June 19, 2025

State Department resumes student visas but adds social media checks

Social media could now play a decisive role for international students applying to study in the United States. The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that it is resuming student visa processing after a suspension, but with new rules that require applicants to make their social media accounts accessible for review, according to media outlets.  The […]

June 19, 2025

Rhode Island House approves $13.9 billion budget with new real estate taxes

Rhode Island could add a “Taylor Swift Tax” to charge semi-vacant mansion owners thousands more. State lawmakers are working on a budget that includes two significant changes to real estate taxes. The state House of Representatives approved the budget on a 66-9 vote on Tuesday, June 17. ‘Taylor Swift Tax’ targets second homes over $1 million One of […]

June 19, 2025

Some LA migrant street vendors being paid to stay at home

With many immigrants afraid to go to work due to immigration raids in Los Angeles, several community groups are stepping up to help their neighbors. These groups are raising money to support street vendors so they can avoid being on the streets, where they might be picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The […]

June 19, 2025

Elon Musk posts clean drug test, New York Times stands by drug use report

Elon Musk is pushing back against recent allegations of drug abuse, including those detailed in a New York Times report, by publicly sharing results from a recent drug test. The billionaire posted the results on X early Tuesday morning, June 17. The test, reportedly taken during the week of June 8, came back negative for […]

June 19, 2025

Free speech group says WVU violated student’s rights with no-contact order

A free speech group says West Virginia University infringed upon a student’s First Amendment rights when it placed a no-contact order on him, prohibiting interaction with a school employee. Now, the organization is calling on WVU to lift the order reportedly placed on Jewish student Eliyahu Itkowitz after he distributed pro-Israel books on campus. No-contact […]

June 19, 2025

Senate cuts wind, solar incentives, keeps tax credits for nuclear, geothermal energy

Congress is set to decide the future of tax credits for energy technologies, electric vehicles and domestic manufacturing. Late on Monday, June 16, the Senate Finance Committee unveiled its changes to the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” striking a middle ground between maintaining energy tax credits and the steeper cuts passed by the U.S. House of […]

June 19, 2025

Democrats say Trump pardons keep victims from collecting restitution

House Democrats released a report during the week of June 16 that found President DonaldTrump’s 1,600 pardons are set to cost crime victims and the government $1.3 billion in fines and restitution. They pointed out that not only did the president clear their names and commute their prison sentences, he also absolved them of their […]

June 19, 2025

Why are the Brits installing a statue of George Washington?

More than a century after it first arrived in London, a statue of George Washington is once again standing tall, newly restored and shining in Trafalgar Square. The bronze statue, a gift from the state of Virginia, was originally sent to the United Kingdom in 1914. It was meant to mark 100 years since the […]

June 19, 2025

Latino reporter arrested at protest taken into ICE custody, faces deportation

A Latino reporter arrested while covering a protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies is now in federal custody and may soon be deported. The journalist’s lawyers say they will challenge his detention and seek his release. Mario Guevara, 47, was jailed in suburban Atlanta Saturday, June 14, as he live-streamed his coverage of a […]