Seattle Daily Star

In a recent turn of events, Congress candidate Sukhpal Singh Khaira's call for a law in Punjab, akin to Himachal Pradesh, has sparked a heated debate. The proposed law would impose restrictions on migrants, barring them from land ownership, voting rights, and government employment unless they meet certain state-defined criteria. This stance has not only drawn criticism from political rivals but has also ignited a broader discourse on migrant rights and state policies. Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Congress's Lok Sabha candidate from Sangrur while campaigning in Lehragaga constituency on Tuesday. Khaira's remarks, made during a rally in the Sangrur Lok Sabha constituency, have garnered significant attention, prompting responses from key political figures. While the ruling AAP and BJP have condemned Khaira's proposal, the Congress has attempted to distance itself, labeling it as Khaira's personal viewpoint. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, without directly naming Khaira, critici...

 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have asked Congress to pass additional appropriations in order to further assist U.S. efforts to aid Ukraine by May 19. In a letter to House and Senate leadership shared with The Hill, Austin and Blinken said the administration needs the money by then “if we are to continue are security assistance at the current pace.” The officials said that they expected the $3.5 billion in drawdown authority that was passed in March as part of the $1.5 trillion government funding bill to be exhausted later this month. “In short, we need your help. The ability to draw upon existing DoD [Department of Defense] stocks has been a critical tool in our efforts to support the Ukrainians in their fight against Russian aggression, allowing us to quickly source equipment and ensure a sustained flow of security assistance to Ukraine,” the officials wrote. “As a result, we urge you to act quickly on the Administration’s request for supple...

  A scheme guaranteeing subsidised coal for MSMEs was formulated in 2007–08 under the Manmohan Singh govt. Its implementation in Gujarat has spawned allegations of corruption. Ahmedabad: As an MSME, Ahmedabad-based Modern Rubber Industries was eligible for cheap coal — at much below the market rates — under a central government scheme meant to boost this segment of industry. The company did approach an agency appointed by the Gujarat government to implement the scheme, but claimed to have received coal at the market price. Anmol Traders, an MSME brick kiln, had a different experience. The Gandhinagar-based company said it purchased coal from a trader associated with another agency engaged for the scheme, in 2015, but was offered prices higher than the market rates. Meanwhile, even though A&F Foods is listed as a beneficiary of the scheme (2017–18), it told ThePrint it had never dealt with any of the coal agencies tasked with implementing the scheme. In Gujarat, a shadow looms ...

  At the center of the failure was the Brennan Center, which bucked local election officials and told Congress to focus on matters other than election funding.  THROUGHOUT 2020, as then-President Donald Trump issued baseless claims of voter fraud, local election officials called on the federal government to spend more to ensure a secure election season. Turnout was expected to break records; the pandemic had upended voting plans and safety protocols; and cybersecurity threats mounted . Leaders were acutely aware of the vulnerabilities in their aging election technology: Thousands of counties, for example, still ran their voting machines on Windows 7 , an operating system so old it no longer receives routine security updates. Congress did authorize $400 million to run elections in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, with funds permitted for expenses like buying personal protective equipment and hiring temporary staff to process the increase in absentee ...