White House holds mock briefing for children on take your kids to work day - The Economic Times Video
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a "mock" news briefing for visiting children on Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day.
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New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Trump once opened the door to LGBTQ+ community, but activists say he's now their top threat
Presidential actions were widely expected Trump made anti-transgender attacks a central plank of his campaign reelection message as he called on Congress to pass a bill stating there are 'only two genders' and pledged to ban hormonal and surgical intervention for transgender minors. He signed an executive order doing so in January. His rally speeches featured a spoof video mocking transgender people and their place in the US military. Trump has since banned them outright from serving. And although June is recognized nationally as Pride month, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters this week that Trump has 'no plans for a proclamation.' 'I can tell you this president is very proud to be a president for all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed,' she added, making no mention of sexual orientation or gender identity. Williams described Pride activities as a progressive catch-all rather than a civil rights campaign. 'If you're not in the mood to protest or resist the Trump administration,' he said, 'Pride is not for you.' Trump declined to issue Pride Month proclamations in his first term, but did recognize the celebration in 2019 as he publicised a global campaign to decriminalize homosexuality headed by Richard Grenell, then the US Ambassador to Germany and the highest-profile openly gay person in the administration. (Grenell now serves as envoy for special missions.) 'As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation,' Trump posted on social media. Times have changed where Trump is concerned This time, there is no celebrating. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which Trump named himself chairman of after firing members of the board of trustees, canceled a week's worth of events celebrating LGBTQ+ rights for this summer's World Pride festival in Washington, DC, at one of the nation's premier cultural institutions. Trump, who indicated when he took up the position that he would be dictating programming, had specifically said he would end events featuring performers in drag. The exterior lights that once lit the venue on the Potomac River in the colors of the rainbow were quickly replaced with red, white and blue. Multiple artists and producers involved in the center's Tapestry of Pride schedule, which had been planned for June 5 to 8, told The Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or moved to other venues. Inside the White House, there's little second-guessing about the president's stances. Trump aides have pointed to their decision to seize on culture wars surrounding transgender rights during the 2024 campaign as key to their win. They poured money into ads aimed at young men — especially young Hispanic men — attacking Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for supporting 'taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners,' including one spot aired during football games. 'Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,' the narrator said. Jennings flatly rejected assertions that the administration hasn't been discriminatory. 'Are you kidding me? You're throwing trans people out of the military. That's example No. 1.' He points to the cancellation of scientific grants and funding for HIV/AIDS organizations, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's 'petty and mean' order to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, which commemorates the gay rights activist and Navy veteran. Jennings also said it doesn't help that Trump has appointed openly gay men like Grenell and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to high-profile positions: 'I would call it window dressing.'
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Defence equipment, oil, cars: Where India could lower tariffs to reach deal with US
With US trade negotiators set to reach India Thursday for a two-day visit, the India-US trade deal negotiations are entering their final stage and could soon see Delhi opening its market and lowering tariffs on a range of American products – from select agricultural goods to defence equipment. This is in exchange for concessions on reciprocal tariffs and improved access to the US market for India's labour-intensive sectors such as textile and leather products. The White House said Tuesday that the US had asked countries to make their best offers on trade negotiations by Wednesday, as the July 8 deadline for reciprocal tariffs is just five weeks away. 'I can confirm the merits and the content of the letter. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) sent this letter to all of our trading partners just to give them a friendly reminder that the deadline is coming up,' White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. Improving market access for US exports such as oil, armaments, soybeans, corn, whisky and automobiles could help address Washington's concerns over its goods trade deficit with India and high tariff barriers. US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said Tuesday that the US aimed to bring back advanced manufacturing and bridge the trade deficit by increasing exports to India, adding that both sides had 'found a place that really works' for them. Indian officials have indicated that diversifying oil and defence procurement is in the country's strategic interest and sourcing more from the US could also significantly help bridge the goods trade gap, as India's refining capacity has been increasing alongside oil import dependency, which surged to 90 per cent in April 2025. India's oil import mix has already undergone a significant shift since the Ukraine war, with Russia emerging as the top supplier, replacing Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Official trade data showed that India had already stepped up oil purchases from the US. India's import of crude oil from the US jumped 11.49 per cent to $63 billion in March 2025 compared to the previous year. India has had long standing defence ties with Russia, owing to its reliability during times when Western countries imposed sanctions. However, the US now appears to be leveraging its position as the world's largest market to boost defence equipment exports to India and reduce Delhi's dependence on Russia. Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) in Washington DC, Lutnick said: 'There were certain things that the Indian government did that generally rubbed the United States the wrong way. For instance, they generally buy military gear from Russia. That's a way to kind of get under the skin of America, if you go to buy your armaments from Russia.' He said India is already 'addressing' this issue. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the largest share of India's arms imports between 2020 and 2024 still came from Russia at about 36 per cent. However, this was significantly lower than the 55 per cent recorded in 2015-19 and 72 per cent in 2010-14. SIPRI's report released in March suggested that India has increased domestic manufacturing and is shifting its arms supply relations towards Western suppliers – most notably France, Israel and the US – at a time when Russia is prioritising domestic production amid the ongoing Ukraine war. US arms exports grew by 21 per cent between 2015-19 and 2020-24. The US share of global arms exports rose from 35 per cent to 43 per cent – nearly equal to the combined total of the next eight largest exporters, according to SIPRI. From high tariffs on agricultural imports to restrictions on genetically modified (GM) seeds and products, the US has criticised several Indian trade policies that have limited US exports. Under the new trade agreements, the US is seeking increased market access for its agricultural products, especially soya and corn – two of its top export items to China. Amid the likelihood of a protracted trade tussle with China, the US deal with India is likely to ensure greater market access for these two products. Additionally, the US may also secure improved access for its apples. A NITI Aayog working paper in May stated that India could offer some concessions on 'soybean oil imports' to reduce the trade imbalance, without harming domestic production. India is the largest importer of edible oil globally, and the US has a surplus of soybean exports. 'We should also explore the option of importing soybean seed and using it for extracting oil in coastal areas, then selling the oil in the domestic market and exporting the meal, for which there is adequate overseas demand. This will avoid genetically modified (GM) feed entering the Indian market,' the paper, authored by Senior Adviser at NITI Aayog Raka Saxena and Member Ramesh Chand, said. 'Similarly, corn may be imported for ethanol blending, and its by-products – like Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) – can be entirely exported to avoid GM feed in the country. US corn is cheaper and can be used to meet India's biofuel targets without disrupting local food and feed markets,' it said. Notably, soybeans and corn are among the top exports of US to China and according to a Reuters report, US soybean exports could drop 20 per cent and prices may plunge if the US-China trade dispute remains unresolved. If the trade agreement with the UK is any indication, India is likely to open its highly protected automobile and alcoholic beverage sectors to the US, its largest trade partner. Even before negotiations with the US began, India slashed duties on bourbon whisky to 50 per cent from the earlier 150 per cent. Bourbon whisky is primarily produced in the US, with about 95 per cent made in Kentucky. Under the UK deal, India cut tariffs on automotive imports from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent – although the reduction is phased over 10 to 15 years. A similar, if not more favourable, deal could be offered to the US. President Donald Trump had previously stated that high tariffs in India made it difficult for companies like Harley-Davidson to operate in the country.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
BBC defends Gaza coverage after White House criticism
BBC defends Gaza coverage after White House criticism (ANI) LONDON: The BBC Wednesday defended its reporting of an incident in which Palestinians were killed near a Gaza aid centre, after the White House accused the broadcaster of taking "the word of Hamas". Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli gunfire killed at least 31 people on Sunday near the US-backed aid centre. The Israeli military, however, denied its troops had fired on civilians in or around the centre, and both it and the aid centre's administrator accused Hamas of sowing false rumours. Responding to a question about the incident, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday the BBC had to "correct and take down" its story about the incident. "The administration is aware of those reports and we are currently looking into the veracity of them because, unfortunately, unlike some in the media, we don't take the word of Hamas with total truth," she said. "We like to look into it when they speak, unlike the BBC, who had multiple headlines," she said, citing stories that gave different death tolls. "And then, oh, wait, they had to correct and take down their entire story, saying 'We reviewed the footage and couldn't find any evidence of anything'," she added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cos'è ChatGPT di cui tutti parlano? Courses AI Undo But the BBC said the White House claims were not accurate and that it had not removed its story. "The claim the BBC took down a story after reviewing footage is completely wrong. We did not remove any story and we stand by our journalism," it said in a statement. It said headlines giving varying death tolls were "totally normal" journalistic practice due to the story being "updated throughout the day with the latest fatality figures as they came in from various sources". It said the death tolls were always "clearly attributed, from the first figure of 15 from medics, through the 31 killed from the Hamas-run health ministry to the final Red Cross statement of 'at least 21'", it added. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said its field hospital in Rafah received 179 people, including 21 pronounced dead on arrival. Leavitt also criticised the Washington Post for its reporting of the incident. The Post deleted one article over sourcing issues "because it and early versions of the article didn't meet Post fairness standards". "The article and headline were updated on Sunday evening making it clear that there was no consensus about who was responsible." The BBC has previously faced criticism of its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In February, it apologised and admitted "serious flaws" over a documentary -- "Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone" -- after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a senior Hamas figure.
