‘Dark Money’ Groups Pump Millions Into Battle Over Supreme Court Vacancy

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Well-funded, secretive political groups are getting into the high-stakes battle over filling a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Known as “dark money” groups because they aren’t required by law to disclose the names of their donors, these influential organizations are pumping millions of dollars into advertising campaigns to influence voter perceptions of what is expected to be one of the most contentious confirmation hearings in modern American history.Just hours after Ginsburg, the 87-year-old liberal icon, died of cancer last Friday, Demand Justice, a progressive dark money group with ties to the Democratic Party,more

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Proposed US Visa Changes Explained

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The Trump administration has proposed to eliminate “duration of status” on visas for international students, exchange visitors, and those working in international media. Officials are hoping to impose fixed end dates rather than allowing visas to be valid for as long as it takes them to get their degree or finish a research project. Currently, a holder of an F-1 visa can stay in the country until the student finishes a studies program or if the student keeps on meeting program requirements.The 256-page proposed rule released on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would mandate 4-year expiration datesmore

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Secretive Political Lobbying Groups Target Battle Over Supreme Court Vacancy

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Well-funded, secretive political groups are getting into the high-stakes battle over filling a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Known as “dark money” groups because they aren’t required by law to disclose the names of their donors, these influential organizations are pumping millions of dollars into advertising campaigns to influence voter perceptions of what is expected to be one of the most contentious confirmation hearings in modern American history.Just hours after Ginsburg, the 87-year-old liberal icon, died of cancer last Friday, Demand Justice, a progressive dark money group with ties to the Democratic Party,more

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US House Democrats Crafting New $2.2 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Package

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Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are working on a $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that could be voted on next week, a key lawmaker said Thursday, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated that she is ready to negotiate with the White House.With formal COVID-19 relief talks stalled for nearly seven weeks, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal said new legislative efforts got under way this week after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in congressional testimony that lawmakers needed to provide further support for an economy reeling from the pandemic.”The contours are already there. I thinkmore

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Lawmakers Criticize Trump Administration Changes at US-funded Media Networks

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U.S. lawmakers from both parties said Thursday that they feared the Voice of America and other U.S.-funded broadcasters were at risk of losing credibility with foreign audiences because of actions by new CEO Michael Pack.Pack, the first presidential appointee to serve in a new position that Congress created to streamline and modernize U.S.-funded broadcasting efforts, has faced bipartisan criticism for his actions since taking charge in June.Thursday’s hearing was the first time that lawmakers have had the opportunity to publicly examine Pack’s changes at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent agency of VOA, Radio Free Asia, and othermore

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Trump Promotes Health Care ‘Vision’ in Swing State North Carolina

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on preexisting medical conditions Thursday, amid a global pandemic and growing uncertainty about the future of protections guaranteed by the Obama-era health law his administration is still trying to overturn.In a visit to swing state North Carolina, the president sketched out what aides called a “vision” for quality health care at affordable prices, with lower prescription drug costs, more consumer choice and greater transparency. The president also signed another executive order to try to end surprise medical bills.But while the Trump administration has made some progress on its health care goals, the sweepingmore

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Trapped in Elevator, Professor Teaches Class Online

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When Jay Van Bavel, a social neuroscience professor at New York University, stepped into his apartment building elevator 10 minutes before his Introduction to Psychology class online, he “breathed a sigh of relief,” thinking he would start his lecture on time.  That is, until the elevator lurched downward before halting to a stop between floors.  “Ok, no need to panic. The door won’t open and the elevator won’t move. But I use the call button to contact the staff from the elevator. They promise to call a repairman from the elevator company to help us escape,” Van Bavel tweeted aboutmore

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Trump Pays Respects to Late Justice Ginsburg

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U.S. President Donald Trump was met with boos and chants of “vote him out” as he and his wife, Melania, appeared Thursday at the Supreme Court to pay respects to late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.The president, wearing a face mask, made no remarks as he stood briefly a short distance from Ginsburg’s casket as she lay in repose at the top of the court building’s steps.Ginsburg was honored Wednesday with a private ceremony in the Supreme Court’s Great Hall attended by her family and fellow justices. Her casket was then moved to the front steps for the public to filemore

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Key Republicans Push Back on Trump Hesitance to Assure Peaceful Transfer of Power

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Leading Republicans are stressing the importance of a peaceful transition of power in the U.S., a day after President Donald Trump declined to commit to one if he loses his bid for re-election to Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden.     “We’re going to have to see what happens,” said the president in response to a reporter’s question during a White House news conference on Wednesday evening. “I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster.”     Trump, without evidence, has repeatedly predicted massive fraud with tens of millions of mail-in ballots, which Democratsmore

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Quarantine Ordered for 2,500 Students at Elite Swiss School

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Swiss health authorities have ordered a quarantine for a staggering 2,500 students at a prestigious hospitality management school in the city of Lausanne after “significant outbreaks” of the coronavirus that are a suspected byproduct of off-campus partying.     Authorities in Switzerland’s Vaud canton, or region, said all undergraduates at the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, known as the Lausanne Hospitality Management University in English, have been ordered to quarantine both on- and off-campus because the number of COVID-19 outbreaks because targeted closures were not possible.   The World Health Organization, national health authorities and others have cautioned that young people,more

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Trump Hedges on Committing to Peaceful Transfer of Power

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U.S. President Donald Trump has declined to confirm he is willing to agree to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses his November 3 bid for re-election to Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden.  “We’re going to have to see what happens,” said the president in response to a reporter’s question during a White House news conference on Wednesday evening. “I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster.”  Trump, without evidence, has repeatedly predicted massive fraud with tens of millions of mail-in ballots, which Democrats have encouraged amid the coronavirus pandemic.   “We want to have — get rid of the ballots,” continued the president, explaining if that happens “there won’tmore

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Republican Senate Report on Biden’s Son Alleges Conflict of Interest

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Two Republican-led Senate committees issued a politically charged report Wednesday alleging that the work Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s son did in Ukraine constituted a conflict of interest for the Obama administration at a time when Biden was engaged in Ukraine policy as vice president. But the report said it was ultimately “unclear” what impact Hunter Biden’s position on the board of a Ukrainian gas company had on Obama administration policy with regard to Ukraine. And it offered no evidence to support one of President Donald Trump’s more incendiary allegations — that Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its topmore

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These 3 Issues Could Dominate Selection of Next US Supreme Court Justice

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Conservatives and liberals alike have much at stake with U.S. President Donald Trump’s choice of a replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week after 27 years on the bench.  Trump has promised to nominate a conservative, female jurist on Saturday to succeed Ginsburg, the most liberal member of the high court. Whoever Trump taps will cement a new 6-3 conservative majority and play a pivotal role in deciding issues of great consequence to millions of Americans. Among them: the fate of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act that provides health insurance to millions of people, immigration, abortion rights, and economic and social protections for the LGBTQ community.  In recentmore

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Breaking Another Barrier, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is First US Woman to Lie in State

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Colleagues, friends and admirers began paying their final respects Wednesday to the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.   Ginsburg’s casket was brought to the Supreme Court building early Wednesday for a private ceremony in the Great Hall, attended by her family and her fellow justices.  The casket was then moved to the building’s front steps and will lie in repose for public viewing until Thursday, resting on the same wooden platform built for the casket of President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination in 1865. The White House said Wednesday that President Donald Trump will pay his respects to Ginsburgmore

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US Adversaries, Cybercriminals Put 2020 Election Results in Their Crosshairs

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U.S. election security officials are bracing the American public for a new type of worst-case scenario for the Nov. 3 presidential election — a flood of disinformation in the hours after the polls close, casting doubt on the results and on the process itself, as voters wait to learn who will lead the country for the next four years.     Making matters more precarious, officials warn the potential attacks are likely to be pervasive, designed to make Americans suspicious of any information they get, even from normally trusted sources.     “Foreign actors and cybercriminals could create new websites,more

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Widow of Ex-US Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain Supports Democrat Biden

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Cindy McCain, widow of the late U.S. Republican presidential contender John McCain, is endorsing Democrat Joe Biden in the November election, and Republican President Donald Trump says he doesn’t care one bit.Cindy McCain, who spoke on Biden’s behalf at the Democratic National Convention last month, said on Twitter late Tuesday, “My husband John lived by a code: country first. We are Republicans, yes, but Americans foremost. There’s only one candidate in this race who stands up for our values as a nation, and that is @JoeBiden.”Prominent Republicans Endorse Biden at Democratic Convention Former Ohio Governor John Kasich, who was onemore

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US Mourners Bid Farewell to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

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Colleagues, friends and admirers will begin paying their final respects Wednesday to the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.   Ginsburg’s casket will be brought to the Supreme Court building Wednesday morning for a private ceremony in the Great Hall, attended by her family and her fellow justices.  The casket will then be moved to the building’s front steps and lie in repose for public viewing until Thursday, resting on the same wooden platform built for the casket of President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination in 1865.   A further tribute will occur Friday when Ginsburg will be taken across the streetmore

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These 3 Issues Could Dominate Deliberation Over Next US Supreme Court Justice

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Conservatives and liberals alike have much at stake with U.S. President Donald Trump’s choice of a replacement for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week after 27 years on the bench.  Trump has promised to nominate a conservative, female jurist on Saturday to succeed Ginsburg, the most liberal member of the high court. Whoever Trump taps will cement a new 6-3 conservative majority and play a pivotal role in deciding issues of great consequence to millions of Americans. Among them: the fate of the Obama-era Affordable Care Act that provides health insurance to millions of people, immigration, abortion rights, and economic and social protections for the LGBTQ community.  In recentmore

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House Passes Stopgap Funding Bill, Averting Shutdown

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In a sweeping bipartisan vote that takes a government shutdown off the table, the House passed a temporary governmentwide funding bill Tuesday night, shortly after President Donald Trump prevailed in a behind-the-scenes fight over his farm bailout. The stopgap measure will keep federal agencies fully up and running into December, giving lawmakers in the post-election congressional session time to digest the election and decide whether to pass the annual government funding bills by then or kick them to the next administration. The budget year ends Sept. 30. The 359-57 vote came after considerable behind-the-scenes battling over proposed add-ons. The final agreement givesmore

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Public Farewell to US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Begins Wednesday

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Colleagues, friends and admirers will begin paying their final respects Wednesday to the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.   Ginsburg’s casket will be brought to the Supreme Court building Wednesday morning for a private ceremony in the Great Hall, attended by her family and her fellow justices.  The casket will then be moved to the building’s front steps and lie in repose for public viewing until Thursday, resting on the same wooden platform built for the casket of President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination in 1865.   A further tribute will occur Friday when Ginsburg will be taken across the streetmore

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US Voting Systems ‘Being Targeted’ as Presidential Election Nears

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Increased security measures are not stopping cyber operatives from looking for ways to break into critical U.S. voting systems, according to officials charged with safeguarding the nation’s Nov. 3 presidential election. But exactly who is behind the ongoing efforts remains unclear. “Election systems, like IT systems generally, are being scanned, are being targeted, are being researched for vulnerabilities,” Matt Masterson, the Department of Homeland Security’s senior election security adviser, said Tuesday during a virtual event on election security hosted by Auburn University’s McCrary Institute. “What keeps me up at night is, is there something we’re not seeing? Is there something we’re not tracking?”more

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First US Presidential Debate Topics Released

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The moderator of the Sept. 29 U.S. presidential debate between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and incumbent Republican President Donald Trump has released the six topics of discussion. Trump and former Vice President Biden will debate their records in office, the current Supreme Court vacancy, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in American cities, and the integrity of the election. The topics were chosen by moderator Chris Wallace, a Fox News journalist. Starting at 9 p.m. Washington time, the candidates will have 15 minutes to debate each of the topics during the 90-minute encounter, which will take place without commercial interruption. The list ofmore

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Trump to Name Supreme Court Nominee Saturday

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he plans to announce his nominee Saturday for the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, while a key lawmaker said Senate Republicans have enough votes to confirm Trump’s choice before the November 3 presidential election.   Trump said on Twitter he would make the announcement at the White House. He earlier said the choice will be one of five conservative women he is considering, one of whom he met with Monday, appellate court judge Amy Coney Barrett.  Three Conservative Female Judges at Top of Trump’s Supreme Court ListUSmore

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Supreme Court Pick Upends Unpredictable US Election

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The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has placed the political battle over her replacement at the center of the U.S. presidential election that is six weeks away. VOA’s Brian Padden reports that President Donald Trump’s determination to quickly fill the vacancy, and Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s call to let the winner of the presidential contest put forth a nominee, are reminding voters of the hot-button issues from health care to abortion rights that the court may soon decide. …

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