Domestic
Farm Aid recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in Minneapolis. Founded in 1985 by musicians Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, the nonprofit aims to raise funds and awareness for family-owned farms by holding an annual benefit concert. This year features artists such as Bob Dylan, Kenny Chesney and Sierra Ferrell. Since its inception, Farm Aid has raised over $85 million to support farmers, many of whom are now impacted by tariffs.
President Donald Trump has announced changes to the U.S. immigration system, notably impacting the H-1B visa. This visa has typically been used by tech companies to bring foreign workers, who are willing to work for less than their U.S. counterparts, into the country. Now, each H-1B visa will cost $100,000 – a sharp increase from the former $215 price tag. Additionally, a new visa has been launched. Billed as the Trump Gold Card visa, it starts at $1,000,000 for individuals and provides a fast-track for individuals seeking to live in the United States. For $2 million, a company can sponsor an individual. Other countries do have similar visas that cater to wealthy individuals, so such a move is not unprecedented.
International
At Monday’s United Nations meeting, France officially recognized Palestinian statehood, an initiative welcomed with loud applause. The move comes at a time when other governments, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal have also recognized a Palestinian state in an effort to create peace in the region. The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry recently declared that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as blockades have severely limited humanitarian aid. Israel vehemently refuted these claims.
Over the weekend, several of Europe’s major airports were affected by a cyberattack. The attack impacted service provider Collins Aerospace, a company that allows passengers to check in and board. The chaos and disruption have resulted in several flights being rescheduled. While an annoyance for travelers, airports have been able to manually check in passengers, something that seems uncommon in today’s world. The motive behind the attack remains unclear and no data appears to have been stolen.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has been dropped by seven charities after a 2011 email to convicted felon Jeffrey Epstein was leaked. In the email, she called Epstein her “supreme friend,” a sharp contrast to her public remarks at the time. Connections to Epstein have been career-ending for several, including Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former US ambassador.
