Latest news with #SouthAsian-American
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
How to watch NYC public advocate debate on PIX11
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Democratic candidates looking to become New York City's next public advocate will face off in a debate on PIX11 on Thursday night. Participating candidates include incumbent Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who is running for a second term, and Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, who made history as the first South Asian-American woman to be elected to a New York state office. More Local News The public advocate is responsible for introducing and co-sponsoring bills in the City Council. They also provide oversight for city agencies and investigate citizens' complaints about city services. In the event of a vacancy or incapacity of the mayor, the public advocate is first in line to become mayor. The debate starts at 7 p.m. EST on Thursday, June 5. The debate will air live on PIX11, and the PIX11+ smartTV app starting at 7 p.m. The debate will stream live on and the PIX11+ app on Roku, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV, and Samsung Smart TVs. For more information on the PIX11+ app, click here. Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jumaane Williams, Jenifer Rajkumar face off in debate on PIX11
NEW YORK (PIX11) — With polling numbers showing New Yorkers have a clear favorite for public advocate, one Democratic lawmaker will try to upset incumbent Jumaane Williams for the office. Williams and fellow state Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar will take the debate stage on June 5 at 7 p.m. The debate will air live on PIX11, and the PIX11+ smartTV app starting at 7 p.m. The primary election is on June 24. Williams was elected public advocate in 2019. He is currently about a 51% favorite among Democratic voters in New York, compared to 6% for Rajkumar, according to an April poll by Empire Report. During his tenure, Williams has passed key bills to fight housing discrimination, increase taxes, and protect New Yorkers in the workplace, according to his campaign. Prior to becoming the public advocate, Williams fought against the NYPD's use of stop and frisk by sponsoring the Community Safety Act. 'Throughout his over decade of service in government, Jumaane never stopped standing with marginalized communities to fight for justice and equity for all, and has never been afraid to put his body on the line. He has been arrested more than any other sitting elected official in New York, standing up for women's rights, immigration rights, housing rights, and more,' according to his campaign. Assemblywoman Rajkumar was the first South Asian-American woman elected to a New York state office and fought to make Diwali a school holiday in New York City. In January, Rajkumar announced she was ditching a run for NYC comptroller to join the public advocate race. The lawyer said the violence and affordability crisis have weakened the Democratic party. 'We need fresh, new leadership that focuses on realistic solutions over lifeless ideology and on decisive action over performative rhetoric. We need to bring a new standard of excellence to government, where inadequacy is a choice, not the status quo,' she wrote in City and State. Have questions for the candidates? Submit them by commenting on PIX11's social media accounts, including X, Instagram and Facebook. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Who is Arun Subramanian? All about Indian-origin judge in Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial
Witnesses in the sex trafficking case of American rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs began testifying this week at a district court in New York, in the courtroom of US district judge Arun Subramanian. The star witness in the case is Combs' ex-girlfriend and singer Cassie, who accused 'Diddy' of physical assault and control over every aspect of her life. She also accused the rapper of giving her drugs and forcing multiple sexual partners on her, whom she termed as 'freak offs.' Also read | Everything we know about rapper Diddy's sex trafficking trial: From charges to key witnesses Charges against Combs include running an empire of exploitation using his fame and money. He also coerced women into abusive sex parties and silenced them with blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and beatings. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said Combs was assisted by an inner circle of bodyguards and high-ranking employees who helped the rapper commit crimes and cover them up. The trial is being conducted at the courtroom of US district judge Arun Subramanian, who was appointed a federal judge by former President Joe Biden in 2022. Subramanian is the first South Asian to serve on this bench. The then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised Arun Subramanian by highlighting his immigrant background and dedication to advocating for people, especially in a district with a significant South Asian-American community. Also read | Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former girlfriend said fighting back made hip-hop mogul more violent Born in Pittsburgh in 1979 to Indian immigrant parents, Arun Subramanian earned his BA in Computer Science and English from Case Western Reserve University before obtaining his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he was recognised as a James Kent and Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and served as Executive Articles Editor for the Columbia Law Review. Subramanian began his legal career as a judicial clerk for Judge Dennis Jacobs on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He subsequently worked with Judge Gerard E. Lynch in the Southern District of New York and also clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Also read | A closer look at the jurors in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial From 2007 to 2023, he was a partner at the prominent law firm Susman Godfrey LLP in New York City, specialising in commercial and insolvency law. According to the firm's official website, the attorney of Indian origin has successfully recovered over a billion dollars on behalf of public and private entities that were victims of fraud and other unlawful conduct. His legal career has been devoted to advocating for public entities in False Claims Act cases, victims of child pornography trafficking, consumers, and individuals harmed by unfair practices.
News18
27-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
Indian-origin Politician Jenifer Rajkumar Faces Criticism Over ‘Racist' Meme
Last Updated: Jenifer Rajkumar has gained significant attention in the Public Advocate race for New York City as she takes on Jumaane Williams. News18 Indian-American politician and lawyer Jenifer Rajkumar, running for the Public Advocate for New York City, recently landed herself in hot water, sharing a controversial meme about her meme on social media. Jenifer, a graduate from the Stanford Law School and the University of Pennsylvania, earlier made history by becoming the first South Asian-American woman to get elected to the New York state office. On Wednesday, she shared a meme on Elon Musk-owned X in which the incumbent Public Advocate Jumaane Williams can be seen passed out in bed, New York Post reported. The cartoon image also shows a social media quote from Williams that reads, 'Maaaaan, last batch edibles took me somewhere else". Next to Williams' cartoon is a schedule which lists only 'nap' on his agenda for the day. On the other side, Jenifer showed herself as a hard-working lady following a packed work schedule that starts at 7 AM. Alongside the meme, Jenifer wrote that their campaign has 'woke up Jumaane Williams," highlighting that he held at press conference at 11:55 AM. She dubbed it as his 'earliest appearance in recent memory." She added that even the 'Public Absentee" is forced to set an alarm when she is running for the post. The state Assembly member's soon went viral on the platform, with Opposition leaders calling her out for being 'racist". Another person criticised her for saying 'nonsensical or racist things," adding that they will continue to 'ignore her". Arvind Sooknanan, spokesperson for Jenifer's campaign, came out in support of the controversy and claimed that people criticising her were using the Public Advocate's own words against him. Sooknanan said they used Jumaane's own X post in the image and have reflected on something that 'New Yorkers already know". He later reminded Jumaane about how he worked from a 'remote" office and remained 'unresponsive and missing in action" during the last six years. Jenifer's post came after Mayor Eric Adams slammed Williams at an event earlier this week. He claimed that Williams wakes up at noon and even 'takes a nap until 2." He goes looking around the fort to make sure the guards are awake. And then he goes back and takes another nap. 'Then he looks at the press and says, 'My job for over $200,000 is to find a way to criticize Eric or something.'" The mayor, though, didn't pin Williams' alleged no-show record on being high. The campaign also doubled down, posting the meme again Thursday afternoon, and replying to one of Williams' social posts. 'It's f–ked up," said one city politician. An Honan Strategy Group poll found this week that Rajkumar was polling at 6 per cent of likely Dem voters, while Williams, who has barely campaigned, was comfortably at 51 per cent. About a third of voters are still up for grabs, according to the poll. First Published:
