US influencer approached by immigration after helping in Guangfu

US influencer approached by immigration after helping in Guangfu

2025-10-15

American influencer Jacob Pugmire has become embroiled in an immigration dispute, just days after volunteering to clear mud in Guangfu’s disaster zone. Earlier this month, he showed up in the flood-stricken east coast town and gave out protein bars that he had made himself. A few days later, immigration officials showed up at his door, saying he had been reported for engaging in commercial activities on a visa-free stay, which prohibits visitors to work. After the news broke out, outrage erupted online, with some netizens assuming he was being punished for his contribution in Guangfu. But according to the immigration agency, the report had to do with a separate incident from September. Let’s hear more.

- What is your company about?
- We sell protein products. Protein powder, protein bars.

Jacob Pugmire
American influencer
After the immigration officials learnt about the situation, they were very friendly. They were very nice and understanding of my situation. I think I was reported because some people online don’t like me. I didn’t engage in commercial activities, and I didn’t sell anything. I also didn’t start a fundraiser. I was freaked out at first, because I had just come back to Taipei to rest after being in Guangfu. I came back and they immediately showed up at my home.

Lin Wei-hsiang
National Immigration Agency
The case was investigated by our team in accordance with the law, and not as a means to target a specific foreign national. The results of the investigation will be submitted to the relevant authorities.

Pugmire was a student of Mandarin in Taiwan for three years, and this time he returned to Taiwan as a tourist with a visa-exempt entry. Online, he’s been promoting his protein bars, and although he says he has not made any profit from it, it remains to be determined whether his actions were illegal.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#jacobpugmire #guangfu #protein #proteinbar #influencer #kol

"蛋白棒超人"遭移民署登門調查美籍網紅喊冤

2025-10-15

一名美籍網紅Jacob Pugmire，10月初帶著自製的蛋白棒，到花蓮光復地區發送。沒想到，過沒幾天，移民署找上門，說他被檢舉，持免簽入境，卻從事商業活動。以為是做蛋白棒，分送的行為遭檢舉，移民署則澄清檢舉是9月初接獲，早於災害發生時間，與災區救災無關。

-你的公司是做什麼的?
-會賣高蛋白的產品，蛋白粉、蛋白棒

[[美籍網紅 Jacob Pugmire]]
“他(移民署)了解狀況後，其實很友善，然後很好，懂我的狀況。我覺得，我被檢舉就是因為，有一些人在網路上，不太喜歡我。完全沒有(商業行為)，沒賣過什麼東西，也沒有募資。一開始嚇一跳，因為我剛從光復回台北休息，剛回來了，然後就突然有一個人來我家。”

[[移民署臺北市專勤隊副隊長林偉祥]]
”本案經本隊依法進行查察，並非特別針對該外籍人士，查察結果將下請主管機關，依權責認定。

Jacob Pugmire曾在台灣學過三年中文，這回持觀光簽證、在網路上推廣蛋白棒、儘管宣稱沒有營利行為，但是否觸法，還有待相關單位，一一釐清。

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Ma Sheng-chieh
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A tourist from Malaysia witnessed a foreign woman being dragged by a man to this wall right here at Taipei Main Station’s entrance hall. Here, she was molested for at least ten minutes.

The shocking case occurred right here at the busy area, but no one intervened until a tourist from Malaysia took a video to submit as evidence to the police.

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The assailant was a 44-year-old man surnamed Chiu. At the time he was drinking with a group of homeless people, among which included the foreign woman. After the woman got too drunk to notice what was happening, Chiu dragged her over to the wall and raped her. It was later discovered that Chiu was not actually a homeless person. Moreover, he’s a fugitive wanted for two cases of theft. After the sexual assault case was reported, the police tried him for forced intercourse with someone unable to resist and for public display of obscenity. Chiu was then transferred to prison to serve for the previous theft cases.

After the victim regained sobriety, she realized what happened and immediately went to the hospital to gather physical evidence of the assault. She also decided to press charges.

Following the incident, Taiwan Railway decided on Wednesday to increase the frequency of patrolling by police, as well as by Taiwan Railway personnel and security guards.

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Chunghwa Post releases short film promoting future mail service

Now you can send a letter to the future! Chunghwa Post recently updated its future mail service, simplifying the payment method and standardizing the system. Through the service, people can send letters or packages not only to a specific location, but to a specific time. The state-run postal service recently released a short film about "future mail," and its premiere was attended by Chunghwa Post chairman Wang Kwo-tsai, as well as actors Aiko Chen and Leo Yang. Chen even shared his own story of pursuing his girlfriend by sending conventional letters.

Short film clip
“Today I received a letter from 10 years ago. I was very surprised to discover my father had sent it to me.”

Every word stirs the son’s heart as he reads his father’s letter, which conveys a boundless familial love sent 10 years into the future. The actor Aiko Chen shared his personal story of writing thousands of letters to a pen pal.

Aiko Chen
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One very important thing about writing letters is that when you drop it in the postbox, the mail carrier eventually delivers your feelings to the recipient’s home. The recipient may not open it right away, so that warmth is preserved for a period.

Ko Ching-chang
Chunghwa Post mail director
We standardized, systematized, and digitized the future mail service launched in 2012. We simplified the payment method by dividing the handling fees into three categories.

Future mail is divided into letters, care packages, and time capsules. There are 54 different post offices where people can send future mail, which can be stored for up to 30 years. The mail would be delivered on the exact date indicated by the sender.

Ko Ching-chang
Chunghwa Post mail director
Future mail will expand to include more services. We hope that through Chunghwa Post’s time capsules, people can send warmth through space and time.

Chunghwa Post chairman Wang Kwo-tsai said that handwritten letters convey warmth and capture emotion. Future mail connects the past, present, and future, putting feelings and hopes into an envelope and preserving them for another time.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Stephany Yang
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I’m here at an art studio in New Taipei Tamsui’s fisherman’s wharf. Here, you can make your own acrylic-pour marble bears.

Aside from the delicious food and scenic views, Tamsui’s Fisherman’s Wharf also offers a hidden creative haven, a fluid art studio. At this studio, you can choose your own colors to create beautiful canvases or figurines. Instead of using brushes, you pour on several layers over the bear figurine. This technique is called acrylic pouring. According to the teacher, each layer needs to flow just at the right speed to create your desired pattern.

Stephany Yang
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This is the final product.

Ms. Yen
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There are many different painting methods, depending on the materials used. For example, this foot-pedaling technique is something we learned specially from Hong Kong. By using your feet, you can control the speed and let the paint flow freely across the canvas. The effect also depends on the thickness of the paint, the faster you pedal, the wider and more dynamic the paint spreads, creating very different outcomes. Some pieces are made with fast movements, while others use slower, more controlled pacing. This method works well for larger flat paintings. There’s also a blowing technique, for example, with gold powder or when decorating a piggy bank. You first pour the paint in a fluid motion onto the surface, then use circular blowing to move the colors around. You can make the layers thin or thick, and finally sprinkle gold powder on top. Besides paintings and piggy banks, people can also create items like bear-shaped figurines. Visitors can choose their preferred style of fluid art: canvas painting, where you can also move the paint around with your hands, foot-pedal painting, for larger artworks, smaller items, like piggy banks or keychains. Many international tourists love these smaller souvenirs — especially the mini bear keychains, because they can finish them in about 20 to 30 minutes and take them home right away after visiting Tamsui.

This fluid art gallery is located near the Lover’s Bridge at Tamsui Fisherman’s Wharf and was established in May last year. The founders of the studio are from Hong Kong, hoping to provide a fun and relaxing studio for people to try fluid art.

Ms. Yen
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Actually, there are two owners, both are from Hong Kong and business partners, but one of them, the female owner, is actually originally from Tamsui. She wanted to open a shop related to art as part of her retirement. Since both of them are art enthusiasts, they decided to create a self-service art studio. At that time, they noticed that Taiwan didn’t really have anything like this yet, so she chose to open the first branch in her hometown, near Tamsui Old Street. Then, six years ago, they opened a second branch here at Fisherman’s Wharf. The newest one, which is here, the fluid art gallery is their third branch, which just opened in May 2024.

Here, visitors can use two creative methods to create their canvas or figurines. One method inspired by the owner’s experience in Hong Kong is a foot pedal to spin the canvas to spread thinned acrylic paints across a surface, creating vortex-like designs. Another method is done manually: after squeezing out the paint, participants rotate the canvas to guide the flow. Participants can paint coin banks shaped like bears, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, and more.

Ms. Yen
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The main reason it’s so popular is that it’s very therapeutic. During the painting process, it has a meditative and self-healing effect — because when you paint, you really focus, and it helps you forget about your everyday worries. You also get to play with colors and explore how they interact with each other. The reason it’s become so popular both abroad and in Taiwan is that it doesn’t really require any painting skills. For traditional art, you often need to know how to sketch, mix colors, or master specific techniques like watercolor or oil painting. But with fluid art, there’s no need for technical skills or limits, there are no rules or boundaries. It’s free-flowing and spontaneous, which is why both adults and children love it.

Stephany Yang
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The process only took 20 minutes. After drying, you can take it home.

No professional skills are needed, so even beginners can try. If you are ever in Tamsui and want a fun way to unwind, this fluid art studio is the perfect spot to relax and create.

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It’s the dead of night, quiet as can be, until a huge block of concrete comes crashing down.

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The concrete balcony came crashing down from the 4th floor of this 35-year-old apartment block in Taichung’s Taiping District. On its way down to the street, it even ripped off a window grate from the 3rd floor.

- We were asleep. I only found out in the morning.

- It’s crazy, really insane. It’s so shocking.

The concrete structure was 270cm long and 46cm wide, and weighed about 2 tons. It all seemed fine until the collapse.

Voice of Resident
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It might be a design issue. We called over the committee members and secretary to check it, in case we have another 100 similar problems.

Borough warden
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The contractor hasn’t explained anything to us. But it seems that the problem lies in how it was attached. The whole thing came down, without there being wind or an earthquake.

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The city government has asked the building owner to make repairs within 14 days, or face a fine of NT$300,000. Fortunately nobody was hurt this time round.

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We’re ordering EVA Air to really reflect on this case and improve upon their practices, including their standards of procedure for routine operations and contingency responses. We also want them to clarify whether their practices in effect coerces employees against taking days off.

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It’s unreasonable for a worker to lose the month’s full attendance bonus if they only took sick days. Having workers grit their teeth through the day while they should’ve taken it off to recover from illness shouldn’t be seen as something that adds to a company’s productivity.

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