Author: Emily Harper

This summer, foreign visitation to the United States remained significantly depressed, with industry sources warning that the decline shows little sign of abating beyond the season. Cities such as Buffalo, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles have reported persistent downturns, largely attributed to political tensions, tariff enforcement, and restrictive immigration practices under the Trump administration. Analysts foresee the persistent decline extending past summer into the rest of 2025. Forecasts from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) indicate that the U.S. is uniquely positioned among 184 countries to suffer a decline in international visitor spending this year. The total projected loss…

Climate Urgency Meets Reduced Capability This summer brought devastating floods, wildfires and heat waves across the globe. For scientists, understanding these events and anticipating what comes next depends in part on research conducted in the most isolated region on Earth: Antarctica. Yet the United States is now facing a serious challenge in its ability to carry out that mission. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has begun the process of decommissioning the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer, the nation’s only research icebreaker. The decision comes at the same time that plans for a replacement vessel have been placed on hold. Without the…

London-based financial technology group Revolut has launched a secondary share sale valuing the company at $75 billion, according to an internal memo cited by Bloomberg and reported on September 1, 2025. The arrangement allows Revolut employees to sell up to 20 percent of their personal holdings, giving staff an opportunity to cash in on part of their equity while retaining majority ownership. The memo stated that the sale price has been set at $1,381.06 per share, and initial indications suggest that demand from both new and existing investors is strong. This development represents a substantial increase in Revolut’s valuation. Only…

A New Escalation in Voting Rules Debate US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sign an executive order requiring every voter to show identification in all elections across the country. He emphasized there would be “no exceptions,” presenting the initiative as a step to protect the integrity of elections. The move immediately sparked controversy, as legal scholars and political observers questioned whether a president has the authority to unilaterally impose such requirements. Under the US constitution, states are primarily responsible for regulating elections, while Congress holds limited power to create nationwide standards. The executive branch has no explicit role…

Background of the Legal Dispute A legal battle surrounding the Bell Hotel in Epping has taken another turn after the court of appeal overturned a temporary injunction that would have forced the relocation of more than 100 asylum seekers. The dispute began when Epping Forest District Council argued that the use of the hotel as asylum accommodation violated planning rules, and a high court judge initially granted a temporary order to halt placements. The order also required the hotel owner to rehouse those already living there, creating uncertainty for residents and the Home Office. Both the hotel’s management and the…

The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation indicator, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index, showed little change in July, providing a mixed picture of the U.S. economy. The index remained at an annual rate of 2.6%, the same pace recorded in June. While headline inflation held steady, the measure excluding volatile food and energy costs—known as core PCE inflation—moved higher. It climbed 0.3% month-over-month and reached 2.9% year-over-year, its fastest pace since February. This divergence highlights the challenge facing policymakers. Headline inflation, down sharply from a peak of nearly 7% in 2022, suggests broad progress. Yet the firming of core pressures…

A growing number of affluent Americans are booking overseas trips to purchase high-end goods in Europe, sidestepping the impact of rising tariffs on luxury imports. Items such as designer handbags, Swiss watches, and high-fashion apparel are in particularly high demand. According to travel advisors, clients are combining leisure travel with planned shopping experiences, turning what could be an additional cost into an opportunity for both savings and exclusivity. The trend has intensified since the United States imposed higher duties on luxury imports from Europe, part of a broader strategy to address trade imbalances. These tariffs have raised the cost of…

A Franchise-Altering Deal The Dallas Cowboys have traded four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, shaking up the NFL landscape. In return, Dallas secured veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two premium draft picks: a 2026 first-rounder and a 2027 first-rounder. The deal effectively ends what once looked like a career-long stay for Parsons in Dallas, while Green Bay adds one of the league’s most dominant pass rushers to an already promising defense. Parsons immediately agreed to a historic contract with the Packers, a four-year, $188 million deal that includes $120 million fully guaranteed. With…

Press Conference Remarks Spark Outcry During a press conference in Beirut this week, Tom Barrack, serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, drew sharp criticism after remarks directed at members of the Lebanese press. When journalists asked him to approach the podium to speak more clearly, Barrack declined and told them they should “act civilized, act kind, act tolerant,” adding that if the situation became “chaotic, like animalistic,” his delegation would leave the room. The phrase struck a nerve in Lebanon, where reporters have long been at the forefront of political and social debates and…

The U.S. economy posted a stronger rebound in the spring of 2025 than initially believed, with the government’s latest estimate showing gross domestic product (GDP) growing at an annual rate of 3.3 percent in the second quarter. The figure, released on August 28 by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), is an upward revision from the previously reported 3.0 percent. It marks a sharp turnaround from the first quarter, when the economy contracted by 0.5 percent, a decline that was largely the result of a surge in imports before the implementation of new tariffs. That contraction raised concerns about…