Biden Rejects Suggestion He Not Debate Trump  

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is rejecting calls that he not formally debate President Donald Trump.  “I’m going to debate him. I am going to be the fact-checker on the stage while I’m debating him,” Biden said Thursday during an interview with MSNBC. The former vice president added, “I think everybody knows that this man has a somewhat pathological tendency not to tell the truth.”  Trump and Biden are scheduled for debates on September 29, October 15 and October 22. Biden made the statements shortly after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she did not think there should be any presidential debates this year.more

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White House, Democrats Resume Coronavirus Aid Talks; No Progress Reported

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The White House and congressional Democrats made no progress Thursday on a coronavirus financial relief package that has been stalled for weeks, as benefits ran out for millions of unemployed Americans.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a Thursday afternoon call with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows “made clear that the White House continues to disregard the needs of the American people as the coronavirus crisis devastates lives and livelihoods.”Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer last met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Meadows at the end of July, just as $600 a week in supplemental federal unemployment benefitsmore

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RNC Highlights Law & Order, Downplays Coronavirus

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President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has made “law and order” a central theme of this week’s Republican National Convention, focusing attention on incidents of violence and vandalism that have accompanied widespread racial justice protests. VOA’s Brian Padden reports on what Trump supporters see as a growing threat to public safety and why his opponents say Trump is politicizing the crisis. …

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Republican Convention Highlights Law & Order, Downplays Coronavirus

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President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has made “law and order” a central theme of this week’s Republican National Convention, focusing attention on incidents of violence and vandalism that have accompanied widespread racial justice protests. VOA’s Brian Padden reports on what Trump supporters see as a growing threat to public safety and why his opponents say Trump is politicizing the crisis. …

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Republican Convention Highlights Law and Order, Downplays Coronavirus

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President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign has made “law and order” a central theme of this week’s Republican National Convention, focusing attention on incidents of violence and vandalism that have accompanied widespread racial justice protests. VOA’s Brian Padden reports on what Trump supporters see as a growing threat to public safety and why his opponents say Trump is politicizing the crisis. …

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Pence Assails Biden on Police Funding Amidst US Racial Unrest

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With more racial unrest roiling the United States, Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday night told voters that “you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” attacking the Democratic presidential candidate as a willing partner of those who want to curb police funding.”Joe Biden says America is systemically racist,” Pence said on the third night of the Republican National Convention. “And that law enforcement in America has a quote, ‘implicit bias,’ against minorities. And when asked whether he’d support cutting funding to law enforcement, and he replied, ‘Yes, absolutely.’””The hard truth is…you won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” Pencemore

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Fired White House Lawyer Alleges Retaliation by Trump, Democratic Lawmakers Say

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A former White House lawyer contends he was fired for reporting concerns about President Donald Trump’s efforts to have Ukraine investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden and about alleged legal and ethical breaches by Trump’s national security adviser, Democratic lawmakers said on Wednesday.Army Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny Vindman filed an August 18 complaint making the allegations with the Pentagon watchdog, the chairs of three U.S. House of Representatives committees said in a letter to acting Pentagon Inspector General Sean O’Donnell.The lawmakers said Vindman also alleged National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and National Security Council Chief of Staff Alex Gray misused government resources,more

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Pence to Give RNC Speech From Site That Inspired US National Anthem

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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will speak to the Republican National Convention Wednesday night from Maryland’s Fort McHenry, site of the 1814 battle that inspired what is now the U.S. national anthem.The National Park Service announced Monday that the site would be closed Tuesday and Wednesday for a “first amendment event.” The choice is in character for Pence, who quoted Abraham Lincoln in a video released Tuesday, and who has previously leaned on themes of American patriotism and the legacy of the nation’s early days.America is the Land of OPPORTUNITY! #RNC2020 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/KIMDm5SKlF — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) In this May 25,more

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Pence to Highlight Night 3 of Republican National Convention

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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence highlights Wednesday’s third night of the Republican National Convention with a speech from Baltimore’s Fort McHenry.The schedule of speakers also includes Senators Marsha Blackburn and Joni Ernst, as well as Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence.Kellyanne Conway, one of President Donald Trump’s top advisers from his 2016 presidential campaign and throughout his time in the White House, is also set to speak days before stepping down from her position.On Tuesday night, first lady Melania Trump expressed sympathy for the hundreds of thousands of Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic.“Since March, our livesmore

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Mike Pence: A Conservative Loyal Voice for Trump

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U.S. Vice President Mike Pence takes center stage Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention, a loyal ally of President Donald Trump during their nearly four years at the top of the American government.Pence is speaking from Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, where U.S. soldiers defended the young United States from a British attack in 1814, inspiring the writing of the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It is a venue in keeping with the Republicans’ convention theme of “Honoring the Great American Story.”Pence was relatively unknown nationally four years ago when Trump, a first-time politician, picked him as hismore

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Harris Will Be Democrats’ Main Counter to Trump on Thursday

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Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Thursday plans a speech condemning President Donald Trump, hours before he is set to accept renomination for a second term, for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Harris will detail a “profound failure of leadership” from Trump and highlight proposals by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to control the virus and confront the economic fallout, Biden’s campaign told The Associated Press. With Trump planning an evening address from the White House lawn, Harris’ afternoon remarks from Washington will be the Democrats’ main counter to the president on the final day of the Republicans’more

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US School District Lost 700 Students During Online Classes

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Hundreds of students in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, didn’t participate in online learning last spring and all but vanished after the coronavirus pandemic drove the district to close classrooms. Keloland.com reported 700 kids, or 3% of the district’s student body, never connected with their teachers during the last quarter of the year. Assistant Superintendent Teresa Boysen said the district tried to reach out to the students but never connected with them. She says phone numbers and emails changed and some students moved to different towns so they’d have someone to take care of them while parents kept working.  Boysen said some studentsmore

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Melania Trump Headlines Second Night of Republican National Convention

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On the second night of the four-day Republican National Convention, first lady Melania Trump offered her case for a second term for President Donald Trump, joining others, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who broke with tradition and delivered his speech from Jerusalem. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this recap.Camera: Laurentius Wahyudi                          Produced by: Kim Weeks  …

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First Lady Addresses Pandemic, Racial Unrest in Convention Speech

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U.S. first lady Melania Trump expressed sympathy Tuesday night for the victims of the coronavirus pandemic, a marked contrast from her husband, President Donald Trump, who often has diminished the impact of the infectious disease and said it will disappear. “Since March, our lives have been changed drastically,” the first lady said in a late- evening speech in the newly redesigned White House Rose Garden. “My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one. My prayers are with those who are ill or suffering. “I know many people are anxious and some feel helpless,” she said. “I want you to knowmore

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New Supporters of Trump Attend RNC

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This week the Republican Party is hoping to pave the way for a repeat of President Donald Trump’s 2016 win by energizing the party faithful and wooing undecided voters. Public opinion polls show the president trailing Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden. At the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, VOA’s Carolyn Presutti spoke with several voters who said they did not back Trump in 2016, but they will this year.Camera: Mary Cieslak  …

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Melania Trump, Top Diplomat Pompeo to Address 2nd Night of Republican National Convention 

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U.S. first lady Melania Trump is telling American voters Tuesday night why they should re-elect her husband, President Donald Trump, delivering a key address at the Republican National Convention from the White House Rose Garden she recently redesigned. The first lady, an émigré from Slovenia and now a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been an infrequent participant in the U.S. political scene and has rarely accompanied her husband to political rallies. But an aide to Melania Trump, chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, said in advance of the first lady’s nationally televised address that, “Every word in this speech is from her.” Other key speakers are set to voice their support for the president asmore

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Can Trump Deploy Federal Agents to Police the Polls?

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In claiming that the 2020 election could be “rigged” by the Democrats, U.S. President Donald Trump recently hinted he may deploy federal authorities to polling places around the country on Election Day to root out corrupt practices that would impact the presidential election. Asked during a Fox News interview last week if he planned to deploy federal monitors to polling stations Nov. 3 to prevent fraudulent voting, Trump replied, “We’re going to have everything.” “We’re going to have sheriffs, and we’re going to have law enforcement, and we’re going to have, hopefully, U.S. attorneys. And we’re going to have everybody, and attorneymore

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Ethics Concerns Raised as Trump Uses White House as Convention Prop

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The use of the White House by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump for events related to this week’s Republican National Convention are legal, according to administration officials.  For others working in the White House and the administration, however, there are lines not to be crossed, according to the Hatch Act, a 1939 federal law that prohibits most government officials from engaging in political activities while on the job.  Trump administration officials have been cited for breaking the Hatch Act 13 times by federal investigators at the Office of Special Counsel. At least a dozen more investigations aremore

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Can Anonymous Classrooms Protect Students from Beijing Snooping?

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With many American universities holding online courses this semester because of the pandemic, faculty members at Princeton, Harvard and other elite schools are looking for ways to protect the privacy and identity of students logging in from Hong Kong and China, where they are subject to China’s repressive rules on self-expression.  The Hong Kong National Security Law that passed in June allows Chinese authorities to prosecute any foreign institution, organization or individuals, regardless of their location, if they are involved in any action deemed to be a crime. Legal scholars say the law opens the door for a wide rangemore

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UN Security Council Declines Action on US-Sought Return of Iran Sanctions

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The president of the U.N. Security Council said Tuesday there is no consensus for restoring international sanctions on Iran in the 15-member council and that he would take no further action on a U.S. demand to re-impose them.  “It is clear for me that there is one member, which has a particular position on the issue, while there are significant numbers of members who have contrasting views,” said Council President Indonesian Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani. “In my view, there is no consensus in the council. Thus, the president is not in the position to take further action.”  Last week, U.S. Secretary of Statemore

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Biden To Be Regularly Tested for Coronavirus, Campaign Says

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, will be tested regularly for COVID-19, an aide said on Monday, as the campaign prepares for the possibility of more public events in the run-up to November’s election.   Since the coronavirus began spreading widely in the United States in March, Biden has done few public events, most of them close to his Delaware home.   But following his formal nomination at last week’s Democratic National Convention, the campaign is expanding its health protocols in a new phase of the race that could see the former vice president inmore

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Can Anonymous Classrooms Protect Students from Beijing’s Snooping?

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With many American universities holding online courses this semester because of the pandemic, faculty members at Princeton, Harvard and other elite schools are looking for ways to protect the privacy and identity of students logging in from Hong Kong and China, where they are subject to China’s repressive rules on self-expression.  The Hong Kong National Security Law that passed in June allows Chinese authorities to prosecute any foreign institution, organization or individuals, regardless of their location, if they are involved in any action deemed to be a crime. Legal scholars say the law opens the door for a wide rangemore

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Campaign Says Biden To Be Regularly Tested for Coronavirus

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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, will be tested regularly for COVID-19, an aide said on Monday, as the campaign prepares for the possibility of more public events in the run-up to November’s election.   Since the coronavirus began spreading widely in the United States in March, Biden has done few public events, most of them close to his Delaware home.   But following his formal nomination at last week’s Democratic National Convention, the campaign is expanding its health protocols in a new phase of the race that could see the former vice president inmore

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