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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Rob Menendez — son of the scandal-plagued Sen. Bob Menendez — faces a tough reelection race.</li><li>Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, styling himself as an anti-machine candidate, could defeat him.</li></ul>When Rep. Rob Menendez decided to enter politics, his last name was undoubtedly his most valuable asset. Now, it's his greatest liability.Sixteen months into representing a House district in New Jersey just across the river from Manhattan, Menendez is staring down a well-funded, formidable primary challenge from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who styles himself as a progressive urbanist and — perhaps more importantly — is not the son of Sen. Bob Menendez, who's been all but permanently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senators-calling-for-bob-menendez-resign-bribery-indictment-2023-9">sidelined</a> by his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nadine-arslanian-wife-bob-menendez-indicted-bribery-car-accident-2023-10">lurid corruption scandal</a> and could face time behind bars.Polling has shown that the younger Menendez could lose, and the congressman has to contend with two dueling headaches ahead of the June 4 primary: separating himself from his scandal-plagued father, and surviving the loss of the state's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-county-party-line-machine-politics-andy-kim-explainer-2024-4">long-standing "county line" ballot system</a>, which has helped party bosses essentially coronate candidates like Menendez for decades. Running for reelection under what he calls "the most unique set of challenging circumstances you can imagine," Menendez is out to prove that he's able to stand on his own, and that he's more than the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-rise-of-political-nepo-babies-2023-6">"nepo baby" caricature</a> that's dogged him for his entire life."For all the times that people have said that I've only been able to accomplish something because of my father, that's now clearly no longer going to be the case when I win reelection," Menendez told me in April, as we sipped beers at the back of a Jersey City pub. "That's what's so exciting about this election."Aside from the last name, one could be forgiven for failing to recognize the congressman as the senator's son — the 38-year-old Menendez comes across as a charming, wonky frat bro. "The best way I've heard myself described is as a geriatric millennial," he told a gathering of voters in Hoboken the day before we sat down. He sports a hi-top fade haircut, wears Nike Air Force 1 sneakers with his suits, is a skilled extemporaneous speaker, and carries himself with the self-assuredness that comes with growing up in a politically powerful family. Indeed, Menendez has never known a time when his father was not an elected official.<div type="image" title="A 21-year-old Rob Menendez looks on at his father's 2006 Senate election victory party." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842863" hostid="261" sizebytes="112530"></div>His political survival now depends on separating himself from his father, a task that's clearly both politically and personally difficult for him. Menendez, who has not been implicated in his father's scandal, euphemistically refers to the ongoing criminal proceedings as the "challenges he's facing" or his "legal troubles," sometimes flashing a nervous grin when the topic comes up. He won't even comment on his father's stated intention to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/indicted-sen-bob-menendez-independent-reelection-run-rcna144436">run for reelection as an independent</a> if he's cleared of the corruption charges facing him, a move that could jeopardize Democrats' chances to retain the seat."I don't have the capacity to think through, well, what if, what if, what if," Menendez told me. "There's a lot that I have to deal with right now."<h2>'This is a true test for democracy'</h2>The younger Menendez's entry into politics was swift. In 2021, he was nominated by Gov. Phil Murphy to serve as a commissioner overseeing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Six months after Menendez assumed that office, Rep. Albio Sires announced that he would not seek reelection and immediately endorsed the younger Menendez to succeed him. The rest of New Jersey's political establishment quickly followed, including local party organizations, and Menendez sailed through the primary in his deep-blue district with nearly 84% of the vote. Contrary to even some of his supporters, the congressman seems to have difficulty acknowledging how easy it was for him to get to Congress."I think sometimes people look at the result, and look at the support that we ended up with, and they say, oh, well this was all packaged together, this wasn't competitive," Menendez told me. "But you know, we treated it, and we ran it, like a real spirited race, like we were 30 points down every single day."Mayor Bhalla told me that he began contemplating his primary challenge shortly after the elder Menendez was first indicted in September. As a congressional candidate, he's emphasized that Hoboken <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hoboken-nj-eliminated-traffic-deaths-bikes-road-paint-speed-limit-2023-11">hasn't had a single traffic death in over 7 years</a> under his "Vision Zero" strategy, earning the city plaudits from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and a bevy of positive national headlines. Fluent in the language of contemporary urbanism, Bhalla frequently invoked phrases like "daylighting" and "bumpouts" and "class two bike lanes" and "signalization" during our conversation.His candidacy is also historic: If elected, he would be only the second Sikh American ever elected to Congress, and the first one to wear a turban. That facet of his candidacy has also contributed to his ability to outraise Menendez so far — an analysis of Bhalla's contributions shows that the vast majority of his $1.6 million war chest has come from South Asian American donors around the country. A coffee table in his mayoral office features a smattering of books on Sikhs, urbanism, and the city where he's been mayor since 2018.<div type="image" title="Bhalla at an event in Jersey City in February." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842864" hostid="261" sizebytes="289888"></div>Bhalla is slightly to the left of Menendez — the mayor supports Medicare for All, the congressman does not — but there's not a ton of daylight between the two on policy matters. They're also largely on the same page on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Bhalla told me that like Menendez, he would have voted for a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-house-democrats-republicans-vote-against-israel-gaza-aid-2024-4">recent bill to provide more military aid</a> to the Jewish state.Sitting in his recently opened campaign office, the mayor told me that the most important facet of his candidacy was his fight against New Jersey's party boss-driven political culture. Beyond his bid to unseat Menendez, Bhalla is also staking much of his candidacy on his opposition to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-county-party-line-machine-politics-andy-kim-explainer-2024-4">the "county line" system</a>, which has been struck down for this primary — and possibly forever — as a result of a lawsuit filed by Democratic Rep. Andy Kim in the midst of his short-lived Senate primary campaign against <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tammy-murphy-new-jersey-abolishing-senate-filibuster-2024-1">First Lady Tammy Murphy</a>. "This is a true test for democracy, to see whether or not we can bring a voice to average residents," said Bhalla, deriding the "top-down party boss-led power" in his northern New Jersey district.Bhalla filed an amicus brief in that lawsuit after coming out against the line, which has been proven to give a massive boost to those who receive the endorsement of local party organizations. Having been endorsed by those organizations, Menendez was set to benefit from the line this primary. Now that the candidates will compete under the "office block" ballot format used by every other state, Bhalla's chances of unseating the congressman have dramatically improved."This election is really a choice between a record of progressive accomplishments versus sort of the epitome New Jersey bosses," said Jersey City Councilman James Solomon, a Bhalla supporter who has long opposed the county line system. "With the congressman, you've got somebody who partnered with his dad's political machine to basically intimidate his way into Congress, is the best way I can describe it."But the mayor hasn't always been a fierce opponent of bossism. Before beginning his crusade against the line in January, Bhalla sought the endorsement of the very party organizations he's now criticizing, in an effort to give him the unfair advantage he now opposes. Bhalla has also acted as a party boss himself, using his influence to place his former chief of staff in an advantageous position on the ballot in a 2023 state assembly race.<div type="image" title="The younger Menendez at an event in Washington, DC shortly after his election in 2022." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842866" hostid="261" sizebytes="98110"></div>Menendez was eager to highlight that hypocrisy in our conversation, deriding Bhalla as a "political opportunist" who was "calling every single mayor, asking them to put him on the line" after Senator Menendez was indicted and the congressman's own machine support appeared less than certain. "This idea that he is someone who's always fought the line is absurd," Menendez told me. "When he didn't get the line, then he pivoted.""Once the idea of abolishing the line wasn't just a pie-in-the-sky dream, but could actually happen, I stood up and spoke out," Bhalla told me of the apparent hypocrisy. "I'm still waiting for Rob Menendez to do the same."To that point, I pressed Menendez four different times on how he felt about the "county line" system, the ultimate fate of which is still being litigated. Each time, he declined to clearly state whether he preferred keeping the system — which largely helped him get elected in the first place — or favored its abolition. The congressman insisted that he wanted "clarity on the issue" and that he wasn't outright opposed to the abolition of the line."I guess the reason that my answer is not satisfying to you is because I may overvalue consistency," said Menendez. "The decision's done, and I'm actually really good with it, because we're going to win, we're going to have a decisive victory, and no one's going to be able to say it was only because of the line, or it was only because of my father."<h2>'I mean, definitely the name helped'</h2>It's been a nasty primary race, and there's still a whole month left. Bhalla and Menendez have swiped at one another on social media over gold bars, Sam Bankman-Fried, Bhalla's 2022 endorsement of Menendez, and more. The congressman has been particularly incensed by Bhalla's efforts to tie him to his father's corruption scandal.During Bhalla's opening speech at a candidate forum in Jersey City — the duo's first joint appearance at such an event this cycle — Bhalla argued that the district's constituents were suffering from a lack of "connective tissue" with their representation in the House, prompting eye-rolls and smirks from Menendez, seated just feet away.One constant, yet confounding subplot of the drama of this primary has been Bhalla's tensions with his own city council. Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, an opponent of the line who also backed Kim over the governor's wife in the Senate primary, has endorsed Menendez, calling the mayor a "terrible candidate" who has been "dishonest all the time" during his tenure.The day before I spoke with Menendez, Fisher organized a town hall-style event for the congressman in her apartment complex — a waterfront property that once served as a warehouse for the Lipton Tea Company. Five of Hoboken's nine city council members attended, two of whom told me that they view the mayor as uncompromising, headline-obsessed, and inaccessible. "Everything here is a headline or a deadline driving the process," Councilman Paul Presinzano said of Mayor Bhalla. "His agenda has been: me, me, me."It's a perception that Menendez has also leaned on, aided by the conspicuous — and at times, disruptive — presence of a documentary film crew at the Jersey City candidate forum, which Bhalla quickly departed as Menendez stayed to shmooze with voters. "He has a camera crew following him, okay!?" Menendez exclaimed to me. A Bhalla campaign spokesman told me that film crew had reached out to the mayor's team, and that they're profiling several South Asian candidates running for office this cycle.The meet-and-greet, where Menendez easily fielded pre-filtered questions from a crowd of roughly 100, illustrated the challenge the congressman faces in making his case for reelection: his record is thin, and he has yet to put his name on any major legislation, owing to being a freshman member of the minority party. Menendez talked up his constituent services operation, saying that he had solved over 1,500 cases — mostly immigration-related — and had brought back millions of dollars in federal funding to the district. He also talked about landing a "highly coveted" spot on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, touted his efforts to make the nuts and bolts of government work, and even provided an anecdote about how his elementary school science fair was anonymized as a result of claims that his father — then the mayor of Union City — was somehow exercising influence over the judges to help his son win.Yet the congressman is still adjusting to the reality of running in an environment where the power of the machine has been diminished, speaking more about the "durability of the relationships" that he's built than the notion of grassroots support that other politicians, including Bhalla, typically invoke. In front of voters in Hoboken, he spoke at length about how he believes Congress should be "the most boring institution in the entire world," expressing irritation at the fact that his one of the few viral breakout moments of his tenure — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J-KUgdWlcG4">referring to Donald Trump as "Orange Jesus"</a> during a House Homeland Security meeting in February — got "exponentially more attention than doing the real work."<div type="image" title="Menendez looks on as Bhalla's opening remarks at a Jersey City candidate forum are filmed by a cameraman." height="1500" width="2000" msid="109842868" hostid="261" sizebytes="193612"></div>"Listen, it's a new type of campaign for him," said Fisher, explaining why she helped organize the event. "He hasn't created the brand to win an election in a way that he has to do with this year, versus how he's done it in the past. That's the difference between having the benefit of the line, and having to run on your own record."And despite their misgivings with Bhalla, several of the Hoboken city council members tended to squirm a bit when I asked them about their mayor's primary critique of Menendez — that he's only in Congress at all due to nepotism and the power of the county line."Do I think it was nepotism? I mean, definitely the name helped," said Presinzano."The politics behind it, that allowed him to run in a way that made it difficult for other people, had nothing to do with Rob's willingness to say yes," said Fisher. "Rob's been in the seat now for a year and a half, and he's absolutely earned the right to be reelected."<h2>'I also trust people to distinguish between us'</h2>With the sudden end of Tammy Murphy's Senate bid and the resulting collapse of the "county line," the race to represent New Jersey's 8th district is poised to be the first real test of what the state's post-line politics will look like — and whether the Menendez brand is permanently dead.One common refrain I heard from Menendez's backers is that he doesn't have to do this, that continuing to seek office in this environment — and while raising two young children — is proof of the congressman's commitment to public service. To that point, Menendez's <a target="_blank" href="https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2022/10047553.pdf">financial disclosures</a> show that he made more than $456,000 in 2021 from practicing law, more than two and a half times the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/members-congress-100000-pay-raise-salaries-174000-2024-1">$174,000 salary</a> he makes as a member of Congress.There are a variety of factors that will work in Menendez's favor in this primary, including the endurance of well-organized turn-out operations run by Democratic machines in places like Union City. He's also maintained the support of several other members of the New Jersey delegation, along with House Democratic leadership, despite those same lawmakers' months-old calls for his father to resign."He's really talented — a leader who has done nothing but earn my confidence," Sen. Cory Booker told me, while praising Bhalla as an "an extraordinary leader as well" who's a "longtime friend."<div type="image" title="Rep. Rob Menendez and Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla" height="1364" width="1819" msid="109842869" hostid="261" sizebytes="173524"></div>Bhalla also hasn't gotten help from other reform-minded candidates. Kim has declined to endorse either Menendez or Bhalla, while Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop — a 2025 gubernatorial candidate who's positioned himself as anti-machine — has simply declined to endorse Menendez rather than affirmatively back the mayor.At the same time, the elder Menendez's trial is set to begin this month, guaranteeing that as they head to the polls, voters in New Jersey will once again be reminded of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sen-bob-menendez-charges-bribery-corruption-scandal-gold-bars-2023-9">gold bars</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-menendez-indictment-cash-hidden-clothing-envelopes-bribery-2023-9">wads of cash</a> stuffed into pockets, and the allegations that the senator corruptly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sen-bob-menendez-new-claims-indictment-qatar-egypt-2024-1">carried out the interests</a> of autocratic Middle Eastern governments."Some people may be impacted by my father, and the challenges that he's having, and I understand that," Menendez said at the Hoboken meet-and-greet. "But I also trust people to distinguish between us."

Inside Rep. Rob Menendez's fight to be more than a 'nepo baby'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rep. Rob Menendez — the son of Sen. Bob Menendez — just survived a tough primary challenge.</li><li>Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla ran against him, focusing largely on the elder Menendez's scandals.</li></ul>Rep. Rob Menendez of New Jersey— the son of scandal-plagued Sen. Bob Menendez — defeated a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rob-menendez-ravi-bhalla-primary-new-jersey-hoboken-2024-4">well-funded Democratic primary challenger</a> in New Jersey on Tuesday, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://decisiondeskhq.com/results/2024/Primaries/races/new-jersey-us-house-democratic-primary-8">Decision Desk HQ</a> and the Associated Press.It's a significant victory for the younger Menendez, who had found himself in the fight of his life amid his father's lurid corruption scandal. Sen. Menendez has been accused of accepting bribes in the form of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bob-menendez-indictment-cash-hidden-clothing-envelopes-bribery-2023-9">wads of cash</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sen-bob-menendez-charges-bribery-corruption-scandal-gold-bars-2023-9">gold bars</a> in exchange for, among other things, acting as a foreign agent. His trial began last month and remains ongoing.The congressman had been challenged by Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who waged a campaign largely based around the elder Menendez. Though the congressman has not been linked to his father's alleged misdeeds, he has defended him amid the charges, and he pointedly declined to offer an opinion on his father's looming independent Senate bid during an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rob-menendez-ravi-bhalla-primary-new-jersey-hoboken-2024-4">interview with Business Insider in April.</a>"I don't have the capacity to think through, well, what if, what if, what if," Menendez said at the time. "There's a lot that I have to deal with right now."Bhalla would have made history as just the second Sikh American ever elected to Congress, and the first to wear a turban.The primary was also a key test for how candidates will run without the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-jersey-county-party-line-machine-politics-andy-kim-explainer-2024-4">so-called "county line" system</a>, which has enabled machine politics to persist for decades in New Jersey. It's essentially a ballot design trick that has allowed party organizations to hand-pick candidates in state elections for decades.Following a lawsuit from Rep. Andy Kim amid his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tammy-murphy-new-jersey-abolishing-senate-filibuster-2024-1">short-lived primary campaign</a> against First Lady Tammy Murphy, a federal judge struck down the system for the June primary, and it could be invalidated forever. Kim officially became the Democratic nominee for Senate in Tuesday.That system enabled the coronation of Menendez by party leaders in 2022, despite holding no elected office before.During one recent debate, Bhalla alleged that he was essentially pressured into endorsing the younger Menendez that year, and that Sen. Menendez was on speakerphone with his son during the call.

Bob Menendez's congressman son survives fight of his political life amid father's 'gold bars' corruption scandal

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">GilletteA still from Gillette's latest #MeToo-inspired ad</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Shaving giant Gillette knew that its new ad addressing the #MeToo movement would be divisive. But the brand still went ahead with it in order to continue to appeal to future generations of customers.</li><li>The ad is part of a broader brand repositioning, and turns Gillette's 30-year-old tagline "The Best A Man Can Get" on its head, making it a call for men to take an inward look and placing the onus on them to be the best versions of themselves.</li><li>Pankaj Bhalla, brand director for Gillette and Venus, called it it "a statement of self-reflection" from the brand.</li><li>Gillette first started brainstorming the repositioning in the spring of 2018, and ran several qualitative tests before running it.</li></ul>Gillette was well aware that its new ad would <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gillette-metoo-commercial-criticizes-men-2019-1">ruffle some feathers.</a>But it still went ahead with it because it knew it needed to reposition itself to continue to resonate with the next generation of its customers, and wanted to leverage its position as a 117 year-old brand and a market leader to spark dialogue."We knew that this particular commercial would trigger a conversation," Pankaj Bhalla, brand director for Gillette and Venus, told Business Insider. "The idea was to get people thinking, because the belief was that good <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> does trigger a healthy debate.""<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=80&amp;v=z2rIgsPlJd0">We Believe</a>," which debuted on Monday, minces no words in attempting to address toxic masculinity. The minute-and-a-half spot opens with a montage of news anchors covering the #MeToo-related movement, followed by a narrator asking: "Is this the best a man can get? Is it?" The narration then continues over scenes of men changing their behavior, whether it is how they respond to bullying or how they interact with women.It turns Gillette's 30-year-old tagline "The Best A Man Can Get" on its head, repositioning it as a call for men to take an inward look and placing the onus on them to be the best versions of themselves. The idea was to make the tagline relevant in the current day and age in a way that appeals to people emotionally, not just practically, said Bhalla.While certainly a deliberate move, Gillette insisted that the ad is not a political statement."It isn't a social statement or a political one at all," said Bhalla. "It is a statement of self-reflection from a brand that caters primarily to men - that one of the ways they can be the best version of themselves is by being great role models to the next generation."The ad is the first one by a mainstream brand to tackle the #MeToo movement head-on, and comes on the heels of a string of other marketers taking a stand on hot-button issues in recent years. But it isn't first time that parent company Proctor &amp; Gamble has promoted its stance on social issues like gender equality. Its "Like a Girl" campaign for feminine-care brand Always, for example, made waves as well."This new spot from Gillette continues our effort to spark conversation on issues of bias and equality, which drives reflection and understanding," a P&amp;G spokesperson told Business Insider. "We take seriously our role as one of the world's largest advertisers to use our voice to be a positive force for good in society.""We Believe" was also backed by months of qualitative research and testing. Gillette first started brainstorming with its agency Grey in the spring of 2018, said Bhalla, followed by qualitative research across both men and women around the notion of masculinity. It also tested creative before greenlighting the final creative."Masculinity is a complex topic," said Bhalla. "It's still in the early days, but we feel good about the direction we've taken as a brand."Gillette also teased the topic in other commercials encouraging men to be the best version of themselves in the run-up to the launch of the latest ad. "Your Best Never Comes Easy" featured Seattle Seahawks' Shaquem Griffin overcoming adversity to reach where he is, while "Handle With Care" showcased its assisted shaving product in recent months.In recent years, Gillette has been facing stiff competition from direct-to-consumer upstarts like Dollar Shave Club and Harry's and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bearded-millennials-cause-crisis-for-razor-industry-2018-8">declining sales as fewer men</a> choose to shave. With this ad, the brand hopes to be both "a force for good, and a force for growth," ultimately helping it boost sales."The long term objective is that Gillette continues to grow, that its equity continues to get stronger at the hands of those young men that we're grooming now," said Bhalla.Gillette will continue to address the issue and put it at the center of upcoming ads as well. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/building-wilmington-delaware-largest-companies-ct-corporation-2017-4">This tiny building in Wilmington, Delaware is home to 300,000 businesses</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Gillette knew that its new #MeToo ad would prompt backlash. Here's why the company still went ahead with it.

New Delhi, Apr 2 () The Centre on Thursday asked the states and union territories to take all necessary steps for the smooth disbursement of Rs 27,500 crore to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PM-GKY) through banks from Friday, amid the ongoing lockdown to combat the coronavirus threat. In a letter to all chief secretaries, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said money will be disbursed under the PM-GKY package to a large number of beneficiaries beginning Friday. In this regard, the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, has given detailed guidelines such as staggering of account holders to avoid crowding and maintaining social distancing, publicising the modalities of staggering and cash distribution and provision of adequate security personnel at bank branches and business correspondents (BCS) to maintain law and order and social distancing, reads the letter. "The concerned departments of the state government/ UT administration, district authorities and field agencies may please be informed on the above for strict compliance. "They shall take all necessary measures to ensure smooth disbursal of money to the beneficiaries of PM-GKY," Bhalla said. On Tuesday, Bhalla had asked the states and UTs to ensure smooth functioning of banks and ATMs for the disbursement of the PM-GKY funds. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba had also asked the states to implement the PM-GKY within next week. The 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 to contain the spread of the coronavirus. ACB AQS

Centre asks states, UTs to take all steps for smooth disbursement of Rs 27,500 cr under PM-GKY

Union Home Secretary <keyword id="2797910" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajay-Kumar-Bhalla">Ajay Kumar Bhalla</keyword> on Friday said the government has not taken any call on allowing <keyword id="437184" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chinese-telecom-companies">Chinese telecom companies</keyword> to enter into the 5G trials in India but acknowledged that the penetration of the neighbouring country into the existing network is too extensive. Bhalla, however, also made it clear that the government is making special safeguards to ensure safety and security of the country's communication network. "On 5G, the government in any case has not taken any call. Discussions are still on...when it will be allowed and who are the people to be allowed. Point is very valid. The penetration of existing telecom hardware and software is too extensive," he said at the Diamond Jubilee webinar organised by National Defence College. He was replying to a question on participation of Chinese telecom players in India's 5G trials. The home secretary said unless India gets a substitute, the existing facilities cannot be closed down abruptly. "Unless we have a substitute available, we just can't switch off and say that this will not be allowed. But the government can definitely make special safeguards and ensure the safety and security of the system of communication of the country. That we are having and we are developing and we will definitely be able to deal with that," he said. The US has banned <keyword id="6357456" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="huawei">Huawei</keyword>, the world's leader in telecom equipment and the number two smartphone producer, over concerns of security and Washington has been putting pressure on other countries to restrict the operations of the Chinese telecom firm. India, however, is yet to take a call on whether it intends to place curbs on Huawei or allow the Chinese telecom equipment maker to participate in the upcoming 5G trials. Telecom Minister <keyword id="6354886" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar-Prasad">Ravi Shankar Prasad</keyword> had earlier said India has its security issues over allowing Huawei to participate in the upcoming 5G trials. "We will take a firm view on it. There are also security issues...it is not only a matter of technology, as regard their participation in 5G is concerned...Participation of 5G is not conditional upon the trial being started. Whether a particular company is allowed to participate or not, is a complex question, including security issues," he had said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/aws-expands-india-footprint-with-plans-for-a-second-cluster-of-data-centers-in-hyderabad-by-2022/articleshow/79075220.cms">AWS pumps $2.7 billion into India to set up a second cluster of data centers in Hyderabad by 2022</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-and-china-slated-to-hold-8th-round-of-military-level-talks-as-troops-gear-up-for-ladakhs-sub-zero-winters/articleshow/79074473.cms">India and China slated to hold 8th round of military-level talks as troops gear up for Ladakh’s sub-zero winters</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/whatsapp-pay-upi-rolls-out-while-google-pay-phonepe-have-already-got-the-first-sting-with-the-npci-cap/articleshow/79075049.cms">WhatsApp Pay UPI is now live while Google Pay, PhonePe have already got the first sting</a>

India is yet to take final decision on China's entry into 5G

<ul class="summary-list"><li>While traffic deaths are way up across the country, Hoboken, New Jersey, has managed to go years without one.</li><li>The mayor and head of transportation credit a slew of road improvements and policy changes.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vehicle-related-deaths-increase-car-safety-pedestrians-cyclists-2023-9">American roads have gotten a lot more dangerous</a> in recent years.Between 2019 and 2022, traffic fatalities jumped 18%, with pedestrian deaths hitting a 40-year high in 2021, according to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association. Authorities blame the increased fatalities on speeding, impaired driving, and people not wearing seatbelts.But one New Jersey city is bucking the trend. In Hoboken, local leaders have invested in a concerted effort to cut road deaths — and it's working. The city hasn't had a single traffic death since January 2017, and traffic injuries have declined about 40% in that period, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-11-20/this-new-jersey-mayor-ended-traffic-deaths-with-a-vision-zero-plan?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_content=citylab&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic">Bloomberg reported</a>.Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, who was elected in 2017, started the city's Vision Zero effort in 2019. The project has an ambitious goal of eliminating all traffic deaths and injuries n the city by 2030.Hoboken has since pursued a slew of measures to calm traffic, and design roads and intersections to promote safety, while encouraging residents to bike, walk, or take public transit.Hoboken lowered its speed limit to 20 mph citywide in 2022. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/unsafe-at-many-speeds">Research has found</a> that the speed a vehicle is traveling at when it hits a pedestrian has a significant impact on how deadly the accident is. While a pedestrian who's hit by a car traveling at 20 mph has a 93% rate of survival, the survival rate drops to 80% when the vehicle is going 30 mph. Both death and injury rates continue to rise as speeds climb above 30 mph.The city has also installed new crosswalks, bike lanes, and curb extensions, which prevent cars from parking or turning right next to the corners of sidewalks at intersections. Known as "daylighting," these curb extensions provide more visibility to pedestrians and drivers at crosswalks.Bhalla introduced Citi Bike — the popular bike-sharing program — in 2021, and Hoboken now has bike lanes on almost half of its streets.The idea behind Hoboken's Vision Zero is to make its streets less car-focused, and more welcoming and accessible to all kinds of transport, Bhalla told Bloomberg CityLab.The improvements start out simple — sometimes all that's required is a little sidewalk paint, he said. Sturdier and more expensive road alterations come later."Just with a bucket of paint, you can actually create a curb extension; you can create high visibility crosswalks, which create a much safer environment at a very cheap cost," Bhalla said. "And then when you do the next iteration of repaving, you can really amplify and increase on those improvements that you've made."Hoboken began by piloting these changes and then polled residents, who supported the movement."The goal was to make complete streets components as fundamental as a centerline or an ADA ramp," Hoboken's director of transportation and parking, Ryan Sharp, <a target="_blank" href="https://bikeportland.org/2023/04/26/hoboken-leader-shares-secret-sauce-for-vision-zero-success-373939">said</a> at a transportation summit in April.As additions like bike lanes have grown in popularity, city council members who initially opposed them have changed their tune, Sharp said.

A New Jersey city hasn't had a single traffic death in almost 7 years. Here's why.

New Delhi, Apr 3 () The Union government on Friday asked states and union territories to ensure smooth harvesting and sowing operations, saying agricultural activities were exempted from the 21-day lockdown enforced to combat coronavirus. In a communication to all states and UTs, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said the farming operations by farmers, farm workers and procurement of agricultural productions are exempted from the nationwide lockdown. Bhalla said the home ministry has allowed agricultural operations, keeping in view the harvesting and sowing season. He said though exceptions have been allowed for farming operations by farmers and farm workers, procurement of agricultural productions, operation of mandis, movement of harvesting and sowing related machinery, etc., however, as per information received, these exceptions have not percolated down at the field level. "With a view to ensure smooth harvesting and sowing operations, while maintaining social distancing, it is requested that the exceptions allowed for agriculture sector must be communicated to all field agencies," he said. The lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. ACB SMNSMN

Centre asks states to ensure smooth harvesting, sowing activities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some families are opting to have nannies that speak a different language than them. </li><li>These caregivers can help children connect with the family's native tongue.</li></ul>In our increasingly interconnected world, the decision to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-in-nanny-babysitter-judged-parenting-styles-2024-2">hire a nanny</a> is a deeply personal one for families, influenced by socioeconomic, cultural, and comfort-driven factors. These caregivers not only provide attentive care but also serve as profound shapers of a child's development, imparting guidance and nurturing that leaves an indelible mark. For instance, Candi Vajana, an experienced nanny fluent in both English and Italian, has helped countless families in her 30-year tenure learn new languages. "Children learn very quickly, especially in the 0 to 5 age range," Vajana told Business Insider. "We live in a society where <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/raised-bilingual-grateful-family-communication-2023-10">being able to speak</a> multiple languages is now the norm."As a result, some families are intentionally <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nannies-of-color-america-racism-tiktok-2023-1">seeking out nannies</a> who possess the gift of multilingualism, recognizing the invaluable immediate and long-term benefits it can bestow.<h2>A multilingual nanny offers cultural exposure for both the child and the parent</h2>Jayna Patel, a real-estate agent based <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miami-things-you-should-never-do-according-to-local">in Miami</a>, receives care from a Spanish-speaking nanny for her 3-year-old son twice a week for a total of 10 hours a week.Discovered through the trusted grapevine of word-of-mouth recommendations from the family, Patel's nanny has proven to be a linguistic treasure trove for her son. "Despite our differing parenting styles, I love how she speaks to my son in Spanish, even when conveying the simplest of phrases like 'pick this up' or 'are you hungry?'" Patel told BI.In their home, where Gujarati is the native tongue, Patel's son is immersed in a rich tapestry of languages — English and Spanish at his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/montessori-school-cost-mortgage-payment-2024-2">Montessori school</a>, and Gujarati instilled by his parents, complemented by the cultural heritage found in learning materials like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.moditoys.com/collections/books?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwzN-vBhAkEiwAYiO7oC9BkRAd8Hr8e9N31XTs4r5hChbasJSL7qTY-z2phOmrmvpCNKW6QBoCJ4gQAvD_BwE">Modi Toys</a>. Yet, it is the introduction of Spanish into her son's everyday vocabulary that captivates her and also helps her improve her own vocabulary."When you live in a diverse city like Miami, it's invaluable to have a foreign nanny, ensuring both you and your child develop a greater understanding and appreciation for inclusivity," Patel said. "I definitely recommend it to families to help their children with their linguistic tools and global appreciation."<h2>Knowing multiple languages helps with social and communication skills</h2>In the cosmopolitan <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/singapore-lifestyle-food-shopping-malls-weather-heat-misconceptions-2023-9">city of Singapore</a>, where self-employed business owner Natasha Bhalla Mistry lived for over six years, she sought a foreign nanny to care for her two daughters during their formative years."We intentionally picked a Filipino caregiver who spoke Tagalog for live-in help because of how nurturing and outgoing the community is," Bhalla Mistry told BI. "We wanted our daughters to reflect those traits, and they saw the nanny as a second mother."<div type="image" title="Girls with their nanny posing for photo" height="1512" width="2016" msid="109561979" hostid="261" sizebytes="155636"></div>Plus, the nanny helped Bhalla Mistry feel connected to her new home in Singapore amid a relocation from London during COVID-19; in the absence of family due to pandemic restrictions, her nanny became a steadfast presence in her life, teaching her Filipino customs and traditions. Additionally, the nanny purposefully taught Bhalla Mistry's daughters Tagalog while they learned Mandarin at school and Hindi at home.The family has since relocated to Switzerland, adding French to their daughters' growing communicative repertoire. "Children who grow up multilingual often develop better communication skills and can switch between languages more easily," Bhalla Mistry said. "The girls have cultivated an open-mindedness from a young age that will help them make deeper connections with other kids and adults."<h2>Multilingual nannies can help children connect with their native tongues</h2>Maria Olsson-Tysor of Orange County, California, hails from Sweden and only speaks Swedish to her children, while her husband speaks to them in English. Yet, she decided to hire two Swedish-speaking nannies; this decision was not merely a pragmatic choice but an act of cultural preservation."We visit family in Sweden annually, so it's important for all of our family to speak the same language and understand each other," Olsson-Tysor told BI. "There were times when my children responded only in English when relatives spoke to them in Swedish, and they felt embarrassed to speak the language, but we kept going."Despite living in the States, Olsson-Tysor incorporated multiple immersive experiences like Swedish schools, books, movies, playdates, and, of course, the companionship of the nanny to reinforce linguistic bonds."The more exposure to the language, with different sources, the better, and it will help your children flex their brain muscles and show them new ways of thinking," Olsson-Tysor said.

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