Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Hard Numbers

Hard Numbers: Hegseth’s other Signal chat, Americans protest Trump, Foreign students sue over F-1 visas, Deadly farming clashes plague Nigeria, Japan charges tourists more

​Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a reenlistment ceremony for Medal of Honor recipient in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon last week.

Alexander Kubitza/DoD/ZUMA Press Wire via Reuters
Make us preferred on Google

2: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared classified details about looming US airstrikes in Yemen in a second unclassified Signal group -- this time including his wife, brother, and personal attorney. On March 15, he disclosed flight plans for F/A-18 Hornets targeting Houthi positions. That was the same day Hegseth sent similar information to another Signal chat that included The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, raising serious concerns about mishandling of sensitive military intelligence.


50: Protests were held in cities across the US on Saturday to protest the “anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration and its plutocratic allies,” according to the group 50501, which organized many of the events. From Portland, Maine, to Los Angeles, thousands took to the streets to protest what they see as Donald Trump’s civil rights and constitutional violations.

329,196: Five foreign students are suing the US Dept. of Homeland Security over the loss of their F-1 visas, which they held as international students. The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit, says the Trump administration has terminated F-1 visas for “hundreds, if not thousands, of international students.” One of the five involved in the suit, Chinese national Hangrui Zhang, invested a whopping $329,196 into his US studies, and he now faces the prospect of not being able to finish his degree.

56: Suspected violence between Muslim cattle herders and Christian farmers over land use and grazing rights turned deadly again in central Nigeria. At least 56 people were killed on Thursday and Friday in Benue state in the latest clash to plague Africa’s most populous country — fighting in north central Plateau state also claimed more than 100 lives in recent weeks. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the killings and publicly blamed President Bola Tinubu for not doing enough to stop the violence.

4,000: Whether it’s because they’re shunning the US amid Donald Trump’s tariff war, reading how wonderful Japan is to visit, or simply enjoying how far their dollars go against the weaker yen, Canadians are increasingly vacationing in Japan. More than 550,000 Canadian tourists visited last year, a 37% jump from 2023. But the Japanese, concerned with overtourism and housing affordability, are starting to push back by raising tourism prices. From July, foreigners looking to climb Mount Fuji, for example, will pay 4,000 yen, roughly CA$40, double last year’s cost. But the price may not be steep enough to keep adventure-seeking hordes at bay.

More For You

African continent turns to Chinese solar
Will Fitzpatrick
As the Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, countries in Africa and Southeast Asia are accelerating their shift toward renewable energy to counter rising fuel prices. New Chinese consumer data released this week shows a sharp surge in solar panel exports, with shipments to Southeast Asia climbing 75% year-on-year in April. China, the world’s [...]
Don’t worry, renminbi happy
Natalie Johnson
Previously, the volume hadn’t topped $117 billion monthly, but analysts say the Iran war has stoked the use of China’s currency by oil exporters like Russia and Iran, who are seeking to avoid US sanctions. While the trend does reflect a slight erosion of the dollar’s international dominance, something we’ve been keeping our eye on, it’s worth [...]
Trump creates fund for wronged allies
Will Fitzpatrick
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (whom President Donald Trump hired) will appoint a five-person panel to administer the money to people who claim that they suffered “lawfare” at the hands of the government. The fund could be used to write checks to those who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, or other allies of Trump, who himself has [...]
Deadly mosque attack in San Diego
Will Fitzpatrick
The two gunmen, who took their own lives after the shooting, killed three men outside the Islamic Center of San Diego. Law enforcement was already on the hunt for one of the suspects: his mother had called the police earlier in the day saying he had stolen her guns and car. Soon after, police received a call about an active shooter – and [...]