Meet Usha Vance: The Influential Lawyer and Supportive Wife of JD Vance, Trump’s Running Mate

July 18, 2024July 19, 2024 Staff ReporterUSA 0

Former President Trump recently announced his choice of Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate at the Republican Convention in Milwaukee, receiving enthusiastic applause and celebration. This announcement has also brought attention to JD Vance’s wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, putting her in the spotlight.

Here are some key details about Usha Vance, the 38-year-old lawyer and San Diego native:

Daughter of Immigrants

Usha Vance is the daughter of academics Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri, who immigrated to the United States from Andhra Pradesh, India. Her mother, a biologist, serves as a college provost at the University of California, San Diego, while her father is an engineer and lecturer at the San Diego State University College of Engineering.

Born in San Diego, Usha attended Mt. Carmel High School and later graduated from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom as a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

Meeting JD Vance at Yale

Usha met JD Vance at Yale, where she completed both her undergraduate and law degrees. She clerked for future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he was an appeals court judge in Washington, D.C., and later clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts.

She has been a trial lawyer at the Munger, Tolles & Olson law firm for several years. Recently, the firm announced her departure, stating, “Usha has informed us she has decided to leave the firm. Usha has been an excellent lawyer and colleague, and we thank her for her years of work and wish her the best in her future career.”

Support for Sen. Vance

In a rare interview on “Fox & Friends,” Usha appeared alongside her husband, expressing her support for his bid to be Trump’s running mate. Although she typically stays out of the spotlight, she cautiously answered questions ranging from their faith to potential causes she might champion as the second lady.

Regarding the scrutiny that comes with the role, she said, “I don’t know if anyone is ever ready for that kind of scrutiny.” Reflecting on their first campaign experience, she noted, “It was so different from anything we’d ever done before. But it was an adventure. I guess the way that I put it is, I’m not raring to change anything about our lives right now. But I really, you know, believe in JD, and I really love him. And so we’ll just sort of see what happens with our lives.”

Successful Marriage through Communication

In the same interview, JD Vance mentioned his wife’s support as he reengaged with his Christian faith, despite her not sharing the same religion. “I had never been baptized. You know, I was raised Christian. I’d never baptized, so I was baptized first time in 2018. She was not raised Christian [and] is actually not a Christian. But I remember when I started to reengage with my own faith. She was very supportive.”

Usha added that she was raised in a Hindu household. She discussed merging their faiths, highlighting their agreement on family life and child-rearing. They have three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. “And so I think the answer really is we just talk a lot,” she said.

Mention in Vance’s Memoir

JD Vance mentioned Usha in his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” where he documented the start of their relationship. In the movie adaptation, Freida Pinto portrayed Usha. Vance described her as his “Yale spirit guide,” writing, “She instinctively understood the questions I didn’t even know to ask and she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didn’t know existed.”

In a 2020 interview on Megyn Kelly’s podcast, Vance spoke about the positive influence of his wife’s advice, saying, “I’m one of those guys who really benefits from having, like, a sort of powerful female voice on his left shoulder saying, ‘Don’t do that, do do that’ — it just is important.”

Supreme Court Ruling Delays Trump’s Election Interference Trial Until After 2024 Election

July 3, 2024July 4, 2024 Staff ReporterUSA 0

The Supreme Court’s decision on Monday in former President Donald Trump’s 2020 election interference case significantly decreases the likelihood of him facing trial in Washington before the November election. The court did not dismiss the indictment, as Trump had requested, which alleges that he illegally attempted to retain power after losing to President Joe Biden. Nonetheless, the ruling is a considerable win for Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, who has been aiming to delay legal proceedings until after the election.

The timing of the trial is crucial because if Trump wins the election, he could appoint an attorney general who might seek to dismiss this case and other federal prosecutions against him. Alternatively, Trump could potentially pardon himself. Trump celebrated the ruling on his social media platform, declaring, “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”

In contrast, President Biden criticized the court’s decision, calling it a “terrible disservice” to the American people, who he believes deserve to know the case’s outcome before voting. Biden stated, “The American people will have to render a judgment about Donald Trump’s behavior. The American people must decide whether Trump’s assault on our democracy on Jan. 6 makes him unfit for public office.”

The Opinion

The court’s conservative majority ruled that former presidents have absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts within their “exclusive sphere of constitutional authority” and are generally immune for all official acts. They do not have immunity for private actions. This ruling restricts special counsel Jack Smith from proceeding with major allegations in the indictment or requires him to defend their use in future proceedings before the trial judge.

For example, the justices nullified Smith’s use of allegations that Trump tried to leverage the Justice Department’s investigative power to reverse the election results, ruling that Trump’s communications with agency officials are clearly protected from prosecution. The case now returns to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who must “carefully analyze” whether other allegations involve official conduct for which Trump would be immune.

One key issue for further examination is Trump’s persistent pressure on then-Vice President Mike Pence not to certify the electoral votes on January 6, 2021. The justices stated it is “ultimately the Government’s burden to rebut the presumption of immunity” in Trump’s interactions with Pence. Additionally, the court ordered further scrutiny of Trump’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) and a speech he delivered to supporters before the Capitol riot, to determine whether they constitute official or unofficial acts.

The Fake Electors Scheme

The justices called for new fact-finding on one of the indictment’s most startling allegations—that Trump participated in a scheme by allies to enlist slates of fraudulent electors in battleground states won by Biden, falsely claiming Trump had won those states. Trump’s team argued that selecting alternate electors was consistent with his presidential interest in election integrity, citing a precedent from the disputed 1876 election. However, Smith’s team portrayed the scheme as a purely private action unrelated to presidential duties.

The conservative majority did not resolve which side was correct, noting that determining the proper characterization of the conduct requires a detailed analysis of the indictment’s extensive and interrelated allegations. They stated, “This alleged conduct cannot be neatly categorized as falling within a particular Presidential function,” requiring a fact-specific assessment of numerous interactions with state officials and private individuals.

The Dissenters

The three liberal justices—Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—sharply criticized the majority opinion. Sotomayor, in a dramatic bench dissent, argued that the conservative majority wrongly insulated the U.S. president as “a king above the law.” She stated, “Ironic isn’t it? The man in charge of enforcing laws can now just break them.”

The dissenters warned that the majority decision makes presidents immune from prosecution for actions such as ordering Navy SEALs to assassinate a political rival, organizing a military coup, or accepting bribes for pardons. Sotomayor wrote, “Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.”

In a separate dissent, Jackson stated that the majority’s ruling “breaks new and dangerous ground,” declaring, “The Court has now declared for the first time in history that the most powerful official in the United States can (under circumstances yet to be fully determined) become a law unto himself.” The majority accused the liberal justices of “fear mongering” and maintaining a “tone of chilling doom that is wholly disproportionate to what the court actually does today.”

What Comes Next

The case will now return to Judge Chutkan. The trial was initially set to begin in March but has been on hold since December to allow Trump to pursue his appeal. Chutkan had previously indicated she would give the two sides at least three months to prepare for trial once the case returned to her court. This could have allowed the trial to commence before the election if the Supreme Court had ruled Trump was not immune from prosecution.

However, the Supreme Court’s directive for further analysis is expected to prolong the case with legal debates over whether the actions in the indictment were official or unofficial.

Trump’s Other Cases

Trump was convicted in May of 34 felony counts in his hush money trial in New York and is scheduled for sentencing on July 11. The charges of falsifying business records carry a maximum penalty of four years in prison, though prison time is not guaranteed, with other potential outcomes including fines or probation.

Trump’s other criminal cases are also unlikely to go to trial before the election. An appeals court recently halted his Georgia 2020 election interference case while reviewing a lower court’s ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to stay on the case. No trial date had been set, and Trump’s lawyers have claimed presidential immunity, though no ruling has been made.

In the case regarding classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon canceled the May trial date due to legal issues. A new trial date has not been set, and Trump’s team has claimed immunity, a stance prosecutors dispute. Cannon recently agreed to revisit a ruling by another judge allowing crucial obstruction of justice evidence to be introduced, causing further delays.

Justice Clarence Thomas’s separate concurrence suggested that Smith’s appointment was improper, but no other justice supported this view, indicating minimal impact on the Supreme Court’s stance.

Trump Proposes Automatic Green Cards for US College Graduates, Departing from Previous Immigration Stance

June 23, 2024June 23, 2024 Staff ReporterImmigration, Education 0

Former President Donald Trump recently proposed granting green cards automatically to foreign nationals who graduate from US colleges, marking a significant departure from his previous stance on immigration. This suggestion stands in stark contrast to his well-known efforts to curb both legal and illegal immigration while he was in office and opposes his often-inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric seen on the campaign trail.

In a statement on “The All-In Podcast,” which aired on Thursday, Trump elaborated, “What I want to do, and what I will do, is you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country.” He continued, “And that includes junior colleges too. Anybody graduates from a college — you go in there for two years or four years. If you graduate, or you get a doctorate degree from a college, you should be able to stay in this country.”

Trump’s comments came during a discussion with the podcast’s hosts, including prominent tech venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, who recently hosted a fundraiser for Trump in San Francisco. The former president was responding to a query from another host, investor Jason Calacanis, who asked, “Can you please promise us you will give us more ability to import the best and brightest from around the world to America?”

Addressing concerns about potential security risks, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt clarified that graduates would undergo stringent screening. “He believes, only after such vetting has taken place, we ought to keep the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America. This would only apply to the most thoroughly vetted college graduates who would never undercut American wages or workers,” Leavitt said in a statement to CNN. She further emphasized that the screening process would “exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges.”

Immigration remains a central focus of Trump’s 2024 presidential bid. He has promised to execute “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” using the issue to criticize President Joe Biden’s leadership. Trump’s latest comments follow Biden’s recent executive action allowing certain undocumented spouses and children of US citizens to apply for lawful permanent residency without leaving the country. This move, intended to appeal to Latino voters in battleground states, came after a more restrictive measure earlier this month to limit asylum processing at the US southern border.

On the podcast, Trump lamented the loss of foreign graduates from top US colleges who cannot start companies in the US and instead establish their businesses in countries like India or China. He remarked, “You need a pool of people to work for your companies and they have to be smart people. … You need brilliant people and we force the brilliant people, the people that graduate from college, the people that are number one in their class from the best colleges. You have to be able to recruit these people and keep the people.”

These remarks are notably different from Trump’s efforts to limit immigration during his presidency. His administration targeted visa programs that tech companies use to bring in skilled workers and directed federal agencies to follow a “Buy American, Hire American” strategy, promoting the hiring of American workers. Trump also attempted to restrict refugee resettlement and implemented a temporary travel ban from seven Muslim-majority countries.

During his current presidential campaign, Trump often incites fear about undocumented migrants, claiming without evidence that the majority are violent criminals, and frequently criticizing Biden’s immigration policies. His language has drawn strong reactions, especially his statement that undocumented immigrants were “poisoning the blood of our country.”

Despite his recent comments, Trump’s stance on foreign graduates is not entirely new. When he ran for president in 2015, he expressed support for providing a pathway to citizenship for some foreign nationals graduating from US colleges. In an interview with Time magazine, he said, “I also want people of great talent to come to this country, to Silicon Valley for engineers. If you go to Harvard and you graduate No. 1 in your class, and you’re from China, they send you home, you can’t get back into the country. So you end up working for companies in China and fighting us.”

Trump’s proposal to automatically grant green cards to college graduates represents a significant shift from his previous policies and rhetoric. While he maintains a hardline stance on immigration, his acknowledgment of the need to retain skilled graduates indicates a more nuanced approach. His campaign’s emphasis on thorough vetting suggests an attempt to balance national security concerns with the economic benefits of retaining top talent.

The suggestion to offer green cards as part of a diploma package could appeal to tech industry leaders and businesses seeking skilled workers. It highlights the economic rationale behind retaining educated individuals who can contribute to innovation and competitiveness. However, the proposal also raises questions about how it will be implemented and the potential impact on American workers.

As Trump continues his campaign, his evolving views on immigration will likely remain a focal point of debate. His proposal underscores the complexity of immigration policy and the challenges of balancing security, economic needs, and humanitarian considerations. Whether this shift will resonate with voters or lead to tangible policy changes remains to be seen. Nonetheless, Trump’s comments mark a notable departure from his earlier positions and add a new dimension to the ongoing discussion about immigration in the United States.

Trump Found Guilty On All Counts In Hush Money Case. What Happens Next?

May 30, 2024June 1, 2024 Staff ReporterUSA 0

A New York jury on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime.

The jury reached its verdict in the historic case after 9.5 hours of deliberations, which began Wednesday.

He’ll be sentenced on July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention. He faces penalties ranging from a fine to four years in prison on each count, although it’s expected he would be sentenced for the offenses concurrently, and not consecutively.

Follow live updates here.

“This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt,” he fumed to reporters afterward.

The verdict was read in the Manhattan courtroom where Trump has been on trial since April 15. He had pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made by his former lawyer Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election.

The judge thanked the jurors for their service in the weeks-long trial. “You gave this matter the attention it deserved, and I want to thank you for that,” Judge Juan Merchan told them. Trump appeared to be scowling at the jurors as they walked by him on their way out of the courtroom.

Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche made a motion for acquittal after the jury left the room, which the judge denied.

The conviction comes as Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president. He immediately set out fundraising off the news, posting on his website that he’s “a political prisoner” and urging his followers to give money.

Legal experts have told NBC News that even if Trump is sentenced to time behind bars, he’d most likely be allowed to remain out of jail while he appeals the verdict, a process that could take months or more. That means the sentence would most likely not interfere with his ability to accept the Republican nomination for president at the July convention.

President Joe Biden’s campaign praised the verdict in a statement, but stressed that Trump needs to be defeated in November.

“In New York today, we saw that no one is above the law,” the campaign’s communications director Michael Tyler said, but the “verdict does not change the fact that the American people face a simple reality. There is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box.”

In his closing argument earlier this week, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the jury that “the law is the law and it applies to everyone equally. There is no special standard for this defendant.”

“You, the jury, have the ability to hold the defendant accountable,” Steinglass said.

Trump had maintained the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office had no case and that there had been no crime. “President Trump is innocent. He did not commit any crimes,” Blanche said in his closing statement, arguing the payments to Cohen were legitimate.

Prosecutors said the disguised payment to Cohen was part of a “planned, coordinated long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, to help Donald Trump get elected through illegal expenditures, to silence people who had something bad to say about his behavior, using doctored corporate records and bank forms to conceal those payments along the way.”

“It was election fraud. Pure and simple,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said in his opening statement.

While Trump was not charged with conspiracy, prosecutors argued he caused the records to be falsified because he was trying to cover up a violation of state election law- and falsifying business records with the intent to cover another crime raises the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Trump Urges Supreme Court: Grant Immunity or Risk Future Presidents’ Vulnerability

March 21, 2024 Staff ReporterNation, Nation USA 0

Former President Donald Trump presented his case to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, warning of potential vulnerabilities for future presidents if the court did not adopt his expansive view of immunity against charges brought forth by special counsel Jack Smith regarding election subversion. Trump argued that failure to accept his stance could open the door to “de facto blackmail and extortion while in office.” However, he also proposed an alternative route to the justices, suggesting a delay in the trial until after the upcoming November election, aligning with his political objectives.

In his latest Supreme Court brief, Trump emphasized the importance of presidential immunity, drawing attention to statements made by Justice Brett Kavanaugh before his nomination to the bench, seemingly appealing to Kavanaugh’s past viewpoints. With oral arguments scheduled for April 25, Trump’s legal team is vigorously advocating for his immunity stance, aiming to avoid immediate legal proceedings.

Should the Supreme Court be unwilling to grant full immunity, Trump urged them to remand the case to lower courts for further consideration, potentially prolonging the trial for several months. This alternative route could offer a compromise for the conservative majority of the court, providing a means to delay without endorsing a blanket immunity for former presidents.

The brief underscored the uncharted legal territory the court faces and the significant implications its decision will have for future presidents. Trump’s attorneys argued that denying immunity could set a precedent that threatens the integrity of the presidency itself, asserting, “That would be the end of the Presidency as we know it and would irreparably damage our Republic.”

Trump’s legal strategy also includes references to Kavanaugh’s past writings, particularly regarding the impact of criminal investigations on sitting presidents. While Kavanaugh’s previous statements focused on current presidents, Trump’s lawyers contend that the logic extends to former presidents awaiting potential investigations post-office.

Trump pointed out Kavanaugh’s observations on the inherently political nature of decisions regarding presidential prosecution, emphasizing that this principle applies even more strongly to a former president who is also a leading candidate in the upcoming election. By weaving Kavanaugh’s past experiences and opinions into his arguments, Trump seeks to bolster his case for immunity before the Supreme Court.

Georgia Judge’s Ruling Prompts Top Prosecutor’s Resignation, Advances Trump Election Interference Case

March 19, 2024 Staff ReporterUSA 0

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has accepted the resignation of Nathan Wade, her top special prosecutor in the former President Donald Trump’s election interference case. This move comes after a Georgia judge made Wade’s stepping aside a condition for Willis to remain on the case, further solidifying the prospects of 15 defendants, including Trump, facing trial in Georgia for their alleged roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election result.

The decision stems from a 23-page ruling by Fulton Superior Judge Scott McAfee, following extensive courtroom testimony. McAfee ruled that while Willis’ romantic involvement with Wade didn’t necessitate disqualification, it created an appearance of conflict of interest. McAfee emphasized the importance of maintaining the perception of impartiality in legal proceedings, stating, “an outsider could reasonably think that the District Attorney is not exercising her independent professional judgment totally free of any compromising influences.”

McAfee provided a clear directive, giving prosecutors an ultimatum: either Wade resigns from the case or Willis must step aside and refer the prosecution elsewhere. Willis, in accepting Wade’s resignation, commended him for his professionalism.

This development signifies a significant juncture in the ongoing investigation into efforts to undermine the 2020 election result in Georgia. Willis, the first Black woman elected district attorney in Fulton County, has been at the forefront of this case, which has garnered national attention. Despite expected appeals, the focus can now shift back to advancing the case towards trial.

The case, which revolves around alleged attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn Georgia’s election result, has seen various twists and turns. Willis’ utilization of Georgia’s racketeering law and her courtroom prowess have been notable features of the proceedings. The indictment, initially involving 19 individuals, was handed up by a grand jury last August.

Challenges arose earlier when former Trump campaign official Michael Roman accused Willis of misconduct, alleging financial impropriety related to her relationship with Wade. However, McAfee’s ruling found no evidence that Willis’ conduct influenced the case’s progression.

While McAfee acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and criticized the handling of certain aspects of the case, he deemed disqualifying Willis unnecessary, opting for a less drastic remedy. McAfee’s measured approach reflects his reputation for managing complex cases with impartiality.

Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, expressed disappointment with the decision, reiterating their intention to explore all legal avenues to end the case. Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office has yet to respond to McAfee’s order.

Despite the decision, the controversy surrounding Willis and Wade’s relationship could have lasting repercussions. Georgia Republicans have initiated several investigations into Willis for alleged misconduct, potentially undermining public trust in her and the case itself.

As the legal proceedings continue, potential jurors may be influenced by the ongoing drama, raising questions about the integrity of the prosecution. While some defendants have already pleaded guilty, a trial date for the remaining defendants is yet to be determined, as McAfee grapples with the logistical challenges posed by the case’s complexity and the involvement of a former president.

Nikki Haley Vows to Persist in Presidential Race Despite Trump’s Lead: Refuses to Yield in Republican Primary

February 24, 2024 Staff ReporterOpinion, USA 0

Nikki Haley asserted her commitment to persist in the Republican presidential primary race against former President Trump, affirming her determination during an address in Greenville, South Carolina. “I’m not going anywhere,” she declared, emphasizing her readiness to vocalize uncomfortable truths and her refusal to yield to intimidation. She asserted, “I feel no need to kiss the ring… My own political future is of zero concern.” Haley drew parallels between her contest against Trump and the biblical tale of David and Goliath, dismissing speculation that she seeks the vice presidency or is positioning herself for a future presidential bid.

Despite trailing Trump significantly in South Carolina according to The Hill’s Decision Desk HQ polling average, Haley remained resolute. Trump’s campaign had issued a memo suggesting her impending defeat, characterizing her as a “wailing loser” clinging to a false reality. Haley brushed off such assertions, reaffirming her intention to persevere beyond the primary, declaring, “South Carolina will vote on Saturday, but on Sunday I will still be running for president.”

She did not shy away from criticizing both Trump and President Biden, targeting their age and mental acuity, alleging they are “at risk for dementia” and act as “dividers.” Haley highlighted public concerns over their age, stressing, “Nearly 60 percent of Americans say Trump and Biden are both too old to be president.” She accused Biden of self-inflicted harm and criticized Democrats for what she perceives as anointing him rather than engaging in robust competition.

In an emotional moment, Haley choked up as she discussed her husband Michael Haley, currently deployed abroad with the South Carolina Army National Guard. Her remarks followed a jab from Trump questioning why Michael wasn’t accompanying her on the campaign trail.

Despite her trailing position against Trump in South Carolina and nationally, polling data suggests Haley outperforms Biden in a head-to-head matchup, holding a slim lead over the president according to The Hill’s Decision Desk HQ polling average.

New York Judge Orders Former President Trump to Pay $355 Million in Civil Fraud Case

February 18, 2024 Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0

A New York judge has handed down a significant ruling in a civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump, compelling him to pay nearly $355 million in penalties. This decision by Judge Arthur Engoron, outlined in a comprehensive 92-page document, follows weeks of closing arguments that concluded a lengthy trial, marked by frequent criticism from Trump towards both the judge and the prosecuting attorney.

In 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Trump, alleging that he manipulated his net worth on crucial financial statements to obtain favorable tax and insurance benefits. The documents, providing details on the Trump Organization’s assets, were submitted to banks and insurers to secure loans and deals, presenting a case for fraud according to the state.

The potential financial burden on Trump and his business, including interest, may surpass $450 million, as indicated by the New York attorney general’s office. Engoron held Trump, the Trump Organization, and key executives, including his adult sons, liable for fraud before the trial began, as there was no jury present.

The imposed fine is slightly less than the $370 million sought by the attorney general’s office, and it also entails a three-year ban preventing Trump from engaging in New York business activities. Furthermore, Trump’s adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, were individually ordered to pay over $4 million each, accompanied by a two-year prohibition from serving as officers or directors of any New York corporation or legal entity.

Former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg faced a $1 million penalty, along with a three-year ban from New York business. Both Weisselberg and former controller Jeffrey McConney were also prohibited for life from serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or business entity. Additionally, the judge extended the term of the independent monitor overseeing Trump’s business for three years and appointed an “Independent Director of Compliance.”

However, the judge overturned a pre-trial decision that ordered the cancellation of the defendants’ business certificates, stating that the order could potentially be renewed.

In response to the ruling, Attorney General Letitia James hailed it as a “tremendous victory” for the state and the nation, emphasizing the importance of holding powerful individuals accountable for dishonest practices that impact hardworking citizens.

“When powerful people cheat to get better loans, it comes at the expense of honest and hardworking people. Now, Donald Trump is finally facing accountability for his lying, cheating, and staggering fraud,” James remarked, emphasizing that no one is above the law.

Despite the substantial penalties, Trump’s legal team decried the ruling. Alina Habba, Trump’s lawyer, labeled it a “manifest injustice” and the outcome of a “multi-year, politically fueled witch hunt.” Chris Kise, Trump’s lead lawyer, characterized the case as an “unjust political crusade” against a leading presidential candidate and criticized the process as unfair and tyrannical. Kise confirmed that Trump would appeal the decision.

The trial spanned over two months, featuring testimony from 40 witnesses, including Michael Cohen, a former fixer for Trump, top Trump Organization executives, Trump’s adult children, and the former president himself. Trump’s defense rested on the argument that there was no fraud, with Deutsche Bank executives testifying that they conducted their own due diligence and found no evidence of fraud when working with the Trump Organization.

The strained relationship between Trump and Judge Engoron was evident early on when the judge ruled on Trump’s fraud liability. During Trump’s testimony in November, he launched attacks on the judge and Attorney General James, referring to them as “frauds,” “political hacks,” and “Trump haters.” Engoron had to admonish a Trump lawyer at one point, reminding him that the trial was not a political rally.

The financial ramifications of the $354.8 million judgment, coupled with another $83.3 million judgment against Trump for defamation, are expected to impact his estimated net worth significantly. Forbes estimates Trump’s wealth at $2.6 billion, while the Bloomberg Billionaires Index values him at $3.1 billion. These judgments could potentially result in a loss of 13 percent or more of his estimated net worth if these figures hold true.

Legal fees are also mounting for Trump, with approximately $50 million spent on legal consulting in 2023 by his fundraising committees. Notably, more than $18 million of this amount was allocated to lawyers Chris Kise, Alina Habba, and Clifford Robert, who represented Trump in the fraud case and other legal matters.

As Trump faces increasing legal challenges, including criminal cases and impending appeals in civil cases, the financial and legal implications of these recent judgments add another layer of complexity to his post-presidential life.

Federal Appeals Panel Rules Trump Can Face Trial for 2020 Election Plot: Rejects Immunity Claim

February 9, 2024 Staff ReporterNation, USA 0

A federal appeals court panel declared on Tuesday that there is no legal shield preventing former President Donald Trump from standing trial over allegations that he conspired to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. This ruling forcefully rebuffed Trump’s claims of immunity from prosecution and reignited a pivotal legal battle that had been stalled for weeks pending the appeal’s resolution.

The court’s decision carries significant weight not only because it dismantles Trump’s unconventional immunity argument but also because it revives a high-profile prosecution that had been effectively halted during the appeal process. However, the one-month gap between the oral arguments and the issuance of the ruling has introduced uncertainty regarding the trial’s scheduling in an already crowded election year calendar. The initial trial date set for March 4th was canceled last week by the overseeing judge due to this uncertainty.

Trump’s legal team has vowed to continue the fight, signaling their intent to appeal the ruling, a move that could potentially prolong the legal proceedings by weeks or even months, especially if the case reaches the Supreme Court. The appeals panel, comprising two judges appointed by President Joe Biden and one by a Republican president, granted Trump a week to petition the Supreme Court for intervention.

The timing of the trial holds significant political implications, with special counsel Jack Smith aiming to proceed with prosecution this year, while Trump, as a leading contender for the Republican nomination, seeks to postpone the trial until after the November elections. If Trump were to win, he might exploit his executive powers to influence the case’s outcome, either by directing a new attorney general to dismiss the charges or by seeking a self-pardon.

This unanimous ruling marks the second instance since December in which judges have affirmed Trump’s liability for actions taken during his presidency and in the lead-up to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The court’s opinion unequivocally rejects Trump’s assertion of absolute immunity for official actions, stating, “For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant.”

The judges emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for criminal conduct, dismissing the notion that a president possesses unchecked authority to flout election outcomes or infringe upon citizens’ voting rights. They firmly stated, “We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter.”

In response to the ruling, a spokesperson for Trump affirmed his intention to appeal, citing the necessity of preserving the integrity of the presidency and the Constitution. Trump himself reiterated his stance on Truth Social, asserting that presidential immunity is essential for effective governance.

The legal battle over Trump’s immunity came to the forefront in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit after the Supreme Court declined to intervene in December. The absence of a definitive timeline for the Supreme Court’s action leaves the trial proceedings in limbo. If the Supreme Court rejects Trump’s appeal, the trial could resume under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.

However, if the Supreme Court grants Trump’s appeal, the length of the trial’s delay would hinge on the court’s established timetable. Trump’s legal team has argued for extending the immunity from civil to criminal liability for official acts, maintaining that Trump’s contested actions were within the bounds of his presidential duties.

Conversely, Smith’s team contends that such immunity does not exist constitutionally and that Trump’s actions were outside the scope of his official responsibilities. Judge Chutkan had previously dismissed Trump’s claims of immunity, stating that the presidency does not grant lifelong immunity from legal accountability.

During the appellate court proceedings, the judges displayed skepticism towards Trump’s arguments, posing hypothetical scenarios to challenge the validity of his immunity claims. Trump’s lawyer asserted that a president could be prosecuted only after impeachment and conviction by Congress, aligning with their argument that impeachment acquittals shield ex-presidents from prosecution.

Beyond the Washington case, Trump faces legal challenges in Florida, Georgia, and New York, including federal charges related to classified documents and state-level accusations concerning election interference and hush money payments. Despite his denials of wrongdoing, these legal battles loom large as Trump continues his political ambitions.

Federal Appeals Court Rules Former Presidents, Including Trump, Can Face Prosecution for Office Crimes

February 9, 2024 Staff ReporterNation, Nation USA, USA 0

In a groundbreaking ruling, a federal appeals court panel declared that former President Donald Trump, along with any other former president, could potentially face prosecution for alleged crimes committed while in office. The unanimous decision, encompassing 57 pages, was handed down by a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. This ruling stands as a significant victory for special counsel Jack Smith, who aims to bring Trump to trial this year on federal felony charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

The court’s ruling emphasizes the transition of former President Trump into “citizen Trump,” stripping away any executive immunity he may have enjoyed while in office. The judges underscored that for the purposes of this criminal case, Trump is on equal footing with any other criminal defendant. They explicitly stated, “But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution.”

The decision affirms the groundbreaking conclusion reached by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, asserting that former presidents can indeed be prosecuted for crimes committed during their time in office, even if those alleged crimes are related to their official duties. Trump had argued against this, contending that former presidents should not be subject to prosecution without first undergoing impeachment and conviction by Congress.

The speed of the appeals court’s action, taking only 28 days after oral arguments, is notable. While this slowed Smith’s case and necessitated a delay in Trump’s scheduled trial, it also keeps the possibility open for a trial to proceed in Washington sometime in the spring.

Despite Trump’s intention to appeal, possibly reaching the Supreme Court as early as Monday, the appellate judges have put their decision on hold until then. If Trump pursues this route, the decision won’t come into effect until the Supreme Court acts on his request. Alternatively, Trump could request a rehearing from the D.C. Circuit, although this would not necessarily delay the case’s return to Judge Chutkan unless the full bench of the D.C. Circuit agrees to a rehearing.

The unanimous nature of Tuesday’s ruling, supported by both liberal and conservative judges, carries significant weight. Rather than a divided decision, the ruling lays down a comprehensive legal and political framework for prosecuting a former president.

The panel, comprising judges appointed by Presidents Joe Biden and George H.W. Bush, concluded that the traditional doctrines of presidential immunity from civil lawsuits related to official duties do not extend to alleged criminal acts, particularly for a former president. They argued that the gravity of the charges against Trump outweighed concerns about potential chilling effects on future presidents.

The judges emphasized that their decision did not factor in policy considerations related to prosecuting a sitting president or a state prosecution of a president, either current or former. They firmly rejected Trump’s claim of “categorical” immunity from prosecution, citing the precedent set by President Richard Nixon’s acceptance of a presidential pardon to forestall potential criminal charges stemming from the Watergate scandal.

Additionally, the panel dismissed Trump’s assertion that former presidents can only be prosecuted after impeachment and conviction by Congress. They pointed out that 30 Republican senators’ refusal to convict Trump during his impeachment trial regarding the Capitol attack signaled a lack of consensus on Congress’s authority to try former presidents.

In response to the court’s ruling, Trump’s spokesperson reiterated Trump’s argument that his indictment would set a dangerous precedent, suggesting that future presidents could face vindictive prosecutions from political adversaries after leaving office.

The federal appeals court’s decision represents a significant development in legal and political discourse surrounding the accountability of former presidents for their actions while in office. It establishes a precedent that former presidents, including Trump, are not immune to prosecution for alleged criminal acts committed during their tenure.

Polls Signal Peril for Trump: Conviction Could Cost Him 2024 Election, Survey Shows

February 5, 2024 Staff ReporterUSA 0

Former President Trump has managed to sidestep numerous controversies that might have been detrimental to other political candidates. However, recent developments suggest that he may not be entirely impervious to the consequences of his actions, especially in the eyes of voters.

A new survey, released by Bloomberg and Morning Consult, indicates that the outcome of the four criminal trials Trump is currently embroiled in could dramatically influence his political future. According to the poll, a significant majority of voters in crucial swing states would be disinclined to support Trump if he were to be convicted of a criminal offense or sentenced to prison.

The poll, conducted in seven pivotal states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, revealed that a conviction could sway the decisions of a substantial portion of voters, potentially impacting the outcome of the election. GOP strategist Doug Heye emphasized the significance of this, noting that a conviction could serve as a decisive factor in an election where either Trump or President Biden could emerge victorious.

The survey also highlighted a noteworthy shift among Trump’s own voter base. Approximately 20 percent of voters in the surveyed states who had previously supported Trump expressed reluctance to vote for him again if he were to face conviction. GOP strategist Dan Judy commented on this trend, suggesting that while Trump might still retain a significant portion of Republican support, any erosion of this base could significantly impact the election outcome.

However, it remains uncertain whether the polling figures accurately reflect potential outcomes in a general election. At present, in the absence of any criminal convictions, Trump maintains a lead of six points among registered voters in battleground states, as indicated by the Bloomberg poll.

Historically, dissatisfied voters have sometimes compromised their reservations and supported candidates who align most closely with their beliefs, regardless of misgivings. For instance, in 2016, despite controversies such as the release of the Access Hollywood tape, Trump managed to secure victory with the backing of his party faithful.

Despite facing four indictments comprising a total of 91 criminal charges last year, Trump’s grip on the Republican nomination appeared to strengthen, with his supporters rallying around him amidst allegations of unfair targeting.

While Trump has emerged victorious in the initial contests of this year’s primary process, a significant disparity exists between the sentiments of the GOP electorate and the broader public. A recent Economist/YouGov poll revealed that while Trump enjoys favorable ratings from 79 percent of Republicans, only 40 percent of the general public view him favorably.

Moreover, Trump faces relentless attacks from the Biden campaign and its supporters, who argue that his reelection would jeopardize democracy itself. Trump maintains his innocence regarding all charges against him, while his legal team continues to seek delays in proceedings.

Currently, Trump faces impending trials in New York, Georgia, and federal courts, with charges ranging from hush money payments to alleged conspiracies to overturn the 2020 election. The timing of these trials presents a challenge, particularly as Trump seeks to secure the GOP nomination and mount a reelection campaign.

Should Trump emerge victorious in the GOP primary cycle, he would be officially nominated at the Republican National Convention in mid-July. However, the possibility of a federal trial relating to events surrounding the 2020 election looms, pending court decisions regarding presidential immunity from prosecution.

Aside from the question of guilt or acquittal, Trump faces the practical dilemma of allocating his time between campaign efforts and legal defense. GOP strategist Dan Judy noted the inherent challenge in balancing these priorities, emphasizing the importance of time as a candidate’s most valuable resource.

Nonetheless, predicting Trump’s future remains uncertain, as his political trajectory has defied conventional wisdom time and again. Despite skepticism, observers acknowledge the absence of historical precedent to guide assessments of Trump’s prospects.

“In many ways, predicting Trump’s fate has been a futile endeavor,” Judy conceded. “There’s no precedent to rely on here, no past events to draw parallels from. It’s impossible to say for certain what lies ahead.”

Jury Awards E. Jean Carroll $83.3 Million in Defamation Suit Against Donald Trump

January 29, 2024 Staff ReporterNews, USA 0

A jury rendered a substantial verdict of $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll on Friday, serving as a resounding rebuke to former President Donald Trump for his persistent attacks against the veteran advice columnist on social media, stemming from her allegations of sexual assault against him in a Manhattan store.

This latest award, combined with a prior $5 million verdict for sexual assault and defamation last year from a separate jury in Carroll’s case, brings the total amount Trump owes her to $88.3 million. Trump, vehemently protesting the decision, declared his intention to appeal.

The 80-year-old Carroll, visibly moved, held her lawyers’ hands tightly and smiled upon hearing the verdict delivered by the anonymous jury comprised of seven men and two women. Following the decision, she shared an emotional embrace with her legal team.

While Carroll declined to comment upon leaving the Manhattan federal courthouse, she later released a statement through her publicist, celebrating the victory as not just her own but as a triumph for all women who refuse to be silenced in the face of adversity: “This is a great victory for every woman who stands up when she’s been knocked down, and a huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down.”

Trump had attended the trial earlier in the day but stormed out during the closing arguments made by Carroll’s attorney. He returned for his attorney’s closing argument and part of the deliberations but departed the courthouse half an hour before the verdict was announced. Expressing his outrage shortly after the decision, he criticized the legal system, branding it as “out of control” and manipulated for political ends.

His lawyer, Alina Habba, attributed the verdict to strategic forum-shopping by Trump’s adversaries, stating, “It will not deter us. We will keep fighting. And, I assure you, we didn’t win today, but we will win.”

The trial’s conclusion coincides with Trump’s continued pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination for the third consecutive time. Throughout, he has sought to portray his legal battles and vulnerabilities as evidence of a biased political system, resonating with his steadfast supporters.

Despite Trump’s efforts to deflect attention from the verdict, his former rival in the Republican primaries, Nikki Haley, highlighted the financial implications of the decision, diverting focus from pressing national issues.

With the civil case brought by Carroll concluded, Trump still faces 91 criminal charges across four indictments, including allegations of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, mishandling classified documents, and orchestrating hush payments to a porn star.

This marks the second time in less than a year that a civil jury has ruled on Carroll’s allegations stemming from a 1996 encounter with Trump at a Manhattan department store. In May, a jury awarded Carroll $5 million, finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, albeit not for rape. Trump is appealing that decision as well.

Trump’s legal challenges extend beyond the Carroll case; he awaits a verdict in a New York civil fraud trial, where state prosecutors seek the return of $370 million in alleged ill-gotten gains.

Regarding Trump’s financial capacity to meet the mounting legal obligations, he has claimed assets of approximately $294 million in cash or equivalents, as reported in his most recent financial statement.

Trump’s absence from the initial Carroll trial was followed by his insistence on testifying in the second trial, although the judge limited his testimony, citing missed opportunities to contest Carroll’s allegations. During his brief appearance on the witness stand, Trump denied assaulting Carroll, subsequently lamenting the proceedings, asserting, “this is not America.”

In this recent trial, the jury was tasked solely with determining the damages owed by Trump for two statements he made as president regarding Carroll’s allegations. They were not asked to reevaluate the veracity of the assault claim itself.

In her closing argument, Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, sought substantial compensatory and punitive damages, urging the jury to penalize Trump sufficiently to deter future defamation. The jury awarded $18.3 million in compensatory damages and an additional $65 million in punitive damages, aimed at curbing Trump’s disparaging behavior.

Kaplan highlighted Trump’s vast wealth and the need to hold him accountable for his actions, emphasizing the significance of punitive damages in restoring Carroll’s reputation and protecting her from ongoing harassment.

Trump, visibly agitated during Kaplan’s address, abruptly left the courtroom, prompting a rebuke from the judge. Throughout the trial, Trump tested the judge’s patience, leading to warnings of expulsion for disruptive behavior.

Carroll testified to the detrimental impact of Trump’s statements on her life, citing death threats and the need for increased security measures. She emphasized her quest to restore her reputation tarnished by Trump’s allegations.

In contrast, Trump’s lawyer argued that Carroll had profited from her accusations and achieved the fame she desired, suggesting no damages were warranted.

Ultimately, the jury’s verdict stands as a significant legal blow to Trump, underscoring the consequences of his actions and the importance of accountability in matters of defamation and assault.

Trump and Biden Face Uphill Battles Beyond Primary Victories

January 26, 2024 Staff ReporterPolitics, Nation, USA 0

Donald J. Trump has been cruising through the primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire, dominating his Republican rivals and basking in the adoration of his supporters who are convinced of his inevitable victory in the presidential race. However, as Trump edges closer to securing the Republican nomination, he faces daunting challenges beyond the party faithful.

Outside the insular world of Republican primaries, Trump’s campaign is grappling with persistent weaknesses that could pose significant risks for his party. These vulnerabilities came to the fore in New Hampshire, where a significant portion of independents, college-educated voters, and Republicans hesitant to overlook his legal troubles threw their support behind his rival, Nikki Haley.

While Trump emerged victorious in New Hampshire, the sizable turnout against him signaled trouble ahead as the presidential race transitions from the realm of die-hard Trump supporters to a broader electorate, many of whom rejected him in the past. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida acknowledged the issue, stating that Trump must find a way to address the concerns of lifelong conservatives who are reluctant to support him again.

On the other side, President Biden also faces challenges in a potential rematch of the 2020 contest. Despite his victory then, Biden, now 81, grapples with widespread disapproval and skepticism regarding his age and leadership. He seeks to rally his base, independents, and even moderate Republicans around issues such as abortion rights and democracy, although his stance on immigration, inflation, and the conflict in Gaza has alienated some within his party.

Republican pollster Neil Newhouse highlighted the upcoming election as a choice between two unpopular leaders, characterizing it as a “lesser-of-two-evils” scenario.

Trump’s difficulties extend back to his 2016 takeover of the Republican Party, which alienated suburban moderates and independents. His struggles with independent voters were evident in the Iowa caucuses as well, where a majority supported his opponents.

While Trump is expected to regain many of these voters in the general election, a significant portion of Haley supporters in New Hampshire expressed willingness to vote for Biden, indicating a potential fracture within the Republican base.

However, caution is advised in interpreting the New Hampshire results, given the state’s left-leaning tendencies. Nonetheless, the GOP must ensure the election does not become solely a referendum on Trump.

Ruth Axtell, a New Hampshire independent who voted for Haley, expressed her desire to see Trump defeated, even if it meant a victory for a female candidate. Yet, she remains undecided for the general election, reflecting the uncertainty among voters.

New Hampshire’s results underscored Trump’s struggles with college-educated and affluent voters, demographics that once formed the core of his support base.

Even in Iowa, Trump faced challenges in affluent suburbs, indicating potential vulnerabilities in traditionally Republican strongholds.

Despite concerns about winning back Republicans who have turned away from him, Trump remains confident in his ability to secure their support. However, his victory speech in New Hampshire, marked by attacks on Haley rather than calls for party unity, raises questions about his approach.

Both Trump’s aides and super PAC officials view Biden as a formidable opponent, with the latter expressing concerns about Biden’s substantial spending on advertising.

While DeSantis and Haley refrained from directly confronting Trump, Biden’s campaign is expected to vigorously challenge him, countering his attacks with clips of his verbal missteps.

As Trump faces intensifying scrutiny over his role in the Capitol riot and legal troubles, his fixation on the 2020 election and divisive rhetoric could further erode his support among independents and swing voters.

Even in conservative Iowa, a significant portion of Trump’s supporters expressed reservations about voting for him if he were convicted of a crime, underscoring the potential repercussions of his legal battles on his electoral prospects.

Chris Christie Exits Presidential Race with Sharp Critique of Trump, Predicts Challenges for GOP Frontrunners

January 12, 2024January 13, 2024 Staff ReporterNation, Nation USA 0

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has exited the presidential race, concluding his bid with a pointed remark aimed at frontrunner Donald Trump.

“I am going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again,” stated the once Trump ally, now turned critic.

Christie, a Republican, had been under pressure to step aside, allowing the party to coalesce around a viable contender against Mr. Trump. However, he refrained from endorsing any candidate upon bowing out.

On a hot microphone just before officially announcing the end of his campaign, Christie expressed skepticism about the potential of Nikki Haley, a candidate gaining ground on Trump in some polls. He asserted that she was “going to get smoked, and you and I both know it.” Christie also remarked that another rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, seemed “petrified.”

At 61 years old, Christie, polling nationally in the low single figures, announced the suspension of his campaign during a town hall event in New Hampshire on Wednesday afternoon.

His departure, five days prior to the Iowa caucuses, the initial state-by-state contests in which Republican voters choose their preferred presidential candidate, raised eyebrows. The ultimate victor will be named the Republican nominee in July, subsequently challenging the Democratic nominee, likely Joe Biden, in the November general election.

Christie, encouraged to withdraw before the upcoming New Hampshire contest, where polls suggested Haley might be narrowing the gap with Trump, stressed the urgency for Republican voters to reject the former president. Accusing Trump of “putting himself before the people of this country,” Christie implored voters to reconsider their support.

The northeastern state of New Hampshire, known for its large faction of unaffiliated voters and unpredictable outcomes, poses a potential shift in dynamics. With Christie polling at 12%, a significant portion of his supporters may now pivot towards Haley.

In response to Christie’s departure, Haley issued a statement acknowledging him as “a friend for many years” and commending his “hard-fought campaign.” However, opponents, notably DeSantis, echoed Christie’s sentiment that Haley was destined to be defeated.

Trump, in his response, suggested he might start liking Christie again after the former governor’s “very truthful statement” about Haley. The ex-president’s political action committee claimed victory, asserting that he had already defeated eight challengers before a single vote had been cast.

This marked Christie’s second unsuccessful attempt to secure the Republican nomination, having lost to Trump in 2016. His strategy in this campaign aimed to act as an attack dog for Trump’s rivals, delivering memorable moments during primary debates. However, without Trump on stage, Christie failed to land any direct blows.

Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist based in New Hampshire, commented on Christie facing political reality. “Republican voters do not want to hear the same attacks that they’ve heard from Democrats or even the media for the better part of eight years,” Bartlett observed.

New York Attorney General Seeks $370 Million Fine and Lifetime Ban for Trump Amidst Fraud Allegations

January 8, 2024 Staff ReporterNation, Nation USA 0

New York Attorney General Letitia James is urging for a $370 million penalty against former President Donald Trump and his enterprises, coupled with a permanent prohibition on Trump, as well as two of his former company executives, from involvement in the real estate sector within the state.

In post-trial motions filed on Friday concerning the Trump fraud case, lawyers from James’ office pressed for the prescribed penalties. They itemized the amounts, asserting that Trump is accountable for $168 million in interest purportedly saved through fraudulent means. This comprises $152 million from the sale of the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C., housing one of Trump’s hotels, $60 million related to the Ferry Point Golf Course contract transfer, and an additional $2.5 million from severance agreements with Allen Howard Weisselberg, the former Trump Organization chief financial officer, and Jeff McConney, the ex-Trump Organization controller.

Letitia James is additionally advocating for a lifelong prohibition on Trump, Weisselberg, and McConney from participating in the real estate industry, as well as from assuming roles as officers or directors in New York corporations or entities. The attorney general is also proposing five-year bans for Trump’s eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, under similar conditions.

The case’s summary judgment established the former president, his company, and top executives as culpable for systematic and persistent fraud in the preparation and certification of Trump’s financial statements. These statements were falsely inflated, claiming amounts between $812 million and $2.2 billion.

A separate motion filed on Friday by the defense team contends that the evidence does not substantiate an intention to defraud on Trump’s part, as well as on the part of Weisselberg and McConney. The defense lawyers argue that the attorney general’s office has not adequately proven insurance fraud and has failed to illustrate any real-world consequences. They further assert that banks conducted their own due diligence on the financial statements.

Despite the legal developments, Trump continues to vehemently deny any wrongdoing, characterizing the lawsuit as a politically motivated “witch hunt.” He has vowed to contest the judge’s ruling and emphasized his innocence in a post on Truth Social, a platform he endorsed. In the post, Trump asserted, in capital letters, “I did nothing wrong, my financial statements are great, & very conservative, the exact opposite of what the highly political & totally corrupt New York state attorney general says.”

Biden’s Critical Speech at Valley Forge: Defending Democracy Against the Threat of Trump’s Return

January 6, 2024 Staff ReporterUSA 0

In his inaugural major campaign event of 2024, President Joe Biden is set to deliver a significant speech near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on the eve of the third anniversary of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The president, deeply involved in crafting the speech, aims to convey that democracy and essential freedoms face a perilous threat if former President Donald Trump were to return to the White House. This assertion follows a series of consultations with historians and scholars at the White House, echoing themes from the 2020 campaign, which Biden characterized as “a battle for the soul of the nation.”

Biden’s speech, scheduled at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, will feature attendees motivated by the Jan. 6 attack, including young individuals inspired to engage in politics, “voter protection volunteers” from the 2020 election, and elected officials directly affected by the events of Jan. 6, 2021. The campaign strategically positions the location in the election battleground state as a “stone’s throw” from where Gen. George Washington transformed colonial militias into a unified force during the Revolutionary War nearly 250 years ago.

Campaign manager Julie-Chavez Rodriguez emphasized the historical significance, stating, “This Saturday will mark the three-year anniversary of when, with encouragement from Donald Trump, a violent mob breached our nation’s Capitol.” She added, “It was the first time in our nation’s history that a president tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.”

As the Iowa Republican primary approaches and Biden faces persistent polling challenges, there is an anticipation that he will adopt a more assertive stance against Trump. However, some Democratic strategists question the effectiveness of the “threat to democracy” message, considering the passage of three years since Jan. 6 and Trump’s tenure in the White House.

Democratic strategist James Carville emphasized the impact of daily life on public perception, stating, “People live in the economy and experience it many times a day. They don’t live on January 6th.” Meanwhile, Tim Hogan, who worked on presidential campaigns for Democratic figures, urged the Biden campaign to highlight the contrast with Trump, emphasizing the various threats posed by the former president.

Hogan referred to a recent poll indicating that 55% of Americans view Jan. 6, 2021, as an “attack on democracy that should never be forgotten,” with a majority believing Trump is likely guilty of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the election. However, he noted the growing partisan divide in views about the attack, with misinformation influencing opinions.

The poll highlighted that 25% of Americans falsely believe the FBI was responsible for the Jan. 6 attack, and partisan differences emerge regarding the nature of the pro-Trump mob’s actions. Despite these challenges, Hogan emphasized the importance of addressing the multifaceted threats posed by Trump during the campaign.

A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll from this week revealed that while Americans agree on the risk to democracy in 2024, they differ in their reasons. Democrats and independents express concern about a second Trump term, while Republicans believe democracy would weaken under another Biden term.

The speech, initially scheduled for Saturday, was rescheduled to Friday due to anticipated bad weather in Valley Forge. The campaign strategically leverages the symbolic setting to underscore Biden’s commitment to voluntarily leaving office, contrasting with Trump’s tenure. Deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks emphasized George Washington’s relinquishing of power as a crucial precedent for American democracy.

In closed-door campaign fundraisers, Biden has often referred to Trump as his “predecessor,” but Friday’s speech could see more public and robust condemnations. Biden may specifically address Trump’s anti-immigrant comments, which he characterizes as “Nazi rhetoric,” and criticize Trump’s vision of leadership involving “revenge and retribution.”

Trump, a consistent frontrunner for the Republican nomination, faces 91 criminal charges in four felony cases, one of which relates to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election loss to Biden. Despite the legal challenges, Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing.

The campaign’s choice of locations, including the speech near Valley Forge and a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, emphasizes the stakes of the upcoming election. The campaign aims to highlight the ideals of freedom and democracy on which the nation was founded 250 years ago, showcasing a commitment to stand against political violence and extremism.

The Biden campaign, in its first television ad of 2024, frames the preservation of democracy as the central issue of his presidency. Although not mentioning Trump by name, the ad warns against an “extremist movement” that contradicts the basic beliefs in democracy, showcasing images of the Capitol attack and the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017.

To prepare for the speech, the White House disclosed that Biden had lunch with historians and scholars to discuss “ongoing threats to democracy and democratic institutions both here in America and around the world.” Concurrently, Vice President Kamala Harris is embarking on a series of visits to South Carolina, where she will launch a “reproductive freedoms tour” on the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

As Trump conducts “commit to caucus” rallies in Iowa, the Biden campaign positions itself to address the overarching theme of preserving democracy, emphasizing the critical choice faced by Americans in the upcoming election.

Seeing Defeat in 2020, Trump Calls to Postpone Presidential Election

August 8, 2020 Staff ReporterPolitics, U.S. 0

With all major opinion polls showing that Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump in the upcoming Presidential election, US President Donald Trump has sought that the presidential polls in November be postponed till people can “properly, securely and safely” cast their votes. Trump, who will be seeking re-election against Democrat rival Joe Biden, alleged increased postal voting, due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, could lead to fraud and inaccurate results.
“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” he said in a series of tweets.

He also claimed that mail-in voting, as it is known in the US, would be susceptible to foreign interference. “The Dems talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race,” he said.

Trump also claimed that postal voting was “already proving to be a catastrophic disaster” in areas where it was being tried out. Several US states want to make postal voting easier due to public health concerns.

Trump has refused to back down from his suggestion that the November general election be postponed, repeating unsubstantiated predictions of widespread voter fraud amid the coronavirus pandemic and saying that large numbers of mail-in ballots might mean “you never even know who won the election.”

“I don’t want to see an election — you know, so many years I’ve been watching elections,” Trump added. “And they say the projected winner or the winner of the election. I don’t want to see that take place in a week after Nov. 3 or a month or, frankly, with litigation and everything else that could happen, in years, years, or you never even know who won the election.”

Universal mail-in voting refers to a practice where states automatically mail a ballot to all registered voters within the state — a ballot that can then be cast by mail or returned in-person to various polling sites. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, seven states — California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington — are vote-by-mail states.

Vote-by-mail is not a new practice. Oregon became the first state to adopt this practice in 2000. Since then, the state has provided over 100 million mail-in ballots to voters since 2000. It has only documented 12 cases of fraud.

Trump does not have the power to reschedule voting. Election dates are set by statute dating to 1845, and no U.S. presidential election has ever been postponed. Trump’s call for a delay is an outrageous break with American faith in democracy.

This year won’t be the first time Americans have voted amid disruption and crisis. U.S. democracy has functioned through wars and previous public health emergencies, as history shows. A trio of federal laws set Election Day for presidential electors, senators, and US representatives as “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November.” If Republicans want to change this law, they would need to go through the Democratic House.

The 20th Amendment, moreover, provides that “the terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January.” Thus, even if the election were somehow canceled, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence’s terms would still expire as scheduled — although, as explained below, the question of who would succeed them is devilishly complicated.

Congress has set the date of House and Senate elections for “the Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November.” Neither Trump nor any state official has the power to alter this date. Only a subsequent act of Congress could do so.

The picture for presidential elections is slightly more complicated. A federal statute does provide that “the electors of President and Vice President shall be appointed, in each State, on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November,” so states must choose members of the Electoral College on the same day as a congressional election takes place.

The thing that could threaten Biden’s potential presidency — and the ability of the country to move on from what will be one of the nastiest elections in modern history — is if Trump simply refuses to admit he lost, never conceding that Biden is the fair-and-square president.
And that, judging by Trump’s long history of refusing to ever acknowledge defeat, and instead claiming he was cheated out of victory by nefarious forces, is not only a possible outcome but a likely one if the incumbent comes up short this fall.

Joe Biden said that he believes if President Donald Trump loses the election and refuses to leave the White House, many of the former generals who used to work for him “will escort him from the White House with great dispatch.”
The president’s extraordinary proposal, which he is not constitutionally empowered to enforce, represented another attempt by Trump at floating a suspension of the election less than 100 days away.

Hibiscus Tea Glazed Shortbread Cookies (Eggless) By Certina Romel

August 4, 2020 Staff ReporterAmmu's Hearty Treats 0

This is a melt-in-a-mouth cookie with a little tartness and lovely hues from wonderful hibiscus flowers. You’ll love making it as much as you’ll love having it with your family. How I developed this recipe- I’m in Kerala and last day my mom was talking about the medicinal properties of hibiscus flowers and how we kids used to love our grand mom’s hibiscus chutney and were amazed by it’s beautiful pink colour, which she used to make quite often to make us finish our breakfast plates filled with tiny dosas/idlis. Hearing about how good it is for our health and remembering how pretty that pink color was I decided to search for a sweet recipe that too a melt-in-mouth butter cookie recipe, so that my sweet-toothed family would love it. That’s the story of this lovely cookie.. What’s special about this recipe- Health benefits of hibiscus- These are numerous.. Hibiscus tea, which is basically brewed from dried hibiscus flowers, being packed with anti-oxidants, helps lower body fat levels, blood pressure and even helps in preventing cancer. It’s quite flavourful and fights bacteria too. This easy-to-brew tea promotes liver health as well. No artificial colours- The natural pretty pink color that I had mentioned in the initial paragraphs comes from the concentration of hibiscus tea itself and thus this additive-free cookie is a bliss in every way. What you’ll need- For the cookies-

1/4 dried hibiscus flowers, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup softened butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the glaze-

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon loose dried hibiscus flowers (tea)
1/4 cup water

How to make- For the cookies- . Preheat the oven to 325 Fahrenheit.. Whisk together flour, salt & cinnamon in a bowl.. Cream together the butter until the sugar has almost dissolved, the mixture should be pale and fluffy.. Add vanilla and blend it in.. Keeping the mixture on a low stir, add in the dry ingredients and stir-in until well-incorporated.. Gently stir-in the chopped hibiscus to incorporate as well.. Gently gather the dough on a floured surface and shape it into a cylindrical log.. Cut it into half inch circles (~ 17-21 cookies).. Bake on a parchment lined tray for 16 to 18 minutes.. Wait to cool down. For the glaze- . Brew the hibiscus flowers in boiling water until well concentrated as shown in the figure.. Once it has cooled down, whisk it up into the powdered sugar until lump free.. Dip half part of the cookies in it and wait to cool for atleast half an hour to set before having or storing in an airtight container. Notes, tips and suggestions- . I you don’t have home-dried hibiscus flowers you could easily find it online or in almost any Trader Joe’s store.. If the dough is not easily coming together due to stickiness, you could refrigerate it for a while before forming a log.

“There has never been a better time to invest in India:” PM Modi Tells During Keynote Address at the India Ideas Summit

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterIndia, Politics, U.S. 0

“There has never been a better time to invest in India,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while delivered a keynote address at the India Ideas Summit on July 22^nd, 2020, hosted by the US-India Business Council (USIBC). In the virtual summit, which brought together senior officials from the Government of India and the United States to set the post-pandemic economic recovery agenda, PM Modi invited US businesses to invest in various economic sectors of India.

“Global economic resilience can be achieved by stronger domestic economic capacities,” Modi said, while pointing that “India is contributing towards a prosperous and resilient world through the clarion call of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat.’” Describing India as the emerging land of opportunities, Modi said, India-US partnership can play an important role in helping the world bounce back faster after the pandemic.

The theme for this year’s Summit was ‘Building a Better Future’. Prime Minister congratulated USIBC on its 45th anniversary this year. He thanked the USIBC leadership for their commitment to advancing India-US economic partnership.

Modi talked about the need to place the poor and the vulnerable at the core of growth agenda. He underlined that ‘Ease of Living’ is as important as ‘Ease of Business’. He said that the pandemic has reminded us of the importance of resilience of the global economy against external shocks, which can be achieved by stronger domestic economic capacities.

India offers a perfect combination of openness, opportunities and options Prime Minister said that there is global optimism towards India because it offers a perfect combination of openness, opportunities and options. He noted that in the last six years, efforts have been undertaken to make our economy more open and reform oriented, adding that reforms have ensured competitiveness, enhanced transparency, expanded digitization, greater innovation and more policy stability.

Citing a recent report, Prime Minister said that there are more rural internet users than urban internet users. Hailing India as a land of opportunities, he said there are about half a billion active internet users in the country now, while there are over half a billion more people who are being connected. He also mentioned opportunities in the frontier technologies of 5G, Big Data analytics, Quantum Computing, Block-chain and Internet of Things.

Extensive opportunities to invest across sectors Prime Minister underlined that there are extensive opportunities to invest in a variety of sectors in India. He talked about the historic reforms recently undertaken in the agriculture sector and said that there are opportunities to invest in areas including agriculture inputs and machinery, agriculture supply chain, food processing sector, fisheries and organic produce.

Noting that the healthcare sector in India is growing faster than 22% every year and the progress of Indian companies in production of medical-technology, tele-medicine and diagnostics, he said that now is the best time to expand investment in Indian healthcare sector. Prime Minister listed several other sectors which offer tremendous opportunities to invest, viz. the energy sector; infrastructure creation including building houses, roads, highways and ports; civil aviation, wherein top private Indian airlines plan to include over a thousand new aircrafts over the coming decade, thus opening up opportunity for any investor who chooses to set up manufacturing facilities in India, and also through setting up of Maintenance Repair and Operations facilities.

He mentioned that India is raising the FDI cap for investment in defence sector to 74%, two defence corridors have been established to encourage production of defense equipment and platforms, and added that special incentives are offered for private and foreign investors. He also mentioned pathbreaking reforms being undertaken in the space sector.

Inviting investment in finance and insurance, Prime Minister said that India has raised the FDI cap for investment in insurance to 49% and 100% FDI is permitted for investment in insurance intermediaries. He noted that there are large untapped opportunities for increasing insurance cover in health, agriculture, business and life insurance.

Rising investments in India Prime Minister talked about India’s rise in Ease of Doing Business rankings of the World Bank. He underlined that each year, India is reaching record highs in FDI, adding that FDI inflows in India in 2019-20 were 74 billion dollars, which is an increase of 20% over the previous year.

He highlighted that even during the pandemic, India has attracted foreign investment of more than 20 billion dollars between April and July this year. Best time to invest in India Prime Minister said that India has what is needed to power the global economic recovery. He noted that India’s rise means a rise in trade opportunities with a nation that can be trusted, a rise in global integration with increasing openness, a rise in competitiveness with access to a market which offers scale, and a rise in returns on investment with the availability of skilled human resources.

Stating USA and India as natural partners, he said this partnership can play an important role in helping the world bounce back faster after the pandemic. Reaching out to the American investors, he said that there has never been a better time to invest in India.

“This year’s summit, “Building a Better Future,” featured a series of conversations that explore how U.S.-India partnerships — and the governments, businesses and institutions that sustain them — have been instrumental to combating the health and economic challenges of COVID-19,” said Nisha Biswal, President of USIBC. “We’ve also focused on how the U.S.-India corridor can leverage post-pandemic opportunities to support a more secure and sustainable world. The 2020 conference brings together thought leaders to discuss shared challenges in areas like geopolitics, inclusive economic growth and job creation, supply chain integrity, the digital divide and resilient infrastructure development.”

Will Dr. Manny Sethi Win GOP Primary for US Senate Seat in Tennessee Against Trump’s Endorsement for His Opponent?

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterPolitics, U.S. 0

A Republican primary win by Dr. Manny Sethi might not be quite as big of a political upset in Tennessee as Bill Lee’s primary win was two years ago, but it might not be far from it.Sethi, a trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who is the son of Indian-American immigrants, is trying to do the same thing Lee: campaign as an outsider and political newcomer, and upset a well-entrenched insider. Lee did it against Randy Boyd in his successful campaign for governor in 2018; Sethi is trying to do it against Bill Hagerty for the U.S. Senate.President Donald Trump’s endorsement clout will get another test in the Aug. 6 open Republican U.S. Senate primary in Tennessee. Bill Hagerty, Trump’s former ambassador to Japan, has the president’s endorsement in a race against Manny Sethi, a Nashville trauma surgeon who doesn’t disagree with Trump on a whole lot, either — other than his preference of candidate. So far, the contest for the GOP nomination has revolved around who would be a more fitting right-hand man for Trump in Washington.The 41-year-old Indian American Republican entered the race in June 2019 after Sen. Alexander’s late 2018 announcement that he will not seek a fourth term. He is a surgeon and associate professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the director of Vanderbilt Orthopedic Center for Health Policy.More than a dozen are running for the seat’s Republican nomination: Sethi, Clifford Adkins, Matisha Brooks, Byron Bush, Roy Dale Cope, Terry Dicus, Jim Elkins, Tom Emerson, Jr., George S. Flinn, Jr., Bill Hagerty, Jon Henry, Klent A. Morrell, Glen L. Neal, Jr., John E. Osborne, Aaron L. Pettigrew, Johnny JJ Presly and David Shuster.An internal poll shared by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi indicated that he is close to Bill Hagerty in the race for outgoing U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander’s seat. According the internal poll results shared from Sethi’s office, Hagerty leads the race by a 2% lead as the August primary election approaches for the state. Hagerty has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.“We can’t let up now,” Sethi said in a press release. “We have moved over 20 points in the polls this past month. Voters are responding to our conservative message of standing up to the left wing mobs and defending America.”Sethi, a Nashville surgeon, Sethi has run a preventative health nonprofit, Healthy Tennessee, and co-edited a book on health policy with former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, also a former Vanderbilt surgeon from Tennessee.Trump tweeted an endorsement for Hagerty on July 12, 2019. “I have had the benefit of working with President Trump for a long time,” said Hagerty, in a June interview with The Daily Herald. “I appreciate the fact that President Trump takes my input. If I have something I want to discuss with him, whether he agrees with me or not, we sit and talk about it. I do not issue a press release. I do not go on TV and complain about it. I talk with him about it. I have the ability to do that.He was part of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign brain trust and served as his ambassador to Japan. “The grassroots momentum of this campaign is growing,” Sethi said last week when announcing the opening of additional campaign offices across the state. “This campaign is powered by conservatives all across Tennessee. With seven offices across the state, we’re going to continue to connect with activists from Mountain City to Memphis who are hungry for a conservative to represent our values in the United States Senate.”In late June, the Associated Press reported that the Conservative Outsiders PAC, funded with $100,000 from David Ingram, Sethi’s campaign state finance chairman and president of a large distribution company, sent to more than 300,000 Republican activists a video attacking Hagerty.The group also set up an anti-Hagerty website and shared plans for more videos, ads on multiple platforms. In response, Hagerty’s campaign didn’t mention the attack or Sethi, and instead continued to direct focus to Trump’s endorsement. “Now more than ever, we have to support the president,” Sethi said. He added that America “is the greatest country on earth. Don’t let anybody, anywhere, ever tell you different. My family’s story, my personal story, is a testament to that.”But, he added, America does have some pressing issues, chief among them being the rioting that is taking place across the nation in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers that have since been criminally charged and jailed.“We have this mob that is burning, rioting, looting in the streets,” Sethi said. “If anybody says anything, they call you a racist. And these weak-kneed Republicans in Washington, they won’t take them on. If I am your U.S. Senator, we will take them on.” With less than two weeks remaining before the final votes are counted, all the indications are that momentum is shifting to Sethi.

With Less Than 100 Days To 2020 Election, Trump Is Behind In A State No Republican Has Won The Presidency Without In 96 Years

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterPolitics, U.S. 0

The indisputable fact that the polls in Florida favor Biden ought to be considered one of the greatest warning indicators but for Trump’s fledgling marketing campaign. Yes, we nonetheless have less than 100 days to go, and historical past does counsel that the hole in Florida may shut. Still, Florida is most likely the bellwether state that almost all meets the definition of “must win” for Trump if he desires to be elected to a second time period, and he is dropping there.

A new CNN/SSRS poll finds that former Vice President Joe Biden leads in the state of Florida by a 51% to 46% margin over President Donald Trump among registered voters. The CNN poll follows a Quinnipiac University poll released earlier this week, which showed Biden with a 51% to 38% lead.
Trump hasn’t led in a single Florida poll since early March. The fact that the polls in Florida favor Biden should be one of the biggest warning signs yet for Trump’s fledgling campaign. Yes, we still have 100 days to go, and history does suggest that the gap in Florida could close.

Still, Florida is probably the bellwether state that most meets the definition of “must win” for Trump if he wants to be elected to a second term, and he is losing there. No Republican has won the presidency without Florida since Calvin Coolidge in 1924.

Moreover, it’s a state that leans a little bit to the right of the nation. The last time the state voted more Democratic than the nation as a whole in a presidential election was 1976. The fact that Trump is down here by an average of 8 points in high quality live interview polls since June 1 suggests he is down significantly nationally.

Biden, on the other hand, has a clear path to 270 electoral votes without Florida. Biden has held 6 to 12 point leads in polls released this week from Michigan and Pennsylvania. This includes 6 point and 12 point advantages in Michigan from CBS News/YouGov and CNN/SSRS polls respectively released on Sunday. High quality polls from June gave Biden an average 10-point lead in Wisconsin. If Biden adds all of those states to his column plus the 232 electoral votes from the states Hillary Clinton won in 2016, he gets to 278 electoral votes.

Winning Florida gives Biden a lot of backup options given that it’s worth 29 electoral votes. If Biden adds the 29 electoral votes from Florida to the states Clinton took in 2016, he gets 261 electoral votes. Biden would need just 9 electoral votes more to get an electoral college majority. He could add any other state that Trump won in 2016 by 9.0 points or less.

As I noted a few months ago, Florida is geographically and demographically diverse from the Great Lake battleground states. If Biden stumbles in the mostly White Great Lake swing states, he could conceivably hold onto Florida and add on the diverse swing state of Arizona. Biden has consistently been ahead in Arizona, and he was up 4 and 5 points in the latest CNN/SSRS and NBC News/Marist College polls out Sunday.

Additionally, Biden could just win one of those Great Lake battleground states and Florida to get to 270 electoral votes. Biden could, for example, add Michigan (16 electoral votes) to his column, and it would be enough. Biden has held the advantage in every single nonpartisan poll in Michigan since early March.
Perhaps as importantly for Democrats, the polling in Florida has generally been accurate at the end of the campaign. There hasn’t been an error like there was in the Great Lakes in 2016. The final Florida polls from CNN have been within 3 points of the outcome in every presidential election since 2008. The same holds true for the gubernatorial and Senate elections in 2018.
With Biden’s polling lead being as wide as it is right now in the Sunshine State, the past accuracy of the final polls suggest he really is ahead right now.

The good news for Trump is that history does indicate how difficult it would be for Biden to win the state by a large margin. The last time a Democrat won the state by more than 6 points was 1948. No candidate from either party has won the state by more than 6 points since 1992.
(That’s an even longer streak for close elections than the infamous bellwether of Ohio. Unlike Florida, Ohio really isn’t a bellwether state anymore as indicated by Trump’s 1-point advantage in a CBS News/YouGov poll out on Sunday. Biden was up 10 points in a national CBS News/YouGov poll also released Sunday.)

Overall the point is that we shouldn’t be surprised if the margin in Florida closes down the stretch. That’s exactly what happened in the 2018 midterms, when Republican candidates for governor and Senate squeaked out wins by less than a point. But for now, Florida is emblematic of larger challenges Trump faces. It’s been a state ravaged by the coronavirus, which has almost certainly contributed to Trump’s problems in the state.

Doug Sosnik, one of the top political analysts in America, framed it in this colorful way: “Watching Donald Trump running for reelection is like watching an old Austin Powers movie. Both Austin and Trump walk around without a shred of self-awareness, without a clue as to how the world has changed around them. Trump is starring in a rerun of his 2016 campaign in a different country than the one that elected him president.”

The polling numbers from WSJ/NBC News, the Pew Research Center and Gallup tell the story of why Trump needs an ideological culture war to win this election. Eighty percent of Americans believe the country is out of control, 65% think the coronavirus is getting worse, only 19% of Republican voters are satisfied with the way things are going in our country, 72% of all voters believe the country is on the wrong track, Trump’s job approval can barely break 40% driven by the public dissatisfaction of his handling of the coronavirus and Joe Biden holds a steady and significant lead in all public polls.

Every quantitative signal and historical precedent points to a surefire loss for the President in November. Now, most people looking at the numbers 97 days out, including me, made the same judgment in 2016 — Trump couldn’t win. He trailed in most public polls for the entire general election and he did lose the national popular vote, yet he was elected with a solid electoral college victory.

Trump likely can’t win if he doesn’t turn around his low approval ratings on the coronavirus. His approval rating in Florida on the issue is just 42% among registered voters in the latest CNN poll. Were that to remain the case through Election Day, Biden’s likely the next President.

Republicans Unveil $1 Trillion COVID Stimulus Proposal

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterPolitics, U.S. 0

Senate Republicans on Monday formally unveiled their stimulus proposal, which will serve as an opening bid ahead of bipartisan negotiations with Democrats as lawmakers scramble to respond to the ongoing economic and public health crisis sparked by the pandemic.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor, “The American people need more help,” and that the GOP proposal will be called the HEALS Act, an acronym for Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools.” McConnell announced that a series of GOP committee chairmen will roll out the component parts of the legislation shortly. “Just like in March with the CARES Act, Senate Republicans have authored another bold framework to help our nation. So now we need our Democratic colleagues to reprise their part as well,” McConnell said, calling on them to “put aside partisan stonewalling,” and “rediscover the sense of urgency that got the CARES Act across the finish line.” The Senate Republican proposal will sit around $1 trillion and include $105 billion for schools, a second round of direct payments to individuals and families, $16 billion in new money for testing, a second, more targeted round of forgivable small business loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, a myriad of tax incentives for employers to rehire, retain and retrofit their offices for employees. It will also include Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s redline: liability protections for businesses, schools, hospitals and non-profits. The plan includes a $400 cut in enhanced unemployment benefits, and will serve as an opening bid for bipartisan negotiations with Democrats while Congress scrambles to respond to the economic and public health crisis sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. It will also cut enhanced federal unemployment benefits — set to expire at the end of this week — to $200, from the current level of $600, as states transition to implement a system designed to provide approximately 70% wage replacement for laid off workers, according to two people familiar with the proposal. McConnell has said that he hopes that in the next two to three weeks the Senate will be able to get the next coronavirus relief bill to the House. Democrats are already unified behind their own opening offer — a $3 trillion proposal that passed the House back in May. The GOP plan had originally been expected to be released last week, but was delayed amid disputes and holdups. Hard-fought negotiations are expected ahead given that Democrats and Republicans are far away from each other in terms of both topline numbers as well as specifics in their proposals. Republicans have also faced division within their own ranks as they have worked to put together a proposal, and some GOP senators are wary of spending more money on top of the trillions of coronavirus aid that lawmakers have already enacted. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said on Monday that he expects “significant resistance” from Republicans to the GOP stimulus bill. “There is significant resistance to yet another trillion dollars. The answer to these challenges will not simply be shoveling cash out of Washington, the answer to these challenges will be getting people back to work. And as it stands now, I think it’s likely that you’ll see a number of Republicans in opposition to this bill and expressing serious concerns,” he said. Democrats put forward their stimulus plan earlier in the year, with the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passing the $3 trillion HEROES Act in May, but Republicans have struggled to answer it with legislation of their own, failing to share their plan as promised last week. Passing the bill — which will involve striking a deal with Democrats — is a deeply urgent matter for Congress. McConnell, on Monday following the roll out of the GOP stimulus proposal, described the plan as “a starting place,” acknowledging that Democrats will be needed to get anything to the President’s desk and that more negotiations lay ahead. “Every bill has to start somewhere. Republicans are in the majority in the Senate. This is a starting place. You’ll have plenty of stories to cover along the way as we have these discussions back and forth across party lines and with the administration,” he said.

‘Gang’ in Bollywood is Working Against A R Rahman, Not Letting Him Curate Music For Hindi Films

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterEntertainment, India 0

World renowned Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman says that a ‘gang’ of people in the Hindi film industry is preventing him from making music for the Hindi movie audience. The highly talented musician has composed music for thousands of songs in Hindi and other regional languages, including the songs for Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara that streamed on Disney+Hotstar recently.

In his latest interview with Radio Mirchi recently, Rahman said that when director Mukesh Chhabra came to him for the music of Dil Bechara, he told him that many people had asked to not approach him and that was when he realised that even though he wants to work for the Hindi audience, a few people in the industry are not happy about it. Also Read – SSR Case: PM Modi ‘Acknowledges’ Subramanian Swamy’s Letter Requesting For a CBI Inquiry

Rahman was quoted saying, “I don’t say no to good movies, but I think there is a gang, which, due to misunderstandings, is spreading some false rumors. When Mukesh Chhabra came to me, I gave him four songs in two days. He told me, ‘Sir, how many people said don’t go, don’t go to him (AR Rahman) and they told me stories after stories.’ I heard that, and I realized, yeah okay, now I understand why I am doing less (work in Hindi films) and why the good movies are not coming to me. I am doing dark movies, because there is a whole gang working against me, without them knowing that they are doing harm.”

The celebrated musician added that he doesn’t mind it because he believes in the power of destiny. The legendary music composer said that he wants everyone to know that he’s happy to create music for Hindi films and filmmakers should not hesitate before approaching him. Also Read – Dil Bechara Movie News: AR Rahman Mentions ‘Memories of Sushant’ as Film’s Soundtrack Released last week.

“People are expecting me to do stuff, but there is another gang of people preventing that from happening. It is fine, because I believe in destiny, and I believe that everything comes from God. So, I am taking my movies and doing my other stuff. But all of you are welcome to come to me. Make beautiful movies, and you are welcome to come to me,” he explained.

Rahman’s account of groupism in Bollywood supports the narrative that irrespective of the talent of any artist in the industry, a select few allegedly powerful people in the Hindi film industry control fates of artists. The ace music composer has been winning acclaim for his latest score in Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film Dil Bechara, directed by Mukesh Chhabra. Rahman realized the lack of offers from Bollywood when Chhabra approached him and narrated allegedly false “stories” about him that have been circulating in the industry.

Reposting a tweet shared by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, Rahman stated that he believes in peace and that is the time to maneuver on. The celebrated musician stated that all the things comes again however not the time that’s spent in doing frivolous issues.

Kapur had shared a chunk of reports that quoted Rahman’s assertion about not getting quite a lot of work within the Hindi movie business. Whereas sharing the identical on Twitter, he wrote, “Misplaced Cash comes again, fame comes again, however the wasted prime time of our lives won’t ever come again. Peace! Lets transfer on. We have now larger issues to do.

Recently, Rahman and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur have joined hands with life coach Shayamal Vallabhjee to create awareness on mental health and promote positive mental wellbeing. After the demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, many celebs have come forward and spoke at length about mental health and their battles with depression. Talking about the same, South Africa based sports scientist Vallabhjee said in a statement about his show In Pursuit of Balance. AR Rahman, who has composed hundreds of songs in several languages in a career spanning three decades, recently co-wrote and produced the film 99 Songs, for which he has also designed the original score. He has won the National Awards six times while he has twice won at the Oscars and the Grammys (all four for his work on 2008’s film Slumdog Millionaire).

Top Technologist Simplifies Ventilator By Inventing An Affordable Design

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Science & Technology, U.S. 0

Ravinder Pal Singh, shies away from attention, despite the fact that he’s one of the world’s most sought out experts in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Innovation and Robotics. Ravinder Pal Singh (Ravi), is an award winning Technologist, Rescue Pilot and Angel Investor with several patents. As an inventor, engineer, investor, highly sought global speaker and storyteller, his body of work focuses on making a difference within acute constraints of culture and cash, mostly via commodity technology. Ravi’s latest invention is arguably the world’s most affordable ventilator and what has fuelled him, in his own words, is – “Fear of human contact is not sustainable for civilization. Everyone has to contribute to overcome this fatigue and fatality of fear”.

His latest visionary creation is a blueprint to help humanity in the fight for survival against one of the most challenging health crises in the recent past. The impact of COVID-19 has prompted a reluctant but much needed change. According to Ravi, the cost of life should not come at the price of lifestyle. Intent for compassion has to translate into actual actions by everyone and everywhere and every day.

Disparity and imbalance take resources away from most people to live a basic life, so a minority can afford an expensive (lavish) lifestyle, and this is no longer sustainable. Secondly, the world, till now, has been driven by collaboration of conflict (potential of war) and/or economics (fiscal prudence), which should be changed towards collaboration to survive, keeping health as a priority. Healthcare infrastructures across countries needs to be revisited and global uniformity has to be established.

Thirdly, how we design our lives – places where we live, places where we work, places where we interact – should all change. The glorification of creating mega cities is no longer sustainable. In fact, the history of the demise of past civilizations has a commonality of 4 factors — A combination of an epidemic plus population movements plus the pressure urbanization put on rural lifestyles as well as climate change. There is still merit in non-political Gandhian theories based on – De-centralization and Micro Markets, Rural development (ideal cluster of villages), Self-sufficiency while living harmoniously with nature and a greater equity or “distributive justice via creating institutions than solely profit driven businesses.

The inspiration for Ravi’s latest invention came from his own experience at the frontlines. The world faces a severe and acute public health emergency due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. It is a stark truth that COVID-19 can require patients to be on ventilators for significant periods of time and that hospitals can only accommodate a finite number of patients at once. Ventilator shortages are an unfortunate reality as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to worsen globally.

Ventilators are expensive pieces of machinery to maintain, store and operate. They also require ongoing monitoring by health-care professionals. To solve the above situation, Ravi has invented and prototyped an affordable ventilator for all, using a minimalistic design which can be easily operated by anyone. The key design element is the ability to build it quickly for mass production so governments around the world can encourage existing industrial setups and start-ups to manufacture them locally to help save lives.

Ravi was baffled with the thought of why one would require an engineering degree to design, produce and manufacture a ventilator. He has built two different working prototypes on common platform design.

The first version is the simplest and is an extremely portable ventilator, one which is intuitive, can be used by anyone and fundamentally takes air from the atmosphere, extracts oxygen, controls pressure and pushes the output to the lungs. The second one is an advanced version of this particular ventilator.

It is on a similar design platform which converges artificial intelligence with electrical, mechanical, electronics and instrumentation, with the capability to supply pure oxygen. It has self calibration capabilities, a machine learning algorithm to adjust the air flow according to the needs and the resistive nature of the lungs of any patient. Both of them are based on common platform design thinking and that’s the real beauty of his patented design and platform thinking. The reason to work and produce outcomes has become purified through the stark reality of death. Driving Ravi’s imagination and the core to all of his inventions is the burning desire to create a meaningful body of work through compassion oriented design and architectural forms.

Ravinder Pal Singh (Ravi) is a Harvard Alumni and Award Winning Engineer with over several hundred Global Recognitions and Patents. His body of work, mostly 1st in the world, is making a difference within acute constraints of culture and cash via commodity technology. He has been acknowledged as one of the world’s top 10 Robotics Designers, #1 Artificial Intelligence Leaders in Asia and featured as one of the world’s top 25 CIOs. Ravi is currently employed as the Chief Innovation and Information Officer at Tata Singapore Airlines (Vistara). Ravi is the advisor to a board of nine enterprises where incubation and differentiation is a core necessity and challenge. He sits on the advisory council of three global research firms where he contributes in predicting practical future automation use cases and respective technologies.email: [email protected]: www.ravinps.com

Apple Starts Making First Flagship Iphone In Chennai, India

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Science & Technology, U.S. 0

In a major major boost to the Indian government’s Made in India initiative, Apple has started manufacturing one of its flagship devices, the iPhone 11, in Chennai’s Foxconn plant. Notably, this is the first time Apple has manufactured a top-of-the-line model in India, reports ET. Prior to this, the Cupertino-based tech giant had started assembling the iPhone XR in the country’s Foxconn plant. Apple manufacturer Foxconn has started building iPhone 11 units in a facility near Chennai in India, TechCrunch reported, the first time Apple has made one of its top-tier phones in that country. Apple has manufactured lower-priced iPhone models in India since 2017, and reportedly has been considering moving production of its more premium models there for some time.

India was the second-biggest smartphone market in the world in 2019, ahead of the US and second only to China. According to TechCrunch, Apple plans to scale up production in India, which would in turn reduce how much it depends on China, where most of its iPhones are currently made. And while Apple tops the premium smartphone market in India, it has only about a 1 percent share of the total smartphone market there. The iPhone’s price puts it out of reach for many consumers in India.

By selling locally-made devices in India, Apple would be able to avoid a 20 percent import duty that India imposes on foreign-made electronics. It’s not clear whether the devices are being manufactured for sale within India only, or for the broader worldwide market.

The local assembly of Apple iPhones would be beneficial for buyers in many ways. The Made in India units won’t cost as much as the imported devices as the company will not have to pay a 20 percent tax that is required to import the smartphones from its global manufacturing facilities. The ET report states that the production of the iPhone 11 will be done in phases and one of Apple’s largest suppliers, Foxconn will make an investment of 1 billion dollars to expand its plant in Tamil Nadu over the next couple of years. Apple currently has three major suppliers for its iPhone models Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron. And not just Foxconn, Pegatron too has plans to invest big in India.

“We are fully pushing ahead with the next steps there (in India), and maybe in a few months’ time, we can reveal on our website the next steps and report back to everyone. We’ll have a further investment there,” Liu Young-Way, Chairman of Foxconn, has said during the company’s Annual General Meeting held in June 2020. Now coming back to the Apple iPhone 11, it is one of the most popular Apple smartphones in India. Cheapest in the iPhone 11 series, the Apple iPhone 11 sells in India for Rs 68,300 for the 64GB variant, whereas the 128GB variant is priced at Rs 73,600 and iPhone 11 256GB costs Rs 84,100 in India. Earlier this year, Apple had increased the price of its iPhone by over 5 percent due to an increase in customs duty and Goods and Services Tax (GST).

2nd Wave of Covid 19 Witnessed Around the World

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, U.S. 0

While India continues to reel under Covid-19, a number of places that were once seen as the gold standard for pandemic responses are now also seeing surges in cases, as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world unabated.

Australia’s hard-hit Victoria state on Monday posted a new daily record of 532 new Covid cases, and Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews warned that a lockdown in the city of Melbourne will continue if infected people continue to go to work instead of staying home. Melbourne is almost half way through a six-week lockdown aimed at curbing community spread of the coronavirus. Mask wearing in Australia’s second-largest city became compulsory last week.Meanwhile, Hong Kong is locking down yet again amid its third wave. Hong Kong banned gatherings of more than two people, closed down restaurant dining and introduced mandatory face masks in public places, including outdoors.

And Japan, which has not imposed lockdowns, just recorded its highest daily infection rate yet, just before the weekend. Also, Vietnam is evacuating 80,000 people, mostly local tourists, from Danang after three residents tested positive at the weekend. Until Saturday, the country had reported no community infections since April.

In Europe, parts of Spain, which brought a virulent outbreak to heel this spring with strict measures, are closing down again as infections soar. In fact, a surge in infections in Spain prompted Britain to order all travellers from there to quarantine for two weeks, wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of people.

And the Czech Republic, which held a ‘farewell party’ to the pandemic just weeks ago, is experiencing a new jump in cases linked to a Prague nightclub. The Czech government, on Monday, announced an overhaul of its much-criticised ‘smart quarantine’ system of tracking and isolating contacts of people with Covid as it battles the spike in new infections.

Finally, China had managed to squelch local transmission through firm lockdowns after the virus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year. But a new surge has been driven by infections in the far western region of Xinjiang. In the northeast, Liaoning province reported a fifth straight day of new infections and Jilin province reported two new cases, its first since late May.

So even with the most well-intentioned, widespread restrictions, it seems the virus is not going away anytime soon. And until there is a vaccine, governments may be forced to rely on the strategy of “suppress and lift” — coined by Hong Kong authorities — whereby rules are relaxed and then swiftly reinforced at the first sign of new spikes. The Covid map of India has transformed this month, with the virus having reached almost all the districts and cases growing fast. While the pressure seems to be easing in early hotspots like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, roughly half the country’s districts now have more than 500 cases each. Of them, about 200 have more than 1,000 cases each, and there has been at least one Covid death in almost 80% of the districts. Many of these emerging hotspots have scanty health infrastructure and managing an explosion of cases could prove beyond their capabilities. Already, cases in 11 districts are growing at double-digit rates.

Should schools reopen? Balancing COVID-19 and learning loss for young children By Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Michael Yogman, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Health, U.S. 0

Sadly, there is no risk-free decision about school reopening: Decisionmakers must balance the risks of children contracting and/or spreading COVID-19 with counteracting risks of children falling academically behind and being deprived of social relationships from in-school learning. Decisions as to whether students should return to school in person must be tailored to fit each specific community, school district, and even grade within school. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine this week released a report focused on younger children. Their advice? Open schools for children in kindergarten through fifth grade with well-funded safety measures in place. On the one hand, there is much scientific data to suggest that even our youngest children have already lost academic and social readiness during the COVID-19 slump. This is even more true for children from underserved communities. Science tells us that social relationships with friends and teachers are essential for social and academic learning during early childhood. Children learn, love, and thrive best when interacting with other adults and children. For example, research shows that strong language skills are born in the context of conversations with other people. Interactions between young children, their peers, and adults—real interactions—literally mold areas of the brain that support social bonding, language, and the seeds of literacy. Put simply, social relationships play a critical role in learning and child development. On the other hand, with respect to public health, there is much that we do not know. Data are still evolving and are sometimes contradictory on 1) the level of health risk children with COVID-19 personally face; 2) whether children are more likely to be asymptomatic shedders; and 3) whether children are likely to spread COVID-19 to teachers and parents. According to a recent report based on international data, countries like Denmark and Germany have had fairly safe results. This is to be contrasted with data out of Israel suggesting that school reopening created a spike in cases. It remains unclear what factors (i.e., timing of reopening with respect to national COVID-19 trajectories and other cultural factors) drive these differences. A new study out of Korea examined 65,000 people and concluded that even younger children do catch and spread the virus. Those under 10 are roughly half as contagious. A true unknown is whether the virus has lasting effects on children as they grow up. Importantly, we have yet to know whether young children can follow the safety mandates. Try to envision a group of 4-year olds really keeping a mask on throughout the day. It is as baffling as imagining a team of 3-year-olds who can truly keep six feet apart? Ask any parent or early childhood educator: Preschoolers are not well known for following rules. So, what is a parent to do? What is a teacher to do? What policies should guide decisions about whether, and if so, how to open school? This is the balancing act. In two pieces, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that for young children, returning to school with the right provisions in place would be optimal. In an amendment to their post, they write: “Returning to school is important for the healthy development and well-being of children, but we must pursue reopening in a way that is safe for all students, teachers, and staff.” There is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for reopening, and significant resources will be required. Local conditions are paramount. These include the prevalence of the virus in the community, the health risks for staff (both teachers and custodial staff), whether adequate financial resources are provided for schools to disinfect classrooms, students and employees are screened for symptoms, and academic spaces are reconfigured, such as by setting up tented learning areas for outdoor classes. The risk-benefit calculus is also influenced by individual characteristics associated with student needs. Importantly, children from underserved communities—who are disproportionately racial minorities and immigrants—as well as children with food insecurity and special needs, often receive services that are only provided through schools. The bottom line is that the answer is just not as black and white as many in the media lead us to believe. Decisions about whether and how to reopen schools require a delicate balance of dynamic factors. Surely with such complicated decisions, a scientific response rather than a political one is in order. The scientific data about how children are affected by and spread COVID-19 are accumulating before our eyes. While the health risks are real, they must be balanced with the scientific consensus that children must be around other people. The optimal way for schools to strike this balance is not yet known. But if we empower decisionmakers with the scientific evidence, and update them as it accumulates, we can at least make informed decisions about how to keep our children safe while also feeding them the psychological nutrients to develop in a healthy way.

Coronavirus is preventable, not treatable till vaccine found BY FAKIR BALAJI

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, India 0

With no sign of the pandemic flattening the curve, as evident from the daily surge in positive cases across the country, Bengaluru-based eminent pediatric cardiologist Vijayalakshmi I. Balekundri said Coronavirus is preventable but not treatable till its vaccine is found.
In an exclusive interview to IANS, the Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute Emeritus Professor said the only way to avoid getting infected is to wear mask, wash hands and maintain physical distance because prevention is better than cure till a vaccine is found to treat the deadly disease. Excerpts:
Q: Why and how different is Covid-19 from other viruses?
A: Corona viruses are not a living organism like bacteria or fungus. They are non-living large, lipid capsule enveloped and positive-stranded RNA viruses. Like other viruses, the novel Coronavirus tries to burrow into a cell and turns it into a virus-replicating factory. If it succeeds, it can produce an infection in throat, respiratory system, heart, brain, blood vessels and in all the 100 trillion cells in a human body.
The type of cells a virus targets and how it enters them depends on how it is built. The genetically engineered Coronavirus is virulent, spreads from human to human without a vector and enters the body through nose, throat and eyes as an airborne infection. It affects vital organs and cells in the body through blood vessels.
The novel Coronavirus gets its family name from a telltale series of spikes — tens or even hundreds of them — that circle its blob-like core as a crown or corona. Studying its cousins which cause SARS and MERS, virologists know that the spikes interact with receptors on cells like keys in locks, enabling the virus to enter body cells.
As the Corona virus that spread from Wuhan in China is mutant, efforts are on the world over to develop a vaccine that can treat its 11 mutations so far.
Covid-19 is a mutant in a clever disguise! Like sugar (carbohydrate molecule) dots outside the spike, it dots outside human cells. The carbohydrate camouflage makes the virus difficult for the human immune system to recognise it initially.
Each spike is made up of three identical proteins twisted and they have to open to gain access into a cell. We need to find a method to prevent these tiny invaders, which are 1,000 times smaller than our body cells they infect.
Q: How the new Coronavirus enters human cells?
A: To infect a human host, the virus gains entry into an individual’s cells, uses their machinery to replicate, spill out of them and spread to other cells. The tiny molecular key on SARS-CoV-2 gives the virus entry into the cell. This key is called a spike protein.
The structure of coronavirus is like a key and receptors on cells are like a lock. Theoretically, they provide an entry point to a thief (virus) into a house (body cells) through a lock (receptors).
Q: How to prevent the virus from spreading further although it has infected lakhs the world over during the last 6 months and threatens to attack more till a vaccine is discovered?
A: First of all, we should understand the Coronavirus structure, method of its spread, mechanism to replicate and organs it damages, whom all it affects the most, how to contain it and myths about it.
The virus can be prevented transmitting from person to person, entering body and replicating in cells by wearing mask, washing hands repeatedly, keeping 4-6 feet distance from others, toilet hygiene and avoid travelling.
As Covid-19 is an air born droplet infection, millions of its viruses are thrown out in small droplet forms at 166km per hour speed when an infected person sneezes. When a person coughs, many larger droplets with billions of the virus are thrown out at 100km per hour from mouth.
Larger droplets fall on a person’s face standing even at three feet or on objects around. Hence, wearing mask is mandatory for everyone.
The three-layer surgical masks doctors and nurses wear are not enough to protect them from Coronavirus. They need N95 or N99 masks with 7 layers to prevent the virus infecting them. Face protection shields are better for all healthcare warriors.
As N95 or N99 masks are costly and meant for medical staff, citizens can wear a home-made cloth mask. They should be changed every 4-6 hours after dipping them in antiseptic solution for 15 minutes, washed and dried in sunlight, as ultraviolet rays sterilise them.
Those who ignored wearing mask and not maintained physical distance were the most infected by the pandemic, as evident from the whopping number of cases in all countries the world over, including the US, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Chile, the UK and Iran.
Social distancing has to be maintained as a person standing even 3 feet of an infected being is sprayed with millions of viruses, as smaller droplets float in the air up to 33 feet.
If an infected person is in an enclosure like an office, mall, community hall or party hall, the virus spreads to everyone present, as it happened in South Korea, where a single infected lady from Wuhan spread it 900 people in a church.
Hence, large gatherings in grounds, religious places, movie halls, malls, schools, colleges, stadiums and markets have been banned to prevent the virus spread.
Repeated hand wash is also compulsory for infected as well as non-infected persons to prevent the virus spread.
The fat covering (lipid capsule) over the Coronavirus gets destroyed in soap water and sugar (carbohydrate) molecule that helps to disguise gets dissolved in water. By rubbing hands, the thorns (spikes) on the surface get damaged making it impossible for the virus to stick or enter body cells as key to the lock.
Toilet hygiene is most important as the virus shred from 22-feet long small intestine can contaminate toilets. Stool and farts contain billions of coronaviruses and can infect anyone using common toilets. While community toilets were sealed in cities like Seattle in the US, open defecation is banned in India.
The reason for avoid travelling is that an estimated 4.5-lakh infected people travelled from China to the US, especially New York, spreading the Coronavirus. Travelling increases transmission of the infection.
Going out of house unnecessarily to market or visiting relatives and friends, especially by a infected person can trigger community transmission, which is the most dangerous phase of the virus, as it will double or treble the cases, making it impossible for any government or healthcare system to contain it.
Senior citizens and elders with comorbid conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, bronchial asthma, cancer, kidney diseases and other chronic debilitating diseases with immune compromised state should stay at home till the virus is found to treat it, as mortality in them is very high.
Q: What are signs and symptoms of Corona infection and how fatal it is?
A: If a person is not able to smell anything or taste sugar or salt and is having fever with a bitter tongue, he or she should immediately take a Covid test, as they are signs or symptoms of Corona infection. If the test shows positive, it indicates that the virus has entered the body through nose, eyes or mouth into cells of mucus membrane and replicated inside the body cells.The patient will have mild fever, body ache, throat irritation and dry cough for 3-4 days without sense of smell and taste. The virus enters lungs or stomach through nose or throat and causes viral pneumonia, abdominal pain and loose motions from 5-7th day.
The virus replicate in lung cells leading to breathlessness, fatigue and drop in saturation from 8-10th day. At this stage, steroid inhalations or nasal spray are useful. An x-ray will show the damaged lungs while pulse oxymeter indicates drop in oxygen saturation.
As the virus spreads from lungs to heart, brain, kidney and all blood vessels by 14th day, it causes multi-organ failure and eventual death.
Q: How quarantine helps in preventing or treating the virus?
A: Those coming from hot spots like Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi to Karnataka have to undergo 14-day quarantine, including a week institutional and a week at home because they may not show the symptoms on arrival but develop after 3-4 days. If they test positive, they are shifted to a designated hospital for treatment. If they are asymptomatic, they get quarantined at home or a Covid care centre to recover. (IANS)

Spicy & Sticky Chinese-style Pork Spareribs By Certina Romel

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterAmmu's Hearty Treats 0

This dish is so full of flavours especially that of umami n mildly sour, sweet… and is pleasantly spicy to your palate. It’s gonna be a new favourite in your family. Trust me, kids who used to walk around holding chicken drumsticks are gonna get a rib this time.. haha.. I mean, no one will be able to resist this fall-off-the bone well-seasoned ribs.. How I developed this recipe – Ribs are one of mine and my family’s favourite cut- whether it’s a bbq or a braised one. I love how this cut takes in the seasoning as it cooks in its on beautifully stacked layers of fat, meat and bones.Once me and my dad had ‘Chinese five spiced pork spare ribs’ from an lovely Chinese restaurant and we could never stop talking about how damn delicious it was even after 10 long years. I wanted to bring in that texture of stickiness to my dish and finally I succeeded in doing so after making it several times, referring many Chinese cooking videos. What’s special about this recipe- Flavour burst– From the right amount of not-so-overpowering sauces and spices, the ribs are very well coated in the umami and spices. Perfectly cooked– When i say ‘perfect’, i mean it. It’s a never-fail stove top recipe which does not compromise on texture. First the meat it charred and then slow-cooked to first ensure the smoky flavours and release the fat, then cook to fall-of-the bone, to-die-for ribs! What you’ll need–

400-500g pork spareribs
1 bulb of garlic- skin not fully removed- cloves seperated and slightly crushed
2 tablespoons Shaoxing/ Chinese cooking wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 slices of Ginger
1 tablespoon of dark and light soya sauces each
2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
3 cups of water
Half teaspoon white pepper powder
Half teaspoon red chilli flakes
1 teaspoon sesame oil

How to make- . Heat a wok and pour very little (about a teaspoon) neutral oil to sauté the ginger and garlic.. Now add the sugar and once it starts caramelising, add the ribs and start browning. Add the sauces once the juices from the meat starts drying up.. Sauté until almost 2/3rd of the fat is melted. Now season it with pepper and chilli flakes.. Pour the rice wine, water and cook well-covered for 45 minutes to an hour. PS: keep an eye on whether the ribs are sticking to the bottom of the vessel (I used a non-stick thick bottom wok), stir every 15 minutes and add more water – by half cup, if needed—when you are making this for the first time… Once the ribs are perfectly cooked, it’ll be sticky and tender. Add a little of light soya sauce and sauté for a minute if you need more seasoning for your ribs.. At this point, season with the sesame oil for a nutty flavour and serve hot after garnishing. Notes, Tips and Suggestions- . You could try the same recipe with beef ribs, but make sure you add more oil to the wok before sautéing.. Garnish with chopped spring onions or toasted sesame seeds.. Covered cooking time may vary by 20 minutes depending of the type of vessel and temperatures you use.

Nature study identifies 21 existing drugs that could treat COVID-19

July 30, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, India, Science & Technology, U.S. 0

Multiple drugs improve the activity of remdesivir, a current standard-of-care treatment for COVID-19 A Nature study authored by a global team of scientists and led by Sumit Chanda, Ph.D., professor at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, has identified 21 existing drugs that stop the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The scientists analyzed one of the world’s largest collections of known drugs for their ability to block the replication of SARS-CoV-2, and reported 100 molecules with confirmed antiviral activity in laboratory tests. Of these, 21 drugs were determined to be effective at concentrations that could be safely achieved in patients. Notably, four of these compounds were found to work synergistically with remdesivir, a current standard-of-care treatment for COVID-19. “Remdesivir has proven successful at shortening the recovery time for patients in the hospital, but the drug doesn’t work for everyone who receives it. That’s not good enough,” says Chanda, director of the Immunity and Pathogenesis Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys and senior author of the study. “As infection rates continue to rise in America and around the world, the urgency remains to find affordable, effective, and readily available drugs that can complement the use of remdesivir, as well as drugs that could be given prophylactically or at the first sign of infection on an outpatient basis.” Extensive testing conducted In the study, the research team performed extensive testing and validation studies, including evaluating the drugs on human lung biopsies that were infected with the virus, evaluating the drugs for synergies with remdesivir, and establishing dose-response relationships between the drugs and antiviral activity. Of the 21 drugs that were effective at blocking viral replication, the scientists found: 13 have previously entered clinical trials for other indications and are effective at concentrations, or doses, that could potentially be safely achieved in COVID-19 patients. Two are already FDA approved: astemizole (allergies), clofazamine (leprosy), and remdesivir has received Emergency Use Authorization from the agency (COVID-19). Four worked synergistically with remdesivir, including the chloroquine derivative hanfangchin A (tetrandrine), an antimalarial drug that has reached Phase 3 clinical trials. “This study significantly expands the possible therapeutic options for COVID-19 patients, especially since many of the molecules already have clinical safety data in humans,” says Chanda. “This report provides the scientific community with a larger arsenal of potential weapons that may help bring the ongoing global pandemic to heel.” The researchers are currently testing all 21 compounds in small animal models and “mini lungs,” or lung organoids, that mimic human tissue. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss a clinical trial(s) evaluating the drugs as treatments for COVID-19. “Based on our current analysis, clofazimine, hanfangchin A, apilimod and ONO 5334 represent the best near-term options for an effective COVID-19 treatment,” says Chanda. “While some of these drugs are currently in clinical trials for COVID-19, we believe it’s important to pursue additional drug candidates so we have multiple therapeutic options if SARS-CoV-2 becomes drug resistant.” Screening one of the world’s largest drug libraries The drugs were first identified by high-throughput screening of more than 12,000 drugs from the ReFRAME drug repurposing collection—the most comprehensive drug repurposing collection of compounds that have been approved by the FDA for other diseases or that have been tested extensively for human safety. Arnab Chatterjee, Ph.D., vice president of medicinal chemistry at Calibr and co-author on the paper, says ReFRAME was established to tackle areas of urgent unmet medical need, especially neglected tropical diseases. “We realized early in the COVID-19 pandemic that ReFRAME would be an invaluable resource for screening for drugs to repurpose against the novel coronavirus,” says Chatterjee. The drug screen was completed as rapidly as possible due to Chanda’s partnership with the scientist who discovered the first SARS virus, Kwok-Yung Yuen, M.D., chair of Infectious Diseases at the University of Hong Kong; and Shuofeng Yuan, Ph.D., assistant research professor in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Hong Kong, who had access to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in February 2020. About the ReFrame library ReFRAME was created by Calibr, the drug discovery division of Scripps Research, under the leadership of President Peter Shultz, Ph.D., with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It has been distributed broadly to nonprofit collaborators and used to identify repurposing opportunities for a range of disease, including tuberculosis, a parasite called Cryptosporidium and fibrosis. A global team The first authors of the study are Laura Riva, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Chanda lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys; and Shuofeng Yuan at the University of Hong Kong, who contributed equally to the study. Additional study authors include Xin Yin, Laura Martin-Sancho, Naoko Matsunaga, Lars Pache, Paul De Jesus, Kristina Herbert, Peter Teriete, Yuan Pu, Courtney Nguyen and Andrey Rubanov of Sanford Burnham Prebys; Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Jianli Cao, Vincent Poon, Ko-Yung Sit and Kwok-Yung Yuen of the University of Hong Kong; Sebastian Burgstaller-Muehlbacher, Andrew Su, Mitchell V. Hull, Tu-Trinh Nguyen, Peter G. Schultz and Arnab K. Chatterjee of Scripps Research; Max Chang and Christopher Benner of UC San Diego School of Medicine; Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Wen-Chun Liu, Lisa Miorin, Kris M. White, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Randy Albrecht, Angela Choi, Raveen Rathnasinghe, Michael Schotsaert, Marion Dejosez, Thomas P. Zwaka and Adolfo Garcia-Sastre of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Ren Sun of UCLA; Kuoyuan Cheng of the National Cancer Institute and the University of Maryland; Eytan Ruppin of the National Cancer Institute; Mackenzie E. Chapman, Emma K. Lendy and Andrew D. Mesecar of Purdue University; and Richard J. Glynne of Inception Therapeutics.

Dr. Babu Prasad, A Retired Anesthesiologist Donates $1M To St. John’s NICU

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, India, U.S. 0

Dr. Babu Prasad’s recent $1 million donation to the HSHS St. John’s Foundation for the neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) at St. John’s Children’s Hospital is his love letter to the hospital and community. “I am giving back to a hospital, a community and a country that I dearly love,” Prasad said Thursday at a press conference at the hospital. “Springfield is a beautiful city and a wonderful place to live. I gave this contribution because I want Springfield to continue to grow, to bring new jobs here and to build upon the excellent medical community and medical services that we all enjoy. “Children are our future, so I wanted to direct my gift to the neonatal intensive care unit to give the babies a healthy start to their lives.” Dr. Babu Prasad came to the United States in 1971 after graduating from medical school in India with no money. But Prasad became a successful anesthesiologist, including an 18-year stay at HSHS St. John’s Hospital, where he retired in 2004. Prasad joined St. John’s in 1986. He still works two weeks per month at Interventional Pain Management Specialist in Carterville, Ill. In October, St. John’s began a $19 million renovation and expansion of the NICU to provide single-family patient rooms for premature and critically-ill infants.The project will more than double the size of the NICU, taking it from 15,000 square feet to 36,500. It will open in February. Each year, approximately 2,000 babies are born at St. John’s Children’s Hospital. The NICU cares for about 700 babies annually from a 35-county area. “Dr. Prasad’s gift is a beautiful testament as to who he is as a person,” said Beverly Neisler, chief development officer for the HSHS St. John’s Foundation. “He is a generous and kind man who has built a successful life through his hard work, dedication and determination.“Today, St. John’s and our most vulnerable patients are benefiting from his generosity. It’s a wonderful day for St. John’s Children’s. “He means so much to all of us.” Neisler said Prasad has been “a consistent donor” of the NICU. “He wanted to make a difference for Springfield and he wanted to make a difference for St. John’s,” Neisler added. “He has a real heart for babies and we’re delighted that he does.” “Donors, like Dr. Prasad, make all the difference by giving so generously to provide exceptional care and comfort to our most vulnerable patients,” said E.J. Kuiper, president and chief executive officer of HSHS Illinois. Dr. Beau Batton, director of newborn services at St. John’s Children’s, pointed out that the hospital was one of the first in the state to have a unit dedicated to the exclusive care of premature babies. “The NICU renovation, made possible through generous contributions, like of those of Dr. Prasad, will allow St. John’s to remain in the forefront of innovative, high quality care,” Batton said. Prasad called coming to the U.S. nearly 50 years “a golden opportunity. “It felt like heaven,” he added. “There was no comparison to India in the 1970s.” Prasad passed an exam given by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that granted him a residency in the U.S. “It was the first time I saw TV,” said Prasad, who was 24 when he came to the U.S. Prasad first worked in Canton, Ohio, before moving to the University of Illinois Chicago, where he completed his anesthesiology residency. He practiced for 10 years in Alabama before coming to Springfield. Prasad has three children, including two daughters who followed him into medicine, and six grandchildren. “I was so pleased this project came up and I was able to do it,” Prasad said. “Those who can afford it have to step in and contribute. “I was amazed. This place looks beautiful. Springfield has the best medical community in the country.”

Skypass Foundation Charters U.S. Airline To Repatriate Indian Citizens During Pandemic

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Hospitality, India 0

The Skypass Foundation, part of the Dallas-based Skypass Group of Companies, chartered a United Airlines plane Wednesday to repatriate more than 150 Indian citizens stranded in the U.S. because of the pandemic. The one-way flight took off in the evening from Newark Airport in New Jersey heading to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

Priority was given to seniors and families with young children who needed to return to India for urgent medical treatment or death emergencies and to those with expired U.S. visas. Other Indian citizens eligible to travel, based on the Embassy of India’s rules and regulations, were also on the flight.”The Skypass Group has served the South Asian community for more than three decades,” said Founder & CEO Victor Abraham. “While we have been deeply impacted during this pandemic, our mission has always been to transport passengers back to their homes so that they can be reunited with their families, especially during these turbulent times.”

On July 4th, another private charter flight (Etihad Airways) transported 300 passengers from Chicago to Mumbai. Employees and their families of some of the top global technology and professional services companies were on that flight, which was the first passenger charter plane approved to repatriate stranded citizens from the U.S. to India.

The Skypass Foundation, as part of its mission & humanitarian activities complementing its efforts to provide resources, education and support to those impacted by major medical challenges, has led both these efforts. The Foundation collaborated with both public and private sector agencies in the U.S. and India to accomplish these undertakings.

Indian couple sues USCIS for work permit delays

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

An Indian couple waiting in a years-long backlog for a green card has initiated a lawsuit against the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) over delays in sending approved printed work permits, a media report said.
Filed in Ohio federal court on Wednesday, the lawsuit on behalf of Ranjitha Subramanya, claims that the USCIS is arbitrarily refusing to print work permit cards after approving them, leaving visa-holders unable to show their American employers that they are authorized to work in the US, the American Bazaar said in the report on Friday.
Subramanya, an Indian citizen came to the US on an H-1B specialty occupation visa to work at Nationwide Insurance.
She later changed her status to an H-4 visa, reserved for spouses of H-1B holders, through her husband’s H-1B visa, which is valid through June 2023, according to the lawsuit.
According to Subramanya’s lawyer, Robert H. Cohen, her husband, also an Indian citizen, has an approved green card petition, but the couple is stuck in a green card backlog.
Subramanya applied to extend her H-4 work permit in December 2019, and USCIS approved the request in April. Typically, the printed card is issued within a few days of the approval, the suit says.
However, despite multiple calls and requests to the agency, Subramanya still didn’t have her printed card by June, when her previous work permit expired, the American Bazaar report quoted the lawsuit as saying.
She was forced to leave her job then, and her employer has told her that she will be terminated permanently if she does not have her work permit by August.
Cohen told the media that the lawsuit was “born out of extreme frustration”.
“We’ve made every effort that we could, but USCIS is not a user-friendly agency anymore,” he was quoted as saying. “We had just reached the end of what we could do short of filing a lawsuit.”
The suit also argues that USCIS is depriving foreign workers of the work permits they are legally owed in violation of their constitutional rights, and alleges that the agency is sitting on a backlog of at least 75,000 unprinted employment authorization documents, or EADs.
The current production backlog is roughly 115,000 green cards and employment authorization documents, CNN reported citing a USCIS spokesperson, with the oldest pending card order in the queue from July 6.
Earlier, a group of 174 Indian nationals, including seven minors, has filed a lawsuit against the recent presidential proclamation on H-1B that would prevent them from entering the United States or a visa would not be issued to them.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at the US District Court in the District of Columbia issued summonses on Wednesday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F Wolf, along with Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia.
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court on Tuesday last week. “The proclamation 10052’s H-1B/H-4 visa ban hurts the United States’ economy, separates families and defies the Congress. While the two former points render it unseemly, the latter point renders it unlawful,” said the lawsuit filed by lawyer Wasden Banias on behalf of the 174 Indian national
The lawsuit seeks an order declaring the presidential proclamation restriction on issuing new H-1B or H4 visas or admitting new H-1B or H-4 visa holders as unlawful. It also urges the court to compel the Department of State to issue decisions on pending requests for H-1B and H-4 visas.
In his presidential proclamation on June 22, Trump temporarily suspended issuing of H-1B work visas till the end of the year.
“In the administration of our nation’s immigration system, we must remain mindful of the impact of foreign workers on the United States labor market, particularly in the current extraordinary environment of high domestic unemployment and depressed demand for labor,” said the proclamation issued by Trump.

Why the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies are the United States’ loss and the rest of the world’s gain By Britta Glennonn, an Assistant Professor at the Wharton School of Business – University of Pennsylvania

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

On June 22, the Trump administration announced expansive new bans on worker visas—in addition to an extension of restrictions on new green cards–under the premise of protecting American jobs and spurring economic recovery in the United States. But the announcement—which is only one in the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to block legal immigration, beginning with the “Buy American Hire American” executive order in 2017—is likely to have precisely the opposite effect: sending jobs, innovation, investment, and economic growth abroad instead.
1. These actions will motivate companies to move jobs out of the U.S.
Prominent American companies like Duolingo and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have already announced that, rather than rescinding offers to those affected by the new visa rules, they will simply move those jobs to Canada or elsewhere. And they are not outliers, nor is this without precedent. In a recent paper, I show that U.S. multinational companies have already offshored tens of thousands of jobs and opened new foreign affiliates in response to H-1B visa restrictions much less severe than those being implemented now. The countries that benefited the most at the time—and are likely to benefit once again now—were China, India, and Canada. I find that U.S. multinational companies particularly increased employment in those three locations in response to the growing constraints of the H-1B visa cap, even as U.S.-based employment at the same firms remained flat. That response is likely to be amplified under the much more restrictive regime being put into place now, particularly as remote work becomes more common. In other words, rather than going to Americans, those jobs are likely to go to another country.
2. Entrepreneurial immigrants will start businesses outside of the U.S.
Nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. A quarter of all new firms are created by immigrants. Research shows that not only are immigrants 80 percent more likely than Americans to start new firms, but that the higher propensity to start new firms applies to all firm sizes. As a result, immigrants act more as “job creators” than “job takers;” immigrant-founder firms create 42 percent more jobs than native-founder firms. So, if immigrants originally destined for the U.S. instead choose to go to Canada—for example—instead, they also create new jobs for Canadians, rather than for Americans.
3. Investors will seek investment opportunities elsewhere.
Jobs are not all that will go to other countries as a result of these expansive visa bans. Foreign investment is tightly linked to immigration; even ancestral links from immigration a century ago continue to drive foreign investment today. Innovation is also tightly linked to immigration. Immigrants patent at double the native rate, increase firm patenting, and enhance the innovativeness of native scientists by introducing new and complementary knowledge and ideas. History provides a clear example of what happens to American innovation when immigration flows are restricted; immigration quotas in the 1920s caused a significant decline in American innovation—at least in part because Americans were actually less innovative without immigrants around. Furthermore, Israeli science benefited when at least some scientists moved there instead. Halting immigration will not only reduce innovation and investment in the U.S., but will likely send that innovation and investment to countries that welcome foreign talent with open arms.
President Trump’s order to block hundreds of thousands of immigrants from working in the U.S. will not improve unemployment for American citizens. It will not aid economic recovery. Instead, it will send jobs, innovation, and investment—and hence economic growth—to those countries who are not so shortsighted as to ban the very people who are instrumental in ensuring America’s future economic prosperity.

Green Card Wait Time for Indians Could Increase to 450 Years

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

The wait time for green cards for Indian professionals stuck in the “awful, hellish green card backlog” could go up from the current 195 years to 450 years in ten years without a comprehensive reform of the immigration system, a Republican senator has warned.
Senator Mike Lee said July 22: “By the time we stretch this (backlogs) out to 2030, the 195-year backlog I mentioned a moment ago would be extended out to a 400- to 450-year backlog.”
He said that for those filing for green cards “in 2020, the wait for an EB2 green card is not, in fact, 20 to 30 years for an Indian national. What is it, then? Is it 30? Is it 40, 50, 60? No, it is much longer than that. It is 195 years. This means that someone from India entering the backlog today would have to wait 195 years to receive an EB3 green card.”
EB2 green cards – the permanent immigration visa leading to citizenship – are for those with advanced degrees and EB3 for skilled and professional workers.
The annual green card quota for India and most countries is about 26,000.
Lee gave these wait times while opposing a Democratic bill that would protect the children of those on H1-B and other employment visas who are waiting for their green cards from being deported when they turn 21.
He said that with such long wait times, the children would not be able to qualify for green cards in their lifetimes and, instead, a comprehensive reform is needed.
When children turn 21, they are no longer considered dependents and will lose their visa status based on their parents’ visas as well as their claim to a green card, and the Protect Children of Immigrant Workers Act proposed by Democrat Senator Dick Durbin seeks to remedy this.
While the cause of children who came to the U.S. illegally has a lot of political support, the children who came in legally but reached adulthood has been under the radar and Durbin’s bill proposes a parallel remedy.
Durbin said that without increasing the total number of green cards, it would not be possible to deal with the huge backlogs and the decades-long wait times.
He said, “Just do the math; 140,000 EB (employment) visas and 226,000 family visas per year and 5 million people waiting. If you think you can solve this without changing the number of green cards, you can’t.”
He said that Lee told him that many Republicans opposed increasing the number of green cards that can be issued in a year.
Durbin’s bill would also allow H1-B visa-holders to file early for green cards, freeing them to switch jobs without being held down by the employers who sponsored them for the visa.
One of the compromises offered in Durbin’s bill is to restrict H1-B visas for outsourcing companies.
It would prohibit a company from hiring additional H-1B workers in the future if the company’s workforce is more than 50 employees and more than 50 percent of those are temporary workers.
He said that eight of the top ten companies getting H1-B visas were outsourcing companies. Defending his opposition to Durbin’s bill, Lee said that the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act he and Democratic Senator Kamala Harris have proposed would protect children, protects widows and widowers of H1-B visa-holders, while expediting green cards for all high-skilled immigrants.
A version of the bill that would lift national quotas to allow Indian applicants for green cards to get access to more immigration visas has been passed by the House of Representatives, but has been blocked by Durbin and two Republicans.
Durbin has said that lifting the national quota restrictions would only increase the wait times for other countries unless the number of green cards is increased.

One in Five People in India Jobless after Covid Lockdown

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India, Politics 0

After the easing of the Covid lockdown in the country, one out of five people has been rendered jobless, as per the IANS-CVoter Covid-19 Tracker conducted among a sample size of 1,723. According to the survey, 21.57 percent of people have either completely laid off work or are out of work. The survey also indicated that 25.92 percent of people are still working under regulations and safety measures with same income or salary while 7.09 percent people are working from home without having any cut in salary. The central government had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 25, while the process of unlocking was started from June 1. This survey was done from June 24 to July 22, focusing on the status of the main wage earner of the family. According to the survey, income of 8.33 percent people have decreased but they are working under regulations and safety measures, while 8 percent people who are working from home also faced salary cuts or decrease in income. The survey also indicated that 6.12 percent people in the country are left with no income after the lockdown was eased, while 1.20 percent people are still working but not getting any salary. The current survey findings and projections are based on CVoter daily tracking poll conducted among 18+ adults statewide.

China 2050: How the US should prepare for an ascendant China — RAND Report

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Politics, U.S. 0

Newswise — The United States should prepare for a triumphant or ascending People’s Republic of China – scenarios that not only align with current PRC national development trends but also represent the most challenging future scenarios for the U.S. military, according to a new RAND Corporation report that examines China’s grand strategy out to 2050. The authors make the case that the kind of country China becomes, and the way that its military evolves, is neither foreordained nor completely beyond the influence of the United States or U.S. military. However, Beijing’s intense preoccupation with internal security and deep suspicions regarding U.S. intentions toward China may frustrate attempts by Washington to improve bilateral relations and encourage more liberal domestic policies. “The experience of COVID-19 is a prime example,” said Andrew Scobell, the study’s lead author and a senior political scientist at RAND, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. “Beijing’s secretive approach to the pandemic has exacerbated tensions with a wide array of other countries, including the United States, and contributed to economic dislocation (aka ‘decoupling’) between China and some of its key trading partners. While Beijing seems to have been effective in dealing with the pandemic at home, this has been accomplished through draconian and repressive measures.” To map out potential future scenarios – What will China, and its military, look like in 2050? What will U.S.-China relations look like in 2050? – researchers studied trends in the management of politics and society and analyzed the specific national-level strategies and plans that China’s Communist Party rulers have put in place to further their vision of a China that is well governed, socially stable, economically prosperous, technologically advanced, and militarily powerful by 2049, the centenary of the founding of the PRC. The report describes four possible scenarios for China at mid-century – triumphant, ascendant, stagnant and imploding – with the middle two most likely. If China proves ascendant, the U.S. military should anticipate increased risk to already threatened forward-based forces in Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, as well as a loss of the ability to operate routinely in the air and sea space above and in the Western Pacific. The report recommends that the U.S Army be prepared for a China whose role on the Asia-Pacific and global stages grows steadily. To prepare for military conflict in such circumstances, the U.S. Army should optimize its abilities to deter hostilities, get troops and equipment to hotspots quickly, operate from forward bases, and work with allied forces. The U.S. could field more robust cyber and network attack capabilities and other means to counter China’s unmanned aircraft systems, the authors assert. The capacity to respond quickly and effectively to China’s burgeoning reconnaissance-strike system will play an important role in determining the extent to which China’s leadership remains risk averse when considering military options to resolve regional disputes. The report, conducted for the U.S. Army, is based on a review of Chinese and Western literature on the PRC’s long-term strategic development and security plans and objectives, official statements by high-level Chinese officials and institutions, speeches by paramount leaders, white papers published by the Ministry of National Defense and other PRC government agencies, authoritative People’s Liberation Army (PLA) texts, as well as Western and other non-Chinese analyses of these documents. Other authors of the study, “China’s Grand Strategy: Trends, Trajectories, and Long-Term Competition,” are Edmund J. Burke, Cortez A. Cooper III, Sale Lilly, Chad J. R. Ohlandt, Eric Warner and J.D. Williams. Research for the study was conducted within RAND Arroyo Center’s Strategy, Doctrine and Resources Program. RAND Arroyo Center is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the United States Army.

Coronavirus vaccine: When will we have one?

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, Science & Technology 0

Coronavirus still poses a significant threat, but there are no vaccines proven to protect the body against the disease it causes – Covid-19. Medical researchers are working hard to change that, and the UK government has ordered 100 million doses of a vaccine that isable to trigger an immune response and appears safe. Why is a coronavirus vaccine important? The virus spreads easily and the majority of the world’s population is still vulnerable to it. A vaccine would provide some protection by training people’s immune systems to fight the virus so they should not become sick. This would allow lockdowns to be lifted more safely, and social distancing to be relaxed. What sort of progress is being made? Research is happening at breakneck speed. About 140 are in early development, and around two dozen are now being tested on people in clinical trials. Trials of the vaccine developed by Oxford University show it can trigger an immune response and a deal has been signed with AstraZeneca to supply 100 million doses in the UK alone. The first human trial data back in May indicated the first eight patients taking part in a US study all produced antibodies that could neutralise the virus. A group in China showed a vaccine was safe and led to protective antibodies being made. It is being made available to the Chinese military. Other completely new approaches to vaccine development are in human trials. However, no-one knows how effective any of these vaccines will be. When will we have a coronavirus vaccine? A vaccine would normally take years, if not decades, to develop. Researchers hope to achieve the same amount of work in only a few months. Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become widely available by mid-2021, about 12-18 months after the new virus, known officially as Sars-CoV-2, first emerged. That would be a huge scientific feat and there are no guarantees it will work. Four coronaviruses already circulate in human beings. They cause common cold symptoms and we don’t have vaccines for any of them. What do I need to know about the coronavirus?A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exerciseHOPE AND LOSS: Your coronavirus storiesLOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your areaVIDEO: The 20-second hand wash What still needs to be done? Multiple research groups have designed potential vaccines, however, there is much more work to do. Trials need to show the vaccine is safe. It would not be useful if it caused more problems than the disease Clinical trials will also need to show vaccines provoke an immune response, which protect people from getting sick A way of producing the vaccine on a huge scale must be developed for the billions of potential doses Medicines regulators must approve it before it can be given Finally there will be the huge logistical challenge of actually immunising most of the world’s population The success of lockdowns has made the process slower. To know if the vaccine works, you need people to actually be infected. The idea of giving people the vaccine and then deliberately infecting them (known as a challenge study) would give quicker answers, but is currently seen as too dangerous and unethical. How many people need to be vaccinated? It is hard to know without knowing how effective the vaccine is going to be. It is thought that 60-70% of people needed to be immune to the virus in order to stop it spreading easily (known as herd immunity). But that would be billions of people around the world even if the vaccine worked perfectly. How do you create a vaccine? Vaccines harmlessly show viruses or bacteria (or even small parts of them) to the immune system. The body’s defences recognise them as an invader and learn how to fight them. Then if the body is ever exposed for real, it already knows what to do. The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is made by using weakened viruses that cannot cause a full-blown infection. The seasonal flu jab takes the main strains of flu doing the rounds and completely disables them. Some scientists, particularly those in China, are using this approach. There is also work on coronavirus vaccines using newer, and less tested, approaches called “plug and play” vaccines. Because we know the genetic code of the new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, we have the complete blueprint for building it. The Oxford researchers have put small sections of its genetic code into a harmless virus that infects chimpanzees. They appear to have developed a safe virus that looks enough like the coronavirus to produce an immune response. Other groups are using pieces of raw genetic code (either DNA or RNA depending on the approach) which, once injected into the body, should start producing bits of viral proteins which the immune system can learn to fight. However, this approach is completely new. Would a vaccine protect people of all ages? It will, almost inevitably, be less successful in older people, because aged immune systems do not respond as well to immunisation. We see this with the annual flu jab. It may be possible to overcome this by either giving multiple doses or giving it alongside a chemical (called an adjuvant) that gives the immune system a boost. Who would get a vaccine? If a vaccine is developed, then there will be a limited supply, at least initially, so it will be important to prioritise. Healthcare workers who come into contact with Covid-19 patients would top the list. The disease is most deadly in older people so they would be a priority if the vaccine was effective in this age group. The UK has also said other people considered to be at high risk – potentially included those with some conditions or from certain ethnicities – may be prioritised

In Hour of Need “Ekal Foundation” Stands By The Community By Prakash Waghmare

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Entertainment 0

When the ‘Covid-19’ pandemic brought the worldwide life to a grinding halt, it posed a grave economic concern to Ekal movement. Currently, it has presence in over 102,000 villages and reach to 300,000 such pockets of humanity. In absence of usual stage performances for fundraising, the future of its numerous projects was in jeopardy. Concerts or no-concerts, Ekal has always enjoyed generosity of its loyal donors to shoulder a portion of movement’s annual tab but that wasn’t enough in this critical phase. Moreover, as a brand name in North America, ‘Ekal’ was part of the Indian community’s social consciousness – an institution – for classy entertainment, everywhere. The community longed for Ekal to provide refreshing relief – even in this ‘new world order’. Therefore, ‘Ekal-USA’ launched a series of virtual concerts across North America, with groups of Ekal chapters as focal points for each of them.

In essence, Ekal, was obligated to preserve the heightened enthusiasm and expectations of the countless volunteers, well-wishers and the supporters. The two troupes engaged for virtual concerts had, not only, the huge fan following, but also, had the proven record of success for fund-raising. One of the troupes was headed by Sa, Re, Ga, Ma contest winner ‘Sanjeevani Bhelande’ and another was headlined by Milind Oak’s ‘Niche’ banner.

‘Event committee’, in consultation with ‘Technology-Team’ provided significant support to the chapters in strategic transatlantic hook ups while the Artistes performed live in the Indian studios. The Chapter-groups assigned for each concert did a remarkable job in marketing their concert by engaging the community and social organizations around them. Chapters beyond the spheres of the concert-regions also helped out in propagating these events. Between May 23 and July 25, Sanjeevani’s troupe had four virtual concerts and Milind Oak had two.

All concerts were interactive and the donations were realized ‘live’ in ‘real time’. The montage of Video-clips and narration about ‘Present day’s Ekal’ prepared by ‘Media-Teams’ were very helpful. The Concert on May 23 for Midwest Regions by Sanjeevani raised $162,510; Concert on June 20 for Central Regions by Sanjeevani raised $367,830; Concert on June 28 for Northeast Regions by Milind Oak raised $239,800; Concert on July 11 for Washington DC by Sanjeevani raised $381,290 and the Concert on July 18 for Central Regions by Milind Oak raised $177,100.

In this endeavor, Ekal-Canada has also come a long way in last 5 years. With their Concert for Canada-East on July 25 by Sanjeevani it has raised CA $420,000 for the year, so far. Essentially in two months, ‘Ekal’ has managed to raise approx. $1.65 Million during virtual concerts. There are still couple of more concerts yet to follow – e.g. on Aug 1, there is concert for Southwest region by ‘Hemant Kumar Group’ and on Aug 8 for Canada-West by Milind Oak’s group. Before the official ‘clamp-down’ in late-March, Ekal in fact, had started the year by hosting 10 fund-raising stage-events that highlighted fascinating rural-tribal artistry and their unique culture. These events took place basically in sunshine and southern states and raised $650,000. According to Arun Gupta, Chairman of ‘BOD’ of Ekal-USA, “this is a splendid testament to donor’s trust in Ekal movement”.

During ‘Covid-19’ pandemic, the schools were closed and virtual tutoring & home assignments for the students had come to an end. Outdoor group-activities were not available either. Therefore, Ekal undertook a creative approach to channelize youth’s pent-up energy and brain-power for their mutual benefit. It was the need of the hour. Numerous ‘Do-it-yourself’ (DIY) projects – where youths provided virtual tutoring to other youths – were floated on Ekal platform.

Since the youths opted to tutor subjects that touched with Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math, this campaign was headlined with ‘STEAM’ as its acronym. This is an on-going effort till the schools open. As of this moment, in 17 such active series youths from 7 states have been enrolled, raising sizable amount for Ekal. Swetha Mulukutla, Isabelle Bodkhe & Spandana Gandhi raised $4130 by tutoring PSAT classes to support ‘skill-training’ for migrant workers in EKAL villages while Ritvik Shah raised more than $3314 by tutoring Python classes to equip few Ekal schools with tablets. In New England area, Jharna Madan and Parveen Minocha (Ekal volunteers) are spearheading another effort to bring light-hearted fun to people of all ages during the current Corona crisis. ‘Indi Art’ is national art competition organized in collaboration with “Khula Asmaan”, an art portal in India. On their behalf 30 art teachers acting as ‘Ekal Indi Art’ ambassadors are offering free workshops in various artforms like MadhuBani, Warli, Watercolors, Acrylic, Textured Art, Tanjore Painting, 3D Art, Digital Art etc. Over 500 have already benefited from these workshops which are open to people of all ages and approx. $10,000 have been raised through these efforts. For more details on activities and forth-coming events, kindly visit www.ekal.org. “Ekal V. Foundation” (“EVF”) is in 10 countries and is tax-exempt in several of them, including U.S & Canada. It renders all services free-of-cost, irrespective of caste, faith and gender. For this reason and specifically for its enormous work in empowering the rural-tribal folks, the Government of India honored “EVF” with Iconic “Gandhi Peace Prize”, two years back.

Amitabh Bachchan Shares Message on Religious Harmony from Hospital While Being Treated for Covid

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Entertainment, Health 0

Amitabh Bachchan has shared a message on religious harmony. The veteran actor, who is undergoing Covid treatment in a hospital here, took to his verified Twitter account July 23 to post the message. Big B shared two photographs of himself, one with folded hands and the other where he stretches his palms in prayer. “Mazhab toh yeh do hatheliyaan batati hain, jude to ‘puja’ khule toh ‘dua’ kehlaati hain (The two hands describe religion. Whenever they are folded it is called puja and when they are stretched it is called dua),” he tweeted. Amitabh, his son Abhishek Bachchan, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter Aaradhya are currently hospitalized with coronavirus infection. Reacting to Bachchan’s tweet, fans shared their prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery. Unconfirmed reports claim that the veteran actor is recovering and might be discharged from hospital soon. Big B, meanwhile, July 23 evening tweeted to refute a news reports claiming he has tested Covid-19 negative. On his verified Twitter account, he shared a video clip of a TV news channel that claims “Amitabh Bachchan tests negative for COVID” as “breaking news.” “.. this news is incorrect, irresponsible, fake and an incorrigible LIE !!” Big B tweeted on his official account, @SrBachchan. The Bollywood icon seems quite disturbed by the fake news surrounding his health. He also retweeted a tweet posted by a fan that reads: “That’s playing with someone’s privacy. Why do media play with people’s emotions? Take Care Sir Ji.” Earlier on July 22, Amitabh Bachchan shared a video on social media that shows students of Wroclaw University, Poland, paying a tribute to his father, poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Big B shared the video on Instagram, where students from the university recite a few lines from his father’s renowned poem “Madhushala.” Alongside the clip, Big B wrote: “Last year the Mayor of Wroclaw declared me as the Ambassador of the City of Wroclaw, in Poland… Today they organized a recitation of my Babuji’s Madhushala by the University students on the roof of the University building. “As Wroclaw was awarded the title of a UNESCO City of Literature, they could pass on the message to Babu Ji’s lovers from all around the world – Wroclaw is a City of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Moved beyond emotion .. thank you Wroclaw .. in this time of my trial it brings so much cheer to me.” Sharing about his life in general from his Covid ward, Bachchan took to his blog July 21 and wrote: “It is the silence and the uncertainty of the next … it is a wonder of the nature of life .. of all that it brings to us each moment, each living breathing day… In the activity driven past days of normalcy, never was there inclination to assess or sit back and think of what thoughts invade us now.””But they do now with a regularity that fills those idle hours, sitting, thinking, looking out into nowhere .. “.. in these conditions thoughts race at greater speed and in a vividity that had eluded us before .. they were always there, but just the presence of them remained silenced by the mind in its other business of existence ..the business is dormant now. The thespian added that “the mind is freer.” “It reflects greatly more than ever .. and I wonder if this is correct, admissible pertinent or not.” He wrote that a wandering mind often leads to “destinations that, because of their complex vagaries, brings on that which at times be not what you may want to hear or see .. but you do .. the eventuality of all that surrounds us blows heavily about us.” “Ignorance of it would not be a considered act .. so you succumb to it .. bear it .. live it .. caress it at times .. play with it at others.. wish it away, hold on to it, embrace it and accept .. but never be able to desist its presence ..” He says the time “today gives liberty to stretch the gravitas of the cerebrum.” “We may never get opportunity to be involved in this act, but given the circumstance, I would like to believe that each one of us .. each individual has the will and the capacity to be what they may have believed, they would never be.” Talking about his health, Bachchan wrote: “In the condition of the solace in the room of cure .. the restlessness keeps in the search for reaction .. for a connect .. for something to respond to .. to do .. to do just more than what the condition dictates..” “At times you find it .. at times you stare at barren walls and with empty thoughts .. and you pray that they be filled with the life of existence .. of reaction and company .. All of you push your prayers and concern each hour I know .. and I have only folded hands ..”

Want to live a healthy life? Have sex once a week

July 29, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

Having sex at least once a week halves the risk of early death, say researchers, adding that regular action between the sheets is linked to lower odds of dying from cancer, heart disease and other illness. According to researchers from Washington University in the US, sex is equivalent to “moderate intensity exercise,” and has similar health benefits for those partaking.

For the findings, the research team picked more than 15,000 adults. They had an average age of 39 and were quizzed on their sex lives for around 11 years, the mirror.co.uk reported.

The researchers found that almost three quarters engaged in sexual activity at least once a month and 36 per cent at least once a week. Over the course of the lengthy study, 228 died, including 62 from cancer and 29 from cardiovascular disease.

The study showed that those who had sex weekly were 49 per cent less likely to die than those who only had sex once a year or less. Their odds of dying from cardiovascular disease were 21 per cent less and from cancer 69 per cent lower.

According to the media reports, The researchers said that sex releases feel-good chemicals, which boost mental health and promote the activity of “natural killer cells”.

Those cells lower the risk of cancer and viral illness, prevent infections of the lungs and improve other conditions, such as asthma, they claimed. (IANS)

‘Hopes Of Developing Vaccine Against Covid Rising

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health, Science & Technology, U.S. 0

The race to develop the first effective vaccine against COVID-19 involves an awfully crowded field, with 137 candidate vaccines in pre-clinical study worldwide and another 23 actually in development. But a leader seemed to emerge today with research published in the Lancet reporting promising results in a robust study by investigators at Oxford University in England. The study began in April, with a sample group of 1,077 adults aged 18 to 55—an age group young enough to tolerate exposure to SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, with less risk of adverse effects than would be seen in older, more vulnerable adults. The group was divided more or less in half, with 543 participants receiving the experimental COVID-19 vaccine, and the other 534 serving as a control group, receiving an existing vaccine against meningococcal vaccine. (The investigators chose not to use an inert saline solution for the control group because both vaccines can cause side effects such as achiness, fever and fatigue. Saline would cause no such symptoms and would thus reveal which group was the control group and which was not.) The vaccine uses a harmless-to-humans chimpanzee adenovirus as a delivery vector. That virus is modified to carry spike proteins from SARS-CoV-2—the component of the coronavirus that, in theory, should induce the sought-after immune response in humans. What the researchers were looking for were two kinds of immune reaction: humoral immunity, or the system-wide generation of antibodies against the virus; and cellular immunity, or the activation of immune system T-cells that attack human cells infected with the COVID-19 virus. Oxford vaccine triggers immune response, trial findsA Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Oxford University has safely prompted a protective immune response in hundreds of volunteers who got the shot in an early trial, preliminary findings published Monday in the journal Lancet said. The vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (also called AZD1222), designed by Oxford and developed by AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish pharma major, triggered a dual immune response in people aged 18 to 55 that lasted at least two months. The preliminary findings are from the placebo-controlled, phase-I trial held between April 23 and May 21, involving 1,077 participants. 543 were administered the vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, another 534 a control vaccine (to rule out placebo). Further, ten participants were given a booster shot of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. All participants who received the vaccine developed spike-specific antibodies by day 28, an immune response similar to those who recover from Covid-19. Spikes are the spike proteins on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that it uses to attach to human receptor cells. The ten who received a booster shot produced neutralizing antibodies (antibodies in higher titers). The vaccine also triggered T cells, a type of white blood cell that “remembers” and attacks the coronavirus. Side effects including fever, headaches, muscle aches, and injection site reactions were observed in about 60% of patients; but all these were deemed mild or moderate and were resolved during the trial. T-cells and antibodies: That the vaccine has induced antibodies and T cells are significant. T cells can stay in the body for a longer period in a dormant state, and can re-emerge to attack the virus in case of an infection. The science behind the Oxford vaccine

Preliminary data from the phase I/II trial of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University showed it was safe and prompted an immune response that lasted at least two months. More on that and India’s role in the eventual rollout of the vaccine in today’s Times Top10. Here, we delve deeper into the science behind the vaccine.

Oxford’s candidate, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (also called AZD1222), is a non-replicant viral vector vaccine. The vector (the carrier) is derived from adenovirus (ChAdOx1) taken from chimpanzees. This is a harmless, weakened adenovirus that usually causes the common cold in chimps. It is genetically engineered so that it does not replicate itself in humans. Now, a gene (the load) from the coronavirus, SARS CoV-2, that instructs cells to build spike proteins is loaded into the vector.

Remember, coronaviruses have club-shaped spikes on their outer coats — the ‘corona’. These spike proteins allow the virus to attach to the ACE2 receptors in human cells. When the genetically engineered ChAdOx1 with the spike-responsible gene from coronavirus is administered in a person, the gene is “expressed”, causing the build-up of spike proteins. The body’s immune system recognises this and begins to create the antibodies to defeat the foreign object. Note: the vaccine vector is non-replicant so it doesn’t harm the person, but the spike proteins nevertheless trigger antibodies. The preliminary findings showed participants also produced T cells, a type of white blood cell that “remembers” and attacks the coronavirus infection. Oxford researchers led by Professor Sarah Gilbert were able to quickly develop the vaccine candidate as they had been working on the ChAdOx1 platform against Ebola and MERS viruses.

And other vaccine candidates?

India’s hope: Pune-based Serum Institute of India, under an agreement with AstraZeneca, is to bulk produce the Oxford vaccine. The company’s CEO, Adar Poonawalla, had earlier said it will produce 5 million doses per month for the first 6 months before ramping up the production. The findings are from the phase-I/II trial. The larger, phase-III trials of the vaccine have already begun in Brazil and South Africa. A vaccine being developed by China’s CanSino Biologics and China’s military research also appeared to safely induce both antibodies and T cells, a mid-stage study released Monday said. Both CanSino’s and Oxford’s vaccines are based on a similar science of using a non-replicating viral vector to trigger the immune response. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has announced that the Phase-I clinical trials of India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin began across the country on July 15. “This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on 375 volunteers in India,” the company said in a brief statement. The leading vaccine maker had announced on June 29 that it successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Virology.The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine was developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech’s BSL-3A (Bio-Safety Level 3) High Containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad.

The vaccine developed by China’s CanSino Biologics in partnership with the country’s military research wing also relies on a viral vector, but a weakened human cold virus, adenovirus 5 (Ad5). CanSino, too, published its findings from phase I/II trial on Monday that showed it safely prompted an immune response.

But… the vaccine was inadequate to induce immunity response in people aged 55 or older — a group vulnerable to Covid-19. Researchers contend an additional dose given between the third and sixth month could negate this. The use of Ad5 itself has left some scientists unconvinced. Since most people would have already been infected by Ad5 (cold virus), they fear the immune system induced would focus on the Ad5 parts of the vaccine rather than the SARS-Cov-2 material fused to it.

Two other advance candidates are developed by Massachusetts-based Moderna and Germany’s BioNTech in partnership with Pfizer. These are messenger-RNA based candidates. They rely on synthetic mRNA that delivers the genetic code for spike proteins, thus triggering an immune response. Early findings by Moderna and BioNTech-Pfizer, too, showed they prompted an immune response.

Another reason to be hopeful about the Oxford vaccine: Viral vector-based vaccines need only be cold stored, whereas mRNA vaccines need to be in a frozen state — a challenge for developing countries.

‘Trump the most divisive in century, but 1968 US election was even worse’

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterPolitics, U.S. 0

Will the 2020 United States Presidential Election be the most divisive one in the past 100 years? Donald Trump may be the “most divisive major party candidate in the last 100 years” but the balance between the two parties has been “about as even” as in the last 70 years , says a respected US political analyst, adding that “things are bad this year”, but 1968 was even worse.

“It depends on what you mean by ‘divisive’. We have the most divisive major party candidate in the last 100 years in Donald Trump. Partisan loyalties are as strong as they have been in the last 100 years and the balance between the two parties is about as even as it’s been in at least 70 years. On the other hand, you could make a good case that the most divisive election in the last 100 years was in 1968,” John Mark Hansen, the Charles L. Hutchinson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago’s Political Science Department, told IANS in an email interview.

In 1968, the American public was deeply divided over the Vietnam War, school desegregation, law and order, and other issues. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April and Robert F Kennedy in June.

President Lyndon Johnson gave up plans to run for re-election when a “peace” candidate, Gene McCarthy, got 42 per cent in the New Hampshire primary. Richard Nixon, “who got his big break in politics as a red-baiter”, was the Republican nominee and he chose Spiro Agnew, a “clownish bully”, as his running mate. George Wallace ran as a third party candidate on a racist platform and chose Gen. Curtis LeM(“Bomb ’em back to the Stone Age” as his running mate); they won 13.5 per cent of the vote and five states, Hansen pointed out.

“Bad as things are this year, it doesn’t come close to 1968, in my view,” added Hansen, one of the nation’s leading scholars of American politics and whose research focuses on interest groups, citizen activism, and public opinion.

It is said that Donald Trump owes his 2016 victory to the fact that working class White people, particularly the ones without a college education, rural voters and others who felt overlooked by the establishment and left behind by the coastal elite made their voices heard. Does this category, or the Middle American Malaise as some choose to describe it, still feel as strongly to vote in the same manner in 2020?

“The wins Trump made in the Rust Belt were decisive, no question. He tapped into the resentment of white working class voters over the loss of their economic and social position, particularly resentment toward trade. That was real. Ironically, it required a Republican candidate to repudiate a bedrock principle of his party. Trump’s trade war might have made some people feel good – take that, China! – but it really hasn’t changed anything in any material way.
“The President’s only major legislative achievement is a big tax cut for corporations and the wealthy. And now he’s presiding over minus five per cent GDP growth and over 10 per cent unemployment. Voters in the Rust Belt have a lot more to worry about now than the trade balance with China,” Hansen explained.

Be that as it may, he admitted that overall, the economy will be a major issue in the election. “It was a solid point for him at the beginning of the year. It’s a major negative for him now. He will be lucky if growth rises to zero per cent and unemployment falls below 10 per cent, and that will still be bad for him. He may well have made matters worse for himself by pressing so hard to reopen the economy late in the Spring. Given where things are heading with Covid, we may well be in full lockdown again by the beginning of the campaign season in September. He wanted a big bounce back but he may have gotten himself (and us) a prolongation of the pain,” Hansen maintained.

Will the BLM movement sustain till Election Day and what will its impact be? “Yes. A lot of African American voters who turned out for Barack Obama in the Rust Belt and the South stayed home in 2016. The stakes are pretty clear in 2020. I expect the Democrats to benefit from higher Black turnout in key states,” Hansen said.

Linked to this, what will the impact be of the anti-Confederate movement – removal of statues, changes in state flags et al -on the election?

“This is pretty interesting. Trump has tried and tried to swing White voters back in his direction by activating racial divisions. At least so far, it’s not working. It’s not 1968 or 1988. As far as we have to go, Whites’ racial attitudes have liberalized. Perhaps even more important, race baiting looks like an attempt at diversion when you’re worried about your job or worried about getting sick,” Hansen said.

At the bottom line, Trump’s biggest asset is the loyalty of Republican voters as this is what kept him close enough to win some close states in 2016, Hansen said, adding: “He’s had a hard time holding on to White suburban women in 2018 and it’s no better now. His support among the elderly also seems to have eroded.” “The biggest question mark for the fall is how Covid will affect theactual voting. If conditions in the South and West are as bad in October as New York, New Jersey, and Illinois were in May, there may be some Republicans who wish they’d gotten behind mail-in ballots (that give voters a chance to decide in advance on how they will cast
their votes),” Hansen concluded .

In A New Poll, Trump Trails Biden by 14 Points Nationally

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterPolitics, U.S. 0

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is leading President Trump by 14 points, 50 to 36 percent, in the latest general election poll by The New York Times and Siena College. The poll is the most recent of several national surveys that have shown Biden ahead of Trump by double digits. The New York Times/Siena College poll also shows Biden leading or tied with the president among all age demographics. Biden and Trump both poll at 44 percent support with those aged between 45 and 64, and Biden is within the 3-point margin of error in his 47-45 percent lead among those 65-years-old and older. It’s a similar story across education levels of voters — the president trails Biden with voters who completed some high school and/or trade school, as well as with those who hold bachelors degrees and graduate degrees. Trump and Biden are tied with those who have completed “some college” with 43 percent support each. And it’s the latest poll to show that Trump’s 2016 support among blue-collar workers and white voters has ebbed. Trump and Biden are statistically tied with white voters with the president up one point at 44-43 percent. The ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday last week revealed a close margin, 54 per cent for Biden and 44 per cent for Trump, was the fifth consecutive high-quality national poll that showed the former Vice President ahead of Trump by 10 points or more, reports Politico news.Of the nine such polls conducted since the second half of June, Biden has led Trump by double digits in seven of them. Prior to the release of the ABC News/Washington Post poll on Sunday, Biden held a 9-point lead in the RealClearPolitics average. Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, 45 per cent of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Biden, and 43 per cent viewed him unfavorably. That was up slightly from 42 per cent favorable, 46 per cent unfavorable in June. Similarly, 44 per cent of voters surveyed by an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll last week said they had a positive opinion of Biden, while 46 per cent viewed him negatively. Meanwhile, Trump’s favourable ratings are in the tank, the Politico news report said. Majorities in the Quinnipiac (61 per cent unfavourable) and NBC/WSJ (54 per cent negative) polls gave the President poor image ratings. Meanwhile, Trump’s re-election campaign has disputed the results of public polling, arguing that the President runs stronger against a “defined” Biden in their internal tests. But the Trump campaign’s efforts to define Biden with a bombardment of negative advertising, especially in the battleground states, has yet to dent the former Vice President, the Politico report added.

PM Modi delivers keynote address at United Nations Economic and Social Council session

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterIndia, Politics 0

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi delivered a keynote address virtually at this year’s High-Level Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session on Friday, 17th July 2020 at the United Nations in New York. This was the first address by PM to the broader UN membership since India’s overwhelming election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council on 17th June, for the term 2021-22.
The theme of the High-Level Segment of the ECOSOC this year is “Multilateralism after COVID19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary”.
Coinciding with the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the UN, this theme also resonates with India’s priority for its forthcoming membership of theUN Security Council. Prime Minister reiterated India’s call for a ‘reformed multilateralism’ in a post-COVID-19 world, which reflects the realities of the contemporary world.
In his address, PM recalled India’s long association with the ECOSOC and the UN’s developmental work, including for the Sustainable Development Goals. He noted that India’s developmental motto of ‘SabkaSaath, SabkaVikaas, Sabka Vishwas’ resonates with the core SDG principle of leaving no one behind.
Prime Minister pointed out that India’s success in improving the socio-economic indicators of its vast populationhas a significant impact on global SDG targets.He spoke about India’s commitment to also support other developing countries in meeting their SDG targets.
He spoke about India’s ongoing development efforts, including for improving access to sanitation through the “Swacch Bharat Abhiyan”, empowering women, ensuring financial inclusion, and expanding availability of housing and healthcare through flagship schemes such as the “Housing for All” programme and the “Ayushman Bharat” scheme.
Prime Minister also highlighted India’s focus on environmental sustainability and bio-diversity conservation, and recalled India’s leading role in the establishment of the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
Speaking about India’s role in its region as a first responder, Prime Minister recalled the support provided by the Indian government and Indian pharma companies for ensuring medicine supplies to different countries, and for coordinating a joint response strategy among SAARC countries.
This was the second time that Prime Minister addressed the ECOSOC. He had earlier delivered the keynote address at the 70thanniversary of the ECOSOC in January 2016.
This year we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. It is an occasion to recognise the UN’s many contributions to human progress. It is also an opportunity to assess the UN’s role and relevance in today’s World: PM @narendramodi

Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda Led AAPI Team Commits to Take AAPI to Newer Heights

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India 0

(Chicago, IL: July 20th, 2020) A new Executive Committee led by Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, as the 37th President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) assumed charge of this nearly four decades old organization representing the nearly 80,000 Indian American Physicians and Fellows, during the first ever Virtual Change of Guard Ceremony on Saturday, July 11, 2020.

Others who constitute the Executive Committee include, Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President-Elect; Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, Secretary of AAPI; Dr. Satish Kathula, Treasurer of AAPI, Dr. Sajani Shah, Chair of AAPI’s BOT; Dr. Ami Baxi, YPS President; Dr. Kinjal Solanki, MSRF President; and Dr. Surendra Purohit, Chair of AAPI Charitable Foundation.

“I will work to make AAPI stronger, more vibrant, united, transparent, politically engaged, ensuring active participation of young physicians, increasing membership, and enabling that AAPI’s voice is heard in the corridors of power,” Dr. Jonnalagadda, announced immediately after being administered the oath of office.

Dr. Jonnalgadda has vowed to take the nearly four decades old organization to the next level and “bring all the AAPI Chapters, Regions, Members of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees to work cohesively and unitedly for the success of AAPI and the realization of its noble mission.” He wants to increase AAPI membership by offering more benefits and opportunities for members.

The new team will lead AAPI the largest ethnic Medical Organization in the United States, in the year 2020-2021, serving the interests of the Indian American physicians in the US and in many ways contributing to the shaping of the healthcare delivery in the US for the past 37 years. “AAPI must be responsive to its members, supportive of the leadership and a true advocate for our mission,” he said.

Dr. Jonnalagadda, born in a family of Physicians, aspired to be physicians and dedicate their lives for the greater good of humanity. “I am committed to serving the community and help the needy. That gives me the greatest satisfaction in life,” he said modesty. Ambitious and wanting to achieve greater things in life, Dr. Jonnalagadda has numerous achievements in life. He currently serves as the President of the Medical Staff at the Hospital. And now, “being elected as the President of AAPI is greatest achievement of my life,”

Dr. Anupama Yeluru Gotimukula, President-Elect, AAPI, who will be the President of AAPI in the year 2021-22, says, “We are going through a deadly pandemic now. AAPI members are putting their best efforts to help our patients, especially those impacted by COVID. Several of our physicians have been affected in this pandemic. Our healthcare heroes are putting their lives on frontline and working in every possible way to eradicate COVID-19, through preventive efforts, clinical, therapeutic and research trials, doing philanthropic services and many more other activities to help the community!

Dr. Gotimukula, a resident of San Antonio, TX, is a board certified Pediatric Anesthesiologist and is affiliated with Christus Santa Rosa Health System-San Antonio, and has been in practice in San Antonio for nearly 13 years. After graduating with distinction from Kakatiya Medical College, NTR Univ of Health Sciences, she completed her Residency from University of Miami, Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology from University of Michigan.

Beginning her long association with AAPI as a volunteer at one of the Governing Body Meetings in San Antonio in 2009, which motivated her to become a life member of AAPI. Inspired by the great works being done by AAPI, she started the leadership track at local level as Treasurer of TIPSSW chapter. Her passion, dedication, leadership and people skills made her President of Texas Indo-American Physician Society (TIPSSW Chapter) and had served as the Treasurer of AAPI Convention in San Antonio ( 2014) which was the stepping stone to Anupama to serve several leadership roles in AAPI. Dr. Gotimukula served as Regional Director of AAPI for 2 years, served as the IT Chair and later on, she was elected as the Treasurer of AAPI in 2017, Secretary (2018), Vice President (2019) with huge majority and is currently serving as President-Elect.

With a vision to make AAPI financially strong, Dr. Gotimukula was instrumental in creating $250,000 Endowment Fund for operations in 2020, with a goal to reach $2.5 Million in the next five years. Another area, she wants to focus is to offer CMEs & Educational & Leadership Seminars for Members, to help build a healthier community & address the common ailments in the community through AAPI “YouTube Channel” and provide education to the larger community on health related issues.

In addition, Dr. Gotiumukula wants to provide Educational Projects in India by forming a Medical Student Council in India and help mentor them to get the best medical education in India and abroad. Organized Medicine on Healthcare Reforms by being proactive in collaboration with AMA and other similar organizations, ensuring Policy Changes in Healthcare delivery . Philanthropy by regularly organizing Medical Mission Service trips, serving the needy in the most rural areas in India and other countries, are some of the other interests , Dr. Gotimukula wants to undertake while serving in leadership roles at AAPI. “We dedicate our professional expertise and services to both India (Janmabhoomi) and the United States, (Karmabhoomi).”

While dedicating her talents, skills, and experiences for the AAPI family, which she has come to call as her own, Dr. Gotimukula says, “I am looking forward to get the best wishes & blessings from our members in my pursuit to lead this prestigious organization and do the best to our physician community and save the human race.”

Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President of AAPI is a Board Certified Psychiatrist with additional qualifications in Addiction, Geriatric and Forensic Psychiatry, and serves as Psychiatric Medical Director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services. A former Clinical Asst. Professor of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh and West Virginia University, Dr. Kolli had served as the Secretary of AAPI 2019-20, Regional Director of AAPI 2017-18, Past President of Pittsburgh Chapter of AAPI (TAPI), Past President of Rangaraya Medical College Alumni of North America and as the Past President of Association of Telugu Medical Graduates in USA

“In my role as the Vice President of AAPI, I will be working closely with President and President Elect of AAPI to make AAPI a more dynamic and vibrant organization playing a meaningful and relevant part in advocating health policies and practices that best serve the interests of all patients and promoting the physician’s role as the leaders of the team based health care delivery,” Dr. Kolli says.

As the Chair of Membership Committee, Dr. Kolli “Will diligently work to recruit new members to AAPI, especially the younger physicians and recent graduates. I will also be promoting the mission and vision of AAPI by working closely with AAPI’s 120 + patron Chapters to align all of our goals and activities and also bring in new Chapters into AAPI fold.

A Psychiatrist by profession, Dr Kolli wants to “focus on battling the stigma of mental illness and access to quality mental health care broadly. I will be forming liaison with mental health professionals in India and globally and bring awareness of various biopsychosocial therapeutic options to promote wellness and recovery from mental illness and substance use disorders. We will also actively promote physician wellness and self care to address the challenges of physician burnout and suicide.”

For Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, Secretary of AAPI, it’s been a very long journey with AAPI, from being an ordinary member to a Regional Leader, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and now being elected as the national Secretary of AAPI that he calls as his second family and has come to adore. “Since my membership to AAPI In 1997, for more than two decades I have been a dedicated foot soldier for the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin,” Dr. Amit Chakrabarty is a Consultant Urologist, Poplar Bluff Urology, Past Chairman of Urologic Clinics of North Alabama P.C., and the Director of Center for Continence and Female Pelvic Health.

“It’s my belief that being an elected official of this noble organization, I will continue to give my heart and soul to make AAPI a more vibrant, united, transparent, politically engaged, ensuring active participation of young physicians, increasing membership, and enabling that AAPI’s voice is heard in the corridors of power,” Dr. Chakrabarty, a multi-talented physician says.

Dr. Chakrabarty wants to “Recognize the role of Young Physicians in AAPI, making AAPI financially sound, lobbying on Capitol Hill on policies important to AAPI, continuing partnership in health care education across the globe, making AAPI a global health leader, be part of the decision-making process of WHO and UN on health policies, are only some of the many goals I have for AAPI.”

Dr. Chkrabarty is “blessed to have imbibed the values of giving, leading, and being passionate about what I am committed to do, from my parents. My wife and children have encouraged me to take time off from work and family, devoting my talents and skills for the realization of the mission of AAPI. I have diverse experience and skills to achieve each of these goals, and I am committed to move AAPI forward by serving as AAPI’s National Secretary.”

Dr. Satheesh Kathula, the newly elected Treasurer of AAPI is a board certified hematologist and oncologist from Dayton, Ohio. Practicing Medicine for nearly two decades, Dr. Kathula is a clinical professor of medicine at Wright State University- Boonshoft school of medicine, Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India in 1992. He has been actively involved in community service locally, nationally and internationally for the last 18 years. He has been awarded with the “Man of the year-2018, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’”

Dr. Kathula has served in numerous capacities, before being elected as the Treasurer of AAPI-2020-21. He had served as the Chair, IT Committee- 2019-20; Editor, Enewsletter-2019-20; a member of AAPI’s Board of Trustees- 2014-17; and Regional Director- 2012-14, in addition t several roles at the local and regional level. He has served as the President and founding member of Association of Indian Physicians from Ohio; President, Miami Valley Association of Physicians of Indian Origin; President, ATMGUSA; and has worked with Ohio State Medical Association on various issues.

A recipient of several Community Service/Awards, Dr. Kathula says, “As a treasurer, I will keep custody of all accounts, receipts and disbursements, and make them transparent. Will work to make AAPI financially stronger and viable. I will work to strengthen Indo-US relations.”

At the national level, Dr. Kathula wants to “Make AAPI a mainstream organization and work on issues affecting physicians including physician shortage, burnout, and credentialing, while leveraging the strength of 100,000 doctors at legislative level.” Another area, he wants to work is to “Encourage and engage next generation/young physicians in AAPI activities. While working closely with other physician organizations such as AMA.”

In all of his efforts leading AAPI, Dr. Jonnalagadda wants to work with his executive committee and all branches of AAPI membership in a congenial and non-competitive manner, focusing on the noble mission of this prestigious organization. His experiences in organizing conferences and meetings which help to bring members together and attract new members is vital to the success of the organization.

With the changing trends and statistics in healthcare, both in India and US, we are refocusing our mission and vision, AAPI would like to make a positive meaningful impact on the healthcare delivery system both in the US and in India.

AAPI will continue to be an active player in crafting the delivery of healthcare in the most efficient manner in the United States and India. “We will strive for equity in healthcare delivery globally.” Dr. Jonnalagadda is confident that with the blessings of elders, and the strong support from the total membership of AAPI and his family, he will be able to take AAPI to stability, unity, growth and greater achievements.”

American Hindus Against Defamation Urges School Children to be Educated on Swastikas

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, India 0

American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) an initiative of World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), has issued the following statement on NY State Senate Bill SS 6648: NY State Senate Bill SS 6648 sponsored by Senator Todd Kaminsky (D) 9TH SENATE DISTRICT and co-sponsored by Senators Joseph Addabbo Jr (D) 15TH SENATE DISTRICT, Alessandra Biaggi (D, WF) 34TH SENATE DISTRICT, John Brooks (D) 8TH SENATE DISTRICT, and David Carlucci (D) 38TH SENATE DISTRICT has a stated purpose to require that the New York school children be educated regarding the meaning of swastikas and nooses as symbols of hatred and intolerance.

Ajay Shah, Convenor of American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), an initiative of World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) said that, “the proposed NY State Sentate Bill SS 6648 requiring instruction regarding symbols of hate to be incorporated into the curricula for grades six through twelve perpetuate ignorance and promotes HinduPhobia in schools across New York state. AHAD pledges to work with other Hindu organizations to ensure that this legislation is modified to remove the references to Swastika.”

American Jewish Committee (AJC) working with the VHPA and other Hindu organizations in Washington, DC has produced a brochure titled, “Understanding Swastika, Use and Abuse of a sacred symbol.” The AJC brochure quotes, the following from Declaration of the Second Hindu-Jewish Leadership Summit, held in February 2008, Jerusalem, “The Svastika is an ancient and greatly auspicious symbol of the Hindu tradition. It is inscribed on Hindu temples, ritual altars, entrances, and even account books.

A distorted version of this sacred symbol was misappropriated by the Third Reich in Germany, and abused as an emblem under which heinous crimes were perpetrated against humanity, particularly the Jewish people. The participants recognize that this symbol is, and has been sacred to Hindus for millennia, long before its misappropriation.” Shah said, “We believe that this brochure in itself is sufficient to remove Swastika from the purported purpose of this legislation.” Swastika is considered one of the most sacred symbols by religious traditions that evolved in India (dharmic traditions), including Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh faiths. The history of the Swastika is over 10,000 years old. It has appeared in several civilizations all throughout the world. From Greece and Rome to the Druids and Celts.

Today, the Swastika is an integral part of many cultures including India and East Asian cultures that adhere to Buddhism. It has regularly been donned on Hindu homes, businesses, temples, and other objects. Hindu families gather round to place it in front of their homes for good luck and protection. Unfortunately, 10,000 years of a symbol of wellbeing was desecrated by the monstrous regime of Nazi Germany, in the first half of the 20th century. Hitler perverted a symbol of goodness to fuel his agenda of hate. Utsav Chakrabarty,

World Hindu Council of America Director of Advocacy and Awareness said, “We acknowledge the horrid way the swastika has been misused and misinterpreted. Even though Hitler never used the word “Swastika”, and instead used the same symbol, calling it Hakenkreuz, for the past 70 years, the Swastika continues to remain a vilified and maligned symbol. This must be corrected. Instead of censoring the symbol, we must celebrate the positive history of it. We must reclaim it from Hitler and the followers of his hateful ideology. This wrong must be righted.”

To label the Swastika as a symbol of hate would be a grave insult to 1.8 billion Hindus and Buddhists around the world. It would be a grave insult to over 300,000 Hindu New Yorkers who come from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, and contribute immensely to the community and economy. Today’s political climate demonstrates the importance of diversity and celebrating ones’ heritage. Maligning this ancient heritage would be a step backwards in promoting interfaith harmony and would lead to increase in hate crimes and Hinduphobia. AHAD demands that the meaning and significance of Swastika be included in the educational curriculum so that the hate crimes against Hindus are not perpetuated.

(AHAD) is the first and the most prominent Hindu organization against defamation in the USA. An initiative of World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), AHAD has been actively monitoring mass media, products, public places etc. to ensure respectful and accurate representation of Hindu dharma, culture, images and icons. Active since 1997, hundreds of thousands of Hindus have participated in various advocacy activities led by AHAD.
World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) is the most prominent organization of Hindus in the USA. Founded in 1970, it has chapters across the country. VHPA runs educational programs for Hindu children and youth in addition to community service (Seva) activities, and initiatives such as Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference (HMEC), Hindu Womens’ Network, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective USA (HinduPACT).

Anil Cheriyan Appointed as Strategy, Technology Executive Vice President at Cognizant

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterScience & Technology 0

Global software major Cognizant on Monday announced the appointment of Anil Cheriyan as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Technology. Cheriyan who recently served as the US Presidential Appointee in charge of Technology Transformation Services, will oversee global IT led by Rakesh Bhardwaj, Global Security led by Dan Smith, and the Strategy, Alliances, and Business Development (including Accelerator) team led by Brad Berry.

This is the first time Cognizant will have a technology leader reporting directly to the CEO. “Cheriyan’s immediate priority, once he joins on August 3, will be to take the reins of our IT and Security remediation efforts from Greg Hyttenrauch, who has led these efforts on my behalf since April,” Cognizant CEO Brian Humphries said in a statement.

As the US Presidential Appointee, he drove the technology transformation strategy, roadmap, and agenda across the US federal government, oversaw a $100 billion technology budget, and worked closely with the White House, Agency leadership and the Federal CIO.

He helped accelerate the transformation of several federal agencies, leveraging industry-leading talent in AI, cloud, digital platforms, data and analytics, identity, and citizen experience.

Prior to his government role, Cheriyan served as Executive Vice President and CIO of SunTrust Banks. He has also held senior leadership roles at IBM Global Services and PwC Management Consulting.
“As we prepare for the second half of 2020, we have good reason to feel confident about Cognizant’s strong position in the COVID era. Our momentum and competitiveness are growing. Our client relationships are robust. And our digital portfolio is becoming a larger portion of our revenue mix,” said Humphries. (IANS)

Cranberry Orange Muffins By Certina Romel

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterAmmu's Hearty Treats 0

These muffins are a perfect breakfast treat as well as a healthy snack-on dessert. Loaded with berries and flavoured with orange, you’ll make it again and again. How I developed this recipe? Beautifully red tart cranberries are my favourite. N it’s rare that I get good ones. I wanted to bake a less sugary yet yummy treat for my family that they could enjoy anytime of the day and I thought these muffins would be perfect. It’s wholesome, berrylicious, zesty and just yum! Whats special about this recipe? Cranberries- These lovely red berries are not only a powerhouse of antioxidants, but also medically proven to prevent UTIs, boost immunity and brain power.. Orange- As everyone know orange is rich in Vitamin C and it’s citrusy punch is so refreshing. I’ve used both its zest and juice in this recipe to extract most of the goodness from it. What you’ll need- . 1 cup cranberries, preferably fresh. One by fourth a cup orange juice. 1-2 teaspoons orange zest . 1 teaspoon vanilla extract . 3 by 4th a cup softened butter. 1 and 1 by 4th a cup butter. 1 and a half cup all-purpose flour . 2 teaspoons baking powder . One by fourth a teaspoon salt How to make-

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Coat muffin pan with liners.
Cut the cranberries in half and toss in 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the orange juice, zest, eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Mix to combine scraping down the sides of the pan, preferably with a rubber spatula.
In another bowl, whisk up the flour, baking powder and salt.
Fold in the dry ingredients into the wet, just until incorporated.
Now gently fold in the cranberries too.
Pour the batter into the lined tray filling 2 by 3rd of each and bake for 20-25 minutes, until done in the middle.
Once out of the oven, you could either eat it as it is or drizzle some melted white chocolate and sprinkle some almond slices over it- as I did !

Notes, tips & suggestions- . Never add cut cranberries right straight away into the batter as it’s too tart and may not taste right texture wise or on the palate.. If you don’t like cranberries, you could always substitute it with equal amounts of your favourite berries/chopped fruits in this recipe.. If you don’t like to decorate your muffins with white chocolate and almonds, I would suggest dark chocolate and toasted coconut or any other nuts with a light drizzle of salted caramel instead or have it simple as it is paired with your daily cup of coffee or tea!

TK Mathew Announces Candidacy For Tax Collector

July 22, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Finance/Economy, India, U.S. 0

TK Mathew, a 20-year veteran businessman who’s lived in Hillsborough County since 1991, has announced his candidacy for Hillsborough County Tax Collector. Mr. Mathew believes that those who live in Hillsborough County pay for top-quality service and they deserve to get it. His years in the private sector have prepared him to take the Hillsborough county tax collector’s services to the next phase, with high efficiency and high quality in every aspect of the office’s operations around the county, making the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s office, “the most modern, fast and efficient agency in the United States.”
In addition to his experience in the private sector, Mr. Mathew spent four years working for Mr. Belden in the Hillsborough county tax collector’s office. Because of this, he understands the challenges confronting both sides of the tax collection process. This crucial experience has given him a unique perspective and motivated him to enter the tax collector’s race with the hope of streamlining services and processes so that individuals, business owners, and the county are all better off.
Hillsborough County is growing rapidly, and we need to address new challenges and expand our service accordingly. Mr. Mathew would like to bring the latest technology available to our office so we can serve our citizens better and faster. He hopes to work with other agencies within the Hillsborough county government, to include if possible, opening satellite offices in underserved areas in Hillsborough County. He also intends to provide Hillsborough county’s almost 100,000 veterans, first responders, and law enforcement officers with expedited service as a thank you for their service to our nation and citizens.
In pursuit of this goal, Mr. Mathew has set forth a plan that includes opening more neighborhood locations to serve Hillsborough County taxpayers. In addition, he plans on hiring enough well qualified and trained representatives so that wait times are minimized and quality customer service becomes a greater priority.
Along with increasing the number of service locations and well qualified personnel, Mr. Mathew has made known his intention of restructuring the salary of all Tax Collector Office employees in order to increase employee retention and workplace quality. This will lead to greater customer service and customer satisfaction. “The Tax Collector’s office is spending millions in training new employees – and they’re leaving within short periods of time because of better paying jobs and other benefits offered by private sector employers. We need to pay them a fair wage for the work they’re doing because it’s important work. I would like to offer a better salary & benefits package which is equal to or better than the private sector employers for similar work because our employees deserve it and our citizens deserves quality customer service too,” he says.
Mr. Belden has said, “If it’s not broken, improve upon it.” This is TK Mathew’s motto as he enters the race for Hillsborough County Tax Collector. He believes that we have a good system in place that can be improved by increasing efficiency with newer technology and taking advantage of the existing resources with better management and training. He fully plans on taking the foundation we built up and improving upon it in every way possible to save money and save time for every single taxpayer in Hillsborough County.

Slow-roasted Whole Duck in Spiced Ginger Cranberry sauce

July 9, 2020 Staff ReporterAmmu's Hearty Treats 0

This recipe is the perfect one you were looking for if you wanted to surprise your family and friends with a lovely dinner. It’s one of my personal favourite recipes and though little tedious the results are just out of the world. The meat is so tender, juicy and the bird comes out crispy from the oven ready to be drenched in an awesome brown sauce.. How I developed this recipe- I love duck meat unlike many. Because I’ve found that it’s much more flavourful than any other poultry like chicken/turkey.etc, ‘IF’ cooked the right way at the right temperatures. Whole roasted duck isn’t an as commonly eaten bird as the overrated classic English chicken/turkey roast. And the above could be the main reason for this. Since my childhood I loved my mom’s spicy duck roast with caramelised onions and I believed no other duck dishes could beat that. But believe me.. this one almost did-mom agreed! When you find that it’s quite an English recipe, you may think it’s less flavourful but it’s not. After lot of references and trials I have incorporated more flavours into this dish -tangy, spicy, lil’ sweet & that umami from the charred duck skin! It’s the ultimate duck recipe you’ll ever wanna prepare and so just go for this delectably rich birdy.. What’s special about this recipe- . Perfectly oven-roast duck— As I had mentioned above, the slow-roasting technique used in this recipe will never leave you disappointed. Cooking the duck with right temperature adjustments, patiently, renders a lovely browned crispy skin on the outside and juicy meat inside. . Spices & herbs— Though not too spicy, i have added a few spices such as cloves, cardamom, fennel, pepper, bay leaves and herbs such as thyme & parsley in minimal amounts to create the sauce that’s packed with full of flavour and compliments your ducky beautifully. . Cranberry, orange zest and ginger— These are not only rich in antioxidants and micronutrients, but also gives this dish it’s unique flavour and taste. . Special brown sauce— Its made using a brown stock that’s made from browning the duck left-overs and cooking it along with veggies in chicken stock and later reducing it down adding spices, vinegar, booze and condiments..worth drooling for! What you’ll need— . 1 Whole duck (with skin-on)-quite big enough! For marinade-. 1 teaspoon paprika . 4 cloves of crushed garlic. 2 tablespoons of orange zest. 1 teaspoon grated ginger. 1 teaspoon pepper. A handful of fresh herbs . 3 shallots, finely chopped . Olive oil. Salt For brown duck stock- . Duck leftovers (wing & fat trimmings, gizzards..) – of 1 bird, cut into 1 inch pieces . 1 big carrot, chopped into 1 inch pieces . 1 celery, chopped into 1 inch pieces. 1 sprig thyme . Half teaspoon pepper. 1 big bay leaf. Olive oil. 4 cups chicken stock. 5 cloves crushed garlic. Salt For spiced ginger cranberry sauce- . 1 cup cranberries . Half tablespoon orange zest. 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Half tablespoon grated ginger. 1 star anise. 1/4 teaspoon fennel. 2 cardamom pods. 5 cloves. 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar . 0.25 cup balsamic vinegar . 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar . O.25 cups red wine (dry). Parsley. 1.5 tablespoons cornflour . 2 tablespoons butter/olive oil. Salt For roasted onions & crispy potatoes- . 4 small floury potatoes cut chunky with skin-on. 7 shallots, peeled and halved. 2 big red onions, peeled and cut into big rings. 0.25 teaspoon oregano . Half teaspoon red chilli flakes . 0.25 teaspoon paprika . Half tablespoon all-purpose flour . Half tablespoon cornstarch . A pinch of baking powder . 0.25 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds . Salt to taste . 1 tablespoon strained fat that dripped onto the tray on oven-roasting the duck. Fat from top of cold brown stock How to make— For the brown stock-

Heat oil in a pan and brown the leftovers/trimmings.
Then add the spices, thyme and veggies into it with little salt and sauté well.
Now pour in the stock and cook slightly covered, simmer on low flame for around 2 hours.
Strain the stock when cool & reserve the liquid.

For Oven-roasting duck-

Preheat the oven to 250 degree Celsius.
Wash your duck in water mixed with a tablespoon of vinegar, scrubbing with coarse salt to remove the scum.
Drain and towel dry your bird before marinating.
Marínate with the ingredients listed above -for marinade.
Place the marinated duck onto a metal rack above a baking tray, so that the melting fat and juices which is to be used later, would ooze out onto the tray.
Heat for 15 mins with the breast side up under this high temperature. Then as you find your duck has browned well on top with a beautiful crispy skin, flip it onto the other side and bake for 30 mins at 200 degrees Celsius, then flip it again and bake for another 30mins . Finally flip it one more time and bake for 20-30 minutes.
During the time your duck is inside the oven, you could prepare the sauce.

For the sauce-

Caramelize a mixture of brown sugar, balsamic vinegar & red wine vinegar.
Thin it out by adding the brown stock little by little.
When it starts to boil, add the spices, cranberries, ginger, rest of the zest & garlic.
Cook for 10 minutes uncovered on low & mash up the berries.
Add the red wine into the boiling mixture.
Strain it out and reserve the liquid.
Mix cornflour in 2-3 tablespoon of cooled down liquid and add gradually into the entire reserve little by little.
Heat the above in a saucepan, stirring continuously until it reaches the right thickened saucy consistency & turn-off the heat.
Add the butter/olive oil to add to the glaze.

For roasted onions-

In an oven-proof roasting pan, spread the onions and mix it with the stock fat, salt and a bit of pepper.
Take out your bird from the oven when done and cover it with an aluminium foil for 30 minutes.
Place your onion-containing roasting pan into the oven (at 200 degree Celsius) and roast for about 8-12 minutes, until charred a bit.

For crispy potatoes-

Into a small bowl, mix-in the rest of the ingredients listed under-‘for roasted onions & crispy potatoes’ on the ingredients list , and pour it over the potatoes mixing well.
Air fry/ roast it in a preheated air-fryer/oven for 5-8 minutes at 180 degree Celsius first and then at 200 degree Celsius for 10-11 minutes.

Assembling–

Place the duck onto a hot wide-open serving platter and put the roasted onions all-over.
Pour the hot spiced cranberry ginger sauce all over it and place crispy potatoes on sides.
Sprinkle chopped parsley and finely chopped ginger on top of the duck. Bon appetit!

Notes, Tips & Suggestions-

It’s always better to rest your roasted/grilled meat for minimum 15-30 minutes depending of the type of meat, before cutting. So never skip this step if your want your bird to be tender & juicy.
You could add more paprika while marinating or more pepper in your stock, if you want your duck to be more spicy.
It’s recommended to serve this dish with a glass of your favourite red wine to enjoy the most of it.

Trump Orders International students to leave US if their schools have online-only learning

July 9, 2020 Staff ReporterCommunity, Politics, U.S. 0

International students who are pursuing degrees in the United States will have to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities switch to online-only courses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced this week. The Trump administration has also made a litany of changes to the US immigration system, citing the coronavirus pandemic, that have resulted in barring swaths of immigrants from coming to the country The move may affect thousands of foreign students who come to the United States to attend universities or participate in training programs, as well as non-academic or vocational studies.Universities nationwide are beginning to make the decision to transition to online courses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. At Harvard, for example, all course instruction will be delivered online, including for students living on campus. For international students, that opens the door to them having to leave the US. Many U.S. colleges were scrambling to modify plans for the fall semester in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic a day after the Trump administration issued an order that could force tens of thousands of foreign students to leave the country if their schools hold all classes online. “There’s so much uncertainty. It’s very frustrating,” said Valeria Mendiola, 26, a graduate student at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “If I have to go back to Mexico, I am able to go back, but many international students just can’t.” In a news release Monday, ICE said that students who fall under certain visas “may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States,” adding, “The U.S. Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will U.S. Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States.” The agency suggested that students currently enrolled in the US consider other measures, like transferring to schools with in-person instruction. There’s an exception for universities using a hybrid model, such as a mix of online and in-person classes.Brad Farnsworth, vice president of the American Council on Education, said the announcement caught him and many others by surprise. “We think this is going to create more confusion and more uncertainty,” said Farnsworth, whose organization represents about 1,800 colleges and universities. “What we were hoping to see was more appreciation for all the different possible nuances that campuses will be exploring.”One concern with the new guidance, Farnsworth said, is what would happen if the public health situation deteriorates in the fall and universities that had been offering in-person classes feel they have to shift all courses online to stay safe. Visa requirements for students have always been strict and coming to the US to take online-only courses has been prohibited. The guidance, Bacow continued, “undermines the thoughtful approach taken on behalf of students by so many institutions, including Harvard, to plan for continuing academic programs while balancing the health and safety challenges of the global pandemic. We will work closely with other colleges and universities around the country to chart a path forward,” he said. There are more than a million foreign students at U.S. colleges and universities, and many schools depend on revenue from foreign students, who often pay full tuition.The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency said institutions moving entirely to online learning must submit plans to the agency by July 15. Schools that will use only in-person learning, shortened or delayed classes, or a blend of in-person and online learning must submit plans by Aug. 1. The guidance applies to holders of F-1 and M-1 visas, which are for academic and vocational students.

Trump Meets Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Other Tech Titans

December 21, 2016 Ajay GhoshBusiness 0

President-elect Donald Trump met with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and 12 other technology titans on Wednesday, December 14th in a bid to heal rifts and get them on board with his program of creating more jobs and increasing investments in the US.

Trump, who had slammed the technology sector during his campaign for exporting jobs and manufacturing overseas, hailed them as an “amazing group of people” at the start of the meeting in Trump Tower and promised them, “I am here to help you folks do well.”

Nadella, who was accompanied by Microsoft President Brad Smith, refused to speak to reporters as he entered and left the Trump Tower. While people in the technology sector criticised Trump during the campaign mostly because of their perception of his social and immigration policies, Nadella was silent in public.

After the election, Nadella congratulated Trump in a post on LinkedIn. But in an implied criticism of the Trump campaign’s perceived rhetoric, he also wrote, “Our commitment to our mission and values are steadfast, and in particular fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.”

Nadella seemed ill at ease during the start of the meeting, which was open to the media. When the participants around the conference table introduced themselves, Nadella, who was seated at a corner away from Trump, said curtly, “Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.” When it was Smith’s turn, he tried to make up for Nadella by saying, “And like Satya, pleased to be here.”

Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon and also the owner of The Washington Post, which continues its editorial campaign against Trump, set the conciliatory tone from the other side, saying, “I’m super excited about the possibility that this could be the innovations administration.”

A summary of the meeting released by the Trump transition team listed first among items discussed, “Creating more jobs for American workers.” This could impact Indian tech and business process sectors that rely heavily on outsourcing.

Last week, Trump said that he would not allow foreign workers on temporary H-1B visas for technology professionals to displace American workers. Access to visas for hi-tech workers, which worried technology leaders, did not figure in the summary. Among other items discussed were eliminating barriers preventing American companies from doing business in other countries and America’s competitive trade dynamic and market access with China.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai was not invited to the meeting as CEO Larry Page and President Sergei Brin of Google’s holding company, Alphabet, were there. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg wasn’t there either and Sheryl Sandberg, the COO represented the company.

Donald Trump’s meeting with Indian businessmen makes news-headlines across world

November 22, 2016 Ajay GhoshPolitics, U.S. 0

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s meeting last week in his office at Trump Tower with three Indian business partners who are building a Trump-branded luxury apartment complex south of Mumbai, has raised new questions about how he would separate his business dealings from the work of the government once he is in the White House.

The three Indian executives — Sagar Chordia, Atul Chordia, and Kalpesh Mehta — have been quoted in Indian newspapers, including The Economic Times, as saying they have discussed expanding their partnership with the Trump Organization now that Trump is president-elect. The Economic Times reported that the meeting occurred on Tuesday, November 15.

A spokeswoman for Trump had described the meeting as a courtesy call by the three Indian real estate executives, who flew from India to congratulate Trump on his election victory. In a picture posted on Twitter, all four men are smiling and giving a thumbs-up, media reports here suggested. “It was not a formal meeting of any kind,” Breanna Butler, a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization, said when asked about the meeting on Saturday.

One of the businessmen, Sagar Chordia, posted photographs on Facebook showing that he also met with Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump., Trump’s children, who are helping to run his businesses as they play a part in the presidential transition.

Sagar Chordia is reported to have confirmed that the meeting with Trump and members of his family had taken place, and that an article written about it in the Indian newspaper, which reported that one of his partners said they had discussed the desire to expand the deals with the Trump family, was accurate.

Atul Chordia and Sagar Chordia are well-known figures in real estate in Pune, a city of about three million people in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Their father, Ishwardas Chordia, was born into a family of sugar traders, but as a young man forged a close friendship with Sharad Pawar, who became an important politician in Maharashtra and now sits in the upper house of India’s Parliament. Beginning in the 1990s, Chordia businesses built luxury hotels, corporate parks and residential projects in upscale neighborhoods in Pune.

Mehta is the managing partner of a real-estate firm named Tribeca, which is also a part of the Trump projects in India, which go by names including Trump Towers Pune and Trump Towers Mumbai.

Washington ethics lawyers said that a meeting with Indian real estate partners, regardless of what was discussed, raised conflict of interest questions for Trump, who could be perceived as using the presidency to advance his business interests.

Internationally, many properties that bear Trump’s name are the result of marketing deals — like the one in India — in which he is paid by someone for the use of his name but does not actually own the underlying property. He has such marketing agreements in South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, the Philippines and Turkey, according to a list published by his company.

Hindus for Trump: behind the uneasy alliance with rightwing US politics

October 27, 2016 Staff ReporterPolitics 0

Three weeks before the election, Trump made a brief but rousing appearance at the Republican Hindu Coalition’s (RHC) Humanity United Against Terror charity concert, an event framed around raising money to combat “radical Islamic terrorism”, particularly for Hindus from Bangladesh and Kashmir.
“I’m a big fan of Hindu, and I’m a big fan of India,” Trump told hundreds of enthusiastic attendees in Edison, New Jersey, a town known for its sizable South Asian population.

Terrorism made for a dissonant theme on a night filled with several upbeat music and dance performances by Indian choreographer Prabu Deva and Signature, the dance group known for competing on Britain’s Got Talent.

The introduction to the national anthem featured a simulated terrorist attack, in which two couples dancing on stage were suddenly attacked by two men covered in brown cloth, who were shouting and wielding toy guns with green lightsabers attached. Men dressed as US Navy Seals entered to defeat the terrorists. They all stood together for the Star-Spangled Banner before dancing to Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA.

Kamal Singh of Edison, New Jersey, said he believed Trump, who he referred to as “the big leader”, will stand with India in fighting terrorist organizations from Pakistan. “Trump is for peace and he’s fighting against terrorism,” Singh said.

Trump, after lighting Diwali lamps onstage with the RHC’s founding chairman, Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar, said: “The Indian and Hindu community will have a true friend in the White House.

“Generations of Hindu and Indian Americans have strengthened our country,” he said. “Your values and hard work, education and enterprise, have truly enriched our nation.”

Trump tried to appeal to Hindus among Indian Americans in three ways:

October 27, 2016 Staff ReporterPolitics 0

First, he equated Indians with Hindus, erasing India’s religious minorities — 172 million Muslims, 28 million Christians, 21 million Sikhs and 8 million Buddhists, among others — from the picture.

Second, he equated his position on Islamic terrorism with that of India’s government. As he put it: “We appreciate the great friend that India has been to the United States in the fight against radical Islamic terrorists . . . we are going to be best friends.”

Third, he equated himself with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I look forward to working with Prime Minister Modi who has been very energetic in reforming India’s bureaucracy. Great man, I applaud him. I look forward to doing some serious bureaucratic trimming right here in the United States . . .”

Several news sources suggested that even though the majority of Indian Americans do not support Trump, his effort to associate himself with Modi and his anti-Muslim rhetoric might win him some support. The New York Times, for example, reported that his tracking of the language of Mr. Modi “has given Mr. Trump a foothold of support among Hindus in the United States, some of whom are also drawn to his strong talk about Muslims, their longtime adversaries on the subcontinent.”

WNYC reported, “The other way that Trump aligns with some Indians and Hindus in the U.S. is his proposed ban of allowing Muslim immigrants to enter the U.S. For decades Hindus and Muslims in India have been fighting and there were outbreaks in the late 1980s that left hundreds dead. So to some extent these two communities continue to harbor suspicious against each other. . . . Trump did get a rise out of the crowd when he mentioned fighting radical Islam.”

Trump would be ‘dangerous’ if elected: UN human rights chief

October 20, 2016 Staff ReporterPolitics 0

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump would be “dangerous from an international point of view” if he is elected, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday, defiantly doubling down on his recent expression of concerns about “populist demagogues” that prompted a rebuke from Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations.

In a broad-ranging news conference touching on issues like violence in Yemen, Syria and sub-Saharan Africa, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said some remarks by Trump are “deeply unsettling and disturbing to me,” particularly on torture and about “vulnerable communities.”

“If Donald Trump+ is elected, on the basis of what he has said already and unless that changes, I think it’s without any doubt that he would be dangerous from an international point of view,” Zeid told reporters in Geneva.

The comments from Zeid, a Jordanian prince, are likely to fan a debate in UN circles about whether he has been overstepping his mandate as the High Commissioner for Human Rights with comments on the US presidential nominee and nationalist, xenophobic leaders in parts of Europe.

Only a day earlier, Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations in New York, Vitaly Churkin, said Zeid shouldn’t criticize foreign heads of state and government “for their policies. This is not his business. He should be more focused on his specific responsibilities.”

Zeid alluded to a report Friday by The Associated Press indicating that Churkin had last month formally complained directly to the UN secretary-general about Zeid’s comments, saying: “I was not there, of course, and there was no demarche (formal report) made to me.”

Trump to speak at Republican Hindu Coalition anti-terror event

August 31, 2016 Ajay GhoshPolitics 0

Donald Trump is planned to deliver remarks at an event hosted by the Republican Hindu Coalition next month, as he looks to expand his outreach to minority voting blocs. He is expected to speak against terrorism on September 24 at the PNC Bank Art Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

The event, titled “Humanity United Against Terror,” will take place in Holmdel two days before the Republican presidential nominee is slated to meet Hillary Clinton on the debate stage in nearby Hempstead, N.Y. According to a press release, Trump will also meet with members of his campaign’s Indian American Advisory Board at the event.

The coalition was formed by Shalli Kumar, an Indian-American businessman and GOP mega donor, who said last fall that the group planned to raise around $10 million to contribute to Republican congressional candidates this cycle. The group’s honorary chairman is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a top ally and adviser to Trump, and someone who has encouraged the GOP to reach Indian-American voters through issues like national security.

Kumar has emerged as one of Trump’s largest campaign donors. On July 16, Kumar wired $449,400 to Trump’s campaign, the maximum amount an individual can donate to the fund in one election cycle. His wife then made an equal donation of $449,400. Kumar said he expects 25,000 people to attend the event. The RHC is offering tickets from its Web site to anyone who donates $101 or more.

“It’s Trump being Trump,” said Indian-American business person and co-founder of the RHC, Shalli Kumar. “He’s just misunderstood. He is just as color, religion, race-blind as anyone could be. He’s a business person.”

In an exclusive interview with Diya TV, Kumar lauded this first of its kind event specific to Indian-Americans. “The goal is to unite Hindu-American community with conservative values together and expand the RHC and at the time same time help the victims of terror throughout the world.”

Trump will meet with members of his campaign’s Indian American Advisory Board at the event. Bollywood stars and major Hindu spiritual leaders are also scheduled to attend. Kumar believes the four hour spectacle will attract 25,000 to 30,000 people, featuring surprises he does not want to disclose yet. The event is just one part of the effort the GOP is making to appeal to America’s most affluent and educated ethnic minority.

“When the Republican party leaders launched the Republican Hindu Coalition, they had a purpose to expand Republican outreach to India, Indian-Americans in particular along the lines of Jewish Americans,” said Kumar. The RHC plans to raise around $10 million to support various Republican congressional candidates this cycle.

TheUNN Corporation

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