Feds: Yale Discriminates Against Asian, White Applicants

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A Justice Department investigation has found Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law, officials said Thursday.  Yale denied the allegation, calling it “meritless” and “hasty.” The findings detailed in a letter to the college’s attorneys Thursday mark the latest action by the Trump administration aimed at rooting out discrimination in the college application process, following complaints from students about the application process at some Ivy League colleges. The Justice Department had previously filed court papers siding with Asian American groups who had leveled similar allegations against Harvard University.  The two-yearmore

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Warning on Russia Adds Questions About Senate’s Biden Probe

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Even before last week’s intelligence assessment on foreign election interference, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson was facing criticism from Democrats that his investigation of presidential candidate Joe Biden and Ukraine was politically motivated and advancing Russian interests. But the stark warning that Russia is working to denigrate the Democratic presidential candidate adds to questions about the probe by Johnson’s Senate committee and whether it is mimicking, even indirectly, Russian efforts and amplifying its propaganda. The investigation is unfolding as the country, months removed from an impeachment case that had centered on Ukraine, is dealing with a pandemic and confronting the issuemore

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For Americans Waiting on Virus Aid, No New Relief in Sight

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Americans counting on emergency coronavirus aid  from Washington may have to wait until fall. Negotiations over a new virus relief package have all but ended, with the White House and congressional leaders far apart  on the size, scope and approach for shoring up households, re-opening schools and launching a national strategy to contain the virus. President Donald Trump’s top negotiator, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the “overture,” saying the Trump administration is still refusing to meet them halfway. Congressional Republicans are largely sittingmore

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RFE/RL: Pompeo Vows US Action to Ensure ‘Good Outcome’ for Belarusian People

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, speaking about the contentious Belarusian presidential election and the ensuing police crackdown against peaceful protesters, says that “we want good outcomes for the Belarusian people, and we’ll take actions consistent with that.” Pompeo, who earlier condemned the conduct of the election that handed authoritarian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka a sixth-straight term by a landslide, said in a wide-ranging interview Wednesday with RFE/RL in Prague that “we’ve watched the violence and the aftermath, peaceful protesters being treated in ways that are inconsistent with how they should be treated.” The vote Sunday, which the opposition has called “rigged,” has resulted in three-straightmore

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Business Lobby Raises Concerns Over Trump Payroll Tax Break

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The nation’s leading business group on Wednesday raised serious concerns about President Donald Trump’s move to defer Social Security payroll taxes for American workers, warning that the plan for a shot of economic relief during the coronavirus pandemic could prove unworkable.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a White House ally in battles to cut federal regulations and taxes, said in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that Trump’s directive is “surrounded by uncertainty as to its application and implementation” and “only exacerbates the challenges” for companies trying to quickly put his action in place.There was no immediate reaction from themore

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Biden, Harris Make Their Case to US Voters

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Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took note of the historic moment Wednesday when introducing Senator Kamala Harris, his vice presidential choice, at a campaign event in Delaware.Biden and Harris, who both came onstage wearing face masks because of the coronavirus pandemic, spoke from the stage of a high school in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.Their speeches focused on the theme of their campaign, stressing their leadership in helping Americans during the crises of the pandemic and growing economic turmoil, as well as the inspirational message of choosing Harris.“This morning,all across the nation, little girls woke up — especially littlemore

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Trump Plans Campaign Swing Next Week as Counter to Democrats’ Convention

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President Donald Trump is planning to visit four election battleground states next week as the Republican competes for attention with Democrats who will formally nominate Joe Biden as their presidential candidate.A source familiar with the planning said Trump plans stops in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona and Pennsylvania, all of them states that may prove crucial to determining the winner of the Nov. 3 election.Democrats are holding their mostly virtual convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, next week. The Milwaukee Sentinel Journal said the Trump campaign was considering holding an event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.Trump, struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and economic recession,more

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Over Half of US Lower Schools to Stay Online

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Over half of U.S. public elementary and secondary school students will study online this fall, according to new research.In addition to the 52% of students learning online, 44% will attend school in person on partial schedules, such as rotating days. Four percent of school districts remain undecided, according to a survey by Burbio, a data service that aggregates school calendars nationwide. “We have seen a dramatic shift to online-only learning in the past three weeks,” Julie Roche, Burbio co-founder, said in a press release. “Large districts such as Chicago, and Sun Belt cities such as Houston and Miami, along with largemore

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Supporters Turn Out for Biden, Harris in First Joint Campaign Event

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Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his newly named running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, are set to make their first joint appearance Wednesday as a team seeking to defeat President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the November general election.The Biden-Harris campaign said the pair would speak in Wilmington, Delaware, about “working together to restore the soul of the nation and fight for working families to move the country forward.”Watch the campaign event:Ahead of their appearance at Alexis DuPont High School Wednesday afternoon, several Delaware locals — including many members of Harris’ sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, dressedmore

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Trump Congratulates Supporter of QAnon for Congressional Primary Win

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U.S. President Donald Trump has congratulated a supporter of a far-right group for her congressional primary victory in the southern state of Georgia.Trump tweeted Wednesday that Marjorie Taylor Greene was a “real WINNER!” after coming out on top in the Republican primary for Georgia’s 14th congressional district.Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent. Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up – a real WINNER! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2020Greene is a supporter of QAnon, which promotes an unfounded theorymore

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Screen College Students for COVID Every 2 Days, Researchers Advise  

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U.S.-based colleges and universities continue to struggle with how they will receive students while containing the spread of COVID-19.  Nearly 40% of schools say they will bring students back to campus, according to the FILE – A student takes classes online with his companions using the Zoom app at home.Researchers say schools would have to test their students every two days for COVID-19 to ensure their health and safety, and screening after symptoms emerge won’t control the spread, according to a study published July 31.  “We believe that there is a safe way for students to return to college inmore

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Kamala Harris’ Selection As VP Resonates With Black Women

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China Cochran met Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Detroit last year and was swept away by her ambition, charisma and leadership. She hoped the California senator would advance in politics. So when Joe Biden named Harris on Tuesday as his running mate — making her the first Black woman on a major party’s presidential ticket — Cochran wasn’t just struck by the history. It represented a full-circle moment for Black women, who for generations have fought for their voices to be heard and political aspirations recognized. “It tells Black girls that they can be president,” said Cochran, whomore

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Frequent COVID Testing Advised for Campus Students  

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U.S.-based colleges and universities continue to struggle with how they will receive students while containing the spread of COVID-19.  Nearly 40% of schools say they will bring students back to campus, according to the FILE – A student takes classes online with his companions using the Zoom app at home.Researchers say schools would have to test their students every two days for COVID-19 to ensure their health and safety, and screening after symptoms emerge won’t control the spread, according to a study published July 31.  “We believe that there is a safe way for students to return to college inmore

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Kamala Harris, Once a Presidential Candidate, Returns to Race

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U.S. Senator Kamala Harris is trying to become the first woman elected as the country’s vice president after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden selected her as his running mate. The child of a father from Jamaica and a mother from India, both of whom immigrated to the United States, Harris is already the first Black woman and first South Asian American to be part of a U.S. presidential ticket. The 55-year-old’s resume includes being the first Black attorney general of the state of California as well as the first woman to hold the job.  Her 2016 election to a U.S. Senatemore

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Democrats Want Obama to Take on Trump

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Even though former President Barack Obama has taken a more active role recently to support presumptive Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, the ex-president has, for the most part, refrained from publicly criticizing his successor, President Donald Trump. But as VOA’s Brian Padden reports, many Democrats are urging Obama to become high profile surrogate for Biden by directly confronting Trump’s attacks and generating enthusiasm among Democratic voters. …

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Omar Among Winners in Tuesday US Primaries

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U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar won her Democratic primary election Tuesday, defeating a well-funded challenger. Voters in Minnesota’s fifth congressional district backed Omar with about 58% of the vote compared to 39% for Antone Melton-Meaux. Omar represents a solidly liberal district and is likely to win another term in Congress in the November general election. In another Minnesota race, Republican Michelle Fischbach won her party primary and will face incumbent Democratic Congressman Collin Peterson in a race Republicans are targeting as a chance to flip a Democratic seat to their party.  Voters in the district supported President Donald Trump by a 30-point margin in 2016, but Peterson is onemore

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VP Nod the Latest in a Career of Firsts for Kamala Harris

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Kamala Harris, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s pick to be his running mate in November’s election, has been a trailblazer all her life.   “My mother used to have a saying,” the 55-year-old Harris is fond of recounting. “She would say to me ‘You may be the first to do many things but make sure you’re not the last.’”   Harris was the first black attorney general of California, the first woman to hold the post, and the first woman of South Asian heritage to be elected to the US Senate. She is now seeking to become the first female vice president of the Unitedmore

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NAACP Launches Drive to Boost Black Voter Turnout in Six Key States

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The NAACP, the largest U.S. civil rights organization, is launching a drive ahead of November’s presidential election to boost Black voter turnout in six key states, it said on Tuesday. The initiative aims to enlist the services of about 200,000 “high-propensity” Black voters, or people who turned out to vote in a high number of recent local, state and presidential elections. Those voters, in turn, will seek to mobilize so-called “low-frequency” Black voters – people who were registered to vote, but who had not voted in the most recent election cycle or several election cycles — in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina,more

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7 Quick Facts on Kamala Harris, Biden’s VP Candidate

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Kamala Harris, a U.S. senator from California and former presidential candidate, is Joe Biden’s vice presidential running mate, the Biden campaign announced Tuesday, via a tweet to supporters. Biden’s one-time opponent has made headlines for her sharp criticism of him on the campaign trail, alongside controversy over her time as a prosecutor in California. “@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he’s spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he’ll build an America that lives up to our ideals,” wrote Harris on Twitter. “I’m honored to join him as our party’s nominee for Vice President and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief..@JoeBiden can unify the American people becausemore

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How Kamala Harris Found the Political Identity That Had Eluded Her

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Months after her presidential campaign collapsed amid questions over her political identity, Kamala Harris suddenly and forcefully found her voice – and at a fortuitous time. Harris, a 55-year-old U.S. senator from California, was chosen by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden as his running mate on Tuesday, making history as the first Black woman and Asian-American on a major presidential ticket. Her selection came as little surprise. With the United States in the midst of a reckoning over its history of racial injustice, Biden had increasingly been pressed to select a woman of color. Harris, who became the Senate’s second Black woman in itsmore

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No Parties, No Trips, No Outside Guests Allowed

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As they struggle to salvage some semblance of a campus experience this fall, U.S. colleges are requiring promises from students to help contain the coronavirus — no keg parties, no long road trips and no outside guests on campus. No kidding. Administrators warn that failure to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid mass gatherings could bring serious consequences, including getting booted from school. Critics question whether it’s realistic to demand that college students not act like typical college students. But the push illustrates the high stakes for universities planning to welcome at least some students back. Wide-scale COVID-19 testing,more

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Trump Says Party Acceptance Speech Likely at White House or Gettysburg

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U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he is likely to give the acceptance speech for his party’s nomination at either the White House or 115 kilometers to the north at the Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.   Asked by a reporter at a briefing on Monday why he is considering Gettysburg, which Trump said he had visited numerous times, the president replied, “It’s the history. It’s incredible, actually to me. It was a very important place and is a very important place in our country.”  The White House location, however, would be easier in terms of expense and security, according to Trump.  Themore

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