Republican Lawmakers in Several US States Bar Journalists From House Floors

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Republican lawmakers in several states are scaling back access to government business, extending pandemic-era rules that restrict when journalists can report from the floors of state legislative chambers and, in effect, making it easier to dodge the press.  As the public returns to the corridors of state capitols, new rules approved in Iowa last month and in Utah this week critically limit reporters’ access to lawmakers, sparking an outcry from media organizations and press advocates. “It is critical that there is some accountability with respect to those who have tremendous power, such as you,” Lauren Gustus, the executive editor ofmore

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Biden Visits Ohio to Tout Infrastructure Investments, Court Voters

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President Joe Biden on Thursday visited a small, deindustrialized Ohio steel town to tout his ambitious multi-trillion-dollar proposed spending plan, to announce a $1 billion initiative for environmental cleanup and restoration, and to court voters in a crucial state ahead of this year’s tightly contested midterm elections. “Today, we’re announcing an investment of $1 billion — $1 billion — from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill,” he said, speaking to about 60 invited guests, including members of Congress, local elected officials and labor leaders at a shipyard in the lakeside town of Lorain, Ohio. “It’s going to allow the most significant restorationmore

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Senate Sends Biden Bill Averting Federal Shutdown

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The Senate gave final approval Thursday to legislation averting a weekend government shutdown, sending President Joe Biden a measure designed to give bipartisan bargainers more time to reach an overdue deal financing federal agencies until fall.  Final passage was by a bipartisan 65-27 vote, five more than the 60 votes needed. The House easily approved the legislation last week. Each party had concluded that an election-year shutdown would be politically damaging, especially during a pandemic and a confrontation with Russia over its possible invasion of Ukraine.   Yet as with virtually all must-pass bills, politics hitched a ride. Before passage,more

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Trump Must Testify in New York Investigation, Judge Rules

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A judge ruled Thursday that former President Donald Trump must answer questions under oath in New York state’s civil investigation into his business practices.  Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump and his two eldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., to comply with subpoenas issued in December by New York Attorney General Letitia James.  Trump and his two children must sit for a deposition within 21 days, Engoron said.  Engoron issued the ruling after a two-hour hearing with lawyers for the Trumps and James’ office.  “In the final analysis, a State Attorney General commences investigating a business entity, uncovers copious evidencemore

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US Congress Stalled on Russia Sanctions

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U.S. lawmakers struggled to agree this week on sanctions to deter Russia’s Vladimir Putin from a possible Ukraine invasion. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson says that despite the snag, there is still pressure to mount a unified U.S. response. Producer: Katherine Gypson. …

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Sandy Hook Families Settle with Remington After 2012 Massacre 

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The families of nine victims of a massacre at an elementary school nearly ten years ago in the northeastern U.S. state of Connecticut reached a $73 million settlement Tuesday in a lawsuit against Remington Arms, the maker of the rifle used in the mass killing.  The settlement is a rare instance of a U.S. gunmaker paying damages for bloodshed arising from the criminal use of a firearm.  “While this settlement does not erase the pain of that tragic day, it does begin the necessary work of holding gun manufacturers accountable for manufacturing weapons of war and irresponsibly marketing these firearms,”more

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Перелік зрадників з Верховної Ради, які втекли з України в тяжкий для нас час

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Стало відомо, що станом на 12-00 14 лютого, за межами України перебуває 23 народні депутати. Список нардепів, які на сьогодні не перебувають в Україні, джерела в правоохоронних органах передали журналістам. Також серед даних є інформація, де саме вони перебувають та коли покинули Україну: Кива Ілля (ОПЗЖ), 30 січня відправився в Аліканте (Іспанія); Королевська Наталія (ОПЗЖ), 9 лютого полетіла в Ригу (Латвія); Льовочкін Сергій (ОПЗЖ), 10 лютого полетів до Венеції (Італія); Львочкіна Юлія (ОПЗЖ), 26 січня відправилась у Ніццу (Франція); Рабінович Вадим (ОПЗЖ), 3 лютого полетів у Тель-Авів (Ізраїль); Новинський Вадим (позафракційний), 10 лютого відправився у Мюнхен (Німеччина); Устінова Олександра (“Голос”),more

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Вимагаємо позбавити громадянства і власності злодіїв та зрадників, що уже втекли з України

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Час створити петицію про заборону повернення назад в Україну олігархів та проросійських колаборантів, які тікають в тяжкий для України час. Шкода, що Конституція не дозволяє їх назад не пускати, бо ті мають українське громадянство( Українські олігархи патріотично відреагували на ймовірну нову атаку Росії на Україну. У неділю, 13 лютого, з України вилетіло до двох десятків чартерів та рейсів приватних літаків. За ситуацією в небі стежили журналісти, які зробили скріншоти вильотів, що відображаються в ситстемі «Флайрадар». Серед чартерів та приватних літаків, що залишили Україну в неділю, — борти олігарха Ріната Ахметова та Бориса Колесникова. Приватний борт на 50 осіб замовив нардепmore

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Вимагаємо терміново відкликати і вигнати з посади зрадника і панікера вадима пристайка

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Посол України у Великій Британії Вадим Пристайко припустив, що Україна може відмовитись від вступу в НАТО, якщо її до цього змусять обставини. Про це він заявив в інтерв’ю BBC Radio 5 Live. На запитання ведучого, чи може Україна розглянути варіант не вступати в НАТО, Пристайко відповів: “Ми могли б”. Дипломат уточнив, що “враховуючи ту загрозу, яка є”, Україна могла б бути вимушеною піти на такий крок. “Запитання, яке ставить собі 40-мільйонна країна, як ми виживемо, якщо вони (Росія – Ред.) прийдуть завтра?” – заявив Пристайко, зазначивши, що Україна може залишитися беззахисною в той час, як всі її західні сусіди єmore

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Автомобіль бізнесмена Ярославського збив на смерть людину, а він вилетів у Лондон

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Вночі 10 лютого на трасі Чугуїв – Мартове автомобіль збив на смерть чоловіка, на місці ДТП знайшли автомобільні номери з кортежу бізнесмена Олександра Ярославського. Пряма мова нашого джерела: “Трохи після півночі до поліції надійшов дзвінок, що на трасі Чугуїв – Мартове збили людину. Це сталося ближче до Мартового. Загинув чоловік, середніх років. Нікого поруч не було. На місці знайшли номери 0018”. Як стало відомо, такі номери має передня машина кортежу Ярославського, а Ярославський часто сам водить авто. Пізніше до поліції подзвонив чоловік, який повідомив, що став учасником ДТП біля Мартового, і що прийде до райвідділу дати свідчення. Згодом, міністр внутрішніхmore

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Аліна Паш здійснила підробку довідки від Державної Прикордонної служби України

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Аліна Паш підробила довідку від наших прикордонників щодо її поїздки у окупований Крим. Учора представники співачки опублікували «документ від ДПСУ» про те, що нібито вона у серпні 2015 року відвідувала окупований Крим через адмінкордон у Херсонській області. Причина такої публікації проста — згідно з правилами добору на Євробачення виконавець не може брати участь у ньому у разі, якщо незаконно відвідував окупований Крим. Законно потрапити на окуповану територію можна лише через пункти пропуску ДПСУ. Будь-які візити до Криму з території РФ є протиправними. Та ми маємо дуже серйозні та обґрунтовані підстави стверджувати, що «довідка», оприлюднена командою Аліни Паш є підробленою. Зmore

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Міжнародний шахрай коломойський намагається приватизувати Батьківщину-Мати в Києві

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Пов’язана з колишнім головою Офісу президента Андрієм Богданом компанія бореться в судах за право приватизувати нерухомість національного меморіального комплексу “Батьківщина-Мати”. Господарський суд столиці ухвалив рішення, яке по суті дозволяє його приватизацію. Компанія “Архітектурна майстерня Інка” у 2015 році уклала договір із Фондом держмайна щодо оренди зазначеного активу. Згідно з договором, на той момент приватизація цих об’єктів була заборонена за жодних умов. У грудні 2020 року орендар звернувся до Господарського суду Києва з вимогою визнати договір недійсним та дозволити їм приватизацію частини меморіального комплексу. Фактичним власником ТОВ “Архітектурна майстерня Інка” до 2018 року був ексадвокат Ігоря Коломойського та ексголова Офісу президентаmore

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From Campus to Congress, Colleges Urged to End Legacy Boost

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America’s elite colleges are facing growing calls to end the decades-old tradition of giving an admissions boost to the children of alumni — a practice that critics say is rooted in racism and bestows an unfair advantage to students who need it least. Fueled by the national reckoning with racial injustice, opponents say they are gaining momentum in the battle over the contentious policy of legacy preferences. Ivy League students are pressing administrators to abandon the policy. Yale’s student government took a stance against the practice in November. A recent vote of Harvard students found that 60% oppose it. Hundredsmore

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Congress Approves Sex Harassment Bill in #MeToo Milestone

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Congress on Thursday gave final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts, a milestone for the #MeToo movement that prompted a national reckoning on the way sexual misconduct claims are handled.  The measure, which is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden, bars employment contracts from forcing people to settle sexual assault or harassment cases through arbitration rather than in court, a process that often benefits employers and keeps misconduct allegations from becoming public.   Significantly, the bill is retroactive, nullifying that language in contracts nationwide and openingmore

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US Congress Advances Bill to Sanction Those Fueling War in Ethiopia 

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Legislation has advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives to impose sanctions on Ethiopians committing human rights abuses, blocking food aid delivery, or taking other actions that are worsening the country’s 15-month crisis. It would also sanction those providing training, weapons, or financial support to those involved in the conflict. The proposed Ethiopian Stabilization, Peace and Democracy Act was voted out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. It can now be voted on by the full U.S. House. A similar bill is being considered in the Senate. If enacted, the bill would sanction individuals as well as suspendmore

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VP’s Husband Whisked from Event Over Bomb Threat

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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, was quickly removed from an event Tuesday afternoon because of a reported bomb threat.    Emhoff was attending a Black History Month event at Dunbar High School in Washington when the Secret Service whisked him away.    A Secret Service agent reportedly approached Emhoff and said, “We have to go.”    “We had a threat today to the facility, so we did — basically we took the precaution of evacuating everybody, as you saw. I think everyone is safe. The building is clear. But I don’t have any specific details at thismore

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House OKs Bill Easing Budget Strains on Postal Service

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Congress would lift onerous budget requirements that have helped push the Postal Service deeply into debt and would require it to continue delivering mail six days per week under bipartisan legislation the House approved Tuesday.   The election-year bill, coming at a time of widespread complaints about slower mail service, would also require the Postal Service to display online how efficiently it delivers mail to communities.  The Postal Service is supposed to sustain itself with postage sales and other services but has suffered 14 straight years of losses. The reasons include growing worker compensation and benefit costs plus steady declinesmore

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Biden Touts ‘American Manufacturing Comeback,’ New Tennessee Plant

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President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that an Australian company that makes chargers for electric vehicles will build a manufacturing facility in Tennessee, while reiterating his commitment to make the U.S. government’s fleet of cars electric.  The new plant will produce up to 30,000 electric vehicle chargers per year and create 500 local jobs, according to Biden and the Brisbane-based company, Tritium. State officials said production is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2022.  Biden touted “an American manufacturing comeback.” Tritium’s chargers will “use American parts, American iron, American steel,” and will be installed by union workers, Bidenmore

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Rift Among Republicans Widens Over Censure of Party Outliers

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The divide in the Republican party over former president Donald Trump widened Tuesday as senators criticized the Republican National Committee for censuring Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney last week. Kinzinger and Cheney have been outliers in their own party over the past year for criticizing Trump’s false claims of fraud in the 2020 election and for saying he played a role in encouraging the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The RNC cited Kinzinger and Cheney’s service on the select House committee investigating the events of January 6 in its censure, writing that they were participating inmore

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VOA Interview: US Ambassador to OSCE on Russia-Ukraine Crisis

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U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Michael Carpenter spoke with VOA’s Russian service Monday to discuss the situation along the Russia-Ukraine border. Carpenter said the allies and its partners are trying “to see if the Kremlin is interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution to this crisis, to seeking to de-escalate the situation along Ukraine’s border, which is very dire.” Here is a transcript of the interview, edited for clarity and brevity. VOA: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Washington and French President (Emmanuel) Macron is in Moscow. What are your expectations from these negotiations,more

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Supreme Court Sides With GOP in Alabama Election Map Case

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The Supreme Court on Monday put on hold a lower court ruling that Alabama must draw new congressional districts before the 2022 elections to increase Black voting power. The high court order boosts Republican chances to hold six of the state’s seven seats in the House of Representatives.   The court’s action, by a 5-4 vote, means the upcoming elections will be conducted under a map drawn by Alabama’s Republican-controlled legislature that contains one majority-Black district, represented by a Black Democrat, in a state in which more than a quarter of the population is Black.  A three-judge lower court, includingmore

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US Taking the Fight Against Terrorism to the App Store

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More than a decade ago, technology giant Apple began telling its smartphone customers that if something was worth doing, “There’s an app for that.” Starting now, the same can be said of fighting terrorism. The U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Monday launched its aCTknowledge mobile app, ready for download from the Apple app store and from the NCTC website. “The app is a one stop shop to get unclassified counterterrorism information,” a NCTC official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the center’s foray into mobile apps. Officials said a version should also be available inmore

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Pence: Trump Is ‘Wrong’ to Say Election Could Have Been Overturned

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Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday directly rebutted Donald Trump’s false claims that Pence somehow could have overturned the results of the 2020 election, saying that the former president was simply “wrong.” In a speech to the conservative Federalist Society in Florida, Pence addressed Trump’s intensifying efforts this week to advance the false narrative that he could have done something to prevent Joe Biden from taking office. “President Trump is wrong,” Pence said. “I had no right to overturn the election.” While Pence in the past has defended his actions on January 6 and has said that he andmore

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