Tag: action

Govt Reminds Employees About Filing APRs, Action For Non-Submission

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SRINAGAR: The government on Thursday issued a reminder to its employees for filling details of annual property return as well as action over its non-submission by the end of this month.
“Vide Circular No. 52-JK(GAD) of 2022 dated 22.12.2022, all the employees working under Jammu and Kashmir Government have been advised to file their property returns for the year 2022 on the PRS portal, which is accessible on https://prs.ik.gov.in from 1st of January,2023 to 31 of January, 2023,” news agency GNS quoted government circular as having said.
However, the circular noted, that that a “sizeable” number of employees are yet to submit their property returns.
“The last date for filing of property returns is fixed for 31st of January, 2023, beyond which the Portal would automatically not accept the submission of the property returns and moreover, no manual submission shall be accepted in any case,” it said, adding, “It is clarified that non submission of property returns shall invite action against such defaulting employees under relevant provisions of law and shall result in denial of vigilance clearance as well.”
Accordingly, the government directed all the employees who are yet to submit their annual property returns for the year 2022 to submit the same immediately, well before the specified timeline of January 31.
“It is further enjoined upon all the Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOS) to ensure compliance with regard to filing of property returns by all the employees of their establishment. Further, Administrative Departments shall also assess the progress in this regard,” the circular added.

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#Govt #Reminds #Employees #Filing #APRs #Action #NonSubmission

( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 25, 2023
Newsom renews call for federal action on gun safety after 2 mass shootings in California

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California has some of the most stringent gun policies in the nation, which the governor says helps explain why the state has a gun death rate 37 percent below the national average. Some of those restrictions, however, are in jeopardy following a Supreme Court decision in June on a concealed carry law in New York that invited challenges on a wide range of firearm laws.
Even with California’s laws, people can just bring weapons into the state from elsewhere — which is why Congress should take actions such as restricting the size of magazines and banning assault weapons, Newsom said.
“We can’t do this alone,” Newsom said. “And with all due respect, we feel like we are.”
The governor made the trip to Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, after the killing of seven farmworkers Monday, apparently by another worker. It came less than 48 hours after the attack by a gunman at a dance hall during a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, a small city east of downtown Los Angeles.
Newsom had harsh words for McCarthy, who represents the Bakersfield area, for not making any public statements addressing either shooting.
“I’m still waiting for Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the House of Representatives, who purports to represent the people of the state of California,” he said. “We haven’t heard one damn word from him, not since Monterey Park, not what happened here, not one expression of prayers, condolences, nothing, and it should surprise nobody.”
The Speaker addressed the shootings at a press gaggle on Tuesday in the Capitol, around the same time Newsom was speaking in Half Moon Bay.
“Let me begin by expressing my condolences to the families in California with the recent violence over the last couple days,” McCarthy told reporters.

Newsom said he was in the hospital in Southern California visiting victims and family members when he was pulled aside and informed of the second shooting in Half Moon Bay.
The governor, like others in his party, has doubled down on the need for gun restrictions in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision. Last year the Democrat-dominated legislature passed a dozen more restrictions, and new bills are in the works for this year.
While the state does have a lower rate of gun death than the national average, it’s been impossible to insulate it from tragedies like the ones seen this week. Increasingly, California Democrats have been looking to Washington to place protections in areas that state policies simply can’t cover.
“We can figure this out — we can,” Newsom said. “We know what to do. It’s not complicated. We do. And we don’t have to do this again and again and again.”
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#Newsom #renews #call #federal #action #gun #safety #mass #shootings #California
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

January 25, 2023
HARMAN takes legal action against dealers selling its counterfeit products in Bengaluru

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Bengaluru: HARMAN, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, on Tuesday said it has taken strict legal action against dealers involved in the manufacture and sale of fake JBL and Infinity Car Audio products in the country.
The raids by the company in three markets in Bengaluru led to the discovery of four car after-market dealers peddling counterfeit JBL and Infinity products.
HARMAN’s investigation team, along with the law enforcement officers, seized over 500 counterfeits as well as infringed JBL and Infinity car audio products.
The team discovered products in two places that were misusing the JBL mark as JBZ and IGL and selling counterfeit goods in packaging that was deceptively similar to that of JBL and Infinity.
The company said it seized those infringed goods and the offenders have been subjected to appropriate legal procedure.
HARMAN is the parent company for audio brands including JBL, AKG, Harman Kardon, Infinity, Lexicon, Mark Levinson and Revel, among others.
“We take stern action against any offenders trying to mislead our customers and advise them to purchase HARMAN products from authorised dealers only, while being wary of counterfeit products in the market,a said Vikram Kher, Vice President, Lifestyle, HARMAN India.
“HARMAN plans to carry out additional investigations to prevent the production and distribution of counterfeit goods in India,” Kher added.

Last year, the company conducted a similar raid along with the law enforcement officers, and seized stocks of spurious JBL and Infinity consumer products, from car accessories shops, and manufacturing units located across Delhi.
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#HARMAN #takes #legal #action #dealers #selling #counterfeit #products #Bengaluru
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 24, 2023
DeSantis defends banning African American studies course as Black leaders call for action

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“When I heard it didn’t meet the standards, I figured, yeah, they may be doing CRT,” DeSantis told reporters at an event in Jacksonville. “It’s way more than that.”
In Florida’s latest crackdown on how race is taught in schools, state education officials earlier this month rejected the African American studies course from being implemented. The move drew swift backlash in the state and beyond, racking up criticism from by academics, advocacy groups and liberal policymakers including the Biden administration, which on Friday said that blocking the course was “incomprehensible.”
A coalition of Black faith leaders is now pushing to meet with the DeSantis administration over its decision to block students from taking the course and is planning a march on the capitol in Tallahassee next month. They join a chorus of Black state lawmakers who have denounced the move by the Florida Department of Education, claiming it is an attempt to whitewash history.
“When you devalue my history, and say it lacks educational merit, that is demeaning to us,” Rev. R. B. Holmes, Jr., pastor of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, told reporters Monday. “And it may be a problem in messaging, maybe they didn’t mean it that way. It already has national attention.”
Florida’s move to block the course follows a concerted effort by state republicans to restrict how race is taught in local classrooms. Under DeSantis, the state Education Department has rejected math textbooks over “impermissible” content, including teachings on critical race theory — something that Florida banned in education, along with the 1619 Project, through official action by its Board of education.
After the decision came to light last week, Florida’s education agency elaborated on rejecting the course in a tweet spelling out concerns with its lessons. The state took issue with several pieces of the College Board’s syllabus, such as parts on “Black Queer Studies,” advocacy for reparations, activism and intersectionality, which is a piece critical race theory, according to state’s education department.
Yet the agency’s defense did little to stem the criticism. Vice President Kamala Harris, who visited Tallahassee on Sunday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, criticized “extremist so-called leaders” who block history classes and prevent teachers from discussing “who they are and who they love” — a reference to the state’s controversial law banning educations from leading classroom discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through third grade.
“Every student in our nation should be able to learn about the culture, contributions, and experiences of all Americans — including Black Americans — who shaped our history,” Harris said.

Florida’s GOP-controlled statehouse in 2022 passed legislation to expand state anti-discrimination laws and prohibit schools and companies from leveling guilt or blame to students and employees based on race or sex. Dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act” by DeSantis, it created new protections for students and workers, including that a person should not be instructed to “feel guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress” due to their race, color, sex or national origin.
Florida law requires public schools to teach students about the history of African Americans, including the “enslavement experience,” and steer them to develop an “understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping on individual freedoms.” But the College Board lessons, according to DeSantis, are “pushing an agenda” on students.
“That’s the wrong side of the line for Florida standards. We believe in teaching kids facts and how to think, but we don’t believe they should have an agenda imposed on them,” DeSantis said Monday. “When you try to use Black history to shoehorn in queer theory, you are clearly trying to use that for political purposes.”

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#DeSantis #defends #banning #African #American #studies #Black #leaders #call #action
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

January 24, 2023
HRDA seeks action against practice of unregistered doctors
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Hyderabad: The Healthcare Reform Doctors Association (HRDA) has requested the Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) to take prompt action against unregistered medical practitioners and quacks (unqualified persons) who use and prescribe scheduled drugs.
The association further submitted a sixth set of 39 prescriptions issued by quacks and requested information on actions taken on previous sets.
The HRDA further warned of holding a Praja Arogya Parirakshana Sabha at the Dharna Chowk in Indira Park in February if the council fails to provide information or take action within a week.
HRDA’s Demands
Constituting district-wise Anti-Quackery committees as promised by health minister T Harish Rao.
Issuing a notification for TSMC elections as per a TS High Court order.
Increasing pay for MBBS mid-level healthcare providers.
Strengthening primary healthcare by allocating more budget for increasing PHCs, CHCs, and area hospitals.
Issuing a notification for specialist doctors under Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad hospitals.
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#HRDA #seeks #action #practice #unregistered #doctors
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )
January 23, 2023
IUML alleges its innocent workers being targeted in name of action against PFI

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Kozhikode: The Indian Union Muslim League, a key ally of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, on Sunday alleged the properties of its innocent workers were attached by the state government as part of the recovery proceedings initiated by it against the arrested leaders of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI).
The properties of the arrested PFI workers in Kerala are being attached in connection with the damage to public property, in violence, during a hartal called by the outfit in last September.
The recovery proceedings against those involved in the violence were initiated two days after the Kerala High Court expressed displeasure over the government’s delay in executing its order in connection with it.
Accusing the government of “hunting the innocent workers of IUML” in the name of action against the PFI, senior party leader P K Kunhalikutty alleged that it is being done to “save the real culprits involved in the violence” during the hartal.
“The government should make it clear from where they have got such a list (for attachment process). Various representatives of people, those who are actively working in other political parties and people who don’t have any criminal cases are all being targeted. The real complaint is against a particular organisation. But now, we suspect that innocent people are being targeted in order to save the real culprits (involved in violence),” Kunhalikutty told reporters.
IUML state general secretary P M A Salam alleged that innocent workers of the party were being targeted by the state government in the name of the court-ordered action against errant PFI leaders.
The IUML leaders said the issue will be raised in the state Assembly session beginning on Monday.
Meanwhile, state Revenue Minister K Rajan on Sunday said the attachment of the properties of arrested leaders of the PFI will be completed by Monday. He said the attachment of properties of those who damage public property can be done only on court’s direction.

The minister said a report detailing the attachment process will be submitted before the High Court on Monday.
“The revenue recovery process of attaching the properties belonging to the now-banned PFI leaders will be completed by Monday. The attachment process is being done as directed by the High Court. A report in this regard will be submitted before the high court on Monday,” Rajan told the media in Kochi.
He said it was being done under various provisions of The Revenue Recovery Act.
The state Revenue Department had on Friday initiated a state-wide attaching properties of arrested leaders of the PFI as part of the recovery proceedings in connection with the damage to public property, in the violence, during a hartal called by the organisation in September last.
The PFI leaders are accused in the case connected with the hartal called by the organisation against the nation-wide raids on PFI offices and arrest of its leaders following its ban.
The high court had on January 18 directed the state government to complete the recovery and submit a district-wise report by January 23.
It had also said there was no need to issue notices prior to carrying out the recovery proceedings.
The court had expressed displeasure over the delay as the state government last month had assured to complete the recovery by January 15.
The government had on November 7, 2022 told the court that a loss of Rs 86 lakh was incurred due to the damage to property during the violence in the state-wide hartal.
The government had also submitted that a loss of Rs 16 lakh was suffered by private persons during the violence.
The State police have registered a total of 361 cases and arrested 2,674 people, it had said then.
Earlier, the High Court had asked the banned PFI and its ex-State general secretary Abdul Sathar to deposit Rs 5.2 crore with the Home Department towards damages estimated by the KSRTC and the state government in connection with the hartal-related violence, saying they must be held accountable for it.
Sathar, when he was the State general secretary of the outfit, had called for the hartal against the nation-wide raids and arrest of its leaders, and then allegedly absconded.
Hours after the PFI was banned, he had issued a statement saying the outfit had been disbanded in the wake of the Home Ministry’s decision and subsequently, he was arrested.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 22, 2023
‘Pathaan’ director calls Deepika a bonafide action star

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Mumbai: Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, who plays a spy in the upcoming spy-thriller film ‘Pathaan’, has been called a bonafide action star by the film’s director Siddharth Anand. As one can see from the trailer and the assets that have been released so far, the actress can be seen pulling off the action and sultry bit with equal ease.
Talking about his liking towards femme fatale in films, Siddharth said, “There is nothing more cool or sexy than a woman wielding a powerful weapon on screen. As a film-buff, I have always loved women doing sick action sequences and so, when we got Deepika Padukone in ‘Pathaan’, we wanted to present her in her most badass self – a gorgeous, gun-toting, femme fatale spy that people have never seen before!”
Recollecting a sequence from the film, the director added, “In one of the action sequences of ‘Pathaan’, Deepika wields the gatling gun and you have to see the sequence to believe how legit she is as a bonafide action superstar! She steals the show in this scene and I’m sure people will cheer the loudest for her every time she does action in ‘Pathaan’.”
‘Pathaan’, which sees Shah Rukh Khan returning to the silver screen after four years, also stars John Abraham. The film is set to release on January 25 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 21, 2023
‘We need action’: Time runs out for Ukraine as allied countries debate sending tanks

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Frustration with Germany is boiling over. Arming Ukraine “is not some kind of decision-making exercise,” Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau tweeted after the 50-nation Ukraine Defense Contact Group met in Ramstein, Germany, on Friday. “Ukrainian blood is shed for real. This is the price of hesitation over Leopard deliveries. We need action, now.”
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur agreed that the debates are hurting Ukraine’s prospects.
“Any delay will have an [effect],” he said via text. “How big this [effect] could be is very difficult to predict.”
The issue simmered throughout the week as world leaders gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum.
There, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met privately with U.S. lawmakers and told them Germany won’t send their tanks unless the U.S. transfers their own first, as POLITICO reported.
The matter came to a head during the meeting at Ramstein on Friday, where German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters that Berlin still hadn’t decided what it would do, but left the door open to approving the transfer.
“None of us can yet say when a decision will be made and what the decision will look like,” he said, adding that he had instructed the German army to review the country’s inventory so it can move quickly if they decide to send the tanks.
“We have been repeating that more tanks are necessary,” said an official from Eastern Europe, who asked not to be named in order to speak candidly. “Still we have hope.”

Following the meeting, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. and allies are “pushing hard to meet Ukraine’s requirements for tanks and other armored vehicles.” Yet he mostly sidestepped the intense debate over whether to send U.S. and German tanks.
Austin also denied reports that sending U.S. tanks was a condition for Germany to send its own.
The coming fight
The fighting in Ukraine this spring will rely heavily on tanks on both sides of the line, and after a year of hard combat, Kyiv is desperate for more modern Western models to allow them to overwhelm the hundreds of Russian tanks and armored vehicles lying in wait.
Getting that new equipment into the hands of Ukrainian soldiers quickly will go a long way in determining when Ukraine can launch its offensives this year, said Rob Lee, with the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
“I think the delivery and training timeline will influence when Ukraine chooses to pursue its most ambitious offensives,” Lee said, adding that Leopards may be better than the M1 Abrams tanks that the U.S. has been resistant to offer. That’s because Leopards are less complicated to operate and maintain. “If Ukrainians can master the Leopards sooner than Abrams, they could play a greater role in offensives this summer.”
Still, the vehicle donations so far have been significant. Over the past several weeks the U.S. has pledged to send Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Sweden announced it will donate CV90 armored vehicles, and Germany has promised to ship Marder vehicles. All three models are heavily armored, tracked vehicles featuring powerful autocannons that can chew through armor and absorb incoming fire.
Those infantry carriers, along with Humvees, mine-resistant vehicles and Stryker infantry carriers from the U.S. would likely lead the vanguard of new armored units that are much more potent than anything Ukraine — or most nations — have been able to field. They’ll be supported by dozens of new mobile howitzers promised this week by the U.S., Denmark and Sweden to form a lethal combined arms punch.
Speaking after the gathering in Ramstein Friday, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen Mark Milley said the new armor and artillery is equivalent to two U.S. combined arms maneuver brigades, or six mechanized infantry battalions.
Training for Ukrainian troops on that equipment has already begun in Germany, an effort Milley saw firsthand this week during a visit to a U.S. training site. “That training in addition to the equipment will significantly increase Ukraine’s capability to defend itself from Russian attacks, and to go on the tactical and operational offensive to liberate the occupied areas,” Milley said.
Ben Hodges, a former commander of U.S. Army Europe, said the new armored units will likely “be trained and prepared to serve as the breakthrough formation for the next major offensive phase of the campaign. I’d anticipate that it’ll be at least three months before they’re able to do that. It will be built around Ukrainian armor that they already have or have captured, but Western tanks [armored fighting vehicles and artillery] will help make it more lethal.”
Hurry up and wait
Even if Berlin decides to send its tanks, or approves other countries to send theirs, the shipment won’t happen right away.
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall said recently that it would likely take them until 2024 to deliver combat-ready Leopards to Ukraine, given the poor condition of many German tanks.
Countries such as Poland, Finland, and Norway would likely be able to deliver their Leopards sooner, though one European defense official said it could take two months to fully train Ukrainian crews on the tanks.
It also remains unclear when the 14 Challenger tanks promised by the U.K. will have trained crews ready to operate them.
The U.S., meanwhile, is walking a fine line on encouraging Germany to act while noting this is that country’s decision.
“These are sovereign decisions. We respect them. We welcome them,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Friday. “We do believe that there is a need for armored capability including tanks inside Ukraine, and the Leopard tank is a terrific system.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear on Friday that the debate needs to end and empty platitudes aren’t enough.
“Hundreds of ‘thank you’ are not hundreds of tanks,” he told the group in Ramstein via video address. “All of us can use thousands of words, but I can’t put words, instead of guns needed, against Russian artillery.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

January 20, 2023
Early action electrifies 2024 Senate battle

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Candidates scrambled to stake a claim in the battleground of Michigan after Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow announced she’d be stepping down. Republicans are jumping into races in Indiana, West Virginia and Ohio. And the expected retirement of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is creating such a prime opportunity that Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) didn’t even wait on the incumbent’s announcement before launching her campaign.
“Folks want to have ‘first mover’ advantage. And that’s what you’re seeing in each one of these places. People recognize that there’s a good chance to win, so they want to get out and stake a claim,” said Jason Thielman, the executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
It’s a particularly important moment for Republicans, whose lackluster candidates last cycle cost the party Senate control as Democrats vastly outraised them and GOP nominees struggled to attract independent voters. Republicans are banking on a different outcome this time, hoping part of that formula will be National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and GOP leaders wading into primaries to help deliver better general election candidates, if needed.
Porter joins early Republican Senate candidates like Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan, West Virginia Rep. Alex Mooney and Indiana Rep. Jim Banks. Former Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-Ind.) will visit Washington next week to meet with GOP senators, and Dolan is expected to hit the Hill in February for his own round of Senate meetings. And incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) announced his reelection campaign on Friday.
More campaign launches in both parties are expected to become official in the coming days and weeks.
“Recruitment is a top priority for us in the cycle. So we’re certainly thrilled to see a number of top-tier candidates already launching their campaigns,” Thielman said. He said the NRSC is “having conversations with many more and I think you’ll only see acceleration.”
The Democratic strategy is all about retrenching around the three most vulnerable Democrats: Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, Montana Sen. Jon Tester and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. Only Brown has committed to running again next fall. Beyond that, Democrats are defending five states where President Joe Biden won narrowly in 2020: Nevada, Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania. That’s a lot of terrain for Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Gary Peters to defend.
“In states that are viewed as competitive there is a desire to keep as many of the incumbents running for re-election as possible,” said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). “Sen. Schumer, I think, has already started that [work].”

Peters will help arbitrate an open and potentially crowded primary in his home state of Michigan, which is friendlier turf of late for Democrats but still likely to be a top-tier Senate race. Michigan Democratic Reps. Debbie Dingell and Elissa Slotkin are looking at the open seat, in addition to any number of Republicans — including Rep. John James (R-Mich.), who lost to both Peters and Stabenow in the past.
Elsewhere, Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) say they are running for reelection, and Kaine and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) are preparing to do so. Those senators’ runs are critical for Democrats to keep control of the chamber. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is also ramping up her campaign for a third term.
Less clear is what will happen in Arizona. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who essentially caucuses with Democrats, is undecided as Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) prepares to launch his own bid and Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) passes on a Senate run.
Republicans could have a pile-up of their own if failed 2022 gubernatorial and Senate candidates Kari Lake and Blake Masters both run for the GOP nomination against more centrist opponents.
Democrats’ pickup opportunities appear scant at the moment, marking a highly defensive cycle for a party that just achieved a real, if slim, majority. Provided they win the presidency, Democrats can afford to lose only one seat next year and still maintain Senate control.
“Every reporter I talked to in October and November was convinced that Democrats were going to be in the minority right now. We’re not. In fact we picked up a seat,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said. “Yes, the map in ‘24 is challenging. But if Republicans continue in the direction they’re already trending in, I feel good.”
Brown’s first declared opponent, Dolan, hails from the more centrist wing of the party, so he’s sure to have competition in Ohio. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) and businessman Bernie Moreno are among the conservatives weighing bids.
Yet Dolan is moving quickly to establish prime position after a third-place finish in last year’s primary, a bid he launched in September 2021.
“Matt is aggressively moving around the state this week locking down support,” said Dolan adviser Chris Maloney. “We have received requests for meetings in D.C. and will be entertaining them in due time.”
Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) was the first to announce he was running for Manchin’s seat two months ago, but more may jump in soon. Gov. Jim Justice (R) said this week he is “seriously considering” the race, as is Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who lost to Manchin in 2018. Morrisey told POLITICO that he is “seriously evaluating the options [and] will decide on a pathway” by April.
In Montana, Republicans are bracing for a clash between GOP Reps. Matt Rosendale, a Freedom Caucus firebrand, and Ryan Zinke, a baggage-saddled former Cabinet secretary who passed on a race in 2018. Tester previously beat Rosendale in 2018, and former DSCC Chair Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) expressed confidence his Democratic colleague could do it again: “He is Mr. Montana.”
Daines has indicated he’s willing to intervene in primaries if needed to produce viable candidates, which could make for tough decisions down the stretch. In the meantime, Republicans are hoping Tester’s and Manchin’s indecision works to their advantage.
Still, Manchin already has $9.4 million on hand. Even that sum pales to the amount Porter may need to prevail in California, where Feinstein’s safe Democratic seat could nonetheless soon spark the most expensive race in the country. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) both could enter the primary soon.
And Banks’ early splash into the open seat in Indiana has accelerated a potential clash with Daniels over a safe, GOP-held seat opened up by GOP Sen. Mike Braun‘s run for governor. Banks is already rolling out endorsements while the conservative Club for Growth prepares to spend as much as $10 million against the former governor.
Like Dolan, Mooney and Porter, Banks is hoping the early jump helps him seal the deal.
“I’ll be the first in the race,” Banks said in an interview ahead of his Tuesday launch. “I’m sure others will run as well. I like my chances.”
Marianne LeVine contributed to this report.
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#Early #action #electrifies #Senate #battle
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

January 20, 2023
‘Super-tipping points’ could trigger cascade of climate action

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Three “super-tipping points” for climate action could trigger a cascade of decarbonisation across the global economy, according to a report.
Relatively small policy interventions on electric cars, plant-based alternatives to meat and green fertilisers would lead to unstoppable growth in those sectors, the experts said.
But the boost this would give to battery and hydrogen production would mean crucial knock-on benefits for other sectors including energy storage and aviation.
Urgent emissions cuts are needed to avoid irreversible climate breakdown and the experts say the super-tipping points are the fastest way to drive global action, offering “plausible hope” that a rapid transition to a green economy can happen in time.
The tipping points occur when a zero-carbon solution becomes more competitive than the existing high-carbon option. More sales lead to cheaper products, creating feedback loops that drive exponential growth and a rapid takeover. The report, launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, said the three super-tipping points would cut emissions in sectors covering 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Speedy action is vital to help avoid triggering disastrous tipping points in the climate system. Scientists said recently that global heating had driven the world to the brink of multiple tipping points with global impacts, including the collapse of Greenland’s ice cap and a key current in the north Atlantic.
“With time running out, there is a need for action to be targeted,” said Mark Meldrum, at the consultancy Systemiq, which produced the report with partners including the University of Exeter, UK. Each super-tipping point crossed raises the chance of crossing others, he said. “That could set off a cascade to steer us away from a climate catastrophe.”
The tipping point for electric vehicles is very close with sales soaring, the report says. Setting dates around the world for the end of sales of fossil-fuel powered vehicles, such as the 2030 date set for new vehicles by the UK and 2035 in China, drives further growth, the report adds.

This scale-up means the batteries used will become cheaper and these can be deployed as storage for wind and solar power, further accelerating the growth of renewables. More green energy means lower electricity bills, in turn making heat pumps even more cost-effective.
The second super-tipping point is setting mandates for green fertilisers, to replace current fertilisers, which are produced from fossil gas. Ammonia is a key ingredient and can be made from hydrogen produced by renewable energy, combined with nitrogen from the air.
Governments requiring a growing proportion of fertiliser to be green will drive a scale-up and cost reductions in the production of green hydrogen, the report says. That then supports long-distance aviation and shipping, and steel production, which will rely on hydrogen to end their carbon emissions. Mandates are being considered with India, for example, targeting 5% green fertiliser production by 2023–24 and 20% by 2027–28.
The third super-tipping point is helping alternative proteins to beat animal-based proteins on cost, while at least matching them on taste. Meat and dairy cause about 15% of global emissions. Public procurement of plant-based meat and dairy replacements by government departments, schools and hospitals could be a powerful lever, the report says.
Increasing uptake would cut the emissions from cattle and reduce the destruction of forests for pasture land. A 20% market share by 2035 would mean 400m-800m hectares of land would no longer be needed for livestock and their fodder, equivalent to 7-15% of the world’s farmland today, the report estimated. That land could then be used for the restoration of forests and wildlife, removing CO₂ from the air.
Tipping points already passed within countries include electric car sales in Norway and the plunge in coal-powered electricity in the US in the past decade.
“We need to find and trigger positive socioeconomic tipping points if we are to limit the risk from damaging climate tipping points,” said Prof Tim Lenton at the University of Exeter. “This non-linear way of thinking about the climate problem gives plausible grounds for hope: the more that gets invested in socioeconomic transformation, the faster it will unfold – getting the world to net zero greenhouse gas emissions sooner.”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

January 20, 2023