The Indian Panorama

Tag: California

  • Ami Bera’s Father Admits Illegal Campaign Contributions

    Ami Bera’s Father Admits Illegal Campaign Contributions

    Indian-American Sacramento-area based Congressman Ami Bera’s 83-year-old father has pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributionso his son’s campaigns in 2010 and 2012..

    Babulal Bera, who could be jailed for up to 30 months, pleaded guilty in Sacramento before US District Judge Troy Nunley in the Eastern District of California.

    The elder Bera pleaded guilty Tuesday to funneling $225,326 to back his son’s political aspirations in 2009 and an additional $43,000 in 2011. In both election cycles, Bera’s parents had already made their own contributions of $2,400 and $2,500, the maximum allowed under the law.

    He admitted that in 2010 and 2012, he made the maximum allowable individual contributions to his son’s congressional campaigns in two of California’s districts during these years.

    Mr Babulal said that he solicited friends, family members and acquaintances to make contributions, which he then reimbursed with his own funds to make campaign contributions in excess of the contribution limits established by federal law.

    The government has identified over 130 improper campaign contributions involving approximately 90 contributors in the two elections. So far, the government has identified over USD 220,000 in reimbursed contributions relating to the 2010 campaign and over USD 40,000 in reimbursed contributions relating to the 2012 campaign.

    Ami Bera is the only Indian-American lawmaker in the current Congress and is currently facing a tough re-election campaign against Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones to keep his seat in the state’s 7th congressional district.

    A report in the Los Angeles Times said quoted the lawmaker as saying that he was incredibly saddened and disappointed in learning what his father did. He said that neither he nor any campaign aides were aware of the activities until being contacted by federal prosecutors.

    “While I deeply love my father, it’s clear that he has made a grave mistake that will have real consequences for him,” Ami said in the statement.

    He said since he first learned about the investigation from authorities, his team and he have cooperated fully with the US Attorney’s Office.

    The report also quoted Acting US Attorney Phillip Talbert as saying in a news conference that “Congressman Bera and his campaign staff have been fully cooperative in this investigation” and so far there is no indication “from what we’ve learned in the investigation that either the congressman or his campaign staff knew of, or participated in, the reimbursements of contributions.

    Mr Babulal had immigrated to the US from Rajkot, Gujarat in 1958.

    A resident of California’s La Palma, Mr Babulal is scheduled to be sentenced by Nunley on August 4.

     

  • Indian-American Kumar Barve Loses Democratic Primary Elections

    Indian-American Kumar Barve Loses Democratic Primary Elections

    MARYLAND (TIP): An Indian-American Democratic legislator in Maryland has suffered a humiliating defeat in the party’s primary election for a seat in the US House of Representatives.

    Kumar Barve, 57, who was the House Majority Leader from 2003-2014 and now Chairman of Maryland House Environment and Transportation Committee, received just two per cent of the total votes polled in a nine-person Democratic primary race for a seat in the US House of Representatives last night.

    The primary election was won by Jamie Raskin who received 33 per cent of the votes.

    He was followed by David Trone with 28 per cent of the votes.

    In 1990, Mr. Barve made history at the age of 32, when he was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates and became the first Indian-American ever to serve in a state legislator.

    If elected, he would have been the fourth Indian-American to be elected to the US House of Representatives. Ami Bera from California is the only Indian-American in the current Congress.

  • Four Indian Americans Named Guggenheim Fellows for 2016

    Four Indian Americans Named Guggenheim Fellows for 2016

    Four Indian Americans — Anjan Chakravartty, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame; Amitava Kumar, the Helen D. Lockwood Professor of English at Vassar College, New York; Rajesh Rao, Director of the Center for ‘Sensorimotor Neural Engineering’ and Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Neil Garg, Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA — are among a group of 178, artists, scholars, and scientists from all fields, who have been named John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellows in the prestigious program which started in 1925.

    The candidates were chosen from a group of roughly 3,000 applicants based on prior achievement and exceptional promise, according to a foundation news release, and include three joint Fellowships.

    “It’s exciting to name 178 new Guggenheim Fellows. These artists and writers, scholars and scientists, represent the best of the best,” foundation president Edward Hirsh said in a statement.

    Chakravartty was named a Fellow in the discipline of philosophy. He is a professor and director at the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values at the University of Notre Dame.

    Garg was chosen as a Fellow in the chemistry discipline. Garg earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from New York University and his doctorate from the California Institute of Technology.

    Kumar was named a Fellow in the general nonfiction discipline. He is the Helen D. Lockwood professor of English at Vassar College.

    Rao received the Guggenheim Fellowship for his work in neuroscience. He is the director of the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering and professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle.

  • Indian-American Students Create App For On-Demand Tutors

    Indian-American Students Create App For On-Demand Tutors

    HOUSTON:  Two Indian-American computer science students in the US have created an education app that helps college students connect with tutors in the locality. Described as “The Uber for Tutors”, the “Scholarly” app available as a free download on Google Play and in the Apple App Store helps users view tutor profiles, set meeting locations, and get help with their studies at the click of a button.

    The app, that won the first place at the world’s largest education Hackathon in October, has been created by Sultan Khan and Haasith Sanka of the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

    The way it works is simple: tutors create profiles, which can be viewed by students looking for help in a certain subject. After setting a meeting location, the two parties can meet to untangle whatever academic knot a student is wrestling with.

    In addition to being easy, it’s mutually beneficial. Tutors can earn extra cash, while students can get the academic help they need – all with no middle man other than a smartphone.

    The duo hope the on-demand tutoring service will help fellow students.

    “We both believe that one-on-one tutoring is beneficial, so we are proud to have created something that will contribute to students’ success,” said Sanka.

    The duo developed the android version of ‘Scholarly’ at Hacking EDU in last October. The competition drew more than 1,000 hackers from universities around the world. Within a 36-hour time-frame, students were challenged to turn their ideas into functional software that would improve the education system.

    After presenting ‘Scholarly’ to a panel of judges, Khan and Sanka ultimately left with a first place ranking for their app.Since then, the two have been working to improve the android app and create the iOS version.

    “One of the challenges about developing apps is that even when you’ve done a good job there is always room for improvement. That’s one of the things I love about creating apps and the reason I want to work in the field of software development when I graduate,” said Khan, in a statement issued by UCR.

    For Sanka, the reward will be seeing how the app helps other students.

    While most of the app’s activity is currently generated by UCR students, Khan and Sanka hope to expand the service to K-12 (Kindergarten to Class 12) students and their parents in the coming months.

  • Former first lady Nancy Reagan dies at 94 in California

    Former first lady Nancy Reagan dies at 94 in California

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): Nancy Reagan, the helpmate, backstage adviser and fierce protector of Ronald Reagan in his journey from actor to president – and finally during his 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease – has died. She was 94.

    The former first lady died on Sunday at her home in Bel-Air, California, of congestive heart failure, said assistant Allison Borio.

    Her best-known project as first lady was the “Just Say No” campaign to help kids and teens stay off drugs.

    When she swept into the White House in 1981, the former Hollywood actress partial to designer gowns and pricey china was widely dismissed as a pre-feminist throwback, concerned only with fashion, decorating and entertaining.

    By the time she moved out eight years later, Mrs. Reagan was fending off accusations that she was a behind-the-scenes “dragon lady” wielding unchecked power over the Reagan administration – and doing it based on astrology to boot.

    All along she maintained that her only mission was to back her “Ronnie” and strengthen his presidency.

    Mrs. Reagan carried that charge through the rest of her days. She served as a full-time caretaker as Alzheimer’s melted away her husband’s memory.

    After his death in June 2004 she dedicated herself to tending his legacy, especially at his presidential library in California, where he had served as governor.

    She also championed Alzheimer’s patients, raising millions of dollars for research and breaking with fellow conservative Republicans to advocate for stem cell studies.

    Her dignity and perseverance in these post-White House roles helped smooth over the public’s fickle perceptions of the former first lady.

    The Reagans’ mutual devotion over 52 years of marriage was legendary. They were forever holding hands. She watched his political speeches with a look of such steady adoration it was dubbed “the gaze.”

    He called her “Mommy,” and penned a lifetime of gushing love notes. She saved these letters, published them as a book, and found them a comfort when he could no longer remember her.

    In announcing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 1994, Reagan wrote, “I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience.” Ten years later, as his body lay in state in the US Capitol, Mrs. Reagan caressed and gently kissed the flag-draped casket.

    As the newly arrived first lady, Mrs. Reagan raised more than $800,000 from private donors to redo the White House family quarters and to buy a $200,000 set of china bordered in red, her signature color.

    She was criticized for financing these pet projects with donations from millionaires who might seek influence with the government, and for accepting gifts and loans of dresses worth thousands of dollars from top designers. Her lavish lifestyle – in the midst of a recession and with her husband’s administration cutting spending on the needy – inspired the mocking moniker “Queen Nancy.”

  • Indian Origin Dean of Top US Law School Accused of Sexual Harassment

    Indian Origin Dean of Top US Law School Accused of Sexual Harassment

    NEW YORK (TIP): A 45-year-old Indian-origin dean of a prestigious US law school has been accused of sexually harassing his assistant for over a period of several months.

    Sujit Choudhry has taken an indefinite leave of absence after his executive assistant at the Berkeley Law School filed a lawsuit against him for sexually harassing her from September 2014 until March 2015.

    A lawsuit was filed this week against him in Alameda County Superior Court in California against Mr. Choudhry and the University of California Board of Regents by the assistant, who is suing for sexual harassment, failure to prevent harassment, retaliation, infliction of emotional distress and assault.

    The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Choudhry hugged and kissed his assistant almost daily over a period of several months.

    Mr. Choudhry, an expert in comparative constitutional law, was named in 2014 the 12th dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, one of the country’s top schools.

    New Delhi-born Mr. Choudhry who holds law degrees from Oxford, Toronto, and Harvard denied the allegations. He said he will continue to cooperate with the university in the probe. He disagreed with the victim’s claims and allegations and said he will defend himself against them.

    “Choudhry’s kissing and hugging Plaintiff was a near daily occurrence,” the lawsuit says according to a report in NBC Bay area, making her “feel disgusted, humiliated, exposed and dirty”. Mr. Choudhry has been given a 10-per cent, one-year reduction in salary and ordered to apologies to the victim. “However, I can say that I cooperated fully, and take extremely seriously, the University’s confidential investigation into this matter and ensuing sanction, he said.

    Berkeley’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Claude Steele said in a statement that Mr. Choudhry would step down to his faculty position and salary. The school would announce as soon as possible about an interim replacement.

    “A thorough investigation of this case found that Dean Choudhry’s behavior in this situation violated policy, and that he demonstrated a failure to understand the power dynamic and the effect of his actions on the plaintiff personally and in her employment,” Mr. Steele said.

    The victim has been granted a fully paid administrative leave and Mr. Steele said once she felt ready to return to the workplace, “we supported her search to find a position on campus that meets her interests and needs”.

    Court documents allege that Mr. Choudhry’s behavior became more aggressive and “occurred multiple times per day”.

  • Ami Bera wins California Democratic Party endorsements

    Ami Bera wins California Democratic Party endorsements

    WASHINGTON DC (TIP): Indian American Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento received endorsements from the California Democratic Party Feb. 27, during the state convention.

    Bera won his endorsement, gaining nearly 90 percent of the vote. Fifty people voted for the sole Indian American in Congress, while six voted against him.

    Bera – who is seeking his third term in office – is running unopposed in the primary election June 7. He will face Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones – a Republican – in the general election Nov. 8.

    Bera has been opposed by some labor organizations for his vote last year supporting the Trade Promotion Authority bill in the House, which allows the president to “fast-track” trade treaties with certain countries, without Congressional oversight.

    House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, told party delegates before the endorsement vote was taken that Bera’s position on TPA was different from her position, but that his vote on the issue should not be the sole basis for his re-election.

    “He is a valued member of the Congress. He has a great base of support at the grassroots level and I think he will win,” said Pelosi.

  • Kamala Harris likely to become 1st PIO senator in US

    Kamala Harris likely to become 1st PIO senator in US

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): California’s attorney general Kamala Harris may become the first Indian-American senator in the US Congress after she won Democratic Party’s endorsement for the seat. Harris (51) and Loretta Sanchez were vying for their party’s seal of approval to replace California Senator Barbara Boxer, who is retiring. The attorney general won 78% of delegates’ votes on Saturday, surpassing the 60%endorsement threshold.

    The endorsement of Democrats could bring significant financial backing in addition to credibility. The show of approbation allows the party to spend on her behalf in traditional ways such as mailers, phone-banking and precinct walks and provides Harris the right to use its desired seal of approval in the campaign. Both Harris and Sanchez will compete in the June primary along with Republicans Duf Sundheim and Tom Del Beccaro. The top two vote-getters will then square off in November. There have been several Indian-American Congressmen in the House of Representatives, including Ami Bera and retired member Dalip Singh Saund.

    (PTI)

  • Indian American-Led “Democrats for Truth” Attacks Ami Bera

    Indian American-Led “Democrats for Truth” Attacks Ami Bera

    Congressman Ami Bera, running for reelection in the state of California has come under attacks by his own party men, this time, surprisingly by a group led by an Indian American, “Sacramento Democrats For Truth.” Led by Amar Shergill, a former Bera supporter an Indian-American, the new group has launched an attack on Rep. Ami Bera, D-California, on grounds he has “refused” to provide documentation about his overseas trips and that donors to his campaign had overseas interests.

    Bera’s support among local Democrats in his district suffered a blow when local unions refused to endorse him for his vote in favor of President Obama’s Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact. Bera is now relying on getting enough support at the state party convention Feb. 26-28, to get re-nominated for his third term race. He is unopposed.

    California’s District 7 is almost equally divided along party lines and has a significant uncommitted voter base, has proved a tough seat and Bera has won with small margins. Republicans have targeted the district for takeover.

    Ami Bera won reelection over a year ago with a razor thin margin. Now with strong opposition from both Democrats, Labor Unions and Republicans, his reelection bid in the November 2016 election has come to be recognized as even harder. The National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) ad has tried to distort Bera’s record of finding bipartisan solutions and protecting and strengthening Medicare and defending against efforts to privatize Social Security.

    “Congressman Ose’s DC Republican backers are just repeating the same tired old lies,” said Bera spokesperson Allison Teixeira. “They are resorting to more misleading attacks to try to distract voters from Ose’s partisan record of voting with his political party nearly 95 percent of the time while helping enrich himself and his Wall Street friends, and voting to privatize Social Security.”

    According to Rep. Bera’s website, Bera has a clear record of finding bipartisan solutions to our nation’s challenges as a leader of the Problem Solvers’ No Labels coalition, and is one of the most moderate members of Congress. He is also an ardent defender of Social Security and Medicare, recently announcing the support of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) and the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA) because he has been “a leader in the fight to preserve and protect Social Security and Medicare,” and has “a proven record of fighting plans that would end the Medicare guarantee for our seniors.”

    In a press release, the Sacramento Democrats For Truth said that despite requests from some party delegates, Bera “has refused to provide documents describing payments for his overseas trips, with whom he meets and his political contributors with more than $1 million in assets overseas.” The group said they had gone through Bera’s campaign finance filings, and remain “troubled by contributions from those that appear to be closely connected to foreign investment funds and foreign nations.”

    Bera calls the accusations unfounded and that all regulations relating to foreign trips had been complied with and quarterly filings with the Federal Elections Commission were public. Even Shergill conceded that Bera would get the state party endorsement this coming weekend. “At the state convention, it’s very likely the party establishment will rescue his endorsement and he will get it even though he is rejected by his local Democrats,” Shergill said.

    Shergill’s list of 9 contributors to Bera, virtually all of them venture capitalists, showed none of them had given money to SuperPACs with overseas interests. Rather, they had contributed the maximum allowed, $2,700 to Bera and given large amounts to Democratic Party or Democratic candidate SuperPACs.

    “All of the Congressman’s contributions are publicly available and disclosed on a quarterly basis, and as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee he complies with all travel disclosure rules,” Congressman Bera’s campaign manager Jerid Kurtz said. “It’s unfortunate that the same detractors that worked against the Congressman since 2014 are continuing to lob baseless accusations,” Kurtz added.

  • Justice for Rohith Solidarity Rally and March Against Caste Apartheid, Feb 27

    Justice for Rohith Solidarity Rally and March Against Caste Apartheid, Feb 27

    NEW YORK (TIP): The South Asia Solidarity Initiative (SASI) along with prominent Dalit activists and organizations in New York City will march, Feb. 27th, 2013, 2 to 400 p.m. at Union Square, in solidarity with the Dalit resistance campus movements that has swept India in recent weeks.

    The gathering will mourn the enormous loss of Rohith Vemula, an Ambedkarite and a Dalit scholar, who was a powerful and vocal activist against Brahminism and caste. The demonstration will include a performance by Columbia University-based actors of The Last Letter developed by the political theater group Jana Natya Manch as Akhri Khat, based on Rohith Vemula’s suicide note and performed last week in Delhi.

    Vemula’s institutional murder has served as a catalyst, revealing the profound implications of caste in academic spaces in India as well as the diaspora. Sumit Baudh, a doctoral candidate at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, says, “The Indian diaspora students and faculty in the U.S. are mostly savarna /dominant caste and often this creates an atmosphere of isolation and anxiety for Dalit scholars about how our ideas are received or rejected.” In numerous ways, Dalit students and faculty continue to be marginalized and systematically isolated from educational access and mobility.

    Harvard scholar Suraj Yengde suggests, “Whenever international collaborations or partnerships are made with Indian universities, the checklist must include the condition/inclusion of Dalit and tribal students and faculty. Parameters to be checked could include implementation of affirmative action policies, and equal representation of SC/ST students and faculty. An endorsement from local Dalit and tribal student and faculty associations should be marked in the policy documents. Home institutes that do not correspond to the above checklist should be deprived of international partnerships and thus be made to experience a slide down the ladder of academic positioning. If this is not, old equations, traditional hierarchies, will continue to be perpetuated.”

    In recent weeks, campus movements have held a limelight to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, whose peaceful student protests are being brutally repressed by various Hindutva forces. JNU student body president, Kanhaiya Kumar and several other students were arrested for sedition, unlawful assembly and criminal conspiracy. Furthermore, a few days ago JNU Dalit professor Vivek Kumar and two others were attacked by gunmen during a program organized by the Ambedkar Forum. These attacks\were preceded by multiple threats from Hindutva activists. Most recently, the Delhi High Court and police have pursued charges against JNU student Umar Khalid for a fabricated accusation of raising “antinational” slogans during a rally. These shocking events have mobilized voices and communities globally, condemning the repressive actions of the state. SASI joins in denouncing these draconian measures that suppress dissent, stifle political thought and furthermore nurture a hostile climate against religious minorities, Dalit and Adivasi communities.

    While we recognize the brutality of these actions, it is also important that our solidarity is not distracted from the national mobilization against structural caste based discrimination in India’s campuses. It is important that we name the Brahminism and caste apartheid that threads together and binds the violent suppression of free speech in the name of nationalism. A few days ago, over 10,000 people from all over India traveled and gathered in Delhi in solidarity with the movement triggered by Rohith Vemula as well as recent events at JNU. Organized by Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Social Justice and Hyderabad Central University (HCU), the mobilization is marching under the banner of ‘Chalo Delhi’. Among other points, their demands include the enactment of ‘the Rohith Act’ that addresses caste discrimination in educational spaces? punishment and accountability of government officials Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatrya, Ramchandra Rao and Hindu right leader Susheel Kumar. The group is also calling for a judicial inquiry into all cases of discrimination and harassment of Dalitbahujan, Adivasi and religious minority students in educational institutions. SASI is in full support of these demands and want to highlight the importance of these appeals in our action.

    Narayana Rao Rampilla, formerly of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Action Committee at JNU, points out that “What is happening in India now is a repeat of the age old injustice that activists have been fighting for centuries…In view of the current developments, this social movement in India needs the support of everyone and condemnation of caste apartheid in India just like the apartheid in South Africa.”

    SASI organizer Prachi Patankar says, “This protest is also a celebration of Dalit resistance now and for centuries, communities who against all odds have steadfastly struggled to educate themselves and their families.”

  • Hindu gods at Santa Barbara Museum

    Hindu gods at Santa Barbara Museum

    SANTA BARBARA, CA (TIP): The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) in California is showcasing images of Hindu deities in an upcoming exhibition “Puja and Piety”, which will run from April 17 to August 28.

    It includes 12th century volcanic stone sculpture of Shiva, 11th century sandstone sculpture of Balarama, 19th century paintings of Kali and Devi, cart of Vishnu, etc.

    It presents over 160 objects of diverse media created over the past two millennia and is one of the major presentations of the SBMA’s 75th-anniversary year in 2016.

    Commending SBMA for exhibiting Hindu artifacts, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth.

    Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major art museums of the world, including Musee du Louvre and Musee d’Orsay of Paris, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Los Angeles Getty Center, Uffizi Gallery of Florence (Italy), Art Institute of Chicago, Tate Modern of London, Prado Museum of Madrid, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, etc., to frequently organize Hindu art focused exhibitions, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage with the rest of the world.

    SBMA, whose Guiding Principles include “stimulate thought”; comprises of 27,000 works of art spanning over 5,000 years of human creativity, including classical antiquities and Monet paintings; serves about 150,000 visitors annually. Larry J. Feinberg is the Director, while John C. Bishop Junior is the Trustees Chair.

  • INDIAN AMERICAN CALIFORNIA AG KAMALA HARRIS FILES OFFICIAL PAPERWORK FOR SENATE BID

    INDIAN AMERICAN CALIFORNIA AG KAMALA HARRIS FILES OFFICIAL PAPERWORK FOR SENATE BID

    Feb 24: California Attorney General Indian American Kamala Harris is running for Senate, a seat she has been campaigning for more than a year.

    “We got in early, we’ve been running hard, and this makes it official. So I’m very excited,” Harris said.

    Wednesday, Feb 24, she formally and officially declared herself a candidate, filling out the official paperwork at the registrar’s office in Norwalk.

    The Democratic attorney general is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer, who retires from her post at the end of her term in 2017.

    Harris says there are some key issues she’s focusing on, including education, the economy, the environment and equality.

    “That’s everything from what we need to do around continuing to fight for the rights for our LGBT brothers and sisters, to what we need to do around immigration reform, to what we need to do around protecting a woman’s right to choose what to do with her own body,” Harris said.

    Since announcing, Harris has been the frontrunner, leading in the polls.

    If Harris wins the seat, she would be the first Indian American to ever serve in the Senate.

    She says her strategy is to truly connect with voters.

    “Sitting and talking with them and listening, most importantly, and then hopefully, this work will result in a successful bid for the United States Senate,” Harris said.

    Harris said she’s heading to the Democratic convention in San Jose later this week and wanted to file her paperwork ahead of her trip.

  • Indian American Vinod Khosla Locked In USD 30 Million Real Estate Battle

    Indian American Vinod Khosla Locked In USD 30 Million Real Estate Battle

    NEW YORK:  A prominent Indian-American billionaire is locked in a real estate battle with the State of California after he sought USD 30 million for reallowing public access to a stretch of beach he owns, a media report said.

    Vinod Khosla, founder of Sun Microsystems, had bought a prime 53-acre parcel of Martins Beach, a haven for the beachgoing public, for USD 37.5 million eight years ago.

    At first, the Silicon Valley venture capitalist let people use the beach, but in 2010 locked the gate on Martins Beach Road and posted guards.

    A report in the New York Times said the case has touched “a nerve in California” as resentment grows over issues of wealth, privilege and public land use.

    “The case has generated years of protests as it wound its way through state courts, where two lawsuits aim to force Khosla, who does not live on the property, to let the public back in,” it said.

    Lawyers for Mr Khosla have proposed in negotiations with the state to restore public access to the beach for USD 30 million, almost the amount he had paid for the land.

    California’s State Lands Commission’s executive officer Jennifer Lucchesi said in the report that the commission does not agree with that value.

    “We have not seen any backup documentation to support the USD 30 million value. The commission planned to offer its own assessment,” she said.

    The talks were initiated under legislation that took effect in January 2015, she said.

    If the two sides cannot agree, the commission could resort to eminent domain, which allows the state to expropriate private property for public use.

    Mr Khosla’s lawyer Dori Yob said in her letter to the commission this month that Mr Khosla’s limited liability companies, the legal entity that owns the property, closed the beach because demand was low, asserting that more than 10 cars showed up to use it only about 15 days a year.

    Mr Yob said that while the current real estate market value of the land was USD 30 million, the Martins Beach owners previously offered less expensive solutions to meet the “limited demand” for access as a way to avoid lengthy litigation and further expenses.

    “The cost to acquire the property is significant and should be weighed against the benefits,” she wrote.

    “There is no vital link to navigable waters at issue.

    There is not a significant demand for access to the property,” the report cited her as saying.

  • Indian Man Who Went Missing From Daughter’s Wedding In LA Found Dead

    Indian Man Who Went Missing From Daughter’s Wedding In LA Found Dead

    LOS ANGELES:  The body of a 55-year-old Indian man, who was on a visit to the US has been found in a waterway, 10-days after he walked away from his daughter’s wedding reception, a media report said today.

    Authorities in Sacramento County in California found the body of Prasad Moparti on Monday in a waterway about 8 km downstream from the wedding reception where he was last seen alive on February 13, Sacramento Bee reported.

    The Coroner’s Office said there was no trauma to the body, but that the cause of death has yet to be determined. A boater in the area reported seeing Mr Moparti’s body, and crews were soon able to get him out of the water, the report said.

    Mr Moparti, who travelled from Hyderabad in January to attend his daughter’s wedding, was reported missing since February 13 when he walked away from his daughter’s wedding reception at Grand Island Mansion in Walnut Grove in Northern California by himself and never returned.

    In the days leading up to the ceremony, he had started taking long walks while visiting his daughter in Los Angeles, family members said.

    “Family members further indicated Moparti suffered from depression, and that he showed indicators of his depression leading up to the wedding,” Tony Turnbull, spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department had said last week.

    Authorities said immediately after he disappeared that there were no suspicious circumstances or foul play.

    The Sheriff’s Department had conducted a search for about 72 hours in surrounding areas. The search was later called off and a sheriff’s spokesman said Mr Moparti was considered to be a “voluntary missing person” though he was not familiar with the area.

  • Chinese students jailed in US for kidnapping and assault

    Chinese students jailed in US for kidnapping and assault

    ROWLAND HEIGHTS (CALIFORNIA) (TIP): Three students from China were sentenced on Feb 17 to years in prison after prosecutors said they stripped, beat and burned two classmates.

    The defendants and victims were “parachute kids” who studied in Southern California while their parents remained back home. Yunyao “Helen” Zhai was sentenced to 13 years behind bars; Yuhan “Coco” Yang got 10 years; and Xinlei “John” Zhang received a six-year term. All three apologized in court for their actions. “I hope they do not carry the wounds from what I did for the rest of their lives,” Zhai wrote of the victims in a statement read by her attorney.

    The 19-year-olds were accused of bullying a 16-year-old girl who was punched and slapped last March at a restaurant and a park in Rowland Heights, east of Los Angeles.

  • Indian-American Neel Kashkari Calls For Breaking Up Big Banks

    Indian-American Neel Kashkari Calls For Breaking Up Big Banks

    WASHINGTON: Noting that the biggest banks continue to pose a significant risk to the US economy, Indian- American top federal bank official Neel Kashkari has called for breaking them into smaller ones.

    “I believe the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, ongoing risk to our economy,” Neel Kashkari, 42, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said in his first major public appearance after occupying the top fed position recently.

    Mr Kashkari, who served in the Bush administration as a top Treasury official at the time of the 2008 financial crisis, said that enough time has passed to understand causes of the crisis and it is still fresh in their memories.

    “Now is the right time for Congress to consider going further than Dodd-Frank with bold, transformational solutions to solve this problem once and for all,” Mr Kashkari, the former US Treasury official who led the 2008 bailout program for the nation’s biggest banks, said in his remarks at the Brookings Institute, a top US think-tank.

    Mr Kashkari, who lost the last election of governor in California, said the policy makers must give serious consideration to a range of options including breaking up large banks into smaller, less connected, less important entities as efforts to rein in the banks through the 2010 Dodd-Frank law “did not go far enough.”

    He suggested turning large banks into public utilities by forcing them to hold so much capital that they virtually cannot fail (with regulation akin to that of a nuclear power plant) and taxing leverage throughout the financial system to reduce systemic risks wherever they lie.

    “Options such as these have been mentioned before, but in my view, policymakers and legislators have not yet seriously considered the need to implement them in the near term. They are transformational, which can be unsettling,” Mr Kashkari said.

    The financial sector has lobbied hard to preserve its current structure and thrown up endless objections to fundamental change.

    “The economy is stronger now and the time has come to move past parochial interests and solve this problem. The risks of not doing so are just too great,” he said.

    John Dearie, acting CEO of the Financial Services Forum, said the largest financial institutions are smaller and less complex with twice the capital and triple the liquidity since Kashkari left government to enter politics.

    The Fed’s stress tests show that large financial institutions can withstand a crisis far worse than 2008, and the largest banks have ‘living wills’ to guide an orderly wind-down without putting taxpayer money at risk, he said.

    “Of the 10 largest global financial institutions, only a few are US-based. Breaking up the US-based global financial institutions would ensure that one of the US’ most competitive global industries serving companies small and large is turned over to banks based outside the US,” Dearie said.

  • 3 Indian-Americans Could Be US Supreme Court Judge Nominees

    3 Indian-Americans Could Be US Supreme Court Judge Nominees

    WASHINGTON:  Three Indian-American legal luminaries may be among the possible candidates whom US President Barack Obama could nominate as a Supreme Court judge following the sudden death of conservative icon Justice Antonin Scalia.

    Within hours of the death of Mr Scalia at a ranch in Texas, the name of Chandigarh-born Sri Srinivasan popped up as the top contender to the post.

    Sri Srinivasan, 48, is currently the US Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which many call as a stepping stone to the Supreme Court.

    He is not only considered as a favourite of Barack Obama, who has called him as a trailblazer, but also his nomination to the Court of Appeals was confirmed by a record 97-0 votes, which is an achievement given the bitter political divide in the US Senate.

    The White House yesterday refused to give any indication of the list of persons President Obama is looking into to zero in on his nomination for the next Supreme Court judge.

    But given his track record – wherein he has appointed a record number of Indian-American judges to various US courts – and him publicly praising some of them, it would not be a big surprise that in addition to Mr Srinivasan a few other individuals from the community too figure up in his list.

    Among them could be his home town resident Neal Katyal, who served as Acting Solicitor General of the US from May 2010 until June 2011 and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who is considered to be very close to President Obama.

    Ms Harris, who traces her roots to Chennai, is currently running for the US Senate seat in California.

    On Monday several media outlets mentioned Ms Harris as among the potential ones who could replace Mr Scalia in the Supreme Court.

    Ms Harris, 51, who was among the six people mentioned by New York Times, has not reacted to the speculation so far.

    In 2011, she became the first African-American, Asian-American, Indian-American and woman to hold the post of California attorney general.

    Many say Mr Katyal, who would turn 46 on March 12, could emerge as a dark horse in the process.

    With extensive experience in matters of patent, securities, criminal, employment, and constitutional law, he has orally argued 27 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, with 25 of them in the last six years.

    Barack Obama intends to nominate someone as Supreme Court judge who honours constitutional responsibilities, have impeccable credentials and understands how laws affect the daily realities of people’s lives, the White House said.

    “I would not anticipate an announcement this week, especially given that the Senate is out on recess,” White House Press Secretary Eric Schultz told reporters. Schultz refused to engage in speculation about lists and names.

    When asked about what kind of individual President Obama is looking to nominate someone to be the next Supreme Court judge, Schultz said President’s judicial nominees should adhere to a number of basic principles.

    “Number one, I’d say the President’s judicial nominees are all eminently qualified with a record of excellence and integrity. The President looks for individuals who have impeccable credentials,” he said.

    “Number two, the President intends to nominate individuals who honor constitutional responsibilities. These are individuals who have a commitment to impartial justice, respect the integrity of the judicial process, and adhere to precedent. The President seeks judges who will faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand,” he said.

    “And lastly, the President is also mindful that there are rare cases where the law is not clear, and we acknowledge that those incidents occur most often at the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that in those times, a judge will have to bring his or her own ethics and moral bearings into a decision.

    –  PTI

  • Indian American Sri Srinivasan could be Scalia’s possible replacement in the US Supreme Court

    Indian American Sri Srinivasan could be Scalia’s possible replacement in the US Supreme Court

    Indian American Judge Sri Srinivasan name is already floating in the top corridors of the White House as the next Supreme Court Justice, as per meadia reports. The 48 year old Indian-origin American citizen could be the first Indian American to serve on the Supreme Court, as well as one of the younger nominees in recent memory.

    After the death of justice Antonin Scalia earlier today, Feb 13, speculation is rampant that D.C. circuit court judge Sri Srinivasan is on President Obama’s shortlist to fill Scalia’s vacant seat on the bench.

    Judge Srinivasan was confirmed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2013 during the Obama administration and has been described by The New Yorker as “the nominee in waiting.”

    The D.C. Circuit Court, formally The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It is seen by many observers as a test pool for potential SCOTUS nominees. The court hears cases that have to do with independent federal agencies — like the Environmental Protection Agency, for example.

    Many people on Twitter are already suggesting that Srinivasan is the most likely replacement for Scalia.

    According to a release by The White House at the time of his nomination, Srinivasan “began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit .”

    Srinivasan also spent a year as a fellow in the office of the Solicitor General and clerked for Sandra Day O’Conner, The White House said.

    After serving as an associate at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Srinivasan returned to the Solicitor General’s Office to work as an Assistant to the Solicitor General.

    While serving in that post, Srinivasan represented the United States “in litigation before the Supreme Court,” according to The White House.

    As The New Yorker noted, Srinivasan ” is currently the Obama Administration’s principal deputy solicitor general.”

    The Stanford educated potential nominee received his bachelor degree, law degree and J.D. from California school. While Srinivasan was born in Chandigarh, India he grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, according to The White House.

     

  • Mass Shootings this week

    Mass Shootings this week

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Mass shootings are on the rise in United States, we may not realize the extent of the carnage because the small mass shootings are dwarfed by the news of the big mass shootings.

    Mass shootings are when four or more people are shot, but not necessarily killed. Large or small, the outcome is the same: people are dying and gun violence is on the rise.

    2-7-2016 FLORIDA ORLANDO

    2 dead, others wounded, during Orlando nightclub shooting – Shooting erupted inside a nightclub packed with hundreds of people in the city’s tourist district early Sunday, Feb 7, killing two people and injuring 10 others, authorities said.

    It was the second mass shooting at a Florida nightclub this weekend.

    The shooting took place just before 1 a.m. with about 300 people inside the Glitz Ultra Lounge. Three off-duty Orlando Police Department officers were working security at the club when the shooting started, the Orlando Sentinel reported (http://bit.ly/1mlKHAt).

    Police spokeswoman Michelle Guido said it’s not clear what prompted the shooting or if any of the off-duty officers fired their weapons.

    As many as three shooters are being sought.

    One person was shot and killed inside the club, police said. Nine were taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds. Of those, one died at the hospital, one is in critical condition and the rest are being treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. Two others – including one with a gunshot wound – were seen at another hospital.

    2-7-2016 NEW YORK ROCHESTER 

    1 man dead, 7 shot at State St. club – A fight spilled outside a Rochester nightclub early Sunday, Feb 7, leaving one man dead and injuring seven other people, including one woman.

    Rochester police officers who were in the area around 2 a.m. heard gunshots and responded to the Mexican Village club at 547 State St., Police Chief Michael Ciminelli said at a news conference less than 12 hours later.

    2-7-2016 ILLINOIS ENGLEWOOD 

    1 dead, 10 injured in shooting – A man was killed and at least Four teens were wounded in an Englewood shooting on Sunday, police said.

    2-7-2016 MISSISSIPPI PASS CHRISTIAN 

    Police: 2 dead, 4 hurt in shooting after Mississippi parade – A shooting after a Mardi Gras parade in Pass Christian killed two men and wounded four other people Sunday, Feb 7, south Mississippi authorities said.

    Carlos Bates, 29, of Gulfport, and Isiah Major III, 43, of Bay St. Louis both died at the scene, Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove told local news media. The victims’ hometowns are near Pass Christian on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

    Four other people were hospitalized, Pass Christian Police Chief Tim Hendricks told the Sun Herald

    2-6-2016 FLORIDA TAMPA

    1 dead, 7 injured in Tampa strip clubshooting – Tampa police say a shooting at a strip club has left one person dead and seven others injured.

    Lt. Ruth Cate said early Saturday that one person among those shot at Club Rayne was confirmed as being dead at the scene. She said in addition to the six injured police initially knew about, another person drove to a hospital separately.

    2-6-2016 CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

    1 dead, 3 Injured – Homicide detectives Sunday investigated the circumstances surrounding a shooting that claimed the life of an adult man and wounded three other people.

    According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were sent shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday to the 12800 block of Cook Street for report of an assault with a deadly weapon.

    2-6-2016 FLORIDA APOPKA

    4 Injured – Apopka police are investigating after four people checked themselves in to the hospital with gunshot wounds Saturday, Feb 6, morning.

    Officers responded to the area of 10th Street near Central Street in South Apopka just after 1 a.m. for reports of shots fired.

    There was nothing at the scene when they arrived, but officers later got calls about the shooting victims who had gotten themselves to Florida Hospital in Apopka.

    The victims were all transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center to be treated and are expected to survive their injuries.

  • 4 Indian-Americans Selected To US National Academy Of Engineering

    4 Indian-Americans Selected To US National Academy Of Engineering

    WASHINGTON:  Four Indian-Americans have been selected to the prestigious US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to be part of its new list of 80 members for their valuable contributions to the society.

    Anil K Jain, Dr Arati Prabhakar, Ganesh Thakur and Dr K R Sridhar were formally made part of the NAE during a ceremony at its annual meeting here, the academy announced in a statement yesterday.

    Mr Jain, a distinguished professor in the department of computer science and engineering at the Michigan State University in East Lansing, was elected for his contributions to the field of engineering and practice of biometrics.

    An IIT-Kanpur alumnus, Mr Jain’s research focuses on pattern recognition, computer vision and biometric recognition.

    Dr Prabhakar, director of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Virginia, was chosen for national leadership to advance semiconductor and information technologies.

    Beginning her career as a Congressional Fellow, Dr Prabhakar has also chaired the Efficiency and Renewables Advisory Committee for the US Department of Energy.

    Mr Thakur, who is the president of Thakur Services Inc. in Houston, Texas, was named a member for leadership in the implementation of integrated reservoir management techniques.

    Mr Sridhar, the principal co-founder and chief executive officer of Bloom Energy Corporation in California, was selected for the “contributions to transport phenomena and thermal packaging of electrochemical systems and generation of clean, reliable and affordable power”.

    Earlier, Mr Sridhar was director of the Space Technologies Laboratory (STL) at the University of Arizona where he was also a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering.

    His contributions to the NASA Mars programme to convert Martian atmospheric gases to oxygen for propulsion and life support was recognised by Fortune magazine which cited him as “one of the top five futurists inventing tomorrow, today.”

    Along with the new members, the total US NAE membership has up to 2,275, selection to which is considered the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.

    Founded in 1964, the NAE is a non-profit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation.

  • Envision Awards Postdoctoral Fellowship to Indian American Optometrist

    Envision Awards Postdoctoral Fellowship to Indian American Optometrist

    WICHITA, KAN (TIP): Envision recently announced that it has awarded two new postdoctoral fellowships including one to Indian American Arun Kumar Krishnan, Ph.D., for research to be conducted at its Envision Research Institute (ERI), based here.

    His studies are expected to commence in the first quarter of this year.

    “Dr. Krishnan has a clear passion for low-vision rehabilitation research,” said Dr. Walker. “We are proud to be able to provide a home for his studies at the ERI and delighted that he
    will be guided in his research by Dr. Susana Chung.”

    Fellowships at the ERI provide an educational environment where appointees identify solutions to improve the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired. Through mentoring, the fellows are put on the fast track to independent and impactful research careers.

    Each fellowship is awarded for one year, with a second year contingent on progress in the first.

    Dr. Krishnan’s fellowship is being funded through a partnership with Bosma Enterprises, a sister National Industries for the Blind agency to Envision.

    Dr. Krishnan has a background in pediatric optometry and low vision and holds a bachelor’s degree in Optometry from the Elite School of Optometry in Chennai, India. He completed his Ph.D. with Harold Bedell, Ph.D., at the University of Houston, and prepared a dissertation focused on structural and functional changes at the preferred retinal locus in patients with central field loss.

    While working at the ERI, he will be mentored by Dr. Susana Chung, O.D., Ph.D., from the University of California, Berkeley, a leader in his chosen area of research.

  • Bikram Yoga Founder fined $6.5 Million for Harassment by LA Court

    Bikram Yoga Founder fined $6.5 Million for Harassment by LA Court

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): The founder of Bikram yoga, the heated exercise and breathing routine that enjoys worldwide popularity, was ordered in the United States Tuesday, January 26 to pay more than $6 million in damages for harassment.

    Bikram Choudhury, the man behind the Bikram yoga empire, was sued by a lawyer who worked for him, complaining that she suffered damaging consequences after she spoke out against his alleged sexual harassment of other women.

    A jury in Los Angeles Superior Court deliberated for two hours before ordering the 69-year-old guru to pay a massive $6.47 million fine in punitive damages.

    The jury had already awarded the plaintiff, Minakshi Jafa-Bodden, nearly$1 million in compensation, after it decided that she was the subject of harassment, discrimination and retaliation.

    Jafa-Bodden smiled after the verdict was announced while the famed yogi remained impassive. His lawyer, Robert Tafoya, gave no comment.

    Jafa-Bodden’s lawyer Mark Quigley said in his closing statement that Choudhury “thinks that he can do whatever he wants to do.”

    Participants in Bikram yoga go through a series of postures in a room heated to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

    Bikram yoga first came under an unwanted spotlight when Choudhury tried to copyright the routine. He said Tuesday he had earned little money in the last three years and was near bankruptcy.

    Choudhury, originally from India, was said to have made a fortune after he moved to California.

    During the trial, he said that even though he has a garage of 30 to 40 luxury cars, they contain old parts from other vehicles and he plans to give them to the state and charitable organizations.

    His lawyers said Jafa-Bodden, who filed her lawsuit in 2013, was sacked by Choudhury because she was not licensed to practice law in California.

  • 4 Indian Americans Nominated To Democratic Convention Standing Committees

    4 Indian Americans Nominated To Democratic Convention Standing Committees

    Four eminent Indian-Americans, including two women, have been nominated to the Democratic Party’s 2016 Convention Standing Committees which would formally announce its candidate for the presidential polls.

    Smita Shah
    Smita Shah

    Topping the list of Indian-Americans is Smita Shah, president and CEO of Chicago-based Spaan Tech, who has been nominated as vice chair of the Rules Committee.

    Shefali Razdan Duggal
    Shefali Razdan Duggal

    One of the top fund raisers for President Barack Obama and now Hillary Clinton, California-based Shefali Razdan Duggal has been nominated a member of the Rules Committee.

    Dr Sreedhar Potarazu
    Dr Sreedhar Potarazu

    Renowned ophthalmologist and entrepreneur, Dr Sreedhar Potarazu has been nominated to the Credentials Committee, according to the list released by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

    Saif Khan
    Saif Khan

    Saif Khan, an Iraq war veteran who had served as a Combat Engineer in the Iraqi city of Mosul as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, was nominated to the Rules Committee. He hails from Mysore and currently lives in Washington, DC.

    DNC rules provide for the Chair to appoint 75 Party Leader and Elected Official Members to the three Convention Standing Committees to be held in Philadelphia in July, which would formally announce party’s presidential candidate.

    These Party Leader and Members serve in addition to and together with the over 160 members that are elected in every state to those same committees.

    “This slate represents the great variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that make up our party. We wanted to make sure that the diversity of our party was reflected at the highest levels in terms of race, gender, age and geography,” Ms Schultz said.

    A Clinton White House staffer, Ms Shah was a delegate at the 1996 and 2004 Democratic National Conventions and was on the DNC’s Rules Committee in 2000 and 2004.

    In 2012, she become the first Indian-American to serve as a Democratic National Convention parliamentarian.

    Ms Duggal is a presidential appointee to the US Holocaust Memorial Council, which supervises the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, for a term expiring in January 2018.

    She is one of the top fund raiser for the Clinton campaign and also serves on the National Finance Committee for Hillary for America, Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

    Dr Potarazu is the founder of VitalSpring Technologies Inc., a privately held enterprise software company focusing on providing employers with applications to empower them to become more sophisticated purchasers of health care.

    Saif Khan is the Founder & Managing Director of Khanections. He is one of the founders of American Veterans Committee and a member of the American Legion, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

    (CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Mr. Saif Khan, as a Pakistani-American appointment to one of the Democratic Convention Standing Committees. This version has been corrected – 01/27/2016 – 12:09:30 PM EST.)

  • Indian American Sikh Jailed For 82 Years after extradition from India

    Indian American Sikh Jailed For 82 Years after extradition from India

    A 30-year-old Indian man has been sentenced to 82 years in jail by a US court for killing a compatriot and wounding another during a festival at a Sikh sports complex in Sacramento in 2008.

    Sacramento Superior Court Judge Richard Sueyoshi on Friday sentenced Amandeep Singh Dhami to 82 years to life in state prison for killing Parmjit Singh, 26, and wounding Sahibjeet Singh, one of Parmjit’s associates on August 31, 2008, The Sacramento Bee reported.

    Mr Dhami managed to flee the festival grounds after the broad-daylight shooting, but a second shooter, Gurpreet Singh Gosal, 28, was captured and handed over to police by locals.

    Gosal was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison after trial for second-degree murder and firing a weapon in the course of a murder for his role in the shooting.

    Mr Dhami fled the US to India for five years. He was arrested in Jalandhar, Punjab, on local charges by Indian authorities and was extradited to California in 2013 to face charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder.

    A Sacramento Superior Court jury in June last year convicted Mr Dhami of the charges.

    Prosecutors said Mr Dhami and Mr Gosal sought out Parmjit and his men at the festival grounds as payback for a tussle with members of his crew at a San Jose nightclub days earlier. The fight had been the latest in a long-standing feud between the rival camps, the paper quoted prosecutors as saying.

    “At his trial, prosecutors depicted Mr Dhami as a low-level, but violent, gangster who boasted of his exploits in rhymes and on social media where his moniker was ‘Mista Killafornia’,” the paper said.

    Prosecutors said Mr Dhami and Mr Gosal were armed with three handguns and about 250 rounds of ammunition when they climbed out of their Lincoln Navigator in the festival’s parking lot.

    Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Anthony Ortiz called Mr Dhami “a hardcore gangster armed for war”, it said.

    Mr Dhami took the stand at trial, testifying that he and Mr Gosal went to the festival to mend fences after the incident at the San Jose nightclub, but were armed in case of an ambush. Mr Dhami said he envisioned a meeting of “two gangsters who could work things out,” before shots rang out.

  • Indian American 7-Eleven Store Owner Gets $1 Million For Selling Record Jackpot Ticket

    Indian American 7-Eleven Store Owner Gets $1 Million For Selling Record Jackpot Ticket

    WASHINGTON:  An Indian-origin convenience store owner in the US has become a celebrity overnight after he sold one of the three Powerball winning lotteries with a record jackpot of $1.6 billion.

    Lottery officials confirmed one jackpot-winning ticket was sold at Balbir Atwal’s store located at Chino Hills in California. Two others were sold in Tennessee and Florida.

    Mr Atwal received a $1 million cheque as retailer bonus for selling the winning ticket.

    Mr Atwal said he was surprised to learn his store was one of the lucky ones, calling the group of revellers “a big family.” “I didn’t believe it and then I looked at it carefully again,” Mr Atwal said.

    City officials described Mr Atwal as a cornerstone in the community, after he was among the first business owners to set up shop in the city after its incorporation.

    Mr Atwal said he planned to give a part of his winnings to charity and share the rest with his employees and family. “This is a land of opportunity,” said Atwal.

    “Anybody who comes, you will achieve your dreams.” Mr Atwal came to the US from Punjab, India in the early 80s, and opened four 7-Eleven stores, including the Chino Hills location about 24 years ago.

    “I 100 per cent believe he deserves this,” Sonia Atwal, one of his three daughters, was quoted by NBC News as saying.

    “He pretty much set his foot here and helped our family make it- the American dream.” Shortly after the announcement on Wednesday, a huge crowd packed the 7-Eleven chanting “Chino Hills” to celebrate the historic win in the usually-quiet suburb city of about 75,000 residents.

    Although the large group did not win big, they said it was exciting to know the winner was from their community. “We’re all just very excited that one of us could be the winners, and it’s just very exciting for everyone,” Delaney Gurol said.

    More than 30 media trucks were parked outside the Chino Hills store to cover the event.

    It was not immediately known who the winning ticket was sold to, and lottery officials said he or she had one year from Wednesday to come forward.

    In addition to the winning jackpot tickets, lottery officials said eight tickets that won $2 million were sold in seven states, and 73 that netted $1 million were sold in 23 states.

    The jackpot on Wednesday was not just the largest in Powerball history, New York State lottery officials said, but also the largest of any lottery game in the United States. The jackpot started at $40 million on November 7 and rolled over 19 times, with no one matching all six numbers.