Page 45 - Us Government

School shooter's parents could face years in jail after Michigan trials

Parents of the victims of a Michigan mass shooting were steadfast observers at court hearings that led to three separate convictions of an entire family. One of their goals now is to see more change rise out of the 2021 tragedy at Oxford High School. We can put people on the moon. We can build skyscrapers, huge monuments like the Hoover Dam and we can't keep our kids safe in schools, said Steve St. Juliana, whose 14-year-old daughter, Hana, was killed by Ethan Crumbley. I think people just need to wake up and take action. Stop accepting the excuses. Stop buying the rhetoric, St. Juliana said on Thursday night after the teen shooter's father was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. James Crumbley, 47, was found guilty, five weeks after his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, 45, was convicted of the same charges at a separate trial in suburban Detroit. They were accused of failing to take critical steps, including safely securing a gun at home, that could have prevented their son's ...

Facing possible ban from US govt, TikTok turns to its creators to fight it

Many of the creators have met with lawmakers and posted videos about their opposition to the bill with the hashtag #KeepTikTok, often with the irreverent humour the app is known for

India-US bond to gain more importance in years ahead: Richard Verma

India-US security cooperation will become even more important in the years ahead and the work of the two countries on emerging technologies will take on even more promise, a top American diplomat said on Thursday, reiterating the remarks of President Joe Biden that this is the defining partnership of the 21st century. As both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi have said, our impact on each other is important, but what we can do for the world is even more important. Whether it's addressing food insecurity or battling the next pandemic or connecting millions to the digital economy, there is so much we can do together, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, wrote in a blog post in his recent return from India. Verma is the highest-ranking Indian-American ever in the State Department. He was also the first ever Indian-American to serve as the US Ambassador to India. So, where are we headed? Verma wrote as he described in detail the significant growth

Concerned about CAA, closely monitoring its implementation, says US

The United States on Thursday said it is concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in India and is closely monitoring its implementation. We are concerned about the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on March 11, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily briefing. We are closely monitoring how this act will be implemented. Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles, Miller said in response to a question. The Indian government implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 on Monday, paving the way for the grant of citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014. The government also came out with a press statement to say that Indian Muslims need not worry as the CAA will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoy

Nippon Steel defends US deal after Joe Biden comes out against bid

Japan's largest steel company repeated its previous offer of an additional $1.4 billion in investment, and promised no layoffs or plant closures until at least September 2026

Byju's must freeze $533 million in mixed win for lenders, says judge

Dorsey's order was aimed at Riju Ravindran, one of the company's directors and the brother of founder Byju Raveendran

Fund manager who helped Byju's hide $533 mn from its lenders to be jailed

Byju's Alpha, a subsidiary controlled by Byju's lenders, filed for U.S. bankruptcy in February after the Bangalore-based startup defaulted on $1.2 billion in debt

US court denies ex-Trump White House official relief from jail sentence

An appeals court denied Trump White House official Peter Navarro's bid to stave off his jail sentence on contempt of Congress charges Thursday. Navarro has been ordered to report to a federal prison by March 19. He argued he should stay free as he appeals his conviction for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. But a three-judge panel of the federal appeals court in Washington, DC disagreed, finding his appeal wasn't likely to reverse his conviction. His attorneys did not immediately return messages seeking comment, but have previously indicated he would appeal to the Supreme Court. Navarro was the second Trump aide convicted of contempt of Congress charges. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon previously received a four-month sentence but a different judge allowed him to stay free pending appeal. Navarro was found guilty of defying a subpoena for documents and a deposition from the House January 6 committee

Hinduphobia rising in the US, needs to be fought: US Congressman Thanedar

The US of late has seen a rise in Hinduphobia which needs to be fought because there is no place for hatred in this country, Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has said, as he joined a group of Hindu leaders and organisations seeking to fight this growing hate crime against the community. Representatives of various Indian American groups met on Wednesday at the US Capitol during a meeting organised by HinduAction. "We see a lot of Hindu phobia. We see California SB403 (the bill banning caste discrimination), and that's just the beginning. The attacks on our temples and attacks on Hindus all over the world. That is one of the reasons why I decided to form the Hindu Caucus, Thanedar said. For the first time in the United States Congress, we have a Hindu Caucus. Number of initiatives we are taking to ensure that people have religious freedom to practice their religion the way they want to and not be, we need to fight this phobia, bigotry, and hatred. Because there should be no .

Incredible momentum in India-US defence partnership: Pentagon official

There is a paradigm change and incredible momentum in the US-India defence relationship which is now defined more by the overall trajectory rather than by differences on key issues, a senior Pentagon official has said. The remarks by Siddharth Iyer, Director for South Asia, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy), Department of Defense, came at a roundtable on the future of the US-India Defence Partnership with a focus on technology collaboration and maritime strategy. The roundtable was organised by The US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum and CUTS International, a non-profit body on trade relations. Incredible amount of progress (in India-US relationship) has been made not just in the last two years, but even the last 12 months. I think that just sort of underscores the degree to which there's incredible momentum and the relationship now is defined more by the pace and the sort of overall trajectory rather than by differences and divergences on key issues, Iyer said. The

US lawmakers cite India as they vote on bill to regulate TikTok ownership

US lawmakers on Wednesday cited the bold move by India to ban TikTok four years ago as they voted in support of legislation about the Chinese app. In a major bipartisan move, the House of Representatives passed by 352 to 65 votes the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act co-authored by Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat, and Congressman Mike Gallaghe from the Republican party. The bill, which seeks to control the ownership of foreign apps like TikTok in the US, now heads to the Senate for it to be sent to the White House for the President to sign it into law. Several lawmakers referred to the decision taken by India in 2020 to ban the app. In 2020, India banned 59 Chinese-created apps, including TikTok, emphasising their priority to defend India's national security, said the office of Congressman Greg Murphy in a statement. Lack of transparency from TikTok executives and their unwillingness to protect user privacy and ...

US govt could end legal fight against planned expedition to Titanic

The US government could end its legal fight against a planned expedition to the Titanic, which has sparked concerns that it would violate a law that treats the wreck as a gravesite. Kent Porter, an assistant US attorney, told a federal judge in Virginia on Wednesday that the US is seeking more information on revised plans for the May expedition, which have been significantly scaled back. Porter said the US has not determined whether the new plans would break the law. RMS Titanic Inc., the Georgia company that owns the salvage rights to the wreck, originally planned to take images inside the ocean liner's severed hull and to retrieve artifacts from the debris field. RMST also said it would possibly recover free-standing objects inside the Titanic, including the room where the sinking ship had broadcast its distress signals. The US filed a legal challenge to the expedition in August, citing a 2017 federal law and a pact with Great Britain to treat the site as a memorial. More than 1,5

Boeing 737 Max probe still trying to find who caused door failure

The door plug on the Alaska Air 737 Max 9 blew off shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, prompting an explosive decompression

Robert F Kennedy Jr to announce VP running mate on March 26 in California

Robert F. Kennedy Jr plans to announce a running mate for his independent presidential campaign on March 26 in Oakland, California, his campaign said on Tuesday. The campaign did not say whom Kennedy will pick, but he told The New York Times this week that NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura are among the frontrunners. Kennedy is making an unusually early announcement because of ballot access rules in many states that require independent candidates to name their vice presidential nominees before they can begin the process. Ballot access for independent candidates is an expensive and time-consuming endeavour, with rules varying vastly across states. Kennedy's father was attorney general for the candidate's uncle, President John F. Kennedy. He began his presidential campaign as a primary challenge to Democratic President Joe Biden but later changed gears to run as an independent. His bid for the presidency, along with his embrace of conspiracy theorie

Boeing promises changes after poor grades in manufacturing quality audit

Responding to a US government audit, Boeing said Tuesday that it would work with employees found to have violated company manufacturing procedures to make sure they understand instructions for their jobs. The aircraft maker detailed its latest steps to correct lapses in quality in a memo to employees from Stan Deal, president of Boeing's commercial plane division. The memo went out after the Federal Aviation Administration finished a six-week review of the company's manufacturing processes for the 737 Max jetliner after a panel blew off one of the planes during an Alaska Airlines flight on January 5. The FAA reviewed 89 aspects of production at Boeing's plant in Renton, Washington, and found the company failed 33 of them, according to a person familiar with the report. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not been publicly released although they were reported earlier by The New York Times, which saw a slide presentation on the government's ...

US Presidential elections 2024: Biden, Trump clinch nominations in contest

Joe Biden and Donald Trump hope to clinch their parties' presidential nominations with dominant victories in a slate of state primaries on Tuesday as the 2024 fight for the White House moves into a new phase. Neither Biden, a Democrat, nor Trump, a Republican, faces significant opposition in primary contests across Georgia, Washington state, Mississippi and Hawaii. The only question is whether they will earn the necessary delegates in each state to hit the 50 per cent national threshold to become their parties' presumptive nominees. Whether it happens Tuesday night or in the coming days, the 2024 presidential contest is on the verge of a crystallising moment for a nation uneasy with its choices this fall. There is no longer any doubt that the general election will feature a rematch between two flawed and unpopular presidents. And that rematch the first featuring two previous US presidents since 1912 will almost certainly deepen the nation's searing political and cultural divides ..

US needs highly qualified professionals from India, says Congressman

The United States needs highly qualified professionals from India, an influential American lawmaker has said, advocating that the US Congress remove the seven per cent country quota for issuing of Green Cards that has resulted in decades of long wait for professionals from India who have moved to this country. It's so important that Indians are able to immigrate to the United States when they're looking for jobs because the United States depends on high quality, high skilled, very smart people coming from all over the world to work here. It's one of the natural advantages of the United States that we welcome people from all over the world, Congressman Matt Cartwright, who represents the 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, told PTI in an interview. Cartwright is supporting the move by Indian American organisations, including the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora (FIIDS) for removing the per country seven per cent quota in issuing Green Cards every year. The problem is

US spearheads first UN resolution on AI aimed at ensuring world has access

The United States is spearheading the first United Nations resolution on artificial intelligence, aimed at ensuring the new technology is safe, secure and trustworthy and that all countries, especially those in the developing world, have equal access. The draft General Assembly resolution aims to close the digital divide between countries and make sure they are all at the table in discussions on AI and that they have the technology and capabilities to take advantage of its benefits, including detecting diseases, predicting floods and training the next generation of workers. The draft recognizes the rapid acceleration of AI development and use and stresses the urgency of achieving global consensus on safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems. It also recognizes that the governance of artificial intelligence systems is an evolving area that needs further discussions on possible governance approaches. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the United States

Haiti preparing itself for new leadership; gangs want share in power

Politicians across Haiti are scrambling for power after Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced Tuesday that he would resign once a transitional presidential council is created. But elbowing their way into the race are powerful gangs that control 80% of Haiti's capital and demand a say in the future of the troubled country under siege. No one mentioned the armed groups as Caribbean leaders congratulated themselves late Monday for setting Haiti on a new political path, and experts warned that nothing will change unless gangs become part of the conversation. Gangs have become stronger, and they have the upper hand in terms of security, said Renata Segura of the International Crisis Group. This transition is not influencing the day-to-day security of Haiti. We are very concerned. Gangs have deep ties to Haiti's political and economic elite, but they have become more independent, financing their operations with kidnapping ransoms to buy smuggled weapons, including belt-fed machine guns an

Former Jaguars manager who stole $22 mn from team gets 78 months in prison

A former Jacksonville Jaguars financial manager who pled guilty to stealing more than $22 million from the NFL franchise through its virtual credit card programme was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison Tuesday. Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr sentenced Amit Patel, 31, in US District Court in Jacksonville. Patel, wearing a charcoal suit and a burgundy tie, showed no emotion inside the packed courthouse as the punishment was handed down. Prosecutors said Patel has returned $1.89 million, leaving his restitution tab at $21,132,454.40 -- a figure the judge acknowledged he will never be able to pay back following a felony conviction. Patel pled guilty in December to one count of wire fraud and one count of making an illegal monetary transaction. The judge sentenced Patel to 78 months on each count, to run concurrently. It was the lowest number under sentencing guidelines. He also got three years of supervised release. Patel's lawyer argued for a lighter sentence Tuesday, asking for no mo