White House Chief-of-Staff Mark Meadows said Friday U.S. President Donald Trump is experiencing mild effects of the coronavirus after he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19.“The president does have mild symptoms and as we look to try to make sure that not only his health and safety and welfare is good, we continue to look at that for all of the…
read morePresident Donald Trump’s age and weight put him at higher risk of a severe case of COVID-19, but beyond that his prognosis is hard to gauge, experts say. Trump’s doctor, Sean Conley, confirmed in a statement early Friday that the president and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus. He said they…
read moreThe world’s democracies are suffering under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new Freedom House report. The report, titled Democracy Under Lockdown, says “the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened a crisis for democracy around the world, providing cover for governments to disrupt elections, silence critics and the press, and undermine the…
read moreDemocratic U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday said he and his wife Jill are sending their thoughts to President Donald Trump, his opponent in the November election, and Trump’s wife Melania, who both tested positive for COVID-19.”Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for…
read moreA little more than a month before the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump announced early Friday via Twitter that he and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus and have begun quarantining themselves. In response, Vice President Mike Pence tweeted: “Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump. We join millions across America praying for their full and…
read moreA day after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died at age 87 of pancreatic cancer, President Donald Trump promised attendees at a rally in North Carolina that his nominee to fill her seat would be a woman.A week later, he announced her: Amy Coney Barrett, a 48-year-old conservative and circuit judge on the…
read moreDuring Tuesday’s raucous presidential debate, President Donald Trump warned that he “won’t go along with” an election result based on mail-in ballots he alleges are fraudulent. To prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus, some states have expanded voting by mail, and polling indicates significantly more Democrats than Republicans are relying on this method to…
read moreU.S. lawmakers have been meeting this week with President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who would fill the seat left empty by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If confirmed as expected, Barrett will have a critical impact on court decisions on a range of issues impacting life…
read moreNew research suggests that the collision of space objects that created Earth’s moon may have robbed it of 10% to 60% of its original atmosphere. Most scientists believe that about 4 billion years ago when Earth was still developing, a massive object the size of Mars hit the planet, sending vaporized particles from the collision into…
read moreU.S. President Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he was opposed to changing the rules for his second and third debates against Democratic challenger Joe Biden, claiming he “easily” won their contentious, chaotic first debate earlier this week.Both candidates frequently interrupted each other’s remarks at Tuesday’s 90-plus minute debate, but Trump more so than Biden.FILE –…
read moreItalian scientists this week showed evidence of Martian salt water, raising hopes of finding tiny Martian life swimming in it. NASA says an air leak aboard the International Space Station does not threaten the crew. And SpaceX’s next batch of StarLink satellites will need to find another ride into orbit. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the…
read moreThe 2020 U.S. election is likely to cost nearly $11 billion, making it by far the most expensive election in U.S. history, according to projections by a leading campaign finance watchdog.In a report released Thursday, the Center for Responsive Politics projected the cost of the 2020 presidential and congressional races at $10.8 billion, or more…
read moreThe U.S. Health and Human Services Department announced a new funding opportunity Thursday for providers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic Thursday. The $20 billion relief fund will be provided through the Health Resources and Services Administration and will allow providers who previously have received Provider Relief Fund payments to apply for…
read moreBritain’s primary environmental agency announced that beginning Thursday a ban on all “single-use” beverage straws is in effect, making it illegal for businesses to sell or supply them to individual customers. The ban was passed and set to take effect in April, but the COVID-19 pandemic prompted law makers to postpone its implementation so…
read moreAn estimated nine million Americans live abroad – half a million of them in Israel where observers expect an unprecedented number will cast absentee ballots in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem.Camera: Ricki Rosen Produced by: Marcus Harton …
read moreBritish Health Minister Matt Hancock announced Thursday the government will broaden new COVID-19-related restrictions to Liverpool and other areas in northwest Britain after a surge in new cases in that region.Speaking to parliament, Hancock said the restrictions are being extended to Liverpool city region, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough. The restrictions are the same as those…
read moreThe Trump administration said late Wednesday it wants to cut the number of refugees admitting into the United States to 15,000 in fiscal year 2021, which begins Thursday.The figure represents the latest in a series of annual cuts since President Donald Trump took office in 2017.In 2020, the administration put the cap at 18,000, and…
read moreDemocrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee said Republicans are rushing the Supreme Court confirmation process for Judge Amy Coney Barrett and reiterated calls for postponing the review of her nomination until after the presidential inauguration in January.In a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham released late Wednesday, Democrats said the timeline Graham has…
read moreRepublican lawmakers on Wednesday confronted former FBI Director James Comey about his oversight of the Trump-Russia investigation during a politically charged hearing that focused attention on problems with the probe that have become a rallying cry for President Donald Trump’s supporters.Comey, making his first appearance before Congress since a harshly critical inspector general report on…
read moreThe Proud Boys are fired up.The notorious hate group has been celebrating since President Donald Trump refused to directly disavow them and other white supremacists during Tuesday night’s presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.Trump, who has been criticized for never explicitly denouncing right-wing extremism, was asked by debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News if he…
read moreThe U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday announced charges against 345 people for committing over $6 billion in medical fraud. Those charged include more than 100 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who filed fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers, according to the Justice Department. The bulk of the fraud — $4.5 billion —…
read moreZimbabwe parks authority officials say they suspect a bacterial disease called hemorrhagic septicemia is behind the recent deaths of at least 34 elephants in the northwestern part of the country.The elephant deaths, which began in late August, come soon after hundreds of elephants died in neighboring Botswana in mysterious circumstances. Authorities subsequently blamed the deaths…
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