EDITORIAL
BY DHIREN SHAH
HELLO READERS,
The fires around Los Angeles are still going on. Now, it is spreading due to high winds from Los Angeles County to Ventura County. The fires are covering about 26,000 acres. For comparison, Manhattan is under 15,000 acres. A 6 pm to 6 am curfew has been announced for Los Angeles for the safety of the residents. This is the worst fire around Los Angeles in decades. About 30 people are still missing and 24 are confirmed dead.
According to reports, the Bunny Museum, Will Rogers’ Ranch, a large motel owned by William Randolph Hearst, Palisades Charter High School, and other many popular structures have burnt to the ground or were damaged heavily. We hope that this fire can be contained as fast as possible. So far, it is only 17% is contained as per the reports by press time.
Florida judge Aileen Cannon. a Trump Appointee in his first term, actually gave a judgment against him. In Trump’s Jan. 6 case, special counsel Jack Smith wanted to release his report, but it was initially stopped in court. Then, Cannon permitted Attorney General Merrick Garland to release the report, but only one part. With less than a week before Trump takes the oath of office for the highest office in the United States and most powerful position in the world, it will be interesting to see the reaction from Trump and his supporters.
We all were hearing the economy going stronger and stronger in India. However, for a few weeks, the Rupee is getting weaker against the Dollar. Last year, on January 14, 2024, it was 1 dollar equal to Rs. 82.87, but this year it is Rs. 86.57. The stock market in India crashed, and all 3 stock markets are more than 10% down. People lost a lot of money. Many might go out of business in the stock market industry. Being from India, I sometimes look at the future of the Indian Rupee’s value against the U.S. Dollar. I have been told that the price will go beyond Rs. 90 and some had predicted over Rs. 102 per U.S. Dollars. This will impact the growth of India, and a lot of pressure will be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In last year’s election, he did not win by as much as people had expected. The Congress Party in India is getting more and more support from the people, especially the Muslim community. I hope Modi can bring some new ideas to control the slippery slope of India’s economy.
Port Authority received a critical loan from the Federal Build America program. Under this program, NY/NJ will receive $4.1 billion for building a new bus terminal between New York and New Jersey. This project will bring employment and money to the local area.
McDonald’s has reopened on Central Avenue in East Orange. The famous restaurant is a key component of the fast food chains in the local area. Best of luck to McDonald’s and its owners to sustain their community business in our area.
Have a wonderful week. I’ll talk to you next week.
