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  • Trump implements new $100,000 America First H-1B visa fee, WA state Tech Sector facing billions in cost

    09/19/2025 7:33:27 PM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 63 replies
    Lynnwood Times ^ | 9/19/2025 | Mario Lotmore
    -snip- Foreign workers, starting September 21, can’t enter the U.S. on an H-1B visa unless their employer’s petition (the paperwork requesting the visa) includes an extra $100,000 payment to the federal government. This fee must be renewed and paid annually, according to United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. -snip- Nationally, there are approximately 730,000 active H-1B holders as of early 2025. -snip- Washington currently ranks 4th nationally for H-1B activity. The state, particularly the Seattle metropolitan area, is a major hub for the U.S. tech industry, with companies like Amazon and Microsoft relying heavily on H-1B visas to hire...
  • Putin says Russia is curbing economic growth to control inflation, recession 'far away'

    09/18/2025 10:00:22 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 28 replies
    MSN News ^ | 9/18/2025 | Reuters
    President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is deliberately slowing its economic growth in order to suppress inflation. "As for the decline from more than 4% GDP growth: this is not a decline, it is a deliberate action. It is a slowdown in growth in exchange for curbing inflation and maintaining macroeconomic stability," Putin said during a televised meeting with top lawmakers. A graph published in Russian central bank's report earlier in September showed two consecutive quarters of gross domestic product (GDP) decline in quarter-on-quarter terms, aligning with the common definition of a technical recession.
  • Tucker Carlson is berated over disturbing claim about Hamas: 'He's turning into Ilhan Omar'

    09/09/2025 6:07:10 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 51 replies
    Daily Mail ^ | 9/7/2025 | LAURA PARNABY
    Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has faced a fierce backlash for claiming that Hamas is 'more like a political organization' than a terror group. The 56-year-old commentator made the comment while speaking with Shahed Ghoreishi in the latest episode of The Tucker Carlson show clipped by Mediate. Speaking about Hamas, Carlson said 'They're Islamist extremists... I don't know if that's true, by the way. Seems more like a political organization.'
  • Qatar ‘strongly condemns’ Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, calling it ‘cowardly’

    09/09/2025 7:06:42 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 45 replies
    Times of Israel ^ | 9/9/2025 | LAZAR BERMAN
    Qatar “strongly condemns” the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, calling it “cowardly.” Saying that the strike “targeted residential buildings housing several members of the Political Bureau of Hamas,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari says that the “criminal assault constitutes a blatant violation of all international laws and norms, and poses a serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.” Ansari adds that Qatar “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty.” Qatar is investigating “at the highest...
  • Ted Cruz Slams Tucker Carlson for Comments on Osama bin Laden, World War II

    09/10/2025 4:22:55 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 17 replies
    Algemeiner ^ | 9/9/2025 | Corey Walker
    US Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) has repudiated popular right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson for claiming he would like to share “condolences” with the family of Osama bin Laden, the late al Qaeda leader who organized the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. “Something is wrong with Tucker Carlson,” Cruz said during an episode of his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz” that was released on Monday. Cruz was responding to Carlson, a controversial commentator and online provocateur, who said in a recent episode of his own podcast that he would have no problem expressing sympathy to the family...
  • Russia condemns Israeli strike on Doha as 'gross violation of international law'

    09/10/2025 4:49:55 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 30 replies
    Anadolu ^ | 9/10/2025 | Elena Teslova
    Russia on Wednesday strongly condemned the Israeli attack on Qatar's capital Doha, calling it "a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter," and "an assault on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state." In a statement, the Foreign Ministry emphasized that Israel targeted Qatar's residential district, purportedly aimed at high-ranking members of the Palestinian Hamas movement who were reportedly located there, killing at least six people, including a Qatari police officer and injuring several people. "Russia views this incident as a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter, representing an assault on the sovereignty...
  • Iran's President Pezeshkian hits out at West's 'double standards' as he joins China parade

    09/03/2025 5:15:23 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 8 replies
    The National ^ | 9/3/2025 | Staff
    Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has criticised the UN's nuclear agency and accused western powers of "double standards" as he joined the leaders of China, Russia and North Korea for a military parade in Beijing. The Iranian leader was one of 26 heads of state in the Chinese capital for a once-a-decade event showcasing China’s growing firepower and diplomatic clout alongside its closest international allies. Mr Pezeshkian told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV he backed Beijing's drive to reform systems of global governing, which he said should take a multilateral and "justice-oriented" approach.
  • China's Xi, flanked by Putin and Kim, holds military parade in defiance of West

    09/02/2025 6:27:19 PM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 71 replies
    Reuters MSN News ^ | 9/2/2025 | Laurie Chen
    China kicked off its largest-ever military parade on Wednesday, a show of its growing firepower and geopolitical clout as President Xi Jinping seeks to cast Beijing as the custodian of a post-U.S. international order. Flanked by Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, a smiling Xi strolled up a red carpet to take his seat for the lavish event at Tiananmen Square to mark 80 years since Japan's defeat at the end of World War Two. More than 50,000 spectators packed into stands joined a vast choir singing patriotic songs as the dignitaries took their seats on the...
  • Trump: Putin ready to sign non-aggression deal, wants Ukraine's Donbas in return

    08/16/2025 8:23:15 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 125 replies
    EspresoTV ^ | 8/18/2025 | Anna Fechan
    During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the Alaska summit with Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the Russian leader insists on gaining control over the entire Donbas region Bloomberg reported the information. According to sources, during the phone call, Trump noted that the final decision on the territories should be made by Kyiv, but Putin’s position remains unchanged. Russia wants full control over Donetsk and Luhansk regions, even though its forces have currently captured only part of these areas. If Kyiv agrees, Moscow is ready to drop claims to the parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson...
  • Meloni sees 'glimmer of hope' for Ukraine peace talks

    08/16/2025 7:59:01 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 7 replies
    Baha Breaking News ^ | 8/16/2025 | Christian Baha
    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said a "glimmer of hope" has opened for peace talks in Ukraine after the summit between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. "A glimmer of hope has finally opened for peace talks in Ukraine. Italy is doing its part, along with its Western allies," Meloni said. Her remarks followed a joint European Union statement on the talks, which she also endorsed.
  • EU weighs sanctions relief if Russia agrees to truce

    08/16/2025 8:03:50 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 15 replies
    Baha Breaking News ^ | 8/16/2025 | Christian Baha
    The European Union officials are weighing the possibility of easing sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin agrees to a ceasefire in Ukraine, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. EU ambassadors are considering what concessions might persuade Moscow to accept a truce, though no timeline has been set for the potential offer. The news follows reports that an extraordinary meeting of ambassadors was held in Brussels shortly after United States President Donald Trump met with the Russian leader.
  • Starmer says peace in Ukraine 'closer than ever'

    08/16/2025 8:00:51 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 17 replies
    Baha Breaking News ^ | 8/16/2025 | Christian Baha
    United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that United States President Donald Trump's efforts have "brought us closer than ever before" to ending the war in Ukraine. Starmer emphasized that the next steps must include talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, noting that peace cannot be decided without his involvement. The British prime minsiter also confirmed that he spoke with Zelensky, Trump and European partners on Saturday, noting that all parties are ready to support the next phase. Starmer also pledged continued sanctions against Russia until it ends it military operation.
  • Media: Putin demands Ukrainian army to completely leave Donbas in exchange for a ceasefire

    08/16/2025 7:55:26 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 78 replies
    APA ^ | 8/16/2025 | Toghrul Guluzade
    During his meeting with Trump, Putin demanded Ukrainian troops to completely withdraw from Donbas in order to achieve a ceasefire, anonymous sources told Bloomberg, APA reports, citing UNIAN. US President Donald Trump informed the Ukrainian president and European leaders about this.
  • Ukrainian drone attack sparks fire at oil depot in Russia's Sochi city

    08/02/2025 10:30:05 PM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 21 replies
    TRT Global ^ | Reuters
    More than 120 firefighters were trying to extinguish a blaze at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi that was sparked by a Ukrainian drone attack, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev has said on the Telegram messaging app. In the Krasnodar region, where Sochi is located, a fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic metres was on fire, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Sunday, citing emergency officials. Rosaviatsia, Russia's civil aviation authority, said on Telegram that flights were halted at Sochi's airport to ensure air safety. The attack, which Kondratyev said was in the Adler district of...
  • Kremlin issues chilling nuclear war warning hours after Trump piles pressure on Putin

    07/15/2025 3:30:07 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 44 replies
    Express UK ^ | 7/15/2025 | Conor Wilson
    Prominent Russian propagandists have warned Donald Trump of severe consequences following his approval of weapons to Ukraine and threat of sanctions. -snip- The move was met with fury in Moscow state TV propagandist and war pundit Aleksandr Sladkov accusing the United States of attempting to intimidate Russia into agreeing to peace. He said: “Trump is trying to scare us with missiles, but this is difficult to do, Trump should be scared. “Everyone is trying to push us to turn Kyiv and Lviv into Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” Sladkov continued his threat of nuclear war, telling the audience that Russia’s strategic nuclear...
  • Donald Trump reveals exactly how many times Vladimir Putin sabotaged Ukraine peace deal

    07/15/2025 3:36:03 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 15 replies
    Express UK ^ | 7/15/2025 | Ciaran McGrath
    Donald Trump has claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin sabotaged a Ukraine peace deal four times. But the US President also said he was pleased with the progress made to increase NATO defence spending. Speaking in a frank interview with the BBC’s Gary O’Donoghue, Mr Trump said he had been close to brokering a ceasefire on multiple occasions, only for fresh Russian attacks to derail progress each time. The White House had contacted the BBC minutes before the conversation to say Mr Trump was ready to speak - underscoring the urgency he appeared to attach to the issue. Mr Trump said:...
  • Putin defies Trump’s ultimatum and BOMBARDS Ukraine – as Kremlin mouthpiece warns Russia will ‘turn Kyiv into Hiroshima’

    07/15/2025 3:49:55 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 44 replies
    Sun UK ^ | 7/15/2025 | Juliana Cruz Lima Will Stewart
    VLADIMIR Putin has defied Donald Trump's ultimatum and unleashed a fresh blitz on Ukraine. The bombing came just hours after the US president warned the Russian tyrant of devastating sanctions and a flood of Nato weaponry unless Moscow agrees to peace in 50 days. -snip- Meanwhile, Kyiv launched its own counterstrikes. Ukraine staged attacks on military facilities deep inside Russia with a new drone strike on Energiya enterprise at Yelets in Liuptsk region - which makes the chemical-based power sources for multiple Russian weapons including Iskander-M ballistic missiles. -snip- "In the last 18 months Russia has gained about one per...
  • Is Melania the reason for Trump’s turn against Putin?

    07/15/2025 5:06:29 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 38 replies
    Times UK ^ | 7/15/2025 | George Grylls
    President Zelensky has an unlikely ally in the White House: Melania Trump. The first lady, who grew up in the former Yugoslavia, has been reminding her husband of the deadly toll of Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and is thought to have played a role in convincing the president to sign off the delivery of Patriot air defence missiles to Kyiv this week. -snip- Her interest in the Ukraine war can be explained by her background. Born behind the Iron Curtain in 1970, in the former Yugoslavia, Melania has previously described her admiration for Ronald Reagan, the president who helped...
  • First lady Melania Trump helped convince president to get tough on Russia, he says

    07/14/2025 12:53:14 PM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 49 replies
    NY Post ^ | 7/14/2025 | Ronny Reyes
    President Trump suggested Monday that first lady Melania may have helped convince him to ramp up military aid to Ukraine. As he explained his decision to get tough on Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said his wife was one of the people who directly pointed out to him that Putin always backs out of his promises following their phone calls over a peace deal. “I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really? another city was just hit,'” he said, recounting one of their recent...
  • Trump: Putin's Fooled A Lot Of People, I've Realized The Talk Is Meaningless

    07/14/2025 10:34:40 AM PDT · by marcusmaximus · 48 replies
    Real Clear Politics ^ | 7/14/2025 | Tim Haines
    -snip- I go home, I tell the First Lady, "I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation." She said, "Oh really? Another city was just hit." So it's like, look, he's— I don't want to say he's an assassin, but he's a tough guy. It's been proven over the years. He's fooled a lot of people. He fooled Bush. He fooled a lot of people. He fooled Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden. He didn't fool me. But what I do say is that at a certain point, you know, ultimately talk—talk doesn't—it's got to be action. It's got to...