Six Indian Americans who sworn in as  members of the U.S. House
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

In a momentous occasion for Indian Americans, six of their leaders on Friday (January 3, 2025) were sworn in as members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the largest so far for this minority ethnic community in the United States.

“When I was first sworn in twelve years ago, I was the sole Indian American Member of Congress and only the third in U.S. history. Now, our coalition is six strong! I am excited to welcome even more Indian Americans to the halls of Congress in the years to come!” Congressman Dr. Ami Bera said in a post on X.

Mr. Bera, the senior most of them, who has been sworn-in for the seventh consecutive term as a representative of the seventh Congressional District of California, also posted a picture of all the six Indian American Congressmen from the floor of the House.

Suhash Subramanian, who represents the 10th Congressional District of Virginia is the newest Indian American to be a member of the House of Representatives. “First day of work! Honoured to be sworn into the #119th Congress, and excited to get to work to deliver results for VA10,” he said as he posted a picture of him along with his family and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“Ready to Serve,” said Congressman Shri Thanedar who represents the 13th Congressional District of Michigan as he posted a selfie of his from the House floor. All the six Indian American lawmakers are from the Democratic Party and voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in the election for House Speakership. Republican Mike Johnson was elected as the House Speaker.

Congressman Ro Khanna represents the 17th Congressional District of California and Raja Krishnamoorthi represents the eighth Congressional District of Illinois. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, representing the seventh Congressional District of Washington state, is the first ever Indian American woman to be elected to the House of Representatives.

All three – Mr. Khanna, Mr. Krishnamoorthi and Ms. Jayapal – have been sworn in for a fifth consecutive term, during which they have emerged as powerful lawmakers in their own way.

Mr. Krishnamoorthi is a Ranking Member of the powerful China Committee and also a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Ms. Jayapal is the leader of a highly powerful progressive group of lawmakers. Mr. Khanna is not only a member of several powerful House committees, but also is seen as a potential presidential candidate in the years to some.

All the six Indian Americans constitute an informal Samosa Caucus, a term coined by Mr. Krishnamoorthi. When sworn in for the first term in 2012, Dr. Bera had then wished to have 10 Indian Americans in the House of Representatives.

Several Indian Americans aspiring to be elected to the House lost elections either during the primaries or in the November 5 general elections. At least three of them were women: Sushila Jaipal, Bhavani Patel and Krystal Kaul.

Dalip Singh Saund was the first Indian American to be elected to the House of Representatives in 1957. Also, the first Sikh, he was elected for three consecutive terms. He was from the Democratic Party.

It took nearly five decades for a second Indian American to enter the U.S. House of Representatives. Bobby Jindal represented the First Congressional District of Louisiana from 2005 to 2008. He later went on to become the two-term Governor of Louisiana, making him the first Indian American to be elected as the governor of a US State. Jindal is the only Indian American to be elected to the House on a Republican ticket.

the Federal Trade Commission building in Washington
| Photo Credit: AP

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission.

He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior.

Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans.

“Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.”

The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions.

“These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, in a recent analysis.

Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command.

For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges halted the merger Tuesday night.

The FTC had filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart.

One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing.

Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said.

And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms.

In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.

File picture of Karoline Leavitt speaking to the media
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday (November 15, 2024) named Karoline Leavitt as White House Press Secretary.

Ms. Leavitt, 27, would replace Karine Jean-Pierre as the White House Press Secretary on January 20, 2025 when Mr. Trump takes oath as the 47th President of the United States. She was the Trump Campaign’s National Press Secretary and has previously served in the Trump White House as Assistant Press Secretary.

ALSO READ: Donald Trump Cabinet: From vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr to Elon Musk

Announcing her nomination, Mr. Trump said, “Leavitt did a phenomenal job as the National Press Secretary on my Historic Campaign, and I am pleased to announce she will serve as White House Press Secretary.”

“Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” the president-elect said.

“I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we, Make America Great Again,” he added.

Among other nominations announced by Mr. Trump, Steven Cheung will return to the White House as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications.

Sergio Gor will serve as Assistant to the President and Director of the Presidential Personnel Office.

“Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted Advisors since my first Presidential Campaign in 2016, and have continued to champion America First principles throughout my First Term, all the way to our Historic Victory in 2024,” Mr. Trump said.

“I am thrilled to have them join my White House as we, Make America Great Again!” he added.

Mr. Cheung was Director of Communications on the Trump-Vance 2024 Presidential Campaign and previously served in the Trump White House as Director of Strategic Response, while Mr. Gor was the CEO of Winning Team Publishing, while also running the pro-Trump Super PAC, Right For America.

Donald Trump names Interior-designee Doug Burgum to head new White House council on energy
| Photo Credit: AP

President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday (November 15, 2024) that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, his choice to head the Interior Department, will also lead a newly created National Energy Council that will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world.

“Mr. Burgum, in his new role, will oversee a panel that crosses all executive branch agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. As chairman of the National Energy Council, Mr. Burgum will have a seat on the National Security Council, Mr. Trump said.

“This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” Mr. Trump wrote.

The Republican president-elect accused the “radical left” of engaging in a war on American energy, in the name of fighting climate change. His policy of energy dominance, which he also espoused during his first term, will allow the U.S. to sell oil, gas and other forms of energy to European allies, making the world safer, Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump’s policies, if adopted, would represent a near-complete reversal from actions pursued by Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made fighting climate change a top priority and has pushed for more electric vehicles and stricter regulation of carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Mr. Trump has pledged to rescind unspent funds in Mr. Biden’s landmark climate and health care bill and stop offshore wind development when he returns to the White House in January.

Mr. Trump, who has called oil “liquid gold,” said oil and natural gas, along with minerals such as lithium and copper, should be exploited to the maximum extent possible. “We will “DRILL BABY DRILL,” expand ALL forms of Energy production to grow our Economy, and create good-paying jobs,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Mr. Burgum, 68, was elected North Dakota governor in 2016, his first campaign for elected office. A former software executive, he led Great Plains Software, which Microsoft acquired for $1.1 billion in 2001. Mr. Burgum has also led other companies in real estate development and venture capital.

Mr. Burgum, a Republican, has taken a pro-business style as governor of a state where agriculture and oil are the main industries. He’s pushed income tax cuts, reduced regulations, and changes to animal agriculture laws and higher education governance. Mr. Burgum also emphasized a “data-driven” approach to governing, advocated for a Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the state and prioritized engagement with tribal nations.

He ran for president in 2023, but dropped out after his bid failed to resonate. He later endorsed Mr. Trump.

Industry groups welcomed Mr. Burgum to the new administration and said Mr. Trump’s creation of an energy council signaled renewed emphasis on spurring domestic production and streamlining regulations.

Mr. Burgum’s “deep understanding of American energy resources and public lands positions him to tackle critical issues such as enhancing energy affordability … and strengthening the U.S. in the global energy marketplace,” said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which promotes offshore drilling. Milito is a former vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s top lobbying group.

David Seabrook, president of The Wilderness Society, called Mr. Burgum “a longtime friend to fossil fuel interests” who played a role in an April event at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort where Mr. Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to his campaign, with the expectation that he would curtail environmental regulations if re-elected.

“The first Trump administration treated (public lands) like they’re meant to be dug up, drilled or sold off for profit,” Seabrook said. “Gov. Burgum’s long track record of pushing for unchecked fossil fuel development sends a loud signal about which path they will take this time around.”

Earlier Friday (November 15, 2024), Mr. Trump announced that Steven Cheung would serve as his White House communications director and Sergio Gor will run the personnel office. Both are longtime advisers.

US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Elon Musk will lead the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ – a position Trump hinted at during his campaign trail. Musk will head the department alongside Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,” Trump said in a statement.

“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans,” he added.

According to Trump, they will drive out the “massive waste and fraud” from the government.

Donald Trump won the presidential elections last week, defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris by 69 electoral votes.

During his victory speech, Trump praised Musk and described him as an “amazing and super genius guy”. He also mentioned that the billionaire spent two weeks in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania campaigning with him.

“We have a new star, a star is born: Elon. He’s an amazing guy. We were sitting together tonight. You know, he spent two weeks in Philadelphia, in different parts of Pennsylvania, campaigning,” Trump told his supporters.

Musk, who has been a staunch supporter of Trump, was a key part of the Republican’s Presidential campaign. The Tesla CEO donated over 100 million dollars to Trump’s re-election battle and campaigned aggressively using his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

On November 9, Trump made it even more evident that Musk would be a part of his administration after he reportedly asked him to join a call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a Ukrainian official, Zelensky thanked Musk for the Starlinks and they talked briefly, however, the main conversation was with Trump, reported news agency AFP.

Washington:

US President Joe Biden laid a wreath Monday to honour the nation’s fallen soldiers on Veterans Day, an event marking his first appearance with Vice President Kamala Harris since her election defeat last week.

The ceremony, at historic Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington, is also the first time Harris has been seen in public since her November 6 speech in which she conceded the presidential election to Donald Trump.

Democrats, facing a painful reckoning over their drubbing, have begun soul-searching internal discussions — and some not-so-private blaming — over what caused Harris’s loss, with some pointing to Biden’s initial insistence on running again at age 81, despite having promised to be a bridge president to the next generation.

Criticism of Harris herself has been more muted, and Biden heaped praise on Harris last Thursday in a televised White House address.

Earlier Monday Biden hosted veterans at the White House to mark the holiday before heading to Arlington, the final resting place of two presidents, generals from all major US wars, and thousands of other military personnel.

Biden and Harris, both dressed in dark suits, placed their hands on their hearts before participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The president was to deliver remarks at the cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater.

The ceremony comes ahead of Biden hosting Trump at the White House on Wednesday.

The Republican has begun naming loyalists to his new administration. He announced he is bringing a hardline immigration official, Tom Homan, back into the fold to serve as his so-called “border czar,” and rightwing congresswoman Elise Stefanik to be US ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump himself has long claimed he is a fierce supporter of America’s military, but he has made a series of controversial comments about veterans.

His longest-serving White House chief of staff, retired general John Kelly, has said the Republican leader privately disparaged US servicemembers, including describing those who died or were imprisoned defending America as “suckers” and “losers.”

Trump denies the accusation.

But the soon-to-be 47th president has been on record expressing contempt for late American war hero and senator John McCain, who spent years in a Hanoi prison during the Vietnam war.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Watch: ‘We must accept the results of this election’: Kamala Harris concedes election

Faced with a rejection by American voters, Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the presidential election to Donald Trump on October 6, 2024, and encouraged supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country.

Ms. Harris called Mr. Trump to congratulate him on his victory before she addressed her supporters. She told the crowd that “we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.” “My heart is full today….full of love for our country and full of resolve,” she said. “I spoke with President-Elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power,” she said, speaking at her alma mater, Howard University, just after 4 pm in Washington D.C.

Millions have voted in one of the most consequential elections in the history of the United States and while most polls showed Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a dead heat, polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight has named the Democratic nominee as its favourite to win, switching from the Republican candidate.

The aggregator, which is a key election forecaster, had Mr Trump as its favourite to win for around two weeks and its simulations showed that, out of 100, Mr Trump won 53 times and Ms Harris 47. In a first since October 17, however, Ms Harris became the favourite on election day, leading Mr Trump in simulations 50 to 49. 

The Economist’s final forecast said Ms Harris has a 56% chance of winning, but noted that the lead is narrow and Mr Trump could also win. 

Polymarket, a betting platform, said former president Trump has a 62.3% chance of winning against Vice President Harris’ 37.9%.

Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday, Allan Lichtman, known for his 13 ‘Keys to the White House’ system, predicted Ms Harris will be the first woman president of the United States. 

“Consign them (opinion polls) to the flames. Yes, we are going to have Kamala Harris, a new path-breaking president, the first woman president and the first president of mixed African and Asian descent. It is foreshadowing where America is going. We are rapidly becoming a majority-minority country old white guys like me, we are on the decline,” Mr Lichtman said.

‘If It Is Fair”

Both candidates also spoke to the media on election day. 

“We’ve got to get it done. Today is voting day, and people need to get out and be active,” Ms Harris told Atlanta station WVEE-FM, describing Mr Trump as “full of vengeance. He’s full of grievance. It’s all about himself.”

The former president, who voted near his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, said he felt “very confident” and that he wanted to be “very inclusive.” But he aired concerns about the vote count – heightening fears that he would reject the result, citing fraud, if he lost. “If it’s a fair election, I would be the first one to acknowledge it,” he said.

In the most important swing state of Pennsylvania, a court approved a request to extend voting hours in a county after voting machines experienced a software glitch. 

The ruling means that voting will stay open for an additional two hours in Cambria county, which broke roughly 70% to 30% in favour of Mr Trump in 2020. The case was brought by the local board of elections, which said a “software malfunction” at electronic voting machines had “prevented voters from scanning their completed ballots”.  The Cambria County Court of Common Pleas ordered that voting hours be extended from 8pm to 10pm local time (0830 IST). 

“This morning’s ballot processing issues in Cambria have resulted in delays – this is unacceptable, plain and simple,” Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley said after the case was filed.  “Our legal team acted immediately to support extended hours to give voters the opportunity to vote – we need voters to stay in line!” he added. 

Washington:

On the night before Election Day, at campaign events across the country, celebrities turned out in force for Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.
The battleground state of Pennsylvania was particularly starry: In Pittsburgh, the vice president’s rally featured Cedric the Entertainer, Katy Perry and Andra Day. In Philadelphia, the finale of Harris’ daylong dash across Pennsylvania, performers and presenters included DJ Cassidy, Fat Joe and Ricky Martin.

Republican Donald Trump was decidedly unimpressed with Harris’ celebrity lineup.

At his own rally in Pittsburgh, which overlapped with Harris’ event in the city, the former president criticized Harris for one celebrity endorsement in particular: Beyoncé. He spoke dismissively about Beyoncé’s appearance at a Harris rally with Harris in Houston last month, drawing boos for the megastar from his supporters.

“Beyoncé would come in. Everyone’s expecting a couple of songs. There were no songs. There was no happiness,” Trump said.

Beyoncé did not perform at the event but was joined onstage by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, and gave a joyful, impassioned speech met with cheers.

Previously, Beyoncé allowed the Harris campaign to take on her 2016 track “Freedom,” a cut from her landmark 2016 album “Lemonade,” as its anthem.

Trump added that Harris should have learned a lesson from Hillary Clinton and had Beyoncé speak after her, saying, “That way the people stay.”

In 2016, Beyoncé performed at a campaign event for Democratic nominee Clinton in Cleveland in the days leading up to the election.

“They booed like hell, but the press didn’t play that,” Trump continued in his description of Beyoncé’s appearance at the Harris event.

He insisted his campaign doesn’t need celebrities to pack in a crowd, adding: “We don’t need a star because we have policy. We have great policy.”

At another point in the same rally, though, he enthused: “So many celebrities here, it’s incredible: Mike Pompeo, please stand up,” introducing his former secretary of state.

Trump also was joined by Megyn Kelly and baseball star Roberto Clemente’s son.

Harris lined up performers to speak and play at campaign rallies in all seven battleground states on Monday, and melded them all into one Democratic get-out-the-vote livestream.

In Las Vegas, performers included Christina Aguilera and electro-dance duo Sofi Tukker. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Sugarland, the country music duo of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, took the stage.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Thulasenthirapuram:

The tiny village of Thulasemthirapuram in Tamil Nadu is praying for US Presidential Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’ victory, strengthening her family’s ancestral ties with the village dating back a century. Initiated by the local elected councillor Arulmozhi, the priest of the temple of Kamala’s family deity performed a special ritual in her honour. 

“This is a powerful God. We prayed last time and she had become the Vice President. This time we are confident she’d become the President of the USA. She’s a sign of women empowerment and an inspiration for women to scale greater heights,” Arulmozhi told NDTV.

Kamala’s maternal grandfather PV Gopalan, a bureaucrat, was born and brought up here before he moved to the then-Madras where he used to take Kamala for a walk along Elliot’s Beach. Kamala has said her grandpa had made a tremendous impact on her.

Many years ago, Kamala donated Rs 5,000 for the renovation of the temple and her name remains engraved in the list of donors. 

“Kamala has to win to save democracy,” said Kamala’s friend Sharon, now based in Chennai. “She has to become the first woman President of the US. Already we are pretty late with many countries including India have had women Presidents and Prime Ministers.”

A few posters put up in the village hail Kamala as “a daughter of the soil” and wish her the best in the Presidential race. TS Anbarasan, another man from the village who now lives in the nearby Mannargudi town compared Kamala to Sunita Williams. “We are all proud of their Indian connection and their accomplishments. They are role models,” he said. 

Arulmozhi the councillor plans to serve a free meal on Wednesday if Kamala wins. “We will serve her favourite idly,” she says.

However, some in the village are also oblivious to what is happening. A man at the local tea shop near the temple added “Kamala’s grandfather lived here many decades ago. None of us know him and hence we are not following this.”