Latest news with #Fishman
Calgary Herald
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Trump's $5-million 'gold card' visa might never happen
Article content The Supreme Court has established that Congress has 'plenary power' over immigration and has suggested in multiple instances that Congress has supremacy over the executive branch in establishing immigration policy, said George Fishman, senior legal fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and a deputy general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration. Article content However, Fishman added that in one 1950 decision, the court also said that 'when Congress prescribes a procedure concerning the admissibility of aliens, it is not dealing alone with a legislative power. It is implementing an inherent executive power.' The decision also didn't specifically say the executive branch could act without congressional authorization. Article content Article content 'I'm very dubious it can be done without an act of Congress,' Fishman said. Article content Congress hasn't changed visa categories in 35 years and has at times pushed back when previous administrations took steps that they thought impeded their powers. Republicans in Congress argued that the executive branch had overstepped its authority when President Barack Obama sought to give legal status to children brought to the U.S. and when Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expanded parole programs without congressional approval under Biden. Article content 'It would be hard to reconcile those views with the ability of the administration to create a new green card,' Fishman said. Article content Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh said the current Republican-held Congress is especially resistant to creating pathways for residency or citizenship. Nowrasteh was a witness at a June 25 House Judiciary subcommittee hearing, 'Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process,' where the gold card didn't come up and Republicans called for further scrutiny of the existing visa process. Article content Article content 'There's zero appetite for people in Congress to consider this right now,' Nowrasteh said. Article content The legality issues have led to immigration attorneys warning clients to steer clear of the gold card. Article content Philadelphia-based immigration attorney Ron Klasko said he has had some clients from Canada and Europe express interest in the visa, but he has told them there is little use in even signing up for the waiting list until the path becomes clearer. Article content 'Why would I want to do that before I know if it's a law, what the law says, what the requirements are, what information the form is going to ask me for, what documents I have to produce, what the terms and conditions are,' Klasko said. Article content Klasko also warned that more needs to be done to clarify how these wealthy people would be taxed under this new form of residency. Article content Buffalo-based immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi said she was among the tens of thousands who have signed up on the website to learn more. However, she was dubious that any more would come from signing up after the administration has not provided clarity on the plan for creating a new visa category. She added that the White House has also not specified whether this would be a new visa category or replace an existing visa for foreign investors who create jobs. Article content 'This administration keeps forgetting that the executive branch doesn't make the law,' Berardi said. Article content Lutnick's comments have offered some lofty ideas of what the gold card program could look like. Article content In a March interview on the All-In podcast, he said that the funds raised by sales would pay off the country's $1.3-trillion annual deficit, or about 260,000 visa sales. He also said that eventually the program could effectively pay off the entirety of the U.S. debt, more than $36 trillion, meaning more than 7 million people would need to sign up for visas. Article content He told the Financial Times in mid-June that 70,000 people have signed up to learn more about the card. Article content Lutnick has said the idea for the gold card came from hedge fund manager John Paulson, who spoke with Trump and Lutnick about the project. Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service played a key role in organizing that effort, including standing up a website that advertises 'The Trump Card Is Coming,' according to records obtained by The Washington Post and a Department of Homeland Security official familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions. The website instructs visitors to enter their name, email address and region to 'be notified the moment access opens.' Article content Article content In mid-April, DOGE representatives Edward Coristine and Marko Elez asked employees at DHS and the State Department to quickly set up a system that would pass gold card visa applicants' data among different parts of DHS, the records show. The data that would be transferred was sensitive, detailing applicants' names, birth dates, places of residence and other personal information, the records show. Article content The DHS team finished setting up its requested data transfer pipeline in less than a week, the employee said, then settled in to wait for applicants. But as of late June, not a single application had come along on a webpage for the visa application, which isn't public, the employee said. Article content Lutnick told Axios in late May that the website would roll out in a week, and details about the visas would come out 'over a matter of the next weeks; not months, weeks.' Article content Article content Around the world, other countries that had once offered similar costly green cards have reversed course after controversies over granting rich people unfettered residency and the fallout from that, said Kate Hooper, a senior policy analyst for the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. For instance, Spain ended its golden visa after an explosion in housing prices fuelled by wealthy buyers. Article content 'There's been a bit of a backlash to that … the optics of selling citizenship and worries about due diligence,' Hooper said. Article content Hooper, who studies the gold visa programs globally, said the U.S. proposal would be the most expensive one out there if it were feasible. Wealthy foreigners who want to spend less could easily acquire a visa to several Caribbean island nations for a fraction of the cost Trump has proposed. For instance, Antigua and Barbuda requires a contribution of $230,000 to a national development fund for a visa.
Edmonton Journal
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Trump's $5-million 'gold card' visa might never happen
Article content The Supreme Court has established that Congress has 'plenary power' over immigration and has suggested in multiple instances that Congress has supremacy over the executive branch in establishing immigration policy, said George Fishman, senior legal fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and a deputy general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration. Article content However, Fishman added that in one 1950 decision, the court also said that 'when Congress prescribes a procedure concerning the admissibility of aliens, it is not dealing alone with a legislative power. It is implementing an inherent executive power.' The decision also didn't specifically say the executive branch could act without congressional authorization. Article content Article content 'I'm very dubious it can be done without an act of Congress,' Fishman said. Article content Congress hasn't changed visa categories in 35 years and has at times pushed back when previous administrations took steps that they thought impeded their powers. Republicans in Congress argued that the executive branch had overstepped its authority when President Barack Obama sought to give legal status to children brought to the U.S. and when Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas expanded parole programs without congressional approval under Biden. Article content 'It would be hard to reconcile those views with the ability of the administration to create a new green card,' Fishman said. Article content Cato Institute's Alex Nowrasteh said the current Republican-held Congress is especially resistant to creating pathways for residency or citizenship. Nowrasteh was a witness at a June 25 House Judiciary subcommittee hearing, 'Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process,' where the gold card didn't come up and Republicans called for further scrutiny of the existing visa process. Article content Article content 'There's zero appetite for people in Congress to consider this right now,' Nowrasteh said. Article content The legality issues have led to immigration attorneys warning clients to steer clear of the gold card. Article content Philadelphia-based immigration attorney Ron Klasko said he has had some clients from Canada and Europe express interest in the visa, but he has told them there is little use in even signing up for the waiting list until the path becomes clearer. Article content 'Why would I want to do that before I know if it's a law, what the law says, what the requirements are, what information the form is going to ask me for, what documents I have to produce, what the terms and conditions are,' Klasko said. Article content Klasko also warned that more needs to be done to clarify how these wealthy people would be taxed under this new form of residency. Article content Buffalo-based immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi said she was among the tens of thousands who have signed up on the website to learn more. However, she was dubious that any more would come from signing up after the administration has not provided clarity on the plan for creating a new visa category. She added that the White House has also not specified whether this would be a new visa category or replace an existing visa for foreign investors who create jobs. Article content 'This administration keeps forgetting that the executive branch doesn't make the law,' Berardi said. Article content Lutnick's comments have offered some lofty ideas of what the gold card program could look like. Article content In a March interview on the All-In podcast, he said that the funds raised by sales would pay off the country's $1.3-trillion annual deficit, or about 260,000 visa sales. He also said that eventually the program could effectively pay off the entirety of the U.S. debt, more than $36 trillion, meaning more than 7 million people would need to sign up for visas. Article content He told the Financial Times in mid-June that 70,000 people have signed up to learn more about the card. Article content Lutnick has said the idea for the gold card came from hedge fund manager John Paulson, who spoke with Trump and Lutnick about the project. Elon Musk's U.S. DOGE Service played a key role in organizing that effort, including standing up a website that advertises 'The Trump Card Is Coming,' according to records obtained by The Washington Post and a Department of Homeland Security official familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal discussions. The website instructs visitors to enter their name, email address and region to 'be notified the moment access opens.' Article content Article content In mid-April, DOGE representatives Edward Coristine and Marko Elez asked employees at DHS and the State Department to quickly set up a system that would pass gold card visa applicants' data among different parts of DHS, the records show. The data that would be transferred was sensitive, detailing applicants' names, birth dates, places of residence and other personal information, the records show. Article content The DHS team finished setting up its requested data transfer pipeline in less than a week, the employee said, then settled in to wait for applicants. But as of late June, not a single application had come along on a webpage for the visa application, which isn't public, the employee said. Article content Lutnick told Axios in late May that the website would roll out in a week, and details about the visas would come out 'over a matter of the next weeks; not months, weeks.' Article content Article content Around the world, other countries that had once offered similar costly green cards have reversed course after controversies over granting rich people unfettered residency and the fallout from that, said Kate Hooper, a senior policy analyst for the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. For instance, Spain ended its golden visa after an explosion in housing prices fuelled by wealthy buyers. Article content 'There's been a bit of a backlash to that … the optics of selling citizenship and worries about due diligence,' Hooper said. Article content Hooper, who studies the gold visa programs globally, said the U.S. proposal would be the most expensive one out there if it were feasible. Wealthy foreigners who want to spend less could easily acquire a visa to several Caribbean island nations for a fraction of the cost Trump has proposed. For instance, Antigua and Barbuda requires a contribution of $230,000 to a national development fund for a visa.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'An ideal‘gateway' instrument for electric players': Cort Sunset Nylectric DLX review
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Every guitar player should have at least one nylon-string guitar in their collection. Even better is a nylon-string acoustic-electric that can hold its own amongst other amplified instruments on stage. The Cort Sunset Nylectric DLX leans more towards the electric than acoustic side of the spectrum with its chambered solidbody design, but that makes it a great choice for electric players who want to explore the nuances and expressiveness of a nylon-string instrument without having to adapt their playing style too much to a traditional classical or flamenco guitar. Launch price: $999/£572 Type: Thinline cutaway-electro nylon-string Top: Flamed Maple Veneer on Solid Sitka Spruce Back: Chambered mahogany Neck: Mahogany, bolt-on Scale length: 648mm (25.5') Tuners: Classical open-gear with ebont buttons Nut: Graph Tech Tusq / 48mm FIngerboard: Ebony, 15.75″ radius Frets: 22 Bridge: Ebony with Graph Tech Tusq saddle Electronics: Fishman S-Core VTB, Volume, Treble, Bass Left-handers: No Finish: Tobacco Sunburst Gloss Contact: Cort Guitars Featuring a chambered mahogany body with a solid Sitka spruce top covered with a flamed maple veneer, the Cort Sunset Nylectric DLX looks more like a steel-string acoustic-electric or even a solidbody electric (minus the pickups and electric hardware). The bolt-on neck joins the body at the 16th fret (instead of the 12th), and a deep cutaway and contoured neck-body heel joint provide unrestricted access to the entire fretboard. The body width measures slightly more than 1.75 inches, so it even feels like an electric solidbody instrument. However, the Nylectric's slotted headstock, ebony bridge with tie block and mahogany neck with a relatively flat radius (15.75-inch), ebony fretboard with 22 medium-profile frets, 25.5-inch scale length and U-shape profile provide familiar nylon-string aesthetics. The nut width, which measures 1-7/8 inches is slightly narrower than a traditional classical guitar to allow electric players to adapt to the neck more easily. Internally, the top is fan braced to provide similar sonic characteristics to a traditional acoustic nylon-string guitar. The built-in Fishman Sonicore under-saddle piezo pickup/preamp system is designed specifically for nylon-string guitar to preserve natural resonance and expressive nuances. Controls consist of volume, treble and bass knobs, with the EQ allowing players to dial in more presence to cut through a band or warmth for fuller-sounding solo performances. Thanks to its chambered body design, the Sunset Nylectric DLX can be played unplugged at a decent volume level for practice, although by no means does its purely acoustic sound compare with that of a finely crafted classical or flamenco instrument. However, the bass is nicely round and full-bodied and the treble is sweet and expressive. Those acoustic tones provide a solid foundation for the Cort's amplified tones, which is where the Nylectric shines. The chambered body provides 'air' and resonance that makes each note sound lively and three-dimensional instead of dry and flat. Verdict: ★★★★½ The pickup can handle rather aggressive flamenco strumming techniques without distorting or compressing the tone, although it may not be responsive enough to body slaps to please an Andalusian purist. Although the Nylectric sounds more than good enough on its own, it really shined when it was processed with a touch of room reverb, which brought the sound even closer to that of a mic'd classical guitar. Guitar World verdict: The Cort Sunset Nylectric DLX is an ideal 'gateway' instrument for electric players who want to add nylon-string classical/flamenco tones to their stage and studio repertoires. Córdoba Stage review This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.
Chicago Tribune
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
North Shore D112 moves ahead with dual language consolidation; ‘Families affected by this decision feel unheard, confused and demoralized'
A new chapter has begun for North Shore School District 112, however difficult it may have been to turn the page, with the school board voting 5-2 in favor of the consolidation of the district's dual language program. The district plans to consolidate the program at Oak Terrace in phases, beginning with kindergarten in 2026-27, and fully transitioning all K-5 dual language program students in 2027-28, with Red Oak Elementary School closing after the 2026-27 school year, a statement to parents said. It's a process that has angered Red Oak's most vocal proponents, with some parents who have become regulars at board meetings voicing their continued mistrust of the district's leadership, and left the school board and community members drained both emotionally and — with several previous meetings running several hours — physically. School officials have pointed to the community's dropping Hispanic and English-learning population, as well as overall dropping student populations, as the primary drivers for the move. According to a statement from the district, since 2018 the dual language program has seen a nearly 30% decline in enrollment. Some Red Oak parents have questioned that data, and viewed consolidation as too drastic a move without considering other solutions. Others have said the process has been run backwards, with a task force of parents, staff and teachers to be formed after a vote on consolidation, rather than before. Red Oak parent Maria Barraza previously warned that the consolidation would destroy the community built around Red Oak, and raised concerns about a lack of engagement from the district with the school's Spanish-speaking families. While the vote was not a surprising outcome, it capped off a controversy that had grown increasingly bitter. Board meetings saw jeering, insults and accusations of dishonesty as members spoke, and frustrated parents accused leadership of lying and maliciously molding the process to a preferred outcome. During one meeting, Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld gave a heated reprimand to parents fighting against consolidation as he implored the board to make a decision. During Thursday's meeting, board members each gave comments sharing their reasoning for their vote. Lori Fink and Jaret Fishman, both newcomers to the board, were the only members to vote against consolidation. Given the divisive nature of the decision, Fishman called for delaying the vote to allow additional community engagement and await feedback from the proposed task force. While this should have been done much earlier in the process, he said, it 'doesn't mean it's too late now.' 'Too many families affected by this decision feel unheard, confused and demoralized,' Fishman said. 'We need our families to work side-by-side with us.' Fink said that 'in trying to solve one problem,' the district had created another, trading enrollment issues for division in the community. She warned that board members have 'moved too quickly.' 'I know when we listen to each other and work together, we can find solutions that honor everyone,' Fink said. 'Together, we will move forward.' But other board members warned of the risks of kicking the can down the road. Board member Bennett Lasko described closing a school as the 'third rail' for any school board, and the 'hardest issue' they've ever confronted. But avoiding a decision would only delay and worsen the damage to the district, he said. Lasko pointed to 2016, when the district faced a crisis over the closing of several schools, which he said was rooted in multiple boards over many years choosing to delay for a variety of reasons. That controversy had also faced heavy parental resistance. It would ultimately drive two board members, including then-board President Michael Cohn, to resign after the board voted to delay the closing of several schools. In a statement, Cohn lambasted the parent community and the board's decision to delay. Lasko said his own children would go on to see two rounds of budget cuts as they went through the district because of that. 'It didn't make the process any easier or any more comfortable for anybody to delay. It made it worse. It made it more painful. It made people more unhappy. So I don't think that delaying is a good idea,' Lasko said. Board members voting in favor of consolidation said they were convinced by the overarching data trends, noting the rising price of housing in the area, making Highland Park less attractive or even feasible for new immigrant families. Keeping two schools would mean shrinking classrooms and smaller cohorts at both Oak Terrace and Red Oak, they said. Board President Art Kessler pushed back against concerns that the consolidation will lead to overcrowding at Oak Terrace, and said previous consolidations led to stronger schools and programs. 'Consolidation is an opportunity to strengthen the program that has been central to our district's identity,' Kessler said. 'Looking forward, I'm confident that through transparency, planning and partnership, we can build an even stronger model for dual language education.' Kessler said he believes that while difficult, the decision will be the right one in hindsight. 'In five years, when we look back at this moment, we will recognize that … consolidating our dual language program in Oak Terrace, was the right choice for our students and our community,' he said. However, he admitted mistakes have been made in the process. Kessler hopes to take those as lessons into the future for better engaging the community. 'I look back on this process myself in terms of how it played out, and I don't think we did everything right. I think we could have done some things better,' Kessler said. 'We should really take our past experiences to heart.' After a June 10 board meeting, Lubelfeld also expressed regret about the divide that had grown between the district and some parents. With hindsight, he said he would have moved forward with a task force process with the PTO leadership, or other members of the community, prior to making an administrative review and a board administrative decision. 'I regret that my actions or lack thereof may have caused some of this rift, and I hope that while I'm still here, I can be part of a solution to heal some of these fissures that do exist,' he said. An outline of the proposed task force and consolidation was given during the previous board meeting. The task force will be made up of Red Oak and Oak Terrace parents, staff members and administrators, to be selected in September, with a first meeting in October. The final meeting will be in April, with a report presented to the board in May. It will have three committees: student success, family engagement and facilities and operations. Plans for Oak Terrace include renovations to its outdoor space, an issue that has been repeatedly raised during public comments. While the technical next steps of consolidation are clear, what's not is how the parent community will respond, and whether the passionate engagement seen leading up to the vote will translate to similar engagement with the task force and consolidation. Kessler said he hopes for as much. 'I hope parents remain engaged,' Kessler said. 'It will really help us make Oak Terrace the best it can be.' But Ryan Morgan, an Oak Terrace parent, was uncertain if the momentum could be continued, worrying about the 'alienation of the most vocal parents.' Red Oak PTO head Cathy Curran said she felt both schools' PTOs should 'absolutely' be a part of the task force moving forward. While parents feel 'discouraged and exhausted,' it is 'important to stay engaged.' 'I know myself and other parents are going to try and make it as positive as possible for our kids,' Curran said. Looking ahead, Curran said she wanted 'proactive' engagement with the community from the district, and some assurances that parents on the task force will be heard and 'truly part of the process.' Parents weren't surprised by the decision, she said, but now is the time to, 'move forward together as a community.' Curran said she has already reached out to their Oak Terrace counterparts to begin planning.
Axios
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Axios
Jolene Jolene could add Atlanta to growing women's sports bar industry
Bars dedicated to women's sports are having a moment, and Atlanta could soon be the latest city to join the craze. Why it matters: With viewership and attendance for women's sports soaring — including with the debut of a new WNBA team — fans are building new hubs that are about more than simply watching games. Driving the news: Six women's sports bars have opened this year, according to Kaitlyn Laabs, who is making a documentary about women's sports bars called "Untapped" — and as many as 21 are on the way. What they're saying: Decatur resident Chelsea Fishman hopes to put Atlanta on the map when she opens Jolene Jolene, which would be the city's first bar dedicated solely to showing women's sports teams. Fishman told Axios she is in negotiations for a couple of potential locations, including Decatur and Grant Park. She hopes to open the bar, which is named after Dolly Parton's famous tune, later this year. Zoom in: Jolene Jolene has hosted watch parties for Atlanta Dream and plans to host similar events for the Women's Euro Games that start next month. In the meantime, Jolene Jolene also holds Friday rooftop club pregame happy hours at Xo House before the start of Decatur FC matches. The next ones are set for 5:45pm June 20 and June 27, according to Jolene Jolene's Instagram feed. Flashback: Sports bars that cater to women's sports all began with The Sports Bra, a Portland bar dedicated to supporting and showing women's sports founded by Jenny Nguyen in April 2022. By the end of 2024, three more had opened: A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis; Watch Me! Sports Bar in Long Beach, Calif.; and The 99ers Sports Bar in Denver. Friction point: Some bar owners, such as Watch Me! owner Jax Diener, have gotten sexist and anti-LGBTQ+ hate. Between the lines: Many of these bar owners also struggle to secure small-business loans, increasing the barrier to opening, Laabs said. Getting space and securing funding has been a challenge for her, Fishman said, especially when she explains the concept of Jolene Jolene. "You just have to continue to educate them," she said. "It's not a bar for women. It's a bar for women's sports," she said. Many women's sports bar owners have turned to crowdfunding, which Fishman did for Jolene Jolene. The bottom line: Fishman told Axios Jolene Jolene will "give us a dedicated space to celebrate the female athletes that play here and are from here."
