Talwar, who is currently a Senior Advisor at the State Department, has held senior national security and foreign policy positions in the State Department, the White House and the Senate, the White House said as it announced several other senior administration positions.

US President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Indian-American diplomat Puneet Talwar as the country’s ambassador to Morocco.

Talwar, who is currently a Senior Advisor at the State Department, has held senior national security and foreign policy positions in the State Department, the White House and the Senate, the White House said as it announced several other senior administration positions.

He previously served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director at the National Security Council, and as a Senior Professional Staff Member at the Committee on Foreign Relations in the United States Senate.

Talwar’s public service also includes key roles in the US House of Representatives and the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff.

Outside of government, he has been a Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Penn Biden Center, a Counselor to the conflict resolution NGO InterMediate, and a non-resident Scholar at Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies.

Talwar earned his BS Degree in Engineering from Cornell University and his MA in International Affairs from Columbia University. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a native of Washington, DC.

Ashish Jha, a person of Indian origin living in the United States and a physician, has been appointed the new White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, President Joe Biden said in a statement on Thursday. Jha will replace Jeff Zeints.

“Dr Jha is one of the leading public health experts in America, and a well known figure to many Americans from his wise and calming public presence,” Biden said. “And as we enter a new moment in the pandemic – executing on my National Covid-19 Preparedness Plan and managing the ongoing risks from Covid-19 – Dr Jha is the perfect person for the job.”

Jha is the Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and is an expert in infectious diseases. He has worked on the ebola virus and was the co-chair of a commission to tackle an outbreak of the disease in West Africa in 2014.

Jha was born in Bihar in 1970, moved to Canada in 1979 and then to the US in 1983. He completed his general medicine fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School and received his master of public health degree in 2004 from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

In a series of tweets, Jha said he is honoured to have the opportunity to serve as the Covid-19 response chief.

“This president has spoken the truth about this virus,” he wrote. “Has prioritised policies based on science and evidence. Americans are going back to work and school. And it is an honor to work under his leadership.”

Jha also praised Zeints for his leadership, saying that the US is in a better place now in terms of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

The 51-year-old warned that the world is not done with the pandemic yet. There could be a surge in infections or new virus variants might emerge.

“So we have some work to do my friends,” Jha said. “As much as I wish otherwise, the pandemic is not over. So let’s keep our eye on the ball. Prepare for surges and variants. Work to ensure that schools, work, and other places of gathering remain safe. Vaccinate the world.”

In his statement, the president also said that the US administration’s work to combat the coronavirus disease is not done.

“We must continue the effort to provide more vaccines and boosters,” he said. “We must get a vaccine approved for the youngest children. We must continue to improve how our schools and workplaces cope with Covid-19. We must take special care to protect the vulnerable from Covid-19, even as many restrictions are lifted.”

Biden added that the US has to fight the infection overseas and prepare for new waves and variants, adding that Jha would lead the country in this effort.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $10 million in awards for Asian American community organizations marking what was described as the largest investment in the Asian American community in New York State history.

The new funding comes as a major relief to Asian American communities that were disproportionately impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic amid an increase in hate and violent crimes.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on so many vulnerable and marginalized communities across New York State,” Hochul said Sunday announcing the new funding.

“The Asian American community was especially hard hit, not only by the virus, but by an increase in hate and violent crimes,” she said. “With this $10 million in funding, we are sending a strong message that hate has no home here, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and brothers in the Asian American community.”

“My administration is laser focused on continuing to help communities that have for too long been forgotten, not only as we recover from this pandemic, but for years to come,” she said.

The funding, allocated in the FY 2021-22 budget, will be distributed to community-based groups through the Asian American Federation (AAF), the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), and the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) among others.

There will be a focus on community programs and providers that bring services and supportive programs directly to New York’s Asian American communities, according to an official press release.

The Asian American Federation (AAF) will receive a total of $6.8 million in funding intended to reinforce the community support offered by a network of organizations that have witnessed a sudden increase in demand for services due to the pandemic.

AAF will direct the funding to 59 community organizations that provide direct services, case management, and mental health support that serve Asian New Yorkers throughout New York State.

These include Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice; Chhaya Community Development Corporation, Desis Rising Up and Moving; Immigrant Social Services; India Home; Jahajee Sisters; Sakhi for South Asian Women; Sapna NYC; Sikh Coalition; South Asian Council for Social Service and South Asian Youth Action.

In addition, the New York State Assembly is directing $1.4 million in Legislative aid to another 40 organizations that serve a wide array of communities in New York.

The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families will receive over $1 million to enhance youth and young adult services targeting Asian American communities by focusing on social emotional development and mental well-being.

The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), a social services organization that creates positive social change, will receive almost $700,000 to help empower Asian American, immigrant, and low-income communities in New York City.