US government restricts sports visas for transgender women
Under the policy update, USCIS will consider "the fact that a male athlete has been competing against women" as a negative factor when evaluating visa petitions in categories such as O-1A for extraordinary ability, EB-1 and EB-2 green cards for highly skilled workers, and national interest waivers.
"USCIS is closing the loophole for foreign male athletes whose only chance at winning elite sports is to change their gender identity and leverage their biological advantages against women," said USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser.
"It's a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the U.S. to participate in women's sports."
The move aligns with broader efforts by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to regulate transgender participation in athletics and follows similar policies enacted at the state level across the country.
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee last month updated its policy to align with an executive order signed earlier this year by Trump barring transgender women from competing in women's sports.
Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" order in February, a directive that supporters said will restore fairness but critics argue infringes on the rights of a tiny minority of athletes.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Focus Malaysia
13 minutes ago
- Focus Malaysia
Zaid wants PMX, Tengku Zafrul to step down for bowing to US in lopsided tariff negotiation
PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul should resign for their complete surrender to US president Donald Trump who is a renowned tough negotiator. This is because if Malaysia had not agreed to buy US$240 bil worth of American goods, the tariff on Malaysian exports might probably stay at 25%. 'But instead of negotiating from a position of strength, they capitulated – and settled for a 6% reduction which brought the tariff down to 19%,' berated former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim in a social media post. Both PMX and Tengku Zafrul should resign for their complete surrender to Trump. If we had not agreed to buy US $240 billion worth of American goods, the tariff on our exports might have been 25%. But instead of negotiating from a position of strength, they capitulated—and… — Zaid Ibrahim (@zaidibrahim) August 4, 2025 'What did we get in return? A saving of US$2.6 bil/year (RM10.4 bil/year) over the next four years based on Malaysia's current export value of US$43 bil/year. 'In contrast, we committed to buying US$240 bil (RM1.02 tril) in American goods, effectively trading RM24 to save RM1. How is that sound economic policy?' For context, Tengku Zafrul told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday (Aug 4) that Malaysia has agreed to buy and invest o ver US$240 bil with the US to reduce or bridge the trade gap between both countries, eventually securing the 19% tariff rate. The key deals include: US$150 bil in purchases by multinationals in Malaysia's semiconductor, aerospace and data centre sectors over five years; US$70 bil in Malaysian investments in the US over 10 years; US$19 bil Boeing aircraft order by Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) for fleet renewal; US$3.4 bil/year in LNG (liquefied natural gas) purchases by PETRONAS; US$42.6 mill/year in coal purchases by Tenaga Nasional Bhd; and US$119 mil in telecom product purchases by Telekom Malaysia Bhd. Can the Opposition fare better? Zaid further questioned why had the Madani government bowed down so easily to Washington's demand given that 'Trump has less than four years left in office'. 'His protectionist lunacy, like all things Trump, is likely to end in chaos – either at the ballot box or in the courts,' argued the opposition-slant UMNO member. Datuk Zaid Ibrahim 'Why then are we so gullible? Why did our leaders panic at the first sign of pressure from a volatile foreign president?' Added Zaid who once served momentarily as the defence counsel of now incarcerated former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak: 'This is not diplomacy. This is economic appeasement which comes at the expense of Malaysia's sovereignty and long-term interests. 'If this is what the 'Madani economics' look like, we are in deeper trouble than we thought.' While sone commenters concurred that both PMX and Tengku Zafrul 'could have 'screwed up the negotiations', realistically, it would be impossible 'to negotiate from a 'position of strength' when you have no strength'. Interestingly, few commenters wondered if ever the table is turned with Zaid himself in PMX's or Tengku Zafrul's shoes, would the politician with turncoat tendency have fared better? – Aug 5, 2025
The Star
43 minutes ago
- The Star
Rupert Murdoch's new tabloid to bring New York Post attitude to California
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -"Headless body in topless bar"-type headlines made famous by the iconic New York Post tabloid could soon greet Californians as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp prepares to expand to the West Coast with its biggest U.S. daily newspaper launch in nearly 15 years. The California Post, to be headquartered in Los Angeles and set to launch in early 2026, said Sean Giancola, CEO and publisher of the New York Post Media Group, which will include the new publication. California news industryexperts say the tabloid would seek to capitalize on the struggles of the incumbent Los Angeles Times, which has shed subscribers and staff. The California Post will offer a familiar mix of what it calls "common-sense journalism," celebrity and entertainment news and sports reporting across multiple platforms, including mobile and desktop, audio, social media and print," Giancola said in an interview. "We already reach 3 million people in the L.A.(market) and over 7 million in California, so there is a base of audience there that already engages in our brand," Giancola said in an interview. Murdoch, the company's chairman emeritus, recognized California as a market opportunity and gave the venture his blessing, said one source with knowledge of the matter. "You don't launch a newspaper without getting feedback from one of the best guys in the business," the source added. The last daily newspaper launched in the U.S. by News Corp, owner of the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, was the Daily, a digital newspaper for Apple's then-new iPad tablet, in 2011. It folded the following year. A Los Angeles Times spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the California Post. POPULIST APPROACH California news industry veteran Jonathan Weber said the state's newspapers adhereto a mainstream approach to journalism, which could present an opportunity for a different kind of voice that reflects this moment in the country's evolution. "Maybe there is room for a sort of pugilistic, more right-wing, kind of sensationalist sort of approach," said Weber, a former Reuters editor and serial entrepreneur who founded the San Francisco Standard and the tech business-focused Industry Standard. "There might be an opening for that." But he said the California Post also faces challenges. The New York Post is popular with readers who buy the tabloid at a newsstandbefore jumping on the subway, whereas Californians tend to drive to work, Weber said. Giancola said the New York Post Media Group has a much broader reach online than through its print edition, via a trio of digital brands including celebrity-focused Page Six, an entertainment -and pop-culture guide, the Decider and its main website. These sites attracted a combined 90 million monthly unique visitors in June, the company said. The Post achieved profitability in 2022 by monetizing these audiences, and running a "lean" news operation, Giancola also has expanded into new formats, including podcasts, video and e-commerce. "L.A. and California - like a lot of geographical areas in the country - are news deserts," said Giancola. "We think we can come into L.A. with the same formula and really cover California in a bespoke way." Ken Doctor, the California-based CEO of Lookout Local, a community journalism organization, said the New York Post could simply rebrand the tabloid for California and boost its readership and advertising. It could also fill a void for a niche set of readers in a state that is dominated by left-wing politicians but where 38% voted for President Donald Trump in the last election. "There is a place for a culturally conservative publication, and one that is populist and fits the populist times," said Doctor. Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong has said he plans to bring in more conservative voices as he seeks "balance" to correct what he perceives as a left-leaning bias ahead of an initial public offering of the publication within the next year. The loss-making 143-year-old newspaper laid off more than 20% of its newsroom staff in January 2024. (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles and Juby Babu in Mexico; Editing by Ken Li and Jamie Freed)
The Sun
43 minutes ago
- The Sun
Brazil opts for local relief over retaliation for US tariffs
BRASILIA: Brazil's government has set aside for now plans for direct retaliation against steep U.S. tariffs taking effect this week, focusing instead on a relief package for industries hit hardest by the levies, sources familiar with the strategy said. Wide-ranging exemptions granted in U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order last week spared some of the most vulnerable sectors of Latin America's largest economy, to the relief of many investors and business leaders. That has left Brasilia cautious about responding to Trump with reciprocal tariffs or other retaliation that could escalate tensions, said government officials, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential deliberations. Talks with Washington are likely to be slow and complex, said one of the sources, so Brazil's government is prioritizing immediate relief for exporters, such as through public credit lines and other support for export finance. Another official said the government is studying potential responses to the tariffs that would affect U.S. companies, but sees them as a last resort if negotiations fail. Those potential countermeasures, now under review, could include suspension of royalty payments for pharmaceutical patents and media copyrights, two sources said. The government had also signaled last year that it was preparing a new tax that could affect big U.S. tech companies, but shelved the plan this year to avoid antagonizing Trump ahead of his April tariff announcement. At the time, Brazil was saddled with a 10% tariff, among the lowest in the world, which many credited to a longstanding U.S. trade surplus with Brazil. Trump then tied a steeper 50% tariff in July to what he called a political 'witch hunt' against former President Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing ally on trial for an alleged coup plot to overturn his 2022 election loss. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva initially said he would respond under the country's Economic Reciprocity Law, passed by Congress to provide legal grounds for countermeasures against trade sanctions, fueling speculation about retaliation. Talk of reciprocal action has since faded, even as Lula criticizes Trump's rationale for the tariff hike, defending the independence of Brazil's judiciary and insisting any negotiations should remain strictly focused on trade. U.S. tariff exemptions granted last week for Brazil's aviation, energy and mining industries were taken in Brasilia as evidence that patient diplomacy and lobbying by affected U.S. companies seeking relief was the best way to get results in Washington. Brazil also said it plans to file a formal complaint at the World Trade Organization over the tariffs, even though that dispute settlement system has been stalled since the first Trump administration. 'You still need to go through the available channels,' one Brazilian official said, while acknowledging that a resolution is unlikely under the current state of the WTO. More immediately, the government is fine-tuning measures to shield sectors most hurt by the U.S. tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday, extending financial relief to companies already facing canceled contracts. Officials have said the package will likely include credit lines and possible tweaks to the export credit insurance and export financing mechanisms, according to one of the sources. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, who said relief measures could begin rolling out this week, on Friday said the government was never committed to retaliating against Washington. 'We never used that verb to characterize the actions the Brazilian government will take,' he said. 'These are actions to protect sovereignty, to protect our industry, our agribusiness, our agriculture,' he told reporters. 'That word (retaliation) was not present in the president's speech, nor in any minister's.' - Reuters
