Put a 3-year freeze on H-1B, eliminate H-4: Rep. Crane’s new GOP bill calls for major reforms to visa programs
The new GOP bill calls for a three-year freeze on the H-1B visa program and a ban on H-1B dependents coming to the US.
A new bill has now been added to the list of bills like EXILE, PAUSE, which seeks major changes in the H-1B visa program, which is at the center of the immigration controversy in the Trump 2.0 administration. Arizona Republican Representative Eli Crane introduced the FINAL H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 in Congress. The bill’s co-sponsors are Brian Babin, Brandon Gill, Paul Gosar, Wesley Hunt, Tom McClintock, Keith Self and Andy Ogles.“The federal government must work for hardworking citizens, not the profit margins of large corporations. We have a duty to the American people to stop the broken H-1B system from locking them out of jobs they are qualified for,” Rep. Crane said, explaining that the final H-1B Visa Abuse Act of 2026 would provide greater access to employment, strengthen protocols in the visa process, and prioritize Americans’ livelihoods. “I am honored to introduce this legislation and I am grateful to those who raised awareness of this flawed process,” said Rep. Crane.
What are the proposals under the new bill?
- Reducing the annual H-1B limit from 65,000 to 25,000 and eliminating existing exemptions.
- Replacing the lottery system with a salary-based selection system.
- Employers are required to certify that they cannot find a qualified U.S. worker and have not made layoffs.
- Choosing a minimum H-1B salary of $200,000 per year.
- Prohibiting H-1B workers from holding more than one job and preventing third-party staffing agencies from employing them.
- Not allowing H-1B workers to bring dependents to the US.
- Prohibiting federal agencies from sponsoring or employing nonimmigrant workers.
- Ending optional practical training.
- Ensuring that nonimmigrant visas remain temporary by preventing H-1B holders from adjusting to permanent residence status.
- Nonimmigrants are required to leave the United States before changing to another nonimmigrant status.
Rosemary Jenks, an immigration policy expert who helped draft the bill, said that if H-1Bs do not get an extension and are sent home after three years, companies will have to bring in new H-1Bs and train them – making the overall process more expensive and then companies will start hiring Americans.Rep. Brandon Gill, who is married to Indian-origin Danielle D’Souza, said, “I am proud to sponsor Representative Eli Crane’s efforts to reform and tighten our H-1B visa system, ensuring that our immigration system serves American workers before foreigners.”
How India plans to become Dubai or Doha as Delhi: Plans for hub-and-spoke domestic airports india news
New Delhi: India is finalizing its hub-and-spoke policy to fly passengers between smaller cities and the rest of the world through cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The move comes amid massive orders for wide-body aircraft from Air India and IndiGo; The era of Indian hub airports is coming which is getting ready to shift from domestic-to-international and vice versa; And the largest hubs for international travel to and from India in the Gulf such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha face uncertainty over resuming operations before February 28. Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Thursday visited Delhi’s IGI airport – India’s busiest airport – to fine-tune the policy and start its implementation in the right manner and was visited by Secretary Sameer Sinha.Sinha is tackling the biggest problem for international as well as domestic travelers – they have to collect their luggage at the port of arrival in India; Clear customs and then check-in again for domestic connecting flights. “The baggage of both inbound and outbound international passengers will be transferred seamlessly through airside operations at the hub airport, eliminating the need for passenger intervention,” the aviation ministry says about the changes under the new hub-and-spoke policy.On the other hand, passengers flying out of India, such as from Lucknow to Delhi to London, can check-in their bags in Lucknow only if both their flights are on the same airline or code share partner carrier of the alliance. Operating Procedure for Domestic to International Transfers: “Under the hub-and-spoke model, passengers arriving from various smaller cities will be consolidated in a coordinated manner and routed through major hub airports like Delhi for onward international connections. At spoke (smaller origin) airports, passengers will be issued two separate boarding passes, clearly marked with ‘D’ (domestic) and ‘I’ (international) indicators,” the aviation ministry said in a statement.It added, “Customs and immigration formalities for outbound passengers will be completed at the first point of exit from the country, which will be Spokane Airport, and passengers on such outbound journeys will not have access to customs declaration facilities during transit.”Operating Procedure for International to Domestic Transfer: “For incoming passengers, customs and immigration processes will take place at the last point of entry into the country, which will again be the spoke airport…. The baggage of both inbound and outbound international passengers will be transferred seamlessly through airside operations at the hub airport, eliminating the need for passenger intervention. “To maintain operational efficiency and regulatory clarity, combination flights will not be allowed, and separate aircraft will be deployed for domestic and international segments of hub-and-spoke operations,” it said.Naidu said India aims to enable seamless connectivity between Tier-II and Tier-III airports and international destinations. “While passengers will benefit from reduced travel time, there will also be optimum utilization of the already developed infrastructure across the country,” he said.The hub and spoke strategy aims to transform India from a source market for traffic to a “global transit hub” to feed foreign airlines and hubs, allowing Indian airports to capture a larger share of the transfer traffic that is currently routed through foreign hubs.Naidu said: “Currently, about 35% of international passengers traveling from India transit through overseas hubs such as Dubai, London and Singapore. We aim to reverse this trend by developing globally competitive Indian hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai.”“For example, Delhi airport stands at a capacity of over 10 crore passengers annually, handles about 50% of the total passenger traffic in the northern region and manages about 50,000 daily transfers, thereby positioning itself as a natural hub airport,” the minister said.The implementation of this hub-and-spoke model will help airlines deploy their aircraft more efficiently for international operations, while contributing to reducing congestion at major airports by decentralizing customs and immigration processes to spoke locations, Naidu said.
कौशांबी में एसपी का औचक निरीक्षण, मंझनपुर थाने की व्यवस्थाओं पर दिए सख्त निर्देश
कौशांबी जिले में कानून व्यवस्था को और मजबूत करने के लिए पुलिस अधीक्षक सत्यनारायण ने मंझनपुर थाने का औचक निरीक्षण किया। इस निरीक्षण के दौरान उन्होंने थाना परिसर की व्यवस्था, अभिलेख, सुरक्षा एवं साफ-सफाई का बारीकी से जायजा लिया. अचानक हुए इस निरीक्षण से पुलिस कर्मियों में हड़कंप मच गया। एसपी ने स्पष्ट निर्देश दिया कि पुलिस कार्यप्रणाली में पारदर्शिता, अनुशासन और जनता के प्रति संवेदनशीलता सबसे महत्वपूर्ण है. उन्होंने लंबित मामलों के त्वरित निस्तारण और थाना व्यवस्था में सुधार पर विशेष जोर दिया.
थाना परिसर व अभिलेखों की सघन जांच की
निरीक्षण के दौरान पुलिस अधीक्षक ने थाना परिसर, कार्यालय अभिलेख, मालगोदाम, हवालात, शस्त्रागार एवं बैरक का बारीकी से निरीक्षण किया। उन्होंने जांच की कि सभी रिकार्ड ठीक से रखे गए हैं या नहीं। साथ ही साफ-सफाई की स्थिति का जायजा लिया और इसे बेहतर बनाए रखने के निर्देश दिए।
लंबित प्रकरणों के शीघ्र निस्तारण के निर्देश
एसपी सत्यनारायण ने अधिकारियों को निर्देश दिए कि थाने में लंबित मामलों को प्राथमिकता के आधार पर जल्द निपटाया जाए. उन्होंने कहा कि मामलों में देरी से जनता का विश्वास कमजोर होता है, इसलिए समय पर कार्रवाई बहुत जरूरी है।
पुलिसकर्मी अनुशासन और संवेदनशीलता सीखते हैं
निरीक्षण के दौरान पुलिस कर्मियों को अनुशासन बनाए रखने और अपनी जिम्मेदारियों को गंभीरता से निभाने की सलाह दी गई. एसपी ने कहा कि जनसुनवाई के दौरान लोगों के साथ संवेदनशील व्यवहार किया जाए, ताकि आम लोगों का पुलिस पर भरोसा बना रहे।
बीट पुलिसिंग और अपराध नियंत्रण पर जोर
पुलिस अधीक्षक ने बीट पुलिसिंग को मजबूत करने के भी निर्देश दिये। उन्होंने कहा कि क्षेत्र की लगातार निगरानी की जाए और अपराधियों के खिलाफ कड़ी कार्रवाई की जाए. इससे अपराध पर नियंत्रण करने और लोगों में सुरक्षा की भावना बढ़ाने में मदद मिलेगी.
जनता में सुरक्षा विश्वास बढ़ाने की पहल
एसपी ने स्पष्ट किया कि पुलिस का मुख्य उद्देश्य आम जनता को सुरक्षा का एहसास कराना है. इसके लिए सभी पुलिसकर्मियों को सक्रिय और जिम्मेदार बनना होगा। इस निरीक्षण के जरिए पुलिस प्रशासन ने बेहतर व्यवस्था और मजबूत कानून व्यवस्था का संदेश दिया.
(रिपोर्ट: राम किशन, कौशांबी)
Microsoft plans first-ever voluntary buyout for more than 8,000 employees in the US; The memorandum told them: Our hope is that…
Microsoft is planning its first voluntary employee buyout in the company’s 51-year history. According to a memo, Microsoft is offering voluntary retirement to thousands of its employees in the US. Microsoft has never made a purchase on this scale before. According to the report, about 7% of Microsoft’s workforce in the US will be eligible for the buyout. As of June 2025, the company had 228,000 employees, of which 125,000 were in the US, which would make about 8,750 employees eligible for the program.
Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the buyout in a memo to employees.
The offer was announced to employees through a memo from Vice President and Chief People Officer Amy Coleman. “Our hope is that this program gives eligible individuals the option to take the next step on their own terms with the company’s generous support,” Coleman wrote in the memo.According to the memorandum, employees eligible for the buyout include those whose years of service and the sum of their age are 70 or more. The lump sum retirement program does not include some senior roles or sales incentive plans. Eligible employees and their managers will receive details on May 7.
Additional changes announced in buyout memo
Microsoft is also reportedly adjusting the way it distributes stock to employees for annual awards. The company will no longer directly link stock to cash bonuses to managers. That way, “managers have more flexibility to meaningfully recognize high performance,” Coleman wrote in the memo.Microsoft is also simplifying the review process for managers, so they can choose from five salary options for employees instead of nine.
Microsoft will redesign Windows 11
In other news, Microsoft is improving Windows 11 by removing outdated UI elements to provide a consistent modern design across the entire operating system. The initiative is said to target legacy components, including installation screens, remnants of Windows 8-era dialogs, and various Control Panel interfaces. These are being refreshed with the current WinUI framework for better visual consistency. In a statement, Microsoft said, “Our goal as we move forward is to be more open when we build Windows, make sure you feel like you’re included throughout the entire lifecycle of the process of making our products, and then make sure this is a vibrant community and we’re grateful for the chance to spend some time with all of you.”
मुज़फ्फरनगर गैस सिलेंडर विस्फोट: प्रकाश चौक के पास औद्योगिक सिलेंडर में जोरदार विस्फोट, दो दुकानें क्षतिग्रस्त – एक युवक घायल
मुजफ्फरनगर सिविल लाइंस इलाके में प्रकाश चौक के पास मंगलवार दोपहर अचानक तेज धमाका होने से इलाके में अफरा-तफरी मच गई। इस घटना में औद्योगिक गैस सिलेंडर फटने से दो दुकानें बुरी तरह क्षतिग्रस्त हो गईं, जबकि दुकान संचालक का बेटा घायल हो गया.
धमाके की आवाज इतनी तेज थी कि आसपास के दुकानदार और राहगीर डरकर घटनास्थल की ओर भागे और कुछ देर के लिए पूरे इलाके में दहशत का माहौल हो गया.
भीषण गर्मी के कारण फटा सिलेंडर, आसपास की दुकानों को भी नुकसान
प्राप्त जानकारी के अनुसार, खतौली के श्यामपुरी निवासी नरेंद्र कुमार की सिविल लाइन क्षेत्र में प्रकाश चौक के पास “कुमार गैस” नाम से औद्योगिक सिलेंडर की दुकान है। मंगलवार दोपहर करीब तीन बजे दुकान में रखा सिलेंडर अचानक तेज धमाके के साथ फट गया।
इस विस्फोट की तीव्रता इतनी तेज थी कि आसपास की दो दुकानों की दीवारें क्षतिग्रस्त हो गईं. एक दुकान की दीवार पूरी तरह टूट गयी, जबकि दूसरी दुकान की दीवार में गहरी दरार आ गयी.
विस्फोट में दुकान संचालक का बेटा अनुज घायल हो गया
घटना के वक्त दुकान में मौजूद नरेंद्र कुमार का बेटा अनुज भी धमाके की चपेट में आ गया और घायल हो गया। आसपास मौजूद लोगों ने तुरंत उसे सुरक्षित स्थान पर पहुंचाया।
घटना के बाद स्थानीय लोगों ने राहत एवं बचाव कार्य में सहयोग कर स्थिति को नियंत्रित करने का प्रयास किया.
सूचना मिलते ही फायर ब्रिगेड और पुलिस की टीम मौके पर पहुंच गई।
घटना की जानकारी मिलते ही दमकल विभाग की टीम तुरंत मौके पर पहुंची और स्थिति का जायजा लिया. इसके साथ ही वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक मो संजय कुमार वर्माअपर पुलिस अधीक्षक सिद्धार्थ कुमार मिश्रा और इंस्पेक्टर सिविल लाइन महावीर चौहान भी मौके पर पहुंचे।
अधिकारियों ने घटना स्थल का निरीक्षण किया, क्षति का आकलन किया और सुरक्षा व्यवस्था सुनिश्चित की।
धमाके की आवाज से इलाके में अफरा-तफरी मच गई.
तेज धमाके की आवाज सुनते ही आसपास के दुकानदार और राहगीर मौके पर जमा हो गए। कुछ देर के लिए पूरे इलाके में दहशत का माहौल हो गया.
स्थानीय नागरिकों का कहना है कि धमाका इतना जोरदार था कि इसकी आवाज दूर तक सुनाई दी और कई लोग डरकर बाहर निकल आए.
एसएसपी ने मानकों की जांच के लिए दो टीमें गठित कीं
घटना के बाद वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक ने मामले की जांच के लिए दो टीमें गठित की हैं. उन्होंने यह भी निर्देश दिए हैं कि यदि संबंधित दुकानें सुरक्षा मानकों के अनुरूप नहीं पाई गईं तो उनके खिलाफ सख्त कार्रवाई की जाएगी।
प्रशासन यह भी सुनिश्चित कर रहा है कि भविष्य में ऐसी घटनाओं की पुनरावृत्ति न हो.
औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों में सुरक्षा मानकों पर उठे सवाल
इस घटना के बाद औद्योगिक गैस सिलेंडरों के भंडारण और सुरक्षा व्यवस्था को लेकर सवाल उठने लगे हैं. विशेषज्ञों का मानना है कि गर्मी के मौसम में ऐसे संवेदनशील उपकरणों के रखरखाव में अतिरिक्त सावधानी जरूरी है।
स्थानीय व्यापारियों ने भी प्रशासन से मांग की है कि औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों में सुरक्षा मानकों की नियमित जांच की जाए.
प्रकाश चौक के पास औद्योगिक गैस सिलेंडर में हुए इस विस्फोट ने बाजार क्षेत्रों में सुरक्षा मानकों की जरूरत को एक बार फिर रेखांकित कर दिया है. प्रशासन द्वारा गठित जांच टीमों की रिपोर्ट के बाद आगे की कार्रवाई तय की जाएगी, वहीं स्थानीय लोगों ने भविष्य में ऐसी घटनाओं को रोकने के लिए कड़ी निगरानी व्यवस्था की मांग की है.
‘Deeply disturbed’: Hindu American Foundation reacts to Trump reposting racist remarks targeting Indians, Chinese
The Hindu American Foundation urged President Trump to remove his Truth Social post, where he had reposted Michael Savage’s statement calling India a ‘hell-hole’.
HAF said the Hindu American Foundation reacted to President Donald Trump sharing derogatory remarks about India at a time when racism is already at its highest level. The President reported comments by commentator Michael Savage in which he called India, China and other countries “hell-holes.” The comment came in the context of the birthright citizenship law and Trump reposted it on his Truth social without adding anything to it.“A kid here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring their whole family over to China, or India, or some other hell-hole on the planet,” Savage wrote, describing Indians and Chinese immigrants as “gangsters with laptops.”
“They have done more damage to this country than all the mafia families combined. in my humble opinion. Gangsters with laptops. They looted us indiscriminately, treated us like second-class citizens, allowed the Trud World to win, stepped on our flag, etc.”The Hindu American Foundation urged the President to remove the post as it would further increase hatred against Indians in America. “We are deeply troubled by @POTUS sharing these hateful, racist comments targeting Indian and Chinese Americans. As the President of the United States, endorsing such statements will only further fuel hatred and put our communities at risk, at a time when xenophobia and racism are already at their peak. “We ask @realDonaldTrump to reconsider, remove this post, and recognize the indelible contributions of Asian Americans to our great country,” HAF wrote.However, the US Embassy in New Delhi shed light on the controversy and said Trump had praised India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past. Embassy spokesman Christopher Elam said Trump praised India at a world leaders’ summit in 2025 after the Gaza ceasefire that ended the Israel-Hamas war. Trump had said at the time, “India is a great country, with a very good friend of mine at the top and he has done a wonderful job. I think Pakistan and India will get along very well.”
‘EC salutes voters’: Tamil Nadu, West Bengal record highest turnout since independence. india news
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu and West Bengal recorded bumper turnout on Thursday, the highest ever since independence in both the states, as polling ended at 6 pm, the Election Commission (ECI) said.Voting ended at 6 pm According to the latest ECI data, West Bengal recorded 91.91% voting in the first two phases, while Tamil Nadu recorded 84.80% voting.According to ANI, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “Highest voting percentage in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since independence – ECI salutes every voter.”Many districts in West Bengal recorded over 90% voting, including South Dinajpur (94.85%), followed by Cooch Behar (94.54%), Birbhum (93.70%), Jalpaiguri (93.23%) and Murshidabad (92.93%).Tamil Nadu also saw strong participation, with Karur leading with 92.48%, followed by Salem (90.42%), Dharmapuri (90.02%), Erode (89.97%) and Namakkal (89.63%).It is noteworthy that in West Bengal, women voting reached a record 92.69%, while the voting percentage of men was 90.92%. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, 85.76% women voted, while men’s participation stood at 83.57%.Voting began at 7 am amid tight security for all 234 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu and 152 out of 294 seats in West Bengal. Voting for the remaining 142 seats of West Bengal will be held on April 29.Counting of votes in both the states is to take place on May 4.In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have been in power since 2011, with the chief minister now seeking a fourth consecutive term. The BJP is the main challenger in 2021 after its best-ever performance in the state.In Tamil Nadu, the DMK, which heads the secular progressive alliance, is in power. Its main rival is the National Democratic Alliance, led by DMK’s arch rival AIADMK in the state.Voting in the 2021 assembly elections was 85.2% in West Bengal and 76.6% in Tamil Nadu.
Elderly woman dies after suspected food poisoning during wedding in Amroha, more than 150 people fall ill. meerut news
Meerut: An 80-year-old woman died and over 150 others fell ill after suspected food poisoning at a wedding in Kamalpur Qazi village of Dhanaura tehsil of Amroha district, officials said on Thursday. More than 500 people attended the event on April 19, and guests complained of vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain a day later.Sub-divisional magistrate Shailesh Kumar Dubey said the exact cause of death could not be confirmed as the family of deceased Phoolwati had refused to conduct postmortem. “Most of the patients are being treated at home and the health department has set up a camp in the village to provide medicines and monitor their condition,” he said.Officials suspect that the food may have been contaminated due to extreme heat. Assistant commissioner, food safety, Vinay Kumar Aggarwal said the department was informed on April 21, when the food had already been thrown away. “Many people said they ate dahi-bhalla, which might have gone rancid, while others ate paneer. Most of those who fell ill had eaten food prepared in advance and kept in heat late at night,” he said.
‘Coach Kash’ was like a brother: Friend talks about FBI director amid fiery controversy
An old friend remembered how Kash Patel had agreed to become the hockey coach for his son’s team.
At one time, FBI director Kash Patel Involved in several controversies, most of which revolved around his alleged erratic behaviour, people from his past, including those who know Patel as ‘Coach Kash’, have pointed out how passionate he is about hockey. One Clark Mowbray told cnn How a decade ago he saw Kash Patel working out at a D.C. gym wearing a Hartford Whalers shirt. Mowbray said he started chatting with Kash and learned he was an employee at the DOJ but was very passionate about hockey.Mowbray said he asked Patel if he would coach his son’s team. It was never paid, Mowbray said, and Patel was very busy at the time, but he never missed a practice or a game and would often come to the rink wearing his work suit. “The kids fell in love with him, and he was always there and always available,” Mowbray said, adding that his son still messages Patel monthly and other kids – now in their 20s – rave about Coach Kash.“They get filtered versions of the news and things and they say, ‘What’s Kash doing right? Because we’ve heard this or we’ve seen this person say these things about him,'” Mowbray said. “Aside from the ugly things that are out there, kids know that their core values and their morals are always right.”Patel left the Justice Department in 2017 and began working as an aide to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, led by then-Republican Representative Devin Nunes. That’s when he took on even more hockey coaching responsibilities, volunteering as an assistant coach for a youth recreational team composed of students at Woodrow Wilson High School, now called Jackson-Reed, in Northwest Washington.A former player told CNN that Kash was like a brother and that at the time he did not know how close he was to Donald Trump. Then Kash Patel started appearing on Fox News and he got his own segment and kids were amazed because he rarely talked about anything besides hockey.
Kash Patel’s 3 latest controversies
While Patel’s tenure as FBI Director has been surrounded by one controversy after another, three of the latest ones are:
- The Atlantic described Patel as an alcoholic to the extent that he gets drunk at work. Patel has filed a $250 million lawsuit against Atlantic.
- Patel suffered a setback from a federal judge in Texas, who dismissed Patel’s defamation suit against Frank Figluzzi, who had commented on air that Patel spent too much time in nightclubs. The court said that the comment is not literal.
- A report has claimed that the FBI is looking for a journalist who had reported that Kash Patel’s girlfriend, singer Alexis Wilkins, was getting 24X7 security. Patel said this never happened but “the same reporter came up with a baseless story that directly threatened my girlfriend’s life.”