Some tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. Related Articles National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns National Politics | Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen National Politics | Exhausted by political news? TV ratings and new poll say you’re not alone The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, UC San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. Not participating this week: Alan Gin, University of San DiegoHaney Hong, San Diego County Taxpayers AssociationRay Major, economist Have an idea for an Econometer question? Email me at phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com . Follow me on Threads: @phillip020President-elect Donald Trump used a photo of himself and first lady Jill Biden in Paris on social media on Sunday to sell his new line of fragrances. France's iconic Notre Dame Cathedral officially reopened its doors in Paris on Saturday evening in a global event that brought in several world leaders, royals, and business tycoons, marking the revival of the 861-year-old landmark five years after a devastating fire . The visit marked Trump's fifth trip to France, following four visits during his first presidency, including D-Day anniversary ceremonies in 2019—the same year the Notre Dame caught fire. While President Joe Biden did not attend the reopening due to scheduling conflicts, the first lady represented the administration on his behalf as she was pictured sitting close to Trump and her daughter Ashley Biden during the ceremony. On Sunday, Trump took to his Truth Social account to share the picture of himself and Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony to promote his line of fragrances by turning the picture into a meme, captioning it: "A Fragrance Your Enemies Can't Resist." "Here are my new Trump Perfumes & Colognes! I call them Fight, Fight, Fight, because they represent us WINNING. Great Christmas gifts for the family. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!" the president-elect wrote. According to the website, there are four fragrance products with two cologne products for men and two perfume products for women and are being sold for nearly $200 each. However, both the "Victory Perfume" and "Victory Cologne" which feature specialized bottles are sold out as of Sunday evening. Newsweek has reached out to Trump via email for comment on Sunday evening. This is not the first time Trump has used photos of himself to sell various items as he notably used his mugshot photo when he was booked in Georgia on racketeering charges to launch a mugshot-inspired line on his campaign site that includes T-shirts, mugs and stickers. Trump and over a dozen of his allies were indicted in August 2023 for conspiring to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election to Biden in the state. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has since asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to dismiss the case against him now that he has won a second term. Trump has since continued this approach in his 2024 presidential campaign, selling a wide range of items. These included collectible digital trading cards featuring him as a superhero, $399 gold high-top sneakers, $100 "MAGADonalds" T-shirts, and even $60 "God Save America" Bibles , which reportedly netted him $300,000 overall. In September, "TRUMP Watches" were launched, with Trump asking his supporters to spend at least $499 to join "President Trump's Watch Community." However, the increase in merchandise has also brought criticism as Mary Trump, the president-elect's estranged niece, accused her uncle last month of "grifting" during the holiday season as she condemned his use of selling merchandise that is affiliated with himself. In a YouTube video posted on November 27 titled, "Griftsgiving: Trump's Holiday Scams Exposed - The Family Business," Mary Trump , a vocal critic of her uncle, discussed these products as she accused the president-elect of "grifting" during the holiday season. "Gather around the table because it is that time of the year again. Yes, the vegan turkey is roasting, the pumpkin pie is cooling, and of course I'm getting my massive bowl of mashed potatoes ready because Donald and his cronies are back at it with their favorite family tradition grifting," Mary Trump said. "Let's get into the side hustle that they are starting to call the 'parallel economy.' For those unfamiliar the parallel economy is a MAGA marketplace where conservatives pedal products to their followers promising freedom for a price." Speaking of the many Trump-branded products that are out there for sale, Mary Trump said "there is literally no bottom to the grift for this kind of junk." Her remarks come as many of these items including the Trump sneakers and Trump-branded watches were participating in Black Friday sales, according to their official websites. While it is unclear how much Trump makes from all the products and business ventures as some are collaborations with other brands, last year, it was reported that Trump made between $100,000 and $1 million for a series of digital trading cards, which he re-released this year for $99 apiece as a new "America First Collection."
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — In an era of rising authoritarianism, at the heels of a six-hour martial law decree that unfolded while many South Koreans slept, something noteworthy happened: Democracy held. The past week in Seoul, officials and academics warn, is what a threat to democracy looks like in 2024. It's a democratically-elected president declaring martial law over the nation he leads, asserting sweeping powers to prevent opposition demonstrations, ban political parties and control the media. It's members of the military attempting to block lawmakers from exercising their power to vote on cancelling the power grab. And here's what it took to defeat President Yoon Suk Yeol 's lurch toward government by force: Unified popular support for democracy. Legislators storming the National Assembly past midnight, live-streaming themselves climbing over fences. A politician grabbing at a soldier's rifle and yelling “Aren't you ashamed?” until he retreated. And finally, decisively, Parliament assembling a quorum and voting unanimously to cancel martial law. It was a victory for a hard-won democracy — and for the idea that checks and balances among branches of government must work to counteract each other's ambitions, as the American founders wrote in the Federalist Papers in 1788. But as the drama played out in Seoul, the scaffolding of democracy rattled around the world. It said something about the rule of law In other countries, the grab for power might have worked. Other would-be authoritarians might have been better prepared than Yoon. In deeply polarized societies — the United States, for example, where Republicans are staunchly loyal to president-elect Donald Trump — there might not have been decisive support from the public or the opposition. The military might have used force. And the members of the legislature might not have voted as one to snuff out the attempted takeover. “President Yoon's attempt to declare martial law reveals the fragility of the rule of law in divided societies, especially those with governments in which the chief executive cannot be easily dismissed by the legislature," said Tom Pepinsky, a government professor at Cornell University who studies backsliding among democracies in Southeast Asia. Notably, he said in an email, “No members of President Yoon’s own party were willing to defend his actions in public." Nevertheless, Yoon’s surprise attempt to impose martial law revealed both the fragility and resilience of the country’s democratic system. Within three hours of his stunning announcement to impose military rule — claiming the opposition was “paralyzing” state affairs — 190 lawmakers voted to cancel his actions. In so doing, they demonstrated the strength of the country’s democratic checks and balances. Yoon’s authoritarian push, carried out by hundreds of heavily armed troops with Blackhawk helicopters and armored vehicles sent to the National Assembly, harked back to an era of dictatorial presidents. The country’s democratic transition in the late 1980s came after years of massive protests by millions that eventually overcame violent suppressions by military rulers. Civilian presence was again crucial in shaping the events following Yoon’s late night television announcement on Tuesday. Thousands of people flocked to the National Assembly, shouting slogans for martial law to be lifted and Yoon to step down from power. There were no reports of violent clashes as troops and police officers. “We restored democracy without having a single casualty this time,” said Seol Dong-hoon, a sociology professor at South Korea’s Jeonbuk National University. It's not that easy to become a dictator It’s virtually impossible for any leader of a democracy to pull off a transition toward martial law without a public willing to support it, or at least tolerate it. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, attracted millions of views as he began live-streaming his journey to the National Assembly, pleading for people to converge to the parliament to help lawmakers get inside. The shaky footage later shows him exiting his car climbing over a fence to get onto the grounds. The vote at the National Assembly was also broadcast live on the YouTube channel of Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik, who also had to scale a fence to get in. Yoon’s sense of crisis clearly wasn’t shared by the public, whose opinions, Seol said, were shaped predominantly by the shocking videos broadcast to their devices. “Ultimately, democracy is all about moving public opinion,” he said. “What was most crucial in this case was that everything was broadcast live on smartphones, YouTube and countless other media.” Opposition lawmakers are now pushing to remove Yoon from office, saying he failed to meet the constitutional requirement that martial law should only be considered in wartime or a comparable severe crisis — and that he unlawfully deployed troops to the National Assembly. On Saturday, an opposition-led impeachment motion failed after most lawmakers from Yoon’s party boycotted the vote. Yet the president’s troubles persist: The vote’s defeat is expected to intensify nationwide protests and deepen South Korea’s political turmoil, with opposition parties preparing to introduce another impeachment motion when parliament reconvenes next Wednesday. Han Sang-hie, a law professor at Seoul’s Konkuk University, said the martial law debacle highlights what he sees as the most crucial flaw of South Korea’s democracy: that it places too much power in the hands of the president, which is easily abused and often goes unchecked. It's called a ‘self-coup’ Political scientists call what happened in South Korea an “autogolpe” — a “self-coup” — defined as one led by incumbent leaders themselves, in which an executive takes or sponsors illegal actions against others in the government. Yoon qualifies because he used troops to try to shut down South Korea's legislature. Self-coups are increasing, with a third of the 46 since 1945 occurring in the past decade, according to a study by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State University. About 80% of self-coups succeed, they reported. In 2021, a power grab by Tunisian President Kais Saied raised similar concerns around the world after the country designed a democracy from scratch and won a Nobel Peace Prize after a largely bloodless revolution. In the United States, some have expresed worry about similar situations arising during the second administration of Donald Trump. He has vowed, after all, to shake some of democracy's pillars . He's mused that he would be justified if he decided to pursue “the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.” That’s in contrast to the oath of office he took in 2017, and will again next year, to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution” as best he can. Nearly half of voters in the Nov. 5 election, which Trump won, said they were “very concerned” that another Trump presidency would bring the U.S. closer to authoritarianism, according to AP Votecast survey data. Asked before a live audience on Fox News Channel in 2023 to assure Americans that he would not abuse power or use the presidency to seek retribution against anyone, Trump replied, “except for day one," when he'll close the border and “drill, drill, drill.” After that, Trump said, "I'm not a dictator.” ___ Kellman reported from London.
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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info During the I'm A Celeb final on Sunday night, eagle-eyed fans spotted a spoiler in an early show preview. Hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly unwittingly gave the game away before the tense trial had concluded. As the finale heated up with the win hanging in the balance, some spectators realised that the introductory clip at the episode's start had inadvertently revealed the outcome. The blunder occurred during a nail-biting moment where Ant and Dec cautioned contestant Danny Jones about potentially disappointing fellow campmates Coleen Rooney and Reverend Richard Coles as he battled with knots. Despite the pressure and a dwindling clock, the task was completed within time, offering a full dinner and a choice drink for each participant. However, astute viewers glimpsed the celebrities with their selected beverages in the teaser, indicating they'd triumphed in the trial, bagging all the stars available. Fans took to social media to express their observations, with one remarking: "Well I assume they get these final stars since we saw all of them with their drinks in the preview clips at the beginning." Soap opera devotees were quick to point out a slip-up involving the beverages during a pivotal Emmerdale scene. One astute fan pointed out, "We all saw them with their drinks in the preview, so they probably should of done this first because it just gave it away they do it.", reports the Mirror . Another chimed in, "Well we saw them toast their drinks in the preview so I assume this trial goes well," while yet another viewer noted, "I wonder if they get their drinks, not like it showed it in the opening titles." The episode took an unexpected turn when Ant and Dec rocked up to deliver some shocking news that left the campmates reeling. Upon hearing the announcement, one contestant admitted they "didn't expect it" and emotions ran high with one star notably shaken by the revelation. The plot thickened as show hosts Ant and Dec stepped into the scene to divulge who would be the next to leave, with these moments kicking off Sunday's gripping finale. It was revealed that fan favourite from Strictly Come Dancing , Oti Mabuse, was out of the running, leaving viewers and campmates stunned as she had been a frontrunner to win. As Oti bid farewell to the camp, Ant and Dec unveiled the final trio of campmates: Coleen, Danny, and Reverend Richard, confirming them as this year’s finalists. The announcement left the three both shocked and elated, with emotions running high—Reverend Richard in disbelief and Coleen moved to tears in the Bush Telegraph. McFly's Danny admitted, "It feels amazing, I didn't expect this at all." On the other hand, Richard expressed his astonishment: "I can't believe I'm one of the final three! I never thought I would make it this far." Overwhelmed with emotion, Coleen stepped out to shed some tears, confessing she was "proud" to have reached the finale, as Sunday's show looms where the winner will be revealed.Announcement Comes as Two Long-Time Executives Retire TROY, Mich. , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 365 Retail Markets, the global leader in unattended retail technologies, today announced the appointment of Anton Rakushkin as Chief Technology Officer and Bill Reidy as VP of Sales for North America . These strategic hires come as two long-time leaders, Joe Rogan and John Chidiac , retire after years of dedicated service to the company. Rakushkin comes to 365 with twenty years of experience in retail technology including time with Streamware Corporation and Crane Connectivity Solutions. He holds impressive accomplishments in the areas of vending management, including the architecture of Vendmax, an extensively used VMS system across the industry. His achievements also include innovations around data exchange and tools for operator success such as industry-first pre-kit and dynamic scheduling features. Rakushkin has had notable success working closely with both customers and other solution providers to create widely adopted industry standards. "I am excited to bring my experience to the world-class team at 365 and look forward to elevating their impressive accomplishments across the industry as well as extending that success to more opportunities. By understanding customer needs and providing solutions that will drive the industry forward, we will accomplish great things," said Rakushkin. Reidy joins 365 Retail Markets with over thirty years of experience in sales leadership and executive management. Throughout his career, he has successfully developed and grown businesses across various verticals and industries. Reidy has cultivated a deep understanding of the SaaS industry by advancing through prominent firms, including well-known players in the automotive technology space, such as KPA, Netsertive, and DealerMatch. During his time at vAuto, he designed highly effective sales and operations management processes and built a renowned national sales team. When asked about his optimism around 365's growth potential, Reidy noted, "I'm fortunate to be joining a well-established team at 365 Retail Markets, and I believe that through coaching and establishing the right processes, we can expand our opportunities immensely. I am looking forward to elevating the reach and success of this organization through the help of a world-class sales team." Joe Hessling , CEO at 365 Retail Markets, expressed his excitement about the leadership additions. "Bringing experts like Anton and Bill onto the team is essential to keep up with the intense growth we are seeing in our unattended retail business. We have heard for years that the market is tired of the lack of investment by the legacy VMS providers and the lack of consumer-focused features from the me-too payment terminal providers. Anton and Bill will be focused on being sure 365 remains the global leader for decades to come." Joe Rogan retires after 10 years with 365. While currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer, he has previously served as Chief Financial Officer and an early advisor and Board Member helping define nearly every successful initiative in the company's history. Joe will be missed greatly by his industry colleagues and friends at 365 but will remain in an advisory role in his retirement. John Chidiac's decade of service to 365 comes with many accomplishments in roles as Chief Operating Officer and later as President of International, spearheading international growth. His dedication to 365 has positioned the long-term success internationally and his relationships with many in the industry has gained him immense respect among his peers and colleagues. Hessling acknowledged their contributions, stating, "I would like to thank both Joe and John for helping me turn 365 into what it is today. Taking the leap to join over 10 years ago was a risk neither had to take and their impact on 365, me, and the industry has been something that most don't ever get the chance to do in their careers. I will miss working with them both but am happy for them in their next stage of life." Both retirements are effective December 31, 2024 and 365 Retail Markets thanks both individuals for their incredible dedication and commitment to the organization and industry. CONTACT: Navreet Gill VP of Marketing & Communications, 365 Retail Markets navreet.gill@365smartshop.com About 365 Retail Markets 365 Retail Markets is the global leader in unattended retail technology. Founded in 2008, 365 provides a full suite of best-in-class, self-service technologies for food service operators including end-to-end integrated SaaS software, payment processing and point of-sale hardware. Today, the company's technology solutions autonomously power food retail spaces at corporate offices, manufacturing and distribution facilities, hospitality settings and more, in order to provide compelling foodservice options for consumers. 365's technology solutions include a growing suite of frictionless smart stores, micro markets, vending, catering, and dining point-of-sale options to meet the expanding needs of its customers. 365 continuously pioneers innovation in the industry with superior technology, strategic partnerships and ultimate flexibility in customization and branding. For more information about 365 Retail Markets, visit www.365retailmarkets.com and connect on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/365-retail-markets-strengthens-leadership-team-with-key-hires-302339366.html SOURCE 365 Retail Markets, LLC