Indian commandos recaptured a hijacked cargo ship off the coast of Somalia last week, rescuing 21 crew members.
The Liberian flagged MV Lila Norfolk was sailing 450 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia when it was boarded last Thursday by <a href="https://news.usni.org/2024/01/07/indian-navy-retakes-merchant-ship-from-armed-hijackers-in-the-arabian-sea">about a half dozen hijackers</a>. The vessel had a multinational crew of 15 Indians and 6 Fillipinos, who sheltered in the ship’s safe room and reportedly sustained no injuries. The Indian Navy’s Marine Commandos (sometimes called MARCOS) retook the vessel the following morning – the hijackers appear to have fled during the night, after the Indian Navy arrived.
&#8220;The decisive thwarting of this attempted hijack is a stellar demonstration of mission deployed efforts [by the Indian Navy] to ensure the security of our oceans and seafarers.&#8221; Shambhu Kumaran, India&#8217;s envoy to the Philippines, wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/shambhukumaran/status/1743576241641545810">X</a>, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Somalia has historically been an epicenter of piracy, although <a href="https://mc.nato.int/missions/operation-ocean-shield">anti-piracy missions</a> by the U.S. and other naval powers have led to a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/01/16/what-is-happening-to-africas-pirates">steep decline</a> in the number of incidents since the early 2010s. 
However, Iranian backed Houthi militants from Yemen have been menacing international shopping from the other side of the Gulf of Aden, in support of Hamas and their ongoing war against Israel. There also appears to be a local spike in Somali piracy – another commercial ship, the MV Reun, was <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12868181/Commercial-ship-hijacked-pirates-heading-Somalia-Crew-no-longer-control-Spanish-warship-heads-intercept.html">hijacked</a> last December in the first major Somali attack since 2019.
<div id="attachment_677563" style="width: 451px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-677563" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-677563 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/Un-horn-of-africa-441x576.png" alt="" width="441" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/Un-horn-of-africa-441x576.png 441w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/Un-horn-of-africa-230x300.png 230w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/Un-horn-of-africa-768x1004.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/Un-horn-of-africa-1175x1536.png 1175w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/01/Un-horn-of-africa-1567x2048.png 1567w" sizes="(max-width: 441px) 100vw, 441px" />(Horn of Africa by Wikimedia Commons)</div>
Nearly <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/01/03/a-joint-statement-from-the-governments-of-the-united-states-australia-bahrain-belgium-canada-denmark-germany-italy-japan-netherlands-new-zealand-and-the-united-kingdom/">15%</a> of global maritime trade passes through the Red Sea, and attacks have already sent economic shockwaves across the world in the form of higher shipping costs and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/03/red-sea-crisis-shipping-costs-delays-inflation.html">supply chain delays</a> that could ripple throughout the system for months.
The international community has condemned the Houthi strikes and several major powers have deployed elements of their navies to escort civilian ships and protect shipping lanes. While the U.S. has taken a prominent role, India has also deployed at least 5 of its own destroyers to the region.
India is highly dependent on international trade – last year they imported <a href="https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/high-dependence-on-imports-hurting-indias-economy">86%</a> of their crude oil – and would be heavily impacted by any interruption of that trade. Vessels crewed by Indian nationals and bound for Indian ports have been <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/oil-tanker-hit-near-indian-coast-amid-maritime-hostilities-against-israel-by-houthis/">struck by missiles</a> since the crisis began.
India has also poured <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/07/20/indian-navy-expanding-to-meet-china-threat-better-team-with-allies">considerable resources</a> into growing and modernizing their navy, largely in response to China’s military build up. India and China are close trading partners and regional rivals with a fraught relation – India has increasingly aligned itself with the United States via military alliances such as &#8220;The Quad&#8221; (a &#8220;joint dialogue&#8221; between the US, Japan, Australia and India). Sending its assets into the Red Sea could be an opportunity to flex its military muscle in addition to protecting its maritime interests.
“As a rising great power in its own right, India maintains its desire to play a larger and more proactive role as a responsible security and development partner and provider, not only in the Indian Ocean Region but also the greater Indo-Pacific region,” Geopolitical Analyst Don McLain Gill told <a href="https://news.usni.org/2024/01/07/indian-navy-retakes-merchant-ship-from-armed-hijackers-in-the-arabian-sea">USNI News</a>.

Aerial view container ship full load container delivering on the blue sea for logistics, import export, shipping or transportation.

Indian Navy Retakes Ship From Hijackers

Houthis

India

Pirates

Somalia

The Indian Navy <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67889662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wasted no time</a> when a report said a ship bearing the Liberian flag with 15 Indians aboard was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia in the North Arabian Sea, sending a stealth-guided missile destroyer to deal with the situation.
The hijackers apparently fled before the destroyer INS Chennai showed up to deal with the MV Lila Norfolk. The Indian Navy reported that all 21 members of the crew, which included 15 Indians, were safely evacuated and the hijackers were no longer there, commenting, “The attempt of hijacking by the pirates was probably abandoned with the forceful warning by the #IndianNavy MPA of interception by Indian Naval warship.  #INSChennai is in the vicinity of MV and rendering support to restore the power generation &amp; propulsion, and commence her voyage to next port of call.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianNavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianNavy</a>’s Swift Response to the Hijacking Attempt of MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea. All 21 crew (incl <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/15Indians?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#15Indians</a>) onboard safely evacuated from the citadel. 
Sanitisation by MARCOs has confirmed absence of the hijackers.
The attempt of hijacking by the pirates… <a href="https://t.co/OvudB0A8VV">https://t.co/OvudB0A8VV</a> <a href="https://t.co/616q7avNjg">pic.twitter.com/616q7avNjg</a>
&mdash; SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1743286659880280527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Indian Navy said the INS Chennai had the Norfolk under constant surveillance “using MPA, Predator MQ9B &amp; integral helos.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INSChennai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INSChennai</a> diverted from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AntiPiracy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AntiPiracy</a> patrol intercepted MV Lila Norfolk at 1515h on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/05Jan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#05Jan</a> 2024. MV was kept under continuous surveillance using MPA, Predator MQ9B &amp; integral helos.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianNavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianNavy</a> MARCOs present onboard the Mission Deployed warship boarded MV &amp; commenced… <a href="https://t.co/gotHLCZL5e">https://t.co/gotHLCZL5e</a>
&mdash; SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1743260728193110451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Attempted hijacking of ships in the Middle East has been increasing in recent weeks; at the end of December, U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-considers-deploying-second-aircraft-carrier-group-near-israel-following-deadly-hamas-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Navy</a> helicopters destroyed three Iranian-backed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/houthis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houthi</a> small boats that had been attacking a merchant ship in the Red Sea, according to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pentagon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pentagon</a>.
At 6:30 a.m. local time on December 31, the Maersk Hangzhou, identified as a Singapore-flagged and Denmark-owned and operated container vessel, issued its second distress call in less than 24 hours — this time regarding four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1741381969936834951" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a post to X</a>.
The boats, which CENTCOM said were small and originated from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew-served and small-arms weapons at the Maersk Hangzhou, getting to within 20 meters of the vessel, and attempted to board the merchant ship while contract-embarked security team on the Maersk Hangzhou returned fire.
U.S. helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and USS Gravely guided-missile destroyer responded to the distress call, according to CENTCOM, and in the process of issuing verbal calls to the Houthi boats, the aggressors fired upon the U.S. aircraft with crew-served weapons and small arms.
The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats and killing the crews, said CENTCOM, which also noted that the fourth boat fled the area and emphasized there was no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this article.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-forces-sink-houthi-boats-in-red-sea-pentagon-says">U.S. Forces Sink Houthi Boats In Red Sea, Pentagon Says</a>

INDIA-FRANCE-DEFENCE-NAVY-EXERCISE

Indian Navy Wastes No Time With Pirates, Sends In Stealth-Guided Missile Destroyer

Hijack

Allegations from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canada</a> that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a> was connected to the killing of a prominent Sikh leader have increased tensions between the two countries.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had received “credible allegations” that the government of India was connected to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Sikh leader. Nijjar, 45, was outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, when he was shot by two masked gunmen on June 18, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-66848041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the BBC.
“Over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Trudeau said in remarks to Parliament Monday.
Trudeau added that his government would “hold perpetrators of this murder to account,” and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/trudeau-says-credible-allegations-link-india-to-killing-of-canadian-sikh-leader-f2e23c6a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.” The prime minister called on New Delhi to work with Canada to “get to the bottom” of the killing.
So far, no one has been arrested in connection to the killing, but three suspects are <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/americas/canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-india-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> being investigated.
India’s station chief for the external Indian intelligence service was expelled by Trudeau’s government on Monday, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/19/india-expels-canada-diplomat-sikh-assassination/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Washington Post. In response to the allegations and expulsion, India expelled a Canadian diplomat, the outlet reports, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/americas/canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-india-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing</a> Canadian diplomats’ “interference” in India’s “internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”
Though Trudeau said he didn’t seek to “provoke or escalate,” India felt differently, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/canada-investigating-india-linked-slaying-sikh-activist-103289440" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denying</a> any involvement and calling the allegations “absurd.&#8221;
“We urge the government of Canada to take prompt and effective legal action against all anti-India elements operating from their soil,” India’s foreign ministry said in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/18/world/canada/canada-india-sikh-killing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “completely rejected” Trudeau’s allegations, according to The New York Times.
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India labeled Nijjar a terrorist in 2020 after the government alleged he supported attacks in Punjab &#8212; a state in India &#8212; and requested his extradition two years later. They said he was part of a militant separatist group called the Khalistan Tiger Force and connected to the murder of a Hindu priest in India, The Washington Post reports.
The Khalistan separatist movement is made up of Sikhs who support <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/greta-thunberg-and-indian-climate-activist-colluded-on-a-toolkit-to-support-unrest-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forming</a> a new sovereign state in the Punjab region, which was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/14/world/asia/india-partition-history-photos.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">split</a> between Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan in 1947 during the partition of British India. Today, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/09/21/religious-demography-of-indian-states-and-territories/#:~:text=Most%20Sikhs%20live%20in%20Punjab,up%2077%25%20of%20India's%20Buddhists." target="_blank" rel="noopener">roughly</a> 16 million Sikhs live in Punjab, India. 
The Indian government <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/americas/canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-india-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> Canada of giving shelter to &#8220;Khalistani terrorists and extremists&#8221; in a Tuesday statement.
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,&#8221; India said. &#8220;The inaction of the Canadian Government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.”
According to the Post, the topic of Khalistan and the alleged assassination were brought up during the G20 Summit last week in India between Trudeau and Modi. The outlet reports that Modi had told the Canadian PM he had “strong concerns” about “anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada,” per a statement from Modi’s office. It&#8217;s also expected to be brought up during the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this week.
White House Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/18/americas/canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-india-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to CNN that the United States is “deeply concerned” about India&#8217;s potential role in the alleged assassination and mentioned the importance of the investigation, calling that “the perpetrators be brought to justice.”
“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that. We are not looking to provoke or escalate. We are simply laying out the facts as we understand them.” Trudeau <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/09/19/india-expels-canada-diplomat-sikh-assassination/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Meeting With Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Canada Investigating ‘Credible Allegations’ Indian Government Linked To Murder On Its Soil

Canada

Global Politics

Justin Trudeau

Murder

World

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> spacecraft crashed into the moon over the weekend, days before scientists had planned to land the craft there to test landing technology and search for water. 
The Luna-25 lander was supposed to be the first Russian craft to reach the moon since the 1970s, but Russian scientists lost contact during the mission, and it crashed, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/russias-moon-mission-falters-after-problem-entering-pre-landing-orbit-2023-08-20/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Roscosmos, Russia’s state space corporation. 
&#8220;The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon,&#8221; Roscosmos said. 
A commission has been formed to investigate what led to the crash of the Luna-25, which is just the latest Russian space mission to go awry. The last Russian moon exploration took place in 1976 when Luna-24 was launched. 
Russia’s space corporation <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/russia-luna-25-spacecraft-crashes-moon-lunar-south-pole-rcna100839" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had hoped</a> that Luna-25 would prove the country was “capable of delivering a payload to the moon” and “ensure Russia’s guaranteed access to the moon’s surface.”
Luna-25 was supposed to land on the moon’s south pole, where no other spacecraft has ever made a landing. Some say the area may be home to precious elements and frozen water. 
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“The first goal is to find the water, to confirm that it is there &#8230; to study its abundance,&#8221; <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-united-states-space-race-moon-launch-roscosmos-nasa-china-vladimir-putin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Olga Zakutnyaya, who works at Moscow’s Space Research Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences, earlier this month. 
Russia has faced technological and financial challenges in recent years, problems that have only been exacerbated by the cost of its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">war with Ukraine</a> and the massive economic sanctions placed on it by Western countries over the invasion. 
&#8220;It is so sad that it was not possible to land the apparatus,&#8221; said Mikhail Marov, a 90-year-old physicist and astronomer who worked in the Soviet space program decades ago. “This was perhaps the last hope for me to see a revival of our lunar program.&#8221;
Russia may work with China on future space missions, with plans for Lunar-26, Lunar-27, and Lunar-28.
An Indian spacecraft, the Chandrayaan-3, will attempt to land on the moon on August 23, a mission the Russians were competing against. India would be the fourth country to have a craft land on the moon, following the U.S., the Soviet Union, and China. A previous spacecraft from India crashed into the moon in 2019.

RUSSIA-VLADIVOSTOK-LUNAR STATION-LAUNCH

Russian Spacecraft Crashes Into Moon During First Lunar Mission In Almost 50 Years

Air &amp; Space

Moon

Russia

Space

Ukraine-Russia War

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. House Speaker Raises Prospect Of Impeachment Inquiry
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) doubled down on his claims on Tuesday that the Republican-controlled chamber is moving closer toward an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. The Speaker says the inquiry would surround allegations that he accepted millions of dollars in bribes from foreign countries.
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🚨JUST IN: Speaker Kevin McCarthy doubles down on his calls for Congress to begin an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden: 
&quot;It&#39;s giving Congress the full power to get the information they need. It&#39;s the way people should go about investigating.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Shsn7iBOgE">pic.twitter.com/Shsn7iBOgE</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1683902452595310593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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McCarthy’s remarks come after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investigators-obtain-biden-financial-records-showing-transactions-from-ukraine-and-russia-oversight-chairman">released</a> an FBI-generated form last week in which a confidential source told the FBI that Burisma co-founder and CEO Mykola Zlochevsky claimed that he was “coerced” by the Bidens into paying millions of dollars in bribes. In exchange, the then-vice president pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was investigating Burisma.
Rapid Reaction: Putting together as strong a case as possible is a wise plan, but at this point, what else does Congress need to begin impeachment proceedings? As The Babylon Bee satirically said, &#8220;McCarthy Says 783rd Impeachable Offense By Biden Will Be The Last Straw.&#8221;
Americans, and more specifically the GOP base, are getting tired of an apparent &#8220;All Talk, No Action&#8221; attitude. However, in this instance, McCarthy and the House Oversight Chairman deserve credit for pursuing this matter.
Yet as The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Mike Howell said, &#8220;The goal here is the de-weaponization of government, not just exposure, and Congress’ efforts will be judged by that standard.&#8221; It&#8217;s a good standard.
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2. Major Democratic Donor Bought Hunter&#8217;s Artwork
The art gallery where Hunter Biden’s paintings are featured sold one of his works to a top Democratic donor who is a “friend” of the Biden family and was, according to a new report, named by President Biden to a prestigious commission.
L.A. real estate investor Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who has given tens of thousands of dollars to the political Left, is one of the buyers of Hunter Biden’s artwork. Several months after Hunter’s art went on sale, the president appointed Naftali to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. In addition, according to The Washington Free Beacon, she has visited the White House 13 times, including a meeting with a top White House adviser. The date of her purchase is unclear, though the appointment and all of her White House visits took place after Hunter’s first art show. The White House has maintained that there is a wall between Hunter’s art sales and his father.
Rapid Reaction: The American people aren&#8217;t dumb, but the White House is arrogant. Everybody could see that the White House&#8217;s &#8220;wall&#8221; between Hunter and his dad was bogus. It&#8217;s almost comical that anybody would ever expect Hunter to not benefit primarily from Democratic donors or others trying to curry favor with the president.
Total speculation, but isn&#8217;t the following scenario conceivable: A Democratic donor, or a Chinese official for that matter, pays big bucks for a Hunter original. The buyer&#8217;s name is kept a secret. That buyer hangs it up in their McClean, Virginia, dining room. They then have a dinner party that the hoi polloi like you and I would never get invited to. Swamp creatures see Hunter&#8217;s artwork hanging on the wall, and voila, word gets back to Biden and his dad the identity of the individual who shelled out thousands to his son, and the buyer is then rewarded with certain benefits.
And that would be the complicated version of how the grift works.
3. Biden&#8217;s Dog Goes On Chomping Spree — Again!
President Biden’s German Shepherd “Commander” bit seven people in four months from September 2022 to January 2023. According to the New York Post, one secret service agent was even hospitalized due to the attacks. The president’s previous dog “Major” was also sent away because he, too, kept biting people.
Rapid Reaction: Bad dog or bad owners? Read more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bad-dog-or-bad-owner-bidens-dog-cant-stop-biting-people-records-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
4. India Bans Rice Exports, Panic In The U.S. Ensues
The country of India <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12331565/Indias-rice-export-ban-triggers-panic-buying-supermarkets-sparking-costs-20-pound-bag-soar-16-50.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> the export of non-basmati rice last Thursday, triggering a panic around the U.S. as shoppers rushed out to buy rice. American Indian-owned grocery stores and markets experienced much of the increased demand, and in turn, prices for 20-pound bags of rice skyrocketed from $16 to nearly $50, with lines around the block. India invoked the ban as an attempt to slow down runaway food inflation.
Rapid Reaction: India&#8217;s leaders are putting India First; it would be nice to have a president who wants to put America First.
5. NFL Player Suspended For Gambling
A <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-suspends-broncos-eyioma-uwazurike-indefinitely-for-gambling-violation-isaiah-wilson-also-suspended/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive end</a> for the Denver Broncos has been suspended indefinitely for breaking NFL rules regarding gambling. The league announced Monday that Eyioma Uwazurike bet on NFL games during the 2022 season. Uwazurike played in eight games last season and was expected to push for more playing time this season.
Rapid Reaction: So long as he was betting on his teams to win, is this really so unethical?
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Joe Biden

Rapid Reaction: Both Biden And His Pup Are In The Dog House

Animals

General

Impeachment

Kevin McCarthy

Morning Wire

Podcast

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/state-department">The State Department</a> will spend nearly $50,000 in taxpayer funds to push for transgender inclusion policies in Indian corporations. 
It is set to provide $49,813 to an Indian organization called the YR Gaitonde Medical, Educational and Research Foundation, which seeks to normalize transgenderism in workplaces. 
The <a href="https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_SIN65023GR0022_1900">grant</a> aims to “sensitize employees of corporate entities in Hyderabad and Chennai toward transgender persons in their workforce, adopt inclusive policies, and create a safe and nurturing environment.” Stated &#8220;objectives&#8221; include supporting &#8220;the achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advance national interests, and enhance national security by informing and influencing foreign publics.” The grant&#8217;s start date is listed as May 30, 2023, concluding May 31, 2024.
In addition, the State Department is slated to provide the Indian group with another $42,125 in “non-federal funding,” the origin of which is not listed. 
The State Department previously <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/12/21/state-department-prepares-spend-50k-transgender-activism-india/">advertised</a> its offer to provide up to $50,000 in grant funds to a pro-transgender organization in India, <a href="https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=343067">noting</a> that it was specifically seeking a program that would “lead to the setting up of Pride/Rainbow groups within corporations that actively create awareness about TG persons and their rights.”
The State Department said a &#8220;concrete objective&#8221; was to influence corporations in India “develop active transgender employee recruitment plans.”
“The longer-term intention is that these corporations and businesses increase their hiring of members of the transgender community and help their employees and the general public be more accepting,” the State Department noted. 
A spokesperson for the State Department told The Daily Wire: &#8220;Indigenous persons, religious and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQI+ persons, and persons with disabilities, among others, live with disproportionate violence that requires targeted support.&#8221;
The push for transgenderism appears to be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trans-evangelism-how-the-state-department-is-pushing-the-lefts-gender-ideology-around-the-world">particularly strong</a> in India. U.S. Consulate General Kolkata <a href="https://share.america.gov/us-supports-transgender-clinics-india/">assisted</a> in opening the first transgender medical clinic in Eastern India in 2020 and celebrated the <a href="https://twitter.com/USAndKolkata/status/1375379184474722306?s=20">opening</a> of another clinic in 2021. 
The U.S. Consulate General Chennai has also held <a href="https://in.usembassy.gov/u-s-consulate-general-chennai-unfurls-rainbow-pride-flag-to-commemorate-pride-month/">Pride events</a>, including a virtual panel called “Recognizing Pride in American Literature.”
Meanwhile, a 2014 <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/15/303408581/in-india-landmark-ruling-recognizes-transgender-citizens">court ruling</a> allowed those who identify as transgender to be legally recognized as a third gender. The court even stated that &#8220;it was the right of every human being to choose their gender.&#8221; It also decided that employment discrimination against people who identify as transgender is illegal. 
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7463">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Those who identify as transgender, many of whom are referred to as “hijras,” are able to legally <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/style/india-third-gender-hijras-transgender.html">undergo</a> sex change operations. 
The State Department has also promised to spend taxpayer dollars supporting transgender people in other foreign countries, including providing $2,315 to a program in Nepal &#8220;to conduct English language classes to professional transgender women makeup entrepreneurs.” The grant seeks to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange,” the US Spending site <a href="https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_SNP40023CA0015_1900">states</a>.
The State Department also <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/social-justice/2022/12/21/state-department-awards-30k-grant-pro-trans-group-kyrgyzstan/">pledged $30,000</a> to a pro-transgender group in Kyrgyzstan to “prevent gender-based violence against the transgender community and increase acceptance through sensitivity and advocacy trainings, and media campaigns.”

India Trans Rights

State Dept To Spend Nearly $50k Pushing Trans ‘Inclusive Policies’ On Indian Corporations

Pushing Trans 'Inclusive Policies' On Indian Corporations

Social Issues

State Department

trans

Transgender

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jamie-raskin-refuses-to-give-details-about-what-was-in-fbi-document-alleging-biden-corruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comer Announces Contempt Of Congress Hearings</a>
House Oversight Chairman James Comer announced today that the FBI has refused to &#8220;hand over the unclassified record&#8221; that allegedly links then-Vice President Joe Biden to a pay-for-play bribery scheme with a foreign national. Comer said his panel will now proceed with hearings on holding FBI Director Christoper Wray in contempt of Congress this Thursday.
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🚨🚨BREAKING: House Oversight Chair James Comer says the FBI has once again refused &quot;hand over the unclassified record&quot; that links then-VP Joe Biden to a pay-for-play bribery scheme with a foreign national. Oversight &quot;will now initiate contempt of Congress hearings this… <a href="https://t.co/2qoas43Igm">pic.twitter.com/2qoas43Igm</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1665769189813145601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-pence-files-for-2024-presidential-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Pence Files For 2024</a>
Former Vice President Mike Pence made his White House run official after filing Federal Election Commission paperwork to run in the GOP presidential primary. Pence is expected to formally announce in Iowa on Wednesday. Here he is on Sunday at Iowa’s Roast and Ride:
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Former Vice President <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Pence?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mike_Pence</a> on 2024: &quot;I don&#39;t have anything to announce today, but I can tell you when I got time to announce come this Wednesday, I&#39;m announcing in Iowa.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/R4aVbM55wv">https://t.co/R4aVbM55wv</a> <a href="https://t.co/sdgud5KIiE">pic.twitter.com/sdgud5KIiE</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1665346665044389888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, New Hampshire GOP Governor Chris Sununu announced in a Washington Post op-ed that he would not be running in 2024 because “beating Trump is more important.” Here he is on CNN:
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Chris Sununu announces he will NOT be running for president, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaBashCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaBashCNN</a> there&#39;s &quot;a very large field&quot; and candidates need to be &quot;call[ed]&#8230;out&quot; when they&#39;re in the single digits and splitting the non-Trump vote.
He adds many will need to quit by Christmas. <a href="https://t.co/ZgwrSWHDK6">pic.twitter.com/ZgwrSWHDK6</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1665753168381108226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/texas-rangers-only-mlb-team-181100076.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just One MLB Team Won&#8217;t Have Pride Day</a>
So far, one MLB team, the Texas Rangers, announced they will not hold a Pride event. When asked about their decision, the Rangers released the following statement: “Our commitment is to make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball. That means in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do – for both our fans and our employees. We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.”
Iowa Apartment Collapse Update
The bodies of the final three missing persons in the apartment collapse in Davenport, Iowa, were found Sunday night and Monday morning after days of searching. According to officials, the six-story apartment building partially collapsed late last week, and a rescue operation has been underway around the clock since. Here’s Davenport police chief Jeffrey Bladel:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Davenport apartment collapse press conference 10 a.m. Monday (6/5)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vphtjpELfKA?start=627&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-attorneys-visit-doj-after-accusing-special-counsel-of-misconduct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump&#8217;s Attorneys Meet With DOJ</a>
Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys met with the Department of Justice (DOJ) today to discuss complaints about the special counsel investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents. 
Trump’s legal team arrived at the DOJ this morning weeks after accusing special counsel Jack Smith of misconduct. According to reports, Trump’s attorneys were to meet with DOJ officials about those accusations, as well as to get a feel for the state of Smith’s investigative efforts. Signs suggest that Smith is nearing a decision on whether to charge Trump over classified documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago last year. 
No details have yet been released from that Monday meeting. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith in November to take over DOJ investigations into the Mar-a-Lago documents and Trump’s role related to January 6. Over the weekend, Trump attacked the DOJ’s treatment of Biden and the myriad of alleged crimes connected to the current president’s family. 
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/austin-has-its-first-known-serial-killer-138-years-but-questions-remain-rainey-street-deaths" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Austin Serial Killer</a>
Austin, Texas has its first serial killer in more than a century, Fox News reported. 
 Last week, police in Texas announced the arrest of 62-year-old Raul Meza Jr. in connection with two murders. Meza turned himself in after a statewide manhunt was launched after the May 20th killing of 80-year-old former probation officer Jesse Fraga. After turning himself in, police say he admitted to an additional murder — that of 66-year-old Gloria Lofton in 2019. Meza has been in and out of prison for decades, most notably serving time for the rape and murder of an 8-year-old child in the 1980s. Police say they do not believe Meza is responsible for the recent series of deaths at Lady Bird Lake. 
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/06/05/woman-arrested-tuberculosis-treatment-washington/70287859007/#:~:text=A%20wanted%20woman%20who%20public,Pierce%20County%20Health%20Department%20said." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Authorities Arrest Tuberculosis Patient For Treatment</a>
Local authorities jailed a tuberculosis patient in Washington state who refused medical treatment for more than a year. 
A Washington judge issued an order in May for the unnamed woman to be involuntarily detained for treatment, which is legal under state law. Pierce County sheriff deputies located and detained the woman Thursday, and she is now being housed in Pierce County jail. This is the third time in 20 years that Pierce County officials have had to pursue a court order to force tuberculosis treatment. 
<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-train-crash-investigation-possibility-sabotage-odisha-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Train Wreck Kills Hundreds</a>
Indian authorities are trying to determine what went wrong in a deadly train crash that killed nearly 300 individuals and 1,000 injured others in India&#8217;s eastern state of Odisha on Friday. Authorities say initial data show that an electronic signaling system error is the likely cause of the crash. The incident is one of the worst train crashes in the country’s history. 
<a href="https://weather.com/news/weather/video/at-least-15-dead-8-missing-in-haiti-flooding-landslides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Haiti Flooding Brings Death And Destruction</a>
And, torrential rain in Haiti over the weekend caused catastrophic flooding, leaving at least 42 people dead, 85 others injured, nearly 14,000 houses damaged, and many crops ruined. More than 13,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes on the Caribbean island.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Monday stock photo

Monday Afternoon Update: Comer Plans Contempt Vote, Mike Pence Files For 2024, Austin Serial Killer?

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Disease

Haiti

LGBTQ

Mike Pence

Texas

Actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Priyanka Chopra</a> discussed making the switch from India&#8217;s Bollywood to the American <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">movie industry</a>.
“I was being pushed into a corner in the industry. I had people not casting me for reasons. I had a beef with people. Again, I’m not good at playing that game. I was tired of the politics,” Chopra <a href="https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/priyanka-chopra-jonas">told</a> Dax Shepard on his “Armchair Expert” podcast on March 27.
The 40-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment">celebrity</a> mentioned that she took issue with top actresses in India making less than their male counterparts. 
“Movies are sold on the guy and the girl now. Change was demanded by the new generation coming in and saying, ‘Great, make a Bollywood blockbuster, but with me too,’” she went on.
Chopra, who is married to recording artist Nick Jonas, said fame in Hollywood isn’t the same as it is in India.
“I don’t think you guys have seen that stardom,” she said of Bollywood celebrities. “I don’t think Tom Cruise has seen that. I’m not that, but we have actors with that allegiance and love.”
The actress also discussed Bollywood’s obsession with skin color.
“I was lightened up in many movies. Through makeup and then blasting lighting. There was a song which I still remember. It was called &#8216;Chitti Dudh Kudi&#8217; which means a girl who is as white as milk, and I ain’t that, but I was playing her and I was really lightened up in the movie,” Chopra recalled.
“If you were darker – I’m not even that dark – for darker girls it was: ‘Let’s lighten you up,’” she added, saying she did an ad for lightening skin cream which depicted a woman getting a man’s attention after applying it.
Chopra and Jonas made headlines recently when they welcomed their first child via surrogate, a decision the actress defended earlier this year.
“I had medical complications,” Chopra <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/priyanka-chopra-defends-surrogacy-decision">told</a> British Vogue in an interview for their February cover story. “This was a necessary step, and I’m so grateful I was in a position where I could do this. Our surrogate was so generous, kind, lovely, and funny, and she took care of this precious gift for us for six months.”
“You don’t know me,” the former Miss World competition winner went on. “You don’t know what I’ve been through. And just because I don’t want to make my medical history, or my daughter’s, public doesn’t give you the right to make up whatever the reasons were.”

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Priyanka Chopra Discusses Leaving Bollywood For Hollywood: ‘Tired Of The Politics’

Priyanka Chopra Discusses Leaving Bollywood For Hollywood: 'Tired Of The Politics'

Celebrities

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An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan — near the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border — on Tuesday, sending shockwaves and tremors that could be felt as far out as India&#8217;s capital city of New Delhi.
Reuters issued a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/magnitude-68-earthquake-strikes-hindu-kush-afghanistan-gfz-2023-03-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preliminary report</a> on the quake, which occurred at 10:17 p.m. local time, citing data from the German Research Center for Geoscience (GFZ). The GFZ determined that the quake had occurred at a depth of 114 miles.
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Strong tremors felt in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> &amp; NCR following <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Earthquake</a> of 6.6 on the Richter scale striking 133 KM SSE of Fayzabad, Afghanistan. Lat: 36.09 &amp; Long: 71.35, Depth: 156 Km. : National Centre of Seismology <a href="https://t.co/KHwcoG8DpH">pic.twitter.com/KHwcoG8DpH</a>
&mdash; IANS (@ians_india) <a href="https://twitter.com/ians_india/status/1638228444617277440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Reports so far indicate that shaking was felt in Afghanistan&#8217;s capital city, Kabul, as well as several Pakistani cities — namely Islamabad and Lahore.
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⚠Preliminary info: M7.4 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquake</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%84%D9%87?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#زلزله</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D0%B7%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D1%8F%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#землетрясение</a>) about 70 km SE of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fayzabad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fayzabad</a> (<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a>) 7 min ago (local time 21:17:24). Updates at: 📱<a href="https://t.co/LBaVNedOuH">https://t.co/LBaVNedOuH</a> 🌐<a href="https://t.co/AXvOM7ICIP">https://t.co/AXvOM7ICIP</a> 🖥<a href="https://t.co/wPtMW5OaR1">https://t.co/wPtMW5OaR1</a> <a href="https://t.co/HwnXSG19tM">pic.twitter.com/HwnXSG19tM</a>
&mdash; EMSC (@LastQuake) <a href="https://twitter.com/LastQuake/status/1638222484666474496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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On the streets after feeling the tremors in Delhi. Strong tremors across NCR. Experiencing this after the earthquake followed by tsunami in India. <a href="https://t.co/yGq9cpbB9F">pic.twitter.com/yGq9cpbB9F</a>
&mdash; KhushbuSundar (@khushsundar) <a href="https://twitter.com/khushsundar/status/1638224650898673669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/3/21/powerful-earthquake-felt-in-afghanistan-and-pakistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Affected countries</a> so far include Turkmenistan, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China, Afghanistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
&#8220;The earthquake magnitude in Pakistan is recorded at 6.8 on the Richter scale while the entire region had an impact of 7.7 magnitude with the strong tremors felt in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China,&#8221; one reporter noted in a tweet.
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The earthquake magnitude in Pakistan is recorded at 6.8 on the Richter scale while the entire region had an impact of 7.7 magnitude with the strong tremors felt in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China.
&mdash; Wajahat Kazmi (@KazmiWajahat) <a href="https://twitter.com/KazmiWajahat/status/1638226547554263053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Initial reports have not included any information about possible casualties.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-18974">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
A previous earthquake measuring 5.8 <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/magnitude-58-earthquake-strikes-hindu-kush-region-afghanistan-gfz-2023-01-05/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck the same region</a> on January 5 at a depth of 117 miles, causing tremors that were felt in New Delhi, Kabul, and Islamabad.

seismograph with earthquake indication

Massive Earthquake Hits Afghanistan, Tremors Felt In India, Pakistan, And China

Massive Earthquake Hits Afghanistan, Tremors Felt As India, Pakistan, And China

Afghanistan

Disasters

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Senators, including seven Republicans, voted on Wednesday to confirm President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a>&#8216;s nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a>, embattled former Los Angeles Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-garcetti" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Garcetti</a>.
The Senate voted 52-42 to send Garcetti to New Delhi.
The seven Republicans who voted in favor of moving forward were: Bill Cassidy (LA), Susan Collins (ME), Steve Daines (MT), Lindsey Graham (SC), Bill Hagerty (TN), Roger Marshall (KS), and Todd Young (IN).
Three Democrats voted against his nomination. Six senators did not vote.
&#8220;I&#8217;m thrilled with today&#8217;s outcome, which was a decisive and bipartisan decision to fill a critical post that has been vacant for far too long. Now the hard work begins,&#8221; Garcetti said in a statement.
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Eric Garcetti’s statement on being confirmed as ambassador to India <a href="https://t.co/DSLhPQFzzu">pic.twitter.com/DSLhPQFzzu</a>
&mdash; Christopher Cadelago (@ccadelago) <a href="https://twitter.com/ccadelago/status/1636080976664092673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Garcetti is a Democrat who served as mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 to 2022 and was <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/mayor-garcetti-to-serve-as-biden-campaign-co-chair/2354734/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named co-chair of Biden&#8217;s campaign</a> in 2020. After Biden became president, he first nominated Garcetti to be ambassador to India in July 2021. Garcetti was nominated again earlier this year for the new session of Congress.
The nomination was held up amid claims that Garcetti may have ignored sexual misconduct allegations against a top aide when he was mayor. Naomi Seligman, a former communication’s director for Garcetti, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/13/politics/eric-garcetti-ambassador-india-naomi-seligman/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN on Monday that Garcetti</a> is &#8220;unfit to become an ambassador or really to hold public office anywhere in this country or this world.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-releases-staff-review-of-garcettis-awareness-of-misconduct-by-former-senior-advisor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A review by staff</a> for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) found Garcetti &#8220;likely knew, or should have known, that his former senior advisor was sexually harassing and making racist remarks toward multiple individuals.&#8221;
Garcetti denied the assertions, insisting he did not witness any inappropriate behavior.
The White House voiced support for Garcetti up until he was confirmed, with spokesperson Olivia Dalton saying Biden “believes that we have a crucial and consequential partnership with India and that Mayor Garcetti will make a strong and effective ambassador,” <a href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/ap-top-news/2023/03/15/garcettis-long-stalled-india-envoy-nomination-faces-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Associated Press</a>.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee opted to advance Garcetti&#8217;s nomination <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-committee-advances-eric-garcetti-nomination-ambassador-india-rcna74032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last week by a 13-8 vote</a>. GOP support to proceed with Garcetti&#8217;s nomination earlier on Wednesday prompted outrage from at least one prominent Republican figure.
&#8220;Why are Republican Senators throwing a lifeline to save a radical Dem like Eric Garcetti? Dems would NEVER do this to save a Republican nominee in peril,&#8221; tweeted Donald Trump Jr. &#8220;This type of weakness is exactly why we&#8217;re losing our country. Dems play hardball, while Republicans keep playing tee-ball.&#8221;
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Why are Republican Senators throwing a lifeline to save a radical Dem like Eric Garcetti?
Dems would NEVER do this to save a Republican nominee in peril. This type of weakness is exactly why we&#39;re losing our country. Dems play hardball, while Republicans keep playing tee-ball. <a href="https://t.co/b9JdpuDUVB">https://t.co/b9JdpuDUVB</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1636049284318613504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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One of the Republicans who voted to move forward with Garcetti&#8217;s nomination, Young, told CNN that senators had to &#8220;balance concerns&#8221; with the nominee against national security imperatives.
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Menendez on Garcetti allegations: &quot;Witnesses deny that in fact he had any knowledge.&quot; Todd Young: &quot;We have to balance concerns&quot; with nat sec imperatives. Mark Kelly: &quot;I have significant concerns&quot; Eric Garcetti now on track to be confirmed as ambassador to India <a href="https://t.co/nGiwFSOxcE">pic.twitter.com/nGiwFSOxcE</a>
&mdash; Manu Raju (@mkraju) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1636066606399848449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In lieu of a Senate-confirmed ambassador to India, multiple temporary envoys have held the diplomatic post since Biden took office.
“The United States-India relationship is extremely important, and it’s a very good thing we now have an ambassador,” <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1636058574429249537" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Mayor Eric Garcetti Joins Joe Biden

Seven Republicans Help Confirm Embattled Biden Nominee As Ambassador To India

Seven Republicans Help Confirm Embattled Garcetti As Biden's Ambassador To India

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The Democrat-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced the nomination of embattled former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be U.S. Ambassador to India — with the support of two Senate Republicans — amid allegations his office covered up sexual assault and harassment.
Garcetti, who welcomed the nomination from President Joe Biden in 2021, has been accused of turning a blind eye when a Los Angeles police officer was allegedly sexually harassed by a former top aide to the mayor. The former Los Angeles mayor denied the allegations, saying he did not witness any inappropriate behavior.
The issue has left an unprecedented two-year vacancy in New Delhi, which has left Republicans and some Democrats uncertain about supporting Garcetti because of his alleged past actions.
Despite the accusations against Garcetti, committee members voted 13-8, with Republican Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee supporting. The Democrat party, including two female Sens. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, reportedly told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/01/garcetti-nomination-india-breaking-point-00084906" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> they plan on supporting Garcetti’s nomination.
Minority ranking member Sen. James Risch (R-ID) told <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1633496494648041477" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punchbowl News</a> on Capitol Hill that he would vote against Garcetti’s nomination citing “new evidence [that] has raised enough questions regarding his judgment.”
“We must ensure that any chief of mission will, without question, protect our foreign service officers and embassy staff from all types of harassment,” Risch said.
Risch reportedly previously backed Garcetti in committee.
Garcetti cleared the hurdle after nearly 600 days since his nod from the Biden administration and shortly after committee member Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) placed a hold on the nomination, complicating his path to a floor vote by the full Senate.
Rubio included Garcetti’s nod in a list of “questionable individuals” nominated by the Biden administration, saying in a press release, “one of these nominees has ignored credible sexual assault accusations in his prior office.&#8221;
Congress advanced the former mayor’s nomination last year in the previous Congress just before he faced the sexual assault accusations, which surfaced when the Los Angeles area struggled during COVID as it faced intense lockdowns that contributed to residents moving out of the city.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) requested an investigation into Garcetti last year that delayed the mayor’s ambassador nomination Senate confirmation vote.
The report found, according to CBS, that it was “more probable than not” that Garcetti was aware that his former aide Rick Jacobs “sexually harassed multiple individuals and made racist comments towards others.”
“Mr. Jacobs’ behavior was widely known and talked about,” the report reads. “It was pervasive, widespread and notorious — to the point that Mr. Jacobs sexually harassed someone in front of the mayor for a picture that would be memorialized for all of time. Such overt conduct suggests at best that Mr. Jacobs had no fear of any repercussions.”
Naomi Seligman, Garcetti’s former communications director and whistleblower who testified to sexual abuse at L.A. City Hall and was herself a victim, told The Daily Wire in an email statement that Garcetti’s advancement is “disheartening, to say the least.”
“Today’s vote, on International Women’s Day no less, shows a real disconnect between the rhetoric we hear from elected leaders who claim to support victims of workplace sexual harassment and the pass they give to party loyalists in the next breath,” Seligman said.
“It was already clear from the time of his nomination that Garcetti was unfit to represent our country, and each passing month reveals new embarrassments to the President and the Senate &#8211; from prior perjury before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, strong arming senators to support his nomination, more witnesses and victims of sexual harassment, and multiple members of the Garcetti administration facing corruption charges and serving prison sentences,” she added.
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Garcetti’s next step is to gain a vote on the U.S. Senate floor.
Whistleblower Aid, the non-profit legal organization supporting individuals who lawfully report government and corporate law-breaking, previously called the committee’s support for Garcetti “a bitter pill to swallow” amid the sexual assault accusations placed against him.
In an email to The Daily Wire, the organization urged the full Senate to “reject Garcetti and confirm a nominee with a clear record on protecting victims of sexual harassment and abuse.”

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Biden Nominee Clears Senate Hurdle Despite Sex Harassment Scandal

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The Democrat-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee is on notice from a non-profit government whistleblower group which called supporting former L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti&#8217;s ambassador to India nomination &#8220;a bitter pill to swallow&#8221; amid allegations his office covered up sexual assault and harassment.
Garcetti, who welcomed the nomination from President Joe Biden in 2021, has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/l-a-mayor-garcetti-nominated-as-ambassador-to-india">accused</a> of turning a blind eye when a Los Angeles police officer was allegedly sexually harassed by a former top aide to the mayor. The former Los Angeles mayor denied the allegations, saying he did not witness any inappropriate behavior.
Foreign Relations Committee officials are expected to vote on the embattled nomination of Garcetti next week after nearly 600 days since his nod from the Biden administration.
Libby Liu, chief executive of Whistleblower Aid, the non-profit legal organization supporting individuals who lawfully report government and corporate law-breaking, issued a statement on Garcetti&#8217;s nomination to serve as ambassador to India.
&#8220;Any support in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for this nominee is a bitter pill to swallow for all those who believe that enabling and covering up sexual harassment and abuse should be disqualifying for public office in America,&#8221; Liu said. &#8220;The evidence is clear that he is unfit to represent our country anywhere in the world, and especially to the world&#8217;s largest democracy with a deeply troubled record on gender-based violence.&#8221;
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The CEO of Whistleblower Aid on the nomination of Eric Garcetti to serve as Ambassador to India. 
Why are Democratic Senators like <a href="https://twitter.com/maziehirono?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@maziehirono</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SenDuckworth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenDuckworth</a> supporting a man who enabled and covered up sexual assault and harassment? <a href="https://t.co/TDygHlyRsq">https://t.co/TDygHlyRsq</a> <a href="https://t.co/kJfRF5itYO">pic.twitter.com/kJfRF5itYO</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1630988753908146177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The allegations against Garcetti surfaced when the Los Angeles area struggled during COVID as it faced intense lockdowns which partly resulted in people leaving the city. Under Mayor Garcetti, the homelessness problem in Los Angeles also became more of an issue, and he has faced criticism over his inability to combat it.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) requested an investigation into Garcetti last year that delayed the mayor&#8217;s ambassador nomination Senate confirmation vote.
The report found, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/senate-report-alleges-mayor-garcetti-likely-knew-about-allegations-against-advisor/">CBS</a>, that Garcetti &#8220;more probable than not&#8221; was aware that his former aide Rick Jacobs &#8220;sexually harassed multiple individuals and made racist comments towards others.&#8221;
&#8220;Mr. Jacobs&#8217; behavior was widely known and talked about,&#8221; the report reads. &#8220;It was pervasive, widespread and notorious &#8212; to the point that Mr. Jacobs sexually harassed someone in front of the mayor for a picture that would be memorialized for all of time. Such overt conduct suggests at best that Mr. Jacobs had no fear of any repercussions.&#8221;
Democrat female senators Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois reportedly told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/01/garcetti-nomination-india-breaking-point-00084906">Politico</a> they plan on supporting Garcetti&#8217;s nomination despite the allegations against him.
&#8220;I&#8217;m ready to move on,&#8221; Hirono said.
Duckworth, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had previously called on the Senate ​​Judiciary Committee to take the sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh brought on by Christine Blasey Ford &#8220;<a href="https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/news/videos/watch/sen-duckworth-discusses-allegations-of-sexual-assault-against-brett-kavanaugh">very seriously</a>.&#8221;
She indicated she would also support Garcetti&#8217;s nomination.
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Other Democrats did not disclose where they stood on the matter, while several others said they were looking into the allegations.
&#8220;Some of the issues I want to go over and see how much culpability or responsibility is with him in regards to the sexual harassment,&#8221; Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Politico.
Last week, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, included Garcetti&#8217;s nod in a list of &#8220;<a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=6EDFC6CB-0758-43D9-B4C5-0977CECCB18C">questionable individuals</a>&#8221; nominated by the Biden administration, saying in a press release, &#8220;one of these nominees has ignored credible sexual assault accusations in his prior office.&#8221;
The issue has left an unprecedented two-year vacancy in New Delhi, which has left Republicans and some Democrats uncertain about supporting Garcetti because of his past actions.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the chair of the Foreign Relations panel, told CNN on Tuesday that he expects the vote for Garcetti&#8217;s nomination vote to happen next week.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Interview

Former L.A. Mayor’s India Ambassador Nomination Backed By Female Democrats Despite Sex Harassment Scandal

L.A. Mayor's India Ambassador Nomination Backed By Female Democrats Despite Sex Harassment Scandal

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