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Donald Trump has hailed the H-1B visa program for skilled workers as “great” claiming to have always been in favor of them.
Speaking to The New York Post, the president-elect sided with two of his top lieutenants, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, after they both defended the need for hiring workers from overseas in tech, engineering, and other sectors.
Ramaswamy, who will lead the outside commission known as the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Musk, blamed 1990s sitcoms for emphasizing the wrong values in U.S. workers.
“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” he wrote in a post on X.
“There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” Musk wrote on Wednesday on X. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.”
The “number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low,” he later added.
Their statements triggered pushback from “America First” hardliners, including Steve Bannon. They want strict immigration control and a furious war of words erupted on social media.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 13:10
Panamanian president dismisses Trump claims China controls Panama Canal
President José Raúl Mulino of Panama brushed off U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s baseless claim that Chinese soldiers are “operating the Panama Canal,” calling it “nonsense.”
In a Christmas Day message on Truth Social, Trump sarcastically wished a merry Christmas to “the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal” and “making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ‘repair’ money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about anything.”
Ariana Baio reports on the Panamanian leader’s response.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 12:10
‘Something great’ about Trump wanting to make Canada the 51st state, says Shark Tank star
Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary praised President-elect Donald Trump’s continued fascination with annexing Canada as an American state, saying there was “something great” about it because it would form “the most powerful country on earth.”
Having spent the past few weeks taunting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by offering to make him a “governor” of “the 51st state,” the incoming president upped the ante with a Christmas message to the United States’ neighbor to the north. Besides recommending that hockey great Wayne Gretzky run to be “the Governor of Canada,” Trump also claimed that Canadians’ taxes would massively drop if they joined the American union.
Justin Barangoa reports.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 11:10
As MAGA looks to end federal programs, more Americans believe health care is responsibilty of government
In 2013, during the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, that number was down to 42 percent. Back in 2006, it stood at 69 percent.
The annual Health and Healthcare survey was conducted between November 6 and 20. That same poll found that fewer Americans are rating U.S. health care coverage and quality in a positive way.
Gustaf Kilander has the details.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 10:10
Toy stores could go bust under Trump’s proposed international tariffs
According to industry group The Toy Association, nearly 80 percent of U.S. toys are manufactured in China, one of the countries the President-elect has threatened to target with immediate charges on exports.
Mike Bedigan reports.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 09:10
As businesses scramble to curry favor, Trump inaugural fund set to break record
“There is an absolute deluge of interest,” a Republican fundraiser told ABC News.
The donations have included a variety of big names in the tech and finance world.
Amazon, Meta, Uber, and Ford are all reportedly planning $1 million donations, as are hedge fund manager Ken Griffin and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Josh Marcus has the details.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 08:10
Aspiring MAGA congresswoman performs mock ‘execution’ of migrant
The 25-year-old, who tried and failed to be elected as the Missouri Secretary of State earlier this year, said in the disturbing clip that undocumented persons who committed violent crimes “deserve to be ended.”
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 06:40
Trump’s ‘border czar’ says migrant families will be put in detention centers once again
Donald Trump’s incoming border czar says the administration’s plans for a mass deportation operation will include jailing immigrant families together in detention centers before they are removed from the country.
“We’re going to need to construct family facilities,” Tom Homan told The Washington Post in a recent interview. “How many beds we’re going to need will depend on what the data says.”
Alex Woodward reports.
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 04:40
‘Exhausted’ Americans are tuning out politics
While cable news networks CNN and MSNBC continue to see a massive post-election drop in their television ratings, a new Associated Press poll finds that most Americans are worn out since Donald Trump’s electoral victory and have tuned out from political news.
Conducted by the AP and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research in early December, the survey found that roughly two-thirds of respondents said they “have recently felt the need to limit media consumption about politics and government because of overload.” Some participants explained why they felt fatigued and needed to step away.
Here’s Justin Barangoa:
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 03:40
Yellen warns Congress ‘extraordinary measures’ will be needed to stop US hitting debt limit
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said her agency will need to start taking “extraordinary measures,” or special accounting maneuvers intended to prevent the nation from hitting the debt ceiling, as early as January 14, in a letter sent to congressional leaders Friday afternoon.
“Treasury expects to hit the statutory debt ceiling between January 14 and January 23,” Yellen wrote in a letter addressed to House and Senate leadership, at which point extraordinary measures would be used to prevent the government from breaching the nation’s debt ceiling — which has been suspended until Jan. 1, 2025.
The department has in the past deployed what are known as “extraordinary measures” or accounting maneuvers to keep the government operating. But once those measures run out the government risks defaulting on its debt unless lawmakers and the president agree to lift the limit on the U.S. government’s ability to borrow.
“I respectfully urge Congress to act to protect the full faith and credit of the United States,” she said.
Continue reading…
Oliver O’Connell29 December 2024 02:40
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