US Faces Back-to-School Laptop Shortage

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Schools across the United States are facing shortages and long delays, of up to several months, in getting this year’s most crucial back-to-school supplies: the laptops and other equipment needed for online learning, an Associated Press investigation has found. The world’s three biggest computer companies, Lenovo, HP and Dell, have told school districts they have a shortage of nearly 5 million laptops, in some cases exacerbated by Trump administration sanctions on Chinese suppliers, according to interviews with over two dozen U.S. schools, districts in 15 states, suppliers, computer companies and industry analysts.As the school year begins virtually in many places becausemore

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Over 24 GOP Former Members of Congress Join ‘Republicans for Biden’

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As the Republican National Convention got under way Monday, Former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, alongside more than two dozen former Republican members of Congress, endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.The Biden campaign announced that the former lawmakers joined its new “Republicans for Biden” program, also launched Monday, part of the campaign’s efforts to engage with Republicans considering voting for Biden. Several of those on  Biden campaign’s list had previously announced their support for the former vice president, including former Pennsylvania Representative Charlie Dent and former senators Gordon Humphrey and John Warner, of New Hampshire and Virginia respectively.Accepting Nomination, Biden Calls onmore

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Long-serving Trump Adviser Kellyanne Conway Steps Down

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Kellyanne Conway, a long-serving advisor to President Donald Trump known for sparring with reporters, announced Sunday she will step down to focus on her family.   Conway, 53, has been at Trump’s side since day one, managing his 2016 campaign that catapulted the reality TV star into the world’s most powerful office.   But the past four years of singular loyalty to Trump, including defending him on TV and with informal “gaggles” with the press, have taken a toll on the combative spin doctor who coined the phrase “alternative facts.”   While she made a name for herself as onemore

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Biden: Trump ‘Walked Away’ from COVID Crisis

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says he isn’t blaming President Donald Trump for the coronavirus outbreak, but he does blame him for “walking away” from the crisis.  “The idea of saying that this is going to go away, that some miracle is going to happen is unrealistic,” Biden said, adding that Trump has repeatedly promoted “crazy” treatments and “hasn’t listened to the scientists.”  Biden and his vice presidential running mate, California Senator Kamala Harris, spoke to ABC News television in an interview broadcast Sunday night. It was their first joint interview since teaming up for the Democratic ticket.  The interview was conducted last Friday, the day after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention.  On Sunday evening, Trump announced he had helped to end a regulatory logjam and prompted the federal Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency authorization of so-called convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19,more

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Trump Releases Commercial Aimed at Indian American Voters

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U.S. President Donald Trump has released a campaign commercial, undoubtedly aimed at winning support from the country’s Indian American voters.Former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential candidate, has chosen a woman of South Asian descent as his vice presidential running mate.  Kamala Harris, a U.S. senator from California, is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants. Her late mother was from India and her father is Jamaican.Biden’s choice has been widely celebrated by Indians around the world.Trump senior adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle posted the commercial on Twitter on Saturday and tweeted: “America enjoys a great relationship with India and ourmore

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Melania Trump Hosts Official Reopening of White House Rose Garden

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U.S. first lady Melania Trump hosted the official reopening of the White House Rose Garden on Saturday. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence attended the event.“The changes you see tonight are the result of a thoughtful and collaborative process carefully crafted with the help of scholars and experts in architecture, horticulture, design, and historic preservation,” said the first lady, who is scheduled Tuesday to deliver her Republican National Convention speech from the garden.“The Rose Garden layout we have all come to know and treasure was designed during the [former U.S. President John F.] Kennedy administration by Bunny Mellon,”more

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Pompeo, Kushner to Mideast as US Presses Arab-Israeli Peace

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The Trump administration will send two top officials to the Middle East this week in a bid to capitalize on momentum from the historic agreement between Israeli and the United Arab Emirates to establish diplomatic relations.Three diplomats say Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner plan to make separate, multiple-nation visits to the region in the coming days to push Arab-Israeli rapprochement in the aftermath of the Israel-UAE deal.Pompeo is expected to depart on Sunday for Israel, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Sudan, according to the diplomats, who spokemore

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Parents Who Fought Admissions Scandal Charges Are Sentenced

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The high-profile faces of a college admissions scandal – a Hollywood actor and her fashion designer husband – have been sentenced to two and five months, respectively, in prison after pleading guilty of bribing their daughters’ way into prestigious schools.  Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli were sentenced after a judge accepted their plea deal in federal court via videoconferencing because of the coronavirus pandemic.U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel Gorton also sentenced Loughlin to two years of supervised release, during which time she must complete 100 hours of community service, and she must pay a fine of $150,000. Giannulli was also sentencedmore

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Iowa University Drops 4 Sports Amid Financial Crisis Tied to Coronavirus

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The University of Iowa will drop four sports programs as part of the athletic department’s response to a projected loss of $100 million in revenue because of the coronavirus pandemic.School president Bruce Harreld and athletic director Gary Barta said Friday that men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis and men’s and women’s swimming and diving will be discontinued after the 2020-21 academic year.Barta said the Big Ten’s decision to postpone football and other fall sports until the spring will create an overall budget deficit between $60 million and $75 million this year.”A loss of this magnitude will take years to overcome. We havemore

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Syracuse Students Suspended in Latest College Coronavirus Crackdown

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Syracuse University has suspended 23 students following a large on-campus gathering, the latest example of college crackdowns on the kind of socializing that can spread the coronavirus and sink plans for in-person learning this semester.Syracuse officials announced the disciplinary action late Thursday and said they were reviewing security camera footage to identify additional students seen on video crowding into the campus Quad on Wednesday night in violation of rules limiting crowds and requiring masks.The gathering drew a sharp rebuke earlier from Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie, who said participants had undercut efforts to make residential learning possible.”We have one shotmore

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Trump Says Democrats’ Convention Was ‘Gloomiest’ in History

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President Donald Trump sought to cast a more positive light on his presidency Friday after four days of bashing at the Democratic National Convention, saying that where Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden sees “American darkness,” he sees “American greatness.”The four-day Democratic National Convention culminated with Biden describing “a perfect storm” hitting the nation under Trump’s watch as a result of the pandemic, the jolt to the economy that it delivered and racial unrest after the death of George Floyd. It comes as Republicans are still finalizing plans for Trump’s four-night show next week — in part in response to themore

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US Universities Roll Out COVID Spit Tests

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A recently approved rapid saliva test for COVID-19 is already being used on college campuses across the United States. Also called spit tests, they produce results in less than 24 hours, cost about $10, and are less invasive than the standard swab that is placed deep into the nose.Faster, Easier COVID-19 Test Approved as US Testing Rates Fall A Yale-developed, NBA-funded test uses saliva to detect the coronavirusYale University School of Public Health in Connecticut partnered with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association in June, the school said, to devise the test, called SalivaDirect.“Direct saliva testing canmore

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US Election Mail Will Be Handled ‘Securely and On Time’ Postmaster Tells Senate

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U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told a U.S. Senate committee Friday he has no policy changes regarding election mail for the 2020 election, and he promised all mailed-in ballots would be handled “securely and on time” for the November election.DeJoy appeared virtually before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. It was the first time the U.S. Postal Service leader answered lawmakers’ questions about mail slowdowns attributed to his cost-cutting policies that have spurred worries about the delivery of vote-by-mail ballots for the November election.But while he gave his assurances, DeJoy could not provide a detailed plan asmore

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Trump Wants Supreme Court OK to Block Critics on His Personal Twitter

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President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to allow him to block critics from his personal Twitter account. The administration said in a high-court filing Thursday that Trump’s @realdonaldtrump account with more than 85 million followers is his personal property and blocking people from it is akin to elected officials who refuse to allow their opponents’ yard signs on their front lawns. “President Trump’s ability to use the features of his personal Twitter account, including the blocking function, are independent of his presidential office,” acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall wrote in urging the justices to review the case. The federal appeals courtmore

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Republican Senator Cassidy Tests Positive for COVID-19

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U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy announced Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is experiencing some COVID-19 symptoms. He said he is quarantining in Louisiana.     The Republican senator, 62, who is running for reelection on Nov. 3, is experiencing “mild symptoms that began this morning,” from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, his spokesperson Cole Avery said. Cassidy is at least the 13th member of Congress known to have tested positive for the coronavirus and only the second senator.     Cassidy, a physician from Baton Rouge who regularly wears a mask when in publicmore

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US Postmaster General Faces Tough Questioning in Senate Hearing

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 U.S. lawmakers will aggressively question U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in his first appearance before Congress on Friday about recent cost-cutting measures that Democrats say appeared to be an attempt to boost President Donald Trump’s re-election chances. Under pressure from the public and lawmakers, DeJoy on Tuesday suspended all mail service changes until after the Nov. 3 election. Critics feared they would interfere with mail-in balloting, which is expected to be much more widely used amid the COVID-19 pandemic. WATCH: Postmaster Dejoy on delivering election mailSorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video tomore

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Joe Biden Calls on Americans to Unite in Democratic Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech

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Joe Biden, after nearly a half-century on the American political scene, Thursday night accepted the Democratic nomination to seek the U.S presidency in the November 3 election, telling Americans it was time to oust Republican President Donald Trump after one term in the White House.“United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America,” Biden declared as the United States faces the unrelenting coronavirus pandemic and millions of workers have lost their jobs. “We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.”In a nearly half-hour speech, Biden contended that Trump “takes no responsibility” for themore

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Biden Says He Has Plan To Fight COVID

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U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said he has a plan to help the U.S. fight the coronavirus outbreak.“After all this time the president still does not have a plan,” Biden said. “Well, I do.”Biden said Thursday in his acceptance speech at the virtual Democratic convention that his plan would include a national mask-wearing mandate and immediate rapid testing results. His plan would also call for increased manufacturing of medical supplies in the U.S.Biden added that he would ensure that schools have whatever they need to “open, safe and effective.”The U.S. continues to lead the world in the number ofmore

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Biden Accepts Democratic Presidential Nomination, Criticizes Trump’s Coronavirus Response

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In accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for president Thursday, Joe Biden set out to make President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic the central issue in the November election. VOA’s Brian Padden reports on the conclusion of the virtual Democratic National Convention, which also strove to showcase party diversity and unity in opposition to Trump without physically gathering, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Produced by: Barry Unger …

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VP Nominee Kamala Harris Faces Unique Challenges, and Opportunities

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As the first woman of color on a major party’s ticket, Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris is expected to galvanize the minority vote. But Harris also faces unique challenges, and opportunities, as she campaigns alongside presidential nominee Joe Biden. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this story from Wilmington, Delaware, where Harris delivered her acceptance speech. Camera: Rob Parsell …

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Joe Biden Accepts US Democratic Presidential Nomination

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Joe Biden, after nearly a half-century on the American political scene, Thursday night accepted the Democratic nomination to seek the U.S presidency in the November 3 election, telling Americans it was time to oust Republican President Donald Trump after one term in the White House.“United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America,” Biden declared as the United States faces the unrelenting coronavirus pandemic and millions of workers have lost their jobs. “We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.”In a nearly half-hour speech, Biden contended that Trump “takes no responsibility” for themore

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Postal Service Crisis Casts Doubt on Mail-In Voting

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The coronavirus pandemic is driving many Americans to consider voting by mail in this November’s presidential election instead of casting their ballots in public polling places. But just as the postal service faces a major test of its election-year capabilities, congressional Democrats say the Trump administration’s recent changes at the U.S. Postal Service could lead to voter suppression. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson explains the controversy. Produced by: Katherine Gypson …

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74 Top Republicans Endorse Biden for President

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Seventy-four former Republican national security officials say they are voting for Democrat Joe Biden for president because they believe Donald Trump is engaging “in corrupt behavior that renders him unfit to serve as president.” Most of those who signed the letter, released Thursday by the advocacy group Defending Democracy Together, put their names on a similar statement in 2016, which also warned against electing Trump. Thursday’s statement outlines 10 reasons why the signers believe Trump must not be reelected in November, including allegations that he has “gravely damaged America’s role as a world leader … undermined confidence in our presidential elections … alignedmore

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