Trump suspends work visas

Trump uspended new work visas for certain foreign workers [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Trump announces new visa restrictions [US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 20, 2020.]( Credit: Leah Millis/Reuters US President Donald Trump [temporarily suspended]( the issuance of new work visas for certain foreign workers yesterday, a move widely opposed by business groups. Trump's [presidential proclamation]( bars most H-1B visas for skilled employees as well as H-2B seasonal worker visas. It also restricts some H-4, J-1, and L-1 visas. Tech companies like Amazon, Google and Twitter, who rely heavily on the H-1B visas, [are objecting to the directive](. The White House said the move would help the economy rebound amid the coronavirus crisis [and that targeted visa categories]( pose “a risk of displacing and disadvantaging United States workers during the current recovery.” Critics argue the order is part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to curb immigration. The visa suspension, which exempts those already in the US and visa holders abroad, as well as some agricultural, health care and food industry workers, takes effect Wednesday and lasts until the end of the year. What The World is following Saudi Arabia said yesterday it plans to allow [only a limited Hajj this year]( because of the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement bars foreign travelers, allowing only people already living in the kingdom to make the religious pilgrimage. As many as 2 million people come to the holy city of Mecca every year for the Hajj. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro [said Monday]( on Fox News that the China trade deal was “over.” The comment stoked volatility in markets. Later, Navarro walked back the remarks, [suggesting his comments]( were taken “wildly out of context.” The German region of Guetersloh in the northwest of the country [was put under lockdown today]( as the number of coronavirus cases surged past 1,000 following an outbreak at a meatpacking plant. Guetersloh is home to about 360,000 residents and is the first area in Germany to go back into lockdown. --------------------------------------------------------------- Help inform The World's global security coverage Can you take a moment to answer a short (we promise!) survey for The World? [Tell us what you think about our global security stories.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Russia jails Pussy Riot manager for 15 days for petty hooliganism]( [Anti-Kremlin activist Pyotr Verzilov poses for a photo before an interview with Reuters in Berlin, Sept. 28, 2018.]( Credit: Reinhard Krause/Reuters A Moscow court jailed Pyotr Verzilov, an anti-Kremlin activist and associate of the Pussy Riot punk group, for 15 days on Monday after finding him guilty of petty hooliganism for swearing in public. Kirill Koroteev, a lawyer and the head of the International Practice of Agora, the group that has taken up Verzilov's case, [spoke to The World's host Marco Werman]( about what happened. [Discussion: What's next in the fight against the coronavirus?]( [A man walks next to a graffiti depicting a cleaner wearing protective gear spraying viruses with the face of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro amid the coronavirus outbreak, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 12, 2020.]( Credit: Sergio Moraes/Reuters The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 9 million people globally and caused 440,000 deaths worldwide. With countries starting to reopen while we await vaccines and treatments, what can we expect next and how can we prepare and respond? As part of our series of conversations addressing the coronavirus crisis, The World's Elana Gordon [will be taking your questions while moderating a discussion]( with epidemiologist Caroline Buckee from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health on Tuesday, June 23, at 12 p.m. EST. --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning meme Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu opera [reopened its doors to potted plants]( Monday. Spanish conceptual artist Eugenio Ampudia had the idea to place the plants in the theater, inspired by his connection to nature during the pandemic. The plant-based reopening came a day after Spain's three-month state of emergency ended. [Nursery plants are seen placed in people's seats at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, June 22, 2020.]( [Credit: Nacho Doce/Reuters]( --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [Record-breaking heat in Siberia]( - [Jamaica policing]( - [Bangladeshi Americans' political power plays]( - [The latest from Xinjiang]( - [China and Canada’s war of words]( - [Pussy Riot manager arrested]( - [Malawi elections]( - [Shipping breakdown]( - [World leaders diagnosed with COVID-19]( - [Evolving mask recommendations]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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