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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 4 CITY VIEWS May 29, 2026 U S Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, has appointed Dr. Gunisha Kaur, an anesthesiologist, to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) May 21, 2026 Dr. Kaur is an anesthesiologist spe- cializing in human rights research. She serves as the Director of theWeill Cornell Medicine Human Rights Impact Lab, a board member of Ensaaf, a Stephen M. Kellen TermMember at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a Faculty Fellow at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. Her appointment marks the first time that a member of the Sikh community has been asked to serve on the Commission, the Sikh Coalition which advocated for her appointment, said in a press release. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by theWhite House and Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate for two-year terms. As an indepen- dent, bipartisan legislative branch agency, USCIRF is responsible for monitoring the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad; making policy recom- mendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress; and tracking the implementation of its recommendations. “I am proud to recommend the excep- tional Dr. Gunisha Kaur for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Dr. Kaur will make history as the first and only Sikh to serve on the commission, and I am honored to support a commissioner with such ex- tensive experience in human rights and community leadership,” Schumer said in his statement. “Dr. Kaur is a physician, anthropolo- gist, international human rights advo- cate, and Sikh community leader. ….I am confident that she will bring her deep medical, academic, research, and leadership expertise to her service on the commission,” Sen. Schumer added. According to her full biography avail- able on the eponymous website, Dr. Kaur has dedicated her career as a physician- scientist to advancing the health of forc- ibly displaced individuals such as refu- gees and asylum seekers who are facing persecution based on religion, LGBTQ+ identity, or other minority statuses. With her background in neuroscience research, Dr. Kaur has pioneered the study of human rights through scientific methodology. Her research has been supported by several funders including the National Institutes of Health, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, the National Academy of Medi- cine, and Cornell University. Her academic writing on forcibly dis- placed populations has been published by highly respected medical journals includ- ing The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, JAMA, and The Lancet. She has translated her medical and scientific expertise in mainstream outlets includ- ing TIME, CNN, NBC News, The NewYork Times, PBS, and NPR, amongst others. Dr. Kaur has given more than 100 national and international keynote presentations and talks, including with global leaders and at the United Nations. A member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, Dr. Kaur is also a Faculty Fellow at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, and a Stephen M. Kellen TermMember at the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2022, she was selected by the National Academy of Medicine as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine, and in 2025 was awarded the NewYork State AssemblyWoman of Distinction Award. Dr. Kaur earned her B.S. from Cor- nell University in 2006, graduated from Weill Cornell Medical College in 2010, and completed her Anesthesiology Residency training atWeill Cornell Medical College/ NewYork Presbyterian Hospital in 2014. She earned a Master’s Degree in Medical Anthropology from Harvard University in 2015. NY Senator Chuck Schumer Appoints Dr. Gunisha Kaur To US Commission On International Religious Freedom Dr. Gunisha Kaur PHOTO:@GUNISHAKAUR.COM By a StaffWriter $ 50 seats and free round-trip buses toWorld Cup games avail- able exclusively for NewYork City residents. Entry opens at www. regnyctix.com on Monday, May 25th at 10 a.m. and closes Saturday, May 30th at midnight. NewYork City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced on May 21, 2026, that the City of NewYork, in partnership with the NYNJ Host Committee, has se- cured 1,000 affordable tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ for NewYorkers at $50 per seat, including free round-trip bus transportation to MetLife Stadium. The Mayor made the announcement in Little Senegal, surrounded by Harlem residents, African community leaders and elected officials wearing jerseys repre- senting tournament nations with roots in NewYork City. “AWorld Cup is coming to our back- yard, and we want to ensure working-class NewYorkers have the opportunity to be part of it,” said Mayor Mamdani. “We sat down with the Host Committee to make certain this tournament belongs to the people who make this city what it is. Today, 1,000 NewYorkers are going to get into those stands for fifty dollars and a free bus ride. I’m proud that NewYork City is leading the way.” The program covers the five group stage matches and two knockout round matches —with approximately 150 tickets allocated per game. NewYork City resi- dents aged 15 and over may enter a lottery for the chance to purchase tickets, with winners selected randomly. Entry opens at www.regnyctix.com on Monday, May 25th at 10 a.m. and closes Saturday, May 30th at midnight. New Yorkers may enter once per day, with a daily cap of 50,000 entries. Winners will be notifiedWednesday, June 3rd, and may purchase up to two tickets each. To prevent scalping, tickets will be nontransferable and distributed di- rectly to winners at the official boarding location on the day of each match. Free round-trip transportation from the pickup location to the NYNJ Stadium will be included for every winner. “This program exists because the May- or was determined to make sure working NewYorkers would be in the stands when theWorld Cup comes home to NewYork,” said NYCWorld Cup Czar Maya Handa.“A kid in the Bronx, a security guard in Queens, a restaurant worker in Brooklyn or Staten Island — they are going to walk into the stadium this summer because their city fought for them to be there.” Mamdani’s administration said it took months of negotiations with the NYNJ Host Committee to create this program for NewYork City residents. “Mayor Mamdani has been unwaver- ing in his commitment to making sure NewYorkers could be part of this historic moment in a real and meaningful way,” said Alex Lasry, CEO of the FIFAWorld Cup 2026™NYNJ Host Committee. “From the beginning, we pushed for a program that prioritized affordability and access for NewYorkers and worked closely together to help make that possible. TheWorld Cup will bring the eyes of the world to our region, and it was important to all of us that the people who define NewYork City could experience it firsthand.” NYC’s Mayor Mamdani Announces 1,000 Affordable World Cup Tickets for New Yorkers NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announcing $50 tickets to FIFA games for New Yorkers. PHOTO:SCREENSHOT FROMYOUTUBE By a StaffWriter