US orders halt in student-visa interviews before new vetting
The cable says interviews that have already been scheduled can go ahead. It was reported earlier by Politico.
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The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Rubio had foreshadowed further restrictions in March after plainclothes police arrested Tufts University doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk outside her home. Öztürk, who helped write an op-ed supporting Gazans, was later freed on bail as she fights possible deportation.
'If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus—we're not going to give you a visa,' Rubio said at the time.
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Tuesday's move comes days after DHS sought to block Harvard University from enrolling international students last week — an effort that was swiftly halted by a federal judge on Friday. The administration is also moving to cancel all remaining federal contracts with Harvard, which total about $100 million, and Trump on Monday threatened to divert billions in grant dollars away from the university.
Last week on Fox Business, Kevin O'Leary, who teaches at Harvard Business School, recommended a vetting process for foreign students, while praising them for intellect and patriotism.
'These students are extraordinary individuals and they don't hate America,' he said. 'Why don't we vet them first, check their backgrounds, clear them, and tell them, 'You graduate Harvard, you're an engineer or whatever, you stay here and you start a business here and you'll get funded here and you'll create jobs here because that's why you came here in the first place.''
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Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Fighting for the Orthodox vote
Presented by With help from Cris Seda Chabrier Some of New York City's most influential Orthodox Jewish leaders are flexing their political might in this month's mayoral primary — while also being courted as general election powerbrokers. Andrew Cuomo was endorsed this week by Hasidic leaders in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, including both sides of the Satmar community. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams was their second pick. Adams was endorsed Monday by more than two dozen Hasidic groups in Borough Park, Brooklyn — with Zellnor Myrie their nod for No. 2 on the June 24 ballot. Adams additionally received Orthodox tenant leaders' support Tuesday. In the primary, the Orthodox vote appears to be largely splitting between Adams and Cuomo, though the latter has a distinct advantage. The former governor was endorsed last week by Bobov sect leaders in Borough Park and Orthodox leaders in Crown Heights, Flatbush and Far Rockaway. But in the general election, Mayor Eric Adams will weigh very, very heavily into the equation, POLITICO reports. The incumbent isn't a primary candidate but plans to run in November on two independent ballot lines — one of which is EndAntiSemitism, meant to emphasize his support for Jews. Eric Adams has already been competing with Cuomo in shaping perceptions over who more fiercely defends Israel and condemns antisemitism. The scope of their clash depends on whether Cuomo wins the Dem nomination — he is also poised to run as an independent — but the mayor and former governor both have long been allies of Orthodox New Yorkers. Take Satmar Rabbi Moishe Indig as an example. He backed Adams in 2021 and works closely with the mayor, appearing publicly with him as recently as late May for a town hall on public safety in Jewish communities. 'In November, you'll see … with God's help,' he said Sunday at an event on antisemitism featuring Adams and TV host Dr. Phil, as the Forward's Jacob Kornbluh noted. 'We will come out and show our great support for our great mayor and brother, Eric Adams.' But after endorsing Cuomo on Tuesday, Indig told Playbook, 'I don't know what's going to happen in November.' The work of trying to steer Hasidic leaders away from Cuomo and toward Adams is well underway both behind the scenes — as the New York Times reported — and from the bully pulpit. The mayor accused Cuomo point-blank Tuesday of over-inflating his support among Orthodox Jews. 'He'll go and identify one or two people in the community and say, 'I have the community,'' Adams told reporters at an unrelated event. 'He has what, three or four people who endorsed him in Crown Heights?' Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi rebutted that characterization: 'Governor Cuomo's relationship with the Jewish community is deep, strong and stretches back decades,' he said. 'We're not surprised the mayor is trying to play games behind the scenes.' — Emily Ngo, Jeff Coltin, Joe Anuta and Cris Seda Chabrier HAPPY WEDNESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In Albany and Washington D.C. with no public schedule. WHERE'S ERIC? Public schedule unavailable as of 10 p.m. Tuesday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Great decisions are made on the golf course. … There's an informal connection when you are on the golf course. … A lot of great deals have been made on the golf course.' — Eric Adams, on two top appointees meeting with Trump at his New Jersey golf course — and securing a promise he wouldn't send in the military or National Guard for anti-ICE protests as long as the NYPD keeps demonstrators in line, the New York Post reports. ABOVE THE FOLD DEMS' LA CHALLENGE: New York Democrats are grappling with their responses to the rapidly evolving Los Angeles clashes over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and arrests. Their through-line is clear enough: Condemn President Donald Trump as authoritarian for deploying the National Guard and threatening to arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Charge that the president is generating a distraction from his controversial 'big, beautiful bill.' And keep the focus on how his enforcement efforts are netting everyday migrants, not violent criminals. But the Dems' messaging gets more muddled when they're asked if the anti-ICE protests have been peaceful or violent. The party is faced with a more complex juggling act than the Republicans, who have uniformly denounced the demonstrations as anti-law enforcement hooliganism enabled by Democratic officials. Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke said Trump's escalation through the National Guard is illegal and meant to stoke chaos. 'Let's be clear about how this began: with peaceful protests, peaceful protests sparked by the unlawful and inhumane targeting, detention and deportation of our immigrant neighbors,' she said. She was later asked about the statistics on officers injured and property damaged as of Tuesday. 'I don't believe there's an insurrection taking place,' said Clarke, who represents Brooklyn. 'And I'd like to see the statistics around those who are ill and sickly, who are currently being detained.' Reps. Grace Meng and Adriano Espaillat contrasted the Los Angeles conflict to the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, with Meng noting the president didn't send in the National Guard when that situation spiraled into violence. 'You have heard all of us say and ask protesters to be peaceful,' Meng said of Los Angeles. 'This is not a violent mob chanting 'hang Mike Pence,' 'where's Nancy' in the Capitol,' Espaillat said. 'For the most part, the protesters are peace-abiding people that are concerned about the aggressiveness of ICE.' Meanwhile, Cuomo released a plan Tuesday on how New York City should respond. He called the conflict in California 'manufactured' by Trump — the same word his rival Adrienne Adams used earlier in an MSNBC interview. 'We must not play into Trump's hands,' the former governor said in a statement. 'Peaceful protest is enshrined in the Constitution, but looting and destruction of property is unlawful and cannot be tolerated.' Earlier Tuesday, Zohran Mamdani — running in second place — said at a news conference, 'There is no room for violence. And ultimately, what has troubled me greatly is the cherry-picking of very few incidents to then justify the deployment of National Guard.' — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST FROM A TO Z: Adrienne Adams criticized Mamdani's call to abolish ICE on Tuesday — in a rare show of public disagreement between two members of the Working Families Party slate. 'A lawless president does not mean we abolish entire agencies and our laws,' the council speaker posted on X Tuesday. 'I've taken on Donald Trump and ICE — and won. People elect us as leaders to solve problems, not pledge allegiance to rigid ideologies.' Adams' post included a video clip of Mamdani — when asked Monday on MSNBC if ICE should be abolished — saying 'I believe it should.' In the clip, Mamdani notes that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — who backed him with her top endorsement last week — agrees with his stance. So Adams' post doesn't just draw a distinction between herself and Mamdani, but also with AOC, who gave Adams her second-ranked endorsement. 'There was going to come a point and a time when we are going to have to double down on the fact that Adrienne is a moderate, and this WFP shit is going to have to go sideways,' said a consultant familiar with Adams' thinking who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. 'The divorce is coming,' they added. The WFP didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. All the top contenders challenging Cuomo have assiduously avoided criticizing each other and have instead relentlessly attacked the front-runner. But with two weeks until the primary and polling showing Mamdani closing in on Cuomo, Adrienne Adams seems to have decided it was time for a tactical change. Mamdani, however, is sticking with the plan, his spokesperson Andrew Epstein said: 'Zohran has said it over and over again since launching this campaign: he will only criticize disgraced New York executives past and present.' — Jeff Coltin CASINO BATTLE ROYALE: A bid to build a casino in the Bronx became the subject of dueling lobbying efforts Tuesday, hours ahead of Bally's last shot to overcome a key hurdle in the City Council. The proposal for a casino at the former Trump golf course at Ferry Point — now called Bally's Golf Links — needs an added layer of approval from the state Legislature since the site is classified as public parkland. Before Albany lawmakers can take up that measure, the Council must pass a resolution permitting the move. Bally's last shot to secure that so-called home rule message before the end of Albany's legislative session is during the Council meeting Wednesday. Cue the eleventh-hour drama. As the Bronx bidder tried to whip votes in favor of the resolution, and over the objections of the local lawmaker representing the area, the team behind a competing casino bid backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen embarked on a lobbying effort of its own, according to several people familiar with the calls. 'Their large army of lobbyists is going very hard,' said one Council member familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to speak freely. Council Member Kristy Marmorato, who represents the area, presents a major challenge for Bally's: She is resisting its plans for a gaming facility in her district, according to people familiar with her position. That's made the company's effort to win over some of her fellow lawmakers more difficult, as they'd be breaching unwritten protocol by overriding a colleague on a local matter, the people said. Marmorato did not return requests for comment. Karl Rickett, a spokesperson for Metropolitan Park — the name of Cohen's proposed complex at Citi Field, which would include a casino — declined to comment. Meanwhile, other Council members have expressed reservations that if Bally's won a casino license, it would have to pay $115 million to the Trump Organization, per the companies' purchase agreement reported by the New York Times. Bally's is one of eight bidders competing for one of three New York City-area casino licenses. The field has narrowed in recent months as other bidders — including Related Companies, which had planned a gaming facility at Hudson Yards — have scrapped casino plans amid political headwinds. — Janaki Chadha CORRECTING THE RECORD: A mailer from the New York City Campaign Finance Board hit New Yorkers' mailboxes this week, correcting the record about the 11 mayoral candidates appearing on the Democratic primary ballot. The initial voter guide sent to 3.5 million registered voters last month wrongfully included Eric Adams in the Democratic primary, among other errors, POLITICO first reported. — Jeff Coltin ATTACK AD: A new super PAC funded by business executives is tying Mamdani to the man accused of murdering two Israel embassy employees in an antisemitic shooting last month. The 30-second digital ad from Sensible City, first reported by the Daily News, includes a brief clip of Elias Rodriguez getting arrested, among other shots of anti-Israeli graffiti and street protests, while a voiceover says 'it's not safe.' The ad then shows Mamdani and says he wants to defund the police. 'It's disgusting, slanderous and desperate,' Epstein said about the ad. Cuomo has also used recent anti-Israel attacks to take an indirect swipe at Mamdani, POLITICO reported. A spokesperson for Sensible City didn't return a request for comment. — Jeff Coltin EVENING IT OUT: Seven mayoral candidates told a government reform group they support moving city elections to even-numbered years, which would put those races on the ballot alongside state and federal elections. Cuomo, Adrienne Adams and Brad Lander were among those backing the reform in a Citizens Union candidate questionnaire, the organization announced in a press release Tuesday. Mamdani didn't respond. Almost 90 percent of council candidates surveyed also support the proposal. Citizens Union is among the groups pushing a city charter revision commission to consider the change — which would also require a state constitutional amendment. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — A measure banning most broker fees goes into effect today, after a federal judge cleared the way. (Gothamist) — The City Council requested an investigation into the NYPD sharing information with federal authorities amid Trump's immigration crackdown. (The New York Times) — Council support for legislation clearing the way for a casino in the Bronx is still up in the air. (City & State) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY FILTERING FEARS: Democratic state lawmakers are trying to change New York's forthcoming automatic voter registration system with last-minute adjustments to a bill that's meant to ensure non-citizens are not accidentally added to the rolls. New York's automatic voter registration system — which will take effect this year — allows people to register to vote when applying for Medicaid benefits or a driver's license. There's an opt-out choice for people who do not want to be voters. But as the Trump administration takes a hard-line immigration stance and seeks greater control over state-administered elections, Democrats proposed a 'secure' process to filter out people who are not citizens and cannot legally vote. The bill is being considered in the final days of the legislative session. It was previously approved in the Senate, but is yet to come up for a vote in the Assembly amid concerns it does not include sufficient safeguards for undocumented immigrants as they apply for driver's licenses. Democrats in recent days have moved to change the bill to require a filter that can recognize documents like birth certificates so that ineligible voters — such as undocumented immigrants — would not be able to register to vote when applying for a driver's license. It's not yet clear if the change is enough to assuage the concerns of some Democrats, who fear that automatic voter registration would put undocumented people at greater deportation risk. A coalition of lefty groups — including Make the Road New York and the New York Immigration Coalition — pressed top lawmakers in a letter this week to pass the measure with the amendment. 'In this moment, when immigrant and voter rights are under attack across the country, New York has the responsibility to do everything to protect immigrant New Yorkers from being deported by the Trump administration,' the coalition, New Yorkers for Inclusive Democracy, wrote in the letter. 'Passing the Enhanced Automatic Voter Registration bill is a necessary step to ensure that no immigrant New Yorkers are unjustly deported.' — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Top state Democrats are eager to blame Washington Republicans for federal funding problems. (City & State) — Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado's bid to take on Gov. Kathy Hochul could be hobbled by his lack of name recognition. (Spectrum News) — Hochul and fellow Democratic governors will be grilled by Congressional Republicans over their states' immigration policies. (Times Union) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION GOING AFTER 'SANCTUARIES': Rep. Nick Langworthy has introduced congressional Republicans' latest effort to target cities that limit cooperation between federal immigration officers and local law enforcement. On Tuesday, the Buffalo-area Republican unveiled the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act of 2025, legislation that would block federal funding for 'sanctuary' jurisdictions. It's the House companion to a measure previously introduced by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. 'The violence we are seeing happen in LA right now is a cautionary tale for New York, another sanctuary state catering to criminal illegal immigrants and left-wing extremists,' Langworthy said in a statement. The bill's cosponsors include North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik, who's mulling a run for governor. It's being introduced as three Democratic governors, including Hochul, prepare to testify Thursday before the House Oversight Committee on their blue states' policies protecting immigrants. Defenders of 'sanctuary' jurisdictions have noted that federal and New York officers work together on violent crimes or in instances where a warrant is proffered, but that local and state resources are not used for civil infractions, freeing them up to focus on more serious offenses. — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Thirty-eight House Republicans are warning Senate leaders against using 'budget gimmicks' as they revise President Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill.' (POLITICO) — Rep. Yvette Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Trump should be impeached over the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. (POLITICO) — Rep. Ritchie Torres wants federal contractors to reevaluate and potentially revise degree requirements for their job offerings. (NY1) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — Jack Ciattarelli will get another shot at becoming the next governor of New Jersey. (POLITICO) — Attorney General Letitia James is investigating a police shooting that killed a sword-wielding man. (Times Union) — A former state assemblymember has opened a cannabis dispensary. (Watertown Daily Times) SOCIAL DATA MAKING MOVES: Ryan Birchmeier, former communications director to Eric Adams, has launched Williams Street Strategies, a communications consultancy named for the address of his first job in government at NYCEDC … Nick E. Smith is now president of Polaris New York, a consulting firm focused on fundraising, government relations and communications. He was previously executive director of Communities Resist and was first deputy public advocate under Jumaane Williams … Alex Gleason is returning to the New York City Central Labor Council as policy and campaigns director, after five years at Mercury Public Affairs. MEDIAWATCH: Mark Guiducci is taking over as top editor of Vanity Fair, per NYT's Katie Robertson. The 36-year-old Guiducci 'takes over a job that is very different from the one held by previous editors of Vanity Fair. He will be the first 'global editorial director' at Vanity Fair — gone is the editor-in-chief title — and will oversee Vanity Fair in the United States as well as editions across the world.' HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson … former NYC Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum … Deandra Khan of 32BJ SEIU … Jonathan Yedin … Lucas Acosta … Reid Pillifant … Greta Van Susteren … Mehmet Oz … Will Rahn … Wendy Teramoto … CNN's Morgan Rimmer … Juliette Medina … Bob Brockmann … (WAS TUESDAY): Dovid Efune Missed Tuesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
North Korea Responds to US Entry Ban
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. North Korea has issued a statement criticizing the travel restrictions implemented Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump—measures that did not extend to the East Asian country. This exception could be intended as a "carrot" to encourage renewed dialogue with the United States; this is according to a commentary carried by state media that stressed North Koreans are "not interested" in entering the country. Newsweek reached out to the North Korean Embassy in China and White House with emailed requests for comment. Why It Matters The Kim regime maintains strict controls on its citizens' movements and contact with the outside world, including consumption of foreign media. With few exceptions, North Koreans are barred from leaving the country, with violators subject to harsh punishments including death, rights groups say. What To Know The restrictions, which banned nationals from 12 countries and placed partial limits on citizens from seven others citing national security concerns, did not include North Korea—a country the State Department designated a "state sponsor of terror" during Trump's first term. Kim Myong Chol, an international affairs analyst and unofficial spokesperson for the regime, criticized the U.S. travel measures in a commentary released Tuesday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. He described the measures as a "political tool" aimed at discriminating against and pressuring other nations. That North Korea was excluded from the list "may reflect the U.S. administration's carrot stand toward the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] to open the door to the resumption of dialogue between the two countries," Kim said, using North Korea's official name. File photo: Two boys walk in the street of Pothonggang district, Pyongyang, North Korea Friday, June 6, 2025. File photo: Two boys walk in the street of Pothonggang district, Pyongyang, North Korea Friday, June 6, 2025. Cha Song Ho/Associated Press Even so, North Koreans are "not interested" and have "no reason to be glad," Kim added, describing the U.S. as "the most hostile country" to North Korea and a place where racial discrimination, xenophobia, and "all sorts of social evils flood" society. "If the present U.S. administration thinks that the DPRK will accept the allowing of entry into the U.S. as a 'gift' which it neither seeks nor desires, it is a miscalculation," he said. In a proclamation Monday, Trump said the restrictions were necessary to protect national security and reduce visa overstays; he added that these increase the burden on law enforcement and immigration. Democrats and immigrant rights groups have criticized the move as discriminatory. What People Are Saying Donald Trump, U.S. president, said in the proclamation he signed Wednesday: "As President, I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people. I remain committed to engaging with those countries willing to cooperate to improve information-sharing and identity-management procedures, and to address both terrorism-related and public-safety risks." Amnesty International said in a statement last week ahead of the travel restrictions: "By targeting people based on their race, religion, or nationality, from countries with predominantly Black, Brown and Muslim-majority populations, this blanket ban constitutes racial discrimination under international human rights law. It also spreads hate and disinformation, reinforcing the misleading idea that certain populations are more likely to pose security risks or engage in acts of violence." What Happens Next Members of Trump's team have discussed resuming talks with Kim, according to earlier reports citing people familiar with the matter. However, an in-person summit remains unlikely before a ceasefire is reached in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Trump held two summits with Kim during his first term aimed at persuading the North Korean leader to scale back his nuclear weapons program, but ultimately failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says he still can't travel freely almost a year after being arrested
In an interview with Tucker Carlson posted on YouTube on Tuesday, Durov said that following his arrest in August 2024, French authorities detained him for four days in solitary confinement without access to a lawyer or phone calls. "They read the list of charges; I have nothing to do with these crimes, like organized crime, selling drugs," he said. "But then I realized it's serious because they're not letting me out." Durov said the charges pertained to alleged criminal activity by some users on Telegram, the messaging app he founded that now has about a billion users. French prosecutors charged Durov in late August with six crimes, including "complicity" in the distribution of child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, arguing that he allowed illegal activity to flourish on Telegram while refusing to cooperate with authorities. He faced up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 500,000 euros if convicted. Telegram has called the case "absurd," insisting Durov was not responsible for user behavior on a platform that complied with EU law. Durov remained under judicial control, a legal status that restricted his travel. "I can't leave the country because there's still an investigation going on," he told Carlson. However, in March Durov was allowed to visit Dubai, where he had been living. Last month Politico reported that French authorities had denied Durov's request to travel to the US for "negotiations with investment funds." The Paris prosecutor's office told the outlet that the trip "did not appear imperative or justified." Russian-born Durov, who holds French and UAE citizenship, said he was not contacted by authorities before his arrest, despite Telegram's Dubai office being located in the same building as the French consulate. He said he believed his detention was a pressure tactic: "It's very, very strange what happened because it could have been resolved by different means." Durov said Telegram complied with European law and handed over user data such as IP addresses and phone numbers when ordered by a court.
