A new “visa integrity fee” will be implemented for visitors to the United States, as outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This fee, starting at a minimum of $250, is in addition to existing visa fees and is applicable to all non-immigrant visa holders. While the fee may be reimbursable under certain conditions, details regarding the start date, payment method, and the reimbursement process remain unclear. The U.S. Congressional Budget Office anticipates that the fee, alongside the increase in the I-94 fee, will increase revenues and decrease the deficit by $28.9 billion over the 2025-2034 period. The fee aims to restore integrity to the nation’s immigration system, but the U.S. Travel Association has raised concerns.
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Neuralink, Elon Musk’s health tech company, filed as a “small disadvantaged business” with the U.S. Small Business Administration shortly before a financing round that valued the company at $9 billion. This designation, which could provide preferential access to federal procurement opportunities, requires the company to be at least 51% owned and controlled by “disadvantaged” individuals. The filing, which listed Neuralink executive Jared Birchall as the contact person, occurred during a period when Musk was leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, which targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The company’s technology aims to develop a brain-computer interface (BCI) system to help people with severe paralysis.
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In a defamation case, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell was ordered to pay $2.3 million to Eric Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems employee. The lawsuit stemmed from Lindell’s false accusations that Coomer helped rig the 2020 election. During the trial, Lindell maintained his claims of election fraud, which led to the jury’s decision. Lindell has vowed to appeal the verdict and stated he is in debt as a result.
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Louisiana has canceled the $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project, designed to restore disappearing Gulf coastline using funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. The project was intended to rebuild over 20 square miles of land over 50 years, but faced opposition from Governor Jeff Landry, who cited concerns about its impact on local fisheries and rising costs. Its cancellation means the state may lose unspent funds and potentially have to repay money already spent on the project. Conservationists and former officials expressed disappointment, emphasizing the urgent need for coastal protection, while the state plans to pursue a smaller, less expensive diversion project.
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CBS has announced the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” slated for May 2026, due to financial pressures. Despite being a top-rated late-night program, declining ad revenue has made the show unprofitable. The unexpected decision comes shortly after CBS’s parent company, Paramount, settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump, leading to speculation about the motivations behind the cancellation, which Colbert himself addressed on air. While CBS maintains the decision is purely financial, some, including Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, have questioned the timing and possible political influences.
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According to a new report, Florida officials diverted resources intended for disaster preparedness and response to construct the Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention jail under the direction of Governor Ron DeSantis. Many of the $20 million in contracts analyzed by TPM were awarded to DeSantis donors or political allies, and the contracts themselves mysteriously disappeared from the Florida Department of Financial Services website. This alleged misappropriation of funds has drawn strong criticism from Democrats, especially as the peak of hurricane season approaches. Furthermore, it was revealed that a 15-year-old was detained at the jail, despite prior claims of housing only adults, adding fuel to the controversy surrounding the facility.
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Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is supporting the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s decision to withhold body camera footage related to the fatal police shooting of Jabari Peoples, citing the need for a thorough investigation. The shooting occurred when a Homewood Police Department officer approached Peoples, an 18-year-old Black college freshman, at a soccer complex. Peoples’ family and girlfriend dispute the police’s account of the events, particularly the claim that Peoples reached for a gun, leading to demands for the video’s release from the family, local leaders, and Homewood residents. Despite these calls, the agency has not released the video as protests and threats of boycotts are made by the public.
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In a significant development, Morgan Geyser, who attempted to murder a classmate in 2014 to appease the fictional Slender Man, will be released from a Wisconsin mental hospital. After a judge approved a conditional release plan, Geyser, now 22, is set to leave Winnebago Mental Health Institute, where she has been for seven years. The details of the release plan and its timeline were not shared, but the decision follows earlier rulings that Geyser had made progress in battling her mental illness. The incident involved Geyser and a friend, Anissa Weier, luring their classmate to a park and attacking her, driven by their obsession with the Slender Man character.
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Two British men, Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers, have been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for felling the iconic Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland National Park. The men were convicted of criminal damage for destroying the tree and damaging Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The felling of the nearly 150-year-old tree, which gained fame from its picturesque setting and appearance in the film *Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves*, caused widespread outrage. Despite their denials and claims of being elsewhere, evidence including video footage and vehicle data implicated both men, leading to their conviction and sentencing.
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Bryan Braman, a Super Bowl-winning linebacker who played seven seasons in the NFL, has died at 38 after battling a rare form of cancer. Braman was diagnosed with cancer in February and underwent multiple treatments, including Car T-cell therapy, but the disease ultimately progressed aggressively. Despite the efforts, the cancer grew rapidly, eventually taking his life. A GoFundMe page raised almost $90,000 to support his treatment, with donations from former teammates like JJ Watt.
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John Q. Hosedrinker