'It was a CIA COVERT Op…': Dan Hardway stuns House Committee on JFK Assassination Files
The Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held a hearing titled 'The JFK Files: Assessing Over 60 Years of the Federal Government's Obstruction, Obfuscation, and Deception.' The session focused on newly declassified documents released during the Trump administration, featured expert witness testimony on President John F. Kennedy's assassination, and scrutinised the government's long-standing failure to fully disclose critical information to the American public.
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
India-US trade talks need political push for final leg
The fine print of a preliminary trade deal between India and the US has mostly been worked out by negotiators from both sides but the ball is now in the court of the political leadership to break a stalemate, people aware of the parleys told HT, disclosing two of the topmost sticking points that remain. Trade experts said an interim trade deal between India and the US is possible by July 9, provided both respect practical and political sensitivities of each other. (AFP File) According to these people, these issues are: an unequivocal assurance that New Delhi seeks from Washington that all punitive levies will be repealed, and a freer access to India's politically sensitive agriculture sector that the American side has sought. 'The two-day deliberation that started in Washington on Thursday will likely stretch over to next week,' one of these people, who has direct knowledge of the talks, told HT. Both sides are in a sprint to announce a breakthrough, which will be a preliminary deal covering some portion of the trade between two nations, with a larger bilateral trade deal expected to be signed by October. Once the deal is done, India wants America to withdraw all existing and potential retaliatory tariffs, including the 26% reciprocal tariff — this comprises a 10% baseline tariff imposed from April 5 and an additional 16% country-specific levy set to trigger from July 9. India also wants the US to revoke all safeguard duties disputed at the World Trade Organisation—50% on Indian steel and aluminium and 25% on automobiles and auto parts—and to reciprocate New Delhi's move by proportionately slashing its most favoured nation tariffs. 'Washington has not yet given any unequivocal commitment on these matters, which are crucial for Indian interests,' another person said. American negotiators have been suggesting India replicate the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal model, where Britain accepted continued 10% baseline tariffs on most goods while securing relief from additional sectoral tariffs. However, Indian negotiators have rejected this approach. The other sticking point is the US insistence on India opening its agriculture and farming sector. While the American side is open to tariff rate quotas (TRQ) — a mechanism under which concessional duty or duty-free access of any specified item applies to a limited quantity — their insistence on some sensitive sectors is a challenge. 'The problem lies in wanting India to also open its sensitive sectors. Dairy imports are restricted for two reasons. First, India's dairy farming is at a subsistence level with one or two cows or buffaloes. The livelihoods of millions of farmers are at stake as they could not compete with America's commercial-scale dairy farms. Secondly, the US cattle feed includes non-vegetarian products, something against religious sentiments of Indian consumers,' a third person said. Similarly, India is unable to accept the US demand to allow unrestricted access to American agricultural items such as corn and soybean because Indian law does not permit genetically modified crops. 'America is unwilling to accept an institutional mechanism which would certify that its India-bound agriculture produce are not genetically modified, saying there is a practical problem in segregating GM and non-GM products,' this person said. This person added that solving such issues now require a political directive from the highest levels of the government. 'While majority of issues have been resolved with near consensus, including on removing tariff and non-tariff barriers on most of the items of interest for both countries, certain sensitive matters require political directives from the two leaders. An interim India-US trade deal, mainly involving goods, is possible to conclude before July 9, depending on political resolution of the stalemate,' the second person said. The Indian negotiating team could extend its stay in Washington next week and the two parties would discuss contentious issues, depending on any political directive, according to the first person. The Indian negotiating team led by chief negotiator and special secretary-commerce Rajesh Agrawal was still in Washington on Saturday, indicating that talks may extend into next week. Trade experts said an interim trade deal between India and the US is possible by July 9, provided both respect practical and political sensitivities of each other. Global Trade Research Initiative founder Ajay Srivastava outlined a likely scenario: 'The more likely outcome is a limited trade pact—styled after the US-UK mini trade deal announced on May 8. Under such a deal, India is expected to cut MFN tariffs on a wide range of industrial goods, including automobiles, a persistent demand from Washington. In agriculture, India may offer limited market access through tariff reductions and TRQs on select US products such as ethanol, almonds, walnuts, apples, raisins, avocados, olive oil, spirits, and wine.' 'However, India is unlikely to budge on sensitive sectors. No tariff cuts are expected for dairy products or key food grains like rice and wheat, where farm livelihoods are at stake. These categories are politically and economically sensitive, affecting over 700 million people in India's rural economy,' he added. Srivastava warned that 'the talks may collapse' if the US continues to insist on opening India's core agriculture sectors or allowing entry of GM products. The prudent move for Washington would be to respect Indian sensitivities and forge a deal for stronger strategic cooperation in future, he said, noting that 'agricultural goods account for less than 5% of US exports to India.' Another expert working in a multinational consulting firm said: 'Now it is the time for America to act as India has already given several concessions, making its intent clear for stronger and everlasting economic cooperation with the US.' After a week where tariffs took a back seat to the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and the massive tax and spending bill in the US Congress, the Trump administration's trade negotiations have picked up. News agency Reuters reported Washington had sent a new proposal to the EU on Thursday and held talks with Japan on Friday. Both India and Japan are in advanced negotiations.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
What's in the latest version of Trump's big bill now before US Senate
At some 940-pages, the legislation is a sprawling collection of tax breaks, spending cuts and other Republican priorities, including new money for national defense and deportations. Now it's up to Congress to decide whether President Donald Trump's signature's domestic policy package will become law. US Senators were working through the weekend to pass the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' and send it back to the House for a final vote. (Getty Images via AFP) Trump told Republicans, who hold majority power in the House and Senate, to skip their holiday vacations and deliver the bill by the Fourth of July. Senators were working through the weekend to pass the bill and send it back to the House for a final vote. Democrats are united against it. Here's the latest on what's in the bill. There could be changes as lawmakers negotiate. Tax cuts are the priority Republicans say the bill is crucial because there would be a massive tax increase after December when tax breaks from Trump's first term expire. The legislation contains roughly $3.8 trillion in tax cuts. The existing tax rates and brackets would become permanent under the bill. It temporarily would add new tax breaks that Trump campaigned on: no taxes on tips, overtime pay or some automotive loans, along with a bigger $6,000 deduction in the Senate draft for older adults who earn no more than $75,000 a year. It would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 under the Senate proposal. Families at lower income levels would not see the full amount. A cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, would quadruple to $40,000 for five years. It's a provision important to New York and other high tax states, though the House wanted it to last for 10 years. There are scores of business-related tax cuts. The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase from the legislation, which would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis of the House's version. Middle-income taxpayers would see a tax break of $500 to $1,500, the CBO said. Money for deportations, a border wall and the Golden Dome The bill would provide some $350 billion for Trump's border and national security agenda, including $46 billion for the U.S.-Mexico border wall and $45 billion for 100,000 migrant detention facility beds, as he aims to fulfill his promise of the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. Money would go for hiring 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses and a surge of Border Patrol officers, as well. The goal is to deport some 1 million people per year. The homeland security secretary would have a new $10 billion fund for grants for states that help with federal immigration enforcement and deportation actions. The attorney general would have $3.5 billion for a similar fund, known as Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide, or BIDEN, referring to former Democratic President Joe Biden. To help pay for it all, immigrants would face various new fees, including when seeking asylum protections. For the Pentagon, the bill would provide billions for ship building, munitions systems, and quality of life measures for servicemen and women, as well as $25 billion for the development of the Golden Dome missile defense system. The Defense Department would have $1 billion for border security. How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid and other programs To help partly offset the lost tax revenue and new spending, Republicans aim to cut back some long-running government programs: Medicaid, food stamps, green energy incentives and others. It's essentially unraveling the accomplishments of the past two Democratic presidents, Biden and Barack Obama. Republicans argue they are trying to rightsize the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve, mainly pregnant women, the disabled and children, and root out what they describe as waste, fraud and abuse. The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children 14 and older would have to meet the program's work requirements. There's also a proposed new $35 co-payment that can be charged to patients using Medicaid services. Some 80 million people rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama's Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. Most already work, according to analysts. All told, the CBO estimates that under the House-passed bill, at least 10.9 million more people would go without health coverage and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps. The Senate proposes a $25 billion Rural Hospital Transformation Program to help offset reduced Medicaid dollars. It's a new addition, intended to win over holdout GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warning that the proposed Medicaid provider tax cuts would hurt rural hospitals. Both the House and Senate bills propose a dramatic rollback of the Biden-era green energy tax breaks for electric vehicles. They also would phase out or terminate the various production and investment tax credits companies use to stand up wind, solar and other renewable energy projects. In total, cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs would be expected to produce at least $1.5 trillion in savings. Trump savings accounts and so, so much more A number of extra provisions reflect other GOP priorities. The House and Senate both have a new children's savings program, called Trump Accounts, with a potential $1,000 deposit from the Treasury. The Senate provided $40 million to establish Trump's long-sought 'National Garden of American Heroes.' There's a new excise tax on university endowments. A $200 tax on gun silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns was eliminated. One provision bars money to family planning providers, namely Planned Parenthood, while $88 million is earmarked for a pandemic response accountability committee. Another section expands the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, a hard-fought provision from Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, for those impacted by nuclear development and testing. Billions would go for the Artemis moon mission and for exploration to Mars. The bill would deter states from regulating artificial intelligence by linking certain federal AI infrastructure money to maintaining a freeze. Seventeen Republican governors asked GOP leaders to drop the provision. Also, the interior secretary would be directed to sell certain Bureau of Land Management acreage to provide for housing, but senators said that measure could be stripped out during the amendment process. Additionally, a provision would increase the nation's debt limit, by $5 trillion, to allow continued borrowing to pay already accrued bills. What's the final cost? Altogether, keeping the existing tax breaks and adding the new ones is expected to cost $3.8 trillion over the decade, the CBO says in its analysis of the House bill. An analysis of the Senate draft is pending. The CBO estimates the House-passed package would add $2.4 trillion to the nation's deficits over the decade. Or not, depending on how one does the math. Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost because those breaks are already 'current policy.' Senators say the Senate Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for the preferred approach. Under the Senate GOP view, the tax provisions cost $441 billion, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Democrats and others say this is 'magic math' that obscures the true costs of the GOP tax breaks. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget puts the Senate tally at $4.2 trillion over the decade.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'R*pist': Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's photo with MAGA-linked NFL stars is sparking Swiftie outrage online
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce faced backlash after posing with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan (Getty Images) Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are no strangers to the limelight, but their recent photo with controversial podcast hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan—known for their MAGA connections—has ignited backlash across social media. What was meant to be a lighthearted moment at Kelce's 'Tight End University' turned into a flashpoint for political tensions between Swift's fanbase and the couple's new associations. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's flex photo with right-wing podcasters raises eyebrows among loyal fans The now-viral image, posted by the hosts of the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast, shows Swift and Kelce posing arm-in-arm with the former NFL players. The caption read: 'Confirmed: Taylor Swift is FOR THE BOYS,' a statement that didn't land well with her liberal-leaning Swiftie fanbase. Will Compton and Taylor Lewan, who run the podcast, previously interviewed Donald Trump ahead of the last U.S. presidential election. UFC boss Dana White even credited the podcast with boosting Trump's campaign momentum, noting it helped "propel Trump to victory over Kamala Harris." That endorsement, combined with the duo's public MAGA affiliations—including a photo-op with Trump at a UFC event in 2023—has made them polarizing figures. Fans were quick to express their disappointment. A fan @callsmybluff wrote, 'and taylor swift the so called '#1 enemy of republicans' is hanging out with republicans cause her little boyfriend is friends with them and even imitating trump's pose. So now what?' Another user @beloved_hhost wrote, 'how many photos is it gonna take for swifties to realize that she's actively choosing to take photos & associate with these kinds of people? these are the people travis associates with & support the chiefs 'sHe DoEsN't GeT a SaY' fucking save it bc yes she does.' Another user @Cinnemafill wrote, 'Taylor swift hanging out with her maga boyfriend and his rxpist friend but sure Joe alwyn is the evil guy here. ' Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce faces heavy backlash (SS via Twitter) A deep contradiction between Taylor Swift's past activism and her recent company What makes this controversy more explosive is Swift's past political stance. In 2024, she publicly endorsed Kamala Harris in her bid for re-election. At the time, Trump fired back on Truth Social: 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!' He later doubled down with another insult, asking, 'Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT'?' Many fans see her recent association with Trump-linked personalities as a betrayal. One Swiftie commented, 'Imagine being rich enough to make the world a slightly better place... then actively choosing to surround yourself with these thugs instead.' Also Read: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's NFL flex pose sparks political controversy over Donald Trump comparison Swift and Kelce have yet to address the backlash directly. But with her image so tied to progressive ideals, the optics of this moment could cast a long shadow on the public's perception of her—and their seemingly storybook romance. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
