http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/07/technology/h1b-visa-cap/index.html

There's an overwhelming demand for H-1B visas -- yet again.

On Friday morning, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it has already reached its congressionally mandated threshold of 85,000 visas for the new fiscal year.

The news comes just four days after the new application period opened up on Monday. It also comes amidst a growing call from the new administration to crack down on the abuse of the visa.

The agency will continue to accept petitions that aren't subject to the cap, like those tied to universities or some nonprofits.

USCIS has yet to release the total number of petitions it received, which it will likely do in the coming week. Last year, 236,000 foreigners applied. This is the fifth consecutive year that the cap has been met within five days.

USCIS uses a lottery system to determine which petitions are selected for one of the 85,000 visas. Those that are selected are then subject to review before receiving final approval.

In past years, premium processing has helped applicants receive an answer on their petition much faster -- within 15 days as opposed to months. However, USCIS temporarily froze the premium processing option this year in an attempt to reduce overall processing times.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/a-sneak-peek-at-p---y-an-upcoming-novel-about-donald-trump/2017/04/06/1eb9391a-1af9-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html?tid=pm_entertainment_pop&utm_term=.98cc935a2db7

It hardly seems fair that Americans must wait to grab a copy of Howard Jacobson’s new novel, “P---y.”

But let’s not get started on Things About Donald Trump That Are Unfair, or we’ll be here all week.

Jacobson, the Man Booker Prize-winning author of “The Finkler Question,” started writing this ribald satire just hours after Trump won the presidential election, and within a few weeks his manuscript was already rushing to print. His fellow Brits can get the book on April 13, but those of us enduring the American carnage firsthand must wait till mid May. An extremely credible source tells me this is unpresidented!!!

Nevertheless, someone — no, not Susan Rice — sent me an early copy of “P---y,” and I moved on it like a b----. When you’re a book critic, they let you do it. You can do anything (except quote the president’s unfiltered words in a family newspaper).

http://www.theonion.com/article/nra-recommends-preventing-firearm-deaths-securing--55645


FAIRFAX, VA—As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the number of accidental deaths from firearms, the National Rifle Association issued a recommendation Wednesday urging gun owners to secure their children in a locked safe at all times. “Because responsible gun ownership begins with proper storage, we advise you to keep your children in a tamper-proof safe, especially when they have friends over and any time you are out of the home,” wrote executive vice president Wayne LaPierre in a bulletin to the organization’s members, adding that it was not enough to simply place one’s children in a drawer, atop a high shelf, or underneath a bed, as stowing kids in such locations was neither a secure nor foolproof way of preventing a firearm accident from occurring. “We recognize that purchasing a steel-reinforced vault that can fit every one of your children comes at a premium, but can you really put a price on the safety of your family?” LaPierre went on to say that gun owners could easily add an extra layer of security and further peace of mind by keeping a separate lock on each child as well.