KANSAS (TIP): Indian American incumbent Usha Reddi has filed papers to run for the Kansas State Senate from the state’s 22nd district. The Democrat has been serving in the senate since January after the previous occupant of the seat, Tom Hawk, retired from the legislature. Her term is set to expire in January 2025.
A public-school teacher, Reddi previously served on the Manhattan City Commission in Kansas for 10 years.
On Wednesday afternoon, she announced her candidacy on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Just filed as a candidate for the Kansas State Senate in the 2024 election! Public service is a significant part of my life, and I am dedicated to continuing to work for the people as your State Senator!”
On her campaign website, Reddi explains why she’s running: “I served as the Mayor in 2016-2017 and in 2020 and worked closely with Kansas State University, Fort Riley, Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan-Ogden USD383, and social service organizations in the community to ensure economic vitality and the well-being of residents. Public service is the will to listen and hear from individuals who will feel the most impact on the ground from laws voted on in Topeka.”
Reddi’s family arrived in Columbus, OH, from Andhra Pradesh, India in 1973. She holds a master’s in educational leadership from Kansas State University and two bachelor’s degrees: one in Developmental Psychology from Ohio State University and another in Elementary Education from Kansas State.
The newly redistricted 22nd district is located in Riley County.
Reddi, a naturalized American, is married to Brian Neuhoff. She has three children from a previous marriage.
In January, she was nominated to the senate her party’s precinct chairs ahead of the country Party Chair Katie Allen.
Tag: Indian-Origin
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Indian American Usha Reddi seeks another term as Kansas State Senate
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Indian American national security expert Krystle Kaul running for US Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Krystle Kaul, an Indian American foreign policy and national security expert with roots in Kashmir, has announced that she will run for the US House of Representatives from a Congressional district in Virginia with a focus on core issues like public safety, education and healthcare.
Kaul, if elected in 2024, would be only the second Indian American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives after Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.
Pramila Jayapal’s sister Susheela Jayapal has also thrown her hat in the race to the Congress from the third Congressional District of Oregon.
Both Kaul and Susheela Jayapal, from the Democratic Party, will have to win the party’s primary next year to bag the party’s nomination for the November 2024 general elections.
Fluent in eight languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, Dari, Urdu and Arabic, Kaul, the first Kashmiri-origin person to ever run for Congress, said her decision to run for the 10th Congressional District of Virginia came after Democratic Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton who has represented the constituency since 2019 announced her decision not to seek re-election. Kaul has spent her professional life in the national security establishment from the Pentagon to think tanks and the defense industry.
She said education, healthcare and public Safety are the “three core issues” she would focus on in her campaign.
The 10th Congressional District of Virginia encompasses parts of Virginia that have one of the highest concentrations of Indian Americans and South Asians in the state, like Loudoun County, Fairfax County and Prince Williams County. Elaborating on her promises to the electorate, she said: “The first foremost being is education…The second one is improving our healthcare system here. “We have a lot of small business owners and just making healthcare more affordable and more accessible. So, from prescription drugs to seeing specialists, that is something that is a concern. And the third is public safety, making sure we have safe neighborhoods, safe schools, safe communities,” Kaul, who is in her late thirties, told PTI in a recent interview.
Kaul said when it comes to national security, she would take a very strong stance on counter-terrorism.
As a child, at her home in Long Island, where she grew up, she very often heard stories about the conflict in Kashmir from her father.
“..that was when my father was sharing accounts of the tension in Kashmir. I was very interested in learning more about Kashmir. I made it a point to focus my studies on understanding the conflict there…,” she said.
“I had a desire to eventually run for Congress. But obviously, it’s a path. It’s a journey to get there. So, I first devoted my studies, my first three degrees, to understanding diplomacy, negotiation, political science, and all the theory that you need to understand,” she said.
“So, I have fallen in the footsteps of (Congresswoman) Abigail Spanberger (a former CIA officer). There are about nine democrats who have entered Congress with prior service in the Department of Defense… several of whom I know personally as well,” she said.
Kaul, who has travelled to more than 70 countries, was born and raised in Long Island, New York.
Her father, who is from Safapora in Kashmir, came to the US at the age of 26. Her mother, a Punjabi from Delhi, migrated at the age of seven.
“My father has worked in the insurance business and my mother has done work in real estate,” she said.
After Long Island in New York, Kaul spent a few years in Wayne, New Jersey where she attended Vidyapith as a kid and she studied Sanskrit Vedic heritage, Hindi, mythology, the religion.
She shifted to Washington DC when she was 17 for a college education.
She graduated with a B A from American University, MAs from Brown University and Johns Hopkins University (SAIS) and has a PhD in Political Science in progress at Brown University.
A national leader in the defense and intelligence community, she served as a Director (GS-15) of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at the Department of Defense, the Director of Strategic Communications of the US Air Force and NATO for General Dynamics Information Technology, and as an Intelligence Political-Military Expert at US Central Command. “The majority of my career has been with the Department of Defense. I worked for a number of large defense contractors and consulting firms, including Deloitte, General Dynamics, Lidos, and Booz Allen Hamilton,” she said. The announcement that she is running for Congress has created a buzz in the Indian American community. “Very positive. I have a great deal of support from several organizations that back Indian American candidates, that back South Asian American candidates across the country,” she said, describing it as an outpouring of support. -
Indian American Global venture capitalist Deven Parekh nominated to IDFC board
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Joe Biden has nominated Deven J. Parekh, a leading Indian American global venture capitalist, to the Board of Directors of the US International Development Finance Corporation for a fresh term of three years.
The White House sent the nomination of Parekh, a Managing Director at Insight Partners, a growth equity investment fund based in New York City, to the Senate Thursday. Parekh was initially nominated as a member of the IDFC board for a term of three years by President Donald Trump in June 2020.
Since joining Insight in 2000, Parekh has made more than 140 investments in enterprise software, data, and consumer internet businesses globally, including in North America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Australia, according to his White House profile.
In addition to his work at Insight and for the Development Finance Corporation, Parekh serves as a Board Member for the Council on Foreign Relations, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, NYU Langone, the Tisch New York MS Research Center, and the Economic Club of New York.
He has previously served on the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Advisory Board of the US Export-Import Bank, and the Technical Advisory Council of the Federal Communications Commission.
He is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Publicolor, a non-profit organization focused on New York City public schools. In 2021, Parekh received the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award. He is also a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute.
Prior to joining Insight, Parekh was a Principal at Berenson Minella & Company, a New York-based merchant banking firm, where he served on the M&A Committee.
He also worked for Blackstone on M&A and other investment activities. Parekh has a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
By statute, the Development Finance Corporation Board of Directors includes four members recommended to the President from Senate and House leadership. Parekh is the nominee recommended by the Senate Majority Leader. -
Indian-origin eighty-one-year-old novelist awarded Singapore’s highest arts accolade
SINGAPORE (TIP): Eighty-one-year-old Indian-origin writer Meira Chand was among the three Singaporeans conferred the Cultural Medallion, the city-state’s most prestigious arts accolade, in recognition of their artistic excellence and contribution to enriching the country’s arts and culture scene.
Chand, fellow novelist Suchen Christine Lim and Malay dance veteran Osman Abdul Hamid received the award from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a ceremony held at the Istana on Tuesday, media reported.
The award comes with an SGD 80,000 grant for each recipient to support their artistic pursuits.
A Singaporean of Swiss Indian parentage, Chand, along with Lim, is the first English-language female writer to be conferred the award since Ho Minfong in 1997.
Chand is an award-winning novelist known for her depiction of multicultural societies. Her ‘The Painted Cage’ (1986) was longlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize, the report said.
“Each of our three new Cultural Medallion recipients is being recognized for their explorations through life and for inspiring many others, not least the next generation of artists,” President Tharman said in a statement.
From England to Japan, India to Singapore, Chand’s life, according to her website, straddles the world, and her many novels mirror her journey to pin down the experience of these different cultures upon her and her relationship with them.
According to her website, she was born in London to a Swiss mother and Indian father, grew up, and was educated in the UK. In 1962, she went to Japan with her Indian husband, where she taught art at an international school. Leaving Japan for Mumbai in 1971, she lived in India for five years, where she began writing.
Calling India a “life-changing experience”, the novelist said, “For the first time in my life, I met a half of myself I had never known. There was simply no way I could understand that experience but through writing,” according to her website. The Cultural Medallion, instituted in 1979 by late President and then Minister of Culture Ong Teng Cheong, is the city-state’s “highest arts accolade, honoring individuals whose artistic excellence, contribution, and commitment have enriched and distinguished Singapore’s arts and culture scene,” according to the National Arts Council website. It celebrates inspiring local arts practitioners who display professional maturity in their practice through a distinctive body of work, and who have made extraordinary contributions to Singapore’s artistic development, the website said. The award has been conferred on132 artists in the fields of film, literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts, it said.
Last year, 56-year-old Tamilian Hindu Aravinth Kumarasamy was conferred the prestigious award. -
Indian American Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury pleads guilty to May 2022 firebombing of Madison office building
MADISON, WI (TIP): Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury, a 29-year-old resident of Madison, Wisconsin, has entered a guilty plea for his involvement in the firebombing of a Madison office building in May 2022. Roychowdhury, an Indian American, pleaded guilty to attempting to cause damage by means of fire or an explosive.
Roychowdhury now faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin said in a press release. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 14, 2024.
The incident, which occurred on May 8, 2022, prompted law enforcement response to an active fire at an office building in Madison. Upon investigation, police discovered a broken mason jar under a shattered window, burnt lid and screw top, and a purple disposable lighter nearby. Another mason jar with a singed blue cloth, containing a clear fluid smelling like an accelerant, was found on the opposite wall. Outside the building, spray-painted messages included, “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” and a large “A” with a circle around it and the number “1312.”
Law enforcement collected DNA evidence from the scene, initiating a meticulous investigation. In March 2023, Roychowdhury emerged as a suspect after local police observed him discarding food, which was later found to match DNA collected from the crime scene. The suspect then attempted to flee to Guatemala, leading to his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport on March 28, 2023.
As American Bazaar reported, Roychowdhury traveled from Madison to Portland, Maine, and purchased a one-way ticket from Boston to Guatemala City.
The case resulted from a collaborative effort by various law enforcement agencies, including the Madison Police Department, ATF, FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and others.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman and Trial Attorney Justin Sher are prosecuting the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beck handling the defendant’s appearance in Boston following his arrest.
“I am deeply grateful to our local and federal law enforcement partners for their dedication and persistence in solving this crime,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea for the Western District of Wisconsin. “In our shared American experiment, conflicting views must be resolved through discussion, the courts, and the ballot box. Arson and other acts of domestic terrorism are crimes that will be punished and have no place in a healthy democracy.”
“There is no place in our society for flagrant disregard for safety through firebombing a place of business, and today’s change of plea is one step further to closure for the victims,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Engelbert, of the St. Paul Field Division. “This was a complicated investigation. I am proud of the work our agents put into this and am appreciative of the tremendous team effort that went into this investigation.”
“The firebombing was an unacceptable attack on the safety and constitutionally protected rights of every citizen in the state of Wisconsin,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “I commend the thorough and exhaustive investigative efforts of the FBI with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose efforts led to the identification and subsequent guilty plea. Let this be a warning to anyone who seeks to use intimidation through threats or committing acts of violence, the FBI along with our partners will work together to ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.” -
India-origin media veteran Samir Shah selected as new BBC chairman
LONDON (TIP): Samir Shah, an India-born media executive with over 40 years of experience in TV production and journalism, has been named as the UK government’s preferred candidate to take over as the new BBC chairman. The 71-year-old, who was honored with a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 for services to television and heritage, will replace Richard Sharp, who was forced to resign after his communication with former prime minister Boris Johnson came under scrutiny.
Shah will now be quizzed by cross-party MPs of the House of Commons Media Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee for pre-appointment scrutiny before formally taking charge of the public service broadcaster.
“With a career spanning more than 40 years in TV production and journalism, Shah has a wealth of experience to bring to the position of BBC Chair,” UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said on Wednesday, confirming the selection as per the appointment process.
“He has a clear ambition to see the BBC succeed in a rapidly changing media landscape, and I have no doubt he will provide the support and scrutiny that the BBC needs to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future,” she said.
The minister said Shah’s knowledge of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and his belief in its role as a national broadcaster alongside his extensive work to promote diversity in broadcasting will be invaluable in helping to ensure that the BBC reflects, represents and serves communities across the whole of the UK.
“The BBC is, without doubt, one of the greatest contributions we have made to global culture and one of our strongest calling cards on soft power,” Shah said.
“If I am able to put what skills, experience, and understanding of public service broadcasting I have built up during my career to help this brilliant organization meet the complex and diverse challenges it faces over the coming years, it would be an honor,” he added.
“The BBC has a great place in British life and a unique duty to reach a wide audience right across the country and I will do all I can to ensure it fulfils this in an increasingly competitive market,” Shah said.
Born in Aurangabad, Shah came to England in 1960 and was previously the head of current affairs and political programs at the BBC.
The CEO and owner of Juniper, an independent television and radio production company, Shah has also served as a non-executive director of the BBC between 2007 and 2010.
Besides, the Oxford University alumnus is a race relations expert who co-authored the government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report in 2021.
More recently, he was named on a three-member panel set up by the government to independently review the unrest that took place in the city of Leicester last year, as community groups clashed in the aftermath of an India-Pakistan cricket match.
As BBC chairman, a three-day-a-week role with an annual salary of 160,000 pounds, Shah will be responsible for upholding and protecting the taxpayer-funded license fee-operated public broadcaster and ensuring it fulfils its mission to “inform, educate and entertain”.
He will also lead negotiations with the government over the future of the license fee.
“We welcome the announcement that Samir Shah has been selected as the government’s preferred candidate to take up the role of BBC chair and look forward to him joining the board once the formal process has been completed,” a BBC spokesperson said.
Shah’s selection marks a sea change, as it means there will now be a journalist at the top of the BBC.
Although the BBC is politically independent, its chairperson is appointed by the government.
His appointment comes at a challenging time for the BBC, which is looking to make 500 million pounds of savings in the face of high inflation and a two-year freeze on the cost of a TV license.
The license fee, which provides most of the BBC’s funding, is currently 159 pounds but is due to rise in April in line with inflation. On Monday, Culture Secretary Frazer said an increase to the fee by almost 15 pounds would “absolutely” be too much.
She also said she was looking at how “we fund the BBC going forward”.
Shah’s half-brother, Mohit Bakaya, is also a BBC veteran as controller of BBC Radio 4. -
Indian student charged with family members’ triple murder
TRENTON, NJ (TIP): A 23-year-old Indian student has been arrested and charged for allegedly murdering his grandparents and uncle inside a New Jersey condominium, police and US media reports said.
Om Brahmbhatt is accused of shooting Dilipkumar Brahmbhatt, 72; Bindu Brahmbhatt, 72; and Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, 38, the South Plainfield Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. Officers responded to the home on Coppola Drive off New Durham Road in South Plainfield around 9 am on Monday, November 27, after a neighbor reported hearing shots fired at the Traditions condo complex, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.
After arriving, officers found three people — two men and a woman — had suffered gunshot wounds.
Married couple Dilipkumar and Bindu Brahmbhatt were found shot to death in the second-floor apartment, police said. Their son, Yashkumar Brahmbhatt, was also found to have suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he died. A suspect was taken into custody for questioning at the scene and later charged. Om was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and second-degree weapon possession. Om, hailing from Gujarat, resided with the victims and was found at the residence when authorities arrived at the scene. Om had just moved to New Jersey within the past couple of months, sources said, and had been living at the condo, NBC New York reported.
He was taken to the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Centre pending a pre-trial detention hearing; it wasn’t immediately clear whether he had an attorney and a listed number for him couldn’t be found.
According to the complaint, the crime was committed with a handgun Om says he purchased online. Om had a seemingly calm demeanor during Tuesday’s court appearance. Police say he was the one who called 911 that morning and when asked about who did it, officials say Om stated, “It might be me”. It was not clear what led up to the shooting. A neighbor told NBC New York that it wasn’t the first time police had been called to the condo.
“I didn’t really know them, I just know one time the police were there for a domestic violence call,” said neighbor Jim Short, who lives upstairs from the unit where the three people were found dead. “Can happen anywhere but it is really creepy, it’s right downstairs.”
The Traditions apartment complex, home to many young families who emigrated from India, is equipped with dozens of security cameras that neighbors hoped could help police.
“There’s cameras all over and there are cameras coming in and out of the complex and every building has cameras outside and inside the breezeway. So hopefully that can help,” said another neighbor, Victor Orozco.
An investigation led by the South Plainfield Police Department is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to call town police or the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
An investigation by South Plainfield Detective Thomas Rutter and Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Javier Morillo determined that there was no threat to the public and this was not a random act of violence, according to the prosecutor’s office.
(Source: PTI) -
13-year-old Indian-origin yoga prodigy, Ishwar Sharma, wins gold in Europe
LONDON (TIP): A 13-year-old Indian-origin yoga prodigy from south-east England with several awards under his belt has added another gold medal to his tally at the European Yoga Sports Championship in Sweden.
Ishwar Sharma, from Sevenoaks in Kent, started taking up yoga when he was three after seeing his father practice daily and went on to win several World Yoga Championships. Last weekend, he bagged the Europe Cup 2023 in the Boys 12-14 category when he competed in the European competition organized by the International Yoga Sports Federation in collaboration with Swedish Yoga Sports Federation in Malmo.
“Ishwar is passionate about spreading the message of yoga, especially for special needs children,” his family said in a statement, with reference to his autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Sharma, who led daily yoga classes for 40 children across 14 countries during the coronavirus lockdown, was honored by then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with the Points of Light award.
“You have brought the joy of yoga to hundreds of children globally during lockdown. I was particularly inspired to hear how you have helped children with special needs enjoy the activity you enjoy and excel at,” Johnson said in a personal letter to Sharma at the time in June 2021. He has won five world championships and British Citizen Youth Award at the House of Lords for his contribution to yoga. Along with his father, Vishwanath, Ishwar runs IYoga Solutions to spread the word about Yoga and its many benefits in the UK. -
First Indian-origin lawmaker in Australia’s Parliament Dave Sharma wins Senate seat
CANBERRA (TIP) : Dave Sharma, who became the first Indian-origin lawmaker in Australia’s Parliament in 2019, will return to politics after his victory in the New South Wales Liberal Senate race. Sharma, 47, will replace ex-foreign minister Marise Payne, who has retired from the Senate, the local media reported. Sharma, who represented the Sydney seat of Wentworth until his defeat at the 2022 election, beat former New South Wales (NSW) minister Andrew Constance, a frontrunner backed by Opposition leader Peter Dutton.
In a vote by the New South Wales Liberal Party members, Sharma defeated Constance 251-206 in the final ballot on Sunday, November 26, the media reported.
Sharma, who served as Australia’s ambassador to Israel from 2013 to 2017, was backed by the moderates within the party. Asserting that taking over from former Senator Payne was a privilege, Sharma said, “I would like to thank the party members for the opportunity to hold the Albanese government to account in the Senate over its many missteps and wrong decisions, and to fight for the many households across NSW struggling to deal with Labor’s cost-of-living crisis.”
“The opportunity to serve in the Senate will allow me to fight for our nation’s national security interests in a time of greater global turmoil,” he was quoted as saying in the report. Congratulating him on securing the NSW Senate position, Opposition leader Dutton said Sharma’s entry to the Senate would come at a crucial time. -
HONORING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MONTH
- By Mabel Pais
LAKOTA NATION VS. THE UNITED STATES
Directed by Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli
Produced by Phil Pinto and Benjamin Hedin
‘LAKOTA NATION VS. UNITED STATES’ is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary chronicling the ongoing current struggle and journey of the Lakota people to reclaim their land and sovereignty and the legal battle they have waged against the United States government.
The Black Hills, the birthplace and life-giving land of the Lakota people, is the most sacred place on earth to them that has shaped thought, identity and philosophy for the Očéti Šakówiŋ since time immemorial.
Yet with the arrival of the first Europeans in 1492, the sacred land has been the site of conflict between the people it has nurtured, and the settler state seeking to exploit and redefine it in its own image. This powerful new documentary is a searing testament to the strength of the Oyate and a visually stunning rejoinder to the distorted image of a people long shaped by Hollywood. ‘Lakota Nation vs. United States’ is a lyrical and provocative testament to a land and a people who have survived removal, exploitation and genocide–and whose best days are yet to come.
Watch the official trailer – youtu.be/eV9Oeut62vw
Learn more at lakotanationvsus.movie
Jesse Short Bull (Co-Director)
Jesse Short Bull, Director, wrote and produced the 2013 short ‘Istinma,’ set in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota. A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts, Short Bull received a 2016 Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Program Development Grant
and also attended the Creative Producing Summit at Sundance. In 2014 he was part of the effort to change the name of Shannon County to Oglala Lakota County in South Dakota. Currently employed by the Oglala Lakota tribal government, Short Bull is a member of the board of the Black Hills Film Festival. With the First Peoples Fund he leads youth filmmaking workshops in the Oglala Lakota Nation.
“LAKOTA NATION VS. THE UNITED STATES” is a story that I have a powerful connection to. My great-great grandfather, Tatanka Ptchela (Short Bull) was an active witness to the conflict between the two nations in the mid and late nineteenth century. He refused to sign the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty and lived his life resisting the encroachment of Lakota lands.
Five generations later, as a member of the Oglala Tetonowan Oyate, and employee of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, I bear witness to the efforts of people committed to getting the Black Hills back.
From the humblest of dreams, to the dedicated government-to-government conversations, I believe it is time to tell the story of America’s longest running failure to do the right thing,” said Jesse Short Bull.
“With the (current) U.S. government leadership in place, there is a sense of urgency to tell this story. It is a real fear of mine that as time passes by, future generations will still be fighting for their right to their Sacred He Sapa (Black Hills). This story needs an end, and that end is the return of our relative, the Black Hills. The Lakota nations involved with the Black Hills land claim are those I will work my hardest to represent fully and accurately. My grandfather, Tatanka Ptechela, refused to accept anything for the Blacks Hills, and I will approach my work on this film with the same standard as he did, committed to the people and the advancement of their desires.”
LAURA TOMASELLI (Co-Director/Editor)
Laura Tomaselli, Director and Editor is a filmmaker with credits spanning narrative, documentary, and commercial projects. Most recently, she edited the documentary features MLK/FBI and Surge as well as the nonfiction shorts ‘Feathers’ and ‘Lowland Kids.’ For her work on MLK/FBI Tomaselli received a Cinema Eye Award Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. Her films have screened at Sundance, SXSW, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Toronto International Film Festival.
She said, “While this history isn’t familiar to a majority of Americans, these landscapes certainly are. This rang true as our crew traveled through and around the Black Hills region on what felt like a surreal family vacation. Filming alongside tourists at sites like Mount Rushmore, the difference in our perspectives was consistently jarring. (The systematic extermination of the American buffalo is now a “Buffalo Hunt” roller- coaster adjacent to the set of Dances with Wolves.) From the outset of this project we felt a weight to visually represent the Black Hills as sacred and holy rather than a backdrop. In demolishing the sacred Six Grandfathers to make way for the construction of Mount Rushmore, interviewees would often invoke demolishing the Sistine Chapel as a metaphor. In this way our visual approach often became shortened to “film nature like a church.”
“We’re all familiar with that phrase by Faulkner, “The past isn’t really past at all.” We were able to capture a number of ways in which Americans interact with this story in the present day—a reenactment of Custer’s Last Stand, a ceremony to demonstrate the effects of colonization on Turtle Island. This is a story about enduring Lakota resistance and existence, but it’s also a conversation with the present. History repeats itself until we actually learn the history.”
(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, Education, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, and Business)
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Indian American Ajit Pai is the first to be elected to America’s Public Television Stations board
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): : Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai has been elected to a three-year term as an at-large member of the America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) board of trustees, effective Feb 26, 2024.
The first Indian American official to chair the FCC from 2017 to 2021, is now a partner at Searchlight Capital Partners, a global investment firm.
“America’s Public Television Stations are honored and delighted to welcome Ajit Pai to the APTS board,” said APTS president and CEO Patrick Butler announcing Pai’s election on Nov 14.
“Over the course of his four years leading the FCC, Chairman Pai saw clearly the value of public television stations’ public service missions of education, public safety and civic leadership, and his support on matters ranging from the spectrum auctions to the adoption of the NEXTGEN TV broadcast standard reflected that vision.
“As we plan to make the most of our spectrum assets in service to the American people, Chairman Pai will bring an immensely useful perspective and extraordinary experience to our work,” Butler said. “We’re most grateful that he has agreed to contribute his formidable talents to help advance public television’s service to the public.”
“I am honored to join the distinguished board of America’s Public Television Stations,” said Pai. “For many years, I have appreciated the thoughtful approach APTS President and CEO Pat Butler and the entire APTS team have brought to challenging communications issues, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help shape that vision going forward as a member of the board of trustees. And I have long recognized the value of public television, from my childhood affinity for Sesame Street through my tenure at the FCC.”
Pai is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Chicago Law School. He has worked in all three branches of government, including as a lawyer in various offices of the US Department of Justice and the US Senate Judiciary Committee. He also served in the private sector at Jenner & Block LLP and Verizon Communications. He joined the FCC as a lawyer in its Office of General Counsel in 2007.
Nominated to be a commissioner in 2011 by President Barack Obama, he was confirmed unanimously by the US Senate on May 7, 2012, and was sworn in on May 14, 2012, for a five-year term. In January 2017, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump designated Pai as FCC Chairman. He was the first Asian-American to hold the office.
Later that year, Pai was nominated to serve another term (while remaining Chairman of the FCC) and was confirmed by the US Senate on October 2, 2017. After almost a dozen years at the agency, Pai returned to the private sector on January 20, 2021. APTS is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. -
Indian American Author Salman Rushdie gets Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award
NEW YORK (TIP): Noted Indian American author Salman Rushdie has received the first-ever Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award, presented by the Vaclav Havel Center in New York.
Rushdie made a rare public appearance since he was stabbed and attacked at a literary event last year to receive the award on Nov 14. The prize was kept secret until minutes before he rose from his seat to accept it. A crowd of about 150 guests, consisting of journalists, diplomats, artists and more were in attendance.
“I apologize for being a mystery guest,” Rushdie said after being introduced by “Reading Lolita in Tehran” author Azar Nafisi. “I don’t feel at all mysterious. But it made life a little simpler.”
The Václav Havel Center said the author “exemplifies everything that the award stands for. His forthright defense of freedom of expression emerges not only through his fiction, but also in the principled stances he takes in his trenchant commentaries and memoirs.”
Rushdie has written more than a dozen novels, including Midnight’s Children about India’s partition after British colonial rule in the style of preserving history with fictional accounts. The Havel center, founded in 2012 as the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation, is named for the Czech playwright and dissident who became the last president of Czechoslovakia after the fall of the Communist regime in the late 1980s.
Rushdie, 76, noted that last month he had received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, and now was getting a prize for disturbing the peace, leaving him wondering which side of “the fence” he was on.
Rushdie praised Havel, a close friend whom he remembered as being among the first government leaders to defend him after the novelist was driven into hiding by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 decree calling for his death over the alleged blasphemy of “The Satanic Verses.” Rushdie said Havel was “kind of a hero of mine” who was “able to be an artist at the same time as being an activist.” “He was inspirational to me as for many, many writers, and to receive an award in his name is a great honor,” Rushdie added. -
Indian American Georgia community welcomes incoming Consul General Ramesh Babu with grand reception
ATLANTA, GA (TIP): In a spectacular gathering on November 19th, 2023, the Indian American community in Georgia warmly welcomed the newly appointed Consul General of India in Atlanta, Ramesh Babu. The event, hosted by the Federation of Indian American Associations of Georgia (FIA of Georgia), took place at the elegant Crowne Plaza in Norcross. The occasion marked the official transition from the esteemed service of Dr. Swati Kulkarni, who served as Consul General from 2018 to 2023. The banquet hall was a lively scene, filled with distinguished dignitaries, prominent community figures, and representatives from various organizations. The evening commenced with a welcoming address by Dr. Vasudev Patel, President of FIA, who expressed gratitude for the community’s continued support and highlighted the significance of the occasion.
The ceremonial lighting of the lamp was conducted by the guest of honor, Ramesh Babu, accompanied by vibrant dance performances by the students of Bharathakala Naatya Academy and Nataraja Natyanjali Kuchipudi Dance Academy, and vocal rendition in several Indian languages by Atlanta Indian Idol finalist Jyotsna Nanu, setting a joyous tone for the evening.Mayor of Norcross, Craig Newton, graced the occasion with his presence, emphasizing the strong ties between the Indian American community and the local government. Other notable speakers included Shiv Aggarwal, owner of Global Mail, Padma Bhushan Professor Jagdish Sheth, India America Cultural Association (IACA) chairman of the board, Ani Agnihotri, IACA president Kaushal Tripathi, FIA’s Rajeev Menon, Indian Friends of Atlanta (IFA) co-founder Sunil Savili, Dr. Sreeni Gangasani who represented GAPI and AAPI, Subhash Razdan, President of the Gandhi Foundation of USA & Raj Razdan, NFIA president and founder of Senior Citizens Program– each offering their perspectives on the importance of fostering cultural and diplomatic connections.
In his address to the audience, Hon. Ramesh Babu expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and shared his vision for his tenure as Consul General. He highlighted the significance of community engagement, cultural exchange, and fostering stronger ties between India and the United States. The community responded with enthusiastic applause, expressing their optimism for a fruitful collaboration under his leadership.The event concluded with a sumptuous dinner, providing an opportunity for attendees to network, share ideas, and celebrate the rich cultural diversity within the Indian American community.
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Indian-origin Nawanshahr girl becomes Australia’s youngest author
CANBERRA (TIP): In a remarkable achievement, 11-year-old Ashleen Khela, having roots in Nawanshahr’s Sajawalpur village, has attained the title of Australia’s youngest female author with her debut book ‘17 Stories’. Beyond its literary success, the book is making waves for its charitable contributions to the Cancer Council of Australia, the Starlight Children Foundation, and aiding underprivileged children in India through its sales.
What sets Ashleen apart is her determination and independence in bringing ‘17 Stories’ to publication. Eschewing financial support from her parents, she embarked on a unique fundraising journey—collecting plastic and glass bottles, soft drink cans for recycling, breaking open her piggy bank, and utilizing the proceeds for the book’s publication. Talking to this correspondent, Ashleen revealed that ‘17 Stories’ spans four main genres: fantasy, magic, myth, and mystery. While rooted in fiction, some narratives draw inspiration from her own life experiences, concluding with uplifting morals for young readers.From her Sydney backyard during the Covid lockdown to the enchanting realms of caves, mountains, and rural Punjab, Ashleen says she invites readers on an imaginative journey. She encourages reflection on social injustice and deprivation, especially highlighting the challenges faced by underprivileged children living in roadside slum hovels in India. Ashleen shared excerpts from her book, citing ‘’Elisa and Josephine’’ as a poignant tale illustrating the contrast in lifestyles between kids in developed and developing nations. Another story, “Zombie Virus Diary Entry” creatively captures her personal experiences during the Covid lockdown, providing insight into the feelings of an Australian school kid confined at home.
When asked what inspired her to write this book, she said the inspiration for her writing journey stems from her trips to India, where she witnessed social disparities.
The daughter of Australia-based NRI Amarjit Khela, known for his contributions to Sajawalpur’s development, Ashleen aims to raise awareness in western countries about underprivileged children in developing nations and generate funds to support their needs.
Looking ahead, Ashleen said she is already crafting her next fictional storybook, aspiring to publish it before her 12th birthday. “This upcoming work will shed light on neglected women’s rights, emphasizing the capabilities of young women in both privileged and underprivileged parts of the world. As I grow older, I envision establishing my own charity to further aid underprivileged children,” she added. -
Indo-Canadian Sikh man, his 11-year-old son shot dead by rival gangsters outside gas station
EDMONTON (TIP): An Indian-origin Sikh man, described as a “higher-level figure” in the organized crime scene in Canada, and his 11-year-old son were shot and killed in what police have called a “sick and twisted” escalation of gang violence in the city of Edmonton. Harpreet Singh Uppal, 41, and his son were gunned down outside a gas station on Thursday afternoon in a brazen, daytime shooting, Edmonton Police Service acting superintendent Colin Derksen told the media on Friday. The boy’s young friend, who was in Uppal’s car at the time, survived with no physical injuries. Derksen said police do not know whether the shooter or shooters knew children were in the car when they began following Uppal. “But what we do know, sadly, is that once the shooter or the shooters learned that the son was there, they intentionally shot and killed him,” the Edmonton Journal quoted Derksen as saying.
He said killing children was once a “line in the sand” gang members refused to cross, but that is changing.
“That is sick and twisted,” Derksen said. “I think most gang members would agree.”
Police have not released the name of the boy, pending autopsy.
Derksen said a suspect vehicle—a stolen 2012 BMW X6—was located on fire north of Beaumont. No one was located inside the vehicle and no injuries were reported because of the fire.
As of Friday morning, police had made no arrests and identified no suspects.
Derksen said Uppal was a “higher-level figure” in Edmonton’s organized crime scene but declined to say if he was affiliated with any specific groups, the report said.
Uppal was facing charges related to cocaine possession and trafficking, as well as illegal possession of body armor. A trial was set to start in April 2024, media reported.
He was also charged with assault with a weapon and unauthorized possession of a firearm in relation to a case from March 2021. The Crown continued those proceedings in February, it said.
Derksen also declined to say whether police believe the shooting was retaliation for other violence, or whether retaliation for Uppal’s killing is expected.
Sources have told the media that Uppal was a prominent Brothers Keepers associate.
His murder is believed to be part of a war between the UN gang and the BK.
While originating in the Vancouver area, the tit-for-tat slayings are now happening across the country. The day before Uppal was killed, BC UN gangster Parmvir Chahil was shot to death in Toronto. Media reports said the killings may be linked. Derksen said it was too early to say, “if there’s a connection” to violence in other cities, “or if there is, how far-reaching it is”.
Police said the details of the shooting were immediately posted to social media and detectives are hoping to speak with anyone with information. Anyone with security or dash camera footage that was active in the area at the time is also encouraged to contact police.
Derksen confirmed Uppal and his family were the targets of a 2021 shooting in which a gunman fired through the window of a restaurant where they were having dinner.
The lone man charged in the case—Harsh Jindal, who police claimed was the getaway driver—had his charges dropped last month, court records show.
The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service said the charges were stayed after a preliminary inquiry led prosecutors to conclude there was “no longer a reasonable likelihood of conviction”.
“With a heavy heart, I contemplate how it’s conceivable for a child to be killed in such a tragic manner like this,” Alberta’s premier, Danielle Smith, said in a statement. “Like many of you, I am concerned with the rise in gun violence in our neighborhoods.”
Edmonton, like other metropolitan areas across Canada, is grappling with an increase in shootings and gang-related crimes. But the death of a child has intensified police efforts to solve Thursday’s daylight shooting.
“We’re going to give it everything we got,” said Derksen. “We’re pulling out all the stops. We lost a child here. -
Indian American Sikh Jag Bains creates history with ‘Big Brother’ win
LOS ANGELES (TIP): Jag Bains, an entrepreneur and truck company owner from Washington, created history by becoming the first Sikh-American to win the reality show “Big Brother”. The 25-year-old TV personality defeated Matt Klotz, a professional swimmer, and DJ Bowie Jane to take the top spot at the 100-day-long season.
Bains was the first Sikh-American to enter the “Big Brother” house in the US and is now the first Sikh-American houseguest to win the US version of the international reality series in its 25th season.
“Big Brother” announced the results of the finale on its official handle on microblogging site X. Bains will be taking home a prize money of USD 750,000. “And that’s our season!! Congrats and thank you to our #BB25 houseguests!” “To be able to win this with integrity and loyalty the whole time is exactly what I wanted to do,” Bains told host Julie Chen-Moonves at the end of the episode. Bains is now the third straight winner to make history on the US version of “Big Brother”. In 2021, Xavier Prather became the first Black individual to win the game, while last year Taylor Hale was announced as the first Black woman to win. “Big Brother” season 25 aired in the US on CBS. -
Indian-origin five family members die in London house fire
LONDON (TIP): Five members of a family, including three children, have died in a house fire in west London, the Metropolitan Police said on Monday, November 13, as it announced an investigation into the tragic incident.
While the victims are yet to be named by the police, local reports suggest the family was of Indian heritage and had been celebrating Diwali before the fire broke out on Sunday night.
A sixth victim remains unaccounted for in the fire and one male remains in hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life-threatening.
“My thoughts are with the loved ones of those who very sadly lost their lives in this tragic incident,” said Met Police Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, responsible for policing in Hounslow where the fire occurred.
“I don’t underestimate the impact that this will have on the wider community and beyond. I understand that there will be a demand for answers and my officers are working to establish exactly what has happened,” he said.
Police said they were called at about 2230 local time on Sunday to reports of a fire at a residential address in Channel Close, Hounslow, where its officers attended alongside several London Fire Brigade firefighters and the London Ambulance Service (LAS). The bodies of five victims were found inside the property and a sixth person is currently unaccounted for. “It is believed that all five are members of the same family. One man left the house prior to the arrival of emergency services. He was taken to hospital by LAS. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening,” reads the Met Police statement.
The police said nearby properties of the area were evacuated as a precaution and enquiries into the cause of the fire are ongoing. At this early stage in the investigation there have been no arrests, the Met Police said.
“We sent a number of resources including five ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, two clinical team managers, two incident response officers and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team,” LAS said in a statement. Dileep Singh, 54, from Manchester, told reporters that his brother-in-law was at the property with his wife, three children and two adult guests. Singh told the ‘Evening Standard’ newspaper: “I received a call and came as soon as I could with my wife. We are desperate for information. My brother-in-law is alive, but I don’t know what has happened to everyone else. “We are desperate. I was told the fire came from outside from a bin. We are going to the hospital to try to get more information.”
It is reported that the family had moved to the house in London relatively recently from Belgium. -
Indian American Niraj Antani running for US Congress in Ohio
COLUMBUS, OH (TIP): Ohio’s first Hindu and Indian American State Senator Niraj Antani (R-6) Tuesday, November 14, announced a campaign for Congress in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District “to be a warrior for our community’s values.”
The youngest Hindu and Indian American state or federal elected official in the United States would be contesting the Republican primary on March 19, 2024, for the seat currently held by Congressman Brad Wenstrup. Wenstrup announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election and will retire from Congress.
Antani thanked Wenstrup “for his many years of dedicated service to our nation, both in Congress and as an American hero serving as a combat surgeon in the Army.” Antani would become the youngest Hindu and Indian American Member of Congress in the nation’s history and the first Republican Hindu Member of Congress in the country’s history, according to a statement from his campaign.
“As the 1st Hindu and Indian American State Senator in Ohio history, I’ve worked hard every day to ensure every Ohioan has an opportunity to achieve their American Dream,” he stated. “Now, I am running for Congress to be a warrior for our community’s values and fight against those who seek to wreak havoc on us.”
Antani also vowed to “stand steel-spined for the policies that benefit our community and strongly oppose those who kowtow to those against us.”
Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District spans 16 counties across about 150 miles in southern Ohio. The district’s partisan voter index leans significantly Republican.
Born and raised in southern Ohio, Antani is serving his first term in the Ohio Senate, having previously served three terms as State Representative in the Ohio House of Representatives.
He has received numerous awards from organizations for veterans, community college, small businesses, and more. Antani is a graduate of Ohio State University. -
Four Indian Americans among 32 Rhodes Scholars win Rhodes Scholarships
Mrinalini S Wadhwa, Suhaas Bhat, Nayantara K Arora and Aishani Aatresh are the four Indian Americans among 32 to win the Rhodes Scholarship. WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Four Indian Americans are among 32 Rhodes Scholars chosen from the United States who will go to Oxford University in England in October 2024 to pursue graduate degrees with scholars from over 70 countries. The four Indian American students among 32 selected from 862 candidates endorsed by 249 different colleges and universities in 16 US districts are Mrinalini S Wadhwa, Suhaas Bhat, Nayantara K Arora and Aishani Aatresh. “They inspire us already with their accomplishments, but even more by their values-based leadership and selfless ambitions to improve their communities and the world,” said Ramona L. Doyle, American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust, announcing their names.
Rhodes Scholarships provide all expenses for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford—ranked the #1 university in the world in some global rankings—and may allow funding in some instances for four years, according to a press release. Dr. Doyle called the Rhodes Scholarships, “the oldest and best-known award for international study, and arguably the most famous academic award available to American college graduates.”
Wadhwa from New York City is a senior at Columbia University where she majors in History and Mathematics. She is co-editor-in-chief of multiple student journals, including the Columbia Journal of Asia, which she co-founded. She has won fellowships to support research in archives around the world, including in India, France, and the United Kingdom, and is current chair of the Columbia History Association. Mrinalini also co-founded a program providing a three-year English curriculum for low-income Indian students in New Delhi.
At Oxford, Mrinalini will pursue an MPhil in Modern European History.
Suhaas Bhat from Marshfield, Wisconsin, is a senior at Harvard University majoring in Social Studies and Physics. He co-founded an organization at Harvard that provides peer-facilitated group psychotherapy to students.
He has developed machine learning models for designing novel drugs. He helped organize Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard, resulting in the university divesting its endowment from the fossil fuel industry.
He has eight peer-reviewed publications and was selected as part of the Junior 24 cohort for Phi Beta Kappa. He has worked as a machine learning researcher at DE Shaw Research, American Family Insurance, UbiquiTx, and the Church and Chatterjee labs at Harvard and Duke, respectively.
At Oxford, he will pursue an MSc in Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing and an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine.
Nayantara K. Arora from Portland, Oregon, is a senior at the University of Oregon, Clark Honors College, where she majors in Neuroscience, with minors in Global Health and Chemistry.
She conducts research in two areas: global health biomarkers in Tunisia and the relationship between the vasculature and Alzheimer’s disease. She is a Stamps Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa Public Service Scholar, and has traveled to Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, and the UK to pursue interests in global health.
Nayantara is currently an intern with the State Department, and produces a podcast dedicated to uplifting immigrant youth stories, plays the violin, and loves learning new languages.
At Oxford, Nayantara will pursue an MSc in Modelling for Global Health and MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine. Aishani Aatresh from Saratoga, California, is a senior at Harvard College where she is majoring in complex biosocial systems. Aishani is also a fellow at the Program on Science, Technology & Society at the Kennedy School of Government, where she balances research in preventing infectious diseases with a commitment to global public health. During the global pandemic, she worked with the New York City health and hospital system emergency response and then undertook studies to understand the dynamics of COVID-19 with the global Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
She worked as a computational immuno-engineer with companies to develop monoclonal antibody therapies against human disease targets. Aishani tutors at the Harvard College Writing Center.
At Oxford, she plans to complete an MPhil degree in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance.
With the latest selections, 3,642 Americans have won Rhodes Scholarships, representing 327 colleges and universities. Since 1976, women have been eligible to apply, and 663 American women have now won the coveted scholarship.
The total value of the Scholarship averages approximately $75,000 per year, and up to as much as approximately $250,000 for Scholars who remain at Oxford for four years in certain departments.
The Scholarships were created in 1902 by the Will of Cecil Rhodes and are provided in partnership with the Second Century Founders, John McCall MacBain OC and The Atlantic Philanthropies. -
Indian American Shakuntla L. Bhaya is appointed to the Council of Administrative Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Biden has named Indian American lawyer Shakuntla L. Bhaya to the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States. The independent federal agency is charged with convening expert representatives from the public and private sectors to recommend improvements to administrative processes and procedures.
The first South Asian Indian to be admitted to the Delaware Bar Association, she has been working towards “diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and in politics,” the White House said in a press release announcing the appointment. Co-owner of a statewide law firm, her “practice focuses on representing individuals who are seriously injured as a result of businesses and people making unsafe decisions.” She has been a member of Governor Carney’s Judicial Nominating Commission for the past seven years. In addition to practicing law, she is involved in Delaware politics and is currently a member of the Delaware Democratic Party’s State Executive Committee. She is past president of the Delaware Trial Lawyers Association, and “continues to be involved in protecting consumers’ 7th Amendment Right to a jury trial and access to courts,” the White House said. A member of the American Association for Justice and American Civil Liberties Union, she is involved in helping pro-choice democratic women become elected to office, as well as fighting for rights for the LGBTQ+ community and helping members of her community to adopt children, seek legal redress when discriminated in the workplace, and permit people to marry. Bhaya is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law.
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Five Indian Americans named to Time Magazine’s Inaugural List of Influential Leaders Driving Business to Real Climate Action
NEW YORK (TIP): The list, which draws attention to the people who are shaping and leading climate action, comes at a critical moment, ahead of the 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference. Five Indian Americans are named in ‘TIME100 Climate,’ the magazine’s inaugural list of “the world’s most influential leaders driving business to real climate action,” released today (Nov. 16). While “climate leadership is embedded across all of our coverage today,” Time believes that “more could be done to draw attention to the people who are shaping and leading climate action.” The list, which the magazine calls “a community,” comes at a critical moment, ahead of the 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference. Apart from being a community, the list is also “an argument for how we see the future,” Time says, “because we believe progress for the planet will come from the engagement with and leadership with the business world.”
Geeta Aiyer, founder and president of Boston Common Asset Management, Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, Ajay Banga, who began his five-year term as World Bank Group president in June, Jigar Shah, the director of the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office, and Manoj Sinha, CEO and co-founder of Husk Power Systems (HPS) are the five Indian Americans named to Time Magazine’s Inaugural List of Influential Leaders Driving Business to Real Climate Action.