Immigration
Scathing Report Reveals Jeff Sessions & Rod Rosenstein’s Involvement In Child Separation Policy
Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Before the unfortunate arrival of COVID-19, one of the Trump administration’s biggest scandals was its abhorrent family separation policy at the border. Tuesday (Oct.6), the New York Times published details from a draft of the Department of Justice inspector general report into the administration’s family separation policy. It explicitly details how those involved did not care how inhumane the idea of separating children from their parents was. According to notes taken by people in the room, during a meeting with five U.S. attorneys along the border, Jeff Sessions told them: “We need to take away children, If you care about kids, don’t bring them in. Won’t give amnesty to people with kids.” Jeff Sessions wasn’t alone either in pushing for enforcement of Tru...
Visa Fees for Foreign Artists Touring the US to Nearly Double
It just got a lot more expensive for independent foreign artists to tour in the United States. According to the Federal Register, the daily journal of the American government, the US Department of Homeland Security has doubled the cost of visa fees for international artists starting this October. The fee increases impact visa types frequently used by musicians to enter the US: the P visa, which can be used for performers entering a competition or any family members of the performer; and the O visa, which is for individuals who possess “extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics.” The filing fees for P visas now stands at $695, while the cost of O visas is $705 — a 53% increase from it former cost of $460, notes NME. Additionally, the visa application wai...
Bette Midler Goes After Melania Trump: “Get That Illegal Alien Off the Stage”
Bette Midler vs. Melania Trump As to be expected, the Republican National Convention this week has been nothing but a dumpster fire filled with blatant lies and outlandish behavior possibly fueled by cocaine. There’s been plenty to pick apart and dismiss, but Bette Midler might have gone too far with her criticism. Last night, the actress and performer took to Twitter to skewer Melania Trump’s RNC keynote address. Rather than focus on the substance of her speech, though, Midler simply spouted racist and xenophobic comments. “#beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages,” Midler wrote. “Get that illegal alien off the stage!” The 74-year-old actress/singer later tweeted, “Oh, God. She still can’t speak English.” #beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak s...
Rina Sawayama Ineligible For Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards Due To “Problematic” Nationality Requirement
Back in April, the Japanese-British pop star Rina Sawayama released her debut album SAWAYAMA. The record immediately garnered widespread praise; Consequence of Sound named it one of 2020’s best release so far, while review aggregator site Metacritic places SAWAYAMA as the top British album of the year. Despite these accolades, the artist is ineligible to win a Mercury Prize or BRIT Award — and it’s all because of an archaic nationality requirement. In a new interview with VICE, the 29-year-old Sawayama explained that despite having lived in London since she was a toddler, the Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards don’t consider her legally British because she lacks a British passport. “I rarely get upset to the level where I cry,” our former Artist of the Month said. “And I cried.” Sawayama h...
Mike Pence spokeswoman tests positive for spokesperson
The US vice president’s spokeswoman became the second White House staff this week to test positive for the coronavirus, officials said Friday, even as President Donald Trump continued to go mask-free at a World War II commemoration with veterans in their 90s. News that staffer Katie Miller had fallen ill boosted fears that the White House is at risk of becoming a viral hot spot just when Trump is leading efforts to wind down nationwide quarantine measures that have devastated the world’s biggest economy. Miller is spokeswoman for Vice President Mike Pence, giving her frequent access to high-level meetings. She is also married to top Trump aide Stephen Miller, the speech writer behind the administration’s hardline immigration measures. A senior administration official initially said only th...
