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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Saikat Chakrabarti vs Nancy Pelosi: Meet Indian-American challenging Godmother of Dem Party — in her own backyard
TL;DR Saikat Chakrabarti , ex-AOC aide and Justice Democrats co-founder, is running against Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in California's 11th Congressional District. The Harvard-educated techie turned political organiser accuses Pelosi of refusing to adapt after Trump's re-election. His campaign, 'Mission for America,' is a policy-heavy successor to the Green New Deal — with big plans for jobs, climate, and public investment. He's betting on grassroots support in a district long dominated by Democratic royalty. In a city where even startups go to die, Saikat Chakrabarti is trying to revive something far more difficult: the soul of the Democratic Party. The 39-year-old Indian-American political organiser, best known as the architect behind Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning 2018 win, has now trained his sights on a political Goliath — Nancy Pelosi, the longest-serving member of Congress from California. And yes, she's running again. 'I've decided to run against Nancy Pelosi,' Chakrabarti posted earlier this year, somewhat matter-of-factly, on X. 'I know some of you might be surprised... but she is — for her 21st term.' Pelosi, who has represented California's 11th District (essentially, San Francisco) since Ronald Reagan was president, remains a towering figure in Democratic politics. But for Chakrabarti, her endurance is exactly the problem. 'She basically made the case for how the Democrats don't really need to change,' he told local reporters, referencing Pelosi's post-2024 remarks after Donald Trump reclaimed the White House. That statement, for Chakrabarti, was a red line. If the Democrats weren't willing to course-correct after a second Trump term, then maybe it was time someone else forced the issue. The long arc from Fort Worth to Capitol Hill Saikat Chakrabarti Born to Bengali immigrant parents in Fort Worth, Texas, Chakrabarti went from Harvard computer science grad to co-founding a tech startup, to an early engineering role at Stripe, the financial giant. Then came 2016. Disturbed by the political chaos of the Trump-Clinton showdown, he joined the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, building grassroots digital tools and witnessing the gap between Democratic messaging and working-class concerns. What followed was the co-founding of Justice Democrats, a left-wing insurgent group aimed at replacing centrist Democrats with progressive ones. Their biggest success? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old bartender from the Bronx who took down 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley in 2018 — with Chakrabarti as campaign manager and later, her chief of staff. But the Capitol didn't suit him for long. He exited in 2019 amid friction with Democratic leadership, after a series of now-deleted tweets criticising moderates. One compared them to segregationists, prompting then-Speaker Pelosi to issue a rare internal warning to members: stop fighting on Twitter. The establishment didn't forget. A campaign without big donors — or safety nets Now back in San Francisco, Chakrabarti has set up shop with a policy think tank focused on climate and economic transformation, and is trying to do what many progressives dream of — take on the system from within. His campaign is anchored by the Mission for America plan — a sweeping public investment programme that blends climate action, job creation, and universal social protections. If the Green New Deal was the first draft, this is Chakrabarti's second chapter: technocratic, detailed, and unapologetically radical. 'I've talked to so many people in San Francisco who respect Pelosi,' he said. 'But they can't believe she's running again.' Critically, he's not taking money from corporate PACs, fossil fuel lobbyists, or AIPAC, relying instead on small donors and direct engagement. As of March 2025, he'd raised just under $300,000 — a David's purse next to Pelosi's $1.7 million Goliath. But Chakrabarti seems unfazed. His campaign style mirrors his politics — more Zoom calls than glad-handing, more policy briefings than Instagram reels. Why this race matters (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg, File) To be clear, defeating Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco is a long shot. She's a household name. Her district is deeply blue and deeply loyal. Even progressives who complain about the Democratic establishment tend to do so while sipping espresso in Pacific Heights cafés that fundraise for her. But Chakrabarti's bid is less about unseating Pelosi and more about challenging the Democratic status quo. He sees the party as dangerously out of touch — too slow on climate, too reliant on billionaire donors, and too comfortable with losing. His candidacy is a shot across the bow, signalling that progressive energy won't sit quietly on the sidelines — even in the party's bluest bastions. And let's not forget: Pelosi isn't just any incumbent. She's the embodiment of a Democratic era that, depending on who you ask, either held the line against Trump or failed to stop him — twice. The Subhas Chandra Bose shirt and other landmines Like many progressive stars, Chakrabarti has courted controversy. In 2019, he was criticised for wearing a T-shirt with Subhas Chandra Bose, the Indian freedom fighter. Right-wing media pounced. Chakrabarti defended it as a nod to anti-colonial resistance, but the optics stuck — and were later compounded by his social media critiques of centrist Democrats. It didn't help that some of those tweets came while he was officially employed by a sitting Congresswoman. Still, his supporters argue that the Democratic Party needs more uncomfortable truth-tellers, not fewer. What happens next? If Pelosi retires before March 2026 — a possibility some local insiders whisper about — Chakrabarti could face a very different race, likely against local heavyweights like State Sen. Scott Wiener or Pelosi's daughter Christine. If she stays in? He'll be up against a political machine three decades deep, with the donor list to match. But Chakrabarti's bet is long-term. Win or lose, he's placing a wager that San Francisco — and by extension, the Democratic Party — is ready for generational, ideological, and tactical change. Whether the voters agree is something even Silicon Valley's best algorithms can't predict. FAQ Q: Is Chakrabarti a serious threat to Pelosi? Not at the moment. Pelosi remains dominant in fundraising, name recognition, and local loyalty. But Chakrabarti's campaign could influence the political discourse. Q: What's 'Mission for America'? A comprehensive policy plan focused on clean energy, job creation, public healthcare, and economic transformation — meant as a modern successor to the Green New Deal. Q: Has he held elected office before? No. Chakrabarti has been a campaign strategist, activist, and policy thinker — not an elected politician. Q: Why is Pelosi still running? Officially, to continue serving her district. Unofficially, many believe she's trying to control her succession, possibly paving the way for her daughter or an establishment ally. Q: Could Chakrabarti become the next AOC ? Unlikely, unless lightning strikes twice. But he doesn't need to be. He just needs enough spark to remind the Democratic Party that some progressives aren't waiting for permission.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
I discovered Tom Lehrer in high school. His transgressive black humor hooked me.
Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT I don't remember exactly how I first encountered the music of Tom Lehrer, the satirical singer, songwriter, pianist, and mathematician It might've been reading 'Oedipus Rex' for English class and stumbling on Lehrer's irreverent parody of the Greek tragedy, set to an overly peppy ragtime ('He loved his mother and she loved him, and yet his story is rather grim,' There wouldn't seem to be much to connect a 21st-century kid with a Harvard-educated math prodigy who rose to fame in the 1950s with short, rhymey ditties set to cheerful tunes that skewered midcentury America, geopolitics, and cultural mores. But one way or another, I was hooked. Advertisement Lehrer's music was everything my nerdy teenage self craved. As a lapsed piano student, I appreciated seeing him turn what I'd treated as a chore into a vehicle for social commentary. As a history obsessive, Lehrer's dark parodies of the issues of his day — from Advertisement Lehrer was also transgressive, wielding black humor against taboo subjects like Others spotted Lehrer's youthful appeal long before I did. He matriculated to Harvard at 15 and But if you're long out of primary school and still unfamiliar with Lehrer, never fear. Decades later, his satire still zings. As fears grow that Iran and other countries will rush to build nuclear weapons, Lehrer's 1965 ' Advertisement And at a time when political satirists are So what's the best way to experience Lehrer today? I maintain it's the black-and-white Watching lets you appreciate Lehrer's smooth finger work and comedic timing, the arched eyebrow or guileless grin as he croons out a particularly savage line. Lehrer banters with the audience as he tees up each new song. And the recordings capture listeners' reactions, a hint of how subversive some of his lyrics were at the time. Midway through a 1967 rendition of 'Wernher von Braun,' as Lehrer affects a German accent to mock the onetime Nazi's disregard for civilian life, you can hear a man let out Advertisement There's a practical reason to focus on those older clips, too: few others exist. Lehrer largely stopped playing publicly in the 1970s and went back to teaching college math, splitting time between Cambridge and California. Although album sales brought in money, he took an almost dilettantish approach to his musical career and later expressed surprise that his work had endured. As 🧩 4 Down: 97° POINTS OF INTEREST A South End resident held discarded needles found on the street near his home. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Mass. and Cass: Frustration over public drug use and dealing is mounting among Bostonians who live near the intersection, four years after Mayor Michelle Wu Broiling: As a heat wave continues to bake New England, these maps Sports betting: A federal lawsuit accuses DraftKings, the Boston-based online gambling company, of using misleading ads to Good team: The partnership between Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital is ending soon, but for now they're the country's Advertisement Karen Read fallout: Read asked a judge to Planned Parenthood: The health care clinics in Massachusetts Housing costs: Two US senators — Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts progressive, and Tim Scott, a Trump ally from South Carolina — are spearheading a bill Jeffrey Epstein: Trump said he barred the sex offender from Mar-a-Lago years ago after Epstein poached workers from him, contradicting his administration's claims that he kicked out Epstein 'for being a creep.' ( AI election: Will the 2026 midterms be the first in which content generated by artificial intelligence Speaking of: Roy Cooper, North Carolina's Democratic former governor, is running for US Senate next year. But the party BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin 💍 The Big Day: After a decade of planning for the future, these Boston newlyweds had a 🛶 The Big Diss: The formerly popular Lonely Planet travel guide has a list of the 11 best US lakes to spend a vacation, and I guess the geographically challenged writers never visited Maine's sublime lakes. Never mind Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Webster, Mass. Sheesh. ( Advertisement 🫂 Good PR: When your married CEO and married HR chief (not to each other) are caught snuggling on a Coldplay cam, what do you do? Hire Gwyneth Paltrow, former wife of the band's frontman, to change the conversation. ( 🎞️ Back to the past: How well do you know 40-year-old 'Back to the Future'? Take film critic ⚾️ Move over, Labubu: Many MLB teams give away player bobbleheads during the season. Now they're coveted sports memorabilia, with some reselling for hundreds of dollars. Plus there's a ⛺️ Love Island? Be among the first modern-day pioneers to camp overnight on Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor this Saturday night. Well, officially anyway. ( 📚 Super reader: Dan Pelzer started keeping a list of the books he read in 1962 while in the Peace Corps. He stopped in 2023 when his eyesight failed. His total: 3,599. After his death on July 1, his family Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Ian Prasad Philbrick can be reached at
The Age
19-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Jail for former Indonesian trade minister over sugar imports a bitter blow for supporters
One of the architects of the Indonesia-Australia free trade deal and improved bilateral relations has been jailed in what supporters believe was a politically motivated prosecution designed to punish critics of the Indonesian government. Thomas Lembong was jailed for 4½ years for illegally authorising certain sugar imports at the expense of the state when he was serving as the nation's trade minister in 2015-16. Prosecutors requested a prison term of seven years, but a panel of judges gave Lembong a sentencing discount because they accepted he had not enriched himself in any of the supposedly corrupt deals. The Harvard-educated investment banker is respected in Australian political circles for his work in the cabinet of then-president Joko Widodo's cabinet and later as the chief of the country's investment board. Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull credited Lembong with facilitating what became a strong friendship between the Australian leader and Widodo. Loading But Lembong became a critic of Widodo in 2019. Significantly, he also served as an adviser to Anies Baswedan, who ran for president last year and was a serious challenger to Widodo's chosen successor, Prabowo Subianto. Anies could again run for president in 2029. Lembong was arrested in October, days after Prabowo was sworn in as Indonesia's leader and a decade after the supposed crimes. The timing and allegedly 'cherry-picked' charges against a high-profile opponent to the Widodo-Prabowo alliance set off red flags among democracy watchers. High-level corruption is common in Indonesia, and decisions about whom to prosecute and whom to leave alone are, rightly or wrongly, interpreted as signals from powerful people at the top.
Sydney Morning Herald
19-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Jail for former Indonesian trade minister over sugar imports a bitter blow for supporters
One of the architects of the Indonesia-Australia free trade deal and improved bilateral relations has been jailed in what supporters believe was a politically motivated prosecution designed to punish critics of the Indonesian government. Thomas Lembong was jailed for 4½ years for illegally authorising certain sugar imports at the expense of the state when he was serving as the nation's trade minister in 2015-16. Prosecutors requested a prison term of seven years, but a panel of judges gave Lembong a sentencing discount because they accepted he had not enriched himself in any of the supposedly corrupt deals. The Harvard-educated investment banker is respected in Australian political circles for his work in the cabinet of then-president Joko Widodo's cabinet and later as the chief of the country's investment board. Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull credited Lembong with facilitating what became a strong friendship between the Australian leader and Widodo. Loading But Lembong became a critic of Widodo in 2019. Significantly, he also served as an adviser to Anies Baswedan, who ran for president last year and was a serious challenger to Widodo's chosen successor, Prabowo Subianto. Anies could again run for president in 2029. Lembong was arrested in October, days after Prabowo was sworn in as Indonesia's leader and a decade after the supposed crimes. The timing and allegedly 'cherry-picked' charges against a high-profile opponent to the Widodo-Prabowo alliance set off red flags among democracy watchers. High-level corruption is common in Indonesia, and decisions about whom to prosecute and whom to leave alone are, rightly or wrongly, interpreted as signals from powerful people at the top.
Bangkok Post
16-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Central bank contender touts need to work with government
A contender to be Bank of Thailand's (BoT) next governor said she would be "a little more aggressive" in articulating the path for interest rates, calling for closer coordination of monetary and fiscal policies. "As we have very limited resources, every bullet that we use would have to be more effective," BoT Deputy Governor Roong Mallikamas said in an interview in Bangkok on Tuesday. "That probably could be done only if we were in collaboration and our policies are directed in the same direction in a cohesive manner and better coordinated." Ms Roong made her comments the same day cabinet had been expected to endorse veteran banker Vitai Ratanakorn to lead the central bank. But a final decision has been delayed for at least a week, raising the prospect that Harvard-educated Roong could still get the top job. A career central banker, 56-year-old Roong is widely seen as representing continuity from current governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, who has resisted government pressure over interest rates. Mr Vitai, in contrast, has publicly called for lower borrowing costs. The surprise delay in naming a new governor adds to uncertainty caused by the recent suspension of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin, whose family has won nearly every election since the turn of the century, has long pushed for looser monetary policy while clashing with royalist generals, judges and bureaucrats. On top of that, Thailand is trying to stave off higher US tariffs that would damage its export-reliant economy and revive sluggish growth. The benchmark SET Index is among the world's worst-performing stock markets so far this year. Under Mr Sethaput, the central bank resisted government pressure for rate cuts and a higher inflation target to spur growth in an economy that has lagged the growth seen among peers in Southeast Asia. Ms Roong said that if she is appointed BoT governor, she would engage with diverse stakeholders from the government, financial and the private sector right from the start. "A lot of times we wait until things kind of develop to the stage where it has become a confrontation," Ms Roong said. "By hearing them early, they hear us early, telling them early, we made the chances of resolving and seeing more eye to eye and working with more space and more lead time." Ms Roong said she backs the BoT's current accommodative policy stance, which has seen 75 basis points of rate cuts since October, and noted that uncertainty about the rate outlook may prevent banks from lowering borrowing costs, reducing the overall effectiveness of interest rate cuts. "During this time of uncertainty, monetary policy needs to be supportive and serve as an anchor of stability," Ms Roong, who oversees financial system stability at the central bank, said in the interview. 'There are just too many uncertainties already and we should not add more. I would probably be a little more aggressive in articulating' the rate path, she said. Total loans have contracted for three quarters in a row, while household debt remains high. But the monetary policy committee led by Mr Sethaput has underscored the need to preserve its limited policy space to deal with future shocks, though most economists expect a further 50 to 75 basis points in rate cuts this year. The front-runner for governor, 54-year-old Vitai, is an advocate of lower rates and coordinated fiscal and monetary policy to help revive the faltering economy. As president of the Government Savings Bank (GSB), which has spearheaded state efforts to provide financial relief to debt-burdened households and individuals, he is perceived as being close to the finance ministry, raising questions about the independence of the central bank. Ms Roong has worked for nearly three decades at the BoT, helping shape monetary policy, financial regulation and fintech oversight. She also had a stint at state-run Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited. "I have addressed challenges at the macro level and the micro level, being quite familiar with the central bank tools and purview and scope of our work, which is actually very wide, very large," she said. "So I'm just offering my experience."
