海角大神

President Trump announced a $100,000 annual fee for highly skilled foreign workers on H-1B visas, meant for jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to train people, you鈥檙e going to train Americans,鈥� Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said. Mr. Trump also announced a 鈥済old card鈥� visa with a path to citizenship for $1 million. The moves face near-certain legal challenges. 鈥� The Associated Press

Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal recognized a Palestinian state in a move reflecting frustration over the Gaza war and aiming to promote a two-state solution. Britain鈥檚 decision carried particular symbolism given its role in Israel鈥檚 creation as a nation after World War II. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the move as 鈥済iving a huge reward to terrorism.鈥� 鈥� Reuters

The Pentagon is now requiring journalists to sign a pledge agreeing not to publish unauthorized information, even when unclassified. Reporters who don鈥檛 comply risk losing access to the department. While defense officials cite national security, press advocates call it an 鈥渁ssault鈥� on independent journalism. The memo also barred reporters from freely roaming what has historically been the most open defense department in the world. 鈥� Staff

Brazilians took to the streets on Sunday to protest a bill that could shield former President Jair Bolsonaro and other lawmakers from the courts. It was the first major leftist demonstration since Mr. Bolsonaro was sentenced to prison for a coup plot following his 2022 election defeat. Turnout rivaled recent right-wing protests against his conviction, highlighting the nation鈥檚 stark divisions. 鈥� Reuters

Philippine police arrested 49 people suspected of attacking officers in violent clashes near the presidential palace. The violence erupted Sunday as over 33,000 people elsewhere in Manila peacefully protested a corruption scandal involving politicians. 鈥淥ur purpose is not to destabilize but to strengthen our democracy,鈥� the president of the Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of the Philippines said in a statement, calling for accountability. 鈥� AP

Republican states added over three-quarters of the new solar capacity built in the United States in the first half of 2025. Texas topped the list, followed by California, Indiana, and Arizona, according to a Solar Energy Industries Association report. Solar accounted for more than half of the new electricity capacity, even as installations dipped from last year and the industry lost tax credits under the Trump administration. 鈥� Staff

Sweden is banning cellphones in schools starting next fall, part of a growing effort around the world to protect students鈥� learning and well-being. Schools and afterschool clubs must hold phones until the end of the day. The rule is one of a package of reforms the new education minister has called a 鈥渉istoric鈥� investment in schools, including curriculum, grading, and teacher training. 鈥� Staff

The memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk showcased his influence in both the political and religious spheres and underscored how his message will continue to shape the Republican Party.

Unlike in his first, widely disrespected address to the United Nations eight years ago, President Donald Trump will face the globe鈥檚 preeminent multilateral institution as the standard-bearer of a post-multilateral era of big-power competition.

It鈥檚 fall. Seasonal pumpkin spice-flavored drinks are back. So are political battles over funding and a potential United States government shutdown.

A stopgap spending bill from the House failed to pass in the Senate on Friday, and an alternative proposed by Senate Democrats also did not pass.

But with all eyes on the shutdown showdown, it鈥檚 easy to overlook the full array of legislation that does make it through Congress. In the 2023鈥�2024 legislative session, for example, 614 bills were enacted and 735 resolutions were passed, according to the accountability website GovTrack.

The American public hears about contentious bills but may not 鈥済et a big picture of what all Congress is doing,鈥� according to University of Virgina public policy professor Craig Volden.

鈥淗undreds of bills become law, most of them behind the scenes and most of them with broad support from both Democrats and Republicans,鈥� he said when presenting research by the Center for Effective Lawmaking on a previous session of Congress.

Another report by the center on Congress鈥檚 2023鈥�2024 session noted that 鈥渓egislators were able to find ways to get their initiatives passed into law ... despite widespread public perception of gridlock.鈥�

Indicators of lawmaking at work are in evidence well beyond Washington.

In 2025, state legislatures introduced more than 135,000 bills, says the news site Governing. These were passed at higher rates than at the federal level 鈥� ranging from 12% (New York) to 73.5% (Colorado). This busy roster is partly driven by the need to address fiscal shortfalls from July鈥檚 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (which critics dub 鈥渦gly鈥�). States are also taking the lead on regulating artificial intelligence and data privacy. And microplastics and 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� have been regulated by both Democratic and Republican state legislators.

Overseeing some $2 trillion a year in spending, 鈥淭hey have a far greater impact on the life of ordinary citizens than Congress,鈥� as Tim Storey, CEO of the National Conference of State Legislatures, told The New York Times.

While states where one party controls the governorship and both chambers of the legislature tend to arrive at quick, often partisan, decisions, those with split control are obliged to negotiate and compromise.

鈥淓ffective lawmaking takes hard work, policy expertise, and a willingness to seek out coalition partners, often across party lines,鈥� Dr. Volden said earlier this year. And, even in this hyperpartisan time, legislators are finding ways to 鈥渁ddress public policy needs during difficult circumstances. Their work is to be commended,鈥� he said.