Latest news with #Atkinson
San Francisco Chronicle
4 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. drag performer detained by ICE after asylum hearing
A San Francisco drag performer was detained by immigration enforcement officers after his asylum hearing in immigration court Thursday morning, one of the latest among at least 20 people in San Francisco to be subject to a new Trump administration practice of courthouse arrests. The man, an immigrant from Central America who performs under the drag name Hilary Rivers, is gay and has a pending asylum application based on 'traumatic and severe' persecution he experienced in his home country that led him to flee to the U.S., according to Milli Atkinson, legal director at the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative, who heads up the city's Rapid Response Network that responds to immigration enforcement actions. At Rivers' immigration hearing, the government attorney moved for the case to be dismissed, but the judge denied it. Rivers was arrested as he was leaving court, Atkinson said. A Rapid Response Network attorney on site was able to advise Rivers on his rights to prevent the government deporting him in error, Atkinson said. His attorney has since located him at an ICE detention facility in Bakersfield, she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hilary-River's (@hilary_riversh) The Chronicle has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment. U.S. law grants asylum seekers like Rivers the right to remain in the United States while their asylum claim is pending, but the government has argued that it has the right to detain such individuals, which has been challenged in court before. Under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment's right to due process, immigrants also generally have the right to a hearing in front of an immigration judge before they're deported, with some exceptions. However, since late May, federal immigration authorities under President Donald Trump's administration have started a new practice where the government attorney in an immigration hearing would file a motion for the judge to dismiss the case so that the person would lose protections from deportation afforded to those with pending immigration proceedings. After the judge dismisses it, ICE agents would arrest the immigrant and detain them for expedited removal, or deportation without a hearing, a federal power that's under Biden was reserved for those arrested at the border within two weeks of their arrival. Authorities have also been detaining people whose cases were not dismissed by immigration judges, including Rivers, Atkinson said. Of the, at least 20, people who the San Francisco Rapid Response Network confirmed had been subject to 'courthouse arrests,' she said only two of them had cases dismissed by judges. The rest, she said, are still in active proceedings and the majority have a pending asylum application. Atkinson said she has confirmed that the government then moves a person's case to appear before an immigration judge who is more willing to grant the motion to dismiss, so they can deport the person. 'It's a complete, flagrant violation of what our asylum system was built on,' Atkinson said. 'He was doing everything, complying with every rule there could possibly be. Every day he's been in the U.S. has been lawful.' Rivers was paroled — legally admitted — into the U.S. through a Biden-era program called CBP One, which granted permission to about 900,000 migrants to enter the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump has since cancelled the program and revoked parole from those who entered through it, but the move is facing legal challenges. The Trump administration justified the mass revocation of parole as a way to secure U.S. borders and protect nation security. Trump has argued the program was illegal in the first place. The night before he was detained, Rivers performed at a long-running queer pride pageant event called Miss & Mr. Safe Latino, started 30 years ago in response to the HIV epidemic at the now-closed Mission District bar Esta Noche, which had been a hub for queer Latinos. 'There's not a more textbook case of what asylum was created for than a case like his,' Atkinson said. 'To have them take him away from his community during Pride Week, when he's fleeing persecution for his queer identity, and when he had just participated in that pageant … is just horrific to me, is just a disgrace, and people should really be outraged and ashamed by what our government is doing.' Advocates have voiced concern over bad conditions in overcrowded ICE detention facilities as the Trump administration detained a record 56,000 people as of June 15, about 72% of whom have no criminal records, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a data organization. The courthouse arrests have caused a 'real panic' in the undocumented immigrant community, causing people to be afraid to go to their hearings, Atkinson said. But if they fail to appear for their hearings, they can be ordered deported.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Beamish: Unique open-air attraction named UK's Museum of the Year
A unique open-air museum located in County Durham, UK, has won the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025 award. Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, was founded in 1970 by Dr Frank Atkinson CBE, a British museum director and curator. Inspired by Scandinavian folk museums he'd visited in the early '50s, Atkinson wanted to document the vibrant (and fast-declining) industrial communities of North East England. Having received a record number of visitors during 2019 to 2020, the museum managed to survive the impact of its COVID-19 closures by launching online activities and other educational local initiatives. Displaying various replicas from the area's past and brought to life by costumed staff, it's an immersive portal of nostalgia that cradles its community's stories. One of its most impressive and innovative projects is 'Remaking Beamish', which saw tens of thousands of locals assist in recreating a 1950s parade of establishments, including a cinema, toy shop and record store. Awarded £120,000 (€140,676) at a ceremony at the Museum of Liverpool on Thursday, the Art Fund's judges described Beamish as 'a joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community.' Jenny Waldman, director at Art Fund, added: "The judges were blown away by the remarkable attention to detail of its exhibits across a 350-acre site and by the passion of its staff and volunteers. "With three quarters of adults in the North East of England saying museums make them proud of where they live, Beamish is a shining example of how museums enrich and celebrate local communities." The other four finalists will each receive £15,000 (€17,580), and include Chapter in Cardiff, Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, Perth Museum in Perth & Kinross, and Compton Verney in Warwickshire. Rebranded to the Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2013, it is one of the world's largest (and most lauded) museum prizes, recognising creative excellence while supporting the sectors' integral contributions to community engagement. Previous winners include London's Horniman Museum in 2022, Glasgow's Burrell Collection in 2023 and the Young V&A in 2024. In response to this year's winner, UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy said the award "recognises the extraordinary contribution that Beamish has made to celebrate the heritage of the North East'. Despite funding cuts significantly impacting museums everywhere, they continue to be sacred spaces for preserving education, cultural identity and social connection. In 2024, independent museums generated an estimated £497 million in direct spending in the UK, according to a report. For International Museum Day on 18 May, the Euronews Culture team selected some of our favourite, lesser-known museums across Europe. It's a reminder of the endlessly creative spirit at the heart of curated attractions - and that if you can't visit Beamish any time soon, there's always the Icelandic Phallological Museum instead... Check out our list here.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Is AI going to steal your job? Probably not, new study finds
Many people fear their jobs will become obsolete as the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) develops in the workplace. And whilst there's undoubtedly going to be a shift in skills needed for the future of the workforce, new data from PwC's 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer suggests that companies that embrace AI innovation are 'creating more jobs, not less'. 'We looked at nearly a billion job postings across 20 countries, 80 different sector classifications. 'This is a massive pool of data to see whether or not this thing that we all worry about is AI destroying jobs, is happening. And the headline is exactly the opposite,' Joe Atkinson, PwC's Global Chief AI Officer, told Euronews. How is AI affecting the job market? The companies that use AI to increase productivity are seeing a 3 fold increase in their revenue per employee. Generally speaking, when a company is doing well, life for its employees is usually better too. The results of the barometer support this, with employees in AI-exposed industries seeing their salaries growing twice as quickly as elsewhere. 'Those individuals that can augment their skills with AI skills, not only secure their jobs because their jobs will change, they also earn a greater wage. And the wage premium in this year's study was as high as 56 per cent,' Atkinson added. Managing an AI team Most of us wouldn't decline a bigger salary, and that 56 per cent increase is up from 25 per cent last year. So, what do we need to do to optimise this workplace opportunity? 'AI, I always describe it as a practical skill, in addition to a knowledge skill. You have to understand the AI, but you also have to use the AI,' Atkinson told Euronews. 'So the thing that workers can do, I think, is the exact same thing that employers can do, which is get your teams working in AI. Learn it not just by analysis, learn it by doing, and see how these tools apply'. The barometer also suggests accessibility to these sorts of jobs is on track to increase. Degree requirements for jobs in AI-exposed sectors are still high but appear to be falling faster than in other sectors. Managerial roles could also change with the adoption of AI, in particular agentic AI. 'Most of us in five or ten years will be managing many more [AI] agents than we will people,' said Atkinson. 'And that combination of agentic capability and workforce is a skill that, frankly, doesn't even really exist in the workforce today. We're going to have to build that. Employers are going to partner with their people to develop that kind of capability,' he added.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
5-star LB sends message after Georgia football official visit
Five-star linebacker recruit Tyler Atkinson is fresh off his official visit to the University of Georgia. Atkinson is the top linebacker in the class of 2026 and has gone on over a dozen visits to Georgia over the years. Atkinson is Georgia's top five-star recruiting target. He plays high school football for Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker is the top ranked player at his position in the country and the top recruit in Georgia. Atkinson is the No. 9 recruit in the nation, per 247Sports. Advertisement Atkinson took to social media after his latest visit to Georgia. "Always walkin' my dawg off the leash," said Atkinson after visiting Georgia. Photos from Tyler Atkinson's UGA visit Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is among the Dawgs' lead recruiters for Atkinson. Georgia has a strong pitch for the five-star linebacker. The Bulldogs had a pair of linebackers (Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams, who played defensive end too) selected in the first-round of the 2025 NFL draft. Georgia is willing to commit to significant name, image and likeness resources to Atkinson. Signing Atkinson won't be easy though. The five-star linebacker has tons of suitors from many of the top college football programs in the country. Atkinson has gone on recent official visits with the Clemson Tigers and Oregon Ducks. He has an upcoming official visit with the Texas Longhorns on June 20, so Georgia has no shortage of competition. More on Atkinson's impressive 2024 season Elite college football recruit Tyler Atkinson The highly-touted linebacker prospect helped Grayson win a Georgia 6A state championship in 2024 (6A is the highest classification of high school football in the Peach State). Atkinson posted an insane level of production as a junior en route to a state title. Advertisement In 2024, Atkinson posted 166 tackles, 13 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Atkinson showed out in Grayson's state championship win with 13 tackles and two sacks. He's posted at least 100 tackles and eight sacks in all three seasons of his high school career. Atkinson is primed to have a monster senior season. Follow UGAWire on Instagram or Threads! This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Nation's No. 1 LB sends message after Georgia football visit
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Flyers Forward Expected To Become Free Agent
During this past off-season, the Philadelphia Flyers bought out forward Cam Atkinson. This was after the Riverside, Connecticut native posted 13 goals, 28 points, and a minus-22 rating with the Flyers during the 2023-24 season. Before that, he also missed the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign due to injury. Following being bought out by the Flyers, Atkinson signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He did not have the bounce-back season he was looking for with the Lightning in 2024-25, as he recorded just four goals, five assists, and a minus-4 rating in 39 games. He also played in just three games for them during the final two months of the season and was placed on waivers during the campaign. Advertisement Now, it appears that Atkinson's time in Tampa Bay is coming to a close, as The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported that the former Flyers forward will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1 and move on from the Lightning. Given Atkinson's past success, there could be a team out there willing to take a chance on him with a one-year, prove-it deal if they are looking for more forward depth. The 13-year NHL veteran has hit the 20-goal and 40-point marks on seven occasions, with the last time in being in 2021-22 with the Flyers. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what happens with former Flyer this off-season from here. 'Excited as Heck': Trevor Zegras Embraces New Chapter as a Flyer 'Excited as Heck': Trevor Zegras Embraces New Chapter as a Flyer (Header/feature image courtesy of Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images) Photo Credit: © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
