Afghanistan Exit Pushes Congress to Repeal Presidential War Powers 

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One of the lasting legacies of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may finally be repealed by U.S. lawmakers seeking to limit presidential war-making powers. The 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (or AUMFs) for the war on terror have been a subject of heated debate on Capitol Hill almost since they were passed. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. Produced by:  Katherine Gypson   …

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Thousands March for Fair, Easy Access to Vote for All

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Thousands of Americans gathered Saturday in Washington to demand federal legislation to protect voting rights. Saqib Islam reports from the protest, March On for Voting Rights, which also marked the 58th anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall.  Camera: Saqib Ul Islam           Producer: Saqib Ul Islam …

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Growing Hostility to Afghan Refugees Shows GOP Divide

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As the U.S. rushes to evacuate Americans and allies from the chaos of Afghanistan, a growing number of Republicans are questioning why the U.S. should take in Afghan citizens who worked side by side with Americans, further exacerbating divides within the party heading into next year’s midterm elections.  Little more than a week ago, as the Taliban’s stunning takeover of Afghanistan still was snapping into focus, former President Donald Trump issued a statement saying that “civilians and others who have been good to our Country … should be allowed to seek refuge.” But in more recent days, he has turned tomore

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Thousands March in US Cities for Voting Rights

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Thousands of protesters rallied in Washington and other U.S. cities on Saturday to demand protections for voting rights, aiming to pressure lawmakers to pass legislation to counter a wave of ballot restrictions in Republican-led states. Held on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington, organizers of the “March On for Voting Rights” say the state-level moves to curb voting access disproportionately affect people of color. In Washington, protesters holding “Black Lives Matter” flags and signs calling for federal legislation marched from McPherson Square toward the final meeting point at the National Mall, where King gave his iconicmore

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Capitol Police Officer Who Shot Trump Supporter Says It Was ‘Last Resort’ 

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The U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a woman as she tried to force her way into the House of Representatives during the January 6 attack said the shooting was a “last resort” because he believed she posed a threat to members of Congress. “I tried to wait as long as I could,” police Lieutenant Michael Byrd said in an interview with “NBC Nightly News” that aired Thursday, in what were his first public remarks since the violence. FILE – This undated driver’s license photo from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, provided to AP by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, showsmore

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US Judge Sanctions Trump-Allied Lawyers

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A U.S. federal judge imposed financial penalties and other sanctions Wednesday against nine lawyers with ties to former U.S. President Donald Trump after ruling that their lawsuit challenging 2020 election results in the state of Michigan was a “historic and profound abuse of the judicial process.”“It is one thing to take on the charge of vindicating rights associated with an allegedly fraudulent election,” U.S. District Court judge Linda Parker wrote. “It is another to take on the charge of deceiving a federal court and the American people into believing that rights were infringed, without regard to whether any laws ormore

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US Congressmen Visit Kabul Airport Amid Evacuation Effort

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Two U.S. congressman made a previously unannounced trip to the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Tuesday for what they said was a visit to assess the ongoing evacuation effort and to pressure U.S. President Joe Biden to extend his August 31 for withdrawing the remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan. “We conducted this visit in secret, speaking about it only after our departure, to minimize the risk and disruption to the people on the ground, and because we were there to gather information, not to grandstand,” said a joint statement from Congressman Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Congressman Peter Meijer, a Michigan Republican. The lawmakers, who served on the House Armedmore

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2 Congress Members Fly to Kabul Amid Evacuation

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Two members of Congress flew unannounced into Kabul airport in the middle of the ongoing chaotic evacuation Tuesday, stunning State Department and U.S. military personnel who had to divert resources to provide security and information to the lawmakers, U.S. officials said. Representatives Seth Moulton, a Democrat, and Peter Meijer, a Republican, flew in and out on charter aircraft and were on the ground at the Kabul airport for several hours. That led officials to complain that they could be taking seats that would have otherwise gone to other Americans or Afghans fleeing the country, but the congressmen said in a jointmore

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Plea Deal Possible for Capitol Rioter Dressed as George Washington

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Prosecutors are discussing a plea deal for a Missouri man who participated in the deadly January 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol dressed as George Washington. Isaac Yoder, a locksmith from Missouri, has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges that include violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.At a hearing Tuesday before a district judge, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst said discussions had begun “about a possible resolution without a trial” in Yoder’s case.The FBI said Yoder admitted to investigators in March that he entered the Capitol on January 6.Multiple photographs have been published of Yoder dressed as the firstmore

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House Advances Biden’s Social Safety Net Legislation  

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Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives advanced President Joe Biden’s legislative priorities on Tuesday, approving a $3.5 trillion social safety net budget plan.Lawmakers also agreed to hold a vote by late next month on $1 trillion in infrastructure spending to fix the country’s crumbling roads and bridges and expand broadband service.The 220-212 vote on the sizable spending measures was not the final say on the legislation, but it signaled that Democrats, who hold narrow majorities over Republicans in both the House and Senate, might be able in the coming weeks to forge approval of spending programs that Biden promisedmore

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Hochul Becomes NY’s First Female Governor as Cuomo Exits

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Kathy Hochul became the first female governor of New York at the stroke of midnight Tuesday, taking control of a state government desperate to get back to business after months of distractions over sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo.The Democrat from western New York was sworn in as governor in a brief, private ceremony in the New York State Capitol overseen by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore.Afterward, she told WGRZ, a Buffalo television station, she felt “the weight of responsibility” on her shoulders.“I’ll tell New Yorkers I’m up to the task. And I’m really proud to be able tomore

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Hochul to Become NY’s First Female Governor as Cuomo Exits

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Kathy Hochul was set to become the first female governor of New York at the stroke of midnight, taking control of a state government desperate to get back to business after months of distractions over sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo. The Democrat from western New York was to be sworn in as governor in the first minutes of Tuesday in a brief, private ceremony overseen by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore. Her ascent to the top job will be a history-making moment in a capital where women have only recently begun chipping away at what was long a male-dominated political culture. Cuomo wasmore

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As Cuomo Exits, He Takes Last Swipe at Harassment Accusers

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Andrew Cuomo defended his record over a  decade as New York’s governor and portrayed himself as the victim of a “media frenzy” Monday as he prepared for a midnight power transfer that will make Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul the state’s first female governor. Cuomo, a Democrat, was set to end his term at 11:59 p.m., just under two weeks after he announced he would resign rather than face a likely impeachment battle over sexual harassment allegations. Hochul was scheduled be sworn in just after midnight by the state’s chief judge, Janet DiFiore, in a brief, private ceremony. In a pre-recordedmore

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Canada’s Foreign Students Look Warily for Return to Normal

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Canadian universities are nervously eyeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant, hoping it will not upend plans for a return to in-person classes for international students, many of whom spent the past year studying remotely from their home countries. With more than 72% of the population at least partly vaccinated and new cases dipping below 300 per day earlier this summer, the government announced an easing of restrictions on admission of foreign visitors to the country effective September 7, just in time for the start of a new school year. Caseloads still remain low compared to the Unitedmore

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Afghan Students in India Fear Returning under Taliban Rule

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Undergraduate Afghan student Saeeda Dilyabi, in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, is deeply worried about the future that her country holds for her after the Taliban captured power.“Our lives will be in danger, our families’ life will be in danger, so I don’t think we can go back to Afghanistan,” Dilyabi said, sitting in a park scrolling her phone for the latest news on Afghanistan.She is among hundreds of Afghans studying in Indian colleges and universities on scholarships offered by the Indian government as a goodwill gesture to promote education in the country.Students like her epitomize the rights wonmore

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Afghan Students in India Fear Returning After Taliban Takeover

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Afghan students enrolled in Indian colleges and universities worry about the future that their country holds for them following the Taliban takeover there. India has a large Afghan student community, with most having come on scholarships offered by the Indian government as a goodwill gesture to promote education in the country. Anjana Pasricha spoke to a group of students enrolled in colleges in Chandigarh city in North India.Camera: Rakesh Kumar, Producer: Jon Spier  …

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Half of Nigerians Willing to Emigrate for Better Opportunities, Survey Finds

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About half of Nigerians, especially youth, would be willing to leave the country for a better life, according to a July World Bank survey, an increase of nearly 20% since 2014. The report blames poor job opportunities and economic hardships, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. But as Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, some Nigerians who have tried migrating to Europe illegally say the risks are enormous.Camera: Emeka Gibson   Video editor: Jason Godman …

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Census Data May Blunt Expected Republican Election Gains in 2022

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The release of detailed local data from the U.S. census this week demonstrated that the country is diversifying and urbanizing more quickly than many had believed, and those results have real consequences for what Congress will look like throughout the coming decade.In general, the news was good for the Democratic Party. It suggests that some of the anticipated losses in the 2022 elections may be mitigated slightly by population growth in large metropolitan areas, which tend to vote for Democrats, and a decline in rural populations, which tend to favor the Republican Party.In his analysis for The Cook Political Report,more

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What is Critical Race Theory?

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Critical race theory (CRT) has become a controversial topic in the United States, as the country wrestles with race, immigration, civil rights and civil conflict. Some states have banned its teaching in classrooms.CRT maintains that racism is deeply embedded in U.S. policy, law and society, rather than purely individual and personal, as its opponents contend.FILE – In this image from the Tennessee General Assembly, Rep. Justin Lafferty, R-Knoxville, speaks at the State Capitol in Nashville, May 4, 2021. He spoke amid debate over whether educators should be restricted while teaching about systematic racism.“Critical race theory is turning Americans against onemore

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US Population Diversifying, as Number of Whites Declines for First Time

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The United States is growing more racially diverse as the white population declined over the past decade for the first time in the country’s history, a new detailed look at the 2020 Census shows.  The Census Bureau said Thursday that its once-a-decade head count showed 331.4 million people living in the U.S. last year, up just 7.4% since 2010. It was the slowest growth in any decade since the census was started in 1790, except during the Great Depression in the 1930s.  But the racial and ethnic makeup of the country was changing; people were moving more frequently to metropolitanmore

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Kentucky Sen. Paul Failed to Disclose Wife’s Stock Trade

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Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul waited more than a year to disclose that his wife purchased stock in a company that makes a COVID-19 treatment, an investment made after Congress was briefed on the threat of the virus but before the public was largely aware of its danger.   The Republican filed a mandatory disclosure Wednesday revealing on Feb. 26, 2020 that Kelley Paul purchased somewhere between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of stock in Gilead, which makes the antiviral drug remdesivir. Under a 2012 law called the Stock Act, which was enacted to stop lawmakers from trading on insider information, anymore

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