Police are patrolling a senior citizen housing building in Englewood, New Jersey, around the clock. Three people were arrested there late last month, after complaints of prostitution and drugs. Two of them, a 75-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, were residents but are being evicted. A 54-year-old woman is their alleged accomplice. All three faces drug charges. Police say the man admitted to providing prostitutes to some of his younger neighbors inside the building. More charges could be filed. The city’s housing authority runs the low-income housing for seniors.

On Tuesday, twenty seven years after the last major changes in U.S. immigration laws, a bipartisan group of eight senators, meeting  secretly for years revealed  an outline of  a major overhaul that will materially change the immigration landscape. The bill called the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 has three dominant goals: to create a path to legal status and a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants; to lock up U.S. borders to prevent illegal entry; and to simplify the hiring of temporary and permanent workers from overseas when needed. President Obama has mandated immigration reform to one of his main concern for 2013. Obama stated earlier in the week after a White House meeting with two members of the “Gang of Eight.” “I urge the Senate to quickly move this bill forward and, as I told Senators Schumer and McCain, I stand willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that comprehensive immigration reform becomes a reality as soon as possible,” Obama called the bill “clearly a compromise,” stating that , “no one will get everything they wanted, including me.”   Meanwhile,  the Senate Judiciary Committee appears to be moving quickly by scheduling hearings for Friday and Monday.  Senate Democratic leaders anticipate passage of the bill in May, following the debate. The House is preparing a similar bill. The following is a simplified outline of ta very complicated and detailed bill: BORDER SECURITY Establishment and maintenance of effective control in high risk border sectors along the Southern border. This will be done as follows: 1) Persistent surveillance in High Risk Sectors along the Southern Border; and 2) An Effectiveness Rate of 90% in a fiscal year for all High Risk Sectors along the Southern Border.  (The number of apprehensions and turn backs in a specificsector divided by the total number of illegal entries.) 3) $3 billion in new funds would be provided to improve border surveillance and detection, add law enforcement officers and operate aerial surveillance, and $1.5 billion in new funds would be used to improve border fencing. LEGALIZATION OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS Certain individuals in unlawful status may adjust their status to the legal status of Registered Provisional Immigrant Status (RPI). Eligibility Criteria are as follows: Must have resided in the United States prior to December 31, 2011 and maintenance of continuous physical presence since then; Pay a $500 penalty fee (except for DREAM Act eligible students), and assessed taxes, per adult applicant in addition to all applicable fees required to pay for the cost of processing the application. Who does not qualify: Ineligible if:                  O Convicted of an aggravated felony;                 o Convicted of a felony;                 o Convicted of 3 or more misdemeanors;                 o Convicted of an offense under foreign law;                 o Unlawfully Voted; and   o Inadmissible for Criminal, National Security, Public Health, or other morality grounds Spouses and children of people in RPI status can be petitioned for as derivatives of the principal applicant (but must in the United States at the time).        Immigrants in RPI status can work and travel outside of the United States Individuals outside of the United States who were previously here before December 31, 2011 and were deported for non-criminal reasons can apply to re-enter the United States in RPI status if they are the spouse, of or parent of a child who is, United States citizen or lawful permanent resident; or are a childhood arrival who is eligible for the DREAM Act.            Application period will be for 1 year with the possibility of extension by the Secretary for an additional 1 year.      ((Individuals with removal orders will be permitted to apply, as will aliens currently in removal proceedings)).        RPI status shall last for a 6-year term that is renewable if the immigrant does not commit any acts that would render the alien deportable. Another $500 penalty fee is applicable at this time.        After 10 years, aliens in RPI status may adjust to Lawful Permanent Resident Status through the same Merit Based System everyone else must use to earn a green card (described below) if the following things have occurred:      o The alien maintained continuous physical presence      o They paid all taxes owed during the period that they are in status as an RPI      o They worked in the United States regularly;      o And demonstrated knowledge of Civics and English        People in DREAM Act Status and the Agricultural Program can get their green cards in 5 years and DREAM Act kids will be eligible for citizenship immediately after they get their green cards LEGAL IMMIGRATION        The bill eliminates the backlog for family and employment-based visas.        The bill amends the definition of “immediate relative” to include a child or spouse of an alien admitted for lawful permanent residence.        The bill amends the existing category for married sons and daughters of citizens of the United States to include only sons and daughters who are under 31 years of age.        The bill repeals the Diversity Visa Program. Aliens who were or are selected for diversity immigrant visas for fiscal years 2013 or 2014 will be eligible to receive them.        The bill creates a startup visa for foreign entrepreneurs who seek to emigrate to the United States to startup their own companies.   THE NEW MERIT BASED SYSTEM The merit based visa, created in the fifth year after enactment, awards points to individuals based on their education, employment, length of residence in the US and other considerations. Those individuals with the most points earn the visas. Those who access the merit based pathway to earn their visa are expected to be talented individuals, individuals in our worker programs and individuals with family here. 120,000 visas will be available per year based on merit. The number would increase by 5% per year if demand exceeds supply in any year where unemployment is under 8.5%. There will be a maximum cap of 250,000 visas   TEMPORARY WORK VISAS H-1B Visa Reform The base annual cap of 65,000 will be raised to 110,000  In future years, the cap can go as high as 180,000. Create a new nonimmigrant classification known as the W-Visa. The W visa holder is an alien having a foreign residence who will come to the US to perform services or labor for a registered employer in a registered position. The spouse and minor children of the W visa holder will be allowed to accompany or follow to join and will be given work authorization for the same period of admission the W nonimmigrant is allowed to be here. The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act (AgJOBS) would allow current undocumented farm workers to obtain legal status through an Agricultural Card Program. Undocumented farm workers who have made a substantial prior commitment to agricultural work in the United States would be eligible for an Agricultural Card. Agricultural workers who fulfill future Agricultural Card work requirements in U.S. agriculture, show that they have paid all taxes, have not been convicted of any serious crime, and pay a $400 fine are eligible to adjust to legal permanent resident status. Spouses and minor children would receive derivative status. A new agricultural guest worker visa program would be established to ensure an adequate agricultural workforce. A portable, at-will employment based visa (W-3 visa) and a contract-based visa (W-2 visa) would replace the current H-2A program. The H-2A program would sunset after the new guest worker visa program is operational. source in part: www.aila.org

"Aldo Baldin, A Life For Music" under the baton of producer Marcelo Nigriby Micki Mihich.In pre-production stage is one of the most-important-to-be documentaries about Brazil and music, "Aldo Baldin, A Life For Music".  No, there is no Samba nor Bossa Nova here, both very well-represented in countless other documentaries from "terra brasilis"; more than a musical category, even though the documentary deals with classical music, the film is rather about an instrument - Brazilian tenor Aldo Baldin. If you are acquainted with the lyric singer's work, you'll certainly be pleased to know that finally we'll have a definitive proper documentation about the great Brazilian vocal artist.  And if you don't know him, then you're proof of the documentary's importance. Born in Urussanga, a small city in the state of Santa Catarina, Baldin sang with some of the most acclaimed maestros in the world, such as Helmuth Rilling, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Henrique Morelenbaum, Riccardo Muti, Karl Richter, Herbert von Karajan, among others; he was one of the biggest interpreters of Bach, as well as Mozart's and Verdi's; he was one of the most prolific tenors in existence, both in chamber music as well as in lyrical, with over 500 performances in 60 different operas and 300 oratories, having 150 recordings (over 60 in CD). Counting all his registered performances all over the world, including radio and TV, there are over one thousand works.  Baldin was even the recipient of a Grammy, having been the greatest Brazilian lyrical singer, and one of the greatest in the world. With the noble purpose of bringing to the fore and preserving the memory of this Brazilian giant, from his humble beginning in Santa Catarina's countryside to the international acclaim, through his struggles and challenges in Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro until his moving to Germany, "Aldo Baldin, A Life For Music" has already been garnering its due support.  "We've been awarded the Feature Film Project Research and Development Grant from the Santa Catarina Government", states proudly producer Marcelo Nigri.  The film also has the unrestricted support from the Baldin family, "Which is extremely important", declares the producer, "Not only for the support per se and legitimacy added to the project but also for the unique source materials provided". Nigri refers to the quasi-unlimited photographic, videographic and discographic archives on the tenor, maintained by his widow, Irene Flesch Baldin, and their two daughters, Serena and Sofia. The film also has a director from Urussanga, the same city as the tenor's, Yves Goulart, director of the multi-awarded "Beyond The Light", also produced by Nigri. "The presence of Yves in the project obviously is due to his professional quality and unique vision as director, and also because he's a big fighter for the preservation and promotion of Baldin's memory", says the producer, "But of course, the fact that both artists share the same roots makes that an extra special item in an ideal marriage". Natural from Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo Nigri came from the world of the dance, where he already used cinematographicelements in his choreographies. "The dance, as much as cinema, always were very present in my life", reveals the producer, who's also a choreographer, "The image in movement in cinema is also choreographic and that has always fascinated and inspired me". Nigri has several projects in different stages of production, all focused in Brazilian culture, one of which being about dance, as expected. "To reveal the 'other Brazils' through art has always been my target", says the producer, who presently resides in New York, "We should not forget, for instance, that our musical gifts also go beyond the Samba and the Bossa Nova.  And nobody better than Aldo Baldin to prove it". * Foto de Rodrigo Barbosa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 5, 2012 - Ryder System, Inc., a leader in commercial transportation and supply chain management solutions, announced that Eagle Distributing of Shreveport, Inc., has signed a full-service lease agreement for 23 compressed natural gas (CNG) tractors. Eagle is an Anheuser-Busch distributor in northwestern Louisiana and Ryder’s first natural gas lease customer in Louisiana. The CNG tractors will replace nearly all of Eagle’s existing diesel-powered delivery fleet. With natural gas vehicles available for lease and rental in markets in California, Arizona, and Michigan, Ryder now adds Shreveport, La., as its newest market with a natural gas vehicle offering. Ryder will also provide maintenance for the 23 CNG vehicles from Ryder’s Shreveport service facility, which is being upgraded for compliance with natural gas standards. The CNG vehicles are part of a strategic initiative by Eagle to reduce its carbon footprint and control fuel costs. “By changing out these 23 vehicles, Eagle will cut its greenhouse gas emissions from its current 878 tons down to 670 tons, which will be a reduction of 24%,” said Doug Jones, Operations Manager for Eagle. “We are also changing out smaller fleet vehicles to CNG. We are committed and will continue to change out more vehicles this year and in the years to come until all our vehicles are converted to CNG,” he added. “As a socially responsible company, we wanted to look at our fleet options not only from a cost perspective, but also as a good neighbor to our customers and the communities we serve,” said Brad Nichols, President of Eagle. “((These advanced technology compressed natural gas vehicles work as well as their diesel counterparts and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions.)) With the availability and planned growth of natural gas fueling infrastructure in our service area in Louisiana, we believe CNG vehicles will continue to gain momentum as an environmentally beneficial and cost-competitive alternative.” Ryder’s leased vehicles will be used to make deliveries throughout Eagle’s service territory of nine parishes in Northwest Louisiana. Eagle is also currently exploring plans to build a natural gas fueling station near its headquarters in Shreveport. Eagle was founded in June 1992 by Robert and Pam Nichols as a family-owned and locally operated company. The company is a wholesale distributor of beer, wine, liquor and non-alcohol products with a territory covering the parishes of Caddo, Claiborne, Bienville, Bossier, Desoto, Natchitoches, Red River, Webster, and Winn. Eagle distributes the famous Anheuser-Busch InBev brands that include the Budweiser, Michelob, Busch, and Natural brand families of beers, as well as a number of other import, craft, and non-alcohol products. “Over the last several years, we’ve seen an increasing number of companies not only seek alternatives to reduce and control fuel costs, but also to help them control their carbon output and meet their environmental objectives,” said Dennis Cooke, President of Fleet Management Solutions at Ryder. “We pride ourselves on listening to the needs of the marketplace and developing the solutions that will help drive the industry forward. More and more fleets are making the transition from gasoline and diesel vehicles to Natural Gas Vehicle’s (NGV’s) which run on compressed natural gas (CNG).  The motivation for doing such is the cost savings, since CNG is about $1.00 - $1.50 per gallon less than gasoline and diesel fuels plus the added benefits including reduced maintenance costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and helping to create green, American jobs as Natural Gas is a domestic fuel which does not have volatile price spikes like oil does. CNG prices on a gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) in the Tri-State area are between $1.83 and $2.74.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Clean Energy Fuels Corp. is partnering with Lehigh Gas Partners LP, a company that distributes motor fuels to more than 800 fueling stations, to develop compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling infrastructure at a number of Lehigh Gas locations. The agreement will initially target CNG refueling for up to twenty existing Lehigh Gas facilities. Clean Energy will build and operate these public-access sites. The two companies will work together to identify Lehigh Gas sites on which to construct CNG fueling stations. The CNG stations will be accessible to the public for CNG refueling and conveniently located for commercial CNG fleets, including shuttles, taxis, small to mid-size trucks and other natural gas vehicles (NGV’s). Clean Energy will be responsible for the construction and operation of the CNG fueling stations and the management, marketing and sales of CNG at Lehigh Gas sites. ((“Lehigh Gas appreciates the leadership position Clean Energy has taken in the development of CNG and is pleased to partner with them to offer an alternative fuel option to help people get where they need to go,”)) Joseph Topper, chairman and CEO of Lehigh Gas Partners, said. "This agreement supports our alternate-fuel strategy of developing refueling sites both on our own and also with best-in-class providers like Clean Energy." Lehigh Gas owns and leases refueling sites in Kentucky, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. This proves once again the impact of Natural Gas as a viable, alternative fuel for the transportation industry.  More public CNG station access will allow more companies to transition to Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV’s) and utilize CNG to save over $1.00 or more per gallon while reducing their carbon footprint and helping create American jobs since Natural Gas is a domestic fuel. Currently, CNG prices based on a Gasoline Gallon Equivalent in the Tri-State area range from $1.87 to $2.74.  Fleet operators can realize a 35-50% reduction in their fuel costs by transition from gasoline and diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG) which directly impacts their bottom line.