Understanding the US - Again

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Tanaji
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by Tanaji »

Vayutuvan wrote: 15 Jan 2026 05:32 The following is a red flag.
the amounts of cash being removed from the country via Minneapolis’ largest airport is much larger than other major US air
……
.
Minneapolis is not a large city by any means. It ranks 16th (as per Wikipedia) in terms of population. NYC, LA, and Chicago are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd reslyx.
What I dont get is that the article says that it is legally declared at the airport. If it is legally declared then one must have provided proof of source or at least a withdrawal statement. If thats the case why not send it electronically in the first place.

Maybe the income is legal but the end receiver at the destination isnt…
uddu
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by uddu »

https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2011485172768632969
@EricLDaugh
HOLY CRAP. This actually just happened on Capitol Hill.

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY: "Can men get pregnant?"

LIBERAL DR. VERMA: "I'm not sure what the goal of the question is."

HAWLEY: "The goal is to establish a biological reality. Can men get pregnant?"

VERMA: "I take care of people with many identities."

HAWLEY: "Can men get pregnant?"

VERMA: "Again, as I'm saying-"

HAWLEY: "You said science and evidence should control. Can men get pregnant? You're a doctor, I think."

VERMA: "Science and evidence should guide medicine."

HAWLEY: "Do science and evidence tell us that men can get pregnant?"

VERMA: "I think yes-no questions like this are a political tool."

WOW.
A_Gupta
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by A_Gupta »

Quote: Risk Aversion by Banks: U.S. banks, fearing penalties for facilitating illicit funds (even inadvertently), have closed accounts of Somali MTOs, disrupting the primary method for sending money.
AML/CFT Compliance: Strict U.S. regulations aim to prevent funds from reaching terrorist groups, but they disproportionately impact legitimate remittances, forcing transfers through less efficient or risky channels.

—-
MTO = money transfer operators

Not saying there is no fraud. Am saying the large amount of legal cash leaving through Minneapolis might be because the usual legal channels are more difficult.
Last edited by A_Gupta on 16 Jan 2026 10:52, edited 1 time in total.
nandakumar
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by nandakumar »

uddu wrote: 15 Jan 2026 16:16 https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2011485172768632969
@EricLDaugh
HOLY CRAP. This actually just happened on Capitol Hill.

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY: "Can men get pregnant?"

LIBERAL DR. VERMA: "I'm not sure what the goal of the question is."

HAWLEY: "The goal is to establish a biological reality. Can men get pregnant?"

VERMA: "I take care of people with many identities."

HAWLEY: "Can men get pregnant?"

VERMA: "Again, as I'm saying-"

HAWLEY: "You said science and evidence should control. Can men get pregnant? You're a doctor, I think."

VERMA: "Science and evidence should guide medicine."

HAWLEY: "Do science and evidence tell us that men can get pregnant?"

VERMA: "I think yes-no questions like this are a political tool."

WOW.
If this was a testimony by an expert witness to a Standing Committee of Members of Lok Sabha, an equivocal answer such as this which actually amounts to a 'No', the expert would be hauled up for 'Contempt' of the Parliament and imprisonment is a near certain consequence without recourse to the High/Supreme Court. I don't know how the US system operates. Can someone clarify?
williams
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by williams »

nandakumar wrote: 15 Jan 2026 20:47
uddu wrote: 15 Jan 2026 16:16 https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2011485172768632969
@EricLDaugh
HOLY CRAP. This actually just happened on Capitol Hill.

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY: "Can men get pregnant?"

LIBERAL DR. VERMA: "I'm not sure what the goal of the question is."

HAWLEY: "The goal is to establish a biological reality. Can men get pregnant?"

VERMA: "I take care of people with many identities."

HAWLEY: "Can men get pregnant?"

VERMA: "Again, as I'm saying-"

HAWLEY: "You said science and evidence should control. Can men get pregnant? You're a doctor, I think."

VERMA: "Science and evidence should guide medicine."

HAWLEY: "Do science and evidence tell us that men can get pregnant?"

VERMA: "I think yes-no questions like this are a political tool."

WOW.
If this was a testimony by an expert witness to a Standing Committee of Members of Lok Sabha, an equivocal answer such as this which actually amounts to a 'No', the expert would be hauled up for 'Contempt' of the Parliament and imprisonment is a near certain consequence without recourse to the High/Supreme Court. I don't know how the US system operates. Can someone clarify?
She is probably backed by powerful political and commercial lobby and knows that no one can touch her or She is simply crazy - I would say except of few loonies, she has lost all credibility as a medical professional.
Amber G.
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by Amber G. »

^^^ She is Dr. Nisha Verma, an obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) [ board certified] who provides reproductive healthcare in Georgia and Massachusetts..Medical Degree at the University of North Carolina, and a Master of Public Health at Emory University. Her clinical training included residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Complex Family Planning Fellowship at Emory. Dr. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, to Indian immigrant parents and raised in North Carolina and spent most of her life in the southeastern United States.. In caae you are curious..
Vayutuvan
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by Vayutuvan »

Tanaji wrote: 15 Jan 2026 13:05 What I dont get is that the article says that it is legally declared at the airport. If it is legally declared then one must have provided proof of source or at least a withdrawal statement. If thats the case why not send it electronically in the first place.

Maybe the income is legal but the end receiver at the destination isnt…
Red flag is why so many Somali couriers are taking so much cash out of the US. Dollar notes. Coupe that with the childcare centers with no students, snap and other benefits being used by Somalis even after 10 years in the country etc., Ilhan Omar’s stridency are something that doesn’t sit well with Americans and correctly so, imho.
A_Gupta
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by A_Gupta »

If this was a testimony by an expert witness to a Standing Committee of Members of Lok Sabha, an equivocal answer such as this which actually amounts to a 'No', the expert would be hauled up for 'Contempt' of the Parliament and imprisonment is a near certain consequence without recourse to the High/Supreme Court. I don't know how the US system operates. Can someone clarify?
She doesn’t want to get into the argument that a man could be a transgender female and thus might be able to be pregnant.
A_Gupta
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by A_Gupta »

Amber G. wrote: 14 Jan 2026 00:32 Meanwhile: After report of some 12,000 Iranian protesters killed - Live shot of massive protest at Harvard in solidarity with the people of Iran.
Image
The purpose of US campus protests is not for human rights; it is to influence US policy. There is no change in US policy with respect to Iran that any substantial numbers want.
RCase
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by RCase »


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PGL1X6LcO4

Colorado University, Boulder - palak paneer incident. Seems a bit high-handed of the university to debar them from their PhD program.

Indian PhD students in the United States have secured a settlement of about Rs 1.66 crore, roughly $184,000, in a campus discrimination case that began with a controversy over “palak paneer.” The dispute arose after students alleged they were subjected to racist remarks and unfair treatment linked to Indian food during a university event. The case triggered widespread debate online about cultural bias and discrimination faced by international students on US campuses. The university denied wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement, which also includes policy changes and training measures. The outcome has been welcomed as a rare legal win for international students challenging campus discrimination.
RCase
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by RCase »

^^^
Should there be a ranking/ rating list published on an annual basis of universities in the US that are the most discriminatory when it comes to foreign students, similar to the 'religious freedom rating' by USCRIF?
Vayutuvan
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by Vayutuvan »

@RCase ji, Hard agree on creating such a list.
Vayutuvan
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by Vayutuvan »

A_Gupta wrote: 15 Jan 2026 23:23
If this was a testimony by an expert witness to a Standing Committee of Members of Lok Sabha, an equivocal answer such as this which actually amounts to a 'No', the expert would be hauled up for 'Contempt' of the Parliament and imprisonment is a near certain consequence without recourse to the High/Supreme Court. I don't know how the US system operates. Can someone clarify?
She doesn’t want to get into the argument that a man could be a transgender female and thus might be able to be pregnant.
(Against my good judgement)

She could have said a biological man could not get pregnant. She was punting. I suppose she is afraid that she will be cancelled by her students at Emory. :twisted:
Vayutuvan
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by Vayutuvan »

Amber G. wrote: 15 Jan 2026 22:11 ^^^ She is Dr. Nisha Verma, an obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) [ board certified] who provides reproductive healthcare in Georgia and Massachusetts..Medical Degree at the University of North Carolina, and a Master of Public Health at Emory University. Her clinical training included residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a Complex Family Planning Fellowship at Emory. Dr. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, to Indian immigrant parents and raised in North Carolina and spent most of her life in the southeastern United States.. In caae you are curious..
I wonder what her views are on the laws in India re. same sex marriages. In anycase, her parents' Indian origin is of no consequence here. I would like to know how well educated she is on Hindu perspective on this issue. Mohini and Ardhanaareeshwara, for example.
A_Gupta
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by A_Gupta »

If this is a repost on BRF, my apologies.

Image
A_Gupta
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by A_Gupta »

Jonathan V Last writes in The Bulwark:
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/how-trump- ... rubio-cuba
This week the U.S. government made its first sale of Venezuelan oil and pocketed $500 million. Would you like to know where that money is being held?

In accounts in Qatar.

Why Qatar?

For starters, because government accounts in Qatar are controlled by the executive branch and not Congress. Trump is continuing to create his own funding stream for the government that can operate independently of congressional approval or oversight. He is severing the linkage between the legislature and the purse and attempting to concentrate access to capital in the hands of the executive.

You know, like a king.

Another reason is that he’s trying to place these moneys beyond the reach of creditors. Venezuela owes tens of billions of dollars to various companies and countries. Trump’s position is that, since he has a navy, none of those creditors can make claims on the money he is now extracting from Venezuela. It belongs to him.

Trump said this explicitly last week when the CEO of ConocoPhillips, Ryan Lance, said that since his company was the largest non-sovereign credit holder in Venezuela, it hoped to recoup some of its claims.

Trump responded, “We’re not going to look at what people lost in the past because that was their fault.”

So Trump is putting his America’s money in Qatar, where courts can’t touch it. Kind of like a drug dealer stashing his funds in the Caymans.
Vayutuvan
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

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Good that folks here are quoting The Bulwark. There is still hope for those folks who have seen the dark side of the progressive left AKA California Progressive Liberals of Kamala Harris/Gavin Newsom ilk.
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by A_Gupta »

Minnesota MPR News reports (emphasis added)

Joe Thompson, Minnesota's top federal fraud prosecutor, quits over ICE shooting probe
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/1 ... rom-office
Joe Thompson, the career U.S. Justice Department attorney best known for prosecuting social services fraud in Minnesota, has resigned along with other experienced attorneys at the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office.

The move comes after top Justice Department officials pushed the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office to investigate the widow of Renee Macklin Good, the person shot and killed last week by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, MPR News has learned.

Thompson, 47, also objected to the DOJ's decision to exclude the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the investigation into the shooting and the department's reluctance to investigate Ross, according to a person familiar with Thompson's decision.

Veteran assistant U.S. attorneys Melinda Williams, Harry Jacobs, and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez also resigned. The prosecutors were also concerned that immigration enforcement is diverting resources away from prosecuting major fraud cases in the state.
Last edited by A_Gupta on 16 Jan 2026 08:36, edited 1 time in total.
Vayutuvan
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by Vayutuvan »

Tim Walz is not contesting in the upcoming MN gubernatorial elections. In essence, he has delayed his resignation. There were calls for him to step down due to the lack of oversight from his administration of the Childcare, SNAP, etc., programs. There are accusations of wholesale fraud of billions of dollars that is supposed to have taken place under his administration. Investigations are ongoing.
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Re: Understanding the US - Again

Post by A_Gupta »

ABC News reports:
Trump accepts Nobel Peace Prize medal from Venezuelan opposition leader Machado
Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-meet-ve ... =129234741
President Donald Trump met Thursday with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal. The president called it a "wonderful gesture of mutual respect."

"María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done," Trump wrote on his social media platform. He also said that Machado was a "wonderful woman who has been through so much" and that it was a great honor to meet her.

Following the meeting, a White House official confirmed to ABC News that Trump did accept the medal.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute issued a statement last week saying that once the Nobel Peace Prize is announced, it "can neither be revoked, shared, nor transferred to others. Once the announcement has been made, the decision stands for all time."
"I told him this ... Listen to this -- 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simon Bolivar a medal with George Washington’s face on it. Bolivar, since then, kept that medal for the rest of his life," she told reporters.

"Actually, when you see his portraits, you can see the medal there. And it was given by General Lafayette as a sign of the brotherhood between the United States, people of United States, and the people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom against tyranny. And 200 years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington, a medal, in this case a medal of a Nobel Peace Prize, and a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom," she added.

Simon Bolivar liberated Venezuela and several other Latin American countries from Spanish rule in the 1800s. The Marquis de Lafayette was a French national who volunteered to fight with American colonists during the Revolutionary War and eventually rose to be one of George Washington's most trusted generals.
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