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slotvip 168 Anyone pushing for Mississippi to be in the College Football Playoff at this point is either on the payroll of the Southeastern Conference or wants to be at some point in the future. That’s the truth, as plain and simple as it can be after the Rebels choked away the best opportunity in the history of their program Saturday, losing 24-17 at Florida. No SEC championship game. No playoff. No nothin’, other than a New Year’s trip to Orlando or some such place that will force everyone in the program to pretend they’re honored and happy to be there. And given the vaunted name, image and likeness payroll Lane Kiffin had to work with this year, it's nothing less than a massive program-wide choke job. You want to play with the big boys after all these years? Fine, go ahead. But you better take care of business. Instead, Ole Miss messed around and put together one of the most disappointing and confounding seasons they’ve ever had. With all the hype, all the talent, all the momentum behind Kiffin after they dominated Georgia two weeks ago , are you really going to tell me the Rebels couldn’t do better than 5-for-18 on third and fourth down against a Florida team left for dead weeks ago? We can break down all the mistakes Ole Miss made in this game from Kiffin’s hard-headedness in handing the ball to defensive tackle JJ Pegues in short yardage to a missed 34-yard field goal to a muffed punt return that handed Florida three points to quarterback Jaxson Dart refusing to tighten his chin strap. There are a lot of things Kiffin will regret. But the bottom line is pretty straightforward. No team with losses to Florida, LSU and Kentucky should be within a mile of the playoff. And the worst part for Kiffin is that it was so avoidable. Yeah, the SEC is tough. So what? We’re in a new era here with the 12-team playoff. In a league like the SEC, you can survive losses, especially if you also have good wins. There has to be a limit, though. Three is just too many. Florida’s playing well toward the end of the season, but a real playoff team goes into Gainesville and handles a Florida team that just got its sixth win. LSU is a big brand name with lots of talent, but the Tigers are 6-4 and just not very good. Kentucky almost certainly isn’t going to a bowl game. Had any of those three games gone the other way, it would have almost certainly put Ole Miss in the 12-team field. The Georgia win was that valuable, and beating South Carolina 27-3 is one of the more underrated great performances of the season given how good the Gamecocks have been otherwise. And at some point, there will be a three-loss team in the expanded playoff. Maybe even this year. But it shouldn’t be Ole Miss. It can’t be Ole Miss, not when those losses all occurred to average or worse opponents. You have to point the finger at Kiffin. Yes, he’s elevated the Rebels’ program significantly. But for years, his record in the really important games that define seasons has been questionable. After the Georgia win, that narrative was starting to turn. If Ole Miss had simply beaten Florida and Mississippi State, it would have all but locked up its spot. And Kiffin would have been arguably the most important figure in the modern history of Ole Miss football. Maybe he will be one day. But it’s not going to be this year. For Ole Miss to implode and miss the playoff with such a stacked roster, and when most of the hard work had been done, is a crushing disappointment. It’s also a gift to the likes of Indiana and Tennessee. The manner in which the Hoosiers were beaten 38-15 by Ohio State certainly frames their resurgence a bit differently. They didn’t look the part at all and will end the season without any standout wins. But assuming they beat 1-10 Purdue next week, there’s little chance the committee can drop them below Ole Miss. The Vols also stand to benefit from the developments in Gainesville. The first team out this week, according to the committee, they are in much better position heading into next Saturday's game against Vanderbilt. SEC homers will undoubtedly argue that both the Vols and Rebels should be in. Already this week, commissioner Greg Sankey was on social media sharing some strength of schedule data as he begins his public lobbying effort to stack the bracket with SEC teams. And while the SEC is probably the best and deepest conference, you’d have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to conclude that the parity we’ve seen is evidence that it’s stacked with great teams. What’s closer to the truth is that the SEC has several pretty good, but deeply flawed teams, whose inconsistencies tend to show up on the road. The SEC will spend the next couple weeks claiming that the league’s depth means all of them should be in the playoff. The committee shouldn’t — and won’t — fall for it. Sorry, Ole Miss. But you’re out.NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another all-time high. The Dow added 1% Monday to the record it set on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Smaller companies can feel a big boost from easier borrowing costs, and the Russell 2000 index of small stocks jumped 1.5%, closing just shy of the record high it set three years ago. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is set to break more records Monday as U.S. stocks rise to add to last week’s gains. The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher, as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, and sitting just below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 397 points, or 0.9%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has argued for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through tax and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.26% Monday and down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields help make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. That helped stocks of smaller companies lead the way, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped 2%. It’s set to top its all-time high, which was set three years ago. Smaller companies can feel bigger boosts from lower borrowing costs because of the need of many to borrow to grow. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also eased sharply. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing high inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders had reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump's preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. . A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 19.1% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 2.9%. Among the market's leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday's drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 6.2%. Homebuilders, D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Lennar all rose at least 5.8%. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading around $96,800 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. ___ AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated Press

D.R. Horton director Barbara Allen sells $921,515 in stock

Worker at US department giant Macy’s intentionally hid $US154 million worth of expenses

(The Center Square) – State and national officials lauded former President Jimmy Carter for his public service after learning of his death Sunday afternoon at the age of 100. President Joe Biden said an official state funeral would be held for Carter in Washington. "He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism," Biden said. "We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together. The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism." President-elect Donald Trump urged everyone to keep the Carter family in their thoughts and prayers. "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans," Trump said in a statement released from his campaign. "For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude." Former president Bill Clinton gave Carter and his wife Rosalynn the Medal of Freedom in 1999. "From his commitment to civil rights as a state senator and governor of Georgia; to his efforts as President to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David; to his post-presidential efforts at the Carter Center supporting honest elections, advancing peace combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn's devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity--he worked tirelessly for a fairer, better world," Clinton and his wife Hillary said in a statement. Former president George W. Bush hailed Carter as a man of deeply held convictions. "President Carter dignified the office," Bush said on social media. "And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn't end with the presidency. His work with Habitat for Humanity and the Carter Center set an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations." Carter served as Georgia's governor from 1971-1975 before becoming president. Under his leadership, the European and Japanese state trade offices were launched, as well as the Georgia Film Commission," Gov. Brian Kemp said. "He and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's support of the civil rights movement in the place of its birth is also remembered with deep appreciation." Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said Carter exemplified what it meant to be a public servant. "I had the honor of meeting him and his wife, and I will never forget that day," Jones said. "They were kind, wonderful, accepting and exactly what they portrayed every day, two people devoted to lifting up those in their community who needed help the most. President Carter's legacy will live on in the numerous nonprofits, charities and organizations Rosalynn, his family and him started."

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Rob Martin had 17 points in Southeast Missouri State's 88-39 victory against Westminster (MO) on Sunday night. Martin also contributed seven rebounds for the Redhawks (7-6). Braxton Stacker scored 16 points while going 7 of 11 (1 for 5 from 3-point range) and added five rebounds. Damarion Walkup went 5 of 11 from the field (4 for 10 from 3-point range) to finish with 14 points. The Blue Jays were led in scoring by Walker Gohring, who finished with 13 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Viewers of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! were in stitches as Coleen Rooney shared a hilarious anecdote about her husband Wayne and his dinner faux pas at the Beckhams'. During the 2024 series finale, Coleen, age 38, couldn't help but have a giggle at the expense of Wayne, age 39, while chatting with co-finalists Danny Jones and Reverend Richard Coles. She fondly remembered an upscale dinner hosted by David and Victoria Beckham where celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay served them a Michelin-starred meal. Despite the evening's elegance and grandeur, football ace Wayne lowered the tone when he misunderstood the purpose of the cold soup he was given. Confusing it for a finger bowl used between courses, he began dipping his hands in until he realised his mistake. Recalling the mishap, Coleen couldn’t contain her laughter as she described to a bemused Danny and Richard how Wayne had innocently mistaken the fancy dish for handwashing. Read more Maura Higgins sends public message to Pete Wicks and reaches out to him "He was dipping his fingers in the bowl until he realised it was actually a bowl of soup. He had never had cold soup before," she chuckled, reports the Mirror . After Coleen shared her anecdote on I'm A Celebrity , audiences hurried onto X, formerly known as Twitter, to have a laugh at Wayne's expense. One user jestingly posted: "Will never stop thinking about Coleen at a fancy dinner realising Wayne was washing his hands in a bowl of cold soup thinking it was a little dish of water. Incredible scenes #ImACeleb." "Wayne Rooney washing his hands in Gordon Ramsay's cold soup - brilliant. So lucky he was good at football," chuckled another. Echoing similar sentiments, someone else tweeted: "Well I never knew that Wayne Rooney and I would have something in common, my first encounter with 'cold soup' was not far off his! Classy girl that I am! #imacelebrity2024." Another I'm A Celebrity fan exclaimed: "Wayne Rooney washing his fingers in the fancy soup. Good Lord. #imacelebrity #ImACeleb," while yet another star from I'm A Celebrity quipped: "Wayne Rooney washing his hands in the soup at the Beckham's World Cup party is brilliant." Tonight sees the crowning of the newest King or Queen of the Jungle on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Betting odds have fluctuated throughout, with Danny and Coleen frequently seen as front-runners. The grand reveal for 2024's Jungle ruler is set for the climax of tonight's episode. Already evicted from camp are celebs including Loose Women's Jane Moore, radio personalities Dean McCullough and Melvin Odoom. Joining the list of departures this week were N-Dubz songstress Tulisa, Love Island alum Maura Higgins, and former boxing champ Barry McGuigan, all ousted by public vote. This left WAG Coleen Rooney, social media guru Barry, Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse, broadcaster Reverend Richard Coles, Corrie star Alan Halsall and McFly's Danny Jones in the camp. In another double elimination, Alan and GK bid farewell to the camp, and Oti was voted out last night. This means the final three heading into the grand finale are Coleen, Danny and Richard.Saudi Arabia recruits another high profile tennis ambassador after Rafael Nadal

Trump hires former official who allegedly participated in January 6 for transition teamKYIV, Ukraine — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, shortly after a meeting in Paris with French and Ukrainian leaders, claiming Kyiv ‘’would like to make a deal’’ to end the more than 1,000-day war. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed that Moscow and Kyiv have both lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers in a war that ”should never have started.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Tony Gallo to retire as Lorain County Chamber of Commerce president

Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8. Conor McGregor must pay woman $250K in sexual assault case, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The Dublin jury awarded the woman more than $250,000 for her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her on Dec. 9, 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified he never forced her to do anything and that the woman had fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. The jury found for the woman on Friday. Week 16 game between Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers flexed to Thursday night spot The Los Angeles Chargers have played their way into another prime time appearance. Justin Herbert and company have had their Dec. 22 game against the Denver Broncos flexed to Thursday night, Dec. 19. Friday’s announcement makes this the first time a game has been flexed to the Thursday night spot. The league amended its policy last season where Thursday night games in Weeks 13 through 17 could be flexed with at least 28 days notice prior to the game. The matchup of AFC West division rivals bumps the game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals to Sunday afternoon. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Red Bull brings wrong rear wing to Las Vegas in mistake that could stall Verstappen's title chances LAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen is suddenly in jeopardy of being denied a fourth consecutive Formula 1 title Saturday night. Red Bull apparently brought the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas and GPS data showed its two cars to be significantly slower on the straights than both McLaren and Mercedes, which led both practice sessions. Red Bull says it doesn’t have a replacement rear wing in Las Vegas to fix the issue and little chance of getting two flown in from England ahead of the race. Caitlin Clark to join Cincinnati bid for 16th National Women's Soccer League team WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for an expansion National Women’s Soccer League team. Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati is heading the group vying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming Clark had joined the bid group. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the league’s 16th team by the end of the year. The league's 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. In a 'Final Four-type weekend,' two top-6 clashes put women's college basketball focus on West Coast LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two games featuring four powerhouse teams has put the focus in women's college basketball on the West Coast this weekend. JuJu Watkins and No. 3 Southern California host Hannah Hidalgo and No. 6 Notre Dame on Saturday. Top-ranked South Carolina visits Lauren Betts and fifth-ranked UCLA on Sunday. Both games are nationally televised and the arenas are expected to be packed. WNBA scouts will be on hand to check out some of the nation's top talent. Two teams will come away with their first losses of the season. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb calls it “a Final Four-type weekend.” A documentary featuring Watkins will air on NBC ahead of USC's game, which leads into the Army-Notre Dame football game. Noodles and wine are the secret ingredients for a strange new twist in China's doping saga Blame it on the noodles. That's what one Chinese official suggested when anti-doping leaders were looking for answers for the doping scandal that cast a shadow over this year's Olympic swim meet. Earlier this year, reports that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart medication emerged. None were sanctioned because Chinese authorities determined the swimmers were contaminated by traces of the drug spread about a hotel kitchen. In a strange twist, the leader of China's anti-doping agency suggested this case could have been similar to one in which criminals were responsible for tainting noodles that were later eaten by another Chinese athlete who also tested positive for the drug. Athletes see climate change as threatening their sports and their health. Some are speaking up BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Pragnya Mohan has been a professional triathlete for nearly a decade, but summers in her native India are now so hot that she can’t train there anymore. And she worries about a day when heat around the world kills her sport entirely. She was among athletes who spoke at the United Nations climate summit in Azerbaijan about the threat global warming poses to them, to fans and to sport itself. They described how extreme weather is making training and competing difficult or impossible. With billions of fans worldwide, some athletes and leagues are trying to get more people to care, and act, on climate change. Lionel Messi's former teammate Javier Mascherano close to becoming Inter Miami coach, AP source says Lionel Messi is on the cusp of reuniting with former Argentina national teammate Javier Mascherano with Inter Miami, this time as player and coach, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. Multiple reports out of Argentina said Mascherano has already agreed to take over as coach at Inter Miami as the replacement for Gerardo “Tata” Martino — who stepped down citing personal reasons. Mascherano emerged as Inter Miami’s frontrunner earlier this week, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been revealed by the team.

Daily Trading Desk: 2 trades for short-term gains; auto major for over 5% upmove, a mid-cap beverages firm for 7% gainThe heated debate over H-1B visa workers obscures the far greater inflows of other foreign workers into the white-collar jobs needed by American college graduates. The federal government issues about 130,000 new H-1B visas each year — plus another 650,000 visas or work permits to other white-collar migrants each year. Many of these non-immigrant workers are allowed to stay for five, six, or seven years. The multi-year visas create a resident population of at least 1.5 million white-collar workers. That growing population is almost twenty times larger than the H-1B program’s inflow of 85,000 new foreign workers every year that the media is focusing on. “For decades, this has been out of control,” said Kevin Lynn, the founder of U.S. Tech Workers, which campaigns against the visa worker programs. The huge giveaway annually delivers roughly two foreign workers for every American who graduates from a four-year college with a skilled degree in science, software, computers, business, healthcare, or engineering . The programs also deliver two foreign workers into the career-starting jobs needed by every young American who graduates with a four-year degree in “STEM,” or science, technology, engineering, and math. The migrants are not legal immigrants. They are government-approved contract workers or just-graduated foreign students, and their vulnerable legal status allows employers to treat them badly and undercut pay for American graduates. “There are about a million work-visa issuances a year ... it’s gone up about 25 percent in recent years,” said Jessica Vaughan, policy director at the Center for Immigration Studies. The programs’ complexity and lack of transparency are intended to help employers smuggle more white-collar workers into American jobs, Vaughan said. President Joe Biden’s deputies are trying to raise the visa-worker inflow. On December 17, the Department of Homeland Security announced : The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that will significantly enhance U.S. companies’ ability to fill job vacancies [with H-1B workers] ... “American businesses rely on the H-1B visa program for the recruitment of highly-skilled talent, benefitting communities across the country,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “These improvements to the program provide employers with greater flexibility to hire global talent, boost our economic competitiveness, and allow highly skilled workers to continue to advance American innovation.” Population Numbers The federal government allows employers to import roughly 450,000 visa workers for the blue-collar H-2A and H-2B workers, and perhaps 150,000 pink-collar visa workers via the J-1 program. But the white-collar inflow is larger. The H-1B program is getting much attention, partly because Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and other West Coast investors triggered a heated Twitter debate with President Donald Trump’s voter base. But the H-1B program is just one of many government pipelines that deliver foreign college graduates into the valuable U.S. careers needed by the American middle class. Each year, the H-1B program delivers roughly 130,000 new workers, including 85,000 workers for private companies. They can stay for six years or longer. “The resident population of people with H-1Bs is [roughly] 600,000,” Vaughan told Breitbart News. There is no requirement to offer the H-1B jobs to Americans. Also, there is no limit on the inflow of H-1B workers for non-profits. That loophole has created a new style of non-profit staffing organization that transfers college graduates into private sector jobs . More than half of the H-1Bs are from India, where the government pressures American companies to hire Indian graduates, even though they are rooted in a culture where workplace corruption and bribes are common . Deputies working for President Barack Obama also allowed the spouses of H-1Bs to get work permits, dubbed H4EADs . Many now work in jobs alongside their spouses, adding at least 100,000 more white-collar visa workers to the U.S. labor market. The little-known L-1 visa program allows foreign companies to move their employees into the United States for five to 7 years. In 2022, the Department of State approved 73,000 new L-1s, so the resident white-collar L-1 population is roughly 200,000 white-collar workers. The spouses of L-1 workers are also allowed to work, adding another 40,000 workers to the workforce, according to a 2017 report by the left-wing Economic Policy Institute . Many of the H-1B and L-1 workers are allowed to stay past their visa expiry date if their employers offer them the deferred bonus of a government-provided green card. This bonus has created a population of roughly 600,000 Indian workers who are working while waiting for a green card . This population includes many L-1s and H-1Bs, complicating the population count. The State Department’s J-1 program delivers about 90,000 white-collar workers via multiple categories, such as “short-term scholars, “research scholars,” and professors, who are allowed to stay up to five or even seven years. Government agencies do not reveal the resident population of J-1s, but 300,000 white-collar employees is a reasonable estimate. The 0-1A so-called “genius visa” program is now delivering at least 9,000 white-collar workers per year, up from 6,500 in 2019 . This program is uncapped, like the L-1, TN, and H-1B programs. This visa lasts for three years, so the resident 0-1A population is roughly 25,000. The TN program allows professionals and recent graduates in Canada and Mexico to get jobs in the United States via the TN visa created by trade treaties. Government officials have said they do not count TN migrants entering the United States from Canada. Vaughan said she estimates the resident TN population to be roughly 120,000 foreign graduates. The OPT and CPT programs were created for foreign students at American universities. These programs deliver the most new workers each year — but they can only stay for one or three years. Almost 340,000 students and graduates got work permits in 2023, suggesting the resident population is roughly 400,000, most of whom work in technology-related jobs. The OPT — Optional Practical Training — and the CPT — Curricular Practical Training — programs were not created by Congress but by officials working for President George W. Bush. The CPT and OPT programs are touted as study programs, but the OPT program is a pipeline for foreigners to get green cards via employers and the H-1B program. These pipelines often run through ethnic hiring networks at Fortune 500 companies or their vast network of “software sweatshops” that implement outsourcing policies at nearly all major U.S. companies. Many of the OPT and CPT workers fail to get into the H-1B programs and so join the growing population of “ overstay ” illegal white-collar migrants, many of whom work alongside their legal compatriots as software subcontractors. This illegal white-collar foreign workforce is also boosted by a growing population of airport migrants. They legally enter the country as tourists or “business visitors,” dubbed B-1/B-2 visas . But they illegally work as freelancers and contractors, usually within ethnic networks of legal migrants. The federal government has done little to suppress or count this population. There has been no cap on the number of white-collar illegal migrants during Biden’s administration, in part because his pro-migration border chief — Alejandro Mayorkas — enforced a policy of no arrests for migrants who were not found guilty of major crimes. In addition, Mayorkas has imported roughly one million migrants through his quasi-legal “parole pipelines.” This inflow includes many white-collar workers — but their unrecognized credentials exclude them from licensed professions. Vaughan suggested these various pipelines have delivered 3 million illegal white-collar workers into the U.S. labor force, alongside the legal population of 1.5 million visa workers. Lynn estimated the illegal white-collar population at roughly 1.5 million, alongside 1.5 million legal migrants. In December, Mayrokas announced he would loosen the J-1 program to help migrants from China and India stay in J-1 white-collar jobs for longer than two years . Mayorkas’ deputies also announced changes to the H-1B program to help American companies import more white-collar workers. The new rules allow more companies to be treated as non-profits so they can import an unlimited number of “cap-exempt” H-1B workers for jobs that are sought by Americans. The rule states : Specifically, through this rulemaking, DHS is changing the definition of “nonprofit research organization” and “governmental research organization” by replacing the terms “primarily engaged” and “primary mission” with “fundamental activity” to permit nonprofit entities or governmental research organizations that conduct research as a fundamental activity, but are not primarily engaged in research or where research is not a primary mission, to meet the definition of a nonprofit research entity or governmental research organization for purposes of establishing exemption from the annual statutory limit on H-1B visas. Additionally, DHS is revising the regulations to recognize that certain beneficiaries may qualify for H-1B cap exemption when they are not directly employed by a qualifying organization, but still spend at least half of their time providing essential work that supports or advances a fundamental purpose, mission, objective, or function of the qualifying organization. Meanwhile, huge numbers of American professionals are being laid off, according to a December report by Forbes : Professional and business services, encompassing roles like accountants, consultants, and legal workers, have faced significant layoffs in 2024. These roles accounted for 3.7 million of the nearly 14.9 million layoffs nationwide through the year’s first nine months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.