U.S. ESTA Travel Pass News

A man in his 20s has died after falling 150 feet down a waterfall at a state park in Oregon.

According to local media outlets, including Fox News, on the 11th, Zachary Nicholas Mertons, a 20-year-old man from Kentucky, died the previous day after falling from a waterfall at Silver Falls State Park, south of Portland. Police investigations confirmed that Mertons had strayed from the designated trail to take photos. It was

also found that the accident occurred while he was crossing a stream directly above the waterfall after climbing over a safety railing. The accident took place at the upper observation deck of “South Falls,” the park’s highest waterfall. Mertons fell into a pool at the bottom of the waterfall around 6:30 p.m. Visitors and emergency responders at the scene performed CPR, but he died at the location.

The Marion County Search and Rescue team recovered the body from the bottom of the waterfall and handed it over to Unger Funeral Home.

Silver Falls State Park is a famous tourist destination known for the “Ten Falls Trail,” where visitors can admire ten waterfalls.

Korean-American banks across the United States recorded over $1.5 billion in loans from the Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026. According to SBA loan performance data for financial institutions nationwide for the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026 (October 2025 to June 2026), 14 Korean-American financial institutions across the country recorded a total of $1,580,861,700 in loans (7a). This loan performance by the Korean-American financial sector represents a 31.9% surge compared to the $1,198,271,000 recorded during the same period of the previous year, the first three quarters of fiscal year 2025. The average loan amount per borrower also increased.

For the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026, the average loan amount per borrower stood at $1,341,988, a 4.4% increase compared to $1,285,344 during the same period of the previous year. This growth is attributed to the parallel expansion of loan volumes as the scale and revenue of Korean-American businesses grew. Furthermore, the increase in SBA lending performance within the Korean-American financial sector is seen as a sign that companies have begun actively seeking SBA loans again, having recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration’s tariffs. As SBA loans—a major revenue source for the Korean-American financial sector—return to an upward trend, improvements in performance, including increased profits, are anticipated. These strong results are considered particularly significant as they occurred while the SBA suspended SBA loans to non-citizens starting in March of this year.

Looking at individual banks, Bank of Hope ranked 7th overall with a total of $369.46 million, the highest ranking not only among Korean-American banks but also among Asian banks. US Metro Bank ranked second among Korean-American financial institutions, entering the ‘Top 10’ for the first time by climbing to 10th place with a loan volume of $336.69 million. Following this, CBB Bank ranked 27th with $172.94 million, and Open Bank ranked 32nd with $154.59 million. Ten Korean-American financial institutions made the ‘Top 100,’ including

Metro City Bank ($138.64 million) at 34th, Hanmi Bank ($125.16 million) at 38th, PCB Bank ($71.04 million) at 61st, Centerstone SBA Lending ($57.43 million) at 71st, Woori America ($56.47 million) at 72nd, and Promise One Bank ($44.39 million) at 98th.

In terms of the number of loans, Bank of Hope had the highest number with 312, followed by US Metro Bank (178), Hanmi Bank (159), CBB Bank (99), Open Bank (91), and Metro City Bank (66). Along with the increase in loan volume, it was once again confirmed that Korean-American financial institutions remain national powerhouses in the SBA lending sector. It was found that a total of 1,137 financial institutions nationwide provided loans during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2026, and this is reflected in the fact that 10 Korean-American institutions were included in the top 100 lending institutions. The reason Korean-American financial institutions continue to focus on SBA lending is that the SBA guarantees up to 75% of the loan amount for SBA 7(a) loans.

With a low risk of loss due to bad loans and the ability to bundle and sell SBA loan portfolios among financial institutions, these loans serve as one of the major sources of revenue. Experts predict that SBA loan performance will show a sustained upward trend, as the Federal Reserve (FRB) shifts toward a stance of lowering benchmark interest rates and Korean-American financial institutions engage in fierce competition for SBA loans targeting not only Koreans but also Asians and the mainstream market. Meanwhile, in the national rankings of SBA lenders, LiveOak Banking took first place with a loan volume of $1.65928 billion. Huntington National Bank ranked second with $1.04145 billion, followed by NewTech Bank in third place with $999.52 million.

The Cantabile Chamber Singers (Music Director: Youngbin Cho), a leading non-profit arts and culture organization in the Bay Area, is holding open recruitment for new members to lead the 2026-2027 season. As a choir dedicated to disseminating high-quality classical music culture to the local community and delivering profound emotion, the Cantabile Chamber Singers brings together talented individuals from diverse backgrounds—ranging from music professionals to those who simply love choral singing—to create deep and rich harmonies.

New members will be provided with systematic vocal training and choral education programs led by Conductor Youngbin Cho. Members will not only enhance their vocal capabilities but also experience a wide repertoire ranging from traditional classical choral music and hymns to diverse art songs from around the world, including Korea, Germany, Italy, France, and the United States, as well as contemporary pop music. In particular, this season is focusing on recruiting male members (tenors and basses) interested in vocal music and choral singing.

The choir expressed hope for active participation from male singers who will be the center of beautiful harmonies, and revealed their ambition to deliver a unique emotional experience to the audience by planning a grand yet delicate performance of a “male vocal ensemble” this season. Regular rehearsals are held every Sunday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The rehearsal venue is the Rossmoor Las Trampas Room in Walnut Creek, CA.

New York State has also officially implemented a “euthanasia law” that allows individuals to choose to end their lives with the assistance of medical professionals.

The “Medical Assistance in Death” Act, signed by New York Governor Kathy Hockul last February, officially took effect on the 5th following a six-month grace and preparation period. [Reported on page A3 of this newspaper on February 9] With this, New York State has become the 13th state in the nation to legalize euthanasia. New Jersey previously legalized the practice in 2019, becoming the eighth state in the country to do so. New York State’s legislation is modeled after the Oregon bill, which was the first in the nation to introduce the system in 1994.

The core of the act is that adult New York residents with the capacity for decision-making and a remaining life expectancy of less than six months can voluntarily choose medically assisted death. If a patient wishes for euthanasia, the submission of a written request and the signatures of two witnesses are required. The witnesses must be adults who will not receive any financial gain upon the patient’s death, and the entire request process must be recorded on video or audio and permanently preserved.

A waiting period of at least five days is mandated between approval and the final administration of medication. Regarding the implementation of New York State’s euthanasia law, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of New York State expressed strong opposition, calling it a “very dangerous and destructive law that undermines human dignity.” Meanwhile, euthanasia is a different concept from death with dignity. Death with dignity refers to the cessation of life-prolonging medical procedures for patients beyond recovery, whereas euthanasia is a broader concept involving the administration of drugs to a patient to bring about death. In South Korea, euthanasia is illegal, and only death with dignity has been permitted since 2018.

On the 2nd, President Donald Trump signaled the resumption of talks regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that an agreement had been reached with Iran. President Trump made these remarks while meeting with White House reporters on his private plane returning from Bedminster, New Jersey, to Washington, D.C. “There is an agreement regarding Hormuz,” President Trump said. “Then there will be an agreement regarding the nuclear issue, or an agreement that could be called the denuclearization of Iran.” He continued, “What we are trying to do now is talk with them in the form of negotiations,” and announced that talks with Iran would “begin tomorrow afternoon (the 3rd),” which is Monday, U.S. time. However, President Trump did not answer questions regarding the deadline for an agreement with Iran.

Previously, President Trump had foreshadowed a powerful airstrike against Iran during a cabinet meeting held at Camp David, Maryland, on the 31st of last month, but announced the cancellation of the military operation on TruthSocial the previous night, stating, “I received requests from Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to put any attacks on hold because agreement on a framework for a deal has been reached.”

When reporters asked why the attack on Iran was canceled, President Trump replied, “I received requests from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iran to cancel the attack.” He added, “We had all the preparations complete. We would have [attacked] right around this time,” suggesting that it would have been a “massive attack.” President Trump stated, “When allies ask you to cancel an attack, you have to say, ‘Okay, let’s see.’ And the reason they asked is because they judged that an agreement is possible.”

Starting next month, the practice of providing disposable cutlery and condiments to customers as standard at restaurants and other establishments throughout New Jersey will be completely banned. According to the New Jersey state government, starting August 1, all food and beverage vendors—including restaurants, cafes, food trucks, sports stadiums, and convenience stores—will not be allowed to provide disposable cutlery such as forks, knives, and spoons, as well as condiments like sauces, unless requested by the customer. This measure follows the enforcement of a state law enacted last January to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

This law applies equally to all forms of ordering, including dine-in, delivery, takeout, and drive-throughs. Disposable tableware is provided only if the customer specifically requests it when placing an order, and it is illegal for business owners to provide it proactively. Online ordering services must also operate by setting “disposable tableware not provided” as the default and allowing customers to change this setting if they wish. Businesses found violating the regulations will receive a warning the first time, but will be fined $100 per day for the second violation and $250 per day from the third violation onwards.

However, state authorities plan to conduct promotional campaigns for the first 180 days of implementation before beginning full-scale enforcement. Efforts to restrict single-use products for environmental protection are ongoing in New Jersey. Since 2022, the provision of single-use plastic bags at retail stores has been banned, and plastic straws are now permitted only upon customer request. State Senator Bob Smith, who spearheaded the restrictions on single-use tableware, emphasized, “This measure will make a significant contribution to reducing the amount of waste discarded in the community.”

Virginia ranked 6th nationwide in a survey of U.S. state school systems.

In the top 5 “Best School Systems” released last week by WalletHub, Massachusetts took first place, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. Maryland ranked 14th, and Washington D.C. ranked 30th. Virginia’s public education system boasts excellent academic achievement and systematic standards, with State of the Latter Day (SOL) testing, county-level school district management, and performance-based evaluation cited as key features.

This survey compared and analyzed 32 key indicators across 50 states and Washington D.C. Massachusetts, which took the top spot, is a state with the best education system, ranking first nationwide in 4th and 8th grade math and reading. High school students also performed well, with the highest percentage of students in the nation scoring a 3 or higher on AP exams, which cover college-level learning content. Conversely, New Mexico was named the worst school system, followed by Alaska, Oklahoma, Oregon, and West Virginia.

The evaluation was based on criteria including academic achievement and test scores, school finances and funding methods, teacher qualifications and expertise, class sizes, school safety, and student satisfaction.

Men who used wild animals to film an illegal photo shoot in a shopping mall parking lot in Baltimore County have been arrested by police.

The Baltimore County Police Department charged photographer Vernon Croffey III (32) and wildlife trainer Jayden Evans (25) with animal abuse and illegal possession of wild animals for orchestrating the illegal photo shoot at the Towson Town Center parking lot on the night of the 30th of last month. They are accused of pouring gasoline on the parking lot floor and setting it on fire on the day of the incident, then using rare animals such as snakes and monkeys to film a photo shoot featuring female models.

Controversy arose after photos and videos of the shoot were circulated on social media. Additionally, police stated that they confirmed evidence that reptiles and arthropods, including snakes, lizards, and tarantulas found at Evans’ apartment, had been abused without receiving proper medical care.

In particular, the lemurs and spider monkeys used in the photo shoot were reportedly in such a severe condition due to malnutrition that their vertebrae were exposed. According to Maryland law, it is illegal for individuals to raise or own primates, including monkeys. The rescued monkeys have been transferred to the Maryland Zoo and are currently under protection.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) reported on the 23rd that Atlanta-based Coca-Cola has suspended dairy production in the United States due to a hacking incident. According to the report, the ransomware group “Anubis” claimed on the dark web that day that it had hacked the servers of Coca-Cola’s dairy brand, Fairlife. The group asserted that if their demands were not met by the 27th, they would release one terabyte of confidential information.

Earlier, Coca-Cola headquarters announced that it would suspend operations at its Fairlife plants in the U.S. starting on the 16th due to the hacking. In a statement, Coca-Cola said, “An unauthorized third party accessed our internal systems, and the full extent of the damage is under investigation.” Coca-Cola acquired Fairlife, a brand specializing in milk and dairy products, in 2020.

Coca-Cola added that the hacking incident has not affected production in Canada. Professor Ramnas Chelapa of Emory University’s School of Management stated, “It has not been confirmed whether this group is indeed the one responsible for the hacking, and only Coca-Cola would know how much ransom they are demanding.” The AJC added that as of the 23rd, Coca-Cola had not responded to media inquiries regarding the extent of the hacking damage, the scale of system recovery, or whether production would resume.

A series of “Summer Restaurant Weeks” are taking place across the Baltimore area, offering a rich culinary feast.

Baltimore County Restaurant Week, which kicked off first, began on the 10th and continues until the 19th (Sunday). Approximately 40 of the region’s representative restaurants are participating in this event, captivating the palates of foodies by offering special menus at reasonable prices. Baltimore City Restaurant Week, marking its 20th anniversary this year, will run for ten days from the 24th (Friday) to August 2nd (Sunday).

Organized to promote Baltimore’s diverse gastronomic culture and revitalize the local restaurant industry, this event features a wide range of participants, from casual eateries to fine dining establishments, offering diverse global cuisine at special prices.

Prices consist of course (prefix) menus set at $15, $20, and $25 for lunch; $25, $30, and $35 for brunch; and $35, $45, and $55 for dinner. In particular, a separate children’s menu priced between $10 and $15 is available, allowing families to enjoy the experience without breaking the bank. The service is available in various ways, including dine-in, takeout, and delivery.

Howard County is hosting the “Restaurant & Craft Beverage Week” for two weeks, from Monday, July 27, to Sunday, August 9. Over 40 representative restaurants in Columbia, Ellicott City, Maple Lawn, and other areas are expected to participate. Additionally, users can receive a 10% cashback benefit by using the “Open Rewards” app during the event period.