Meet Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, new Indian Navy chief, earlier posted as…
Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi was commissioned into the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy on July 01, 1985.
Stefanik accuses Columbia president of ‘pro-terrorist’ professor ‘cover-up,’ warns of potential felony
FIRST ON FOX – House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., accused Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik of attempting to “cover-up” for a “pro-terrorist” professor who had celebrated the Oct. 7 attacks, during her congressional testimony this week. “A reminder to President Shafik that knowingly misleading Congress is a felony,” Stefanik warned in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. “Despite Columbia President Shafik’s testimony, there has been NO action to fire or discipline pro-terrorist and antisemitic faculty chair Professor Joseph Massad.” “Columbia has attempted to cover up for Shafik’s lies updating their website to show Massad as ‘outgoing chair’ but refuse to immediately remove him despite Shafik committing to at the hearing,” Stefanik continued. “Meanwhile, Massad claims no one from the University has even spoken to him about his hateful statements or any investigation.” “Shafik’s false testimony and refusal to address the severity of the rampant antisemitism on her campus is an affront to the Jewish students and faculty at Columbia under her failed leadership,” she said. HOUSE REPUBLICANS EXCORIATE ILHAN OMAR SUGGESTING COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PROTESTS NOT ‘ANTI-JEWISH’ Stefanik and other House Republicans hammered Shafik during Wednesday’s House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing to discuss pervasive antisemitism at the Ivy League school, demanding to know what consequences, if any, Professor Joseph Massad faced after writing an article praising the Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel by Hamas militants as “awesome,” “astonishing,” “astounding” and “incredible.” Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., asserted that Massad’s piece glorified Hamas’ slaughter of nearly 1,200 Jews. Asked whether Massad faced any disciplinary action, Shafik testified that the professor had been “spoken to” by the head of his department of Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies and his dean. Though the university president said she was had not been a part of those discussions, Shafik said to Congress that Massad was told that the language he used in his article “was unacceptable.” But Massad’s statements to CNN after the congressional hearing contradicted Shafik’s testimony. “I was shown solidarity by my chair and deans based on the death threats that I received and the campaign targeting me,” he reportedly told CNN Thursday regarding prior talks. “No one has contacted me at all from the university with regards to my current chairmanship,” he added, saying that the fact that he was under investigation by the school was “news” he learned through the hearing. Fox News Digital reached out to Columbia University for comment Friday but did not immediately hear back. Shafik initially testified that Massad was no longer chair of the School of Arts and Sciences Academic Review Committee and that he “does not have a leadership role,” but Stefanik later challenged why the tenured professor remained listed as chair on the university’s website. HOUSE REPUBLICANS GRILL COLUMBIA PRESIDENT OVER EMPLOYMENT OF PROF WHO CALLED OCT 7 HAMAS ATTACK ‘AWESOME’ Shafik recanted, telling Congress that she needed to check whether Massad was still chair of the committee, which oversees the periodic review of all departments, centers and institutes at the school. “You stated that Professor Massad was no longer chair. Then you stated he’s under investigation. He is still chair on the website. So, has he been terminated as chair?” the congresswoman asked. Shafik said she wanted “to confirm the facts before getting back to you,” and Stefanik acknowledged that the university president did confirm that Massad was under investigation for alleged discrimination. “Did you confirm he was still the chair?” Stefanik asked. “I need to confirm that with you. I want to – I need to check,” Shafik said. Stefanik pressed, “Well, let me ask you this: Will you make the commitment to remove him as chair? “I think that would be – I think I would, yes. Let me come back with yes. But I think I just want to confirm his current status before I reply,” Shafik told the committee, to which Stefanik replied, “We’ll take that as a yes, that you will confirm that he will no longer be chair.” Massad reportedly told CNN on Thursday that he intends to remain a member of the committee next year for a three-year term. CNN also highlighted how Massad is an outgoing chair because of term limits, meaning that he would be leaving the leadership role in a matter of weeks anyway without any disciplinary action.
Arrest of Ilhan Omar’s daughter at anti-Israel protest was political, fellow ‘Squad’ member says
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., has claimed that the Thursday arrest of fellow “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter at anti-Israel protests at Columbia University was political payback for the congresswoman’s probing of the institution’s leadership the day before. Bowman said Omar, D-Minn., had questioned Columbia leadership’s commitment to “free academic expression” during a fiery congressional hearing on Wednesday and the following day her daughter, Isra Hirsi, was arrested. “The day after @IlhanMN questioned Columbia leadership’s commitment to free academic expression, the school suspended her daughter?” Bowman posted on X. “It’s clear what is happening here. Our educational institutions should not be in the business of political reprisals.” PENTAGON SPOX ON WHETHER US WILL HELP ISRAELI ATTACK ON IRAN: ‘THAT’S A QUESTION FOR ISRAEL’ Hirsi was taken into custody by the New York Police Department and put into flex cuffs or zip ties and will face trespassing charges, according to sources. She was among more than 100 people issued a summons for trespassing, the NYPD said. Hirsi, an organizer with Columbia University’s Apartheid Divest group, was released hours later from NYPD headquarters. Fox News Digital photos showed Hirsi smiling and waving as she left 1 Police Plaza NYPD Headquarters in Lower Manhattan. Earlier in the day, Hirsi said she was suspended from Barnard College, located near Columbia, for “standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.” ‘RADICAL’ PRO-PALESTINIAN GROUPS INCREASINGLY TARGET HOUSES OF WORSHIP FOR PROTESTS IN ALARMING TREND Barnard College is one of four Columbia undergraduate schools which has an independent admissions process, curriculum and financial structure, as well as a separate administration, according to the New York Post. “Those of us in Gaza Solidarity Encampment will not be intimidated,” she wrote on X. “We will stand resolute until our demands are met. our [sic] demands include divestment from companies complicit in genocide, transparency of @Columbia’s investments and FULL amnesty for all students facing repression.” Dozens of anti-Israel activists began protesting at Columbia University on Wednesday morning, creating an encampment on the main lawn in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas. Fiery protests continued into the overnight hours with calls for an intifada and the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Wednesday, Omar questioned Columbia administrators during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill about anti-Israel activism on the Ivy League campus. During the hearing, Omar sounded the alarm about what she called an “attack” with a “toxic chemical substance” at an anti-Israel protest at Columbia University. However, according to court documents, the substance was a non-toxic flatulence spray called “Liquid A–” and “Wet Farts.” Fox News’ Louis Casiano and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.
Melania Trump says US ‘must unite’ ahead of Mar-a-Lago Log Cabin Republicans event
Former first lady Melania Trump stressed the importance of unifying the nation, telling Fox News Digital that “equality” needs to be the “everyday experience of every American.” The former first lady is expected to headline an event at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, hosted by the Log Cabin Republicans — a pro-LGBT group. The event will focus on the group’s “Road to Victory,” a voter-turnout program planned for gay voters in swing states. MELANIA TRUMP RETURNS TO CAMPAIGN TRAIL WITH PRO-LGBT REPUBLICAN EVENT APPEARANCE: REPORT “We must unite in our effort to establish a society where equality is the everyday experience of every American,” the former first lady told Fox News Digital. “Individual freedom provides a unifying set of principles, and ultimately establishes our American way.” “Together, we must nourish and safeguard the seeds of liberty,” she continued. “Because, when successful, America blossoms into a magnificent place where everyone can practice their beliefs, share new ideas, and express individualism — this is when we are our best.” FLASHBACK: RNC ANNOUNCES ‘PRIDE COALITION,’ PARTNERSHIP WITH LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS The former first lady is working alongside former Amb. Ric Grenell for the event. Grenell, who served during the Trump administration as the ambassador to Germany and the acting director of national intelligence, was the first openly gay member of the presidential Cabinet in U.S. history. However, Grenell said that “means absolutely nothing in terms of special treatment.” “It simply means that the American dream is alive and well — if you work hard and have a little bit of luck and God’s grace, you can do anything you want in America regardless of your skin color, socio-economic situation, or sexual orientation,” Grenell told Fox News Digital. “We want what every American wants, to be treated equally not differently.” Grenell told Fox News Digital that the Republican Party has grown “increasingly welcoming of gay conservatives over the last 20 years.” “But we made the most progress when Donald Trump and Melania Trump moved into the White House,” Grenell told Fox News Digital. Grenell said that, “Gays and lesbians are no longer reflexively leftist.” “They realize they have incredible liberties in America and that they are not opposed,” he explained, noting there are more than 80 Log Cabin chapters across the country that have seen an “explosion of membership.” “The gay left continues to try and convince America’s gays and lesbians that they don’t have personal freedoms — it’s absurd,” Grenell said. He added, “Gays and lesbians around the world are literally dying to come to America. We live in the greatest country in the world and Log Cabin members are proud to say it.” MELANIA FULLY BEHIND TRUMP’S 2024 CAMPAIGN, SAYS IT WOULD BE A ‘PRIVILEGE’ TO SERVE AS FIRST LADY AGAIN Grenell told Fox News Digital that the 2024 election is “about the elites in D.C. versus the rest of America.” He told Fox News Digital that the media and Democrats are “shamelessly defining support for trans kids as a litmus test for supporting gay rights, and it infuriates gay conservatives.” As for unity, Grenell said it is Democrats and far-left activists who are to blame for separating Americans. “Gay, Inc, and the far-Left activists who control Gay, Inc are spending millions of dollars to separate gays in America,” Grenell said. “They tell young people they must step away from the rest of society because they are oppressed in America. They work hard to make gays angry, weird, separated, and fringe. They want separate flags, pronouns, bakeries, and bathrooms. It’s crazy.” Grenell said the left “won’t admit that the equality fight is largely over in America but just beginning in the 69 countries around the world that criminalize gays.” MELANIA TRUMP TO SPEAK TO NEW AMERICAN CITIZENS ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY OF ‘GUARDING OUR FREEDOM’ “But gay conservatives know this is the greatest country in the world to be who you are — We are welcomed in every community,” he said. “We aren’t oppressed in America.” The former first lady told Fox News Digital that the Log Cabin Republicans’ overarching mission is “important” and “rooted in respect.” “Based on this central value, people thrive and exist together in a world where all are honored and celebrated,” she said. The former first lady was given the Lincoln Award at a Log Cabin event at Mar-a-Lago in 2021. Meanwhile, Fox News Digital asked the former first lady what her plans would be for a second term in the White House, should her husband, former President Trump, win the 2024 election. “The safety and well-being of American families remains my top priority,” she told Fox News Digital. “Our children are our future leaders, tomorrow’s innovators.” She told Fox News Digital that it is “essential we provide the highest level of care to our next generation; to insure they not only thrive but reach their full potential.” “In turn, our nation will sustain for generations,” she said. During her time as first lady, Trump hosted virtual roundtables on foster care as part of her “Be Best” initiative, and focused on strengthening the child welfare system. She worked with members of Congress on legislation that secured funding for grants awarded to youth and young adults currently or formerly in foster care to help pay for college, career school or training. The bill ultimately was signed by then-President Trump in December 2020. Since leaving the White House, the former first lady has also created special edition Non-Fungible Tokens. A portion of those proceeds went toward her initiative “Fostering the Future” to secure educational opportunities and scholarships for children in the foster care community.
House takes key test vote for Johnson’s $95B foreign aid plan after Dems help it advance
The House of Representatives is voting on whether to proceed with Speaker Mike Johnson’s $95 billion foreign aid proposal on Friday after it cleared its first key procedural hurdle with Democratic help. The Friday morning vote is a test vote of sorts for the four foreign aid bills, known as a “rule vote.” If successful it will allow lawmakers to debate each of the individual four bills and vote on their final passage on Saturday. Three of the four bills fund Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. A fourth bill includes national security priorities like the House’s recently passed crackdown on TikTok’s ownership as well as the REPO Act, which would liquidate seized Russian assets and give that funding to Ukraine. Democrats had to help bail the GOP-led proposals on Thursday night in the face of conservative opposition. The Rules Committee, the final barrier before legislation traditionally gets a House-wide vote, spent all day considering the bills before advancing their “rules” package in a 9-3 vote. GOP REBELS DERAIL SPEAKER JOHNSON’S BORDER BILL AMID FURY OVER FOREIGN AID It’s highly unusual for Democrats, or any opposition party, to cross the aisle on a Rules Committee vote as well as a House-wide rule vote. But it underscores the urgency that lawmakers on both sides feel about sending aid to foreign allies. The three conservatives on the panel — Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C. — all voted against the measure; an equally unusual move that’s become common in the 118th Congress, where members of the House Freedom Caucus and their allies have wielded outsized influence in Republicans’ thin majority by blocking procedural hurdles such as this. Democrats’ support will be critical for the rule vote and potentially even final passage of the bills. Johnson has faced furious pushback from the right flank of his conference over most of his plan, particularly sending $60 billion to Ukraine, which has become a politically fraught topic for much of the GOP. Those same foreign aid hawks have objected to some of the Israel funding being aimed at humanitarian aid in Gaza, though its inclusion was critical to winning Democratic support. In a victory for Republicans, however, it prevents any of the Israel-Gaza funding from going toward the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a Palestinian refugee agency alleged to have ties to Hamas. SENATE VOTE ON MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT REACHES ‘UNPRECEDENTED TERRITORY’: CHAD PERGRAM Conservative rebels also decried House GOP leaders’ decision to combine the four bills into one before sending it to the Senate, arguing it amounted to the same $95 billion foreign aid package the Democrat-majority chamber passed earlier this year and which House Republicans oppose. Johnson has argued that packaging them together for the Senate would prevent them from neglecting the Israel bill at a time when the issue has divided the Democratic Party. Earlier this week, Massie threatened he’d move to oust Johnson from the speakership if he did not step aside after having the House vote on his foreign aid plans. One GOP lawmaker who was present at the closed-door meeting where it happened told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Johnson challenged him to do so. Massie is now signed onto Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s motion to vacate resolution, which, if deemed “privileged” by Greene, would force the House to begin voting on Johnson’s potential ouster within two legislative days. ‘DEFINITION OF INSANITY’: FRUSTRATED HOUSE REPUBLICANS BLAST GOP REBELS’ THREAT TO OUST JOHNSON Some discussion over whether to raise the threshold needed to call a motion to vacate — currently just one member can call for it — ended with Johnson backing off of the controversial move after it enraged GOP rebels and spurred new ouster threats. Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., suggested to reporters earlier that a wide swath of rank-and-file Republicans supported the idea; but Johnson denied having such conversations earlier on Thursday when asked by Fox News Digital. “Recently, many members have encouraged me to endorse a new rule to raise this threshold. While I understand the importance of that idea, any rule change requires a majority of the full House, which we do not have. We will continue to govern under the existing rules,” Johnson said on Thursday evening.
Ushodaya Enterprises, Parent Company of Ramoji Group, Invests in FlexiCloud to Expand Cloud Solutions in Kerala
FlexiCloud provides advanced managed cloud hosting solutions that prioritize high performance, enhanced security, and dedicated customer support.
How to find your spirit animal?
As you embark on your own journey of self-discovery, uncovering your personal spirit animal can be a transformative experience.
Vulnerable House Dems do a U-turn on illegal immigration after calling crisis ‘non-existent threat’
A handful of vulnerable House Democrats, all of whom dismissed concern about the southern border crisis and voted against measures to enhance border security in the past, have attempted to show their attention to the issue as they campaign for re-election. Three Democrats in competitive House races this election cycle — Reps. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., and Eric Sorenson, D-Ill. — have introduced bills, resolutions and amendments over the last year that would do little to limit the flow of migrants entering the country illegally, but they acknowledge the crisis. Caraveo, who represents Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, introduced a package of legislation earlier this year pertaining to some of the immigration struggles facing the United States. The first-term lawmaker introduced two bills — the HELP for Interior Cities ACT and the ANTI-Drugs Act — in February and insisted both pieces of legislation address “the needs of Colorado communities in the wake of a recent increase in migrant arrivals.” REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY ‘HEAVY PRICE’ IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS “This comprehensive plan would deliver funding to interior cities like Denver that are in need of support, reduce the financial burden placed on local governments, and stem the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. It would also deliver much-needed funding to law enforcement both at the border and here in Colorado,” she said of the measures at the time. The HELP for Interior Cities ACT does little to address the flow of migrants entering the country and provides additional funding for migrant shelters located in cities not found along the border. The ANTI-Drugs Act, however, would make an already-existing Department of Homeland program titled “Operation Stonegarden” permanent and give law enforcement agencies grants for equipment and “personnel, including overtime and backfill, in support of enhanced border law enforcement activities.” Prior to introducing the measures, Caraveo was one of 211 Democrats who voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023. That measure, which passed in the House, would have expanded the type of crimes that make someone ineligible for asylum, limited the eligibility to those who arrive at ports of entry, mandated a system similar to the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system and created additional penalties for visa overstay. Caraveo was also one of 210 House Democrats who voted against a GOP-led effort in the House to impeach Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas. During her previous tenure in the Colorado state House of Representatives, Caraveo joined other Democrats from across the nation to send a letter urging the Biden administration to relax immigration rules and “divest from immigration enforcement agencies like ICE and CBP.” Another Democrat who has brought attention to the issue in recent months is Vasquez, who represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District. Earlier this month, Vasquez introduced a resolution that “condemns Republican inaction on common-sense solutions to our Nation’s broken immigration system and the challenges our Nation faces at the border.” Like Caraveo, Vasquez voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023. Last October, however, he introduced a package of immigration bills amid a skyrocketing number of illegal immigrants arriving at the U.S. border. Those measures aimed to increase penalties for smugglers and cartels who engage in violent crimes, provide pathways for certain migrants to lawfully work in the U.S. and fund additional personnel at ports of entry. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTED IN CRASH THAT KILLED DEMOCRATIC SENATOR’S ADVISER Prior to joining Congress, Vasquez lashed out at then-President Trump amid immigration woes in 2018 and insisted the idea of “sending the military to quell a non-existent threat” is “beyond stupid.” In a November 2020 post to Twitter, now known as X, Vasquez responded to one social media user who called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection by writing, “the only ICE we need to be melting.” Vasquez was also one of many Democrats who applauded President Biden’s decision to terminate construction of a border wall along the southern border. In a January 2021 post on social media, he said, “As of today, all construction on this racist, environmentally destructive, massive waste of money comes to a grinding halt. This vanity project was little more than a glorification of xenophobia and an insult to border communities. Lets tear it down.” Like Caraveo and Vasquez, Sorensen, who represents Illinois’ 17th Congressional District, voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023, which would have largely increased the total number of CBP agents. Sorensen introduced two amendments to the Secure the Border Act — one that would require the hiring, training and assigning of “not fewer than 500 additional CBP officers” at points of entry and another that would have appropriated $25 million to “improve coordination” and “expand” a fentanyl task force. Both amendments were not considered prior to a vote on the bill in the House, and Sorensen cited a lack of bipartisan cooperation in voting against the legislation. After introducing the amendments, Sorensen went on to vote “nay” on impeachment efforts against Mayorkas earlier this year. Sorensen, like most of his colleagues on his side of the aisle, has expressed opposition to the Trump-proposed idea of a southern border wall. In a November 2019 post promoting an Illinois restaurant, he wrote, “We don’t need border walls, we need more pancakes and burritos!” Last July, Sorensen joined 201 other Democrats, including Vasquez and Caraveo, in voting against a measure that would have prevented the use of facilities of certain schools that receive federal financial assistance to provide shelter or housing to illegal immigrants. Additionally, the trio of Democrat lawmakers rejected a measure that aimed to prohibit the federal government from using certain federally administered lands to provide housing for illegal immigrants. Caraveo and Vasquez are both seeking re-election to their seats that have been labeled “Democrat Toss Up” by the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election analyst. Sorensen’s seat has been labeled as “Lean Democrat.” CBP records show the first six months of fiscal year
Biden dismantles Trump-era Title IX rules, sidesteps issue of trans athletes in girls’ sports
The Biden administration has unveiled new rules to safeguard LGBTQ+ students and change the ways in which sexual harassment and assault claims are adjudicated on campus. The new provisions are part of a revised Title IX regulation issued by the Education Department, fulfilling a campaign pledge by President Biden to revamp those issued during the Trump administration. Missing from the new rule, however, is a policy forbidding schools from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes competing against biological females. The Biden administration was widely expected to bring in such a policy but has instead put the provision on hold. The delay is widely seen as a political maneuver during an election year in which Republicans have rallied around bans on transgender athletes in girls’ sports. Under the new rules, sex discrimination includes discrimination based on gender identity as well as sexual orientation. Biden is also officially undoing sexual assault rules put in place by his predecessor and current election-year opponent, former President Donald Trump. The final policy drew praise from victims’ advocates, while Republicans said it erodes the rights of accused students. The new rule makes “crystal clear that everyone can access schools that are safe, welcoming and that respect their rights,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. “No one should face bullying or discrimination just because of who they are, who they love,” Cardona told reporters. “Sadly, this happens all too often.” Biden’s regulation is meant to clarify schools’ obligations under Title IX, the 1972 women’s rights law that outlaws discrimination based on sex in education. It applies to colleges and elementary and high schools that receive federal money. The update is to take effect in August. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Purnia Lok Sabha Election 2024: Check polling date, candidates list, past election results
The counting and announcement of results for the Erode Lok Sabha Constituency Election 2024 will take place on June 4.