A U.S. government watchdog agency on Thursday recommended that Kellyanne Conway, one of President Donald Trump’s closest White House aides, be fired for repeatedly engaging in partisan political attacks while working as a federal employee. The Office of Special Counsel, unrelated to special counsel Robert Mueller, who investigated Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election,…
read moreA U.S. congressional committee on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation to extend the fund compensating first responders to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center for the next 70 years, a move that would avoid steep benefit reductions over a lack of money. The House Judiciary Committee acted one day after television personality…
read moreThe Midwest state of Iowa in the center of the country is at the center of the race for the White House in 2020, as the large field of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination descends upon its 99 counties. The candidates are trying to build momentum and support ahead of nationally televised debates this summer. VOA’s…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump’s push to confront China’s trade practices has garnered bipartisan congressional support unlike any other major initiative his administration has tackled. VOA Senate correspondent Michael Bowman reports, while lawmakers of both political parties praise Trump for initiating a “get tough” approach to Beijing, the specifics of his China policy have sparked doubts…
read moreDemocratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke Wednesday outlined his proposal to improve gay rights in the United States and to reverse what he called “discriminatory policies” under President Donald Trump. “LGBTQ+ Americans have made incredible progress over the past decade, thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of activists and advocates, but too many LGBTQ+…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden both took their political message to the mid-western state of Iowa Tuesday, each seeking to persuade 2020 voters that he is the one with the vision and strength to lead the nation. Trump and Biden have been trading barbs ever since Biden announced his candidacy…
read moreActing Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan told troops and civilian workers Tuesday to avoid political displays while on the job, a reminder that comes after the White House told the Navy to keep the USS John S. McCain out of sight to avoid offending President Donald Trump during a visit to Japan. In separate memos…
read moreSeeking to rebut President Donald Trump’s attempts to cast him and Democrats as too liberal, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to give a speech Wednesday on democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. He made similar remarks during his first presidential campaign in 2016, when he faced questions about his…
read moreThe incumbent U.S. president and the top opposition party frontrunner seeking to unseat him next year on election day both find themselves in the same key political state – a possible preview of a head-to-head match-up more than 500 days before the general election. Before departing the White House on Tuesday for Iowa, President Donald…
read moreThe U.S. House of Representatives is due to vote Tuesday on a measure authorizing lawsuits against Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn over their refusal to cooperate with congressional subpoenas in connection with the investigation of Russian election interference. Lawmakers want access to documents from special counsel Robert Mueller’s report…
read moreEach morning, Daybreak Africa looks at the latest developments on the continent, starting with headline news and providing in-depth interviews, reports from VOA correspondents, sports news as well as listener comments. …
read moreDemocrats in the U.S. House of Representatives reached a deal Monday for the Justice Department to turn over crucial documents collected by special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice by trying to thwart his probe of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump faced questions Monday afternoon about his recent deal with Mexico to control immigration, but provided little clarity on what he said were undisclosed portions of the agreement when he spoke with journalists. “It’s just another aspect of what we’ve done,” replied Trump during a brief event on the White House…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed Sunday that Mexico “for many years” has not been cooperative to curb the surge of migrants traveling through it to reach the United States, but believes a new agreement will alleviate the problem. The U.S. leader warned, however, that “if for some unknown reason” Mexico does not stanch…
read moreFormer Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is stepping up his campaign to be Britain’s next prime minister by challenging the European Union over Brexit terms. Johnson told the Sunday Times he would refuse to pay the agreed-upon 39 billion-pound ($50 billion) divorce settlement unless the EU offers Britain a better withdrawal agreement than the one currently…
read moreU.S. Treasury chief Steven Mnuchin said Sunday President Donald Trump would be “perfectly happy” to tax more imports from China if he cannot reach a trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both presidents are scheduled to meet later this month at the Group of 20 meeting in Japan. “We made enormous progress, I think…
read moreThe new voter protection director for Florida Democrats told party activists on Saturday that they should assume there will be a recount during next year’s presidential election. “We are going to be prepared,” Brandon Peters told a packed room of Democratic activists at the state party’s Leadership Blue 2019 meeting at Walt Disney World…
read moreOnline data is at risk. Hackers are getting smarter and companies across the globe are facing a shortage of trained professionals who can help protect their data. To fill this gap, the U.S. government is beefing up its efforts to recruit the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. VOA’s Sahar Majid has more. …
read moreThe giant e-commerce technology company, Amazon, has announced that it expects to start delivering orders to shoppers’ homes by drones in the coming months. The details are still in the works, but the innovation could change the way we get packages. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
read moreAs Washington and Mexico City both took victory laps Saturday over a deal that headed off threatened tariffs on Mexican imports, it remained to be seen how effective it may be, and migration experts raised concerns about what it could mean for people fleeing poverty and violence in Central America. Other than a vague…
read moreSen. Elizabeth Warren electrified California Democrats on Saturday with a pledge for bold action, matching if not outshining enthusiasm for the state’s own Sen. Kamala Harris to kick off a day when more than a dozen presidential candidates planned to make their cases to thousands of activists in the nation’s largest liberal stronghold. Some…
read moreRising trade tensions between the U.S. and China have sparked worries about the 17 exotic-sounding rare earth minerals needed for high-tech products like robotics, drones and electric cars. China recently raised tariffs to 25% on rare earth exports to the U.S. and has threatened to halt exports altogether after the Trump administration raised tariffs…
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