*☕ Your Expresso is ready!* 📬 Get this delivered straight to your inbox: https://indianexpress.com/newsletters/ Read this newsletter in a single page: https://indianexpress.com/article/live-news/top-news-briefing-today-9822293/ Good morning, in today’s edition: * How illegal migrants reach US * For and against tax cuts * Can AI detect heart disease? 🚨 *Big Story* In yesterday's edition, we covered the arrival of deported Indian migrants from the United States, handcuffed, on a military plane. After speaking to several of them and sources in the police, we have a clearer picture for you today. Of the 104 deported Indians, many were caught just last month or towards the end of December. Most of them were attempting to gain entry into the US from the Mexico border. They had paid between Rs 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore, their entire life savings in most cases, to agents that would guide them through the dunki route. https://www.inexp.in/bPPOA0 *Modus operandi:* So, how exactly does the dunki route work? These agents often charge exorbitant sums of money, promising "legal entry in the US". A deportee revealed these agents use fake names and have middlemen at every step of the way. Passports of the migrants are taken away, and they are often made to travel through dangerous stretches devoid of food and water, passing from country to country illegally. https://www.inexp.in/aoA6wT *Flashpoint:* Flagging the “inhumane treatment” of deportees, Opposition parties have questioned why the government couldn’t send their aircraft to bring them back. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, meanwhile, sought to clarify that deportations from the US were a routine affair, and the US laws allowed them to handcuff illegal immigrants. He added that the government was engaging with the US to ensure that the deportees were not “mistreated”. https://www.inexp.in/s6z9ed 🎧 For more on the deported migrants, tune in to today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast. https://www.inexp.in/+uqvrd ⚡ *Only in Express* In this week's Dis/Agree column: Are the tax cuts in the Budget 2025 enough to drive economic growth? Krishnamurthy Subramanian, executive director at the International Monetary Fund, certainly thinks so. He feels that an increase in the disposable income of the middle class would boost consumption “many times over”. https://www.inexp.in/SQwT1g Subhash Chandra Garg, former Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary, isn't so convinced. He argues that the concessions only benefit a select few. https://www.inexp.in/1SQCXn Additionally, in his weekly column, ExplainSpeaking, my colleague Udit Misra writes that these tax cuts usually come at the cost of chronic underfunding of critical areas such as education, skill development and health. Here’s why there are no free lunches. https://www.inexp.in/ynQKYU 📰 *From the Front Page* *Red flags:* When Oil India Limited (OIL) was denied permission to drill in an eco-sensitive zone, it turned it into a research project. OIL is conducting tests for a new drilling technique under Assam's Dibru Saikhowa National Park, with experts flagging concerns over oil spills. The Supreme Court, too, prohibits mining inside national parks. https://www.inexp.in/rDX+fz *‘Regrettable’:* India has "strongly condemned" the "act of vandalism" after a mob torched the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Bangladesh's Dhaka. Rahman was a founding leader of Bangladesh and the father of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The attack came just hours after Hasina rallied supporters to stand up against the interim government in the country. https://www.inexp.in/3i+xtc 📌 *Must Read* *Whose fight is it?* In the battle against climate change, India has a unique trajectory. While it values low-carbon pathways, it's increasingly resisting ecological constraints to economic growth. This is part of a subtle yet significant shift in its views on the climate crisis. India argues that adaptation must take precedence over reducing emissions for developing countries. The recalibration of India’s position comes on the back of a reassessment of ground realities and a shift in global priorities. https://www.inexp.in/YHVgGe ⌛ *And Finally…* Artificial Intelligence (AI) has many promises and perhaps the best one yet is its ability to gauge silent heart diseases. The Mayo Clinic in the US has already put it into practice. In a conversation with The Indian Express, its Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Chair, Dr Paul Friedman, says AI could offer mass scalability to a struggling healthcare industry. https://www.inexp.in/ARaknC That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta