earth I'm not going to go there. In an open Amaranth Township Council meeting on Zoom, Mayor Currie said, If everybody was either lesbian or homosexual, this would be the last generation on Earth. In reaction to that statement, Warden White said he cannot fathom the pain caused by comments made recently, adding, our community, much like many others in our great nation, is only enriched by members of the LGBTQ2 community. But anyways, I did not say, I don't say what I do say, okay, to offend people. On Wednesday, Mayor Currie declined the opportunity to apologize and told CTV News, If I hurt somebody, that's their problem, not mine. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

effect wednesday: The ban on new visas, which takes effect Wednesday, applies to four categories including H-1B, H-2B, J-1, and L-1, according to CTV. Scotty Greenwood, the CEO of the Canadian American Business Council, said her group is extremely concerned about the move, and she's already heard from members of her organization unhappy with the ban. The Trump administration on Monday extended a ban on green cards issued outside the U.S. and added many temporary work visas to the freeze. I have to believe that the executive order wasn't intended to target Canada but nevertheless it impacts Canada-U.S. commerce and that's unfortunate and I hope can be rectified in some way, Greenwood said. The H-1B, which is widely used by American and Indian technology companies, was issued to 101 Canadians in the 2019 fiscal year. According to documents provided by the U.S. State Department, more than 400 Canadians were issued the affected visas in 2019. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

forecast period: Average home prices in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa are expected to rebound sooner, starting in late 2020 and rolling into early 2021, according to CTV. Prices in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary may not bounce back until later in the forecast period, the report said. CMHC deputy chief economist Aled ab Iorwerth described an uneven recovery that will vary considerably across different parts the country, and urged that forecasts be taken in the context of an extreme uncertainty that lies ahead. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox Calgary and Edmonton will see average home prices decline due to uncertainty around oil prices and economic recovery in the region. We are still at the early stage of understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the economy in general, and on the housing market in particular, he said on Tuesday in a conference call. Volatile factors, such as a potential second wave of the virus, higher unemployment and the pace of an economic recovery, could influence the direction of the housing market in the coming months, ab Iorwerth explained. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

liberian community: Some of those were innocent civilians, others were soldiers who committed heinous acts, according to CTV. In the Liberian community we aren't surprised to see people who participated in the war, says Leo Johnson, president of the Liberian Association of Canada LAC . As a community we are still struggling because people who bear the greatest responsibilities for the civil war are still walking around, the leaders, the rebel leaders, only one person is in prison. Throughout the 1990s Liberian refugees dispersed throughout the world to escape civil unrest. Former Liberia President Charles Taylor is serving a 50-year sentence for planning some of the most brutal crimes in human history. Bill Horace, the man killed in London Sunday was one of his rebel commanders. Gen. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rights day: It's a Kafkaesque nightmare for Moe that constitutes a form of psychological torture -- also known as no-touch torture -- that was perfected at Montreal's McGill University during the 1950s, according to Rabble. It is incomprehensible to imagine what it has been like for Moe and his wife Sophie, who have lived with this nightmare hanging over their heads since Moe was arrested on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2002. For Ottawa's Mohamed Moe Harkat -- a much-loved refugee renowned for acts of kindness and community care, including installing seniors' air conditioning units during the current heat wave -- it will represent 6,048 days of fighting deportation to torture in Algeria. To provide a framework for the damage that would be caused living under such conditions, the United Nations warns that after three months of lockdown and pandemic-related anxiety, the world faces a profound mental health crisis. Secret certificates The secret basis for these efforts to deport Moe to torture is a medieval star chamber process known as the secret trial security certificate, under which an individual can be detained indefinitely without charges based on allegations they are not allowed to see, much less contest. While that crisis is real and must be addressed, multiply that three-month stretch of anxiety 67 times, and that's how long the Harkats have faced the unimaginable while surviving the completely unacceptable. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stock quebecers: If the holiday expressed any degree of nationalism, it was of an insular and defensive sort, according to Rabble. Then, starting in the 1960s, the day became at once more secular and more overtly political and nationalistic. Originally, la F te promoted Quebec's notional Roman Catholic identity. Celebrations, which almost always included many of Quebec's leading musical stars, often spoke openly to the aspiration for an independent Quebec state. Its definition of Qu b cois has expanded to include not only Qu b cois de vieille souche old stock Quebecers but everyone who is part of Quebec's diverse society, regardless of religion or ethnic origin. Since the 1960s the holiday has become more and more inclusive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

voters: The rest of the noise is just the Hatfields making the McCoys angrier, and vice versa, according to National Observer. Some days, it's tempting to imagine the same type of polarization is starting to happen in Canada. All the excitement comes down to a multibillion-dollar fight to persuade a handful of voters in a handful of states. Tempting but wrong. We aggregated almost 5,000 cases from our most recent surveys to shine a light on how so-called base voters seem to matter less than ever. Except in Alberta, polling shows, voters are increasingly open to checking out their options. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asian: But as it grows in popularity, it is becoming increasingly mainstream, appearing on the menus of non-Southeast Asian restaurants such as Bernardin in NYC and Earls and PiDGiN in Vancouver, according to Georgia Asian. Perhaps it's an example of our much-lauded multiculturalism, except that this lime's most commonly known name in North America kaffir lime henceforth referred to as K-lime involves a horrible racial epithet, akin to using the N-word in North America. Many of us have only recently begun to hear of this lime and its leaf, usually in the context of a lovely Southeast Asian dish. An Encyclopedia of Swearing by Geoffrey Hughes notes the original meaning of the K-word is derived from the Arabic kafir, which means an unbeliever of Islam, also known as an infidel. It was used by Arab traders to refer to the indigenous peoples of Africa, then taken up by Portuguese sailors and subsequently picked up by Dutch and British colonists, especially in South Africa. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

expert analysis: This is not hyperbole, according to NOW Magazine. It is the conclusion of expert analysis. This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying, she tweeted. The Trump administration has upped its efforts against illegal immigration despite the public outcry last year over children being separated from their families. According to several reports, 24 people have died in the detention centres in recent months, six of them children. There are some 200 detention facilities for migrants in the U.S. operated by private contractors and local and state governments. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

markets housing: Scroll down to read through the full report, including information on other markets, according to CTV. Housing starts Senior analysts Braden Batch and Eric Bond wrote that housing starts in B.C.'s most populous city are expected to contract significantly in the immediate future. The latest outlook, released Tuesday morning, looks at the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic so far, and estimates when things may return to normal. While B.C.'s approach to the novel coronavirus pandemic has allowed for construction, new builds will be challenged by reduced migration from Canada and abroad, the Vancouver market forecast says. Prior to the pandemic, the report says, the construction industry had been operating at or near capacity. Additional factors impacting housing starts are increased unemployment and uncertainty regarding long-term economic impacts of COVID-19. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ajay shah: Ajay Shah, a 23-year-old medical student, was one of hundreds of medical students who mobilized to volunteer on the front lines, according to CTV. He spent seven weeks at the heart of the crisis a long-term care home in Toronto. While some universities in the U.S. and Europe graduated medical students early to join the front lines in the fight against COVID-19, Canadian medical students had to search for other ways to help. I remember constantly worrying that I was going to get COVID and become very sick, he told CTV News. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox It became very evident that we needed all hands on deck, he said. It wasn't an unjustified fear -- most of the residents in Shah's ward had tested positive for COVID-19. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

delhi dixit: The message My colleagues and I are working on a story about illegal organ trafficking in India and are in need of sources for the story, according to Rabble. We were wondering if you could help us with finding sources and guiding us around Delhi Dixit was furious. The subject read, Fixer needed. In the following days she received more emails from reporters, with similar subject lines Looking for fixer to report on India's election. Dixit has been an investigative journalist for 13 years, publishing widely read stories on human rights violations and gender-based violence. In each case, the language was blunt and unsolicitous. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hairdressing salons: School closures during lockdown have exacerbated the situation because more women than men tend to care for and teach their children, even while working from home, according to CTV. The services sector, covering areas like hospitality and leisure, has been ravaged by lockdowns imposed by governments across the world trying to halt the spread of the disease. The nature of the outbreak means women are more likely than men to lose or quit their jobs in vulnerable low-paying workplaces like bars, conference venues, hairdressing salons, hotels, pubs and restaurants, which faced extensive shutdowns. LOSS OF INCOME In the U.K. and the U.S., women more likely to lose their jobs because they are more likely to work in services, said Cambridge University economics lecturer Christopher Rauh. In Britain, stay-at-home measures began to be relaxed earlier this month but pubs, bars and restaurants are expected to reopen only from July 4. When you lose your job you are not just losing income now -- but also later on, he told AFP. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox As lockdowns ease and infection rates and deaths fall, the services sector is often the last to reopen because it tends to rely on large numbers of people in close contact. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

morgan pipeline: Televised images of protesters being hauled away have made the pipeline story far more compelling for television news directors than a looming 10.7-billion or more boondoggle far away in northeastern B.C. But a new book by Victoria environmental journalist Sarah Cox, Breaching the Peace The Site C Dam and a Valley's Stand Against Big Hydro, serves as a compelling reminder of the importance of this issue, according to Georgia Asian. It's a breathtaking examination of how Site C was rammed through despite its devastating impacts on public finances and an ecological treasure trove. On Point Press, 312 pp, softcover For much of 2018, the controversy over the Kinder Morgan pipeline has overshadowed the gnawing and deep public concerns over the Site C dam. This is not merely a look at numbers on a balance sheet, though that alone should be sufficient to alarm the public. Cox also details the impact of this costly megaproject on the stunning biodiversity of the Peace River region. The cost escalations speak to the deceitful way in which this project was initially marketed to the public. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

network checks: That means if you live in a location where the cost of living is dramatically lower, or the cost of labour is lower, then salaries do tend to be somewhat lower in those places, he said on the video conference, where he announced more employees would be allowed to work remotely permanently, according to CTV. Zuckerberg gave Canadian and American workers until Jan. 1, 2021 to inform the company about their location, so it can properly complete taxes and accounting and use virtual private network checks to confirm staff are where they claim. Zuckerberg had a clear message for them if you plan to stay, expect a change to your pay. Newsletter sign-up Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox The demand is part of a new reality Canadian workers are being confronted with as employers try to quell the spread of COVID-19 and increasingly consider making remote work permanent. Only one-third of Canadians working remotely expect to resume working from the office as consistently as they did pre-pandemic, while one-in-five say they will remain primarily at home, according to a June study from the Angus Reid Institute. The shift means many companies are having to rethink salaries and compensation, while grappling with the logistics of a new work model. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

york times: As it turned out, K-pop fans hardcore devotees of Korean pop music had reserved the majority of tickets, as reported by the New York Times, and then did not use them in hopes of leaving the rally sorely attended, according to NOW Magazine. It's a testament to the power of teenagers today, who are part of the Generation Z cohort, and grew up on social media. After President Donald Trump's team repeatedly boasted that over one million tickets had been requested for his Saturday night rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, only 6,200 people showed up, leaving the majority of the 19,000-seat venue glaringly empty. Now, they're harnessing that tool to mass effect. Likewise, Gen Zers around the world have used Twitter, Instagram, Facebook you name it to help propel the Black Lives Matter movement into a worldwide one. K-pop fans devised their plan and spread the message via Tik Tok, the video-sharing app largely comprised of teens. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

artistry: He played with a level of joy and artistry unlike anything basketball fans had ever seen in Vancouver, according to Georgia Asian. That's where everything started, Haywood recently told the Straight by phone. A wizard at street ball, he amazed onlookers by dribbling behind his back, through his opponents' legs, and sometimes even over their heads at the age of 15 and 16. I felt like I was home when I was out there. Nobody was judging me not even judging my skin colour, because there was a lot of Black people out there, he continued. I could do whatever I wanted to do. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ballot election: I think we're going to have to look for democracies establishing networks and informal coalitions outside of the Security Council and my major message if I had the ear of people in high places in Canada would be to keep doing what you're doing, keep leading, she said, according to CTV. Don't lead just for the sake of a Security Council campaign, but take that show on the road. In an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday, author and diplomat Samantha Power says now more than ever democracies need to play a bigger part in advocating for the value of international cooperation, whether through the UN or elsewhere. Canada placed third during Wednesday's secret ballot election with 108 votes. Holding a temporary position was one of his key foreign policy objectives since taking office in 2015, declaring a few months later Canada is back on the world stage. Norway and Ireland earned 130 and 128 votes respectively among the Western European and Others group for 2021-22 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ramped up his lobbying efforts in recent months with African and Caribbean countries in a last-ditch attempt to shore up support. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

gas project: A biologist who works as an environmental consultant in British Columbia, he works for a company that was hired by a sub-consulting firm to do an assessment of the risks and impacts associated with a large-scale natural gas project on the province's north coast, which was going to consume hectares of land, according to National Observer. He asked that his real name not be used for fear of reprisal. Simon Halfyard knows that better than most. It became clear to him that a large amount of critical fish habitat was going to be lost to the footprint of the project. You want to try and avoid significant effects. So in my interpretation of this, I declared this particular project to be a 'significant' risk, he says. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leadership skills: To stabilize the riot in just three hours is a testament to the courage, training, and professionalism our members exhibited, and to the leadership skills of many sergeants, staff sergeants, inspectors, and others who took on leadership roles.I have promised that we will fully cooperate with any review process, and if there are lessons to be learned, we will implement them, according to Georgia Asian. We all have been moved by the amazing outpouring of public support. The deputy chiefs, senior officers and I have managed to speak with many sworn and civilian members over the last few days and I want to thank you again for your amazing work and your feedback. The letters, cards, baked goods, dog treats, and hugs and handshakes are unprecedented in my 32 year career. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rcmp member: Deanna Fontaine told CTV News Sunday the U.S. citizens were located by police last week, according to CTV. Four of the 1,200 tickets were handed out on June 16 and two more on June 18. RCMP Cpl. The six tickets were issued to travellers who had stopped near Lake Louise for long hikes in the park. Fontaine was unable to provide details as to when and where the seventh ticket was written up. RCMP confirm two of the responses were prompted by complaints from the public while another case was intiated by an RCMP member. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.