Who is Sean Duffy, the unexpected choice for NASA's interim administrator?
A former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, Duffy's resume includes stints as a lumberjack athlete, reality TV star, prosecutor and Fox News host.He was featured on MTV's "The Real World: Boston" in 1997 and met his his wife, "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy, on the set of MTV's "Road Rules: All Stars" in 1998.Duffy later worked as a special prosecutor and the district attorney of Ashland County in northern Wisconsin. He won election to Congress as part of the tea party wave in 2010.FROM UNDERDOG TO POLITICAL FIGUREWhen he first ran for Congress, Duffy was considered an underdog. But he attracted national attention with his campaign ads, which featured him dramatically chopping wood while donning a red flannel shirt. He told voters he came from a 'long line of lumberjacks' and would bring his axe to Washington.Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years. He was a member of the Financial Services Committee and chair of the subcommittee on insurance and housing.After leaving Congress in 2019, citing the need to care for his growing family, Duffy became a contributor to Fox News and one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable television. He served as co-host of 'The Bottom Line' on Fox Business before being picked for the new administration.He was one of several Fox personalities that Trump chose to fill his Cabinet, including Pete Hegseth, the new defense secretary.Duffy has nine children, the youngest of whom was born with a heart condition.This follows reports that the administration plans to cut over 2,100 senior NASA staff through early retirements, buyouts, and delayed resignations, aligning with Trump's announcement.- EndsWith inputs from AgenciesMust Watch
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Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
1 in 3 US smartphone imports now made in India, China's lead shrinks
India's share in US smartphone imports surged to nearly 36 per cent in the first five months of 2025, from about 11 per cent in 2024. China, which continues to dominate the product category, saw its share drop from 82 per cent to 49 per cent over the same period. India's growing share — now 1 in 3, driven largely by Apple iPhones — comes amid ongoing trade talks with the US. While smartphones are India's top export to the US by value, President Donald Trump has threatened a 25 per cent tariff on Indian-made iPhones. US smartphone imports from India jumped by over three times year-on-year to 21.3 million units between January and May this year, according to data from the US International Trade Commis-sion (USITC). In value terms (CIF), imports of Indian-made smartphones increased 182 per cent y-o-y to $9.35 billion, already higher than around $7 billion in the whole of 2024. In May, Apple CEO Tim Cook had said the company expects most iPhones sold in the US in the April-June quarter to have India as their country of origin. Roughly 20 per cent of Apple's global iPhone production capacity is now based in India. Meanwhile, China exported 29.4 million smartphones to the US between January and May — a 27 per cent y-o-y drop — valued at around $10 billion. China (49 per cent) and India (36 per cent) were followed by Vietnam with 8.3 million units exported, accounting for a share of 14 per cent. Apple doubled down on production in India in 2020, after the government announced its flagship Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to support smartphone manufacturing in the country. Through its contract manufacturers, the company has been the biggest beneficiary of the scheme, which has helped it move some production away from China. While it started by making some of its older iPhones in India, Apple today produces all models, including the higher-end Pro range, in the country. Apple's pivot to India from China for US-bound exports has drawn criticism from Trump, who, in May, said he's told Apple's chief executive that he does not want the company to expand its manufacturing operations in India. 'I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the US. Thank you for your attention to this matter,' Trump had said in a social media post. However, Apple is unlikely to overhaul its India expansion plans in the near-term. In May, its contract manufacturer Foxconn informed the London Stock Exchange of a $1.49 billion investment in one of its India units, Yuzhan Technologies (India) Pvt Ltd. The new plant is expected to come up in Tamil Nadu, where Foxconn already has a major iPhone production base. There are some challenges though. Of Apple's latest official supplier list, in 2023, as many as 157 of the company's various vendors and suppliers manufactured in mainland China, up from 151 the previous year. The number of Indian suppliers was 14. People in the know say that number has now risen to 64, marking a slow but steady shift of Apple's supplier base to India. In a Lok Sabha reply on Wednesday, Union MoS for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada said mobile manufacturing units in India have increased to 300 in 2024-25, from just 2 in 2014-15. At the same time, production of mobile phones increased 28 times to Rs 5.45 lakh crore, while exports increased 127 times to Rs 2 lakh crore. 'Total FDI in field of electronics manufacturing in last 5 years (i.e. since FY 2020-21) is US$ 4,071 mn, cumulative FDI of US$ 2,802 mn has been contributed by MeitY PLI beneficiaries,' Prasada said. Aggam Walia is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, reporting on power, renewables, and mining. His work unpacks intricate ties between corporations, government, and policy, often relying on documents sourced via the RTI Act. Off the beat, he enjoys running through Delhi's parks and forests, walking to places, and cooking pasta. ... Read More Soumyarendra Barik is Special Correspondent with The Indian Express and reports on the intersection of technology, policy and society. With over five years of newsroom experience, he has reported on issues of gig workers' rights, privacy, India's prevalent digital divide and a range of other policy interventions that impact big tech companies. He once also tailed a food delivery worker for over 12 hours to quantify the amount of money they make, and the pain they go through while doing so. In his free time, he likes to nerd about watches, Formula 1 and football. ... Read More
Mint
11 minutes ago
- Mint
Chicago Wins Dismissal of Trump Suit Over Sanctuary City Policy
A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit against Illinois and Chicago over 'sanctuary' policies that prevent local officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. US District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins on Friday said the policies at issue are protected by the US Constitution, which says all powers not explicitly granted to the federal government are reserved to the states. It's the first legal setback among several lawsuits the administration has filed against cities and states over sanctuary laws. 'Finding that these same policy provisions constitute discrimination or impermissible regulation would provide an end-run around the Tenth Amendment,' Jenkins said in her ruling. 'It would allow the federal government to commandeer states under the guise of intergovernmental immunity — the exact type of direct regulation of states barred by the Tenth Amendment.' The Trump administration sued Illinois, Chicago, Cook County and local officials including Governor JB Pritzker in February as part of an effort by the US Department of Justice to target local government policies seen as impeding immigration enforcement efforts. The federal government argued the policies are unconstitutional and were obstructing efforts to carry out Trump's immigration crackdown. US Attorney General Pam Bondi filed the suit during her first full day on the job. In the intervening months, the administration sued a handful of other cases, including Los Angeles, New Jersey and San Francisco. New York City became the latest target on Thursday. Jenkins said in her ruling that immigration is primarily the responsibility of the federal government, under US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She noted that federal law 'merely offers states the opportunity to assist in civil immigration enforcement' and doesn't mandate participation. Therefore, sanctuary policies 'don't make ICE's job more difficult; they just don't make it easier,' she said. The suit was challenging a state law passed in 2017 and strengthened in 2021 that broadly prohibited local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, as well as a Chicago policy and a Cook County ordinance reflecting similar limitations. Sanctuary cities and immigration advocates argue that expanding law enforcement collaboration with federal immigration authorities erodes trust in migrant communities and makes people less likely to report crimes or take advantage of public services like schools and hospitals. Under Jenkins' order, the Trump administration has until Aug. 22 to amend the lawsuit. The case is US v. Illinois, 25-cv-1285, US District Court, Northern District of Illinois . This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
21 minutes ago
- News18
A look at status of US executions in 2025
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Washington, Jul 26 (AP) Twenty-six men have died by court-ordered execution so far this year in the U.S., and 10 other people are scheduled to be put to death in seven states during the remainder of 2025. The next scheduled execution is in Florida, when a man who killed his wife and two children is set to be put to death July 31. Florida also was the last state to execute someone, when Michael Bernard Bell died by lethal injection on July 15. Meanwhile, Florida recently set its 10th execution of the year when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for a man who abducted a woman from an insurance office and killed her 42 years ago. Kayle Bates is scheduled to be executed in August. Alabama, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Utah also have scheduled executions for later this year. Executions have been carried out this year in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The number of executions this year exceeds the 25 executions carried out last year and in 2018. It is the highest total since 2015, when 28 people were put to death. The uptick in executions can be traced to aggressive Republican governors and attorney generals pushing to get through lengthy appeals processes and get executions done, said John Blume, the director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project. A sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office aimed at urging prosecutors to seek the death penalty and preserving capital punishment in the states also may have fueled the increase, Blume said. All but one execution this year has occurred in states run by Republican governors, with Arizona the exception. Here's a look at recent executions and those scheduled for the rest of the year, by state: Florida Edward J. Zakrzewski is scheduled to be put to death in Florida on July 31 for killing his wife and two young children in 1994 after she sought a divorce. He eventually turned himself into law enforcement after the case was profiled on the television show 'Unsolved Mysteries." Bates, 67, who is scheduled to be executed Aug. 19, was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and attempted sexual battery in the June 14, 1982, Bay County killing of Janet White. Tennessee Byron Black, 69, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Aug. 5. Black was convicted in 1989 of three counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of his girlfriend, Angela Clay, and her two daughters in Nashville. Black's lawyer asked a judge to require the Tennessee Department of Correction to deactivate an implanted defibrillation device similar to a pacemaker in the moments before his execution. A Tennessee judge ruled Tuesday that the state can deactivate the heart-regulating device at a hospital on the morning of his execution, rather than bringing a doctor or technician into the execution chamber. Black's motion related to his heart device came within a general challenge he and other death row inmates filed against the state's new execution protocol, which took effect this year. The trial isn't until 2026. Harold Nichols, 64, is also scheduled to die by lethal injection on Dec. 11. Nichols was convicted of rape and first-degree felony murder in the 1988 death of Karen Pulley in Hamilton County. Alabama An Alabama judge has postponed the execution of David Lee Roberts, who had been scheduled to be put to death by nitrogen gas Aug. 21. Roberts was convicted of killing Annetra Jones in 1992 while he was a houseguest at Jones' boyfriend's home in Marion County. Prosecutors said Roberts packed his belongings, stole money and shot Jones three times in the head while she slept on the couch. Roberts set fire to the home to hide evidence. A Marion County judge issued a stay so Roberts can have a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is too mentally ill to be put to death. The execution will be on hold at least until a report from the Alabama Department of Mental Health is finished. Geoffrey T. West, 49, is scheduled to die by nitrogen gas on Sept. 25 for the killing of convenience store clerk Margaret Parrish Berry during a 1997 robbery in Attalla. If carried out, it would be the nation's sixth execution by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using last year as an alternative to lethal injection. The method involves supplying nitrogen gas via a respirator mask to an inmate, causing the person to lose consciousness and die from a lack of oxygen. Utah Ralph Leroy Menzies, 67, is scheduled to die by firing squad on Sept. 5. He would become only the sixth U.S. prisoner executed by firing squad since 1977. Menzies, who has dementia, has been on death row for 37 years for abducting and killing mother of three Maurine Hunsaker, 26, in 1986. Judge Matthew Bates signed the death warrant a month after he ruled Menzies 'consistently and rationally" understands why he is facing execution despite recent cognitive decline. Attorneys for Menzies have petitioned the court for a reassessment. Texas Blaine Milam, 35, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Sept. 25. Milam was convicted of killing his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter during what the couple had said was part of an 'exorcism" in Rusk County in East Texas in 2008. Milam's girlfriend, Jesseca Carson, was also convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Robert Roberson is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 16. Roberson, 58, could become the first person in the U.S. to be put to death for a murder conviction tied to shaken baby syndrome. He was convicted of the 2002 killing of his 2-year-old daughter, Nikki Curtis, in the East Texas city of Palestine. Prosecutors argued he violently shook his daughter back and forth, causing severe head trauma. His lawyers and some medical experts say his daughter died not from abuse but from complications related to pneumonia. Indiana Indiana set a tentative execution date of Oct. 10 for Roy Lee Ward, who was convicted of raping and killing a 15-year-old girl in 2001. But that date could change. Missouri Lance C. Shockley is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 14, according to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center. Shockley was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Dewayne Graham outside his home in Carter County in 2005. Testimony at the trial indicated Graham was killed because he was investigating Shockley for involuntary manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident. Ohio Earlier this year, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine postponed five executions scheduled for 2025. All five have been delayed until 2028. top videos View all In postponing the executions, DeWine has cited the state's inability to secure the drugs used in lethal injections due to pharmaceutical suppliers' unwillingness. DeWine has said that he does not anticipate any further executions will happen during his term, which runs through 2026. (AP) AS AS (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 26, 2025, 04:15 IST News agency-feeds A look at status of US executions in 2025 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. 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