Indian student mowed down by police vehicle in Seattle: Family to get Rs 260 cr compensation
Seattle: The family of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate from India who was struck down by a speeding police patrol vehicle in the city in 2023, will reportedly be paid $29 million (approximately Rs 260 crore).
The police vehicle, driven by officer Kevin Dave, mowed down Kandula, a native of Andhra Pradesh, when she was crossing a street in Seattle on January 23, 2023. Dave was reportedly driving 74 mph (more than 119 km/h) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call, according to Deccan Herald.
The accident victim is said to have been thrown to a distance of 100 feet when she was struck by the vehicle.
Quoting City Attorney Erika Evans has called Kandula's death heartbreaking, AP said on Wednesday. “The city hopes this financial settlement brings some sense of closure to the Kandula family. Jaahnavi Kandula's life mattered... It mattered to her family, her friends and to our community,” Evans added.
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Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat
Washington (AP): Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
Kent said on social media Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
