‘Nobody checked our phones at the airport': the reality of life as a J1 student in Trump's America
Homesickness and American food appear to be bigger worries than the dread of being deported over social media posts
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It was a nervous wait for Jessica Weld. As she shuffled forward in the queue at US border control, the Trinity College Dublin student's mind was racing.
She had seen the reports about students' visas being revoked. About immigration officials demanding new arrivals hand over their phones so their social media accounts could be scanned for suspect posts. About intense questioning on political opinions.
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Dublin Live
3 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Man visiting every country in the world loved one so much he moved there
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A globetrotter who has visited every country in the world revealed that choosing his favourite was "easy" as it's the "only one" that led him to quit his job and move there. American travel blogger Randy Williams completed his audacious adventure in 2023, when he ticked off his 193rd and final country from his list – Turkmenistan in central Asia. But when it came to finding one that he truly loved, the San Diego native found it surprisingly simple to choose. In 2019, he opened up to travel guide publishers LOST iN about his worldwide adventures and his mission to "see them all". At that point, having already visited 120 countries, he shared a list of his top 10, which included diverse locations from Switzerland to Djibouti, Brunei to Armenia. However, his top pick was the fifth largest country in the world – and it's one that reminded made him feel closer to home. Randy said: "I always get asked what's my favourite country, and the answer for me is so easy because well, it's the only country that I packed up everything, quit my job, left everything behind and moved to. (Image: Brastock Images via Getty Images) "I found this city on the coast called Recife. I didn't even leave the airport, but passing over the shores of Recife, I saw these beautiful, coral, pastel-coloured high-rises right along the beach. It kinda reminded me of Miami Beach. "I discovered this city on the coast called Recife. I didn't even leave the airport, but passing over the shores of Recife, I saw these beautiful, coral, pastel-coloured high-rises right along the beach. It kinda reminded me of Miami Beach." Brazil is famously the largest country in South America and boasts a whopping 4,500-mile coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It borders every other country on the continent apart from Ecuador and Chile. Home to a huge portion of the Amazon Rainforest, the vast nation also features the mighty Amazon River as a prominent northern landmark with creatures such as pink river dolphins and piranhas swimming within its waters, which teem with millions of species, reports the Express. (Image: Ramblin' Randy/RDub/Instagram) After achieving his remarkable goal in 2023, Randy – who also runs his travel blog under the pseudonym Ramblin' Randy – excitedly shared with ABC 10News San Diego: "It's bittersweet. A pin for every country, and this is the last one – Turkmenistan. Here we go." Turkmenistan presented more of a challenge, as visiting the country proved tricky due to high restrictions. Randy even classified Turkmenistan as "one of the most mysterious countries on the planet". Detailing how he managed to get into the Central Asian nation, he said: "So, the only way you can visit Turkmenistan is through an approved tour company." Reflecting on his global jaunts, he expressed that his international adventures allowed him not just to understand and appreciate different cultures but to fall in love with them. According to the UN, there are 195 recognised countries, with 193 being UN member states. The remaining two are the non-member observer states: Vatican City and Palestine.
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Clare county council elects new cathaoirleach
Cllr Paul Murphy (Fine Gael) was elected as Cathaoirleach for the 2025-2026 term and standing beside him as Laes-Cathaoirleach is Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (Fianna Fáil). Fianna Fáil councillor Alan O'Callaghan handed over the seat of Cathaoirleach, reflecting on his term, with Clare winning the All-Ireland for the first time in 11 years being on his his highlights. Cllr O'Callaghan thanked his family and friends for support through the year. 'To everyone here in the chamber, to all the members you were respectful of the chair, and I really appreciate that.' 'We leave no one behind. And that is very important as a local authority. Bring everyone along with you.' In response to the departing of Cllr O'Callaghan as the first citizen in the chamber, councillors remarked on his fun-loving professional demeaner that always ensured matters of business were handled within meeting times and gave each councillor the 'freedom' they needed, says Michael Begley who was elected Cathaoirleach in 2018. Cllr John Crowe nominated Cllr Paul Murphy saying that he is a 'real team member for all of us'. Cllr Murphy is the first person elected Cathaoirleach from Clarecastle in the history of the council and was praised for being a trustworthy and dependable councillor for the county. Upon election, Cllr Murphy said: 'It is a huge honour to be sitting here today as Clare County Council. I am deeply privileged to accept this role with your full support.' 'Many hands make light work… this seat belongs to the people and not to myself.' Additionally, Cllr. Clare Colleran-Molloy made history with her election as the first Leas-Cathaoirleach to be elected with American citizenship in Clare County Council. She took over the seat from Cllr. Mary Howard (Fine Gael). Cllr Colleran-Molloy was nominated with praises for her commitment to local government. Accepting the seat she said: 'I will answer the call, and I will do my best to help.' Furthermore, the municipal distracts have proceeded with elections as well. Shannon elected MD Cllr John Crowe as Cathaoirleach, and Cllr Michael Begley as Leas-Cathaoirleach. Cllr Mary Howard is the new Mayor of Ennis having been elected last Thursday with Cllr Pat Daly as deputy Mayor of Ennis. In Killaloe MD, Cllr Pat Burke was elected as Cathaoirleach and Cllr Tony O'Brien as Leas-Chathaoirleach. Finally, in West Clare, Cllr Bill Slattery will be Cathaoirleach for the next year with Cllr Michael Shannon serving as Leas-Chathaoirleach. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Pioneering project releases more lost Irish records spanning 700 years
Seven centuries of lost historical records covering espionage, political corruption and the lives of ordinary people in Ireland have been recovered and are being released. A pioneering project to fill gaps in Irish history is making 175,000 more records and millions more words of searchable content freely available to researchers and members of the public. The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland, a global academic collaboration led by Trinity College Dublin, deployed historians, computer scientists and other specialists to digitally recreate parts of a vast archive destroyed in Ireland's civil war. The project launched in 2022 on the centenary of the burning of the Public Record Office in Dublin in a five-day battle that began on 28 June 1922. It is now marking the 103rd anniversary of the calamity by adding freshly recovered material that takes in the Anglo-Norman conquest and the 1798 rebellion and a genealogical trove from 19th-century censuses. 'It's a very significant scale of data,' said Peter Crooks, a Trinity historian and academic director of the project. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading 'It's an enormous stretch of time from the 13th century up to the 19th century. The scale of what can be brought in, in terms of reconstruction, continues to amaze me.' Once the envy of scholars around the world, the six-storey Public Record Office at the Four Courts by the River Liffey contained priceless troves dating from medieval times. It was obliterated as troops of the fledgling Irish State battled former comrades hunkered in the building. It was long assumed that all was lost but the project enlisted 75 archives and libraries in Ireland, the UK and around the world to source transcripts and duplicates of documents, many of which had lain, forgotten, in storage. The latest troves to be catalogued and digitised bring the total to 350,000 records and 250m words of searchable Irish history. Culture minister Patrick O'Donovan said international collaboration underpinned the 'riches' that had been rediscovered. 'It offers an invaluable historical resource for people of all ages and traditions across the island of Ireland and abroad, and democratises access so that our shared history is more accessible and engaging for everyone.' The project has fused old-fashioned academic investigation, artificial intelligence and support and expertise from institutions that contain Irish records, notably the National Archives of Ireland, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, the UK National Archives at Kew and the Irish Manuscripts Commission. 'The circle of collaborators has widened and deepened,' said Mr Crooks. The latest material includes 60,000 names from the lost censuses, creating a data hoard for genealogists and Irish diaspora descendants, among others, to trace family lineage, says Ciarán Wallace, a Trinity historian and co-director of the project. 'This is only a fragment of what's missing but 60,000 is a huge improvement on a blank slate.' The project's 'age of conquest' portal contains parchments in Latin and 5m words of Anglo-Norman Irish history, spanning 1170 to 1500, that have been translated into English. Uploaded State papers, spanning 1660 to 1720, comprise 10m words, including extensive intelligence reports from the Tudor era when English monarchs tightened their grip on England's first colony. A diary that ended up at the US Library of Congress is now accessible and sheds light on dodgy deals that led to the abolition of the Irish parliament in 1800 and Ireland's incorporation into the UK. 'You find out about some of those underhanded dealings,' said Joel Herman, a research fellow who works on the project. 'One member of parliament said he can't vote for it because of the corrupt methods that have been used to win votes.' Along with the new material, a search tool called the Knowledge Graph Explorer is being introduced that can identify people, places and the links between them. The Guardian
