The US Embassy in Cuba fully resumed Cuban citizen immigration visa services on the 4th. Analysts believe that this move by the United States is aimed at curbing the influx of a large number of illegal immigrants into the country. According to US immigration agencies, from December 2021 to November 2022, over 277000 Cubans illegally entered the United States.
In 2017, the United States withdrew the vast majority of its diplomatic personnel in Cuba and basically suspended visa services, citing a "sonic attack" on them. Cubans who apply for immigration visas to the United States have to pay their own expenses to go to third countries such as Guyana to submit their applications. According to the agreement reached between the United States and Cuba many years ago, the United States issues approximately 20000 immigration visas to Cuban citizens annually.
- Amazon Inc. in the United States has decided to lay off more than 18000 employees
On January 4th local time, according to Bloomberg, the US e-commerce company Amazon has decided to lay off more than 18000 employees. The report points out that the number is higher than previously expected, which is a sign of the worsening recession in the US technology industry.
According to reports, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announced this decision in a memo to employees on the 4th, stating that it followed the company's annual planning process. It is reported that layoffs are mainly concentrated at the enterprise level of the company, including the retail department and the recruitment department of human resources.
- California declares a state of emergency in response to winter storms
On January 4th local time, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency in the state to better respond to winter storms. The announcement allows California to mobilize the National Guard to assist in disaster relief and, if necessary, obtain assistance from the Federal Highway Administration to quickly respond to disasters such as flash floods, avalanches, and mudslides.
At the time of the announcement, California was preparing for a winter storm. The National Weather Service expected rainstorm and flood in the state in the next few days. At least one city has issued a community evacuation order.
- Facebook parent company Meta is fined another 390 million euros to force users to accept personalized advertising
The Irish data privacy regulatory agency has imposed a fine of 390 million euros on social media giant and Facebook's parent company, Metaverse, for its social media software illegally advertising users in the EU region.
The Irish Data Protection Commission believes that this practice by Metaverse violates the EU's user privacy protection laws. Metaverse Corporation stated that it does not agree with this ruling and plans to file an appeal. As of now, the Irish Data Protection Commission has issued a total of 1.3 billion euros in fines against Metaverse, and 11 other investigations are currently underway against the company.
- Forbes: 2022 Billionaires in the United States: Record Price Crash, Musk Becomes "Biggest Loser"
In 2022, the value of American billionaires plummeted to a record high, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk losing $125 billion, becoming the "biggest loser".
