Semi-hostile, Slightly-Fantastic Interview with myself about the election and implications for refugee resettlement, Evangelical Christians, and Beautiful Day.

K: But what’s your best guess. Prognosticate.

K: My best guess is that on January 21, President Trump will issue an order to stop or pause parts of the US refugee resettlement program. No more Syrians. Possibly fewer from camps and countries that are majority Muslim. I’ve heard a few people wonder if the entire resettlement program could be paused. My own view is that the new administration will put a moratorium on Syrians, Somalis, and maybe designate certain countries or camps as off-limits. It’s kind of bleak.

K: What’s the rush? Can he do this?

K: From what I understand, absolutely, yes. He can't change the Refugee Act of 1980, but that law allows the president broad powers to determine or change the ceiling on the number of refugees that can legally be resettled in a given year.

Movies, Refugee Resettlement, Syria, Donald Trump, Interviews, Evangelical ChristiansKeith CooperNovember 26, 2016 Comments

Pinball, Haute Cuisine, and Holiday Giving

At Beautiful Day, we are sold on the importance of refugee resettlement in Rhode Island—not as charity, but as vital to the health, growth, compassion, diversity and joy of our community. Sure, resettlement is expensive on the front end. Ultimately, as refugees get jobs and get organized and integrate and eventually start businesses, it can be a sweet deal—a black Friday kind of deal for our state. But only if they actually settle here. And unless they see opportunities to contribute economically, refugees will not want to stay in Rhode Island. This, of course, is one reason Beautiful Day exists.

Movies, Cuisine, On-the-job training, Refugee Resettlement, GranolaKeith CooperDecember 2, 2013Comment

Certified Amaretto Pera

You don’t need to tell me that it’s a bad habit. I can’t help it: I climb in bed, half-planning to go to sleep, but then plug in my earbuds, and end up watching a Netscape movie on my iphone. This week it was Kiarostami’s Certified Copy (about as awful a title as Abbas Kiarostami is a wonderful name; and bravo to Netflicks for actually making some interesting stuff available for streaming, although who are the jerks that gave it 3.5 stars?--Juliette Binoche deserves at least that just for being Juliette Binoche). This is a little film. No crashes. No gunfights. Perfect for an iphone with earbuds in bed.