Free Republic

California is adding a new holiday to its calendar. On Monday, Oct. 6, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 268 into law, making California the third state to designate Diwali — the Hindu festival of lights — as an official statewide holiday. “Diwali, a festival of great significance to Indian Americans and South Asian Americans, is celebrated annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains throughout the United States and across the globe,” the bill says. Also known as Deepavali, Diwali is “one of the most sacred festivals in Hindu Dharma traditions” celebrated by “more than a billion people around the...

After California legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom recently made Diwali a state holiday, Sacramento Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes said local leaders and community members had a request: “Can we please do a resolution at City Council?” Talamantes said. “This is historic, this is huge.” On Tuesday, she, Mayor Kevin McCarty and Councilmember Mai Vang, will do just that to honor the religious celebration. “It’s such a big celebration of culture, diversity,” Talamantes said. The holiday is a major event in India, particularly for followers of Hinduism and Sikhism, and is marked by candle and lamp lighting to symbolize light over...

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has signaled that the H-1B visa system will face key reforms before the $100,000 fee applies in 2026. He called the lottery “bizarre,” opposed low-cost hiring, and said visas must go to the most highly-skilled workers. -snip- Lutnick said the H-1B visa lottery system is flawed and needs reform. Referring to conversations with the heads of two leading global tech companies, he said they found the concept of allocating visas for skilled workers through a lottery “bizarre.” He argued that the US must ensure visas go only to the most highly skilled professionals. -snip- The...