Independent newsroom

Monday, September 21, 2026

The File

Every claim traces to a primary source. Uncertainty is labeled. Corrections are public.

Edition

Monday, September 21, 2026

Monday edition

Visas

H-1B $100,000 entry payment window opens today

Confirmed
The White House proclamation that extends the September 2025 took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. For the next 12 months — through Sept. 21, 2027, unless extended again — entry of certain H-1B specialty-occupation workers from outside the United States is restricted unless the petition is accompanied or supplemented by a $100,000 payment. The Homeland Security secretary can grant limited national-interest exceptions. The proclamation says the prior fee has been paid on more than 700 petitions and that large information-technology staffing firms cut combined H-1B registrations from 24,946 to 2,055 — a 92 percent drop. A companion Sept. 18 integrity executive order, , that steers agencies to weigh employer layoffs of similar U.S. workers remains in force.

Full story and sources · 2 primary sources

NASA

Arctic melt season stopped getting longer after about 2010, NASA says

Confirmed
NASA’s Monday Earth Observatory Image of the Day reports a NASA-led study finding that while the Arctic sea-ice melt season lengthened dramatically since satellite records began in 1979 — and is now about 40 days longer than in 1979 — that lengthening trend unexpectedly stabilized around 2010. Most of the increase came before 2010. Since then, the average melt-season length has stayed comparatively steady even with large year-to-year swings. Researchers used satellite observations from 1979 through 2023. Co-author Linette Boisvert of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center says thinner ice means more year-to-year variability. The piece cautions that the pause may be temporary.

Sources · 1 listed

Week 2

Chiefs edge Colts 33–30; Week 2 Sunday slate is final; Giants at Rams tonight

Confirmed
Every Sunday Week 2 National Football League game is final on NFL.com. On Sunday Night Football, Kansas City beat Indianapolis 33–30. Earlier Sunday finals: Minnesota 9–Chicago 3; Philadelphia 24–Tennessee 20; Green Bay 20–New York Jets 17; Carolina 34–Atlanta 3; New Orleans 24–Baltimore 17; Cincinnati 20–Houston 6; Cleveland 23–Tampa Bay 19; Pittsburgh 3–New England 20; Las Vegas 26–Los Angeles Chargers 14; Jacksonville 13–Denver 20; Washington 20–Dallas 37; Seattle 31–Arizona 7; Miami 13–San Francisco 35. Buffalo already beat Detroit 41–31 on Thursday night. Monday Night Football remains: New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams, Monday, Sept. 21, 8:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. No odds. No picks.

Sources · 3 listed