2026 World Cup and the Threat of Travel Delays — Sofia Brady
Lingering delays in visa processing from the COVID-19 pandemic will only be exacerbated by the 2026 World Cup’s expanded format to 48 teams instead of 32, which will incentivize fans from a greater number of countries to travel for the competition. Unfortunately, some of these fans will be more inconvenienced by delays in the visa approval process than others. Wait times for available consular appointments can vary greatly depending on the country, but in some cases, delays are so extreme that fans may miss the competition entirely. For example, fans applying for visas in Bogotá, Colombia must wait over a year for the next available appointment, making it impossible for them to be approved by the time the World Cup starts in June 2026.
“They’d Cry. Then They Vanished”: Inside the Collapse of USAID, in the Words of Those Who Lived It — Tal Yahalom
“Without the House, Democrats can’t do anything,” Quigley said. But even he acknowledged the broader governing failure of USAID’s gutting: “It’s not charity. It’s national security.” Indeed, foreign aid is one of America’s smartest soft-power investments. It prevents pandemics. It promotes stability. It makes the world safer — including for Americans. James Mattis, Trump’s former Defense Secretary, once said, “If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition.” Congress, apparently, forgot.
Shifting Funding Priorities from Prevention to Public Health Crisis? — Paige Heffke
The announcement came in March, with the Department of Health and Human Services stating it would rescind nearly $12 billion in funds earmarked for infectious disease control, including coronavirus, measles, Candida auris, bird flu, sexually transmitted infections, and influenza. These enormous cuts include $125 million in previously awarded funds to the Illinois Department of Public Health, and an additional $324 million in future funds promised to Illinois-based health centers.