Global Scans · Transhumanism · Weekly Summary

• [New] The Trump administration will increase vetting of applicants for H-1B visas, with a specific instruction to reject anyone who was involved in censorship of free speech. FDD
• [New] The federal government will launch an accelerated immigration pathway for U.S. H-1B visa holders in the coming months to take advantage of shifts in US immigration policies. OCC
• [New] Restrictive policies toward high-skilled immigration in Donald Trump's first term on H-1B visas have influenced second-term policies and could lead to higher denial rates and other problems for employers. / USA Forbes
• [New] Nakri is forecast to reach typhoon strength as it moves parallel to the southern Japanese coasts this weekend, with gusts up to 105 mph (169 km/h), before becoming extratropical as it moves into an area of increased vertical wind shear. The Guardian
• [New] Mach 5 speeds, approximately 3,836 mph (6,174 km/h), could reduce a New York to Tokyo flight from 11-14 hours to about 2 hours, transforming business, logistics, and global connectivity. Vimanan - Exploring Avionics
• [New] The Alto High-Speed Rail network will span approximately 1,000 km from Toronto to Quebec City and operate at speeds of up to 300 km/h. Global Railway Review
• [New] The Trump administration's plan to dramatically overhaul the H-1B visa application process is sparking anxiety among healthcare providers, who say their access to critical international talent could be threatened. Healthcare Dive
• The A9 Max 2026 Edition debuts as the world's first Mini PC powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 H 465 processor, while the IT13 Max 2026 Edition becomes the first Mini PC to feature the Intel Core Ultra 7366 H. Bastillepost
• Industry sentiment on X, from figures like Peter H. Diamandis, warns of massive corporate disruptions due to AI automation, with models like GPT-5.2 potentially automating 71% of knowledge work. WebProNews
• The U.S. could boost the H-1B program's economic benefit by 88% over a decade without increasing the annual visa cap. City Journal
• Western Chelan County in Washington, including Stehekin and Stevens Pass, is expecting 13-25 cm (5-10 inches) of snow with gusts up to 55 km/h (35 mph). The Watchers
• The new weighted selection will better serve Congress' intent for the H-1B program and strengthen America's competitiveness by incentivizing American employers to petition for higher-paid, higher-skilled foreign workers. USCIS
• Going into 2026, with restrictions on H 200s loosened and reporting that DeepSeek is still training on smuggled Nvidia, easier access to TSMC-fabbed Nvidia chips may be just what DeepSeek needs to get their mojo back. / China ChinaTalk
• The period 2026-2027 will see the first commercial-scale demonstrations of H-DRI plants, and the refractory solutions developed for them will be closely watched. Creatives
• Global variations in secondary and H 2-DRI-EAF steel developments are attributed to different natural endowments such as iron ore quality and potential for affordable renewable energy, as well as scrap availability. Nature
• The revisions of the EU ETS will effectively subsidise the production of low-emission intermediate products used in H 2-DRI-EAF steelmaking during 2026-2033. Nature
• China is experimenting with vacuum tube maglev concepts that could push speeds beyond 600 km/h. Yahoo News
• China is exploring vacuum tube maglev concepts that could exceed speeds of 600 km/h. Sustainability Times
• Tech entrepreneurs - including Trump's former ally Elon Musk - have warned against targeting H-1B visas, saying that the US does not have enough homegrown talent to fill important tech sector job vacancies. Al Jazeera
• Three independent research teams supported by NEI found a gene, called complement factor H, that affects a person's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over age 60. National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Last updated: 12 January 2026