Journalist Woodward Defends Decision to Withhold Trump’s Virus Comments

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Bob Woodward, facing widespread criticism for only now revealing President Donald Trump’s early concerns about the severity of the coronavirus, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he needed time to be sure that Trump’s private comments from February were accurate.   In Woodward’s upcoming book on Trump, “Rage,” the president is quoted saying the virus was highly contagious and “deadly stuff” at a time he was publicly dismissing it as no worse than the flu. Woodward, the celebrated Washington Post journalist and best-selling author, spoke with Trump more than a dozen times for his book.   “He tells memore

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US Revokes Visas of 1,000 Chinese Students 

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The U.S. says it has revoked the visas of more than 1,000 Chinese citizens considered “high risk” to U.S. security because of alleged ties with the Chinese military. A statement issued Wednesday by the State Department said the revocation of the visas was authorized by a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump on May 29.  The proclamation was aimed at students who had previously studied at colleges and universities in China that have ties to the People’s Liberation Army. The Trump administration has charged that Chinese students have come to the United States to steal intellectual property to advance China’s economic andmore

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Trump and Biden Campaign in Contrast

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With the presidential campaign entering its final two-month stretch, both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are ramping up travel to battleground states this week. But the candidates have very different approaches to getting their messages out to supporters. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report. …

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Study: COVID, Economy Push Soaring Numbers of Young US Adults Back Home

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The number of adult children who have had to move back home with their parents is at a level not seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s, according to a new study.A majority of 18- to 29-year-olds have moved home because of the coronavirus pandemic, subsequent shutdowns and quarantines, and job losses, a Pew Research Center study found.“Young adults have been particularly hard-hit by this year’s pandemic and economic downturn, and have been more likely to move than other age groups,” study authors Richard Fry, Jeffrey Passel and D’Vera Cohn wrote Friday.The number tipped into the majority in July,more

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New Trump Rule Ties College Funding to Speech, Faith Rights

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The Trump administration is moving forward with a policy that expands protections for religious groups on college campuses and threatens to cut federal education funding to colleges that violate free speech rules.The Education Department issued the rule Wednesday, less than two months before the election, and cements much of what President Donald Trump outlined in a March 2019 executive order demanding wider speech protections at U.S. colleges. In taking up the issue, Trump highlighted concerns from conservatives who complained that their voices had been suppressed on university campuses.As part of the policy, the Education Department can suspend or terminate grantsmore

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Young Muslims Challenge Traditional Stereotypes 

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Young Muslims like Humaira Akram are using social media to show the Islamic culture’s younger side.   “Gen Z Muslims have changed or progressed Muslim culture in today’s society by being more vocal, using their social media platforms to advocate for justice and being open-minded,” said Akram, a student at Brooklyn College in New York. Akram and others say they think many non-Muslims see violence and sexism as stereotypes. But younger Muslims are eager to move beyond that, she said.  Sabina Hanan answers comments and questions about Islam and the Muslim culture on social media. This photo is from her Instagram account.“Theymore

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Millennials Connect Via Social Media Challenges During COVID-19

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Bingo is back, this time among millennials and Gen Zers. To stave off boredom caused by the coronavirus quarantine and connect with others, millions of global millennials and Gen Zers are issuing challenges to each other on social media.  Challenges have gotten so popular that social media giant Instagram added a “challenge” story sticker to make it easier for users to create their own or nominate others.  Challenges and tags flooding social media range from drawing random oranges and tagging friends, to perfecting 15-second dances on TikTok to keep people busy, connected and entertained.  Here are some of the biggest social media trends and challenges that have gone viral.Bingo  People are makingmore

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Big Drop Reported in Vaping by US Teenagers

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Vaping by U.S. teenagers fell dramatically this year, especially among middle schoolers, according to a federal report released Wednesday.Experts think last year’s outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths may have scared off some kids, but they believe other factors contributed to the drop, including higher age limits and flavor bans.In a national survey, just under 20% of high school students and 5% of middle school students said they were recent users of electronic cigarettes and other vaping products. That’s down from a similar survey last year that found about 28% of high school students and 11% of middle school studentsmore

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Trump Knew of COVID Danger but Downplayed It, Book Recounts

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U.S. President Donald Trump knew in early 2020 how deadly the coronavirus could be in the United States, but he intentionally misled the American public about the severity of the disease to avoid panicking people, according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward.As the virus started to sweep from China throughout the world, national security adviser Robert O’Brien told Trump in a January 28 White House meeting, “This will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency,” according to the book, Rage.“This is going to be the roughest thing you face,” Woodward, a Washington Post associatemore

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Trump Bans Oil Drilling Off Florida, Georgia, South Carolina

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U.S. President Donald Trump has moved to bar offshore oil and gas drilling in parts of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, a rare action against the fossil fuel industry from an administration that has made global energy dominance a priority.The order drew skepticism from environmentalists and disappointment from the oil and gas industry, but approval from Republicans in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina who have opposed drilling off their state coasts.Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden places a note card in his jacket pocket as he speaks at a campaign event in Warren, Mich., Sept. 9,more

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US Official Claims Pressure to Alter Homeland Security Intel

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An official at the Department of Homeland Security says he was pressured by agency leaders to suppress details in his intelligence reports that President Donald Trump might find objectionable, including intelligence on Russian interference in the election and the threat posed by white supremacists. Brian Murphy also says in a whistleblower complaint filed with the agency’s inspector general that he was demoted from his position for refusing to do so. The former FBI agent and Marine Corps veteran had served as principal deputy undersecretary in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. DEVELOPING: @DHSgov whistleblower alleges top agency leaders -including @DHS_Wolf- attempted tomore

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Biden Unveils Plan to Protect American Jobs

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U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is unveiling a plan Wednesday to try to protect American workers by raising taxes on companies that move jobs overseas. Biden, challenging Republican President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 national election, is delivering details of the plan during a campaign stop in the industrial heartland city of Warren, Michigan.  Traditional working-class Democratic voters embraced Trump in his unexpected win in the Midwestern state in 2016, but Biden is hoping to win them back to help him deny Trump a second term in the White House. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks duringmore

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Transgender Americans Face Voting Barriers in 2020 Presidential Election, Study Finds  

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One segment of the electorate may be unable to vote if poll workers are not able to certify their identity. It is the reality facing hundreds of thousands of transgender Americans in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.  An estimated 378,000 eligible transgender voters do not have identification such as a driver’s license that reflects their name, appearance or new gender identity, according to a study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.   “If those poll workers decide that those ID’s don’t adequately or accurately reflect the person who is standing in front of them, they wouldn’t be able vote,” said Jody Herman, a research scholar and co-author of the report.  The Los Angeles-based organization founded in 2001 conducts independent nonpartisan research on sexual orientation, gender identity law and public policy. Registered voters in states with strict identification laws must produce a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot at polling locations.  “Transmore

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Trump Defies North Carolina COVID Guidelines With Large Outdoor Rally

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Amid the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump attracted a crowd of thousands to his latest political rally at a North Carolina airport Tuesday evening.     Trump marveled at a crowd he said totaled 15,000 people –- a number that reporters on site said was exaggerated.  The rally was attended by 14,600 people and several thousand more either wanted to attend or were nearby, according to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters on Air Force One on the flight back from North Carolina.    Journalists also noted the lack of social distancing among those seated and standing. Many of the attendees did not wear masks andmore

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Study Finds Transgender Americans Face Voting Barriers in 2020 Presidential Election 

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One segment of the electorate may be unable to vote if poll workers are not able to certify their identity. It is the reality facing hundreds of thousands of transgender Americans in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.  An estimated 378,000 eligible transgender voters do not have identification such as a driver’s license that reflects their name, appearance or new gender identity, according to a study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.   “If those poll workers decide that those ID’s don’t adequately or accurately reflect the person who is standing in front of them, they wouldn’t be able vote,” said Jody Herman, a research scholar and co-author of the report.  The Los Angeles-based organization founded in 2001 conducts independent nonpartisan research on sexual orientation, gender identity law and public policy. Registered voters in states with strict identification laws must produce a government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot at polling locations.  “Transmore

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Trump Defies State Coronavirus Guidelines With Large Outdoor Rally in North Carolina

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Amid the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump attracted a crowd of thousands to his latest political rally at a North Carolina airport Tuesday evening.     Trump marveled at a crowd he said totaled 15,000 people –- a number that reporters on site said was exaggerated.  The rally was attended by 14,600 people and several thousand more either wanted to attend or were nearby, according to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters on Air Force One on the flight back from North Carolina.    Journalists also noted the lack of social distancing among those seated and standing. Many of the attendees did not wear masks andmore

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US Officials: Israel, UAE to Sign Deal at White House

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Israel and the United Arab Emirates will sign their historic deal normalizing relations at a White House ceremony on Sept. 15, U.S. officials said Tuesday. The officials said senior delegations from both countries will likely be led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the brother of the UAE crown prince. The officials, who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ceremony would either be on the South Lawn, the Rose Garden or inside depending on weather.  The ceremony will come just amore

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Trump Visits Florida, North Carolina; Biden Unveils New Ads

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U.S. President Donald Trump visited two political battleground states – Florida and North Carolina – Tuesday, while former Vice President Joe Biden unveiled new campaign ads airing in states critical to the outcome of the November 3 election. While in Jupiter, Florida, Trump signed a memorandum that prohibits drilling in the waters off the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida, and off the Atlantic coast of Georgia and South Carolina for a 10-year period, from July 1, 2022, to June 20, 2032.  President Donald Trump holds a signed memorandum to expand the offshore drilling moratorium to the coasts of Florida, Georgiamore

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US Voters Told To Be Patient with Presidential Election Results

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Officials charged with securing the upcoming U.S. presidential election warn the greatest danger may come from a wave of disinformation unleashed by U.S. adversaries in the hours after polls across the country begin to close.The officials fear that is when the country will be most vulnerable, with many Americans expecting to see a winner declared on Election Day. But because of the heavy reliance this year on mail-in and absentee ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic, those results may not come election night or even the next day.Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs testifiesmore

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US Drug Execs Promise COVID Vaccine Safety Before Seeking Government Approval

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Nine chief executives of competing drug companies working to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus jointly said Tuesday they would not seek U.S. government regulatory approval for its use until Phase 3 tests showed it was safe. The statement comes as President Donald Trump has suggested there could be an announcement on a successful vaccine before the Nov. 3 general election. “We believe this pledge will help ensure public confidence in the rigorous scientific and regulatory process by which Covid-19 vaccines are evaluated and may ultimately be approved,” the executives said in their joint statement. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boardingmore

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Senate Republican Leader to Hold Vote on COVID-19 Relief Bill

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U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday the Republican-led Senate will vote “as soon as this week” on COVID-19 relief legislation after negotiations with Democrats broke off last month. “It does not contain every idea our party likes. I am confident Democrats will feel the same. Yet Republicans believe the many serious differences between our two parties should not stand in the way of agreeing where we can agree and making law that helps our nation,” McConnell said in a statement.  The Senate returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a shortened pre-election session as hopes continue to diminish formore

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House to Investigate Possible DeJoy Campaign Law Violations

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House Democrats said Tuesday they will investigate whether Postmaster General Louis DeJoy encouraged employees at his former business to contribute to Republican candidates and then reimbursed them in the guise of bonuses, a violation of campaign finance laws. Five people who worked for DeJoy’s former company, New Breed Logistics, say they were urged by DeJoy’s aides or by DeJoy himself to write checks and attend fundraisers at his mansion in Greensboro, North Carolina, The Washington Post reported. Two former employees told the newspaper that DeJoy would later give bigger bonuses to reimburse for the contributions.   It’s not illegal tomore

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