Trump regime

Headline USA  -   The Pentagon has told Congress that it needs $80 billion to pay for the Iran war and other non-war-related costs, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

The Pentagon had previously claimed that the war cost $29 billion as of mid-May, a number that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, as an analysis from Stephen Semler of the Security Policy Reform Institute found that the war had cost about $72 billion in just the first 60 days, an estimate that doesn’t factor in indirect costs.

The costs have continued to add up despite the ceasefire, and the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, as the US is maintaining its military posture in the Middle East, which includes major naval armadas that were enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports.

Shortlysts -   The Trump administration is preparing major changes to the student visa system that could make it more difficult for foreign students to remain in the United States for extended periods through a combination of education and work programs. The proposal would affect both F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas, programs used by hundreds of thousands of international students each year.

There is a concerted effort to move away from the current ‘Duration of Status’ system, which allows students to stay in the country as long as they remain enrolled and maintain academic progress. Under the proposed rules, students would instead receive a fixed period of admission.

Those whose studies extend beyond that period would need approval from U.S. immigration authorities to remain in the country. These changes would be notable for international students who move from undergraduate programs into master’s or doctoral programs, transfer schools, or use programs such as Optional Practical Training (OPT) to work in the United States after graduation.