The United States witnessed a flurry of political, economic, and corporate developments on Thursday.
The Trump administration announced a controversial refugee cap prioritizing white South Africans, OpenAI unveiled a new AI-powered cybersecurity tool, China agreed to major agricultural purchases from the US, and Big Tech stocks, led by Meta, weighed down Wall Street.
Trump Administration caps refugee admissions, prioritizes white South Africans
The administration of US President Donald Trump announced plans to cap refugee admissions at 7,500 for fiscal year 2026, marking one of the lowest limits in modern history.
According to a notice published in the Federal Registry, the administration said admissions “shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa pursuant to Executive Order 14204, and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.”
Officials justified the move on humanitarian and national interest grounds, stating the measure aimed to assist those “subjected to discrimination” abroad.
The decision has drawn scrutiny for explicitly prioritizing white South Africans, a demographic emphasis not seen in prior refugee policy frameworks.
The latest move reflects the administration’s continued effort to tighten immigration controls while emphasizing what it characterizes as “merit-based humanitarian admissions.”
OpenAI launches Aardvark, an autonomous AI security researcher
In the tech sector, OpenAI introduced Aardvark, a new autonomous security researcher powered by GPT-5, designed to detect and patch software vulnerabilities.
The company described the system as a “breakthrough in AI and security research,” emphasizing its potential to help developers and cybersecurity teams identify flaws across enterprise and open-source codebases.
According to OpenAI’s announcement, Aardvark aims to “tip the balance in favor of defenders” amid the growing sophistication of cyberattacks.
The system is currently available in private beta to validate and refine its real-world capabilities before broader deployment.
Industry experts view the rollout as a significant step in merging artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, a trend increasingly central to enterprise technology strategy.
China to purchase US soybeans following Trump-Xi meeting
In a major development for American agriculture, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins confirmed that following President Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing will purchase 12 million metric tons of US soybeans in 2025.
The agreement includes commitments for China to buy 25 million metric tons annually from 2026 through 2028, alongside sorghum and hardwood imports.
Rollins hailed the deal as “HUGE after China played hardball for the last four years under [former President] Joe Biden, adding that the move would channel money “straight to American farms, American workers, and American families.”
The announcement comes as farmers and agricultural exporters seek recovery from years of trade volatility between the two nations.
Meta shares plunge 10% amid weak earnings and AI spending concerns
Shares of Meta Platforms Inc. fell over 11% on Thursday, marking the lowest level in four months, after the company reported a sharp drop in quarterly earnings.
Meta’s diluted earnings per share fell 83% year-over-year to $1.05, missing analyst expectations and alarming investors concerned about the firm’s rising artificial intelligence spending.
Broader markets followed suit, with the S&P 500 slipping nearly 1%, the Nasdaq Composite down 1.5%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average off 0.2%.
While Alphabet shares gained 3% on strong results, declines in Meta, Microsoft, and Nvidia led to a broader rotation out of technology stocks.
In contrast, bank and healthcare stocks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Eli Lilly, advanced, supported by robust earnings and favorable outlooks.
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