US House Panel Announces Contempt Proceedings Against Pompeo

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The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee announced contempt proceedings against Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday, citing his refusal to comply with a subpoena for records into his “transparently political misuse” of department resources.   The Democratic chairman of the committee, Eliot Engel, also cited Pompeo’s speech from Jerusalem before the Republican National Convention and said “he has demonstrated alarming disregard for the laws and rules governing his own conduct and for the tools the constitution provides to prevent government corruption.”   The committee last month issued a subpoena to Pompeo demanding documents he provided to Republicans investigating Democraticmore

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Small Businesses in College Towns Struggle Without Students

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Perry Porikos sat in the street outside one of his five businesses, in a makeshift patio area that didn’t exist before the COVID-19 pandemic  sent his best customers — University of Michigan students — back home in mid-March. The Greek immigrant arrived here more than four decades ago as a 20-year-old soccer player for the Wolverines and part-time dishwasher at The Brown Jug Restaurant, which he now owns. He nonchalantly dropped names of sports stars like Tom Brady and Michael Phelps, two of the many former Michigan students he counts as friends, and recalled hustling enough to own more thanmore

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Protesters Try to Drown Out Trump Speech, Yell at Sen. Paul

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Hundreds of demonstrators gathered around the White House for a “noise demonstration and dance party” in an attempt to drown out President Donald Trump’s speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination.   And later, a crowd enveloped U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky as he left the convention, yelling for him to say the name of police shooting victim Breonna Taylor, who was killed in his state, but there was no indication the protesters were the same.   “I hope you hear us, Trump,” the leader of the popular local band TOB shouted near the site of Trump’s speech. The bandmore

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Trump Accepts GOP Nomination, Slams Biden on China, Economy

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During his White House address Thursday accepting his party’s nomination for a second term, President Donald Trump said the November election “will decide whether we will defend the American way of life or whether we will allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy it.”  Trump, who faces a strong challenge from former Vice President Joe Biden, told a large crowd on the White House South Lawn “this is the most important election in the history of our country.” People watch video screens before President Donald Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington.The 1,000-plus invited attendees,more

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Trump Accepts the Republican Party’s Nomination

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President Donald Trump concluded the final night of the Republican National Convention with an acceptance speech delivered in front a live audience of about 1,500 people on the South Lawn of the White House. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this recap. Camera: Virginia Gunawan Produced by: Barry Unger  …

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Trump Accepts GOP Nomination, Calls Biden ‘Destroyer of American Greatness’

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During his White House address Thursday accepting his party’s nomination for a second term, President Donald Trump said the November election “will decide whether we will defend the American way of life or whether we will allow a radical movement to completely dismantle and destroy it.”Trump, who faces a strong challenge from former Vice President Joe Biden, told a large crowd on the White House South Lawn “this is the most important election in the history of our country.”The 1,000-plus invited attendees, including many Republican members of Congress, were seated close to each other and most did not wear facemore

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Five Former CDC Directors Speak Out About Ending Coronavirus Pandemic

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Former directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the world-renowned American agency that has long taken the lead in fighting communicable diseases, are voicing unusual criticism of the U.S. handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the CDC’s limited role in that effort.COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, has killed more than 180,000 people in the U.S., and those are only the confirmed cases. The CDC says the actual number of COVID-19 deaths is much higher and that the virus will be a leading cause of deaths in the U.S. in 2020.Five former CDC directors, appointedmore

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New Study: Voting by Mail Raises Turnout, Offers No Party a Significant Advantage

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A new study published this week suggests voting by mail would not bring chaos to the elections process, and could, in fact, boost turnout.Voting by mail has become something of a controversy in recent months, with the COVID-19 pandemic raising safety concerns about going to the polls, and U.S. President Donald Trump insisting voting by mail would be fraud-ridden and unfair to his Republican Party.Two political scientists, one from the University of Virginia and the other from Brigham Young University, examined the issue and FILE – A man walks by a United States Postal Service mailbox in downtown Washington, Augustmore

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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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