Melania and Einstein visa: Why some Americans want FLOTUS deported
The criticism is focussed on Melania Trump's use of the EB-1 visa, which is also nicknamed the "Einstein visa", typically reserved for individuals with extraordinary abilities in fields like science, arts, or business. Critics are saying that if Trump wants to investigate and deport naturalised citizens for possibly taking advantage of immigration rules, then he shouldn't ignore his own wife's case.Melania was born in the former Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) and became a US citizen in 2006, according to official government biographies of the First Lady, Fox News reported. She is the first US First Lady who is a naturalised citizen.advertisementThe First Lady sponsored her parents, who were also from current-day Slovenia, for green cards and then citizenship after securing her own citizenship, The New York Times reported in 2018.Though the petition was originally created five months ago, it has recently gained renewed traction, according to a report in an Ireland-based newspaper, Irish Star.It had 100 signatures a few days ago, but had risen to over 6,000 by the time this report went for publishing.PETITION CALLS OUT TRUMP 'S IMMIGRATION POLICYThe petition questioned Melania Trump's immigration status and called out Trump's immigration policy."Since Trump wants to deport naturalised citizens, I believe it is only fair that Melania and her parents are on the first boat out. In addition, Melania's anchor baby, Barron, should be forced to leave as well because we know that his mother's mother was born in a different country," the petition read.The petition further added, "That is part of the criteria that Trump is putting into place. Your mother's mother has to have been born in the United States and we know Melania's mother was born elsewhere. If it's good for one, it's good for all! There should be no exceptions! On the first boat or flight out."advertisementThe petition also claimed that such action would help avoid any appearance of bias."It is important that this is done to show that it is not a matter of favouritism. If this is truly about national security, then Melania needs to go," the petition also said.DEMOCRAT MAXINE WATERS HAD FIRST CALLED FOR MELANIA'S DEPORTATIONThe petition emerged shortly after Democratic California Representative Maxine Waters, at an anti-DOGE protest in Los Angeles on March 25, called for Trump to look into and possibly deport Melania Trump."When he (Trump) talks about birthright, and he's going to undo the fact that the Constitution allows those who are born here, even if the parents are undocumented, they have a right to stay in America. If he wants to start looking so closely to find those who were born here and their parents were undocumented, maybe he ought to first look at Melania," Fox News quoted Waters as saying."We don't know whether or not her parents were documented. And maybe we better just take a look," she added.Waters was referencing President Trump's executive order, signed on his first day in office, which aimed to eliminate birthright citizenship.advertisementThe executive order works to clarify the 14th Amendment and tighten the rules for birthright citizenship, which states, "All persons born or naturalised in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."CONGRESSWOMAN JASMINE CROCKETT ALSO QUESTIONED MELANIA 'S EINSTEIN VISACommonly dubbed the "Einstein visa", the EB-1A is a US immigration program that offers a path to permanent residency for individuals with extraordinary ability in fields such as science, the arts, education, business, or athletics. Reserved for those who have achieved national or international acclaim, the visa targets top-tier talent at the pinnacle of their professions.Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett raised concerns over how Melania Trump, a former model, secured a visa generally intended for individuals demonstrating "extraordinary ability" in their field.Crockett said when she last checked, the First Lady had none of those accolades under her belt."You're supposed to have some sort of significant achievement, like being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize or a Pulitzer; being an Olympic medallist; or having other sustained extraordinary abilities and success in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics. Last time I checked, the First Lady had none of those accolades under her belt," US-based weekly magazine Newsweek quoted Crockett as saying.- Ends
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Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: The wrench in India's 2036 Olympic dream
Good morning, The controversial 'One Big, Beautiful' Bill, designed to slash taxes and federal spending while benefiting the top 1 per cent, has cleared the US House of Representatives, marking a major legislative win for the Trump administration. The Bill, which adds $3.3 trillion to the national debt and guts funding for food and health programmes aiding low-income Americans, passed after an all-night debate. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered the longest House floor speech in modern history, fiercely opposing the Bill. This followed a dramatic 51-50 Senate vote on Tuesday, with Vice President J D Vance breaking the tie. Though several Republicans had expressed concerns over the Bill, only two (and all Democrats) voted against it on Thursday night. The House passed the Bill 218-214, sending it to Trump's desk for signing. On that note, let's get to today's edition. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) may have thwarted India's ambitious plans to host the 2036 Olympics. At a high-profile meeting in Lausanne on Tuesday, the IOC asked the Indian delegation to set its house in order before preparing the master plan. High-ranking Indian officials, including Gujarat Home and Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha, were present at the meeting. Red flags: Sources told The Indian Express that the IOC flagged governance issues at IOA, doping concerns and India's poor performance at the Olympics during the meeting. Crucially, the IOA has not been receiving IOC's athlete welfare grants since October 2024. The international body has said it won't release the funds till the administrative logjam, which has seen Usha at loggerheads with her Executive Council, ends. My colleague Mihir Vasavda goes into the details in his report. However, India's hopes are not completely dashed yet. India could host future Olympics, depending on how quickly it resolves the issues. Notably, the IOC last week decided to 'pause' the selection process of future hosts, owing to transparency concerns flagged by the committee members. This could buy India time. As the Election Commission embarks on the mammoth task of verifying the citizenship of 7.8 crore registered voters in Bihar, The Indian Express visited multiple districts to track the ground reality. While a declaration that an applicant is a citizen is required for all new registrations, this time, the EC is asking for citizenship proof for all new as well as existing voters. Electors must now submit one of 11 specific documents notified by the Commission. Common IDs like Aadhaar, ration cards, or voter cards no longer suffice. This has triggered a rush among voters to obtain residential or caste certificates before the deadline, with many also struggling to procure legacy documents such as those belonging to their parents. Read our report. Hit the brakes: The Delhi government has asked the Centre's Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to put the fuel ban for end-of-life vehicles on hold, just days after it came into effect. The reason? The Environment Minister cited a host of infrastructural issues and even 'public discontent'. Down the drain: Recently, concerns were raised over the inflated cost of work contracts under the Jal Jeevan Mission (rural water tap scheme) in some states. Water Minister C R Patil told The Indian Express that the Centre has stopped paying the tender premium (the difference in the government's approved cost and the bidder's quote) as money was being 'unnecessarily wasted'. Injustice: In 2003, Gujarati-American Sandeep 'Sonny' Bharadia was convicted of burglary and sexual assault in Georgia, US. The conviction was bizarre. On the ill-fated day, Bharadia was 400 km away from the crime site. Only his car, which he had earlier reported missing, was used by the actual perpetrator. 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Contributing editor Neerja Chowdhury writes why the RSS demands put the BJP in a tricky position. Countering China: The Quad group of nations, comprising India, Australia, Japan and the US, has launched an initiative to secure supply chains of critical minerals. The move is aimed at countering China's stranglehold over the resources vital to new technologies. Under new Ministry of Transport and Highways guidelines, cab aggregators such as Uber, Ola and Rapido may now charge customers up to twice the base fare as the maximum fare. This will allow ride-hailing platforms more flexibility in dynamic pricing, which entails increasing prices during high demand and vice versa during low demand periods. What exactly is dynamic pricing? Is it the same as surge pricing? We explain. 🎧 Before you go, tune in to today's '3 things' podcast episode, where we discuss: what led to the Rath Yatra stampede, why the Telengana chemical factory blast is a 'rarest of rare' case, and the government's bid to fast-track decision-making. That's all for today, folks! Until next week, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump responds to One Big Beautiful Bill passage with praise for US border, economy, and military
Trump responds to One Big Beautiful Bill with focus on US strength US President Donald Trump reacted to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) by Congress, calling attention to the bill's alignment with his administration's goals on border security , military funding , and economic policy. 'The strongest border on earth, the strongest economy, the strongest MILITARY on earth,' Trump said, referencing the central features of the legislation and its alignment with his policy agenda. Also read: Breaking News Highlights: Republican-led House gives final passage to Trump's big tax bill Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Fill Out Your Postcode, Reg Number, and You Could Be Owed Up to £2.8k UK PCP Claims Try Now Undo 'Sir, you're going to go down as one of the best Presidents ever,' Trump said, quoting what someone told him recently. No source was provided. The OBBB, passed on July 3, 2025, in the House (218–214) after clearing the Senate on July 1 (51–50), allocates major funding to national defense , border enforcement, and tax relief . It includes an estimated $170 billion for border operations, $150 billion in military spending, and permanent extensions to 2017 tax cuts, alongside the removal of federal taxes on tips and overtime. Live Events 'Our country was cold as ICE… They were laughing at anything to do with our country,' Trump added, suggesting a shift in global perception during his time in office. Analysts estimate the bill could add $2.4–2.8 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office also projects that as many as 11 million Americans could lose health coverage due to spending offsets in the bill. While Republicans have promoted the measure as a pro-growth policy package, critics argue that the long-term fiscal implications could pose challenges. Trump's remarks reinforce the bill's alignment with his political branding: immigration control, economic liberalization, and increased defense capabilities.
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
How Trump's lawsuit against Paramount could shape media coverage of the US President, going forward
Written by Shaarvi Magazine Paramount Global, the American mass media company that owns news broadcaster CBS, said on July 1 that it would pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump that accused the station of distorting an interview to boost the Democratic Party ahead of the elections of 2024. Paramount said the payout would be to Trump's future presidential library, and not to the President 'directly or indirectly'. 'The settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret,' the company said. Paramount also agreed to release transcripts of interviews with future US presidential candidates after their broadcasting, subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns. The lawsuit: what happened? The lawsuit, filed in October 2024, alleged that CBS deceptively edited an interview of then US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on its '60 Minutes' program with the intention of 'tipping the scales in favour of the Democratic Party.' In two versions of the interview aired by CBS, it appeared that Harris gave different answers on the Israel-Hamas war in response to correspondent Bill Whitaker's question. According to reports in the American media, she had given a long answer to a question about Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and CBS had used about 20 seconds from it for a preview that it aired on 'Face the Nation', another CBS show, and a different, shorter, clip in the '60 Minutes' show that was broadcast at prime time the following day. Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit in federal court in Texas, and increased the claim to $20 billion in February. He claimed that the company had violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, which states that one can be sued for damages for false, deceptive, or misleading practices. From litigation to settlement CBS initially said the lawsuit was 'completely without merit', and asked the court for its dismissal. It refused to release the transcript, and defended itself on the grounds of the First Amendment, which gives news agencies the right to decide how they want to present information. The company subsequently agreed to release the transcripts last year, which were proven to follow television news standards. Nevertheless, the case entered mediation in April. Lawyers in a court filing last week asked the judge to delay all proceedings for a few days. In May, the company had offered $15 million, and a mediator proposed a $20 million settlement, a small fraction of Trump's original $20 billion claim, it was reported last week. Paramount said in its July 1 statement that the $16 million settlement included Trump's legal fees. Signal for the American media Reporting by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal said that the settlement has come as Paramount prepares for an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which requires approval from the US Federal Communications Commission. Trump has filed multiple lawsuits against media houses, which critics read as being part of a larger campaign to attack media that don't favour him. He has for many years denounced negative reporting about him as 'fake news', and has frequently accused media organisations and individual reporters of lying, both on social media and in person. During the campaign last year, Trump had threatened to revoke CBS's broadcasting licence if elected. The legal process that followed the filing of his lawsuit triggered turmoil at the company, and the executive producer of '60 Minutes' resigned, reportedly in protest against curbs on his independent decision-making. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont had cautioned that any payment made by Paramount to Trump could be viewed as a bribe. Commentators have pointed out that after this settlement, mainstream media companies may be more hesitant to partner with or amplify ventures against Trump due to legal and reputational risks. This could deepen the divide between conservative and liberal media ecosystems, further polarising the American media landscape. The writer is a student and a summer intern at The Indian Express.
