20% fee

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi mocked President Donald Trump’s proposal to charge 20% fees for guarding commercial vessels through a key strait, calling the claim 'absolutely right' in a sarcastic tone. Trump had announced a renewed US blockade of Iran and the fee for securing the waterway.

Trump announced the US will impose a 20% fee on cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz to fund a renewed blockade, claiming it is necessary for safety and security. The policy aims to target Iran's shipping activities, with Trump asserting the US will act as the 'guardian' of the strait. The move has contributed to rising oil prices and a breakdown in a tenuous US-Iran ceasefire.

A US federal judge blocked a Trump administration rule requiring a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, ruling the charge an illegal tax since only Congress can create new taxes. The decision followed a challenge by 20 state attorneys general, who argued the fee would hinder hiring at public institutions, while the Trump administration defended the policy as part of immigration enforcement.

A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas was an unauthorized tax, exceeding executive authority and violating the Administrative Procedure Act. The policy, aimed at preventing foreign workers from displacing Americans, faced legal challenges from 20 states and groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with the higher fee now invalidated until its scheduled 2026 expiration.

Lawmakers extended a 20-cent per-ride fee on rideshare trips through a $1.56 billion surtax spending bill, preserving the fee set to expire in 2027. The bill also included provisions for collective bargaining agreements involving the University of Massachusetts, unions like the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and other state entities.