An Obama-appointed Massachusetts federal judge has struck down the Trump administration's $100,000 employer fee for H-1B visa applicants, ruling it functions as an unconstitutional tax that only Congress can impose. Judge Leo Sorokin also found the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act by skipping notice-and-comment rulemaking — noting that following a presidential directive doesn't give agencies "free rein to ignore" the law. A coalition of 20 states led by California brought the challenge; the White House plans to appeal.
The RNC obtained voter rolls from all 21 New Jersey counties and found hundreds of noncitizens enrolled as registered voters, the majority as Democrats, with some having cast ballots in prior elections. In Atlantic County alone, more than 50 signed attestations from noncitizens state they were unknowingly registered. RNC Chairman Joe Gruters called the findings likely "just the tip of the iceberg" and pledged a nationwide push on election integrity.
A 205-page House Oversight Committee report concludes that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison knew about massive fraud in state social services programs as early as spring 2019 but failed to act for years. Federal prosecutors estimate $9 billion in high-risk Medicaid fraud alone, separate from the $300-million-plus Feeding Our Future scandal. The committee questioned whether the inaction reflected "incompetence, willful blindness or worse" and called for a federal review; Ellison's office dismissed the report as riddled with inaccuracies.
Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration and activated Level II emergency operations Monday as the New World screwworm fly outbreak climbed to four confirmed cases, all in Texas. Canada promptly banned cattle imports from the state. Officials are releasing roughly 10 million sterile male flies weekly to suppress the population, but Abbott warned the infestation will "likely spread over the course of the summer." Agriculture Secretary Rollins told ranchers they face "a really scary time."
A powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Philippines Monday, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 200, and sending a 1-meter tsunami into nearby coastlines. The quake hit near Sarangani province and subjected roughly 22 million people to severe or moderate shaking, with deaths reported from collapsed buildings, a damaged mosque, and a landslide triggered in Glan. Tsunami warnings were briefly issued for Taiwan, Japan, Guam, and Papua New Guinea before the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cleared the broader threat.
Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Pyongyang Monday for a two-day summit with Kim Jong Un — his first visit to North Korea in seven years. The official agenda covers bilateral relations and "issues of mutual interest," which analysts read as Beijing reasserting strategic influence over Pyongyang as North Korea has deepened military ties with Russia, sending troops and munitions to support the war in Ukraine. Xi's trip is widely seen as China's bid to remain the indispensable broker on the Korean Peninsula.
President Trump personally stepped in Monday to scale back an Israeli airstrike already in progress, warning Prime Minister Netanyahu to "be very careful" or risk being "left alone against Iran." The conflict has now passed the 100-day mark with a fragile informal ceasefire in place; Iran's president says the country hasn't abandoned the negotiating table, but its parliament speaker cited the U.S. naval blockade as a trust problem. Israel continued striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon even as the Iran ceasefire nominally held, keeping the region on edge.
A newly published study based on excavations at Aghios Vasileios in the Laconia region of Greece is rewriting the founding story of Sparta. Archaeologists found a palace complex, vivid frescoes, bronze swords, and administrative tablets written in Linear B — the oldest recorded form of Greek — suggesting Sparta evolved from a sophisticated pre-existing culture rather than being built from scratch by conquering warriors. The research, published in the Annual of the British School at Athens, adds significant complexity to one of antiquity's most enduring myths.
New research published in Nature identifies a potential answer to one of medicine's persistent mysteries: why identical infections send some patients into life-threatening sepsis while others recover uneventfully. Scientists found that specific gut microbiome profiles appear to impair the immune system's response when infection strikes, while healthier bacterial diversity is protective. The findings open potential new paths for screening and protecting high-risk patients before infection ever occurs.
With the tournament kicking off in under two weeks, Iran has cut its most prominent soccer player, striker Sardar Azmoun — nicknamed the "Iranian Messi" — from the national squad over a quickly deleted Instagram photo showing him posing with the Emir of Dubai, a known U.S. ally and Trump supporter. Iranian officials called the post a "disloyal act" and "treason." Iran, which hasn't played a competitive match since February due to the ongoing war, relocated its World Cup base camp from Arizona to Mexico — and is scheduled to face the United States in group play.
