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The petition collected 216 signatures, roughly 14% of the company workforce.

Simon & Schuster employees tell publisher no book deals for Trump administration authors

The U.S. military established the facility after the 9/11 terror attack.

Pentagon closes Guantanamo Bay facility that housed KSM, moves the detainees to main site, report

"I don’t think it’s necessary," Reeves said about vaccine passports, "and I don’t think it’s a good thing to do in America."

Mississippi Governor Reeves joins Florida's DeSantis in opposing 'vaccine passports'

Department of State says it still objects to ICC decisions, but will pursue other remedies.

U.S. lifts sanctions on International Criminal Court officials

Leaders also discussed Ukraine's "plan to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda."

Biden holds first call with Ukrainian president as concerns grow over Russian military presence

Sen. Marsha Blackburn says she has 'tax-free' alternative to Biden infrastructure plan

While Iran and the US are set to meet, they will be in separate rooms. Instead, European diplomats will convey info to each country.

U.S. and Iran agree to talk about Iran nuke deal

The last time migrant apprehensions were this high was over twenty years ago.

Number of migrants apprehended at US southern border in March, most per month in two decades

"All wireless broadband data services be temporarily suspended until further notice," the Myanmar military said in a directive.

Myanmar military cuts wireless internet service amid protests over coup

The monthly increase is the biggest since August 2020.

Economy added 916,000 jobs in March, as vaccine rollout helps speed coronavirus recovery

Among those selected are Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge.

Biden names 'Jobs Cabinet' to sell his $2 trillion infrastructure-jobs package to Congress, America

Trump also teased a possible 2024 presidential run, responding that there was "hope."

Trump considering holding a rally soon, says 'hope' he'll run again in 2024

A school dean said, "These types of xenophobic comments and stigmatizations around location or ethnicity are more than troubling."

University of Cincinnati won't renew contract of professor who called COVID-19 'the Chinese virus'

"Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States. Andrzej Duda is a moron," writer Jakub Zulczyk posted on Facebook.

Polish writer faces prison for calling Polish President Duda a 'moron'

Senate confirms Marty Walsh to serve as Labor Secretary

"Such attacks on our innocent compatriots, especially women, contradict the teachings of Islam," Afghanistan  President Ashraf Ghani said.

Islamic State says it killed female media workers in east Afghanistan

Road was major route for illegal border crossings in late 1990s

U.S. immigration officials yet to determine if deadly California crash was human trafficking

"Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss!" Harris tweeted in 2017.

VP Harris gets backlash for tweet lauding Dr. Seuss, after books canceled for racist, hurtful images

Jordan's death was announced by Tuesday by a daughter, who said her father died Monday night.

Former Clinton adviser Vernon Jordan has died. He was 85.

Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, a member of the Capitol Police board, said he wasn't consulted on calling in National Guard.

Top Capitol official says breach damage exceeds $30 million, not consulted on calling National Guard

Politics

Democrat Congressman: Borrowing for Biden's entire infrastructure plan 'not the wisest thing to do'

Congressman: Dems will use 'reconciliation' to pass Biden's infrastructure bill if GOP opposes it

The United States returns to a unified government this week as Joe Biden becomes the 46th president and Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate. With the U.S. House continuing under the Democratic party leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Biden has an opportunity to enact big legislative changes. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports.


With Control of the White House and Congress, Democrats Have 2 Years to Enact Change

With U.S. President-elect Joe Biden set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20, one question being debated is whether Congress will pursue a second impeachment of outgoing President Donald Trump over his alleged role in last Wednesday’s attack on the Capitol building. Michelle Quinn reports.


US Lawmakers Discuss Next Moves as Nation Grapples to Understand Violence at Capitol Building

What started as a day of celebration for Black organizers, voters and other Georgians who helped deliver two historic Senate runoff victories was overshadowed Wednesday when a violent, mostly white mob of President Donald Trump&#039;s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
But Black leaders and organizers say the rioters&#039; insurrection won&#039;t deter the momentum achieved after the hard-fought victories of Georgia Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Instead, it serves as a harsh reminder of the work that lies ahead for the nation to truly grapple with white supremacy and racism, which Trump&#039;s presidency emboldened.
&#8220;It&#039;s a little bit bittersweet because on one hand it feels like vindication that if we invest in our communities and our organizations, then amazing things can happen,&#8221; said Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, which estimates that it reached 2.8 million individuals in Georgia through text and phone banking campaigns, digital and social med..


Black Leaders Cheer Georgia Success, Push for More Progress

Lawmakers from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are scheduled to meet Wednesday in a joint session of Congress to count and certify electoral votes based on the result of the November presidential election.
This usually routine and ceremonial function — a final step after the Electoral College officially elected Joe Biden on December 14 — has turned into a litmus test of Republican lawmakers&#039; loyalty to President Donald Trump. More than 100 Trump loyalists are set to challenge certification.
Here&#039;s what we can expect from the meeting.
What usually happens?
Under the 12th Amendment, both chambers must meet to officially count and certify the Electoral College results from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties in the Senate and House are appointed as &#8220;tellers&#8221; from each chamber. Vice President Mike Pence, in his capacity as president of the Senate, presides over the joint session. If he cannot presi..


Will Congress Block Certification of Biden’s Victory?

More than 100 Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and a dozen senators say they will join an almost assuredly futile effort Wednesday to try to block certification of the Electoral College vote showing that Democrat Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump in the November election.
The certification of the 306-232 Electoral College vote favoring Biden is the last step before he is set to be inaugurated as the country’s 46th president on January 20.
Both chambers of Congress would need to uphold the challenges to Biden’s victory for the election outcome to be upended. Democrats narrowly control the House and are certain to certify Biden’s win, while the Democratic minority in the Senate, along with some Republicans who have acknowledged Biden’s win, are likely to do the same in the Senate.
Trump, who for weeks has made baseless claims that he was defrauded of election to a second four-year term, continues to cheer on protests of his loss, an outcome that will m..


Dozens of House, Senate Republicans Joining Likely Futile Effort to Reject Biden Victory

Congress has overridden President Donald Trump&#039;s veto of a defense policy bill, a first by lawmakers since Trump took office nearly four years ago.
In an extraordinary New Year&#039;s Day session, the Republican-controlled Senate easily turned aside the veto, dismissing Trump&#039;s objections to the $740 billion bill and handing him a rebuke weeks before his term ends.
Trump had lashed out at lawmakers from his own party on Twitter, charging earlier this week that &#8220;Weak and tired Republican &#039;leadership&#039; will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass.&#8221;
Trump called the looming override vote a &#8220;disgraceful act of cowardice and total submission by weak people to Big Tech. Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW!&#8221;
The 81-13 vote in the Senate followed an earlier 322-87 override vote in the House of the widely popular defense measure. The bill provides a 3% pay raise for U.S. troops and guides defense policy, cementing decisions about troop levels, new weapons systems a..


In a First, Congress Overrides Trump Veto of Defense Bill 

The congressional joint session to count electoral votes is generally a routine, ceremonial affair. But President Donald Trump&#039;s repeated efforts to challenge Democrat Joe Biden&#039;s victory will bring more attention than usual to next Wednesday&#039;s joint session of the Senate and the House.
The congressional count is the final step in reaffirming Biden&#039;s win, after the Electoral College officially elected him on Dec 14. The meeting is required by the Constitution and includes several distinct steps.
Some Republicans who are echoing Trump&#039;s baseless claims of fraud have said they will officially object to the results, forcing votes in the Republican-run Senate and the Democratic-controlled House that will almost certainly fail. A group of House Republicans had been looking for a senator to sign on because there must be support from at least one member of each chamber to force the votes. That support came Wednesday from Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a possible contende..


How Congress Will Count Electoral College Votes

U.S. President Donald Trump is spending the holiday weekend at his Florida resort as both Democrats and Republicans wait to see whether he will sign a critical pandemic relief and government funding package that he sharply criticized earlier this week.
The $2.3 trillion spending legislation, which includes $892 billion for coronavirus relief, has been flown from Washington to his Mar-a-Lago club to be available for him to sign into law. Trump has not specifically threatened to veto the bill, but he surprised lawmakers in both parties by labeling the legislation as a “disgrace” after it had been passed in the House and Senate, capping months of negotiations.
President Donald Trump&#039;s motorcade drives to Trump International Golf Club, Dec. 25, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla.Trump said the package gave too much money to special interests and foreign aid, and said direct payments of $600 for most Americans should be increased to $2,000. That was seen as a rebuke to members of his own Re..


US Spending Bill Awaits Trump’s Decision

U.S. President Donald Trump vetoed a $740 billion bill setting policy for the Department of Defense on Wednesday, despite its strong support in Congress, raising the possibility that the measure will fail to become law for the first time in 60 years.
Trump said he vetoed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, because it &#8220;fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military&#039;s history, and contradicts efforts by my administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions.&#8221;
&#8220;It is a &#039;gift&#039; to China and Russia,&#8221; he said in a message to the House of Representatives.
Although his previous eight vetoes were all upheld thanks to support from Trump&#039;s fellow Republicans in Congress, advisers said this one looked likely to be overridden, just weeks before he leaves office on January 20.
Both the Republican-controlled Senate and Democratic-majority House of Re..


Major Defense Bill, Strongly Backed in Congress, Draws Trump’s Veto

Top congressional lawmakers struck a late-night agreement on the last major obstacle to a COVID-19 economic relief package costing nearly $1 trillion, clearing the way for votes as early as Sunday.
A Democratic aide said in an email that an agreement had been reached late Saturday and that compromise language was being finalized to seal a deal to be unveiled on Sunday.
The breakthrough involved a fight over Federal Reserve emergency powers that was defused by an odd couple: the Senate’s top Democrat and a senior conservative Republican.
“We’re getting very close, very close,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said earlier Saturday as he spent much of the day going back and forth with GOP Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Toomey had been pressing a provision to close down Fed lending facilities that Democrats and the White House said was too broadly worded and would have tied the hands of the incoming Biden administration.
The COVID-19 legislation has been held up after months of di..


Deal on Fed Removes Obstacle to US COVID Relief

Congress passed a two-day stopgap spending bill Friday night, averting a partial government shutdown and buying yet more time for frustratingly slow endgame negotiations on an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.
The virus aid talks remained on track, both sides said, but closing out final disagreements was proving difficult. Weekend sessions were on tap, and House leaders hoped for a vote on Sunday on the massive package, which wraps much of Capitol Hill&#039;s unfinished 2020 business into a take-it-or-leave-it behemoth.
The House passed the temporary funding bill by a 320-60 vote. The Senate approved it by voice vote almost immediately afterward, and President Donald Trump signed it late Friday.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, walks to his office from the Senate Floor at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Dec. 18, 2020.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said both sides remain intent on closing the deal, even as Democr..


Congress Averts Shutdown; Fight Continues Over Pandemic Aid

Republican and Democratic congressional leaders expressed hope late Tuesday about reaching an agreement on a new round of coronavirus aid that has eluded U.S. lawmakers for months.
&#8220;I think we&#039;re moving in the right direction,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said after two rounds of talks. “I think there&#039;s a possibility of getting it done.”
The meetings included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
&#8220;We&#039;re making progress and hopefully we can come to an agreement soon,” Schumer said. “I think there is a genuine desire to come to an agreement.&#8221;  
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, speaks virtually with retired U.S. General Lloyd Austin, nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to be his Secretary of Defense, at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 15, 2020.Without a deal, several key programs are set to expire at the end of month, including unemployment aid that reaches 12 million out-of-work A..


Lawmakers Race to Make COVID-19 Aid Deal Ahead of Holiday Break

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday that could prevent Chinese companies from listing their shares on U.S. exchanges unless they adhere to U.S. auditing standards.
The measure passed by unanimous voice vote, after passing the Senate earlier this year, sending it to the White House, which said President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.
&#8220;The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act&#8221; bars securities of foreign companies from being listed on any U.S. exchange if they have failed to comply with the U.S. Public Accounting Oversight Board&#039;s audits for three years in a row.
While it applies to companies from any country, the legislation targets Chinese companies such as Alibaba, tech firm Pinduoduo Inc. and oil giant PetroChina Co Ltd.
Measures taking a harder line on Chinese business and trade practices generally pass Congress with large margins, as both Democrats and Trump&#039;s fellow Republicans echo the president&#039;s hard line against B..


Bill Forcing Chinese Firms to Meet US Accounting Standards Passes Congress

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says time is running out for U.S. lawmakers to reach an agreement on a second massive round of aid addressing the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
With just a handful of days left in session this year, members of Congress are racing to reach an agreement after months of fruitless negotiations.
McConnell told reporters Tuesday he had been in discussion with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows earlier in the day to determine what legislation U.S. President Donald Trump would be willing to sign.
“The way you get a result, you have to have a presidential signature. So, I felt the first thing we needed to do was to find out what the president would in fact sign. We believe we&#039;ve got the answer to that,” McConnell said. He added that given the dwindling days in session, any agreement on coronavirus relief would more than likely be tied to the omnibus bill funding the U.S. government past a D..


US Lawmakers Running Out of Time to Pass Coronavirus Aid

At least there won&#039;t be a government shutdown.
But as lawmakers return to Washington for an abbreviated preelection session, hopes are dimming for another coronavirus relief bill — or much else.
Talks between top Democrats and the Trump administration broke off last month and remain off track, with the bipartisan unity that drove almost $3 trillion in COVID-19 rescue legislation into law this spring replaced by partisanship and a return to Washington dysfunction.
Expectations in July and August that a fifth bipartisan pandemic response bill would be agreed on despite increased obstacles has been replaced by genuine pessimism. Recent conversations about COVID-19 aid among key players have led to nothing.
Democrats seem secure in their political position, with President Donald Trump and several Senate GOP incumbents lagging in the polls. Trump is seeking to sideline the pandemic as a campaign issue, and Republicans aren&#039;t interested in a deal on Democratic terms — even as n..


Hopes Fade for Coronavirus Deal as Congress Returns to Work

U.S. counterintelligence officials will no longer brief lawmakers on threats to the upcoming presidential election in November, telling them such in-person briefings have led to leaks of “sensitive intelligence” and the politicization of information.
Officials with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence verbally informed key lawmakers and congressional committees of the change Saturday, saying the intelligence on threats to the November 3 presidential election would still be provided, just in a different form.
“We are committed to meeting our statutory responsibilities and keeping Congress fully and currently informed,” an ODNI official told VOA on the condition of anonymity.
FILE &#8211; U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 5, 2020.“For clarity and to protect sensitive intelligence from unauthorized disclosures, we will primarily do that through written finished intelligence products,” the official said, adding, “We are concerned about un..


Top US Intelligence Official Ends In-Person Election Security Briefings for Congress

The U.S. House of Representatives is preparing for the possibility congressional staff members may have to telework because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The preparations are being launched &#8220;in light of the unique and unusual circumstances presented by the coronavirus.&#8221;
U.S. financial regulators are also preparing contingency plans, as there are COVID-19 cases in suburban Washington, New York, San Francisco and New Jersey, all places where regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and banking regulators have offices.
The Reuters news agency reports the financial watchdogs are allowing more telework, limiting travel and canceling conferences.


House of Representatives, Federal Agencies Prepare to Telework

U.S. President Donald Trump says the highest-ranking member of the country&#039;s legislative branch, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, &#8220;broke the law&#8221; when she shredded a copy of the State of the Union speech he delivered to Congress.
The president told reporters Friday that Pelosi&#039;s act, which was caught on camera just after Trump completed his address late Tuesday, was &#8220;disrespectful to our country, and actually very illegal.&#8221;
A Florida congressman of Trump&#039;s Republican party, Matt Gaetz, has filed an ethics complaint against Pelosi, accusing her of potentially violating federal law (18 U.S. Code § 2071).
The regulation prohibits the destruction of government records, but it only applies to documents that have been &#8220;filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States.&#8221;
&#039;Brilliant&#039; or &#039;tasteless&#039;
&#8220;That&#039;s really a law about preserving official documents, such as the official copy that would make it to the National Archives,&#8221; said..


Trump Accuses House Leader of ‘Very Illegal’ Act

Congress

Police say they are still combing through the suspect's history to find the reason for the events of last week's attack at the Capitol.

Suspect in Capitol attack 'intentionally struck' officers, police

Video shows retired Army Sgt. Kenneth Harrelson inside Capitol with Oath Keepers. Wife says members are "not terrorists."

FBI searches retired Army sergeant's home, charges him with conspiracy in Capitol riot

The influential anti-Donald Trump group Lincoln Project is denouncing one of its co-founders after multiple reports that over several years he sexually harassed young men looking to break into politics.
The Lincoln Project in a statement on Sunday called co-founder John Weaver, 61, &#8220;a predator, a liar, and an abuser&#8221; following reports that he repeatedly sent unsolicited and sexually charged messages online to young men, often while suggesting he could help them get work in politics.
&#8220;The totality of his deceptions are beyond anything any of us could have imagined and we are absolutely shocked and sickened by it,&#8221; the Lincoln Project, the most prominent &#8220;Never Trump&#8221; Republican super PAC to emerge during the 45th president&#039;s time in the White House, said in its statement.
The online magazine The American Conservative first reported the sexual harassment allegations earlier this month.
Days later, Weaver, a strategist who advised the late Republican Sen. John McCain and former Ohio ..


Young Men Accuse Lincoln Project Co-Founder of Harassment

The FBI is issuing new security warnings ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, citing potential armed protests in state capitals nationwide. Meanwhile, Congress is considering proposals to establish a national bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building. Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov


Armed Protests Feared Ahead of Inauguration

A federal judge said the Justice Department unlawfully rescheduled the execution of the only woman on federal death row, potentially setting up the Trump administration to schedule the execution after president-elect Joe Biden takes office.
U.S. District Court Judge Randolph Moss also vacated an order from the director of the Bureau of Prisons that had set Lisa Montgomery&#039;s execution date for Jan. 12. Montgomery had previously been scheduled to be put to death at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, this month, but Moss delayed the execution after her attorneys contracted coronavirus visiting their client and asked him to extend the amount of time to file a clemency petition.
Moss prohibited the Bureau of Prisons from carrying out Lisa Montgomery&#039;s execution before the end of the year and officials rescheduled her execution date for Jan. 12. But Moss ruled on Wednesday that the agency was also prohibited from rescheduling the date while a stay was in plac..


Judge Delays Execution of Only Woman on US Death Row

The Justice Department is investigating the finances of President-elect Joe Biden&#039;s son, including scrutinizing some of his Chinese business dealings and other transactions, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The revelations put a renewed spotlight on questions about Hunter Biden&#039;s financial history, which dogged his father&#039;s successful White House campaign and were a frequent target of President Donald Trump and his allies. They also come at a politically delicate time for the president-elect, who is weighing his choice to lead an agency that is actively investigating his son.
The tax investigation was launched in 2018, the year before the elder Biden announced his candidacy for president. Hunter Biden confirmed the existence of the investigation on Wednesday, saying he learned about it for the first time the previous day.
&#8220;I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demons..


Hunter Biden Tax Probe Examining Chinese Business Dealings

As an elite political fundraiser, Imaad Zuberi had the ear of top Democrats and Republicans alike — a reach that included private meetings with then-Vice President Joe Biden and VIP access at Donald Trump&#039;s inauguration.
He lived a lavish, jet-setting lifestyle, staying at fine hotels and hosting lawmakers and diplomats at four-star restaurants. Foreign ambassadors turned to Zuberi to get face time in Congress.
He was a charming networker and an inveterate namedropper. His Facebook account was filled with pictures of him next to the powerful and famous: having dinner with Hillary Clinton and Robert De Niro and rubbing shoulders with Trump&#039;s then-chief of staff Reince Priebus outside Mar-A-Lago. Zuberi raised huge amounts for Clinton in the 2016 election before becoming a top donor to the Trump Presidential Inauguration Committee.
But federal prosecutors say Zuberi&#039;s life was built on a series of lies and the lucrative enterprise of funding American political campaigns an..


‘Mercenary’ Donor Sold Access for Millions in Foreign Money

Some of the data Iran used to unleash a deluge of emails designed to intimidate U.S. voters just weeks before the country’s presidential election came directly from one state’s voter registration database.
U.S. officials confirmed the finding late Friday in an alert issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which has been coordinating U.S. election security efforts.
The alert said Iranian hackers targeting websites belonging to various U.S. states, including state election websites, “successfully obtained voter registration data in at least one state” by exploiting what it described as website misconfigurations.
That data was then used as part of an Iranian campaign last week to intimidate voters in at least four states, including Arizona, Alaska, Pennsylvania and Florida.
The “spoofed” emails were designed to make it look as though they had come from the Proud Boys, a far-right group that has rallied behind Pre..


US Confirms Iran Hacked Voter Registration Data in 1 State

In the U.S. state of Michigan, authorities have apprehended 13 men accused of conspiring to abduct and possibly kill the state’s governor. The plot, which involved a self-styled militia group armed with semi-automatic weapons and explosives, was timed to disrupt the U.S. election and incite an insurrection. Matt Dibble spoke to experts who are warning that provocative messaging from leaders and under-regulated social media could be driving the American political climate towards violence.
Camera: Sam Paakkonen Producer: Matt Dibble


Plot to Kidnap Michigan Governor Raises Alarm Over US Election Violence

MILWAUKEE &#8212; Seven people, including the shooter, have been killed in a Wednesday afternoon attack near Molson Coors&#8217; Milwaukee campus, a report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says. RELATED COVERAGE: Live blog: Updates on shooting near Molson Coors Harley-Davidson, other nearby businesses placed on lockdown There is significant police activity with dozens of squad cars at the [&hellip;]


Report: 7 dead, including shooter, in attack near Milwaukee Molson Coors campus

The violence of the left over President Trump support has reached near epidemic proportions. We wrote about the man who drove his van into a Trump tent while supporters were registering voters. Now we have a man physically slapping a 15 year old boy in the face over his red MAGA hat at a polling place, and [&hellip;]


Leftist Slaps Juvenile Over Trump Support; Woman Triggered by Red Punches Retired Cop Same Reason

House Democrats asked for documents from federal prosecutors and Florida law enforcement officials on Friday as part of a probe into how financier Jeffrey Epstein received a secret plea deal more than a decade ago after he was accused of molesting underage girls.
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, asking for all emails about the plea deal and how victims should have been notified.
Earlier this year, a federal judge ruled Epstein’s victims should have been consulted under federal law about the deal.
Epstein reached the deal in 2008 with then-Miami U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta’s office to end the federal probe that could have landed him in prison for life. Epstein instead pleaded guilty to lesser state charges, spent 13 months in jail, paid financial settlements to victims and registered as a sex offender.
Acosta was appointed Labor Secretary by President Donald Trump, but he resigned in July amid renewed scrutiny of the sec..


House Asks for Documents in Epstein Probe From DOJ

As he prepared to announce his candidacy for president on Sunday, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg took a page from an old political playbook.
Appearing in a black church in the city&#039;s Brooklyn borough last week, the multibillionaire media mogul apologized for long pushing a now-defunct policing tactic that had disproportionately targeted African American and Hispanic residents.
Known as &#8220;stop and frisk,&#8221; the controversial policy, imposed between 2003 and 2013, allowed New York City police to stop, temporarily detain, and search anyone suspected of carrying weapons and other contraband.
&#8220;I was wrong,&#8221; Bloomberg declared to the congregation. To those who had been wronged by the policy, he said, &#8220;I apologize.&#8221;
Criminal justice policy records
Bloomberg is the latest Democratic candidate forced to reckon with a criminal justice policy record that critics view as too punitive to minorities.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has been criticized for backing a 1994 crime bill ..


How Trump Gained the Upper Hand on Criminal Justice Issues in 2020 Campaign

A political fundraiser accused of funneling foreign money into U.S. elections offered six witnesses in his case more than $6 million to keep quiet, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Prosecutors also revealed new allegations that the donor, Imaad Zuberi, acted as an unregistered agent for the Turkish government and Libyan government officials, among other foreign countries.
The allegations came hours before Zuberi pleaded guilty Friday in Los Angeles to charges of tax evasion, campaign finance violations and failing to register as a foreign agent.
California, New York scrutiny
Zuberi has been under scrutiny by federal prosecutors in both California and New York over millions of dollars in political contributions, including big donations to the inaugural committees of both President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump.
So far, he has been charged only in Los Angeles. Zuberi’s attorneys had requested a delay of Friday’s hearing, saying they had been blindsided by prosecutors in New Yor..


Prosecutors: Political Donor Sought to Silence Witnesses

Students Hug After Evacuating California High School

As the world becomes more connected people are vulnerable of being victims of cybercriminals. Police departments, hospitals, universities and businesses everywhere are also at risk. VOA&#8217;s Elizabeth Lee shows how the city of Los Angeles is fighting this problem, by sharing and pooling critical information about cyberattacks.


Los Angeles Takes On Cybercriminals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has denied that his American counterpart, Donald Trump, tried to blackmail him. Claims that Trump requested a corruption investigation into Hunter Biden, son of Democrat Joe Biden – in return for military aid &#8211; are the subject of an impeachment inquiry in the United States. Henry Ridgwell has more from Kyiv.


Ukrainian President Says ‘No Blackmail’ in Trump Call

Newly released report comes four months after the firing of four Chicago police officers involved in cover-up in the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald.


Report details Laquan McDonald cover-up

Crime

The professional basketball league executive, Alex Lasry, purportedly has the backing of state Democrats

Milwaukee Bucks exec enters race as Democrat for GOP Johnson's Wisconsin Senate seat

A spokesperson for the prosecutor said then-President Trump's call to Georgia's secretary of state was part of probe.

Newly-elected Democratic prosecutor in Georgia opens probe on 2020 election results

The union is set to vote Monday and Tuesday on the terms of the deal

Chicago Teachers Union reaches tentative deal to return to in-person teaching

Except for rare cases, the inauguration of a new president symbolizes the American tradition of a peaceful transfer of power. VOA&#039;s Steve Redisch explains how and why Wednesday&#039;s swearing-in of Joe Biden will be far from ordinary.


Biden’s Inauguration Will Look Like No Other

The same day the U.S. Congress voted to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time, the nation’s capital prepared to welcome thousands more National Guard troops to help keep the peace during next week’s transfer of power.
“I think you can expect to see somewhere upwards of beyond 20,000 members of the National Guard that will be here,” Robert Contee, acting chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, told reporters Wednesday.
Defense officials confirmed the increased authorization, which came just days after the National Guard said it was sending up to 15,000 troops to the city to help with security ahead of the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in November’s election.
Officials said 10,000 guardsmen — part-time soldiers who can be deployed overseas but who are often called upon to help with emergencies in their home states — are expected to be on duty in Washington by Friday. The rest will arrive soon afterward..


Washington Beefs Up Security Ahead of Presidential Inauguration

Concerns are growing that the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week by extremists supporting U.S. President Donald Trump may be the start of what could be a series of potentially armed and violent protests across the country leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Monday told VOA it is examining evidence suggesting groups or individuals may be looking to incite violence or engage in criminal activity in connection with the planned transfer of power.
&#8220;While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local and federal law enforcement partners,&#8221; the bureau said in a statement.
&#8220;Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property,&#8221; the statement added.
An FBI bulletin, first obtained by ABC News and Yahoo News, likewise cautions about the potential for violence,..


FBI Looking at Threats to Biden’s Inauguration 

U.S. lawmakers who were in lockdown when a violent mob breached security at the Capitol last week likely have been exposed to the coronavirus, Congress’ attending physician warned Sunday.
“On Wednesday January 6, many members of the House community were in protective isolation in a room located in a large committee hearing space,” Dr. Brian Monahan wrote in an email to lawmakers.
“The time in this room was several hours for some and briefer for others. During this time, individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.”
Here’s the letter from Dr. Brian Monahan to all members of Congress and staff. pic.twitter.com/SeqNoPA6B0
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) January 10, 2021Monahan didn’t specify how many members were in the room or who, if anyone, from the room is known to have tested positive.
Many lawmakers and staff have expressed outrage as images surfaced of Republican members of Congress not wearing masks during the lockdown.
On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds..


US Lawmakers Likely Exposed to Coronavirus During Riot Lockdown, Official Warns

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as labor secretary, U.S. news agencies report.
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo is reportedly being nominated for commerce secretary.
Walsh, who has been Boston’s mayor for two terms after 17 years as a Massachusetts state representative, has a long history with labor unions. He previously led Boston Building and Construction Trades Council, an umbrella organization for unions.
While the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has shown its support for Walsh, other notable U.S. unions, including the United Auto Workers and the Utility Workers Union of America, indicated their support for another top contender for the job, Michigan U.S. Representative Andy Levin.
Biden and Walsh have known each other for years. Biden spoke at Walsh’s second inauguration as Boston’s mayor, calling him a “man of extraordinary character in a moment when we need more character and incred..


Biden Expected to Nominate Boston Mayor Walsh for Labor Secretary

Control of the U.S. Senate hung in the balance Wednesday with the result of one of two runoff elections in the southern state of Georgia still too close to call.
Democrats moved closer to regaining control of the chamber with the Rev. Raphael Warnock’s projected defeat of Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of Tuesday’s elections.
U.S. media organizations called the race with Warnock leading Loeffler by more than 40,000 votes and nearly all ballots counted.
“We were told that we couldn’t win this election, but tonight we proved that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible,” Warnock said in a message to his supporters late Tuesday.
In the second election, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer, led by more than 12,000 votes over Republican David Perdue, who was seeking a second six-year term in office.
Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline.
Download File360p | 12 MB480p | 17..


Democrats Win Key US Senate Runoff With Second Georgia Race Too Close to Call

In an extraordinary phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded Saturday with election officials in the southern U.S. state of Georgia to find him enough votes to overturn his pivotal loss there to President-elect Joe Biden.
“So, look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” Trump told the state’s top elections official, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in a recording obtained by The Washington Post and published Sunday afternoon. (Read transcript of phone call)
In an hourlong call, Trump sometimes assailed Raffensperger and sometimes flattered him and his office’s general counsel, Ryan Germany. The president disputed the accuracy of three separate vote counts in Georgia that showed Biden was the first Democratic presidential contender to capture the state since 1992.
On Sunday, Trump said on Twitter, “I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and v..


Trump Pleads with Georgia Officials to Overturn His Loss in Phone Call

A growing number of Republican lawmakers are joining President Donald Trump&#039;s extraordinary effort to overturn the election, pledging to reject the results when Congress meets next week to count the Electoral College votes and certify President-elect Joe Biden&#039;s win.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 12 senators who have been enlisted for Trump&#039;s effort to subvert the will of American voters.
This follows the declaration from Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, who was the first to buck Senate leadership by saying he would join with House Republicans in objecting to the state tallies during Wednesday&#039;s joint session of Congress.
Hawley and Cruz are both among potential 2024 presidential contenders.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had urged his party not to try to overturn what nonpartisan election officials have concluded was a free and fair vote.
Some criticism
Some Republican senators criticized their colleagues’ plans.
Senator Lis..


Dozen GOP Senators Enlist in Trump Effort to Undo Biden Win 

Two crucial Senate runoff elections will be held in the southern state of Georgia next week, with inflammatory accusations still circulating about the state’s handling of last month’s presidential election. As Mike O’Sullivan reports, the rhetoric about election fraud has reached dangerous levels, casting a cloud over the Jan. 5 runoffs.


Vitriol Hangs Over Georgia’s January 5 Runoff

Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri said Wednesday that he would contest next week’s certification of the Electoral College vote in a last-ditch but almost certainly futile effort to upend Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in last month’s election over President Donald Trump.
Hawley’s challenge, coupled with a Republican protest in the House of Representatives led by Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama, ensures that the two chambers in Congress on January 6 will debate the legitimacy of Biden’s 306-232 victory in the Electoral College that would make him the country’s 46th president at his inauguration on January 20.
Biden’s incoming White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters Wednesday that despite any “antics,” Biden would be sworn in as scheduled next month.
In the U.S.’s indirect form of democracy, the outcome of the Electoral College vote determines who wins the presidency, not the national popular vote, although Biden won that as well by 7 mill..


Republican Senator to Contest Biden’s Electoral College Victory

A runoff election in the U.S. state of Georgia has profound implications for Democrat Joe Biden, who will be sworn in as U.S. president January 20th. At stake: two Senate seats that will decide the balance of power in the U.S. Congress. Mike O&#039;Sullivan explains.


Georgia Runoff Elections to Determine US Senate Control

Gwinnett County is located just 16 kilometers northeast of Atlanta and is one of the most populous suburbs of Georgia’s largest city. In November, Democrat Joe Biden won 58% of the presidential vote in the county, helping propel his razor-thin margin of victory in Georgia overall.
Thirty years ago, however, Gwinnett county was mostly rural and a Republican stronghold in a state where Republicans have long dominated.
“Atlanta was mostly African American and voted Democrat, but, back then, the suburbs around Atlanta were like the rest of Georgia — a lot of white people nearly exclusively voting Republican,” Nick Masino, President and CEO of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, told VOA. “But it’s nothing like that anymore.”
FILE &#8211; In this Nov. 13, 2020 file photo, candidate for U.S. Senate Sen. David Perdue speaks during a campaign rally, in Cumming, Ga.Barely two months after Biden became just the second Democrat since 1980 to carry Georgia, the state remains in the political limelight as ..


Atlanta’s Increasingly Diverse Suburbs Could Decide US Senate Control

President-elect Joe Biden said on Monday that many of America&#039;s security agencies had been &#8220;hollowed out&#8221; under President Donald Trump, and the lack of information being provided to his transition team by the outgoing administration was an &#8220;irresponsibility.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#039;ve encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget,&#8221; Biden said after a meeting with his foreign policy team.
&#8220;Right now, we just aren&#039;t getting all of the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It&#039;s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility,&#8221; he added.
Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat in the November 3 election, and his administration delayed authorized cooperation with Biden until November 23. Biden takes office January 20.
Information from Pentagon
Earlier this month, Biden&#039;s team said they had met resistance to requests for information from some Pe..


Biden: Trump Aides Setting ‘Roadblocks’ for Transition Team

Elections

"Usually politicians don’t slam the door shut on Latino voters so abruptly" - Colorado state Democratic Sen. Julie Gonzales.

Colorado Democrats want to censure Hickenlooper for vote to deny COVID checks to illegal immigrants

Coffee shops in downtown Tripoli, Libya, are closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, so Mohammed Abdulwaheb, 37, got his &#8221;to-go&#8221; and drank it in the parking lot. 
Libya and other countries had been subject to the Trump-era &#8220;travel ban&#8221; for four years before it was lifted last week. Back then, Abdulwaheb had wanted to attend graduate school in the United States. But that was a long time ago, he said.
&#8220;The ban wasn&#039;t fair,&#8221; Abdulwaheb added. &#8220;And of course it impacted our lives. The end of the ban will especially improve the lives of Libyans in America.&#8221;
But experts say it will take time to unravel the regulations that grounded so many travelers. And locals in Libya, Nigeria and Sudan — three impacted countries — say resolving the personal setbacks experienced by individuals may take even longer. 
FILE &#8211; Demonstrators opposed to President Donald Trump&#039;s travel ban listen to speakers during a rally outside the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, in Richmond, Virginia, Jan..


Effects of Trump-Era Travel Ban Expected to Linger

Undocumented immigrants cheered President Joe Biden&#039;s plan to provide a path to U.S. citizenship for about 11 million people without legal status, mixing hope with guarded optimism Wednesday amid a seismic shift in how the U.S. government views and treats them.
The newly inaugurated president moved to reverse four years of harsh restrictions and mass deportation with a plan for sweeping legislation on citizenship. Biden also issued executive orders reversing some of former President Donald Trump&#039;s immigration policies, such as halting work on a U.S.-Mexico border wall and lifting a travel ban on people from several predominantly Muslim countries. He also ordered his Cabinet to work to keep deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of people brought to the U.S. as children.
&#8220;This sets a new narrative, moving us away from being seen as criminals and people on the public charge to opening the door for us to eventually become Americans,&#8221; said Yanira Arias, a Salvadoran im..


Undocumented Immigrants Cheering Possible Citizenship Path Under Biden

President Joe Biden signed wide-ranging executive orders Wednesday to end travel restrictions from predominantly Muslim and African countries, initiate a halt to border wall funding and strengthen protections for immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. The orders dismantled major portions of former President Donald Trump’s restrictive immigration policies.
Travel restrictions
The Biden-Harris White House reversed proclamations that barred most people from several majority Muslim and African countries to travel to the U.S. In a conference call with reporters, Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, described Trump’s policy as “nothing less than a stain on our nation” and “rooted in xenophobia and religious animus.” The former Trump White House had defended the proclamations as needed to keep America safe.
Though the order says it will provide relief for families that were separated by Trump’s travel restrictions, it also calls for strengthening screening and v..


On Day 1, Biden Dismantles Some of Trump’s Immigration Orders

President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been described as a man of few words, direct, and compassionate.
Alejandro Mayorkas, a Cuban American and former Obama administration official, would be the first Latino, if confirmed by the Senate, to lead DHS, an agency created after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. It is the third-largest federal agency in the nation.
“He’s a man of a few words but he is a man of his words, which is really key and important,” said Gaby Pacheco, director of advocacy, communications, and development for TheDream.US, a nonprofit organization that helps undocumented youths with financial support through college scholarships.
Pacheco is a former beneficiary of DACA, the Obama-era program that allows immigrants, who were brought to the U.S. as children without legal status, to remain legally and work and study without fear of deportation. Pacheco met Mayorkas through h..


Cuban American Mayorkas Brings Immigration Experience to DHS 

The Trump administration said late Wednesday it wants to cut the number of refugees admitting into the United States to 15,000 in fiscal year 2021, which begins Thursday.
The figure represents the latest in a series of annual cuts since President Donald Trump took office in 2017.
In 2020, the administration put the cap at 18,000, and the United States allowed 10,892 refugees into the country before putting the program on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic.
That was the fewest since the modern refugee program was approved by Congress in 1980. The annual cap during the administration of President Barack Obama was between 70,000 and 85,000.
The State Department said Trump’s 2021 proposal “reaffirms America’s enduring commitment to assist the world’s most vulnerable people while fulfilling our first duty to protect and serve the American people.”
Krish Vignarajah, president of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, a federally funded agency charged with resettling refugees in ..


Trump Administration Proposes Limiting Refugee Admissions to 15,000

President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would withhold money from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions after a U.S. court ruled that his administration could block federal law enforcement funds to states and cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
The Republican president, who is seeking re-election in the Nov. 3 election, has taken a hardline stance toward legal and illegal immigration. His battle against Democratic-led &#8220;sanctuary&#8221; jurisdictions focuses on laws and policies that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
Cities and states that oppose such cooperation say it can discourage immigrants from coming forward to report crimes to law enforcement because of fears about their immigration status.
Since the beginning of his administration Trump has tried to slash specific law enforcement grants to places that don&#039;t comply with ICE requests for information, but his efforts have been..


Trump Says He Will Block Federal Funds to ‘Sanctuary’ Jurisdictions

Illegal immigration in one area of Texas has dropped more than 80 percent thanks to the new border wall system that includes multiple layers of fencing, roads, lights, and extra personnel, the acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan told Congress on Thursday. Speaking at the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee on the Fiscal [&hellip;]


Illegal immigration dropped 80 percent in El Paso due to border wall, border chief says

William Barr says he&#8217;ll look at criminal charges for &#8216;shielding of aliens&#8217; The Justice Department unleashed a legal assault on sanctuary jurisdictions across the country Monday, filing a new round of civil lawsuits asking judges to overturn the policies, and warning state and city officials they could soon face criminal charges of harboring illegal immigrants [&hellip;]


Justice Department launches legal assault to roll back sanctuary cities

The Trump administration on Thursday published new visa rules aimed at restricting “birth tourism,” in which women travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can have a coveted U.S. passport.
Applicants will be denied tourist visas if they are determined by consular officers to be coming to the U.S. primarily to give birth, according to the rules in the Federal Register. It is a bigger hurdle to overcome, proving they are traveling to the U.S. because they have a medical need and not just because they want to give birth here. Those with medical needs will be treated like other foreigners coming to the U.S. for medical treatment and must prove they have the money to pay for it — including transportation and living expenses.
The practice of traveling to the U.S. to give birth is fundamentally legal, although there are scattered cases of authorities arresting operators of birth tourism agencies for visa fraud or tax evasion. And women are often honest about their intentions when a..


US Imposes Visa Rules for Pregnant Women on ‘Birth Tourism’

The Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog found no wrongdoing or misconduct by immigration officials in the deaths of two migrant children last December.
The Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security released two brief statements Friday evening on the deaths of Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin, who died Dec. 8, and Felipe Gómez Alonzo, who died Dec. 24.
Their deaths ushered in a growing border crisis that caught immigration officials unprepared to manage a crush of Central American families seeking asylum in the U.S. and raised questions on medical care and treatment. Border crossings have since declined in recent months following major crackdowns.
“We are still saddened by the tragic loss of these young lives, and we continue to bolster medical screenings and care at DHS facilities on the border,” a spokeswoman for Homeland Security said. “The men and women of Border Patrol are committed to the highest standards of professionalism and care.”
Both children..


DHS Watchdog Finds no Wrongdoing in Deaths of 2 Migrant Kids

A Mexican immigrant fighting President Donald Trump&#039;s attempt to end a program shielding young immigrants from deportation says he is nervous about the case finally being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Martin Batalla Vidal is a lead plaintiff in one of the cases to preserve the Obama-era program Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, and has seen his name splashed in legal documents since 2016, when he first sued in New York.
The 29-year-old certified nursing assistant at a rehabilitation clinic for traumatic brain injury in Queens, New York, has described the legal journey since then as stressful, with people sending him hateful messages. He has had to sacrifice days at work so he could go to protests, press conferences and meetings with attorneys.
Even with his worries, Batalla Vidal is hopeful immigrants like him will be able to stay in the country.
&#8220;I don&#039;t know what is going to happen,&#8221; said Batalla Vidal, who lives with his mother, two brothers and a..


Mexican Immigrant Fights for DACA as Court Ruling Nears

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reversing course months after threatening six-figure fines against immigrants taking sanctuary at churches.
Seven women have been notified that ICE, using its discretion, is withdrawing its intent to pursue fines of $300,000 or more for their refusal to leave the country as ordered, according to the National Sanctuary Collective, a coalition of attorneys, organizers and other advocates for them. They count it as a victory.
&#8220;We knew that these exorbitant fines were illegal and were nothing more than a tool to scare our clients and retaliate against them for fighting back and standing up to this administration,&#039;&#039; attorney Lizbeth Mateo, who represents a Mexican woman living at an Ohio church, said in a statement. Mateo said immigration officials should exercise the same discretion &#8220;to release sanctuary families.&#039;&#039;
The immigrants have remained in the U.S. in violation of the law and still are subject to removal orders th..


ICE Withdraws Big Fines for Immigrants Living in Churches

There are thousands of Venezuelans stranded at the border after the Ecuadorian government imposed new rules that bar people from entering the country without a visa. But many of the refugees are stuck because they can&#8217;t afford the $50 fee to get a visa. VOA&#8217;s Celia Mendoza reports from the Rumichaca International Bridge in Colombia.


Ecuador Closes Border with Venezuela, Stranding Refugees

Press Briefing with ICE Director Matt Albence

Ben Bergquam with America&#8217;s Voice News Live from Fresno CA, at the “Recall Gavin Newsom Rally! Come join the party until 1pm at the corner of Herndon and Palm! This is part of the “Chasing Freedom” series. &nbsp; &nbsp;


Chasing Freedom in Fresno CA at the Recall Gavin Newsom Rally

VOA White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON — After more than two years of political and legal strife, U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be prevailing in revamping immigration policy and building portions of a wall to limit migration across the southern U.S. border.
Trump views boosting border security as a “promise kept” to the American people, one he will tout to voters in his re-election bid next year.
“[W]e’re doing it. We get it done,” the president said this past week. “The [border] wall is being built.”
 Senate Deals Wall Setback, but Trump May Still Win on Border video player. Embed&#8221; />CopyWATCH: Senate Deals Wall Setback, but Trump May Still Win on BorderMigrant apprehensions down
The administration reports nearly 100 kilometers of new border wall construction since 2017 and aims to extend barriers by more than 600 kilometers by the end of next year. Meanwhile, apprehensions of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border fell from 144,255..


Trump Touts Border Security Ahead of 2020 Campaign

The U.S. Senate has voted again to block President Donald Trump&#039;s national emergency declaration and his plan to divert $3.6 billion from military projects to extend wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite the setback, Trump could win a larger narrative on border security — an important issue for his supporters going into next year&#039;s election. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has more.


Senate Deals Wall Setback, but Trump May Still Win on Border

Immigration

U.S. lawmakers Wednesday expressed concern about China&#039;s growing influence at the United Nations during their questioning of President Joe Biden&#039;s intended U.N. ambassador, seeking assurances that she would vigorously push back against Beijing&#039;s &#8220;malign influence.&#8221;
&#8220;Despite the fact that the United States is by far the largest donor to the United Nations, the Chinese Communist Party is attempting to reshape the U.N. to serve the needs of the Party,&#8221; Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch said at the opening of Linda Thomas-Greenfield&#039;s confirmation hearing.  &#8220;And it has had some successes in that regard.&#8221;
FILE &#8211; Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James RischSenators from both parties repeatedly grilled the 35-year State Department veteran about a speech she gave as a retired diplomat in 2019. The focus was on the U.S. and China&#039;s investment in Africa, and several senators criticized her for being soft on Beijing.
Thomas-Greenfield w..


Biden’s Pick for UN Envoy Grilled on China at Confirmation Hearing

The new top U.S. diplomat, Antony Blinken, is pledging to work with core allies and partners to confront complex global challenges, while investing in a diverse and inclusive American Foreign Service.
Blinken was officially welcomed to the State Department on Wednesday as secretary of state by approximately 30 of the women and men representing a small cross-section of the larger workforce. 
&#8220;I&#039;m incredibly excited about the work ahead,&#8221; Blinken said later at an afternoon press briefing, where he declared his respect for the press and promised to be transparent with reporters.
&#8220;Here&#039;s what you can count on – we&#039;re resuming daily press briefings starting next week – on Tuesday. That&#039;s an essential part of the day and we&#039;re bringing it back,&#8221; he said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is sworn in as the 71st U.S. Secretary of State by Acting Under Secretary of State for Management Carol Z. Perez, at the Department of State in Washington, Jan. 26, 2021. (State D..


Newly-Confirmed US Secretary of State Pledges Cooperation on Global Challenges

Prominent Iran-based and Iranian diaspora critics of Tehran’s Islamist rulers have differing expectations about how far U.S. President Joe Biden will go to implement his promised new approach to dealing with Iran’s objectionable behavior.
Biden, who took office on Wednesday, has vowed to use diplomacy in coordination with U.S. allies to try to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 deal in which world powers offered Iranian leaders sanctions relief in return for curbs on nuclear activities that could be diverted into weapons production.
Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, saying it was not tough enough on Iran, and unilaterally tightened U.S. sanctions aimed at pressuring Tehran into scrapping its nuclear program and other activities deemed a threat to the U.S. and its allies. Tehran has vowed to defy what Trump called his &#8220;maximum pressure” policy and has denied seeking nuclear weapons.
The Biden administration has said Iran must stop the es..


Iran’s Domestic, Diaspora Critics Differ on How Biden Should Counter Tehran’s Behavior

As President Joe Biden was sworn into office Wednesday, North Korean defectors living throughout the United States expressed hope that his administration would place North Koreans’ human rights above Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and deal forcefully with leader Kim Jong Un.
Jake Kim, North Korean defector. (Screenshot)“If [the Biden administration] focuses more attention on North Korean human rights, it can lead to a result that grants legitimacy to the people, the residents of North Korea,” said Jake Kim, a 38-year-old North Korean defector who arrived in the U.S. in 2015 and is studying political science at Utah Valley University, a public institution in the city of Orem.
“But when you ignore human rights and focus on nuclear weapons and Kim Jong Un, it can end up legitimizing Kim Jong Un’s regime,” he told VOA Korean Service.
Kim added, “I think the issue of North Korea’s nuclear weapons will be resolved when human rights issue is resolved first.”
Former President Donald Trump initial..


North Korean Defectors Call on Biden to Focus on Human Rights

U.S. government policy toward South Sudan isn’t expected to change regardless of the new presidential administration, according to Jon Danilowicz, the new U.S. charge d’affaires to South Sudan.
He said the top priority will remain restoring peace and stability in the country. U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has been declared the winner, but President Donald Trump has so far refused to concede. Some mail ballots are still being counted.
This week at his first news conference at the U.S. Embassy since arriving in Juba nearly two months ago, Danilowicz said there has been bipartisan consensus between Democrats and Republicans on U.S. policy toward South Sudan.
“If I look at the current U.S. policy and engagement on South Sudan and if I look at the future, I don’t see significant differences regarding how the United States will engage in South Sudan depending on which political party may be in power in the executive branch or legislature,” Danilowicz told reporters.
Danilowicz said Washingt..


New US Diplomat: South Sudan Policy Unlikely to Change

Turkish analysts say Joe Biden&#039;s projected presidential election victory could prove to be a pivotal moment in Turkey’s relations with the United States &#8212; one that could see Ankara pivoting back to its traditional Western allies or further deepening ties with Russia and China. 
While many European leaders were quick to offer congratulations to Biden, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan belatedly issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging Biden&#039;s victory. In it, Erdogan stressed the &#8220;strategic&#8221; nature of bilateral ties and said they should be further strengthened based on common interests.
The Turkish leader also sent a message to President Donald Trump, thanking him. 
Under Trump, critics say, Erdogan paid little price for confronting fellow NATO members and cozying up to Moscow, with the U.S. president opposing calls in the U.S. Congress for sanctions against Turkey.
A Biden presidency, some analysts are predicting, will bring very different things for Erdogan.
&#8220;The me..


Biden Presidency Could Be Watershed Moment in US-Turkey Relations, Analysts Say

A Joe Biden presidency is likely to involve a deeper U.S. engagement with Southeast Asia, some analysts say, offering trade for their pandemic-hit economies and security leverage against regional heavyweight China—but also bringing uncomfortable questions on rights and democracy.
Southeast Asia knows Biden from his time as vice president in the administration of President Barack Obama, whose “Asia pivot” lavished diplomatic capital and resources on a strategic trade and defense vision for the region aimed at expanding economies that are home to 650 million people and checking China&#039;s march.
President Donald Trump’s approach to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has seen defense sales, bilateral trade deals and promises of support in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing, which has ramped up its bases in the contested South China Sea.
Trump also brought threats to the same countries, however, over trade deficits. The sudden withdrawal from the Obama-era Tr..


After Trump, Southeast Asia Craves Reliable Ally in Biden

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday congratulated the new U.S. president-elect and his running mate on their projected election victory and said the U.S. and its European partners must stand together to deal with the challenges of our time.
At a news conference in Berlin, Merkel said Biden has decades of experience in both domestic and foreign policy and knows Germany and Europe well. She said she had fond memories of good encounters and discussions with the former vice president.
The German chancellor also warmly congratulated Harris as future vice president, noting she will be the first woman to serve in that position. Merkel said Harris, as the child of two immigrants, is an inspiration for many people and example of what is possible in America, and added, “I am looking forward to meeting her.&#8221;
Merkel said the U.S., Germany and the rest of the European Union must stand “side by side” to face the big challenges of our time, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global warming and t..


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