Same-sex couples may now apply for green card residency permits in the US

WASHINGTON--The US government has announced that married same-sex couples may now apply for "green card" residency permits just as heterosexual married couples can, in the latest move to end discrimination against gay unions.

Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano announced the move Monday. It stems from last week's landmark Supreme Court ruling that extends federal rights and benefits to gay couples who wed in states that recognize such unions.

After the court ruling, President Barack Obama directed federal agencies to ensure it is implemented smoothly, Napolitano said in a statement.

She added: "I have directed US Citizenship and Immigration Services ((USCIS) to review immigration petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse."

One such petition by a gay couple married in New York was approved immediately after the Supreme Court's ruling.

It was a race against the clock for the two men because the non-US resident among them, an undocumented alien from Colombia, was on the verge of being deported by an immigration court.

The judge in that case acknowledged the landmark nature of the Colombian's status in the face of the now-overturned Defense of Marriage Act, said attorney Lavi Soloway, co-founder of the DOMA Project, which has been defending 70 couples in similar situations.

"She understood the meaning of the case, and that meant that the couple before them was the first married same-sex couple in the United States that would be viewed as a married couple by a federal government agency," Soloway said.

Twelve states and the capital city Washington, D.C. allow gay marriage. After a second Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday, California resumed recognizing same-sex marriage.

source: interaksyon.com

Hyundai, Kia recall 1.9M units in US

WASHINGTON — South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are recalling nearly 1.9 million vehicles in the United States to fix brake lights and airbags, the US government said Wednesday.

Hyundai recalled certain model-year 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra vehicles for airbag problems. The brake light recall affects Kia vehicles in model years between 2007 and 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

Hyundai Motor Company, South Korea’s largest automaker, notified the NHTSA that a support bracket may become displaced when a side airbag deploys, potentially causing a laceration injury.

Hyundai’s affiliate, Kia Motors Corporation, is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles.

A faulty stop light switch may prevent the brake lights from illuminating when the brake pedal is depressed or may prevent deactivation of the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal, increasing the risk of a crash.

In addition, Kia reported, the problem may affect the push-button start feature and affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the park position.

Repairs of the affected vehicles will be free of charge, the companies said.

Hyundai, together with its smaller affiliate Kia, is the world’s fifth-largest automaker.

source: interaksyon.com