Latest news with #Mastroianni
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
EB-5 visa gains popularity as Indians face H-1B and F-1 challenges
The EB-5 visa program is fast emerging as a preferred route for individuals looking to migrate to the United States (US). In the first quarter of calendar year 2025 (CY25), a total of 4,608 EB-5 visas were granted globally, marking a 90 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase. Nicholas Mastroianni III, president and chief marketing officer of the US Immigration Fund (USIF) — one of the leading EB-5 regional center operators — said demand from Indians has risen, both among those residing in India and those already in the US on H-1B and F-1 visas. 'There's a clear uptick in interest. We've seen more inquiries from people still in India, and also from parents of students on F-1 visas. The current uncertainty around H-1B and F-1 statuses in the US is prompting families to explore EB-5 as a more secure route,' Mastroianni told Business Standard during his visit to Mumbai. The trend is reflected in the numbers. As of year-to-date (YTD) 2025, Indian nationals had filed 649 EB-5 visa petitions under consular processing. When combined with adjustment of status (AOS) applications — filed by those already in the US — the total is expected to surpass 2024's figure of 733 petitions. EB-5 visa program has been around for 30 years now, but has been underutilised, according to Mastroianni. For USIF, India is its second-largest market, after China. As a route for immigration, EB-5 program also has a cap of issuing 10,000 visas annually. The program also has a 7 per cent cap per country to ensure fair distribution of visas. An individual opting for this route has to pay a fee of $800,000. Since 2016, USIF has facilitated the migration of 200-250 Indian families. 'Just since January, we've seen nearly 50 families from India move ahead with the EB-5 process,' Mastroianni said. Significant reforms in 2020 included a 40 per cent fee hike and stricter compliance, which briefly slowed investor interest. Currency restrictions and broader global uncertainty also contributed. However, 2025 has brought a resurgence in demand, said Mastroianni. However, he added that since the beginning of this year, EB-5 as a category has seen a significant pickup. 'One of the reasons is the clarity, so anyone who files a petition under EB-5 now will be grandfathered under the EB-5 reforms until September 30, 2026,' he said. This basically means that even if the program gets modified or changed, the petitions filed will continue to be processed. When asked about the proposed 'Golden Visa' or 'Gold Card' for the US, Mastroianni said the EB-5 and Gold Card could coexist. 'The Gold Card still needs approval by both Congress and the Senate. Proposals like exempting participants from taxes would require changes to IRS codes — that's no small feat,' he said. Moreover, whenever the Gold Card becomes a reality, it will focus on wealth-based migration, whereas EB-5 brings investors to the US. The EB-5 route allows individuals to become investors. 'The USIF is a fund, we have more than 25 funds that pool or bring investors together and finance projects in the US. These investments have to create jobs. Several political leaders in the current US government are aware of the EB-5 impact. Rather many of the members' real estate projects have seen investment from EB-5 petitioners, hence they are aware the kind of jobs that have been created in the US,' he said. With the uncertainty over visa only increasing, USIF also launched another program called the 'Opportunity Fund Lender'. 'Investors across the world or even those in the US can invest through EB-5 with $400,000. They can finance up to 50 per cent of the rest of the investment, depending on their qualification,' said Mastroianni.
Al Bawaba
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
Video: Ronaldo spotted drunk outside restaurant
Published May 6th, 2025 - 11:42 GMT ALBAWABA - Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima recently sparked controversy and anger from Real Valladolid fans on social media after a clip captured him leaving a restaurant drunk. Real Valladolid fans, a La Liga football club owned by Ronaldo, targeted the former footballer for poor management and deteriorating performance. The controversial clip captured Ronaldo intoxicated as his friends tried shielding him from the abundance of cameras swarming the area. Real Valladolid fans have expressed concern for months, accusing Ronaldo of neglecting his football club and actively seeking to sell it since his purchase in 2018, even after continued efforts to avoid relegation. The former football star also used to own Brazil's Corinthians, a football club which usually competes in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, but has long sold it. Video: Ronaldo spotted drunk outside a restaurant Ronaldo, ausente del palco de Zorrilla y borracho como una cuba en Madrid.A esta hora, ninguno de los valientes medios deportivos locales se ha hecho eco. ¿Esto no es reseñable? ¿La afición no tiene derecho a saberlo? ¡Siete años de silencio cómplice! — (@mgplime) May 4, 2025 Several fans took to social media and expressed their anger about the situation. A social media user took to Musk's X (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote, "At this point, none of the brave local sports media has commented. Is this not noteworthy? Don't the fans have a right to know? Seven years of complicit silence!" Another added, "He's partying while the club is falling apart." On the contrary, several others took to Ronaldo's defense, stating that he's not the only one who gets drunk. An X user wrote, "Is it really a problem if he has a few drinks?" © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge dismisses suit filed by former Ludlow teacher fired for outing ‘genderqueer' student to parents
SPRINGFIELD — A federal judge dismissed a suit Friday from a teacher who was fired for outing a queer student to their parents, potentially closing another chapter in a long-running case over gender policies at a Ludlow middle school. Bonnie A. Manchester filed a $10 million lawsuit against former school officials and the town after she was fired from her job at Paul R. Baird Middle School in 2021. Manchester was fired for 'conduct unbecoming a teacher,' after higher-ups decided her decision to reveal an 11-year old's student's gender preferences to their parents ran roughshod over school and state policies. The plaintiff, hired in 1999, countered that the firing violated her First Amendment right to free speech and added that parent engagement was an important tenet of her job. In a ruling issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni disagreed, granting a defense motion to dismiss the case. 'The court concludes (the) plaintiff's federal causes of action fail to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. These federal claims are therefore dismissed,' the judge wrote in a 24-page memorandum. The ruling in Manchester's case comes three years after Mastroianni dismissed a lawsuit filed by the child's parents, contending their rights as parents were violated when the school initially kept the student's preferences quiet. The dismissal was upheld by the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Years before that, there was an uproar among parents when a nonbinary librarian introduced gender-fluid themes and book titles at the school library — rendering this small Western Massachusetts town a microcosm of the national debate over gender identity. A lawyer for Manchester on Tuesday said he disagrees with the judge's ruling and is considering his client's right to appeal. 'I'm sure the judge did what he thought was right through his own light, but we have a very different view and will let higher tribunals review it,' said Bolton attorney Frank L. McNamara Jr. The child in question, who was born a female, sent an email in 2021 to teachers and administrators, expressing their preference to be called a new name and adding that they preferred he/him or they pronouns. The student referred to themselves as 'genderqueer.' In the same email, the student asked teachers to continue using she/her when communicating with parents, as they were reticent about disclosing to their family, according to court records. Shortly before that, several teachers conferred about the child, identified only by initials in court records, expressing worry over their emotional and academic downturn during COVID-19. They agreed to contact the child's parents, but administrators later decided otherwise, asking teachers not to reveal the information to protect the student's privacy and personal wishes. Despite that directive, Manchester later had a conversation with the child's father while her car was getting serviced at his auto shop, court records say. Included in Mastroianni's ruling was a summary of the exchange between Manchester and the father, regarding 'the phenomenon of gender dysphoria, then prevalent among certain teens, particularly since the onset of COVID,' the account reads. 'Ms. Manchester also discussed with the father efforts then underway by certain teachers and administrators at Baird to assist LGBTQ students in 'regendering,' to protect them from bullying and other forms of harassment, and to conceal information from parents, and how all this was a matter of great public concern and controversy among teachers, parents, (administrators) and School Committee members, not only in Ludlow but also nationwide,' the summary continues. Once the student informed a counselor that Manchester had disclosed to the parents the contents of their email, she was placed on administrative leave for several weeks and later fired, citing 'inappropriate communications.' Mastroianni found the lawsuit was erroneously filed against the town, as municipalities can only be found liable if it directly causes a constitutional violation. Further, the judge said Manchester's First Amendment rights were minimal compared to the school's interest to foster student expression without backlash. In her lawsuit, Manchester argued she acted to prevent a 'grave moral wrong' and to avoid setting an 'immoral example.' Mastroianni said her personal philosophies do not outweigh a school system's obligation to provide a supportive environment for all students. 'These beliefs, even if sincerely held, do not insulate (the) plaintiff from the employment related consequences of her choice to undercut the school's greater (and constitutionally recognized) interest in protecting an inclusive and safe environment for transgender minors as a matter of law,' his order says. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Yahoo
Federal judge throws out claim against treasurer's office related to unclaimed property
SPRINGFIELD — A federal judge has rejected a Longmeadow man's lawsuit against the state treasurer's office. In a memorandum and order March 25, Judge Mark G. Mastroianni of the U.S. District Court in Springfield wrote that plaintiff Thomas Narrigan lacked standing to seek relief. He also said the way Narrigan pled his case 'is barred by the Eleventh Amendment,' which exempts state officials from being sued. Narrigan's case against Treasurer Deborah G. Goldberg claimed the state wasn't paying him adequate interest on his less-than $100 in unclaimed property, described in court documents as 'miscellaneous intangible property' and 'refunds.' Massachusetts has over $3 billion in unclaimed property. The treasurer's office has returned more than $787 million in unclaimed property to its owners in the last five years. Narrigan has not 'sought to claim any of his property,' said the judge's March memo. In August, Narrigan pleaded with Mastroianni not to dismiss his case after the state filed a motion to dismiss. Narrigan's lawyers, Edward A. Broderick of Boston and Chicago attorneys Terry Rose Saunders and Arthur Susman, filed a class action lawsuit in January 2024 hoping to recoup money for all those with property held by the state — not just Narrigan. Susman said they filed a notice of appeal on April 22 in the First Circuit. The attorney general's office declined to comment. Mastroianni found that Narrigan did not sufficiently demonstrate the 'injury,' nor was he able to show a pattern or that the injury would recur. The plaintiff, the memo said, does not 'bolster this allegation of past harm by indicating he intends to abandon property in the future, intends to claim his property from the government, or is otherwise likely to suffer a similar taking in the future.' Narrigan, the judge found, instead argues that his harm is ongoing because the commonwealth still has his money. 'Plaintiff 'cannot manufacture standing merely by inflicting harm on (himself) based on (his) fears of hypothetical future harm that is certainly not impending,'' the memo said. As for the 11th Amendment question — of sovereign immunity — the state did not waive its immunity, Mastroianni said. State law provides a way for a property owner to 'obtain just compensation' in court for property that is taken by the state, he said. The judge said his conclusion regarding 'injunctive relief' may have been different if Massachusetts refused to pay the interest when returning unclaimed property, he said. 'As a matter of law, (Narrigan)'s property was not taken. It was abandoned through his own neglect,' he said. Motion to suppress alcohol evidence in deadly Longmeadow crash allowed 'Access to cancer care matters': Physicians discuss advancements in cancer care and technology Springfield makes grants available for agencies serving low and moderate-income residents Trump administration rescinds grant to address asthma in Western Massachusetts Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Judge dismisses transplant doctor's suit against Baystate
SPRINGFIELD — A federal judge last week dismissed a suit by a doctor who says Baystate Health's report of him as 'an immediate threat to the public' in a national data bank has made it impossible for him to work elsewhere as a transplant surgeon. That assessment to the National Practitioner Data Bank was included in court papers field over the past year with the federal court in Springfield. Dr. Bejon Maneckshana, who lives in Connecticut, is not provided the right of legal action under the federal Health Care Quality Improvement Act, the law that established the National Practitioner Data Bank, ruled U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni on April 16. Mastroianni also ruled that Maneckshana failed to allege a possible defamation claim under Massachusetts law. Maneckshana sued in 2024. Maneckshana is a certified organ transplant surgeon and board-certified general surgeon, licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts. He obtained his medical degree in 2003 and in July 2020, he started working for Kidney Care and Transplant Services of New England in Springfield, a private nephrology group. According to the suit, he was called in during 2022 to meet with the chair of Baystate Medical Center's Department of Surgery, Dr. Nicolas Jabbour, and the chief of transplant, Dr. Kenneth McPartland, where he was informed an outside surgeon would be brought in to observe his next procedure because a prior transplant performed by Maneckshana left a patient with a nicked kidney artery, according to court papers. In Maneckshana's suit, his lawyers said the nick left the patient unharmed and caused no harm to the viability of the kidney. Less than two weeks later, on Oct. 4, 2022, Maneckshana said he was asked to meet with Jabbour and the chief medical officer, Dr. Doug Salvador, after a patient's death. Baystate sent nine cases of Maneckshana's outside the organization for peer review and six of those cases were deemed to have met the proper standard of care. Three did not meet that standard. But Maneckshana's lawyers argue that in one of those cases, reviewers said the outcome is due to all the doctors involved and the other two cases were a procedure with known complications. Maneckshana said he agreed to sign a voluntary agreement not to exercise his clinical privileges rather than face suspension. The courts, Mastroianni ruled, give medical reviewers protection from suits. But when he tried to get a new transplant job in California, the database prevented him from getting hired, according to Maneckshana's lawsuit. His attorneys did not return an email and a call for comment. Feeding Hills woman to plead guilty in commercial mortgage scheme Monarch Place cleaners fear job loss SNAP benefit system will be down Saturday night, Sunday morning
