I only echo the voices of thousands who sounded the alarm before me, but then again it cannot be said enough. America is facing unprecedented social and political peril. We must mobilize every resource humanly possible to prevent a catastrophe from happening before it is too late.Righting the Wrong New York (The Hawk): Since Trump rose to power in 2016, my concerns about the future of America have only been gravely compounded. It never occurred to me that after 240 years of a successful experiment in democracy and the development of solid democratic institutions based on the will of the people, we would face such unimaginable social and political peril. President Biden has made significant progress in addressing some of these issues that have plagued us, especially in restoring America’s global leadership. That said, the prognosis for the mid-term elections suggests that the Republicans may well take back both the House and the Senate, and the possibility that Trump may run again and even win in 2024 should send shivers down the spine of every concerned American.Beware AmericaIt is not that I want to rehash the past, but what happened to America during Trump’s presidency continues to have horrifying implications as to where America is heading. Was it even conceivable that a thoroughly corrupt racist, who failed to win the popular vote, was impeached twice, lost reelection, conspired to reverse the result of a legitimate and fair election, and instigated an insurrection to seize power, would still unfathomably remain in command of his party? If this is not a terrifying prospect, what is?To be sure, the Republican party has slipped into a bottomless pit of political sewage. What does it say about the party that chose him? This is a party that has long since lost its moral bearing, a party that put its own interest above that of the nation, and a party that blindly followed an imposter and a liar only because he is shameless, bold, and crude, and served the party’s racist agenda. This is a party whose members seek the endorsement of a charlatan, a party that will stop short of nothing to regain power, including violence that will make the January 6 resurrection look like a mere rehearsal, which could lead to civil war.The shortcomings of the Republican party are numerous, but it suffices to mention only a few to demonstrate how dangerous the party has become to the future of this nation.Bigotry runs rampantThe Republican party is a bigoted party that embraces white supremacy, and being the minority party, it is terrified of the prospect that people of color will replace white America. Thus, bent on recapturing power, the party is enacting in every Republican state hundreds of electoral laws designed to deprive Black and Hispanic Americans of their right to vote through gerrymandering, voter ID laws, and other nefarious schemes that defy democracy. Racism is consuming America from within, and white supremacy, which has been allowed to run rampant, is poisoning America’s soul.Carnage of Americans by gun violenceThe Republican party refuses to pass gun control laws regardless of how many Americans are shot to death. Gun violence is destroying our youth, decimating families, and literally robbing this country of its future. Yet, knowing all this, the Republican party refuses to do anything to stem the tide of violence. Gun violence is now the number one cause of death for all children and teens between 1-19 years of age.More than 120 Americans are killed every day by firearms. How many more mass shootings must we endure before the Republican party comes to its senses? At a minimum, we must move to ban assault weapons and implement universal background checks. The recent racially-motivated shooting in Buffalo where 10 innocent people were shot to death should shock the conscience of any decent American. Yet Republicans seem to be numb to this American tragedy; even when 20 children—six and seven-year-olds—were gunned down in their school in 2012, Republicans still refused to act.Defying climate change to our perilAnother catastrophic failure of the Republican party is its refusal to acknowledge that climate change is real. The plethora of scientific evidence is indisputable and overwhelming, and denying climate change, which is already upon us, is tragic. As a result, we are now witnessing massive fires, hurricanes, an unprecedented rise in sea levels, droughts, and the destruction of coral reefs. Moreover, climate-related migration is rising due to increased flooding, storms, extreme weather events, and higher temperatures, while precipitating geopolitical instability.Erin Pettit, a glaciologist from Oregon State University, is alarmed at how fast ice is cracking up in Antarctic. “It was hugely surprising to see things changing that fast,” said Pettit. According to the Washington Post, satellite imagery revealed long, parallel fissures in the frozen expanse. This is a calamity in the making, but the Republican party couldn’t care less.Denying healthcare as a rightAnother vile attitude of the Republican party is its position regarding universal healthcare. The Republican party never understood that healthcare is a human right. Everyone has the right to receive the healthcare they need. It is simply inconceivable that the richest country in the world provides no basic access to healthcare, which is central to the wellbeing of society, especially to children whose health directly impacts their mental development.According to CEOWorld Magazine’s 2021 Health Care Index, the ten countries with the best health care are: South Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, Austria, Japan, Australia, France, Spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. It is disgraceful that the United States comes in 30th on the Index – behind Mexico, Greece, and Ecuador. One of the strongest arguments for universal health care is that it will foster a healthier population overall; a healthy population will be less prone to disease, and hence more productive and competitive, not to speak of the moral obligation that a responsible government must be guided by.Usurping women’s right to chooseOne more manifestation of the Republican party’s moral bottom is its treatment of women, especially denying them the right to abortion. Here we have white haired reactionary Republican men, controlling red states from governor’s mansions or legislative bodies, deciding what women can or cannot do with their bodies. How dare they? For 50 years they have been trying to reverse the landmark law Roe v. Wade ruling, and the Supreme Court, with a majority of conservative justices, is now poised to do just that.This conservative-dominated Supreme Court is thoroughly politicized and the justices’ assumed impartiality gives in to dogma on hot-button issues, and lately they have been putting ideology above remaining faithful to the letter and the spirit of the rule of law. The Court, which is tasked to uphold the sacred right of every American, is becoming an instrument in the hands of the Republican party, which has manipulated the nomination and confirmation process in recent years to ensure as many conservatives on the Court as possible. The overturning of Roe v. Wade will not be the end of the conservative assault on women’s rights but only the beginning. We can be sure that laws limiting access to contraception, prohibiting same sex marriage, and denying the rights of the LGBTQ+ community will be next.To understand how debased the Republican party has become, all we have to do is see who most of the party’s leadership follows. Trump represents a new moral bottom, a new definition of sleaziness, a new standard of sheer loathsomeness. Trump is not only a traitorous, lying, narcissistic con man — he is literally the embodiment of the rot and moral decay that is consuming America’s spirit. Trump is a cancer on the body politic and the longer the Republican party allows him and all that he represents to remain and fester, the closer this Republic will inch to suicide.Trump’s grip on the Republican Party is a sad testament to the spinelessness of its leadership, the majority of whom still subscribe to his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen; in recent primaries, those who backed his claim were predominantly rewarded. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that even if Trump is not the Republican nominee in 2024, whoever is will in all likelihood be aligned with Trumpism and even transcend it by their extremely twisted conservatism, which rivals even the most backward extremists such as the Taliban.A victory for Trumpism in 2024 will mean that this country will continue to see its democratic institutions and processes attacked and gradually eroded; toxic white supremacy will thrive and anti-immigration policies will be the order of the day; environmental deregulation will continue apace, and economic inequality will keep soaring to new and unprecedented heights. America’s global leadership will evaporate and spell the end of the country as we know it. Trumpism is literally poison that will destroy this country from within if it is permitted to grow.There are thousands of loyal and dedicated Republican officials who are just as concerned as I am about the future of this country but remain silent, fearing the wrath of their fellow party members. They must remember that their allegiance is to the country and to the constitution, which they took an oath to defend and protect. Their solemn duty is to raise the alarm now and save America before the extreme right destroys what this country has stood for, fought for, and sacrificed for over two and a half centuries.If the Republican party in its current ideological makeup ends up in control of both Congress and the presidency, it will be to America’s everlasting shame. It will be a confession that we have lost faith in our Constitution and in this Republic. The noble principle of electing a government of the people, by the people, and for the people will tragically vanish.I am only adding my voice to the thousands who preceded me. No one can say we were not warned. Beware America; time is running out. If we do not act now, it will be us who wrote the obituary of the American dream. *Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He taught courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies for over 20 years.

Since Trump rose to power in 2016, my concerns about the future of America have only been gravely compounded. It never occurred to me that after 240 years of a successful experiment in democracy and the development of solid democratic institutions based on the will of the people, we would face such unimaginable social and political peril. President Biden has made significant progress in addressing some of these issues that have plagued us, especially in restoring America’s global leadership.

Beware America

Feature Post

Narvijay Yadav*When I bought a packet of sandwich bread in the morning, the vendor said that the ‘price has increased’. Then I saw news in my newspaper that wheat is in short supply in many countries of the world.&nbsp;India&nbsp;has already banned the export of wheat.&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;have been two leading exporters of wheat in the past, who are locking horns for the time being affecting global affairs. In such a situation, there has been a shortage of wheat everywhere. This shortfall will go on in the coming days. People are criticizing&nbsp;Russia's stubborn leader Putin for aggravating troubles. After&nbsp;Corona, the absurd and protracted war between&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and&nbsp;Ukraine&nbsp;has increased problems in the world. Prices of packaged ‘namkeens’, bread, chips and biscuits are increasing due to shortage of wheat and edible oils, but clever brands are playing a trick. Instead of increasing the printed price, they are reducing the size of the packets. The customer does not doubt due to the same price, although there is some confusion after getting the smaller packets. It is also happening that some products are being sold expensive in the cities, but the weight has been reduced in rural markets instead of increasing price.Summer is in full swing. Banda - a small town in UP, is melting. The temperature there reached 49 degrees the other day, highest in the world. If not for anything else, it flashed on the international weather map at least for scorching heat. Who grabs the headlines and for what, nobody knows exactly. So one should always be ready for every situation. As actor Anupam Kher says in one of his shows – ‘Kuchh Bhi Ho Sakta Hai’! Monsoon is expected to reach Kerala on May 27, slightly ahead of its scheduled time. Although the state is getting rains daily, even though it’s not monsoon rain. When the tempreture goes up, people travel to higher places. If the element of religion is added to the mountains, things get better. Perhaps that’s why there is a rush to go for Chardham Yatra. Over 34 pilgrims died on the way. From May 3 to May 16, more than 1.3 million pilgrims have registered for the Yatra. Most of those who died on the way had got Covid infection affecting their lungs. There is a lack of Oxygen at high altitudes and weak lungs do not support, hence death occurs. Those whose lungs have weakened due to Covid should avoid going to high places like Chardham or Ladakh, or they should go only after getting a medical consultation. The mantras of worship are often in Sanskrit and there is good news for Sanskrit lovers. Google has included Sanskrit in the list of 133 languages in its translation app. Apart from Sanskrit, 23 other languages of&nbsp;India&nbsp;including Bhojpuri, Dogri are part of Google Translate. Translation is of great importance in the exchange of knowledge and culture in the world. It is only after translation that the literature of one language is read among those who know the other language. If there is no translation, then the literature of different languages of&nbsp;India&nbsp;and languages of other countries of the world could not see the light.—The Hawk Features*The writer is a senior journalist &amp; columnist.

When I bought a packet of sandwich bread in the morning, the vendor said that the ‘price has increased’. Then I saw news in my newspaper that wheat is in short supply in many countries of the world.

Growing heat, vanishing wheat, shrinking size

The silent shores of the french riviera are all set to host the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. As the focus country at the Opening Night of ‘Marche Du Films’ this year, India intends to give the global audience a flavour of the country’s cinematic excellence, technological prowess, rich culture and illustrious heritage of storytelling.

India: Content Hub of the World is ‘Country of Honour’ at Cannes

Narvijay Yadav*The 15th Census of India was held in 2011. This process is repeated every ten years, hence the 16th census was scheduled in 2021, which was postponed due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that the next census of the country will be done digitally, and no citizen will be left out. Be it this year or next, the e-Census may be final. It is quite possible that after this the census will never be conducted again. All the data from the birth of infants to the death of adults will continue to be collected in digital form and the government will automatically send the information to the eligible citizens for various public welfare schemes, which will remove all the discrepancies. For this, the central government is going to amend the Birth-Death Registration Act. The draft of the amended law is in its final stages. It is estimated that the new law may come into force in the country before the start of the census in 2022. To make e-Census more scientific, modern technologies will be added to it.&nbsp;After the amendment of the law, the account of birth and death of citizens will reach the central government. Every birth and death will be registered by 2024. The birth and death register will also be linked to the census. This means that the census will be updated automatically after every birth and death in the country. This step of the government will actually reinforce the concept of 'One Nation One Data'. At present, this data reaches the center after a long wait through the states. At present, many cards are being used like Aadhar, Driving License, Voter ID, Passport and Ration Card, which people get made, but often these cards are not closed after their death. Because of this, unnecessary data keeps getting collected and there is a risk of misuse of these documents, while the benefits of facilities are not accessible to the eligible persons. After the amendment of the law, the wait of ten years for the census will end. The complete picture of the country's population will continue to reach the center every month, which will help in making new schemes.&nbsp;The next census will be the e-Census and based on this, the development plan of the country for the next 25 years will be prepared. After birth, the details will be added to the census register and after s/he turns 18, the name will be included in the voter list and after death, the name will be deleted. This will make it easier to change the name and address. Earlier this year, the central government had talked about some amendments in the rules to allow online self-counting in the upcoming census and the National Population Register (NPR). The announcement was made in 2020, but was postponed in view of the pandemic. The Center recently extended the deadline for change of jurisdiction for all states to June 30, 2022. Earlier this deadline was December 31, 2021. For the first time in the 140-year history of Census in&nbsp;India, it is proposed to collect data through a mobile app. Census provides invaluable socio-economic data, which form a reliable basis for policy making.—The Hawk Features*The writer is a senior journalist &amp; columnist.

The 15th Census of India was held in 2011. This process is repeated every ten years, hence the 16th census was scheduled in 2021, which was postponed due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that the next census of the country will be done digitally, and no citizen will be left out. Be it this year or next, the e-Census may be final.

The next Census will be Digital and the final

Vijay Garg* A team of scientists has mapped a&nbsp;huge, actively circulating ground-water system in deep sediments&nbsp;in West Antarctica. The team at&nbsp;Columbia University estimated&nbsp;that if all of it were extracted, it&nbsp;would form a water column from&nbsp;220 to 820 metres high -- at least&nbsp;10 times more than in the shallow&nbsp;hydrologic systems within and at&nbsp;the base of the ice -- maybe much&nbsp;more even than that. However, they noted that said such systems, prob-ably common in Antarctica, may&nbsp;have as-yet unknown implications&nbsp;for how the frozen continent reacts&nbsp;to, or possibly even contributes to,&nbsp;climate change.“People have hypothesised that&nbsp;there could be deep groundwa-ter in these sediments, but up to&nbsp;now, no one has done any detailed&nbsp;imaging,” said lead author Chloe&nbsp;Gustafson, who did the research&nbsp;as a graduate student at Columbia&nbsp;University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth&nbsp;Observatory. Scientists have, for&nbsp;decades, flown radars and other&nbsp;instruments over the Antarctic ice&nbsp;sheet to image subsurface features.&nbsp;Among many other things, these&nbsp;missions have revealed sedimen-tary basins sandwiched between&nbsp;ice and bedrock.But airborne&nbsp;geophysics can generally reveal&nbsp;only the rough outlines of such&nbsp;features, not water content or&nbsp;other characteristics. In the re-search appearing in the journal&nbsp;Science, the team concentrated&nbsp;on the 60-mile-wide Whillans Ice&nbsp;Stream, one of a half-dozen fast-moving streams feeding the Ross&nbsp;Ice Shelf, the world’s largest.To&nbsp;better map the sediments and their&nbsp;properties, they used geophysical&nbsp;instruments placed directly on&nbsp;the surface.Their analysis showed that, de-pending on location, the sediments&nbsp;extend below the base of the ice&nbsp;from a half kilometre to nearly two&nbsp;kilometres before hitting bedrock.&nbsp;And they confirmed that the sedi-ments are loaded with liquid water&nbsp;all the way down. They were also&nbsp;able to show that the groundwater&nbsp;becomes more saline with depth.However, the researchers said,&nbsp;if the ice surface were to thin --&nbsp;a distinct possibility as climate&nbsp;warms -- the direction of water flow&nbsp;could be reversed. Overlying pres-sures would decrease, and deeper&nbsp;groundwater could begin welling&nbsp;up toward the ice base. This could&nbsp;further lubricate the base of the ice&nbsp;and increase its forward motion.—The Hawk Features*Retired Principal, Malout, Punjab

A team of scientists has mapped a huge, actively circulating ground-water system in deep sediments in West Antarctica.