Joseph Gedeon

Trump administration halts immigrant visa processing from 75 countries The state department cites welfare use as it pauses visa processing for Brazil, Iran, Russia, Somalia and others The Donald Trump administration has indefinitely suspended immigrant visa processing for people from 75 countries, marking one of its most expansive efforts yet to restrict legal pathways to the United States. The freeze, which takes effect on 21 January, targets applicants officials deem likely to become a “public charge” – who they describe as people who may rely on government benefits for basic needs. Continue reading...

Trump administration halts immigrant visa processing from 75 countries

Trump administration suspends immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries

The state department cites welfare use as it pauses visa processing for Brazil, Iran, Russia, Somalia and others

Top Democrats call for investigation into share-buying spree by Trump allies Fossil fuel execs Robert Pender and Michael Sabel deny wrongdoing after report on potential conflict of interest

By me and @jgedeon.bsky.social
More top Democrats call for investigation into share-buying spree by fossil fuel billionaire Trump donors
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US senator calls for insider trading inquiry over Trump donors buying $12m worth of shares Co-chairs of LNG firm, who bought stock worth almost $12m each after meeting with Trump officials, deny wrongdoing

By me and @jgedeon.bsky.social
US senator calls for insider trading inquiry over Trump donors buying $12m worth of shares
www.the-guardian.com/business/202...

US senator calls for insider trading inquiry over Trump donors buying $12m worth of shares Co-chairs of LNG firm, who bought stock worth almost $12m each after meeting with Trump officials, deny wrongdoing

Latest by @ninalakhani.bsky.social and @jgedeon.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Palestinian-American teenager held in Israeli prison freed after nine months Israeli soldiers had taken Mohammed Ibrahim from his home in a night raid when he was only 15 years old

ICYMI: This is such important reporting by @jgedeon.bsky.social at the Guardian on the American teenager who was held in an Israeli prison until last week www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

We first uncovered Mohammed's imprisonment and his poor condition while reporting on the killing of his cousin Saif, in mid-July.

After months of additional reporting, he's now been released to be with his family

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Palestinian-American teenager held in Israeli prison freed after nine months Israeli soldiers had taken Mohammed Ibrahim from his home in a night raid when he was only 15 years old

16-year-old Palestinian-American citizen Mohammed Ibrahim was freed on Thursday after spending nine months in an Israeli prison
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

Trump envoy reportedly told Kremlin official that Ukraine must cede land for peace deal Steve Witkoff told Yuri Ushakov in October phone call that peace would require Russia gaining control of Donetsk Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told a senior Kremlin official last month that achieving peace in Ukraine would require Russia gaining control of Donetsk and potentially a separate territorial exchange, according to a recording of their conversation obtained by Bloomberg. In the 14 October phone call with Yuri Ushakov, the top foreign policy aide to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Witkoff said he believed the land concessions were necessary all while advising Ushakov to congratulate Trump and frame discussions more optimistically. Continue reading...

Trump envoy reportedly told Kremlin official that Ukraine must cede land for peace deal

The full list of 75 schools affected by the DEI funding proposal is now available www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump and Mamdani form an unlikely alliance at White House meeting ‘We agreed a lot more than I would have thought,’ the US president said of his first face-to-face meeting with the New York mayor-elect

“We agreed a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump said alongside Zohran Mamdani, sometimes jumping in to shield Mamdani from aggressive press questioning

The unlikely alliance agreed to work together on housing, food prices and cost-of-living concerns
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Some of the schools marked for suspension: Stanford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, Duke, USC, American, GW, Syracuse

Some to remain: Columbia, MIT, UPenn, UVirginia, UMich. (Columbia agreed to pay $200m+ to the federal gov in July over DEI hiring and UV prez resigned earlier after DOJ demands also over DEI)

State department to cut 38 universities from research program over DEI policies Trump administration proposal would exclude elite schools that use diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices

NEW: The state department is proposing to suspend 38 universities including Harvard and Yale from the "Diplomacy Lab" fed research program because they engage in DEI hiring practices, according to an internal memo and spreadsheet obtained by the Guardian

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Tech giants vow to defend users in US as spyware companies make inroads with Trump administration Apple and WhatsApp say they’ll keep warning users if their phones are targeted by governments using hacking software against them

Apple & WhatsApp have vowed to keep warning users if their mobile phones are targeted by governments using hacking software against them, including in the US, as two spyware makers seek to make inroads with the Trump administration. With @skirchy.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Zohran Mamdani announces all-female transition team as he prepares for New York mayoralty Team includes Lina Khan, the FTC commissioner under Biden, and other Democratic former city officials * US politics live – latest updates Zohran Mamdani’s incoming administration began taking shape on Wednesday as the New York City mayor-elect announced a transition team to help enact what he called the city’s most ambitious policy platform in a generation, vowing to get right to work when he takes office on 1 January. Speaking at a morning press conference in Queens, the 34-year-old democratic socialist revealed an all-female transition team led by Elana Leopold as executive director. It also includes co-chairs Maria Torres-Springer, the former first deputy mayor; Lina Khan, the former federal trade commission chair; the United Way’s president and CEO, Grace Bonilla; and the former deputy mayor for health and human services Melanie Hartzog. Continue reading...

Zohran Mamdani announces all-female transition team as he prepares for New York mayoralty

Democratic senators back from Middle East trip say US complicit in Israel’s ethnic cleansing Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon say Israel is systematically destroying Palestinians Two Democratic senators claim they’ve reached the “inescapable conclusion” that Israel is acting on a systematic plan to destroy and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza to force locals to leave, and they say the US is complicit. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, both members of the Senate foreign relations committee, released their findings in a report on Thursday after returning from a congressional delegation to the Middle East where, they note, the destruction goes beyond bombs and bullets. They say they also found a systematic campaign to strangle humanitarian aid, which they call “using food as a weapon of war”. Continue reading...

Democratic senators back from Middle East trip say US complicit in Israel’s ethnic cleansing

Trump administration to expand review of Smithsonian museums to ‘get Woke out’ White House identifies institutions including those for Latino, African and Asian art for review, document shows

A document compiled by the Trump White House based off public submissions flags 7 Smithsonian museums for review, arguing that some exhibits like Benjamin Franklin’s link to slavery or a film on George Floyd’s murder present US history in an overly negative way www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump calls for new US census that excludes undocumented immigrants Census has historically counted all residents regardless of citizenship status, as required by the 14th amendment Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he has ordered the commerce department to conduct a new census that would exclude undocumented immigrants from the official count. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the census would be “based on modern day facts and figures” and use “results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024”. He added that “people who are in our country illegally will not be counted”. Continue reading...

Trump calls for new US census that excludes undocumented immigrants

Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting relatives in West Bank, says family Ambulances were reportedly stopped from reaching Sayfollah Musallet after attack in which another Palestinian man was shot dead

A state department spokesperson said it was aware of reports of the death of a US citizen in the West Bank and that it was “ready to provide consular services"

In a statement, the family demanded an investigation by the state department into the killing: www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Heard you loud and clear Jack Q

The US has bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, Trump posts on Truth Social.

He concludes the post: "Now is the time for peace"

UnitedHealth faces federal scrutiny into whistleblower claims Attention comes in wake of ex-employees’ allegations that insurer paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers and used improper tactics to gain Medicare Advantage enrollees

NEW: @aoc.bsky.social calls on DOJ to investigate UnitedHealth’s campaign to reduce hospital transfers for nursing home seniors.

And Sen @wyden.senate.gov launches his own investigation into the healthcare giant:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump administration to cut all USAID overseas roles and axe thousands of staff State department to take control of US foreign assistance programs in mass restructuring by 30 September The Trump administration will eliminate all USAID (United States Agency for International Development) overseas positions worldwide by 30 September in a dramatic restructuring of remaining US foreign aid operations. In a Tuesday state department cable obtained by the Guardian, secretary of state Marco Rubio ordered the abolishment of the agency’s entire international workforce, transferring control of foreign assistance programs directly to the state department. Continue reading...

Trump administration to cut all USAID overseas roles and axe thousands of staff

Trump administration to cut all USAID overseas roles and axe thousands of staff State department to take control of US foreign assistance programs in mass restructuring by 30 September

Scoop: The Trump administration will eliminate all USAID overseas positions worldwide by 30 September in a dramatic restructuring of remaining US foreign aid operations, according to a Tuesday cable
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump administration orders US embassies to stop student visa interviews

The Trump administration has ordered US embassies worldwide to immediately stop scheduling visa interviews for foreign students.

NPR sues Trump administration over funding cuts it says violate first amendment

National Public Radio has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Trump's executive order that cuts federal funding as an unconstitutional attack on press freedom.

Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead near Washington DC Jewish museum Police said a suspect was in custody after the shooting near the Capital Jewish Museum

A 30-year-old suspected gunman from Chicago is in custody after shooting dead two Israeli embassy staff outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington Wednesday night
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Jewish senators accuse Trump of exploiting antisemitism to target universities Democrats including Schumer say Trump is using antisemitism as cover to defund schools

Jewish senators accuse Trump of exploiting antisemitism to target universities

Thanks, Debra

House Democrats land in El Salvador to push for return of Kilmar Ábrego García Four representatives join effort to challenge the Trump administration’s refusal to facilitate the immigrant’s release

The 4 House Dems in El Salvador will meet officials at the US embassy on Tuesday to push for Ábrego García’s release, ask about other detainees transferred from the US, and will receive classified briefings, a Congressional aide familiar tells @us.theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...