Short News

Tax haven USA? At present, the US are setting the pace where taxes are concerned as well. The massive tax cuts that have been decided upon will save the US citizens roughly $1.35 trillion. A step that will probably have some consequences for the German Federal Minister of Finance Hans Eichel. For the head of the scientific advisory council, Helga Pollak, a top tax rate of 35% is the goal for Germany. In the US, this rate will apply to incomes of $297,359 and up from 2006. (In Germany, the top tax rate applies to an income of DM 120,000 and up.)

What is a bagel and what makes it so special? Holes with dough around them? No, that's degrading and doesn't really say enough.
Bagels are a philosophy, an ideology, a conviction, and not only in Germany is their fan club growing in members every day. Bread-roles with a hole in the middle. That sounds better. And how is it made?

First, the dough will be made: five ingredients are necessary for that. Flour, water, sugar or honey, yeast and salt. The dough is formed into little rings, either manually or with the help of a machine. After that, let the dough rise. After that, the bagels will be put in a cooler and cooled at 2 degrees for one or two days. That gives them the typical bagel skin. After that, they are baked - and become bagels.
(The author of this newsletter has been especially enthused by this piece of news, so this is to be continued in the next newsletter.)

Green card for Anja Weinhold Anja Weinhold has made it! As the first German PR consultant the vice president in consumer marketing of Fleishman-Hillard she has made it to an executive position in a US advertisement agency. With her green card, she started her new job in the office in San Francisco. Her job there: use her ambassador-like influence at the very source of the lack of knowledge about other cultures to optimize international communication programs.

Indians in luck There are alternatives to Las Vegas! More and more Indian tribes set up casinos in their reservations. By now, 198 of the recognized 558 "First Nations" are running 326 casinos. The winners there had a combined total of roughly 18.5 million DM in 1999. So, almost 10% of all the money won in US casinos remained in the hands of Native Americans (31 states permit gambling to a limited extent).

L-Visa Premium Processing And again (briefly) something about visas: Since the processing times for this visa have increased rather dramatically, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has decided to introduce a special new program.

Since June 1, 2001, L-Visa applicants (inter company transferee visa) may get premium processing, meaning they would be guaranteed that their visa will be processed in the US within two weeks. This guarantee does not apply to the US consulate abroad. Unfortunately, the employer will have to pay another $1,000 in addition to the 1,100 for the application.

Some first experiences of our L-Visa customers show that the process seems to be working very well so far. Many companies and US law firms fear, however, that an increased number of companies using the premium processing may again delay the more expensive process.