Pia Dandiya becomes Florida’s first Indian American in Congress
Pia Dandiya won Florida’s 22nd, the state’s first Indian American in Congress. Khanna, Jayapal, Bera and Subramanyam were re-elected, and Amish Shah flipped Arizona’s 1st.
Read more →US
Democrats take the House and Senate
Democrats won the House and Senate on Nov 3. Projections give them more than 250 House seats and 54 in the Senate, with Alaska and Mississippi still counting.
Read more →Jyot Singh and Nabeela Syed make state-house history
Jyot Singh became the first Sikh American elected to Georgia’s General Assembly. Nabeela Syed unseated a Republican in the Illinois Senate.
Read more →Nithya Raman unseats Karen Bass in Los Angeles
Nithya Raman unseated Mayor Karen Bass, who has conceded.
Read more →Ramaswamy and Komatireddy lose statewide races
Vivek Ramaswamy lost the Ohio governor’s race to Amy Acton. Saritha Komatireddy lost the New York attorney general race to Letitia James.
Read more →Comment deadlines on OPT fee and H-1B grace period
Comments close Nov 9 on the proposed OPT fee of up to $100,000 and Nov 10 on ending the 60-day H-1B grace period. State says 300,000+ visas revoked since January 2025.
Read more →Ranjeev Puri picked as Michigan House Speaker
Michigan House Democrats picked Ranjeev Puri as the state’s first Indian American House Speaker. He takes the gavel in January after a floor vote.
Read more →Trump names Stephen Miller chief of staff
Trump named Stephen Miller, architect of his hard-line immigration agenda, to replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff on Friday.
Read more →GLOBAL
67 Israeli lawmakers back Eisenkot for prime minister
On Nov 5, 67 of 120 lawmakers, including the Arab-led parties, recommended Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister. President Herzog is due to hand out the mandate Sunday.
Read more →Zaporizhzhia strike toll reaches 53; talks set for Abu Dhabi
A Russian strike on an aid point in the Zaporizhzhia region on Nov 2 killed at least 53. US-mediated talks are set for Abu Dhabi, Nov 10 and 11.
Read more →Putin hosts Iran’s security chief in Moscow
Putin hosted Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, at the Kremlin on Nov 5. Talks reportedly covered a gas pipeline project and sanctions.
Read more →SOUTH ASIA
Cyclone Murasu hits Andhra a week after Arnab
Cyclone Murasu hit near Ongole on Nov 3, a week after Cyclone Arnab, which Andhra Pradesh says cost Rs 4,600 crore.
Read more →Delhi AQI hits 377; green crackers only, in two windows
The AQI hit 377 on Nov 4. The Supreme Court allows only green crackers, 6 to 7 am and 8 to 10 pm on Nov 7 and 8.
Read more →Bangladesh wage board agrees to raise garment pay
After five days of garment wage protests, one worker dead and 50+ Gazipur factories shut, the wage board agreed Nov 4 to raise the minimum wage. Most workers are back.
Read more →Misri in Kathmandu ahead of Balendra Shah’s India visit
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was in Kathmandu Nov 4 and 5, preparing PM Balendra Shah’s visit to India.
Read more →THE SCENE
Ramayana opens worldwide
Nitesh Tiwari’s epic opened worldwide Nov 5 after its Los Angeles premiere. Early word is mixed; India’s day-one advance sales topped Rs 42 crore.
Read more →North Dakota hosts its first governor’s-residence Diwali
Gov. Kelly Armstrong hosted the first Diwali at the Governor’s Residence in Bismarck (Oct 29).
Read more →California’s Diwali holiday blocked in court
Diwali is not a state holiday this year: a judge blocked the law, and the appeal is pending.
Read more →No Diwali day off for NYC schools this year
Diwali falls on a Sunday, so NYC public schools get no day off this year.
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