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( ) — Tech mogul Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have faced backlash within President-elect Trump's base after the two for H-1B work visa, a key program to attract international talent that’s been criticized as too complicated and susceptible to abuse. The on the tech billionaire's social media platform X within the last week as Ramaswamy and Musk have faced scrutiny from some in the GOP, including far-right activist Laura Loomer and other hardline anti-immigration Republicans. The debate originated from a suggestion last month from Sriram Krishnan, Trump's pick for White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence, that Musk examine removing caps on green cards for skilled immigrants. Krishnan’s comments resurfaced in recent days after he was appointed by Trump to serve in his incoming administration. The dispute also comes as the Biden administration a rule earlier this month clarifying who can apply for the visas, which followed years of lobbying for more a more streamlined H-1B process. Some democratic lawmakers on the Biden administration to address gaps in the immigration system to prepare for the incoming Trump administration's expected crackdown on immigration. Here is what you need to know about the H-1B visa as the program continues to make headlines: The H-1B program is for employers looking to hire people into specialty jobs who are lawfully admitted to the U.S. but are not lawful permanent residents — as tourists, students or temporary workers. The visas are typically valid for three years, though they can be extended for up to six years, to the Labor Department. These specialty occupations require specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, to the Labor Department. The purpose of the program is to help employers temporarily hire qualified workers with certain skills and abilities that cannot be obtained from the U.S. workforce. People looking to apply for the program must file an application for the visa with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which includes certain application fees. Applicants are required to have a valid passport and documents showing that they are a qualified individual in a specialty occupation as well as proof of a valid job offer from a U.S. employer that is willing to sponsor the visa. Employers must also file Form I-129 — known as the "petition for a nonimmigrant worker" — with USCIS on behalf of the employee describing the job, employer's background and foreign worker qualifications. On Jan. 17, 2025, the USCIS it would be publishing a revised edition of the form in accordance with the recently announced rule. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through USCIS is legally limited to award 65,000 H-1B visas per year, with an additional 20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees. Many nonprofits are exempt from that cap. H-1B petitions subject to the cap regularly exceed the number of legally available visas, which are issued annually at the start of the fiscal year. Applicants are chosen by a lottery system for review, meaning eligible applicants are often denied due to chance. Cap-exempt organizations can petition for H-1Bs year-round, and they are not subject to a statutory limit. To remove this article -AP Sports SummaryBrief at 2:50 p.m. EST
NYT ‘Connections’ Hints And Answers For Sunday, December 29E. coli outbreak in St. Louis sickens 106, hospitalizes 2The world's most climate-imperilled nations stormed out of consultations in protest at the deadlocked UN COP29 conference Saturday, as simmering tensions over a hard-fought finance deal erupted into the open. Diplomats from small island nations threatened by rising seas and impoverished African states angrily filed out of a meeting with summit hosts Azerbaijan over a final deal being thrashed out in a Baku sports stadium. "We've just walked out. We came here to this COP for a fair deal. We feel that we haven't been heard," said Cedric Schuster, the Samoan chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). An unpublished version of the final text circulating in Baku, and seen by AFP, proposes that rich nations raise to $300 billion a year by 2035 their commitment to poorer countries to fight climate change. COP29 hosts Azerbaijan intended to put a final draft before 198 nations for adoption or rejection on Saturday evening, a full day after the marathon summit officially ended. But, in a statement, AOSIS said it had "removed" itself from the climate finance discussions, demanding an "inclusive" process. "If this cannot be the case, it becomes very difficult for us to continue our involvement here at COP29," it said. Sierra Leone's climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai, whose country is among the world's poorest, said the draft was "effectively a suicide pact for the rest of the world". An earlier offer from rich nations of $250 billion was slammed as offensively low by developing countries, who have demanded much higher sums to build resilience against climate change and cut emissions. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the revised offer of $300 billion was "a significant scaling up" of the existing pledge by developed nations, which also count the United States, European Union and Japan among their ranks. At sunset, a final text still proved elusive, as harried diplomats ran to-and-fro in the stadium near the Caspian Sea searching for common ground. "Hopefully this is the storm before the calm," said US climate envoy John Podesta in the corridors as somebody shouted "shame" in his direction. Earlier, the EU's climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said negotiators were not out of the woods yet. "We're doing everything we can on each of the axes to build bridges and to make this into a success. But it is iffy whether we will succeed," he said. Ali Mohamed, the Kenyan chair of the African Group of Negotiators, told AFP: "No deal is better than a bad deal." South African environment minister Dion George, however, said: "I think being ambitious at this point is not going to be very useful." "What we are not up for is going backwards or standing still," he said. "We might as well just have stayed at home then." The revised offer from rich countries came with conditions in other parts of the broader climate deal under discussion in Azerbaijan. The EU in particular wants an annual review on global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, which are the main drivers of global warming. This has run into opposition from Saudi Arabia, which has sought to water down a landmark pledge to transition away from oil, gas and coal made at COP28 last year. "We will not allow the most vulnerable, especially the small island states, to be ripped off by the new, few rich fossil fuel emitters," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Wealthy nations counter that it is politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding. The US earlier this month elected former president Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, and a number of other Western countries have seen right-wing backlashes against the green agenda. A coalition of more than 300 activist groups accused historic polluters most responsible for climate change of skirting their obligation, and urged developing nations to stand firm. The draft deal posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources. Even $300 billion would be a step up from the $100 billion now provided by wealthy nations under a commitment set to expire. A group of developing countries had demanded at least $500 billion, with some saying that increases were less than met the eye due to inflation. Experts commissioned by the United Nations to assess the needs of developing countries said $250 billion was "too low" and by 2035 rich nations should be providing at least $390 billion. The US and EU have wanted newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world's largest emitter -- to chip in. China, which remains classified as a developing nation under the UN framework, provides climate assistance but wants to keep doing so on its own voluntary terms. bur-np-sct/lth/giv
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office suggested several ways the judge overseeing Trump’s hush money trial could uphold the 34-count guilty verdict against the president-elect while respecting the immunity he receives as president. While Trump was convicted in May, his sentencing hearing was pushed back multiple times to address a new Supreme Court ruling on immunity and then postponed indefinitely after Trump’s reelection. Prosecutors floated several possible courses of action for New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan in a court filing Tuesday, including freezing the case while Trump serves as president and taking jail time off the table. The district attorney’s office argued vehemently that Merchan should disregard Trump’s team’s request to toss the case immediately. “There are no grounds for such relief now, prior to defendant’s inauguration, because President-elect immunity does not exist,” they wrote, going on to point out there are still several weeks before Trump takes the oath of office and becomes immune from prosecution. They also said that the Supreme Court ruling, which gave presidents broad immunity for “official acts,” does not apply to the facts of the hush money case, which “all involve purely personal and unofficial conduct.” Merchan has yet to rule on Trump’s earlier motion to dismiss the case on presidential immunity grounds. Trump’s trial centered on a $130,000 hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels in the final days before the 2016 presidential election, during a tumultuous time for Trump’s campaign. A dozen New Yorkers agreed that a scheme to reimburse Trump’s personal attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, resulted in falsified business records, a low-level felony. Trump pleaded not guilty, maintaining that he did not have an affair with Daniels and did nothing wrong. If Merchan does not sentence Trump before his inauguration, prosecutors suggested pausing the proceedings for the duration of Trump’s term, picking them back up in 2029. They also made a suggestion in the event Merchan agrees with Trump’s attorneys that pressing pause would still interfere with his ability to serve as president because he would have the threat of imprisonment hanging over his head the entire time. Merchan could close the case with a notation stating that “the jury verdict removed the presumption of innocence; that defendant was never sentenced; and that his conviction was neither affirmed nor reversed on appeal because of presidential immunity,” prosecutors said. They noted that it’s a move some judges make when a defendant dies in the time between their conviction and sentencing. Alternatively, Merchan could address the interference concerns by removing the possibility that Trump is sentenced to jail, prosecutors suggested. They noted what many legal experts have said about the case: that while Trump faces up to four years behind bars, his lack of a prior criminal record means he would probably serve little to no jail time. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed the 82-page document as “a pathetic attempt to salvage the remains of an unconstitutional and politically motivated hoax.” Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. “This lawless case should have never been brought, and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” he said in a statement, The Associated Press reported . Related From Our PartnerReenergising Art Tourism: Coastal Arts Trail Embarks On A New Phase
DoorDash will require its drivers to verify their identities more often as part of a larger effort to crack down on unauthorized account sharing. DoorDash has been under pressure to ensure its drivers are operating legally. Over the summer, for example, it pledged to do a better job identifying and removing dangerous drivers after a flood of complaints of dangerous driving from cities. Officials in Boston, New York and other cities have said that in many cases, people with multiple traffic violations continue to make deliveries using accounts registered to others. The San Francisco delivery company said Thursday it was requiring some drivers to complete real-time identity checks immediately after they complete a delivery. Previously, drivers were occasionally asked to re-verify their identities before or after a shift. DoorDash has introduced the new system in Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle and other cities, and said it planned a wider rollout next year. DoorDash said it also has developed an advanced machine learning system that can flag potential unauthorized account access, including login anomalies and suspicious activity. If the company detects a problem, it will require drivers to re-verify their identity before they can make more deliveries . U.S. drivers must verify their identities with a driver’s license or other government-issued identification, and upload a selfie that matches their identification photo before they can do work for DoorDash. They also must submit to background checks, which require a Social Security number. The company said it found that some drivers were getting around the requirements by sharing accounts with authorized users. In some cases, drivers who were not authorized to drive for DoorDash paid authorized users for access to their accounts. Some federal lawmakers have demanded that DoorDash and other delivery apps do a better job of keeping people who are in the U.S. illegally off the platforms. Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana and Ted Budd of North Carolina sent letters to delivery companies in April asking them to crack down on account sharing. “These illegal immigrants are delivering food directly to consumers’ doors without ever having undergone a background check and often without even using their real names,” the letter said. It added that working illegally can also be dangerous for migrants, creating the potential for exploitation and abuse. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment Thursday with Gig Workers Rising and Justice for App Workers, which both represent delivery drivers. DoorDash won’t estimate how many drivers are using shared accounts, but said its safeguards are effective. Last year, it began asking drivers to re-verify their identities monthly by submitting a selfie. The company said it is now asking more than 150,000 drivers to complete selfie checks each week, and it’s removing them from the platform if they don’t comply.
The New York Giants currently sit in the driver's seat for the top pick in the draft with a 2-13 record and their $160 million quarterback is on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. Putting aside any allegations of “tanking” for the top pick in the draft, the Giants are left in a precarious spot with a relatively weak pool of quarterback prospects and plenty of holes to plug on their roster. The consensus top two quarterback options, Miami’s Cameron Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders , both likely would have been late first rounders or second rounders in last year's class. While both are projected as top 5 picks due to quarterback demand, they lack the traditional level of scout interest that top passers have seen in recent years. It's reminiscent of the 2022 NFL Draft, where many pundits projected former Liberty QB Malik Willis in the top ten overall before he fell to the third round. While there's little indication that General Manager Joe Schoen will be shown the door after this season, the decision to leave him in charge or replace him will loom large over the quarterback decision. If he takes Ward or Sanders and gets fired next year, it could lead to years of organizational struggles, as whoever replaces Schoen may disagree at the quarterback position and give their “would-be” franchise quarterback less room for error. Supposing that Schoen does stay, he’ll have to roll the dice again on a quarterback sooner rather than later, and there’s no guarantee next year that he'll either get the first dart throw or that any of the quarterbacks available will be better than Ward or Sanders. If he believes in either of the two top passers in this year's class, he'll likely feel obligated to swing or risk never drafting a first-round quarterback in his GM tenure. The decision to draft a quarterback rather than trade back and acquire resources would be a divisive one, as research on draft strategy suggests that teams both overvalue top draft picks and that the quarterback market in the draft is uniquely different from every other position. With the number of positional holes that the Giants have, it would make a lot of sense for them to simply stock up on early-round selections for the next couple of years, but it would leave Schoen potentially setting up his successor rather than taking a shot at saving his job. Another dilemma they'll face if the Giants do keep Schoen and he decides to swing at quarterback is who to choose between Ward and Sanders. It's a decision that could be influenced to some degree by ownership. For the last 20 years, the Giants have had mild-mannered and “out of the spotlight” quarterbacks in Eli Manning and Daniel Jones, and the selection of Sanders would be a strong departure from that mold. The New York market is infamous for its ability to tear at athletes and constantly poke at big personalities. Sanders’ temperament will be put under the microscope after some of the spectacles during his time at Colorado. The most likely outcome seems to be Schoen staying, the Giants taking Ward with the first overall pick, and the front office entertaining offers in hopes of landing something that is simply too good to pass up. But the most likely outcome isn't necessarily the most promising one.Tech Investment Secrets Revealed! Discover the Insider EdgeKeanu Reeves says he joined Sonic The Hedgehog 3 cast as he is ‘a big fan’Actor Keanu Reeves has said he joined the cast of Sonic The Hedgehog 3 as he is “a big fan” of the series. Reeves, 60, plays Shadow in the latest film adaption of the Sega video game, which will see Sonic, Knuckles and Tails battle him to protect the planet. Speaking at the movie’s London premiere on Tuesday, the Canadian star said: “I’m a big fan, I mean, I really enjoyed the first two films. Sonic The Hedgehog 3 will star Jim Carrey as Doctor Eggman (Ian West/PA) The Matrix actor went on to speak about the differences between voice acting and appearing on screen. He added: “It’s fun to play pretend, I love acting, so it’s fun to try and inhabit another character. “There’s an intensity to doing voice work and specificity, it’s kind of more like doing, it’s its own thing, because it’s kind of like theatre, but no audience. “So it’s like doing radio, and it’s just fun.” Sonic The Hedgehog 3 will be released in UK cinemas on December 20 (Ian West/PA) Carrey told PA: “I do like to play a character filled with disdain here and there, the Grinch was that. “But there were other characters like The Truman Show, he’s somebody who loves the world and believes in the world, and believes in the people in his life, and believes in his neighbours, and he’s just a good-hearted soul that finds out there’s something more in the world than what he knows and something beyond his own neighbourhood. “So it’s a lovely story, but they’re all different characters, they all have different desires, and you have to do something special with each one.” He added: “I just let it rip when they say action, it’s just a perfect excuse to be an obstreperous bloviating bag of ill will. “And then of course they say cut, and all of that horrible politeness and needing to be loved seeps back in.” Sonic The Hedgehog 3 will be released in UK cinemas on Friday December 20.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Kendall Bostic scored a career-high 31 points, Makira Cook scored 20 and No. 22 Illinois rolled to an 85-66 victory over Oregon State on Friday night. Bostic buried 15 of 18 shots from the floor and her only free throw for the Illini (5-0), who finished off a five-game homestand to begin the season. She added eight rebounds. Cook sank 8 of 13 shots with two 3-pointers and handed out eight assists. It was the 33rd time in her career she has scored at least 20 points. Genesis Bryant pitched in with 12 points and four assists for Illinois. AJ Marotte totaled 16 points to pace the Beavers (1-4), who have lost three in a row after reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last season. Catarina Ferreira finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The senior has two career double-doubles with both coming in back-to-back games. Cook made 3s and scored eight to help Illinois take a 21-13 lead after one quarter. Oregon State hung close in the second period behind eight points from Catarina Ferreira and trailed 40-30 at halftime. Illinois shot 54.7% from the floor and held the Beavers to 39.4%. The Illini missed 15 of 20 from beyond the arc but made 10 of 12 at the free-throw line. Oregon State was 7 for 29 from distance and 7 for 9 at the foul line. Illinois heads to Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday to play Maryland-Eastern Shore in the Music City Classic. Oregon State heads to Nassau, Bahamas, for the Baha Mar Women's Championship and will open against No. 2 Connecticut on Monday.Politics U.S. Deploys A-10 Warthogs to the Philippines Amid South China Sea Tensions By mayukh - December 10, 2024 Amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, the United States has deployed four A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, also known as Warthogs, to Clark Air Base in the Philippines . This deployment is part of an effort to strengthen military ties and conduct integrated training with the Philippine Air Force until December 15. The A-10s, known for their robust capabilities, bring a significant strategic advantage to both nations in the region. Enhancing Military Cooperation Between Allies In The South China Sea The A-10 Thunderbolt II has been a staple of the U.S. Air Force since 1976, designed primarily for close air support. Equipped with a 30 mm gun and capable of carrying up to 16,000 pounds of bombs and missiles, the Warthog can target both ground forces and maritime threats. In recent years, it has demonstrated its ability to strike small ships at sea, as seen in various tests and combat patrols, including a 2017 exercise in the Gulf of Mexico and a 2023 mission over the Gulf of Oman. This deployment comes in the wake of increased Chinese military presence near the Philippines-held Thitu Island, located in the contested waters of the South China Sea. China’s claim to nearly all of the South China Sea overlaps with the territorial claims of the Philippines and other nations, fueling disputes and military tensions in the region. The U.S. and the Philippines share a mutual defense treaty, which commits both countries to support each other in the event of an attack, particularly in the South China Sea. The training mission, part of the U.S. Air Force’s Dynamic Force Employment (DFE) strategy, aims to enhance operational flexibility and increase cooperation between U.S. and Philippine forces. This initiative highlights the importance of maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region, where both nations are focused on countering China’s growing influence and ensuring peace and security in the contested South China Sea. TAGS south china sea Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Linkedin ReddIt Email Telegram Previous article AJ Dybantsa’s College Decision: A Game Changer mayukh http://digitalmarketnews.com
[Robert J. Fouser] Moving toward a Post-Yoon futurePolice shuts down Rydox cybercrime market, arrests 3 admins
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower following some potentially discouraging data on the economy. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% Thursday, its third loss in the last four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.7% from its record set the day before. A report earlier in the morning said more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than forecast. A separate update showed that inflation at the wholesale level was hotter last month than economists expected. Adobe sank after issuing weaker-than-expected financial forecasts. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are drifting lower Thursday following some potentially discouraging data on the economy . The S&P 500 slipped 0.3%, potentially on track for its third loss in the last four days. That would count as a stumble amid a big rally that’s carried the index toward the close of one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 154 points, or 0.4%, as of 1:45 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3% from its record set the day before. A report earlier in the morning said more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week than expected. A separate update, meanwhile, showed that inflation at the wholesale level, before it reaches U.S. consumers, was hotter last month than economists expected. Neither report points to imminent disaster, but they tug at one of the hopes that’s driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year : Inflation is slowing enough to convince the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates, while the economy is remaining solid enough to stay out of a recession. Of the two reports, the weaker update on the job market may be the bigger deal for the market, according to Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley. A surge in egg prices may have been behind the worse-than-expected inflation numbers. “One week doesn’t negate what has been a relatively steady stream of solid labor market data, but the Fed is primed to be sensitive to any signs of a softening jobs picture,” he said. Traders see it as a near-certainty that the Fed will cut its main interest rate at its meeting next week. If they’re correct, it would be a third straight cut by the Fed after it began lowering rates in September from a two-decade high. It’s hoping to support a slowing job market after getting inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower rates would give a boost to the economy and to prices for investments, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. A cut next week would have the Fed following other central banks, which eased rates on Thursday. The European Central Bank cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point, as many investors expected, and the Swiss National Bank cut its policy rate by a steeper half of a percentage point. Following its decision, Switzerland’s central bank pointed to uncertainty about how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory will affect economic policies, as well as about where politics in Europe is heading. Trump has talked up tariffs and other policies that could upend global trade. He rang the bell marking the start of trading at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday to chants of “USA.” On Wall Street, Adobe fell 13.5% despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The company gave forecasts for profit and revenue in its upcoming fiscal year that fell a bit shy of analysts’. Warner Bros. Discovery soared 15.6% after unveiling a new corporate structure that separates its streaming business and film studios from its traditional television business. CEO David Zaslav said the move "enhances our flexibility with potential future strategic opportunities,” raising speculation about a spinoff or sale. Kroger rose 2.5% after saying it would get back to buying back its own stock now that its attempt to merge with Albertsons is off . Kroger’s board approved a program to repurchase up to $7.5 billion of its stock, replacing an existing $1 billion authorization. In stock markets abroad, European indexes held relatively steady following the European Central Bank’s cut to rates. Asian markets were stronger. Indexes rose 1.2% in Hong Kong and 0.8% in Shanghai as leaders met in Beijing to set economic plans and targets for the coming year. South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.6% for its third straight gain of at least 1%, as it pulls back following last week’s political turmoil where its president briefly declared martial law. In the bond market, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield rose to 4.31% from 4.27% late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for the Fed, rose to 4.18% from 4.16%. ___ AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated PressEagles try to cast aside perceived Hurts-Brown relationship issues ahead of Steelers showdown