$100,000 H-1B Visa Fee? A New Proclamation is Shaking Up Immigration and the American Job Market
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, a new proclamation from the Trump administration is set to drastically change the H-1B visa program, introducing a hefty $100,000 fee for many companies hiring temporary foreign workers. The administration’s move is based on the argument that the H-1B program, originally created to bring in highly skilled, specialized workers, has been “deliberately exploited” to replace American workers with lower-paid labor.
Trump Pushes Attorney General Bondi on Investigations, Citing Public Frustration
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, in a series of posts on his social media platform, President Donald Trump publicly expressed his frustration with Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging her to move more quickly on investigations into several high-profile political figures. Trump questioned why there appeared to be a “delay” in bringing charges against former FBI Director James Comey, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Invokes Hamilton in “Dueling” Quip
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, in a recent interview, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made headlines for a historical quip that sheds light on the internal dynamics of the Trump administration. Responding to a report that he threatened to punch Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte, Bessent joked that Treasury leaders “have a history of dueling,” referencing none other than Alexander Hamilton.
New York NY, the Trump administration has revoked $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University, citing “relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment” on campus. The decision, announced by the Department of Education, comes as part of a broader crackdown on universities that fail to comply with anti-discrimination laws.
Washington DC, Elon Musk’s attempt to streamline the federal workforce got a bust from some new allies —not from the courts or watchdog groups, but from Senate-confirmed Cabinet secretaries and agency heads who are asserting their authority over staffing decisions.
Washington DC, in a major policy shift, newly appointed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to rescind $20 billion in federal grants previously awarded under the Biden administration’s “climate” and “clean-energy initiatives”. The decision, revealed in a video posted on X, aims to halt funding for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, also known as the green bank, a program designed to support thousands of climate-focused projects.
Washington DC, as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to push controversial policies, Democrats in Congress remain divided over how to respond. While some advocate for total opposition, recent polling suggests that most voters believe a more cooperative approach would be beneficial.
Washington DC, in the first press briefing of President Donald Trump’s second administration, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the mystery drones that created a stir across New Jersey and the East Coast in late 2024.
Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy is scheduled to visit the White House this morning to meet with President Donald Trump as New Jersey seeks federal help to cope with the health and economic crisis of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trenton NJ, Yesterday after the Trump administration moved to block state efforts to work around a new limit on state and local tax deductions, Governor Murphy has said he is weighing legal actions.. New Jersey’s top Republican NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt released the following statement:
Washington DC, for the second time in a week the US Supreme court gave the Trump administration a major win . First on Tuesday the Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s travel ban affecting several mostly Muslim countries, offering an endorsement of the president’s executive authority on immigration in one of the hardest-fought battles of this term.
The 5-4 ruling marks the first major high court decision on a Trump administration policy and it upholds the selective travel restrictions.
Today in perhaps a more significant issue for New Jersey Taxpayers and in a major legal and political defeat for municipal and state unions, the Supreme Court ruled once again 5-4 that state government workers cannot be forced to pay so-called “fair share” fees to support collective bargaining and other union activities.
Unions claim 5 million government employees in 24 states including New Jersey and the District of Columbia will be affected by this ruling.
The so called “Janus decision” is seen as a victory for Free Speech advocates . Teachers and other public sector members will now have freedom to choose to voluntarily join a union if they decide it will serve their interests, rather than endure compulsory fees to unions that put their own agenda first. Public sector unions will no longer be able to force non-members to pay bloated “agency fees” as a condition of employment.
Ridgewood NJ, according to Rasmussen Reports , most voters blame the parents of the separated children at the border for the latest illegal immigration crisis, not the federal government.
When families are arrested and separated after attempting to enter the United States illegally, 54% of Likely U.S. Voters say the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 35% believe the federal government is more to blame for enforcing the law. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
To help understand the current political debate over the children issue, a closer look shows that 82% of Republicans and 56% of voters not affiliated with either major political party feel the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. But 60% of Democrats say the government is more to blame for enforcing the law.
Seventy-five percent (75%) of Democrats think the Trump administration is too aggressive in trying to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States, a view shared by only 23% of Republicans and a plurality (46%) of unaffiliated voters.
Among all voters, 49% say the administration is too aggressive trying to stop illegal immigration. Twenty-five percent (25%) say it’s not aggressive enough, while 21% view the administration’s policies as about right.
Fifty-four percent (54%) agree with President Trump when he says, “The United States will not be a migrant camp. And it will not be a refugee-holding facility – it won’t be.” Thirty percent (30%) disagree, while 16% are undecided.
Washington DC, according to Attorney General Jeff Sessions , “Each year, an estimated $3 billion are stolen or defrauded from millions of American seniors. Through “grandparent scams,” fake prizes or even threats, criminals prey on some of the most vulnerable Americans to steal their hard-earned savings and their peace of mind.”
Upscale towns like Ridgewood, Glen Rock etc are often the prime targets of these scams . The Ridgewood blog has reported over and over again senior scams , phone scams , internet scams and identity theft .
And this threat is only growing. The Senate Aging Committee’s Fraud Hotline received twice as many reports in 2016 as it received in 2015. The rise of new technologies has made it easier for criminals to coordinate their efforts and perpetrate their crimes.
The Trump Administration is taking action. We will not let this crime continue to rise.
Last month, the Department ordered all 94 of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices to each designate an elder justice coordinator, who will customize our strategy to protect seniors in their district. This will ensure even greater cooperation between the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners.
The Trump administration is forming unprecedented law enforcement partnerships around the country and, indeed, around the world. These partnerships are already bearing fruit.
Today, the Department of Justice is announcing the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history.
With the help of our partners at all levels of government and in the private sector, we have charged more than 200 defendants for committing elder fraud schemes and brought civil actions against dozens more.
These defendants allegedly robbed more than one million Americans of more than half a billion dollars.
In the past month alone, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have filed cases against more than 40 defendants. These 40 defendants are responsible for a majority of those 1 million victims I mentioned, and they include charges against the transnational criminal organization highlighted on the map we have displayed.
Just yesterday the Postal Inspection Service executed 14 search warrants across America. The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch and our U.S. Attorneys are working closely with the postal inspectors on these investigations.
And as we speak, our partners with the Vancouver, Canada Police Department are executing dozens of search warrants as part of this enforcement action. These warrants are being carried out against members of transnational criminal organizations that have allegedly defrauded tens of thousands of Americans and people all over the world.
And so I want to thank the Postal Inspection Service, the FTC and its Consumer Sentinel database, the FBI and its Los Angeles field office, the Vancouver Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of Iowa, our elder justice coordinators, and all of our state, local, and international partners who helped make this historic achievement possible.
Thank you to Derek Schmidt, Kansas Attorney General and President of the National Association of Attorneys General for participating in this action and representing our state Attorneys General, who play a vital role in this effort.
And thank you to the Senate Special Committee on Aging, especially to my good friends Senators Grassley and Collins. They have a real passion for this issue and they have helped raise awareness about it.
I also want to thank Deborah Cox-Rausch, director of Senior Corps, a federal agency that coordinates the work of hundreds of thousands of senior citizen volunteers across the country. Senior Corps has helped get the word out about the threat of fraud schemes to our seniors, and I believe that helps prevent crime.
That’s why I hope that no victim of fraud feels ashamed. This can happen to anyone. Several members of my staff have told me about their grandparents being targeted by fraudsters. In fact, just this past week, one of my senior staffers was in a meeting with me when she got a call from her grandmother, who had just received a phone call from a fraudster.
We need to spread the word about this. So, please, if you or someone you know was victimized by an elder fraud scheme, please report it to the FTC. It might just give us the tip we need to put criminals in jail—and to protect other seniors.
We are joined here today by several Americans who have had the courage to step forward and share their stories of being victimized by fraudsters. They’ve come a long way to be here—and I want to thank them for that and for sharing their experiences and insights.
Ridgewood NJ, earlier this month Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced commitments to fund 100 percent of their respective share of the new Gateway tunnel. The agreement follows a 2015 framework agreement in which the federal government agreed to fund 50 percent of the project.
The agreement for a combined $5.5 billion states that the State of New York will contribute $1.75 billion with NJ Transit committing $1.9 billion and the Port Authority contributing $1.9 billion.
But the Trump administration through cold water on the idea on Friday . In a letter to New York and New Jersey officials, a top Federal Transit Administration Deputy Administrator Jane Williams signaled that the Trump administration would not recognize the agreement struck under former President Barack Obama that called for the federal government to pay half the cost of the project.
The letter stated that ,“There is no such agreement,” and “We consider it unhelpful to reference a nonexistent ‘agreement’ rather than directly address the responsibility for funding a local project where nine out of 10 passengers are local transit riders,”
Washington DC , President Trump is touting his administration’s progress on deregulation, according to the President for every one new regulation an amazing 22 are eliminated. Trump said the goal is to get the stack of regulations smaller than that of the 1960’s.
According to the Wall Street Journal ,” the biggest change has been in U.S. economic policy, notably the Trump Administration’s deregulatory efforts and the boost they have given business confidence.”
The Labor Department reported Friday December 8th that the U.S. created 228,000 net new jobs in November, in the latest sign that the American economy is growing at a healthier pace.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that nonfarm payrolls grew by 228,000 jobs in November, with gains across all sectors except information and utilities. The pace in November is higher than the 2017 average of 174,000 per month, and 1.7 million jobs have been added since January. The November unemployment rate matched October’s rate of 4.1 percent, which was the lowest rate in more than 16 years (since December 2000).
For Hispanic workers, the 4.7 percent unemployment rate in November was the lowest in at least 44 years.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Department revealed Wednesday that the GDP expanded at a 3.3 percent rate in the third quarter after being adjusted for seasonal factors and inflation. That’s the first time since 2007 that quarterly economic output exceeded the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of its “maximum sustainable level,” the Wall Street Journal reported .
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