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Monday, 07 August 2017

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Refugees are strangers in a strange land trying to understand a very different culture when they first arrive in the United States. Despite an initial 90-day resettlement program that helps them finds homes and jobs, a true understanding of American society takes much longer to cultivate. But in Pittsburgh, that process is accelerated by a program that matches immigrant families with American mentors.

On This Day in American History
On August 7, 1782, Gen. George Washington creates the Purple Heart, the oldest American decoration honoring military merit. Officially known as the ‘Badge for Military Merit,’ the purple, heart-shaped piece of silk trimmed with silver is awarded for ‘any singularly meritorious action.’ Today, the badge —which now bears Washington’s likeness — is given to members of the US armed forces who are killed or wounded in action, as well as soldiers who are mistreated as prisoners of war.

Top US intelligence officials are worried about expanding Russian influence, even if President Trump does not appear to share those concerns. The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency says Russia wants to be the center of influence in Europe and is willing to try and shape the playing field to make that happen.

France was late to the party, compared with other European nations, in attempting to combat the radicalization of its Muslim youth. France sought to pioneer those efforts at an idyllic country manor set among the vineyards of the Loire River Valley, known for producing some of the world’s finest wines. The neighbors weren’t exactly thrilled.

Duped? Up to 16,000 Nigerian women, some as young as 16 or 17-years-old, have been trafficked into Italy in the past two years. Many of them work as street prostitutes for meager pay in brutal conditions. Authorities say the traffickers terrify the women into submission by using violence, voodoo religious rites, and threats to harm their families.

Indonesia’s ferry system is a lifeline for the world’s largest island nation, which has at least 13,000 inhabited islands. The Pelni fleet contains 26 passenger ships that unhurriedly loop around the archipelago, circulating families, workers and goods. More remote islands get food shipments from a Pelni ferry that pulls up once every week or so. Some places run out of milk between shipments and resort to stirring condensed milk into their coffee until the next Pelni arrives.

Russian roots. Alaska is home to oil industry workers, adventurers from all over the US, Native Alaskans, immigrants and a group known as Russian Old believers. Nearly 50 years ago, Russian ex-pats established a village called Nikolaevsk on Alaska’s Kenai peninsula. They proudly call themselves Americans even as they relish old traditions.

The Khmer Rouge terror wiped out almost a fifth of Cambodia’s population. Visitors to the US Holocaust Museum are sometimes moved to tears by a special exhibit about Cambodia’s genocide, which appears alongside the museum’s permanent exhibition on the Jewish Holocaust during World War II. Organizers hope visitors will understand the exhibit’s deeper message.

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