Saturday, 1 August 2020

India scraps English as mandatory language in primary schools amid nationalist surge

India scraps English as mandatory language in primary schools amid nationalist surgeIndia will scrap the mandatory use of English in its primary schools, with subjects instead taught in Hindi or regional languages like Punjabi, for the first time since its independence in 1947. The controversial move is part of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the largest educational shake-up in India in 34 years, which was spearheaded by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Hindu-nationalist youth wing, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). As part of the reforms, school syllabuses will focus on “ancient Indian knowledge”. Abolishing compulsory English is seen as a way to promote a united Indian identity from an early age. For much of the BJP’s support base, English is associated with colonial times and the old corrupt ruling Indian elite which followed afterwards and its abolishment as a mandatory language fits Mr. Modi’s wider policy of driving Indian nationalism. While only 0.02 percent of India’s 1.38 billion citizens speak English as a mother tongue, it was seen as the vital bridge in a diverse country where 19,500 different languages and dialects are spoken. Parents took to social media to express their anger at the decision, saying it would reduce their children’s future employment prospects, with fluent English considered essential for highly-coveted and well-paid jobs overseas. “Why would any progressive country want to eliminate [the] English language from primary school? India enjoys a global advantage for we have the highest English speaking workforce, we are heading towards disaster,” wrote one user on Twitter.




Thousands march in Berlin against coronavirus curbs

Thousands march in Berlin against coronavirus curbsThousands marched in Berlin on Saturday to protest against measures imposed in Germany to stem the coronavirus pandemic, saying they violated people's rights and freedoms. The gathering, estimated by police at 17,000, included libertarians, constitutional loyalists and anti-vaccination activists. There was also a small far-right presence with some marchers carrying Germany's black, white and red imperial flag.




US election 2020: The war hero who could be Biden's running mate

US election 2020: The war hero who could be Biden's running mateSenator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq war veteran and the first Thai-American woman elected to Congress.




Democratic congressman calls out maskless GOP colleagues after positive coronavirus test

Democratic congressman calls out maskless GOP colleagues after positive coronavirus testRep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) on Saturday announced he is the latest member of Congress to test positive for COVID-19. The 72-year-old congressman, who said he currently has no symptoms and feels fine, had been isolating after coming into contact with Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week.Grijalva did not call Gohmert out by name, but said that this week has revealed the consequences of the actions of Republican lawmakers who have gone to work at the Capitol without wearing a mask and taking the virus seriously, something which Gohmert has been accused of throughout the pandemic.> Grijalva added: “Numerous Republican members routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues, staff, and their families.” pic.twitter.com/BJM72gRYbj> > — Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 1, 2020Three lawmakers, including Grijalva, were self-isolating after exposure to Gohmert. One of the others, Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) has since tested negative for the virus.More stories from theweek.com Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez picked the wrong statue to criticize Is Western Europe losing its grip on the coronavirus? New Lincoln Project video imagines what it's like to wake up from a coma in 2020




Coronavirus spreads to hundreds of youth who attended an overnight summer camp in Georgia: CDC

Coronavirus spreads to hundreds of youth who attended an overnight summer camp in Georgia: CDCUnlike staffers, campers — who engaged in a variety of activities like "daily vigorous singing and cheering" — were not required to wear masks, according to a CDC report




The Portland 'Wall of Moms' movement is falling apart after a local Black Lives Matter group accused it of 'anti-Blackness'

The Portland 'Wall of Moms' movement is falling apart after a local Black Lives Matter group accused it of 'anti-Blackness'The Wall of Moms was started two weeks ago to protect protesters in downtown Portland after federal agents were sent to the city to quell the unrest.




Boston Marathon bomber's death sentence overturned, new trial ordered for sentencing phase

Boston Marathon bomber's death sentence overturned, new trial ordered for sentencing phaseA federal appeals court said the new trial for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will only decide whether he's executed. He remains in prison for life.




Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina declare emergencies as Hurricane Isaias hits the Bahamas and barrels toward the east coast

Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina declare emergencies as Hurricane Isaias hits the Bahamas and barrels toward the east coastThe governors of Virginia and North Carolina declared states of emergency, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared an emergency for some counties.




Case of Islamic State recruit's UK citizenship goes to Supreme Court



A 54-year-old New Jersey woman was hospitalized after a violent confrontation in Staples over a face mask

A 54-year-old New Jersey woman was hospitalized after a violent confrontation in Staples over a face maskAccording to police, the victim who walked with a cane was "violently" thrown to the ground after she pointed the cane inches from another woman's chest.




Union warns of U.S. Postal Service cost cuts as states prepare for mail-in voting

Union warns of U.S. Postal Service cost cuts as states prepare for mail-in votingThe head of the country's largest postal worker union warned about the administrative shake-up causing delays as states prepare for mail-in voting.




Hurricane Isaias slams Puerto Rico, could hit Florida on weekend

Hurricane Isaias slams Puerto Rico, could hit Florida on weekendThe storm will bring “potentially life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides” to Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the Caribbean, forecasters said.




One bad day demonstrates how Trump is reaping what he's sown

One bad day demonstrates how Trump is reaping what he's sownFirst Read is your briefing from "Meet the Press" and the NBC Political Unit on the day's most important political stories and why they matter.




Boston marathon bombing: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence overturned by appeals court

Boston marathon bombing: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence overturned by appeals courtA federal appeals court has overturned the Boston Marathon bomber’s death sentence.The decision by a three-judge panel says that the judge that oversaw the original case did not adequately screen the jury for potential biases.




The USDA has identified some of the mystery seeds sent unsolicited from China as herbs like rosemary and sage

The USDA has identified some of the mystery seeds sent unsolicited from China as herbs like rosemary and sageAn official with the USDA said 14 species of seeds were identified as herbs and plants like hibiscus, mint, and sage.




'Back To The Future' With Biden’s female VP Pick

'Back To The Future' With Biden’s female VP PickA woman VP or president is long overdue.




Exclusive: CDC projects U.S. coronavirus death toll could top 180,000 by Aug. 22

Exclusive: CDC projects U.S. coronavirus death toll could top 180,000 by Aug. 22As coronavirus cases have continued to rise in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is forecasting that the total American death toll from COVID-19 could hit 182,000 by the fourth week of August, according to an internal government document obtained by Yahoo News.




A hotel in Australia had to ban a pair of 6-foot emus for overstepping their guest privileges

A hotel in Australia had to ban a pair of 6-foot emus for overstepping their guest privilegesEmu siblings Kevin and Carol are frequent visitors of the Yaraka Hotel in Queensland, but reportedly got a little out of hand last week.




Epstein Accuser Virginia Giuffre Claims Bill Clinton Stayed on Private Island with ‘Two Young Girls’

Epstein Accuser Virginia Giuffre Claims Bill Clinton Stayed on Private Island with ‘Two Young Girls’Former president Bill Clinton traveled with Jeffrey Epstein to his private island and stayed there with "two young girls" from New York, according to a recently-unsealed interview of prominent Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre.“I remember asking Jeffrey what's Bill Clinton doing here kind of thing, and he laughed it off and said ‘well he owes me a favor,” Guiffre told lawyer Jack Scarola in a 2011 phone interview."He never told me what favors they were," Guiffre explained. "I never knew. I didn't know if he was serious. It was just a joke . . . He told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favors. They're all in each other's pockets."Giuffre then said that “orgies were a constant thing that took place” on the island, but did not say specifically whether Clinton was involved.The document was released with others as part of unsealing in the case against Epstein’s former girlfriend and alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who has pled not guilty to charges that she recruited and groomed girls for the dead financier to sexually abuse.Last year, Clinton denied ever visiting Epstein’s island, Little St. James, and said through a spokesman that he “knows nothing” about Epstein’s crimes. But he acknowledged flying with Epstein on his private jet on four trips from 2002-2003, which “included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton foundation.”> Statement on Jeffrey Epstein. pic.twitter.com/98ha9YYd1l> > -- Angel Ureña (@angelurena) July 8, 2019Epstein’s lawyers said in a 2007 letter to federal authorities that the disgraced financier “was part of the original group that conceived the Clinton Global Initiative,” a wing of the Clinton Foundation which aimed to connect global leaders for solving “the world’s most pressing challenges.”




Hurricane Isaias updates: The storm is battering the Bahamas as it moves toward Florida

Hurricane Isaias updates: The storm is battering the Bahamas as it moves toward FloridaHurricane Isaias is headed toward southern Florida. The storm already caused power outages and flooding in Puerto Rico.




Madeleine McCann: Suspect's lawyer calls police allotment search 'a desperate act'

Madeleine McCann: Suspect's lawyer calls police allotment search 'a desperate act'Christian Brückner's lawyer has described the excavation of a Hannover allotment by police as "a pure desperate act" in his first statement on the case. Friedrich Sebastian Fülscher, representing the 43-year-old lead suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, issued the statement in response to the two-day search by Braunschweig police at an allotment plot just outside Hannover earlier this week. Federal officers uncovered a sealed cellar on Wednesday. Locals said Brückner had stayed in the area in 2007, the year in which three-year-old Madeleine went missing from Praia da Luz in Portugal. Brückner is currently serving a sentence for drugs charges, but it was revealed on Friday that his lawyers have put in a new bid for his release, meaning he could walk free on January 7. In a statement on Friday, Mr Fülscher called the search "a pure desperate act of the public prosecutor's office". "Apparently, it's hard for investigators to admit they backed the wrong horse," the lawyer said. "My client is silent on the charges, but that doesn't mean he has anything to hide." Discussing the rape of a 72-year-old American woman for which Brückner was jailed for seven years last year, which he continues to deny, Mr Fülscher said it was "totally unusual" for someone to be a both a paedophile and a gerontophile.




Engel subpoenas State Dept. for Biden documents given to Senate Republicans

Engel subpoenas State Dept. for Biden documents given to Senate RepublicansDemocrats view the Senate GOP probe as an effort to smear Biden on false corruption allegations related to his diplomacy in Ukraine.




US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsule

US astronauts pack up for rare splashdown in SpaceX capsuleTwo U.S. astronauts about to make the first splashdown return in 45 years said Friday they'll have seasick bags ready to use if needed. SpaceX and NASA plan to bring Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken back Sunday afternoon in the company's Dragon capsule, aiming for the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida Panhandle. Hurley said if he and Behnken get sick while bobbing in the waves awaiting recovery, it won’t be the first time for a crew.




Friday, 31 July 2020

Kodak’s chief executive got stock options. The next day, the share price spiked 1,000 percent.


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Ghislaine Maxwell-Jeffrey Epstein emails revealed in new court papers

Ghislaine Maxwell-Jeffrey Epstein emails revealed in new court papersIn the papers, a key accuser also alleges the pair were equally involved in sex trafficking.




Two pilots killed when air tankers collide

Two pilots killed when air tankers collideThe planes had been dispatched to help battle the Bishop Fire, a 14,000-acre blaze burning on federal land.




Jim Jordan tries and fails to get Fauci to say protesters should be arrested for gathering during pandemic

Jim Jordan tries and fails to get Fauci to say protesters should be arrested for gathering during pandemicDr. Anthony Fauci wants to make it clear he's got nothing to do with the justice system.Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared before Congress on Friday for a hearing on the federal government's coronavirus response. That's where Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who's been skeptical of restrictions meant to stem the virus' spread, tried to get Fauci to distinguish between protests against racism in the U.S. and bans on businesses reopening amid the pandemic.Because science indicates crowds exacerbate the spread of coronavirus, Jordan asked Fauci on Friday if the government "should limit the protests." "I'm not in a position to determine what the government should do in a forceful way," Fauci responded. So Jordan kept pressing: "The government is stopping people from going to church," claiming that's something "the five liberals" on the Supreme Court had decided. But Fauci continued holding out, saying he does not "judge one crowd versus another crowd" and would not "opine on who should get arrested or not. That's not my position."Jordan then went so far as to claim Fauci had said "protests increase the spread" of coronavirus. "I said crowds, I didn't say specifically, I didn't say protests or anything, " Fauci firmly responded. "You're putting words in my mouth," Fauci continued before saying he had no data showing the nationwide protests had spread the virus. Watch the whole exchange below. > Rep. Jordan: So, you're allowed to protest, millions of people in crowds...but you try to run your business and you get arrested?> > Dr. Fauci: I don't understand what you're asking me, as a public health official, to opine on who should get arrested or not. That's not my position pic.twitter.com/fAZEqbLz5q> > -- CBS News (@CBSNews) July 31, 2020More stories from theweek.com The White House reportedly scrapped a national testing plan because the virus was mostly hitting blue states Josh Hawley's good idea to stop modern slavery New Lincoln Project video imagines what it's like to wake up from a coma in 2020




Teachers fearing in-person schooling make wills, retire or plan strikes

Teachers fearing in-person schooling make wills, retire or plan strikesEducators, worried about the potentially deadly risks they are being forced to take, say proper protections have not been implemented School districts around the US are set to begin reopening in August, many with in-person classes, five days a week, despite coronavirus cases rising in many parts of the country.But the school reopenings have teachers around the US fearful for the safety of themselves, students, staff and family members, with teachers and unions saying that proper protections and protocols have yet to be implemented.Some teachers have even drawn up wills ahead of classes beginning, others have retired from the profession and teachers unions have said they will sanction strike action for members who deem that they are being forced to take potentially deadly risks.“Educators are afraid because proper policies are not being put in place to protect them,” said Alicia Priest, president of the Oklahoma Education Association. The Oklahoma state board of education has only issued guidelines for school districts, and voted down a proposal on 23 July to issue a mask mandate in schools across the state.“The OEA offers members through our personal legal services program a free will. The requests for those free wills are up over 3,000% in the last few weeks,” Priest added.A report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation on 10 July found 1.47 million teachers in the US – some 24% of the profession – are at greater risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus because they have conditions that make them vulnerable.Yet Florida has issued an order mandating all schools must open in August in-person, five days a week. The Florida teachers union responded to the order with a lawsuit.“We are letting the community down by pretending we can open safely. The districts cannot do what is necessary according to CDC guidelines,” said Stacy Rene Kennett, a kindergarten teacher in Immokalee, Florida, who is expected to begin attending in-person training for school reopenings on 4 August.Amy Scott, an IB language arts high school teacher in Miami, Florida for 44 years, decided to retire one year early due to the coronavirus pandemic and the instability of the upcoming school year.“I dreaded it. I wanted to extend it as long as possible because I love kids and teaching,” said Scott. “But then came coronavirus and I realized all the difficulties of holding brick-and-mortar classrooms and the danger involved to teachers, students and the community spread and I didn’t want to end my 45 years of teaching in such a frustrating environment.”In Arizona, which was designated a global pandemic hotspot in early July, reopening decisions have been left to individual school districts.“There is no consistency across the state,” said Marisol Garcia, a middle school teacher and parent in Phoenix who currently serves as vice-president of the Arizona Educators Association. “We are left to our own devices to figure out how to keep our families safe and ensure our students are safe”Garcia explained current class loads in Arizona make social distancing impossible in districts where in-person learning is permitted, as she had no less than 31 students in each class last school year, and it remains unclear if any schools will face repercussions for not following guidelines for coronavirus protections. She also warns many of her colleagues may retire early.In Georgia, state agencies have issued guidelines for school reopenings, deferring decisions to school districts on when and how schools reopen in the coming weeks.Several school districts outside of metro areas in Georgia are reopening in August with in-person classes, five days a week, leaving teachers there concerned over safety protections as coronavirus case rates have been rising around the state over the past several weeks.“We’re very concerned that when we’re once again in school buildings, children, educators, and their family members will become sick and perhaps die,” said Lisa Morgan, president of the Georgia Educators Association.According to Morgan, several school districts in Georgia that are reopening in person, five days a week, are not following CDC guidelines, with no mask mandates, large classroom sizes making social distancing impossible, and responsibility for extra cleaning measures placed on teachers to carry out.Even as schools are expected to reopen in the coming weeks around the US, school districts and teachers are scrambling to create plans for restarting schools, whether classes are conducted in person, virtually, or a hybrid of in-person and remote learning.“The country is asking teachers and children to lead the way, yet no one seems to know what direction we’re headed,” said Angela McKeen, a high school science teacher in Clarksburg, West Virginia. “My concerns at this point are for my students. Can we prevent huge outbreaks? Can students effectively learn in such fluid situations? Can teachers effectively reach their students at not just their places academically, but also emotionally during this time?”Teacher unions have raised the possibility of walking off the job unless comprehensive safety plans are implemented for schools to reopen.The head of the Colorado Education Association recently said teachers may refuse to report to work as schools are set to reopen in the state in August if teachers’ criteria for school reopenings aren’t met.The union cited a survey of nearly 10,000 members, where about eight out of 10 teachers asserted they would be willing to refuse to work if teachers aren’t provided a voice in how safety protocols are implemented, such as mask mandates and social distancing procedures.“We don’t want schools to be epicenters of outbreak in our community. It would crush any student or staff member if they brought coronavirus into school,” said Ernest Garibay, a high school math teacher in Jefferson county, Colorado, and local union representative.




Father, son with COVID-19 forced to quarantine in Hawaii

Father, son with COVID-19 forced to quarantine in HawaiiHawaii's public health director said a rarely used special health order was used to force them into isolation.




China uses Hong Kong security law against US and UK based activists

China uses Hong Kong security law against US and UK based activists* Arrest warrant issued for campaigner and US citizen Samuel Chu * Four other exiles are in Britain wanted for ‘incitement to secession’Hong Kong police have issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy activists living in exile, the first time the city’s authorities have used a sweeping new law to target campaigners living outside Hong Kong.They include Samuel Chu, an American citizen who lives in the US, Nathan Law, a prominent campaigner who recently relocated to the UK after fleeing Hong Kong, and Simon Cheng, a former British consular staffer who was granted asylum in the UK after alleging he was tortured in China.Chinese state media reported that the six men were wanted for “incitement to secession and collusion with foreign forces”.The move comes a month after China introduced a controversial national security law in Hong Kong. China said the legislation targets the crimes of “secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces” and carries penalties as severe as life in prison.Critics warned that it would be used to target legitimate opposition, and highlighted the unusual decision to make the law applicable to both Hong Kong residents and non-residents. That apparently gives China jurisdiction beyond its own borders.Chu, who runs the Hong Kong Democracy Council, a Washington DC-based advocacy organization dedicated to furthering Hong Kong’s freedom and democracy, is the first person targeted under this aspect of the law.He said China was sending a clear message to other activists by ordering his arrest.“I would really emphasize how outrageous this really is,” Chu told the Guardian. “I am the first non-Chinese citizen that essentially is being targeted. I think they do intend to try to make this an example.”Several countries have since suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong, including the UK, Australia and Germany, as a possible safeguard against attempts to use the national security laws to round up activists abroad. The US ordered an end to Hong Kong’s special economic status earlier in July.Chu, who has lived in the US as an American citizen since 1996, said the charges amounted to China “targeting a US citizen for lobbying my own government”.“We always knew that when the national security law went into effect there was a very troubling and illogical, irrational idea that they were claiming jurisdiction over anyone who is not even a Hong Kong resident, who is anywhere in the world, doing anything that they deemed threatening,” he said.> HK police is targeting a US citizen for lobbying my own gov't. I might be the 1st non-Chinese citizen to be targeted, but I will not be the last. If I am targeted, any American/any citizen of any nation who speaks out for HK can-and will be-too. > > We are all Hong Kongers now. pic.twitter.com/KQYGcStY1e> > — Samuel Chu 朱牧民 (@samuelmchu) July 31, 2020The other activists charged wereRay Wong, Wayne Chan and Honcques Laus.Wong, who is currently in the UK, told Reuters the charges showed that the Chinese government was afraid of the advocacy work of Hong Kong activists internationally.“I think they want to cut off our connection with people in Hong Kong … it will make people fear that they may violate the national security law by contacting us,” Wong said.




Trump revisits his playbook for disastrous news: An explosive spectacle

Trump revisits his playbook for disastrous news: An explosive spectacleMinutes after the government announced the worst economic contraction on record, the president upended a day in Washington with his suggestion of delaying the election.




A key federal appeals court will reexamine case on Michael Flynn's guilty plea

A key federal appeals court will reexamine case on Michael Flynn's guilty pleaThe full panel of judges' decision to review Flynn's case could result in a reversal of a three-judge panel's decision to dismiss the case last month.




Hong Kong bars 12 opposition candidates from election

Hong Kong bars 12 opposition candidates from electionOpposition candidates had hoped to capitalise on anger over a controversial security law.




Former U.S. Ambassador Labels Pompeo Speech on China a ‘Psychotic Rant’ in Interview with Chinese Propaganda Outlet

Former U.S. Ambassador Labels Pompeo Speech on China a ‘Psychotic Rant’ in Interview with Chinese Propaganda OutletCharles "Chas" Freeman, a veteran U.S. diplomat who served in East Asia and as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, slammed a speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a "psychotic rant" in an interview Wednesday with a Chinese propaganda outlet.In his July 23 speech at the Nixon Presidential Library, Pompeo said, "Securing our freedoms from the Chinese Communist Party is the mission of our time, and America is perfectly positioned to lead it because our founding principles give us that opportunity."The U.S. is upping its hostility toward China "as outlined in Pompeo's psychotic rant of last Thursday," Freeman told Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Wednesday. "China policy is now made by notable anti-China elements, who will have agreed with the many falsehoods and distortions of Pompeo's rhetoric."Freeman has a long history of service in the State Department, and he was President Nixon's Chinese interpreter during his visit to China in 1972. The former diplomat drew controversy in 2009 when he was nominated to be chairman of the National Intelligence Council, after Freeman wrote in an email leaked to the Weekly Standard that China was too restrained in its crackdown of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests."The Politburo's response to the mob scene at 'Tian'anmen' stands as a monument to overly cautious behavior on the part of the leadership, not as an example of rash action," Freeman wrote at the time. "I do not believe it is acceptable for any country to allow the heart of its national capital to be occupied by dissidents intent on disrupting the normal functions of government, however appealing to foreigners their propaganda may be."




Court Frees Michigan Teen Who Was Held for Skipping Online Schoolwork


By BY AIMEE ORTIZ from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/33e1xe5

A Better Year for Trump’s Family Business (Last Year, That Is)


By BY BEN PROTESS, STEVE EDER AND MICHAEL H. KELLER from NYT Business https://ift.tt/3jZGstT

UK puts lockdown-easing on hold as virus spread accelerates

UK puts lockdown-easing on hold as virus spread acceleratesPrime Minister Boris Johnson put some planned measures to ease the U.K.'s lockdown on hold Friday, just hours before they were due to take effect, saying the number of new coronavirus cases in the country is on the rise for the first time since May. Under the new restrictions, people from different households in Greater Manchester, England’s second largest metropolitan area, have been asked to not meet indoors.




Letters to the Editor: Portland protesters, it's time to stop. You're playing into Trump's hands

Letters to the Editor: Portland protesters, it's time to stop. You're playing into Trump's handsGod forbid President Trump gets another four years in office because of average voters' disgust with violent protests.




Are Pap smears 'obsolete'? There's a better option for cervical cancer screening, American Cancer Society says

Are Pap smears 'obsolete'? There's a better option for cervical cancer screening, American Cancer Society saysThe American Cancer Society released new guidelines on cervical cancer screenings Thursday, recommending that people with a cervix start testing at age 25.




Kamala Harris is on Joe Biden's vice presidential shortlist. Here's what the former presidential candidate ran on.

Kamala Harris is on Joe Biden's vice presidential shortlist. Here's what the former presidential candidate ran on.Kamala Harris, a US senator from California, is also the state's former attorney general. She dropped out of the race on December 3.




Gov. Hogan condemns Trump's 'outrageous' tweet calling for election delay

Gov. Hogan condemns Trump's 'outrageous' tweet calling for election delay“I never cease to be amazed by things the president tweets, but even that one took me by surprise,” Hogan said. “He can’t postpone the election, he doesn’t have the power to do it, and that’s why it’s an outrageous statement.




Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had to be told to unmute his microphone to answer a question during the big tech antitrust hearing

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had to be told to unmute his microphone to answer a question during the big tech antitrust hearing"Mr. Bezos, I believe you're on mute," one lawmaker told Bezos as the pandemic forced all four CEOs to dial into the inquiry virtually.




US election 2020: The war hero who could be Biden's running mate

US election 2020: The war hero who could be Biden's running mateSenator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq war veteran and the first Thai-American woman elected to Congress.




Ex high-ranking Mexican officers charged in drug scheme



Venezuela supreme court approves extradition request to Italy for ex-oil czar

Venezuela supreme court approves extradition request to Italy for ex-oil czarVenezuela's supreme court said on Friday it had approved a request to Italy for the extradition of Rafael Ramirez, a once powerful oil minister and former head of state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela, on corruption charges. Authorities opened a probe into Ramirez over alleged graft in late 2017 and sought an Interpol red alert for him in early 2018, shortly after he left his later post as Venezuela's United Nations ambassador and began publicly criticizing President Nicolas Maduro's handling of the economy, which remains in freefall.




David Duke: Former KKK grand wizard and white supremacist has Twitter account permanently banned

David Duke: Former KKK grand wizard and white supremacist has Twitter account permanently bannedNotorious former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke has had his Twitter account permanently banned after previously being suspended – less than a month after he endorsed Donald Trump for re-election.A high-profile white supremacist campaigner and agitator who has unsuccessfully run for public office several times, Mr Duke is also known for his advocacy for outlandish conspiracy theories, including that the world is run by a Jewish cabal that controls politics, the media and even the internet.




Thursday, 30 July 2020

Republicans and White House at Odds Over Kansas Senate Race


By BY JONATHAN MARTIN AND KATIE GLUECK from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2PbxtYh

Trump news: President doubles down on possible election delay and threatens to send National Guard to Portland

Trump news: President doubles down on possible election delay and threatens to send National Guard to PortlandDonald Trump's tweet suggesting that the 2020 presidential election could be postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic set off a day of wild speculation as to whether he would, could, or how that would even look if he did.After saying that a mail-in ballot system would create the "most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history", the president double-downed during his White House press conference, saying he doesn't want to wait weeks, months or even years for the result of the election to be known.




Father, son with COVID-19 forced to quarantine in Hawaii

Father, son with COVID-19 forced to quarantine in HawaiiHawaii's public health director said a rarely used special health order was used to force them into isolation.




Portland has become the focal point of Black Lives Matter protests in America, but it has a tortured history when it comes to race

Portland has become the focal point of Black Lives Matter protests in America, but it has a tortured history when it comes to raceFor years in Oregon's early history, white locals barred Black people from living in its borders. It's now one of the least diverse states in America.




Google's Sundar Pichai was immediately pounced on in the first question of the antitrust hearing, asking the CEO why Google steals content

Google's Sundar Pichai was immediately pounced on in the first question of the antitrust hearing, asking the CEO why Google steals contentIn his opening set of questions to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, David Cicilline revealed what the year-long investigation had found.




Iran says fires missiles from underground in Gulf war games

Iran says fires missiles from underground in Gulf war gamesIran's Revolutionary Guards said they launched ballistic missiles from "the depths of the Earth" on Wednesday during the last day of military exercises near sensitive Gulf waters. The launches came a day after the Guards struck a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier with volleys of missiles near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for a fifth of world oil output. The Iranian manoeuvres were staged amid heightened tensions between Iran and its decades-old arch enemy the United States.