A June 17 meeting between the top diplomats from the U.S. and China was so low key, no photos were released. Diplomatic sources say China asked for the meeting. It came at a time of heightened tension between the countries over many issues. VOA’s Steve Redisch has more. …
read moreA massive cloud of Saharan dust darkened much of Cuba on Wednesday and began to affect air quality in Florida, sparking warnings to people with respiratory illnesses to stay home.The dust cloud swept across the Atlantic from Africa over the past week, covering the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico since Sunday and hitting south Florida…
read moreSen. Kamala Harris of California says that Democrats need to listen to young voters seeking change and that she won’t “be played” by Republicans when it comes to police reform legislation.She’s a top contender to be presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s running mate. But she won’t directly address whether she thinks Biden should choose a…
read moreGermany-based Bayer will pay nearly $11 billion to settle thousands of current and future lawsuits over claims its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, the company announced Wednesday. Bayer CEO Werner Baumann called it “the right action at the right time.” Along with the cancer lawsuits, Bayer will also pay a billion-dollar settlement over separate lawsuits involving a second…
read morePresident Donald Trump’s nominee to be the CIA’s chief watchdog is pledging independence, saying he will perform his role “in an unbiased and impartial manner, free of undue or inappropriate influences” by Trump or anyone else.Peter Thomson, a New Orleans attorney and former federal prosecutor, faced skepticism about his ability to ward off presidential interference…
read moreGermany is banning the sale of single-use plastic straws, cotton buds and food containers, bringing it in line with a European Union directive intended to reduce the amount of plastic garbage that pollutes the environment.The Cabinet agreed Wednesday to end the sale of plastics including single-use cutlery, plates, stirring sticks and balloon holders, as well…
read moreU.S. House Democrats blasted Attorney General William Barr at a hearing on Wednesday over accusations he had improperly meddled in criminal cases and antitrust probes for political gain, but they stopped short of pledging to take any steps to try and oust the nation’s top law enforcement official. “Mr. Barr’s work at the Department…
read moreThe Boston City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a ban on the use of facial recognition technology by city government. The move makes Boston the second-largest U.S. city after San Francisco to enact a ban. The city joins several other Massachusetts communities that passed similar bans, including Cambridge, Springfield, Northampton, Brookline and Somerville. “Boston should not…
read moreIn the United States, Election Night is turning into Election Week, with results in high-profile contests delayed because of the extended time needed to count the hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots by voters who did not want to risk contracting the coronavirus at polling stations. The election outcome was unknown Wednesday of the…
read moreA key vote advancing major police reform legislation in the U.S. Senate failed Wednesday, after Congressional Democrats blocked debate on a Republican proposal they called “flawed.” U.S. lawmakers have been racing to craft legislation that would address demands heard in weeks of nationwide protests in response to the May 25 death in police custody of George…
read moreTwitter has launched a new prompt to fight gender-based violence in response to a surge in sexual assaults and domestic attacks during lockdown, a company official said on Wednesday. The social network said the feature, currently available in 11 countries, directs users to local helpline services if they search for terms such as “domestic…
read moreGoogle is tweaking its privacy settings to keep less data on new users by default. The search giant said that starting Wednesday, it will automatically and continuously delete web and app activity and location history for new users after 18 months. Settings for existing users won’t be affected but the company will send reminders about…
read moreA federal appeals court on Wednesday ordered the dismissal of the criminal case against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn.The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said in a 2-1 ruling that the Justice Department’s decision to abandon the case against Flynn settles the matter, even though Flynn…
read moreU.S. lawmakers will attempt to pass two police reform bills this week, a rare feat of congressional legislating in a presidential election year. The Senate will likely tackle a Republican proposal Wednesday, while the House of Representatives is set to pass a Democratic measure Thursday. Both are attempts to respond to weeks of historic nationwide…
read moreThe Trump administration’s recent decision to roll back civil rights protections for transgender people in health care has outraged civil rights activists and organizations advocating for transgender rights. The administration move comes as the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling protecting gay and transgender workers from workplace discrimination. Now, the nation’s largest LGBTQ rights…
read moreSeveral high-profile Democrats are facing the prospect of losing their seats in Congress after voters in four U.S. states cast ballots in primary elections Tuesday.Former middle school principal Jamaal Bowman, who had never run for office before, held a lead of 61% to 36% over Congressman Eliot Engel, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs…
read moreFormer President Barack Obama helped raise a record-breaking $7.6 million from more than 175,000 individual donors ahead of his first fundraiser for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. “I’m here to say that help is on the way if we do the work,” Obama said during the virtual fundraiser. “Because there’s nobody that I trust more to…
read moreBefore addressing a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump visited a section of border wall in the southwestern U.S. state. Trump tried to credit the new section of wall, which he and several other officials autographed, for stopping both illegal immigration and the coronavirus. Arizona, however, is among several hot spots in…
read moreVoters headed to the polls in three U.S. states Tuesday, deciding a too-close-to-call Senate Democratic primary contest in the southern state of Kentucky for a spot to face Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November, and a contentious Democratic primary challenge to longtime Congressman Eliot Engel in New York. In the Kentucky race, polls indicate…
read morePresident Donald Trump said Tuesday he’ll issue an executive order to protect monuments that are coming under new scrutiny as America wrestles with racism during the unrest sparked by the police killing of George Floyd.Trump has been clear that he opposes the removal of monuments of leaders of the Confederacy or other distasteful aspects of…
read moreThe World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Tuesday it is seeking to investigate record high temperatures reported from inside the Arctic Circle June 20. At a news conference in Geneva, WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis told reporters the U.N. weather agency is seeking to verify the reported 38 degrees Celsius temperature in the Russian town of…
read moreElections are set for three U.S. states Tuesday, including a Senate Democratic primary contest in the mid-south state of Kentucky for a spot to face Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November and a tough Democratic primary challenge longtime Congressman Eliot Engel is facing in New York.In the Kentucky race, polls indicate a tight…
read more
