Trump Official Verma ‘Abused’ Government Rules
Washington DC: Seema Verma, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “abused the federal contracting process” and “wasted millions of taxpayer dollars” on consultants and other services to boost her own profile, lawmakers found as part of a lengthy congressional investigation. The alleged abuses included Verma hiring a team of pricey media […]
Judge Sandill Rejects Request to Halt Harris County Mail Ballot Plan
Houston: A judge on Friday rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to halt Harris County’s plan to send mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters. State District Judge R.K. Sandill denied Paxton’s request for a temporary injunction, stating that nothing in the Texas Election Code bars Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins from […]
Federal Judge Hears Arguments against Trump’s H-1B Visa Ban
San Francisco: The future of U.S. immigration policy and the fate of thousands of H-1B, L-1 and other visa holders rests in the hands of a federal judge. Arguments were heard on a preliminary injunction filed by businesses against the Trump administration’s June 2020 proclamation to suspend the entry of foreign nationals on H-1B, L-1, […]
Biden’s Indian Connection Goes Back in History
Chennai: Kamala Harris spoke movingly of her discussions with her grandfather P.V.Gopalan as they walked along the beach at Chennai. It now appears that her running-mate Joe Biden may also have ancestors who strolled along the same stretch of sand two centuries before. Joe Biden first made the claim of an Indian connection in 2013. […]
FIS Presents Distinguished Lecture on India-China Competition
Houston: On Sunday, August 23, 2020, the Foundation for India Studies (FIS) presented its first virtual webinar in its Distinguished Lecture Series. The lecture, titled “India China Competition in South Asia: the Past, Present and Future,” was presented by Dr. Constantino Xavier of the Brookings Institute in New Delhi. Dr. Xavier’s presentation focused on the […]
Trump or Biden: Desis Can Make History
By Bhamy Shenoy For once, President Trump spoke the truth during the recent Republican convention. He roared that this election is the most important one deciding which direction the country will take. While we hear such warnings during each election, this time the wolf has finally come to town. I am sure that Desi Indians, […]
Swapnil Agarwal’s Nitya Capital Acquires One Westchase Office Building
Houston: For CEO and founder of Nitya Capital, Swapnil Agarwal, success and achievements never came easy. Coming from humble beginnings as a son of a working class Indian immigrant family in Houston, much of Swapnil’s youth was defined by observing and learning from the success of others. As he worked his first few jobs, Swapnil […]
74th Independence Day Celebration at India House Despite Pandemic
Houston: “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance” — Jawaharlal […]
Houstonian Rajveer “Raj” Kindra is No. 1 Debater
Houston: Rajveer, who is now a Senior in high school, has won numerous state, national, and international tournaments in Debate & Oratory leading up to this achievement. Rajveer has always had a passion for helping others find their voices, encouraging others to build confidence, and speak on topics meaningful to them. In 2016 Rajveer took […]
Does Federal Policing Violate U.S. Constitution?
By Surendran K. Pattel There can be little doubt that the Trump administration’s provocative decision to send federal agents to “police” city streets in Portland, Ore, was a clear violation of the U.S. Constitution. Without question, such federal “policing” infringes on state and local rights and powers. The fact is, there is far more clarity […]
Person of Interest in Custody in Brutal Death of Indo-American Jogger in Plano
Plano, Texas: The murder of a Plano mother of two children brought an outpouring of support for her family. Sarmistha Sen, 43, was attacked while she was running Saturday morning. Police say the murder investigation includes a person of interest from a nearby burglary. The go-getter spirit is what defined Sarmistha’s life, according to her […]
City Engineer Jay Patel Wins Public Works Award
Houston: Jay Patel, P.E., Supervising Engineer for City of Houston Public Works Department, was recently awarded Professional Manager of the Year in the Facilities and Grounds Category by the Texas Chapter of the American Public Works Association. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the area of administration within the Houston Public Works Department and inspires […]
Vijay Goradia Joins Baylor College of Medicine Board of Trustees
HOUSTON: Prominent Houston businessman and philanthropist Vijay Goradia has joined the Baylor College of Medicine Board of Trustees. Goradia is the first South Asian board member in the College’s history. “We’re thrilled to have Mr. Goradia join our Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Paul Klotman, president, CEO and executive dean of Baylor. “His role as […]
In Constrained Times, Pratham Gala Shows Limitless Learning
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: Many charities around the world have been hard hit by the constraints forced the novel corona virus on participation by their members and supporters. While others have turned to the Zoom platform to reach out, it has severe limitations in size […]
Fort Bend County Judge KP George Speaks Out against Racist Attacks
BY CLAIRE GOODMAN RICHMOND: Fort Bend County Judge KP George has spoken out against hatred and racism he has encountered as county judge. George, who was born in India but is an American citizen, took to Twitter and Facebook […]
Dr. Ravi Prakash Aurora (April 26, 1937 – June 23, 2020)
DALLAS: Dr. Ravi P. Aurora passed away peacefully on June 23rd, 2020 with love and family all around him. Dr. Aurora moved to New York in 1967 from India as a young man with his vibrant and departed wife, Suman Aurora, $6 in hand, an education and a hunger to find opportunity. He obtained a […]
Sewa International Reports a Successful Year and a Leadership Change
Meeting virtually for their annual conference this year, in the context of COVID-19, and with the highest attendance of nearly 300 people, Sewa International reported a record fundraising effort – raising $8.3 million in 2019, as per initial estimates. It spent $128,032 in general and administrative expenses, and $168,354 in fundraising expenses. The general and […]
The Extraordinary Life and Times of Mahatma Gandhi – Part 5
The story thus far…In South Africa, Gandhi saw how the Indians were treated as inferiors, only allowed to work the soil but not permitted to own land. Under the law enacted in the Orange Free State in 1888, Indians had been deprived of […]
Indian-American Adoptive Father of Sherin Mathews Sentenced to Life by Dallas Court
DALLAS: Wesley Mathews, the Indian-American foster father accused of killing his 3-year-old daughter Sherin Mathews and dumping her body in a culvert in 2017, was sentenced to life by a Texas court judge on Wednesday, in a sensational case that attracted global attention. Mathews, 39, pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge of injury to […]
In Buzbee’s Houston, Diversity is More than Just a Buzzword, it’s an Opportunity
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA HOUSTON: The floor-to-ceiling glass windows of his 73rd-story office provide a spectacular and all-encompassing view of the city that he has come to love and admire. Behind the tall, Phillip Johnson designed, Gothic-spired brown skyscraper snakes the spaghetti bowl of the elevated I-45 freeway and just in front lies Jones Plaza and […]
