#administration

6 stories

Technology

19updates

trumpindialove

Can tech companies learn to love cheaper AI models?

Founders don’t grow alone. The best founders learn from peers facing similar challenges, gain insights from operators who have already scaled, and build relationships with investors who can help fuel the next stage of growth. You have just four days left to save up to $190 on your pass to TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 before Early Bird rates end on June 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT. On November 4 in Boston, more than 1,000 founders and investors will come together for a full day of practical insights, peer-to-peer learning, and meaningful networking designed to help startups grow faster. This is TechCrunch’s flagship founder conference, built specifically for founders. Whether you’re preparing to raise capital, scaling revenue, hiring your next team members, or planning your next major milestone, Founder Summit connects you with the people and strategies that can help move your company forward. Register by June 26 to save up to $190 on your pass. Groups of four or more can save up to 30%. Image Credits:Halo Creative Learn from founders, operators, and investors who have done it before TechCrunch Founder Summit is designed to deliver practical takeaways you can put into action immediately. You’ll connect with: Founders navigating similar growth stages Experienced operators who have scaled companies, teams, and revenue Investors sharing what they’re looking for and where they’re placing their bets The conversations are candid, focused, and designed to help founders solve real business challenges. Register here to save up to $190. Actionable sessions built for every stage of growth Founder Summit programming focuses on the decisions that shape a company’s future. Through breakout sessions and roundtable discussions, you’ll gain insights you can apply right away. Past topics have included: Raising a Series A Building pitch decks that resonate with investors Preparing for Series C and beyond Reaching $10 million ARR Knowing when to sell your startup Preparing your company to go public Whether you’re raising your first round or scaling toward your next major milestone, these sessions are built to help you make smarter decisions and move faster. Register here to save up to $190. Learn from founders and investors shaping the future Previous speakers have shared firsthand lessons on company building, fundraising, and growth, including: Jon McNeil, former president of Tesla turned investor, on why reviewing the real product over a mockup drives innovation. Cathy Gao, partner at Sapphire Ventures, on what founders need to prepare for heading into Series C. Jahanvi Sardana, Partner at Index Ventures, on what founders should focus on instead of TAM. Image Credits:Halo Creative Additional speakers have included leaders from Sequoia Capital, NFX, Underscore VC, Glasswing Ventures, Wing Venture Capital, Construct Capital, Greylock, and Precursor Ventures. The 2026 agenda is currently taking shape, with more founders, operators, and investors to be announced soon on the event page. Interested in leading the conversation? Submit a topic for a breakout or roundtable session for a chance to be voted onto the agenda by the TechCrunch audience. Register before rates increase on June 26 TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 is where founders come to gain practical insights, build valuable relationships, and accelerate growth. Join 1,000+ founders and investors in Boston on November 4 for a day of learning, networking, and conversations that can help shape your company’s future. Early Bird savings end in just four days, June 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now to save up to $190 on your pass and up to 30% when registering as a group before prices increase. When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

TechCrunchJun 23

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general

2updates

deniespleaseeking

Chandigarh Administration denies RTI plea seeking basis for Master Plan amendments

4 min readChandigarhJun 17, 2026 07:51 AM IST The Chandigarh Master Plan-2031, formally notified in April 2015, serves as the guiding blueprint for managing the city’s growth, heritage and infrastructure till 2031. (File Photo) The Chandigarh Administration has declined to disclose details of the proposed amendments to the city’s Master Plan, citing provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act that exempt disclosure of records related to an ongoing decision-making process. The proposed amendments to the Chandigarh Master Plan 2031 — including a higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR), increased population density, mixed land use, and high-rise development — have come under scrutiny following an RTI application seeking to know the studies and assessments that formed the basis of the proposed changes.In response to an RTI application filed by city resident Ram Kumar Garg, the Urban Planning Department said the draft amendments had been placed in the public domain for inviting objections and suggestions from residents, but the proposal was still under consideration and had not attained finality. “The Draft Amendments in the Chandigarh Master Plan have been placed in the public domain for inviting objections/suggestions from the general public, and the proposal is presently under consideration, and not attained finality from the Competent Authority,” the department said in its response dated June 16. The department further said the information sought was exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(i) of the RTI Act, 2005, and could be disclosed after the matter is finalised, subject to the provisions of the law. The response came after Garg sought details relating to the proposed changes in the Master Plan, the key planning document that guides Chandigarh’s land use, housing, commercial development, transport infrastructure and future urban growth. The applicant had sought copies of all studies, consultant reports, technical assessments, and official records relied upon while preparing the proposed amendments. The request aimed to ascertain whether the city’s infrastructure is equipped to handle the additional burden that may arise from denser development.Story continues below this ad Specifically, the RTI application sought utility augmentation, detailed project reports, population impact projections, carrying-capacity studies, infrastructure impact assessments, traffic studies, utility load assessments and environmental impact assessments related to the proposed amendments. It also sought records indicating whether funds had been earmarked for upgrading civic infrastructure and whether timelines or implementation plans had been prepared before the proposed planning changes are implemented. In addition, the applicant sought file notings, inter-departmental correspondence, minutes of meetings and records relating to any expert committee constituted to examine or recommend the amendments. Copies of approvals, recommendations, observations and reports relied upon by the administration while framing the amendments were also sought. The applicant further requested that if any of the studies or assessments sought did not exist, the administration should state so specifically. An inspection of all relevant files was also sought under the RTI Act.Story continues below this ad Officials maintained that since the amendment process is ongoing, disclosure of the information at this stage is barred under the RTI Act. They, however, pointed out that information relating to the draft amendments already available in the public domain can be accessed through the department’s website. The refusal is significant as the proposed amendments, which have attracted criticism from several quarters, could have a bearing on future development patterns in the city. Urban planners, resident welfare associations and other stakeholders have been closely tracking the exercise, with several groups seeking greater transparency regarding the proposed changes and their l

Indian ExpressJun 17

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World

21updates

trumphostsstate

Voters will judge Trump on the economy - how is it doing?

Trump administration drops $1.8bn 'anti-weaponisation' fund13 minutes agoNardine SaadReutersThe Trump administration has abandoned plans to create a $1.8bn (£1.3bn) fund to compensate individuals who claim they were unfairly targeted or investigated by the government, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said."We're not moving forward with the fund, period," Blanche told lawmakers on Tuesday.The proposed "anti-weaponisation" fund was announced to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.The plan drew strong criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who argued it could result in payment to people prosecuted over the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021, including those convicted of assaulting police officers.Brinkema barred the Department of Justice (DOJ) department from taking any steps to stand up or operate the fund - including processing or dispersing claims - until a preliminary hearing on 12 June.Blanche's comments in a tense congressional hearing comes a day after the Justice Department said it "disagrees strongly" with the judge's order but it would abide by the ruling.While Blanche gave the assurance to abandon the fund in oral testimony, he suggested the justice department may not release a formal statement."I'm not committing to putting anything in writing," Blanche said after Congresswoman Grace Meng, a Democrat, suggested that such a statement would help instill trust in the plan. "I don't know what the purpose is of putting something in writing. I'm telling you what we are doing."The DOJ defended the fund's establishment on Monday, saying in a statement on X that it was created "to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people".The fund was "open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise", the DOJ said.The White House directed comments about the decision to the justice department. The fund had been set aside for "victims of lawfare" to seek compensation, and eligibility for it appeared broad. Responding to the judge's two-page order last week, a DOJ spokesperson said they were "extremely confident" in the legality of the scheme.The order came down after two men who alleged the fund was discriminatory filed a lawsuit in Virginia. The plaintiffs said they had been targeted for political retribution by the Trump administration but believed they would not be allowed to file claims for compensation.Several Republican lawmakers, as well as Democrats, have voiced opposition to the fund since it was announced last month by Blanche - Trump's former personal lawyer who stepped in as the country's top prosecutor after the ouster of Pam Bondi from that role in April.Senate Majority leader John Thune, the top Republican in the US Senate, has come out forcefully against the fund.He reiterated his stance on Capitol Hill on Monday by saying that he preferred that the White House shut down the proposed fund if Congress was to pass a $72bn (53.5bn) budget reconciliation package to fund immigration agencies."I made my views very clear on the issue," Thune said, adding that "the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves".Earlier on Monday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, signalled that his party would push to eliminate the fund."Senate Democrats will push legislation to ban Trump's corrupt MAGA slush fund and ensure that no president can ever do this again, " Schumer added on X. "We will make sure that it's dead and can't be revived—just like we did with Trump's ballroom."Over the weekend, former US Vice-President Mike Pence, who served as second in command during Trump's first term, sharply criticised the fund, saying it was a "bad idea from the start" and should be dropped.

BBC NewsJun 3

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World

9updates

trumpoverwants

US House votes to end government shutdown over immigration operations

The Office of Personnel Management headquarters in Washington, D.C. Michael A. McCoy/For The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Michael A. McCoy/For The Washington Post via Getty Images Stay up to date with our Up First newsletter sent every weekday morning. The Trump administration has proposed introducing a new government-wide nondisclosure agreement, or NDA, for both new employees and those already serving. Recent leaks about immigration enforcement actions and the secretive U.S. raid on Venezuela underscore the need for NDAs, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) writes in a proposed rule scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. OPM asserts those disclosures put the lives of federal agents and members of the armed forces at risk. The document does not mention the highest-profile disclosure of the second Trump administration: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's revelation over a Signal group chat of plans for a military strike on Yemen. The roughly 2 million people who work for the federal government are already required to safeguard confidential and proprietary information obtained on the job. OPM says its proposal "does not create new substantive restrictions on employee speech or disclosure rights," but instead provides a standardized way for federal workers to acknowledge and agree to their existing obligations. But some people familiar with the inner workings of the federal government dispute that characterization. "This seems to be a new add-on that seems to be very, very broad in nature," says Ray Limon, who served as an attorney and human resources leader in the federal government for nearly three decades. "I'm just adding this to another tranche of measures that they're taking to step on the throat of the employee." OPM did not immediately respond to NPR's questions about the proposed rule. NDAs used selectively throughout the federal government NDAs are widespread in the private sector and already used selectively throughout the government, including in areas involving national security. But the vast majority of civil servants — who handle the unclassified, routine work of the government — do not sign NDAs, Limon says, although they are bound by numerous restrictions on how they handle agency information. According to the draft rule, agencies could decide for themselves whether to use the new agreements. Still, a government-wide push for NDAs would be unprecedented. "It would be a big deal, absolutely," says Limon. "It's been very, very limited in how they've been used." According to the draft rule, the NDA would cover information "relating to internal agency operations, personnel matters, procurement processes, or any sensitive, pre-decisional or deliberative material that is not currently publicly available and should not be disclosed under applicable law." Limon fears such broad language would discourage federal employees from making lawful disclosures under the Whistleblower Protection Act. That law protects federal employees from retaliation if they report government wrongdoing, such as fraud, waste, or abuse. In the draft rule, OPM says federal employees will still have the right to make whistleblower disclosures, but Limon remains wary. "I just think it's going to create a lot more confusion than necessary," he says. Public input sought on penalties The administration has invited the public to weigh in on a number of questions related to the draft rule, including what actions the government should take against employees — new or existing — who refuse to sign an NDA. In a separate draft rule proposed last year, OPM suggested failure to sign an NDA could result in termination or debarment from future employment with the federal government.

NPR NewsMay 26

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Economy

25updates

trumptightensdonald

Donald Trump warns Iran to ‘better get smart soon’, says he is ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy’

US President Donald Trump's administration on Friday announced a new policy requiring most foreign nationals applying for green cards to complete the process from outside the country instead of adjusting status within the US.US President Donald Trump's administration announced new rules for immigrants seeking green cards(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)Continuing its crackdown on immigrants in the US, President Donald Trump's administration on Friday (local time) announced a new policy for foreigners applying for permanent residency in the country.According to a Bloomberg report, those seeking permanent residency in Washington will be required to return to their home countries to seek green cards.Trump administration ramps up crackdown on immigrantsIn a statement, Zach Kahler, a spokesman for US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said, "From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances." Kahler added, "This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes."CBS News, citing officials, said they plan to end the option for many immigrants seeking a green card to complete the process without leaving the country. Under the new approach, most of these immigrants would instead have to return to their home countries and apply for an immigrant visa abroad at a US consulate.What does the document say?The memo, which was issued by USCIS on Friday, aims to strictly limit when the agency can allow immigrants to receive a green card via the "adjustment of status" process. According to reports, this route allows eligible immigrants already in the US to apply for permanent residency without having to leave the country and apply at a US consulate abroad.In a memo outlining the change, USCIS employees who decide applications for permanent residency were told that some exceptions could be made. The memo directed them to “consider and weigh all the relevant evidence in the record, taking into account the totality of the circumstances to determine whether the alien is suitable for permanent residence.”Additionally, it also directs federal agency officers to view adjustment of status as an "extraordinary" form of relief and an act of "administrative grace," citing federal law to argue that most green card applicants should complete the process overseas. Further, officers have now been told to see adjustment of status as a rare and special benefit, not a normal option. Officers are now instructed to view choosing adjustment of status over applying at a US consulate abroad as a negative factor in a person’s case.While the policy does not clearly state all the exceptions, the memo says that some groups, such as those on "dual intent" visas like H-1Bs for high-skilled workers, as well as refugees and asylees, will likely be allowed to apply for a green card in the country via adjustment of status.Trump's policy change could impact thousandsAccording to immigration law experts, the announcement of a new policy could impact hundreds of thousands of people a year and potentially reduce legal immigration further amid a sweeping government crackdown.The Trump administration has introduced a series of restrictions affecting everyone from asylum seekers to students and highly skilled workers.The new rules broadly affect foreigners who entered the US on temporary non-immigrant visas, such as students, H-1B or L visa workers, and visitors. Washington grants about one million green cards annually, but nearly half are for foreign relatives sponsored by US citizens, and those cases are typically already handled outside the country.Trump administration's stance on immigrantsThe developments come at a time when citizens of at least 39 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, are barred or restricted from entering Washington under a proclamation signed by the US President on national security grounds, commo

LiveMintMay 22

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Politics

3updates

administrationimposesrestrictions

Administration imposes restrictions in parts of J&K's Doda, bans unauthorised assemblies for two months

The restrictions have been imposed in view of the expectations of large gatherings of people in public events of recently released AAP MLA Mehraj Malik in his native Doda district. File | Photo Credit: PTI The administration on Sunday (May 3, 2026) imposed a ban on unauthorised assemblies and protests in parts of Jammu and Kashmir's Doda town for a period of two months under Section 163 of the BNSS, citing apprehensions of public disturbance and threat to peace.The step has been taken in view of the expectations of large gatherings of...

The HinduMay 3

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