Biden fires Architect of the Capitol after report of management lapses

1 month ago Federal Times

President Joe Biden fired embattled Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, who oversees the historic building that houses Congress and its expansive grounds, as pressure mounted for his removal following a scathing inspector general report of personal and management lapses. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday he’d lost confidence in Blanton’s ability to do the job. “The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately,” McCarthy said Monday in a tweet. The architect’s job is sweeping and historic, responsible for maintenance and operation of the U.S. Capitol and its expansive grounds and building complex.
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Yellen tells Congress US expected to hit debt limit Thursday

WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress on Friday that the U.S. is projected to reach its debt limit on Thursday and will then resort to “extraordinary measures” to avoid default. Yellen was referring to the debt ceiling impasse during Barack Obama’s presidency, when Republicans had also just won a House majority. But the extraordinary measures only work for so long, and would probably run out — and put the U.S. at risk of default. The same is true for the G Fund of the Thrift Savings Plan, which is invested in short-term Treasury securities. The TSP previously assured the public that “G Fund investors remain fully protected and G Fund earnings are fully guaranteed by the federal government.”“This statutory guarantee has effectively protected G Fund investors many times over the past 25 years,” it said in a May 2017 notice.

2 months ago Federal Times

Treasury Department now taking ‘extraordinary measures’ on debt

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department says it has started taking “extraordinary measures” as the government has brushed up against its legal borrowing capacity of $38.381 trillion. Frictions between President Joe Biden and House Republicans are raising alarms about whether the U.S. can sidestep a potential economic crisis. But this particular moment seems more fraught than past brushes with the debt limit. Biden and McCarthy, R-Calif., have several months to reach agreement as the Treasury Department imposes “extraordinary measures” to keep the government operating until at least June. What happens if these measures are exhausted without a debt limit deal is unknown.

2 months ago Federal Times

New Congress will emerge from today: Kharge at end of Plenary Session

“The Plenary Session may be concluding here but a new Congress will emerge from today,” he said. “In the 138 years of Congress history, we have now had 85 Plenary Sessions, and each session has given a new vision, a new direction for this country,” he added. We struggled for the country’s independence, to give our country a Constitution… Today, we have many struggles and challenges ahead of us but none that we cannot face. “The disturbing levels of disparity in the country today should worry us all. We will stay united, because only a strong Congress can ensure a strong India,” he concluded.

24 days ago The Federal

Tell China to end ‘blatant aggression’ against Taiwan, India: US officials told

Top US officials set to visit Beijing asked to tell China it must end human rights abuses and espionageSeveral influential Republican lawmakers have urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to tell China that its “blatant aggression” against Taiwan and India is “unacceptable” and that it cannot keep abusing human rights. The Senators told the top officials to hold the Communist Party of China accountable for widespread human rights abuses, unfair trade practices as well as aggression towards allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. Also read: China building new dam in Tibet on Ganga tributary close to India border: ReportAdvertisementChina claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, disregarding claims from Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. The Senators accused the Chinese regime of blatantly breaching human rights vis-à-vis Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups. Beijing also denies human rights to other groups such as Tibetans, Christians and Falun Gong practitioners, the Republican said.

1 month ago The Federal

Beyoncé ties record for most Grammy wins; Bengaluru-based Ricky Kej bags 3rd award

Beyoncé entered Sunday’s ceremony as the leading nominee including album, song and record of the year. “It has just been such a journey.”Ricky Kej wins third Grammy AwardMusic composer Ricky Kej, based out of Bengaluru, has won his third Grammy Award for the album Divine Tides. They had won a Grammy in the best new age album category for the same album last year. Kej took home his first Grammy in the best new age album category for Winds of Samsara back in 2015. The singer showed up after her song Broke Horses won for best rock performance and best rock song, a songwriter’s award.

1 month ago The Federal

Washington Nationals’ middle infield duo CJ Abrams & Luis García get to know each other…

It’s going to be some work, a lot of work, but it’s going to be fun,” Davey Martinez said in discussing the middle infield duo of the future in D.C. with CJ Abrams at short and Luis García over at second base. “He’s a young kid who just wants to play,” Martinez said when asked if García was okay with the shift. I don’t know if you guys know, but CJ speaks Spanish, so they get along and they communicate well. “Yeah, just they’re good young players,” Rizzo told reporters. I think that they’re going to be part of a nucleus that is our next group of core championship players.

4 months ago Federal Baseball

Raid on BBC is a nation-building exercise, can’t you see?

What is the contradiction between bringing BBC under the ambit of India’s nation-building efforts and our year-long leadership of the grouping of the world’s 20 largest economies? Which country held the G20 presidency before India took it over this January? Russia held the G20 presidency in 2013, and held that year’s summit in St Petersburg. The G20 presidency bestows no lasting glory, my friend. India’s G20 symbol, the lotus, would get displayed on prime-time TV round the year.

1 month ago The Federal

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