Politics

As the federal shutdown enters its second week, hundreds of thousands of workers face missed paychecks and mounting uncertainty. Lawmakers remain divided over health care subsidies and back pay, while essential services strain under limited funding. The Daily Siren explains who’s affected, what’s at stake, and clears up the misinformation fueling public confusion.

Trump has introduced a sweeping $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applicants, tightened foreign worker policy, and signaled upcoming talks with China’s Xi Jinping. Tech, trade, and immigration experts warn the changes could ripple across industries and international relations.

Local ABC television affiliate owners are pushing back against Jimmy Kimmel, pulling his show from their stations after comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. The controversy spotlights how affiliate power, viewer values, and national commentary increasingly clash in today’s media landscape.

The Federal Reserve’s meeting this week features a freshly confirmed Trump appointee and a governor the White House tried to remove. With interest rates expected to be cut, this encounter tests the Fed’s independence in ways we haven’t seen in decades.

Former CDC Director Susan Monarez alleges she was fired after refusing to “preapprove” vaccine recommendations pushed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her testimony before the Senate highlights a growing clash between science and politics, with profound implications for vaccine policy and public trust.