The Indian Panorama

Tag: Joe Biden

  • US President Biden, VP Harris greet Jain community on Mahavir Jayanti

    US President Biden, VP Harris greet Jain community on Mahavir Jayanti

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have extended their greetings of Mahavir Jayanti to the Jain community across the world and encouraged people to strive for peace and harmony. “(First Lady) Jill (Biden) and I wish a happy and prosperous Mahavir Jayanti to all those observing. Today, we recognize the values of Mahavir Swami and strive to live with peace, truth, and harmony,” Biden tweeted on Tuesday. Vice President Harris also sent her greetings on the occasion.

    “On Mahavir Jayanti, Doug and I join Jains around the world in celebrating the birth of Mahavir Swami, who taught that all living beings are equal. Today, let us recommit to upholding these universal values of respect and non-violence,” Harris tweeted. The greetings from the US president and the vice president were welcomed by an Indian American community leader.

    “We members of the Jain community thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for sending greetings on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, which no other president has done in the last,” said community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria. “On this day, let us also take a pledge to work towards creating a more peaceful and harmonious world by following the path of Ahimsa, which was the core principle of Lord Mahavir’s teachings,” he said.

    Let us strive to create a society where there is no violence, discrimination, or hatred, and where everyone is treated with equal dignity and respect, Bhutoria said in a statement.

    “As we celebrate the birth of Lord Mahavir, let us also take a moment to reflect on his life and teachings, and to seek inspiration from his journey towards enlightenment. May this day bring us closer to our true selves and help us lead a life of purpose, compassion, and righteousness,” Bhutoria said.

  • Indian American policy expert Nisha Desai Biswal named deputy head of US development finance agency

    Indian American policy expert Nisha Desai Biswal named deputy head of US development finance agency

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Joe Biden intends to nominate Indian American policy expert Nisha Desai Biswal as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), dealing with most critical challenges facing the developing world.
    The American finance agency provides loans, loan guarantees, direct equity investments, and political risk insurance for private sector led development projects, feasibility studies, and technical assistance.
    It invests across several sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology, with stated priorities of women’s empowerment, innovation, investment in West Africa and the Western Hemisphere, and climate change.
    Biden’s intent to nominate Biswal, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs from 2013 to 2017 during the Obama administration, was announced by the White House Monday along with six other key posts. In that job Biswal oversaw the US-India strategic partnership during a period of unprecedented cooperation, including the launch of an annual US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, the White House noted. Biswal also initiated the C5+1 Dialogue with Central Asia and the US-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue during her tenure as Assistant Secretary.
    Biswal brings over 30 years of experience in US foreign policy and international development programs within the Executive Branch, Congress, and the private sector, according to her official profile.
    Currently Biswal is the Senior Vice President for International Strategy and Global Initiatives at the US Chamber of Commerce, overseeing the US India Business Council and US Bangladesh Business Council.
    Prior to her stint at the State Department, Biswal was Assistant Administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), directing and supervising USAID programs and operations across South, Central, and Southeast Asia.
    She has also spent over a decade on Capitol Hill, working as Staff Director on the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations as well as professional staff on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives. Biswal serves as the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid and is on both the Board of the National Democratic Institute and the US Institute of Peace International Advisory Council.
    She is a member of the United States Institute of Peace Afghanistan Study Group and the Aspen Institute’s India-US Track 2 Dialogue on Climate and Energy. Biswal is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia, where she studied International Relations and Economics.

  • Indian American actress Mindy Kaling presented National Medal of Arts by Biden

    Indian American actress Mindy Kaling presented National Medal of Arts by Biden

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Celebrity Indian American actress, producer and writer Mindy Kaling has won the prestigious 2021 National Medal of Arts given to artists and arts patrons “for giving voice to a new generation of storytellers.” President Joe Biden presented the award to Kaling, 43, also known as Vera Mindy Chokalingam, at a White House ceremony attended by First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday, March 21.
    “For giving voice to a new generation of storytellers. Imbued with humor and heart, Mindy Kaling’s work across television, film, and books inspires and delights, capturing and uplifting the experiences of women and girls across our nation,” Biden’s military aide read the citation as Kaling came forward to receive the award.
    “The first woman of color to create, write, and star in a primetime sitcom, she empowers a new generation to tell their stories with their own irreverence and sincerity. The daughter of Indian immigrants — We know about that, right?” said the President.
    “Our Vice President is a daughter of Indian immigrants — a mother who was a great scientist,” he said. “Above all, she’s hardworking and an adoring mom, just like her own mom was. And, Mindy, we know your mom is always with you in your spirit. We know that.” Kaling received the award with 22 other “extraordinary Americans: the National Medal of Arts to honor outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth support, and availability of the arts in the United States; and the National Humanities Medal to honor those who have — whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, philosophy, and so many other subjects,” Biden said.
    “The work of our honorees is as diverse as the nation that celebrates with them today. But common threads weave them together in many ways in the very fabric of America: the pursuit of excellence, the drive to create, the yearning to connect, and the boldness to be truthtellers, bridge builders, and change seekers,” he said. “Above all, you’re masters of your craft.” Kaling was born to an architect father and an obstetrician-gynecologist mother who moved to the US in 1979 from Nigeria.
    She lent her acting talents to such film comedies as ‘The 40-Year-Old Virgin’ (2005), ‘License to Wed’ (2007), and ‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’ (2009) and voiced characters for the animated movies ‘Despicable Me’ (2010), ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ (2012), and ‘Inside Out’ (2015).
    She developed the innovative ‘The Mindy Project’, which centered on the life of Mindy Lahiri, an obstetrician-gynecologist who is fixated on finding a romantic partner.
    Recently, she co-created and co-wrote the Netflix show ‘Never Have I Ever’, about a first-generation Indian American teenager, and ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls’, a comedy series that centers on four college roommates.
    Besides Kaling, the 2021 National Medal of Arts recipients include musician Jose Feliciano, artist Judith Francisca Baca, radio station owner Fred Eychaner, the International Association of Blacks in Dance, the Billie Holiday Theatre, producer Joan Shigekawa and painter Antonio Martorell Cardona.
    Recipients of the 2021 National Humanities Medal winners are: ‘The Underground Railroad’ novelist Colson Whitehead, poet Richard Blanco, author Walter Isaacson, educator Johnnetta Betsch Cole, academic Henrietta Mann, author Ann Patchett, ‘The Joy Luck Club’ author Amy Tan, historian Earl Lewis, Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, Native America Calling and author Tara Westover. The first National Medal of Arts were awarded in 1985 to renowned artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Martha Graham, and Richard Diebenkorn among others. Since then, the medal has been awarded annually to a wide range of individuals and organizations from various fields of the arts, including music, dance, theatre, visual arts, literature, and film.

  • Biden appoints two Indian-Americans to Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations

    Biden appoints two Indian-Americans to Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden on Friday, March 11 named two Indian-Americans — Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex, and Manish Bapna, CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council — to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.
    On Friday, Biden announced his intent to appoint 14 people to the Advisory Committee, which provides overall policy advice to the United States Trade Representative on matters of development, implementation, and administration of the US trade policy.
    Among these include negotiating objectives and bargaining positions before entering into trade agreements, the impact of the implementation of trade agreements, matters concerning the operation of any trade agreement once entered into, and other matters arising in connection with the development, implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United States, the White House said. Revathi Advaithi is CEO of Flex, “the global manufacturing partner of choice that helps a diverse customer base design and build products to improve the world”. Since assuming the role in 2019, Advaithi has been responsible for architecting the company’s strategic direction and leading Flex through a transformation that is defining a new era in manufacturing, the White House said. Prior to Flex, Advaithi was president and Chief Operating Officer for the electrical sector business for Eaton, a company with more than USD20 billion in sales and 102,000 employees.
    She has also worked at Eaton’s electrical sector, Americas, and Honeywell, and serves on the Board of Directors of Uber and Catalyst.org.
    Advaithi is a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Advanced Manufacturing CEO Community and joined the WEF Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders. She was recognized on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business list for four consecutive years and named one of Business Today’s Most Powerful Women in India. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
    Manish Bapna is president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which has been behind many of the most significant environmental milestones of the last half century — from the creation of bedrock environmental laws, to landmark legal victories, and foundational research, the White House said.
    During his 25-year career, Bapna’s leadership roles have focused on tackling the root causes of poverty and climate change with strategies that are equitable, durable, and scalable. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the World Resources Institute, a research organization focused on the intersection of the environment and human development, for more than 14 years.
    An economist by training, he got his start at McKinsey & Company and the World Bank before pursuing a career in advocacy at the Bank Information Centre. He has master’s degrees in Business and Political and Economic Development from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT, the White House said.
    (Source: PTI)

  • Biden unveils USD 6.9 trillion budget, raises taxes on rich, boosts spending on social programs, infrastructure

    Biden unveils USD 6.9 trillion budget, raises taxes on rich, boosts spending on social programs, infrastructure

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Joe Biden on Thursday, March 10 unveiled a USD 6.9 trillion annual budget for the year 2024, which proposes a hefty tax on the rich, massive spending on social measures and investment on building key infrastructure.
    The budget was termed a “non-starter” by the Republicans who have a majority in the House of Representatives.
    Biden at a rally in Philadelphia asserted that his budget reflects what “we can do to” lift the burden on hard working Americans and it would reduce the deficit this year by USD 160 billion.”To support working parents, my budget expands access to affordable childcare for millions of families. And it’s going to invest in paid family medical leave,” Biden said, adding that his budget also invests in elder care and home care and restores the child tax credit.
    Biden said the budget will deliver funding to help the US lead the world again. “My budget also invests in critical issues that matter to families, increasing the supply of affordable housing, lower rental costs, and make it easier to buy a home, all of which will generate economic growth and prosperity,” he said. Asserting that he brought down the deficit of USD 1.7 trillion more than any president in American history, Biden said his latest budget is going to reduce the deficit by nearly USD 3 trillion over 10 years.
    The budgetary proposals call for imposing a 25 per cent minimum tax on the wealthiest 0.01 per cent of households, quadrupling a one per cent surcharge on corporate stock buybacks, restoring the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6 per cent. It proposes to raise the corporate income tax rate from 21 per cent to 28 per cent. “No billionaire should be paying a lower tax than somebody working as a schoolteacher or a firefighter or any of you in this room. So, my plan is to make sure the corporations begin to pay their fair share. It used to be 35 per cent. We cut it down to 21 per cent. I think we should be paying 28 per cent,” he said.
    “There’s going to be a real fight in that but we should be paying more than 21 per cent. And I made clear under my plan, and I made this commitment when I ran and I haven’t broken it yet and I never will,” he said.
    Acknowledging that there are sharp differences with the Republicans, Biden said he is willing to sit down with them to talk and negotiate.
    “My budget is about investing in America and all of America, including places and people and folks who have been forgotten. Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible. Not anymore,” he said.
    The opposition Republican party was very critical of the budget. “President Joe Biden’s budget is a reckless proposal doubling down on the same Far Left spending policies that have led to record inflation and our current debt crisis, said Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik in a joint statement.
    “After passing trillions of dollars in new deficit spending that we cannot afford, over the next 30 years, the national debt will be nearly twice the size of the entire economy. In the next ten years, the federal government will spend over USD 10 trillion on interest alone,” they said. Vice President Kamala Harris said the administration is investing in the full potential of the American people. “Our budget will lower costs, invest in workers, and strengthen Medicare and Social Security. It does all of this while cutting the deficit and making sure billionaires pay their fair share,” she said.
    (Source: PTI)

  • President Biden, VP Harris and US lawmakers extend Holi greetings

    President Biden, VP Harris and US lawmakers extend Holi greetings

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris led the country in sending greetings to the Hindu community in the United States, in India and across the world on the occasion of Holi.

    While for several years now the festival of colors has been observed in various parts of the country, which many a times attracts thousands of participants like the one at Barsana Dham in Texas or in Atlanta and Florida, and lawmakers have been sending their greetings for quite some time now, this is for the first time probably the greetings of Holi has been broadcast from the White House.

    “I wish the happiest Holi to those celebrating love, laughter, goodness, and the arrival of spring during today’s Festival of Colors,” Biden said in a presidential tweet.

    “As we come together to mark the arrival of spring and celebrate the triumph of good over evil, may the vibrant colors of Holi brighten our world with joy, hope, and positivity. Happy Holi to all who celebrate,” tweeted Vice President Kamala Harris. Both of them had a colorful picture of Holi with the logo of the White House on it.

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken soon followed with his own tweet. “Wishing all celebrating a very happy Holi. May this festival of colors fill you with joy,” he said.

    As images of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo playing Holi at the residence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi went viral, several lawmakers extended greetings on the festival. “Happy Holi to everyone celebrating across the world! Hoping you have a bright and peaceful Festival of Colors!” said Senator Mark Warner, co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus and Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

    Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu said “Happy Holi” to the millions that celebrate in the United States and around the world! “Let us commemorate this festival of colors by remembering to see the light even in the face of darkness and to celebrate our differences as strengths. May the arrival of spring bring new beginnings, hope, and happiness to all,” she said.

    Congresswoman Grace Meng said Holi is a joyous occasion to revel in the arrival of spring and to celebrate the victory of good over evil. “In the spirit of Holi, I hope we can all find optimism in the conviction that good will prevail when we stand by our beliefs and step forward in unity. I am grateful for all things that bring our communities joy, peace, and strength. Happy Holi!” she said.

    Holi is a joyous celebration that welcomes spring and reminds us that good will always triumph over evil, said Congressman Ted Lieu. “As we celebrate the renewal of life that spring brings, I am hopeful that 2023 will bring us more light, peace, and joy. Wishing a happy and prosperous Festival of Colors to all!” he said.

    Ami Bera, the longest serving Indian-American Member of Congress, said Holi is the celebration of light vanquishing darkness and the triumph of good over evil. “This new spring season, let us recommit to spreading love and tolerance within our communities and celebrate the ties that bind us closer together,” the Congressman said. Influential Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal wished a happy Holi to all who celebrate in Seattle and around the world! “This is such a powerful time of year, as we come together to welcome in spring and new growth and celebrate the triumph of good over evil. I hope this holiday brings us all communion, love, and gratitude. Happy Holi!,” she said.

    “Happy Holi to everyone in CA-17 and around the world celebrating. Holi is a reminder of the triumph of good over evil and that there’s a bright future ahead for our country. I hope this year’s celebration brings you joy, renewal, and hope for the coming year,” said Congressman Ro Khanna.

    Congressman Andy Kim said even through the most challenging times, Holi signals a brighter future and reminds of the lasting triumph of good. “We hope this vibrant, spring celebration brings you and your loved ones together, to celebrate love and hope for a brighter future,” he said.

    Powerful Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said during this festival of colors, “let us take a moment to celebrate the arrival of spring and renew our commitment” to bringing peace and prosperity to all.

    “Happy Holi to Hindu communities in the East Bay and across the globe! The Festival of Colors is a celebration of good over evil, of light over darkness. May this special time bring you and your loved ones peace and joy as we enter spring,” Congresswoman Barbara Lee said.

    “As we celebrate the start of Holi, let us boldly affirm our commitment to unity, diversity, and inclusivity. This festival of colors reminds us that our differences are a source of strength, and that by coming together with love and respect, we can overcome any obstacle. Let us pledge to continue spreading the vibrant hues of happiness and togetherness, and to stand up against hate and division in all its forms. Happy Holi to all in Michigan and around the world!” said Congressman Shri Thanedar.

    “Happy Holi to all those celebrating in Southern California and across the country! This colorful festival brings communities together to celebrate the new spring season and its fortunes. I join my CAPAC colleagues in sending joy, positivity, and good wishes to you and your family,” said Congresswoman Linda Sanchez.

    Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel also sent in her Holi message. “Happy Holi to all Hindu, Sikhs, and Jains who are celebrating today. May this festival of colors bring much joy as you mark the arrival of spring and celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Happy Holi!” she said.

  • Two Indian American corporate leaders appointed by Joe Biden to his Export Council

    Two Indian American corporate leaders appointed by Joe Biden to his Export Council

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint two Indian Americans to his powerful Export Council which is the principal national advisory committee on international trade.

    The president on Tuesday, February 28,  announced a list of members he intends to appoint to the council, according to a White House press release. Punit Renjen, the former CEO of Deloitte Consulting, and Rajesh Subramaniam, CEO and president of FedEx, have their names on the list of members the President intends to appoint as members of the influential President’s Export Council.

    The council will be headed by Mark Edin, chairman of Kastle Systems.

    More than two dozen leaders from the corporate sector, labor, real estate, national security and law, have been tapped into the President’s Export Council. On December 31 last, Renjen retired as Deloitte Global CEO after having served in the role since June 2015. He now serves as Deloitte Global CEO Emeritus. Subramaniam, as President and Chief Executive Officer of FedEx Corporation, is responsible for providing strategic direction for all FedEx operating companies. Subramaniam is chair of the five-person Executive Committee, which plans and executes the corporation’s strategic business activities.

     

  • Biden’s Kyiv visit

    Hardening of battle lines ominous for the world

    The strategic visit by US President Joe Biden to Kyiv, days before the first anniversary of the Russian war on Ukraine, has only hardened the battle lines and made it obvious that America is in no mood to facilitate an early resolution of Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. Even as Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy walked together to a cathedral, the US State Department announced an additional $460-million aid to Ukraine, including artillery ammunition, anti-armor systems and air defense radars worth $450 million and the rest for energy infrastructure. Ukraine is set to receive large supplies of western weaponry over the next few months in an attempt to sharpen its counteroffensive, leaving no room for doubt that this war is not going to end anytime soon.

    Biden is busy doing chest-thumping and saber-rattling on European soil; in his opinion, Russian President Vladimir Putin was ‘dead wrong’ in presuming that ‘Ukraine was weak and the West was divided.’ A defiant Putin has reaffirmed that sanctions-hit Moscow is ready for the long haul, even as he has accused the US-led West of stoking a global war to destroy Russia. Biden’s overzealousness has also given China, a key Russian ally, ample fodder to take potshots at the US. Beijing has urged ‘certain countries’ to immediately stop fueling the fire. Not to be left behind, Zelenskyy has warned that a world war would break out if China supports Russia militarily against Ukraine.

    Given the geopolitical complications, the volatile situation is inevitably going to worsen. It is clearly evident to the international community that the US is no peacemaker and can never be one. Indeed, it was America’s overreach for NATO’s eastern expansion that provoked Russia and led to the invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Countries such as India, the current G20 president, need to play a proactive role in bringing both sides to the negotiating table and calling out the nations that are hell bent on prolonging this mutually destructive war and jeopardizing world peace.

    (Tribune, India)

  • Biden nominates Indian-American Ajay Banga for World Bank president

    Biden nominates Indian-American Ajay Banga for World Bank president

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Joe Biden on Thursday, February 23, announced that the US is nominating Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank, saying the Indian-American business leader is uniquely equipped to lead the global institution at “this critical moment in history”. If confirmed by the World Bank Board of Directors, Banga would be the first-ever Indian-American and Sikh-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

    Banga, 63, currently serves as Vice Chairman at General Atlantic. Previously, he was President and CEO of Mastercard, leading the company through a strategic, technological and cultural transformation. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016.

    “Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history,” President Biden said in a statement.

    “He has spent more than three decades building and managing successful, global companies that create jobs and bring investment to developing economies, and guiding organizations through periods of fundamental change,” Biden said.

    Banga has a proven track record managing people and systems, and partnering with global leaders around the world to deliver results, he said. He also has critical experience mobilizing public-private resources “to tackle the most urgent challenges of our time, including climate change,” the US President said. Raised in India, Banga has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity, he added.

    The White House said Banga is a business leader with extensive experience leading successful organizations in developing countries and forging public-private partnerships to address financial inclusion and climate change.

    According to the White House, over the course of his career, Banga has become a global leader in technology, data, financial services and innovating for inclusion. He is honorary chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, serving as chairman from 2020-2022. He is also chairman of Exor and independent director at Temasek. He became an advisor to General Atlantic’s climate-focused fund, BeyondNetZero, at its inception in 2021.

    He previously served on the Boards of the American Red Cross, Kraft Foods and Dow Inc. Ajay has worked closely with Vice President Kamala Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America.

    He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a founding trustee of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a former member of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and Chairman Emeritus of the American India Foundation.

    Banga is a co-founder of The Cyber Readiness Institute, Vice Chair of the Economic Club of New York and served as a member of President Barack Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. He is a past member of the US President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.

    He was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2012, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the Business Council for International Understanding’s Global Leadership Award in 2019, and the Distinguished Friends of Singapore Public Service Star in 2021.

    (Source: PTI)

  • India-US ties deeper with announcement of Air India-Boeing deal: US

    India-US ties deeper with announcement of Air India-Boeing deal: US

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The mega commercial plane deal between Air India and Boeing is an opportunity to deepen an already profoundly intertwined relationship between India and the United States, the US said Wednesday, February 15. “It’s an opportunity to deepen what is already a profoundly intertwined relationship based on shared interests, based on shared values, based on our deep economic ties. And with the announcements between Boeing and Air India yesterday, those ties are all the deeper,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
    The “landmark” Air India-Boeing deal, according to US President Joe Biden, will create up to 1 million jobs across 44 states in the US.
    “It is something that we’ve heralded. It is an opportunity not only for the American economy and for workers here in this country, but it’s an opportunity for the Indian people as well,” Price said in response to a question, a day after the historic airplane deal between the two countries.
    “The United States is engaged around the world – not just in India but around the world – in what we refer to as commercial diplomacy, seeking to find concrete, tangible, practical ways to deepen our economic ties with countries around the world in a way that benefits the American people back here at home,” he said.
    “I think the agreement that was announced yesterday between Boeing and Air India is a vivid example of that – the number of jobs it creates here, the number of opportunities it creates in India, and the possibility it provides to deepen that partnership even further,” Price said.
    On Tuesday, Air India announced its agreement to purchase 190 Boeing 737 MAXs, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777Xs – a total of 220 firm orders valued at a list price of USD34 billion which will support more than one million American jobs across 44 states, many of which will not require a four-year college degree.
    “I’m very happy to learn of this new piece of the robust US-India economic partnership. Strengthening the ties that bind our nations, the world’s oldest democracy and its largest, will support American jobs while bringing greater security and prosperity to both our citizens and the wider world,” Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said in a separate statement.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Biden reconstitutes his national economic team, retains Indian-American Bharat Ramamurti

    Biden reconstitutes his national economic team, retains Indian-American Bharat Ramamurti

    Lael Brainard will now serve as Director of National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein is being nominated as Chair of Council of Economic Advisers

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden has reconstituted his national economic team at the White House but has retained Indian-American adviser Bharat Ramamurti who has been with him since day one of his presidency. Lael Brainard will now serve as Director of the National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein is being nominated as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the White House said Tuesday.
    Ramamurti would continue to serve as Deputy Director of the National Economic Council and as an Adviser for Strategic Economic Communications, the White House said, reflecting that the president has kept him as part of his core team. Biden also named Heather Boushey, who currently serves as a Member of the Council of Economic Advisers, to also serve as Chief Economist to the Invest in America Cabinet.
    He named Joelle Gamble, who currently serves as Chief Economist at the Department of Labor to be Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, according to a White House statement.
    “Along with Bharat, Heather, Joelle and other key members of my White House economic team, Lael and Jared will help bring a seriousness of purpose to the task of building a strong, inclusive, and more resilient economy for the future,” Biden said in a statement.
    “Over the past two years, my economic strategy has delivered historical results for the American people. This team will be committed to implementing that strategy while managing the transition of our historic economic recovery to steady and stable growth. They will work tirelessly to ensure every American enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal chance to get ahead, and that our businesses can thrive and outcompete the rest of the world. Let’s finish the job,” Biden said.
    In December 2020, then as the president-elect, Biden appointed Ramamurti as Deputy Director for the National Economic Council for Financial Reform and Consumer Protection.
    Previously he was the Managing Director of the Corporate Power programme at the Roosevelt Institute. In April, he was appointed to serve on the Congressional Oversight Commission for the CARES Act by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Ramamurti was the top economic adviser to Senator Elizabeth Warren during her 2020 presidential campaign and senior counsel for banking and economic policy in her Senate office. Born in Massachusetts, Ramamurti graduated from Harvard College and Yale Law School.

    (Source: PTI)

  • US President Biden seeks comprehensive immigration reform in State of the Union address

    US President Biden seeks comprehensive immigration reform in State of the Union address

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Joe Biden has urged the US Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform, a move which would provide a path to citizenship to not only illegal immigrants but also those who entered the country legally, like those on H-1B visas. In the 118th Congress, where the Opposition Republicans enjoy a majority in the House of Representatives, such an ask might not be an easy one.

    Biden acknowledged it indirectly though. “If you won’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border,” Biden said in his second State of the Union Address before a Joint Session of the US Congress.

    “And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers. Here in the people’s House, it’s our duty to protect all the people’s rights and freedoms,” said the president amidst applause from the Democratic lawmakers of the Congress.

    Dreamers are undocumented immigrants who enter the US as children with parents.

    Millions of illegal immigrants are looking for a pathway to citizenship, and so do a large number of those who entered the country legally with visas like H-1B and are having years waiting for a Green Card.

    The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

    A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.

    In his address that lasted for more than 75 minutes, Biden urged Congress to come together on immigration and make immigration a bipartisan issue like it was before.

    “We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months,” he said. “Since we launched our new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97 per cent. But America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts,” Biden said.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Online petition launched to extend grace period for H-1B visa holders to 12 months

    Online petition launched to extend grace period for H-1B visa holders to 12 months

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Amidst massive layoffs in the American tech sector that have resulted in a large number of Indian professionals being jobless, two Indian-American organizations have launched an online petition urging President Joe Biden to extend the grace period of H-1B visas holders from two months to a year.

    This means that once fired from a job, a foreign tech worker on H-1B visas would have one year to find a new job instead of the existing duration of 60 days, after which they have to leave the country.

    The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

    “On behalf of immigrants (from the world, mainly from India and China) as well as naturalized citizens like Indian-Americans, Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies and Global Technology Professionals Association (GITPRO) has submitted an appeal to the President of the United States, the Secretary of DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and the director of USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) to extend the current grace period from 60 days to 1 year (minimum 6 months),” the online petition said.

    “We join the appeal and request to sympathetically consider the impact of the families on humanitarian grounds. We believe that this extension will pause this brain drain and ensure that the US will continue to be a world leader in technology and innovation. We also request elected officials to support this extension and if needed introduce a bill in the House of Representatives,” said the online petition that has been signed by more than 2,200 people so far. According to LayoffTracker.com, 91,000 were laid off just in January 2023 and this number may grow in the coming months. This has a huge impact on them, and their families, especially on the H-1B holders who would need to leave the US immediately within 10 days beyond the H-1B grace period, the petition said.

    In addition to the impact on them and their families, this is also a long-term impact on the talent that the US has. For example, 70 per cent of startup founders are immigrants. About 50+ CEOs of public companies are of Indian origin. Hence, the exodus of this talent from the US is harmful for the long-term interests of the US, especially in the modern age of Artificial Intelligence competition, it said.

    “The laid-off H-1B holders currently have about 60 days to find another employer to file for the H-1B transfer or leave the country. During the current economic situation, it would be impossible for these hardworking, tax-paying and talented people to get hired till the economy recovers,” said the petition.

    Meanwhile, a Facebook group of overseas Indians has launched a petition urging the Indian government to hire the laid-off Indian tech workers in the US. “Considering the ongoing layoff situation, we are requesting you to consider hiring the recently laid-off and returning Indian IT workers as consultants as part of the digitization initiatives undertaken by your ministries,” said the letter addressed to Ashwini Vaishnav, the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Doval meets Blinken, exchanges views on wide range of global and regional issues

    Doval meets Blinken, exchanges views on wide range of global and regional issues

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during which they exchanged views on a wide range of global and regional issues and discussed deepening the bilateral strategic partnership. Blinken, who has just arrived from a trip to the Middle East, including Israel and Egypt, met Doval on Wednesday, February 1. The United States is expanding cooperation with India to address global challenges, Blinken said in a tweet after the meeting.

    “I had a good meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today to discuss deepening our strategic partnership, Blinken tweeted.

    Both sides exchanged views on a wide range of global and regional issues of mutual interest and how to further strengthen the #India- US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, the Indian Embassy here said in a tweet.

    Doval is leading a high-powered delegation to the US.

    He also met his American counterpart Jake Sullivan on Tuesday.

    During their meeting, India and the United States elevated their strategic partnership with the launch of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology or iCET.

    The discussions held during the visit of Doval form the basis for intensifying India-US cooperation in cutting-edge sectors and are truly reflective of the maturity of a comprehensive and global strategic partnership, the Indian embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.

    Doval and Sullivan co-chaired the inaugural iCET meeting at the White House on Tuesday, translating into action the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden during their meeting in Tokyo in May 2022.

    iCET aims to position the two countries as trusted technology partners by building technology value chains and supporting the co-development and co-production of items. It also aims to address regulatory restrictions, export controls and mobility barriers through a standing mechanism, the embassy said.

    During the meeting, the US side also assured support to ease export barriers to India in a few critical areas, including through efforts towards legislative changes. Emphasis was placed on strengthening linkages between the startup ecosystems and building innovation bridges in key sectors between the two countries, through expos, hackathons and pitching sessions, according to the statement.

  • Indian American astronaut nominated by Joe Biden for appointment to grade of Air Force brigadier general

    Indian American astronaut nominated by Joe Biden for appointment to grade of Air Force brigadier general

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian American astronaut Raja J Chari has been nominated by President Joe Biden for the appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier general.

    The nomination was announced on Thursday and will have to be confirmed by the Senate which approves all senior civilian and military appointments, according to the US Defense Department.

    Air Force Colonel Chari, 45, was nominated for the appointment to the grade of brigadier general, it said in a statement.

    Chari is currently serving as the Crew-3 commander and astronaut, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Centre, Texas. He earned a master’s degree in aeronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. Chari served as the commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and is the director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

  • Indian American IMPACT Fund celebrates Biden’s nomination of Richard Verma for Deputy Secretary of State

    Indian American IMPACT Fund celebrates Biden’s nomination of Richard Verma for Deputy Secretary of State

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): An Indian American body has welcomed the nomination of lawyer diplomat Richard Verma for Deputy Secretary of State, a top diplomatic position in the State Department.

    In December, the White House in a statement said that Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate 54-year-old Verma to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. If confirmed by the US Senate, Verma, also a former US ambassador to India, would be the highest-ranking Indian American in the State Department.

    “This nomination is yet another historic addition by President Biden in his campaign pledge to diversify the current administration,” Indian American Impact Fund said in a statement. Verma’s historic opportunity to join the State Department is the culmination of his long and illustrious career in public service.

    “We at Indian American Impact are thrilled to witness and potentially welcome the historic confirmation of yet another visionary South Asian leader,” said Neil Makhija, executive director of Indian American Impact Fund.

  • Biden marks January 6 anniversary, cautioning ‘it could happen again’

    Biden marks January 6 anniversary, cautioning ‘it could happen again’

    Honors defenders of democracy

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Marking the second anniversary of one of the nation’s darkest days, President Joe Biden paid tribute Friday, January 6,  to the heroism displayed on Jan. 6, 2021, while also warning that the forces that fueled the violence at the U.S. Capitol still lurk, a Politico report says. Biden touted the nation’s healing over the last two years but condemned the riot at the very citadel of the nation’s democracy. He derided the mob “as sick insurrectionists” who wreaked havoc and drew blood in the name of Donald Trump.

    “All of it was fueled by lies about the 2020 election,” Biden said. “But on this day two years ago, our democracy held. We the People, as our Constitution refers to us, ‘We the people’ did not flinch.”

    Biden also honored 14 Americans who stood up for democracy after the 2020 election, awarding medals to members of law enforcement, including Capitol Police officers who held off rioters, as well as election officials who stood their ground in the face of Trump’s onslaught of lies. Two years later, the images from that day remain horrifying. The scene that unfolded — mobs pushing through police barricades, breaking windows, then occupying seats of power — was one that Americans are accustomed to watching in distant lands with authoritarian regimes. But Biden made clear that the violence — which included gunshots fired in the Capitol, one death, and an armed occupation of the Senate floor — was born from the man who swore an oath to protect the very democratic traditions that rioters tried to undo in his name.

    “Our democracy was attacked. The U.S. Capitol was breached, which had never happened before in our nation’s history, even in the Civil War,” said Biden, who warned that the anti-democratic forces had not subsided.

    “We know it could happen again,” Biden said. “There’s no guarantee. Except for us. Except for all of you.”

    The event, emotional at times, largely focused on those who sacrificed so much that day. Biden described in vivid detail the assaults at the capital and awarded one of the nation’s highest civilian honors to several law enforcement officers, including Michael Fanone, Harry Dunn and Eugene Goodman.

    Others hailed were local officials such as Russell “Rusty” Bowers, the former speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, as well Georgia poll workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman, who both withstood threats on their lives from Trump supporters in the weeks after the 2020 election. Three of the medals given to law enforcement officers were done so posthumously: Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood of the U.S. Capitol Police and Jeffrey Smith of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police. Sicknick suffered a stroke the day after the riot; both Smith and Liebengood died by suicide in the wake of the insurrection.

    “All of America watched it on television. America owes you,” the president said. “It owes you all a debt of gratitude, one we can never fully repay unless we live up to what you did.” Trump spent the end of 2020 declaring the election was “rigged” and making baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud that numerous federal courts and senior members of his administration said did not exist. Trump was enabled by dozens of fellow Republicans willing to object to the count, a maneuver they knew would delay but not change the outcome. This year, the Jan. 6 anniversary fell at a moment of political opportunity for Biden. He addressed the nation at the same time the Republican-led House of Representatives remained in chaos trying to choose its next speaker, and Trump, the GOP’s only declared presidential candidate to date, continued to espouse widely-rejected election denialism. Homegrown threats against the nation’s democracy have been a familiar theme for Biden, who launched his presidential campaign because he felt Trump was tearing at the nation’s fabric.

    As the general election campaign ramped up last fall, Biden delivered a pair of speeches urging vigilance against violent anti-democratic forces, one set against the backdrop of Independence Hall and the other, just days before the midterms, coming after the brutal assault of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

    Though the midterms have passed and the House Jan. 6 committee has all but finished its work, Biden will continue to sound the alarms in the months ahead, believing the threat has not dissipated. The president’s speech Friday came as House leadership remained in limbo, with a right-wing faction of the GOP paralyzing the process to select a speaker. Many of those same lawmakers — as well as others expected to play prominent roles in the new Congress — voted against Biden’s certification and have pushed false claims of election fraud.

    And while many of the most prominent election deniers lost in November, West Wing aides also point to Trump’s shadow looming over the political landscape. Though the former president has been politically weakened in recent months, many close to Biden believe Trump will still emerge as the GOP presidential nominee next year. As Biden takes steps to likely launch his own campaign in the coming months, some in his orbit are preparing to make Jan. 6 a central issue in the campaign.

    (Source: Politico)

  • Biden says he would talk to Russia’s leader but only in consultation with NATO

    Biden says he would talk to Russia’s leader but only in consultation with NATO

    WASHINGTON D.C. (TIP): President Biden said he would talk with President Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader expressed a desire to end his invasion of Ukraine, but Mr. Biden said he would  do so only  in consultation with NATO allies. “I’m prepared if he’s willing to talk to find out what he’s willing to do,” Mr. Biden said during a news conference at the White House following a three-hour meeting with President Emmanuel Macron of France. “But I’ll only do it in consultation with my NATO allies. I’m not going to do it on my own.”

  • Biden to pardon thousands convicted of marijuana possession under federal law

    Biden to pardon thousands convicted of marijuana possession under federal law

    WASHINGTON D.C. (TIP):  President Joe Biden on Thursday, October 6, announced he will take executive action to pardon thousands of people convicted of marijuana possession under federal law. “Sending people to prison for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives and incarcerated people for conduct that many states no longer prohibit,” Biden said in a statement. “Criminal records for marijuana possession have also imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And while white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people have been arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.” A senior administration official said they estimate over 6,500 people with prior federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana will be pardoned.

    Biden said he would also encourage governors to take similar action with state offenses and would ask the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to “initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.” Federal law currently classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, the same classification as heroin and LSD. In a call with reporters, a senior administration official said that thousands of people with prior convictions for marijuana possession are denied housing, employment or educational opportunities as a result. “This pardon will help relieve those collateral consequences,” they said

  • President Biden plans to celebrate Diwali at White House

    President Biden plans to celebrate Diwali at White House

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden has plans to celebrate Diwali at the White House this year, his spokesperson said. Details and nature of preparations have not been revealed yet.

    “Yes, he has plans to celebrate Diwali just like he did last year,” White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference here. “We don’t have a date to share with you at this time, but it is an event that he thinks is very important as he sees a partnership with India as well as Indian Americans here in this country,” Jean-Pierre said in response to a question. Meanwhile, Maryland Governor Lawrence Hogan has declared October as Hindu Heritage Month. Beginning with the Bush Administration, Diwali is being celebrated at the White House every year.

  • Biden warns Putin against use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine

    Biden warns Putin against use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine

    WASHINGTON,D.C. (TIP): Ukraine has recaptured swaths of territory in the east from occupying Russian forces in recent weeks, boosted by heavy weapons supplied by Western allies. U.S. President Joe Biden is warning his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin against using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons in the wake of serious losses in his war in Ukraine. “Don’t. Don’t. Don’t,” Mr. Biden said, in an excerpt from an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired on Friday evening. Mr. Biden was responding to an interviewer’s question about the possibility of Mr. Putin, whose army is incurring heavy losses in the Ukraine counteroffensive this month, resorting to chemical or tactical nuclear weapons. “You would change the face of war unlike anything since World War II,” Mr. Biden said. “They will become more of a pariah in the world, more than they have ever been,” the U.S. leader added. Ukraine has recaptured swaths of territory in the east from occupying Russian forces in recent weeks, boosted by heavy weapons supplied by Western allies. And Moscow is facing fresh outrage from the West after the discovery of a mass grave outside the formerly Russian-occupied city of Izyum, where, Kyiv officials say, almost all of the exhumed bodies showed signs of torture.But Mr. Putin remained steadfast, saying his war against Russia’s Western-leaning neighbor was proceeding according to plan. “The plan is not subject to adjustment,” Mr. Putin said on Friday. “Our offensive operations in Donbas itself do not stop. They are going at a slow pace… The Russian army is occupying newer and newer territories.”

  • Indian American attorney Arun Subramanian nominated by Joe Biden to US District Judge in New York

    Indian American attorney Arun Subramanian nominated by Joe Biden to US District Judge in New York

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American attorney Arun Subramanian to be US District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

    A communication in this regard was sent to the Senate by the White House along with other judicial nominations.

    If confirmed by the Senate, Subramanian would be the first South Asian judge to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

    Currently a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP in New York, where he has worked since 2007, Subramanian served as a law clerk for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court of the United States from 2006 to 2007 and Judge Gerard E. Lynch on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2005 to 2006.

    He also worked as a law clerk for Judge Dennis Jacobs on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2004 to 2005.

    Subramanian received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2004 and his B.A. from Case Western Reserve University in 2001.

    National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) congratulated Subramanian on his nomination.

    AB Cruz III, acting president of NAPABA said Subramanian is an experienced trial and appellate attorney with a strong track record of pro bono service.

    “A child of immigrants, he became the first lawyer in his family, and we are proud to see him represent our community. We urge the Senate to swiftly confirm him,” he said.

    Indian-American Impact has welcomed the nomination by describing it as a notable nomination.

    “South Asians and Asian Americans have long been underrepresented in the federal judiciary — with less than five per cent of Article III district judges being of AAPI descent — but in the past year we have made historic strides,” said Neil Makhija, Indian-American Impact executive-director.

    “We look forward to celebrating the ultimate confirmation of Subramanian and the ripple effect his presence will undoubtedly have on young South Asian Americans across the country who aspire to public service,” Makhija said.

  • Biden to commemorate anniversary of 9/11 attacks at Pentagon

    Biden to commemorate anniversary of 9/11 attacks at Pentagon

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Joe Biden will mark the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Sunday, September 11 by delivering remarks and laying a wreath at the Pentagon, the White House said Tuesday, September 6. The day will commemorate the 2001 terrorist attacks when hijackers took control of commercial planes in order to use them as missiles, crashing into New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks by al-Qaida. The U.S. and its allies responded by launching the Afghanistan war.

    Jill Biden, the first lady, will speak Sunday at the Flight 93 National Memorial Observance in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband will go to New York City for a commemoration ceremony at the National September 11th Memorial

    (Based on a White House press release) .

  • Liz Truss takes over as British Prime Minister; to focus on economy, energy and healthcare

    Liz Truss takes over as British Prime Minister; to focus on economy, energy and healthcare

    • Inducts 2 Indian-origin ministers in her Cabinet

    LONDON (TIP): In her maiden speech as PM, Liz Truss said that she was  honored to take on the responsibility at a vital time for the country. Former U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who was declared the winner of the Conservative Party leadership contest on Monday, September 5,  defeating  former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Tuesday, September  by  Queen Elizabeth II.

    The new Prime Minister said she would focus on three priorities: the economy, the energy crisis facing the country and improving the National Health Service (NSH).

    Ms Truss  faces enormous economic challenges domestically — starting with combatting burgeoning energy prices and a cost of living crisis. She also faces political challenges, such as resolving a messy consequence of Brexit involving Northern Ireland’s customs borders. She will also have to navigate another call for Scottish independence. Ms. Truss had vehemently opposed a call for a second referendum. Speaking outside Downing Street after her arrival from Scotland, where she was appointed by the Queen, the new prime minister said she would transform Britain into an “aspiration nation”, cutting taxes and pushing reforms to grow the economy.

    “I will deal hands-on with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war,” Ms. Truss said, having promised over the weekend that she would announce a plan within a week of assuming office to tackle short-term energy price challenges and longer-term supply issues. The Financial Times reported that she was working on a GBP 100 billion plan to protect households and businesses from soaring energy bills this winter.  She will also attempt to unite her party while putting together a cabinet to deliver her program. For the first time in history, the ‘four great offices of state’ — the posts of Prime Minister, Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary are likely to be held by people who are not white males, as widely noted by the British press.

    U.S. President Joe Biden called  Liz Truss to  congratulate her on becoming Britain’s new PM. Prime Minister Liz Truss held her first Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday, September 7,  after announcing one of the UK’s most diverse Cabinets, with key frontline posts going to ethnic minority members of Parliament, including Indian-origin Suella Braverman as the Home Secretary. Another Indian-origin minister in the Cabinet, Agra-born Alok Sharma, retains his climate action job as the COP26 President, as does Defense Secretary Ben Wallace in a new top team that is otherwise a complete shake-up of the old guard.

    London-born junior minister Ranil Jayawardena, of mixed Sri Lankan and Indian heritage, has been promoted as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

    Many senior Tories, who had backed Truss’ rival, British Indian former finance minister Rishi Sunak, find themselves without a job — including former justice secretary Dominic Raab, transport secretary Grant Shapps and health secretary Steve Barclay.

    (With inputs from PTI and other agencies)

  • Biden warns Trumpism is a threat to democracy

    Biden warns Trumpism is a threat to democracy

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Joe Biden sounded an alarm about what he views as extremist threats to the nation’s democracy from the restive forces of Trumpism. President Joe Biden sounded an alarm on Thursday, September 1 night about what he views as extremist threats to American democracy from the restive forces of Trumpism. He’s aiming to reframe the November elections as part of an unceasing battle for the “soul of the nation.” Nearly two years after he defeated Donald Trump, it’s a reprise of Biden’s 2020 campaign theme, casting the midterm election stakes in as dire terms as those that sent him to the Oval Office. His prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia is laying out what he sees as the risks from those he has dubbed “ultra-MAGA Republicans” to the nation’s system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens’ way of life.

    The explicit effort by Biden to marginalize Trump and his “Make America Great Again” adherents mark a sharp turn for the president, who preached his desire to bring about national unity in his Inaugural address. White House officials said it reflects his mounting concern about Trump allies’ ideological proposals and relentless denial of the nation’s 2020 election results.

    “MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards,” Biden is saying, according to prepared remarks released by the White House. “Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.” “For a long time, we’ve reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not,” Biden says. “We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us.”

    Biden, who largely avoided even referring to “the former guy” by name during his first year in office, has grown increasingly vocal in calling out Trump personally. Now, emboldened by his party’s recent legislative wins and wary of Trump’s return to the headlines, Biden is sharpening his attacks. Trump plans a rally this weekend in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden’s birthplace. At a Democratic fundraiser last week, Biden likened the “MAGA philosophy” to “semi-fascism.” In Philadelphia, White House officials said, Biden intended to hark back to the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, which he says brought him out of political retirement to challenge Trump. Biden argues that the country faces a similar crossroads in the coming months.

    Biden allies stress that he is not rejecting the entirety of the GOP and is calling on traditional Republicans to join him in condemning Trump and his followers. It’s a balancing act, given that more than 74 million people voted for Trump in 2020.

    “I respect conservative Republicans,” Biden said last week. “I don’t respect these MAGA Republicans.” Delivering a preemptive rebuttal from Scranton Thursday evening, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy accused Biden of trying to divide Americans, and blasted the Democrats’ record in Washington, pointing to rising inflation, crime and government spending. “In the past two years, Joe Biden has launched an assault on the soul of America, on its people, on its laws, on its most sacred values,” he said. “He has launched an assault on our democracy. His policies have severely wounded America’s soul, diminished America’s spirit and betrayed America’s trust.”

    Asked about McCarthy’s criticism, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said “we understand we hit a nerve” with the GOP leader and quoted the Republican’s prior statements saying Trump bore responsibility for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

    Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said calling Trump out for attacks on democracy “can be manipulated or framed as being partisan. And if you don’t call it out, you are shrinking from an important challenge in the defense of democracy.” Even this week, Trump was posting on his beleaguered social media platform about overturning the 2020 election results and holding a new presidential election, which would violate the Constitution. Timothy Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University, said it’s not unusual for there to be tension between a president and his successor, but it’s “unprecedented for a former president to be actively trying to undermine the U.S. Constitution.” “The challenge that President Biden faces is to get on with his agenda while still doing what he needs to uphold the Constitution,” Naftali said. “That’s not easy.”

    The White House has tried to keep Biden removed from the legal and political maelstrom surrounding the Department of Justice’s discovery of classified documents in Trump’s Florida home. Still, Biden has taken advantage of some Republicans’ quick condemnation of federal law enforcement.

    “You can’t be pro-law enforcement and pro-insurrection,” Biden said Tuesday in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Biden’s appearance Thursday night was promoted as an official, taxpayer-funded event, a mark of how the president views defeating the Trump agenda as much as a policy aim as a political one. The major broadcast television networks were not expected to carry the address live.

    Biden’s trip to Philadelphia is just one of his three to the state within a week, a sign of Pennsylvania’s importance in the midterms, with competitive Senate and governor’s races. However, neither Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democrats’ Senate nominee, nor Attorney General Josh Shapiro, their pick for governor, was expected to attend Thursday night. The White House intended the speech to unite familiar themes: holding out bipartisan legislative wins on guns and infrastructure as evidence that democracies “can deliver,” pushing back on GOP policies on guns and abortion that Biden says are out of step with most people’s views and rejecting efforts to undermine confidence in the nation’s election or diminish its standing abroad. The challenges have only increased since the tumult surrounding the 2020 election and the Capitol attack. Lies surrounding that presidential race have triggered harassment and death threats against state and local election officials and new restrictions on mail voting in Republican-dominated states. County election officials have faced pressure to ban the use of voting equipment, efforts generated by conspiracy theories that voting machines were somehow manipulated to steal the election.

    Candidates who dispute Trump’s loss have been inspired to run for state and local election posts, promising to restore integrity to a system that has been undermined by false claims. There is no evidence of any widespread fraud or manipulation of voting machines. Judges, including ones appointed by Trump, dismissed dozens of lawsuits filed after the election, and Trump’s own attorney general called the claims bogus. Yet Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research polling has shown about two-thirds of Republicans say they do not think Biden was legitimately elected president.

    This year, election officials face not only the continuing threat of foreign interference but also ransomware, politically motivated hackers and insider threats. Over the past year, security breaches have been reported at a small number of local election offices in which authorities are investigating whether office staff improperly accessed or provided improper access to sensitive voting technology.